"Ace. If I die here, I won't be able to fulfill my end of the contract." Despite Edris's mustered smile, there was no lightness in his tone. "You know what that means, right?"

— Tch.

Relieved at the voice's reluctant affirmation, he then turned towards his opponent, only to be confronted with the vehement pressure exerting all around him. Releasing an indiscernible shudder, Edris slowly exhaled to conceal his nervousness.

His actions, however, translated into something different in Celio's eyes.

He's sizing me up.

There was an inexplicable aura that the dark-haired man was emitting that contrasted his feeble physiques. The individual before him made Celio recall his journey up until now.

He had arrived at the Zacriya Kingdom by stealing his family's money. Those who heard his story had all reprimanded him for his immaturity, but Celio knew they simply didn't understand. Coming from a prominent family, his parents wanted to ensure their eldest son would have a bright future ahead of him. And so, they urged him relentlessly to join the royal guards in the Adalan Palace; it was a great honour that no one could refuse.

Naturally, Celio saw their nagging as gibberish that entered one ear and out the other.

Rather than honour, Celio thrilled to the idea of justice. He wanted to fight other talented individuals to become a powerful person who lived for justice. Young and motivated, he marvelled over adventurers and thrill. He refused to restrict himself to the royal palace's stuffy atmosphere.

Yes, what he truly wanted was to become a hero.

A hero. A righteous person who fought against the malice of the world, who lived their life under the brilliant sun, earthly plains and bottomless seas.

This was the reason for his escape.

His golden eyes fixed on the man standing before him, and Celio reaffirmed his motivations. He never regretted his decision, because it was encounters like these that acted as a reminder that his escape was worth it.

Celio had noticed Edris during his first battle in the first quarter. Specifically—he had noticed the conversation inside that torrent of fire.

Born with exceptional hearing, he had discerned some segments of the conversation when the traveller spoke to his opponent.

Celio became inspired. No, it was more than that. Frankly, he was moved to tears when the traveller gave gold to his opponent in order to save his child. He thought that Edris had chosen to offer his own assets so no one needed to be hurt.

With his sixteen years worth of life experience, Celio knew that Edris was a righteous person.

He wanted to fight this person and learn more about him through clashes of skills and abilities.

For the first time in this tournament, Celio was going to use his sword.

— He seems really excited to cut you down.

Edris subconsciously swallowed as the boy pulled out his sword with a clean swish from its sheath. The thin side of the weapon glistened under the sunlight. He thought it was sharp enough to cut through him like slicing pudding.

"Yes, yes! The match between the two finalists is about to start! Are you ready?" The commentator's enthusiastic voice was strangely irritating to his ears.

The gong sounded, and with a blink of an eye, the two individuals vanished from the center of the arena ground.

The audience, baffled at the quick-paced and advanced performance from the start, erupted into cheers. At the intense interaction between Edris and Celio, a matching rush of adrenaline filled the stadium. People knew from previous rounds that the traveller was trained in agility, but they couldn't help but be impressed at the younger boy who was able to keep up with him as the two explored the entire battlefield.

Silently observing all of this from the third floor, the Crown Prince raised his eyebrow in amusement.

While the entire arena was filled with excitement, Edris was in a state of internal dread.

This is why I hate physical combat.

Although it appeared to the outside that the two were evenly matched in speed, Edris knew he was barely keeping up. With Ace's voice echoing in his head nonstop, throwing out countless instructions, Edris thought he might die of information overload before even losing the battle.

Not only was his hearing strained, but his legs were also getting sore. Edris contemplated asking his opponent if he was okay with calling it a day and just splitting the money.

Why fight? What was wrong with solving problems like civilized citizens? Speech existed for a reason, did they not know that?

— An attack aimed at your left thigh. Seventy degrees.

Amidst Edris's internal complaints, he forcibly slid sideways. He refocused his eyes, their greyness reflecting off Celio's sword that instantly swung his way. The momentum caused the pendant on Edris's neck to fly out from his shirt.

"As expected. You are amazing."

Exhilarated, Celio's heart was pounding as he faced the dark-haired man, who managed to keep up with his attacks while maintaining his meditative state. He was about to launch into another attack when the man suddenly muttered something, stopping him in mid-action.

"Is it possible for someone to defeat themselves?"

Celio's eyes widened.

Edris soon mirrored his reaction, realizing that he had unknowingly shared his thoughts out loud.

Annoyed by the golden-haired boy's relentless attacks, Edris had wondered if there was a way to forfeit without receiving backlash from disappointed audiences. However, another thought emerged after seeing the conflicted expression on Celio's face.

Rather than fighting for rewards, the youth seemed to be fighting because of internal turmoil.

A teenager's struggle?

Edris had a pretty good idea of what the internal conflict was about. Unlike citizens and adults without magic, young people these days preferred adventures and thrills over a peaceful life. This was a common mindset amongst youths that was spreading throughout the kingdoms.

"How did you..?"

"It's all on your face," Edris said honestly.

Something flashed in the boy's golden eyes, and the grip on his sword tightened.

"Do you also think I'm being immature? That I should just return home and forget about justice?" Having stopped swinging his weapon, Celio was now speaking to him in exasperation.

He really does not know anything about the world.

Although he was also considered part of the "young" population, Edris found their way of thinking unfathomable.

Listening to the boy dread over "going home" like it was the afterlife was starting to irritate him. The boy came from a good family, had access to opportunity, and most importantly, was given a free chance to live a carefree life.

But instead, he chose to pursue something abstract and non-rewarding like justice?

If he likes conflict so much, he should just continue his internal fight and forfeit the finals so I could get the prize money.

Physically and mentally worn out, Edris couldn't be bothered to even reply to Celio's question. Instead, he decided to say the first thing he thought of, which happened to be the familiar words that echoed in his head on a daily basis.

"What nonsense."

— ...

"W-what?" Celio was momentarily taken back by his blunt words.

Nonsense. Was it really nonsense?

He thought about the advice the traveller had given him with such few words.

Indeed, Celio was trying to prove himself to his parents by making a name for himself in another kingdom. However, he also knew deep down the true reason behind his actions.

He was just scared.

He was scared that by working in the royal palace, he would be compared with other people within the same circle and lose face for his family. To avoid the scenario, wouldn't it be better to run away to a place where nobody knew him?

It was easier to be judged by strangers than to face the disappointment from those close to you.

"...You're right." Celio gazed forward. His golden eyes, brimming brightly under the sunlight, were now full of conviction.

The Wulin Tournament had been a platform for him to prove himself to his family. However, it now extended beyond that; this was now the place where he would overcome his inner fear. Celio was going to take Edris's advice, using it as an invitation to prove his strength to not only the world, but also to himself.

He was truly going to give it his all.

Right? About what? What is he on now?

Before Edris could ask that question, however, an unprecedented sense of fear enveloped his entire body. At that moment, the air of the entire arena changed.

— Back off. Right now!

For the first time, he could hear a sense of urgency in Ace's deep voice and immediately retreated to the edge of the field. Golden light poured out from Celio, who stood in the center of the field with a look of determination. His eyes glowed brilliantly, and the sword in his hand immersed in a glow that resembled the will of the sun.

The once boisterous audience was pressured into silence by the dominating aura pouring out of the youth.

"What in Serenity's Will..." Edris's stomach was churning at the incredulous scene unravelling before his eyes.

— This boy...

Even Ace's voice was slightly dazed as he pieced together the current situation.

— He's a beast tamer.

— An attributed beast tamer.

"...This is ridiculous."

Edris felt like he was ageing at tenfold speed.

Beast tamers were already rare due to their unique connections with spirits, demanding both a high physicality and a sturdy mana channel. However, those attributed were on a whole other level.

Attributed beast tamers were those who had already established their spirited animal even without skill developments. Only twelve awakened yearly, and their attribute corresponded to the extent of their mana channel.

Ace had not realized that Celio was a beast tamer due to his appearance. Beast tamers' abilities were usually manifested through their physical appearance, giving them larger physiques than regular humans. Normally, it would have been easy to distinguish them, but since Celio was attributed, he had retained his pure human form while absorbing the stronger abilities of an attributed beast tamer.

The arena fell into a state of chaos, with the audiences' faces inundated in shock while the Crown Prince leaned forward in fascination. No one could stare at the golden-haired boy for more than a few seconds, because their vision would be blinded by a light that blurred the lines between wakefulness and slumber.

However, they still regarded him, unable to peel their eyes away. As if under a spell, everyone could only focus on the glowing Celio, whose body illuminated the entire amphitheatre in a way that made natural daylight seem like darkness.

Edris's mind was in disarray as he muttered out the only things he could think of at the moment.

"Seriously, how is this allowed?"

An attributed beast tamer? Someone like that was going to come at him at full power?

Forget about winning the tournament. Wasn't this where the Crown Prince was supposed to halt the competition to prevent the arena from blowing up?

Forcing his eyes away from the golden light, Edris managed to glimpse towards the balcony on the third floor. Dolan Zacriya's fiery red hair was like a blood stain on paper, luring his vision as it stuck out from afar. This dot of red was showing with no signs of movement.

— ...You are truly unlucky.

Ace's clear voice resounded throughout Edris's head like the gong of chaos.