Revenge pact

Adonis positioned his foot on an unoccupied tabletop, and launched himself into the air, nearly reaching the ceiling.

He followed the manoeuvre by throwing a peculiar elongated object towards the knight's face with frightening velocity.

WHOOSH

Though uncertain about the object's nature, the knight instinctively sidestepped to avoid it, ensuring his safety.

In that moment of evasion, Quin's curiosity got the best of him.

His gaze shifted towards the object, his inquisitiveness driving him to determine its identity.

{Rookie...}

"Got him!"

The object Adonis threw at him was a 10-inch-long piece of wood from the table, which had broken.

By the time Quin glanced back in the child's direction, he was gone.

Quin immediately scanned the establishment, trying to locate the sneaky brat; yet his efforts were null.

Unbeknownst to Quin, Adonis had snuck up behind him; preparing the match-ending attack.

SPLURT

Swiftly, Adonis used a shard of sharp ceramic to cut both the knight's Achilles tendons.

Before Quin could muster a response, Adonis forcefully brought the knight to his knees with a front kick.

THUD

{Kukuku...Not bad mortal.}

Adonis watched as the man before him fell to his knees, his doll-like face displaying an enigmatic expression.

The emotions behind his luminous eyes were unfamiliar.

{Now finish him!}

The deity's words instantly brought the boy back to his senses, his expression becoming gentle once more.

'There's no need to, I've already won.' He said hesitantly.

{You think this scum is only going to stop here? End him now to prevent him from hurting anyone else.}

'Defeat at the hands of a commoner should be enough.'

The knight, still on the ground, emitted anguished cries before he reached for his feet in pain. His gaze fixated upon the growing pool of blood.

'A mere commoner? Did I just lose to a commoner? And a child at that?!' A mixture of rage and humiliation surged through his prideful heart.

Adonis cast a gaze of pity upon his opponent, his eyes conveying a sense of hesitance.

With a single large stride, he traversed over the fallen knight without bothering to utter a single word.

The boy advanced towards the counter, approaching Itchy, who stood there with his jaw on the floor.

When the boy finally reached the counter, the middle-aged man recoiled, visibly in fear.

Drawing upon his finance necklace, Adonis summoned a few gleaming gold coins, which he placed casually on the table.

Despite his inner pang of wounded emotions caused by the man's response, he left the coins behind as a gesture of consideration.

"For the damages."

***

After applying a low-level healing potion to his wounds, Adonis returned to the inn.

Once there, he stretched out on the ground and began performing a series of body weight exercises, a routine he faithfully practised as part of his nightly regimen.

{Disregarding the last part your performance was pretty satisfactory. }

"87, 88, 89" Continuing with his sit-ups, Adonis listened intently to the Devil God.

{Your first attack, when you attempted to punch that brat was pretty clever. You anticipated how he would deal with you and manipulated him into throwing you into the table. And from there you took a piece of the wood to slyly use later on.}

"100, 101, 102,103..." Beads of sweat glistened on the boy's pale skin while he sweated profusely, unwavering in his dedication to the exercise.

{Then your second attack, the sliding tackle. You pretended to target his legs and used the opportunity to grab one of the broken ceramic shards on the ground. Afterwards, you utilized both these tools to deal with your opponent appropriately without revealing your true arsenal...}

"111,112,113..." The deity's criticism was nearly drowned out by the rhythmic sound of his breath, which continued to echo loudly in his ears.

{Overall, I give you an A for adaptability.}

"Hehe!" Adonis halted his exercise and his lips curved into a proud smile.

{I didn't tell you to stop!} Eos retorted.

"Sorry sir!" Obeying the deity's command, he resumed his sit-ups till he eventually achieved his goal of two hundred repetitions.

***

Seated on a sandy beach, two males faced each other with their legs crossed, eyes shut in a meditative concentration.

Slow, deliberate breaths filled their lungs as they embraced the serene atmosphere.

These two were Eurodos Hermes and his son Oizys, mirroring each other's attire.

The waves continued their rhythmic dance as if in sync with the two's breathing.

Releasing a profound exhale, Eurodos opened his eyelids, fixing his gaze on his son.

"What is your dream Oizys?"

***

While Adonis dreamt about his past within the comforts of his bed; Quin had been carried back to his family's estate by his companions.

Quin Rupert, the sixth successor of the Vice Commander Count Rupert; compared to his other siblings, Quin was regarded as a failure for his low mana depth, which prevented him from becoming a Magic Knight.

The weight of his perceived "failures" made Quin the victim of Count Rupert's unjust treatment, especially when compared to his Magic Knight siblings.

***

The Rupert Compound, even by noble standards was huge, it took on a rectangular form, an arrangement of interconnected structures linked by stone pathways.

Said paths were lined by lush, neatly trimmed grass, and encircling the estate was an imposing metal fence that deterred any potential intruders.

In the main building's study, a tall well-built man with cinnamon-brown hair, cleanly shaved, possessing piercing black eyes stood by a grand window, gazing out at his vast estate.

The study resembled a spacious bedroom, adorned with a sizable wooden desk and chair, a luxurious leather couch occupied by a young girl with flowing brown hair and captivating green eyes.

Across the room stretched an extensive bookshelf that held a diverse collection of leather-bound books.

Engrossing herself in the contents of a thick leather-bound book, the girl maintained an impeccable posture, her delicate features reflecting intense concentration.

In this room, Count Rupert and his youngest daughter coexisted in peaceful silence, each engaged in their own respective activities. The Count's contemplative thoughts harmonized with his daughter's dedicated study session.

KNOCK KNOCK

The girl lifted her eyes slowly to look at her father before opening her pink lips to mutter a few soft words at him.

"Father, the door."

The man merely nodded without saying a word before continuing to look out the window in seemingly deep thought.

"Come in!" Unbothered by her father's dismissive demeanour, Quintina called out.

The door effortlessly swung open as if choreographed, perfectly synchronized with the girl's invitation.

Stepping inside was a commanding figure, a tall and elderly man, his pale skin marked by a tapestry of wrinkles and scars. His short, grizzled beard and radiant blue eyes bore testament to his years of experience.

There was an undeniable aura of power surrounding him, a hallmark of a highly esteemed veteran magic knight.

"Good evening Captain Jasper." The girl politely greeted the magic knight.

"Master Quintina." Sir Jasper offered a subtle nod as he directed his attention to the fifth heir of the household.

Following his acknowledgement of Quintina, he shifted his gaze to her father, who remained fixated on the vista beyond the windowpane.

"Count Rupert, I have important news."

"So important that you came into my home in the middle of the night? Speak."

"Yes sir...Well, Emperor Jupiter has finally broken through." Undeterred by the Count's apparent disregard, Jasper continued. The positive tidings he was about to convey had already elevated his spirits to great heights.

"What!?" As Count Rupert pivoted on his heel to face the man, his countenance underwent a noticeable transformation.

His typically reserved features now displayed a heightened level of animation, marked by a profound shock.

Simultaneously, the young lady, who had been engrossed in her book, swiftly lifted her gaze, her expression aglow with uncontained excitement.

"Yes sir. He broke through this morning, he is now officially Tier 0 High Rank. A fully-fledged transcendent."

"Father that's wonderful news!" Relishing the news, Quintina jumped with joy.

"Yes, it is dear." Rupert let out a sigh of relief, the release of tension evident in his posture.

The interplay between the Human Empire Caelum and the Elf Empire Fulgar had long been marked by conflict and unending rivalry.

Fulgar held a significant advantage, especially after the untimely demise of the former emperor during a battle against another transcendent from the Wakoku Nation.

The abrupt passing of the previous Emperor Jupiter had dealt a significant blow to Caelum's military prowess, rendering them susceptible to the dominance of Fulgar. The only factor that had prevented them from complete subjugation and colonization by Fulgar was the contribution of the Minerva family's Transcendent, Cornelius the Third.

The resurgence of Emperor Jupiter in rank heralded a pivotal turning point. Caelum's military strength would regain its zenith, its economy would regain its prime standing in the world, and the tumultuous power struggle could finally find a resolution.

Extra Information:

King Minerva and Cornelius Minerva the Third are NOT the same person, they are in fact, brothers.

King Minerva is a Tier 1 High Rank

Cornelius Minerva is a Tier 0 High Rank