I watched as a piece of the wall tumbled off her shoulder and onto the floor. She had done it so casually when, in fact, I knew the stone behind her was reinforced with mana and had a low-level enchantment running through it.

That's an almost terrifying level of strength.

Myol had her eyes closed, but they slowly fluttered open, and she stared at the ceiling, ignoring my scrutiny. Her body… she wasn't tense, despite the cracked wall behind her. If anything, she looked relaxed, almost at ease.

No. That wasn't right. Her shoulders were slumped, and her usually straight spine curved as she leaned.

"You know, I wasn't always an arena master. A younger me would have tried to strangle the current me. Bold and rash, as foolish as any adventurer with a taste for battle," she rambled.

"I'm not surprised. I don't see someone as strong as you getting to where you are by watching idiots fight in simulated combat," I said, adopting a casual stance.

She shook her head. "You don't need to fight to ascend. There are plenty of those hollow leeches living in the kingdom. Propped-up fools who cheat their way through ascendance. All one needs is time and money. If you lack combat prowess, you hire a blade to slay a beast. You buy an enchanted device that allows you to siphon their kill. If you lack slots, you win the auction for some rare item. Sell your house to poverty, betray a kingdom. Carve up your soul and sacrifice those who once loved you. There will always be those desperate for power yet lacking the willpower to acquire it themselves."

"While I don't disagree, why are you telling me this?"

Myol slowly straightened and lowered her head to face me. My chest tightened, and I suppressed the desire to look away.

"I was an adventurer. A mercenary. A noble's retainer. A general of the kingdom's army." As she spoke, her voice grew heavy. Her next words sounded as if they hurt to speak. "Eventually, I found my way as a retired veteran bullying a bunch of reckless newbloods. A fraction of who I used to be."

If you wanted to fill me with your pity story, then why are looking at me like that…

"I see," was all I said.

She shook her head again. "You are cocky and arrogant. Filled with too much piss and pride for your own good. When you approached me, I had half a mind to expect you to be like every other spoon-fed brat."

"Implying that's not how you think of me now?"

"You're still an arrogant prick," she barked. Her eyes softened. "Prideful, just as arrogant. Even some of the worst of them pale in comparison."

Then why—

"But you're not like them. You're talented, sure. You have an insane level of control and volume in your mana, even when compared to the scions of the great houses. Skills worth more than some treasuries. Your healing skill alone could bankrupt people. Not to mention your inexplicable ability to ignore tier suppression. Where even the prodigies of Broken Tower struggle to exist under my aura, you stand unaffected." Her lips quirked. "You're even holding back. None of these idiots have realized how little they've truly pushed you."

My chest contracted. Pain shot through my sternum.

"What's your point?" I snarled, unable to keep my voice contained.

Her eyes didn't change.

"All that talent, all the fortune in the world. Yet you fight like nothing matters. Not because you know daddy will buy you whatever you want or because you have servants to cater to your every whim and desire. You defend yourself, sure, fight back when they poke you. But you don't care. You're broken and barely held together, but you don't care if they shatter you," she stated.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Myol stood straight, and her eyes changed. She removed her head from the cracked wall and crossed her arms. The pity in her eyes faded and hardened. When she stared, it was filled with a fury that looked beyond me.

"You go in there, they'll break you further."

The aching ceased.

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Don't play their game. You don't need the rewards. Whatever you're looking for, find another way. Use your connection with Broken Tower. Lean on Theodore's parents–they'd give you anything if you asked. If that fails, finish your apprenticeship with Syrreisha. You could name your price as a healer under her. Hells, take Yvonne's offer. Become an enchanter. Walk away."

I chuckled mirthlessly and stared at the tunnel. "It's that bad, huh?"

"They received a royal pardon. A shiny, bright ticket that lets them get away with what they plan to do. Decades' worth of favors cashed in because you pissed on their feet. They failed to muzzle you. They won't repeat that mistake."

I shrugged and moved past Myol, angling toward the tunnel, stopping at the edge of the barrier.

"They can try."

"Are you not listening?"

"I am. I don't agree. Look at me like some punk-nosed kid all you want, grannie. Whatever the hell they throw at me won't hold up. They can try to cripple me all they want. Like you said, if they do, all I have to do is use my connections."

"Arrogant," she scoffed. "Pride-filled. An arrogant, cocky bastard. A runt who thinks they are invincible."

"I already know I'm not. But they-"

Air rushed past me, and I tilted upward to stare at the arena master looming over me from an inch away.

She pressed her finger to my chest. "You know what's the worst thing about those who don't care if they break? I'll tell you. Cowardice."

"What?"

"Cowardice. Bastards like you almost never learn the lesson. No, they don't pay the dues, others do. You're fine breaking? Good for you. Who picks up the pieces?"

I breathed in and then out. The gremlin lazily dinged its tail against the cage, but otherwise remained silent. I could feel it, watching, staring, waiting.

I relaxed my shoulders and sighed. "My friends that you are so worried about are not me. They aren't fragile. I'm sorry for whatever lesson you have haunting your consciousness, but they're not mine. I'm here to kick ass because its fun and I have authority issues. I'm not noble, neither are my reasonings. I don't need your damn pity. Let the assholes attempt their stupid plan. I'll continue pissing them off because its funny and I can practice my skills. After this tournament I'm done anyway. Mordred will cease to exist, and you can go back to babysitting people."

Myol glared at me for awhile before she released a controlled laugh. "I tried. You really are too similar. Gods damn you boy, fine."

She raised her hand and exposed a small crystal the size of my thumb. It was blue, and cloudy, with a dull sheen. Physically, it looked like nothing more than a cheap piece of jewelry. Like one could pop out of a fake costume ring.

Except the thing glowed with enough mana to completely overwhelm the enchantments in the room. The usually invisible lines of runes sparked and flickered.

With a grunt, she crushed it and a beam of light shot into the ceiling. The rapid expanse of mana crackled in a short burst that zipped around Myol's arm. She flexed, and her mana rose from within and overwhelmed it, severing the blue mana into motes. They landed on her skin and she brushed them off with a flash of light over her skin.

"Fucking finally. It itched my soul wrong keeping that on me," she said.

"Do I want to ask?"

She shrugged. "It's me giving them my notice."

"Your notice?"

"That's right," she said with a grin. "I quit. I'll stick around long enough for the end of this tournament but after that I'm done."

What?

"This isn't because of me is it?"

"You're not that special. Watching you made me realize how boring this is. I would have quit in the next decade if you hadn't come along and stirred up a shit storm."

I had no idea what was going on, but the mana from that gem was powerful. Even worse, it was familiar. Not many people in the kingdom had crystal mana, especially not ones with such a recognizable mana signature.

"Hey, you listening?"

"Huh? What?"

"You still want to participate in this stupid ruse? Ignore my warnings, walk into the obvious trap and stick your foot in it?" My eyes narrowed but I nodded anyway. She spat on the floor and summoned a drink to her hand. "Get going then. Consider this my parting gift. If they want to cheat, then they'll deal with the consequences. I'll prevent Ulaeyes from interfering."

"Uhm, thanks?"

She downed her drink and smashed the glass against the wall while wiping her mouth clear. "Don't thank me. I'm still honor bound to not reveal their plan. I can't tell you how they're going to try and crack your inflated head. This is the least I can do. Something I should have done as the arena master to begin with."

She pulled out another drink and I saw her fingers twitch as they wrapped around the bottle. It shattered the glass, spilling a portion of it onto the floor.

Myol grumbled and downed the liquid, glass bits and all. I started walking, slowly at first. Her eyes burned in the back of my head but she remained.

Already I could heard the roar of the crowd filter through the walls. The echo started a tingling in my neck followed by a gentle grasp around my ribs.

Well, time to go see if they can break me. This better be worth of all the drama.

I clicked my fangs and summoned my spear, letting it rest against my shoulder. I activated the enchantment in my ring and headed through the tunnel's exit.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.