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Chapter 114: Ankusha
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
A bloodcurdling scream shattered the stillness. The adventurer collapsed to his knees in pure agony, clutching his arm, which was now bent at a grotesque, unnatural angle.
Seizing the opening, another thug launched a brutal kick from behind, aiming directly for Aiden's temple. Without bothering to look back, Aiden blindly reached out, caught the man by his ankle, and yanked with terrifying force. Using the grown man as a human club, Aiden slammed him ruthlessly into another attacker charging in from the front. A heavy thud rang out as their bodies collided, sending both men tumbling across the floor in a tangled heap, unable to rise.
Aiden's momentum didn't stall for even a fraction of a second. Against the final approaching enemy, he lashed out with a savage kick to the knee.
SNAP!
Another crisp break sounded. The man dropped to the floor, clutching his ruined, inverted knee while rolling and screaming in abject misery.
It had barely taken a few breaths. Out of the six aggressive adventurers, one was permanently wedged into the wall, and the other five were groaning in torment on the floor with snapped limbs. In the end, only the utterly terrified Prum, Luan, remained standing.
He stood frozen in place, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. This was far from the first time they had pulled this stunt, but it was the very first time they had provoked such an ungodly monster. He had zero doubt in his mind that if they weren't in a public tavern, this white-haired demon would have slaughtered them all without batting an eye.
The other adventurers in the tavern had long since stopped jeering. Instead, they shrank back in fear, terrified of being caught in the crossfire. The sight of Aiden right now was simply too horrifying. The few drops of blood spattered across his face, paired with those icy, emotionless blue eyes, struck primal terror into anyone who dared to meet his gaze.
In the distance, Asfi frowned slightly. She wasn't feeling sorry for the Apollo Familia scum; she just felt Aiden's bloodlust was a bit too heavy. As a Level 4 adventurer, she could clearly sense the thick, tangible killing intent he had unleashed in that explosive burst. If they were currently in the Dungeon, she had no doubt he would have slaughtered every single one of them.
"Whoooa—!" Hermes let out a piercing whistle, his eyes wide with surprise and profound admiration.
He was astonished by Aiden's decisive, ruthless execution and thrilled by his sheer power. It was important to note that two of the Apollo members in that group were Level 2 adventurers, just like Aiden, yet they had been obliterated instantly, treated like absolute fodder. That overwhelming strength, far surpassing others of the same tier, was incredibly fascinating.
"Useless trash."
A low, furious reprimand echoed above the groans in the tavern. The next instant, a figure blurred, moving so fast he left afterimages in his wake, closing the distance to Aiden in a blink. A fist tore through the air with a terrifying, howling gale, aiming straight for Aiden's face.
Aiden's pupils contracted. With no time to think, he instantly crossed his arms in a defensive block.
BANG!
The heavy thud of flesh meeting flesh detonated, unleashing an invisible shockwave that blasted the shattered remnants of the surrounding furniture further away. The kinetic force sent Aiden skidding back uncontrollably. He took three or four heavy steps, his boots leaving deep imprints in the solid stone floor, before finally managing to stabilize his stance.
The attacker's expression also flickered slightly. He hadn't expected an unknown nobody to take his fury-fueled punch head-on without collapsing.
The assailant was a slender, exceptionally tall human youth with an aesthetic beauty that rivaled even the elves. His chestnut hair was elegantly tied back, and his skin was as delicate and fair as a woman's. Adorning his faction's uniform were multiple defensive accessories and metallic earrings, giving him a regal, extravagant appearance. His eyes were the deep, striking blue of the ocean.
"That guy... it's Hyakinthos from the Apollo Familia!"
"Phoebus Apollo... a Second-Class Level 3 adventurer."
"That white-haired kid is pretty tough, taking a direct hit from a high-ranking adventurer like that! Wait, I think he's Aiden from the Focalors Familia, right? Didn't he just arrive in Orario recently?"
"How the hell is a guy without even an alias so strong? What the hell is the Guild doing? Their intel is completely botched!"
Recognizing the newcomer, the surrounding adventurers immediately exploded into furious whispers.
"You dare run wild like this, you piece of trash?" Hyakinthos glared coldly at Aiden. As his eyes swept over the groaning bodies of his Familia members, his face darkened to the point of dripping ink.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it, you mutt?" Aiden didn't generally have a bad temper, but it heavily depended on who he was dealing with. Since the other party was throwing insults, he was more than happy to return the favor.
"The sin of harming my comrades carries a very heavy price..." Hyakinthos elegantly brushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear. A vicious, sadistic glint flashed in his deep blue eyes. "I will make sure you suffer the exact retribution you deserve."
"What should we do? Want me to step in?" Asfi lowered her voice, asking the thoroughly entertained god beside her. The opponent was "Phoebus Apollo," a bona fide Level 3 Second-Class adventurer. She didn't think the newly promoted Level 2 Aiden stood a chance against him. As for the clash just now, she could clearly tell that Hyakinthos hadn't used his full strength.
"Don't rush it, Asfi-chan," Hermes replied, his eyes narrowing in chaotic delight. "Isn't this exactly what I came to see?" The mere thought of watching Aiden battle Hyakinthos sent a thrill of anticipation surging through his veins.
Before his words even faded, Hyakinthos blurred and vanished from his spot, throwing another devastating punch at Aiden. Aiden, completely locked in and hyper-focused, tracked Hyakinthos's trajectory and retaliated with a furious punch of his own, refusing to back down.
A split second before their knuckles collided—
"ENOUGH!"
A cold, commanding shout ripped through the air. A figure moved faster than Hyakinthos, instantly inserting herself directly between the two fighters. Extending her hands, she caught both Hyakinthos's and Aiden's fists with terrifyingly casual ease.
A violent gale blasted outward from her center, whipping her iconic short blue hair wildly around her face. She possessed strikingly delicate features and a tall, commanding presence, like a fierce beauty of war. She wore the standard uniform of the Ganesha Familia—a white bodysuit built for mobility, overlaid with an orange bolero jacket that exposed a toned, powerful midriff. Her lower half consisted of orange ultra-short hot pants and thigh-high black stockings, paired with heavy-duty combat boots. Fastened to her gear was the elephant trunk emblem, the crest of the Ganesha Familia. An aura of absolute, crushing authority radiated from her.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The woman was none other than the captain of Orario's military police—the Captain of the Ganesha Familia, the Level 5 First-Class adventurer known as "Ankusha," Shakti Varma.
She swept her piercing gaze over the two boys. "Are you unaware that unsanctioned brawls are strictly forbidden within the city walls?"
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