2024-12-26 14:46:08The next morning, Max woke up early, breathing in the refreshing coolness of the morning air.
He had a simple breakfast that had been prepared for him while checking the items he would take to Mount Arleth.
There were fresh flowers, candles, and a few other supplies.
Meanwhile, Chief Raul appeared restless, pacing back and forth in front of the inn’s door.
Seeing that Max was ready, he approached him.
Chief Raul said anxiously, “Excuse me, Sir. But may I accompany you?”
“The security out there… I’m concerned, Sir.”
Max looked at Raul and calmly replied, “Stay here. I’ll be back. There’s no need to worry.”
However, Chief Raul insisted.
“I can’t just stay here, Sir. I must go with you.”
Max gave a slight smile, unbothered by Raul’s unease.
"If it makes you feel better, then come along with me."
With a nod, Chief Raul and his subordinates followed Max out of the inn.
Yet, as soon as they stepped outside, Chief Raul paused briefly, his eyes scanning the path ahead.
He was used to being on guard against threats, but this morning felt different.
The entire road was eerily silent.
No sounds could be heard, and no signs of life were visible.
The unusual stillness was unsettling.
“This… is strange,” murmured Chief Raul, furrowing his brow.
“Why is it so quiet?”
Max continued walking calmly.
As they ventured further, Chief Raul began sensing something even more unusual.
The road ahead was lined with heavily armed vehicles.
These vehicles were parked neatly along the path, with the largest one leading the formation.
Beside each vehicle stood armed personnel in formal, pristine uniforms, exuding an air of discipline and vigilance.
Instinctively, Chief Raul reached for his weapon, feeling the tension in the air.
He had no idea what was happening.
Was this the threat they had anticipated?
Were they in danger?
Chief Raul braced himself for a potentially perilous situation.
However, to his surprise, these individuals showed no signs of hostility.
Instead, they saluted Max, one by one, in a coordinated and precise manner.
Though the atmosphere remained quiet and intense, their gestures of respect carried a profound and meaningful weight.
Chief Raul stood frozen, stunned and bewildered.
He couldn’t comprehend what had just unfolded.
He turned to Max with a look of astonishment, almost disbelief.
Max, however, remained composed, unfazed by the sudden attention directed at him.
Chief Raul and his subordinates stared at him in awe.
In this chaotic region, they had never imagined that so many people would willingly bow to someone.
What was Max’s hidden identity that compelled such reverence?
Max stopped walking, his gaze sweeping over the group as he addressed them in a calm yet sharp voice.
“Has the Lord of the Abyss broken his promise not to cross this border?”
Everyone around Max tensed upon hearing the question.
Immediately, a young man stepped forward briskly.
He knelt on one knee before Max, his face filled with respect.
“No, Sir. The Lord of the Abyss has not broken his promise. We are here because we were informed of your arrival.”
“This force has been stationed to maintain order and ensure your safety from any disruptions, Sir,” the young man added.
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0193
Max let go of Takeshi’s hand, then took one step forward. His voice, usually flat, now carried a cold fire that made the air in the arena feel sharp like ice."Enough with the formalities," he said firmly. "Now listen carefully. I did not come to Mount Alken to take positions or take your seniority." "I came for one reason to invite you to destroy the Demon Blood Cult that has ruled for far too long."Even the name alone changed the faces of the grandmasters. Some clenched their fists until their veins stood out."They kidnapped millions of civilians in the past year," Max continued, his voice even colder. "Children, women, even the elderly. Used as living sacrifices to summon high level demons." "The villages at the base of the mountain are empty. You who call yourselves grandmasters who protect the people, how long will you stay silent?"The respectful silence instantly turned into burning anger.An old grandmaster with a long white beard stood up, his face red. "We... we did n
0192
The arena was still frozen. Even the wind seemed afraid to move. Every eye was fixed on Max’s right hand that was calmly held out in the air, and on Takeshi’s hand that was still pressed against the dusty ground. Blood dripped slowly from the corner of the old man’s mouth, forming tiny red dots on the stone floor. His breath was shaky, but his eyes had not gone dim.The grandmasters under the stage held their breath at the same time. Some bit their lips, some were ready to shout if Takeshi refused that offered hand. After all, he was Takeshi the Iron Tiger, the oldest senior in the Alken Mountains, the man who never bowed to anyone except Lord Hades. To accept the hand of a city youth who was not even thirty? Impossible.They had already prepared words to protect Takeshi’s pride later. "It is only a polite gesture." "He will pull his hand back." "Do not worry, Senior Takeshi..."But the opposite happened. With a trembling hand, Takeshi lifted his dusty and bloody palm. His fi
0191
The arena suddenly turned cold.All the grandmasters lined up below the stone stage could only stare with their mouths open, as if they had just witnessed the god of thunder slap the earth. They stared at Takeshi, who was still lying face-down in the bushes with leaves stuck to his back, his body still shaking from the impact."W-what… just happened?""Senior… Senior Takeshi fell?""Impossible! He must have slipped!"One of the most stubborn grandmasters stepped forward, pointing at the bush-covered figure that used to be Takeshi. "Takeshi-sama was only distracted! That was an accident! Did you not see? The ground there is clearly uneven!"Yet everyone clearly saw Takeshi get thrown four meters after his punch was casually swatted aside by Max. But their denial was stronger than logic."Yes! Exactly!" another shouted. "There is no way Takeshi lost! He is a senior grandmaster!"But those ego-filled mouths slowly fell silent when Takeshi began to move.The old man groaned softly, pushin
0190
Takeshi steadied his breathing, trying to calm the heartbeat that had been racing wildly for the past few minutes. He looked at Max, who was still standing without any stance, as if his body was not even part of the duel.Slowly, Takeshi spoke. His voice carried a tremor he could not hide. “Young man, were you the one who moved the wind?”Max did not answer right away. He only looked at Takeshi with a calmness that did not fit someone facing death. Then he gave a small smile. “What do you think?”That simple answer sent chills from Takeshi's neck down to his back. If Max could move the wind to fight him, not with normal martial arts, but with pure power, then his level was far beyond human. Even beyond the grandmasters standing in a row below.Takeshi swallowed hard. His throat felt dry. But he still refused to believe that fear. He chose to deny it.“Nonsense!” he shouted suddenly, his voice echoing loud. “There is no way you can control the wind! It was only a coincidence! Yo
0189
Takeshi stepped forward with calm but commanding movements. The tip of his robe fluttered as he rotated his wrist, releasing a burst of aura that made the air around them tremble. He lowered his body a little, feet spread wide, both hands forming a fighting stance that he had trained for more than fifty years. The pressure from his body spread like waves, making the dust around the rocky platform spin slowly.In the distance, the other grandmasters cheered with confidence. “Senior Takeshi will win!” “That young man will regret it!”But Max only stood straight. Calm. Not taking any stance at all. One of his hands was even resting in his pocket, as if a life and death duel in front of martial arts legends was only a small practice that he did not need to think about.Max’s eyes were focused and calculating. He controlled his breathing. He held his inner power. He restrained the force flowing through his meridians so it would not rise too fast.“Do not go too hard,” Max whispered
0188
The grandmasters immediately seized Max’s offer before he even finished speaking.“Good! If you want to prove it, then prove it!” shouted the muscular grandmaster who had mocked him the loudest from the start.The others burst into laughter, their voices echoing off the stone cliffs.“Hey, boy! Don’t push your lies too far! Do you think you can fool us that easily?”“Be careful not to run away after this,” mocked the thin grandmaster whose aura pressure never stopped flaring.Their laughter grew louder.The cold mountain air was filled with a tone of mockery, as if Max was nothing more than a city clown showing cheap tricks to giants of the martial world.But in the middle of that noise, an old grandmaster with a long white beard who had been silently observing Max raised his hand slowly and cut through every sound in an instant.“Silence,” he said.A soft but commanding aura swept through the area, making the other grandmasters close their mouths reflexively.The old grandmaster step
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