"Rin Elowen's face contorted with disbelief. 'No, this is not possible. I refuse to lose to a mere peasant,' he muttered. He turned to Sheng with a determined look. 'Teach this duper a lesson he won't forget.'
He shifted his gaze toward Tatsuki, who had the audacity to rise before him. 'You dare rise before me? Take your last breath, peasant,' he declared with a chilling smile.
Inside the bar, a hushed murmur spread among the other patrons. 'How shameful, losing the game and now bullying him. The descendant of Brigsnil has no honor... So shameful.'
Rin Elowen, visibly frustrated, demanded silence with an arrogant air. 'Peasants dare to speak before me? Do you wish to accompany this child to the afterlife?'
Among the nobles within the bar, one of them stepped forward in support. 'Yes, Master Rin Elowen, I support you. I saw it all. He was deceiving you from the start.' The noble pointed an accusing finger at Tatsuki. 'He purposely shuffled the deck so fast and used tricks to defeat you.' He then turned to Rin Elowen and bowed his head in a show of loyalty.
Rin Elowen's fury burned brightly. 'You insolent prick, deceiving this genius,' he hissed, directing his anger toward Sheng. 'Sheng, what are you waiting for? Teach this bastard what happens to the convict who dares deceive me.'
Sheng, obedient to his master's command, nodded and slightly bent forward."
"**Enchantment** - raise the soul to lift the body, light as a feather yet thousand times heavy.
Mana gathered around Sheng's body, slowly forming a spherical shape, with Sheng wearing an expression of unwavering obedience.
Tatsuki couldn't help but feel a bit scared. 'From what I see, his mana's color is white, indicating a Light Soul magic attribute. He appears to be using a combat spell, making him a brute mage. It's definitely a silver-level spell, but I can't discern which one. Worse yet, I can't defend against it with my mana barrier. The gap in our abilities is too vast to compensate for.'
Sheng shouted, 'Manaah, rush!'
Tatsuki recognized the skill. 'Not that one! It decreases the weight of the body and significantly toughens it over time, allowing the mage to dash towards an opponent. The speed and force are unbelievable. If that hits me, my bones might shatter.'
Sheng dragged his right foot forward and suddenly vanished. Fear gripped Tatsuki, and he instinctively closed his eyes, shielding his head with his hand.
With a deafening 'bash' and 'baam,' Sheng executed his attack. He sent him flying, crashing through the wall.
The side wall of the bar crumbled, and onlookers began to gather.
People near the broken wall at the bar started talking. 'He really sent him flying. Look, even the wall broke upon the impact of the collision. Poor guy... just look at how much of his blood has splattered .'
Rin Elowen seemed equally surprised by the action and power displayed by Sheng. He stood frozen in place, mouth agape, unaware of Sheng's abilities.
Sheng humbly declared, 'Master, it has been done.'
Tatsuki opened his eyes and found himself unscathed, his expression one of dumbfounded disbelief. 'May I know what's happening here? Said tatsuki.
Sheng retorted, 'None of your business. Just take the money and leave.' He stared at Tatsuki with an angry intensity. 'Dare to speak of what happened today, and I'll have no qualms about making a similar hole in some wall for you.
Tatsuki's mind raced. 'I don't know what's happening, but this is my chance to escape, and I won't hesitate.' A sly smile crossed his face.
Tatsuki swiftly took the money and dashed through the bar's door, shouting, "Many thanks, Brother Sheng!"
Rin Elowen witnessing this shouted at Sheng. "You damn idiot, what do you think you are doing?"
Sheng, bowing respectfully, replied, "Servant did as the master instructed."
Rin Elowen appeared confused. "But... but then why did you strike the nobleman who was willing to take my side?"
Sheng explained, "Master asked me to dispose of the trash who dared deceive him, so this servant, Sheng, acted as instructed."
Rin Elowen was bemused. "The nobleman did what?"
Sheng continued, "I witnessed the match myself. The boy didn't use any trick to tamper with the deck. The nobleman lied to the master and wanted to gain his trust through a lie. He dared to deceive you, so I delivered a brutal punishment, just as the master instructed."
Rin Elowen's fury flared. "Shannnghh, you dare..."
Sheng stared down at Rin Elowen and spoke firmly, "Master, it's getting late. Let's head back home."
Rin Elowen, extremely angry, retorted, "Who are you to order me?"
Sheng's gaze turned cold as he warned, "Master, the elders must be waiting for you. Do you dare provoke their wrath?
Rin Elowen, his temper flaring, barely managed to mutter, "You..."
He yanked his hand away from Sheng and turned toward the bartender, saying, "If that cheeky kid ever comes back, tell him that I won't forget this humiliation." With that, he stormed toward the bar door, which he forcefully flung open. His minion followed suit as they left the bar and headed back to their mansion.
Tatsuki, who had been hiding in a corner just outside the bar, spoke softly, "If I wanted you to forget, why would I have bothered to humiliate you, you moron?"
He sighed and continued, "The day was full of fun, but now I need to get to work. After all, I'm a slave here." Tatsuki was about to step out of the corner when suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. All he saw was a hand upon his shoulder, and he instantly jumped forward, demanding, "Who are you? Show yourself."
A stranger, remaining in the dark and hiding his face, greeted Tatsuki, saying, "You may call me Bao Chi, young fella."
Tatsuki replied politely, "Hello, brother. I'm Tatsuki. Oh, wait, screw that. Why the hell are you after me?"
Bao Chi grinned and teased, "Have a guess, kid."
Tatsuki, now realizing the potential danger, shouted angrily, "I know full well you thug. You were watching me inside the bar. I saw you there. You're after my 100 gold coins, aren't you?"
The petty thugs in the district overheard this and muttered, "Huh? He has gold... 100 coins... Let's corner him."
Bao Chi cautioned, "Kid, I advise against openly admitting your riches in these parts."
Tatsuki, realizing his blunder, worried about the consequences. Bao Chi suddenly grabbed Tatsuki's hand, pulling him into the darkness, and started running. The pursuing thugs followed, shouting, "After them! Don't let them escape. They have large spoils."
Tatsuki desperately flung his arm in the dark, attempting to break free, but Bao Chi's grip remained unyielding. After a few minutes of running, Bao Chi finally came to a stop. Now, Tatsuki and Bao Chi found themselves in a secluded spot. The mysterious figure stepped out of the shadow, making his clear intention to hide his identity evident with a hood and shady cloth.
Tatsuki's thoughts raced as he contemplated the situation. Suddenly, Bao Chi spoke up, his tone a mixture of demand and threat. "Brat, why don't you give me half of that gold you have?"
Tatsuki was stunned but quickly regained his composure. He took a step back, readying himself for a possible confrontation, his stance showing he wouldn't give up his wealth without a fight.