As long as Terry wanted to, it shouldn't be hard for him to defeat Dustin. "Sir Paul, who do you think will win?" Hector suddenly turned his attention to Paul, who sat in the middle."The one with a ninety percent chance," Paul answered with a smile, his eyes crinkling. "Ninety percent?" Phil smiled. "You've got a good eye, Sir Paul. You could tell that my son had an ace up his sleeve, so he should be able to win."Phil had been getting worried that his son might lose, but Paul's words reassured him. As a Grandmaster martial artist, no one would dare question what Paul said, so if Paul said that there's a ninety percent winning chance, it must be true. Although there was ten percent left, it was more than enough for him.Paul glanced at Phil, who was full of confidence, but didn't say anything, a knowing smile on his face."Tempest of the Eighteen Swords!" A voice bellowed from the platform as the air turned heavy. Instantly, the entire platform began to shake as cracks spread
The audible thud when Terry fell to the ground silenced everyone, effectively cutting off all laughter and cheers. The crowd shared dismayed looks, unable to comprehend what just happened. What was going on? Didn't Terry win? Why did he spit out blood? Had it merely been a narrow win?Just as everyone was stuck in disbelief, a silhouette slowly walked out of the ruined arena. Even the dust in the air seemed to disperse and create a path for him. When the person reached the top of the platform, the audience could finally see Dustin's handsome face.Dustin stood proudly with his hands in his pocket as he studied his unconscious opponent calmly. Meanwhile, everyone's jaw dropped. They thought that Terry had been the one who won, but things have completely changed. Terry was lying on the ground, injured. While Dustin was completely unscathed. It was obvious who the winner was."N—no way! Terry Doyle lost?""Holy smokes! Balerno's martial art genius and the thirteenth person on
"I think you misunderstood something here," Paul responded calmly. "I said Dustin had a ninety percent chance of winning. Your son only had ten.""What?" Phil stiffened. It turned out that everything had been in his head. Still, he couldn't understand or accept how a nobody like Dustin was able to defeat his son, who was a genius."Mr. Doyle, thank you for 'Tempest of the Eighteen Swords'," Hector suddenly said, causing Phil's face to darken. Phil thought that today's battle would work in their favor by boosting their reputation. However, not only had his son lost the battle, he also lost their family heirloom. It was a devastating loss!Dustin's victory also taught everyone something. There was always someone far stronger than you, even if you were the strongest person around. Also, from today onward, Balerno martial arts would see a dark horse, someone more talented and stronger than Terry."Useless fools!" Tyler Grant, who stood amidst the audience wearing a mask, humphed and
After failing to sneak up on Dustin, Terry was thrown into the air, where he landed right beside Phil, who was infuriated to see his son injured and bleeding uncontrollably. "You piece of shit! How dare you hurt my son!""Are you blind or something? He snuck up on me, so I merely defended myself," Dustin answered."Nonsense!" Phil yelled. "The winner hadn't been determined yet. You were the one who left your back open to your opponent, so it was fair and just!"Although his son had been in the wrong, there was no way he could admit that now."Fine. Since the winner hadn't been determined yet, there shouldn't be a problem since I attack him normally." Dustin retorted. "Of course, there is! You deliberately injured my son!" Phil seethed."This is how the martial world works. You're putting your life at stake when you accept a challenge. Your son got hurt because he wasn't strong enough. Your family is a martial arts family. Don't tell me you're sore losers?" Dustin sneered."You!
Paul, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up. "Mr. Doyle, there are rules that should be kept. Since your son was the one who accepted the challenge, he should accept whatever consequences there are.""But, my son—" Phil wanted to protest but stopped when he met Paul's icy glare. "Do you plan to be condemned by everyone?""No, sir." Phil gritted his teeth and lowered his head. In terms of status and power, the Doyle family was no match for Paul."Mr. Doyle, you should send your son to Stonearay Order immediately. He might still have hope if Dr. Watkins takes a look at him," Paul reminded."Hurry! Get the car ready!" Coming to his senses, Phil gathered his son into his arms and dashed out of the arena, the rest of the Doyle family members following closely behind. Receiving treatment was the most important thing right now."Hi, mind if I have a word with you?" Paul turned his attention to Dustin. "It would be my honor." Dustin nodded and followed Paul out the door.
Outside the Doyle family gates, a Maybach revved up and drove off, successfully shaking off the group of people who were chasing after them. "Thank God I moved fast, or I wouldn't even have the chance to talk to you." Paul turned around and looked at the annoyed group behind them, impressed by his foresight. "It's not that bad." Dustin was puzzled. "You don't seem to understand your value yet." Paul shook his head, chuckling. "Being able to defeat Terry Doyle has already proven how powerful and talented you are. There are less than five people in Balerno who could even be on par with you, so countless guilds are desperately trying to rope you in.""Tsk. What a bother. I should have kept a low profile." Dustin sighed. He had only challenged Terry to warn the Doyle family not to mess with him. He didn't expect them to invite so many people to watch the battle in an attempt to boost their reputation. Still, the Doyle family has shot itself in the foot since he was the one who ended
Dustin chuckled bitterly. "Alright, I'll agree to it. It's just going to be a few fights anyway." There was no fight he couldn't win when it came to using his martial arts prowess. Paul smiled. "Great. That'll be all."Dustin was curious. "Sir Paul, since you've retired, why are you still worrying about matters regarding the martial arts alliance?" Paul kept his smile. "Even though I'm not with the alliance anymore, my heart still belongs to them. Not to mention, the current leader of the alliance is my disciple. I don't see anything wrong with helping him recruit talent.""Sir Paul, I admire that you're a man of high integrity." Dustin nodded in acknowledgment. "Alright, there's no need for the flattery. Where are you going next? I'll see you off. ""Back to the Flame Dragon Dojo."…In the afternoon, inside Stoneray Valley at Mount Cloudcrest, Terry laid on an emerald bed. His complexion was pale, and he was sweating all over. A few physicians in white were carefully te
That night, in the second-floor office of the Flame Dragon Dojo."Sir Rhys, you were so cool today! Not only did you show the Doyle family who's boss, but you also made the Flame Dragon Gang famous all across Balerno! We have around a thousand members now, and they all admire you greatly!" Nelson poured Dustin a cup of coffee while he showered him with compliments; his excitement and elation were evident. He'd been worried that the Doyles would seize the opportunity and take revenge on them if Dustin lost. He didn't expect their gang leader to be so incredible. Against all odds, Dustin turned the tide and achieved a resounding victory over Terry. He had become famous through a single battle. "That's enough, you've said that a million times now. Can't you say something new?" Dustin was speechless. Ever since Dustin's return, Nelson had been flattering him in various ways, singing all sorts of praises that Dustin could think of. If people didn't know any better, they would think Nel