Noah was immediately on his feet, the chair scraping back against the floor.

His voice immediately filled the air. "Where?"

The gang member, still panting, stammered out directions.

"Down by the old quarter, near the southern edge of the next district. There's a wooden house... he went in. We've been watching, and he hasn't come back out yet."

Noah's eyes narrowed.

He turned his head slightly towards the gang leader, who was already rising from his chair.

The man gestured at the nervous scout. "Lead the way. Now."

They moved swiftly, weaving their way through a lattice of alleys rather than the main streets.

Noah noticed it was purposeful. The routes had been chosen to avoid patrols, to keep them unseen.

The gang knew the backways of the district like veins in the body.

Noah walked in silence, his cloak brushing his boots with every step, his senses alert for anything that could happen.

This was it. If luck was on his side, he would be meeting Snake for the first time.

And he had words for the man.

Finally, they emerged into an alley that opened onto a narrow street.

At the far end stood a weathered wooden house, its shutters closed, its paint flaking off in strips.

The gang member pointed with a trembling hand. "That's it. We saw Snake go in there. He hasn't left."

The gang leader nodded curtly, then dismissed the scout. "Go. You've done your part."

When they were alone, the leader turned to Noah. "What do you want to do?"

Noah didn't answer with words.

He simply strode across the street, cloak swaying around him, and pushed the door open.

The hinges groaned softly, but the house greeted him with silence.

He entered cautiously, scanning every shadow and corner within view.

The place was sparse. A single bed pushed against the wall, a rough table and chair, and a shelf with nothing but a few chipped mugs.

He opened drawers, checked beneath the bed, pulled aside the curtains.

There was nothing.

The air smelled of wood and dust, and there was no trace of mana or magic usage in the building.

Simply put, it was empty.

The gang leader followed him inside, his eyes raking over the place.

"Strange," he muttered. "There's nothing out of place, which meant no fight. But assuming Snake was a mage, and the owner of the house a normal human, that would be expected."

"So, either the original occupant of this house was taken against their will, or they knew Snake and went with them."

Noah said nothing in response, prowling further around the house.

"But the question is, how did they leave the house? That meant teleportation or transposition." The gang leader mused.

"There are some affinities that can..." the man trailed off as his gaze locked onto something near the bed.

He walked over, plucking the object from its hook. It was a set of worn, red wrist wrappings, frayed at the edges from use.

Holding them up, the leader said, "I know these. Used to belong to Marlon. He was a fighter. Popular, back in his day."

Noah glanced over. "What happened to him?"

The leader's mouth twisted, half in a sneer, half in pity. "Toboggan happened."

"Beat him bloody in the ring about a year ago. Broke him in ways that never healed right. That fight ended his career."

"It also took his pride, his money, and, from what I hear, even his woman."

"Since then, Marlon's been drowning in debts and drink. And now, the organizers are selling tickets for a rematch. A spectacle. Marlon versus Toboggan, tonight."

The words made Noah's thoughts crystallize like ice in his veins.

Snake. The potion. Juniper. Bruno. Now Marlon. It all aligned.

In the same way he'd done to Bruno, Snake had gotten to Marlon, and offered him what he thought was salvation.

Which meant Marlon would drink it.

Which meant another transformation.

Which meant blood and chaos, unless Noah was there.

His voice came out hard. "When does the fight begin?"

"Midnight," the leader said, clutching the wrappings like they were incriminating evidence.

"Good." Noah turned, his cloak sweeping behind him as he walked towards the door.

"I'll return an hour before. Have everything ready." His tone left no room for argument.

The gang leader swallowed, nodding quickly.

Without another word, Noah stepped outside into the street.

He didn't stop, making his way to the alley they'd walked in from, and when he was in the safety of the darkness, activated Null Stride.

The gang leader remained behind in the empty room, his fingertips brushing the splinters of the table as he replayed the events in his head.

No matter how he looked at it, it all fit.

It was like an uneasy ball of certainty sitting in his gut.

He'd spoken to one of the people that had been at the scene of Bruno's collapse two days ago. So it had to be what he was thinking.

The door creaked open and a high-ranking member of his gang padded in, breath still hot from running.

He fell into a respectful half-bow. "Boss," he said, voice low, "the men are restless."

"They've heard about the... stranger. They ask what we do if the authorities come sniffing. They want to know what happens to them now."

The leader said nothing at first.

He let the words settle in his mind, tasting the fear in them.

He had spent his life learning the right time to speak and the right time to wait.

Tonight, waiting had answered for him. The city was changing, with monsters appearing where they shouldn't.

Opportunism could be a liability, and so could passivity.

He straightened, making a decision of his own.

"We're not running," he finally said, voice level. "We're not hiding. We're using what we have."

The lieutenant blinked. "Using... how?"

The leader smiled without warmth. "We put our problem where it belongs. Into the pit. We'll line him up against something stronger. Let the ring take care of our unwanted visitor."

He walked to the doorway, motioning the man to follow.

"Prepare ten tickets for the underground ring fight tonight. I'll make sure they find their way to the right hands."

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