Chapter 109: Semi-Duel

The noise of the Nexus Network grew stronger with each passing second. Some of the environmental signals collided with each other, radiating a far stronger hue and forming a completely different rank than before.

One by one, the three spatial rifts merged into one...

...

"You don’t need to worry about winning. My beast can handle that for you. What you have to do is just command it properly," the traveling merchant’s youthful voice reached Usaff’s ears, but the message remained unclear to him.

"Command it? But I haven’t even formed a soul contract with it yet," Usaff replied, shifting his weight nervously.

He could only see the lower half of the traveling merchant’s face beneath the heavy hood, but he was certain the stranger was smiling.

Usaff felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to turn around and escape from the impending humiliation. He could feel in his gut that nothing good was about to unfold in this ridiculous setup.

However, recalling that he desperately had to prove something to his sister, he forced his boots to stay firmly planted on the metallic floor.

’What’s wrong with getting a free beast anyway? Commissioning even a decent monster costs an absolute fortune. Even if I end up losing this match, it won’t matter—I still walk away with a free beast.’

"Just for my own assurance," Usaff looked over at the arrogant man whom the traveling merchant wanted him to battle against. "Can I at least contract with the beast first? I feel like this frog is just going to escape if I don’t."

"Sure, kid. Go right ahead," the man smirked with open disbelief and a heavy mix of mockery, which Usaff actively chose to ignore.

"Alright..."

Usaff closed his eyes and began initiating the contract binding with the Mutated Azure-lined Frog resting nearby. It was a completely public show, but the staring eyes didn’t matter to him anymore.

As the seconds ticked by during the channeling process, he felt his inner soul reaching out and communicating directly with the creature. For some inexplicable reason, he felt as though he completely understood its emotions.

The frog felt mocked and bitterly ridiculed by the crowd. It communicated its frustrations straight to his heart, and Usaff absorbed every single nuance of its feelings.

Even though it was a brief, wordless connection, Usaff learned the beast’s true nature in a heartbeat. At the final moment of the binding, a warm, surging sensation rushed through his veins.

At long last, he officially acquired his very first tamed beast.

"So, how exactly are we going to do this? I heard that it’s completely illegal to hold a public duel on the plaza," Usaff said. His facial expression had noticeably shifted, clearly projecting the fierce emotions of the Mutated Azure-lined Frog.

Something deep within him wanted to prove the true worth of his new partner. It was as if all the harsh experiences the creature had undergone over the past few days were crystal clear to his own heart.

"I know the law. But a semi-duel is not illegal here," the man countered smoothly.

"A semi-duel?" Usaff asked, tilting his head.

"Yes. It’s a regulated type of duel where the beasts aren’t allowed to use any physically damaging skills. Status attacks and non-lethal moves are fully allowed, but skills with heavy physical kinetic impact are strictly prohibited," the man explained. Just as he spoke, the surrounding crowd began muttering in high anticipation for the structured match.

People started talking among themselves, quickly setting up informal bets on who would win. N]aturally, the vast majority of the crowd placed their money on the arrogant man’s side.

The man commanded a unique B-Rank beast that was widely famous for its silent, highly effective disabling power. Just a small scatter of its specialized wing dust could instantly put an enemy beast to sleep.

"That’s perfectly fine," the traveling merchant said calmly, reaching out to rest a hand on Usaff’s shoulder. Usaff glanced over at the hooded figure.

"Do you now fully understand the feeling of your beast?" the traveling merchant asked, looking directly into Usaff’s eyes. Usaff gave a firm, resolute nod in affirmation.

"Good. Then I can comfortably trust this beast to you. It is entirely yours now."

Usaff smiled as the traveling merchant stepped back to give them space. Taking a decisive step forward, Usaff entered the open ring, and the frog beast immediately hopped beside his feet to follow his lead.

"Now then, the official semi-duel between my merchandise and this loud antagonist of my sale will now commence!" the traveling merchant declared loudly.

The crowd’s collective attention locked onto the center of the platform. The moment the start was announced, the arrogant man didn’t waste a single second attempting to prove his point.

The Beauty Butterfly flapped its colorful wings rapidly, scattering a sparkling cloud of dozing powder that drifted with the wind straight toward the Mutated Azure-lined Frog. The frog seemed to just stand glued in its position, looking completely clueless.

"Look at that! Even right now it acts totally stupid! Why would it just sit in one spot without even preparing to dodge or block the incoming attack?"

"I know for a fact who’s winning this. This match was already over before it even started!"

The crowd’s opinions weren’t divided at all like they normally would be. They felt extremely confident in the man who was showing off his Beauty Butterfly.

With his harsh words earlier making total sense to them regarding common frog rankings, they could only feel pity for Usaff and the foolish traveling merchant.

However, what happened in the very next second was something no one in the plaza expected. Usaff suddenly felt a massive surge of elemental energy erupting from his Mutated Azure-lined Frog.

The frog beast blurred into a blinding motion, instantly escaping the cloud of sleeping dust before it could touch its skin. In the twinkling of an eye, it reappeared directly behind the fluttering Beauty Butterfly. With how ridiculously fast and sudden the maneuver was, the insect beast couldn’t do a single thing to react to the surprise attack from behind.

With just a light, fast slap from one of the frog beast’s glowing rear legs, the Beauty Butterfly instantly lost consciousness, its colorful wings crumpling as it fell limply onto the hard metallic ground.

The entire crowd went dead silent, as if an invisible vacuum had sucked all the noise out of the plaza instantly. Everyone stared in utter disbelief—even Usaff himself stood frozen, not expecting the outcome to unfold so suddenly.

The fight was completely over.

"By the way, I haven’t mentioned that this specific specimen is actually a Mutated Lightning Azure-lined Frog. Just wanted to let you guys know in case you didn’t catch the visual speed difference," the traveling merchant said smoothly, stepping forward to stand right at Usaff’s side.

"Exceptional reaction timing back there, kid. You made your beast feel genuinely confident. Any beast is bound to be exceptionally powerful when paired with the right owner," the traveling merchant praised, his voice echoing clearly across the silent crowd.