Chapter 751: Chapter 751 Your Luck Has Run Out
"Bert Mercer?" I lifted an eyebrow—this caught me off guard.
"Mason Raymond, run now. Bert Mercer’s heading your way, he’s a peak Military Marquis!" Phoebe Billy’s voice was laced with panic.
I just snorted. "Don’t worry. Bert Mercer’s nothing."
Phoebe Billy went quiet on the other end.
A peak Military Marquis was nothing?
Was I bragging or actually confident?
"Mason Raymond, you..." Phoebe Billy started, but seemed lost for words.
I cut him off and switched topics. "Phoebe Billy, use this time to rally support as fast as you can."
"And make sure you figure out how the Capital City Martial Arts Association’s power is split up."
Phoebe Billy’s voice turned serious. "I understand, but Ms. Zackary controls everything now. I barely have any real power."
I chuckled. "No problem, just work within whatever authority you’ve got, and watch your back."
With that, I ended the call.
If we wanted to hit the Capital City Martial Arts Association, we needed to know their power structure inside and out.
Besides the purple-robed guy, I had no clue if the Capital City Martial Arts Association was hiding other heavy hitters, so I couldn’t rush in blind.
"I’m heading out." After hanging up, I glanced at the man with the mustache and Watson Thompson.
Watson’s brow creased. "Where to?"
"Just taking a walk, it’s stifling in here," I said casually.
"Man with the mustache, look after Watson."
I turned and walked out of the hotel.
The hotel sat right in the city center, packed with people.
Capital City’s night scene buzzed with energy, the nightlife slowly coming alive.
I strolled down the main drag, spreading out my divine sense to feel the vibe around me.
For miles around, mostly regular folks.
"Looks like he’s not here yet." I rubbed my chin.
I wandered the main street without direction, quietly waiting for Bert Mercer to show up.
More than an hour passed, but Bert Mercer was still nowhere to be seen.
My patience was wearing thin. I found a quiet bar to settle into, ordered a couple drinks, and decided to wait for Bert Mercer’s arrival here.
"Just broke through to late-stage Military Marquis, could use someone to test it on." I muttered under my breath.
Right now, I didn’t have a solid grasp on my own strength—just knew I was way stronger than before.
"Mr. Raymond? What a surprise, you’re here too." A girl’s voice came from nearby.
I turned around and saw Elena Green.
Next to her stood a tall, good-looking young guy.
"Miss Green?" I got up from my seat, genuinely surprised.
I looked at the young man beside her. "Is this... your boyfriend?"
The guy laughed and waved his hand. "We’re just friends."
After Elena Green made introductions, I learned his name was Saumel Baton.
The name didn’t ring a bell—I’d never heard it mentioned among our generation.
But Saumel’s aura was incredibly powerful, at least peak Military Marquis level.
With that kind of strength, he should be famous throughout Pyro.
Yet here he was, completely unknown, which was weird.
Seeing my confusion, Saumel laughed and explained, "Not everyone wants the spotlight. Some prefer staying in the shadows."
I was taken aback.
I’d always figured that with great power, it was tough to stay low-key—after all, the stronger you get, the more responsibility you carry.
But apparently, there really were hidden masters out there.
The Ice Palace before, and now Saumel Baton—I’d never heard of either.
"Miss Green, did you get anything from that Mystic Realm trip?" I asked.
Elena Green smiled. "Absolutely, the Mystic Realm’s loaded with resources, better than anything I’ve experienced before."
I leaned forward seriously. "So what exactly did you walk away with from the Mystic Realm?"
Elena Green looked a bit disappointed. "Nothing, actually. The time was too short, and the Mystic Realm was way bigger than we expected."
Saumel Baton jumped in. "Truth is, the Capital City Martial Arts Association doesn’t control the whole Mystic Realm. Lots of old martial arts families control their own chunks of it."
I turned to Saumel Baton politely. "Mr. Baton, sounds like you know your stuff."
Saumel Baton didn’t hold back, nodding slightly. "Most of today’s martial arts nobility has blended into modern society."
"Either chasing money or climbing the social ladder."
I nodded—made sense.
Whether it was the Sean family, the Johansson family, or even groups like the Ran family, their core was really capital, not martial arts tradition.
For them, martial arts was just extra.
"But plenty of martial arts families refuse to join the modern economy," Saumel continued with a smile.
"From what I know, many surviving noble families live hidden inside the Mystic Realm."
I was genuinely shocked.
This completely flipped my understanding of the world.
People actually lived inside the Mystic Realm?
"Maybe this Saumel Baton is the son of some noble family living in the Mystic Realm." The thought suddenly hit me.
"By the way, why is Mr. Raymond here drinking alone? Your deadline with Leticia’s coming up soon, right?" Elena Green changed the subject.
I nodded. "Four days left."
"Seems like Mr. Raymond’s pretty confident." Elena Green laughed.
I put on a sighing act. "Hard to tell. Nobody can make bold predictions before the actual fight."
"Mr. Raymond’s being modest. Every time, everyone thinks you’ll definitely lose, but every time you pull off a miracle that shocks the world." Elena Green chuckled.
I was about to respond when I sensed a powerful aura closing in.
A hint of killing intent was aimed at me, just a few kilometers from where we sat.
"Someone’s coming." Before I could say anything, Saumel Baton spoke up grimly.
"Mr. Raymond, someone wants you dead?" Elena Green looked alarmed too.
I slowly stood up and shook my head. "Don’t know, maybe."
As my words faded, a short man appeared at the bar’s entrance.
He was toying with a crossbow, a vicious grin on his face.
"Bert Mercer?" Seeing him, Elena Green seemed surprised.
Bert Mercer ignored Elena Green and walked straight to me, sitting down.
He grabbed the wine glass from my hand and smiled coldly. "You got lucky escaping last time, but your luck’s run out."
I raised an eyebrow. "I remember you were the one who ran away last time."
Bert Mercer narrowed his eyes and snorted. "Well then, not bringing those two corpses this time?"
I slowly stood up, sneering. "Killing you is like slaughtering chickens—I don’t need those two corpses."
