Chapter 23: Mother-in-law (4)

Chapter 23: Mother-in-law (4) An Hour Later The courtyard facing the hallway was oddly silent, even though more than ten people were gathered. The Arcain family and the Valtors stood under the afternoon sun, eyes fixed on the pair about to spar. Janet stood tall, her long red hair tied in a ponytail. She had removed her formal gown and wore a simple white shirt tucked into trousers. "I never knew the Duchess could fight," Thyra commented. Alica, who stood next to Reynold and Thyra, answered. "Yes, she could always fight. Even though we never met each other, we were both among the top three prodigies of our generation." Thyra remained silent for a while, then asked, "So how do you think the match will go, Mother? Do you think the youngest stands a chance?" Reynold chimed in. "No." After a beat, he added, "Even if I fought Janet with all my strength, I’d still lose." Thyra’s eyes widened. "You mean—?" Alica nodded. "Yes. She is a mid-level Elite." Janet yawned lazily as she buckled her shoulder pad. "Will you keep the blindfold on?" "I can’t see anyway, so yeah. And it’s not too bad. I can see shapes using energy." She nodded. "Then I won’t use my right hand, nor will I attack. If you can force me to strike, you win." Arthur nodded. He and Janet locked gazes in a deadlock. After a minute of stillness, the match began. Arthur moved first, quick, calculated steps, but Janet didn’t flinch. She stood still, observing. He charged forward with only his dragon physique. His speed was fast for someone not using mana or force, but still not enough. As his blade swung downward, Janet used a light tap of her sword to throw him off balance. Arthur gritted his teeth. He couldn’t use Selena’s technique, not here. He exhaled, cold wisps forming in the air. Crystalline scales formed on his skin as he lunged again, this time with a full thrust. Just like before, Janet tried to parry with a simple swing. But Arthur switched hands, using his dragon scales to block the deflection and redirecting the blade to her side. Janet grinned, something shifting within her. She twisted faintly and drove her knee into his gut. Arthur nearly coughed blood as he flew to the edge of the platform. As he regained his composure, he raised his hand to stop his mother. ’Damn, everything hurts. Building a harem really isn’t easy.’ He grinned. ’Even so, this much isn’t that bad.’ Using his sword for support, he stood and changed his stance. The crowd whispered. Arthur was being outclassed, but seeing a Novice take on an Elite was fascinating. He stopped mid-way and raised his blade, mimicking Janet’s stance exactly. Gasps rippled through the courtyard as Janet narrowed her eyes. Special techniques were incredibly hard to copy, but he had done it. To others, it might have looked like mere mimicry, but she, who created that style, knew better. If not for his poor physique, he’d have copied it perfectly. "Let me take back my words." She shifted into the second form. "You’re more than interesting, Arthur Arcain." Arthur grinned. "I’m glad I piqued your interest." ’Yeah right. If the system didn’t give me bonding points, why would I tangle with another crazy woman?’ He shut his eyes and matched her second stance. Then lunged. At first, Arthur thought his predecessor’s physique was limited to spells, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Anything involving energy, at least those that could be learnt by other people, his body could mimic... like a copycat. Arthur unleashed strike after strike, but each was intercepted. "Why isn’t he using his energy?" one of the Arcain executives asked. Janet’s face darkened. "Why aren’t you using mana or force, Arthur Arcain? Do you think I’m not worth the effort?" Arthur shook his head as he withdrew. "I can’t use either of them." "What!?" a voice rang out. "I thought I heard the young master could use both energies." "Yeah, I saw him use them before the awakening ceremony." "Did his massive awakening destroy his energy path?" Janet dropped her stance. "Is that true, Arthur Arcain?" Arthur didn’t respond, but to her, his silence was an answer. Janet clicked her tongue. "I can’t believe I got excited for nothing." Without sparing him another glance, she turned. "How do you plan on protecting Amelia? Do you think this is some fantasy where the energyless commoner becomes the strongest?" She paused. "No, in reality, only strength, power, and bloodline matter." She began walking away. "Don’t come near my daughter again." But her steps came to an abrupt halt at the sound of a soft chuckle. "I expected better from the God Dog of the Fifth Generation," Arthur whispered, just loud enough for only her to hear. "The one who was destined to be the Saintess but gave up her position because of her bloodlust. When did that powerful figure learn to turn her back on her enemy?" Janet’s hand froze mid-air. ’No way.’ Even if the others didn’t sense it, she who had walked that very path could. It wasn’t mana or force. It was something many never unlocked until the day they die. It wasn’t any special energy. It was called the spirit of a tryant, Bloodlust. Janet quickly turned back toward him. ’How did he...?’ But she was already too late. Arthur stood tall, his breathing steadier now. During the one hour before the match, he had checked his stats and woken Nathira to help him train. Though she was slightly pissed off about what he did, she still forgave him. But that was beside the point. After analyzing his stats and his new Authority, Arthur discovered a few things. At first, he was contemplating how to control the primordial energy he absorbed, along with mana and force. Not just that. There were also his affinities and Authority. But when he checked his stats, all of them were gone. Only two things remained: His Authority — Godspell. And a new energy that had formed in his body. Something that wasn’t in the game or this world. Something even Nathira couldn’t identify. Colours, a unique combination of mana, force, primordial energy, and his affinities. At first, he thought, "How will I refill it?" But through a bit of practice, he discovered one thing. He had an infinite amount of primordial energy. So whenever those he bonded with absorbed mana or force, it combined with the primordial energy to form Colour. Arthur’s finger curled. Colour wasn’t just energy. It replaced spells and affinities. Though vague at first, he understood the basics. Five Colours existed in total: Blue, Yellow, Red, Black, and White, each progressively stronger and harder to use. But all of them shared the ability to mimic the effect of spells and grant unique perks. Arthur raised his hand above his head as a small blue light, resembling both water and compressed light, formed above him. Since it was his first time, he chose the Colour that made the most sense and was easiest to use. Yes, Blue, the colour of stability. Even if his energy was unstable or his spell was flawed, Blue would stabilize it. Arthur’s eyes glimmered blue. His white hair, fluttering around him, began turning a light golden hue. Around his head, four blue orbs shimmered like water, their light trying to break free. 『 Tier 7 Spell: Spring Autumn Cigar 』 Arthur knew this spell wasn’t enough. But if he mixed in a bit of Yellow, the colour of speed, he might land a hit. The blue light spiking out of the orb shimmered golden. The crowd’s eyes widened at the beautiful orb surrounding Arthur. Even Janet stood in awe. To the knights, it felt like a brand new magic spell. But the mages knew the spell. An abstract combination of Fire and Wind that created a devastating attack, usually appearing as a fireball with wind swirling around it. But this was— Thyra covered her grin with her palm. ’Amazing.’ Spinning his hand like a magic staff, Arthur merged the four orbs into one, using another stream of blue energy. 『 Tier 6 Spell: Aerial Assault 』 The blue orb grew, spiraling into something unstable. Normally, such a combination would trigger an explosion or massive mana recoil, but Blue Colour stabilized it. The crowd gasped. Aerial Assault was usually a mix of Fire, Metal, and Wind elements, extremely hard to use. But Arthur had crafted a combo in the game that his mage friends used, though it was more of a last resort. It involved combining Tier 7 spell Autumn Cigar with a simple Tier 8 Metal spell. ’Seems like I’ve gotten the hang of it,’ he thought. Using such high-level spells was only possible because of his constitution, yet even then, the power was usually diminished. But now he wasn’t guessing. Each Colour revealed how much was reduced for a higher-tier spell. For a Blue-Golden mix with Blue as the base, it would consume 30% of its initial power. Arthur paused, then flicked his finger downward. The spell crashed into the ground, shattering the arena in a burst of wind and light. Arthur coughed blood, his knees buckling. His vision blurred. ’Seems like I overdid it... Still,’ he turned to the smoke. ’She really is a monster.’ Janet hadn’t dodged the attack, even though she could have. She still stood there, completely unharmed. She stepped forward, smiling softly. "I haven’t had my blood pump like that in a long time. I’m starting to like you again." She pointed her blade at him. "I can’t believe you broke my force barrier, even if it was barely erected." He looked up, still gasping. "I can’t wait for you to grow up... son-in-law," she added with a smile. "I’ll watch over you until you reach the top." He swallowed. "Then... does that mean..." "Yes." She raised her chin. "You have my blessings. But you’ll still have to prove to the world that Amelia is yours. I can’t help with that." He struggled to smile. "Thank you." Janet turned to leave, then paused and glanced back. Arthur remained hunched. "Arthur," she called. "...If you ever hurt any of those girls, whether the three you have now or the many more you gather, I will kill you." Arthur smiled. "Don’t worry. I’ll kill myself first." Janet gave a slow nod and waved as she walked away. "You better take responsibility for your words." "Babe!" Reynold called, smirking. "You were so cool just now! It reminded me of the old you." "Can you stop that, Reynold? It’s embarrassing." Arthur lay flat on his back, staring at the sky. The sunlight warmed his bruised skin. "I survived..." he muttered, his fist gently clenched toward the sun. His mother stood nearby, watching silently. She said nothing. She didn’t want to ruin his moment. ─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───