Chapter 81 Challenge



Shaking Nil's hand, Benimaru said. "I am Benimaru, owner of this shop. Also, you don't call me boss."

"No, how can we not?" Nil shook his head, instantly denying Benimaru. "Big brother Belal calls you boss, right? So, how can we not?"

"Belal…Are you all his little brothers and sisters? He told me he only has his mother as his family, no one other than her can I remember him mentioning about." Benimaru suspiciously looked at Nil, trying not to get swayed by his happy-go-lucky face because he had used this tactic many times in the past.

"No, you are wrong, boss." Nil said, raising his voice and putting his right hand on his chest. "Bonds can't be justified by blood. It goes beyond that, it is the connection between souls."

Then the people behind Nil followed along, giving their opinions too.

"Yes, boss. Big Brother Belal has helped and saved us many times. We can't ever forget his kindness toward us." 

"Brother Belal is the only reason we were able to live properly. He has changed our lives."

Benimaru became a bit surprised after seeing the love and praise for Belal. But it brought relief to Benimaru. 'Well, expected of Belal. Kindness can do wonders for many.'

"It looks like it is my fault for doubting you." Benimaru apologized to them with a smile before asking. "But I want to ask something before selling you anything. What made you see real interest in my items?"

"Oh," Nil quickly recalled last night's event before saying. "It is because we saw the weapons in your shop being displayed last night."

Benimaru became very interested. "Can you please tell me what happened? I am very curious to know."

"Sure." Nil nodded his head, happily agreeing with Benimaru.

…

Yesterday, after Belal and his group waved goodbye to Benimaru.

Without waiting, they walked toward the heart of the commercial district. Along the way, they started discussing what happened in the shop.

"Brother Belal, do you think he will make it for you?" Tanaka, who was usually quiet, asked. 

Belal nodded his head vigorously. "He will; I believe in him. I have met many people in my life, so I can somewhat guess how a person might be based on their behavior and how they talk. I am sure that boss Benimaru is kind-hearted; he won't lie to us."

Tanaka and Bailey decided to trust Belal, as despite his innocence, he had years of experience. 

Bailey suddenly asked. "But, brother Belal, did you feel the boss was somewhat elusive for some reason? I wasn't able to see through him. He just gave me the normal shopkeeper vibe with a kind-hearted vibe."

"Well, I can't argue with that." Belal racked up his brain, trying to remember the entire conversation with Benimaru. "He looks somewhat like someone who has some history. But that doesn't matter; we shouldn't try to pry into others' lives. Remember this."

"Okay, brother Belal." Tanaka and Bailey spoke in unison.

They always call Belal "brother" and also see him as one. The only reason they called him boss in the shop was because they wanted to let strangers feel Belal's intimidation. However, they always failed to do so, as Belal didn't like faking; he liked the way he was.

Walking for a bit, they arrived at the center of the commercial district, a crossway. Here, it had a festive atmosphere, and the lights brightened the whole street. People were very busy with their goals, and it looked very bunched up yet so open.

In the center of the crossway was something that caught most passerby's eyes: a big stage where a fight between two people could be seen. 

"Brother Belal, let's go see who is fighting now." Tanaka said it with a bit of enthusiasm in his voice. 

"Well, let's go anyway; we already know your passion for fighting." Bailey said sarcastically, sowing her disdain for fighting.

"Okay, don't say it like that." Belal laughed and led them towards the stage. "I am also curious about the fight."

After they came closer, they were able to finally see who they were.

A big frown appeared on Bailey's face upon seeing who they were. "Tch, I knew why I didn't want to see it in the first place."

The reason for Bailey's annoyance was the person who was beating his opponent badly. He was Trek, leader of the Hounds, a notorious adventure team in this city. He had slick blonde hair and was thin yet medium-built. An arrogant smile could be seen on his face all the time, making people uncomfortable in their first impression for a weird reason.

"Winner of this battle, TREK!" The commentator, who was judging at the same time, announced loudly and with passion. 

"Arghhh, I lost again!"

"Hmph, maybe you are new, so you don't know Trek. Those who know him already put their bets on him."

"Well, this failure will be a great lesson for him. Hahaha!"

Trek enjoyed the shower of praise from his surroundings while looking down at his opponent below, who was squirming in pain. He gave a glance to his surroundings to let his fans witness his face, but he came to a halt when something caught his eye.

"Ahhhh…let's leave." Tanaka spoke to Bailey with guilt after noticing Trek's gaze.

"Heh! Where did your interest go now?" Bailey scoffed at Tanaka before glaring at Trek's affectionate eyes. "I am so tired of this. Watch me end this now."

Trek walked to the edge of the stage and said to Bailey. "Well, you look at that. I didn't expect to see you here. Are you perhaps here for me?"

Bailey didn't reply to him; instead, she jumped on the stage and stood opposite Trek. She brought out the sword from her storage ring that she bought from Benimaru's shop earlier and pointed it at Trek. "Grade - 5 Uncommon Beast Core. Come, let's fight."

"HOOOO!!!!" 

The crowd erupted in cheers after hearing Bailey's declaration of challenge, and the wager was a grade - 5 uncommon beast's core; how could they not be hyped up for it? 

The first stage of beasts was called the Enchanted Beast. At this stage, their bodies were somewhat enhanced by their genes and mana. But after that, there was a watershed. Beasts would start to gather the mana they gained from consuming any kind of food in their bodies, forming an energy core. 

If any beasts were able to achieve that, then they would be called uncommon beasts. Beasts had the lowest IQ among the various species in the world, so to be able to form an energy core on their own was a feat to be acknowledged. 

The veins on Trek's forehead started to twitch. Forcing a smile on his face, he said. "You never learn, huh? Today I will make you suffer for trying to ignore me."

Trek went into his battle stance with his sword ready for battle.

Trek was in the 5th Stage Fleshcrafting Realm, and Bailey was in the 4th Stage Fleshcrafting Realm. So, if they exchanged blows with their full strength, then the entire place would be in shambles. To prevent that from happening at any time, rules were made here. 

Fights would only happen with their skills; there was no usage of mana. If anyone broke this rule, then they would be jailed and blacklisted by the city guards.

"Let the fight begin!" The announcer said that enthusiastically, and just as he finished saying that, the fight between them began on the stage.

Bailey came before Trek in a flash and started slashing at Trek's weak points. Trek stood strong in his place and reflected all those attacks seamlessly. 

Ting Ting Ting

Bailey started to see less weak points as time passed by, so she distanced herself from Trek. However, Trek took this chance and instantly chased after Bailey. 

Now it was Bailey's time to defend, which she was able to do calmly. But the aftershock from Trek's blow, which blasted strong air at the crowd, showcased how hard it was to defend these attacks.

However, it also described two different types of fighting styles. Trek's was strong, straightforward, and full of heavy blows. On the other hand, Bailey was soft, swift, and agile, using minimum strength to get the best result possible.

"Brother Belal, do you think Bailey will win this time? She always goes in full confidence but loses the fight eventually." Tanaka asked Belal with worry, recalling the past results.

Belal went silent for a second, thinking of an answer after analyzing the possibilities, before answering. "I think she has a better chance today. Her form and performance look way better today than in the past. Maybe she has finally taken the failures as lessons."

I hope she wins then." Tanaka let out a sigh and then looked at the fight in front of him. "I'm also tired of this."

Belal nodded his head, agreeing with Tanaka."I hope she wins, but if she doesn't, then I will finally have to step in. I can't let this go on."