Chapter 107: Weapon For Survival
Hahho’s sudden appearance was, without a doubt, a surprise to everyone. Although Priam had stolen the spotlight and shocked the entire audience, everything Priam had shown was enough to place him only above the elite youths of the alliance.
However, Hahho was a supergenius capable of entering as an inner disciple of a great sect of the Divine Plane.
If Priam suddenly challenged Hahho, it would not be that shocking and, at most, he would be considered an arrogant boy asking to get beaten. But it was Hahho who took the initiative...
Hahho not only came out of his own will, but also kept his gaze fixed on him the entire time, which aroused some suspicion.
Priam immediately smiled and said, "I’m definitely not worthy of the title of ’Bright Star.’ The only young person who has the right to be called a star is you; only you."
Priam spoke slowly, with an expression clearly full of admiration.
He was not a stupid young man, after all. Certainly, this Hahho was a typical arrogant Young Master. So why the hell would he buy trouble for himself?
At this point, the Ylisse clan had already cleared its name, and no one would treat Orlaith badly again. Priam had already gotten what he wanted, and only wished to leave. But...
At the same time, Priam had also avoided using 100% of what he had the entire time, because he felt he needed to save himself for one last dance, in case he was forced into it.
"Hahahaha!" Hahho began to laugh; the laughter had an air of royalty that simply did not seem like it came from the mouth of a fifteen-year-old. "You are very modest. I believe that, after today’s ’exchange of pointers,’ the name Priam will certainly echo throughout the entire Alliance. As for your future achievements, they will definitely be immeasurable. The fact that I was able to be present today can also be considered great luck on my part."
Priam’s face suddenly revealed an expression of pure delight at the flattery. It was fake, of course.
Priam said hurriedly, "The Young Master’s words are truly very flattering. My ability, before the Young Master, is not even worth mentioning. I don’t know if the Young Master has... any advice? I will certainly listen attentively."
"Hehe, there’s no need to be so modest," Hahho smiled politely before looking at him with doubt. "The reason I approached so presumptuously was to ask a favor. A moment ago, you demonstrated admirable sudden strength, consecutively defeating the best youths of the Alliance. Besides my admiration and astonishment, I also became curious. It seems you don’t rely only on Magic Arts, but possess incomparable combat talent and skill. Because of that, I wanted to experience it a little. Would you be willing?"
As soon as Hahho’s words left his mouth, the hall erupted in whispers, and even Priam was stunned.
Priam, technically, was a complete novice in combat. But... thanks to his Anima, learning to fight had been very easy for him. With only the initial tips from Flaris and his mother, he had already surpassed his entire clan.
After that, in the last few years, he received proper training from the knight Litan; then his potential exploded.
This was an absurd cheat. If Priam were in a game, it would be as if the experience he gained to level up was multiplied by a hundred times.
Besides learning, obviously, there was the matter of his combat power. When Priam focused, he seemed to see everything in slow motion and could think and react at a completely absurd speed for ordinary people.
Therefore, Priam’s lack of experience or training had never been a problem. But he still had infinite potential to grow and become more and more terrifying.
Hahho stared at Priam, but Priam did not answer immediately and remained standing still, stunned, as if he were stupefied by those words.
However, during all that time, his gaze did not move away from Hahho’s eyes, from beginning to end.
At that moment, Hahho was five steps away from his position; his calm and imposing posture carried an evident indifference. But Priam could feel that, beneath his harmless appearance, there existed explosive power and an intangible strength.
But that did not matter; what mattered was that, deep in Hahho’s eyes, Priam could see and feel a sinister and icy aura.
Priam was certain.
Hahho wanted to destroy him, and did not care about anything other than his own gains.
But why?
They had never crossed paths before and, besides that, they had no conflict of interest. Today was also the first time they had met. He clearly had no reason to act this way.
Could his goal be only to suffocate an emerging talent who could become his future enemy?
If that was really true, then it could be said that this harmless-looking Young Master possessed cunning, an evil heart... and was definitely an unbelievable idiot.
So unbelievable that he seemed to have come out of a cliché and predictable fantasy book.
’...Leader Orlaith was right to ask me to keep a low profile. Now, I barely revealed myself, and I’m already in danger.’ Priam immediately felt great pressure.
Right after that, he reflected quickly.
Could he really have kept himself discreet the whole time? Possibly not. So sooner or later, he would have to learn how to deal with people wanting to kill him.
After thinking about that, Priam took a deep breath and suddenly spoke, with a somewhat frightened voice. "The Young Master wants to exchange pointers with me? This... after fighting so much, I’m almost out of energy, so..."
After throwing out the bait, Priam saw a bloody gleam flash very quickly through Hahho’s eyes.
Definitely, this young man would not allow Priam to be fine during these days inside the race.
If he ran from the fight, he would truly be in great danger. But... if he fought now, with Hahho already knowing he was out of energy, an opening would appear.
Priam paused briefly, then his tone changed, and he said bluntly, "However, since the Young Master sees so much in me, of course I can’t refuse. Being able to exchange pointers with the Young Master will be my greatest honor."
Hahho nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "Great. But since you’ve already fought several times in a row, I assume your exhaustion is huge. Before we exchange pointers, you should rest a little. When your Ether recovers, then we’ll have a fair, light exchange of pointers."
"No, that isn’t necessary." Completely against everyone’s expectations, and in the face of Hahho’s reasonable suggestion, Priam refused without the slightest hesitation.
"Although I spent quite a bit of energy, I still have some reserves left, enough to fight a little with the Young Master. Besides, we’re only training; it isn’t a fight to the death. Since it doesn’t matter whether it’s fair or not, why should we waste everyone’s time just because I, Priam, am a little tired? The other young people of the alliance definitely want me to leave, so they can fight and stand out a little."
Priam’s words left everyone in the hall stunned. After all, unless they were deaf, anyone could perceive in his words... extreme self-confidence and arrogance!
All the young girls in the place stared fixedly at him. The delicate-looking and somewhat effeminate young man, who had been a laughingstock before... now seemed like the most imposing figure they had ever seen in their lives.
"Priam is indeed an exceptional genius; there’s no denying it. But being this arrogant before Hahho shows that he practically doesn’t know the limits of his own abilities." The leader of a smaller clan spoke seriously.
"Priam!" The one who spoke was Shione, in a loud tone. She could not bear to stay silent and did not have as many restraints as her mother. "Don’t get so carried away. His strength is completely different from those you fought before; it can be said that he’s simply on another level. You should wait..."
"Don’t worry," Priam interrupted her and spoke without caring. "My current state isn’t as bad as you think. Besides, all I’m doing is exchanging pointers with the Young Master; no matter the result, it won’t be a big problem."
When he said that, Shione, Flaris, and Lumiere’s eyes immediately changed. They nodded and set all their worries aside. That was because, right now, they had a completely irrational trust in Priam.
Hahho smiled, but anyone could tell that his smile was somewhat forced. Maybe this was the first time in his entire life that Hahho had met someone who dared to be so arrogant in his presence.
He soon spoke calmly, "If you insist, then naturally I will respect your decision. It’s just that your current state is worrying. You are a Physical Mage or Fighter Mage who uses only your own body, correct? After fighting several times in a row and spending so much Ether, your bodily protection is certainly much weaker than before. If you take one of my blows at this moment, there is a possibility that you will suffer serious injuries. If that happens..."
"Haha, the Young Master thinks too much," Priam said with a light laugh.
"During a simple exchange of pointers, it’s inevitable that light or even serious injuries may appear. Besides, I was the one who insisted on training with the Young Master in my current state. Even if I suffered serious injuries, the Young Master certainly wouldn’t be to blame. On this point, everyone present can serve as a witness. So, there’s no need to worry about holding back."
Upon hearing Priam’s words, everyone in the hall became even more stunned. Because clearly, this arrogant young man was digging his own grave.
Hahho stared fixedly at Priam. His expression... was as if he were looking at a retard.
"But since we’re talking about that, if I, Priam, get lucky... and accidentally injure the Young Master, then..."
As soon as Priam’s words left his mouth, the people in the hall almost burst into laughter again.
"Hahahaha!" Hahho was the only one who truly laughed, but it was definitely an explosive laugh, so much that he bent over and placed a hand on his stomach.
After a few seconds, he finally calmed down and said, "If I am injured by you, then consider it my lack of skill, and of course the blame will not fall on you in any way; everyone here can witness that."
At that moment, Priam’s eyes shone, and he almost let a smile slip.
It was obviously better to recover before fighting, but that would lower his chances of catching this idiot by surprise.
After showing so much talent and strength, he had now gained a huge target on his back. At this moment, his life was in danger, because he would have to stay on this planet for a few days after this event. So...
Now, he had managed to gain a blank check.
At that moment, Priam’s eyes moved subtly toward a corner of the hall.
He stared into Grand Elder Ladomi’s eyes for one second.
That old man was his only weapon for survival.