Published at 29th of October 2026 1:41 pm

Chapter 2150: Best Weapons

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The clang of steel echoed relentlessly in the training chamber below the Rabbit Hole.

Adam was drenched in sweat. Countless fresh cuts marred his body. The blood seeped out of them, then immediately returned. His hand was a blur as the Viper kept switching between the whip and the blade, striking from odd angles.

His sparring partner, Hannibal, hadn’t even moved from his position. One hand behind his back, while the other gripped his own whip-blade, he trained Adam without breaking a sweat.

Hannibal raised his blade to defend against Adam’s vertical slash. Before the blades even met, Hannibal transformed his weapon into a whip.

Adam overextended, his blade meeting none of the resistance he had expected. He stumbled forward and before he could regain his footing, Hannibal was already behind him with his weapon—now transformed back into the blade—resting against Adam’s neck.

"You see what I did there?" Hannibal stepped back and put away his weapon.

"You expected me to meet your attack head-on. Instead, I let you commit to your strike and used your own momentum against you. The follow-up to the strike would have been to circle you and end the salvo with a clean decapitation."

Adam crumpled to the ground, breathing heavily. But he still made sure to pay attention to his teacher.

"Combat isn’t simply about overpowering your opponent. We are not orcs," Hannibal continued.

"It’s about deceiving them. Keep them guessing. Make them question every movement. Every opening. Every decision. Never let them settle into a rhythm, because the moment he thinks he understands you is the moment you can take advantage of him. Learn to move like the River.

"Its depth cannot be judged by its surface, and its course is never set in stone. It flows around obstacles, changes direction, and finds its way forward. But don’t mistake adaptability for weakness. A river may appear gentle and harmless, yet when its current gathers force, it can sweep away everything in its path."

"Yes... I understand..." Adam wheezed through laboured breaths.

"Good." Hannibal nodded. "Summarize it. Comprehend it. Now speak."

Adam took half a minute to stabilize his breathing and go over the points he had just learned. This was how Hannibal taught him. Through words and pain. Through sweat and blood.

"Be deceptive in your movements," Adam answered.

"Conceal your intentions. Let your opponent believe he had figured you out, only to show him how wrong he was. And when the moment comes to strike, do so without hesitation. Like the River. Difficult to predict, impossible to restrain, and merciless when it matters."

Hannibal nodded in approval. "That will be all for today," he said. "Shadow practice the stances and the forms. I’ll have your lunch prepared in the meanwhile."

His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Adam’s body. "You’ve lost weight in your travels. You need protein. How many times must I remind you that diet and rest are as important as training?"

"Ah, yes." Adam lowered his head sheepishly. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Hannibal grunted in response before heading upstairs.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Adam asked.

Hannibal turned and shot him a questioning glance.

"Are you... a big shot or something?" Adam asked awkwardly. Genevieve wouldn’t tell him. But she did give him a hint.

"And why does any of that matter to you?" Hannibal asked flatly.

"It doesn’t." Adam pursed his lips. "I was just curious."

The corner of Hannibal’s lips curled into a smirk.

"I’m just a tavern owner."

***

Adam finished lunch, then returned to training.

It was only around sunset that he wrapped everything up and headed toward Lords’ Borough. He was supposed to walk home with Genevieve from Sapphire Tower.

As he walked the crowded streets of Davos, he was lost in deep thought.

Now how the hell do I begin investigating Havel Norwood?

Should I involve Michael?

No. It’s too dangerous.

The Night Guild’s henchmen will be all over this. And if my hunch is right, then people from Fortune’s End might be involved too.

And who knows how many other factions?

Prudence and anonymity will be my best weapons.

I can’t get Genevieve involved in this as well.

I’ll start with the City Watch then.

I’ll also have to visit those vampires and get the rewards for clearing the missions.

I must be very careful. Nothing can trace back to me.

Or Genevieve.

Adam couldn’t help but grow solemn.

His life was no longer just his own. It belonged to Genevieve as well. He could no longer afford to be as selfish as he had been in the past.

There were still many things he wanted to accomplish, mysteries he wished to uncover, and dangers he would have to face.

But now, he had someone waiting for him at home. Someone who would worry about him. Someone who would be heartbroken if he never returned.

Adam had never thought much about such things before. But having Genevieve in his life had changed him in ways he was only beginning to understand, despite having been in a relationship with her for almost a decade.

He flashed the visitors’ medallion to the security personnel at the campus gates before making his way toward the academia building where Genevieve said she would be.

He arrived just as a host of students and faculty staff began streaming out of the building.

Genevieve was surrounded by a group of young men and women. The moment she noticed Adam, she waved at him animatedly and gestured for him to wait just a little more.

Her friends followed her gaze and noticed Adam as well. The women exchanged teasing glances, while the men regarded him with undisguised scrutiny.

Adam waved back at Genevieve, secretly praying that none of her male admirers would approach him and challenge him to some ridiculous display of worthiness or whatever. He really just couldn’t be bothered.

It wasn’t long before Genevieve slipped away from her colleagues and walked toward Adam with the brightest smile on her face. She put her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him.

"I missed you," she said.

"Did you, now?" Adam teased.

"A girl is allowed to be a hopeless romantic!" Genevieve tipped her head with exaggerated flair before bursting into giggles, embarrassed by her own words.

She slipped an arm around Adam’s and rested her head on his shoulder. "So, how was your day? Any new scars?"

"You know it." Adam laughed.

As they walked back home, they talked about their respective days. Genevieve did most of the talking. Adam’s day was relatively boring. But he loved to listen to her, anyway.

"The Tower is hosting its Centennial Gala next month," Genevieve said.

As the premier institute of arcane learning in the Free City Alliance, Sapphire Tower’s Centennial Gala was quite the grandiose event in Davos.

Not only would influential alumni of the Tower be in attendance, but the powerful Magi and Paladins of Davos’s upper society would also be present. Not to mention, the famous figures of other member states of the Free City Alliance.

"The Witch of Davos is said to be co-hosting the event with her student, the Lady of the Sapphire Tower," she added. "It’ll be a fun night."

"Are you asking me out on a date, my lady?" Adam asked in a thick Davosian accent.

"Oh, why, yes, I am, my lord." Genevieve curtsied before extending her hand. "Will you be a gentleman and accompany this lady to the Gala?"

Adam took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss upon her knuckles.

"Why, of course, my lady. How could I possibly refuse such a lovely invitation?"

Genevieve covered her lips and feigned a gasp. "My, my. Such gallantry! I never knew my lord could be so charming."

"Only for you, my lady." Adam winked.

Genevieve held his gaze for another moment longer before bursting into laughter. Adam put an arm around her shoulders, and she wrapped hers around his waist.

Together, they walked home.

Share