"And the winner is Rank 20: Bazzy Dagod!"
"Rank 16: Bazzy Dagod wins again!"
"This the seventh victory in a row for the now Rank 12: Bazzy Dagod!"
"Eight wins in a row, nonstop action! Give it up for Rank 10: Bazzy Dagod!"
"A startling show of dominance! Finally a good opponent, but ultimately the winner is still Rank 8: Bazzy Dagod!"
The crowd went crazy with cheers, as Bas King's fan club was growing by the match. The previous hundred or so people in attendence had tripled at some point. Bas stood in the center of the ring with his arm being held in the air and a dull expression on his face. 'Mortals are truly still mortals, ah...'
Bas had yet to even use his hunter skill. His soul power was still full to the brim. This was the extent of his strength in comparison to these Mortalee hunters. The strongest skill he had encountered thus far was a Max Wood Class skill, that increased the previous Rank 8's speed a great deal. However, his speed still paled in comparison to Bas. Now, after finally entering the top ten, it was time for Bas to challenge his way into the Top Five. He didn't intend to challenge the first or second rank tonight, and being number five wasn't that satisfying. So Bas chose to challenge the third-ranked hunter.
However, before Bas could make his challenge, a silhouette flipped over the cage and landed in the ring. He was a young man with long blonde hair and an angular face. He stood as straight as a sword with incredible bearing. Brenda Evans just finished handing Bas his ten gold credits for successfully completing his previous challenge. When she saw the young man who entered the stage with a cold look in his eyes, Brenda grew a bit worried.
This was the Rank 3 hunter, Francis Stratus! Bas could sense that this Francis was at the tenth level of Hunt Foundation, smirking to himself as he thought, "His strength is so low at the tenth level? My strength stat should be around 11 and I'm merely at the eighth level. How embarrassing."
If Francis knew Bas was thinking this way, he would definitely be enraged. Anyone Francis wanted to kill, he would kill. He had never spared an enemy he faced with the current look in his eyes. Bas King also sensed the killing intent radiating from this new opponent. However, why would he want to kill Bazzy? Did they know each other? His hand instinctively fell to the new butterfly sword on his hip. He hadn't had to use this blade yet, but he wasn't about to take a death threat lightly.
Want to kill me?
I'll just kill you first!
Bas King simply didn't care why this weakling wanted his life. He was insulted that a mere bug dared to glare at him in such a manner. It didn't matter how bug-like he currently was himself.
The atmosphere surrounding Bas suddenly grew frosty to the max, shocking Brenda Evans into re-evaluating this youth. Francis Stratus had been building up his kills over the last few months and Brenda watched him become more brutal and vicious over time. However, the previously amiable yet slightly arrogant Bazzy Dagod was now emitting such thick killing intent that it made even her a bit nervous.
'Who is this guy?' Brenda thought in shock. Such thick killing intent could never be for show. Where had this teenager come from?
"Oh?" Francis Stratus originally wasn't planning on speaking to this brat at all. In his mind, this Bazzy was already dead from the moment he touched Marsha Logan. Francis was planning to do it in private, but the punk actually fought his way up to the Top 10. In that case, Francis would put a permanent end to this black horse. "You dare to look at me like this? Punk, this is the eve of your death. Tell me, do you know your crime?"
"Are you always so chatty before a battle to the death? Come," Bas King didn't need to speak with someone he had decided to kill.
"You arrogant son of a bitch, how dare you address me like this," Francis Stratus ground his teeth.
Ever since Francis clawed his way up the ranks battle by battle, night by night, no one had insulted him lightly. They all tried to curry favor and cowered in fear of his dominance. Who did this new upstart think he was really? Francis reached his hands down and pulled out two soul black guns.
Bas was stunned.
'What manner of weapon is this?' Bas never saw this weapon in his old life. Hadn't it only been 300 years? How could many changes have occurred, exactly? Bas quickly checked Sebastian King's memories and discovered the name of this weapon.
Hunter Rifle!
The newest innovation in soul tool production. Hunter Rifles came in various sizes and could fire projectiles empowered by hunt qi or soul power. The impact power of these bullets was not something to be scoffed at. Unless you possess the strength to endure the shot, such a weapon was very dangerous. In fact, this was a weapon that mortals could use to defend themselves quite well, even if they didn't possess hunt qi.
As a result, most mortals used this weapon as a means for protection. Indeed, Bas noticed no one in the sewage outlet was surprised but himself. Some of them gave him disdainful gazes, thinking that soul guns had made him fearful. Bas King was speechless. Seeing these weapons, Bas suddenly had the desire to possess them as well.
Brenda Evans didn't like this deadly match up, but she was powerless to do anything if both fighters wanted to war, "Rank 3: Francis Stratus vs. Rank 8: Bazzy Dagod! Referee are they ready? Okay, battle start!"
"Hey, Cissy boy," Bas King suddenly called out to Francis once the battle started, startling everyone.
"WHAT DID YOU..." Francis' eyes bulged with rage.
Bas simply didn't care as he cut him off mid-sentence, "Isn't fighting like this too boring? Let's make a bet. If you die, I get all of your wealth. If I die, I don't care what you do either."
"Why should I make a bet that I will win anyway?" Francis Stratus sneered with disdain in his voice. "You don't know how high the sky is, little guy. It's war then, winner takes all!"
War!
Winner takes all!
Calling out war made any friendly competition impossible as it engaged a battle to the death. Once a hunter reached fourth class and was able to condense a Hunter Badge, violating the rules of war would have serious consequences. The Hunter's Badge would be branded by the laws of war. The mysterious laws of war prevented other hunters from taking vengeful action against the victor, one reward among many. If they did so they would be judged by the twilight will of the heavens.
If one angered the heavens, would they see anything but hell?
"War? Very well," Bas King closed his eyes, folded his arms, and nodded calmly. However, once he opened his eyes again they were so piercingly indifferent that Francis couldn't help but start. Bas spoke coldly, "I accept."
"Good. Now die!" Francis backflipped into the air and released a flurry of bullets from his bronze hunter rifles.
The piercing strength of each bullet was more than Bas expected, and according to his estimations, the strength should be around 18 points. Most tenth level Hunt Foundation hunters would have around 10 points for each of their stats. These bullets were indeed dangerous, but Francis was disappointing as far as strength was concerned. Bronze class qi tools added 10 points to the base stats they effected. Meanwhile, bronze class soul tools added 12 points. This meant that without these weapons, Francis' strength stat was only around 6 points. An adult male would have a natural strength stat of 3-5. This meant Francis was slightly spectacular among mortals. However, for a hunter, this level of talent was nothing to pay attention too.
"Hmph," Bas King disdained this paltry strength, unsheathing his bronze class butterfly blade.
The thin blade danced beautifully and in a flash, all the bullets were cut in half faster than the speed of sound. The crowd observing this was dumbstruck as a shock wave rang across the stage.
So this was Bazzy's true strength?
Formidable!
"So this Bazzy actually had strength comparable to a tenth level Hunt Foundation hunter? He hid really deeply."
"No wonder he dared to say he would enter the Top 5! Turns out he was a genius of such talent."
"I've never seen a genius hunter like this Bazzy! Is he truly from Mortalee?"
"Impossible...why else would he hide his identity? He has to be some expert's legacy disciple."
"I want to see his face!"
Many hunters starting forming their own conjectures about Bas King's background once he displayed his prowess. Everyone wanted to know more about this black horse. Back in the battle cage, Francis Stratus was running sideways on the cage as he shot at Bas. Bas was unbothered as he cut down the attacks swiftly. Bas' Evil Dragon Sovereign Record lit up in his soul pool, operating at top speed as he continued to defend. Many runes were produced as he fought, nurturing new hunt skills that Bas could master in the future.
"This boy...is far from normal." Sid Evans was sitting forward, his eyes not moving from that dancing blade. He never imagined this brat would be so talented!