But not only did Brian Carter agree, he even suggested raising the stakes. Could it be that this guy is confident he can win?

"What do you want to bet?"

Brian Carter gave a slight smile, his gaze sweeping over the group as he said easily, "You all know my family isn't well-off, and money's a bit tight lately, so let's bet two hundred gold coins, okay?"

Mark Reed's eyes stared at Brian Carter like a hawk, as if trying to find the truth on his face. But Brian Carter only wore a faint smile, revealing nothing. Mark Reed sneered, "I can put up two hundred gold coins, but if you lose, can you pay up?"

Brian Carter took a small pouch from his waist, shook it, and chuckled, "There are twenty crystals in here, which should be worth your two hundred gold coins. I'll use them as my stake."

Brian Carter was using the lowest grade of crystals, which go for about ten gold coins each on the market. Twenty crystals would indeed be worth two hundred gold coins.

The reason Brian Carter proposed the bet was, first, because his strength had greatly improved and he was confident of victory; second, he was planning to buy ingredients for making Black Jade Eight Delicacies, which would require quite a bit of money. It looked like this fight was inevitable, so why not make a little extra on the side?

Mark Reed stared at Brian Carter for a long moment before finally nodding, "Fine. Since you're so confident, you must have really improved. I'll take your bet—two hundred gold coins. How do we determine the winner?"

Brian Carter smiled lightly, "Hmm, that's a good question. How about we go until one side admits defeat, or can't get up from the ground?"

Mark Reed's family was quite wealthy, and while two hundred gold coins was no small sum, it was still within his means.

He took out two purple gold coins—each worth a hundred gold coins, so two made two hundred. Tossing the coins in his hand, Mark Reed waved them at Brian Carter, "Where are we going to fight?"

Brian Carter looked around and smiled, "Isn't it spacious enough here? Let's just do it here."

He placed his small pouch on a nearby bench, and Mark Reed put his two purple gold coins on the bench as well. These were the stakes; whoever won would take them.

The other three had been watching coldly from the sidelines, saying nothing. The third-ranked William Harris had his arms crossed, watching indifferently, not joining in. Perhaps he thought Mark Reed was more than enough to deal with Brian Carter, and there was no need for him to step in.

Mark Reed had been hired by Eric Turner at great expense to help him get revenge, but William Harris was different. He had come along because someone else had asked him to cause trouble for Brian Carter.

Now that Mark Reed was going first, William Harris was happy to watch from the sidelines.

At this moment, Brian Carter's heart was also filled with the desire and excitement for battle. He was eager to test his improved strength. His real opponent wasn't Mark Reed in front of him, but William Harris watching with folded arms behind. He was certain that after he defeated Mark Reed, William Harris would definitely make a move!

Mark Reed spread his arms, and his whole body shot forward like an arrow, charging at Brian Carter.

Brian Carter's slightly squinted eyes suddenly opened wide, a sharp gleam flashing in them. At the same time, he pushed off with all his strength, the force so great that his shoes screeched against the ground.

The two rapidly closed in. The corners of Mark Reed's mouth curled up slightly, and his charging momentum suddenly shifted in a strange way, veering straight to Brian Carter's side—a clean, beautiful maneuver.

As soon as Mark Reed made his move, he used his signature "Three Rabbit Transformations" footwork. This technique allowed him to change direction up to three times mid-movement, making it impossible for his opponent to predict his true attack direction or target, thus gaining the upper hand.

But Brian Carter's rapidly advancing body suddenly halted, stopping in place. His legs bent slightly, his whole body taking on a subtly odd posture, arms raised—not really in any stance, but as if ready to shift into any attack or defense move at any moment.

William Harris, watching from the side, narrowed his eyes, a look of seriousness appearing on his face. Brian Carter's sudden stop looked like an emergency brake, but on closer inspection, it was actually Brian Carter instantly coordinating all his muscles to achieve it—a feat requiring extremely advanced skill.

Mark Reed was also quite surprised. His sudden change hadn't thrown his opponent into confusion. With a tap of his toes, he pushed off again, using the momentum to shift direction once more, his body now appearing in an uncanny position behind and to the side of Mark Reed.

This move was indeed remarkable—two rapid direction changes at high speed, making it hard for the opponent to defend. If the opponent reacted hastily or shifted their balance, a flaw would surely appear.

But Brian Carter didn't move!

After stopping, he maintained that slightly bent posture, perfectly balanced, no matter how Mark Reed shifted—his stance never changed.

Brian Carter didn't take any defensive posture at all, as if his whole body was full of openings, but this only made Mark Reed unsure how to attack.

Gritting his teeth, as Mark Reed landed from his second direction change, he suddenly pushed off, his right fist shooting out like thunder, aiming straight for Brian Carter's lower back.

That spot—neither high nor low—was a particularly hard place to defend.