Michael waited patiently in Combat Arena Nr.6 until the Real Combat assessment began.
His initial plan had been to enter the Top 500 in the freshman ranking because it would give him great daily rewards, but he realized quickly enough that it wouldn't be easy.
The freshmen were split into 10 Combat arenas where they would fight on the first day. Tomorrow, the strongest students would meet up in the first Combat Arena and then the initial ranking would be out based on their performances.
However, Michael immediately perceived that every single freshman in Combat Arena Nr.6 was powerful. The pressure they exuded naturally was anything but ordinary.
Each and every one of the students was confident and well-trained. Comparing them to his former classmates in high school was an insult to his fellow freshmen. None of them seemed weak. It caused his heart to skip a beat.
The corner of his lip tilted upward
'So that's what people mean when they talk about ordinary Lords being frogs in a well. These Lords haven't even seen a glimpse of the ocean and feel like they're at the top of the world.' Michael thought.
This time, the Real Combat assessment would be far more dangerous than before.
All freshmen from the Saphirelake Military Academy would compete against each other, not only the best 1500 who made it through the assessment in Elyra.
The lessons and courses during the month they traveled to Kelta demonstrated the Military Academy's attitude and resources. The lessons they could obtain from the Professors and Instructors here was exceptional. It was even greater than the teachings most freshmen had obtained after their families spent a fortune.
The competitive spirit was extremely high and the rewards of being in the rankings were too great which was why everyone wanted to enter the Top 500.
The Summoner Core was especially valuable.
However, Michael felt that the competition between the families was even more terrifying.
Michael noticed that many students glared at each other and that some began to throw shade at the others' families. Some of their insults were over the top, purposely taking a jibe at their family name and dragging it through the mud.
But then again, the other sides reciprocated the insults with equal fervor and took it to the next level.
Michael thought that some of these people would pounce at each other, but they held back. They knew that the referees would interfere and that they would fight each other sooner or later either way.
Michael heard a few 'I have to win to keep our family's image!', 'I will win and honor my family!', and 'Let me show you all how great I am! My power will show everyone that my family provided me with the best resources!'
Michael didn't really feel like listening to dumbass idiots, but he had to acknowledge that their arrogance and self-confidence was quite funny.
Michael was glad that he wasn't that arrogant yet.
He was quite excited for his first fight. Seeing the numerous medics and Adventurers with high-ranked healing Soultraits, who were ready to jump into action at any moment, Michael figured that there was no reason to hold back.
But that was when a small problem came to his mind.
'I used Spirit Whip quite often in the past. If my opponent is too strong, I'll probably use it subconsciously.'
Michael thought about the possibility for a while. At first, he wanted to keep Spirit Whip a secret by all means. However, he realized that it was not that important. Even if he exposed his third Soultrait, others wouldn't be able to do anything.
They might envy him for possessing three Combat-related Soultraits, but that was it.
Nonetheless, Spirit Whip was his trump card, and he was going to use it well.
It was early afternoon when the last students arrived.
Not much later, the referees called up the first combatants. Each Combat Arena had ten combat rings that were occupied by more than a thousand freshmen.
It didn't take long before Michael was called up as well.
His first fight in the Saphirelake Military Academy was about to start!
Michael entered the combat ring in which a lean young man was already waiting for him. He had ocean-blue eyes and long golden hair. Even his skin shimmered in a golden hue.
Michael retrieved the Onyx Dragon Armor Set and the Siltang Bow. Simultaneously, he observed his opponent.
The young man retrieved an armor set, a golden helmet, and a set of silver daggers. He entered a combat stance that allowed him to burst forth with great speed once the battle began.
'Mid-stage Tier-1, and stronger pressure as a Lord than Frederik…alright.'
Michael didn't know who his opponent was but he could quickly analyze him.
He changed into a defensive stance and grasped the frame of his bow artifact tightly.
The battle started a moment later when the referee gave the signal.
The young man, called Jeffrey Libern, kicked his feet off the ground and shot forward.
His body glowed golden and he disappeared the next moment.
Michael was already using Eagle Eyes. Lesser Enhancement was utilized, enhancing his Eagle Eyes, his Artifacts' strength, and amplification.
The moment Lesser Enhancement came into effect, Michael saw a distortion in space where Jeffrey Libern disappeared.
The small golden streaks were inconspicuous, but Michael noticed them at last.
He instinctively condensed an energy arrow while drawing the bowstring back.
A moment later, Jeffrey appeared several meters ahead of his previous position.
'Teleportation?' Michael wondered in slight surprise.
He regained his composure and released the energy arrow after adjusting his aim a tad. The arrow whizzed through the air but Jeffrey disappeared once again.
The arrow didn't hit anything and plunged into the ground.
Meanwhile, Michael retreated to the border of the combat circle.
He didn't know how large Jeffrey's range was, so he had to make sure that his back was safe so as to not fall prey to unexpected attacks.
But Michael quickly realized that it was not necessary.
Jeffrey reappeared a few meters in front of him again.
'The distance he can cross with every jump is short, a few meters at most, and there is a slight delay!'
Michael continued analyzing Jeffrey. Simultaneously, he released a third energy arrow.
This time, however, Jeffrey didn't use his Soultrait. Instead, he accelerated further and crossed the last few meters separating him from Michael.
The third arrow wasn't lethal. Jeffrey evaded the arrow easily. However, the fourth arrow was far more terrifying.
Michael reduced the distance to Jeffrey and released the fourth arrow from a close distance.
Even if Jeffrey was physically stronger and faster, his expression changed at once upon seeing the energy arrow approaching him like a bullet.
The enchantments on the silver daggers lit up and they began to vibrate rapidly as Jeffrey slashed out.
The energy arrow collided with the vibrating blade. Jeffrey's expression changed drastically at the moment of impact. It was easy to tell that Jeffrey didn't expect the force of the energy arrows to be that high.
He saw that Michael drew his bowstring back for the fifth time and cursed in his mind.
The next moment he looked towards his left and disappeared.
Michael observed the combat ring intently. He predicted where Jeffrey would appear and released the fifth arrow. It shot through the air when Jeffrey reappeared. However, the arrow didn't hit the young man.
Michael clicked his tongue in disappointment before he continued with the fight.
Jeffrey looked at Michael, gritting his teeth before he exhaled.
His golden shimmering skin turned brighter and the origin energy inside him began to churn.
The next moment Jeffrey disappeared again.
Yet, instead of taking his time to reappear a few meters ahead, his teleportation was instantaneous this time.
He jumped three times in a row and appeared next to Michael.
Michael's Eagle Eyes moved rapidly through the arena. They landed on Jeffrey whenever he reappeared, and a sense of understanding dawned upon him.
However, before he could make use of his understanding, Michael had to escape this tricky situation.
He twisted the Siltang Bow, manifesting an energy arrow, and released it with a half-drawn bow. The energy-condensed arrow was not as strong as usual, but it was strong enough to put Jeffrey in a predicament.
The arrow was about to hit Jeffrey in the head when he blocked it with his silver blades.
Jeffrey was about to slash down after blocking the silver blades, but Michael was already in front of him.
The Siltang Bow was nowhere to be seen.
Michael clenched his fists and delivered a heavy sucker punch with his left hand before he jabbed with his right.
His attacks were quick and precisely aimed at Jeffrey's vitals. The young man struggled a moment before he sliced at Michael with his silver daggers. Michael dived to the side, manifested Seron Voulge, and slashed behind him in a horizontal motion.
"Fuck!" Jeffrey cursed while lifting his daggers instinctively.
A moment later, he felt that Michael's strength had increased once again. A white hue engulfed Seron Voulge.
Unsure about the true extent of Michael's Soultraits, Jeffrey disappeared. Space distorted and he appeared a few meters behind Michael.
Michael turned around as quickly as he could but Jeffrey vanished once again.
'What a slippery dude. I cannot get hold of him!'
Michael was forced to watch Jeffrey with great vigilance, and it was beginning to annoy him a little. A single wrong move and his first fight would result in a humiliating loss.
He evaded Jeffrey's attacks a few times and escaped defeat several times by a hair's breadth.
His opponent was nimble and able to utilize his Soultrait more often than Michael had first assumed.
Nonetheless, Michael was able to say a few things.
"With his current mastery, he shouldn't be able to…" Michael thought, condensing an energy arrow before shooting it in an empty area exactly five meters ahead of the position Jeffrey disappeared from.
Jeffrey thought that he had been targeted, but he didn't expect Michael to have fully analyzed his Soultrait in such a short period. It hadn't been that long since the battle started!
The energy arrow pierced into his shoulder the moment Jeffrey reappeared.
He screamed out in shock and instinctively used his Soultrait two more times to escape Michael's control.
Unfortunately, that was exactly what Michael predicted beforehand. An arrow impacted where Jeffrey reappeared.
After the second arrow impacted his thigh, Jeffrey suffered a great shock. He tried to stay on his feet, but the shock prevented him from continuing to use his Soultrait.
Without his Soultrait Jeffrey's strongest advantage had now disappeared.
Another arrow pierced his other thigh, forcing the young man to the ground where he screamed loudly.
He didn't have much energy left, but he wasn't willing to go down like this either.
However, Michael didn't show any mercy. He released two more arrows that pierced his legs.
"Teleportation of exactly five meters, and only in the direction you look. Without the activation of your body refinement technique's unique effect, you wouldn't have been able to negate the delay of your teleportation either," Michael said quietly to himself and Jeffrey, who had stopped screaming by now.
He stared at Michael in hatred, but there was nothing Michael could do about that. He didn't really mind, either way.
In fact, Michael would have continued to shoot at Jeffrey but the referee had already lifted his hand to signal the end of the battle.
"Your Soultrait seems to be very strong, but it's probably extremely hard to control. You're very strong!" Michael acknowledged while making a mental note about Jeffrey. He wouldn't underestimate Jeffrey the next time they met. That was for sure.
Jeffrey's teleportation Soultrait would turn more terrifying once his range of teleportation expanded, and once his mastery increased, allowing him to use his teleportation more flexibly.
However, by then, Michael would become much stronger as well.
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