Chapter 164: An Offer From The Battle Maniac

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: An Offer From The Battle Maniac

He rushed forward, grabbed Major by the arm, and shouted furiously.

Major looked down at the hand gripping him before turning his gaze toward Mark.

"What? Are you having trouble accepting your defeat?"

He smiled faintly.

The rules had been clear when they agreed to the wager. No one was allowed to attack another person inside the Destiny Space unless both parties entered the combat arena.

Even if Mark ignored those rules, Major had nothing to fear from someone he had already defeated.

The surrounding spectators immediately began mocking Mark.

"What’s this, Mark? Can’t you accept losing?"

"From now on, he should call himself Mangy Dog! That sounds much more suitable than Outstanding Person!"

"Hahaha! A mangy dog? I like that name!"

"If you can’t accept losing, why did you agree to a wager in the first place? You were the one who challenged Major and demanded those treasures. Now that you’ve lost, you have the nerve to ask him to return them?"

"Exactly! People like you only make the Destiny Space unpleasant. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Mark, why don’t you just leave? Seeing you behave like this is disgusting!"

By then, quite a few people had gathered around Major.

Many of them had traded with him earlier in the trading area. Since he had purchased so many valuable items, they had already formed a favorable impression of him and hoped to establish a connection.

Naturally, they weren’t going to stand by and watch Mark behave like a sore loser.

The insults quickly reached Mark.

His face turned red with anger. He was a Divine Power Realm martial artist, yet these people were openly calling him a mangy dog. The humiliation was almost unbearable.

"You! All of you, shut up!"

He turned toward the crowd and roared.

Then he looked back at Major and tried to explain himself.

"When did I ever say I couldn’t accept defeat? I’m simply not satisfied with the result!"

He tightened his grip before continuing.

"Major, fight me again!"

Mark believed he had lost because he had underestimated his opponent. If he had taken Major seriously from the very beginning and unleashed everything he had, the outcome might have been different.

This time, he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

He would use every ability at his disposal. If necessary, he could even consume a Divine Descent Pill to strengthen himself.

He had to win back what he had lost!

"Sure."

Major agreed without hesitation.

Since he could defeat Mark once, he could do it again. There was no reason to believe the result would be any different in a second or third battle.

After all, he hadn’t even used most of his trump cards during their first encounter. He had relied on the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique alone, and Mark had already been unable to withstand it.

Still, Major wasn’t interested in fighting simply for the sake of proving himself.

He looked at Mark with a faint smile.

"However, if you want another match, you’ll need to offer something valuable again. If you can put up another Regeneration Fruit or a space-type Runestone as the wager, I’m more than willing to fight you."

Mark’s expression immediately stiffened.

He would have loved to accept that condition, but where was he supposed to find another treasure like that?

If he still had such valuable items, he wouldn’t have ended up in his current situation.

His eyes wandered across the crowd, searching for Connor. He hoped his companion might still be around and could help him find a way out of this embarrassing situation.

But when he finally spotted Connor, he saw him walking away.

Connor had already turned his back on him and was leaving without hesitation.

It was obvious that he had no intention of getting involved.

Mark felt his heart sink.

"To hell with you!"

He cursed, although it was unclear whether he was directing the insult at Major or his departing companion.

After venting his frustration, he gradually regained his composure.

He had lost. There was no point making the situation even worse.

"Heh. Major, isn’t it? I’ll remember you."

Mark gave him one last cold look before turning around and leaving.

...

Once Xavier was gone, he found himself surrounded by even more people.

"Brother Major, I honestly didn’t expect you to be this powerful!"

"Brother Major, watching that battle has made me want to test my own strength. How about we have a match?"

The man paused when he remembered something.

"Wait, you require a wager, don’t you? Forget it. I can’t afford to put up anything valuable enough!"

Another man stepped forward with a friendly smile.

"Brother Major, don’t worry. You’re an important customer of my Prosperity Chamber of Commerce. That fellow would be foolish to think he could cause trouble for you."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"How about meeting us in the real world sometime? Don’t misunderstand. We don’t have any bad intentions. We simply want to become friends with you."

Xavier responded politely to everyone.

After all, anyone who could enter the Destiny Space was no ordinary person. Most of them were talented martial artists with considerable potential. There was no reason to offend them without cause.

He was also willing to accept challenges from those who wanted to test themselves against him. However, he made one condition clear.

Anyone who wished to fight him had to offer something worth at least one seventh-grade pill as the wager.

That requirement immediately discouraged most of the challengers.

After all, not everyone possessed treasures of that value.

Just when the crowd was beginning to thin, Liam Shelby finally stepped forward.

He looked directly at Major and spoke with a calm smile.

"Major, I also practice swordsmanship. Would you be interested in having a match with me?"

Liam Shelby was well known for his swordsmanship among the regular visitors of the Destiny Space.

Those who knew him personally were aware that he had comprehended the Law of the Sword. His understanding of sword techniques was one of the main reasons he had become so powerful at such a young age.

As a swordsman, watching the battle between Xavier and Mark had been an exciting experience for him. The terrifying sword energy Xavier displayed had stirred his fighting spirit and made him eager to test his own skills.

More importantly, Liam was currently working toward a deeper understanding of the Law of the Sword. He hoped that fighting someone like Xavier might give him new insights and help him make progress along his path.

Before Xavier could respond to his invitation, several spectators recognized Liam and began discussing among themselves.

"Wait! Isn’t that the battle maniac, Liam Shelby?"

"Are you talking about the Liam Shelby who entered the Destiny Space two and a half years ago? I heard he averages more than twenty battles every month!"

"That’s him! He’s a member of the Shelby Family of Groundcrest. Do I even need to explain how powerful that family is? His strength is certainly nothing like that of Mark. I never expected someone like him to challenge Major!"

Liam frowned when he heard that.

"What do you mean by ’battle maniac’? I simply enjoy fighting. Is there anything wrong with that?"

He turned back toward Xavier.

"I just want to have a match with you, Brother Major. That’s all."

The spectators around Xavier immediately began offering their opinions.

"As expected of a battle maniac! I’ve heard Liam is already close to breaking through to the Second Star of the Divine Power Realm. Brother Major, you should be careful."

"That’s right. Liam isn’t someone you can compare with Mark. His strength is on an entirely different level."

"Brother Major, think carefully before accepting!"

Liam’s reputation in the Destiny Space was considerable. Unlike most people who preferred to conceal their real identities behind aliases, he was one of the few who openly used his actual name and background.

However, Liam didn’t seem bothered by the crowd’s comments.

"Brother Major, how about it? Are you interested in fighting me?"

He smiled and added, "Don’t worry. I already know your conditions."

As he spoke, he reached into his spatial ring and brought out two items.

The first was a pair of brown leather gloves. The second was a special runestone.

"These gloves are eighth-grade equipment. They were made by the master craftsman of my family, using the belly skin of a fifth-tier high-grade monster called the Swamp Crocodile Demon."

Liam held up the gloves so Xavier could examine them.

"They can greatly increase the wearer’s physical strength, and their defensive properties are equally impressive. They also prevent natural energy from eroding the body. In terms of value, I would say they’re comparable to a seventh-grade pill."

He then displayed the runestone.

"This one is a little different. It strengthens the user’s willpower and provides protection against mental attacks, including illusions. It’s another valuable item, worth roughly as much as a seventh-grade pill."

After explaining the properties of both treasures, Liam looked at Xavier expectantly.

"How about these two items? Will you accept them as my wager?"

It was clear that the nickname battle maniac suited Liam perfectly.

He genuinely enjoyed fighting. Whenever he encountered someone with comparable strength, he couldn’t resist challenging them. The excitement of testing himself against powerful opponents was one of the things he enjoyed most.

The Destiny Space was practically made for someone like him.

He had fought countless martial artists since entering this place. However, after repeatedly facing familiar opponents, the excitement had gradually worn off. He already knew their techniques and understood their strengths and weaknesses.

But Xavier was different.

He was a completely unfamiliar opponent who had just displayed extraordinary swordsmanship. Watching him defeat Mark had awakened Liam’s desire for a fresh challenge.

He was already imagining how interesting a battle against Xavier would be.

Meanwhile, Xavier examined the two items Liam had presented.

After considering the offer for a few seconds, he nodded.

"Alright. I’ll fight you."

There were several reasons for his decision.

The eighth-grade gloves and the runestone were certainly valuable, but Liam himself was also worth getting to know.

From the conversations around him, Xavier had learned that Liam belonged to the Shelby Family of Groundcrest.

That was interesting.

Wasn’t the Shelby Family the maternal family of his disciple, Maya Knox?

Since he had encountered one of its members here, Xavier didn’t mind getting a better understanding of the family through a friendly battle.

Of course, even without that connection, he would still have accepted.

His previous fight against Mark had ended too quickly. Although he had defeated a First Star Divine Power Realm expert, the battle hadn’t given him enough time to properly understand the fighting strength of someone at that cultivation level.

Liam was different.

He was considerably stronger than Mark. If Xavier wanted to experience the true combat ability of a Divine Power Realm martial artist, Liam was a much better opponent.

"Excellent!"

Liam’s face brightened immediately.

He was clearly eager to begin.

"Shall we start now?"

"Sure."

Xavier agreed.

The two men walked toward an empty arena and approached the energy platform. Just as they had done during the previous battle, they placed their wagers on it.

Xavier didn’t increase his offer. He put up the same two seventh-grade pills and four sixth-grade pills he had wagered against Mark. Their combined value was roughly equal to Liam’s two treasures.

Once the wagers were registered, both men entered the arena.

"What happened? Why is there another battle?"

"Isn’t that Liam Shelby? Major actually agreed to fight him?"

"Liam is incredibly strong. But Major also proved himself in the previous battle. I’m curious to see which one of them will come out on top."

"I think Liam will win. Didn’t he once defeat a Third Star Divine Power Realm martial artist? Even if Major is unusually powerful for someone at the Third Star of the Star Sea Realm, there’s no way he can overcome that kind of opponent!"

"Don’t be so sure. Brother Major has already surprised us once. He might do it again."

The appearance of the two fighters quickly attracted another crowd.

On one side was Liam, a famous battle enthusiast who had spent years fighting in the Destiny Space. On the other was Major, the mysterious newcomer who had just defeated a First Star Divine Power Realm expert despite being at the Third Star of the Star Sea Realm.

There was no doubt that their fight would be worth watching.

Everyone focused their attention on the arena.