The village was still holding its breath because nobody could actually believe a random human just laid out their best guard captain with a single punch.
Kai just stood there rubbing his knuckles, totally enjoying the quiet moment and letting his new system notifications sink in.
But of course, the peace did not last very long.
Three other elf guards wearing the same shiny armor suddenly hopped over the low wooden fence and rushed straight into the fighting ring.
They looked furious that their boss was taking a nap in the dirt, and they obviously did not care about the traditional rules of a one-on-one duel anymore.
"You used some kind of dark human trickery!" the first guard shouted, pulling out a pair of long hunting daggers and running straight at Kai.
"There is no way you defeated the captain fairly!"
'I guess we really are doing a group project today,' Kai thought to himself, rolling his shoulders and waiting for the guy to get closer.
These backup guards were probably only level ten or twelve, so they were even slower and way more predictable than their boss.
The first guard tried to stab him right in the ribs, but Kai simply took a casual step backwards.
His boosted agility made the angry elf look like he was moving underwater.
He let the daggers slice through the empty air and gave the guard a very disappointed look.
"You know, your stance is completely terrible," Kai pointed out casually, deciding this was the perfect time to test out his brand-new Provocation passive skill.
"You are gripping those daggers way too tightly, and you basically broadcast your attack three seconds before you actually moved. Is this really the elite guard unit, or did you guys just buy that shiny armour at a local costume shop?"
The passive skill worked absolutely flawlessly since the guard's face turned a shade of red, and he completely lost whatever little temper he had left.
He let out a loud yell and started swinging his daggers in wild arcs that left his chest totally unprotected.
Kai did not even need to throw a punch yet.
He just casually leaned left and right, dodging the sloppy attacks while keeping his hands in his pockets just to prove a point to the crowd.
The second guard realised his buddy was looking like a total clown, so he drew a long sword and tried to charge in from the side.
Kai saw him coming from a mile away.
Right as the second guard stepped in, Kai quickly kicked the back of the first guard's knee.
The guy holding the daggers immediately lost his balance and stumbled sideways, crashing directly into the guy with the sword.
They both got their legs completely tangled up and hit the ground hard, rolling around in a noisy pile of limbs and shiny armour.
"You guys really need to work on your team coordination," Kai laughed, stepping around the pile of elves.
"You look like you are dancing on ice out here, and it is honestly getting a little embarrassing to watch."
The third guard was significantly smarter and decided to hang back, holding a wooden spear with a sharp steel tip.
He looked at his two friends struggling on the ground and glared at Kai with pure frustration.
"You will pay for disrespecting our unit, stray!" the spear guard yelled, thrusting his weapon forward to keep Kai at a safe distance.
Kai just smiled and activated his Hard Strike.
He dropped low to the ground and punched the arena floor right in front of the guy's feet with everything he had.
The skill sent a shockwave straight through the wooden planks, as heavy boards shattered and flew upward in a burst of energy, sending splinters flying everywhere and knocking the third guard right off his feet. T
The guy dropped his spear and landed flat on his back, totally stunned by the crazy area-of-effect attack.
Kai stood back up and dusted off his hands, feeling pretty proud of his creative problem-solving.
But the first two guards finally managed to untangle themselves and scrambled back onto their feet.
They looked completely humiliated, and that embarrassment quickly turned into a very ugly kind of anger.
"He must be using some kind of dirty mind magic!" the dagger guard spat, pointing an accusing finger right at Kai while breathing heavily.
"That has to be how he corrupted Lyra! She probably let him do whatever he wanted in her treehouse just so he could steal our secrets!"
That specific comment was a mistake.
Before Kai could even process the crazy accusation or throw another punch, a blur jumped over the wooden fence and landed right between him and the remaining guards.
It was Lyra, and she looked furious. She had her twin hunting knives drawn, and her green eyes were glaring at her own coworkers with pure hatred.
"You need to shut your mouth right now before I cut out your tongue!" Lyra yelled, completely dropping her polite and honourable attitude.
She took a step toward the dagger guard, holding her weapons up in a very defensive stance that kept Kai safely behind her back.
"He is my assigned prisoner, and you have no right to insult my honour just because you are too weak to fight him yourselves!"
Kai just stood there blinking for a second, totally surprised by her sudden protective streak.
'Oh wow, she is actually defending me,' Kai thought, feeling a warm smile spread across his face.
'That permanent bond is definitely doing a lot of heavy lifting right now, but it is honestly pretty cute seeing her get all fired up.'
The two guards looked shocked that the most talented scout in the village was pointing weapons at them.
They hesitated, looking back and forth between Lyra's sharp knives and Kai's confident smile.
But they never actually got the chance to make a decision.
A silver light suddenly washed over the entire training arena, completely stopping everyone right in their tracks.
The High Priestess slowly walked onto the wooden platform, her silver hair trailing behind her and her glowing white eyes locked directly on the messy fighting ring.