Chapter 130


    "I''ll see it through to the end!"


    "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me to your respective garden quarters to rest," urged two


    attendants, guiding the Cobalt Strike and Earthbound Spirits parties away from each other to


    prevent further disputes.


    "I challenge him to the first match of the championship," dered a robust Protégé, ncing at the


    departing vin.


    A fellow Protégé said, "Tarner, you needn''t trouble yourself; I''ll take care of him. Marak was


    unprepared and fell for his trick; such an incident won''t repeat during the championship."


    "Let me handle this. Thed is peculiar. He only reached Stage VIII twenty days ago; his power may


    be unstable. Even with an advantage, it''s inconceivable for him to render Marak powerless," the


    Protégé named Tarner felt that vin harbored secrets. It now seemed unlikely that Cobalt Strike


    would bring an ordinary person; there must be more to the story. They had been too careless


    before.


    Ond made a decision. "Tarner, you take the first match! Don''t hold back; if you can disable him,


    do so without mercy."


    Tarner sneered, "I''ll make sure his bones feel the fists of the Earthbound Spirits."


    "You oughtn''t do that," Mari cautioned vin as he approached. Revealing his strength too soon


    could invite an early reprisal from the Earthbound Spirits, a risk that might prove costly. "Your


    secrets, your element of surprise, should be reserved for the championship, not squandered on


    such trifling asions."


    "Mari is right. You should save that power for when it truly matters, at the championship," Niks


    chimed in, admiring vin''s fiery spirit butmenting his tactical misstep.


    "I haven''t even unleashed my full strength yet," vin replied with a casual smile.


    The others rolled their eyes.


    "How much can you punch now?" Myke inquired. He hadn''t seen vin demonstrate such


    formidable strength on their journey, during which vin had kept a low profile. The sudden change


    caught him off guard.


    "Somewhere around a thousand pounds, I suppose," vin replied offhandedly.


    They arrived at a nearby garden, which boasted a smallke and was adorned with woonds,


    flowerbeds, and a series of quaint, standalone cottages, all exuding the exquisite taste of the


    manor''s lord. Each chose a cottage for themselves; vin, Cedrick, and others retired to their


    rooms to practice their arts and maintain peak conditions. Meanwhile, Roald and hispanions


    gathered to scout information about the various Organizations present.


    By that afternoon, vin''s name had spread throughout the grand manor, not only for his trouncing


    of the Earthbound Spirits'' Marak but also for his astonishing attainment of Novice Mage Stage VIII.


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    A Stage VIII Protégé promoted merely twenty days ago at the championship? Was this some kind of


    jest?


    Never in the century-long history of The sh of Eight Orders had such a thing urred. It was, as


    the Earthbound Spirits had said, vin alone seemed to lower the overall standard of the event.


    Yet vin had thoroughly defeated Marak, proving his might with his fists. Every Protégé at the


    championship was an elite among elites, holding dazzling positions within their respective


    Organizations, far from any ordinary mage. How could vin, at Stage VIII, overpower someone at


    Stage IX?


    Curiosity was piqued, and names were remembered. But the more people inquired, the more


    unsettling the discoveries became.


    He was a servant! A mere servant! A delivery boy and jack-of-all-trades for Cobalt Strike!


    His Stage VIII status was one thing, but being a menial worker, vin once again challenged the


    sanctity of the championship.


    What in the world was Cobalt Strike up to? Was this some kind of jest? A ''Stage VIII'' realm, a


    ''servant'' status—both were unprecedented in the annals of The sh of Eight Orders.


    Yet rumors swirled anew. Over a year ago, vin was but an Apprentice, and in less than a year, he


    had ascended to Stage VIII.


    The manor of Warriors'' Vale was abuzz with incredulity and spection. Even more baffling to many


    was how vin had managed to rise to Stage VIII within a year, casting serious doubts on the


    veracity of the tale. And so, even before the championship had officially begun, vin''s name was


    on everyone''s lips, his notoriety nearly rivaling that of the Advanced Mages from the Eight Orders.