Lucien lowered his sword and lifted his gaze toward the stands.Aveline Westmere was already looking at him with a satisfied smile.Their eyes met.Victory was his. And more importantly, the right to rest was his.According to the rules, once a participant had completed all incoming challenges, they were allowed to withdraw from the arena until someone challenged them again. Lucien had no pending challengers now. Meanwhile, Ronan was still being targeted by almost everyone.Aveline mouthed silently:“Now we wait.”Lucien understood perfectly.Ronan would have to face a long, exhausting string of battles, with no pause. Lucien would regain his strength while Ronan bled out his stamina.‘This is the advantage I needed,’ Lucien thought, finally sitting down cross-legged at the edge of the arena. ‘Let Ronan carry the burden. Let him tire. When he collapses, I will be the one who takes everything.’He reached into his pocket, not for the Nine Souls Pill, but for Tristan Blackthorne’s stole

Up in the spectator seats, Magnus Crowne narrowed his eyes. “Something is wrong,” he muttered.Garrick Crowne sensed it as well. His gaze swept over the arena, analyzing the fluctuating energy swirling around Ronan. “Yes. His aura flow is being disrupted,” he said quietly. “But how?”They both searched the arena with sharp eyes, but they detected no visible interference, no poison, no hidden weapon, no external attack.“Do you sense formation traces?” Magnus asked, voice low.Garrick shook his head slightly. “If there is one, it’s hidden extremely well. Whoever did this planned it carefully.”Magnus clenched the armrest of his seat. “Then we stop this battle now.”Garrick placed a firm hand on his arm. “Without proof, we cannot intervene. This is still an official tournament sanctioned by the academy. If we interfere now, it will damage Ronan more than help him. They will say House Crowne cheated for its heir.”Magnus gritted his teeth in frustration. “Damn them…”Garrick’s expression

The air trembled as Lucien Cross raised his head.His aura, once fierce, was now monstrous.A red haze burst from his body, distorting the air around him. His veins pulsed violently beneath his skin, and a faint metallic sheen flashed in his eyes, sharp and predatory. The crowd gasped as the pressure from his presence doubled in an instant.“What… what’s happening to him?”“His power… it suddenly spiked!”“That’s not possible in the middle of a duel!”Magnus Crowne frowned deeply. “That surge… it’s unstable,” he muttered.Beside him, Garrick Crowne narrowed his eyes. “He’s forcing his energy flow beyond its limit. But how?”They didn’t have the answer. No one did. Except one.In the faculty section, Aveline Westmere sat perfectly composed, though the corners of her lips twitched upward. Her gaze never left Lucien, and the faint glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes said it all.So… you finally decided to use it.The thought flickered through her mind like a secret flame.Good. That’s ri

Ronan Crowne stood tall in the center of the ruined arena. He didn’t even flinch at Calista’s bold accusations.Calista’s cries still echoed faintly as Lucien’s unconscious body was carried away. The crowd’s whispers buzzed like insects, relentless and poisonous.Then Calista suddenly pointed at him, her voice trembling but loud enough to pierce through the noise.“Don’t pretend to be innocent, Ronan Crowne!” she shouted. “There’s no way you could’ve blocked Lucien’s last strike without cheating! No one at your level could survive that!”Gasps rippled through the stands once more.Calista pressed on, her tone growing more venomous with every word.“With your family’s influence, it’s easy for you to get illegal and forbidden resources, isn’t it? You think we don’t know what kind of secrets House Crowne hides behind its walls?!”Her words ignited another wave of murmurs.“That’s true… he is from one of the richest families in Thalara.”“Maybe he used something banned by the Council.”“E

The inspection began.Lucien, still weak from the battle, was helped to his feet by two attendants. His breathing was uneven, but his expression was calm—too calm. He was led to stand beside Ronan, only a few steps apart, under the watchful eyes of the entire arena.Ronan stood tall, arms crossed behind his back, his golden sword resting quietly against his shoulder. The two of them—Thalara’s brightest stars—stood before the inspection council like warriors on trial before the gods.“Proceed with the scan,” ordered the lead examiner.The officials began moving methodically, their devices emitting faint blue glows as they traced the remnants of aura and essence energy left behind from the fight. Each movement was watched in absolute silence by thousands of spectators.And in that very moment, as the examiners were distracted preparing their tools… Lucien made his move.He shifted slightly, pretending to steady himself. His hand brushed against his waist, then slipped something small an