When Lar saw someone blocking his path, he froze momentarily. His face twitched involuntarily as he glared at the interloper—a spasm born of pure fury.
"Lin Bo, you wretch without a shred of magic, how dare you obstruct me? Have you grown a death wish?"
Lar's anger burned white-hot. Such rage would never have been kindled by any other's interference. But this was Lin Bo—the very man who stood utterly devoid of magical power among them all. How could this not enrage him?
Lin Bo's gaze remained glacial as he addressed Lar. "My lord, if you continue this assault, death will follow."
"The Saint Knight Commander himself decreed no trainees shall perish here. Do you intend to defy his command?"
Lar's expression froze at the invocation of the Saint Knight Commander's authority. Hendrickson had indeed issued such orders. In all previous instances of disciplinary action, no lives had been lost. These trainees were being prepared for the sacred war to come.
His fury had been ignited by Hoatz's obstinate refusal to yield moments earlier.
Seeing Hoatz's pained expression earlier had excited him somewhat, which was why he'd pressed down so forcefully.
Now that Lin Bo had spoken, he managed to regain his composure.
Still, with so many witnesses present, Lin Bo's actions left him feeling rather humiliated.
"Of course I'll obey the Saint Knight Commander's orders," Lar said, his face regaining its calm. But his foot remained suspended in mid-air.
He continued, "However, those who err must be punished. That too is the Saint Knight Commander's command."
With that, he thrust his foot downward, attempting to force both his own and Lin Bo's foot into the ground.
But no matter how hard he strained, Lin Bo's foot remained immovable as a boulder.
Gradually, Lar's face flushed crimson from exertion, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Haha, Lar! What's wrong? Can't even handle a guy without magic? How utterly embarrassing!"
"It's not like this is the first time he's made a fool of himself. We're used to it by now!"
"If I'd known this would happen, I shouldn't have introduced Merlin to him in the first place. Ah, what will become of poor Merlin now?"
"Huh? You introduced Merlin to Lar? That's like throwing him into a pit of fire!"
"Ha ha ha..."
At the training ground, the other knights couldn't help but tease Lar at his predicament. Especially when they mentioned "Merlin," Lar's expression would instantly shift through a range of emotions.
*Whoosh!*
Lar suddenly retracted his foot, drew his sword from its sheath, and slashed at Lin Bo without hesitation.
"You're forcing my hand! Today I'll—"
*Thud!*
Before he could finish, Lar felt a powerful blow to his abdomen, sending his body flying backward. He traveled over ten meters before crashing into a wall and losing consciousness.
The attack had been so sudden that the knights hadn't even had time to react. They stared at Lin Bo in utter disbelief, as if they'd witnessed something supernatural.
*Shing!*
*Shing!*
"..."
In an instant, all the knights who had regained their senses drew their swords simultaneously.
"You bastard, Lin Bo! This is a training ground, not a place for you to run wild!"
"Damn it, what exactly did you do to Lar?"
"Oh no, Merlin, you're really going to be a widow this time!"
"What were you thinking?!"
Lin Bo withdrew his leg and looked at the knights glaring at him.
"What did I do?" he asked coldly. "Are your eyes blind? Perhaps you're used to bullying us and forbidding us from resisting?"
Lin Bo's words rang out with force, stirring the hearts of everyone present.
This was especially true for those who had been mistreated by the knights. They were farmers who had been captured without reason to endure harsh training, naturally harboring resentment toward the knights.
They dared to be angry but couldn't speak out, forced to suppress their fury within.
Today, Lin Bo had voiced their shared feelings, naturally earning their support.
However, even their support remained hidden in their hearts, too afraid to express it openly.
"What's the point in wasting breath on him? Waste him first!"
One of the knights, clearly losing patience, charged toward Lin Bo.
Seeing this, the other knights followed suit.
They understood well that while they didn't know how this magicless Lin Bo had defeated Lar, if such an incident occurred during their watch and they failed to suppress it, their superiors would undoubtedly blame them.
This was a burden they couldn't bear.
As all the knights rushed toward him like a swarm, Lin Bo was about to strike when the System's voice once again echoed in his mind:
Ding! New quest issued: Demonstrate your power before everyone present!