Persuasion and Threats

The Genius Sorcerer Who Uses His Fists - Chapter 71 (68/201) Chapter 71: Persuasion and Threats (3)

Waaaaah!

The roar of the crowd hit my eardrums like a thunderclap.

The familiar smell of dust filled the air.

I found myself in a space that felt both nostalgic and all too familiar.

"Champion! I came all the way from Busan to see you!"

"Let's finish this in the first round! There won't be a second!"

I was inside a cage-like ring, wearing red gloves and golden trunks.

The cheers of the audience and my entrance music made it clear where I was.

'It's a dream. Why am I dreaming about this all of a sudden…?'

I was aware it was a dream, but I didn't feel unpleasant about it.

In fact, I felt happy.

I was a champion who had conquered an entire world, and this was the ring where that world went wild with excitement.

It was where I belonged—my world.

"..."

In the opposite corner of the ring stood my challenger.

A nervous kid, trembling with anxiety as he warmed up—what a pitiful sight.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of the unfortunate soul who would become my victim today.

How should I win this time?

Should I refrain from using my feet, or perhaps only use my left hand?

Even knowing it was just a dream, delightful thoughts danced in my mind.

'This is fun.'

Living as Jed in a game felt like a dream in itself, yet the sensations I experienced now were vivid and clear.

The decibel level created by the audience, the right amount of heat and tension coursed through my skin.

Ding!

Lost in my reverie, the bell rang to signal the start of the match.

I slowly shifted my gaze toward my opponent.

He seemed too terrified to approach me.

'With that mindset, there's no way he can win.'

If he already sensed defeat within himself, how could he hope to beat anyone?

Looking at such challengers only made me feel pity for them.

He must have analyzed match footage and undergone hellish training to prepare for this fight.

But once he stepped into the ring, his mind would likely go blank.

'This will be over quickly.'

I moved toward my challenger—or at least intended to.

Suddenly, an odd sensation gripped my ankle, halting my steps.

A white towel was wrapped around my ankle.

In fighting sports, a white towel signifies surrender.

Why is this here? It wasn't there just moments ago!

Before I could ponder further, the bell rang again.

"Damn it! Is that really how you call yourself a champion?!"

"Get out of here and die!"

"What a waste of time coming this far!"

What on earth? Why are they suddenly acting like this?

I turned to see the referee waving his arms frantically.

It was a signal indicating the end of the match.

Behind him, my challenger roared in triumph as he basked in his victory.

'What is happening here…?'

It didn't take long for me to grasp the situation.

A massive scoreboard announced my forfeiture loud and clear.

Who dares to ruin my world like this?

Only my coach has the right to throw in a towel!

Someone had betrayed me—shattering my undefeated legacy and tarnishing all my achievements!

'I'll kill him…!'

Furiously, I turned around to find my head coach as if ready to kill him on sight.

…Only to freeze in place.

'M-Matisa?!'

To my shock, there she was outside the ring—smiling grotesquely at me.

What is she doing here? She shouldn't be here…

At that moment, I felt another chilling sensation around my ankle.

'?!'

The white towel was creeping up along my leg!

"Damn it!"

Ahhhhhh!

"Ugh!"

[Trait: 'Immunity (S)' resists 'Black Mamba's Poison'.]

Thud!

A notification popped above me as I instinctively rolled away and fell under the bed.

But instead of hitting a hard floor, I found myself landing on something soft. My instincts screamed danger as I quickly got back on my feet.

Ahhhhhh!

[Trait: 'Immunity (S)' resists 'Black Mamba's Poison'.] [Trait: 'Immunity (S)' resists 'Black Mamba's Poison'.] [Trait: 'Immunity (S)' resists 'Black Mamba's Poison'.]

"Damn it!"

A sharp pain shot through every part of my body.

All I could see were glimmers of amber; it was too dark to discern what they were!

"How dare you—!"

[Magic: 'Electric Surge' activated.]

Crackle!

Golden sparks erupted violently as lightning illuminated the room with blinding brightness.

I gasped at the horrifying scene before me—dozens of serpents writhing throughout the room!

"What the hell…!"

As visibility returned and I could finally see my foes clearly—I regained composure quickly.

Those disgusting creatures were revealed to be intermediate magical beasts known as 'Black Mambas.'

Though classified as intermediate level—they were particularly adept at stealth attacks.

That's why they were labeled as silent assassins and accounted for many casualties among mid-tier magical beasts!

'Matisa must have orchestrated this!'

To control so many intermediate magical beasts required considerable skill; only Matisa possessed such power within my mansion.

Grinding my teeth together, I summoned forth lightning energy within me.

'She tried to kill me less than half a day after becoming vassal lord?'

Was she reckless or just audacious?

As Kran said—it seemed she intended to assassinate me without leaving any trace behind!

Hissss...

In that moment, the snakes shifted into attack positions—coiling their bodies while raising their heads high!

They were preparing to charge at me all at once!

'There are so many…'

Snakes surrounded me from above and behind; they were everywhere!

I focused on controlling lightning energy—condensing it to its maximum potential!

Ahhhhhh! Hisss!

Just as they lunged forward—I released all that gathered energy in one explosive burst!

[Magic: 'Electric Discharge' activated.]

Crackle! Boom!

Golden mana exploded throughout the room like a bomb going off!

The sheer force shattered windows, obliterated furniture, and even partially collapsed the ceiling!

Fwoosh!

It turned into utter chaos!

Amidst that unexpected explosion—I heard footsteps rushing toward me from outside!

Breathing heavily—I watched as snakes disintegrated into ash before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Master! We searched every inch of the mansion but found no traces!"

"I figured as much."

"I'm sorry… We should have been more vigilant…"

"It's alright; how can we guard against high-level sorcery?"

I sighed deeply while surveying the wreckage on the third floor.

I had planned to vacate this mansion today—but who would have thought it would happen so soon?

Perhaps Matisa intended from the very beginning to eliminate me regardless of what answer I gave her.

To carry out an assassination without leaving evidence requires thorough preparation—and she had come fully prepared when she met me.

'She must have used magic scrolls.'

Magic scrolls have limits on what spells can be contained depending on their grade.

Thus their prices vary widely; summoning Black Mambas would require at least 1,500 gold coins worth of scrolls.

And since she unleashed hundreds at once—there must have been professional summoners involved too.

"You've overpaid for your bounty."

"Jed! Are you really okay? You've got so many bite marks!"

"It just stings a bit; I'm fine."

If it weren't for 'Immunity,' things could have turned out much worse.

With so many types of poisons existing within the Empire—it was an essential trait needed for survival during gameplay.

'Thank goodness I acquired area-of-effect magic too.'

While Black Mambas excelled in stealth and silence—they also had notably weak bodies.

That was likely why they fell victim to my magic so easily.

Though not an area-of-effect spell per se—'Electric Discharge' still allowed me to strike multiple targets simultaneously which proved advantageous!

"But what do we do now that the mansion is completely destroyed?"

Liu asked with a quivering voice.

After all his hard work cleaning up every day—it must feel disheartening for him to see it in ruins like this...

Lisa appeared shaken too; she had been sniffling since earlier...

"This actually works out well; we can use repairs as an excuse to stay away for a while."

"Huh? Where will we go?"

"To stay with my master; that place is safe from Black Mambas and far more secure than here."

"Oh… So we're abandoning our mansion?"

"We'll return later when we're adequately prepared."

Liu seemed attached to our home; he glanced around before nodding slowly in agreement.

We quickly packed only our essentials before setting off without even having breakfast first—it felt like fleeing from battle as defeated soldiers!

I paused for a moment and looked back over my shoulder at our home one last time...

'...Whether for vengeance or gratitude—I'll repay you tenfold.'

The lingering smoke still curled ominously around our mansion...

With renewed resolve—I promised myself that whatever Matisa intended—she wouldn't be able to execute her plans unchallenged...

Matisa's mansion exuded an eerie atmosphere right from its entrance.

Being fond of roses—the garden overflowed with crimson blooms whose fragrance intoxicated anyone who entered its vicinity.

Every single flower had been nurtured with care by Matisa herself—each petal reflecting her devotion...

Inside her mansion lay an array of lavish luxuries: ceramics, paintings, plates, shoes, accessories...

Her obsession with acquiring anything valuable made this place resemble an upscale boutique rather than merely being her home...

"Mmm-mmm…"

Matisa hummed happily—a sign she was in good spirits today.

Her latest hobby involved sculpting art pieces; her delicate touch wielding carving tools revealed her passion for craftsmanship...

Shh!

When she focused intently—no disturbances should be made whatsoever; even minor distractions could lead to disastrous outcomes...

Servants tread lightly—every breath and footstep measured carefully around her presence...

While preparations for lunch buzzed busily within kitchens—the atmosphere remained eerily silent throughout...

"..."

Strict rules applied even toward Matisa's butler; regardless of business matters—they must never speak or approach her directly without permission...

They had to stand quietly five steps away at all times...

"Oh dear, these old bones are aching now—and everything's getting blurry!"

This was their chance; when Matisa spoke aloud like this—the butler hurried forward bowing low before her...

Matisa set down her carving tool and stretched her neck and shoulders before asking,

"Did everything go smoothly?"

"T-that is…"

"What? Why are you stuttering?"

When dealing with sculptures—Matisa appeared youthful—but now her gaze shifted into something feral...

The butler flinched visibly while bowing lower still...

"D-don't tell me you failed?"

"...I'm sorry! I didn't want to raise suspicion by getting too close…"

"Speak clearly before I turn you into rose fertilizer! What happened?"

"Well… This morning, Seventh Lord along with members from your estate left outside your territory."

"What?!"

Crash!

Furious Matisa slammed down her sculpture onto its base—a shattering sound echoing through air...

The butler squeezed his eyes shut at witnessing such destruction unfold before him...

Given current circumstances—it wouldn't be surprising if his head rolled off next...

"Hah… How absurd! Seventh Lord survived against Black Mambas? What went wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Lady Matisa…"

"Go out immediately—and kill that summoner along with whoever made those scrolls! Retrieve our money!"

"Yes… Understood…"

Would this be where it ended?

The butler swallowed hard—a long sigh escaping silently within himself...

Living like this—it felt like death wouldn't come soon enough...

'Ugh… I need to quit soon… My nerves are shot!'

Just as he attempted to leave quickly—a piercing voice from behind halted him dead in his tracks...

"What's that?"

"Huh...? Ah…! It was lying in the garden—I thought someone left it behind… If it doesn't belong to you—I'll dispose of it!"

"It was outside? Bring it here!"

The butler hurriedly fetched what appeared wrapped in golden cloth...

Even at first glance—it looked quite luxurious enough for Matisa not to dismiss lightly...

Without hesitation—she untied its knot without thinking twice about its contents...

Revealing an ornate box engraved with unique patterns inside...

"Mmm… This design seems familiar…"

As Matisa opened up—the expression on her face soured immediately upon seeing what lay inside: just an ordinary towel?!

For something contained within such exquisite silk—a mere towel seemed utterly ridiculous...

"Tch!"

As she irritably turned away—a hint of something caught her eye again...

On that white towel were small letters engraved delicately upon its surface:

"...If you hold this towel—you shall be forgiven? What is this? Who dares play such childish pranks-?! Oh?"

Just then—a light began emanating from within that box...

What started weakly suddenly grew blindingly bright...

Whoooosh!

"What kind of nonsense is this?!"

As Matisa realized what lay ahead—and just when her servants tilted their heads curiously about what unfolded next…

At that very moment—

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted alongside blue flames bursting forth uncontrollably!