"I won’t use any 'Space-Time Magic' here." I confirmed to myself as Chad charged toward me. In that moment, I realized something: He’s pretty slow. Or maybe my senses are just sharper after all those battles against the {Monsters} on [Transcendental Island]. Either way, the difference in speed was obvious.

I couldn’t help but share my thoughts with my team, who was watching the match closely. "He’s slow," I muttered, and Olivia nodded in agreement.

"Definitely slow," Lily added, her tone laced with amusement. May and Jonny both nodded, all of us agreeing that Chad was no real challenge yet.

With a flick of my wrist, I easily dodged his initial strike. But then, I paused. Wait, is he using [Aura]? It didn't matter. His aura wasn’t even reaching me, let alone causing any harm.

In the blink of an eye, I dashed forward and sliced through the {Sword} he wielded, cleaving it in half with a single strike. I jumped back immediately, my sudden action leaving everyone watching in stunned silence.

"Wow, never thought I'd have to use my personal {Sword} for this fight," Chad said, shrugging off the loss of his weapon. He signaled someone out of the arena to throw him a replacement.

I raised an eyebrow. "Not gonna attack me?" I taunted, enjoying this moment.

"What, you expect me to just stand there and let you?" he said with a nervous chuckle.

His teammate tossed him a fresh {Sword}, and Chad caught it mid-air with a dramatic leap, trying to flex for the crowd. He took a fighting stance and charged again.

Meh, slow. I muttered under my breath, dodging his swings with ease. His panic was beginning to show. Good.

His {Sword} was stronger than the last, but still not nearly enough to land a hit. I sliced through it without hesitation, the blade snapping in two effortlessly. He stared at me, and for the first time, I saw it—fear. It was crystal clear in his eyes.

I grinned. Let’s take it up a notch.

I concentrated and released my [Bloodlust Aura] into the arena, making sure my team was unaffected. The entire stadium froze in fear, some people gasping for breath, others on the verge of collapse. The trees outside the arena withered under the oppressive atmosphere. Chad dropped to his knees, bowing before me, begging for mercy.

I reversed the flow of my aura, switching to [Controlling Aura], which had a hidden feature. The trees around us began to revive, and the oppressive energy lifted. The people in the stadium visibly relaxed, some even started praying in gratitude. Chad, defeated, accepted his loss. I let go of the power, returning to my normal self.

"You win," Chad muttered, still bowing. He handed me the [National Adventurer] Card. "Your [Aura] was enough to defeat me. Why drag it out?"

"I told you, I wanted to enjoy this," I replied with a casual shrug, slipping the card into my pocket. I turned back toward my team, who was still watching from the sidelines.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"So," I said, teasing, "wanna battle him?" I pointed at Chad, who was still catching his breath.

"Actually," Lily began, "rather than an {Adventurer Card}, we all want something else."

"Yeah," Goblee said, grinning. "I want a {Monster Rank}."

"I want a {Craftsman Card}," Jonny added with a nod.

"We’re fine with {Adventurer Cards}," May and Lily chimed in together.

I gave a satisfied nod, then walked with Jonny and Goblee to the reception desk. "My team member wants a {Craftsman Card}. Where do we go for that?"

The receptionist didn’t even look up. "Go straight from the [Adventurer's Guild], take a left after the broken-down mansion, and you’ll find the [Craftsman Guild]."

Jonny, always the eager one, had already left by the time I asked. So active, isn’t he?

I turned back to the receptionist. "And where can one get a {Monster Rank}?"

She looked at me in surprise, then threw her head back, staring at me incredulously. "Excuse me?"

I repeated myself. "My teammate here wants a {Monster Rank}. Any problem?" I added, realizing everyone in the Guild was now listening intently to our conversation.

"{Monster Rank} is only for {Monsters}, not {Humans}," she explained, trying to dissuade me.

"But Goblee’s not human," I replied, my voice cold as I gestured toward him. The entire Guild fell into a tense silence as adventurers shifted, preparing for a potential fight.

"This is my servant," I continued. "What he wants is what I want."

I didn’t wait for any further objection. I activated [Spatial Magic] and summoned a pile of gold bars onto the counter. I placed them carefully, making a show of the stack. "Is this enough?"

The room fell completely silent. The receptionist gasped, and a few adventurers began to circle us, eyeing the gold hungrily. "You really had the money to buy us?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Why would I lie?" I responded, keeping my tone calm. "And I don’t have time to waste, so what’s it gonna be?"

She looked nervous, clearly out of her depth. "Wait a minute. I’ll call the [Guild Master]," she stammered before hurrying out of the room.

I stood there, watching the adventurers who had been eyeing the gold. I smiled to myself, amused. Some of them thought they could steal it right out of my hands. Well, I wasn’t having any of that. I took care of a few of them—showing them what happens when you mess with the wrong person.

Soon after, Lily and May returned with their [National Adventurer Cards].

"What the hell’s going on?" May asked, eyeing the gold on the table.

"Trying to steal it in front of me," I said, pointing at the gold. We all shared a laugh, the tension easing.

Just then, a man walked into the room with the receptionist. He stood at 6 feet 2 inches, his body lean but radiating an unmistakable aura. His black hair framed his sharp face, and his grey eyes gleamed with a quiet confidence. He looked like he could be a famous actor, and I could feel his aura testing mine.

"Hello, I’m Monsaya, the [Guild Master]," he said, extending his hand.

I shook it firmly. "The name’s Xebecs."

"So," he began, his voice even, "your teammate wants a {Monster Rank}?"

I nodded. "And you’re willing to give this much money just for his examination?"

"Yes. Any problem?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He paused, studying me for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Just one gold bar, and we’ll allow it."

He turned to leave but stopped before exiting the room. "Your [Aura] is impressive. You didn’t even flinch when I spoke to you," he remarked, his surprise evident.

"I wasn’t even using my [Aura]," I replied casually, sensing the shock in his eyes.

Monsaya blinked, clearly taken aback by my nonchalance. "I see," he murmured.

I handed him one gold bar and reclaimed the others, watching as Goblee left with the receptionist to claim his {Monster Rank}.

A short while later, Jonny returned, proudly holding his [National Level Craftsman] Card. A few moments after that, Goblee returned with his new [Legendary Monster] Card.

"Let’s go," I said, turning toward the door. We exited the Guild and made our way to the [City Stadium], where the [Tournament of the Holy Empire] was set to take place.