Chapter 52: From Conflict To Challenge - Part 5

Unlike the first group of adventurers who fought Arezu—surrendering after realizing how easily he could break through their formation—and the second group, who also yielded after Arezu endured and survived their full-force attacks, the third group he faced refused to give up so easily. They were a pair of mage swordsmen: one wielded a sword alongside earth-based mystic spells, while the other used wind-based magic. Their relentless barrage of Stone Bullet and Wind Blade forced Arezu onto the defensive, constantly running and dodging to avoid the magical onslaught. But once he closed the distance, their swordsmanship couldn't keep up with his halberd-axe combat prowess. Even after being disarmed, the two mage swordsmen still refused to surrender, convinced they could defeat Arezu through spellcasting alone. With no other choice, Arezu reluctantly followed Lynn's mean suggestion: "Beat them up like a punching bag, Mr. Arezu!" The fight turned into a fistfight, with Arezu embedding his halberd-axe into the ground and giving his opponents no time to cast their mystic spells. After shattering the veil protection of their Aegis and landing a full-force punch to their faces, the two finally surrendered. "I don't have an extra chair to offer, but if you'd like to join me for a cup of tea and some sweets, you're most welcome, Mr. Arezu." Despite Lynn's sweet tone and innocent smile, the fact that they were still in the middle of a serious challenge made her invitation feel utterly annoying. "Are you seriously not going to help me?" Arezu asked, though he already had a good idea of her answer—he just wanted to hear it from her directly. "Of course I will! But I doubt you'll need my help. After all, there's nothing here but weak—smack!—ouch!" Lynn's rude remark, which she clearly intended for everyone to hear—audience and opponents alike—was cut short by a light smack to the head, courtesy of Arezu. "Don't even think of asking for another promise because of this." "You're such a meanie, Mr. Arezu." "I don't want to hear that from you, Lynn." After their usual bickering and a quick reapplication of the divine blessing Aegis by the resident priest, the challenge for the title of Dungeon Conquerors resumed. Arezu's fourth opponents were a balanced party of four: a vanguard with sword and shield, a swordsman, a priest, and a female mage. But what caught him off guard was that one of them was a familiar face. "Didn't you say we've been through a lot already? So what are you doing here, George?" "Don't take it the wrong way, Arezu. But that title's just too tempting to ignore." Ending their casual yet tense exchange, Sylvia raised her voice to signal the start of the next match. "Fourth match... Start!" "Waterjet" The female mage unleashed a mystic spell Arezu knew all too well. A water sphere formed above her, likely around one cubic meter in volume—just like Lynn's. She swung her enchanted staff in a wide arc, and a pressurized blast of water shot forth. But unlike Lynn's arrow-like version, this one cleaved through the ground like a sword. Arezu leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the deadly stream of pressurized water blade. Before he could recover, George and the swordsman charged in. 'Reinforce' George activated his combat skill, boosting his shield's durability to absorb Arezu's counterstrike and prepare for a shield bash. 'Shatter' Arezu, just having landed, swung his halberd-axe with a combat skill of his own, intercepting George's shield attack. The loud crash of metal echoed across the training area. Even before the sound faded, the swordsman closed in. 'Cleave' He swung his sword, aiming to break Arezu's Aegis. Arezu pulled back his weapon and blocked the attack. But now that he was locked in place, George took the opportunity to attack again. 'Cleave' This time, George used his sword, empowered with a combat skill. For a brief moment, even Lynn looked worried. But her confidence in Arezu didn't waver—especially after seeing his calm and composed expression despite the pressure. Gripping his halberd-axe tightly, Arezu countered. He knocked aside the swordsman's weapon and deflected George's strike in one motion. Regaining momentum, Arezu swung his halberd-axe in a wide arc. Though both George and the swordsman blocked it, the sheer force sent them reeling, giving Arezu an opening to charge at the mage. He sprinted forward, aiming to disarm her by striking her enchanted staff. But before his attack could land, the priest stepped in front and cast Barrier—a divine blessing forming a translucent sphere that blocked the halberd-axe's blow. Arezu quickly withdrew, but now found himself surrounded—priest and mage in front, George and the swordsman behind. Despite the unfavorable position, one question lingered in Arezu's mind: Are they really not going to attack Lynn? As if in response to his question, George resumed the assault. Arezu turned to face him—still wary of the mage—but George made an unexpected move. He dropped both his shield and sword, charging forward defenseless. Arezu could have struck him down then and there. But George knew he wouldn't. Throughout the first three matches, Arezu had never actually struck an opponent with his weapon—he had always aimed for their weapons or stopped just short. George had realized this pattern, and his gamble paid off. Arezu halted his attack. Arezu, too, understood George's plan. If he dropped his halberd-axe and engaged in hand-to-hand combat, George would pin him down. Even a few seconds of restraint would be enough for the others to break his Aegis. But before either of them could act— "Obelisk" Lynn finally intervened. As her mystic spell activated, a stone pillar erupted from the ground beneath George, striking him exactly where it would hurt the most. "Ouch!..." Or so everyone thought. Either way, the pillar shattered George's Aegis and left him writhing on the ground. "Tsk!..." That single sound from Lynn said it all—she had indeed aimed for it. And her mischievous smile, directed at the stunned priest and swordsman, promised the next one wouldn't miss. That alone was enough to end the match. —"We surrender."— "Hey! You two! We're not surrendering—" Despite the mage's protests, the swordsman and priest dragged her away while carrying the unconscious George out of the training area. "If you could do something like that, you should've done it from the start, Lynn." It's not that Arezu approved of her methods, but it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. "Well, I didn't want to reveal all of your dirty tricks to the final opponent. But since you're holding back so much, Mr. Arezu, you left me no choice." Arezu frowned. Despite the clear blame Lynn had placed on him, her true intent became clear moments later when Sylvia raised her voice. "For the fifth and final match..." "Oi, seriously?" "You think I'd miss the chance to fight you again, Arezu?"