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He’s Reborn as a Ruthless 16yr Old Genius in a Noble Fa… — Transcript

He’s Reborn as a Ruthless 16yr Old Genius in a Noble Family! - Manhwa Recap

Manhwa Fresh

Transcribed Oct 10, 2026

Duration: 328:14

Words: 72,684

Reading time: 364 min

Language: English

Speakers: 1

English Manhwa Fresh

Damian, a ruthless genius reborn as a 16-year-old noble, overcomes dark past and powerful foes in a quest for redemption and strength.

Key Takeaways

Damian’s regression gives him a second chance to change his fate and redeem himself.
His overwhelming power stems from his past life as a death knight and his mastery of unique techniques.
The story explores themes of revenge, redemption, and the struggle against dark forces.
Family dynamics and personal guilt play a significant role in Damian’s motivations.
Supernatural elements like soul-severing techniques and dark magic are central to the plot.

What the video covers

Athena, a top tournament favorite, is unexpectedly defeated by Damian, a seemingly unremarkable opponent with hidden strength.
Damian is revealed to be a regressor and former death knight who broke free from Arch Lich's dark control.
He possesses immense power, capable of defeating demon generals and undead hordes with ease.
Damian creates a soul-severing technique to finally kill Arch Lich, ending his torment and revenge.
After completing his revenge, Damian loses the will to live due to the guilt of killing his family under control.
He takes his own life but is mysteriously reborn, waking up younger and reunited with his supportive older sister.
Damian realizes he has returned to the past and begins to understand the implications of his regression.
His past self was a disgrace to his noble family, causing shame and being cast out by his father.
Despite his failures, his sister remains supportive and caring, offering help before he leaves.
Damian contemplates the divine miracle of his regression while preparing for new challenges with his powerful techniques.

Who is Damian and what makes him special?

Damian is a regressor and former death knight who broke free from Arch Lich's control. He possesses immense power and unique techniques that make him stronger than most opponents.

What is the significance of Damian’s regression?

Damian’s regression allows him to return to his past as a 16-year-old, giving him a chance to change his fate, seek redemption, and prepare for future challenges with knowledge from his previous life.

How does Damian defeat Arch Lich?

Damian creates a soul-severing technique that ultimately destroys Arch Lich by hitting him with a powerful final strike, ending the dark control and torment Arch Lich imposed on him.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

00:00

Speaker A

This girl is the top favorite of the tournament, and she simply wipes out all her opponents without giving them a chance, knocking them out with a single move. Her next opponent is a total nobody named Damian, and Athena is certain this fight will be just as easy as the previous ones. But something about this guy doesn't add up. Damian casually walks into the arena without even taking his hands out of his pockets. As soon as the fight begins, Athena immediately strikes first, using her dragon aura, but Damian clearly sees every move she makes. She tries to land at least one hit on him, but Damian dodges every attack without ever taking his hands out of his pockets. Then he suddenly closes the distance and, shocking her, whispers in her ear that she isn't fast or strong enough. Damian is simply toying with her, and an enraged Athena activates her final dragon form and prepares a strike so powerful that it will be impossible to dodge. The power of this attack shocks all the viewers, but Damian just stands there with no intention of running. He finally pulls his hands out of his pockets and prepares to charge. A stunned Athena doesn't realize what he's about to do, and Damian lunges forward, passing right through her energy spear. He slams her straight into the arena wall, knocking her out instantly. When Athena comes to her senses, Damian helps her get up, and then something happens that he definitely didn't expect. Athena says she has a reward for such a strong guy, and that reward is herself. But our guy isn't a s, not even once. So, he turns down such a bizarre reward. So, what makes Damian so much stronger than everyone else? The thing is, he's a regressor who was the knight of death in his past life. He was just a normal human until Arch Lich cast dark magic and took control of him. But before Arch Lich could savor the crown he earned after countless deaths, my guy had already broken free from Arch Lich's control. He unleashed an attack that struck Arch Lich right in the chest, so hard even his demon generals couldn't shield him. Damian Hawken had finally moved with his own will, much to Arch Lich's shock, who had erased Damian's consciousness completely. But as fate would have it, Arch Lich was never able to fully factory reset our boy's mind. Some part of his soul and mind stayed intact, dormant in his head, watching his own body out of control. Under Arch Lich's command, his demon generals launched an attack on Damian, only to get obliterated by a single strike from him. In a last-ditch effort, Arch Lich played his trump card and summoned God knows how many undead. The entire horde charged toward Damian, aiming to claim his life. But once again, all it took was a single hand gesture to incinerate the undead into smithereens. Seeing this, Arch Lich could tell his end was near. He had unintentionally created a monster so peerless it could rival the gods themselves. To save his own skin, which Arch Lich didn't really have, he started smoothing things over with mere words. Deep in mind, even if he failed to sway Damian with talk, he planned to transfer his soul into another vessel. I don't think Damian was going to let this bastard off the hook, at least not after losing the people he loved. To kill this sack of bones, Damian went so far as to create a technique that severs souls themselves. At first, Arch Lich refused to believe such a technique existed. Still, he tried to make a run for it before it was too late. But it was already too late because my guy had finally unleashed his final strike, hitting Arch Lich squarely in the chest. At first, nothing happened, much to this bony head's relief, convinced the technique was just a bluff. But he soon learned it wasn't. Some painful magic mojo took hold, and he exploded right there, leaving only his empty skull behind. Even that remaining skull was crushed to bits by Damian. With his revenge complete, Damian lost the will to live. He literally killed his own family while under that bastard's control. He brutally slaughtered them while some part of him helplessly watched his loved ones die. The only way he could reunite with those he killed was after death. With that in mind, he took his own life. But it wasn't the end. His prayers were heard, and he opened his eyes again. The person in front of him waking up is his sweet older sister. Bro thinks he is in heaven watching his sister. Though the unusual thing is that she looks way younger. She overhears him calling her younger and is flattered right on the spot. For a moment, she thinks he is trying to get on her good side just so she can save him from their father's scolding. Being the good sister she is, she agrees to save his ass in desperate times. She eventually runs off to the mansion, not before telling him to get inside since it will soon start raining. Damian takes note of the mansion standing tall right in front of him, the same mansion he had burned down to ashes. He is clueless about what is happening. The closest thing to describe his condition is that he is dreaming. Or maybe everything he had endured in the past was just a big dream, and he has finally woken up in reality. But he is sure he will find out soon enough. He grabs a tree branch off the ground and stands in front of a giant rock to unleash his nightly prowess he had while he was acting as death knight. He takes his stance and, with the help of his past teachings, he pokes the hard rock with that mere tree branch. For a second, nothing happens. Then the giant rock shatters into bits and pieces, confirming that what he went through in the past wasn't just a vivid dream. This realization cracks him up, causing him to pull a classic Light Yagami laughing pose. He slumps down after laughing so hard, the weight of realization sinking in. What he is witnessing isn't a mere dream, nor was his past experience just a dream. He has returned to the past, a realization that hits him deeply. Let's have a little background on Damian's life at his current age. As far as Damian could recall, he was a clown who always brought shame to the family name with his antics. His father was always there to remind him how pathetic and loser-like a son he was. Someone who only contributed by tarnishing the family's name. His antics only brought misery to the people around him. He stomped all over his family's future and even made sure their household's properties got confiscated. Because of his talent for bringing shame and ruin, his father kicked him out. Among all the family members, the only person who still saw Damian in a positive light was his older sister. He never understood why she was always so supportive and concerned, even though he ruined her life by destroying her engagement. Before he left, she offered him some money to ease his journey. He hesitated but eventually snatched the sack of money and ran away as fast as he could because he could barely look at her without getting embarrassed. After running away from the family, he finally realized how wrong and cursed his existence really was. The shame and guilt nod at him, causing him to have profound. Back in the present, Damian sits on his knees, racking his brain, trying to figure out what triggered his regression. Sure, he wanted to apologize to the rest of his family, but to think his prayers were actually heard, that he really came back to the past is kind of insane. Only a divine miracle could explain this. He looks down at his trembling hands, still shaking from the recoil of the technique he just executed. The technique is called wave breaking, a move that amplifies the impact of a blow several fold. He learned it after defeating the knight known as the castle wall destroyer. Suddenly, a familiar voice grabs his attention, a concerned servant calling out to him. The guy is clearly here with urgent news. Otherwise, he wouldn't be dragging his heavy body all the way out here in a full sprint. Damian knows he's from the household staff, but for the life of him can't re

00:11

Speaker A

certain this fight will be just as easy as the previous ones. But something about this guy doesn't add up. Damian casually walks into the arena without even taking his hands out of his pockets. As soon as the fight begins,

00:21

Speaker A

Athen immediately strikes first, using her dragon aura, but Damen clearly sees every move she makes. She tries to land at least one hit on him, but Damen dodges every attack without ever taking his hands out of his pockets. Then he

00:33

Speaker A

suddenly closes the distance and shocking her whispers in her ear that she isn't fast or strong enough. Damen is simply toying with her and an enraged Athena activates her final dragon form and prepares a strike so powerful that

00:44

Speaker A

it will be impossible to dodge. The power of this attack shocks all the viewers, but Damian just stands there with no intention of running. He finally pulls his hands out of his pockets and prepares to charge. A stunned Athen

00:55

Speaker A

doesn't realize what he's about to do and Damen lunges forward, passing right through her energy spear. He slams her straight into the arena wall, knocking her out instantly. When Athene comes to her senses, Damen helps her get up, and

01:07

Speaker A

then something happens that he definitely didn't expect. Athene says she has a reward for such a strong guy, and that reward is herself. But our guy isn't a s, not even once. So, he turns down such a bizarre reward. So, what

01:18

Speaker A

makes Damian so much stronger than everyone else? The thing is, he's a regressor who was the knight of death in his past life. He was just a normal human until Arch Lich cast dark magic and took control of him. But before

01:29

Speaker A

Archich could savor the crown, he earned after countless deaths. My guy had already broken free from Archich's control, he unleashed an attack that struck Archich right in the chest. So hard even his demon generals couldn't shield him. Damen Hawken had finally

01:41

Speaker A

moved with his own will, much to Arch Lich's shock, who had erased Damian's consciousness completely. But as fate would have it, Arch Lich was never able to fully factory reset our boy's mind.

01:51

Speaker A

Some part of his soul and mind stayed intact, dormant in his head, watching his own body out of control. Under Archich's command, his demon generals launched an attack on Damian, only to get obliterated by a single strike from

02:03

Speaker A

him. In a lastditch effort, Archich played his trump card and summoned God knows how many undead. The entire horde charged toward Damian, aiming to claim his life. But once again, all it took was a single hand gesture to incinerate

02:15

Speaker A

the undead into smitherines. Seeing this, Archlich could tell his end was near. He had unintentionally created a monster so peerless it could rival the gods themselves. To save his own skin, which Archich didn't really have, he started smoothing things over with mere

02:28

Speaker A

words. Deep in mind, even if he failed to sway Damian with talk, he planned to transfer his soul into another vessel. I don't think Damian was going to let this bastard off the hook. At least not after losing the people he loved. to kill this

02:40

Speaker A

sack of bones. Damian went so far as to create a technique that sever souls themselves. At first, Archlitch refused to believe such a technique existed.

02:48

Speaker A

Still, he tried to make a run for it before it was too late. But it was already too late because my guy had finally unleashed his final strike, hitting Archich squarely in the chest.

02:57

Speaker A

At first, nothing happened, much to this bony head's relief, convinced the technique was just a bluff. But he soon learned it wasn't. Some painful magic mojo took hold, and he exploded right there, leaving only his empty skull behind. Even that remaining skull was

03:10

Speaker A

crushed to bits by Damian. With his revenge complete, Damian lost the will to live. He literally killed his own family while under that bastard's control. He brutally slaughtered them while some part of him helplessly watched his loved ones die. The only way

03:22

Speaker A

he could reunite with those he killed was after death. With that in mind, he took his own life. But it wasn't the end. His prayers were heard and he opened his eyes again. The person in front of him waking up is his sweet

03:33

Speaker A

older sister. Bro thinks he is in heaven watching his sister. Though the unusual thing is that she looks way younger. She overhears him calling her younger and is flattered right on the spot. For a moment, she thinks he is trying to get

03:44

Speaker A

on her good side just so she can save him from their father's scolding. Being the good sister she is, she agrees to save his ass in desperate times. She eventually runs off to the mansion, not before telling him to get inside since

03:55

Speaker A

it will soon start raining. Damen takes note of the mansion standing tall right in front of him, the same mansion he had burned down to ashes. He is clueless about what is happening. The closest thing to describe his condition is that

04:06

Speaker A

he is dreaming. Or maybe everything he had endured in the past was just a big dream and he has finally woken up in reality. But he is sure he will find out soon enough. He grabs a tree branch off

04:15

Speaker A

the ground and stands in front of a giant rock to unleash his nightly prowess he had while he was acting as death knight. He takes his stance and with the help of his past teachings, he pokes the hard rock with that mere tree

04:25

Speaker A

branch. For a second, nothing happens. Then the giant rock shatters into bits and pieces, confirming that what he went through in the past wasn't just a vivid dream. This realization cracks him up, causing him to pull a classic light

04:37

Speaker A

Yagami laughing pose. He slumps down after laughing so hard, the weight of realization sinking in. What he is witnessing isn't a mere dream, nor was his past experience just a dream. He has returned to the past, a realization that

04:49

Speaker A

hits him deeply. Let's have a little background on Damian's life at his current age. As far as Damian could recall, he was a clown who always brought shame to the family name with his antics. His father was always there

05:00

Speaker A

to remind him how pathetic and loser-like a son he was. Someone who only contributed by tarnishing the family's name. His antics only brought misery to the people around him. He stomped all over his family's future and even made sure their household's

05:12

Speaker A

properties got confiscated. Because of his talent for bringing shame and ruin, his father kicked him out. Among all the family members, the only person who still saw Damian in a positive light was his older sister. He never understood

05:23

Speaker A

why she was always so supportive and concerned. even though he ruined her life by destroying her engagement.

05:28

Speaker A

Before he left, she offered him some money to ease his journey. He hesitated but eventually snatched the sack of money and ran away as fast as he could because he could barely look at her without getting embarrassed. After

05:38

Speaker A

running away from the family, he finally realized how wrong and cursed his existence really was. The shame and guilt nod at him, causing him to have profound. Back in the present, Damen sits on his knees, racking his brain,

05:50

Speaker A

trying to figure out what triggered his regression. Sure, he wanted to apologize to the rest of his family, but to think his prayers were actually heard, that he really came back to the past is kind of insane. Only a divine miracle could

06:00

Speaker A

explain this. He looks down at his trembling hands, still shaking from the recoil of the technique he just executed. The technique is called wave breaking, a move that amplifies the impact of a blow several fold. He learned it after defeating the knight

06:13

Speaker A

known as the castle wall destroyer. Suddenly, a familiar voice grabs his attention, a concerned servant calling out to him. The guy is clearly here with urgent news. Otherwise, he wouldn't be dragging his heavy body all the way out

06:24

Speaker A

here in a full sprint. Damian knows he's from the household staff, but for the life of him can't recall his name. Then the name finally surfaces in his mind.

06:31

Speaker A

Perhaps he is Victor. Victor confirms his name and immediately questions why his young master is still loitering out here, even though Lady Louise personally came to fetch him. According to the servant, the patriarch is boiling with rage right now. Damian, meanwhile, has

06:44

Speaker A

no freaking clue what he even did to piss his father off this much. But we're about to find out. Back at the Hawks in Vice County, the patriarch's furious and thunderous voice echoes through the mansion. The man is so pissed that he

06:55

Speaker A

tries to strike Damen on the spot with an improvised swing. Luckily, Damen dodges just in time thanks to his honed skills as a knight. Just then, his mother and sister rush in and arrive in the nick of time, grabbing hold of the

07:06

Speaker A

patriarch before he actually shreds Damen to pieces. Turns out, our boy got kicked out of a bar for causing a massive commotion, once again staining the family name. The whole town is already talking about how the hawks and

07:17

Speaker A

air is a good for-no troublemaker. If it weren't for the mother and daughter duo, the old man probably would have cracked Damen's skull open right there. They're both trying to smack some sense into the furious father. Meanwhile, Damian is

07:28

Speaker A

having a moment of reflection. He can't even remember the last time he got scolded like this. But now that it's happening, weirdly enough, he feels alive. Let's do some quick introductions. The angry old man is Paul De's Haxon. The mother is Merita Haxon.

07:41

Speaker A

and the sister, his sweet saving grace is Louise Haxon. It might be chaotic out here, but Damen missed this so damn much in his past life. Tears start leaking from his eyes, totally uninvited, the family stares in disbelief. Their son

07:54

Speaker A

crying like this, that's seriously unheard of. Even De's simmers down a bit. Before delivering punishment, he gives his son a chance to explain himself. But Damen's got nothing. No excuses, no deflections. Well, this response comes out as a shocker to his

08:06

Speaker A

father. As far as his family is concerned, Damian is the guy who used to weasle his way out of everything with lame excuses, but now he owns up to everything. He admits he brought disgrace to the Hawken name. It's all

08:17

Speaker A

his fault, and he's not ashamed to say it. Debburn lets out a long sigh. This isn't how things usually go. Still, he's not sure if a bit of sincerity his son is showing is enough to let him go off

08:27

Speaker A

the hook. With all due respect, Damen says he's ready to make up for what he did. He's willing to do whatever it takes to fix the damage and salvage the family's honor. And once he's done that, he's ready to face any punishment his

08:38

Speaker A

father sees fit. The declaration leaves his family stunned. He sounds like a completely different person. The father even wonders if the boy hit his head or something. Scene cuts to Merchant City Landwork. Victor and Damian are sneaking toward the pub. The servant is visibly

08:51

Speaker A

tense, full of apprehension. He's not sure this is a good idea. There are rumors that the pub is backed by a syndicate. If that's true, things could get ugly. But Damian, who was once a fearless death knight, just walks past

09:02

Speaker A

his servant, casually giving him permission to head back if he's that scared. Victor, ever the loyal servant, shakes his head. He's dutybound and isn't about to leave his master, especially not because of fear. Damen reassures him that they are only here to

09:14

Speaker A

talk to the pub owner and sincerely apologize for the mess he caused last time. He just wants to make things right. As he walks, he hopes everything goes as smoothly as he's picturing in his head. He doesn't know how or why he

09:25

Speaker A

came back to the past. But if some god really gave him a second shot at life, he's not about to waste it. If he wants to break the curse of always ruining his family's future, he has to start taking

09:34

Speaker A

bold steps. Once he stands in front of the pub's gate, two thugs immediately take notice. They recognize the face and respond cockily and aggressively. Damen can't remember them clearly as it's been so long, but they do look familiar.

09:46

Speaker A

Without getting aggressive himself, he keeps his tone calm. He lets them know that he's only here to apologize for the chaos he caused during his last visit.

09:53

Speaker A

The two thugs freeze for a second, unsure how to react. When his words finally sink in, they burst into laughter. To them, it's hilarious to see Damian, the so-called disgraceful heir, suddenly acting polite and respectful.

10:05

Speaker A

They've always seen him as the shitty elder son of a shitty household. But now, they're forced to admit he doesn't seem that bad. Damian just stands there silent, listening to them yap. Then they take it too far. They bring up his

10:16

Speaker A

sister and start saying vile disgusting things about her. They're willing to accept his apology under the stipulation that he introduces them to his sister.

10:23

Speaker A

Creepy bastards leave no doubt about how trashy they are. And just like that, it stops being about apologies. Damen swipes a dagger from one of them so fast that the guy doesn't even realize it's gone. Originally, Damen just wanted to

10:34

Speaker A

say sorry and leave peacefully, but turns out he doesn't have that much patience after all. With a clean, precise swing, he severs one of their hands completely. The guy drops to his knees, screaming in agonizing pain once his brain registers what just happened.

10:47

Speaker A

The other one immediately draws his sword, though he's visibly flinching. Damen's killing instinct kicks in. The dormant death knight inside him begins to surface. And let's not forget Victor in the background, absolutely losing his mind. He's crying out, dreading what's

11:00

Speaker A

about to go down. The screams of the injured thug soon grab the attention of passers by. One guy gets curious about the fight while the other decides to keep walking before they get caught up in this mess. The thug who still has

11:11

Speaker A

both hands tries to intimidate Damian with a few shallow threats. He brags about the gang he belongs to, the Black Snake. No one walks away unscathed after messing with Black Snake. Looks like these aren't just random street thugs

11:22

Speaker A

after all. Even Damian has some memory of this faction. Black Snake is an organization expanding its influence in Landwork around this time. And this pub is one of their spots. When Damian complained about their overpriced food back in the day, the only thing he got

11:34

Speaker A

in the feedback was a brutal beating. Not just beaten. They humiliated [clears throat] him in front of everyone there. Now that he thinks about it, he's the one who actually deserves an apology, not the other way around. Back

11:44

Speaker A

to the fight, the thug makes it clear that being a noble won't save Damian from the consequences he's about to face. He finally lunges with his sword at full strength. Damian just takes a step back, trips the thug over his feet,

11:55

Speaker A

and lets the bastard eat dirt. Before he can even finish coughing and get up, Damen's already on him with his dagger.

12:01

Speaker A

The bastard should be grateful he's only about to lose a leg. If it weren't for his family, wiping these guys off the face of the world wouldn't be hard. With that threat clear, Damen slices off the thug's leg, making him double over in

12:12

Speaker A

pain. More thugs show up, drawn by the screams. They also seem to be a little shaken seeing the brutality that unfolded there. Only one of the thugs is courageous enough to stand right at the front while the others hide behind him.

12:23

Speaker A

He demands to know which organization Damian belongs to and where he's from. Obviously, Damian denies any ties to any gang. As for why he's here, he is here just to apologize. Though, after thinking it over, he figures he should

12:34

Speaker A

be the one getting an apology. He also has a complaint for the pub owner. This sassy dude isn't willing to entertain Damen's requests. All they want is his identity. Since he's not telling, they fear they'll have to make him speak. The

12:46

Speaker A

leader orders his goons to charge. The brainless thugs rush at Damian, unaware of what's coming. Damen doesn't even feel like wasting time on these small fries. He takes a deep breath and zips past them with sonic speed, slicing off

12:57

Speaker A

hands that were never meant to wield swords against him. One dash later, three guys are down. Damian is seriously rocked while the leader of the thugs is absolutely shocked. Though that quick dash took a little toll on his young and

13:08

Speaker A

fragile body. Still, he's got enough strength left to finish off the guy in front of him, and he's ready. The bastard tries to beg for mercy, offering an apology if Damen's willing to forgive. But it's clear this whiny

13:18

Speaker A

little [ __ ] isn't getting any mercy, at least not until Damian claims one of his limbs. The scene quickly shifts inside the pub, which is brimming with life.

13:26

Speaker A

But the mood changes fast when everyone notices the whiny guy standing petrified near the entrance. Poor bastard couldn't outrun his doom. As his body falls to one side, Damen stands there, all eyes on him. He wipes blood from his cheek

13:38

Speaker A

while the customers, who were enjoying their drinks seconds ago, scatter for their lives. Good thing that unnecessary nuisance left right away, leaving Damen alone to settle his score with the pub owner. The owner stands above in the corridor, furious about the noise. More

13:51

Speaker A

than anything, he's mad there's no guard in sight. This bar owner looks like some goofy character straight out of One Piece. His name's Anderson Hol. Damen only adds salt to the wound by casually revealing he already took down the

14:02

Speaker A

guards. Anderson's talking about the weight of the situation finally sinks into Anderson's mind. It's unbelievable that someone defeated members of Black Snake. He demands Damen explain why he's causing such a mess and disrupting his business and more importantly who he

14:15

Speaker A

even is. Damen introduces himself without hesitation. He clears the air. He never meant to cause trouble. All he wants is a sincere apology from the owner. The place is way overpriced and he's already filed a complaint before.

14:27

Speaker A

The only feedback he got was a humiliating beating and being thrown out like a dog. Everyone misunderstood him and assumed he was the troublemaker.

14:34

Speaker A

This misunderstanding hit his family's honor hard, causing some serious losses. Anderson, the big mustache [ __ ] still hasn't realized what kind of situation he's in. Instead of feeling contrition, he mocks Damen and his family. He's heard the Hawks and Vic

14:47

Speaker A

County has no honor left anyway, which is something this clown finds quite laughable. What's even funnier is that Damen actually expected him to apologize. Seems like my guy had already been expecting this exact response out of this bastard. Initially, he was

14:59

Speaker A

planning to spare this bastard once he had apologized sincerely. But now, he's got the perfect excuse to exact a juicy revenge he's been craving. He won't forgive this bastard talking trash about his family. In a split second, Damian

15:11

Speaker A

maneuvers so fast he reaches the bastard standing on the first floor. With the dagger aimed straight, he's ready to yank this bastard's inards out. But it seems like our boy got carried away and let his guard down. Some guy rushes in,

15:23

Speaker A

bringing a heavy sword down on Damian, knocking him back to the ground floor. The strength behind the blow is insane.

15:28

Speaker A

The mysterious guy's name is Ted, someone Anderson's been waiting for to intervene. Damen admits this guy's got serious grit. With the strength he's packing, this gets our guy wondering how someone like Ted ended up working at such a third rate place. Now he's very

15:41

Speaker A

curious to learn why a knight of this caliber is even here at all. Let's talk about the knights for a moment. The glorious warriors of honor walk the path of martial arts throughout their lives.

15:50

Speaker A

There's a hierarchy for them, starting off as a trainee and then an apprentice knight. Finally, they become an official knight when their skill level allows for it. The official knights are recognized as warriors capable of utilizing aura to

16:01

Speaker A

the point that they're mountain level warriors, capable of cutting down dozens of creatures ahead of them. They can even cut through castle walls without breaking sweat. In other words, the knights of this story are pretty damn strong. So strong, in fact, that they're

16:13

Speaker A

considered as transcendent beings. That's actually the reason why the bar owner is out here giggling like a lunatic, because he's damn certain of his victory. Even though Ted is an apprentice knight, he swears allegiance to the leader of the Black Snake

16:24

Speaker A

organization. With Ted's involvement, the bar owner is confident that our boy won't be able to leave this place in one piece. And yes, the One Piece is real.

16:32

Speaker A

Damian stands on business, confidently questioning Ted's rank. He can finally understand why he felt a hint of aura in their previous clash. But his revelation just now astonishes Ted, who can't believe that someone as insignificant as our boy was able to sense his aura even

16:46

Speaker A

when he did his best to conceal it. Thinking about it for a minute, Damen pieces together the reason why Ted even bothers working in a shitty place like this. He thinks that Ted wasn't considered good enough to become an

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official knight and was tossed out from the ranks, leaving him no place to go.

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The verbal assault has already chipped the knight's armor while the bar owner tries to calm him down by addressing payment. Hearing the word apprentice attached to his rank, Ted's blood starts boiling. Pissed as hell, he bursts with incredible speed to slice down the

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arrogant noble's mouth in an effort to punish him for being disrespectful. But without fearing for a thing, our boy simply stands there as Ted's blade is about to slice him down. He evades the heavy strike at the very last second,

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which means if he hadn't dodged the attack, the enraged apprentice knight would have sliced him in half. Preparing himself for a second attack, the apprentice knight unleashes his swings at Damian. While our boy is dodging without much difficulty, he's starting

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to grasp on his opponent's skill. From the looks of it, Ted doesn't appear to be an average apprentice knight, demonstrated by his sword ability and precise swings. Bursting with fury, the apprentice knight unleashes a wide slash which is easily evaded by the young

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master. Despite possessing some of his combat ability from the future, Damian is having to struggle with his body's physical limitations. He can't make the best out of his current state, and it's a learning moment for him to prioritize

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managing his stamina. The apprentice knight is getting frustrated that none of his attacks are connecting. So, this time, he goes batshit crazy and imbuss his body with a glimmer of aura.

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Realizing what's coming his way, Damian predicts his opponent's secret technique. The apprentice knight launches a linear sword strike coated with immense power. As the blade is about to pierce his body, Damian calms down, even in the face of imminent

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death. He wants to respond with a technique of his own, one that can counteract it successfully. Recalling his traumatizing days as the death knight, he remembers facing the legendary killer, the one known as the blade of death. This assassin was

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revered as a force of nature, so the death knight came to face him. The Phantom Assassin immediately pointed his blade at the monstrousl looking knight, stating that his intentions of killing him if he didn't run off. Realizing that

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the death knight wasn't going to comply, a sinister side evoked inside of the phantom assassin. The bloodthirsty beast was thrilled to find yet another target to kill. In fact, he wanted to use his secret technique to give a performance

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unlike any other. Thanks to his perceptive eyes, he was able to analyze the vital points of a human body, utilizing the water inside of it. And then he unleashed the ultimate KitKat technique, which he probably learned from Sukuna, slicing down on the death

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knight's body. The best part, he did all of that using a basic wooden sword, which shows the greatness of his technique even more. The death knight's torn body rested on the ground while the phantom assassin celebrated his victory.

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Little did he know that the death knight wasn't going to die that easy. In fact, when he turned around, he saw doom. The creature's body was linking back together, his flesh and organs forming back into one central piece, even after

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being cut in half. Yep, that's because the death knight whipped out the anti-kit Kat technique from the Han era.

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With his body fully reformed, the Phantom Assassin began to realize that he [ __ ] up by targeting an undead monster. Here's the icing on the cake.

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After experiencing the same technique used on his body, Damian instantly learned it and was able to use his perceptive eyes to target the Phantom Assassin's vital points. Without even being able to comprehend what was going on, the death knight slaughtered the

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assassin by giving him the same treatment. Instant karma. And he did it without a sword, too. The maniacal assassin experienced excruciating pain, all the while being unable to comprehend how someone was able to copy his secret technique. And that leads us back to the

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present. A similar expression is worn by Ted, one of despair and defeat. He's down on the ground. His body hasn't been severed in half in a gruesome manner, but it did experience a deep slash. Our glorious protagonist explains that every

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single one of his enemies didn't even know what hit them until they were graveling on the ground. All of his fights went like this. Why? It's because his one inherent ability as the death knight is to absorb his enemy's skills

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and use them as his own. Long story short, Bro is out here giving Kakashi the copy ninja a run for his money.

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Seeing Ted go down the way he did causes the bar owner to become scared as [ __ ] He's out here sweating bullets, thinking that he's next. Bro's got that desperate Vegeta face going on. Seconds later, he's kneeling in front of our boy and

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apologizing for bringing dishonor to the hacks inv county. But it doesn't end there. He also offers a serious amount of gold as a consolation for any trouble caused. Damen is out here celebrating on the inside. He only came here for a

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simple apology, but he's getting easy money, too. He decides to let the matter slide and glances at his servant, Victor, who quietly observed the whole scene unfold. The servant quickly comes to collect the amount, questioning his own senses after what happened. He saw

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how the young master dismantled the knight with a crazy technique at the last second. It doesn't make sense to him how the young master suddenly obtained powerful techniques. In the next scene, they're leaving the bar.

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Victor comments on how he's never had to carry so much money before, but something tells me the bar owner isn't finished because this scumbag intends to take his revenge in the future. His intention is to speak to the leader of

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the Black Snake organization. But as he's plotting his next revenge scheme, our boy comes back to humble him by slicing off his right ear. The bar owner screams in agony while Damian reminds him that he couldn't leave without

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rendering an appropriate punishment. Oh, and he already anticipates the bar owner's next move, and he's more than happy to leave a message for the leader of the organization. Damian's only warning is that if the organization dares to mess with his family, he'll

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wipe them all out. Despite having his ear cut off firsthand, he still wants to take his revenge and intends to report to the organization. But that's for later. As our boy keeps on walking ahead, as he's heading out, he fully

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comes to terms with his own wrongdoings in his previous life. His past leaves a trail of blood, one of murder and only sinful acts. He doesn't intend to run from this past, but this time he vows not to disappoint his family and always

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stay by their side. Damian declares that it's time for them to head home. The scene cuts to the Lion Bloom March where a man addresses his brother regarding the phrase, "Pain always follows love." His brother doesn't know what this dude

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is going on about and realizes that this guy's planning to head to another battle. Rejecting his brother's assumption, the dude clarifies that he's actually going on a quest to find love.

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I would believe his words if not for that ugly expression on his face. Coming back to the Haxin estate, our boy is glad to have gotten a good night's sleep after his adventurous run last night.

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The same can't be said for poor Victor, however, who was busy processing what happened before his eyes. The horror of it all kept him awake, thinking about what would happen next. Damen emphasizes that everything worked out well in their

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favor, so there's nothing to worry about. Even though they deviated from the original plan, they achieved their purpose all the same. Next up, our boy is waiting for the rumors to spread around, allowing people to realize not to [ __ ] with the Viccount Hackin's

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eldest son. With this rumor flying around, no one will ever dare to mess with his family again. He's also happy that his reputation as the useless son will also experience a slight shift, and people will see him in a more respectful

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light. Even as his servant, Victor, can't fathom how the young master is suddenly so competent and self-aware.

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The servant is deathly afraid of what will happen regarding the situation with the black snake group because what they did last night was provocative in every sense. Damen docked their men and even annihilated an apprentice knight. Even with their threat looming around, Damian

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is confident that they would doublech checkck before messing with a noble family. And if they're stupid enough to try, he'll beat them black and blue.

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This alleviates some of Victor's concerns, and he comments on our boy's exceptional sword skills. Skills that he shouldn't even have, which makes him question when the young master became so capable in sword fighting. Of course, our boy quickly turns away because he

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really doesn't have an explanation for it. Damian tells him that he trains every now and then. Speaking of Damian, his father is out here channeling the speeds of Barry Allen, the Flash. Bro is pissed that his son was gone all day

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yesterday. What's more, he's scared that the kid must have caused even more trouble again. Showing no signs of fear, Damen urges his father to calm down because he handled everything and rectified his previous mistake. He then tells Victor to reveal their prized

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possession. The glimmering gold coins seduce his parents very quickly. It's the easiest way to make them happy. The young master informs them of his travels to the same tavern and how he cleared up a certain misunderstanding, a miscalculation that they did. And

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because of that, they gave him consolation money for their mistake. I just love how he omitted the part where he cut off like 20 hands and plucked off the bar owner's ear. His parents are doubtful at first, but they're quickly

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persuaded because of the gold. The funny thing is that Damen even uses Victor to testify on his part, shoving him under the boss as well. In the end, Victor agrees with everything the young master said, which adds more weight to his

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words and helps his family's trust in him. Damen's parents are happy while Victor is out here realizing that he's got a gaslighter Pro Max as his young master. The scene quickly cuts to our boy sprinting in the fields in order to

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test his stamina. After a little while, he's already exhausted and dying for breath. This makes Damian understand his own limitations, and he has to deal with his shitty body at once, or he'll be at a huge disadvantage. Pulling out a

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purple gem from his pocket. He's lucky to have acquired a little something that's going to help him in the short run. Before leaving the tavern, the bar owner included this tonic in his list of treasures. A creation of Alchemy

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Academy. It allows a significant increase in one's stamina and energy. Damian found himself surprised to hear the academyy's name. They specialize in making these types of potions and tonics, and they're so good that their value is equal to a gemstone. All the

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good for this young master who got his hands on it for free. At present, he quickly gulps down the tonic and in mere seconds experiences a jolt of electrifying energy brewing inside of him. The effects are working right away.

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He crushes the vial, reflecting that his most important goal right now is to build up his body back to the way it was. To become the unstoppable death knight, the pooky archless Dorggo is bound to unleash his army of the undead,

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ravaging the world to ashes. Damian has to make sure to prevent that dark future from happening no matter what. That's why he's hellbent on regaining his powers. It's the only way he'll be able to protect what's dear to him, his

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family's safety and happiness. Pumped for another run, he bolts off, declaring that he'll kill the arch, and this time he'll make sure Dorggo stays down. That very night, the scene cuts to the tower of the black snake group. The grunting

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fatso is disappointed in the apprentice knight's defeat, especially since they spent a fortune hiring him. Ted's condition is really bad, so much so that even the underlings think they should get him treated, but off-brand Kim Jong-un over here is ruthless and orders

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Ted to be thrown into the dumpster. Meet the boss of the Black Snake group, Cedric Walker, who apparently doesn't believe in second chances and wants Ted to be disposed of right away. After all, they can just buy another one in his

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place. Mustering all of his strength, the apprentice knight takes a stand and comments on how disappointing this ending is. Cedric turns around, surprised to see the knight still capable of holding his ground. He actually offers Ted a second chance if

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he gets treated, but based on how he was about to dispose of him only a minute ago, the apprentice knight is so pissed off that he lunges at him with his blade. But despite his desperate attempt to kill the organization's leader, he is

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stopped by a shadow tendril, which quickly chains him and renders him harmless. The person responsible appears and prefers killing the apprentice knight as part of their contract. Cedric is more than happy to see how their newest hire will perform. The helpless

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knight can only shout complaints. The mage ends up chanting a command, unleashing demonic creatures from the dark upon the helpless knight. Before the knight can even comprehend what's going on, he meets his bone chilling demise. Despite him begging for mercy,

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the five demonic beasts devour each of his limbs as well as his head, ripping his body apart as his screams reach the ceiling. By the end, the only thing that's left of Ted is a miserable foot.

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Bro probably got the worst death I've seen in a while. Cedric is disgusted, but at the same time quite impressed. He accepts the mage into his group and requests for cleaner deaths from now on.

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The mage is happy to hear that and awaits his next target. The leader of the organization expresses the recent incident, which included a noble who messed with their members. However, Cedric isn't going to be stopping. All he cares about is for Damian to suffer

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an agonizing and gruesome death, and he's even willing to increase the pay for it. Cedric pays the mage his commission in advance. The dark mage is more than happy to take up this task and execute it with success. Panting in

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exhaustion, our boy continues his epic training arc. He's out here doing squats with a heavy load on each side, helping him become overall muscular and amp up his stamina. This training regimen is doing wonders for him. But strangely

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enough, the past few days have been far too quiet. Almost as if disaster is right around the corner. He was fully expecting the Black Snake organization to come and shoot him down by now. As he's about to drink from his bottle, he

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senses the presence of two assassins nearby. Realizing that they're the scumbags of the organization, our boy zaps in with incredible speed to pin them down. To his utter shock, the dude he ends up attacking isn't an enemy, but

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actually Abel, his nerdy brother. Bro immediately releases him, causing his younger brother to flop to the ground.

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Abel is aruck by his older brother's incredible strength, and he was fully expecting to get his head popped just now. It's a good thing that didn't happen. Damen apologizes and offers him a hand, sharing that it was never his

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intent to treat him like this. Instead of accepting his older brother's apology, the nerdy brother reveals that he learned about Damian's situation at the bar and how he got an apology out of the owner. However, from what he's

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heard, he knows that a fight broke out and that dozens of people were injured.

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Abel accuses his older brother of lying to his own family. Instead of deceiving him, Damen actually confirms the facts as the cold hard truth. Abel jumps in his face in shock, questioning how the hell his brother was able to face off so

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many people. It doesn't make sense unless he hired agent 47 or something. Even though Damian fully accepts that he's the one who did everything, Abel still isn't convinced. The only thing he cares about is that his older brother

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doesn't go around dishonoring their family's reputation. They're already sick and tired of cleaning the troubles he's caused in the past. Fully understanding his little brother's annoyance, Damen pats him on the head, reflecting that his little brother has a

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pure heart and has always wanted the best for his family. That's why he doesn't find himself annoyed at his attitude. In fact, he smiles at Abel, stating that there's nothing for them to worry about anymore. Their meeting is

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interrupted by Victor, who comes in panting to deliver some shockingly bad news. His sudden announcement causes both of the young masters to grow alert.

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In the next scene, they quickly dash into the family estate and burst open the door only to find his parents sitting opposite to a certain man. This is the same dude from earlier who wanted to go on his quest for love or whatever

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the heck he means. Seeing Damian arrive so quickly, the arrogant man expresses his innocent intentions of sharing what happened at the banquet hall. Meet Irwin Lion Bloom, the evil and beta version of Irwin from Attack on Titan.

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Unfortunately, he shares some terrible ties with our protagonist. To understand what happened between them, we'll have to go back to the past. At the banquet hall, he and Irwin had a little beef.

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Apparently, Damen was offended by something, while the calm and collected Irwin only riled him further. The drunk troublemaker reminded everyone that Irwin insulted his sister and spoke badly about him, so he has every right to take offense. Then again, Irwin

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smartly took advantage of our boy's drunk state and pinned the blame on that. To make matters even worse, this bastard went right up in his face to call him a [ __ ] and reminded him that even if he did say all of that, Damian

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couldn't do [ __ ] about it anyway. It came as a shock to our boy's system. At the time, he made the biggest mistake he could possibly make in that situation.

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He chose physical violence and punched the bastard away. To be honest, that punch felt really satisfying, even if it was the wrong thing to do in the hall.

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Even after eating a clear hit to the face, the noble released a victorious smile, implying that he always wanted the situation to turn out this way. And that brings us to the present. Damian fully understands that Irwin deliberately chose to get hit because

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he's actually pretty damn skilled, close enough to become a knight, so it would have been easy to dodge. As it turns out, the slime ball was waiting for this moment. In this family meeting, this man boldly tells our boy's parents that he

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shares admiration for Louise, their daughter. At first, the Vic count doesn't get what Irwin is trying to say.

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That's until Captain Douchebag over here boldly declares a marriage proposal between him and Damen's sister. The announcement rocks the Haxin family to their very senses. Damen internalizes his frustration, knowing that this is the exact sequence that took place in

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his previous life. The bastard took advantage of his family's poor circumstances. Irwin doubles down by saying that he'll forget what happened at the banquet hall, but only if they become a part of his family, therefore preventing any bad blood between the two

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houses. However, his father firmly denies such a proposal like the gigachad he is. Irwin's frustration grows after discovering that Louise already has a fiance set for marriage. But then comes the issue of his humiliation at the banquet hall. Irwin reminds the Haxon

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family that they won't be able to deal with the consequences that come with denying his proposal. It will end in a wrathful outcome. The scumbag offers them a final dilemma. It's either they choose him for their daughter or they

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suffer the consequences. This is truly a difficult decision for the Vic Count to consider, knowing that the Lion Bloom family is tremendously powerful among the nobles. Even then, he knows just how shitty of a person Irwin truly is. His

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father's instincts just can't allow something so disgraceful to happen to his daughter. Suddenly Louise herself makes her presence known. Offering herself as the sacrifice and accepting the terms of marriage. Seeing their own daughter sacrifice herself like this causes the Vic count to break down. He

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tries to assure her that they'll find a way out of this. Even though Abel is pissed off and admits that his sister doesn't have to deal with the trouble Damian caused. Seeing her take a stand for the sake of her family even causes

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Damen to feel sad. But the brave girl maintains her smile, promising to go with Irwin. The whole situation is a great reminder for our protagonist, a reflection of his past mistakes summarized in one scene. Because of the problems he caused, his sister had to

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bite the bullet. Now that the situation has wrapped up in his favor, an evil smile crosses over Irwin's face. He's glad that they made the correct choice.

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As he prepares to leave, he tells Louise that a formal request will be officially sent so they can discuss details. But as he's talking all that [ __ ] the devil himself appears before his eyes, glaring down at him. I think anyone who has a

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sister would have the same expression as our boy after what happened. Mocking Damen openly, Irwin calls him his brother-in-law. Damen doesn't give a damn about him, but the fact that he ruined his sister's life in the original timeline is enough motivation for him to

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prevent the same from happening again. Louise can't believe that her brother has taken a stand for her. He mumbles something incomprehensible, something that the arrogant blonde noble doesn't even comprehend. What he does comprehend is a Mike Tyson uppercut that launches

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him to the damn sky. While it's true that Damian shouldn't have fallen for Irwin's provocation again, he just can't sit around waiting for this bastard to tear his family apart. The noble's body hits the ground while our boy declares

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his stance strongly. He won't let Irwin do what he wants. To understand why he feels such disdain for this man, we'll have to take a peek into the original timeline of what happened the first time. After being sold off to the Lion

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Bloom family, Damen couldn't see his sister for a long time. So, one day when he realized that they were coming to visit, he couldn't contain his excitement and ran with a smile on his face, excited to meet his sister. Things

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took a truly terrifying turn because the moment he arrived, his body shuddered in despair. Before him was his beautiful sister. Her hair was pulled like she was some kind of animal. Irwin dragged her for always complaining about her shitty

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family. He was pissed that she even dared to threaten leaving him. Oh, but he didn't stop there. to truly educate her and make sure she never defied him again, Irwin prepared himself properly as the innocent girl shuddered in fear.

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Locking in a fist, he abused her brutally as the poor girl wailed in pain. Just watching that sight broke our boy from the inside. He couldn't even protect his sister, and he's the one who got her into such a state in the first

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place. All because of his actions at the banquet hall. From then on, a deep hatred took root inside of Damian's heart. A hatred designed specifically for the bastard known as Irwin Lion Bloom. That brings us back to the

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present where he's just finished uppercutting this man into a knockout. The entire family is shaken. The Lion Bloom guards concerningly show up after hearing the sound of their young master moaning in pain. At once, they unchath their weapons to seize the person

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responsible for hurting the young master. Damen gave them one look and realize that they're his escort guards.

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Speaking of the bastard, Irwin snickers like the little pest he is and gets back up. He's done being [ __ ] slapped twice in the face by now. Taking the situation to violent means, he clenches his sword while the Haxon family stares in horror.

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Finally revealing his true nature, Irwin unshath his blade, questioning if his brother-in-law is looking for a quick death. To prevent the situation from turning into a bloodbath, his escort guards quickly step in to handle the situation for him since it could lead to

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a bad impression of him. But this time, the enraged bastard doesn't listen to reason and demands that his guards move.

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When one of the escort guards resists the order, Irwin literally punches him into the nearest wall. I genuinely took him for a weakling, but damn, he really is close to the skill of a knight, chillingly reminding his guards to move.

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Irwin glares at them with contempt. Abel and Louise are quivering for their brother's sake, while the Lion Bloom young master strides forward to deal with Damian for good. He wonders how the Haxin family will resolve this situation, especially when they've made

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it worse 10fold. Sensing real danger for her brother's life, Louise understands that Damian will be hurt. She forcibly steps in to resolve everything. But this time, our boy defends her. No longer will she become the sacrifice. This time, Damian, her older brother, will

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handle the situation as he gives her a look of assurance that everything is all right. It's time for an official one-on-one duel. Hearing the word duel, astonishes the Lion Bloom young master.

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Damen makes his offer clear, stating that he'll do anything Irwin asks of him if he is defeated in the duel. But if our boy wins, everything that happened up to this point will be forgotten from both sides. Interestingly, Irwin doesn't

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want to accept the conditions for the duel because he already got what he wanted out of Louise. She already signed an approval from her side. Instead of backing down, Damen takes a smart approach by challenging Irwin's ego, stating that he's a coward for backing

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out of a duel. Basically, Bro said no balls to a good argument. The funniest thing is that it actually works. Irwin considers accepting the duel simply because he thinks he'll mop the floor with Damian in a real battle, finding

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this as the perfect opportunity to crush Damen forever and then steal his sister from him. The sadistic bastard points his blade and accepts the duel. In the next scene, Damen's mother is really worried and wants to intervene. But

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seeing their son confidently step in like that, the Vic count thinks that Damian must have a plan behind his back.

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That's why they have to let their hopes rest in his hands. Unfortunately for them, Abel knows just how desparing this situation truly is. He is the only person here who fully understands Irwin's skills, comparing him to an official knight. So from that

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perspective, this is a losing battle right from the beginning. The arrogant young master wants to kick the battle into motion, but he's stunned that his opponent isn't even interested in using a sword. Damen assures him that he'll be

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all right. In order to fully humiliate the guy, Bro brings out his trusty fork.

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Ah, yes, the ultimate fork sword. The only weapon that can compare to the ultimate stick of destruction. Seeing the damn fork in his hand, Irwin is at a loss for words. While Damen's family is out here dying on the inside,

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questioning what the actual flip he's going to do with that, Irwin straight up laughs in his face, finding it reasonable to assume that his opponent has already accepted defeat. He thinks Damen's gone crazy out of terror. With full confidence, Irwin lunges into the

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fight, intending to cut him down. But to his utter shock, the first swing misses Damian, who evaded casually. To complicate his attack pattern, Irwin launched multiple swings, unleashing his technique, the fierce roaring lion sword. Bros got his own Suzanu over

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here. Anyway, the destructive blow is all smoke and mirrors because by the end of the attack, our boy's feet are still firmly planted on the ground. He's deflected every single strike. Even the escort guards are at a loss for words,

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not knowing if their young master is playing around or if his opponent is really that good. To deconstruct what happened, we take a look at Irwin's point of view. In that brief time window from when the technique launched, our

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boy danced around each of his swings without even getting hit once. As for Damian, he's glad that his physical training has been paying off. Thanks to his increased stamina, he can now keep up with fast movements without gassing

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himself out. Need I remind you guys that he's doing all of this with just a damn fork? But also, he has gained an understanding of the Lion Bloom family's swordsmanship thus far. Here's the neat part. In the original timeline, the

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Death Knight Damian actually faced off against the eldest son of the Lion Bloom family, Micah Hell Lion Bloom. And this guy was a force to be reckoned with.

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Compared to that, his little brother is disappointing and much weaker. That's why the current Damian isn't having any trouble facing him. Irwin's blood boils as he sends off waves of aura, refusing to accept that it was skill that allowed

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Damian to dodge his techniques. Unfortunately, the invoking of aura is dangerous for anyone to deal with. So, our boy is faced with yet another puzzle. How will he avoid this? Irwin Lion Bloom races at incredible speeds to jump right in front of the target, ready

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to deal a killing blow. In this delicate moment, Damian considers and selects the sword saint technique from his list of techniques and decides to use it. A proper clash breaks out. Except Irwin's world breaks into pieces when he sees a

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mere fork blocking his sword and even overpowering it to some extent. He can't even fathom what's going on. Before can even process the situation, he is struck with our boy's secret move, the countless thunder shadow revelations.

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Using that move, the ultimate fork of destruction flings the sword away with ease. It's Irwin's ultimate fall. As Damian hastens to end the fight with a fork in hand, the fork stabs the arrogant noble in the neck, ending the

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battle. Every single person in his family gasps in horror. You guys might be thinking that a fork was used as a murder weapon just now, but it turns out that our boy is quite generous. He only poked Irwin's neck as if to warn him

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Speaker A

that he could have done more. Even after receiving a tiny stab, this dude starts freaking out like a little [ __ ] Of course, in his heart, Damen really would have wanted to kill him and erase the disease from the world. But he knows

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Speaker A

that he must choose his family's side this time and let this situation slide. So, he concludes the duel, declaring himself as the clear winner and asking if little Irwin over here has any issues with that conclusion. Shuddering like a

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Speaker A

puppy, the arrogant noble has been reduced to a harmless doll. Damen straight up tells this dude to get lost as the scene comes to an end. If you guys think the way Damian handled that humiliation was satisfying, then like

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Speaker A

the video and show your support. After the duel, the family shares a quiet breakfast the next day. Having finished his meal, our boy gets up to leave for his training. With him gone, the family sulks in sadness. Particularly, the

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Speaker A

boy's mother is curious and wonders when they'll talk to Damian about what happened. Speaking of which, Abel is out here having a system reset. Dude is in a permanent state of shock, unable to comprehend how his brother suddenly

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Speaker A

became so godamn powerful. Even his parents are concerned. The Vic count breaks silence, emphasizing that it wouldn't be right to force their son for an answer. He thinks the right decision here is to let the boy reveal the truth

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Speaker A

when he feels the time is right. I really like that they're not forcing him here. Such a nice touch. Apart from that, his father is visibly shaken.

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Speaker A

Though he's curious about his son, the look of death he sees in Damian's eyes intimidates him to the point he doesn't want to confront him about anything.

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Speaker A

Even though Damian is his flesh and blood, that boy has become a lot more intimidating than before. Shifting the perspective to our boy's side, he's out here taking inspiration from Rock Lee, arming his body with heavy weight to

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Speaker A

train for endurance. As he's about to head out, Louise catches up to her brother. She's the first person from his family who wants to talk about what happened the other day. While she's struggling to form her words, our boy

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Speaker A

realizes his mistake and immediately lowers his head, apologizing for the trouble he caused and how he forced her to be in a vulnerable position. While he's ranting on and on about his apology, his sister stops him, offering her sincerest gratitude. He really did

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Speaker A

stand up for her and she feared for her life even though she didn't show her fear in front of Irwin. It's thanks to her brother that she avoided such a miserable fate. Hearing her admit that makes Damen very happy to have made a

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Speaker A

difference. Knowing that her brother stepped up for her cause to save her bravely is the reason she's so grateful for him. In a warm moment while receiving her gratitude, Damen offers his own. A sister shows her love for her

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brother and a brother returns it back with interest. He's thankful for everything she's done for him this far.

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Speaker A

Before Louise can comprehend what he means by that, he prepares to leave. As he's leaving, she offers him a sword to take with him. It's actually their father's most prized possession, his favorite item. To show love for his son,

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Speaker A

the Vic count gifted him the blade so that Damen could use it in his training.

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The boy is shocked to hear such consideration from his father. While Louise reveals that even though their father can be tough on the outside, he loves Damian a lot. Funnily enough, she does her father's impression to remind dear old Damian never to use a fork

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Speaker A

again because it's disgraceful for the family. Damen's pretty damn convinced by her impression and unshathed the blade, finding himself impressed by what he sees. He's in his father's debt.

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Speaker A

Hilariously, when we go back to his father's sword collection, we get to see that this man has a whole bunch of swords at his disposal. He's just complaining for no reason at all. In the next scene, terror looms in the shadows.

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Speaker A

The evil mage and his dark magic has made its way to a certain estate. The night guards are out here yawning in exhaustion, and right when they're caught off guard, the shadows take over them, dismantling both of them in a mere

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instant. With the two of them down, this mysterious mage makes his way through the gate. In the few moments that followed, the mage slowly made his way inside the house. Abel and his parents are asleep. The mage quietly steps up to

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Speaker A

Louis's room, who is also dozing off, not knowing an evil man is hovering over her. This disgusting piece of filth is enjoying himself staring at her, even though he came here on behalf of the black snake. He thinks he's found

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Speaker A

himself something fun to play with. The filthy mage finds himself startled when he discovers a voice from behind. It's our boy who is aura farming at the door to look even more badass than he is. He gives the bastard a disgusting look and

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Speaker A

questions his actions. The call out is real as Damen goes on to express that he was able to sense strange energy lurking around their house, so he decided to check it out. The perspective of the dark mage is interesting. Even though he

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Speaker A

used a special type of magic to put everyone to sleep, it appears that Damian was unaffected by it. Not just that, the dark mage couldn't even detect his presence from behind until he spoke.

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Speaker A

These factors alone are enough to convince him that this guy is troublesome. So, he quickly turns back and unleashes Vegeta's glet gun over here, dodging the magic blast. Our boy moves to a different position, all the while frustrating the dark mage as he

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Speaker A

fails to understand what's happening. Damen prepares his sword, throwing the same question back at him as he reminds the scumbag that he's the one who invaded their house. Suddenly, the mage realizes that he's actually speaking to his target, Damian, of the Haxon house.

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Speaker A

Confirming his identity, our boy pulls his blade, locking a lethal glare at the mage and demanding to know why the hell he stepped foot in his sister's room.

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Speaker A

The powerful magic attack shook the house and woke the rest of the family. The mage realizes that he's going to be in deep trouble if the servants have already awoken. Since he's supposed to execute his task cleanly as per his

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Speaker A

orders, the dark mage decides to retreat for now. As he's fading away into a shadow mist, Damen tries to stop him.

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Speaker A

Unfortunately, there's little you can do while fighting the damn air. So, his enemy escapes through the window and out the house, disappearing into the distance. With the threat neutralized, Damian suddenly spots a shred of the mage's dark energy. It appears that he

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Speaker A

left some of it behind. In the next scene, we turn to the perspective of the servants. They've just discovered the horrific sight of the Vic Count's most treasured horse. If word gets out, the Vic count will raise hell. It's also

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Speaker A

strange because the horse was doing just fine the other day. As the servants are mumbling in horror, Damian comes up to shock them with his sudden entry, expressing his own concerns. The young master's sudden arrival scares them, but

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Speaker A

he assures them that there's no need for any of them to panic, as he isn't here to hold either one of them responsible.

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Speaker A

All he cares about is for him to take a personal look, so he orders them to leave the site. Now that he's alone, Damen inspects the condition of the horse. Turns out that the same shadow trail of energy is somehow connected to

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Speaker A

this dead horse. From the looks of it, he's confirmed the presence of dark mana based on the terrifying energy signature. This also confirms his suspicions that the man he faced last night is actually a dark mage who practices such mana. Now, Damian

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Speaker A

understands that his family still doesn't know what happened. In fact, he has no intention of revealing anything as it will only create chaos and worry.

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Speaker A

Instead, he glares back to the trail of dark energy looming in the atmosphere and creating a path into the forest. A while later, we get to see the hideout of the dark mage. Apparently, he's holding his valuables here while

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Speaker A

snickering like a Walmart villain. It's actually because Cedric recently sent him all of the things he asked for. He lied to the black snake's leader, stating that it's a curse. But from how much inventory he received, the dark

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Speaker A

mage is glad that his experimentations will continue down the line. At the same time, he feels disappointed in his own talent. He's having to struggle with bottom tier requests just to earn a bit of money. Then again, it's the only

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Speaker A

choice he has, especially when the holy church is already on the lookout for him. It's imperative for the guy to keep a low profile. Or so he thought, because following the same trail of dark energy, our boy happily shows up. Think of it

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Speaker A

like returning a favor for invading his home. He calls out the disgusting stench. I bet it's comparable to that one stranger on the bus, ripping one out and killing everyone with their mustard gas. The dark mage can't believe his

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Speaker A

eyes. The eldest son of the Vic Count, the man he fought yesterday, has just showed up to his doorstep. It bothers him that Damian managed to discover his little hideout. I mean, it wasn't hard, I bet, considering the fact that his

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Speaker A

mana smells the same as the average gamer's room. The dark mage shares how he had heard about the rumors of the noble standing up to the members of the Black Snake. But now that he's seen the kid in person, he can tell that Damian

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Speaker A

is more powerful than people believe him to be. The young master is glad that he was sharp, knowing that the dark mage shares a connection with the evil organization. The dark mage confirms this, revealing that a part of their

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Speaker A

deal is to make sure Damian suffers an agonizing death. Hearing this makes him laugh as he declares what's about to happen, pointing out that the mage will die for taking on such a request.

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Speaker A

Hearing such a ridiculous remark from him, the mage laughs, unveiling his sinister nature and finding joy in his victim's delusion. He's in the mood to make the perfect experimental pet out of Damian. After capturing him, the swordsman prepares his sword, assuring

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Speaker A

the mage that it won't be the case. Because in this life, he promised himself that he won't kill anyone unless absolutely necessary. However, the only exception to his rule are people as heinous as the dark mage, who are the

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Speaker A

definition of filth and disgust. Damian's more than happy to wipe them off the face of the planet. The dark mage is astonished yet again by the boy's knowledge, but he thinks it's all meaningless and blast him multiple magic

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Speaker A

circle attacks. He's not going to let the Viccount son escape at any cost. But lucky for him, our boy doesn't share that intention either. Looking cool as [ __ ] he sweeps right in with an incredible lunge and connects a clean

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Speaker A

upward slash, cutting his opponent in half. Diseases are hard to kill, and just like a bad disease, this guy is also hard to kill. Despite being split in half, he simply disintegrates into the shadows, reassembling his state.

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Speaker A

Damian internalizes that his opponent is using the same ability he used back at the estate, and that this guy is actually pretty damn strong, even if he took up a lower tier request to kill someone. Maniacal laughter releases from

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Speaker A

his mouth as the dark mage assumes his victory, maintaining that he won't be cut by ordinary means. So, in order to deal with a pest like him, Damian decides to go ballistic and renders numerous cuts to make sure nothing

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Speaker A

remains. Even though it's a good effort on his part, it still doesn't change the fact that his opponent's body can reassemble with ease. The dark mage thinks he's dealing with someone powerful, but he makes it known that the

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Speaker A

moment Damian walked inside his hideout, he sealed his own fate. Speaking of sealing his fate, the scumbag uses the same attack he used against Ted.

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Speaker A

restraining Damian in place and letting his little demons of death devour the rest. The thing is, the dark mage knew that the church was on his tail, so he doubled down on his preparations with advanced spells. From the looks of it,

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Speaker A

the situation is getting really tense. Even our boy is tensed up considering his circumstances. The mage grimaces in victory, laughing at the demise of his opponent who will regret challenging an officer of the Yulan rank. With Damian restrained, he's moments away from being

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Speaker A

ultimately devoured by the creatures of the dark and meeting the same fate as the apprentice knight. The tendrils of dark mummify their victim. It's like watching a spider webbing up its prey and tangling it into place. The dark

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Speaker A

mage returns to his tangible form and calls Damian arrogant for being reckless with his approach. He also remembers Cedric's order to make his target suffer as much as possible, which is made successful by the fact that he'll torture him for a long time. This

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Speaker A

bastard is also out here celebrating that now he can feast on the beauty he saw at his house without any interruptions. That's until Damen drops a little surprising note for him. He breaks apart the decomposing curse spell that he just used. At a loss for words,

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Speaker A

the dark mage returns a look of despair, questioning how his prey is unaffected. It's impossible to dispel the curse unless someone knows about dark magic, which is exactly what our boy did.

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Speaker A

Here's the thing, though. Even Damian is taken aback by what he did. I guess his regression powers kicked in because it appears he awakened an authority insignia on his body, even though he shouldn't have it at this point in the

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Speaker A

past. Let's talk about what an authority actually is. In this world, it's known as the power of a god being gifted to mortals. In this case, Dorggo favored his death knight so much that he infused the strongest magic and binded it into

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Speaker A

him. Even after giving him indestructible magic and power, Dorggo was left unsatisfied. He wanted more out of his death knight, the ultimate servant and the sword of evil. Hence, he decided to slit his own hand, unleashing a part of his dark power, turning the

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Speaker A

death knight into an ultimate weapon. A column of dark mana pulsed upon the death knight. Dorggo forced his authority upon him, and with a final hand sign, he imbued all of it into Damian's body, carving an insignia on

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Speaker A

his hand. That evil power ripped his body apart, giving him a world of pain unlike any other. By the end of the process, the death knight had transcended into a realm of becoming unstoppable. This Gigachad received the authority of God and became a force to

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be reckoned with. Side note, all of a sudden, I'm starting to realize why Dorggo got his ass nuked. Bro literally turned his death knight into a mini nuclear weapon and thought things were going to be fine. Back to the present,

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Speaker A

Damen remembers the mark of the authority of greed. It's his power as the death knight resurfacing again.

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Speaker A

Before he's able to process it fully, another magic blast comes his way, which he quickly evades. The dark mage raises an immediate question for him. Just how the hell was he able to survive his decomposition spell? Being a good sport,

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Speaker A

Damen finally says that he had a trump card, and that's why. The most convincing explanation is actually the power of plot armor. and the author makes sure to slide that part in. Back to the battle, Damian has now gained an

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Speaker A

understanding of his opponent and his connection to Yulan. This Yulan is actually another organization, an even more sinister one that practices assassination using dark magic. Compared to them, the black snake is nothing.

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Speaker A

It's not a surprise that this guy is actually pretty damn skilled. The dark mage assesses the situation, too, internalizing that he can't let this battle drag on for any longer, especially when his opponent is unpredictable. Even though he wanted to

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Speaker A

save his ultimate weapon for the church, he thinks it's an appropriate time to whip out the good stuff. With his bracelet glowing a bright green, the mage unleashes a wave of mana exuding from his body as he slowly loses control

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Speaker A

of himself. Even Damian notices that this guy is using a dangerous amount of dark mana. From his understanding, the bracelet appears to be some kind of artifact to store mana. Well, things go from 0 to 100 really quick when this guy

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Speaker A

uses his full power. He summons an illusory beast that I don't even know how to describe. Let's call him the ugly five eyes. Having lost control, the dark mage roars the demise for his opponent and declares Damian will burn in

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Speaker A

hellfire. The creature of destruction fully swarms in and connects against our boy's body. With a direct hit like that, the dark mage once again assumes his victory. How could anyone on earth possibly survive such a hellfire? After all, hellfire is something that can't be

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Speaker A

expuned, even after one's death. Using the power of plot armor once again, Damian breezes through the green flames, pointing out the mage's miscalculation.

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Speaker A

The thing about the authority of greed is that it simply doesn't dispel magic. Damian stands unharmed as the same hellfire flames get absorbed into his body. He stands uncontested, having become more powerful than ever before, revealing that the function of his

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Speaker A

authority is to absorb all dark magic. The mage is at a loss for words, questioning how a Vicount's son could have the terrifying power of authority.

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Speaker A

It's time for this fight to end as the young master readies his blade, commanding that he has nothing to explain to a dead man. But on the inside, Damian is genuinely pissed off that he has to rely on his dark powers

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Speaker A

to win a battle. At the same time, he doesn't have much choice but to invoke the techniques of the death knight in order to win this fight. The dark mage is at a loss for words when he sees the

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Speaker A

aura blade. The sword is coated in a black aura, and it's not just any sword technique, either. It's something only achievable by a warrior of the swordmaster rank. before he yaps again about his confusion about Damian's abilities. Our boy renders his ultimate

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Speaker A

technique, the soul severing slash, slicing his opponent's body clean and leaving a massive gash in the cave. The place crumbles after being devastated by his blade while Damian glares at his victim. The strike is so powerful that it tears through the dark mage and

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Speaker A

slices the mountain behind him. Without pause, Damen walks toward the fallen mage and pins him down with his sword, demanding the location of the dark snake hideout. The next morning, the boy heads toward the city of landwork alongside

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Victor. The fatty questions the reason for their journey, but the boy quickly shuts him down for asking too many questions. Redirecting his curiosity, the big Mac's attention shifts to a dark book Damen is reading. The boy claims it's a grimoire of dark magic he

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Speaker A

recently acquired. Though in truth, he knows it came from the dark mage he took down. Victor remains skeptical, knowing such grimoirs are incredibly rare and difficult to acquire. But before he can say more, he's distracted by a strange

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Speaker A

foul smell coming from a sack Damian is carrying. Soon, they arrive at the market where the boy hands the sack to him, casually stating that it contains a person's head. Still refusing to believe him, he opens the sack himself, only to

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Speaker A

spot a lifeless eye staring back. With a panicked yelp, he hurls it away and begins breathing heavily, shaken. When he demands an explanation, the boy tells him to first deliver the head and the book. He'll explain everything afterward. Despite nearly pissing

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Speaker A

himself, Victor agrees. A while later, the boy arrives at the gates of the Dark Snake headquarters and confidently introduces himself. The guards dismiss the Haxin name at first until they realize he's the one their boss warned them about. The boy catches on that they

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Speaker A

already know who he is and pressures them to let him through. To fatty shock, they agree. But just as they allow him to enter, one of the guards suddenly fires a flare into the sky. In seconds, the entire compound swarms with

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Speaker A

assassins and bounty hunters, surrounding Damian with weapons drawn. According to them, this is the welcome gift prepared by their boss. Yet, despite being completely surrounded, the boy remains calm, certain they'll regret the choice they've made. Meanwhile, inside the headquarters, Cedric, the

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Speaker A

boss of the Dark Snake, hosts the Landwork governor and his drunken knight over lunch. The governor, clearly enjoying the meal and company, casually grants Cedric control over the city's red light district. Cedric lights up with excitement at the offer, though he

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Speaker A

worries the other might protest, but the governor quickly reassures him, claiming he holds the authority to silence any opposition. The knight, slouched and tipsy, tries to offer his help with something, but the fatty glazes him off, insisting the knights already doing his

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Speaker A

part by protecting them. He tells him not to waste energy on trivial stuff. The comment flusters the knight, and both he and the governor appear ready to do whatever Cedric wants. Cedric plays along, keeping them wrapped around his

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finger. In truth, he entertains them only so he won't have to bow to their power later. His ambitions reach far beyond a district as he plans to claim the entire city. Just as they're enjoying the moment, one of their men

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barges in, urgently calling for Cedric. Though clearly annoyed, Cedric follows him out. When the man reveals that it's Damian, Cedric shouts his name so loud that even the governor hears it from the other room. He fumes with rage,

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Speaker A

realizing the dark mage he relied on turned out to be a disappointment. Still, he waves the man off, claiming there's no need to worry. In Cedric's mind, Damen has walked into his own death trap. And even if things don't go

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Speaker A

exactly as planned, he has someone who owes him a favor, someone who will make sure the job gets done. Sensing something is wrong, the fatty steps out of the building to check and is shocked to see his assassin lying defeated on

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Speaker A

the ground while the boy stands there completely unharmed. The sight stuns him. He had always heard that Damen Haxon was nothing more than the useless son of a Vic count. But this boy clearly has skill. The realization makes him

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Speaker A

wonder if Damen was also the one who took down his dark mages. Panic sets in and [clears throat] he rushes back inside, hoping to get reinforcements.

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Speaker A

Outside, the mage fires a blazing fireball at Damian using their staff. To their shock, he counters it with his sword, channeling his countless thunder technique to deflect and hurl the attacks back at them. The rebounding blasts explode in fiery bursts, reducing

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Speaker A

the mages to scorched corpses. It seems all of them are taken out until Damian suddenly senses something approaching from behind. He turns just in time to narrowly dodge a devastating sword strike. The blow crashes into the ground, sending up a violent shock wave.

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Speaker A

Though he avoids the direct hit, Damen can feel the overwhelming aura. It's so intense it even singes the ends of his hair. As the dust clears, a knight radiating deadly intent stands before him. The sheer pressure tells Damen this

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man might be a formerly ranked knight. Soon, more soldiers arrive and surround him. The site stuns Damian as it's clear these aren't just mercenaries. They're official troops, the ones responsible for maintaining public order in the city. He immediately understands what

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Speaker A

that means. Moments later, the governor bursts onto the scene, shouting accusations at the boy for disrupting the peace in the heart of the city.

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Cedric stands smuggly at his side as the governor publicly declares that Damian will be punished not only for targeting a respected businessman like Cedric Big Cap, but for attacking and killing his employees. The town's people look on visibly confused as to why the governor

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Speaker A

is siding with someone like that fatso. Cedric, standing confidently next to the governor, believes the boy is finally in real trouble. But Damen doesn't flinch.

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He recognizes Cedric as the leader of the Black Snake and calls him out with sharp, unwavering eyes. Damian suspected the Black Snake leader has some connections, but this level of influence is downright absurd. He openly calls out the governor for supporting someone like

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Speaker A

that double cheeseburger of a man. The governor, unfazed, demands that he surrender, but the boy refuses, insisting he's committed no crime.

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Speaker A

Growing impatient, the governor orders his knight, Robert, to handle the situation. Responding to the command, Robert steps forward and tells Damen to submit to arrest. But to his surprise, there's not a flicker of fear in the boy's eyes. Taking this as arrogance,

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Speaker A

the knight swings his sword in a flash. Damen narrowly dodges and the strike crashes into the ground, sending rubble flying. Though he's provoked the knight, Damen knows this won't be an easy fight.

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Not at this level. He braces himself, but Robert lands a powerful blow, sending him flying. The boy manages to land on his feet, though the hit rattles him despite his attempt to deflect it.

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Speaker A

As the fight continues, Damian silently waits for someone to arrive, but the knight gives him no breathing room, pressing in with relentless speed and swinging his massive ax with brutal force. Just as the weapon is about to hit, someone suddenly jumps between them

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Speaker A

and blocks the attack. The impact is so strong it sends the knight's ax flying.

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Speaker A

Stunned, the knight demands to know who it is. When the figure reveals herself, everyone stands in shock that it's a muscle mommy paladin. Damen exhales in relief. Their reinforcement has arrived and Victor is the one who did that.

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Speaker A

Cedric realizes that a paladin's intervention means the church is now involved and they might already know about the dark mage's connection to recent events. As it turns out, Damian had sent Victor to the church carrying the dark mage's head. And Victor

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Speaker A

followed through exactly as instructed, effectively saving him. A few hours earlier, Victor arrived at the church drenched in fried oil sweat, carrying both the sack and the book that Damen gave him. He handed them over to a nun,

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Speaker A

claiming they were evidence of someone collaborating with dark mages. As she examined the book, she immediately sensed the dark energy emanating from it. Upon noticing the symbol inside, her expression shifted to shock. Without a word, she snatched the sack from Victor.

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Speaker A

And the moment she saw the severed head, she recognized it as the long sought officer of Yulon. With no hesitation, she stripped off her nun attire, revealing a muscular mommy figure formed beneath it, and demanded to know who

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sent Victor with these items. Now back in the present, she seems excited to finally meet Damian and assures everyone that the church will take over the matter from here. Damian respectfully agrees. It's exactly how he had hoped things would unfold. Paladins devoted to

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Speaker A

serving their god are known for their charity and compassion. But when it comes to dealing with demons and dark arts, they don't hesitate. They become relentless, almost fanatical. They are, after all, the vanguard of the church.

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Speaker A

And with this development, Damian knows he now has the church on his side. As he reflects on everything, the paladin steps forward and addresses the gathered citizens. She announces that due to evidence of someone within the city communicating with dark mages, the

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Speaker A

church will be launching a full investigation. Until then, they will assume control of the city. This doesn't sit well with the governor as the city was granted self-governance by the kingdom. However, the paladin shuts him down, firmly, stating that the church

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Speaker A

holds the authority to overrule even the kingdom. And besides, both he and his knight are prime suspects. Hearing this, they are stunned. But the real shock comes when she points directly at Cedric, accusing them of protecting the man who supported dark mages and hid

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Speaker A

among them. Cedric immediately denies the accusation when questioned. But the paladin presents the book as evidence.

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Speaker A

It contains detailed records of Cedric purchasing supplies for the dark mage. This revelation enrages Cedric, furious that the dark mage had documented everything. As the soldiers begin turning on Cedric, he and his men start pleading their innocence, but it's

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Speaker A

already too late. The paladin orders them to be taken into custody for investigation. As they are led away, the governor spots Damian and realizes he was behind all of this. He's now torn between anger and fear. Unsure of what

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Speaker A

the church might do to him next. Meanwhile, Cedric makes one last attempt to escape justice. He tries to provoke the governor's knight, urging him to act and not let a mere boy frame them. The knight pauses, thinking for a moment,

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Speaker A

and then, to everyone's shock, breaks free from the church guards and charges directly at the paladin, hoping to take her down and flee. But his strike misses entirely. To his horror, the paladin counters instantly, delivering a devastating punch to his gut, so

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Speaker A

powerful it kills him on the spot. According to the paladin, anyone who stands in the way of God will be punished according to divine will. After witnessing the knight's fate, Cedric wastes no time and drops to his knees

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Speaker A

while the governor still resists. Meanwhile, the boys are simply enjoying the spectacle, watching the leader of the black snake gang kneeling in front of the crowd. For that, the boy quietly thanks Victor. From his observation, the paladin is even stronger than he

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Speaker A

initially thought. Judging by her aura and presence, she's likely an Azure Flame apprentice. The Azure Flame is known as the strongest warrior in the church, famous for taking down numerous powerful enemies. As Damian gets lost in thought, the paladin calls him out by

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Speaker A

name and thanks him for eliminating the dark mage of Yulan. She assures him that the church will acknowledge his efforts and that he won't be charged with anything. She reveals that the church is aware Damian contacted them not just to

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Speaker A

report the dark mage but also to use the situation to cover his assault on the black snake faction. Hearing this, Damen apologizes and explains that the dark mage had tried to harm his family. The paladin moved by this agrees to absolve

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Speaker A

him of any wrongdoing. She also confirms that the bounty for the dark mage's head, 1,000 gold coins, will be paid to him. While the amount is more than enough to purchase a small castle, Damian doesn't ask for the gold.

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Speaker A

Instead, he requests something else. one of the church's mana cultivation techniques. This request genuinely surprises the paladin that despite his apparent strength, he still desires advanced training. Yet, Damian knows the truth. Although he managed to defeat the dark mage using his authority skill, he

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Speaker A

won't be able to survive the trials the future holds without further growth. For that, he definitely needs the advanced mana training technique, the very one used by paladins. He reveals that he has only learned the basic level of it so

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Speaker A

far and now wishes to master the advanced stage. This shocks the paladin. Reaching such a level of power using only the basics is nearly unheard of.

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Speaker A

She can sense the tremendous aura flowing through his body, and the fact that he managed to defeat a dark mage only adds to her impression. Moved by his potential, the paladin offers something even greater than the training technique, she enthusiastically invites

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Speaker A

him to become a paladin himself. But to her dismay, the boy politely refuses. She struggles to understand why he would reject such an honorable position, one considered a great privilege granted only to a few chosen to serve God. She

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Speaker A

insists it's incredibly difficult to earn that title. However, Damian isn't particularly religious, and more importantly, he has no desire to become the church's pawn. Of course, he can't say that out loud. Instead, he claims he's not worthy of such a title. For

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Speaker A

now, he lies that he simply wants to travel the world as a humble devote in search of truth. To Victor's shock, the act worked perfectly. The paladin appears genuinely moved by Damen's humility. Impressed by his words, she agrees to grant him access to the mana

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Speaker A

technique and warmly invites him to visit the church any time. With that, she formally introduces herself as Agnes, the first apprentice of the Azure Flame. Damen respectfully acknowledges her name and then requests her permission to take care of one last

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Speaker A

matter. She's a bit puzzled until she sees him walk over to Cedric and without hesitation punch the fat straight out of him. He follows up with a brutal kick that sends Cedric flying across the street. Only then does Damian finally

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Speaker A

feel satisfied. With that, he and Victor have accomplished exactly what they came for. Meanwhile, at the Lion Bloom family estate, Irwin's father rushes to his son after hearing about the incident. Irwin, trembling in fear, claims that Damian tried to kill him with a fork. This

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Speaker A

enrages his father. He demands to know who dared lay a hand on his son. To his shock, the guards reveal it was Damen of House Haxon. This intensifies his fury.

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Speaker A

The idea that a so-called low-life like Damian managed to beat his son using what he considers cowardly tricks drives him into a rage. He begins smashing furniture around the room completely consumed by anger. In a fit of vengeful

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Speaker A

fury, he orders his men to drag Damian to him like a dog immediately. Meanwhile, at the Haxon household, Paladin Agnes arrives with her men and greets Damen's father. Upon seeing them, his father immediately grows angry, furious that his son not only caused

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Speaker A

trouble, but also brought what he calls a group of lunatics into their home. Agnes, remaining polite, informs him that their presence is related to the investigation of a heretic. Despite his irritation, his father grows visibly concerned about whether their house can

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Speaker A

accommodate four additional guests. However, his house somehow expands magically when she offers some gold.

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Speaker A

Later, as Damen's parents retreat to their room, Agnes thanks Damen for allowing them to stay. Internally, he never expected her to make such a request. To his surprise, she has another one. Even more unexpectedly, she wants to ask personal questions about

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Speaker A

him. Apparently, as part of spreading the gospel, his parents overhear the conversation and immediately begin misinterpreting it as something flirtatious, which only makes Damian more embarrassed. Eventually, Agnes gets to the point. She hands over the monot training technique he requested and in

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Speaker A

addition gives him a matching sword technique, explaining that both complent each other perfectly. These two books, a destructive sword style and an advanced energy cultivation method, are unlike anything Damen has seen, even in his previous life. As he begins skimming

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Speaker A

through one of the books, Agnes starts yapping about how difficult it was to acquire them. She continues talking, making sure he knows she went out of her way to help. She even reveals that after reporting everything to her master, the

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Speaker A

Azure Flame himself expressed interest in Damian joining the paladins. With that, she once again invites him to join their order, but our boy, as always, declines. Agnes doesn't press further.

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She simply smiles, offers her help if he ever needs anything, and then leaves. Watching her go, Damen grows uneasy as one thing becomes clear. She's a true fanatic. Elsewhere, inside the ruined cave of the dark mage, church investigators carefully examine the

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Speaker A

remains. One of them appears visibly shocked as he still can't believe that a kid like Damian managed to defeat a mage trained in dark magic. The other investigator shares the same doubt, but points out that Lady Agnes hasn't raised

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Speaker A

any concerns about it. Still, the situation troubles both of them. As they discuss, Agnes herself arrives and addresses their concerns directly. She acknowledges that their skepticism is understandable, but insists she's confident Damian is telling the truth.

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Speaker A

One of the investigators argues that they still can't grasp how he did it. In response, Agnes reveals that they already heard the full account from Damian himself. She explains that on the day his servant delivered the severed head, she also had her doubts about his

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Speaker A

abilities. That's why she stayed behind and secretly observed him when he was later ambushed by assassins. To her surprise, Damen completely overwhelmed them. What shocked her the most was seeing him deflect a fireball with nothing but his sword. Hearing that,

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Speaker A

both investigators are in disbelief. However, Agnes explains that she's heard of warriors who, upon reaching a certain level, can deflect magic attacks with raw skill and aura control. One of the investigators speculates that Damian might be a swordmaster, but Agnes

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Speaker A

remains unsure, though she firmly believes he's at least a gifted warrior. She also reveals that after Yulan's defeat, she considered taking Damian with her to meet her master, believing he could be a valuable asset to the church. With that, she firmly orders

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Speaker A

them to stop doubting and focus on their work. Outside the Haxin estate, an official knight of House Lion Bloom arrives, leading two apprentice knights behind him. He confirms the location and one of the younger knights nods in acknowledgement. The leader then repeats

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Speaker A

their mission to arrest Damian of House Haxon. According to him, it should be an easy task, but he makes it clear that he intends to make them suffer. For him, this is personal revenge for Irwin's humiliation. Just as he speaks, he

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Speaker A

notices an oldie barely on one HP walk by. He calls out to him, asking if he's from Viccount Hackin's household. When the old man confirms, the knight, without hesitation, cuts him down in a flash. Wait, what did Gramps even do? Fs

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Speaker A

in the chat. The knight thinks it's disrespectful for a mere servant not to bow before the lion crest. Meanwhile, the apprentice knight quietly realizes that the old man might have been blind, but the commander doesn't care. Without a hint of remorse, he orders his men to

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Speaker A

drag Damian out of the estate and to kill everyone else once they're inside. Upon receiving the command, the knights charge forward, heading straight toward Victor, who's casually standing at the front gate, busy cleaning. Deep in the forest, Lady Agnes' team stands

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Speaker A

together, casually chatting. Agnes explains that the site ended up collapsing, which made it harder to gather as much intel as they'd hoped.

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Speaker A

Still, she assures them it's fine since everyone did a solid job. But then, out of nowhere, something catches their eyes. something that stops them dead in their tracks. Upon a rock sits a lone figure calmly manifesting magic in the

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Speaker A

most mesmerizing way. Their jaws drop as they watch, stunned. Agnes stares in disbelief, wondering what on earth is happening and how he's even doing it.

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Speaker A

She finds the whole thing remarkable, even though she has no clue what kind of technique it is. In her mind, she starts piecing things together. That destructive energy technique she handed to Damian must be a cultivation method.

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Speaker A

And if taken to its highest level, it supposedly allows the user to absorb surrounding mana freely. What shocks her most is that he's reached such a height in just a matter of hours. As Damen snaps out of his focused state, he looks

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Speaker A

down to see three wideeyed onlookers, Agnes and her team, staring up at him like curious baboons. Agnes can't hold herself back. She bolts straight to him.

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Speaker A

Damian, calm and casual, glances her way and asks if they're done with their investigation. Right then, Damen's feeling pretty good about the book in his hands, fully absorbed in its contents. Agnes, watching him closely, can't help but notice the impressive

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Speaker A

progress he's made. It hits him that Agnes wasn't exaggerating when she talked about how rare this book really is. It's the real deal. Hard to get and even harder to master. As a swordsman in his past life, traditional sword

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Speaker A

techniques don't hold much meaning for him anymore. But this cultivation method is a gamecher, something truly useful, even for someone like him. Come to think of it, the destructive energy technique was specifically designed to compensate for the insane mana drain caused by the

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Speaker A

destructive sword technique. Thankfully, it's built differently. It collects mana way faster than most other techniques and can even temporarily pull in external mana from the surroundings.

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Speaker A

That alone makes it a powerful asset, especially for someone like Damian who needs fuel for highle combat without burning out. Lady Agnes and Damian catch themselves locking eyes, and for a brief moment, everything seems to pause. The Snow White beauty blushes softly while

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Speaker A

the weirdo himself breaks the silence, casually pointing out that it's already dinner time. He suggests they head back together, but out of nowhere, Damen suddenly senses a sharp wave of blood lust. His instincts scream that the vermin is here. Without wasting a

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Speaker A

second, he tells Agnes that he's got an urgent errand to take care of and that he'll head out first. He kindly tells her to return at her own pace. Agnes is left stunned, watching him disappear with unbelievable speed, especially

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Speaker A

considering he used such a small amount of mana. She realizes then he must be controlling it with incredible precision. Agnes quietly wonders just how far Damen's limits really go.

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Speaker A

Meanwhile, back at House Haxin, things have taken a violent turn. Night Lavender is mercilessly beating Victor, landing a gut-wrenching punch straight to his stomach. Victor collapses, begging for mercy. But the night isn't finished. He keeps cursing Victor with

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Speaker A

every hit, while Garrick and Alpus stand by, enjoying the cruel display like it's entertainment. Victor cries out in pain, but it does nothing to move them. That's when Viccount Paul suddenly rushes onto the scene, demanding the knights hold

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Speaker A

their horses. Garrick instantly recognizes him. It's Paul Haxon, the Viccount himself. Paul hurries to Victor's side, catching him in his arms as the poor guy lies unconscious, bruised and battered. With fury boiling in his eyes, the old man demands to know

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Speaker A

what kind of knights assault civilians like this, especially when their estate has already done worse to House Lion Bloom. And what Victor did is nothing in comparison. With that, Garrick steps forward and announces that the marquee lion Bloom demands Damen Haxon. He

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Speaker A

coldly warns them to hand over the young master, or else the land of House Haxon will suffer dearly. The Vic Counted retaliation, but not on this scale.

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Speaker A

Still, Paul stands firm, calling it a bluff. He declares he won't hand over his son no matter what. In fact, he's certain that even if he did, Lion Bloom would still reduce their estate to ashes. With a quiet yet defiant smile,

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Speaker A

the old man looks Garrick straight in the eye and makes it clear he refuses to give up his son. Garrick, gritting his teeth, says the fool will regret that decision. But it seems they've now left House Lion Bloom's knights with no other

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Speaker A

choice. Garrick gives the order to his sidekicks to destroy everything until that jerk Damian shows himself. The Vic count shouts for them to stop, but a chilling voice suddenly cuts through the chaos, asking if the vermin have completely lost their minds. Everyone

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Speaker A

freezes as a dark purplish toxic aura seeps in from another direction. Garrick turns, sensing the pressure, but has no clue who the man behind that monstrous energy is. Meanwhile, Opulpus and Lavender are paralyzed on the spot.

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Speaker A

Damen's aura has them frozen, stiff, unable to even lift a finger. With calm steps, Damen walks in and kneels beside Victor, checking if his loyal servant is still breathing. One glance is all it takes to stir his rage. His voice sharp

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Speaker A

but controlled. Damen tells the knights their lucky victors built tough because if he had died, Damen would have ended every last one of them right here without hesitation. Garrick stiffens at the sheer weight of that threat and finally puts it together. This guy, this

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Speaker A

terrifying presence, must be the infamous Damian Haxon. And clearly, he's got the guts to defy the marquee himself. Apparently, Garrick scoffs and confirms to himself that Damian's just some deranged madman who's too full of himself. Or maybe he thinks the kid's

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Speaker A

just gotten cocky after pulling off some cheap trick to beat a noble. Either way, the blonde gorilla has had enough. He snaps at his minions, ordering them to crush Damian's legs and make him kneel before him. Without hesitation, Opulpus

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Speaker A

and Lavender march forward in perfect sink, ready to carry out the command. But in a flash, Damen whips out his blade, meeting their attacks with flawless precision. Steel clashes and sparks fly. The Ace isn't backing down.

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Speaker A

In fact, he's been looking forward to testing out the mana he's been gathering. With the destructive energy technique now coursing through him, Damian's just getting started. The hero doesn't waste a second. He grabs Lavender's arm and twists it with brutal

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Speaker A

force, making the knight scream in agony. Then comes a solid punch straight to his chest, launching him across the yard like discarded trash. Damen smirks, never expecting the guinea pigs to line up and come to him so willingly. Seeing

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Speaker A

his buddy wrecked, Opulpus, rushes in to take a shot, but he gets met with a sharp kick to the chin that sends him flying like garbage. Damian's not holding back. He's out here, ready to use his abilities to the fullest.

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Speaker A

Garrick, the Lion Bloom family's official knight, steps onto the scene, heading straight for Damian. He's shocked to see this guy not falling for Lord Irwin's cheap tricks. Still, it doesn't sit right with him how Damen practically crushed Opulpus. Those mad

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Speaker A

skills are not something Garrick ever expected him to have. Damen brushes it off, saying there's no need to go that deep. But Garrick suddenly shifts into this dramatic mode, like all the puzzle pieces just clicked for him. Damen's

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Speaker A

completely confused, and that's when this blonde gorilla of a knight claims that Damian isn't actually Damian Haxon, but an impostor. His father, Vic, Count Haxon, holding Victor, is completely stunned by such a wild accusation, thrown even deeper into confusion. Even

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Speaker A

Damian looks disgusted that this gorilla knight could think he's dumb enough to pull a stunt like that. But the blonde gorilla keeps yelling, saying Damen must stop lying, that he's not the kind of guy who falls for traps, and that this

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Speaker A

is clearly a setup by the field dogs to stop the lion blooms from rising. The man keeps going on and on, insisting that Damian isn't the real Damian Haxon.

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Speaker A

And honestly, the rant is starting to get boring for Damian. He calls him a fake poser, just some hired hand sent to take down Lord Irwin and drag the good name of House Lion Bloom through the dirt. Garrick starts reaching for his

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Speaker A

sword, calling them all a bunch of lowly jerks for throwing mud at the Lion Blooms. and daring to mess with them.

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Speaker A

Damen can't believe this King Kong wannabees got a brain the size of a pinball. Lavender's lying on the ground pretending to be knocked out just to stay out of the mess. Viccount Haxon calls out to his son while Victor

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Speaker A

quietly prays for Lord Damian's victory against Garrick. That's when Garrick pulls out his sword and charges at Damian, probably aiming to chop his head clean off. No doubt he can tell this fake Damian's got skills, but he figures

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Speaker A

the guy's luck has finally run out. The old fool's got it all planned. Once Damen gets just half a step closer. The moment he's within his range in the blink of an eye, he's going to split him in two. With that thought, Garrick

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Speaker A

swings his blade right at Damen's neck, ready to slice it in half. But Damen dodges it fast, flashing a smirk. He knows the Lion Blooms didn't send a clown this time. They sent a real knight. The gorilla can't believe this

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Speaker A

poser just parried his thrust, but brushes it off, thinking it's just a lucky fluke. The knight is furious seeing the poser deflect his attacks.

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Speaker A

So, he charges at Damian again, this time unleashing a wave of fire with his strike. He shouts at the lad to try blocking this one, daring him to handle something with real heat. Damen stands there, cool as ever, blocking the

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Speaker A

attacks like they're nothing but a puff of air. He mocks the blonde gorilla for being too slow for such a big guy. And that pushes Garrick over the edge. But now it's Damen's turn. He whips out his sword and dashes forward at full speed,

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Speaker A

aiming straight for Garrick's forehead. Damen so fast that Garrick can barely even see him, let alone his attacks. In a blink, Damen lands a solid kick to his face, sending him rolling across the ground like a piece of trash. The big

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Speaker A

guy's down, catching his breath, while Damen cooly says that kick was for Victor. Garrick pulls himself back up, using his bloodied arm for support and muttering curses under his breath. In no time, he charges at Damian again, sword

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Speaker A

blazing with fire, but even his ultimate lion's mighty sword of speed doesn't shake Damen's confidence. The ace meets it head-on, letting the tip of his blade collide with Garrick's. The impact shatters Garrick's sword into a spray of metal shards, leaving his jaw hanging

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Speaker A

mid-run. And before he can react, Damian's sword drives straight into his shoulder, slicing it off in one go.

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Speaker A

Garrick's mind was losing it under pain with his mouth coughing up blood. Dude drops to the ground. Viccount and Victor can't believe it's Damian's strength to beat an official knight. Garrick whines that it's hurting, but applies warm pressure to his wound. Right then, Damen

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Speaker A

slides his blade closer to this gorilla's face, threatening to chop it off. Pretty quickly, this old fool starts begging for his life, not knowing who he messed up with. Damian tells him outright that he is Damen Haxon, saying

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Speaker A

that he should have begged for his life much earlier. Now it's a little too late when he messed up with his family and made his ugly servant even uglier. Now this begging session won't work. Garrick begs for forgiveness for what happened

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Speaker A

earlier. Damian isn't impressed by the way he apologizes. Not his style. So the ace turns away and leaves the blonde fool to his father and Victor, who both look more than ready to beat the crap out of him. The official knight of the

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Speaker A

Lion Bloom family, Garrick, along with his sidekicks Opulpus and Lavender, is walking out in pure shame. Their bodies are wrecked, all thanks to a guy named Damian Haxon, who even sliced off Garrick's hand. Turns out Damen gave his

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Speaker A

not so pretty servant, Victor full permission to beat them to a pulp. Victor still didn't feel fully satisfied and wondered if he could land a few more hits, but Damen told him that if he went any further, Garrick would definitely

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Speaker A

die. Victor casually suggested cutting off another limb or two instead since Garrick looked close to crying. The old fool was dragging himself away like some horror struck wreck and Damen was honestly liking the idea of treating Garrick like their personal toy. Just

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Speaker A

then, Viccount Hacken stepped in and told Damen that it was enough. Right on Q, Garrick landed at the Vic Count's feet, admitting he was totally in the wrong and apologizing for all the disrespect he had shown him. However,

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Speaker A

Paul isn't letting it slide that easily. The old man says that this gorilla's apology better be worth something after all the chaos he caused. He points out that if his son didn't have this level of strength, their entire territory

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Speaker A

could have been wiped out. On top of that, the Maris family would have dragged them out by their limbs and made them suffer badly. Garrick slams his head to the ground, bowing and begging for forgiveness, pleading for mercy. But

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Speaker A

Viccount Hackon's anger isn't cooling down. With just a glance from Paul, Damen finally slides his blade back into its case, saying he wasn't actually planning to kill this trash. He knows that taking Garrick's life would mess up the relationship with House Lion Bloom

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Speaker A

and tear their ties apart. Honestly, Damen admits that if it were just him, he wouldn't hesitate to take on the Marquis family alone, no matter the odds. But he can't afford to act solo when he's got his own family to think

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Speaker A

about first. And he's not that stupid either. He's well aware that if he sends these dumb nuts back like this, they'll definitely try to retaliate. Now, it's just plain tiresome to figure out what to do with this troublesome trio. Then

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Speaker A

out of nowhere, Lady Agnes comes running in, calling out to Damian and demanding to know what's going on. The ace is completely thrown off by her sudden appearance, but then it hits him. Lady Agnes might actually be useful right

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Speaker A

now, so he quickly fills her in on the whole mess, and she gets the picture.

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Speaker A

Once she understands Damen's concerns, this beauty's fully on board to back him up. Damen asks if she's got any clever ideas up her sleeve, and she pauses, then thanks House Hackon for successfully taking down one of Yulan's executive officers for the first time

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Speaker A

ever. That's no small feat. With that win, Lady Agnes figures she can officially recognize House Haxin as an allied household, which honestly does ease Damen's mind a bit. Not to mention, Viccount Hackin and Victor exchange a knowing glance. Both realizing that if

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Speaker A

this plan works out, their family might just dodge a major crisis. Meanwhile, Damen's pulling his best puppy look, trying to charm Lady Agnes into accepting his request, asking if she can really make it happen. The girl's clearly dazzled by him and is totally

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Speaker A

ready to grant the favor. Deep down, this wicked smooth talker had been aiming for something like this all along. Protection from the church. In the back, Paul and Victor watch their son's little flirt game work like magic on the noble lady. Lady Agnes agrees to

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Speaker A

Damian's request without a second thought. With that, Damen makes sure everyone hears him loud and clear, ordering that this matter be reported to House Lion Bloom immediately. He tells the troublesome trio of knights to go back and inform their boss that House

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Speaker A

Haxin is now under the protection of the church. The ace straight up said that if they tried to force again, the church would hit them with everything they've got. Damen shoots a deathly glare at those scumbags, giving them one final

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Speaker A

warning without saying a word. Then he tells them to get the heck out. Right away, Garrick and his sidekicks, Opulpus and Lavender, dash toward the exit like their lives depend on it, thanking Damian for his mercy as they flee. The

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Speaker A

whole thing fires up Victor's spirits, and he mocks them, saying they got lucky today. He's clearly thrilled to see how Damian's strength made those brutes run off with their tails between their legs.

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Speaker A

Now they can finally catch their breath and relax a little. However, Paul's not so sure about that. He reminds them they still need to figure out what happens next. For now, he decides to hold a family meeting to discuss everything

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Speaker A

further. Later, once all the high officials are gathered, the meeting kicks off. Paul opens by briefly touching on the issue of how to handle their feud with House Lion Bloom, which has definitely become a growing concern.

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Abel, fully suited up in the nerdiest way possible, turns to his father and asks why this meeting even matters if they're already secured by the church.

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Speaker A

He doesn't quite get the point of worrying about the feud at all now that they've got the church watching their backs. That said, Louise steps in and points out that they're not really in a position to expect the church to fully

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Speaker A

protect them or step in when things get serious. Come to think of it, Paul agrees with his daughter. He explains that the church usually avoids getting too deeply involved in noble affairs, especially ones that could spark political backlash. Besides, the true

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Speaker A

power of the Lion Bloom family doesn't just come from their military strength. It runs much deeper than that. The Viccount is fully aware of the power struggle they're caught in against the Lion Blooms, who could crush smaller noble families like theirs in countless

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Speaker A

ways if they really wanted to. Thinking about the wisest way to handle the situation, he figures the most realistic option is to pay them off. A decent sum to keep House Haxin out of further trouble. If that doesn't work, the

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Speaker A

second option would be to seek protection under a high-ranking noble who could shield them from the Lion Bloom's reach. Lady Agnes listens to Paul's reasoning and understands that realistically entering the protection of another great house might be their

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Speaker A

safest move. Still, she speaks up, suggesting there could be one more option. Without missing a beat, she slides in her favorite idea, making Damian a paladin. She says that if he becomes one, it would solve all their problems at once. Damian's face says it

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Speaker A

all. He's had enough of this nonsense. He didn't expect this to be tossed into the middle of a serious meeting, but it's too late now. with everyone in the room staring at him, waiting for a response. Damen straight up rejects the

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Speaker A

idea. Paul doesn't try to force it either. He respects his son's decision and considers the option off the table.

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Speaker A

On the other hand, Abel is clearly flinching at the mention of it. Suddenly, the nerd slams the table, demanding his father's attention. When Paul turns to him, Abel questions why he accepted Damen's refusal so easily. He argues that if Damen became a paladin,

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Speaker A

all their problems would be over. But it's obvious. Abel's trying to sabotage his brother, pushing him into a path that would keep them from ever clashing again. Damen knows exactly what Abel's doing, running his mouth and stepping into things that don't concern him.

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Speaker A

Damen's completely disgusted by this punk. Abel catches the look on his face and snaps, asking what's with that nasty expression. The Nerdo throws all the blame on Damian, saying the whole ruckus happened because of him, so he better

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Speaker A

take responsibility. Since it's all his fault, Abel demands that Damian become a paladin and fix it. But before he can go on, Paul shoots Abel a glare so sharp it shakes the whole room, reminding him there's a guest present, and he better

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Speaker A

sit down and act with some manners. That shuts Abel up real quick. No doubt Paul agrees that Damen's actions sparked the feud with the Lion Blooms, but he also knows it's not entirely his fault. Then Paul drops the real bomb. Lion Bloom's

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Speaker A

second son had lustful intentions toward Louise. The old man knows that if Damen hadn't stepped in, that guy wouldn't have backed off easily. In short, their son protected Louise in place of a powerless father who couldn't act. Milda

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Speaker A

and Louise quietly console Paul, seeing the weight he carries. Just then, the proud figure of Vic Count Haxin rises, walks over, and pats Damen on the shoulder, telling him he did well today.

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Speaker A

The old man is genuinely proud of his son for saving the family's honor, standing tall against the insult to their house, and giving those loafers exactly what they deserved. That moment sparks a warm feeling in Damian's heart, something he never expected to feel. He

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Speaker A

quietly says it was just something he had to do. Paul decides to take matters into his own hands for now, asking everyone to let him act like their father for once. But just then, the butler walks in with news that someone

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Speaker A

from House Gold Pixie has arrived. Paul has no idea what business they'd have with them now. Turns out their young master, Damen, borrowed money using the family's wheat fields as collateral, and the repayment deadline has already passed. The real shock, they've already

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sold the fields off. Damen's caught completely off guard, not expecting his luck to crash this fast. Paul's face turns dark, rage building fast, and in a full-blown fury, he grabs Damen by the neck and starts choking him, cursing his

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very existence. One man lifts his hat for a moment to show respect to young master Damian, wishing him a good day.

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Damen squints, vaguely recognizing the guy. It's Olen Dishi, the West Branch manager of Dash and Cash, standing beside his personal guard. It's been a while since they last met, but Olen's here on official business, showing up right on the repayment date they

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previously agreed upon. This wicked guy casually pulls out the contract that young master Damian signed, reminding him that he agreed to use his family's land as collateral. He flashes a smug smile, saying that's how he could assure Damian he'd get the money in the first

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place. Then, with a smooth tone, he presents the paperwork to make it all official, calling it just a simple formality. He tells Damen there's no need to worry at all, like everything's perfectly under control. The old man snaps, saying that someone of such low

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birth could never take land from a noble like him. Meanwhile, Damen starts to piece things together, finally remembering that Olan is the one who manipulated him into handing over the land deed in the first place. He can't help but question what made him even

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agree to such a thing. Looking the man in the eye, Damen asks how much he actually owes him. Olan calmly replies that he borrowed 200 gold, and with interest, the total now comes to 300 gold. That amount sends shock waves

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through Damen's brain, making his jaw practically hit the floor. He stares at Olan in disbelief, asking if the number is actually correct. Olan, with that same smug calmness, simply tells him to go ahead and read the contract. Damen

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struggles to even remember why he borrowed the money in the first place. It feels like it happened ages ago. But one thing he knows for sure is that their family doesn't have that kind of gold lying around. At this rate, he's

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convinced he's about to drag his entire household into poverty, left begging for coins like filthy homeless barbarians.

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His family would be tossed into the streets with nothing to eat. And the thought crushes Damian. Olan then coldly declares that if the debt isn't paid by today, the land used as collateral will officially become the property of Dash

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and Cash. Damen fires back, reminding him that he said the collateral was just a formality. Olan, still calm and smug, admits he did say that, but things have changed. Duke Goldpixie has ordered them to collect on all outstanding debts, no

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exceptions. It doesn't matter if it's from nobles or commoners. He then advises Damen to gather the money and casually asks if he even has that kind of sum. Damian, stunned to his core, confesses he hasn't prepared anything for repayment. That's the exact answer

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Olan was hoping for. Deep inside, he's thrilled, though he keeps up a fake look of concern for the young master. With a lazy air, he drops onto the couch like he owns it, saying Damen should have thought twice before borrowing money in

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the first place. Then he snaps his fingers and two towering gorillike bodyguards step forward, locking deadly stairs on Damian. Olan insists on handling the situation his way now, fully aware that Damen can't repay the debt on his own. As much as he likes

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collecting money, what he truly enjoys are moments like this. Watching arrogant nobles fall to their knees, graveling, humiliated, and licking his shoes. Now Olen's practically buzzing with excitement, just imagining what kind of face Damian will make next. The thought

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alone sends a chill down his spine. It's the kind of thrill he lives for.

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Meanwhile, in a totally different vibe, Milda and Louise are casually sipping tea while the Vic count paces around like a madman, eaten up by stress.

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Abel's sulking on the sidelines, probably cursing his own existence. At this point, Milda gently offers the Vic count a seat, telling him to rest before he ends up carving a hole in the ground with all that frantic pacing. Even

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Louise tells her father to calm down a little, but the old man's at his limit, practically pulling his hair out in frustration, burdened by the disaster his sons dragged them into. Paul's on the verge of losing his mind, knowing

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full well they can't just sit around when their entire future is hanging by a thread. Merilda casually sips her tea, calm as ever, and tells them to trust Damian. He took the matter into his own hands, and all they can do now is wait.

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Even Louise backs him up, saying Damen's never let them down whenever he stepped forward. The Vic Count knows that's true, but he also points out that it's only because his swordsmanship is top tier. Still, combat skills and negotiation skills are two completely

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different things. Just as he says that, in a flash, Damian proves himself again. He slams Olan's sidekick's face straight into the ground with brutal force, hard enough to crack the floor beneath them.

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Olan is totally stunned by what just happened, frozen with shock as chills run down his spine. After knocking out those two King Kongs, Damian knows full well his father's going to flip and start yelling again, especially since they just fixed that wall. The remaining

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bodyguard doesn't waste time, drawing his blade and lunging at Damian with a curse, clearly aiming to slice his head off. But Damen doesn't flinch. He smoothly catches the guy mid-strike, grabbing him by the throat and choking him right there. He glares, insulted

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that some scumbag dared to draw a weapon on a noble, calmly calling it self-defense. Now that he's got a valid excuse, Damen turns to Olan with a nasty smirk, making the man squirm. As Damen steps closer, he tells him to loosen up

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his legs, and Olan obeys like a frightened puppy. Damen drops the aggression for a second and speaks civily, saying he can't make the payment right now. Olan, completely rattled, has no issue with that anymore. Then Damen grips his shoulder tightly, leaning in

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and saying he'd like to pay in another way, Olan feels a cold sweat forming, the chill in his spine growing worse, terrified of what's coming next. The next day, Abel gloomily tells his father that violence won over justice and that

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truth alone breaks his heart. Meanwhile, Milda and Louise warmly chat with Damian, reminding him to eat well on his trip and take care. On his knees, Abel looks up to the sky, asking God why, but Paul shuts him down, telling the Nerdo

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to cheer for his brother instead of crying like a baby. Even so, the Vic Count has second thoughts, wondering if their plan will actually work out in the end. Lady Agnes, standing nearby, says it's a pity they have to part ways now.

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Damian thanks her sincerely for everything she's done. The white beauty mentions that their investigation is nearly wrapped up, so they'll likely be returning home tomorrow. She wishes him a journey full of blessings, and Damen gives her a grateful nod. Then she adds

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just in case he changes his mind, but Damen already knows where she's going with that. He gives her a calm, firm look and assures her that nothing will change his mind about what she wants.

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Afterward, Victor finishes loading up Damen's luggage and with all the goodbyes done, the dude climbs into the carriage. Surprisingly, Olan is accompanying him. Olan assures the ace that he'll make sure nothing disrupts the trip. Damian actually likes the

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sound of that and gives him a nod of approval for the change in attitude. He even throws in a casual request. He'd like a lobster for lunch if Olen's really bringing that kind of energy.

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Victor hops in as well and with everything set, the carriage finally rolls out, heading straight for House Gold Pixie. The lavish carriage pulled over and the three-man party could finally stretch their legs. In front of them was the luxurious Ducal mansion.

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The Gold Pixie family, rumored to be the wealthiest in the kingdom, truly lives up to their name. Damen turned to his personal servant/ lone shark and thanked him for the comfortable journey. He could tell that this Orlandichy guy was

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fuming due to how he was treated like a dog the whole time they were on the road. With a phony smile, he wished the young noble well while cursing him to the depths of hell inwardly. With confident strides, it's time to put

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Damen's next move into action. He was directly escorted to request an audience with the wealthy sovereign. Adam Goldpixie, the Duke of Apple Kingdom, examined the brat from the Hawken family with discerning eyes. Of course, our boy behaved formally and politely like a

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proper noble would. Without wasting any more time, the Duke asked the young man his reason for this sudden visit. Damian frankly confessed that he borrowed money from the Duke's loan company and the date of repayment was fast approaching.

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He also disclosed that he does not have the money to pay the debt off. With that in mind, he wanted to propose another way to settle the bill. Instead of paying in cash, he wanted to pay by representing the Gold Pixie duked him to

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defeat the Lion Bloom family once and for all. The Duke seemed intrigued while his inner circle was taken aback. Adam Goldpixie chrodled at the sudden proposal. It sounds like the young man did his homework and came to him after

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hearing some rumors. Well, within the Apple Kingdom, the hottest gossip circulating around is the recent development in the border between the Lion Bloom Marquisate and the Gold Pixie Duke. A large gold mine was recently discovered, making it a point of

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contention. The two families have been rivals for a long time now. The discovery of riches is the breaking point. Now, they are preparing for a duel between lowclass knights to settle the generational beef and determine the ownership of the mine. In Damian's past

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life, the outcome was quite a definitive one. The duel would end in Lion Bloom's complete and overwhelming victory at the hands of their rising star. Afterward, the Lion Bloom Marcusate would leverage the wealth extracted from the gold mine

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to rapidly expand its power. In contrast, the gold pixie duked would slowly lose its influence. To sum it up, helping the Duke win this upcoming match would kill two birds with one stone. Not only can Damian pay his debt, but he can

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also keep those lion bloom bastards in check. Adam Goldpixie was drawn to the young man's boldness. He had also heard rumors about the Hawken heir taking down the second son of the Lion Bloom family and crushing a major crime enterprise in

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Landwalk City. Those accomplishments certainly boost his credibility, so there's no need to deny them. His arrival is just right on time.

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Currently, the Duke has been having a hard time finding a suitable knight for the duel anyway. Damian confidently declared that he was the perfect candidate. Dubbing himself as the only lowclass knight who can stand toe-to-toe against the Lion Bloom heir, saying that

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he can defeat Michael Lion Bloom is quite a daring claim. He's known as a generational genius after all. While there is no denying that the kid is impressive, Damian is a whole other beast. But while he was selling himself

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as the rightful representative, one of the Duke's knights buted in to oppose his claims based on exaggerated rumors.

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Besides, Lady Chelsea Goldpixie is still on the road trying to find a suitable candidate. Middle-class knight Ernst Horowitz is not even hiding his disdain for Damian. It has been a month since the Grand Duchess Chelsea ventured out to find a knight that could cut down

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Michael Lion Bloom. Her supporters are confident that she will pull it off. Horwitz continued trying to dissuade the Duke from disregarding his daughter's efforts, telling him to trust the process. Duke Adam listened to his knight and accepted the validity of his

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words. Damen suddenly felt an itch to strangle this skinny knight, spoiling his moment. He looks like a chewed- up bone that an orc spat out. He values the advice of his retainers, so he asked Damen to defend his proposal. For this

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scenario, he'll just have to show his qualifications through actions for maximum effect. So he boldly blurted out that not picking him would be a massive mistake. If Gold Pixie wants to win the duel, Damen is the only right choice.

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Whoever the Grand Duchess brings won't even compare. To back up his claim, he challenged the skinny knight to a little contest. Bony should take up his blade, and Damen will block his strike. If he can block an attack from a mid-class

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knight, then that should be enough proof that he's the real deal. It was a successful rage bait. Horwitz wanted nothing more than to teach the brat a lesson if the Duke gave the permission to do so. Fascinated and excited, Adam

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gave them the green light for an exhibition match. A few moments later, the training ground was prepared to be the venue. The combatants mean mugged each other while the Duke and his posi watched. Victor just arrived only to

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find his young master mixed up with some [ __ ] again. He looked at his boss's opponent and felt the fire of rage burning inside the knight. This is what happens when rage baiting goes too far.

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The Duke's Guadian knight, JL Heimrich, stood beside the Duke and presided over the match. When given the go signal, Sir Horwit stood ramrod straight like he had a stick up his ass and offered the arrogant young man a last chance to

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kneel and surrender. In response, Damen yawned and demanded that they hurry up this little test. Limited to only one decisive strike, the mid-class knight made sure to bring out every bit of mana he had, manipulating the flow to

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converge on his spear's tip. Sensing the dangerous amounts of power coalesing, Damen worries that he might have rage baited the guy a little too far. With his face grimacing with rage, Sir Horwitz aimed his tip at the arrogant

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Bumpkin with killing intent. As fast as lightning, he closed the gap while gathering absurd amounts of momentum. It was an impressive opening, but if Damen knows where the strike's path is, blocking it should not be hard. He raised his sword with a clear view of

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the spear's tip, ready to defend with perfect placement. At the last second, Horwitz's tip seemingly bent and snaked its way past his defense. It was a minuscule change in angle, but it left the young man's chest wide open. With

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perfect precision, his sword crumbled and shattered in half. Upon feeling the sensation of steel fragmenting under his strength, Horwitz knew that the fool fell for his dubious trap. Without a blade to bear the brunt of the attack, the spear tip continued roaring until it

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reached Damen's chest, drawing his blood. The Duke was taken aback, and Victor felt his stomach turn upside down at the sight of his young master's blood. Much to everyone's surprise, Damen regained his balance and did not fall. He looked like he was in pain, but

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he remained standing. Horitz could not believe his eyes. A mere low-class knight should not be able to withstand his surprise attack. Breaking the silence in the training ground, the young man wiped his blood with a grin and asked the Duke if this was enough

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proof to give him the representative position. Seeing his master safe and conscious, Victor ran onto the stage and rushed him with a concerned hug. It was definitely more painful than the knight's spear strike. Damen had to wrestle off his loyal attendant on

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account of his chest wound. The Duke immediately followed, pleased with the show he just put on. Withstanding Horwitz's strike is no easy feat.

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Frankly, Duke Adam was a little skeptical at first, but he just saw how capable the kid was. He's got a gem in his hands. So, he turned to his retainers and proudly announced that Damen Haxon, after proving his strength

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admirably, shall be appointed as the Gold Pixie family's representative. Horwitz tried to [ __ ] about the outcome of the exhibition. But the Duke quickly shut him up with a sharp glare. Adam is in a good mood right now. If someone

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ruins it, who knows what might happen. Horiz was in shambles. He recalled what happened in his head over and over. He was certain that the attack landed cleanly. There's a reason why he has mid in his title and [ __ ] in his name.

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Honestly, Damian, as he is right now, is already beyond the middle class of the knight hierarchy. Since only lowclass knights are permitted to participate in the upcoming duel, he has to hold back and fake his level. He had to make sure

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that his performance was convincing enough to fool anyone. He had to resort to using a magic shield to defend himself and dampen the spear's force for a split second. If he got the timing wrong, he could have been in real

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danger. The Duke assessed his condition and saw signs of some light internal damage. Duke Adam can't let his new blade get damaged like this. He tapped his ring and opened his subspace storage. A magic item like that must be

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expensive as [ __ ] The wise Duke retrieved an ornate box from the subspace and offered its contents to Damian as a gift. Inside the box were five little golden balance pills. He had to pay a high price to get these things

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from the alchemy school. Knights usually take these precious pills during training, but it's also an excellent remedy for internal injuries. Damian graciously accepted the gift and extended his gratitude. With that, the Duke cemented their new working relationship. The young Baron's plan is

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progressing smoothly. The next day came. Damen spent the night in one of the mansion's lavish rooms. Today, he came to check out the training facilities. He was quite surprised at the efficacy of the balance pills. His internal injuries

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from yesterday practically healed overnight. He didn't have time to look around yesterday, but as expected of the Duke's household, they have top-notch training equipment everywhere. Coming to this place was the right call. Now he gets to train using some good [ __ ]

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While he was admiring the weapon rack, someone with a squeaky voice called his name in an arrogant tone. He looked ahead to see a shorty that had to stand on top of a platform just to reach the same height as him. When asked what's

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up, some douchebag named Pavle Vermont, a lowclass knight of Gold Pixie Duke, flashily introduced himself. As for the two goons behind him, they are his sworn brothers. These three were also selected to participate in the upcoming match against the Lion Blooms. Pavle claimed

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that they were out training in the field yesterday, so they were not around to witness the [ __ ] show. He claimed that if they had been there, they would have stepped in and easily dispatched Damian instead of getting Sir Horwitz involved.

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Pavle sees the duel with Lion Bloom as a matter of honor for their house. Now they can only hope that an outsers's mediocre skills won't drag the team down. With that being said, Shorty warned Damen never to interrupt their

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intense training. He quietly walked away since he preferred training on his own anyway. In addition, he's quite curious about the level of skill his teammates possess. Now is a chance to see them in action. After quickly getting into their

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positions, Pavle gave his brothers the go signal with a loud harump. Leading the three stooges, Pavle Vermont gets into his flag style immovable king technique. He looked like he was holding in his piss. On the opposing corner, the

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lanky one performed his secret technique, Vermillion Bird Ascension. Though it would be more fitting to call it an awkward chicken jump. The two bumped wooden swords with little to no impact. They looked deathly serious for this was their 987th duel. For a bunch

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of noobs with such weak ass techniques, they seem to think that they are the main characters. After breaking off the shitty stalemate, Pavle grabbed the chance to wave his sword around randomly in hopes of landing one strike against

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his buddy. Lanky had to matrix dodge his way out of the chaotically sweeping sword. As soon as the wild swings died down, he grabbed the opportunity to turn the table. With all his might, he struck down with his wooden blade and landed a

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clean hit on Pavle's head with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, he was in awe of brother Pavle's genius planning. Lanky got it into his head that Shorty somehow saw through his attack and blocked it with his forehead.

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Look at this dude bleeding and crying in pain. He's definitely a mastermind. They broke off and gave their respects to each other. Pavle tried his best to stay conscious while insisting that this round was a draw. Afterward, Fattie

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walked up the stage for his turn at a spar and Pavle stammered that he just needed to take a little break first.

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There is only a month left until the duel, and they somehow think that this type of training will make them strong enough to sweep through the lion bloom knights to protect the honor of the Duke's house. They raised their puny

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little wooden swords and shouted, "Corny, they're all for one, one for all chant." At this rate, these three are on track to being humiliated by lion bloom knights. Off to the side, Damen quietly watched with a continuously worsening

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dark expression. He was so focused on securing his spot as a representative that he did not take his would-be teammates into account. Now he's feeling a sense of impending doom upon seeing the clowns he has to share a stage with.

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He might have been as strong as an actual god in his past life. He served as the blade that brought the entire world to ruin. Yet these three idiots make him feel completely powerless. In his office, the Duke is in high spirits

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after securing a pretty good proxy for the duel. He's laughing at what just transpired with his guardian knight and the young pup last night. After the trial with Sir Horwitz, Duke Adam called Damian up to his room to offer the

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tutelage of Jailheimrich himself, but the young man politely refused, insisting on training by himself. A night had passed since then, and the Duke still couldn't hold his laughter.

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Damen Haxon is quite an amusing fellow. Being his most trusted aid, he asked the guardian knight for an honest evaluation of Damian. Sir Heimrich stoically rated the young man highly. He was the only one who saw the kid use mana for a split

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second to block Horwitz's spear. Not anyone can just pull that off with that much control. As for their chances to defeat Michael Lion Bloom, it's still hard to tell with certainty. Since three duelists will be selected to participate, the first team to win two

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rounds will take the match. Even if Damen Hawkson wins his bout, it's not a guarantee to win at all. To get the dub, the rest of their local knights must perform well, too. That is why they are training under Sebastian Vicenzo, a

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middle-class knight. The Duke thinks that there is no need to worry given Sebastian's capabilities. But if you ask Damian, he would tell you that the local knights are a hopeless bunch. He's been watching them fool around and call it

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training. They are incredibly stupid. Their stamina is hot garbage. They practice swordsmanship with all style and no substance. They have no drip and no hose. With great reluctance, he has no other choice but to step in to prevent a stain on his record. So, he

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called the Three Stooges over. While he was putting on handicap weights in his arms and legs, he challenged them to a spar. With a cocky grin, Pavle the Shorty praised his guts for challenging them, even after seeing their impeccable

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skills. He volunteered to go first and Damen looked at Shorty like he's a dumbass. He cannot afford to waste time by whipping them one by one. It would be best if they just came at him all at once while he's wearing rockly weights.

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Of course, the challenge hurt the pride of the three stooges. To demonstrate their stupidity even further, they tossed their wooden swords away, thinking they could pummel Damian with their bare hands. Even though it's against the chivalry code, the three

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jumped into action with a synchronized attack. With angry fists a few inches away from him, Damian was not in the least bit threatened. Five minutes later, Pavle woke up discombobulated.

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He's lying on the floor while staring at the ceiling. Getting from his days, he racked his brain, trying to remember what the hell just happened. A few meters from him were Lanky and Fatty, who were still sleeping like babies. As

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Damen thought, this group was simply pathetic in combat. By his side, Victor is stressed over his young master, which causes another scene. The last thing Pavle remembers was jumping into action alongside his boys, launching a multi-angle attack. After forcing

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himself to remember what transpired afterwards, he recalled bits and pieces of what happened. First, Damian nonchalantly moved his head out of Fattie's attack. Then, he let Lanky hit nothing but air, leading to a loss of balance. With two quick chops to the

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back of their necks, he dropped the goons to the mat without much trouble. Since the side characters are out for the count, the delusional shorty was literally left in the air. He braced himself for impact, trying to sneak a

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punch in, but was clobbered on the chin instead. Just to add salt to the already wounded pride, Damen followed up with another brutal strike. He unleashed a barrage of attacks like he was juggling a noob on a fighting game, breaking and

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dislocating every bone in Pavle's little body. It was then that his mind broke and blacked out everything. The outsider really overpowered the pride and joy of the Duke's night order. What kind of monster can do that at the lowclass

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knight level without even breaking a drop of sweat? After whipping them up to shape, Damian had essentially beaten the three to complete submission. When asked who their instructor was, Pavle stuttered the name of Sir Sebastian Vincenzo. Damen could not believe that

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someone at the middle class level trained a bunch of kids to be so pathetic. Honestly, they would be better off ditching that lousy ass teacher, but there's no need to start drama. So, to supplement their trashy education, Damian demanded that the three come to

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him to spar after formal training every day. Pavle worries that ifenzo finds out about such an arrangement, the knight might take it the wrong way.

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Fortunately, Damian is so well-versed in beating people up that he can do it without leaving a single mark or injury.

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Come to think of it, Shorty clearly felt his bones breaking and dislocating while he was getting thrashed. Yet, he woke up without a scratch. You see, Damian learned how to beat people up in a very specific way back in his death knight

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days. Long ago, there was a man who traveled the continent making a living with criminal reformation. He was widely known as the character corrector. His method was very crude and simple.

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Inmates that misbehave get their asses handed to them. He would beat them up for an hour straight. If that did not work, he would double the beating time.

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Rumor has it that he once beat a criminal continuously for 512 hours straight. Over time, Character Corrector began to feel pity for the criminals he left bloodied and mangled. Instead of quitting his job, he devised a technique to beat someone up endlessly without

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endangering their lives. With countless hours of practice on these poor criminals, he had reached mastery over the bizarre technique. He called the state AMSA or my kill. It's just one of the many techniques that Damian picked up in his past life. Inflicting

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unbearable pain without leaving a single scratch is quite useful in times like these. Today, he made the three stooges face the fact that they are just pathetic worms. But there's no need to worry. They have a whole month to turn

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worms into something else. Within that time frame, Damian will make sure that they become something useful. The three stooges felt a very painful month coming their way. Before they could get back to today's training, the Duke's personal attendant interrupted with urgency. He

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came running to inform Damian that he was being summoned by Duke Adam. Well, his presence has been requested since the Grand Duchess Chelsea Goldpixie returned. Straight out of her long travels, she paid respects to her father. The Grand Duchess bent her knee

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with a strapping knight alongside her. There was no one more pleased to see her return than Sir Horwitz. Even though he was humiliated yesterday, Lady Chelsea has arrived to correct what's wrong.

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Duke Adam welcomed her with indifference and asked if the man behind her is the knight she chose to enter into the upcoming duel. With a confident and sly smile, she presented the hulking warrior. At first glance, the Duke

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didn't seem impressed. In fact, he looked sus. The man stood up, displaying his tall frame. With a roaring voice, he introduced himself as Guom Blackwing, also known as the Wild Beast. Some of the Duke's retainers recognized the name. The Wild Beast is the famed Free

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Knight. Combat nerds across the kingdom have heard tales of what happened when he took part in the Alen Kingdoms conflict. In one battle, Guom was credited with wiping out every opposing lowclass knight. The streets are saying that there's no match for him at his

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level. Even the Duke had heard tales about the wild beast and his exploits. He was granted the nickname for a reason. For that, Duke Adams interest was peaked. Lady Chelsea proudly announced that Sir Galom had already pledged loyalty to her name and had

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agreed to participate in the upcoming duel. She is extremely confident that this man would be the answer to their Michael Lion Bloom problem. In terms of reputation alone, Sergom could be considered a bigger name. If Michael Lion Bloom is still in the making, the

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wild beast is already complete. While this would have been great news a few days ago, Sergiome's arrival is a bit of a headache now. Lady Chelsea did not like seeing her father hesitate at all.

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To explain, Duke Adam introduced the young man he picked for the job as Gold Pixie's representative. Sir Damen Haxon arrived just in time to Aura Farm and stunt on everyone. Of course, Lady Chelsea did not like this breaking news

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at all. She's been on the road for a whole month, working her ass off to give the duke a shot at winning, only to find out that the position was already filled without her knowledge. Looking unhinged, she asked Daddy to just change the

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representative to her pick so they could square this mistake away. The Duke maintained a neutral stance and swore to keep the suggestion in mind. With Daddy not backing her up right away, Lady Chelsea threw a tantrum. She's never

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even heard of the name Damen Haxin before. She thinks it's only natural to choose someone with a great deal of accomplishments under his belt over a nobody. Damian does not like being treated like some background extra. On the other hand, Sir Guom Blackwing is

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looking at him with palpable mockery. For some reason, the young man picked up a really bad vibe from the wild beast.

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The Duke listened to his daughter's ravings and calmly defended the young man he appointed. He brought up the fact that Sir Damian was skilled enough to withstand a full powered blow from Horwitz. Being reminded of what transpired, shook the toothpick knight.

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Lady Chelsea finally dropped all formalities and called out her daddy for always looking for the perfect excuse to undermine her abilities. Chelsea started babbling about the Duke's treatment of his family and Adam warned her to watch her tongue in front of the guests.

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Preventing herself from crossing the line, the Grand Duchess excused her behavior, citing the fatigue from long-d distanceance travel clouding her judgment. Everyone in the room could see and feel that the father and daughter had some deep-seated issues between

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them. Declaring the meeting over, the Duke dismissed everyone and promised to consult his retainers before coming up with a final decision on who would get the job. Out of nowhere, Sergiome erupted with a boisterous laugh. He dropped all formalities and asserted

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that there is no point in deciding with just words. Offended by such brutish words against the Duke, Guardian knight Heimrich almost drew his blade right then and there. The Wild Beast continued by saying that the strongest one should

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naturally represent the gold pixie dukedom. They can just keep it simple and find that out right now. Lady Chelsea reprimanded her knight for speaking out of turn when she specifically told him to stay quiet.

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Knowing that the brute's words have some truth to them, the Duke asked Damen what he thinks of the veiled challenge. To be frank, all these tests are getting tiresome. Either way, he's also aware that the fastest way to resolve the

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situation is by showing a bit of force. So, he agreed with Sir Gilom's sentiment, but proposed that they settle this dispute without an actual fight. He extended his hand, wordlessly offering a simple contest of sheer strength. In addition, there is something he would

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like to confirm by touching hands. Once again, Sergiome laughed his ass off and warned the young man about the dangers of losing an arm. Matching his threats, Damian announced that he would be nice and settle for just pulling the brute's

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shoulder out of its rightful place. Feeling offended by the trash talk, the wild beast pounced at the young man's arm like it owed him money. He moved as fast as he could and with as much intensity as he could muster. But in the

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end, his whole body got flipped upside down in front of everyone watching. Damen showed off his judo skills by taking down an opponent much bigger than he is. You know you just did something shocking when even old Heimrich here is

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at a loss for words. Sir Horwitz, on the other hand, felt his already sunken cheeks sink even deeper. Lady Chelsea was closer to the action than everyone else, but it happened so fast that she could not make sense of what transpired.

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Sir Heimrich inwardly praised the young man for such a remarkable show of skill and finesse. With his veteran vision, he clearly saw Guom go for Damian's hand first, but that young pup skillfully turned the giant's raw power against

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him, flinging him aside like a sack of [ __ ] His physical ability is topnotch, but his technique is the aspect to watch out for. Instead of accepting his loss like a real knight, Sir Galom quickly collected himself while cursing the

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young man out for humiliating him in front of everyone. Damen had already expected this kind of reaction, so he decided to fan the flames even further, and Snidly remarked that he unfortunately failed to dislocate the brute's shoulder. His vision went dark

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with rage, and the wild beast motioned to draw his weapon as his dark mana circulated. With dual axes in hand, he assumed an offensive stance, ready to slice and dice the young man. Lady Chelsea tried to stop her champion, but

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her words were not reaching his ears anymore. He rushed towards Damian, eager to shred him to bits as painfully as possible and split his skull open.

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Before his mana could manifest itself into a full-blown attack, he was interrupted by a more dominant power.

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When his circulation stopped, Sir Guom immediately knew that someone had stepped in. Damian stood on business while the Duke's guardian knight unleashed some of his energy. Angered by the audacity of the outsider, swinging a weapon so carelessly in front of the

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Duke is a grave sin, the guardian knight imposed upon the wild beast and asked if he had a death wish. Guom felt all his animosity melt away as the old man's mana suppressed him. Damen was quite impressed with the pressure that the old

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knight could muster just from a basic aura release. No wonder he's a highclass knight. Out of respect for Lady Chelsea's dignity, the guardian knight would overlook this disrespect once.

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Still, he left a warning that this will be the last time the brute can act so callously. He doesn't believe in second chances. Feeling the cold embrace of the old man's aura leaving his body, Guom slumped down to the floor, huffing for

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air. With that settled, the Duke demanded everyone's attention. Judging by what he saw from this unruly commotion, it would be best for their house to keep Sir Damian as representative. Once again, Sir Horwitz protested that what transpired was not a

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fair match at all. He excused that Sir Gillom Blackwing had yet to fully recover from his travels, giving Damen a clear advantage. The young man is starting to regret not slitting this toothpick's throat when he had the chance. In addition, he whined that Sir

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Galom is a knight versed in weaponry, and he should not be judged based on a brief hand-to-hand combat test. This time, Lady Chelsea backed his protest.

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She argued that they should not make decisions based on childish scuffles. An official duel must happen between the two. The Duke is starting to get irritated by the other camp moving their goalpost. Disappointed and angered by her daughter's demands, Adam struck his

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desk and yelled at her for being such an incompetent brat. Lady Chelsea was shaken to her core. After calming down, she stammered an apology for overstepping. The toothpick knight gritted his teeth and held his tongue on the sidelines. With an awkward silence

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hanging in the air, Damen raised his hand and addressed the Duke. Looking mischievous as ever, he asked if he could share something. Much to everyone's surprise, he accepted Lady Chelsea's proposal, a formal duel to determine who would represent the Duke.

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Since that is his wish, Duke Adam had no choice but to relent. Later that day, Victor is all over his young master, pestering him about accepting a needless duel when all he has to do is stay quiet instead of risking a loss. Ignoring

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Victor's nagging, they finally arrived at their destination, a workshop that the Duke personally recommended. Adam Goldpixie added a stipulation to the incoming duel. Since Damen's long sword was destroyed during the Horwitz fight, he ought to get a new weapon made at the

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Duke's smithy. In all honesty, he could probably beat Guom within an inch of his life with a training sword. But there's no reason to turn down the Duke's generosity. Free stuff is free stuff.

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When they entered the workshop, Victor relayed Duke Goldpixiey's orders and asked him to collect a blade for the young master. Since the smithy was already notified in advance, they were invited to the arsenal. Inside was a lineup of highquality blades in all

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shapes, forms, and sizes. Even someone like Damian, who had seen a fair share of legendary weapons, was quite pleased by the workshop's collection. Among all the glittering blades displayed in cases, only one firmly caught his attention. Seeing that he's interested

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in such a unique blade, the owner shared that it was commissioned by a valiant knight once employed under the Duke's family. Before the blade was finished, he had to leave for unknown reasons. The blade never reached the intended owner's

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hands. Interested, Damen asked if the knight provided some resonance steel for the forging process. He asked because the uniquely shaped sword resembles the signature blade of a swordmaster known as sword maestro. The thing looked like a tuning fork. The owner was quite

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shocked that the young man still picked the blade even after knowing that it was forged with something as finicky as resonant steel. Unlike other rare metals that amplify mana, resonance steel has a different property. It has the unique

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trait of repelling mana and generating waves. When asked for the blade's name, the owner tried his best to remember.

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The knight who commissioned the odd weapon dubbed it the thousand league sword. With that, Damen easily secured a brand new weapon that could amplify his power. As they were walking out of the workshop, someone approached them in the

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streets. Flanked by armed guards, the personal maid of Lady Chelsea, Rebecca, politely introduced herself. She relayed that the Grand Duchess wished to speak with Damian. It would be nice if he would spare the lady a moment to talk.

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Of course, Damen had no reason to accept such a sussy invitation. However, Rebecca insisted that the Grand Duchess holds more cards than one might expect.

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Maybe a conversation would do him good. That Chelsea girl will probably try to win him over with all kinds of persuasion. Since Damen has a few things he wants to confirm, he decided to play along. So, Rebecca led the way, and they

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eventually arrived at a restaurant personally run by the Grand Duchess. It's a high-end place that only accepts reservations from nobles. Rebecca emphasized that this meeting is important enough for Lady Chelsea to clear the entire place for the whole day

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just so they can talk in private. The sussy maid opened an ornate gate and urged the young man to enter. The Grand Duchess is waiting inside. Admittedly, he was quite curious as to what kind of offer this lady would make to get him

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out of the picture. As soon as he entered the private room, his senses were assaulted by a hypnotic scent. Lady Chelsea poured herself a glass of wine with a single hourglass sitting on the table. With a bewitching smile, she

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invited Damen to sit with her. A single whiff of that pink stuff in the air, and I know some of you would have folded like a lawn chair on the spot. Even after noticing the sketchiness of this meeting, he sat his ass down and

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directly asked what she wants. Instead of talking about business right away, she asserted that they share a meal first. Not one to waste his time, he demanded that she lay her offer down on the table right away. Since he insisted,

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she relented. Lady Chelsea only has one request. Of course, that would be for Damian to step down as the family's representative. He accused the lady of not trusting in her champion's chances of winning against him, but she calmly

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explained that she has complete confidence with regards to Sir Gilome coming out on top. It's just that she wants to save the man's strength for the real duel with the Marcus 8 house. It would truly be troublesome if he got

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injured from some meaningless duel, wouldn't it? For the sake of negotiating, Damen asked what he would gain by accepting such a big request.

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Lady Chelsea simply answered that he could name his price. Anything he wants is on the table. She only sees him as a countryside noble who would be happy with money, fame, or other materialistic stuff. This girl doesn't even bother

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hiding her arrogance and judgment. Still playing along, Damen argued that he could just get all those things from the Duke himself. She relented that while that might look like a good route to go down on now, isn't it better to be in

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good graces with the future Duke instead? Throughout their conversation, Chelsea's eyes kept darting down to the hourglass. She relayed her offer. If Damen wants to take it, he should go and talk to the Duke about backing out right

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away. As soon as the last grain of hourglass sandfell, the bewitching air intensified, and she ordered the young man to step down as the family's representative. Damen felt a wave of warmth and stimulation wash all over his body. Instead of falling prey to the

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blatant attempt at putting him under a spell, he definitively refused the offer. Expecting her sneaky maneuver to work, Lady Chelsea was confused that her demand was being denied by a bumpkin noble. Damen enjoyed seeing the spoiled brat squirm in her seat as she panicked

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at the allure sense failure. The moment he entered the room, he recognized the black magic that induced false affection wafting in the air. It is commonly used to manipulate a target at will.

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Thankfully, he retained all his black magic knowledge from his previous life. That enchantment incense is quite hard to miss when you know what you're looking for. Based on the size of the room and the sense concentration, anyone would become a slave within an hour of

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exposure. Thanks to the authority of greed, Damen simply absorbed everything without being affected. Deciding to have a little fun, he pressed the spoiled duchess about her odd reaction to his refusal. She stumbled over her words and doubled down on giving him everything he

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wanted. Done with his fun, Damen turned his back and walked away. He doesn't need anything from this brat. She couldn't possibly give him what he's seeking in the first place. Desperate to keep the discussion open, she asked what

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this thing he's fighting for really is. Considering everything Damen has gone through, the only thing he desires is happiness for his family. His answer confused the bratty duchess. She simply can't relate to someone who loves their family. Finally, he warned her to get

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Gome Blackwing ready and primed for the upcoming duel if he wants to survive. Pursing her lips, Lady Chelsea decided to take off the incentives and resorted to threats instead. Since he values his family so much, she flipped the script

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and alluded to doing something very unkind to Damian's family if he doesn't play ball. She swore to send people to absolutely crush the Hawken household, completely erasing the insignificant family off the map. Before she could get every word of her ultimatum out of her

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rotten mouth, Lady Chelsea felt a tight grip suffocating her neck, nearly crushing her windpipe as her body hit the table. Even in such a perilous position, she still acted high and mighty, insulted that a country bumpkin dared to lay a hand on her. She demanded

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to be released, but she made the stupid move of threatening a former death knight's family. Hearing the commotion in the room, Lady Chelsea's guards rushed in. They swiftly drew their weapons, ready to cut down the boy who dared to endanger their duchess. Damen

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controlled his anger and tossed the filthy witch away. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed a knife from the table, took the guards by surprise, and slit their throats in one fell swoop. The guards took a second to notice that

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something was wrong as the slits on their neck started bleeding. As they panicked and clutched their lethal wounds, Damen walked towards the exit.

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He only sliced their karate slightly. If they apply some potion to the wounds in time, they should survive. As for this waste of space, Chelsea Gold Pixie, nothing would please Damen more than severing her head here and now, but he

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will choose to restrain himself. Resorting to run-of-the-mill violence would be far too merciful a punishment for her stupidity. He would rather be around to see how horrible things will get for her in the very near future instead of being an emotional

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executioner. While she was trying to catch her breath, and the guards slowly bled out, her maid, Rebecca, entered the room. She quickly attended to her boss, making sure that she was all right. This girl must be deaf. She did not hear all

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the foreshadowing Damen had just dropped. She's focused on getting her bloody revenge instead. At the top of her lungs, she yelled the name Mustang Fury. Such a badass name belongs to this pale dumpling man. I was expecting an

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assassin or some [ __ ] Lady Chelsea chewed out Mustang for what happened. She was promised that the allure scent would be immutable, but it did not work for Damen Haxon. Mustang reckoned that the kid must be one of those people with

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a natural resistance to black magic. The Grand Duchess has a zero tolerance policy for excuses. She slapped the dog [ __ ] out of Mustang for putting her in such a humiliating position. As for Guom Blackwing, he was last seen at the

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tavern, claiming that he needed to cool off after everything that happened today. Hearing that her champion is getting drunk the night before a pivotal duel exasperated Chelsea even more. For one last time, she asked Mustang if their beast would win against that

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Hawken kid. Of course, Mustang Fury vouched for Guom. That guy is Yulan's pride after all. There has never been a knight more gifted for black magic than that man. Mustang asks the lady for a little more patience. Yulan is working

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hard behind the scenes to give her the gold pixie dukedom. As usual, she threatened to kill Mustang and everyone in Yulan if they failed to deliver on their promise. This girl has no other moves, bro. While she was blatantly

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discussing a collusion with a heretical organization, Damen was listening just up on the roof. Even while eavesdropping, this dude has to or late into the night, a light still shines from Damen's room. Inside, Victor lies sprawled across the floor, fast asleep

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while hugging several weapons like they're his drinking buddies. Nearby, our boy stays awake. His attention is locked on the new sword he got from the blacksmith earlier that day. Suddenly, he flicks the blade and softly says the name Yulan. As he carefully studies the

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weapon, a strange soundwave comes out of the sword. Lost in thought, he admits to himself that he never expected to run into members of the Yulan organization again. This means that Chelsea is also related to the dark mages. Therefore,

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the energy he sensed from Blackwing during their earlier encounter must also be pure dark magic. He flicks the sword again, making another sharp soundwave. A small grin appears on Damian's face, and a mischievous glint shines in his eyes.

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He decides that instead of hunting down the Duke and explaining everything, it would be way more effective to just show him the truth tomorrow. The next morning, Blackwing steps onto the sparring grounds fully geared up for battle. The Three Stooges are there,

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too. Pable quietly points out Blackwing's arrival and admires how powerful and intimidating he looks.

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Lanki then asks who's likely to win the duel. Pabel hesitates for a moment before thinking about both fighters reputations. Based purely on rep, he figures Blackwing probably has the edge.

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Excited and a little stammery, Lucky wonders if this means they'll finally be free from the terrifying Damian. His words are clearly bitter as he remembers the one-sided beating Damian gave them during sparring. He's convinced Damen enjoyed every second of it. Pabel

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remembers that same fear and secretly hopes Damen loses, too. Though there's still a lingering dread in the back of his mind, he lets out a long sigh and admits that as much as he wants the hero to lose, he just can't picture it

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happening. Right then, our boy walks onto the sparring grounds looking totally energized and hyped. Soon enough, both fighters are standing across from each other. Blackwing breaks the silence first. With this cocky, sarcastic tone, he says he's surprised Damen didn't run away. Our boy stays

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completely chill and brushes off the comment like it's nothing. The Duke shows up shortly after and takes his seat. Then he officially announces that like promised, the winner of today's match becomes the next representative.

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Looking straight at his daughter, he firmly says he expects everyone to accept the result gracefully. Chelsea just watches him, totally convinced that her warrior is destined to win. The Duke tosses a small white cloth into the air and officially kicks off the duel.

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Blackwing immediately pulls out two axes. He spins them around in the air like it's nothing and confidently walks toward Damian. He genuinely thinks Damen agreeing to this duel is the biggest mistake of his life. Gripping both axes tight, he gets into a proper battle

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stance and claims he's about to show everyone why they call him the wild beast. Mana floods through his body as he charges forward at full speed. His attacks about to land any second, but our boy stays perfectly calm. Then he

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raises his sword, flicks the blade, and lets out the same sound waves he made the night before. The waves slam straight into Blackwing's axes.

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Startled, the guy immediately backs off to avoid a direct hit, but the force of the attack still pushes him back. He's not the only one stunned. Chelsea and her maid are staring in disbelief. Even the Duke reacts with surprise,

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commenting on how unusual the technique is. Jail watches carefully like he recognizes something, but he keeps quiet. Feeling totally humiliated in front of everyone. Blackwing charges again. He starts throwing insults at the MC, accusing him of relying on some

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weird sorcery. Damen doesn't even respond. Instead, he releases even stronger sound waves one after another.

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Blackwing sees them coming, but his pride won't let him back down. He crashes straight into the attacks. The impact is brutal. Blood immediately starts pouring from his body. Before he can recover, another soundwave smacks him right in the face. Now covered in

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blood, he can barely move. Somehow, he lifts his head, wipes the blood from his nose and mouth, and keeps cursing Damian. Our boy finally raises his sword high in the air, and pours a huge amount of mana into it. Deciding the game's

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gone on long enough, he swings the blade down. The shock wave is so strong, it forcibly shoves the dark mana hiding inside Blackwing's body right out. A horrible scream rips out of the guy as the whole crowd goes dead silent in

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shock. Moments later, something rises up from his throat and then he suddenly pukes this foul black gunk onto the ground. The Duke turns to jail in shock and demands to know what's happening.

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Even the girl can't believe this is happening. Blackwing keeps vomiting for what feels like forever. Eventually, smoke starts rising from his body and the flesh on his arms visibly shrinks.

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Our boy steps forward and calmly says, "The truth has finally come out." Looking down at him, he coldly calls him a fake knight. The Duke stands frozen as he realizes what just happened. Victor and the three lowclass gold pixie

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knights are completely dumbfounded. With the duel over, our boy sheets his sword. Then he clearly explains that Blackwing's been boosting his physical abilities with dark magic. Fear immediately spreads through the Duke's retainers. Some start stammering. Others can barely get words out. In the middle

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of all the commotion, Chelsea's maid quietly turns around and starts leaving the sparring grounds. The Duke calls out to Damen and asks if he knew Blackwing's true identity from the start. Damian respectfully admits that he did, but explains he kept quiet because he wanted

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to uncover everyone involved before spilling the truth. The answer practically makes the Duke feel sick.

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Damen's expression turns serious as he reveals that dark mages have successfully infiltrated the Duke's household. Then, to expose the real culprit, he drops the name of the person responsible for using dark magic. It's none other than his own daughter. The

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accusation leaves Chelsea completely stunned. Her eyes go wide in disbelief when she hears her name. She immediately starts defending herself. desperately claiming she knows nothing about any of it. The Duke though just covers his face with his hands in deep disappointment.

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Then his anger finally explodes. In a terrifying voice, he demands to know how this kind of filth got into his household. Without hesitating, he raises his hand and orders the soldiers to arrest Chelsea and everyone connected to this mess. He wants their real

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identities uncovered immediately. The soldiers quickly grab Blackwing while others surround Chelsea and ask her to come peacefully. Seeing this, the girl realizes that if she gets caught, everything will be exposed. Instead of surrendering, she frantically orders her own guards to protect her. In a stupid

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display of loyalty, her men draw their weapons and attack the soldiers around her. The Duke watches this reckless scene unfold and lets out a long disappointed sigh. Then he calls for his official knight, jail, and gives a direct order to capture the girl

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immediately. The old knight bows his head and accepts the command. Bro starts aura farming as he walks and orders the other guards to step aside. Just looking at him standing there, they can tell that they are not going to beat someone

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at his level. Even so, they stubbornly refuse to abandon their position. Instead, they urge Chelsea to find a way to escape while they hold off the knights and soldiers. Seeing their pointless determination, jail size. He draws his sword and regretfully remarks

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how unfortunate this situation has become. The moment the blade leaves the sheath, he gets ready for a devastating slash. As Chelsea runs, she glances backward. A wave of mana released from Jail's sword passes right through her soldiers and keeps racing toward her.

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Acting purely on instinct, she ducks and squeezes her eyes shut while screaming in terror. Even then, the invisible force slices off part of her hair. When the immediate danger passes, she opens her eyes, gasping for breath. Seeing her

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soldiers still standing in front of her gives her a quick moment of relief, but she doesn't notice the thin lines that have appeared across their bodies and weapons. A second later, both the soldiers and their swords separate cleanly along those lines. Blood

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splashes across her face, and pure horror consumes her as the bodies collapse to the ground. Jail's overwhelming presence makes her feel like an ant. Desperate for help, she turns her head and spots Ernst.

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Immediately, she begs him to save her. Hearing her plea, the guy can't stop himself. He steps forward with his weapon drawn and puts himself at her side. He just can't stand watching the woman he adores cry and beg for help

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anymore. Our boy watches this and internally calls him an idiot. Meanwhile, the old man warns Ernst that he's a respected mid-class knight who's done a lot for the Ducal household and has the Duke's favor, but he also makes

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it clear that protecting Chelsea will get him killed. This makes the man think and he realizes that this girl ain't worth this trouble. Bro quickly drops his weapon and surrenders. With this, the soldiers immediately move in and arrest the girl. Turning toward the

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Duke, she tries again to act innocent and plead her case, but he cuts her off before she can keep going. He calls her worthless and orders her to stay quiet.

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According to him, her actions nearly brought disaster to the family and dragged everyone through the mud.

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Looking at her with pure disgust, he declares that bringing Chelsea into the family was the biggest mistake of his life. Still, the girl insists she has nothing to do with any of it and begs for mercy, but her dad refuses to listen

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anymore. He says he's heard enough and orders the guards to shut her up and get her out of his sight. The guards immediately cover her mouth. As they drag her away, she struggles and keeps trying to scream, but no one can

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understand her because her mouth's covered. The spectators watch her leave with a mix of pity and satisfaction. As she's being escorted out, her eyes lock onto Damian. Her rage gets so intense her eyes almost look blood red. She

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silently curses him, unable to say a single word. Meanwhile, our boy just stands there watching, totally unfazed.

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Speaker A

A few days later, we see a guy getting tortured in prison. Dudes bound in chains and muttering that he doesn't know anything. He says he just fell for the Duke's daughter because of some weird smell, like some kind of black

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magic incense. Hearing this, the old knight signals for the interrogation to stop and orders them to bring in the next prisoner. He's already figuring that dark mages are behind Chelsea gaining so much influence all over the duked. He lets out a long tired sigh and

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asks himself why she would even do something like this. Meanwhile, the girl is lying quietly in an isolated prison cell. But hatred is still burning in her eyes. She keeps replaying her dad's harsh words in her head, feeling like

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the Duke is the only one who pushed her to this breaking point. Her whole life, she only wanted one thing, for her father to acknowledge her as his daughter just once. But from the very beginning, there's nothing but neglect

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in the Duke's gaze. She just can't figure out why his cold, disappointed look is only for her. Right then, a prison guard shows up carrying a plate with some bread and sets it down. She looks at the bread, reaches out, and

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picks it up with fingers shaking from hunger. As she starts chewing, she tells herself that no matter how much humiliation or pain she goes through, she's got to stay alive. Meanwhile, the guard stares at her like he is about to

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kill her with his gaze. Somewhere else, we see our boy straightening up after finishing training. As he's walking down the hallway, he spots Victor standing near a room. Victor gives him a little nod, letting him know the Duke wants to

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see him. A bit later, red wine gets poured into crystal glasses in the Duke's study. The Duke and Damian sit across from each other and take a sip at the same time. Damen compliments the wine, saying the rich taste really

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lingers on the tongue. The Duke gives a faint smile and admits it's his favorite vintage. Then he pulls out some angelic cheese from the Blanco region out of a small box, mentioning it goes perfectly with the wine. The hero nods, takes the

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cheese, and eats a piece. The two of them stay casual until the Duke suddenly sets his glass down and tells him that they've decided to ask the church order for help with Chelsea's situation. Damen raises an eyebrow, kind of surprised the

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Duke isn't handling the investigation himself. The Duke rubs his temples and explains in a tired voice that none of the people they caught who were linked to Chelsea turned out to be actual dark mages. Hearing this, our boy looks a bit

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irritated, feeling like the real enemy slipped away, and he starts wondering if he should have been more involved. The Duke explains he handed over the pursuit to avoid causing problems with the church. After a pause, Damen asks if

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Chelsea said anything during interrogations, like names or clues. The Duke just sighed deeply and reveals that even under the worst torture, Chelsea didn't say a single word. Taking one last sip from his glass, he looks at Damian with this empty gaze and admits

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Chelsea wasn't always like this. With a bitter smile, he brings up his younger days, explaining that her mom was a commoner he met during a hunting trip when he was young and reckless. Sometime later, the woman came to him with

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Chelsea. Being arrogant back then, he refused to believe a commoner could carry his blood, and he turned them away. Time passed, but one day curiosity got to him and he went back to the kid he abandoned, only to find out Chelsea's

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mom had died from the plague, leaving just the little girl behind. Looking pale, he reflects that deciding to bring her back went against his usual nature, and he doesn't know why he did it. Damen listens quietly before suggesting it was

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probably because she was family. The Duke's face hardens when he hears the word family, and it hits him deep.

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Regret shadows his eyes and he softly mentions that maybe his daughter just wanted to be accepted as part of that family and that desire for acceptance sent her down a dark path. Shaking his head, he says she could have just lived

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a simple life as a noble woman. Pulling himself together, he apologizes to Damian and tells him to ignore all that, calling it drunk and rambling. But before they can say anything else, a stern voice calls for the Duke from

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outside the study. An attendant stands at the doorway looking panicked. The Duke stands up and anxiously asks what's wrong. The attendant hesitates, then reveals that Lady Chelsea has hanged herself. The words hit like lightning, freezing the Duke in place. The scene

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cuts to the prison cell where two guards are standing frozen at the sight of Chelsea's lifeless body hanging from the ceiling. The scene then changes to Victor walking down the hallway with Damian carrying a laundry basket and complaining about whether the young

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master plans to keep doing this. When our boy casually asks what he means, Victor reminds him that he's said multiple times that underwear should be washed separately from the rest of the clothes. Victor keeps ranting, asking why Damen always turns his socks inside

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out when he takes them off. The hero ignores him and suddenly stops in front of a halfopen door. Through the gap, he spots the Duke staring off into the distance. Lost in thought, Damian remembers that 4 days have passed since

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the awful news of his daughter's death arrived. The official investigation clearly ruled it a suicide, and all interrogations are done. Because of the family's disgrace, her grave is totally plain and unadorned, which is seriously inappropriate for a noble lady. For now,

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the immediate crisis in the household seems to have calmed down, but Damen's gut tells him this is just the calm before the storm. His thoughts are broken by Victor, who asks him if he is even listening. Our boy smiles, puts a

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hand on Victor's shoulder, and tells him he understands everything. Meanwhile, in a desolate city alley at night, we see Erinst stumbling along, deeply drunk, and super sad. He loses his balance, crashes into a rough stone wall, and slowly slides down until he's collapsed

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on the gross ground. Taking a sharp breath, he whispers the girl's name in a broken voice. A flashback hits him and he sees a young, innocent Chelsea asking him if her dad will like the flower crown she made. He shily says he doesn't

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know because he's never gotten flowers before. The girl happily shares that her mom used to say flowers have magic that brings people happiness, adding that these flowers come from the exact field where her parents first met. Ernst gazes

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at her face in wonder as she asks again if her dad will be happy. He smiles and assures her the Duke will definitely like them. Back in the present, his face is full of deep grief and disappointment as he apologizes for failing to protect

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her. Calling himself an idiot, he punches his own chest hard, cursing himself for not saving Chelsea, then lets out a soul shattering scream. After losing it, his breathing slowly calms down. Chelsea's maid, Rebecca, approaches from behind and notes that

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he's there. Errenst slowly lifts his head to look at her. The second he recognizes her, anger takes over. He grabs her throat and slams her heart against the wall. With rage in his eyes, he demands to know how she dared to show

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her face, blaming her for Chelsea's death. Rebecca weakly asks him to listen, but he tells her to shut up, calling her a dark mage who made contact with a demon. Rebecca begs him to help her get revenge. Curious, Ernst asks

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what she means. The maid explains that while the dictum ruled Chelsea's death a suicide, the truth is she couldn't survive the torture. Hearing this breaks the guy and a cold shiver runs down his spine. He lets go of the maid who drops

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to her knees, coughing like crazy. Filled with rage, Ernst demands proof. Rebecca claims she heard that the torture marks on Chelsea's body were too horrific for any normal person to endure and that the Duke covered it up as

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suicide to protect his reputation. Ernst thinks about it and realizes the Duke is totally capable of something like that.

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Rebecca admits she originally approached the girl with ulterior motives, but Chelsea treated her like a sister.

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Touching the guard's hand, she swears she won't let this go and promises to take revenge on the dukedom. Just then, this hypnotizing purple aura comes out of her pendant. She says she needs his help to get that revenge. The purple

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aura spreads over Ernst's face, making his stare go blank and expressionless. In a hollow voice, he asks what he needs to do. Dropping his bottle, he stiffly moves his drunk, disoriented body forward like a puppet. The fat guy steps

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out from the shadows, telling the maid that he's relieved the enchantment worked. He admits he was worried it wouldn't work on a middle-level knight.

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Rebecca smiles and explains that no matter how strong someone is, they always have a weakness, and amplifying that weakness makes the enchantment easy. Mustang notes that in Ernst's case, Chelsea was his weakness.

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Rebecca's chuckle turns into this insane cackle as she comments on how stupid the night is since he doesn't even know who really caused Chess's death. She imagines how he'll lose it when he finds out the dark mages themselves

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orchestrated her death. The maid then asks her boss, Mustang, if they really need to go after the MC. The fat guy replies that they can't just stay quiet since a church spy confirmed that he was the one who killed Ajito. Angrily, he

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adds that Damian interfered with their sacred mission and that's unforgivable. Switching to a calmer tone, he notes that the hero doesn't know who they are yet, and the dukedom thinks they've disappeared. So, he figures both Damian and the Duke are totally unprepared,

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which makes this the perfect chance to take him out. Late at night, inside the Duke, our boy sits alone in a meditative pose, completely focused on moving his mana around. What he doesn't realize is that three people are watching him from

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behind while he trains. Their quick movements almost put out the candle nearby. Suddenly, the three attackers charge forward all at once, trying to hit him with wooden swords. Right as their weapons are about to connect, our boy just vanishes. A second later, he

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appears above and behind them, getting ready to strike back hard. One of the attackers spots the shadow of the incoming hit and tries to block it, but the force is way too much. He gets launched backward and crashes into a

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pillar. Struggling to stand, he uses his sword to prop himself up while gritting his teeth in frustration. That attacker is Pable, and his anger's mixed with fear. The other two knights immediately back off in panic. Resting his sword on

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his shoulder, Damen calls them pathetic. He reminds the three low-class knights that he told them to do whatever it took to land a hit on him, even if that meant using ambush tactics. But even with that freedom, they still failed. The three

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lower their heads and apologize at the same time. Pabel is convinced that the hero is about to beat them up again, but to his surprise, Damen announces that sparring is done for the day. The unexpected news leaves the guy confused.

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Our boy asks if their unhappy training ended early. Pable quickly says no, they're happy, but internally he's shocked because he totally expected another brutal beating. Damen explains that their match against the Marcos family is only 2 days away, so there

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won't be any more sparring sessions. He wants them to rest and spend the next two days thinking about everything he's taught them. Lanky and the fat guy exchange confused looks. Deep down, they're wondering if Damen actually taught them anything at all. Their

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strongest memory of training is just getting absolutely wrecked during sparring. The hero size in disappointment, realizing most of them still don't get what he was trying to do. He explains that the sparring sessions were never just physical training. There was a deeper lesson

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hidden in there, though apparently almost none of them figured it out. His gaze eventually lands on Pable, who's still deep in thought. A faint smile appears on Damian's face as he realizes at least one person might have understood. Then he takes off the

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weighted bags he's been wearing the whole time during training. The sight leaves the knight stunned. Ignoring their reactions, he walks away with a proud smile. A few days later, the scene shifts to the leafy plains. The Duke and

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his crew are riding on horseback. The Duke mentions they're running a little late, then turns to Damian and asks for his take on the enemy forces. Watching the approaching army, our boy says it's a highle force overall. Not only do they

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have advanced equipment, all of their fighters are highly skilled. Instead of being scared, the Duke laughs and agrees. He mockingly says the Lion Bloom faction might not have much brain power, but they sure know how to train soldiers. Soon, jail reports that a

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messenger from the mares has arrived with a proposal for a meeting between reps before the duel. Pulling on his horse's reigns, the Duke confidently agrees to go. Meanwhile, in the Lion Bloom camp, a loud voice echoes from inside a tent, demanding that Michael

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wake up. The Maris kicks the side of Michael's bed and reminds him they've got to meet with the Duke's faction. The blonde guy lazily sits up and complains about the noise, asking why he got woken up from such a good sleep. The second he

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finishes talking, he tries to lie back down. The Marquis loses it, demanding to know if he understands how important his role in the duel is. After struggling to calm down, he clicks his tongue and heads for the exit, saying he'll

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personally confront Damen if he has to. The moment Damen's name comes up, Michael immediately stops trying to sleep. He jumps out of bed and asks why the hero is with the Duke's faction. The Maris explains that he was chosen as the

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Duke's representative. Hearing that, Michael instantly grabs his sword and partially pulls it out with his thumb. A creepy smile spreads across his face as he welcomes the news. Outside, Michael and the mares finally meet up with the Duke's party. The Duke jokes that

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inviting someone and then showing up late isn't exactly proper behavior. The marquee laughs and says getting angry over something so small just shows narrow-mindedness. The two nobles almost get into a physical fight while letting out their unsettling smiles. Jail clears

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his throat to turn their attention away. The maris turns to him and says it's been a while. He once again invites him to ditch the Duke and join his side. The old knight firmly replies that he plans to dedicate his whole life to the Gold

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Pixie household. The marquee then shifts his attention to our boy and asks if he's really Damian Hexon. After the hero confirms, the marquee studies him carefully. This is the guy who humiliated his son and beat his knights.

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Even though his presence makes him mad, something about him also makes him uneasy. Sweat forms on his face, and he finds himself wondering why a high-ranking noble like him feels tense because of some lowclass knight. He concludes that Damen must have hidden

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potential, maybe even matching Michael's. For some reason, the marquee suddenly turns toward his son. Michael's expression is dark, but the moment he lifts his head, all his focus locks onto Damian. Our boy, meanwhile, seems totally unaware and just looks back at

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him. A dangerous grin spreads across Michael's face. Instinctively, he drops into a battle stance and puts a hand on his sword, ready to draw it. Damen hears the blade moving and looks a little confused, but doesn't say anything. A

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moment later, Michael snaps back to his senses and looks genuinely surprised. The marquee grabs his arm, stopping both the sword and the anger behind it.

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Michael himself is shocked and he doesn't even remember when he drew the weapon. The silence gets broken by Jail's voice as he points out that drawing a sword before the official duel, especially in front of the Duke, is completely unacceptable. The Duke

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calmly adds that threatening a noble with a weapon is a serious crime. The Marquis tries to downplay it, saying it was just a stupid move from competitive spirit. The Duke stays expressionless and asks how the Maris plans to take

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responsibility. Unease spreads through the mares as he wonders if Michael's body just reacted instinctively, like facing some dangerous beast. The Duke strokes his chin, sensing an opportunity, like a hunter setting a trap, he says he'll let it slide this

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time. The marquee immediately gets suspicious. He knows the Duke is way too crafty to let something go without getting something in return. And he's right. The Duke announces he wants to add new conditions to the duel's rewards. A sly smile appears on the

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Duke's lips, like he's already planned several moves ahead. Though anger flashes in the Marquis's eyes, he eventually accepts the conditions and orders Michael to leave with him. As they leave, the Duke mockingly says goodbye. Watching all this, Damen

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reflects on just how cunning the Duke really is. Once they're gone, the Duke suddenly asks why Michael pointed a sword at him. Our boy just responds with his usual half smile, but internally he's impressed. He realizes Michael has

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already awakened his sixth sense at such a young age. Later, the marquee questions his son about his reckless behavior and warns him it could have endangered the whole Lion Bloom house.

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Michael interrupts and asks if his father noticed something weird. He explains that Damen seemed to know in advance the sword was about to be drawn.

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Yet, he stayed completely calm and kept smiling. With excitement shining on his face, Michael admits he's never faced an opponent like this before. He thinks Damian might be the only person who can fight him on equal footing. The Marky

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notices a familiar spark back in his son's eyes. For a long time, he had lost interest because he couldn't find worthy opponents, but now his excitement's back. The guy then casually asks about the bad conditions the Duke added. His

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dad just laughs and confidently says, "Victory will still belong to House Lion Bloom." Soon after, the first duel gets announced and both knights are called forward. The Duke asks Damen who should go first. Before Damian can answer, a

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voice speaks up. A middle-class knight named Sebastian Vincenzo approaches, looking confident with a little gleam in his eyes. He claims he's more qualified than Damian to make that call. Our boy glances at the three knights he trained earlier and realizes Sebastian's the one

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who's been teaching them. Fears clearly visible on Sebastian's face like he's worried Damen might steal credit for their success. Deciding to indulge him, our boy asks which lowclass knight should represent them. Smiling confidently, Sebastian picks his son, Fabian Vincenzo. The knight stands there

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proudly in full knight armor, gripping a polished spear. Sebastian looks at his son and puts all his hopes on him. Even the Duke says he's confident in Fabian's abilities, having heard that Sebastian's son is seriously talented, but Damian's

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surprised when he sees the other side's rep. A big guy from the Lion Bloom side steps forward, casually combing his hair. The knight immediately drops into a battle stance, and after introducing himself, he asks for his opponent's name

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and family. The guy casually says his name's Ronald, and he doesn't have a family name. Fabian instantly assumes he's a commoner and mocks the idea that someone of that status could handle the Venenzo family's techniques. The big guy

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just laughs and says he talks way too much. Enraged, Fabian throws the first attack. He swings his spear down super fast, but the big guy easily avoids it.

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The clean dodge only makes Fabian angrier, so he unleashes a rapid barrage of attacks. Despite getting hammered with hits, Ronald casually deflects every single one. Once the exchange ends, he dismisses Fabian as pathetic.

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That insult pushes the young knight even further over the edge. Channeling a light blue aura into his spear. He swings straight for Ronald's face, but the reckless attack leaves him wide open. Seizing the chance, Ronald strikes with his red oracco-coated sword. The

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blow is so fast and precise that Fabian loses his arm before he can even react.

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The severed limb flies through the air as shock spreads across the battlefield. The Duke watches silently. Sebastian falls into despair, watching his son suffer such a devastating loss. Ronald calmly sheaths his sword and points at Fabian screaming on the ground,

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declaring him eliminated from the match. A smirk appears on the marquees face as the first victory goes to House Lion Bloom. The knight's arm is already gone, and even though they patched him up, the pain's still wrecking him. Nearby, our

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boy is watching the whole thing like he couldn't care less. He thinks the outcome was totally expected and figures Fabian turned out way weaker than he thought. Letting out a disappointed sigh, he looks away. Beside him, the Duke is visibly furious. The Duke

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grumbles about how brutal House Lion Bloom is, then turns to the marquee and asks if chopping off someone's arm is really necessary just to win. He reminds the hero that they have already lost one of the three matches and asks if he

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should just step in now. Staying calm, our boy explains that even if he wins the current match, Michael's definitely showing up in the final round and nobody else can handle him. To ease the Duke's worries, he reveals he's already got

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someone lined up for the second match. The Duke's eyes light up with curiosity. The scene then shifts to the short-haired knight who's been picked as the second contestant. His face is totally pale. Damen just laughs and reminds him to trust the training he got

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because victory is still possible. The guy is still shaking, but the two knights behind him are cheering him on like crazy. The Duke isn't impressed by the choice and asks if the hero really sure about this. Our boy confidently

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insists that Pable was trained specifically for this situation. Everyone's attention turns to the guy who looks like he might throw up from fear at any second. Despite that, the hero is absolutely confident he's going to win. Soon, the knight enters the dual

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arena. The image of Fabian's severed arm keeps flashing through his mind, and he has no idea how he's supposed to survive this fight. His opponent from House Lion Bloom walks in with a bold smile and confidently introduces himself as Huie

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Celician. Pable's morale is already shot and he can barely get his own name out without stuttering. Huie openly says he's disappointed Damen isn't fighting.

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As Mana starts flowing into his sword, he confidently announces he's going to end this duel fast. The young knight tells himself to stay sharp, but before he can fully get ready, his opponent attacks. To Pable's shock, he blocks the

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first strike without even thinking. Huie looks surprised while the impact sends the guy crashing to the ground. The opponent gives him a quick compliment, but Pable is still stunned and wonders if that block was just luck. Huie attacks again, this time angry. Once

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more, the knight barely avoids disaster. He rolls desperately across the ground before finally stopping on one knee.

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Dust kicks up into the air, blocking his view. Using the cover, Huie tries to surprise him from his blind spot. Yet somehow, the short-haired guy blocks that one, too. Huie is completely baffled. He can't figure out how this

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guy keeps defending against attacks he shouldn't even be able to see. The knight quickly puts some distance between them. Equally shocked at himself, he's starting to realize why Damen's been so confident this whole time. Watching from the sidelines, our

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boy smiles proudly. Finally, Pable has understood the real point behind all that training. A flashback shows Damen relentlessly beating on the short-haired guy during sparring sessions while constantly using Lion Bloom's signature sword style, the great lion sword art.

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After losing so many times, Pable's body has unconsciously memorized the whole style. Back in the present, our boy realizes that the knight has reached the point where he could probably block those attacks with his eyes closed. Huie attacks again, but this time, Pable

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dodges easily. He suddenly recognizes every move. It's the exact same style Damian used against him over and over, just way slower. His opponent keeps throwing attacks, yet the short-haired guy avoids every single one. As he moves, he silently thanks the hero for

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pushing him so hard. Because of that brutal training, he's now pushing past his old limits. Building up momentum, the guy stomps the ground and launches a fierce charge. Determination burning inside him. He swings his sword with everything he's got. The strike breaks

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through Huie's guard and reaches his neck. It only leaves a shallow cut on his cheek, but that's all it takes.

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Huie's eyes go wide in disbelief. The Duke can't contain his excitement. He clenches his fist in triumph while Damen watches with a proud smile. Even the Maris is stunned to see his fighter losing. Accepting defeat, Huie collapses to the ground. Pabel puts his sword

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against his neck and declares himself the winner. The Gold Pixie Knights erupt into cheers, chanting his name all across the arena. For the first time, the short-haired guy smiles confidently, realizing he's actually done the impossible. With the second duel over,

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Gold Pixie claims the win and ties up the score. Now comes the decisive final match. Michael steps forward and even the Duke expected this outcome from the start. Aura spreads throughout Michael's body as he acknowledges that the final

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duel will decide everything. At the same time, our boy walks forward to meet him, and the two stand face to face.

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Excitement shines in Michael's eyes. For him, this is the moment he's been waiting for all these years. He finally believes he's found an equal opponent.

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Damen responds with a smug smile, like he's questioning whether Michael really thinks they're on the same level.

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Michael immediately pulls out his sword and appears in front of the hero almost instantly. As he launches his attack, he hopes our boy won't let him down. A few minutes earlier, Huey had knelt before the marquee and asked for death as

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punishment for failing. The Marquis turns him down, saying he did everything he could. Stroking his mustache proudly, he insists victory still belongs to House Lion Bloom because his son is their last fighter. The knight accepts that and leaves. Once he's gone, though,

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the Marisa's confident expression fades. Something about the last duel is bugging him. Huie is clearly stronger than Pable, so why did he collapse after just a few exchanges? It's almost like every attack got predicted in advance. For a

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moment, he wonders if their sword style somehow got exposed, but he quickly shakes off the thought. Meanwhile, Michael's trembling before the duel, but he's not scared. He's just too excited.

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His heart's pounding harder than ever. He's already decided Damen is the worthy rival he spent years searching for. As he heads to the arena, he vows to dedicate this victory to his father. The Maris calls out from above, encouraging

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his son to enjoy himself to the fullest. Wearing a twisted smile, Michael makes his way to the battlefield. A memory surfaces in his mind. As a kid, when his father first taught him swordsmanship, he dreamed of facing tons of powerful

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warriors. But over time, that excitement faded. Every supposedly strong knight fell easily in front of him. Victory felt empty. Battles lost all meaning.

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Not having a worthy opponent left him bored out of his mind, and he slowly started giving up on his passion for the sword. Then our boy showed up. Suddenly, his once colorless world burst back into flames. For the first time in years,

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excitement is pumping through his blood again. Back in the present, the guy steps into the arena. Drawing his sword with a smile, he lunges straight at the MC. The tip of his blade flashes toward Damen's eye like lightning. At the very

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last moment, our boy just tilts his head and dodges effortlessly. Another attack follows immediately, and the guy tries hitting him with a massive downward slash. However, the hero casually shifts aside and responds with a light punch like he's swatting away a kid. Then, he

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follows up with a sudden kick. Michael barely manages to block with his sword, but the force still sends him flying through the air. The moment he lands, he digs his hands and feet into the ground to stop himself before launching forward

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again. This time he merges his aura with his sword. The blade shines and seems to pierce Damen's body multiple times.

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After passing through him, Michael turns around confidently. That confidence vanishes instantly because our boy is standing there completely unharmed. Not a single wound on his body. Both hands are still tucked in his pockets.

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Michael's heart races with excitement. His instincts tell him he was right since Damian really is something else.

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Determined to go all out, he unleashes the full lion bloom sword style. Aura erupts around him as a giant lion-shaped manifestation appears, shaking the very air. The ground in front of Damian explodes and walls of earth rise up

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around him. When the dust settles, the hero is still standing exactly where he was without a single scratch on his body. Sweat starts dripping down Michael's face. Frustrated, he demands that Damen stop dodging and finally draw his sword so the fight can get more

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interesting. At last, our boy moves and his hand reaches toward his blade. Seeing this, Michael smirks confidently, convinced his attack will land first.

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His sword comes down with insane speed, but it doesn't go as he expected. In an instant, he sees his blade shatter. The next thing he knows, his own head is getting cleanly separated from his body.

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With a single swing of his sword, our boy chops off his head like butter.

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Damen doesn't even glance at him and simply returns his sword to its sheath. Michael's head hits the ground while his eyes stay fixed on the hero, even in death. Our boy stands there untouched and untouchable like some overwhelming

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force that can't be compared to anything. All of this suddenly breaks apart as the guy regains his senses and realizes that he's kneeling in front of the MC. The marquee is shouting frantically from the sidelines, ordering him to draw his sword. Michael's shaking

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hand instinctively touches his neck. Cold sweat runs down his spine. The experience felt completely real. He's convinced he actually died and felt his own death. Terrified, he slowly lifts his eyes toward Damian, who's still staring at him with frightening

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calmness. Our boy quietly asks him if he still thinks they're equals, but the guy can't answer. The words get stuck in his throat and he keeps wondering if it was just an illusion. Finally, crushed under overwhelming fear, he bows deeply and

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announces his surrender. With this, Gold Pixie wins the final duel. Later that night, the Duke throws a huge banquet.

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While the Gold Pixie faction is partying hard, the Maris is the complete opposite. The knights try to thank him, but one furious glare from the marquee shuts them up instantly. The moment he looks away, they all let out relieved

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breaths. Right then, the Duke walks over carrying a bottle of wine. He reminds the marquee that everything's settled now and personally fills his glass.

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While pouring the wine, he teases that as the winner, it's only natural for him to serve first. The mares grits his teeth, burning with rage. The image of his son surrendering without even drawing his sword keeps playing over and

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over in his head. His blood is boiling with humiliation, but he forces himself to stay calm and takes a small sip of wine. Damian takes a sip of wine while keeping an eye on everything from a distance. He knows the Duke looks

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generous on the surface, but this whole banquet is really just about humiliating the Maris in front of everyone. He quietly thinks about how he's already hit his main goal. By winning the duel for the duche, he's made sure the Lion

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Bloom family will think twice before messing with the Hexon family. Even so, he quickly realizes his work isn't done yet. A light cough comes from behind him. Michael walks over carrying two empty cups and awkwardly asks if he can

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join. Soon after, he fills Damen's glass with wine and sincerely says he admires and respects him. His genuine enthusiasm catches our boy off guard. The guy admits he always thought no one his age could beat him, but now he feels the

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hero is way above him. A faint smile appears on Damen's face. Even after such a humiliating loss, Michael stays honest and open-minded. Looking down, the blonde guy admits he still doesn't fully get what happened during their duel. But

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deep down, he sense that the hero existed on a whole different level. Our boy realizes that the kid has no idea how extraordinary he himself is. Having surpassed normal human senses, he had basically fought our boy inside his own

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head before the duel even started. It was there that he recognized the huge gap between them. Thanks to those heightened senses, he felt real fear for the first time in his life. Damen thinks that instinct is what saved him. Looking

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up at the night sky, the blonde guy starts to understand that the world is way bigger than he ever imagined. Damen seriously tells him his talent might be rare, but it's not unique. There are at least three people in the empire who are

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better than him, so he should never get arrogant. The guy listens carefully to every word. At the same time, our boy remembers that he used to have that same arrogance. Back then, he thought he was the best until Arch, the guy who later

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experimented on him, beat him. When Michael jokingly asks if the hero still thinks that way, our boy confidently hints that he doesn't worry about stuff like that anymore because he's already at the top. He advises the guy not to

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act arrogant until he gets as strong as him. Michael gets the message right away. Right then, the Duke and the marquee walk over to them. The Duke playfully says it's nice to see young people becoming friends. Damen and

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Michael immediately stand up and greet them respectfully. The Duke explains that he's finished his talk with the marquee and came to speak with him. He reminds him about the promise before the duel that he would get access to the

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marquees vault. Laughing, the Duke points at the mares and jokes that convincing him took a second deal because he'd been super stingy. The mares face darkens with anger for a moment. He silently swears never to forget what the Duke did to him, but he

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pushes those feelings down for the banquet's sake. Walking up to Damian, he apologizes for what his knights did. To our boy, though, the apology feels half-hearted since it conveniently ignores the involvement of the boy. The marquee then says he can't let an

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outsider into the vault, but he wants to offer a reward instead. He puts a small box in front of our boy. Inside is a special ring made through magic from the white tower. The ring has a storage space that can hold up to 100 kg of

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stuff. Damian's eyes go wide as he instantly knows the artifact is worth as much as a small castle. Even though the original promise got broken, the reward is so valuable that he decides to let it slide. With a devilish smile, he takes

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the ring and slips it onto his finger. Still irritated, the marquee offers more rewards if the hero wants them. He mentions his household has lots of amazing weapons. Nearby, Victor is lying drunk and unconscious while Jail quietly watches the exchange. Our boy thinks

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about how the Lion Bloom family is one of the biggest nightly houses in the Apple Kingdom, so their weapon collection must be incredible. Then he suddenly remembers a specific item that should still be with the Marquis.

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Politely, he asks for a bow. The Marquis is surprised and asks why he would want a bow. With a mysterious smile, the hero says he needs it for his brother's wedding. Right at that moment, back at the Hexon Manor, Abel suddenly sneezes.

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He's sitting there holding a little doll that looks like our boy with a needle stuck in it, acting like some kind of weird curse practitioner. The next day, the Duke asks our boy if he really intends to leave so soon. He explains

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that a big banquet is being prepared in his honor and wonders if he can stay a little longer. But the hero tells him that he's been away from home for far too long. Seeing how he has made up his

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mind, the Duke lets out a heavy sigh and admits stopping him would be impossible.

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Even so, he asks Damen to stay one more day and offers to assign a few nights as escorts for the trip. The hero internally feels like escorts aren't necessary, but he chooses to accept the Duke's goodwill. Bowing respectfully, he

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agrees and thanks him for everything. Soon after, he heads off to the Hexon household on horseback. Two low-class knights ride alongside him as escorts while Victor walks on foot beside him.

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As they get farther from the Duke's territory, Victor starts to relax. He jokes that the young master's troublesome situation is finally over.

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This makes our boy annoyed and he asks him if he is trying to roast him. Victor then complains that traveling by carriage was comfortable, but walking is exhausting. Hearing that, Damen secretly decides that Victor has gained some extra belly fat during their comfy stay

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at the Duke's place and resolves to get him back in shape once they're home. As evening rolls around, the escort knights stop the group and suggest setting up camp before sunset. Damen agrees without any objection. Knight soon falls over

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the forest. The hero and his fat guard sit by a campfire while the two knights stand guard nearby. Victor cheerfully announces that dinner's ready and our boy gets ready to eat. The fat guy invites the escort knights to join them,

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but one politely says no, explaining they'll eat separately later. Right then, the hero suddenly pauses. A vivid memory pops into his head. He remembers the genuine emotions Pel and the other two knights showed when he said he was

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leaving. Their tearful faces, their gratitude, Pable grabbing his hand, and their shaky smiles all replay in his mind. The short-haired guy had sincerely said that his guidance gave him new strength. Damian had laughed lightly and brushed off the praise, but the three

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knights bowed deeply and thanked him with the utmost respect. Remembering that moment leaves Damian stunned. A proud and genuine smile forms on his face. Coming back to the present, he looks at the escort knights and the smile stays. Suddenly, both knights get

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alert. They exchange silent signals and tell Damian they want to check the surrounding area for safety. The hero brushes off the concern, but one of the knights insists. Suddenly, a streak of purple light tears through the sky, and

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a spear wrapped in dark magic aura crashes through one knight's chest before stabbing into a massive tree behind him. The knight coughs up blood violently and dies on the spot. Damian turns toward the lifeless body just as an ominous voice echoes through the

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forest. The speaker admits they didn't expect the Duke's escort knights to be here, but says it doesn't matter since they're just lowclass knights. The dark spear vibrates before ripping itself out of the corpse and flying back into its

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owner's hand. The surviving knight recognizes the attacker and immediately drops into a combat stance. The attacker is Ernst, the middle-class knight corrupted by dark magic. Trembling, the knight asks why he is doing this. Before he gets an answer, two dark mages emerge

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from the shadows behind Ernst. They're Rebecca and Mustang. The maid laughs and comments that there are annoying insects in their way. Then she releases a bewitching fragrance toward the remaining knight. Our boy immediately recognizes the smell and covers his nose

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with his arm. The other knight isn't so lucky. He starts drooling as his senses fade away. Damen notices that Victor is also starting to fall under the spell's influence. Without hesitating, he hits Victor's neck and knocks him out before

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the enchantment can fully take hold. Rebecca finishes her spell and casually gestures forward. The bewitched knight clutches his head and then horrifyingly twists his own neck. Now our boy stands alone. Two lowclass knights are dead and Victor's unconscious on the ground. The

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fat guy says it's interesting how he keeps resisting the bewitching scent despite being just a lowclass knight. He suspects Damian might have a unique constitution. Curious, the maid takes off her hood with a smile, suggesting that they kill Damian and study his body

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afterward. The hero can feel the pressure coming off their power. Ernst laughs coldly and declares that their long-awaited meeting has finally arrived. He swears to tear our boy apart and offer him as a sacrifice at Chelsea's grave. As Ernst raises his

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spear toward him, Damen instinctively gets into a battle stance. Yet, a confident smile appears on his lips. He mocks the knight, pointing out that he was once terrified by jail and is now trying to blame others for his own

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failures. The taunt instantly enrages Ernst. Veins bulge all over his body as his muscles shake with fury. Rebecca steps forward and gently encourages the knight to direct that anger at the MC.

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Despite her smile, she feels uneasy about how calm Damen is. She warns that maybe he doesn't even understand who they are, but our boy keeps smiling.

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Using his sharp mind, he correctly identifies them as dark mages from Yulan and guesses they're at officer level rank. The accuracy of his assessment leaves Rebecca and the fat guy speechless. Stammering a little, the maid asks how he knows so much, but he

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simply tells her that he just has really good ears. Ernst raises his spear again and fills it with dark mana. The dark mages become convinced Damen's death is certain. Without hesitating, Ernst hurls the spear straight at him. Yet, the hero

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stays completely still. Then all of a sudden, they hear footsteps and an armored knight appears at lightning speed and intercepts the attack before it can reach Damian. The unexpected move shocks everyone there as our boy reveals that he is not alone. The night turns

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out to be Sebastian and he does not look pleased. The story briefly flashes back to an earlier moment. Before Damian left, the Duke had stopped him and mentioned Ernst's disappearance. Our boy immediately realized this was serious.

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The Duke explained that the knight hated him and might try to get revenge for Chelsea's death. He admitted that while Jail protected him personally, Damen didn't have that kind of protection. So, he intended to assign a skilled knight

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to guard him. Right then, the door had opened and an armored figure walked in.

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Damian instantly recognized the man as middle-class knight Sebastian Vincenzo. The Duke explained that the other middle-class knights were away on missions, making Sebastian the only option available. The man accepted the job without hesitation and swore to protect Damen's life. Back in the

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present, the hero smiles internally as he realizes that the Duke secretly ordered Sebastian to act as a hidden bodyguard. But more importantly, it was a trap to lure the hidden dark mages into revealing themselves. Ernst greets Sebastian with a twisted grin. In

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response, Sebastian calmly asks what he's after. The knight openly declares that he won't let anyone connected to Lady Chelsea's death keep living. When Sebastian points out that the girl took her own life, the statement immediately lights a fresh fire of fury inside

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Aernst. He screams that there's no way Lady Chelsea killed herself. Dark magic starts wrapping around his body and slowly eating away at his mind. Rebecca and Mustang watch as he completely sinks into darkness. He declares he won't stop

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until he's avenged Chelsea's death. In his head, Damen has to die first, then everyone who interrogated Chelsea, and finally even the Duke himself. Sebastian laughs at how insane Ernst is, realizing the guy has totally lost it. The knight

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gives him one last chance, basically saying he'll spare him if he ditches the MC. In response, Sebastian's gaze turns cold. His aura explodes out, filling both his body and sword with energy. He makes it super clear through his actions

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that he's not about to give in to someone he considers beneath him. From a distance, our boy watches with approval.

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He's happy with the resolve. of this middle-class knight is showing. Meanwhile, the knight lets out an evil laugh and claims that Sebastian used to be stronger than him, but things are different now. Sebastian immediately notices the change and realizes Ernst

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has drowned himself in black magic. The fat guy proudly explains that the knight went through the same kind of enhancement as Blackwing, sacrificing his life force in exchange for crazy amounts of mana and strength. Ernst drops into a combat stance and raises

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his spear. Dark mana twists the air around him, creating overwhelming pressure. Sebastian grits his teeth as he feels the weight of that power. He realizes Ernst might have already surpassed the level of an ordinary middle-class knight. With a cold smile,

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Ernst launches another attack while repeating that he's going to take out Damian. A compressed purple blast tears through the forest and leaves a huge trail behind. When the smoke clears, Damen is standing there completely unharmed. He calmly checks out the

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destruction before turning his gaze back to Erst who looks like a complete maniac. Just then, the other knight also steps out of the smoke, proving the attack did nothing. The site shocks not just Ernst, but the maid and the fat

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guy, too. The knight acts all confident like he's totally in control, but deep down he knows he's just buying time.

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Secretly, he signals our boy to leave and go get reinforcements from the duche. The hero hesitates for a second before deciding to trust Sebastian's judgment. He hoists Victor onto his shoulder and vanishes into the forest like a shadow. The moment Mustang and

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Rebecca see him escaping, they start to panic. They immediately chase after him using dark magic. Ernst also tries to go after Damian, but Sebastian suddenly appears in front of him. The night sword comes down in a deadly strike that Ernst

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barely blocks at the last second. The unexpected attack stuns him and the clash sends both of them flying backward. Mana surges through Sebastian's body as he lets out a furious roar. Ernst responds with waves of dark mana fueled by rage and

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frustration. Their battle gets more intense and every time sword and spear collide, blinding flashes light up the forest. Meanwhile, our boy is racing through the trees with Victor over his shoulder. Suddenly, he senses dark energy above him. Two shadowy figures

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drop down and block his path. He stops and narrows his eyes as Rebecca and Mustang step out of the darkness with creepy smiles. They mock him for running away while carrying dead weight. Instead of looking worried, he lets out a faint

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smile and a relieved sigh. He gently puts Victor against a nearby tree and calmly explains that they're the real idiots. He reveals that he deliberately lured them away because he couldn't fight at full strength in front of Sebastian. Now that they're alone, he

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plans to take out both of them and then go back to help the knight too. His confidence freezes Mustang and Rebecca for a moment. Thinking he is bluffing, the fat guy bursts into mocking laughter and asks if he really thinks he can

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fight both of them by himself. He signals the maid to step back, intending to handle Damian personally. Purple dark mana explodes from his body and violent waves of mana surge outward. His muscles swell, his appearance changes, and his

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clothes tear apart as Bro reveals his final form. Within moments, he turns into a terrifying monster with tentacles and reveals that he is actually the captain of Yulan. Damen stays calm and quickly figures out they belong to the

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frenzy sect. The fat guy explodes forward with a grin and swings a massive fist at Damian. Damen senses the attack and pivots into a guarded stance. The punch lands with explosive force, sending him flying through the forest and crashing into a tree. But even after

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taking that hit, the hero gets up calmly while staying in his defensive posture. Mustang laughs sarcastically, saying the rumors about him might not have been exaggerated after all. Our boy silently sizes up his opponent and realizes Mustang has not only crazy destructive

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power, but also frightening speed. Even just through physical ability alone, he's already beyond the level of an ordinary middle-class knight. The demonic fat guy attacks again, this time using his tentacles. They tear through the forest, smashing trees and shredding

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everything in their path. But our boy dodges each strike perfectly. Eventually, his back touches a tree and Mustang immediately sees an opening.

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Thinking Damen is trapped, he charges forward without wasting any time. Right then, Damen activates his secret technique, 10,000 flow insight. Time seems to slow down. In that frozen fraction of a second, he precisely redirects Mustangs fist, making the

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attack miss him completely. A faint smile appears on the MC's lips as he remembers the elixirs he drank at the Duke's estate. They weren't wasted, and he can now use the technique freely.

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Enraged, Mustang accuses him of relying on cheap tricks and unleashes a storm of tentacle attacks. The forest turns into a battlefield full of deadly strikes.

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But this time, the hero doesn't dodge. With just one hand, he calmly deflects every attack. Then he reaches for his sword. In the next instant, his speed becomes something the eye can't follow.

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He turns into a blur. His blade flashes over and over, and every strike lands with perfect precision. Deep cuts appear all over Mustang's body. Damen lands lightly on the ground and settles into a stable stance. A heartbeat later, blood

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erupts from Mustang's wounds. His neck is almost severed. Disbelief fills his eyes as he tries to understand how a lowclass knight could have this much strength. But dark energy immediately starts repairing the damage. His flesh stretches and reconnects as regeneration

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kicks in. Mustang growls and admits that the hero is strong enough to have beaten Agito, but his dark mana gives him regeneration, so Damian's techniques are useless. Instead of being worried, our boy gets excited hearing this and comments that he can now go all out.

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Elsewhere in the forest, Sebastian and Arenst are still going at it. The knight swings his spear, but Sebastian narrowly avoids it. The deadly force brushes past his cheek before crashing into the ground with devastating power. Using the opening, Sebastian backs off and creates

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some distance to catch his breath. Ernst notices his heavy breathing and mockingly acknowledges that he has managed to hold on against him for this long. Sebastian feels humiliated. The thought of struggling against someone whose power comes from black magic

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disgusts him. The demon knight raises his spear again and gets ready for a final attack. Sebastian steadies his shaking shoulders. Only one thought remains in his mind. Survive. His gaze drifts toward the part of the forest where Damian is fighting, and he

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silently prays that reinforcements show up soon. Back on the MC's battlefield, he flicks the edge of his sword again. A vibration travels through the blade, making a faint hum in the air. Mustang scoffs, believing it's just a bluff.

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Dark energy gathers inside his monstrous mouth, and he challenges Damen to try dodging this one. The mana keeps building until it looks like a dragon's breath. When it peaks, Mustang unleashes the attack. A black explosion tears through the air as a devastating wave of

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annihilation races toward our boy. Yet, he stays perfectly calm. He raises his sword and concentric ripples spread from its tip. Dense waves of pure energy collide with the black blast, and within seconds, the whole attack dissolves into nothing. The fat guy is horrified seeing

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this. Without a word, the hero leaps into the air at blazing speed. His sword comes down with ruthless precision. One strike tears through Mustang's eye.

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Another splits part of his skull and cuts off two tentacles. More strikes carve through his chest. Damen lands lightly as dark blood pours onto the ground. Mustangs flesh immediately tries to regenerate again. But before the process can finish, our boy charges once

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more. His sword cuts the fat demon's body into ribbons. Mustang collapses face first onto the ground, groaning in agony. He desperately tries to regenerate, but this time nothing happens. Our boy slowly walks closer and explains that regeneration depends on

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dark mana. and dark mana isn't infinite. Furious, the man demands to know how Damian knows all this. The hero doesn't really answer and simply comments that it's none of his business. Suddenly, the demon starts laughing and reminds him

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that he was fighting two people. While he was focused on him, Rebecca has already started preparing a spell. With a cry, she completes a seventh circle black magic death spell. Immediately, a gigantic reaper descends from above and attacks the MC. Mustang and Rebecca are

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convinced this attack will finally kill him. The scythe cuts through the air and gets within inches of its target. Right at that moment, the tattoo on Damen's palm ignites with purple light. The flare is so intense, it swallows

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everything around it. The Reaper's body starts burning and dissolving. Within moments, nothing's left. Mustang and Rebecca stand frozen in shock with all color drained from their faces. Our boy looks at them with quiet disgust. To him, the whole trick is pathetic.

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Mustang stammers in disbelief, insisting that spell is one of Yulon's masterpieces and powerful enough to kill even a highclass knight. Hearing that, Damen suddenly laughs. Then mockingly, he reflects that dark mages cling to black magic like it's divine power when

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really it's just a parasite living off stolen souls. With that thought, he decides to use that very power against them. The bracelet on his wrist explodes with energy and Rebecca gets thrown backward as darkness wraps around her body. She screams for her captain while

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Mustang stares in disbelief and realizes the power the hero is using looks just like black magic. In a cold voice, our boy starts explaining that this isn't the same kind of black magic they're familiar with. Just then, he casts a

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nine circle black magic spell called pitch darkness. A line of black mana stretches out from his finger and wraps around the sphere. Inside, Rebecca and Mustang are terrified because what they're seeing shouldn't even be possible. Outside, the hero lowers his

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finger and the sphere starts shrinking. At first, it goes slow, but then it compresses like crazy. In the middle of all the destruction, our boy lets out a faint but nasty smile. Sometime later, Victor stirs and slowly wakes up. His

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eyes wander around as he tries to figure out where he is. Damen glances at him and gestures toward his face, hinting that something's there. Victor touches his cheek in confusion and wonders what happened. A few seconds later, he

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realizes his face is covered in blood. Looking at his hands, he finds both of them stained with black blood.

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Instantly, his dramatic side kicks in. He starts overreacting and acts like death is right around the corner. Our boy watches him calmly, like he's enjoying a comedy show before explaining that the blood belongs to the dark mages and just splashed on him during the

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fight. As he sheaths his sword, he suddenly remembers that he completely forgot to question the Yulan dark mages about Dorggo. Reaching out his hand, he releases a surge of black energy from his bracelet. He mutters that he doesn't

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like doing this, but it's the only option left. The dark energy flows into what's left of the dark mages. After a brief reaction, two dark crystal spheres rise up from the remains, making weird sounds. With a simple gesture, Damen

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uses telekinesis to pull the spheres toward himself. He figures that since they refuse to talk while alive, he'll just pull the truth straight from their souls. The frightened, trembling soul spheres of the dark mages appear in front of him. Another gesture forces

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them to spill everything they know. Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Ernst's spear stabs straight through Sebastian's chest. The impact sends Sebastian flying backward and he slams hard into a tree. The strike is so powerful that his armor shatters and he

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groans in pain. Despite his injuries, he struggles to stand, but his body is shaking and his breathing's getting more and more unstable. He collapses again as Arenst slowly walks closer, spinning his spear. Ernst coldly declares that he'll give Sebastian peace by ending his life.

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But the knight is determined and he'll never let him get to the Duke, even if it means sacrificing himself. Right then, someone calls out to him from behind, telling him that he's done well so far. Turns out it's none other than

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our boy. As he slowly walks towards them, Ernst laughs, commenting that he was actually planning on hunting him.

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Damen just smiles faintly and silently laughs at the assumption. Looking at the soul spheres in his hands, he thinks to himself that he could take out Ernst with one move. Furious, the possessed knight grits his teeth and charges

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forward with his spear aimed at him. But our boy doesn't move an inch. Suddenly, he clenches his fist and shatters the soul spheres in his hand. Ernst's spear stops just inches away from Damen's eyes, and he freezes completely. His

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body is shaking, but he can't move, and confusion fills his mind as he wonders how this is even possible. behind him.

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Sebastian watches the whole thing, completely stunned. At the same time, Dark Mana explodes out of Ernst's body.

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He screams in agony as the dark mana gems embedded in him start cracking. Their energy gets forcibly ripped away from his body. Within moments, he shrivels into a weak, pathetic shell of his former self. Even then, he keeps

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glaring at the hero and mutters that he'll kill him, but the very next second, he collapses to the ground.

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Damian lets out a quiet laugh and thinks Ernst is such an idiot. He never understood that the dark mage soul controlling him was the source of his black magic. Once that soul got destroyed, all the black magic connected

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to it disappeared, too. Leaning against a tree, Sebastian asks how all of this happened. Damen casually suggests it's probably a side effect of the black mana disappearing. As Sebastian tries to stand, he asks what happened to the dark

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mages who were chasing him. Damen helps support him and says they should get back to the duche first, promising to explain everything on the way. The scene then shifts to the gold pixie duche. The Duke admits his suspicions were right

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and thanks the knight, but Sebastian insists he only survived because of Damian. The Duke then turns to our boy and personally thanks him for taking out the dark mages. The hero calmly replies that he just did what needed to be done

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and that the enemies weren't all that powerful. Looking at Sebastian, he explains that he already figured once the dark mages died, the black mana inside Arenst would disappear, too. The Duke thanks him again for destroying the enemies who threatened his family. With

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a hint of sadness, he adds that maybe the souls of those killed by them can finally rest in peace. Damen immediately knows the Duke is talking about Chelsea.

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He then says he'll be leaving now that the Duke's affairs are settled, but the Duke stops him and asks if he could stay just a little while longer. The Duke explains that he wants him to stick around because someone wants to meet

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him. Curious, our boy asks who it is. Right then, the door opens and Agnes walks in. Damen looks at her and feels a little uncomfortable while the girl greets him with a warm smile and says, "It's been ages since they last saw each

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other." Later, the two of them are sitting alone in the garden of the Gold Pixie estate, drinking tea together. But not too far away, the Duke and Victor are hiding behind some bushes, watching them with huge curiosity. The Duke can

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hardly believe what he's seeing. Looking at the girl, he wonders if someone who looks so delicate really belongs to the church. Victor quietly confirms she does and adds that she knows his young master. The Duke admits Agnes is totally

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different from what he imagined. He comment that looks can be deceiving and carefully watches the two of them. To him, it almost seems like they're having some kind of romantic conversation. In reality, the talk is way more serious.

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The girl questions Damen about the dark mage incident, and he explains everything that happened, including how he took down the dark mages. After hearing the story, Agnes says everything makes sense now. At the same time, she's disappointed she didn't get to see the

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fight herself. As things get more relaxed, she jokes that he seems to have quite a long history with dark mages, and he simply responds with a smile.

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Studying her carefully, our boy mentions that he knew the church sent an investigator for this, but he never expected that investigator to be Agnes.

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Her face immediately turns red, and she shily admits she volunteered for the mission herself after hearing he would be there. A moment later, she remembers something important and asks if he found out which organization those dead dark mages belong to. Before answering, the

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hero pauses. He knows telling the truth would only make things more complicated, so he decides to hide what he knows. He claims he didn't learn anything about them and suggests they weren't that powerful. He also speculates they might

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not have belonged to any organization at all. Hearing this, the girl lowers her head and reveals that she'd wondered if they might have been connected to the Yulan group. The mention of Yulan sparks Damen's curiosity since Agnes seems to

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have been investigating them for a long time. He asks why she's so interested in them. The girl gets visibly uneasy.

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Holding her teacup tightly with both hands, she steadies herself before explaining she's not actually searching for Yulan itself. Instead, she's hunting a specific dark mage who used to be associated with the group. When he asks who that is, the girl bites her lip in

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anger and describes the guy as a mass murderer responsible for killing thousands. According to her, he's a monster known worldwide by the name Corpse Play. The moment Damen hears that name, he's shocked because he knows exactly who she's talking about. Agnes

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assumes he's probably heard the name before, too. Her fists clench so hard that veins pop out on her hands, and Mana starts leaking from her body as she struggles to keep her anger in check.

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She explains that nobody knows Corpse Play's real identity. His infamous reputation started after a horrifying incident where an entire noble territory got overrun by undead in a single night.

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When the knights finally showed up and destroyed the creatures, they found something terrible in the town square. A giant symbol had been made entirely out of corpses and severed body parts.

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Written across it in bloody letters made of flesh was corpse play. As she recalls the event, she covers her mouth to hold back her disgust. Her anger grows as she remembers that the slaughter was done just to announce the monster's existence

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to the world. Watching her, our boy realizes her pursuit of Yulan is probably driven by reasons he still doesn't fully understand. Still, he can clearly feel the intense emotions coming off her. As he looks at her, he thinks

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he probably shouldn't reveal what he knows. The truth is, he already knows Corpse Play's real identity. Memories from his past life as a death knight come flooding back. In the future, Corpse Play earns the trust of Dorggo and eventually becomes one of his legion

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commanders, leading a massive undead army. He stands on the front lines and slaughters countless humans. Damen stays lost in those memories until Agnes suddenly calls his name, snapping him back to reality. Pulling himself together, he listens as she asks him to

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let her know if he ever finds out anything about corpse play. He stays quiet for a few moments before finally agreeing with a quiet sigh. Soon after, the hero gets up from his chair and asks if the interrogation can be considered

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done since he's already shared everything he knows about the dark mages. The girl smiles calmly and confirms it's over, thanking him for his cooperation. Damen accepts her thanks and then turns toward the flower beds where the Duke and Victor are still

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hiding. Looking right at their hiding spot, he announces that the questioning is finished. Then he asks if he can finally get back to his original schedule. Realizing there's no reason to keep hiding anymore, the Duke steps out from the bushes and brushes the dust off

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his clothes while Victor follows behind with a grin. The Duke admits there's no longer any reason to keep him around. As our boy gets ready to leave, the Duke wishes him a safe trip and tells him to be careful on the road. The scene then

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shifts to the Hexon estate. Damen's older sister, Louise, is standing outside when Abel walks up and asks if she's waiting outside again. She turns to him and wonders why he's there.

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Laughing lightly, Abel explains he came to check on her after noticing she'd suddenly disappeared. In a teasing tone, he asks if she really thinks standing outside will make Damen come back any faster. He suggests she go inside and

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wait comfortably. The sister smiles softly and says she's fine and will head inside later. Abel size and asks if she's really that worried. Louise immediately admits she is. She describes Damian as a gentle young man who traveled alone to a Duke's estate. As

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the guy listens, memories of Damen's far less gentle moments flash through his mind, making him seriously question that description. Instead of arguing, he just stands there while she prays for her brother's safe return. Right at that moment, her eyes suddenly go wide, and

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she freezes as she notices the hero from a distance. The instant she sees him clearly, a warm smile spreads across her face, and she starts tearing up. In the next scene, we see the MC's parents standing outside, staring in disbelief

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at this huge pile of gifts. The dad can hardly believe what he's seeing, and wonders if all of it really came from the Duke. Damen just responds with a faint smile. He points at the giant pile of gifts and confirms that all of this

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stuff was actually given by the Duke as a goodbye present. Keeping his usual smile, he turns to his dad and announces that the first gift is for him. He hands him a book and gestures toward a nearby cart loaded with even more books and

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stuff. Damian explains he bought them from the duchies bookstores and that some of them are trending in the capital right now. For a moment, the dad just stands there frozen in disbelief, but the second he checks out the gifts, his

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eyes start sparkling. He quickly recognizes several titles, including Lady Delanel's newest poetry collection and Baron Dalllock's latest novel. Next, he turns to his mom and tells her that he got her a beautifully crafted wardrobe made with amazing craftsmanship. Her eyes light up

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immediately when she notices the highquality cedar wood. And when she spots a rosewood table nearby, her happiness just keeps growing. After that, Damen looks toward his older sister Louise and tells her that her gift is waiting nearby. In front of her

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appears this magnificent grand piano made by the artisan Buckley. Louise is totally speechless. Her face turns red from shock and joy before she rushes forward and hugs Damen tight. The hero explains the soldiers will help move the piano inside. Even after she lets him

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go, the sister keeps affectionately patting his head and praising her little brother. Meanwhile, Damen turns toward Abel, who's deliberately looking away.

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He clears his throat and casually asks what's wrong. The brother pretends nothing's bothering him and insists his face always looks like that. The hero gives him a teasing look and asks if he's upset because his older brother didn't get him a gift. Abel immediately

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gets all flustered and claims he doesn't care. Damen doesn't say anything. Instead, he raises his right hand and the air in front of him starts rippling.

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Abel's eyes go wide in disbelief as he stares at this weird phenomenon. Proudly, the hero explains it's a special storage space. He reaches into the distorted space with his left hand and pulls out a bow. Presenting it to

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Abel, he reveals it's his gift. A few moments later, he stores it back inside.

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With a mischievous smile, Damen leans close to his younger brother and quietly whispers that Lady Olivia Copperhead would probably like a gift like that if it were presented at the right moment.

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He jokes that if his little brother's thinking about marriage, it's only natural for the older brother to lend a hand. Panicking, Abel waves his hands and demands to know what he is talking about. Laughing, Damen asks if his

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brother doesn't actually like Lady Olivia. Abel stumbles over his words and tries to deny it, but eventually lowers his head. In a quiet voice, he admits Lady Olivia doesn't even know who he is.

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Hearing this, the hero thinks for a moment and claims he's already got a plan. He explains he heard at the Duke's estate that the Copperhead family is planning to hold a Marshall tournament during their daughter's birthday celebration. According to him, Abel's

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going to participate in that tournament, which gives him the perfect chance to meet Olivia. The little brother is stunned and quickly points out that marshall tournaments are meant for knights and swordsmen. Damen just nods in agreement, which only confuses his

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brother more. Abel reminds him he can't even fight, but the hero just smiles, pointing a thumb at himself and reveals he intends to fight in Abel's place. A few days later, the scene shifts to the small town of Rivercross. Inside a

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tavern, a knight brings up the news that the Copperhead family is organizing a Marshall tournament. Another knight confirms the rumor and mentions the prize is supposedly pretty big. Then, one of the knights remembers another piece of news and mentions that Damian,

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the eldest son of Vicount Hexon, is also entering the tournament. At a nearby table, a man and a woman react the moment they hear his name. Meanwhile, the knights keep talking about him. One claims he defeated the successor of Lion

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Bloom without even drawing his sword. Another immediately calls that nonsense, arguing no one could win that way. The first knight smuggly adds that Damen isn't just powerful, but also super handsome, which makes the others glare at him in annoyance. Suddenly, loud

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laughter erupts from the nearby table. The woman is laughing like crazy. She points at the knights and looks at her fianceé. The guy finishes his drink and comments with a smug smile that this conversation is getting ridiculous. The

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knight, who'd been bragging about his own looks, angrily gets up and walks over to them. He demands to know what's so funny and asks if they're mocking the most handsome knight in Rivercross, even though one of his friends tries to stop

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him. Jackson stays completely calm. The woman lightly explains there's been a misunderstanding and they were talking about Damen Hexon, not him. But the knight insists he heard everything.

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Right then, Jackson slowly stands up and coldly asks if the knight was flirting with his fianceé. Before the knight can even answer properly, Jackson's fist smashes into his face. Teeth break, blood sprays everywhere, and the knight goes flying backward. The blonde guy

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insults the men for daring to look at his fianceé. Hearing this, the men take out their swords and get ready for a fight. Jackson just exhales in disappointment and says, "Fools have no idea who they're dealing with." The two

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knights charge at him. The blonde guy calmly draws his sword and the fight begins. Throughout the chaos, the woman stays seated with a calm, almost bored expression. Blood splashes nearby, but she just yawns. Moments later, one knight is beaten and bloody while

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Jackson moves toward the other. Walking up to the defeated guy, Jackson crouches down, points at himself, and asks if the knight still doesn't recognize him. The injured knight, groaning in pain, demands to know who he is. Jackson's smile instantly disappears. Annoyed, he

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punches the guy again, drawing even more blood. Standing up, he calls out to Sophia and complains that these idiots actually think Damian is more famous than him, the ogre Slayer Jackson Cutter. Sophia wraps her arms around him from behind and reassures him with a

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faint smile that the men are just clueless. Then she angrily kicks one of the unconscious knights. But inside, her expression changes. She can't understand how someone like Damian, who she once thought was nothing, has become so famous in such a short time. As his face

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appears in her mind, a spark of hatred ignites in her heart. This woman is none other than Damian's ex- fiance, Sophia Russell. The scene then returns to the Hex and Viccount estate. The whole family is standing in front of the gate

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to say goodbye to the MC. The mom sadly says her son just got back and is already leaving again. Louise calls out to both brothers and urges them to stay safe while traveling. The hero responds with a warm smile, reassuring his mom

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and sister they've got nothing to worry about. Just then, the dad steps forward and stops right in front of his sons. He explains that he agreed to this trip because it's a solid chance to bring honor and recognition to the Hexon name.

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But even so, he admits he's still feeling uneasy deep down since the journey will take them far from home.

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Turning to the younger son, he reveals that Damen has already told him everything. He remarks that if he'd known earlier about Abel's feelings for the young lady of the Copperhead family, he would have sent a formal marriage proposal ages ago. Embarrassed, Abel

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hurriedly waves his hands and insists everything's fine. Paul continues by telling both of his sons to come back safe. The two bow their heads together and promise they will. Then the dad's expression turns serious. He fixes his gaze on Abel and reminds him not to

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forget what they discussed earlier. The son immediately stiffens and glances at Damian in confusion, adjusting his glasses and keeping his composure. He quietly agrees. Paul pats both of them on the back before steering them toward the carriage and wishing them a safe

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journey. Moments later, our boy leans halfway out of the carriage door and waves goodbye to his family. They keep waving back as the carriage slowly disappears into the distance. The journey stretches on for many days. The carriage rolls through huge fields,

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valleys, and rocky roads before finally getting close to Count Copperheads territory. Inside the carriage, the hero sits next to Victor while Abel is in the seat opposite them with a book in his hands. Victor keeps glancing at the two

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young masters. Several hours have passed without either of them saying a single word. He can't figure out why they're both so quiet and wonders how much longer he'll have to put up with the silence. Even the hero feels

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uncomfortable. He realizes this is the first time he's traveled alone with his brother and has no clue how to start a conversation. Eventually, Victor decides to break the silence himself and asks how Abel got interested in Lady Olivia.

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Abel's face instantly turns red and he questions why he would ask something like that. Victor struggles not to laugh and explains the journey's long and somebody had to start a conversation.

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Watching his brother's reaction, Damen finds the whole thing amusing. He realizes that even in his past life, he never found out how his feelings for Olivia began. Now he's curious, too.

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Leaning back comfortably, he encourages his brother to tell the story since there's not much else to do on the road.

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Accepting defeat, Abel takes a deep breath and explains that it all began four years ago at a big gathering of the Western nobles. That's where he first noticed Lady Olivia. She stood there wearing an elegant green Elise style

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gown. The color went beautifully with her brown hair. People seemed naturally drawn to her from every direction. Abel recalls that in that moment, she looked like she'd stepped right out of a painting. To him, she seemed incredibly beautiful. Back in the present, Victor

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comments that it sounds like he just fell for her looks. Meanwhile, our boy seems a bit disappointed since he was expecting something deeper. He remembers that in his past life, the two of them did end up together. Count Copperhead

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humiliatingly rejected Abel's marriage proposal. After that rejection, his brother shut himself off from the world and lived alone. Eventually, he even died by Damian's own hands. Looking at his brother now, Damian feels a faint ache in his heart. He silently swears

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things will be different this time. Abel won't go through the same fate again. Noticing Damian's intense stare, the brother shifts uncomfortably. 3 days later, the scene changes to the copperhead territory. Our group stands before the big entrance gate where a

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massive birthday banner flaps in the wind. Victor looks around in amazement and comments on how unbelievably huge this event is. Damen chuckles softly and says, "Count Copperhead must have spent a fortune on this celebration." As they start walking forward, a man comes out

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from the gate and stops them, demanding to know who they are. Victor eagerly steps forward and explains they've arrived from Vic Count Hexon's household. The man checks a list and looks for the Hexon name. Then he looks at Damian and pauses before asking if

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he's Sir Damian Hexon. Resting a hand on his brother's shoulder, our boy confirms who he is and introduces Abel as his younger brother. The man's attitude immediately changes. He bows apologetically and introduces himself as Connor, the head butler of House

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Copperhead. He respectfully invites them to follow him. A short while later, they arrive at a massive lodging tent set up for guests. Inside, Connor explains the quarters have been arranged specifically for them. Victor wanders around the room impressed by how big it is. The butler

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politely tells them they only need to call for him if they need anything, then leaves with the same smooth professionalism. Abel looks around and says the accommodations are excellent.

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He figures Count Copperhead must be a really hospitable guy. However, our boy remembers Count Copperhead very differently. In his experience, the count's never been particularly generous. Internally, he suspects the count might just be trying to take advantage of his newly gained

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reputation. Pulling aside a curtain, he tells the others that he's going to take a quick look around while they rest. But his brother suddenly gets serious and stops him, insisting he'll come along.

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Confused, the hero asks why. Abel explains he can't let him wander off alone because he made a promise to their father. Their father told him to stop Damian if it ever seemed like he was about to cause trouble. Our boy laughs

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and his brother if he really thinks he's some reckless kid. With that, he steps outside the tent. The moment he turns around, he accidentally bumps right into Sophia. The girl loses her balance and falls to the ground. From a distance,

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Jackson calls out to her and immediately rushes over. The second he reaches Damen, he grabs him by the collar and angrily accuses him of not watching where he's going. As he gets a better look at his face, his anger slowly fades

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and he realizes who he is. Our boy, though, just looks at him in confusion.

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Sophia gets back to her feet and dusts off her clothes. Feeling awkward, she quietly wonders why she has to run into Damian here of all places and on this particular day. Regaining her composure, she greets him with an uneasy smile and

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says it's been a long time. Hearing this, Bro lets out a small sigh and asks if he knows her. This causes the two of them to freeze for a second. The girl gets mad as she can't understand why he

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is acting like he's never met either of them before. Without another word, the hero grabs Jackson's wrist and calmly removes his hand from his collar. Right then, Abel and Victor come out of the tent and ask what is going on. He

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immediately recognizes Sophia, which makes Damian confused, and he asks if he knows her. The brother can hardly believe what he's hearing. He reminds the hero that Sophia used to be his fianceé. The girl's face flushes with embarrassment and irritation, and she

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quickly looks away. Our boy watches her without any visible reaction, but seeing her face brings back a flood of memories. He remembers that rainy night when the guards kicked him out while he desperately called Sophia's name and begged her to stop them. Sophia

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confirmed that Jackson was the one she'd mentioned as her former fianceé. Our boy asked in disbelief how she could just break off their engagement like that.

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Sophia had responded coldly, still holding Jackson's hand, explaining that their engagement was nothing more than a promise made by their grandfathers, and it didn't mean anything anymore. She'd gone on to introduce herself as Sophia Russell, and dismissed him as a

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worthless boy from some minor noble house who was never good enough for her. Those words had completely shattered him. Jackson looked down on him and declared he was only sparing him out of respect for Sophia, otherwise he would

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have taught him his place before the two of them walked away together. Then all of a sudden, the hero rushed forward, trying to hit the blonde guy. In response, Jackson unleashed a brutal counterattack, raining blows on him until he collapsed. Even then, Damen's

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eyes searched for Sophia, only to find her standing silently with her arms folded, completely unmoved. The memory fades, and in the present, he silently watches them both, still pissed at them for what they did. To regain her lost

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aura, the girl starts laughing and comments that he is only pretending not to remember because he's ashamed of that day. Damen furrows his brow slightly, not really getting what she means. She keeps going, calling him as pathetic as

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he was back then. Jackson laughs loudly, too, mocking our boy for maybe trying to act like a big shot now while forgetting his past connections. The guy then offers him handshake, saying, "It's good to see him again." Damen studies the

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hand for a moment before letting out a faint amused smile and accepting it. Jackson's expression turns smug, but in the next instant, his body suddenly gets lifted into the air and thrown back to the ground like a doll. Our boy teases

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him, saying that he might have used a bit too much force. Deep down, he is thankful to that idiot for giving him an excuse to beat him. Despite getting thrashed badly, the guy gets up and draws his sword. The hero can't control

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his excitement as he announces that whoever bleeds first loses. Before things can escalate further, someone calls out to Jackson, telling him to stop. The blonde guy immediately freezes and turns toward the source, recognizing the man as his master. The man admits

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that it's impressive how a useless boy like Damian has grown so strong in such a short time. Our boy stays calm and asks if the man knows him, already sensing that the power in front of him isn't insignificant. The man stops in

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front of him and confirms he knows him quite well. He then dismisses Jackson, ordering him to leave if his little performance is over. The blonde guy protests angrily, but a single glance from the man silences him completely.

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Forced to comply, he walks away while muttering about revenge. As they leave, the hero calls out to them teasingly, asking if they're really just walking away like that. The man pauses, glances back slightly, and introduces himself as Jacqu Noir, telling Damen to remember

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his name before walking off. Hearing this, a faint smile appears on the MC's face as he believes that things are about to get interesting. Later, in the camping grounds, Jackson storms into the tent, furious and demanding to know why

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he was stopped, insisting he could have handled that guy himself. Before he can finish, his master suddenly grabs him by the throat and reminds him that he'd already warned him not to cause unnecessary noise or attention. Jacques then throws him down, watching him gasp

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for air before explaining that if he hadn't intervened, Damen would have killed him without even trying. The blonde guy refuses to believe it, but his master tells him that the boy he saw is way beyond him level. He warns him

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not to provoke him again. The master then declares that their only purpose here is the Marshall tournament and all focus needs to stay on it. When Jackson asks why they're targeting a connection with Olivia despite his engagement, the

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master simply shuts him up. He reminds him of his position and warns him not to question his orders over personal matters. Finally, Jacques explains that winning the tournament and forming ties with Olivia are essential for his own goal. When asked what that goal is, he

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turns toward the exit and with a twisted smile declares that his wish is to reach the rank of master. His words leave Jackson totally confused and he just mutters master rank under his breath.

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But the guy doesn't stick around. He just puts on his hat and heads outside, saying he'll go dig up info on Count Copperhead and the other fighters while he focuses on getting ready for the tournament. The second Sophia sees

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Jacques leave, she ducks into the tent and hurries over to Jackson, looking worried. She immediately spots the marks on his neck and moves in closer, concerned. The blonde guy says he's fine, but inside a different kind of anger starts building. He silently

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curses his master, thinking if he wants something done, he could at least explain it properly. He has no clue how winning a tournament has anything to do with reaching the master rank.

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Frustrated, he swears that once he moves past the middle class rank, he's going to personally take out Damian. At the same time in the tournament grounds, the crowds are gathering outside the arena, whispering and spreading rumors about our boy. Meanwhile, he walks through the

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crowd with a relaxed smile, totally unbothered by all the attention. Victor quietly points out that a lot of people recognize him now, and he just grins wide, clearly enjoying it. Soon, heavy drum beats echo through the arena, and

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Count Chester Copperhead steps up and announces the big tournament he's throwing for his daughter's birthday, thanking everyone for showing up. The younger brother barely hears any of it, though. His eyes are locked on Olivia and everything else just fades away. The

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count says the tournament champions fame will spread across the region and that awesome rewards are waiting for the winners. The competition will last two days, split into team battles and individual matches. He also mentions that healing mages are on standby,

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encouraging everyone to go all out without holding back. After announcing the first matches start in 2 hours, the crowd goes wild. Damian's excitement rises as the tournament finally starts.

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After briefly splitting from his group, he heads to the competition area. Meanwhile, Count Copperhead glances at his daughter and comments that she could at least try to look happy since the whole thing is for her. Olivia responds coldly, making it clear she never asked

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for any of this. In her eyes, the tournament is just a way for her dad to show off his status, and she couldn't care less. The count brushes off her criticism, insisting she'll get it once the matches start, and the crowd gets

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into it. The first event is announced to be a team battle monster hunt. The audience loudly cheers for their favorite competitors, while Damen stands around casually with his hands in his pockets. Jackson notices he's in the same group as the hero and glares at him

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bitterly from a distance. Up above, his fiance enthusiastically cheers for him. Feeling super confident, the guy brags that a monster hunt is perfect for him and even throws Sophia a playful gesture, acting like the whole arena is his personal stage. The participants

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line up in front of the gates. Suddenly, a massive shadow appears overhead. As the gates rise, two huge trolls burst into the arena. This causes everyone to panic. One night tries to organize everyone, yelling at them to scatter,

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but a troll takes him down instantly. His blood splatters across the arena and a single drop lands on Damen's cheek.

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Our boy slowly wipes the blood away and a weird look of enjoyment briefly flashes across his face as he glances up at Count Copperhead. Realizing the count genuinely gets off on this kind of danger and chaos, the trolls attack is

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so brutal that the knight dies instantly and the gruesome sight shocks the audience. People recoil in horror and a noble woman sitting near the front gets splattered with blood, making her scream around her. Others struggle to process what they're seeing, asking if those

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creatures are really trolls and if that knight is actually dead. Even Olivia is shocked. She covers her mouth while staring at the scene below. Next to her, Count Copperhead just clicks his tongue in annoyance, thinking it's pathetic the

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knight died so easily. His daughter overhears him and demands to know why trolls were released during what was supposed to be a simple tournament match. The count calmly explains that weak participants need to be weeded out so the true champion can emerge. Olivia

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strongly objects, but before she can continue, the crowd's attention shifts elsewhere as cheers for Andrew Graden start echoing through the arena. The count narrows his eyes and comments that the audience always craves excitement.

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The more intense the spectacle, the more they enjoy it. Down in the arena, Jackson charges at one of the trolls.

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Sliding beneath its reach, he lands a clean slash to its leg before striking a heroic pose for the audience. The troll roars in pain, but its wound starts regenerating almost instantly. Jackson's expression hardens as he realizes the creature's regeneration is ridiculously

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strong and regular attacks aren't going to do much. Meanwhile, our boy stays in a quiet corner of the battlefield, calmly watching the other knights. He remembers the weird waiver he had to sign before entering the tournament and finally understands why. Count

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Copperhead is proving to be every bit as reckless as his reputation says. One troll raises both massive fists and gets ready to smash the ground. The blonde guy barely avoids the attack and realizes that going up against a monster

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like this alone is a huge disadvantage. Suddenly, a female knight suddenly charges forward and unleashes a rapid series of strikes against the trolls arm, splashing blood into its eyes and temporarily blinding it. The enraged creature starts swinging wildly. One

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attack catches the female knight, but she manages to block it, though the force sends her sliding backward across the battlefield. The troll turns its full attention toward her, creating an opening for another knight armed with a spear. He charges in from the side and

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carves deep wounds into the trolls legs. Blood pours down its body as the creature staggers and drops to its knees. Seeing an opportunity, the knight leaps up to finish it. Unfortunately, the troll catches him in midair with both hands. Before anyone can react, the

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knight gets crushed to death in the monster's grip. Jackson immediately takes advantage of the opening. Pushing forward with a burst of adrenaline, he channels mana through his blade and swings in one flawless arc. The strike severs the troll's neck and its massive

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head crashes onto the ground. The arena explodes with cheers. Spectators excitedly ask who the victorious knight is. Up above, Sophia watches with pride and admiration, softly repeating his name. Standing in front of the fallen troll, the blonde guy breathes heavily.

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His lungs burn from exhaustion, but a satisfied smile spreads across his face. He thinks the crowd has finally witnessed his greatness. Raising his sword high into the air, he proudly declares his intention to become the strongest knight. That triumphant moment

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ends abruptly when the shadow of the second troll falls over him. The monster's massive fist is already coming down. Acting on instinct, he raises his sword to block. The guy manages to stop the direct hit, but the overwhelming

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impact sends him flying several meters across the arena. He struggles to get up with a trembling body, cursing himself for totally forgetting about the second troll. As Jackson is still trying to get back up, he suddenly hears the MC's

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voice. Our boy casually remarks that it looks like he finally has to do something. With his hands still stuffed in his pockets, he figures that even if this whole role- playinging thing seems kind of ridiculous, he's got to play his

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part. The second he steps forward, the troll charges at him like it wants to murder him. Lying on the ground, Jackson internally calls him an idiot, convinced that taking on a troll alone is basically suicide. The trolls giant fist

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swings straight for the MC's face, but Bro doesn't even flinch. Right before impact, he activates his secret move, Myriad Flow Insight, and easily redirects the attack with one smooth motion. With a light jump, he lands on the troll's head, still keeping one hand

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in his pocket. In midair, he draws his sword and cuts right through the monster, splitting it from the top of its skull all the way down. The secret art terror slang sword totally lives up to its name. Blood explodes outward,

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spreading across the battlefield like a red curtain, while Jackson can only stare at Damian in complete shock.

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Seeing this, everyone in the crowd starts cheering for our boy. Even Count Copperhead starts clapping enthusiastically. Realizing that the stories about this kid might actually be true, Damen casually flicks the blood off his blade, and some of it splashes

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onto Jackson, making the humiliation even worse. Then he opens his subspace and stores his sword away like the whole fight was no big deal. While the crowd keeps shouting his name, Jackson lies there fuming because every cheer feels

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like another punch to his pride. That night, inside the banquet hall, noble ladies suddenly go quiet before breaking into excited whispers. Their attention is totally locked on Damian and Abel. As the brothers walk in the hall, both of

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them are dripped up from head to toe. The younger brother asks our boy how he managed to get clothes like this. Damen calmly explains he bought it from a famous shop called Moonlight Wave. The price nearly leaves Abel speechless, but

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after quietly thanking him, he gets told not to worry about it. The noble women stop whispering altogether and openly admire the MC. Some praise his masculine looks while others joke that he's their new favorite candidate. All of this

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attention doesn't go well with the blonde guy who can't understand why everyone is so obsessed with him. His mind goes back to the troll fight and he remembers the humiliation Damen put him through. He looks to Sophia for support,

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but she's barely listening. Her eyes stay fixed on the hero and for the first time, she finds herself wondering if he's always been this handsome. Right then, the announcer's voice silences the hall. Count Copperhead walks in proudly with his daughter. The count talks to

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the guests, praising the knight's bravery and saying he's sure the final matches will be just as awesome. Then he announces it's time to reveal the grand prize. The crowd whispers with curiosity as the count walks up to one of the

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flaming pots, but to everyone's shock, he shoves his whole fist into the fire. Abel instinctively steps back and a lot of guests hold their breath. The count just laughs and tells everyone not to worry. When he pulls his hand out, his

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skin is totally unharmed. The guy reveals that it's all thanks to the treasure in his hands. Our boy immediately recognizes that orb from his previous life. However, he is not the only one fixated by it. Jacques is also

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standing in the crowd with his eyes on the spirit's heart. The count explains that the treasure protects its owner from flames and helps regulate body temperature. He proudly says it's priceless before announcing it'll go to the tournament winner. Damian

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immediately realizes that offering something like this as a prize proves the count has no clue what it's actually worth. His smile widens as the reward suddenly gets way more tempting. After that, the count invites everyone to enjoy the banquet. With a simple flick

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of his finger, music starts up and the party gets lively again. A massive birthday cake is unveiled, followed by gift presentations. A young noble introduces himself as the son of Baron Nathan. The count recognizes the family name and remembers their region is

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famous for apples. The guy presents a cosmetic product made by alchemists from Mechu school. The count's not impressed internally, but he politely says thanks.

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Soon after, Charlie from House Zion shows off a necklace made with a rare seven colored crystal. The count acts impressed at first glance, but internally thinks his family already has plenty of those crystals. Watching quietly from below, our boy realizes the

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real competition has already started. But gifts at this level clearly aren't doing anything for the count. Then Jackson steps forward and introduces himself respectfully. Even with his ogre slayer reputation, the count doesn't even recognize his name. Swallowing his

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annoyance, the blonde guy presents a legendary vitality elixir, a potion that supposedly gives you seemingly endless energy for a whole day with just one sip. For the first time, genuine interest shows up in the count's eyes.

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Internally, Jackson is thrilled because everything's going according to plan. The count accepts the gift, praises it a lot, and even says he'll remember his name. The blonde guy keeps up a respectful bow, but inside he's totally celebrating his win. After he steps

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away, the hero tells his brother to get ready for their turn. The two rivals pass each other on the stairs without saying a single word. Jackson glances back suspiciously, but Damen only has eyes for the count. The count visibly

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brightens when he sees him and immediately praises his recent achievements. The two brother bow respectfully while the count talks up Damen's growing reputation. Our boy humbly says the compliments are overblown. Meanwhile, Olivia sits there totally indifferent. The banquet clearly

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doesn't interest her at all. Our boy notices how tough she is to impress, but calms himself down after glancing at his brother. He then tells the count that he and Abel brought a gift specifically for the young lady. The count gets curious

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about what someone of his level could possibly present. Damen opens a special storage space, which the count immediately recognizes as a rare magical tool. Reaching inside, he pulls out a curved wooden object. As the gift finally comes out, Olivia's eyes focus

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for the first time. The gift turns out to be a bow. Damen holds up the bow and shows it off to everyone. Count Copperhead stares at it, clearly confused, not seeing what's so special.

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Olivia, though, leans forward a little in her seat. Her eyes go wide and her mouth falls open in surprise. For the first time all evening, she actually looks interested. A few guests start whispering nervously, admitting they have no idea what they're looking at

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because it just seems like a regular bow. The count's expression slowly drops as disappointment sinks in. He figures the hero brought some lame gift that his daughter won't care about at all. Before anyone can say another word, Olivia

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suddenly jumps up from her chair and excitedly blurts out that it's an amazing bow. Her reaction totally shocks her dad into silence. Seeing that she's already totally hooked on the gift, our boy smiles since this is exactly the

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reaction he was hoping for. He immediately gives the okay and tells Abel not to just stand there, but to hand the bow over to her. Inside the banquet hall, the girl pulls back the bow string with all her might. Damen

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watches with a satisfied smile, realizing the rumors about Olivia loving hunting are true. It confirms his belief that winning someone over means knowing what they actually care about. After testing it carefully, Olivia admits that the bow's elasticity is insane. She

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turns to the hero and asks if it's made from a minotaur's horn. He confirms it is, admitting he knew she'd recognize it. He goes on to explain that the bow was forged from the horn of the minotaur that leads the whole herd. Jackson

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freezes on the spot. He immediately realizes that Damian is talking about a monster that even a middle-class warrior would struggle to beat alone. The girl checks the inside of the bow and finds an inscription. The second she reads the

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name August, she stammers in disbelief, hugging the bow tightly against her chest. She asks if it was really made by the legendary blacksmith August. At the sound of that name, Count Copperhead bolts upright in shock. Our boy calmly

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confirms it's true. The count quickly walks over and takes the bow from his daughter's hands, asking again if it really belongs to Master August. Turns out that the guy is considered the best blacksmith in the entire Apple Kingdom

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and one of his shields once sold at auction for an insane price. The dad openly admits this feels like an incredible stroke of luck because he never expected to get such a precious gift in his lifetime. Olivia immediately

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snatches the bow back and insists it's hers. Hugging it possessively, she turns to Damian with a grateful glow and thanks him sincerely. The hero redirects the praise, explaining he wasn't the one who got it. Pointing to Abel, he reveals

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that his brother went to great lengths to secure such a gift. The girl shifts her attention to the younger brother and asks if that's true. With admiration in her eyes, she admits she's genuinely curious how he managed to pull something

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like that off. Damen gives him a little nudge and asks if Olivia would rather hear the story directly from him. The girl eagerly agrees as she continues staring at the little brother. After getting permission from her dad, he

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calls his brother forward. Abel jumps, stumbles over his words, and gathers his courage. Finally, he reaches her and greets the girl in a trembling voice.

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Meanwhile, from a corner of the hall, Jackson's master finally steps forward and tells him that something has gone wrong with their plans. He glances toward the hero and realizes that his abilities are way beyond what he expected. This makes him a bit

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frustrated because it seems like the Hexon brothers are about to win both the tournament and the count's daughter. He turns away and tells the blonde guy to follow him. Jackson is a bit confused but obeys. Before leaving though, he

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tells Sophia to stay put and wait. As they all leave, our boy lets out an evil smile. The next morning at the Copperhead estate, our group walks together toward the arena. Abel notices his brother giving him a weird look and

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asks why he's staring like that. Damen teases him by pointing out how surprisingly smooth and confident he was with Olivia the night before and remarks that the vibe between them seemed pretty nice. Abel immediately freezes. His face turns bright red, and he stammers while

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insisting he's totally capable of stuff like that, too. Damian and Victor burst out laughing and the hero jokes that he'll be waiting for good news. Abel hangs back and awkwardly thanks him. Our boy immediately spins around with suspicion and asks what that's about.

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His brother clarifies that he's grateful for the opportunity he set up for him. In response, Damen jokingly takes out his sword and asks him if he is really his brother. He explains that looking out for his own brother is just the

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natural thing to do. Hearing those words, a warm smile spreads across Abel's face. He then hurries forward to catch up with the two of them. Soon, the arena hosts the second match. The hero launches himself forward with a flying

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punch. The sheer force of his strike shatters his opponent's sword before crashing straight into the guy's face.

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The impact sends the opponent flying into the arena wall where he collapses unconscious. The crowd erupts into cheers, chanting Damen's name throughout the arena. With that overwhelming victory, he secures his spot in the finals. While his younger brother cheers

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for him from the crowd, a mysterious girl watches him from a distance. She quickly walks over to him and takes off her hood, revealing that she is actually Olivia. Before the guy can ask anything, she warns him that his brother is in

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danger. The scene then shifts back to the previous night. Inside the estate, Olivia walks alone through the hallways with light, cheerful steps while softly humming a nice tune. Thinking back to her time with Abel, and she admits that

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she genuinely enjoyed their conversation. Just then, a maid approaches and tells her the count has summoned her. Olivia raises her eyebrows in surprise and wonders if her father really wants to see her this late.

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Moments later, we see her freaking out in front of her dad, who has just asked her to marry Jackson. The girl immediately shoots that down and insists her father shouldn't say such ridiculous things. She argues that she's never even

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had a real conversation with the blonde guy. At the same time, Jackson inwardly grumbles in annoyance, cursing his master as a troublesome old man. He remembers how he suddenly ordered him to follow without any explanation, making him rush over without thinking, only to

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end up listening to this absurd proposal. Olivia keeps pressing her father, demanding to know how he can make such a life-changing decision without even talking to her about it first. Count Copperhead listens to his daughter's protests in silence, just

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staring at the table for a bit before putting down his wine glass. Then, he tells her straight up that she's the eldest daughter of the house. Marriage isn't something she gets to decide, and that's the head of the family's call.

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Olivia's brows furrow as she demands to know what kind of logic he's even using to make this decision. The count doesn't hesitate and says it's about profit and benefit. He explains that Jacques promised to support House Copperhead once the marriage is done and asks if

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she gets how huge that is. He goes on to say that in the western region only two big houses have middle class core forces, Gold Pixie and Lion Bloom. By teaming up with Jacques, House Copperhead would get that same kind of

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power. Plus, the man promised to share weapon techniques and mana cultivation methods. Hearing this, Jackson nearly jumps out of his seat in shock. He gets mad because his master never taught those techniques to him, even though he's supposed to be his disciple. The

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girl lets out a frustrated sigh as her arguments start falling apart. She sinks back into her chair and bitterly says her father is basically selling her off for the family's benefit. The count glares at her, annoyed, telling her to

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watch her mouth and not talk so recklessly. Jacques finally speaks up and asks if the proposal is accepted.

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After thinking it over, Count Copperhead admits the terms are definitely tempting, but there's one small hiccup.

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Jackson is still a complete nobody as a knight, and taking some nameless guy as the family's son-in-law would hurt House Copperhead's reputation. Jacques immediately gets that status is the real issue. Calmly, he assures the count that his disciple will win the tournament

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tomorrow. The count hesitates and points out that Damian is also competing. The man stays cool and insists they can still win if he just agrees to do a small favor for him. Hearing this, the count warns him he won't provide

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anything unreasonable. Jacques agrees and reveals the favor is actually pretty simple. With a sneaky smile, he asks the count not to interfere, even if the hero dies during the match. Olivia instinctively starts to protest, but the words die in her throat when she sees

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her father actually thinking it over. After a long, heavy pause, Count Copperhead takes a sip of wine and quietly agrees. Back in the present, the girl stands in front of Damian and Abel with a tense apologetic look as she

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tells them everything that happened. After understanding what is going on, the hero realizes that Jacques is way more dangerous than he ever imagined.

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Count Copperhead is acting exactly as he did in his past life since he would do anything if it benefited his family.

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Despite all of this, the hero decides that he is not running away. Abel is stunned and demands to know what he means, pointing out that going up against a middle-class opponent is basically suicide. His brother just gives a faint smile and tells them he

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already has a plan for now. He says they should just focus on finishing the tournament. A few moments later, he walks toward the fighting grounds with both hands in his pockets. The remaining fighters huddle together and all stare

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at him at once. Drums start beating to signal the match's start, then go silent at Count Copperhead's signal. The count notices Olivia's empty seat and feels a flicker of irritation, wondering where she went when the finals are about to

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begin. Turning to the guest with a bright smile, he announces the start of the final match. There will be only one winner and the last one standing will be champion. After bowing to the audience, he says there are no extra rules and

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everyone can fight however they want. Inwardly, he apologizes to the MC, telling himself this is the only way to make sure Jackson wins. The drums start up again and the crowd gets excited for the fight. Standing calmly in the center

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of the arena, our boy immediately recognizes the count's no rules announcement as a dirty setup. As soon as the match begins, all the fighters draw their swords and point directly at him. Up in the spectator area, Jacques smiles coldly. On the battlefield,

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Jackson stands outside the circle, looking visibly frustrated. He curses under his breath, but understands the simple survival logic to take out the strongest opponent first. Drawing his sword, he leaps forward and charges at our boy along with everyone else. But

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Damen just smiles and doesn't move a single step. The scene shifts back to the night before the tournament. Inside a tent, the blonde guy protests angrily, demanding to know why his master is making all these decisions without even

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asking him, especially about the marriage. The next second, his master strikes him across the chest and orders him to shut up. The hit sends Jackson to the ground, coughing in pain.

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Internally, the guy curses him out, calling him a heartless bastard. Jacques just gives him an icy stare and tells him to simply obey his commands. The guy argues that he already has Sophia, so there's no reason for another marriage,

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but his master casually dismisses her as useless and mentions that he should just dump her. He reveals that he only let him pursue Sophia because he needed the backing of Viccount Russell. Now that he's gotten the fencing manuals and the

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elixir he wanted, the Russell family is useless to him. Jackson stares at him in disbelief and asks if his interest in House Copperhead is just as calculating.

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His master answers without hesitation. Through this marriage, he plans to control Count Copperhead and spread his influence even further. Still, the blonde guy can't understand why he would go that far. His master reveals that it's all for his ambitions. Even then,

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Jackson begs him to reconsider, insisting his feelings for Sophia are real. Jacques coldly points out that the girl already dumped Damian once before and could just as easily dump him. He reminds him how dramatically her attitude changed once the hero started

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getting famous. Then he pulls out a ring and orders the guy to take it. Confused, Jackson asks what it is. Jacques explains that the ring can trigger a mana rampage. He orders the guy to use the ring when he gives the signal during

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the tournament. Once the hero loses control and goes berserk, he is supposed to seize the chance and kill him.

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Realizing his master has no intention of listening to reason, the guy decides to pretend to go along with it for now. He takes the ring and acknowledges the orders. The scene cuts back to the present battlefield. The blonde guy and

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the other knights launch their attack on our boy all at once. Despite all of them attacking him at once, the hero stands still while smiling. Without taking a single step, he slips through the barrage with barely any movement,

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dodging every strike with flawless precision. Right at that moment, another knight charges from behind, thrusting his sword straight at Damian's back. At the very last second, our boy jumps into the air, making the stab miss completely. He lands lightly on the

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knight's head, using him as a springboard to launch himself even higher. Twisting his body midair, he comes down with a crushing elbow strike aimed right at the knight's head. The helmet shatters on impact and the knight crumples to the ground. Damen lands

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smoothly beside him, settling effortlessly into a fighting stance. The audience explodes into cheers as Abel and Victor excitedly shout Damen's name.

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Our boy lets out a soft chuckle and turns towards the remaining knights. He casually implies they must have thought their numbers would be enough to take him down. Raising one hand, he tells them to come forward with a little

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gesture, silently asking what they're waiting for. Jackson scowls, totally confused. He can't figure out how the hero is fighting lowclass knights without even bothering to draw his sword. Behind him, one of the knights mutters that Damen's a monster. That's

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when the blonde guy begins to wonder if our boy has actually surpassed the low class. Suddenly, a female knight bursts forward from behind Jackson, yelling that she's about to show off the swordsmanship of House Alter. At the same time, another knight rushes at the

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hero from behind, shouting about the glory of House Staint Roller. Only then does Damen finally pull his sword from his subspace ring. He casually mentions that attacking in a group while talking about glory is pretty ridiculous. The two knights strike at the same time, one

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from the front and one from the back. But before their blades can even reach him, Damen's sword flashes. His strike moves faster than theirs. In the same instant, he meets both blades headon.

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His secret art kicks in, twisting the force of impact and bending both knights arms in ways they're definitely not supposed to bend. The pain rips screams out of them. However, he doesn't stop.

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Without changing his expression, he raises his sword again. With his next strike, he disarms both knights. The female knight gets thrown through the air before crashing to the ground. Both opponents can barely stay standing.

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Their bodies are shaking and their hands are pretty much useless. Calmly, our boy reminds them that they all signed an agreement before the tournament. Then he moves. In one flash, he vanishes and reappears at the end of his strike while

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the knights behind him collapse one after another. He casually suggests they consider the outcome an unfortunate accident. The arena explodes with cheers. Damen's name echoes over and over through the stadium. Caught up in the madness, Abel nearly loses it

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completely as he proudly announces that the man is his brother. From above, Count Copperhead stares down in total shock. Our boy then turns to Jackson with an smile and points out that he's the only one left. He silently asks if

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he plans to join the fight or not. Jackson lowers his head and grinds his teeth, swallowing his curses. Then, without warning, he straightens up and pulls a pill from his ring. With a sneer, he implies that the hero has

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shown off long enough and that his arrogance is about to end. With this, he swallows the pill without another thought. Damen notices this and wonders what the heck Jackson just popped into his mouth. The effect hits instantly.

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Jackson's heartbeat goes wild and pain tears through his chest. Damen's eyes narrow when he picks up on some weird mana pattern he's never felt before.

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Turning fully, he follows the flow and sees the mana reaching one of the fallen knights. The knight suddenly screams in pain as this strange energy invades his body. Our boy freezes, totally confused, because the mana keeps spreading and now

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it's infecting not just one, but every single fallen knight. The blonde guy smiles and the same creepy aura starts rising from himself. Damian gets a terrible feeling that something's seriously wrong, so he looks back at the fallen knights and notices that the

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energy is eating them from the inside out. The blonde guy grins wide and lets out a low chuckle, telling the hero this is called a mana rampage. He explains it's a phenomenon where the mana inside someone's body goes out of control. When

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that happens, the mana loss is massive and the body gets severely damaged, sometimes even leaving the victim crippled. As that sinks in, our boy asks in a cold voice if this is the power of the gemstone Jackson just took. The

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blonde guy steps forward and confirms it, bragging that it's a trump card his master gave him. As he walks, he explains that this thing triggers a mana rampage in everyone around it. Getting more and more excited, he grins and

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taunts our boy, saying he shouldn't have been running his mouth for so long. Closing the distance completely, the guy gets right up in Damian's face and grins, saying he's about to be crawling on the ground like a worm. He stands

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directly in front of him while thick fog-like energy pours out of his body, swallowing up the space around them.

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Seconds pass, but nothing happens, and our boy just stands there, not even twitching. Then all of a sudden, he starts laughing. His laughter turns into an evil smirk as he asks if the guy seriously couldn't come up with anything

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better than this since he's clearly using black magic to cheat. Jackson snaps back in denial, shouting that it's not black magic while demanding to know how he is still fine. Before he can even finish his question, Damen delivers a

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brutal kick that leaves him coughing. His eyes go blank as the force sends him flying backward. The hero keeps his leg extended with a smile while the guy hits the ground, bouncing several times before crashing into the arena wall. Our

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boy walks over, looks down, and comments that it's honestly a shame that this kind of trick just doesn't work on him.

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Even the master can't figure out what is going on. He begins to wonder if the hero is actually immune to mana rampage.

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Inside the arena, Damen senses his stare and realizes that both Jacques and the count are trying to take him out and that the man even used his own disciple to do it. If he plays this opportunity right, he might be able to screw

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everyone over at the same time. Just then, the blonde guy suddenly appears in front of him and delivers a furious downward strike with his sword. Our boy effortlessly steps aside, making the blade hit the ground and crush the earth

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beneath it. Jackson instantly whirls around for another hit, but Damen jerks backward in the same heartbeat to create some space. The blonde guy plants his feet and takes a battle stance, screaming that he's going to kill the MC. As he charges forward, our boy

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simply smiles and tells the guy that he needs to remember his place. Just then, he swings his blade in a clean upward arc, and the waves blast outward in a wide spread. The attack hits Jackson before he can even close the distance,

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knocking the sword right out of his hand. The guy screams in pain as the mana engulfs him. The next second, a massive explosion shakes the arena. The ground trembles as dust and smoke rise into the air. From the impact of the

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attack, the blonde guy crashes down onto both knees. He covers his mouth, gagging as dark mana starts leaking from his body. Witnessing this scene, the crowd freezes in horror. Afterward, Jackson falls unconscious while Damian stands there calmly and the dark energy spreads

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across the arena like a fog. This makes the crowd panic as people begin shouting that they should report this to the Holy Order. The count breaks out in a cold sweat because all of this is going down right in his own backyard. His butler

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comes running up in a panic, reporting that things are spiraling out of control and warning that if this keeps up, word's going to reach the holy church real soon. Gritting his teeth, the count makes a quick decision and orders his

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men to stop the match and shut the crowd up immediately. Meanwhile, Damian calmly puts his sword back into his subspace ring and mutters to himself that everything's going exactly according to plan. Glancing over at the count's now empty seat, he scoffs and notes that the

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rats already bolted. Elsewhere, the count hurries across the grounds with his guards flanking him, cursing Jacques under his breath while trying to convince himself there's no proof linking him to the crime. He figures that as long as he plays totally

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clueless, everything will be fine. But just as he's about to step into his carriage, he hears the MC's voice casually asking where he thinks he's running off to. The sudden voice makes the count jerk nervously. Trying his best to stay calm, the count asks what

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the problem is. Damian tilts his head and replies that there's absolutely no point in pretending. Despite that, the count still tries to brush it off, though fear cracks his voice as he commands our boy not to come any closer.

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The next second, the MC's fists flash forward, knocking the guards out cold before they can even react. Within the same blink of an eye, he smashes his fist right next to the carriage door.

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The wood splinters, making the count shriek in terror. Keeping that same smile, the hero asks him once again what he thinks. Bro realizes that he can't really play around anymore, so he quickly nods and agrees to spill everything. We then see the count

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shouting in his room, demanding to know if his daughter is behind everything that just went down. Meanwhile, the girl stays seated with her arms crossed and admits that she was the one who told Damian. Hearing this, the count's face

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hardens with rage, and he points a finger, screaming she's completely lost her mind. Right at that moment, our boy suddenly lifts his heel and stomps hard on the table. He delivers a cold warning that he's still talking. This leaves the

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count drenched in sweat as he stammers out that he understands before fearfully asking how far this thing has escalated.

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The hero scoffs and reveals that the church will be sending investigators soon, adding that they'll easily uncover how the count conspired with Jacques to set up the assassination attempt. He presses further, asking what the count thinks will happen once the church finds

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out that forbidden black magic was also used. The count panics hearing all this and hurriedly denies any responsibility, insisting he had no idea Jacques would go that far and claiming he never could have imagined black magic being involved. Damen just scoffs, asking if

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he really thinks the church will buy such cheap excuses. Driven to utter desperation, the count starts begging for forgiveness, admitting his mistake and pleading not to be reported to the church. After thinking for a moment, the hero notes in an indifferent tone that

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even if he keeps his mouth shut, Jackson will eventually spill everything. He then reminds the count of the brutal torture methods the church inquisitors use, asking if he's ever heard of them.

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That revelation leaves the count's face completely pale. Damen's eyes narrow slightly before he straightens up to offer an alternative solution. He mentions that he's got some connections within the church, so protecting the count would be relatively simple.

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Shocked, the count eagerly asks if that's really possible. Our boy smiles, confirming that it's totally possible, though there are a few conditions. The count desperately agrees, saying he'll accept anything within his power. First, the hero clarifies that the count has to

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formally allow the relationship between Abel and Olivia. Though the count is a bit surprised, he immediately agrees.

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Next, Damian points a thumb at himself, saying he must be officially declared the winner of the Marshall tournament.

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The count remarks that this much is obvious, asking if that's all the conditions. The hero pauses for a moment, but before he can speak, Olivia suddenly cuts in, calmly, demanding that the count pay 300 gold coins to the

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hacks in Vic County as compensation. Hearing this outrageous demand, the count screams in sheer shock. Our boy looks over at the girl, genuinely surprised since this detail was never discussed beforehand, but he quickly turns back to the count and excitedly

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comments that it's an excellent suggestion that should definitely be included. Clenching his fists in deep resentment, the count grudgingly agrees.

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His daughter then speaks up again, announcing that before the year ends, the count has to transfer half of his territory into her name. Damian is momentarily stunned by this, silently questioning what he just heard.

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Meanwhile, the count demands she repeat herself with a deep frown before slamming his hand on the table and screaming in absolute rage. The girl reminds him that she's the sole witness who saw the whole thing from start to

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finish. That leaves the count speechless for a few moments before he bitterly accuses her of trying to rob her own father. Without an ounce of hesitation, she confirms that this is exactly her intention, saying she wants to take

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what's rightfully hers and get the hell out of this suffocating family once and for all. The count can only stammer in complete shock. The girl continues pointing out that she was treated as nothing more than a tool her whole life.

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But now the roles have reversed because she's making him her tool, grinding his teeth in blind rage. The count can barely utter a question about how she dares to go this far. Meanwhile, Damian stands bewildered, realizing the situation has escalated way beyond his

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expectations because Olivia is proving to be way more terrifying than he thought. The girl then slowly turns to our boy, asking if there are any other conditions left. The hero assures her that the current terms are already more

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than enough. Turning back to her dad, the girl states that if he has no objections, his silence will be taken as consent. The count trembles with rage, but ultimately finds himself completely powerless to resist. A few days later,

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we see the count being interrogated by a holy knight from the church. Our boy steps in to defend the guy and declares that Count Copperhead is totally innocent. Hearing this, Holy Knight Thomas expresses his confusion, pointing out that Jackson has already confessed

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to conspiring with the count to go after Damian's life. The count hurriedly defends himself, claiming the conspiracy charge is an absolute lie. He explains that he only asked for some interference with the duel's outcome and had absolutely no knowledge of their real

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sinister intentions. Applying a bit of pressure to the count's shoulder, the hero confirms his statement, elaborating that the count had secretly warned him beforehand to avoid the duel because he too was clueless about what those people were planning. Thomas remains openly

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skeptical, prompting our boy to smile and reason that if the count really wanted him dead, there'd be no reason to warn him in the first place before asking the count to confirm it. Sweating coldly, the count confirms the claim,

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adding that if he'd known about the black magic beforehand, he would have stopped them himself. Damen then puts on a solemn and benevolent expression, asking Thomas to believe them while swearing in the name of God that there's no lie in their words. Becoming visibly

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emotional, Thomas declares that his words must be true, given that Lady Agnes places her absolute trust in him.

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The hero lets out an awkward laugh, silently repeating those very words to himself. The Holy Knight then officially announces that the case is closed and the count is cleared of all charges.

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Just when the count relaxes, our boy put his heavy hand back on his shoulder, reminding him that it's his turn to keep his promise. A week later, we see the group heading back to Hexenv County.

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While his little brother yaps with the girl, our boy can't help but be annoyed.

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Still, everything turned out as planned, so he is quite pleased. The church's investigation officially wrapped up after a week with the authorities deciding there are no suspects other than Jackson and Jacques, resulting in a wanted order being officially issued

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against Jacques. While the count was cleared of all suspicion, Olivia had already distanced herself from him entirely, choosing instead to leave with Abel. Damen acknowledges that while Abel finally won Olivia's love, he himself managed to snag a different kind of

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prize. With that in mind, he pulls out a glowing red orb. Even though there was no award ceremony after the tournament, he made sure to claim his reward. The hero smiles faintly to himself, noting that the count had absolutely no clue

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about its true value, whereas he knows exactly what it is. He recognizes it as a spirit heart, which is an incredibly rare item that only forms upon the death of a high-ranking spirit. He knows that if it's melted down and absorbed, it

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gives a massive boost to one's mana and spirit power. Gripping the orb tightly, Damian feels a surge of excitement, realizing it's a heart infused with fire spirit abilities. He understands that absorbing this will rapidly speed up his return to the power level of his

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previous life. While this is happening, Jacques is silently following the carriage with rage in his eyes. While everyone is asleep inside the carriage, the master sneaks up on them and draws his sword. At that exact moment, our boy, who's casually perched high up in a

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tree, comments aloud that he was starting to think his neck would snap from waiting so long. The second the words leave his mouth, the branch beneath him gets cleanly sliced apart.

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Dropping downward with excitement, Damian comments in an amused tone that this must be what being middle class feels like since his opponent's reactions are undeniably fast. Jacques immediately demands to know if he knew he was being followed the whole time.

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Holding up the red orb with a faint smile, the hero replies that he knew from the very beginning, adding that he also knew he was tracking him specifically for this item. Catching sight of the orb, Jacques confirms that

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the spirit heart is indeed in his possession. The hero replies with interest that it's only natural, seeing as he's the tournament winner. Frowning, Jacques asks how he managed to detect his presence. Our boy explains that figuring it out was incredibly simple.

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If Jacques's only goal had really been arranging a marriage between Jackson and Olivia, he wouldn't have been so utterly obsessed. Nor would he have resorted to something as dangerous as black magic.

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His real target from the start was always the winner's prize. Hearing all this, the guy raises his sword and declares that if that's the case, things are actually working out perfectly for him. With the church deployed everywhere, he assumed sneaking back in

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would be tough, but following him turned out to be the right move because now he can just kill him and take the prize with ease. The hero sneers in response, telling him that if he really believes that, he's welcome to try. Drawing his

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own sword, he openly challenges him to come and take it. Jacques instantly swings his blade, unleashing a twisting slash. Damian reacts swiftly, using his sword to block the attacks raining down from multiple angles until Jacques's blade suddenly thrusts directly toward

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his eye. Our boy quickly raises his sword, forming a circular guard to block the attack. But the force of the hit still pushes him back a bit. Noticing a tear in his sleeve, he silently sizes up his opponent. Realizing that Jacques is

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a top tier fighter, even among the middle class, there's absolutely zero wasted movement in his attacks, and his strikes are razor sharp. The man is also surprised, commenting that it's pretty amazing for a mere low-class fighter to withstand his attacks this well, but he

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believes this is where the hero hits his limit. Right after that, the man steps forward and creates multiple copies of him. The clones speak at once, asking our boy if he finds this impressive.

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They explain that this sword art is a technique from a swordmaster, one that he spent his whole life restoring.

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Twisting the tips of their swords, they add that all of their blades are simultaneously fake and real, meaning Damian's senses will never be able to tell which one's the original. With this, the clones surge forward together to launch a coordinated assault,

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unleashing the false true mirage sword technique. On the other side, our boy lightly taps the body of his sword, filling it with energy. A moment later, an overwhelming power spreads from the tip of his blade. Using his sword as a

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focal point, he unleashes a massive surge of energy that wipes out all of Jacques's clones in one go. Watching this, the man can only stare in disbelief. As the dust and smoke slowly clear, only the two of them remain

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standing opposite each other. Terrified, the man yells in shock that what he just saw is impossible. In his heart, he panics as he realizes this is the exact same technique that blocked Jackson's blade earlier. Damen mocks him in

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response, saying that he is making way too much noise over such a minor sword art. Jacques grinds his teeth in anger, snapping back because he can't accept that his lifelong technique is being called trivial. Our boy just gives a

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slight smile, casually asking if that's really how the technique is supposed to be used. Then, Bro copies the exact technique, and his opponent's eyes widen in horror. Multiple silhouettes start to appear, and within moments, thousands of Damian's clones manifest before him.

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Jacqua's entire body shakes with fear. Pointing a trembling hand, he demands to know how he can use the false true Mirage sword. The hero casually replies that he just tried copying him. This pushes the man to the edge. Ever since

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his childhood, he had believed that he was a genius. However, upon meeting a real genius, that illusion shattered instantly. These thoughts make the man clutch his chest in pain, muttering in disbelief that this can't be happening and demanding to know how someone could

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defeat him so effortlessly. In his memory, the true genius just looked up with indifference and gave a vague response. That's the day he finally decided to change to make up for his shortcomings and stand on equal footing with real geniuses. He constantly

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searched everywhere for elixirs and master level techniques. It took him more than 10 grueling years just to finally reach the middle class.

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Reflecting on this, the man tightly grips his sword and asks how Damen could treat the techniques that took him a lifetime to master like they're nothing and copy them so easily. While Bro is fuming in anger, our boy walks right

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past him, casually swinging his blade to cleanly cut his neck in one motion. After killing him, my man simply walks away, commenting that he needs to sleep.

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However, he turns back after a few steps and adds that once an enemy is defeated, you should properly loot them. The scene cuts to a month later where we see Olivia washing her own clothes. Noticing this, the maids anxiously rush over,

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insisting that she shouldn't be doing such chores herself since it's their job. The girl calmly responds that it's totally fine and she can handle this much work on her own. Just then, a voice calls out from a short distance away,

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telling her to leave the chores and go get some rest. Olivia turns around and in surprise addresses the woman as her mother. She gently asks where she's heading, and her mother kindly replies that she heard the stable master's wife

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is pregnant, so she's going to visit her. Hearing this, the girl excitedly mentions that it's wonderful news and suggests that they should bring along some healthy food for her. Her mother happily agrees, calling it an excellent idea, and asks if she would like to come

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along. Smiling, the girl replies that she'd love to, and the two happily chat with each other. Meanwhile, the hero and his dad stand near an indoor window watching the scene unfold. The dad remarks that managing the territory has

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gotten way easier thanks to the girl. Our boy agrees, adding that the servants are also incredibly thankful because he oversees everything so carefully.

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Hearing this, the dad recalls the moment he and his wife first saw Olivia in complete surprise, noting how quickly she adjusted to everyone. He reflects on how shocked he was when they first met, considering that account's daughter brought half a territory with her and

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declared she'd marry Abel. In just one month, she's naturally become part of the family. The dad adds that thanks to Olivia, they managed to crush the pride of the people who used to look down on them at social gatherings. He then turns

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to the hero and tells him that it's time he also starts looking for a wife. When our boy tells him that it's a bit too early, the dad quickly pulls the curtain back, revealing a board covered information about potential marriage

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prospects, he explains that it's not sudden at all since he has gotten pretty famous lately and matchmaking offers have been pouring in non-stop. Still, the hero rejects his offer, telling him that it's too soon for him. This makes

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his dad confused and he starts yapping about settling down and family responsibilities. Damen knows his only option is to jump out the window, so he breaks it and finally escapes the lecture. Stopping a short distance from the mansion, he mutters to himself that

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he can't believe his father suddenly brought up that topic. He stares down at a dark stain on the ground and reflects that getting caught up in such ordinary thoughts is a luxury for someone like him. Back when he was a death knight, he

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slaughtered countless people. Even if it wasn't his own will, he still took away many families. Viewing himself as nothing more than a murderer, he thinks that he doesn't deserve this kind of happiness. He makes a firm vow in his

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heart that he has to become strong first, and before anything else, he has to kill Dorgo. Right at that moment, a book appears in his hand. Flipping through its pages, he explains that it's a new mana cultivation method he

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discovered after beating Jacques. Noting that it's different from typical methods because it doesn't require sitting down to absorb mana. Although he admits that its principles are complicated and it absorbs less mana overall, he figures that if he combines it with existing

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methods, it could be pretty effective. Damian calculates further that if he pairs this with properly absorbing the heart of the spirit, he'll be able to speed up his return to the power level of his previous life in no time. Just

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when he thinks about training a bit, Victor comes running and tells him that he has got a visitor. This visitor turns out to be none other than Agnes, who apologizes for dropping by so quickly.

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Our boy responds awkwardly and then leans over to whisper to Victor that next time he should just say he's not around. Turning back to the girl, he asks why she's come so unexpectedly.

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Agnes hesitates, admitting that she needs to ask him for a difficult favor. She reveals that they've finally located the dungeon of corpse play. The girl had been relentlessly tracking the necromancer and has finally found him.

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Agnes tightly grips his hand and admits that this is exactly why she came to him. Looking him in the eyes, she asks if he would lend her his strength to put him down for good. The scene shifts to a

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halfopen window where the hero crouches and lightly drops onto the ground below. Suddenly, he hears Victor's voice asking him where he's heading so early in the morning. Feeling uneasy, he avoids his gaze and awkwardly explains that he's just going out for some early morning

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exercise. But Victor instantly shuts that down, accusing him of lying because he's clearly sneaking out because of Lady Agnes' request. He directly asks if he is really planning to join such a dangerous subjugation squad. Realizing there's no point in denying it, the hero

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calmly admits that he is right. Victor hesitates for a moment and then earnestly pleads with him not to go this time. He explains that even though he knows his skills are good, a necromancer's dungeon is incredibly dangerous, and above all, the Vic Count

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would never give his permission. Damen agrees that his father would indeed never allow it. With a smile, he explains that this is exactly why he's sneaking out, casually, suggesting that Victor should just pretend he never saw anything. Hearing this, Victor shouts in

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frustration, moving forward to stop him and raising his broom to block his path. He insists that he won't let him leave, declaring that he'll never send him to a place that's practically a death trap and firmly tells him that he must not

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go. Before Victor can finish his sentence, he gets suddenly smacked hard on the back of the neck and instantly falls unconscious. Damen casually catches his limp body and props him up against a nearby wall. After taking care of the boy, he dusts off his hands and

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casually reassures him that he doesn't need to worry because he won't lose to someone like corpse play. With a sinister smile, he adds that this is the perfect chance to cut off one of Dorggo's limbs, and he can't afford to

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miss it. As he walks away, he cheerfully waves his hand, telling Victor not to forget to put in a good word for him with his father. Then, he leaps off and heads toward his destination. A few hours later, a woman extends her hand to

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greet him. Introducing herself as Margata. She explains that she's a secondass paladin and says it's a pleasure to meet him. Our boy notices that she's huge and politely returns the greeting. When they shake hands, the grip is unexpectedly powerful, making

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the hero reflect that a secondass paladin's strength is on par with a middle-class knight. The girl admits that it might sound a bit rude, but she didn't expect him to actually show up, especially since this dungeon was created by corpse play. Damian replies

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that he couldn't refuse Agnes' request since he also holds a strong grudge against necromancers. Hearing this, Margata leans toward Agnes and comments that she was worried before because Agnes knew nothing about men, but it looks like she made the right choice.

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She then draws her sword, clicking her tongue as she remarks that it's a bit of a waste, but can't be helped. And then she hands it over to Damian. Our boy accepts it with a blank expression, asking what it is. But the moment he

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pulls the blade from its sheath and sees it glowing with a dazzling light, his eyes go wide in shock. Margata smiles and explains that it's a holy sword. As he stares at it, he notes to himself that it's made of rare metal, tempered

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countless times by dwarven masters, and infused with divine power by priests. He can feel all his fatigue vanishing just by holding it, and he delightfully comments that it's truly incredible. The girl laughs heartily and reveals that Agnes begged their master to give him a

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proper reward if he joined the subjugation. She then adds in a teasing tone that it's very rare to give a holy sword to an outsider so easily, joking that their junior disciple is completely head over heels for him. Before she can

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finish her sentence, Agnes lands several kicks on her, blushing deeply and muttering that she already warned her to stop speaking nonsense. Feeling shy, Agnes turns to the hero and thanks him once again for accepting her request.

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Our boy calmly replies that it's no big deal and asks if she can explain the details of the current situation. The girl answers in a serious tone that she'll explain everything inside the carriage and the whole group climbs in.

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As the carriage begins to move, she recalls the events that took place a few weeks ago in the Nelfree Mountains.

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There had been a series of unexplained disappearances and a couple of knights were sent to investigate. Suddenly, the dog guiding them got agitated and started backing away. Seeing the animal trembling uncontrollably, both knights wondered what was wrong. Right at that

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moment, an agonizing voice echoed through the forest, repeatedly crying out that it was in pain. At first, they thought it was a human, but suddenly, a huge creature appeared from behind the trees. Both knights could only stare in

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horror as they noticed that its body was covered in the faces of multiple people.

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Back in the present, Agnes explains that the dungeon's location was identified by local soldiers. Hearing this, our boy senses that something about this situation is suspicious. He analyzes that it makes no sense for the test subjects of someone like Corpse Play to

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be found so easily, especially since he never used to leave any traces behind. Margata agrees with his assessment, mentioning that Headquarters also suspects it might be a trap. Damen curiously asks if they're still sending the subjugation squad anyway. She

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replies that they are, but clarifies that Headquarters isn't being reckless. In case it's a trap, elite members from three different orders have been gathered to handle it. Hearing this, our boy gets confused and asks her why they needed him since they have more than

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enough manpower. Agnes hesitates, admitting that she's the reason. Her master originally rejected the mission, considering it far too dangerous.

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However, she insisted and pleaded that she absolutely had to join. Margata adds that the decision was made at the last moment, which is why only she and Agnes could come from their order. If he hadn't accepted, she wouldn't have let

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the girl go either. After hearing everything, our boy finally says that he understands. In his thoughts, he acknowledges that he already knows exactly how this subjugation will end.

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He remembers that the same thing happened in his past life where a large subjugation squad went out and was completely wiped out. The truth only came to light later through the words of a single paladin. What that paladin told

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them was that there was a traitor among the squad members. It doesn't take long for our group to arrive at their location. Inside the subjugation forc's camp, the hero quietly looks around at the busy knights. Watching their expressions, he notes to himself that

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they seem pretty highly trained. After looking around a bit more, he figures that several paladins only appear to be at a lowclass level. This shows that the order has really thrown everything into this subjugation. Right then, Margata loudly calls him over, telling him to

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come to her. He immediately acknowledges her and follows behind. Entering the tent, she cheerfully greets everyone inside. Gamal, a secondass paladin of the swirling blizzard order, complains that she is late yet again. There is also a third class night Dionio sitting

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beside him who tries to calm him down. The girl takes a seat and explains that she only stopped somewhere for a quick moment, joking that she promises not to be late next time. She teases Gamal about his bad temper, warning him that

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if he keeps scowlling like that, he'll get wrinkles on his forehead. This makes the man even more annoyed and he tells her that this is exactly the kind of behavior he expects from the scorchers whom he calls ignorant and rude. Hearing

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this, Margata gets visibly angry and warns him to watch his mouth. She explains that while she might let a personal insult slide, she will never tolerate disrespect toward her order.

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While the two of them argue, the hero turns to Agnes and who that guy is. She explains that he's a disciple of Black Snow and a secondass paladin of the Swirling Blizzard Order. Seeing that neither side is backing down, the hero

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thinks to himself that these two orders clearly do not get along at all. Just then, a thick girl steps into the tent and tells everyone to stop fighting. Her name is Sannis, and she is a secondclass paladin of the Dazzling Agony Order. She

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tells them that they should save that rage for the filthy black mages hiding in the dungeon. Her appearance seems to calm down the room. After sitting down, the girl looks at our boy and asks who he is since he doesn't look like a

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paladin. The huge girl introduces him as Sir Damen Haxon. Hearing his name, Gamal freezes in shock, asking if he's the same knight who defeated an executive of Yulan. The girl enthusiastically confirms it, proudly adding that Agnes recruited him herself. Suddenly, Dionio

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raises his hand to stop them, asking in surprise if they're really adding an outsider to the subjugation team. The girl immediately explains that Damian is no ordinary outsider since he's made significant contributions to the order and has been granted associate status.

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Hearing this, the guy frowns and comments that this just makes him a mercenary. The other guy also supports his junior's point, questioning if it isn't dangerous to accept an outsider into such a critical operation. Agnes clenches her fists and asks angrily what

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he means by that. The guy replies that an outsider could have hidden motives, pointing out that black mages have sent spies into the order before. Hearing this, Margata slams her fist on the table, angrily warning him that he's

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crossing the line. The thick girl also sides with the man since she thinks adding an outsider just brings more risk. The man then turns to our boy directly. He explains that the paladins are here to purge heretics and prove the

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greatness of God and then asks what his reason is. Damen goes quiet, realizing he needs to answer carefully if he wants to earn their trust. He hesitates for a moment and starts to respond. But before he can finish his sentence, someone

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rushes into the tent with urgent news, reporting that the scouts have spotted a flesh golem in the middle of the mountain. The scene suddenly shifts to another location where a child's face is shown crying in despair, calling out for

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his mother. The knight yells in horror, wondering how such a terrifying creature can even exist. Suddenly, a stream of blue energy lashes against the monster's body. The monster recoils, snarling and shouting that it's in pain. It asks why

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they're tormenting it and warns them not to touch it. In the same movement, the monster strikes the knight, throwing him a great distance away, and screams that it will kill him. However, before the knight can hit the group, the huge girl

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suddenly appears and catches him. Blocking the impact, she shouts at him to pull himself together. Gamal rushes forward, urgently, telling Margata to look ahead. The monster's body starts releasing an eerie blue myasma that spreads in all directions. The toxins in

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the myasma instantly wither the grass and plants around them. The girl screams out in shock that it's poison, ordering everyone to shield their bodies with holy power. The rest of the squad complies immediately. Gamal curses loudly, noting that the poison is

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incredibly strong and that they have to focus entirely on defense until the attack ends. However, he falls into complete confusion as he spots the hero standing right in front of him. Everyone calls out Damen's name in shock because

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he's pushing back the potent poison using nothing but his own aura. As he takes a step forward, the monster growls, asking if he's going to hurt it, too, and repeatedly tells him to stay back. Immediately after, it opens its

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mouth and shoots thousands of poisonous needles straight at him. Despite all this, our boy keeps moving forward.

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Right at the moment, the monster raises its fist to attack. He raises his sword and pierces its hand directly. He then asks Gamal in a cold tone if they wanted to know why he's here. While the guy looks at him in shock, he explains that

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a black mage named Ajito once placed a curse on his family estate and tried to kill everyone. He says that after going through something like that, simply killing one black mage isn't enough for him. Saying this, he pushes his blade

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even deeper, piercing the monster's core and freezing its hand instantly in place. Damen declares that he won't stop until every single black mage is wiped out. In a dark room packed with skeletons and hanging bodies, the dark mage Delrand just stares into this huge

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mirror. Two of his allies are yelling at him. super pissed because he totally got their hidden spot exposed to the Holy Knights camping outside. The guy doesn't even care and just mocks them, saying he's just following his master's orders

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to wreck the kingdom's military. One of the guys asks if his master even talks to him anymore, and the mage immediately warns them to watch their mouths. Out of nowhere, a shadow appears, grabs both of them, and slams their heads into the

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floor. Delrand tells his servant Kite to drag them away so they can start some dark magic ritual. Staring at a glowing purple ball, he gets all excited about making some powerful masterpiece from a holy knight's corpse just to please his

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master. Using magic threads, the guy reanimates a monster from an earlier fight. But then he checks his magic ball and is shocked to see this young guy named Damian casually destroying the monster's hidden core with one blue energy sword strike. The dark mage

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realizes Damen isn't even a holy knight. Getting hyped by his crazy strength, he decides right then that the hero will be the best material for his experiments and the ultimate masterpiece of his life. Next day, Gamal stands on a rock

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in the forest and lays out the battle plan to his troops. He assigns different squads to lead the charge, protect the middle, and guard the back. Damen thinks it's a pretty smart strategy. Meanwhile, Agnes complains about being stuck in the

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rear instead of fighting up front. Hearing this, Dianio tells her to save her energy and praises the MC's fighting from the day before, though he admits he still doesn't fully trust him since he's an outsider. Our boy just shrugs it off,

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but the girl tells the man to get back to his position. While she argues with him, Damen smiles to himself, thinking that finding a traitor inside the order might be just as fun as hunting the dark mage. He asks Agnes if they should get

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moving and wonders what makes her hate her enemies so much. A bit later, the blonde guy and Gamal charge forward and slice apart a frozen monster. Damen watches them, totally fascinated by their magical snowstorm powers. As the snow falls on him, he can't help but be

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impressed since even he can't replicate this ability. This authority only belongs to this order, though he did fight the five saints in his previous life. While he is busy in thought, Sannis walks up to him and comments that

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blended snowstorm is among the strongest sex within their order. Even though this ability is overkill, they might be a bit conscious after seeing him fighting that monster the previous day. Our boy simply glances back at her, saying that he

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doesn't mind it at all. The girl continues, adding that the knights are killing the monsters a bit too fast, which he doesn't like. If it were her, she would have torn them to pieces and made sure they suffered before ending

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them. Hearing this, the hero realizes that she truly is a disciple of radiance. The girl tells him that seeing him fighting yesterday. She could tell that he had great hatred for dark mages.

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She even invites him to join her super fanatical religious squad, but he quickly declines since he is done with holy nights. However, the girl suddenly reveals that if he joins, he might be able to solve the problem of his mana

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capacity. This makes him a bit interested, and she explains that each knight gets a power depending on his faith. Moreover, this power grows each time they kill a heretic. As tempting as it sounds, our boy still declines, saying that he is not yet worthy to be

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fighting for the divine. Inside, he knows that he can probably solve his mana problem once he fully absorbs the spirit's heart. As the two of them talk, the huge girl teases Agnes that she might lose her man at this rate.

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Meanwhile, the short-haired girl starts blushing, saying that she now wants him even more since he rejected her offer.

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As he stares at her in confusion, she starts flirting and slowly opening up her shirt. My man has never felt the touch of a woman before, so he responds by drawing his sword and slashing her in seconds. As everyone stares at him in

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shock, it is revealed that he was actually aiming for an invisible monster that was sneaking up on the short-haired girl. Hearing the screams of the monster, the girl turns around in surprise and comments that there is a monster capable of hiding its presence.

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Our boy stands ready with his sword and comments that the monster's armor is much tougher than expected. He says he will deal with it, but before he can act, the girl waves the book in her hand. A powerful force bursts out from

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the monster and stops it instantly. Still smiling, she says she is in the middle of spreading her faith and asks him not to interrupt. The hero is shocked that she can suppress such a powerful flash gollum with just a book.

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At that moment, Agnes and Margata rush over and report that enemies are attacking from behind. They tell Sonis to return to her position. Before leaving, the girl casually says it is a pity they cannot continue their conversation and even tries to recruit

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Damian into a three-month scripture program. Agnes watches them with an unhappy expression while the other girl checks if he is hurt. The hero assures her he is fine and offers to help, but she confidently says she and Agnes can

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handle it since it seems like she needs to blow off some steam. The white-haired steps forward, gathering blue energy around her fists. Watching her, our boy remembers that she is the greatest disciple of the Azure flame. She charges

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ahead, releasing blue energy that slices through the monsters. Their bodies are cut apart before blue flames burn them to ashes. Among the five great saints, the Azure Flame is the strongest, while Luminance is the most troublesome to face. After the battle, the group argues

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over how to clear the cave. Some want to move together while others want to split into separate teams. The hero grows bored with the endless discussion, so the girl offers to bring food, but the blonde guy arrives with meals he has

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already prepared for his sister. He reluctantly offers one to Damian as well before leaving with a resentful look. As they eat, the girl reminds our boy that their real target is corpse play. Damian asks why she hates him so much. After

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hesitating, she reveals that she is one of the survivors of the village destroyed by him. Her older brother had returned home that day. He hid her away and ordered her not to come out or make a sound until someone came for her. It

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is the last time she ever sees him. By the time the Holy Knights rescue her, the village and the undead have already been reduced to ashes. After learning that corpse play caused the tragedy, she decides to become a holy knight herself.

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Hearing this, Damen realizes how painful her past truly is. Margata later returns and announces that the meeting is over.

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The subjugation force decides to split into five groups and enter through different paths. Gamal gathers everyone and orders each squad to move quickly and support any team that falls behind.

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He declares that this will be Yulan's final day. Just then, the ground beneath them cracks apart and everyone loses their footing as they fall into a massive abyss hidden beneath the mountain. While others panic, our boy calmly jumps from falling rocks to

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control his descent. He realizes that the entire mountain has been hollowed out as a trap, explaining why the dungeon entrance was located halfway up the slope. With a cold smile, he thinks that corpse play has prepared a grand

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grave for himself. After landing safely, he notices Dianio nearby. The guy quickly uses divine power to heal himself. Seeing him, the hero thinks to himself that this is why he compares holy knights to cockroaches because of their stubborn ability to recover. The

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short-haired guy curses his luck, annoyed that out of everyone, he has ended up trapped with Damian. Our boy casually says that if he dislikes it so much, they can go their separate ways because he plans to move ahead alone.

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However, as he turns to leave, the guy grips his spear tightly, rushes forward and thrusts his blue spear at an invisible monster near them. He warns the hero not to lower his guard, reminding him that they are inside a

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dark mage's dungeon and that traveling alone is dangerous. Damen is surprised. He knows Dianio dislikes him, so he asks why he is helping him. The guy openly admits that he still hates him, but says that if he dies, Agnes will be

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heartbroken. That is enough reason for him to keep Damian alive. The hero teases him by saying that he must like her. Dianio immediately becomes embarrassed and angrily tells him to stop talking nonsense. Seeing him reacting this way, our boy can't help

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but compare him to his brother. Their conversation is interrupted when a huge creature with glowing red eyes appears above the guy and attacks. Fortunately for him, the hero quickly pulls him out of the way. As the dust settles, they

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see a creature that almost looks human. Damian recognizes it as one of Corpse Play's flesh golems designed to resemble real people. The blonde guy attacks with divine power, trying to destroy it, but the moment his spear strikes, his divine

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energy disappears. The golem punches him into a rock wall. Shocked, Dionio realizes that his divine power is no longer working. Damen steps in and cuts through the monster. Inside its body, he finds a strange orb and immediately recognizes it as a magic artifact

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connected to someone he knows from his previous life. After destroying the golem, he gives the orb to the blonde guy and tells him to hand it over to the order for investigation. It is the reason divine power is failing. The hero

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remembers that in his previous life, the order discovered the solution too late, causing terrible losses. This time, they can prepare much sooner. After that, Dionio becomes noticeably more respectful toward him. The two continue deeper into the enormous cavern hidden

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inside the mountain. Soon they run into Sonis, who happily greets them as if nothing is wrong. However, our boy notices that she is holding Gamal by the throat. The blonde guy is horrified and demands an explanation. At the same

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time, elsewhere in the dungeon, Agnes and Margata recover from the fall and discover that most of the ordinary Holy Knights have died. Before they can react, a man appears before them. He introduces himself as Corpse Play, the very person they came to kill. The

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white-haired girl is furious when she finally comes face tof face with the man responsible for destroying her village.

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Back with Damian, Sannis claims that Gamal betrayed the order and attacked members of her sect. Dianio immediately refuses to believe it and insists there must be a misunderstanding. Our boy, however, notices something strange. If Gamal had truly fought her, the area

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should be heavily damaged. Yet, she looks completely unharmed and spotless. Realizing the truth, he declares that she herself is the traitor. The girl smiles and admits that she can't trick him. Without hesitation, she punches Dionio and sends him flying. She reveals

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that she believes the order has become weak and soft. In her eyes, heretics deserve immediate execution, and she plans to restore the order to its former glory through ruthless methods. She explains that once everyone else dies in the dungeon, her faction will become the

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new center of the order. To the outside world, it will simply appear that the subjugation team died during the mission. Her followers immediately attack. However, the hero defeats them with a single strike and appears before Sannis, placing his sword against her

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throat. Surprisingly, his attack barely scratches her. The girl looks at him with a smile and asks if he is really going to fight her. She fights back using the power of dazzling pain. Its authority allows her to strengthen

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almost anything, including physical abilities, weapon sharpness, and even the density of objects. The stronger the user becomes, the more times these enhancements can be stacked. She proudly says she can apply them up to 30 times.

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As Sannis launches one powerful attack after another, Damian avoids them while remembering his battle with Radiance, one of the five great saints who use the same authority on an even greater level.

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The girl asks why he is only dodging instead of using his famous technique against magic. The hero casually replies that despite her increased strength, her attacks are still far too easy to predict. He continues fighting the girl, but using insight of all flows drains

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more mana depending on the strength of the attacks he redirects. His current mana is running low, making it harder for him to keep up. Sana suddenly changes her approach. She smashes the ground with tremendous force and throws him into a stone wall. Confident that

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she has the advantage, she says she is done playing around. Realizing he has no choice, Damen decides to take a risk. He reaches into his chest and absorbs the spirit heart he had been saving for later. Red energy bursts from his body

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as his mana rapidly rises. The girl immediately senses that something is wrong and tries to finish him before he becomes more dangerous. However, Damen uses his technique to redirect her attack and lands a powerful kick that sends her flying. Since his sword cannot

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cut through her enhanced defenses, he decides to beat her down with pure force instead. The hero knows that this was a close call because if he had been any slower in absorbing the spirit's heart, he might have died. With his mana

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restored, he declares that it is time to deal with the traitor. Elsewhere, Agnes and Margata are struggling against corpse play. The white-haired girl can't understand how these monsters are so strong. She watches as Kite chokes the other girl by squeezing her neck. We go

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back a few minutes ago when the guy suddenly commanded his servant to attack. The girl tried fighting back, but surprisingly their holy attacks had no effect on the monster. As he overpowered them both, Margata quickly stepped in front of him and told the

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other girl to run. Agnes is a bit hesitant to leave her, but she screams that she needs to get back up. Watching her trying to get away, Corpse play smiles and reveals that he has her surrounded by monsters from all sides.

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The guy tells her not to worry since he won't kill her, but he might turn her into one of his creations. Agnes is horrified as she watches Margata get defeated. Looking at Kite, she is now convinced that the man in front of her

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is corpse play since he is the only one capable of making monsters like this. As the guy decides what to do with her next, she clenches her fist and thinks to herself if this is really how she is

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going to die. With a trembling voice, she calls him out for murdering her brother. The guy is a bit surprised, but he realizes that he might have seen her before. With a mocking voice, he comments that he kills so many people

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that it's hard to keep track. When she tells him the name of her village, he finally remembers and asks her if she had any family there. Agnes reveals that she is one of the survivors and demands to know why he murdered everyone,

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including her older brother who had been a holy knight. Instead of showing regret, the guy starts laughing and comments that this is truly amazing. He remembers a paladin in that village who put up quite a fight. However, in the

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end, he made him into his test subject. While the girl stares at him in horror, he reveals that he just doesn't kill people for no reason. For him, they are all parts of his masterpiece. Then he suddenly turns around and asks her if

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she wants to meet her brother. Agnes is horrified as the monster finally takes off its mask. She immediately recognizes that face as her own brother, but somehow he's not in there anymore. This makes her break down and she starts

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crying. The sound makes the guy even more excited and he starts recalling how her brother was struggling that day. He managed to bring down every single golem he had. But in the end, he had to surrender in order to save the lives of

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the villagers who were left. Watching everyone helplessly scream for help. Her brother couldn't take it any longer and gave up. The guy lets out a creepy smile as he comments that he was truly a remarkable material. He even feels a bit

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proud for what he has created and shows it to the sister. While he is still talking, Agnes gets furious and tells him that she will never forgive him. The guy simply ignores her and orders the golem to bring her to him. Just then,

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bright energy starts emanating from Agnes' body as she repeats that she won't forgive him. In the next moment, that energy explodes through the cave and a cross-shaped mark appears on her forehead. She unlocks the stigmata, a blessing granted by a god that gives

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overwhelming strength. Even corpse play is amazed by the power she just gained and thanks God for giving him such valuable material. Once again, this rare moment gives someone god's huge favor along with some seriously overwhelming power. And right at this instant, Agnes

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successfully claims that insane strength. She makes it crystal clear that she'll never forgive Corpse Play because he's an absolute monster. On the other side, the guy gets even more excited watching her reaction. laughing.

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He finds the whole situation super interesting and casually suggests it might be time to start the second round of interviews for his masterpiece. With that, he orders his monsters to attack her. But as the monsters surge forward, the girl advances and shatters them one

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by one amidst bright streams of light. Her punches carry so much power that every single strike creates dazzling streaks of light. The man is genuinely amused by the sight and openly admits that the stigmata's power is incredible, noting that the stigmata itself is

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basically a form of divine power. During the chaos, Margata gets thrown toward her. Agnes catches her instantly and moves her to a safe spot without wasting a second. Just then, Kite rushes toward them at high speed, and Corpse Play

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points out that they're facing the very power he gave out. The girl charges back at him without any hesitation and hits him directly with a massive punch. This catches the guy a bit off guard because the divine power shows no signs of

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fading. He figures that the power of his magic tool is totally useless against the stigmata. He thinks to himself that people with the stigmata are extremely rare, which explains why even Dorggo didn't have much data on them. Amidst

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these thoughts, he casually checks if any pests are still alive. Suddenly, the whole cave starts shaking violently and rocks rain down from above, turning everything into chaos. Corpse play reacts instantly and shatters the falling boulders heading his way while

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the girls are confused about what's happening. Looking down from above, the hero asks him what is going on. During this moment, he grabs a blood-drenched Sannis by the collar and asks if everyone's present. The girl watches in shock, unable to understand why Damen's

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with her. Our boy throws her onto the ground and explains that she committed betrayal, which is why he personally took her out. This revelation leaves both Agnes and Margata deeply shocked.

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The hero then notices the white-haired girl in her transformed state and instantly realizes she unlocked her stigmata. Dionio loudly confirms that the news about the girl betraying them is totally true. Gamal also looks at Agnes in amazement and reacts to her new

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appearance. With a faint smile, Damen suggests that Gamal and Agnes escape first because he can handle corpse play on his own. But the man's voice trembles as he says escaping is impossible.

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Annoyed, the hero demands to know what he can possibly achieve by staying behind. In the end, the knight can't argue further and takes the other guy with him. Together, they lift Sannis and start moving out. Seeing them leave,

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Corpse play smirks and sarcastically asks who gave them permission to take his subject away. He calls out to Kite and his body starts transforming into a horrific monster. In the next instant, the guy commands him to release his full

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power and bring everyone back. Everyone is in shock since the aura coming out of the monster is comparable to a highclass knight. Without wasting a second, Kite launches a punch directly at Agnes and Gamal shouts a warning as he senses the

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immediate danger. The girl steps forward and counters his attack with another massively powerful punch, creating a huge shock wave that cracks the surrounding ground. She urges the others to listen to Damian and leave immediately, using all her strength to

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hold back Kite's assault. Watching her, our boy flashes a small smile. Realizing he doesn't need to step in, the girl calls out to him, asking to be allowed to handle this fight completely on her own. When he asks why, tears stream from

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her eyes as she reveals that the creature Kite is actually her brother. This freezes Damen in absolute shock. He immediately realizes her brother's being used inside that Gollum, and intense anger flares up in him over how vile corpse play really is. On the other

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side, Corpse Play finds the whole display incredibly entertaining and casually orders Kite to capture everyone alive if possible. Sensing an opportunity, Gamal shouts that this is their chance and tells everyone to run since they're useless staying there. He

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also urges Agnes to leave quickly, but seeing them flee infuriates Corpse Play, he yells out, demanding to know where they think they're going without his permission. Internally, he complains he doesn't have many flesh golems left. He crushes a weird egg that contains a

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human mouth, and a horse emerges directly from that mouth. Then he orders Kite to grab both of them and drag them to the sewing room. The hero is deeply confused by all this bizarre stuff. And the moment he tries to give chase, Kite

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blocks his path. Right then, Agnes moves forward and delivers a powerful kick straight to Kite's head, burying his face into the ground. She tells Damen to leave right away. After a brief silence, he agrees, telling her that he'll meet

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her later, and dashes forward at high speed. Seeing him escape, Kite lets out a furious roar. Agnes grits her teeth and keeps raining punches down on him to hold him back. When Kite still tries to advance, she plants her feet firmly into

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the ground to steady herself, using her whole body to block his path. Putting in every ounce of her strength, she pushes back harder, silently apologizing to her brother. Her eyes close tightly as she painfully realizes she might have

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arrived way too late. Elsewhere, Corpse Play laughs as he chases Gamal's group, shouting at them to stop. Suddenly, our boy leaps down from above and reaches him with incredible speed. With a single strike, he cuts off the horse's legs,

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making him lose his balance and crash to the ground. He steps forward and plants his foot on his chest. Now that they're completely alone, Damen makes it clear he's got a lot to say to him, putting his sword right against his neck.

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Despite the dangerous situation, corpse play looks thrilled rather than scared because the hero actually managed to get past his flesh gollum. Our boy pauses for a second as he hears this, but he once again asks him who gave him the

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magic tool. Right at that moment, a monstrous spider standing behind him launches an attack. Without a hint of panic, he dodges the strike and keeps up his questioning mid-motion, demanding to know where so many flesh golems came from. Watching his reaction, Corpse play

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flashes a sinister smile, finding his disturbed state highly entertaining. He casually asks if the undead creatures surprised him and then asks in a teasing tone if he ever wondered how he managed to move so many undead bodies without

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leaving a single trace. He then lifts the item in his hand and excitedly reveals that a subspace magic tool made everything possible. At that moment, even more monsters start appearing behind him, and he proudly brags that although they're not on Kite's level,

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he's still got plenty of puppets to use. Damen watches the situation silently and instantly recognizes the item as a subspace bag. He thinks to himself that he just needs to kill him and grab it for himself. With a smug expression,

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Corpse Play comments that he's still not as refined as Kite, but he still sees him as a future masterpiece who might eventually surpass that flesh golem. He then commands the beasts to charge and capture him alive. Our boy drops into a

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fighting stance internally. Realizing his mana feels way stronger than before, meaning he can finally use his technique. He channels mana into his sword and reflects that up until now he's only used the thousandm sword art on a surface level. For the very first

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time, he finally has the chance to unleash its true power. His eyes lock onto the incoming monsters, and in the next instant, he unleashes his ultimate technique. A devastating strike tears through the whole battlefield. The roar sounds like a mountain collapsing and

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every single monster gets swept away in that one attack. Corpse play stands there completely stunned, staring at his puppets in utter disbelief. The hero casually flicks his hand like he barely put any effort into it. In a mocking

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tone, he asks if that was supposed to be his big surprise show and suggests they should continue their question and answer session. For the first time, genuine fear shows up on Corpse Play's face. He realizes the situation is

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slipping completely out of his control and that Damian's combat power is way beyond what he expected. Clutching his hand anxiously, he notes to himself that his transformation isn't stable yet, but he's got no other options left. The hero

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comments in a bored tone that it seems his opponent still has one more puppet left. But things suddenly change in the next moment. Corpse play admits that he never imagined he'd have to resort to this method in his entire life. The next

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instant, his body starts distorting and he transforms into a giant monstrous beast. Once the transformation's done, the guy play even feels a sense of disgust at his own condition. Meanwhile, the scene shifts to Agnes, who's still battling her transformed brother.

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Raising her handshield, she blocks Kite's claws, but the impact is so powerful, she gets thrown back into the rear wall. Even so, she refuses to give up and charges forward again with weapons in both hands. Kite lunges at

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her with a loud roar, but this time, his attack misses because she is too quick.

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Her manacodated fist sinks straight into the monster's thick hide and a massive blow releases a second later, causing blue light to flash through the entire area. The impact sends Kite crashing into the wall, scattering debris everywhere. Suddenly, Kite's broken

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voice slowly starts calling out her name. Hearing this freezes the girl in place as he keeps calling her name, the girl realizes that her brother is still alive inside that monster. He begs her for help, asking her to kill him. Agnes

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hesitates as she calls out to her brother. After a few moments, she closes her eyes like she's finally made her decision. She then delivers multiple direct strikes, focusing on destroying the golem in front of her. But the sorrow inside her keeps growing because

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she now understands that the final words of people turned into flesh golems are just the lingering thoughts left inside them right before they died. The attack makes the monster collapse, but even in his final moments, he keeps calling her

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name. Agnes comes close to him and softly tells him she's right there. Kite asks her to kill him one more time, and she finally understands the unbearable pain he was trapped in. The girl starts tearing up as she admits how incredibly

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hard all of this must have been for her brother. Slowly, Kite's strength starts fading, and he slumps onto her shoulder.

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Using his remaining strength, he thanks her and calls her his little sister. Hearing this breaks Agnes' expression, and she momentarily goes back to her childhood. He apologizes and tells her she has to live bravely from now on.

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Sob, the girl promises she'll live a good life. He runs his hand over her head one last time before his body slowly starts disappearing. After he is gone, the girl drops down in the empty cave with tears in her eyes. On the

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other side, Corpse Play comments that he never imagined he'd have to use this method in his life. Seeing this form leaves our boy visibly confused. He starts to wonder whether a human can actually fuse with a flesh golem. Damian

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never saw such a form in his past life, and he figures that maybe the shutin creator never needed this kind of transformation because he stayed on the front lines. Right? Then the guy creates a massive sphere of magic above himself

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and proudly declares that he is the first person to force him to use his trump card. His obsession turns even more dangerous, like he wants to capture Damian at any cost. The next second, multiple streams of magic blast toward

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our boy, but he dodges the attack by leaping to the side with instant reflexes. Observing the attack pattern, the hero immediately identifies it as magic from the school of ruin. He internally guesses that corpse play probably turned other dark mages into

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flesh golems, too. Without any delay, the guy closes the distance and attacks Damian with his massive hoof. His attack smashes into the ground, raising a huge dust cloud from the impact, and a grin stays on his face. But that grin turns

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into confusion the next moment because Damen comes right through the smoke. He charges straight at him and with a clean slash cuts off his shoulder. The arm falls off completely, making him scream in pain, but it regenerates within a few

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seconds. Seeing this makes our boy instantly realize that magic from the frenzy school is probably mixed in there, too. Corpse play launches another violent attack, pushing him back.

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Gathering massive power in his hand, he declares that resistance is useless and tells the hero to quietly become his material. Damian grits his teeth and places a hand on his blade just as the guy releases a gigantic wave of magic.

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Corpse play laughs in almost manic excitement, praising his own power and declaring himself the culmination of dark magic and a true masterpiece.

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Activating his glowing bracelet, our boy comments that the fools of Yulan consider dark magic supreme when they don't even understand the basics properly. Corpse play freezes in shock as he realizes that the hero is using dark magic. He fails to understand how a

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member of the order's subjugation force can use dark mana and he desperately demands to know who Damian actually is.

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Showing no emotion, our boy forms a massive magic circle and calmly declares that he'll now show him real dark magic.

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The guy stares at the formation in complete disbelief. He admits he's never seen dark magic like this before as an ominous energy starts spreading across his entire body. Bro starts to panic and tries launching another attack because he knows he needs to kill Damian before

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he finishes with his spell. But his attack stops abruptly upon hitting an invisible barrier. This makes the guy even more alarmed and he notices that the surrounding dark mana has started to disperse, wondering in confusion if Damian has an artifact similar to his.

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He quickly rejects that possibility himself and demands once more to know what the hero truly is. Meanwhile, our boy continues his chanting. Countless chains start emerging from inside the magic circle, binding Corpse Play's whole body at lightning speed. The guy

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tries to brush it off with a forced smile, acting like they're just simple binding chains. But deep down, he's horrified because his body can't move at all. Damen slowly walks toward him and calmly explains that not just his body,

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but his mind has been sealed as well. Corpse Play now trembles visibly and asks in horror who he really is to possess such dark magic. Our boy moves his finger just a little and the next second bro gets slammed face first into

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the ground. In a serious tone, Damen directly demands to know where Dorggo is. Hearing that name completely stuns Corpse Play. In total shock, he asks how he knows that name and immediately suspects he might be another contractor working for him. The hero raises his

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finger again, ordering him to just answer the question. Struggling against the restraints, the guy laughs and says he doesn't see why any contractor would betray their master, adding that he won't get a single thing out of him.

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Damian coldly replies that he can easily kill him and just question his soul directly. The guy sneers at that, admitting it's typical dark mage behavior, but then reveals his soul is already sealed under a restriction. Our boy seems confused, so the guy explains

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that he put a restriction on his own soul, so it would instantly destroy itself if anyone questioned him about Dorgo. Internally, the hero thinks the guy is completely insane for cursing himself like that. Strangely, Corpse Play starts getting excited. He proudly

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says that Damen must now realize nothing can be learned from him, so he might as well just kill him. He says he's a little regretful he can't turn him into a puppet, but dying for his master is still an honor. The hero grinds his

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teeth and mentions he will certainly kill him, just not with his own hands. Confused, the guy looks up and asks what he means. Suddenly, countless souls appear right in front of his eyes, and our boy explains these are the souls of

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the very people he murdered. He mentions that the dead always linger around dark mages, but dark mana usually keeps them hidden. And now that his mana is completely sealed, he can finally see them. This is one of the most painful

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punishments among dark mages, where vengeful spirits directly devour the soul. Hearing this fills the guy with terror, making him shake as he desperately begs Damen to stop, crying out that this punishment is just too much. He practically begs for a quick

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death instead, but the hero has made his mind. He watches as the guy slowly gets devoured by the very spirits he tormented. The next instant, the spirits swarm over the man's body and begin devouring him. The scene slowly shifts

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to a dark room where piles of human bones lie scattered everywhere. In the center, a girl is shown sitting silently inside a magic circle. Countless vengeful spirits surround corpse play, tearing at his flesh. His screams echo throughout the whole area as his

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consciousness slowly starts fading. Showing no emotion, our boy walks over to him and severs his head from his body with one clean strike. The spirits look dissatisfied by this, like they wanted to drag out his suffering longer, and

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their angry whispers fill the air. Completely ignoring them, the hero asks in an impatient tone how much longer he has to wait. Casually mentioning that he needs to make it look like he killed for the holy order. Lifting his bracelet, he

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explains the paladins are coming back soon, so he has to erase every single trace of dark mana before they arrive.

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Slowly, he seals all the power back into the bracelet. A cunning smile appearing on his face as a new plan already forms in his mind. He casually adds that the farming here has to end. After finishing the cleanup outside, he slowly enters

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the hidden room. He instantly smells the damp rotten air inside. Scattered skulls cover the floor and human corpses hang from iron chains. The spirits still follow him silently, and looking around, the hero figures this must be the guy's

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research room. He also wonders why these spirits can't achieve ascension and just wander behind him instead. His eyes land on a mirror positioned in the center of the room, and he remembers this magical tool used to connect with Dorggo.

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Stepping forward carefully, Damen tries to touch the mirror, thinking if communication's still possible, he might be able to figure out Dorgo's location.

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But touching the mirror does nothing at all. So he concludes the communication link got cut a long time ago. This makes him suspicious because he thinks Dorggo valued corpse play enough to make him a general, so it's weird to abandon him so

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easily. Recalling the previous battle, our boy internally wonders if Dorggo cut ties himself this time. Another thought crosses his mind as he thinks that maybe this happened because he took out Yulan too fast. Frustrated, he destroys the mirror and curses Dorggo, calling him a

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meticulous bastard. But the shattered mirror reveals something unexpected behind it. A hidden door is now exposed, making Damen instantly suspicious and prompting him to check it out himself.

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He pushes the door open slowly, wondering out loud if another man a storage bracelet might be hidden inside.

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Entering the room, his eyes catch a map stuck to the wall, and he decides to take it immediately. Right at that moment, two glowing eyes glare at him from the darkness, and a figure suddenly lunges at him. Sensing the attack, our

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boy uses his instant reflexes to land a punch, sending the attacker flying back. The creature now stands clearly visible as a halfhuman half-beast hybrid. Damen expresses surprise that this creation can still move even after its creator's death. He notices the wound from his

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attack regenerates instantly, so he figures it has strong regenerative abilities, which explains why no stitching scars show on its body.

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Studying the creature with curiosity, the hero sees that it has self-awareness and can even form a magic circle on its own. He internally theorizes that the obsessions of countless dead souls probably merged to form a single consciousness, but judging by how it was

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locked up, it seems pretty obvious this outcome was totally unintentional. Damian finds it interesting, but notes calmly that undead are ultimately just undead, adding that he'll help it achieve ascension. The very next second, he freezes as two spirits stand

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protectively in front of the creature. Our boy immediately demands to know what they're doing. One spirit addresses him as Sir Knight and explains that this child was born hating the dark mage who created her. The spirit asks him to take

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the child with him and use her against the dark mages, insisting her abilities will prove really useful in the future.

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Composing himself, Damian points his sword at them cautiously, though his tone lacks any real threat. He asks if the spirits are related to the creature and demands its name, to which the spirit softly replies that she's named Mia. At that exact instant, two flashes

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of light cut through the air, shattering the chain around Mia's neck. Damen still doesn't fully trust her, and sets a condition that if the girl ever attacks humans or fails to prove useful, he'll kill her with his own hands. He asks if

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they've got any complaints before turning around to walk outside, casually mentioning that his farming here is done, and it's time to head back. Later, it's revealed that when Dianio and Gamal got back with the reinforcements, they found Damian and Agnes standing there

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with the puppet master's head. Although they were shocked, they chose not to ask too many questions. Everyone is surprised that the hero managed to take down such a dangerous enemy without getting a single scratch. Yet, he successfully avoids any excessive

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questioning. During this time, Damen gets word that the traitor Sannis has safely reached the church trial court, and the giant lady who was severely injured is now recovering safely.

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Overall, everything goes smoothly, and we learn that the church's core combat force, which got completely wiped out in the previous life, managed to survive this time. Shortly after, the reinforcements start getting ready to head back, and Damian prepares to leave

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with them. Before they depart, he thanks Agnes, who notices he's leaving and casually asks if he's going right now, even offering to let him ride in her carriage. Our boy politely says no, explaining he needs to go somewhere else

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first. Curious, the girl asks if he's not going home. He admits a bit awkwardly that he left without telling anyone, so his father's probably pretty mad. Because of that, he figures he'll travel around for a while to let his dad

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cool off. The two of them talk for a while before he finally leaves. Damen is pretty happy since the girl opened her stigmata, which will be a great asset in her fight against Dorggo. He bids farewell, thinking to himself that he

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needs to reduce the number of the dark mages as much as he can. Meanwhile, at the stronghold of Yulan, we see the members frantically discussing the death of their master. Suddenly, an explosion destroys the wall behind them, and our

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boy appears out of the smoke. He is carrying a grotesque mouth-like object in his hand while absorbing dark energy.

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Mia is also with him and by the looks of it, she doesn't look happy. The mages immediately recognize her as a test subject that their master was experimenting on. Just then, the hero gives her the order to charge and

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announces that it's time to clean up some rats. In the next scene, people inside a tavern are gossiping, and one guy asks the others if they've heard about the dark mage running around the empire lately. Another man replies that

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he knows about him, explaining that this particular dark mage only hunts other dark mages. Among all the chatter, someone mentions that his name is Wood Chopping Victor because he chops mages like firewood. Just then, my man Victor enters the tavern and mentions that he's

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there to pick up the luggage left under his name. The next second, the whole tavern erupts into pure panic. People start screaming in terror, desperately crying out that they didn't say anything. Within seconds, the tavern empties out completely, leaving Victor

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standing there all alone. He's totally confused, unable to figure out what's wrong with everyone. He then starts picking up the luggage in front of him, assuming it belongs to his young master.

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Suddenly, a man in a black cloak walks up and asks if his name is really Victor. Turning around with a bit of hesitation, Victor confirms who he is.

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The cloaked guy then mentions the wood chopper title, and Victor casually replies that, "Yeah, he's actually pretty good at chopping wood." The next moment, the man shouts in rage that he has finally found him and prepares to attack. Before he can hit him, our boy

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comes to the rescue and slashes him in half. He jokes that Victor has become quite popular ever since he last saw him. The fat guy is stunned as the hero casually smiles at him and asks how he is doing. As they walk out, the guy

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starts trash talking about this new dark mage named Wood chopping Victor. Damen nervously agrees with him, though internally he apologizes since he's actually that Victor. He then asks him if his dad had calmed down. The guy tells him that he's fine, but he still

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stares out the window waiting for him. Our boy then asks if his dad is usually holding a weapon while looking out, and Victor confirms it. This tells him that he is still pretty mad. While the two of them talk about his family, Victor's

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expressions suddenly change as he tells him that there is something important. The hero first thinks it's about dark mages, so he gets worried, but the guy tells him that his sister is getting married to Sir Ballad Hugo. This makes

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our boy a bit emotional since he was the one who ruined her love in the past life. He starts running hearing this news and announces that they are going back. Just then, he gets a glimpse of dark mana from a girl passing by. This

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freezes him in place and he decides to stay another day to get rid of the remaining rats. The scene then changes to a fortress later that night where we see Mia destroying a couple of dark mages. Our boy casually walks in and

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reveals that these people were guarding some items. As he looks down, he notices a box with some writing indicating that it actually belongs to Dorggo. This makes our boy excited since he had been chasing for this for 3 months. The

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slashes the top off and surely enough inside is his personal demonic sword Arabus. Other than destroying the empire, Dorggo also had the goal to complete the demonic sword by gathering all the fragments. When he got it in his

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past life, it was already half restored. But right now, it looks a bit smaller.

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Just then, the sword starts lighting up with energy, and our boy wonders if it has actually recognized him as the owner. Even in his previous life, it took him half an year to gain its recognition. While he is thinking about

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that, a girl leaps at him from behind and punches him away. She asks if he is the guy going around as wood chopping Victor and mentions that he won't be around for long. Damian recognizes her from his past life and tells orders Mia

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not to attack since the girl is far above what she can handle. The girl is a bit surprised and asks if he really knows who she is. He confirms it saying that she is Slaw, an executive of Pandemonium, which is the largest group

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of black mages in the continent. In other words, the girl in front of him is an arch mage. The hero knows that it's still too early for him to face someone like her. He wonders if he should use

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the demonic sword, but this place is a bit too cramped for that. Just then, a kid with blue hair appears behind our boy, complaining about the noise. It appears that he has just woken up from his sleep. Looking confused, he asks

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where he is and questions who Damian is. The kid grabs Mia by the chin and asks what kind of cat she's supposed to be.

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Looking ahead, he casually remarks that if he remembers right, the lizard standing over there is saw. The moment the girl hears this, she's completely floored. Turns out that she kept him asleep for a whole month using some drugs. But somehow he still woke up. Our

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boy suddenly remembers that this guy is none other than the mercenary king himself, Carl Hopper. Even after becoming a death knight in his past life, he needed a whole week of fighting to barely beat him. The mage girl

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immediately takes to the air and spins around fast, creating a binding trap. She thinks if she can take Carl down before he fully wakes up, she might still have a chance. She leaps at him and triggers the trap, which wraps

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tightly around Carl's body, but the kid breaks free almost instantly. The very next moment, he lunges at the girl and attacks her, calling her an annoying brat. Within seconds, she is completely wrecked. Watching this happen, our boy thinks this is exactly what he expected.

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Stepping on top of Slaw, Carl remarks that he only played along because she was nice to look at. Meanwhile, our boy reflects that there are only three transcendent beings in the entire world and Carl is one of them. After dealing

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with the mage, he turns his attention to our boy, asking who he really is. A few seconds later, he suddenly laughs and recognizes him as Damen Hexon, the honorary knight of the order. The hero explains that he was chasing a black

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mage and eventually ended up here. From there, things just kind of escalated into the situation. Carl laughs and says that without realizing it, he nearly killed the person who saved his life.

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Turns out that the kid is actually 72 years old, a grandmaster, and the commander of the Fafnir mercenary group.

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Curious, Damen asks how someone of his level ended up in a place like this. The guy laughs and admits that when Slaw approached him, he already knew she was a black mage, but because she was pretty, he decided to have a little fun.

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Hearing this, our boy just nervously laughs, telling him that it was a close call. But he still can't figure out why Dorggo wanted to kidnap the mercenary king or how Arabus got involved in all this. He wants to search the black

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mage's soul memories for answers. But with Carl standing right there, he can't risk it. At that moment, several cloaked figures come running from a distance.

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Calling out for their commander and father, they ask if he's okay. The commander looks up and laughs, commenting that they always seem to show up only after seeing his lightning.

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Damen then suggests that he clean up this mess, but Carl shuts that down immediately. He insists he can't make the person who saved his life do that kind of work. Instead, he wants to reward him and announces he'll open his

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treasury and send its contents straight to his home. Elsewhere, Dorggo sits in his laboratory, commenting that this little incident has given him some fresh inspiration. Right then, his servant approaches and reports that Slaw failed to capture the mercenary king and is

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dead. Dorgo just shrugs it off, saying she would have made an excellent death knight base, but he can always find someone else. However, he freezes in place when he hears that the demonic sword has also disappeared. As our boy

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walks with Victor, he thinks back to everything that happened. After parting ways with the mercenary king, he tried searching Slaw's soul, but it was already sealed, leaving him with nothing. Victor happily talks about the upcoming family gathering, but the hero

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is still worried about his dad beating him up. The fat guy assures him that his father is just mad because he is worried about him. They are also bringing back a bunch of gifts, but Damian thinks that they need something better if they want

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to impress him. Right then, nearby citizens start discussing the upcoming Helium tournament. Hearing this, Damian immediately remembers that it's a competition held every four years in the Helios Empire, where knights from all over the continent come to test their

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skills. The tournament is guarded by the Empire's greatest swordsmen, and the winner gets massive wealth along with huge honor for their nation. Each division has different age limits, and unfortunately, the Apple Kingdom's highclass fighters are already too old.

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Suddenly, our boy stops walking since he's finally figured out the perfect way to soothe his father's anger. He tells Victor that they need a better gift and immediately announces that they are heading to Helios Empire. Right at that

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moment, a carriage driver passing by calls out that an express carriage heading to the Empire. Our boy immediately calls the driver and asks him to stop while the fat guy slowly runs behind him. Elsewhere, through a weapon mirror used for communication,

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someone asks Gray how much the demonic swords user has grown. He reports that the user's strength keeps increasing steadily and has already hit high class level. The person on the other end isn't satisfied, saying the progress is way

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too slow. Gray explains that if the growth had been too fast, it would have drawn unwanted attention. But his explanation gets brushed off as the voice coldly says the most important goal is to complete the demonic sword.

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He explains that the weapon absorbs the blood and souls of its opponents and transfers their talents to its user.

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It's a growth type demonic sword, meaning both the blade and its wielder get stronger together. His own son had zero talent whatsoever, but because of this sword alone, he managed to rise to high class level. The voice then reveals

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that his wish to meet that higher being has been set as the reward for his next mission. Gray gets overwhelmed with excitement. He loudly swears he'll complete the mission, even if it costs him his life and immediately asks for

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his orders. In response, the voice commands him to drown the Empire's festival in blood during the Helen Tournament. Without a second of hesitation, the guy vows to carry out the mission and refers to the voice as Lord Weapon Master. The scene then

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changes to the Helios Empire where we see our boy walking in with Victor. The fat guy asks him if he visited this place during his travels and he confirms it. The two finally split and decide to meet at the registration desk. While

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Damen is walking alone, he hears someone calling his name. When he looks ahead, he notices Michael excitedly looking at him. As the two of them talk, the guy tells him that he took his advice and worked hard to reach the middle class.

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The hero pretty much ignores him and instead focuses on registering himself for the tournament. The guy notices his reaction and mentions that he was hoping they would duel again. Hearing this, Damian reveals that they are in different divisions since he is a

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highclass knight now. The man freezes in shock because just a bit earlier they were both in the low class. Still ignoring him, the hero casually mentions that he was in the middle class even back then. As the guy continues chasing

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after him, someone in the crowd watches the two of them silently. The scene then changes to the arena where Victor wonders why there are no masterclass battles this year. Our boy explains that the master class is not easy to reach

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since it takes about 65 years on average to become a master. Therefore, most of them are above the age limit. The fat guy mentions that the monsters here look pretty strong and wonders if they will be safe here. Our boy assures him that

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as long as there are no masterclass fights, the barrier will protect them. Just then, Michael enters the arena while stretching and the rules of the tournament are announced. A total of 100 knights will be fighting from all over

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the world, and the last one standing will be considered the winner. Michael wonders if the rival Damian talked about is also here because he wants to prove himself. Immediately as the tournament starts, he draws his blade and charges

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in, slashing multiple fighters in a single attack. Victor is amazed by his skills and comments that no one else will be able to fight him among the ordinary class. The hero agrees, but not everyone here is ordinary. Down below, a

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girl calls out to Michael and introduces herself as Rachel. She asks him if he wants to spar with her since he is the only one here who can rival her. The guy recognizes her immediately and wastes no time charging forward to attack. The

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next moment, we see him badly beaten in the arena's waiting room. He admits that the world is too big and the girl was clearly stronger than him. Based on his reach, he should have landed a hit, but the girl managed to coat her body in

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mana. This is a technique that only highclass knights can use, which means that it was truly a one-sided battle.

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Our boy knows that there wasn't much that guy could do. The knight he was facing used to be one of humanity's strongest soldiers in his past life. Her nickname was the sword queen and her specialty was full plate aura. While he

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is busy thinking, the emperor suddenly enters the arena. Judging from his arrival, our boy realizes that the real show is about to begin. Now it's time for the highclass division to fight, which means that our boy will be

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fighting too. Turns out that there are only six participants in this class. Victor and Michael hype our boy to win, and he casually tells them that he got it. Meanwhile, some guy is nervous because everyone around him looks so

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strong. He only joined because his father forced him, but seeing famous people like Damian makes him panic.

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Trying to calm himself down, he convinces himself that he must win for his father and puts an odd-looking blade over one of his eyes. In the highclass division, a few standout fighters destroy everyone else. Among them is our

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boy and a few other knights. Damen quickly reaches the semi-finals by defeating his opponent in a single strike. As he walks back with a proud smile, he notices that guy from earlier defeating his opponent too. From his fight, it doesn't seem like he has any

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combat sense, but he is still a highclass knight. Just then, a girl walks over to the hero and asks him how he is doing. Our boy is a bit confused since he doesn't know anyone by her name. Hearing this, she takes off her

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mask and reveals that she is actually Agnes. Before he can call out her name, she covers his mouth and explains that she actually came here without permission. The girl makes up some kind of excuse, saying that she wanted to

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test herself against the experts, but in reality, she is here just for him. Hearing all this, our boy mentions that he also needs to visit the order so once the tournament is finished, they can go back together. The girl starts blushing

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as she thinks he's asking her out on a date. Just then, she remembers that her match is about to start, so she awkwardly walks away. While entering the fighting ground, she can't help but wonder if he actually asked her on a

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date. Her match is with another girl named Athena, who also appears to be quite strong. The girl mocks her for wearing a mask and says that she will deduct points since she is too boring.

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Meanwhile, the only thing Agnes can think of is going on a date with the MC.

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She quickly realizes that she needs to lock in since she doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of him.

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Without saying anything, she prepares to attack the girl using her kicks. Her opponent gets excited and gives her 20 points for being so fierce. Meanwhile, our boy notices that she has changed her fighting style to hide her true

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identity. As soon as the match begins, Agnes moves at an incredible speed and starts dodging every single attack from her opponent. Athena is impressed by her speed and gives her more points. Just as she is about to land another kick, the

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girl quickly flips her sword and swings it right past her face. She deducts 10 points for not being able to dodge it.

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Damian knows that Agnes is holding back her divine power to not reveal her true identity. Still, her raw power alone is quite impressive. Her opponent, however, seems a bit disappointed and comments that only Damian is the one worth

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fighting here. Hearing his name, Agnes suddenly hits her with a punch infused with mana. The girl barely dodges it, but she realizes that the white-haired girl is hiding her true power. As the two of them continue to fight, our boy

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admits that the white-haired girl has definitely improved. However, she can't win against her opponent using raw power alone. His assessment turns out to be correct as Athen suddenly levels up and overpowers her using her abilities.

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Agnes realizes that she has no chance of winning like this, but she still can't use anything else since it risks revealing her actual identity. The red-haired girl realizes that she is not going to use her powers. So, she decides

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to end the match here. With this, she unleashes an incredible amount of mana and completely destroys Agnes. After winning, she casually mentions that she managed to get 42 points, but she still failed. Turning back towards our boy, she comments that it's time for her to

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face the man her dad told her about. We finally move the semi-finals of the highclass division. The next match is between the sword emperor Jeljuah Haribo and his opponent, Javier Joshua. Javier is the same weird guy from before and he

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has killed all of his opponents in a single strike until now. The knight facing him thinks to himself that he can handle his speed since he has been watching his matches. However, as soon as the round starts, the weird guy

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swings his sword at his neck, giving him no time to react. It appears that he got even faster this round. Despite destroying his opponent in a single slash, the weird guy doesn't seem satisfied. He points his sword at the

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emperor and announces that he won't be happy until he spills the emperor's blood at the winner's ceremony. We then move on to the second round of the semi-finals where our boy is about to face that same redhead girl. His group

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cheers him on and teases him by referring to Agnes as his sister-in-law. Damen has won two rounds, but he still hasn't drawn his weapon yet. The girl looks at him with a disappointed expression and comments that he came

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late, so she will deduct 10 points. This makes him confused, and he asks her what she means. She replies that it's just her thing and asks if the girl standing there is actually his sister-in-law.

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Damen refuses to answer since she isn't answering any of his questions. Hearing this, Athena grabs her weapon, telling him that it doesn't really matter since his points depend on his skills. This makes him smile, and he refers to her as

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the daughter of the mercenary king. The girl is a bit surprised that he knows who she is, but she decides it's time to start fighting, even though she tells him that she will start by using 20% of her power. With this, she jumps into the

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air and unleashes her dragon tail slash. The commentator recognizes her signature move and gets excited because this is going to be an incredible match. Despite her fierce assault, our boy still keeps his hands in his pockets and Simple

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continues to dodge. The girl gives him 10 more points for his confidence and increases her power to 40%. The hero dodges her attacks like it's nothing and thanks her for the generous score she's giving him. As he quickly closes the gap

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between them, he calmly tells her she's not strong enough to be judging him. The girl is taken by surprise and tries hitting him, but he avoids it without breaking a sweat. The commentators are amazed, believing that Damen is still

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just playing around with Athen without even pulling out a weapon. Watching from a distance, Javier thinks that no matter who wins, both of them are straight up monsters. Realizing that she can't hold back anymore, the girl activates dragon

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thunder, covering her body and spear with powerful lightning, she explains she's wanted to meet him ever since her father praised him so highly. But she only believes what she sees with her own eyes. Calling this her final test, she

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challenges Damian to take this attack with his bare hands, too. The spectators are stunned by the terrifying power of her move. A dragon appears in the sky and unleashes thunder dragon's extinguishing breath. Our boy admits that since she is showing him something

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impressive, he should show her something, too. He activates his own mana cultivation technique, the infinite cycle union art. The ground cracks beneath his feet as the first ring lights up. Before Athene can even react, he appears in front of her with

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unbelievable speed and calmly asks how many points that's worth. Then he slams her into the wall so hard that a huge crater forms behind her. Barely conscious, Athen gives him a score of 100 and admits it's a perfect score

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before accepting defeat. The announcer declares him the winner and announces a 10-minute break before the next final match. Damen helps Athena up and jokes that since her father treasures her so much, he hopes the mercenary group won't invade his house just because he bullied

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her. The girl laughs and says that's not how things work. Then she says she has a reward for him for earning a perfect score. Curious, he asks her what it is saying that he can't turn down a reward.

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Hearing this, the girl points at herself and reveals that she is the reward. She suggests getting married and having a kid who will become the new mercenary king. Our boy is a bit confused by the proposal, but it seems like Agnes is

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about to blow up. Damen is completely floored by the sudden proposal. The white-haired girl gets furious hearing it, while Michael nervously realizes just how scary his sister-in-law can be.

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Our boy immediately shuts it down, saying he has no desire to become that troublesome old man's son-in-law. Athen is stunned by the rejection and angrily removes 50 points from his score. Later, the announcer tells everyone the finals will continue the next day. The blonde

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guy asks the hero what he's been up to for the past three months. Damen casually explains he's been taking requests, collecting elixirs and gathering mana cultivation techniques.

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From the shadows, Javier watches him carefully. He decides he needs to beat him to reach his goal, so he wants to understand his true strength. But as our boy walks past him, the guy freezes. The pressure Damian gives off reminds him of

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his father, Silva Javier, the greatest warrior in the kingdom. The weird guy remembers how untalented he used to be and how he only got his current strength because of someone's kindness. Winning this tournament is how he plans to repay

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that debt. But after seeing the MC's power, he realizes that he won't be winning that easily. That night, Damian explains that his new cultivation method reduces the strain on the body by using an independent external organ to manage

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manaflow. Michael is amazed and struggles to wrap his head around how such a technique is even possible. The hero assures him that with his talent, he'll pick it up fast and promises to teach him later. Hearing this, the

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blonde guy excitedly begs him to keep that promise. Our boy quietly decides that he's going to make him even stronger than he was in his past life so he can keep fighting when the future apocalypse war hits. Agnes asks if she

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can learn the technique, too, but Damen is not sure if it can work alongside divine power. Remembering the hero needs rest before tomorrow's match, Michael heads out for the night. Meanwhile, Mia is relaxing on the roof while the

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spirits give her company. As the blonde guy walks away, he wonders if he should try creating his own independent mana cultivation technique. Suddenly, a shadow emerges from the darkness and Javier attacks him without any warning.

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Michael reacts fast and avoids a fatal hit, but the blade still slices across his chest. The weird guy is shocked that a middle-class fighter managed to respond to his attack. Michael draws his sword and demands to know who he is, but

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Javier ignores the question and instead wonders if he has gotten stronger after today's battle. Feeling insulted, the blonde guy asks him if he wants a fight.

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The kid keeps watching him and suspects he might have some kind of instinct that warns him of danger before it strikes.

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Whatever the reason, he can't help but feel envious of such talent. Michael charges at him without a second thought.

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The guy is surprised and wonders if he's just reckless or if he actually thinks he can take on someone stronger than him. Figuring Michael left himself wide open, he gets ready to end the fight fast. Soon after, a huge explosion rips

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through the quiet night. By the time the dust settles, a bunch of middle-class fighters are either dead or banged up.

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Mia shows up after checking out the disturbance and manages to save Michael's life. Damen blames himself for what happened because he only had the spirits watching the area around the lodging. Filled with guilt and rage, he swears he'll find whoever did this and

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make them pay for what happened to Michael. The next day, the finals of the Helian tournament finally begins. Our boy notices that something feels different about Javier. The kid seems confident that this time he can beat the MC. Already in a bad mood because of

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Michael's condition, Damen tells him to quit showing off while getting ready to study Javier's maniflow. As soon as the match starts, the guy attacks with insane speed and blood sprays into the air, shocking everyone in the arena.

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Turns out that the hero only got a small cut on his cheek. Javier is stunned that he even noticed his attack while Damen admits he should have analyzed his mana first. The guy keeps attacking and pulls out techniques the audience has never

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seen before. Our boy blocks the strikes with his bare hands while realizing that although the power is impressive, Javier's movements feel unnatural, like the power doesn't really belong to him.

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The guy then uses the lion's roar sword strike. The powerful attack creates a massive explosion that fills the arena with smoke. Damian immediately recognizes the technique. It's Michael's lion's majesty sword art, but Javier should never have known it. The hero

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realizes he must be the one who attacked him last night. Furious, our boy activates the first ring of the halfwan infinite art and rushes at the guy.

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Seeing this makes the weird guy excited as he is confident he can beat him with the power he has today. However, the hero suddenly appears in front of him and tells him to know his place. The two clash hard with their swords, giving the

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audience the exciting final they were hoping for. But Javier slowly starts losing ground. Even after stealing the power and talent of skilled fighters, he still can't beat our boy. He starts wondering what kind of monster Damian really is. The hero eventually lands a

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heavy blow that sends the guy skidding across the arena. As he walks toward him, the guy admits beating him is way harder than he thought, but says he still has a mission to finish. Our boy immediately senses something's wrong.

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Suddenly, the eye embedded in Javier's sword starts glowing and he declares he'll sacrifice himself for his cause.

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The crowd watches in confusion as the hero realizes that his weapon is actually a demonic sword. Suddenly, a huge explosion occurs, filling the arena with thick smoke. The guy reveals himself as a dark knight of pandemonium, the Empire's feared black magic

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organization. Panic spreads through the audience as people scream and run for their lives. Damen considers whether Javier's been completely consumed by the sword, but he knows the result is the same either way. The guy charges forward with terrifying speed, and our boy

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barely avoids his attacks. Even so, his blade cuts Damian's arm. Javier loses whatever little reason he had left, and one of his arms transforms into a monster-like limb. The hero realizes the demonic sword grows stronger by absorbing blood, which explains how he

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has been using other people's abilities. The battle keeps going as Damian refuses to back down. Even the commentators praise him for standing up against pandemonium. But those watching closely notice Javier's power keeps increasing.

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It soon gets close to masterclass warrior level. Drunk on his new strength, the guy declares that everyone who used to look down on him now seems like insects. Then he unleashes a terrifying technique called crimson end.

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Damian immediately realizes the attack strong enough to destroy the whole city. As Imperial guards rush to protect the emperor and mages strengthen the barriers around the citizens, our boy knows he's got no choice. Even though it puts huge strain on his body, he

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activates the second ring of the infinite ring integration to temporarily gain masterclass warrior power. Drawing his sword fully, he releases an aura blade and sends the massive attack toward Javier. The stairs in disbelief as the overwhelming power races toward

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him. But before it can hit, a cloaked man suddenly appears and destroys his aura blade like it's nothing. The mysterious newcomer draws another sword glowing with purple light and attacks Damian. Our boy barely dodges the strike and quickly realizes this guy is even

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stronger than him and is most probably at the masterclass level. Furious, he curses the Empire's weak security. But before he can react further, another slash cuts through him. Our boy falls down in disbelief, unable to process what just happened as blood pours from

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his throat. Meanwhile, Javier recognizes the man's voice and realizes that it's his dad. Staring ahead, Gray tells him that they need to get out of here first.

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A knight suddenly rushes forward, refusing to let the pandemonium guys get away. He calls out to Damian with concern, but he already passed out and can't answer. Before he can do anything else, Gray swings his sword and unleashes a terrifying attack that

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splits the whole arena in half. The knight quickly throws up a shield to protect himself, but even the magical barriers around the arena start cracking under the force of the attack. The emperor is furious and heartbroken over what's happened to his people. When the

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knight reports that the enemies have already escaped, the emperor immediately orders a lockdown and commands his men to hunt them down and kill them. After the tournament, Damian recovers safely under the Empire's protection. The next day, his award ceremony is held quietly

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inside the Imperial Palace. On the way there, he can't stop thinking about how he got knocked out by a single strike.

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He finally understands just how huge the gap is between ordinary fighters and true masterclass warriors. Even so, all he wants is to catch pandemonium and go home. When he enters the palace, the emperor warmly welcomes him. The hero is

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surprised because he realizes the emperor is the same guy he met before. He tries to bow, but the guy stops him and says, "A hero who protected the people should never lower his head." The emperor himself is confused by the

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strong feeling of gratitude he has toward Damian, like he owes him a debt he can never repay. He apologizes for the simple ceremony and tells him to ask for whatever reward he wants, even if it means draining the Empire's whole

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treasury. Damian remembers an important item that should still be in the Empire's possession and sees this as a chance to get stronger and head home sooner. First, he asks if he'll be allowed to leave once Pandemonium is caught. The Emperor assures him he can.

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He explains things would have moved faster if the Empire's strongest swordsmen had been around, but there are still five other masterclass knights handling the situation. Damian thinks to himself that waiting isn't really his style and asks for treasures that can

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strengthen both his mana and body like powerful elixirs. The emperor happily agrees to give him everything he needs.

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Our boy then makes one final request and asks for Himera as well, leaving everyone shocked. Later, he looks over the rewards he's gotten and feels way better prepared. He wonders why the emperor was so generous, but decides not

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to overthink it. Since Pandemonium was created by Dorggo, he understands how they think. He figures they can't have gone far and are probably hiding while looking for another chance to act. With the spirits he's gathered, he hopes to

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find their base before they escape. Back at his lodging, Athen is waiting for him. She jokes that he kept her waiting and deducts 10 points from his score.

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Damen apologizes for being late since it took time to navigate the Imperial Palace, and she immediately gives the points back. She admits she thought he was getting married when someone came from the palace. The white-haired girl gets annoyed and tells them to stop

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talking about their weird scoring game. This causes the two of them to argue once again. While watching them, Damen thinks seriously about the future. Agnes is a first class paladin who's awakened her stigmata, while Athen is destined to

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become the future mercenary king. Even masterclass opponents would have a hard time against a team like theirs. Still, he knows he's got to keep getting stronger. Elsewhere, Javier screams in pain as the demonization inside him gets worse. The mages around him desperately

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try to hold the magic formation together, warning that if the transformation keeps going, everyone nearby could die. A mirror suddenly activates, revealing weapon master. He calmly says the attempt to assassinate the emperor was never likely to succeed.

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Gray falls to his knees and begs him to save Javier. The weapon master explains that the kid's demonization has gone too far. Since he isn't just using a demonic weapon anymore, but is becoming a demon himself, even he can't control it. The

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old man is horrified and asks if his son isn't human anymore. He wonders if someone else might still be able to save him. But Weapon Master angrily warns him not to bring up that person for selfish reasons. Before ending the call, he

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orders Gray to kill his son before the transformation is complete. Otherwise, the Empire could trace everything back to them. After the mirror goes dark, Gray hugs his son in disbelief. Overcome with grief and rage, he lets out a roar

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and orders the mages to return his son to normal no matter what it takes.

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Although the mages insist it's impossible and that they can't hold back the demonization much longer, he refuses to give up. He convinces himself that if he can find that mysterious person and offer the emperor's head in exchange, there might still be a way to save his

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son. Holding him tight, the man begs him to hang on a little longer and promises that somehow he'll make everything right. The scene changes to the entrance of a sewer where we see our boy with the two girls. They ask him how he knew

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about this location, but he simply tells them that he has a reliable source. As they head inside, Agnes seems a bit nervous. The red-haired girl notices this and teases her by deducting 10 points. While the two of them fight, our

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boy is focused on the pandemonium who wield the demonic sword. This time, he is prepared to get rid of all of them.

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With this, he signals the group to head in, and they all start running. Meanwhile, all the dark mages are still trying to heal Javier, but it seems like they can't do anything. His dad tells them to use any means necessary, but one

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of the dark mages tells him that using the mana of ordinary people won't achieve much. Hearing this, the man assures them that it's not a problem since some highle knights are currently approaching them. Just as he says this,

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the hero breaks down the door and enters with his group. He smiles and announces that they are here to clean the sewers.

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The girls waste no time and immediately charge forward to attack. The dark mages also seem prepared and summon a monster.

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However, Athen still thinks that they are far too weak to even be given a grade. While she is fighting, she notices Agnes getting hit by the monster. She starts laughing and jokes that the girl should have stayed home

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since she's already dead. To her surprise, the white-haired girl uses her divine mana and completely obliterates the monster. Seeing this, Athena realizes that the girl was actually holding back during their fight and gives her 50 points for her new look.

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While they are distracted, the old man prepares to launch a powerful slash at them from a distance. Our boy sees it coming and shouts at them to dodge.

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After dodging the attack, the girls are a bit confused what just happened. He explains that it's a flying sword and the man is simply launching invisible swords at high speeds. Gray is impressed that he could figure out his technique

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despite being a highclass knight. While he is facing them, Agnes notices Javier chained up behind him and asks if he is the same demon the hero mentioned earlier. It seems like the guy can't fight, which is a good thing for our

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group. They decide to use this opportunity to finish off the old man. However, defeating a masterclass fighter is not that easy. The old man draws his sword and declares that he can take them on three versus one. Damen sees the

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attack coming and warns everyone to dodge. Still, the old man is confident that they won't be able to react to the incredible speed. To his shock, the three of them managed to dodge every single attack and close the distance.

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After getting close, Athena comments that his flying sword is useless now. The old man isn't going down easy, so he dodges her attack using his sword. When he tries to hit back, our boy quickly jumps in and blocks his strike. He looks

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at him with a smile and reveals that they are not some ordinary highclass knights. This makes the man mad and he starts swinging his blade wildly. Just then, Agnes appears behind him and hits him with her divine mana. This attack

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finally lands and the old man seems to take damage for the first time without giving him any chance to recover. The other two quickly charge at him, forcing him to retreat. Gray realizes that the three of them are probably above the

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high class rank. Just then, both girls unleash their signature attacks at once, and the old man has no choice but to take it head-on in order to protect his son. Hearing him refer to the demon as his son, the hero realizes that he is

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protecting the demon because he doesn't want to lose his son. He charges forward thinking to himself that he will simply finish both of them at once. However, just as he is about to kill the old man, his son breaks through the chains and

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destroys the sword using his mouth. We then see everything from Javier's perspective who can barely make out what is going on outside. At first, he thinks he is dreaming, but when he sees his dad taking the entire hit for him, he

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realizes that this is no dream. Javier knows that he has to do something or else his dad will die. At that moment, he decides to sacrifice his own life for his dad. The old man looks at his son as

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his body slowly dissolves and combines with the demonic sword. Even Damian is shocked as he struggles to believe that the guy suppressed the demonization to become a demonic sword himself. After his son dies, the guy picks up the sword

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and immediately our boy can tell that [ __ ] is about to go down. Bro now has the power of family by his side. And with the demonic sword in his hands, there is not much they can do.

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Desperate, Damen orders the girls to attack since he is planning to finish off the old man before he can wield the sword. However, it's already a bit too late because the man launches an attack while they are midair. With no options

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left, the hero shouts at everyone to brace for the impact, but the sword cleanly slices through every defense they have. It cuts through all of them and they drop to the ground. Meanwhile, the old man aura farms a bit, declaring

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that he won't stop until he has killed the entire world. Despite taking a direct hit from the demonic sword, Damian is somehow able to move. Turns out that he had been wearing a special kind of armor inside his shirt called

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Himera. It's the same artifact he demanded from the emperor as his reward for winning the tournament. It's so strong that it can block almost every attack. Damian tears off his shirt as he remembers that Dorggo also made him wear

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the same armor when he was a death knight. He looks around and realizes that his thousandm sword has shattered.

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Agnes is a paladin who manifested her holy soul, so she won't die from the injuries. Athene also has the blood of the nifl dragon, so she is probably knocked out. Even though they are both alive, the hero still has to finish this

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fight alone. He picks up the red head's weapon and activates the third ring. Damian knows that he only has one minute and he needs to finish this fight within that time. Without wasting a second, he immediately appears behind the old man.

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Gray quickly leaps back and swing the demonic sword again. This time, our boy manages to cut through the slashes using the spear. However, the old man surprises him by appearing right behind him. Damen is quick to react and barely

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dodges the attack. Just before he lands, the old man charges forward and grabs him by the neck. Our boy realizes that the difference in power between them is still quite high. While getting choked out, he begins to wonder if this is how

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he will die. He hasn't even seen the face of Dorggo yet, which makes him mad.

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Then all of a sudden, he finds himself in a dark place that looks familiar.

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Looking around, he notices his demonic sword, Arabos, in the distance. Soon, it all starts to make sense as he realizes that the demonic sword is actually calling for him. Even though he didn't want to use this sword because of its

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immense power, he realizes that he has no choice but to give in. Immediately after grabbing the sword, my man starts cutting the old man like butter.

Topics: Damian Hawken regression death knight Arch Lich manhwa recap noble family dark magic revenge redemption supernatural powers

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