The duel was brief but thrilling. Before it began, Ye Chui’s magic book was widely regarded as the most useless in history. Yet, as the duel ended, many found themselves intrigued by that small, thin, tattered, white-covered book. After a few seconds of silence, Debbie’s clear, triumphant “Oh yeah!” sparked an uproar among the crowd.
For the past ten days, Ye Chui had been the talk of the town. “That wizard named Wade awakened the worst magic book ever.” “He’s actually challenging a wizard with a green-covered magic book!” “He’s practically begging to die.” Such conversations abounded. But now, with the dust settled, the outcome was astonishing and unexpected.
It also caused heartache, as many had bet on Raiken to win.
Naturally, the one hurting most was the bookmaker, Green.
The moment Raiken hit the ground, confirming his loss, Debbie let out her cheer and immediately turned to the stunned Green. The petite girl eagerly stretched out her hand. “One to five, right? We bet seven gold coins, right? So you owe me thirty-five gold coins, right?”
Listening to her string of “rights,” Green was on the verge of tears.
In the gambling world, the house always wins, and Green had always profited from his pools. But this time, thirty-five gold coins, a fortune, would ruin him.
Trembling, Green pulled out his money pouch, emptying nearly all its gold coins. He retrieved a few more from his magic book, finally handing thirty-five to Debbie. Just as he let out a heavy sigh, Los approached, extending her hand. “We bet one gold coin, so you owe us five.”
This time, Green genuinely cried.
“I never thought Wade would become this strong,” Los said in disbelief, sharing the five gold coins with Harley and the others. She’d never imagined earning money could be so easy. Patting Debbie’s shoulder, she added, “Looks like we owe you and Wade a drink tonight.”
“The drinks can wait,” Debbie replied, carefully placing each gold coin into her pouch.
“Wait?” Los blinked.
Debbie pointed at Ryan and his group across the square. “This isn’t over yet.”
The duel was meant to determine whether Ye Chui or Raiken would join the Bullhead Magic Guild. Since Ye Chui defeated Raiken, he rightfully earned that opportunity.
Ryan, Melly, and Tatak stood in silence, visibly shocked. The outcome was far from what they’d expected. They had chosen Raiken to join their guild, viewing the duel as a game or ritual. Ten days ago, Ye Chui had humiliated Raiken, costing the guild face. They thought Raiken would reclaim his honor and rejoin them, but reality defied their expectations.
The three exchanged glances. Letting Ye Chui join their guild seemed a viable, even ideal, choice. His tri-element magic book and combat prowess, despite its poor quality, made him a talent not to be ignored. He might not reach the pinnacle, but he’d be a formidable wizard. They quickly made up their minds.
Ryan stepped forward with a smile, facing Ye Chui. “Congratulations, you’ve won the duel. You’ve earned the right to join the Bullhead Magic Guild. You must feel honored, don’t you?”
His tone was proud, implying that Ye Chui would naturally accept and join with gratitude.
He extended his hand, smiling.
No one doubted Ye Chui would refuse. This was the Bullhead Magic Guild, one of Stan Town’s top three guilds. Who would turn down such a rare opportunity?
Yet…
“I refuse,” Ye Chui said with a smile.
The square fell silent for a few seconds before erupting again.
Refuse? Ye Chui was rejecting a chance to join a major magic guild? Had they heard correctly?
Ryan’s face darkened, as if he’d been gravely insulted. Melly and Tatak, after their initial shock, took on menacing expressions and quietly moved to stand behind Ryan.
At the same time, Debbie stepped forward, clutching her money pouch, and stood by Ye Chui’s side.
Debbie had always known Ye Chui would win the duel and that he never cared about joining the Bullhead Magic Guild. He didn’t value the opportunity at all.
“You dare refuse our invitation?” Ryan’s anger flared, his magic book appearing by his side. “This is an insult to our guild.”
“From the moment you set up this duel, you’ve been forcing me into it. Ten days ago, if I’d refused, you would’ve killed me. You called this duel a game yourself,” Ye Chui said calmly but firmly. “But the game didn’t go as you planned, so you’re upset. I’m refusing because it makes me happy. This is the outcome I wanted.”
“You’ll regret your choice,” Ryan growled, his robe and white hair billowing, his face contorted with menace.
One duel had just ended, and another battle seemed imminent.
The crowd watched, dumbfounded, unsure whether to admire Ye Chui and Debbie’s boldness or mock their recklessness for challenging a major guild.
Ye Chui glanced at his iPad magic book’s interface. His remaining magic power was at sixty-one percent. He’d conserved energy during the fight with Raiken, avoiding the camera to save power, as it consumed too much. Having awakened so recently, his magic reserves were still limited.
Now, he activated the camera.
“Regret, my Demon Emperor’s arse,” Ye Chui retorted, using the world’s equivalent of a curse.
From the start, he knew Raiken wasn’t his real opponent. The true threat would come after publicly rejecting the Bullhead Magic Guild. Ten days ago, when he agreed to the duel, he had no intention of joining them. Back then, he considered accepting the duel or joining temporarily to escape later. But now, with Debbie’s support, he decided to face Ryan head-on.
A new battle was about to begin.
Like the previous duel, many believed this would be a fight with no suspense.
“Wade’s going to take on Ryan alone? Is he tired of living?”
