Free Web NovelChapter 92: Chapter 92: Return the Scapegoat with a Scapegoat_1
Aiden’s words sent a sudden chill down Carlo’s spine.
Moving his gaze ahead, he saw the big boss’s eyes were as cold as those measuring a dead man, along with the gun muzzles all pointing towards himself.
"Your level of sophistry probably couldn’t even deceive a child, let alone save you. Hiring me is your only option if you want to live," Aiden said, his voice dropping suddenly, "And in case you haven’t figured it out, I can have quite the temper."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a mist-like spiritual body emerged from Aiden, floating upwards before coalescing into a colossal figure draped in a cloak, a ghost whose features were indistinct beneath the shroud, but whose eyes flickered with a green Netherworld Ghostfire.
This was the guardian spirit bestowed upon him by Asenna, effectively acting as her avatar. As long as Aiden’s magic power lasted, it could employ several of Asenna’s offensive necromancies in accordance with his will. freēwēbnovel.com
Necromancy is the most taboo of all black magic arts, and the ’commendable’ tradition of treachery among master and apprentice necromancers severely limits its dissemination.
Black magicians hidden in the world are generally able to claim themselves necromancers with just two or three decent necromancies. But an expert like Asenna might command more than a dozen high-level necromancies.
Evil Spirit Roar, Netherworld Ghostfire, Evil Ghost Entanglement... Any one of the guardian spirit’s offensive methods could easily "clear" the room of everyone except Aiden.
Asenna and Daili, before their capture, were both Class S wanted criminals.
One of the standards for Class S criminals is the ability to single-handedly threaten a small town with standard security and armed forces, posing a danger comparable to a cataclysmic magical beast.
In other words, both Asenna and Daili had the capability to flatten an entire gang single-handedly.
As Carlo turned around, he caught sight of the huge ghost that was nearly enveloping him, and he immediately felt very unwell.
He knew a necromancer from the underworld too, but compared to this hitman, they were merely a minor witch before a grand sorcerer.
The big boss at the door and the gunmen were completely astonished, the gunmen’s hands shaking so much they could hardly hold their guns steady. Even if they didn’t understand necromancy, they knew that normal bullets were useless against ghosts.
The hitman was now using desks and chairs for cover, and even if they opened fire at the same time, they wouldn’t necessarily hit him. But if he employed any necromancy at will, they likely would be annihilated!
"I’ll have you know, I’m even stronger than the previous ’Filthblood Reaper’!" Aiden said in a ghostly tone.
Even though he was just leveraging the reputation and power of the criminals under his control, he had to admit, this kind of showy and cool feeling was really exhilarating!
Carlo was consumed by terror and unease, fully realizing his situation; caught between a rock and a hard place.
The hitman had played him, convinced the big boss that he was hiring an assassin to kill him, and now the boss had come, full of fury, to clean house.
Although Carlo was still clueless as to how the hitman had set up this trap, he realized any explanation now was futile—the boss had always been wary of him, and now that he had a reason for execution, he wouldn’t let him go easily!
And the hitman could take his life at any moment.
His only way out was to hire the hitman to settle the scene, even though this fellow was clearly extorting him. Without agreeing to this extortion, he had only one path left: death!
He quickly made a decision, "Then take all the money and make your move!"
Living life on the edge, he knew well that in the underworld, only those who could assess the situation could survive till the end!
At that moment, Aiden suddenly said, "You’ll have to pay ten times the amount."
Upon hearing this, Carlo nearly spat out blood: Ten times the amount? Why don’t you just rob me outright?
But he quickly realized that, the way things were going, this was no different from a robbery.
The amount kept in the office was nowhere near ten times, and there was no way he could produce it on the spot. Right then, Carlo sincerely wanted to school the hitman as a senior in the underworld on the true art of extortion—where you squeeze your target dry little by little within their capacity to pay. Only a complete amateur would snuff out their target with an outright demand!
But what he did not know was that this hitman wasn’t there to extort him; he was there specifically to eliminate him.
This was Aiden’s plan: since Carlo Borbo had let Camila take the blame and had also deceived Slyne, he didn’t mind using the same trick of deceit against the entire gang, framing Carlo with the intention to kill the gang leader!
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, and frame up for a frame-up. By exploiting the gang’s internal conflicts to get rid of Carlo without getting his own hands dirty, and having notified both the Mounted Police and the Heretic Inquisition in advance, he had no worries about repercussions.
At this point, the big boss at the door spoke up, "Excuse me for chiming in, Filthblood Reaper. I understand the rules of being a hitman: once you take a job, you must complete the task and can’t be bought off to switch sides. But since you and Carlo haven’t finalized your deal, I guess there’s still room for negotiation, right?"
"Oh? What are you suggesting?" Aiden responded.
"I want to bid!" the big boss said fiercely, "That traitor is under me. Kill him, and when I recollect his assets, they’ll all be yours! I’m even willing to add more to whatever he offers, whatever the price, I can go higher than him!"
The big boss had his own plans in mind. He had come with so many gunmen, confident of an assured capture, only to find out upon arrival that the hitman Carlo had employed was a monster beyond his expectations— the second-generation "Filthblood Reaper."
This second-generation "Filthblood Reaper" not only inherited the abilities of the predecessor but also wielded black magic—a truly terrifying force!
If Carlo made the deal, his own situation would become dangerous; he had to buy off the hitman before Carlo could!
"Oh? You’re quite clever."
Aiden laughed, though he had masterminded this drama. His supporting cast, it seemed, had outperformed even his expectations.
"Our Skull Gang is willing to forge a friendly relationship with the great figure behind you—Madam Meiruki Slave," the boss swore, "As for the protection fee, just name your price. I won’t argue."
"I like dealing with smart people," Aiden smiled, taking the easy way out, "Since you’re so sincere, we’re willing to give you face. I’ll just take the money on the table. I won’t kill anyone—it’s up to you to deal with them."
"Nothing could be better!"
As Carlo listened to the two casually deciding his fate, he panicked: "Wait, wait a minute!"
Quick as a flash, the boss grabbed a handgun from a gunman nearby and shot Carlo without hesitation.
A shrill scream filled the air as Carlo was hit in the abdomen and fell back hard onto the chair.
With more streetwise experience than Carlo, the boss made a decisive move to critically wound him, finalizing the deal with a single stroke.
Carlo, clutching his stomach in agony, slumped in the chair, his fate sealed. For the grave sin of betrayal, he would be executed by the boss through the most brutal means as an example to others.
Struggling to reach for his own gun, whether to attack someone or perhaps to end things quickly for himself, the boss again acted swiftly and shot him twice more, crippling his shoulder and arm.
With Carlo taken care of, the boss turned and barked at the scar-faced youth: "Well, don’t just stand there, help the guest pack the money into the bag!"
The youth, after a moment of stupor, finally moved, gingerly picking up the sack and collecting the money and gold bars into it from the table.
During this time, the incapacitated Carlo continued to groan in pain.
Hidden behind a chair all this time, Aiden quietly whispered to Carlo, "The things you did to Camilla and Slyne a year ago, consider your debt paid. Have a good journey, scum."
Upon hearing this, Carlo stopped crying out. His eyes widened in terror as he breathed feebly, "Who... who exactly are you?"
This time, Aiden did not answer him.
Finally, the youth had gathered all the wealth into the sack and tied it up, then carefully brought it over to where Aiden was.
"Here you go, please take it," he said, offering the bag cautiously.
Confronted with the "assassin" whose might was beyond words, the youth looked very intimidated.
"Hmm, you did well," Aiden complimented.
"Oh, I don’t deserve that," the youth, thinking Aiden was referring to helping with the money, humbly bowed his head.
"With that, the deal is complete, and I shall take my leave!"
After saying so, Aiden immediately activated a black magic of invisibility—he had earlier traced a rune with his hand behind the chair.
Mist quickly filled the room, becoming so thick within seconds that it was impossible to see one’s hand in front of one’s face.
The gang members, including the boss, were thrown into disarray by this sudden occurrence. Yet, after a few seconds, the mist swiftly dissipated.
"He’s gone..." the youth stood there, dumbfounded.
The assassin and the bag of money had vanished with the mist, leaving behind only Carlo Borbo, half-dead on the chair.
Minutes later, on the outskirts of the old town, under the bell tower.
"Come on, Veronica, lend me a hand, these are killing me!" Aiden, back to his normal form, passed the money bag to Veronica, who had come to meet him.
"Okay, what’s in here?"
Veronica took the sack, and feeling relieved in her heart that Aiden had returned safely, knew the plan had gone very smoothly.
"Spoils of war," Aiden replied succinctly.
"Huh?" Veronica glanced inside the bag and her eyes widened in astonishment, "So much money!?"
"They insisted on giving it, and I saw no reason to refuse. Consider it dirty money confiscated from the gang; we’ll deal with it later."
"I see..." Veronica nodded, half-understanding, "So Carlo Borbo has been dealt with?"
"Yep, he’s as good as dead," Aiden smiled joyfully.
Just as he had told Daili and the others, personally taking care of Carlo Borbo, the scum that added to his prison workload, was indeed a pleasure.
"But, what about Slyne?" Veronica asked with worry.
The revenant Slyne’s target was Camilla, and Carlo Borbo’s death would not quell her thirst for vengeance.
"As for her, I’ll find another way to deal with it," Aiden dropped his smile and replied seriously, "So long as... nothing goes awry."
