Kane leaned against the stone wall of the competitors’ tunnel, keeping himself hidden from the roaring crowd.

He stayed tucked away in the shadows to watch Rutheus fight, as standing out in the open would expose him to the observing nobles. He didn’t want the elven prince to see him studying the other fighters and analyzing their specific weaknesses.

Out on the ground, Rutheus stepped into the ring and dismantled a seasoned human mercenary in under a single minute.

There was no flashy flourish and no wasted movement to entertain the masses.

He simply parried a wild sword strike, stepped inside the mercenary’s guard, and delivered a brutal knockout blow to the jaw.

The crowd applauded politely, but their cheers sounded hesitant and confused.

They clearly expected wild, screaming brutality from a savage and got calculated efficiency instead.

That level of martial discipline unsettled them far more than a bloody execution would have, proving these foreign fighters were evolving beyond simple monsters.

Kane shifted his gaze and watched the royal box from across the sprawling stadium.

Prince Aelrindor sat forward in his chair, resting his chin on his knuckles. The royal heir looked bored by the quick knockout, and his sharp eyes were already moving away from Rutheus.

The prince scanned the shadowy exits and tunnel archways along the perimeter. He ignored his royal guards entirely, actively searching the shadows for an anomaly.

’He already knows I’m the real threat,’ Kane thought, stepping further back into the gloom of the tunnel to avoid detection.

’That’s smart. Most nobles at his level wouldn’t bother looking past the seeded brackets for at least two more rounds. He has been watching me since yesterday, and he knows I am hiding my full hand from the public.’

Rutheus exited the arena floor a moment later, walking into the cool shade of the tunnel.

He found Kane waiting quietly and stopped, barely breathing hard from his extremely short match.

The giant man wiped a single bead of sweat from his forehead and immediately let his eyes drop to the new weapon strapped to Kane’s back.

"Your weapon," Rutheus said without any preamble, his deep voice echoing slightly in the stone corridor.

"I felt it all the way from the stands before my match even started. What is that thing?"

"A gift," Kane replied, keeping his posture relaxed and his hands empty.

Rutheus studied him for a long, silent moment.

"Gifts with that kind of aura always come with costs attached to them. Just something to remember when you start swinging it at people who can actually fight back."

He clapped Kane firmly on the shoulder and walked away toward the medical tents to collect his winnings.

Kane didn’t respond to the warning, but he filed the veteran’s words away in his mind for future reference.

Instead of returning to the inn right away, Kane spent the entire afternoon at the Proving Grounds.

He wanted no audience and no sparring partners while he learned the new balance of his gear and focused on his footwork and getting familiar with Mjoldr’s solid weight.

The axe pulsed in perfect rhythm with his heartbeat while he moved through his combat forms.

Swoosh.

He slashed the empty air, twisting his wrists to recover his guard quickly without losing momentum.

He visualized his future opponents, pushing his physical limits until sweat poured down his chest and his muscles burned.

Kane was actually starting to feel the weapon anticipate his swings a fraction of a second before he even completed them.

It was a seamless connection that made him faster and far more lethal.

He swung the blade in an upward arc, feeling the crimson energy trail behind the steel like a ribbon of fire.

[Status Screen Updated]

[Name: Kane]

[Stage: Warbrand - Early]

[Level: 31] 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

[Strength: 198]

[Vitality: 171]

[Agility: 89]

[Dexterity: 72]

[Intelligence: 41]

[Wisdom: 38]

[Charisma: 141]

[Dominance: 58]

[Sexual Prowess: 35]

[Gold Coins: 697]

[Active Skills: Berserker Rage Lv2, Conquest Bond, Harem Bond, Inspect, Allocation]

[Passive Skills: Body Enhancement, Primal Seed, Afterglow, Primal Resonance]

[Weapon Bond: Mjoldr - Soul Brand active]

Kane swiped the floating screen away and let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his red hair.

’This is still too low for what is coming,’ Kane thought, checking the numbers and comparing them to his game knowledge.

’Lothburk is reportedly a Stage Four Stormforged. My early Warbrand stats simply will not hold up in a straight physical exchange. That four-armed freak will tear me apart if I try to trade blows with him in the center of the ring. I need to be much smarter about this upcoming fight than I was with the corrupted bear.’

Evening finally fell over Sylvandar.

Kane sheathed his weapon and walked back toward the inn through the quieter merchant streets.

The stalls were closing down for the night, leaving the cobblestone avenues mostly empty.

Lanterns flickered to life along the walls.

His mind was already racing, analyzing Lothburk’s specific attack patterns to formulate a winning strategy.

He knew the beastman favored crippling strikes to the knees and elbows to disable opponents before going in for the kill.

That was when he saw her.

A figure slipped quickly through a narrow side gate set into the outer arena wall.

Lady Firlia had abandoned her luxurious gold robes and her usual arrogant posture.

She now wore a plain, unassuming traveling cloak pulled tight around her shoulders to hide her distinctive green hair.

Her movements were fast, keeping to the shadows of the alleyways.

She checked over her shoulder every few steps like a frightened rabbit fleeing a hungry predator, clutching a small leather satchel tightly against her chest.

Kane stopped walking and melted into the shadow of a nearby storefront, blending perfectly into the evening gloom.

’Well, this is very interesting,’ Kane thought, watching the panicked noblewoman scurry down the street.

Firlia slipped through a narrow side gate built into the arena wall.

She moved fast down the cobblestone street while checking over her shoulder every few steps.

Kane stepped out of the alley directly into her path.

She froze instantly, her red eyes widening in panic.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke a single word.

Distant tournament music echoed faintly from the main plaza, but the narrow street remained empty.

"Night walk?" Kane asked, crossing his arms casually.

"Move," Firlia ordered through gritted teeth; her voice sounded low and sharp.

"If anyone sees me talking to you, it will cause a scene."

"Then walk with me like you meant to," Kane countered smoothly.