Chapter 256 Fairies
"Eric actually agreed, he really has some guts." Ken's opinion of Eric changed a bit.
Lucas was known as a martial arts genius, and his Vajra's Wrath was already at a master level. Many professional fighters couldn't match him. Eric, on the other hand, was just a gamer. Defeating David was no small feat, but compared to Lucas, they weren't even in the same league.
Katherine, standing nearby, also became anxious.
"How can Eric be so foolish?" Katherine thought to herself, "He got a little praise from Jack and now he's all proud. Lucas is a real martial arts expert."
Bob, standing at a distance, looked at Eric with a cold smile. He had seen Eric's match and knew Eric was impressive, but compared to Lucas, he was still a notch below. In that match, David had been careless and underestimated Eric, which led to his defeat. If David had been more cautious, the outcome would have been different.
As long as Lucas defeated Eric and Jack hyped it up, even if Eric didn't lose in the game, losing in a highly-watched match would be just as bad. The Guild of Aether Wing would lose face because Eric represented the guild, not just himself.
This was Jack's clever strategy.
He was setting Eric up for a fall!
Jack first praised Eric to the skies, making everyone marvel. Then he elevated Eric to represent the guild, turning a simple sparring match into a comparison between two guilds. By having Lucas defeat the supposedly powerful Eric, he showcased the strength of ShadowForge Studios.
Even though Eric was a mid-level manager in Aether Wing, he would definitely face severe punishment because this was a matter of the guild's reputation.
Jack's tactics were ruthless, killing without blood!
As the crowd cheered and discussed, the staff began preparing the fighting arena.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Of course, Lucas. He's my idol. He easily took first place in school, and no one could withstand three moves from him. Eric may have defeated the third-ranked David and is strong, but he doesn't have any presence. Lucas, on the other hand, makes me feel a strong sense of oppression just by standing near him. If he stared at me, I'd feel a chill down my spine, like being watched by a ferocious beast. Eric doesn't give me any feeling at all, like he doesn't even exist."
"I agree. Eric might be a top player in Divine Realms: Legends, but this is a real fight. If he can last more than ten moves against Lucas, that would be impressive. In Divine Realms: Legends, it might be an exciting match."
While everyone doubted Eric, David, who was resting in a corner, walked over to Lucas.
"Lucas, be careful of Eric. I've fought him. Although he's not strong and lacks stamina, his combat experience is rich, and his timing is perfect. It's like his punches and kicks are alive, completely under his control," David said cautiously.
"David, you're overthinking it. Even if Eric reaches a professional level, I can still beat him. I'll get back the face you lost," Lucas said, patting David's shoulder with a smile. He wouldn't be swayed by David's words. At his level, his will was as hard as iron.
Of course, it wasn't that Lucas underestimated Eric, but rather the confidence of a master. He had the confidence to defeat any opponent.
"Lucas..."
David knew he couldn't persuade him, but only he, who had fought Eric, knew how terrifying Eric truly was.
If Lucas was a fearsome beast, then Eric was like mountains and oceans. No matter how strong the force, it was powerless before nature.
David actually wanted to say that Lucas shouldn't fight Eric, but out of respect for Lucas, he only said to be careful, which clearly had no effect.
The fighting arena was quickly set up with the help of the staff. Although smaller than a standard arena, it was still 1076 square feet, enough for the two to fight.
Otto, Ken, John, and other notable figures from Evergreen City sat closest to the arena, while others could only watch from 18 feet away.
In the arena, Eric and Lucas stood 18 feet apart. The former was unremarkable, with no presence, while the latter was imposing, like a ravenous beast ready to devour, making people tremble from within.
The battle was about to begin.
The audience outside the arena also grew tense, closely watching every move of the two.
For experts, a match could be decided in an instant. They wouldn't fight for long like ordinary people, causing little effective damage, so they were afraid of missing the exciting moment of the clash.
In contrast, Otto and the others were chatting and laughing.
"Mr. Carrillo, you're a professional and a martial arts master. Who do you think will win?" Otto asked, stroking his beard with a light smile.
"It's hard to say. In a fight, both skill and luck are important. But in terms of presence and physical condition, Lucas clearly has the upper hand. However, I haven't seen Eric's skills, so I can't judge," John shook his head, not giving a definitive answer.
If it were someone else, even if he hadn't met them before, he could judge their strength from their presence and physical condition. But with Eric, he felt no presence at all, almost to the point of being ignored.
If Eric were an ordinary person, he wouldn't have defeated a skilled fighter like David. John would have judged Eric as a harmless little rabbit, not worth mentioning. But this little rabbit had defeated a tiger-like David, making John take him seriously.
Imagine a little rabbit taking down a fierce tiger. Who would believe it was still a rabbit?
Even if it were a rabbit, it would be a rabbit capable of taking down a tiger.
If it were truly such a rabbit, then the so-called presence was just an illusion, not real.
A rabbit capable of taking down a tiger and an ordinary animal were not in the same league.
But such experts were very rare. Being an expert wasn't just about physical prowess but also mental acuity. Martial arts became alive rather than dead, and such a state shouldn't appear in a young man.
So John wasn't sure about Eric's level.
"Mr. Carrillo, you have sharp eyes. How can you not judge? Eric and Lucas are both young. Even if they're not great now, they have a lot of room for improvement and are worth looking forward to," Ken didn't believe John couldn't tell who was stronger. The difference was obvious. He thought John was just trying to save Eric's face.
But Ken didn't know that martial artists were straightforward, and John, being a martial arts master, was direct and wouldn't beat around the bush. He would say what he thought.
As they chatted and laughed.
The referee in the arena raised his hand between Eric and Lucas and shouted, "Begin!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
