Chapter 23: A little ‘joke’ of my own
Teo subconsciously looked down toward his own chest, his eyes straining in the dim light of the empty bar to see what had captured him.
He expected to see the cold steel of a dagger or the edge of a sword reflecting the flickering television screen.
However, to his absolute shock, his eyes met nothing but empty air.
There was absolutely nothing visible pressing against his bare skin, leaving the space between them completely clear.
The bald bartender froze, a wave of profound confusion washing over his mind as he stared at the blank space.
’Am I the one completely imagining things?’ Teo thought desperately, his heart hammering violently against his ribs. ’Is my mind playing tricks on me because of the stress?’
He tried to convince himself that it was a trick of his mind, but his hope was instantly shattered into pieces. He suddenly felt a sharp, burning pain slice directly into the flesh of his neck, making his muscles twitch.
A warm, thick liquid immediately began to flow, and a thin line of fresh blood trickled down his neck, staining his collar.
A few drops of the bright red blood spilled forward, lightly touching the invisible surface of the weapon Leon was holding.
The moment the liquid made contact, and when Teo looked closely, he could finally see its faint smoke form.
The bald man instantly shivered in pure, unadulterated fear, his entire heavy frame trembling as a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
’What kind of weapon is that...?’ Teo thought, his mind screaming in absolute terror as he stared at the impossible sight. ’Or is it even a weapon at all? Is it a high-tier stealth skill?’
The air directly in front of his face began to distort, revealing barely visible wisps of golden smoke curling through the emptiness. Through the hazy, shifting vapor, he could just make out a terrifyingly sharp point pressing directly against the center of his throat.
He could easily tell through his sheer survival instincts, though, that if Leon drove whatever invisible thing he was holding just a little more forward, it would slice through his throat like soft butter.
Though he couldn’t see it, he could sense the extremely lethality that made his D-rank talent feel completely insignificant.
Leon didn’t move an inch, his hand remaining perfectly steady as he looked down at the terrified bartender.
"What exactly was it you were saying just now?" Leon said, his voice dropping into a low, chilling whisper that echoed dangerously in the enclosed room.
Teo’s breath caught completely for a moment, his lungs locking up as the sharp point pricked his skin even deeper. The arrogant, sinister smirk was entirely gone from his face, replaced by a pale look of total submission.
"N-nothing..." Teo stuttered out, his voice shaking violently as he stared into Leon’s cold, merciless eyes. "It was honestly just a joke... a bad joke, my friend..."
The bright blue lightning dancing around his thick hands died down instantly, the crackling energy vanishing into nothingness.
He raised both of his hands high up into the air, completely signifying an unconditional surrender as he begged for his life.
Leon scoffed loudly at the man’s pathetic excuse, his expression remaining completely cold and unbothered by the sudden surrender.
He didn’t lower his hand even an inch, keeping the invisible edge of the legendary blade perfectly steady against the man’s bleeding flesh.
"Let me make a little ’joke’ of my own then," Leon said, his voice dropping into a low, menacing whisper that sent a violent shiver straight down the bartender’s spine. "Drop every single valuable you currently have with you on your person right now."
Teo hesitated for a brief moment, his thick fingers twitching as he processed the harsh demand. The thought of giving up his hard-earned wealth made his stomach churn with deep reluctance.
However, a simple, direct glance from Leon’s cold, unblinking eyes made him realize instantly that the young man was absolutely not joking.
The raw, ruthless intent radiating from those eyes made it perfectly clear that Leon would indeed slice his throat open without a single second thought if he tried to play smart or delay any further.
Terrified for his life, the bald bartender quickly gave in to the pressure.
The air directly in front of him flashed with a faint light as he accessed his personal inventory, and a small, heavy leather pouch filled with clinking coins dropped onto the wooden counter with a dull thud.
Leon’s eyes shone with a sudden, bright gleam of satisfaction at the sight of the money.
Without wasting a single moment, he swiped his free hand quickly towards the pouch across the stained wood, causing it to vanish instantly from the table and reappear safely inside a slot in his own inventory.
He then slowly pulled back the invisible weight of Excalibur, releasing the man from his deadly grip.
The moment the faint, smoky point left his skin, Teo subconsciously let out a massive, heavy sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping as he felt the terrifying physical pressure finally lift from his bleeding neck.
He raised a trembling hand to wipe away the fresh blood, looking back up at Leon with wide, completely bloodshot eyes.
His voice was shaking violently, his teeth chattering as he tried to speak.
"You’re... you’re still going to sell me those two common grade items... right... right...?" Teo asked desperately, hoping to at least get something out of this absolute disaster of a trade.
Leon only smirked darkly at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and pure contempt for the pathetic man. He didn’t open his inventory, leaving the counter completely bare.
"It was nice doing business with you, Teo," Leon said smoothly, his tone dripping with heavy irony.
With that final statement, he turned his body completely around, turning his back to the counter once more without showing a single worry about a potential backstab. He began to walk away with firm, confident steps across the dusty floorboards.
Tears of absolute frustration and fear pooled heavily at the corners of Teo’s eyes as he watched his wealth walk away.
Gritting his teeth in deep defeat, he reached his hand down and clicked the hidden button under the counter once again.
The heavy wooden door at the front of the bar made another sharp, echoing click as the locking mechanism released.
Leon reached the exit, grabbed the handle, and opened it entirely freely, stepping completely out of the dim, dusty bar and back into the streets of the lower district.
