Ding!
[Huh? Who are you? Where is my ugly Host? O_O]
Ryuk sat quietly inside a bustling inn, surrounded by people clad in traditional robes, some with swords, their figures weaving among the wooden tables. Suddenly, he heard the arrival of the system.
He wore a black robe with orange stripes, a black straw hat, and a black masquerade mask. Although the mask did not seem strong enough to hide his charm, his clear jawlines were still visible from the half-face mask.
After arriving in Jade Dominion, he was thrown—ejected, to be exact—alone, while Drishti and Regina decided to park the battleship on a nearby continent, bringing Esme along. Though Esme retaliated, she eventually accompanied them at Ryuk’s suggestion.
So, he was alone in the lower town of the Celestial Phoenix Order in Jade Dominion.
Seated on a wooden chair inside the inn, Ryuk observed with narrowed eyes the subtle suspicion of some of the people inside the place, who were secretly keeping an eye on him. He assumed this might be due to his unusual eye color.
‘What did you analyze?’ Ryuk inquired inwardly, impassively, with his guard up. Being in an unknown place filled with people carrying swords and a sharp, murderous aura around them was definitely enough to keep him conscious.
[Huh, we are meeting after five months, and you didn’t even tell me why you are wearing a black bathrobe and in an unknown place =_=]
‘It’s a long story, but in short, we’re in a new continent,’ Ryuk informed he system inwardly, gesturing for the boy to bring tea who came and placed it on his table.
“Senior Brother, you don’t seem to be from around here. Did you come from the upper town?” The boy, clad in a dusty robe and a smile, observed Ryuk closely, his eyes assessing the man before him.
This was the lower town, notorious for its criminals and rogues. Yet here was a man dressed in luxurious, expensive garments, exuding an aura of mystery but appearing weaker than an ant.
Indeed, the man with amber eyes seemed devoid of any aura, as if he hadn’t even undergone body refinement.
“…Indeed,” Ryuk replied calmly, understanding that the boy was trying to gather information from him, his words carefully chosen to conceal his true strength.
It was evident that revealing his true abilities would deter any potential threats, but he needed information about this unfamiliar place even at cost of killing some of these people.
“I see… So, you’re a young master,” the boy nodded, subtly signaling to a group seated nearby.
Within moments, four burly individuals, one bald and wielding an axe, the others in various colored robes, approached Ryuk’s table.
“Hey, are you really from the upper town?” the man behind the bald one asked, casually resting his feet on a chair as he scrutinized Ryuk, clearly identifying him as a pampered young master.
“Yes,” Ryuk nodded, noting how the others in the inn hall suddenly became disinterested the moment the four approached his table.
It didn’t take long for Ryuk to realize that various factions in this place would act based on his responses.
Some might attack directly, while others would approach with different intentions, following the established dynamics of the inn—all depending on his choice of answers.
His cold gaze shifted towards the bald man, who met his amber eyes for the first time.
Unlike the upper and even the middle town, the lower town lacked connections and knowledge about the outside world, including the Devereaux family.
The bald man continued to stare at Ryuk’s amber eyes, sensing that he shouldn’t underestimate this seemingly weak young master from a wealthy merchant family.
Indeed, the absence of any cultivation in this young man, who had revealed himself from the upper city, indicated he was a sheltered child seeking growth here — a perfect target for them.
“Hahaha, It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master. I am Bone Breaker,” the bald man laughed, introducing himself and offering a hand.
“I’m Ryuk,” Ryuk replied calmly, understanding that the weak handshake was meant to gauge his worth.
“I see, I see. So you are Rui Ke, a name that suggests favor from luck,” Bone Breaker said, tightening his grip on Ryuk’s hand as he interpreted the meaning behind the young man’s name in his native language.
[Pffft…]
‘….’
[Indeed, Host, according to data from a particular language, Rui Ke definitely means blessed by Luck. It seems you are truly the favored son of heaven ^_^]
“But, Young Master, someone as weak as you shouldn’t—” The man intended to convey that the Young Master wasn’t at home here, his grip tightening on the young man’s soft, flawless skin, in contrast to his own calloused hands. He saw the young man as a weakling who had never wielded a sword.
Crunch!
“KUGHH?!” Bone breaker’s bones seemed to turn to talcum powder instantly as he increased the pressure in an attempt to crush the young man’s hand. The man’s eyes shot red, saliva dripping, legs buckling as he slumped forward, his other hand trying to break free from the young man’s grip, crying, “St–op it! AGHH!”
“?!!”
The man’s cry echoed through the space, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. They saw a bulky figure wailing like a child, face resembling a pig’s, nostrils flaring, hands swollen under the relentless pressure of the black-robed man.
“P-lease, senior! Forgive us! We have eyes but failed to see Mount Tai!” The other three reacted more wisely, having experienced such situations before. Instead of attacking like thugs, they immediately kowtowed, their heads hitting the floor as they repeated, “Forgive us! We are like ants trying to shake the tree!”
Crack
The tiles beneath them cracked under the weight of their sincerity as they pleaded for their leader to be spared.
‘….this is indeed..’ Ryuk was at a loss for words, witnessing how quickly these people changed their demeanor and recited familiar lines. Surprisingly, they surrendered without resistance.
From all this, Ryuk understood that this was these people’s daily work.
Secondly, this inn was all part of their plans, evident from the tiles that just broke; they had been hollow from the inside to break easily and it was evident from the sound Ryuk’s enhanced senses caught.
[Host, that blood coming from his head is pig’s blood]
Ryuk also noticed the blood coming from the man’s head, who had just hit his head on tiles, now bloodied, which amused Ryuk at these people’s acting.
Seeing how all four of them were so good at their acting, he was sure that they must have fooled some of the strong people too.
In that moment, realizing how these four goons could be useful, Ryuk added a very familiar line that seemed fitting in this place, stating in a firm tone, “Just a mere Qi Refinement and you dare to act arrogant?”
[ And Courting Death too >.< ] '....' Ryuk, acknowledging the expertise of the System in this line, noticed the gazes of others but continued in a firm tone, his body leaking out a small part of Ether to create some pressure, and declared in a loud tone, "COURTING DEATH!" 'Anything else?' Seeing how his words had sent a ripple through the entire inn's atmosphere, causing each of those people to shiver at his words, he inquired if the System had more dialogues to offer. [ Loading..... ] [ Add-ons from Fate Consuming System added ] [ Searching for availability of dialogues ] Ding! [ Dialogue Suggestion: Such audacity, who gave you the courage? ] '...that was pretty handy.' Seeing how the System had suggested another dialogue, Ryuk turned his attention towards those people who looked towards him, kowtowed individuals eyes slowly lifting to meet his, the atmosphere tense. WHOOSH '!!' "Kughh!" crack thud Suddenly, a tsunami of pressure filled the whole place, pressing all the people onto the floor with tiles that were no longer hollow, now destroyed due to everyone brought to their knees, their horrified eyes fixed on the man in the black robe before them. His sharp voice echoed through the space, "Such audacity, who gave you the courage?" Next chapter in four hours, sorry for no chaps today
