Overwhelming Firepower

Hearing Korr surrender, Lucen stopped using Acting Adept.

’I was able to control myself a bit. I was using another persona, but I was still me. Still, that was f*cking hard. I can’t use a persona with that kind of personality too much.’

Every time he used Acting Adept that deeply, it was like he was watching himself move through a screen, but he had a controller at hand. It should have been able to control the character at play, but the deeper he went, the more he lost control, and the character would do things he wouldn’t.

Even now, he could feel the echo of the persona tugging at the edge of his mind, like a shadow behind his thoughts. It hadn’t fully left him. That intensity, aggressive like a beast, utterly ruthless, even though it was useful, but also dangerous.

’If I lose myself in the role, what’s left of me after the curtain falls?’ He shook his head slightly, clearing away the lingering fog.

’In the game, you need to win ten times to fight the champion. I don’t know how many times I need to fight in reality. Still, now that I have the audience going, I don’t need to make too much of a spectacle in the next few fights.’

The announcer’s voice boomed across the arena.

”So! Will Lucen Thornehart continue, or end his battles here?”

The crowd once again responded before Lucen could.

”Come on, Lucen Thornehart! Show us the might of the North!”

”That was incredible! I want to see more!”

”The second round was a completely different style, what’ll he do next?”

”Lucen!”

”Lucen!”

The arena’s air was thick with heat and adrenaline. Merchants who had come just to scout cheap fighters were now leaning forward, their ledgers forgotten. Even the usual gamblers had stopped shouting odds.

The crowd was cheering his name now, and there was no mention of him being called a noble brat. Lucen couldn’t help but chuckle as everything was going as he imagined.

He stepped forward and raised a fist.

”Of course, I’ll continue,” he said with a confident grin. The second the words left his mouth, the arena erupted again.

”As expected of the son of North, Lucen Thornehart! Come, let us call his next opponent!”

***

The next few opponents were pretty much at the same level, and since Lucen did not need to make a spectacle of it, he used his overwhelming stats to overpower most of his opponents.

While he was fighting, he was also trying to recreate the boxing style he used against the thugs led by Jay, without using Acting Adept.

It was rather awkward at first. His footwork was all over the place. His punches had missed a few times despite him being faster than his opponent, but unlike when he was using Acting Adept, this time, he was receiving system notifications of his unarmed combat proficiency going up.

Not only that, but even his agility and dexterity stats had gone up by one. It had been quite a while since he got a stat up that wasn’t from leveling up.

***

As the fights continued and the crowd was already in a state of frenzy since this was the first time someone from the arena had continuously fought without rest.

Lucen flexed his fingers between rounds. His breath was steady, but his shoulders were beginning to feel it.

’I’m getting a little tired... But it’s not that bad. Sir Thalos’s training was way worse than this.’

Besides, he couldn’t afford to stop now.

’I’ll reach the champion today. I have to. Once word gets out about what happened here, it might get too complicated to come back. Better to finish this in one go.’

***

The spies, nobles, and rich merchants were having a difficult time believing what they were watching.

Just moments ago, they thought Lucen was the sickly disappointment of the Thornehart house. Now, everything they knew turned out to be wrong. Every report, every rumor, they were off the mark.

Now, they learned that not only was Lucen not the sickly disappointment, but he was even quite the fighter. Many of them needed to adjust themselves to this new information.

***

In one section of the lower seats, Sir Thalos, who was watching the fights with incredible concentration, spoke.

”I see, I get it now. The young master is using this arena as a training ground. He’s improving himself in actual battle. Hahaha, as expected of a Thornehart, as expected of a son of the North!”

”So you’re telling me that the little leader is treating these deadly matches like some sparring match?” After saying those words, Harlik couldn’t help but sigh.

”Heh, the little leader, truly is something else,” Mark chuckled.

***

In one of the upper seats, a lady wearing a mask and her hair magically altered to have a different look and color than her actual hair. She had arrived during Lucen’s second match. Beside her were her bodyguards. This little lady was none other than Lysette Crowlorne.

One of the spies from other noble families had told her about Lucen’s sudden entry into the underground arena.

Even though the capital was full of intriguing people, Lysette was drawn to Lucen more since his family was the suspected creator of the Territory War board game. In fact, the prevailing rumor was that it was Lucen himself who created the game.

After learning that he had entered the underground arena, she immediately set off. She had imagined many different scenarios as to why Lucen would come here, but there was none like this.

She was the same as the others knew of Lucen’s sickly status. She also knew of his pitiful talent in swordsmanship.

Unlike the others, though, she had seen him first hand when they were younger, alongside other children of marquesses and a duke. She knew him to be truly untalented in the way of the sword, but she also knew how hard working he was despite the lack of talent.

So it was a surprise to see him here, not with a sword in hand, but using his fist to defeat others. She smiled a very bright smile under her mask.

’Good for you, Lucen. You found a path that’s for you. But to think you, who were always regarded as talentless and weak, could shine like this...’ Lysette smiled under her mask as he looked at Lucen in the arena.

’Hm, now that I think about it, there was also a minor rumor that he had awakened a mana core, which was why the Iron Duke hired Robert Duskwell to teach him.’

Lysette’s deep blue eyes were almost sparkling as the puzzle that appeared before her, the pieces were starting to fit.

’All the recent changes in the North seem to stem from Lucen. Was everything before just an act? were you always hiding your true skills, Lucen Thornehart?’

Lysette started giggling.

”I can’t wait to pry open your secrets, Lucen.” She whispered to herself.

***

Lucen, unaware of the opinions of the surrounding spies, nobles, and merchants, was now in the middle of another fight.

This time, he did not use this fight to grind his unarmed combat proficiency, nor did he use this fight to practice his control of Acting Adept. He also didn’t finish this fight immediately, and instead was now dodging with minimal effort.

He did not swing his fist or attempt to attack at all and simply weaved through the opponent’s attacks.

He was using this round to rest a bit. His opponent, of course, did not know this and felt insulted by Lucen not attacking, thinking he was being underestimated, not knowing that the truth was even more insulting.

Lucen stood in the ring, relaxed, weaving through every blow with lazy grace. His opponent was a muscular brawler, clearly competent, but to Lucen, he was similar to a loading screen, a time where he could rest before continuing.

The opponent panting, face red with exertion, lunged again with a frustrated roar. Lucen easily evaded the lunge with a quick sidestep. The man continued his barrage of attacks, but eventually he lost steam and fainted.

The announcer did not miss a beat this time and boomed.

”Lucen Thornehart, the son of the North, wins again!” The crowd cheered, and some stood up on their seats.

”That was f*cking incredible! He won without even touching the opponent.”

”A battle won without throwing a single punch!”

”This was already his twelfth straight win, and he won with such ease!”

While everyone was getting excited because of his victory, Lucen, on the other hand, was slightly irritated.

’That wasn’t enough time to rest properly. That guy should have stopped and rested as well, so he could continue.’

The announcer, who was about to ask the same question about whether Lucen was going to stop here or continue, a person came to her side and whispered something in her ear. She looked shocked when she received the message, but then she calmed down and announced something in excitement.

”Lucen Thornehart, who had just started fighting in the arena today, with an impressive record of twelve wins in a row without rest, with no defeat, has gained the right to challenge the champion!!!”

The second those words were spoken, the entire arena became silent. The announcer then looked at Lucen and asked.

”So, Lucen Thornehart, will you challenge the champion?”

It wasn’t Lucen who got nervous by this question, but most everyone watching. Unlike before, were they pushed Lucen to continue, no one spoke and instead waited for Lucen’s answer.

Lucen grinned and spoke with a voice loud enough that everyone could hear. ”Champion, huh? Sounds nice. Guess since he’s giving it away, I’m taking it.”

Lysette leaned forward, her eyes gleaming behind the mask. Sir Thalos chuckled as he continued to watch Lucen’s show.