Drewells976
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Chapter 158 - The Duel
🕑 Added 2023-12-22 21:35:15 +0000 UTCAuthor's notes: Yes, I'm late. Yes, I wrote a 3.5k-word chapter. Because why not, right? We're close to Christmas <3
We have a new winner for my longest chapter yet!
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Expectant gazes burrowed into his back. Flynn’s eyes carried a silent question, ready to make up some random excuse to offer him a way out.
Kai shook his head with the tiniest movement. Beneath his fake sweat and heavy breathing, the fight with Oli had been little more than a warm-up. Swordsmanship had gone up a level, even if he had already been close before the fight, it meant he was on the right track.
Just another friendly sparring. What could go wrong? Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy challenging my Luck…
Putting on a bright smile, Kai gripped the hilt of his wooden blade and marched back into the ring. Lou was already in position, practice sword casually resting on the sand. Kai wasn’t about to trust that laid-back pose, the memory of Lou’s berserker ferocity against Flynn was still fresh in his mind.
Is he a battle maniac behind the quiet persona? There must be a reason or motivation why he advanced so much…
“Attack when you’re ready.” Lou took a textbook stance: squared shoulders, wide legs, muscles taut but not stiff, hands firmly wielding his longsword with his guard up. His expression was relaxed, but it was impossible to avoid a tinge of tension when he looked ready to charge at a moment's notice.
It might just be me, but he doesn’t look very friendly. Anyway, here we go.
Letting go of his distractions, Kai swung two probing strikes, careful not to unbalance himself to receive the retaliation. Lou easily parried him—as expected—, but the fierce response didn’t come. The looming tower of muscles limited to defending any slash and lounge he threw at him. Calm and controlled.
“C’mon Kai, you need to focus. Is this all you got?” Lou stared at him like a disappointed teacher. “You were fighting better than this against Oli.”
It was so unlike anything Kai expected from his childhood friend, his mind took a second to realize Lou was taunting him. That was odd from him. Then again, it had been close to seven years, he had been arrogant to presume he knew everything about the grown teenager.
In the back of his mind, a tiny voice whispered to stop there and lose. That was the most prudent choice. The boot of his pride squashed the voice like a bug, he couldn’t give up so easily.
Pressing his lips in a thin line, Kai swung his sword with renewed vigor, inching closer to his real power. He sent a rain of meticulous strikes to find an opening in his opponent's defenses.
Fending off the barrage of attacks, Lou began to press him with strikes of his own. He wasn’t anywhere close to his full Strength, but it was enough to force Kai into a difficult position.
Frustration at his restricted attributes mounted with each swing he blocked. Not only was he fighting an uphill battle, but limiting his stats took another chunk of concentration from the duel.
All he had to do was reveal more of his attributes, a tiny bit. The Strength and Dexterity in his arms begged to be used. Perhaps his caution with his friends was overblown. It wasn’t like he had done anything illegal.
If the Republic discovers there’s an eleven-year-old kid who has reached Orange ★★★, they’re definitely coming to bother me. The governor is too greedy to leave a silver mine lying in his backyard. And the twins suck at keeping their mouths shut.
The more people knew a secret, the higher the chances it would leak, be it on purpose or by accident. Gritting his teeth, Kai retreated, palm up in surrender to stop Lou from pursuing.
“I. Need. A break,” Kai Improvised a ragged breath, though the sweat on his brows and back wasn’t faked. The sun was rising over the sea. The temptation to throw all caution to the wind would be too great if he didn’t stop now.
Lou's impassive eyes studied him as he lowered his longsword. “We can keep going, you are doing good. The only way to improve is to push yourself, and you can’t learn without losing.”
I’m not planning on losing. I should have told him I was just a mage.
Improvisation offered him half a dozen excuses to get out. He just needed to pick one and swallow his pointless pride. Why was it so hard?
It’d be a waste to refuse this opportunity, wouldn’t it? That’s the reason.
He hadn’t found a decent training partner since Elijah had left, and he yearned for it. Flynn was capable, but he was no swordsman. Fighting him was like chasing a slippery eel, it didn’t push his technique higher.
Against Lou, Kai could feel his Swordsmanship progress after months of near-stagnation. When would he get another chance like this? A glimmer of an idea flashed through his mind, and his decision was as well as made. The plan was too clever not to be used.
“I’ve got a skill that boosts my strength temporarily.” Kai pushed back his hair slick with sweat, they needed a cut. “I know this is a weapon sparring, but can I use it? You can also stop holding back.”
“How many useful skills do you have?” Uli huffed. “It’s so unfair.
Oli swatted his brother. “Who cares about that. Kai, you can teach me that skill, right?”
“You can ask him about that later.” Lou silenced them with a glance, his attention back on him with a frown. “Are you sure you can match me? Those skills usually come with drawbacks if you abuse them.”
“I know my limits, I can do it,” Kai nodded with conviction. “I have enough mana to last for a duel.”
“It’s a mana skill?” Ana blushed when she realized she had spoken out loud, and mumbled her next words. “You can tell me about it later.”
“If you are sure,” Lou hesitated. “But warn me if you’re about to run out of mana, and don’t try to overdo it. I’m ready when you are.”
Now’s my turn to have fun.
After stretching his arms, Kai charged with a powerful swing. Not a drop of Empower flowed through his muscles, but the full weight of his attributes gave his sword more than enough power.
The wooden blade whistled through the air. Honestly, he had been an idiot not to think about it sooner. He had the perfect skill to hide the physical attributes of his grade.
Lou parried his blow with a grunt and a flash of surprise. His eyes narrowed. If he didn’t believe him before, he did now. In a snap, he burst forward with the ferocity he showed fighting against Flynn.
Kai was forced to focus on defending alone. Each blow reverberated through his body like the hammering of a blacksmith on an anvil. As he so smartly predicted, Lou’s physique and muscles more than made up for the difference in grade.
Damn. Overgrown. Teenagers.
If Lou’s swings weren’t aimed at his sword, Kai might have thought his childhood friend was trying to kill him. He tightened knuckles on the hilt till they whitened, getting disarmed would be an embarrassing way to lose.
Lou's technique was blunt but flawless with no weaknesses to leverage. The relentless assault forced Kai on the defensive without any opportunity to reverse the momentum. If he didn’t do something soon, his dear friend would drive him out of the ring.
Fuck no!
No risk, no reward. Kai feinted an opening to bait Lou closer and twisted his shoulder to slip past his defenses. It was a reckless blow that left his head and chest exposed. In a real fight, he would receive a wound far worse than the one he inflicted, but with this spar rules, the winner was the one who scored the first hit.
Lou awkwardly parried the blow and took a step back to dodge the follow-up. Before the chance slipped by, Kai charged on the offensive with a chain of quick strikes. He might not have the Strength advantage, but he still had a slight edge in Dexterity and flexibility.
Spirits, I missed this.
It was exhilarating to let go of any restriction and push his body to its very limit. Blood and adrenaline pumped in his veins, his muscles quick to follow his commands. If Lou’s swings were like a thunderstrike of a storm, he was like the raindrops incessantly tapping.
Kai was on top of the world, he could taste victory. His furious flurry of strikes forced Lou back into the center of the ring. A soft murmur whispered in the back of his head, Kai had no time to listen to the obscure message Hallowed Intuition bore, but he didn’t need to.
Lou’s next strike shot up his arms, carrying enough strength to make his bones rattle. Already strained by the battle, Kai felt his hands going numb. The following swing came quick like lightning, barely giving him the time to raise his guard. The impact crashed into him with the same overwhelming power and frightening knowledge.
You were holding back.
Either that, or Lou also possessed a boosting skill. It wasn't just the strength behind each strike that grew, his already immaculate Swordsmanship became more complex and refined. Instead of simply rushing forward like a bull, Lou wove feints and light jabs into the strikes.
Each blow could hit like a thunderclap or the brush of a feather. With hardly any clue to distinguish them, a single misjudgment would spell the end, forcing Kai to needlessly brace and slow his momentum. His arms and shoulders burned with protests from the harsh treatment, a worry for later.
Kai forced his body to swing and deflect faster than ever before. His feet danced and dashed around the ring to not get pinned down, making full use of his size and flexibility to dodge.
It was all useless.
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, making Kai almost lose grip on his sword. He couldn’t win. That was the simple truth. He could grit his teeth and keep holding on. Learning under Elijah made him a grandmaster at prolonging fights against stronger opponents. But that same knowledge also made him aware of the truth.
He couldn’t win.
He was completely outmatched, and there was no clever trick to lead him to victory. Lou was stronger, faster and—spirits be damned—better than him with a sword. Unless the older teenager made a colossal blunder, Kai stood no chance of winning. And Lou had yet to commit even a minor mistake.
Fuck me.
There was a solution. If he activated Empower for real, he could use the surprise burst of power to score a hit. He had already told them about the skill, it wouldn’t even be weird to flare the ability for a single strike.
Under the barrage of attacks, Kai couldn’t spare the time to ponder for long. Empower was right there, he needed but a thought to reach for it and victory would be his.
What’s the point?
It wouldn’t help grow his skills or make him a better fighter. There would be nothing to be gained except a cheap victory to safeguard his pride, using Empower for what was effectively cheating.
Kai fought till his body screamed at him to stop, and then some more. There was never any opening. Even when it became crystal clear to everyone that Lou had won, his swings never slacked. Methodical and inexorable, the hulking teenager whittled him down like a block of marble under a sculptor’s chisel.
With sweat burning in his eyes, Kai missed the exact moment his sword flew out of his numb hands, but he saw it tumble on the sand. His knees hit the sand as his limbs refused to listen to him any longer. Lou loomed over him like the shadow of death, hiding the sun, longsword still firmly in hand, breath barely ragged.
I’m going to die.
Kai reached for his Water Mana on instinct, halfway through casting a spell to defend himself when the teenager dropped his weapon and crouched beside him with eyes full of worry.
“Are you okay? Did you overdraw your skill?” His rough hands patted him down looking for injuries. There were no cuts, though Kai had more than one strained muscle.
“I’m so sorry, I got carried away,” Lou rambled with guilt, the sweat running down his face showed he was still mortal. “Blessed gods, you're a tough nut to crack that was made of adamantium. I thought I had you half a dozen times, but you always managed to hold on. I’m truly sorry, Kai, I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. Do you feel pain anywhere?”
The rest of the group was upon them. Ana and Flynn fussed over him too while the twins buzzed around like overhyped children who had too many candies.
“Where the fuck did you learn to fight like that? That was awesome!”
“I don’t remember the last time someone held out against Lou that long. You absolutely have to spar with me now.”
Kai put on his best reassuring smile. “I’m fine.” He slowly flexed his hands and arms, hiding a wince. Nothing a potion couldn't fix. “Just a little sore, but I’ll be fine. I think I’ve got enough sparring for one day.”
Lou let out an awkward chuckle and dragged the twins away. “Give him some space.”
Kai waited till he was confident his legs wouldn't fail him. Standing up, the movement sent jolts of pain through his back and limbs, there was hardly any part of his body that didn’t hurt. Even his jaw ached for having clenched his teeth too hard. He closed his eyes as they were getting moist.
It had been a while since I pushed myself so far past my limits. Spirits, I’d pay silver for one of Dora’s suspicious concoctions.
Flynn helped him stand up and slowly take off the leather protections. Kai was especially grateful when he fended off the barrage of questions from the twins—even if he used old stories about him to bribe them. He wasn’t in the mood to talk.
They sat outside the ring, and the buzz of the duel gradually quietened down. The twins fought to another tie. Ana, Lou and even Flynn alternated in much tamer sparrings with pauses to rest between them.
Kai wasn’t paying them enough attention to which twins ended up on top, absently nodding whenever Ana spoke to him. He had managed to sneak a potion out of the ring into Flynn’s satchel to drink it without suspicion. His body was slowly recovering, not that he paid his condition much attention.
While Attuned Meditation helped him ease his mind, the loss still seared his pride. Sure, Lou was older than him, but he had the advantage of reincarnation and awareness since birth.
‘You can’t be the best at everything, dummy.’ Fucking Flynn, he’ll never let me hear the end of it.
The logical part of his brain knew he was being unreasonable, but the emotional side struggled to accept he had been bested by one of his little friends. Swordsmanship wasn’t one of his main skills, and it was normal for Lou to beat him if that was his primary focus.
Like the proverbial fish in a small pond, who believed himself mighty without ever having seen the ocean, he had spent so long in his isolated bubble that he became convinced of his own invincibility.
There would be people who could best him in the Archipelago, and thousands more on the mainland. He was brilliant, but not unique. Somewhere on Elydes, there would always be a better duelist, a better alchemist and a better spellcaster.
I guess it was good that I lost. Maybe next time I’ll—
His musings were rudely interrupted when two pairs of hands grabbed him. He didn’t need to hear the twins’ wild cackles to know it was them.
“Put me down right now, or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what…?” Oli challenged, stopping his arms from squirming away.
“What are you gonna do?” Uli chuckled, firmly clutching his legs.
When Kai looked for help, there was no one to save him from the two blockheads. Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't realized everyone else had gone into the sea. Ana was swimming while Lou and Flynn idly chatted in the waves.
Any threat would only spur them on. He needed to change tactics. “Put me down, I’m hurt, I can’t swim.”
“He looks fine to me, doesn’t he? That potion Flynn gave you must have been really good.”
“Yes,” Uli nodded sagely. “He looks perfectly healthy to me.”
The healing potion had restored him to almost prime conditions, but Kai couldn’t fight both when they had already secured his limbs. “Lou will be really mad if I’m hurt further.” Kai tried to dissuade them.
“Don’t worry, we won’t let you drown,” Oli said with a dumb giggle that was far from reassuring.
Uli could barely contain the laughter. “Yes, we’ll take extremely good care of you. Trust us.”
After he had kept Empower hidden in the spar, Kai wasn’t going to reveal the true power of the skill to deal with two fools.
I should have drowned you for good when I had the opportunity.
He could only accept his unjust fate as the sea grew nearer. His pleas to let him take off his clothes had fallen on deaf ears too. Flynn merrily waved at him from the sea while Lou watched him, stoic.
Weren’t you feeling guilty? Here’s your chance to help!
“Ready for your healing bath?” Uli and Oli cackled madly, swinging him with his limbs and throwing him like a ragdoll into the sea. Kai flew in a long arc over the waves and crashed into the cold waters with a loud splash, coming close to hitting the seafloor.
I’m so going to murder them.
If they thought being two against one protected them, they had committed their last mistake. With Blessed Swimmer, Kai swam to shore looking for vengeance, aiming for the two figures rolling in the sand amidst laughter.
He emerged from the sea clenching his fists, clothes dripping with water on the sand. A hand gripped his shoulder.
“It’s better if you leave your shirt before you go after them,” Lou had somehow materialized behind him. “It looks expensive, and you don't want to ruin it.”
Kai glared at him. Why did he wait till now to appear? Despite all, his advice cooled his anger. His shirt was enchanted to hide his profession and cost more than a few silver mesars.
The twins jumped into the sea arms around their bellies laughing and taunting him to follow.
Fine. Vengeance is best served cold.
“Don’t mind them,” Lou dragged him to where they’d left their bags closer to the palm trees. “You’re a pretty fast swimmer, your skill must be quite good.”
Kai took a deep breath to calm himself. “It’s pretty decent. Can you let my arm go now?”
Lou didn’t respond, tightening his grip instead.
“What’s up with you?” The twins were enough without the supposedly thoughtful boy acting up.
Fifty meters from the shore where the greenery began, Lou finally let him go and watched him with icy eyes. “Why did you lie?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kai dusted himself off, but there was no hint of humor in Lou’s gaze.
“Kai, I’m not an idiot.” His apathetic tone erased any chance that it was a joke. “You’ve mentioned Running and five other skills while we trained earlier. You also said you had Mana Sense, Mana Manipulation and an observation skill in your stories at the dormitory. Alchemy requires two or three more at the very minimum, and Flynn told me you can draw runes.”
Damn, Flynn. Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut?
“Don’t blame him,” Lou towered over him. “It was just a hunch from his stories until you confirmed it with your reaction.”
Fuck!
“I’ve also seen you Meditate earlier by the ring. Adding Swordsmanship, the boosting skill and Swimming, which you also just confirmed, that makes sixteen or more skills. And it would be strange if you’d already mentioned every skill in your status.” Lou inched even closer and grabbed the amulet on his neck. The necklace must have fallen outside his shirt during his impromptu bath.
“What’s this, is the pendant enchanted?” The metal wouldn’t reveal any secret, but its effect would become apparent if he took it off.
“I—” Kai grasped for Improvisation but was silenced with a warning glance.
“I thought your Swordsmanship was weirdly high for a mage apprentice. Certainly higher than someone at the beginning of Orange should have.” Lou looked at him with a silent threat. “I hope there is an explanation for all of this, I really do. Why did you lie? Did you get involved with dangerous people?”
Kai had always known there was a brain behind those observant green eyes, but he underestimated Lou by a lot.
I think I’m fucked.
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Author's notes: Lou has always been a smart boy. I hope you enjoyed the fat chappie :)
Happy Holidays everybody, see you on Thursday!
Comments
Invalid Entry
Didn’t underestimate him by too much, he still seems to have bought the party line. He’s even in their super secret operator training program. Hope Kai puts him in his place about the republic if that’s where this is going.
Louise jordan
OK so all the f these characters are really unlikable. I find this just to be bullying
Vamsi Yerraguravagari
Well Lou should be a pure swordsman unlike kai who branched out. Still Kai did not use all his skills. With just pure swordsman ship, it makes sense as kai only trained for a few hours per day. The person who trained Lou probably would not be that far from elijah in levels if I assume.
da Finnci
I think Lou just noticed how Kai was lot better at fighting than an island kid with some alchemy training should be. So when he tries to mentally map out Kai's skillset he noticed that the amount of skills was more than Orange 1 allows (max number of skills only grows with race grade and profession). The aggression might just be an interrogation tactic, putting pressure on the suspect and so on... or maybe he is really just upset because of the breach of trust
“You’ve mentioned Running and five other skills while we trained earlier." - what are the 5 skills that he mentioned ? From what I read only running is missing from his skills list that he mentioned to his friends, and for alchemy he has only another skill - herbology. His skills are not "illegal", his only skill that can be problematic is his "blessed swimming" that he got from local spirit/god. Even if all the interactions that he had with his friends, was made public, the only conclusion that can be made is that he is somewhat of a genius, and thats it. Why is Lou so agressive against him ?
Louis Cypher
Ooh, never considered that. I’m guessing he has a Footwork skill.
Andrea Pozzi
Just because Kai didn't use any skill other than Swordmanship. Lou might have trained and gained unique skills for swordplay
Thaabit Rivertree
I mean he told them he learned alchemy and is working as an alchemist, and an alchemy teacher is equally rare/unusual, and likely to be powerful. No one blinked at him learning alchemy. It's probably a safe assumption the teacher from the mainland, so it feels like Lou is jumping to assumptions based on assumptions here and acting hostile feels out of sync.
Thaabit Rivertree
I think he just doesn't want to burden them with how difficult his life was. He did tell them about the pirate attacks when it became relevant. If the nature of his father's death became relevant, I don't think he'd hide it or put in much if any effort into hiding. It means telling them about the famine and would lead to a whole conversation he probably didn't want to have when just meeting them. That's my guess at least.
Louis Cypher
So Lou is stronger and faster than Kai despite being an entire race grade lower? Is it purely because he’s further into puberty than Kai is? It seems strange to me.
Fuyge
I think his suspicions are based on that he is this powerful. How did he get that powerful? Some mysterious benefactor is kinda suspicious. What’s more likely he got support by the voice or actually found a decent mentor on an archipelago where only the strongest reach yellow?
Fuyge
He doesn’t. He has improvise, but that’s not a magical See the future and know exactly what to say. All it does is help him come up with an understandable and good excuse. Also a bit of acting. It does not help him determine who’s an ally.
Fuyge
After all that’s happened I am sure the governor has told them to watch out for the rebels. I don’t think it’s necessarily weird but for them it might be. I mean who trained him for example? Him being involved with the rebels is the most likely answer from their perspective.
Fuyge
I think it’s because he doesn’t know how they will react and still wants to be friends. I mean just look at how they reacted when they talked about the raid. They didn’t believe him at first about how many died. I’m not even sure they believe him now.
Roxanne
This sort of bugs me, So if someone could explain it to me I would appreciate it. Why did Kai not tell them about how his life really was and how the Republic treated them? He is not saying he is a rebel.
SAB
Based on how genuinely excited and happy they were after reuniting I couldn't disagree more. Their joy for each other was not written as fake or a show.
Doubledoor
Ah, but that's the thing, he isn't a friend, he just was one when Lou was little. It just seems more significant to Kai because he was a lot older mentally then the others. They would probably give up Kai to the republic with only minor amounts of guilt if they found significant reason to.
SAB
Ehh...you're suggesting that Lou's hostile behavior is like "overly aggressive caring" or something? Who their right mind treats a suspected victim like that?
James N Mueller
I think he's suspicious that Kai is being abused. Kai disappears, his dad dies, he's got a work contract as an 11 year old and he has weirdly high combat skills as a child that isn't in a republic training program. He also refuses to take off his shirt, which would imply bruises or scars or something.
James N Mueller
Not just hours, Lou can dedicate slots. Kai has multiple dedicated slots for magic. When he casts a water spell he's using the water magic skill, but also mana sensing and manipulation. Lou might even be lower in sword skills but have tactics, footwork or something else.
James N Mueller
Yeah, Kai is a mage trainee more or less. He has a single Sword skill and it's one of his lower skills. Lou is a lower race grade but it looks like one of those cases of a 4'9" 11 year old vs a 5'9" 12 year old, and it's implied that the extra mass does more than a minor race grade here. Lou could easily have a sword skill that's 10+ higher than Kai, as well as skills for footwork or other things. In a real fight Kai wins trivially by fighting defensively until you can cut Lou's head off with a water blade.
SAB
@Thaabit Well said. @Doug The problem is Lou's sudden and extreme hostility and demand (instead of request) for an explanation. Even frustrated for a legitimate reason, real friends shouldn't act like that. My guess is that Lou will be revealed as a government stooge, otherwise it's just illogical behavior.
Thaabit Rivertree
I mean it makes sense he lost if Lou's main focus is on swords and Kai didn't use empower at all. That means if he used empower and magic on top of that he'd almost surely come out on top.
Thaabit Rivertree
Suspicious of what though? The sudden hostility doesn't mele sense. Frustration and suspicion, sure, but Lou is not acting like a friend here. I don't think anyone would expect someone they haven't seen in many years to just spill every detail of their strengths. It's normal to keep things private and close to the chest. Its considered rude to ask people about these things, is it not? I could understand feeling a bit offended internally, but acting on it like that just feels extreme.
Cat Man
I never said he had to tell them. I said he shouldn’t have lied, Kai even explicitly reflects on this in the chapter. Lou’s reaction is perfectly reasonable, how the fuck else are you supposed to respond to someone obviously lying to your face regardless of what it is? my opinion by leveling the accusation in a way that gives Kai a way to explain himself Lou handled it properly. Hell he was even still reasonable after Kai tried to double down on lying when first called out which from anyone’s perspective looks horrendous.
Thaabit Rivertree
Underplaying your strength and abilities isn't lying your ass off. They know he's an alchemist and had a special tutor he chose over the republics program. Everything else he hid to protect himself and his family from the attentions of the government forcing their way into his land his families life.
Thaabit Rivertree
Because he already acknowledged that he can't trust his friends to keep that secret, even if they want to? Because these are people he doesn't truly know and they might be in the republics pocket?
Thaabit Rivertree
Them sussing him out is very different from being treated like a criminal
Thaabit Rivertree
I disagree. Friends don't treat friends like that. Just because he kept some of his strength back doesn't warrant Lous extreme reaction. Feels like Lous accusing him of some heinous crime. Everyone has the right to keep secrets. They may feel a bit bad about it, but at the end of the day, it's his and his family's security and safety on the line. Why would he jeopardize that for four people who he doesn't really know and might be in the republic's pocket? Makes absolutely zero sense.
Thaabit Rivertree
Yeah, I don't understand his reaction. He seems very suspicious in a hostile/negative way. I mean is it a crime to hold back some of your strength? It feels like he thinks Kai did something extremely bad, illegal, or dishonest. It doesn't feel like he has the same trust and fondness towards Kai that Kai had for his friends. I don't get what's motivating that reaction, unless he is on some weird power trip where no one is allowed to have secrets except for him, but that's a bit too simplistic for this story. You'd expect him to be curious but this isn't a friendly curiosity. Makes no sense and feels like he's accusing Kai of some heinous, unspoken crimes. Not to mention the unfriendliness of it. It's just weird.
Random Information
I agree with this. Lou's actions are over-the-top. Kai doesn't owe him any explanation. I hope Kai pushes back strongly, pointing out Lou's own secrecy issues.
Doug Wills
This person he hasn't seen in 7 years just showed up out of the blue. Lied to all of them for a couple of days. And in particular is hiding how strong he is. Any previous trust they had from their days as, *checks notes* 4 and 6 year olds, is obviously going to be broken by that. It's incredibly, ridiculously suspicious behavior.
Doug Wills
I don't think he's upset Kai has those skills. He doesn't like that he's been lying his ass off since the moment he found them.
James Faulkner
True, if he ends up being a republic spy then it’d be a brutal but pivotal moment for Kai if he has to kill him to keep his secret. Now you mention it him being part of the secret class seems pretty likely
dxpt12
I personally like it this way. Kai is a magic user and he would have definitely won with empower. I am a bit tired of the trope where the MC needs to be the best at every single thing and the story revolves around how great he is. So I really liked this fight personally. Kai is very obviously stronger and would easily win in a real fight. But I like that he has peers specializing in certain things that are better at him in that thing they specialize at. His loss only highlighted how strong he really is while simultaneously making Lou feel competent.
Kory Smith
True, but Lou was also part of the special class that can’t be talked about, meaning he’s likely less trustworthy than the others in Kai’s opinion
Eky
I expect Kai to be stronger with sword even without empower since he practise so much with it, and taught by an extremely powerful teacher. maybe my expectations were too high?
Derek Walker
I am not sure this complaint holds. Kai is quite clear he would win if he used Empower. Other than providing stats, his profession does not help in a sword fight since it's a mana profession. Lou's sword skill trumps all else because it's a sword fight. Is Kai supposed to have all his orange skills higher than all his peers, who each dedicate their training to one task? Having one very talented peer have a single skill higher than him, and the duel, by stipulation, decided based on that skill, does not mean Kai is not OP.
Anthony Goh
Hi, firstly Lou is Abt slightly over 2 years older. And his stats have 2 more years to train. Secondly if he specialises in sword training, he can spend many hours training in it while Kai has to spread his training with swordsmanship, magic and alchemy. Thirdly, author mentions that Lou is much larger due to puberty. It appears puberty leads to an increase in physical stats which makes sense. In fact I think kai's swordsmanship skills are already top notch considering that he has to spend so much time on other stuff
Eky
Kai's lost to an adult hunter. Even Kai is trained in human to human combat for years and hunter is only an animal-chasing expertise. Even they are at the same race level. Reason being hunter is adult and had a profession. Kai's lost to Lou. Forget the fact that Kai spent years honing his sword skills and had a profession, Lou's specialization in swords apparently trumps all. Let's not overlook the crucial detail that Lou lacks a profession. Age is not convincing in a world of magic, race levels, skill levels. Author must be on a mission to humble Kai and remind everyone that he's not as OP as they thought. Because it's totally normal for the protagonist to lose fights they're expected to win. One can't help but wonder if Kai's teachers are just a bunch of phonies or if powerful and special mentors are as common as dirt in the mainland. Is Kai really that untalented, or are his supposedly OP teachers just not cutting it? Two highly anticipated, mega hyped-up battles, turned into disappointing spectacles..
Dominic French
I wonder what exactly Lou is afraid he's right about? Is it really that weird to keep your skills and stats to yourself. Being stronger than you show really isn't a betrayal.
Caleb Reusser
This is were Kai asks a simple question, why do I have to tell you anything? What gives you the right to forcible interigate me? Because that is what Lou is doing. That is not a friends behavior. Friends don't force friends to share secrets.
Roxanne
Enjoying the story. I feel Kai would be more mature, but wines, pouts, gets mad and is a emotional rollercoaster. Does he have a skill that helps him say the right thing? I am not sure if I remember that correctly. Because if he does, he sure has never used it. Hoping that Lou and the group will be allies.
mehmed zepcan
Hell ya it's annoying
mehmed zepcan
First thanks for the chap cap and second The fuck are you questioning me after years apart you cocky dip fuck is my answer to that end Jesus Christ idve given him a good water smack to the face.
James Faulkner
We love competent characters, as long as Lou isn’t a republic toady lol. This could be perfect, considering Lou seems too smart to fall for blanket indoctrination
Andrew
Thank you!
Andrea Pozzi
thanks, fixed :)
Kris Boxall
Kai’s already learned the lesson that lying to people you actually care about is bad with his sister, now he has to learn it again with his friends? It just feels repetitive
SAB
I can understand Lou being frustrated that he's been lied to, but what makes him think he's entitled to an explanation? His sudden and extreme hostility is very off-putting and not how an actual friend would behave.
George R
Awesome fight, awesome ending
David
I was hoping it wouldn't be a cliffhanger for the holidays, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Thanks for the chapter!
Ananiash
Wut?
Ananiash
How?
jdog
Why is it any of Lou’s business what skills Kai has and why immediately move to a threatening attitude?
Derek Walker
Lou mentioned runes and alchemy needed several support skills. Did Kai have those and then dropped them, or did he skip having to get them. I don’t recall
Aidan Geverdt
I’m glad kai got beat by Lou.
Broseph
This chapter was awesome. I felt like doing a double-take when Kai was caught. Plot armor? Where?
mechanizedbush
Cool chapter! I would be mad too if my friend was lying about his abilities and was a lot stronger than he should be at his age. There were a few small things: "heavy breath" -> "heavy breathing"? "been a little more" -> "been little more" "gone up a level in," -> "gone up a level," "friendly sparring" -> "friendly spar" "limited to defend" -> "limited to defending" "Fending the barrage" -> "Fending off the barrage" "but enough to force" -> "but it was enough to force" "he could only accept" -> "He could only accept" "was silence" -> "was silenced"
wanderer117
One of the challenges of lying, keeping track of who knows what as well as what you think is actually true. Flynn could give Kia tips but really I don't think any of us want him to get better at lying.
wanderer117
Expectant gazes stared at him, Kai could feel them bury in his back. should be Expectant gazes stared at him, Kai could feel them burrowing into his back. Fending the barrage of attacks, Lou began to press him with strikes of his own. should be Fending off the barrage of attacks, Lou began to press him with strikes of his own. His arms and shoulders burned with protests for the harsh treatment. should be His arms and shoulders burned with protests from the harsh treatment. Lou left out an awkward chuckle and dragged the twins away. should be Lou let out an awkward chuckle and dragged the twins away. Lou will be really mad if I hurt further. should be Lou will be really mad if I'm hurt further. he could only accept his unjust fate as the sea grew nearer. should be He could only accept his unjust fate as the sea grew nearer. Lou dragged where they’d left their bags closer to the palm trees. should be Lou dragged him to where they’d left their bags closer to the palm trees. Kai grasped for Improvisation but was silence with a glance. should be Kai grasped for Improvisation but was silenced with a glance.
0gain
Well, really sounds like Lou is a dog of the Republic. Searching for enemy’s and now suspects Kai. He should tell him, that he just didn’t want them to feel inadequate after they bragged about the awesome Program :D
Derek Walker
How old are his friends again? And Lou seems in the tank for the republic. Isn’t it normal not to fully show one’s skills in this world. Or if not normal it’s not rude to do so?
Hobbity Bobbity
This is my favorite story. Thanks. Wonder why Lou cares so much.
Stephen Pearson
Thanks for the chapter! Not sure why Lou is acting so ominous at the end, he's not entitled to know everything about his friends, and neither is the Republic. That said, I'm not sure why Kai doesn't just explain that his nightmare is to be forced into service of the powerful (who like to keep their valuable assets), and he doesn't want to work for the Republic, so he's trying to stay unnoticed.
Thaabit Rivertree
Yeah, not a fan of the apparent themes the last few chapters focusing on Kais resentment and constantly getting controlled, limited, and basically forced into submission by everyone around him who thinks their better. It made sense as a child, but for someone living independently now, it just rubs the wrong way.
MeYouIt
Yeah, glad he is getting punished for thinking he could get away with lying to them. Lou is sharp, but I think the others would also have seen through the lies given time. He should have either committed to trusted them, or kept his distance. This will hopefully be a good leason without too steep a price.
Mohammed Sheekh
if y'all wanna watch a crazy sword fight, search " Arthur dayne sword fight" on YouTube he almost clutched a 4 v 1
Thaabit Rivertree
Why is Lou suddenly threatening Kai? Is it illegal to be so good? I don't think this sounds like Lou, but then again, I guess we really don't know who he is or what he's loyal to. Kai is still orange though, it's not like he has any more skills than he let on, besides his profession which is mostly about amplifying his ability to learn. Kai should be fine to push it off as the result of an overzealous teacher. Not every skill needs a Skill. Hell you can learn specific elemental magic without even having the skill for it. I mean does meditating require a skill slot to do? No, I'm pretty sure anyone can do that with enough practice. Besides, not like Kai is pressing Lou for all his secrets. I'm going to be pretty upset if Kai just spills all his secrets without demanding the same from Lou. Kai doesn't owe Lou anything, no matter what the guy suspects.
Kris Boxall
Yeah haven’t liked these last couple chapters lying was dumb
xxmaniaxx2019
The cat is out of the bag.
Doggos R. Puppers
Damn detective Lou is on the case
Honestly these last few chapters have felt a little odd. Especially the implied threat from lou at the end. What the hell does he think that kai has/hasnt done? Does he think hes part of the rebels? And if he does what would he do? Based on lous character, and kais, the last interaction just feels way off. Could just be me and im still definitely going to keep reading, its just felt like theres been a disconnect somewhere. Anyway Merry Christmas, dont take my rambling for anything other than rambling
Ratoo
Kai needs to practice thinking more long term. Expecting to just lie and use Improvisation to his friends who are who also being training by the Republic is doing them a disservice. No adult to child social dynamic to help shield him here. Good chapter!
Cat Man
Natural consequence of flagrantly lying to people who implicitly trust you, he should’ve seen this coming lol. Glad they uncovered this quickly though rather than him hiding his abilities becoming a drawn out thing.
Merry Christmas everyone
Malcolm Haynes
First! TFTC! And Merry Christmas!
