Chapter 21: The Herrscher of Sentience's Stubbornness
"I can let you out, but first, do you have any money on you right now?" Though surprised by the other's inner theatrics, Roshin hadn't forgotten his original purpose.
"Y-yes... My phone is the latest model, and the payment apps on it have over 2,000 yuan..." the blond guy stammered.
"No need for details. I get it. And from now on, your phone and the money in it belong to me. Any objections?" Roshin tapped the guy's cheek with the small knife in his hand.
"N-no objections." The blond shook his head wildly.
"Do you have any other money?"
"N-no... I mean, yes! I don't have any now, but I can go collect protection money! I have dirt on Bai Bin—I can use it to get money! M-my family has some money too—I can steal from them! I—"
Seeing the disappointment in Roshin's eyes, the blond realized that if he didn't come up with money, he might be silenced for good. He frantically brainstormed ways to get cash.
Slap!
Roshin smacked him across the face.
"You dare extort people? You dare steal from your own family?" Roshin glared at him, plunging the dagger into the dirt.
Though Roshin was tight on funds due to an extra mouth to feed at home, he wasn't desperate enough to resort to that kind of money.
"N-no! I won't! Never again!" Failing to guess Roshin's expectations, the blond shook his head like a madman.
"Forget it. I'll let you go this time. But if I catch you extorting or bullying ordinary students again, I'll drag you to the basement, chop off your limbs, and turn you into a a limbless trunk. Got it?" Roshin did his best to look menacing.
Though Roshin had no idea how the guy had imagined him, if letting him go meant he'd commit fewer crimes, Roshin didn't mind borrowing a bit of intimidation.
"Mm-hmm!" The blond nodded vigorously.
"Help me out here, oh great Herrscher of Sentience. Can you just yank him out of the hole?" Standing up, Roshin turned to ask the Herrscher.
Digging the hole was exhausting, filling it back in would be too, but fishing someone out intact was even more of a hassle.
"Of course." The Herrscher of Sentience nodded, then crouched down and disdainfully grabbed the back of the blond's exposed collar.
Roshin didn't understand what kind of bizarre martial arts the Herrscher was using, but with just a firm tug on the collar, the guy was pulled out of the hole completely unharmed.
Roshin didn't get it, but he was thoroughly impressed—and he wanted to learn it too.
"Aren't you the Herrscher of Sentience? Making sure he doesn't talk about this experience should be easy for you, right?" Roshin asked.
"Of course." The Herrscher of Sentience nodded, then snapped her fingers. Instantly, the blond-haired guy's eyes went blank.
A moment later, he regained consciousness and mechanically ran toward the exit.
"Done. Once he leaves this neighborhood, he'll forget most of what happened, but he'll still obey your threat," the Herrscher of Sentience said, clapping her hands.
[Ding! Mission Complete!]
After receiving 30 Primogems, Roshin couldn't help but marvel at how useful this blond guy was.
Stealing a loli's lollipop only gave 5 Primogems, but tormenting this guy all night earned him 40.
Maybe it was because the guy's will to survive was so strong—even though the mission difficulty was still 0, it rewarded 30 Primogems.
Feeling a surge of warmth spread through his body, Roshin was the first to leave the vegetable garden.
This blond guy really was an excellent tool. Maybe he could get more commissions from him in the future.
As for that pit… he'd plant a tree there later.
Once back home, Roshin sank into thought while remembering to take out last night's leftovers from his Inventory.
"It's still warm. How magical," he remarked, unsurprisingly earning praise from the Herrscher of Sentience.
"Fu Hua, shake my hand," Roshin suddenly said, extending his hand toward her.
"Huh? Oh." Though confused, the Herrscher of Sentience still reached out.
"Keep eating."
"Mm, alright."
As Roshin expected, after shaking hands, the Herrscher of Sentience's name appeared in his friend list.
So, to become friends, you had to shake hands first? What kind of rigid friend system was this?
Herrscher of Sentience:
[Core of Sentience] (Item): 5,001 Primogems (Original Price: 10,001)
[Taixu Sword Qi] (Martial Arts): 2,000 Primogems (Original Price: 4,000)
[Master of Cold Weapons] (Skill): 2,000 Primogems (Original Price: 4,000)
[Close Combat Master] (Skill): 2,000 Primogems (Original Price: 4,000)
[Modified Herrscher Body] (Physique): 2,000 Primogems (Original Price: 4,000)
[Weapon Case] (Item): 1,000 Primogems (Original Price: 2,000)
...
The Herrscher of Sentience was far richer than Lord Barbatos.
And the best part? She offered a 50% discount—way more generous than Barbatos.
Maybe this was the benefit of their [Father-Daughter] relationship?
Unfortunately, Roshin couldn't afford a single one of the things mentioned above, yet he wanted them all.
Then there was the price of the Herrscher of Sentience Core—just one Primogem more than the Gnosis. This…
Aside from that, Roshin took a few extra glances at the Weapon Master and Close Combat Master skills.
The Weapon Master skill allowed the free use of all cold weapons but didn't mention mastery.
The Close Combat Master skill enabled the free use of various close combat techniques, including fists, fingers, palms, and legs.
Is the level above proficiency "Master"?
Roshin was increasingly convinced that his Furniture Proficiency should be renamed Furniture Mastery.
Clearly, even Master-level skills didn't grant the user mastery, but Roshin's Furniture Proficiency did.
Perhaps this was due to the special reward he received after completing his first non-basic mission.
What counted as a basic mission? Things like snatching lollipops from little girls or cleaning for others.
Any mission with rewards under 10 Primogems and no special bonuses was considered basic.
So why did the Herrscher of Sentience, a Herrscher specialized in magic penetration, insist on competing in hand-to-hand combat?
She was a Herrscher, yet she insisted on challenging others with the Taixu Swordplay—no wonder she lost.
"Fu Hua, can you teach me swordsmanship?" Roshin suddenly asked.
"Huh? Why the sudden interest? Of course, if you want to learn." The Herrscher of Sentience was surprised but quickly responded cheerfully.
"That old fossil taught Kiana, so I'll teach you. Later, you can go beat Kiana up. Doesn't that prove I'm stronger than that old fossil?" The Herrscher of Sentience found the idea highly amusing.
"…" Roshin suddenly felt he'd made a terrible choice.