At the time of the fresh blood contest, in the capital of the Jade Wind Kingdom, an army of thousands, beside the red banners, was staring in the direction of the capital with sharp eyes, completely silent.

In front of this army stood seven men. On their horses, they were extremely quiet and calm. There was no worry or fear on their faces. They looked extremely honest, upright, and brave.

Twenty meters in front of these seven people, there were seventy stakes. They were all lined up ten meters apart. A head hung above them all. These were the heads of the resisting nobles. Some of them had been cut off for a long time and started to rot and became worms. Above heads, red fluffy crows circled the sky. The smell of blood had drawn them in.

Twenty meters from the seventy piles, there were seven more piles. These seven piles also had heads on their ends. But unlike the others, although these heads had different facial features, you could tell they were descended from the same family because of their blond hair and blue eyes. Moreover, they all had crowns decorated with gold and various precious stones on their foreheads. These were the princes the kingdom had sent to gain experience as governors.

Thedo thought they were all respectable people. Because none of them escaped, they fought to the end. They didn't have the luxury of escaping anyway, but it was still worthy of respect as they died on the battlefield.

Thedo rode five meters ahead with his horse. He aimed his sword at the capital. The capital's huge walls were surrounded by a blue-transparent light. The sorcerers called it the great bodyguard formation.

When activated, it would envelop the entire capital at seven points, uniting it, embodying magic. This would cause a spell-like shield to appear. There was a small formation in each of the seven spots. These formations were fed with soul stone. If the soul stone was depleted, the Shield's power would also be depleted.

It was a true third-level magician who did this. Therefore, Thedo did not have the luxury of breaking him. All he could do was have them keep it open all the time and wait for the soul stones to run out.

Still, he knew it would take a long time. Because what could be more than money in the capital?

The food inside was enough for a month or so. Soul stones were also the same.

Thedo was wearing the golden armour that William had given him. Since this was a complete set, it was covered in gold from the arm guard to the foot guard. His weapon looked equally enormous.

On top of the walls stood a man of solid build, clad in golden armour. It was he who Thedo was pointing his sword at. Although his armour was of gold, it could not be compared to Thedo's. If you put the two side by side, you'd think one was a million-year-old piece of armour.

“ Cassdo! Hasn't your service to a useless king been enough since you were born?”

Thedo lowered his sword.

“Eventually, either your soul stone or your food will run out! Open the gates so that the blood of my citizens will not be spilt!”

“Whose citizen!” Cassdo answered angrily on the top of the walls with his hoarse voice. He thought he would retire after a few years. He wanted to quit being captain of the city guard and return to the western villages where he was born, to produce wine. Who knew he would face such a revolt just a few years before his retirement?

“Theo! You know how the rebels will end up! Drop your sword and surrender! The king has agreed to indulge you! Your son can become a duke and rule vast lands!”

“ Cassdo! You're an old fool! Listen to the voice of the people behind you, not mine!”

After Thedo released these sentences, loud cheers began to come from within the capital.

"Open the door!" “New King Thedo!” “Long live King Thedo!”

Cassdo turned and looked behind him, he could see thousands of people surrounded. These ungrateful people! They were cheering for him to open the door. He had told his men to surround them and be careful not to make a fuss.

Thedo 's statement, the people of the capital learned that the current king did nothing but just lay in his chair, ate what they had earned, and had sex with their daughters.

Thedo revealed the perversions committed in the palace one by one and put them before the public. The people could not stand these perversions of the court, the nobles and the ministers, and almost half of them went on strike in the capital.

Normally, the king had ordered genocide for these ordinary rebellious people, but this was avoided after consultation with Cassdo and other ministers. Because the people were not yet armed at this time, they were just starting to talk. If committing this genocide would cause the remaining half of the people to take up arms, the capital would certainly be conquered in one day.

Cassdo, on the other hand, was struggling with different thoughts within himself. If he opened the door now, Thedo would certainly forgive him. Because Thedo knew that he had taken an oath. To break his oath meant to inflict a punishment worse than death by his heart. He knew that if he didn't open the door, they would run out of soul stones first, and then their food while defending.

Now, her only recourse was the princes at the academy and the men they would recruit. Even if these men were ordinary villagers, he had enough men to counterattack in a distraction. His men were half the size of Thedo 's, and their level was certainly not superior to theirs. Only ten bronze rank men and the rest of their guards were iron rank. He was at a stalemate.

did not answer Thedo again and withdrew from the walls.

Thedo returned and ordered the soldiers to set up camp. Five hundred guards would be kept, just in case. It was a great siege. There was no point in attacking as long as the shield was there. In this way, they could not increase their soul stone usage. Moreover, he did not want to tire his men.

A few hours later, Thedo and the six others were inside a larger tent.

They all sat down and had some beers. Meanwhile, Theo asked.

“Tell me what William said, and what are these armours? You quickly handed it to us.”

Sora was among these seven people. He came across this question while sipping his beer. Some of the beer had gone into his lungs. He coughed for a while before he could speak.

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He then spoke in a slightly hoarse tone. “I couldn't keep up with your speed of conquest even with my horse. That's why I came so late, and all I could do was give it to you in a hurry.” He then said with a smile, “Sir, these are gifts from your son.” Said.

“From William? Where did this brat find these?" Thedo asked in surprise.

Sora respectfully replied. “I don't know where he got it, sir. He just said that these were Leslie's life equivalents.”

“Leslie's life? Did he do something stupid like being friends?" said Theo.

Thedo also seemed to remember something. “Youth does not pass without friends.” sighed and then continued.

“Did he say anything else?”

“Sir, he just said Leslie's life was worth it. He said he'd take care of the other princes."

“Will he handle them? William? He reached the bronze level?” ' asked Thedo.

“No, sir, but he was very close when I left. And it didn't look like he had used a potion. His reactions were extremely quick, he sensed that I was in his room and even attacked.” Said. There was some surprise on his face.

“ Haha! That brat is growing well. Let him do what he wants! Well, maybe it will surprise us?" Thedo spoke. He looked happy but had a hard time hiding the worry in the corner of his eyes.

Theo, on the other hand, showed his concern directly.

“Sora, go tomorrow. The competition ends in a few days. Don't interfere as much as you can, but don't hesitate to lend a helping hand if he encounters something he can't handle.” Said.

Sora immediately nodded in the affirmative. “Sir, I'm not saying it's your son, but he's an excellent warrior. I'm sure he'll get it done, but I'll still be there for help when needed."

"Okay, you'll be out at dawn tomorrow." He then turned to Pierce.

“Any news of the dark elves ?” he asked.

Pierce stood up and spoke like a classic soldier. "There is. They mentioned the good news in their letters. They said they would send some mages. A level one mage, one of whom has a space ability. They'll try to get past the shield, but we've been told not to get too hopeful." Said.

Theo nodded thoughtfully, then asked again. “How are things with the elf kingdom?”

“Sir, our friends have reported a complete conquest. They are currently trying to spread their culture and lifestyle. After all, the ordinary people there are very poor, moreover, there are too many slaves. Their priority is to reintegrate these people into society. I can say that they did not have any conflicts with the mage's tower, but on the contrary, they became close enough to say 'friends'.” Pierce spoke in one breath. He took a deep breath and sat back down.

Theo was happy with this news. “Let's hope they don't do anything wrong, we don't want them to further reduce our already limited elite manpower. By the way, how are things on the High Mountain Kingdom side?” He had posed the question to George.

George immediately put down the beer in his hand and began to speak in a calm, somewhat rude voice.

“There is no movement. They are afraid, but not of us. When they attack us, they are afraid that the elves will attack them from behind. They don't have enough men to defend both sides at the same time. They can only fight head-to-head with one of us. So they are ready to defend their castle, they are just waiting.” Said.

“Good, so we can focus on our work. At least we wouldn't worry about getting shot in the back."

“Yes sir, don't worry. I left enough soldiers at the border. I also sent the three barons to the border commanders' house personally.”

“ Hahaha! You did well! I'd like to see the expression on that stupid jerk's face when he sees the bald at home. I wonder if he's ever seen a severed head before?" said Theo. He laughed until tears came to the corner of his eyes.

George smiled too. “I don't think so, sir. The guy's been defending the border for twenty years, but he hasn't had a single success, not even a late failure. He's been holding that position for a long time just because his older sister is married to the king." His smile faded towards the end and was replaced by an angry expression. He could not stand those who rose in status without the need for merit.

Later, the daily news ended and they started a casual conversation. They were talking very cheerfully. Now and then they clinked beers and laughed loudly. It was as if it wasn't them who were rebelling right now, but someone else. An hour later, everyone left.

Only a map-covered table remained. All areas on the map were covered in green, except for one. The only red zone was the capital they were standing in front of right now. Laughing and amused, these seven men were trying to overthrow the tyrant that had ruled for centuries. 'Let history write them well.'

…

William nearly died or was about to die of boredom. Such competitions were supposed to be fun, or at least somewhat bloody, as he had heard and remembered. The only war that had ever spilled blood had been his own. Later, in the rounds he went out, he either won with a slap or the opponent gave up by guessing his strength.

The opponent he won with Slap was a lot of fun. He was smart enough to use several defensive techniques at once. These techniques slowed him down so much that they had a similar effect to the defensive technique William had just combined. Of course, he wasn't as good. Because with one slap from William, he flew like a fly across the arena. Due to his good defense, he was able to escape without serious injuries. He surrendered quickly, even thanking William for being gentle with her.

Now it was time for the semi-finals. The top ten were determined, with the top three remaining. Since only four had not been beaten before, the top four were clear, but they still had to compete among themselves.

Before moving on to the top four, rankings from five to ten would be determined.

Since the day was late, they decided to postpone the competition of the top four until tomorrow. The day was almost over, as the beginners had been fighting for so long. They couldn't finish today.

The rankings didn't catch William's attention, but as he watched, he sensed something had changed. The wars were getting longer now. Because the strength of the rest was almost too close to each other. Usually, the first to drop or give up loses.

William thought he couldn't stand the ordeal for so long, but when he wanted to leave, a teacher stopped him.

'Don't leave until the manager says it's over!' He sent her back to his seat. Merlon laughed and mocked him at this. Gradually he too was getting used to William.

The names of the last four were known. William, Leslie, Leylin, and Samyrna. The real two that stood out in this group were not William and Leslie, who were at war, but Leylin and Samyrna.

Leylin was an icy youth. He had long black hair and snake-like slanted eyes. He specialized in ice techniques, even freezing an opponent almost completely.

Samyrna was the opposite of him. Her face was always smiling. She had her long brown hair tied back. She used a shield and sword. Combined with her plant affinity, she looked like a goddess. Sure, she's a bit of a chubby goddess, but she was a very sweet girl, even though she was a little fishy. William wished he had a friend like her. Whenever he was depressed, a smile from her was all it took.

Thanks to her plant affinity, she was able to withstand long battles and heal herself. William realized for the first time how useful such a skill could be for a warrior. However, in terms of durability, it was not as superior as the people who used the earth element. Only when she was tired could she use a technique to paint himself green and hold on for a few more minutes at full strength.

Thus ended the first day of the competition at the academy. The Principal majestically announced that the final ranking would be determined tomorrow, and flew off. It was a perfect scene. William felt like he was watching Superman. Of course, he wasn't making a fist and pointing in front of him. The principal stands straight. He let the air push him as if he were weightless.

This was one of the advantages of being a gold rank. Although the movement technique and various other techniques decreased in number, they increased in terms of variety.

William went back to the cultivation room. He wasn't in the mood today, he didn't want to eat or chat. He just slept in his room to wait for the next day.

He came back to the arena the next day after having a nice meal. This time, the other seats in the arena had been removed. Inside the arena, there were seats reserved for the last four. William's was on the south side. He was seated immediately after entering the wide door. Opposite him was Leslie, to his left Leylin and his right Samyrna. The four of them were in a different corner, preparing themselves for the battle they were about to do.

A new platform was added to the audience area. On this platform were ten seats, different from those of ordinary spectators. All of them had numbers from 1 to 10 written on them. The last six seats were now occupied. The other four were waiting for their new owners.

And the teacher, who is the referee, explained the final rules for the semi-final match. After that, the first and second would be chosen quickly, and the third and fourth places would be decided according to how long they stood against their opponents.

William didn't know who his next opponent was, but he felt unlucky for him.

Finally, the teacher shouted at the Principal's arrival.

“First battle! William vs Leylin!”