Chapter 74 – Crimson Sword
The whole arena was silent again, their eyes locked in one place... on Kaden. Or more precisely, on his sword.
His sword was glowing so red that, for a mont, they all had the illusion of being inside an ocean of blood. Their eyes widened in shock again.
"A... budding intent?" one of the spectators muttered.
"Since when was it so easy?" another comnted, feeling like life was truly unjust.
There are people who can live their whole life without even awakening a budding intent—and here they were, in front of two youngsters, fifteen years old, awakening them like it was just sothing they’d decided to do.
But it wasn’t only them who were surprised.
They were shocked that Kaden had awakened a budding intent.
But for Old Smith, her surprise was sothing else—her dear disciple had awakened a combined double intent.
Sword... and blood.
She smiled.
"Truly... why am I even surprised? All Warborns are like this," she muttered while shaking her head, the image of a young man with a bulky monstrous physique holding a huge flaming axe surfacing in her mind.
Inside her own VIP room, ris too was smiling at the sight.
She turned to look at Lari.
"Talent? You think he’s the only one talented here? We’re all talented. And I’m sure my dear Kaden is more than all of us."
"After all, he awakened an intent the mont Kenan did. aning, he was already able to do so—but he was missing sothing. Sothing he realized within Kenan."
As she spoke, ris’s smile widened. It was a pleasing smile.
"Maybe Kenan isn’t too bad... he can be used to sharpen my dear Kaden," she said, already planning in her head how to use this talented but reckless young master as stepping stone for Kaden.
’Yes... how dared I even try to pursue the man of a woman like her?’ Lisa just realized how dumb she had been as she saw how devoted ris was.
She was never ready. And she didn’t think she would’ve ever been.
She sighed inwardly, looking back at the duel, whose end was near.
And indeed—
In the arena ring, Kaden stood with Reditha glowing with red hue inside his hand.
The glow was erratic and unstable, as if it would disappear soon.
’A budding intent... still raw and unrefined.’
He had instinctively received all the information about this intent. But now was not the ti to think about it.
DING!
[Congratulations, Host. You have awakened a Budding Intent.]
[Budding Intent: Crimson Sword Intent.]
Kaden looked at the notifications and smiled. He instinctively felt that this intent combined his blood control and his sword.
aning... Reditha. As Reditha was a sword of blood in and of itself.
He then raised his head and looked at Kenan, who was staring at him with wide eyes, seemingly not believing that Kaden, too, had awakened a budding intent.
There was no chatter. No useless taunts.
He couldn’t kill the heir of the FireBorn in such an open way. Even with the blood lotus earlier, he was never going to kill him—just bring him to the brink.
So he either had to make him give up or lose consciousness.
The first one seed difficult to achieve considering his stubborn nature. So he only had one way left.
Make him sleep. Deeply.
The mont the thought settled in his mind, Kaden dashed toward Kenan with his glowing red sword.
The budding intent was just the stage where you started to walk the path of intent.
At this stage, all you got was enhancent.
The sa way Kenan’s fire was enhanced, Kaden’s sword was also enhanced. But added to his sword—was his blood control.
And that difference was clear.
The mont he struck Kenan with his sword covered in blood—
The fire barrier Kenan had erected was imdiately sliced down without hesitation.
"Urghhh..." Kenan grunted as he took a step back, his hands already moving as fire started to appear again.
This ti he covered himself in fire. It was sluggish—clearly his first ti—but he managed to encase himself in a protective fla.
"Do you think it’ll be enough?" Kaden’s voice echoed.
This ti, the blood-covered Reditha changed—he used his corrosive blood.
But just as he was about to strike with his usual attack, Kaden’s intelligence—his high intelligence stat—kicked in.
An enlightennt ca.
After all the fights he had gone through with only Reditha and basic technique, Kaden had polished his foundation to an unreal level. And at this mont—
His hard work paid off.
A sudden idea of a technique appeared in his mind. A technique that combined his experience until now and one interesting aspect of his sister’s origin.
He didn’t even have ti to process it. His body moved first.
His stance changed—his body moved forward while his legs slid back, like a sprinter. His right hand holding Reditha stretched toward his left, then—
He slashed.
The slash tore apart Kenan’s fire protection with disturbing ease, and directly struck him—blood spilled out.
And the mont the blood appeared out from him—
"Crimson Echo."
Kaden’s voice echoed through the arena, making all the spectators tremble in their seats.
Instantly, from where the blood was spilled—
A crimson shimr distorted the air before a delayed slash tore through Kenan’s body like a mirage.
SLASH—!
"ARGHHHH...!" Kenan cried out in pain as his chest was deeply wounded, blood pouring like a fountain.
The first slash spilled the blood. The second ca from the blood itself—like a mirrored echo, delayed, impossible to guard.
Thud—!
Kenan fell to the ground. The blood loss and the burden of his unstable budding intent made him lose consciousness instantly.
At this point, the entire arena was standing, eyes wide, mouths open.
"W-wo-Woah..." one spectator muttered, voice cracked with awe.
But as if it was the signal—
"WOAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"KADEN! KADEN! KADEN!"
The whole arena went mad, screaming with flushed faces like they’d just witnessed the best spectacle ever.
Even those who had supported Kenan were now shouting Kaden’s na with intensity.
But amidst the roar, another na rose.
A nickna.
A nickna that ca to their minds the mont they saw the black-haired, blood-eyed boy standing tall in the middle of the ring, sword glowing crimson in his hand.
A na they all agreed on without needing to speak.
"CRIMSON SWORD! CRIMSON SWORD! CRIMSON SWORD!"
"KADEN! CRIMSON SWORD! KADEN! CRIMSON SWORD!"
It looked like the world was trembling from the force of their voices.
It was maddening.
Even ris and Old Smith in their VIP rooms felt their blood tremble with excitent as they heard the shout of the crowd.
anwhile, Kaden wasn’t even registering it all.
His eyes were glued to the screen in front of him.
[You have created your first unique technique: Crimson Echo.]
[You have gained 1000 Death Coins and 100 stat points.]
A pause.
Then sothing else appeared.
The Will.
{Kaden Warborn, Child of Blood. You have gained a new Title.}
{Title: Crimson Sword.}
Then, in perfect unison—
[Congratulations, Host.]
{Congratulations, Kaden Warborn.}
—End of Chapter 74—
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