LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 136: Recovery x Confrontation - The Gig Is Up!
Alex opens his eyes. He's lying on the floor, and a familiar green-haired woman looms over him, wearing a mocking grin. "Not bad, but you're ten years too early to challenge me. Although, ten years later, I'll be even stronger than I am now, so I guess it doesn't matter," she teases.
"I guess so... That's a reasonable assumption from your perspective. But the truth is, I'll become so much stronger than you could ever imagine. I wish I could show you—knock you off that high horse," Alex replies, holding back the true reason for his words.
"You're still hiding things from me! Why?" Menchi asks, a hint of disappointment crossing her face.
"I'm sorry, Menchi," Alex says, guilt washing over him. "It's not that I don't want to tell you... It's like those Vows and Limitations you taught me about."
"Fine!" she huffs, brushing it off. "Let's get something to eat! I'm not in the mood to cook today!"
They head out to yet another overpriced luxury restaurant Menchi had read about. As the dishes arrive, Alex finds himself enduring Menchi's relentless critique of each one. He personally finds the food a little too fancy for his taste, but it's undeniably delicious. Still, the situation brings back memories. Damn, this reminds me of the third task; she's badmouthing everything all over again.
She's really enjoying herself. Alex muses, a small smile on his lips. It's weird hanging out with her like this, but honestly, plenty of guys would probably kill for the chance.
Once they finish their meal, despite its insane cost, Alex barely notices a dent in his prize money of 200 million Jenny.
As they leave the restaurant and walk toward the elevator, intending to ride from floor 51 back up to floor 199, ten angry men suddenly approach them.
Alex regards them with a curious expression, quickly piecing together their intentions. Looks like even guys this dumb talk. I guess they've been bragging about me. Well, it's time to make them see the truth, Alex thinks, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
The men close in, and one of them—whom Alex vaguely remembers as his future fifth victim—steps forward and yells: "Hey, you! What the fuck do you think you're doing? Do you even realize that losing four times makes your other six fights completely pointless? It means you're forced to drop out! We might get some extra time to fight someone else after that, but it's a hell of an inconvenience. And guess what I just found out from my friends? WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!"
Alex puts on an over-the-top display of panic, acting as though he's lost his mind. "I… This is all a mistake... It's Kell and Nibul's plan! I'm sorry! I was just following their orders—they forced me to do it, I swear!"
The group immediately turns on itself. Seven of the men spin toward Kell and Nibul, their glares seething with anger, while the two accused look completely stunned, their faces contorted with confusion.
Perfect, Alex thinks, barely holding back a smirk.
The group of men angrily shouts over one another until someone yells, "STOP!"
The voice belongs to a man who immediately commands attention. Unlike many rookie Hunters—who were brutally initiated into Nen through life-threatening attacks, often leaving them scarred or disabled—this man appears untouched. He has no visible injuries or deformities. He's a head taller than Alex, though his frame is unusually thin. Long black hair falls over most of his face, obscuring it. He's dressed in a robe that conceals his physique, but even so, he doesn't look remotely like a fighter.
"You idiots…" the man begins, his voice calm but laced with disdain. "Do you really think Kell and Nibul are capable of orchestrating some grand plan? What would they even gain from it—other than trouble?"
Alex watches the scene unfold with a growing smirk. I'm in the mood for some drama, and these fools are starting to bore me. Maybe it's time to spice things up.
He claps slowly, the sound echoing in the hallway, drawing all eyes to him. "Wow, congratulations," Alex begins, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It looks like one of you has an IQ above 90. You must be the respected leader of this unofficial club of imbeciles. Truly, an honor to meet you."
Several of the men stiffen, glaring at Alex, but he doesn't stop. "Anyway, it's too late for regrets now. The only question is this: do you want to face me in the arena, or do you prefer to handle this right here and now? Either works for me." He shrugs casually, letting the tension build. "The only thing I need from you fools is ten wins so I can become a Floor Master. Originally, I figured I'd just kill a few of you—let the survivors realize their own stupidity and save me the trouble. But hey, I'm flexible. So, what's it going to be?"
The group erupts into whispers and muttering.
"What's up with this guy? Is he insane?"
"It can't be… Is he bluffing?"
"Screw this! Let's just take him down right now. He's gonna pay for deceiving us!"
As Alex listens to their frantic discussion, Kell and Nibul—still standing behind the group—quietly sneak up on him. Without warning, they launch a combined attack.
Alex doesn't even bother activating En; he feels their presence long before they strike. Amateurs, he thinks with an inward chuckle. They don't even know how to use Ko. That's just a basic Ren attack.
In an instant, Alex conjures Mustrano's Malice Mauler lvl 3, a claw-like weapon glowing faintly with his Aura. He reinforces it with Shu and unleashes his Ren, slashing at both attackers in one swift motion.
You have dealt 33 damage to Kell
You have caused a bleeding to Kell
You have dealt 34 damage to Nibul
You have caused a bleeding to Nibul
Blood splatters as Kell clutches his arms, and Nibul staggers back, gripping his shoulder in pain. Before they can recover, Menchi appears behind them like a ghost. With a single, fluid motion, she delivers sharp neck chops to both, knocking them out cold.
She steps over their unconscious bodies, laughing coldly. "Pigs have so many weak points. It's almost too easy to slaughter them. Even boars like these two can barely qualify as a threat."
The rest of the group stares at Menchi in stunned silence. Her Aura flares momentarily, reminding them of the helplessness they felt when they were first exposed to Nen. It's clear to everyone present that her power far surpasses their own.
"So, anyone else feels like fighting?" Menchi asks, her voice calm but dangerous. "Just a reminder—Hunters can kill legally. I'm offering you a deal: 50 million Jenny each, and I'll let you walk away. No fights, no bloodshed. I'll even promise not to touch you here and let you fight my cute student fair and square in the arena. Refuse, and... well, I'll handle this right now."
"You…!" one of the men stammers, trembling.
"Pay up," the leader finally orders, his voice low and defeated. "We'll accept today's loss. But you won't be able to protect your 'cute student' forever. We'll see him in the ring."
The group reluctantly pulls out their phones, transferring the money to Menchi without another word. Once the transaction is complete, Alex and Menchi walk away, both grinning.
"Thanks for the backup, Menchi. I guess ten-on-one might've been a bit much, even for me," Alex says, breaking the silence.
"Haha, don't thank me. I got paid a lot for this," she replies, smirking. "I'll wire you 200 million to make it fair. Didn't you have some big plan for your money anyway?"
Over the last few weeks, Alex had tried various methods to convert his cash into valuable items. He visited weapon shops, antique stores, and explored other ventures, but the system failed to recognize a single item. He'd quickly learned that players could only take items officially recognized by the system when leaving this world—gold and other materials were useless.
Believing that more money would lead to better options, Alex used the official Hunter website to request rare, expensive weapons and armor. He'd scheduled a series of private showings from vendors, all eager to overcharge him for premium items. To ensure their cooperation, Alex had vouched to the organization that the request was legitimate, not a scam or trap.
"Yes... The vendors are coming in a few days," Alex says, answering Menchi's question. "But it's after my first fight. Maybe I'll find something useful. And thanks for the extra 200 million—that'll definitely open up some better options."
Menchi shakes her head, amused. She still doesn't understand Alex's obsession with weapons and all those items, but she decides not to press him further.
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