Chapter 96 – Duel Under the Eyes of All
The fortress square of Eisenwald had turned into a grand arena. Hundreds of recruits, villagers, and guards formed a wide circle around a chalk-drawn boundary. The morning sun climbed over the marshlands, its light reflecting off puddles as though it too wished to witness what was about to unfold.
At the center stood two men—so different yet bound together by fate.
Fenrir Eisenwald: The Crimson Wolf, still only seventeen. His frame was lean, but his eyes burned with the fire of conviction. A plain steel sword was in his grip, thin wisps of red aura simmering along its edge, glowing faintly like molten magma beneath the surface.
Kael Morgenstern: The Black Knight Wanderer. Nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered, his body marked by countless scars. His presence alone pressed upon the chest of everyone present. On his back rested a massive black greatsword, heavy and ominous as if forged from night itself.
Whispers ran through the crowd:
> "That's Kael Morgenstern…"
"They say he slew three noble heirs in single combat."
"How can Baron Fenrir stand against such a monster?"
Fenrir inhaled slowly. He knew this was more than a test of strength—it was a test of worth. If he failed here, he would lose the confidence of the hundreds who came seeking to serve under him.
---
Kael drew his sword with a rasping growl of metal, and with it, a suffocating wave of dark aura poured forth, spreading like smoke. The crowd flinched back as the pressure pressed upon their skin, making them shudder.
Fenrir's vision flashed—his system trembled to life. A panel flickered into existence:
[Status Panel – Kael Morgenstern]
Age: 39
Title: The Black Knight Wanderer
Level: 58
EXP: 102,300 / 110,000
Aura: 720
Stamina: 760
Strength: 690
Cunning: 500
Charisma: 450
Mental Fortitude: 640
Skills:
[Aura Mastery Lv.5] – Wields suffocating black aura to suppress foes.
[Greatsword Mastery Lv.5] – Deadly mastery of massive blades.
[Battlefield Instinct Lv.5] – Lightning-fast reactions to shifts in combat.
Trait:
[Wanderer's Legacy] – Gains +20% adaptability against new fighting styles.
Fenrir's heart clenched. Four times my strength… his aura alone dwarfs mine. He's not a man—he's a walking fortress.
Another panel appeared.
[Status Panel – Fenrir Eisenwald]
Age: 17
Title: Crimson Wolf of Eisenwald
Level: 16
EXP: 24,800 / 28,000
Aura: 180
Stamina: 190
Strength: 135
Cunning: 220
Charisma: 140
Mental Fortitude: 175
Skills:
[Aura Control Lv.3]
[Swordsmanship Lv.3]
[Leadership Lv.4]
[Tactical Instinct Lv.3]
[Passive – Legacy of Strategies]
Traits:
[Wounds That Shape]
[Lord of the Marsh]
Fenrir's lips tightened. Stat isn't destiny. Strategy can overturn even mountains.
---
Kael moved first. The greatsword swung down with a howl of air, fast and heavy enough to shatter bone.
Fenrir's aura flared crimson. He raised his sword, catching the strike.
> BOOOOOM!
The ground split under his feet. Dust billowed. Fenrir was hurled back, boots carving deep furrows in the soil, but he did not fall.
A murmur rippled through the crowd. He had blocked the un-blockable.
Kael's lips curled. "Good. You're not just a child playing soldier."
---
Fenrir didn't try to match power for power. He darted sideways, striking with quick thrusts and slashes. Each attack was precise, aimed at joints, gaps, or wrists.
Kael turned aside every strike with ease, yet each time he had to adjust. Fenrir wasn't trying to wound—he was gathering data, disrupting Kael's rhythm.
"This is attrition. Not with numbers, but with seconds. Every second I survive, my men see I can stand against giants."
But Kael's blade was merciless. A sweeping arc came faster than Fenrir anticipated.
> SHRAAK!
The edge bit into his shoulder, hot pain bursting as blood spilled down his tunic.
"Baron!" someone screamed from the crowd.
Fenrir staggered but did not fall. He lifted his blade again, eyes blazing. His aura surged hotter, lava-red against Kael's darkness.
---
Kael advanced, aura black and oppressive, swallowing light. Fenrir met him, crimson aura blazing like fire.
Their auras collided. Pressure exploded outward. Dust clouds swirled, stones rattled, weaker men staggered back coughing.
Then both struck—
> KAAA-BOOOOM!
Their swords crashed, sending a shockwave through the ground.
Fenrir's knees buckled, arms trembling. Blood spurted from a cut at his waist. But he pushed back, forcing Kael a step aside.
Kael's eyes gleamed. "Not bad, wolf cub."
---
Minute after minute passed. Fenrir was bleeding from his thigh, ribs, and shoulder. His stamina drained, aura flickering. His blade cracked along the edge.
But he endured. Each time Kael swung, Fenrir twisted away just enough, retaliating with cuts that though shallow, proved he would not break.
Kael's brow furrowed. "Even at death's door, he still bites."
---
Kael roared, lifting his greatsword high. His aura thickened, smothering the ground in black mist.
Fenrir clenched his teeth, gathering every last spark of aura left. His sword glowed crimson, veins of molten energy coursing along the steel.
Both charged.
> BOOOOOM!
The explosion ripped apart the chalk ring. Earth cracked, the shockwave blasting the crowd back.
When the dust cleared—Fenrir was still standing. Knees bent, chest heaving, blood pouring, but his eyes… still sharp, still burning.
Kael's blade hovered inches from his head, frozen.
The entire field fell silent.
---
The system chimed inside Fenrir's mind:
[Status Panel – Fenrir Eisenwald]
Age: 17
Title: Crimson Wolf of Eisenwald
Level: 16
EXP: 19,500 / 28,000 (–5,300 from severe wounds)
Aura: 140 (–40)
Stamina: 120 (–70)
Strength: 120 (–15)
Cunning: 220
Charisma: 140
Mental Fortitude: 185 (+10 from surviving near-death combat)
Condition:
Heavy bleeding
Multiple lacerations
Sword cracked
Severe exhaustion
---
Fenrir's body screamed for collapse, but he locked his knees and stared Kael straight in the eye, defiance blazing.
Kael's expression hardened, unreadable. He lowered his weapon slightly.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Everyone knew something had shifted.
But Kael had not yet spoken the words.
The duel was not finished.
#wanD48