Frozen Earth Territory, City of Cold Winter.
The Gladiator Arena was packed, the roar of voices nearly tearing off the roof as everyone watched the human battling the Magical Beast in a frenzy.
The human fought bare-handed, even bare-chested. His burly body was packed with powerful muscle. Facing him was a ferocious lion, scars across its face, its eyes locked on the human's every move.
At the instant a low growl rang out, both sides charged at each other. Transcendent power slammed together violently with a dull boom.
And at the edge of the sand inside the Gladiator Arena stood a group of tense, excited, and unusual spectators.
They were the companions of the man in the fight. The burly man at the front, whose arm was slung in linen and fixed in place with metal, was their leader, and also a Formal Knight of the Stag Legion.
Amid the thunderous cheers, the battle in the Gladiator Arena ended half an hour later. The battered man climbed up from the ground, spat out the sand and lion fur in his mouth, and limped over this way.
"My lord."
After saying that, the burly man looked expectantly at the knight, who had only one hand free to move.
"Brook, congratulations on completing the trial of No. 3 Reserve Training Camp. I will give you this medal."
The knight reached out and handed him a medal in the shape of a stag inlaid with the Rhino Horn Mountain Emblem, then used his fingernail to carve a crack across it.
"You have completed the trial here. You may apply to the legion to proceed to the next training camp."
Looking at the medal in his hand, Brook raised his head. Heat from the battle still steamed from his bare upper body.
"My lord,