Chapter 46: "The Weight of Pride
The elite student didn't bother selecting a weapon, his staff rested calmly behind him, as if it belonged there, an extension of his presence. Ryan, by contrast, strode up to the weapons rack with the confidence of a man about to make history. He paused, scanning the options, before his hand shot out and grasped a hammer.
It wasn't just any hammer. It was a monster, almost comically oversized for his average height and build. The crowd murmured. Thrain, watching from the side, sighed inwardly. "The fool. A bat would've suited him better, but no, he's always been too hot-headed to listen. Gunther's words have poisoned his brain, and now he's convinced his stubbornness makes him right."
