Chapter 184: Unlocking Potential (2)

Adrian sized up Karl and his challenge, and a faint amusement danced in his eyes. The boy’s confidence, fueled by a single breakthrough, was quite funny to him.

It was even more strange that Karl was clutching his spear so tightly, a detail Adrian hadn’t registered before.

He remembered finding Karl in the dungeons without it, which went to show how much he loved the weapon to have searched the palace to find it and bring it with him.

’He could use a better spear,’ Adrian thought, already running schematics in his mind for a weapon far superior to the simple steel in his friend’s hands.

Karl stared long and hard at Adrian, misinterpreting his silent assessment. Not knowing that the person he was challenging was casually designing a new legendary weapon for him, he let his impatience get the better of him.

"What’s the matter, buddy?" he taunted with a wide grin. "Are you scared?"

Adrian’s smile grew. "Sure."

The response threw Karl off completely. "What? You’re scared?"

"Far from it. I’m agreeing to your challenge. Let’s fight."

Karl’s confusion vanished, replaced by a surge of excitement. The grin returned, wider and more manic than ever.

He was more than ready to fight right away. "So... here? Right now?" he asked, glancing around the peaceful park.

Adrian shook his head again. "Nah, not here." He turned and started walking. "Follow me."

He then glanced back at Serena, who was still sitting on the bench, watching them with a bemused expression. "You too, Rena."

Serena’s eyes lit up, and she jumped from her seat, glad she wasn’t being left out of the action.

Adrian led them to a large, open field on the outskirts of New Haven’s residential district. It was the primary training ground for the city’s defense forces.

The ground was covered in thick, soft sand to cushion falls and absorb stray impacts. Various training dummies, target boards, and obstacle courses dotted the perimeter. Eli often used this place as a center to carry out training drills, and it was where the city’s most promising fighters held their duels to hone their skills.

Upon arriving, Adrian wasn’t surprised to see two guards at the far end of the field doing shooting practice with their newly issued mana guns.

They snapped to attention and gave him a salute the moment he came into view, but a casual wave from Adrian was enough to tell them to carry on with their duties.

They lowered their weapons, but didn’t resume their practice, instead choosing to observe what the boss was doing at the training center. This was, after all, the first time any of them had seen him here.

Adrian didn’t focus on the guards as he turned to his sister. "You’ll serve as the referee, Rena."

Serena accepted her role happily, clapping her hands together. "Okay!"

Adrian looked at Karl, who was practically vibrating with eagerness to fight and had already posed him a question.

"So... same rules as last time?"

Adrian walked past Serena and stepped into the fighting box, a large square with a side length of forty meters. He met Karl in the center.

"I’ll give you a handicap," Adrian stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I won’t use any mana, and I’ll try to hold back."

Karl looked like he was about to refuse, but he caught himself. This was a massive advantage. He feigned reluctance. "Okay, fine. You’re free not to use your mana. But don’t you dare hold back!"

Adrian didn’t give him any assurance as he took his position, casually tucking his hands into his pockets.

Serena also took her place by the edge of the field. As she passed Adrian, she whispered, "Please don’t injure him too badly," before scurrying to her spot. Adrian smiled faintly but nodded at her request.

With Karl also ready in his aggressive stance at the far end of the box, spear held at the ready, Serena began the countdown to start the fight.

"Three... Two... One..."

"Go!"

~WHOOSH!~

The moment the word left Serena’s mouth, Karl exploded into action. Gripping his spear like a jouster’s lance, he charged towards Adrian at a blinding speed.

The sand erupted under his feet as he channeled his newfound 5-Star Knight mana, his spear tip glowing with a faint light that seemed to propel him even faster.

His plan was simple: end the fight in a single, overwhelming blow. He would take advantage of Adrian’s loose, almost insulting posture and punish him for his underestimation.

’I’ll make him pay for looking down on me!’

Within two seconds, Karl arrived at Adrian’s position. He had enough combat intelligence not to commit to a simple, linear thrust. Instead, he executed his favorite technique.

Sky Serpent’s Ascent!

His forward momentum instantly converted into vertical lift. His body soared high into the air, a blur of motion that drew the eyes of the two watching guards.

He went so high that for a moment, against the afternoon sun, he looked like a descending meteor.

As he reached the apex of his climb, he twisted his body, aiming the spear tip directly down at Adrian. He wasn’t done. As he descended like a hawk upon its prey, Karl channeled a torrent of mana into his spear, executing a second technique simultaneously.

Drill-Fang Barrage!

The spear began to spin furiously in his hands, the metal whining as it rotated faster than the nose of a factory drill.

It became a vortex of destructive energy, its tip a pinpoint of focused annihilation. The sheer force of the attack created a downdraft, kicking up a swirl of sand around Adrian’s feet. Anyone watching was in no doubt about the lethality of the blow.

"AAAAH!!"

With a final war cry, Karl drove the spinning spear down towards Adrian, who still hadn’t moved an inch since the fight began. His hands remained coolly tucked into his pockets with an unreadable expression, seemingly unconcerned by the deadly weapon about to impale him.

As the spear’s tip approached Adrian’s head, even Serena grew worried for her brother. He looked like he wouldn’t react in time, his hands in a position completely unfavorable for defense. But she couldn’t do anything to stop it as the spear finally hit...

~CLANG!~

In a single, impossibly smooth motion, Adrian had pulled his left hand out of his pocket. He hadn’t dodged. He hadn’t blocked. He had caught the furiously spinning, mana-infused spear tip between his thumb and forefinger.

The piercing sound of his flesh reverberating against the vibrating metal resounded across the field, sharp and absolute.

Karl was still stuck in the air, his eyes wide with utter disbelief as Adrian’s strong grip not only held the spear perfectly in place but effortlessly carried his entire body weight.

He wouldn’t stay suspended in the air for long. Adrian made his second act of the battle. With another fluid movement, he twisted the hand that held the spear’s tip, using Karl’s own momentum against him.

He flicked his wrist, throwing Karl sideways while yanking the spear from his grasp.

~THUD!~

Adrian tossed the now-redundant spear away, letting it clatter into the sand.

He walked up to his friend, who had been tossed like a rag doll and now lay in a heap on the floor.

Judging from the awkward angle of his limbs, he had likely sustained some broken bones and wasn’t in a good state at all.

But what mattered most was his expression. The arrogance, the confidence... all of it was gone, replaced by a new emotion hidden deep in his eyes.

He was humbled.

To add a final bit of salt to his fresh wounds, Adrian couldn’t resist a taunt,

"Rematch?"