The scrawny thug, among the pair of menacing figures, left no room for negotiation as he clutched the collar of the street vendor. His eyes blazed with fury, fixing his gaze on the unfortunate street vendor.
With a mere glance, one could sense his overwhelming anger.
"Where is the money?" demanded the thin thug, his grip on the collar tightening.
"That…" The street vendor stuttered for a moment, finding it incredibly difficult to speak while being yanked by his collar. He was unable to complete his words.
"Slap. Slap." The thin man struck the street vendor's cheeks, reddening his face. However, the street vendor did not retaliate. After all, it was his own mistake for not immediately handing over the money.
He worked as a con for the Spider Gang, deceiving tourists with counterfeit Pushpam honey. According to their order, he was supposed to pay the gang after the scam. However, concerned for his son's well-being, he hurriedly returned home to check on him. This misunderstanding caused the gang members to believe that he was attempting to flee with the money, leading them to confront him in person.
Twisting and turning in their grip, the street vendor struggled to breathe. The hand clutching his collar tightened with each passing moment. He sensed the flow of oxygen to his brain gradually being cut off.
The thugs were formidable tier-3 warriors, leaving him with no means of escape.
Meanwhile, the child, upon hearing the enraged voices of the thugs, struggled to stand up. Grasping onto the wall for support, he peered outside, attempting to discern the commotion. The loud voices triggered panic, causing his fragile heart to beat wildly. An unforgettable memory etched inside his mind resurfaced.
Fear gripped him as memories flooded his mind of the debt collectors forcibly evicting him and his father from their home. Could a similar be happening outside?
Summoning all his strength, he began to move step by step towards the partially closed door. That's when he clearly heard the voices from the outside.
"Hey, Dumbass, stop choking him! How do you expect him to speak when you're clutching his collar and constricting his throat? He can't even breathe, let alone answer your questions," pointed out the bulkier and more astute thug.
His words carried a hint of mocking tone, yet he seemed unconcerned about the breathless street vendor writhing in his partner's grip.
"Oh! You're right," the thin man exclaimed, suddenly realising his mistake. With ease, he relinquished his hold on the street vendor's neck and flung him aside like a discarded rag doll.
The street vendor was momentarily airborne before crashing to the ground, face-first, enveloped in a cloud of mud and dirt. The impact was sudden, leaving him defenceless and causing his gums to bleed and teeth to dislocate.
The street vendor was not a powerful warrior. So, he couldn't protect himself when he was thrown away.
As he fell, a mixture of dirty water and mud entered his mouth, forcing him to spit it out immediately. However, he couldn't entirely expel the grimy residue, resulting in a blend of blood and dirt escaping his lips as he expelled the contents.
Neither Alex, the street vendor, nor the thugs reacted to this scene. But the child, who witnessed his father being thrown to the ground, felt his heart shatter.
"FATHER!" a shrill scream escaped his mouth as he desperately called out to his father. He couldn't bear to witness his father being tossed around by the thugs.
This wasn't the first time the child had encountered the thugs. He had seen them before when they visited his father to collect a debt.
They would usually show up at their home every week to demand money from his father, resorting to violence on occasion when his father lacked sufficient funds. They were the familiar villains that tormented them for months.
However, this was the first time he had witnessed his father in such a pathetic state.
His little heart ached, realising he was the cause of his father's current condition. His frail body acted as an insatiable sinkhole that devoured the family's wealth, leading to his and his father's present plight.
The child's scream swiftly attracted everyone's attention.
And the thinner thug between the two saw this as an opportunity. The best way to squeeze the street vendor into paying was by using the child as a tool for blackmail.
He emotionlessly walked towards the child trying to capture his sickly body.
He felt his life leaving his body while the thin man walked towards his child. He swiftly climbed to his feet and ran towards his son in hopes of protecting him.
"I have the money with me. Here is the gold coin. I can give it to you right now. Please forgive me just this one time." He begged while standing in front of his son. It was the only way he could think of to protect his child.
Hearing this, the thin thug paused. He was delighted to hear about the money. He deliberately walked all this way to collect the gold coins from the street vendor. If the vendor was willing to hand over the gold coins, perhaps, he could prevent the situation from escalating further.
"Take it out!" The thug ordered with a smile.
The street vendor quickly took out a small bag with some gold coins from underneath his clothes. He quickly threw it towards the thug.
The thug captured it with ease and began counting the coins inside.
"Twelve gold coins, fifty silver coins," he stated, emphasising the count as he lifted his gaze. Displeasure etched across his face as he scrutinised the street vendor.
"It was supposed to be thirteen gold coins. Where are the remaining silver coins? Did you forget about repaying your debt." he growled menacingly, his tone laced with intimidation.
"That!" The street vendor was unable to explain. Obviously, he used it to buy medicine for his son. But, he dared not say it. After all, he could predict how the thug would react after hearing it.
They gave far more importance to money rather than human life. If his child was the reason he was unable to pay, they wouldn't mind eliminating his son. The street vendor felt fear creeping onto him as his thoughts reached this point.
Still, summoning every ounce of courage within him, the street vendor managed to utter a few simple words. "The sales were low today. I can pay you tomorrow," he lied.
In reality, the sales had actually been higher than usual. He had been selling honey, as instructed by the spider gang, to affluent tourists at double the price of fifty silver coins per jar. He had made a substantial profit today.
However, it was still barely enough to cover his monthly interest on his debt. He needed fifty more silver to get some peace from the debt collectors of the spider gang.
In the past, the street vendor was actually a wealthy merchant. His life turned upside down when his child caught an unknown illness. He ran around the city trying to find a cure while using all his wealth.
That was why he was forced to take a loan from the Spider gang.
But as time went on, neither was he able to repay the loan amount nor his child was cured. Desperate for some peace, he resorted to selling off all his possessions to buy a little more time from the spider gang. To make matters worse, he was coerced into becoming one of their minions, one among the hundreds of scammers they deployed throughout the city.
"It seems like this brat was the reason why you couldn't pay the debt." The thin thug said with a cold glint in his eyes.
With a swipe of his hand, he threw away the street vendor who was protecting his son behind his body.
"Swish.." The body of the street vendor flew away like a broken kite and crashed into the dilapidated house. The few people who heard the noise exited their houses to check on the situation. But knowing that it had something to do with the gang, they quickly retreated into their homes.
The street fell silent, devoid of any bystanders.
In the midst of this tense atmosphere, the thin thug began advancing towards the frail child, who stood frozen in fear.
Observing the unfolding scene from a distance, Alex swiftly donned his white robes and made a decision. He felt compelled to intervene and rescue the child.
With the mask securely in place, he activated his mana vision, preparing to take action.
However, before he could intervene, the burly thug of the duo swiftly grabbed the arm of the thin thug, who was attempting to seize the child. He shook his head at his partner, signalling him not to proceed.
Alex was perplexed by the situation. He knew for a fact that both the thugs were bloodthirsty evil individuals with no compassion. There was no way in hell that they would feel anything about attacking a child.
So, his action took Alex by surprise.
But, once he looked at the child with mana vision again, all his doubts were cleared.
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