Kill The Old Ones!

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The tournament was over, yet people were still in a daze.

That last fight was unbelievable. It was so one-sided that it’s not even funny. And the best part is that it went completely beyond everybody’s expectations.

The crowd favorite, the known and acknowledged super-prodigy of Central City and the chosen heir of the Sword Saint Clan, lost to a dark horse that came out of nowhere.

He didn’t lose, either. He was thoroughly defeated. Some would say that he was crushed. He didn’t stand a chance at all.

Everybody who watched the replays thought on one thing—Ren had been exceptionally generous to his opponents.

He always allowed them to attack him first. He doesn’t fight back until the other party goes all out. And he didn’t shy away from their attacks either. He received everything they could dish out, and more, without faltering.

’Soren Marek Vire is a fucking wall.’—this is what the internet memers are calling him right now.

Clips of him tanking hits that would normally kill a person several times over were all over social media. There were close-ups of his face swatting them away like annoying flies.

There’s even a badly edited picture of him standing over the fallen and collapsed bodies of the Four Heavenly Kings becoming popular overnight. Its creator said that they will add more people under the pile as Ren defeats more. It’s as hillarious as it was terrifying.

The ones that are feeling the pain right now were the fans of the Four Heavenly Kings.

They were crying online, accusing Ren of being a cheater. They were coming up with all sorts of excuses to discredit Ren’s victory. They couldn’t accept that their favorites had been defeated just like that.

Their main gripe is that Ren made it look too easy. It’s as if he never tried at all.

The only time he actually moved was against Adrian, and when he did, Adrian couldn’t even catch his shadow with how fast he was.

This proved that Ren wasn’t just a wall then; he’s a speeding wall crashing through everybody that gets in his way.

What made him exceptionally famous was the way he zipped across the air like he was walking on solid ground.

They slowed down the replays to see his movements clearly, and that’s when they discovered how clean, smooth, and perfect Ren’s movements were.

They didn’t see it because he was moving too fast, but when it slowed down to a crawl like this, they could clearly see that Ren wasn’t just some reckless brute with way too much raw strength.

He was a skilled martial artist. The way he utilized chakra so snappily and so smoothly was almost a work of art. Every movement was measured and displayed to perfection. It’s not something that could be achieved overnight.

They don’t recognize what martial art he’s using, but whatever it was, he certainly was using it to perfection.

The more they dissect his performance, the more they discover that his victory wasn’t an accident. It’s a certainty.

They didn’t expect that beneath all his rugged and thuggish appearance lies skill and mastery. Ren was just some random gangster who mistakenly ended up in the finals. He was a true master who completely deserved his victory.

Even Adrian paled in comparison.

**

There was no awarding ceremony. It was unnecessary.

Everybody and their mothers knew who won. The final placements had been released, and it’s Ren, then the rest. Somehow, that’s enough.

From this moment, onwards, Ren’s name was destined to echo across Central City.

Black Arm Soren.

Soren the Invincible.

These are the two epithets that the public bestowed upon Ren. It’s the two that really fit him for some reason. The other suggestions sounded exaggerated.

Of course, Ren wasn’t the only one who benefitted from this.

Ren didn’t just bring back personal honor and tons of credit because he won the bet. He returned home bringing back glory and honor to his clan.

Because of him, the previously slighted and discriminated Banished Arms Clan suddenly found themselves under the spotlight. The whole compound was practically glowing after basking in all the honor and glory they received all of a sudden.

Most of them didn’t know how to act, though, especially the young ones.

They were so used to living humbly and being looked down upon that, faced with this sudden fame, they have no idea how to handle themselves.

Suddenly, people came bringing gifts and letters of praises.

Suddenly, everybody’s friendly with them. Suddenly, everybody’s so respectful and awed by their reputation.

They went from beggars to stars in the short span of three days. How could they adjust that quick?

Mikel, as happy as he was about his nephew’s victory, was feeling the headache and the pressure all of a sudden. Although he knew that Ren would evidently get some attention by competing in that tournament, to be honest, he never imagined that his nephew would actually win.

And his victory was such a one-sided landslide too.

Now, people are asking him what exactly he fed to Ren when he was growing up. People are asking him for tips about raising the next generation.

How the hell was he supposed to answer that? He didn’t. Ren, his nephew, practically raised himself. Ren used to be a silent kid who could just disappear within the crowd and never be found. Now, all of a sudden, he became the one towering over Central City’s prodigies?

How exactly did he manage to become so strong? Well, how was Mikel supposed to know? All he knows is that Ren never slacked off in his training and his dungeon explorations.

The rest was all Ren.

But even as Mikel explicitly explained this to others, they only believed him on the surface. On a deeper level, they think he’s hiding something and they want to know it.

Suddenly, their eyes became prying ones. Mikel was really speechless because regardless of where they look, if there’s nothing to see, how can they find anything?

But honestly, it’s becoming annoying. Mikel now appreciates the usual silence and peace that the clan had before this.

He suddenly feels like it’d be a good idea to seal off the clan compound for a while, just until this wave calms down.

As for Ren himself? Well, he isn’t here.

He’s there at the City Lord’s Office. Apparently, the City Lord wanted to tell them something.

This made the guests who went to the clan specifically to meet Ren disappointed. But Mikel had a feeling that even if Ren was here, he wouldn’t be meeting them anyway.

Ren wasn’t the social type, after all.

**

While Mikel was busy trying to endure the sudden attention that the clan was receiving, Ren stayed at the City Lord’s office as a guest.

Actually, he’s been given an option to return to the clan first if he wished to. Somebody from the City Lord’s Mansion just informed him that he will be summoned by the City Lord soon.

Ren, instead of returning, chose to come now. He didn’t feel like returning to the clan because there were too many people there looking for him.

He’s aware that he has made too much noise recently. And while this was within his plans, it doesn’t mean that he liked the attention that comes with it.

Alas, the fame was included whether he liked it or not. And with the rest of the events unfolding as he expected him too, Ren knew that this was just the beginning.

So, that’s how Ren ended up staying within the City Lord Mansion temporarily.

They provided him with a large room with all the necessities included and free refills. It was a luxury reserved for people like him, especially since not just anybody could be a guest of this place.

He wasn’t the only one here.

The Four Heavenly Kings and the heirs of the ancient martial families were also here. This also includes the representatives of the martial sects and the two guilds.

All fourteen of the semi-finalists were here, too. And they, too, received the same luxurious treatment that Ren has.

There is, however, a delay.

The Four Heavenly Kings were recuperating after the finals. Especially Adrian, with everything that Ren did to him during their fight.

The doctors already gave him restorative potions to hasten his healing and recovery, but it will still take hours for him to regain consciousness.

Ren wanted to feel guilty about that, but honestly, he couldn’t bring himself to.

They didn’t hear him complaining too much when Adrian was hacking away at him in that same fight, did they? He took everything the other party could dish out. He just returned the favor in kind. What’s the problem with that?

If Adrian could dish it out but can’t take it, that’s no longer Ren’s issue, is it?

Besides, the guy will live. He’d be fine.

Ren just hurt him all over; he didn’t kill him. He could’ve done so much worse than that, and everybody knows it too.

But still, everybody has to wait until Adrian wakes up before the City Lord summons them for a talk.