Leon's response was swift. His steel claws gleamed as he cut them down mercilessly—one throat slit, one chest torn open. Their bodies dropped heavily to the dirt.
He stepped over them and approached the king's body, which was already breaking into dissolving pixels. From the fading corpse, he retrieved two crystalline twin daggers strapped to the king's waist.
At the same time, two heavy pouches dropped with a clink—the weight of gold coins unmistakable.
Leon scooped them up, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Now all that was left was the crowd.
The villagers were already waiting at the market square, gathered for their king.
Perfect.
---
Minutes later, a boy of about seventeen, tall and strong, stood in the middle of the marketplace. In each hand gleamed a crystalline dagger. His smile was twisted, villainous.
"I know you're innocent," he said coldly, his voice carrying across the square, "but sorry… I need to kill you to level up."
