With his vital qi working overtime, Jin quickly recovered in two days after his interview with Gabriel. It wasn't a total recovery, but most of his wounds had healed up. Besides, sleeping on the funky bed anymore didn't seem like the best option.
His clothes, together with his armor, were utterly destroyed. On the other hand, the standard-issue uniform of the Hope Guild wasn't as bad as he had expected. The fibre wasn't luxurious, but it provided a comfortable experience. The minimalistic design kept it from drawing attention.
'Certainly… they all like my uniform.'
Unlike the rest of the cohort, who were more than capable of affording expensive healthcare, Jin had to make do with what the guild had provided for him. Since it was the nearest to the fifth outpost, he had been hospitalized in a branch of the guild.
It had already been five days, yet the news of the cohort's arrival was still fresh. He felt that it wasn't the cohort's return that surprised them, but his instead. He was a no-name rat from the lower districts, while they were from as high as one could get in society.
In that short time, he had also come across a few rumors.
'I doubt I can call them rumors when the nurse asked them outright.'
Some thought that he was the one who got them in trouble, while some believed that Evelin had carried the entire cohort on her back. What people believed was not something he could control. But seeing the outcome, he was impressed. Evelin's reputation was already as high as the sky. If someone said she pulled a bunch of nobodies out of a nest or two, people would believe it in no time.
Jin already had a fourth-ranker eyeing his life; he didn't want to garner any more attention.
Leaning on the nearby desk, he signed the discharge papers and handed them back to the employee. Not having to pay anything felt like a delight. There was no way he would've been able to pay for the healthcare fee.
Getting out of the building, he looked around him to assess his location. To his east, he could faintly see the intricate machinery and factories of the industrial district.
'The east… so the entertainment district should be to my west.'
Taking another glance around him, Jin turned to the entertainment district. It didn't even take him ten minutes to reach the entertainment district.
The streets were mostly empty, not counting the pitiful thugs who roamed. Seeing his guild uniform, most of them turned their gazes to the other side. He remembered that Lian was a mundane person not too long ago. The memories Lian had when it came to thugs weren't pretty.
Before being on the streets, he was just another orphan living on the streets. For children like John and him, the entertainment district was the one place they could eat to their fill. As to how they acquired that food, that was the ugliest part. He had seen poverty—he had seen entire villages die of hunger and disease. But it was different here. If the challengers willed it, they could help the lower districts rise.
They never did, though.
That was why the normal populace of Acropolis didn't pay much attention to the challengers. For them, challengers were both distant gods and ignorant bystanders.
"Oh come on! Wasn't the deadline next week?!"
The desperate voice came from an alley next to him. Next to a dumpster, a group of people was surrounding a young man, their leader standing in the back. Lian didn't have any memories about the group, but he seemed to know about their leader. He was supposed to be a big shot from one of the major gangs in the lower districts.
Jin was unsure why people formed gangs when there were enough monsters and beasts to deal with outside. However, he knew that this one in particular wasn't one he wanted to get involved with.
That was until he saw the young man they were harassing.
'John… What is he doing here?'
He knew John prided himself on avoiding gang life, adopting business terms like 'freelancer' and 'entrepreneur' to mask his disdain for street gangs. From his expression alone, one could tell that John didn't want anything to do with the lot.
On one hand, it wasn't worth messing with unknown variables. On the other hand, John was his only capable contact who hadn't fallen short yet. And there weren't many people like him in the lower districts.
The leader sensed Jin as he approached them. The man was extremely built, almost twice as big as him. A deep scar marred his neck from ear to the collarbone, coiled around the neck like a vicious snake.
Jin raised his head, the leader's murderous glare reflecting in his indifferent gaze.
"Lian? What—"
One of the goons cut him off, a lunatic smile plastered on his face.
"Lian?! Isn't that the guy who got beaten up by Allen?"
The faces of the group lit up, as if Jin's appearance was the highlight of their day.
"Yeah… I lost a lotta money in that match."
"No wonder I haven't seen you at the bar lately."
"Shut up, you junk heads! You've been whining for days now."
The sudden change in environment took John aback. Not too long ago, he was close to being beaten senseless. Now, the thugs seemed to be fighting among themselves. Jin looked at them, not impressed in the least. Hearing their conversation, he was unsure whether they considered him an ally or their mortal enemy.
The leader glanced at the person nearest to him. Noticing his glare, the thug pressed his lips and fell silent. It didn't take the others too long to quiet down. It was clear that the man kept a short leash on their necks.
But it wasn't the only reason why they followed him around. The man standing in front of him was also a challenger, a first-ranker who had decided that a gang was better than working for a guild. Any other mundane person would've left the place already, but being the same rank, the leader wasn't scared of Jin's status.
Leaning against the wall, the leader spoke, his voice deep.
"Do you have any business with me?"
Jin threw a glance at John.
"Not you. Him."
The man chuckled roughly, his gaze fixed on John.
"He couldn't pay what he owed me. So, he's my property till he can pay it back."
Moving his hand toward the dagger on his waist, he said, "I'll ask again. Do you have any business with me?"
Jin was a bit shaken. Not because the man looked like he wanted to cut him limb from limb, he just couldn't believe that he had been reduced to handling thugs from being the greatest under the heavens. The change felt so drastic that it made him sentimental for a moment.
But he was also thankful that the thug didn't back down. He had been thinking of how he could change Lian's soft image to his own. The fight club was one of his attempts, but it didn't go as well as he had thought.
It felt like his luck had taken a major turn, deciding to favor him after making him suffer for so long.
Closing the remaining distance between them, Jin looked up at the leader and grinned.
"Blame yourself for this."
The leader raised a brow.
The next second, Jin's hand connected with his throat, creating a groove. The strike was snappy, eluding the leader's sight completely.
The man was confused whether he should grasp his dagger or his throat. He gasped heavily, hoping to get a semblance of breath. However, no matter how much he tried, it only got worse. He leaned forward instinctively, unable to understand what had happened.
Twisting his torso, Jin landed a swift kick on his head. Being unguarded, the man's skull smashed against the dumpster beside him.
The entire exchange ended in three seconds. Seeing their boss crumble on the floor like a broken egg, they didn't even have the time to process it. The leader was already unconscious, a part of his face imprinted on the dumpster. A few had the gall to at least think about avenging their boss, but they also knew that the result wouldn't be any different.
Stepping back, Jin turned to the gang and said, "Leave."
After looking at each other's faces for a few seconds, the thugs decided to take the opportunity and dragged their boss's unconscious body out of the alley. As they left, a few still had enough spirit to glance at him. But in the end, no one retaliated.
John stared at Lian, his mouth agape. He didn't know whether he should thank his friend or run away like the thugs.
With the group completely out of his sight, Jin turned to the street and spoke.
"Follow me."
Shaking his head, John caught up to him.