"Wait a moment! Wait a moment!" At precisely this juncture, that Mimir abruptly freed himself from the tree with a sudden jerk.

  "I wish to serve as a witness to this bout. Miss Roland, and you, Kenley, I trust you have no objections?" When Mimir smiled, a row of large, gleaming white teeth were revealed.

  Kenley and Roland exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile."Of course not," they exclaimed in unison.

  Why on earth did I speak at the exact same time as him? A flush once again crept up Roland's cheeks. This synchronization was truly remarkable.

  "That's splendid. How about I take on the role of the referee?"

  "Then we shall be indebted to you, Lord Mimir," Roland said.

  "Miss Roland! I truly hold you in the highest regard!" As he spoke, Mimir even wiped away a tear, giving the impression that simply uttering a word to Roland brought him unparalleled happiness.

  Roland's brow twitched involuntarily.

  Just then, Mimir suddenly rushed up to Kenley and let out a mischievous chuckle."Kenley, I must say I'm truly impressed by your audacity. Challenging Miss Roland at the fifth rank! You're the kind of friend I'd like to have. It's a rare feat for someone to defeat Miss Roland on their very first attempt. If you happen to lose, don't lose heart. We can have a friendly competition to see who manages to succeed in the challenge first and ultimately win the fair lady's heart. What do you say?"

  As he spoke, he arched his eyebrows suggestively, presenting an utterly comical appearance.

  Observing Mimir in this manner, Kenley was suddenly reminded of his former regular teammate,'Even Pig Guy Has His Springtime'. Everyone simply referred to him as Pig Guy, and he didn't seem to mind in the least. That fellow was an unabashed womanizer who never made any attempt to conceal his inclinations.

  Ever since he heard about the achievement of the King of Orcs, he had sworn to marry ten thousand elves and unlock the hidden achievement of the King of Elves. Although the elves had numerous suitors, he often ended up getting pummeled into a sorry state.

  "Lord Mimir, I've heard that you have more than one wife, haven't you?" Kenley was well-versed in Mimir's past. He was a well-known ladies' man, and with over a dozen beautiful wives at home, Kenley couldn't help but worry about his physical stamina.

  "Hahaha, well, for a man, you already have two charming wives yourself, don't you? And your tastes are quite distinctive. One is a subhuman, and the other is a vampire. Tsk tsk, it makes me rather tempted to find someone similar to try for myself." As he spoke, he cast a sidelong glance at Tia and Normani.

  "Indeed, Teacher Roland's prowess is truly formidable. To be perfectly candid with you, this time I'm merely engaging in a preliminary skirmish, laying the groundwork for future endeavors."

  "I thought as much. You're so young and already at the fifth rank, which is quite an accomplishment. But it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to defeat Miss Roland so swiftly. However, it doesn't matter. A man should persevere in the face of defeat. That's what it means to be a real man! But I must caution you, it will undoubtedly be me who succeeds in the challenge first." Upon hearing Kenley's words, Mimir was not taken aback. On the contrary, this seemed to him the most reasonable response. In his view, for Kenley, at the fifth rank, to aspire to defeat Roland was as improbable as a pig-headed individual making it to the Golden Forbidden Court. It was simply out of the question.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Then I shall do my utmost to follow in your footsteps, Lord Mimir," Kenley replied with a gentle smile.

  "Very well, then I won't delay your duel any further. Kenley, best of luck." Patting Kenley on the shoulder, Mimir returned to the center of the arena.

  "Now, are the two of you prepared?" Mimir inquired, looking towards both sides.

  Seeing that there were no objections from either party, Mimir raised his right hand high and then made a swift slash through the air.

  "Begin!"

  ...

  Appraisal!

  [Roland, the Sword Saint of Flower Language]

  [Level: 68]

  [Occupation: Sword Saint]

  [HP: 59708/59708]

  [MP: 14912/14912]

  [RP: 1000/1000]

  [Divine Law Energy: 10/10]

  The Divine Law Energy stood at only ten points. Kenley was acutely aware that the Divine Law Energy was limited to ten points due to its unique operational mechanism.

  During the course of using the Divine Law Energy, once it was depleted, whether Kenley was on the receiving end of an attack or launching an assault on the enemy (regardless of whether damage was inflicted or not), Divine Law Energy would be generated in the process (no Divine Law Energy would be generated in the event of a successful dodge).

  If given an opportunity for the Sword Saint to catch their breath, the Divine Law Energy would replenish completely during the rest period. In other words, one need never fret about running out of Divine Law Energy.

  It must be acknowledged that both the Sword Saint and the Grand Magus, when encountered in actual combat, proved to be exceptionally formidable adversaries.

  Kenley's current HP was 11016. Once the magical puppet sustained damage equivalent to 90% of the player's HP, it would shatter, signaling the conclusion of the duel.

  Each of the Sword Saint's attacks carried a critical strike probability, physical penetration, and elemental affinity rate. Through Kenley's calculations, given his current defensive capabilities and damage tolerance, he could withstand a maximum of twelve attacks. Excluding considerations of evasion and extreme countermeasures, with successful defenses, he could endure approximately twenty attacks.

  However, to defeat Roland, with his current offensive capabilities, he needed to land at least 70 successful hits on her. If critical strikes occurred, that would naturally be advantageous, as it would alleviate some of Kenley's offensive pressure.

  Over the past two months, Kenley had commissioned Smith to forge a weapon of immortal quality based on a blueprint (Note: This blueprint was obtained by Kenley through completing an adventurer's quest):

  [The Armor-Piercing Sword of Borandos]

  [Equipment Level: 50]

  [Occupation Requirement: For warrior classes, excluding thieves, archers, assassins, and brawlers]

  [Quality: Immortal (Purple Gold)]

  [Attributes: Attack Power +3475 / Strength +85 / Critical Strike Rate +15%/ Critical Strike Damage +25%/ Additional Damage +106 / Wind Elemental Affinity Rate +15%/ Physical Penetration +872]

  [Gem 1: Strength +50/ Gem 2: Wind Elemental Affinity Rate +20%/ Gem 3: Physical Penetration Rate +10%]

  The reason for selecting this armor-piercing sword was that it possessed a particularly advantageous feature: it had three gem slots. Among all the purple-gold quality weapons of the fifth rank, it boasted the highest fixed physical penetration, and its benefits were even more practical than percentage-based physical penetration.

  The instant the words had faded, Kenley vanished into thin air, disappearing as if by teleportation.

  So astonishingly swift! Mimir's eyes lit up with excitement. Could this be the speed of a fifth-rank warrior?

  "Sword Moon!" Like a cheetah in rapid motion, at the very onset of the duel, Kenley swiftly reached Roland's right rear side and unleashed a crescent-shaped sword qi that hurtled towards Roland's back!

  "Interesting." Roland's eyes flashed with intrigue. Before her sword could even leave its sheath, a blurred afterimage had already passed, and the crescent-shaped sword qi missed its mark completely.

  In the blink of an eye during her evasion, Roland had closed the distance and was now right in front of Kenley.

  "Bang!" A sword swept out, emitting a blinding flash of cold light that was so intense it made one's eyes water.