Chapter 16: Teaching the Troublemakers a Lesson
Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Teaching the Troublemakers a Lesson
"Hotte, are you sure... we should really be doing this?"
The pointy-faced man looked at the dilapidated hut not far away, his face full of hesitation.
"Yesterday, Captain Basque told us not to cause any trouble—"
But before he could finish, the tall, sturdy man, Hotte, spat viciously.
"Pah! Harlow, you pushover! If you don’t have the guts, then get the hell out of here!"
His bull-like eyes were wide and bloodshot, clearly burning with rage.
"After being humiliated so badly yesterday, you’re not thinking about getting even, but spouting this cowardly crap instead. You’re a fucking waste!"
The pointy-faced man turned pale from the verbal abuse, but he still tried to reason with him.
"But... we agreed to ambush that kid and beat him up to let off some steam! Not burn his house down! Everyone will find out!"
"So what if I burn it?"
Hotte said stubbornly, gritting his teeth, his face full of resentment.
"If you ask me, that Calamity Star and this plague-ridden place he lives in should have been burned to the ground long ago!"
However, before he could turn his words into action, a faint sigh came from behind them.
"Who are you planning to burn?"
"Who’s there!?"
The two had been sneaking around to do their dirty work, their nerves already on edge. Being suddenly discovered gave them a huge fright.
But when they saw who it was, an even greater fear seized them!
Before them stood a fully armed Barbarian Warrior, holding a dripping wolf’s head in one hand and its carcass in the other. He fixed them with a cold, brutal gaze, as if he wanted to eat them alive!
Seeing this, the pair who had just been arguing nearly pissed their pants in fear!
"Shit!! The Northern Barbarians are attacking!!"
"Northern Barbarians?"
Hearing the nonsensical shouts of these two idiots, Jon didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
North of the Shery Mountain, there were indeed Barbarian Race tribes. They would occasionally send small raiding parties south to plunder. And in the fourth year of the game, they had even triggered a Major Event, causing some serious trouble for the human kingdoms.
But that was all in the future.
No matter how resistant to the cold the Barbarian Race was, they would never make a move this close to winter. That would just be suicidal.
But then Jon considered his current appearance—clad in animal hides with disheveled hair—and thought it wasn’t so strange to be mistaken for a Barbarian.
’I should clean myself up when I get the chance...’
As for now, he had to deal with the two idiots in front of him first.
The young man dropped the wolf carcass, his expression grim as he looked coldly at the two men huddled together, trembling.
"Since you’ve seen me... I can’t let you leave!"
"Eek—! Stay away!"
But he paid them no mind, lunging forward with a punch!
His fist smashed into the side of the tall, sturdy man’s face, snapping his head to the side. Several teeth flew out, and one side of his face instantly bloomed with red and blue, like a dyer’s shop had opened for business.
Then, Jon’s back muscles flexed. His left hand shot out, grabbing the pointy-faced man who was trying to flee. He yanked him to the ground and followed up with a kick that sent his head ringing like a temple full of gongs and cymbals.
"You’ve got some real nerve! Daring to cause trouble at my place?"
"You wanted to burn my house, huh! You wanted to kill me, huh!"
"Fine, let’s see if you have what it takes!"
Jon was already in a foul mood because of the lone wolf. Now, hearing these two thugs secretly plotting to burn down his house!
This was simply intolerable!
Fueled by his anger, his blows landed more and more smoothly. Soon, the air was filled with agonized howls as the two men, completely unable to fight back, were beaten to a pulp.
It wasn’t until Jon got tired and paused to catch his breath that the two beaten men realized who was attacking them.
Harlow lay on the ground, hands over his head, and peeked through his fingers to see the young face of Jon, partially hidden by his messy hair.
"You... you’re that Calam... Calam..."
"Hmph!?"
Jon’s brow furrowed, and he delivered another kick, earning a pained "Ouch!"
"What did you just call me?"
"Jo... Jon—ouch! Why’d you hit me again?"
"Is Jon a name for you to call me? Call me Master Qiao!"
This was clearly not a conventional form of address in the Harvia Empire, but the two men, now thoroughly beaten into submission, didn’t dare defy Jon. They lay on the ground and repeatedly shouted.
"Master Qiao! Grandpa Qiao! Please, spare us! We won’t do it again!"
"That’s right, that’s right, Master Qiao, we were wrong! We’ll never dare again!"
"Damn, a couple of spineless wimps..."
Jon narrowed his eyes and gave each of them another kick, making them curl up like shrimp as they continued to beg for mercy.
After venting his anger, he couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words.
Killing them here and now would be satisfying for a moment, but it would undoubtedly make him an outlaw. The village’s captain of the guard wasn’t just for show!
But the lesson for these two scumbags couldn’t end here.
Compared to physical pain, a humiliation of the Spirit was far more effective at crushing a person’s dignity.
The young man picked up the headless wolf carcass from the ground, tossed it between the two, and said coldly,
"Get up, both of you. Carry this wolf and follow me!"
The explosive shout made the two men on the ground jump. They ignored the pain in their bodies and scrambled to their feet.
Although they didn’t know why Jon gave such an order, they could only obey meekly.
But as their hands touched the furry, stiff wolf carcass, they finally registered a fact they had subconsciously ignored before.
’That Jon actually hunted a wolf and brought it back!?’
Yesterday, when Jon had returned with the large snow fox, they had just assumed the kid got lucky or had stolen someone else’s kill.
Even when his roar had scared them witless, they had only thought the others were useless, getting them caught up in the mess. They were unwilling to admit that it was Jon who had frightened them.
But now, after being brutally beaten until their bones ached, carrying the heavy wolf carcass, and smelling the unique, foul stench of a wild beast, they finally and truly realized something.
The boy before them—the one ostracized by the villagers as a "Calamity Star" and forced to live on the outskirts of the village—was truly different now!
He was no longer that foolish kid who didn’t talk back when insulted or fight back when pushed!
He could go into the mountains and hunt wolves!
And when he fought, he fought as if to kill!
And so, the two men suddenly felt that the boy striding forward—clad in armor, carrying a sword, and holding a bloody wolf’s head—possessed an awe-inspiring aura, just like those Knight Lords!
With their simple, village-bred minds, this was the highest comparison they could make.
Jon, of course, couldn’t be bothered with the thoughts of these two idiots. He simply walked at the head of the group, heading toward the village.
Reason is for reasonable people. For foolish thugs like these, only real pain and humiliation could instill a sense of awe!