On the training ground, Daniel and Olivia stood face to face, ready for battle.
"Before we begin, let me make one thing clear: whatever happens to you, I won't take any responsibility," Daniel said, showing no leniency just because she was young.
"You!" The veins on Olivia's forehead bulged as her curiosity and interest in Daniel gradually turned into anger and frustration.
"Maybe because you didn't have a father, there was no one to teach you manners! But that's okay, I will teach you manners as a friend." She took a breath and said with a smile on her face
"hahaha" Daniel ignored her, raising his weapon. Olivia, too, held her spear in a practiced stance, ready to fight.
Daniel's grip on his wooden sword was steady, his stance calm yet deliberate. Opposite him, Olivia clutched her iron spear with a mix of fury and determination to beat Daniel into submission.
She couldn't tolerate further humiliation. At the very least, she wanted to pummel this illegitimate brat to feel some sense of relief and satisfaction.
Daniel moved with slow, deliberate indifference. His movements were fluid and precise, as though the wooden sword was merely an extension of his will. Every strike and motion seemed to anticipate Olivia's actions before she even made them.
His sword clashed against Olivia's spear, forcing her to retreat a few steps. Yet Daniel didn't give her a moment to recover and pressed the attack.
Their weapons collided again, and Daniel took note of her posture and stance during their exchanges.
With a single glance, he identified three weaknesses: her left leg, left arm, and her kidney area.
These three spots had minimal protection. For Olivia to defend against strikes targeting these points, she would need to expend more energy, leading to faster exhaustion.
"Damn it," Olivia cursed under her breath, frustrated by Daniel's relentless onslaught.
His sword strikes were relentless, one after another, delivered with immense power. The worst part was that Daniel showed no sign of fatigue, as if his strength was limitless.
She attempted to retreat to create an opportunity for a counterattack. Just as she jumped back to gain some distance, she noticed an opening to strike.
Instead of blocking, she dodged Daniel's attack and aimed for his chest. However, her gaze inadvertently met Daniel's eyes.
For a moment, she saw an abyss of endless chaos and darkness within them.
It felt as if an ocean of blood was flowing through his gaze. For that fleeting second, Daniel's entire presence transformed. Olivia could sense an aura of royalty and superiority emanating from him, a feeling of standing before the most exalted being in history.
Every cell in her body, her entire being, screamed at her to kneel and worship him. It was as if a faint voice whispered in her ears that even looking at him was blasphemy.
'Damn it, how do they call him talentless? This bastard is a monster!' she thought, wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear.
Fear consumed her as she frantically looked around, unable to believe what she was seeing. When she looked back into Daniel's eyes, everything seemed normal again.
But unfortunately for her, in that brief moment of hesitation, Daniel's wooden sword struck her left leg.
"Ah! Damn it, that hurts! How can a wooden sword hurt this much?" Olivia cried out in pain.
Yet Daniel gave her no chance to recover, following up with strikes to her left arm and both sides of her kidneys.
"Ahhh!" Olivia's screams of pain echoed as her weapon slipped from her grasp.
"You're worse than I expected," Daniel said, looking down at her writhing in pain. Many underestimate the power of a wooden sword, but when used correctly, even a wooden weapon can unleash terrifying strength.
"You're a monster!" Olivia exclaimed with a mix of fear and awe as she stared at Daniel.
In truth, her father had sent her to find and challenge Zephyr. Yet when she first arrived and witnessed his sword dance, she was captivated by it.
After all, she had already challenged many of the so-called "young geniuses" before Daniel.
Of all those she had fought, only two had defeated her: Liam and Emma. Even against them, she had managed to put up a fight.
But against this monster? She didn't stand a chance.
In just two minutes, this boy had utterly crushed her.
She couldn't comprehend why he was labeled talentless. He was a monster—an absolutely terrifying one.
"Instead of focusing on physical training, try to work on eliminating your weaknesses," Daniel advised before walking away.
"Father, do you really expect me to compete with monsters like this for succession?" Olivia muttered, sighing as she watched him leave.
Deep down, however, she felt a spark of excitement.
Pride was natural, and she had become arrogant after receiving praise from her father and other family elders for her talents.
They had all called her the strongest of the younger generation. Of course, it wasn't entirely their fault—after all, she had defeated one of humanity's strongest mortal warriors.
Yet, in this generation, there would be far too many anomalies.
She had always felt a sense of emptiness. Being unrivaled and constantly called the strongest had made life dull and tiresome.
Even yesterday, when she fought those two, she had worn a proud and bored expression, never taking them seriously.
But after losing three times in two days, she had finally realized she still had a long way to go. There was still a long road ahead to truly becoming the strongest. Most importantly, life didn't seem so dull anymore.
"But what was that?" she muttered, recalling that moment again. Even thinking about it sent chills down her spine.
"Besides, those bastard twins are definitely going to suffer at his hands. Haha, those jerks mocked me," she chuckled to herself, feeling a bit better at the thought of Daniel teaching the twins a lesson.
The night passed peacefully, and dawn arrived.
All the young generation of the Vorehelm family, aged between ten and fourteen, stood in an enormous enclosed hall as large as a stadium, neatly arranged.
The crowd numbered in the dozens, if not hundreds. This was hardly surprising—being a family thousands of years old, the Vorehelm lineage had naturally grown significantly over time.
In another hall, the family's elders and officials sat watching the young ones through a large floating blue screen.
"Alright, looks like everyone's finally here. First of all, welcome to those who've arrived over the past few days," said an extraordinarily handsome young man with medium-length black hair that reached his neck.