Flashy Adventurer System : Show Off to Get Stronger! - Chapter 682

Chapter 682: Far More Talented
‘You bastard…you dare play tricks on me? You overestimate yourself too much!’ Kenji thought, furious as he checked the weapon rack for an appropriate dagger to use.

By now, even he could see that Ian had just been putting on an act earlier.

What infuriated him, though, was that the bastard had the audacity to lure him into a high-stakes sparring match, as if he would back down like a coward if Ian had directly proposed his absurd bet.

To be fair, Kenji subconsciously recognized that he might have hesitated if his opponent had confidently proposed the bet.

This, however, was exactly why he felt so infuriated when he saw Ian’s true demeanor.

He couldn’t stand that he’d been deceived, but what infuriated him even more was the immense disrespect of being treated like a coward by a mere Valenzian.

Kenji swore to make Ian pay for daring to do such a thing to him.

After retrieving a dagger slightly smaller than the one his opponent had chosen, Kenji walked toward the center of the sparring area with a scowl, eager to teach the Valenzian that frogs at the bottom of the well shouldn’t act so arrogantly outside it.

Two scouts stared at each other, neither backing down.

Seeing this, the other youngsters felt their blood boil, inwardly complimenting Ian for rising to the occasion.

After all, it would be boring to just bully someone who wasn’t even trying to fight back.

This way, things were more exciting, and everyone appreciated it, gaining newfound respect for the Valenzians—at least for Ian.

They’d have to wait and see how the others fared.

The elitists despised Valenzia, but their disdain for Krebori was even stronger, as the Kreborians had been actively pretending to be “elite” despite clearly not fitting the part.

The two regions they hated were fighting, so it was a win-win situation for them.

Valenzia and Krebori can humiliate each other and dance like monkeys for all they care.

Either way, they, the elitists, will be the winners, as they would be entertained no matter how things between the two weakest regions went.

“Competitor Kenji, Competitor Ian, are you both ready?” Moderator Scarlet asked, prompting the two young scouts to nod in unison.

Seeing this, the moderator raised her right hand, signaling the start of the first sparring match.

“Begin!”

Immediately after hearing the starting signal, Kenji madly bolted forward, zigzagging to show off his speed and footwork as he charged toward his opponent.

Ian, on the other hand, stood his ground, silently sneering in contempt as he observed his opponent’s speed and movements.

He could see Kenji as clearly as day.

Ian was already accustomed to battling (S)-ranked monsters, some with agility far surpassing Kenji’s and strength rivaling Shye’s.

There was no chance he would be shaken by the Kreborian’s mediocre display of abilities.

In fact, he felt a tinge of disappointment, having expected to face strong opponents his own age.

Unfortunately, each companion could only fight once, and he was unlucky enough to be matched with the arrogant weakling standing before him.

Not fond of prolonging things for no reason, Ian opted to finish things as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As his opponent arrived within striking distance, aiming a stabbing motion with his dagger, Ian calmly ducked beneath the blade targeting his throat.

He then countered with a right cross punch to Kenji’s exposed chin, sending blood and saliva splattering everywhere.

To Ian’s surprise, despite being visibly stunned and staggering, Kenji remained conscious, struggling to regain his balance.

‘Hoh, you’re quite sturdy,’ Ian remarked before dashing toward his groggy opponent, now demonstrating his speed and maneuverability to the other youngsters.

He turned out to be significantly faster than Kenji, causing a few youngsters from other regions to frown.

Now, they were forced to take Valenzia seriously, having realized they couldn’t keep up with Ian’s flashy yet effective footwork.

Naturally, if the other youngsters who were merely watching struggled to keep up with Ian, how could his groggy opponent, who could barely stand, fare any better?

The young Valenzian scout effortlessly moved behind his opponent, wrapping his left arm around Kenji’s neck while aiming his dagger at Kenji’s throat with his other hand.

“You lost, Kreborian. Admit defeat.” Ian said arrogantly, further angering Kenji.

Unfortunately, he found himself in a tough spot and couldn’t retaliate. But lose? No, he would only be defeated if he admitted it.

“In your dreams, Valenzian! Finish me off, if you even dare, that i–”

*THUD!*

A dull, sickening thud reverberated through the grand hall as Ian interrupted his opponent’s sentence, decisively knocking him out with a precise stab to a vital point in the neck, which caused him to collapse to the ground, unconscious.

Since the dagger was blunted, Kenji was safe. However, he undeniably lost—badly, at that.

Everything happened in a span of a few seconds.

As a result, some of the youngsters were still in disbelief at what had just happened, recognizing the Valenzian scout’s competence and seeing him as being on the same level as themselves, despite having grown up in a backwater region.

They unconsciously felt insecure, as they weren’t sure if they could grow as strong as Ian in such an uncompetitive environment with limited resources.

What did this imply? Quite simply, the Valenzian scout was far more talented than they were—a truth that was difficult for them to accept.

They would never admit so, as their elitist egos wouldn’t allow them to.

While the youths from other regions were still grappling with their thoughts, the Kreborians were in outright denial about their defeat, especially those who had wagered large sums of money, a unique-tier skill book, and an adamantite-tier accessory.

They felt their hearts sink as a part of them realized that their precious gold coins and items no longer belonged to them.

A few of them even felt an overwhelming urge to rush to the winnings table, where Scarlet had placed the wagers, in an attempt to reclaim their bets.

However, none of them acted on it for fear of appearing foolish and desperate in front of the other elitists.

They had no choice but to take the loss and blame Kenji for it.

Meanwhile, at the Valenzian table…

“WOOHOO, SWEET!! Boss! It seems we hit the jackpot! My coin reserves just doubled! Great job, little bro Ian!”