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Chapter 5 - Travelling Companion

In a brief observation, Luis concluded that Rian was more of an outsider.

He could be a secret agent, a bounty hunter, or perhaps just someone with an eccentric personality who got lost in the wrong place.

However, the strongest guess: Rian is an agent on a mission. The conjecture was immediately confirmed from Rian's own mouth, without hesitation.

"If you are Luis Serra..." Rian said casually, looking straight at the man. "You must be a scientist. And... may ask for the Amber you have?"

Luis raised one eyebrow, his expression hard to read. But before he could open his voice, Rian continued in a calm yet straightforward tone: "If you can't give it to me, at least give me a hint... where can I find it?"

Luis remained silent, and Rian added quickly, as if anticipating the next question, "And if you're asking, what do I want Amber for... certainly not for anything detrimental to society."

Releasing the handshake, Luis looked at Rian with a half-curious, half-suspicious look.

But there was a flash of interest there, not in Rian's confident words, but in the information he had.

Luis finally tucked the gun under his jacket and leaned back against the tree trunk, exhaling cigarette smoke quietly. A faint smile formed at the corner of his lips.

"Amigo, you're strange. But it obviously has nothing to do with Sadler... and I can appreciate someone who speaks to the point," Luis said as he pointed at Rian with two fingers holding the cigarette. "Amber's not a random thing. But... I can help you."

Rian raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"In exchange," Luis continued, "you must guarantee me one thing: get me out of this village safely. I have important information... and too many people want to silence me."

Rian smiled wryly, crossing his arms. "This handsome man is no personal bodyguard, but... fine. This is our deal."

Luis chuckled softly. "You may not be a bodyguard, but your style is that of a first-class agent. I hope I don't regret it."

"You won't regret making a deal with this handsome man," Rian replied without hesitation.

Actually, Luis had already made a similar deal with Ada Wong and her superiors, in exchange for Amber and hid research data.

Luis' actions were not a form of betrayal, but rather a precautionary measure - as well as reassurance, even though Amber might eventually become a bone of contention between Rian's and Ada's sides.

However, given that Rian did not mind the information about Amber's location, cooperating with him was not a bad option.

"Ah, yes... Luis," Rian said casually, slipping a hand into his pocket. "May I ask... where can I get a firearm and a walkie talkie? For some reason, I lost both of them."

Luis exhaled cigarette smoke from the corner of his lips, then gave Rian a quick glance. "Hmm... I know the right place for that."

He flicked the ash off his cigarette and began to pace slowly, his tone remaining casual, "Follow me, amigo."

Without saying much, Rian followed close behind. Rian occasionally glanced around and pulled out a small mirror from his shirt pocket. As usual, Rian looked at his own face with pride.

"Still handsome," he muttered softly, almost as a ritual. "Even though I haven't used any face cream today."

Luis looked back slightly and chuckled. "If you die from looking in the mirror too much in the middle of this monster village, I won't be surprised."

"At least my face was still intact when I was found," Rian replied flatly, then put the mirror back.

"Haha," Luis chuckled, and paused for a moment, thinking about something in his mind.

"Amigo... do you want to know? I actually had a similar deal with someone," Luis said quietly. "A woman... and her boss. The pay: Amber and my research data."

Rian just raised an eyebrow, not surprised.

"But don't take this the wrong way," Luis continued, crossing his arms and looking up at the sky between the trees. "I'm not betraying anyone. I'm just making sure of one thing: insurance. In a world like this, one party is never enough."

Luis lowered his gaze, looking at Rian again. "Anyway, you said you didn't mind just the information, right? If that's enough for you... I don't mind cooperating. As long as one condition remains."

"Getting out of this village safely?" guessed Rian.

Luis smiled wryly. "Exactly. You seem to be the type of person who can outlast most of the people I know."

Rian returned the smile with a casual nod. "This handsome man is always ready to deal with chaos... as long as it doesn't ruin his face."

Luis gave a small chuckle. "Damn, this is going to be an interesting trip."

***

Some time later, after traveling while occasionally making small talk, Luis and Rian finally arrived at a place: an old pier that looked shabby and smelled fishy.

They both crouched behind the lush grass, observing the situation from a distance. The dock looked as if it was still actively used by fishermen, but it was all a front.

The Ganado roaming there were merely pretending to carry out normal activities.

"There are ten Ganado," Luis muttered, staring intently at the pier. "It shouldn't be too difficult... but we should just avoid them quietly."

Luis turned his head to the side, looking at Rian for a moment. "Amigo, you lost your gun, didn't you? Just in case, stay by my side and..."

Before Luis could finish his sentence, Rian had already stood up and stepped out of hiding.

Luis widened his eyes. "Amigo, what are you doing?"

Rian turned his head slightly, displaying a thin, confident smile. "The original agreement was for this handsome man to protect you until you left the village... not the other way around."

Calmly, Rian took the bayonet dagger from his waist bag and held it in his right hand.

His left hand slowly removed the extremely dark lensed glasses, revealing a pair of bright blue eyes that radiated calmness... and danger.

The ultra-black lensed glasses were now casually caught on the collar of his shirt as Rian continued to stride calmly to the dock, like someone about to join a picnic.

"Hey!" Rian exclaimed lightly, but clearly. "Do you guys mind if this handsome man helps you out?"

The Ganado immediately stopped what they were doing, turning their heads in a stiff motion. Their gazes were blank... not quite human. A crazed look peeked out from behind their pupils, as if their spirits had long been buried.

A few seconds of silence, then they began to move.

One Ganado grasped a long fish spear. Another drew an axe from a block of wood. Another grabbed a rusty butcher knife. Among them, one carried an old harpoon with a metal tip covered in dried blood.

"¡Intruso...!" hissed one of them.

"¡No lo dejes escapar...!" shouted the one with the harpoon.

"¡Atrápalo...!" cried the axe-bearer.

"¡Mátenlo!" growled the one holding the butcher knife, his voice hoarse and hoarse.

Rian just smiled a little.

From behind the grass, Luis sighed heavily. "Dios mío..." he muttered, then stood up and drew his pistol, pointing it at the crowd of Ganado. His face showed a hint of annoyance, but also a hidden admiration.

"Amigo, you really don't know the meaning of the word 'quietly', do you?"

Without answering, Rian simply shrugged for a moment and prepared, the bayonet in hand shining briefly in the reflection of the sunlight.

The atmosphere was tense.

A fight was inevitable.

One of the Ganado suddenly threw a butcher knife at Rian.

To an ordinary person, it was a surprise attack. But for the owner of Six Eyes, time seemed to slow down. The trajectory of the knife was clear, a line of light in the air.

With one swift movement, Rian turned his body and parried it using the side of the bayonet in his right hand. The knife bounced and spun to the ground, creating a sharp clank.

Not waiting for a follow-up attack, Rian charged forward, his target: Ganado the harpoon wielder.

The attack came.

The harpoon shot straight at his chest.

Too late.

Rian tilted half a step, dodging at an almost impossible distance. Then, quick as lightning, his bayonet was raised, stabbing straight at Ganado's head. The blade then moved back, and cut the Ganado's neck.

Sreet!

Ding!

[Killing Ganado +100 System Points!]

The notification echoed in Rian's mind as the Ganado fell to the ground, blood gushing wildly like a red fountain.

With practiced movements, Rian stowed the bayonet back into his waist bag. On the other side, another Ganado with an axe was ready to attack.

Rian ducked slightly, grabbed the harpoon he had just seized.

Dukk!

The harpoon pierced the axe-wielding Ganado's head just as the axe was about to swing. His corpse staggered and fell backwards, without even touching the ground with his weapon.

Crot!

Ding!

[Kill Ganado +100 System Points!]

The notification echoed again in Rian's mind, as blood sprayed into the air. The Ganado staggered and fell backwards. Rian unhesitatingly grabbed the corpse's axe and grasped it tightly.

From the other side, another Ganado darted forward with a harpoon, ready to stab.

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