Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 378 - 371: The Hunting Dog Gang

Chapter 378: Chapter 371: The Hunting Dog Gang

"That’s better, you’re more cooperative now." Seeing Dunuo capitulating, Luo’er nodded with satisfaction.

Dunuo looked miserable. His leg broken, he had suffered through nightmares for several months, always jolted awake by the bloody, mangled injury. To him, the very presence of Luo’er was akin to the arrival of the Plague God. Initially, when Luo’er sought him out, Dunuo didn’t consider him formidable. As a result, he had paid dearly for this misconception.

"Recently in Holy Heart City, is there a mage named Fu’en?" Luo’er asked.

"There are many mages in Holy Heart City," Dunuo responded.

"Ordinary citizens!" Luo’er clarified.

"Well, there are many among ordinary citizens as well; they live like any other person and, unless they use magic, you won’t be able to identify them as mages," Dunuo spoke.

"Hmm..." After a moment of contemplation, Luo’er added, "What about mages who use summoning magic?"

"Summoning..." Hearing this, Dunuo blinked, then looked at Luo’er suspiciously, "Are you from the Church Court?"

"No!" Luo’er denied, his duplicity not evident on his face.

This left Dunuo skeptical, and after a while, he heaved a sigh and said, "Summoning magic is taboo. What do you want with such people?"

"If you knew, you’d tell me. What we want them for is none of your business!" Luo’er scratched his brow, tilting his head.

Dunuo sighed again. Although Luo’er’s attitude irked him, he didn’t dare show it.

"So, do you know?" Luo’er asked tentatively.

"As for mages... I’m not quite sure. I only deal with the Assassins’ Guild. If you’re looking for mages..." Dunuo began hesitantly.

"Go on!" Luo’er urged.

"Uh... those who can perform summoning magic are usually wanted by the Church Court, and they often hide really well. If they are truly here, your best bet... would be to ask the Hound Gang to help..." Dunuo struggled to get the words out.

"Hound Gang?" Luo’er repeated, refilling Dunuo’s glass with white wine and pushing it towards him.

Dunuo gratefully accepted the glass, downing a gulp before letting out a relieved sigh. His face, reddened by the strong white wine, twitched. After belching as if he had resolved to spill everything, he continued, "The Hound Gang is the most powerful faction in the Eastern District. They control the entire underground industry of the area, their power reaching even the Western and Uptown Districts. Smuggling, kidnapping, selling contraband salt, human trafficking... There is nothing they won’t do. If there is a profitable underground venture, they’re always involved."

Dunuo spoke in a whisper, as though afraid that someone else would overhear him, "They are the underground rulers of the Eastern District. If you’re trying to find someone that even the Church Court can’t locate in the Eastern District, your best option is to ask for their help. They have eyes and ears everywhere, nothing escapes their notice..."

"How can we find them?" Luo’er asked the critical question.

"I don’t know, as I said, I’m a mere middleman in the Assassins’ Guild. I have no idea how to contact the Hound Gang," Dunuo replied, starting to sweat. He used the grungy sleeve of his coat to wipe the sweat off his shiny face and swallowed.

"Is it truly so, or are you pretending to be ignorant? Lying isn’t a good habit, Mr. Dunuo," Luo’er gave him a knowing smile, putting Dunuo on edge.

"I really don’t know, I truly don’t know!" Dunuo waved his hands in denial, anxiously saying, "I’m just a middleman for the Assassins’ Guild. I genuinely don’t know how to contact them."

"Do you know any middlemen who can contact them?" Luo’er asked.

"I don’t know, I’ve always had no contact with the Hound Gang, so I have no idea where to find them..." Dunuo replied, his fat exterior belying his timid heart.

"Well, I won’t press you further," Luo’er said with a shake of his head, clearly disappointed. He could tell Dunuo wasn’t lying. Otherwise, a man as cowardly as him would spill all the beans with just a smack.

Picking up the drink bottle on the counter, Luo’er poured another glass of wine. When the bottle was empty, he returned it to the counter, stood up and waved his hand, smiling, "I’m off, Mr. Dunuo. Take care."

"Take care, take care," Dunuo repeated mechanically with a forced smile. The bartender, taking advantage of Dunuo’s distraction, sneaked the bottle off the counter. Such Earth-made industrial items were popular in the Otherworld too; refilling it with fruit wine would pass it for Earth wine.

"Let’s go!" Hu Daoke and Xuzhong Qi, waiting for him at the door, had found the tavern’s stench unbearable and hadn’t accompanied Luo’er inside.

"Have you made any progress with inquiries?" Hu Daoke asked with anticipation as he spotted Luo’er coming towards him.

"Hmm..." Luo’er shook his head, a hint of disappointment visible on his face, "That guy suggested we seek assistance from a gang in the Eastern District called the...Hound Gang!"

"Where can we find them?" queried Hu Daoke.

"He doesn’t know. He only knows people from the Assassin’s League." After a pause, Luo’er added, "I don’t think he was lying."

"That’s of no use then," Hu Daoke shrugged, "I had the same idea, but I don’t know where to find these people."

"Let it be," Luo’er consoled, "We’ll find them, life isn’t a game with its main plotline. It’s not like we can stumble upon clues easily."

As went through the tavern door, Hu Daoke was nearly tripped by a small figure. He couldn’t help commenting, "Whose mischievous kid is this, almost got under my feet!"

Luo’er bent down, noticing a child of about seven or eight, shaggy hair covering his unidentifiable gender. The child was staring at Luo’er with wide, terrified eyes, which held the rare hue of sky-blue.

"Ah, the kid’s eyes are quite striking," Hu Daoke bent down, glanced at the child’s eyes, and couldn’t help but admire.

"A Snow Elf hybrid!" Luo’er quickly concluded. High latitudes generally account for light colored pupils, and Luo’er had noticed the child’s pointy ears hidden beneath the shaggy hair.

There are three types of Elves in Otherworld - Wood Elves, Night Elves, and Snow Elves. It’s the Wood Elves who have drooping ears while the Night Elves and Snow Elves have pointed, upturned ears.

For this reason, Wood Elves arrogantly consider themselves the true Elves, engaging in constant conflict with the equally conceited Night Elves. To date, they remain archenemies. If not for the Winter Mountains shielding the Snow Elves’ territory, they might also be embroiled in this senseless conflict.

"Pretty impressive, boss, to identify at a glance. No doubt, a fellow half-elf," Hu Daoke looked at him and remarked.

The child lifted his delicate face, somewhat skinny due to malnutrition, but with remarkably harmonious features, making it even harder to discern his gender.

The elf lineage tends to lean towards the feminine side. If the mother happens to be an elf, her half-elf offspring will mostly inherit all her elf characteristics - even a boy would appear somewhat effeminate.

"What a pretty little girl, just a bit dirty," Unable to recognize the elf traits, Hu Daoke took the child to be a girl.

The child was wearing a makeshift outfit crafted from rough sackcloth, secured at the waist with a grass rope. Dirt smudged his whole body, with sweat combining with dust to form stains all over, leaving him utterly filthy.

Seemingly sensing no malintent from the trio, the child kneeled on the ground, looking up at them. After much hesitation, he tremulously extended his hands, attempting to beg.

"Boss..." Hu Daoke scratched his head uncomfortably, looking at Luo’er.

Luo’er nodded, then pulled out a gold coin from his pocket and placed it in the child’s grubby palm. He signaled his companions to leave.

A few steps out, a thought struck Luo’er. He turned to look at the child, who was quietly delighting over the gold coin – looking quite thoughtful.

Although gold coins are the mainstream currency in Otherworld, they hold considerable value in day-to-day transactions, equating to a small fortune. Measured by the purchasing power of Otherworld, a single gold coin was worth at least 10 US dollars.

Luo’er turned around and walked back to the child. Meeting his curious gaze, Luo’er gestured for him to return the gold coin.

The child was taken aback by this. After a moment’s hesitation, he wiped the coin on his clothing, then reluctantly handed it back to Luo’er.

Feeling the warmth of the coin, Luo’er turned around to meet the questioning eyes of his companions. He beckoned Hu Daoke, whispered something in his ear, and handed over the coin.

"Understood, I’ll take care of it right away!" Hu Daoke nodded, and when he looked at Luo’er again, there was an added touch of admiration in his eyes.

Hu Daoke, clutching the gold coin, re-entered the tavern. When he emerged after about 10 minutes, he was carrying several paper-wrapped packages containing coarse black bread, dried meat, and an Otherworld dish consisting of stewed meat inside soft bread.

He walked over to Luo’er and handed over the wraps. Luo’er nodded, then handed the food to the child.

The bread and dried meat could last for quite a while, and the bread with meat filling could easily sate hunger. Luo’er had reasoned that if he gave the gold coin directly to the child, it would likely be stolen or conned away given his limited means. Instead, turning it into food was the better choice - once eaten, it was truly his own.