The Wizard Has A Biochip

Chapter 11: Hmm... This place seems rather degenerate. Shouldn’t studious acolytes be focusing on their studies?

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I was immediately swallowed by the atmosphere of that place.

It was completely different from the rest of the tower.

There was no silence there.

Much less students walking back and forth carrying books.

The enormous hall was packed with hundreds of acolytes.

Some were shouting.

Others were arguing over bets.

Entire groups were celebrating while others cursed a fighter who had just lost.

Colored lights constantly swept across the ceiling.

They weren’t candles.

Nor torches.

Large crystals mounted within metal frames blinked in different hues, illuminating the entire arena.

Another detail caught my attention.

Floating above the stands were several black metal boxes.

From them came an amplified voice that echoed throughout the entire venue.

—Brutal!

—Ronan managed to block the concentrated energy attack and retaliated with a counterattack that split the Luxez fighter in half!

I raised an eyebrow.

That looked like...

A loudspeaker.

I walked over to the metal railing surrounding the stands.

I rested both arms on it.

Only then was I able to take in the arena’s full scale.

It was gigantic.

Much larger than I had imagined.

A massive stone circle occupied nearly the entire center of that floor.

In the middle...

A man stood there breathing heavily while his life energy aura flickered weakly.

In front of him lay a body split open down the middle, its internal organs exposed.

As I watched the scene...

Someone stopped beside me.

—Hey, brother.

I glanced sideways.

It was a skinny young man.

He couldn’t have been much older than sixteen.

Strapped to his back was something resembling a backpack made entirely of glass.

Inside was an intensely glowing green liquid.

Several metal tubes extended from the backpack.

One of them ended in a long metal pipe that he held in his hand.

His eyes were wide open.

His pupils glowed with an intense neon green light.

He seemed incapable of standing still.

His entire body trembled slightly.

He smiled at me.

An unnaturally wide smile.

—First time at the arena?

I nodded.

He took a deep drag from the pipe.

The backpack let out a bubbling sound.

A moment later...

It expelled a thick cloud of greenish smoke.

It slowly spread through the air.

Without wasting a second, I issued a mental command.

—Biochip.

—Analyze this smoke.

[Beep.]

[Analyzing composition...]

[Chemical Report]

[Primary substance: Unknown organic compound.]

[Method of administration: Inhalation.]

[Immediate Effects]

[Intense release of pleasure-related neurotransmitters.]

[Reduced pain perception.]

[Extreme sensation of euphoria.]

[Sensory alterations.]

[Progressive hallucinations.]

[Long-Term Effects]

[Severe chemical dependency.]

[Neurological damage.]

[Reduced cognitive capacity.]

[Behavioral changes.]

[Recommendation: Do not consume.]

I looked back at the young man.

He was still smiling.

He extended the pipe toward me.

—The first hit is free.

—Trust me...

—You’ve never felt anything like it.

—It’s like touching paradise.

At that moment...

I didn’t see a free man.

I saw someone completely enslaved by his own addiction.

My contempt surfaced almost immediately.

That wasn’t kindness.

Much less generosity.

It was a trap.

First...

The free sample.

Then...

The addiction.

Finally...

The customer would do anything to get more.

Even sell everything he owned.

Whoever was truly profiting from this certainly wasn’t here.

There had to be some drug dealer supplying this place.

And that guy...

He was just a disposable pusher.

A useful idiot.

—No, thanks.

The young man took another drag.

He smiled again.

—You’ll change your mind.

—Everyone does.

I shook my head.

—I doubt it.

I turned my attention back to the arena.

Two tower employees were already walking toward the body lying on the arena floor while Ronan slowly wiped the blood from his sword.

Without showing the slightest emotion.

He simply turned his back.

And left the arena beneath a storm of applause.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

—RONAN!

—RONAN!

—RONAN!

The floating boxes once again amplified the announcer’s voice.

—Ladies and gentlemen!

—Our next match will begin in just a few minutes!

The lights in the hall changed color.

The entire arena was bathed in a crimson glow.

The announcer’s voice became even more excited.

—Entering the arena in just a moment!

—Myla Elzy!

—Versus!

—Mork Trus!

The crowd answered with a deafening wave of cheers.

The announcer continued.

—Myla Elzy!

—A dagger specialist!

—Extremely fast!

—Renowned for her stealth techniques and deadly use of poisons!

A massive luminous illusion appeared above the arena.

It showed a young woman with white hair twirling two curved daggers between her fingers.

Moments later, the image vanished.

Another immediately took its place.

—And on the other side...

—Mork Trus!

—The Two-Axe Brute!

A gigantic figure appeared in the projection.

Over two meters tall.

Holding two enormous axes.

The announcer was practically shouting.

—His last opponent had his skull crushed beneath his steel boots!

—Will we witness another massacre today?

—There’s still time!

—Place your bets!

—Choose your favorites!

It wasn’t the blood that caught my attention.

It was the money.

Or rather...

The magic crystals.

Unfortunately...

I reached into my pocket.

Empty.

The old George had arrived completely broke.

His father had invested absolutely everything to get him into this tower.

From that moment on...

Every single crystal would have to be earned by me.

I crossed my arms.

Then an idea came to mind.

My gaze drifted into the distance for a few seconds.

Should...

I take out a loan?

The memories immediately brought a name to mind.

Eduard.

The same man responsible for Ethan’s death.

He certainly operated as a loan shark inside the tower—or, on second thought... he was probably just the lapdog of an older acolyte here in the tower.

I wouldn’t mind paying some interest.

As long as it was reasonable.

After all...

I possessed an advantage that no one else in this place had.

The Biochip.

It could analyze bodies.

Measure strength.

Agility.

Vigor.

Compare statistics.

Simulate battles.

It was far better than betting completely blind.

Obviously...

It couldn’t guarantee a one hundred percent success rate.

Skill.

Experience.

Strategy.

All of those also mattered.

But...

Even so...

My odds would be far better than those of most gamblers.

I raised my head again.

I began observing the arena’s entire structure more carefully.

On the upper levels were much more luxurious private boxes.

Several senior acolytes watched the matches from there.

Some wore long robes.

Others carried staffs.

Their mere presence exuded a pressure completely different from that of the novices.

Without a doubt...

Some of them had already surpassed Level 2.

My gaze continued sweeping across the hall.

Until it landed on a massive counter.

Above it hung a golden sign.

["Death Arena Betting House."]

The place was completely packed.

A young man frantically wrote inside enormous ledgers.

Around him...

Several muscular knights maintained order.

Meanwhile, dozens of acolytes shouted names.

—Five crystals on Myla!

—Ten on Mork!

—Hurry up and write it down!

Magic crystals constantly changed hands.

It was practically a financial market...

Except it was based on death.

I looked away.

On the other side of the hall stood another establishment.

Far more organized.

An elegant sign caught my attention.

["Low-Interest Loans."]

I smiled involuntarily.

Low...

That’s always a word worth being suspicious of.

Behind the counter stood another acolyte.

He wore a green robe.

On his head was a pointed hat typical of apprentice mages.

His appearance was calm.

Polite.

Almost friendly.

But...

The four men standing around him drew far more attention.

All of them were enormous.

They radiated a pressure that made even the curious keep their distance.

In front of the counter...

Several people were signing yellowed scrolls with black quills.

Almost none of them seemed to actually read the contents.

They simply signed.

Took the crystals.

And ran straight toward the betting booths.

I watched the scene for a few seconds.

The people running this place are truly clever...

While a crowd lost money driven by emotion...

Someone profited from every single defeat.

I adjusted my clothes.

And slowly began walking toward the loan counter.

As soon as I approached the loan counter, I felt the atmosphere change.

The four guards stationed around it raised their heads almost simultaneously.

Their hands instinctively rested on the hilts of their weapons.

Not one of them said a single word.

Even so...

It was obvious they were watching my every move.

I kept a calm expression.

There was no reason to show any nervousness.

I simply stood in front of the counter, waiting for my turn.

The acolyte in the green robe was still speaking with another customer.

A few moments later, the young man signed a scroll, received a small leather pouch, and hurried away.

Then it was my turn.

The young man behind the counter looked up.

The moment he got a good look at me...

He whistled.

—Wow...

His gaze traveled across my shoulders.

Finally, he smiled.

—Are you sure you came to the right counter?

I raised an eyebrow.

—Why?

He rested an elbow on the counter.

—With a physique like yours...

He subtly gestured toward my body.

—You should be down there.

—In the arena.

—Or else...

His expression became even more amused.

—Working as one of my bodyguards.

I glanced briefly at the four armed men surrounding him.

Then I looked back at him.

I smiled faintly.

—Appearances can be deceiving.

He laughed.

—Good answer.

He extended his hand.

—My name is Cedric.

—I’m in charge of the loan contracts this year.

I shook his hand.

—George Gil.

—Pleasure.

Cedric nodded.

—Well then...

—Let’s get down to business.

He ducked behind the counter.

A moment later, he returned holding several carefully rolled scrolls.

He laid them all out on the counter.

One beside the other.

—We have options for practically every situation.

—Small loans.

—Medium.

—Large.

—Very large.

He smiled.

—Our interest rates are extremely competitive.

—After all...

—We care about our customers.

I maintained a neutral expression.

While pretending to examine the scrolls...

I silently issued a mental command.

—Biochip.

—Analyze all the contracts.

[Beep.]

[Scanning documents...]

The written lines were immediately copied.

A few seconds later...

The report appeared before my eyes.

[Number of contracts: 4]

[Interest rates: Within the estimated average.]

[No irregularities identified.]

I continued "reading" as if nothing was unusual.

The Biochip continued.

[Analyzing supplementary clauses...]

...

...

[Conclusion found.]

Then the truly important information appeared.

[Default Clause]

[If the borrower fails to fully repay the debt by the established deadline...]

[All assets may be confiscated.]

[If the debt remains unpaid...]

[The borrower voluntarily agrees to become the labor property of the lending institution.]

[The borrower shall provide services until the entire debt is considered settled.]

[During this period...]

[Interest shall continue to accrue normally.]

I remained completely motionless for several seconds.

So that was the trap...

The interest rates really were reasonable.

Almost honest.

The real problem was hidden in the final clauses.

It was a slavery contract.

Signed voluntarily.

If someone couldn’t pay...

They would become laborers for the creditors.

And considering the debt would continue accumulating interest...

Some people would probably never regain their freedom.

Cedric was still smiling.

—Found one you like?

I slowly raised my eyes.

After pretending to read for a few more seconds...

I pointed to the medium loan contract.

—This one.

Cedric immediately pulled the scroll toward himself.

—Five magic crystals.

—A very common choice.

He picked up a quill dipped in dark ink.

Then pushed the contract back in front of me.

—Just sign here.

—After that...

—The crystals will be yours.

....

1920 Words