The crowd’s energy buzzed like lightning in the air. Like a living storm of voices and excitement.
"Come on, just give up already!"
"Why waste our time when the fight has already been decided?"
The training hall of the Blue Bound Guild was filled to the brim, adventurers and spectators leaning forward on the railings as two figures faced each other at the center of the marble-floored arena.
Especially now that Alyssa, one of the most popular adventurer and leader, is on stage.
Auren stood relaxed, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of a cracked steel sword, the corner of his mouth slightly curled into that familiar, irritating smirk that could either mean confidence or madness.
Across from him was Alyssa, the Blue Bound’s pride and one of its top-ranked knights. Her polished armor shimmered under the arena light, and the faint blue hue of her aura pulsed like a heartbeat.
From the edge of the arena, Blas the archer teammate of Alyssa, called out,
"Don’t worry. If in any case she break you too much, our Blue Bound also has the best healer in town." Blas smirked as he pointed teasingly at the blushing Light Worker, Essel.
"Eh? I-I will do my best. But please minimize if you can." Essel squeaked, her face turning pink as a few people laughed.
Meanwhile, Blas, the guild’s axe-wielding bruiser, kicked his boots up on the table with a loud thunk, arms folded behind his head.
"Come on, just get it over with already. I doubt that herb guy will last a minute against her. This is just a waste of time."
The referee raised his voice over the chatter, his tone turning formal as he lifted a blue banner to signify the start of the bout.
"Let it be known that this is the third match for adventurer Herbon’s promotional test! Victory against Knight Alyssa will grant him a C-rank license and access to better guild privileges. The match will last a maximum of three minutes. Fighters, prepare yourselves!"
The arena erupted into chaos. Cheers, laughter, and mocking shouts filled the air.
"Woooh! Get rekt this time, herbalist!""Go Alyssa! Please marry me after you kick his ass!""Send that herb boy back to the garden where he belongs!"
Finally, a beat of silence and anticipation is clear on the audience as they watched the referee stand at the side.
Then the referee called,
The batlle had started but neither Auren nor Alyssa moved.
They stared at each other, utterly still amid the storm of noise. Their gazes locked like blades drawn in silence.
Auren studied her every shift and breath.She’s calm. Experienced. The way she watches me... that’s how predators watch prey.
His grin widened. "Too bad," he murmured under his breath, "she’s against Auren the cockroach."
Alyssa’s focus sharpened.
She scanned his stance, his lack of armor, the visible cracks running through his worn blade.This makes no sense... his posture is sloppy, his weapon is cheap, and he’s wearing nothing but herbalist clothes... so why—
Then her eyes met his.
A chill crept down her spine.
His stare wasn’t that of a novice or a desperate man. It was calm, yet ancient, like someone who had already seen death and decided it wasn’t that scary.
One thing is clear, he is a beast behind a sheep’s skin.
Her pulse quickened before she even realized it. Her hand trembled slightly on her sword. Sweat slid down the side of her temple.Why am I hesitating? He’s only a level 25 herbalist...
Auren tilted his head.
"No one told me this is a staring contest."
His words snapped her out of her trance. Alyssa cursed under her breath and exhaled sharply.
"This is madness," she muttered, forcing her instincts back into line.
She activated her Eye Skill, and a faint blue glow ran across her irises, analyzing Auren’s body and aura.
"I’m just curious," she said aloud, lowering her sword slightly. "Why can’t I see even a single ounce of fear in your eyes?"
Auren’s smile turned playful, his tone almost taunting. "Maybe because I’ve faced more terrifying monsters than you."
Then, with a shrug, he added aloud, "Or maybe, I just haven’t truly met you yet."
Alyssa’s lips pressed into a thin smile. "Very well. Let me show you what I can really do."
Her sword erupted with a brilliant light, radiant and pure.
The sudden flare filled the hall like a sunrise breaking through storm clouds. The aura danced like blue fire around her blade, rippling the air with mana pressure so strong it made the torches flicker.
"Sh*t! That’s sword aura!""She’s going serious right away?""I thought she said she’d go easy on him?!"
Essel clutched her staff nervously. "I hope you don’t die, young man..." she whispered.
Blas chuckled darkly. "Sword aura at the start? You’re dead, kid."
Auren didn’t flinch. His face stayed calm, almost annoyingly so. Then he shifted his stance—lowering his body, sword angled defensively across his chest.
A defensive stance? Good, Alyssa thought as she grinned.
That’ll make it easier to break him.
The marble floor cracked under her heel as she dashed, leaving a sonic ripple in her wake. Her figure blurred into a streak of blue light, her sword slicing forward in a clean arc.
Auren barely sidestepped. Her blade carved the air where he stood, missing him by inches. But Alyssa wasn’t done. She twisted her hips mid-strike, shifting her trajectory, and went straight for his exposed arm.
"Not bad," Auren muttered, blocking with his cracked sword.
The clash of steel roared across the hall.
Sparks scattered like fireflies. Then came the sickening sound of metal breaking.
Auren’s sword split clean in half.
Blood splattered on the floor as her follow-up strike grazed his shoulder, slicing a shallow but bloody line across it. He jumped back just in time to avoid losing the arm entirely.
"Wow," he said through a small chuckle, glancing at the wound that shimmered crimson under the lights.
"You almost took my arm with that."
He uncorked a vial from his storage ring and poured its contents over the wound. The glowing liquid hissed against his skin, knitting the cut together before the crowd’s astonished eyes.
"Self-healing potion," someone in the crowd muttered.
"It’s one of the herbalist’s advantage."
Alyssa’s eyes hardened. Her killing intent thickened in the air.
"If you don’t take me seriously, next time it will be your head, herbalist."
Auren raised a brow. "So you want a more serious fight?"
He dropped the half-broken sword. The clang echoed sharply in the silence that followed. Googlᴇ search novel★fire.net
Alyssa tilted her chin, sword at the ready.
"You really think you stand a chance unarmed? Don’t worry, we’ve got a healer ready. A few broken bones won’t be a problem."
Auren looked at his bare hand, flexed his fingers, and grinned. "You should worry more about yourself."
His storage ring flickered.
A small black vial appeared in his hand.
Alyssa’s eyes widened in recognition. "That’s—!"
Before she could finish, Auren threw it to the ground.
Just like before, the potion shattered, releasing a burst of thick, black vapor that swallowed half the arena in seconds.
The crowd erupted in confusion.
"It’s that smoke again!""Cowardly bastard!!""That’s the same stuff he used last time! If I remember correctly, its a paralyzing fog!"
Alyssa stepped back, her instincts snapping into overdrive.
You think that same trick will work on me?
She swung her sword sideways, releasing a blade of compressed energy that tore through the fog. The blast exploded midair, creating a shockwave that blew the smoke outward in a swirling vortex and stayed at the sidelines.
The air trembled. The fog cleared from the center but remained on the sidelines.
"Hmph." Alyssa smirked triumphantly. "You’ll have to do better than that, herbal—"
The floor cracked behind her.
Impossible... how did he move that fast?!
She activated her observation skill, her pupils dilating to scan through the remaining haze.
Shadows danced and flickered. Then, from the corner of her eye—movement.
He was already there.
Silent. Swift. Wearing a black mask that hid half his face. His footsteps made no sound against the marble floor while he blended with the smoke on the sidelines. It was as if he was expecting she would push the fog to the sides!
"Fast!" she hissed, twisting to intercept him with a horizontal slash.
But before her blade could connect, she saw it—some kind of metal tool in his hand. A long tube with strange runes etched along its barrel.
It wasn’t a wand, nor a sword.
Auren smirked as he pulled the trigger.
A brilliant flash filled the arena, followed by a deafening crack.
A surge of compressed mana exploded from the device, hurling a shockwave that rattled the stands and sent dust flying from the ceiling.
The crowd gasped as Alyssa disappeared into the smoky haze, her figure lost amid the blinding blast.
Not even the referee dared to breathe.