As they approached the gates of Stone City, two guards immediately blocked their way.
"You need to pay 1 gold to enter the city," one of the guards said coldly, a smug grin plastered on his face.
(A/N: 100 copper = 1 silver, 100 silver = 1 gold)
Seeing these unfamiliar faces, the guards assumed they were newcomers. This was the perfect opportunity for them. As city guards, they had long taken advantage of outsiders by demanding inflated fees.
In reality, the entrance fee was only 20 copper. However, they demanded a staggering 1 gold to pocket the difference for themselves.
"Here's the payment."
Swosh!
Without warning, Xenon delivered a powerful kick to the guard's face. The guard, who was a Martial Apprentice Stage 3, couldn't react in time to block the sudden attack.
The force of the kick sent him stumbling back four steps. He looked up at Xenon in shock and anger.
"How dare you!"
"Let's arrest them!" the other guard shouted, stepping forward.
These guards were confident, as they were under the protection of the City Guardian, a Martial Apprentice Stage 9. They had nothing to fear, even if the newcomers were at Stage 5 or 6.
But as the guards moved closer to Xenon, Gustav stepped forward and unleashed his aura—a commanding presence of a Martial Apprentice Stage 9.
When the guards felt Gustav's immense power, their faces drained of color. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
"M-Martial Apprentice Stage 9!" one of the guards stammered in fear.
In Black Stone City, anyone above Stage 6 could enter freely. Now, they had foolishly provoked someone on par with the City Guardian. If Gustav chose to kill them, the City Guardian would likely turn a blind eye.
"Gustav, arrest them," Xenon ordered calmly.
"As you command, young master."
The guards immediately dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.
"Sir, please forgive us! We were wrong!"
"We won't do it again!"
Bang!
Gustav punched each guard with moderate force. Even so, their teeth shattered, and they were sent flying several meters away.
As Xenon watched calmly, an idea suddenly came to him.
That's right! Other than using the Pull-in Chest to recruit subordinates, there's another way to spend Hate Points: the System Shop.
The System Shop had some strange items. Among them were five types of "Weird Potions," ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 5, each with increasing prices. Xenon decided to purchase two Tier 1 Weird Potions for 5 Hate Points each to test their effects on these idiots.
After making the purchase, the potions instantly materialized in Xenon's hands.
He opened one of the bottles and approached the trembling guards. Gustav restrained them, making sure they couldn't escape.
"W-what's that?" one of the guards asked, his voice trembling with fear.
Without answering, Xenon forced the potion into their mouths. Then, with a mischievous smirk, he explained, "Don't worry, it's just a healing potion… for your broken brains. The ingredients? Decayed meat, shattered rocks, volcanic glass, and Cow Delight dung."
Upon hearing this, the guards' faces turned pale.