Chapter 321: Ben the gravedigger (2/2)
”You look like you eat hot dogs with your butt.”
…
The purple belt shook his head furiously… For some reason, his thoughts were slowing down. His eyes were getting hazy. He was experiencing greater discomfort than when his girlfriend made him watch Brokeback Mountain…
Yet, this time, he wouldn't get a chance to pretend he was getting a phone call so he could pause the movie…
”You look like a dude who can go to a ranch and determine whether livestock is gay or straight using taste alone.”
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
He'd never set foot on a ranch in his life, but now, he'd wanted to never have to…
Like that, Ben won his second round, and the tournament continued. One match after another, purple belts were eliminated. After each round, they became more and more shocked at the white belt who managed to hang in there, somehow submitting people using some kind of magical pressure points or mysterious technique they'd never heard of.
All they knew was that judging by the lost and hopeless faces of Ben's opponents after each match, after Nick, he became the opponent they didn't want to face most. Yet, some were born to experience tragedy.
”You look like you have great potential. I bet you could become an Olympic skiball champion.”
…
”You should smile more, man! You look like you could spread a lot of positivity...of HIV.”
…
”Have you ever acted? I think you've got the features for it. You could probably be the lead actor in a 21 Jump Street movie, at a special needs school.”
…
One by one, the dominoes fell, and soon the herd began to thin, leaving only the strongest remaining. Fariq ran into a tough opponent in the fourth round and was knocked out. Now, only Ben, Nick, and a handful of others remained. At the sides of the class, were two conspicuous groups of opponents who had lost. On one side, were the ones Nick defeated. Many of them were rubbing their joints, or even holding ice packs against them, sore from him going overboard on submissions and injuring them.
On the other side, were a group of purple belts who seemed to have no physical injuries. Yet, their eyes, emitted auras of death…
They sat there in silence, refusing to look or speak to anyone. Somehow, their only instinct was to gather together and sit there in a trance, as if once their souls finished leaving their bodies, they wanted to make it easier to bury them all in a mass grave.
…
It was a thoughtful gesture for the gravedigger. Yet, in this case, that role belonged to Ben, and he was very good at his job, as he planned to continue demonstrating in the upcoming matches.