Chapter 194: Bloody Duel (Part 1)

Chapter 194: Bloody Duel (Part 1)



Although the beautiful woman didn't know the source of her 'little man's' confidence, she glanced at Rain and nodded.

"Alright, then I'll immediately gather all the liquid assets and place a bet."

"And, let's also put the over three thousand gold coins I have with you as a bet," Rain interjected.

Rain had intended to explain to the beautiful woman, but considering his situation, it seemed difficult to explain in just a few words.

After a moment of thought, Rain didn't provide much explanation. Instead, he took a pair of Ice Iron Shoulder Guards and placed them on a thick log, repeating the test he had just performed.

After all, actions speak louder than words.

Demonstrating his strength was the best way to reassure the beautiful woman.

"Bang!"

After the dull sound, Rain lifted the shattered Ice Iron Shoulder Guards, revealing the log beneath it reduced to splinters, causing the beautiful woman's eyes to widen, and her cherry lips to part as if she could fit an entire apple in her mouth.

"My dear, have you advanced to the rank of Great Knight?" the beautiful woman asked in surprise.

Although she wasn't well-versed in martial arts, she had a keen eye.

She had never seen such power from the family knights, not even from the late Baron Crowley. The strength displayed by Rain was simply astonishing.

She couldn't fathom how Rain had achieved such power, except for the possibility that he had advanced to the rank of Great Knight.

"Not yet, but in terms of strength, I'm not inferior to an ordinary Great Knight," Rain smiled and shook his head.

Rain's words instantly dispelled the beautiful woman's worries.

If she had been concerned that Rain might be overly confident and underestimated Baron Norman, this display put her mind at ease. She realized that her 'little man' didn't need to worry about Baron Norman's actions.

The final day.

Rain's new mansion.

Having achieved his expected goal, Rain naturally wouldn't choose to stay in the blacksmith shop any longer.

Additionally, although Rain had already reached the master level in both Bear Claw Sword Technique and Thunderclap Hammer Technique, he still wanted to fully understand their power, and the blacksmith shop wasn't the ideal place for that.

So, he spent the entire day in the indoor training hall of his new mansion.

This was one of the benefits of being promoted to a baron—having a personal indoor training hall of several hundred square meters. Half a year ago, Rain could only look on enviously at Claire's indoor training hall.

Little did he know that he would soon have one of his own.

Rain held a pitch-black Boar Head Hammer and relentlessly struck a dummy wearing two layers of plate armor.

The reason for the two layers of armor was the excessive damage caused by Multi-Oscillation. If the dummy didn't wear two layers of armor, a single hammer strike would shatter it to pieces.

After some time, Rain confirmed that with full force, he could deal triple Multi-Oscillation damage.

And with the secret techniques...

Rain focused on the Knight (Extraordinary) panel and looked at the two icons above the 'Thunderclap Hammer Technique'—a burly man wielding a hammer.

The icons depicted the same man, but with different actions.

One twisted his body and swung a two-handed hammer from below, his body surging upward. The other held a two-handed hammer and struck the ground from above with great force, creating a fan-shaped crack in the ground.

These were the two secret techniques of Thunderclap Hammer Technique: 'Ascending Dragon Hammer' and 'Earthsplitter Hammer'.

Rain read the small text below the icons:

Ascending Dragon Hammer Lv.3 (Secret Technique): Using a special force exertion method, swing the hammer from below with a spinning motion, creating a strike with both spinning and Multi-Oscillation force.

Earthsplitter Hammer Lv.3 (Secret Technique): Using a special force exertion method, swing the hammer from above, striking the ground with a powerful Multi-Oscillation force.

Both secret techniques were successfully raised to Lv.3, and the accompanying force changed from Oscillation to Multi-Oscillation.

After testing, Rain discovered that in the 'Tri-State' condition, he could deal quadruple Multi-Oscillation damage with these two secret techniques.

Ascending Dragon Hammer combined spinning and triple Multi-Oscillation force, while Earthsplitter Hammer was the most powerful, dealing quadruple Multi-Oscillation force.

The day before the bloody duel, Rain reviewed Beast Knight Giovanni's strength after transformation. His enhanced physical abilities resulted in faster movement and attack speed compared to ordinary knights.

Therefore, Rain decided to stick to his original plan and participate in the bloody duel without the heavy Knight Plate Armor, wielding only a weapon.

With the 'Light as a Feather' effect, Rain believed he could match his opponent's speed, despite reducing his weight by two hundred pounds.

Additionally, under the influence of his Hammer Expertise Lv.3, Rain's most powerful weapon remained the two-handed heavy hammer, which he chose for the duel.

On the day of the duel, Jennifer and Jane accompanied Rain, riding in a carriage together towards the arena.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the arena, located in the central area of the county town.

The arena was circular in shape, with high outer walls constructed from a grayish-white material. At first glance, Rain was reminded of the ancient Roman arenas, but on a smaller scale.

This was to be expected, as it was just the county town's arena.

Due to the bloody duel between nobles and the extensive promotion by the major merchant guilds, the arena was bustling with people, far more than usual beast fighting events.

After all, the feuds between nobles were a popular topic of conversation among the common folk.

Many civilians had scrimped and saved to witness this spectacle, knowing that such events were rare in Maist County.

Even before Rain's carriage reached the entrance, a group of guards swiftly escorted and guided the carriage into the arena's private area.

After a brief farewell, Rain stepped out of the carriage and headed towards the duel passage, while the beautiful woman and Jenny stared at his departing figure for a moment before following him through the noble-exclusive passageway to the front row of the noble stands.

At this moment, on the noble stands, Baron Alonso, Dennis, and many other nobles had already arrived, and even Dean Rudolph from the Church of the Goddess of Wind and Sea was present.

Five minutes later, with the arrival of the Maist County magistrate, Count Habsburg in his black formal attire, the atmosphere in the arena became even more intense.

As Rain, with the Unbreakable Power on his back, and Norman, with his sword and shield, emerged from the two ends of the passageway, the thousands of spectators in the stands erupted in cheers.

At this moment, Viscount Hamadi, who had been absent for a long time, appeared in the center of the arena, dressed in exquisite noble attire.

Upon seeing this, the entire arena fell silent.

Viscount Hamadi opened his mouth to inquire:

"Baron Norman, Baron Rain, you are both rare talents in the Empire. I ask you one last time, is there truly an irreconcilable conflict between you that requires a bloody duel?"

This is a necessary step in the formal process of a bloody duel.

Its purpose is to avoid unnecessary internal strife, but now, it is more of a formality.

After all, if a reconciliation is possible, it would have been resolved before the bloody duel, and not dragged out until now.

"Confirmed!" Baron Norman said expressionlessly.

"Confirmed!" Rain agreed.

"Then, it is with great regret that I declare the duel to begin!" Viscount Hamadi shook his head, expressing his regret.

Since both parties agreed to a foot combat, there were no horses or other mounts present.

As the two took their positions in the center of the arena, Baron Norman looked at the young man before him and smiled, saying:

"Young man, although this is our first formal meeting, as my opponent, I feel it necessary to inform you of some news."

"Of course, perhaps, this news may be unfortunate for you."

"Please, tell me." Rain smiled and said.

"Two days ago, I successfully advanced to the rank of Great Knight. Therefore, you are destined to lose!" Baron Norman stared into Rain's eyes, emphasizing each word.

The purpose of informing Rain of this news before the duel was naturally to shake his opponent's faith, allowing him to more easily secure victory.

However, he discovered that his words did not cause any change in Rain's facial expression, not even a twitch of his eyebrows.

This made Baron Norman feel a bit displeased!

Not very cooperative, huh!

However, the spectators in the stands were very cooperative, and upon hearing the words 'Great Knight,' they erupted in excitement!

Many had heard that Rain was a rare baron of commoner origins, so many commoners had bet on Rain's victory. But now, they heard something unexpected!

Rain's opponent, Baron Norman, had already advanced to the rank of Great Knight.

Even a fool would know that the word 'Great' meant he was stronger than a regular knight!

Rain was doomed to lose, so many spectators began to shout in surprise, and some who had bet heavily were even pounding their chests in frustration.

In the stands.

Upon witnessing this, Baron Alonso couldn't help but smile.

As for Dennis, he was even less able to control himself. If it weren't for the fact that he was sitting among the nobles and noble heirs of Maist County, and he needed to maintain his image, he would have laughed out loud at this moment.

"This is so unfair to Rain!" Agatha exclaimed to Jenny beside her.

"The beautiful Miss Agatha, this is a bloody duel, and there is no fairness to speak of." Hearing this, Dennis' face lit up with joy as he turned and smiled, saying.

After speaking, he deliberately glanced at Baroness Crowley and Jenny, wanting to see their shocked expressions.

But Dennis was disappointed!

He didn't see any particular sadness or astonishment on the two women's faces, which left him puzzled.

However, he soon understood and shook his head slightly, saying disdainfully in his heart:

"Women are good at acting, pretending to be calm. Hmph, later you'll be begging me."

"My mother is voluptuous and beautiful, and Jenny is also cute and lovely. Not bad, not bad."

At this moment, in a corner of the stands, several knights were guarding a black-robed, hooded woman, searching for a seat.

If Rain were here, he would immediately recognize her as the knight who had appeared behind him when he killed Giovanni, and whose carriage had suddenly appeared nearby.

"Lady Naya, you shouldn't be here. Your condition requires rest and quiet." The knight named Lawrence, who seemed quite dissatisfied with the noisy environment of the arena, frowned after taking a quick glance around.

"Knight Lawrence, I need to be here."

"Lord Hamilton mentioned last time that there might be someone who could help me, a young man who is about to engage in a bloody duel with another. What if his opponent loses?"

The girl's voice was very pleasant.

"Well...fine, please be careful. If you feel unwell, we'll leave immediately." Lawrence thought for a moment before reluctantly agreeing.

"Eh?" Naya covered her mouth in surprise.

"Knight Lawrence, isn't this the young man we met on the road the other day?" Naya pointed at Rain in the arena.

That day, she had asked Lawrence, who was beside her, whether this young man was formidable or not.

"Eh! Really, I didn't expect it to be the same person." Knight Lawrence was also surprised, nodding in agreement.

This made the girl even more curious about Rain. She never expected that the person she was looking for and the one she had met by chance would be the same person.

In the center of the arena.

At this moment, Rain said something that left everyone bewildered: "The result will not change, right?"

Hearing Rain's words, Baron Norman was visibly taken aback but quickly nodded and said:

"Indeed, the result will not change. There can only be one person left standing in a bloody duel. It's too late for you to beg for mercy now!"

"By the way, I heard that you've been forging armor recently?"

"Why aren't you wearing your armor today?" Baron Norman asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Rain, who was dressed in leather armor.

Before Rain could respond, Baron Norman continued, "Never mind, it's not important!"

"What a pity, you're so young, and yet you have to leave this beautiful world so soon."

"Let's begin!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Baron Norman, holding a sword and shield, tapped his toes and left an afterimage in place, rushing towards Rain with incredible speed.

In terms of speed, Baron Norman, who had reached the rank of Great Knight, was no slower than Giovanni in his transformed state.

At the same time, a faint glow emanated from Baron Norman's armor, as if some special power was protecting him.

Rain knew that this was not a result of witchcraft or an extraordinary trait, but Baron Norman's Vital Force Defense, a unique ability of a Great Knight.

In other words, Baron Norman's defense at this moment was not only from his armor but also from his Vital Force.

Facing Baron Norman, Rain showed no fear. Instead, he calmly retrieved the dark and unbreakable power from behind him and held it in his hand.

"Clang!!!"

Rain firmly blocked Baron Norman's slashing sword with his hammer.

"Huh?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Baron Norman's eyes. How could a heavy hammer be swung with such speed?

The next second, Rain swung his hammer downward with lightning speed, executing the Furious Strike!

Baron Norman, who had just reached the rank of Great Knight, had failed to land a hit, and instead of retreating or dodging Rain's attack, he raised his left hand to block with his shield.

"Bang!"

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Just as the pitch-black Boar Head Hammer struck the shield, Baron Norman's calm expression immediately changed, and his eyes clearly showed astonishment.

"This kind of power, could it be..."

Before Baron Norman could finish his sentence, Rain smiled slightly and silently recited, "Break Limit!"

"Great Strength lv3!"

Suddenly, Rain's height increased significantly, and his muscles bulged. He unleashed a series of rapid heavy hammer strikes, pounding towards Baron Norman.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

With each blow, Baron Norman's face changed, and he took two steps back, his shield-bearing left hand beginning to tremble.

The spectators in the stands witnessed a scene that left them bewildered.

A Peak Knight wielded his heavy hammer ferociously, pounding the so-called Great Knight, Baron Norman, forcing him to retreat step by step.

On the stands, Dennis, who had been cheering loudly, suddenly fell silent, like a duck with its neck pinched.

"How is this possible?"

"Shouldn't Rain have been severely injured by his father in the first move?" Dennis muttered in disbelief.

The knight before their eyes, Rain, was not only holding his own against Baron Norman, who had reached the rank of Great Knight, but was even dominating the fight. This scene left Dennis in complete shock.

The majority of the audience, upon learning that Baron Norman had attained the rank of Great Knight, aside from Count Habsburg and Dean Rudolph, could not help but feel that Rain was at a disadvantage.

After all, what does it mean to be a Great Knight? In simple terms, it is a rank above a knight. Otherwise, why create such a distinction?

Upon closer examination, it makes sense. A Great Knight is a knight who has evolved and broken through. If they could be defeated by a knight, what would be the point of such evolution and breakthrough?

But a reality-defying scene unfolded before their very eyes.

The next second, as Rain muttered, "Power Surge!"

Instantly, a surge of heat pumped from Rain's heart, causing his blood to rush and his veins to bulge. Simultaneously, he grew taller, resembling a muscular giant.

Rain unleashed the hammer technique secret skill, 'Earthsplitter Hammer!'

Baron Norman's face twitched, and this time, he decided not to endure the blow for the sake of his Great Knight pride. Instead, he chose to retreat immediately.

"Boom!!!"

Just as Baron Norman thought he had evaded the attack, Rain struck the ground a meter in front of him with tremendous force.

In an instant, a powerful Multi-Oscillation force spread out in a fan shape towards Baron Norman.

The spectators in the nearby stands felt the platform beneath their feet shake violently, and then the ordinary viewers lost their balance, as if drunk.

Looking at the arena floor, Rain's attack had plowed through the ground within a radius of several meters, causing even small stones to shatter and form a large sunken fan-shaped area.

Such power!

The onlookers were all stunned.

A knight with such power?

Good heavens! He seemed even more powerful than a Great Knight!

The Multi-Oscillation force caused even Baron Norman, protected by Vital Force, to hesitate slightly.

"Damn!" Baron Norman cursed silently.

But this brief hesitation gave Rain the opportunity he needed.

Rain's second Earthsplitter Hammer was already upon him.

"Ah!!! Secret Skill, 'Iron Wall Defense'!"

Baron Norman roared, his muscles bulging as he released a faint glow, a sign of his Vital Force at full power. He raised his shield high, intending to block Rain's attack.

"Bang!!!"

The moment the hammer and shield collided, despite the shield being reinforced by Vital Force, it cracked instantly.

And then...

The first oscillation was blocked by the Vital Force defense on Baron Norman's body.

The second oscillation was weakened by the thick plate armor made from special minerals.

But the third oscillation could only be resisted by Baron Norman's robust physical strength.

The crucial point was...

Rain's 'Earthsplitter Hammer' had four oscillations in total!

Thus, the fourth oscillation force penetrated Baron Norman's body, causing damage to his relatively weak internal organs.

"Puff!"

Baron Norman staggered back more than ten steps and then spat out a mouthful of blood.

At that moment, he felt as if his insides were being burned by fire.

The spectators in the stands watched this scene with wide-eyed disbelief.

Wasn't Baron Norman already a Great Knight?

How could he be beaten so badly?

Especially for Baron Alonso and Dennis, who had bet on Baron Norman's victory, this moment was beyond their comprehension.

The battle in the center of the arena continues!

Rain rapidly charged towards Baron Norman, delivering a powerful Ascending Dragon Hammer.

Due to the severe internal injuries, Baron Norman's movement speed was greatly reduced, and his shield had shattered, leaving him to rely solely on his Knight Longsword for defense.

It couldn't block!

Not at all!

"Bang!"

The hammer, slightly deflected by the Knight Longsword, still slammed heavily into Norman's abdomen.

Baron Norman's body folded in half, and a strange lump protruded from his back. His body, like a rocket, soared high into the air.

After a few seconds, he crashed heavily to the ground.

This time, Rain did not pursue but stood in place, gripping his war hammer.

Baron Norman, coughing up Fresh Blood, managed to stand up with difficulty. His eyes fixed on Rain as he asked, "Have you reached the Master level in hammer techniques?"

Rain merely nodded slightly.

Baron Norman nodded reluctantly and said, "No wonder..."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Multiple parts of Baron Norman's body exploded, shattering his armor and spraying Fresh Blood. He collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud, unable to get up again.

Rain's previous strike had turned Norman's internal organs into mush.

There was no hope of recovery!

A Baron who had just advanced to the rank of Great Knight had fallen!

"This can't be real! This can't be!" Dennis slumped in his seat, his eyes vacant as he watched the scene before him, his face pale.

Baron Alonso's expression turned ashen; his previous betting decision had resulted in a significant loss.

Jane and Agatha, the two beauties, covered their mouths in shock as they witnessed Rain's victory.

Even the beautiful Lady Jennifer's heart was stirred by the sight.

Although she had seen Rain's demonstration of his skills and had great confidence in him, witnessing his victory still left her incredibly excited.

After all, Rain's opponent was a Great Knight!

It was no easy feat to defeat a Great Knight, but Rain had done it!

Lady Jennifer felt immense pride in her 'little man'.

Additionally, the thought of the tens of thousands of gold coins she had wagered made her even more excited, causing her beautiful, fair complexion to flush with excitement.

From the stands, Rudolph watched the unfolding scene, his heart filled with shock. When Rain had refused Bishop Sean's mediation suggestion, he had known that Rain must have something up his sleeve.

But now, he realized he had underestimated Rain.

Others might not understand why Rain could win, but he was well aware that this was a Master-level hammer technique, a level that ordinary Knights might never reach in their lifetime, yet this young man before him had attained it.

Such talent was truly terrifying!

Rudolph suddenly recalled something, and his heart was gripped with the urge to beat his chest in frustration.

He should have known better!

He should have done everything to recruit Rain into the church! Why did he care about face, saying, 'Think it over,' instead of dragging him away immediately? What a missed genius!

Habsburg Count seemed to be the only one in the audience who remained relatively calm. He smiled and nodded at Rain, seemingly satisfied, but his acknowledgment was subtle due to the fact that the defeated Norman was also his subordinate.

Most of the commoner spectators, on the other hand, cheered loudly.

Many of them had thought that their bets on Rain were lost, but the unexpected twist in the normal duel filled them with joy.

Rain knew that after this battle, his reputation in Maist County would soar.

If the noble circles in the capital city had not been very familiar with him before, this bloody duel would surely put him on the radar of the major families.

As far as he knew, there were only a handful of Great Knights in the entire Maist County.

Even Viscount Hamadi, the county's sheriff, was only a seasoned Knight.

But he, Rain, now had a record of defeating a Great Knight!

"I declare that the winner of this bloody duel is Baron Rain!" Viscount Hamadi announced, his eyes fixed on Rain.

A tsunami of cheers followed.

In the stands, Dennis's heart sank.

He knew it was over, completely over.

Many of the surrounding nobles glared at him with eyes that seemed ready to devour him.

The defeat of his father had resulted in significant losses for those who had invested heavily.

Soon, the crowd in the stands began to disperse, and Lady Jennifer and Jane also approached.

Habsburg Count did not come over to say anything to Rain, maintaining a neutral stance as another Baron had died on the spot, a necessary demeanor for a Town Magistrate.

Rudolph seemed to have similar considerations, so he merely exchanged a glance with Rain, smiled, and nodded before leaving.

Once the three of them were in the carriage, Lady Jennifer couldn't contain her excitement. "Baron Rain, we've won thirty-six thousand imperial gold coins!"

Jane, who was unaware that her mother and Rain had placed such a large bet, was naturally shocked upon hearing the news.

Rain had earned thirty-six thousand imperial gold coins in a single duel, equivalent to twice the value of the Crowley Family's assets.

All the way back to the mansion, Jane's mind was in a daze.

When the carriage returned to the mansion, within minutes, a male servant reported, "Baron, Madam, there's a visitor at the door. This is the visitor's crest."

Rain had anticipated this situation, knowing that his victory would likely lead to numerous social engagements in the near future. He planned to handle the unavoidable ones himself, while delegating the rest to Jennifer as his representative.

Therefore, Rain wasn't particularly concerned. He glanced at the crest, his eyes lingering on the pattern...

Hmm?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end