Legendary Battle: The True Use of Skill Points

"Ro-Lente Castle" Royal City.

Located in the deepest part of the entire Royal City, the Royal Capital had been built atop a hill. From far away, one could see the walls, which were connected by more than twenty enormous round towers.

The walls separated the people of the Royal City from the Royal Capital. Combined with the hill's height, they gave the Royal Capital the air of standing above everyone else.

At the western foot of the hill where the Royal Capital had been built stood a massive arena. The annual "Royal Tournament" also began in this arena.

Such a contest was not merely a grand event. It was also one way for the Re-Estize Kingdom to display its military strength to outsiders.

Clatter, clatter!

Clatter, clatter!

Amid the noisy, clamoring crowd,

Tang Zheng arrived at the arena with some pain in his heart and sat down in a seat at the outermost edge.

His gaze turned toward the enormous arena in the center. From where he sat, he could only make out the figures on the stage.

And a seat this far away had cost him five silver coins!

"Now this is a profitable business."

Tang Zheng swept his gaze over the densely packed heads in the surrounding seats and sighed inwardly.

As a witness to a historical event, it could indeed satisfy a certain sense of curiosity.

But!

If he had known the price would be so high, he would never have come. After all, he already knew the outcome.

Tang Zheng thought helplessly.

The Head Warrior and Nail Clipper had yet to appear. Several figures were already on the stage below, seemingly conducting inspections.

Directly north of the stage stood the only viewing platform in the entire arena that was significantly higher than the others, shaped like a round tower.

There was no need to guess.

It was clearly a viewing platform specially provided for the Kingdom's nobles and the Royal Family.

Compared with the almost lively atmosphere in the other areas, the area around the round-tower platform was unnaturally quiet.

The atmosphere gradually affected the other sections as well, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over the blazing excitement.

Even the surrounding discussions gradually quieted down.

Tang Zheng tugged at the collar of his coarse hemp clothes, shrugged somewhat boredly, and calmly watched the scene.

Others might not understand the reason behind this faintly strange atmosphere, but he knew a little about it.

A contest of this level appeared on the surface to be a way for the country to find powerful Warriors and proclaim the strength of the nation.

But in reality!

From the very beginning, the "Royal Tournament" had been a stage for the great nobles to show off their subordinates and display their own military power.

All the commoner participants were nothing more than stepping stones for those noble lords.

This involved the Kingdom's own noble system!

Aside from the eldest son, the other younger sons of the great nobles could not inherit their titles. This had led to another title within the noble system: "Knight"!

This title came without a fief and only applied to the holder's own generation, yet it remained a goal that the younger sons of nobles fought desperately to obtain.

It was not merely for noble status. Once they obtained the title of "Knight," their generous salaries would be paid by the Royal Family, so they would basically never have to worry about making a living.

Of course,

this was also the Royal Family's strategy: to turn these noble descendants into a new generation of "Royalists"!

The "Royal Tournament" existed for that very reason, making it an open and aboveboard strategy. Thus, outstanding noble youths who distinguished themselves in the contests would be granted the title of "Knight."

However, beginning several years ago, the participating nobles or their subordinates had gradually been defeated by some commoner Adventurers. This had caused great dissatisfaction among the nobles.

And now!

With the appearance of Gazef and Brain, the two had pushed their way here in an overwhelming procession of victories.

The "Royal Tournament" had become a stage for two commoners to face off!

"Heh."

A smile appeared on Tang Zheng's face. He could completely imagine that those noble lords' expressions must be terribly ugly at this moment.

After Gazef achieved victory, he should actually have been granted the title of "Knight." Instead, the position of "Head Warrior" was newly established, and it had appeared against this very backdrop.

The reason this duel was known among commoners as a "legendary battle" was that the "Royal Tournament" had been abolished after this contest.

Clearly, no noble wanted a second Head Warrior to appear.

However,

this had nothing to do with Tang Zheng. Compared with the future Great Tomb, these matters were ultimately nothing more than childish squabbling.

No matter how dissatisfied the nobles were, they could neither stop nor prevent this contest!

About ten minutes later,

Tang Zheng's expression turned serious, and his gaze sharpened as he looked toward the future Head Warrior and Nail Clipper, who were walking toward the stage at the same time.

After the two climbed onto the stage, they shook hands with each other and seemed to say something.

However,

from Tang Zheng's current seat, he could only see the two figures. Naturally, he could not hear their conversation.

Soon!

The two separated again, turned around, and put some distance between themselves before standing face-to-face.

At that moment!

All the clamor from the audience vanished. Countless gazes locked tightly onto the two people on the stage, afraid of disturbing their duel.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Almost in the next instant,

Gazef and Brain moved at the same time. Though they were about twenty meters apart, after only a brief charge, the two had already collided.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The two sword-shaped weapons collided in an instant, sending out fierce sparks.

"So fast."

Astonishment showed in Tang Zheng's eyes. He could barely follow the two figures. In particular, he could not see the swords they wielded at all.

All he could see were sparks appearing continuously around them.

Tang Zheng tilted his neck backward slightly.

They were practically a different species from ordinary people!

The might displayed when the two sides collided was something he had been unable to sense at all while watching the anime.

Only after witnessing a battle at this level with his own eyes did Tang Zheng truly understand the unbridgeable gulf between ordinary people and these powerful experts!

And this was only a level of around twenty?

For some inexplicable reason, Tang Zheng suddenly gained some understanding of the despair Nail Clipper had felt when facing Shalltear Bloodfallen.

The title "Nail Clipper" was not an insult at all!

Whoosh—

On the stage, a pale blue radiance suddenly flashed across Brain's body.

The next moment!

Brain appeared behind Gazef as if he had teleported.

However!

Gazef seemed to have anticipated it. He rolled across the ground, widening the distance between them again.

"So this is Martial Arts?" Tang Zheng's eyes widened slightly.

"Martial Arts" did not exist in the game "YGGDRASIL." It was a unique technique of the New World, which could be understood as a Warrior's magic.

Using it consumed something called "Concentration." Simply put, it was mental focus. The more Martial Arts one used, the more fatigued the brain became.

It was a value that did not exist in the game, yet was much closer to reality.

Whether in the anime or the light novel version, the power displayed by "Martial Arts" was actually not weak.

It was only the level limitations of humans that made Martial Arts appear less powerful than it really was.

Suddenly—

Buzz!

An Attribute Panel appeared before Tang Zheng's eyes.

"Skill discovered: 'Flow Acceleration.' Requires a basic Warrior-type Class. Current conditions not met..."

"'Genius' Class activated. Conversion successful. Learning conditions met. Consume 1 Skill Point to learn?"

Tang Zheng saw the information that had appeared on the Attribute Panel. Surprise and understanding showed in his eyes as he murmured, "So that's how Skill Points are used!"