30 Bird Making (1/2)
Garth Valentine was at ease because it is an unwritten rule that the Expert ranks tend to overpower tons of Initiates. He is only at the 1st level of the Expert rank though but he was sure that he can end the brat in a matter of a move. 'I am a true fighter who has grown mana and expertly control it.'
”I never really realized that body cultivators are freaking empowered like beasts. How about you show me how fearsome you are then?” Garth said to him because he saw the whole procession of events where the youth in front of him practically mowed the floor with mana-skilled guards. Aster felt the urge to puke from his words that hid contempt.
”Uncle Garth, be careful. He can practically knock you out with a single blow if you are not careful enough.” Kamryn advised seeing that Garth Valentine was being complacent.
Garth laughed it off. ”Don't worry, young master. He is practically a one-trick pony that depends too much on close-combat. Even if he comes in contact with me, an Expert's body is already strengthened by a bit of our mana cultivation, so it won't matter much. I would be scared though if he is an Expert as well but it is clear to see that he is only at the first level of Initiate in mana and body cultivation.”
Garth was truly looking down on his opponent and giving nonchalant comments in ease because he saw his enemy's eyes close for a while. 'This Aster is practically waving a white flag with him closing his eyes like that. It is like a person in a death toll and is closing his eyes in wait of the blade of his executioner.'
What he did not know was the fact that Aster was conversing in his head with the system and is buying a skill to put him in somewhat of equal grounds with an Expert.
By the time Aster opened his eyes, the Valentine duo felt a wave of killing intent. Their spirits waned as they had a sensation of how a predator looks to his prey. They were the prey while Aster was the murderous predator that is ready to claim a life.
'Feel my murderous intent, Valentine.' Aster thought but the duo somewhat understood what he meant through his gaze.
The experienced Garth and the prideful Kamryn experienced a decline in their thoughts of winning and their instincts were telling them to run. Garth had basically erased his arrogance and his heart was beating fast. 'This is not any different than how those experienced killers that have slain hundreds. I better get the young mistress out of here.'
”Young Mast...” Before Garth could warn Kamryn to run, Aster had already reached in front of him within a blink of an eye.
”Hello, the one-trick pony is here to prove that he has other tricks.” Aster's intimidatory glare coupled with the Space Skip made him an inexplicable person in their eyes. The shocked Garth had no time to defend himself and could only take Aster's punch head-on.
The arrogant man was flung backward and only regained his bearing five meters away from where he previously stood at. His mediocre looks really took its toll and he could now be considered ugly with how weird his nose was bent. Aster laughed at him with a mocking sentence. ”You were right in saying that Experts can really take a punch. Haha! You are the perfect punching bag.”
”Wai... staap!” Garth was ready to concede but was disconcerted by how his speech was being delivered. He did not notice but Aster and all other spectators could see his front teeth being broken weirdly. It had not fallen off but was still intact with his gums. Only that it was like a broken jar that had no way of being fixed. It broke down even more with every move of his mouth with blood spilling from it.
”Please stop! Aster right... we will let water under the bridge. Water under the bridge!” Kamryn was panicking from how Garth was being beaten down in an instant and from the killing pressure that Aster exuded. Regret flashed back in her thoughts and wished for him to stop already.
To think that their gloating expressions were overturned in an instant.
”Did your femininity suddenly change your mind, miss Kamryn?” Aster's words sank the duo in despair again and Garth can't help but shout audibly. ”Haaw ded yoo know?”
Kamryn was practically using a fabled treasure that hides her true looks and gender from even King rank experts. Her looks and physique were practically different than how one should perceive. Given that Glenn was known as the Romance Tyrant, he did not want his beautiful little sister to be the target of all the men he has ired and had her use a disguise.
”Not telling.” Aster smiled while looking at them mockingly. Being able to tell that Kamryn was a woman was courtesy of his Sentiment Meter, of course. The meter is truly biased on reading women's sentiment that it even bypassed some sort of treasure they are using. ”Why are you worried about me finding out? You should be worrying about how you can take my beatings.”
”Pleese, we were in the wong. Let as gow.” Garth pleaded again because of the intense fear he is feeling and the risk that Aster posed towards the young miss. What he never knew was that Aster was actually wary of his attacks?
Aster had not much firepower to beat an Expert. This was a psychological battle that used a human's fear of the unknown. All of his actions such as sudden teleportation, killing intent, and finding out about Kamryn's gender was further enforcing the illusion in their minds that he should not be messed with.