Feeling the greed manifesting right in front of those eyes that were filled with killing intent just now, Lucien felt extremely uncomfortable.
It was almost nearing the edge of madness.
So, not wanting to irk them too much, Lucien just flicked the coin out toward a corner, intending to distance these monsters.
As soon as the coin flew out, multiple shadows suddenly burst forth with incredible speed, putting to shame the one that had attacked him moments earlier
When there was competition, there would be conflict.
A single coin wasn’t enough for everyone, and the one who grabbed it first bore the brunt of a sharp blow, roaring in pain.
Still, Lucien managed to keep a safe distance from the crowd of Glimmergnaws, at least for a while.
"Phew... now, let’s start the plan, shall we?"
His system wouldn’t react to money he gave out willingly.
If he wanted to activate Debt Collection, then he had to give a loan, or someone had to steal what he had.
But with the mana shield covering him, those Glimmergnaws couldn’t steal the coin even if they wanted to.
Hence, ultimately, he’d have to cancel the mana shield if he wished to farm agility and skill from them.
Once he saw that he was relatively less... surrounded, Lucien abruptly canceled the mana shield protecting him.
And under the surprised gaze of the little guy clutching his pants below, he pulled out a simple shield and placed it in front of him.
’Hope this will at least save me from injuries.’
Lucien smiled bitterly, once again lamenting the absence of mana to control the mana shield more effectively.
Still, after making sure he had put some distance between them, he rummaged through his ring, finally pulling out a gold coin once again.
Only this time, there was no mana shield guarding his body, and the simple shield alone would not be enough to protect him if they attacked together.
Sure enough, as soon as he took out a gold coin, a shadow once again flashed past at a rapid pace, snatching it from his hand forcefully.
In the process, it even managed to claw his fingers, drawing blood, though he was less wounded than before.
’Shsss...Fuck... it hurts. Can’t it just take the coin?’
Lucien cursed, feeling the searing pain on his finger. Fortunately, his attention was diverted when he suddenly heard the system prompt in his mind, the one he had been waiting for.
[You have loaned 1 gold coin to Glimmergnaw – E-Rank Rodent.]
[Subject shows no intention of repayment.]
[Debt collection attempt: Failed.]
[Analyzing transaction records...]
[Extracting compensation of equivalent value...]
[Congratulations! You gained: +2 Agility, Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank) – EVOLVABLE]
The prompt was exactly the same as before, even if it was a painful one.
However, this time, it finally managed to bring a smile to Lucien’s face, his heart rate rising with excitement.
He didn’t even care about the blood dripping from his hands, too caught up in the exhilarating sensation of lightness flowing through his body.
"Now, now! That’s what I was aiming for. Haha... aren’t you guys my lucky charm?"
Lucien mumbled with shining eyes, mimicking the same greedy expression worn by the countless Glimmergnaw ahead.
Two coins were far from enough for them, and in their hunger, they wouldn’t mind tearing through his body to search for more gold on their own.
But Lucien wasn’t going to let that happen.
After all, he was also the greedy one. In a sense, maybe, more so than them.
Lucien suddenly smirked, meeting their gaze without flinching. In his hand, another shiny object appeared, the very thing the Glimmergnaw so desperately craved.
Another competition, another fight.
Maybe even a bloodbath?
However, the monsters weren’t so stupid as to fall for Lucien’s trick, especially when they already had the better option: to tear this human apart and take it all.
"Tch... it seems greed can make you smart too."
Lucien, of course, saw their look as predatory, ready to attack.
However, this time he didn’t crush another amulet, nor did he prepare to flee.
Instead, he suddenly smiled and waved his hand, taking out a pouch similar to the one he had given to Liora before.
"It isn’t just one, you see."
Without knowing when, his face bore a strange smile, a smile of weird excitement, as he looked at the stunned expressions, the greed on those rodents.
The restlessness and excitement were palpable, thick in the air. If they had only been thinking about attacking before, now their decision was made.
"Hehe... see, there’s a share for every one of you. But..."
Lucien paused, watching them draw closer and closer...
The tunnel began to tremble, dust falling from the ceiling as the pounding of claws echoed louder and louder.
A few of the larger ones at the front even broke into a frenzied dash, appearing near him in a blink, like shadows.
Although the Glimmergnaw were lower-ranked monsters, their agility was something else, not to mention their sharp claws, capable of tearing through stone and digging minerals from the depths.
Suddenly, a cold claw slashed through the air, catching the faint light of the tunnel as it arced toward the base of Lucien’s hand, aiming to sever it cleanly.
But this time, Lucien was ready as he slightly adjusted his position, saving his arm just in time.
However, the attack didn’t stop because he dodged, and he didn’t fully dodge either. Instead, he suddenly smiled and finished the words he hadn’t completed before,
"...it depends whether you can take it....haha...."
Although the claw indeed missed severing his arm, it surprisingly managed to strike the very pouch in it, tearing it apart.
"—clink! clatter-clang!"
Suddenly, the pouch ripped open, and gold coins flew across the tunnel, scattering everywhere, their bright clinks and clatters filling the air with a surprisingly heavenly sound.
The gleaming coins tumbled like tiny stars in the dim light, spilling across the narrow tunnel floor, dazzling the Glimmergnaw with their shimmering dance.
Sure enough, for those Glimmergnaws already near, it was a heavenly rain of wealth, their eyes turning golden with greed.
In an instant, their attention shifted from Lucien to the gold scattered across the ground.
When they saw the shiny coins scattered just a hand’s reach away, everything went crazier than anyone could believe.
The cacophony of clinking coins and frantic snarls erupted in front of Lucien, who held his injured hand but had a faint smile on his lips.
The flashing shadows he couldn’t see, the monsters’ wild auras crashing around, and their crazed frenzy no longer fazed him.
Even when the Glimmergnaw tore into each other with savage bites and claws, their gruesome fight unfolding in a chaotic dance of greed and hunger for a single coin, Lucien still had a smile.
After all, his mind was now completely consumed by the relentless sound of the system prompt, showing no sign of stopping.
[You have loaned 1 gold coin to Glimmergnaw – E-Rank Rodent.]
[Subject shows no intention of repayment.]
[Debt collection attempt: Failed.]
[Analyzing transaction records...]
[Extracting compensation of equivalent value...]
[Congratulations! You gained: +2 Agility, Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank) – EVOLVABLE]
[Congratulations! You gained: +1 Agility]
[Congratulations! You gained: +2 Agility, Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank) – EVOLVABLE]
[Congratulations! You gained: Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank)]
[Congratulations! You gained: +2 Agility, Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank) – EVOLVABLE]
[Congratulations! You gained: +10 Loyalty]
[Congratulations! You gained: Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank)]
[Congratulations! You gained: +2 Agility, Rodent’s Greed (F-Rank) – EVOLVABLE]
It was an unending sound of reward and a lightness akin to soaring to heaven.
How could Lucien not smile?