17 CHAPTER 17 – Silent Confrontation.

Alex asked Stephan a simple question, but the impact of the question was greater on Stephan who was still trying to calm his nerves so as not to jump and strangle Alex.

"We will pay you for your work, provide you with a place to stay and many other things along with having access to every gate under the government's jurisdiction," Stephan said after he had calmed down a little.

He really wanted to teach Alex a lesson, but he felt something bad would happen if he tried to do that, and there was Alice as well.

Although before it worked because none of them had expected him to use his skill, but if he used his skill to stop time right now, then he might only be able to stop for milliseconds since all of them had their focus on him and were battle-ready.

When Alex heard his reply, he turned towards Ann, and she understood what he wanted so she gave him the contract he had signed at their guild.

"Would the Association pay me more than that? Would they let me have my freedom and do whatever I want? Would they give me a contract that has even a single thing better than this?"

Alex asked while keeping the contract on the table between him and Stephan.

The money that Alice had offered him was in no way small, and it was basically impossible that the Raider Association which had the most Raider in the whole world would be able to match that amount.

Alice also provided him with a house to stay in, though it would be better if they called it a villa, and even his personal car would be given to him after he had shifted into the villa.

There was no way that The Raiders Association would be able to provide all that, and above all, there was no freedom in the Association as he had to be completely loyal to them.

Let's not talk about the items given by them or the shares of every raid he did.

The Association took all the things that any of their Raiders brought from the Gates and gave them merits in return that can never amount to how much they had lost. So, as Stephan continued listening to his questions his expression started becoming worse, but he still said.

"The Raider Association always thinks of saving lives first." But his expression changed when he looked at the expressions of Alice, Ann, and Alex who looked at him as if he was crazy, he realized his mistake.

The Association was never someone who did things without profit, since they seldom helped the guilds when the gates in their area in having a gate break, even though it was the Association's job to do it.

"Did you really just say that?" Alice asked with a mocking expression. Seeing that expression, he couldn't keep his calm anymore as he had never been mocked before and he already had enough of controlling himself.

What was he even afraid of? He was just teaching them a lesson to respect their elders and he would leave after that.

"Young ones these days really don't know how to respect their elders." As he said that he stood up causing Alice to also stand up and get ready for battle while Ann became tense.

But Alex was just sitting there as if nothing was happening.

"Arrogant." As Stephan said that his mana started to spike and even before Alice could attack, he used his ability.

But before he could attack, he felt his skill was broken and he was shocked as he fell on the ground while coughing out blood shocking Alice and Ann who didn't understand what happened.

It was when they looked at Alex who had his palm covered in Red-black energy did they understood what had happened.

They sighed in relief not realizing that their backs were covered in sweat just thinking about what would happen if they were to be touched by that energy.

[You have defeated an enemy. You can plunder any one thing from him.

What would you like to plunder?]

'The skill- Temporal pause.' Alex replies in his mind ignoring everyone who is looking at him, even Stephan is looking at him with a calm expression even though he looks pale because of the backlash.

But if someone looks carefully, they would be able to see the fear inside his eyes since if Alex could break his skill that means he was a sitting duck for Alex.

'Hm?' Stephan suddenly felt as if he was missing something, but he didn't understand what it was. So, he didn't think too much about it and focused on Alex, praying that Alex would not continue the fight.

When Alex used his plunder ability, Stephan's skill was stolen but Stephan would not know that until he tried to use his skill, and even if he did that, he would still not understand what had happened. That was just how Alex's skill worked - The victim would never suspect Alex of being the culprit of their demise.

He would just feel that he couldn't use his skill, but he would not disclose this information to anyone since if someone knew he could not use his skill then he would lose all his fame and all of his authority, he would just be a normal S-ranked Raider and not Stopwatch.

So, he would try to keep his secret to himself as long as he can. He would never suspect that Alex might have stolen his skill as from what it is known about skill stealing, when a skill is stolen, the one whose skill is being stolen would feel a heart-wrenching pain as something from their body was forcibly taken away.

"You shouldn't have done that old man." When Stephan heard those words, he felt as if something was coming but before he could move away a blade made of wind moved towards him at a very fast speed and if he hadn't tilted his body at the last moment he would have lost his life.

"ARGH!!!!!!!!!" It was when he felt immense pain in his left shoulder that he understood that the blade was aimed at his shoulder and not at his neck. He fell on his knees while clutching his shoulder.

When he screamed it woke up Alice and Ann from a daze while Somer with some other Raiders from the Association came running to the room only to be stunned by the scene.

"Is this the path you want to choose, young man?" He was breathing heavily but he still stood up and spoke those words.

He was not going to do something after teaching a lesson to Alex and leave it at that, but now everything had changed and he had the lower position, so, he was going to take a step back, but he didn't expect that Alex would be this ruthless.

Alex's action clearly meant that he didn't put the Association in his eyes, so, Stephen also understood that if Alex was left alone then the Association would lose the country to a guild just like Red Country.

"I was going to leave after a chat, but you made me do that, old man. You shouldn't poke a hornet nest if you don't want to be bitten.

I would have played along if it was just me, but you also targeted the only people I care about, so, the hand was the price you have to pay for it. If you still want to make that an issue, then you should be aware of who needs to worry and who doesn't."

Alex spoke, staring at Stephan with narrowed eyes while also releasing some of his mana pressure.

"Don't regret it later," Stephan said even though he felt pressured.

He felt that the amount of mana the man in front of him had was not something an S-ranked Raider should have.

After saying that he left the room followed by the Raiders from the Association, who were still in shock as before they could even understand what happened everything was over.

Alice and Ann looked very serious since they understood what the talk before meant, so they looked at Alex as if asking 'What now?'.

"Let's go. We talk in the car." Alex said and both of them nodded their head moving towards the car.

Alex had already taken the license before following Stephan inside the room, so they didn't have anything else to do there.

When they were going out of the building Alex noticed that some of the people who had been following him were not here, probably gone back to report whatever they could.

The rest were waiting for him outside the building some hiding while some in disguise.

Alex also noticed some people sneakily leaving the Association building and joining the group of people who were hiding.

He understood that they were probably the assassins from the Association and Stephan must have sent them for him. Alex didn't do anything, instead, he thanked Stephan in his mind.

After all, Stephan had sent him some people to plunder even though he had just plundered Stephan's skill. He thought that maybe Stephan was not that bad instead he was a really good guy.

On this day, the infamous Stopwatch had lost to a new Raider even before the fight could start and even lost his ability that gave him the title without anyone knowing or maybe some people knew….

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