Mattimeo: Blood And Desire

2

“You should have given up your chance to enter this Dungeon. You’re useless anyway. Your spiritual root is broken, and you can no longer grow stronger. All you do is run around wasting energy. Even as a cripple, you still rely on your father’s influence to bully others.”

A handsome blond youth with a heroic aura spoke coldly as he stared at the red-haired youth before him.

“Yes, Richard is right, Mattimeo. We all know Brother Josh deserves this opportunity far more than you.”

The girl dressed in yellow, who looked around seventeen or eighteen, spoke with a condescending expression as she glanced at the red-haired youth.

The red-haired youth slowly raised his head and met her gaze directly.

The girl in yellow felt her heart skip slightly.

Even now, she still had not gotten over his appearance. His face looked as though it had been carved from flawless jade, beautiful and captivating. His jawline was sharp and straight, his features refined, while his eyes carried a fierce intensity that naturally drew attention. Just one glance at him was enough to make a woman’s heart tremble.

Richard noticed the subtle shift in her expression and immediately gritted his teeth.

Even after becoming useless and losing the ability to cultivate for the past two years, Mattimeo still had not stopped casting a shadow over him. Once upon a time, the red-haired youth had been the number one genius of both the family and the entire city.

Richard still remembered those humiliating years when he had no choice but to look up at him. His father would scold him, sometimes even kick him, for failing to measure up to Mattimeo. Those memories had never faded from his mind. Coupled with Mattimeo’s infuriatingly handsome face, Richard’s hatred only deepened with time. Because of that, he constantly insulted, bullied, and humiliated him whenever the opportunity appeared.

Mattimeo looked away from the girl in yellow and fixed his gaze on Richard instead.

“Why?” he replied calmly. “You also use your father’s strength to bully others.”

Richard’s expression froze for a moment before his face twisted with fury.

Without warning, he lashed out with a vicious kick.

Mattimeo saw the attack coming, but his weakened body reacted too slowly. Richard’s foot slammed into his stomach with explosive force, lifting him off the ground before hurling him several feet away.

Bang!

His body crashed heavily against the stone floor, dust erupting around him.

Pain tore through his body, but there was no fear in his eyes.

“Is that all you can do?” he sneered while forcing himself upright. “Pathetic.”

Richard’s anger exploded even further.

This was what he hated most about Mattimeo. No matter how much Richard or the others beat, insulted, or tortured him, he never surrendered.

He would stare people directly in the eyes without the slightest trace of fear. He refused to bow his head, refused to obey, and refused to cower.

“Why can’t you be like the other weaklings?” Richard growled. “They know their place. They obey when they’re told to obey. That’s why they live peacefully. But you? With that attitude, you’ll never know peace.”

Mattimeo slowly rose from the ground and brushed the dirt from his clothes before turning toward the girl in yellow.

“Gia, you said I should have given this opportunity to Josh, right? That same Josh has already entered multiple Level Two Dungeons over the past few months. This is the very first Level Two Dungeon I’ve ever had the chance to enter, yet you still want me to hand it over to someone who has already gone several times?”

Gia avoided his gaze.

“It’s not the same, Mattimeo,” she replied softly, though even she sounded uncertain. “This is a newly discovered dungeon. Newly discovered dungeons contain far more life-changing opportunities. There could be treasures inside capable of greatly benefiting cultivators.”

Mattimeo smiled inwardly.

That was exactly why he had fought so hard to come here in the first place. Perhaps somewhere inside this dungeon, he might find a treasure capable of repairing his spiritual roots.

“The hypocrisy in your words...” he said coldly. “Even you can hear it.”

“This bastard!”

Richard exploded with rage and charged forward again, but another youth who had been silently observing the entire exchange suddenly stepped between them.

“That’s enough, Richard. Don’t hit him,” the youth said calmly. “We have more important things to do than fight among ourselves. There’s a cave ahead. Let’s check it first. There might be something valuable inside.”

The blond youth slowly calmed down and nodded.

“You’re right, Nicholas. I can’t waste my time on someone this useless.”

Richard stepped back with a snort.

Nicholas glanced at Mattimeo once but said nothing further.

The four of them carefully approached the cave.

Once they entered, they realized it stretched far deeper than expected. The interior was narrow but long, while darkness completely swallowed the deeper sections of the cave. Richard raised his hand and summoned flames that illuminated the surroundings with flickering orange light.

Suddenly, a disturbance echoed from deep within the darkness.

Everyone froze.

The sound grew louder.

Scrrrrch!

Something sharp scraped violently against stone.

Nicholas’ expression changed drastically as he stared into the darkness.

“It’s Eight-Legged Venomous Scorpions!” he shouted. “Those are Level seven Spirit Beasts!”

“A Level seven Spirit Beast?!”

Everyone instantly felt as though cold water had been poured over them.

Three Level seven Spirit Beasts!

Nicholas reacted first and immediately bolted toward the cave entrance since he was closest to it. Gia followed right behind him, while Mattimeo quickly turned to escape as well.

Richard started last.

However, because he was far stronger and faster, he overtook Mattimeo almost instantly. Nicholas had already rushed outside, while Gia hesitated briefly near the cave entrance, clearly struggling over whether to abandon them.

“Run, Gia! I’ll stay behind and help Mattimeo!” Richard shouted urgently.

Gia nodded instinctively and rushed out without arguing.

Richard stopped near the entrance while Mattimeo desperately sprinted toward him. Behind him, the three gigantic scorpions surged through the cave with terrifying speed. Their massive five-foot bodies scraped violently against the rocky floor while their razor-sharp legs stabbed into the stone walls, sending cracks spreading across the cave.

The monsters closed in rapidly.

Because of his weak cultivation and slow speed, the distance between Mattimeo and the scorpions shrank with every passing second.

When Mattimeo saw Richard standing near the entrance waiting for him, warmth spread through his chest.

Even though Richard constantly beat, insulted, and humiliated him, he had still chosen to remain behind when their lives were truly in danger.

Mattimeo silently made a mental note not to provoke Richard too harshly in the future.

Then Richard suddenly smiled.

It was a cruel, twisted smirk.

Mattimeo’s heart instantly turned cold.

Something was wrong.

The next moment, Richard exploded forward and kicked out with all his strength.

Boom!

His foot slammed directly into Mattimeo’s chest.

Mattimeo had never expected the attack. Combined with his weakened body and slower reactions, he had no chance of dodging.

The force behind the kick was terrifying.

His ribs creaked violently as blood sprayed from his mouth. His body flew backward like a broken ragdoll.

Straight toward the giant scorpions.

“Richard!”

Gia’s voice rang out in disbelief.

She had not actually left. After Richard told her to run, she had only stepped outside the cave entrance and stayed behind.