Lucinda (Part 2)
Asher's blunt refusal left Lucinda's expression a fascinating canvas of emotions. Her mouth formed an 'O' of surprise, her brows arched with a hint of danger in her eyes, and finally, her face settled into calm with a faint smile on her lips.
She shrugged and said, "My mother was right—men are proud and arrogant creatures, especially when it comes to underestimating women."
Asher spread his hands, not bothering to explain that he wasn't a chauvinist; he simply couldn't stand her flamboyance and arrogance.
"Hey, don't think you're stronger than me just because your score was higher. How about a duel then?" Lucinda crossed her arms over her chest, her chin lifted proudly as if she were a peacock in full display.
"I refuse."
Lucinda gritted her teeth in frustration, "Again with that, you coward!"
"The Death Arena will provide plenty of opportunities for dueling. As for now, neither the time nor the place is right, don't you think?" Asher enjoyed seeing Lucinda's temper flare up again just as she had calmed down. With a slight smile, he turned and walked away.
Lucinda stamped her foot in anger. A girl beside her whispered, "Lucinda, let it go. It's not like he's the only option. Look, they all want to be your subordinates."
Indeed, the same youths who had earlier glared at Asher were now eagerly pushing forward, hoping to catch Lucinda's eye. The blonde girl snorted, "Emily, I don't need incompetent subordinates. Besides, the word 'impossible' doesn't exist in my dictionary. I will have that Asher kid!"
"Lucinda, he seems about your age."
"Shut up, since when does the boss look younger than her subordinates? That's why I call him a kid, and that's what he is!"
"Okay... okay."
After the brief interlude, Asher lost interest in visiting other training zones. He headed straight to the central meeting space, a vast area nearly the size of a plaza. Massive metal pillars encircled the edge of the meeting space, separating it from other zones. Metal benches were arranged in concentric circles, five rows of benches forming concentric circles around an open space in the center.
The meeting space wasn't crowded; youths sat in small groups here and there. When Asher entered, all heads turned his way. He scanned their faces and saw many things.
Two youths had eyes filled with hostility, one girl gave him a friendly smile, and many others glanced at him briefly before returning to their conversations. Asher approached a youth sitting alone. From the side, the boy seemed a year or two older than Asher. His light brown hair fell softly beside his face, which looked somewhat malnourished.
The youth was skinny, with long arms and legs. He was deftly manipulating a smart brain, engrossed in a game. He controlled a hamster dexterously dodging rolling balls through a maze of passages. But at a corner, he was carelessly crushed by a rolling ball, ending the game.
Cursing his fate, he seemed to have already noticed Asher, so when he turned his head, there was no surprise on his face, only a raise of his smart brain, "Wanna play? It's not bad for reflex training."
"No thanks, I just came from the reflex training zone. Hi, I'm Asher..."
"Anson." The youth introduced himself with a half-smile, "So, are you looking for allies too?"
"And you?" Asher inquired.
Anson spread his hands, "Same, but I'm not good at socializing. See, I've been here a few days and haven't made a single friend. You're a fresh face; did you just get here today?"
"You all came on the first day?" Asher was slightly surprised.
Anson seemed even more astonished, "You don't know? Forming alliances to take out other competitors and then facing off against each other to determine the victor has become the standard procedure for every tournament."
Asher admitted awkwardly, "Actually, my mentor only recently told me about this."
Anson laughed, "Seems like your mentor is quite unqualified."
Thinking of Hudson's habitual half-drunk state, Asher nodded, "I think so too."
The two exchanged a knowing smile when a group of youths approached them. The girl who had smiled kindly at Asher earlier said, "You're the one who just set a new record in the reflex training zone, right?"
Surprised, Asher nodded.
A freckled-faced boy said, "That's awesome, Asher. Let's be friends. I'm Kude, this is Viir. There's Hask, Nordman..."
They "enthusiastically" pulled Asher away from Anson, with Kude draping an arm over Asher's shoulder, "Don't hang out with Anson. He's sneaky."
Asher couldn't help but look back at Anson, only to find the tall and lanky youth had already left.
"Asher broke Lucinda's score, avenging us. She's been so arrogant these past few days..."
"Let's celebrate today. How about a drink at the bar?"
Asher was surprised to learn there was even a bar here. He also learned that the boisterous girl's name was Lucinda. His new "friends" seemed a bit too enthusiastic, practically dragging him to the bar. When he looked at Viir, her face flashed with panic before she forced a smile, raising Asher's suspicions.
The bar was in a corner of the hall. As Asher stepped in, he noticed it was unusually quiet. Only a plump figure sat at the bar, looking like a mountain of flesh, his shirt rolled up to reveal rolls of fat.
The "friends" who had been so warm just moments ago backed away, with Kude even locking the bar door from the inside and hanging a "Closed for Business" sign. Asher understood the situation, "This doesn't look like you're inviting me for a drink."
The plump man at the bar hopped down, his elephantine legs shaking the floor. His flesh quivered as he grinned, "I'm Lucen. Asher, I heard you just broke that bitch Lucinda's record."
"So what?" Asher replied coolly.
"Nothing much, just that we don't need another nimble one like Lucinda. One is enough. Any more, and I think a lot of people would get headaches. For everyone's sake, how about we break your arms and legs?" Lucen suggested with a smile as if discussing something trivial.
Asher's eyes hardened as he glanced at the youths who had brought him here, "You all think the same?"
The girl named Viir looked down, fidgeting nervously with her hands behind her back. The other youths defiantly met Asher's gaze, with Kude's face turning red as he shouted, "Right, if it weren't for tricking you here, do you think we'd be interested in being friends with a white-haired brat like you? Of course, if you're willing to stick out your ass, I think Lucen might be interested in making friends with you."
The group burst into laughter, with Lucen adding, "You know, Asher, how did I make it out of the training camp in District 12? It's simple. I sat on every one of their heads until they were crushed."
Asher laughed too, "Really? Actually, I have something to tell you. Not only am I agile, but also..."
"Strong!"
As the word left his mouth, Asher had already collided with Kude, followed by a punch that landed squarely on the freckled boy's nose. Kude's nose broke with a crack, and two other youths rushed to grab Asher, pounding his ribs with their fists. Even the weakest of these youths had refined two Source Energy vortices, so their punches packed quite a punch.
Asher wasn't yet strong enough to shrug off such damage, but years of living in the wild and Ronan's training had taught him to endure pain. He caught their fists and kicked back, hitting Nordman in the groin so hard the boy nearly rolled his eyes back in agony, leaving him without the strength to attack Asher. Asher let go and struck Hask in the throat, sending the boy stumbling back, clutching his neck, unable to catch a breath.
Lucen's roar sounded from behind, and Asher couldn't dodge in time, taking a full hit from the meat mountain. He flew across the room, crashing into tables. As he lay on the ground, Lucen charged like an elephant, leg extended for a kick at Asher's chest.
Asher rolled aside just in time and kicked out, unbalancing Lucen, who fell to the ground with a shriek. Asher pounced, punching him squarely on the nose. Lucen saw stars, and as he tried to recover, a bottle whizzed by, smashing on Asher's raised arm. The explosion of glass cut his hand, spattering blood.
Seeing his own blood on the floor, Asher's eyes reddened further. His silver hair stood on end, and he stared silently at Kude, who still held half a bottle. Suddenly, a kick flew, hitting Kude in the chest and sending him flying, his chest caving unnaturally, clearly with several broken ribs.
Lucen took the chance to get up, clutching Asher tightly, shouting to the girl in the corner, "Viir, finish him!"
Lucen's grip was strong, his Source Energy surging. To Asher, the fat man's arms glowed faintly. He tried to break free, but Lucen's hands wouldn't budge. Viir, the timid girl, approached, a knife now in her hand. Her face was a mask of conflict, and just as she was about to plunge the knife into Asher, the windows behind Lucen shattered.
A figure leaped through the broken window, rolling across a table and bouncing up. The shadow flashed behind Lucen, two fists hammering down on the fat man's temples. Lucen cried out in pain, his grip on Asher loosening.
Asher took the opportunity to grab Lucen's arm, and a spark of light shone in his crimson eyes. With a grunt, he channeled his Source Energy and hurled Lucen away! Viir shrieked and retreated, dropping her knife. With Lucen incapacitated, Asher finally had a moment to look back.
A golden ponytail still swayed behind the head, and that bold smile remained on the face. Those green eyes were like deep pools, as if drawing in one's soul.
"Was it you?" Asher exclaimed in surprise, realizing that the one who had helped him at the crucial moment was the same blonde girl who had earlier insisted on making him her subordinate.
Lucinda!