NOVEL NEXT Chapter 144: Concede
Van's Ocularis Lens flashed with the final recommended strike:
[ Baihui (DU20) - Crown Point.
Effect: Disrupts cerebral mana flow, inducing immediate unconsciousness.
Risk: 37% chance of permanent neural damage if struck with force. ]
Indeed, hitting this acupuncture point could lead to severe damage.
For a fraction of a second, Van considered it.
Tiger was dangerous—a conditioned killer controlled by a terrible master. Crushing this point would end the fight instantly… and possibly leave him a vegetable.
'But I'm not the one who gets to decide that.'
Van's fingers shifted at the last moment, redirecting from Baihui to a less lethal cluster—
"Fengchi Point."
This was a sharp press beneath Tiger's skull, where the neck met the base of the skull. Just like that, the slave's eyes rolled back, and his body had gone limp like a puppet with cut strings.
Thud!
He collapsed face-first into the dirt. He was still breathing and was only unconscious.
"Victory to the Farrell slave!" the Guard Captain shouted as he gestured to Van, whom he didn't even know the name.
Julia screamed in excitement while also snatching the pouch of High-Grade Crystals Lucian had thrown down.
"Told you he'd win!" she said while tossing Van a single crystal—a slave's "share" of spoils.
Lucian's face twisted as he saw Tiger completely unconscious...
He had seen Tiger fight against other Aura Users at the peak of the Trainee Stage. He knew that Tiger could fight three of them at the same time and still end up being the victor.
His combat skills and Aura were definitely on top…
"This…" Lucian could only pour his anger on his slave.
Just like that, he seized Tiger's collar, dragging him through the dust toward a waiting iron post where disobedient slaves were punished.
"Useless filth," He spat…
Van watched dispassionately.
'He'll flay the skin off Tiger's back for this.'
But that wasn't his concern.
Until—
"A curious fighter."
A deep voice suddenly came, and it drew attention from the crowd.
Van was a bit confused as he glanced in the direction of the voice.
Soon, he saw the crowd parted to reveal a tall nobleman in indigo robes.
Behind him stood a slave—easily six feet tall.
He had arms thicker than Van's thighs, and his eyes seemed to be so eager for a battle.
Van frowned as he immediately had a bad feeling about it…
His Lens also started analyzing the slave and suggested the slave might actually be a Beastblood!
One giveaway of its identity was that its pupils were slitted, like a beast's!
At this time noble finally smiled.
"My Gorran here hasn't had a proper fight in weeks. Your slave seems… entertaining. Shall we test his limits?"
Julia's grin faltered. Even she could sense the lethal intent radiating from the Beastblood slave. Furthermore, she realized that the nobleman was from the Luxe Family. This won't be easy.
Butler Judge stepped forward before she could speak. "The Farrell delegation declines. We have an auction to attend."
The nobleman's smile sharpened. "Ah, but where's the fun in that? Surely the great House Farrell isn't afraid of a little spar?"
Julia's fists clenched—but this time, her pride didn't override her caution. She might be reckless, but she wasn't stupid.
"After the auction," she declared, lifting her chin. "If you still want to fight, we'll consider it."
The nobleman's eyes gleamed. "A promise, then. I'll hold you to that, little Farrell."
With a mocking bow, he strode off while his Beastblood slave followed like a shadow.
***
The town's hotel was a far cry from the lavishness of Farrell Manor, but it was still good enough by common standards.
Julia's group was given a private suite, where she immediately collapsed onto a velvet-cushioned chair, exhaling dramatically.
"That was close," she muttered.
Van remained standing near the door, his Ocularis Lens still replaying the Beastblood's subtle movements, and he was also reviewing the Ocularis Lens' initial report about the slave.
[ Beastblood Slave – Gorran.
Threat Level: Unknown
Recommended Engagement: Avoid direct combat.
Secondary Note: Subject's left eye exhibits delayed tracking—exploitable weakness. ]
'Slowed reaction time in the left eye. But what else?'
Julia noticed his silence and smiled. "You're wondering about that monster, aren't you?"
Van didn't answer, but his slight tilt of the head was enough.
Julia leaned forward, lowering her voice. "They're Beastblood slaves. I'm not sure if you read about them. They're not born—they're made."
Butler Judge stiffened. "My lady, that's not—"
"He's going to find out eventually," Julia interrupted. "Might as well hear it from me."
She turned back to Van.
"I just read it in the book anyway… I also heard a few details from Teacher Renji. They take strong slaves—usually prisoners of war or criminals—and modify them. Is that right?"
The last question was for Butler Judge.
The Butler then sighed as he gave his reply.
"You're right, young lady. They were infusing the slaves with magic beast blood, grafting organs, and even embedding mana cores into their bones in some cases in the past."
Van's expression didn't change, but he continued to think.
'Is it called Forced evolution instead? Or maybe Surgical augmentation.'
This wasn't just slavery—it was experimentation.
'I guess this is expected from Dark Magicians or something similar.' Van mused.
Nonetheless, Julia's grin returned, though it lacked its usual energy
"Don't worry. Even if that creep challenges us later, we'll refuse. I'm not stupid enough to throw you against that."
Van gave a slow nod—but his Lens had already logged the data.
Butler Judge cleared his throat.
"We rest in a few more hours. Then, we proceed to the auction. No more… excursions."
Julia flopped back onto the couch, sighing. "Fine, fine."
On the other hand, Van remained still, while his gaze was fixed on the window, where the Ashenveil Tower appeared in the distance.
Unfortunately, his Lens was also having a hard time calculating his win probability against the Beastblood Slave. Even with his knowledge of Acupuncture Point, he was afraid that it wouldn't be enough to break through its defense!