Beyonder Combat

Buying Roselle's "relic" had cost Odys a total of 130 pounds.

However, when he filed for reimbursement, he claimed to have spent 151 pounds: 20 pounds in "handling fees" and another pound for hiring a cab.

Of course, hiring a cab could not possibly cost a pound.

After successfully getting the money, Odys generously hired a cab back to the herbal shop.

But the moment he entered, he found two uninvited guests in the shop: Simon, the owner of the underground Fighting Arena, and its manager, Gels.

Kainer came up to him. "Sir, these two have been waiting for over an hour."

Odys nodded. "I know."

He sat across from Simon. "Didn't I tell you? I'm not interested in working with you."

Simon still wore that villainous grin. "Last time, I told you I knew some relatively secret information. It seems you didn't take it too seriously.

"Then let me be more specific. I heard that the churches are quite fond of arresting people like you, people with extraordinary abilities."

Odys said coldly, "Want me to give you a map of Backlund and tell you how to reach the cathedrals of the three churches?

"If you had any decent channels, you'd know I have no fear of your threats."

Simon froze slightly. He clearly had not expected Odys to say something like that. As he judged whether the herbal shop owner before him was lying, he said, "The nobles also need some more exciting forms of entertainment. In Empress Borough, they have..."

"At 155 King's Road in Empress Borough, there's a special Fighting Arena, isn't there?" Odys sneered. "Trying to compete with me in intelligence?

"I also know that your real name isn't Simon, but Dills. You have a daughter staying with distant relatives at 349 Hillland Street in Saint George Borough.

"Because you're afraid your enemies will come after her, you've never dared to keep her by your side."

Simon's mouth fell open, his face full of disbelief. "S-Sir, I didn't mean anything else."

Odys took out his pipe. "Everyone has weaknesses, don't they?"

Simon immediately stood up. "I'm very sorry for inconveniencing you. We'll leave right away. Please... please don't be angry."

Odys pointed at the chair opposite him instead. "Sit down."

Simon could only obediently sit back down.

Odys lit his pipe, took a puff, and continued, "I can fight a few matches, but this isn't cooperation. You'll be serving me.

"After each match, I'll pay you one-tenth of my earnings. Aside from the matches, you'll handle all the other trivial matters.

"Also, forge an identification document for me. I don't want to fight there under my real identity."

The Fighting Arena at 155 King's Road was, more precisely, a Beyonder Fighting Arena.

Loen's nobles appeared cautious, elegant, and refined on the surface, but they also had sinister, lewd, extravagant sides and worshipped violence.

Fighting Arenas had always existed in Backlund. It was just that in modern times, they had gone underground and gradually vanished from the public eye.

Yet nobles still enjoyed watching fights to the death, and Beyonder combat was the most popular of all. Odys had heard that a single ticket cost as much as 100 pounds.

After advancing to Melee Scholar, Odys had wanted to fight several matches there to temper his practical combat abilities.

Before his advancement, Odys knew his combat ability was about on par with a goose's. He tried not to fight anyone whenever possible, but even if he did, with Arrow of Flames and his scepter, ordinary Low Sequence Beyonders were no match for him.

If he accidentally provoked a Mid-Sequence Beyonder, he would simply seek help from the Machinery Hivemind. Of course, nothing like that had happened in the past three years.

But after becoming a Melee Scholar, things were different. He needed to fight others more often in order to hone his abilities through real combat.

He had long wanted to test his skills at that Fighting Arena. Not only could he train himself, he could also make money.

As for performing for nobles, Odys had no psychological burden about that.

It was just that he had always lacked a reasonable channel to enter the underground Fighting Arena in Empress Borough. He did not want his fighting there to be connected with Mr. Gal or the Leader.

Unexpectedly, Simon had delivered an excellent opportunity. When Simon had proposed working together at the bar's underground Fighting Arena, Odys had already planned to use that channel to enter the arena in Empress Borough.

But naturally, he would not allow a small fry like Simon to manipulate him. At the same time, he knew Simon would never give up, and that today's meeting had been inevitable. Thus, Odys had made preparations in advance and seized the initiative in this matter.

Hearing that there was a turn for the better, Simon was overjoyed. "No problem!"

Even one-tenth would be a considerable income.

As the owner of the bar's underground Fighting Arena, he looked quite glamorous, earning several hundred pounds in a single night whenever there were matches. But such gray income required backing, or trouble would never end.

Simon had to hand a large portion of the income to his backers.

The income from serving Odys, however, could go straight into his own pocket. Moreover, he would have the chance to meet some of Backlund's upper-class figures.

After promising to return tomorrow with an update, Simon politely bade Odys farewell.

Odys checked his pocket watch and said to Kainer, "Let's go to the backyard. Today, I'll teach you how to process the leg bones of a Mutated Flamingo."

Processing those leg bones did not require much skill. Kainer could handle it.

22 Tutwa Street, South Borough.

Xio Derecha returned to her residence. To her surprise, Fors was already awake and writing furiously at her desk.

"Xio, you're back." Fors looked up and asked with a smile, "Did anything interesting happen at that mysterious gathering?"

"It was a very peculiar gathering." Xio hung her coat on the rack and asked casually, "Are you rushing to meet a deadline today?"

The smile immediately vanished from Fors's face. "Yes, the manuscript is due tomorrow, and I've only written the beginning."

Xio slowly nodded. She knew it. Otherwise, Fors would not have gotten up so early.

"Only hearing some strange tales can soothe my anxious heart now." Fors turned in her chair to face Xio. "Quick, tell me. What amazing things happened at that gathering?"

"Nothing particularly amazing." Eager to share, Xio sat across from Fors. "The gathering's organizer actually promised to protect Byron..."

She briefly recounted Byron's investigation and the conversation between Byron and the Leader.

This was a very unusual thing. Of all the Beyonder gatherings they had attended, no organizer had ever made such a promise.

"He must have a sense of justice!" Fors commented.