Ch.4545. The Duel

In the middle of the vast parade ground, Rex and Bruno stood facing each other, about five steps apart.

Dozens of people formed a circle around them. At first, there were only Seeds and regular soldiers, but as time passed, increasingly diverse people began to gather.

Maids and servants working in the inner castle, and even cooks…

Some had simply been passing by when their interest was piqued and decided to stay, while others had dropped what they were doing and rushed over upon hearing about the fight.

In their monotonous daily lives, someone’s brawl was an event too good to miss. It was only natural that people’s attention would be drawn to it.

Thus, well over a hundred people had assembled at the parade ground.

The murmuring noise and intense attention would have been overwhelming even for someone with considerable nerve, but this didn’t apply to the two men about to fight.

“Haha!”

Bruno revealed his white teeth in a sneer. The current situation pleased him immensely. If anything, he felt a slight regret that there weren’t even more spectators.

Bruno clicked his tongue and glared at Rex.

‘Insufferable bastard.’

Two days ago, when he heard that Rex had become Berger’s disciple.

At the time, it hadn’t bothered him. He’d dismissed it as a baseless rumor. The renowned knight was famous for not taking disciples.

A commoner nobody becoming Berger’s disciple? Ridiculous. It wasn’t even worth laughing about.

But eventually, the rumor proved to be true.

Bruno had made a promise to himself. Someday, he would beat that guy to a pulp.

Who was he? The son of Knight Heinz. Bruno was convinced that if anyone were to become Berger’s disciple, it would certainly be him.

He wasn’t just relying on his lineage. People acknowledged that Bruno had earned the right to be arrogant. His outstanding talent had allowed him to reach great heights at a relatively young age.

Bruno had entered the mature stage of Revelation at twenty-five. Since childhood, he had been called a genius so often that he’d grown tired of hearing it.

Even in Lindveil, it was hard to find peers who could match Bruno for more than ten minutes.

‘That was my place.’

That vermin had stolen what was rightfully his. The inferiority complex born from this thought had coalesced into jealousy.

That’s why he had picked a fight. He wanted to humiliate the guy who had crawled in without knowing his place, and he was also curious about what made him so special that Berger himself had chosen him.

As a result, the situation unfolded exactly as Bruno had hoped. The guy seemed quite cautious by nature, but as soon as Bruno mentioned his parents, his eyes flipped and he immediately challenged Bruno to a duel.

Family must be his sore spot, as his expression had hardened, which Bruno found quite amusing. What could someone like him possibly do by getting angry?

Bruno cracked his neck from side to side, loosening his joints.

‘I’m not really in the mood for unarmed combat… but I have no choice.’

Sparring matches between Seeds for the purpose of improving skills could be held anytime at will. However, to use real swords instead of practice ones, they needed permission from a knight. This was the law of the domain, and even Bruno couldn’t easily break it.

The current situation was actually a bit ambiguous. The fight had clearly been established with impure motives, so there was a risk of receiving a stern rebuke.

Still, it was better than ending up in the underground prison. Equal punishment awaited anyone who broke the law, without discrimination.

Anyway, if they wanted to compete in swordsmanship, they would have to use wooden swords, but Bruno believed that fighting with wooden swords was little more than child’s play.

Therefore, the format of this duel was unarmed combat.

Of course, unarmed combat had its own merits. The exhilarating feeling of smashing someone’s face with your fist was a pleasure that could never be experienced by cutting fabric with a blade.

‘First, I’ll dislocate his shoulder with a joint lock, then smash his nose. After that, I’ll crush his legs too. He’ll probably have to wear diapers for a while.’

The thought of teaching that guy his place already filled Bruno with satisfaction. With a sinister smile, Bruno shouted:

“Whoever passes out or surrenders first loses. Do you agree?”

“Fine by me.”

Rex replied in an indifferent tone.

Irritated by this attitude, Bruno barely managed to suppress his anger.

‘Pathetic bastard.’

He’d soon be rolling on the ground and whimpering anyway. Getting worked up would only disadvantage Bruno. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions.

Regardless of his contempt for the opponent, he needed to take the duel seriously. Though Rex appeared unremarkable, there might be some hidden skill that had earned him a place as Berger’s disciple.

He wouldn’t let his guard down. He would thoroughly crush him.

Bruno turned his head and signaled to William.

“Ah…”

William, caught between the two, kept nervously glancing around with a pale face, but after hesitating briefly, he finally opened his mouth.

Seeing this, Bruno tensed every muscle in his body. He planned to leap forward immediately and seize the initiative.

“Sta—rt!”

But he didn’t hear the word “start” to its completion.

Smack!

As William opened his mouth, suddenly the world flipped upside down. A harsh impact traveled up Bruno’s jaw. In an instant, his head jerked backward and his legs went weak.

Bruno belatedly understood what had happened. He’d been hit. When? Before he could sort out his confusion, another attack came from an unseen direction.

Rex extended his hand. Slap! This time, Bruno’s cheek turned sideways. His mouth burst open, spilling blood. But the humiliation was greater than the stinging pain. Bruno gritted his teeth and swung his fist. Even in his disoriented state, it was an attack precisely aimed at Rex’s face.

Or so he thought, but his fist helplessly struck empty air. Rex had evaded the attack simply by slightly tilting his upper body. That wasn’t the end. Rex’s shoulder twitched. Bruno hastily crossed his arms.

Thud!

Rex’s hand, curved like a snake, pierced through Bruno’s solar plexus. It had slipped through the gap he failed to block. Experiencing such pain for the first time in his life, Bruno opened his mouth. A choking groan escaped.

Rex looked down at Bruno with indifferent eyes, then stepped back. As if giving him one chance.

“How dare you…!”

Bruno shouted with veins bulging in his neck. As he looked around, gasping for breath, he saw people watching the duel with shocked eyes.

Bruno bit his lip. A sudden anxiety rose that something was going wrong. No! This was all because that vile bastard had rushed in without warning, and he had no choice but to take the hits. There was still plenty of opportunity to make up for the mistake.

‘Damn bastard. Playing dirty?’

Technically, the duel had started from the moment William began speaking, but Bruno’s mind was filled with nothing but indignation. As Bruno’s expression contorted, Rex twisted his lips into a smirk and muttered:

“Too slow.”

It was quiet enough that the audience couldn’t hear, but Bruno, standing close, clearly heard Rex’s mockery. Just one phrase. That one phrase shattered Bruno’s pride. Bruno summoned his sacred power at full force. Thick veins bulged on his forearms, and his clenched fists trembled.

This was exactly why Sacred Anglers were stronger than ordinary people.

Physical enhancement through energy manipulation. Even among Sacred Anglers, taking an attack empowered by sacred energy would result in more than just broken bones.

In other words, at this moment, Bruno harbored clear killing intent toward Rex. Even if he didn’t intend to kill him outright, he wanted to cripple him for at least a few months. He didn’t consider the consequences. Rising anger suppressed his reason.

“Well now…”

Rex stared at Bruno with cold eyes. Even without activating a warrior’s gaze, it was clear. Bruno had crossed the line.

“Weren’t we not using sacred power?”

“Shut up!”

“It won’t make much difference anyway.”

Though he was merely stating the truth, Bruno’s face turned red, which looked pathetic.

“I’ll make you beg for mercy!”

Bruno stomped the ground. The dirt floor was roughly gouged, and pale dust swirled up.

Indeed, once he began using sacred power in earnest, his momentum was different from before. Reaching close range in a single breath, Bruno spread his arms wide. He intended to wrap around Rex’s waist and slam him to the ground.

It was fine if the tackle didn’t succeed. A skilled warrior looks far into the future. He had already anticipated what to do if Rex evaded his attack again.

He would simply ram into him with his body. Rather than throwing awkward punches, it was better to collide with his body. His muscular physique was a weapon in itself. In Bruno’s mind, he pictured Rex flying far away.

As he threw himself forward, Bruno wore a bewildered expression. Instead of dodging or retreating, Rex took a step forward.

‘Huh?’

His instincts sounded an alarm, but his legs, already in motion, couldn’t stop. Suddenly, time seemed to flow slowly. Bruno stared blankly at Rex. Meeting those piercingly emotionless eyes, he felt a chill run down his spine. Then, he saw a knee slowly rising into view.

Bruno sensed it.

He couldn’t dodge this.

Crack!

Rex, who had leaped into the air, raised his knee. The knee crushed Bruno’s jaw. Gack! Bruno rolled his eyes at the dull impact that shook his brain.

Rex didn’t stop. His tightly clenched fist struck Bruno’s temple. Thwack! Bruno staggered as if about to collapse.

This shouldn’t end so quickly. Rex kicked Bruno’s thigh. This restored balance to his body, which had been tilting to one side. To distant spectators, it looked as if Bruno had barely withstood the attack. In reality, he had lost consciousness as soon as his jaw was hit.

It wasn’t Rex’s concern. Bruno had reasons to be beaten more.

And so the merciless strikes continued. Thwack! Bruno’s head swung from side to side without rest. Whenever Bruno’s legs wobbled, Rex skillfully propped him up.

Rex targeted only the face. It was clear that Bruno was the type who enjoyed others’ attention. With his face ruined, he wouldn’t be able to strut around so arrogantly anymore. Still, showing a bit of mercy, Rex refrained from using sacred power.

‘I shouldn’t kill him.’

Unlike the foolish Bruno, Rex was someone who could make rational judgments. With a final push of his open palm against Bruno’s chest, Bruno collapsed helplessly to the ground.

Thud.

It was a miserable sight. His face was swollen like fermented bread, covered in dark bruises. Blood from his split lips mixed with the foam bubbling from his mouth, dripping onto the ground.

Rex looked down at Bruno with an expressionless face, then shifted his gaze.

William, who had been trembling in one corner throughout the duel, finally came to his senses and spoke.

“L-Lord Rex is the winner!”

People were speechless at the unexpected result.

Bruno had lost.

And not just lost—he had been overwhelmingly dominated from start to finish. It was hard to believe.

Considering Bruno’s status in Lindveil, it wasn’t surprising. He was the son of a knight and known as the greatest genius in the surrounding area.

Yet what had just happened looked like a child being subdued by an adult. The expression “no match” was accurate.

Rex slowly scanned his surroundings with calm eyes. People swallowed hard and watched him.

Having won the duel, they thought he might say something.

And at Rex’s next action, people unconsciously drew in a sharp breath.

Rex raised a finger and pointed somewhere. It was where Bruno’s friends were standing. They were also the ones who had mocked Rex’s parents. The young men flinched at Rex’s gaze.

Rex spoke in a calm voice:

“Come forward.”

If they thought it would end with just Bruno, they were mistaken.

Rex had no intention of stopping yet.

That’s when it happened.

“That’s enough.”

Two men appeared, parting the crowd.

Rex turned around.

“You’ve caused quite a commotion on your first day.”

Berger approached with a sly smile.