"THERE THEY ARE, LADIES AND GENTS. THE SECOND MOST ANTICIPATED ROUND OF THE DAY ABOUT IT START, PLEASE GIVE OUR COMPETITORS A BIG HAND!"

  Lev took in the cheers and the pumped-up crowds, lost about if he was supposed to do something to further excite them. He wasn't some superstar used to such attention, however. The thought of putting up a good show mattered little as he reached his intended position.

  "ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WE HAVE LILLIA, A MAGNIFICIENT SOLO HUNTER AND A SUPERB WATER ENHANCER. USING HER GREATSWORD AND ELEMENT, SHE HAS CARVED HER WAY TO THE PEAK OF GOLD RANK IN JUST FIVE YEARS!

  "FACING HER, WE HAVE THE VICTOR OF THE MONSTER HUNT, THE BOY WHO TOOK THE HUNT LIKE A STORM-"

  Lev naturally blocked out the rest. It was never going to get any easier to hear someone sing your praises.

  Instead, he took in his opponent. Lillia was a short girl, only a few inches taller than Lev. With dark blue hair and perpetually mischievous eyes, she looked bubbly and ready to crack an untimely joke at any moment.

  Unable to hold back a smile, Lev did a cursory scan of her gray metal armor and greatsword. Both of them were masterfully enchanted yet simple in design, allowing her maximum range of movement while protecting all vitals and not weighing her down.

  It was quite the sight.

  Lillia's smirk indicated that she knew exactly where Lev's gaze wanted to roam. It took considerable effort to simply stare at her face and keep his eyes there.

  She shook her head a little and adopted a stance. Lev did the same with Stargazer, waiting for the round to start. Using skills was not allowed before that.

  "3"

  "2"

  "1"

  "BEGIN!"

  Armor appeared around Lev as he quickly jumped back, narrowly dodging a thin water slash. With narrowed eyes, he spared a moment to notice how the attack cleanly cut through the sand behind him instead of landing explosively.

  Dangerous. Can't allow a direct hit, or I'm gonna lose a limb.

  There was no more time to plan. Lillia was upon him in a flash, swinging her sword in a controlled arc to bisect him. Stargazer met greatsword, just barely deflecting the attack enough for Lev to make more distance.

  Enhancement formation was carved on his armor in the meantime. The moment it was finished, Lev channeled as much mana as he could into it while imbuing his armor with a large amount of lightning.

  Instantly, his speed multiplied as the weak body underneath started taking small amounts of damage from the destructive mana. Small pulses of restoration mana dealt with most of it as Lev advanced.

  Covering the distance in a blink, Lillia was taken by surprise as a straight thrust almost pierced her abdomen. Her sword blocked it in the nick of time, yet she didn't stagger like Lev had hoped.

  The weight of her body, armor, and sword combined was enough to weather his light weapon's force. Lips pursed, Lev didn't let up and brought back Stargazer before thrusting again, all in a blink.

  Again and again, Stargazer sought to impale the swordswoman. Her water enhancement easily withstood the onslaught, fluidly deflecting and blocking each strike.

  Lev almost lost an arm when she sped up abruptly and counterattacked with a thrust of her own. Side-stepping in the nick of time, her greatsword cut through his armor with some struggle, scoring a thin red line on his left bicep.

  The fighters disengaged after that. Lillia still had a small smile playing on her lips, whereas Lev's eyes were resigned. Just that short exchange was enough to realize something.

  If even she can play with me like this, I could've never pushed Elias enough to force a skill unlock.

  His lack of talent in melee combat was showing itself again. For days straight, he had practiced against both monsters and dummies, yet Lillia didn't even need to break a sweat to keep him at bay.

  Granted, that entire time he had learned without guidance, but that should've been compensated by his sheer speed and mana. Without a doubt, he outdid Lillia in the speed department.

  Or maybe she's still greatly holding back.

  The suspicion took root like fangs sinking into a rabbit's neck. Within seconds, all previous delusions about being able to match the swordswoman vanished the more he thought about it.

  Lev sighed and rolled his shoulders. With a small smile, not unlike Lillia's, he shook his head like she had earlier.

  System, I accept the skill.

  [

  You have learned the General Skill: Self-Taught Beginner Glaive Mastery

  Self-Taught Beginner Glaive Mastery - Level 1:

  Through patience and hard work, you have stayed firm on your chosen path and qualified for this skill. The System acknowledges your dedication and drive.

  Control over movements when wielding a glaive is vastly improved. The skill will guide your steps, aiding your armor and physical capabilities to come together in a deadly dance while different mana types swirl to obey your whims.

  ]

  With a deep breath to keep the excitement contained, Lev felt inwards for the skill. It immediately rose to the task, guiding him to an actual, proper stance.

  Crouching, Stargazer was brought slightly above his right shoulder with its tip hovering just above ground before Lev pulled his arms back. The muscles compressed, coiled like a cobra ready to strike, and mana rushed into the glaive, setting it alight in a burst of flames.

  Lillia's eyebrows rose, acutely feeling the change in Lev's confidence. Consequently, the small smile on her face transitioned into a full-blown grin, relaxed and self-assured.

  Enhancement formation came alive again, and lightning was once again imbued, but the difference couldn't have been more apparent. Taking a single step, Lev flew forward, almost lopping off his opponent's head.

  Lillia jerked back in shock, putting her greatsword in the way of Stargazer at the last possible moment. She recovered extremely quickly and immediately struck back.

  The next clash went far differently than it would've a minute before. Calm and collected, Lev overloaded all his relevant skills and met her charge. Legs tensed and arms poised to the best of his ability, the deflected greatsword slid against the haft of Stargazer.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Just before it could reach his fingers, he took a step back and brought the butt of Stargazer forward. Lillia's hand rose to catch it but Lev didn't give her the chance, hurling it forward with the speed of a lightning bolt.

  A metallic ping echoed throughout the arena as the stomach shot made the swordswoman keel over. Despite that, she righted herself in a less than a second. Lev noticed a large amount of mana enhancing her body after that, making him tense in preparation.

  She's going all out now.

  Lillia was on him in a blink, swinging her large sword around like a whirlwind of metal and sharpness. Each strike was a precursor for the next, constantly keeping Lev on his toes without giving him a chance to fight back.

  Yet she couldn't land an attack on him either. Whenever she tried to aim lower, the haft of Stargazer blocked all attacks while giving Lev enough time to reposition. Swings were blocked and deflected much the same as the new skill let Lev bring out more of his physical and mental strength, both combining into far more total strength.

  Half a minute later, the fighters disengaged again. Lillia looked slightly winded after that lengthy rush, but Lev looked to be on the brink of collapse. Sweat rolled down his brow as he heaved for breaths, doing his best to ignore the growing aches.

  Healing mana constantly entered his body to heal the overtaxed muscles and shaken bones, yet the damage continued to mount. Where his armor was formless and easy to manipulate, his body was rigid and suffered from every clash of their weapons.

  Not only that, his physical attributes were greatly lagging behind his mental and magical ones. The skill empowered his armor manipulation to an enormous degree, which made the weaker flesh and bone underneath suffer as it moved beyond intended speeds. It was like forcing a child to run faster than an adult. Their bodies could only handle so much.

  Giving his head a firm shake, Lev straightened before holding Stargazer up. The fight was still ongoing, and he had no intention of losing. More than 80% of his mana still remained despite the extensive use, and he planned to use every last drop of it if need be.

  As the internal damage was slowly patched up by the healing mana, both competitors met in the middle of the arena again. Stargazer shone bright, launching an overloaded lightning slash at an unsurprised Lillia.

  Within moments, a transparent barrier formed in front of her to block the slash. If she thought such a flimsy construct could keep her safe however, then she was sorely mistaken.

  The slash cleaved through it with contemptuous ease, almost frying the swordswoman on the spot. She pressed herself flat on the ground, letting the slash fly overhead, and quickly rolled to the right.

  Stargazer landed where she was a moment before in a large explosion of fire and lightning, turning the sand around it into glass. With a gulp, she quickly stood up and charged.

  Lev didn't allow her to gather momentum this time. With each contact of their weapons, a small chunk of fire mana detonated to disrupt her rhythm, forcing her to expend more mana on her enhancement.

  A thin slash of water cut through another overloaded lightning slash, causing the latter to explode immediately and disrupt the former. Seeing her ranged attack so easily neutralized, she flared her enhancement more than she had ever before and prepared for one last assault.

  With another large burst of lightning imbued into his armor, Lev made the first move. Like he had done earlier, Lev thrust Stargazer forward, targeting Lillia's torso. She deflected it easily enough before more and more thrusts aimed to skewer reached her

  Lillia broke out of the patterned strikes quickly and swung her sword wide. Lev leaned far back in a hasty dodge, opening himself for retaliation. The swordswoman fell for the bait, triumphantly transitioning the swing into an overhead chop aiming to split the out-of-position Lev into two.

  Belatedly, she realized Lev's calm gaze and the glaive circling in from the right on its own accord. Guided by Lev's mind, it was primed to pierce her neck before the greatsword could land on him.

  Making a split-second decision, Lillia aborted her attack and changed the chop into a block. Stargazer clinked harmlessly against the large sword, letting Lev's fist, overloaded with lightning, directly impact her pretty face.

  Before even a quarter of the destructive mana could be released, thick, durable barriers formed and pushed his fist away. Lillia vanished immediately after.

  "AND WE HAVE OUR WINNER! HE HAS DONE IT AGAIN! LEV, THE BARRIER MAGE, HAS DEFEATED THE MIGHTY WATER ENHANCER LILLIA IN A BRAWL! JUST WHAT ELSE IS THIS HUNTER CAPABLE OF!?"

  Now alone, Lev silently observed the empty sand in front of him. His brain took a while to process that he had actually won without resorting to his ranged attacks.

  His armor vanished as a large amount of healing mana was channeled into his body, jolting Lev and causing him to let out a short laugh. The sound turned into a chuckle when he wiped his nose. His hand came back bloody, a sign of severe overuse of mental faculties.

  Shaking his throbbing head, he kept the stream of healing mana suffusing his body and made his way back to the arena's entrance. The Master crafter nodded at him, and Lev returned it and handed him the bracelet.

  The attendant who had summoned him to the royal booth before was already waiting for him. Lev nodded at her to take the lead while swallowing. Only now was he realizing just how badly his body was bruised and damaged inside as the coppery taste of blood registered.

  I would take a healing potion if the restoration mana didn't require practice, Lev noted tiredly. A little more suffering for progressing my Mana Manipulation is also probably worth it.

  Even if the skill had hit the level cap already, each bit of progress inched it closer to evolving. Lev was not going to miss out on some free advancement. There were also two notifications waiting for him.

  [

  Self-Taught Beginner Glaive Mastery has reached Level 2

  Self-Taught Beginner Glaive Mastery has reached Level 3

  ]

  Not bad at all.

  Several minutes of healing and increasingly encompassing lethargy later, Lev reached the royal booth. Hakim and Drakys weren't present, which meant the room was occupied by Sherron, Duke Fabian, the princesses, and Isabella.

  Lev bowed at the waist without speaking. He was quite sleepy all of a sudden.

  "Rise," Katarina's voice reached him. Lev straightened and entered just as the illusion went up. His shoulders instantly slumped before he took his spot next to Sherron.

  Lev groaned while rubbing his face. "Why the hell am I so tired?"

  "You're still healing yourself," Lara replied, serious.

  Oh right. Healing requires nutrients and all that.

  The stream of healing mana was instantly cut off, renewing the wave of tiredness. Not giving into the temptation, Lev summoned bread and a bowl of soup to quickly slurp down.

  "So, how'd I do?" He asked Sherron with a full mouth. Swallowing, he continued. "Fighting in that moment felt pretty badass but did it look as good?"

  Sherron nodded with a slightly exasperated smile. "You did, especially with how your armor shone with my favorite element. Well done, and you're also an idiot. Don't overdo it like this again."

  "Yeah, sure," Lev snorted. "Let me just ask life not to push me like that again. It will definitely listen."

  He looked at his still bloody right hand from the earlier nosebleed. It was the first time his body had been pushed to such a degree, yet the pain and effort came with equal parts satisfaction. Fighting in melee was fun. It was just supremely difficult.

  Or at least, it used to be. Lev and his new skill were going to go places.

  "There was no life-threatening monster chasing you in the arena, was there?"

  Lev shrugged. "Felt like it."

  "You were fighting without a glaive skill all this time?" Isabella questioned, slowly coming to terms with what she had seen.

  "Of course?" Lev gave her a funny look. "Did you think I had some terrible skill before?"

  "Maybe," she replied, entirely unapologetic. "You wielded the glaive with the confidence of a skill bearer."

  "I did have Mana Slash," Lev remarked, causing her to chuckle.

  "Fair enough."

  Nobody disturbed him as he finished his meal. Feeling slightly better, Lev cleared his throat and looked at Katarina.

  "Your Highness," Lev began as a grin refused to be held back. "This humble-"

  "Out with it, goldie."

  Lev blinked. "Goldie?"

  "Gold hunter," Katarina explained with a smug smile. "Not even a Master, tsk."

  "The princess herself is discriminating against the hunters. We are so doomed."

  She laughed. "Nothing so dramatic. It used to be quite common to form rivalries between teams early on so they could race with each other. All in good nature. Both the guilds and the people benefitted from the quickly cleared quests."

  "…As I was saying, is there a trusted aura mage who can help me regenerate?"

  "Way ahead of you," Sherron answered and waved her hand. The door opened to reveal a stern bald man. Muscular as he was, Lev was more impressed by his aura and large reserves of mana.

  The man bowed to everyone present in the room one by one. "What service do you require of me, Exalted Sherron?"

  Sherron replied in that official tone of hers. "Just your aura skill. Can you use it on this hunter here?" she motioned towards Lev.

  Without warning, an incredibly potent skill enveloped Lev's soul. His mana regeneration skyrocketed in an instant, going from a small, tame stream to a wilder, roaring stream. By his estimates, his total regeneration time had been cut down to a third.

  "Woah," Lev breathed out, equal parts uncomfortable and fascinated. "How huge is that bonus?"

  The man looked at Sherron, who nodded. "It gives a maximum of 272% bonus to regeneration, depending on how much the receiver can handle."

  "How much can I handle?"

  "All of it."

  Heh, Extraordinary Soul for the win.