Chapter 147: Blood and Quiet Tears
Blood and Quiet Tears
After Julian D’Aurelius took several blows, he didn’t waste time exchanging insults.
Talking was pointless in a fight like this.
Instead, he simply swung the hammer in a brutal backhand motion, aiming straight for the attacker’s head.
The thugs didn’t have Julian’s absurd defensive ability.
For them, a hammer strike to the skull was more than enough to leave someone half-dead on the floor.
And the restroom corridor was narrow.
Too narrow.
Their advantage in numbers couldn’t be used properly.
The attackers could only rush in one after another.
Like zombies in a tower defense game.
Or like the legendary Calabash Brothers rushing forward one by one to save their grandfather—only to get beaten down individually.
THUD!
Another hammer swing.
Another thug collapsed.
Meanwhile, the two men assigned to restrain Charlotte Bonds weren’t having any better luck.
They hesitated.
They didn’t dare hurt her.
Their boss had made that part very clear.
But Charlotte showed no such mercy.
Her eyes were cold behind the black mask.
She had always despised scum like this.
And though she wasn’t a full martial artist, she had trained enough to be dangerous.
The watermelon knife in her hand flashed repeatedly.
Within two minutes—
Both attackers were already covered in slashes.
They collapsed to the ground groaning.
The entire situation turned painfully awkward.
One opponent...
Couldn’t be beaten.
The other...
Couldn’t be touched.
Within minutes, more than a dozen of the thirty attackers were already down.
The remaining thugs began shouting nervously.
"What the hell—what do we do?!"
"Damn it, how should I know?!"
"What’s wrong with this guy?! Why can’t we hurt him?!"
The men cursed as they tried attacking again and again.
But every strike produced the same result.
CLANG.
THUD.
Like hitting a statue.
One thug stared at Julian in disbelief.
"Damn it... this isn’t how the script was supposed to go!"
"Weren’t we supposed to beat this pretty boy first... then tie up the woman?"
Seeing their comrades collapse one after another, the group was completely dumbfounded.
How the hell were they supposed to deal with a cheat like this?
Julian suddenly laughed.
The laugh sounded slightly wild.
"From now on..."
He swung the hammer again.
"THIS CASINO IS CALLED JULIAN’S CASINO!"
His laughter echoed through the hallway.
At some point, he had actually started enjoying beating up these weaklings.
Damn it.
I’ve got a health-lock cheat.
Why not enjoy it?
Seeing the thugs still hesitating to attack Charlotte, Julian suddenly grabbed two knives from the fallen men.
He charged forward.
"Come on!"
"Let me teach you how real villains fight!"
Several more attackers fell.
And finally—
The remaining thugs completely broke.
"Screw this! I’m running!"
"F*ck this job!"
"What the hell is wrong with that guy?!"
"I’m out!"
The surviving men turned and fled in panic.
Inside the casino hall, gamblers stared at the scene in stunned silence.
Just moments ago—
A group of thugs had aggressively surrounded this man.
Now...
It had somehow turned into this blood-covered man chasing the thugs away like prey.
Just as Julian was about to chase one last fleeing thug—
A pair of hands grabbed his arm.
"Stop!"
Charlotte rushed forward and held him tightly.
"Don’t be reckless!"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"You’re bleeding!"
It was just at that moment Julian noticed his shirt clinging, heavy with red. Blood had seeped through every layer without him feeling it earlier. The dampness hit him like a cold weight against skin.
Redness filled Charlotte’s eyes.
Fear.
Real fear.
Earlier, she saw him get hit again and again.
Blood sprayed each time the blade found his skin. A kick followed by a crack echoed through the room. Silence came only when he stopped moving.
Blood soaked through his clothes now.
Heavy air pressed inside her ribs now.
If she had left him behind instead of dragging him along... he’d still be stuck there, waiting under that broken streetlight
Had he stayed away, shielding her would never have happened
Hurt would never have touched him.
His eyes met hers, a small smile creeping across his face.
"I’m fine."
"Don’t worry."
"This blood isn’t mine."
Fingers aimed downward, toward the motionless figures lying still.
"It’s theirs."
She just looked at him, quiet, not buying a word. Then turned away like he was already gone.
Maybe he acted okay, she figured, only to keep her from blaming herself.
"You’re not fine."
"You’ve been hit so many times."
Her voice trembled.
"Let me see where you’re hurt."
She took hold of his shirt right away, pulling it up a little to see his chest.
No wounds.
Her brows furrowed.
Down she bent a little, hand stretching for his leg, tugging at his pants to see if there was damage below the waist.
Julian panicked instantly.
His fingers closed around her wrist.
"Hey - !"
"Damn it, I’m really fine!"
"Don’t do that! Everyone’s watching!"
Her gaze locked onto him, damp with unshed tears.
"Don’t be ridiculous!"
"If your leg is injured I need to check!"
Her voice cracked slightly.
And suddenly—
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Julian froze.
For a moment, the noise of the casino faded.
The shouting.
The flashing lights.
The smell of smoke.
All of it seemed distant.
Seeing her trembling like this...
His heart softened.
He gently pulled her into a hug.
His arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"It’s okay."
"I’m really fine."
He patted her head slowly.
"See? Still standing."
Charlotte’s forehead pressed against his chest.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
This was the first time she had cried for a man who wasn’t part of her family.
She had always been strong.
Always fearless.
But tonight—
Watching him stand alone against thirty people...
Something inside her broke.
Julian held her quietly.
For several seconds, the entire chaotic casino seemed strangely silent to them.
"It’s alright," he whispered softly.
"I’m here."
"Nothing happened."
Gradually her breathing slowed.
Her tears stopped.
After a moment, she stepped back slightly.
Her eyes were still red.
"Are you... really okay?"
Julian smiled and nodded.
"Yes."
"I’m fine."
At that moment—
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
Ding.
"Congratulations to the host for surviving the casino scenario."
"Reward obtained: Chaotic Punch (usable five times)."