CHAPTER 28: POISON AND POWER

Arthur wasn’t foolish enough to confront Edgar and the Captain of the Guard head-on. Both were Boundless, level D, capable of smashing walls and trees with their fists alone. So instead, he relied on his knowledge and crafted an extremely lethal poison, which he applied to the daggers he had stored in his Dimensional Storage.

Edgar continued to relentlessly attack the thorny roots before him, desperate to destroy them and kill Arthur. His motive wasn’t just revenge for his son; it was his only option. The moment he pointed his sword at Arthur, he had already sealed his fate. He wasn’t entirely sure the boy was a fake, but he had decided to risk everything. Even if this was the real Arvan, he could always blame it on bandits and claim Arvan never made it to the Barony.

"Die, you bastard!"

Edgar swung his sword, radiating a powerful aura that made the air whistle loudly. But suddenly, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart — sharp and accompanied by intense agony that made his body stumble. Even his sword, once full of power, became slow and feeble.

’What’s happening?’ Edgar was stunned and filled with dread, sensing something deeply wrong inside his body. His blood surged like raging horses, his heart beat wildly without pause, his body heated up, and his internal organs began to fall into disarray.

The bodies of Boundless were known for their toughness and strong regeneration. That’s why he instantly knew something was terribly wrong. Even his hardened physique was softening and weakening, and all the power he had built through years of training was fading.

His eyes widened in horror as fear overtook him. He quickly glanced at his chest, where a small wound was oozing strange, dark blood. That’s when he understood what was happening. He lifted his gaze and stared at the dome of thorns surrounding Arthur. He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue seized up.

Trapped in his panic, he saw a part of the barrier shift to reveal Arthur’s face. Their eyes met, and with a trembling voice, he shouted, "You coward! What did you do to me?!"

Unmoved by his words, Arthur looked first toward the Captain of the Guard, noticing that the man was almost free. He immediately summoned more thorny roots to restrain him again, then turned all his attention to Edgar and said coldly, "Those who dare threaten me... shall die."

...

Meanwhile, the soldiers and recruits watched each other in tense silence, waiting for someone to make the first move. The silence was so heavy that they all heard the exchange between Arthur and Edgar.

"Damn it," cursed the Vice-Captain as he dashed toward Arthur, intending to assist the Baronet. But Brock quickly stepped in his path.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"Out of my way, traitor!" Without hesitation, the Vice-Captain attacked Brock, intending to cut him down.

But Brock easily blocked the blow, only taking a single step back. The Vice-Captain was stunned and raised his guard, shocked. "How? When did you reach level D?!"

The soldiers around them were equally shocked. They all knew Brock was level E, but the surprise didn’t last long. As soon as Brock counterattacked, it signaled the start of the battle. The soldiers charged at the recruits, who responded quickly by forming combat groups led by the few E-level recruits among them.

Though the recruits outnumbered the soldiers roughly three to one, the soldiers held the advantage in experience and strength.

Clash!

Screams!

Swords collided. But to everyone’s surprise, the first one to fall was a soldier. Alvin, who had also broken through to level D, easily decapitated an E-level soldier. Amid their shock, Octavia sprang into action and cast Water Blade, striking a nearby soldier.

The water blade hit with such force that the soldier was hurled several meters back, rolling across the ground. However, he wasn’t seriously hurt — Octavia wasn’t particularly strong and had only learned Water Blade two days ago.

"There’s a witch among them — and a strong knight!" Eyes widened in disbelief. No one could understand what was happening. They all asked themselves the same question: "When did these people become so powerful?"

Just the presence of two level D knights was enough to make every soldier tremble in fear. Realistically, an E-rank couldn’t defeat a D-rank. The levels weren’t just letters. However, if a large group of E-ranks fought a single D-rank with proper teamwork and equipment, they could potentially win — but at great cost. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered and poorly prepared. And to make things worse, the enemy had a witch capable of ranged magic.

Their official mages and elite squad were out on a mission beyond the castle, leaving them vulnerable. Within seconds, the will to fight left them, and they began retreating into a defensive formation.

The Vice-Captain and Brock exchanged a few more blows before speaking.

"Brock, don’t you realize this is unforgivable treason?" the Vice-Captain snarled.

But Brock was unmoved and retorted, "I should be the one saying that. How dare you attack the Duke’s son? Tired of living?"

Baronet Edgar ruled the Barony of Thornsreach, which belonged to the Witherfell Province — itself part of the Ravenholde Duchy. The Duke held complete authority over the duchy and everyone in it. All nobles and soldiers, weak or strong, were bound to his orders. Only the King and Princes outranked him. When the Duke declared that the Barony was under Arvan’s command, Edgar lost all authority. What Edgar and his soldiers were doing now was outright treason.

"But how do you know he’s the real Arvan?" the Vice-Captain shot back, unable to stay still.

Brock replied coldly, hiding his own uncertainty, "And how do you know he’s not?"

They both knew arguing was pointless. The Vice-Captain chose to gamble and attack. But the moment he stepped forward, a Water Blade struck him in the back, sending him stumbling forward. Brock seized the opportunity and attacked, aiming to kill him.

However, the Vice-Captain was a seasoned veteran. He quickly adjusted his stance, angled his sword defensively, and managed to deflect the strike — though not completely. Brock’s sword slid down his and slashed his shoulder.

Using the momentum, the Vice-Captain leapt backward and rejoined his soldiers. He glared at Octavia and finally noticed that the soldiers had stopped fighting.

Focused solely on Brock, he hadn’t realized they’d pulled back after witnessing Alvin and Octavia’s strength.

"Damn you all! Attack!" he roared, unwilling to surrender, and charged toward Arthur with everything he had. If he could kill Arthur, the recruits’ will to fight would crumble.