Chapter 204: Chapter 204 - The Refusal
The raw power and brutal tactics instantly made the scene feel heavy and tense.
Many people stepped back unconsciously, scared of getting caught in the middle.
"Such a small matter doesn’t need to go this far," a young man said with a grin.
I looked at him but stayed quiet. Instead, I waved my hand, unleashing a burst of Inner Strength!
The force slammed into him hard, and with a loud "bang," he crashed to his knees!
"When Victor Green got bullied earlier, you kept your mouth shut. Now you’re playing the hero? Kneel with the rest!" I said coldly.
Everyone froze.
Nobody expected that this young man who’d just been locked up would pack such a punch!
Even the Grandmasters looked rattled - each one a big shot in the outside world, courted by everyone.
But now their legs were broken by me, and they couldn’t get off their knees!
Right then, fear crept into their faces!
"Sir, we... we messed up. Please show mercy..." someone whispered.
I glanced at him and smirked. "Stay down! You don’t get to stand for an hour."
After that, I pulled Victor Green to the side.
"Mr. Raymond, your power... it’s reached this level!" Victor Green’s eyes lit up as he spoke excitedly.
I ignored his comment and frowned. "How’d you wind up in here?"
When this topic came up, Victor Green couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
Then Victor Green told me the whole story.
From our talk, I learned that Victor Green had a younger sister studying in Shiglance City.
Back when he worked for the Hill family, he’d set his sister up to stay in Shiglance City.
Now that he was with me, he wanted to bring his sister to River City so she’d be looked after too.
"But I never thought I’d tick off someone in Shiglance City - turned out he was related to a Martial Arts Association member," Victor Green said with a bitter laugh.
"I got into it with him, and next thing I knew, I was locked up here for three years."
When I heard this, my face got even colder.
This made my opinion of the Martial Arts Association sink even lower.
"This Martial Arts Association really is a bunch of unreasonable jerks," I said coldly.
Victor Green sighed. "What can you do about it?"
I couldn’t wrap my head around how such an unfair organization kept going and what gave them the right to control martial artists worldwide.
Most importantly, none of the martial artists ever thought about fighting back - they just accepted them as the authority.
It was totally ridiculous.
"Mr. Raymond, how did you end up here?" Victor Green asked, confused.
When this topic came up, I couldn’t help but go quiet.
This time, I had no clue if I’d get a chance to leave or if I’d die in here.
Thinking about it, I let out a bitter laugh.
"Mr. Raymond, what’s wrong?" Victor Green asked.
I shook my head and chuckled. "Nothing."
"Oh right, didn’t I promise to teach you breathing techniques?" I suddenly remembered something.
Victor Green nodded. "Yeah, I thought you’d forgotten."
"Man, I’ve been swamped - I really did forget." I smiled bitterly.
"While we still have time, I’ll pass this breathing method on to you," I said seriously.
Victor Green had stuck with me for ages, always helping out without a single complaint.
And I didn’t have much else to offer him, so this set of breathing techniques might be the best gift I could give.
Victor Green quickly nodded. "Okay!"
So we moved to one side, and I started teaching him the method.
Victor Green’s talent wasn’t bad - he just lacked the resources of a big family.
Under my guidance, Victor Green only needed an hour to learn the basics of the breathing techniques.
"Mr. Raymond, this feels different from the Inner Strength I’ve been practicing," Victor Green said with some surprise.
I laughed. "This is way stronger than Inner Strength. Remember this method, practice it slowly, and someday your power will blow your mind."
Victor Green kept nodding, not daring to say much.
"Mason Raymond!"
Just then, a shout came from outside.
I turned around to see Naomi Estelle standing at the entrance.
My eyebrows scrunched together, and I walked straight to the cell door.
"What’s up? You need something?" I asked coldly.
Naomi Estelle looked me over, then said flatly, "You’d better drop that rebellious attitude - I don’t like it."
"What you don’t like isn’t my problem," I sneered.
Naomi Estelle didn’t get mad either. He snorted. "I’ve seen plenty of young punks like you who act all tough and wild, but sadly, they all end up losing their edge and becoming ordinary lawmakers."
"Mason Raymond, think you’ll end up like them?" Naomi Estelle raised an eyebrow.
I said impatiently, "If you’ve got something to say, spit it out. I don’t want to listen to you ramble."
Hearing this, Naomi Estelle’s face finally showed a hint of anger.
He took a deep breath, holding back his rage, and said coldly, "I came to find you to offer you a chance."
"Oh?" My eyebrows went up, and I couldn’t help but find it kind of funny.
A chance? Would the Schroeder Family really offer a chance?
Naomi Estelle continued, "I heard you’re an alchemist, and our Martial Arts Association values talent, so we decided to give you an opportunity."
I stayed quiet, motioning for Naomi Estelle to keep going.
"As long as you can cure Tristin Schroeder, we can let you go and let you walk out of here. What do you think?" Naomi Estelle grinned.
My face showed a trace of surprise, and I said, "Are you serious?"
"Of course," Naomi Estelle said with a smile.
"Mason Raymond, this is a great opportunity for you - don’t blow it," Naomi Estelle coaxed gently.
I didn’t say anything, rubbing my chin like I was thinking it over.
"Think it through - opportunities don’t come often. After all, there are tons of alchemists in the world." Seeing that I seemed tempted, a flash of joy crossed Naomi Estelle’s face.
"Stop thinking about it - come with me," Naomi Estelle pushed.
But right then, I shook my head and sneered. "Sorry, I refuse."
Hearing those words, Naomi Estelle’s face suddenly changed.
"You refuse?" Naomi Estelle’s face went dark.
"Mason Raymond, you better think this through. This is the only chance you have to survive!"
"There are countless alchemists in the world who can heal Tristin Schroeder!"
"If I didn’t value talent, you wouldn’t have gotten this shot!"
I stared at Naomi Estelle and sneered. "Mr. Estelle, I’ve been a fool for the first thirty years of my life, so I don’t like getting played by others."
"If alchemists are that easy to find, why would the Schroeder Family come looking for me?"
"Besides... even if I really did heal Tristin Schroeder, with the Schroeder Family’s track record, they wouldn’t let me go anyway, would they?"
Those few words made Naomi Estelle’s face change completely!
