Chapter 390: The Boss (1) |
The beam that pierced the wall wouldn’t have killed them instantly.
It wasn’t aimed at vital points after all.
"Come out!"
When the masked woman shouted, those in hiding all jumped out at once.
Breaking through the ceiling, smashing through the floor, and tearing through the folding screen.
They still didn’t seem to grasp the situation.
They looked around in confusion after seeing me, as if checking for other enemies.
Even the masked woman who had just witnessed my prowess did the same.
Can’t be helped.
Flutter, flutter.
The paper drifted in the air.
Grabbing it.
I picked up a pen and wrote.
「You are people who know no loyalty.」
They flinched in surprise.
"The snake... speaks."
「Take out the antidote and apologize, then I’ll spare you.」
I showed my hand before negotiations.
Their response to that was disbelief.
Disbelief that I held their lives in my hands.
"What a strange monster. Kill it!"
"Yes!"
The one who jumped out from the floor lunged at me.
He held a narrow short sword good for concealment.
Probably thinking to slice me up like kimbap.
But.
Just one person attacking instead of all three - they underestimated me too.
Swoosh.
The sound of flesh being cut was heard only once.
The one who tried to attack me fell forward.
His head separated from his body.
「Killed Ambusher lv52.」
The body rolling on the floor and that head.
A moment of silence passed.
I could feel the magic power being absorbed.
I took out a handful of silver coins from subspace.
「Would ten coins be enough for a life?」
Clink, the silver coins fell to the floor.
"What are you doing! Kill it!"
The masked woman still seemed unable to come to her senses.
One ambusher took out a whistle and blew it.
Pheeeee-!
Needlessly increasing the casualties.
Fine by me.
This time two rushed at me at once.
But I have two invisible hands too.
Dawn in one hand, Twilight in the other.
They were flustered facing swords dancing in midair.
Fighting different opponents with both hands isn’t easy even for me.
But they were in an even more difficult situation.
Someone holding a sword has many places to strike.
But there’s no way to handle just a sword flying around without a person.
I bit the ankle of one struggling with the floating sword.
「Using Heart-eating Leap lv8.」
Bang!
The other one collapsed clutching his chest.
Blood spurted between his fingers - instant death.
And the one whose ankle I bit.
"Kuhek, kuk!"
His face turned purple and he died without even a proper scream.
Two more gone in an instant.
The only enemy left here was the masked woman.
Either she had no intention to fight or no ability to fight, as she just stood still.
Clink, clink.
I paid the price for two more lives.
「Twenty silver coins.」
Only one left.
「How much is your life worth?」
Gold items poured out of subspace.
The masked woman stood frozen, unable to speak.
Just as she was about to part her trembling lips.
People burst in with a clamor.
The man who had guided us entered first.
"Madame Rouge!"
"No!"
But several people including courtesans had already entered.
"Get out!"
"B-but."
"Now!"
Those trying to enter hurriedly went back down.
Seems she’s not completely unable to assess the situation.
I retrieved some of the gold items I had dropped.
No need to pay for their lives now.
Then. Explore hidden tales at
「I’ll ask one last time.」
I won’t give any more chances.
「How much is your life worth?」
The masked woman finally answered.
"I’ll return the hundred gold coins."
I shook my head.
"I’ll bring the antidote too. I only used snake venom with a dream-inducing effect."
I see, no wonder she was familiar with snakes.
But that’s not enough either.
I shook my head.
"I’ll return all the money you gave."
「Your life seems quite cheap.」
The woman trembled.
"...I’ll give you all the money I have."
She moved aside the cushion she had been sitting on.
A safe was hidden there.
I stared in disbelief as she pressed her lips tight and opened the safe.
Inside were neatly stacked gold bars.
Looks like over 300 gold coins worth at least.
I readily accepted and pocketed them.
The woman’s hands trembled as she handed over the gold bars.
「What are you waiting for, hurry up.」
"...Yes."
Looking now, the woman was crying.
She muttered while tears dropped.
"I saved for 8 years..."
This much gold in 8 years means she earned quite well.
I mercilessly accepted and pocketed the gold bars.
This is snake-style value investing.
There are three principles of investing.
First, never lose.
Second, don’t forget the first principle.
Third, the one who wins in the end takes it all.
==
Nok...su...
Noksu...
"Noksu!"
The young man named after a tree snapped awake.
"Why can’t you focus? Are you too happy?"
"Huh? Ah..."
He looked at his hands.
Holding a dagger.
His hands, repeatedly torn and healed, were now sufficiently tough and strong.
Enough to perform the Ferang School dagger technique.
"You’ve gained peerless dagger skills and become Cherin Ferang’s successor. You’re the vice guild master of the Poison Path Guild. Our Noksu is set for life now, right?"
"..."
"And you’re about to become a father too."
His wife’s face, smiling as she said this, was dotted with freckles like wildflowers.
Those freckles were why he married her, Noksu suddenly recalled.
"Thank you."
"All of a sudden?"
Suddenly feeling incredibly nostalgic, Noksu embraced his wife.
His wife hugged him back tightly.
"I’m planning to grow the Poison Path Guild into the third major rogue guild."
"Is that possible?"
"Have to do it. We need to achieve at least that much to live above ground."
Wildflowers don’t bloom in the sewers.
Flowers need sunlight to bloom.
He wanted his soon-to-be-born daughter, or son, to live above ground.
For that, Noksu was willing to go all the way.
But he shouldn’t have.
"What are you doing, mister?"
Someone spoke with contempt.
Noksu turned his head in surprise.
"Someone who abandoned everything and ran away right after his wife died, now shamelessly returns talking about revenge?"
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