Chapter 127: Battle Clash

"You’ve tamed that beast, haven’t you?" Adam asked, glancing at Aurelius, who was driving.

The beast master did not immediately reply, his attention on the road.

Back at the farmlands, Adam had woken up only to be informed that his partner had gone out to take care of the cause of the beast raids.

The news had surprisingly stung.

He had risked his life shielding this so-called friend of his from getting the worst of the attacks. The least Aurelius could have done was be at his side while he recovered.

But apparently, that beast was of more importance than he was.

Adam had not spoken a word to him since the beast master returned that morning, only asking that question after spending some time on the road.

"Mm."

Aurelius only gave a nod, momentarily glancing at Adam. Tension sat heavily between the two. They could sense it, and that made the drive all the more awkward.

For the rest of the drive, Adam looked out his window. He had no more words to say to Aurelius. Perhaps they weren’t meant to be friends in the first place.

***

"Stop here."

Adam alighted somewhere within the bustling city and quietly watched as Aurelius drove towards the academy.

It was night, and the city was lit up in a multitude of different lights. Vehicles and pedestrians went about their business,

With his mission clothes burned and discarded, Adam now wore a simple shirt, blue jeans and boots. He wore a baseball cap and a nose mask to cover his face.

He looked around for a moment and began his walk to the academy, keeping his head down.

"Oh, I’m betting half my salary on Starfire! That woman is a menace in the arena!"

"Haah...? Half your salary?! You’re crazy!"

While trying to mind his own business, Adam could not help but look over when he heard the word arena. Two guys were happily talking about the new season of Battle Clash, a fighting tournament where awakeners battled each other in an arena.

"There’ll be a lot of new players too. Man, I can’t wait!"

Adam paused in his tracks, his eyes following the two guys as they walked away. He knew of such tournaments, as there was a version back in his home city. And it went without saying, he was a big fan himself.

"Out of the way, man!"

"Ah, sorry."

Adam snapped out of his thoughts and withdrew from the sidewalk. The pedestrian who had snapped at him directed a glare his way before storming off.

’When was the last time I followed the tournament?’

He had been so busy lately, his awakened affinity taking up so much of his time. When was the last time he took a break just to relax and enjoy himself? Especially with the mission he had just completed.

"A little distraction should take my mind off things."

Adam muttered with a soft smile. He pulled out his phone and ran a quick search on the tournament.

"Sweet. There are a few matches tonight." He tucked the phone in his pocket and changed directions.

Taking the bus took about half an hour to arrive. And even before he stepped out of the bus, Adam could feel the excitement in the air. The screens on the massive arena played snippets of some of the most interesting fights from the past season, colourful lights flashing everywhere.

"This is insane!"

Adam was at a loss for words. The area around the arena was a sea of people and fans. Conversations were everywhere, camera lights flashing all over the place. Taking his mask and cap off, Adam wandered into the crowd, having already taken on a different appearance.

It took a while, but he managed to get inside the arena, finding a seat in Arena 3. The air was buzzing with excitement, fans and spectators alike eagerly engaged in conversations.

Adam even spotted academy students among the crowds.

[Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to Battle Clash!]

The announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, the conversations and cheers slowing down. Adam watched in excitement as the announcer soon transitioned to calling out the fighters for the first match.

[Silverblade Vs Aqua Lass]

The large displays revealed the stage names of the fighters as they entered the arena. Loud cheers and chants from the fans and spectators shook the arena, the excitement like an infection.

Before long, the two fighters were exchanging flashing skills and abilities. Adam noticed so many flaws and unnecessary moves, but there were a few decent ones.

’Why am I even bothering myself?’ He was here to enjoy the show, not point out faults in people’s skills and techniques.

The fighters were only at the Second Realm, but their moves and abilities produced insane impacts and shockwaves, adding to the excitement and infectious energy.

"My money is on Silverblade! Those sword moves are insane!"

Someone exclaimed, prompting Adam to glance over. A group were discussing their thoughts on who they thought would win.

"I think Aqua Lass will win! Her water skills are superb and stylish!"

Adam could not help but smile. It was obvious they knew nothing about fights. Anyone with a decent battle sense could quickly tell Aqua Lass was the superior fighter, but not for frivolous reasons as they stated.

True to his predictions, the woman with the water abilities came out victorious, bringing the very first match within Arena 3 to an end.

"Hah! My brother could have done better!"

"Your brother?! What does he know about fighting?!"

"You’ll find out soon enough! He’s already in the tryouts for new fighters!"

"Really?!"

"Yeah! Anyone can register, as long as they have a decent ability and fighting skills!"

"That’s so cool!"

Conversations continued amid the deafening cheers. Adam’s ears twitched as he honed in on that particular conversation. He had been thinking about expanding his ability pool and practising his self-created martial arts.

But practising alone could only take him so far.

’Battle Clash could be the perfect training ground.’

The thought brought a rush of excitement and eagerness. With nothing to lose, Adam rose to his feet and made his way to the administrative wing.