Chapter 67: Chapter67-Solos Kamstur

Just as I about speak another thing, a loud, mocking voice rang out, cutting through the chatter of the crowd. "Well, well, if it isn't the weakling himself." Who the fuck said that? I looked back to see... A figure with straight dark brown hair, a sharply chiseled face, a strong jawline, and striking green eyes. Look who's here. Michael's arch-enemy, and probably mine too, given how he insulted me. I turned to see Solos, my archenemy, standing there with his trademark smirk... So, who was he? He was the son of the owner of the KS Group. I really didn't like his smile... It brought back the memory of him smiling the same way at the last Cannes meeting, where he defeated Michael in the solo monster hunter competition. His presence was like a dark cloud, immediately changing the atmosphere... I used my appraisal skill to check his stats. Name: Solos Kamstur Height: 5'11" (185 cm) Weight: 220 lbs ( 100 kg) Personality: Arrogant, domineering, disdainful towards everyone and everything Evaluation: Gold-Rank Hunter Probability: There's a 70% chance of reaching Platinum rank by the age of 40. Ohh, he's a bit shorter than me, but otherwise just as I imagined. I kind of expected to run into him since he always tries to cause trouble with me at any event or occasion. I don't get why he does that. But who cares? Right now, I'm not in the mood to play along, so I'll just ignore him like I ignored my ex. I tried to ignore him and started walking towards my room, but he wouldn't let it go. "Hey! I'm talking to you, moth*r fuc*er! Weakling!" Nah, not working on me, try saying something more. "Bastarddddd!" That's a common slang... "Fuc*ker!" That's a cheap one. "Whore's son!" That's- Wait! Whore's son? Did he really just insult my mother like that? I froze in place, his words hitting hard. He's really pushing it now... If he had said anything else, I might not have been so upset. But those words ignited something inside meanger, maybe... Anger flared inside me, but I kept my composure and slowly turned to face him. Solos stood there, arrogant and confident, surrounded by his cronies. He was a Gold ranker, and he wore his status like a badge of honor. "What are you staring at?" he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Want to hit me? Hey, you guys look, look! An Iron ranker like him thinks he can fight me, a Gold ranker?" The crowd around us began to murmur, some laughing, others watching with keen interest. My fists clenched at my sides, the urge to retaliate burning inside me. I wanted to slap him across the face as hard as I could. But I knew better. Solos was trying to provoke me, to make a scene. "Solos, leave him alone," Jack said, stepping forward with his brothers. "We're not here for a fight." Solos laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Of course, the Smith brothers come to the rescue. Pathetic." He turned his attention back to me. "What's the matter, Michael? Can't speak for yourself? Or are you just going to hide behind your friends?" Jack's words brought me back to reality... I could easily defeat using my Trump card but... Glancing around, I noticed several faces observing me closely, including two in particular... James Wilson and Mira Lapele were both watching our interaction with curiosity. The issue here is these guysI'm completely surrounded by future heirs of powerful families. Revealing my trump card now wouldn't be a good idea, especially since those two, will quickly figure out my ability and, also a measure to counterattack it... I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "I'm not here to cause trouble," I said evenly. "Just let it go, Solos." "Let it go?" Solos echoed, feigning shock. "Why should I? This is the most fun I've had all day." His cronies laughed right on cue, making the humiliation worse. I felt Jack's hand on my shoulder, silently reminding me to stay calm. "You're not worth it," I said, turning away. But Solos didn't stop there. "Yeah, run away, coward! That's all you're good at. Just like how you fled when your mother was killed!" I lost myself when he said that, distracted by a system message that appeared in front of me... (Rage meter: 67%... 75%... 85%...) I disregarded whatever was on the screen. The anger kept rising, not my own, but that of the previous Michael. I didn't want to feel angry, but inheriting this body, memories, and emotions from the deceased Michael stirred up turmoil inside me, leaving me no choice. As Solos' spiteful words cut through the air, my blood boiled with a mix of fury and pain. His mention of my mother was too muchI couldn't stay calm any longer. Ignoring the warning signs in my vision from the Rage meter, I summoned my Dash skill, feeling a surge of energy propel me forward like a lightning bolt. "Enough!" I roared, charging straight at Solos with a speed that startled even him. His smirk faltered momentarily as he realized the sudden change in my demeanor. In the blink of an eye, I closed the distance between us. Within seconds, I was right in front of him, so close that I could feel his breath. "You are gone." I aimed a powerful blow at his chest with full concentration. "You're fast," he sneered, trying to maintain his composure, "but not faster than me." Solos anticipated my attack and quickly raised his arms to defend himself. But then, something inside me snappeda hidden source of power surged forth in response to my anger. Suddenly... (Rage skill (Level 1) Activated!) (Ding, Host, your (Speed) attribute has been doubled!) (Ding, Host, your (Spirit) attribute has been doubled!) (Ding, Host, your (Power) attribute has been doubled!) (Ding, Host, your (Recovery) attribute has been doubled!) My head was so messed up that I ignored those messages. Without realizing it, my Rage spell activated, instantly doubling all my abilities at a critical moment. I aimed my strikes at his hands shielding his stomach and hit them forcefully. "Keurgh!" I heard him groan in pain. But, I didn't stop and continued to land four to five hits on his hands within just one second. My punches and kicks became faster, stronger, and more accurate than ever before. As my rage-fueled assault intensified, I disappeared from Solos' sight momentarily, moving with such speed and agility that the onlookers could barely follow. A hushed silence fell over the crowd as they witnessed the sudden turn of events. Solos' cronies, who had been laughing moments ago, now stood frozen in disbelief. Then, in the next instant, I appeared behind Solos quickly and unexpectedly. Then, I kicked him as hard as I could in the spine, catching him off guard. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy impact from my forceful kick. Blood spurted from his mouth as he hit the floor. He painfully turned to face me from his position on the ground. "You! How dare you strike me?" "Bloody shit! Your arrogancy will never end huh?" "Let me put an end to it." I shouted at him. With one last burst of energy, I gripped his neck tightly, staring into his wide, surprised eyes. "I kept telling you not to push me, not once, not twice, but did you listen?" I warned, my voice filled with anger and determination. "Kearghu." Solos struggled to breathe, unable to reply, his face twisted in pain and defeat. "Did you?" "You didn't listen, and now look at the consequences of messing with me." The fight was over decisively, and my message had been clear. But I tightened my grip on his neck, just as I had done to Kiara days earlier, to intimidate him further and ensure he wouldn't bother me again. Solos had no choice but to use his both hands to try to loosen my hold on his neck. "Urgghkrh!" He actually managed to almost succeed because all my buffs were on cooldown, and I could barely maintain my grip. If he hadn't been injured, he would have probably kicked my ass by now. Still holding on? Good. Let's increase the pressure a bit more... I tightened my grip a bit more, surprised that no one from the crowd attempted to intervene to save him, not even his loyal followers. Scanning the shocked crowd, I noticed the absence of Mira and James, which disappointed me greatly. Because of him, I had to use both of my best skills in this small fight. I'm certain those two would have figured out at least one of my skills by now. I should- Before I could react, a kick aimed straight at my face forced me to sprint backward from where I stood, leaving Solos behind. Solos immediately lost consciousness after I left him. Damn, that was a close call. With short dark hair neatly cut and a stubbly jawline framing a average-looking face, a person stood out with his striking green eyes. He was none other than Solos' bodyguard. Eoin... I was thinking about him. I was wondering where he was? For a moment, I thought maybe he hadn't been transported here, but it turned out I was mistaken. He usually sticks close to Solos, ensuring his safety, but today it seems he let his guard down. I quickly used my appraisal skill on him, and a virtual screen appeared in front of me. Name: Eoin Height: 6'1" (185 cm) Weight: 220 lbs ( 100 kg) Personality: Strong-willed, fierce, unwaveringly loyal Evaluation: Gold-Rank Hunter Probability: There's a 65% chance of reaching Platinum rank by the age of 50... No surname, huh? That's not expected... Then, I focused on him, who was in combat mode and ready to strike me at any moment. Before anyone could move, a person stepped between usit was Marcus. "Hey, hey, guys, no fighting," Marcus said calmly. "No fighting between each other." What in the world? How did he get here so quickly? I didn't even see him arrive. No wonder he easily defeated the Smith brothers... His speed is just insane... Then, he turned to Eoin. "Eoin, why don't you back off?" "Why should I back down when he's the one who started it?" Eoin replied angrily. "I know he started it, but isn't your young master equally at fault?" Marcus replied. "W-what?" Eoin stuttered. "I mean, who insults someone's parents to provoke them? And by openly insulting a family head, he's likely looking at one to two days in jail," Marcus continued... As Marcus spoke, relief washed over me as I remembered something crucial... It's a government rule not to disrespect any of its members in public. Since my father is an important partner and member of the government, insulting my mother is like insulting him. My mother was once a leader of our family, which makes it even more serious. This means he indirectly broke a government rule in public. "But" Eoin tried to interject. "Imagine if he complains to his father, who happens to lead one of the most influential families. With so many witnesses here, you know whose side the government would take, r-i-g-h-t?," Marcus said slowly and firmly.