Chapter 177 – Confrontation

Facing the sudden appearance of an enemy, Punk leaped backward at top speed, positioning the ready-and-waiting Golem Two in front of himself. Only after preparing for both combat and potential escape did Punk cautiously assess the “enemy” before him.

The one who had abruptly interrupted Punk’s attack was a slender man dressed in a bright red formal suit. He appeared almost as young as Punk, with scarlet hair meticulously combed and gold-rimmed glasses polished to spotless perfection. His pale face bore a strikingly youthful smile. If not for the unmistakable pressure of a Formal-Level powerhouse radiating from him, he truly resembled an inexperienced young man.

This “young man” gently waved his hand at Punk to indicate he had no hostile intentions, then spoke with refined politeness:

“Greetings, Mage. I am a humble sorcerer from the eastern region of Dillon Kingdom. Those familiar with me call me Bloodclaw. My apologies for my servant’s recklessness upon arriving here—she can be rather clumsy in new places. But I’m certain a great mage like yourself wouldn’t trouble a lovely young lady, would you?”

Without waiting for Punk’s response, the sorcerer chuckled softly, as if everything that had transpired was genuinely nothing more than an awkward misunderstanding.

“Now then, I presume you’ve realized this slum is my territory. I believe it’s time for you to return to where you belong.”

Punk showed no courtesy toward the sorcerer. He detected that the opponent appeared to be only level eleven—Punk still held the advantage in terms of power. Therefore, he felt no need to extend pleasantries to an intruder.

Seeing Punk’s persistent hostility, the self-proclaimed “Bloodclaw” shook his head regretfully:

“My sincere apologies. You concealed your presence so effectively that I failed to detect it entirely. Consequently, I’ve already established my base here rather hastily. Furthermore, there are certain items inside that aren’t particularly suitable for frequent relocation, so…”

Bloodclaw spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness, but before he could finish:

“Ah, also, while I may be a sorcerer, the little pets I keep do require living humans for nourishment. So, terribly sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll still need to… well, ‘hunt’ about ten people per week… It’s really not that many, is it…”

“Enough. To summarize, you’re determined to contest this territory, correct?”

Punk coldly interrupted Bloodclaw’s lengthy explanations. He recognized that the sorcerer’s claim about failing to detect his presence might be genuine—after all, the concealment capabilities of the Haitzita Magic Box were truly remarkable.

Currently in a phase of low-profile development, Punk was equally reluctant to provoke trouble. Had this mysterious “Bloodclaw” chosen to settle somewhere distant, Punk might have reluctantly tolerated acquiring a neighbor. But the sorcerer actually had designs on the “prey” in the slums—this crossed Punk’s bottom line.

The population of starving residents in the slums was finite. If too many people disappeared at once, it would inevitably arouse the Church’s suspicion. Thus, even Punk could only “take” about twenty people per week. Now this unknown entity was demanding half the quota right from the start—Punk would never surrender his interests so inexplicably.In matters of competing for territory and resources, the outcome is usually eighty percent negotiation with compromises from both sides. After all, the identities of two Formal-Level powerhouses are highly unsavory. A full-blown confrontation here would not only destroy all the “resources” but also directly attract the attention of the Dillon Kingdom. Anyone with a rational mind would know the appropriate choice.

However, even if negotiation is necessary, it is crucial to determine who holds the upper hand in the negotiation process. The dominant party inevitably gains more advantages and reduces unnecessary compromises. As for how this dominance is allocated, it is directly tied to strength.

In the struggle for dominance, the contest boils down to strength and ruthlessness. Simply put, the one who fears death less and has a better chance of killing the opponent wins.

In truth, Punk had no doubt about his dominant position. For him, even if a full-scale fight broke out and attracted the attention of the Sword Saint Grand General—Vic—he was confident he could retreat unscathed, relying on his Magic Box and other trump cards. However, the shabby sorcerer opposite him, with only two Formal-Level equipment and a level barely reaching eleven, would likely face dire consequences.

This was the advantage born of strength. Punk’s fearlessness was genuine, but the sorcerer across from him might not share the same “fearlessness.”

Therefore, Punk completely ignored the other’s arguments. After confirming that the sorcerer had no companions, he decisively took action.

To minimize the commotion, Golem Two was the one to launch the attack, while Punk hid behind the golem, consecutively casting defensive spells like “Greater Swiftness,” “Summon Steel Armor,” and “Deflection Field” on her. Laden with so many spell buffs, Golem Two charged relentlessly toward the grimacing Bloodclaw.

At this point, Bloodclaw finally realized that the black-clad youth opposite him was an uncompromisingly ruthless individual. This preemptive attack was essentially telling him, “I am fearless and don’t care if things escalate into chaos. Do you dare to engage in an all-out fight?”

Bloodclaw had to admit—he truly did not dare.

Before coming to this slum, he had never expected to encounter such a powerful spellcaster, let alone one who would resort to violence at the slightest provocation. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that his “little treasure” couldn’t be moved in the short term, he would have preferred to surrender outright.

But it was too late for regrets now. Faced with Golem Two’s fierce assault, Bloodclaw knew he had to demonstrate sufficient strength to pave the way for the upcoming negotiations. Otherwise, the mage across from him might abandon negotiations altogether and opt to kill him. Although Bloodclaw was confident he wouldn’t be killed by Punk, if the Sword Saint Vic were drawn here, it would still spell disaster.

So, he could only shrug helplessly and unleash his full power without reservation.

Numerous streams of blood, radiating terrifying energy fluctuations, burst through the skin of Bloodclaw’s wrists and coiled around his hands, forming a pair of crimson gloves. In a mere fraction of a second, his hands had transformed into true “Blood Claws.””

With these writhing, blood-soaked claws, Bloodclaw met Golem Two’s fist head-on.

“Boom!!”A dull thud echoed out. If Punk hadn’t preemptively used a “Silence Field” to contain the sound, this single loud noise would have been enough to wake everyone in the Slums.

Bloodclaw’s figure separated from Golem Two after their brief clash. Following this exchange, he retreated before his maid and said with a bitter smile:

“Alright, alright, you’re clearly stronger than me. But in a real fight, I wouldn’t go down so easily. Let’s call this my loss for now – I believe we can proceed to more pleasant negotiations.”

Punk didn’t immediately respond to Bloodclaw. Instead, he frowned while carefully examining Golem Two’s nearly shattered hand, before finally turning his cold gaze to Bloodclaw and saying:

“Very well, very well… Let the negotiations begin!”

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(End of Chapter)