"Cisco, I need you to find out everything you can about this boy." Sid Evans stood up from his seat and spoke to one of the men behind him. "This is a priority order. If he comes from a faction I want to know which one. If he was born as a mortal I MUST know. Follow Brenda's instructions until I return."
Sid descended the platform in between his two personal guards. He stood in place on the stairs to see the conclusion of the contest. He didn't believe he would need to stand here long.
"I'll kill you, you punk!" back in the battle cage, Francis Stratus holstered his hunter rifles and suddenly dashed forward. Bas King had a bad premonition, so he immediately retreated. Even though this opponent wasn't one he could take serious, eons of experience had taught Bas never to mistake the feeling of danger. Francis frowned at the fast retreat of this seemingly arrogant Bas, but he chose to execute his hunter skill anyway. "Here we go! Toxic Fury!"
Francis' body released a sanguine light as his legs twisted in a strange manner unleashing a series of kicks.
Bas dodged the first kick easily, but the sanguine light made his hair stand on end. This strange light was highly poisonous, "Innate poison soul power! This mortal must be truly talented. What a waste to be born in Mortalee. Wait...how?"
"OH MY GOD!"
"Hunt qi released outside the body! It's really Hunt qi being released out of the body!"
"I thought only Hunt Experts could do that? Isn't this Francis Stratus still at the Hunt Foundation Stage?"
"It must be the Half-Step Hunt Expert rank, post-Fifth Class!"
"In that case, he's only half a step from the Hunt Expert rank! Is he suppressing his strength so he can defeat Jian Jun?"
"It's likely!"
Everyone was stunned at the potential this man just revealed. If this Francis could use his outer qi, then this Bazzy Dagod should be at quite the disadvantage. Normally.
However, who was Bas King? He was a reincarnated Great Pharaoh!
"This guy...looks like I'll have to turn it up a notch. Too bad we're enemies, he would be worth recruiting!" Bas King already decided to recruit a few mortal hunters for when he returned to the Hunter's Society.
🐉
Up above on the Champion Platform, a middle-aged man with a sinister face observed the battle with similar thoughts as Bas King. He glanced at Sid Evans who was engrossed in the battle, before looking to one of the subordinates behind himself, "Go make arrangements. We'll be recruiting this mortal."
"Yes, Demon Lord." the subordinate bent his body slightly and replied respectfully.
🐉
Meanwhile, Bas King operated his Evil Dragon Sovereign Record and black qi steam started to rise from his body. Although Bas was only a hunter at the Eight Level Hunt Foundation, Fifth Class, his hunter statistics were mostly already above 10. Merely, Bas didn't have any way to gauge his actual strength since he was using a brand new hunter record. However, even though he wasn't yet a Hunt Expert he was already as powerful as one. His strength stat especially was definitely higher than 13, which was Marsha's strength when wielding the butterfly blade. After wielding the blade himself, Bas King's base strength reached more than 23. It was actually not an issue for him to use outer qi, as long as he didn't try to go overboard. After all, his juvenile body could only handle so much. The crowd was immediately worked into another uproar when they saw this black qi steam.
"No way, no way," Francis Stratus almost went crazy when he saw this, increasing his speed desperately.
His leg finally landed on Bas' left calf causing the latter to buckle a little as the sanguined light stuck to Bas' leg like glue. Francis released a sinister sneer and immediately followed up with a flurry of kicks. However, the seemingly injured Bas suddenly smirked, and slashed out with the butterfly blade twice. The sanguine light surrounding his leg was easily dispersed by the black steam and an ear-bleeding scream sounded out through the entire underground arena.
Francis Stratus laid with one leg and one arm severed as he screamed in agony. His face was distorted with disbelief as blood painted the stage. Bas King sheathed his sword while looking ahead indifferently.
"To kill or nah?" Bas considered for a moment before deciding. He waited for the referee to announce the result. The entire crowd covering the bleachers were pin-drop silent. It almost seemed as if everyone forgot to breathe, the silence was stifling.
Bas grew impatient as he heard Francis spit out curses in-between his screams, "You dirty slime! You piece of trash! I'll kill you, I'll KILL you, I'LL KILL YOU, you must DIE!"
Bas King calmly turned around and approached his broken opponent, 'Don't want to end the match? I'll end his life then.'
"Brenda!" a powerful voice thundered. This was naturally Sid Evans.
Brenda Evans seemed to snap back to reality at this moment, dropping down into the battle cage and nudging the referee.
"Ah...ah, one sec!" The similarly startled referee tried to rush an announcement, but he was a step too late.
"STAY YOUR HAND!" bellowed and elderly voice from outside the cage. However, whether this shout was received or ignored, it was all too late either way.
Puchi.
🐉
"Delightful..." said the man referred to as the Demon Lord. He was incredibly pleased with the methods of this so-called Bazzy Dagod. 'What a good talent. Ruthless enough, but not merciless. He seems to have enough honor. He would make a good disciple...' He looked to his subordinate once more, "Ignore that previous order. Put a major rush on this Bazzy's origins and tail him after he leaves."
"Yes, Demon Lord!"
🐉
Before the eyes of the crowd, Bas King stood with his bronze class butterfly blade impaling Francis Stratus' neck. The latter choked on his own blood as he could no longer continue his cursing. Brenda paled immensely, as Bas flicked his wrist and Francis' head was removed from his lifeless body.
If his opponent didn't intend to take his life, Bas could also show mercy. However, if the opponent moved with killing intent then everything was different. To Bas, life was an enterprise. Business is business, and Bas King would never spare those who threatened his enterprise. That was bad for business. As Bas thought this, he unceremoniously searched Francis' corpse and stored the latter's belongings in his mother's storage ring. This was good for business.
"YOU DARE!" an elderly man raged and lept into the air, flipping into the battle cage equipped with a bladed hunter rifle.
This old man was named Edgar Stratus and his cultivation was at the two-star Hunt Expert rank. Not only that, but he had fought as a hunter all his life and he was full of rage. This nephew of his was his only living relative capable of utilizing soul power. The boy even had innate qi! Edgar had spent his life's fortune on the boy's cultivation, just to see Bas separate his investment from its shoulders. He stabbed out with his hunter rifle intending to kill Bas King right there. "Die, youngun! Accompany my nephew in hell!"