WARM-UP

While Hutton and George were waiting for the competition to kick off, Kenneth went to VIP section at the audience section along with the two bodyguards behind him.

When Kenneth got into the slightly large room where a tempered glass protected the front of the room, he saw two middle aged men, a old looking man and seductive looking lady that seems to be in her twenties.

"Ah, it seems the renowned boxing master from the Thomas family couldn't resist attending this playful competition" the old man among the group said with a light chuckle after seeing Kenneth walk into the VIP section.

"Well that lazy bag was held up with something so he begged me represent him in the competition along with registered his first brat" Kenneth casually said as he sat down right next to the old man.

Apparently, this old man was none other than the Mayor of the Cornerstone city who came along with his two sons and his daughter.

"Oh! He is back?" The Mayor asked with a surprised expression on his face. Actually, why Hutton didn't encounter George during his visit to the Thomas family is because he travelled overseas to compete in a fighting competition.

Although before he left, he wasn't even a match of Liam who was Kenneth's disciple, but after getting liked by a Grandmaster and was further trained by him after he travelled overseas, he could even defeat Draconic fists in two moves!

"Yeah he actually came back last night. But as soon as he heard there was going to be a competition here, he quickly requested to take part" Kenneth said with a light chuckle.

Apparently, Liam which was Kenneth disciple wanted to also take part in it but Kenneth quickly disagreed due to his combat standards wasn't high enough for this kind of competition.

"Well this will make this competition more interesting" The Mayor said as he looked out of the tinted glass right in front of him with anticipation. But he failed to notice that the two middle aged men in front of him were brimming in fighting spirits.

'Will he come for this competition?' Vivian who was earnestly looking out of the glass wondered with an expectation in her bright and charming eyes.

While all this was going on, a middle aged man that has a face of a con artist while wearing a simple suit walked into the platform and stood right at the centre of the platform.

"I specially welcome you all to this year Vigorous Men Competition" the con artist said with a mysterious smile on his face. Along with it came some loud cheers and clapping.

"Just like how this tournament is carried out, I will call out the competitors onto the platform before I announce how the competition will be carried out. So our dear Vigorous Men, why don't you come on out!" The con artist said as he quickly turned to face the wide and open entrance beneath the platform.

Not too long after, upto 20 men slowly walked out of this entrance while stepping into the platform. Most of these men looked rather young in appearance but have different degrees of aura that made them totally unapproachable.

"He actually came!" Vivian suddenly blurted out in a surprised and joyous tone after spotting out a man in his early twenties who people can easily miss in a large crowd.

"Who actually came Vivian?" The Mayor quickly asked after being surprised by Vivian sudden reaction.

"The person I told you about earlier this morning. Look! He is right there" Vivian explained as she pointed towards a particular person who is currently on the platform.

Before the mayor could see who Vivian was pointing at, Kenneth hurriedly asked in a perplexed tone.

"Do you mean Hutton?"

"Although I don't know his name, but when I met him he had a well kept and glittering brown hair and an indifferent look on his face" Vivian said as she dropped her hand down.

"Then that is definitely Hutton" Kenneth said as he nod his head in confirmation.

"You know him?" The Mayor asked as he looked at Kenneth with a surprised expression on his face.

"Not only do I know him, but he is actually guiding me to breakthrough and become a Grandmaster" Kenneth said with a joyful smile on his face.

"What!?" The Mayor exclaimed with a look of disbelief on his face. Not only him, but both the two middle aged men and Vivian had shocked expression on their faces.

Who is Kenneth?

He is a veteran boxing master that has won various competition even at the regional level. Not only that, but he has done all this even before he became a boxing master.

If not for a life saving favor Kenneth owe the Thomas family and wanting to be in seclusion for a while, the Thomas family wouldn't have the privilege to meet him that time.

'He is that strong?' Vivian thought with a dazed expression on his face.

"Well this just widden my horizons of the hidden dragons in this world" The Mayor said with a weak smile on his face.

Back in the platform, right after all the 20 competitors stepped on the platform, the con looking artist immediately said..

"Now that all the competitors are on the platform, it's time to announce how the competition will be carried out. Unlike the other competition in the previous years, this one will be different as it will be one fast and exceedingly fierce round"

"Huh?"

"One fast and fierce round?"

"What does he mean?"

While the audience were whispering among themselves, the con looking artist quickly continued an excited smile on his face.

"What I meant by what I previously said is that there will be a battle royale on this spacious platform and the winner will be the last man standing!"

'Battle Royale?' Hutton thought in a surprised tone but his expression wasn't fazed by the news.

Apparently, Hutton wanted a one-to-one competition so that he can have a warm-up while also tempering the body in a rather crude way.

'Well, I will just have to use this battle royale for my warm-up then' Hutton thought while everyone began to scatter on the platform.

"Aren't you going to prepare yourself for the Battle Royale?" George suddenly asked Hutton in a respectful tone. After seeing the domineering display Hutton did back in the waiting room, he decided to try and befriend him.

Although Hutton was surprised to why George asked him this question, he still answered in a calm tone...

"I'll be ok here"

Right after everyone prepared themselves for the Battle Royale, the con looking artist suddenly announced..

"Let the competition begin!!"

"Ahh!"

Immediately, the competitors on the platform began to fight amongst themselves with various combat styles and techniques. As for Hutton, he quietly stood at a corner of the platform while observing the others.

'He isn't using the boxing style?' Hutton thought with a surprised expression on his face as he observed George fighting style.

Based on what he saw, everyone in the Thomas family were practicing the boxing style due to Kenneth who is the boxing master in the family.

But the combat style George is using is actually one of the most renowned fighting style in the world which is called 'Kungfu'.

"Why isn't anyone attacking Hutton?" Vivian suddenly asked with a confused expression on her face.

"How would we know?" one of the middle aged men said in a bland tone.

"You don't have to worry Vivian, someone is already approaching him" Kenneth suddenly spoke up after noticing two youths who look almost the same slowly approaching Hutton.

"Now that we are on the platform, I would like to see how you will escape from us" the blonde youth from before spoke up as he slowly walked towards Hutton with his twin brother.

Due to fighting in the waiting room was prohibited and his twin brother didn't want to make things difficult for them, he silently endured the grudge in his heart. But now that they were on the platform, nothing was holding him back from giving Hutton a good beating.

"If you know what's good for you, just obediently leave the platform" The blonde youth twin brother said with a solemn look on his face.

Due to the competition being a battle royale, anyone that leaves or thrown out of the platform will instantly be eliminated from the competition.

"I should obediently leave the platform just because it's both of you?" Hutton asked with a gloomy expression on his face. But the twins didn't notice that something was wrong as the blonde youth answered in an arrogant tone.

"Of cause!"

As soon as the blonde youth answered, an cold and deadly aura erupted out of Hutton as he said solemnly.

"It seems like you have a death wish"