Chapter 312: Chapter 311: It Was Truly a Magnificent Duel (2)


    ?


    "Head butler, it''s time," Wendy said.


    ude nodded. "Alright, let''s go."


    The day of the showdown had finally arrived. Today was the day of the mock battle.


    By now, the participants in the experiment would be utterly famished and too weak to function. They had only been provided water and that strange powder for every meal.


    ude moved with a confident expression.


    His destination was therge arena once used in Desmond''s estate.


    diator arenas like this, where ves fought, were rare facilities only estates as great as Desmond''s could afford to maintain.


    Ghiin, who had arrived earlier, waved as ude entered.


    "What''s with that expression? You seem awfully confident."


    "Why not? There''s no need to be tense about a game where victory is assured."


    "Didn''t you losest time with that same attitude?"


    "Then so be it."


    It was true. Someone like ude, who had nothing left to lose, naturally exuded a carefree


    aura.


    In the spectator stands, key figures from the estate began to gather. As the crowd grew, ude raised his hand.


    Thud!


    Step, step, step, step!


    The gates on one side of the arena opened, and 200 soldiers marched out in perfect order. Each soldier carried a wooden shield and a club made of bundled straw. To prevent fatalities, they were armed with non-lethal weapons. Even so, getting hit by one would still hurt a lot.


    These were the soldiers ude had prepared over the past month.


    Ghiin watched the soldiers and smirked.


    "What''s this? You''ve been training soldiers on the side? Not bad."


    "Of course. I''ve managed them personally."


    ude had selected only the strongest and most physically fit among the soldiers. He had provided them with the best diet, bnced training, and ample rest to refine their bodies.


    On top of that, he had pushed Piote to use holy power to ensure they were always in peak condition.


    ude wasn''t someone who relied solely on mental toughness. He used his knowledge to the fullest, turning a short month into an opportunity to create elite soldiers.


    Ghiin nodded as he observed the soldiers.


    ''He does have talent, though he''s foolish in the strangest ways.''


    Despite the estate''s busy schedule, ude had trained the soldiers to such a high standard in just a month. His determination to win the bet was clearly reflected in the soldiers.


    ude also gazed at his soldiers with a satisfied smile.


    "This bet is nothing like the others.''


    In previous bets, all he could do was watch the results. He had no control over the oue. But this time, he could change the game with soldiers he had personally trained. The bet was simply about which side would win.


    He didn''t believe the starved participants would have any strength left, but he had still prepared thoroughly. He had even given the soldiers strict orders to pummel the other side without mercy.


    Once ude''s soldiers had formed their ranks, Ghiin made a gesture.


    Creak...


    The gates on the opposite side of the arena opened slowly.


    For a long while, no one emerged. The crowd craned their necks to peer into the darkness beyond the gates.


    "Uhhhhh..."


    Finally, the participants, who had subsisted on water and powder alone, let out groans as they emerged.


    Ten knights, twenty elves, and twenty soldiers appeared-far fewer than ude''s forces. The numbers had been reduced due to the inclusion of knights.


    They shuffled forward awkwardly, holding only straw clubs. They had even abandoned their shields, iming they were too heavy.


    ude smiled, certain of his victory.


    ''Heh, they''ve turned intoplete zombies. Of course, after starving for a month, how could they be fine?''


    The participants were noticeably thinner than before. Their eyes were sunken, and their steps looked weak and unsteady.


    Gordon, in particr, who had once been grotesquely muscr, now looked leaner and almost stylish.


    While ude smiled, Belinda''s eyes sparkled in surprise.


    "Their muscles haven''t shrunk as much as I thought, and their eyes are still sharp.''


    As an assassin, Belinda''s keen observation quickly assessed the situation.


    Though they appeared fatigued and weak, their bodies seemed almost sculpted-lean and stripped of excess fat. It was as if they had intentionally dieted and exercised to achieve this


    state.


    Their eyes, far from lifeless, burned with fury.


    Ghiin gestured again, and Gillian shouted loudly, "Begin!"


    Thud!


    ude''s soldiers raised their shields. They only needed to hold the line and prevent the participants from reaching the food behind them.


    If the participants managed to breach the soldiers'' line and eat the food, they would win.


    "Hahaha..."


    At the front, Gordon and Lucas staggered forward. The elves and soldiers followed, shuffling


    along like zombies.


    Step. Step. Step...


    Their pace quickened, and before long, they were sprinting madly.


    "They''reing!"


    ude''s soldiers braced their shields tightly. They just needed to hold out until the


    participants tired themselves out. Even though knights were among them, it was believed


    they wouldn''tst long without proper meals.


    But this assumption was a grave mistake.


    "Out of my way!" Gordon roared as he swung his straw club.


    Boom!


    "Hurk!"


    The soldier blocking him was sent flying with a single blow.


    Following behind him, Lucas and the other knights swung their clubs wildly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The sound wasn''t what one would expect from straw clubs. Astonishingly, a faint bluish glow emanated from the knights'' weapons.


    ude shot to his feet.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''What... what''s going on? How are they still so full of energy? How are they using mana?''


    It was true that those who wielded mana could endure starvation longer than ordinary people,


    as mana helped sustain their vitality.


    But after a month of starvation, even knights should have been significantly weakened. Yet,


    they didn''t seem starved at all.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    With ten knights fighting energetically, even ude''s well-trained soldiers struggled to hold


    their ground.


    Though these soldiers were strong and well-prepared, their opponents weren''t just knights.


    "You bastards!" Ascon charged at the soldiers with a furious expression, eyes wide with rage.


    "You @$#%@!, @$#% @!, you miserable @$#% @!, @$#%@!"


    A stream of unrelenting curses spewed from his mouth. The soldiers, insulted to their core,


    swung their clubs in anger.


    "Just die already!"


    "Give us food!"


    "Arrrgh!"


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    Both sides, consumed by rage, descended into a chaotic brawl.


    The knights'' skills were far superior, but ude''s soldiers were no pushovers. Their sheer


    size, strength, and numbers allowed them to hold their ground.


    If real swords had been used, the soldiers would have been no match for the mana-wielding


    knights.


    But with straw clubs imbued with mana, the weapons were only slightly more durable than usual. The soldiers'' heavy armor further mitigated the knights'' blows, forcing both sides into


    intense hand-to-handbat.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    "Arrrgh!"


    Screams echoed across the chaotic arena, now a battlefield of utter mayhem.


    The soldiers were numerous, but the knights steadily advanced, taking down one after another. The trailing elves and soldiers also drew attention and contributed in their own way.


    ude watched the scene with an indifferent expression.


    They hadn''t fully broken through the formation yet, but the verification was essentially


    complete. If the knights were fully armed and using mana, at least half the soldiers would


    already be dead.


    Ghiin grinned at ude.


    "Looks like the test is over, don''t you think?"


    After a brief silence, ude suddenly stood up and shouted.


    "Hey! Stop them! Stop them! Don''t let them through!"


    If they could fight that well, the only option left was to deny it. No matter how strong they


    were, if they couldn''t break through the soldiers, it meant theirbat effectiveness had


    decreased.


    After all, the bet wasn''t about whether they could fight but whether they could break through


    the soldiers and eat the food or not.


    With 40 troops, including 10 knights, it should have been a given to break through 200


    soldiers.


    The soldiers ude had prepared gritted their teeth and tried to hold on. They had been promised generous rewards if they could hold the line.


    Alpoi, the mages, Max, and the troubleshooters watched the fight with nervous eyes.


    They were already sweating profusely, their faces pale. No matter how they looked at it, it


    seemed inevitable that the soldiers would be overwhelmed.


    Finally, "The Man Who Defeated the Goddess," Alpoi, sped his hands tightly and prayed


    aloud.


    "Goddess! Please! Please, help us!"


    Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!


    "Uwaaahhhh!"


    Gordon and Lucas were unstoppable. They vented all the umted stress from their


    training.


    After all, they could endure getting hit with straw dummies.


    "You bastards! Damn it! XXX! Your mother! XXXXXXX!"


    Ascon had long since copsed to the ground after taking too many hits. Hey there


    clutching his head, still shouting profanities at the enemy''s parents.


    Most of the elves and soldiers had also fallen. Full stomachs or not, they were no match for


    200 elite soldiers to begin with.


    But thanks to their efforts in distracting and holding back the enemy, the knights managed to


    take down more than half of the opposing soldiers.


    Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!


    Thus, the knights kept advancing, swinging their straw dummies mercilessly. For the knights


    who had followed Ghiin through countless real battles, this was child''s y. Eventually, they encased themselves in mana and charged forward recklessly. Since the


    opponents were also attacking with straw dummies, enduring a bit of pain was a fair trade.


    Thwack!


    Lucas, swinging and taking blows in a frenzy, suddenly realized that there was no one left in


    front of him.


    "I broke through."


    The soldiers around them were all down. While some were still standing, breaking the formation meant the mock battle was over.


    The knights following Lucas threw aside their straw dummies and shouted.


    "We won!"


    "Hahahahaha!"


    "The food is ours!"


    The knights rushed toward the food. A feast of various meats, fruits, and even alcohol awaited


    them, as if tofort them for their efforts.


    Watching the knights eat like madmen, ude muttered to himself.


    "This is strange. I tasted it, and it made me hungry?"


    Even eating it for just one day made him hungry-how could they endure eating only that for


    an entire month and still fight like this? Watching ude''s bewilderment, Ghiin chuckled inwardly. Schrs and mages from past lives had focused solely on reducing volume, increasing


    portability, and sustaining energy for long periods. A slight sense of hunger was inevitable. Eating the same thing continuously without chewing or savoring it would naturally be tedious. But in a war zone, it was an exceptional source of nutrition.


    In battle, fullness wasn''t the priority. The key was to continuously supply nutrients to


    maintain extreme tension and movement.


    ude, who had never directly experienced war, made the mistake of judging by ordinary standards.


    Even if he had known, he probably wouldn''t have been able to survive on it alone for a month


    anyway.


    Ghiin lightly tapped the dazed ude and spoke.


    "So? Looks like the match is settled, don''t you think?"


    ude nced around with trembling eyes. Everyone around him was staring at him, clearly


    waiting for him to admit defeat.


    "Ha..."


    ude let out a deep sigh as he looked up at the sky, then let out a self-deprecatingugh.


    "Well, I guess there''s no helping it. To think the lord would seed again. Just where did you learn all of this?"


    In any case, he had to ept defeat.


    Because that''s what it means to be a gambler.


    "Alright, I''ve lost."


    Still, since he hadn''t wagered anything, he felt surprisingly lighthearted this time.


    "A-ahh, uh, uh..."


    Meanwhile, Alpoi, the mages, Max, and the troubleshooters trembled uncontrobly, letting


    out strange noises.


    Max and the troubleshooters had gambled away 30 years. The mages, including the previous


    wager, were now bound for 60 years as ves. Forget retirement-surviving the next 60 years would be a miracle.


    All they could do was gape at ude.


    When their eyes met, ude shrugged with a bitter smile and shook his head, as if resigned.


    He extended a fist lightly toward Alpoi and said.


    "You lost, but you fought well. It was a truly impressive match, wasn''t it, bro?"


    "A-ah..."


    As he looked at ude''s smiling face, Alpoi raised a trembling hand. He wanted to cast a spell


    like before, but his hands were shaking, and he couldn''t focus.


    "A-ugh..."


    That smiling face deserved at least one fireball.


    "You, son of..."


    Thud.


    But before he could finish speaking, Alpoi fainted.


    ***


    The newbat rations proved highly effective.


    The ability to endure even when supply lines were cut or dyed would undoubtedly be a


    massive advantage in warfare.


    Everyone praised Ghiin, their mouths full ofpliments.


    "Incredible! As expected of our lord!"


    "This will greatly extend operational ranges during war!"


    "It''s more than adequate as emergency rations!"


    Ghiin nodded and gave instructions.


    "Set upbat ration manufacturing facilities throughout the territory. Once sufficient


    quantities are produced, distribute them to the citizens as emergency supplies. Also, research


    ways to maintain quality over time and proper storage methods. It shouldst for years, but it


    depends on how it''s stored."


    "Yes, my lord."


    Though it was a lot of work, the vassals didn''t object since it was essential.


    ude also pped his hands in agreement.


    "As expected of our lord, truly remarkable!"


    "...Yeah."


    ude looked genuinely at ease, without a hint of ulterior motive.


    Ghiin shook his head slightly at him, then addressed everyone.


    "Now, all of you, it''s time to help with my training." At the sudden statement, everyone''s eyes widened in shock. [T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi/revengerscans]