Chapter 54: (All Fixed) Fighting A Young Scion

He slowly clenched his right fist, his knuckles cracking like thunder. His skin hardened, his flesh morphing until his hand looked like it was carved from pure, polished jade.

"[Iron Fist]!"

His fist ignited with a blinding golden light, and Lionel threw a devastating punch directly at Igris’s face.

*BOOM!*

The punch hadn’t even made contact, yet the entire building trembled violently. Down in the main hall, the other customers froze, their food rattling on the tables as they looked up in confusion.

Inside Morning Room 4, the very air fractured under the pressure.

Igris completely ignored the warping space around him. He didn’t move an inch.

"[Emperor Star Fist]!"

Only when Lionel’s knuckles were inches from his nose did Igris react. He took a half-step forward, his right fist suddenly erupting with a domineering, tyrannical star energy. It didn’t just shine; it judged. It sliced through the distorted air like a falling meteor, carrying the absolute verdict of a cosmic king.

Their fists collided.

The next second, a blinding supernova of white and gold erupted, completely consuming the room. Serena and the others were blinded, forced to shield their eyes as the sheer kinetic shockwave blasted past them.

*BOOM!*

A thunderous shockwave detonated. The floor splintered, the walls cracked, and every piece of furniture in the room was instantly pulverized into sawdust. A violent, scraping noise echoed—a sound of someone being brutally shoved backward, smashing through everything in their path.

As the blinding light gradually faded, the dust settled, revealing a scene of absolute devastation. Everyone’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

"Lionel... lost?!" Serena gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

In the ruined private room, Igris stood perfectly still. The only damage he had taken was a slight tear in the fabric covering his right arm.

On the opposite side of the room, a battered figure was slumped against the wall. The tremendous force had blasted a massive, gaping hole in the masonry behind him. Blood dripped from his right arm and the corner of his mouth, his face as pale as a corpse.

That figure was Lionel.

"Piss off." Igris’s voice was flat. He wasn’t even breathing hard. Beating a Level 15 with a single punch wasn’t exciting—it was basic math. With his 10x Multiplier System pushing his effective stats to Level 20, and his Emperor Star Fist mastered to the absolute peak, it would have been a miracle if he hadn’t turned him to a mist.

But since Igris could control the multiplier, he could hide its power.

"Good... very good! I will never forget this day!" Lionel spat, coughing up blood. His physical injuries were minor, but the absolute annihilation of his pride was almost fatal. His eyes burned with a homicidal urge that screamed he wanted Igris dead.

Staggering to his feet, Lionel dragged his battered body out of the room without another word, not even looking at Serena.

Serena shot Igris a deep, complicated look—a mix of lingering disdain and undeniable shock—before hurrying out after him.

That left the restaurant owner standing in the corner, shaking like a leaf. He knew he had to beg for his life, or his restaurant was dead.

"M-Mr. Igris! I lost my damn mind over a few coins! I was blind! Please, forgive me!" the owner practically groveled, his face drenched in sweat and regret. "There will always be an empty private room here for you! Please, I—"

Igris waved him off lazily. "Relax. I’m not going to eat you. You were put in a shitty position; you would’ve offended someone either way. If you hadn’t kicked us out, you’d have pissed off that Lionel guy. We haven’t finished eating yet, though. Just find us a spot—hell, even in the lobby is fine. Just don’t kick anyone else out for us."

"Y-Yes! Yes, of course! Right away, sir!" The owner bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor, immensely grateful to still be breathing, before scrambling out of the room.

Once the owner was gone, Caleb surveyed the completely demolished room. He cracked his knuckles, his eyes burning with fierce determination. "Whatever it takes, man. We *have* to score an Exp Pill at this auction."

Igris nodded. "That stuff comes with side effects, but if we can mitigate them, it’s worth it."

For a warrior, the path of cultivation was a road of no return. It didn’t matter what method you used, as long as your heart was unbreakable and your fists were strong enough to take what you wanted.

Within minutes, the owner had personally escorted them to a premium table on the second-floor lobby, practically falling over himself to serve their remaining dishes.

***

Night fell in the blink of an eye.

A heavy, torrential rain washed over the land of Dellas, turning the sky a dark, stormy grey.

On the north side of town stood a monolithic, square-shaped fortress that scraped the storm clouds at thirty meters high. Hanging above its colossal front doors was a massive board, emblazoned with five towering golden characters: *The Dellas Auction Plaza.*

From a bird’s-eye view, over a dozen serpentine lines wrapped around the plaza. The streets and alleys were choked with people. Rich nobles lounged in enclosed sedan chairs carried by stoic servants; wealthy wives were ferried in carriages pulled by exotic, low-level beasts; young masters pranced in on magnificent warhorses. But despite the flashy displays, seventy percent of the crowd consisted of ordinary, mud-splattered warriors just looking for a chance to level up.

Outside the gates, Igris glanced up at the glowing golden letters, then strode in alongside Caleb.

"And you are...?" The hostess standing at the entrance was sharp. She instantly sensed these two weren’t just some run-of-the-mill punks. In her line of work, people of different statuses were allotted different seating areas, and these two radiated a dangerous aura.

Caleb grinned. "Students of Marlin Academy."

Her eyes lit up. "Respected sirs, please follow me! I will escort you to the VIP rooms."

She was thrilled. Spotting the big fish before they had to ask was exactly how you earned a massive bonus in this business.

The hostess in the form-fitting silk dress swayed her hips as she led them inside, already daydreaming about the hefty tip her boss would give her.