The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 44: Amon’s Homecoming (3)

Chapter 44: Amon's Homecoming (3)

"Don't bother hiding your strength, young'un. I know that you don't merely have three Suns."

Alrock cheerfully chided the youngster as he took his duelling position. Dreading the inevitable, Amon sighed heavily, drawing his new sword from its hilt. Since there was no way out of this situation, Amon could only play to Alrock's tune.

Mana circulated within his body, and the blood flow within Amon accelerated. Alrock firmly believed that Amon had four Suns condensed, so the young Solaris Knight had to be careful not to overdo it. If he lost control of his concentration for a split second, there was a chance that he would accidentally allow his mana to overflow, essentially revealing that he had Six Suns condensed.

Amon mentally thanked Yue for forcing him to let loose and training him to control his newfound strength. Over the past five months, even though they had been hunting Greater Demons and the Demon Cult, it didn't mean that Amon or Yue slacked on their training.

They trained far better in many ways, as they didn't have to hide their true abilities.

Hence, even when facing the strongest Solaris Knight alive, Amon wasn't worried about accidentally revealing all his cards.

Four Suns orbited around Amon like satellites, all while Amon's blade turned red-hot from the increasing heat. Gravity was negated as rocks began to levitate around the man, and mana overflowed from his vessel. Amon's golden eyes shimmered spectacularly as he directed his gaze at the man standing ten metres away.

"... pardon me."

Amon knew that Alrock was giving him the first blow, and he wasn't going to throw away this opportunity. Directing the tip of his blade directly at the Solaris Lord, he unleashed the Solaris Mystic Art form, in which he had the highest mastery.

[Dawn]

Almost instantly, the Sun rose from Amon's feet, creating an illusion that daybreak had come even though it was still deep into the night. The immense energy generated from Amon's attack was enough to siege castle walls and melt entire glaciers. And all of that violence was being directed onto the body of one man.

Alrock whistled at the searing Sun and readied his body for impact. His muscles tightened, ripping away his intricately embroidered shirt in an instant, revealing the shocking truth. Even though the man was literally a grandfather, Alrock's body was chiselled beyond belief. Not an ounce of fat laid inside that heap of muscle mass.

Broad-chested and eight-packed, Alrock would put any body-builders to shame. If there was a sculpture of a perfect warrior's body, it would be of Alrock's. The Solaris Lord's skin turned red and veins began to pop. Flexing with every bit of power he had, the man showcased what it was like being at the apex of the mighty Solaris House with one single move.

Amon's first strike, the attack that he used most often and was the proudest of, had dissipated into nothingness. The change was so rapid that Amon couldn't even register it in his mind. Slack-jawed and wide-eyed, he gawked at the space between Alrock and himself.

'... he negated my attack? With what???'

If there was one thing that Amon was confident of, it was his senses. All this time, he had relied on his superhuman senses to identify changes in natural phenomena. Be it listening to a conversation a dozen miles away or analysing his opponents' attacks in slow motion. Amon's senses were his bread and butter.

And yet... He couldn't even identify what Alrock did or react to it.

'Let me try again.'

Initially, Amon came into the duel with an indifferent attitude and just wanted to get it over and done. However, as he faced Alrock head-on for the first time, an unknown kindling ignited in his iron heart. Unknowingly, a slight smile cracked open Amon's lips as he converted his stance.

There was no indication that Alrock would launch a counterattack as he stood still with his arms folded. It was probably Amon's imagination, but he thought he saw Alrock smiling. Nevertheless, Amon churned out whatever mana he could from the four Suns he revealed and unleashed his next two moves.

A grand illusory phantasma of a palace descended onto the serene garden. At the same time, Amon summoned a Sun once again and soared to the skies. Heat and light ruled the heavens at that moment, and Amon directed his sword downwards with one target in mind.

And like a falling comet, Amon...

"Hoh? Solstice Sanctuary and Heaven's Fall? I see you've been training hard."

Impressed by what Amon had shown, the Solaris Lord couldn't help but laugh. Solstice Sanctuary was an ability that enhanced the user's overall capabilities, and Heaven's Fall was one of the most destructive skills in the Solaris House's arsenal. By using them both in succession, even Alrock couldn't underestimate the destructive capabilities Amon's next strike may have.

"BUT!!! It's still too weak!!!"

Alrock turned his body around and dropped his fist to his waist. It was a simple movement, and it seemed no mana was being used. However, Amon's back started to sweat, and his sixth sense was screaming at him to evade whatever was coming next. Sure enough...

"HARGH!!!"

The Solaris Lord roared and sent his fist flying at ungodly speeds. Amon couldn't even see his arm extend before the aftershock blew away his attack and shattered his Solstice Sanctuary. Sent flying back like a kite with its string cut, Amon fell almost a kilometre away from Alrock. By the time Amon regained his wits, he found half of his body was covered with abrasions. Internally, it wasn't much better. Multiple bones were fractured, and his muscles were screaming with agony.

'Even with my body coated with Aura and strengthened by the Golden Dragon's Progenitor's blessing, I still received this much damage from one punch?'

'The only chance I have of beating him is combining my Solar and Lunar mana. And even then, I can't guarantee a win.'

There weren't many words to convey Amon's disappointment. He had been training tirelessly for over eight years, yet he hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of the world's most powerful beings. And if beings like Alrock still perished during the upcoming Calamities, it could only mean one thing.

'I still have to grow stronger.'

However, on the other side of the pond, the person responsible for Amon's despair didn't share the same views.

'My god! What a monster!!!'

Alrock didn't show it, but inwardly, he was panicking. His heart rate accelerated, and his face was flushed. It was hard to hide his emotions, which was why he blew Amon far away. He couldn't let the boy see his agitated state.

'How old is that young'un? Eighteen? And he's capable of using all those Solaris Mystic Arts to that mastery? He fights like a veteran with forty years of experience! What is going on?!'

Alrock could count the number of times his heart rate spiked this high. Unknowingly, his right hand touched the base of his neck where Amon's final attack struck, and...

There was a searing pain hidden underneath his thick hide and defences.

'When was the last time I was injured in a duel? Twenty years ago?'

On the surface, it seemed that Alrock was completely unharmed. But the reality was far from the case. His blood flow had stagnated, and the Solar mana, which never once failed to heal his wounds, showed signs of atrophy. It felt like Alrock's superior physique and constitution were negated against Amon's deadly blow.

Of course, the only reason why Alrock felt this way was because Yval, the Golden Dragon Progenitor, directly blessed Amon as compared to his whittled-down bloodline. Their mana quality was on a different scale, and if gone head-to-head, Amon's would win ten times out of ten. But Alrock didn't know that.

All the Solaris Lord could feel... was fear of the youngster's potential.

'If he is this strong now, just how powerful would he become in ten, twenty years?!'

For the first time in decades, Alrock felt a sense of adventure, a sense of responsibility to cultivate this young talent, and, most importantly, a blissful joy that he'd found a suitable disciple.

'I must take him as my disciple! HA! HA! HA! Who would have thought this generation would give birth to two super prodigies?!'

The word prodigy was a term that could be easily tossed around. However, Alrock's standard for a genius was far stricter than what the laymen thought. He'd seen multiple so-called prodigies rise and fall. He fought with many of them; he was also considered somewhat of a prodigy in the past.

But in Alrock's honest opinion, only a few individuals he'd met in his life deserved that title.

The Sword Saint, Alrock's eternal rival. Despite having a regular human body, he trained his swordsmanship and Aura to an ungodly level, becoming more powerful than the Solaris Lord himself.

Alrock's own child, Lucas Solaris. Talented beyond belief, he graduated from the Knight's Academy in record time and absorbed everything Alrock taught him like a sponge. If he remained in the Solaris House, Alrock was confident that Lucas would surpass him and reign as the next Solaris Lord.

And finally, Yue Elune, Amon's betrothed. Being close friends with her grandfather, Yugor Elune, Alrock knew how difficult the Elune House's spells were. Yet, Yue mastered them before twenty and even contracted with Monarch Spirits.

All of them had unique talents and would tower over their peers.

And, of course, his grandson Leon was among those in that conversation. With his unique constitution, Leon had the potential to become the most powerful Solaris member in history, and not only that, but his talent in learning rivalled that of his father.

If anything, Alrock thought that Leon would carry this generation's torch.

Oh, how wrong he was...

'My God!!! I'm lucky I haven't married him off to the Elune House yet! If this young'un leaves, the Solaris House will lose a major asset!!!'

Instantly, the Solaris Lord went into panic mode. All of his attention was now focused on the youth floating in the middle of the pond. With stars for eyes, Alrock zoomed in on Amon like a lion watching its prey.

'Why is it suddenly so cold?'

And Amon felt an electrifying chill on his back.