Chapter 63: The Sword Aura

Inside the duel ground, two people stood facing each other. The area was far from quiet. Outside the ring, students filled the arena seats, buzzing with nervous anticipation. They didn’t just come to watch a simple match; their ultimate goal was to see Alden get beaten to a pulp.

But Alden ignored their excited cheers. He stood there empty-handed. He had already left his wooden sword on the rack before following his challenger out here. What was the use of bringing it? He considered this a simple duel, and there was no need to fight with a blade. Besides, he felt much more comfortable using his bare hands now that his martial arts had improved so much.

The student standing in front of him was no small fry. He was a well-known noble from a famous knight family, though Alden didn’t quite know the specifics of his background. Honestly, Alden didn’t care about his noble status. What good was a fancy family name when the guy wore such a smug expression? He looked like he had already won the duel before it even started. Such petty arrogance.

Alden sighed and shook his head. This guy fit the exact characteristics of a typical sidekick—the kind who talks big, gets beaten up in the match, and gets face-slapped by the protagonist.

But was Alden a protagonist?

Nah. He never considered himself a hero. He was just a lucky fellow who happened to get a system that granted him different powers by completing problematic quests. In simple terms, his only work is becoming a background character whose only job was to stay out of trouble and save his own life.

There were various reasons he couldn’t be a protagonist. The primary reason was that if he were a true hero with a system, he would get quests about saving the peoples, protecting the academy, or rescuing a maiden. Instead, he got slightly villainous quests. He wasn’t walking the path of pure goodwill; he was walking a path to grow stronger without caring much about the world around him.

Was he against that path? No, he was actually okay with it. Saving people and becoming a praised hero was never his choice. He didn’t have the willpower for that. He admitted he was a selfish person who prioritized himself. But he wasn’t a heartless monster who actively hurt people or ignored those in desperate need. He would help if the situation called for it, but only on his own terms and conditions.

His thoughts halted as an academy professor stepped onto the field. It was none other than Darius Kaine, the Raging Bull. His bald head shone under the natural sunlight, and his sharp gray eyes swept between the two students as he took his position as the judge.

The academy allowed students to duel to solve their personal problems, but they had to fight under strict restrictions. First, a professor had to be present to watch, judge, and choose a rightful winner. Second, students could not exploit artifacts during the match; only standard academy weapons were allowed. These rules existed for the students’ benefit, ensuring a duel remained a simple match and didn’t escalate into a bloodbath.

With the instructor present, the crowd ready, and both fighters in position, Professor Darius gestured to ask if they were ready to start.

Both of them nodded calmly.

The opponent, named Carl, stepped forward and took his battle stance. He held the academy sword expertly in his hand, his posture looking natural after years of dedicated practice.

The instructor raised his hand and let it drop.

"The duel begins!"

Without waiting for Alden to react, Carl burst from his spot. He launched himself forward, his sword ready for a horizontal slash aimed to cut Alden right in half.

But as the blade swung, Alden already saw the trajectory. He side-stepped with ease and fired a quick kick straight at Carl’s leg.

Carl’s instincts were sharp from his high mastery over the sword. He simply pulled his leg back before the kick could land. Trying to create some distance to find his footing, Carl stepped away. But before he could ready his stance again, Alden moved in a blur. He closed the gap instantly, a heavy punch aimed straight at Carl’s face.

Carl immediately blocked the punch with the flat of his blade. His hands shook violently from the strong vibration running down the sword. His eyes widened in shock as he pushed himself backward.

Taking a cautious stance, Carl no longer dared to fight arrogantly. He sensed that if Alden had covered that fist with mana, the wooden sword would have shattered into pieces, and the punch would have crushed his face.

Alden stood there, flicking his wrist and stretching his fingers. Of course, the sudden block wasn’t entirely painless for him either; his hand ached a bit from hitting the solid wood.

"You are better than I expected," Carl sneered.

"I cannot take you lightly. It seems even the useless, exiled son of the Astra family has some tricks up his sleeve. I will give you credit for that. But sorry, I haven’t even started yet."

Suddenly, a bright blue energy started to coil around Carl’s sword. It was not normal mana. It was something different, giving Alden a strange sense of caution.

The crowd, who just a second ago was excited to see Alden get beaten, fell dead silent. They all knew what this energy was and what it could do. That power was the will of a true swordsman.

Alden looked at the blue glow with a surprised face, unsure of what it was, though his outward expression remained cool and calm.

Carl smirked, answering the unasked question.

"It is called ’Sword Aura’. Not that someone like you could ever awaken it, but for your information, this ability is only achieved by someone with high mastery over swordsmanship. Even then, only a handful of chosen individuals get this power, and you are not among them."

Alden sighed, shaking his head at the sheer arrogance dripping from Carl’s gestures.

’Sigh... Typical sidekick behavior. I should finish this fight early before I have to hear any more of his nonessential words. It will only waste time that I could use for training, and I haven’t even eaten lunch yet.’

Alden stopped holding back. He stared at the guy wielding the glowing blade. He took a step forward as a dark glow of energy started to leak from his own hand.

[Astral-Step!]

[Infinity Halo Art: First Form: Concentration!]

He appeared instantly behind Carl. Darkness coiled around his fist, and he shot it forward, aiming straight for Carl’s back.

Carl felt a terrifying chill run down his spine, shocked to see his target disappear into thin air. He wildly swung his sword backward, but before the blade could even reach, Alden’s punch slammed into his back.

The impact launched Carl forward. He skidded several meters across the ground, his hands slipping from the hilt and letting the sword fall to the ground.

The whole duel arena became pin-drop silent. Only the light breeze could be heard rustling through the grounds.

The instructor watched closely to confirm if the student had fallen for good.

But Carl still stirred. He glared at Alden with cold eyes and dragged his battered body forward, reaching out to grab his fallen weapon.

Before his fingers could touch the hilt, Alden appeared right in front of him. Alden bent down and casually picked up the sword.

Carl’s expression paled. With his weapon taken, there was no way he could win.

Alden examined the sword for a few seconds, turning it over in his hands to inspect the residual aura, before casually tossing it right back to land near Carl’s feet.

Carl looked surprised, his gaze catching Alden’s bored expression.

’Why? Why did he not put the sword at my neck and win? Does he think he can look down on me with his fake generosity? F*cking asshole...’

On the other hand, Alden stood calmly. He didn’t hand the sword back to look down on him. Originally, he only picked it up to inspect the residual Sword Aura. It was an interesting concept, and seeing it up close piqued his interest to learn it. Besides, he didn’t care if Carl had his weapon or not. He had basically won the match anyway; he could have just kicked Carl in the face before he grabbed the sword. He was just saving his opponent from getting any more painful wounds.

But Carl didn’t seem to appreciate the gesture. He glared fiercely, grabbed the hilt, and stood up fast, pointing the blade right at Alden’s chest.

But before Carl could launch himself forward for a desperate attack...

"The duel time is over! Since neither opponent defeated the other within the limit, the match is declared a tie."

Carl’s eyes widened at the professor’s loud declaration.

"But—! We were just getting started!"

Alden ignored the shouting and turned around, starting to leave the arena so he could finally go eat his lunch.

The crowd remained relatively silent, disappointed that they didn’t get the outcome they expected. However, they all knew who the real winner of the match was, even if the official record stated it was a tie.

Professor Darius glared at Carl with cold, sharp eyes.

"You! You will see me in my office. It seems you don’t know how to accept an outcome gracefully. I will teach you some manners personally."

A sharp chill ran down Carl’s spine. Everyone knew that students targeted by Professor Darius never got to live an easy, happy life in the academy.

Before Carl could protest or beg for an apology, Darius turned and walked away from the training ground without looking back.

The crowds of students stood up from their seats, casting pitying glances at Carl.

Carl fell to his knees on the ground, staring blankly at his wooden sword. A loud crack echoed through the quiet arena as the blade suddenly snapped into two pieces. The wooden weapon couldn’t withstand the intense pressure of his own Sword Aura.