BXBX NOVEL Chapter 88: More Wealth!
Void had been pushing himself very hard, desiring for reward Kyle promised him once their agreements were fulfilled.
Even though he pushed himself to this extent because of what be stood to gain, that didn\'t make Kyle lose the admiration he held for Void on his dedication.
Void working hard gave Kyle the feel of a parent, he knew the impact he had made in the previously lazy Void.
Now he was confide that in the future, Void wouldn\'t need to be compelled to cultivate.
Kyle worked closer to Void in an attempt to peer into his improvement. Surely, Void must have increased massively, Kyle could even guess he was bigger and taller now.
Formerly the size of a young house cat, he could now be compared to an adult cat, albeit a house cat.
Kyle couldn\'t exactly tell how far Void had gone from observation alone, but could easily check his stats via the system at any moment.
However, Void had asked him not to. He wanted the results to be a surprise, and Kyle could respect that.
It was difficult for him not to peek, but he truly wanted to be surprised.
\'He\'s really working for it,\' Kyle mused. \'When it\'s all done, I\'ll make sure he\'s rewarded properly.\'
Kyle smiled faintly to himself. Twenty mana cores weren\'t going to be enough for what Void was doing.
He\'d need to come up with something better, something that would truly show his appreciation.
As he pondered Void\'s progress, another thought struck him—the reality of what awaited his credit balance.
[Credits: 7469]
Tomorrow, he\'d have to hand over 5000 of those to Orion, leaving him with just over 2000. The thought of it made him sigh.
"I\'m really about to throw 5000 credits each week at him, huh?" Kyle grimly chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
It was a lot, but if Orion came through with his promises, the investment might pay off. Still, the hit to his balance stung.
Glancing at Void once more, Kyle straightened up. It was time to focus.
He pulled the Veil of Silence from his inventory, its smooth, dark material reflecting the faint light of the room.
He ran his fingers over the fabric before slipping it over his face.
No sound could escape his lips while he wore the mask, leaving him alone with his thoughts:
\'It\'s time.\'
With that, Kyle left the dorm, the door closing with a soft click behind him.
The cool night air hit his skin as he made his way through the academy grounds.
The streets were quieter at this hour, with most students either in their dorms or engaged in their own training sessions.
A few groups of students passed him, some heading to the library, others walking in the direction of the training grounds. He ignored them, his mind was focused on what lay ahead.
As he walked through the tunnel that led to the Arena, Kyle couldn\'t help but remember all the memories he had here—the credits, honing if his skills, the wins and only the wins.
Tonight would be no different.
Entering the Arena was always a rush. The moment he stepped inside, the energy in the air seemed to shift, becoming charged with the thrill of competition.
Kyle headed toward the registration desk, joining the long line. It didn\'t take long before it got to his turn.
The clerk didn\'t ask much questions upon recognizing his mask that had induced fear into many.
"Physical or Elemental?"
Kyle thought hard on it before going for the former, he already had enough of elemental fights from the tournament so he\'ll start of his night with a physical fight.
After registering, he went to the gambling booth and staked 7,000 credits when he saw the odds were massively in his favour. That was his confidence.
Kyle picked up a katana from the weapon rack, initially, he had feared he\'ll be recognized if he used a katana.
But there were tons of fighters other than him who used katana\'s and no one was able to connect any dots, plus his skill level grew with every fight and training session with Instructor Dan.
\'I\'ll have to train with my sword more frequently. I must achieve 100% Sword intent mastery before the Yearly tournament,\' Kyle decided.
He wondered what he stood to gain if he achieved 100% mastery, maybe he\'ll be able to throw sword intent at will and might even be able to dream of winning.
Kyle didn\'t stay in his thoughts for too long, as he began making his way to one of the pits, deciding to watch on from the sidelines.
After a few more fights, the announcer\'s voice boomed through the Arena.
"... Going against him, the undying sword demon: ABYSSS!"
A massive ripple of excitement swept through the crowd as Kyle stepped onto the pit. He had become a favorite among the spectators.
Who wouldn\'t like a hidden master who seamlessly defeats all his opponents while holding back?
Kyle had a proud smile as he walked onto the stage, he could feel the cheers and stares from everyone, but they did little to give him pressure.
There were some who desperately wished for him to lose in the crowd, risking it high on the match to win it big and those were the ones he was going to prove wrong.
His opponent was already waiting for him—a bulky, broad-shouldered third year, with a mace as a weapon.
Kyle deduced he should be the kind to rely on brute force, but he never underestimated him for a second.
"Begin!"
The moment the fight was called to begin, Kyle rushed at him with his superior agility, slipping gracefully past his opponent\'s heavy swings.
His opponent\'s attacks were powerful but slow, and Kyle used that to his advantage. He dodged effortlessly, his body weaving through the strikes like water around rocks.
When his opponent overcommitted with a wild swing Kyle saw his chance. With a quick step, he was inside the man\'s guard, his katana flashing in a controlled arc.
The blunt edge of the weapon struck the man\'s side, sending him stumbling backward with a grunt of pain.
Kyle pressed forward, not letting up. His strikes were calculated, each one landing with pinpoint accuracy, targeting weak spots and joints. .net
The fight was over in minutes. His opponent fell to the ground, winded and unable to continue, but not seriously harmed.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but Kyle barely acknowledged them as he left the pit, his mind already moving to the next match. He hadn\'t broken a sweat.
By the time his second match was called, Kyle was more than ready. His confidence soared, and he felt the growth in his skill as he faced off against a new challenger.
This opponent was faster than the last but lacked the finesse that Kyle had honed over countless sessions.
They clashed, his katana meeting the other fighter\'s staff with a sharp ring, but Kyle\'s superior technique soon showed. He slipped inside again, using the same calculated strikes, overwhelming his opponent until the match was his.
Each fight passed in a blur after that, resulting in a seamless flow of movements and strikes.
Kyle kept dominating all the fights he took part in, and as the night wore on, he only became sharper, faster, stronger.
By the time the clock struck midnight, Kyle had won every match he participated in. His body ached, not only from fatigue, but from the exhilaration of constant combat.
As the Arena started to clear out, he walked back to the gambling booth one last time to confirm the night\'s winnings.
The clerk handed him a slip, and Kyle couldn\'t help but grin widely under his mask as he read the total.
[Credits: 23,040]
\'Not bad for a night\'s work,\' Kyle couldn\'t help but think as he made his way back to the dorm.
Immediately Kyle got to his dorm, he slipped inside, careful not to disturb Void, who was still deep into his intense cultivation.
After stepping out of the long, hot bath, Kyle glanced over at the katana lying on the table—its cold, sleek blade catching the dim light of the room.
Tomorrow, it would be handed over to Orion, and something about that felt bittersweet.
Kyle\'s eyes lingered on the weapon as his mind wandered back to its stats. He couldn\'t help use [Inspect] on it once more.
[Frozen Claw]
[Weapon Type: Katana]
[Enchantments: Ice Slash]
[Ice Slash: Momentarily imbue properties of the ice element on blade.
Mana is required to activate this property.
Time and power of this effect increases with proficiency of the water element.]
Kyle couldn\'t help but marvel at the enchantment once again.
"Ice slash... I haven\'t even tried it out," he murmured, almost annoyed at himself for neglecting such a promising weapon.
It was rare to come across magic equipment of this caliber, and the way it worked fascinated him.
The ability to use elemental magic through a weapon—it was something he\'d read about, but seeing it in person felt almost unreal.
He sighed and leaned against the table, remembering the whirlwind of events that had prevented him from testing the sword\'s abilities.
"Everything happened so fast," Kyle thought aloud, shaking his head. There hadn\'t been a moment to breathe, much less test out the sword.
But now? Now there was nothing standing in his way. No excuses.
"Should I?"