Caleb's voice might not have shaken the heavens, but it was still loud enough to boom across the arena.
After all, he understood Sett's temper well enough. Caleb refused to believe Sett could let that slide.
Since he had already come this far, if he was going to fight, he might as well make it a big one. A "protagonist" who had just gotten beaten down like that was not enough for Caleb to warm up on, let alone use as real practice. His body had been reinforced to a ridiculous degree. Long ago, he had already been able to fight Vi on even footing while she was wearing her gauntlets.
His actual combat skill, however, was not exactly impressive. At best, he could throw out a messy set of wild bar-fight punches. Compared to Sett's technical combinations, Caleb figured he was in real trouble. Sett looked like he could really fight, and not just a little, either.
Sett did not disappoint the cheering crowd. He leaped down from the platform, instantly going from the boss who kept the place under control to a fighter in the arena.
Seeing the cheers grow even louder, Caleb felt his confidence slip a little. The whole reason he had managed to make this scene so dramatic was probably because Sett was so famous. Caleb had flipped the man a thumbs-down and managed to set the entire arena roaring. But if Sett knocked his teeth out afterward, Caleb would probably only earn a long wave of boos.
"Two against one? I don't mind."
Sett flexed his fingers and rolled his neck as he walked toward Caleb step by step. Caleb had never looked especially muscular to begin with, and against Sett, his frame seemed even thinner.
"You knocked out a fighter who's been living in arenas for years without even using a script. Looks like you're pretty good."
Caleb rubbed Yuumi's head a couple of times, signaling for her to move aside.
He would settle that score later!
The moment Caleb saw the flame-like aura igniting around Sett's fists, he immediately stopped taking this lightly. In terms of raw fighting ability, Sett might be far stronger than Vi.
Caleb, not daring to let his guard down, saw the first punch coming and quickly reached out to block it. The space between his thumb and forefinger went a little numb, but he could still keep up with Sett's punching speed.
The instant that thought crossed Caleb's mind, he realized Sett's hand had yanked him forward.
Damn it!
Caleb understood the champion's mechanics, but his body had already been pulled in. A knee strike came crashing toward him, and all Caleb could do was watch Sett achieve exactly what he wanted.
If he blocked that knee, he might have to eat countless punches afterward.
Sett's punching wind was almost tangible as it echoed around Caleb.
"If a mother found out her son wasn't a college student, but an underground pit fighter instead, she'd probably be pretty disappointed."
After thinking for a moment, Caleb concluded that most of his combat technique was probably tied to blades. So he decided to use a less honorable technique instead, trash talk.
"You!"
Sett's furious glare told Caleb that he had probably said the wrong thing.
Caleb only felt the world spin, and then he was already in midair. However, the reinforcement of his body had sharpened his perception of time to an extremely fine degree.
When Sett slammed the person in his hands into the ground, he found that only three boxes had bounced out instead.
They immediately started spraying wildly at him.
Caleb's figure appeared not far away, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
"That was way too close."
He had never seen that kind of grappling technique before. It really was impressive enough to leave someone speechless.
"Boss Sett, how about we change the contest?"
"If we keep fighting like this until someone dies, that's not exactly elegant."
Caleb's voice was not as loud as his earlier shout of "weak as hell," but it still made Sett calm down.
If Sett let this man leave, at worst he would lose face for a few days, then take control of these fighting pits again. But if his mother really found out...
Sett thought about his mother, who had the same temper as him, and, well...
"Tell me. How do we compete?"
To the audience's surprise, both sides stopped fighting.
Caleb thought for a moment, then continued, "I'll stand still and take one punch from you. How about that?"
"If I lose, name your price. But if I take it, then we step aside and talk for a moment."
Caleb stood where he was, watching Sett's body gradually turn golden, and understood exactly what he was about to face.
Haymaker!
But after that power-filled punch kicked up a huge cloud of dust, it was as if it had struck cotton.
It quietly vanished.
Caleb smiled. A flash of blade-light appeared and disappeared in his hand, then he patted Sett on the shoulder.
"Let's talk, friend."
Sett actually wanted to grab Caleb and slam him with The Show Stopper again for trying to act so familiar. But seeing that Caleb did not seem particularly afraid of that move, and had even broken through it right in front of him, Sett could not help feeling a little uncertain.
"To be honest, this whole thing was arranged by the yordle cat next to me. Sorry about that."
Caleb grabbed Yuumi and kneaded her freely in his hands.
"Fine."
Since his skills were inferior, Sett's arrogance no longer felt quite as overwhelming.
"I mainly came here to talk to you about something, brother."
As he spoke, Caleb pulled out sheet after sheet of blueprints.
"The truth is, I'm currently the Governor of Zaun. You know Zaun is on equal footing with Piltover now, so if you want..."
Caleb knew Sett would not be able to keep fighting underground matches for much longer, because later on, he would eventually have to give his mother a diploma.
But Piltover University, as an excellent academy that sent students all across the world, basically added the latest scientific technology to each year's diplomas. That eliminated the possibility of frauds swaggering around with fake certificates.
It also ensured that the talent graduating from there would be taken seriously in every country.
And that was exactly what Sett had been worrying about. He had been considering whether he should spend money to buy a real diploma, then change the name on it to his own.
But scholars tended to have at least some pride, so by now, Sett's eyes had already lit up.
"You're Caleb?"
"Yeah."
Caleb was still pinching and rubbing Yuumi's cheeks into every shape possible as punishment for her reckless behavior.
"Then from now on, you'll have to visit my arena often."
Sett could not help carefully studying the man in front of him. He did not look especially sturdy, but the power contained within that body was still enough to make the hair stand up on the back of a Vastayan hybrid's neck.
"Of course, of course..."
Caleb finally let Yuumi go, then grabbed both cat and book back again the moment she tried to slip away.
"I still have a few questions on my end, and I'll need some help."
Caleb thought for a moment, then continued.
"As for the diploma, that won't be a problem. Just find some time to visit Piltover afterward. If you don't have time, I can have someone bring it to you."
Caleb was mainly considering things like taking a graduation photo. After all, if they were going to put on an act, they might as well go all the way.
But if all Sett needed was the diploma itself, then Caleb could just ask Heimerdinger for one and have Yuumi deliver it, right?
Why bother making it so complicated?
"Kayn, the student of the current leader of the Shadow Order. I'm searching for him," Caleb said quietly.
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