I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Adrius met King Aethor's furious gaze with calm determination. He had expected resistance, especially given the manner of his return. But time was of the essence and he had to make the king understand the urgency of the situation.

"Aethor, we don't have time for this," Adrius said. "The Great Calamity is not a tale to frighten children—it's real, and it's coming!"

King Aethor's expression hardened further, his anger barely contained. "You dare return to my kingdom, cause chaos, and then spout these tales of doom? You fled from your responsibilities once, Adrius. Why should I believe you now?"

Adrius took a step forward, his eyes burning with conviction. "Because the signs are all around us. You cannot afford to ignore this threat. And I didn't fled from my responsibilities, I go to stop your insane plane from happening. If I stayed that time, you would have slaughter a city already."

The king's patience snapped. "Enough!" he roared. "Guards, seize him! Execute this man for his insolence and the disruption he has caused."

The guards hesitated, their loyalty torn between the king's orders and the respect they held for Adrius once they knew who he was.

Just as they moved slowly to comply, a figure materialized from the shadows, stepping forward with an air of arrogant confidence.

This man is the new Archmage, he was a young man with long, flowing blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His robes were pristine, a stark contrast to Adrius's tattered attire.

He wore an arrogant smile as he looked at Adrius, a gleam of superiority in his eyes.

"Your Majesty," the new Archmage said smoothly, bowing slightly. "Allow me to handle this relic of the past."

Adrius let out a sigh. He recognized the type—young, powerful, and full of hubris. It was clear that before he could make Aethor listen, he would have to deal with this arrogant upstart.

The new Archmage continued, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Adrius Darkmoor, your time has long passed. The kingdom has no need for your outdated knowledge and scare tactics. We are well-protected under my guidance."

Adrius's eyes narrowed. "Protection? You know nothing of the true threat we face."

The young Archmage's smile widened. "And you think you do? You are nothing but a relic, clinging to the past. Your words mean nothing here!"

Adrius stepped forward, his presence commanding the room's attention. At this moment his attire are not able to contain his aura of power.

"If you truly are the Archmage, then prove it. Face me in a duel, and let us see if your power matches your arrogance," said Adrius. "Then we can get this over with quicker."

King Aethor watched the exchange, his anger slowly giving way to curiosity. He knew Adrius well enough to recognize the fire in his eyes. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Very well. If a duel will settle this, then so be it. But know this, Adrius—if you lose, your life is forfeit."

Adrius nodded, accepting the terms. "I understand, Aethor."

The throne room was quickly cleared, leaving Adrius and the new Archmage standing at its center, facing each other. The tension was very clear between this two.

The young Archmage sneered. "Prepare to be forgotten, old man!"

Adrius raised his staff, its glow intensifying as he summoned his Magic. "Right, say what you want."

With a flourish, the new Archmage conjured a blazing sphere of energy, hurling it towards Adrius with a confident smirk.

Adrius countered with a swift motion, his staff deflecting the attack with ease.

BWOSH!

The duel had begun.

The young Archmage by the name of Lysander smiled with a mixture of amusement and anticipation as he watched Adrius effortlessly deflect his initial sphere of energy. He had expected nothing less from the former Archmage, but he was confident in his own superior power.

"Impressive, old man," Lysander said, his voice dripping with mock respect. "But let's see how you handle this!"

With a flourish of his hands, Lysander conjured a massive wall of fire, its flames roaring to life with an intensity that made the air around them crackle.

FWOOOSSSH!

The protective barrier surrounding their duel shimmered, ensuring the ferocity of their battle would not spill into the throne room.

The inferno surged towards Adrius, the heat blistering and the light blinding. The guards and courtiers watching from behind the barrier gasped, their eyes wide with fear and awe at the show of Lysander's Magic mastery.

But Adrius remained calm. A serene smile played on his lips as he raised his Starsteel staff. He did not move to deflect the flames; instead, he focused his Magic on the wall of flamr. With a single, fluid motion, he channeled his energy into the staff, the air around him vibrating with power.

As the wall of fire approached, it suddenly lost its momentum. The flames flickered and waned, the once-intense heat rapidly cooling. Within moments the roaring inferno was gone, leaving only a few wisps of smoke that quickly dissipated into the air.

The throne room fell silent, the spectators stunned by the ease with which Adrius had neutralized such a powerful spell.

Lysander's smile faltered for a brief second, replaced by a look of genuine surprise.

Adrius lowered his staff, the serene smile never leaving his face. "Is that the best you can do, boy? If you wish to challenge me, you'll need more than mere displays of brute force," Adrius said with almost gentle tone.

Lysander's eyes narrowed, his arrogance giving way to a steely determination. "Very well, Adrius!" he said, his voice cold. "Let's see how you handle true power."

Adrius glanced at King Aethor who watched with a mixture of concern and fascination. Adrius knew that proving his strength was only the first step; he needed to win this duel to make Aethor listen to the warnings of the Great Calamity.

Adrius knew that Aethor is well understand of his Magic power, he just wanted to annoy him because of what he had done years ago. He knew that this young mage is no match for him.

But for now, Adrius need to defeat Lysander first.

The young mage suddenly created a huge serpent made from weave of lightning and wasted no time to launch it at Adrius.

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