Published at 9th of March 2026 7:06 am

Chapter 1569 Peak of Magic

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The duel continued.

There was no shift in the momentum. There was no sudden breakthrough. Adam never really stood a chance.

Zagho struck him down again and again, the sound of his fists hammering into flesh echoing constantly in the hall. Each blow was precise, controlled, and overwhelming.

Adam's body hit the ground repeatedly, cracking stone, splattering blood, leaving dents in the hall's ancient floor.

And yet...

Before ten seconds could pass, Adam would move.

He would claw his way back from unconsciousness. A twitch of his finger, a sharp intake of breath, or a hand clawing at the floor. He dragged himself back to his knees, forced himself upright, and stepped forward. Only to be struck down again.

The pattern repeated.

Again.

And again.

And again...

Thirty minutes passed like that, yet the victor had still not been declared.

By then, Adam's body was barely recognizable. His skin was riddled with bruises and swelling. Blood soaked his robes and stained the floor beneath him. One eye was nearly shut from the excessive swelling. His breathing came in broken gasps.

Yet each time he fell, he rose.

He was unwilling to stay down.

Adam never believed he could defeat a Mana Seed-level dragon in a duel. But what he did believe was that he'd never lose. He would never yield. He would always find a way back in the fight.

Such was the conviction of the Dark King.

At first, the dragons watched the duel with cold detachment. To them, Adam had been arrogant, foolish to challenge one of their own. They had expected the duel to end within moments.

Yet as time passed and he continued to rise, something changed.

Each time Adam clawed his way back from the brink of defeat, a faint, reluctant feeling of respect stirred in their proud draconic hearts.

They would not admit it, that a lesser being a human - could invoke such emotions within them. But they could no longer dismiss it either.

Nestled in Endi's arms, Valerian was beyond horrified. He continued to sob and cheer his big brother on from the sidelines. That was all he could do.

Even if he told the dragons that he no longer wished to return to the clan with them, it wouldn't matter. Because now everything rested on the outcome of the duel.

"I... I don't understand," the young dragon murmured in disbelief and grief. "Even when he fought opponents beyond his arcane rank, he would always come out victorious. So why... why is this happening!"

Endi couldn't help but slightly frown at that statement.

He can defeat opponents beyond his rank? He wondered.

I suppose that makes sense since he walks the path of both Paladin and Magus. But even so, I've never seen a human so resilient.

He shifted his attention to Valerian and spoke in a gentle tone, "You must understand, Your Highness. Dragons are apex predators. Each of us possesses strength that allows us to not only contend with those beyond our arcane rank, but to defeat them."

Endi paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to Zagho, who stood over Adam's unmoving body.

"Zagho," he continued, "is capable of defeating most Transcendent Magi. So you can imagine the difference in strength between Constantine and him."

"Even so!" Valerian protested. "My brother is strong! He's the strongest! He won't lose!"

Endi slipped into silence. After thirty minutes into the duel, even he was starting to believe that Adam might not lose.

If he kept rising back to his feet again and again, no matter how many times he was put to the ground, could he really lose?

Endi couldn't help but wonder, his eyes narrowing.

Is that why he insisted that when a contestant is knocked down, he be given

ten seconds to recover before declaring a victor?

At the time, this condition for the duel didn't seem like all that much. Giving

time to a duelist to recover was normal.

But the ten-second window was a little too specific.

Has that been his plan all along? Endi thought with a slight frown.

Was he truly that confident he could recover within ten seconds? If that is truly the case, then perhaps he could not win, but neither would he lose.

Zagho had complicated emotions flickering in his eyes as he watched Adam rise to his feet once again.

He had already lost track of how many times the raven-haired youth had been put to the ground, and the number of times he had risen back up.

His emotions were tangled.

A part of him felt irritated and ashamed that he had not been able to keep a mere human down after so long. Each time Adam rose, it felt like a challenge to

his pride as a dragon.

And yet, beneath that frustration, something else began to form.

Respect.

Reluctant, silent, but undeniable admiration for a will that refused to break.

Adam finally managed to rise to feet after failing a couple of times. His hands hung limp at his side, and his legs constantly trembled, unable to bear his weight. His face was bloody and bruised, and he was unable to see from one

.

Through the slit in his one good eye, he noticed Zagho wasn't preparing to attack him. Instead, he was looking at him with a dark frown.

"Ah... haha... ha," the raven-haired youth laughed hoarsely. He raised his trembling hands and got into a pitiful fighting stance.

"What's the matter, mighty... dragon?" he asked with a taunting grin. "Do you... yield?"

It was all so strange.

Zagho had not even broken a sweat, his breathing steady and controlled.

Across from him, Adam swayed on unsteady legs, his body battered and barely

holding together. He looked as though he could collapse at any moment. And yet, it was Adam who asked the dragon whether he planned to give up.

"Heh." Zagho couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.

He shook his head, smiling lightly.

"You are being offered an opportunity to come with us to the Greater Universe,

and yet you refuse."

His tone remained calm, and he continued:

"If your concern is your homeworld, our clan can make arrangements to protect it. Consider it compensation for raising, protecting, and nurturing the Elder's youngest son. Additionally, you will be given endless resources and spells. You'd never have to worry about anything in your life."

Adam remained silent for a long time. The offer was too enticing, after all.

But in the end, he slowly shook his head.

"No," he said softly. "This... is the easy... way... out."

He knew a man who had abandoned his principles and convictions, choosing the easy path simply to leave Tron. Adam had once admired him.

He would not repeat that mistake.

He would not abandon his beliefs.

He would not take the easy way out.

"I have people... depending on me," Adam murmured. "How can I... abandon

them?"

He lowered his hands and straightened his back. Though he was bruised, bloodied, and miserable, he stood prouder thn even the dragons.

His body might have been broken, but his will was not. Adam's lips parted, and he said from the bottom of his heart:

"The pursuit of the peak of magic brings me far greater joy than any spell ever

could."

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