Chapter 12: The True Death Match
Richard flashed Princess Aurelia a winning smile and said, "Princess, it's my turn to face the challenge now. I trust you'll be impressed by my skills."
Saying this, he leapt down into the arena. After saluting his father, Julius, he turned to select his training assistant for the match.
"What did he mean by that?" Princess Aurelia wondered aloud, still trying to decipher the undertone in Richard's words.
Viktor grinned, "Perhaps he thinks you'll swoon for his bravery and agree to marry him."
"Marriage? With him? I don't know what's wrong with boys these days—let a girl share a conversation or two, and suddenly they're spinning fantasies of weddings." Princess Aurelia shook her head in exasperation.
Meanwhile, as soon as Richard entered the arena, his gaze landed squarely on Tyler. A small, knowing smile played at the corners of his lips. Tyler returned it with a silent, faint smile of his own.
A month ago, after Tyler had thrashed Bartlett, he'd expected Richard to retaliate immediately. Instead, Richard had remained oddly quiet—until now.
Tyler understood why: Richard had been waiting for Assessment Day, planning to pick Tyler as his training assistant in the Death Match, so that he could kill him without raising anyone's suspicions.
But, to Tyler's surprise, Richard didn't pick him. Instead, he chose the burly, middle-aged man standing just behind Tyler.
Tyler's brows drew tight.
This was one of Silverdale's latest slaves, a man who despite being a convict, showed hardly any sign of deep injuries—he looked powerful and healthy. Tyler suspected he had awakened his Solar Core already.
Once Richard had chosen, the man wasted no time and bounded into the arena, eyes blazing. In the Death Match, no one ever survived by being passive; for a training assistant, hesitating meant certain death. He knew his only sliver of hope was to attack with everything he had.
The middle-aged man charged first, thundering toward Richard like a raging bull—so powerful, the enchanted stone flooring of the arena cracked loudly beneath his footfalls.
Richard waited, blue light flickering around his hand, fingers clenched into a fist. As the man closed in, Richard stepped aside smoothly and unleashed the royal family's secret art—Oxen's Thousand Fists.
BOOM!
The effect wasn't immediate—but it was enough to halt the man's bull rush. Frustrated, he turned and charged again.
Unaware he was already mortally wounded, the man made his move.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Five dull eruptions echoed, as blood spurted from five wounds on his body.
His eyes widened in shock, disbelief freezing his features. When he opened his mouth, only a guttural rasp came out. His vision dimmed, knees buckled, and he collapsed—dead before he hit the ground.
It had taken only a single punch for Richard to end the fight.
The students watching erupted into cheers. Even some in the audience couldn't help clapping.
But if you looked closer, you'd spot a handful of children, expressionless and subdued.
As the prime minister's eldest son, Richard had his reputation. Everyone knew he'd been raised with the finest strengthening elixirs available from childhood.
Of course, even with all that, such progress shouldn't be this fast. The only explanation was that Richard had secretly swallowed the last sacred divine elixir. Since David had already consumed the first, this was the only one left—and now Richard had claimed it for himself.
Tyler shook his head with a bitter, twisted smile. His uncles had committed so many vile deeds—Silverdale's magical elixir had remained untouched for centuries, yet as soon as they seized power, they split them for their own sons.
When Tyler had learned David had swallowed the first elixir, rage had burned in him. But now, he found himself oddly unmoved by Richard consuming the last one.
He no longer cared. Because he'd realized something: whatever effects the divine elixir offered, his "Divine Body Refinement Technique" gave him the same—or even greater—advantage. So long as he continued purifying himself, he was gaining all the elixir's benefits, and perhaps more. The elixirs no longer mattered to him.
His thoughts were interrupted by Bartlett's proclamation: "The first Death Match winner—Prince Richard!"
Richard flexed his wrist and called out to Bartlett, who stood on the high platform, "I'm not yet satisfied with my performance. I'd like to issue another challenge!"
Bartlett, secretly delighted that revenge was finally at hand—now Richard would surely finish Tyler—replied with a smile, "If you wish for another challenge, Prince Richard, you may choose another slave."
Richard turned towards the slaves. His finger drifted past several trembling faces. When Richard pointed in someone's direction, that face would go white—the slaves knew all too well what it meant. Richard's strength was on brutal display. Whoever he picked was staring at their own death.
At last, Richard's gaze settled on Tyler. His finger stopped, and he grinned. "You—step forward!"
Everyone saw exactly who he was pointing at. And once they realized it was Tyler, a collective gasp swept the arena.
Everyone knew: for a slave, the Death Match offered a single outcome—either you win… or you die trying.
All these years, most people still saw Tyler as belonging to Silverdale. Even exiled as a slave for three years, none of the children had ever seriously hurt him; but today, Richard had chosen him. This was unexpected, even shocking. There were those in the crowd already shaking their heads—today, surely, Tyler would die.
"All right," Tyler responded simply, not hesitating or saying another word. He stepped out from the group, face completely calm. As he walked to Richard, he raised his fists in a defensive stance and said, "Prince Richard, let's begin."
"Why so polite, cousin Tyler?" Richard replied, locking eyes with him.
What happens next? Will Richard finally exact Bartlett's revenge by killing Tyler—or will Tyler seize victory and win his freedom at last? Find out in the next chapters…
[ A.N :- This chapter and some upcoming chapter may be short as compared to old chapters and let me know your opinion in Comment section. I hope you are enjoying the story . ]