The man who had just pulled Evan's hair turned toward the screen, his expression darkening as the words <DEFEATED> blinked in bold red.
He had lostâ
badly
âand now he was venting his frustration as if Evan had stolen his life's greatest victory.
"You little brat! Do you know what you've done?!"
"I'm sorry, sir," Evan said hastily, stepping back while shielding his hair. "My foot got caught on something, and I accidentally fell on you. I truly didnât mean to."
"Feeble apology!" the man barked, his voice rising. "You think that can undo my defeat?! That match was worth
five hundred dragon points!
You owe me thatâ
or youâll owe me your life!
"
Evanâs face turned pale.
His heart sank as he realizedâthis man had bet a significant amount... and lost it because of him.
{A/N: Curious about currency? Here's the breakdown:}
100 Dragon Points (Dragon Kingdom)
100 Phoenix Points (Phoenix Kingdom)
100 Turtle Points (Jade Turtle Kingdom)
100 Peak Points (Thunder Peak Kingdom)
100 Heart Points (Ice Heart Kingdom)
=
1 Dracin
100 Dracins =
1 Blue Coin
"Sir, I really donât have any money," Evan pleaded. "I just arrived in the city yesterday⊠please forgive me."
The surrounding students snickered, amused at Evan's panic. But the man, unmoved, leaned in closer.
"Then call your parents. Tell them to send the money, or youâre not leaving here in one piece."
"I⊠I donât have parents. I live with a caretaker until I come of age," Evan said softly, his words quiet but clearly audible in the now-silent room.
For a moment, even the background noise of the game center died down.
Then came the sneer.
"Oh? So, you're an orphan, huh?" the man mocked, his expression twisting into something cruel. "Well, guess what? I still want my money. No parents means no one to save you."
Behind him, his goons began cracking their knuckles.
Evanâs fingers trembled as he pulled out the phone Rossy had given him. His only hope. He opened his contact listâ
Snatch!
"Whoa-ho! Look at this!" one of the boys laughed, holding the phone up. "Isnât this the latest model?! Saw the ad just last week!"
"And itâs even in my favorite color," the man added, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"Hey kid," the goon said, waving the phone. "Trying to lie your way out with this kind of gear? Doesn't look like a broke orphan to me."
"No! I swear, my caretaker gave it to me!" Evan cried out. "Please give it back! I can't ask them for money⊠and I really can't lose this phone."
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Aww, the little babyâs crying," the leader mocked, stepping back. "Well then, say bye-bye to your phone."
"Bro⊠are you sure about this?" one of his companions whispered. "If his caretaker comes lookingâ"
"Itâs fine," Levi said casually. "Weâre switching venues tomorrow anyway. And itâs not like theyâll make a big case over a
small
phone."
Just as he turned to leave, a shadow stepped in front of him.
A young man stood there, another figure trailing behind him.
Levi frowned.
"Who are you? Get outta my way. You donât know who I am?"
The young man simply smirked. "Nope. Care to educate me?"
The crowd murmured. Tension filled the air.
Levi grinned proudly. "Nameâs Levi. But everyone here calls me
âLevi the Devil.â
"
The young man chuckled.
"Well then, Mr.
Devil,
I suggest you give that phone back to its rightful owner."
Leviâs expression darkened. "Oh, a hero, huh? Listen, orphan kidâyour superhero just arrived. But when Iâm done with
him
, youâre next."
"Stealing in public, threatening someone, and now robbing an underage student?" the young man said casually. "I could report you to the city guards right now."
Levi scoffed. "You donât get it. That brat made me lose a
five hundred-point wager!
The phone is fair compensation!"
The young man narrowed his eyes.
"You really think
he
cost you the match? You only scored twelve points. The winner had
fifty
. Even if you played perfectly, youâd still have lost by a mile."
He stepped forward, voice now sharp and cold.
"And that phone? Itâs worth
ten to twelve thousand dragon points
on the market. You want compensation? Pay
him
for damages."
Laughter rippled through the crowd. The goons began backing away.
Levi looked around, panicking as his support vanished.
"A-And what about betting in this center? Thatâs not allowed either, remember?" the young man added.
"Right," the person behind him said, stepping up. "Penaltyâs
one thousand points.
So altogether, you owe around
12,500 dragon points.
"
Levi staggered.
"I... I wonât give it back! You think I care about some dumb rule?! Letâs see who dares stop me!" he roared and turned to run.
But thenâ
Thud!
He trippedâhardâand crashed to the ground.
"Who the hell came befoâ" he snarled, ready to curseâ
But his voice cut off. Completely.
Because standing before him... was
another
young man.
Not the same one who spoke earlier.
This one had his hands in his pockets, looking down with cold, unreadable eyes.
Leviâs throat tightened. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Why?
Because his body
knew
.
That this man was someone he should never cross.
Ever.
To be continuedâŠ