| The Rise of Loki, The Trickster! (2)|

"Of course. If I lost, I will do anything you asked...For the rest of my life!" Loki's confidence is boundless. This caused the adventurers in the hall to start talking amongst themself.

"Bring it on BRAT! I'll show you hell after winning this!" Adventurer Ross laughed and scoffed at the challenge, thinking that it would be an easy win, thus, agreeing to play the game. His action caused Loki to smile.

Loki walked towards the nearest table table in the hall and clears the table in one swift swipe before sitting down.

"Anyone here have three spare cups?" Loki asked the audience.

The same receptionist brought three wooden medium sized cups and gave it to Loki.

"Thanks" Loki thanked the worried receptionist before ignoring her and brought out a gold coin from his leather pouch.

"We'll play a game of 'Guess where the coin is'"

This caused the audience to stir up as this game is a game where it the one's with better concentration, reaction time, and focus will be the winner.

This quickly gathered a crowd of adventurers in the hall, some of whom placed bets on the outcome of this game.

Many people placed their bets on Ross winning because he's a high ranked adventurer with skills backing him up, covering his pride and arrogance that knows no bound.

"We'll play three times. If you lose..." Loki raised three fingers before stating,

"...You'll have to give me 'Everything' that you currently have on you." Loki smile widened as he finished.

The rules are simple - Loki would hide a coin under one of three cups, and Ross would have to guess which cup it was under. If Ross won, Loki would be his slave for the rest of his life. However, if Ross lost, he would have to give everything that he currently have to Loki.

"Whatever. There isn't even a possibility of me losing!" He yelled, taking a seat in front of Loki. The crowd surrounds the table with enough space before reaching the table Loki and Ross's game is taking place.

"Ready?" Loki asked looking at Ross through the hole on his half mask.

"Hmph. Don't even ask." Ross crossed his arm.

"I will assume that you're ready then...Oh! One more thing...You can use Mana" Loki stated before showing everyone the gold coin in his hand that he just placed it in the middle wooden cup.

>Szzz<

Loki made the first simple slow move, as Ross's eyes followed the cup. Ross isn't using mana and so is Loki.

>Szzz<

Second move, it got a little faster as he swapped the cup from the far left with the far right.

As the game goes on, the crowd quickly realized that they had underestimate Loki. Loki was quick, nimble, with has extraordinary slight of hand skills.

As soon as Loki finished his 9th move, the crowd lost track of the cup that holds the coin as the coin would slid over random cups making it difficult to track it with bare eyes. It would be different if they were to reinforced their eyes with mana but it's too late for this round.

>Szzz<

"So? Where's the coin Mister?" Loki asked, with a wide smile, showing his white teeth.

Adventurer Ross may be sweating right now but on the outside he maintain his arrogance.

"...The one on my Left." He said as he himself revealed the content inside the cup...which is empty.

The crowd erupted into laughter, which adds fuel to the fire, Ross.

"Ready for round 2?" Loki said.

"Go ahead!" Ross yelled, this time he reinforced himself with mana.

"Sure~"

.

.

The result of Round 2, Loki wins.

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter, while the cocky adventurer Ross grew increasingly frustrated and embarrassed. He has one more chance.

For the third round, Loki lifted his sleeve, showing the crowd that he's not cheating nor attempting to do so.

In the end, Loki had won three times in a row, leaving Ross humiliated and defeated. The crowd cheered and clapped as Loki collected his winnings.

"Come on~ What are you waiting for Mister? Give me all that you have! HAhAHahaha" Loki laughed.

With many witnesses, Ross couldn't do anything other than doing what he promised.

He unequipped his armor and weapons, before throwing it on the floor and is about to leave the hall.

"Wait mister~ I thought I clearly stated that if I win, I will take 'EVERYTHING' you currently have on you no?" Loki reminded while touching the bottom of his smiling lips with his index finger, acting innocent.

"?! T-This f***ing brat!" Ross cursed, his face turned completely red out of anger.

"Strip!"

"Strip!"

The crowd chants echoed the hall.

"You can't run mister~" Loki smiled, with crowd of adventurer standing behind him.

"Just you wait!" He yelled before taking out his shirt and pants before walking away.

"Mister? Where are you going? You're missing something no? Or am I having eyes problem" Loki called out with a menacing stare and smile.

Ross is practically naked right now...well, he would be completely naked if not for the underwear he's wearing.

"HAhahahaha!"

"No mercy!"

The crowd laughed.

Ross had no choice but to take his remaining cloth off...But that's not the end of it as Loki's enhanced voice muttered.

"That's quite disappointing isn't it...Now, I feel pity for you mister" Loki said while pointing at Ross's private part.

"I am a generous person, so...You can take put your underwear back on. I don't want people to see such a disappointment thing." Loki said.

The crowd found this harsh but deserving for people like Ross whom had bullied many lower rank adventurers before.

The crowd laughed once again as Ross ran out of the adventurer guild, on the verge of crying.

'I won't mess with him...I won't mess with him from now on! I swear!' Ross ran out of the adventurer guild with nothing but white underwear.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, two individuals can be seen overlooking at the situation on the first floor.

"Guild Master, what do you think about this?" A woman in formal suit asked the guild master.

"That's one daring kid. Did he came here to register as an adventurer?" The guild master asked.

"Yes, I suppose so" The secretary answered curtly.

"He doesn't seem to have a sponsor for him to do the Rank examination...Allow him to do the rank examination process" Said the Guild Master.

"Understood sir." The secretary nodded.

The guild master waved his hands, indicating her to leave before walking towards his office after glancing at Loki who's being surrounded by adventurers asking for a friendly game.

***

[Merlin's PoV]

After humiliating that adventurer, Ross, other adventurers lined up and challenged me to a friendly match of 'Guess where the coin is'.

I denied it at first but the first challenger paid me 1 gold coin to play a game of three round with me.

With money being involved, I couldn't deny his sincere request right?

And here I am, defeating every challenger I faced. My fame is increasing as well as my pouch's weight.

30 minutes in and I realized that I can't just play around here as that isn't the purpose I came here for.

"That's it for today. I'm not done registering as an adventurer yet." I announced as I threw a gold coin up before catching it.

"That's unfortunate but good luck then!"

"I will definitely win you next time!"

"M-My allowance..."

I received many different response from the crowd.

Smiling widely, I said.

"Prepare more entry fees next time. Cuz I'll rob you broke! Hahahahah!" I then walked towards the receptionist desk.

"I've already filled in the form right? What's next?" I asked the same receptionist.

"Yes, now we'll get your adventurer card ready and you'll start with the lowes-"

"There's no need. Guild Master has allowed him to do the rank examination without a sponsor." A woman in a formal suit interrupted the receptionist.

"Yes ma'am" The receptionist answered without questioning.

"Please, come over this way." The receptionist stated as the other woman walked towards a stair that leads to the second floor.

The receptionist got up from her seat and the opened the door beside me from the other side. I followed her and as we entered, I couldn't help but notice the hushed murmurs around us.

"Oy, there's someone taking a rank examination," someone whispered.

"It's just a masked midget, though." another hoarse voice mocked blatantly.

I turned towards them and smile as I simply followed the clerk in silence.

Passing through the door, I was led past the row of seats behind the glass counter, into a small room.

The office was minimally decorated with two leather couches positioned to face each other. On the far end of the room was a dark, wooden desk facing the door; a slender man was seated behind the pile of neatly-stacked papers, jotting down something with a quilted pen.

Roused by the sound of his office door being opened, the man looked up to reveal a sharp and angular face. The head of black hair I had been staring at was parted down the center and reached just past his thin neck. Behind his rimless and thick glasses were a pair of sharp eyes that regarded us intently.

"I came here for the purpose of taking this gentleman to be taken in for a rank examination by Secretary Sarah's order." The receptionist stated her purpose.

"Yes yes, I know. You may wait outside Mary." The slender man waved her away as he stood up from his seat and approached me.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kaspian Bladeheart, and I am in charge of this branch. I see that you caused quite a scene earlier." He introduced himself with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too. That was nothing anyways." I shrugged.

"Is there a name I can address you by?" His gaze darted up and down as he quickly assessed me.

"I go by Loki, the trickster" I answered.

***

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