Chapter 19: Unexpected encounter (1)

Chapter 19: Unexpected encounter (1)

"WHATTTTT! Did I see that correctly?" Aurelia was too stunned to speak; her mouth dropped further than the time she lost her favourite pillow on the floor.

"HE KNOCKED HIM OUT WITH HIS FIST??" Inside the VIP box, Aurelia leaned towards the railing, her eyes fixed on the Archer who had conquered the giant.

"That was quite impressive," Fredrick said. "The Archer used those small punches to deceive his opponent and finished him off with a powerful blow," he added, surprising Aurelia.

"Not only that... But that was a month's worth of salary." Aurelia began to sulk as she had lost her money to gambling once again.

"DAMN IT, I KNEW THE ARCHER WAS GONNA BEAT HIM. WHY DID I HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT HIM!" Aurelia's feet stomped the ground as her tantrum was causing earthquakes in the arena; people thought that monsters were invading Central Australia...

"HAHAHAHAHA, I knew he had it in him!" Navi, who was watching the match carefully, observed it with genuine interest. "An archer who uses his fist to humiliate a swordsman is one of the most interesting matches I have watched in this arena!"

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE

Looking from afar, my box suite was shaken by an angry little girl standing up from the box across from me.

Oh? Is Aurelia angry again? The arena is shaking so suddenly; maybe she placed her bets on that Jasper guy. Pffft. Kekekeke, that kid sure has promise. "Assistant," Navi called her as she appeared swiftly.

"Yes, Sir Navi?" The assistant replied promptly, her tone respectful.

Navi, intrigued, inquired, "How much did I win from that bet?"

"You've won $480,135,000 from that," the assistant responded, delivering the news with a composed demeanour.

Navi got up and put on his beige blazer with a smirk on his face "It's time to leave I've seen enough and I'm not interested in seeing any other match here for a while now." He said, "However, if possible, I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on that kid's activities, but don't pry too much into his life. I just want to know what he's up to."

***

Fwang!

[Quest: Win the tournament. Status: Completed]

[Rewards are now being transferred... Transfer Complete!]

[Rewards: 10+ Strength, 2.5+ Stamina, Standard Ability Upgrade (1+),100 Battle Points]

__________________

Strength: 21.50 -> 31.50 (10.00+^)

Was I tripping? I couldn't tell if there was anyone near me, but I finally arrived at the special reception of Dawnblades Arena. I only had to take an elevator towards the top floor, but there were two guards on standby in black tuxedos and black shades, both holding a sword on their back. I approached them, and one stepped forward.

"Do you have some sort of identification with you, sir?" The man with a bald head approached me. I showed him the black card, and he took it, inspecting it closely and running it through a scanner in his pocket.

"You're good to go through. Proceed carefully and try not to break anything."

The two of them opened the large doors leading to a place so familiar, as if I've played this from somewhere in my childhood.

This place looked like none other than the Pokémon Centre but more extravagant. There was a lady dressed in white behind the counter, and the sign above her said, Receptionist.

As I looked at my surroundings, there were two staircases to the side of the receptionist station and a bunch of photos, trophies, and name engravings on both sides of the room. This was Victory Hall, as I had originally described it.

I assumed behind the black curtains behind the receptionist room was the vault that connects to all the treasures from every main arena across the world.

Then there was a sudden commotion coming from outside the doors...

"Who are you? This reception is for those with special access only. No freeloaders allowed."

"Oh, I have special access, alright."

"Where's your proof of access?"

The man behind the doors chuckled. "Right here." I felt the surge of power and a burst of energy coming from the door.

I heard the guard say something like, "What's with those horns? Are you some kind of monster?"

"Monster? No, my friend, I'm just getting started."

"This is your last warning. Leave or we will kill you on sight."

"Kill on sight, huh? I think you're the ones who should prepare to be killed."

BANG, BANG, BANG,

"What in the name of the gods is happening?!"

"Just a little boost, courtesy of a friend," he began laughing loudly.

AHHHHHH

I couldn't tell who was behind those doors, but the voice sounded way too familiar not to know.

Opening the doors I saw Jasper now in a different type of transformation. His once ordinary human features contorted into a visage that seemed to blur the lines between devil and human.