Chapter 118

Chapter 118. I’m Here (2)

Panir had no intention of going easy on Anis. On the contrary, he planned to crush him thoroughly and break his will.

However, from the very first strike, Panir was utterly shocked.

The speed of the arrow Anis fired was beyond imagination. Panir had to abandon his attempt to intercept it mid-air and instead deflect it with his bow.

“……!”

Basil, who was watching, was amazed. He knew the principle behind Anis’s ultra-high-speed arrow.

Acceleration stacking. Anis had applied double acceleration. Even the geniuses of archery couldn’t pull off what Anis had just done.

This wasn’t the level of Anis that Basil knew.

‘Did he learn that from Keter…?’

Anis’s offensive continued relentlessly. His determination to not give Panir a chance to shoot was evident. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to aim for vital points, even though his opponent was his great-uncle.

“You’re quite fast, but your aim is too obvious!”

Panir commented with a relaxed tone.

Anis didn’t falter, but he didn’t ignore the comment either. He immediately changed his strategy, combining the Lion Bow and Yaksha Bow techniques. The Aura Arrow tore through the air with a sharp sound.

Panir seized the moment Anis shifted his attack. He nocked three Aura Arrows and fired them in quick succession.

Anis thought Panir was using the Taurus Bow technique, firing three arrows in a triangular formation—

But he was wrong.

Crack!

Anis’s arrow collided with Panir’s.

The result was a draw. Both arrows vanished. However, two of Panir’s arrows were still flying toward him.

Anis’s eyes widened. Panir’s Taurus Bow had the power of the Lion Bow and the speed of the Yaksha Bow.

‘Triple stacking…?’

It wasn’t surprising. If Anis could do it, Panir certainly could.

Anis quickly prepared a follow-up. He tried to counter with triple stacking, but it was too much for him. He could do it with time, but he wasn’t skilled enough to pull it off on the fly.

In the end, Anis abandoned the counter and dodged to the side. While evading, he fired a double-stacked Yaksha Bow, aiming for Panir’s ankle.

Thud!

Anis’s decisive strike was effortlessly shot down. Panir’s previous attack wasn’t triple-stacked.

It was a quadruple-stacked technique, combining the speed of the Twin Arrows Bow.

The fast and powerful arrows rained down mercilessly on Anis. He couldn’t block them like Panir could with his bowstaff. The sheer number and force of the arrows overwhelmed him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Anis rolled and jumped frantically to avoid the arrows.

Panir shouted as he fired.

“A noble of the prestigious family, rolling on the ground to dodge arrows!”

If Anis had the breath to reply, he would’ve said he wasn’t ashamed at all.

Clang!

No matter how much he rolled, he couldn’t dodge forever. An Aura Arrow struck his bow. He tried to infuse it with aura to defend, but the bow shattered helplessly.

Anis panted heavily. He could use Aura Arrows, but he still couldn’t wield an Aura Bow. But it was fine. His legs were still intact.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

He charged at Panir. Panir smirked and tossed his bow aside.

“Do you think you can beat this old man in martial arts?”

Anis formed an Aura Arrow in his right hand and thrust it toward Panir’s neck.

Panir grabbed Anis’s right wrist with his left hand and pulled it down. At the same time, he stepped forward, hooked Anis’s right foot with his left, and pushed his chest with his right palm, sending him tumbling.

Thud! Whoosh!

Anis quickly rolled to the side to avoid a kick and, while lying down, kicked Panir’s ankle.

Panir, already crouching, grabbed Anis’s foot and tossed him overhead.

Anis, now airborne, nearly landed headfirst but managed to twist his body and land on his back.

Crash!

“Ugh…”

The pain from landing on his back was excruciating. An involuntary groan escaped Anis’s lips.

Panir looked down at him.

“You’ve used up all your aura. Give up now.”

Anis, still panting, pushed himself up.

“My body is still fine.”

“Is that so?”

In an instant, the towering Panir disappeared from Anis’s sight. A moment later, Anis’s world flipped. His body spun halfway and slammed into the ground.

Panir, crouching low, had grabbed his collar and thrown him.

Boom!

The impact shook the ground. It was a joint effort between the floor and Anis’s back.

Anis couldn’t even scream. His entire body felt numb, as if struck by lightning.

“No aura, and your body’s broken. Give up.”

“I can still… get up.”

“Persistent, aren’t you?”

Anis stood up using the Heavenly Power he had saved as a last resort.

But standing was all he could do. Panir grabbed Anis’s hair and slapped his cheeks left and right. Then, he stomped on Anis’s legs, breaking them.

It was a brutal act. Yet, no one frowned or looked away. This was the kind of place it was.

“Now you can’t even stand.”

Anis, collapsed forward, didn’t move. Panir turned his back and looked at Taragon.

Blood was trickling from Taragon’s mouth. He couldn’t bear to watch Anis being brutally beaten.

“Taragon. Don’t resist like Anis and just give up…”

Panir stopped mid-sentence and turned his head slightly. Looking down, he saw Anis gripping his ankle. He had crawled over.

“Fine, I’ll break your hand so you can’t even crawl.”

Panir mercilessly stomped on Anis’s left hand, which was holding his ankle.

At that moment, Panir’s brow furrowed.

Drip.

Blood flowed from his instep. Anis had stabbed him with a sharp piece of wood.

“A fragment of the bow.”

Panir hadn’t noticed. Anis had hidden the wood fragment. Not out of carelessness. The wood fragment was embedded in Anis’s palm.

To hide the fact that he had the wood fragment, Anis had embedded it in his own palm. Then, he clenched his fist. Blood flowed, but since he was already covered in blood, it didn’t seem out of place.

Anis, having delivered his final blow, passed out. Yet, his hand gripping Panir’s ankle didn’t loosen.

“Tsk.”

Panir bent down. He had no intention of killing his nephew. He planned to remove Anis’s hand and give him an Elixir.

At that moment, Taragon fired an Aura Arrow. Panir, in an unguarded position, couldn’t deflect or dodge. He had to focus his aura on his forearm to block it forcibly.

It was a clear sneak attack, but no one criticized it. Taragon, not losing momentum, ran forward and fired Aura Arrows in rapid succession.

Panir, in an awkward position with his ankle held by Anis, couldn’t move much without risking serious injury to Anis. He had no choice but to thicken his Aura Armor and endure Taragon’s Aura Arrows.

Unlike Anis, Taragon’s Aura Arrows weren’t perfect. Taragon knew this well. That’s why he chose close combat.

Taragon, inspired and taught by mercenaries’ martial arts, used bold footwork to close the distance and threw a short punch.

Panir tried to grab Taragon’s wrist but missed, swiping through the air.

“Ugh.”

With a thud, Panir’s upper body was pushed back. Taragon’s punch, like a whip, was not only fast but also hard to gauge.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Taragon’s attacks gained momentum. A series of short, rapid strikes overwhelmed Panir.

Stagger.

Panir’s body swayed heavily after a kick to his thigh.

Taragon didn’t miss the opening. He formed Aura Arrows in both hands and struck downward at Panir’s shoulders.

“Amateurish.”

At Panir’s words, Taragon felt a chill down his spine.

It was a trap. Panir had lured Taragon into making a big move.

Panir’s palm slapped Taragon’s face. Losing his vision and balance, Taragon stepped back and guarded his face with both arms.

“Daring to sneak attack?”

Panir’s voice came from behind. Taragon realized too late. Panir had already grabbed Taragon’s arms with his left hand and choked his neck with his right.

“By resorting to cowardly tactics, you’ve lost the honor of nobility. You should be ashamed.”

Despite being choked, Taragon spoke.

“Is it shameful for the weak to use sneak attacks to defeat the strong? Should I have just watched as Anis created the perfect opportunity? If dying obediently to the strong is the honor of nobility, then I won’t uphold it.”

Taragon flailed like a fish out of water, and Panir tightened his grip, intending to knock him out.

Then, light began to emanate from Taragon’s body.

Panir’s face turned to horror as he shouted.

“You fool, no!”

Aura Destruction. This act of exploding one’s aura is a last resort, used to escape when bound. It’s a near-suicidal technique that even the user suffers greatly from.

Taragon activated it without hesitation. Both Panir and Taragon would have been severely injured.

Thud!

Just before the technique activated, Basil threw a doppelganger-made orb, striking Taragon’s solar plexus, and Keter’s thrown grape hit Taragon’s forehead.

Taragon’s head drooped. As he passed out, the Aura Destruction was forcibly canceled.

“Whew…”

Panir exhaled in relief. If Taragon’s Aura Destruction had activated, both would have been seriously injured.

Panir could have defended with Aura Armor.

But using Aura Armor while their bodies were intertwined would have severely injured Taragon. Thus, Panir had no choice but to take it barehanded.

“Reckless brat. You’d go that far against me?”

His voice wasn’t angry. He was worried.

Panir carefully laid Taragon down and took an Elixir from his pocket, pouring it into Taragon’s mouth. He then did the same for Anis.

Ding.

Basil rang a small bell. The door opened, and Subid, the head butler, entered.

“Take care of Anis and Taragon.”

“Yes.”

Subid gestured, and four servants brought stretchers to carry Anis and Taragon away. They had anticipated this situation.

“Are you alright, Elder Panir?”

At Subid’s question, Panir waved his hand.

“I’m fine. Just a few scratches.”

“Shall I bring you a change of clothes?”

“I’ll change myself.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

To Panir, Subid was like a sworn enemy. He had set traps and led Panir into schemes.

After Subid was reinstated, he sincerely apologized and explained everything without holding back. Panir accepted it, but there was still some awkwardness between them.

The door closed, and Panir tore off his tattered shirt.

“Are Anis and Taragon alright? Do you think they’re qualified for the tournament?”

At Basil’s question, Panir replied curtly.

“They were lacking. But—”

Panir wiped his forehead. His palm was drenched in sweat.

“They’ve grown up. Adults know regret and responsibility.”

Panir turned his gaze to Keter.

“Seems like you taught them something useful. You’ve never learned the Twelve Palaces, have you?”

Keter, who had been silently observing, shrugged.

“Starting points may differ, but the end is the same. It’s possible.”

“You’re being evasive. I’ll have to hear about the true nature of your archery someday.”

“Well, that’s up to you. Since we’re all here, may I say something?”

Basil nodded.

“Speak freely if you have something to say.”

Without hesitation, Keter took out a glass bottle from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Four in total.

They were Elixirs he had brought from the mansion before coming to the dining hall.

“What’s that…?”

Even though they were stored in glass bottles, their spiritual energy was palpable. Everyone present realized Keter had brought Elixirs.

“If it’s an Elixir, it’s fine. Those of us who’ve reached Master level won’t benefit from it. Give it to Anis and Taragon.”

Basil, who already knew Keter had brought Elixirs through Jacques, declined first.

Moreover, given Keter’s personality, it was obvious he planned to sell them at a high price.

Everyone except Mail shared Basil’s thoughts. Keter wouldn’t give Elixirs away for free. He was clearly planning to sell them at an exorbitant price.

“Hasty, aren’t we? These are Elixirs, but not the kind you’re thinking of. Have you heard of the Rejuvenation Pill?”

Basil’s face showed he didn’t know. Panir was the same. Only the knowledgeable Leganon’s eyes widened.

“Is this really the Rejuvenation Pill?”

“As expected of Elder Leganon. Could you explain? They won’t believe me if I say it.”

“Hmm, the Rejuvenation Pill is exactly what it sounds like—an Elixir that restores youth. It’s extremely rare, made from thousand-year-old mandrakes, and can only be crafted by children under seven, making it very difficult to produce.”

“Do you know how much it costs?”

“Twenty years ago, one pill sold for 500,000 gold. The price must have risen since then, as the mandrake’s main habitats were destroyed by the elves.”

“Thank you for the explanation. As Elder Leganon said, three of these are Rejuvenation Pills. I prepared them for Father and the two elders. The orange one is the Deep Mind Pill, prepared for my brother Mail. It amplifies mental resonance.”

“Even for me? Thanks, but…”

Mail had a mixed expression. While the Elixir suited him as a sorcerer, he felt more suspicion than joy.

“Hmm, a Rejuvenation Pill. It’s certainly tempting.”

Elixirs that enhance aura are unnecessary for Masters. But a Rejuvenation Pill? Naturally, anyone would want it.

Even though aging slows at the Master level, one can’t help but feel their body aging. Especially for Leganon and Panir, who were over seventy.

Basil, recalling Sephira’s financial state, asked Keter.

“How much are you planning to sell these for?”

Keter looked at him as if he were crazy.

“Sell? Oh, come on—I’m not that heartless.”

Keter grinned and pushed the Elixirs toward the center of the table.

“They’re free. Enjoy.”

At the word “free,” everyone looked at Keter with disbelief.