Chapter 26
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-------------------------------I want to give a huge thanks to the Dragon king card holder : Creature
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The beggar was just a boy of around ten, so Ethan didn't pay him much attention.
"What's your name, kid?"
"I don't have one. People call me worthless."
The boy spoke indifferently.
"Well, it's a start. For your kindness, come with me. We're about to make some real money."
Ethan walked over to the river nearby, washed his face, and looked at his reflection. He appeared much older now, with a gray beard and deep wrinkles.
But it wasn't an issue.
"Synchronize 1% of the original strength."
[Synchronizing...]
[Synchronization complete.]
[Host: Ethan;]
[Level 1 Attributes: Strength 1500; Agility 400; Intelligence 10; Constitution 400;] (For reference, a normal man has 1 point.)
"Not bad. This should be enough to defend myself."
Ethan smiled, looking much younger instantly. With a Constitution of 400, he could live for 40,000 years, far beyond a normal lifespan of 100 years.
The boy, now curious after seeing Ethan's transformation, thought this man might be more than he appeared.
"Kid, let's give you a proper name. Being called 'worthless' is no way to live. How about Tom?"
The boy nodded. Tom wasn't grand, but it was better than his previous name.
"Alright, I'll be Tom from now on. But I can't write. Can you teach me?"
"Of course, but you're calling me 'Master' from now on."
Ethan laughed.
"Master? You used to be a scholar? How did you end up here? I thought scholars were supposed to be respected."
Tom sighed. Life was tough, and it seemed even the educated could end up begging.
Ethan, unable to take it any longer, playfully knocked on Tom's head.
"Call me 'Master'! If you call me anything else, you'll regret it."
To prove his point, Ethan crushed a stone slab beneath his foot. Tom stared wide-eyed.
"Master, I was wrong. I won't do it again."
Tom quickly knelt, clearly used to submitting like this.
Ethan patted his shoulder gently. "Get up. You're not to kneel to anyone but me from now on."
Tom stood, a little confused, but didn't ask any more questions.
"So, can we make some money now?"
Tom was most interested in that part. With money, he could live in comfort and no longer suffer through cold winters.
"Let's go."
Ethan led the way to a local casino—Golden Fortune.
But as they tried to enter, two guards blocked their way.
"Hold it. We don't allow beggars here. You stink and don't have money. Get lost."
The guards were large men, clearly unimpressed by the pair.
"See this, Tom? This is what it's like to be looked down on. But, they don't know our strength."
"A gambler needs three things: starting capital, skill in cheating unnoticed, and the ability to take the winnings."
Tom nodded, recognizing the truth in Ethan's words, while the guards remained oblivious.
"Fine, I'll put it plainly: I'm here to rob you."
Without hesitation, Ethan kicked down the guards and broke through the casino doors.
The whole place went silent as people realized someone had come to cause trouble.
The casino boss, a hefty man with a mean look, rallied his men, and over 30 of them surrounded Ethan and Tom.
"Old man, are you trying to turn my casino upside down? You've got a death wish."
Tom, scared, hid behind Ethan. He knew the casino guards were ruthless and often beat people half to death.
"I'm just here to collect interest. I left 500 pounds with your casino years ago. Fifty years later, I'm just asking for 50,000 pounds. That's fair, right?"
Ethan smiled, not worried at all.
"Hah! I'll give it to you alright, if you can take it."
The boss sneered. No one had ever dared challenge them like this.
Before he could react, Ethan punched him so hard he flew into the wall, unconscious.
"Seems like I've still got it," Ethan remarked, glancing at the others. They backed away. The boss was the strongest in the area, and if he was beaten, the rest wouldn't stand a chance.
"Tom, take what you want. And don't worry, everyone else can grab a share too."
At that, chaos erupted, and the casino was raided.
Ethan found the casino's vault and took most of the money—around 30,000 pounds. The boss had likely stashed away more somewhere else.
Even the guards, seeing that their casino was lost, joined in on the looting.
Tom grabbed a few handfuls of silver, enough for him, and ran outside to wait for Ethan.
Ethan noticed Tom's restraint. "You did well, kid. You didn't get greedy. Come on, let's go."
Ethan left the casino, happy with the haul. The casino had wronged him, and now justice was served.
Afterward, Ethan bought new clothes, got cleaned up, and transformed himself once more, looking like a wise old sage.
Tom knocked on the door. "Master, are you ready yet? I'm starving."
Though Tom had some money now, he was determined to save it for his future.
"Alright, alright. Let's go eat."
"Waiter, bring us a roast duck, some pig ears, braised beef, peanuts, and rice."
Ethan's generosity surprised Tom. He hadn't realized before how kind his Master could be.
Tom silently vowed that when his Master eventually passed, he would ensure he received a proper, grand funeral.
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