Chapter 53

Surrounded by a misty haze, Farria approached the pool like a water nymph in the forest. She slowly extended her foot, her white, round toes gently touching the water. The slightly warm spring water made her exclaim in surprise, and she quickly pulled back. After cautiously testing the water a few more times, she finally stepped into the pool with a slight smile.

Unaware of her innocent reactions being observed by a hidden mage, she walked deeper into the water. She was tall and slender, with long, well-proportioned legs that were as graceful as Gordon had imagined. Her hips were round and high, her waist slim, and her chest, a pair of smooth, white, and firm breasts, stood proudly. Although not as large as Shelley's, Farria's breasts were more perky and almost perfectly shaped. As she walked, even the pink tips would tremble slightly.

Gordon watched quietly. He stood in the water, not daring to move, as any disturbance would reveal his position.

The girl continued a few more steps, stopping when the water reached her waist. She then slowly squatted down, allowing the warm spring water to envelop her entire body, leaving only her round shoulders exposed. Perhaps due to her long training in martial arts, her shoulders were slightly broad, but this did not detract from the beauty of her curves; instead, it gave her a unique charm compared to the delicate and slender girls.

Although it was a wonderful experience to admire a beautiful girl's body without any barriers, Gordon was somewhat anxious. The invisibility spell had a time limit, and if he couldn't find an opportunity to escape the current crisis soon, it would be troublesome.

Gordon racked his brain, trying to find a way to leave the hot spring without being discovered. However, after rejecting three plans, he noticed Farria slowly swimming to the edge of the pool, and then... a glance from the corner of her eye caught sight of Gordon's clothes hidden behind some rocks.

"Oh no!" Gordon thought.

"Come out!" the girl shouted.

Farria suddenly stood up, letting the purple water drip down her white, smooth skin. She shouted, clenched her fists, and a circle of frost nova exploded outward from her, centered on her body!

Fortunately, Gordon was prepared and immediately jumped back, narrowly avoiding Farria's attack. However, a cold gust of air swept across his chest, causing his invisibility spell to fail.

"I didn't expect the daughter of the Roden family to have awakened her power," Gordon was surprised.

In this world, there was no such thing as martial arts, and the most profound understanding and mastery of the source energy belonged to the spellcasters, who were the most powerful and elite. However, this did not mean that warriors, who relied on their physical strength, were always just cannon fodder for the spellcasters.

In the Telos world, the physical strength of humanoid intelligent beings far exceeded that of humans on Earth. Through combat and training, warriors could make their bodies extremely powerful, even rivaling dragons. Of course, this required excellent talent and unparalleled luck. Moreover, as they frequently honed their bodies and willpower, warriors could also sense the source energy and use it.

Mages called this ability "spell-like abilities," which, as the name suggests, were abilities similar to certain spells. However, since these abilities were used instinctively, they did not require gestures, incantations, or spell components, making them more convenient than spells. However, from the perspective of warriors, the term "spell-like abilities" was a form of contempt from mages. Therefore, the Brotherhood of Warriors ultimately gave this ability a more impressive name: Power.

Generally, any warrior who reached level 5 had the opportunity to awaken their power, but the time it took to do so varied due to talent.

Gordon was twenty years old, and Farria was about two years younger. To have her power at eighteen made her a prodigy in combat.

However, the more capable Farria was, the more troublesome it was for Gordon in his current situation.

The girl from the Frostheart tribe used her power, "Frost Burst," to force the invisible Gordon to reveal himself. The sudden drop in temperature made the naked Gordon shiver.

Farria stared straight at Gordon, her wild and untamed aura returning. Gordon felt like a prey animal being targeted by a female leopard.

He hesitated for a moment and said awkwardly, "Uh, good evening, Miss Farria."

"I'm not doing well at all," Farria replied coldly, her face showing no kindness—anyone in this situation would be upset.

"Let's put some clothes on first," Gordon suggested, pointing to himself and then to Farria's exposed body.

"What's the point of covering up now that you've seen everything? I'm sure you've already imprinted my body in your mind and will use it to imagine all sorts of lewd things when you have nothing to do," Farria sneered.

"Hey, my situation is already difficult enough. Why do you have to expose every man's little thoughts? It's hard enough as it is!" Gordon was very conflicted. He finally understood why Dorn said this young lady's thinking was a bit different. If other girls encountered a man peeping while they were in the hot spring, wouldn't they scream and cover their key parts, trying to hide from the man's view?

You need to know when to cut your losses, girl!

Although it was a bit difficult to communicate, Gordon decided to defend himself: "If I told you that the water elemental servant who brought me here was tampered with and deliberately led me here, causing this misunderstanding, would you believe me?"

"Coming up with such a ridiculous excuse, you mages are indeed not real men," Farria sneered, clearly not believing Gordon's explanation.

"Now that we're both exposed, you should be able to tell if I'm a man or not."

However, he only thought this to himself and continued, "This morning, I helped you subdue the giant bear, and you said you would thank me. How about we just part ways and forget about this whole thing?"

Farria replied seriously, "At the banquet, you clearly refused my gratitude, so you can't use that as a condition to ask me to forgive your lewd behavior. In the Orlando tribe, food, fuel, and animal skins are all precious resources that can mean life or death. If someone refuses the reward given by the tribal elder, they won't be praised for their generosity; instead, they will be mocked for their foolishness. You think you're being noble? To me, you're just a fool."

Well, Gordon further understood the unique way of thinking of this half-barbarian girl. She disliked the roundabout ways of the nobility and had no patience for polite and indirect communication.

Gordon helplessly shrugged, "So, how do we resolve this issue?"

"By dueling!" Farria said firmly, not giving Gordon a chance to argue. "If you refuse, I'll spread this story and let everyone know that you, the promising young mage favored by Rob Antello, are a lecherous man who likes to use invisibility spells to peep on women."

"Wouldn't that be bad for your reputation?" If she did that, Gordon would really be in trouble. This hard-earned future might be ruined.

If other noble ladies encountered this situation, the timid ones would seek help from their families; the open-minded ones might find the peeper attractive and engage in a passionate encounter; the more calculating ones might even secretly arrange for the peeper to be eliminated to protect their reputation. But he had never seen anyone who would openly publicize such a scandal without caring about their own reputation.

You're still unmarried, girl!

Farria seemed to scoff at the word "reputation": "Orlandans never care about reputation; only strength is the foundation of one's standing. Since you peeped on me, it means you are very interested in my body and appearance. If you lose the duel, I will become your woman and satisfy all your desires. But if I win, you must become my slave. You're so favored by that man; I want to see what his expression will be when his promising young mage becomes my slave!"

Gordon felt like he was being used as a pawn in a father-daughter conflict. Regardless of the reason, her constant talk of slavery was annoying.

"If you insist, fine, I agree to the duel."

"I'll find you at noon tomorrow," Farria said, then walked out of the hot spring, leaving Gordon with a tempting, smooth, and white back view.

"At least the matter is temporarily under wraps," Gordon sighed, putting on his clothes. He left the hot spring, intending to find the water elemental servant who had led him astray, but she was nowhere to be found.

Of course, if she wanted to frame him, she wouldn't be stupid enough to leave any evidence. Gordon could only return to his residence.

The next morning, Gordon woke up. The thought of an absurd duel waiting for him made him restless. Although winning would mean he could have his way with the wild and untamed Farria, which was indeed tempting, the key was that he had to win.

Living in the icy and snowy Orlando, the barbarians had strong physiques and a natural resistance to magic due to the harsh climate. Farria was at least a level 5 warrior and had awakened her power, so Gordon didn't feel confident about winning.

"Whatever, I can't let these unexpected events disrupt my plans. I'll go to Lord Rob's private library first."

Gordon made up his mind and went to the second floor. As his hand touched the thick redwood door, a pleasant, magically synthesized voice said, "Mr. Freeman, welcome."

The door opened automatically, and Gordon walked in.

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