Seeing the damage his shot had done to the pillar he had fired at, Vicente was pleased with the new version of his pistol.
It was even more powerful than the "temporary version" he had used earlier against the level 3 Acolyte that had exploded in his hands.
According to Vicente's calculations, a distracted level 3 Acolyte would be seriously injured if hit by a bullet like the one he had just fired. In contrast, a distracted level 2 person would surely die.
His men also realized this and became excited at the thought of having more power in their hands to defend themselves and act on behalf of the group.
"Incredible!"
"The boss is truly unparalleled! With these weapons, we'll make those bastards who are harassing us regret what they've done!"
Some of the Senior Apprentices near Vicente commented at the same time.
Meanwhile, one of the Acolytes got his weapon back, eager for Vicente to make new breakthroughs and for people of his level to be able to put all their strength into shooting.
If that happened, even people with little talent like him could become relevant!
The other Acolyte asked. "Boss, when will we be able to have weapons that can withstand the power of someone at my level?"
Vicente looked at the man and said. "I am not sure. I guess when I become an Acolyte, not before. But for weapons that can withstand the maximum power of Senior Apprentices, that will happen soon. I just need to improve my knowledge of forging a bit, and I'll be able to do that."
It was straightforward for Vicente to estimate his 1st-grade weapon production ability. As a 1st-stage blacksmith, what he lacked to produce items with 100% efficiency was understanding and mana.
Once he became a stronger Senior Apprentice, finished studying the material Benson had given him the night before, and practiced with the hammer, he was confident that he could produce better weapons.
The men in the area were happy to hear this, as several of them were Senior Apprentices and naturally wanted to be able to use these weapons to their full potential.
"Great!"
"That's why the boss made this deal. He actually didn't go crazy as I thought..."
Those who had not yet understood the reason behind Vicente's deal with those men understood where their leader's confidence came from.
If they could use peak 1st-grade weapons, even if they could not destroy Defiant Tyranny, they would be able to protect themselves!
However, it was not only the quality of their group's weapons that were improving. The group was getting stronger with the resources they got from their operations and robberies.
Vicente saw his men growing in confidence and gave his orders.
"Tell all our men to bring their weapons to me. I will upgrade 3 of them per hour for the next few hours. Organize among yourselves to get your weapons upgraded.
Oh, bring your ammunition as well. It will be good to upgrade them as well."
...
One hour later...
While Vicente's group was vigilantly following their leader's orders, several Defiant Tyranny experts appeared near his building.
However, as they ran with fury in their eyes, the level 3 and 4 Acolytes of this group suddenly ran into some of their old rivals.
"Stop right there! This is your limit, members of the Defiant Tyranny!" A level 3 Acolyte shouted as he appeared from the shadow of a chimney above a rooftop.
Another 4 men appeared in various buildings along the street, causing the group of Defiant Tyranny heading for Vicente to pause and reconsider their actions.
"Damned reds, what are you doing? Do you know what your protégé has done to us?" The level 4 man leading the group shouted angrily, questioning these people.
"Cesar and his group have nothing to do with what happened. We have already established that." One of the men sent to this place to protect Vicente's group shouted.
After the leader of his group found out about the deal the three men from early had made with Vicente, he immediately put aside his concerns about the guilt of such a young man and decided to protect him. If his group could get their hands on Vice's weapons, temporarily standing by him would be worth it.
Even though the initial agreement between Vicente and the Scarlet Syndicate said they would protect him, that didn't mean they would do so in every situation!
If Vicente's group lost its operation or were caught by royal forces for crimes such as theft and murder, the group would not defend them.
The agreement served to fend off the actions of opponents who tried to operate from the shadows. But those who acted through official forces were not the responsibility of this group to stop them from getting to Vicente!
Revenge was a natural right that even the royal family of the Seidel Kingdom approved of, so Defiant Tyranny would have the right to act against Vicente's group tonight if they had any evidence.
But with the new deal Vicente proposed, even if he were guilty, the group would help him during these two weeks!
"If you insist on threatening our innocent partner, we will fight." Another man from the Scarlet Syndicate said, moving his mana as his Yellow Magic Gem glowed.
"If you want to blame our partners, get proof of their guilt. In the meantime, no one but the royal army will approach the headquarters of Cesar's group!" Another man from that faction said, trying to get those people away.
"Wretches!"
"Do you know what will happen if you follow this path?"
"Perhaps they are the real names behind what happened at our posts tonight!"
These men remarked, not at all pleased to be stopped by such rivals.
But they couldn't just start a fight there. If they did, they might start an unauthorized war between their factions, making things worse for their groups.
Defiant Tyranny wanted revenge, but they didn't really know who had attacked them. Uncertain, these emissaries decided it would be best to retreat for the time being.
"This doesn't end here!"
...
After the intervention of the Scarlet Syndicate faction men, three more hours would pass before Rory would finish his breakthrough attempt. This time, he made a breakthrough on the same night as Vicente.
But as he left the headquarters training room to rejoin his group, before even learning of Vicente's weapons upgrade, Rory was moving along with his people when he heard a knock at the building's front door.
"Open the door! We're from the Royal Army!" A voice shouted from outside.
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