Amidst the chorus of gasps and shock, only Ed sat quietly, slightly dazed.
A mere Low-Grade Black Iron tier could cause this much of a stir?
Just moments ago, the Hunters around Ed had been brimming with fighting spirit. Now, that fire had been completely extinguished.
Even the loudmouthed uncle sitting next to Ed, who had been trash-talking non-stop, was trembling at the lips.
"Black Iron tier... I've heard it's way stronger than a Level 3 Apprentice!"
Echoes of agreement rippled through the crowd. "Ten times stronger, at least, right? Some say it's like the gap between a basic Hunter and an ordinary person!"
Sighs filled the air. "Seems like the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association wouldn't have made such a bold claim if they weren't confident. Trying to win that prize from them? Not gonna be easy."
Amidst the murmurs, the host on stage finally spoke up.
"All right, I'd like to ask everyone present now—"
"Is there anyone who would like to challenge Brown?"
As soon as the words fell, the entire venue went silent. A stark contrast to the earlier buzz.
Everyone clamped their mouths shut, not daring to make a sound.
Seeing this, the host frowned.
"Very well. Then I'll have to start calling out the names of those who registered from other associations before the banquet."
He pulled out a list and began reading from it.
"First up, the strongest among them—Shawn of the Demon Ram Association. Please come to the stage!"
"Shawn? Did you hear that?"
"Damn it, where is he? Did he not show up?"
The host called out several times, but no one responded.
Down below, the other Hunters whispered in hushed, admiring tones.
"Looks like Shawn had the foresight not to come. He must've known he'd be up against a monster."
"Smart guy... real smart."
Ed sat calmly, sipping his tea.
Still calling for Shawn? he thought. That guy's definitely not showing up.
With no response, the host gave up and moved on to the next name.
"Well then, onto the next challenger."
"Mitt!"
"Please come up!"
A visibly nervous man stood from the crowd, slowly walked up to the stage, drew his sword, and faced Brown.
Mitt kept trying to psych himself up. He was only a Level 2 Apprentice, and the gap in strength was enormous—but still, he'd found the courage...
"Ahhh!"
In the next instant, Mitt let out a painful scream as Brown landed a kick square on his chest, sending him flying over ten meters.
He crashed hard onto the stage, barely conscious from the pain.
Just like that—in a blink—the fight was over.
Below, both guests and Hunters collectively sucked in a cold breath.
"That's Black Iron tier?"
"Terrifying... absolutely terrifying!"
As the stunned voices echoed, Brown stood tall and proud. Then the next name was called.
"Henry!"
At that, the uncle next to Ed stood up with a look of grim determination and made his way to the stage.
At this moment, all he could do was keep pushing himself, over and over—he had to muster his courage!
"Damn it, it's just a Black Iron-tier! I don't believe he's that strong! I'll fight him with everything I've got!"
With that fierce resolve burning in his chest, Henry finally stepped onto the stage.
The cloak on his back bore three glowing runes—a clear mark of a Level 3 Apprentice.
As soon as he got up there, the other Hunters in the audience began cheering him on:
"Big bro Henry, you gotta believe in yourself! We've already given up!"
"You're a Level 3 Apprentice—maybe you can take down that arrogant little brat!"
"Just like you bragged before—go wipe the floor with that damn Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"
Encouragement and teasing mixed in the air, and Ed glanced at Henry with a bit more interest.
"So this uncle's name is Henry, huh."
But Ed remained a quiet observer. After all, his trip to Dorey City had one main purpose: to watch other Hunters and gather intel.
And this battle happening right now? It suited that goal perfectly.
Onstage, Henry took a deep breath and drew his steel sword. He faced Brown and shouted, "Come on! Draw your weapon!"
"You?" Brown looked down from his elevated position, not even bothering to glance at him.
"You think you deserve to see my sword? A trash Level 3 Apprentice like you—I could take you down bare-handed."
He said it, and he meant it—his sword stayed sheathed.
Just like when he dealt with Mitt, Brown didn't even bother unsheathing his blade. He clearly held nothing but contempt for his opponents.
"Bastard! What gives you the right to insult me like this?" Henry had already been nervous, but now, fury overtook the fear.
You can defeat me—but you will not trample on my dignity!
With a furious roar, Henry charged forward with all his might, sword raised high.
"Get out of my way!" Brown growled lazily, throwing out a casual punch as he mumbled.
Crack!
The speed of that punch—Henry couldn't even see it coming.
It landed square on the blade of Henry's sword, and a loud shattering sound rang out.
Henry's eyes went wide. "What?! My sword!?"
Though the weapon hadn't been completely broken in two, a massive crack split the blade down the middle—it was essentially useless now.
Then, without an ounce of mercy, Brown's fist came swinging straight for Henry's face.
"I told you—I don't need to draw my sword. So what?!"
"A useless Level 3 Apprentice like you… you're just too damn weak!"
Punch after punch rained down, and Henry couldn't block a single one.
His face was quickly battered black and blue, blood flying from his mouth—along with a few teeth.
His mind began to spin. His consciousness blurred.
In the end, Henry collapsed to his knees before Brown, his entire body limp like mud. He dropped his sword, shielding his face with trembling hands, crying out in agony and desperation:
"No! Please, stop! I surrender—I'm begging you, just stop hitting me!"
"I… I really give up!"
And yet, despite Henry's pleas for mercy, Brown showed not even a hint of stopping.
"I heard you've been talking trash about my Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association," he said with a cold smile.
"I'm beating you like this so you'll remember never to run your mouth again."
Brown grinned, a vindictive gleam in his eyes. He kept pounding Henry until the man's swollen face had no untouched spot left for another punch—only then did he finally stop.
Down below, all the Hunters stared up with rage in their eyes… but there was nothing they could do.
This—this was the gap in power.
In stark contrast, the rest of the guests erupted into loud cheers and applause.
The nobles and elites, after witnessing such a brutal, bloody brawl, were absolutely thrilled.
"That was amazing! This is why I back the Moon Eclipse Demon Hunter Association!"
"I'm going to increase my sponsorship for them this year—by a lot!"
This was real combat. Watching a duel between Hunters was entertainment, plain and simple—and the more violent it was, the more excited they got.
Meanwhile, Ed furrowed his brows slightly.
"So this is what the elite of this world are like?" he muttered to himself.
They wore their superiority like a badge of honor… treating people like they were nothing.
Then again, it made sense. Back in his past life, nobles would get worked up watching beasts tear each other apart in bloodsport—how could they not go wild over Hunter battles?
On the stage, after Henry limped off in severe injury, Brown's ego had swelled to the extreme.
"Who's next? Come on—anyone else?!" he shouted arrogantly.
He swept his gaze over all the Hunters below, and not a single one caught his eye.
There wasn't even a shred of respect in his tone—only naked contempt.
And the worst part? The Hunters below couldn't do a damn thing about it.
After two fights, the truth was crystal clear: the gap between a Black Iron-tier Hunter and an Apprentice was massive.
When Brown attacked, even a Level 3 Apprentice couldn't see his movements, much less react to them. As for strength? The difference was easily tenfold.
They weren't even on the same playing field. It wasn't a fair fight—it wasn't a fight at all.
So, not a single person dared to step forward now.
"What a joke. Just as I thought—the rest of you are nothing but cowards,"
Brown scoffed as he saw the silence stretch on.
He turned to the host beside him. "Go ahead and declare this challenge event over."
"I've no interest in wasting my time here any longer."
He shrugged casually and turned to leave.
"Stop right there!" Suddenly, a young voice rang out from the crowd of Hunters.
It was Ed—he had stood up.
The moment the others realized someone had stepped forward, they lit up with shock and a spark of hope… but when they turned and saw it was Ed, their expressions fell flat.
"That guy? The young one who snuck into the event? He's standing up now?"
"No way… this kid really doesn't fear death, huh?!"