Of all people… why did it have to be her?
Alden sighed.
Well, it's no use crying over spilled milk.
Following Varian's instructions, he walked toward the sparring arena.
Fortunately—or rather, unfortunately—they had been chosen for the first match.
The rules of the sparring were simple.
No weapons were allowed.
Only physical techniques were allowed, but lethal attacks were forbidden.
And if anything accidentally happened, Varian was there to intervene.
Varian was an Ascendant. Not just any normal one, either.
He was one of the strongest.
A man feared by many and respected by even more.
People called him the Cunning Barbarian.
The reason was simple.
His fighting style was rough, violent—like a true barbarian. But he wasn't just a brute. He used his head to always stay one step ahead of his opponents.
He was considered a true prodigy of martial arts. His talent in it was said to even surpass the Draegon Family.
If fate had been fair, he would've stood at the very top.
But for so reason, his mana capacity had stopped increasing long ago.
Even now, when he is at Ascendant Rank, his mana reserves are still stuck at Expert rank.
Yet, despite that flaw, he was a true monster.
He had mastered what little mana he had to an inhuman degree.
He fought like a beast, calculated like a tactician, and crushed opponents with raw skill alone.
In the novel, he was the only person who managed to kill a demon general who was at Overlord Rank while still being at only Ascendent rank..
Well that's supposed to happen in the far off future.
Alden exhaled, dismissing the thoughts.
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He soon arrived in front of the arena.
His opponent, Nyx, was waiting.
Her cold blue eyes were scanning him like a predator. Her expressions were calm, but Alden could sense a bit of annoyance.
Did I do sothing to her?
Why is she looking at like I killed her cat?
Well whatever.
It's none of my business.
Just as they were stepping inside, Varian gestured for them to stop.
"Both of you, hold out your hands," he instructed.
Alden did as he was told.
Varian tied a tal band around his wrist—the Mana Suppression Bracelet.
It pulsed faintly, sealing away his mana reserves completely.
Even his passive abilities were shut down.
Alden's body felt heavy and his senses felt a bit sluggish.
Without mana flowing through his body, his reactions wouldn't be as sharp.
Nyx didn't even react to her mana being suppressed as if she was used to it.
As soon as they stepped inside the arena, Varian's voice echoed.
"Begin,"
Nyx didn't give him any chance before she lunged towards him, probably intending to end it all soon.
Her figure blurred as she appeared in front of him. It wasn't any skill, it was pure physical strength.
Her fist was pulled back, in position to land a devastating hit on Alden's ribs.
Alden's expressions were calm.
He barely managed to duck.
The punch flew past his head harmlessly.
He imdiately swiped his legs intending to make her lose balance.
But Nyx jumped as she twisted her body to counterattack with a roundhouse kick.
Alden raised his arms to block.
But sothing was wrong.
She smirked.
Damn it.
Instead of completing the kick, she pulled her leg back, twisting her body in an impossible mid-air shift.
Her montum reversed instantly.
And then— she attacked with her knee forward, straight toward his chest.
Alden's eyes widened.
He had no ti to dodge.
THUD
Her knees connected squarely as Alden was pushed back.
The attack was not reinforced by Mana so it wasn't enough to give him any fatal injuries but his breathing turned rough.
For a brief mont it was hard for him to breathe.
Nyx didn't stop to give him any ti to recover.
She followed up with a flurry of punches and kicks.
Alden dodged—barely.
But he couldn't dodge all of them and so still landed on his body.
His muscles ached with a familiar feeling of pain.
But he wasn't out yet.
Alright. Ti to return the favour.
Alden took a deep breath, his muscles tense as he adjusted his stance.
He had taken a few hits, but he was still fine.
Nyx, on the other hand, wasn't slowing down either.
Her speed was terrifying.
In just a breath, she was already in front of him.
Her first shot toward his ribs.
Alden twisted his body in an unnatural movent, dodging by a hair's breadth.
Fast.
Nyx jumped, twisting her body mid-air as she attacked Alden with a powerful downward kick.
Alden crossed his arms, absorbing the impact.
His forearms shook just from the force.
She's strong.
Nyx landed smoothly, already closing in again.
Alden exhaled sharply.
The mont she stepped in to strike, Alden rushed suddenly.
Not backward but forward.
Nyx's eyes widened. She was surprised, she didn't expect him to rush forward.
He moved past her punch, his fist pulled back, ready to strike.
Just then sothing unexpected happened.
Alden's foot slipped.
Huh?
A split-second miscalculation. He had put too much force into his right leg.
And then—
Thud.
Before Nyx could even react, he crashed into her.
They both fell backwards as he landed on top of her.
The training hall fell silent.
Nyx blinked.
Her usual cold expression froze in shock.
Her mouth opened and closed as if to say sothing, but nothing ca out.
Alden imdiately realized how close their faces were.
Her blue eyes were wide, and—
Is she blushing?
This… is bad.
Before either of them could move, a loud clap echoed through the hall.
"That's enough," Varian said in a bored voice. "The match is over."
Alden quickly pushed himself off her and stood up. His expression were calm.
Nyx, on the other hand, turned her head away, not saying a word.
Varian crossed his arms. "Not bad. But next ti, try not to make it look like a romance scene from a bad novel."
The students laughed.
Alden felt nothing but embarrassnt.
He sighed.
Just my rotten luck.
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