His companions—those fellow bounty hunters—had now become a heap of mangled flesh, piled off to one side as they let out faint, ragged breaths. A pair of black iron boots appeared before him, made of overlapping metal plates fitted together into sharp-edged, exquisitely crafted footwear.
Even with poor materials, such a pair of iron boots could fetch a considerable sum on the market thanks to their superb craftsmanship. Twelve seconds ago, that was exactly what he had thought. He had even sincerely planned where to sell this suit of armor for the greatest profit.
Only now did he realize how stupid that thought had been. Though they were derisively called hyenas chasing money, even beasts knew when to judge the situation. Yet they had all died here because of their own stupidity.
A hand seized his head, its five fingers seeming ready to press into his skull, wrenching a heart-rending scream from him. The sound was unbearably piercing in this silent mountain village. With one hand gripping his head, the other party lifted him from the ground as easily as picking up a helpless kitten.
"Bounty hunters, I have no prejudice against your way of life. But even people like you should understand that you cannot let bottomless greed consume your entire being. Since you attacked me just now, that meant you wagered your lives. You used your lives to gamble against mine, didn't you?"
He wanted to explain. He wanted to beg for mercy. But his violently chattering teeth could not form a single word. Like a lamb caught by a lion or tiger, his entire body had gone rigid. He could only wait for death.
"Then what a pity. You lost the bet. Your lives no longer belong to you."
"AAAAAHHHH!!!"
An unbearable pain erupted from his head.