Schemes Deeper Than the Ocean!

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"My hand isn't worse than yours!"

The two butchers, each gripping a cleaver, glared at each other with murderous intent. The mountain of golden coins on the table constantly teased their fragile nerves.

Under the influence of Tahm Kench, their greed and desires were amplified, pushing them to the brink of madness.

"Give me your money!"

The butcher who had drawn a royal flush gritted his teeth, his words seething through clenched jaws.

"For old times' sake, lend me your money! If I win, I'll pay you back with interest!"

"Give it to me!"

The other butcher growled, his eyes fixated on the gleaming coins. His greed surged again, and his hand tightened around the cleaver, veins bulging as he took a shaky step forward.

"No, absolutely not! I'm about to win too! Why don't you give me your money instead?"

The other butcher refused to back down, gripping his cleaver and shouting, spittle flying. "This money is mine! You won't take a single coin!"

Tahm Kench watched the scene with glee. Stirring people's greed, seasoning it with despair, and then feasting on the aftermath—this was his favorite meal.

"Give it to me!"

One butcher suddenly swung his cleaver, and the other retaliated.

Link Star stood at the entrance of the shack, casually twirling a grenade in his hand, his expression calm and unreadable.

The moment these two sat at Tahm's table, their fates were sealed. It was clear from the way Tahm was drooling as he watched them hack at each other.

For Tahm, the process was simple: amplify their greed, push them to the edge, and then savor their despair.

That was his ultimate feast.

And Link knew that the moment he showed himself, Tahm had already set his sights on him. Even if Link turned and left now, the gluttonous catfish would come after him eventually.

So why not test his plan now? If it worked, the payoff would be huge.

But those targeted by Tahm rarely escaped unscathed.

Unless they could resist their greed and flee in time.

Yet, few could overcome their own gambler's fallacy, and most ended up in Tahm's gaping maw.

Link had a more radical method to help those targeted by Tahm escape their fate: sever or suppress their prefrontal cortex, stripping them of most emotional responses and turning them into emotionless husks.

To Tahm, such individuals would be like tasteless, unseasoned meat—utterly unappetizing.

Even if Tahm could manipulate emotions, without a functioning prefrontal cortex, his targets would be immune to his influence.

As Link lost himself in thought, the butcher with the royal flush finally killed his opponent. Covered in blood, he sat back down, panting heavily.

Without even setting down his cleaver, he swept his opponent's chips toward himself.

Thunk!

The cleaver embedded itself into the table as the butcher pushed all his chips forward and revealed his final hand.

"Royal flush! I refuse to believe you can beat that!"

"Hmm…"

Tahm Kench frowned, glancing at his own hand before feigning disappointment. "A royal flush… that's quite the hand!"

The butcher's face lit up with joy, his heart swelling with triumph.

"But alas!" Tahm's beady eyes twinkled as he laid his cards on the table. "I still win!"

"Three of a kind! I take it all!"

"Guh…"

The butcher's eyes widened, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. A strangled sound escaped his throat as his eyes filled with bloodshot rage.

His joy turned to icy despair in an instant.

"This… this can't be…"

The butcher stared at Tahm's cards, his nails digging into the table until they drew blood.

"You cheated!"

Tahm scooped up the pile of coins, letting them cascade through his fingers like sand.

"I understand your frustration, but I'm afraid…" Tahm's mouth stretched into an impossibly wide grin, revealing rows of jagged teeth. "You lost."

"No!"

The butcher stumbled back, knocking over his chair. As he took in the blood-soaked shack and the corpses strewn about, he screamed, "It's you! It's all your fault!"

"No, it's yours," Tahm said, pointing at the butcher. "Your greed led you here."

"No… no…" The butcher shook his head, his voice breaking. "NO!"

He turned and bolted, crashing through the door. Link stepped aside just in time, watching as the butcher disappeared into the distance.

"Aren't you going after him?" Link asked, glancing at the door before turning back to Tahm. "If he gets away, you'll never collect your debt."

"No rush," Tahm said, stroking his whiskers. His beady eyes gleamed with cunning as he grinned at Link. "The river remembers everything. Sometimes, it's best to give them a little time. Who knows? They might come back for more!"

"What about you?" Tahm's stubby hands deftly shuffled the deck. "Care to play a hand?"

"I'm not interested in that," Link said, carefully avoiding the blood and bodies on the floor. He didn't want to dirty his new clothes.

"Dice, then? Or maybe something else?"

"I've got everything you could want."

"None of that interests me," Link said, eyeing the filthy stool before deciding to stand. He extended a hand toward Tahm.

"If we're going to play, I'll set the rules."

"Of course!" Tahm hopped off his stool, his rotund belly swaying as he waddled over to Link. Up close, Link could see just how grotesquely bloated the demon was.

While most people stood tall and proud, Tahm stood with his belly thrust forward, his stubby arms resting on it like a comical caricature. But Link knew better than to be fooled by his ridiculous appearance.

"We'll shake hands. Whoever makes the other sneeze within ten minutes wins."

Link extended his hand, a sly smile on his face.

"What do you think?"

As long as there was physical contact, Link could infuse his own magic into Tahm, mixing it with fragments of his soul.

The goal was to use his magic to corrupt and control the demon.

But there was one condition: Tahm couldn't detect his magic.

Only then could Link use his soul fragments to fully dominate the demon.

"What an interesting game," Tahm said, tipping his hat to Link. "I accept. Let's begin."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Tahm extended his hands, and the moment they made contact, Link felt like he was gripping a slimy, oversized catfish.

The sensation was revolting, but Link forced himself to stay calm, steadily channeling his magic into Tahm.

Tahm's beady eyes narrowed, but he showed no signs of suspicion. Instead, he gave Link a seemingly innocent smile, though the rows of sharp teeth and twitching whiskers betrayed his true nature.

Link continued to infuse his magic, all while keeping a close eye on Tahm's reactions. The demon remained oblivious, his expression calm and composed.

"Just how far can my magic take me?" Link wondered.

His magical abilities had already made Pyke wary and allowed him to subtly influence Neeko. Now, he was attempting to corrupt Tahm Kench himself.

What were the limits of his power?

Time ticked by, and Link maintained his steady output of magic. Meanwhile, Tahm was probing Link's emotions. As a demon, Tahm could sense and manipulate the emotions of any living being.

But something was off.

Tahm could feel a shift in Link's emotions, but it was hazy, like trying to see through fog.

This was impossible. Tahm had never encountered someone whose emotions he couldn't fully grasp.

And yet, this young man stood before him, unshakably calm.

Seven minutes had passed, and Link hadn't moved a muscle, his hands still firmly clasped with Tahm's.

Was there something wrong with this position?

Tahm focused, but he couldn't detect anything unusual.

"How strange," Tahm thought.

But he didn't dwell on it. The allure of this young man was too great. His vitality, his unwavering composure—it was intoxicating.

If Tahm could break him, the resulting despair would be a delicacy beyond compare.

Just as Tahm was imagining the feast to come, his whiskers twitched. His mouth opened and closed rapidly as his breathing grew erratic.

"Ah… ah… AH-CHOO!"

Tahm sneezed, his expression one of utter confusion.

As an ancient demon, he had perfect control over his body. So why had he just sneezed?

"Hey," Link said, leaning in with a grin. "You lost."

"In every way possible," he added silently.

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 156 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 80 power stones I will publish the next chapter.