Fallen Chronicles

Chapter 20 20: Rewards[2/5]

?"I've heard that this place is a favorite hangout for rats, and now that I'm here, it seems true. I can smell the stink from a mile away,"

Said a man in a black suit who had just walked in with the gang members. His taunting words quickly ruffled the feathers of many patrons in the Sea Sand Bar.

"What's the matter? You don't like what I'm saying?"

The man in the black suit raised an eyebrow, looking disdainfully at the nearest scavengers.

Alcohol already makes people edgy, and this guy's condescending attitude was the last straw for some. A couple of scavengers picked up their glasses, ready to throw them at the man.

The man's eyes were filled with even more scorn and disdain. He didn't seem to care about their reaction. In fact, it's exactly what he wanted. If they threw the first punch—or glass, in this case—then his gang was ready to retaliate.

You could see that some members of the Callewa gang already had their guns aimed at the scavenger holding the glass, just waiting for him to make his move.

Just as the glass was about to be thrown, a large figure moved swiftly to grab the scavenger's wrist.

"Leave this to me," a calming voice said.

It was Brian, the bar owner. He wasn't joking around or acting tipsy anymore.

Brian had a lot of respect in this place. The agitated scavenger immediately calmed down, putting the glass back on the table. He was clearly relieved; if he'd thrown that glass, he would've been in big trouble.

"All unrelated folks, please leave. The Sea Sand Bar is closing early tonight,"

Brian announced, his voice echoing throughout the bar. Most of the patrons breathed a sigh of relief and started to leave this place of impending trouble.

Normally, if anyone else caused a scene, they might tolerate it. But this time, it was Callewa, the most powerful gang in the Blackhole Plains. Even if they were insulted and called rats, they had to swallow their pride. After all, their lives were more important than their egos.

The guy in the suit from Callewa just snorted. He looked a bit disappointed but didn't stop anyone from leaving.

The bar emptied out pretty fast. Renji looked at the young girl next to him.

Eileen didn't move an inch, her eyes glued to the tense standoff between Brian and the gang at the door. From the look of things, Renji guessed she'd mentally ruled out leaving as an option.

After all, she'd been really excited about showing him this bar, like it was her second home or something.

'Fine, then'

Renji didn't say much, just focused back on what was happening.

"This is Viper territory. I might not be part of your Callewa gang, but there are rules about not making trouble on someone else's turf, right?" Brian tried to negotiate, with a  face serious.

The man just laughed. "Yeah, sure, unless the Viper is dead."

"You're Brian, the guy in charge of these 'rats', right? Let's not waste time. The idiot who used to protect you guys is gone because he messed up. Now I'm the new boss around here. You get what I'm saying?"

The guy gestured with his hand, hinting at a demand for protection money. Around here, pretty much every local business had to pay the gangs, and Callewa was the greediest of them all.

"We've already paid this month's protection for the Bar," Brian said, his voice low.

The man shook his head. "You paid the Viper, not me."

After a few seconds of silence, Brian signaled to one of his guys, who went into the back of the bar and returned with a cash box.

"Take it and leave," Brian said, tossing the box to one of the man's goons.

Eileen seemed relieved, thinking Brian's decision to pay up was a smart move to avoid any violence.

But Renji quietly shook his head. He had a feeling this wasn't over. The guy in the black suit wouldn't make such a big show just for some cash.

The man glanced at the cash box, then held up three fingers to Brian.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your payment falls short. I don't know what rates the Viper set for you, but if this small box is all you've got, you owe me two more just like it."

At that, it was Brian's guys who lost their cool first.

So, the guy was asking for four times the usual protection money. One box was about 5,000 Ashen Coins. That would mean they'd have to fork over a whopping 20,000 Ashen Coins every month! The Sea Sand Bar didn't even make 20,000 most months, and that's just revenue, not pure profit. This wasn't just a shakedown; it was a death sentence!

The Sea Sand Bar crew was instantly fired up. Some were yelling, and others even started pulling out their weapons.

The tension in the bar skyrocketed, and it looked like things were about to go south.

"Everyone, put your guns down!" Brian's booming voice calmed the room.

Seeing some of his own guys still holding their guns, Brian emphasized, "I said, put the guns down."

"But boss—"

"You ignoring me now? Put. It. Down."

Finally, begrudgingly, everyone at the Sea Sand Bar lowered their weapons. Brian then calmly said, "Woody, bring three more boxes."

Clap, clap, clap.

The man in the black suit, who had watched the whole thing, started applauding. Even he had to respect Brian's patience. But the applause sounded super sarcastic to the Sea Sand Bar crew.

Eileen clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.

Deep down, she felt the same as most people in the bar. She wanted to fight these bullies.

But maybe it was spending time with Renji that made her realize Brian's approach was actually the smartest. The other guys were clearly prepared for a fight, and who knows if they had more people waiting outside. If it came down to a brawl, the unprepared Sea Sand Bar would definitely lose. Then it wouldn't just be about protection money; they'd lose the bar itself.

Of course, there was another way to win.

""Her""

Eileen had become an Eclipse. Her recent experience fighting Kobolds in the Relic Cave had shown her just how strong she'd become.

She believed they could win if she joined in. But then what? These guys weren't like the clumsy Kobolds she'd fought before. And she couldn't guarantee everyone else's safety in a gunfight. Even if they won, the cost would be high in lives lost. And Eileen knew her Sea Sand Bar friends weren't scavengers anymore; they had families, wives, kids. What would happen to them? And what about retaliation from Callewa later?

In the end, what made Eileen give up on the idea was Renji.

Renji was totally uninvolved in this mess, and Eileen couldn't drag him into it just because she felt like picking a fight. She was supposed to be his bodyguard. What kind of bodyguard puts their employer in danger instead of protecting them?

Besides, given their current "contract," it was more like he was her "master" rather than an employer.

From what she knew about Renji, Eileen was sure that if she tried to step in, he'd take control away from her in a heartbeat.

These thoughts made her glance over at Renji.

Surprisingly, their eyes met. Turns out, he'd been watching her all along.

"You," Eileen was speechless.

"You did well, Miss Eileen. I thought you might just rush in without thinking," Renji said, genuinely praising her.

He was prepared for either scenario. If she had rushed in without consulting him, he would've restrained her immediately and considered a different approach for their relationship moving forward.

Eileen was, after all, the only Eclipse he had right now. Renji had one main expectation from her: that she'd prioritize him above all else and understand her role as a "subordinate."

He could put up with some of her quirks and flaws, but he couldn't tolerate someone who didn't take him seriously or disregarded the boss.

Luckily, that unpleasant scenario didn't happen. Just the look Eileen gave him when she turned her head was enough. For Renji, that was sufficient.

After all, they'd only been together for less than a day.

'Seems like I'd done a pretty good job winning her over so far'

Muttering this to himself, Renji decided to speak up. He had prepared a Plan B, and now it was time to use it.

"Miss Eileen, considering your improved behavior, I think you deserve a reward."

"So,"

"Feel free to do whatever you want."

"What?!"

Eileen looked shocked, hardly believing her ears. Up until now, she'd seen Renji as someone who was super cautious and calculating. In her world, he was like a Voldemort, always playing it safe. And now he's suddenly turned into some sort of action hero?

Reading her disbelief, Renji said,

"Look, I just don't like complications. But if trouble comes knocking, I don't mind turning it into experience points. I could use some, actually."

"Experience points? What does that even mean?"

Eileen was confused for a moment, but her excitement quickly brushed the question aside. She felt a rush of adrenaline, like she was finally going to let loose. She had just one last worry.

"But they have guns, and there are a lot of them. I'm worried about the others."

"Don't forget what you've got, Miss Eileen. You have something legendary: the 'Legacy'," Renji interrupted, instantly boosting her confidence and dispelling her last doubts.

Eileen felt the dormant power of the Tainted Miasma energy stir within her. Waves of Eclipse energy started to surge, like a tide coming in.

A faint red light flickered in her eyes, and the mark of their contract on the back of her neck began to glow softly.

"I get it now!"

Everyone's attention had been on the front of the bar, so they hadn't noticed the two "outsiders" still in the back.

But as Eileen started to walk, the sharp clicks of her heels on the floor echoed through the empty bar, drawing everyone's eyes to her.

As she became the center of attention, Renji threw in one last piece of advice.

"Oh, and try not to leave any survivors if you can"