The Weakling's Strongest Weapon
Time: April 15, 2032. 2:35 PM.
Location: Tokyo Central Military Hospital, Ward 404.
The door flew open with a violent crash.
Standing on the threshold was the same black-suited Guild representative—according to his name tag, Mr. Tanaka. Behind him hovered a worried doctor and two armed guards.
The fear in Tanaka's eyes had vanished, replaced by pure, predatory greed. The photo Laylo had shown him—the Blue Slime Core—had stolen his reason.
"Where is it?!" Tanaka barked, storming into the room. "Show me the stone! Now!"
Laylo jumped, retreating toward her brother's bed. She clutched her phone tightly to her chest (having hidden the real stone in her pocket).
"Stay back!" Laylo said, her voice trembling. "It's our property!"
Tanaka let out a mocking laugh. He began to advance slowly, cornering Laylo.
"Property? Little girl, you don't seem to know the laws. According to Article 4 of the 'Emergency Situations Act,' any high-energy object of unknown origin must be surrendered to the state... or rather, to a licensed Guild. It's a matter of national security."
Tanaka extended his hand.
"Give it to me. I'll take it for 'inspection.' If it's safe... maybe we'll give it back."
(Of course, he wouldn't give it back. He intended to sell it on the black market and make a fortune).
Kenji watched it all unfold.
He had no physical strength. If he tried to get up and punch Tanaka now, his own arm would snap. If he used the "Demon's Gaze" again, he might pass out from exhaustion.
Therefore, the only path left was Tactics.
Kenji took a deep, raspy breath.
"Stop," he said in a low but distinct voice.
Tanaka looked at Kenji, his face twisting in disgust.
"Ah, the 'Sleeper.' You're awake, but your tongue is still loose. Stay out of this. This is grown-up business."
Kenji fixed his eyes on Tanaka. He didn't use any magic. He simply analyzed the enemy, drawing on eighty years of experience.
Analysis:
Clothing: Expensive, but tasteless.
Ring: On his right hand, a "Fire Ruby" ring. D-rank artifact.
Temperament: Cowardly, but power-hungry. Ignorant.
Kenji moved his lips:
"Did you know... that the ring on your right hand is a fake?"
Tanaka froze. He instinctively looked down at his ring.
"What? What are you talking about, you moron?! This was crafted by a master of the 'Red Dragon'..."
"It's not heating up," Kenji said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "A real Fire Ruby should feel warm, sensing its owner's pulse. Yours... is as cold as ordinary glass, isn't it? The man who sold it to you took you for a fool."
Tanaka's face flushed red. Indeed, he had bought the ring on the black market for a huge sum, and it had never felt "magical." Kenji's words struck his most sensitive spot—his pride.
"What is it to you?!" Tanaka shouted, but uncertainty crept into his voice. Distracted from Laylo, he approached Kenji. "Don't change the subject! Where is the stone?"
Kenji continued:
"Speaking of the stone... Mr. Tanaka, you just mentioned 'security.' But did you know that the blue stone is actually a 'Destabilized Slime Core'?"
The term was nonsense. Kenji had invented it on the spot.
"If you touch it with your bare hands, without a special containment unit... it will suck the mana right out of your body and explode within ten seconds."
Silence fell over the room.
Laylo looked at her brother in confusion. She was holding the stone in her pocket, and nothing was exploding. But she was a smart girl; she stayed silent, careful not to ruin her brother's play.
Tanaka hesitated. Although he was an "Awakened," his rank was low, and he had no deep knowledge of artifacts.
"You... you're lying," Tanaka said, but he took a step back. "Explode?"
"Try it," Kenji said with a smile. There was such a chilling calmness in that smile that Tanaka shivered. "Laylo, give him the stone."
Laylo's eyes went wide, but she pulled the stone from her pocket and held it out to Tanaka.
The stone really did emit a strange, intense light.
Tanaka reached out. His fingers were five centimeters from the stone when...
Kenji flicked the metal spoon on the bedside table with the tip of his finger.
Clang!
The spoon hit the floor with a sharp, metallic ring.
Tanaka's nerves snapped. Thinking "The explosion started!", he threw himself backward onto the floor, covering his head with his arms.
"Get down! It's gonna blow!"
Everyone froze.
The doctor was petrified in the corner. The guards looked at each other, bewildered.
Laylo stood there, stone in hand, staring down in amazement at the "powerful" Guild representative cowering on the floor.
One second.
Five seconds.
Nothing exploded.
Kenji rested his head back on the pillow and sighed deeply.
"Oops," he said sarcastically. "My mistake. I guess it wasn't a destabilized core, but just... a souvenir after all."
Tanaka slowly lifted his head. He realized he had been played. His face went pale, then turned beetroot red. He was humiliated. He was lying on the floor in front of his subordinates and these "trash" commoners.
He scrambled to his feet, dusting off his clothes. His hands were shaking with rage.
"You... you filth..."
"Mr. Tanaka," Kenji said, dropping the humor. His tone was now dead serious. "We have the stone. You have the debt ledger. We will pay the debt. By noon tomorrow."
Kenji looked at the doctor.
"Doctor, according to hospital regulations, if a patient proves solvency, they must be granted a 24-hour grace period. Here is the proof. This stone covers the debt ten times over."
The doctor, seeing the quality of the stone, swallowed hard. He looked at Tanaka.
"Mr. Tanaka... legally, they are right. If we take the stone by force now and the press finds out, the hospital could lose its license."
Tanaka ground his teeth. He had lost. Not by force, but by law and cunning.
"Fine," he sneered. "Noon tomorrow. If you are one cent short... I will send not only you but your sister to work as slaves in the lowest mines of the 'Red Dragon'."
Tanaka slammed the door as he stormed out. The doctor and guards hurried after him.
Silence returned to the room.
Laylo slumped against the wall and exhaled deeply.
"Brother... you... you made a fool of him!" Laylo suddenly burst out laughing, though it was a nervous laugh. "He was lying on the floor! I can't believe it!"
Kenji, however, did not laugh. Sweat was pouring down his forehead. That little "performance" had drained every ounce of his energy.
"It's a temporary victory, Laylo," he said in a weary voice. "Tomorrow he will come back. And he won't come alone. We need to sell the stone. Fast."
"I'll take a picture and put it on a 'Dark-Net' auction right now," Laylo said, reaching for her phone.
"No," Kenji said. "The Dark-Net is dangerous. We need an open, legal, but anonymous trade. Go to the 'Hunter's Exchange' website."
Kenji closed his eyes.
Today, he had defeated the enemy not with strength, but with their own fear and ignorance.
But he knew that without real power, he wouldn't get far.
I need to fix my body, he thought. Tonight... I enter 'Meditation' mode. It's time to scrub off eighty years of rust.
Kenji looked at Laylo.
"Laylo, you won't sleep tonight. You'll guard the door. I... might do some 'strange' things. Don't be afraid."
Laylo nodded.
Kenji closed his eyes and dove into his spiritual world. The infinite ocean there was still frozen solid. He had to start melting that ice, drop by drop.