John didn't pause for a moment.

The Alloy RCH roared through the city center, without heading towards the finish line a block away, nor receiving any so-called "victory."

This race was completely messed up.

As long as there were contestants unwilling to give up, or those watching the live broadcast received the message, they could easily snatch the illegal race championship.

John didn't care about how the illegal race at Sakura Cross Street would end.

He dodged the downtown crowd and infiltrated the south bank of the river.

The terrain here was flat, chaotic, and rundown.

A large number of idle, abandoned industrial containers were piled up here, modified by vagrants and various crowds, and then abandoned again.

In addition, there was a lot of garbage and wreckage cleared from hovercar crash incidents that would slowly rot here until politicians would finally resolve it.

The buildings along the riverbank were generally low.

The two-story low-rent little buildings everywhere were the favorite crime scenes for ghouls and gang members.

This kind of place was very suitable for escaping capture.

John had messed up the Xiao Ting Gang's business.

He knew the Eastern people resented him, not to mention this incident also involved the Raqi Group's business.

[Eden City - Riverbank Street Factory No. 291]

John parked his motorcycle in the middle of the row houses.

Surrounded by garbage bins emitting foul smells, through rusted and broken wire nets, a corner of the cross-district bridge was visible.

Turning around was the old street block.

The sound of sirens came from afar.

The ECPD was alerted, but it was normal, as illegal races themselves attracted the gaze of the law, starting with the massive suspension of intercity trains, followed by gunfire and racer's deaths on the streets.

Police pretend not to see, but they aren't blind.

Drones flashing blue and white lights soared overhead but didn't lower altitude or start scanning.

The cops were going through the motions.

But the roaring engine sounds on the street were serious.

Those moderately modified armored vehicles, painted with gang symbols, streaked past, honking recklessly in the streets, occasionally accompanied by rumbling Glaive motorcycles, weaving through vehicles like menacing serpents.

The Eastern people were furious!

They used a lot of manpower, aggressively searching the streets for the killer.

[Mission Objective Updated]

[Respond to the Employer. (Not Achieved)]

John withdrew his gaze and called Bone Shards.

[Contact - Ethan Ratliff [Voice Call]]

The call connected quickly.

[Efficient, John, I must admit, you occasionally surprise me.]

"I want a raise."

John's tone was relaxed, like ordering an extra fast-food dessert at the bar.

Bone Shards sneered, neither angry nor surprised, his emotions as cold as ice.

[Compliment all you want, at most I'll give you a bonus, but don't push your luck, asking for a raise after the job is finished breaks the mercenary's code.]

John could hear the background noise on the other end of the phone mixed with echoes from the news channel.

He could imagine:

This Black Gold Gang Speaker, sitting deep in the casino's dim office, surrounded by muscular men with shining eyes.

The table was set with red wine, an ashtray.

There might even be a half-naked celebrity lying by the floor-to-ceiling window, while the projection equipment was broadcasting the chaotic scene on Sakura Cross Street...

Bone Shards was definitely in a good mood.

John needed to "cash in" on this happiness.

"Do a good job, earn more, and you don't have to pay, report the whole thing to Jingke Heavy Industry, increase your involvement, whatever you send me, have the sponsor double it, and get a fat bonus."

[Watch your wording.]

"Annoyed? Then make it quick, yes or no, if you're not willing to give the goods, I'll just make peace with the Eastern people, and seize the opportunity for another job."

[Threats are meaningless, what if I turn against you? I'm giving you a chance. Just say it, what do you want?]

"A match in the Central Arena, by tonight at the latest, must be a formal qualification, the higher the match tier, the more spectators the better."

[Hah.]

Bone Shards let out a disdainful snicker.

[Can't you live without the spotlight?]

John ignored his ridicule, answering frankly.

"It's because I'm about to die that I want to be in the spotlight!"

[You know, I'm a businessman, since you've proposed an additional payment method, your original escape route will be offset, figure out your own way back to the West District, I'm in office number four.]

The call ended.

John leaned against the wall, wanting to light a cigarette.

"The deal is done, he..."

His voice was drowned out by the equipment's roar behind the wall, the red bricks vibrating, probably an illegal workshop rushing orders for a client. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Get ready to enter the arena!"

John repeated again.

The Kenichi Sora in his mind didn't cheer as expected, but instead, immediately took over John's body, rolling away from the wall's direction to avoid danger.

BOOM—

An armored vehicle with a metal battering ram crashed through the wall.

John's position was reduced to ruins.

Wire netting and construction debris entangled the heavily modified vehicle, like a giant beast caught in a trap, bloodied, yet ferocious, with smoking tires spinning wildly.

If not for the quick AI response, John would have definitely been swept into the rubble.

Who could have expected a vehicle would crash from behind the wall?

[Where did they come from?]

Though Sora had responded, he didn't know who this group was or why they attacked them.

Messiah's Eye quickly focused.

Across the dust, through the gap, looking at the two-story building from which the car emerged.