Chapter 10: Attack on the Red Loan Sharks!
Adrian waited for several days, as he didn't want to resolve the issue too fast. It would seem too easy, and also Adrian would have nothing to do if he completed the mission this fast.
He was waiting for the mission to arrive. As he had expected, news of monsters going berserk and coming out of the forest inside Antinia to damage and hunt. The count would have to take care of the monsters himself, and he had already left to reach Antinia.
In those several days, Adrian gathered information for his assault on the Casino. He knew he would face formidable opponents – 2-star and 3-star aura fighters who were loyal to their ruthless boss, Dane Lucaris.
He was the leader of the Red Loan Sharks and a powerful aura-user who was 3-star and on the verge of advancing to 4-star.
The night arrived, and Adrian stood before the Antinia Casino. The Antinia Casino stands as a glittering jewel of decadence and chance. With its sleek glass façade and cascading waterfalls that shimmer in the night, it beckons gamblers and thrill-seekers from far and wide.
Once Adrian went inside, the atmosphere was electric, with the rhythmic chiming of slot machines harmonizing with the murmur of hopeful whispers.
The main gaming floor boasts rows of blackjack tables, roulette wheels, and poker rooms, each filled with patrons testing their luck and skill. A central bar, adorned with crystal chandeliers, offers cocktails concocted by mixologists of international acclaim. A live band plays jazz in the corner, adding a sophisticated touch to the casino's ambiance. The air is thick with excitement, the scent of cigars, and the promise of fortune.
Adrian went straight to find the underground base. He remembered the way told by the bartender so he had no problem finding the door to the entrance of the underground base. Two 2-star knights were guarding the door. They both had a Red Loan Sharks emblem on the T-shirts they wore.
Adrian threw his bident laced with aura towards one of the two guards. At the same time, mana moved from his mana hole to the bottom of his feet, increasing his speed as he reached towards the neck of the other guard and snapped it.
The attack came so fast, the guards couldn't even react to it. They were just doing their duty as always when out of nowhere this superfast attack came, taking their life as a result.
"One of them should have the key to the gate of the tunnel. Let's see." Adrian searched both guards thoroughly, eventually finding the key.
Without wasting any time, he inserted the key into the keyhole and opened the massive black door. He could've destroyed this door by using his bident, but that would've alerted the boss and he could've escaped from here before Adrian got to see him.
With the loud sound of an iron gate opening, the door opened. Although Adrian tried to open it as slowly as possible so that the door wouldn't make such a loud noise, the door had other plans for him.
After the door had fully opened, Adrian could hear footsteps coming from inside the door. There was a dark tunnel inside the door which was only visible due to the torches attached to the side of the walls.
Adrian walked inside without hiding his presence. He knew it wouldn't take long for him to reach the end of this tunnel. His goal was to capture the boss and destroy every criminal found inside this base so the coming people would have to die anyways so why hide.
"Who are you? Tell us how did you get in and where are the guards?" the person in front of the coming crowd asked as he saw Adrian alone without any guard accompanying him.
He had come running after he heard the sound of the door opening and not getting any information from the guards about any visitor. The guard would first inform the person in charge about the person requesting to get in and only then would the door be opened. But this time the door opened without any contact from the guards.
"Oh me? I am just someone who would take your cheap lives and take down your lowly business." Adrian spoke in a cold voice with a smirk on his face as if he was speaking the facts here.
"Heh? Just you alone? I think you should've got some adults with you, kid, instead of coming here and spouting nonsense." The person said laughing with the people behind him.
"Don't worry! I alone am enough, and I would make sure that this would be your last laugh." Adrian said smiling.
"I have had enough of your nonsense. We will capture you first and take our time to give you a painful death. GO CAPTURE HIM! Don't let him escape." He ordered as the crowd behind him ran towards Adrian with weapons in their hands.
Adrian reacted swiftly as he enveloped the bident with aura. The bident glowed with blue-white light. Adrian held the bident from the bottom and revolved it around him in a circular motion keeping himself as a center. Slowly the speed of rotation as well as mana enveloping it increased.
After the glow on the bident was so bright that it illuminated the whole underground tunnel and made it impossible for the attacking men to open their eyes. Adrian stopped his rotating motion as the tip pointed towards the mob of men who were running towards him to attack him.
"FIRST FORM OF THE MAGIC ART OF THE TRIDENT OF DESTRUCTION!!!"
Adrian yelled as he unleashed the attack, which he had been able to do just recently. He had not wasted his time when he waited for the forest news to arrive before attacking this base. He was training his mana and body so that they could withstand the aftereffects of this move.
This move might look simple to the eye, but there is a complex flow of mana when using this move. When you rotate the trident, you have to increase the mana according to the speed and position of the trident. It might sound easy, but a simple mistake could lead to severe consequences.
The bident unleashed a bright white light moving straight toward the mob as if a dragon was using its dragon breath to eradicate a city out of its existence.
"AAH!!! SAVE ME!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE…." The men all cried at the horror of that white light.
As that white light touched them, they would vaporize into thin air without leaving any remains. It was a sight of horror to anyone who witnessed it. They tried to escape from the path of the white light, but alas, it was a tunnel – where could they even escape.
After the white light passed, only some fingers or other similar remains of the men remained.
"Looks like the attack was weakened due to using a bident instead of the trident. Otherwise, nothing would remain of them. Well, it's good these remains could serve as proof when I collect the bounty on their heads."
Adrian was a bit disappointed to see the attack fail in removing their very existence. He looked around before starting to make his way deeper into the tunnel.
Before long, he reached a large room that was fully lit with a faint scent of alcohol. Its walls were built with grey bricks, and at the center of the room was a man seated who looked like a Viking out of a movie. Surrounding him were four men who seemed to be protecting him from Adrian.
It was easy to identify the man who gave a mean look to Adrian as he stood up from his seat.
"You – who are you? How did you defeat all of my men in such a short time?" Dane Lucaris asked as he pointed towards Adrian with a panicked expression on his face.
He was minding his own business when he heard someone had infiltrated the base. He first thought it was some fool who didn't know what is good for him, but when he saw a white light coming from the tunnel and all of the noises coming to a stop after it, he knew something bad was going on and started to get a bad feeling.
But then also he was hoping this to be just a bad feeling and nothing else, but after seeing Adrian unscathed without any of his men after him, he understood what could've happened.
"Dane Lucaris – the boss of the Red Loan Sharks. I don't have any personal grudge against you. It is just that I am in need of some cash, so I thought I should come and earn some money by taking down this illegal business of yours. Don't blame me for it; I too need to survive like you."
Adrian sarcastically said, as he knew these types of people justify their wrongdoing as a way to survive in this tough world. He had seen too many people like him in his previous life.
"Oh, so you think you can take down this business all by yourself. Well, kid, many have tried and failed, and your name will just add to that list now." Dane said as he signaled to the four men and shouted,
"ATTACK!!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone