Myth: I am God!

Yara reacted very quickly.

Apart from one or two experienced old hunters who went to scout out the soldiers' location.

Yara forcefully ordered all the men who had been working to return, and to bring their most lethal sickles, hoes, and axes, to stand guard near the camp in case the worst happened.

Yara himself, meanwhile, quickly discussed the situation with several key figures.

"How could they have arrived so quickly? And what are they doing here? Are they at war?" The pockmarked man was filled with anxiety.

The old man looked worried. He said, "No, it's not a war... According to the hunters, there were about a hundred people, and a dozen of them were wearing bronze armor."

"We don't have enough people for a war."

"Collecting taxes or patrolling would involve too many people."

Yara pondered for a moment and then voiced a possibility.

"This is a private matter for the adults, perhaps a marriage alliance, or some other business... It should be the nobles of Argos City, and depending on their numbers, it could even be royalty!"

"If it's a private matter, then they won't care about us..."

"If they unfortunately run into us, then just say we are villagers from the neighborhood."

Everyone nodded.

So they quickly gave the orders.

The villagers were instructed to give a unified account, saying they were from nearby and had been paying tribute for decades.

After some time, the two hunters who had gone out to gather information returned.

They brought back even more unfortunate news—

"They're coming this way."

Actually, the hunters didn't need to say much. When they returned, some villagers with good eyesight could already see the dust rising in the distance.

The soldiers did not bypass Canaan; instead, they entered the area through the gap in the mountain range on three sides and walked straight toward them.

A sense of foreboding rose within Yara.

The soldiers quickly discovered the village; there was no turning back now.

He and several leaders dressed neatly, steeled themselves, and walked to the village entrance to greet the arriving soldiers, praying in their hearts that they did not harbor any ill intentions.

Soon, the soldiers stopped at the village entrance.

The centurion was clad in gleaming bronze armor, with a flowing red cloak behind him. His fierce eyes peeking out from under his helmet revealed him to be a ruthless killer.

He stepped out of the soldiers' ranks like a lion, walked to the village entrance, and coldly stared at the crowd with their varied expressions.

Yara thought of many things to say, some flattering, some deceptive, and some even threatening.

But the centurion's first words rendered all of Yara's prepared rhetoric useless—

"Why are you in His Majesty the King's hunting grounds?"

"We...we are from a nearby village..."

The old man trembled as he tried to say the prepared words.

However, the centurion suddenly roared,

"Then go back to your village!"

The centurion's roar sounded like that of an enraged lion.

The old man was so frightened that he lost his grip on his cane and almost fell to the ground.

Yara quickly helped the elderly man up.

He stared at the centurion without saying a word.

The centurion paid no attention to Yara. He stood at the village entrance, looked around, frowned, and turned to say something to the person next to him.

He looked at Yara and sneered, "I don't remember there being a village here when I was on inspection last year."

"And to my recollection, there isn't a single village built within His Majesty's hunting grounds..."

"Do you have a land deed personally granted by His Majesty the King?"

"Within the lands of the Kingdom of Argos, any territory requires the approval and personal authorization of His Majesty the King."

"otherwise."

"Consider it a rebellion."

"And I, as a centurion of the Royal Guard."

"They have the right to execute rebels."

The centurion's words were like nails driven into everyone's hearts.

They trembled with fear and broke out in a cold sweat from terror.

All eyes turned to Yara, who was the pillar of their strength. If Yara was also trembling with fear... then there was no hope left.

Fortunately, though.

Yara remained unmoved; he was not intimidated by the centurion's words.

Or rather, after Arah met God that night, he was no longer intimidated by anything.

"I don't."

The centurion drew his bronze sword from his waist with a swift motion, and the soldiers behind him also raised their spears.

"However, I will surely gain the king's approval and trust!"

Yara met the centurion's fierce gaze head-on and confronted him with unwavering resolve.

Do you know what you're saying?

"A coward like you dares to try and win the king's favor?!"

The centurion's bronze sword was pointed directly at Ara's neck.

Yara stood up, clenching his fists to confront him.

"Yes."

"I will surely gain the king's favor and become a valiant warrior..."

"And you, if you kill me."

"He personally broke the king's sword in two!"

The centurion stared at him, looking at Yara's tall but thin figure and Yara's eyes that seemed to burn with fire. He pondered for a moment, then drew another bronze sword from the waist of a guard beside him and tossed it to Yara.

He scoffed, "At least I sensed a sliver of courage in your words."

I'll give you a chance.

"duel."

"If you can defeat me, then you will prove that you are indeed a qualified warrior. I will then take you to see His Majesty the King, and if you can obtain the land deed personally conferred by His Majesty..."

"Then I have nothing more to say."

"And if you lose... then I think His Majesty will not want a giant in words, and once you are dead, these people will all be outlaws, and it will be my duty to kill outlaws."

Yara took the bronze sword and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He made the right bet.

The centurion before me was a man who was passionate about fighting and blindly loyal to the monarchy.

Therefore, only by provoking Yara and all the Canaanites in this way could he have a glimmer of hope.

However, this also means that everyone's hopes are pinned on him alone...

At this time, the villagers of Canaan also arrived at the scene with sickles and axes.

When they heard that Yara was going to duel the captain of the soldiers, everyone's hearts were in their throats.

Yara used to be the toughest fighter in the surrounding villages, so when they learned that Yara was going to duel someone, they still held a sliver of hope.

But when he saw Yara's opponent's gleaming bronze armor and exaggerated muscles, that hope suddenly seemed rather slim.

Inside the village, over a hundred ragged villagers watched Yara with tense expressions and prayed silently for him.

Outside the village, over a hundred solemn and dignified soldiers calmly watched the dueling parties; it was a battle with no suspense.

Yara took a deep breath, gripped the sword with one hand, and slightly lowered his center of gravity, aiming the tip of the sword at the centurion.

The centurion also aimed at Ara in the same manner.

The two began to move slowly around the center, staring into each other's eyes, trying to find a weakness in the other.

The centurion was the first to attack; he took a step forward and thrust his bronze sword into Ara's neck.

Yara reacted quickly, dodging the attack by jumping to the side.

Ruthless and decisive, like a venomous snake.

He was indeed a battle-hardened soldier, far more deadly than the local bullies who were fond of fighting.

Yara seized upon the centurion's opening during his charge and attempted to retaliate.

However, the bronze sword had just been swung down.

In an instant, the centurion turned around and forcefully cleaved Yara's attack in two with a single sword stroke.

Yara was thrown off balance by the powerful blow, staggered back two steps, and nearly fell.

However, just as Yara regained his senses, the centurion thrust straight at his face. Yara barely managed to parry, but the moment the bronze swords clashed, Yara felt a numbness in his hand, and the bronze sword flew out of his grasp, several meters away.

Before they could react, the centurion's sword came flying in quick succession!

Yara's wife didn't even have time to scream; she could only watch helplessly as the sword pierced through.

"We can't lose..."

Yara gritted his teeth, and suddenly stretched his left hand forward, grabbing the straight thrust of the bronze sword. A sharp pain shot through his palm and up to the top of his head.

However, Yara still gripped the bronze sword tightly, letting the sharp blade cut through his palm, causing blood to gush out and flow like a torrent.

Instead of retreating, he advanced.

Take advantage of the opponent's momentary hesitation.

He punched the centurion in the face with his right hand.

The centurion staggered back in pain, his lip slightly red from the punch that had broken it.

Yara, like a madman, rushed forward, bathed in blood. His left hand was covered in blood, the wound so deep that bone was visible. His right fist was clenched, and he charged forward violently.

However, courage alone is no longer enough now.

The centurion swung his sword and easily plunged it into Yara's chest, blood splattering and tracing the faces of the onlookers.

Everything happened so fast that the villagers hadn't even had time to react—

"Yara...Yara is dead..."

......