The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 712 Starting the Training (1)

Evalyn remained sprawled on the floor, her eyes vacant and clouded with disbelief.

"I... lost?" she whispered, utterly confused and bewildered.

Nolan, an individual she had consistently perceived as weak, had decisively vanquished her.

What was more shocking was that this defeat had occurred in the very discipline she had excelled in since her youth—the art of the sword.

It felt as unreal as a dream, an impossibility made manifest. Yet, the undeniable reality was laid bare before her eyes—Nolan had, in fact, defeated her.

Nolan extended his left hand, and Evalyn, after a moment, took it.

Once she was back on her feet, her gaze settled on Nolan, a sharp glare in her eyes.

"How can you possess such skill and reflexes? Have you been concealing your true abilities all along?"

Nolan offered a casual smile in response. "You're giving me too much credit. I'm merely a lazy, unremarkable prince. It was just my good fortune to have bested you."

"No! That's a lie!" Evalyn seized his shoulders, her gaze intense with rising anger. "Tell me—have you been hiding your true strength?"

Evalyn conceded that her current mental state was suboptimal. She had been struggling to achieve any advancement, a situation that had left her deeply frustrated.

However, this frustration did not account for Nolan's ability to defeat her so effortlessly. Unless... he had been deliberately concealing his capabilities, deceiving everyone within the Empire.

Nolan paused, a moment of silence falling between them, before he took a deep breath.

"Very well, I shall be candid." He adopted an expression of helplessness. Yet, his demeanor rapidly shifted to one of earnestness as he leaned closer to her ear.

The subtle, sweet aroma of Evalyn's perspiration caused Nolan to feel a fleeting sense of intoxication.

He quickly quelled the internal disturbance and murmured, "Actually..."

Evalyn waited with bated breath, her anticipation building.

"I am the Singularity of Chaos."

Evalyn: "..."

The anticipation and joy that had illuminated her face evaporated instantaneously, supplanted by irritation and outright anger.

She abruptly pulled away from him and landed a punch square in his stomach.

"Ouch!" Nolan cried out, doubling over in pain as he clutched his abdomen.

"Cease your nonsense, you scoundrel! The Singularity of Chaos? I would sooner believe you're some heroic figure masquerading as an ordinary prince!" Evalyn jeered, mockingly sticking out her tongue.

Nolan could only shake his head in resignation. He was, in fact, speaking the truth, but since she refused to believe him, he saw no recourse but to remain silent.

"I am being serious, Nolan! How did you become so adept with a sword? Tell me the truth!"

Evalyn reached out with her right hand, firmly grasping his arm, as if she would not relent until she received a satisfactory answer.

She had always held the advantage in physical strength and combat prowess over Nolan. This was a source of considerable pride for her, and she had frequently leveraged it to tease or bully him in the past.

Witnessing the man she had always considered weak suddenly display such superior skill naturally unsettled her, making it difficult to accept.

Nolan understood Evalyn's inherently stubborn nature. No matter how he attempted to explain the situation, she would undoubtedly dismiss it and seek a more palatable explanation.

"I have, in truth, been concealing my strength," Nolan stated, feigning an air of mystery. "I trained diligently throughout the night while the rest of the imperial family slept. This has been my routine for more than a decade, so it's only natural that my physical strength and reflexes have surpassed yours."

Evalyn's grip on his arm loosened slightly. She furrowed her brow, asking hesitantly, "Is that all?"

"Yes, that is precisely all," Nolan affirmed.

Evalyn remained silent for a considerable duration before finally releasing her hold entirely.

"I understand," she murmured, a slow smile gradually returning to her face. "It all makes sense now. My mind was preoccupied with other matters, and I hadn't anticipated you secretly honing your skills. So, these are the two reasons for my defeat. Yes, that explanation is quite logical."

She nodded, crossing her arms resolutely.

Nolan subtly rolled his eyes. He had already surmised that she was simply seeking justification for her loss.

However, he chose not to dwell on it. After all, he was well accustomed to her fiercely competitive spirit.

"Never mind that now. The crucial point is that your skills have undeniably stagnated—or perhaps, even regressed," Nolan remarked with a touch of indifference.

Had it been the Evalyn of the past, she most certainly would not have tolerated such a statement. Back then, Nolan was merely a frail individual with no martial aptitude. What right did he possess to make such a pronouncement?

But presently, she found herself unable to voice such a retort. Regardless of the underlying cause of her defeat, Nolan's reflexes and combat abilities were, without question, far superior to her own.

"Do you possess a method?" Evalyn asked softly, a hint of embarrassment coloring her tone.

It felt almost surreal that this moment had arrived—a moment where she would actually seek Nolan's guidance on refining her combat skills.

"I do," Nolan confirmed with a nod. He then elaborated, "However, time is exceptionally limited. There are merely five days remaining until the competition commences. Therefore, I trust you will be prepared for the rigorous training. Do you understand?"

A subtle smile graced his lips. It possessed a certain charm, yet for reasons unknown, it also exuded a faintly unsettling aura.

Evalyn felt a shiver run down her spine. Though she couldn't pinpoint why, her intuition screamed that the upcoming training would be exceedingly arduous.

"I understand," she replied, her voice firm through gritted teeth. "Please help me, Nolan!"

A contented smile spread across Nolan's face. "Of course. In that case, let's commence the training this very moment."

Taking a step back, Evalyn inquired, "What must I do?"

Without answering, Nolan advanced, diminishing the space between them to less than a meter.

Evalyn stiffened. Nolan's proximity was so intense it sent her heart into a wild rhythm.

Vivid memories of their prior kiss flooded her mind, causing her breathing to deepen erratically.

Abruptly, Nolan joined his index and middle fingers, then swiftly plunged them into the center of her chest.

Evalyn's mortification reached its zenith. Her face blazed crimson as her right hand balled into a fist, poised to strike Nolan.

But in the very next instant, something astonishing unfolded.

"W-What's happening to my body?" she exclaimed, a tremor of horror in her voice.

Her limbs instantly felt heavy, as though every ounce of her vitality had been leached away.

"I've sealed the convergence point of your power. You're significantly weaker than an ordinary person now," Nolan stated.

He gave Evalyn a gentle push, and she tumbled backward onto the ground.

"See? You're exceedingly weak at this moment," Nolan chuckled, his voice laced with amusement.

A mixture of dread and awe washed over Evalyn. She couldn't fathom the source of Nolan's extraordinary capability.

However, one fact was undeniable: his power was genuinely formidable.

Nolan extended his hand, and Evalyn grasped it.

"Your body possesses inherent strength, and your cultivation foundation is robust. We shall proceed to fortify it further. For now, you are to complete one hundred laps around this courtyard. Can you manage that?"

A slight smirk touched Evalyn's lips as she nodded.

"Naturally, I can!"

Completing a thousand laps around this very courtyard daily had become routine for her.

A mere hundred laps presented no challenge whatsoever.

Nolan merely smiled and gestured with his left hand.

"Begin."

He was eager to witness if her audacious spirit would waver after this.

Evalyn pivoted and commenced her run. By the completion of the very first lap, a sensation of fatigue began to creep into her limbs, and beads of sweat formed on her brow.

Yet, she disregarded the discomfort and persisted. By the fifth lap, sweat poured from her profusely, and her complexion grew noticeably pale.

Nolan observed her steady progress with calm detachment, whispering to himself, "How many laps will she endure? Ten, perhaps twenty?"