Iya Continent: Card God

The burning body of Locke gradually died down, leaving behind a burnt smell that permeated the mountains.

An atmosphere of confrontation arose around the corpse.

The adventurers who had come to the sailboat cliffs in search of the young beast now turned their attention to Linta. Although Linta didn't have the young beast with him, they were convinced that it had been taken away by his companions. The cliffs were shrouded in darkness, making it difficult to find someone. They figured they might as well force him to confess.

Whether the red-haired Locke lived or died was of little concern to anyone. A man like him alive was a rival. However, his death could serve as a convenient pretext for targeting him.

"Heh." Linta chuckled softly with a hint of mockery, and casually walked off in a certain direction.

"You! Where are you going!" an adventurer demanded.

“I can go wherever I want. What’s it to you? Want to fight?” Linta said bluntly.

War? Linta definitely wouldn't fight; his magic was exhausted, and his mental energy was also significantly depleted. If a fight really broke out, he'd simply flee. Only a fool would fight this group. However, he needed to maintain a strong presence.

Linta's confident and imposing aura truly intimidated the group of adventurers present.

The deaths of the Silver-rank magical beast and the Silver-rank Locke deterred everyone from attacking Linta. Even though Lintas had taken advantage of their weakened state to launch a sneak attack, he dared not make a move. Or rather, he couldn't be the first to strike. If a fight was to break out, someone else had to step forward and test the waters.

"Guild, I want to go back to the guild," Linta suddenly said.

"Back to the Black Mountain Steel Guild in Sandel City." These words sent a jolt through those present, sparking new ideas.

He can go back to the guild. Once he's back, we'll find the guild leader and punish him. No adventurer's guild would forgive him for murdering a fellow adventurer and stealing a cub. Besides, no matter how skilled he is, with a Gold-ranked guild leader like Paul Quinn in charge, he can't cause any trouble.

"We'll go back with you!"

"Don't even think about running away!"

"go!"

These adventurers spoke aggressively and defiantly.

They moved to either side of Linta, wary of him escaping at any moment.

Linta smiled with a hint of mockery, but said nothing.

This is what I wanted to see.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sandel City.

Black Mountain Steel, Adventurers' Guild.

The guild was still filled with adventurers, chatting and discussing quests, creating a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

No one paid any attention to Lin Ta and his companions upon their return.

It wasn't until one of the adventurers from Locke's team shouted, "Everyone, look this way! This is a criminal who murdered his fellow adventurer!"

Upon hearing this, the entire guild fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at Linta with various strange gazes.

Linta remained calm and composed, leisurely finding a seat and resting his chin on his hand, looking like he was watching a show.

"This man killed Brother Red-Haired Locke! My brother Locke plotted the capture of the White-Headed Twin-Spotted Beast..." The adventurer in the party recounted Locke's scheme in detail. Now that things had come to this, there was no point in hiding anything.

These statements are made to prove that it was Locke who was burned to death. And that Linta, who was there at the time, was the murderer.

His real purpose was to rightfully possess the cub. He believed that the cub had been taken away by his companions and was now preparing to sell it. He needed to act quickly.

Upon hearing this, the crowd began to whisper about it.

"To kill a fellow professional for profit is a grave crime!"

"Despicable and shameless! It's because of guys like you that we adventurers have such a tarnished reputation!"

Some adventurers in the guild, as if the matter were closely related to them, were quite agitated and accused Linta.

Linta remained calm, even finding it somewhat amusing.

"What's all the noise about..."

A familiar, solemn voice rang out, carrying an invisible pressure that quickly calmed the guild's excited fluctuations.

The president, Paul Quinn, appeared, dressed impeccably.

"What happened?" President Quinn asked.

The group that followed Linta back immediately recounted what had happened, wanting to obtain the cub openly and legitimately.

President Quinn nodded, seemingly understanding something.

He looked at Linta with sharp eyes and asked directly, "What's your name again?"

"Linta".

"Oh, Linta, do you have anything to explain?"

Linta laughed and said, "Yes, I just want to ask, what's the evidence? What can prove that I killed Locke? I was just the first one to arrive at the scene."

President Quinn retorted to those people, "Do you have any evidence? Did you see him make a move?"

These words left the others speechless.

"President, he'll naturally talk about this if we interrogate him!"

"What are you saying? So you have no evidence? Without evidence, I can only act according to the rules." Guild Master Quinn stated bluntly, his gaze returning to Linta, and said sternly, "Linta, according to guild rules, if no one can prove you killed Locke, then you are innocent. However, if you really did it, my guild will not forgive you!"

Linta nodded and said, "Yes, I will remember. I assure you, it was not me. God above!"

He's spouting nonsense, and he even claims to be the supreme deity. Linta feels no remorse whatsoever for saying such things.

Such behavior made the adventurers present grit their teeth, wishing they could just kick him.

Linta glanced at the entire guild, where hostility was palpable.

He murmured to himself, "It seems I won't be able to accept any more of the Adventurers' Guild's commissions for the time being."

"If nothing happens, I'll leave first."

Linta smiled faintly and walked out of the guild under everyone's watchful eyes.

The adventurers returning from the cliff, though eager to attack Linta, refrained from doing so. Guild Master Quinn was right there. And if they acted now, they would be the ones breaking the rules.

Paul Quinn stared intently at Linta's departing figure, a slight smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

Linta stepped out of the guild and moved with lightning speed, quickly leaving the nearby streets.

"Walk!!!"

Linta couldn't guarantee that those guys wouldn't come after him.

Linta felt a little relieved after the swift wind had passed through several streets.

"call……"

Lin Ta let out a long sigh, pondering the matter at hand.

At least 30 silver coins are gone; where will I find such a big deal next time? However, at least it wasn't a complete loss. I found the card, Square 9.

And this incident taught me something.

On the continent of Iya, besides myself, there may be other races and beings who have also obtained the power of these cards.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Underground casino.

The casino is always bustling, day and night.

The cries of jubilation and despair from winners and losers are always the dominant sounds here.

Besides gambling, various transactions and sales took place in the rooms of each underground chamber, all of which were kept secret.

The elderly steward, Carmack, strode up to the top floor, heading towards the residence of his master, Gary the elephant.

The man, with a broad, stout build and a menacing face, exuding an intimidating aura, was examining some kind of letter with a somber expression.

"What is it?" Gary asked without even looking at the steward, Cameron.

Carmack said, "Red-haired Locke is dead."

"Oh? Is that so?" Gary didn't show much emotion as he looked at the letter.

Carma said, "A white-headed double-spotted leopard cub would be a good deal, but unfortunately, he's not capable. Otherwise, he could have sold it for at least 60 silver coins through us."

“I quite liked that guy, but there’s nothing I can do now that he’s dead,” Gary said with a smirk.

Carma also remarked, "Yes, he's quite intelligent, and he's a good fit for us." Then, changing the subject, she added, "It's said that the person who killed him was that Linta from before."

"Hmm?" Gary the elephant's eyes narrowed, and his fleshy muscles trembled slightly.