The crowd froze for a moment, stunned by Max's audacious declaration. A level 6 hunter openly challenging anyone in a place dominated by far stronger fighters? The sheer boldness of it left them momentarily speechless.
Most had assumed he had wandered in by mistake, unaware of the stakes. But now, his words reverberated through the gathering like a thunderclap, shattering their assumptions.
"Hahaha, it seems he doesn't know his place. Guys, should we go and teach him a lesson?"
"This kid really has a screw loose, otherwise, he wouldn't be challenging us."
"Anyway, since he dared challenge us, we should teach him a lesson."
"So who's going to fight him?"
"Let me teach him a lesson he'll never forget."
They erupted into laughter, mocking Max for what they perceived as sheer stupidity.
"Kid, I accept your challenge." A young man of about 20, with round, curly black hair, stepped forward.
Max smiled and tapped the air, challenging him. "Let's go then." He walked back into the cube for the battle.
The curly-haired man, named Reeds, smiled, accepting Max's invitation and entered the cube as well.
---
Max found himself standing on the plain battlefield again, and not far in the distance stood Reeds with his curly black hair.
"I'll let you have the first attack," Reeds said, smiling arrogantly.
Max shrugged. "As you wish," he said as he activated the power of 5 Draconic Essences.
With that, he used the Swift Dash skill, and his figure blurred, appearing in front of Reeds, who had no reaction to Max's sudden appearance.
'Next time, take the initiative,' Max thought inwardly as he rammed his fist through Reeds.
Bang!
Reeds's figure was instantly destroyed into red particles and vanished.
---
A moment later, both Max and Reeds came out of their cubes, but Reeds wore an expression of horror and confusion, as though he had seen a ghost.
"Reeds, you lost, man? Against a level 6? What the hell, man?"
"What did you do to lose, Reeds?"
"Reeds, you're really a piece of trash, just as expected from someone like you."
"Damn, Reeds, how could you lose to someone at level 6?"
The crowd mocked Reeds, some glaring at him for being defeated by someone at level 6. But Reeds wasn't one to take the mockery lying down.
He made an embarrassed face and said, "I messed up and let him attack me, but who would've known he would use poison? He instantly killed me with his poison. If I fought him again, I'm sure I would defeat him easily."
Others around him nodded in understanding. They could finally understand why Reeds had lost to someone at level 6.
Max overheard from the side, an amused expression on his face. He hadn't expected Reeds to be so shameless, but it didn't matter to him as long as it worked in his favor.
Just as he had anticipated, another challenger stepped forward, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "I'll take you on this time, kid," declared a dark blue-haired woman, her tone sharp and confident.
Max met her gaze with a calm smile. "Alright then," he said, his voice steady as he accepted her challenge. Without hesitation, he entered the cube for another battle.
"Lucy, don't be like Reeds and finish him in one move," someone from the crowd advised.
"Yeah, kill him fast and teach this kid a lesson," another added.
Lucy smiled at them and chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not arrogant like Reeds." She stepped inside the cube after saying those words.
---
On the plain battlefield, Max and Lucy stood opposite each other.
"You're very calm for someone at level 6," Lucy said as her body began to freeze. A layer of frost appeared around her skin, turning her skin color to an icy blue.
Max stared at her transformation, intrigued. "What is your class?" he asked.
Lucy smiled as the ground beneath her began to freeze. "I'll tell you after our battle."
Max nodded and waited for her to attack.
However, Lucy's expression grew strange as she observed Max. He didn't seem to have any intention of attacking, nor did she see any poison around him, as Reeds had mentioned causing her to frustrate.
She chose to fight Max because her Ice Transformation skill offered some immunity to poisons, but she saw no trace of any poison now.
"What are you waiting for?" Lucy shouted in annoyance, seeing Max just staring at her blankly.
Max shook his head and sighed. He had expected her to attack after seeing her transformation. 'I guess it doesn't really matter.' he thought as his figure blurred before Lucy.
Bang!
A punch landed straight in her gut, sending her flying away as she disintegrated into red particles.
---
The crowd outside was once again stunned into silence as Max emerged victorious, defeating Lucy. It was as if their collective understanding of reality had been upended.
"This is unreal!" someone exclaimed. "A level 6 defeating a level 10? That just doesn't happen!"
The murmurs turned into a roar, disbelief giving way to excitement. The crowd's shock quickly morphed into chaos as they struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
"This kid's insane! How is he pulling this off?"
"I've never heard of anything like this. Not here, not anywhere!"
The air buzzed with an electric energy as the crowd went wild, their cheers and exclamations echoing through the Battle Realm. Max's second victory had thrown all expectations out the window, leaving everyone in awe—and craving more.
"Next," Max called out, his voice dripping with arrogance, a sneer firmly planted on his face as he scanned the crowd.
The sheer smugness in his expression made a vein pop in one of the onlookers' temples.
"Argh, I can't stand that smug smile anymore!" a young man growled, stepping forward with a fiery glare. His fists clenched, his eyes burning with frustration and determination. "Alright, let's go! I'll show everyone how to wipe that grin off your face."
Max's smirk widened as he gestured toward the cube. "Big words. Let's see if you can back them up."
A few minutes later, both emerged from their cubes, but the young man who had challenged Max vanished into the crowd, blankly.
"Who is this kid? He's taken down three of us in just minutes!"
"Yeah, the first win could've been luck, the second maybe carelessness... but the third? No way. This kid's the real deal!"
"True. He doesn't even look like he's been awakened for long, yet he's managing to beat us at level 10 while still being at level 6. That's insane!"
"But let's be honest—he won't last much longer. The Battle Realm is full of geniuses, and no matter how strong he is, level 6 still has its limits."
The crowd exploded into a frenzy, voices rising in disbelief and excitement. No one had anticipated this outcome—not one, not two, but three victories in a row.
Max's performance shattered their understanding of what was possible, leaving them reeling with astonishment.
"I'll take you on this time," declared another challenger, a lady with striking pink hair stepping forward.
Max simply smiled, his confidence unwavering. "Let's see what you've got," he replied, stepping back into the cube.
Moments later, the result was the same. The pink-haired challenger emerged from the cube, defeated, her shoulders slumped as she rejoined the crowd.
Max, on the other hand, strode out with the same smug smirk that was beginning to infuriate everyone watching.
The crowd seethed with frustration, their pride refusing to accept defeat at the hands of someone only at level 6. One by one, challengers stepped forward, each more determined than the last. And one by one, they were defeated, their confidence crumbling as Max's winning streak continued.
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It wasn't long before the mood shifted from anger to hopelessness. The crowd could no longer deny the reality—they were outclassed.
Whispered disbelief rippled through the onlookers as they realized Max wasn't just winning; he was dominating.
"Everyone look above Max's cube!" someone shouted, attracting everyone's attention.
They all turned to see, in shock and disbelief, a blood-red '11' appearing above his cube.