"Why won't you fight her? It's just a spar," Andheri asked, his voice laced with confusion, as Leo met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.
"My body, my choice," Leo responded, his tone casual but firm, as hearing those words, Andheri was instantly silenced, left with no comeback.
The phrase, "my body, my choice," was typically associated with women advocating for their right to decide whether to keep or abort a baby, and never in a million years did Andheri expect 'TheBoss' to use it as a means to avoid a simple sparring match.
The refusal was so unexpectedly clever that for a solid minute or two, Andheri found himself utterly speechless, his mind grappling with Leo's quick-witted retort.
Thankfully, he wasn't alone in his reaction as PinkLotus and Cervantez were equally stunned, their silence echoing Andheri's inability to respond, as all three stood there, wordless in the face of Leo's ingenious refusal.
"Asshole…" Andheri eventually muttered under his breath, though the frustration was clear. Unfortunately for him, Leo's hearing was sharp, and his loud, unbothered reply rang out, "SIMP," leaving Andheri coughing, once again flustered and completely at a loss for words.
"Hahaha"
Luke chuckled out loud, as watching the other rankers banter amongst themselves, he realized that whether it was the actual fight, or a battle of wits, his brother was undefeated both ways.
[ System Notification :- The treasure room is now open.
The treasure room contains a total of 191 items exchangeable through contribution points or CP.
In this event it has been determined that.
'TheBoss' had a 71% contribution, earning him 710 CP.
'PinkLotus' had a 14% contribution, earning her 140 CP
'DarkEmperor' had 6% contribution earning him 60 CP
'SkyLion' had 8% contribution earning him 80CP
'Andheri' had less than 1% contribution, earning him 10 CP ]
Before the banter could escalate further, a system notification abruptly interrupted them, announcing the opening of the treasure room gates.
The group fell silent, but Andheri's face flushed with embarrassment. His performance had been dismal—six times worse than even the next worst participant.
Although his assigned battleground had played a significant role in his poor showing, the shame of his lackluster performance in front of the woman he admired still stung.
"Lead the way, Mr. 1%," Leo quipped, twisting the knife as he made Andheri take the lead, adding insult to injury.
As they entered the treasure room, instead of being met by piles of gold coins, glittering gems, and ancient artifacts strewn about in chaotic fashion, the scene that greeted Leo and the others was far from what anyone had expected.
The treasure room was a sleek, modern space, almost resembling a high-end boutique. Polished marble floors reflected the soft lighting overhead, and neatly arranged counters stood in precise lines. Behind each counter, elves dressed in tailored suits and proper uniforms, exuding professionalism, awaited the group's approach.
"Welcome, esteemed guardians," one of the elves greeted with a deep bow. His silver hair was tied neatly behind his pointed ears, and his voice was smooth as silk. "Congratulations on your performance. We are here to assist you in selecting treasures based on your earned contribution points. If you wish to inspect any item before purchasing, we will gladly arrange a demonstration."
Leo raised an eyebrow, he had never seen these particular elves before and he had a suspicion that they might be other ship crew members that he had never met before.
'Well, this is a surprise. I was expecting a messy heap of gold and jewels, but this… this feels like we're at some exclusive mall for adventurers' Leo thought to himself, as he quite preferred this set-up to a traditional treasure room.
At that moment, a few more elves appeared, handing out sleek, glowing tablets with lists of treasures. "Please take your time to browse our selection," the elf added. "All purchases will be deducted from your contribution points."
Leo glanced at the tablet, his eyes quickly scanning the list. The variety of items was impressive, ranging from practical potions to powerful artifacts.
1)Max Restore HP Potion – 2 CP: A small vial capable of fully restoring one's health instantly. Cheap but incredibly useful.
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15)Five Level Up Tokens – 50 CP: Directly grants five levels upon use, one of the most practical items for quick progress.
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33)Elven Mana Blade – 120 CP: A sword imbued with magic, offering an edge in both physical and magical combat.
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44)Phoenix Feather Cloak – 250 CP: A rare cloak made with the skin and feathers of a phoenix. Protects against 99% flame damage, and has a 1% probability of resurrecting the player after death.
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191)Nightmare's Whisper Set – 399 CP: A set of daggers made from the most valuable material in the universe, the black death mineral. These daggers can slice through almost any material without taking damage and can penetrate any defense with ease.
'Hmm, that dagger would be useful in the right situation… but 399 CP?' Leo thought, weighing his options. He had the points to buy anything on the list, but he wasn't about to splurge on the first thing that caught his eye.
Andheri, still smarting from being dubbed "Mr1%," was fidgeting as he flipped through the tablet, his face reddening even more when he realized he couldn't afford most of the better items.
'Max Restore Potion… at least I can afford something. But damn, 10 CP feels like nothing' he thought, as he realized that apart from a few basic potions he could buy nothing else today.
"See anything you like, Andheri?" Leo asked, not missing a beat to poke fun at him, as Andheri scowled in response
"I'm not going to waste my CP. I'll get the potion. Not everyone can be TheBoss." he said, as he decided to bow his head and take the loss for today.
Leo chuckled but said nothing, he had enjoyed defeating his enemy through words today and there was no need for additional hostilities now that he was buried.
What interested him more was what the other rankers were purchasing, as he kept a keen ear open on what choices they made.