Smoke accidentally entered Amon's nose. Sensing danger, he immediately woke up from his sleep.
"Fire?"
He quickly got out of bed and rushed to the window. He could see thousands of flaming arrows raining down on his mansion. Some had already struck the mansion, setting parts of it on fire.
"Damn it! Who's behind this?" Amon was furious.
Even though the mansion would automatically repair itself once he stored it back into the ring, he hated having his sleep interrupted. It made his head throb with annoyance.
Without thinking twice, he jumped out of the window and unleashed a wave of fire using Karyuken, turning all the flaming arrows into ash, preventing further damage to the mansion.
Cosmo was a bit stunned seeing all the arrows disappear with just one attack, as were his soldiers.
"Don't panic! That devil hasn't even reached level one. I'm sure he used some sneaky trick to wipe out all the arrows, and he definitely won't be able to do it again!" Cosmo tried to rally his troops.
Cosmo knew about the Lucerion clan's culture of waiting to cultivate at the right time. He thought it was ridiculous and nonsensical.
Why wait until adulthood if you could do it sooner?
Because of this, he was confident that Amon hadn't reached level one.
But just as he considered Amon weak, Amon suddenly appeared in front of him and kicked him off his horse.
"You bastard! How dare you kick my face! Do you know who I am? I am the great Marquess Blythe!"
"Nice to meet you, idiot! I'm Amon, the Starheir of Lucerion!"
Instead of offering a handshake, Amon chose to kick Cosmo's crotch. "Ugh!"
'Arcilla has become too arrogant! How dare they attack the Starheir? Do they want to change their status from Vassal to Conquered?'
Cosmo's soldiers were unsure what to do. They wanted to attack Amon, but after seeing him take down their lord with a single kick, they hesitated, believing Amon to be strong. In the end, they just stood by, waiting for orders.
Amon paused his frustration briefly to return to his still-burning mansion and stored it back into the ring.
Seeing Amon possessing such a valuable treasure, Cosmo's motivation to kill him and loot his belongings grew even stronger. Despite being a marquess surrounded by wealth, this was the first time he had seen a ring that could store a mansion. His eyes couldn't hide the greed.
"Alright, do any of you still want to fight?" Amon said coldly, eyeing the troops.
Their bodies trembled under his gaze. His eyes were cold and emotionless, as if he wasn't looking at humans but mere trash. Instinctively, they took a step back.
"Don't be afraid! He was just bluffing earlier. There's no way he can use that trick again! Kill that devil!"
With their lord's command, the soldiers had no choice but to rush towards Amon, intent on attacking.
They shouted with bravery, trying to drown out the fear in their hearts. They hoped their swords and armor would be enough to face Amon.
"Huh, troublesome."
Amon swung his sword, sending a wave of fire crashing into the front line.
The armor protected them from the flames but instantly melted into molten metal, sticking to their skin and causing searing pain that was hard to shake off.
"Ahhgg!"
"Arrgg!
"It burns!"
"Damn it!"
They rolled on the ground, desperately seeking the cool relief of the snow-covered earth.
The second line of troops halted, looking at each other with doubt.
"What are you doing, fools? Attack that devil!" Cosmo was furious at his soldiers, whom he deemed cowards. He wasn't a good or wise leader.
The soldiers weren't fools. They thought:
'You said he couldn't use that trick again, but clearly, he can.'
'We're too weak. How can we face a devil like this?'
'You're the descendant of the Steel Saint, right? Instead of using us as cannon fodder, why don't you fight him yourself, you coward!'
'Damn it! I'm not following that liar!'
The soldiers gritted their teeth.
They ran forward, shouting with all their might, but instead of heading straight for Amon, they veered to the sides. Their shouts were just an act, and they quickly disappeared into the dark forest of the night.
Cosmo was dumbfounded by his soldiers' cunning performance.
As far as he remembered, he had only trained them to fight, not to put on a theatrical show.
But they had successfully deceived him.
"What are you doing, you cowards!"
"Pfft!" Amon couldn't help but laugh. He had wanted to maintain his cold and ruthless image, but it was so hard after witnessing the soldiers' antics.
Cosmo grew even more humiliated as his enemy laughed at him. He wished he could dig a grave for himself.
With his face flushed red, he screamed, "Do-don't laugh!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Seeing the old man blush like a teenage girl who'd just been teased, Amon laughed even harder.
"Damn you!"