Woooooooo-

Amidst the ear-shattering cheering, I walked into the arena.

It was funny, really. These guys were booing at me before but now that they knew that I was strong they were cheering for me.

"A world where only strength matters."

As long as you are strong you can get everything be it fame, money, or authority.

(Do you think you can trust Tristan?)

'Yeah'

I met Tristan at the betting area. He had also bet on me.

There I blackmai-cough persuaded him to join my crew. Of course, since I knew about his race and other secrets, the persuasion went well.

I also told him about my match with Vile Reaper.

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He agreed to join only if I manage to fight with Vile Reaper on equal footing. He wasn't expecting me to win, after knowing the level difference between me and Vile Reaper.

(Poor guy, you practically blackmailed him to join. You even used an Oath on him)

I shrugged my shoulders.

'Oath is to make sure he doesn't run away.'

The Oath between me and him was that he has to meet me after the tournament, within one day. If he doesn't, he has to expose his identity at Aegis headquarters.

Finally, I entered the arena.

-THE FINAL ROUND BETWEEN MOTHER MASH AND MR. PEPE WILL BEGIN-

The mana barrier enveloped the arena and stopped the noises.

"You can't defeat me. Will you give up?"

I blink at the question of the woman, who was carrying a halberd that was twice my size.

"Why can't I defeat you?"

She snorted at me.

"I am the daughter of the chieftain of the Northern Sokovian Tribe. I have years of fighting experience at the Barbarian Gate."

I frowned.

Sokovian Plain is near the continent that was destroyed by the Barbarian Gate. The Gates have already been secured, but their presence causes a high number of dungeons in the areas near them.

All awakeners in the regions near Gates are battle-hardened; the woman in front of me should be the same.

'[Appraisal]'

I open her stats and skills sheet.

======

Name: Cassandra Milan

Race: Human

Rank: Iota(Lvl.20)

Stigma: [Steel Body]

Disposition: Lawful-Good

Title: -/-

-> Stats:

Strength – 28

Agility – 21

Stamina – 22

Constitution – 26

Aura – 16

Intelligence – 08

Luck – 26

-> Skills

[Search[Rare]]

[Power[Rare]]

[Stupefy[Rare]]

-> Status: Confident/Hopeful/Disappointed/Boastful

[She is confident in her strength and winning against you. Although she was a little disappointed after knowing you were a mage, she hopes that you put up a good fight.]

======

Seeing her status, I threw the idea of fighting close-quarter out of the window.

I don't think I can survive a single hit of that massive halberd, supported with 28-strength SP.

'It will be better if I fight with magic and my art.'

For this match I decided to fight from distance.

[Constitution–21 --> Constituion–25]

[Intelligence–20 --> Intelligence–25]

[Remaining SP–02]

Constitution will help me thank her attacks and fasten my recovery if I get hurt. Intelligence was needed as it increases the magic output.

"Are you ignoring me?"

Bam-!

She dashed in my direction.

I bought the grimoire out and started chanting.

Crack-

At the same time, 5 cracks surrounded Mother Mash. A weapon comes out from each of them and flew at her.

"Ha!!"

She doesn't stop running and swings her halberd horizontally above her head.

The halberd strikes the spears and swords and breaks them easily.

'Dammit'

This is why I wanted my weapons to be above Common-grade. Common-grade weapons are fragile unless strengthened with the awakener's energy.

Swosh-

She continues her swing and throws her halberd at me.

I was yet to complete my spell.

Two cracks appear in front of me.

Clang-!

Two swords come out of the cracks and block the halberd in an X formation.

I thought using weapons like this I could block the attack, but I had misjudged the power behind her throw.

The swords break after stopping the attack for 1 second.

Swosh-

But 1 second was all I needed.

"<Force Field>"

A transparent wall appears in front of me and blocks the halberd.

"Come"

The halberd started spinning and flew back to the woman.

"Huff…Huff…"

'That was dangerous.'

3 seconds. Only 3 seconds passed from when the woman blocked my first attack and I created the force field.

I brought only short chant spells. Yet I barely managed to complete one chant.

"Where are you looking at?"

While I was looking at my actions, she covered the distance between us.

Immediately, she swings the halberd down at me.

'It's okay, the <Force Field> is still there.'

Thud-!

The force field stops her attack. I was about to start chanting another spell when-

"[Power]"

-The halberd shines and the power behind it suddenly increases many folds.

"Ha!"

Mother Mash swings her shining hammer with a loud shout.

Before her strike lands, I throw a cylindrical object in the air.

Crack-

Bam-!

A sword appears in front of me but it was of little help. Mother Mash's attack breaks the shield and the sword.

Boom-!

I was mercilessly blown away and my body crashes against the mana barrier.

At the same time, the flashbang I threw explodes. It robs Mother Mash of her vision and hearing.

"Cough..Cough"

'That was bad if the sword and shield hadn't slowed her attack it could have been fatal.'

"To use a flashbang in that short window, so that I can't do a follow-up attack. You are quick with your head."

Even with the flashbang exploding in her face, she was calm. She wasn't panicking. It showed that she was a seasoned warrior.

I don't answer and start chanting another spell.

This spell was shorter, so I quickly complete it.

"<Agility-Up>"

[Agility–30 --> Agility–30(+3)]

The reinforcement spell was a rank 2 spell. It only gave a 10% boost.

"Too bad you are fighting with me.[Search]"

Grid patterns appear all over the arena ground.

"Found you."

Fwosh-

Mother Mash suddenly throws the halberd.

It was aimed at me!

This time I was ready and even had my agility boosted.

I nimbly dodge the spear and begin chanting another spell.

"I order thee earth, heed my command …"

*

"He used a reinforcement spell on himself?! How?!"

Leon asks incredulously.

Mages can't use reinforcement spells on themselves. Their bodies can't handle the burden placed because of the spell.

It is common knowledge, just like how aura-users can't use mana.

A support mage using reinforcement spells on oneself was groundbreaking news.

"It looks like he doesn't only have legendary-grade skills but a useful stigma too."

He nods at Huntress's words.

Something like support mages using reinforcement spells on themselves can only be possible with the bizarre nature of stigmas.

"Then Mr. Pepe will win, won't he?"

Huntress took her time to answer Isabell's question.

"If this is all he has to show for him, then no. Even aura-users can have only one reinforcement spell cast on them at one time. Mr. Pepe can't use another reinforcement spell with the agility buff and speed alone isn't enough to win against her."

"What is he doing?"

Nathan dodges the halberd thrown at him and runs.

"…command by nature's hand. By craft. By art.<Sink>"

His next few moves felt oddly familiar to Leon.

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