SSS SKILL: DUPLICATE

Edgar smiled when he heard Yuto."Don't mind my neck. Worry about your toys. I hope they won't break easily."

Yuto had a bigger grin when he heard Edgar. His killing intent was rising as he kept walking to the stage.

In the evening, Vistal was standing on the balcony of Poison Lord's mansion while he was talking to another man. The man had dark brown skin, white hair, and beast tattoos. His name was Karan.

"How's the security?" asked Vistal.

Karan chuckled."Nothing happened. Aside from the incident with that damn Alex, everything looks the same."

"Don't lower your guard. The government is not the same. They now have a strong fang. They might take advantage of the absence of our Lord. Although Rancel is here, the government could still cause trouble and losses to us before he could mediate."

"Hahahaha, they are nothing. No matter what they do, it will just be a painful pinch and won't destroy our guild. I hope Viel will come. I want to have a life-and-death battle with an heir," said Karan with a grin.

Vistal chuckled. He touched the wound scar across the bridge of his nose."You are underestimating an heir. You must at least reach a peak third level if you want to survive against them."

Karan laughed. He looked at Vistal, and then an aura covered his body. Fire gathered above his head and formed a huge lion's head.

ROOOAR! The lion's roar startled the guards and caused fear among the three-headed dogs that were patrolling around the mansion.

Karan smiled."If I reach the peak of the third level, I could fight on equal footing with an heir."

Vistal shook his head and thought,"The boss did not fight with him seriously, so he thinks he can fight with an heir. I should let the boss teach him a lesson. With his character, he could make excuses so he could challenge Viel, which is suicide."

Within a private room of a huge club, a middle-aged man was angrily pointing at a woman who fell to the floor. The woman's cheek was swelling because of a strong slap.

"Bitch! Know your job and do your job!" Shouted a man named Ton.

Another man laughed."Hahaha! Ton, you forgot that money matters to them. How can she do an extra job for free? Don't try your luck, man, you are already old."

The other men in the room laughed.

Ton chuckled when he heard the man. He looked at the woman on the floor, then he took his wallet from his pocket. He took 1,000 peso bills from his wallet and kept throwing them to the floor as he walked closer to the woman.

"Is this what you want? You should have said it earlier. Here, take it," said Ton with a smile as he shook the money in his hand, but the woman was not moving. Ton's smile disappeared. He raised his hand that held the money and swung it to the woman's face. "I said take it!" He stopped swinging his hand when the door of the room suddenly opened.

A beautiful woman in her thirties with a purple dress and feathered coat came in. She was known as Madam Lisa, a Poison Guild high-ranking member who was in charge of brothels.

"Ooh! It's Madam Lisa," said Ton with a lecherous gaze.

Madam Lisa smiled."I was informed of the commotion here, which cannot be solved by my men, so I have to come personally."

Ton chuckled."I am an important business partner of Poison Guild, but one of your employees is too rude and does not want to do her job."

Madam Lisa looked at the woman on the floor."Get up."

The woman got up and moved to Lisa. Lisa lifted the chin of the woman and looked at the swelling cheek.

"They worked hard to reach a rank, so they could no longer be forced to do what they did not want to do. That is a rule that I set, and Poison Lord respected it," said Lisa as her eyes turned sharper.

Whoosh! "Ahhh!" screamed Ton when a thorny green vine slapped his face, causing a wound to appear and crashing him to the ground. The other men in the room had flustered faces because of the sudden turn of events.

"W-What are you doing?! I am an important partner of your guild! Your guild will not let you go!" shouted Ton.

"A business partner that does not know the rules of the guild is dangerous. They will be thankful that I am removing any future trouble," said Lisa, then she swung her thorny vine.

"Ahhh!" screamed Ton as Lisa kept swinging the vine in her hand. The clothes on Ton were torn, and wounds kept appearing on his body. The vine tied the neck of Ton and lifted him to the air.

"M-My business is important to the guild," said Ton with fear.

Lisa smiled."Don't worry,there are many people who want to fill the gap that you will leave."

SCENT OF ROSE

A red rose was rising near the vine that tied Ton's neck. He was trying to free himself, but to no avail. The red rose bloomed and red pollen spread. Ton inhaled the pollen, and his skin turned red.

"Ahhh!" screamed Ton. He felt like he was burning. He desperately pleaded for forgiveness. His scream became stronger, then pollen moved out of his body and floated toward the rose. Ton's skin returned to its previous color, then he crashed to the ground and gasped for air.

Lisa looked at the men in the room, causing them to feel more fear. She chuckled and said,"Know the rules and respect the rules. Do you understand?"

The men repeatedly nodded their heads. Lisa smiled. The thorny vine turned into shimmering green lights, and then she and the woman went out of the room.

"Raise your head. You don't have to be ashamed of your job. You just did your best to survive," said Lisa as they walked. The eyes of the woman turned teary.

Lisa went to her room. She filled a glass with wine and stared at the busy street with its gorgeous lights. She raised her left hand, then a flower rose on her palm and bloomed.

"It's just a matter of time before it wilts, but I could at least let the other flowers bloom," thought Lisa, then the petals flew and moved around her. She sipped the wine as she kept thinking and looking at the busy street.