The Rise of The Barbaric

08: Hate Is Free

As the sun began to rise and cast its light on the city, Barrett was sitting shotgun in the back of a black pickup truck that was driving down the highway.

This was it for him. He was traveling towards the very life that he had left behind years ago.

The situations that he was in these past few days were something he was not prepared for.

In spite of the fact that he was thinking about the daughters he had left behind, he shifted his focus to the constructions.

Barrett clung to the hope that it wouldn’t be for too long, but he was aware that the wolf’s jaws were getting closer and closer to his neck, and he understood that, at that point, anything might have happened.

It was always the case, even before. The people in this dark would always relish the opportunity to bite you when you least expect it. It was like a form of entertainment for them.

While he was concentrating on what was going on outside, his attention was taken by a voice that was coming from the passenger seat.

When Barrett looked up, he noticed a woman who was intently studying her mobile phone.

“Did you leave something important behind?” she inquired with a hint of curiosity in her voice. Despite the sunglasses that she was wearing, Barrett knew that her eyes were focused on him via the rearview mirror of the car.

Barrett didn’t want to reply to her at first, but it was not like it was a big deal.

“Yes, that’s right,” he replied while looking at her coldly. He smiled sarcastically and added, “The most important thing in my life. The reason I left all of this in the first place.”

He was not familiar with this woman,  but he knew that if she really looked, she would know Barrett’s background.

Before replying, the woman put down her phone and removed the sunglasses that had been dangling from her nose while they were in her face.

“So your life has a poetic meaning... an ironic symmetry that takes you back to where you started for the same reason you decided to start,” she said curiously, as if Barrett’s life was interesting enough for her.

“You…” Barrett frowned. He didn’t like her tone. He sighed and said, “Beating each other to death is not poetic at all….”

“Barrett…” she said his name in a sultry way as if thinking of something while doing so. “The stories I have heard about you don’t match how you look now.”

“That’s none of your business,” Barrett replied coldly.

“That’s true,” she chuckled and nodded. With her eyes squinted, she added, “If you really changed, then that’s boring. If you keep thinking like that, you won’t survive. Just saying.”  He paid her no attention. After all, what was it that she could possibly know?

Barrett was The Barbaric, the man who had won a hundred times in a row, an incontestable victor. At that point, he was too big for the place.

He would have long since outgrown it at this point.

Even though he was having these positive thoughts, the fact that Mustafa was so close to winning over him continued to disturb him despite the fact that he was thinking good thoughts.

Even just considering the idea that more time had passed was a source of frustration for me.

Just then, the harbor that was not far from them caught his attention.

No, they were going in that direction!

“Are we going to that ship?” Barrett questioned with his jaws squeezed tightly together. He simply could not believe what was going on around him.

It was almost as though someone had cheated on him!

He should have known!

“Mr. Abdul asked to see you. Sahid’s test is invalid for him. He will probably make you fight again,” the smiling girl said casually. “and again.”

Barrett gritted his teeth. What she said was not surprising to him. However, he was not in good condition as he was still feeling the effects of Mustafa’s strikes.

He had no idea what would happen during that fight, but he knew he couldn’t let it happen again, and he couldn’t let it happen again.

He had no reason to be taken aback by the event. Both the father and the son are both filth.

Barrett took a deep breath, looked ahead, and asked, “Do you know who is number one in the ranking now?”

He needed to know, as being clueless was like putting one of his legs to a grave.

The joyful woman smiled brightly once again after fiddling with her phone for a few minutes. She reached for it and played with it. After that, she handed it off to Barrett.

“Oy!” The driver said, frowning. He then looked at the woman warningly.

“What do you think he would do? Calling the police?” she said with a raised brow. “He comes here because he needs money. He won’t do anything stupid.”

Barrett turned his attention to the phone. The person who came in the first place was an unknown face to him.

He had no idea who it was. He was called The Dark King.

“Hey, this dark king is number one in the current ranking,” Barrett remarked. “Tell me more about him.”

“He is one of the four kings! My dear Barrett, things have changed since you left. Now the four Danyos are more influential in the city, each one is the owner and lord of a sector of the city, and the authorities cannot do anything about it, and each one has their own ranking. The fights between Danyos are now different. They are for territories and businesses. And the members of the ranking are in charge of winning or losing those territories,” she said patiently.

Barrett had the thought that she was making lighthearted fun of him behind his back due to the fact that she was so patient.

Barrett gave off the impression that he was confused as he looked at the woman first and then at the phone.

“Your dear friend, the one who first freed you, is still one of the Danyios, although that is clearly none of your business after all. You do not belong to his team, and you belong to Mr. Abdul,” she explained.

Barrett looked at the phone once more. The Dark King.

That is all there is to say about it. His photo showed a black man with his hair twisted back into a tail, and there was no other name posted for him elsewhere. He had a forceful look in his eyes.

“What nonsense!” Barrett said, returning the phone.

The driver glanced at him with a puzzled expression while the woman simply shrugged her shoulders, not minding Barrett’s attitude at all.

He was aware that he was no longer in the city that he called home. Now he was in the terminal, which was allegedly a city of sin that was ruled by the Danyos.

They arrived at the port, and Barrett and the woman got out of the van together. She hurriedly walked towards the terminal.

When it was Barrett’s turn to walk through the terminal first, he proceeded to follow her until he arrived at a ramp that led up to a big cruise liner, at which point the workers’ attention shifted to him.

The ship’s name was The God of the Sea.

When Barrett looked up, he saw Sahid standing there in anticipation of the female.

As soon as they reached the top, Sahid made a beeline for her and planted a passionate kiss on her lips.

“You liked the trip?” Sahid asked after his public display of affection. He was now looking at Barrett with a proud grin. “I sent a hottie to pick you up. I wanted to see if you were real, you had everything to escape, and you didn’t. You clearly want to be here.”

Barrett did his best to stifle the irritation that he was feeling.

“I already told you,” he looked at Sahid and said firmly. “I clearly want to be here….”

And just as Barrett finished his words, Sahid smacked him on the back of the head. Barrett’s eyes widened, and then he stared at Sahid with his true rage visible on his face.

“It’s not like before. That you were the champion, now you are nobody. Let’s learn some useless respect!” Sahid said, smirking. His gaze was taunting Barrett, trying to test his patience.

Before Barrett could reply, Sahid and the woman already walked towards the ship.

Barrett didn’t have a choice but to follow the young woman. As he did, Barrett kept on glaring in Sahid’s direction.

He saw Sahid get off the boat. His hands were clenched, and looking forward, and he saw the woman’s eyes. They looked at Sahid with the same anger.

“You are bringing trouble to yourself,” the woman muttered when she saw the way Barrett was gazing at Sahid.

“Hate is free,” Barrett remarked while flashing an evil grin.

 “Perks of being trash,” the woman nodded and laughed mockingly.