Chapter 277 The Three Brothers of the Dark City
Under the night sky of the wasteland, an abyss of darkness stretched, accompanied by a heavy aura that turned this place into a semblance of hell on Earth. In the southernmost part of the wasteland, a solitary city stood on a vast expanse of land. The city was entirely black, even the guards at the city gates wore black armor, wielding black greatswords. It seemed as if they deliberately melded with the darkness of the night, creating an air of mystery and weightiness that left one breathless.
Yet, on the city gate, a solitary stroke of blue paint spelled out "Dark City." This was the stronghold of one of the three major factions of the wasteland, the base of the Dark City. Within a brightly lit palace at the heart of the city, three men sat together. The guards at the entrance kept watch over their surroundings.
"Big Brother, Second Brother, our spies reported that a person from the Day of Apocalypse has come to the Kui tribe. Is this true or false?" The man sitting at the edge asked.
The man in the middle nodded, thoughtful as he replied, "I've heard about it as well. It seems this matter has brought some benefits to Viola, that woman."
"Big Brother, what do you think of this?" Both men turned their gaze to the eldest brother, seated at the front. These three men were the rulers of the Dark City, also known as the Three Brothers.
The eldest brother was named Dark Dragon, a level 11 Wind-type esper.
The second brother was Dark Tiger, a level 10 Thunder-type esper.
The third brother was Dark Leopard, a level 9 Fire-type esper.
Like David, these three brothers also came from the Day of Apocalypse. However, unlike David, they arrived in the wasteland mysteriously a day after the apocalypse and gradually established the Dark City and their own organization.
Listening to the words of his brothers, Dark Dragon smiled slightly, "Whether that person was brought by Viola or not, the Kui tribe will eventually be swallowed by us. Furthermore, who among the humans in the wasteland has stronger power than the three of us, brothers?" His words made his brothers burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Big Brother is right! What kind of climate can the Kui tribe achieve under the rule of a woman? In the end, they are nothing but a group of zombies, far from being our equals!"
"Both of you are correct. Our main enemy now is the Zerg! Once we obtain the Heart of the Zerg, the entire wasteland will belong to the three of us brothers! At that time, we will establish our own nation, a truly awe ,inspiring feat!"
Dark Leopard's words were met with silent nods from Dark Dragon and Dark Tiger. Though they had not openly clashed with the Zerg or the Kui tribe for a long time, their goal of ruling the wasteland was ever-present.
For this purpose, they secretly dispatched many spies to infiltrate the territories of the Zerg and the Kui tribe, ensuring they would be the first to know about all external developments.
So when David met Viola, the moment they laid eyes on each other, the spies immediately relayed this news to the three brothers. They had been patient, biding their time, awaiting the perfect opportunity. Once that moment arrived, they would unleash all the power they had been amassing, capable of achieving astonishing results.
"However, the spy also mentioned that this person killed a Purple-Gold Winged Tiger today." Dark Tiger mused aloud.
"A Purple-Gold Winged Tiger? That's an intelligent beast with considerable strength. Did that person truly manage to kill it?" Dark Leopard questioned, puzzled, upon hearing his second brother's words.
Dark Tiger nodded, confirming that the information was true. He, too, found this matter puzzling. How could an ordinary young man possibly kill a powerful Purple-Gold Winged Tiger? He suspected there might be something unusual about this situation.
"Hmph! Just a beastly creature. Compared to my Second Brother's Devouring Flame Tiger, that Purple-Gold Winged Tiger is nothing but a little sibling. No need to be so surprised by killing it." Dark Dragon's words made the other two nod in agreement.
"Yeah, Second Brother! I heard your Devouring Flame Tiger has upgraded again? It can even undergo a second mutation?" Dark Tiger nodded proudly.
The Devouring Flame Tiger was a unique beast he had been raising. Just now, by feeding it a substantial amount of advanced pronucleus, he had enabled it to reach a state where it could undergo a second mutation, greatly enhancing its strength.
"Perfect! When the time comes, we must show the Zerg and the Kui tribe the strength of the three of us brothers!" After further discussion, Dark Leopard suddenly said.
"Big Brother, I haven't left Dark City for a long time. How about having Second Brother go out tomorrow to experience the outside world again? Perhaps he can also give that young man a little lesson while he's at it." Dark Leopard rubbed his hands together eagerly.
This made Dark Dragon chuckle and nod in agreement. The three brothers had been waiting for an opportunity, although they received daily reports from their spies about the outside world, the firsthand, accurate information was something else. As Dark Dragon had already been considering this, and now that Dark Leopard had brought it up, he naturally agreed. Seeing his approval, Dark Leopard became instantly excited.
"Little Brother, remember to conceal your strength as much as possible and avoid unnecessary trouble. We've been laying low for quite some time; we can't let anyone know your true strength. Otherwise, when we have the chance to launch a full-scale attack on these two tribes, it will be disadvantageous for us." Dark Tiger advised him.
"Don't worry, Second Brother. I won't cause trouble!" With that, the three of them retired to their respective rooms to rest.
Lying in bed, Dark Dragon kept pondering what kind of strength this young man truly possessed. But when he considered that the person was merely a newcomer to the wasteland, how could they compare to the natives like them? So, he decided that this person wasn't worth the mental effort and stopped thinking about it.
Early the next morning, Dark Leopard departed from Dark City with a close subordinate, heading towards the eastern part of the wasteland. Along the way, he confronted numerous zombie beasts, all of which he crushed with his large iron hammer.
At the same time, David had just woken up. After having a simple breakfast from items he retrieved from the system storage, he set off with Mandy toward Viola's base. He needed to seize the time to kill more of the zombie creatures here, gather more pronucleus, and uncover more secrets of the wasteland. He had realized that his current level was still not high enough. If he were to face the Zerg and the enigmatic individuals from the Dark City, he needed to be thoroughly prepared. In his understanding, he never went into a battle unprepared, so he hastened his pace toward Viola's base.