There are numerous hiding spots in the vicinity.
Lennok opted for one of the collapsed containers nearby and concealed himself skillfully.
[…It doesn't seem like the soldiers have arrived yet.]
Upon hearing Jode's words through his earpiece, Lennok adjusted the watch on his wrist and transformed it into a telescope, which he then brought up to his eye.
This multitool was part of Agria's equipment, which Lennok had acquired.
Sure enough, there were dozens of gang members roaming around the area near the railway station, but there were no visible weapons in sight.
At least the visible parts were meticulously concealed to avoid arousing suspicion, emphasizing the gang's cautious approach when dealing with the retired soldiers.
[Should we wait?]
"Yes," Lennok replied. "We'll begin setting up once the soldiers arrive. The physical exchange will take considerable time. We'll secure a favorable position and carry out the operation during that window."
[Do you know when they'll arrive? We don't even know which direction they're coming from.]
"From the side of the railroad. They'll be here in three minutes."
[What? How do you know that…]
Lennok abruptly cut off the transmission without waiting for a response.
Kainy appeared cautious, but she didn't seem to possess quick-thinking abilities.
If they had bribed the customs officials and chosen the meeting place at the railway station, it was evident what mode of transportation the soldiers would employ.
Especially when transporting a large quantity of weapons such as guns.
Since they would soon discover it through magical detection, there was no need to explain it here.
As he caught his breath for a moment, casually holding a cigarette in his mouth, the other side of the railway station became increasingly lively.
Thud, thud…!
A rhythmic sound pierced through the darkness.
The headlights of a vehicle approached, cutting through the mist of the night.
A colossal iron rectangle slowed down as it neared the station and eventually came to a halt.
The aged train car, moving along rusty rails, stopped in the middle of the station, and its door swung open.
A group of individuals stepped out, their faces stiff as they faced the gang members.
"We're on time. Where's the handler?"
They wore dark violet military uniforms adorned with blue emblems on their shoulders.
Undoubtedly the uniforms of the defense force.
Lennok smirked as he confirmed their arrival through the telescope.
The gang daringly chose this abandoned railway station as the location for their dealings with the soldiers.
Upon closer consideration, it wasn't as challenging as it seemed.
The only ones monitoring the railway in this area were the customs officials, and if they could be bribed, their watchful gaze would serve as a reliable guard instead.
Even if they were caught, they could argue that they were running the train directly for customs' public officials.
It seemed much more natural than having several military vehicles traversing through the darkness.
Even if they loaded the spacious train car with guns and moved it, it was unlikely that anyone would easily suspect their activities.
As soon as Lennok recognized the soldiers' faces, he pressed his earpiece and whispered.
"Let's begin."
[………..]
There was no response.
Nevertheless, Lennok subtly sensed the immediate actions of the other five members.
They swiftly dispersed, quickly subduing the surrounding gang members. Simultaneously, Agria emitted interference waves into the air, disrupting the gang's communications.
While this also hindered communication among the team members due to the lack of ally recognition, it was inconsequential at this stage.
Rising to his feet, Lennok advanced, dispatching numerous gang members with well-placed bullets to their heads.
Bang! Bang!
Bit by bit, he closed in on the scene where soldiers and gang leaders conversed near the railway station.
A dozen soldiers, led by an elderly military man exuding an icy aura, stood opposite a large man accompanied by only a few assistants.
The old soldier raised his gaze, sharp and piercing, and inquired, "How long do you intend to utilize this old train?"
"Stay calm," the man replied in a deliberate tone. "Haven't we already agreed that this is the most efficient method?"
"We may have agreed once or twice, but I fail to comprehend why we must exert effort each time. After all, we are the ones supplying you with weapons."
"……"
The soldier's cutting words caused the man's brow to twitch, yet he remained silent.
However, like a ghost, the elderly soldier discerned the meaning behind that expression, and his complexion turned pale.
"What's with that look?"
"Nothing of importance."
"Let me reiterate, the slightest mistake could spell disaster. The western satellite city is teeming with allies eagerly anticipating our return. If you jeopardize us even for a moment, there won't be another deal."
The man simply shrugged, refusing to utter a word.
Quietly observing their conversation, Lennok shook his head.
‘Impressive….'
Superficially, it appeared as if the man had succumbed to the soldier's pressure. However, the soldier's excessively sensitive demeanor revealed his state of mind.
The burden of a retired soldier. The guilt of clandestinely selling military equipment. The risk of discovery.
The accumulated stress, overwhelming his psyche, manifested in negative behavior towards his trading partner right in front of him.
The man, acutely aware of this, effortlessly endured the soldier's provocations.
Lennok's gaze delved deep.
‘If only I could eliminate him here…..'
To succeed in their plan, they would eventually have to decimate the Cigar Bang and replace them with the Dyke Corporation.
This necessitated dealing with all the gang's key executives at some point.
It would be ideal if they could eradicate not only the soldiers but also the gang's influence.
After staring at the man for an extended period, the old soldier reluctantly nodded.
Regardless, he had come here to strike a deal, and the soldiers, driven away from the battlefield, needed money.
Even if that money was tainted, squeezed from the blood-soaked back alleys.
"Move the merchandise."
At the man's affirmation, the dozen or so members who had been preparing in the background swiftly began transferring the firearms from inside the train car.
Among them were a few handguns, but the majority consisted of weighty automatic rifles.
Furthermore, with an ample supply of ammunition, the process of transporting it took a significant amount of time, regardless of the number of people involved.
The moment they commenced moving the rifles stacked outside and began unloading the ammunition, Lennok swiftly summoned mana and directed it into the sky.
Paang!!
A resolute will dispersed a vivid blue flash into the empty sky, manifesting a concrete image meticulously constructed with mana.
A few wizards among the gang members detected the anomaly and turned their heads, but it was already too late.
[Thunder Calling]
Kwaaaaang!!!
A thunderous bolt of lightning, signaling the commencement of the battle, descended directly onto the ground.
The devastating firepower capable of reducing a human to ashes instantaneously was aimed directly at the old train car laden with ammunition.
The outcome of fire catching onto an impromptu ammunition depot was evident.
The old train car detonated on the spot, and a massive wave of fire engulfed all those who stood nearby.
Puooong!!
"Arghhh!!"
"It's, it's hot!!"
"Shit, fuck!! What is this…!!!"
Amidst the gang members and soldiers gathered there, people writhed on the ground, screaming in agony as their bodies melted.
With Lennok's initial strike, the other team members dispersed in various directions, swiftly taking action.
Allen's hazy purple mist rapidly enveloped the surroundings, weakening the adversaries' strength.
Agria's precision laser pierced the heads of the wizards who had reacted to Lennok's magic earlier.
Kwaaang!!
Emerging from the inferno, Heizer wielded a colossal hammer, striking at the remaining foes.
Jode and Kainy, who had revealed themselves from behind the railway station, cut down the fleeing members without missing a beat.
Amidst the chaos, Lennok remained undeterred, promptly drawing his revolver from his waist.
The objective of disrupting the arms deal and severing the ties between the gang and the retired soldiers had been accomplished.
Once the soldiers, already engaged in covert weapons trading, experienced the intensity of the situation, they would be even more reluctant to engage in transactions with the gang.
However, they could not stop here.
‘If I don't eliminate Cigar Bang's executive here, we will only be treading water.'
Although Panua hadn't explicitly instructed him to kill the executive, the other team members likely understood the implicit message.
And if someone had to step forward, Lennok had no intention of hesitating.
He swiftly clenched a cigarette between his teeth, taking a deep drag, summoning the courage he lacked.
From this point onward, there would be no holding back.
Just as Panua had shown goodwill, Lennok had a responsibility to deliver equivalent results.
Ascending slowly through the smoky flames, Lennok consecutively stacked shooting support magic, fixating his gaze on the imposing figure.
[Aim Correction]
[Shot Reinforcement]
[Recoil Control]
[Penetration Amplification]
[Rotation Acceleration]
Keiiing…!!
It was the first time he had stacked five support magics since he began utilizing shooting support magic.
Currently, within the shooting combinations available to Lennok, this was the most powerful shot achievable with the limitations of the gun.
The silver revolver gleamed with a bright blue hue and trembled in Lennok's grip. Despite the trembling, he held his arm steady, aligning the sights with his gaze.
There was no need to attempt to aim at a moving target.
All the necessary power had already been loaded into the bullet chamber of the revolver.
Hwook!
In the blink of an eye, the man, diminished by the flames, charged toward Lennok.
Lennok squeezed the trigger.
Taaang!!
A single shot that diverged from ordinary gunfire.
An attack that pierced through the gaps in the enemy's defense. It would be odd if it missed.
As Lennok anticipated, the shadow tried to dodge the timing of a typical shot, but Lennok's bullet was quicker, embedding itself into the man's shoulder.
Perhaps underestimating the bullet's power, the man's steps faltered, swaying greatly…
Kwajigig…!!
With the sound of flesh being crushed, the approaching man changed direction, collapsing sideways.
Kwaaaang!!
With a searing heat that flushed his cheeks, the bulky figure of the man slipped and tumbled across the ground.
Observing this, Lennok immediately summoned his mana to its fullest extent.
Lennok wasn't certain of the strength possessed by the fallen man.
However, if he was an executive of a gang renowned enough to establish a reputation in a district, he would be one of the most formidable opponents Lennok had encountered thus far.
In a world where the weak are commonly exploited, reputation and ability tend to correlate.
And Lennok had no intention of lowering his guard against such an adversary.
The purple whip swept swiftly, ensnaring any signs of life and bringing them down to the ground.
Chwarururuk!!
He commenced with ice magic.
Cold air rushed out from Lennok's hand, where he held the whip, and the chilling atmosphere flowed along the elongated form of mana, instantaneously freezing the target it had ensnared.
[Frost Horn]
An applied magic that had shown some effectiveness even against the Croken Asilus.
It was a freezing magic that had a potent impact on individuals, despite its short range and high mana consumption. However, when used in conjunction with Gravity Bind, it boasted excellent results.
With the cold air suppressing the movement of the surroundings, enveloping the man's entire body, the ambient heat dissipated, causing the blazing flames to fade instantly.
Even before the frozen figure of the man was fully revealed, Agria's laser, which had dealt with all the gang's wizards, redirected its focus.
Hooong!!
The laser's blue light swept across the ground, while Allen's curse magic once again blanketed the area.
Initially, due to the circumstances, Allen had employed ranged magic for the initial assault. However, in general, curse magic held the advantage of becoming more potent when targeted at individuals.
Curses that severely hindered physical reactions, such as muscle weakening, slowed reactions, reduced speed, and restricted vision, were unleashed one after another, leaving the immobilized man vulnerable.
And precisely at that moment, a burning train car plummeted from the sky.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
