Chapter 123: Chapter 123
After escorting Jude back to his companions, Ron decided to simply stay there, as the square was packed with people and he would have to take the arena again soon anyway.
He had no desire to squeeze through the dense crowds right now. Although his victory over Jude appeared effortless to the spectators, Ron knew full well that Jude was a formidable opponent worthy of respect.
He had only managed to overwhelm him through sheer physical superiority. If they had been on the same level physically, Ron would have inevitably been dragged into a grueling, bitter struggle, even if he still emerged victorious.
Of course, relying on brute strength to crush his opponents wasn’t entirely effortless either. Even now, he could distinctly feel the thin layer of fine sweat seeping from his back.
If he hadn’t decisively ended the fight and allowed Jude to drag him into a war of attrition, who knew how many matches lay ahead and whether he could maintain his winning streak.
To guarantee he secured the Bloodline Secret Art without fail, a flawless winning streak was an absolute necessity, leaving him no choice but to apologize to Jude.
“Thank goodness for the breaks between matches!”
Without these recovery periods, even if Ron was stronger than the vast majority, or even all the apprentices in his batch, his stamina was not infinite during continuous combat. He would inevitably drop a match eventually due to sheer exhaustion.
…
In just a minute or two, taking even less time than his bout against Jude, Ron had already returned to his peak condition. He even had the luxury of using his abundant Life Energy to continuously push his physical enhancement progress forward.
“I should probably grab something to eat before the next match!”
As Ron pondered this, the current match in the arena concluded. The victorious apprentice waved to the crowd before quickly stepping off the stage.
“Next match: Ron versus Edmund!”
Hearing his name called once more, Ron immediately rose and made his way to the center of the arena, mirroring the movements of his opponent for this round, Edmund.
Ron was no stranger to Edmund. He was another one of the apprentices who had participated in the Domain of Chaos trial alongside him, and he had performed quite admirably.
Ron had every reason to suspect that the higher-ups would continue selecting his opponents exclusively from the pool of apprentices who had survived the Domain of Chaos trial.
After all, apprentices who hadn’t joined the outdoor survival training, drawn blood, or braved the Domain of Chaos trial probably lacked the courage to even look him in the eye, let alone cross swords with him.
“Here I come, Edmund! Watch yourself!”
Ron and Edmund were on decent terms. While they didn’t share a profound friendship, there was no bad blood between them, and they had even encouraged each other during the Domain of Chaos trial. However, to secure the Bloodline Secret Art, Ron had no intention of holding back.
Right out of the gate, Ron unleashed his full power, the absolute peak of his abilities without entering the Full-Immersion Knight State. Propelled by a body that was already halfway to the standard of a Formal Knight, his explosive charge ripped forward like a raging gale.
This particular gale just happened to be laden with devastating kinetic force. Upon the very first clash, before Edmund could even attempt to dissipate the impact, he was blasted clean off his feet.
Compared to Jude in the previous match, Edmund looked far more pathetic, yet his actual injuries were significantly less severe. While Jude’s injuries might hinder his performance in subsequent fights, Edmund was already springing back to his feet. Rubbing his shoulder, he gripped his longsword and glared at Ron as if facing a mortal enemy.
Ron, however, didn’t press his advantage. He simply offered a piece of advice: “I don’t want to injure you and ruin your chances in the rest of the tournament. Just forfeit. We are on completely different levels physically; fighting me head-on is pointless.”
Hearing this, a flurry of emotions played across Edmund’s face. Naturally, he didn’t want to just throw in the towel in front of such a massive crowd. But he knew Ron; if his opponent said this and Edmund insisted on continuing, his ability to fight in later rounds would definitely be compromised.
Just as Edmund was caught in a fierce internal struggle, Foss once again actively intervened: “Ron wins!”
But he wasn’t finished. He immediately turned his attention back to Ron: “With your level of strength, remaining in the Apprentice Tier is rather pointless. Do you dare to challenge a quasi-Knight? You won’t lose a single reward from the apprentice division, and defeating a quasi-Knight comes with extra bonuses!”
“An automatic victory?!”
Ron’s heart leapt. His primary goal for participating in the Martial Tournament had just been effortlessly realized by a few casual words from Foss. However, when it came to challenging a quasi-Knight…
He wasn’t particularly worried about Foss reneging on the promised rewards. It was just that the higher-ups might make things difficult for him later. Moreover, considering the unresolved situation regarding Instructor Morris, he remained deeply vigilant against the Lord’s family.
If he could avoid drawing their special attention, it was best to keep a low profile.
Defying Foss’s suggestion would only draw far more attention than displaying his strength. Furthermore, he was genuinely curious about the exact gap between himself and those quasi-Knights.
He knew perfectly well that his Whole-Body Force progress, meaning his mastery of the Sword Stance, was likely superior to those quasi-Knights who were struggling to advance. However, when it came to raw physical stats, he still fell short of them.
After years of relentless training, it was entirely possible that those quasi-Knights had reinforced their bodies to the official Knight standard.
This would be vastly different from his previous crushing victories over Jude and Edmund. A Knight’s physical standard truly eclipsed that of an apprentice. If their Whole-Body Force progress was roughly equal, that physical gap would allow them to dominate him completely.
But Ron’s mastery of Whole-Body Force was significantly higher, allowing him to compensate for his lacking physical stats to a certain degree. While he still couldn’t compete in a prolonged war of attrition against a quasi-Knight, he was more than capable of holding his own in a short, explosive bout.
He certainly didn’t think Foss expected him to bulldoze through the entire quasi-Knight division the way he had the apprentices. Going all out for just a match or two would be plenty.
…
Once Ron agreed to challenge the quasi-Knights, Foss immediately asked, “Do you need a break?”
“No need, I’m just a little hungry.”
“Good thing you’re hungry!”
Foss waved his hand grandly, pointing toward the steaming open pots stationed at the edge of the arena. “Go on, eat your fill before coming back.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ron had already planned to grab a bite to replenish his Life Energy after that bout. Now that he was gearing up to challenge quasi-Knights, he certainly wasn’t going to pass up his right to free rations!
…
As Ron stepped out of the ring to grab some food, the apprentice matches continued. However, the spectating crowd no longer held much anticipation for them. Now that Ron had secured an automatic victory, was there really any need to watch the rest?
They kept their eyes on the arena, but the glances they continually stole toward Ron’s location betrayed their true thoughts.
About fifteen minutes later, Ron utilized the 【Transcendent Body Refinement Technique】 Secret Pattern Program to rapidly digest his meal, once again maxing out his Life Energy reserves, which had been slightly depleted by his deliberate physical enhancements.
Patting his abdomen, which now sported only a faint, firm ridge of muscle, Ron saw no reason to stall. He immediately signaled Foss that he was ready.
Foss naturally caught his meaning. As soon as the current apprentice match concluded, he announced, “Next match: Apprentice Ron versus quasi-Knight Afric!”
Foss deliberately emphasized the differing ranks of the combatants, instantly drawing a massive roar of cheers from the crowd in the square.