Chapter 62: The Tryouts (5)

The battlefield was chaos.

Floating platforms drifted through the enormous stadium like fragments of some shattered world, with Awakened leaping between them while Essence illuminated the air in every color imaginable.

Somewhere among that chaos, Sophia was beginning to think she had done enough.

She stood on a relatively stable platform, one hand resting against the shaft of her weapon.

The weapon itself was unusual.

A long spear formed entirely from her purple Essence.

Its blade was narrow and elegant, almost crystalline in appearance, with several translucent edges branching from the central point. Every time Sophia moved it, faint purple sparks trailed behind the blade.

[Amethyst Lance]

It was a manifestation of her Essence, and unlike a normal weapon, it disappeared the moment she stopped feeding Essence into it.

Sophia had spent most of the round fighting with it.

And she had been surprisingly successful.

A blur of black-and-white clothing shot across the platform.

Sophia spun.

Her spear flashed.

A D-Rank Awakened barely managed to raise his arms before the blunt side of the purple weapon struck his chest.

Boom!

He was launched backward.

Sophia followed immediately.

Her entire body became a streak of motion.

The Amethyst Lance stabbed forward.

The opponent twisted away.

Sophia changed direction mid-step.

The spear swept horizontally.

The man ducked.

She planted her foot against the floor, pivoted, and drove the butt of the spear into his stomach.

He folded.

Sophia caught the yellow badge hanging from his chest before he even hit the ground.

"Sorry."

She clipped it onto her clothes.

"Nothing personal."

The man groaned.

Sophia looked down at her collection.

Eight.

No.

Nine.

She blinked.

"Wait..."

She counted again.

Nine badges.

She had already surpassed the five required to pass by quite a bit.

And she was starting to feel the exhaustion.

Her breathing was heavier now.

Her Essence reserves weren’t dangerously low, but she had spent a considerable amount during the fighting.

Maybe it really was time to stop.

Sophia looked around.

Nobody seemed to be paying attention to her.

’Perfect.’

She could find somewhere quiet, sit down, and wait for the round to end.

She turned.

"Hey."

Sophia stopped.

A male voice had come from behind her.

She slowly looked over her shoulder.

A tall man stood several meters away, on a small platform levitating in the air above her.

He had a muscular but lean build, a black compressed shirt underneath a red jacket, and dark pants suited for movement.

His hair was red.

A deep crimson shade, cut into a loose wolfcut that framed his face.

His eyes were equally striking.

Calm crimson eyes.

He had enough badges hanging from his clothes to make it obvious that he had already passed.

Sophia stared at him.

"...Yes?"

The man smiled.

"You’re a speed type, right?"

Sophia glanced at her spear.

Then back at him.

"So what if I am?"

"You’re the same as me then."

He pointed casually at himself.

"Thought it’d be fun to spar."

Sophia stared.

"Now?"

"Why not?"

"I have enough badges."

"So do I."

"Then what’s the point?"

The man’s smile widened.

"Just a friendly spar."

Sophia’s eyebrow twitched.

That answer was somehow irritating.

She looked him up and down.

"What’s your name?"

"Jax."

"Okay, Jax. I think I’ll pass."

Jax shrugged.

"Ah, what a shame."

He turned slightly.

Then added casually,

"I wouldn’t have even taken any of your badges."

Sophia froze.

Slowly...

She turned back toward him.

"What did you just say?"

Jax looked genuinely confused.

"I said I wouldn’t have taken your badges."

"I heard that."

"Good."

"You’re talking as if you’re already predetermined to win."

"Oh, I know."

He smiled.

"That’s because I am."

Sophia’s eye twitched.

The exhaustion suddenly didn’t seem quite as important anymore.

"You know..."

She lifted the Amethyst Lance.

"...I was thinking about taking a break."

Jax’s smile didn’t disappear.

"But?"

Sophia lowered her stance.

"But now I think I want to see how confident you really are."

Jax laughed.

"That’s more like it."

From the observation room, several people immediately noticed the exchange.

Neville leaned forward.

"Oh?"

Choi looked toward the battlefield.

"Something caught your attention?"

"That guy."

Neville pointed toward Jax.

Levi followed his finger.

The moment he saw the red-haired man, his expression changed.

"...Jax."

Luna glanced at him.

"You know him?"

"Everyone in the Association who follows combat reports knows him."

Levi’s eyes narrowed.

"C-Rank Awakened. Freelancer."

Neville smiled.

"They call him ’The Martial God’."

Luna looked surprised.

"I’ve heard of him. That nickname gave me the impression he would be... bigger."

Levi nodded.

"He earned it after an incident last month."

He folded his arms.

"Jax fought an Awakened an entire rank above him."

Choi’s expression became more interested.

"And won."

"Not barely, either."

Levi watched Jax calmly approach Sophia.

"He overwhelmed him, using a skill that lets him copy and perfect any martial art that he lays his eyes upon."

Neville chuckled.

"And that’s where you’re wrong."

Levi looked at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Neville’s smile widened.

"His unique skill is certainly ridiculous."

Choi raised an eyebrow.

Neville leaned back.

"He only needs to see a technique once. His skill analyzes the movement, recreates it, then perfects it."

Levi nodded.

"Which is why people call him the Martial God."

"But that’s not how he beat a B-Rank."

Neville’s expression became more serious.

"He used a combination of two skills."

He held up two fingers.

"His first skill gives him a perception and body reaction time of zero seconds."

Choi stared.

"Zero?"

"Technically."

Neville nodded.

"It means there’s no measurable delay between his perception and physical response."

Levi’s eyes narrowed.

"And the second?"

Neville’s smile returned.

"Only a faint rumor."

Choi waited.

"Apparently, Jax possesses a skill that permanently doubles his Agility attribute."

Levi went silent.

Then sighed.

"The Association definitely needs him."

"Oh believe me, I’ve tried."

Neville shrugged.

"Before the tryouts. I offered him Benefits, equipment, guild connections, everything."

"And?"

"He said he’s a freelancer."

Choi looked toward the battlefield again.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Neville laughed.

"Apparently he enjoys doing whatever he wants."

Levi shook his head.

"What a shame.’

"A shame indeed," Neville repeated.

"Someone like his is sure to become a Nation Level Asset in the future."

Luna raised an eyebrow towards Neville.

"Nation Level Asset?"

Assistant manager Choi took a quiet sip from his coffee before explaining.

"Nation Level Asset is a unofficial term the Association uses for the strongest Awakeneds in human history. Those Who stand at the Peak of the S-Rank."

"Just view them as S+ Rankers. They’re significantly more powerful than ordinary S Ranks." Neville continued.

"Though there are only Seven of them in the entire world."

Luna looked back down at the red haired man challenging Sophia.

’So that guy is a future National Level Asset, huh?’

Status Report!

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[STATUS]

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Name: Sophia

Level: 139 [C-Rank]

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Attributes

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Strength: 320

Agility: 400

Vitality: 210

Essence: 380

Perception: 130

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Skills & Authorities

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Amethyst Lance [B]

Manifests a Spear made by essence. The more Essence is fed to the spear, the stronger it becomes.

Queens Delight [B]

Passively regenerates wounds and spent Essence.

Critical Strike [B]

Random chance for the awakeneds attack to grow in power by 300% and to bypass the opponents Durability entirely.

Stealth [D]

Hides the wielder’s presence from perception.

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