Chapter 2 — The Price of Revenge
Ren walked over to Kael Veyron and kicked him hard in the stomach.
Kael jolted awake with a painful gasp, his body curling instinctively as he struggled to catch his breath.
Ren ignored him and reached into Kael's pocket, pulling out his magic phone.
He grabbed Kael's hand and pressed his finger against the fingerprint sensor.
The screen unlocked immediately.
'Convenient.'
Ren opened a delivery app and began adding several expensive items to the order. He didn't bother checking the prices. It wasn't his money, after all.
Once the order was ready, Ren turned his attention back to Kael.
He grabbed Kael by the hair and pulled his head up before punching him directly in his already-bloody face.
"What's the account number and PIN?"
"I... I don't know," Kael muttered weakly, blood staining his lips.
Ren punched him again.
"Don't try to deceive me. You were always bragging in the classroom that you knew your father's bank account. Do you take me for an idiot?"
Another punch landed.
Kael's face twisted in despair.
It was true. He knew his father's bank account number and its PIN. He had discovered them by accident and had bragged about it in class to make himself look impressive.
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But he had never dared to actually use his father's money.
Now, with Ren's fist repeatedly smashing into his face, Kael's courage disappeared.
"I-I'll tell you!"
He quickly gave Ren the account number.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, he revealed the PIN as well.
"Four... nine... two... seven!"
Ren stopped.
"Four, nine, two, seven," Kael repeated desperately. "That's the PIN!"
Ren calmly entered the account number and PIN into the phone.
The transaction went through.
"Should've said it sooner," Ren said. "Would've saved you the pain."
He punched Kael one final time, knocking him unconscious again.
Not long afterward, a man riding a magic scooter arrived at the entrance of the alleyway.
He stopped when he saw the scene.
Three children were sprawled across the ground, covered in blood, while another child stood among them.
The delivery man's expression stiffened.
Ren walked toward him.
"Sir, did you place the order?" the man asked cautiously.
"Yeah."
"Can you tell me the order code?"
Ren gave him the code.
The delivery man handed over the package, confirmed the delivery, and quickly left.
He didn't ask what had happened.
In a world where magic existed, it was better not to stick your nose into someone else's business. You never knew when getting involved with the wrong person could ruin your life.
That was also why, despite all the commotion, nobody had come into the alley.
Ren opened the package.
Inside were three healing potions and three cleaning spell talismans.
The healing potions were extremely expensive. Ren had used a massive chunk of Kael's father's savings to buy them.
Before using them, however, Ren walked over to the three unconscious boys.
He punched each of them a few more times.
Their faces quickly became bloody again.
Only then did Ren open the healing potions.
He forced the glowing liquid into each boy's mouth.
Almost immediately, a strange magical glow spread through their bodies.
The wounds began healing at a visible rate.
The swelling on their faces disappeared. Their split lips closed. The blood around their mouths vanished, and the injuries on their scalps healed.
Even some of the hair that had been ripped from their heads began growing back.
When the healing was complete, Ren took out the three cleaning spell talismans.
He activated them one after another.
A wave of magic swept over the boys, causing the blood and dirt covering their bodies and clothes to disappear.
Within moments, they looked as though they had never been beaten at all.
The three boys slowly regained consciousness.
They blinked and looked around in confusion.
Their hands were uninjured.
Their clothes were clean.
Their bodies felt completely fine.
One of them touched his face in disbelief.
"W-Was... was all that just a dream?"
The second boy looked at him.
"L-Looks like it."
For a moment, the three of them tried to convince themselves that it had been nothing more than a nightmare.
But the memories were still there.
They remembered everything.
Every punch.
Every kick.
Every moment of pain.
The humiliation.
Their faces darkened.
Confusion quickly gave way to anger.
Then rage.
The hatred they felt toward Ren overwhelmed whatever hesitation remained, completely clouding their judgment.
Ren noticed the change in their expressions.
'Time to leave.'
He grabbed his bag by the straps and ran out of the alley.
Unlike the three boys, Ren hadn't used any of the healing potions or cleaning talismans on himself.
His face was still bruised, his lip was still split, and his clothes were still messy and dirty.
Behind him, the three boys scrambled to their feet.
"REN!"
They immediately chased after him.