41 Duel

The two cavalry units collided like two walls, and the dozen or so riders at the front of the Eagle Tribe were instantly submerged.

Kansa watched as the opposing cavalry charged toward him without even slowing down; the lead rider in particular broke through two Eagle riders with a single thrust and a slash.

At this moment, Kansa's mind was a blank slate. Just minutes ago, he had assumed this was merely a welcoming ceremony. He had expected the dozens of Gray Goose to kneel before him, endure a loud scolding to vent his frustration, and then be sent on their way.

But this time, the cavalry charged directly at him. The Eagle riders nearby, sensing the danger, rushed forward to protect the priest, but the dozen riders only managed to delay the enemy's charge for a brief moment.

Kansa could not fathom why the savages of the Gray Goose would attack him, but there was no room for hesitation. He activated the Magic Crystal Base on his leather armor, and the magic patterns hidden beneath the feather decorations began to emit a dim glow.

Kansa charged toward the fiercest rider on the opposite side. Through years of accumulation, he possessed not only Magic Pattern Armor and a Magic Pattern Blade but also dozens of magic crystals. Relying on his equipment and his willingness to burn crystals, Kansa was not only the spokesperson for the Eagle God in the camp but also the strongest barbarian warrior in the tribe, always leading the charge.

In battles between barbarian tribes, beheading the commander and seizing the banner meant total victory.

Barbarian culture was largely derived from orcs and humans. In both of these races, the leader or lord was the most important inheritor of the mana-wielding bloodline in the territory and was responsible for connecting and communicating with lords of other territories and cities. It could be said that without a leader or lord, these territories could hardly be maintained, and the inhabitants would be forced to migrate or become wildlings.

Influenced by these two races, the barbarian leader's word was law within the tribe. Therefore, once a leader was killed in battle or a duel, the remaining barbarians usually would not continue to fight.

Kansa knew that the one who hacked through people the most viciously was the leader of all the invaders.

If he won, the Eagle Tribe could absorb the opposing cavalry; if he lost, his Eagle Tribe would end today.

Thus, Kansa left himself no retreat. The full set of magic arrays on his clothing required three magic crystals to activate, and he also had to tear open a Scroll of Courage, which he had purchased at a coalition meeting two years prior specifically for situations like today.

Kansa charged straight ahead. To maintain his composure, he had not ridden a horse when he left, and now it was too late to mount one. He had no choice but to charge head-on, relying on his equipment advantage to withstand the enemy.

Kansa did not expect that the man on the other side, seeing his intent, would also take the lead. Riding a Black-Scaled Horse, he charged toward him like a blur, the saber in his right hand already descending toward his head.

Kansa dared not be careless and gripped his sword with both hands to meet the opponent's downward strike.

"Clang!"

"This is impossible." Kansa's arm suddenly went numb. As a barbarian wearing a full set of magic pattern equipment, he had only managed a draw against his opponent?

The magic pattern sword and the opposing saber collided twice more, sparks flying. Both Landen on the horse and Kansa on the ground were shaken backward.

Landen felt his right hand bruised. Before the charge, Landen had not dared to be careless; he had activated the magic array on his Magic Pattern Iron Armor and channeled his Battle Qi into the blade before striking.

This saber was a treasure from the Magic-Sealing Box of the previous tribal leader, featuring magic patterns for sharpness and durability.

Landen had not expected that what he thought would be a winning strike would result in a mere stalemate when he actually engaged the opponent.

Landen did not hesitate. Taking advantage of the brief separation from the battle priest, he consumed three magic crystals to replenish his Battle Qi.

Channeling the Battle Qi to his warhorse, Landen charged at the battle priest once more. At this moment, Landen forgot all the combat techniques Raul had taught him over the days, relying purely on brute force.

Kansa blocked Landen's strike again, but this time, he was nearly unable to counterattack. After parrying two of Landen's slashes, Kansa felt his strength had been exhausted.

He did not know how Landen could still attack with full force after trading five or six blows with him.

But Kansa's power was nearly spent.

Whether it was Landen's knights or the Eagle barbarians, they had all stopped fighting. They were watching the duel between their leaders, as the outcome would determine their fate.

According to the constant propaganda of barbarian leaders, a duel between leaders was a matter certified and blessed by the gods; ordinary barbarians who interfered would incur the hostility of the gods.

Although such lies had caused half of the leaders who participated in duels to suffer, they effectively ensured that the barbarian population of mana-wielders did not dwindle too quickly due to frequent tribal strife and consumption.

But Kansa truly could not hold on any longer. The monster opposite him grew more courageous with every strike, while he himself was on the verge of collapse.

His subordinates nearby had no intention of stepping in to save him, and the enemy showed no signs of letting him go.

To the barbarians, a priest was a precious and sacred powerhouse. Tribes with priests were larger than average medium-sized tribes. In past duels, if the weaker side was a priest, the stronger side would usually give the gods some face and ask if the priest was willing to join their tribe.

Landen certainly had no such thoughts. First, he did not know that one could accept an opponent as a subordinate during a duel; second, he dared not truly harbor a priest who could connect with the gods.

After several rounds of killing, Landen had already used his fifth magic crystal. Counting the three on his armor, he had already burned eight magic crystals—a very high cost for war. That this barbarian could trade blows with him for several rounds only proved that he, too, was covered in magic pattern equipment.

Barbarians were not scary, and barbarian priests were not scary, but a barbarian priest who could utilize human magic pattern weapons and magic was absolutely terrifying. Because barbarian mana-wielders not only had powerful physiques and mana-wielding abilities but could also use religion to integrate large numbers of barbarians. If such a barbarian priest also had the bonus of magic equipment, Landen could not imagine how he would face such a person once they grew in power.

He had to take this man down. Landen felt that the opposing priest was no longer as quick to react or as powerful in his counterattacks as he had been at the start, but he dared not lower his guard.

After two more rounds of slashing, the two separated, standing in a standoff 30 meters apart.

Landen decided to let his opponent relax, so he paused for a few seconds, even lowering his right hand holding the blade, signaling a desire for a temporary truce.

"Finally," the Eagle priest let out a long sigh of relief. As long as the opponent was willing to slow down, there was room for negotiation. He was willing to accept some conditions—for instance, he could serve as a priest for the opposing tribe, he could send some of his tribe's cavalry over, or he could acknowledge the other's power at the new coalition meeting.

Behind his mask, the priest even revealed a smile. "I am the Eagle Priest. The Eagle God will not forgive your rudeness. If you are willing to stop, I am willing to pray to the Eagle God to spare you from His puni..."

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