NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Vira’s importance!
Vira's importance!
Chapter 25: I don't think I have a chance!
Vira: Hey, what are you doing?
Author: Poking the guy who keeps bookmarking and unbookmarking. Like, make up your mind! He's been doing that since it was at 75 or something.
Vira: Ever considered that it might not be just one person? Maybe multiple people simply didn't like reading it.
Author: Nope, it's this guy's fault. Otherwise, why would there be only one difference? In the morning, it was 285, and now it's 284. Same thing happened before this. As long as I poke that guy to death, it'll stop.
Vira: I think you're going insane, but sure.
Wandering around the industrial district for a while, Vira soon felt hungry. He considered grabbing a worker's lunchbox, but his morning thoughts had taken over his appetite, and the desire to eat in Oadby was too great.
Even with an appetizing ham and cheese sandwich in front of him, his appetite didn't return. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry—he had been wandering for hours, and it was well past lunchtime. If not for the fact that the supervisor had been too busy to take a break, he would have only found empty, eaten lunchboxes. Yet, even after stealing one of the few full ones, Vira simply couldn't muster the appetite for it.
So, he tossed the sandwich into the air. Before it could even land, a group of crows snatched it up, shredding the innocent bread and ham into pieces within seconds.
Not that Vira had starved them—far from it. He had a feeding area back home, which had also become a breeding ground. His people cared for the birds' hatchlings and unhatched eggs, ensuring they were well looked after.
Unlike Vira, who seemed to have inexhaustible energy, and Viper, who remained hidden and refused to leave his side, all other birds and creatures operated on a shift-like schedule. While one group rested or ate, another stayed near Vira, providing complete aerial surveillance of the area surrounding him.
The most important among them were probably the nocturnal ones. They were incredibly useful to Vira—owls with their silent wings, as well as lizards and frogs with their small, unassuming bodies, practically mapped out the entire area before Vira and the others set out to steal. Even during their escape, their getaway was fully navigated for safety and anonymity.
If not for the need to sell the stolen goods, they would have remained entirely anonymous—hidden from both the government and powerful figures with underworld connections.
Speaking of attracting the attention of influential people, one particular man wanted to use their abilities to eliminate his competitors. After all, Vira's group had already proven capable of sneaking into heavily guarded areas with armed security. And that wasn't even the impressive part—most of the valuables they took had been inside the bedrooms of the very people he wanted dead.
So, he used his connections to buy the place where Vira and the others rented and stayed. He even purchased the area surrounding the animals' breeding and feeding grounds, then stationed his people there in an attempt to coerce Vira—or rather, Instructor James, whom most believed to be the real leader.
This assumption wasn't unfounded. Instructor James had arrived in town half a year before Vira and had quickly built strong relationships with Peter, the other kids, and even retired soldiers. He had more than enough time to lay the groundwork for what had grown into a massive organization.
The group had enough soldiers to form a platoon, and unlike the untrained youth most gangs were filled with, these were real soldiers—men who had seen blood and war.
With quite a few retired soldiers in their own ranks,they were well aware of the difference. So, most groups were simply spectating, speculating when James would finally rise up and officially step into the underworld—instead of just stealing from the shadows, hiding behind a five-year-old kid, or following a teenager like an underling when selling goods.
If not for the fact that they had background-checked James and confirmed he was a well-trained soldier and a former instructor with military connections, they probably would have grouped up and attacked before he even had the chance to form this fearsome organization. Instead, they hesitated, wary of provoking something far more dangerous than a mere gang.
But there was always a weirdo—or, well, a stupid guy—who, for some reason, decided to take them on… or rather, coerce the group.
No matter how much of a fool he was… he did end up giving Vira's gang the opportunity to flaunt their strength.
Then again, saying it was "Vira's gang" that showed their strength is way off the mark—because, in reality, it was just Vira who wiped out the idiot's entire family.
All it took were a few lizards who coated themselves in potent poison. They went straight into the guy's house, sneaking into everyone's bedrooms and putting their tails inside their mouths.
Then there was nothing—sleeping family members died in their sleep. The 13-year-old son, who had come home during vacation, the wife, the dumb guy—everyone was dead.
The soldiers, who honestly weren't even needed… everyone was already dead. Naturally, this wasn't the end of it. The man's beef was well known, and the police, along with other security officials, were pretty angry—before they were angry that they could do nothing against the thief they knew for a fact was stealing. Now, a well-reputed gang leader/pseudo-businessman was dead.
It's unknown who the fortunate one was, but when the time came to show power and keep their already crumbling reputations afloat, they were smart enough to accept bribery.
Truly a money-talks moment. Not that there weren't others who were adamant about punishing Vira's gang for whatever reason they had, but those efforts were stifled in the cradle, either by their bosses or gang members who supported them.
After all, as long as they followed the underworld rules on the surface, there was no need to attack such a strong group. Who knows? If they merged with the gang when they truly rose up, instead of fighting for a town or little money, being part of a bigger gang would be far more rewarding. Vira's group certainly had the prospects.
Speaking of which, even though everything about the gang was done by Vira—from raising money through theft, dealing with threats, gathering people, and everything else—he was never once suspected of being the true leader. Then again, a kid who looked five wasn't much of a target, even if he never hid his role. Every man in the gang respected and adored him.
Their background checks were completely unfruitful when it came to understanding him, aside from the fact that he arrived in the city three months prior and was insulted by a clerk—who was now nowhere to be found.
If they inspected the feces of Vira's pets, they might find residue, though the backward forensics would be an issue they'd need to solve first.
Also, it might seem out of place to mention this, but the soldiers were pretty useless to Vira. In reality, they were alcoholics or drug addicts who used numbing agents to dull their anxiety from PTSD. They might stand up and raise their arms to fight if they were truly attacked, or if they were deprived of the new house they finally felt they belonged to. After all, humans are complex creatures. But before that, they needed to be treated by psychologists who, to this day, had no clue how to approach treating PTSD.
Vira was the strength, endurance, defense, and everything that kept this loose organization afloat.
He was the hope of the people in the group—the leader who gathered unquestionable trust and support from these creatures surrounding him. Whether it was homeless adults and children he sheltered, or animals who loved every ounce of his existence—HE WAS THEIR BACKBONE.
THE END
and if you are that one guy, just drop the novel man. you changing the stats is pretty depressing especially cause i am not someone that can just ignore things nonchantly and well currently i am sick so i probably would have it in my mind for even longer