Chapter 243: Chapter 243 : Might be a worthy opponent

Inside the VIP section throughout the entire duel, not a single soul dared to move an inch. The air was thick with tension, the kind that could crush someone weaker under its weight.

The only sound that occasionally broke through the silence was the soft, amused laughter of Alyssa Vega.

As the duel finally ended, silence settled even deeper. No one spoke. No one moved.

Alyssa stood up gracefully, brushing back her hair with that same smug, composed expression.

“So now,” she said with a smirk, “all of you combined—including His Majesty—owe me one billion credits. Remember to pay on time.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out of the VIP section, her steps echoing like thunder in the stillness she left behind.

Even after she left, no one dared to speak.

Then, Marquis Liam Starlight suddenly broke the tension with a loud laugh.

“Hahaha! I’m really glad I didn’t bring my wife to watch this duel with me!”

Everyone turned to look at him, their expressions blank and unamused. Liam awkwardly coughed and said, “What? Just trying to lighten the mood…”

Marquis Augustus exhaled, nodding slightly. “Well, I’m also glad my wife didn’t come either.”

Reynard thought silently to himself, ’Good thing Serena didn’t come either.’

Arthur, Reynard, and even King Edward exchanged glances and nodded silently, acknowledging that all of them had narrowly avoided a far more uncomfortable situation.

But then, Marcus Reed’s voice broke the quiet again. “Didn’t you all say earlier that, on His Majesty’s request, the duel was being broadcasted live… worldwide?”

A heavy silence fell over the entire section.

Aldric Verlane, the oldest among them, rubbed his temples and spoke with a sigh. “We’re going off topic. The focus should be on what we just witnessed in that duel. That kind of power… from a seventeen-year-old boy. That’s not something to take lightly.”

King Edward finally leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. His eyes gleamed with both astonishment and calculation.

“You’re right, Headmaster. He’s surpassed expectations beyond measure. The power he displayed is no mere luck—it’s something far greater.”

He looked around the room, voice steady and commanding.

“We should support him. Not oppose him. A force like that is not to be underestimated.

So when the time comes, we need him fighting for the Empire, not against it. His talent evaluation once suggested a mere Master-rank potential, but clearly, that was wrong. That boy has been hiding far more than anyone could imagine.”

King Edward’s expression hardened.

“He’s a wildcard. And we must ensure that wildcard stays in our hands—at all costs.”

One by one, the nobles nodded. None of them dared to speak against the decision.

They had all witnessed it—the overwhelming power, the speed, the destruction. None of them would ever forget that masked figure who turned two of the most promising prodigies into dust.

For the first time in decades, true fear had taken root in the hearts of the mighty.

King Edward turned toward his generals. “From this day forward, ensure Alex Dragonheart receives full support from every channel available. No one will obstruct him. If anyone does, they’ll answer directly to me.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the VIP chamber.

Aldric Verlane smiled faintly as he looked out at the fading projection of the battlefield. ’He’s growing at an impossible rate,’ he thought. ’If things continue like this… they’ll find him soon. And that will be troublesome for everyone.’

—–

Meanwhile, back inside the virtual combat facility, Alden had just released Alex from a suffocating hug.

And the next moment, a solid punch slammed right into Alden’s face.

A loud crack echoed as Alden went tumbling backward, rolling across the ground.

“Damn it, Alex!” Alden groaned, clutching his cheek. “That hurts, you asshole!”

Alex pointed at him, yelling, “It was supposed to hurt! Why the hell did you have to burn my clothes, you bastard!? The entire world just saw the beauty I never intended to show!”

For a brief second, Alden’s mind flashed back to the incident—and he started laughing uncontrollably.

Alex stared at him in disbelief. “You’re actually laughing!? I should punch you again.”

Alden kept laughing, barely able to speak. “Oh come on, that was funny as hell!”

Alex rubbed his forehead, sighing. “Forget it. You’re too shameless to argue with unlike me. I’ll deal with you later.”

Finally calming down, Alden wiped away a tear of laughter. “Alright, alright… but seriously, I’ve got a thousand questions to ask. Where do I even start?”

Alex cut him off immediately. “Shut up and do what I tell you instead of asking questions.”

Alden frowned. “What now?”

“Go tell all the first years to gather at the training grounds,” Alex ordered. “And make sure they know it’s an order from their Apex. Anyone who doesn’t show up—well, let’s just say there’ll be beautiful consequences.”

Alden blinked. “Consequences that are beautiful huh? What the hell are you planning?”

“You don’t need to know,” Alex replied flatly.

Alden clicked his tongue. “Fine, fine. Just so you know, I’m only doing this because… well, because I’m a good friend, alright? Not because I’m scared of you or anything.”

Alex smirked. “Yeah, sure. Just go.”

Alden turned to leave, muttering under his breath. But before he walked out, he glanced back with a small smile. “I’m glad to have you back, you bastard.”

Alex grinned. “I’m not your girlfriend, Asshole. Save that smile for Ava.”

A vein popped on Alden’s forehead, but he said nothing, just clicking his tongue again before leaving the room.

As the door closed behind him, Alex took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s settle everything quickly so I can move on to the mission.”

Then his system’s voice chimed in inside his head.

[ Host, don’t forget about binding with a spirit. From what I’ve gathered, doing so could grant you an ally you can trust completely. We’ll be facing far greater dangers soon. ]

Alex nodded slightly. ’You’re right. The spirit Alden had was incredibly powerful. If I can form a bond like that, it’ll boost my strength significantly.’

He looked toward the exit, determination flashing in his eyes.

’After dealing with the first years, I’ll find my own spirit.’

And with that, Alex stepped out of the virtual combat facility, heading straight for the first-year training grounds, unaware that the world outside was already shifting because of him.

——-

[ 1 hour ago ]

Far across the ocean, deep within the Oceanic empire which was the territory of the mer-folk , a once-glorious island now stood drenched in ruin. The grand coral palaces and sapphire towers that once shone like stars beneath the sea were now cracked, scorched, and dripping with blood.

Inside the captured castle, silence ruled. Only the faint flicker of flames and the distant crash of waves broke the stillness.

Kyle Celestian sat upon a throne of molten gold and serpent bone, resting his chin lazily on his hand. Around him, the corpse of Merfolk-lord of that territory who was a transcendent rank and guards lay scattered, their lifeless eyes staring into nothing. He didn’t even glance at them.

Before him floated a massive holographic screen—projecting the duel between Alex Dragonheart, Ethan Williams, and Alden Von Crestvale. The room glowed faintly with the light of the battle, each explosion of mana reflecting in Kyle’s golden eyes.

Beside him stood Arya, a beautiful woman with flowing crimson hair tied elegantly behind her head. Her eyes were sharp, her aura deadly, yet even she stood in respectful silence beside Kyle, her focus also fixed on the screen.

Neither of them blinked as the battle reached its climax.

And when Alex finally won—when his disguise burned away revealing his true face—both of them froze.

Kyle leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly. But before he could speak, he heard a soft gulp beside him. Turning his head, he caught Arya looking away, her face flushed red as she awkwardly turned to the side.

Kyle frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

Arya didn’t answer, and that made him suspicious. He turned back to the screen—and instantly understood.

He blinked once. Then twice.

’What the hell… is that guy for real?’ he thought, jaw tightening slightly. Even for someone like Kyle, it was… distracting.

He exhaled slowly, forcing his gaze upward. “Unbelievable…” he muttered.

Suddenly, two soldiers burst into the throne hall, panting heavily. They kneeled immediately, their heads bowed.

“Young Master!” one of them shouted. “We have located another core the seventh one of another Sovereign connected to the Abyss!”

Kyle didn’t even look away from the screen as a slow smile formed on his lips. “Well, well… this mission went easier than I expected.”

He rested his chin on his hand, voice calm but laced with cruelty. “Unfortunately, the mermaids here were rather stubborn, weren’t they? Shame they had to die over something as trivial as ’heritage’ or ’legacy.’ as they denied to hand over the core.”

Arya’s eyes flickered briefly. “Young Master, with this, we now have all seven cores. We can finally revive the Sovereigns through your power.”

Kyle smirked faintly, still not breaking eye contact with the holographic screen where Alex’s body began to fade into motes of light.

“Yeah, good for us” he said quietly.

Then, his tone turned cold. “Arya. Investigate him. That silver haired guy.”

Arya stepped forward and bowed. “No need, my lord. I already know who he is.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You do?”

She nodded. “Six months ago, he was the one who killed Veyra and Veyron—the twin Wraiths—and even captured Aaron, the Grandmaster we sent. That’s why our operation in Avaloria failed.”

Something clicked in Kyle’s expression. “Ahh… that boy.” He smirked, tilting his head. “The one we all decided to monitor quietly, thinking he might become a threat someday.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Kyle leaned back on his throne and laughed—a low, manic, echoing laugh that filled the golden hall. His eyes glinted with excitement.

“Arya,” he said, “you’re Peak-Grandmaster rank now, right?”

Arya straightened her posture and nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

Kyle’s smile widened. “Then tell me… if you were to fight him, who would win?”

Arya hesitated. She replayed the duel in her mind—the speed, the slashes, the way Alex had destroyed two avatars as if swatting flies.

After a long pause, she finally said, “From what I’ve seen, if that’s truly all he can do, I believe we would be evenly matched… even if he’s hiding some tricks.”

Kyle stared at her for a few seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter again.

“Hahahaha! Arya, sometimes your stupidity is… cute.”

Arya’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment. “I-I’m serious, my lord! I think I can handle him!”

Kyle’s voice turned sharp. “Shut up. I don’t entertain stupidity.”

She froze instantly.

Kyle rose from his throne and pointed at the frozen hologram of Alex cutting through both Ethan and Alden’s domains by repeating the video feed. “That guy just obliterated two avatars. Two! And they were fighting using domains—weak ones, yes—but still domains! And he sliced through them as if they were air. I couldn’t even decipher that technique completely.”

Arya’s breath hitched. That statement alone was shocking—because Kyle Celestian was infamous for his ability to break down any combat art just by watching it once and finding a counter for it.

He continued, his tone cold and certain. “If you ever find yourself facing him… run. Don’t hesitate, don’t fight. Just run. Because from what I’ve seen, he’ll kill you in less than a second.”

The words struck Arya like thunder. She looked at her young master with wide eyes, disbelief painted across her face.

After a long silence, Arya finally found her voice. “You truly think… that boy is that dangerous?”

Kyle smiled faintly, resting his chin on his knuckles. “Who knows? I’m simply trusting my instincts. Maybe he’s weaker than you… but something tells me that’s not the case.”

She hesitated, then gathered her courage. “My lord… may I ask something?”

Kyle’s golden eyes glimmered with amusement. “Ask away. I can already tell what you’re thinking.”

After a moment of hesitation, Arya stammered, “M-my lord… could he also… defeat you?”

Kyle didn’t answer immediately. A devilish grin slowly spread across his face. “From my calculations,” he said softly, “that guy might be able to fight near-transcendent rank beings. Maybe even higher, if he’s still holding back.”

Arya gulped. “Then… would you lose?”

Silence reignwd for a bit as kyle chuckled darkly then taking a pause he said. ” Naah I’d win.”

The golden hall fell silent again, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic projection.

Kyle replayed the recording, pausing at Alex’s revealed face. His smirk deepened as he muttered, “Such a shame.”

Arya tilted her head. “Why a shame, my lord?”

Kyle’s smile turned sharper. “Because he’s Lily’s brother. And I think we could’ve been… good friends.”

Arya blinked in confusion. “Why not still be friends? Perhaps, with good fortune, he could even join our side.”

Kyle exhaled slowly, then looked at her with mock sympathy. “It’s such a shame… because I don’t like his face.”

Arya’s jaw dropped.

Kyle leaned back, laughing softly. “That son of a bitch is too good-looking. Up here and down there too. That’s why he has to die. Call it jealousy, call it pettiness—but I just don’t like that smile.”

He tilted his head slightly, his hair gleaming under the light. “Tell me, Arya, do you think I’m petty for killing him over something so small?”

Arya immediately bowed low. “Of course not, my lord. Whatever you decide is always right.”

Kyle chuckled. “Good answer.”

He gazed once more at Alex’s paused image on the holographic screen. ’I wonder what fate has planned for us,’ he thought. ’When will I meet you, Alex Dragonheart?’

Suddenly, a voice echoed inside his head—calm, divine, and feminine.

[ Kyle, that boy is dangerous. Do not try to fight him. I searched every realm for traces of his fate—there’s nothing. No god, no destiny, no thread connects to him. It’s as if he doesn’t exist. ]

Kyle’s eyes widened slightly. Even he was surprised. It wasn’t often that Sabrina, his primordial goddess, spoke with genuine fear.

“Are you serious?” he asked silently.

[ Yes. That’s why I’m warning you. Stay away from him. ]

Kyle leaned back in his throne, a grin spreading across his face. “Now I’m even more excited to meet him. What kind of existence are you, Alex?”

[ Kyle, didn’t you hear what I just said? ]

“I did,” he replied with a smirk. “Don’t worry, Sabrina. I’m excited, not stupid. I’ll be carefull.”

He turned back to the frozen image of Alex’s face and whispered, “Maybe I should raise my charm stat too… it seems I’ll need it when we finally meet. Who knows perhaps he might be a worthy opponent.”

—–

A/N:

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