“What is this place?” Leonis asked, looking up in awe.

With a proud grin stretching across my face, I spread my arms wide, soaking in the grandeur of the arena. “Welcome to the royal coliseum!”

I could feel my fingers twitching in excitement as my voice resonated through the vast expanse.

Leonis’s eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the impressive sight before him. “This isn’t... Is this the arena used for the grand duels?!”

“You’re correct! This is where the grand duels take place.”

“Magnificent,” he breathed, his eyes scanning the colossal structure. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like when it’s filled with spectators.”

“Trust me, it can get quite noisy,” I replied with a chuckle.

Four years had passed since the last time I’d been here. There had been a sea of bodies stretching out to every corner of the stadium. I still remembered how loud and ecstatic the crowd was that day. At least until Valtair decapitated Lord Alistair...

“So, why are we here?” Leonis asked, his voice bringing me back to the present.

I rolled my eyes playfully, knowing he was feigning ignorance. “Stop playing dumb. You know damn well why we’re here!”

A mischievous smile tugged at his lips as Leonis raised his arms in surrender. “All right, all right... you win.”

I was exhausted. I’d barely gotten any sleep. For the last two days, all I could think about was this moment.

Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I leaned forward in anticipation. “Did... did it work? Did I heal your core?”

For a moment, Leonis remained silent, his expression unreadable. Just from looking at his body, there were no clear indications of any change whatsoever. Or at least from where I stood... Just as a pang of worry began to tighten my chest, I noticed his lips curling into a grin.

That freaking bastard!

“Whatever you did, it worked,” Leonis affirmed.

As the last syllable left his mouth, I felt a shiver crawl up my spine, the temperature in the air shifting imperceptibly. Even though it lasted for less than a second, I sensed it. It was intense. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced... It was a cold and sharp force that left me breathless.

What... what was that?!

“That my young friend, is what you call sword aura,” Solomon explained.

“Sword aura?”

“Wait!” Leonis exclaimed. “You were able to feel that?”

Realizing I’d just spoken out loud, I scratched the back of my head and chuckled.

Leonis’s eyes widened in awe. “I can’t believe you were able to sense my aura... That’s incredible...”

Before I could come up with a reply, Leonis dropped to his knees and lowered his head.

“Uhhh, what are you doing?!” I asked.

“I’m grateful,” Leonis murmured. “Although I had my doubts initially, I see now that you are a man of your word. You are most definitely someone worth serving.”

“Can you please stand up,” I urged, a tad uneasy with the overt display. “There’s no need for such displays.”

“Fair enough.” Leonis chuckled softly as he stood up, brushing the sand from his pants.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, sensing a wave of relief flow through my body. Now that I was sure Solomon’s spell had worked, I could finally rest easy.

Strange...

“What’s strange?” Solomon asked.

I don’t know... For some reason, I thought I’d feel more thrilled after seeing his core was fixed.

“Why?”

Thanks to you, I’ve become the first person to fix a broken core. Even though I know this is something that can change the world, I still feel strangely calm.

“I don’t get what’s strange about feeling calm...”

How can you be so knowledgeable and yet so clueless?

Solomon snorted. “If anyone is clueless, it’s you!”

All right, that’s my cue to leave...

I opened my eyes and turned to Leonis. “Now that I’ve healed your core, I want you to teach me your sword technique.”

Leonis cleared his throat, a solemn expression replacing the ease that had marked our conversation so far. “I may not have an objection to teaching you, but there’s something I’ve been hiding from you.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued and slightly suspicious. “What have you been hiding?”

“Not everyone possesses the natural talent to become a swordsman,” Leonis confessed. “And even fewer have what it takes to learn my sword technique.”

I frowned, a knot of confusion forming in my stomach. “What do you mean!?”

“Before I can teach you my technique, I need to assess whether you have the baseline skills required to wield it. To put it simply, I’ll need to test your instincts. But don’t worry, given how you sensed my sword aura earlier, I’m confident you’ll pass.”

“Fine,” I conceded after a moment, my voice tight with frustration. “What’s the test?”

“Attack me,” Leonis instructed.

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden directive. “What! Why?”

“Based on how you attack me, I’ll be able to judge if you have what it takes.”

“Okay, but are you sure you can fight with just one hand?”

Leonis’s lips curled into a smile. “Although my right hand was my dominant hand, I’m still quite skilled with my left.”

With my old life included, I had been wielding swords for decades. Obviously, after all this time, I was confident I had the basics pretty much down pat. But in all honesty, I had always been more of a quantity-over-quality fighter. I had never really taken the time to break down my sword attacks or analyze them. I just swung my blade in whichever way felt the most adequate. That’s why to most skilled swordsmen, I was the farthest thing from refined. I probably seemed more like a wild beast than a human when I wielded my sword.

“Fine, let’s get this over with,” I said after a moment. I was well aware that stalling wasn’t going to help me find a way to trick this bastard into teaching me his secrets.

Drawing Blood Reaper, I assumed my stance, the sand beneath my feet crunching softly. Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to be more prepared, I heightened my senses using mana.

The world sharpened around me as if it was snapping into focus. My senses were a symphony, each note playing in harmony. I felt the subtle breeze against my skin, the weight of my blade in my hand, and the distinct aroma of the sandy arena.

Satisfied that I was attuned to every nuance, I looked up at Leonis. His gaze was steady but relaxed. The tension in the arena was palpable, the air thick with the promise of a clash.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Leonis prompted, gesturing me to come forward.

“Wait, hold on!” I asked, realizing his hand was empty. “Why aren’t you holding your sword?”

Wielding a sword with just one hand is brave, but fighting without one is simply crazy...

“Don’t worry about what I do. Just focus on attacking me.”

“Oh, okay...”

Hey, Solomon. Why do I feel like this reminds me of something?!

I waited for Solomon to say something, but he didn’t reply. All I could hear was the sound of him chuckling at the back of my mind.

Whatever...

I raised my foot, ready to take a step forward, but then it happened—every nerve in my body snapped to attention as if a silent alarm had blared to life. It was a sensation I couldn’t quite put into words, a visceral reaction that flooded my senses with an urgent warning.

Instinct took over, and before I could even process what was happening, I leaped backward, propelled by an impulse I couldn’t explain. My hands trembled at my sides, the adrenaline coursing through my veins leaving a metallic taste in my mouth. If I hadn’t moved, I knew deep down that something terrible would have happened.

My gaze snapped up to Leonis, whose hand had drifted to the hilt of his sword. His posture was relaxed, but there was a glint in his eyes that sent a chill down my spine. Despite the tension, his sword remained sheathed.

This... man... is... a... monster!

Without warning, Leonis released the hilt of his blade and raised his arms. Confusion churned in my stomach as I watched him, uncertain of what was happening.

A smile spread across Leonis’s face as he gave me a thumbs-up. “Congratulations, Lucian! You’ve passed the test!”

“Wait, seriously?” I blurted out, unable to wrap my head around the sudden turn of events.

Leonis chuckled, nodding in affirmation. “Absolutely! Your instincts kicked in when you sensed danger. That’s exactly what I was looking for. If you hadn’t reacted the way you did, then we might have had a problem.”

A heavy weight settled in my chest as my shoulders slumped in defeat. Despite knowing I was completely outmatched, I had been looking forward to the challenge. But now, it seemed that opportunity had slipped through my fingers.

“Is something wrong? You look disappointed,” Leonis noted.

I shrugged but said nothing.

“Oh... I see what’s happening...”

“You do?!”

“We can still spar if you want... It’ll also give me a chance to see what you’re capable of... Who knows, it might even help me tailor my teachings to better suit you.”

I nodded, a flicker of resolve reigniting within me. “Yes, please,” I replied, lifting my sword and assuming my stance once more. “I’m eager to see what a Sword King is capable of.”

“Very well, then,” he said.

Leonis wrapped his hand around the hilt of his blade, and another shiver ran down my spine. Although his sword remained sheathed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the entire arena was within his range of attack. The mere thought was terrifying—swords were meant for short-range combat, not the entirety of an arena.

Man... I’m freaking excited!

“Even though you have no chance of beating him, I expect you to put on a show,” Solomon said. “I’ll be pissed if you don’t...”

Oh, don’t you worry... I’m definitely putting on a show!

“Good.”

I clenched my fists, drawing forth a surge of mana from both of my cores. The energy crackled around me, filling the air with an electric buzz as I prepared for what was to come.

Usually, I’d be conserving mana. But not today. After spending three days in bed, I was eager to blow off some steam.

As I spread my mana evenly throughout my body, a tingling sensation washed over me accompanied by a dull ache. My horns retracted out of my forehead, elongating into sharp points, while my wings unfurled from my back with a rustle of soft feathers. Despite the twinge of pain, I welcomed the transformation. I’d used it many times during my training sessions in the Blood Realm.

Hey Solomon, is it just me, or have my wings grown bigger?

“Uhm... I’d say they’ve grown.”

Interesting...

Turning my gaze back to Leonis, I found his smile had widened. Just like me, there was a look of anticipation dancing in his eyes.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re capable of, Lucian.”

“Same here.”

With a determined nod, I spread my wings wide and propelled myself off the ground. The sand beneath me parted as I soared upward, the force of my ascent sending grains scattering in all directions. Within moments, I was at least ten meters above the ground, flying effortlessly in the air.

Confident that I’d put enough distance between us, I began to erect a series of barriers around my body. Not wanting to give out what I was doing, I made sure to make them invisible.

One by one, I conjured the barriers into existence, layering them around me like a suit of armor. With every barrier I built, I poured more mana into its construction, fortifying them until I could practically hear them shimmering with resilience. The outer layers were the thickest, while the innermost barrier was the lightest.

Pleased with the strength of my barriers, I concentrated a substantial amount of lightning mana around my hands.

Once I sensed I had accumulated enough, I raised my hands and unleashed a powerful lightning bolt into the sky. With precise control, I redirected the energy of my spell downward, using its force to swiftly propel myself toward Leonis.

The world blurred around me as I hurtled downward like a torpedo. Despite the velocity I fell with, the barriers shielded me from the wind, and I felt no resistance against my face.

As I closed in on Leonis, I raised my sword to unleash an attack when a sudden intrusion jarred my concentration.

“Watch out!” Solomon screamed.

In that split second, my instincts kicked in and I veered to the side, just as every barrier I’d built shattered into pieces. The air crackled with tension as I pivoted, my wings folding behind me as crashed heavily against the ground.

“UGGHHH!”

Grinding my teeth against the pain, I forced myself to stand, wiping the sand off my body. A dull ache pulsed through me, each movement a reminder of the force that had sent me sprawling across the arena.

“What the hell just happened?!” I whispered under my breath. “How were all of my barriers destroyed so easily?!”

Solomon sighed, a sound of exasperation echoing in my mind. “Look up.”

Following his instruction, I raised my gaze and felt my jaw drop in awe. A line etched across the ground, stretching from where Leonis stood, parting the sand like the wake of a large ship. Following the path, my eyes widened at the sight of a crack in the arena wall where the line abruptly ended.

Realizing the futility of continuing this sparring match, I retracted my wings and horns, the transformation receding as quickly as it had come.

“What the hell did you attack me with?” I asked, walking over to Leonis.

The dark elf chuckled as if what transpired was merely a casual occurrence. “First of all, my attack didn’t land. You dodged it, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah... So what was that?!”

“Oh, I simply tried to stab you.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s just a simple stab?!”

“Yep!”

Running a hand through my hair, I felt my head spin as I processed what I’d just witnessed. The ease with which he had dismantled my defenses was staggering. The sheer skill he displayed was beyond my comprehension. It was a cruel reminder of the vast difference in strength between us. It was no wonder Leonis was able to hold his own against Valtair.

I guess Flavius wasn’t exaggerating at all...

“I take it you’ve seen enough?” Leonis asked.

“Yep,” I replied, not bothering to mask my relief.

Leonis placed a hand on my shoulder, an unexpected touch that carried a weight of sincerity. “You look disappointed and scared...”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah... But you shouldn’t feel that way. If anything, I’m the one who should be terrified.”

“Wait, are you serious?!”

Leonis nodded. “To be frank, I’m at a loss for words. Never in my life have I witnessed a child as formidable as you. At just nine years old, you managed to evade one of my attacks. Even my nephew pales in comparison... The mere thought of your future strength sends chills down my spine.”

I shrugged, trying to downplay his praise. “I still have a long way to go.”

“Now that I’ve seen how impressive you are, my curiosity has grown,” Leonis continued.

“Has it?”

“I don’t know if you recall this, but when we first met, you told me you were going to share a story that would challenge every notion I had of how the world worked.”

I scratched the back of my head, chuckling as I realized I’d completely forgotten about that. “Oh, yeah... I did say that, didn’t I?”

Leonis’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “I’m very curious to hear this story.”

Crap... What do I do?!

My mind ran through a dozen different ways to respond to his words before I opted for the easy way out.

“I’m glad that you’re curious... Unfortunately, you’re going to have to wait to hear the story.”

“What? For how long?”

“A few weeks.”

Leonis’s brows furrowed in confusion. “A few weeks?!”

“Oh, before I forget! Make sure you buy some warm clothes for you and the twins.”

“Huh?! Why would I do that?”

I forced a smile. “Because we’re going to be traveling north!”