<h4>Chapter 381: Bare Knuckles.</h4>


    The crowd in the adventurer guild''s central arena had swelled as the news of Armand''s battle with the Guild Master spread like wildfire. Gold-ranked adventurers, curious onlookers, and even some senior guild officials had gathered to witness the spectacle. The air was charged with excitement and tension as everyone anticipated the sh between Armand, the cocky and newly ascended adventurer, and the Guild Master, a renowned figure known for his strength, wisdom, and bald head.


    However, most of them weren''t really that interested in the sh between these two musclemen. No one actually believed that a level one hundred fifty one freshly ascended Tier 3 ss holder could defeat a seasoned veteran. What they wanted was to earn some quick money by betting on how long he wouldst. There were many criteria people were going for, and even a person with arge ckboard appeared to write all of it down.


    "I''ll wager one gold coin on him notsting more than a minute!"


    "One gold coin on under a minute!"


    Replied the man who was collecting all the bets into a spatial sack. Each better received a token with some text written on it as proof of their wager. After the battle had concluded, they could return this token to im their winnings if they were sessful. However, it was more likely that most of these bettors would end up empty-handed. The individuals responsible for gathering the money would take a fee for their services, so even if a few got exceptionally lucky, they would still receive somepensation from the overall bets.


    "I''ll put down tworge silvers on his arm getting broken!"


    "Tworge silvers on a limb breaking!"


    It was quite interesting to listen to the people shouting at each other and somehow being able to keep track of everything. When looking at this ckboard, it seemed that Armand was going to get himself ughtered. People were expecting him to leave bruised and battered, with at least one of his limbs broken.


    “It seems as if they want him to get beated… a lot of people bet on his nose being broken …”


    Rndmented while standing next to Lobelia, who was just chuckling away at thement. He wasn''t that informed about Armand''s nightly escapades, but Armand was known for ying around. Somedy adventurers had fallen under his spell, and now that he was about to join the ranks of the tinum adventurers, more of them decided to show up. Some of them were even waving and shouting at him, clearly wanting to get into his good graces.


    "That idiot will let this get to his stupid head, I just know it. I sure hope he will be smart about it. I don''t want to be an aunt just yet."


    "An aunt?"


    Rnd asked, not really following what Lobelia was getting at. While Armand wasn''t the brightest, he had been sessful in not producing any offspring. This, however, could also be attributed to the fact that women didn''t see him as good father material.


    "Just think about it, tinum adventurers earn a lot of money! I''m sure some of those vixens will try using those fertility potions."


    "Ah, you''re right, we do have those..."


    Rnd replied, now understanding Lobelia''s concern about the potential consequences of Armand''s newfound fame and wealth. While there were potions to keep people from producing unwanted offspring, there were others that did the exact opposite. There were ones that could guarantee ones being created. If Armand didn’t watch himself, he could be forced to be a father quite soon.


    “I’m feeling bad for those kids already…”


    “Speaking about kids, what about you and big sis? Any ns yet?”


    “Huh?”


    Rnd''s face turned a faint tint of white as Lobelia''s question caught him off guard. He had always been the quiet and reserved one, and discussing such personal matters with Lobelia, especially in the midst of the bustling adventurer''s guild, was not something he had anticipated.


    "I, uh, well, we haven''t really... discussed it."


    Rnd stammered, his gaze darting around as if seeking an escape route from the awkward conversation. Lobelia couldn''t help but giggle at her brother-inw''s difort.


    "Come on, Wand, you can''t avoid this forever. Elodia isn''t getting any younger, you know!"


    “I don’t think this is the right time and ce for such a conversation, look They will be starting soon…”


    Rnd scratched the back of his head nervously, skillfully evading the question entirely. However, this didn''t mean that he hadn''t thought about it at all. In this world, people created families much faster, more akin to the earlier stages of humanity''s existence in the world he came from. It wasn''t unusual for someone his age to already have one or two children running around the house.


    Given the prevalence of orphans everywhere, Rnd assumed that Elodia might not be particrly interested in having children of her own. This assumption led him to avoid bringing up the topic, and with the busy nature of their lives, there wasn''t much time for discussions like these. Perhaps, after the wedding and everything settled down, he thought he might need to have a conversation with her to understand her desires and share his own thoughts on the matter.


    There was also another reason why he usually tried to avoid this issue. It involved his father in this world, Wentworth Arden. Even though they weren''t rted by blood, Rnd considered the man to be an inexcusable bastard. Wentworth had allowed the original Rnd to perish by neglecting the strange illness that had afflicted him. Moreover, Wentworth''s multiple wives had only created tension among the numerous sons and sisters. It was something Rnd did not want to happen in his own family.


    “Well fine but you better give it some thought!”


    "We''ll talk about it when the time is right."


    Rnd finally conceded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.


    "For now, let''s just focus on Armand''s... predicament."


    “Hah, I hope the guild master won’t hurt him too much…”


    Both of them focused on the men inside the ring. They were slowly approaching each other with different expressions on their faces. Armand, as always, seemed quite smug, wearing arge, confident smile as if he genuinely expected to win. The guild master, on the other hand, remained stoic and even somewhat bored with the entire spectacle.


    The tension in the arena reached its peak as the twobatants closed the distance between them. Armand''s smug grin and the Guild Master''s bored expression created a stark contrast that didn''t go unnoticed by the spectators. Whispers and hushed conversations rippled through the crowd as they ced their bets and spected on the oue of the impending battle.


    Armand stepped forward confidently, his fists clenched and his body tense. He had always been a physical powerhouse, and his newfound Frenzied War Monk ss only amplified his strength. On the other side of the ring, the Guild Master, with his bald head reflecting the sunlight, remained still, a silent and imposing figure.


    "So, we meet again, old man!"


    "Can we move this along, kid? Was this really necessary?"


    Aurdhan didn''t seem to be impressed or even interested in having this bout, but Armand, on the other hand, was itching for it. It was clear that he had his reasons for bringing his old master here; he wanted a proper fight.


    "Of course, you wouldn''t have taken me seriously otherwise. Now, with everyone watching, you''ll have to give me your all!"


    “I’ll give it to you kid, You have grown some balls. You can even look me in the eye without flinching … I’m actually impressed.”


    With the help of his enhanced hearing, Rnd continued to eavesdrop on the conversation between Armand and the Guild Master, he began to piece together more of the puzzle surrounding Armand''s role within the guild. Before he arrived in this city, Armand had been some kind of prospect the guild master was fostering. Rnd wasn''t sure of the specifics, but it likely had something to do with Aurdhan''s pursuit of increased wealth. Perhaps he intended to use Armand as his enforcer in the future. Armand might not have been the brightest, but he was quite strong and loyal. If Aurdhan could develop him into something akin to an attack hound, then all of this would make sense.


    “I’ll impress you even more after I defeat you, now draw your weapon!”


    “I don’t need anything besides these arms.”


    The guild master''s ss made use of axes and possibly other heavy weapons. There were likely numerous active skills and passives that he wouldn''t be able to use if he decided not to wield his primary weapon. This was one of the main weaknesses of sses that specialized in a particr weapon. It granted them incredible advantages when using that weapon but left them significantly weaker if they didn''t, making it quite the literal double-edged sword.


    However, in this case, it probably wouldn''t matter much, as the difference in levels was just too significant. It was a gap of over one hundred levels, which was practically impossible to ovee. Even Rnd didn''t envision himself achieving a conventional victory over this bald guild master. However, he did have magic at his disposal, and perhaps with a few well-cedbinations, it could yield favorable results. Despite the vast level difference, he still hoped to discern something that might offer a hint on how to defeat this guild master should a conflict arise between them.


    “Quiet, it’s going to start!’


    The Guild Master, Aurdhan, finally decided to take this challenge a bit more seriously. He didn''t assume a fighting stance but instead visibly began tensing his muscles. He was wearing a leather vest, which started tearing due to the noticeable increase in muscle mass. It was some type of buffing skill that made his already imposing physique look evenrger than before. His upper body became exposed as the leather shirt flew to the side. Without moving, he simply beckoned Armand forward with a subtle motion of his chin.


    Armand wouldn''t let it slide as he performed almost exactly the same thing. His muscles started expanding, but since he was already shirtless, the increase wasn''t as noticeable as when his opponent did it. Armand charged forward with remarkable speed for someone of his size, closing the gap between him and the Guild Master in the blink of an eye. His fist shot out like a cannonball, aimed directly at Aurdhan''s chest. It was a powerful and straightforward attack, typical of Armand''s brawler style.


    The speed of Armand''s attack left some of the audience in awe, but the response to it shocked them even more. Aurdhan didn''t move a millimeter from the spot where he was standing. Instead, he just puffed up his chest and received the blow directly to it. A st of wind pressure was created as Armand''s punch clearly connected, the force strong enough to blow some of the onlookers'' hair around. However, the more astonishing thing was thepleteck of any movement or injury to the guild master, who just stood there with a smirk on his face.


    "Is that all? Are you sure you''re aiming to be a tinum adventurer and not just a Gold one instead?"


    Aurdhan taunted, his confidence unwavering and his body just waiting to receive more. For a moment a perplexed expression crept onto Armand’s face but soon it disappeared as he unloaded a barrage of hits. Veins started appearing on his tanned body as he went into a frenzied assault. Punched rained down onto Aurdhan’s chest as he received all of them.


    Finally, after enduring a relentless onught of at least fifty punches, Armand paused briefly, his face contorted with rage as he prepared for a powerful strike. His clenched fist radiated a peculiar orange aura, which surged forward with explosive force. Rnd''s keen senses detected a new energy pattern, simr yet different from aura. With the addition of this force, finally a reaction from the guild master could be spotted


    Upon impact, Aurdhan was forcefully pushed back, but he maintained his stance instead of toppling over. He slid back for about ten meters, the attack only leaving temporary marks on his chest where thest punch hadnded. The skill utilized had finally triggered the activation of a protective barrier, designed to respond only to threats that posed danger to the spectators. The blue field of energy absorbed the iing wind pressure that could even harm a lower leveled adventurer.


    "Not a bad attempt, but still not good enough!"


    “What the hell are you made of?”


    Armand called out while shocked by his attacks not even leaving a scratch on his opponent''s unprotected body.


    “It’s simply a matter of skill, my boy.”


    Arduhan replied calmly while dusting off his bare chest as if only being annoyed by getting himself dirty.


    “Bullshit!”


    This was the final straw for Armand, pushing him into a frenzied state. It became evident that there was no alternative but to activate his primary ss skill. Rnd focused his gaze on this process to measure what he was working with. To facilitate this task, he brought what resembled a welder''s mask, missing its lower half. The visor was notablyrger than usual and featured a simr interface to his own armor. With this headpiece, he aimed to gather crucial data to help alleviate Armand''s frenzied state, and potentially, unlock a level of strength beyond what was expected.


    Luckily the people gathered here were far too busy looking at the fight than to notice that strange apparatus he was using. The only person that was giving him strange looks was Lobelia who was standing right next to him. With this headpiece now activated he could do what he came here for and gather precious data. Aurdhan seemed to be taking the sh a bit more seriously as he quickly tossed himself into the fray with a now frenzied Armand.


    Just as he expected, entering the berserker state sacrificed finesse for raw power. Armand exhibited a noticeable surge in agility, strength, and vitality, but at the cost of diminished intelligence and perception. He resembled a frenzied beast, driven solely by the urge to tear through anything in his path, even if that happened to be the guild master. The once trivial punches now carried significantly more force, but the disparity in their levels remained insurmountable.


    Despite losing control of his actions, there appeared to be a method to the madness. Armand''s punches and kicks weren''t merely mindless haymakers; instead, they were executed as coordinatedbination attacks. It seemed that his extensive training had ingrained the muscle memory necessary to instinctively react inbat situations. However, the drawback was evident: this ferocious offense came at the expense of neglecting the defensive aspects of the fight. When pitted against an opponent with superior physical stats, the oue of the battle was all too predictable.


    In a matter of moments, the cheers were abruptly hushed by the sight of a man soaring through the air. His body resembled a mere sandbag, somersaulting gracefully, all due to the impact of a colossal uppercut connecting squarely with his chin. The magnitude of this punch was tremendous and even Rnd wasn’t sure if his mana shields would be able to save him from such a direct hit.


    Armand crashed into the ground, tumbling relentlessly until he reached the far end of the training ground. Fortunately, it was the presence of the previously erected walls and shields that finally brought his chaotic journey to a halt. His body assumed a cross-like position, and for a brief moment, he was stuck there, his backside exposed to the onlookers. His clothing had unraveled during the tumultuous trip around the field, allowing everyone to witness his well-defined muscr hindquarters.


    “By Sria, I just ate…”


    Lobelia turned her face away from the clean-shaven backside while some of thedies began to blush. The disy wasn’t long-lived as Armand started sliding downwards and finally copsed on the ground.


    “You’re ten years too early to challenge me!”


    Aurdhan couldn''t help butugh at his former disciple, who was now sprawled face-first in the dirt. However, hisughter abruptly ceased when he realized the battle wasn''t quite finished. Against all odds, Armand''s body began to twitch, and he somehow managed to muster some strength into his legs.


    “You’re still conscious? I did not expect that…”


    “It’s n-not o-over until I say it’s over!”


    “Is that so? Your legs are telling a different story though.”


    Despite his determination, Armand''s body was battered and his legs trembled. The impact of the previous blow had nearly incapacitated him, leaving him unable to carry on. The frenzied skill he had unleashed had been abruptly terminated, leaving him with lingering debuffs. As Armand attempted to move forward, his weakened body sumbed to the strain, causing him to copse face-first into the sandy ground.


    “Haha, that’s enough you pass.”


    The Guild Master''s booming voice echoed through the surroundings, carrying far and wide. It was evident that he had deemed the new adventurer worthy of ascending to the prestigious tinum rank. The tale of the naked war monk was about to take flight, spreading far and wide, bing a legendary story for all the wrong reasons…