Hitman with a Badass System

The minions weren't playing anymore. They flicked their wrists, and swords and spears materialized in their hands. The patrons in the tavern gasped at the sight. The minions charged at Michael with a ferocity that left the patrons stunned.

Michael stood calmly as three minions came at him with weapons. The first minion charged at him, but Michael dodged his attack with a swift sidestep. The second minion swung his sword, but Michael bent down, causing the sword to miss him by mere inches. The third minion hurled a spear at him, but Michael caught it mid-air with one hand. The patrons in the tavern watched in awe as Michael spun the spear around, disarming the minion and tossing the spear to the side.

Michael remained calm as he assessed his attackers. As the first minion charged, Michael sidestepped, grabbed an ale mug from the table, and broke it over the minion's face. The patrons winced as the mug shattered, sending wooden splinters flying and blood splattering across the table.

The second minion swung his sword with all his might, aiming for Michael's head. But Michael was too quick for him. He bent down, and the sword narrowly missed his forehead. Michael then kicked the first minion, who stumbled into the second minion, sending them both crashing through chairs and onto the floor.

The third minion lunged at Michael with his spear, but Michael sidestepped and grabbed a nearby chair. With a powerful swing, he brought the chair down on the minion's head, shattering it to pieces. The patrons cringed at the sight and some looked away in horror.

As the minion screamed in pain, Michael silenced him with a swift punch to the face. The patrons in the tavern erupted in cheers, impressed by Michael's quick reflexes and fighting skills. They had never seen a fighter like him before.

"By the gods, did you see that move?" exclaimed a patron, his eyes wide with amazement.

"I've never seen anyone fight like that before," said another, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That guy is a force to be reckoned with," whispered a third, watching Michael as he took down the last minion.

"He's like a whirlwind," said a fourth patron, impressed by Michael's speed and agility.

"I wouldn't want to be on his bad side," muttered a fifth patron, eyeing Michael warily.

"Is he a mercenary?" asked a curious sixth patron, leaning closer to his friend.

The crowd was in awe as they watched Michael, a Body Strengthening stage cultivator, take down Core Formation warriors in a fight without even using any spells. They couldn't believe their eyes.

After knocking out three minions, only five were left except Tetris, the leader of the group. Michael decided to take down the minions first and deal with Tetris last. The remaining five hesitated for a moment and pondered whether to cast a spell or not. But their hesitation cost them dearly.

Michael quickly grabbed a broken piece of wood from the table and kicked it at one of the minions. The wood piece flew through the air and hit the minion in the head, knocking him back. The crowd gasped as Michael slid above the table and kicked the minion in the chest, sending him flying across the room. "Did you see that? He took him down with just a piece of wood!" exclaimed a patron in the crowd.

The other four minions charged at Michael with their weapons drawn. Michael calmly dodged their attacks with his quick reflexes, and the crowd was amazed by his skills. "He's like a dancing leaf, so agile and quick," said another patron.

One of the minions swung his sword at Michael, but Michael grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled the minion towards him. The crowd cheered as Michael delivered a swift punch to the minion's gut, causing him to double over in pain.

The other three minions hesitated as they saw their comrade fall to the ground. Michael seized the opportunity and knocked them out one by one. The crowd erupted into cheers as Michael stood victorious.

"I've never seen anything like it!" said one of the patrons. "He's just a Body Strengthening stage cultivator. How could he defeat Core Formation warriors so easily?" said another.

The minions lay on the ground groaning in pain, clutching their wounds. The one who had been hit by the wooden chair was bleeding profusely from his head, with splinters of wood sticking out of his skin. He whimpered as blood flowed down his face, staining his clothes.

Another minion who had been hit by the broken piece of wood held his head in agony, moaning as he struggled to sit up. He had a nasty gash on his forehead, and blood dripped down his face, staining his clothes. His eyes were dazed, and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.

The third minion, who had been kicked in the chest, lay on the ground gasping for breath. He clutched his chest, trying to ease the pain as he struggled to get up. But he couldn't muster the strength and groaned as he lay there, helpless.

The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, and the patrons could taste the metallic tang on their tongues. They watched as Michael kicked and punched his way through the minions, leaving them battered and bruised on the ground. It was a scene of pure chaos and destruction, and the patrons were left shaken and disturbed by what they had witnessed.

Bones cracked, and flesh tore as Michael battled the minions, the sickening sounds mixing with the clashing of metal. Some patrons turned away, unable to stomach the sight of the wounded minions lying on the ground, groaning in pain and clutching their injuries.

The smell of blood hung heavy in the air, and the patrons could taste the metallic tang on their tongues. They watched as Michael kicked and punched his way through the minions, leaving them battered and bruised on the ground. It was a scene of pure chaos and destruction, and the patrons were left shaken and disturbed by what they had witnessed.

"Inferno burst,"

With a raised hand, Tertis uttered the incantation for his signature spell, Inferno Burst. As he did so, the air around him crackled with energy, and a bright orange glow began to emanate from his fingertips. The light grew brighter and brighter until it reached a blinding intensity, causing some of the patrons in the tavern to shield their eyes.

Suddenly, with a burst of energy, a fiery explosion erupted from Tertis's hand, engulfing everything in its path. The flames were intense and scorching hot, disintegrating anything they touched. The patrons gasped and screamed as they watched in horror.

Michael, however, remained calm and collected. With lightning-fast reflexes, he grabbed a nearby round table and held it up as a shield. The intense heat of the flames caused the wood of the table to start smoking, but Michael remained unscathed. He simply stood there, holding the table steady until the flames dissipated.

The patrons watched in awe as Michael emerged from the flames unharmed. They had never seen anything like it before. Some of them applauded, while others looked on in disbelief. Tertis, on the other hand, was stunned. He had never encountered anyone who could so easily withstand his signature spell.

"That was impressive," said one of the patrons, shaking his head in disbelief. "I've never seen anyone block Inferno Burst with a table before."

Michael simply nodded and lowered the table, ready to face whatever else Tertis had in store for him. After the flames faded away, leaving a black scorched mark on the table, Michael threw the smoking table aside. Fear started to clench Tertis's heart as he threatened Michael.

Tertis was livid with anger, his face contorting into a mask of fury as he glared at Michael. His whole body was trembling with rage, and his eyes blazed with intense killing intent. "You have no idea what you have done," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "We will skin you alive!"

But Michael was not intimidated. He knew that Tertis was all talk and no action. Besides, Michael had a plan and was confident it would work. He had noticed some of the patrons leaving the tavern when he knocked out the second minion, and he knew that backup would arrive soon.

As he faced Tertis, Michael remained calm and collected, his eyes focused on his opponent. He knew he had to rough up Tertis a bit to get the information he needed, but he also knew he couldn't go too far. He had to keep Tertis alive long enough for the backup to arrive.

Tertis, on the other hand, was seething with anger. He could feel his blood boiling with rage, and his hands were shaking with the desire to strike out at Michael. He had never been humiliated like this before and was determined to make Michael pay for what he had done.

The patrons in the tavern watched nervously as the two men faced off against each other. They could feel the tension in the air and knew that something big was about to happen. Some of them had already left, not wanting to get caught up in the violence that was sure to come. Others stayed, their eyes fixed on the two men, waiting to see who would emerge victorious.

The aftermath of the fight left the tavern in shambles. Tables and chairs were overturned, and broken pieces of wood were scattered all over the floor. The air was thick with the smell of blood and smoke from the fire spell. Burn marks and scorch stains marred the walls and floor, evidence of the intense battle that had just taken place.

Michael nonchalantly reached into his pocket, maintaining the facade of drunkenness, and retrieved the shark-headed medallion, making sure Tertis could see it. "No hard feelings, Tertis," he said, studying Tertis's expression closely to see how he would react to the medallion. Just as Michael expected, Tertis's look changed when he laid his eyes on the medallion.

"Where…where did you get it?" Tertis's question came out in a stutter as his eyes locked onto the shark-headed medallion in Michael's hand.

He couldn't believe that his uncle, who held a high position in the hierarchy, would give his creation to a mere inferior. His face twisted in a mixture of shock and anger, his nostrils flaring as he gritted his teeth. He looked as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning, his body tense and ready to pounce.

Michael approached Tertis with careful steps, feigning drunkenness, but as he neared him, he stumbled on a loose wooden board and crashed to the ground. Tertis lunged forward, grabbing a nearby wooden mug and smashing it on Michael's head before he could react. As Michael lay motionless on the floor, Tertis smirked, thinking he had won.

Suddenly, the sound of boots stomping on the wooden floor echoed through the tavern as the backup arrived just in time. As the mermon soldiers entered the tavern, the sight of their silver scales and imposing figures sent a shiver down the spines of the patrons. They assumed that the drunk man who had just taken down Tertis's group was as good as dead. The minions lay on the ground, groaning in pain and bleeding, their bodies battered and broken. The mermon soldiers clenched their fists, their eyes filled with a glint of killing intent. However, Tertis raised his hand, halting them in their tracks.

"Stop," he commanded. "Don't kill him. Take him to my uncle. He needs to answer some questions before he pays for what he just did,"

Unbeknownst to them, that was precisely Michael's plan. He wanted to be taken to Aric, and it had worked perfectly, except for Dillon, who had bolted out of the tavern, leaving him behind. Michael wasn't surprised, as Mutrad had warned him that Dillon was a coward.