Tomb Raider King Chapter 52: Sorry, but you picked the wrong opponent (3)

'What? A thief sent by the US government?'

Yoo Jaeha looked at the little girl in disbelief. This little kid did seem to be the thief. This was 100 percent the case as his restoration artifact was among the artifacts on the floor.

But the US government?

"She looks like an elementary student."

Yoo Jaeha looked toward the child in shock.

'Does the US government employee children like her as well?'

Yoo Jaeha then shouted for a different reason after seeing the little girl start to flail.

"Captain-nim! Everything else is fine but please release her! They might really put us behind bars like this!"
"Well, I guess I don't want to be mistaken as a child abuser."

However, the rope who didn't seem to know what they were thinking was still shaking around while seeming to say, 'master, I did well right, did I do well?' It seemed to be waiting to be praised.

Ju-Heon gave the rope and order.

"Put her down for now."

The rope sulked after hearing his stern tone but immediately followed the order. The rope still seemed to be saying, 'master, did I not do well? Didn't I do a good job?' It's body was still twitching in anticipation.

However, Ju-Heon didn't care whether the rope was waiting for praise or not and approached the child.

The child who looked as beautiful as a child actress was glaring at Ju-Heon with her blue eyes.

"Mmmmmmmph! Mm, mmmmmmmmph! (Are you the master of this perverted rope?!)"

The child looked ready to rip apart the rope in her mouth with her teeth when Yoo Jaeha asked a question.

"What is she saying?"
"Who knows? I'm certain she's not saying that she is hungry though."
"Ah, that does make sense."

Ju-Heon then waved his hand and the rope freed the child's mouth. The girl started to shout in American English with a teary voice.

"Wait until I get out of here!"

She looked like a calm and elegant girl but her demeanor was quite fierce. Ju-Heon chuckled after confirming what she had to say.

"Enough. Cover her mouth again."
"You damn…mmph!"

The child whose mouth was covered again was Vivian Lucy, a thirteen-years-old girl.

She was the damn little punk who uses the Medusa artifact.

Vivian was one of the US government's affiliated artifact users. As the infamous Medusa artifact's user, she was not someone to be looked down on.

And lo and behold.

'These kind of punks.'

Her long hair soon started to move as if they were alive, shocking Yoo Jaeha.

"Huh? What the hell, what is up with her hair?!"

It was a chilling sight that he could not understand.

He didn't understand what was going on, but it felt like a scene in a horror movie. It was an odd sight as if she was possessed by a ghost that was moving her hair!

However, Vivian could not help but scream as her hair started to braid together.

"Mmmmmmmph!"

It was because Ju-Heon ruthlessly pulled her hair out.

Vivian could not help but cry.

"Mm, wet we wo, wet we wo, wat are you woing! (Let me go, let me go! What are you doing!)"

It was extremely painful. Vivian was huffing as she looked toward Ju-Heon. However, Ju-Heon who was holding onto her long hair just scoffed at her.

"Do you want to die? You really think I'll let you activate your artifact?"

Yoo Jaeha and Vivian were shocked for different reasons.

"When you say artifact, you mean her hair? Just what kind of artifact is it?!"

'What artifact is it?'

"Medusa."

Yoo Jaeha cawed like a crow before covering his eyes. It was because even kids knew about the myth regarding turning to stone if you looked into Medusa's eyes.

That was why he urgently shouted.

"Captain-nim! What are you doing?! Hurry up and close your eyes!"

Ju-Heon just scoffed at him.

"You won't turn to stone, you idiot."
"Excuse me?"

Yoo Jaeha peeked toward Ju-Heon with one eye as if he was asking if that really was the case. Ju-Heon just smiled instead of responding.

That was indeed the case.

Vivian did use Medusa's artifact, but unfortunately, she could not use it very well.

Why?

There was a simple reason for it. She was too young.

Medusa was said to be a beautiful woman with gorgeous hair. She had an affair with Poseidon in Athena's temple and Athena cursed her.

That was why this child was too young to fit Medusa's beauty. An adult woman was necessary to properly use Medusa's artifact.

However, Vivian was a little kid.

'That is why this punk's artifact is not very scary.'

Of course, similar to Medusa's power of turning people into stone, she could make people stiffen up mentally, hardening their thoughts, turning their head into stone (idiot), and things of that nature, but…

'She's still just a kid.'

VIvian soon frowned and tried to use her artifact. If she could not use Medusa's artifact, she would use the artifact for stealing to take this artifact!

However…

"Who do you think you are trying to steal from?"
"Mmph!"

Ju-Heon waved an artifact in the air as if he found her pitiful.

It looked like a simple panda doll key-chain. However, this was the thief artifact that had looted everywhere in this area.

'I lost this one too!'

Ju-Heon was smirking.

"You're a thousand years too early to steal from a senior in the same field."
"?!"

Ju-Heon pointed a knife at Vivian's neck as she ground her teeth and tried to scream.
It was the Egyptian priest's knife.

"Mmmmph!"

The child freaked out seeing the cold blue blade touch her neck, but Ju-Heon started to laugh.

"You see, this bro treats children well but artifact users are the exception. I won't let you off if you have any stupid thoughts."

'This crazy bastard!'

Ju-Heon then continued to speak.

"I'm sure you've never dated at your age and there are a lot of things you've never done yet, so, you don't want to end up as a news article about a body they found, right?"

'Oh my, look at the way he's talking to a child.'

Yoo Jaeha who was keeping watch clicked his tongue, but he didn't try to stop him. Looking down on an artifact user because they were old or young would make them suffer.

Seeing the scared Vivian nodding her head, Ju-Heon told her she was a good girl and freed her mouth.

"You just need to honestly answer my questions. Got it?"

Nod nod.

"First question. Did the US government order you to steal the artifacts?"

Nod nod.

"Second question. Did they order you to go into the Chinese tomb?"

Nod nod.

"Good. Good girl. Then, the final question. Tell me every artifact the US owns right now."
"!"

The other questions were fine, but this information was something only the US and their allies knew about it. It was not something she could easily answer because he asked.

However…

"I already told you, right? I won't go easy on artifact users even if they are children."

Ju-Heon's gaze turned cold as he smiled.

Vivian started to shake because she knew the meaning behind his words.

'Damn it, I'm really going to be killed by this bastard at this rate.'

The scared Vivian had no choice but to list the artifacts one by one. She was too young to scheme in such a situation and did not have the mental fortitude to resist against such a Demon King.

Ju-Heon smiled once he heard the information.

She did not seem to be lying as they mostly matched the information he remembered from the past.

But there was one difference.

'The future did change a bit since they have an artifact another bastard is supposed to have.'

There was an artifact that Ju-Heon was looking for that was already in the US government's possession.

Yoo Jaeha who was looking outside urgently shouted at that moment.

"Captain-nim! Someone is headed toward the restroom!"

Ju-Heon then started to finish up as if he understood.

"Good, then how about we wrap things up."
"!"

That made Vivian scared that she was going to get murdered while Yoo Jaeha who understood Ju-Heon's intentions quickly shouted.

"Captain-nim, I know you want to take care of things, but that one is not done being restored yet! You have to be gentle with it!"

'I know that, you idiot.'

Ju-Heon clicked his tongue.

That was indeed the case. Yoo Jaeha was talking about the Code of Hammurabi. He knew Ju-Heon would use that now.

However, the artifact's damage and fatigue levels were so high that it couldn't place a heavy or strong restriction. Artifacts could not perform at 100 percent when they were damaged and weak.

Of course, Ju-Heon wasn't planning on putting a serious or large restriction.

'There is a way since she is a child.'

Ju-Heon activated the Code of Hammurabi. A small slate board the size of an iPad appeared in Ju-Heon's hand.

Vivian's eyes opened wide as she watched.

'What is that artifact?'

Ju-Heon shook the Code of Hammurabi as he threatened her.

"Do you understand? You'll feel a pain even worse than death if you talk about me or that punk over there."

The slate board responded to Ju-Heon's words and flashed. However, nothing seemed to have changed.
Of course, Vivian could only shake in fear as she had no idea about the artifact's powers. The only thing she was certain about was that talking about this bastard would cause her pain worse than death.

It soon finished and Ju-Heon walked out of the restroom while gently waving at her.

"But I should compliment you. You did a good job gathering the artifacts for me. You're such a good kid."
"!"

The shocked Vivian looked around but the artifacts she had stolen were all gone.

The rope artifact had wrapped them up as it followed behind Ju-Heon.
This made Vivian extremely angry.

'Damn it, why did he have to steal that!'

"What did you say?! Someone stole all of your artifacts?!"

Thomas could not close his jaw as he was shocked to hear Vivian's story. Linda who was next to him was shocked as well.

Yes, this was the same Linda Walker who had been in the Gold axe Silver axe tomb with Abe.

Thomas was Linda's colleague from the CIA who was in charge of the artifact excavation. He had received orders to go into Macao's tomb and steal the artifact. That was why he had sent Vivian to steal the artifacts.

But someone took all those artifacts as well as her thief's artifact?

"What the hell were you doing?! You little punk!"

Linda calmed Thomas down.

"Nothing will pop up even if you shout, Thomas."

She asked Vivian a question.

"Do you really remember nothing about the person?"
"Yeah, nothing."

Vivian said that before biting down on her lips. She told them the truth about having the artifacts stolen, but she had said that she didn't remember the thieves' faces because she had fainted right away.

She did not dare to tell them even if she wanted to, because she didn't know what Ju-Heon had done with the artifact.

Vivian knew how the artifact-wielding world worked.

However…

"Do you understand? The only reason you are able to keep your life even though you can't even use the Medusa artifact properly is because of General Keira's grace."
"!"
"You would have been killed long ago for us to take the artifact out of your head if it wasn't for her."
"Thomas, don't talk like that."

However, Vivian clenched her eyes shut.

Vivian believed that the Monarch of War, no, that Keira had helped her out. That was why she had volunteered to steal the artifacts.

That was why Vivian made up her mind.

"I really have to tell them about those people."

"Wait!"

However, the moment she tried to say something!

A pain worse than death struck Vivian.

"Ah, ahahahahaha! Aha, ahahahahaha!"

A tickling sensation that was more painful than death had struck Vivian.

"Ahaha, ahahaha ahahahaha!"

Thomas turned red and started to shout thinking that Vivian who was rolling on the floor laughing was treating him like an idiot.

"Hey! Vivian! Do you think this is funny?!"
"No, t, that's not, ahaha, ahahahahaha! Ahhahahahahahaha!"

'He said it was a pain worse than death!

Damn it, that bastard!'

However, Ju-Heon was leisurely headed toward the Chinese tomb without caring about whether she was going crazy or not.

Chapter end