Name: Rue.

  Level: 26

  Race: Human.

  Class: Frost Swordsman Lvl 23

  Magic Vein (Stone): 35%

  HP: 1889/2001

  Mana: 1256/2244

  Strength: 148

  Vitality: 151

  Dexterity: 177

  Arcana: 384

  Mind: 209

  Perception: 78

  -Skill (8/15)-

  - Fireball (Common)

  - Time of Obsidian Ice (Rare)

  - Frost Shrapnel (Uncommon)

  - Frostbite Sword (Mystic)

  - Glacial Wake (Uncommon)

  - Spiral Swipe (Uncommon)

  - Edge of Winter (Rare)

  - Liquid Light (Rare)

  - Golden Dominion (Mystic)

  -Passive Skill (11/15)-

  - Cold Resistance (Uncommon)

  - Cold Healing (Uncommon)

  - Icen Frost (Rare)

  - Frost Pulse (Uncommon)

  - Balance of Ice (Uncommon)

  - Heart of Tundra (Uncommon)

  - Parrying Sense (Uncommon)

  - Weapon Throw (Common)

  - Will of Steel (Rare)

  - Sweeping Strike (Common)

  - Willow Tree Sword Style (Uncommon)

  Somehow, Rue found himself facing the Brute with two gigantic shields in each arm. The brute glared at him with unreasonable hatred. He reminded Rue of the huge monkey that Salar killed.

  “They're still counting!” The brute shouted. “Hurry up!” He barked at the man who was responsible for the number of points in the betting pool. Apparently, you can transfer points, a knowledge Rue wished he had gotten differently.

  Oh, well. It's not like he would be betting his own point.

  “Eur!” A voice cheered.

  The crowd chanted his fake name, and they fist-pumped the sky like a crazed drunk. Which they are, where did they even get that alcohol? Does the shop sell them?

  “Our hero!” A man screamed.

  “Mana Potion,” Rue muttered. That skill took half of his Mana. The more people affected, the more mana consumed. “Give me a mana potion! Now! I used plenty of Mana earlier,” Rue shouted out.

  The crowd looked at each other, then they began to scream for anyone to give him the potion. But none have it somehow. And he admitted the sight is quite hilarious.

  “Eur!” A scrawny youth battles his way. Soma thrust a blue vial up toward him. He took it from the elevated arena. As he drank, he could feel his reservoir fill, and a sudden calm enveloped him as he examined Brutus.

  Human. Lvl 26

  They’re pretty much on the same level. He wondered what the Hulk class is. Judging from his weapon, could he hope for a normal Warrior class?

  “Anything you can tell me?” He asked Soma.

  The crowd pushed Soma closer to Rue, encouraging him to tell them everything.

  “That shield is bloody heavy!” A man shouted. “Watch out!”

  “It's made of steel!”

  “Shut up, if there’s nothing useful, please,” Rue scowled, to which he got various forms of insults slung at him.

  “He has a special class,” Soma said, heaving a breath when he was finally having a little space between the platform and the crowd. “Shield Bulwark. But don't be mistaken, his body also has a natural affinity for steel.”

  “Steel affinity…” He mumbled. Good, he still has Fireball, so there's that option. “Can he clad his skin in steel?”

  “What? Of course not.”

  “Good,” Rue said, standing to face the brute. The guy had a confident grin plastered all over his face.

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  As he was about to summon his Akansa gold sword, he stopped, remembering what Ashram said about the Longbone being precious and can be sold for a high price since not many have an uncommon item.

  Rue grinned.

  It's time for a promotion.

  He summoned a normal LongBone. The white, bony sword glinted under the sunlight. Rue also considered summoning his Frost Shield, but he had decided to forgo the shield.

  “What was that weapon?” Soma asked. The crowd echoed his question. Some were pointing openly at his sword. Most ask about the golden one.

  “This is a sword made of dragon bone!” Rue shouted, hefting his sword up. “I’m selling this, I have about four of them!”

  Various voices drifted through the castle’s courtyard. Rue looked up to see the woman who was on the balcony suddenly gone; in fact, no one was there anymore.

  “Confident, are you!” Brute hefted his shield up, clashing it against the other like a gong. Clank of steel clashed in a noisy annoyance. The crowd booed him aloud, trying to outdo whatever the Brute intended to do.

  Rue, on the other hand, wished he could join the normal people that was relaxing under the sun outside this castle.

  He sighed, still wondering why everything turned this way. He should just go up to his room, open his chests, and maybe even make some connection.

  “That sword will be worthless when I’m done with you!” he screamed. “How about this, let's have a bet on our own. The Golden Sword for these two shields,” The Brute grinned. Both shields are half the size of the Brute, which is pretty damn huge. But he had no use for them.

  ‘Garbage,” Rue said. Then he looked at the bet dealer. Looks like he’s finally done.

  The man jumped to the platform and spread his arms wide. “50000 points on the line!” he roared. “Let’s get this started!”

  His blood quickened at that point. The crowd had the same reaction as they drew a sharp gasp, and they roared in mere excitement for the fight. It was agreed upon that Rue would get half of the point if he won. Considering that, would those betting on him make a profit? He’s not sure how the math works, but it's not his problem.

  “Come, then, swordsman!” The brute screamed, clapping both shields together in front of him, forming a double square that covers half of his body. There’s really no way to land a strike anywhere, as Rue is sure this brute can move it fast.

  The crowd booed him, calling him a coward.

  But this is convenient for him.

  With his left hand, he summoned Elderwood staff. Now is the time to try the new fighting style he will master. Mana thrummed as Rue pushed them into his staff, in the blink of an eye–a huge fireball manifested in front of him.

  “Let’s melt those, shall we?” Rue let out a smile, and he thrust his staff forward. The fire zip in a whisking whoosh of air–connecting straight to the shields. A fiery blast crashed, throwing embers into the crowd. He made out the shield stand without any apparent damage. The man is nowhere to be seen, no doubt kneeling behind the steel.

  That suits him well enough.

  Rue sent a cube to the air, masking it with the smoke that churned from his flame. He skied in with Glacial's wake, sliding through the wooden arena like he was on ice. Suddenly, he found himself in front of the shield bearer, falling forward straight to the brute.

  Noticing this, the big man showed his head with his mouth open, showing his eager teeth. He crushed one of the Shields toward Rue, but a jagged ice sprouted between their spaces. The ice cracked, and Rue managed to duck the steel shield from maiming his throat.

  He tested the sword hilt, and an eagerness to strike bloomed inside of him. Through the broken ice he slashed, connecting to the brute's outstretched hand.

  Instead of blood, his sword deflected in a familiar sensation, steel formed around the brute hand.

  This is similar to Goan’s skill, but to a much lesser degree.

  As the man was about to bring his shield down again. Frost Shrapnel rains down from high above. Piercing the man's shoulders and neck. Rue watched as two gruesome ice bursts from both sides of the brute's neck.

  The steel around his body zaps out like lightning, dying out.

  This fight looked over, and the crowd cheered like feral dogs. But in a roar a human shouldn't be able to make, the brute screamed, crushing his shield to the side of both his neck, drawing his own blood in the process.

  The other three ice needles are still embedded deep in the man's flesh between his shoulder blades, and frost no doubt will freeze his body inside out. If he spent this much strength, then all Rue needed to do was to let his class work.

  Still screaming, the brute swung his shield like they're a boxing glove. Wind blew the air with each strike he delivered. But Rue easily dodged all attempts. The big man has gotten slower and slower very fast.

  Through the haze of smoke, he made out that frost started to creep into the shield bearer's veins. Bluish death color his neck, each move he committed just delivered him closer to his grave.

  Rue sent another cube up, not bothering to hide it. He struck at the shield, like smashing a brick wall. In another strike, he pried open one shield and jabbed his elderwood staff to the man's forehead.

  Stumbling back and barely regaining his balance, a shower of five ice needles rained on him, each landing around his chest. The man goes down, cracking the wooden platform with his heavy shield.

  Ice burst up from his stomach, and Rue knew he could no longer stand.

  “Match! Eur victory!”

  The crowd wailed like a frenzy of screaming piranha. They started to chant his fake name. And Rue is glad he gave a fake one. This is rather uncomfortable.

  He almost had to cover both ears as the air itself seemed to be shaken by the grating screech; he never knew humans could be this… feral.

  “Here, 25000 points as agreed,” The bookkeeper said.

  29000

  His point added up instantly. Just like that, he gained so much; maybe this is not so bad after all.

  “Also, that sword, would you like to hold-”

  “Wait,” A voice commanded, soft and resolute. The drunken crowd that was in a maelstrom of cheers stopped like the wind itself had choked every single individual here. Rue watched in pure amazement as the rowdy crowd suddenly became a silent crowd that parted away, letting a woman with pure white hair walk.

  Every eye was transfixed on her. She wore a red robe, and underneath was a crystalline blood light tunic with padded leather covering her shoulders, ending with a white scarf matching her hair.

  And she was beautiful, more than anyone Rue has ever seen. Yet, he did not gape like a love-struck teenager. This kind of beauty is strange. Instantly, Rue knew this was not natural–the system had done something to her for that porcelain-like appearance. Her eyes, especially, are completely light blue without any retina.

  He cannot even pin down her age. She looked youthful, bordering on ageless. The woman tapped her leg, and fire burst, propelling her up and landing right in front of Rue.

  “How many did we lose to you?” She asked, her gaze was not distant, but alien with those eyes of complete color.

  “How many?”

  “Point”

  “25000, well technically 50000”

  “That is problematic,” She let out a soft breath from her breath, and a vapor–no, that is not vapor of cold that happened to Rue when he drew breath. Those are smoke; her class clearly has changed her body from the inside, too, just like Rue’s does. “Kneel”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I told you to kneel.”

  Human. Lvl 38

  Her level almost made Rue just do whatever her command, not just the level, but her entire presence. She…

  She felt like a monster more than human.

  It's like seeing Salar in human skin, or Ashram, who somehow disguises himself as a human. Like facing a creature that Rue knew he wouldn’t be able to take down. But, there might be more he can do here.

  Surely, he had won the crowd. He looked around to see that the feral crowd earlier might as well turn into mice. Half of them were purely terrified, and the other half watched with breathed breath and eyes full of anticipation.

  “I refuse,” Rue said, eyes blanking on the woman, who was exactly as tall as him.

  “Perhaps, you got the wrong idea… What I meant is take cover with my body,” She rubbed her chin, her blue eye shifted slightly as a flicker of red appeared just to disappear the next instant. “Look behind me.”

  And Rue did–toward another woman, this time, is human. Much more human, she drew a bow at him. Her eyes filled with pure anger.

  “Huh,”

  “What's this? No reaction?” The white haired woman asked, her eyebrow raised in curiosity.

  “Well, I went through this two times before.”