Chapter 88: The Predatory Fang
Then he gestured for his friends to bring their ears even closer...
The people around Lord Dicks looked at one another with a bit of suspicion...
In the end, they all leaned closer together so that no one could overhear them, and erected a spiritual barrier around themselves.
"From the information I just obtained... It turns out that the person responsible for guiding that boy is the Soul-Devouring Spider... Zephyr."
Lord Dicks spoke in a voice that was barely audible. Even with all those layers of protection around them, he still glanced around several times, afraid that someone might overhear.
His friends’ eyes widened. They looked at him in disbelief, then suddenly shouted in shock.
"You mean the Black Reaper Zephyr?!
That Immortal-level monster who killed an Immortal King in the Region of Kozmora sixty thousand years ago?!"
"Shhhhh!"
The moment he heard that person’s shout...
Every trace of dignity and composure vanished from Lord Dicks’ face.
He quickly covered the man’s mouth, glared at him with sharp eyes, and shouted in a low, furious voice,
"Shut your mouth, you idiot! Do you want to get all of us killed... What if someone from the Primordial Fangs heard what we were saying? Or what if one of our enemies heard it and reported it to the Primordial Fangs?!"
The man who had just shouted was stunned by Lord Dicks’ exaggerated reaction.
After Lord Dicks finally removed his hand from his mouth...
He spoke in a low, aggrieved voice.
"But are the Primordial Fangs really that unreasonable?
Would they really target us just because we’re talking about them?"
In response to those questions, veins bulged on Lord Dicks’ forehead.
He suddenly stood up and smacked the man on the head.
After making sure the blow was strong enough, Lord Dicks sat down again, straightened his clothes, then looked at the man and said angrily,
"You idiot, who do you think you are for even the weakest candidate of the Primordial Fangs to target you?"
Lord Dicks shouted in a low, angry voice. Then he gritted his teeth, grabbed the ignorant man’s jaw, and turned his face toward Ricky in the middle of the arena.
"Do you see that boy over there...?"
Lord Dicks pointed at Ricky with his finger.
The man looked at Ricky, then nodded several times to indicate—
Yes.
"You already know the title of the person responsible for guiding that boy—Black Reaper Zephyr.
But do you know why he received that title?"
"Oh! Oh!"
The ignorant man shook his head, indicating—
No.
"Idiot!"
Lord Dicks pushed the man’s face away as though throwing it aside.
Then he wiped his hand with a handkerchief.
"In the beginning, Lord Zephyr used to devour the inhabitants of planets at random.
Whenever he felt a little bored, he would descend upon some remote planet and devour every living creature on it.
Even the candidates entrusted to him were no exception...
He devoured some of them and spared the others.
But none of those actions earned him the title of the Black Reaper.
Only after accomplishing that legendary feat...
After fighting against an Immortal King, defeating him, and even killing him...
Only then did he receive his current title and earn a place among the strongest people of this era."
Then he looked at the ignorant man with complete disgust.
"So do you really think people like that would care about someone as insignificant as you?"
"...?"
The man looked at Lord Dicks with complete confusion.
Then he gathered his courage and asked,
"If I’m really that insignificant, and they wouldn’t even care about me...
Then why should we be so afraid?"
Lord Dicks’ eyes widened in disbelief after hearing the ignorant man’s question.
"Are you an idiot? Who even brought you into this group?"
Then he placed a finger against his forehead and began rubbing it.
Finally, he let out a sigh and said,
"You idiot, it’s true that they wouldn’t care about insignificant people like us...
But what if someone like the Black Reaper Zephyr... Or even the Black Reaper himself... happened to get bored...
And heard that we were talking about him or the Primordial Fangs?
He might decide to wipe us all out for nothing more than a passing whim.
When that happens, neither resistance nor regret will save you."
Then Lord Dicks turned toward the ignorant man.
"Take this as advice for the future...
When dealing with existences at this level...
you must watch even the smallest word that leaves your mouth."
Then he frowned and looked toward Ricky.
"I’ve seen people, continents... Even planets... Wiped out because of trivial things like that."
Lord Dicks spoke in a deep voice.
When he recalled something...
His body trembled violently.
As he looked at Ricky, fear filled his eyes.
"Besides... The Black Reaper is only that boy’s guide.
But that boy’s master is far worse than the Black Reaper!"
"Far worse than the Black Reaper?!
You’re joking... Right?!"
Lord Dicks’ friends were stunned by what he had just said and asked in disbelief.
Unfortunately...
Lord Dicks shattered their hopes and shook his head.
"No... I’m not joking!
That boy’s master bears the emblem of the Eight Fangs.
He’s one of the Elders of the Primordial Fangs."
The closer Lord Dicks came to mentioning Ricky’s master...
The more violently he trembled.
"That boy’s master is the one who wiped an Immortal Empire that had stood for over a hundred million years off the face of existence!
He is the one known as... the Predatory Fang...
Ar..."
The moment Lord Dicks tried to say the Predatory Fang’s real name...
He felt as though something... Some kind of barrier... was preventing him from doing so.
He had the feeling that if he forced himself to say it...
He would suffer unimaginable consequences.
Lord Dicks turned toward the ignorant man.
The anger inside him grew stronger with every passing moment.
"I don’t know who let you join this group.
But what I do know now...
Is that you won’t remain in it any longer.
Get out of my sight.
And I don’t want to see your face ever again!"
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"Ladies and gentlemen!
Now that both opponents have gathered...
Which battlefield shall today’s battle take place on?!