Chapter 448

Chapter 448: 448
At dawn, the three met in front of the inn, ready to start investigating . Since they only had one clue, they decided to go to the Mission Board, which is where the Adventurers take missions .
First, though, they have to go to the Guild to check their rank . Only high-ranked adventurers can take difficult missions, nevertheless, none of them was worried that they get a low-rank, after all, their stats were outrageous .
"Aghhh I'm really not used to this peaceful place . "
The Joker whined as he walked and stretched his numb limbs . He was used to constant battles and he rarely slept in a calm and non-threatening place . The lunatic glanced at the youth clad in armor and asked
"Is that armor your lover or what? I've never seen you without it . "
All he got in response was a cold snort from Leiu, who didn't bother explaining himself . Arthur was also a bit curious about that too as the pale-faced youth always wears that armor, whether he's eating or reading . The only thing that's missing is the helmet, which was stored in another place ever since they entered this town .
"Hey did you hear about the new adventurers?"
"Yes, I heard there are three SS-ranked adventurers that appeared here yesterday . "
People were whispering to each other about the arrival of three powerful adventurers .
"I thought that Bela denied those claims . "
"Pfft she's just jealous because she's just S-ranked . "
The Joker listened to them while gloating over the fact that he became SS-ranked . It's a fresh experience for an eccentric person like him .
"I guess our ranks have been decided . "
Unimpressed, Arthur nodded his head and said
"It appears so . "
…
The lady from yesterday slightly bowed her head seeing the three enter the building . As instructed, she was about to go and call over the Guild Master but the three vanished right after taking the special SS-ranked badges .
The Mission Board was just outside the Guild, so, after receiving those useless badges, the three went to check the board, searching for any mission that mentions a church .
There was only one S-ranked mission, few were A-ranked, and the rest were shabby and a waste of time for the trio . Fortunately, not many adventurers were standing in front of the Mission Board so they didn't have to wait in line or anything like that .
However, as Claud always said, bad fortune always follows Arthur . Coupled with the not-so-great luck of the other two, it's to be expected that trouble would come knocking on their door sooner than later .
Contrary to Leiu and Arthur, who wanted to avoid problems and get on with this matter quickly, the Joker was quite a playful fellow who always welcomed challenges .
"Hey, are you the three newcomers?"
A sexy-looking woman with long red hair and a fiery gaze walked up to them . She wore a long dark red robe and wore four shiny rings and a big pendant that emanated a bit of Mana .
Arthur and the youth chose to back away and ignore her but the Joker reacted differently, he looked at the incoming woman and grinned .
"Wassup beauty . "
As she saw this tall and strangely-clothed man talk informally like that, she frowned and stopped in her tracks .
"I asked you a question . "
Some low-ranked adventurers recognized the woman and started whispering to each other, trying to guess what's going to happen .
"She's Bela, the S-ranked solo mage . "
"I heard she's got a bad attitude . "
Arthur listened to them and exchanged glances with Leiu, who rolled his eyes and muttered
"I hate meddlesome people . "
"Not as much as I do . "-Arthur
Shamelessly, the Joker examined the woman from head to toe before excitedly whistling and saying
"Ya got some hot body, ma'am . "
The woman's lips slightly shook, she glared at him and spoke with a shaky voice
"M-ma'am?"
Confused, the Trickster around then behind her before replying:
"I see no other ma'am . Oh! Perhaps you don't like to be called that? Aigooo"
He slapped comically slapped himself while correcting his previous words
"My bad my bad, little girl . "
The woman was practically fuming now, she barely held herself back . While pointing at the three, she asked again
"I asked you if you're the newcomers . "
The Joker stretched his hand and put down her raised index while saying
"Little girl, don't you know that it's disrespectful to point at others . Ah! I'm too old to teach manners to kids . I heard there's a nursery close by . "
After looking at her up and down a second time, he added:
"Little girl, this old man is bored and has been itching for a fight . What say you? Wanna go at it?"
The woman angrily stomped the grand and left after saying a few last words
"The arena, thirty minutes . "
In response, the Joker only laughed and waved his hand as a goodbye . His brazen behavior attracted the attention of many adventurers, who thought that he brought doom upon himself . Some of the more knowledgeable ones were able to guess his identity so they became eager to witness this fight .
A battle between an SS-ranked adventure and an S-ranked mage is not common, moreover, The Joker's fighting style is still unknown to everyone .
Even Arthur wanted to see that man's fighting style . He already fought him but he was consumed by rage and the fight didn't last for a long time . He just knows that he relies on his cards and has an incredibly Physique, the toughest, in fact .
"Are you sure you want to expose yourself?"
After they separated themselves from the crowd, Arthur asked the grinning Joker . In response, the man shrugged and gave an honest answer
"We're going to stay here for a short time so why not enjoy ourselves? What's better than fighting a powerful person?"
…
Thirty minutes later, the usually half-empty arena was full of people, both adventurers, and normal citizens . Arthur and Leiu seated themselves at the very front so get a better view .
The arena wasn't that large but it should be enough for the incoming fight . Both contestants stood thirty meters away from each other . The adventurer, Bela, was still incensed and wanted to beat some sense in this provocative man .
As for her opponent, he comically bowed to the audience then faced the mage, who started preparing herself .
two cards appeared on his hand, they shone with an ominous black light and a blinding red radiance before they mysteriously fused together .
'2♥ Heart's Haze! 3♣ Serpent Creed!'
A five of diamond card slightly bigger than a normal card appeared before the Joker .
'♦5 Magician's Hat'
The card transformed into a puff of smoke and was replaced with a strange black hat . The Joker elegantly held the hat and retrieved a weird white cane from god knows where .
The referee, who was watching this magic show, snapped out of his daze and dropped his raised hand, signaling the beginning of the fight .
Bela, who was ready to bombard the Joker, was shocked to see feel nothing but air in her hand as her big magical staff vanished all of a sudden .
To be more precise, a pigeon came out of the black hat and instantly switched place with the staff in the opponent's hand .
"Lemme see…"
The Joker examined the staff while ignoring the shocked gaze of both the audience and the mage . He tentatively waved the staff around, causing the ground to shake and several fireballs to materialize around him .
"Ugh it's a waste of time . "
He pointed the staff at the speechless Bela, causing the fireballs to fly at her, ready to scorch her . Although she lost her weapon, she was still able to use her spells .
A barrier made of fire was raised from the ground, protecting her from the incoming fireballs, which literally turned into fireworks the moment they hit the barrier .
This further confused the audience, who didn't know what the hell was going on . Even with his previous knowledge and good senses, Arthur was still unable to understand what the Joker did .
He glanced at Leiu only to find the youth totally restless as if he was sitting on sharp spikes .
"What's wrong?"
What Arthur was unaware of was that Leiu was a battle maniac, more than even the Joker himself . The Nameless Knight was a naturally born fighter, a killing machine, so, when faced with a mysterious yet powerful opponent, of course he'll want to fight him .
However, Arthur was different, he never found joy in fighting . Every time he fought, it's for a reason, and he never considered battling a fun 'hobby' .