Chapter 57


    Celesse had not secluded herself for arcane training in thest five days, having been granted a


    ''holiday'' by her master to rest.


    When not training, she was almost always by vin''s side, either leisurely enjoying the moments or


    aiding him in his magical practices.


    She worried that vin couldn''t control the Goliath Force, especially the powerful fifth sequence


    known as ''Shadow Sabre.'' While it could unleash a strength five times greater than normal, it also


    produced a bacsh weighing thousands of pounds that could injure the wielder as much as the


    enemy. Many a sturdy Protégé in history had attempted to master the Goliath Force and ended up


    hurt or crippled. Only Brunn, an Elite Protégé, had managed to master it over the past decades, and


    since then, few dared to touch the Goliath Force.


    Fortunately, vin''s recent performances had been impressive, gradually easing Celesse''s


    concerns and astonishing her with his resilience. It seemed he could manage not just a fivefold


    burst but even a sixfold one.


    Carlys would asionallye to check in, startled by vin''s exaggerated prowess.


    "Is this the ce?" Marak arrived at the foot of a hundred-meter-tall hill. Compared to the towering


    mountains nearby, this hill looked more like a mound, hardly noticeable unless one looked closely.


    To have exclusive use of a hilltop in Cobalt Strike, this Protégé must have held some status, Marak


    mused.


    "Right here." Tyral sneered inwardly but kept a polite demeanor as he walked up the mountain path.


    "What is this Protégé''s rank? A Golden Protégé?" Marak began to take this previously unseen rival


    seriously.


    "He is a servant."


    "A servant?"


    "A drudge."


    "Are you jesting with me?" Marak rarely joked and disliked such humor.


    "I dare not. The summit is not a manor but a storehouse. This Protégé has been a servant since the


    age of seven, for a full eight years."


    "Celesse is here?" Marak frowned upon hearing this. He’s love rival was a lowborn?


    "Let''s see for ourselves. Oh, and his name is vin!"


    In the courtyard, vin had justpleted the fifth sequence of Goliath Force, shattering a massive


    boulder into gravel. Standing at the edge of the rubble, his body was burning hot, skin reddened as


    if boiled, emitting astonishing heat and covered in sweat. Gasping for breath, his muscr form


    rhythmically pulsed with every heave of his chest. Though only fifteen, he bore the virile beauty of a


    twenty-year-old.


    "How do you feel? Is the weakness still strong?" Celesse gently wiped vin''s sweat with a silk


    cloth.


    "Better this time... At least I didn''t end up sitting on the ground..." vin propped himself up, dizzy


    and slightly delirious. The fifth sequence was potent, and capable of delivering a force of several


    thousand pounds in an instant, but that burst of energy drained his strength, leaving a profound


    sensation of weakness.


    "There''s still half a month before the tournament. Don''t rush it." Celesse had originally estimated


    that vin mastering the fifth sequence ten days before thepetition would be quite an


    achievement. Surprisingly, he had aplished it eighteen days early and was adapting gradually.


    vin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “The power can still grow stronger.”


    “You’ve already done very well…" Celesse suddenly let out a soft exmation. Was someone


    coming? Who would visit at this time?


    She sensed multiple strong presences outside the door. Her gaze turned icy as she put on her veil,


    positioning herself protectively in front of vin.


    Tyral arrived at the iron gate, listening briefly, then pushed it open with a smirk. He saw the red-hot,


    panting vin and noticed Celesse standing silently by his side.


    Marak''s eyes swept over vin, still in the midst of his practice, but his gaze settled on Celesse.


    Was this her? The Golden Protégé Celesse of Cobalt Strike? The woman who might be his


    wife.


    Veiled in a light scarf, her figure was graceful, and curves enchanting, her eyes like autumn pool.


    Even from this angle, there appeared to be a faint shimmer surrounding her, an aura of purity and


    sanctity. Although her true face was hidden, her presence and poise captivated Marak''s attention


    immediately. His heart skipped a beat, and a smile spread across his face. Excellent!


    But what about that man, bare-chested and only in shorts, with no decorum at all!


    A delicate maiden in thepany of such a man?! Could it be any less proper?


    "Lady Celesse, we finally meet," Marak said with a smile as he walked into the storehouse


    courtyard.


    He cleared his throat, ready to offer a courteous greeting, but Celesse spoke indifferently, "We are


    not receiving guests today. Please leave."


    "You may not know me; allow me to introduce myself."


    "There''s no need. Please leave." Celesse dismissed him coldly, recognizing him as a stranger but


    paying him no heed.


    Had anyone else refused him so, Marak would have been irate, but today, his temper was unusually


    mild. "Lady Celesse, I''m no viin, you see. I merely wish to make an acquaintance."


    Tyral''s smile was forced. "Lady Celesse, this guest hails from Lord Viperbane."


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Lord Viperbane? Celesse wondered. What was strange wasn''t the visitor''s identity but that


    someone from Lord Viperbane—known for their pride and conflict with Cobalt Strike—woulde


    here, to a storehouse of all ces.