Aizen and Gray Wolf exchanged a glance.
The former's eyes were blazing with excitement.
The latter's… pupils shrank violently.
At that moment, Gray Wolf panicked.
Damn it.
You were drinking just fine—why stir up trouble?!
If you really manage to complete the Hōgyoku,
Wouldn't Aizen slice this king to pieces the very next second?!
His brain began spinning at top speed, desperately formulating a strategy.
"Why don't you try it right now?"
Though Aizen tried his best to restrain himself, the slight tremble in his voice still betrayed his excitement.
At last—the slave rises and sings!
But…
The only thing that made Aizen uneasy was this:
What if Guangtou Qiang was just as hard to deal with as King Gray Wolf?
"Let me say this first."
"I can't guarantee I'll succeed."
Guangtou Qiang took the Hōgyoku and examined it carefully.
"Fine. Just give it a try."
Aizen nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly as he casually glanced at Gray Wolf.
In an instant—
Cold sweat poured down Gray Wolf's body.
"This is my research project!"
"I'm already close to success—you can't just jump in halfway and steal this king's achievement!"
Without hesitation, Gray Wolf snatched the Hōgyoku back from Guangtou Qiang's hands.
He's panicking.
He's definitely panicking…
Aizen raised an eyebrow, fully assuming a spectator's posture.
The situation was now favorable to him.
If Gray Wolf and Guangtou Qiang started fighting over the Hōgyoku—
He could immediately jack up the price.
Whether it meant forcing Gray Wolf to shorten the completion time,
Or letting Guangtou Qiang complete it instead—
Either option would be perfect.
At that moment—
Guangtou Qiang frowned slightly, his right hand unconsciously resting on the axe lying on the bar.
If he completed that Hōgyoku,
He could finally finish the task his boss assigned him!
How could he let a wolf ruin this?!
"Hand it over," Guangtou Qiang said coldly.
Gray Wolf didn't want trouble and replied calmly:
"Rather than having someone else help you cut trees…"
"Why not let me invent a machine so you can do it yourself?"
"To personally accomplish a goal you've chased for years…"
"That sense of satisfaction—you don't need me to explain it. You understand it yourself."
As he said this, Gray Wolf felt a dull ache in his chest.
Damn it.
These words were really meant for himself too.
If only he could personally catch a sheep…
How wonderful that would be.
Watching a living sheep slowly turn into food in boiling water—
His wife would be ecstatic!
At that moment—
Guangtou Qiang's eyes lit up as well.
That's right…
Compared to relying on others,
Completing his boss's task with his own hands would truly let him rediscover the feeling of being the logging champion.
Scenes immediately surfaced in his mind—
Driving a massive logging machine,
Chopping trees while beating the two bears senseless.
After a moment, Guangtou Qiang spoke slowly:
"You've convinced me."
"I won't interfere with the Hōgyoku."
"But…"
"The machine you make must have offensive capabilities!"
Gray Wolf nodded.
"Deal. I'll finish the logging machine as soon as possible and hand it to you."
"If anything feels lacking, you can tell me."
"No problem. The boss also told me to communicate with you more."
Guangtou Qiang smiled.
Watching the two chat enthusiastically—
Aizen's heart shattered completely.
He had finally found someone capable of completing the Hōgyoku.
And yet…
Gray Wolf ruined it again.
Fortunately—
He hadn't offended King Gray Wolf beforehand.
Otherwise, this really would've ended in total disaster.
A while later, seeing the two still passionately discussing logging machinery, Aizen couldn't help urging:
"King Gray Wolf…"
"Shouldn't we continue working on the Hōgyoku?"
The moment the words left his mouth—
A massive paw slammed down on his head.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Aizen nearly stumbled off the chair.
Even his neatly combed slicked-back hair was left in disarray.
Gray Wolf said coldly:
"Don't think this king doesn't know what you're scheming."
"If there's a next time…"
"You can forget about the Hōgyoku."
At once—
Yuan Tiangang, Escanor, Tsukuyomi Komoe, and many of the newer guests all turned to look.
They wanted to see how Aizen would react.
Would he explode in rage and break the tavern's rules to kill Gray Wolf on the spot?
But—
Aizen merely smiled gently.
"Understood, King Gray Wolf. There won't be a next time."
Seeing this—
Yuan Tiangang, Escanor, and the others widened their eyes.
Pathetic.
Absolutely pathetic.
If it were them, they'd have made Gray Wolf understand what true darkness meant.
In truth—
Aizen wanted to turn hostile.
But after enduring this for so many days, flipping the table now would be far too costly.
"Go roast two sheep for this king."
"Leave the tendons, skins, and kidneys raw."
After giving the order, Gray Wolf returned to his seat and continued working on the Hōgyoku.
"Yes, King Gray Wolf!"
Aizen nodded and jogged off toward the kitchen.
Before long—
A rich aroma drifted out from within.
Seeing this, Guangtou Qiang curiously asked Ron:
"Boss…"
"Can Gray Wolf really complete the Hōgyoku?"
"Even I'm not very confident."
Ron smiled.
"Of course he can. And you should have more confidence in yourself too."
Concept-level characters like Guangtou Qiang and Gray Wolf
Could never be judged by common sense.
Suddenly—
Ron looked at Guangtou Qiang and remembered a parody video from his previous life.
Only Qiang.
If that video were directly implanted into Guangtou Qiang's memories—
Could he unleash that level of power?
"Oh, right…"
"I have a duel arena here."
"Want to fight one of the guests?"
"If you win, the reward will be generous—enough for you to return to your village in glory for the New Year."
"Even if you lose, you only need to give one of your inventions as the venue fee."
Ron asked with a smile.
Guangtou Qiang's heart leapt—
But his face soon drooped again.
"Forget it."
"The guests here are all too strong."
At least, he had that much self-awareness.
Rayleigh said with a grin:
"You can fight this old man."
"Perfect chance to loosen my bones."
"Tonight I'll show my full power!"
"I'll make sure Shakky feels my shape all day long!"
"Old man, I hope you won't regret it."
Ron chuckled, then stood and placed his right hand on Guangtou Qiang's shoulder.
At once—
A magic formation engraved with countless obscure runes lit up.
In an instant, Guangtou Qiang's body trembled.
Strange images were forcibly poured into his memory.
When the magic array faded—
His entire presence changed.
His gaze became resolute.
His expression turned cold.
Every movement radiated the aura of a true powerhouse.
"Let's go. To the duel arena."
Rayleigh urged impatiently.
Guangtou Qiang took a sip of wine and said calmly:
"I admit your skills are impressive."
"But not to the point where I need to use my axe."
"Boss."
"Lend me the blade hanging on the wall."
"Drawing my blade for you is my respect."
"And not revealing my chainsaw or axe…"
"…is my mercy."
Rayleigh: ???
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