Vincent turned, a slight frown etched on his face.
He had never seen this person before.
'An upperclassman?'
The red-haired boy behind him stood unmoving, his face unreadable.
"Please, carry on. Just pretend I'm not here."
Vincent narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but that's going to be kind of difficult."
The red-haired boy—Daniel—groped his chin thoughtfully, eyes slipping shut as he contemplated his next move.
'I really want to see what he's up to…'
When Ferdinand and Roger first reported that someone was gathering people under their names, Daniel had been intrigued.
At first, he assumed it was another bully playing games—someone trying to mock them.
Ferdinand and Roger had been eager to hunt the person down, but Daniel stopped them.
He wanted to see for himself.
The plan was to crush Vincent's ego—to beat him into the dirt and remind these kids that hope was a fragile thing.
But now…
Now, he wanted to see where this was going.
Why was Vincent giving them a speech?
Was he trying to inspire them? To charge them with courage?
Daniel almost laughed.
'Surely, things like that don't work.'
Levi squinted, pointing at him. "Oh! Are you one of the victims too?"
Daniel's eye twitched.
'Victim?'
To call the King of Bullies a victim was beyond insolent—but for now, playing along was the best course of action.
Suppressing his irritation, Daniel sighed dramatically, his entire expression twisting with grief.
"I'm sorry… was I late?"
Levi brightened instantly. "No! Not at all! We were all supposed to be here. You're right on time."
Vincent watched as the red-haired boy slowly merged with the crowd of bullied students, a melancholy shadow over his face.
It was… unsettling.
'He doesn't look like someone who gets bullied.'
There was something off about him.
Something that didn't add up.
But Vincent had come here with a purpose—he wasn't about to get sidetracked.
He shook off his unease and continued.
"So, as I was saying—I defeated Ferdinand and Roger yesterday. And I have proof."
The students perked up, their interest piqued.
Even Daniel's brows rose slightly, though his gaze remained sharp, unreadable.
Vincent ignored it and pulled out a few dollar bills.
Eyes widened.
Even Daniel looked mildly puzzled.
"Yesterday, I took both their shoes and sold them. I took my share—" Vincent smirked, waving the cash, "and this is the rest."
Confused glances flickered around.
Then Vincent's voice hardened.
"They've stolen our money over and over again, haven't they? Just this once—let's take something back."
A silent shift rippled through the group.
Determination.
Delight.
A hint of courage where there was once fear.
Daniel tilted his head, watching Vincent closely.
A slow grin crept onto his lips.
'This kid… he has the makings of a bully.'
To Daniel, this was no different from the very thing Vincent claimed to stand against.
Even if he shared the spoils, that didn't justify the act itself.
And yet, it intrigued him.
If Vincent really wanted to set himself apart, shouldn't he have taken the smallest share?
Daniel sighed, shaking his head.
'Well, it doesn't matter. I'm about to shatter whatever hope he just built.'
His fingers curled into a fist.
A sudden voice rang in Vincent's ears.
He had just handed the money to Levi, instructing him to split it equally—but the sound made him pause.
A system notification.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED]
Quest Title: Rise of a Gangster
Sub-Title: Dethrone the King!
Description: There is a king, one that stands above all others. A true bully, unlike any you have ever faced. So what?! We are going to drag him off his throne and make him bow before the true lord of evil.
Defeat the King of Mereung in a one-on-one battle.
Quest Reward: +1 Epic Card
Quest Failure: Loss of one card (randomly chosen)
Vincent's breath caught.
'An epic card?!'
A new grade of card—one he had never seen before.
He remembered how powerful his Unique Card had been.
And now he was being offered something even rarer.
Excitement flooded his veins.
But then, reality sank in.
'If the reward is something I've never received before… that means the difficulty is on a whole different level.'
His stomach tightened.
He was standing before a crowd, their eyes full of hope.
Could he afford to fail here?
A movement snapped him from his thoughts.
Someone stepped forward.
The same person he had been wary of.
Vincent tensed.
'What now?'
The red-haired boy smiled—a smile that was too pretty.
Too… perfect.
His eyes, a deep scarlet, shone with a warmth that felt unnatural—like a blood moon hanging over a frozen night.
Everything about him was refined, as if he had been crafted from elegance itself.
Vincent's instincts screamed at him.
Something was wrong.
The red-haired boy stopped in front of him, still smiling.
The silence stretched.
Vincent finally broke it.
"Can I help you?"
The boy's grin widened.
Then, his voice—smooth and cold—slipped into the air.
"Okay, so here's the thing. I lied about being a victim."
His head tilted, mock consideration flashing across his face.
"How do I put this…?
" Ah."
His expression brightened suddenly, as if he had just remembered something delightful.
"It's a little embarrassing to say this, but… you should understand, right? After all, this is something you guys came up with."
The air stilled.
A heavy, suffocating quiet.
Every gaze locked onto the red-haired boy, their breaths held in suspense.
And then—
His voice cut through it all.
"I'm Daniel."
"But you guys call me… 'King'?"
He shrugged, as if it was meaningless to him.
"King of what? Ah, yes. King of the Bullies, right?
"Hmm. Actually, I prefer something else."
His lips curled into a smirk.
"I like to call myself the King of Mereung."