Erik stood before the masked man, his chest going through a consistent rise and fall as he did so. On the other hand, the man was huffing and puffing heavily while he was leaning against a wall. Sweat ran down his forehead and soaked into the material of his cloak as it made its way down. He cautiously looked over at Erik; his eyes widened in surprise and disbelief as he did so.
"Was all of this really necessary?" Erik began, his voice steady but stern, "You just made me waste a lot of time."
"Now, tell me…" he then added. "Where is the hostage?"
The hooded man shook his head, a crazed smile playing on his lips as he couldn't believe what just happened. "You fucking freak of nature. Shouldn't you be around the π rank? You are a damn novice! Your power... It's just not normal."
"I've told the clerks time and again that I've received private training," he replied, a note of irritation creeping into his voice. "But they just wouldn't listen."
The man stuttered, "But...but..." as he attempted to find the appropriate words to express his confusion. He appeared utterly perplexed as if the knowledge of Erik's power was slowly dawning on him. "Private training or not, it's simply impossible for you to be stronger than me. I am an Omicron rank, for heaven's sake. Your defeat was so effortless; you must at least be at the ν level."
He stopped for a second and took a long, deep breath as he gathered his thoughts before continuing. When he did finally speak, there was an undercurrent of surprise that was difficult to ignore in the tone of his voice, which carried through the empty alley as he continued, "And to top it all off, you're only seventeen!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the quiet alley.
The hooded man's comment quickly became widespread throughout the livestream.
"He's only seventeen?"
The viewers couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing and couldn't tear their gaze away from the screen as they saw the young mercenary who had displayed such astounding prowess.
"Such strength... and only at seventeen. He's truly a genius!" Someone commented to their friends. The man's words instantly sparked a heated discussion amongst the viewers.
"He must have been training since he was a kid," someone else suggested, awestruck by Erik's abilities.
The age he was said to be began to be a topic of speculation, which in turn fueled discussions about his past, his training routine, and the potential future that might lie ahead for him. The audience was mesmerized by Erik's ability, and the fact that he was still a teenager added a further layer of mystery to his character. Guilds wanted him more and more.
"To be so strong at such a young age, it's unheard of!" Many people expressed their amazement and marveled at Erik's strength and skill, which were far beyond his years.
The discussion thread was replete with conjectures and expressions of awe, with new comments piling up with each passing second. A good number of them referred to Erik as a prodigy due to his young age and the exceptional skill he demonstrated, which caused a wave of excitement.
The commentators continued to talk about Erik, and the sheer disbelief that could be heard in their voices was evidence of the imprint that he had made. The fact that his age was brought up seemed to increase the sense of awe that was already present among the viewers, further solidifying the belief that Erik Kay was not merely a name to keep an eye out for but rather a genuine prodigy in the making that they had to get their hands on.
Erik had been cursing quietly to himself the whole time. He knew their conversation would be broadcast live to many viewers at their homes. His age became a topic of conversation among those on the platform at that point. However, he abruptly redirected the attention to the individual wearing the hood, a frown forming on his brow.
"Are you even qualified to do this job?" Erik snapped, criticizing him for the slip-up. "You should have known better than to disclose personal information during a live event."
The hooded man huffed, irritation flaring in his eyes. "That's hardly the point," he retorted, raising his voice over the lingering commotion of the arena. "You cheated during the fighting assessment. You can't overpower me so easily if you aren't at a much higher level than me! This means you held back during the assessment, which means the whole examination is pointless since everyone will be weaker than you. The test was meant to do exactly that: test you! Can you tell me what is the point if all of this will be a breeze for you?"
Erik scoffed at the accusation, crossing his arms defensively. "I didn't cheat," he countered, his voice steady and unwavering. "And those robots performed far better than you, honestly."
The individual wearing the hood appeared furious, as evidenced by a momentary widening of his eyes. Erik continued, paying close attention to the words he chose. "The problem isn't with my strength. It's with your predictability. You were too obvious with your attacks. I could see them from miles away; you should return to training and learn the basics again because it's not me who is too strong; you are too damn weak!"
Erik's words caused the man in the hood to bristle, and you could see a wave of anger pass over his features. He spewed the words in a heated tone, "How dare you?!" Erik kept his cool in the face of his explosive outburst, showing no sign of flinching.
"What is Fair is fair," Erik said, his voice laced with a hint of challenge. "You disclosed my age. I'm merely offering my assessment of your fighting skills in return."
The man in the hood fell silent at that, his gaze remaining fixed on Erik. The young mercenary did not flinch in the face of his scrutiny and maintained eye contact with him. They were no longer in a fictitious city or the middle of a staged conflict. That was personal and as real as the sun.
"Enough of this nonsense, now," Erik said, his tone light, almost playful. "Just tell me where the hostage is, and let's end this charade."
The man's posture conveyed a sense of reluctance, reflected in the frown on his lips. He exhaled deeply while casting his eyes upwards for a moment, and then he turned his attention back to Erik.
His initial reluctance now gave way to a more accepting attitude. "Fine," he said, his tone communicating his acceptance of the situation. He took a deep breath before reciting the memorized line, his words carrying a certain rhythm, "I don't really know much; I only know that the person you're looking for was last seen at the place they call the 'Jasmine House' on the eastern outskirts of the city. It's a building full of exotic flowers for sale. Now stop wasting time and go do your job."
Erik's grin was permanently fixed on his masked face, but his eyes narrowed as he focused on the words the man spoke in the hood.
During this time, the hooded man watched from a distance as the tension between them eased with each passing second. He had carried out his duties in this rehearsed performance by providing Erik with the information he was required to give him. It was up to Erik to locate the hostage at this point.
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