Chapter 309: A Way Out Through Filth
A Way Out Through Filth
Steffan With his strength, he could easily lift two or three hundred pounds.
Ordinary iron doors, thick wooden gates, and even massive stones had never been enough to stop him. Throughout countless battles, he had relied on overwhelming strength to break through obstacles that ordinary people considered impossible.
Yet now...
He was trapped beneath the streets like a rat.
The narrow sewer echoed only with the sound of their ragged breathing and the slow trickle of filthy water.
His wounded shoulder throbbed from the bullet wound.
The stab wound in his backside burned every time he shifted his weight.
The lingering smell of dog waste mixed with the sewer’s foul odor made his stomach churn endlessly.
But no matter how hard he tried now, the manhole cover wouldn’t budge.
His hands pressed firmly against the heavy iron lid.
The muscles in both arms bulged.
Veins surfaced across his neck as he poured every ounce of strength into the push.
"Gh..."
The cover trembled ever so slightly...
Then settled back into place without moving another inch.
It felt as though an entire mountain rested above it.
His expression gradually darkened.
"What do we do now?"
White Ghost was genuinely panicking.
His voice trembled slightly.
After narrowly escaping pursuit, were they now trapped in a place like this?
He leaned against the rusted ladder, breathing heavily.
His broken ribs hurt with every breath.
Even a women’s restroom would smell better than this.
He covered his nose with one hand.
Unfortunately, it made almost no difference.
The stench invaded every breath.
"Let’s wait a bit. If that doesn’t work, we’ll swim out from below. It’s impossible that all exits are blocked."
Steffan felt utterly helpless.
There was no pride left in his voice.
Only exhaustion.
For the first time in years, he truly felt fate was playing with him.
At this moment, he finally understood Lucas and Evan’s feelings.
Back then, he had secretly laughed at how unlucky those two had been.
Now...
Life had turned around and mocked him instead.
So this is what it feels like...
He slowly exhaled.
Sometimes strength alone wasn’t enough.
Sometimes pure bad luck was even stronger.
"Let me try."
White Ghost was dead set against swimming out.
His face immediately turned pale just imagining it.
The filth below was disgustingly dirty, worse than a cesspool.
Dark water flowed beneath them.
No one knew what floated inside.
Broken trash.
Rotten leaves.
Countless unidentifiable things drifted slowly with the current.
If they really went in, they would no longer be the mighty Martial Art King of Africa and the Black and White Ghosts.
They’d be nothing more than mad maggots in the sea of excrement.
The mere thought almost made him cry.
"I refuse..."
he muttered.
"There has to be another way."
He still had some confidence in his own strength.
After Steffan went down, he climbed up.
Bracing his feet against the ladder for support.
He planted both boots firmly against the iron rungs.
His palms pressed tightly against the manhole cover.
He inhaled deeply.
Then...
He pushed with every bit of strength remaining inside his battered body.
His muscles trembled.
His arms shook violently.
Even his ribs protested with sharp pain.
The cover remained immovable.
Nothing.
Not even a tiny gap appeared.
Already in poor condition, the exertion made him feel even worse.
His face instantly turned green.
His stomach violently twisted.
He tried to swallow it back.
He failed.
Unable to control himself, he opened his mouth and vomited profusely.
"Blaaargh!"
Everything he had eaten earlier poured downward.
Below, Steffan felt as if a torrential rain had poured down on him.
The warm liquid splashed directly onto his hair, shoulders and clothes.
For several long seconds...
He simply stood there.
Frozen.
His expression slowly became blank.
But in this unfamiliar city.
No one was there to shield him with an umbrella.
White Ghost’s eyes widened.
"..."
He looked down.
Then immediately looked away.
His face was filled with guilt.
"Steffan... I’m sorry."
White Ghost quickly apologized after realizing what happened, but opening his mouth only made him vomit more.
"Blaaargh!"
Another wave came down.
Steffan’s eyelid twitched.
His fists slowly clenched.
The veins on his forehead began throbbing.
He had endured being stabbed.
He had endured getting shot.
He had endured falling into fresh dog waste.
He had endured hiding inside a sewer.
But this...
This was testing the limits of even his patience.
Drenched from head to toe, Steffan couldn’t hold back his anger and shouted.
"Get lost!"
His furious roar echoed throughout the sewer tunnels.
White Ghost immediately climbed farther down the ladder with an embarrassed face.
"I really didn’t mean it..."
"I said get lost!"
"Yes... Boss..."
The tunnel fell silent once again.
Only the sound of flowing sewage remained.
A few minutes later, both men had finally calmed down.
Reality left them with only one choice.
Realizing that their combined strength couldn’t open the manhole cover.
The two finally gave in.
Steffan lowered his head.
His voice carried complete resignation.
"Forget it."
"We’re going through the sewer."
White Ghost looked toward the black water beneath them.
His lips trembled.
"Do... do we really have to?"
Steffan sighed.
"Unless you plan on living here forever."
White Ghost immediately became silent.
Since things had come to this.
Let it all be destroyed.
The two climbed down from the ladder.
The disgusting water reached above their ankles.
Every step produced a sickening splash.
The smell became even worse.
Neither dared think about what they were stepping on.
They simply gritted their teeth and continued forward.
The sewer twisted like a maze beneath Silverhaven City.
Some passages narrowed so much they had to turn sideways.
Others were flooded almost to their knees.
Several times White Ghost nearly slipped.
Each time Steffan grabbed him before he completely lost balance.
Neither spoke much.
They simply wanted to escape this nightmare as quickly as possible.
In the unbearably smelly sewer, the two spent about half an hour before finally finding an exit.
A faint beam of sunlight filtered through another manhole opening.
Fresh air drifted downward.
Both men looked upward at the same time.
Hope returned to their eyes.
Fortunately...
This cover wasn’t blocked.
Working together, they slowly pushed it open.
Cool night air immediately rushed inside.
The moment they crawled out.
Breathing in the fresh air outside.
The cool breeze brushed across their faces.
Neither cared that they looked miserable.
Neither cared that their clothes were ruined.
Simply being out of the sewer felt like returning from another world.
The two sat on the ground, nearly embracing each other in tears.
White Ghost lay flat on his back.
"I’ve never loved fresh air this much..."
Steffan nodded weakly.
"...Me neither."
After several moments, both instinctively smelled themselves.
Their expressions changed at exactly the same time.
"..."
Without saying another word, they immediately stood up.
There happened to be a public restroom nearby, and the two rushed in to wash themselves thoroughly with a hose.
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