Morning broke over the Neon Kingdom. In the heart of the ancient royal palace square, a hastily constructed dueling arena had been erected. At the highest seat in the arena, the Pirate Queen, Kynda Reynolds, had arrived before the Mercenary King. She let out a faint sigh and turned to the fierce-looking pirate standing beside her. "Did you hear what used to stand in this square?" she asked. "Can't say I did," the pirate, Caron, replied. "There was a statue of the founding king. Nelson smashed it to pieces the moment he took power," Kynda explained. "What a bold move," Caron said. "As if breaking a statue could erase history," Kynda murmured. The weather was annoyingly perfect. Not a single cloud marred the sky—an ideal day for bloodshed. Kynda took a small sip of her tea before turning to Caron and asking in a gentle voice, "Are you feeling confident?" Caron responded by sharing what he'd learned in his conversation with the Dark Magic Tower Master, Libre. Thanks to that, he now had a good sense of what kind of modifications the mercenaries had undergone. Although Kynda had brought three formidable warriors with her, including Caron, she hadn't entered them into the exchange event. The reason for that was simple. "We came here to help, sure—but I can't have my precious darlings getting hurt, now can I?" Kynda said with a smile. "So, in other words, I'm supposed to handle it all myself?" Caron asked flatly. "Helping you and risking my children are two entirely different things," Kynda answered. "You're not mine. I don't have to care." "You're so heartless," Caron said. "Feel free to become one of mine, if that upsets you," Kynda said. "I'll pass," Caron replied. With a soft laugh, Kynda poured brandy into her teacup, then slid it toward Caron. He accepted it, downed it in one go, and exhaled lightly before declaring, "I'll go first." "Suit yourself," Kynda said, then added, "Are you really planning to go up against the Mercenary King?" "That's the idea," Caron replied. "He's someone even I can't guarantee I'd beat. Underestimating him could get you killed," Kynda warned. "If things get rough, maybe you could lend me a hand," Caron suggested. "Nope. I want to see how far you've come," Kynda said flatly. There was no sarcasm in her voice—Kynda meant it. She had seen the spark in Caron Leston the moment she met him in the Southern Great Forest. Even then, she'd known he was no ordinary brat. But he had grown absurdly powerful in an impossibly short time. Even a deep dive through history would rarely turn up a warrior who had reached such a level at his age. Kynda wondered how far Caron had come. Nelson is one of the strongest in this era, Kynda thought. The Mercenary King was a proven titan—one of the top five warriors on the continent. If Caron could defeat him... ...Then the era would shift, Kynda concluded. A new era would begin—one led by Caron. That was why Kynda chose to watch quietly, to witness the moment history changed. It would make for a good drinking story for the rest of her life. As the two conversed, a man in a crimson cloak emerged from the dueling grounds. Nelson, the Mercenary King, had arrived. "His Majesty the King enters!" All the nobles in the stands stood and bowed deeply. Nelson walked among them, grinning hideously as he climbed to the highest seat with arrogant steps—the throne he had seized through rebellion. Nelson waved casually to Kynda and said, his voice brimming with confidence, "I hope today gives us a good measure of just how far both mercenaries and pirates have come. I'm personally quite eager to see it. My men have been tempered by countless real battles. Let's see what kind of growth the pirates can show." Kynda smirked and replied, "Anyone would think we've been lazing around. But in the end, it's always the ones who survive who are the strongest, no matter what side they're on." "Even if you lose today, don't take it too hard. After all, this is land we're standing on," Nelson said. "Someone might think you've already won," Kynda countered with a teasing smile. "Isn't that right, Xenon?" She used Caron's alias with playful intent. He simply shrugged in response. Nelson looked over at Caron and grinned, then asked, "So, you're stepping up too? I'm curious to see your rumored skills firsthand." There was a slight edge to his tone—a veiled challenge. Caron met his gaze, smiling coolly and saying, "There are no rumors about me, Mercenary King. This is my first official appearance. I should thank you for giving me the perfect debut stage." "Ha! Such bold words—typical pirate flair. Pirates do love their swagger. Let's see how far your boasts will carry you," Nelson said. With a loud laugh, he sat back in his ornate chair and raised his voice, imbuing it with mana. "Use any means necessary. Prove your strength! Let the matches begin. Each side, take your positions!" From the mercenaries' side, a hulking man stepped into the arena, carrying a massive ax. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveIＦire.net "Off I go, Your Majesty," Caron said. "Show no mercy, Xenon," Kynda replied. "Wouldn't dream of it," Caron said, then leaped into the arena with effortless grace. Despite his size, he landed softly, not even kicking up dust. He stood at the center, facing his opponent. The mercenary was a beast of a man—covered in tattoos and scars that told the story of countless battles. His very appearance was enough to intimidate the audience. Most striking of all were the two long scars etched across his face. "An ax, huh..." Caron muttered. The man clutched a battle-ax nearly as wide as his torso with both hands. "I'm Raka, captain of the Fifth Unit of the Mercenary Corps," the man said with a grin. "They call me the Knight Slayer. Countless knights have been crushed by this ax." As he flexed his muscles, a crimson aura bled from the ax. Caron narrowed his eyes, studying the aura. He thought, The Mercenary Corps has eleven units, if I remember right. The Fifth Captain's mana was at the 7-Star level. It was powerful enough for him to serve as a Knight Commander in a regional lord's domain. But there was something unnatural about it. "Owner, it seems like a mutated form of the dark mana of Slaughter," Guillotine murmured. So they didn't just modify their bodies, Caron thought. He could sense the familiar taint. Although it was concealed by murky magic, he could clearly tell because it was releasing its power with full force. They disguised the dark mana... It's like gold plating over rust, Caron thought. He recalled a lesson from his past. Back when the Malevolent Emperor had forcibly infused him with dark mana, he had learned one thing. "Power you can't handle drags you straight to hell," Caron said. An overflowing cup always spilled. And when that cup was filled with dark mana, the results were far more horrifying. No power came without cost. But while normal mana demanded time and effort, dark mana demanded the soul. Uncontrolled dark mana ate away at the user, and in the end, their soul would be consumed. "If I had realized it sooner... Would my fate have changed?" Caron wondered with a bitter smile as he raised his sword. Across from him, Raka scowled, making his already ugly face even worse. He snapped, "What the hell are you babbling about?" "Just got lost in some old memories," Caron murmured. The snow-white blade of Guillotine shimmered as Azure Mana began to flow into it. A dark blue glow spread across the surface, mingling with the white steel until it settled into a softened, oceanic hue. The color looked almost exactly like the sea. Caron smiled faintly, the aura of the ocean swirling around his form. He pointed his blade toward Raka. Raka responded with a twisted grin and charged forward, thinking, I'll slice his torso clean in one blow. His opponent was one of the Pirate Queen's so-called heroes. But even if they were legends at sea, they couldn't possibly be used to fighting on land. Which meant this was the perfect chance to strike first and hard. Raka was sure that if he earned glory here, the Mercenary King would surely reward him. If he made a strong enough impression, the great King Nelson could grant him even greater power. The ground beneath Raka's feet began to blacken. In an instant, a deadly miasma radiated outward in every direction. The poison moved incredibly quickly, engulfing the area around Caron. A single breath will rot your lungs from the inside, Raka thought with a smirk. He was already celebrating his victory. The toxin was a gift from the Mercenary King himself—an unspeakable poison with no known antidote. Nelson's blessing made Raka immune to its effects. But there was no way this sea rat, this pirate scum had built up resistance. And then, Raka saw Caron inhaling deeply. "It's over!" Raka roared, swinging his massive ax in a killing arc. The sight that followed made no sense. ...What? Raka thought. That sea-colored sword... It hadn't done anything flashy. It simply sliced through the air. And yet Raka's body was falling. Raka blinked in disbelief and looked up. The pirate stood there smiling, breathing in the noxious gas as if it were fresh spring air. "Poison made of corpses, huh? Necromancers are pretty good at whipping that up," Caron said casually. "I figured I'd test it myself. Turns out I can tank this level of poison just fine. Good thing I trained for it." Caron laughed softly and raised his blade once more, remarking, "This poison's kind of bland." "H-How?" Raka stuttered. "Even e-elephants would die from that poison!" "Reminds me of when I visited Pajar Sultanate," Caron said, grinning. "Got my hands on something special from the royal palace. Ever heard of the Thousand Venom Pill? When it comes to poison, nobody beats the Sultanate. Elves may own apples, but poisons? That's Pajar." The word 'monster' was the only word that came to Raka's mind. No one had ever survived this poison. Even the knights of the Zion Kingdom had dropped dead within seconds. A 7-Star knight commander had died from this exact toxin. So Raka wondered who this monster was. Questions whirled in his fading mind—but they would never be answered. "Beg me to spare your life," the monster whispered, in a voice as soft as silk. Raka trembled then shouted, panicking, "If you kill me...! The Mercenary King—he won't let this slide! This is an exchange, not a deathmatch!" "You were the one who said this poison kills elephants, weren't you?" Caron said with a grin. "And you used it on me. Sounds like you were trying to kill me, not the other way around." Now, even his expression radiated killing intent. Eyes wide with terror, Raka groveled toward Caron, "Please spare me. Please. There's no need to go this far. If you let me live, I swear—" "Should I spare you?" Caron interrupted. In the blink of an eye, Raka's tone had changed to a formal plea, "Y-Yes, please! There's no reason to escalate—" Caron smiled, clearly entertained, and gave a small nod before replying, "Hehe. No thanks." "...Pardon?" Raka asked. "I'll spare you if we meet again in your next life," Caron answered. The pristine white blade sliced clean through Raka's neck as easily as cutting paper. But it didn't stop there. The severed body began to writhe and twist unnaturally, as if some horrible transformation was about to occur. But before it could, Caron summoned Pluto and devoured Raka's corpse whole. Not even the remains were left behind. Caron turned calmly and looked toward the stands. The audience was deathly quiet. Even the pirates—his own allies—were pale with fear at the ruthless display he had just given. Caron soaked in the silence, grinning in satisfaction. Then, locking eyes with the Mercenary King seated on high, Caron spoke. "Mercenary King, allow me to make a proposal." "Speak," Nelson replied. "I'll consider it well." "To be honest, one-sided matches aren't fun. I didn't even feel the need to show my swordsmanship," Caron said as he casually glanced around. Murmurs erupted among the mercenaries—furious and humiliated. But Nelson raised a hand, silencing them instantly. "I agree," he said. "My man lost pitifully. So what's your proposal?" "Well, wouldn't it be more fun if things were tight and competitive?" Caron asked, raising his sword and pointing it at the remaining mercenaries. "Even if it's just a swarm of bugs, they're still just bugs—but as the stronger one, I'll be generous." He smirked, eyes gleaming as he concluded, "So let's make it simple. It's bothersome, so I'll take on the remaining nine all at once." The Mad Dog had no intention of holding back.