47 FISHY TALE (1/2)
Hands placed on hips, one of the contestants approached the referee. ”How can three people win at the same time? You may be the referee, but you can't do this.”
”What?” the referee coldly blurted out. ”The three of them stepped foot in the winning area in the span of half a second, so they all passed.”
”What? Still, how come the three of them passed?” he resumed arguing with the referee, forming a hard jawline. ”It makes no sense. With that rule, wouldn't everyone step out at the same time and win this test? No one has to fight in that case, right?”
The referee knitted his brows. To him, it was apparent that this man was a newbie who got to the eleventh deck probably only hours ago. ”No,” Controlling his impulsions, he replied rather calmly. ”At max, five people are allowed simultaneous passage.”
”Really? No one told me about this.”
The referee ground his teeth and wanted to smack the man's face so hard that the dumb look on his face would die right away but couldn't do it as he was on duty. He raised his voice as he replied, ”Read the test rules attached to the walls of the hall before asking such silly questions!”
”Oh…” the man nodded to himself but still didn't seem like he was ready to leave. ”So the rules were indeed fastened to the walls huh. Because of all the exercise manuals, advertisements, wanted posters, strange symbols, and all sorts of decorations done to the walls, I couldn't find them.” He took a look over all the walls adorned with rich wood accent. The whitish tone of the walls set the right tone for the deck test on the eleventh deck.
”The rules guide is appended on all the four walls,” the referee speedily helped him understand more by showing how he could find the important details from just following the directions given by the carved designs in the walls. ”Why do you think people form packs made of multiple individuals if only one of them could win?”
”I get it now. So, a group of around five or less is the best huh...”
”Yes. Now, can you please get out of my sight?” the referee gave him a frosty look.
”Y-Yeah, thanks,” the guy understood that the rules guide was probably not placed in the center of the walls to make the days of the entries a bit harder, for they would now be forced to look for the rules guide in every deck. He was also doubtful if older entries would give directions to the new ones for free. After all, the test halls would be spacious from what he saw and could tell. ”I wish that the guidebook told more about each of the deck's rules than it did about every other stuff. Geez, what a waste after I spent days locking myself in a room to mug that thing.” His mouth twisted in many ways as he walked away. ”Are they trying to mend the stubborn minds by compulsion instead of simply advising? Given how things are, it's beyond me to climb this thing in three weeks.”
Hundred, on the other hand, was about to rush to the betting counter, but he stopped and looked back at Tarkan who also seemed ready to leave elsewhere. ”Mr. Inch Man… if you don't mind, can I ask you something?”
”Go on,” a corner of Tarkan's mouth imperceptibly quirked up.
”Thanks. It's just that…” He looked to his sides before leaning a bit closer. ”Can you please tell me a trick when it comes to betting?” he stepped back after saying that and stiffly smiled. ”You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to.” Though he said that, he truly wanted to know a hint or two about betting, and he couldn't have thought of any better person to ask than the Inch Man himself, who rarely lost in recent times. Getting a hint or two from a person who mastered the craft was, to be frank, priceless.
Tarkan's expression hardened a bit before he responded, ”You know what, Hundred… In this world, hollows put money before wisdom whereas martials put wisdom before money. But I like to put them both at the same value. It was nice talking to you, but I've not known you enough to impart any amount of knowledge.”
Hundred's face turned ashen, for he felt like he received two quick slaps with the same hand, but he did his best to smile through the distress and discomfort. ”I am extremely sorry for troubling you.”
”I'm used to that, so don't let it bother you,” the corners of Tarkan's eyes crinkled, ”That said, I can still give you a little insight about this deck test since we are here and all. Only, if you are interested.”
”O-Of course,” Hundred was quick to reply, concurrently hiding his excitement, ”I'd pleasure that.”
”Kah-haha, though this won't help you win every time, it will help you decide when to bet to make sure you win every time you do bet,” Tarkan's face glowed as he made Hundred lean forward and whispered in his ears, ”The trick is not to bet on the strongest but the hungriest wolf. The strongest wolf may or may not win you the war, but the hungriest wolf either wins you the war or perishes in the process.”
Blood flowed at increased speeds as Hundred heard Tarkan's words. ”Thanks for giving me such a precious insight.”
”Mm,” After nodding, Tarkan took a step away before looking back at Hundred and uttered audibly, ”So you bet that those three youngsters would win in the last round just as I said. Great going!” Saying that he patted on Hundred's shoulders for once before turning back and leaving as if he had no more business.
(What was that all about?) Hundred had no idea what Tarkan just did until he realized that all the people around him were ogling at him, and he could somewhat make sense of their murmurs.
”Oi, did you hear what Inch Man said?”
”Yeah, to think he was lucky enough to get a bumper offer from Inch Man. Who's this blonde dude?”
”I think I heard Inch Man referring to him as Hundred. I don't remember ever seeing his face though.”
”Oh, I think I saw him hunting follies before. He's Hundred now huh…”
”Kukuku, I wonder how many coins he earned in this round.”
”Maybe if we ask him, he'll be kind enough to show us what he earned, perhaps along with some wisdom coinage, too.”
”Hehehe.”
Hundred felt quite discomforted by their words and could only baffle at Tarkan's artful attitude for having helped and troubled him at the same time. He couldn't stay there any longer as he could guess where the conversation was headed, so he straight away went to the betting counter, only to further get gaped at by many other betters including the assistant referee himself who previously snickered in silence as Hundred placed the bet.
”Why so shy?” the assistant referee's words were chilies coated with honey, and they raised Hundred's hackles. ”If you give me that money, I'll put it to better use and give you a five percent extra a year later. What do you say?”
”I will, but you should do one thing before that,” Hundred stated, veIling all the built up anger with an inelastic smile.
”Oh, definitely,” the assistant referee got all excited, not sensing the impending chagrin.
”Eat shit,” Hundred's voice was a crow's caw, for it displeased all the ears it entered and prickled their pompous expressions. As Hundred made himself scarce, the assistant's referee's tongue produced sour juices, having already lost most of its color. To add to the insult, the held-back laughter of the nearby crowd made him do his damnedest to swallow all the sheepishness off his face.
”C-Come on, come on, people,” the assistant referee spoke in rough breaths, ”who wants the tickets for the next round?”
”I want one, but I'm a bit shy. Can I still participate in the test?” a random voice from the crowd leaked out, startling the assistant referee.
”Why so shy, brother? Our assistant referee, Mr. Shy takes your shyness and returns it with five percent extra next year,” another voice came from the crowd, making others burst out into roisterous laughter.
Now, the assistant referee realized that he positively suffered a loss of face.
Meanwhile, nearby the ice dumpster.
”Mm?” Lirzod, while his butt rested on the floor, glanced back at the Hardy Brothers. An unfussy, conspicuous smile bloomed on his face, burdening yet lightening his cheeks. ”Oh, it's you five! Thanks for making us win.”
His words almost anesthetized everyone who was paying attention but especially twisted and tortured the guts of the brothers, all five of them.
”You must learn to keep that nasty mouth of yours in check, or you'll end up dead sooner than you can guess,” Betts said, placing hands in pockets.
”I'll consider that,” Lirzod said in a wandering gaze.
”Good. What's your name, brat?”
”You lot are not worthy of knowing it,” Lirzod said, smiling plainly, shifting his gaze back to the brothers. ”But I'll still tell you since you've asked it. My name is not Tarqa.”
”This pipsqueak,” Centry was on the verge of putting his fists to work, but Betts stopped him.
”Consider him to have a screw or two loose in the head,” Betts spoke in a nonchalant attitude, ”then you wouldn't get so angry from hearing his nonsense.”
”Right, brother,” Divas said, a hand casually anchored on the hip while the other move around, ”a madman knows not of his madness.”