Truthfully, Michael had an ulterior motive all this time.

He knew that supporting the local businesses and feeding the poor wouldn't make much of a change, since there were simply too many.

However, there was one thing that could turn things around. In places like this where people were poor and starving, it was only a matter of time until gangs would appear as a consequence.

These gangs would do their best to hog the available resources for themselves, leaving the weak with nothing. If he were to get rid of these groups, then the living conditions would naturally improve drastically.

Shifting his gaze from the hungry child he had given food to, he scanned a group of a dozen men all wearing primitive leather armor.

"I will ask again. What do you think you are doing in the Black Bears' turf?!" The tallest man among them asked.

With an arched brow, Michael replied, "Feeding the less fortunate."

He even pointed to the malnourished kid that didn't pay attention to its surroundings, busy eating the piece of meat it had been given with a smile.

"This is not how things work around here." The man shook his head.

"Everything you see is our property, more specifically our boss's. That includes the people. You can't feed our merchandise without our permission."

Ava's eyebrow twitched. She could not believe someone would call people, much less children, merchandise.

Before she could explode, she reminded herself that Michael surely had it under control, as she took a deep breath.

"I wasn't informed about that." Michael said with a warm smile, masterfully hiding his true intentions.

The man scoffed. "Even if that is the case, you can't simply walk scot-free now."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Michael tilted his head, playing along.

For a moment the man went silent, glancing at Ava.

'The woman that follows this man isn't the boss type, so she won't do...'

"You have to enter the arena." The man said after he was done with his assessment.

"Arena?"

"Yes, the leaders of the gangs throughout the outer region of Azura love to gather and witness matches to the death. If you give us a good show, we will let you walk free."

This was music to Michael's ears. He had been wondering what the most efficient way to find the gang's leaders was. As fate seemed to have it, they were going to gather in a single place!

'Jackpot!' He thought inwardly, keeping a poker face.

"Well, since I don't have much of a choice, I guess I will follow you." He said, acting devastated.

The gang members were surprised; every time they forced people to enter the arena, there would be resistance. This was the first time someone was willing to follow them so eagerly.

'He probably has no idea how dangerous it is there.' They sneered secretly.

Wordlessly they began to guide Michael and Ava.

'They are all in the Apprentice realm. They must be unaware of our strength due to their lack of experience.' Michael concluded, concealing his cultivation.

Ava's eyes sparkled instantly, realizing how Michael was planning to fool them. With a giggle, she did the same.

From the outside they now looked to be of the Apprentice realm. Since they had masked their true power masterfully, it would take at least a Master to see through their disguise.

Going into the more deranged part of the city, they entered the Black Bears' territory. Soon after, they entered heavily guarded alleys that led to an underground arena.

'The most powerful tugs I have noticed until now were of the Early Adept realm.' Michael mused. He was sure that the Lord could have put a stop to their gangs with no trouble.

'He must be too busy with the alien invaders to deal with the small fries.'

Five minutes later they reached their destination.

"You will be the only one fighting. No one would want to see a defenseless girl being killed in the ring." The man that led them to the arena said, severely underestimating Ava's prowess.

"I am fine with that. I fight my battles anyway." Michael simply shrugged.

Entering a room with other people, he was instructed to wait until he was called on stage. In the waiting room everybody was nervous. It was clear that these were just normal people picked up from the street, unfortunate enough to be chosen to be slaughtered.

An hour later he was called in.

"This is bigger than expected." He whistled, scanning the arena. There were a few thousand people spectating. Ready to bet their life savings on promising fighters.

'Fight as long as you can. If you kill your opponent, you will remain on stage for your next foe. Win three times and you are free.' Michael recalled the instructions he had been given.

With an amused chuckle, he eyed his opponent. A tall man that relied heavily on cybernetics, his arms, spine, chest, and lower jaw had been replaced with metal contraptions.

"Even with all these add-ons, he is still just an Early Adept? Pitiful." Michael almost pitied the weakness of the man before him.

"So another sacrifice has been offered to Grock the Great!" His opponent laughed joyfully, hitting his metallic chest.

"It's a pity that you aren't a woman. I would have preferred to have my way with some beauty before killing her!"

Like starved animals, the crowd cheered by his words.

"Grock the Great! One of the core pillars of the Black Bears! Do you think that he will rise to the top? Bet now!"

Unsurprisingly, everybody began to bet on Michael's loss. In their eyes he was just some no-name after all.

"Ready or not, here comes Grock!" The man said before stepping forward.

In response Michael glanced at the boots where the gang's leaders were supposed to be, a smile spreading across his face.

He could have summoned Devil's Tongue and killed his opponent on the spot. But he dismissed the idea for two reasons.

The first one was that he wanted to keep his soul weapon a secret for now.

And the second one was that he was against a gang member that had tormented numerous innocent civilians until now.

How could Michael be so nice as to grant him the privilege of a quick, painless death?

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