An explosion erupted, causing dust clouds to billow, charring the stage and shaking it. Someone shouted, and with a thud, hit the ground outside the platform. All kinds of sounds reverberated inside the arena—fists colliding, explosions, the ground erupting—but the loudest were the shouts from the audience.
Apollo lowered his right hand, sparks still flying around him. The referee in the distance announced that the fight was over and declared him the winner of the round.
"Two more rounds to go," Apollo muttered, jumping off the stage and walking back to his room. Once inside, he noticed that only a few competitors were left. He returned to his seat to wait for his next fight.
The examination had been going on for a few hours now, and it wouldn't be long before the final winner of each room emerged.
Apollo recognized most of the possible winners, who had displayed spectacular fights: Gail, that four-eyed woman; Bel Helflick; Michael; Yohan; that mysterious person who wore a full-body robe; and Arke, who fought without doing much except sending his opponent flying with a single punch.
They were all potential winners of their respective rooms, and based on their performances, it was almost certain they would be the last ones standing.
As he watched the ongoing exam, he noticed one of the stages was vacant, and Apollo's prey walked toward it. That arrogant smile of his remained, treating the exam as nothing but child's play.
Ike's opponent also stepped onto the stage. He had the same build as Ike and radiated an aura of confidence. Clearly, this opponent was not an average martial student.
Seeing the two, Apollo sat up straight. "Seems like he'll have to show some of his abilities," he muttered, a smile appearing on his face. It's always better to know what your opponents can do, especially if you can find their weaknesses.
The referee raised his hand, and the moment the fight began, Arke and his opponent dashed toward each other. With a resounding clash of their fists, a burst of wind erupted around them.
Seeing the shockwave-like wind, Apollo couldn't help but whistle. They were only displaying physical might, but their attacks felt like they were using special techniques. Apollo could even sense that if he took their attacks head-on, he would definitely be on the losing side.
Although he knew his physical strength was far stronger than most, and could even be considered at the top due to his cultivation at the 4th-Step Qi Condensation stage, Apollo still felt that his strength wasn't all that great. He had encountered opponents where a single punch could cause him injury.
They probably train themselves in battle techniques that increase their strength, he thought. Most of his techniques only increased his battle prowess when he wanted them to. Of course, excluding the Simple Sword Technique and the Simple Movement Technique he had mastered, which made him feel like a part of them.
Hmm, should I consider learning a technique that will increase my physical strength through training? Apollo pondered, not considering buying anything from the System Store.
Suddenly, a roar sounded from the stage where Arke was fighting. His opponent was covered in a dark brown haze, with a translucent bear-like creature emerging from it.
"That's the Steel Bear Manifestation Technique from the Sword and Shield!" someone shouted beside him. Some martial students had decided to stay in the room even though they had already been defeated.
That's quite an intimidating name, Apollo thought as Arke's opponent grew larger. Then, like a bear, he moved on all fours, dashing toward his smirking prey.
The spectators watching the scene held their breath, eyes wide as they awaited the impact. But the expected collision didn't come. Instead, in the next moment, water materialized around Arke, circling him for a moment before covering his right arm. The water formed into a vambrace, and at the same time, a sword made of water appeared in his hand.
Raising his hand, Arke delivered a vertical slash, the 'sword' creating a long, sharp, watery blade that extended from it.
The bear-like opponent tried to stop and dodge the attack, but because of his speed, he couldn't evade in time, resulting in him taking the slash head-on. Blood spurted as the Bear slid across the stage before stopping right in front of Arke.
Arke then raised his foot and began stomping on the Bear's head.
Seeing this, Apollo could only shake his head. "This guy is really an *sshole." The fight ended with some of the white-robed men carrying the unconscious Bear to the area where they would heal him. Fortunately, he was still alive.
The next fight that caught Apollo's attention was between Bel and a perverted-looking guy who stared at her from head to toe while licking his lips.
This is the kind of guy I want to beat up, Apollo thought, but it seemed like Bel did an even better job. Using a wooden broadsword she had chosen from the weapon rack, she beat the sh*t out of the pervert, mainly focusing on his face and below his abdomen.
The men watching the scene could only look away, as they could somewhat feel what the pervert was going through. Even Apollo flinched when he heard Bel's opponent scream like a little girl.
It must have been very painful, and unconsciously, the Beggar had already covered his lifeline with his hands.
After the fight ended, the white-robed men returned, carrying the bloodied participants to the healing room while the women cheered the most.
The martial students with the most potential and talent went on stage one by one, and unsurprisingly, they became the final winners of their rooms.
"As expected," Apollo muttered, standing up from his chair and stretching his body a bit. "I guess it's time for the bigshots to fight."
As his room and number were called, he started walking toward the arena. At the same time, someone else did the same, and they both walked side by side.
"You're just a f*cking commoner, aren't you?" his opponent asked, a mocking smile on his face.
Apollo turned to the student and remembered that this man was the blonde coward he had encountered on the way to the Examination's venue. This guy had arrived in a chariot and insulted people along the way.
He matched all the descriptions of the kind of person the Beggar wanted to beat up.