The day after, Toby and Lukas came to the Adventurer Guild to get their silver tags.

“Here are your Silver Rank tags. Congratulations on becoming Silver Rank Adventurers.” The fox girl receptionist said with a bright smile.

“Thank you, miss… I’m sorry. I don’t think I have your name yet.” Toby said.

“My name is Anyanasta, but you can call me Anya.”

“Thank you, Anya. Have a nice day.”

“See you later, big sis Anya.”

“Goodbye and nice day to you two too.” She waved lightly.

Lukas put their bronze tags on the table before taking their silver tags. The boy couldn’t wait and wore his new tag right away. His tail wagged from side to side as he walked away from the counter with light steps.

“Someone happy.” Toby teased.

“Stop teasing me, big bro Toby,” Lukas said as he gave Toby his tag.

Toby looked at the silver tag that glinted in the guild's calm light before he wore it. He finally felt like he touched his limbs on Virelen's ground for the first time.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t take the Silver Rank test today. You forfeited our previous test; thus, you must wait a few days before we can arrange for another test.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE TAKING ANOTHER TEST?” The unwelcoming voice shouted behind them.

Oh come on, why does this troublesome guy keep on appearing around us all the time like flies like this? Toby thought as he shook his head. It was like there was some bad karma between them or something.

“Those fuckers can become Silver Ranks, but I have to wait?”

Somehow, Toby knew exactly who the dude was referring to. Toby thought as he used his flippers to block Lukas’s ears and stopped the boy from turning around. “Just keep walking, Lukas. You don’t have to care about this nonsense.”

Suddenly, Voss stormed toward Lukas and grabbed the boy’s shoulder.

“You are fighting me right now. I can accept the fucking turtle to be a Silver Rank. But YOU. You don’t deserve to be a Silver Rank.” Voss pointed at Lukas’s face as he spoke through gritted teeth.

Toby squinted his eyes at the guy. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to pull someone tongue out so badly.

“Sir,” Anya stood up from her seat. “If you want to cause trouble inside the hall, I’ll have to ask you to leave. If you don’t leave, I’ll have to call the guards.”

“Fuck you.” Voss pointed at Anya. “Fuck you too.” He pointed at Toby and Lukas. “Fuck all of you.” He pointed around the hall at everyone he could see. “All of you will regret treating me like this when I become the strongest and most famous Hero the world has ever seen. None of you will be able to look down on me with contempt, seer at me, or treat me like dirt anymore.”

Some raised one of their eyebrows with an amused look on their faces, some shook their heads, some scoffed at him, and some squinted with dangerous intent in their eyes. Yet all of them didn’t do anything. They simply stood and watched. All except one.

“My friend, why must your word carry so much hate? The world is a beautiful place, this is a wonderful city, and these are wonderful people. Don’t be like that.” Tootha stepped up from the crowd and tapped Voss’s shoulder. “Drink and sing, smile like you just saw the most beautiful lady in all the land.”

Voss slapped Tootha’s hand off his shoulder. “Don’t touch me, filthy vampire.”

“Ouch,” Tootha grabbed his chest. “Your words are like knives that are piercing my heart. So much pain.”

“How dare you mock me.” Voss pulled out his sword.

“I won't let you hurt an innocent and unarmed man,” Lukas stood in front of Tootha while spreading his arms.

“Then you will take his place.” Voss pointed his sword at Lukas.

"Ah, my young friend. I thank you for your bravery. You need not to worry about my safety. I am like a song in the wind, a blade of cold and heartless steel can not harm me." Tootha said as he bent his knees and hid behind Lukas.

“You want to challenge someone who just gained his Path? Very much heroic action, such mentality of a Hero. Wow.” Toby clapped.

“Shut your trap, you filthy animal.” Voss roared.

“I don’t have a trap. I have a mouth.” Toby pointed at his mouth. “See?”

“You…” Voss's sword trembled as he gritted his teeth with so much force that it was audible.

“If you want to see what a real Hero looks like, I’m lying on the head of one. He step up to protect someone even though he knows he most likely will get into trouble. Danger even. That's how a Hero should act. But you, a Hero? Please.”

“…What?”

“Big bro Toby, I don’t think you should provoke him like that.”

“You.” Voss stared at Lukas with bloodshot eyes. “What’s your Path?”

“Come one, tell him Lukas. You don’t have to be scared of a pathetic bully like this.”

“I…um…I have… the Hero Path.”

A few people in the crowd let out “ohhh” and “ahhh” like it was something amusing. In fact, Toby thought that it was super amusing since the dumbass, whose only worth was showing off his Path, met someone with the exact same Path. Someone he sneered at and used his Path against - as if it were the proof he was superior.

“Gahhhhhhhhhhhh.” Voss yelled so many veins were popping up on his slowly reddened face. “I challenge you to a duel to the death.” Voss pointed his trembling sword at Lukas.

“I’ll have to ask you to leave.” Eliot, Toby and Lukas’s proctor, showed up and told Voss.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“No.” Voss roared. “I will prove to you all that I’m the one who deserves to be a Hero. Not this mutt. Not this fucking child. Me. It’s not fair. I’ve been through so much, I suffered so much just to have this Path. And this mutt just shows up and gets the same result without doing anything? It’s not fair.”

Eliot sighed, "Look, kid, I will only ask you to leave one last ti…”

“I’ll allow this duel,” Elaria said as she walked down the stairs. “But a casual duel, not one to the death. There’s no duel to the death under my watch.”

“Guild Master.” Eliot, Anya, other guild’s workers, and most of the Adventurers tapped their hearts twice to greet her.

“Master? But… but… I only know how to swing my sword randomly. I haven’t learned sword-fighting technique yet.” Lukas looked at Elaria as if he wanted to beg her to get him out of this situation.

“I know,” Elaria smirked. “Follow me, you two will be dueling on the training ground.”

“Master Elaria, you can’t be serious, right?”

“I’m dead serious, tiny turtle.”

With one look in her eyes, Toby knew she wasn’t kidding. Ok, I did not think this would happen. Shit.

-----

In the back of the guild a bit later, Lukas and Voss stood inside one of the magic circles while the onlooker stood around them. There were a lot of people who came to watch them.

As the center of attention, Lukas and Voss were wearing white armor with swirling patterns like that of shells washed up on the shore sometimes. The armor also had long sleeves which made it felt like Lukas was wearing a shirt rather than armor with how soft and flexible it was. Their legs also had the same type of armor, and they looked like pants – with the same pattern and softness.

They looked like they were wearing their sleeping outfits rather than a dueling amor.

Master touched one of the stone slaps next to the training weapon rack and activated the magic circle. A transparent dome rose from the ground around Lukas and covered the magic circle.

“The rule is simple. If the armor you're wearing breaks, meaning you got mortally wounded, you lose. Once the victor is decided, the duel ends, and you must stop right away. Have I made myself clear?”

Lukas raised his greatsword high, “Yes, master.”

Voss didn’t answer. He gritted his teeth and pointed his sword toward Lukas.

“You can do it, Lukas. Kick his ass.” Big bro cheered.

“BEGIN.”

With Elaria’s signal, Voss dashed forward, looking like he was about to stab Lukas. In response, Lukas slashed down vertically. But Voss was quick on his feet as he sidestepped the slash and moved to Lukas’s left. Dust and dirt kicked up when the greatsword hit the ground as the tip of the blade sank into the earth a little bit.

Lukas turned his head and looked at Voss. His downward slash left Lukas wide open, so Voss stabbed toward Lukas’s chest. Knowing he couldn’t dodge in time, Lukas pulled his sword back and used the sword’s handle to block Voss’s stab. He succeeded but was pushed two steps back.

Voss chased after Lukas, shrinking the distance between them as he made his sword glow bright, then slashed upward.

Seeing how the longsword glowed like that, Lukas bent his right knee as he put his left leg behind him. He used the greatsword as a shield and put his left hand behind the blade. His judgment proved to be corrected. When the longsword hit him, his arms shook to the bones, he felt like a boar just hit him. His feet dragged on the ground as he was pushed back at least five steps before his feet touched something solid.

Lukas peeked back, only to see the transparent dome right behind him. Noticing his mistake, he quickly focused on his opponent again.

Voss no longer used that bright sword but attacked Lukas with quick, light slashes instead.

As he remembered his master’s words, Lukas looked at Voss’s waist, shoulders, and the blade to predict which direction the next attack would come from. He blocked some, he dodged some, but few attacks still got through and left shallow cuts on his face, hands, and all over his armor.

“Keep a cool head and observe your opponent. You don’t have much stamina, so make every attack count. And take advantage of your opponent’s mistake with a strong but decisive counterattack.” That was what his master said.

Lukas had no doubt as he followed his master’s teaching. His breath started to feel labor as sweat oozed out on his face and back, drenching his back. Yet, despite the situation he was in, Lukas still smiled.

I’m fighting. I’m standing my ground. I'm not helpless anymore. He thought.

After Lukas smiled, Voss exploded in anger for some reason as his attacks got more and more frantic. Thanks to that, Lukas finally found the one mistake his master mentioned.

Voss raised his sword overhead and prepared to slash down, but it left his body wide open for a counterattack. Lukas took advantage of that and charged forward with his sword, which still acted as his shield, and slammed into Voss. The slam pushed Voss back and caused him to lose balance.

“Yaaaaaaaa,” Lukas shouted as he made a horizontal swing with the flat side of his sword at Voss. Lukas's feet stomped into the cold, hard ground as he mustered all his power to hit Voss. Just like when he played hit the ball with big bro.

Exhausted after having to circulate Mana in his body constantly as his master told him, he let his blade touch the ground instead of holding it up and prepared for a counterattack from Voss. He took a peek at big bro and his master. Big bro was shouting something while master had a giant frown on her face.

Distracted by his master’s frown, Lukas noticed Voss charging at him too late. Lukas couldn’t use his sword to block in time before Voss kicked Lukas in the belly with his glowing leg. A sharp and intense pain spread across Lukas’s body, air was knocked out of him as it was forced out by the kick. It felt even worse than when a boar hit him.

Lukas bent down, doubling over from the pain, the lack of breath as he gasped for air didn't help as the feeling of his breakfast climbed up from his tummy. Each breath he took, saliva dropped down as a throbbing pain from his belly intensified. It felt as dizzy as when his father picked him up and spun him around until his mother yelled at both of them. Yet, he refused to let go of his sword.

But it didn’t end there.

When Lukas was on his knees, Voss kicked the boy’s face and knocked him sprawling on the ground. Lukas felt warm blood flow out of his nose as another intense pain spread from the center of his face where he got kicked.

Voss didn’t stop as he kept on stomping Lukas again and again while laughing like a maniac. Luckily, Lukas was able to shrink into a ball as he used his hands to protect his head and chest after the first stomp.

After what felt like days, Voss stopped and spat at Lukas before he turned back toward the sword he threw away. Opening one of his eyes, Lukas saw big bro Toby shouting something at his master while his master crossed her arms and remained indifferent. But her eyes never left Lukas for even a moment.

I. AM. A. HERO. Finding strength in his master’s gaze and his big bro's kindness, Lukas roared in his mind as he dragged his body back up.

As he slowly stood up, Voss’s voice entered his ears as Voss slowly walked toward him.

“A weakling like you should just stay down.”

Taking a deep breath despite the blazing pain, Lukas distributed the rest of his Mana into his sword, his elbows, his shoulders, his waist, and his leg. He remembered clearly what his master said. “A swing came from the legs.”

His eyes burned with determination as he stared at Voss.

“…I hate those eyes,” Voss said before lunging at the boy with his sword raised over his head.

Now or never. Lukas thought as he swung horizontally. From the feet to the waist, from the waist to the shoulders, to the shoulders to the elbows, from the elbows to the wrists.

Lukas’s eyes turned red as he swung his sword while using [Heroic Roar]. “Stop.”

For a brief moment that was faster than even a blink of an eye, Voss stopped his slash. But a moment like that was enough, as before Voss’s sword could reach Lukas, the greatsword vibrated like crazy as it left mirages on its path before it cut deep into Voss’s armor and sent him flying.

Voss was flung to the ground as he bounced two times before he hit the magic dome.

With ragged breath and a body with no more strength in it, Lukas stabbed his sword down and leaned on it.

“The victor is Lukas Thunder.” His master’s strict voice had never sounded better. Lukas felt like he just heard the most beautiful song from the best bard in Virelen as he turned and looked at his big bro and his master.

Do you see that big bro Toby? I’m not someone you and big sis Lily need to protect anymore.

“I WON’T LOSE TO A TRASH.” Voss roared.

“STOP,” He heard his master shout as she charged at him.

From the corner of his eyes, Lukas saw Voss lunge at him with a twisted rage like that of a demon. But then, the figure he only saw in his dream appeared and stood before him.

“The match already ended, boy.” The warm voice was the same as he remembered.

Looking at the back that was as big as a mountain, the back that saved him and the children in his village, the back that he inspired to be like, Lukas mumbled.

“Hero of Lighting, Dorian Draven.”