Chapter 5: A New Discovery

Despite his anger, Solis did not lose his composure. He approached cautiously, sword in hand, and tested with a light slash. To his surprise, Andrick moved faster than a leopard, sidestepping and closing the distance instantly.

Solis, startled, attempted a horizontal slash to drive Andrick back. But it was too late—before he could swing, Andrick had already seized his wrist, immobilizing him. With a sharp twist, Andrick disarmed Solis, catching the falling short sword with his other hand. In one fluid motion, Andrick spun and placed the blade against Solis's neck from behind.

The whole sequence was so seamless and swift that it seemed like a cat playing with a mouse, completely toying with Solis. Defeated in an instant, Solis's confidence shattered. He collapsed to his knees, his eyes vacant.

The spectators gasped in amazement.

"Did it end already? I didn't even see what happened!"

"Unarmed and in one move? That's even more impressive than Ethan!"

"My god! Am I seeing things? How is this possible?"

Ethan was equally astonished. Andrick's technique of disarming an armed opponent with bare hands was breathtaking. It required decades of experience, exceptional predictive skills, immense strength, and incredible speed. The movements were so fluid and beautiful, it looked choreographed.

Ethan could tell this was no performance. Andrick was a true master, his strength and skills far surpassing Solis's.

Sarno, pleased with Andrick's display, applauded and said, "Impressive! I assume no one has any objections now?"

The gladiators, having witnessed Andrick's prowess firsthand, quickly agreed. Ethan, smiling wryly, prepared to leave.

At this point, Solis, still stinging from his defeat, called out, "He hasn't beaten Ethan yet. What's the big deal?"

The crowd turned to Ethan, eager for his response. Ethan frowned, hesitating. Despite feeling it was inappropriate, he didn't want to miss this opportunity. He looked at Sarno.

Sarno, puzzled, thought, "What does he mean? Does this young man really want to try?"

Seeing no harm in another match, Sarno said, "Ethan, would you like to test yourself against Andrick?"

Ethan didn't answer, maintaining a smile and staring at Sarno. He wasn't there to put on a show without a guarantee of the job if he won.

Realizing Ethan's intention, Sarno said, "If you defeat Andrick, we will not only hire you as a swordsmanship mentor, but you'll also earn 10% more than Andrick."

Ethan smiled. "Is that a promise?"

"Of course!" Sarno confirmed.

"Alright then," Ethan replied confidently. "But I have one condition."

"Go ahead."

"I want the duel to be tomorrow at this time, with Mr. Miloch present to witness. I don't want to perform a free swordsmanship show."

Ethan had already used his Short Selling skill and needed time to process the gained strength. With such a formidable opponent, he had to find a way to delay.

Sarno hesitated. "To be honest, Mr. Miloch is very busy and may not be able to attend. He has entrusted me with all matters regarding the gladiators, and you can trust my authority."

Ethan believed Sarno but needed the delay. "Tell Mr. Miloch that a 16-year-old will defeat the legendary gladiator Andrick tomorrow. I think he'll be interested."

Everyone gasped.

"Wow! This will be good!"

"Ethan is too arrogant. His swordsmanship might be good, but he's no match for Andrick."

"I agree. Andrick's disarming move was too shocking."

Andrick merely smiled, unconcerned. Sarno, though irritated at having his authority questioned, recognized Ethan's extraordinary strength and potential. If the young man could indeed provide a spectacular match, Mr. Miloch would likely be pleased.

"Agreed," Sarno said. "I'll inform Mr. Miloch, but I can't guarantee his presence. We'll meet here tomorrow at this time, and your position and contract will be ready if you win."

Ethan nodded, smiling. He glanced at Andrick, smiled again, and left without a word.

After leaving Rue de Champs 77, Ethan found a nearby inn, had a hearty meal, and finally had time to review his gains.

After defeating Solis, his talent panel had changed.

A new line appeared at the bottom of the panel: Short Selling gain: 60 strength. Can be converted into personal strength or skill points.

The conversion rate was detailed: For the first secondary talent, 15 strength equals 1 skill point. For the second secondary talent, 50 strength equals 1 skill point. Each additional talent increases the conversion by 35 strength. Up to 100 strength can be converted to 1 skill point. Only secondary talents can use strength to convert into skill points. Main talents require Force for skill points, with the ratio to be revealed upon unlocking.

Ethan was overjoyed. His sword specialization was still in its first secondary talent. The 60 strength he gained today could be converted into 4 skill points, equivalent to four years of progress.

"If I'd known Short Selling could convert to skill points, I would have prioritized it first. I've wasted years," Ethan thought. But he quickly calmed down, realizing, "Without the secondary talents' boost, I wouldn't have had the chance to use Short Selling. It's a chicken-and-egg situation, so my choices weren't wrong."

Ethan converted all the gains into skill points and allocated them all into his sword specialization. Now, both Sword Mastery and Sword Parry were maxed out.

Sword Mastery: Your control over the precision, strength, and speed of swordsmanship increases by one level for each skill level. Current Level: 5 (MAX).

Sword Parry: Passive skill. You have mastered swordsmanship to the extent that you have at least an 80% chance of successfully parrying any attack. Each level increases the parry success rate by 5%. Current Level: 5 (MAX).

He used the final point to unlock the third skill in his sword specialization:

Parry Counter: Trigger skill. Each successful parry allows for a quick counterattack. Parrying melee attacks triggers a counter slash. Parrying ranged attacks triggers a sword energy counter slash, up to 40 meters. Each level increases counterattack power by 5%. Current Level: 1.

Seeing the third skill, Ethan's face lit up. Anyone who practiced swordsmanship would immediately recognize the synergy between the second and third skills. Previously, while frequently parrying attacks, Ethan often couldn't counter due to various factors like strength or angle. With Parry Counter, as long as he had enough strength, he could counter infinitely.

Combined with Short Selling, which allowed him to absorb others' strength, it created a virtuous cycle. Ethan could hardly wait for tomorrow's duel.