Chapter 155: Rumors are Unreliable

Chapter 155: Rumors are Unreliable

Because Cain held a stronger momentum than Arthur, he had been pressing Arthur during this period.

Facing Cain’s continuous assaults, Arthur could only fend off with his sword and couldn’t counterattack.

Yet, despite his flurry of attacks, Cain still couldn’t inflict much damage on Arthur. Any unavoidable hits were deftly absorbed by Arthur’s armor.

Cain’s sword struck Arthur’s armor with minimal effect, just like before, only sending sparks flying.

Slowly, Cain’s tempo began to wane.

His earlier momentum was nearly exhausted.

Seizing the opportunity during Cain’s attack gap, Arthur wasted no time countering, launching a retaliatory strike toward Cain.

His sword lunged straight for the exposed spot on Cain’s chest.

Cain’s pupils constricted upon seeing this and immediately shifted tactics, using his sword to parry Arthur’s incoming strike.

Arthur, noticing this, withdrew his sword just in time to dodge Cain’s swipe.

Although this round of attacks was a failure, Arthur still achieved a significant advantage.

Strategically, he had gained the upper hand.

Now, the situation was favorable for him.

With one failed assault, Arthur swiftly initiated his second and third attacks on Cain…

Cain struggled under Arthur’s relentless onslaught.

He retreated step by step to create space and dissipate the force of Arthur’s powerful strikes.

But every time he retreated, Arthur would follow, keeping Cain firmly within his attack range.

In moments like this, Arthur’s superior versatility shone through.

With impressive explosive power coupled with enduring stamina, Cain was on the brink of collapse under continuous assault.

His rhythm was about to be completely disrupted by Arthur, who maintained an excellent tempo, unlike Cain, who had quickly transitioned from peak to decline.

Cain’s predicament seemed dire.

While he too had armor to shield him, Arthur’s strikes were more powerful, and his resilience greater.

Cain only had a slight edge in speed over Arthur.

Watching the seemingly faltering Cain, the crowd’s reactions varied—from regret and excitement to outright jeers.

Andrew observed Arthur with a smile that was genuine and heartfelt.

Clearly, Arthur’s performance was impressing him.

Airael didn’t miss this moment either.

She happened to turn and catch sight of it.

Slightly taken aback, she then smiled brightly, coming to a realization.

The way this battle had escalated to such a spectacle was likely the result of intense promotion by the opposing side.

While this might serve as a trial for Arthur, it could also mean that if they had chosen Arthur, it was because they believed in his potential to deliver.

And now, from the looks of it, Arthur was about to fulfill that expectation.

But it was Cain who was suffering for it.

Not only had his reputation been thoroughly tarnished, but it surely wasn’t going to be better than before.

Arthur was stepping on his back as he climbed to the pinnacle of the stage.

Moreover, according to their wager, Cain now had to become Arthur’s subordinate and work for him.

No need to dwell on the former; as for the latter, it might not be such a bad deal for Cain.

Arthur was quite capable, came from a good background, and had strong support behind him.

With that in mind, he would certainly achieve great things.

However, what he had to do was still considerably challenging at this stage.

But the more it got to this point, supporting him could help solidify his standing in Arthur’s eyes.

As the saying goes: “It’s easy to add flowers to a brocade; it’s hard to send charcoal in the snow!”

At this time, following Arthur would surely place him in the inner circle later.

Joining those who might still enter the inner circle would be considerably more difficult.

At the very least, in terms of competition, it was hard to surpass the ones already inside.

Next to Andrew, the governor Philip squinted at Arthur, who was overwhelming Cain, and remarked, “This fellow named Axi seems to be truly capable, just as the rumors suggest.”

“Sometimes, some rumors do hold a grain of truth, Governor. Cain is the rising star of our Machia Republic, and Axi forcing him into this state shows he is indeed stronger,” Andrew replied with a smile.

For some reason, his words always carried an undertone of something else.

Philip glanced at him without responding immediately, his eyes flickering.

“Rumors are just rumors; only a few can be believed, while most aren’t reliable,” Philip finally said after a pause.

Among the upper echelons of Machia, there had long been a rumor that the king of Machia would return.

This notion was evidently not accepted by many, especially Philip.

At the time, they had essentially betrayed their king.

If he were to return now, would there be any good fruit left for them?

But where these rumors originated from was beyond their reach to discern.

Fortunately, such rumors were only circulating among those upper echelons who were well aware of past histories, not reaching the lower tiers.

Thus, they posed no threat to their rule.

Moreover, they saw any talk of the king’s return as utter nonsense.

The king of Machia had long lost the people’s support.

“Even so, regarding Axi, a truly exceptional talent, I wonder what your thoughts are on him, Governor? Such a person choosing to develop in Machia would be a bit of a waste if not valued properly.”

“Axi is indeed a talented individual, but I’m curious; according to the rumors, he should be indifferent to fame and fortune, yet he doesn’t seem to align with that portrayal,” Philip replied.

“Did you forget what you just said?” Andrew countered.

In an instant, Philip smiled and said, “Seems like those rumors are indeed a bit unrealistic!”

At this, Andrew smiled and chose not to add anything further.

Getting to this point was enough; any more words might give away too much.

Philip, being the governor, was certainly no fool.

He was very astute, but even the sharpest minds have their weaknesses, and it depends on whether you can seize the opportunity to exploit them.

The crowd was vocally engaged, shouting various things.

Regardless of whether they were good or bad comments, it didn’t affect the ongoing battle between the two.

Until the final moment, neither would relent, nor would they dare to loosen their grip.

Because at any moment, the battle could turn.