Chapter 166: Humiliation
The elephant hunter's strength was far beyond what Ian had believed to be the peak of human capability. But then, he reminded himself, the people of Ibben were not, in the strictest sense, the same race as the men of Westeros. He recalled the character creation screen: choosing an Ibbenese bloodline granted a player a +3 bonus to Strength.
In a world of fantasy and magic, such a display was not just possible, but entirely reasonable.
With that thought, Ian let out a quiet breath of relief. He was fortunate he'd held a card back and hadn't sent Keith against the man. Had Keith faced that monster, the outcome might not have been much better than Jorah's.
For the seventh bout, Suda made no substitution, once again sending the Elephant Hunter onto the sands.
On Hazan's side, following Ian's suggestion, they sent Yada, the water dancer.
*Fight these mountains of muscle with water dancers*, Ian had advised. *Let speed and grace defeat brute force.*
As Ian had anticipated, the elephant hunter began with his customary volley of three thrown spears, but Yada danced around them as if they were standing still. When the two closed for melee, the hulking man could not so much as touch him. Three minutes into the fight, Yada saw his opening and ended it with a single, lethal thrust.
For the eighth battle, it was Hazan's turn to present his champion first. This time, Ian advised sending in Keith, armed with his Valyrian steel sword.
Suda sent out the injured Ander Poole. He was, after all, the last warrior Suda had left.
It was another fight without suspense. To be precise, the tourney's outcome had been sealed the moment Ian had completed his preparations: equipping Yada with a Valyrian steel sword, poisoning the two treacherous water dancers, and dispatching Bronn to infiltrate Suda's camp long before the first horn blew. The suspense was already lost.
Hazan's side had eliminated two of Suda's champions in the opening match, completely disrupting his opponent's tactical deployment and forcing him onto the back foot in every subsequent round.
Though the shocking, instantaneous death of Jorah at the hands of the Elephant Hunter had been an unexpected setback, the high fault tolerance Ian had built into his strategy meant they could easily absorb such a loss. For Ian himself, it was hardly a loss at all; with Jorah dead, his share of the commission would now fall to Ian.
The first chapter of Sun Tzu's *Art of War* is titled *Ji Pian*. The word *ji* holds three meanings: calculation, computation, and planning. It is the art of calculating the strength of the enemy and of oneself, computing the odds of success and failure, and from that, forging a complete strategy.
Plan first, then wage war.
For Ian, the victor had already been decided before the day's events had even begun.
True to his calculations, though Ander Poole displayed superb swordsmanship and astonishing strength in the final battle of his life, it was not enough. Despite his leg injury, he was nearly Keith's equal, but against a man wielding a Valyrian steel blade, he could only die with hatred in his heart.
*Perhaps*, Ian mused, *the one he truly hates is Darren Grafson.*
The instant Keith's blade severed Ander's head from his shoulders, Ian, still seated in the stands, received a notification from the system.
[Your subordinate has successfully killed a player. You gain 2 points, 12 captured points, 2 skill points, and 3 additional strength points.]
Since Keith had made the kill, Ian's rewards were halved, but they were still substantial, including an unexpected bonus of skill points. It seemed that killing other players was now a reliable way to acquire them.
His updated data card appeared in his mind:
> **[Ian]**
> Strength: 35
> Agility: 27
> Mental Strength: 22
>
> **Skills:** Basic Etiquette, Basic Common Tongue (Reading/Writing), Proficient Swordsmanship, Advanced Horsemanship, Intermediate Lance, Intermediate Skinchanger, Basic Greenseer
>
> Attribute Points: 0
> Skill Points: 4
> Points: 76
>
> **Props:** Scroll of Basic Skill of Choice, Skill Upgrade Scroll
His points had returned to seventy-six. If he borrowed a few more from Celia later, he could almost certainly maintain his position as the top-ranked player.
Dismissing the system interface, Ian's gaze shifted to Prince Hazan, who had risen to his feet beside him. A servant was helping him check the straps and buckles of his armor.
Ian knew the first true act of the day's drama was about to begin. Everything that had come before was merely an appetizer.
Once his armor was secure, Hazan hefted his warhammer and strode onto the fighting platform. Though he still had several warriors left, he had chosen to enter the fray himself to face Suda Tetrus—a gesture that brought him great honor. A roar went up from the crowd, not only from Hazan's supporters but from Suda's as well.
Of course, none of them knew this was all part of the plan.
"I, Prince Hazan Moglis of Pentos, issue a challenge to Suda Tetrus!" Hazan's voice boomed across the arena, his warhammer pointing directly at his rival. "I will not kill you today, but you *will* kneel and surrender to me! And you will swear an oath to the Red God to stay away from my fiancée for all your days."
Humiliation.
The cheering and applause died instantly. A stunned silence fell over the entire arena.
No one had imagined Hazan would choose such a public forum to so utterly disgrace his rival.
Though the power in Pentos was held by the Council of Magisters, the prince was the city's ceremonial ruler. The title, a translation from the Common Tongue, was traditionally known in Pentos as the 'First Citizen.' The citizens of Pentos were free men. To demand one of them kneel was to mock them as a slave.
And Hazan had just demanded it of a highborn noble, in front of the entire city. It was an insult not only to Suda, but to the whole of House Tetrus.
"Ah!" A raw cry of rage burst from Suda's throat. He hefted his battle-axe and charged. "I will kill you today!"
Hazan did not flinch. He met the charge head-on, swinging his own weapon in a deadly arc.
Within moments, Hazan had gained the upper hand. He wielded the long-hafted warhammer with the grace of a spearman, forcing Suda back into a corner. Hazan's attacks were relentless and exquisitely aimed, and soon Suda could do little more than parry, unable to mount any counterattack.
Hazan deliberately hammered against the shield Suda raised, blow after crushing blow. With each impact, Suda let out a pained groan, the hand holding the shield trembling violently.
Soon, an opening appeared. Hazan's hammer found its mark, sending Suda crashing to the ground. His scream was so sharp that Ian could hear it clearly from the high platform more than ten meters away. He could only imagine the extent of the man's injuries.
Yet Suda gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet each time, shield held before his chest, refusing to admit defeat. Hazan seemed in no hurry to end it, content to continue the humiliation.
"Kneel and swear your surrender to me!" Hazan's voice rang out again and again.
Finally, across the arena, Guerrero Tetrus could bear it no longer. He shot to his feet, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. After snapping a few brief instructions to his servants, he stormed away from his seat.
A moment later, a servant from Governor Tetrus's retinue approached Ian's section of the stands and addressed Governor Godin Howcott, who sat just behind him.
"His Excellency Guerrero Tetrus requests that the Great Council be convened at once. He demands that Prince Hazan appear before the Parliament Palace before the day is out to explain and publicly apologize for the humiliation of House Tetrus. Otherwise, war will be inevitable."
Having delivered his message, the servant scurried away, as if fearing for his life in such hostile territory.
The moment Governor Tetrus was gone, Hazan seemed to lose interest in his game. With one final, powerful swing, he smashed Suda to the ground, his shield arm nearly shattered. He strode forward and planted a mailed boot on Suda's visor.
Hazan still held the warhammer in both hands. He raised it high and brought it down, shattering the knee of Suda's right leg. Then, with another devastating blow, he broke the left.
"I will give you one last chance," Hazan roared down at him. "Swear your surrender to me!"
From beneath the boot came only a dying, mocking laugh.
"Kill me!" The voice from Suda's throat was a mangled rasp, but Hazan could read the shape of his mouth. "Kill me!"
"No," Hazan shook his head, mouthing the words back at him. "That was not part of the plan."
He turned and walked away, leaving Suda lying there, his limbs broken, a living monument to the shame of House Tetrus.
---
⭐ $5 Tier – Early Access!
Stay 50 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 218.
⭐ $10 Tier – Super Early Access!
Stay 110 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 278.
📖 Chapters are uploaded as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
💖 By joining, you'll be directly supporting the story while enjoying exclusive early access.
🔗 Patreon link is in My Profile/About.
⚠️ Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing.
🍎 If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it's cheaper for you, and I'll receive payments faster.