As if on cue, all of the crown holders looked back and forth between Zyrus and Aiden Martinez.

“I don’t care about being first or whatnot. I just want to kill this bastard.”

“How about you guys start first then?” the kobold leader spoke with a sinker. Everyone knew that the first ones to fight would suffer. Since someone was willing to be the bait, why refuse?

“Fine by me. I’m not sure whether this peacock could fight though,” Zyrus shrugged as he stared at Aiden with disdain. It was getting harder and harder for him to keep up the act, but he endured.

Even a saint would get mad if you curse them long enough, and Aiden Martinez was no saint. Zyrus was targeting him from the moment he arrived here, and the comment on his clothes was the tipping point.

“Huu.. fine then. However, I’m not a lizard who only thinks about petty grudges. Don’t expect me to fight just like that.”

“Do you have any conditions?”

“That I do, Hajin choi. How ab-”

“Cut the bullshit. Let’s just fight one-on-one.” Zyrus interrupted Aiden to annoy him even more.

“Hmph! And what do I gain from it?”

“I’ll bet my equipment.”

Even the other crown holders were annoyed by Zyrus’s smug face. His silver armor and black boots were a league above their equipment.

“Fine then. I’ll be-”

“I don’t fancy wearing blue chestplate and green pants.”

“What the hell do you want then?” Aiden spoke as he glared at Zyrus with reddened eyes. The burly man wanted to calm down his lord, but after signing the contract, he no longer had the authority to intervene.

He could only look at his ‘leader’ in helplessness, just like thousands of other monsters.

“Did your mom drop you when you were a baby? I told you, didn’t I? I want your head.”

Skarn and Hajin choi looked at Zyrus with a knowing glance. Anyone with half a brain could tell that Zyrus was intentionally provoking the other.

Only haughty teenagers and orcs would get riled up by such petty remarks.

“Fine then. Sign this contract and we can have a deathmatch.”

Apparently, Aiden Martinez ought to be added in that list as well.

None but Zyrus knew that the latter was acting just like him.

“Tch..tch.. I almost don’t want to fight you after knowing of your condition. I know you’re lacking in brain capacity, but still, do you think that others would allow us to fight like that?”

Zyrus threw the conjured scroll back to Skarn. The terms written on it were simple: Zyrus and Aiden would have a duel and neither side would use their subordinates to attack the other. The winner would take all of the losers’ equipment and items, and the loser would hand over his troops to the latter as well.

As for what would happen if one broke the contract? There was no need to write that. Everyone here had memorized the crown’s abilities very well.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Indeed… we can.. not allow this.”

If they allowed it, then one of the two was sure to become the first player who cleared this ring. Wouldn’t they become a laughingstock if they gave them this chance while they just watched?

But it was impossible to kill a crown holder and not get his crown, and they wouldn’t just forfeit the crown or troops they had either.

“Why don’t we do this, we both have silver crown holders, right? Let our troops fight as well. We can include the others as well.”

“What do you mean?” Hajin choi asked with a raised brow. The proposition was enticing to say the least.

“Simple; I need a thousand troops or a silver crown, and it’s the same for him.”

“Right. We’re all the same.”

“Exactly. We will separate one crown from our subordinates and let them guard it, and everyone else can attack our troops to get the crown. Meanwhile, we’ll bet our lives along with personal belongings on a duel.”

Everyone’s eyes sparkled at the thought. No matter how they looked at it, they didn’t stand to lose much either way.

“Hahaha… you’ve got guts alright.”

It wasn’t just the orc leader who was surprised; everyone else thought the same as well. It was indeed a high-risk high-reward strategy. If either Zyrus or Aiden managed to kill the other before their troops lost the crown, then they would become the first one to reach the second ring.

Of course, it had its risks as well. Even if they managed to win, if a lot of their subordinates were dead or failed to protect the crown, then it would be pointless. On the flip side, if their troops were able to snatch the other’s crown, then they could directly reach the second ring without continuing their fight.

It was a fair condition for all. The leaders present here would have a chance to win the first place without risking their lives. No one was stupid enough to send all their troops to attack; they had to be wary of one another. But since it was a 5v1 situation, even sending a third of their troops would do.

“Fine by me,” Aiden Martinez spoke with gritted teeth. He was at his limits after being humiliated over and over again. The rage he showed wasn’t entirely a part of his acting.

It didn’t take long for others to agree and send their troops to the center. Aiden had the contract ability, and he made sure the other leaders agreed to not interfere in the duel. He wasn’t like the novice crown holders who didn’t know how to use their heads.

His anger was genuine, but he wasn’t consumed by it. He was playing along with Zyrus because he was confident in killing the latter.

Zyrus removed a crown from Jacob while Aiden handed his over to a monkey. Others were surprised by his decision, but they didn’t think much about it.

“Don’t let the good ones die.”

“You’re a cruel man.”

“No, Ria. I’m a good leader.” Zyrus tapped her shoulder and walked towards the square. Getting the first place and walking further towards the origin wasn’t his only goal.

He had expanded his troops at a rapid rate. And although he was careful in selection, he couldn’t guess their inner hearts in this short time. He had the crown fealty as the last resort, but he didn’t want to rely on it for every little thing.

Nothing was better than a life-and-death fight to know one’s true character. This fight was like a fire that would purge the rotten parts of his army.

Like a good sword, they needed to be forged in blood and iron. Only then would they be worthy of being his followers.

‘They could become the cornerstones of my empire, or become puppets lost in the river of time. The choice lies with them.’

“Are… you… ready?”

Zyrus and Aiden nodded at Skarn and ordered their troops to move out. Soon, no one was left within a 100-meter radius of the duo. The air itself felt heavy due to the pressure.

“I, Aiden Martinez, accept the terms of the contract and request a duel.”

“I, Zyrus Wymar, accept the terms of the contract and accept the duel.”

The roles had changed and it was Aiden who was more eager to fight at this moment. Like a porcelain vase, the mask he was wearing seemed to crack with a hideous grin.

“Huhuhu..hahahahaha”

“How pathetic. To think that a crown holder would go mad from fear…” Zyrus snorted while running towards the hysterical Aiden. Only a part of his consciousness was focused on moving his body and drawing out mana.

‘Promise me Zyrus, that you'll keep on laughing, keep on burning until the oil runs out, until the wick burns out…’

A faint and blurry memory became clearer and clearer in his mind’s eyes. Having hundreds of points in intelligence was scary, especially when your lifespan numbered in centuries. Zyrus had consciously suppressed his painful memories to stop himself from going mad. Now that he was letting loose his emotions, it was akin to cracking a dam that was holding off a mighty river.

The water flooded and stretched across his source of existence. It was pitch black, just like the void that lay at the end of this path.