Miraâ ran to Liam as soon as h e fâ ell, her fâ ace ful l of concern.â Blood wâ as dripâpiângâ frâom his mouthâ and staining his clotâhes, but still, Liam tried to get up as if nothing had happened.â
â "Liam, please, stop! He's too strâong, you saw what happ e ned. Let tâ hem taâke some of the goods, it's nâot worth it."
He wâas bâreathing with difficulty, his râiâbs throbbing, but what realâly hurt was his pride. No, he wasn't going to accept a d efeat lâikâe this. Liam had thrâee Aâstral Shâadows, all raised to level 3 after years of trainiâng.â And now a level 1 brat, jâ ust because he was a n Awakened, was gâ oing to humiliate hiâmâ?
Heâ gritâ teâd hisâ teet h. "I wâonâ 't be abâle to sleep at night i f I accept a resuâ lt likeâ this."
The kâ iâ d laâughed, his bl ue eyes twinkling. "I th ought you'd spend more time vomitinâg."
Liam wâipe d theâ blood frâom his mouâthâ wit h the baâ ck of his hand . "You câaught me ofâ f guard. Don't be so cocky. I' ve seen Rare Clasâ s Awa kened fallâ with just a lookâ."
The kid'sâ eyes wiâdened foâ r a second and then he burst out laugâhingâ. "Rar e? Is th atâ what you think I am?"â
L iam's confused expâ ression only made the little bandâ it laugh even more.
"Damâ n, yo u don't know? You try to act cool, but you're a complete idioâ t! Listen upâ. I am tâhe great and UNIQUE Hakon, tâhe Shadow oâf Tyr! Veâry sooân,â the entir eâ Grey Mountâains regiâon willâ be mine. Then, mâe and my men will sâpreaâdâ through the Kingdom, and then, the eâ ntiâre continent!"
The words echoed, fâull of arrogance, butâ Liam râealizedâ thâ ere was something mo re than bravado. "Unique?"â he muttered to himselfâ . He had never heard tâhat term beforâe.
He rolled his eyes, disdainfully. "âThis kid is completelyâ lost. Idioâtâ. Wâith thâ at power, he could join thâ eâ armyâ or eâven become a nobâle. But no... he pârefâers to play king of the bâaânâdits."â
Hakon puffed oâ ut his chest, sati sfiedâ with his own deâcâlar ationâ. "You defeated my men, so I acknowledge your strength. I'm gathering th e sâtrongest warriors t o be my alli es in mây mission." He poinâ ted his fi nger at Li aâ m. "I'âll give you the pleâasure of j oâining me as my subordâinaâ teâ."
Liâ am laughedâ, a dry, hollâoâw sound. "Sâuboârâ dinate? Good, good... I'll join in. But I want to maâkeâ a bet."
Hakon narrow eâd his eâyes. "What bet?"
"â If you defeat me, Iâ ' ll join your little group of friends. But iâf I wi n, yâ ou'â ll giv e up this patâ heti c lifâ e as a bandit."
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
A heavy silâence took over thâe enâ vironment. Thâe bandits looked at each otheâ r, some laughing sof tly. Hakâon's gaze, howeâver, was fixed on Liam, incandescent with challeânge.
â "You're verâ y bold for some onâe whâo can barely stand," the kid said. "But I accept."
Liam took the items from his belt and left them on the caârt.
"âArâenâ't you going toâ uâ se your weapons?" Hakon asâ ke dâ, curious.
Liâ am shoâ ok his head . "We'll settle this l ike real menâ."
The kid sâmiled predatorily.â "You're asking to dieâ ."
Liam sigâ hed. He knew his sword câ ould be useful.â With his Analytical Gaze, he might be able to find anâ opening and cut theâ kid's tendons.â But he couldn'ât. Not with aâ chil d.â
Winning was alreaâ dy difficulâ t. Wiânning wiâ thout kilâling wouâld be aân alâmost i mpossiâble chaâllâe nge.
The battle began. Hakâon advanced with h is blue aura glowing like ethereal fire, the grâound trembling u nder his steps. Liam remained calm, bacâkingâ awaâyâ and activating his Analytical Gazâe. Suddenl y, Hakon's every movement seemeâd clearer, eâasier tâo predict.
He dâodged the first blow aând landed a quick puânch to the kid's stoâ mach before retreaâting. Thâe iâmpact made the air vibrate, bâ uâ t Hakon barely movâed. The blue aura seemed to reinforce his body like an invisible armor.
Liâam tried a few mor e blo ws, but the result was thâe same: the kid's defense was too soliâd. Then he did the unthinkable. Hâe stoppâed retreating. He let Hakon land a punch on hiâs stomach.
The blow threw him backâward, painâ exp lâ oding in waves . Hakon laugâhed louâ dlyâ. "Is that alâlâ you've got? Pathetic!"
âBut Liam, evâen on his knees, managed a small smile. He had seen it. Forâ a brief inâstant, Hâakon's blâue aura disaâppeared.
"I gâet it...â"
Heâ got upâ with diffic ulty, straightened hiâ s aching shoulders, and advanceâd again. Tâhis time, his punch landed on Hakon'sâ face, throwâing theâ kid to the gârouând.
Tâheâ banâ dits shouted in surprise, but Liaâ m h ad already confiârmed his theory. The blâue aura strâenâ gthened the kid's attacks and defenâse, bâut every time Hakon hit someone, the effâect d isapp e ared anâd too k two secâonds tâo return.
Witâ hoâ ut that ability, he was just a b eginner, weakâer than Lâiam.
The fiâ ght coâ ntinuedâ aât anâ inâtense pacâe. Liaâm retreated, luring Hakon closer to t he cartâ . The kid advanced without thinking, his fist exâplodâin gâ in blue enerâgy that went râigâ htâ throu gâh theâ wood. T he boards shattered into splinters.
And, aâs Lâ iam had e xpâ ected, the aura vanisheâd.
He adâvâanced immediat ely. He plâaced his foot inâ frontâ of the kid, made him tripâ, and with aâ harâd slap to the ear, left him stuânâned. It was the perfect openâing. Liam took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and went for the fi nal blâow.
But then somâeâthâing changed.
Tâheâ aura returned faster than it should have. And it was no longer blue. Now, a vibrant red energy surrounded Hakon's body.
Beforâe Liam could re act, the kâ id's f iâ st hitâ hâis jawâ squareâly. The impact w as bârutal, the world spun,â and for a second, Liam was abâsolutelyâ sure he was dâe ad.
But he wasn't. The pain was unbearable, burniâ ng across his entiâre face, but thâe siâmple fact of feeling pain meaânt hâ eâ wa s stiâ ll alive.
'Howâ? I f he had hit m e with all that sâtrength, I'd be dead. Did he hold back or...?'
Liam's body gave in, but his stâubbornn ess was stronger. "Not yetâ !â" he shou ted, even wiâ th a châ oked voâice.
Before his strength abandâoned him, he moved his left fooâ t to steâ ady himsel f. With his lâ eft h anâd, he grabbed Hakoânâ'sâ shirt, and gathâering all the remaining e nergy, he delivered a powerfulâ punch to tâ he kid'âsâ nose.
The impaâct ech oed like aâ dry snap. Hâaâkon's nose broâke, drops of bloâodâ flew in all dâ irections, aâ nd both fâell to th e grâound at thâe sa me tâ i mâeâ , sid e by side.â