10,000x Reward Multiplier: Hell-level Kingdom Building-Chapter 9: [00] Wrestling The Strongest Hunters

The two sons of Herald the hunter were still mourning the death of their beloved brother when Floki arrived at their hut.

At the sound of his knock, they immediately wiped their tears and composed themselves before inviting him in properly. They offered him a stool they had made themselves and waited respectfully.

Floki sat down, and the two brothers took their seats opposite him.

As he stared at the two huge men before him, he briefly wondered why they had genuinely agreed to be loyal to him, someone who was nothing but a small weakling compared to them.

The thought lingered for only a moment.

He shook it away. Now was not the time to dwell on such things. He had matters to handle.

"I have a proposition for the two of you."

He leaned forward and clasped his hands together, his expression turning serious.

"You two are the best hunters in Ironside. You have ventured into the wild more than anyone else in this village. You should know the areas that house feral, dangerous beasts and the ones that contain only mildly dangerous creatures."

The two nodded as he spoke. Curiosity appeared on their faces as they wondered where he was heading with this. To be fair, they had never seen him this serious before, and they had known him since he was born.

"I want you to take me to the zone with the dangerous beasts. The stronger ones."

He finally revealed his intention.

The two exchanged worried looks.

"Young chief, are you sure of what you’re asking?" Jabba asked in his usual hoarse voice.

"We know how considerate you are toward the well-being of your people," Anton said firmly. "I am sure you are saying this because you want to hunt bigger game to feed us. We can manage with the usual wild animals. There is a particular nest of wild boars we have been targeting for a while. We can hunt them later in the evening and bring them back."

He paused briefly.

"We have delayed because we lack proper weapons. But if you need them urgently, we can challenge them barehanded."

Anton spoke firmly, though his tone clearly carried concern. He was trying to persuade Floki away from this plan. They truly cared about his well-being.

While it was touching, care was not what he needed at the moment.

Floki then explained the main purpose behind his proposed hunt. He spoke of his desire to grow stronger, to rescue their people from the evil clutches of Blackstone village’s slavery, and more importantly, to avenge Viktor.

At the mention of Viktor’s name, the air grew heavy.

Jabba sniffed hard upon hearing his words. Anton clenched his fists tightly, struggling to hold back tears.

"Young chief, you have truly grown. You are slowly becoming a heroic warrior and leader like your father, the great Ragnar Ironside," Jabba said.

Anton nodded in agreement. "You will become like your father one day. But to become a true warrior, you should start by targeting weaker beasts. Gradually, you will reach the level to hunt wild boars, then goblins, and beyond."

"I appreciate your concern, but is there any way I can prove to you that I am capable of taking down wild boars?" Floki asked calmly. He did not have enough patience to continue convincing them with words alone.

Anton studied him carefully.

"I am much weaker than my brother, but I can already take down a single wild boar, or at most two, on my own. Jabba, on the other hand, could wipe out an entire nest barehanded with enough rest, an advantageous environment, and proper strategy."

Anton stood up from his stool.

He took another stool and placed it firmly in the middle of the hut.

"Let us determine your strength with an arm-wrestling contest."

The handsome barbarian placed his right arm on the stool and gave Floki an inviting nod.

Floki shrugged slightly. He adjusted his position, placed his arm properly, and grabbed Anton’s arm.

Jabba stood up to spectate. In the presence of competition, his sadness dulled slightly, though only for a brief moment.

"Are you ready, young chief?" he asked.

Floki nodded.

"Alright. Anton, take it easy on the young chief. On the count of three, you will begin."

"Three... Two... One... go..."

Anton’s expression turned stoically serious as he applied a measured amount of strength in the grip, overpowering Floki during the first few seconds.

He is indeed strong despite not going all out. This should place him at level three or level four like me, at least, Floki analyzed calmly.

"You’re pretty strong," Anton said, clearly impressed that Floki had not lost instantly like many others who had challenged him before.

Floki did not respond.

He gradually poured more strength into his arm, steadying their hands atop the stool until they were balanced at the center.

Jabba’s mouth widened in surprise, but he quickly closed it. At first, he assumed his brother was simply trying not to embarrass the young chief.

However, as he carefully observed Anton’s expression, he realized that assumption was wrong. The strain in Anton’s arm was real.

"If I win, I want you to take me to the goblin lair," Floki said.

"Then I cannot let you win, young chief. Goblins might be short, but they are vile and clever, unlike the usual wild beasts. They rely on tricks and ambush without warning."

Anton’s expression turned stone-cold as he applied more strength, dominating the contest once again. The stool creaked beneath the pressure as their arms trembled.

Floki smiled faintly.

"That is an agreement, then."

Saying this, he no longer held back. Utilizing his level 4 strength, he drove Anton’s hand down in one decisive motion, leaving him no time to react to the sudden surge.

Their hands struck the surface with force.

"I won..."

He said it in a calm, almost gentle tone.

The two brothers stared at him as though he had suddenly become someone else. Jabba even placed a hand over his mouth as he looked at the stool.

Not only had Floki managed to win, he had also left a small dent in the stool’s surface.

He is at least as strong as me. But the young chief could not defeat his age-mates before. When did he change this much?

Anton, on the other hand, continued staring at his hand in disbelief. Except for Jabba and Viktor, no one had ever beaten him in an arm wrestle.

"We leave in a few hours..."

Floki stood up and walked out, leaving the two brothers in heavy silence. He still had to make his final preparations for the hunt.