Ch. 221..230

Chapter 221 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 1]

"Grandma, Iris, Eiko, I'm going," Lux said after he finished giving each of his family members a kiss on the cheek.

"Do your best, Lux," Vera said as she rested her hand on Lux's shoulder.

"Goodluck, Big Brother!" Iris said before kissing Lux's right cheek with a blush on her face.

"Pa!" Eiko jumped on Lux's left shoulder and kissed his left cheek as a way to wish him good luck.

,m A smile was on Lux's face as he gave Iris and Eiko one last hug before leaving the room to head towards the Grand Coliseum where the qualifying matches would be held.

Alicia was already waiting for him in the secret passage that led to an area near the venue of the tournament without being seen by anyone.

"I've already made the necessary preparations," Alicia said as she gave Lux a badge. "Just show this to the organizer, and he will already know what to do."

"Thank you, Alicia," Lux replied as he accepted the badge and entered the passageway alone. Alicia was not going to accompany him in order to prevent anyone from becoming suspicious of his identity.

Everyone in the academy knew that Alicia was Alexander's secretary. They also knew that she had a good relationship with Lux, so if there was someone being personally escorted by her, it would immediately catch the attention of the influential people who were staying in Barbatos Academy for the duration of the tournament.

The moment the door of the passageway closed, Lux steadily walked in the dimly lit corridor.

He took a mask out of his storage ring and placed it over his face. A moment later, the color of his hair changed to black. His lean and toned body became chubby, and the handsome face that Lux had always been proud of became less good looking.

Right now, he didn't look like Lux the Half-Elf.

He looked like Lucien. The chubby boy who was chosen to participate in the Heaven's Gate Project to save a dying world from destruction.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the end of the passageway. Without any delays, he pulled on the torch that hung beside the wall.

Suddenly, a grating sound was heard and the stone wall in front of him parted, opening just enough space for a single person to pass through.

Lux squeezed himself in that narrow passage, and safely arrived at a room that was also one of the storage areas in Barbatos Academy.

Patting the dust off his clothes, the chubby boy walked towards the door with a hint of anticipation in his light-brown eyes. Now that the tournament was about to start, he could feel his blood boiling inside his veins as he opened the door that would lead him to the new battlefield that he was about to face.

—--

"Show me your ticket number."

"Okay, head to Arena 4. Next!"

"You go to Arena 5. Next person please!"

The organizers of the event were busy sending the contestants to their respective arenas where the grand qualifying matches were about to take place.

More than fifty thousand applicants had wanted to join this year's tournament, and the staggering numbers made the organizers busy as hell. As this was happening, a chubby boy quietly queued in one of the lines, specifically the one that led to the organizer that Alicia had told him about.

Lux was also familiar with the person who was going to be in charge of him since the other party was one of Alicia's personal subordinates that handled the logistics of the supplies of Barbatos Academy.

His name was Bruno and was one of the people who were assigned to ensure that Lux didn't die in the tournament.

The organizer was over six feet tall, and he had blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like a pro wrestler with his bulging muscles that could be seen under his sleeveless shirt. Although Lux couldn't see his rank, he assumed that the man in front of him was a Ranker.

"Go to Arena number 2. Next please!" Bruno said after sending the person in front of Lux to the arena where he belonged.

Lux handed the badge over to Bruno and the latter's reaction after seeing the badge almost made him laugh out loud.

"Um, Sir, please go to Arena 4," Bruno said in a respectful tone. "Oi! Please bring this lad to Arena 4. Make sure he doesn't get lost or I'll ensure that you will lose your job, got it?"

"Yes Sir!" Bruno's subordinate replied as he looked at the chubby boy in front of him. "Sir, please follow me."

Lux just nodded his head as he followed the guard towards one of the pathways that led to the fourth of the five arenas that were prepared for the tournament.

As the two of them walked, the guard would glance at his side to appraise the chubby boy walking beside him

'This might be the son of some Big Shot,' the Guard thought. 'I better not mess this up or I might get kicked out of the academy.'

Surprisingly, It only took them four minutes to arrive at their destination. After safely leading Lux to the right arena, the guard bowed respectfully before leaving, which caught the attention of some of the participants who were already standing inside Arena 4.

Some of the contestants chuckled, while some eyed Lux with great curiosity.

'Interesting. An Oriental is participating in this match,' one of the contestants thought. 'Still, he looks like a spoiled brat. I wonder if his family secretly brought in some people to help him pass the qualifiers.'

'I bet this guy will be targeted by everyone. He looks like someone that is easy to bully.'

'Pfft! This fatso sure knows how to make an entrance. Does he really think that he will be able to pass the qualifiers? Many people here hate those that used the backdoor to enter. I'm sure that he will be kicked out as soon as the battle starts.'

'Just another weakling to add to the loser group later. This place sure has a lot of wannabees.'

Lux may not have the ability to read the minds of the people that looked at him, but he had a vague idea about what they were thinking.

'So many people,' Lux thought as he walked at the farthest corner of the arena. 'I have a hunch that the method they will use to thin the numbers of the participants is a Royal Rumble with only a few people passing through the next qualifying rounds.'

With over fifty thousand participants, it was a no-brainer to use this strategy to reduce the numbers in a short amount of time.

The giant floating numbers that hung at the center of the arena showed the number "892", and it was still continuously rising with every passing minute.

Lux assumed that this was the number of people present in Arena 4.

Of course, it was not only Lux who thought of the possibility of a Royal Rumble. These people had also placed themselves at the far end of the arena, hoping that they wouldn't get caught up in the initial clash that would happen once the battle officially started.

When the number of people reached 1,283, the barriers of the arena activated, and a loud booming voice spread in the surroundings.

"Good day everyone! My name is Bruno, and I will be the one officiating the Qualifying Matches," Bruno's words reverberated in the arena as he used an artifact to magnify the volume of his voice. "Before anything else, I would like to Welcome all of you to the Lionheart Tournament!"

Cheers rose up from the contestants as well as those who were watching them from the stands.

"I will now explain the rules of the Qualifying rounds," Bruno said in a steady voice. "Right now, there are 1,283 contestants inside Arena 4. Because of this, we decided to hold a Royal Rumble match, and the last twenty people standing until the end will move on to the second round of the qualifying matches!

"Take note that there is a time limit of one hour. After an hour has passed, if the number still exceeds the quota of the qualifiers, we will release an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster inside the arena. The monster will remain in the arena until the numbers reach our target.

"Killing in any form will not be allowed. Those who are caught doing it will immediately be disqualified from the tournament. However, you are allowed to seriously injure or incapacitate your opponents if you like to make them surrender."

"Feel free to cut their limbs as well, but refrain from damaging the body parts, so that it can be reattached later. Don't worry, we have High-Ranking Clerics that are on standby to patch you up and return you to good health."

Bruno's gaze lingered on Lux's location for a brief moment before continuing his speech.

"If you wish to surrender, just shout 'I concede', and the mages monitoring the battleground will immediately teleport you out of the arena. Lastly, I wish all of you good luck! We will be starting the tournament in exactly thirty seconds. Everybody, make your final preparations!"

After he finished talking, a giant timer appeared at the center of the arena, displaying the countdown which had begun.

Those at the center warily looked at each other. Some even backed away as they unsheathed the weapons to wards of any potential attackers in their surroundings.

Lux remained calm as he stared at the timer. He had already made his preparations the moment he entered the arena, so there was no need for him to do anything but wait.

The crowd began to shout as the final seconds of the countdown took place.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!'

"One!"

"Battle Start!"

As soon as the start of the battle was announced, the sounds of explosions spread inside the arena.

"Good luck, Big Brother!" Iris, who was watching the battle inside her room through a projection, clenched her fist tightly. Her gaze never left the chubby boy, who was calmly observing the battles that were happening around him with a confident smile on his face.

 

Chapter 222 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 2]

Just as everyone expected, the most intense battles were happening in the center of the Arena.

With no place to run or hide, they had no choice but to wipe out the people around them to ensure that no one would stab them in the back.

Lux arched an eyebrow when he noticed several people forming groups, fighting as a united front. He assumed that while some of them teamed up because they knew each other, there were also others who formed teams on the spot.

The chubby boy thought that this was a very sensible idea since the battle would end only when twenty people were left in the arena. As the number of participants dwindled, some groups started to target those that were staying on the sidelines.

They weren't stupid and knew that those who were on the sides were just waiting for everyone to get tired or destroy each other before fishing in troubled waters. Because of this, the groups were able to reduce the number of their rivals, one at a time, as they swept the edges of the battlefield, while others continued to fight at the center.

Among the contestants in Arena 4, a skinny young man caught Lux's eye.

The contestant wore ragged clothing, and the only thing that looked new in his possession was the bamboo straw hat covering his head.

He was standing at the very center of the arena with several young men and women lying on the ground around him, their limbs cut off from their bodies.

p The Mages who were standing outside of the arena deemed that everyone that the young man had attacked was no longer capable of fighting, so they decisively teleported them out along with their body parts, so that they could receive medical attention as soon as possible.

'This person is dangerous,' Lux thought as he eyed the skinny young man in the distance.

To his surprise, the skinny young man turned his head to look in his direction.

Lux and the young man held each other's gaze for a few seconds before giving each other a brief nod of acknowledgement.

The skinny young man then closed his eyes as he remained standing at the center of the arena. No one dared to approach him after they had seen him dismember a group of ten people who assumed that they could beat the young man easily using their numbers.

Suddenly, a loud shout reached Lux's ears, which made him frown.

"Get rid of that chubby pig!"

Lux thought that the people were referring to him, but to his surprise, they were not talking about him but an actual pig!

A two-meter tall Boar had appeared in the arena, and it was busy charging at everyone it had set its sights on.

Lux immediately appraised the Boar using his Elysium Compendium but the information that he received surprised him.

—--

The target creature is Shape Shifter. Its information cannot be appraised.

—--

'I see, so that Boar is a shapeshifter. Makes sense.' Lux knew that his Elysium Compendium could not see the stats of people.

It could only see the stats and information of the Monsters that could be seen or had appeared in Elysium.

Suddenly the Boar stopped running and shifted its attention to the person that said get rid of that chubby pig!

"Who are you calling a pig?!" the Boar roared in anger. "You dare call me a Pig? I'll kill you!"

"What's wrong with calling a pig a pig?!" The person that had called out to the Boar didn't cower and raised his weapon high. "I'm going to roast you!"

The reason why he didn't back down was because he was with a group of exactly twenty people. He believed that with their numbers, defeating the Boar that was charging at them with bloodshot eyes could be done easily.

The group clashed with the Boar, and an intense battle broke out. Shouts of anger, pain, and the Boar's squealing reverberated in the arena as blood splattered in the surroundings.

The Boar's body was bleeding heavily from the numerous stabs and slashes it had received from its opponents.

However, the Boar's opponents weren't doing well either. Five of them had already suffered fatal injuries, and were immediately ejected from the arena to receive emergency treatment. The others had also received varying levels of injury ranging from minor ones to serious ones.

"Die!" the young man, who had called out to the Boar earlier, yelled as he smashed his steel hammer on the side of the Boar's body, sending it skidding across the ground.

Everyone moved out of the way as the Boar's body skidded until it reached the edges of the arena. It only stopped moving when it was about to hit Lux, who had stepped aside to prevent himself from getting hit.

The Boar's snout was bleeding, and gave off a deep, and heavy snorting sound as it tried to catch its breath.

It tried to prop itself up, but the injuries it received had taken its toll on its body and depleted most of its stamina.

"I can't… lose here…," the Boar mumbled as it struggled to stand up. "Everyone… everyone is waiting for me… back in the village. I can't… lose here."

It made huffing and squealing sounds as it repeatedly tried to stand up, but it fell each and every time. The group that it had fought earlier were drinking health potions to recover their injuries while they laughed at the struggling Boar, who seemed to have run out of steam.

There were no rules that forbade the use of Health and Mana Potions during the qualifying matches, so the referees observing the battle from the side didn't say anything and merely continued to monitor the battles around them.

After falling back on its side for the umpteenth time, the Boar stopped trying to stand up and just panted for breath. A pool of blood had already dyed half of its body red, and made it look like a bloody Monster that had come from a horror story.

Just as the Boar was starting to feel that its legs were starting to go numb, it felt something cool and refreshing wash over its body.

A chubby boy, who was standing by its side was pouring two health potions on its body.

The Boar looked at the black-haired boy in surprise, because it didn't expect that someone would help it during its time of need.

"Drink up," Lux said as he placed a potion near the snout of the boar.

"Why?" the Boar asked as it looked at Lux. "Why are you helping me?"

"For my own self satisfaction," Lux replied. "Don't worry. You don't owe me anything. I just feel like helping you this once."

Lux didn't want to admit it, but he somehow saw his old self in the struggling Boar that was lying in a pool of its own blood on the ground.

His old, weak, and pitiful self which no person even bothered to help during his last moments on Earth. Even though he had no obligation to help anyone in the tournament, the determination, and unwillingness in the Boar's eyes, and voice, reached his heart.

Because of this, he decided to do the unthinkable and lend aid to a complete stranger, who was also doing their best to struggle until the bitter end.

 

Chapter 223 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 3]

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?!" The young man who had smashed the Boar with his hammer shouted in anger after seeing Lux's actions. "Do you want us to target you as well?"

"Very funny," Lux replied. "You're talking as if we are friends. Also, do you think I can't count? Your group had twenty people in the beginning, but five were eliminated. Now that all of you have drunk your potions, you think you can just resume eliminating all of us, right?"

The young man was unable to refute Lux's words since what the latter said was the truth. Several other solo players warily looked in their direction since they had noticed how this particular group had picked off contestants without any groups or backings one by one.

After drinking the two bottles of Health Potion that Lux had given it, the Boar finally regained its strength and stood up from the ground.

"I'll remember this favor," the Boar said. "What is your name?"

"I told you that you don't need to repay this favor," Lux replied. "As for my name, you will know it eventually once you succeed in passing the Qualifying Rounds."

"Very well. I'll just remember your face."

"Suit yourself."

Lux glanced towards the direction of the group of people who was now eyeing him and the Boar with hateful glares. He didn't plan on fighting at the start, but since he had extended his help on an underdog, rather, an underboar, he had now become a target of the group that was aiming to eliminate it.

"Get them!" the young man wielding the hammer shouted as he charged at Lux, alongside his teammates.

The Boar squealed as its eyes turned crimson red. It had activated its Berserk Skill, making his strength grow by leaps and bounds.

"Wild Charge!" The boar stomped its right hoof, embedding itself deep on the ground before shooting towards its opponents like a speeding truck.

"Evade hi–" the young man wielding the hammer wasn't able to finish his words as he felt a tremendous pressure wash over his entire body, making it freeze in place.

Lux's eyes glowed faintly as he looked at his opponents, releasing the power of his Dragon's Fear [EX], immobilizing his opponents in place.

p They were like helpless bowling pins that were waiting for the bowling ball to send them flying.

The bowling ball, in the form of a raging Boar, bulldozed its way towards the center of the arena, sending its opponents flying in several directions. The referees immediately took them out of the arena as they all suffered critical injuries after being impaled by the boar's mighty tusks.

Lux immediately deactivated Dragon's Fear to prevent others from knowing about it. Fortunately, almost everyone's attention was on the berserked Boar, so they weren't able to see the subtle change in the color of Lux's eyes.

Of course, there was one exception and that was none other than the skinny young man who was standing at the center of the arena wearing a bamboo straw hat.

After eliminating its targets from the arena, the Boar returned to Lux's side and panted for breath. It had deactivated its Berserk Skill and was currently at a weakened state.

"Why did you return here?" Lux asked as he eyed the panting Boar beside him.

"Um, so you can protect me until I recover," the Boar replied.

"Wow. Your face sure is thick."

"I get that a lot."

Lux shook his head as he sighed internally. Right now, the battles around the arena had paused for a bit after the Boar had shown its strength to everyone.

The contestants eyed Lux and the Boar warily, but they still believed that they could defeat the two of them.

Only the skinny young man at the center of the arena remained undisturbed by the other contestants who were eyeing each other with a wary gaze. None of them wanted to have their limbs cut off from their bodies, so they made sure to not antagonize the young man who didn't hesitate to slice people up.

"T-The Boar is not a threat anymore, but if we let it recover we will have problems later," a brown-haired teenager shouted. "I suggest we dispose of them first before we decide who the final twenty will be, what do you guys think?"

"I agree! If we don't eliminate that boar now, we will lose our chance after it recovers."

"I second this proposal!"

"Me, too!"

"I also agree."

Lux smiled as dozens of people encircled him and the Boar that was panting by his side. At first, he wanted to hide his strength as long as he could, but it was impossible to do that.

'I guess I need to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys,' Lux thought. 'Well, I guess it's time to let them know who they are dealing with.'

"Attack!" the brown-haired teenager shouted as he summoned several flame lances and hurled it at Lux and the boar beside me.

To Lux's surprise, the Boar stood in front of him and used its body to shield him from the incoming magical attacks, despite its weakened state.

"Do you want to be a roasted pig that badly?"

"My Grandpa said that boys should act cool to impress the ladies. It's not like I'm doing this to return the earlier favor, don't get the wrong idea."

Lux grinned before patting the side of the boar's body as he stepped forward.

"I appreciate the intention," Lux replied. "But, I can handle these guys. You just rest there and recover your strength."

When the flaming lances were only two meters away from the chubby boy, a rocky hand jutted off the ground and blocked it.

"Clean up the trash for me, Orion," Lux ordered as he placed his hands behind his back like a Martial Arts Master. "Don't hold back."

Immediately the ground shook, catching everyone in the arena off guard.

A moment later a four-meter-tall Rock Golem, jumped off of the ground and landed a few meters away from the brown-haired magician who had cast fire lances at his Master.

"It's Clobberin Time!" Orion roared as he smashed his fists against the ground, creating a powerful shockwave, sending giant rocks and dirt flying in every direction, causing those that got caught up in the attack scream in pain.

The skinny young man lightly pulled his sword out of its sheath creating a clinking sound.

Immediately, the giant boulders that were flying in his direction were cut in half, passing harmlessly by his sides, and landing on the people behind his back.

Orion thrust his right hand into the ground. A moment later, he lifted it back up, but this time, he was lifting a giant boulder above his head.

"Rock throw!" Orion roared as he threw the boulder in his hands towards the group of people that had gathered together in one spot.

"I surrender!"

"I concede!"

"I don't want to die!"

The people that had surrendered were instantly taken out of the arena by the mages who were keeping a close eye on the chaotic battlefield where a Rock Golem was performing a one-sided pounding.

"W-Wow!" the Boar exclaimed. "You are a summoner?!"

"Um, something like that," Lux replied. 'Still, Orion can be quite devastating when he just attacks recklessly like this.'

The Half-Elf had long decided that in this tournament, he would only summon Orion to fight for him. He had decided to wear the mask of a "Summoner," hiding his identity as a "Necromancer" to conceal his true abilities from people.

This would make his opponents have a false estimate of his capabilities, so that when they decided to target him instead of the Rock Golem, he could give them a nasty surprise that would make them regret their decision.

 

 

Chapter 224 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 4]

"That's enough," Lux ordered. "Return."

Orion nodded as he walked towards his Master and stood right in front of him with an intimidating stance.

After seeing his performance, the remaining contestants, which only numbered less than two hundred now, glanced at each other with fearful looks on their faces.

Now, there were three people they couldn't afford to mess with inside the Arena. First, there was just the skinny young man. Now, there was the Boar, as well as the Chubby boy who commanded a Rank 3 Rock Golem that had a feisty personality.

The standoff lasted for several minutes and it was only broken after Bruno announced an update.

"Last 30 minutes!" Bruno said through the artifact that magnified his voice. "If the remaining number of participants exceeds the quota, we will release an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster inside the arena. Goodluck to all of you!"

As if injected by chickenblood, the remaining participants with the exception of Lux, the Boar, and the skinny young man, fought against each other in order to decrease the number of people in the arena.

Lux watched this scene with a calm expression on his face. With Orion standing in front of him, only exceptionally strong Apostles would be able to break past his defenses.

In just fifteen minutes, the number of contestants had dwindled to fifty.

Ten minutes later, this number went down to thirty.

With five minute remaining on the clock, the last thirty participants eyed each other warily.

The other contestants had varying stages of injury, preventing them from fighting each other, in fear that others would use this opportunity to eliminate them.

Just as everyone was thinking of what to do next, a crisp, clinking sound reached everyone's ears.

Suddenly, screams of pain erupted in the arena as ten people collapsed on the ground. Their legs had been cleanly sliced in half, and none of them had been able to see how this happened.

The mages promptly ejected them off the arena, and the Countdown Timer disappeared because they had reached their quota.

"Congratulations to the survivors of Arena 4!" Bruno's voice spread across the arena. "All of you are going to the next round of the tournament!"

The people watching the battle from the audience seats cheered and applauded the young men and women who were going to the next Qualifying Round.

Iris hugged Vera after seeing that Lux had safely passed the first hurdle of the tournament. Even Eiko was quite happy as she joined her Mama in hugging the old lady who had a very satisfied smile on her face.

"Well, it is good to be happy, but this is just the beginning," Vera said as she tried to calm the beautiful young lady and the baby slime who were in a festive mood. "The Qualifying matches lasts for three days. We can celebrate after Lux has succeeded in passing the Qualifying Rounds."

While the three people that loved Lux very much huddled inside Iris' Room, Alicia, who was watching the battles in Arena 4, was still in shock after witnessing the battle that had just transpired.

It never crossed her mind that Lux would become a Summoner, during the time that they hadn't seen each other. In fact, the moment the mage had hurled fire lances in Lux's direction, she felt as if her heart was being squeezed inside her chest.

If not for the fact that Bruno was there to ensure Lux's safety, she might have already rushed to the arena in order to forcefully eject the chubby young man from the arena to save his life.

'Goodness, is this really the Lux I know?' Alicia mused as she watched the chubby teenager walk out of the arena while waving at the audience with a smile on his face. 'So this must be the reason why Lady Vera was confident that he would do well in the tournament.'

Alicia smiled, but a second later that smile disappeared as she shook her head.

'Although he is a Summoner, and that Rock Golem looks strong, it will not be enough to win this tournament,' Alicia thought. 'The Four Kings and Five Overlords could easily defeat Lux and his golem even if they fought together. At most, he will be lucky to win the Qualifying rounds."

Alicia might like Lux, but she was someone who always thought realistically. Knowing how strong the opponents the Half-Elf was going to face, she already knew that his journey would come at an abrupt end the moment he faced one of those prodigies.

—

In Arena 4….

While Lux was walking towards the exit, he sensed a presence appear behind his back.

"You did something unnecessary."

Lux turned his head and arched an eyebrow at the skinny young man who had caught up to him from behind. The chubby teenager didn't say anything because he felt that the mysterious young man still had something to tell him.

"Do you think that helping the Boar earlier was the right thing to do?" the skinny young man asked. "No, you just prolonged his suffering. He just got lucky because you decided to help him, but, in the end, isn't he still unqualified to get far in this tournament."

"So?" Lux asked back. He didn't feel any killing intent from the young man in front of him, but he still raised his guard to protect himself just in case the person talking to him had evil intentions.

"Like I said, you did something unnecessary."

"What I do is none of your business."

The skinny young man was about to say more, but seeing Lux's firm expression, he decided that it was not worth it.

"Unnecessary kindness doesn't help anyone," the skinny young man stated as he walked past Lux. "Goodluck in the tournament."

Lux watched the back of the mysterious teenager as he walked away from him. He admired the young man's steady steps, as well as the raw confidence that emanated from his skinny body. The moment the Half-Elf laid his eyes on the swordsman, he knew right away that the latter was a very powerful individual.

'I'm sure there will be more people like him in the tournament,' Lux thought as he resumed walking towards the exit. 'Even so, it doesn't matter.'

The Half-Elf clenched his fist as he reigned in the blood boiling inside his chest. This feeling of wanting to give everything he had was something he rarely felt. In the past, he had only fought against Monsters and the Dwarves that belonged to Twilight Rain.

But now, he was fighting against Humans and other Demihumans that were of similar age to him.

'Just how many prodigies will I meet in this tournament?' Lux mused as he reached the exit of the arena. 'Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough.'

The Half-Elf chuckled internally as he headed straight to the accommodations that were prepared for the contestants that had won the first round.

He had decided not to meet his Grandma, Iris, and Eiko, for the duration of the tournament so that no one would be suspicious of his identity.

The three of them had been informed about Lux's plan beforehand, and they all supported his plan.

Right now, Nero was looking through the names of the contestants that had won the first round. Something was telling him that Lux had joined the tournament, so he was trying to look up the names of people that the Half-Elf might have used as his Alias.

Several unique names popped up, so he listed them down one by one. He planned to watch the matches of these individuals to see whether or not Lux was one of them.

He was more than willing to bribe a few strong contestants to ensure that the Half-Elf received a good beating inside the arena. However, before he could put this plan to motion, he must first know Lux's new persona.

'I think I need to borrow THAT artifact from the Guild Treasury,' Nero thought as he looked at the names that he had listed down. There were over a hundred of them, and it would be difficult to watch their battles one by one.

Since that was the case, he would need to use an artifact that allowed him to see through disguises to find the Half-Elf that was hiding among the contestants.

'Just you wait you slippery little Half-Elf.' Nero sneered. 'I will make sure that your pitiful journey comes to an untimely end.'

What Nero didn't know was that there were other individuals who were doing the same thing. Since their goal was to become Iris' fiance, they knew that the first person they needed to get rid of was none other than the Half-Elf whom the blue-haired beauty kissed in front of everyone several months ago.

This news had spread far and wide into the Six Kingdoms, making Iris' suitors seethe in anger. Lux was unaware of the diabolical plans that these people were concocting on the side. For him, it didn't matter who his opponent was.

As long as they stood in the way of his step-sister's happiness, he would beat the crap out of them until they decided to surrender and no longer aimed to be with the blue-haired beauty, who loved him with all of her heart.

 

Chapter 225 The Biggest Threats In The Second Round Of The Tournament

Nine people were gathered in a VIP room which overlooked the arena.

They were believed to be the nine strongest members of the young generation and were also known as the Four Kings and the Five Overlords.

Naturally, all nine of them were vying to become the Champion to let their prestige spread far and wide. Although not all of them were head over heels with the blue-haired beauty who was hailed as the Princess of Barbatos Academy, becoming her fiance would allow them to form connections with her father, who was one of the handful of Saints in the Eastern Region of Solais.

"That skinny teenager wearing a bamboo hat in Arena 4 wasn't half bad," a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes said with a smile. He had sharp features, which made it hard to say whether he was good looking or not.

Although a smile was on his face, an intimidating presence leaked out of his body, which could make any Apostle below Grade C shudder.

"What about the Summoner?" a black-haired teenager asked. "What do you think about him?"

"Him? I don't think he is a big deal. Even though his Rock Golem is strong, I can easily knock him out without any problem."

Nero, who was part of this group of prodigies nodded his head in agreement. Although the creatures under a Summoner's control were strong, all of them would disappear the moment their Master was taken out.

"There were other interesting individuals in the other arena as well," a green-haired boy with pointy ears said with a smirk on his face. "It seems like this year's tournament won't be as boring as I originally thought it would be."

"Still, I didn't see Iris' step-brother's name in the list of participants," a young man with gray hair, who was around two-meters tall, said as he crossed his arms over his chest. His muscles were bulging on his body, making him look like the Barbarian he really was. "I was hoping to see him fight so I could laugh at him when he gets eliminated."

"That Half-Elf?" the green-haired teenager snorted. "Pathetic half-bloods who only rely on our Elven ancestry to look a little bit decent, but that doesn't change the fact that they are born defective. According to an insider, Alicia might have made arrangements to register him in the tournament under a different name."

"Oh? So, he's wearing a disguise?" the gray-haired barbarian asked. "Hmph! He must be afraid to show his face. I'm sure that he didn't want to look pathetic in front of Iris."

The blonde-haired young man with sharp features shifted his attention to Nero, who was looking at a list of names that he had acquired not long ago.

"Nero, do you have any news as to that Half-Elf's identity?" the blonde-haired teenager asked. "Why don't you share the information you have with the rest of us? I'm sure that you already have your suspicions, right?"

Nero raised his head as he glanced at the Prince of the strongest kingdom that supported Barbatos Academy. In his eyes, this Prince was his greatest rival in the tournament, so had made every effort to know more about his fighting style and habits.

"I have some names in mind, but they number over a hundred," Nero replied. "I believe that he's wearing some kind of disguise. I don't mind sharing the list with all of you, but you have to promise that once you find him, you will share the news with everyone."

"Hmph! No matter what kind of disguise he wears, his pathetic self will show up the moment he faces someone stronger than him." the Barbarian scoffed. "Still, it will help narrow down the suspects if we have a list in our hands."

Nero already knew that his peers had influential backgrounds, compared to him who was born as a commoner. This was why he would sometimes feel inferior when he was around them.

"Let me look at that list," the green-haired teenager said. "I will create copies for everyone."

Nero nodded as he handed the list of names of those he thought to be suspicious contestants in the tournament that the Half-Elf might have used to hide his identity.

The Elf boy chanted as he held the scroll in his hand. A moment later, several scrolls appeared in the air and flew in the direction of the other people inside the room.

The Elf then returned the scroll to Nero as he took his own copy so he could read the names written on it.

"As expected of you, Nero," the blonde-haired teenager said. "This list is quite comprehensive. How about we divide these people among ourselves to make the task of identifying him easier?"

"I have no objections."

"I agree with this proposal."

"This will save us a lot of time."

"Good thing I have one of my family's artifacts with me. This should help me find out if that bastard Lux is hiding among these names."

The nine teenagers glanced at each other before deciding which of the contestants would be assigned to them.

While this was happening, Lux was resting inside his room and absorbing the Beast Cores in his storage ring. Although he knew that he would end up using most of the cores in his possession, he decided to upgrade his Special Body Constitution once.

Due to their battle earlier, he was able to get a rough estimate of the average strength of the contestants that he would be meeting in the next round of the Qualifying Matches. Although he believed that he could fight them without problems, he decided to upgrade his Body Constitution to give him an edge in the next set of matches that he would be participating in.

Just as he was about to absorb another Beast Core, the Half-Elf glanced at the wall of his room. Immediately, he hid the Beast Core back inside his storage ring as he looked on the wall with anticipation.

A moment later the wall parted, revealing the mature beauty, Alicia, who was smiling at him.

"You surprised me earlier," Alicia said as she walked towards the Half-Elf who was seated on the couch. "Now I know why you decided to join the tournament."

"Haha, I was just lucky that my opponents are weak," Lux replied. "Did you visit me just to congratulate me, Alicia?"

"Of course not," Alicia stated. "I am not that free. I only came here to give you this."

Alicia handed Lux a scroll, and the Half-Elf accepted it with a confused look on his face. However, his confusion disappeared as soon as she saw the information that was written on the scroll.

Lux read the scroll quietly, While Alicia sat on the couch beside him. The mature beauty allowed the Half-Elf to digest the information that she had given him for his next match in the tournament.

"This is indeed very helpful," Lux said in a grateful voice. "Thank you, Alicia."

"No need to thank me," Alicia commented. "Do you have any questions? About your opponents tomorrow? I listed all of their skills and special abilities that they have used during the tournament. With this, you will be able to prepare for your next match, and see the people who you need to be wary of."

Lux stayed silent for a minute as he once again looked at the names on the scroll before shifting his gaze to the alluring woman beside him.

"In your opinion, who is the biggest threat on this list?" Lux asked with a serious expression on his face.

Alicia pondered for a bit before pointing at two names in the list.

"Rol Mordosk," Alicia said. "He is the younger brother of one of the Four Kings among the young generation. He is a Barbarian, and some say that his strength is almost equal to the strength of his brother. If possible, do not have a direct confrontation with him in the early stages."

Alicia's finger then moved to the second name in the list.

"Gerhart Cenele," Alicia stated. "The Headmaster sent an invitation to him to enroll at Barbatos Academy because of his amazing control over the element of wind. During the Qualifying matches, he created a hurricane that almost eliminated all the participants in Arena 2. He is a force to be reckoned with, so you should be on your guard against him."

"There are a few more notable contestants on this list, but none of them are as dangerous as these two young men. Just like your earlier battle, this will be another Royal Rumble and only twenty participants will remain. As long as you play your cards right, you can easily be one of those who will proceed to the next round."

Lux nodded his head in understanding before thanking Alicia for sharing her thoughts on the matter. After seeing the information inside the scroll, he knew that the woman who had taken good care of him and Iris in Barbatos Academy was doing her best to help Lux in any way that she could.

"Although tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, I'll come and see you again if I have the time," Alicia said as she walked towards the part of the wall that was left open. "Goodluck in your next matches."

"Thank you," Lux replied. "I will do my best."

Alicia gave Lux a smile before walking back through the passage. A moment later, the wall sealed itself shut, returning to its previous state.

Lux didn't initially know that the room that was reserved for him had a secret passage known only to Alicia. In the end, he could only admire the secretary's thoroughness in her effort to help him.

"I'm glad that Alicia is on my side," Lux muttered as he shifted his attention back to the scroll in his hands. "Rol Mordosk, Gerhart Cenele… I wonder how I will fare against these two."

Lux read over the information that was written on the scroll one more time, and committed it into his memory. Since Alicia had made an effort to pass the scroll to him, the least he could do was return the favor by winning the second round of the tournament.

'I wonder if Nero and his gang are already looking for my whereabouts,' Lux mused after placing the scroll inside his storage ring. 'Well, goodluck to them. Let this little game of hide and seek commence!'

Lux chuckled as he took a Beast Core out of his storage ring. For now, he would just focus on upgrading his Special Body Constitution to prepare for his match tomorrow. Whether his identity would be exposed or not, he planned to just leave it to Fate.

The only thing that mattered to him was passing the final Qualifying Round in order to have the opportunity to fight the strongest members of the young generation. That way, he would be able to measure just how much he had improved ever since he had the opportunity to enter the wonderful, yet dangerous world of Elysium.

 

Chapter 226 I Hate You

"Brother, hurry up!"

"We're going to leave you if you're slow!"

"Alright, just calm down. I'm coming," Sid said as he let his two sisters pull both of his hands. They were going to head to Aspiration Plains to pick the herbs Grandma Annie needed to make potions.

It had been several days since Sid returned to Leaf Village, wanting to stay with his sisters for a little while before he embarked on a journey to strengthen himself.

His Master, Lux, had told him that he would be gone for several months in order to fool Twilight Rain into thinking that he was really out of the picture, and allow Scarlet to gain the full support of the Dark Guild in order to become one of their Slayer Candidates, and eventually a Ranker.

Sid thought that his plan was excellent. If Lux were to be seen by the Dark Guild in Elysium while Scarlet was in the middle of acquiring her resources, things might get a bit complicated. In order to prevent this from happening, the Half-Elf even planned to go to the territories where Wildgarde Stronghold was in Elysium first to get a better understanding of what it was like to stay in those territories.

Of course, he would only go there after the Tournament of Barbatos Academy, because Iris' happiness was at stake.

'Master, I think you have started an unusual trend here in Leaf Village,' Sid thought as he gazed at the two baby slimes that were perched on top of his sisters' heads.

Ever since Lux had been recognized as the Eternal Guardian and Hero of Leaf Village, most of the Dwarves and foreigners who arrived there from Solais had decided to raise Slimes as their Beast Companions.

His sisters were no exception and, for the most part, he could only allow them to follow this unique tradition.

"Ei!" The slime on Laura's head, whom she had given the name, Cora, suddenly made a sound, alerting its Master that it was sensing the herb that they were looking for.

"You already found a herb? You are amazing, Cora!" Laura said in a happy tone. "Where is it?"

The baby slime jumped off Laura's head and immediately crawled in the direction where she sensed the herb that they were looking for.

Sid's little sister ran off to follow the baby slime in a good mood. Not wanting to lose to her twin, Livia ran behind her, leaving Sid to watch the two of them go, a smile forming on his face.

The handsome Dhampir had noticed that both of his sisters had become more lively after they arrived in Leaf Village. In fact, not only were they full of life, they were even healthier than before.

Unlike the Orphanage where the little girls had very little to eat, Grandma Annie made sure that Laura and Livia were eating enough and properly. Also, she would give them plenty of snacks whenever the two helped her with the chores and looked after the shop whenever she was busy concocting pills and potions for the villagers.

The appearance of the two girls brought color to Grandma Annie's lonely life, so the Old Lady had poured her love out on the twins, spoiling them completely.

"Ah! That horned rabbit stole our herb!" Laura exclaimed when a Horned Rabbit suddenly appeared, detached the herb from its roots, and ran off with it before she could pick it. "Cora! Punish it!"

"Nora, don't let it get away!" Livia also ordered her baby Slime to help her twin catch the Horned Rabbit.

"Your baby Slimes won't be able to catch that Horned Rabbi–." Sid wasn't able to finish his words because he saw the two baby Slimes fired a stone and water bullet at the same time, hitting the Horned Rabbit, and making it collapse on the ground twitching.

"Bad Rabbit!" Laura took the herb that the Horned Rabbit had dropped and put it inside her basket.

"You shouldn't do that, you know?" Livia admonished the Horned Rabbit who was still in a daze after getting hit by the two magical attacks. "Stealing is bad."

When the Horned Rabbit recovered its senses, it gave the two girls a glare before running away. Clearly, it didn't intend to listen to their words, and returned to its usual routine in the Aspiration Plains.

"Cora, good job!"

"Nora, that was great!"

""Ei!""

The two baby Slimes lightly jumped off the ground after hearing their Master's praise. The twins happily picked up their Beast Companions and kissed their cheeks, making the baby Slimes' jelly-like bodies jiggle in happiness.

Sid, who was standing not far away from the two, could only scratch his head in disbelief.

"I guess the Slimes here in Leaf Village are built differently," Sid muttered. He had no choice but to admit that the Slimes that were being raised in Leaf Village were not like the common Slimes he had seen in the past.

The Dhampir then remembered the baby Slime that was always perched on his Master's head and pondered if Eiko had something to do with why the Slimes in Leaf Village were different from the rest of the Slimes in the Kingdom of Gweliven.

'It might just be coincidence,' Sid thought. 'Yeah. This is just a coincidence. How can ordinary Slimes be that powerful?'

This was the same question that would plague the adventurers in the other villages, towns, and cities of the Kingdom of Gweliven, when the young Dwarves from Leaf Village went to other places after becoming Apostles.

—--

Meanwhile somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven…

"You did well, Scarlet," the Elder, who was also the red-headed Dwarf's grandfather, said with a smile. "With this, you are now officially a Slayer Candidate. You've made me and our clan very proud."

"I'm glad to have become of great service to you, Grandfather, and to our guild," Scarlet replied with a respectful bow.

"The Guild Master had tasked me to bring you to the Slayer Training Camp tomorrow," the Elder stated. "You will also gain resources there. I hope that, after a year, you will be able to show me great improvements in your strength. There are very few Rankers in our family, so having a future Ranker like you gives us hope. Continue to excel, and climb the ranks of Twilight Rain."

"Everything will be done according to your will, Grandfather," Scarlet vowed.

A few minutes later, Scarlet returned to her room to rest. After making sure that the door was locked, the red-haired Dwarf laid down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

"Climb the ranks of Twilight Rain…," Scarlet muttered. "Just as that Half-Elf expected, things are proceeding smoothly on my end."

Scarlet sighed in her heart as she thought of her Master, who had promised that he would make himself scarce for half a year to allow her to train and accumulate the resources promised to her that would allow her to become a Ranker in a short period of time.

There was no doubt that she hated Lux, but it was also a fact that she couldn't disobey him. Her life was in the Half-Elf's hands, and if the latter thought that she was no longer useful, he could make her disappear with just a thought.

Although Scarlet thought that it was humiliating, she had no choice but to accept her current circumstances and follow Lux's orders to the best of her abilities.

"At least he kept his promise to make me a Slayer Candidate," Scarlet muttered as she closed her eyes. "I just hope he won't order me around like a slave and ask me to perform unreasonable requests."

Scarlet had just turned nineteen years old, and her future as an assassin was very bright. She was hailed as the greatest prodigy that their clan had produced, and she took great pride in this fact. If not for the fact that Lux had turned the tables on her, claiming her life, she might have been able to live her life the way she wanted to.

However, that was no longer possible. She lived and died for Lux now. This was the sad reality she found herself in.

'Maybe I can negotiate with him to buy my freedom back,' Scarlet thought as she laid on her side, looking at the dagger that she had embedded in the table in her room. 'I guess I'll have to wait until he returns in order to talk to him about this matter.'

For Scarlet, her freedom was just as important as her life. When Lux died then, she felt her body slowly disperse into particles of light, making her feel anxious.

It made her realize that she could no longer live the way she wanted to, because if anything untoward happened to Lux, she would disappear into nothingness, and everything she had worked had for would disappear without a trace.

This was a very scary thought for her, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Lux Von Kaizer," Scarlet said softly. "I hate you."

Yes. She hated her new Master, but also feared and admired him at the same time. That night, Scarlet slept and dreamed of the day she regained her freedom.

In that dream, she saw herself standing on the peak of a mountain and staring down on all of creation.

She felt so alive, so fulfilled, and so happy, that for a brief moment, she felt that becoming Lux's subordinate wasn't as bad as she originally thought it to be.

 

Chapter 227 Hey, Are You Lux Von Kaizer?

"Grandma, will Big Brother be fine?" Iris asked with an anxious tone. "I saw the list of contestants who will be in the same arena as him, and several of them are no pushovers."

"Don't worry, Lux will be fine." Vera assured her anxious granddaughter who had a worried look on her face.

"Pa!" Eiko, who was perched on Iris' shoulder, said with a confident tone.

Clearly, the baby Slime had full faith in her Papa, who she thought would easily win the tournament if he went all out.

What Eiko didn't know was that Lux didn't plan on summoning Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and his skeleton minions to fight with him for the duration of the tournament. The Half-Elf only let Orion out because he planned to be recognized as a Summoner, and not a Necromancer by his competitors.

"I'm still a bit worried," Iris looked at the chubby young man who was now standing inside the arena alongside the contestants that would participate in the second round of the Qualifying Matches. "Grandma, how strong is Big Brother, currently?"

Vera chuckled after hearing her granddaughter's question. Seeing how anxious she was, the old lady decided to answer her question as honestly as she could.

"Right now, I can say that Lux is on par with the Four Kings, and Five Overlords," Vera replied.

"Really?!"

"Yes. However, he is placing certain restrictions on himself. But, even if that is the case, knowing Lux, he will not allow himself to be at a disadvantage. Have more faith in him, Iris. He will be fine."

"Pa." Eiko nodded, agreeing with her great grandma's words. Lux had taken more than half of the Beast Cores that Eiko's slimes had collected in order to strengthen his Body Constitution.

After experimenting a bit, Lux had found that he could increase the number of points he could gain from a Beast Core if he just focused on adding points to his Body Constitution.

Usually, when Lux absorbed Beast Cores he would gain a specific number of points.

—----

Rank 1 Beast Cores = 10 Points in Stats, 10 Points in Body Constitution.

​ Rank 2 Beast Cores = 20 Points in Stats, 20 Points in Body Constitution.

Rank 3 Beast Cores = 30 Points in Stats, 30 Points in Body Constitution.

Rank 4 Beast Cores = 40 Points in Stats, 40 Points in Body Constitution.

Rank 5 Beast Cores = 50 Points in Stats, 50 Points in Body Constitution

—--

The Beast Cores of Alpha Monsters' had double stats. For example, a Beast Core that came from a Carbuncle, a Rank 2 Alpha Beast, would give 40 points in Stats and Body Constitution instead of the typical 20 points in stats and 20 points in Body Constitution.

Some might say that this point distribution was unfair, especially for Rank 3 monsters and above. However, what the higher-leveled Monsters lacked in points, they made up for with the Skills that one could learn from them once they have absorbed their Beast Cores.

For most people, the Skills that they could gain from the Beast Core were more important than the Stats.

The stronger the skills were, the better their offensive and defensive capabilities would be.

In Lux's case, he had recently discovered that he could convert Skill Points into Constitution Points.

For example, if Lux used a Rank 2 Beast Core that gave him 20 Stats points and 20 points for Constitution Points, he could just convert the 20 Stats points and pool them with his Constitution Points, raising the overall points to 40, instead of 20.

This tradeoff was something that Lux was able to discover because the rewards he had gained from raising his Body Constitution had helped him increase not only his strength, but his abilities as well.

The Immortal Dragon Conqueror's Legacy was truly one of a kind, allowing Lux to wield the power of Dragons. He believed that if he was able to upgrade his Body's Constitution rank to the next level, a new set of amazing rewards would be waiting for him.

Iris giggled after hearing Eiko's complaint about her Papa borrowing her Beast Cores. Because of this, Iris gave Eiko a hundred low-ranked Cores, so that she would stop pouting.

Eiko was naturally happy with these unexpected gains. For her, the more Beast Cores she had, the better.

"The battle is about to start," Vera said as she looked at the timer that was displayed in the center of the arena.

Iris and Eiko focused their attention on the projection that was displayed on the wall of Iris' room.

Even if the Half-Elf were to lose, as long as he was safe, Iris would still be happy no matter the result. She had grown up with him and knew how weak his body had been in the past. Even with the new changes she had seen in his Soul Book, Iris was still worried that her step-brother's previous illness would return at some point during his battles in the arena.

"Brother, goodluck," Iris pressed her hands together in front of her chest and prayed for Lux's victory. Deep inside, the only thing she wished for was that Lux wouldn't be hurt in the tournament.

—--

Five minutes before the timer started in Arena 4…

Rol Mordosk, the younger brother of one of the Four Kings, glanced in the direction of the chubby boy standing in one of the corners of the arena.

Her brother had told him that there was a possibility that his love rival had disguised himself as one of the participants in the tournament. The chubby boy's name was one of the people suspected to be Lux's hidden persona, so his older brother had asked him to give the chubby boy a beating.

Although the chances of the Summoner being Lux were small, he was still considered as one of the threats in Arena 4, so it went without saying that Rol Mordosk would eliminate him as soon as possible, even without his Older Brother's reminder.

"Hey, are you Lux Von Kaizer?" Rol asked as he gazed down at the chubby boy whose head only reached his chest.

"Lux who?" the chubby boy replied. "Is he famous?"

"More like infamous for being a weakling. So, are you him?"

"Huh? Do I look like a weakling? Do you want me to clobber you later?"

Rol snorted after hearing the chubby boy's reply. He had seen that weak and pathetic Half-Elf several times when he had visited Barbatos Academy in the past, because his older brother was one of Iris' suitors.

For him, the Half-Elf was trash, especially since the latter couldn't even enter Elysium, making him the laughingstock of those who were pursuing the blue-haired beauty of Barbatos Academy.

"Good, at least you have guts compared to that weakling," Rol stated. "If you beg me later, and vow to become my subordinate, I will only beat you half dead. If you refuse, I will beat you until you're just a step away from dying. Make sure to choose wisely."

Instead of answering, the chubby boy chuckled as he looked up at the Barbarian teenager whose bulging muscles reminded him of the body builders back on Earth. In his mind, if he couldn't even beat the little brother of one of the Four Kings that represented the young generation then he should just pack up and leave the tournament.

Rol frowned after seeing the chubby boy's response and decided to give the other party a light push. However, before he could even do that, Bruno appeared and held Rol's wrist, preventing him from hurting the chubby boy.

"Do you want to get disqualified?" Bruno asked. "It is stated in the rules that fighting before the countdown starts is foul play. Tell me, should I call the guards and escort you out of the arena for breaking the rules?"

Rol shook Bruno's hands off before giving the chubby boy a glare. He then walked away to return to where he was standing a short while ago and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed.

Clearly, getting disqualified was not part of his plan. If he were to get really kicked out of the tournament because of something petty, his Older Brother, as well as his family, would be disappointed in him.

This was something Rol didn't want to happen, so he decided to hold himself back until the timer started. Smashing the chubby boy's face in as punishment for being cocky could wait.

Bruno snorted before flying upwards. He then glanced at the contestants who were paying attention to the tension that was happening inside the arena.

"Rulebreakers will be punished!" Bruno declared. "I don't care who you are, where you are from, and who your daddy, grandpa, or great grand daddy is. If you break the rules of the tournament, you will be punished accordingly!"

Bruno scoffed before flying towards the raised platform that acted as the Judge's seat of honor. Since he was the presiding judge over Arena 4, he had been given full authority to dish out punishments at any given time.

This was why Alicia had made sure that Bruno knew that the chubby boy was a VIP. As long as Bruno was the one overseeing the battle, Lux's safety was assured.

"Make your last minute preparations," Bruno stated. "The battle will begin in two minutes!"

As if waiting for that cue, the countdown timer appeared in the center of the arena. The contestants immediately formed groups, while solo fighters backed into the far corners of the arena.

They already knew that this would be another Royal Rumble, so they couldn't take any chances.

Lux crossed his arms over his chest, as Orion, and one more Rock Golem appeared on his other side, defending him from anyone who wished to harm him.

Rol glanced at the two Rock Golems with ridicule. He was confident that he would be able to smash his fist into the chubby boy's face before his summons could even react to him.

What Rol didn't know was that, aside from him, one more person was paying close attention to Lux, and it was none other than Gerhart Cenele.

He was the other person that Alicia had warned him about. The clothes of the young man who held the power to control the wind element, started to flutter as he slowly released the power inside his body.

His gaze never left the chubby boy, as those who were beside him backed away in a hurry. A powerful gust of wind swirled around Gerhart's body, making him look like a human tornado that was about to unleash a natural disaster on those around him.

Bruno looked at this scene with a calm expression on his face. Although he was told to ensure that Lux wouldn't die in the tournament, he wouldn't act until the very last moment to save the chubby teenager's life.

His reason for this kind of mindset was due to the subtle pressure that Lux was emanating from his body.

As a Ranker, he could tell that the chubby teenager wasn't someone simple. He was looking forward to seeing what the young man, and his summons, could do against other participants whose abilities were said to be nearing the level of the Four Kings and Five Overlords, who stood above the warriors of the young generation.

 

Chapter 228 Next Time We Meet, I Will Show You No Mercy

"Battle Start!"

Bruno's shout, after the timer hit zero, sounded across Arena 4 and the contestants inside it instantly took action.

The most high-handed of them all was none other than Rol, who decided to attack Lux the moment the timer hit zero, ignoring everyone around him. The Barbarian was confident that he could take out the summoner in just two minutes, eliminating one of the candidates that were preventing his brother from winning the tournament.

"Time to die, chubby boy!" Rol roared as he summoned a War Axe and brandished it towards Lux, who had his arms crossed over his chest.

Lux smirked at the approaching Barbarian, who he expected to single him out the moment the countdown ended.

"How about, No?" Lux replied as he sneered at the young Barbarian whose eyes were locked on his body.

However, before Rol could even activate one of his powerful abilities, he suddenly found himself moving against his will. The next thing he knew, he was face to face with a rocky fist, which faintly glowed as a sign of a skill's activation.

"Jackhammer!" Orion shouted as he slammed his fist into the Barbarian that was planning to hurt his Master.

Rol hurriedly used one of his life saving skills which allowed him to endure one blow that could potentially end his life once a day.

Although he believed that the Rock Golem's attack couldn't potentially kill him, getting seriously injured at the start of the match was something he didn't want to happen. Not only would it reduce his chances of winning, the other players might decide to attack him while he was injured, giving him a lethal injury in the process.

A mini-shockwave erupted where Rol stood as Orion's fist smashed into his chest, sending him hurtling through the air like a kite that had its strings cut.

Einar Mordosk, Rol's older brother, clicked his tongue as he watched the battle from his VIP Seat. Seeing that his Brother had used his life saving ability so early in the tournament made him feel disappointed. However, because of this incident, he now knew that the chubby boy's Rock Golem had a skill which could force people to exchange blows with it.

'According to the list Nero gave me, this guy is one of the participants that could be that Half-Elf in disguise,' Einar thought as he looked at the chubby boy in the distance. 'Although I highly doubt it, there's no harm in eliminating him early in the tournament.'

Aside from his younger brother, there were two other people that Einar knew in Arena 4. He had tasked them to support his brother during the fight to ensure that he would pass through the next round safely.

Although Rol was only a half-brother, who was born from a different mother, he was still close to the other person and wanted the younger Barbarian to at least reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

As Einar gazed at the battlefield, the battle between the participants intensified. After seeing the Rock Golem's incredible might, the other contestants stayed away from Lux and focused on the other participants.

Orion's punch had sent Rol hundreds of meters away from Lux, landing where the battle for survival was particularly intense. Because of this, Rol had no choice but to defend himself from the blows that were coming from his left, right, front, and back, giving him no room to advance to where Lux was currently standing.

Suddenly, a group of six people unleashed a barrage of ranged attacks towards Lux's direction, forcing Orion, and the other Rock Golem to step forward and use their bodies to tank the attacks aimed at their Master.

It was also at that moment when three individuals charged at Lux from the side. Two of them were wielding swords, while the last one held two daggers in his hands. They were part of the group that attacked Lux, and their goal was to eliminate the Summoner as soon as possible in order to decrease the number of strong fighters in the arena.

Lux, who saw this, summoned the sword Blood Moon, as well as its new counterpart, Blood Shield.

Blood Shield was a Unique Weapon that Lux had crafted personally. He had used a small portion of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis' exoskeleton, as well as Mithiril and Steel, to create the best equipment that Lux had crafted to date.

—-----

(A/N: Just in case you guys forgot the ranking for equipment, here are the rarity ratings. Common weapon, Rare Weapon, Unique Weapon, Mythical Weapon, Legendary Weapon, Demigod Weapon, Divine Weapon.)

—-----

Blood Shield had two passive Skills which Lux believed were perfect for All-Rounder fighters.

One of them was Shield Boomerang. This was similar to Shield Throw, except this Skill had an additional advantage which would make the shield automatically return to its owner after it hits its target or reach its maximum flight range.

This Skill had a high chance of stunning its target if the attack hit the target's head.

The second Skill of Blood Shield was called Shield Retaliation.

This ability was a charging type skill that stored 5% of the overall damage that was dealt in a single blow.

Meaning, if the shield bearer successfully blocked an attack, the shield would absorb 5% of the total damage of the blow and store it. The stored damage could be stacked up to 20x, which could then be unleashed as a form of AOE energy attack that had a range of five-meters around the shield bearer.

Originally, Lux planned to let either Diablo or Pazuzu wield the shield since both summons used shields when they fought. But since he couldn't summon his two Named Creatures in the tournament, he decided to use the shield for the time being.

Just us Lux was about to engage the three attackers in close combat. Several wind blades descended from the air, catching them by surprise.

Cries of pain escaped their lips as they were hit by the razor-sharp wind blades that attacked them from their blindspot.

A moment later, a powerful gust of wind lifted the three warriors in the air before smashing them against the barrier of the arena. The deadly combination knocked them unconscious, which forced the Mages, who were monitoring the battle, to teleport them outside of the arena.

Lux stared at the green-haired teenager who was floating in the air. He recognized the latter as Gerhart Cenele, one of the two people that Alicia had warned him about.

The Half-Elf didn't know why Gerhart had helped him, but before he could even call out to him, the green-haired teenager spun around, creating a hurricane in the very center of the arena.

Soon, shouts and curses of panic and frustration could be heard in Arena 4 as several contestants were sucked up by the hurricane which was getting bigger with each passing second.

Orion, and the other Rock Golem, stood firmly beside Lux, acting as his support, preventing him from being sucked up by the fierce winds that had grown to an unbelievable size.

Rol, who was near the center of the arena, decisively threw his War Axe to the far end of the battleground. A few seconds later, he disappeared from where he stood, and reappeared where he had thrown his Axe.

The young Barbarian then smashed his Axe into the ground, using it as an anchor to prevent himself from getting sucked by the hurricane.

The audience, as well as those seated in the VIP rooms, watching the spectacle, could only admire the deadly hurricane that single-handedly sucked up almost all of the contestants in the arena. Those that were sucked up by the hurricane found themselves at the mercy of nature as the winds shredded their armor, as well as parts of their bodies with every passing second.

The mages who were carefully monitoring the condition of the contestants were frantically using mass teleportation spells to save the individuals who they deemed were in mortal danger.

Ten minutes later, the hurricane stopped.

Gerhart glanced down at the ground and saw that Lux and Rol were the only survivors in Arena 4.

He had eliminated all other contestants, leaving only the other two behind.

Rol stared at the floating youth in the air with a hateful expression before shifting her glare to the chubby boy who was clinging to his Rock Golem's leg.

p His mission was to eliminate the chubby boy, but after his failed attempt, he no longer had the opportunity to carry out the task assigned to him.

"Lucky Bastard," Rol muttered as he glared at the Half-Elf. "Next time, I will make sure you get eliminated!"

Without another word, Rol left the arena without even giving Lux a second glance. Now that only three of them remained, it was impossible for him to attack the chubby teenager because the battle was now over.

Gerhart was about to go as well, but a call from the ground stopped him in his tracks.

"Why?" Lux asked as he looked up at the green-haired teenager who had stopped the attacks that were aiming for him.

"The boar you saved is one of my Sworn Brothers," Gerhart replied. "Now, I have repaid his debt in full. The next time we meet on the battlefield, I will not show you any mercy."

After saying those words, Gerhart flew out of the arena under the cheers of the people who watched the battle.

Lux could only scratch his head. He didn't even need any help to deal with the people who attacked him. In the end, he decided to just let it go and treat it as his good karma for the good deed he had done the other day.

As he walked towards the exit of the arena, he felt several appraising gazes pass over his body. The Half-Elf ignored them and just walked as casually as he could, while waving at the audience like a wrestler who had just won his wrestling match.

"It's not him," Nero muttered as he looked at the chubby teenager using a monocle that was capable of seeing through disguises. "Just where is that blasted Half-Elf hiding?"

Although Nero had handed the list to his other acquaintances, he was a very thorough person. He believed that if he wanted things done right, he should do them himself.

Because of this, he personally scouted the people in the list he had made. By now, he had gone over a fifth of them. Nero left Arena 4, feeling disappointed, because he strongly believed that the chubby boy was Lux in disguise.

Now that the person he suspected as Lux had been cleared from his suspicions, he decided to visit the other arenas, and see if the other people in his list would be the Half-Elf that he was itching to give a beating to.

 

Chapter 229 Lux’s Next Opponent

On the third day, the last Qualifying Matches were held and, to Vera's and Iris' relief, Lux had successfully made it onto the list of the last 32 contestants, which included the Four Kings and Five Overlords.

These 32 contestants would now fight one-on-one battles which would allow them to reach the semi-finals and get the opportunity to be hailed the Champion of the Lionheart's Tournament

The victor would also gain amazing treasures that were personally prepared by the Six Kings, as well as the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.

Alexander had already declared that the Champion of the tournament would gain the privilege of becoming his daughter's fiance, which had caused Iris' countless suitors to take the tournament seriously in order to get the chance to marry the blue-haired beauty that was also referred to as the Princess of Barbatos Academy.

Lux looked at the Big Magical Board where the names of the Four Kings and Five Overlords were separated in different brackets. This was to ensure that none of them would fight each other early, which made those that had passed the Qualifiers cry foul.

However, since this was the will of the organizers, there was nothing they could do about it.

The final groupings were divided into four. Each group had 8 contestants inside it. The Nine Prodigies who stood above the rest were arranged in a manner that they could only fight each other after fighting two times.

Meaning, the organizers had arranged for the final battle in each Division to be the Kings and the Overlords fighting against each other.

At least, that was what they assumed would happen when they made this setup. They didn't believe that those who passed the Qualifying Matches would be able to beat the best prodigies of the young generation.

'Well, I guess this also works to my advantage,' Lux thought as he gazed at the groupings on the giant board. 'Nero is in Group A, while I am in Group C. It seems that we won't get a chance to fight each other until the Semi-Finals. Assuming that he doesn't lose his matches.'

Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the matchups for tomorrow.

'The Boar will be fighting against Rol, while Gerhart will be fighting against one of the Four Kings, who also specializes in the Wind Element,' Lux mused. 'What a setup, Barbarian versus his prey, and Wind User versus another Wind User. If I remember correctly the so-called young King is a Prince from an Elven Kingdom.

'I guess those who bear the title of King are members of Royalty, while Overlords are those with noble backgrounds or lower, like Nero.'

Lux looked at his opponent in the Rank C tournament and saw a familiar name, which made him chuckle.

'Looks like I'm up against that Barbarian who has been courting Iris for years,' Lux thought. 'Einar Mordosk, nineteen years old, Middle Grade-A Apostle. Stat wise, he is stronger than me. He is a pure combat fighter that specializes in swords, and axes. He also has the Rage Skill, which is similar to Berserk, but with no side-effects. He is going to be one tough cookie to crack.'

Lux had to admit that his first opponent was quite a powerhouse.

Einar was one of the Four Kings of the younger generation, and was the second eldest son of the Barbarian King, Amastan Mordosk.

When people think of Barbarians, they immediately imagine brutish warriors who only had brawn and no brains.

Unfortunately, this was not the case with the Barbarian King. He was a very wise ruler, and had ushered in a new era for his people, making them one of the most powerful Kingdoms within the Eastern Regions of Solais.

His Son, Einar, may not be as wise as his father, but he could be considered as someone who had a good head on his shoulders. Some even said that he was one of the top 3 strongest individuals who represented the younger generation.

​ As for whether he was really in the top three, top two, or top one, no one really knew.

All they knew was that he was someone they couldn't afford to mess with because Einar was someone that didn't show mercy to his enemies.

While Lux was about to check who Nero's opponent was, a shadow fell upon his body.

Lux casually looked behind him to see who was blocking the sunlight and saw a man who was over two-meters tall and looking down on him with a calm expression on his face.

It was none other than Einar, who was also Lux's next opponent.

"So, you are my opponent in the next match," Einar said as he looked down at the chubby teenager, who was shorter than him. "I already saw through your disguise, Lux Von Kaizer. I will make sure that I cripple you for good in our battle."

"You're not the first person to call me by that name," Lux frowned as he looked at the man that towered over him. "There have already been three others aside from you, and I am starting to wonder if you guys have a crush on this Lux Von Kaizer or something."

Instead of answering, Einar grabbed Lux's face and scratched the side of his face with his fingers. It was as if he was trying to remove a mask or something, but his attempts didn't yield any results.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" Lux shouted as he pried the Barbarian's hand away from his face. "Are you trying to injure me before our fight has even started? Is this how you Barbarians do things?!"

His loud shout caught the attention of people in the arena, which made them look in their direction. Bruno, who was paying close attention to Lux, started to walk in their direction. Seeing that one of the officials of the tournament was coming their way, Einar scoffed before leaving.

He had attempted to see if he could remove the mask that the chubby teenager was wearing to confirm whether he was really the Half-Elf they were looking for.

In truth, Einar just said that he had seen through the chubby teenager's disguise in an attempt to see his reaction. However, contrary to his expectations, Lux only gave him a fed up look, which made him execute his Plan B, which was to forcefully remove any disguise he might be wearing.

Lux watched the Barbarian go, while sneering in his heart. No one could remove the Mask of a Thousand Faces unless the one whom it was bound to removed it themself.

This artifact was also immune to other artifacts that could see through disguises. The maker of the Mask had made specific adjustments when crafting it to prevent any type of discernment, and identification spells from penetrating through his disguise.

This was why the Mask could only record two faces at a time, because adding more would make its anti-detection skills weaken.

With this mask on his face, Lux was confident that no one would be able to know his identity. He had also practiced not reacting to people calling him Lux, while wearing the mask, which had foiled the plans of the Iris' suitors to try and learn his true identity.

"Are you alright?" Bruno asked as he stopped beside Lux. "Your next opponent is very strong. If you feel that you can't keep up with him, make sure to surrender as soon as possible. The mages will immediately take you out of the arena."

Lux smiled and gave Bruno a nod of acknowledgement. "Thank you. I will keep that in mind."

The chubby teenager then shifted his attention to the board to see who Nero's opponent was.

'An unfamiliar name,' Lux thought. 'Well, not that it matters. I'll just watch his battle before mine tomorrow.'

Everyday there would be four matches held in the Grand Arena of the Coliseum. The betting system would also open, which was something that Lux intended to capitalize on in order to gain money, and of course, Beast Cores, which would help him increase his strength for future matches.

He had upgraded his Special Body Constitution to Grade D, and the rewards he received were worth all the Beast Core he had sacrificed for his upgrade.

Although he didn't know exactly how strong Einar was, he believed that with the Trump Cards he possessed, he would be able to give the Barbarian Prince a run for his money.

—--

"Oh no, Big Brother's next opponent is Einar!" Iris, who had just seen the latest match ups, exclaimed. "This is terrible. Big Brother might not win against him!"

Vera, who was handfeeding Eiko a meatbun, glanced at her panicking granddaughter who was walking back and forth inside the room.

"Calm down, Iris," Vera said. "Lux entered the competition knowing that he would be facing strong opponents. It makes no difference if he faced Einar sooner or later. In the end, only the strong will become the champion of this tournament."

Iris sat beside her Grandma and leaned her head on the old lady's shoulder, acting spoiled.

"I know, Grandma, but I can't help but worry," Iris replied. "I love Big Brother so much that thinking of him getting hurt because of me makes my heart ache. Maybe the two of us should just elope and hide somewhere in Elysium. What do you think, Grandma?"

"Believe in him, Iris," Vera commented as she wrapped her right arm around her granddaughter to give her a hug. "Lux is strong. Perhaps stronger than both of us think."

"Do you really think so, Grandma?"

"Of course. I was the one that took care of him since he was a baby. Naturally, I know how determined he can be when faced with adversities. I know that you are worried because you haven't seen Lux fight, but I have."

Vera pressed the side of her head against the top of her granddaughter's as if trying to make a point.

"Lux no longer needs my protection," Vera said softly. There was a trace of sadness in it, but her words also contained a sense of pride. "I believe that someday, he will be the one protecting others instead."

"Including me, Grandma?"

"Of course."

"Ma!" Eiko commented after she finished eating the meatbun in Vera's hand. "Protect Ma!"

Iris giggled as she picked up the baby Slime who had just said that she would protect her.

"Okay, protect me too, Eiko. Make sure that your Papa and I live a happy life together."

"Ma!"

The Baby Slime nodded her head in affirmation. Eiko gave Iris a confident smile, which made the latter smirk and made Eiko's cheeks jiggle when she rubbed her hands on them.

Vera watched this scene with a smile as she thought of the future where she would hold her great grandchildren in her arms.

Lux had already opened up to the idea, and the only one that was blocking her happiness was none other than her son, Alexander, who was also the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.

'As long as Lux wins this tournament, Alex will have no choice but to abide by his own words,' Vera mused as she looked at the mother and daughter pair who was fooling around together.

The reason why Vera was not making her move was because she believed that Lux would win the tournament.

By doing so, it would remove all kinds of obstacles, including his son's opposition, which would pave the way for her, and her granddaughter's, happiness.

 

Chapter 230 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 1]

The day that those that had passed through the Qualifying Rounds would begin their one-on-one battles had arrived.

The Coliseum was packed with people, and when the countdown for the start of the tournament ended, the lights inside the Coliseum disappeared, leaving everyone in complete darkness.

However, before everyone could panic, a booming voice spread in the surroundings, and a spotlight was shot towards the floating platform that hovered at the right-side edge of the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming to the Lionheart Tournament!" Bruno's voice spread across the entire Coliseum. "Are you ready to see some exciting battles?!"

""We're ready!""

"I can't hear you!"

""We're ready!!!""

Bruno smiled as he raised his hand to tell everyone to allow him to continue his speech.

"Today, we are going to witness the strongest warriors of the young generation," Bruno said. "First of all, let me introduce the referee that will facilitate today's battles. Everyone, give a round of applause to Judge Dredd!"

Suddenly, a giant fireball materialized at the center of the venue, making everyone gasp in surprise. A moment later, the fireball transformed into a phoenix that flew around the Coliseum, making the crowd cheer, and clap their hands in delight.

With a resounding screech, the Phoenix dove down at the center of the arena, exploding into a shower or sparks.

It didn't take long before a good looking, chubby man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, appeared in front of everyone. He was wearing a red robe, and yet he looked so fine, and dandy that some of the younger ladies giggled after seeing him.

"""Judge Dredd!"""

"""Judge Dredd!"""

"""Judge Dredd!"""

"""Judge Dredd!"""

Judge Dredd smiled and bowed at the audience, making them give him another thunderous round of applause.

"Everyone, it is my great honor to serve as the judge for today's contestants," Judge Dredd said in a light-hearted tone. "Well then, without further delay, let me introduce the two contestants that will fight for supremacy. On my right corner, the Barbarian Prince of the Vado Kingdom, and one of the Four Kings that represents the Young Generation, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…

"Einar Mordosk!"

The lights of the arena then focused on the young man who was two-meters tall, and was wearing nothing on the upper part of his body, leaving the tattoo of what seemed like Tiger with its maws opened wide, bare for all to see.

Everyone saw the bulging muscles of his body and was awed by the intimidating presence he was radiating.

He was none other than Einar Mordosk. The second son of the Barbarian King, as well as one of the strongest members of the young generation. Many had tried to dethrone him from his position, and claim his title, but all of them had failed, almost losing their lives at the hands of the man who could break boulders with a single punch.

After stepping into the arena, Einar pointed at one of the VIP platforms in the Coliseum.

There, an old lady, a blue-haired beauty, and a red-headed teenager sat.

"I dedicate my first victory to you, Iris!" Einar shouted. "When this tournament is over, you will become my wife!"

Iris, who had become the center of everyone's attention, only hugged the red-headed teenager beside her, and the latter hugged her back.

Seeing the familiar Half-Elf sticking close to the young lady he had been courting for many years, Einar could only smirk in ridicule because Lux was no longer a threat to him. Since a Saint had made a declaration, he was certain that even if the red-headed teenager cried a river in protest, Alexander's words would remain firm.

"Wow! What a chad!" Bruno shouted after hearing Einar's declaration. "The Barbarian Prince had already declared that he is going to be victorious in his first match. Since that is the case, Judge Dredd, please, introduce his opponent!"

The chubby judge nodded his head and pointed his finger towards the right side of the arena and read the card in his hand that contained the information of the challenger who would fight Einar.

"Hailing from the Southern Regions of Solais, our contender has managed to pass through the Qualifying Matches with flying colors and show everyone, including me, that he is a force to reckon with.

"No matter how high the mountains, or how deep the sea, this man will cross it and gain victory! Everyone, please welcome… My Daddy!"

The crowds that were about to applaud the next contestant glanced at the referee in the arena with disdain.

All of them knew that this was a battle for the younger generation, and yet, the Judge who facilitated the match had chosen to call his daddy to fight teenagers?

How shameless!

""Boooooo!""

""Boooooo!""

""Boooooo!""

The sounds of booing spread across the Coliseum as everyone, as a flabbergasted Judge Dredd double checked the card in his hand to make sure that he didn't read wrongly.

p Iris, who sat at the topmost VIP room giggled and hugged "Lux", while Vera could only shake her head helplessly.

When Lux was choosing a name that he would use for the tournament, he wanted to play a prank on everyone. Because of this, the name he chose was someone that would be remembered by anyone that heard it.

"Um, I'm not talking about My Daddy," Judge Dredd said as he tried to pacify the crowd who was booing at him. "The name of the contestant is none other than My Daddy, I am not making this up!"

Suddenly the spotlight shifted to the right side of the arena, highlighting a chubby boy that was standing with his hands behind his back.

His robes fluttered in the breeze as if he was an expert warrior who had seen the peak of the world, and had endured thousands of tribulations.

Orion, whose head appeared above the ground, was blowing air towards his Master, in order to make him look cool. Since the head of the Rock Golem was not being hit by the spotlight, it created the perfect illusion that the chubby boy was someone quite intimidating.

Bruno, Judge Dredd, as well as the other Rankers in the arena, including the powerful officials of the Six Kingdoms, couldn't stop their lips from twitching because they could clearly see the shenanigans that were happening in the background.

In the end, they didn't say anything because they were thinking that this was the chubby teenager's last hurrah. Since he wanted to show off before his defeat, they would just turn a blind eye on it for the sake of everyone's entertainment.

A minute later, Lux stepped forward, and Orion rose up from the ground to meet him. The chubby boy then sat on the shoulder of the four-meter tall Rock Golem, and allowed himself to be carried into the arena where his opponent was waiting for him.

The Rock Golem continued to walk until he was standing only a meter away from Einar, who looked up to the chubby boy that was seated on the Golem's shoulders.

"That's right, look up to me," Lux said as he looked down at the Barbarian who towered over him a day ago. "Take a good look at the true victor of this first match. When this match is over, I'll let you have the honor of calling me Daddy as well."

Lux was doing this as payback for what Einar had done to him the other day. Since the Barbarian had looked down on him, it was now his time to look down on him by sitting on the shoulder of a giant.

"""Whoa!"""

The audience cheered after hearing Lux's declaration. They didn't think that someone would be daring enough to tell Einar that he was going to lose to his face.

Einar sneered after hearing the chubby boy's words. For him, this match was already a done deal.

The only thing he needed to do was smash his fists into the chubby boy's face, teaching him that in the face of absolute strength, all tricks were meaningless.

Just like two boxers that were about to fight, both fighters sneered at each other. This faceoff made the crowd cheer in excitement because both fighters seemed hell-bent to win.

What the crowd didn't know was that Lux and Einar were thinking the same thing, and that was that, at the end of the battle, the one that would stand victorious in the arena was none other than him.