Chapter 381: Bare Knuckles.

Chapter 381: Bare Knuckles.

The crowd in the adventurer guild's central arena had swelled as the news of Armand's battle with the Guild Master spread like wildfire. Gold-ranked adventurers, curious onlookers, and even some senior guild officials had gathered to witness the spectacle. The air was charged with excitement and tension as everyone anticipated the clash between Armand, the cocky and newly ascended adventurer, and the Guild Master, a renowned figure known for his strength, wisdom, and bald head.

However, most of them weren't really that interested in the clash between these two musclemen. No one actually believed that a level one hundred fifty one freshly ascended Tier 3 class holder could defeat a seasoned veteran. What they wanted was to earn some quick money by betting on how long he would last. There were many criteria people were going for, and even a person with a large blackboard appeared to write all of it down.

"I'll wager one gold coin on him not lasting more than a minute!"

"One gold coin on under a minute!"

Replied the man who was collecting all the bets into a spatial sack. Each better received a token with some text written on it as proof of their wager. After the battle had concluded, they could return this token to claim their winnings if they were successful. However, it was more likely that most of these bettors would end up empty-handed. The individuals responsible for gathering the money would take a fee for their services, so even if a few got exceptionally lucky, they would still receive some compensation from the overall bets.

"I'll put down two large silvers on his arm getting broken!"

"Two large silvers on a limb breaking!"

It was quite interesting to listen to the people shouting at each other and somehow being able to keep track of everything. When looking at this blackboard, it seemed that Armand was going to get himself slaughtered. People were expecting him to leave bruised and battered, with at least one of his limbs broken.

“It seems as if they want him to get beated... a lot of people bet on his nose being broken ...”

Roland commented while standing next to Lobelia, who was just chuckling away at the comment. He wasn't that informed about Armand's nightly escapades, but Armand was known for playing around. Some lady adventurers had fallen under his spell, and now that he was about to join the ranks of the platinum adventurers, more of them decided to show up. Some of them were even waving and shouting at him, clearly wanting to get into his good graces.

"That idiot will let this get to his stupid head, I just know it. I sure hope he will be smart about it. I don't want to become an aunt just yet."

"An aunt?"

Roland asked, not really following what Lobelia was getting at. While Armand wasn't the brightest, he had been successful in not producing any offspring. This, however, could also be attributed to the fact that women didn't see him as good father material.

"Just think about it, Platinum adventurers earn a lot of money! I'm sure some of those vixens will try using those fertility potions."

"Ah, you're right, we do have those..."

Roland replied, now understanding Lobelia's concern about the potential consequences of Armand's newfound fame and wealth. While there were potions to keep people from producing unwanted offspring, there were others that did the exact opposite. There were ones that could guarantee ones being created. If Armand didn’t watch himself, he could be forced to become a father quite soon.

“I’m feeling bad for those kids already...”

“Speaking about kids, what about you and big sis? Any plans yet?”

“Huh?”

Roland's face turned a faint tint of white as Lobelia's question caught him off guard. He had always been the quiet and reserved one, and discussing such personal matters with Lobelia, especially in the midst of the bustling adventurer's guild, was not something he had anticipated.

"I, uh, well, we haven't really... discussed it."

Roland stammered, his gaze darting around as if seeking an escape route from the awkward conversation. Lobelia couldn't help but giggle at her brother-in-law's discomfort.

"Come on, Wayland, you can't avoid this forever. Elodia isn't getting any younger, you know!"

"Is that all? Are you sure you're aiming to become a Platinum adventurer and not just a Gold one instead?"

Aurdhan taunted, his confidence unwavering and his body just waiting to receive more. For a moment a perplexed expression crept onto Armand’s face but soon it disappeared as he unloaded a barrage of hits. Veins started appearing on his tanned body as he went into a frenzied assault. Punched rained down onto Aurdhan’s chest as he received all of them.

Finally, after enduring a relentless onslaught of at least fifty punches, Armand paused briefly, his face contorted with rage as he prepared for a powerful strike. His clenched fist radiated a peculiar orange aura, which surged forward with explosive force. Roland's keen senses detected a new energy pattern, similar yet different from aura. With the addition of this force, finally a reaction from the guild master could be spotted

Upon impact, Aurdhan was forcefully pushed back, but he maintained his stance instead of toppling over. He slid back for about ten meters, the attack only leaving temporary marks on his chest where the last punch had landed. The skill utilized had finally triggered the activation of a protective barrier, designed to respond only to threats that posed danger to the spectators. The blue field of energy absorbed the incoming wind pressure that could even harm a lower leveled adventurer.

"Not a bad attempt, but still not good enough!"

“What the hell are you made of?”

Armand called out while shocked by his attacks not even leaving a scratch on his opponent's unprotected body.

“It’s simply a matter of skill, my boy.”

Arduhan replied calmly while dusting off his bare chest as if only being annoyed by getting himself dirty.

“Bullshit!”

This was the final straw for Armand, pushing him into a frenzied state. It became evident that there was no alternative but to activate his primary class skill. Roland focused his gaze on this process to measure what he was working with. To facilitate this task, he brought what resembled a welder's mask, missing its lower half. The visor was notably larger than usual and featured a similar interface to his own armor. With this headpiece, he aimed to gather crucial data to help alleviate Armand's frenzied state, and potentially, unlock a level of strength beyond what was expected.

Luckily the people gathered here were far too busy looking at the fight than to notice that strange apparatus he was using. The only person that was giving him strange looks was Lobelia who was standing right next to him. With this headpiece now activated he could do what he came here for and gather precious data. Aurdhan seemed to be taking the clash a bit more seriously as he quickly tossed himself into the fray with a now frenzied Armand.

Just as he expected, entering the berserker state sacrificed finesse for raw power. Armand exhibited a noticeable surge in agility, strength, and vitality, but at the cost of diminished intelligence and perception. He resembled a frenzied beast, driven solely by the urge to tear through anything in his path, even if that happened to be the guild master. The once trivial punches now carried significantly more force, but the disparity in their levels remained insurmountable.

Despite losing control of his actions, there appeared to be a method to the madness. Armand's punches and kicks weren't merely mindless haymakers; instead, they were executed as coordinated combination attacks. It seemed that his extensive training had ingrained the muscle memory necessary to instinctively react in combat situations. However, the drawback was evident: this ferocious offense came at the expense of neglecting the defensive aspects of the fight. When pitted against an opponent with superior physical stats, the outcome of the battle was all too predictable.

In a matter of moments, the cheers were abruptly hushed by the sight of a man soaring through the air. His body resembled a mere sandbag, somersaulting gracefully, all due to the impact of a colossal uppercut connecting squarely with his chin. The magnitude of this punch was tremendous and even Roland wasn’t sure if his mana shields would be able to save him from such a direct hit.

Armand crashed into the ground, tumbling relentlessly until he reached the far end of the training ground. Fortunately, it was the presence of the previously erected walls and shields that finally brought his chaotic journey to a halt. His body assumed a cross-like position, and for a brief moment, he was stuck there, his backside exposed to the onlookers. His clothing had unraveled during the tumultuous trip around the field, allowing everyone to witness his well-defined muscular hindquarters.

“By Solaria, I just ate...”

Lobelia turned her face away from the clean-shaven backside while some of the ladies began to blush. The display wasn’t long-lived as Armand started sliding downwards and finally collapsed on the ground.

“You’re ten years too early to challenge me!”

Aurdhan couldn't help but laugh at his former disciple, who was now sprawled face-first in the dirt. However, his laughter abruptly ceased when he realized the battle wasn't quite finished. Against all odds, Armand's body began to twitch, and he somehow managed to muster some strength into his legs.

“You’re still conscious? I did not expect that...”

“It’s n-not o-over until I say it’s over!”

“Is that so? Your legs are telling a different story though.”

Despite his determination, Armand's body was battered and his legs trembled. The impact of the previous blow had nearly incapacitated him, leaving him unable to carry on. The frenzied skill he had unleashed had been abruptly terminated, leaving him with lingering debuffs. As Armand attempted to move forward, his weakened body succumbed to the strain, causing him to collapse face-first into the sandy ground.

“Haha, that’s enough you pass.”

The Guild Master's booming voice echoed through the surroundings, carrying far and wide. It was evident that he had deemed the new adventurer worthy of ascending to the prestigious platinum rank. The tale of the naked war monk was about to take flight, spreading far and wide, becoming a legendary story for all the wrong reasons...