Chapter 177: The Power of Time

Chapter 177: The Power of Time

Only when the maids and noble young ladies began to swarm around him, making all sorts of jealous and petty antics, did Luk realize he had grown up.

The body and the mind often influence each other. The soul from his previous life seemed to have been thoroughly assimilated by the elven shell, making Luk less sensitive to time and more emotionally subdued.

The idea that his mental state was drawing closer to Lenessa was something Luk found hard to accept, yet he felt somewhat helpless about it.

Another decade passed, and time left its mark on everyone.

For Lady Roine, the butler, and some of the older servants, it meant a few more wrinkles on their faces, more stooped backs, and a slightly worse mental state.

The children in their developmental years, on the other hand, underwent a complete transformation, almost unrecognizable from their former selves.

Luk's height shot up to 183 centimeters. His build wasn't overly muscular, but years of training had made his physique lean and strong, far superior to the frail bodies of most mages.

His face, in particular, did not disappoint his elven heritage, being so handsome that noble young ladies paid no mind to his humble and powerless background, vying for his attention.

Lenessa sometimes complained that standing next to him made her the subject of gossip from jealous women. After all, elven faces were forever frozen in their most beautiful years, making her look like she was in her mid-twenties.

Amir had also matured completely. Time had transformed the once-impish boy into a reliable adult, now resembling a prime, vigorous lion in his prime—at least on the surface.

The familiar lawn was now enveloped in a magical barrier to prevent damage to the manor during their battles.

Two figures clashed fiercely in mid-air.

Sword auras tore through the air, and the clashing of steel created a shower of sparks. In a matter of seconds, they had exchanged hundreds of strikes.

A faint glow enveloped Luk, enhancing his physical reactions and strength with magic, allowing him to keep up with Amir.

When Luk had set the condition that Amir couldn't join the military unless he defeated him, Amir was both puzzled by how Luk knew his plans and irritated that his closest friend didn't support his dreams.

After that, Amir abandoned his lazy, inconsistent lifestyle. Instead of being "just a little bit" better, he doubled his training, practicing diligently every day regardless of the weather, and even hired a master swordsman to guide him.

He no longer dozed off during Lenessa's magic lessons, regularly compiling his questions to seek guidance from Luk. Though his magical talent was average, his persistence allowed him to learn some basic spells, far surpassing the other idle noble heirs.

In contrast, Luk focused more on exploring the essence of magic, reducing his enthusiasm for sword training.

As a result, the gap between them narrowed, and Luk began to feel the pressure. By the third year, he had to use magic to defeat Amir.

But that was Amir's peak. Once Luk's body began to develop and his control over magic matured, the gap widened again.

Ten years had passed, and Amir was now 26 years old. Yet he still hadn't joined the military to fight the Demon King's army. Sometimes he felt desperate, thinking he might never be able to join.

Back on the ground, Amir let out a cold snort and pushed off with his feet, rushing to Luk. His powerful sword strikes, combined with brute force, gave him the upper hand after a few slashes.

His face lit up with joy, and he accelerated his attacks. However, during a moment of distraction, the ground turned into chains that writhed like snakes, entangling Amir's muscular, lion-like body.

A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he tried to sever the chains with his sword. At the moment of impact, the chains turned to water, allowing his sword to pass through unharmed, but the water began to constrict his movements.

The balanced and even advantageous battle rhythm was disrupted. Luk raised his sword to Amir's neck, and the outcome was clear.

"Zero to 3,661. Your attack rhythm was a bit too aggressive today. Bad mood?"

Amir snorted and turned his head away, saying nothing.

"Still angry? This has nothing to do with me."

The rebellious phase of a wayward son had come a bit late, and Luk had to try his best to soothe him.

Mentioning it only made Amir transform from a lion into a domesticated cat, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Three days ago, after practicing magic, Luk returned to his room and, upon lifting the covers, saw a slender, pale figure.

This sort of thing had been happening frequently since Luk was 14 or 15, usually involving maids or servants from the manor.

Each time, he politely asked the person to dress, offered gentle words of comfort, and escorted them out.

Amir knew about this and initially used it to tease Luk, envying his "good fortune," especially since the Campbell family had strict morals and Lady Roine didn't allow Amir to indulge in such behavior before marriage.

But unfortunately, the person who had slipped into his bed that day wasn't just anyone; it was Mivi, whom Amir had been pursuing for a long time.

"Clearly, I was first. I gave her gifts, we shared meals, so why did it end up like this?"

"I think this is mainly your fault for allowing Mivi free access to the manor. No matter how much you like her, you shouldn't give an outsider so much freedom."

"Is this still my fault?" Amir glared at Luk with red eyes, his accusation almost breaking through the sky.

Luk awkwardly scratched his face. "I should clarify that I did nothing."

"Impossible!"

Amir's eyes were red, his voice filled with sorrow. "Mivi is so wonderful. You must have done something. Otherwise, why hasn't she left the room? You must have been too rough with her."

If a woman slipped into a man's bed and was rejected, she wouldn't have the nerve to stay, Luk thought to himself, but he explained helplessly, "I really didn't. Elves aren't particularly interested in romantic affairs, and no one has caught my interest yet."

"Unbelievable!"

Luk: (_)



This was the first time he had encountered someone who wanted to wear a green hat himself.

"Fine, I did it. What do you want to do about it?"

Amir was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. "My best friend slept with the girl I like. I can't live like this!"

After crying for a while, he wiped his tears, his eyes firm. "I'm going to deliver medicine to Mivi and take care of her. Once she recovers, she'll realize who the best man is."

Luk: ...

Why hadn't he noticed how clingy Amir could be before?

"Good boy, find a nice family to settle down with, and I'll support you."

Amir was already twenty-six, an age when commoners should have already settled down, let alone the noble class, which favored early marriages.

But Luk had never really liked Mivi, who was known for her manipulative ways. Especially when he heard that Mivi was already engaged to the son of the lord of the neighboring city of Tek, yet still climbed into the bed of a nobleman, such a woman was unsuitable for Amir.

Hearing Luk's words, Amir was taken aback. After a moment of silence, he spoke seriously, "Luk, even though I never said it, I've always considered you like a brother."

"Amir, I've always considered you like family."

Like a son, for example.

"Then don't make things difficult for me, okay? I really like Mivi, and I don't mind that you've been with her."

This was seriously out of control!

Even the emotionally detached elf couldn't help but feel exasperated. Luk's forehead veins throbbed as he shouted, "What will it take for you to change your mind?"

"Let me join the army!"

Amir answered just as fiercely.

Luk was taken aback. Looking at Amir, he saw no anger or resentment, only a firm and serious determination.

He finally understood Amir's true intentions. The atmosphere grew tense, and neither of them spoke.

Finally, Amir broke the silence, "Luk, I know you mean well, but I really want to join the army. I want to defeat the Seven Sages of the Demon King's army, the corrupt sage Gwalar, and even the Demon King himself, to bring peace to the world."

"You can't do it."

Luk shook his head slowly, "You can't even defeat me, let alone the powerful figures in the Demon King's army."

According to Leness, his current level was roughly equivalent to a B-rank Mage, a mid-to-high-level combatant among mages capable of handling elite demons, but still falling short of the Great Demons.

However, after saying that, she added that the rating system for magic levels was always changing (for elves, at least), and it had been three hundred years since she last participated in a rating, so it was hard to say what the current system was like.

"Whether you can do it and whether you try are two different things. Haven't you always told me that practice makes perfect?" Amir's eyes were firm, tinged with a hint of pleading, "Please, let me go."

Seeing Amir's expression, Luk pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment before shaking his head.

"Amir, you should keep your promise. Defeat me, then leave."

"But I can't defeat you! I've already lost three thousand six hundred and sixty-one times!" Amir's voice was filled with frustration.

"Then find a way to win on the three thousand six hundred and sixty-second try!"

Luk coldly threw these words over his shoulder and turned to leave.

Amir stood there, lost in thought.

...

The next day, the two of them faced each other on the lawn, swords in hand.

Luk subtly glanced at his sword, then looked at Amir, who was clearly nervous.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them charged at each other, their swords clashing in a resounding clash.

Crack—

The sword in Luk's hand, which had been tampered with, broke on impact. He had anticipated this and dodged to the side, but as he took a step back, an unusual sensation under his feet made him stop.

Seeing the sword coming at him, Luk went all out. The ground shook, and a massive stone pillar shot towards Amir, who was caught off guard. The pillar turned into a chain and bound him tightly.

The restraint was incredibly strong, leaving Amir almost immobile.

A clay golem replaced Luk's true form, standing in place as Luk slowly approached Amir. "Breaking the sword, planting land mines, is that all you had?"

Amir struggled to lift his head, managing a weak smile. "How was I to know you'd go all out like that?"

"Next time, prepare better before you try again."

"Three thousand six hundred and sixty-second time, I still win."

"No, the match isn't over yet." Amir's face showed a mix of despair and determination as he flicked his wrist, and a glowing red alchemical bomb appeared in his hand.

"I'll break free with this!"

Luk's pupils contracted. Using an alchemical bomb at this distance was a death sentence. He tried to stop Amir, "Don't—"

Boom—

The explosion was deafening, and a cloud of dust obscured the view. Luk waved his hand to clear the smoke, revealing Amir, bloodied and barely conscious.

As he lifted Amir to use healing magic, Luk felt a sharp object press against his waist.

Amir slowly opened his eyes, filled with excitement. "I win."

"The object on you is—"

"Mashed tomatoes, prepared by your favorite chef, Bar. I asked Teacher Leness to cast a protective spell on me in advance. You should be more careful; arrogance is a mage's greatest flaw, you said so yourself."

"There's only one problem. If Leness knows protective spells, do you think I don't?"

Luk raised an eyebrow, lifting his shirt to reveal the protective magic aura covering his body, which made Amir's face pale.

"The plan wasn't very refined, but it was a last-minute idea. I'll let you pass this time."

Luk gave a silent smile and called out Amir's full name, declaring solemnly.

"Amir Campbell."

"Congratulations, you are free."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end