A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 128 Rat King's Scum and Powder

With no one else around, Rorschach carefully observed the space within which the Stone Shaping Technique had cut and isolated him, keeping it entirely under his control.

The mage ignored his still whining partner for the moment, and instead used his [Mage's Hand] to meticulously search the four thugs. Having been caught off guard by Leopold before, he was now searching with extra care.

Rorschach approached and attacked with great caution and restraint, without using any flashy special effects, subduing the four people as silently as possible.

At first, Mr. Hasai thought that the passing sorcerer had only offered help on a whim, but now he saw him casting a spell under the cover of thick fog, remotely rummaging through the thug's clothes, inner pockets, and even his private parts.

Is it a case of double-crossing? Or is it just perversion?

Hassai, the imperialist with stereotypes about the Holy Kingdom, especially Valuvana, successfully scared himself.

Rorschach found turbans that supposedly contained anesthetic, and bags of unknown powder for each person, with the thugs who beat up the merchants possessing the most. Each person also had one or two crude weapons, some of which were even inflicted with tetanus.

He also had several wallets and a handful of coins on him, whether stolen or robbed like this, it was unclear. He seemed to be the leader of a small group of four.

There was also a bloodstained glass soda bottle in the corner of the alley.

He glanced at his partner again, who visibly flinched at the look in his eyes. "You're still so lively, you must be alright."

Luo Xia raised his hand, beckoning the leader of the thugs: "What are these two? Where did they come from?"

"One method is to soak the anesthetic headscarf in medicine when not in use, and when needed, take it out and cover the pig's nose and mouth, and it will definitely faint."

"Second brother, no, grandpa, please give me some first, the rest are all yours, I can't take it anymore."

Large beads of sweat gathered on his skin, rolling down as he trembled incessantly. His only hope for relief was a mouthful of the powder in front of the mysterious man.

"You only answered one question." Do you understand that the first question of each major question has the lowest score?

Rorschach could roughly guess what both items were. The headscarf proved its effectiveness on the two burly men lying sprawled out, while the powder... Rorschach observed the four thugs' thinness, their unfocused eyes, and their superhuman tolerance for pain.

They themselves probably don't realize that, compared to normal people, their behavior after having their limbs removed was still too "mediocre." Clearly, these people weren't trained with superhuman willpower; it's very likely that their pain receptors had become dulled for some reason.

The leader's arm tightened, the dislocated bone and flesh fighting, and he was really speechless.

"It's Old Red! Rat King Red! All the stuff was bought at his bar." The last unlucky guy who tried to escape was in slightly better shape; he was the first to run away and even managed to answer. His head was still half-buried in the ground, and he had to take a bite of dirt after every sentence, but even so, he managed to explain himself as clearly as possible.

Rorschach decided to engage in effective dialogue with someone possessing a stronger will to survive: "How do I buy it?"

"You said it, then..." The thug leader stopped talking before he could finish. In the darkness, the others couldn't see the details, only that his silhouette suddenly shortened and then he fell silent.

The thug who had been actively cooperating was still embedded in the ground, his back to his former boss, unaware of what had happened. He continued speaking, ignoring warnings:

"There's a die-hard fan of his in the corner of the bar, with a rotten nose. You buy a drink, sit across from him, and ask if he sells rat poison."

The "Rat King" selling "rat poison"—this vendor is quite humorous. In folk tales across mainland China, the "Rat King" is not the strongest individual rat, but rather a monster formed by dozens of rat tails intertwined together.

The escape artist's mind worked at full speed at the most crucial moment: "Even if you know the code, Old Reid won't easily show his face! Only familiar faces can buy the real thing; otherwise, it's real 'rat poison'!"

He shifted his body slightly, finding the restrictions loosened, allowing him to raise his head higher and fully expose his mouth to the ground. This was encouragement for him to continue! The quick-responder was overjoyed:

"I often go shopping with the boss, I know the process! Sir, please let me go, and with my cooperation, Old Red will definitely sell you the real stuff!"

His leader was no longer able to offer any opinion; amidst the groans of his comrades, he could only reply with, "Okay."

After finishing his questioning, Luo Xia took the time to treat his partner's injuries. Actually, his injuries weren't serious; he only had several bruises, nothing vital. At most, he'd have bruises to keep him warm for a while. He should remember one lesson: having bodyguards doesn't give you the right to wander into alleys and take shortcuts.

"Sir, thank you for saving me. I... I'm willing to offer all my wealth as a token of my gratitude."

Rorschach dispersed the mist, and a ball of light illuminated his face. The young man flashed a bright smile: "Mr. Partner, we just met. How could you mistake me for a robber?"

"You! You are a Dharma Master!"

"He's a classmate of the eldest son of the Baldorom family. My name is Rorschach. I wanted to ask about my friend's recent situation at the tavern, but unfortunately, I'm sitting at the same table with a talkative stock manager."

He extended his hand: "Excuse my boldness, but since you are a mid-level partner, you must be an Imperial citizen, right? It's unwise of you to venture into alleyways in Valuvana."

Despite the pain, the partner shook the outstretched hand, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent: "Hassan, I am a business representative from the Holy Kingdom. Alas, it's all my fault for drinking and bringing along two idiots."

Huh? Blue fluorescent light surged from between his hands, entering Hassan's body and making him feel relaxed all over, all pain gone. As a result, his curled-up body naturally straightened up.

The white light revealed the merchant with thinning and disheveled hair. Even by the standards of the empire, he was a boring middle-aged man with an outdated wool sweater lining. He immediately patted his trench coat with heartache and tugged at the hem in hopes of smoothing out the wrinkles, but the dirt and grime had long defined them.

"What should we do with these thugs?"

"It's your decision, it's your decision."

"Okay." Rorschach picked up the blood-stained soda bottle and walked over to the still conscious escape champion.

The other party can now see a pair of leather boots, and then a bottle is placed in the center of their field of vision. The white light of the [Illumination] spell refracts inside and outside the glass bottle, making the bloodstains particularly noticeable.

He could have looked up, but he didn't dare. However, the clever mice in the small group already knew they were in grave danger—the other party made no attempt to hide their identities or talk about their friends.

Damn it, I need to pee, but there's a pebble blocking the exit in the hardened ground.

The monk then posed his second major question: "Do you recognize this bottle? Where did it come from?"

This question was destined to be worthless, as the person answering it was destined to fail, so they might as well just remain silent and give up. Taking the beggar's money tonight was just a spur-of-the-moment decision by the boss, and he himself took this bottle and smacked the old man on the head. Because of the pressure, the soda bottle was much thicker and smaller in diameter than a liquor bottle, making it heavy and feeling good to swing around.

As people age, their heads become harder than beverage bottles – a new discovery made today by those who have failed in their escape attempts.

The street wasn't far from the riverbank. A group of people found a sack thrown out of the kitchen, scooped up the beggar, and swaggered down the street. After feeding the fish in the Sene River, they strolled back and immediately bumped into a large fish in their own territory.

What a lucky night! He deserves a couple more pinches of "rat poison" to celebrate. That was his original plan.

The soil softened again. As for this so-called "Rat King," Rorschach wasn't a rat, and he didn't need any "guide" or "seeking an audience." He watched as the fourth thug slowly sank into hell, his bloodshot eyes staring blankly ahead—that is, staring at himself.

Four small mounds of earth appeared in the alley. Rorschach told the merchant to be patient: "Mr. Hassai, please wait a moment. The road surface needs to be leveled a bit more." The [Sculpting Technique] continued to work, compressing and compacting the gaps until the last traces disappeared completely. To avoid startling passersby, he buried it deep enough and leveled it sufficiently.

The phrase "to be buried in peace" refers to the fact that security in Valuana improved somewhat after the four scumbags were buried.

Rorschach put away the collected powders, the "charming headscarf," and the small medicine bottle for soaking towels: "Mr. Hassai, you can wake up your bodyguard now."

"Fine, fine, fine." Hasai slapped the drooling burly man across the face, and slapped him again before he woke up. This scene, which was somewhat tinged with personal grudges, reminded Rorschach of an old friend who was also a partner.

"Sir?" Upon seeing his employer, the man immediately sprang to his feet and assumed a fighting stance, warily facing Rorschach.

"I'm a classmate of the young master of your chamber of commerce. I happened to find out you were being robbed, so I stepped in to help out."

"Let me do it, let me explain!" Hasai quickly explained to the two, becoming more and more agitated as he spoke, eventually turning it into a lecture.

Finally, Hassa rubbed his hands together, seeking Rorschach's opinion: "They've realized their mistake, are you satisfied?"

Rorschach: ?

I'm not your crazy boss, you can't just yell at me and give me a satisfaction survey.

Thank you to the readers "I'm not targeting you", "NEET with a beautiful fantasy", "Reader 20220822174910394", "Nan Ni", and "Reader 20210425191137751" for their monthly ticket support!

Thank you to readers "Goldenlang", "天下有只熊", "吴浩666", and "犹枕南柯" for their recommendation votes!

This chapter has been revised and cut many times. Normal update schedule will resume tomorrow!

(End of this chapter)