Chapter 381 - 173 Kael: Every First Time is Sacred (10K, 75/76)_6

Even the Holy Briania valued the Bartlet Monarch in part because they needed manipulation mages to exert psychological influence over their followers.

Without sufficient resources, how could one possibly nurture a top-tier mage?

The amount of resources and the strength of one’s spells are directly correlated. In an environment generally unfavorable to manipulation mages, it was truly difficult for the Bartlet Monarch to reach such heights.

Kael intended to have a good conversation with this Bartlet Monarch later.

But soon he noticed something unusual.

"Elanna, it looks like those halflings haven’t given up yet!"

Elanna nodded. She had naturally seen the look in the halflings’ eyes. Clearly, regardless of the outcome, they wanted to establish some presence in this visit.

Kael did not hide his voice at all, laughing as he said to Elanna,

"Remember when I told you that there would always be some who wanted to show their presence? When they find that they can’t beat the older generation, they try to find it in us."

"Elanna, what should we do about such people?"

Elanna said without any restraint, "Just make sure that those who dare speak loudly are beaten until they shut their mouths."

"Indeed, instead of talking so much, it’s better to have a good fight. I am also curious to see if any genius among the halflings would be worth watching... It can’t be a gnome representing them, can it?"

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These words angered both groups, but Kael was fearless.

Rangers needed more effort to temper their strength, and selecting suitable opponents within controlled limits was the best way to train through battle.

He wished for the storm to come even more fiercely!

Perhaps due to Kael’s arrogant display, the young halflings’ eyes flashed with anger.

Originally, they found this human quite amiable, but now they thought, such a human should be chained, locked in a dark room, his dignity trampled upon, begging for their mercy.

Soon, a young halfling showed a look of confusion on his face, then came to an abrupt realization, looking at Kael with some fear.

What had just happened? Usually, when facing such an arrogant opponent, he would relish slicing them to pieces with his dagger.

But at that moment, he felt not a desire to kill but a desire to humiliate. He realized instantly that he was probably under manipulation.

"A spell?"

Instinctively, he checked his mental barrier, only to find no disturbances. He quickly concluded otherwise.

So that’s how it is. An incubus bloodline, huh?

What an exquisite means of charm, twisting his perception unnoticed. If not for his deep understanding of his nature, he might not have realized the problem at all.

His gaze towards Kael darkened with fear.

He tried to summon his mental state to arouse strong killing intent toward Kael, thinking of brutally murdering him.

But he grew more terrified.

For he discovered he still couldn’t summon any killing intent towards Kael. This meant even though he knew his problem, he couldn’t escape this person’s control.

Upon realizing this, he sighed quietly, patting his friend, saying, "Wusi, the upcoming battle will have to be left to you all."

The halfling named Wusi froze for a moment, then shouted angrily, "Ludi, you wanted to defeat those humans to gain glory for yourself and your family. Why are you backing down now?"

Ludi glanced around, noticing they had yet to grasp the seriousness of the situation, and patted his friend’s shoulder, sneering,

"This is the last time I call you brother. I can only tell you, I won’t fight a battle I can’t win. If you wish to become a stepping stone for him, do your best!"

With that, he said no more, stepping into the blinding midday sunlight.

Wusi frowned, then ignored it. He knew well what he faced now, needing a highly praised victory to possibly inherit the family’s honor.

This battle he would not retreat from. Whether winning or losing, he had to gain enough recognition from his kin through these humans.

Thinking of this, he sighed.

He had always considered Ludi his competitor for inheriting the family. Their families had old grievances, and once he became family head, any past friendship would be gone.

So, his action just now directly forced Ludi into a desperate situation.

He wasn’t stupid. Noticing the subtle changes in Ludi’s mentality, he guessed immediately. Then, by reasoning backward, he perceived Kael’s deeply hidden transcendent charm.

Knowing Ludi’s unspoken secret, he opportunistically dealt a blow to his friend. With this, their brotherhood ended, and Ludi bore the shame of cowardice.

It was an extremely risky move.

If he couldn’t defeat Kael in the coming battle, not only would he fail to inherit the family’s position, but he’d also lose a friend forever.

But he did not choose to retreat.

"Maybe this is my one and only chance in life..."

He murmured in his heart.

As long as he could defeat that man. No, he must defeat that man! Just a mere manipulation mage!

Even the Bartlet Monarch was imprisoned by Holy Briania for three years. Must I not have a chance against a junior like you?

Unfortunately, this young man never considered, Holy Briania’s victory didn’t guarantee his own.@@novelbin@@

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