Aster and Kes Pezol stared at each other.
Kes thought, This is that beggar who got famous instantly for making a commotion in the Awakening Hall.
Kes smiled.
"HEHEH! If I defeat him now, surely everyone will talk about me!"
Kes looked Aster over carefully.
"Skinny arms, chicken legs, and only a sword. He’s not even in a stance, just standing there holding the sword with a weak grip. I bet even my neighbor’s bastard infant son has a better grip than him ."
Kes gave Aster a mocking smile.
"Ohh boy, I’m so lucky! I get to fight him now. It’s like the heavens dropped a victory into my lap!"
Then Kes’ smile faded, replaced by an irritated look.
"But I can’t forgive him for awakening with such a big commotion. It’s a waste on someone like him. And more importantly, this piece of shit stole my Aura farming moment from me. HEEHEH! But luck is on my side. I’ll make you suffer for every single Aura you stole from me."
As the countdown started, Kes finally spoke.
"You stupid beggar! You should’ve stayed on the streets begging instead of coming here. First I’ll break your arms, then I’ll grab you by the leg and slam you into the ground like a dirty rag. But you should be thanking me! After I break your arms and legs, your begging business will boom! One look at your miserable face and people will empty their wallets out of pity! HAHAHAHA!"
"The match starts!"
Kes charged with his huge axe and leaped into the air to deliver a fatal blow. He activated his skill "Doomsplitter" and the Axe started to glow with a red crimson aura.
He looked down. Aster was still standing the same way. He didn’t move or react at all.
"Heh! As expected, he’s so scared he can’t even move!"
Kes screamed as he came crashing down.
"This is my perfect victory!! AHAHAHA!"
And immediately
Slash.
Aster manifested a slash that struck Kes’ arm while he was still in the air, sending the axe flying out of his hand and knocking him backward before he crashed onto the ground.
Kes looked at his hand, then turned toward where his axe had landed.
"How did I lose my axe? What hit me?"
He looked back at Aster.
"No... he didn’t move at all. That means he did nothing! Then what hit me?"
General Cassius, Captain Lyra, and the officer from headquarters were also watching everything closely.
"Did you see that, General Cassius?" the officer asked.
"Yeah, I did. It was a sword slash. But Aster didn’t swing his sword at all!"
Seems like I was right, Lyra thought. Either he’s swinging that sword so fast that we can’t see it... or he didn’t swing it at all.
Kes was completely confused. Unable to figure out what had happened, he mindlessly blamed Aster.
"Y-You beggar bastard! What did you do?"
This guy talks too much, Aster thought with an irritated expression.
"You think you can win just because you managed to disarm me? Then you’re so wrong, because I don’t need a weapon to beat someone like you!"
Kes rushed toward Aster with his fists.
But the moment he entered Aster’s range
Slash ×3.
Aster released three slashes one after another.
One struck Kes’ shoulder, leaving a deep cut.
One slashed his leg, making him unable to walk.
The last one cut across his chest, sending him crashing onto the ground.
"W-What happened? How did I get cut? That beggar... he must have been cheating..."
Kes mumbled before losing consciousness.
"The winner... Aster Vale!"
General Cassius announced Aster as the victor.
"Well, that was easier than I expected. My attacks aren’t very powerful yet, but they can catch people off guard. Everyone focuses on dodging attacks they can see coming, but when something suddenly appears out of nowhere, it’s much harder to react."
Aster smiled.
"Looks like my class is more useful than I thought. And now I’m officially a Tier 1 student."
He took a deep breath and stretched his back
"Ahhh... Now I can enjoy all those expensive teas and premium meats for free. I don’t care about the ranking matches anymore. If anyone challenges me, I’ll just surrender. No one’s going to make me work hard again."
Aster stepped down from the arena.
"Aster! That was awesome! You made it look completely effortless!" Nolan said with an excited grin.
"Thanks." Aster laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
"Actually... it was effortless." Aster thought
"Let’s see who’s fighting next."General Cassius said.
Captain Lyra reached into the lottery box and drew two more names.
"The next match will be Adrian Thorn versus Nolan Crest."
"Oh, that’s me." Nolan smiled. "See you after the duel, Aster."
"Good luck."
Nolan walked onto the arena while Aster joined the crowd of students watching the match.
"That’s the guy who hunted down almost everyone in the first round," one student whispered.
Aster turned toward him.
"Is he really that strong?"
"You don’t know him? That’s Adrian Thorn of the Thorn family. They’re one of the oldest and most influential families in Country B. Their descendants receive the best training and resources from a young age, so they have a huge advantage over ordinary awakeners."
The student lowered his voice.
"And Adrian... he’s especially arrogant and narcissistic. During the first round, he brutally hunted down student after student until the instructors finally stepped in."
Aster looked toward the arena.
"Looks like Nolan drew the worst possible opponent..."
Can he win?