The SSS Ranked Villain's Return-Chapter 88: The Encampment’s Shady Business

[Kael’s POV]

These tents all smell like shit. Why did he tell me to stay here? Kael thought with a grumpy look as he walked through the muddy ground.

There was a surprising number of people present, yet all of them were gathered in the pubs.

The stench of alcohol—Kael could smell it all the way from the helicopter.

But so far, he could not spot any strong people. Most were decent, some even reaching C- rank.

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I guess that’s what I get for expecting something from a low-level encampment, he grumbled and proceeded inside one of those pubs, sitting down right by the bartender.

"Can I order on credit?" Kael asked, and the bartender, upon seeing his academy uniform, nodded in response.

"All drinks are on the house."

"Give me, uhh..." Kael glanced at the menu and began naming every single drink, with the exception of vodka, which he hated.

The bartender poured them all with hesitation, and Kael drank everything until, finally, there was nothing left.

He stood back up and burped. "Thanks for the drinks," he said before heading out of the pub.

Looking up at the sun, he realized only roughly half an hour had passed, and from the distant smell of blood, Kael could tell some fighting was happening.

Yeah, I am not standing still, Kael thought with a sigh. He rolled up his sleeves and began walking toward the forest.

However, after only a couple of steps, he halted, turning back around toward the encampment.

The smell of blood.

Someone just died, huh? Kael mused before focusing his mana into the tattoos on his arms. Soon, he projected his spectral body forward, leaving his actual one standing still.

He didn’t dawdle, quickly flying over to where the blood was spilled and upon doing so spotted a single tent that smelled absolutely horrible.

Upon entering, Kael’s brows furrowed. On the ground was a massive pool of blood, followed by the body of a fat man with his wrist severed.

Yet that wasn’t what had truly caught his interest, as there were more people aside from the fat man gathered around a single table.

Hahaha? Kael let out a laugh that no one could hear. They are playing poker. And that fat man on the ground seems to have lost a bit too much, so he killed himself.

A tinge of excitement was forming in his heart as he felt the duration of his Spectral Body skill dwindling. Soon, he flew back toward his main body.

Is this why you left me here, Neraxis? he thought, turning to the forest. Or did you just want to mingle with the girls without me watching?

However, his thoughts were left unanswered when, all of a sudden, more blood was spilled—and then ever more.

While it wasn’t exactly his business to intervene, such activities in broad daylight were indecent.

Even a brothel wouldn’t be as bad compared to this.

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Not that I’ve ever been to one. Kael nodded to himself and approached one of the gambling tents, swiftly entering it.

He was expecting to earn some kind of shocked reaction, yet one of the burlier men merely glanced at him and signaled for Kael to sit down where the fat man from earlier had sat.

Ironic as it was, the body was slightly moved to the side—no one even bothered to cremate him.

"What’s the buy-in?" Kael asked with a smile, sitting down and glancing at the dealer, who had multiple bloodstains on his black suit.

"1,000 Crowns, 1,500 if you are a first-timer. Are you up for it?" the dealer asked, when all of a sudden, Kael tossed down a black card on the table.

The moment everyone around saw it, they froze—especially the dealer.

"Y-You are a Vita Bank VIP!? Apologies for the disrespect. The house will provide you with a 10,000 Crown buy-in."

Shitheads like these know how to lick the boots of those richer than them, huh? Too bad that’s just a printed scratch card, he thought with amusement and began playing.

The first turn was not the greatest, so he folded. Yet, for some reason, the next four turns were all in his favor, and he raked in quite a lot of money.

Not that he was in need of any in the first place.

But it was about time he started asking questions.

"Do you lot gamble here often?" Kael asked the others around him.

"Only on special occasions," one of the men answered before adding, "The Skryder Academy as well as the Havenspire Academy sent over their first years for killing practice or something, giving us some time off."

The man narrowed his eyes on Kael. "But you seem to not care for it. Havenspire, right? Won’t you be given a bad grade?"

"Beats me." Kael shrugged. "Anyway, aside from that, what’s with this killing?" He pointed to the fat man by the side. "Is this common?"

"Oh, haha, that..." The dealer suddenly stepped in, flashing knowing looks to the other gamblers around the table. "We don’t usually kill people—not that we killed this guy either. He killed himself instead."

Hmm... Lies. Kael mused with a hum. The man did kill himself, but not even trying to come up with a good lie is a little disheartening.

He leaned back in the chair, his green eyes emitting a faint glow. After all, no lies can escape my eyes.

"Anywho, I think it’s about time I wrap this up," Kael spoke to himself, earning a puzzled look from the people around.

But before most of them could even react, the tattoos covering his arm lit up, shining through the academy’s uniform. Soon, several green wind blades shot throughout the tent, cleaving each of their heads off.

Alas, not everyone was as hopeless as the ones currently lying dead.

A single D+ ranked individual stood before him—the dealer—whose expression was now one of panic.

"What are you doing!? This is a completely legal business!"

Lie. Does he think I am a six-year-old child? Kael narrowed his eyes. Soon, he enveloped his entire body in the same green mana, his tattoos spreading throughout his body, even causing his long red hair to lift into the sky.

It was about time he truly finished his clean-up.

[Enchanting [SS] - Lord of Wind Mode - Activated!]

The blue notification dawned, and as it did, he could immediately feel all the wind in the surroundings bend to his will.

His mana had fully turned into the wind affinity, and soon, he focused on the dealer, who was breathing roughly.

Without wasting any more time, Kael sucked the wind out of the dealer’s lungs, making him drop to the ground.

[Enchanting [SS] - Lord of Wind Mode: 30 Seconds Remaining]

Hmm... Kael looked around, spotting a few more tents with similar activities going on.

Like with the dealer, he emptied the wind from their lungs, and as the last of the seconds were counting down, the skill nearly about to end, Kael took in a deep breath.

As he did, however, the wind he had taken out of all these scum of the earth traveled back into their lungs, swiftly expanding them.

The process lasted only a few seconds. Soon, their bodies burst apart, the blood and everything else imaginable flew right up into the sky, scattering across the encampment.

All the while, Kael walked off to the side, back toward the pub.

[Enchanting [SS] - Lord of Wind Mode - Deactivated!]

His tattoos soon faded to normal, and the bartender glanced at him with a slightly startled look.

"Sir VIP... You drank everything on the menu. Could I offer you a dessert?"

"I want seconds," Kael announced, and the bartender’s expression sank before going to the back to take out all the alcohol again.

Neraxis. Just what are you planning, leaving me here?