It didn't take long for the two to travel from the Central Forest to Larmida, and it took even less time to discover that every capital city of the three kingdoms had a similar arena built for anyone who wished to fight. The matches included beasts, knights, mages, trainees, and even ordinary people.

That being said, it was obvious how much attention such a place, considered an attraction by the locals, garnered. As soon as Letto entered the first tavern, he heard everything about it.

Letto recounted what he had learned to Nova, who muttered, "Three similar arenas in all three capital cities… Either the rulers agreed to make them alike, or someone above them did." Then he smiled and added, "Who cares? I've found the perfect place to train."

The two walked toward the arena, located on the outskirts of Larmida, and soon a colossal structure, large enough to rival several football fields, stood before them, with throngs of people entering and leaving.

Even from the outside, the air smelled of iron, and muffled cries could be heard from within.

Letto looked at it in awe and said, "I didn't think we had such a place in our kingdom."

Shooting him a glance, Nova said, "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Not long ago, you were just a simple mountain bandit."

"Yes, yes, you're right, Sir." Letto's lips twitched as he repeatedly nodded. He has no problem adding salt to the wounds, why is he so insensible sometimes? Who would want to be reminded of such a past? Letto thought, as a few people who overheard Nova in passing shot him disdainful glances.

"Enough dilly-dallying, we're here to practice," Nova said, moving closer to one of the many booths at the arena's entrance.

We? Letto thought. A jolt ran through his spine as he hurried after Nova and asked, "We? Sir, aren't you the only one here to fight?"

Without even looking at him, Nova said, "You want to become strong, no? Then you need to fight too, or you'll never truly be great."

"But—"

Before Letto could speak, the clerk's voice cut him off. The man looked at Nova and politely asked, "Hello, Sir. Are you here to spectate or participate?"

"Participate."

The clerk nodded, grabbed a catalog, and handed it over, asking, "Which category do you want to fight in?"

Nova scanned through it in an instant and thought, 'Skipping the beginning ones… there's the Champion rank that pits you against any knight, and the Warlord rank that mostly pits you against mages. There are also knights above the third stage…'

"I'll sign up for the Warlord category," he said.

The clerk's eyes widened. It was rare for newcomers to choose the highest category on the catalog. With a stammer, he asked, "Sir, are you sure you want to sign up for the Warlord category? There are full-fledged knights and mages fighting there, and your life won't be guaranteed."

Nova nodded, then pointed a finger behind him, right at Letto, and said, "That guy will sign up for the Rookie category."

Following Nova's gesture, the clerk looked at Letto and nodded. He grabbed two papers and presented them, saying, "There's a fee to pay, and you need to sign the waiver. In case you lose your life, we aren't responsible, and none of your friends or family members can use that as an excuse to cause trouble with the arena. Do you have any questions?"

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Nova shook his head and looked at Letto, smirking. "I know you kept some of the money you looted for me. Just pay this, and you can keep whatever you have."

At first, Letto thought he was finished, he didn't even know how Nova had found out about it. But when he heard the last sentence, his body relaxed. Smiling, he fished out a pouch and paid the fees for both of them before they signed the waivers.

The clerk beamed from ear to ear. Collecting the waivers along with the fee, he said, "Welcome, gentlemen. Hope you have a great experience with us."

Nova didn't pay much attention to the clerk, giving only a slight nod before walking inside. Letto, on the other hand, thanked the clerk before hurrying after him.

After a few steps inside, they found themselves at a crossroads. Signboards hung on the walls, detailing every single path.

With a quick glance, Nova spotted both the Rookie and the Warlord paths. Disregarding the former, he said, "I'll meet you outside before nightfall. Try not to die, and don't be late, I won't wait for long."

Letto nodded, his face serious. "I promise I won't die, Sir," he replied.

"Mhm." With a sound of acknowledgment, Nova turned and walked toward the Warlord arena, while the ex-bandit stared at his back, thinking, I'll conquer the Rookie arena and show him how serious I am about becoming stronger, my conviction!

Resolutely, he turned and stepped toward the Rookie arena.

Although Letto held such thoughts firmly in his mind, Nova had already completely removed the ex-bandit from his own. Instead, he thought, 'Killing knights and mages who are fighting for their lives will greatly boost my understanding of Aura. I can also learn a thing or two from the various mages about controlling their elements. I hope this arena doesn't disappoint me.'

Soon, he reached the end of the path and entered a hall where a dozen or so people were seated. Near the entrance stood one person, who seemed to be the manager due to the stacks of papers in his hands.

Noticing a new arrival, the supposed manager looked at Nova and politely asked, "Are you here to participate in the Warlord arena?"

Nova nodded, and the manager wrote something on his stack of papers before handing him a wooden token. "Wait here. You will be called soon for your match."

Nova grabbed the token and briefly glanced at it, seeing the number seven etched onto it, before finding a place to sit.

Looking around the hall, he cast a glance at each person. 'Are these going to be my opponents? If so, which one will it be?'

As his eyes swept across the room, they landed on a bare-chested man whose eyes snapped open right at that moment, meeting Nova's.

The two locked gazes for a moment before Nova averted his eyes, studying the others, while the bare-chested man snorted and closed his eyes.

'Who does he think he is, snorting just because I want to look at the rest? We aren't married.' Nova thought in amusement. 'But I have to admit, he's strong, at least third Aura stage, perhaps fourth. He's one of the strongest, along with that man.'

He looked at a blonde man holding a staff, seated in a corner of the hall. 'At least rank seven, like Melissa. As for the others…' He shook his head.

Most of the knights and mages here were about second-stage Aura knights and rank 5 or 6 mages, nothing that warranted a second glance.

Minutes passed, people left and new arrivals came, and soon Nova heard the manager announce, "Number 7! It's your turn."

His bored expression vanished in an instant. He stood up and, having already learned where to go from observing the others before him, walked down another corridor, drawing Dreadscape from his Inventory, before finally seeing light.

Stepping forward, he saw his opponent: a bulky man holding a greatsword, long black hair, and an air of murder. Around them, positioned at high above, were the many spectator seats, but he barely glanced at them, although their conversations drifted to his ears.

"I've never seen this one. Did you?"

"No. Since he's new, he should've been pitted against another newcomer. Why is he fighting Moro?"

"I have no idea… maybe they ran out of people?"

Murmurs echoed through the arena, but after hearing just a few lines, Nova tuned them out and focused on his opponent, who stared at him as if he were already dead.

'Why is everyone such a brute here? At least hide the fact that you want to rip me to shreds,' Nova internally sighed, his feet carrying him only a dozen meters closer to Moro as he twirled Dreadscape between his fingers.

"Since we have a newcomer, I'll explain the rules," a robotic voice rang out from above the arena. After a momentary pause it continued, "There are no rules. You may kill or spare your opponent as you wish. The prize of this match, and every other, is your opponent's life."

A cheer erupted from the audience; some even stomped their feet to make themselves louder.

"Now that I've explained the rules, you may start the match," the announcer said curtly.

At last, Moro grinned. "A newbie, heh? They're really sending you to your death."

"As if," Nova replied.

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