Merchant figh 2
The First Merchant's Headquarters
The First Merchant sat in his grand palace, surrounded by golden lamps and walls adorned with the most precious gemstones. In front of him, the envoy was seated, missing his arm and with a pallid face, while he recounted what had happened in a trembling voice.
The Envoy: "Sir… it's… it's a monster. It cut off my arm… li-like the fallen one… he said he wants one million gold coins… or he will kill your daughter slowly."
The merchant slammed the table with his fist violently, shattering one of the glass cups.
Dile (in extreme anger): "One million gold coins?! That lunatic is mocking me! Send the best adventurers. I want him dead! Dead in the most horrible way possible!"
He did not know… that Karsu was waiting for him with an even deeper trap.
---
The Forest – Karsu's Temporary Headquarters
Karsu was sitting by a small fire, cleaning his weapon, while the girl was tied in the corner, her eyes swollen from crying, and her body trembling.
She had tried to escape again, and now… burn marks covered part of her wrists.
Karsu (calmly): "I told you. Any attempt to escape… will hurt you even more."
He raised his head, sensing the approach of the merchant's forces.
"It seems that tonight will become… very bloody."
After a while and before the night ended, the merchant appeared.
The voice of the First Merchant tore through the forest's silence like the roar of a wounded beast; his shouts pierced the atmosphere of the place:
"Karsu!"
The adventurers were scattered among the dense trees, moving silently like ghosts, each using the stealth Qaz he possessed—Qaz Shadows, Qaz Invisibility, Qaz Oblivion—but they were not prepared for what they would face.
Amid this tense silence, the flower of Al-Jaw and Al-Jay appeared with its sparkling colors, like a deadly trap disguised in false beauty. One of the adventurers spotted it, his eyes gleaming with greed. He did not know that this flower was not merely a rare plant but a lethal snare.
He approached… and touched it.
BOOOOOM!
Flames surged as if hell had opened, the adventurer burned in an instant, his scream resembling the howl of an animal being slaughtered slowly. The fire clung to his body, spreading with terrifying speed due to the pre-scattered wood powder around the area.
"Save him!" His comrades ran towards him, but they did not realize that the thick smoke concealed something even more horrifying…
Shhhhhh…
From among the nearby river reeds, the body of the disgusting Mud Monster stretched out, its muddy claw striking like a snake; it grabbed one of the adventurers and dragged him directly toward the swamp.
"No! Help! I'm drowning!"
The monster was not merely drowning him, but it was slowly absorbing him. The man's skin began to decay with every second, while toxic mud bubbles floated around him. Two other adventurers tried to intervene, leaping into the river, but the monster was waiting for them, its body coiling around them all…
Bones cracked. Bodies were torn apart.
And from among the shadows, Karsu stood watching the scene in silence. His cold eyes reflected nothing but contempt:
"Fools… they think that a half-skull monster will be easy when it is in its own territory?"
He moved without a sound. Slipping like a ghost using Qaz Shadows, he headed toward the First Merchant, the aura of death accompanying him.
"Where are you?!" the merchant shouted nervously, searching with his eyes in every direction. Sweat poured down his forehead, anger tearing him apart… and fear killing him slowly.
The scene was like hell opening upon the earth.
As soon as the traps were triggered, death began.
Flames surged as they ravaged the bodies mercilessly, like a bloodthirsty beast. Cries were mingled with the crackle of bones shattering under the pressure of the fire, and the sounds of flesh slowly burning. One of the adventurers, his entire body aflame, ran in a hysterical circle, beating his body in vain, until his feet stumbled and he fell to the ground, writhing in madness as his skin peeled like burnt leaves, before coming to an abrupt stop. There remained only a charred corpse, featureless.
At the riverbank, the Mud Monster was like a living nightmare. It coiled around the adventurers' bodies, compressing them until their ribs shattered, expelling bubbles of red mud mixed with their blood, then submerging them beneath the surface. Some continued to struggle, their feet scraping the muck, but its grip was unyielding. They drowned, leaving behind a trail of blood that floated slowly over the troubled surface.
Amid this hell, Karsu stood like a statue carved from terror itself. There was no mercy in his eyes, only a deadly stillness colder than death itself. His breathing was calm and steady, as if the scene of the slaughter before him did not concern him.
Karsu turned toward the First Merchant, staring at him with eyes as cold as ice, and said in a quiet voice as if whispering in his mind:
"Have you brought the money?"
The merchant paused for a moment, astonished by the chill of Karsu's murderous demeanor and the dryness of his expressionless features. He tried to speak, but the words came out haltingly from his trembling lips:
"Y-yes, as you demanded."
Karsu stared directly into his eyes, as if his gaze extracted the truth from within him without the need for words:
"Is the full amount?"
The merchant faltered, then pointed behind him in fear as he swallowed his saliva with difficulty:
"O-of course, don't you see the boxes behind me?"
Karsu cast a quick glance toward the boxes, then returned his gaze to the merchant, his voice now sharper:
"Well… follow me. Your daughter will be returned to you."
Karsu moved with calm steps, while the merchant followed, his heart nearly bursting from his chest. His heartbeat accelerated with every step he took inside the dark forest, where the air was suffocating and the silence was tinged with the echo of faint, mysterious sounds, as if the place were breathing in madness.
Five massive boxes of gold were being carried with difficulty on the shoulders of an adventurer of the Enhancement class, a burly man with taut muscles, yet even his imposing presence appeared pale before the dread of the forest. Despite the merchant's enormous wealth, he was unable to bring luxurious carts or horses to carry the gold. The forest here was unlike others; gloomy, dense, as if the darkness itself permeated its roots. Even the horses, with their innate instincts, refused to enter these lands, where the air weighed as if whispering a faint threat to anyone who crossed.
The merchant knew very well that most of the adventurers who preceded him had fallen victim to Karsu's deadly traps and the bloodthirsty beasts of the forest. Yet, he continued walking behind him, for what awaited him was more precious than all that gold… his daughter. Or so he believed.
Karsu continued walking with calm steps, while the merchant wiped his brow despite the cold weather. His sweat was not from exertion, but from fear, or rather… tension caused by something entirely different.
Karsu suddenly stopped, pointing to the boxes:
"Open the first box."
The merchant smiled a confused smile as he raised his hands with affected ease:
"Why the haste? They are all filled with pure gold, exactly as we agreed. Am I not a merchant of reputation? And I took a huge risk bringing this bounty to this desolate place… trust me, its weight alone is proof."
Karsu stepped back, staring coldly into the merchant's eyes with deadly chill. He said nothing, merely remaining silent, but inside, Karsu's mind worked like an unyielding analytical machine:
The sweat… his racing pulse… his evasive glances… the faint scent of metal… a glimpse of dismay… this man is hiding something. The boxes are heavy, but not with the expected weight of five boxes of pure gold. Gold is denser; the weight here indicates another mixture. If he were deceiving me, he must have only placed a superficial layer of gold, and the rest…
Karsu raised an eyebrow slightly, as if responding to the merchant's claim:
"Reputation, you say?"
The merchant smiled with calculated cunning, exploiting that gap in the conversation:
"Of course. I did not become number one in my field without knowing the art of negotiation… I listened to you before and provided the amount without dispute. And yet, we are merchants, aren't we? Perhaps we can reach… a solution more beneficial to both parties?"
Aha… now he is trying to negotiate? Testing my reaction to see if I have discovered the trick. Playing with words, psychological pressure by invoking his reputation, then suggesting a "better solution"? He thinks he can steer the situation… naïve.
Karsu replied, his tone like a cold stab:
"A better solution? Explain."
The merchant took a deep breath, gathering his scattered composure, before saying:
"My daughter… she is not well. She needs urgent medical care. If you are to take the gold, can't you at least allow me to take her first? Give me a chance, do not risk her life any further. The money will remain here, and you can verify everything later."
A heavy silence prevailed. Karsu did not move; he showed no sign of agreement or refusal, yet his mind was like X-rays penetrating the man's lies:
Emotional pressure… using his daughter as a bargaining chip, hints at her care, yet he did not mention any details about her illness. He is stalling… trying to buy time, perhaps so that I may leave before opening the boxes… fear dominates him despite his calm attempts… if he were confident, he wouldn't resort to all this.
Finally, Karsu spoke in a low voice, but his tone was charged with an authority that did not allow negotiation:
"Open the first box… now."
The merchant's face froze for a moment before he laughed with a false, light laugh:
"Heh… of course, no need for doubt, I would have done it with pleasure."
The massive mercenary advanced slowly, opened the lid of the first box, and the scattered rays of gold reflected above—shining, dazzling pieces that dazzled the eye… but Karsu did not look at the gold, rather he looked into its depths.
He extended his finger, moved the superficial gold pieces slightly, to reveal underneath… earthen stones covered with delicate golden residues.
Karsu's eyebrow rose slightly, but he remained silent. He slowly turned his head toward the merchant, who had become as pale as the dead.
"Trying to deceive me… and thinking you can survive? But hold on… I will accompany you further, to see how much you can endure before completely collapsing."
Karsu smiled, but his smile was colder than death itself.
"Beautiful… it indeed appears to be genuine gold. Let's open the second box… shall we?"
After Karsu exposed the trick in the second box, the merchant said nothing. He merely stepped back two paces, his sweat pouring profusely, and his eyes moving frantically, as if searching for an escape in a forest that knows no mercy.
Karsu looked toward the remaining three boxes, then in his usual calm voice, said:
"Open the third… or I will open your neck instead."
The merchant swallowed his saliva with difficulty, then tried to gather what remained of his deluded pride:
"You don't understand… we are businessmen, we must… we must negotiate! This amount alone… is enough to make you the richest man in the region! There is no need for violence, isn't there?"
Karsu did not reply. At that moment he was observing the trembling of the merchant's right hand, and the grip that slowly tightened on the leather belt below his coat. Karsu's mind interpreted that clearly. He is trying to reach for something… a dagger? Or a poison vial? No… too weak to use poison in my condition.
In one step, Karsu was in front of the merchant, whispering in his ear in a soft voice, like a death promise:
"Open the… last box."
The merchant was forced to move forward, his hands trembling, and his knees almost betraying him. He opened the lid… and the scene was exactly as Karsu had predicted: a thin layer of gold, and beneath it ordinary stones, some painted with a faint yellow coating.
Time stopped for a few moments. Only the sound of the cold wind broke the silence. The merchant slowly turned, trying to gather any words that might save him.
"I swear… I did not mean to deceive you, I only wanted to protect my daughter, I had no solution… I couldn't—"
Karsu's gaze cut him off. That look that drills into the depths of the soul, as if tearing the masks of lies without a single word.
Suddenly, with a swift movement, the merchant struck his abdomen with the back of his fist. The merchant fell to his knees, coughing violently, and blood dripped from his mouth. The pain was overwhelming, but not more than the fear that exploded in his eyes.
Karsu looked at the adventurer who was carrying the boxes and ordered coldly:
"Step back."
The adventurer withdrew without argument, leaving the merchant facing him, gasping, trying to plead once again:
"Please… it's not only my fault… my daughter… I did this for her… I just needed more time! We were going to gather the money, just—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a shadow appeared from behind the trees… it was his daughter.
Pale, filthy with mud, her eyes exhausted from crying, yet despite that, she ran toward her father while screaming:
"Father! Stop! Don't hurt her! I'll give you anything… please, let her live!"
That was the merchant's last mistake.
The girl advanced further, and knelt beside him, clinging to his arm as she wept. Karsu did not move for a moment. Then, in a soft voice, he said:
"Anything?"
She looked at him, her face completely terrified, and quickly nodded her head.
"Father is not evil… he… he only tried to save me. We did not harm anyone, please, do not kill him!"
Karsu took another step. His voice became even colder:
"Save you? Did he not deceive me? Did he not lie? Do you think that one who steals and flatters… can decide who lives and who dies?"
The girl froze, unable to answer. But she clutched her father's arm even tighter, and began to cry silently.
At that moment, the merchant's eyes moved slowly… very slowly. His hand slid toward his belt, where he had hidden a small dagger…
Karsu noticed.
But he did not stop him. Instead… he waited.
He waited until the dagger was about to be fully drawn, and only then did he move.
Karsu's iron grip seized the merchant's wrist and forearm violently!
Crack!
A horrendous scream of pain filled the place.
The dagger fell, rolling over the mud. The merchant, his face covered in blood, was screaming while his daughter whimpered beside him, her body trembling with terror.
Karsu grabbed the dagger, slowly cleaned its blade on his coat, then directed it toward the merchant's blood-covered neck.
"Do you know?"
He leaned in closer, his face devoid of emotion:
"You could have survived… if you weren't stupid."
Then he began to push the blade… slowly.
The girl screamed, trying to stop him, but he had already made his decision.
Everything ended… at the moment when this man chose to deceive me.
Looking at the merchant, who had fallen to his knees, blood covering his face. Beside him was his daughter, as pale as the dead, clinging to his trembling arm, with tears streaming down her mud-stained cheeks. The merchant tried to pull a small dagger from his belt, but Karsu's iron grip clutched his wrist, twisting it violently. The crack of bones was heard clearly as his wrist shattered.
The merchant let out a scream mixed with pain and terror, but Karsu did not flinch. He pushed the broken dagger toward his blood-covered neck, and began to drive it in very slowly, as if he wanted every moment to be etched into the victim's memory. The dagger sliced through the skin, then the tissues, and the blood flowed like a dark spring, while the sound of the merchant's choking grew sharper, until it completely ceased, his head slowly drooping forward, eyes wide open, before his body collapsed onto the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
His daughter, trembling like a wounded bird, gasped as her father fell before her. She looked at Karsu, her eyes wide, tears drawing muddy lines on her cheeks. She tried to speak, but the words were choked in her throat, nothing but a suppressed moan escaping.
Karsu advanced, his steps slow and measured, and knelt before her. He lifted the strands of her hair, soaked in blood, as if studying her face, before whispering in a soft voice, stripped of any emotion:
"He could have been saved… if you were not weak."
Then, with a sudden movement, he grabbed her chin with his left hand, and his other hand pierced her abdomen like a blade.
Blood burst forth profusely.
She let out a muffled gasp, her body convulsing violently as she tried to cling to his hands, but her strength faded with every second. He slowly withdrew his hand, leaving a wide, unceasingly bleeding gash, before she slowly collapsed, her pale face staring upward, until her eyes completely glazed over.
Blood seeped down her body, forming a grim pool, while Karsu stood once again, watching his crime with absolute coldness.
But, far from this massacre, new voices began to rise.
"Carry everything! We will not let this opportunity slip away!"
Some of the surviving adventurers had gathered around the merchant's cart, greedily rifling through its contents, removing the bags filled with gold and jewels, completely forgetting that the killer who had finished off the merchant and his daughter was still there.
But before they could escape with their loot, the sound of crashing rocks resounded.
The ground shook violently.
Kraxx appeared, his massive stone body rising from the earth like an ill-omened statue. His stony face was cracked, his eyes gleaming with a dark, earthen glimmer. He raised his enormous arms to strike the ground, and suddenly stone pillars burst forth, piercing the adventurers' bodies, literally tearing them apart. One was split in half, his innards scattered on the ground as he screamed wildly before falling silent. Another tried to escape, but a rocky spear erupted from the earth, lodging itself in his lower jaw, tearing his head completely off.
In less than a minute, the area was filled with piles of mutilated corpses and blood covering every inch.
While Karsu stood on the edge of the chaos, watching in silence.
But the pain began to creep into his body.
Deep wounds had formed in his body, and some toxins seeped into his blood. He withdrew slowly toward a dark cave, his body aching, his breathing accelerating.
While Karsu lay in the cave after days of exhaustion and wounds, the sound of heavy footsteps of Al-Gha'ir pierced the air. He tracked the scent of Karsu's blood until he reached the cave's entrance, pausing for seconds to inhale deeply, before roaring in a muffled growl and charging inside.
But before he could get closer, an enormous aura of Qaranus exploded from Karsu's body, nearly distorting the very air. It was heavy, dark, as if warning existence itself to stay away. Al-Gha'ir, whose body was already trembling, collapsed to the ground involuntarily, and began to growl hesitantly, then retreated while emitting weak, raspy sounds before fleeing in a stagger, as if his body had been temporarily paralyzed by an overwhelming, irresistible terror.
"Although the 'Bloody Al-Gha'ir' is rated only at half a skull, he is relatively clever and his emaciated form helps him deceive enemies, covered in dark gray skin interspersed with dark, pulsating purple veins, he has four long limbs ending in sharply curved claws, and a jaw filled with hooked teeth resembling rusty nails. His eyes are large, a pale yellow without a pupil. He emits a heavy breathing sound and sometimes an annoying crackling as if his bones move with every step."
And Karsu continued, saying:
"Despite his advantages, Al-Gha'ir is by nature a coward and is considered an opportunistic hunter, attacking only when he senses weakness in his prey."