Vincent paled, chills coursing through his veins as Daniel proclaimed who he was.
Whatever he felt was far worse in the expression of the others.
King.
It was a name they were familiar with. He was at first hailed as King of the ring.
Before getting admitted to high-school, he was a famous boxer under the alias KING.
Every teenager wanted to be him… when he quit and started coming to Mereung, many respected and worshipped him from afar.
He was unapproachable, could not be friended by anybody, not bullies, not goody-two-shoes. Not even girls.
He was cold to everyone equally and the only thing he did well with joy was pick fights.
He quickly became famous among the students, sometimes he picked fights with the big guys almost giving the weaklings hope, other times he beats the shit out of the weaklings and crush their hopes.
He was one that could never be predicted or understood.
He was an authority that depended on no one and drove no one. A single force, mightier than an army of gangsters.
He was King.
The King Of Mereung.
Vincent didn't know as much, but what made him pale was that the system had brought the quest just when he was around.
The reward was an epic grade card which informed him that thus quest was going to be hard.
Suddenly meeting his foe when he was least expecting it threw him out of his skin.
The others paled and shook with fear as they looked at his back. Apparently, none of them had ever seen him before.
Levi had a slight frown on his face, he was visibly fighting with his fears. Maybe he was cocky or the story Vincent told them was beginning to have an effect.
Although their faces were canvases of terror and dinky bravery, the latter making desperate efforts to shine, their fists clenched and trembled.
Vincent's cast was plastered with an amusing look of resolve.
"So… what do you want. King?"
"What I want is revenge. I heard you beat up Ferdinand and Roger, I'm here to pay you back for it and put you in your place."
Vincent looked at him, no expression of any sorts for a couple of seconds then he sighed.
"I see… they went to call their boss uh."
Even Vincent was shocked at the way he was talking. Maybe it was because of these guys that were around.
Daniel also felt the same way. He grinned and spoke:
"How audacious of you. Please keep that insane audacity till the end, okay?"
Vincent ignored the red-haired's colloquy and sighed.
"You want to have your vengeance, don't you?"
Daniel stared blithely, lingering for a second before replying:
"Yes."
Vincent slowly rose his hands to his jaw level, standing himself ready to throw a punch and block another. Supposedly, the basic boxing stance.
The others gulped as they saw him.
"Is he really going to take on king?"
"That's insane. King is on another league… he's a boxing champion"
All of them whispered doubts and unbelief. Only one person watched with excitement, face reddening and eyes expectantly laid on Vincent.
'Finally! I'm going to see his superpower again!'
Levi had not abandoned the notion that Vincent awakened some superpower which is why he could suddenly change. Even though Vincent had cooked up a very nice tale that should have convinced him otherwise.
The fatty was not easily fooled like the rest of them.
This was however, his chance to see Vincent fight upclose and display his superpower.
A derisive laughter escaped Daniel's mouth, he had been holding it since Vincent got in stance for the fight and now he just couldn't anymore.
He held his stomach and stomped his feet on the floor, laughing out like a broken car engine that was being forced to kick start.
The atmosphere became awkward as everyone watched the red-haired King uncontrollable laughed himself around.
After a couple of seconds, his laughter slowly reached a nadir and came to an abrupt stop.
He wiped the small tears beneath his eyes away as he questioned Vincent:
"What the hell is that? It feels like I came here to play. Ferdinand and Roger insisted that you were the one that beat them up so I was actually expectant. But now I don't even know what to think again. Bro you can't even put a basic boxing stance together?"
He laughed out again.
"What is that? What the hell? You're looking like a reptile that's about to break dance!!" His critique was followed by another round of laughter.
Which made Vincent check himself again.
What was wrong with his stance?
Seeing the puzzled expression on Vincent's face, Daniel's expression became dour.
He then uttered after looking at the clueless lowerclassmen for a couple of seconds:
"You really do not have any idea?"
"Any idea of what?"
"They said you are a martial master. What, you don't know how a boxer should stand?" Daniel inquired, frowning.
"Martial master? What's that?"
Daniel's eyes enlarged.
"You… have you ever learned any martial art? Fighting style?"
Vincent frowned slightly and shook his head.
"No…" He paused and added as Daniel stood in silence, blinking. "Did you come here to ask me dumb questions or are you going to fight?"
He had to do the quest either ways.
He may sound cocky even he couldn't tell why he was being all edgy all of a sudden. He didn't do well with people to begin with, maybe this was just one of those time he lost control of himself because of the numbers of people around.
And the way they looked at him… like some beacon of hope.
He wasn't just full of reckless bravery… he had a solid backing and was sure his arsenal of skills will save his ass.
He was sure…
Vincent grinned viciously.
"Okay then! Let's hope you are ready for it!"
Without a second to rest, he lunged at Vincent as his words fell out of his mouth.
Daniel moved with a fluid grace, throwing his hand forward - a blur of precision slicing through the air like a knife through silk.
Vincent shabbily blocked Daniel's initial punch but the force of it sent him stumbling backward.
Adrenaline pounced his heart, everything just now happened quickly—he was left no time to think and just got saved by luck.
Vincent stared at the smiling Daniel, his shoulders trembling.
His eyes frowned with cold fear.
'Did I underestimate him…?'