Chapter 7

“It's for the best. Gunner and I make a good team, remember the simulations. As long as Dagon doesn't have a path, he'll have to stay out of the way. As for you," he referred to Zen, "you can start thinking about a good strategy, Capito?

“Well, I've already thought of it.

“Had you already thought of sending the two of us? “I asked somewhat annoyed.

“Erm... yes. “He nodded sheepishly, "If Greek has come to that conclusion, and he's not the smart one in the group, it would make me look bad if I hadn't thought of it first, wouldn't it?

“That's also true," Greek said.

The truth is that there was no one who could understand them.

“We're all ears," I said, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, knowing that Greek has a decent gun and that you could go with a pitiful bow..." He cleared his throat. Anyway, you don't have much of a chance in direct combat, even against the six that got away. Besides, I'm sure there won't be only six.

“So much for saying we should be stealthy, sushi face? “added Greek.

“I wish it were that easy, mafioso," Zen replied somewhat annoyed. I did some preparation before traveling to Initium and looked around the Internet. There's not much information to be found about the outlaw worlds of Allsium, but it seems that the city itself is no big deal. The hotel is in a fairly large and open square, so you're going to have trouble even if you're stealthy.

“So, you're sending us to certain death, you damned kamikaze?

“No way, tortellini with eyes. Your mission will be to lure them out and finish them off. One by one, by the way.

“Vaffanculo, buddy. “I didn't know much Italian, but that didn't sound very elegant. What if it's twenty or thirty? What a strategist you are.

“I think that if Greek and I are going to go," he interjects, "it's best that we act at our own discretion. It's not a bad idea, Zen, especially if we don't meet much resistance, but if there are more than ten henchmen we'd better go back and plan something more forceful.

“Thank goodness there's someone who uses his head," said Greek, nodding vehemently. I'm with you, Vinci. If we go, we decide. What do you think, stronzo?

“I think you'll end up using my strategy, fusilli head, but I'm fine with that, by all means.

“Well, come on, let's go. “Greek was determined, and I didn't want to give the matter too much thought either, so we set off.

“Take the cures with you," said Zen, passing them to our personal backpacks. Two each, Dagon and I won't need them. They will immediately restore any wounds, but if you are forced to use them, it might be a good time to run out and come back here.

“Understood," I said, bumping my fists with his.

“Are we done with the goodbyes? “Greek asked Zen and me, "So let's go kill ninjas.

The plan was not to kill the clan members of that wealthy leader, but to gain access to the hotel room we owned so that Dagon and Zen could transport there immediately. In addition, we would gain an important base on the first outlaw planet, which was quite a luxury. I guessed Greek hadn't forgotten about that, but he tended to get carried away with the action. According to him, that was very typical of Spaniards and Italians.

We left the cave and everything was still gray. In Initium there was no day or night, but a gray decadence that plagued every corner of the planet. A system that was not large at all and served as a passage for travelers who opted to live their first adventures in illegality. It could be said that the city was the highlight of Initium, where we expected to find many adventurers who, at least, would serve as a shield to hide and inspect the surroundings of the hotel. It would be the busiest place on the planet, since from there we could accept quests, shop at the market and, in addition, it offered places where we could spend a safe night.

But all we wanted was not to pay the price of a rich man whom we had killed and left without the possibility of ever returning to Allsium.

The road to the city was long and winding. We passed through terrain as repetitive and colorless as it was lifeless, but an hour of insults and dark thoughts toward the creators of Initium later, Greek and I finally reached the city. We were tired and with such a troubling sense of depression that we doubted anyone in Initium could last more than a week in that system. Getting a property was great news for someone like us, but it was clear to us that Initium was not our favorite place.

The city was concentrated in a square with radial streets leading to it. The closer we got to the center of the square, the more people we encountered. The ashen gray of the planet mingled with the colorful and outlandish attire of the most daring travelers; they had to be to walk through illegality with such impunity. However, there seemed to be an aura of respect and a clandestine pact that avoided conflicts within the city.

It turned out that in some areas of certain planets it was impossible to enter combat mode, but we still had to avoid being located. The system prevented them from harming us in the city, but they could always kidnap us between four of us and take us to where the combat mode could be activated to finish the job.

“Don't lose focus, Vinci," Greek said, pulling me over.

“Have you seen anything?

“Everyone seems to be very quiet," he said, looking from one side to the other. We have to find those who seem to be up to something, who are sneaking around and following us for more than a minute.

“As if that were easy.

“Well, we've got two on our backs that have been here for two minutes now, so don't turn around," he chuckled. We'll go on to that alley over there," he commented as he pointed with his chin. Before we go in, we'll split up, Capito?

“What if they don't follow me and go after you?

“They might follow you, they might follow me, or they might split up to follow both of us," he replied with a shrug.

“I understand that if they follow me you'll show up with the gun and take them both out, right? “We were already assuming that they were going to force us away from the city so they could hurt us.

“No way, ragazzo," he said so calmly.

“What are you talking about? Do you intend to leave me alone against those two?

“You will carry the gun, take it from the group inventory. If you are followed and you are threatened, you know what to do," he said as if he was used to dealing with such matters. Don't miss, we're not short of bullets, Capito?

I was getting very nervous. I had never stood up to anyone, never even revolted against those who abused me in real life. I had my temper, but it was useless when I knew it was useless. You could tell that Greek and the mob had already had their ups and downs, because the Italian was hardly nervous.

“If they split up to catch us, we'll do what we can," he said. In any case, you take the gun.

“Even if they both follow you?

“If that happens, follow us closely. They will try to go somewhere out of the way so they can take care of me when combat mode can be activated.

“There are many gaps in your plan.

“And I haven't told you yet that there are probably more of these stronzos controlling us from a distance.