They brought the dead bodies with them, unable to leave the people they cherished behind.
Watching them go, with Don glancing back in hesitation, Apollo waved his hand at them.
Letting out a sigh, he looked up at the light blue sky. Clouds drifted slowly, rays of sunlight passing through. The sky remained untouched by the turmoil below.
"Big Chub, your troubles are endless," Apollo muttered with a smile. "But I've already deemed you as my friend, and I'll help you, even when you're on the other side."
Big Chub was one of the reasons Apollo decided to help, but the other was tied to his second mission. He couldn't just cultivate in his beggar spot; he needed to make progress. Involving himself in the Slumstreet situation was the perfect opportunity to move forward.
Apollo glanced at the spot where the captain had fallen. The man was already back on his feet, shaking his head to clear the dizziness.
"Hey!" Apollo called out, catching his attention.
"You!" The captain looked around, realizing the scum had already fled. "Where are they?!"
"They're gone. I don't know where," Apollo shrugged. "Why don't we talk?"
The captain's eyes zeroed in on the only person left.
"Talk? You think I have time for that?!" The captain shouted, pulling his sword from its scabbard. "I'll hunt them down and kill every last one of them! But first, let me taste your blood!"
Apollo squinted at the man charging toward him. How did this guy become a captain? Did he not notice his men were already dead on the ground? Overconfident, egocentric people —especially nobles—were exactly the kind of people Apollo loved to beat down.
He released his senses, scanning the silver-armored noble and instantly identifying the man's cultivation level. He was at the 4th-Step Foundation Building stage, but his energy was unstable.
That's strange, Apollo thought. It was the first time he'd sensed something in a person.
Shaking his head, he lowered his body slightly, preparing for the captain's approach. He hadn't fully familiarized himself with his body since his recent cultivation improvements, and this seemed like a good opportunity to test his strength. The guards he'd killed earlier were too weak to give him a real challenge, but the 4th-Step Foundation Building stage captain might be enough to practice on.
However, what happened next made him smile bitterly. This guy… he doesn't even know how to fight. A sloppy sword slash aimed at Apollo's neck was easily dodged with a single step back.
The captain's face flashed with surprise before regaining confidence. "That was a fluke! Die!"
"Yeah, sure," Apollo replied half-heartedly, dodging the follow-up attacks as if it were a casual stroll.
After a series of attacks, with the captain using all his Battle Techniques, the noble finally realized he couldn't land a hit on the boy in front of him.
"W-who are you?!" the captain stammered, his eyes nervously locked on Apollo. "You… you're the reason I was sent flying!"
"Finally, you're using your brain," Apollo said with a sigh. This guy wasn't even worth testing his strength on. It was a complete waste of time.
The captain's eyes landed on his men, and he immediately realized they were all dead.
A shiver ran down his spine as a spark of fear flickered in his mind. "A-are you also... a Cultivator?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Nah, I'm just a beggar," Apollo smirked, walking toward him with small, deliberate steps.
But even though his steps were small, to the captain, Apollo appeared as tall as a mountain.
"W-why are you helping these filthy scums?! You... We are above them!" the captain shouted, taking several steps back. His eyes darted toward the city entrance in the distance.
Calculating the distance, he estimated that he only needed a few seconds to reach it.
Clearly, this kid—no, this person—was someone he couldn't defeat. But he couldn't understand it. With this person's strength, why was he helping these filthy people? The captain wondered.
"Above?" Apollo's smirk turned cold. "Why do people like you always think so highly of yourselves? Haven't you heard the saying: 'Beyond the sky, there is always a higher sky, beyond people, there are always greater people, and beyond them, there are asians who are just good at everything?'"
Hearing this, the captain's eyes widened. Those words... He had never heard them before, but they resonated... They resonated like the Heavens!
"You... you..." the captain stammered, fear engulfing him. He had bumped into someone he should never have crossed! I have to get back to the city and report this to the mayor! With that thought, he turned, used his movement technique, and hurriedly ran toward the city wall.
Watching the man's retreating back, Apollo sighed. Kiss up, kick down—that's the best way to describe people like him.
The captain glanced back and, seeing no one following him, smiled in relief. That person must have realized I'm a noble and doesn't want to offend me. But you've already incurred my wrath, and you shall taste my revenge! His eyes glinted coldly as he began to imagine that small person's face filled with fear.
"So, you think you can just escape? We weren't done talking, and leaving like that is very rude," Apollo said, standing over the man who was now coughing up blood on the ground.
In the end, the captain couldn't escape. His silver armor was in pieces, with only a few fragments still attached, revealing his inner clothes.
"D-don't... you know... who... I... am?!" the captain stammered, staring at Apollo. But the look he received made him avert his gaze to the ground.
"A noble who thinks highly of himself but is actually a coward," Apollo replied. They were inside one of the houses in Slumstreet, which now served as their interrogation room.
The captain's face flushed with a mix of anger and shame. His emotions triggered another coughing fit, causing him to spit more blood onto the ground.
"Tell me your name," Apollo commanded, pulling a nearby chair and sitting down.
"Why... did you... bring me... here? What do you want?" the captain asked.
"Tell me your name," Apollo repeated, his voice growing cold.
As the atmosphere became suffocating, the captain gritted his teeth before sighing in defeat.
"Armen, North Klown City Captain."