Nolan and Adrian stood facing each other. Aster noticed a golden aura surrounding Nolan. It was the effect of his skill, Undying Will, which increased the user’s willpower, strength, and speed.
The moment general Cassius started the match, Adrian activated his first skill, Tempest Step, greatly increasing his speed and allowing him to move short distances almost instantly. In a flash, Adrian appeared behind Nolan and used his second skill, Lightning Draw, which dramatically boosted his attack speed.
But Nolan had predicted it. He immediately activated Iron Guard, greatly increasing his defense. Adrian’s attack landed, but it barely affected him.
The instant he blocked the attack, Nolan countered with Titan Strike, a skill that uses mana to greatly increase a weapon’s damage and impact area.
However, Adrian didn’t dodge. Instead, he activated his final skill, Pressure Aura. It used mana to suppress his opponent, immobilizing them for a brief moment. Nolan was frozen in the middle of his attack, and Adrian seized the opportunity, striking him with Lightning Draw.
Nolan was sent flying backward. Blood spilled from his mouth.
An ordinary person would have surrendered, but Nolan didn’t.
His Undying Will forced him back onto his feet.
"I have to say, you’re brave for standing up again. But bravery only leads to death."
As soon as he finished speaking, Adrian used Tempest Step to appear in front of Nolan once more and struck him again with Lightning Draw.
Nolan fell.
Then he stood up again.
Only to be struck down once more.
The same thing repeated over and over, yet Nolan refused to give up. Again and again, he forced himself back to his feet.
Aster watched silently.
Nolan reminded him of himself in his previous life, while Adrian reminded him of Cedric.
At first, the audience was excited to see how many blows Nolan could endure before finally giving up. But Nolan never did.
Gradually, their excitement faded.
Some of the spectators even began cheering for Nolan, moved by his unbreakable determination.
Nolan stood up one final time...
Then he collapsed, unconscious.
Adrian’s expression darkened. Instead of feeling victorious, he was irritated. Nolan had never admitted defeat, robbing him of the overwhelming victory he wanted.
In frustration, Adrian raised his sword and attacked the unconscious Nolan.
Lyra immediately rushed forward to stop him, but before she could reach him, Aster activated his skill. "Slash!"
A Slash shot through the air and slammed into Adrian’s sword, blasting it out of his hand.
Adrian was surprised. He quickly turned around to see who had attacked him. The moment he saw Aster, his expression darkened with fury.
"Damn it! My body instinctively threw that attack. Now this monster is angry with me," Aster thought, forcing a worried smile.
Captain Lyra immediately arrived on the stage and called for the medical team. They rushed over, carefully placed Nolan on a stretcher, and carried him to the infirmary for treatment.
Adrian stepped down from the stage. Anyone who looked at his face could tell he was absolutely furious. Not only had his perfect victory been ruined, but he had also been disarmed by a student who had been a beggar just days ago.
For members of powerful families, maintaining their public image was extremely important. Yet here he was, humiliated by a beggar in front of everyone.
As Adrian walked past Aster, the surrounding students instinctively stepped aside.
Stopping beside him, Adrian coldly said,
"I’ll be waiting for you in the next round."
Aster swallowed nervously.
"Just my luck... I got myself into trouble again. But at least I managed to save Nolan."
✦ ✦ ✦
After the second round ended, the top ten students were selected.
General Cassius stepped onto the stage.
"Congratulations. You ten have been officially assigned to Tier 1 dormitories."
"There will now be a two-hour break before the final round begins."
He paused before continuing.
"Before that, let me explain the benefits of your rankings."
"The basic benefits of Tier 1 dormitories are the same for all ten of you. However, the higher your rank, the more luxurious your residence and personal training grounds will be."
"At the beginning of every month, you’ll also receive cultivation and training resources. The higher your rank, the greater the quantity and quality of those resources."
"So use these next two hours wisely and fight for the highest rank you can."
"Oh, and don’t think reaching Tier 1 means you’ll enjoy those benefits forever."
"Other students can challenge your rank at any time. If you lose, they will take your position. Every Tier 1 student must accept at least three rank challenges each week."
Aster shrugged.
"A small room and free food are enough for me. I don’t need all those luxurious things."
Then his expression stiffened.
"More importantly... I need to figure out a way to deal with Adrian. He was so angry that he’ll definitely challenge me in the final round. Even if I surrender he’ll beat me for sure"
✦ ✦ ✦
Aster returned to the training ground.
This time, his eyes landed on a massive greatsword.
The moment he touched it, a familiar blue screen appeared.
System Window:
Skills Acquired:
Slash Level 2
Parry Level 1: Manifest one wave of mana per second that can parry any attack within a 1 meter radius.
"What? Two skills from one weapon?"
Aster thought for a moment before his eyes lit up.
"Oh! I get it. The sharp blade counts as a weapon for "Slash", while the wide body of the greatsword functions like a shield, so I also obtained "Parry"."
His gaze then shifted to a thick iron chain lying nearby.
"Can this count as a weapon too?"
The moment he touched it, another notification appeared.
Skill:
Bind Level 1: Manifest binding mana that restrains an opponent for 1 second within a 1 meter range.
Aster grinned.
"Great! Even a chain has an attack skill. This Bind skill will be perfect for dealing with Adrian’s Tempest Step."
He wrapped the chain around one hand while keeping his other hand on the greatsword.
The system window appeared again.
Current Equipped Skills:
Slash Lv.2
Parry Lv.1
Bind Lv.1
"It works!"
"So as long as I’m touching multiple weapons, I can use all of their skills at the same time."
He looked at the collection of weapons scattered across the training ground.
"But carrying several weapons around would be a huge hassle..."
His eyes suddenly widened.
"What if I create a single weapon that combines every type of weapon?"
"Like a giant staff with a blade on one end, a shield attached to the middle, a spearhead on top, chains hanging from the bottom..."
"If that works... I could obtain every attack skill from every weapon just by holding a single weapon."
But I need a good blacksmith for it. Tier 1 dormitories should have blacksmith facilities. I’ll tell them to create one for me.
Now I need to focus on leveling up,bind and parry to level 2. With all of my mana I can level up one of them for now.
Let’s level up bind for now.
After an hour of binding.
System: Congratulations! Skill level up!
Bind Level 2: Manifest binding mana that restrains an opponent for 1 second within a 2 meter range.