NOVEL NEXT Chapter 161: Needed Acting
In the meantime, the moment Van stepped into the arena, various murmurs could be heard from other servants...
"That's him? The Farrell girl's pet?"
"Look at his arms—like twigs compared to Korv's."
"I give him twenty seconds before he's crying for mercy."
Needless to say, Farrell was a known family here since the Rukh Tower was literally owned by Archmage Farrell. Since his daughter had come here, it was quite normal that everyone was curious about her. In turn, her servants were also noticed…
Soon, a rough circle formed in the sand. Coins were already flashing between fingers as bets were placed.
Indeed, it wasn't just Van and Korv who were planning to earn, the other servants wanted to have a bet on their own.
This time, a scarred-faced woman—Kaylee, a veteran servant from House Dain—acted as the unofficial bookkeeper.
"Current odds!" she spoke.
"Five-to-one for Korv smashing his ribs in the first minute! Ten-to-one if he breaks the runt's arm!"
Everyone laughed after hearing this… Soon, a limp servant with a split lip nudged his companion.
"Twenty coppers says Korv knocking out his teeth."
Van kept his face carefully blank, but his Ocularis Lens tracked every wager, every smirk, every assessing glance.
[ Total Bets Against Van: 87%
Average Confidence in Korv's Victory: 92%
Notable Observers: 2 First-Circle Mages ( Hidden Balcony, Northwest Corner ) ]
"Ahh… There were First-Circle Mages observing us?" Van muttered as his eyes glanced upward—just for a fraction of a second—to where the two robed figures lurked in the shadows of the training ground's upper balcony.
***
From the balcony, Mage Ryn sipped his spiced wine from a silver flask.
"This the one you mentioned? The Farrell slave? I heard there are three of them."
Beside him, Mage Connor shook his head… "It's not him. I'm talking about the taller guy. He had a special physique that could go against Magicians. I was told that he was a failed experiment of High Mage Merlin."
Hearing about the High Mage, Ryn couldn't help but sigh…
This Tower doesn't have a High Mage. That level was probably something they could never achieve and only dream of.
Ryn could only nod as he processed this. It was a bit disappointing not to see that special guy but nonetheless, this Van should be quite special, considering how fearless he was in accepting the duel.
"That kid must have something to fight against Korv. That ox once pulverized a Peak Trainee Knight…" Ryn said, referring to Korv as an ox who only knew brute strength.
Connor chuckled at this. "Care to wager? A vial of Sunspark Elixir says the little one lasts at least three minutes. You know, he's still a slave selected by a Farrell."
"Hmph! Why not bet that the kid will win if you're confident?" Ryn said with a laugh. They only receive one Sunspark Elixir every month and he didn't want to gamble it at all.
"Alright… One Sunspark Elixir for the kid winning this duel." Connor gave in.
Ryn raised an eyebrow as he heard his friend's bet.
"You're on. Do not take it back… I'll give you my Sunspark Elixir for this month's ration if you win."
"Alright… Now, there's finally some fun." Connor muttered as he was just really bored right now and wanted some entertainment.
***
In the meantime, within the arena, after an agreement was made, the stage was set, and the bets were placed. There was no need to make this long… The battle swiftly started even without referees.
As for the rules, it could only be once one of them was incapacitated or had surrendered. There was no need to discuss it and soon, the battle started.
Korv observed Van for a moment to see how much mana he'd emit…
"Hey… You sure you wanna do this, bookworm? I'll go easy if you lick my boots now."
Laughter rippled through the onlookers. It was a classic taunt and there was no way Van would fall for that.
He said nothing while he settled into a loose stance—just shaky enough to sell the illusion of fear. Well, Van wanted to show that he was unprepared for this battle.
Kaylee then finalized the bets. "Last call! Any fools backing the Farrell slave?"
There was a moment of silence before another woman spoke.
"Two hundred silvers on the kid."
Every head turned at the source of the voice.
It was Sarah, Julia's red-haired attendant. She stood at the edge of the crowd with her arms crossed.
Korv laughed at the sight of Van's supporter.
Van, on the other hand, almost smiled. She knows.
Soon, the battle finally started.
Van let Korv grab him first.
The older slave's meaty hands clamped around Van's shoulders, lifting him off the ground. The crowd roared as Korv slammed him into the dirt—or at least, that's what it looked like.
In reality, Van had rolled with the impact, minimizing damage.
His Lens calculated the exact angle to make it seem brutal without actually injuring himself.
"Pathetic!" Korv spat, raising his foot to stomp.
Van "barely" dodged, scrambling backward in a show of panic.
The bettors were already feeling sad as they believed that they should've placed more bets just now. Unfortunately, the wagering was already done…
Then, as the battle continued, Van allowed a glancing blow to his ribs, gasping dramatically.
Van "stumbled" into Korv's weak knee—just enough to make the bigger slave stagger, but not enough to end the fight.
During all of this time, Van had been using his Aura to protect his vital parts and to cushion all the impacts in his body. Thanks to that, although he seemed like he took a beating, he was actually not that injured.
After a few more exchanges where Van showed more weakness, he decided that it was enough… Van finally struck.
Soon, he had a "lucky" palm strike to Korv's knee—just hard enough to buckle it.
Then, there was a "desperate" follow-up to his solar plexus—knocking the wind from his lungs.
And finally, a "clumsy" throw that sent Korv crashing onto his back, unconscious!
As soon as Korv passed out, there was only silence.
Then, it was followed by an uproar!
Servants who'd bet against Van cursed. Those who'd decided to take their chances for Van were all cheering!
"Haha! We won!"
"That Korv was defeated so easily… He took him too lightly…"
"That's true… He didn't maximize his Aura usage."
"Tsk… Too arrogant."
Just like that, Van won and soon, he took his earnings.
Then, Van had already planned to leave.
But the moment he stepped out of the arena, Korv staggered to his feet.
He had already woken up… His face was flushed with humiliation and rage as he knew that he was winning just now… Van just got lucky!
"Another round!" someone shouted.
"Double or nothing!" cried another.
Kaylee, the scarred bookkeeper, licked her lips greedily as new bets began pouring in. "Fresh odds! Korv's favor drops to three-to-one after that last stumble! Who's brave enough to bet on the Farrell slave again?"
Sarah didn't hesitate. "Five hundred silver on Van."
Five hundred silver was more than most servants earned in a year…
"How about it?" Korv said.
"Let's bet? 600 gold coins?" Van asked.
"Very well…" Korv said as he took out a pouch of 200 gold coins and three Magic Crystals worth 400 gold coins.
Korv spat blood onto the sand, his eyes burning. "You got lucky once, runt. Won't happen again."
Van said nothing. His Ocularis Lens flickered.
[ Subject: Korv
Current Condition:
Right knee stability: 68% (weakened)
Breathing erratic ( ribs bruised )
Overconfidence: 99% ]
Perfect.
Soon, after five minutes of rest, the battle swiftly began…
This time, Korv no longer spoke to Van. As soon as the battle started, he immediately charged like a bull… His fists were swift and aimed at Van's skull…
But now Van didn't play weak.
He sidestepped the first punch, his fingers immediately found his pressure point.
It was the Zusanli Point!
It was a precise jab to Korv's calf nerve cluster. The bigger slave's leg locked up, sending him stumbling. This attack was always surprising.
Before Korv could recover, Van struck again—
This time, it was the Jianjing Point!
It was struck through a knifehand chop to the shoulder pressure point. Just like that, Korv's right arm went numb, dangling uselessly at his side.
He couldn't understand what was going on! He shouldn't be this weak, limping from a single strike!
'What?! Is he a Magician?! Is this a curse?!' Korv was so frustrated right now.
He was very strong but for some reason, he couldn't use his strength at all.
The crowd also failed to understand what was going on.
"What the—?!"
However, Van just didn't stop.
He actually followed up by hitting his Hegu Point… It seemed to be a useless acupuncture point… But with Van's thumb driven into the web between Korv's thumb and index finger.
The larger slave howled as his grip strength evaporated.
Punching wasn't possible now because of this!
And finally—
Van aimed at his favorite finishing Acupuncture Point, the Baihui Point!