The Devil’s Cage

The edge cut into the man’s neck, tearing the outer skin but not really damaging the throat, but Bain got frozen.

The throat was a human’s biggest weak spot, as weak as the heart and the brain. Compared to the heart, which had the ribs and chest, and brain, which had a skull cap, the throat was exceptionally weaker as it was exposed on the outside.

Even though the target was a Herder who had completed all the necessary training and been into countless battles, the throat was still a weakness.

Bain saw Kieran right in front of him and felt killer intents from his eyes, faint but real.

So, without further hesitation, Bain said loudly, “I’m sorry! I apologize for my rash actions! I’ll make it up to you!”

Bain was nervous as he tried to save himself from Kieran’s blade and he finally heaved a breath of relief when Kieran slightly pulled back the blade.

“30 Crossing Copper Coins,” said Kieran.

Bain just got a little breathing window after the blade was pulled back a little but his heart skipped a beat when the number was heard.

“It’s too much, I… No problem! I have 30 Crossing Copper Coins!”

Bain tried to negotiate but the blade pushed back into his throat again, and without a second though, Bain agreed to the terms.

Compared to [Crossing Copper Coins], his life was more important.

Once dead, the coins would be useless to him.

However, after Bain agreed to the terms, Kieran swung the blade downwards.

Bain closed his eyes at the metallic glare on the blade, he thought Kieran was backing on his words, but at the next moment, his upper body felt cold.

His jersey and vest were sliced by the blade.

His clothes fell on the floor and Kieran was checked them with the tip of his blade.

“Witchcraft is at play?”

Bain saw what Kieran was doing after he opened his eyes, he wasn’t an idiot and he quickly realized the situation.

“You stepped on those bastard’s tail?” Bain asked.

“Em,” Kieran nodded.

Kieran had no need to hide. Although most of the people didn’t know what happened, the Herders were different, they could easily know what was happening with some investigation.

“As expected.”

Bain nodded with a serious face after he heard what Kieran said.

His mutters attracted Kieran’s gaze.

“Ed Wong’s disappearance should be related to these bastards as well. Although I don’t have solid evidence, Ed Wong’s last mission was to investigate a game of ‘summoning the dead’ played by high school female students. After that, he went missing. Unless it’s a very special situation, as the person in charge of 7 Sector of Ai City, he has to report his well-being to us every 8 hours and he’s late for 5 cycles. The safety period is over. At the same time, I found traces of witchcraft in that high school,” Bain explained.

“What else?” Kieran asked.

“Nothing. Those witchcraft practitioners are much more cunning than you can imagine, even us Herders had a hard time tracking them down,” Bain laid his hands open.

“Notify me when you find anything.”

Although it was only one of the practitioners who showed interest in Starbeck, Kieran wasn’t sure about the rest of them, what would their stand be?

More so, Kieran wasn’t that naive to rely on his enemies’ mercy for his and Starbeck’s safety.

He always liked to take the initiative against his enemy and eradicate them from the roots.

Bain knew nothing about Kieran’s true thoughts, looking at Kieran in surprise.

“Although he follows the law of the jungle, he isn’t that bad, at least he’s good to acquaintances. No wonder that stupid Ed Wong did so much for you guys,” Bain commented on Kieran as such in his heart, nodding and wanting to leave.

“Wait,” Kieran stopped him.

“Don’t worry, I always jog bare topped, I don’t need clothes,” Bain smiled and waved his hand.

“I don’t care about how you jog or what people call you, I want to remind you about the coins that you promised, the 30 Crossing Copper Coins,” Kieran emphasized.

“I’m your uncle’s good friend!” Bain raised his voice but when he saw Kieran tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword, he switched a tone, “I don’t bring that many coins with me everytime I go outside. Let me go home and I’ll deliver them to you.”

Kieran didn’t say anything, raising his sword and pointing it at Bain.

It wasn’t about identity or stance, it was just that Kieran wasn’t going to trust a stranger who he had met just a short while ago.

No matter what Bain said or did, before he could get more evidence to prove his words, Kieran tended to believe that Bain was speaking just to secure his safety and advantage.

Bain stared into Kieran’s eyes.

1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds.

…

Time flew, Kieran’s eyes didn’t even blink and Bain’s eyes started to feel dry.

Bain felt like this young man had seen through his deepest thought: backing out on his words.

He had to save up for a few years, that 30 [Crossing Copper Coin], if he could continue to keep it in his possession, he wouldn’t mind, but the consequences that followed?

Well, what kind of consequences would follow?

At most he would have to hide from Kieran, and it wasn’t the first time he had done such despicable things.

When you’re covered with lice, you don’t itch; when you’re up to your ears in debt,you stop worrying.

Kieran would be an insignificant addition to the fray.

However, never did Bain think Kieran would be so persistent and stubborn.

“Stubborn! You are really stubborn! Can’t you people be flexible?”

Bain held on to his last hope, trying to struggle and argue, but Kieran didn’t buy all that bullsh*t, thrusting the sword in his hand.

This time, the tip of the sword thrust deeper than before, Bain was certain an inch deeper would cut his throat.

“Wait! Give! I’ll give it to you!”

Bain dared not try to play tricks anymore, feeling a distinct killer intent from Kieran’s eyes.

If Kieran was just trying to scare him off earlier, Bain was sure that Kieran would really kill him this time if he did anything stupid.

“I just owe you some money, why are you so grumpy, you stingy ass!” Bain said as he pulled out his wallet from his slacks.

He carefully searched for a silver coin which looked similar to [Crossing Copper Coin] without the hole in the center, the markings of sun and moon on both sides looking more intricate.

[Name: Crossing Silver Coin]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Cover the presence of souls leaving for the ‘faraway’ land more effectively.]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]

[Remark: Crossing Coin appeared much earlier than the Herders. No one knew why it was created but after covering the presence of souls leaving for the ‘faraway’ land, it has become the common currency for the Herders and the mystical side.]

…

When Kieran touched the [Crossing Silver Coin], the Origin Forces in his body cheered, Gluttony even yearned for it, but it was not the time.

Kieran saw how unwilling Bain was, he then gave a meaningful look to Starbeck.

Starbeck then quickly brought out [Cursed Paper Man] and [Vengeful Spirit House (Broken)] from under the counter.

The two items immediately captured Bain’s attention, but he quickly said without showing much concern, “Cursed Paper Man, used, not worth a penny. Vengeful Spirit House, broken, also not worth a penny.”

“Oh,” Kieran nodded. He went over to the counter and kept the two items away.

What?

Bain was rather shocked.

“Mister, we are closed for now. If you need anything, please come back tomorrow,” Starbeck said with a smile.

After that, he walked to the door, opened it and invited Bain out with a polite gesture.

“I’ll offer 10 Copper Coins, no, 20! 20 is the best I can give, nothing more!”

Bain quickly offered when he saw Starbeck inviting him out.

[Cursed Paper Man] was worthless, it was only around 1 Copper Coin but [Vengeful Spirit House] was different. [Vengeful Spirit House] was already hard to create even among the Witchcraft Sects and most of the practitioners would destroy their own creation when they died.

Therefore, there were less than a handful of the cursed items outside.

Bain remembered there were a lot of people who showed interest in [Vengeful Spirit House] back in the Herders’ research facility.

Even if it was broken, it could easily fetch a high price.

He could probably get 3 Crossing Silver Coins for it, let alone the 20 Crossing Copper Coins that he was paying for it. If he really got such offers, he could make up for his loss and earn a great sum at the same time.

However, Kieran was not moved by the offer, Bain’s excitement slowly died off.

He felt like he had met his bane.

Other than that, Bain felt weird about Kieran.

“You learned your fighting techniques and trained yourself in the mountains, but dealing like a cunning merchant, where did you learn that from?”

“I’ve caught a fox before, she told me that she will provide me with a month’s worth of food if I spared her. I did, but I never saw her again,” Kieran said as he reminisced about the past.

A fox?

He learned how to be cunning from a fox?

Bain thought in his mind but something replaced that thought immediately and he asked, “Can a fox even talk? And she? What kind of bullsh*t are you talking about.”

“Yeah right, who are you bullshitting?” Kieran nodded and looked at Bain seriously, his keen gaze that seemed to see through his thoughts causing discomfort throughout his whole body.

“One Crossing Silver Coin, nothing more,” Bain too wanted to stop this farce, because he realized time was not on his side. The longer he stayed, the more harsh he would fall.

Bain wanted to end this quickly, so he offered a new price.

“The door is right behind you,” Kieran said.

He didn’t know the true value of [Vengeful Spirit House] in this world but he knew what the price was for a Rare item; [Crossing Silver Coin] was a Rare item.

However, as a currency, its number was sure to be many, its value and usage could never replace [Vengeful Spirit House], in spite of it being broken.

“Hmph!”

Bain was angry at Kieran’s attitude, turning around and walking out.

Neither Kieran or Starbeck cared though, Starbeck didn’t even close the door once Bain left, standing at the entrance and looking outside.

Influenced by his surroundings, Starbeck wasn’t a stranger in running a business, he was rather skillful at it too. Starbeck could tell Bain was eager to get his hands on [Vengeful Spirit House].

Therefore, fate had been sealed once the thought came into fruition.

A few seconds later, Bain strode back into the restaurant.

“2 Crossing Silver Coins!”

The price he offered hurt his heart.

“3.”

The number Kieran requested almost suffocated Bain but Bain knew no tricks would work anymore. He widened his eyes and saw Kieran bring up the [Vengeful Spirit House] again on the counter. He clenched his teeth, nodding painfully. No matter how thin the mosquito’s leg was, it was still meat.

“Okay.” Bain tossed his wallet to the counter.

There were a few more paper notes in the wallet other than 3 [Crossing Copper Coin].

Kieran took the coin and then tossed the wallet, together with [Vengeful Spirit House], to Bain.

“You evil merchant! I won’t come again!” Bain said loudly as if he was swearing a vicious oath.

“Thank you very much,” Kieran said with a smile.

The sun was already hanging in the sky. In the midst of autumn, Bain, who was not wearing any shirt, walked in the windy weather with a bowl-like item in his hand. He was rather eye-catching.

Some showed disdain, some laughed at him and some felt sorry for him.

An elderly woman even walked to Bain and placed some change in Bain’s bowl. She also took a piece of bread from her breakfast bag and gave it to Bain, who was stunned by the action.

“I’m not…”

“I understand, life is hard for everyone but as long as your heart is strong, you can stand back up one day. I’m looking forward to the day you do.”

The elderly lady smiled mercifully after she interrupted Bain.

Humans tend to conform to what they see.

After the old lady gave Bain some money, many others also generously spared some change for the poor man.

“I am not a beggar! I am really not a beggar!”

Bain explained anxiously when the change in his bowl increased, but the people thought he was just trying to save his face, smiling at him with an understanding look.

“Of course you are not a beggar.”

“This is just some temporary trouble!”

“I believe you will overcome this hurdle with your own hands one day.”

That old lady even took off her scarf and wrapped it around Bain, smiling mercifully as she walked away under the morning sun.

The other people scattered off too, leaving the dull Bain on the spot, muttering to himself.

“I am not a beggar!”

“I am not a beggar!”

…

Kieran clearly saw the funny scene from the second floor window, shaking his head and turning to the sofa beside the bed.

Kieran watched Starbeck sleep, enjoying the smile on his sleeping face. He grabbed the [Crossing Silver Coin] in his hand and leaned back on the sofa, showing a smile.

What a beautiful day!