Due to the unexpected guest, Alicia eventually didn’t raise any overboard requests with Roel. She obediently went off to sleep after chasing Juliana off.
On Roel’s bed, that was.
Roel had already somewhat anticipated that this would happen by now, so he took the same measure and installed a barrier of pillows and bolsters. Nothing happened during the night, but there was an odd sense of déjà vu when he woke up the following morning to find Alicia lying on his chest yet again.
It left him at a loss for words.
He knew that it wouldn’t do for them to continue this way, but he was simply helpless against Alicia’s pleas.
Am I vulnerable because I haven’t seen her for the past half a year?
Roel sighed helplessly before beginning his usual morning routine.
…
After the previous round of fights, the Challenger Cup was finally down to the top 16. Palpable excitement could be felt on Leinster’s streets as the crowd was dying to know who would emerge victorious in this golden generation.
Challengers from Saint Freya Academy started to be matched up with each other, and even the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom also encountered their own people.
Roel was quite fortunate to be matched with a top student from another one of Leinster’s academies. He had no plans of holding back since he had already put his money on himself.
As soon as the battle commenced, he summoned a huge golden snake that launched a concentrated bombardment on the enemy, and he eventually wore down the opponent within five minutes.
Thanks to that, he was able to further increase his little fortune.
He chose to remain in the colosseum to watch the subsequent battles, and he soon found out his opponent for the next round—Kurt.
The opponent Kurt had to face in the top 16 was Juliana.
Juliana was a talented transcendent of the Blood Race, but unfortunately, her spells that focused heavily on utility weren’t that useful against the humongous giant.
Kurt’s gigantified punch launched everything in the vicinity high into the sky, robbing Juliana of the shadows she needed to effectively maneuver around. Left with no choice, she could only fight him in a disadvantageous head-on battle, which, to no one’s surprise, ended in her defeat.
“OOOOOOHHH!”
“KURT! KURT! KURT!”
The sight of Kurt overwhelming Juliana with his gigantified fist left such a strong impression on the crowd that their hearts raced with excitement. Their feelings were relayed through their loud chants that echoed throughout the colosseum.
Faced with the roaring cheers, the towering man waved his hand at the audience before turning his gaze toward Roel. His eyes were filled with fighting will.
This exciting battle had rocketed Kurt’s reputation to greater heights, and his fan base grew substantially. Many couldn’t wait for the battle between Kurt and Roel, such that speculations swiftly began to arise.
“Will the resourceful summoner, Roel, clinch the upper hand, or will the inheritor of the ancient Giant Bloodline, Kurt, continue his brilliant legacy? Choose your winner and place your bets!” shouted a staff member from the Challenger Cup’s official betting house.
Buzzes could also be heard from the smaller betting houses along the streets.
It was stressful to have so much attention on him, but Roel thought that it wasn’t too bad. Stress was a form of motivation as well, and he did want to teach a certain arrogant someone a lesson.
Time flew by amidst the hype.
…
After a week of hyping from the betting houses, the long-awaited fight was finally here.
On one end of the field was a black-haired man calmly holding onto a staff, and on the other was a towering man with crossed arms. There was an intense atmosphere between the two fighters. Unlike his previous duels, Roel’s attitude toward this battle was very different.
There were no words between the two fighters as they understood each other’s obstinacy. Words couldn’t hope to resolve their argument. Roel also thought that actions might be far more useful on the inheritor of the Giant Bloodline.
“Selecting the battlefield.”
“9th Field, Cinder Desert.”
When the staff member holding onto the crystal ball declared the location of the fight, the crowd burst out in cheers. Roel lifted his eyebrows.
The Cinder Desert contained flying ashes and cinders left in the wake of a blazing inferno. There were no covers that could conceal one’s body, meaning that those in this battlefield could only directly confront each other.
This suited Roel and Kurt’s will. Both of them were intending to clash directly with each other.
Before the expectant eyes of the crowd, Roel and Kurt stepped into the field and were immediately battered by dust and small bits of rocks. In the vast desert, they stood a thousand meters away from each other.
A thousand meters might have been a long distance for any other challengers to cover, but not for Roel and Kurt. It was just a few steps to them.
Kurt’s bloodline originated from the giants, but he didn’t inherit their Strength Origin Attribute. Instead, his Origin Attribute was Renascence.
The Renascence Origin Attribute was a unique one exclusive to the Gustav House. It allowed Kurt to evoke his Giant Bloodline and summon the towering physique of the ancient giants, bringing back what was already long gone back into the present day.
As the word ‘Renascence’ suggested, the Gustavs furthered their transcendent abilities through uncovering the origins of their bloodline, not dissimilar to that of Roel or the adopters of the Wisdom Origin Attribute. For that, they had devoted great efforts into researching the history of the giants, and that was how they discovered the truth regarding Grandar.
Contrary to their burly physiques, the Gustavs were an academic house. They were meticulous and thorough in their research. That was also the reason why the conflict between Kurt and Roel was particularly intense, for it was the clash between the two proud academics who had come to hugely varying conclusions on the same topic.
Under the glaring sun, the two men standing on opposite ends of the desert didn’t bother wasting their time on words. Without a moment’s hesitation, they unleashed their prowess and charged forth.
“Renascence: Manifestation!”
With a furious roar, Kurt released a tremendous outburst of mana that triggered his Giant Bloodline to its greatest degree. Under the effects of his bloodline, his body swiftly reshaped itself to emulate that of the mighty giants.
Muscular legs that were overflowing with explosive power, a thick waist that had no lack of flexibility, broad shoulders that provided him with greater pivotal force, and a pair of arms that harnessed unimaginable strength.
Faced against Roel, Kurt chose to undergo complete gigantification for the first time in the tournament. His imposing stature was reminiscent of a deity, leaving others not daring to approach.
“Woooooo!”
“Giant! A real giant! It isn’t just a partial gigantification but a complete gigantification!”
Over at the spectator stand, Kurt’s supporters roared in frenzied joy, which was understandable given the fortune they had staked on him. The distinguished guests coming from various countries began discussing fervently amongst themselves.
The intimidating disposition of the giant could be felt even through the projection, rattling the hearts of the viewers.
However, the black-haired man standing directly in the presence of the giant himself seemed to be the exception.
Roel looked at the seemingly infallible giant without the slightest hint of fear in his golden eyes. He began channeling his mana too, causing a crimson aura to swiftly shroud his body. In mere moments, a humongous skeletal being exuding a blood-red glow manifested around him.
Unlike Kurt’s imposing air, Grandar’s presence commanded reverence and deference. Even the crowd in the colosseum found themselves gripped with looming fear that silenced them.
When Grandar raised his head to gaze at his adversary, the latter dared not to meet his eyes.
The battlefield was plunged into a discomforting silence. This was the air of intimidation that came from a Race Sovereign.
Perhaps he was unable to tolerate being suppressed in terms of aura, Kurt chose to make the first move after a momentary standstill. The giant he manifested out of mana roared furiously before charging across the desert with deafening thumps.
On the other end, Roel also began making his move. Grandar raised his massive skeletal arms, and the blood-red aura around him began to darken.
It took a mere instant for both sides to come into contact with each other, but the ensuing result was the most intense clash throughout this Challenger Cup.
Kurt’s glowing fist collided with Grandar’s skeletal arm, producing a powerful shockwave that rippled outward, raising a tsunami of sand.
“Boom!”
In the first clash, Grandar’s body slightly inclined backward whereas Kurt took a huge step backward. Kurt was astonished by Grandar’s strength, but his fighting spirit wasn’t quelled in the least. If anything, it only further stoked his hot-bloodedness.
Without any hesitation, he rushed forward and engaged Grander once more in an exchange of fists. The previous clash had taught him that he was at a disadvantage competing destructive prowess with Grandar, the forefather of the Strength Origin Attribute, so he adapted his strategy in real-time and went with a speedy maneuver instead.
His punches, propelled by the explosive power of his mana, were swift and relentless. It was ridiculous how an arm so massive could move so quickly as to leave countless after shadows in its wake.
On the other end, the eyes of the humongous crimson skeleton began gleaming brightly.
If Kurt was the representation of utmost speed, Grandar would be the representation of utmost strength. Tapping into the burst power of his Origin Attribute, Grandar quietly flung his fist forward. The light that naturally imbued his fist as a result of its sheer force looked reminiscent of a falling comet.
“Shit!”
Kurt instinctively understood that it was impossible for him to withstand Grandar’s punch, compelling him to switch from offense to defense. He redirected his countless punches toward Grandar’s fist, hoping to weaken it.
To his horror, Grandar’s fist was as unyielding as divine retribution, impossible to be fazed.
Bam!
There was a deafening explosion, and Kurt was sent flying with his arms wrapped defensively in front of him. Cracks had appeared on the body he had manifested out of mana. Kneeling on the ground, he looked at his devastated body and understood that he had utterly lost in this close-quarter battle.
However, this didn’t mean that the battle was over yet.
Kurt was not a giant but a transcendent with the ability to emulate the giants. His means weren’t just limited to physical prowess.
“Land of Renascence!”
With a bellow, Kurt channeled his mana toward his Origin Attribute.
The next moment, the Cinder Desert began quaking intensely. Using his mana as a medium, he infused the power of his Giant Bloodline into the earth and swiftly animated thirteen sand giants that immediately lurched toward Grandar.
This unprecedented sight produced a ripple of excitement within the colosseum as the spectators screamed out of delirium.
The black-haired man standing in the middle of the sand giants’ encirclement stood as composed as ever. He raised his head and spoke to his old buddy.
“Still holding on?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s end this.”
Roel began channeling a huge amount of mana that caused the Kingdom Origin Attribute to intensely pulsate within him. Grandar raised his head toward the sky and released a majestic roar.
His regal disposition became so strong that it looked as if he had become the center of existence in the world, with the others being nothing more than his accompaniment.
As if a mirage, a blood-colored sunset plain overlapped over the desert. A crimson wind rose in the burial place of countless giants, relaying the cheers of the warriors to their king. It was almost as if he had returned to the ancient past.
“!”
Grandar’s eyes narrowed sharply as seemingly forgotten memories surfaced in his mind. He let out a furious roar and hurled his fist outward.
With an outburst of mana reminiscent of a supernova, a crimson aura rushed forth from Grandar’s fist with the unstoppable might of a natural disaster, obliterating everything in its path. Crimson lightning crackled in the sky above, declaring the wrath of the giant king.
Its overwhelming force eradicated the sand giants with the slightest nick, and Kurt’s giant body shattered in its face.
A sandstorm rose in its wake, as if to salvage the pride of the defeated.
The spectators fell completely silent. The distinguished guests in the VIP seats stared wordlessly at the projection. The doomsday sight in the semi-obliterated Cinder Desert looked like the aftermath of a battle between ancient gods, rattling their minds.
This was the effect Roel wanted to produce.
Those who had witnessed this battle would never forget why giants had stood amongst the top in the ancient era, and that the one true giant left in the world was Grandar.
The battle between Roel and Kurt finally concluded.
When they appeared in the colosseum once more, Roel’s clothes were covered in bits of sand whereas Kurt was collapsed on the ground.
This time, Roel didn’t bother waving his hands at the spectators, and the stunned crowd couldn’t snap out of their daze to applaud for the victor either. He quietly turned around and made his way out of the colosseum, only to hear Kurt’s voice barely a few steps later.
“W-wait!”
Much to the opposition of the medics who had rushed over to treat him, the bloodstained Kurt propped up his injured body with great difficulty and called for the departing Roel.
The latter halted his footsteps.
There was a conflicted look on Kurt’s face as he gazed at the man who had just defeated him. He recalled the cheers of the warriors on the blood-colored plain and sighed in resignation.
“About Lord Grandar… it might have truly been a mistake on our part. I’ll look into it.”
“… I see. You may consult me if you have any questions.”
Roel’s expression alleviated at those words, and Kurt finally lost consciousness after speaking his piece.
It was only when Roel’s silhouette had vanished from the colosseum that cheers and applause belatedly sounded from the crowd. They grew louder and louder until they resounded clearly throughout the whole of Leinster.
Sitting on one of the benches of the resting zone, Roel let out an exhausted exhalation. But before he could rest, a student from the Theocracy suddenly rushed over and informed him of an unbelievable news.