NOVPUBViscount Hammond, the employer across, laughed with interest, his laugh tainted with disdain as he walked toward this side’s coaching bench.
"Tsk..."
Christina gave him a glance, feeling that the other party was cursing her.
She wished that the butler would leave next week.
"Christina, your father has often lost more than he’s won against our family’s servants. Of course, our servants today are exceptional... Fortunately, it’s you here, otherwise it would be Kyle losing face." 𝚗ovp𝚞b.𝚌om
Viscount Hammond looked toward the giant screen, muttering to himself.
Christina no longer paid attention to him, her gaze tightly locked on the combat scene.
Because on the multipurpose Magic Screen at the venue, the Infinite Phantom Canyon arena had already started.
The randomly selected stage this time was a vast plain, covered in lush green grass that stretched all the way to the distant horizon.
The tranquility was quickly shattered as two figures appeared on the plains, ready to engage in a duel.
Before the competition began, neither side could attack for a minute, and their movement was restricted; it was not only preparation time before the battle but also a fixed segment where competitors could verbally probe or taunt their opponents.
However, the red-haired young man didn’t care about this phase at all.
His hand was in his pocket, and even his gaze remained unchanged, as if everything that was about to happen had nothing to do with him.
His indifference seemed to freeze the air around him.
Compared to the red-haired youth, the butler with brown hair and green eyes maintained his usual genteel charm.
He stood there, spine straight, as if awaiting the arrival of an important guest rather than a deadly duel.
"If possible, could you tell me why you always go so hard on your opponents?"
Lanci took the initiative to speak to the other side.
He thought Enon’s behavior wasn’t good.
Normally, he wouldn’t chat much with his opponents, but after learning this competitor’s story and seeing his condition, Lanci couldn’t help wanting to extend a helping hand.
"..."
The red-haired youth didn’t respond, not even looking at Lanci.
"I mean no harm; I’m just offering you some psychological advice. I feel you’re under great mental pressure."
Lanci spoke calmly, with a polite yet distant smile on his face.
"..."
The hood of the red-haired young man lifted slightly as if feeling the last thirty seconds of the prelude were dragging on interminably.
The fools who had merely provoked him were not as annoying as this one.
He had seen many fools who had taunted him before a match, but they all became the perfect seasoning when he started his slaughter.
But this man’s feigned concern was truly sickening.
"Something’s upset you recently, I care very much. You’re irritable, resistant to kindness, even your breath is filled with anger. If you keep bottling it up, you might break. I’ll listen to you after the match, I will take all the time you need."
Lanci kept talking seriously like a psychologist, regardless of whether the other spoke or not.
"I promise I’ll break your throat, make sure you never speak to me again..."
The red-haired young man finally spoke.
"And what if you’re not successful? I might just whisper in your ear non-stop, or perhaps my voice will haunt your dreams tonight."
Lanci replied with a smile, tilting his head.
"To kill you..."
Veins throbbed on his forehead.
The opponent’s constant goodwill only compounded his disgust.
In the stands outside the arena, the audience felt the starkly different attitudes between the two competitors, holding their breath and focusing intensely, eagerly anticipating the imminent outbreak of conflict.
On the plain, a sinister gray wind suddenly picked up, carrying a bone-chilling coldness, and the bell signaling the start of the match rang out!
With the wind’s dance, the red-haired young man’s silhouette blurred into a vague shadow, instantaneously dashing towards Lanci like a specter, with a speed that was staggering.
He may have been more skilled in spells, but his previous victories were mostly due to a modest amount of magic supplemented by physical means, pummeling his opponents into a bloody pulp.
In that instant, the outcome would be decided, and the red-haired youth would utterly destroy his opponent.
"..."
Facing this sudden onslaught, Lanci’s expression remained unchanged. Just as before, he used Spiritual Magic to suppress the red-haired youth.
However, when the spiritual power field of his substitute messenger, Talia, collided with the red-haired youth, the two forces surprisingly neutralized each other.
Neither side could gain the upper hand.
"So... you are also a Spirit Mage?"
In the blink of an eye, Lanci looked at the figure of the red-haired youth in astonishment and muttered to himself.
The red-haired youth and Talia’s spiritual powers interwove and collided in the air, canceling each other out; in that moment, time seemed to slow down for them, creating an invisible contest of wills.
This surprise also unsettled the red-haired youth, but he maintained his arrogance. Even upon realizing that his opponent was not easy to defeat, he didn’t draw his hands from his pockets, as if this level of combat was still not worth his full efforts.
"Let’s have two moves, then."
The red-haired youth’s voice was hoarse, barely audible.
"Fine."
Lanci, observing the red-haired youth’s manner, responded.
At that moment, he too needed to give proper respect to his opponent and instructed Talia to apply a bit more effort.
If necessary, he would also make judgments and coordinate with Talia.
"So strong."
Talia communicated telepathically in her mind.
This was the first time she couldn’t suppress an opponent in the arena.
But it was nothing more than having to resort to her true skills.
A pitch-black magical power began to coalesce around Lanci, causing the earth to fracture and crumble.
Numerous huge fissures shook and expanded, turning into abysses. Then, black flames rose from the ground, enveloping the red-haired young man.
