Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Ajin and Little Hua

Volume 4: His Majesty the Rose

The business in this arena was thriving, with the automatic exchange machines swarmed by customers. Everyone, except for the towering Abu, was submerged in the crowd.

"Everyone, hold on tight," Nibro said cautiously while guarding his wallet.

"Follow me." Eventually, Abu took charge, pulling a monster in front of him out of the crowd like a carrot from the ground. He glared at the creature before tossing it aside.

Then came the next one, and the next.

"Come here, come here." After disposing of six individuals, he waved at Ji Huan and the others. Placing his companions in the vacated spots, Abu stood at the forefront, followed by Naji at the back.

"Keep an eye out. If anyone tries to throw you like I just did, flatten them," Abu instructed Naji.

Flatten, can he even do that? Nibro worried.

But Naji patted his slender chest confidently, implying that he was up to the task.

Under Nibro's watchful gaze, the group quickly reached their turn. Abu reached into his chest pouch and inserted a golden card into the machine.

For the convenience of prize settlements, there were many automated teller machines within the arena that allowed contestants to check their balance or withdraw cash.

Abu swiftly withdrew his earnings.

"I'm rich again!" Snatching the money pouch that the machine had dispensed, Abu let out a triumphant snort through his nostrils.

It was a large and bulging pouch, a world apart from the sums that the previous creatures had withdrawn. Nibro noticed that the monster who had previously been sulking over losing its spot and eyeing them hungrily immediately lost interest.

The currency in this machine was measured in units of Jinzhi. The puffier the pouch, the more victories the creature had, and the higher its rank.

Winning a match on the gray arena only earned a few dozen coins, but on the green arena, the prize was at least twenty times that!

In the entire hall, there were only a handful of creatures who could retrieve such a plump pouch as Abu's. For a moment, no other monsters dared to approach them. Abu's group became the center of attention, with those gazes filled either with reverence or calculation. In response to these stares, Abu simply shot a few glares around before securely attaching the bulging pouch to his waistband.

"Abu, it seems you're quite a formidable fighter!" Even an amateur like Nibro understood the significance of that pouch.

"Oh, just average. It was a side gig," Abu waved off the compliment, then turned his attention to Ji Huan.

Ji Huan shook his head. "I lost my card."

His card was stored in a servant's locker at Saroyan's Arena. He hadn't brought it with him when he left. Although the daily wage wasn't much, he had received three generous tips.

Nonetheless, Ji Huan didn't feel regretful. He was already grateful to have escaped alive.

"Mr. Ji Huan, are you also a fighter?" Ji Huan appeared taller than Nibro, but he didn't seem like a formidable monster. This surprised Nibro.

"I'm a server, and I have a card too. My daily wage and expenses are on it," Ji Huan explained. Nibro understood immediately.

Likely, Naji was a server as well – he glanced at the bean sprout-like little monster behind him.

Little Grey, of course, didn't have a card. Then there was the old monster.

This one... didn't look like a fighter! But...

He didn't look like a server either!

Watching the old monster insert his card into the ATM shakily, Nibro averted his gaze respectfully while the other entered his PIN. However, just as he turned away, the next second...

"ΘΔ!" A roar echoed from the direction of the ATM, followed by a tremendous clatter. As Nibro turned his head, he was astonished to find the ATM in front of him had vanished.

One of the old monster's slender legs hung mid-air, his slipper flying off.

Abu promptly retrieved the ATM from the corner, also picking up the old monster's stinky shoe in the process.

The ATM in the arena was renowned for its exceptional durability against violence. Nonetheless, even this robust machine—

Nibro stared at the deep imprint of the slipper on its surface, complete with the size of the sole imprinted. His heart trembled slightly.

"What's... wrong?" Nibro asked softly.

"Damn it! There's a negative balance on the card! They're actually asking me to pay the remaining gambling debt!"

So, this one was a gambler, Nibro realized.

=-=

Gladiators, servers, gamblers... their group seemed to consist of all sorts.

With that kick, the surrounding monsters grew even more hesitant to approach them.

Here, who hasn't given an ATM a good kick or two? But to kick one into this state... Not many can claim that!

While everyone held their breath, Naji stepped forward with his gold card.

His literacy was even worse than Abu's; he couldn't read numbers. While Abu could still choose amounts, Naji wasn't skilled at it. After the first match when the prize wasn't significant, Abu taught him to simply press the "Withdraw All" button when they discovered Naji's illiteracy.

This time, Naji pressed "Withdraw All" as well.

The machine suddenly crackled, and a large money bag swiftly emerged from the dispenser. As soon as Naji grabbed it, another big one appeared right after. He took out five in total before the ATM emitted a screeching noise.

"The ATM balance is insufficient. There seems to be a malfunction. Please contact the staff on site and continue your transaction at another machine. Thank you," a robotic female voice announced from the ATM.

Everyone's attention shifted from the ancient monster to the slender, beanpole-like one.

"How can that be?"

"The machine broke down!"

The monsters who had been watching in the hall immediately cried out. Naji was at a loss, trying to retrieve his card. Despite slapping the machine for a while, the card refused to budge.

Naji eventually cast a pleading glance at Ji Huan, who promptly approached. Upon seeing the remaining balance displayed on the machine, Ji Huan was momentarily taken aback but remained composed. He promptly took out his phone and, following the instructions for dealing with machine malfunctions posted beside the ATM, began dialing the provided number.

The arena staff proved to be efficient, and promptly a specialist arrived. After a cursory check on the machinery, Naji and the others were respectfully escorted to a lavish room.

The remaining funds were transformed into an anonymous debit card, now held securely in Naji's grasp. The five enormous money pouches from before remained unharmed on the table, accompanied by an array of beverages.

Several staff members from the arena sat across from Naji, their faces beaming with smiles as they inquired about the fighting arena where Naji had previously worked. They then proceeded to lay out a series of attractive offers, hoping to entice Naji to join their establishment.

Naji's card held a staggering five million golden barbs!

A fighter who could accumulate such a sum on their card was undoubtedly a top-tier contender in any arena! Upon hearing the announcement of a substantial withdrawal, the staff within the arena buzzed with excitement.

"So, Naji, you're that formidable, huh..." Having finally freed himself from the crowd, Nibro looked at Naji as if he were a creature from another world.

Naji scratched his head and chuckled.

"Naji, you're now a millionaire! Have you thought about what you'll do with that five million?" Nibro tried to shift the conversation to lighter ground.

"Stones. I...I want to buy stones," Naji replied earnestly.

"It needs to be heavy, unbreakable stone." He had specific preferences.

Abu and Ji Huan exchanged a glance, both smiling slightly. Adan was huddled in the backseat, his eyelids drooping onto his cheeks as if he had dozed off.

"Do you like stones? Alright, I'll keep an eye out for some for you."

It was already late, and seeing that Nibro was getting tired, Ji Huan asked him to drive them back home.

All the monsters in the car were asleep.

Abu and Adan were snoring competitively, while Naji was sandwiched between them, sleeping soundly. Five bags filled with golden combs were placed in front of his knees.

Ji Huan glanced at the backseat and then at the little Grey Demon resting on his own lap.

The little demon's eyes were still open, but...

Ji Huan reached out and gently rubbed his eyes. When his hand withdrew, the young demon's eyes were closed.

As they pulled into the yard, it was almost four o'clock in the morning. The yard was quiet, illuminated only by a few dim garden lights. Most of the windows in the buildings ahead were dark, save for one room whose light was still on.

"Alright, I'll drop you off here." Nibro said to everyone as he parked the car.

Aren't you living here?

That was what Ji Huan initially wanted to ask, but he quickly thought of something and simply thanked Nibro instead.

Abu and the others had already woken up when the car was about to stop.

In Ye Falar, monsters didn't truly fall into deep sleep. There was always a trace of consciousness that remained alert.

They soon returned to their previous room to rest.

But Ji Huan couldn't fall asleep.

He wanted to put the meat he brought back in the fridge, but remembering the still lit light, he unzipped the bag again.

The kitchen in this house was fully equipped with all kinds of cooking tools and ingredients. Without much effort, Ji Huan found a suitable pot, washed it, and started boiling soup.

If someone were to look from the outside now, there would be two lit windows in this white building.

One was situated in the center of the third floor, while the other was in the kitchen on the first floor.

The same warm yellow light intermingled, casting a cozy glow.

As the fragrance of the simmering meat broth intensified, Ji Huan took out his phone, contemplating sending a message to Ajin. However, he hesitated, unsure if it would disturb the other person.

Eventually, he simply sat down on a chair in the kitchen, lost in thought.

For Ji Huan, moments of idleness were rare occurrences.

Just the night before, he had been uncertain of his fate, yet here he was today, able to leisurely prepare a pot of soup in the kitchen once more.

Wondering about Ah Ye and Hei Dan, Ji Huan felt an intense longing to return home.

It was then that he caught a whiff of tea's aroma. Turning towards the scent, he saw the very man he had been deliberating messaging standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

It was Ajin.

Clad in a white shirt and black trousers, with polished leather shoes on his feet, he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, as silent and unassuming as ever.

Ji Huan noticed the pot the other held in his hand, along with two cups.

It immediately brought back memories from a long time ago.

Back then, whenever Ji Huan secretly indulged in snacks in the hallway outside Ajin's room, Ajin would suddenly appear. After the first time, when he had come empty-handed, Ajin would subsequently bring various types of tea on his subsequent visits.

"Do you want some soup?" Ji Huan jumped down from his chair.

Ajin nodded, and Ji Huan promptly went to serve the soup. As two bowls of meat broth were placed on the kitchen counter, Ajin emerged with two cups of tea.

But as Ji Huan picked up the cups, he realized it wasn't tea; the familiar aroma was that of Yark.

"The tea leaves, they're finished," Ajin explained.

"Yakki is also delightful." Ji Huan raised the cup and took a large sip.

The author wishes to clarify: The two individuals are not currently in a romantic relationship.

To Ajin, Ji Huan symbolizes a chapter of his past, a relic left behind from that experience.

There is no animosity involved.