Chapter : 682

Ken decided to end the problem quickly. He did not want to ruin Olivia's afternoon. They had a deal.

Ken put his hands deep into his pockets. He stood up slowly. He dragged his shoes on the wooden floorboards. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He stood right in front of the massive, muscular fighter.

"I accept your challenge," Ken announced lazily. He let out a loud, dramatic yawn.

Gavi grinned a wicked, cruel grin. "You are making a huge mistake, slacker. I am going to break your nose. I will finish you in one single punch."

"I have a condition," Ken added cheerfully. He pointed a lazy finger at Gavi. "If I win this duel, you have to buy me a massive strawberry cake from the bakery across the street. I want the cake with the extra pink frosting."

Gavi laughed wildly. The crowd laughed with him. "A cake? Fine! If by some miracle you survive ten seconds, I will buy you a cake. But when you lose, you have to crawl out of this arena on your hands and knees."

"Deal," Ken smiled a goofy smile.

Ken turned and walked down the stairs toward the fighting ring. He drooped his shoulders. He looked like a lamb walking into a tiger's cage. The crowd cheered for the upcoming slaughter. Olivia just shook her head. She knew Gavi was about to experience a very strange, very confusing defeat.

---

The center ring of the capital city arena was covered in loose dirt. The magical lights shined brightly from above. The crowd cheered constantly. They stamped their feet on the wooden bleachers. Boom. Boom. Boom. The noise was deafening.

Ken Eliot stepped into the dirt ring. He dragged his shoes lazily. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff.

He wore his baggy navy blue pants. His white shirt hung completely untucked. He did not wear fighting wraps. He did not wear protective armor. He simply buried his hands deep into his pockets. He looked around the massive arena with sleepy, half-closed dark eyes.

"This dirt is very dusty," Ken complained quietly to himself. He kicked a small rock. "My cheap shoes are going to get ruined. I hate doing laundry. Dirt stains are the worst. This is a massive inconvenience."

Gavi the Crusher jumped over the ropes. He landed in the ring with a loud, aggressive thud. He cracked his neck. A loud popping sound echoed in the air. He pounded his fists together. He looked hyped up. He wanted to show off for the entire audience. He especially wanted to show off for Olivia.

The referee walked to the center of the ring. He wore a striped shirt. He looked at Gavi. He looked at Ken. The referee frowned deeply. He thought this was a terrible idea.

"The rules are very simple," the referee announced loudly. He held a small magical microphone. "No lethal attacks. No weapons. The match ends when one fighter is knocked out, or steps out of the ring. Do you both understand?"

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"I understand perfectly," Gavi boasted proudly. He smirked at Ken. "I will not need weapons. I am a weapon."

"I understand," Ken mumbled lazily. He let out a massive yawn. He scratched the back of his messy black hair. "Can we start soon? I have a cake waiting for me. I do not want the bakery to close."

The crowd laughed at Ken. They thought he was delusional. They thought he was a complete idiot. They shouted insults from the stands.

"Break him in half, Gavi!" a man yelled.

"Send the slacker home crying!" a woman cheered.

Olivia watched from the VIP section. She sat perfectly still. She rested her hands on her lap. She did not look worried. She felt a tiny bit of pity for Gavi. The arrogant fighter had no idea what he was dealing with.

The referee backed away. He raised his hand high into the air.

"Begin!" the referee shouted. He chopped his hand downward.

Gavi did not attack immediately. He wanted to create a massive spectacle. He wanted to prove his superior power. He planted his feet firmly into the dirt. He took a deep breath.

Gavi activated his magic.

A bright, glowing red aura erupted around Gavi's body. The magic swirled violently. It picked up the loose dirt. The wind blew wildly inside the ring. Gavi flexed his massive muscles. His veins bulged against his skin. The red aura grew larger and larger. It looked very intimidating. The crowd roared in excitement.

Ken stood still. He watched the glowing red man. He ran the logic through his analytical mind.

"This is the most generic power-up sequence in existence," Ken thought casually. He sagged his shoulders even more. "He is screaming to increase his power level. He is wasting a massive amount of mana just to look cool. It is like a mid-level boss fight. He will charge forward in a straight line. He will use a highly predictable, linear attack. This requires zero effort to counter."

Gavi finished his power-up display. His red aura burned brightly. He looked at Ken. Ken was still standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"You are finished!" Gavi roared at the top of his lungs.

Gavi pushed off the ground. The dirt exploded beneath his boots. He charged forward at full force. He moved fast. He looked like a runaway freight train. He pulled his right fist back. The red magic gathered around his knuckles. He aimed a devastating, knockout punch directly at Ken's face.

The crowd held their breath. They expected Ken's head to fly off his shoulders.

Ken watched the massive fist approach. He did not panic. He did not summon a magical shield. He did not cast a flashy spell. He kept his sleepy dark eyes relaxed.

"Oh wait," Ken mumbled lazily.

Ken looked down at his own feet.

"My shoelace is untied," Ken announced softly.

one micro-second before Gavi's glowing red fist connected with his face, Ken bent down.

He moved his upper body toward the ground. He reached for his cheap black shoe. The movement looked natural. It looked like a clumsy boy bending over to tie his shoelace at the worst possible moment.

But it was not a clumsy movement.

Ken used his god-like speed. He moved with lightning speed that was invisible to the public. To the human eye, Ken just ducked normally. But in the fraction of a millisecond between bending down and reaching his shoe, Ken executed his counter-attack.

Ken channeled a microscopic amount of advanced curse magic into his right index finger.

It was not a lethal curse. It was a simple, highly precise status effect. It was designed to disrupt a person's equilibrium and mana flow.

As Gavi flew directly over Ken's bent back, Ken gently tapped his finger against Gavi's exposed belly.

Tap.

The curse magic infused instantly into Gavi's stomach. The dark energy entered his body without a single sound. It scrambled Gavi's internal mana pathways in a fraction of a second. It destroyed his sense of balance.

Ken finished tying his shoelace. He pulled the strings tight. He tied a very neat, perfect little bow.