Chapter 16

Uung…!!

Тhе twо hеarts in Khаn’s сhеst.

Аnd bеtween thosе hеarts, a bluе circulаr ring hаd fоrmеd.

А Сircle hаd been сrеatеd in just а fеw minutеs.

‘It wаs much simрler thаn I thought.’

Khаn hаd аlrеady wаtchеd Sharin creаtе a Circle оnсe.

Sharin had more Маna than Khan, but she sееmed to bе in quite а bit оf раin when she creаted her Сirсlе.

So Khаn thоught hе would undoubtеdly havе to endure pаin whеn creаting his Сirclе too, but hе felt no pаin at аll.

Оn the contrary, hе evеn fеlt mоre сomfortаblе thаn beforе.

‘So this is а Сirсlе…’

А feеling hе hаd nevеr еxperienced in his life.

Within the Circle between his hearts, Mana was ceaselessly rotating.

It seemed like he could draw out Mana at any time now, without even having to consciously pull it up.

‘Now the problem is how to use this Mana.’

With his low Mana, even if he created a Circle, he would only be able to use proper Magic once or twice.

If he used more than that, his Mana could be depleted and he could die.

If he overused Mana, he could really die.

After all, when he played the game, he had died before by spamming magic until his Mana hit 0%.

‘Still, my basic physical abilities must have increased a bit.’

Once a Circle is created, overall physical abilities improve somewhat even without consciously pulling up Mana.

His Stamina, which was worse than an average person’s, should now be better than an average person’s.

Moreover, if he rotated the Mana in the Circle faster, his physical abilities would increase momentarily.

‘I didn’t know I’d create a Circle this fast… Since I have time left, I should go to the shops too.’

He wanted to test the Circle’s abilities right away, but he didn’t have that much time.

The money Khan had now was only 100 Copper Coins.

There probably wasn’t anything he could buy, but he wanted to properly look around the shops in Grodek.

‘I’m curious if they sell Artifacts too.’

They probably hardly sell Artifacts in a small city like this, but at least it would help pass the time for now.

He headed his steps towards Grodek’s bustling district.

* * *

In Grodek’s bustling district, shops were gathered everywhere.

Shops set up like a market, and merchants shouting.

“Fresh vegetables that came in today! Take a look before you go!”

“Armor and weapons made by a skilled Blacksmith! Sir Adventurers or Mercenaries, come take a look!”

Khan, who had come to the shops in the bustling district.

He looked around, checking if there were any decent items.

Khan walked through the bustling district, checking various shops.

Then, he spotted one noticeable shop.

[Dandy Mercenary Group’s Shop]

A sign like that was attached above the shop.

‘A shop run by Mercenaries… There must be quite a few decent items.’

Since Mercenaries often exterminate Monsters, they sell Monster byproducts and items obtained from killing Monsters.

With luck, you can also get quite decent Artifacts from areas where Monsters appear.

Like the 1,000-year wooden Staff Khan obtained.

‘Sometimes items would drop if you killed a fairly powerful Monster.’

He immediately entered the Dandy Mercenary Group’s shop.

“Welcome!”

As he entered, a Mercenary running the shop shouted at Khan.

Inside, it was already crowded with many people.

“Alright, put your money in and win money! If you guess the cup with the pebble, we’ll give you double your bet!”

In a corner inside the shop, a shell game operator and several people had gathered.

The shell game operator was a woman, and judging by the Dagger on her thigh, she seemed to be a member of the Dandy Mercenary Group.

[LV.4 Dandy Mercenary Group’s Mercenary Ming]

A situation where a Level 4 Mercenary was openly scamming citizens.

Khan, feeling a bit curious, approached that area.

If he was lucky, he might be able to multiply the money he had now.

“It’s a rare opportunity! The ‘put your money in and win money’ game, open only once a week! Give it a try quickly!”

But people were hesitant to challenge.

They knew such shell games were scams.

Then, one person who looked like a citizen stepped forward, holding out a hand with money.

“I’ll give it a try!”

The burly man’s bet was one Silver Coin.

“Haha, big brother! Try to guess correctly! If you get it right, I’ll give you two Silver Coins!”

The woman named Ming, the shell game operator, placed a small pebble on her palm and showed it to the man and the Guests gathered behind.

Then she put the pebble into the middle cup among three cups.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

Truly befitting a Mercenary, she moved the cups quickly with flashy hand movements.

Even Khan got a bit confused, but perhaps because he had created a Circle, the movements of her hands and the cups were quite visible.

“Alright, take a guess! Where could it be?”

“Hmm… I’ll go with this.”

The man chose the leftmost first cup, and the woman lifted it.

“Wow! You got it right on the first try! Congratulations!! Here are two Silver Coins!”

“Kehahaha! I guess I don’t need to work. Thanks, miss~”

The man said that and left the shop as soon as he received the two Silver Coins.

‘That guy…’

And Khan could tell this whole thing was a well-planned scam.

[LV.5 Dandy Mercenary Group’s Mercenary Chodan]

A member of the same Mercenary Group was pretending to be a Guest and won the money.

“Wah!!”

“He really gave two Silver Coins!”

“Does the Dandy Mercenary Group have money to spare? I was watching and guessed it too… Should I have tried?”

“Then you try it. I want to try too. Let’s earn some money for the shop.”

“Me too! Me too! I want to try first!”

The effect was definite.

The hesitant citizens shouted that they wanted to go first and approached the shell game operator.

“Alright, come one at a time. One at a time! I’ll start with this tall brother first! Received 500 Copper Coins!”

If you gather 1,000 Copper Coins, you can exchange them for 1 Silver Coin.

With 1 Silver Coin, you could live for about 6 months if you just ate and slept without doing anything.

500 Copper Coins meant betting a really large sum of money.

“I bet my living expenses for next month… I have to get it right no matter what!”

“Haha, just watch carefully and choose! Alright, I’ll put the pebble here!”

The shell game operator showed the pebble and then put it in the middle cup.

Then she started quickly changing the positions of the cups with flashy hand movements.

“Alright, choose!”

“The middle one!”

When the shell game operator opened the cup, the pebble was sitting inside.

“Wow! You got it right again! Here, I’ll give you 1 Silver Coin!”

“Kehahaha! No, wait. I’ll do it one more time. I’ll bet one Silver Coin right away.”

Smirk.

At the Guest’s words, the corner of the shell game operator’s mouth rose very slightly.

“Understood!”

The shell game operator showed the pebble once more and then put it in a cup.

Then she started moving the cups quickly.

‘It’s a scam.’

Khan, seeing that, could tell this was a complete scam.

“Alright, choose!”

Right now, there is no pebble in that cup at all.

While moving the cups, she secretly put the pebble in her own hand.

“I’ll go with this!”

The man chose the cup on the right.

When the shell game operator lifted the cup, there was nothing inside.

Then, as she lifted the leftmost cup, she slipped the pebble she had hidden into it.

“What a shame. The pebble was on the left!”

“Wh-what! It was clearly on the right!”

“If you’re done, move aside quickly! It’s my turn now!”

“Ah… no, wait. My living expenses for next month…”

The man who had bet the money hesitated, but people pushed him aside.

“Alright, now I’ll give it a try! Here, I’ll bet one Silver Coin too!”

One Guest shouted at the shell game operator and handed over the money.

“Understood~”

Khan felt a bit annoyed seeing that.

‘Scammers are everywhere you go.’

What are these Mercenary Group guys lacking that they’re earning such petty cash like this?

If they completed a Commission, they could earn much more money than this.

‘I should squeeze some money out of these guys.’

Khan suddenly pushed his way between the shell game operator and the Guest.

“I’ll give it a try.”

“What, you. I was first…!”

“You might not win the money like that person did either. Just watch me do it first.”

“Hmm, right. I guess I was being too impulsive… Betting one Silver Coin on this kind of gambling is crazy too.”

The excited Guest calmed down a bit at Khan’s words.

“Don’t fight, come one at a time, one at a time~ How much will you bet?”

“This is all I have.”

Khan handed over a small pouch containing 100 Copper Coins.

“100 Copper Coins! Confirmed! Let’s go right away!”

Khan momentarily confirmed that the shell game operator’s expression wrinkled slightly.

She could have just taken one Silver Coin, but he only bet 100 Copper Coins, so that was probably why.

Ming, the Mercenary from the Mercenary Group running the shell game, thought to herself.

‘First, I’ll let this guy win some money and send him off. Then I’ll sweep up all the money from the guys behind.’

Even if she took 100 Copper Coins, there wasn’t much use for it anyway.

Thinking that, Ming moved the cups quickly, and

“Alright, choose!”

“I’ll choose the left cup.”

“Correct! Here are 200 Copper Coins…”

“I’ll bet it again right away.”

Khan immediately bet the money he won again, and Ming started moving the cups quickly again.

“Right.”

“Correct again! Here are 400 Copper Coins! Congratulations!”

“Wow, what! I want to try too!”

As Khan won money twice in a row, the citizens behind started getting excited.

‘He’ll probably leave now, right? Get lost quickly…’

Ming thought that and waited for this man covered in a Robe to leave.

But the man didn’t stop there and was getting even more greedy.

“I’ll bet all 400 Coins.”

“Understood! Let’s go right away!”

Ming, seeing Khan bet all his money, planned to take it all this time.

‘Stop being so greedy. Ugh…’

Thinking that, she started moving the cups quickly.

But then.

The man in front of her spoke.

“What if you’re running a scam right now?”

“Pardon…?”

Ming flustered, asked the man back.

“If you’re scamming, can you pay back tenfold?”

“Scam? Don’t say such rude things! You already won money, really…!”

“If I catch your trick, I’ll take ten times the bet.”

“Really… Fine! But if you don’t catch it, just take your winnings and leave this time! I don’t want to deal with troublesome Guests either!”

Ming spoke bluntly and shouted.

‘This guy… He’s talking nonsense because he’s afraid of losing his measly money. Just lose your money and get lost quickly.’

She was confident.

Confident that the man in front of her would never catch her.

Thinking that, Ming planned to palm the pebble from inside the cup this time.

She planned to take all of this annoying guy’s money.

Uung…!!

Meanwhile, Khan was rapidly rotating the Circle between his hearts.

‘It’s definitely clearer than before. Four Silver Coins, I could buy a pretty decent item with that.’

It wasn’t slow motion, but Ming’s hand movements appeared slow and very clear.

Since he bet 400 Copper Coins, if he caught the scam, he would receive ten times that, which is 4 Silver Coins.

At this level, catching the trick wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish.

Ming was moving the cups quickly, and at some moment, she secretly palmed the pebble from inside the cup into her hand.

And at that moment…!

Thud.

“Stop.”

Khan shot out his hand like an arrow and grabbed the shell game operator’s wrist.

He was rotating the Circle’s Mana, so it was quite fast.

Enough that Ming, a Level 4 Mercenary, couldn’t react.

“Pardon…?”

Ming looked at Khan, flustered.

“The pebble in your hand. I just saw you take it out from inside the cup. Open your hand.”

“……”

Ming had a flustered expression and couldn’t say anything, and Khan, thinking he would soon receive 4 Silver Coins, smiled inwardly.