Nova moved through the familiar dark alleys. Here, it was dark, filthy, and always filled with discarded dead animals and garbage. You could even see human corpses sprawled like puddles of mud in the depths. This place was like the city's veins, circulating the blood of poverty, death, and sin.

  Nova's speed was quick, like a gust of wind brushing through the maze of interconnected alleyways. Just as Nova rounded a box based on memory, suddenly, with a "bang," several hardwood planks fell down ahead, blocking the path.

  "Hey, it seems like you've been making quite a bit of money lately. How about sharing some?" Several scattered footsteps approached from the other end of the alley, while two men squeezed out from the gaps in the wooden planks in front.

  Nova leaned against the wall, her eyes darting back and forth, assessing the group and the situation. There were seven of them in total. These individuals wore crude purple cloth shirts and were generally over 1.75 meters tall. The leader who had just spoken was nearly 1.9 meters tall. They held wooden sticks wrapped with wire, and two of them carried rusty meat cleavers. The exposed skin of all of them was covered in totems and symbols from the Northwestern Orcish Empire. They wore necklaces made of animal teeth on their necks and wrists. Merchants would claim, "These are beast fangs taken from magical beasts by hunters or warriors," but Nova knew they were likely taken from the mouths of vicious dogs in the underground fighting pits.

  "We're all friends on this street, aren't we? Shouldn't friends help each other out? For example, we're a bit short on cash right now..." The tall thug leader spoke with a grin, weighing the knife in his hand.

  "Oh really? Is that a gift for me in your hand? Could you put it on the ground? I'd be happy to take it," Nova said calmly. "Also, could you move a bit further away from me? You all have a bit of a stench."

  As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding thugs immediately became rowdy. "You motherfucker trying to die?" "Bastard, you wanna taste my club?"

  "Stop!" the tall leader shouted impatiently, then looked down at Nova with a fierce gaze, like a large dog looking at a chicken it could easily kill. "Look, it wasn't easy for us to corner you. And I heard you have a pretty little sister. Guess how much money it'll take to protect your sister's virginity? There are so many of us, you know," he said, and all the thugs let out lewd laughter.

  "My boss is Pony. Looks like your empty heads aren't even afraid of death," Nova's gaze stopped, fixed intently on the thug leader in front of her. Seeing them still slowly approaching with weapons even after she mentioned her boss's name, Nova understood that a fight was unavoidable. Then, she extended her little finger and said, "You idiots, prepare to eat dirt."

  "Hahaha," the thug leader let out a dry laugh, as hard and brittle as bread that had been dried for three days. The other thugs didn't dare to yell but watched the leader, waiting for him to finish laughing. "I said we'd be very friendly. In a moment, we'll friendly break your arms and legs, and then friendly sell your little sister!" After he finished speaking, the other thugs with wooden sticks rushed towards Nova.

  "Ha!" The thug at the front swung his stick forcefully, aiming to smash it into Nova's face. The stick whistled through the air with a "whoosh," and the thug revealed an excited grin that showed a hint of bloodlust. But the grin was instantly replaced by a face contorted from a kick. It was Nova. Her left leg extended, and her right foot pushed off the ground, allowing her to spin a full circle in the air, letting the stick graze her face. Then, she stepped on the wall, rotated her body sideways, and delivered a side kick to the thug's face, sending him flying.

  "What?!" The following thugs cried out in disbelief, and the two thugs behind Nova immediately swung their sticks down. "Ah!" One thug immediately screamed in agony because Nova, upon landing, immediately sprinted towards the two, lowering her body to get close. She headbutted one in the chin and then used her elbow to strike the other sideways, knocking him backward.

  The other thug slightly turned his body, wanting to use his foot since there wasn't much room to swing a stick in the alley. At this moment, Nova didn't retreat or dodge. Instead, she bent down to withstand the kick, then grabbed the man's worn-out shoe. With force, she kicked the tip of the shoe into the back of his thigh. The man clutched his buttock in pain, swinging his stick to make Nova dodge and let go, then hopped on one leg.

  Nova immediately turned around. By this time, the other thugs had closed in on her with their sticks. Nova could only retreat backward. _Not enough. If I don't take these guys down completely..._ Just then, a sound came from behind. Nova immediately dodged sideways, but she was still a beat too slow. The stick struck her outer thigh.

  "Hiss!" Pain like an electric shock shot through her leg. Nova had no time to recover because the thugs in front had also charged forward.

  Nova quickly dashed backward. Just as the thug was gloating, about to raise his stick for another strike, Nova moved with incredible speed, appearing right in front of him. She grabbed the hair at the back of his head and yanked it down hard. "Bastard!" the thug cursed, but Nova didn't give him time to shout. She immediately kicked his lower calf, and as he lost his balance, she slammed his head into the wall, leaving a streak of blood. Then, she immediately kicked his lower back. The thug couldn't get up and could only lie on the ground, groaning in pain.

  "Damn it, finally got one," Nova muttered, pinching her injured thigh. It was already starting to swell. The four thugs with sticks looked at each other to the left and right, then charged forward together.

  Nova reached into her clothes with both hands, then bent down and leaped up. Her left foot pushed off the wall, propelling her over their heads. Then, under the surprised gaze of the group, she took out both hands and flung out white powder.

  "Damn it, my eyes!" The powder scattered into the faces of the first two thugs, and they immediately shut their eyes in pain and began rubbing them. _Bang!_ Nova kicked the person standing behind, sending him tumbling to the feet of the thug leader, while the other thug looked panicked and took a few steps back.

  "Fuck of, five people can't even take down one little bastard? Useless. Jack, let's go together." The thug leader stomped hard on the thug on the ground, then tightened his grip on the knife handle and walked towards Nova, while the burly man beside him charged forward.

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  The knife-wielding thug beside him was the first to reach Nova, raising his knife to strike. Nova immediately dodged, but the knife stopped halfway in the air. The thug then delivered a side kick with his left foot, which Nova blocked with her stick, taking two steps back.

  It wasn't over. The thug continued to swing his knife at Nova. Nova quickly twisted her wrist, gripping the stick in reverse and stabbing the tip into his side. As pain flooded the thug's face, Nova used the stick to flick upwards, hitting him in the chin.

  Just as the thug was regaining his senses, Nova raised her stick to strike his face. "Do you think I don't exist?!" The thug leader rushed in front of the two, immediately swinging his knife in a wide arc. The strike was accurate and vicious, aimed at Nova's shoulder.

  _So fast!_ Nova blocked with her stick horizontally. _Bang!_ The blade sank deep into the stick, almost cutting it in half. _This guy is strong!_ Nova felt like her hands were about to be shattered.

  "You little brat has some strength," the thug leader chuckled, then his smile grew increasingly excited and cruel. He reached out with his other hand to grab Nova.

  Nova immediately dodged, releasing the stick to evade the large hand. But suddenly, a sharp pain shot from behind with a "bang." "Haha, I hit him!" the thug with the stick behind her yelled. The pain was like 'ice cubes doused in hot oil,' a searing agony mixed with an icy numbness that spread through her entire body. Nova almost lost her footing. Another sense of danger surged as she instinctively leaned to the right. A horizontal blade sliced across Nova's face, tearing open a small flap of skin on her left cheek, drawing a gush of blood.

  "Don't kill the little bastard yet. We'll have to search slowly for where he hid the money," the thug leader said, slamming the knife stuck in the wooden stick against the wall, completely breaking the stick.

  Nova looked to her left and right. The three men had completely surrounded her, and the thugs further away were quickly recovering. The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. Nova made a decision. She immediately charged towards the standing thug with the stick.

  Seeing Nova, who had just taken a blow, move so quickly, the thug with the stick was startled and didn't even have time to get into a defensive stance. The knife-wielding thug beside him saw this and also swung his knife, rushing forward to find an opportunity to slash her.

  At this moment, Nova leaped up, almost jumping a person's height. The thug raised his stick to defend, but Nova used it as a springboard, kicking off it and spinning in the air. Her target was the knife-wielding thug behind him. Nova twisted her body and delivered a fierce horizontal kick to the thug's chin, snapping his body upright and stiff.

  It wasn't over. Before landing, Nova spun again and slammed an elbow into his chin. As one foot landed, her other leg shot out in a straight kick, like a hammer driving a nail, smashing the knife-wielding thug's jaw. He collapsed to the ground, dropping his knife. The thug behind him was completely stunned, as if he didn't understand what had just happened, and then fearfully retreated backward.

  "Damn it, are you even human?" The thug leader was surprised but didn't retreat, continuing to approach Nova. "Of course I'm human, the kind that kills you livestock," Nova retorted, looking at him. She kicked the cleaver that had fallen to the ground, caught it, and then walked towards the thug leader as well.

  _Clang!_ The two blades clashed directly, like the fangs of wild beasts biting at each other, sparks flying in the air.

  "Not enough. Even if you're not human, it doesn't matter. I can still kill you," the thug leader said. The necklace around his neck glowed, revealing it to be a magical item. His body began to show a faint red aura, and his eyes turned bloodshot. Nova couldn't withstand it and retreated repeatedly.

  Just then, the thug leader twisted his blade, aiming for Nova's wrist. Nova quickly released her grip on the cleaver, then used her other hand to slap the flat of the thug leader's blade, deflecting it. It had almost sliced her shoulder.

  "Keep dodging! Let's see how many more times you can evade me!" the thug leader roared, throwing a punch at Nova. Nova dodged the punch and landed a blow to his abdomen. _Is this guy made of stone?_ Nova felt a pain in her knuckles, and the thug leader continued to swing his blade at her as if nothing had happened.

  But Nova didn't dodge. Instead, she closed the distance, allowing the thug leader's arm to slam into her body.

  The blow nearly knocked Nova to the ground. It hurt even more than when the wooden stick had struck her. But Nova gritted her teeth and pulled a small knife from her clothes, stabbing it towards the thug leader. The thug leader caught the blade with his other hand, blood flowing from his palm, but the knife stopped.

  "What a cute little knife. You think this piece of junk can kill me?" "Really? Then try this," Nova said, seizing the opportunity to deliver a powerful kick to the thug leader's groin.

  "Ah!" Clearly, the necklace's enhancement didn't extend to his dick and balls. The thug leader immediately screamed in agony. "I'm going to kill you!" "Hey, no-balls," Nova sneered. "I told you I'd make you eat dirt. Remember to open wide and savor it later."

  At this moment, Nova released the small knife with her right hand and immediately wrapped it around the thug leader's arm holding the cleaver. Using his arm as leverage, she propelled herself upwards and kicked him in the head.

  "Die!" The thug leader slammed his arm against the wall, trying to smash Nova against it as well. At the same time, he dropped the small knife and clenched his fist, throwing a full-force punch at Nova. **Nova, relying solely on her hands gripping the thug leader's wrist, was instantly able to support her body and invert herself in mid-air, dodging the punch. However, she was still slammed into the wall and fell down.**

  "I'm going to tear you to pieces and feed you to the dogs!" The thug leader's entire body was now a terrifying crimson, as if bleeding. The bloodshot veins in his eyes showed he was on the verge of losing his mind. "Die!" The thug leader raised his foot and stomped down hard towards Nova's head.

  But Nova simply slapped her hands on the ground and leaped up, narrowly avoiding the thug leader's stomp.

  "What the hell?!" The thug leader didn't know what had happened, even wondering if he was hallucinating due to overusing the magical item. But he was certain he had just seen something appear in Nova's hand...

  "But Nova didn't give him time to react. She immediately picked up the dropped small knife and **viciously** stabbed it into the thug leader's thigh. "Bastard!" the thug leader roared. Now, the combined assault of the magic's side effects and his own rage was making him unsteady on his feet, and this was Nova's chance."

  Nova kicked the thug leader hard in the ankle, and he finally lost his balance, dropping to one knee. "Look at that, your face is as red as a tomato now," Nova said, picking up the broken half of the wooden stick that the thug leader had chopped. "Let me juice this tomato for you." Then she struck him in the face.

  Immediately, the thug leader's teeth and blood flew out together. Just as he was about to fall backward, Nova grabbed the back of his head and slammed it hard against the ground. "Here's your dirt platter from the shitty alley restaurant. Enjoy," Nova said, then took off his magical item necklace. "Is this the tip? You're so generous." Then Nova asked the other stunned thugs, "Would you like to dine as well?"

  Those thugs didn't dare to speak. They directly dropped their wooden sticks, pushed aside the planks blocking the way, and immediately ran.

  Nova coldly looked at everything around her. She hadn't expected to be ambushed just because she happened to want to go home quickly today. Otherwise, if she had walked slowly, she would have been able to smell them and notice them... Also, why weren't these people afraid of Pony? Why did they know her way home? And most importantly, if she had used that skill just now... No, that would have been too obvious. If even one person got away, she would be in danger. And how was her sister doing now? Even though they lived in Boss Pony's territory, she was still incredibly worried.

  Nova took a breath and dragged her aching body, hurrying towards home.