"Real purpose…? Huh, what do you mean?" Tristan knitted his brows looking at her.
"I want to test you to see if you're qualified to be accepted into our university," she said as she looked at Tristan, inspecting him from head to toe. She thought to herself that this guy was quite different from the picture and information she had seen before. He had a fierce aura that can only be acquired from countless battles. Gato also had this, but it was a little weak in comparison to Tristan.
Tristan also had a sense of aesthetic. He had a handsome coat, which she found curious as such clothes were hard to come by in this region. She decided that once she recruits him, she would have to ask him where he bought it.
Gato and Ted, who were listening in, weren't particularly surprised by this. To them, it was normal given Tristan's status as a powerhouse in the region, on par with expert-level practitioners. Even Gato, who had reached Senior (L) and Intermediate mastery, didn't think he would be able to defeat Tristan. They both thought it was well-deserved for Tristan to be invited to join the university. They were also curious about why such a talented young man wasn't in university.
"Huh… Heh, Without my opinion?" Tristan doubted it then he just smiled and asked sarcastically.
"Your Major recommended you to me"
"So, it's him" Tristan thought to himself, impressed by Major Anderson. Thanks to the Lightning Stone given to him by Anderson, he could already feel his strength increasing at a rapid pace. He estimated that he would be able to make a breakthrough within the next week or two. His Thunder Breathing Technique had also progressed rapidly, and with the help of the lightning stone, he was now able to use a three-fold first form.
"I see, so what kind of test is it?" Since it was recommended by the Major, he knew this woman will not harm him.
"How about 1 on 1?"
"1 on 1? …. Ok!" Tristan furrowed his brow slightly, but since she had asked for it, he decided to agree. He knew he couldn't defeat her with his current strength, but he was curious to know how far his limits were.
"This field was not wide enough, I want to use my full strength" Tristan added.
"Ah, miss, I know a place…"
"What did you say?" The woman glared coldly at Gato.
"Ah, eh? D-did I say someth-"
"Senior, you're an idiot, it's your master"
Gato was confused at first then when Ted whispered and remind him, he finally knows what was wrong.
"Ah, yes, I'm sorry, M-master," Gato stammered, still uneasy about calling her that. He was afraid to look her in the eye, so he kept his head bowed.
"Please lead the way," she said, giving him a stern look.
Although she wasn't from this region, she was familiar with some of the cities in the Black Region like Seterel and Katrinidad. However, there may be some changes that she was not aware of in this area.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a wider field. In the distance, there was a person observing them through binoculars. If any high-ranking officials from the city had seen this person, they would have been shocked because it was Major Anderson.
He had disguised himself as a hunter and was hiding far away, watching them. Anderson was also curious about Tristan's abilities, as the previous reports and his accomplishments seemed hard to believe for just a Senior (L) practitioner.
So when Sheila appeared, he followed her secretly, without her knowledge. He also wanted to see if the previous reports weren't exaggerated.
Back to the field.
Both of them stood facing each other at a distance. Tristan held his Wado Ichimonji at his left waist and had Snow Chaser on his back. He looked at Sheila seriously.
Sheila looked at his posture oddly.
"You're not using three swords?" she asked. When she had watched him fight before, she had seen him fighting with three swords which were quite unique. She thought he had created his own genre of sword-fighting because she hadn't seen this style from his father.
This was quite shocking to her, as he had achieved this at peak beginner mastery which was enough to indicate that Tristan was a genius swordsman. She believed that his three-sword style had more potential.
But she didn't see him using it today, what happened, is he underestimating me? Shiela thought as she gripped her spear on her shoulder and looked coldly at Tristan.
"Compared to three swords… Two-sword is my forte" Tristan didn't care about her reaction and took a deep breath.
"Hoho, then let me see what you got" In her mind, Is this guy bluffing? Or if it's real, then he meant it? He's also an intermediate mastery? Shiela doubted it so she waited for his move if what his saying was true.
You can see smoke coming out from Tristan's mouth and nose.
What! Is it a Breathing Technique?
Not only was Shiela shocked, but also Anderson who was watching from a distance. But there was no time to think about it, as Tristan had already made a move.
"Thunder Breathing 1st Form: Double Slash Flash Cutter!"
Clang!
Tristan disappeared and reappeared on the right side of Shiela, however, he was surprised when she parried his two swords with her spear, using only one hand.
Tristan gritted his teeth, looking at her with anger. He couldn't stand it when people underestimate him, like the water element user expert from more than 6 months ago, Thompson, and now this woman.
"YOU DON'T FUCKING DARE TO UNDERESTIMATE ME!"
He immediately rushed with an extreme speed and dexterity combined with his lightning ability.
Shiing
Shwang
Shiing
Shwang
Shiiing
Shiiiing
Shwaang
As she looked at Tristan attacking in front of her, she was taken aback and her demeanor became serious. She grasped his spear firmly with both hands and deftly deflected all of his attacks.
Intermediate Mastery!
This guy didn't lie and based on his usage of his elemental abilities, it was clear that he was at intermediate mastery.
My God!
Elements – Beginner Mastery
Three Sword Style - Beginner Peak Mastery
Two Sword Style Intermediate Mastery
In a 20-year-old young man! And the way he wields his two-sword style was not that of a newcomer at the Intermediate Mastery level, she thought maybe this guy had already breakthrough the intermediate level long ago.
If she knew that Tristan was also a Beginner Mastery in 1 Sword Style, how would she react?
Gato and Ted were once again amazed every time they saw Tristan fight. It was as if they were witnessing the same scene when he fought the Enhanced beast in a previous incident.
Gato never overestimated himself when he fought Tristan earlier. He knew his abilities were still not enough to contend with that guy even when he breaks through Late Stage and Intermediate Mastery, he knew himself, so he never underestimated him.
But it was different from the situation of Anderson, who was staring off into the distance. He knew Tristan was talented, but he had never expected that his talent would be beyond his expectations. He regretted it a bit, Tristan could have been a good successor for him.
Is it really right to give that guy to that unpleasant woman?
If Shiela knew what he was thinking right now, he didn't know what she would do to him, his previous captain.
Then Anderson suddenly remembered that this 'unpleasant woman' had taken on a disciple, was it Gato? Another Intermediate Mastery spear user, and just 22 years old.
Dammit!
Two Hidden Gems! No, one is a hidden gem, but the other one is a hidden diamond!
He felt very unhappy today.
But he shook his head again, leaving these two guys here would only be wasting their talents, especially for Gato who had almost already wasted his first prime. So he must take this opportunity to recover himself for his next secondary prime stage.
Back to the field.
Shiela looked at him seriously, this guy was truly talented. She suddenly remembered that it took her over 40 years to reach the Advance Mastery in Spear and Intermediate Mastery in Elements in her current situation. But this guy...
"Two Sword Style: Double 9 Pound Slash"
Shhewwwwing
She immediately parried the attack with her spear, activating a bit of her elemental ability. Then she quickly moved at her fastest speed.
Tristan didn't even have time to react, he only noticed a black silhouette appear before he was hit in the stomach by the spear. Of course, Shiela didn't use the blade or tip of her spear, instead, she used the middle part of the spear and hit him in the stomach like a baseball bat.
Crash!
Blurgh
Tristan spurted blood and immediately used his two swords to stab them into the ground. His eyes became red as he looked at her.
Berserker's Blood Activated.
Oh, what happened? Shiela also noticed Tristan's eyes and was immediately on guard, waiting for his next move.
"18 Pound Slash!"
Shiela immediately parried the attack with her spear and elements.
Tristan flashed again and slashed his sword toward Shiela at an even faster speed than before.
Shiing
Shaang
Shiing
Shiing
Shang
Shiing
Shiiing
Shang
Shiing
Shiing
Shang
Shiing
Shang
So fast!
Shiela exclaimed as she quickly deflected Tristan's attack with her spear.
This guy was incredibly fast, how was he managing to keep up?
Shiela knew the limits of the speed of the stages of a person, and the way Tristan was fighting now had already surpassed the limit of Senior (L), even some of the geniuses she knew of, and even...even...to the swordsmen on the Yotos Continent.
But Tristan was still able to maintain this speed in the Senior (L) Stages.
This guy already had the ability to fight or even defeat some expert stages!
So Shiela looked at Tristan with determination on her face. No matter what happens today, even if he rejected her invitation, she would have to apologize to him, and she couldn't let that happen. He had to join!
She determined that this guy had the potential of:
Champion!
My God! She immediately thought their team this year was shaping up to be a monster.
Iris who also had a Champion Potential
Alfred who had an Elite Potential
And this guy… Another Champion Potential
Damn! If all of these were teamed up, even all S-Class University players would submit to these three.
There's a high chance to win the D and C cups, especially the C cup competition.
They had to strive to recover their S Class status and this was their chance!
If other universities found out, she didn't know how they would react.
Shiela was immediately thrilled as she watched Tristan fighting her. She wanted to see what else this guy had to offer.
She immediately increased her strength and speed. She wasn't using her element too much, she just wanted to use her skills to contend with Tristan.
Shangggggg!
She strikes her spear diagonally.
Tristan stepped back and then immediately moved when he felt a vibration.
And he guessed right because Shiela thrust her spear, then increased her speed again and struck.
Shhiiing
Shaangg
Shiinggg
Shanggg
Another weapon confrontation happened, but Shiela immediately suppressed Tristan.
Tristan stepped back and spurted more blood. His eyes became redder.
Then when he heard a sound in the air, he immediately deflected it but his strength wasn't enough to parry it so he immediately moved to the left side to avoid the final impact, then he attacked her again.
Shiing
Shangg
Shiing
Shang
Shiela deflected his attacks, and this time she was surprised by his reflexes. This guy really...
"Double 18 Pound Slash!"
She deflected it and then immediately attacked with her fast strike move.
Tristan parried it but stepped back again.
He immediately saw her next move and quickly prepared for his next action but...
Why did it seem so slow? And then...
It became fast!
Thankfully, Tristan reacted immediately and moved.
Then another strike from Shiela, but it was different from before because it was slow and then disappeared...
It became fast! Tristan reacted a little late, and his left side was scratched a bit.
Puh!
He spurted out blood!
Damn it! It's a rhythm!
He finally knew what happened, but he couldn't think anymore because another fast attack appeared again.
Then it became slow...then it moved fast.
But this time Tristan was also getting faster and adapted to this situation. His eyes went redder and redder.
He deflected it, but he didn't let his sword meet the final impact, so he quickly moved and attacked again.
Shiela immediately stepped back and looked at him with shock!
He can still take it?
What the hell happened with his eyes?
Is this his unique ability?
She couldn't think anymore and was quickly greeted by another slash.
"Double 36 Pound Slash"
She immediately stepped away and attacked, then she was greeted by another attack
"72 Pound Slash!"
Vhooom!
She immediately activated her fire element and struck with her spear.
"Flame Spear: Thousand Flash Shots!"
Banggg!
Tristan was shot and flew again and vomited blood.
"What else can you do?" She asked. She knew he was still there, gasping.
Then she saw him making a posture again.
Breathing Style again?
She didn't interrupt him, she still wanted to see what he would do in this situation.
She also noticed that the breathing technique he was using was so fast, but seemed monotonous and easy to predict the trajectory. If it was a strong enemy, they wouldn't let it pass and would strike at its flaw. So, she had to let him see his flaw so he could seek a countermeasure when using this type of technique. If he continued to do this, he would be seeking death.
But...
She was surprised because...
Tristan was surrounded by lightning and then...
"Thunder Breathing 1st form: Double Slash Flash Cutter Three-Fold"
Zing!
He immediately appeared and struck in front of her...
Shiela thought it would be easy to deflect it, but there was another burst of lightning.
Zing!
She was caught off guard but still managed to catch it, then... There was another burst…
What?
Zing!
This time her side was open, she immediately activated her full strength, fire element and unique ability to strike back.
BOOM!
Shiela was shocked about what had happened. She suddenly remembered that she was only fighting a Senior (L) and she was so immersed in the fight since Tristan had become stronger and stronger, she thought she was fighting an Expert Stage. So, when he slashed his third attack, she immediately used her combination move. This move was already an instinct like muscle memory every time she fought or sparred with people.
So, she was surprised and became worried, that guy, can he take it? What if he becomes crippled? She suddenly regretted what she had done and felt sorry. She immediately hurriedly rushed towards him.
"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
"Senior Black"
"Hurry up, we must rescue him," Gato and Ted also followed with a worried expression on their face then…
Shiiiing…
They felt a wind rushing towards them.
It's Major Anderson
He also saw that scene and immediately hurriedly rushed over. In his mind, he was scolding that 'stinky woman', he gave her a chance to invite a genius person, not a crippled person.
"That…"
"Sir!" Gato looked close and felt familiar, his eyes widened ,and hurriedly saluted.
Ted looked at him and was surprised and thought this hunter-suited guy must be an officer so he also saluted "Sir!"
"Sir you must save Tristan, he's to have an accident!" Ted added worriedly.
Gato felt this was a little disrespectful but he was also worried about Tristan and he also nodded.
"Captain!"
Shiela was also surprised about his appearance but she couldn't think anymore and become panicked.
"What the hell are you doing, are you going to kill? Just tell me if you're not satisfied and don't want to recruit him, and I will take him to others!" Anderson glared and shouted at her angrily.
"Cough, cough, cough!" They heard a coughing sound and immediately came.
"Young man, are you okay? I will take you" Anderson was surprised that Tristan was okay. He looked at him and found that his coat was not damaged. There's a bit of black on his face that might be caused by the previous explosion but he can see that Tristan was okay, but he was still worried and planned to take him.
"Cough, cough, Major, a-are you here?" Tristan said weakly.
"Of course, I'm here to… eh" Anderson suddenly remembered that he was spying on them and immediately rushed over, he became embarrassed and said: "Huh, eh, haha, ho, I happened to pass by here then I heard a loud explosion so I was worried and immediately hurriedly over"
Shiela on the sides rolled her eyes at him, with an outfit like that and you said you happened to pass by? I think you're just spying on us. But she didn't expose it because she also has a fault here. She was also glad that Tristan was okay.
"Tristan, I'm really sorry. Please, believe me, it wasn't my intention," Sheila bowed her head and apologized.
She was shocked that Tristan had survived the Crown Attack without serious injury. How tough is this guy? She thought to herself. Talent, swordsmanship, speed, strength, and toughness; he's an all-rounder. But if there's one weakness, it's that he's still a Senior (L).
"I see... cough, cough," Tristan didn't respond, he was lost in thought. He realized that his own strength was not enough, and he had been too cocky in thinking he could fight a crown. His eyes felt a little blurry.
"Hurry up, I'll take you!" Anderson stepped forward, but Tristan waved him off.
"Cough, wait, I... I want to try something," Tristan forced himself to stand and walked unsteadily.
"What are you...?" Anderson and the others looked at him in confusion.
They watched as Tristan retrieved his sword from the ground, put the Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, and held the Snow Chaser and Sandai Kitetsu in his right and left hands.
"Three swords?" Anderson was confused.
"Hey, senior, what is senior black doing?" Ted elbowed Gato and asked.
"I don't know," Gato shook his head in confusion.
Sheila looked closely and suddenly remembered something. Her eyes widened, and she exclaimed in a loud voice: "Could it be...!"
"Three Sword Style: Tornado!"
Tristan immediately slashed his three swords, creating a large tornado.
"It's an INTERMEDIATE!" Sheila exclaimed in shock.
A Three Sword Style Genre!
Sheila and the others had never seen it before, only Tristan had.
And now, Tristan had achieved two intermediate levels in different types of swordplay: Two Sword Style and Three Sword Style, all at just 20 years old! It was unbelievable.
Actually, Tristan had already seen it when he looked at his progress on the system. He was also surprised because he had used a three-sword style and it hadn't improved his two-sword style, but instead, it had improved his three-sword style. Where's the logic in that?
He suddenly remembered and wondered, could it be because of the battle with Sheila, a Crown Stage? He wasn't sure, but he thought his hypothesis was highly possible.
He looked at his progress:
1 Sword: Beginner (81%)
2 Sword: Intermediate (46%)
3 Sword: Intermediate (3%)
He felt glad that all had made progress.
But then, his eyes became blurry. "Damn it," he thought, "if a beast were to appear here, I would definitely die."
He forced himself to wake up, but he was still drowsy. He walked unsteadily and was about to fall, so he sat down and put his hand on the ground to steady himself. He was very tired now and it took a few minutes before he lost consciousness completely and fell. But he was picked up by Anderson.
They watched over him until he lost consciousness and they felt heavy inside. They saw his stubbornness and strong willpower in just his simple actions and couldn't help but respect him.
Sheila thought, "This guy must not only be talented but also persistent." Thinking of these, she really doesn't want to lose this opportunity. SHE MUST, MUST invite him no matter what." She gripped her spear tightly.
She then looked at his coat and was surprised to see that there was no damage on it. She realized that the coat was not simple and must have some kind of protection.
She also noticed his swords. They were thin but it had managed to survive several clashes with her spear. She knew that his swords were not simple, as they had proven in the fight.
But she didn't dwell on it and whistled.
GROWL
Suddenly, they heard a monster growling in the distance.
Gato and Ted became alerted, but Anderson stood calmly. He knew what it was: Sheila's Summoner Contract, Flyghtning.
It was a creature with a head-to-tail length of 4.5 meters and a wingspan of 18 meters. It had a dark blue color covering its entire body and a big camera on its head. It was an Enhanced Grade!
Flyghtning sat nearby and bent its head against Sheila. "Kuh!"
"WTF!" Gato and Ted shivered as they looked at the giant bird.
"M-m-master, what is th-this?"
"Don't worry, it won't harm you as long as you don't do anything wrong to her. By the way, it's my Summoner Contract. Her name is Flyghtning, and she is a female," Sheila patted the creature's head and introduced it to them.
"Tsk, a summoner contract, huh! I really envy you," Anderson said while looking at Flyghtning.
"Then you must hurry and find one. It's a shame to your status to have no contract beast," Sheila said.
"Don't worry, if there's a chance," Anderson said, as he walked towards Flyghtning while carrying Tristan on his back. He then immediately put him on Flyghtning's back and patted it and said, "Little guy, you must take care of him."
Growl!
Flyghtning put her right wing on her chest and nodded as if saying "Don't worry!"
"Let's go to Station 95 first," Anderson said, because only Stations 90 and 95 had a clinic.
"Hurry up and sit!" Shiela shouted at the remaining two and hopped in.
"Tha-that! Gulped." Gato and Ted looked at it and swallowed their saliva. They had no choice but to go.
After a few minutes later, Shiela sent information to her phone.
Name: Tristan Black
Age: 20 years old
Rank: Senior (L)
Strength: SS
Speed: SS
Reflex: SS
Dexterity: SS
Willpower: SS
Planning: B
Toughness: SS
Unique Ability: A
Element Ability: B
Skill Mastery: SS
Overall Potential Score: S – 95 (Champion)
Evaluation: This individual has Element - Beginner Mastery, 2 Sword Style - Intermediate Mastery, and 3 Sword Style - Intermediate Mastery. Based on the information gathered, his forte is 2 Sword Style, followed by 3 Sword Style. He knows breathing techniques and has the strength to fight experts between E and M rank. I suggest recruiting him immediately using an S-Ticket.
…
Evening in Station 95
Shiela was on the phone,
[What the hell did you send? Are you kidding me? An S Potential? Do you think S Potentials can be found anywhere? We already have one, do you think you can find another one?]
"I fought that guy, I'm sure of it this time. Headmaster, you must use that Ticket or you'll regret it," Shiela implored.
[Did you really fight him seriously?] the Headmaster asked.
"Of course I did," Shiela said. "I maintained my strength at Expert (E) first, then increased it a bit. You know we fought with weapons, I really put my best effort into it. But this guy was able to react in unexpected ways, and had the courage to counter-attack. I even increased my strength to Expert (M). And the last time, he managed to catch me off guard and almost defeat me, if it weren't for my instincts at the time."
"Headmaster, you must use the S-Ticket. Otherwise, other universities will notice him and there'll be no time for regrets. Don't blame me later, this kid has Champion potential!" Shiela added.
[Are you really sure that kid has Champion Potential? You know we'll offend others once we use the S-Ticket on an unknown kid,] the Headmaster said.
[If what you're saying is true, do you have a video? Have you recorded it? You know me, you must convince me with evidence, not just verbal talk,] The headmaster asked.
"Of course I do, Headmaster. I will show you a video. You must watch it and then decide if I'm lying," Shiela replied.
After a few minutes.
[Gasp!]
The headmaster was shocked looking at the video
Then few minutes later
[SHIELA YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!! DO YOU WANT TO KILL HIM?]
Shiela immediately put away her phone to her ear.
"Of course I'm not, that was just an accident. Just like I told you earlier, I was surprised this guy managed to make a unique move like that. I was surprised and just instinctively used my combo moves. Then I realized it was just a Senior (L)."
[Then what about his injury? Is he okay? Damn it! Shiela! I'll tell you if something happens to him. Don't ever come back here! Did you hear that] the Headmaster said sternly.
"I know, I know," Shiela replied, sounding apologetic.
[I'll give you a mission. You must come back here with that guy as fast as you can, don't let others notice him. I'll give you a week] the Headmaster said.
"A week? Are you kidding me? You know using contract beasts in the air under the Safe Region is illegal," Shiela said in disbelief.
[I'll contact some people in the Alliance to take care of your concern. Don't worry about it] the Headmaster replied.
"But that guy didn't wake up yet," Shiela said.
[After that guy wakes up, your mission will start!] the Headmaster said firmly.
"Okay," Shiela said, sounding resigned.
…
September 30, NE176
Early in the morning in Station 95
Tristan woke up.
"So, you have woken up!"
Tristan saw Shiela sitting on the sides like the position of Jigo when he woke up before.
"I can't believe I'm unconscious again," Tristan said through gritted teeth as he lay on the ground. Being unconscious twice in such a short period of time was a poor performance for him, and he knew that if it became a habit, he could potentially be in danger. If he keeps passing out every time something happens, I'm going to end up dead at this rate.
"I'm the one to blame this time," Shiela said to Tristan.
"It's not your fault," Tristan said solemnly. "I just wasn't strong enough."
He looked at her and asked, "By the way, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to invite you to our university, just like before," Sheila said as she handed him her card.
Tristan caught the card and looked at it.
"My name is Shiela Silvrer, and I'm an instructor at Skyfall Heroes University," she said. "It's one of the top A-class universities in the Blue Region. If you agree, as long as you breakthrough expert, I can promise you'll have a spot on the roster for the competition next year."
"As long as you..."
"I agree!"
"Huh..." She looked at him with doubt.
"Won't you listen to the condition or do you have any requirements?"
"I don't care about it, as long as you let me eat…" Tristan didn't care whether it was a C, B, A, or S class, it was the same for him, as long as he enter universities. He already saw the progress of his classmates, so he must catch up with them. He already wasted 2 years of his time here, but even though he wasted 2 years here, he also learned something here which is also beneficial for his future.
Speaking of eating…
Growl!
"I wanted to eat, you must treat me" Tristan got up and found his sword. Speaking of swords, he actually left his three swords to boss Jigo, he must get it back and say goodbye to him
"Okay!" Shiela nodded.
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT