Ethan turned back and looked at the person who had stopped him. He had already guessed who it might be—and sure enough, his guess was correct. The man stood there, staring at him arrogantly.
"What? You're still not satisfied after the last verbal beating?" Ethan asked coldly. "What do you want now?"
This person was none other than the man he had argued with earlier. If it weren't for Young Master Robin stepping in and scolding him, this man would have already pounced on Ethan.
But Young Master Robin's status and power were not something to be underestimated. Because of that, he had held himself back. Now that Young Master Robin had left, he finally decided to teach Ethan a lesson.
"Look! Derek is about to take action against that guy!"
"Well, that was bound to happen. They argued earlier, and that Ethan clearly offended Derek. If Derek didn't take revenge, he wouldn't be Derek."
"Exactly. Derek loves bullying others. He's cunning and always looks for excuses to fight people. As long as his opponent doesn't have a powerful background, he'll find a way to make trouble."
"If it weren't for Young Master Robin, he would've already attacked earlier. Now that Young Master Robin is gone, of course Derek won't stay silent."
The crowd whispered among themselves. As locals, they knew Derek very well. He was scheming, greedy, and ruthless. If something caught his interest, he would do whatever it took to take it—unless the other party had a background stronger than his own.
"You…!" Derek snapped, furious at Ethan's tone. "I don't believe you sold all the Grade-1 fruits to Young Master Robin. Hand over the remaining ones—now!"
"You talk as if those fruits belong to you," Ethan replied indifferently. "Get lost and mind your own business. Or I'll make you obey through force."
"Hehehe!" Derek laughed shamelessly. "You're right. If something catches my eye, it belongs to me. Hand over the fruits obediently, and maybe I'll spare your face out of pity!"
The spectators who were about to leave stopped and returned. They sensed a show was about to begin and eagerly watched to see who would win.
Ethan smiled faintly. He had read about people like this countless times in novels—unreasonable, arrogant, and merciless. These characters always appeared frequently.
This was the first such person Ethan had encountered since transmigrating into this world. Ricky and Oliver had been arrogant too, but they were within the academy, bound by its rules. They never dared cause real trouble.
"If you have the ability," Ethan said calmly, "then come and take them."
As a gamer, Ethan had a unique advantage. The system displayed the name and cultivation level of everyone within his sight.
Name: Derek
Cultivation: 5th Level of the Elementary Stage
They were at the same cultivation level.
Ethan felt excitement surge through him. This was the perfect opportunity to test the skills he had obtained from the system. He was nervous—but also thrilled. This would be his first real fight in the cultivation world.
"Looks like someone won't learn unless they get beaten!" Derek sneered. "Fine. Let's do this the hard way."
Derek immediately raised his hands to chest level. His right fist hovered near his face as a gust of wind burst from his body, sweeping dust away from his surroundings.
His muscular frame bulged, his neck swelling like a professional wrestler back on Earth. Ethan was strong too—but his body wasn't as exaggerated. Still, Ethan was confident that his physical strength surpassed Derek's.
Ethan studied Derek's stance and instantly recognized it.
A boxer's stance.
He had seen it countless times on Earth while flipping through sports channels. The posture was unmistakable.
The swirling wind around Derek didn't surprise him. This was the cultivation world. On Earth, boxers fought with pure physical strength—but here, fighters infused their movements with Inner Energy.
Ethan immediately understood—Derek had Wind Element affinity.
Despite his confidence, Ethan felt tension creeping in. This was his first fight. On Earth, he had lived a peaceful life. Even when bullied, he had never fought back—his body had been weak, his stamina low.
Now, he was about to fight someone experienced in combat since childhood.
Derek had trained his entire life.
Ethan, on the other hand, had only recently arrived in this world. Most of his strength came from Attribute Points granted by the system, not years of real combat training.
Naturally, he felt nervous.
But Ethan took a deep breath and calmed himself.
Even if this was his first fight—
Even if his opponent had more experience—
He believed one thing with absolute certainty.
He was not weaker than Derek.
And he was determined to prove it.