Celestial Bloodline

The moment the illusionary figure commenced the battle, Carcel dashed towards Kyle, who stood at the far end of the hovering stage. The silver-haired man keenly eyed his speed for a split second and promptly synchronized his own movements to match Carcel's pace.

Kyle glanced at the gleaming tip of the ordinary-looking yet powerful blue spear wielded by the man opposite him as the latter swung it towards him, prompting Kyle to deftly maneuvered his spear to deflect the impending attack.

Immediately, a sharp metallic clang reverberated through the air, accompanied by a thunderous roar as sparks of fire and electricity lit up the stage when Carcel's spear connected with Kyle's.

The golden-haired man' eyes widened when he saw Kyle holding his spear with just one hand. Carcel's expression hardened as their gazes locked, with Kyle's faint words of praise reaching his ears.

"Not bad..."

Carcel sighed and swiftly jumped back, ready to launch another attack.

"Just not bad, huh? Well, just from that single clash, it's clear you are more skilled with the spear than I am..."

Kyle maintained his speed and synchronized his movements with Carcel to uphold his commitment. A contemplative hum slipped past his lips upon hearing the golden-haired man's words.

"Don't sell yourself short. When I say not bad, it means you have already exceeded my expectations. Plus, it wouldn't be entirely fair to compare our spear skills since I have had more experience training with the spear than you."

Carcel chuckled as Kyle firmly gripped his spear shaft, swiftly moving to unleash a precise strike towards him. He tilted his body and blocked the attack.

"I'm pretty sure I have put in more hours with the spear than you because even back in the Royal Academy, you only ever trained with your sword... So, why do you think your experience with the spear is higher?"

Kyle's eyes flickered with a hint of emptiness as he heard his words because the moment he thought why his experience with the spear was higher than Carcel, he remembered the face of the man he didn't want to recall... not until he was strong enough to finish the latter with his own hands. Carcel noticed the strangeness in his eyes and instead of attacking again, backed away. He was surprised when the silver-haired man opposite him spoke in a tone entirely unfamiliar, a monotone, almost devoid of emotion.

"It's because I have had way more time to train than you... at least a few decades."

Carcel furrowed his brows at his words, but before he could grasp their meaning, Kyle stepped forward and launched an attack. He blocked the attack and glanced at Kyle's face but didn't find the emptiness he had seen in the man's eyes a few seconds ago, as if it never existed in the first place.

The stage pulsed with a whirlwind of energy, resonating with intensity as the duo clashed repeatedly without utilizing any skills and their spear arts.

Their strikes were swift and precise, each blow sending ripples of force through the atmosphere. However, it was clear that Kyle was restraining himself as he effortlessly blocked every attack sent his way by the golden-haired man. Not to mention, each time he noticed Carcel being pushed back, Kyle would retreat momentarily to give the man a chance to catch his breath.

Many in the audience noticed their battle and began watching in awe as the two fighters engaged in a mesmerizing display of combat, their spears leaving trails of light and energy in their wake. The stage beneath them shook with each impact, and the air crackled with the raw power unleashed by their weapons.

Will glanced at Ceano, who wore a serious expression, and whispered softly.

"Why are you watching them so intensely. It's just a normal spear fight, right?"

Ceano glanced at the man and then locked eyes with Old Hal, who was seated in the distance in front of the mermaid statue.

"It looks like the old man caught on too. The silver-haired man's mastery with the spear has soared to heights even a centuries-old expert can't match."

Will's ears perked up at the faint murmurs that slipped from Ceano's mouth.

"What are you saying?"

Ceano closed his eyes, but his next words twisted Will's expression into a grimace.

"After keeping an eye on the human for a while, I can now confidently say that even though he's only at the divine rank, there's a fifty percent chance he can chop off your head and end your life."

"That's why he can't be left breathing. Handling James and the other freaks with the man is already challenging; I don't want another anomaly joining them."

Will's eyes chilled, but he sneered.

"Do you even know what you're saying? He's just at the divine rank!"

A paper filled with eerie dark symbols materialized in Ceano's hand.

If Alec had seen it, he would have recognized it right away. It was very similar to the dark contract he signed, the one that made Alec's life difficult.

"It doesn't matter how powerful he is... What truly counts is that we must take him out before he becomes a serious threat. If he's already this strong at the divine rank, what havoc could he wreak at the supreme rank or even higher?"

Ceano carefully rolled the paper, enclosing the symbols within the folds, and then passed it to Will.

"This is a special contract that doesn't require a signature to make someone your slave. Just a drop of blood will suffice. Give this to our people who are battling in the arena and tell them to get the blood of the man known as nature's favorite to make him yield to us. If they don't succeed, I will kill him after the Gladiator Arena closes."

Will glanced at the folded paper and smirked wickedly before leaving his spot.

"Well, having a powerful slave wouldn't hurt. If he had the power to harm me, then I also had the power to make him my slave."

As he eyed the silver-haired man, laugh slipped from his lips. In the next moment, a few more contracts appeared in his hand, but the ones he took out from his mind space were a bit different from the one contract Ceano gave him. They were enclosed with pure dark energy.

"Not just him, though... the others with him aren't too bad either. I am not sure whether to be pleased or not that one of them is already a slave, haha."