Chapter 56 — The Debt Collector
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Merkules was the former champion of the Sky Pavilion branch of the Northern Gladiator Guild. He once defeated Socrates, who held the title as the champion of the Earth Pavilion branch of the Northern Gladiator Guild. The stake of the duel was the golden token that was in the possession of the champions. Merkules won square and fair and seized possession of the token, but it didn't end there.
Socrates returned after some months and issued another challenge, in which he defeated the Sky Pavilion Champion and retrieved his golden token. But Merkules wasn't satisfied with this, and he's been looking for every means to get the token. Therefore, he's classified as a threat and needs to be eliminated.
Mastrile is a lackey to the late champion of the Earth Pavilion branch of the Northern Gladiator Guild—Nicillo. He's involved in the assassination of Socrates months ago, which failed due to the protection of the Goddess of Death—Gladiator King Achillia. Everyone involved in this scandal has been killed, and he's the only one remaining. Therefore, he can't be spared.
Pavliox is one of Merkules' trusted lackeys and had given Socrates more headaches during his training; it's only necessary that his life should be taken too.
This trio was seen traversing through the night forest as they headed towards the Sky Pavilion when a shadow loomed over them from the front, stretching long across the damp ground.
They all pulled out their weapons upon sensing the threat in the dark night...
"Who is there?" Merkules asked as he held tightly to his sword, his gaze never leaving the front. Mastrile and Pavliox flanked him from both sides as they took in their surroundings, the faint rustle of leaves brushing against their ears.
There was no response to Merkules' question, but right before his eyes, the shadow outlined into a silhouette—a dark silhouette in the dark night...
But that darkness didn't last forever, as it seemed as if something repelled the dark clouds, and the bright full moon cast its pale light on the forest. This part of the forest was scanty in trees, so the light fell clearly on the trio and the silhouette.
Red hair...
Blue eyes...
Black mechanical suit...
A double battle axe wielded in both hands...
"Socrates." The trio cried out immediately as they took a step back, panic flashing across their faces.
"The three of you... It's time to pay your debt." The moment those words left his mouth, his body disappeared from where he stood...
Merkules was shocked and flabbergasted... Socrates didn't run... He didn't charge at them... In that moment, he was there... But in the next moment, he was no longer there.
But Merkules' cultivation wasn't low to the extent that he couldn't sense the ripple in the air and the sudden shift of presence behind him.
He turned instinctively, just to see the red-haired teenager behind him... Not just behind him, but behind his lackey, whose cultivation was still at the early stage of Qi Condensation.
"Pavliox, watch out!" Merkules attempted to cry out, but to his horror, Pavliox stepped forward as the sword in his grip fell off... His hands traveled to his neck, but before they could reach it, his head fell off.
The head fell off the body, which still took a step forward as blood shot out of the neck, spraying into the cold night air, warm and thick.
Merkules was horrified, but the word to describe Mastrile's expression hadn't been formulated... He had witnessed this before... He's seeing it again... Socrates' true power. He just disappeared and then appeared behind them... No skill, no flashy moves... A head had been decapitated...
The head of Pavliox rolled on the ground while his leg still took a step forward before he succumbed to his knees. His joints failed as he crumbled to the forest floor, his body going limp at once, with blood pressuring out of his neck, soaking into the soil.
Socrates, who had been standing still all this while, finally lowered his left hand... The left hand was stretched horizontally while wielding one of the battle axes. Mastrile's eyes reflected the sharpness of the blade that had cut the head of his companion in one motion before turning towards Socrates, who now faced them.
'My only chance of survival is to initiate the first attack.'
'My only chance of survival is to run.'
Two men who had just witnessed what had happened instinctively presumed how their fate would unfold depending on the action they'd take...
Two top gladiators with immense pride, yet the two had entirely different convictions...
They both knew this wasn't a battle they could win... But... losing didn't necessarily spell death...
They both wanted to survive, and they both had different approaches towards survival...
They both glanced at each other in a split second, and in the next second, both carried out the action that had already shaped in their minds.
Merkules advanced forward while Mastrile retreated backward. There was no time to think, as the action was already in motion...
Merkules released every ounce of his aura... The aura of a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, as he directed every bit of energy he could muster into the blade, which he struck out without hesitation. The air trembled faintly under the pressure.
Socrates lazily raised his battle axe as the energy blade came for him, but then it was as if something spoke to him.
In that microsecond, he dropped his hand back, then sidestepped at that instant... The action Socrates just took was too fast that even Merkules deemed it impossible... The energy blade that he slashed out didn't hit anything but air.
'I'm not done yet.' Merkules gritted his teeth as he controlled his energy, making sure that every part of his body twisted as he directed his energy-coated blade horizontally towards the location Socrates had sidestepped to...
Nothing...
The energy blade struck the air again as the shock tipped Merkules off course, but he quickly regained control and turned around instinctively.
A gleam appeared in his eyes while his mouth opened wide... The reason was because the young teenager that had been with him a second ago was now meters away from him, chasing after Mastrile...
'Just what fortune has this guy acquired?' Merkules asked himself.
Only if he knew the kind of hell Socrates had been through...
Only if he knew...
And only if his partner, who had chosen to run, knew that Socrates was behind him...
Mastrile... The lackey was just running like a fanatic... He didn't even care to look back... His breath came out ragged, feet slamming against the forest floor.
The hypothesis was that if he did, what he might see could affect his temperament... But that hypothesis cost him dearly...
Because if he had looked back, he might have seen—rather, witnessed—how his life was going to end...
Why should I waste my strength running when I have two battle axes?
Socrates stopped midway, placed his right leg forward while his left hand was stretched backward before he moved them forward with controlled speed, letting go of what that hand was gripping—which was none other than the battle axe.
The axe, in all its glory, having been flung by a being with an Ocean Rank Physique, cut through the air like a roaring tide as it sped forward, traveling even before the sound could catch up, slicing through the wind with a sharp howl...
Just before Mastrile could make a swift turn, the sharp axe tore through his back and burst out of his chest with great intensity and force, spilling out his intestines as his body lurched forward into the silent forest night...