A few minutes earlier...
___
OBJECT: Wine (Poisoned)
TYPE: Earthling's Liquor
GRADE: C
THREAT: Negligible
REMARK: A locally brewed liquor variant of Earth. Enjoyable liquor that can be drunk to have a temporary feeling of novelty. Is one of the best varieties of liquor found on planet earth, however, better quality liquors can be found across the universe. No god will ever touch such a vile mockery of a liquor.
However, a strong stench seems to be coming out of the liquid. The Stench of poison. A master Alchemist had brewed a special kind of poison by using multiple ingredients from poisonous plants and venomous monsters.
It's a drink one would only give to someone they detest from the bottom of their hearts. The drink has enough poison to kill an entire city's population. Sadly for the people who made this concoction, it won't have any effect on you, since you're no longer a human being but something between a full-fledged demigod and a human.
___
'Oh... I knew the oldie hated me but even I didn't think he would go to such lengths.' Arnold thought after silently using the probe skill on the drink Chiang had offered him.
Arnold had a hunch that Chiang would definitely try to do something to him. Like maybe the drink was secretly a potion that would apply some kind of a debuff on him or something. But he did not imagine Chiang would try and poison him. He wasn't aware of this because he hadn't seen this happen with his foresight.
Thankfully, Arnold's internal body had evolved into something that had long surpassed the limits placed on him by nature. He no longer had to worry about earthly poisons. Yet the cheap trick kind of pissed him off a bit.
'You wanna play this game? Then let's play the game.'
That was when Arnold fell on the floor and acted as if the poison was taking effect on him. He did so for two reasons. Firstly, it would give his summons additional time to take care of the warriors in case they missed someone and secondly, Arnold would get to know who all were behind this assassination plan because he knew these idiots would come rushing out once they think he was done for.
And that's what happened. Soon all of the main conspirators had surrounded him. Their faces were gleaming with happiness and overconfidence. He quickly registered the faces of all those basta*ds before secretly giving Talos the command to knock all of the warriors out. Everyone except those within the mansion was immediately taken care of.
While Chiang and co. were celebrating his 'defeat', Arnold's summons wiped out any kind of backup they had. That's when Yu Zhung's Lieutenant tried to contact everyone who was stationed outside, only to discover none of them was responding. How would they respond once they were knocked out cold?
The fools had made their bed and now it was time for Arnold to reveal his hand.
***
Arnold's laugh echoed throughout the silent mansion. Chiang, Zing, Gui and the Yu Zhung's lieutenant, He Yanyu, had turned pale as if they had seen a ghost standing in front of them. Their dumbfounded expression made Arnold laugh even more. In his mind, their shocked faces would give pikach* a run for his money.
"Don't tell me you really thought some poison would be enough to kill me?" Arnold asked Chiang when he finally stopped laughing, "Come on man, give me some respect. I killed 55 of your warriors by myself. That has to mean something, right?"
"But that poison-"
"Yeah yeah, it was the deadliest poison ever made. So what?" Arnold cut Chiang mid-sentence, "Also, what kind of idiot are you? You should know that I hate you for what you did to me and Nicole. And I know that you hate me too. So what was with the warm welcome and stuff? Your very first move made me suspicious of everything. Gosh... are you really some underworld boss? Even the pickpocketers have more brain cells than all of you possess collectively."
Arnold wasn't going to take action, yet. First, he wanted them to know exactly why he was there to do.
"Chiang and Gui... You filthy basta*ds.. You enjoy forcing yourselves on younger girls, do you?" Arnold snarled in rage, "Don't think even for a second that I forgot about what you did to Nicole. She was just a kid, you sick perverts. If I wanted I could've dealt with you long ago, but I didn't. In a hope that you would correct your ways... but I was wrong."
He continued, "However, I'm happy that you are still the same waste of human beings that you always were. It gave me an excuse to do what I should've done long back-"
"Shut your trap, as*hole! Don't talk so high and mighty when you killed dozen of innocents yourself. It doesn't matter why the poison didn't work on you. Actually, I'm glad it didn't because now, I'll get a chance to avenge my fallen brethren." He Yanyu pointed his sword at Arnold, "You will not leave this place alive. I will make sure of it."
Arnold gave the 6' 2" tall, solidly-built, brown-skinned man a pitiful look. He had a hooked nose and his shoulder-length black hair was neatly oiled and tied in a ponytail. He was an S ranked swordsman, however, he did not possess many abilities either. In fact, the lack of abilities was almost concerning, so much so, that Arnold wondered where the hell did that man was getting so much confidence from?
"Oh? Is that so?" Arnold laughed before throwing a middle finger right at He Yanyu's face.
Arnold's disrespectful actions enraged the swordsman beyond the limit. He charged at Arnold with full speed. His sword was a centimetre away from Arnold's c.h.e.s.t.
"Game over, you coc*y basta*d" He Yanyu exclaimed in rage. Little did he know, it was he who was going to be defeated that night, not Arnold.