Patriarch Rylan shook his head, "Don't worry about it; I understand the situation as a leader myself," he replied.
After hearing Patriarch Rylan's response, the Village Chief didn't dwell on the matter any further, "So who will you be sending first?" he asked.
"Leif will be going first," Patriarch Rylan responded.
Without hesitation, Leif stepped forward, his sword tightly clenched.
The Village Chief nodded, "We will arrange for one of our most suitable warriors to face you," he said, gesturing for Leif to position himself at the centre nearby platform.
As Leif took his place on the platform, he couldn't help but glance at all the people present. Besides the Village Chief and other key figures of the Village, he saw numerous unfamiliar faces; presumably warriors of the Village judging from their physique. Also, there were individuals from the unknown race he hadn't recognized yet, all adorned in beautifully crafted armour.
Their eyes scrutinized him from head to toe as though attempting to gather every bit of information about him.
Nonetheless, after confirming that the Village's warriors were the only ones capable of utilizing Vylkr's energy, Leif didn't pay too much heed to the unfamiliar faces from the unknown race, as his primary attention was focused on the Village's warriors.
A man with a toned, muscular build, dressed in the Village's attire, stepped onto the platform, gripping a cutlass in his hands.
Leif's eyes lingered on the man's cutlass with a frown.
Although he understood that he had a higher chance of losing this battle, after briefing them about the capabilities of his weapons, he had expected to face a more formidable opponent with a fine weapon. Therefore, he was confused when the warrior approached him with a cutlass.
"What is it?" the warrior asked with a raised brow, noticing Leif's frown.
"Shouldn't you be facing me with a better weapon?" Leif asked.
The warrior's face lit up with realization as he glanced at his cutlass before shifting his gaze toward Leif's uniquely-sized and unfamiliar weapon.
"Oh, though I admit your weapon looks more impressive than mine, there's nothing to worry about. A warrior's power relies not only on his weapon but also on his strength and gift," the warrior responded confidently.
"Besides, I've wielded a cutlass all my life, so I don't think I should be choosing another weapon at a time ," he added.
Hearing his response, Leif sighed deeply before nodding in acknowledgement.
However, Leif didn't let his guard down; instead, he tightened his grip on his weapon and activated his Devourer's bracelet.
Instantly, the Devourer's bracelet came to life, gears moving steadily to regulate the flow of Vylkr energy emerging from the vial. Soon after, the Devourer's heart throbbed, mimicking the rhythmic sound of a beating heart, before gradually infusing Leif's body with the Vykr energy. He felt the Vylkr energy fill every cell, giving him a familiar feeling of immense power.
"Can I make the first move?" Leif asked.
The warrior nodded in response, assuming his fighting stance. As he awaited his opponent's attack—
Leif disappeared from his position, reappearing before the warrior in the blink of an eye, swinging his sword vertically from the top. Rather than sidestepping to evade the attack, the warrior raised his hand upward and countered with his blade.
The warrior's cutlass vibrated fiercely upon impact before splitting into two parts. Swiftly, he sidestepped to avoid Leif's weapon as it swung downward.
The sword collided heavily with the ground, and contrary to Leif's expectations, the wooden floor remained unbroken, making him question the material it was made from.
Suddenly, Leif's senses screamed, prompting him to shift his body to the side and easily swing his sword, which should have required considerable effort due to its sheer size, toward the direction of the attack. However...
A foot suddenly slammed into the side of his gut, sending him flying backwards and almost causing him to lose his grip on his sword.
Leif crashed on the ground and instantly used his back to flip over backwards, landing on his feet in a crouched position.
He took several deep breaths, filling his lungs as he stared at the warrior before him.
Witnessing this scene, Leona and the others sighed deeply in defeat.
Although they had expected such a result, having seen the battle between Stronghold Leader Zogar and Captain Seig with his lieutenant, they had still held onto a glimmer of hope that as the god's chosen—individuals who were compatible with Vylkr energy and chosen to use the Devourer's bracelet—they might stand a chance.
However, their hopes were dashed as they stood alongside a group of humans who could use the Vylkr energy with only their bodies, without relying on any external means.
Nevertheless, they couldn't help but sigh again for the umpteenth time, recalling the stunned and shocked faces of the key figures of this territory as Leif explained the functions of the Devourer's bracelet and the Gearweavers to them.
In reality, it should have been them who should have worn expressions of disbelief, as nobody would even believe them if they decided to share the information in a city filled with several powerful individuals capable of using Vylkr energy with their bodies alone, without the need for a Devourer's bracelet or a Devourer's heart—essentially, for free.
They hadn't even believed this information despite Patriarch Rylan informing them until they had witnessed and confirmed it.
"This is going to be an embarrassing loss," Ronan said, exhaling deeply, fully aware that the next battle would also result in defeat.
"Yeah, compared to us who call ourselves the god's chosen, they are the real monsters," Lirien, his wife, added, shaking her head in defeat.
"Please remember, this is not a battle against an enemy but only a test for us to assess how our strength compares against each other, so there is no need to take the results to heart," Isadora responded.
Though she understood how they felt, she had to tell them they couldn't take such things to heart, especially since they would be in their care now.
"I guess you are right, Princess," Ronan responded.