It was a duel.
There was a connotation that often came attached with duels— to the laymen, they believed it implied the loss of one’s life by the end of it. But not all duels were a duel to the death. As a [Knight], Wyn had seen many in his life, and by far, a majority of them had non-fatal outcomes where both combatants emerged alive.
So when he heard the whispered voices, the susurration of concern and fear that swept over Wolfwater, he knew that most of their worries were misguided. No one was going to die— at least, none of those who were partaking in the duel were going to get killed.
But Sir Wyn Stefard was an intelligent man. He was keenly aware of his surroundings at all times, especially on the battlefield. He knew exactly the kind of damage that could be wrought by those who were high-leveled.
And since this was going to be a duel between two especially high-leveled individuals, he was prepared to offset the collateral damages. Or more specifically, it was going to be a battle between an especially high-leveled individual, and an individual with no levels.
The outcome should have been obvious to any casual observer. Jax was the Forsaken Archer— an exiled elf from Drazyl who came to Laxo and became one of the highest-leveled adventurers in the world. In fact, some would assert that he was the highest-leveled adventurer in the world.
Wyn never believed those claims in the past. He thought it was all hyperbole. But now that he saw the Forsaken Archer with his own eyes, he had no other choice but to believe it was true. After all, his own Skills couldn’t lie to him.
His [Discerning Eyes] was able to gauge the threat of every creature he had ever come across. And he was certain that Jax was at least level 70. He had to have been an SS-ranked adventurer by now.
And that was more than enough for the elf to be the highest-leveled adventurer in the world.
Wyn rubbed his temples as he lowered his head. So it should have been evidently clear— whoever Jax was battling against stood no chance. Even if it was the [Hero King] himself, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Forsaken Archer in battle. The [Knight] of the Astral Order as a whole might not have even been enough to bring down the elf.
This duel should have been a one-sided slaughter. But Wyn wasn’t sure if that was even going to be the outcome. He raised his head to face the second combatant— a brown-haired woman standing in the shade with a rusty sword held to her side.
Her name was Amelia. She was dressed in odd clothing, wearing an apron over her shirt. Her hair was a mess from cooking, and she looked like she didn’t even want to be here. However, she was here, and she was going to face the Forsaken Archer himself in a duel.
When Wyn saw this sight, every instinct in his body told him that Amelia was not going to survive this battle. In fact, even his Skills said as much. She had no levels— according to his [Discerning Eyes], she was no stronger than even the weakest monster he had ever seen. So the outcome should have been obvious.
But there was a niggling thought inside of the [Knight]’s head. From the things he had heard about her, he felt like this duel was going to be a lot closer than most people thought. But that wasn’t all. It made no sense to him how she was able to do any of that without a Class.
The only explanation was that she was possibly… touched by the Void. And while Sir Wyn shuddered at the thought, he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t curious— that he wasn’t interested in seeing how this battle would play out.
So along with his Captain and a large crowd of onlookers, they gathered outside of Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant to watch the duel. He swept his gaze over his surroundings, seeing the farming village expand far and wide.
Wyn pursed his lips. “I still believe that it would be better for this duel to be held at a further, more isolated location. And there should be no need for an audience to gather around here, Sir Rowland.”
“Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do, Sir Wyn,” the [Knight] Captain said as he shook his head. “Unless you wish to take this issue up to the Forsaken Archer himself…”
And the [Knight]-lieutenant looked towards the elf. Jax had been eager for this duel— he had impatiently pestered for Amelia to fight him now. They would have fought right there inside of the restaurant if she hadn’t managed to convince him to at least step outside.
Now the brown-haired woman waited by a thicket of trees as the Forsaken Archer stood a hundred feet across from her in the open. He had his bow raised, just raring for the battle to begin.
“Is that really the Forsaken Archer?” an audience member asked, drawing Wyn’s attention for a brief moment.
Another replied, “Why is this duel even happening? Isn’t that woman there just a [Chef]?”
“No, I heard she was a former adventurer,” a third said. “She sponsored Xakor to open this restaurant for her so she could retire. She doesn’t even have the [Chef] Class!”
“So an S-rank then?”
“But I’ve never even heard of her…”
Wyn broke his gaze away from the crowd. He wasn’t going to learn anything about Amelia from overhearing their babble of voices. Not especially when she was turning this whole ordeal into a marketing stunt.
“Get your malim juice here!” a brown-haired man cried out as he carried a tray of drinks with him. “The famous drink from Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant, freshly squeezed— cold and refreshing for a hot day like today!”
His name was Harlan. He was one of Amelia’s employees, and he wasn’t alone. A blond man accompanied him, serving drinks to the watching crowd, although he was far more reserved, selling other kinds of cold beverages.
Wyn ignored them. They were ordinary people. Helpful servers, but unimportant right now. Instead, the [Knight]-lieutenant turned towards a blonde girl— the only one who could have known about Amelia better than anyone else.
Noele the Noble Spellsword. She stood next to a burly man, off to the side, away from most of the crowd. Wyn drew back from his Captain, quickly excusing himself to speak with the blonde girl.
“I don’t understand why Jax is doing this again…” the burly man said.
Noele shook her head. “You know how he is, Garron. He is—”
“The highest-leveled adventurer in the world,” Wyn cut her off, drawing both her and her companion’s attention. The [Knight]-lieutenant proffered a hand. “Mr Garron, was it? It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Garron quickly straightened and eagerly shook back. “Sir Wyn, it is an honor to meet a [Knight] of the Astral Order such as you. I am surprised you have heard of a B-rank like me.”
“I have not,” Wyn said simply as he stood at parade rest next to the blonde girl. “I simply overheard the conversation you were having with the Noble Spellsword.”
“O-oh.” Garron blinked, before pressing his lips into a thin line. “Right.”
“Tell me, Noble Spellsword,” Wyn continued as he faced the two combatants. “Who do you believe is going to win this duel?”
Noele blinked, before looking towards the Forsaken Archer. “Jax is strong. I’ve sparred with him a bunch of times since he arrived here in Wolfwater. And I had fought him when he was serious once before. He is probably the strongest opponent I have ever faced…”
“What about the Miststorm Riders?” the [Knight]-lieutenant asked with a raised brow.
“Jax could have taken them all out on his own,” the blonde girl snorted.
“As expected.” Wyn nodded as he stared at the elf. It seemed his instincts were correct. “So you believe then that this will be an easy victory for the Forsaken Archer?”
“No.” Noele shook her head.
Wyn turned to the blonde girl curiously. “Oh? So you believe your master stands a chance?”
“Amelia doesn’t just stand a chance,” Noele continued as she held Wyn’s gaze. “I’d say that Jax stands no chance.”
That made the [Knight]-lieutenant pause. He narrowed his eyes as he opened his mouth.
“But—” he started.
And the excited gasps of the nearby crowd interrupted him.
“It’s starting!”
“Move aside, I can’t see!”
“Be quiet—”
Wyn turned to face the Forsaken Archer once more. He watched as the elf slowly began to circle around the brown-haired woman, eyeing her warily. Amelia didn’t move, and Jax drew an arrow.
“I have got you this time, Amelia!” he shouted as he dashed forward.
There was a green glint as he raised his bow, aiming the arrow at her. And there was a blinding flash of light. Wyn winced for a moment, before blinking.
His eyes went wide when he saw Jax lying in a crater on the ground. The elf was bloodied and bruised, and Amelia stood at the exact same position she had been standing in with her sword to her side. It looked like she didn’t even move. Meanwhile, the Forsaken Archer’s bow was broken, and he groaned as he struggled to pick himself up.
“Alright, are we done here?” Amelia asked as she sheathed her sword.
And the crowd exchanged confused glances.
“...was that really it?” someone asked.
“What just happened? Why is the Forsaken Archer lying on the ground?” another confused voice added.
“Wait, did he just… blow himself up with his own arrow?” a third voice opined.
Wyn swept his gaze over the watching crowd as they conversed amongst themselves. Their voices grew louder as they reached their own conclusion.
“That was so anticlimactic! I can’t believe I left my inn to see this!”
“That wasn’t even a duel— the Forsaken Archer just tripped and defeated himself!”
“I’m going back to my farm…”
The crowd slowly began to disperse as Wyn just watched. Only Rowland, Wyn, Noele, Garron, and Amelia’s two employees remained as Jax picked himself up from the small crater.
“He’s gotten a lot stronger,” Noele whispered softly, eyeing the Forsaken Archer. She turned to Wyn who was pale-faced and staring at the scene. “You saw what happened, didn’t you?”
Wyn opened his mouth, before hesitating. He slowly nodded as a single bead of sweat slid down his forehead.
“I did. But how…?”
He had no words. He could hardly even parse what he saw. The watching crowd had been disappointed because the battle had been over in an instant, and while that was true, it didn’t tell the whole story.
In that moment, when Jax had charged Amelia, he had moved so fast, an ordinary person couldn’t keep up with his speed. He unleashed a volley of enchanted bolts at her— a rapid barrage that could have completely obliterated Wolfwater and the surrounding farmland.
But Amelia simply parried the onslaught of explosive arrows with her rusted sword. And before Jax could even take another step forward, she appeared next to him and swung a fist at his head.
It was almost instantaneous. And somehow, the Forsaken Archer had anticipated the counter attack and dove out of the way in time. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for the follow-up strike as she aimed a kick at his groin.
The attack sent him crashing down to the ground, before the brown-haired woman leapt back, landing right where she had been standing like nothing even happened. And that was what Wyn saw. The rest of the audience thought Jax had tripped and blown himself up with his enchanted bolts.
But those who were high-leveled enough knew the truth.
Wyn looked towards Jax as he unsteadily stood on two feet. He clutched onto his nether regions, and Amelia walked up next to him.
“I-I can still—” the Forsaken Archer started.
“No you can’t,” the brown-haired woman replied flatly.
And Wyn shook his head disbelievingly. “I don’t understand. How does that make any sense? She defeated him like he wasn’t even a threat.”
Noele shrugged as she drew back. “But Jax was a threat— at least, more of a threat now than before. Last time they fought, he hadn’t even been able to survive any of her attacks. This time… he successfully avoided one punch.”
“That’s—” Wyn opened his mouth. He stared at the nonchalant blonde girl, before watching as Harlan approached with a tray.
“Would you like some malim juice?” the server asked simply.
And Wyn closed his eyes. “...yes, and I’d like a shot of your strongest alcoholic drink too, please.”
MelasD
You can read up to 15 chapters ahead on my patreon here!
Join my discord and subscribe to my subreddit!
Or follow me on twitter!
It was a duel.
There was a connotation that often came attached with duels— to the laymen, they believed it implied the loss of one’s life by the end of it. But not all duels were a duel to the death. As a [Knight], Wyn had seen many in his life, and by far, a majority of them had non-fatal outcomes where both combatants emerged alive.
So when he heard the whispered voices, the susurration of concern and fear that swept over Wolfwater, he knew that most of their worries were misguided. No one was going to die— at least, none of those who were partaking in the duel were going to get killed.
But Sir Wyn Stefard was an intelligent man. He was keenly aware of his surroundings at all times, especially on the battlefield. He knew exactly the kind of damage that could be wrought by those who were high-leveled.
And since this was going to be a duel between two especially high-leveled individuals, he was prepared to offset the collateral damages. Or more specifically, it was going to be a battle between an especially high-leveled individual, and an individual with no levels.
The outcome should have been obvious to any casual observer. Jax was the Forsaken Archer— an exiled elf from Drazyl who came to Laxo and became one of the highest-leveled adventurers in the world. In fact, some would assert that he was the highest-leveled adventurer in the world.
Wyn never believed those claims in the past. He thought it was all hyperbole. But now that he saw the Forsaken Archer with his own eyes, he had no other choice but to believe it was true. After all, his own Skills couldn’t lie to him.
His [Discerning Eyes] was able to gauge the threat of every creature he had ever come across. And he was certain that Jax was at least level 70. He had to have been an SS-ranked adventurer by now.
And that was more than enough for the elf to be the highest-leveled adventurer in the world.
Wyn rubbed his temples as he lowered his head. So it should have been evidently clear— whoever Jax was battling against stood no chance. Even if it was the [Hero King] himself, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the Forsaken Archer in battle. The [Knight] of the Astral Order as a whole might not have even been enough to bring down the elf.
This duel should have been a one-sided slaughter. But Wyn wasn’t sure if that was even going to be the outcome. He raised his head to face the second combatant— a brown-haired woman standing in the shade with a rusty sword held to her side.
Her name was Amelia. She was dressed in odd clothing, wearing an apron over her shirt. Her hair was a mess from cooking, and she looked like she didn’t even want to be here. However, she was here, and she was going to face the Forsaken Archer himself in a duel.
When Wyn saw this sight, every instinct in his body told him that Amelia was not going to survive this battle. In fact, even his Skills said as much. She had no levels— according to his [Discerning Eyes], she was no stronger than even the weakest monster he had ever seen. So the outcome should have been obvious.
But there was a niggling thought inside of the [Knight]’s head. From the things he had heard about her, he felt like this duel was going to be a lot closer than most people thought. But that wasn’t all. It made no sense to him how she was able to do any of that without a Class.
The only explanation was that she was possibly… touched by the Void. And while Sir Wyn shuddered at the thought, he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t curious— that he wasn’t interested in seeing how this battle would play out.
So along with his Captain and a large crowd of onlookers, they gathered outside of Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant to watch the duel. He swept his gaze over his surroundings, seeing the farming village expand far and wide.
Wyn pursed his lips. “I still believe that it would be better for this duel to be held at a further, more isolated location. And there should be no need for an audience to gather around here, Sir Rowland.”
“Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do, Sir Wyn,” the [Knight] Captain said as he shook his head. “Unless you wish to take this issue up to the Forsaken Archer himself…”
And the [Knight]-lieutenant looked towards the elf. Jax had been eager for this duel— he had impatiently pestered for Amelia to fight him now. They would have fought right there inside of the restaurant if she hadn’t managed to convince him to at least step outside.
Now the brown-haired woman waited by a thicket of trees as the Forsaken Archer stood a hundred feet across from her in the open. He had his bow raised, just raring for the battle to begin.
“Is that really the Forsaken Archer?” an audience member asked, drawing Wyn’s attention for a brief moment.
Another replied, “Why is this duel even happening? Isn’t that woman there just a [Chef]?”
“No, I heard she was a former adventurer,” a third said. “She sponsored Xakor to open this restaurant for her so she could retire. She doesn’t even have the [Chef] Class!”
“So an S-rank then?”
“But I’ve never even heard of her…”
Wyn broke his gaze away from the crowd. He wasn’t going to learn anything about Amelia from overhearing their babble of voices. Not especially when she was turning this whole ordeal into a marketing stunt.
“Get your malim juice here!” a brown-haired man cried out as he carried a tray of drinks with him. “The famous drink from Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant, freshly squeezed— cold and refreshing for a hot day like today!”
His name was Harlan. He was one of Amelia’s employees, and he wasn’t alone. A blond man accompanied him, serving drinks to the watching crowd, although he was far more reserved, selling other kinds of cold beverages.
Wyn ignored them. They were ordinary people. Helpful servers, but unimportant right now. Instead, the [Knight]-lieutenant turned towards a blonde girl— the only one who could have known about Amelia better than anyone else.
Noele the Noble Spellsword. She stood next to a burly man, off to the side, away from most of the crowd. Wyn drew back from his Captain, quickly excusing himself to speak with the blonde girl.
“I don’t understand why Jax is doing this again…” the burly man said.
Noele shook her head. “You know how he is, Garron. He is—”
“The highest-leveled adventurer in the world,” Wyn cut her off, drawing both her and her companion’s attention. The [Knight]-lieutenant proffered a hand. “Mr Garron, was it? It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Garron quickly straightened and eagerly shook back. “Sir Wyn, it is an honor to meet a [Knight] of the Astral Order such as you. I am surprised you have heard of a B-rank like me.”
“I have not,” Wyn said simply as he stood at parade rest next to the blonde girl. “I simply overheard the conversation you were having with the Noble Spellsword.”
“O-oh.” Garron blinked, before pressing his lips into a thin line. “Right.”
“Tell me, Noble Spellsword,” Wyn continued as he faced the two combatants. “Who do you believe is going to win this duel?”
Noele blinked, before looking towards the Forsaken Archer. “Jax is strong. I’ve sparred with him a bunch of times since he arrived here in Wolfwater. And I had fought him when he was serious once before. He is probably the strongest opponent I have ever faced…”
“What about the Miststorm Riders?” the [Knight]-lieutenant asked with a raised brow.
“Jax could have taken them all out on his own,” the blonde girl snorted.
“As expected.” Wyn nodded as he stared at the elf. It seemed his instincts were correct. “So you believe then that this will be an easy victory for the Forsaken Archer?”
“No.” Noele shook her head.
Wyn turned to the blonde girl curiously. “Oh? So you believe your master stands a chance?”
“Amelia doesn’t just stand a chance,” Noele continued as she held Wyn’s gaze. “I’d say that Jax stands no chance.”
That made the [Knight]-lieutenant pause. He narrowed his eyes as he opened his mouth.
“But—” he started.
And the excited gasps of the nearby crowd interrupted him.
“It’s starting!”
“Move aside, I can’t see!”
“Be quiet—”
Wyn turned to face the Forsaken Archer once more. He watched as the elf slowly began to circle around the brown-haired woman, eyeing her warily. Amelia didn’t move, and Jax drew an arrow.
“I have got you this time, Amelia!” he shouted as he dashed forward.
There was a green glint as he raised his bow, aiming the arrow at her. And there was a blinding flash of light. Wyn winced for a moment, before blinking.
His eyes went wide when he saw Jax lying in a crater on the ground. The elf was bloodied and bruised, and Amelia stood at the exact same position she had been standing in with her sword to her side. It looked like she didn’t even move. Meanwhile, the Forsaken Archer’s bow was broken, and he groaned as he struggled to pick himself up.
“Alright, are we done here?” Amelia asked as she sheathed her sword.
And the crowd exchanged confused glances.
“...was that really it?” someone asked.
“What just happened? Why is the Forsaken Archer lying on the ground?” another confused voice added.
“Wait, did he just… blow himself up with his own arrow?” a third voice opined.
Wyn swept his gaze over the watching crowd as they conversed amongst themselves. Their voices grew louder as they reached their own conclusion.
“That was so anticlimactic! I can’t believe I left my inn to see this!”
“That wasn’t even a duel— the Forsaken Archer just tripped and defeated himself!”
“I’m going back to my farm…”
The crowd slowly began to disperse as Wyn just watched. Only Rowland, Wyn, Noele, Garron, and Amelia’s two employees remained as Jax picked himself up from the small crater.
“He’s gotten a lot stronger,” Noele whispered softly, eyeing the Forsaken Archer. She turned to Wyn who was pale-faced and staring at the scene. “You saw what happened, didn’t you?”
Wyn opened his mouth, before hesitating. He slowly nodded as a single bead of sweat slid down his forehead.
“I did. But how…?”
He had no words. He could hardly even parse what he saw. The watching crowd had been disappointed because the battle had been over in an instant, and while that was true, it didn’t tell the whole story.
In that moment, when Jax had charged Amelia, he had moved so fast, an ordinary person couldn’t keep up with his speed. He unleashed a volley of enchanted bolts at her— a rapid barrage that could have completely obliterated Wolfwater and the surrounding farmland.
But Amelia simply parried the onslaught of explosive arrows with her rusted sword. And before Jax could even take another step forward, she appeared next to him and swung a fist at his head.
It was almost instantaneous. And somehow, the Forsaken Archer had anticipated the counter attack and dove out of the way in time. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for the follow-up strike as she aimed a kick at his groin.
The attack sent him crashing down to the ground, before the brown-haired woman leapt back, landing right where she had been standing like nothing even happened. And that was what Wyn saw. The rest of the audience thought Jax had tripped and blown himself up with his enchanted bolts.
But those who were high-leveled enough knew the truth.
Wyn looked towards Jax as he unsteadily stood on two feet. He clutched onto his nether regions, and Amelia walked up next to him.
“I-I can still—” the Forsaken Archer started.
“No you can’t,” the brown-haired woman replied flatly.
And Wyn shook his head disbelievingly. “I don’t understand. How does that make any sense? She defeated him like he wasn’t even a threat.”
Noele shrugged as she drew back. “But Jax was a threat— at least, more of a threat now than before. Last time they fought, he hadn’t even been able to survive any of her attacks. This time… he successfully avoided one punch.”
“That’s—” Wyn opened his mouth. He stared at the nonchalant blonde girl, before watching as Harlan approached with a tray.
“Would you like some malim juice?” the server asked simply.
And Wyn closed his eyes. “...yes, and I’d like a shot of your strongest alcoholic drink too, please.”
MelasD
You can read up to 15 chapters ahead on my patreon here!
Join my discord and subscribe to my subreddit!
Or follow me on twitter!
