Legacy of the Dark Sage

"As long as that player keeps on winning, then he will not step down and will continue the challenge," Kyran continued.

Even before Kyran finished what he was saying, the Lumley Family at the spectator's end erupted in anger.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Solo Challenge? Such audacity! Do you think you can threaten our family?"

"Looking down on us! Wait until the Lumley Elders make their final decision, you're dead after this event!"

One after another, the members of the Lumley Family exclaimed in anger. Others were even spouting curses targeting Kyran— or rather, Tyr's family and ancestors.

Most of the Courtenay Family members were also looking at Kyran as if he had gone mental. While others— especially, their female members, all looked at him with amusement. To them, they did not mind an arrogant man when he could back his arrogance with action.

On the other side, the Montgomeray Family still remained silent. But a man with flowing long dark violet hair crossed his arms as he piercingly gaze at Kyran. At least, that was how it seemed to others. Because of the mask, he was wearing, it was hard to confirm.

However, no matter how much they shout their discontent, the subject of their anger ignored them and was only looking at the announcer with raised brows.

"What did your boss say?" He asked.

The announcer's brow furrowed further, but he did not respond. Instead, he was silent while listening to his 'boss.'

Finally, the announcer's brows loosen as he looked and addressed them again, "The head committee of the joint military exercise, believed that a solo challenge will not serve its real purpose in testing each participant's capability."

Hearing the announcer's response, the Lumley Family all sneered at Kyran and relentlessly spout spiteful words for his impudence.

But Kyran remained indifferent to their outburst and only looked at the announcer.

"However."

As Kyran expected, the announcer was not done.

On the other hand, the announcer's 'however' immediately silenced the Lumley Family's outburst.

"Because the Three Noble Families participation here is not part of the joint military exercise, the head committee deemed that changing the rules for the Solo Competition against the Three Noble Families is fine."

Styx and the other mercenaries sneered, at the same time, this turn of events confirmed a few doubts they had regarding Tyr.

President Callan told them a brief explanation of Tyr's promotion, which had something to do with facing and even winning against a Royal Army Brigadier General.

The reasoning was lost to them, however.

Why would the Mercenary Hall promote Tyr only to justify how a Royal Army Brigadier General lost to him?

Now, after hearing how the 'head committee' agreed to Tyr's suggestion so easily, while even giving a sound reason to back their decision, Styx and the others were now convinced that Tyr's promotion was to 'protect' him, instead of giving the Royal Army face for losing.

This meant, the Royal Army valued Tyr and likely had its eyes on him.

By making Tyr an elite member of the Mercenary Hall, even the Royal Army would not brazenly make a move on him.

The reason Styx and the other three mercenaries thought of was actually correct, however, instead of the Royal Army, it was actually the Royal Family who had designs on Tyr. In any case, only the Conclave High Council knew that the Royal Army and the Royal Family were now under one leadership, so this small mistake was reasonable.

"As such, the first challenge will now commence in 30 seconds. Participants, please get ready," the announcer finished and flew to the side.

At the same time, the counter above changed and turned into 25:30, with the 30 decreasing every second.

In the background, the members of the Lumley Family spectating the competition continued to shout their complaints. However, their unrelenting shouts had gone on deaf ears.

The head committee had spoken. And even if the announcer could sympathize with the Lumley Family, he had no say on the matter. Besides, unlike the non-participant members of the Lumley Family, the five participants including the elder, serving as their coach, remained indifferent.

So the announcer chose to ignore their shouts.

The opinions of the people directly involved in the match mattered more, after all.

That was right.

The Lumley Family's participants remained indifferent to the change because they deemed it unimportant. What was important to them was to take revenge on what Tyr had done to their fellow members. The process did not matter.

As a matter of fact, they would even feign defeat, if it meant all five of them could inflict 'unseen' damage on Tyr!

Truth be told, they felt indignant toward their fellow family members shouting their protest. Because their outburst felt as if they believed Tyr could single-handedly win against them!

"You may use your magic and magic weapon to fight. However, usage of outside materials  and pre-arranged Arrays are prohibited. The timer above will stop as soon it deemed one of the two sides unable to continue. This is also the fail safe that will ensure no one will suffer grave injuries."

The announcer reminded them as the timer above fell to 25:10, telling them that there were only 10 seconds left before the match.

Hearing the announcer's reminder, Kyran sneered and said, "The rules are even tailored to look unfavorable to me, but the truth its the opposite."

Illias's brow furrowed at Kyran's idle chat and replied, "Disciple Tyr, piece of advice. Don't lump us with the white mages with Young Master Matias yesterday."

Kyran raised his brows at him.

With eyes narrowed Illias continued, "I, Illias, will prove that mages from the main branch are not weak—."

Before he finished what he was saying, the timer gave a loud DING! sound signaling the start of the match.

The next moment, Kyran bent over and a wooden staff appeared in his right hand, light golden magic arrays circled the staff's shaft.

By the time Illias said the 'are not weak,' Kyran swung the staff horizontally as it increased in length, aiming at Illias's leg.

"Tch!" Illias reacted as soon as he saw the incoming staff. He jumped back, a three-meter radius red magic array appeared in front of him as he roused his magic.

However, before Illias's magic array could complete processing the magic attack it was supposed to unleash, Kyran's smile widen as he raised the wooden staff and directed it to pass through a point in Illias's magic array.

Several runes appeared on the wooden staff's shaft which then flew out and forcefully integrated into Illias's magic array.

"Ngh!" Illias's eyes widened as the red magic array in front of him turned into gold.

Kyran raised his left hand and aimed at Illias, who appeared to be frozen in midair. With a slight smirk, Kyran said loud enough for the people within and near the arena to hear, "Burn."

The magic array in front of Illias lit up, and red hot flames shot out from the center.

"Aaaargh!" Illias let out a painful shriek as he was engulfed by the flames.

He fell to the ground, rolling as he tried to take it out but to no avail.

The Lumley Family's participants stood from their seats and gaped in shock. Even their coach stood up. Though it was hard to tell his expression because of the mask he was wearing.

All the members of the Lumley Family on the balcony who were jeering a second ago fell silent and gaped stupidly at the arena.

To be precise, the whole arena had fallen silent with the exception of Illias's undignified shrieks.

Event Styx, Deo, Rake, and Tilda were gaping at Kyran's back with open mouths.

Kyran straightened and looked at the announcer who was also stupidly gaping at the shrieking Illias before looking at the slowly disappearing gold magic array that shot out the flames that took him down.

"Err... referee, the timer's stopped. This mean its my win, right?"

Because of the silence, Kyran's words were heard easily— even with Illias's screaming in the background."

All of them snapped out of their shock and looked at the hovering timer above the arena.

The timer above stopped at precisely 24:57. It seemed, that it deemed Illias as unable to continue and already stopped the match.

'T-Three seconds...'

A cold sweat trickled down the announcer's face as he pointed his right hand toward Kyran, "F-First challenge, Tyr of the Mercenary Hall wins."

What greeted the announcer's words was utter silence. Because as soon as Kyran was announced the winner, Illias was transported out of the arena with the flames wrapping him extinguished.

"He cheated!"

A complaint from one of the participants of the Lumley Family broke the silence.

"He had a pre-arranged array! That is a clear violation of the rules! He cheated!"

The one who shouted was a young man in his early twenties. He had the same blonde hair as the rest of the Lumley main branch family and brown eyes.

When the audience heard this, most of them also felt something strange.

Most of the people watching heard of Tyr and his support type magic, Strengthening. The attack he did just now if it was not a pre-arranged array, how was he able to change his opponent's magic array and even direct it against him?

The Lumley Family erupted in anger from this realization.

Kyran sighed. He looked at the audience and was about to say something when a very melodious gentle voice filled the whole hall.

"What Disciple Tyr did is not a pre-arranged array," the voice said.

Almost all of the audience stopped talking as if the mere sound of the person's voice had the ability to influence them.

"It's his unique ability, isn't that right, Disciple Tyr?"

Kyran only smiled in response, while closing his eyes. He really did not like hearing this 'person's voice.'

"On the spot Array creation..."

The voice trailed off dramatically, which gave a melodramatic effect when it was followed by gasps of surprise from the audience.

Was there such an ability? No, even if there was, for it to fall in the hands of an Array prodigy was just... too unfair.

The Lumley Family's coach also fell silent. They had been told about Tyr's abnormally fast Array creation, from Matias's run-in with him yeterday— when Tyr reconstructed his staff into a hammer. However, they all deemed it was a pre-arranged array where the speed of its formation was further amplified because he was in the Blacksmith Order.

Who knew Tyr really possessed a rare ability?

"Your staff contained the necessary materials you needed and used them to create array runes. Then you target points of Illias's magic array to change it before reversing the magic attack's target. After that, you used your Strengthening magic to 'strengthen' the flame attack's power. Which is why, Illias failed to defend against it even with he had certain immunity to fire, being a fire mage."

Kyran gave an exaggerated sigh and looked up pretending not to know where the person was. The truth, he knew exactly where the 'person was— hiding among the Montgomeray Family.

"Please, don't expose my trick so early in the game. How am I suppose to outsmart my opponents now?"

The person giggled at his words, "I don't think letting them know will change anything. After all, you have a lot of tricks even I can't predict."

All the people inside the hall, including the mercenaries could not help but gaped at how 'friendly' these two were talking to each other.

"Where's the fun when others can easily predict my moves?" Kyran replied, his 'aquamarine' eyes glinted mischievously.

The person giggled again and finally said, "Very well. Since this matter is now settled, continue with the match."

The announcer immediately nodded and raised his hand.

"T-Then, with the head of the committee validating the previous match's results, we will now proceed to the next challenge," he said with a slightly trembling voice. The truth he had yet to recover from the initial shock of seeing a member of the Lumley Family main branch get owned in three seconds.

The announcer looked at the Lumley Family and said, "Please send in your next participant."

Before the coach could tell who would go next, the young man who claimed Kyran had cheated, jumped to the arena.

"Flavias!" The coach shouted.

But the young man, Flavias already landed on the arena, immediately resetting the timer above to 25:30.

"I'll be your opponent next!" Flavias said, glaring daggers at Kyran.