General POV

Theodore counted the bracelets, the metal clicking softly as he sorted through them. Still needed more for Seraphina's ridiculous ultimatum, though he was getting closer.

The way people kept grouping up to hunt him was becoming tedious. He could feel them converging through his spatial awareness through [Arcane Sight].

All thinking they were so clever, all believing they'd be the ones to take down the prince who'd suddenly started climbing the rankings. The irony was delicious—they thought he was prey when really, he'd been herding them like sheep for the past hour.

Helena crept through the undergrowth, her heart hammering with anticipation as she watched Theodore sit down in the clearing ahead. The fool had finally exhausted himself, and she'd be the one to claim the glory of eliminating royalty.

Her Rank 4 status meant nothing compared to the reputation she'd gain from this, the stories she'd tell, the respect she'd finally command. She'd been following him for thirty minutes, watching him take down others, but now he was vulnerable, sitting there like he'd given up entirely.

The trio moved in formation through the trees, their leader Talen feeling smug about their numbers advantage. Three rank threes against one exhausted Rank 2—the math was simple, even if the target was a prince.

They'd been ambushing solo hunters all morning, dividing the bracelets equally between them, and this would be their biggest score yet. Talen could already imagine the shock on everyone's faces when they saw three Rank 3s had taken down Theodore Lockheart.

Theodore sensed them all, these eager hunters who thought they were predators, and the amusement almost made him smile.

The twins Jin and Kar were approaching from the east, their mercenary training evident in their coordinated movements, while another presence lurked further back, someone skilled enough to mask their approach but not quite skilled enough to fool his enhanced awareness.

He kept his eyes closed, letting them all think he was meditating or resting, giving them time to arrive at the same moment because dealing with them sequentially would take forever and Seraphina wanted decisive.

Jin whispered to his brother through their communication spell, excitement bleeding through his usually professional demeanor. The Chronicles would pay a fortune for the story of mercenaries eliminating a Lockheart, enough aurums to retire on, enough to finally leave this life behind.

Kar shared his enthusiasm but kept it controlled, focused on the tactical situation, noting the prince's relaxed posture and apparent unawareness of their approach.

The binding enchantments burned against Talen's palm, ready to activate, and he forced himself to wait for the perfect moment even though every instinct screamed at him to attack now before Theodore noticed them.

Talen would have been suspicious if he wasn't so focused on not screwing up their one shot at glory. The prince looked tired, shoulders slightly slumped, and Talen felt his confidence surge because maybe all that rapid climbing had exhausted even whatever artifacts he was using.

"Now!" Corin shouted, and all three binding enchantments activated simultaneously, chains of pure mana erupting from hidden anchor points to wrap around Theodore's limbs. The paralysis poison on Vera's blade glinted as she lunged forward, Talen channeling everything into a crushing force spell, Corin disrupting the mana flow in the area to prevent any defensive measures.

Theodore's mana erupted outward, not violently but with the inexorable pressure of deep ocean depths, and suddenly all three Rank 3s found themselves pressed into the dirt, their bodies refusing to respond as his power simply ignored their difference in Rank and crushed them down with contemptuous ease. The binding chains scattered, somehow, and Theodore stood up, looking over at them expressionlessly.

"Binding enchantments, really?" Theodore said conversationally, walking over to where Talen was trying desperately to move, to do anything other than lie there helplessly. "Those only work if your target knows nothing about enchantments."

He still has artifacts! Talen wanted to scream and rage about the unfairness of it all, but he couldn't even manage that as Theodore casually removed all three of their bracelets. Forty-seven more bracelets added to his collection, and Theodore didn't even look satisfied.

"You three should probably work on your fundamentals," Theodore advised, already walking away as his mana pressure released them. "The positioning was decent, but you telegraphed the ambush from half a mile away to anyone with any mana sensing capabilities. Also, attacking someone without knowing their actual capabilities is just asking for elimination."

Helena watched the trio get demolished in less than ten seconds, her mind racing to recalculate everything she thought she knew about Theodore's abilities. That wasn't normal Rank 2 mana pressure.

Hell, it wasn't normal Rank 4 mana pressure.

Whatever the prince was hiding, it went way beyond simple artifacts or family resources.

Greed crept up its ugly tendrils up her heart.

She should retreat, every survival instinct screamed it, but the fury at being surpassed by this privileged brat overrode her caution.

It definitely was not her greed.

After all, she'd worked fifteen years for her strength while he'd probably been handed everything on a silver platter, and she'd be damned if she'd run away without at least trying. Besides, he had to be tired after that display. There had to be some limit to whatever he was using.

Theodore sensed her moving, his spatial awareness tracking her approach even as she tried to mask her presence.

"You can attack now," he called out, not even turning around. "Or you can leave. But standing there trying to decide is just wasting both our time."

The casual dismissal snapped something in Helena, and she attacked with everything she had, her Rank 4 strength fully unleashed as she closed the distance in an instant.

Honed through countless battles, her blade technique created after-images that should have confused any opponent.

It should have made it impossible to track which strike was real.

Theodore turned at the last second, his hand coming up to catch her real blade. Before Helena could process the impossibility of what just happened, space twisted and suddenly he was behind her, her bracelet already in his hand.

"...How?" she managed to ask, her pride crumbling as she realized the gap between them wasn't something that could be overcome with determination or anger.

"Hm. Think spatial displacement," Theodore answered, already sensing the twins approaching. He knew he was giving away one of his cards, but who cared? He was bored, he needed some excitement. "Also, attacking in anger makes your moves telegraphed. Work on that."

That wasn't what Helena had asked. She wanted to ask how a Rank 2 could defeat her so easily, but she'd already disappeared.

Jin and Kar arrived just as Helena disappeared away, eliminated and humiliated, and the twins exchanged a mental conversation in the space of a heartbeat. They'd seen enough to know this wasn't going to be the easy score they'd anticipated.

"Formation Seven's out," Jin sent to his brother. "He's got spatial awareness and, um, displacement. Go with Formation Thirteen instead."

"You want sustained pressure? That'll burn through our reserves fast."

"Better than getting eliminated in one move. Besides, look at his stance—he's actually taking us seriously."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Theodore was indeed taking them seriously, recognizing the professional coordination in their movements and the way they split his attention without creating openings for each other.

These weren't glory-seekers or angry nobles, these were killers who understood combat at a fundamental level.

The twins attacked simultaneously but not identically, Jin going high with piercing strikes while Kar swept low with a mana disruption skill, forcing Theodore to actually move rather than simply overwhelm them.

He hurled [Thermal Lances] at them, and they should have cut through their defenses, but the twins adapted instantly, one brother using water-aspect spells to cool the thermal energy while the other created vacuum pockets that robbed the lances of fuel.

They were competent, alright.

"Interesting, you've fought mages before." Theodore was genuinely impressed as he had to dodge a coordinated strike that would have taken his head off if he'd been a fraction slower.

"We've fought everything before," Kar replied, his professional focus never wavering even as Theodore's [Severing Aura] started cutting through his mana disruption skill. "But you're something else, aren't you? That's not Rank 2 power, not even close."

"Does it matter?" Theodore asked, absorbing the kinetic energy from their strikes, feeling it build inside him like a compressed spring. "You're still going to lose."

"Probably," Jin admitted, recognizing the buildup of energy and knowing what was coming. "But we're going to make you work for it."

They did make him work for it, forcing Theodore to actually engage with their combat rhythm, to think rather than simply overpower.

He could have just overwhelmed them, but that would reveal far more than he was willing to reveal at the moment, and take out all the fun in this.

The twins moved like water, flowing around his attacks, creating openings and baiting him into moves they could exploit. It was the kind of fight that would have been genuinely dangerous if they were Rank 5s, perhaps. These two were the kind of people that made Theodore remember why he actually enjoyed combat when it wasn't just crushing inferior opponents.

The end came when Theodore released all the absorbed kinetic energy in a focused detonation, the force erupting from him in a straight line like an invisible battering ram. Jin saw it coming a fraction of a second before impact, shoving Kar sideways with desperate strength, taking the full brunt of the kinetic release himself.

The blast caught him center mass and sent him hurtling backward like he'd been shot from a cannon, his body smashing through the first tree with an explosive crack, then the second, then the third, each impact toppling the massive trunks like dominoes.

The destruction carved a clear path through the forest, trees groaning and falling in sequence until Jin finally came to rest embedded in a particularly thick oak nearly fifty meters away, bark and splinters raining down around him while Kar stared in shock at the devastation his brother had just endured.

"Impressive," Theodore [Blinked] up to the man and collected Kar's bracelet from where he'd landed, then walked back to take Jin's as well. The man gave it to him with a defeated look on his face, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to win. "Most people would have just tried to tank it individually."

"We're brothers," Jin said simply, helping Kar to his feet despite his own injuries. "It's what we do."

Theodore felt an unexpected moment of respect for them. "You lasted longer than most Rank 4s would have. That coordination was genuinely impressive."

"Not impressive enough," Kar said with a grimace, and the brothers disappeared as they were eliminated.

Theodore threw away the bracelets he'd just gotten, as the count on his main bracelet had updated. He checked his count—187 now, still short. The timer showed just over three hours remaining. He needed to pick up the pace, but quality targets were becoming scarce as word spread about what was happening in this section of the Instance.

That's when he felt it, a presence that had been stalking him for the last ten minutes, someone skilled enough to stay just outside his spatial awareness's active range but not quite skilled enough to hide their intent that leaked out just now.

Interesting. Whoever this person was, they were like Freya.

But this one was different from the other battle maniacs, as they seemed more intelligent in their approach whereas Freya would've already started throwing fists.

Indeed, Cassius had been watching everything unfold, analyzing Theodore's combat, skills, spells and his techniques. The way he systematically dismantled opponents who should have at least posed a challenge was concerning. The data didn't add up, the power scaling was all wrong, and Cassius found himself fascinated by the impossibility of what he was witnessing.

"You can stop hiding," Theodore called out, turning to face Cassius's direction. "I know you've been following me since the twins showed up. Either commit to an attack or leave, but this stalking thing is getting tedious."

Cassius emerged smoothly, his Rank 4 presence carefully controlled as he studied Theodore with calculating eyes.

"You're not Rank 2," he stated with absolute certainty. "Your mana, the spatial skills—or is it spells?—the energy absorption and redirection… None of it fits within Rank 2."

"Your brother said something similar," Theodore replied, remembering his encounter with Nathan earlier. "Right before I eliminated him."

The mention of Nathan made Cassius pause, not with anger but with understanding. "Ah, so you're the reason he was eliminated. He's an idiot, but occasionally his instincts are correct. How did you know he's my brother? What are you really?"

"Tired," Theodore answered honestly. "And running behind schedule. Can't let you walk anyway. My teacher is watching, and she has very specific expectations about decisive action. And, you're Nathan's splitting image, so it wasn't hard to guess he's your brother."

"Your teacher sounds demanding," Cassius observed, his hand moving to his sword. "Though I suppose anyone capable of producing whatever you are would have high standards."

"Someone scarier than both of us combined. Trust me, you'd rather lose to me than disappoint her." The shudder that ran through Theodore wasn't feigned.

"And yet you're taking time to chat," Cassius noted. "Either you're supremely confident or genuinely not concerned about me as a threat."

"Neither," Theodore said. "I just recognize someone with actual intelligence and strength when I see it. The others attacked from emotion or greed. You're here trying to understand what you're seeing."

"Guilty," Cassius admitted. "Though honor still demands I try to eliminate you, even knowing I'll probably fail. Reputation matters in my line of work."

"Mercenary?" Theodore guessed.

"Information broker, actually. But combat proficiency is a necessary skill in that profession." Cassius drew his sword, and immediately Theodore could feel the difference.

This wasn't just mana shaped into cutting force, this was more akin to his [Severing Aura]. If he had to put a name to it, he'd call it genuine [Sword Aura].

Whatever it was, it was the kind of skill that should've taken a lot of work to develop.

The first exchange happened faster than thought, Cassius's [Sword Aura] cutting through Theodore's [Thermal Lances] like they were made of paper, forcing him to shift tactics immediately.

[Severing Aura] met [Sword Aura] in a clash that sent shockwaves, digging through the ground around them. Two conceptual forces grinding against each other in a battle of will as much as power.

"That's not a standard technique," Cassius said even as they fought. "A severing concept rather than a physical manifestation."

Theodore didn't reply, absorbing kinetic energy from each clash, feeling the power build toward critical mass. This one was genuinely skilled, forcing him to think with multiple threads of [Parallel Processing].

The fight continued for almost a full minute, which was longer than all his previous encounters combined.

Cassius fought with intelligence rather than just skill, laying traps three moves ahead, forcing Theodore to actually engage with the combat as a chess match rather than a brawl.

Good thing he had [Parallel Processing] to fall back on.

When Theodore finally released the stored kinetic energy, he did it with respect for his opponent, giving Cassius a fraction of a second's warning.

The blast sent the man flying, skidding on the ground to a stop.

Congratulations! You have learned a new spell: [Kinetic Release]

When Theodore walked over to collect his bracelet, Cassius was still conscious, blood running from various cuts but his eyes still sharp.

"So that's why my [Sword Aura] couldn't fully cut through—you were stealing the power behind the slash itself while simultaneously cutting it away with that severing concept of yours."

"Most people just assume it's a defensive technique," Theodore said.

"Most people are idiots, Well, it was a good fight, Theodore Lockheart. You'll make it far in the tournament. And if you don't mind, I will be selling this fight's recording to the highest bidder," Cassius said with a small grin.

Theodore smiled. "Sure, I don't care."

"Though you might want to watch out—someone's been stalking you for the last several minutes. Someone good enough that I almost didn't notice them."

Theodore's smile widened, already aware of the presence through his evolved [Arcane Sight]. "I know. She's been waiting for the perfect moment, probably since the beginning."

"You're just letting her?" Cassius asked.

"It's more interesting this way," Theodore admitted, taking Cassius's bracelet.

Meanwhile, outside the Instance, Nathan watched his brother's elimination with complete disbelief. Cassius had been Rank 4 for two years. He had beaten opponents most considered unbeatable, and Theodore had handled him like a particularly interesting training exercise. The crowd around the viewing screens had gone silent, the earlier mockery completely dead as they watched Theodore's ranking climb steadily higher.

Someone in the crowd finally voiced what everyone was thinking. "He's not hunting randomly. Look at the pattern… He's only targeting Rank 4s, because they've already done the work of gathering bracelets from others. He wasn't struggling at the start—he was waiting for everyone else to collect for him."

There was silence in the crowd.

Back in the Instance, as Cassius disappeared, Theodore sensed an attack coming, incredibly fast, incredibly precise, and with enough killing intent to make a blind man see.

A dagger aimed at one of his vital points.

[Blink] carried him behind the invisible figure, his hand closing around her wrist with genuine pleasure at the surprise reunion.

"How have you been, Velka?"

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.