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Chapter 88: Lambert Cage (7)
“No rules match?”
It’s a story I’ve never heard before.
To be precise, it seems like I’m the only one who hasn’t heard it.
While I looked sowhat puzzled, Gunther, as if he had been waiting, had his iron knuckles ready.
“Your expression is strange. Haven’t you heard that our match is a no-rule match?”
“I haven’t.”
“Hmm, didn’t the news reach you? If you need any weapons, go get them now. I’ll allow it personally.”
There’s no need for that. I haven’t used it for a while, but I have my own weapon in my possession, unlike any other in the world. I pulled out Kaeram from my arms and adjusted my stance.
[It seems like you’re reluctantly pulling out?]
“You’re sharp, aren’t you?”
Honestly, whether there are rules or not doesn’t matter to .
But facing him, I didn’t really want to use Kaeram.
It wouldn’t feel good to strike him.
“You know what, Zion? I’m going to kill you in this match!”
I couldn’t even laugh at sothing that didn’t even seem like a joke.
However, from his expression, he didn’t an it like a joke either.
“I thought it’s not a death match?”
“Of course not! But I’m serious. You’ve ignited my thirst for battle, which has been parched for a long ti. This isn’t just about exchanging punches to quench it!”
His body seed to twitch as if sothing was about to happen.
“I’ve faced countless opponents here at Cage. Many have fallen to my fists, with broken jaws or limbs. You could be one of them!”
What does he want to do?
“Do you know why I left Cage?”
“For killing people?”
“That’s right! My fighting grew fiercer over ti, eventually leading to killing my opponent during a match. But that’s not the only reason… ”
As if to show , he extended the knuckles he was wearing.
Upon closer inspection, they had a murky brown hue.
“Let tell you. I believe useless garbage should be eliminated from this world. That’s why I manage the waste yard! Useless trash should be disposed of and eradicated! Isn’t it the sa for humans?”
For so reason, my brows furrowed.
No, actually, I might know the reason.
“Enough with the nonsense! Anyway, I’ll do my best to kill you. You should do your best to face ! Do you understand, Zion?”
To an outsider, it might seem like they’re watching an intense match between two hot-blooded n.
But doing your best…
In literal terms, it ans to exert all your effort and strength.
Right now, is he demanding that I do my best against him?
Let’s consider it for a mont.
Am I in a situation where I need to show him my best?
No.
Definitely not.
What I can show in this situation is not my utmost effort, but rather, rcy to make him realize his diocre position.
I think it’s ti for to throw in a word or two.
“Make a choice.”
“Hmm?”
“Left? Or right?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m asking which arm you’d prefer to keep.”
His shoulders trembled noticeably.
“I don’t understand. I told you to do your best, I never asked for petty arrogance. Are you disrespecting ?”
“If you don’t want to choose, I’ll decide for you.”
The sowhat indifferent atmosphere of the guy changed in an instant.
“Do you… really want to die?”
Hasn’t he been saying he’ll kill all along?
I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but his eyes started to show a genuine intent to kill.
“I’ve been holding back, but it’s getting harder. Your eyes, as if looking down on , infuriates . I warn you, remove that look from your eyes right now!”
Of course, I’m not going to remove it just because he says so.
I maintained the sa gaze without any reaction.
“Let make it clear. I will make you suffer as much as possible before killing you. I will make sure that you beg for death instead of begging for life!”
This ti, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It sounded similar to what I used to enjoy saying.
Sitting here listening to it from such a person, I couldn’t help but laugh.
-Booo
At that mont, the sound of a horn rang out, signaling the start of the match.
As soon as it started, he rushed at with all his might.
At the sa ti, mana of brownish hue manifested from both his hands.
“Petrification!”
-Creak
With a cracking sound, his hands gradually began to solidify like stone.
It emitted quite an intimidating presence, as if wearing solid gauntlets, making it quite formidable to ignore.
The Petrification magic, by casting earth elental petrification magic on oneself, reinforces parts of the body, making it optimized for defense.
Of course, it can also be converted for attack like now.
-Swish
5 ters away.
Seemingly determining the range, he pulled his fist back large.
His trajectory was precisely aid at my face.
I had no other action to take but to wait until his fist ca at .
At 4 ters, 3 ters, 2 ters.
In the split second between 0 and 1.
Finally, just as his fist was about to connect with my face.
-Swish
Stepping back a pace, I dodged his body,
-Splat
Then I swung the Kaeram I was holding vertically.
-Swoosh
Naturally, as it rose into my view, I saw sothing gray shoot into the air.
The mont when red liquid spread out from one side and fell carelessly without anyone to catch it.
“Aaaah!”
A loud scream echoed dizzyingly through the arena.
* * *
The arena fell into stunned silence as if doused in cold water.
The spectators were not only shocked but also enveloped in confusion by the spectacle before them.
One-ard Gunther, screaming in agony, while the boy looked at him with an oddly calm expression.
Is that really what a person should look like?
Beyond re disbelief, a strange sense of terror arose among the audience,
and as the boy’s face turned towards the bewildered spectators,
“…!”
Breath caught, hands and feet trembling, an inexplicable phenonon began to unfold among the audience.
It was like facing a vile demon, an experience so may have never had but could imagine.
So even left the cage as if fleeing.
“What, what is this?!”
However, among them, there was one who couldn’t take his eyes off the boy.
Morris Gerik, with his thick mustache, sitting in the VIP section of the arena.
He was one of the rulers of the city, responsible for the Gray rchant’s Guild in the northern part of Lambert.
Behind his flashy golden spectacles, what caught his eye wasn’t the boy’s face but the crimson dagger he held.
“I, I can’t believe it! But that’s unmistakable…!”
Morris understood.
That the weapon the boy held was anything but ordinary.
With decades of comrcial experience, he was absolutely certain.
The sharp aura emanating from the blade,
the mysterious vapor enveloping the dripping blood,
and the black gem exuding madness as if it had gouged out the eyes of a demon.
Considering all these, there was only one conclusion he could draw.
The weapon the boy possessed was undoubtedly…
“The demonic sword!”
* * *
I observed his writhing form in agony for quite so ti.
I had no intention of delivering any blows; I simply hoped it would end like this.
Eventually, the referee, who had been watching cautiously, approached and asked if I wanted to end the match.
I agreed.
The duel ended anticlimactically, just as I had expected.
“Well done, Zion!”
As I entered the waiting room, the little one who used to sell cigarettes yesterday handed a drink.
“Is this your first day?”
“Yes! Manager Lisa asked to assist with the arena facilities for now!”
Facility assistance, not a bad job it seed.
Actually, anything would be better than selling cigarettes outside.
But a manager?
That ant she was directly under the owner, and why would such a high-ranking person be doing nial work in the lobby?
“Zi- Zioni!”
She appeared before I even had a chance to call her.
From her desperate gasping, it seed she had sothing important to say.
“Mist- mistake! It seems there was so misunderstanding! I can’t possibly be unaware of sothing like this…This is a complete error on our part! We didn’t even inform you about such an important matter in advance… I’m really, really sorry!”
She kept bowing, apologizing repeatedly.
I snorted.
“It’s incomprehensible.”
“I’m speechless! Even if I had ten mouths, I wouldn’t know what to say! It’s only natural to think that…”
“No, I an you. It’s understandable if you didn’t know, but was it necessary to rush over to ? Shouldn’t you be going to that guy whose arm got cut off instead?”
I wasn’t injured at all.
If anything, it would be more appropriate to run to the owner of the waste disposal site.
“What do you an?!”
Her reaction indicated she hadn’t considered that at all.
“Mr. Zion is our esteed guest! I am a manager who prioritizes the convenience of such guests! It’s only natural for , as a manager, to take responsibility and apologize when a guest suffers unexpected harm!”
Hmm.
I montarily forgot what I was going to say.
To think there was soone here with such a staunch work ethic in a place where rules and ethics were thrown out the window.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man’s voice ca from one side.
“May I have a mont of your ti?”
He looked like the type who would sell you sothing fishy.
Unlike , who was eting him for the first ti, the manager here showed a rather shocked reaction.
“Morris?”
The little one, who had been dozing off, quickly hid behind my legs.
“I apologize for coming without prior notice. I wanted to et the person in front of no matter what.”
It seed like many people here were frustrated by not being able to find .
I replied bluntly,
“You an ?”
“Yes! I am Morris Gerik. I hold the position of chairman of the Gray rchants Association.”
As soon as I heard the term Gray rchants Association, my eyes naturally turned to the little one.
From his trembling hands, it was evident that he felt fear from the man in front of him.
“You truly exude more nobility up close than from the spectator seats. You seem like a noble’s retainer.”
However, the label of a rchant wasn’t just casually given.
I maintained an indifferent gaze.
“Could you give us so privacy for a mont, Manager Lisa?”
“Huh? B-but…!”
“I’d like to propose a deal to Zion. I’ve co alone, without any escorts, so you can rest assured.”
Indeed, there was no one else around except him.
After hesitating for a mont, she reluctantly said,
“I’ll give you 10 minutes…”
“Thank you.”
With an uncomfortable expression, she left the waiting room with the little one in tow.
Two n left alone in the room.
It wasn’t an ideal situation for .
On the other hand, the man nad Morris smiled at with inscrutable eyes.
He clearly wanted to propose a deal to .
A rchant proposing a deal ant that he wanted to buy or sell sothing to the other party.
However, as of now, I don’t have anything I deem worth buying, nor do I have anything worth selling.
“I’ll be straightforward without beating around the bush. I want the Demonic Sword you possess.”
I was stunned.
[Haah?]
The incredulous sigh of the Kaeram echoed in my mind.
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