Dressed smartly in a dark red zip tank top and black plated A-shaped skirt with high-heeled boots, Thalia stood out just like any other Elite Class.
The crimson X symbol, which was actually drawn over the Authorityâs insignia, was etched onto her tank top. At Arianâs command, she glanced at a man in a sleeveless jacket, exposing his imposing muscles.
âLeo. Send your summon.â
She spoke through telepathy, and Leo, one of the strongest members of her squad, approached the pit, looking down at Godfrey as a black diagram appeared twenty feet away from him.
From it, a ten-feet-tall creature emerged. It was the Warrior Kong, a 9.3 lord tier summon clad in black steel at its powerful arms, chest, and head.
Godfrey retrieved Mountain as the Warrior Kong roared, unleashing a fierce gale that whipped his hair about, as if threatening to pull it off.
The kong rose to its feet and slammed its iron-clad fists together. The sound of those mighty fists smashing against themselves was like dropping a chunk of metal from a great height.
"Itâs Leo! This is going to be good. Is he going to unleash the summon that caused all that earthquake? Is it a centaur?"
As everyone made their assumptions, a diagram flared up beside Godfrey, but with different symbols. Tempest came out.
Currently, his peak was 9.0, as Black-Out State couldnât push the knights more than 0.5 higher than their potential.
The Chief Knight brandished his Double-Bladed Greatsword and fastened his eyes on the mean-faced Kong.
"Weâve seen what the Mounted Knight can do. This one has a weaker aura... what can it do?" Dax muttered softly.
Arden shot Arian a glance, hoping to read something from his expression, while Thaliaâs eyes narrowed.
"Fight."
Arianâs command came.
The moment he said that, a projection of the Warrior Kong appeared almost at the top of the pit, swinging its fist down.
Tempest looked up, leaping just when the kong was close, and his Double-Bladed Greatsword came swinging, slicing through the projectionâs translucent neck.
The real Warrior Kong was already close as Tempest landed, throwing a devastating punch that was already before the Chief Knightâs face.
Using Lightning Fast Reflexes, Tempest tilted his head as the fist tore past, grazing his golden mask, revealed due to his hood falling off.
Tempestâs long silver hair fell as the mask in all its splendor was revealed. The sun symbol in the middle of his eyes, the contours, the edges, everything was near perfection.
It looked more regal than intimidating, but behind the hood, it gained a frightening feel.
Tempestâs tendril wings moved in that moment, wrapping around the Warrior Kongâs arms and feet, lifting it from the ground.
"Iâve adapted to this situation."
Leo said as iron spikes protruded from the black steel plates donned by his summon, spikes over two feet long, piercing through every side.
"Heâs lost." Dax sighed, seeing the spikes piercing through Tempestâs armour and coming out his back.
Blood stained the crimson armour, as the spikes were retrieved. Just when it seemed Tempest was about to collapse, the metal halo above his head gleamed, and those wounds slowly closed. The holes in the armour sealed up first, leaving tiny marks.
Lightning danced softly on the fur of Leoâs summon, almost teasing it.
Godfreyâs eyes narrowed when he saw Tempest raise his knee. He knew what Tempest was about to do, and the Chief Knight did it.
He slammed the bottom of his iron-clad boot into the Warrior Kongâs chest.
A spartan kick.
The force launched the summon fifty feet deep into the pitâs wall, causing a rift that tore the earth where others stood open.
Everywhere shook, debris falling from the dome-like structure above the pit. Silence reigned as everyone wore horrified faces.
Their expressions said it all, was that the strength of a mid-level lord tier?
Godfrey was helpless. He didnât even know how to tell them Tempest was being merciful. That kick was better than his Double-Bladed Greatsword and the rage of his lightning. Right?!
Right?!
Looking around, Godfrey realized the Regulars might never want to fight against him again. Leo was on his knees, gawking at Tempest and Godfrey.
"Maybe he should train during raids. Those knights clearly donât recognize anything that doesnât wear similar armor."
A frightened Regular proposed with a raised hand while staring at Arian.
They wanted to properly introduce Godfrey to the cohort, and of course, the introduction was meant to be a little beatdown, a little show of skill and wildness, but they just realized Godfrey might be young, yet he was definitely in the league of the Elite Class.
âI guess they might not like Ballista,â Godfrey sighed inwardly, recalling how he shot several arrows into Cecilâs summon or any other thing they faced. Sparring wasnât really Ballistaâs thing, whatever stood on the other end of his arrow was a target.
"Letâs switch then. Summoner versus summoner. No summon. Whoever is willing to get into the pit and teach this young man what it takes to survive several raids when your summon is locked in combat will gain half a yearâs worth of mana jade."
"Captain?!" Arden yelled as everywhere got rowdy. People were flexing their arms. Each one of them was a pro at different martial arts.
The first to enter the pit was a man with a one-edged sword.
"Do you want a weapon?" Slade asked as he brandished the blade.
"Iâm good."
Godfrey manifested armour over his arms, hitting the thick pauldron with one hand. "This will do."
"Youâre a boxer. Iâve got range. In actual combat, that matters more."
Slade closed in, lowering his body, and at the last moment stomped the ground. He transferred all that energy to the hand wielding the sword, swinging it with great force.
Godfrey simply caught it and, with a slight flex of his fingers, snapped the blade in half. Sladeâs eyes widened.
"T-That sword was made from an 8.0 lord tier dungeon beast. H... How?"
"The lesson here is: an Elite Class is an Elite Class, and range in battle is determined by who is more skilled, not what kind of style." Arian said.
"That boy before you is a king tier all on his own. Treat him like youâre facing a dungeon boss, and you might survive."
Arianâs words fell on everyoneâs heart like a boulder. Their gazes changed, including Thaliaâs.
***
An hour later, Godfrey walked into an even smaller room, which belonged to him as an Elite Class. Apparently, Regulars had bunk beds and shared a room, but he had all this to himself.
"Itâs small," Godfrey said, looking around.
"Take."
Arian gave him two mana jades. "Thatâs two monthsâ worth of meditation, and you didnât even have to get into that uncomfortable poise. Iâd advise you to meditate though, at least so you wonât get rusty."
He banged the doorframe.
"Tonight, youâll face Dax. You canât beat him like you did the others. Iâve prepared a healer specifically for you. Daxâs Taekwondo and staff can kill, but youâve got a king tier body, youâll survive."
Arian chuckled, while Godfrey grimaced.
Arian didnât sound like he was joking about Daxâs lethal martial arts.
...
A/N: Thanks for reading. Donât forget to support and comment! Also add to library... Just in case you forgot.