Chapter 13

Eric leaped from the sky, landing in the ring as the crowd roared. His opponent had arrived at the same time, and they stood facing each other, ready for battle.

Meanwhile, in a private lounge, a man sat nervously. He had met Eric and Athena in the registration area earlier, and now he watched the match. He hoped that Eric's opponent would not be too strong so that he could help and avoid a serious matter to happen.

The man can only help after the match as the rules of the arena were strict. No one was allowed to interfere in the matches, to prevent cheating and unfair competition. The arena was always being watched by spies from the empire, and if the man were caught arranging a match in Eric's favor, he would face severe punishment. All he could do now was hope and pray that nothing may go wrong.

The man sat nervously in the private lounge, watching the match unfold. But suddenly, his expression changed as he laid eyes on Eric's opponent. The young man was formidable, with well-built muscles and scars covering his body. The sight of him made the man's heart race with fear, he knew that Eric's opponent was not going to be easy to defeat. He couldn't help but worry about Eric's safety, hoping that the match would end quickly and without incident. But with an opponent like this, he knew that was unlikely.

As the spectator watched from the stands of the arena, they can't help but feel a twinge of pity for Eric. It was clear that this will be a one-sided match, with Eric's opponent towering over him in both skills and strength.

On the other side of the arena, Athena also saw Eric's opponent. Although she couldn't see the full extent of the opponent's strength, she could sense that he is formidable.

Below at the ring, Eric scans his opponent.

Name: Ethan Williams (12)

Rank: Level 10 Warrior

Health: 100/100

Attributes-

Strength: 10.2

Agility: 9.1

Intelligence: 10.4

Combat Awareness: 10.4

"This kid should be a genius as well," he thought to himself. "His attributes are very balanced; he should be one of the strongest level 10 warriors in the empire."

But Williams, upon seeing Eric, couldn't help but laugh. "His first match and his debut at the arena, and his opponent is this weak-looking kid," Williams thought to himself. "Hey, you should surrender already," he shouted arrogantly. "With your stature, one finger from mine can throw you out of this arena."

Eric stood confidently in front of his opponent, with a calm and collected demeanor. Despite Williams's arrogant taunts, Eric remained unfazed. "We'll see who defeats who," he replied confidently.

Eric knew that with his base strength of a level 30 warrior, Williams would be no match for him. But instead of showing off his true strength, Eric decided to adjust his power to match that of a level 10 warrior. Using his combat awareness, he could lower and control his strength and make the match a fair competition.

"This kid in front of me will be like a child fighting an adult," Eric thought to himself. "But I want to test myself and see how far I've come by fighting with the same stats as him."

As soon as the match began, Williams wasted no time in trying to end it quickly. With a quick gesture, he summoned his twin sabers, holding one in each hand. Dashing forward with incredible speed and power, he left behind a trail of sonic energy as he closed in on Eric, intent on engaging in close-quarter combat.

Eric, facing off against Williams, was slightly taken aback by the skill and speed of his opponent. Williams's ability to travel at high speeds was impressive, but Eric was determined to not let it catch him off guard. Summoning his rusty sword, he prepared to block the fierce attacks that Williams was unleashing upon him.

Williams was surprised when Eric was able to block his first attack with ease. Without hesitation, Williams unleashed a series of rapid, consecutive strikes at Eric, each one coming faster and more powerful than the last. But Eric, with his high combat awareness and quick reflexes, was able to see the trajectory of Williams's attacks and dodge them with ease, moving with a grace and fluidity that left the crowd in awe.

Despite Williams's best efforts, Eric was able to keep up with his opponent's relentless attacks, never faltering or losing his focus. With each movement, he seemed to anticipate Williams's next move, dodging and weaving with precision and skill.

As the match unfolded, the spectators in the stands watched in silence, unable to believe their eyes. The weak-looking young man, Eric, was easily blocking the powerful strikes that Williams was unleashing upon him.

In a private lounge, a man watched the match with surprise. He knew that Eric was a good-for-nothing son of a monarch, yet here he was, easily holding his own against possibly one of the kingdom's genius. He could sense that the level of attacks that Williams was using were that of a level 10 warrior, and at the age of 12, with a strength of a level 10 warrior, Williams was already considered a formidable genius in the kingdom.

This realization made the man wonder in surprise. "Could it be that this kid has been secretly cultivated by the monarch of Blueleaf City to surprise the kingdom?" he thought to himself. He couldn't help but feel impressed and curious about the true potential of Eric and how he was able to achieve this level of skill and strength.

On the other hand, Athena watched the match with a mixture of shock and surprise. She couldn't believe that Eric was able to so easily dodge and block the attacks of Williams. "He must have a high combat awareness to be able to do that," Athena thought to herself, impressed by Eric's skill and control in the face of such a formidable opponent.

As the match continued in the arena, Williams continued to attack Eric relentlessly, never letting up. Eric, on the other hand, expertly dodged and blocked the powerful saber attacks that came his way.

But as Williams saw that his opponent was able to dodge his attacks with ease, he quickly realized that he needed to change his strategy. He quickly dashed backward, creating a distance between him and Eric. Williams was now gasping for breath, his rapid attacks having taken a toll on him.