Aiden stood on the border watchtower, eyes fixed on the dust cloud rising from the neutral zone. His system pinged immediately.
**Rival Champion Detected. Level 68 Warlord - Kaelara. Anti-Pleasure Wards active. Elite force: 47 units.**
"Single combat," the messenger shouted from below. "Kaelara challenges you to settle the dispute between your goddess and her lord. Refuse, and we burn the border villages."
Aiden activated Prophet's Clarity. The skill unfolded the next thirty minutes of combat in his mind like a branching map.
Heart of the Grove fed in environmental data from the land itself. Kaelara's despair auras hit hard in close range. Her blade carried soul-crushing pressure. But her wards had gaps—pleasure spikes disrupted them.
"Accept," Aiden said. "Tell her the coliseum at noon. Neutral ground."
He spent the morning preparing. Divine Legion activated on himself, layering buffs from his core harem bonds.
