Chapter 279: Monster Arena (6)

As soon as Kai finished speaking, two-hundred members of the Holy Blood Order ran out from various spots in the audience.

"W-who are these guys?"

"The sword and shield of the weak, and cold dagger aimed at the throats of the corrupt," Teferen, known as Holy Laterre, casually murmured as he swung his sword.

It went without saying that the soldiers of Haran’s territory were no match for the Holy Blood Order. The soldiers who had been using violence were swiftly subdued.

Watching this with satisfaction, Kai jumped onto the railing of the audience stands.

"

Huh? H-hey!

"

"Has this guy lost his mind? Does he even know how high that is?"

"That’s something only knights do! Get down from there!"

The nearby spectators shouted with shocked expressions, trying to stop him, but he casually jumped down into the arena. Unlike the knights, he landed quietly and effortlessly, drawing everyone’s attention.

"W-who the hell is that?!" Baron Gordan shouted, unable to grasp what was happening.

His eyes darted around in panic, but no one answered him.

Kai walked toward Blizzard as if taking a casual stroll.

"Stop right there."

"How dare you come here..."

"Step aside while we ask politely.”

The moment three knights unsheathed their swords and threatened Kai, he replied with a cold tone, "Asking politely refers to words that please the listener, not just the speaker. But listening to you doesn’t please me in the slightest."

As Kai finished speaking, his hand moved like a streak of light. At the same time, the wrists of the three knights who had raised their swords were severed.

"

Aaaargh!

"

"M-my wrist!"

Ignoring the knights who collapsed, clutching their wounds, Kai calmly continued forward.

"

Argh.

"

"I couldn’t even see his blade move."

His steps were slow like a child, yet neither the knights nor the soldiers dared to attack. Then, he came to a stop right in front of the black-scaled lizardman.

"Blizzard," Kai said.

"M-Master... I am sorry for causing you such trouble..."

Kai reached out his hand toward his adorable, yet embarrassed summon, who was failing to live up to his giant size. Blizzard was taller than him, but that didn’t stop him as he patted Blizzard’s head.

Smiling brightly, he said, "You speak very well now. Well done."

Those words and that gentle gesture became the breaking point. The warmth in his touch and his kind tone, as if soothing a child, caused Blizzard’s sharp eyes to become tearful. Memories of all the hardships he had endured during his journey away from his master came flooding back.

"

Krrr...

"

A warrior of the forest was only allowed to cry three times in life. At birth, when their parents passed away, and lastly, when their tribe was annihilated by invaders. Blizzard had been taught this since childhood, and he had only ever cried twice.

What a disgrace for a warrior...

He hurriedly raised his arm and roughly wiped his tearful eyes, but the hot tears refused to stop flowing.

"It’s okay to cry." Kai hugged Blizzard gently, patting his back.

"B-but I am a proud warrior of the forest..."

"Even if you were not just a warrior but a god of the forest, you could still cry. That, I know very well." Kai recalled a certain adorable god and continued, "Of course, warriors must be strong. And you are strong. But who said that a strong person isn’t allowed to cry?"

"But no one respects a warrior who sheds tears..."

"The strength I believe in isn't about desperately hiding your pain and sorrow. True strength is rather acknowledging your emotions and having the courage to cry when needed."

"True... strength..."

Blizzard's large eyes wavered. Tears still flowed down his face, but now, his hands no longer tried to hide them. Instead, he closed his eyes and accepted his sadness. Moments later, he reopened them and his gaze was clearer than ever before.

"Thank you for your teachings, Master."

"No problem." Kai shrugged with a smirk and turned. "Now then, shall we deal with the ones who tormented my dear Blizzard..."

"Master," Blizzard called out, stopping him. "May I handle this myself?"

Kai remained silent and stared at him. He needed to determine whether those words were driven by rage or by careful thought.

After a brief pause, Kai made his decision and said, "Open inventory."

Two fancy curved blades, one white and one blue, floated into Kai’s hands.

He held them out toward Blizzard. "Let Black Wolf and White Fox go now. They lived a good life, fighting alongside you on the battlefield."

"M-Master..." Blizzard looked at him with deeply moved eyes, never expecting to receive such a gift.

"

Oh

, but still, a grown warrior crying too much might be a bit much," Kai chuckled as he teased him.

At that, Blizzard smiled and nodded, "I will keep that in mind."

The moment he grasped the two curved blades with trembling hands, a shiver ran through him.

When choosing a new weapon, the most important factor wasn’t appearance or prestige. It was weight. Even the slightest difference in weight from a previous weapon could disrupt the entire flow of one’s swordsmanship.

In that regard, Warm Breeze and North Wind were the perfect weapons. The grip fit perfectly in his hands, as if the blades had been custom-made just for him. Their balance was eerily identical to Black Wolf and White Fox, even down to the precise length of the blades.

As Blizzard gave the curved swords a light swing, his eyes gleamed sharply. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"Go wild."

As Kai summoned four magic circles behind his back, he instantly cast four buffs per second onto Blizzard.

"Thank you."

Feeling as if he had been reborn, Blizzard glared at the surrounding knights and soldiers.

He could see them waver. Of course they would—just moments ago, he had held his ground against four-to-one odds.

So now, with additional buffs and brand-new weapons in hand...

"I’m going."

With those short words, Blizzard’s figure blurred. The next moment, his body reappeared behind the soldiers.

"O-over here!"

"Stab him with your spears! Keep your distance—!"

A sword technique unique to his tribe, one that no human longsword could ever hope to replicate, came back to life through Blizzard’s hands.

Just a little, a little more...

His body accelerated further. In a world moving at a different speed, with heightened senses unlike before, he saw his enemies in a new way—relentlessly striking their weak points.

"

Argh!

He’s getting out of control!"

"Surround him and take him down!"

Eventually, the knights could no longer just stand by, and stepped in, but even they struggled to face Blizzard. He was completely in the zone. He dodged every sharp ambush with ease, and even attacks executed from impossible angles landed with unrealistic precision.

"I-I can’t accept this..." One of the knights clenched his spear tightly, biting his lip.

It was the very same knight who had pierced Blizzard’s leg earlier that morning.

How did this creature, who was writhing on the ground like an insect just hours ago suddenly...

Unable to comprehend the situation, he lunged forward, eyes burning with murderous intent. He channeled all the force from his ankle, through his thigh, and into his waist, driving it into his spear, unleashing a devastating thrust!

"Die, you damned lizard bastard!"

However, Blizzard didn’t move. Standing his ground, he simply moved his two curved blades.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

The knight’s proud and powerful spear strike slid along Blizzard’s elegantly curved blades, slicing through nothing but empty air.

Planting his foot firmly on the ground, Blizzard passed by the knight and quietly said, "Now, we’re even for this morning."

The knight’s ankles were severed, and he collapsed forward, unable to support his own momentum.

At that moment, Blizzard sensed a change within himself.

The path of a warrior is not merely about being strong.

Only after going all out did his master’s teachings truly sink in.

The strong do not reject weakness and sorrow.

True strength meant carrying one's own weakness and sorrow while still standing tall.

The strong must be flexible.

One must not cling stubbornly to their own ways but be willing to embrace better ideas and techniques, as anything too strong was destined to break.

That is what true strength is.

As that realization struck him, a radiant light burst from Blizzard’s body.

Ding!

[Blizzard has achieved mastery in swordsmanship.]

[Intermediate Lizardman Swordsmanship LV.9 has changed to Advanced Lizardman Swordsmanship LV.1.]

[Blizzard has acquired a Unique skill, Counter.]

"

Oh...?

"

Kai, watching Blizzard’s performance, became surprised.

Counter, huh? That’s a rare skill.

Counter was a Unique-grade skill, one that could never be learned from a skill book. The only way to learn it was through training. It was a skill first discovered by a player who had used nothing but Counter from level 1, eventually mastering it at level 280.

Who would’ve thought Blizzard would acquire the Counter skill?

Curious about its effects, Kai opened the skill window.

[

Counter (LV.1)

]

Grade: Unique

Effect: When used, the user is immobilized for 3 seconds.

If attacked during this period, the damage is nullified, and 40% of the opponent’s attack power is reflected back.

Cooldown: 5 minutes

"

W-wow.

"

It was far better than he had expected! The most appealing part was that it nullified incoming damage. And to think this was only level 1, yet it could already reflect 40% of the opponent’s attack power?

Yeah, I’ll definitely be using Blizzard more often in future battles.

While Kai grinned with satisfaction, Blizzard finished off the last knight. With all enemies defeated, Blizzard naturally returned to Kai’s side, standing behind him.

"You’ve improved a lot. Feels reassuring."

"Thank you, Master."

Kai, smiling at Blizzard, turned his gaze toward Baron Gordan. The man was trying to sneak toward the exit, but a young man blocked his path.

"You’re not going anywhere."

It was Teferen, the prodigy swordsman known as Holy Laterre.

In an instant, Kai leaped into the stands, walking toward Baron Gordan. "Well done, Teferen."

Baron Gordan’s eyes darted wildly as he shouted, "W-who are you people?! By what right do you oppress me, the lord of Caldaren?!"

It was a roar filled with the dignity of a noble.

However, Kai didn’t so much as flinch as he casually pulled a badge from his inner pocket. "I am Kai, the Leader of the Holy Blood Order under the Solarian Church. I hereby place you under immediate arrest. Charges include drug trafficking, violation of anti-prostitution laws, operation of illegal gambling dens, and kidnapping."

"W-what...?"

"Th-the Solarian Church?!"

"Wait, by Holy Blood Order he means...?"

"The newly established force that is now renowned across the continent—the strongest force of the Solarian Church!"

"The shield of the weak, and the dagger that strikes at the throats of the corrupt!"

The spectators looked at Kai in shock.

Then, Baron Gordan swallowed hard and shook his head. "D-do you even have proof?"

"Of course. Did you not get the news? My men raided every one of your businesses and shook them down to the last speck of dust."

"There’s no way..."

Gordan's expression hardened. He had assumed it was merely a ploy to demand a larger bribe, but it was an actual inspection!

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

This is bad.

Though greatly taken aback, Gordan forced himself to stay calm and firmly said, "I see. However, no matter how powerful the Solarian Church may be, you have no legal authority to investigate matters of the Empire. Now, leave my territory at once."

He was correct. Even though the Solarian Church was the state religion of Caldaren, it did not have independent investigative authority.

"I know."

However, Kai merely grinned and pulled out another emblem.

At the same time, Baron Gordan’s face turned pale. "D-darkness Hunter?!"

"The Darkness Hunters hold the authority to conduct investigations, verify identities, request assistance, and cooperate in law enforcement across the territories of two empires, three kingdoms, and seventy-eight merchant guilds. Surely, you know that as well."

"

Uh... Uhhhh...

"

Overcome with shock, Baron Gordan clutched the back of his neck and collapsed.