200 Competition 3 (1/2)

”Sorry, but I don't have anything to bet.”, Ivan tried to refuse him.

But the other man either didn't understand his intent to defuse the situation or he just blatantly choose to ignore it. So instead of gracefully accepting his refusal, something that if done right could make him appear in a good light, he started to mock him instead.

”Hah, so you don't even have anything of worth. Aren't you just a poor worm.”, he said derisively. ”How did you even become her disciple if you are unable to afford anything?”

Now that he had gone that far, Ivan had lost any reason to hold back. Serene also had turned away from that guy, a clear indicator that she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Him going against her like this had clearly enraged her. And although she had chosen to hide it, this didn't mean that she would forgive him. So even the last straw to hold Ivan back had been broken.

”Oh, so you have only become something because of money? I guess it is true that whatever the talent, as long as one just throws enough resources on it, it may become something one day.”, he shot back. Clearly indicating that that guy had only become what he was now because of money and not talent.

But what was out of his expectation was that the guy just owned it, ”So what? I have money and that's my talent. And I know how to spend it effectively. Now I am something, but you? Even if by some miraculous circumstance you have got some talent you are still poor and unable to advance. Just look at you. Even at your age, you didn't even reach the Foundation Building stage. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? And you call yourself a talent? In my opinion, you are just a boy toy your master has taken in to satisfy her lust.”, his words managed to enrage just about anyone around him.

Miss. Klein and Serge were enraged because of him calling Ivan a boy toy and indicating that she had only taken him in to satisfy herself. And Serene was enraged because that guy had just made everything worse. If he didn't know anything, then why would he talk? Just because he wasn't aware of them coming from that lower realm, he mocked them because of their cultivation? Didn't he know that someone that could become an in-name disciple of a sec like the Rose Sect would not be a weak talentless anybody?

A sect of that size would always have a good reason to take in someone like this. How stupid could someone be to think that they would just accept someone who was talentless? Even if he was the boy toy of an elder, it would be impossible. And Miss. Klein wasn't even an elder.

She fought the desire to hit that guy herself. Instead, she distanced herself even further from him, by increasing the space between them. Her action screamed, ”Hey, look. I don't have anything to do with this crazy guy anymore.”

Ivan too was enraged, ”Oh, so you have something great to use as collateral for a bet?”

Since his master was confident in him, then there was no reason to not be confident in himself. Just look at how he would milk that guy.

”Of course.”, the man proudly proclaimed and took out something that looked like an old root.

”This is?”, Ivan asked confused. He hadn't seen anything like this before. He guessed that it should be an expensive ingredient but he didn't know what exactly.

The man snorted and once again looked at him in disdain, ”How could you not recognize the 'Old Retient Galllow Root'?”

Now that he had spoken out the name of this root, Ivan knew what it was. He just hadn't recognized it because it looked different from the image he had seen in the information. Taking a closer look he understood the reason for it. The root in the image had been a fresh one, while the one being held up by that man was a dry one.