Chapter 138: The Golden Haired Beauty
Next, a towering g fighter wrapped in glowing blue tattoos. The man dropped into a low stance and rushed across the dirt pit.
"Venomous Viper Twin Strike!" the fighter roared, thrusting two open palms toward Solomon’s throat.
Solomon bobbed his head to the side. He mirrored the man’s vocal intensity and threw a basic uppercut. "Standard Upward Punch!"
The local champion crashed onto the floorboards with a fractured jaw. The crowd went silent before erupting into a frenzy of tossed silver coins. Another challenger immediately sprinted out from the tunnel. This new fighter possessed a lean build and wore dark crimson training robes.
"Crimson Sun Sweeping Kick!" the boy yelled, launching his leg in a wide arc.
Solomon hopped over the limb and drove a straight right hand into the boy’s nose. "Very Fast Face Punch!"
The teenager spun like a top and face-planted into the compacted dirt. The stream interface hovering near the bronze owl immediately exploded with incoming notifications.
The audience actively embraced the ridiculous naming convention and started throwing gifts to issue bizarre combat challenges.
[System: Fatal_Beauty has issued a live challenge! Defeat the next fighter using only your left foot. Reward: 2 Golden Thrones (4,000 Points).]
[System: 1Fizzy has issued a live challenge! Win the match while hopping! Reward: 5 Platinum Shields (5,000 Points).]
Solomon grinned and happily complied with the absurd requests. A hulking brawler charged into the ring and yelled out a complex grapple technique. Solomon hopped on his right foot and simply swatted the man’s ear with his left boot. "Basic Left Foot Slap!"
The brawler collapsed in a heap of groaning muscle. Dozens of local champions and hired thugs eventually lay scattered across the compacted dirt. The thugs were prisoners and were given incentive to join the fight club in return for lowering their prison term.
However, now they had broken bones to worry about.
Solomon stood in the center of the carnage and wiped a speck of dust from his spider-silk shirt. He looked at the fallen fighters and let his shoulders slump.
A profound sense of disappointment washed over his mind. He came down here specifically to push his physical limits and drain the stamina tax keeping him awake. His Indefatigable passive ability constantly refreshed his energy reserves. Beating these local martial artists yielded zero physical strain, making the excursion feel like a waste of time.
"Send someone out who actually knows how to fight," Solomon yelled toward the balcony. "I am getting bored."
[User12: bro is yawning after beating thirty guys.]
[Last_Fables: the server boss is complaining about the tutorial mobs.]
[IceWaterKat: Solo Man needs a real challenge.]
The iron gates on the far side of the pit ground open one more time. The cheering crowd quieted down as a slender figure walked gracefully into the dirt ring.
The newcomer wore a dark, form-fitting combat tunic and a long black cloak. A deep hood obscured their features, and an iron mask covered their face.
Solomon narrowed his eyes and analyzed the combatant’s footwork.
The challenger glided across the dirt without making a single sound. The hips and shoulders clearly belonged to a female fighter. Adjusting his stance, Solomon raised his fists. He had never fought a female opponent in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat before.
"Are you participating in the bare-knuckle division?" Solomon asked, dropping his guard slightly. "You might want to reconsider stepping into this pit."
The cloaked fighter stopped in the center of the arena. Reaching up with gloved hands, she pulled the dark hood back. A cascade of golden hair spilled over her shoulders, catching the magical light of the arena spotlights. She grabbed the edge of the iron mask and pulled it away.
Solomon dropped his hands to his sides. His jaw parted slightly while he stared at the familiar emerald eyes and striking facial features.
Lune von Lumiere, the First Princess of the Lumiere Dynasty, tossed the iron mask into the dirt. A bright, knowing smile stretched across her lips.
"Good evening, Solomon," Lune greeted, her voice echoing clearly over the silent crowd.
The chat interface hovering near the bronze owl exploded.
[GoonLord: MY WIFE IS HERE!!!]
[LazyCat: THE PRINCESS TRACKED HIM DOWN!]
[BloodKnight: A royal challenger enters the ring. The difficulty just spiked.]
[User12: she used his real name!]
[James_Hayes: run is officially dead.]
’Where did she come from? No, where did this guy come from?!’
Solomon glanced at his hovering drone and then back to the princess. He ran a hand down his face and let out a long sigh.
"What are you doing here?" Solomon asked, staring at the golden-haired princess.
Lune tossed her iron mask onto the compacted dirt. She stepped forward and shifted into a flawless, open-palm martial stance. "I will answer your questions after I win."
She curled her fingers inward, beckoning him closer. Solomon raised his fists, keeping his unstructured street brawling guard near his chin. He dashed forward and threw a right hook.
Lune glided to the side, parrying his wrist with a graceful sweep of her hand. She stepped inside his reach and delivered a swift palm strike to his chest. The impact pushed him backward a few inches.
Fortunately, Solomon recovered his footing instantly. He launched a sequence of quick jabs. Lune wove through the attacks like a dancer, deflecting his knuckles with minimal effort.
Solomon spotted a clear opening near her ribs. He pulled his punch at the very last fraction of a second, intentionally redirecting his knuckles to merely graze the fabric of her dark tunic.
Lune noticed the pulled punch, and a knowing smirk flashed across her lips.
She stepped unreasonably close, pressing her body against his arm to lock his elbow. Solomon lost his balance as she swept her leg behind his calf.
He attempted to grapple her, while she twisted her hips and pinned his forearm directly against her chest. The extreme, sudden softness threw him completely off guard.
He immediately dropped his left hand to avoid touching anything inappropriate.
[GoonLord: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!]
[LazyCat: Solo Man is actually malfunctioning right now.]
[BloodKnight: A warrior must maintain focus regardless of the opponent’s tactics.]
[User12: bro doesn’t know where to put his hands lmao.]
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