The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 23

Kaelen knew Maelor wouldn't let him walk away freely. He furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before speaking. "Does Lord Maelor truly wish to offer me his guidance?"

"Fellow Initiates of the Sanctum must aid one another. My intentions are pure, though I wonder if you possess the courage to accept."

"I'm not in peak condition today. How about this: exactly one month from today, I will stand right here and formally challenge you."

"Challenge? You? Challenging me?"

"If I am still standing after the turning of an hourglass, you hand over three Glimmerpearl Herbs. Do we have a deal?"

The surrounding Initiates stared at Kaelen in utter disbelief, convinced their ears were deceiving them.

"Care to repeat that?" Maelor cupped an ear in exaggerated disbelief.

"One month from today, right here, I will formally challenge you, Maelor. If I am still standing after the turning of an hourglass, I claim victory, and you owe me three Glimmerpearl Herbs." Kaelen enunciated every word with crystal clarity.

The crowd sucked in a collective breath. *Insanity! Challenging Maelor? You?*

"What does he think one month is going to do? That he can eclipse Maelor in thirty days? He must be delusional."

"He's digging his own grave. In a month, Maelor will have entirely consolidated his Phase Seven foundation. He'll be even more lethal. Forget an hourglass—Maelor will blast him off the stage with a single palm."

"He's cornered. This is just a desperate stalling tactic."

The Initiates shook their heads. There was zero logical progression that would allow Kaelen to surpass Maelor's growth rate.

Maelor blinked, then erupted into booming laughter. "Are you absolutely certain?"

"I am entirely certain! The desire is mine, and I sincerely hope Senior Maelor grants me this privilege," Kaelen echoed Maelor’s previous words flawlessly. With his current output, defeating a Phase Seven outright was an astronomical order. But enduring for a single hourglass? He could manage that. He had spent years visualizing a duel with Maelor, obsessing over the power of the *Verdict of True Thunder*. This was his shot.

"And what happens when you lose?"

"My fate is yours to decide." Kaelen’s tone was indifferent.

"You spoke those words yourself."

"I did."

"Bear witness, everyone. One month from today, on these very grounds, I, Maelor, accept Kaelen's challenge." Maelor threw his arms wide, addressing the courtyard. No one cheered. Everyone simply stared in grim silence. *Oh, Kaelen, you truly don't know the meaning of death. You can act arrogant around the Lower Initiates. You can even brawl with the Middle Initiates. But a Prime Initiate is untouchable. Maelor practically laid a trap to butcher you, and you gleefully jumped right in. Should we call it an unbreakable spine, or just utter stupidity?*

"I will see you in one month." Kaelen hoisted the stone vat onto his shoulder and turned away.

Maelor sneered at his back. "If you're not ready in a month, I can wait another month. Hell, I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to gather your courage."

A smattering of nervous laughter rippled through the crowd.

"One month is enough." A cold, crystalline voice suddenly cut through from the eastern edge of the grounds. It was ethereal and melodious, yet carried the freezing distance of an untouchable goddess. Though not loud, it washed clearly over the entire arena.

The crowd snapped their heads toward the sound, and a shockwave of gasps tore through the courtyard.

"Lyra? It's Lady Lyra!"

"Why is she at the sparring grounds?!"

A young woman of transcendent beauty drifted into the courtyard. A violet veil concealed her world-shattering features, but her graceful, flowing movements and otherworldly aura made her look like an immortal stepping out from a mythic tapestry. This was The Azure Sky Sanctum's Gold-Crest Paragon—Lyra! Beside her stood the pretty Celine, her almond eyes sweeping coldly over the tightly packed crowd.

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