Chapter 20: If you grow up, only your mouth will be useful, right?

Melina and her companions now found themselves in an open clearing on the outskirts of a forest.

After three days of adjustment, the lingering emotional knots between Sephilia and Melina had noticeably untangled, leaving no trace of unusual sentiment on either of their faces.

Moreover, during these three days, though their efforts were akin to a last-minute scramble (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘línshí bào fójiǎo,’ meaning to cram or make a hasty effort at the last moment), they had at least undergone some specialized training specifically for team combat.

All in all, they appeared to be little more than a makeshift troupe.

However…

The trio surveyed their surroundings, observing that a considerable number of people had already gathered.

Their outward appearances offered no obvious clues, but upon closer reflection,

Everyone here was participating in the youth division preliminaries, so who among them wasn’t a makeshift troupe themselves?

Yet, beyond their own group, other teams consisted of four or five members.

A team of three, such as theirs, was a relatively rare sight amidst the crowd.

Of course, according to the competition’s rules, only three members from each team would be permitted to enter the forest later.

‘Melo, did you ever participate in a competition like this?’

Melina quietly inquired through the Soul Network.

At present, Melo, in her form as a golden sword, hung at Melina’s waist.

She responded within the Soul Network, “My Lady, I met Radiance on the battlefield and completed my contract there.

In truth, I have been on the front lines for all these years, never returning to a city, much less participating in knightly competitions like this.”

Melina suddenly recalled something.

She had once fanatically collected all sorts of information regarding the Radiance Knight.

Naturally, the intelligence she managed to unearth was meager, consisting mostly of common, and not necessarily true, rumors.

However, the reports did mention that the Radiance Knight’s true name was unknown, and his past before the age of ten remained equally enigmatic.

It was only known that he seemed to be from Luocheng (TL Note: A city name), and after Luocheng was swallowed by the Abyss and transformed into a front-line battlefield, he had lived there ever since.

In other words, from the age of ten until now, the Radiance Knight had never once left the battlefield.

She wondered how such a young child had managed to survive in a brutal battlefield teeming with Void Demons.

As Melina recalled Melo’s past, her spirits momentarily dampened.

“My Lady, please do not feel sorrow for me.

A year after I contracted with Radiance, I reclaimed Luocheng and personally purged the Void Demon General who had invaded and destroyed it, thus completing my revenge.

Moreover, too much time has passed since then; I no longer harbor any feelings about it.”

Melo’s tone was remarkably calm, indeed betraying no discernible emotion.

Melina, sensing the impropriety of the topic, shifted the conversation to Melo’s later entry into the Knight Order.

While the two conversed within the Soul Network, an incident began to unfold outside.

Sephilia’s striking beauty, being far too exceptional, inevitably drew a great deal of attention.

Among these onlookers, there were bound to be a few individuals accustomed to lawlessness.

Such as the gray-haired man now standing before Sephilia.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with a face full of stubble, a broad back, and a sturdy build, towering over two meters tall.

Simply standing before Sephilia, he resembled a small mountain; even when she stood at her full height, she barely reached his chest.

Even more eye-catching was the sword strapped to his back, a weapon nearly as large as he was!

An oversized greatsword, like a door plank!

“Hey, where did this little kid come from to join the competition? Are you weaned yet? Does Uncle need to protect you? Look at you, all pitiful and small.”

The man’s tone was exceedingly flippant, and the mockery in his words utterly unconcealed.

As luck would have it, Sephilia was equally accustomed to a life of unrestrained defiance!

She tilted her head back, meeting the man’s eyes, yet the aura emanating from her was by no means weak.

A haughty smile played on her lips as she regarded the man with a contemptuous gaze. “Being tall doesn’t signify much, especially since there’s a creature in this world called a ‘giant baby.’ Do you need me to explain what these pathetic beings are? They’re just like you—a gi-ant ba-by. Pfft…”

At the end, she didn’t forget to let out an exaggerated laugh.

The towering man’s face instantly flushed crimson.

“You little brat, try saying that again, you goddamn—! Believe me or not, I’ll…”

‘Tsk…’ Sephilia said, an expression of impatience on her face. “Are you trying to scare me to death with that booming voice? You’re so tall, don’t tell me the only useful part of your entire body is your mouth?”

She glanced at the massive weapon strapped to the man’s back, then scoffed, “Look at you, all bluster.

You wouldn’t dare to actually fight, would you? You only act tough with your mouth in areas where private duels are forbidden, right? Huh?”

As she spoke, her hand swept to her waist, and the small hammer that had hung there like a mere ornament rapidly expanded with the wind, transforming into an exaggerated, long-handled warhammer!

Compared to the man, Sephilia indeed appeared incredibly petite, yet it was precisely her small stature that highlighted the savage ferocity of the warhammer she now hoisted onto her shoulder!

This stark contrast momentarily stunned the man before her.

“Hey, you big oaf, if you’re not convinced, fight me!”

Sephilia provocatively crooked a finger at the man, her eyes blazing with an intense battle intent!

“You… you… you little brat!”

The man’s face turned crimson with rage as he reached for the weapon on his back.

Just then, a hand gently pressed down on the man’s shoulder.

“Quiet.”

It was like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day.

Those two words alone instantly quelled the man’s agitated emotions.

“Andrew, do not succumb to their provocation.

Engaging in a private duel here will result in disqualification.”

A man, appearing much like a gentleman, materialized beside the towering man.

“But… but Sylvie, that little brat was the one who was going to strike first.”

“But she didn’t, did she?”

Sylvie glanced at Sephilia, who, upon seeing the tall man named Andrew being restrained, wore an expression of clear disappointment.

Sylvie gestured in a direction, and Andrew, following his gaze, spotted a woman with long, deep blue hair quietly observing them.

That was the Enforcer (TL Note: A peacekeeper or security officer), tasked with maintaining order.

Despite being a woman, no one here dared to underestimate her.

For she was the sole Enforcer present.

Evidently, she alone possessed the power to subdue everyone gathered there.

At her back, a sheathed long saber hung diagonally from her waist; that was likely her Spirit Weapon.

Thus, a conflict was averted before it could even begin.

Aside from Andrew, who had sought trouble and ended up humbled, everyone else had been thoroughly entertained, and Sephilia had sufficiently vented her spleen.

All in all, it was a cause for celebration.

‘Melo, do you know what the true forms of those Spirit Weapons are?’ Melina, who had refrained from getting involved, asked curiously through the Soul Network.

Melo replied, “The one Andrew carries on his back should be a [Rock Wall] (TL Note: A type of Spirit Race/Weapon).

This particular Spirit Race excels in defense, but… if you underestimate them, you could very well be crushed flat.

Hehe—”

As if recalling something amusing, Melo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“As for the long saber carried by the Enforcer, if my guess is correct, it should be a [Shining Spirit] (TL Note: A type of Spirit Race/Weapon).

They are very mysterious, and even rarer than the [Radiance] (TL Note: A type of Spirit Race/Weapon).

Besides that Enforcer, I’ve only ever seen three others, and without exception, all of them were identical, standardized long sabers.”

‘They sound incredibly powerful,’ Melina murmured almost unconsciously.

“Who’s powerful? That big oaf?”

Sephilia