"The name's Gin! I will become the richest man in the world!"
And there was silence.
The Ragnakar was not able to process the information it gained upon receiving the message through its auditory canals.
Alice was not any better. Her eyes became round and had a very confused-looking face. The words "...richest man in the world" kept ringing in her ears.
'I'm gonna die here, what's all this nonsense? Who is this nonsense? Why is this nonsense?'
Then something distracted her from all the thinking. She was facing a shiny, silky smooth butt. The texture seemed like something that was polished by the greatest sandpaper in the 7 realms. The complexion was out of this world. It was like a baby's skin multiplied by ten.
'What awesome butt is this???'
"Nyahahahahahahahaha! Are you amazed by my awesomeness?"
The man started to show-off his not-so-muscled average thin body, flexing his small biceps and puffing his chest until his skinny ribs are visible using some Mr. Muscle poses.
"Witness the glamour of the world's richest man! Nyahahahhaha!!"
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
The Ragnakar was fuming with rage. 'What's this skinny human doing?! Why am I even bothering with this? He might have only read a few books about the Ancient Tongue. What am I to fear?'
The Ragnakar smashed its claws directly at Gin but somehow, the man was able to duck and evade. The ground was hit instead and made a huge hole where Gin was standing. Dust was all over the place and with that kind of impact, it would hit Alice who was nearby.
But as the dust came down, the Ragnakar saw Gin's back. He moved further away from the Ragnakar. The man was facing Alice while his back was facing the Ragnakar. During the commotion just now, he was able to move and bring Alice to safety. It was as if he didn't mind the monster behind him.
"So... Miss... having a hard time with the little bug here?" Gin asked while smiling.
"Uhh.. can't you see how powerful that monster is??!!" Alice exclaimed.
"I can help you..."
"What?
"I said I can help you. For a price of course!"
"Damn it! We're facing a life-threatening situation here!"
"Well... 1 million gold pieces to save you. What do you say?"
"...."
"Ok ok! 500 thousand gold pieces?"
Alice's eyes bulged and turned red. But the Ragnakar seemed to be feeling much worse. Large veins kept popping from its bulging muscles and its eyes turned completely red.
"Why you human SCUMMM!!!" The Ragnakar shouted.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
Another attack from the Ragnakar came. It was more powerful than the first blow. The ground cracked and fire seemed to come out of the fissure.
But Gin and Alice where again located at another place. It seemed like they teleported and moved through space. Alice was stunned to see what happened.
"The claw was just right above us and..."
What shocked Alice the most was, the place she was currently sitting on was the same place she sat on from the start. She didn't move at all. It was the Ragnakar that kept moving.
Then she saw a very thin golden bubble screen just a foot away behind Gin.
"Alright alright! Since you smell like my Alice… those fresh sweet strawberries… So... 10 gold?" Gin was still haggling over on a price to save her.
"10 Gold? Deal!" Alice replied with hope in her eyes.
Earlier, she was on the verge of death. The monster was about to kill her. And now, this mysterious person that just popped out of nowhere might have the ability to save her.
In the current economy of the 7th realm, the current currency was called Tals, which was taken from the last name of the king who made the first bank, Talmund Tal. It is composed of different values starting from the lowest copper tal, silver tal, gold tal, white gold tal and the highest value, origin tal.
Tal was based on the amount of origin ore deposits a country has. Origin ores are used by Arts Practitioners in their cultivation, Flying Ships, Defense systems, Healing, and Life prolongation.
The higher the amount of Origin Ores a country has, the richer it is. There are a lot of origin ore mines located around the 7th realm but the process of mining was hard. A lot of manpower was needed. So the value of the resource became much higher than actual gold.
10000 copper tals are equal to 1 silver tal. 1000 silver tall = 1 gold tal. 10 gold tal = 1 gram of origin dust. 1 kilogram of origin dust = 1 origin stone of the lower tier. The higher the stone's value, the better its effects are. The annual salary of a common working person is 1000 copper tals a year while a regular soldier would earn 5000. 1000 copper tals is just enough to feed a family of 5 people.
A kingdom under the Silversword empire has income from tax around 1000 gold tals a year. 900 gold goes to the expenses of the empire such as military and improvement. 100 gold tals go to the different expenses of the royal family.
Let's say Alice belongs to a noble family that earns an annual income of 10 gold a year. Then her annual allowance would be around 50 silver tals. Currently, her total savings is 9 gold tals... and that kind of money gives you the title of "wealthy". Yet this mysterious person is actually asking for 10 gold? The heck?!
But she had no choice. Her only hope of surviving this calamity lies in the hands of this mysterious man. She has to compromise. 'What will I do with those tals if I die here?'
"Ok! Deal! Now... hand in those gold coins... ehhehehe.." Gin was extending his hand, with eyes that where gleaming at the thought of gold.
"Um... I don't have any right now... I'll pay you after I can get some from the bank..."
"What? Are you scamming me, little lady? It's just a bit of gold and you can't pay?"
"Bit of gold? Do you think that's a bit of gold?! That's a WHOLE LOT OF GOLD!!"
"Urgh! Anyways... pay up first!"
Alice felt like fainting. 'What's with this crazy person? There's a monster behind him and yet here he is haggling for the gold... After this is over... I will have this naked man executed!'
"Do the task first you scoundrel! Then I will pay you! Who carries that amount of tals anyway?!"
"Everyone carries them on their Inventory Pouches!"
"Inventory Pouches?"
"Yes! Them Inventory pouches! Don't tell me you don't have one? Are you that Poor?"
Alice saw the world was spinning. 'Good heavens! What is this man spouting about? Inventory Pouch? Only powerful and important figures of the Empire has one... They are worth 1 million origin stones!"
While the human couple was quarreling with each other, the angry Ragnakar was at the peak of its wrath. Its blood was boiling and steam can be seen puffing out of its nose and coming out of its ears.
PHANTASMAL ROAR!!!
The Ragnakar's phantasmal roar that can corrode even the toughest of steel, shot from its mouth like a raging cannonball ready to erase all life forms it hits.
Alice became still and her face paled at the scene. All she could see was a bright red light before an explosion occurred. The pressure from the roar was so strong that Alice just closed her eyes and let fate decide the outcome.
'If this scoundrel acted before the monster then we might have a chance... It's too late now. The both of us have probably corroded into nothingness... we... huh?'
"Fine! But I'll have to stick with you until you pay me alright? And you pay for my food and lodging as interest until you can pay me!"
"..." Alice opened her eyes and what she saw next stunned her so badly.
Gin was holding a red ball of energy that radiated a deathly corrosive feeling. It was the Ragnakar's phantasmal roar.
"What?! How?! Who are you??!!" The Ragnakar exclaimed. It now was feeling fear and started to slowly walk backward. It was thinking of escape! 'You're holding my Phantasmal Roar on your hand like it's some kind of toy'
What happened next made the Dark green scaly skin of the Ragnakar turn white.
Gin was putting the phantasmal roar in his mouth and biting it like eating cotton candy.
"Ewwwwwwww!! What the hell is wrong with this energy? It's corrupted! Yuck!"
"....."
"Welp! Time to earn my money... Hehehehe"
The Ragnakar only felt great fear. So great that the only thought on its mind was an escape.
It then turned around and used all its mana in increasing its running speed. One can say that the Ragnakar seemed to be like lightning. But can it really escape?
The monster's acceleration stopped. Something was wrong. It looked at his body and found out that a gold hand was holding its trunk. Its eyes became wide and looked crazed. It smashed its claws on the hand but to no avail. Instead of damaging the hand, wounds started to appear on the monster's body.
"What is this!? What kind of Art is this!?"
"It's called Energy formation, Titan Art!" Gin exhaled proudly.
"Now... let me show you my personal Art! My Modified Energy Formation Art!"
Gin clenched his fist and posed like he was about to throw something.
ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! ROCK 10 TON CANNON!!!!
Gin punched and a golden glowing fist twice the size of his hand came out from his clenched fist. The pressure it applied was greater than the phantasmal roar but was much compact and firm.
The golden fist struck the Ragnakar. The monster shrieked as its body started to deform from the impact, pressure, and power of the fist. It was like a piece of chalk smashed with a sledgehammer.
ACKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ragnakar become powder and scattered through the air.
"Now... pay up!"