“Nothing, young master,” Osric quickly responded, turning his attention back to the fight, all the while munching on his peanuts.

‘It appears this kid possesses very good senses. Not only did I hide my hand so that no one could see when I flicked the nut, but I also purposely controlled the amount of aura in the peanut so it wouldn’t be noticed by anyone. With psion as the energy source, it should have been extremely difficult to detect it. I’m impressed.’

Elysian just grinned mischievously and did the same, watching the battle ahead and continually eating his nuts while occasionally flicking them at the same spot when the old man’s attention was occupied. At first, there were no changes to the fracture, but as he kept doing it, the cracks became more pronounced without anyone noticing. Except for Osric, of course, who was awkwardly munching on his food, pretending not to know anything.

After Yorick was sent flying, he slowly got up, biding his time as the old man focused his attention on his forces. Seizing the right opportunity, he swiftly attacked the barrier again without anyone noticing. Well, it wasn’t entirely true, since the mercenary suddenly appeared in front of the young soldier when he was so close to the barrier. Like before, Yorick was sent flying to the back.

“I’ve already told you, you can’t do that,” Jareth said loudly so that everyone could hear. “Why don’t you just lay there and relax until the time is over?”

Witnessing their leader being bullied like a helpless child, the soldiers' faces darkened, their spirits sinking in the face of the seemingly insurmountable mountain before them.

Gazing upon their defeated expressions, the mercenary couldn’t contain his amusement, savoring the hopelessness and desperation on their faces.

“The old man has become frighteningly fast. He is a remarkably skilled warrior,” Bran praised, completely captivated by the mercenary’s prowess. Glancing at the younger boy, he asked, “Young master, if I train really hard, will I reach his level?”

Seeing the admiration and determination in his eyes, Elysian smiled and declared, “Don’t worry, my friend. I will make you one.” Chuckling suddenly, he turned to the battle and confidently stated, “Listen, both of you. My name will echo throughout the whole of Creation and stand among the strongest. People will utter my name with awe and fear, and stories of my legend will be retold for thousands of years. As my companion, you won’t just be as good as that old man; you will surpass him. I won’t allow anything less. If necessary, I’ll drag both of you to greatness.” Pausing to imagine the future, he grinned widely, pleased with what he saw. “Follow my lead and confidently walk beside me towards a brighter future.”

Both of his companions nodded with fire and ambition in their eyes. As if following a practiced routine, the trio casually munched on peanuts together while watching the fight once again.

Yorick slowly stood up. Unlike the other soldiers, however, his face did not show any anguish or misery. Surprisingly, he was even grinning as he faced the mercenary. “B*stard, we’re the soldiers of Ironspire! I’ll never give up! We’ll never surrender. So, do your worst, because we will fight until the end!”

Witnessing their leader’s newfound vigor and determination, a resounding shout echoed from all the soldiers, instantly transforming their dejected expressions into a fierce fighting spirit.

Quietly watching from the sidelines, Cedric nodded proudly at his soldiers. Win or lose, he knew that this would be a valuable experience for them. The lessons learned today might be the difference between life and death when they fight a real war or face monsters like this old man.

Glancing to the side, Cedric frowned when he noticed Elysian just sitting there, doing nothing but munching on his peanuts. He couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. For a moment, it even entered his mind that the boy had reverted back to his old self again, which would be a huge disappointment since he had been doing great.

Elysian caught the commander’s eye, studying him. Turning to Cedric, he grinned, tossing a small pack of peanuts his way. “Catch!”

Taking the small pack from the air, Cedric examined it and saw nuts inside. Furrowing his brow, he asked, “What’s this for?”

“It’s peanuts. You know, the snack. You eat it,” Elysian responded, flashing a grin.

“I know!” Cedric said, scowling at being treated like an idiot. Sighing, he immediately stopped himself from talking when he saw the boy turning back to the battle once again. Shaking his head in frustration, he opened the pack and started eating, determined not to let the annoyance get to him. Observing the boy once again, he smiled, realizing that the young noble did not revert back to his old self. Glancing at the hourglass on the other side, he noticed that it’s already a third of the battle. It wasn’t early, but there was still enough time for Elysian to enter the fight. Watching the battle once again, he was now excited to see what the scoundrel was planning.

“Squad one, column!” Yorick barked, swiftly moving behind the shield bearer as they formed up. “Squad two, split into two groups, and go to the flank! Squad three, with me, maintain a loose formation.”

“That’s the spirit,” Jareth said, chuckling at the young soldier's persistence. “I would’ve been disappointed if you’d given up that easily.”

The soldiers advanced slowly, with squad one at the front and squad two at the flank. Behind them were the loosely formed squad three, while Yorick was at the center, protected from all sides.

“Good strategy,” Elysian stated, nodding his head in approval.

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“Why do you think so, young master?” Osric inquired, looking at the younger boy with curiosity.

“Yorick had realized that only an aura could break through that barrier. Among them, he's the only one who can use an aura,” Elysian remarked. “It would’ve been good if Sybil was here. It would’ve greatly lightened the load on his shoulder. Now, his only choice was not to engage but to attack the barrier directly. Engaging the old man in a skirmish would only waste his energy. If he can't use his aura anymore, this battle is lost.”

“But you can also use an aura, young master,” Osric remarked, looking at him seriously. Even the usually impassive servant looked at him, his eyes widening in shock at the surprising information.

Elysian simply chuckled, choosing not to respond to the statement. He nonchalantly flicked another peanut towards the crack, now more pronounced than ever.

Jareth went on the offensive, attacking the very center of the formation. Squad two and a portion of squad one quickly moved diagonally towards the center, attempting to encircle the old man. While the two squads were moving, Yorick, surrounded by the loosely positioned squad three, hastily moved diagonally to the left before shifting swiftly to the barrier.

Anticipating Yorick’s movement, Jareth immediately stepped backward as both flanks tried to trap him. With his speed, he easily evaded them. Escaping the encirclement, he went directly to intercept their leader. Before he could do anything, squad three moved to block his path. Due to their loose formation, Jareth could only attack one soldier at a time, making it harder to stop the determined Yorick. As he was about to reach his target, their elusive enemy disappeared again, appearing like a phantom in front of Yorick.

With a maniacal grin, Jareth playfully quipped, “As I’ve told you again and again, you can’t do that!”

“Young master, did he just move even faster?” Osric inquired, the shock clear on his face, watching Yorick being sent flying like before.

“Yes, he did,” Bran answered casually, instead of the young noble who was silently studying the movements of the old man. “And he’ll only get faster.”

“That’s simply ridiculous,” Osric stated, his eyes widening at the revelation. “Can we even win? If this continues, we’re all in trouble.”

The fighting continued as before. Yorick rallied his forces, leading them from one assault to another with better strategy each time. Jareth managed to overcome all of it quite easily with his physical superiority; each time, his speed seemed to be elevated to a new level. Even though it seemed hopeless, they still fought valiantly, squeezing every drop of their stamina to fight.

“Both of you, get ready,” Elysian suddenly commanded, his face looking serious and somber at the challenge ahead. “We’ll enter the fray soon.”

Both of his companions turned to the young noble, anxiety clear on their faces, when it dawned on them, the monster they had to confront.

“Young master, do we have to?” Bran asked with worry evident in his voice.

“Why? Do you want to give up without even fighting?” Elysian questioned, frowning at the response he got. Turning to his other companion, he asked, “Do you also share the same opinion?”

“No, of course not, master,” Osric replied, his tone lacking conviction and confidence. “I will always follow what you command.”

Snorting at their response, he remarked, “Just earlier, you had the nerve and ambition to be as strong or even stronger than that old man, but now, you’re doubting yourself before even fighting. Seriously? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Both of his companions just stayed quiet while they stared at the floor, feeling regret for their actions.

Sighing upon seeing their depressed faces, he said, “I know many things in this world are scary. However, it’s your reaction to that fear that will determine who you’ll become—either a bitter craven or a proud warrior, admired by many.”

Looking at their lord with renewed fervor, both of them nodded, full of fighting spirit. After receiving their instructions, they stood up and grabbed their preferred weapons—two short swords for Osric and one steel staff for Bran.

Noticing the sudden movement to the side, Jareth smiled and asked, “Are you finally making your move, young master?” Glancing to the hourglass, he noticed that the battle was nearly coming to an end. “Are you a little late, though? There isn’t enough time for you to change the outcome of this fight.”

Elysian did not respond. He just did what he’d done before, watching the fight and munching on his peanuts. However, if you looked closely, you could see that his face had now grown even more serious, and his eyes had a dangerous edge on them.

While all the soldiers were now on the ground, heaving from exhaustion, Bran and Osric moved from the opposing flanks, converging to the center and executing a pincer attack.

Jareth chuckled, curious to see what the kid was planning. Not waiting to be attacked from both sides, the mercenary decisively went for Bran first.

Seeing the old man going for him, Bran panicked and attacked immediately with all he had, even though his enemy was out of range.

“Boy, where do you think you’re hitting?” the mercenary jeered, grinning as the staff missed him completely.

Instantly recovering from his panic, Bran recalled the instructions of his master.

~ ~ ~

“The old man will attack you first; make sure he’s in front of you. When he’s within range, immediately hit him with an overhead strike. Make sure to put all your strength into that attack,” Elysian ordered.

“What if I miss my attack?” Bran inquired, feeling quite nervous about what he had to do.

“It doesn’t matter if you hit him or not,” Elysian replied. “Your main goal is hitting the ground with everything you have. After you attack him, he will attack your left, which is his right side. Brace yourself for the strike by pressing your staff on the ground so that you won’t be thrown back. To mitigate any injuries, use your shoulder as a shield. After withstanding the attack, immediately sweep your staff towards him with as much dust and soil as you can. Do you follow?”

“Yes, young master,” the servant responded, nodding his head.

~ ~ ~

Just as Elysian predicted, the mercenary went to his right and attacked Bran’s left side. Knowing what the old man had intended to do, the boy managed to defend himself from the attack. Following his master’s words to the letter, he pressed his staff on the ground to help him stay still in his position while using his shoulder as a shield to mitigate any injury. Despite doing all that, he was still knocked back a few feet from his position. Gritting his teeth from the pain, he immediately swept up his staff for an attack. The old man grinned widely, enjoying himself as he dove downward, easily dodging the strike; however, his face was instantly met with dust and soil, making him scream from pain and surprise.

“You f*cking b*stard!”