Chapter 2206 by Marina Vittori
An Understated Dominance
âTroublemaker! I know youâre in there, so come out and face the music!â
The loud shout echoed through the tavern again. It sent waves of unease rippling through the patrons.
Miles and the others instinctively turned their gaze toward Abigail.
To them, she was the only one who fit the bill of a troublemaker. But who would dare to be so bold as to challenge the Grand Sorceress of the Mystic Arts Order so openly?
âEveryone, please continue enjoying your meal. Iâll take care of this.â Abigail smiled as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Then, she rose from her seat and descended the stairs.
Miles and the others exchanged glances and hurried to the window to see what was happening outside.
On the street, a burly man surrounded by a gang of 20 to 30 men was shouting threats. They wielded their weapons menacingly as if they were ready for action.
âHey, doesnât that man look familiar?â Ruby arched her eyebrow as she recognized the burly man. She had seen him at the Combat Tournament, but his name momentarily escaped her.
âItâs Luke Harding from Frostzard Manor!â Miles chimed in.
âYouâre right! Itâs him!â Ruby nodded. â This punk caused a scene at the Combat Tournament earlier, and Caleb blasted him with Stormcraft magic until he was a mess. I didnât expect him to recover so quickly. Heâs quite resilient.â
âLukeâs got the skills, but heâs not the brightest bulb,â Dalen remarked.
He unfolded his fan and said casually, â Caleb spared his life back at Sacred Wrym Summit, but now heâs out looking for trouble again.â
âPeople like him, sheltered from reality, have no idea how dangerous the Mystic Arts Order can be.â Crystal shook her head in disbelief. She shared Dalenâs view on Lukeâs futile provocation.
âFrostzard Manor is a major sect. By looking at the group of men that Lukeâs brought along, Iâm worried that Ms. Abigail might be outnumbered.â Ruby observed the situation from above.
She noticed that the men accompanying Luke were elites. Despite Abigailâs status as the Grand Sorceress of the Mystic Arts Order, Ruby couldnât help but worry about her confronting them alone.
âRuby, donât underestimate them. Regular martial artists might fret over being outnumbered, but not the Mystic Arts Order. Think about it-whatâs their specialty?â Miles hinted.
âWitchcraft and parasitic poison?â Ruby quickly caught on.
âExactly!â Miles nodded.
He went on, âLetâs not talk about witchcraft and those dark arts. We havenât encountered anything like that. But just the parasitic poison alone is terrifying enough to make the top martial artists quake in their boots!
âGiven the size of the crowd at Frostzard Manor, if Ms. Robinson were to use her parasitic poison, she could incapacitate them effortlessly.â
âIs the poison really that deadly?â Ruby asked skeptically.
âMore than deadly-itâs downright unpredictable!â Miles shuddered.
He added, âDo you know how many elites from the martial world have fallen victim to parasitic poison?
âIt can kill its victim without leaving a trace. Plus, its eerie menace has haunted countless martial artistsâ nightmares.
âThe Mystic Arts Order has many enemies, yet no faction dares to pick a fight with them. Thatâs because the terror of parasitic poison has deeply ingrained itself in everyoneâs minds.
âEven our sect would avoid confrontation unless provoked by profound animosity.â
The Mystic Arts Order thrived in outnumbered scenarios and employed various unorthodox tactics. Those who provoked their disciples would meet their end without understanding how it happened.
âSo, Luke and his gang are walking into a hornetâs nest?â Ruby raised an eyebrow.
She asked, âAre they really that oblivious? Theyâre still eager for a fight despite knowing the risks of crossing paths with the Mystic Arts Order?â
âWeâll see soon enough,â Miles remarked as he glanced out the window.
At that moment, Abigail confidently stepped outside the tavernâs entrance.
âTroublemaker! So, youâre here!â Luke angrily brandished his sword at her.
âIt seems like you havenât learned your lesson from this morning. And you dare to swagger in front of me? Arenât you afraid of the consequences?â Abigail smiled, but her eyes betrayed a chilling coldness.
âHmph! Weâll see whoâs left standing in the end,â Luke sneered.
Then, he shouted, âThe men behind me are martial arts experts Iâve paid handsomely. You might be tough, but you canât take us all on alone!â
âMartial arts experts?â Abigail scoffed as she scanned the group. âA bunch of amateurs think theyâre experts? This is freaking hilarious!â
âOutrageous!â
âHow dare you!â
âThis is absurd!â
Abigailâs words sparked anger among the martial arts experts, who began to curse her behavior. After all, these martial arts experts were prominent figures in the martial world.
Luke had invited them to join forces in defeating her. Their mission was fueled by the belief in wiping out evil and safeguarding the people.
Yet, they never imagined Abigail would be so bold as to disregard them.
âHey, troublemaker! Donât you dare get ahead of yourself! Weâre all geared up for this. Regardless of your skill, you wonât throw us off track!â Lukeâs voice boomed.
âReally? Then, bring it on. Letâs see just how tough you are. Iâm curious how many lives you think youâve got to throw around.â Abigail looked at them disdainfully and beckoned them with her finger.
âHey Luke, sheâs just a kid. Thereâs no need for all the other big shots to jump in. With just us two, weâll have her tied up in no time.â The Bovens brothers- twin siblings-volunteered for the showdown.
âIâve heard you two have been experimenting with poisons for years and have built up immunity to all sorts of toxins?â Luke asked.
âYouâre right!â The twins nodded in unison.
Then, one of the twins added, âYeah, we might not have many talents, but weâre the go-to guy for poisons. So, dealing with this troublemaker should be a walk in the park for us.â
âGreat! You two take the lead, and letâs capture this troublemaker together.â Lukeâs face lit up with determination.
The Mystic Arts Orderâs most dreaded weapon was their mystic poison.
Coincidentally, the Bovens brothers were immune to all poisons and utterly fearless. Hence, they were the perfect counter to Abigailâs technique.