Last Attack (2/2)

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[Sudden Quest: Defeat the Knight of d'Armand]

Description: You accepted the stupid knight's challenge to a duel, even though he never actually asked for one. Now, this foolish knight is fighting you for his young lady's honor—which she also never actually asked for—and prove what you said about her all wrong. After being humiliated like trash again and again, he decided to break the rules and use his Aura to win like a coward. The guy has completely abandoned his pride as a knight, to win his lady's pride. What a Joke. So, how will you turn the tables?

Objective: Defeat the knight, who is using Aura, with your current stats.

Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Hard)

Rewards: New Ability. 10,000 Coins

Failure Penalty: Severe injury

[Accept] [Decline]

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Eren looked confused at the quest's description, finding it sound weird. It sounded more like it was mocking the opponent rather than him. Doesn't the quest normal mocks the host, like in some stories?

Anyway, Eren quickly shrugged it off and accepted it.

Gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, Eren shifted into a new stance. His legs were slightly bent, feet firmly planted for stability. He raised his sword in front of him, angling it diagonally, ready to react.

Both fighters stared at each other in silence. Bolder's gaze turned more serious, his earlier arrogance fading. He now saw Eren as a real swordsman and resolved to give his all. His only focus was winning, his eyes locked onto Eren's wooden sword.

After a tense pause, with the spectators holding their breath, Bolder made the first move. He dashed toward Eren at a speed faster than before, aiming to end the fight decisively by breaking Eren's sword. His previous attempts to knock it out of Eren's hands had failed multiple times, so this time, he planned to use his Aura to shatter it. His wooden sword, now reinforced by Aura, gleamed with power.

Eren stood still, calm as ever, watching as Bolder closed the distance. The knight prepared to deliver a powerful vertical slash, aiming to cut straight through Eren's weapon.

Then, with a swift motion, Bolder swung his sword. An explosion of force followed, kicking up a large cloud of dust around them.

Some spectators couldn't see what had happened—it had been too fast. Some servants and knights worriedly assumed that the young master had been struck down by the knight's overwhelming power. But then, they noticed something strange. Commander Gareth, who hadn't intervened, stood frozen in shock. He wasn't the only one. The butler and the few Awakeners among the crowd, including Leon and Mereoleona, shared the same stunned expressions. They had witnessed something others hadn't.

As the dust cleared, the battlefield was revealed. A deep sword mark was carved into the ground—near Eren's right foot. And before him stood Bolder, frozen in disbelief, his sword lowered to the ground. His attack had missed.

The audience stared in stunned silence, their minds echoing a single question.

How?

.....

Back to the moment of impact, only a handful of people had been able to clearly see what had transpired—Gareth, the butler, the knight Leon, Mereoleona, and a few knights with exceptional perception.

They had witnessed something remarkable.

Just as Bolder's Aura-enhanced sword descended, Eren had twisted his grip on his sword, angling it downward as if preparing to block. But then, he moved—his left foot stepping forward, his upper body shifting, twisting at the last second. Right before their swords clashed, he adjusted his positioning perfectly.

The moment their weapons made contact, Eren redirected Bolder's attack with precise timing, deflecting it to the side. Bolder's sword missed its mark, striking the ground instead and carving the deep slash into it.

It had all happened in an instant. Only those with exceptional perception had caught the details.

That was why Gareth hadn't stepped in. Because just as he was about to interfere, he had realized—Eren didn't need his help.

.....

Back to the present, Bolder stared at his sword, still pointed at the ground, in complete disbelief. He too had seen it.

When he swung, he had poured all his strength and Aura into the strike, ensuring that Eren wouldn't be able to deflect it like before. He had aimed to break the boy's sword. And yet—his attack had been redirected once again.

Then, from the corner of his vision, he noticed Eren's shadow looming over him. Since Bolder had lowered himself slightly during his attack, he had to look up.

His breath caught.

Eren stood before him, eyes cold and piercing. His wooden sword was raised, his expression filled with boredom, disappointment, and chilling indifference. The noble boy's gaze bore down on him, his face partially shadowed—an eerie sight that made Bolder's heart stutter. A shiver ran down his spine.

Eren murmured in a low, frigid tone that sent chills through the air.

"Ten."

–Swoosh!

–Bang!

Eren swung his wooden sword, striking Bolder's temple with full force. The weapon shattered from the impact, but the damage had already been done.

Bolder collapsed to the ground, knocked out unconscious.

–Thud!

The training field fell into dead silence.

All eyes were locked onto Eren, their hearts pounding from what they had just witnessed. A few spectators felt chills creeping down their spines, fear settling in.

Even Mereoleona, who always wore a stern expression, now had trembling eyes. She no longer saw Eren as a noble boy—she saw him as a monster. The same thought ran through the minds of many.

But the most amusing reaction came from Useless. If the system had a face, it would be staring at its master with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, unable to comprehend what it witnessed as it calculations turn out to be wrong.

–Ding!

The quest completion notification rang in Eren's mind, but he ignored it. His gaze remained on the unconscious knight.

He exhaled deeply, then turned to the referee.

"Commander," he called lazily.

Gareth flinched, snapping out of his daze.

"End the duel. It's over," Eren said coldly, his tone emotionless. He let his broken sword drop to the ground and began removing his vambrace and greaves.

"Y-Yes," the commander cleared his voice and shouted, "The duel is over!"

Just as Eren left the field and began walking toward Mereoleona, he instructed the butler to heal the knight's injuries and come to his room later. The butler bowed his head in understanding before immediately turning to carry out his orders.

Then, it was Mereoleona's turn. She looked at him with a deep frown, her thoughts visibly complicated. Eren met her gaze with his usual lazy, stoic expression before sighing and bowing his head slightly, which took her by surprise.

"I'm sorry, Lady Mereoleona, but I think I'm tired after the duel. We should continue our discussion another day."

Mereoleona blinked, unsure of how to respond. But his next words stunned her even more.

"As for our engagement issues, you don't need to worry about it. We'll have plenty of time in the future to find a solution that suits you. So until then, let's work together."

Eren spoke calmly before continuing on his way, leaving the training ground. Behind him, Marie followed him from behind. Right now, his only plan was to return to his room, take a cold bath, and laze around in bed while playing video games.

As for what he told Mereoleona? He didn't mean a word of it. He had simply said what sounded best to her so she would leave quickly.

Eren's eyes shifted to the completed quest notification as he walked down the hallway.

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[Sudden Quest: Defeat the Knight of d'Armand]

[Completed!]

Rewards: 10,000 Coins

New Ability Acquired: Swordsmanship

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He closed the holographic screen and exhaled, cracking his neck as he felt exhaustion setting in.

'Huh… I feel like I'm back at work again,' he complained inwardly.