Bab 50: Test of Strength
As Goleil put on his armor, he faced one glaring problem.
He had no idea how to transform his mask into a helmet.
Ty'Bral chuckled as Goleil touched his mask, seeing if it would respond in any way.
He sighed as he thought about when the mask had first changed. It hadn't even been his command or will that changed the mask. It had simply chosen a helmet and changed.
Then, when it changed back, it was during his sleep. He couldn't exactly sleep for eight hours; Captain Guyan was waiting for him at the Colosseo as he sat here.
Goleil shook his head and began circulating his sen. He was sending a tendril of the Elder mana towards the mask when he stopped.
'Wait, won't the mask react badly if I use Elder magic on it? I'm assuming it's a divine artifact of some kind.'
He looked at Ty'Bral, who was silent. "Any advice?"
Ty'Bral shook his head immediately. "Perhaps you are simply too spoiled, but have you forgotten how rare magic items are? You could buy a city to lord over between the cloak, mask, and amulet!"
"Really?"
"Probably not. Anyway, have you forgotten that I was only a Half-Step Eldritch? I wasn't nearly strong enough to have magical items, much less knowledge of how they work. You're on your own for this one, rich boy."
"I resent the usage of that term," he said and began to perform scans around the mask. After a few minutes, he found something that had, until this moment, evaded him.
A thin thread of soul jelly was in the extremely short distance between the mask and his brain. Or, more accurately, there was a soul tendon between the two.
Goleil ignored the implications of this tendon on his psyche and focused on the helmet.
'With the tendon there, it most likely means that all I have to do to get the mask to change into a helmet is will it to change.'
Goleil imagined the helmet in his mind, piecing it together with every detail he could recall. Soon, he could feel the mask begin to change.
A second later, the cold metal helmet was on his head, and he was ready for combat.
...
As he walked to the Colosseo, he could feel eyes on him the entire time. Ever since Rick had pointed it out, the eyes of the locals dug into him like daggers.
The closer to the Colosseo, the worse it got. When he finally arrived, it felt like all eyes were on him.
"Captain Guyan, thank you for meeting me here."
The man had been waiting inside. The cold was too much for any man to stand for too long.
"Of course, Goleil. Let me show you to the Test of Strength," He said and began walking towards a ring of people.
As Goleil walked through the Colosseo, it got quieter as more knights and spectators recognized him.
As he passed, the knights nodded in respect or fear, and Goleil could see several nobles getting up to leave in the uprights.
Goleil thought back to the three nobles he had met in Lord Colm's office. Had they introduced themselves? He couldn't remember, nor did he care very much.
As he arrived near the ring of people, Captain Guyan shouted, "Make way! Make way for Guardsman Goleil!"
As soon as the spectating knights heard that name, they immediately stepped to the side. Hearing that name once more meant only one thing.
Things were about to get interesting.
Inside the spectating ring was a large circle the size of a dueling ring lined with strange patterns and symbols. They glowed a faint blue, and Goleil could see a haze in the air from a curtain of energy hanging around the ring.
Inside the ring, a knight stood panting. He gripped his mace and shield lightly as the torse that decorated his helm swayed.
Goleil realized why the air had been so tense. Standing before him was Sir Khalid bin Walid of Adal.
His eyes narrowed as he saw the man leaving the ring, the energy curtain falling.
As Sir Khalid bin Walid looked up as he walked out of the ring, he made eye contact with the Vrean.
It was as if there were sparks of lightning in the air.
"I defeated three Mid-level Manaforgers. Best that if thou darest," the Adalian said in his heavy accent.
"Perhaps you forget how I smashed your armor in with my bare hands," Goleil replied.
Goleil looked over to Guard Captain Guyan. "How does this contraption work?"
The two walked into the ring as Guyan explained, "This is an individual test of your might. Underneath us lies a magical formation that will create your foes," he said, pointing down.
"So they aren't real combatants?"
"Just because they are made of magic doesn't mean they aren't real. They are real and can hurt you just as any knight could. You will combat progressively stronger foes and more of them until you are eventually defeated. That's pretty much all there is to it."
Goleil nodded. "Very well, you have my thanks. Please activate the formation."
Guyan left the ring, and as soon as he did, an energy curtain rose around the ring.
Goleil could feel his excitement starting to rise as he gripped his glaive.
'I still have no shield, but now that I can circulate mana, there is no excuse not to anymore. I'll have to update my armor as well.'
He assumed the spectators could see everything he was doing, so he searched the growing crowd for Sir Khalid bin Walid. As they made eye contact again, he pointed his glaive in his direction.
The air rippled as mana began to take the shape of a man, lightly armored and wielding only a sword. He looked like an average soldier.
Goleil scoffed as he sensed no mana flow from the man.
The man approached him quickly, but Goleil didn't even circulate his mana, and he drove his glaive straight through the man's eye in a single motion.
The man dropped to the ground, dispersing into mana.
"Pathetic," Goleil whispered.
He estimated the strength of the man was lower than a guard. He sighed as he thought how long this would take.
Two ripples in the air and two identical men appeared. One wielded a sword and the other a mace.
Goleil put his glaive through the first one's leg, immobilizing him. The second only got a step further before the glaive went through his chest, killing him instantly. Goleil finished off the first one with a beheading.
Three appeared.
Then four.
It stopped at five. Once Goleil had massacred five, it reset to one.
The ripple was stronger this time. The man that appeared was more heavily armed. He held a long sword and shield, wearing a chainmail hauberk and a helmet that protected his head and nose.
'Why is he wearing such ancient-style equipment?' Goleil thought.
He put the thought aside when the man rushed toward him. He still didn't sense mana, but the armored man's skill level was far higher now.
The man put his shield up in front of his torso and as he stabbed toward Goleil with his long sword. The sun knight dodged it, slicing off the man's arm as the blade passed in front of his face.
He finished him off with a quick jab to the brain.
Goleil wondered when it would get interesting. Then he remembered what Sir Khalid bin Walid had said he defeated.
'Three manaforgers...' He thought, and his mind went immediately to his late commander, Captain Zhao. Like many Captains within the Sun Guard, he could use mana to strengthen his body beyond mere mana circulation.
Goleil remembered he had his transformation, growing even taller than Captain Zhao.
Sir Khalid bin Walid had defeated three on his own?
'He must have been training to get stronger. He is an incredible warrior in his own right,' Goleil thought.
Goleil gripped his glaive as he finished off three guards, the battle in front of him in the back of his mind, the future one at the forefront.
The sun knight couldn't help but get excited at the thought of the battle ahead.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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