At present, Michael wasn’t feeling the greatest.
Ever since he entered the Hunter’s Guild, it felt like one thing after another kept happening—even though barely a minute had passed.
This only went to show how heavy an impression he had made in such a short span of time.
Michael turned to look at the person who had just burst into laughter.
It was a man behind him.
The man was built like a bear, far taller than Michael, casting a shadow over him.
Had it been someone with a weak mindset, this might have been intimidating.
However, the current Michael was far from intimidated.
He was pissed.
“Did I say something funny?” Michael asked in a calm tone.
But it seemed his words only made the rough-looking man laugh harder.
At this point, the first floor of the Hunter’s Guild had grown noticeably quieter.
Almost everyone now had their eyes on Michael’s location.
It felt like they were watching a show.
Michael’s frown deepened.
He was just about to ignore the man and continue with what he was doing when the man finally spoke.
“Did I just hear you say you want to register as a hunter?”
The man’s voice was loud, his breath unpleasant, and it was obvious he was drunk.
Michael frowned but still answered.
Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”
Though he wouldn’t pride himself on being able to read people accurately, something about the way the man spoke and acted threw Michael off.
A part of him wanted to know why.
Another part wanted to send a punch straight into his face.
The last time he had been this affected by someone’s behavior was when he met his neighbor’s nephew—whose father had died due to the demonic supernaturals’ plan.
These two had something in common…
The way they spoke made one want to punch them.
Hearing Michael’s response, the rough-looking man only laughed harder.
However, what Michael noticed was that the gazes directed at him from the others had changed.
Most weren’t exactly filled with hostility, but they weren’t positive either.
It felt more like… he was being looked down on.
“People! Are you hearing what this great noble is saying? He says he wants to be a hunter! A tiny boy like this wants to be a hunter! Hahaha!”
The man spoke in broken sentences, something Michael could clearly pick up on.
What made him feel uncomfortable, though, was how others joined in the laughter.
From the man’s words, Michael was starting to understand a bit more about the reactions around him.
Though still somewhat puzzled, he didn’t mind others having opinions of him.
However, he didn’t quite like being the topic of discussion.
In the end, after a brief moment of thought, Michael decided to ignore the other party.
He was just about to turn back to the receptionist and continue where he left off when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Boy, I was talking to you.”
Michael paused.
Slowly, he turned his head to stare behind him.
“Don’t call me that. And don’t touch me.”
Michael wasn’t particularly angered by being called “boy.”
People in the real world had called him that before—like Brian, for example.
However, those were people who gave him due respect.
And respect was the last thing this man had given him.
Michael’s eyes darkened.
The heavy hand on his shoulder was unwelcome, but the sheer audacity of the man made it worse.
The moment Michael had warned him, he expected the fool to step back.
Instead, the man only grinned wider.
“Oh? And what are you gonna do about it, noble boy?”
The man’s breath stank of alcohol, but Michael barely registered it.
He had already decided.
Before the man could react, Michael’s hand shot up like a viper, grabbing the drunkard’s wrist.
Then—
CRACK!
A deafening boom echoed as Michael’s grip forced the man’s entire arm downward.
A scream erupted from the rough-looking man as his massive body slammed into the ground.
The floorboards beneath them groaned from the sheer force.
Gasps filled the air.
The onlookers who had been watching for entertainment suddenly felt their smiles freeze.
One second, the man had been standing over Michael, mocking him.
The next—
He was being thrown around like a ragdoll.
Michael barely gave him time to recover.
Before the man could even groan in pain, Michael twisted his wrist again, flipping him over like a sack of grain and slamming him into the floor once more.
BOOM!
A few tables shook.
Mugs of ale spilled over.
At that moment, it was no longer just gasps—some of the onlookers even flinched.
The Hunter’s Guild wasn’t a place for the weak, and most of the people present weren’t strangers to combat.
But what they had just witnessed…
Michael hadn’t used a single ounce of visible strength, yet he had turned a bear of a man into a plaything.
The man groaned in pain, but he still wasn’t done.
A mixture of rage and humiliation twisted his face as he struggled to get up, reaching for the weapon at his waist.
A heavy-looking, rune-carved axe.
Michael’s eyes narrowed.
The moment the man unsheathed the weapon, Michael’s foot was already moving.
BANG!
With a single kick, the man’s grip failed, and his axe went flying.
It didn’t just drop.
It smashed through a nearby wooden counter, completely ruining one of the tables in the process.
Silence fell.
The receptionist, who had been watching all this with a stunned expression, gasped.
Michael didn’t care.
He placed his foot firmly on the man’s chest, pinning him down.
The man struggled but quickly realized—he couldn’t move.
Michael’s gaze was indifferent as he stared down at him.
“You brought out a weapon,” Michael said flatly.
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried through the room like a hammer.
“Do you know what that means?”
For the first time, the man’s face paled.
****
A/N: Happy birthday to me, guys! I’m truly grateful for all the support you show me, even with my many shortcomings. I really, really appreciate every one of you. Thank you so much!