Wildness and Masks

The host's voice echoed throughout the arena, sparking discussions among many spectators in the stands.

Everyone was eager to know who this mysterious apprentice challenger would be.

"This match is quite interesting. I can't believe someone actually has the courage to challenge across ranks."

The spectators in the stands weren't just nobles; there were also some regular Professionals who came for entertainment.

Occasionally, if they felt like it, they might even pay to fight a match themselves.

"I wonder where this fool came from. Even the weakest Professional isn't someone an apprentice can challenge!" scoffed a burly warrior with a bare chest.

He thought this was most likely just a gimmick.

"Maybe they're not foolish, just trying to trade their life for some money. Who knows, maybe some wastrel forced their servant to put on this show," a noble commented with interest.

In the minds of these nobles, there were still distinctions among wastrels.

"How pretentious," a noble lady nearby sneered disdainfully.

Noble ladies rarely came to the arena; she was only there to accompany her brother. The noble who just commented wasn't on good terms with her family.

"It's a pity that the Bear is just a bit ugly," a noblewoman remarked.

There were few noble ladies in the arena, but plenty of noblewomen.

Besides watching the matches, they would also propose deals to gladiators they fancied.

Some slaves, servants, and gladiators of commoner origin, forced to compete, were eager for their performances to catch the eye of a noblewoman.

This was one of the few ways they could turn their lives around.

Ogre had previously received offers from many noblewomen.

However, Ogre hadn't signed a slave contract, and with Yard's connections, as long as he didn't want to, he remained free.

Of course, this also had to do with his physique and attire.

Ogre's physique was actually of the 'slender' type, and his face was often hidden by a mask.

So, he wasn't particularly attractive to the noblewomen.

Most noblewomen preferred large and fierce Martial Artists or Knights.

Ogre's opponent—the Bear.

He fit that type, and if he weren't so hideously ugly, he would surely be very popular.

"Kid, I'll show you the gap between an apprentice and a Professional!"

The Bear was quite annoyed too. As a dignified Professional, he was paired with an apprentice opponent and was warned not to kill. What kind of situation was this?

If not for being bound by the arena, he would have torn this ignorant guy apart.

He hated these skinny monkey-like guys the most.

But there was no choice. To become a Professional Martial Artist, he had signed an agreement with the arena during his apprentice days. He couldn't leave until he paid off his debt, or the power of the Mage's contract would erase his intelligence.

With the Bear's potential, he probably wouldn't have reached this point without the arena's backing, but now that he was a full-fledged Professional, his potential was almost exhausted.

A Martial Artist's strength rarely increased after a certain age, and being a Professional was often the peak for most Martial Artists.

This is also why Martial Artists are not as favored as other professions.

"You'll only know if you try."

Ogre changed his voice and held the long spear horizontally in front of him.

...

Seeing the long spear, some Professionals in the stands seemed to recognize Ogre: "I think I know who this challenger is."

"Who is it?" a blonde noble turned his head.

"He's the guy from another city, someone in the guild gave their adventurer team a nickname—Goblin Slayer," the Professional replied.

Most of these Professionals weren't interested in specifically learning about Ogre, but Ogre and Foucault's high-efficiency in taking commissions had caught their attention.

In fact, if they were willing to spend a little time and effort, they would discover Ogre's 'real identity' in town.

"Doesn't sound like much."

"Who knows."

...

"I hope you'll learn to respect the strong in the future."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Bear removed the cloak from his back, revealing his muscular upper body. His weapon was a pair of specially made tiger claws.

These were the Bear's secondary weapons, indicating he didn't take Ogre seriously at all. If not for the match's requirements, he wouldn't even bother using the tiger claws.

In the Bear's view, fighting against apprentice-level weaklings wasn't even worth mentioning.

If not for the high fee deduction offered by the arena for this match, he wouldn't have agreed to fight an apprentice.

"Sorry, I can't guarantee your life, because I'll be giving it my all."

Ogre's tone was surprisingly calm and humble.

But his words completely enraged the Bear.

"I was planning to leave you an arm!" the Bear snarled.

Ogre didn't respond, instead gripping the long spear tightly with both hands. He had already blocked out the noise from the crowd, fully immersing himself in the match.

"Will this match become legendary? Let's wait and see!" With the host's words, the seemingly one-sided match truly began.

However, what most people didn't expect was that as soon as the host's voice fell, the first to attack was the Bear, who had been verbally dismissive.

"This guy talks down on everyone, but when it comes to action, he's faster than anyone," commented a Professional sitting close to the arena.

"Don't be fooled by the Bear's rough appearance; he's got a keen mind. If he had martial skills and armor that could unleash vitality, his ranking would be much higher," another nearby Professional assessed.

"Even without armor, Professionals have vitality. While it's not as versatile as Battle Qi of the same level, it's enough to fend off an apprentice's attacks."

Vitality is a mix of a person's Essence, Qi, and Spirit, a force that rises and falls with a Martial Artist's current state. Mixed with the Martial Artist's will, vitality can significantly enhance their physical strength and martial skill power during battle.

The vitality of seasoned Professional Martial Artists can even manifest outside the body, forming various vitality phantoms, incredibly powerful.

But such a level of vitality is extremely rare.

Because it requires not only a robust body but also a decade of unwavering martial will to summon during one's peak.

As age increases, a Martial Artist's vitality declines with the weakening of will and body.

"Look! That apprentice, he injured the Bear!" At this moment, a front-row spectator's shout caused an uproar.

Ogre not only dodged all of the Bear's attacks but also counterattacked!

'After nearly ten days of body tempering, even I don't know how strong I am now.'

With the combination of lightning body tempering, Breathing Technique, and Meditation Technique recovery, Ogre could feel his physique improving.

But lightning body tempering wasn't like regular training, where he could clearly see his limits. Killing goblins didn't require his full strength.

So now, even Ogre himself didn't know how strong his body truly was.

"So fast, how is this possible!"

The Bear even ignored the new wounds on his body, looking incredulously at Ogre, who dodged his attack once again.

"Nothing is impossible."