"Yes, and I want to start now," Richard replied directly.

He was only provoking him on purpose so that what he was about to do—robbing him—would appear fair.

If there was an agreement beforehand, he could justify his actions.

Unless the Red Star Empress was petty enough to ignore her reputation, she wouldn't retaliate over her brother.

And it seemed that Bear, too, wanted to use this chance to rob him.

"Hahahaha..." Bear laughed even louder.

"Then let's begin!" he shouted.

The moment he said that, Richard saw the man's hands suddenly expand, becoming as thick as tree trunks, covered in coarse fur that made them look like those of an actual bear.

His title as Bear clearly had a reason.

Rumble!

Both massive hands came crashing down toward Richard, and at that instant, he realized what kind of power even a lower-tier World Realm Magus possessed.

The pressure radiating from those enormous hands was enough to make it difficult for him to breathe or even move.

BANG!

Black lines appeared all over Richard's body, his veins darkening and bulging.

The moment they appeared, the aura he released surged violently, freeing him from Bear's oppressive pressure.

Buzz!

He unleashed his blinding white flames.

"Damn it!"

Everyone nearby instantly felt threatened.

Not all of them were in the World Realm—many were merely in the Life Aether Realm.

Richard's flames could easily turn them to ash in an instant.

They leapt back frantically, while the stronger ones like Sophia used their Aether to defend against the blazing heat.

"What?" Bear was stunned as the flames quickly burned away the fur on his arms and then his skin.

Whoosh!

He leapt into the sky, soaring upward as fast as he could.

The white flames chased after him, and their speed seemed even faster than his.

Bear maintained his movement thanks to the momentum of his leap, but once he started truly flying, his speed began to drop.

"Athena!" Richard jumped onto Athena's back, still standing instead of sitting.

Whoosh!

Athena spread her wings and soared upward, pursuing Bear into the sky.

His opponent was a World Realm Magus; fighting on the ground was no longer an option.

However, even though Richard could fly with his dragon wings, he wasn't in a hurry to reveal that ability.

A black sword appeared in his hand—a weapon that resonated perfectly with the power of his Black Heart.

From afar, he swung the sword, its blade enveloped in layers of fire, lightning, and darkness.

The result was far beyond what his golden sword could produce.

The slash unleashed by the black sword was immense, like a flowing river that pierced through space—almost teleporting as it appeared right before Bear.

It radiated a crushing pressure that made Bear's face instantly pale.

He froze, struggling to move even an inch.

Boom!

His body erupted with steam—not from external heat, but from the explosion of energy within him.

Then, his entire form transformed into a four-meter-tall bear with a ferocious face and a bulging stomach.

A total transformation.

Unfortunately, he merely turned into a bear—nothing impressive enough to justify the title.

As a bear, his fur grew thicker and denser, shielding him from Richard's slash.

But it wasn't just a simple sword strike—it carried fire that burned, lightning that shattered, and darkness that seeped through every gap.

In an instant, all three elements engulfed Bear's figure.

"Ahhhh!" His screams echoed as his body was overwhelmed by the attack, sent hurtling down into the sea below.

Every watching eye flickered in disbelief.

"Bear's strength should be around Tier 27 at best—but even that's powerful! Yet he's being overwhelmed."

"He's too strong… it looks like Bear's going to lose. After all, he's never been that great in real combat."

Splash!

Bear finally burst out of the water, drenched from head to toe.

He reverted to his human form, his luxurious robe riddled with holes, parts of his skin charred black.

His expression clearly showed the pain he was in.

His eyes locked onto the boy standing atop a winged horse, filled with fear—as if still questioning whether the one before him was truly a child.

"If you don't want to suffer any further, I suggest you surrender and hand over your Storage Artifact," Richard said coldly.

"Boy, don't push your luck," Bear growled, his tone ugly.

"Unless you want to break the agreement?" Richard asked.

"That was just nonsense you made up yourself," Bear snapped.

Richard chuckled softly.

Of course, he knew the man wouldn't honor his word so easily.

How could someone used to oppressing others be so generous?

"There's no chance for you to take your words back now..." Richard smirked coldly.

Whoosh!

Athena soared toward Bear.

At the same time, Richard unleashed a Mind Attack, weakening his opponent so he couldn't resist any further.

He had to finish this quickly before anyone interfered.

"What!" Bear's eyes widened as he staggered, nearly falling again.

Panic filled him, uncertain what strange force had invaded his mind.

He frantically focused his energy to defend his thoughts.

But splitting his power made movement even harder—allowing Athena to close the distance with ease.

Richard's gaze sharpened as he fixed his eyes on one of Bear's fingers—the one wearing a ring.

"Boy, stop—!" Bear shouted in panic, clearly trying to surrender without paying his wager.

There was no way Richard would stop.

He swung his sword, severing Bear's fingers cleanly.

Blood spurted violently, and Richard caught the finger wearing the ring.

With a flick of his white flame, the finger turned to ash, leaving only the ring behind.

"Go!" Richard ordered Athena, and she immediately darted back toward the city, soaring swiftly over the island below.

"You'll regret this, boy!" Bear's furious roar echoed behind him, but Richard couldn't care less.

He had planned to rob him from the very start—he just wanted it to look fair, to reduce future trouble.

The world of magic was cruel.

And since so many wanted to rob him, why shouldn't he do the same to others?

Otherwise, people might start thinking he was someone they could easily trample on.

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