Chapter 132 - 131: Even Spars Can Kill

Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Even Spars Can Kill Back in the ring, Elaria breathed heavily, hair tousled from movement. Cuts lined her sleeves, though her flesh remained untouched. Her blades dripped with sweat and dust. She had come expecting a show of dominance. Instead, she was fighting for real. She smiled. "Come," she said, raising her swords again. "Show me what else you’ve got." The captains charged again. The spar had turned into a battlefield. Elaria’s movements changed. The grace in her steps sharpened into ruthless efficiency. She was no longer testing. She was fighting. Lumberling narrowed his eyes. Beside him, Vaenyra’s brows furrowed. "...She’s not holding back anymore," she whispered. He didn’t respond. He knew. The rhythm, the aura, the look in her eyes, it was no longer a spar. It was survival. Grokk roared as he was struck again, his twin axes grinding against the ground as he knelt. But he rose. Bloody, battered, shoulders heaving, he rose. The others did too. Skarn with a cracked helm. Gobo2 dragging one leg. Krivex coughing blood. But they moved like shadows across the field, their formation shifting in sync with every shout from their leader. They fought like madmen. No, like soldiers with something to prove. But it was no longer enough. Elaria blurred forward, bypassing Grokk’s guard. Her blade found Krivex. A clean strike. He staggered back, blood blooming across his ribs as his bow clattered beside him. Grokk roared again and charged. The ground cracked beneath his feet. Yet blow after blow, Elaria danced around him, an untouchable phantom. Her swords sang, carving air, forcing the captains into desperate dodges. She was breaking through them, one breath at a time. One by one, they fell. Gobo1 was the first to drop. Then Skarn. Then Takkar. Then Gobo2. Until only Grokk remained. He panted. One eye swollen shut. His arms hung low, each breath a rumble. Blood seeped from a dozen wounds. Elaria approached him slowly, her black hair clinging to her sweat-soaked skin, twin blades angled down. "It’s over," she said. Grokk bared his fangs in a smile. Then dropped his axes. He surged forward, not to strike, but to grab. His arms clamped around her forearms, locking her wrists in place. "That hurt... a lot," he grunted through broken teeth. "But I got you now." Elaria’s eyes widened. "Now!!" Krivex roared from behind. Elaria whipped her head around, he was standing, barely, his bow already drawn. The captains, bloodied and groaning, rose. One after another like the dead reanimated by willpower alone. Gobo2. Skarn. Gobo1. Takkar. They charged like demons, weapons raised. Elaria struggled against Grokk’s grip. "Let GO!" She twisted, kicked, jerked, Grokk held on, jaw clenched, legs shaking under her struggle. Then the blades struck. Steel met flesh. Elaria grunted as cuts opened across her arms and shoulders. Pain lanced through her. Still, she didn’t fall. With a snarl of effort, she twisted violently and hurled Grokk aside, then spun with a scream, unleashing her strength and mana. One by one, the captains were thrown back, tossed like broken dolls. Silence. Dust swirled. Elaria dropped to one knee, panting. Then, footsteps. Fast. Heavy. Aren. He was sprinting full-speed across the clearing, spear gripped low, a feral grin on his face. His eyes met hers. She froze. She saw it, her death, hurtling toward her. "STOP!!" several elves screamed in unison. Too late. Just as the spear was about to pierce her. Magic burst from the earth. A stone wall surged from beneath Aren’s feet and slammed into him mid-run. He flew backward, limbs flailing. Before he could crash into the far wall, a blur caught him midair, Lumberling. Dust settled once more. Elaria stared, chest rising and falling. Her hands trembled. Her blades slipped from her fingers. The elves rushed in. "Elaria! Are you okay?!" "Healing, quickly!" A soft glow lit her wounds as magic poured in, closing cuts and easing bruises. But she didn’t respond. Her eyes were still on Aren. He sat slumped in Lumberling’s arms, dazed. She swallowed, a shiver running through her. If not for that last-second spell... .... Meanwhile, on Lumberling’s side. "You crazy bastards," Lumberling muttered, shaking his head, but the proud grin tugging at the corner of his lips betrayed his true feelings. "I thought you just wanted to spar." Grokk, bruised and battered, gave a wide grin, one eye already swollen shut. "That was a spar... until she started throwing us like sacks of wheat." The other captains were slumped across the sparring ground like broken furniture. Grokk sat with a cracked pauldron. Gobo2 was flat on his back, breathing hard through broken ribs, and Krivex was still trying to sit up, his bow snapped in half beside him. Despite the damage, their spirits were high. "Did you see that, Boss?" Gobo2 croaked, flashing a bloody grin. "I almost had her. Just a few more seconds and I swear, she would’ve passed out." "You passed out from blood loss," Krivex muttered from behind, dragging himself toward the group like a dying man who refused to die just yet. Skarn groaned. "I think I saw the afterlife. It was just Elaria waiting with another round." "I think my spine’s reversed," Takkar said blankly, staring at the sky. Lumberling chuckled, crossing his arms. "Not bad. You guys lasted longer than I expected. You even forced her to activate her magic in desperation." "Pretty sure we all died," Gobo1 mumbled. "You’re still talking, so you’re fine," Lumberling said. Just then, footsteps approached, firm, deliberate, and clearly unamused. Vaenyra and the other elves stared at them like they were a band of lunatics. Slowly, she stepped forward, her gaze moving from one wounded captain to the next. Aurelya, livid, marched in behind her and snapped, "What in the hell were you guys thinking?! And why are you all still laughing?!" "No one died. All is well," Lumberling said, casually, with a half-shrug. Aurelya looked like she was about to explode. "No one died?! Your subordinates are almost dead!" "I agree," Thessalia added coolly, arms crossed. "That was borderline suicidal." Lumberling didn’t argue. He simply smiled wryly. "It did look bad," he admitted, "but this is how they grow. We don’t believe in holding back. They fight to surpass themselves, always have. Always will." The elves blinked, as if they were staring at a different species entirely. Vaenyra sighed, but her voice was soft. "Let my subordinates heal them." Lumberling met her gaze and nodded. "Please." With a wave of her hand, elven healers stepped forward, casting shimmering spells that mended bones, closed gashes, and soothed burned skin. The captains groaned and exhaled as warmth flooded their battered bodies. Gobo2 stretched an arm weakly and muttered, "Tell the elf lady... she hits like a Big Bear in heat." "Shut up," Krivex hissed. Lumberling just laughed, arms still folded. "Rest up. You earned it." The captains groaned in unison. ..... Once his captains were stabilized and laid out on mats like overcooked vegetables, Lumberling stretched his shoulders and cracked his neck. He turned to Vaenyra, eyes glinting. "That got me fired up. Want to spar too?" Before she could answer, Aurelya and Thessalia both snapped their heads toward him. "By yourself?" Aurelya asked, one brow raised. "You’re still only at Quasi-Knight level, aren’t you?" "Just a friendly match," Lumberling replied casually, gesturing toward his groaning captains sprawled on the ground. "Nothing like what those lunatics just pulled." Vaenyra didn’t answer, but her eyes shifted toward her companions. Thessalia looked utterly uninterested, arms crossed, while Aurelya shrugged dismissively. Until Lumberling said something... unfortunate. "It seems I’ve beaten you both at chess so many times, you don’t even have the will to face me in a real fight anymore." Thessalia’s eye twitched. "Petty provocations won’t work." "Then I suppose you’re accepting defeat," he replied with a sigh. "That’s fine. Not everyone’s built for combat." "Oh for..." Aurelya’s voice rose sharply, and she stepped forward. "Do you really want to get beaten up that badly?" "I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t." Lumberling’s grin widened. "Fine." Aurelya flipped her hair over her shoulder, expression smug. "I’ll take you on. And to make it fair, I won’t even use magic." "You sure about that?" he asked. Her jaw clenched. "Even if you cry, I won’t show any mercy." Lumberling gave her a maddeningly toothy smile and began walking toward the center of the training ground. "I wouldn’t dream of it." Behind him, Aurelya growled. "You’re dead." Vaenyra leaned toward Thessalia and whispered, "Is he always like this?" Thessalia gave a sigh. "Unfortunately, yes." ..... "Hurry up and get ready," Aurelya said, cracking her knuckles before drawing her slender rapier with a flourish. Her golden eyes gleamed with anticipation. "My fists are itching to pay you back for all those humiliating chess losses." She pointed the tip of her blade at him with a confident smirk. Lumberling didn’t answer right away. He stepped calmly into the ring, carrying his spear, and behind him, he dragged a cloth bundle, which he laid on the ground. One by one, he revealed its contents: a warhammer, a round shield, twin axes, and a longsword. Steel gleamed under the midday sun. Aurelya blinked. "What is this, a weapon exhibition? You think hauling more toys will help you win?" "We’ll see," Lumberling said with a faint smile, rolling his shoulders. On the sidelines, Vaenyra and Thessalia stood with arms folded, both silently intrigued. This was the first time they’d see him fight. A few paces away, the goblin captains sat on a bench, still bandaged and bruised from their earlier spar. But their eyes were bright with anticipation. "Take revenge for us, Boss!" Gobo2 shouted, pumping his fist. In the center of the sparring ground, Aurelya raised her blade and casually took her stance, weight on her back foot, blade angled just so. Elegant. Efficient. "If you apologize now," she said, her voice smooth with amusement, "I might consider going easy on you. It’d be pretty shameful if I end up beating your ass in front of your followers." Lumberling tightened his grip on the spear but didn’t shift his stance. "Let’s begin." That single phrase was quiet, but it carried the weight of a challenge. Aurelya’s smile grew wider. "I’ll make this quick."