In that battle, although the elite members of the gang managed to protect the town, they still fell to enemy gunfire and blades. Even the former boss perished.
Caesar stepped up at a critical moment to clean up the aftermath, and that's how the Sons of Calydon came to be.
However, compared to the original Calydon organization, today's Sons of Calydon are far weaker, only able to control a small area near the town.
For the past two years, Caesar has been investigating the tragedy that took place back then.
After hearing Caesar's account, everyone was once again reminded of how terrifying the Outer Ring was, and just how difficult things were for the Sons of Calydon.
Then, Caesar suddenly smiled.
"But that's all in the past. I will lead the Sons of Calydon to conquer the entire Outer Ring."
As she spoke, Caesar pulled out the golden stone sword Sam Li had given her. She raised it high into the sky. Under the sunlight, the sword gleamed with an even brighter golden light, echoing the golden gem hanging from her waist.
It was only then that Nicole noticed the gem on Caesar's waist and froze for a second.
"Wait... is that a gem granted by the god statue? Caesar, did you also receive the Geo power from the statue?"
At her words, everyone turned to Caesar and noticed the gem at her waist.
Nicole, Nekomata, and the others had seen similar gems on Qingyi and Seth earlier—it was identical to the one Caesar now wore.
Caesar looked confused.
"You mean this? I found it on my shield during morning training. At first, I thought someone had thrown it there."
She'd asked around, but no one had seen the gem before. With no one claiming it, Caesar simply decided to hang it at her waist—figuring its owner would come looking for it eventually.
Nicole sighed.
"It's not someone else's. That gem is a vessel for the power bestowed upon you by the god statue… I don't get it—why can't they just bless me with infinite Dennies instead?"
She then told Caesar about how Qingyi and Seth had received the Geo power. Apparently, both were commended by the Public Security Bureau and awarded a hefty sum of Dennies.
How enviable.
Billy covered his face.
"Even out here in the Outer Ring, Caesar—our gang boss—can still get the blessing of the god statue…"
He'd heard that after receiving the Geo power, Seth could manifest golden armor on his body.
Billy was jealous.
If he could get the god statue's blessing and form golden armor too, he'd be as cool as the Starlight Knight!
Anby mused.
"So it seems… even without standing before the god statue, you can still receive its power."
Even Sam Li couldn't help but glance at Caesar again.
After hearing everyone's explanations, Caesar finally understood. No wonder the gem felt warm to the touch. If she removed it, her power weakened—but with it at her waist, she felt stronger.
And not just that—after gaining the gem, Caesar realized her strength had grown. The once-heavy stone shield sword now moved more swiftly in her hands.
She laughed heartily.
"So that's what it is. As the leader of the Sons of Calydon, I thank the god statue for its blessing!"
With that out of the way, it was time to talk business.
Nekomata couldn't hold back.
"Caesar, when are we heading to the Lion's Tooth Gang to get Perlman back?"
To her, Perlman wasn't just a fugitive—he was worth two million. Capturing him meant a fortune.
Nicole looked to Caesar.
"You've got a plan, right? Tell us what we're doing next."
After all, they were in the Outer Ring. Nicole wasn't familiar with the local situation, so she respectfully handed command over to Caesar.
But Caesar shook her head.
"No plan."
Nicole was shocked.
"Huh????"
Caesar explained.
"The Lion's Tooth Gang is strong, and they've got several elite officers. If we charge in recklessly, we'll definitely fail…"
Don't be fooled by Caesar's serious tone…
Her original idea was to charge in headfirst, crush the Lion's Tooth Gang, and naturally grab Perlman in the process—maybe even wipe out the whole gang.
But Piper, Lucy, and Burnice had stopped her just in time.
They proposed that Lucy and Piper go first to scout out the Lion's Tooth Gang's movements, and then strike when the opportunity arose.
Caesar agreed—their plan made sense.
With a confident grin, Caesar said, "I'm just waiting for intel from Lucy and Piper. They'll be back soon. In the meantime, I'll introduce you to Burnice."
With that, Caesar took her rock shield sword and walked ahead. Nicole, Sam Li, Soldier 11, and the others exchanged looks before quickly following her.
...
At that moment, on the other side of the Outer Ring—
A black market merchant's truck slowly pulled into the town under the Lion's Tooth Gang's control, stopping on a street at the town's edge.
Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, Seth, and Jane got off the truck.
Unlike usual, today they had all removed their Public Security Bureau uniforms and changed into slightly worn casual clothes.
Seth turned to Zhu Yuan.
"Captain, what now?"
As a new recruit in the Public Security Bureau, it was his first time in the Outer Ring—and the first time he'd seen one of its towns.
The whole way, he'd been curiously taking in the surroundings, only to realize the Outer Ring was nothing but ruins. Even the towns with human settlements looked hopeless—just more ruins.
Seeing his nervous expression, Zhu Yuan glanced at Qingyi.
"What do you think, Senior?"
Qingyi smiled.
"What else? Open the doors and start the business. We need to draw our target out first—only then can we get the intel we need."
According to their intel, Perlman was hiding in this town, now a member of the Lion's Tooth Gang.
If they could attract a few gang members and gather intel about the gang—or even meet Perlman directly—things would become a lot easier.
Soon, following Qingyi's plan, Seth opened the truck doors, revealing the goods inside.
It wasn't anything fancy—just a bunch of castoffs from the city. Second-hand firearms discarded by the Public Security Bureau or Defense Forces…
Kitchenware, tableware, second-hand clothes discarded by city dwellers…
Worn-out household goods… and plenty of canned food and biscuits…
Before coming here, they'd learned that most black market merchants wandering the Outer Ring made a living reselling these second-hand goods.