[Congratulations! You gained: +2 Perception, Skill: Venom Insight (Passive)]
[Venom Insight (Passive): Helps you recognize common poisons by sight, smell, or aura. Uncommon or rare poisons may trigger a cryptic mental hint.]
Lucien almost cried out loud upon seeing the system notification. However, before he could properly express his surprise, a sudden surge of information bombarded his mind, followed by an abrupt clarity of perception.
It was as if he had been forcefully dragged out of a quagmire, alert and refreshed.
Glen called out again after seeing him dazed. His hand extended outward, offering the pouch containing the 500 gold coins.
However, unlike before, Lucien could see something different in the pouch this time. A faint shimmer—barely perceptible to an ordinary eye—clung to the fabric like oil on water.
'So, he wants to poison me?' Lucien suddenly became alert and looked at the smiling figure of Glen in a warrior outfit.
Now that he looked at it, his figure was not like a warrior's but a nimble ghost's, suitable for swift movement, just like an Assassin.
'But why would someone try to assassinate me?'
He thought, feeling a little dreadful.
'Wait a minute... Did something happen to me before I transmigrated?'
Lucien suddenly recalled how he had inexplicably transmigrated into this body. From all the novels he had read, one thing was clear: something must have happened to the previous owner of the body for him to take over.
'Does that mean I was poisoned before I transmigrated?' After all, he had met with that guy Glen just a day before he arrived.
'System?' Lucien tried calling out to the only one who could provide answers—his system—but received no response.
"Sir!" Seeing him still silently standing, Glen was confused.
"Are you... angry? Don't worry, I will make sure to get the remaining gold coins too. You can just... accept this for now," he said, getting a little closer.
Due to his increased Perception stat, Lucien could already sense the faint hostility in Glen's eyes.
He felt that if he showed even the slightest unusual behavior, this guy might kill him right then and there. And he didn't even have Garrick with him to save him this time.
'Damn! Why isn't a single skill I have related to fighting?'
Lucien thought, feeling helpless.
"Haha... don't worry. I'm not angry—just surprised that someone actually tried to return money to me. That's a first, you know."
Lucien suddenly laughed while looking at Glen.
"Anyway, I'm not short on money. Since you're so honest... why don't you keep it? Let this be a reward for your honesty."
Like hell he'd touch that coin pouch.
Although Venom Insight could help him identify poisons, it didn't give him the ability to cure them.
So, he figured—why not just give it back to the bastard?
'Maybe I'll get something in return again. Who knows?' he thought.
"Hmm? Oh, haha... yeah, that was a little unusual." Once Glen heard what he said, he realized that it was indeed a little abrupt.
After all, Lucien was famous for losing money. When had he ever gotten money back from someone else?
"But still... I feel truly ashamed, Lord Lucien. So I insist—you must take the money back. In fact, why don't I find that crystal first and only ask for the payment once I've located it?"
He said it again, almost shoving the pouch at him. No matter what, he seemed to be hellbent on poisoning Lucien.
'Damn! What should I do?'
Lucien was thinking fast about how he should solve this trouble.
In fact, he could easily save himself now by using the amulet his mother had given him. He could even ask Garrick to arrest this guy right away.
However, the fact that someone was targeting him in this place didn't sit well with him. And who knew if they had other plans that would activate the moment he showed any unusual behavior?
He was as weak as a chicken and might die before anyone even had the chance to come save him.
However, before Lucien could make a decision, something shot out from behind and snatched the coin pouch right out of Glen's hand. The entire motion—from the sudden appearance to the vanishing pouch—took less than a second.
"Haha... if Lucien doesn't want this much money, I'll gladly take it. Not guy needs it anyway."
As both Lucien and Glen stood frozen in confusion, a hearty laugh rang out, laced with sarcasm, prompting them to turn around.
Lucien raised an eyebrow as he spotted the burly man grinning at him, teeth flashing in amusement. Perched on his shoulder sat a golden monkey, proudly holding the stolen coin pouch like a trophy.
"Yo... got any more money you don't want, Mister Prodigal? If you do, just toss it my way—no need to be shy."
Hugo flashed a sly smile, mocking Lucien.
"Master Hugo, isn't this too much? That was the gold coin I was returning to Lord Lucien. Why don't you return it?"
Before Lucien could say anything, though, Glen suddenly stepped forward with a stiff smile. He was almost about to succeed in poisoning Lucien, and this bastard had to butt in.
If he hadn't been advised to stay low-key for this mission, he would've shown him exactly who he was messing with.
"Hmm? Who are you? And why should I return anything?" Hugo said, casually raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't the one who took your money. Why don't you ask my Bongo?"
He pointed at the golden monkey perched on his shoulder.
And to everyone's surprise, as soon as Hugo pointed, the monkey simply opened the pouch and began pouring every single coin into its mouth, without leaving a single one behind.
It even managed to let out a loud, satisfied burp and then grinned wickedly at Glen, whose face instantly turned dark.
Now the question was—how the hell was he going to retrieve that gold?
"Oops! It seems Bongo accidentally ate them all. How about you come back tomorrow to collect it?" Hugo grinned, laughing at the two of them.
He seemed to be in a particularly good mood.
'Damn bastard! You ruined my plan. Just wait—your stupid monkey won't be laughing when it dies from my poison.'
Glen was so angry that it took everything he had to keep himself in check.
He still had to enter the dungeon and complete another mission. He couldn't afford to blow his alias here.
However, while Glen fumed in silence at Hugo's mockery, the person who had actually lost the gold coin was unusually quiet. In fact, if one looked closely, Lucien even seemed to be grinning just a little.
That was because the moment the monkey swallowed the gold coin, Lucien unexpectedly heard a prompt from the system echo in his mind.
[You gave a loan of 500 gold coins to Golden Monkey: Bongo.]
[He has bad motives and no intention to pay back.]
[Debt collection failed.]
[Analyzing transactions...]
[Extracting compensation of equivalent value...]
[Congratulations! You gained: +3 Agility, D-rank Skill: Golden Flick]
[Golden Flick (D Rank) — Active Skill
Quickly flick a shiny coin or small reflective object at your enemy's eyes, momentarily blinding them.
Effect: Inflicts Flash Blindness for 0.5 seconds on any target within two ranks above you.
'So, I can collect debts even from monsters?'