Chapter 186: What He Asked For

Eventually, after some thought, Julius shook his head. “I don’t really mind that much. Sure it can be annoying when a bunch of brats think poorly of me, but at the end of the day, their opinions don’t affect me that much. I got more important things to worry about.”

Polux frowned and looked lost in contemplation. Julius didn’t interrupt him either, it looked like the beastkin boy was trying to grasp Julius’s explanation. “So what? You pretend to be weak because you don’t want attention? Won’t that affect what kind of rewards you might get from Goldencrest?”

“You’re looking for rewards?” Julius asked.

“Of course. I heard that some of the top performers of the year get special potions or items that help with advancement, and even Concept enlightenment,” Polux said with a nod.

“I guess I don’t really care that much for the rewards. If I am having trouble with something whether that is a skill or a Concept, I will just have to work harder,” Julius said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Polux gave him the most clearly skeptical look. “Work harder? You should tell every person who isn’t born a genius to do that. I bet they will try to choke the life out of you if they heard you say that.”

“I’m not a genius,” Julius said with a shake of his head.

“Really? You’re not? Somehow I doubt that,” Polux said with a sarcastic chuckle.

“Seriously. My highest affinity is high and I wasn’t born with a bloodline or anything,” Julius told him with a shrug of his shoulders.

“You know that affinities and bloodlines aren’t everything you know? My great uncle was born with an average earth affinity but ended up being one the most powerful members of my tribe. So just because you don’t have a perfect affinity doesn’t mean you aren’t supremely talented in your own right. Otherwise, there is no way you are stronger than me,” Polux said confidently.

Only an average affinitty? I gotta admit, that is very impressive. I wonder how much fighting his great-uncle had to do to get to that point.

Julius shook his head at Polux. “You still don’t know for sure if I am stronger. You are really good yourself. I think you’re underestimating your abilities.”

“I’m not. I know I am good. But my instincts tell me you are better,” Polux said with a frown. “Don’t make me keep saying it.”

Julius could see that he was starting to frustrate Polux a little bit. So instead of arguing anymore he just nodded his head.

However, that answer didn’t satisfy Polux and the beastkin boy gave Julius a deliberate stare. “Okay. If that’s how it is then let’s have a fight. I’ve wanted to fight you for months but have not had the chance. This would be a perfect opportunity.”

He wants a fight? Right here? I don’t really want to do that and I don’t see a reason for it.

Julius didn’t say anything but gave Polux a pointed look and then at the others who were still trying out new things. “I’m good. I don’t want to fight.”

Polux gave him a smug grin in return as if he had been expecting that answer. “That’s fine. But I guess that means I will just have to tell the others about this. We are a team after all and I don’t think teammates should keep secrets from one another.”

Julius wore an offended expression. Oh, this motherfucker. That’s playing dirty, only I can do that.

“So what? Blackmail? Is that what you are resorting to?” Julius asked with a pout.

Polux gave him a nonchalant shrug and a much too-happy grin. “It’s up to you.”

Julius shook his in disbelief. He had been outplayed. “Fair enough. We’ll fight. But not now.”

A bright smile displayed itself on Polux’s face. “Okay. We can do it after the others leave for the night. That should be fine with you, right? I have seen you often training here late at night.”

Julius just gave him a firm nod in response. But that nod was all Polux seemed to need.

***

Polux POV

He had finally done it. He had finally mustered up the courage to confront Julius. His sister would be proud of him. She always told him that he was too cowardly. Hah, this would show her.

Still, he was nervous. He didn’t really believe that Julius would accept his offer to fight. However, from Julius’s perspective, he didn’t really have a choice. So perhaps it was less accepted and more forced into a fight.

It was important to note that Polux wasn’t actually going to tell the others if Julius hadn’t accepted, but his bluff worked so he didn’t really care.

For the entire time he had been at Goldencrest, Julius had been a person he wanted to fight. His wolfkin instincts were telling him that this was a strong opponent. He didn’t let Julius’s act fool him like the rest of the class. His nose and aura senses were too good for that. Those were the only things his sister agreed he had a talent for. In her opinion, the only things but he disagreed on that.

He would have to do something for Joshua later on. He had been the person who had gathered the team together in the first place and the main reason why he got this opportunity.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Everyone else from the team had left for the night. Now, it was just Julius and himself.

For some reason that made Polux very nervous. It was like standing in front of his aunt’s Thunderous Raptor. The other boy wasn’t doing much of anything, he was just calmly staring at Polux. But Polux felt the boy’s aura drifting from him. It was heavy, like a thick blanket that covered his own senses.

There was something else alongside it too. It was something that Polux had noticed a little while ago. It was this profound untouchable power. It reminded him of a Concept. But that was very unlikely. Julius was only Tier 2, the only people he had heard of learning Concepts at Tier 2 were heirs to powerful families or generational talents. Even his parents had tried and failed to teach him a Concept.