Leon stood cautiously in the center of the arena ring, Lady Ariana standing before him with a concerned expression. "How are you, Nephew?" she asked, her voice laced with warmth.
Leon hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Ariana's expression suddenly turned shocked, and she looked crestfallen. "Don't tell me... You do not like me?!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.
Before Leon could respond, Ariana burst into tears, her body shaking with sobs. Nox, standing beside Leon, looked on in confusion. "Why is she crying all of a sudden?" he asked, clearly perplexed.
Ariana's tears streamed down her face as she cried out, "Oh my, how can you not like your aunt?" Her words were punctuated by sobs, and her body shook with anguish.
Leon thought to himself, "She's a very calculating woman. She's a very good actor." Nox, seemingly hearing Leon's thoughts, asked, "Why is she acting then?"
But Ariana continued to cry, her sobs growing louder and more intense. Leon was unsure of what to do, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
Just then, Felix stepped forward, his eyes fixed intently on Ariana. Leon thought, "Good! Felix will be able to convince her!" But to his shock, Felix said, "Master, order me, I will kill this woman!"
Leon's eyes widened in horror. "What?! Kill?! Are you crazy?!" he thought, appalled by Felix's suggestion.
Ariana, still crying, suddenly shouted through her tears, "You're going to kill me?!" Her sobs grew louder, and her body shook with renewed anguish.
The surrounding crowd began to murmur, their voices filled with speculation about Leon's character.
Leon stood frozen, unsure and confused, as the system message suddenly popped up before him. His eyes widened in surprise, and he hesitated, not sure how to react to the unexpected notification.
Leon gazed at the system message, his eyes widening with excitement as he read the words. "looks like I've got some notification," he said, a grin spreading across his face.
Nox's curiosity was piqued. "What is it?" he asked, leaning in closer to Leon.
Leon using his thoughts said "Let's see..."
The message had:
The message had
CONGRATULATIONS!,YOU HAVE INTERWINED THE STORY LINE BY DEFEATING RUAN.
YOU RECEIVE 4000 POINTS.
AND AS AN ADDITIONAL REWARD,ALL YOUR STATS IS INCREASED BY 3.
YOU HAVE USED SKILL SWORD INSIGHT AND DEFEATED A OPPONENT STRONGER THAN YOU.
YOUR SKILL SWORD INSIGHT IS UPGRADED INTO SWORD EYE!."
AND RECEIVED 3 CP POINTS.
Then a note came in the screen.
CP POINTS:
THESE POINTS CAN BE USED IN SHOPS AND LUCKY DRAW.
"These points are useful..." said Nox.
Nox's voice trailed off as he watched Leon ignore him and approach Ariana. "I'm sorry, Aunty," Leon said, flashing a cute smile.
Ariana's expression transformed, and she smiled, her tears drying instantly. "Really?" she asked, her voice filled with warmth.
Nox's eyes widened in surprise. "Her mood changed this easily?!" he exclaimed, astonished by Ariana's sudden shift from tears to smiles.
Lucifer's sudden appearance seemed to spark a familiar dynamic with Ariana. "Stop your acting," he said, his tone cold and dismissive.
Ariana's smile never wavered. "Mm... Hi, Lucifer. How are you?" she replied, her voice dripping with sweetness.
Lucifer's expression darkened. "Shut your mouth and tell me why you came here," he growled, his words laced with venom.
Nox turned to Leon, confusion etched on his face. "Hey, why are they like this?" he whispered.
Leon leaned in, his voice low. "Hmm... According to the novel, they're always fighting and hate each other."
Nox's curiosity was piqued. "Why is that?"
Leon's expression turned somber. "Because Ariana was the one who helped my mother and father run away... and hence Lucifer hates her."
The tension between Lucifer and Ariana was palpable, and Lucifer took a step closer to Ariana, his eyes blazing with intensity. "You..." he whispered, his voice barely audible.
But before Lucifer could continue, a flash of light illuminated the arena, covering everything in its radiance. "What is this now?!" Nox shouted, shielding his eyes.
As the light dissipated, The man in a black dress appeared, standing calmly in the arena. Nox's eyes widened in surprise. "This guy... he's one of the audiences."
The guy in black dress smiled, his eyes gleaming with interest as he gazed at the group before him. "Nice to meet you,Interesting brat...." he murmured, his voice low and gravelly.
Lucifer stepped forward, his voice firm and commanding. "Who are you?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing as he studied the old man's imposing figure.
The old man slowly removed his clothes, revealing his identity. His white beard and mustache framed his weathered face, and a scar above his left eye added to his rugged appearance. He stood tall, his presence radiating an aura of authority and power.
Lucifer's eyes widened in shock as he took in the old man's features. "C... Captain Ravius?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with surprise.
The entire arena erupted in gasps and whispers, with Ariana and Lucifer exchanging stunned glances.
Leon's eyes were wide with surprise, his mind racing with the implications of Captain Ravius's presence. "Captain Ravius?!" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nox turned to Leon, confusion etched on his face. "Who is this?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the old man.
Leon used telepathy to explain, his thoughts flowing rapidly. "He must be Captain Ravius, Leader of the Dragon Slaying Corps," he said, his mental voice clear and concise.
Nox's curiosity was piqued, and he leaned in closer to Leon. "Dragon Slaying Corps?" he repeated, his voice filled with interest.
Leon continued, his mental voice flowing smoothly. "Yes, the Arcblade territory is huge and expands till north. In the northern places, there's a cold climate where Dragons live. These Dragons may attack the Northern cities belonging to Arcblade, so this squad was created to prevent Dragons from entering the city."
Nox's eyes widened as he listened to Leon's explanation. "Dragons are High level monsters.In terms of you humans,I think...It should be an A or S rank Monster.How can humans easily them?."
Leon replied using his thoughts "They are trained and strong enough for it."Each of them is strong.And specially him,their leader,who even swordmasters fear."
Nox said " What level is he?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Leon hesitated before responding, his mental voice measured. "He will be probably... at Rank 7," he said, his thoughts tinged with a hint of awe.
Nox's voice rose in surprise. "What? Rank 7? Just that much? He's weaker...He is not even a swordmaster!,why are swordmasters scared?" he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.
Leon explained, his mental voice calm and collected. "It's true he's at Rank 7 and not even reached the level of Swordmaster, but still, he has a strong physique called the Dragon Tyrant Physique!"
Nox's eyes sparkled with interest, and he leaned in closer to Leon. "The Dragon Tyrant Physique? That rare physique? Isn't that an Earth Dragon's physique? How does a human have it?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
Leon replied, his mental voice flowing smoothly. "He has it because he comes from the Raguel family."
Nox's curiosity was piqued, and he repeated the name. "Raguel?"
Leon continued, his mental voice filled with knowledge. "The Raguel family is said to be descendants of an Earth Dragon and have the Earth Dragon's blood. This rare physique grants them immense strength and resilience,endurance,Stamina,Earth magic and Tyrannic physical Ability"
Nox's voice was filled with awe as he processed the information. "A human with a dragon's physique?" he whispered, his eyes fixed on Captain Ravius.
Leon used telepathy to add, his mental voice filled with reverence. "He is stronger. During the war between Helion and Solarion Empire, he killed two 8th rank Swordmasters and a 9th rank swordmaster of the enemy empire."
Nox's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he heard the tale. "What!? He killed those Swordmasters at 7th rank?!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with shock.
The arena was abuzz with excitement and curiosity, with all eyes fixed on Captain Ravius.
The captain's eyes locked onto Leon, his voice firm and commanding. "You kid, I want to talk to you."
Leon nodded, his eyes meeting the captain's gaze. "With me?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
The captain nodded curtly. "Yes."
Leon waited expectantly as the captain continued, his voice direct. "Leon von Arcblade, do you wish to join my Dragon Slaying Corps?"
The whole crowd got shocked including Lucifer and Ariana.
Leon's eyes widened in surprise. "What?! Are you serious?" he asked, his voice laced with incredulity.
Captain Ravius nodded, a hint of a smile on his face. "Yes, I am serious. By seeing your skill, I was impressed."
Lucifer stepped forward, a look of concern on his face. "Captain Ravius,Enough with your jokes!." he began to say, only to be Interrupted by the captain's sharp command.
"Shut up!" Captain Ravius shouted, his voice echoing through the arena.
"I am asking Leon, not you," he said, his eyes fixed intently on Leon.
But Lucifer persisted, his voice filled with worry. "Sir, but..."
Captain Ravius's expression turned stern. "Lucifer, I can see that you're worried about Leon. But just think of the benefits he will receive."
"Benefits?" Lucifer repeated, his voice questioning.
Captain ravius said "Our Wyvern slaying corps is one of the Strongest Order of knights in arcblade.If Leon Joins us,He would have Fame and money!."
Lucifer said "but..."
But before Lucifer could speak,Captain Ravius added. "Another thing,He defeated Ruan, so his father will surely come after Leon. If Leon joins my Dragon Slaying Corps, he can be safe. What do you say?"
The crowd murmured in the background, their voices filled with speculation and curiosity. Lucifer's expression turned thoughtful, and he seemed to be weighing the pros and cons.
"Safe..." Lucifer thought to himself, his mind racing with possibilities.
Captain Ravius, sensing Lucifer's hesitation, decided to raise the stakes. "Okay, then I will raise the stakes. If Leon joins my Corps, I will accept him as my personal disciple, and the next leader of the Dragon Slaying Corps."
Leon's eyes went wide with shock. "D..Disciple?!" he exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lucifer's expression remained calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of surprise. "Are you serious? You're making him your disciple?" he asked, his voice measured.
Captain Ravius nodded, his face set in determination. "Of course!"
Lucifer's expression turned thoughtful, and he began to weigh the pros and cons of the offer. "Can I really let him take Leon?... And these conditions are good for Leon," he thought to himself.
Just as it seemed like Lucifer was about to respond, Ariana stepped forward, her voice firm and authoritative. "Wait a minute, why are you talking about Leon's decision? Leon should make his own decision!"
Captain Ravius turned towards Leon, his eyes locked onto the young man's face. "Will you join my Dragon slaying corps?" he asked, his voice direct.
Leon hesitated, his face filled with confusion. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, but... I refuse," he said finally, his voice firm.
The crowd erupted into shocked gasps and murmurs, with one of the audience members exclaiming, "Is he serious? The Dragon slaying corps is one of the prestigious knight orders in Arcblade!"
One added "And he refused to become a disciple of the legendary Dragon Slayer Ravius?!"
Captain Ravius's expression turned incredulous, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Leon. He seemed taken aback by Leon's refusal, and for a moment, he was speechless.
"If you want, I can add even more conditions," Captain Ravius offered, his voice laced with a hint of desperation.
"And... I can even help you in the fight for succession!" Despite the captain's efforts to persuade him, Leon remained resolute. "Sorry, sir, but I will not change my decision," he said firmly, his voice unwavering.
Ravius said "Ruan's father,that bastard will come for you,how will you handle him?."
Leon said "I'm sure i can handle them on my own."
Then Ravius saw Leon's eyes full of determination.
Then he smiled and said "Then atleast let me give you a Reward,for your outstanding performance."
"A Reward?." Asked Leon,out of confusion.
"Yes, a reward," Captain Ravius said with a smile. "You've shown remarkable skill and determination. I'd like to give you something as a token of my appreciation."
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued by the captain's words. "What kind of reward?" he asked, his voice cautious.
Leon's expression remained skeptical, but his curiosity was piqued. "What is it?" he pressed, his voice a little softer.
Captain Ravius said "I will teach you one technique."