Starting as the Baron of the Lonely Island

The cheering crowd suddenly went quiet, as if someone had grabbed them all by the throat.

It wasn’t that they were prone to such dramatics; they had simply witnessed an utterly unbelievable sight.

They had seen Charlie’s strength in the previous bout, and he was considered top-tier among Middle Level Warriors.

But this was the same person who had been aggressively charging forward one moment, only to be sent flying from the Combat Arena the next.

The contrast was so stark that many people couldn’t even process what had happened.

Soon enough, however, cries of astonishment filled the air, with everyone shouting Duane’s name.

Natalia hadn’t expected such a display from Duane, either.

She had been worried that he was being overconfident by using only one hand.

’It seems he didn’t tell me the full extent of his abilities when we spoke yesterday.’

’What a confident man.’

Natalia found herself growing more and more interested in the young Baron. It was the first time she had ever met someone her age who was so intriguing.

The only ones present who weren’t happy were Elwin and his retinue.

They had sent Charlie out to knock Duane down a peg, but instead, Duane had ended up stealing the show.

The more Elwin thought about it, the angrier he became. ’Today was supposed to be about me!’

Meanwhile, Charlie, who had been knocked off the Combat Arena, was still in a daze.

’What happened to me?’

’How did I suddenly end up on the ground?’

Soon, the whispers and rumors swirling around him reminded him of what had just happened.

Talk of his arrogant provocations moments before and how he was now "rolling on the ground" made his blood boil.

"Duane!"

His eyes bloodshot, he shot to his feet, stormed back onto the Combat Arena, and grabbed his Longsword. "The duel continues!"

"You’ve already lost!" Duane reminded him.

"It continues when I say it continues!"

Without waiting for Duane’s reply, Charlie condensed his Fighting Qi into a Sword Aura and slashed. The attack howled through the air, creating a turbulent gust.

As he swung his Sword, he charged after the Sword Aura, his Longsword aimed straight at his opponent.

Duane, though provoked, remained calm. His only goal had been to make a brief show of his strength and put a stop to the disparaging rumors.

But he hadn’t expected his opponent to be so incapable of telling when he was beaten.

’You asked for this!’

He threw a punch, shattering the Sword Aura. A powerful shockwave slammed into the charging Charlie, bringing him to a dead stop.

Duane had no intention of being merciful. His figure shot through the dissipating shockwave and appeared right in front of Charlie.

"You..."

Startled by his opponent’s speed, Charlie subconsciously raised his Sword for a wide sweep, but Duane once again caught his wrist.

"You’re weak!"

Duane yanked hard, bending Charlie’s wrist back. With another squeeze, his opponent let out a soul-rending scream. A sickening CRACK echoed as the bones in his wrist gave way, and the Sword he was holding clattered to the floor.

Duane kicked the hilt of the fallen Sword, sending the Longsword flying up into his left hand.

"No, don’t..."

Charlie screamed, begging for mercy.

He was terrified, certain that Duane was going to kill him.

THUD!

Duane sent him flying off the Combat Arena with another vicious kick. He didn’t kill him.

This time, Charlie did not rush up again.

His wrist was broken, and the searing pain in his abdomen kept him from getting up.

But most importantly, he was afraid. Truly and utterly afraid.

The crowd was stunned by Duane’s strength. Watching him stand there nonchalantly on the stage, Longsword in hand, they couldn’t believe such ruthless words and cold-blooded actions had come from him.

Domination. It was utter and absolute domination.

A Middle Level Peak Warrior didn’t even have a chance to resist in front of him.

Watching Duane on the stage, Natalia’s heart began to race.

She subconsciously touched her flushed cheeks, unable to believe she was feeling this way.

In fact, it wasn’t just Natalia. Many of the young ladies present were captivated by the scene, their eyes glued to the handsome young man on the stage, unable to look away.

"Isn’t he supposed to be some talentless waste who can’t train?" Elwin demanded in a low voice.

"It seems our information was incorrect."

The guard at his side analyzed, "Judging by his movements, he’s most likely an Advanced Warrior!"

Advanced Warrior!

Elwin felt the pressure mounting.

His expression darkened. He absolutely had to reclaim his honor today.

However, he couldn’t just send his guard after Duane. This was a dispute between peers, after all.

Besides, a mere guard wasn’t qualified to challenge a Kingdom Baron.

"Hmph. Useless fools. I’ll do it myself!"

The guard at his side quickly tried to dissuade him. "Young Master, Duane’s strength is still unknown. It’s not wise for you to get involved personally!"

Elwin stopped in his tracks, his face grim. "Are you saying I can’t beat him?"

"No, I didn’t mean that."

The guard explained, "I just feel there’s no need for you to personally step into the arena."

Elwin didn’t answer. The fact that he resumed walking made his choice clear.

’Today is my birthday party. How can I let some Baron of the Lonely Island steal my thunder?’

’I have to pull everyone’s attention back to me. This is *my* party.’

Still, his guard’s warning gave him an idea.

"Hahaha, Baron Duane! You are truly worthy of being the son of the Celestial Tier Warrior, Knight Carter! You certainly live up to his legacy!"

Elwin finally stepped onto the stage. His appearance immediately drew cheers from the scions of families loyal to Calvin. Many began to wonder, ’Don’t tell me Young Master Elwin wants to duel as well?’

Faced with Viscount Ugo’s only son—the future heir to the Viscount’s Territory—Duane knew he had to be polite.

’It’s best to avoid making direct enemies when possible.’

"You flatter me."

Duane smiled, tossing the Sword onto the floor of the Combat Arena. "I apologize for accidentally injuring your retainer."

"It’s better for someone lacking in skill to be injured on the Combat Arena than on the battlefield."

Elwin’s words made Duane see him in a different light.

"You’re absolutely right!"

He turned and was about to leave the Combat Arena, but was stopped by a voice from behind.

"Baron, watching your duel has given me an itch to fight myself. Why don’t we have a little match, what do you say?"

Duane glanced at Charlie being carried away. Charlie’s initial provocation had made him suspect Elwin was pulling the strings, and now it seemed the puppet master himself had decided to take the stage.

’How did I offend him?’

’After thinking it over, the only reason could be Natalia.’

He couldn’t help but glance at the girl, only to see an apologetic expression on her face.

’Trouble always follows a beautiful woman. It’s the same everywhere, huh.’

’Stand next to a beautiful woman, and you’re bound to attract envy and jealousy.’

’Well, I suppose this is just a side effect of my decision to get on good terms with the Kennedy Clan.’

"Elwin, you and I are both Advanced Warriors. Accidents are unavoidable in a duel."

Duane shook his head. "Today is your birthday. Why don’t we pick another day to spar? It can wait."

He was giving Elwin a graceful way to back out.

His words also revealed his own strength to the crowd.

Elwin and Duane—both had become Advanced Warriors at the age of sixteen.

If these two geniuses fought, who would be stronger?

Truth be told, everyone was dying to find out.

Elwin’s face remained impassive, but inside, he felt that Duane was looking down on him.

He maintained his pleasant demeanor. "In that case, how about we have an Archery competition? That way, we can avoid any accidents."

’Archery?’

Duane glanced at the archery targets on the far side of the grounds. ’Why do these people insist on challenging me in my areas of expertise?’

’Even if Elwin’s Archery was decent, he was no match for my Basic Archery, which is on the verge of reaching the Perfection Skill Level.’

"You wouldn’t refuse me such a small request, would you?"

Elwin said, a joking tone in his voice.

With things having come this far, it would be inappropriate for Duane to refuse.

"Please."