Apollo stared at the bamboo hat guardian, confused. Tilting his head, he asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Don't pretend to be innocent!" Sir Guo shouted angrily. "I know you're the one who cut the dummies in half! You even broke the stage!"
Apollo stood up, pointing his finger at the ground guardian. "Don't accuse me without proof! I'm just a beggar! How could I even cut those scarecrows, huh?!"
"Huh? Do you think I'll believe your nonsense?" Sir Guo sneered, crossing his arms. "You're a Wanderer, so stop acting childish and behave your age! Come with me—you have to pay for all the damage!"
Fck! What the hell is even a Wanderer?! But I'm definitely not one!* "No way!" Apollo shouted. There was no way he'd admit to destroying the dummies and the stage.
If they make something meant to take a hit, why get so angry when it breaks?
"You!" Sir Guo's face turned red with fury. "If you keep lying and being stubborn, don't blame me if I resort to force!"
"Use force on a kid?" Apollo smirked, raising an eyebrow. He glanced behind him and saw that they had already attracted a crowd of onlookers.
People love drama, and a morning spectacle was something they wouldn't dare miss.
"Pretend to be a kid all you want," Sir Guo said, narrowing his eyes at the beggar. "Are you coming or not? Or do you want to fight? Let me tell you this—I'm not someone you can defeat. Ha! Even the Headmasters wouldn't dare start a fight with me!"
"But I'm not a Headmaster!" Apollo retorted, though he was actually nervous. What the fuck, System? I bought the right item, right? So why the hell is this happening? Wish Me Bad Luck with a ten percent negative luck?!
A screen materialized before him, and the System's emotionless voice echoed in his head.
"The Host bought the Wish Me Luck item, and it is functioning as intended. The System's products are flawless, with no defects. Should the Host find a defect, the System will reward the Host, the System Store, and all of its products," the System replied.
"Nah, fuck you," Apollo muttered. He believed the System. If it said there were no defects, then it was probably true.
His luck had increased by ten percent, but that didn't mean he'd actually get lucky.
"I see, so you really want force," Sir Guo said, nodding, his expression turning serious as the brim of his bamboo hat hid his eyes. "Then come with me!"
He spread his hands, attempting to grab the beggar, but his hands passed through the air, wrapping around his own body instead.
"Eh?" Sir Guo looked around in confusion. The wrecker was gone. "Where is he?"
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he reopened them, a sharp glint flashed in his gaze. Sir Guo turned to his right, where a vague figure—nearly imperceptible to normal people due to how perfectly it blended with the surroundings—was sprinting away.
The figure was fast, and it would only take a few seconds for him to disappear!
"Not this time!" Sir Guo coldly smirked, the air around him crackling with electricity.
Suddenly, his body vanished, the world around him turning into a blur!
Apollo, running with all his might, gritted his teeth. Using this invisible technique, derived from the Hydra Mirage combined with the Simple Movement Technique, was making his breathing heavy. It was too energy-consuming!
Just a little farther, and he would be able to escape that pervert!
However, in the next moment, a flash of electricity zoomed past him. His eyes widened as a figure materialized, blocking his path!
"Ah, fuck!" Apollo cursed, but he couldn't stop in time or change direction.
"Got you!" Sir Guo smirked, grabbing the beggar's collar and lifting him up. "Do you think you can outrun me? Your actions only prove you're guilty!"
"No, I'm not!" Apollo protested, trying to push the hand away while his feet flailed in the air. But the grip lifting him felt like a wall.
The beggar realized there was no way out of this.
"Come with me!" Sir Guo commanded, smiling in victory as he started dragging the beggar back to the training ground.
But suddenly, his face twitched.
"Help! Help! This guy is kidnapping me!" Apollo shouted at the top of his lungs, staring at the onlookers watching the scene unfold. "I'm not into men! I'm not into men! But this guy is forcing me!"
"You!" Sir Guo's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
He looked around and saw the looks people were giving him. His face flushed red with embarrassment. I'm also not into men!
"Shut up!" Sir Guo hurriedly walked faster.
"Help! Help!" Apollo kept shouting, but no one intervened. When he caught the eyes of a few people, they just turned away, pretending not to have seen anything. Cowards! This is why the poor stay poor while the rich get richer!
There was a carriage nearby, just a few buildings away from his beggar spot. As they approached and still no one was stepping up, Apollo's face turned conflicted.
He knew that once he entered the carriage, he'd have to pay for all the damages! But how the hell was he going to come up with the money?
"Wait! Wait!" Apollo called out to Sir Guo.
"What?! Don't embarrass me anymore, kid! You know full well you're in the wrong!" Sir Guo said with great determination. He'd been scouring the city to find the beggar. But because of other work, he hadn't caught him until now.
"How are you so sure it's me?" Apollo asked. "Just because I was there the night before it happened doesn't mean I'm the culprit!"
Sir Guo stopped in his tracks, the carriage right in front of them. Turning to the beggar, he smiled confidently. "I don't need proof. You just admitted it yourself."
"I admitted it? I don't think so," Apollo said, staring at the training ground guardian innocently. But inside, he cursed himself. Why the hell did I say that?!
Sure enough, Sir Guo's next words caused Apollo's shoulders to slump.
"How did you know it happened the night before, unless you were there?"
"Well..." Apollo scratched his cheek. "Rumors travel fast... so..."
The carriage door opened, and Sir Guo tossed the beggar inside like a sack of garbage.