NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42: Taunting
Hearing Song Kang's brazen words, Aria's gaze turned sullen.
The man truly did not know what was good for him.
The moment White Fox decides to go hard on him, he would be taken down in one blow. Perhaps he also had his own pride, but this was not the way to show it. He wasn't White Fox's opponent.
Drawing damage from the masked girl would injure him harshly. It could be detrimental to his entire career.
Anyway, White Fox was now classified as a huge threat by Aria. She was even considering forfeiting herself from the competition.
From all her observations, she learned that White Fox couldn't be offended, or else...
She might get in trouble.
Aria's cold glare fell onto Song Kang's agitated face. The man was drenched in his own sweat, the complete opposite of White Fox whose appearance still looked untouched despite the godly movements she has been making.
Narrowing her eyes, Aria got behind Song Kang and apprehended him in one go.
Aria rendered him unconscious with just one simple blow. The man had been fighting hard for longer than he could tolerate. It was easy for him to collapse down.
Song Kang's sword dropped down to the ground. His body slumped over, with Aria holding him from hurting himself further by preventing a huge fall.
In this case, Song Kang was still considered a contestant because he hadn't forfeited.
Aria considered her choices.
"Should we make this fight just between us two?" Aria offered. She didn't know what White Fox's goal was, but she had the instinct that the girl's views were the same as hers.
They were here not to kill. And especially not to destroy the weak.
If not for this White Fox, who appeared out of nowhere, the fight would be considered Aria's. She should've been the victor, and yet?
"Oh? Is that an action of pity?" With a hint of mockery, White Fox uttered.
This would be her first time hearing the girl's voice. It was a distinctive, nasal voice.
Aria shook her head at the girl's words.
"Not pity, but considering differences. We are clearly stronger than the rest. They are not our opponents. What use would there be to take them down?" She replied.
"That would be true, but are you sure that you are grouping us together? Do you have the qualifications to do so?" White Fox questioned.
Aria tightened her lips. White Fox's words couldn't be said as false, but there was something about the girl that irked her.
"I suppose. I can tell that you are powerful, but who knows? Are you able to guarantee your victory?" Aria provoked back.
Since the masked girl wanted to play around and draw meaningless aggravation like that, she would do the same.
"Ha! What a refreshing stand. You are smart, and yet you refuse to admit your shortcomings? Your eyes.. They're quite fast, eh? You managed to keep up with my movements, although.. it wasn't necessarily my fastest speed,"
"Thank you for the compliment?" Aria knew that the girl would notice her excessive staring, and she didn't intend to make it confidential either.
"Yes.. since you have potential, know your limits. Don't be out of your mind, because that would bite you in the back, okayy?" White Fox said with a cheerful tone, slowing her words down purposely.
Like she was talking to a child.
"Nothing is ever sure," Aria responded calmly, getting into her stance. She couldn't afford to waste her energy on minding White Fox's words.
"I'll prove it to you that your loss is a certainty," White Fox also readied up seeing the lack of reaction Aria had.
"...I will look forward to it," Aria snorted, in disbelief at her opponent's arrogance.
"If you can defend against me for five minutes, I'll let you have the spot," White Fox stretched out her palms, showing five clear fingers.
"Oh?" Aria raised a brow, wiping her sweat off. The girl's offer was strange.
She had long suspected it, but she wasn't completely sure.
Was she not here for the position? After confirming White Fox's power, she was sure that the girl was stronger than the current her. She could take the spot if she wished to do so.
'Five contestants that turned into six... Is it really..?' Aria had a deduction that she wished would be untrue.
A judge sent down to the arena to personally greet the contestants and test their might.
Have all of them been played around?
Did Song Kang realize this matter right after seeing the girl, which explained why he was so dead set on getting White Fox out?
If so, he was quite foolish. No, it was more like arrogance. Overconfidence.
"Nice to meet you. If you pass the test, you will claim the last spot. Don't worry, I'll be lenient on you since we aren't on par. Isn't that what stronger people should do according to your logic, Miss Aria Schreiner?," Confirming Aria's suspicion, the girl said.
White Fox was indeed, someone sent by the Association to take on the contestants.
The masked girl took a low jab at Aria, dissing her action on sparing the weaker opponents.
"...Oh," Reacting in acknowledgement, a rush of adrenaline shot through Aria's blood this time around. Her blood boiled as she thought about how White Fox's insolent attitude would get her in trouble one day.
White Fox's words irked her. It radiated confidence. An arrogant confidence that came out of nowhere.
The greatest thing that annoyed her was the fact that White Fox didn't separate the selection program with her own will to fight.
This was a battle arena. There was supposed to be a winner out of the five contestants, who would then be brought inside the dungeon.
If only White Fox decided to instate a rule that required the winner contestant to fight her after the battle, Aria would have no qualms.
However, this girl wrecked the standards and converted the arena into a test of her own. In this scenario, none of the five contestants would have a high chance to win even if they beat the other four.
Because there was this giant wall that came in between the and White Fox.
It became clear to her that White Fox was probably a high-ranked Hunter that is set to participate in the dungeon subjugation event.
It was her selfish wish to join the contest and disrupt the flow and fair play of the contest.
None of them were informed.
She didn't like it. Didn't like how the battle would have no winner anyway, with how this one catalyst was put into the fray.
She was almost a 100% sure that she won't be able to beat White Fox.
Almost. Almost 100%.
It didn't mean that Aria wouldn't be able to win at all.
If she played her cards right.. and if White Fox let her guard down. The chances were little, and all the conditions had to line up.
There was a chance, but the question was how would she play around this uneven game? How would she attain the conditions?
Licking her lips, Aria's brain began working to calculate a plan that would allow her to surpass the power levels and take her victory.
Oh, how satisfying it would be once she takes down the pesky girl.