"Coins or death," the man repeated.
The words hung in the air.
The room was large but bare, made of rough stone and lit by a few lights stuck into the walls. It smelled faintly of blood and sweat.
Kris stood near the back, half-shielded by the crowd, trying to keep his breathing steady.
The man in front of them didn't look like much at first—just an ordinary young man in his early twenties.
His hair was long and messy, like he hadn't bothered to even run his fingers through it in days. There were still stains of a dark matter in his hair, as if he had tried to wash something but gave up halfway.
His beard was scruffy, half-grown and uneven, and his clothes were simple—just a plain shirt and pants.
But the worst part was the smell. A thick, cloying stench of rot clung to him, like spoiled meat left too long in the sun, cutting through the metallic tang of blood in the air. Even from afar, Kris could smell it.
He gripped a sword in one hand, the blade wet and red, and even from here Kris could see it dripping onto the floor.
Around him, the Wicks were watching. Some stared at the man while others couldn't seem to stop glancing at the people writhing on the ground.
Kris caught a glimpse of one boy clutching his leg, sobbing quietly as blood pooled under him, 'At this rate they are going to bleed out... But I can't do anything.'
However as Kris tried to create a plan and perhaps negotiate, someone advanced.
It was Leo. He was one of the few who hadn't charged blindly.
Kris watched him step forward, hands raised slightly, like he was approaching a wild animal. His voice was thin but clear.
"How can we be sure you'll let us go if we give you our coins?" Leo asked.
The man didn't answer right away. He just moved a few steps to the side, slow and unhurried, and pointed at the exit door with his bloodied sword.
"Once you give all your coins, you can escape there," he said."I don't really care if you live or die beyond that."
It wasn't a promise. It was just... disinterest. And somehow, that was worse.
Leo hesitated for half a second. Then, to everyone's surprise, he nodded quickly and opened his screen. The man mirrored him without a word, and Kris saw the faint shimmer of coins being transferred between the two.
Leo's hands were shaking as he tapped through the menu, trying to complete the transfer as fast as possible. His whole body looked stiff, like he was forcing himself not to bolt.
When the man's screen flashed in confirmation, he gave a small shrug, like it didn't matter either way. Then he simply stepped aside.
Leo didn't wait for anyone to change their mind. He ran for the door, almost tripping in his hurry, but he made it through untouched.
Kris frowned. Leo had always been a coward, the kind of guy who talked big when he was safe but vanished when things got ugly. Still, looking at the man with the sword, Kris couldn't really blame him.
Unfortunately for him, strength seemed to be the only thing that mattered at the moment. It felt unfair, giving up everything he'd fought for. But what could he do?
The will to fight drained out of the room like water through a sieve. The few people who had been ready to resist seemed to fold in on themselves after seeing Leo escape unscathed.
Some of them exchanged glances, uncertain, and a few just stared at the ground, as if hoping not to be noticed.
It didn't take long for another one to step forward. A heavyset guy Kris barely knew. He moved stiffly, eyes darting back and forth, and offered his coins.
The transfer went through, and for a moment, it looked like he might make it too.
Then the man tilted his head and asked, almost lazily, "Is that all your coins?"
The guy swallowed and nodded. "...Yeah," he said.
A beat passed. Then the man's sword flashed.
The guy's head hit the floor with a wet sound that made Kris flinch. For a moment, nobody moved.
"I hate liars," the man said, wiping his sword on his pants like it didn't matter.
Kris's stomach twisted. Did the man in front of them really have a way to know?
He scanned the area and realized he wasn't the only one with this plan. Since no one could see how many coins they carried, some wanted to make their escape while parting with the fewest coins they could.
Then, as the heavyset guy's body slumped to the ground, Kris caught a flicker—something deep inside the corpse pulsed with a dim light, like an ember flaring for a heartbeat before vanishing. He blinked. Had he imagined it? He couldn't be sure.
The room stayed quiet after that. Nobody dared move. The man didn't seem like he was in any hurry either. He just stood there, wiping the blade slowly, like he had all the time in the world.
Kris shifted his weight without thinking, trying to get a better look at the door. It wasn't far. Maybe twenty meters. Close enough to sprint, if you were lucky.
But he already knew it wouldn't work. Not with how fast the guy had moved just now.
A woman this time, edged forward. Her face was pale and she kept her eyes low, not even daring to look at him properly. She opened her screen, fingers fumbling over the commands, and transferred her coins without waiting to be asked.
When the man's screen flickered, he didn't even question her—he just jerked his head toward the door.
She ran, arms pumping awkwardly, but he didn't stop her.
A few more followed after that. Always the same pattern—transfer the coins, wait for that tiny nod, and bolt for the door like their life depended on it. Which it probably did.
Kris didn't move.
People were still bleeding out on the ground nearby. One of them—a woman with her arm bent the wrong way—was staring at him, her lips trembling like she wanted to say something. He looked away.
His hands curled into fists so tight his nails bit into his palms.
'I am sorry... I can't do anything against absolute strength.'
No matter how much Kris wanted to help, he couldn't do anything against someone like that.
.
.
Soon, the crowd was gone now, leaving only the injured remained, scattered across the stone floor like broken furniture, their blood soaking into the cracks.
Lex walked among them and started to gather their coins. Some people held out their coins without a word, eyes dull. Others whimpered or turned away—but he took theirs too.
When it was done, he wiped the blood from his sword on a torn jacket of someone on the ground and glanced at the total on his screen.
"698 coins..." he muttered. "A bit disappointing."
He stared at the number like it offended him. Then he gave a short breath, half sigh, half laugh. "Whatever. Wasn't here for the coins anyway. It is only a bonus."
He turned and headed deeper into the building, shoes tapping lightly on the stone as he moved through the hallway. After a few turns, he came to another door. This one was closed.
He pushed it open.
The room wasn't large, but it felt cramped with how many people were packed inside. They were quiet, pressed together, eyes wide. Most were already injured—cuts, bruises, makeshift bandages tied with shiny material.
One man stood in front of the others. Gray-haired, maybe in his late sixties, wearing a heavy coat with the sleeves rolled up. His hands were empty, but they were clenched at his sides.
As soon as Lex stepped in, a screen popped up in front of him.
[Player Karnen Roshe has offered you 522 coins. Accept?]
The old man's voice followed, low and shaky. "That's all we have. I saw what happened. We're not looking for trouble. All our items are in the corner. Just take everything you want and go." Karnen said as he pointed towards the corner with a pile of items.
Lex didn't answer right away and didn't seem to be interested in those items either.
He glanced at the people behind the man—too many were hurt to run. Most weren't even looking at him. Just staring at the floor as if they were too afraid to look him in his eyes.
He turned his attention back to the screen, fingers hovering for a second, then tapped "Accept."
The shimmer of coins transferring passed over him. He gave a slight nod and then started to walk toward them.
The old man tensed, hands curling into fists, but he didn't move. He seemed to have experience with these situations. He knew what would happen if he tried to fight, and tried to prevent any conflict by collecting his group's money in advance.
It was a wise decision.
Lex then stopped in front of him and looked at the people behind the old man.
He pointed to a little girl.
"You. Come with me."