CHAPTER 13: HE IS STRONG??!
1518 Words
This was too good to be true. He could get the gauntlet free of charge, and he would also prove that he was not weak.
“Ok,” he said immediately.
“There is no problem if you want to back down like a weak person would do. You can… wait, what did you just say?”
The man turned to the boy in surprise.
“I said I would fight and defeat your son in a battle,” Roshan repeated without a hint of fear.
“My son will not go easy on you. A lot have tried to take him down, but none succeeded. He is one of the best in the village. He…”
“Ok, I will fight him.”
Roshan did not wait for the man to finish before stating his desire again. He had always loved challenges.
“Ok, c… come with me.”
The short man looked at Roshan once more. Why was he so confident?
Roshan followed him to a remote area close to the forest.
“Wait here while I get him. Do not run away,” the man said with a mocking smile.
“I will not,” Roshan replied, not even looking at him. His mind was elsewhere.
He did not even realize the man had already left.
A screen appeared before him.
[DAILY QUEST ACHIEVED]
[Daily Quest Rewards: 80 exp]
[Exp: [80/300]]
At least it increased a little, he thought.
He looked at the sword by his side and pulled it out of its scabbard.
The cracks were more visible now. Would he be able to fight with it?
He noticed a small, sharp stone nearby and picked it up. Instead of staying idle, he could at least sharpen the blade.
He moved his hand gently along the sword as he sharpened it and thought of his parents. He really missed them.
He knew they would be happy to see him now. Their son was fulfilling their wish.
A smile appeared on his face as he continued sharpening the sword.
---
Somewhere close to where Roshan stood.
“I brought someone for you to challenge. Make me proud. I boasted about you, and besides, he should be easy for you to beat. I believe he is very weak,” the short man said as he glanced in Roshan’s direction.
“Yes, Father. But why would you bring someone weak to me? It feels like a waste of time,” the boy replied.
“He is confident he can beat you, and I do not like that. He should just admit he is weak,” the man said as he turned to his son.
“Beat me? Hahahaha.”
The boy burst into laughter.
How long had it been since someone thought they could beat him?
He found the idea both stupid and amusing.
“Ok, Dad. I will humor you.”
---
Moments later, Roshan looked up and saw the short man returning with a tall, shirtless boy whose muscles gleamed under the sun.
Looking at them, one would wonder how a man like that could give birth to such a monster.
The boy stared at Roshan, his eyes narrowing.
“You.”
The boy growled.
Roshan tilted his head slightly, wondering if he knew him.
“Uhmm… do I know you?” Roshan asked, confused by the hostility.
The short man ignored their exchange and introduced his son.
“Young child, this is my son, Bahr. Do you still want to fight him?”
Roshan ignored the lingering doubt in the man’s voice and extended his hand.
“My name is Roshan. Nice to meet you, Bahr.”
Bahr looked at the pale hand as if it were the most disgusting thing he had ever seen.
“I do not shake weak people,” Bahr growled, turning away.
“So it is like father, like son,” Roshan thought as he lowered his hand.
Bahr scanned him and glanced at his father, wondering why he was wasting time on this thing.
Yes, Roshan was the thing he referred to.
Bahr had watched Roshan fight the Level 13 training bot, but he attributed the victory to luck.
To him, Roshan was nothing more than a rat, and he intended to teach that rat its place.
This village had room for only one master, and that was him, not this rat.
After all, Bahr had fought a Level 13 twice. He lost the first time but defeated it easily the second time, and that was four months ago. He had grown much stronger since then.
A boy who took hours to defeat a Level 13 bot would be easy prey. Beating him would be simple.
On the other side, Roshan stood quietly.
He knew defeating Bahr would not be easy. The man was Level 15, so he asked.
“Can we go all out?”
Before Bahr could answer, his father spoke.
“Yes, of course. Go all out. This place is safe, and there is no one around who could get injured,” the man said with a smile.
Why would they not go all out? What could this weak boy possibly show? Going all out would only make his defeat quicker.
Roshan smiled as he looked at Bahr. To him, Bahr was no longer a person, only a test subject. His smile widened.
What was with that strange smile?
Bahr felt a chill run down his spine.
Roshan had asked because he had already used Crystal Iris on Bahr.
[NAME: BAHR GREEMS]
[LEVEL: 15]
[ABILITY: Body Enhancement]
[HP: [400/400]]
This opponent was strong, but Roshan knew he could defeat him if he went all out. It would be a tough battle.
What excited him even more was this.
[Opponent detected]
[QUEST UPDATE]
[QUEST: Defeat opponent]
[QUEST REWARDS:]
[Unlock two new skills]
[Instant double Level Up]
[Unlock System Shop]
His eyes sparkled as he read the rewards.
Perhaps it was because Bahr was a difficult opponent that the system offered more.
The battle for dominance was about to begin.
Roshan noticed the short man chewing something.
Wait. Was that popcorn?
His eyes widened in disbelief. Did the man think this would be entertaining?
Where did he even get popcorn?
Roshan pushed those thoughts aside and focused on his opponent.
He picked up the sword lying by his side.
Bahr carried no weapon. He did not need one. His fists were enough.
Roshan did not care. He had been told to go all out.
He moved, leaping into striking range. Raising his sword, he bent slightly and slashed at Bahr’s torso.
Clang.
It felt as though his sword had struck metal.
“So this is body enhancement,” Roshan thought as he noticed the faint discoloration where his blade struck.
Before he could react, a powerful punch slammed into his stomach, throwing him backward.
The impact rattled his entire body. He already knew this would not be easy.
The short man laughed loudly as he crunched his snack. He was enjoying the show.
Roshan observed carefully.
When he struck Bahr’s waist, a greyish color appeared. Other parts of Bahr’s body lacked it. That meant he could only enhance one body part at a time.
Roshan adjusted his stance, ready to test this theory.
Bahr studied him.
He is stronger than he looks. I actually felt pain from that hit. I need to take him seriously.
Bahr rushed forward and kicked at Roshan. Roshan blocked with his sword, unaware that the c***k on the blade was growing longer.
After blocking, Roshan swung his sword toward Bahr’s neck. Bahr raised his forearm to block, but Roshan twisted his wrist mid strike and aimed lower, hitting Bahr’s abdomen.
Clang.
The sound of metal echoed again.
Roshan’s eyes widened briefly before he calmed himself. He had misjudged.
Bahr seized the opening. Enhancing his fist, he drove it into Roshan’s chest with full force.
Blood sprayed from Roshan’s mouth as he was sent flying into a nearby tree.
He slid down slowly, coughing up blood as his hands touched the ground.
He had underestimated his opponent.
Roshan rose and took his stance again. This time, he was ready.
He sprinted forward using his full stats. With overwhelming speed, he swung his sword at Bahr.
Bahr braced himself, planting his feet firmly. As the sword descended, he raised both arms and blocked it.
A shattering sound followed by a loud crash echoed through the area.
Bahr was hurled backward into the forest, destroying several trees.
Roshan wiped the blood from his mouth. He would return that blow many times over.
From afar, the short man stared in shock, popcorn spilling from his mouth.
“H… he… he is s… strong.”
It took him a long moment to finish the sentence.
Roshan saw Bahr emerge from the forest. Killing intent poured from him. Blood stained his lips, and bruises covered his arms.
Roshan raised his sword to fight again, or so he thought.
Instead of a blade, he saw only a broken hilt.
His weapon was gone.
Could he still win this fight?
- Writer
