Flashy Adventurer System : Show Off to Get Stronger!

Chapter 373: Arthur Vermicelli

"TOO FAST!! THINGS SIMPLY HAPPENED WAY TOO FAST!! ONE INSTANT, PAYNE WAS SOARING AND STRIKING WITH UNPREDICTABILITY, AND IN THE NEXT, HE WAS SUDDENLY PINNED TO THE GROUND! GRASPED BY HIS THROAT BY SHYE CROWLEY!! WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE TURN OF EVENTS!!"

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"H-Hey...Did you guys see that?"

"Y-yeah...It seemed that Shye Crowley was faster than Payne all along...Was he simply toying with Payne?"

"He must've been...what a villain..."

"What he did was kinda cool though, no? I mean, grabbing Payne by his throat mid-flight, pinning him to the ground, then finishing him off with a fireball at point-blank range? Who else could claim that they would be able to win so dominantly against a rookie in the top ten like that?"

"This guy must've trained so hard to be so powerful and fast at the same time..."

Hearing the audience's hubbub, Payne felt utterly defeated. Well...he was defeated, in fact, he was destroyed.

None of his attacks ever worked.

Rumors had a certain degree of truth in them, hence, he knew that Shye Crowley was strong.

Still, actually being confronted with the harsh reality of his utter inferiority despite his one-year seniority and their close ranks... shattered his competitive drive.

Payne hadn't anticipated that one day, he would be confronting the thing that only fallen geniuses faced: Inner Demons.

An inner demon is a kernel of self-doubt that takes root in the hearts of gifted adventurers who once thought themselves among the finest of their generation.

From there, it thrives on one's insecurities, steadily expanding over time, ultimately shattering their confidence irreparably.

Those afflicted with such demons gradually grow lethargic and timid, descending from the heights of greatness into utter mediocrity.

The first hurdle in conquering such a cursed affliction was the most challenging: acknowledging the presence of their inner demons.

Why? Because doing so was equivalent to acknowledging that one was indeed inferior to others.

"Huh? And who are you? I don't talk to random nobodies on the street. Also, your breath stinks, brush your teeth first before talking to me again."

Of course, Arthur Vermillion's breath didn't stink, Shye just said so to piss the guy off and then started walking away.

Hearing Shye's nasty words, veins popped at the sides of Arthur's head. He wanted to lash out, however, like Percy Phone, he was someone who wanted to keep his stoic appearance.

The only difference between them was, that people truly believed that Arthur was a stoic individual, unlike Percy who wasn't blessed in the art of pretentiousness.

Luckily, one of his lackeys bailed him out of his infuriating situation as this was the first time he ever encountered someone who dared disrespect him in such a direct and distasteful way, hence, his brain failed to think of a sharp retort on the fly.

"YOU! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO MY BOSS, ARTHUR VERMILLION, THAT WAY?! AN OVERRATED ROOKIE LIKE YOU WILL BE EXPOSED BY MY BOSS IN NO TIME! YOU BETTER BEG FOR FORGIVENESS NOW OR DO IT ONSTAGE!"

While the lackey was speaking, Shye was whispering to Seira.

'Hey, Seira, do you have any annoying nicknames for this stupid Arthur?'

'Hmph! Of course, boss! Who do you think you're talking to? Just call him Arthur Vermicelli and he's sure to erupt!'

'Hahahaha! I like that name!'

Turning around, Shye sneered at the group in disdain.

"Heh, why would I be scared of your boss? Arthur...Vermicelli, was it? I understand that it would be embarrassing to speak with a smelly breath, however, how will you amount to anything if you can't even speak for yourself? I advise you to gather your courage first and...again, brush your teeth before you speak to me, the great Shye Crowley!"

Right after speaking yet another thick bundle of insults, Shye immediately turned around, ignored Arthur's group, and kept walking towards the seafood restaurant.

The transition from hurling insults to going about on his day was simply too smooth and fast for Arthur to even have a chance to respond.

If he called out again, he'd risk appearing foolish, especially with the growing crowd drawn to the spectacle of his group's dispute with Shye Crowley.

Left with no choice, Arthur suffered his first-ever verbal war defeat, leaving him inwardly fuming.

'Shye Crowley!! You dare disrespect me?! The heir of the Vermillion Adventurer Clan?! I'll make you beg for your life!'