Chapter 97 097

Completed Main Quest: Dancing with Sand Giants.

* You brought the dancing sand giant to its knees! The undamaged magic stone will be a valuable gift for the alchemists of Shahav.

* Outstanding achievement! Your contribution has reached the ears of the Lord.

* Bonus reward added!

Seojin completed the second quest, once again, with the best possible outcome. It was no surprise that he was able to defeat the boss on his own, and even the Lord of Shahav had heard of his achievements now. Seojin left Maya behind and headed towards the Arena of Glory to receive the next quest in the chain. The circular stadium was even more impressive than the Lord's castle.

"Excellent! You truly are a desert warrior!" exclaimed Champion Lampert, slamming the back of his spear into the ground. The bald, heavily tattooed man was a formidable warrior. He quickly gave Seojin the next quest.

"But to earn the title, you must defeat me in battle! You can challenge me whenever you want!"

Trumpets blared from all sides as Lampert finished his challenge.

Main Quest: Battle for Champion! You've been recognized by Champion Lampert. Becoming a champion means earning the respect of Shahav. If you come out victorious, every single person in Shahav will remember your name. Basic Reward: Achievements. The Great History of The Desert. STR +6.

As Maya clenched her fists, she thought,

'Finally, he won't get away this time!'

Lampert, a powerful warrior and champion of the arena, was known for his strength. Most adventurers could simply refuse to fight and walk away, but Seojin couldn't due to the conditions of his bet.

'You'll soon realize what the unbreakable wall is!

Lampert wielded a spear, while Seojin had no weapons and wasn't even wearing armor.

'He can't use his mind control tricks in a one-on-one battle,' Maya reminded herself, determined to take preemptive measures in case he tried to use them on Lampert.

Maya installed top-notch protection that could deflect black magic and anything else, ensuring that Lampert wouldn't surrender as soon as the duel began and risk her losing again.

"I accept."

"Fantastic! Choose the day that suits you best!"

"Let's do it right now."

"Amazing! Your spirit is palpable! Follow me and I'll lead you to a glorious duel!"

'Right now?!'

Maya was hoping for a break, but it seemed the adventurer was even more arrogant than he anticipated.

'At last, I won't have to follow him around anymore!' Maya thought.

* * *

'Do I really have to go through all this just to earn an achievement?' Seojin thought to himself.

Seojin finally realized that his level had risen considerably, considering that an achievement that boosted STR by two levels worth didn't seem impressive at all.

'Back in Movelon, I could earn achievements just by breathing,' he thought.

Seojin was currently at Level 70, which was understandable given what had happened at the Tower of Choice.

'Now I have to beat the best warrior in the settlement just to get a boost of 6… it's only going to get harder from here…'

Seojin had only needed to collect a few intact leathers to earn the Perfectionist achievement, but he knew that the difficulty would skyrocket after Level 100, based on what Merhen had told him.

"Anyway… hmm, I think I'm attracting too much attention."

The sound of trumpets could be heard throughout Shahav, and most of the players knew what it meant because they had all been there before.

"Someone must be dueling Lampert!"

"Who accepted the challenge?"

"Lampert will beat the crap out of that guy. No one has ever won before."

Players slowly made their way to the arena as a duel was the biggest event in this desolate settlement. When Robert's guide was treated like a bible in the past, no one dared to challenge Lampert. However, there were now some occasional challengers thanks to Seojin's guide. The harder the quest, the greater the reward. They all knew that there were only two outcomes: go on the defensive and end up as a punching bag, or go on the offensive and get one-shotted. Rather than coming to mock the challenger, it was more like a pleasant small festival when players gathered to spectate. And Seojin…

"I'll keep this private."

…refused to participate in such a festival.

"Why?"

"I don't want a sacred duel to be treated like a freak show. Even if they have no ill intentions, I don't want people to watch it as entertainment."

"It's impossible to keep it completely private."

"I'm fine with the Lord of Shahav, but I won't allow adventurers and other residents to witness it."

"Great! If the challenger agrees, then so be it."

While building up popularity was important, there were certain things that should be kept under wraps. This duel was clearly one of those things that couldn't be shown to others, especially not Maya.

* * *

Maya was feeling nervous.

'What trick is she going to play?'

Seojin had suggested a duel behind closed doors, but Maya wondered how he even knew that was possible.

'I've provided Lampert with some protection, but I don't know what else that guy is hiding.'

Maya couldn't risk sneaking into the stadium, but she had her own way of checking the situation.

'I can see what's happening through another set of eyes.'

Only one spectator was allowed to watch the duel, but luckily, Maya was in a position to speak privately to Lord Oldman Shahav. She greeted him kindly as he arrived at the arena.

"My Lord!"

Oldman smiled gently, happy to see Maya. He cared for the admirable girl like all the other residents. Innocently, Maya asked,

"Oh, Maya! What brings you here?"

"Are you here to watch the duel?"

"Yes, lords should attend duels. Do you want to see it as well? It's not often we get to witness a skilled warrior like Lampert in action."

"Yes, my lord, but…"

"I apologize, Maya. Even I cannot break the rules. However, I can describe the duel to you later on."

Maya's eyes lit up.

"That's enough, thank you, my lord!"

* * *

'So… he's Lord Oldman Shahav.'

Seojin looked at the old man walking in with a gentle smile on his lips and realized that he must be the lord of the area. The man approached Seojin and offered a handshake, seemingly amused to see him.

"Are you the adventurer who requested a private duel? Ah, you're the one who defeated the Golem!"

"Yes, my lord."

"I admire your decision to challenge Lampert to a duel, regardless of the outcome."

Oldman clapped as if he meant it, and Seojin replied with a sharp remark.

"Isn't it easier than fighting Ironblood?"

"Of course it is… what did you say?"

"I'm telling you that dealing with one honest warrior is much easier than fighting hordes of adventurers like Ironblood."

Oldman's eyes shook wildly, and Lampert stood there blinking, not knowing what was happening.

"Lampert, can you wait for a moment?"

"If it's your request… is the matter related to the lord?"

"Yes, Count Shahav. It's urgent."

"I am…" Oldman licked his dry lips in response to the unexpected situation.

"Okay, I'll meet with you privately. Lampert, can you wait for a moment?"

"Of course!"

"Let's go inside. Young adventurer, I think we have a lot to discuss."

* * *

The room they stood in was rather plain, having previously served as a waiting area for warriors before their duels. Oldman Shahav was looking at the uninvited guest.

"This is rather unexpected."

"Looks like you haven't heard from Ironblood."

"No. Are you the adventurer who's been clearing out Valaran's estates one by one?"

Seojin let out a breath.

"That's quite the rumor."

"We can exchange news without traveling a long way thanks to advanced magic. Also, the lords tend to be wary of that kind of news."

Up until this point, the nobles of Valaran had been living a life of sunshine and rainbows, much like animals without any natural predators. However, a band of adventurers known as the Ironblood Knights had begun collecting a protective tax from them, which was typically a modest sum.

"You're right, I'm getting a headache."

"Over how should you deal with me?"

"It's not about you, it's about how should I react. I'm sure Ironblood didn't contact me in advance for a reason."

"So, Shahav has been abandoned?"

"That's a harsh expression, but at worst, that could be it."

Oldman looked way calmer than Seojin expected. Of course, he might have been scheming something evil internally, but he looked more like he had given up everything.

"I already guessed, but can you confirm something for me?"

"As long as I know what you're talking about."

"Is Shahav being used as a shield?"

"I forced them to do so."

"So, it was your choice. What a shame…"

Oldman sighed lightly. After staring into the air for a moment in silence, he said.

"What are you going to do with Shahav?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

It was a subtle threat that the future of this estate was in Seojin's hands. However, the lord's reaction was not what he had expected.