Free Web NovelChapter 22: Drop those items boy
That wasn’t the last question the reporters eagerly asked Yeon though, as the chaotic crowd at the terminal kept pushing forward with intensity.
Another reporter managed to squeeze through, raising his voice loudly to ask a new question.
He held his recording device perfectly steady as he said, "What are your official thoughts on the great tower opening just a few weeks from now?"
On the monitor, Yeon chuckled lightly at the question, a highly confident, effortless smile spreading across his handsome face.
He looked directly at the crowd of journalists, his posture perfectly relaxed as he delivered a bold response.
"Is there really even a need to ask a question like that?" Yeon said, his voice carrying an immense amount of pride as he gestured slightly to himself. "You are all looking directly at the future conqueror of the tower already! Haha!"
The reporters quickly jotted down his words as Yeon continued his grand announcement, his expression hardening into a look of absolute, unshakeable authority.
He tilted his chin up slightly, staring right into the main camera lens as he delivered a direct warning to every single competitor in the region.
"I will openly ask every other guild currently deciding to climb the tower to simply give up right now," Yeon stated firmly, his tone completely arrogant and filled with total conviction. "Because the great Roaring Lions is absolutely claiming this tower for sure! There is no doubt about it!"
Back inside the quiet, dusty bar, Leon stared up at the screen as a cold, calculating look settled deep into his features.
’It’s really nice to see that he is still as incredibly arrogant as ever...’ Leon thought, a slow, dark smirk forming on his lips as he watched his brother’s grand display. ’It would make bringing him down from his high throne even more worthwhile when the time finally comes.’
He completely dismissed the flickering television, turning his body back toward the dark bar counter. He locked his gaze directly onto the bald bartender, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared into the man’s regular, uninviting face.
Teo cleared his throat nervously, quickly looking away from the screen to focus back on the two common grade monster drops resting right in front of him on the stained wood.
"So, how much are you—" Teo began to ask, his voice shifting into a business tone as he reached out his hand to inspect the items.
However, he hadn’t even completed his words when Leon suddenly stretched his hand flat out across the counter, and the two weapons vanished back into his inventory.
Teo’s eyes widened significantly in absolute shock, his hands freezing mid-air as he stared at the bare counter in complete disbelief. He snapped his head up to look at Leon, his fake confidence instantly turning into total desperation.
"Wait, wait..." Teo said quickly, waving his arms frantically as he tried to stop him. "I was honestly just joking with you, man! Don’t tell me you actually took my words serious?!"
Leon didn’t respond to the bartender’s pleas though, keeping his expression completely cold and blank.
He turned his back on the counter, and began walking away toward the exit of the empty bar.
He hadn’t gotten very far across the dusty floorboards when he suddenly heard Teo’s voice completely change behind him. The friendly, desperate tone vanished instantly, replaced by a low, sinister quality.
"Do you honestly think I’ll just let you walk away with those valuable drops?" Teo said from behind the counter, a harsh, mocking chuckle escaping his lips as his footsteps began to echo loudly. "Hehe, you trash bastard."
Leon’s lips instantly curled into a cold smile at the sudden threat. He didn’t show a single ounce of fear or panic as he stood in the middle of the dusty, empty room, his posture remaining completely relaxed despite the heavy words echoing behind him.
"I should have seen this coming," Leon said, his voice entirely calm as he slowly began to turn his body back around.
He turned all the way around to face the dark counter, looking directly at Teo.
The bald bartender was no longer pretending to be a friendly businessman, and his thick hands were now violently sparkling with bright, crackling blue lightning.
That was the exact name of his innate talent—a simple D-rank ability called Lightning Hands. It wasn’t powerful enough to get him into any high-ranking guilds, but it was more than enough to let him bully and intimidate the weak players who wandered into his black market shop.
Teo had a deeply sinister, confident smirk plastered all over his wrinkled face as he watched Leon turn around.
Without taking his eyes off his target, the bald man reached down with one hand and heavily pressed a hidden button tucked securely under the edge of the counter. freёwebnovel.com
The moment his finger clicked the button, the heavy door directly behind Leon clicked shut, locking the exit completely.
He tapped his crackling, electrified hand right back onto the stained wood of the counter, the blue lightning leaving small, singed burn marks on the surface.
"Come back over here like a good little boy," Teo sneered, his voice dripping with pure arrogance as he gestured toward the empty space in front of him. "And drop those valuable items right back onto this counter. Then, you’re going to walk right out of that door... receiving absolutely nothing in return! Haha!"
Leon’s face slowly squeezed into a deep, intense frown as he listened to the man’s mocking laughter.
’Having absolutely everyone in this city think of me as a piece of pathetic trash they can just trample on whenever they want is getting so incredibly annoying... First Orat and his group, and now this complete idiot.’ he thought, feeling irritated by this development.
This completely useless, broken reputation of his was something he definitely had to change sooner or later.
He was tired of being the default target for every low-life thug and small-time criminal in the lower district just because they remembered his old, powerless self.
Instead of backing away or begging for his life, Leon slowly began to walk right back up to the long counter, his footsteps echoing softly against the dusty floorboards.
Seeing him approach without any resistance made Teo’s sinister grin grow wider and wider across his sweaty face.
The bald man fully believed that his display of lightning had completely terrified the weak porter into submission.
The bald man tapped the wooden table once more, the electricity humming loudly between them.
"Now..." Teo ordered, his eyes gleaming with greed as he leaned forward. "Drop those items for me right now, boy."
Leon didn’t say a single word as he reached the edge of the counter. He slowly stretched his hand forward, mimicking the exact movement of someone preparing to pull items out of their system inventory.
Suddenly, before the bald bartender could even realize what was happening, the crackling lightning in his hands froze completely.
Teo’s eyes widened in horror as he felt something incredibly cold and remarkably sharp being pressed hard against his bare throat.
