Chapter 161: The Inquisitor of the Sun God and the Mage from the Mage Tower (8)
Their journey continued onward. Several days passed, bringing them close to their destination.
It was then that Baker abruptly addressed Ketal. "Spar with me."
"A spar?" Ketal paused, looking surprised.
"What?" Aquaz echoed, equally taken aback by the sudden proposal.
Baker met their gazes, his eyes somber.
"We will arrive at our destination soon," he stated. "There, we'll investigate the situation and undoubtedly need to take action to resolve the problem."
He alluded to the likely conflict awaiting them, mentioning the potential involvement of primates from the Demon Realm.
"We have no way of knowing how strong those entities truly are,” Baker continued.
The fact that all contact with the City of Merfolk had been severed strongly suggested the presence of a force powerful enough to control an entire settlement. Confronting such an enemy would almost certainly require strength at the Transcendent level, or possibly even higher.
Baker continued, framing his challenge carefully, "We appreciate you joining us to help, Ketal... but from this point forward, we may not be able to guarantee your safety."
Therefore, Baker asserted, it was necessary to ascertain Ketal's true capabilities.
"Prove it to me now," he declared, his voice low and intense. "Prove that you are strong enough to stand on your own, that you have no need for our protection."