Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 75

Ranking Duel

The fact that Harang Paul Kaladan had passed one of Duke Kalel’s trials was no longer a reality that could be overlooked.

Until now, Duke Kalel Paul Kaladan had never directly issued a ‘trial,’ not even to the second-generation purebloods, let alone the third-generation purebloods.

Even Hiron, who was known to be the eldest among the third-generation purebloods and first in line for succession, had never received such a trial.

But now, a trial had been given to a collateral-adopted son, and the fact that he had passed it had led to a growing sentiment that Harang, who seemed to be soaring higher and higher, needed his wings clipped at least once.

‘I, Kyle Paul Kaladan! I hereby challenge Harang Paul Kaladan, who has insulted my honor and failed to show me the respect of a brother, to a life-and-death duel!’

Thus, it seemed almost inevitable that Kyle, half-forced and pressured, ended up challenging Harang to a duel.

‘A life-and-death duel… I didn’t intend for things to escalate this far.’

He had only planned to teach him a lesson with a few blows in a simple duel, but he never expected that it would turn into a battle where lives were at stake.

Had he made the decision on his own, he would never have suggested a life-and-death duel.

“Kyle, it’s in your hands now. The growth of this collateral-adopted child is accelerating at an alarming rate. If we don’t stop him at least once, there’ll come a day when none of us will be able to catch him.”

Kyle looked at the man who had come to see him, his face stiff with tension.

It was Gajan Kaladan, an 8-star Polden Knight.

Gajan was known as one of the Polden Knights who served the pureblood line and had such a high reputation that he had earned the title of protector of the eastern seas. Even Kyle, a direct descendant, couldn’t help but feel tense in front of such a legendary warrior.

Gajan Kaladan was one of the faction knights who followed Naridel’s father, and upon hearing that Kyle was to fight Harang in a ranking duel, he had come personally to support him.

“Take this sword. In the North, it’s called the Crusher Sword. Its serrated blade is perfect for breaking through an opponent’s sturdy armor.”

The Crusher Sword Gajan handed him had a jagged, thorn-like edge protruding along the blade, resembling sharp teeth.

“This… isn’t this one of the world’s top 20 famous swords, the Byolbun Sword (별분검)?”

“Yes, it’s a very rare sword.”

“But…”

Kyle hesitated as he spoke.

“If I use this sword in the ranking duel, I won’t be able to return it to you.”

In a ranking duel between blood relatives, only ‘equipment one has personally acquired’ can be used. The concept of borrowing equipment was strictly prohibited, meaning that if Kyle used this sword against Harang, he wouldn’t be able to give it back.

“I’m aware of that.”

“……”

In other words, the fact that a great Polden Knight of Gajan’s caliber had come to him and invested one of the “20 Elite Swords” made the weight on Kyle’s shoulders even heavier.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

“This is a gift from Admiral Karis Herrick, Commander of the Blue Dragon Fleet.”

“……!!”

Karis Herrick—he was none other than the ruler of the seas, widely known as the Conqueror of the East Sea. Long ago, it was said that he had pledged his loyalty to the Kaladan Duchy after being defeated by Duke Kalel.

However, that was a story from a very long time ago.

Karis Herrick was approaching the time for retirement, and his children had started gaining power, showing signs of aligning with a new master.

In short, a faction among Karis Herrick’s children had sent a gift to support Kyle Paul Kaladan!

Of course, the gift was actually meant to support Naridel, but Kyle had no way of knowing that.

“The Crest of Adobis……”

It was an item that, when pressed against the chest, could grant the user a temporary surge of powerful strength. Only a few of these relics remained in the world, making it an incredibly rare and precious artifact.

When used by knights below the 5-star level, it could boost their physical power or aura nearly by one full star, which is why it was considered a sort of backup life. Even with millions of gold, it was nearly impossible to obtain one.

Although only a part of the crest had been provided, meaning its duration wouldn’t even last five minutes, during that brief time, Kyle would gain strength close to the 6-star level.

In other words, it created an utterly perfect scenario in which losing to Harang was almost impossible.

“Now, here’s the Summon Mail I promised to lend you. I’ll remind you again, it’s just a loan, alright?”

The final gift, Summon Mail.

Since Naridel was Kyle’s sibling, the ownership of the equipment could be transferred without issue.

Even though she emphasized it was a “loan,” Naridel was well aware that if this ever got out, she would be facing severe disgrace and could be subject to heavy punishment.

“……Yes, thank you, sister.”

The overwhelming weight pressed down on his shoulders. Things had escalated far beyond what Kyle had anticipated, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

‘No, don’t panic……’

Kyle clenched his fists tightly as he gathered his thoughts.

‘All I need to do is win. Just win. If I win, there’ll be no problems.’

Honestly, if he were alone, he might not have been confident in securing a perfect victory against Harang.

But now, with such incredible equipment backing him, how could he possibly lose? At this point, even if he wanted to lose, it wouldn’t be possible.

‘This time, I’ll crush him for sure.’

His eyes burned with determination.

* * *

Duels for direct bloodline ranking had become quite rare in modern times. In recent generations, rather than determining hierarchy through skill in swordsmanship, people had started toppling their opponents politically, dragging them down into ruin, thereby securing the family’s standing through non-combat means.

However, Duke Kalel Paul Kaladan was an exception. After several generations, he was the one who had claimed his throne through a pure ranking duel, and it was said that he had insisted on the same for his children—preferring real duels over dirty political schemes or unnecessary bloodshed.

Of course, none of the children listened.

The last time the direct line of the Kaladan family held a ranking duel was 39 years ago.

Even then, it wasn’t a true life-and-death duel but more like a formal match where lethal techniques weren’t used, so it had ended without much significance.

But today’s ranking duel was different.

Kyle Paul Kaladan, a Polden Knight of the direct Kaladan line, had officially challenged Harang to a duel, claiming his honor had been insulted!

And to make matters worse, it was a life-and-death duel. Naturally, this became a topic of conversation everywhere.

‘I don’t plan to kill him, though.’

Harang, with a calm expression, gently stroked Cheongwolheun.

A life-and-death duel.

Kill or be killed.

Though it could be misunderstood that way, in the Astera Continent, a life-and-death duel was more akin to ‘kill or spare.’

The times had changed, and in the modern era, it was no longer common to easily take someone’s life.

If this were truly the medieval period, deaths during duels would be frequent, but even on the Astera Continent, such things were a distant memory.

Harang had no intention of killing Kyle.

‘That is, if it’s possible.’

It was an arrogant thought.

Letting someone live was harder than killing them.

In other words, Harang had to subdue Kyle, who would be coming at him with the intent to kill, without actually killing him…

‘Kyle isn’t stupid enough to have orchestrated all this alone. His sister Naridel or someone else influential must have helped him. Will they lend him better equipment? Maybe even enhance him with potions? They’ll do anything to crush me.’

He never let his guard down when entering a match. He constantly anticipated various scenarios and thought of potential variables.

He had once faced an undefeated opponent in a final match and, due to complacency, had suffered a humiliating defeat.

That bitter experience became Harang’s pillar, making him more solid and resilient.

‘He’s probably coming with much better gear than what he usually uses. I don’t know what it is, but if I respond the same way I usually do, I might end up losing.’

Under normal circumstances, Kyle would underestimate Harang and charge at him, relying on his upgraded equipment, but surely someone would have advised him with a strategy.

‘It won’t be an easy duel…’

No matter.

“Both of you, prepare for the sword ceremony.”

At the voice that called out, Harang lifted his head.

For a ranking duel between blood relatives, it was mandatory to have a judge who was at least a 7-star senior knight.

The third training arena had been entirely cleared, even halting training sessions, and all the knights were watching from a distance.

Clack! Clack! As they performed the sword ceremony, Kyle and Harang locked eyes.

‘As expected, has his equipment changed?’

Harang’s eyes turned silver as he scanned Kyle’s gear.

‘A reasonably lightweight armor… hmm, is that the Byolbun Sword?’

The Byolbun Sword was known to have the ability to crush a knight’s aura.

It was a possessed sword once wielded by the infamous demon knight, known as the “Knight Slayer,” but was said to be resting somewhere in the East now.

The fact that Kyle could suddenly wield such a weapon confirmed beyond a doubt that he had powerful backing.

‘I used to have plenty of sponsors too.’

As he pondered that, the senior knight between Kyle and Harang raised his sword.

“Duel—”

A moment later, he lifted the sword high into the air and shouted.

“Begin!”

The moment the signal was given, the first thing Harang did was concentrate aura into his eyes, sharpening his focus to the maximum. He needed to analyze Kyle’s movements to respond effectively to the next attack.

‘I might still struggle to keep up with the movements of a 5-star knight, but if I can predict them in advance, I can handle it.’

With that thought, Harang began breaking down Kyle’s potential movements into countless possibilities, trying to anticipate his path.

And then, something unexpected happened.

Clank! Clank!

Suddenly, thin blue lines appeared in the air around Kyle’s body, quickly forming into a distinct shape.

It was unmistakably the form of armor.

‘Summon Mail!’

There weren’t many types of Summon Mail in this world, so it wasn’t hard to identify it.

‘The Armor of the Red Leap.’

According to Harang’s memory, it was undoubtedly one of the Summon Mails in Naridel’s possession… and its ability was to enhance the aura emission from the soles of the feet, amplifying one’s jumping power to a terrifying degree.

Whoosh!!

“……!!”

In Harang’s simulation, Kyle had countless trajectories, splitting into various paths, but in reality, Kyle completely defied all expectations and charged straight at him!

At a speed so overwhelming that Harang couldn’t possibly react in time!

Boom!!

The impact was so loud, it was hard to believe it was just swords clashing, and Harang’s body was sent flying backward.

Thud! Harang crashed into the wall of the training arena, his brows furrowing as he quickly refocused on the scene ahead.

Fwoosh! Without giving him a moment to breathe, Kyle charged again like a rampaging boar! This time, the strike came with such force that even defending wasn’t an option, so Harang quickly rolled out of the way, escaping from the wall.

Boom!! The wall completely collapsed and crumbled. Amid the rising dust, Harang hurriedly distanced himself from Kyle and twisted his left wrist.

‘…It’s unfortunate I used Orlang’s Touch just a few days ago.’

He had only taken two hits, but it was clear something was off about Kyle’s condition.

‘It must be doping.’

Doping existed in this world as well. Though most types of doping were illegal due to severe side effects, there were rare ancient doping items that had survived and been passed down to modern times.

‘Kyle’s aura is calm. There’s no sign of his personality changing or his mana going out of control, yet his power has increased to this level—could it be some kind of ancient doping?’

Though he had no idea where Kyle had managed to obtain such a rare doping substance, its power was undeniable.

‘…The only downside might be the short duration.’

As much as Harang speculated, Kyle himself was likely aware of that drawback.

The time it took Harang to make this judgment: 0.7 seconds.

It was more than enough time for Kyle to prepare for his next attack.

Boom!!

Like a rocket launching, Kyle broke the sound barrier with ease as he rushed forward, and Harang hesitated, just about to raise his left hand.

‘…He’s probably expecting me to use magic.’

Kyle must have been wearing at least one or two artifacts to counter magic. In that case, hastily casting a 2-star level spell would likely not even penetrate his defense and could backfire.

‘This is why revealing your strategy becomes troublesome.’

Even in the midst of Kyle’s overwhelming offense, Harang remained composed.

[Sync rate is increasing.]

At that moment, Harang’s concentration steadily heightened, and Kyle’s movements became clearer to him.

‘Speed and power are at the 6-star level, but his actions are simple.’

Even the techniques Kyle was using were nothing more than a reckless rush and wild swings, far from a proper swordsmanship style.

‘He can’t control his own power.’

In that case…

‘How is he any different from a wild beast?’

Clang!!

Harang angled Cheongwolheun and embedded it into the ground, using its weight to absorb the impact. Kyle’s sword struck the blade and slipped off, dissipating much of its force!

“Ugh!”

Though Kyle lost his balance, he twisted his body forcefully.

No matter how much people labeled him as foolish, he was still a direct descendant of the Kaladan family. His natural battle instincts were exceptional.

Whoosh!

Kyle, spinning his body, swung his sword toward Harang’s neck, who had left Cheongwolheun embedded in the ground and was unable to retrieve it.

The movement was extremely unnatural, putting his entire body under strain, but thanks to the doping from the Adobis crest, Kyle managed to pull it off!

Kyle was certain that Harang, left defenseless, would lose his head.

Clank!

A sudden sound of metal clashing resounded at the same time.

…Boom!!

Instead of the sensation of cutting through flesh, Kyle felt his blade stop as if it had struck something unbelievably hard, and his eyes widened in shock.

“What, what the…?”

Cheongwolheun was still embedded in the ground, and Harang had it gripped in his right hand.

So then, what had blocked it?

‘This is…?!’

Harang’s left hand.

A silvery metal gauntlet that covered about half of his forearm had perfectly intercepted Kyle’s sword.

Despite its famed reputation of cutting through not only a knight’s aura but even the shield coating on their armor, Kyle’s Byolbun Sword couldn’t pierce through this simple gauntlet!

Crack!

While Kyle stood stunned, Harang swung his left arm, landing a powerful blow to Kyle’s face. Kyle staggered back a few steps, and though Harang had more than enough time to close the distance and finish him off, he deliberately stayed put, flexing his left hand and waiting.

It was a provocation, showing his ease.

‘No matter what tricks you use, no matter what aid you receive, defeating you is a simple matter.’

‘Anything you can do, I can do as well.’

Kyle stared at Harang’s left hand, his expression one of genuine disbelief.

That gauntlet, which hadn’t existed moments ago but had now suddenly appeared to block Byolbun Sword’s strike, was unmistakably Summon Mail!

“You bastard… Have you been hiding something like that all along?”

“…”

Harang hadn’t particularly been hiding anything. He simply hadn’t used it because Summon Mail consumed an extreme amount of mana compared to other artifacts.

But Kyle had no way of knowing that.

‘On top of that, he didn’t even summon all the parts, only the left hand…!’

Fury burned intensely in Kyle’s eyes as he convinced himself that Harang was openly mocking him.

“…You’ll pay the price for looking down on me.”