"Your champion is rather young and charming." One of the noblewomen stated calmly, swaying her fan gently as a playful smile appeared on her face. It was clear as a cloudless sky that she'd left her youth behind, her brown hair was streaked with gray, yet her black eyes were sharp despite the wrinkles framing them. But by no means was she unattractive.
She was still a fair lady with a maternal presence and pale, alabaster skin. She was wearing a tight, beautiful green dress adorned with flowers to flatter her figure and conceal what time had taken from her. Each piece of jewelry was worn sparingly, but undeniably, she was wealthy, holding a position in high society.
"Yes, on that much, we both agree, Lady Selina. He's quite skilled and experienced fighter despite being so young." The Warden nodded with a pleasant smile, his cold and piercing gaze, which he always carried himself with disappeared, replaced by a polite look, like a starving dog wagging its tail to please its owner.
Meanwhile, Sam was in a rather difficult situation, he was overwhelmed by the sheer size and power of the man. Sure, Sam's combat instincts were honed, his body also trained and athletic, but against Bone-Breaker... it wasn't enough. There was a qualitative difference between a teenager and a grown man when it came to strength.
The man was simply a giant... Hmm? After observing the curious detail about Sam's opponent coldly, the Warden quickly shifted his focus from the arena to Lady Selina, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, but he masked it with a warm, welcoming smile.
He wasn't sure yet, but he didn't really like her smile or behavior. She appeared soft and motherly, that was unmistakable but really, if she was really that pure, why would she be here? She was swanning about, playing the role of the perfect lady in high society, but here, in this rotting prison where every deplorable noble gathered... she wasn't so enthusiastic about hiding her ardent desires.
The Warden could acutely sense that, since he was quite familiar with the games nobles played. And he also knew what happened when people had power. How quickly they forgot morals and ethics since they could avoid punishment for their crimes.
Seeing his cold, expressionless face, Lady Selina chuckled pleasantly, her voice melodic like a mother's humming is for a child. While the Warden was acting as a composed and welcoming host, his furrowed brow betrayed his inner turmoil. Placing her slender hand on her chest, she closed her left eye, swaying her fan and hiding a subtle, sensual smile.
She was behaving wantonly. Her hands were knotted with age, her fingers slender and skin thin as she cast her lascivious gaze at Sam's exposed, muscular back.
Leaning forward from the mezzanine, Selina's smile widened, her eyes sparkling with interest as she subtly licked her lips and asked politely, "And I do wonder... can I borrow this fine boy for a few hours, kind sir?"
Hearing her words, the Warden's stoic expression faintly cracked, his dull eyes regaining their luster for a moment because of her ridiculous demand. The Warden wasn't heartless, he just wished to regain his status. He wanted people to respect him and not laugh at him behind his back.
That's why he was so appalled by the words that left Lady Selina's mouth. He gulped, feeling hesitant as he gave Sam an empathetic look. Then, he closed his eyes, his fists clenched, his heart torn, morality and desire clashing against each other inside him.
Because he knew the fate of children Lady Selina took. If he gave Sam to her, even if it was just for a few hours as she'd asked, he knew that Sam would forever become hers. And while the Warden didn't want to pity prisoners, he was still human. He didn't wish to offer a child to this woman... Yet, a strong weight of guilt fell on his shoulders. And he instantly knew why. He'd surrendered to temptation, to his greed and thirst for acknowledgement.
"As you wish, my lady. But I want to ask for your favor. There's something I wish to get, and if you help me, I'll be more than grateful."
As the Warden surrendered to his desires, Selina let out a satisfied chuckle, closing her fan elegantly and putting it aside, her hands dropping as she intertwined them. Exhaling softly, she glanced at the Warden's conflicted expression and patted his shoulder with a gentle smile. "There's no need to worry, kind sir. I've always loved children. And as for your request, consider it done. I won't forget this favor."
The Warden nodded expressionlessly as Selina whispered in his ear like a serpent. He shivered, feeling chills crawling up his spine as sweat slid down from his forehead. The original deal was to let her win this fight, but now she was demanding more than they'd agreed on. And while the Warden was bitter and enraged, there was nothing he could do if he wanted his dream to become reality.
Love children, huh? Your own children were eaten by dogs... He thought, disgusted by what he was witnessing and agreeing to. Then, stiffly, he turned around, walking away from her, not wanting to spend any more seconds in her presence.
But a soothing voice stopped him in his tracks. Lady Selina, who was observing the fight curiously, her eyes sparkling with desire, said to him softly, "Oh, and clean him up. I want the boy to be presentable after the fight."
The Warden gritted his teeth, growing more and more enraged with each passing second. Though he still nodded in confirmation and walked away quickly before he killed her on the spot. One of the liabilities of being a Folk of Rage was that he was losing composure and getting angry too easily.
"As you wish." he said through clenched teeth.
...
At the same time, Sam was having a difficult time as he raised his arm, blocking a fist half the size of his face with his elbow and counterattacking with a vicious low kick to the peroneal nerve. The giant hissed in pain, his leg refusing to support him for a moment as he fell back, his knee buckling, numb and unresponsive.
Kneeling on the floor, Bone-Breaker's expression darkened with displeasure and a hint of panic as he raised his arm to prevent Sam's punch from breaking his jaw.
There's a saying: don't kick a man when he's down. Sadly, Sam was the kind of person who did the opposite. Not wasting the opportunity, he launched his body forward with his hands and delivered a crashing blow to Bone-Breaker's chest with intense force. Breath exploded from the giant's lungs, his back slamming against the cold stone as he rolled across the floor, coughing violently, saliva dripping from his mouth in thick strands.
Yet, at the same time, Bone-Breaker couldn't help but laugh gleefully even as he choked on his breath, blood-flecked spittle spraying from his lips.
Finally... he could move his leg now. But he didn't move, watching through narrowed eyes as Sam recovered and then dashed forward, footsteps thundering against stone. And when he was perfectly lured in, Bone-Breaker rolled quickly, dodging Sam's descending foot that came within a hair's breadth of pulverizing his skull. The strike cracked against stone where his head had been a heartbeat before, chips of rock scattering.
Seeing this, Sam's smile twitched and slowly vanished, a look of surprise flashing across his face as he realized that Bone-Breaker had used his injured leg as bait to lure him in.
At the same time, Bone-Breaker surged upward, grabbing Sam's arm in an iron grip and yanking him backward, only to slam his forehead into Sam's face with brutal force. The impact echoed across the arena with a wet, sickening crack. Sam's head snapped back violently, blood erupting from his nose and flowing down his mouth and neck as his eyes contracted and his vision became distorted and fuzzy.
Oh, what the hell... He thought while falling back, staring at the ceiling and then at the cheering nobles. Some of them were cheerful and energetic, some were more composed, clapping in a gentlemanly manner while ladies acted like innocent maidens, as if they were horrified by what they'd seen.
Yet, before Sam could truly fall, he regained his balance, inhaling the cold, damp air, and pivoted, his foot crashing into Bone-Breaker's injured leg.
The man grunted, look of discomfort appearing on jis face. His leg twitched violently as sharp pain shot through the limb, momentarily freezing him in place. He lowered himself involuntarily, his grip on Sam loosening as he gritted his teeth.
But this time, it was Sam who was holding him. Tightening his grip on both arms like a vice, he launched himself forward like a hawk, driving both feet into the Giant's face with savage precision. The impact resonated through the arena, a brutal, ruthless sound of bones shattering made audience flinch in disgust and horror. Bone-Breaker's massive body hurtled backward, crashing onto the stone floor with enough force to shake dust from the walls.
Bone-Breaker groaned, coughing violently as he tried to stand. His nose was shattered, collapsed inward, his face was drenched in crimson, blood streaming down on his chin and neck. He spat out a tooth, clattering it against the stone as his left eye swelled and darkened. Each ragged breath rattled in his chest as he held his face with trembling hands, as if the bones would scatter without his grip holding them together.
Then, he glanced at Sam through his one good eye, his expression bewildered and lost, struggling to comprehend the damage he'd suffered from Sam's savage blow.
Meanwhile, Sam was on one knee, his hand resting on it as he exhaled cold air in short, controlled bursts. His eyes were half-lidded, appearing seemingly unbothered even now. Yet, he was in pain, his face felt like it was burning from the inside out, his lungs screaming for air they could barely take in. Wiping blood from his nose and mouth with the back of his hand, he narrowed his eyes at Bone-Breaker in suspicion, studying him through the haze of pain.
That doesn't make sense. My body is enhanced and my senses are heightened beyond human limits. Meaning, this guy isn't normal either. His sheer size, strength, and skills... Shit, is he a Giant?
Indeed, everything he'd seen up to this point confirmed his theory.
Taking a deep breath, Sam pulled his hair back, standing up, mirroring Bone-Breaker, who snorted in annoyance. By the looks of it, while he was suspicious that Sam too was a Beyonder, he wasn't exactly sure. Because Sequence 9 wasn't that much different from a normal person. And Sam, who was trained and skilled, could keep up with Sequence 9 non-combat Beyonders even if he wasn't one.
For example, he couldn't beat a Hunter, Assassin, Warrior, or Sailor, but he could beat an Apprentice, Lawyer, Seer, or Spectator. They could be killed by a normal human quite easily at that level.
Bone-Breaker shook his shoulders, his bones cracking as he stretched his muscular body and stabilized his breathing. He spat blood, his expression dark and filled with anger as he took a fighting stance. "You're exhausted, huh?"
He's right, I'm tired as hell. I can't match him in terms of endurance. Sam thought grimly, raising his arms, his elbows in a defensive position.
"Let's finish this then, you fatherless scum." Bone-Breaker spat with venom, clenching his fists as he took a step forward, eager to knock Sam out.
Fatherless... Did he call me fatherless? This... How dare he!? I'm a child of God!
"Hey there... Did you call me that because I'm a stable boy? You must have enjoyed bullying stable boys, huh? You bastard... I'll avenge all the stable boys you've bullied." Sam said through gritted teeth, his expression darkening in righteous indignation.
Bone-Breaker paused, his eyes growing lost and confused as he glanced at Sam in bewilderment. Huh? I... never bullied stable-
He never finished that thought as Sam's fist landed on his jaw, snapping his head back with a repugnant whack. Bone-Breaker clenched his teeth, striking back at Sam, who blocked with his elbow, the impact fracturing the Giant's knuckles. Sam surged forward, driving a vicious uppercut into his chin that rattled teeth and sent blood spraying from split lips.
Bone-Breaker was growing more frustrated by the second. Raising his arms, he absorbed strike after strike, each blow hammering into his guard like a sledgehammer, and then lunged forward from desperation.
Sam, sensing the danger, leaped back. He knew that if it came to wrestling, he would lose miserably. And while his goal was losing, he couldn't do that until the Giant had suffered the same pain stable boys endured under that bastard's tyranny.
Raising his foot, Sam blocked the Giant's kick, but the Giant feinted, his massive hand gripping Sam's ankle. With a savage grunt, he swung Sam's body up and slammed him down onto the cold stone floor.
Sam gasped, air leaving his lungs as his back struck the ground, pain exploring in his spine. His eyes widened, muscles seizing and vision fragmenting as the impact reverberated through every bone in his body.
But he quickly suppressed his discomfort and rolled away as the Giant's elbow came crashing down, stone cracking where his head had been a heartbeat before.
Then, the Giant crawled toward Sam with a malicious smile, his fingers clamping around his ankle and dragging him back across the rough stone despite Sam unleashing the little brother's technique.
He's... immune? Sam thought in disbelief, his strikes doing nothing, blood from his heel smearing across the Giant's already ruined face. Seeing that his attacks were ineffective, he quickly changed his fighting style, abandoning the previous one with determination burning in his eyes.
His palm slapped against the wet stone. Then he launched his body forward in a wild slide, shooting between the Giant's grasping hands as fingers scraped across his ribs. Sam twisted, rolling away in one fluid motion and surging up behind him, arms coiling like a serpent around the massive neck, his biceps bulging as he locked in the choke.
Bone-Breaker's face immediately started reddening, then darkening, veins bulging at his temples as the blood flow to his brain was cut off. His hands clawed uselessly at Sam's forearms, nails digging into flesh.
But the Giant adapted with brutal efficiency. Instead of trying to pry Sam loose, he threw himself backward with all his weight.
Sam's eyes widened in disbilief and shock.
Oh come on...
135 kilogram of muscle and bone slammed into the stone floor with Sam crushed beneath. The impact stole the air from his lungs, his spine screaming and vision growing hazy for a split second.
The Giant immediately rolled over, reaching for Sam's throat, but Sam's survival instincts kicked in. Through the pain, his hand shot out and caught the Giant's wrist. His legs, moving instinctively, wrapped around his opponent's neck like a snake. He pulled the arm back with everything he had left, hyperextending the elbow joint as his thighs squeezed the carotid arteries.
The Giant grunted, his expression twisted with frustration at finding himself in the same crisis despite all his efforts to escape.
Yet, he wasn't truly hopeless. Warriors were granted knowledge of martial arts and enhanced physique, perhaps one of the most powerful bodies at Sequence 9. And thus, he was learning quickly, adapting in real-time. There wasn't a fighting style warriors couldn't grasp. That's how he managed to understand the core of the technique and prepare countermeasure against it, desperately trying to defend himself by locking his own hands together to prevent his trapped arm from snapping.
Gritting his teeth, he let out guttural scream, he raised his arm, pushing himself forward with a pained look, and reached it. His fingers found purchase, locking around his own wrist tightly. And than, he let out a strained, breathless laugh, feeling the pressure loosening.
He pulled himself up, first to his knees, then to his feet, lifting Sam into the air. Sam blinked in surprise, staring at Bone-Breaker in disbelief, a flash of panic crossing his face that melted into grim resignation as he was slammed back onto the stone.
Stone met his falling body without an ounce of mercy, pain spreading across his entire back as air left his lungs. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps as he choked, his vision fracturing into doubled images, blurring at the edges as disorientation swallowed him whole.
Damn it... It feels like cheating. I needed years to master those fighting styles. Sam thought, discouraged but grimly accepting. That was the reality of Beyonders, what took mortals years, they learned in moments.
Well, I won't complain about it or say that it's unfair. That's how losers think, he thought with a pale, blood-stained smile as Bone-Breaker raised him into the air once again, staring down at Sam with a victorious grin and smashed him down.
I'm sorry, stable boys... Sam's thoughts drifted, distant and fading. I wasn't able to avenge you.
***
[A/N: Sam forgot that he was ordered to lose for a second, heh. But that's the price of being a righteous man who wants to avenge poor stable boys!
Sam was like, I'll let my opponent win, but there was no need to lose intentionally! Bro got cooked, he barely survived. Bone-Breaker beat the shit out of him, XDDDD.
At least watching UFC has its uses. That's it for now, guys. Enjoy the meal. And sorry, I was drinking yesterday and forgot to post the chapter.]
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