Chapter 98: The Game

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: The Game

Daniel stood over Paul.

His hands were in his pockets. His expression was calm. He looked like he was taking a stroll through a park. He looked like he hadn’t just walked into a battlefield. He looked like he hadn’t just ignored the most dangerous person in the clearing.

"So," Daniel said. "What did I miss?"

Paul looked up at him. His face was a mess of bruises and blood. His clothes were torn. His body was broken. But he was smiling. A weak, tired smile.

"A lot," he said.

"Summarize."

Paul took a breath. He winced. His ribs hurt.

"Brutus fought the elf," he said. "He used some technique. GO GO BOYS GO or something. He got stronger. Much stronger. He beat the elf down. But the elf kept regenerating. And Brutus kept getting weaker. The technique was killing him."

Daniel nodded. "And then?"

"Brutus collapsed. The elf was about to kill him. Then Fluffy appeared. She dragged him into a shadow. He’s safe now. Probably."

Daniel nodded again. "Good."

"The elf is still here. He’s still alive. He’s still dangerous."

"I can see that."

Paul looked at him. At his calm face. At his relaxed posture.

"Daniel," he said. "He can copy talents."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Copy?"

"Yes. He copied Elara’s wind talent. He copied my wind talent. He can use other people’s abilities."

Daniel thought about it. "How many has he been using?"

Paul shrugged. "Probably two. Maybe three. I don’t know for sure."

Daniel smiled. "So either it resets at a particular time, or he has a limit."

Paul blinked. "What?"

"If he could copy unlimited talents, he would have copied more. He would have copied Brutus’s technique. He would have copied Elara’s stage five. But he didn’t. So there’s a limit. Either he can only hold a certain number at a time, or he can only copy a certain number per day."

Paul stared at him. "That’s... actually smart."

Daniel shrugged. "I have my moments."

He looked at Benjamin. At his cold eyes. At his purple aura. At his wind blade.

"What talents does he have right now?" Daniel asked.

Paul thought about it. "Wind. Regeneration. And maybe something else. I’m not sure."

Daniel nodded. "So he has wind and regeneration. That’s it?"

"Probably."

Daniel smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"Then he’s not that impressive."

Benjamin heard him. His eyes narrowed. His aura flared.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

Daniel looked at him. His expression was calm. Almost bored.

"I said you’re not that impressive," Daniel repeated. "You have wind. You have regeneration. That’s it?"

Benjamin’s face twisted with rage. "That’s more than enough to kill you."

Daniel shrugged. "Maybe. But it’s boring."

"Boring?"

"Yeah. Boring." Daniel walked toward him. Slowly. Casually. His hands were still in his pockets. "Regeneration is such a boring ability. You just get hit and heal. There’s no skill involved. No technique. No strategy. Just... healing."

Benjamin’s eye twitched. "It’s a rare talent."

"So? It’s still boring."

"It’s not boring!"

"It is. You just stand there and take hits. Anyone can do that."

"Anyone can’t do that! It’s a rare talent!"

Daniel stopped. He was a few feet from Benjamin. He looked at him. His eyes were cold.

"You know what I think?" Daniel said.

Benjamin didn’t answer.

"I think you’re not as strong as you think you are," Daniel said. "I think you rely on your regeneration because you’re not actually skilled. I think you’ve never had to try because your talent does all the work for you."

Benjamin’s face went red. His hands were shaking. His aura was blazing.

"You don’t know anything about me!" he shouted.

"I know enough."

"You know nothing!"

"I know you’re boring."

"I’m not boring!"

"You are."

"I’m not!"

Daniel smiled. A cold, mocking smile.

"Prove it."

Benjamin screamed. He charged.

He threw a punch. Daniel dodged. He kicked. Daniel blocked. He slashed with his wind blade. Daniel sidestepped.

"You see?" Daniel said. "Boring."

Benjamin screamed again. He threw everything he had. His fists. His feet. His wind. His regeneration.

Daniel dodged it all. He moved like water. Like shadow. Like wind.

"You’re predictable," Daniel said. "You’re slow. You’re boring."

"Stop saying that!"

"It’s true."

Benjamin threw a punch. Daniel caught it. He squeezed. Benjamin’s bones cracked. He screamed. He pulled back. He regenerated.

"See?" Daniel said. "Boring."

Benjamin stumbled back. He was breathing hard. His aura was flickering.

"You... you’re..."

"I’m what?"

Benjamin didn’t answer. He just stood there. His chest was heaving. His eyes were wild.

Then Brick Head walked toward Paul.

"Excuse me," he said. "Are you a villain?"

Paul blinked. "What?"

"Are you a villain? I need to know who to punch."

Paul stared at him. "I’m not a villain."

"That’s what a villain would say."

"I’m not a villain. I’m a guild member. I was fighting the actual villain."

Brick Head tilted his head. "The actual villain?"

"Yes. Him." Paul pointed at Benjamin.

Brick Head looked at Benjamin. At his purple aura. At his cold eyes. At his wind blade.

"Him?" Brick Head said.

"Yes. Him."

"He looks like a villain."

"He is a villain."

Brick Head nodded. He cracked his knuckles. He walked toward Benjamin.

"Alright, villain!" he shouted. "Prepare to be defeated!"

He threw a punch. It was telegraphed. Slow. Obvious.

Benjamin didn’t even look at him. He just raised his hand. A gust of wind hit Brick Head. He flew backward. He crashed into a wall.

"Ow," Brick Head said.

Daniel watched. He didn’t react. He just stood there. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was calm.

"Fluffy," he said.

Fluffy appeared from a shadow. She was beside him. Her daggers were drawn.

"Yes, Master?"

"Lyra."

Lyra appeared beside him. Her guns were drawn.

"Yes?"

"Chesticles."

Cheeky appeared beside him. She didn’t complain about the name. She just stood there. Her hands were ready.

Benjamin saw Cheeky. He laughed.

"This bitch," he said. "She was always walking with humans. No wonder she betrayed her family."

Cheeky flinched. Her face went pale.

Benjamin laughed harder. "You were always weak. Always pathetic. Always—"

Daniel walked toward him.

His footsteps were slow. Deliberate. Each step crunched against the broken stone. Each step echoed through the clearing.

Benjamin stopped laughing. He looked at Daniel. At his calm face. At his cold eyes.

"You," Daniel said.

Benjamin frowned. "What?"

"You hurt my family."

Benjamin blinked. "What?"

"You hurt Brutus. You hurt Paul. You hurt Elara. You hurt Cheeky."

"I don’t even know who those last two are."

"You hurt them. And for that, you have to apologize."

Benjamin stared at him. His mouth fell open.

"Apologize?" he said. "Why would I apologize?"

"Because if you don’t," Daniel said, "you will wish for death."

Benjamin laughed. A cold, mocking laugh.

"Why would I apologize for shit?" he asked. "I don’t apologize. I don’t regret anything. I do what I want. I take what I want. I kill who I want."

Daniel smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"Fluffy," he said.

Fluffy stepped forward. "Yes, Master?"

"Lyra."

Lyra stepped forward. "Yes?"

"Chesticles."

Cheeky stepped forward. She didn’t complain. She just stood there.

"The first person to bring me a limb gets a reward," Daniel said.

The three girls looked at him. Their eyes were wide.

"A reward?" Fluffy repeated.

"Yes. You can pick from one of the following."

He held up a finger.

"One. Meat. As much meat as you can eat. For a week."

Fluffy’s eyes lit up. Her tail wagged.

He held up a second finger.

"Two. Read any novel you want. I’ll read it to you. As many as you want. For a month."

Lyra’s eyes widened. Her lips parted.

He held up a third finger.

"Three. I call you by your actual name. No more nicknames. No more Chesticles. Just your real name."

Cheeky’s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open.

The three girls looked at each other. Then at Benjamin. Then at Daniel.

"Alright then," Daniel said. "Let the game begin."

[Magic Castle = 5 bonus Chapter’s the same day]

[Space craft= 15 bonus Chapter’s the same day]

[Golden gachapon= 25 bonus Chapter’s]