The Hunter's Mark

The crowd was noisy, as usual. It was kinda depressing for him because he knew no one was there to watch his fight.

His match was just an intermission for the main event everyone wanted to see.

'So what?' Malcom shook his head before he released a heavy sigh. He then looked at the ground with determination.

Despite not understanding why some things happened, he had learned to always accept the fact that his life was already ongoing.

'It has always been this way. Why are you still feeling down about it?' Malcom questioned himself silently through clenched teeth.

He was trying to encourage himself since no one else would, but he was doing a crappy job.

"How do you feel?"

Malcom heard a woman's voice coming from the entrance.

He looked up and saw Mabel. She was watching him with a smile as she leaned against the door frame of the battle arena's waiting room.

Mabel was beautiful. She gave off a respectable aura even when she was only a few years older than him.

But regardless of her age, her status could not be ignored. Mabel was one of the Seven Sacred Virtues.

"You seem worried. Yesterday in my office, you said you would have no problem beating this girl," Mabel said with a raised eyebrow.

"And I meant it! I will beat her! Don't worry," Malcom replied with slight annoyance. He couldn't get upset with her since she still took the time to check on him.

"You better! The bets are seven to one in her favor. A victory would fill us with silver," Mabel responded with a complicated expression.

It was no surprise that the stakes were so lopsided. After all, he was a losing horse.

He glanced at the mirror, and saw his reflection. The reflection had eyes full of resignation for the sad life he had.

He got up and grabbed his black hat, and put it on his head, covering his flat hair. One would notice an image of a vertical closed eye on it if one looked closely at the hat.

A red light came on over the entrance to the waiting room. That was the signal that the fight was about to begin.

Mabel noticed his light eyes lit suddenly. It was like his confidence suddenly got boosted.

"Malcom, you must win!" Mabel firmly said when he walked past her.

The young man shifted his gaze towards her and immediately noticed her anger.

Malcom smirked. "Don't worry about your money. Just remember paying me!" He yelled before he walked to the stage.

The hallway to enter the stage was long and dark. The shouts of the crowd were heard cheerful.

Although his fight was nothing to be excited about, everyone stood firm, supporting their favorite mages.

He also knew that his name would never be shouted. That did bother him.

After all, he just wanted to shut those cheers up.

When he came out to the stage, people began to boo him, and his opponent was already waiting for him on the platform.

The place was huge, a rectangular stadium with four wide stands at each vertex—four giant screens on the roofs facing each of the stands.

In the center a pyramid-shaped platform with stairs leading to the top. The top was small, no more than five meters in diameter, with a pedestal. In the center of the pedestal was a huge blue sphere called Bio-Dimension.

Malcom went up the stairs trying to be as calm as possible. Of course, that was always easier said than done.

The crowd was against him, and the booing was starting to get on his nerves.

Of course, he acted as if it was nothing. The more the crowd booed, the more Malcom grinned silly at them.

If Malcom had learned anything in all these years, it was how to be as irritating as possible. He could bet that if the crowd was allowed to throw things at him, they already had done it.

He continued to walk leisurely. Malcom felt so much better. When he reached the top, he saw his opponent.

A young blonde with a ponytail and blue eyes with yellow and black pants like a tiger. She was also wearing a black and yellow top that matched the pants.

She showed a lot of skin, and her beautiful body was part of what gave her so many followers. Not only that but she was also known for her tendency to be completely brutal when it came to fighting.

"And now we will start with the eighth battle tonight! From the red side of the sphere! With a record of 18 fights won and three defeats, Selina, the cat beast!" The presenter spoke.

Hearing those words, the crowd roared loudly.

Everyone desperately waited for Selina, who they had seen so many times finished off her opponents before, doing the same again.

"His opponent on the blue side with 22 fights won and 27 losses, Hunter Malcom!" The presenter continued.

The people let out another loud thunderous noise of boos and displeasure. Some laughed aloud mockingly when they heard that presentation.

Malcom lips twitch. He was about to grimace as the presenter had yelled his loss count louder than his wins.

Nevertheless, he managed to retain a fake expression of being proud. After all, the record was genuine despite it also being terrible.

He could understand everyone expected him to lose the fight soon, so they could move on to the main event later.

Malcom got his thoughts on track and focused his gaze on Selina.

She was among the twenty candidates to be part of the Seven Sacred Virtues in the future, while Malcom was nothing more than a filler character.

"The meeting as scheduled will be a battle to the death," the presenter continued to speak, "Both fighters will place their hand on the sphere. The fighter with the greatest magical power will choose the fighting stage."

"After that, the sphere will transport their conscious to the simulation place where they will fight. The sphere will cancel the fight as soon as one of the two dies. So participants, when you are ready, we will begin!"

Mabel walked through the crowd. She then took a seat in one of the tallest boxes in the entire stadium, reserved for the Virtues. It was the best seat, it allowed a full view of the entire fight.

After all, these events' main purpose was for them to choose their most worthy successors. However, there was only one member of the Seven Sacred Virtues other than Mabel in this fight, Satin.

He was the Warrior Beast Virtue. It was known that he was eyeing Selina as his successor.

'The girl could do a fairly efficient Virtue.'

Mabel remembered Satin casually mentioned that one time.

However, everyone was aware that there was something more than a teacher-student relationship between him and Selina.

"Hello, Mabel. You look as beautiful as always," Satin said with a grin as he looked at Mabel taking her seat.

"Satin, the Mighty Bull. How are you? Did you come to see your protégé?" She asked, with a small smile, after glancing at Satin.

"Yes! That's correct," Satin nodded before he continued, "But, these events are absurd sometimes. I don't understand why they let the Marked ones participate."

Mabel frowned, "They are still a part of us, and you want them to be restricted?" She questioned with unmasked disbelief.

"It is not that!" Satin immediately shook his head. He then breathed hard through his nose like a bull, showing that he was keeping his temper in check.

Satin added sarcastically, "It's useless that they let them participate. It's not like they can win. Just a waste of our precious time." He grinned wide while looking at Malcom at the pedestal with disdain. It was like him looking at someone who was so insignificant.

Mabel clenched her teeth due to annoyance. She really hated Satin, but they both shared a position of honor, and she could not be rude to him. She just looked at the fighters to distract herself.

She then noticed that Selina was looking towards them.

The young girl was waving her hand towards her teacher, Satin.

Selina was 18 years old while Satin was 43.

Mabel understood that there was no age in love or stupidity, but Satin's perversion could surely use some restriction. It was really ironic that Satin lacked virtue sometimes when he was supposed to be part of an honorable, virtuous organization.

Mabel's gaze, then focused on Malcom.

Malcom was looking at the sphere firmly.

Something about Malcom had always caught her attention. He always looked determined, more so now.

'A Marked that refused to accept his fate,' Mabel thought to herself, 'He was quite inspiring.'

"What are you doing here?" Satin asked Mabel, who was distracted. "Today is not a fight between elementals."

"I like to see the matches," Mabel replied nonchalantly.

"You like wasting your time now too? Why not, us, doing something better?" Satin asked curiously, and his smile was very unpleasant to look at. His tone was suggestive.

He had a gold tooth and a very lewd expression as he leaned a little closer towards her.

Mabel could stiffen as Satin's massive body, which was barely kept within his white wool suit, got closer to her.

Thankfully he still left some space between them, or else Mabel would surely take an offensive stance against him.

"I need to relax sometimes, just like you. But if you are interested in doing something else, maybe we can make a small bet," She offered with a fake tight smile.

"What kind of bet?" He asked with eyes clear of interest.

"Fifty thousand rubies, Selina will lose this fight," Mabel responded with confidence.

"Huh?" Satin was dumbfounded before he laughed. He laughed so loud that it echoed throughout the stage. It overshadowed the entire crowd's noise.

Many of the people in attendance turned their faces to look for the laughter's origin. Satin, however, did not care at all.

Satin laughed non-stop, and when he managed to regain his composure, he said, "You are a crazy woman! But I like it! Do you really want to bet?"

Mabel only responded with a mischievous smile. She was just rubbing her index and middle finger with her thumb.

Satin snorted, "As you like! If you are so eager to throw money away, I will gladly pick it up!"

While the Virtues finalized their bet, the mage fighters placed their hand on the side of the sphere that had their color.

The sphere began to glow, and almost instantly, the red side completely took over the blue side of the sphere.

Seeing the clear difference in magic, the crowd laughed and booed Malcom once again.

Upon seeing this, Satin said, "I'll give you one last chance to withdraw the bet, Mabel. After all, that boy is a Marked one. He can't use much of his power. He's doomed to lose and fail in his entire life."

"If you're so sure of it, let's make it a hundred thousand," Mabel retorted, with an expression that was serious with determination.

Satin, surprised, looked at her with disbelief. He was baffled. But it did not take long for him to smile smugly and said, "As you wish!"