Chapter 25 Humiliation from a nobody
Vandal pretended not to see the knife Jaeden had sneaked into his palm. Instead, he caught the punch with his open hand before it could reach his chest, smiling widely at the same time.
“Let go of my hand.”
“I said let go of my hand… now,” he commanded with the authority of a senior addressing a junior. Jaeden tried to pull his hand away, but it was as if he were stuck to a magnet. He couldn’t break free from the grip.
Still smiling, Vandal squeezed Jaeden’s clenched fist.
“Aaaaaaaagh!” Jaeden screamed in pain. He could hear the sound of his finger bones breaking under the pressure, sharp pain tearing through his palm. He immediately tried to pull his hand away, but Vandal refused to let go, squeezing harder and eliciting more cries of agony.
Gasps of shock echoed from the surrounding sect disciples watching the spectacle. None of them had expected the boy to reveal such a side, nor had they imagined Jaeden would fail to hurt him and instead be injured himself.
“Let go of me! You bastard! Let go!” Jaeden desperately tried to free his hand. At that moment, Vandal decided he had made his point and released him. The sudden release sent Jaeden staggering backward until he fell.
“How dare you! How dare you use underhanded means to humiliate me! I tried to take it easy on you, and this is how you repay my leniency!” Jaeden shouted, I must save some face. There are so many juniors watching. My reputation has taken a hit because of this bastard.
“You, a mere outsider who has not even become a disciple of any rank or category, not only failed to respect me, but you also tricked me so you could injure me.
Because you are Sabine’s friend, I will spare your life. But you had better not let me see you again or you will face the consequences.”
When Jaeden finally walked away, the observing crowd kept their distance.
As Sabine and Vandal left, she gradually drew closer and whispered, “You are really scary.”
“What’s wrong?” Vandal asked, a bit confused.
“You just caught his fist, which was already imbued with elemental echo energy, effortlessly.”
“That’s right. I caught his fist and even squeezed it to teach him a lesson. What’s so scary about that?”
“It’s unusual that you did that and your hand is fine, no damage.”
“So you’re saying he was so weak that even someone like me could easily catch his fist without injury?”
“You dum-dum.”
“Ah.”
She pinched his ear and dragged him forward.
News spread like wildfire. Sabine and the mysterious boy were always together, and rumors claimed they had some kind of relationship.
“Thank you,” Sabine said softly, pursing her lips.
“Thanks for what?” Vandal asked, muddle-headed, failing to understand what she meant.
“You’re smart, so I’m sure you know what the future holds if you offend a senior sect disciple. Yet you still chose to help me. I…”
“What are you saying? Don’t think foolish things. Remember, not only against some sect disciple. Even if a stronger person tries to bully you, I will stand in front of you without hesitation and help teach him a lesson!”
“Why?”
“Because you are someone I want to protect!” Vandal said with a bright smile before continuing forward.
Sabine stopped in her tracks. Her beautiful eyes flickered with complicated emotions. For the first time, she felt that this young person she had only known briefly could truly be reliable.
“Hehe.” Suddenly, Sabine smiled sweetly. With her little hands behind her back, she bounced forward to catch up to Vandal. Her smile was genuine, radiating from her heart.
\---
The day finally arrived.
The grand arena of the sect, the central combat arena also known as the Faith Coliseum, was packed to bursting. Thousands of disciples from the outer, inner, and even a few core sects had gathered since dawn, filling the tiered stone stands that rose like a massive bowl around the central fighting platform. Banners bearing the sect’s emblem fluttered in the wind, and the air buzzed with excited chatter, mocking laughter, and the occasional burst of elemental resonance energy as impatient disciples showed off.
Vandal walked calmly toward the arena entrance, flanked by two stern-faced enforcers sent by the Council of Elders. He wore simple black robes, unadorned except for the faint glint of a protective talisman Sabine had forced on him that morning. His expression was relaxed, almost bored, as if he were heading to lunch rather than a formal duel.
Behind him, Sabine followed closely. Her beautiful face was calm, but her eyes were sharp with worry. She had tried to talk him out of accepting the challenge, but she remembered Vandal simply smiling and saying, “This is my fight, and as a man I must face it head-on.”
She thought it looked a bit funny seeing a fourteen-year-old boy act like a grown adult who had already endured the vicissitudes of life.
“If you want to quit at any time, just raise your thumb and shout, ‘I concede,’” Sabine said, worry still etched on her face.
The moment Vandal stepped into view at the edge of the arena, the crowd erupted.
“Finally! The outsider dares to show up!”
“Look at him acting all calm. Just wait until Senior Hutrar crushes him!”
“Trash who only knows how to bully people with tricks. Today he’ll learn what real strength looks like!”
Jeers and insults rained down from every direction. Many of these people had never even spoken to Vandal, yet twisted rumors of his clash with Jaeden had painted him as arrogant and underhanded, relying on Sabine’s favor and even gaining the protection of Matron Clara. Envy burned in the eyes of those who had struggled for years to gain even a scrap of attention from the elders.
At the center of the vast stone platform stood Walrog Hutrar.
Known simply as Hutrar within the sect, he was a tall, broad-shouldered youth in deep crimson robes embroidered with golden flame patterns. His arms were crossed, and a faint red aura of elemental fire energy flickered around him like dancing embers. At the peak of Stage 7 resonance, he was a well-known figure among the inner sect disciples, famous for his brutal fighting style and short temper. A cold sneer played on his lips as he watched Vandal approach.
In the higher veranda, the Holy Fathers sat, and beneath them the elders of the sect quietly observed the match about to unfold.