Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

Of those knights who fought against Xiu Tong, how many were able to walk off the field standing up?

Even someone as dedicated as Mobu, with his big mouth, didn't know how to read the manuscript aloud while combining it with the materials. He even hesitated, wondering if the organizers had given him the wrong manuscript.

But when he turned his questioning gaze to Olmer Ingra's agent, who was sitting in the VIP box not far away, he stopped asking questions—the agent was also staring at him, his gloomy eyes casting a resolute and ruthless gaze with only one meaning: "No mistake, read it!"

Mob the Big Mouth could only take a deep breath and, with a hint of regret, read the words on the manuscript:

"On the other side is Roy, a novice knight!"

Sure enough, as soon as the microphone finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the audience. People whispered among themselves, asking, "Roy, who is that?" "A novice knight? I checked the Knights' Association website, he only registered less than three days ago." "Let a novice knight fight Rust Copper? What's the point of that?"

"That's not quite right."

Seemingly anticipating the audience's reaction, Mob raised the microphone and shouted:

"This Roy is no ordinary person; he's an Independent Knight!"

"Everyone, shout it out with me: What is the meaning of 'Independent Knight'?!"

Mob the Big Mouth held the microphone up to the audience, took a deep breath, and shouted first:

"I will not join any knightly order, accept any sponsorship, or form alliances with any company! Purity, justice, and eternal brilliance—I will win the championship!"

"That's right! Roy, a novice competitive knight, is a [Radiant Knight Follower]!"

Mob pointed to the right side of the stage, where the lights focused and the doors slowly rose. The blue figure moved with light and agile steps, showing no sign of wavering despite his opponent being the rusty bronze figure.

Roy stepped onto the stage, a smile on his face, to greet the silent audience. Instead of disdainful faces, he saw skeptical gazes and whispered contemptuous remarks.

But he showed no fear, like a pillar in a turbulent current, undaunted by whether the onlookers were like a pack of wolves or like a rusty tiger.

How could he still laugh?

He can actually laugh!

He sighed inwardly, but with entirely different emotions. Big Mouth Mob's face rekindled with passion and confidence. He put down the manuscript he had written long ago, which expressed utter contempt for Roy, and spontaneously shouted:

"Olmer Ingra, who was once defeated and scorned by the Radiant Knights as unworthy of being knights, and Roy, the independent knight who calls himself a 'follower of the Radiant Knights,' this is not some uninteresting crushing match; this is a fateful duel!"

"Will the Bronze Knight avenge his defeat, or will Knight Roy's legend be revived? Let's log on to the Knights' Association's official website and cheer for both knights! The outcome is decided in an instant, everyone, let's wait and see!"

"Knights' duel, let the battle begin!"

"Clang!" The sound of weapons clashing echoed throughout the arena!

Volume One: Chapter Twelve - Kneel Down!

Olmer Ingra launched the first attack, his expression laced with disdain. He casually stepped aside in front of Roy, took a deep breath, and then hurled his giant axe forward. The massive axe crackled through the air, hurtling towards Roy with overwhelming force. At the same time, Olmer Ingra, using the momentum from his axe throw, took a steady step forward, arms outstretched, and charged straight at Roy.

The axe is a terrifying heavy cold weapon. Its weight means that even the strongest armor dares not easily face the axe blade coming down from above. The man in blue in front of him, let alone a proper knight's heavy armor, didn't even have much steel on his body. His leather equipment made him look more like a poor country hunter than a competitive knight on the field.

"So, you actually dare to step onto this stage and imitate that guy?"

A growl, barely audible to the two onlookers, escaped Olmer Ingra's throat. He witnessed the laughable newbie, facing the oncoming axe, barely react, only slowly raising his arm. At the same time, Mob's horrified commentary echoed throughout the arena:

"What's going on? Has our novice knight been scared out of his wits?! He thinks he can block Rust Copper's signature flying axe attack with just his bare hands? Is this match going to end so soon?!"

That's right, it's over!

A cruel smile appeared on the rusty bronze face, as if he could already see Roy's hands being severed by the flying axe, his body wrapped in the axe blade and embedded in the wall.

It was too easy. He thought Roy would have some skill, but he ended it in one move. Tsk, he still has to beg Roy not to die, otherwise he'll get a lot of nagging about the bail.

Meanwhile, in the stands, two figures stood up simultaneously. Monique, sitting in the last row, parted her lips slightly, then her brow furrowed as she angrily glared at Rusty Copper. She then turned and walked towards the edge of the arena, clearly prepared to assassinate him as soon as he entered the arena. Vivian, clad in a black robe and made up, sat in the VIP section on the other side, her brow furrowed. The necklace hanging from her chest shimmered with a pale yellow light—proof that her simplified spellcasting unit was active. Clearly, she was ready to use Originium Arts to intercept the flying axe aimed at Roy at any moment.

Meanwhile, Cintraya is working overtime.

However, the next second, a tremendous cheer erupted from the audience, drawing their attention back to the two of them.

"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! What did I just see?!"

Mob's scream exploded in everyone's ears, almost like a microphone popping.

"Knight Roy caught the rusty bronze flying axe! He caught the flying axe! He precisely grabbed the handle in mid-air! He used brute force to stop the axe's momentum! He even pointed the axe blade at the rusty bronze knight charging towards him! All with just one hand!"

The audience's eyes instantly focused on Roy. The novice knight, whom no one had initially favored, now stood proudly on the field, his face still bearing that relaxed smile. In his hand, the massive axe thrown by the Rusty Bronze Knight was held obediently. There was no blood, no screams, he didn't even take a step back, didn't utter a sound, as if catching a beer bottle thrown from a roadside barbecue stall—effortless and insignificant.

[Mod S [Bounty Hunter A's Power] is loaded. Current number of loaded mods: 2]

Hearing the voices around him, Roy's smile grew even brighter, as if mocking Olmo Ingrana's eagerness to pop champagne before even reaching halftime, despite being forced to slow down.

Just as he had told Viviana at the beginning, the Rusty Bronze Knight—Olmer Ingra—was far too easy for him.

Even without the power of the module, his speed, comparable to that of a Pegasus, would allow him to easily outmaneuver the clumsy knight and wear him down little by little with his bow and arrows.

But he doesn't intend to do that; the visual impact of doing so would be too weak!

This is his debut battle, and in order to make a name for himself and better complete the mission, he must perform even more breathtakingly!

So he chose to take the flying axe, which he considered far too slow, and then, in return, used the axe against him!

With an apologetic smile, Roy gave Olmer Ingra a sincere, corporate-savvy bow of apology as Olmer Ingra nearly ran into the axe blade, and said softly:

"Bronze Knight, your axe is very well maintained. The handle is wrapped in leather, and the blade is constantly sharpened. It is truly an excellent axe. If he had chopped you, even if it hadn't broken any bones or tendons, it would probably have torn your skin to shreds. Fortunately, it is now in my hands."

"What's wrong? Judging from your expression, you don't seem to know much about your battle axe? That won't do. A personal weapon is like a knight's wife; how can you not know your wife?"

Roy's face broke into a smile that sent chills down Olmer Ingra's spine, and he brazenly proposed:

"How about I help you find out more?"

Visibly, the knight nicknamed the Butcher of the Arena swallowed nervously and involuntarily took a step back.

He panicked. Even though just a minute ago he was confident of victory, now he was truly panicked.

Having his weapon taken away on the battlefield is basically a death sentence. He wasn't a sorcerer knight like the Candle Knight; after his great axe was taken away, he lost almost ninety percent of his fighting ability.

Was he really going to rely on his physical strength, using only his teeth and nails, to fight the man who caught his flying axe with his bare hands? Don't be ridiculous! That flying axe was his ultimate technique; even he himself couldn't catch it! He suspected that in a contest of physical strength with Roy, who had caught the axe, he wouldn't even need an axe; Roy could practically tear rusted copper apart with his bare hands!

He'd been careless—he couldn't even bring himself to say something like that anymore. When Roy caught his throwing axe in the blink of an eye, and then just as quickly turned it around to face him, without showing the slightest sign of fatigue or discomfort, he already understood that their strengths were probably not even in the same league. If he had to compare them, the last time he felt this powerless was when facing the [Radiant Knight].

But this person in front of him was clearly even less ethical than the Radiant Knight. His offhand remark—that his wife was his weapon and he should experience it for her—was utterly infuriating.

Damn, with this analogy, is this guy some kind of psychopath?

Olmer Ingra felt a wave of discomfort wash over him, a sense of defeat and unease that was even stronger than the fear of being unarmed, causing him to panic.

But Roy didn't even give him much of a chance to adjust. As if deliberately showing off his strength, he simply carried the giant axe in one hand and put the other behind his back as he walked towards Olmer Ingra. Then, he raised the axe blade and, with absolutely precise control of his strength, brought it to a stop above the Bronze Knight's head.

"Ohhhhhhh! In just a few seconds, the situation has changed dramatically! The Bronze Knight, who was just so confident of victory, has had his weapon snatched away by Roy in the blink of an eye! Wait, what is Roy planning to do? He's walking towards the Bronze Knight! He's placing the battle axe on the Bronze Knight's head! What is he going to do! Please note that there is no age limit for spectators in this competition, and in theory, no bloody or violent scenes are allowed. Violators will be disqualified!"

"Don't worry." Big Mouth Mob was only halfway through his sentence when Roy raised his other hand and gave Big Mouth Mob an "OK" sign, interrupting Big Mouth Mob's warning.

Did he hear his own warning?

Mob the Big Mouth paused for a second. This was the first time a competitive knight had responded to his commentary during a match. Was he really so at ease, without any concern that Rust Bronze might seize the opportunity to retaliate?

The next moment, Roy dispelled Mob's doubts with his actions.

"His axe blade began to descend! My God, the Bronze Knight's axe blade cut through iron like mud, and his helmet was slashed open! Oh my God, what is Roy doing? He precisely controlled the descent and the force, he was forcing the Bronze Knight to lower his stance, no! He was forcing the Bronze Knight to kneel!"

"The Arena Butcher! A titled Grand Knight known for his reckless and ruthless fighting style, which has caused numerous major safety incidents, is being forced to his knees by another independent knight with absolutely precise force!"

As Mob's voice grew increasingly sharp, Roy's axe blade slowly descended, and beneath it, Olmer Ingra's body was as if being pressed down by a giant mountain, involuntarily bending and sinking slowly.

He couldn't resist. He could feel that there was no smile in the man's eyes. His gaze was fixed on him. If he made any unnecessary movements, the giant axe would come down!

He had no doubt that Roy would dare to do this, even though Roy seemed to have no power or capital behind him.

But as the saying goes, there are two kinds of people who are the most terrifying in the world: those who can control everything and those who have nothing. Isn't that right?

He doesn't dare to gamble!

"Thump." Another dull thud, just like the thud when Olmer Ingra stomped his foot on the ground and threw his axe at the start of the match, the match ended with the same sound from Olmer Ingra.

This time, however, the impact was between his steel knee brace and the marble floor of the arena.

"A stunning dark horse! A breathtaking reversal! The legend of the independent knight rises again! I declare the victor to be—Roy!"

P.S.: I set the timer wrong, it's set for June 6.19th, 2023! Oops, sorry World!

Volume One: Chapter Thirteen - The Business Federation's Reaction

"The humiliating defeat of the Rust Copper Knights, Olmer Ingra, has become the hottest topic in Casimir. It is reported that the Rust Copper Knights' main sponsor has withdrawn its investment on a large scale, and Hammer Capital is considering selling the Rust Copper Knights' qualification for the Knights' Tournament."

With overwhelming coverage on computers, mobile phones, television, and newspapers, the duel that took place in the Ice Soul Arena has become a hot topic of news known to everyone in Kazimierz.

The Rusty Bronze Knight was no weakling; he was a titled Grand Knight and a veteran of the knightly arena. From any perspective, he had absolutely no reason to lose to a newly debuted knight. As people's curiosity was piqued, his reputation and story spread exponentially. More and more people began to know about a novice knight named "Roy," and subsequently, they learned of the slogan he shouted during his knightly competitions.

—No joining any knightly order, no accepting any sponsorships, no allying with any company. This "three no's" principle—a slogan once upheld by the Radiant Knights of Kazimierz, which had seemingly vanished from the city's landscape, unexpectedly surged back into the top ten trending topics on the Kazimierz intercity network. Before it, all the other trending topics were heated discussions about the match and Roy's identity.

Public opinion is always a double-edged sword. Before the Business Federation could even react, the rebellious topic of "Independent Knights" was once again thrust before them.

"What on earth is Hammer Department Store doing? Dealing with one Radiant Knight was troublesome enough, and now another one has appeared, and they've even let him take the lead?"

At a joint meeting of business associations, a voice asked this question to the CEO of Hammer Department Stores, who had been unexpectedly asked to attend.

The CEO of Hammer Department Store also looked aggrieved. He hadn't known about the matter beforehand, and even after learning about the Rusty Bronze Knight's participation from his contact, Claybe, he hadn't paid much attention to it.

Although Olmer Ingra was essentially their pet dog, he was still from a prestigious knightly lineage, and assigning him work when there weren't major tournaments was indeed a hassle. Since he was willing to find something to do himself, and he was a rookie knight, the CEO felt that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, things should go smoothly.

But who would have thought he'd actually lose? And not only did he lose, but he lost so humiliatingly! A titled knight, having his weapon stolen by a newbie bearing the title of "Independent Knight" on the battlefield, forced to kneel on the spot—this wasn't just a crushing defeat; even being defeated by the Radiant Knight hadn't been this humiliating! 9

How much will this damage the prestige of their business association? How much will the value of their painstakingly marketed "titled knights," comparable to conquering knights, be diminished?

You couldn't get Olmer Ingra back even if you sold him a hundred times! 8

But the CEO also knew that now was not the time to dwell on how to punish Olmer Ingra. The immediate priority was to quickly minimize the impact of this incident and, at the same time, send out a sufficiently strong knight, perhaps even using some means, to defeat this guy named Roy and force him out of the knightly arena!