Second World

'So you have guessed about this?' Jack said to her in his mind.

"Yes, this is what all newbies would do. Stupid fools they are," Peniel said.

'Why? I thought it was quite an ingenious plan. We can either waste time testing whose patience is longer or resolved to get the criminal imprint."

"Heh, that is because you are also ignorant like them," Peniel said with a mocking tone.

'Do you mean you have a way out for Flame?" Jack asked.

"Of course! Asked her to keep her cool for a little longer. She will soon be freed."

'You sound pretty confident.'

"Just shut up and do as I say."

Jack had gotten used to her bossy tone so he wasn't bothered by it. He sent Flame a message as Peniel told him to.

He got her reply, "really? I was just about to have enough of that bitch's chattering and was just about to rush out to dice her. At least I will take her down with me."

Jack sent another message assuring her, telling her to absolutely stay still for a little longer.

'Now what?' He asked Peniel.

"Now we go for a walk," she answered.

'Huh?'

"Just do as I say. Tell that noisy friend of yours to keep the situation as it is now, we will be back soon."

Though he was puzzled, Jack still conveyed Peniel's message over to Bowler. As was expected, Bowler threw him abounding questions about what he was going to do. Since Jack himself didn't know, he just tried to convince the anxious fellow that he would soon return with a solution, and telling him to stay put until he was back.

Bowler had no choice but to see Jack went off. He glanced back at the Weary Wolf crowd in front of Thug's Nest bar and helplessly waited.

An hour passed, still no sign of Jack. The uneasy Bowler had sent three messages to Jack, one message got a reply asking him to be patient and not to worry. The second message got the same reply. The third one didn't get any reply. He didn't know if Jack didn't reply because he was busy or because he simply couldn't stand his nagging.

Bowler's hands were itching to send another message but he forced himself not to. Instead, he sent another message to Flame. He had also sent numerous messages to her in the span of the hour. Flame, on the other hand, was pretty responsive. But most of her replies involved messages about how she was going to tear the bitching wench outside who just couldn't stop running her mouth.

Bowler peeked out, the woman was indeed still throwing insult and provocations to Flame inside the bar. Bowler wondered how the heck did she had the stamina for it. She had been shouting non-stop for hours. He loved to talk as well, but even he had to admit that he was impressed by the woman's tenacity. He imagined that she might be a politician or a crowd speaker in the real life.

As he continued to wait, he received another reply from Flame, "I'm going out."

What? Shit! Bowler exclaimed in his heart. He peeked out and indeed saw Flame appeared at the Bar's door. The Weary Wolf crowd who was relaxed due to being bored for having no action all this time, immediately tensed up. They got into formation, allowing no gap to exist between them as to not allow Flame to slip through their blockage. Bowler sneaked closer to the group, he found a large crate nearby and hid behind it.

Fox who had been babbling non-stop, when she saw Flame coming out, became silent instead. Now that her prey had taken the bait, she was now panting and trying to catch her breath.

"Why are you stopping now?" Flame said to Fox. "Weren't you flapping your mouth all this time? Why have you become quiet once I show myself? Aren't you great with all that underlings around you? What are you afraid of?"

"Who said I am afraid, you bitch!" Fox was shrieking with a high pitch sound, she was still panting. Bowler who heard it from his hiding place couldn't help but feel somewhat pitiful about the woman.

"Come out and face us if you dare, bitch! Why only stay turtling inside?" Fox added.

"I've already come out, you wench. Are you blind or mentally retarded?" Flame was not about to be defeated. "If you dare, attack me yourself! You are already a pitiful level 1. Why don't you just attack me?"

"You think I don't dare!?" Fox was just about to lunge forward but she was held by Boulder. She looked at him angrily, he slightly shook his head.

Ah, it's a pity, Bowler thought. If Fox had attacked, then she would implicate all the other Weary Wolf gang, as they were in a party. So all of them would be considered to have made the first strike and marked with criminal imprint. At the same time, he could start attacking without afraid of penalty as he was still in a party with Flame. Although they were still most likely getting killed due to being outnumbered, there was also a small chance of making an escape in the chaos.

Fox seemed to also have realized it, so she calmed down and wore back her smug expression.

"You think you can trick me?" She said with a mocking laugh. "Spout all the nonsense you want! We will just stand here and wait. We can take turns with our members, half will go do their own things, another half will stay here. So we can stay here indefinitely! Let's see how long you can stay inside? Maybe in a few days, I will come back higher level than you, and you will still be here wasting your time inside, hahaha!"

She cackled maniacally. Bowler's hair was standing on its end hearing that eerie laugh. Damn it, he thought, how could her gang members stand being with her? It was like having a lunatic as a friend. Flame was also quiet. Her provocation had failed. She couldn't stand the sight of that woman laughing at her. She gripped her dagger tightly.

"Don't fall to her provocation!" Bowler sent her a short message.

"Oh? Can't stand it now? Why don't you attack me then? As you said, I'm only level 1. I bet you can kill me with one strike. Come on, I won't evade. I will stand here and let you do it," Fox continued her verbal harassment.

Flame gritted her teeth. She was prepared to lunge at Fox as she sent a final message to Bowler, "argh..! Can't stand her! It's better to just end this and start over than wasting time here!"

"Wait! Wait!" Bowler knew he couldn't prevent her from making a move any more by just sending messages, so he jumped out yelling from his hiding space. "Don't do anything reckless! You would just fall to their scheme!"

The Weary Wolf gang turned to Bowler who had revealed himself. Fox grinned, "We thought you have run already, so you are still lingering around here. Can't stand to leave this bitch behind? How touching! No worry, you will be next. After that, we will look for that other friend of yours. We will make sure the three of you will forever be level 1."

Her grin then turned savage, "we will make sure you regret the day you dare to cross us! Cross me!!"

"Like hell we are! Why don't you take a mirror and look at that ugly self of yours, you are the one that had gone back to level 1 because of crossing us!" Bowler retorted. "You think this petty trick of yours is awesome? You are just a bully that takes advantage of the loophole in the system. Why those lackeys beside you can stand a loser like you ordering them around like some wimpy puppies who wag their tails at your bidding is beyond my understanding. But don't think for a second that a group of losers like you can get away with this. Wait until my brother comes, he will send you lots packing with your tails between your legs!"

"Why you…!" Fox's face turned dark. She would never be able to win a verbal battle against Bowler. Losing his patience, she called her buddy to attack, "get him!"

"Hold!" Boulder, however, was not taking the bait. "Don't fall for his provocation! Maintain formation."

Flame who saw Fox losing her patience felt slightly better, she held herself back. She realized she was being rash, but she was still restless. It was not her style to just wait and do nothing. Until how long would she have to just stay here and suffer this humiliation? It was better to just get over it now.