Ch 19. The winner takes all
The clamor inside the battle arena owner's office was muffled by opulent walls, but his devilish laughter pierced through nonetheless.
"Sir, shall we let the royal guards arrest him now?" asked one of the battle officials.
"But if we do, we won't get the gold," another argued. "And he'll be out of prison in no time."
The arena owner leaned back, a sinister grin on his face. "Do you really think I'd settle for just imprisonment? The guards I've chosen are the vilest, most corrupt killers under the royal crest. They'll finish him off and split the bounty. It's over 950,000 gold coins now."
"Brilliant!" one of the sycophantic officials exclaimed, eager to please. "Our lord is truly wise."
Their praise rained down like honeyed poison—eager, flattering, foolish.
"Muhahaha!" The owner's wicked laugh echoed through the hallway again, proud of the web he had spun.
Elsewhere in the city, unaware of the storm brewing, the protagonist made his way back to the tavern "Pyaasa." His path seemed routine, but fate had other plans. Without warning, ten royal guards intercepted him, brandishing a golden decree.
"You're under arrest," the lead guard declared. "You possess a suspicious amount of gold—950,000 coins, stolen wealth."
The protagonist raised an eyebrow. Only one person knew the exact sum he carried. The battle arena owner.
So this was a setup.
Feigning innocence, he replied calmly, "Before I come with you, may I make one last request?"
The guards, amused, mocked his tone. "If you're thinking of running, forget it. But if it's a small wish, speak."
"I just want to taste the finest bottle of wine from Pyaasa before prison. One last sip of freedom."
The guards glanced among themselves. The senior one finally nodded. "One bottle. Nothing more."
"You're welcome to join me. One cup each. The bottle will be empty soon enough," he said, with a sly glint in his eyes.
As they entered Pyaasa, Rehmat noticed the guards but didn't flinch. He read the room instantly and played along.
The protagonist ordered the best bottle available. As he uncorked it and took a hearty sip, he subtly activated his hidden skill—Venom King.
"Ahh… smooth," he said, swirling the wine.
Then he poured cups for the guards. None of them suspected a thing.
One by one, the guards began coughing violently. Their limbs stiffened, their faces flushed red, and foam dripped from their mouths. With eyes bulging and tongues protruding from oxygen loss, their bodies convulsed—until stillness claimed them all.
➖ Ping ➖
[Skill (Venom King) effect ended. Cooldown: 24 hrs]
[You earned 873 EXP + 217 Soul Points – Royal Swordsman slain]
[You earned 793 EXP + 199 Soul Points…]
[Level Up]
[New Skill Acquired: Death Rage – Weapon penetration increased by 25% for 2 minutes
(Cooldown: 6 hrs)]
As the system alerts flooded his vision, Rehmat stood frozen in horror. The tavern was still packed with drunken patrons, but no one noticed the massacre.
"Rehmat," he said calmly.
The man didn't respond.
"Rehmat…"
"Y-Yes?"
"It's under control. I have a solution."
He told Rehmat about Kalidas, the corpse handler, and how to dispose of bodies without a trace. Rehmat nodded and rushed to instruct two employees to stash the corpses in the storage room.
While Rehmat handled the chaos, the protagonist used his Assessment skill to loot the bodies. His haul included several gold, silver, and copper coins, a handful of white, unidentifiable stones, a gold nugget, and valuable equipment—armor, swords, shields, daggers, even a few golden teeth.
The white stones intrigued him. A new item type, perhaps? As he leveled up, it seemed the world evolved with him—just like a game.
Shortly, Rehmat returned with a man of average build but sharp eyes—clearly a buyer.
There was no time for pleasantries.
The buyer examined the gear and quoted a total value of 5 gold coins and 30 silver. Not bad, though Revati would've squeezed more out of him, no doubt. She had a knack for ruthless bargaining—especially for his sake.
He paid Rehmat 10 gold coins.
"Sir, the wine cost only one gold. You already paid for disposal services on day one."
"I know," he replied. "But today was extra messy. Take it."
The impatient buyer interrupted, "Anything else to sell, or should I leave?"
"Yes. I've got more."
He handed over eight golden teeth, three gold rings, and the nugget. That alone earned him a staggering 32,000 gold coins.
His total wealth had ballooned to 989,000.
So close.
The buyer left, pleased with his fast and clean deal—though the protagonist knew he could've earned more through auctions or elite vendors. But this was efficient.
That night, for the first time in this new world, he wrote a letter. A real letter. After many failed drafts, he finally crafted something worthy of Revati. He poured his heart into it—detailing what had happened, what was coming, and a heartfelt segment just for her, reminiscing about warmth, comfort, and the things he missed most.
He missed smartphones. Laptops. Civilization.
Yet here he was—in a game-like world, living a life no technology could replicate.
He sealed the letter and handed it, along with 9,000 gold coins, to a local courier runner—one of the many who sprinted across the land under moonlight, armed with spears and letters. They were known as "Runners."
They would reach her within three or four days.
And with that, he began preparing for what was next.
Because the game wasn't over.
It had just begun.
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🔥 Coming Up Next - Chapter 20 : An Invitation of Lead
With a new arsenal at his fingertips and soul points burning a hole in his inventory, our lone warrior upgrades his playbook. But weapons alone don't win wars—strategy, ruthlessness, and timing do. As the STG44 barks its first rounds, a silent message echoes through the corridors of power: he's done playing fair. And now… he's come to collect. But is the world ready for the storm he's about to unleash?