This Again?

A duel, another duel. Can't these guys come up with something new?

To be honest, Li Lin was already quite tired of this unoriginal approach, so he made the decision without even considering or hesitating.

"I refuse."

"You...!"

The man's face stiffened; he clenched his teeth, almost too angry to speak.

"So, you want to apologize to my father for your barbaric behavior?"

I also refuse.

"..."

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, while Nia and Angela watched the man before them with curiosity and anticipation. In their minds, most people who dared to be so presumptuous in front of Li Lin wouldn't live long. Therefore, the two weren't worried at all; Angela was even looking forward to seeing what method Li Lin would use to send this unfortunate fellow on a one-way sightseeing tour to another world.

The man's face was grim; clearly, he could not accept this outcome.

What happened?

The change in the banquet atmosphere naturally caught the king's attention, so he put down the fat merchant he was talking to and slowly walked over. The man, seeing him arrive, hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Your Majesty."

"Alright, this is a banquet, no need for formalities... What happened?"

Before the king, the young man quickly recounted the entire incident from beginning to end. In fact, the king was also present at the time, so his question was merely a way to pass the time and let those around who were unaware of the situation know what had happened. Logically speaking, Li Lin's sudden attack was indeed wrong, not to mention that the man's request was also reasonable. After all, this was an orderly place, and things had to be done according to the rules.

"Then, Mr. Li Lin."

After listening to the man's words, the king turned to Li Lin, forcing himself to keep his eyes fixed on the two beautiful maidens on either side.

"You mean..."

"Such a demand is completely unfounded, and I have no reason to accept such provocation."

Li Lin's expression remained unchanged, but his voice clearly showed strong displeasure.

"Besides, even if I win, I won't gain anything, so why should I accept it?"

"..."

That's true.

Up until now, the man's only demands were a duel with me, and that if I refused, I would have to apologize to his father. However, he clearly didn't have the authority to force Li Lin to do so, and therefore Li Lin naturally wouldn't agree to such a one-sided, domineering clause. "If I win, you do this; if you lose, you do that." He wasn't an idiot; he couldn't possibly fool Li Lin with such petty tricks.

"That's true."

The king wore a thoughtful expression, it was unclear whether he genuinely intended to resolve the conflict or was merely putting on an act.

"Regardless, General Marco is still my subordinate. As king, I should bear some responsibility for the injury of my subject. My failure to stop General Marco at that time was also a misjudgment on my part... So, how about this, Mr. Li Lin? If you can win this duel, I can grant you one request—anything, of course, within my capabilities."

The banquet hall erupted in commotion upon hearing this. His Majesty the King was clearly serious, but using such a reward for a duel of this level seemed like overkill. Everyone stared at Li Lin and the King in astonishment, completely baffled as to why the King held him in such high regard. This obviously increased the pressure on the young man. If he won the duel, all would be well. But what if he lost? The King's promise included requests within his power; what if Li Lin demanded the complete annihilation of the family? As the King, this was certainly within his power. The only question was how it would ultimately end.

He's so generous.

Compared to Angela's implication that "Master, it would be a waste not to take this opportunity to kill him," Nia clearly showed an expression that said, "It's best not to underestimate him." This king wasn't a fool; one could tell from his earlier promise that it was riddled with problems. However, it did demonstrate his high regard for his subordinates. In this way, regardless of the outcome, General Marco and his family would at least avoid any gossip about the king's actions. For a king to go to such lengths for his subordinates was already a remarkable act.

However, since this king was able to think of these things, he must have understood the risks. Why did he have so much confidence in this young man?

"I am a scholar, and also a monk."

Li Lin frowned. He didn't answer immediately, but instead expressed his position tactfully.

"That doesn't matter. Coincidentally, he's also a mage."

The king did not hesitate and quickly gave his reply.

"I think this will be a spectacular duel."

"A mage?"

Hearing this, Li Lin revealed a slightly amused expression and sized up the young man.

Do you mean him?

"Mr. Noah is one of the most powerful mages here. Although he is only twenty-six years old, he has already become an important figure in the Mages' Association."

The king didn't know whether he was threatening him or persuading him.

"Very interesting."

Li Lin's voice was calm, yet it sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. Angela stared at Li Lin with great curiosity, completely bewildered as to why her master would suddenly be filled with murderous intent. Only Nia sighed softly. As a grimoire that had followed Li Lin for a thousand years, she naturally understood Li Lin thoughts. It was clear that this man had no chance of surviving the duel.

"So, when do we start?"

Li Lin's murderous intent was only revealed for a moment before he regained his composure. Noah, on the other hand, seemed unaware that he was standing in the face of a great crisis and had taken a dangerous step.

"Right away, at the training ground outside, is that alright?"

Seeing that Li Lin had finally agreed to his request, Noah appeared somewhat excited. In fact, when he learned that his father had been crippled due to unprovoked violence, this genius mage was not as short-sighted as he was now displaying. He not only went to his teacher but also used connections to find out the inside story. Naturally, his actions caught the king's attention, thus setting the stage for this spectacle. Originally, he planned to make a big scene and attract everyone's attention before making his demands. However, the appearance of Nia and Angela disrupted his plans. But since their appearance had brought Li Lin into the spotlight earlier, there was nothing wrong with advancing the plan.

After Li Lin nodded in agreement, Noah turned and walked out, and the people in the banquet hall, surprised, followed closely behind. After all, for them, this was a good opportunity to see the strength of Noah and the newcomer. Although Noah was the son of a general, he did not choose to become a warrior like his father. Instead, he entered the Mages' Association to study from a young age. This decision once put his father in a very passive position, but later, the whole thing changed. This illegitimate son, who was considered a waste by everyone, quickly became a formal mage, and eventually even caught the eye of the court's archmage, who took him as a disciple. Everything he had experienced had already become the talk of the town in the noble circles. But few people knew the true strength of this young man.

Li Lin was also a target of their attention. Whether the title of the Dominator of the Dark Elves was real or fake, the result would naturally be found through this duel.

Standing in the grand arena outside the palace, Li Lin noticed the figure of the old mage from before. He was hidden in the crowd, watching everything happening on the field.

That's the end of this scene.

Because this was just a spontaneous duel, there weren't many formal or serious considerations. Although it was already night, the arena was still brightly lit, and for mages, the darkness wasn't an obstacle. It's a different story for warriors, though.

The guests were all very interested in the duel, and the arena quickly filled with people. A young apprentice mage stepped forward and routinely read out the rules, which were nothing more than warnings about the dangers of magical duels and the consequences of any problems. Then, the two entered the arena. The noisy arena quickly quieted down, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the duel to begin between the two mysteriously powerful individuals.

"I've heard rumors about you, Master."

Noah walked into the center of the arena and looked at Li Lin coldly.

"Conqueror of the Dark Elf, what a laughable joke. It seems you still have a lot to learn. The most important thing for a mage is humility and caution, not arrogance. Don't think that just because you've gathered some elven slaves and dyed their skin black, you can flaunt them and deceive others. I want to tell you that if your confidence is based solely on this somewhat threatening robe, then you will suffer greatly."

Enough with the nonsense.

Li Lin silenced Noah's sarcasm with a single sentence.

"Let's begin."

"Very good!"

Noah gritted his teeth and then took off his coat. Immediately, several beams of magical light emanated from his body, enveloping the young man. Clearly, he had made ample preparations beforehand; various defensive spells enveloped the young man. Even at a cursory glance, there were at least five or six defensive spells. Although it was far from the perfect array of defensive structures in the Eternal Library, for someone his age, possessing such strength was already quite remarkable.

"Oh ho... it seems it's not just empty talk."

Li Lin watched the young man before him with great interest, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"However, that's all."

"I will return those words to you."

Noah said fiercely, then waved his hand and chanted an incantation, unleashing a powerful Magic Missile Storm. He intended to use this to break the deadlock and, after ascertaining the opponent's methods, take further countermeasures.

However, things don't always go as planned.

Despite the overwhelming barrage of Magic Missile and the gasps of the crowd, Li Lin remained calm and composed. Then he extended his right hand and pointed at his opponent.

Flashes of magical runes appeared from his arm, connecting and merging into a river of light.

Air vibration.

Noah watched in astonishment as his Magic Missile vanished into thin air, followed by a massive surge of energy that, like a roaring flood, instantly destroyed his protective shield. Noah quickly regained his senses and tried to recast a spell to protect himself, only then realizing the true power of the man before him—but it was too late.

In everyone's eyes, all they saw was the light in front of Noah vanish in an instant, followed by a shockwave in the air and Noah's screams as an invisible force swept him into the air, where he crashed heavily to the ground.

He never stood up again.