Gerald began to have a thought in his mind about the test Jason and Thomas were taking and was anxious to ask Jason question. " Jason what color was the puppet that you and Thomas fought?"
"Me and Thomas fought are own individual puppets. They were both a black wood." Jason explained. He was confused, why would his father think that him and Thomas fought the same puppet? Also why did he ask which puppet they fought? It was common sense that they fought the puppet of the first tier tenth level.
While even more shocked by this statement Gerald explained his reason when he noticed Jason's confused expression. "Puppets come in levels. Every level of a puppet is equal to five cultivation tiers. If they know martial arts if will increase their level by one. A level one is made of yellow wood, level two is made of green wood. A black wood means it is a level three and all puppets in our clan know martial arts. When a mage trains as a warrior they typically fight against a puppet five levels lower than them. Warriors fight against a puppet of their level. Genius cultivators can attempt to fight against a puppet five levels higher with the help of another genius cultivator. This allows them to build teamwork, as well as train them. Only the most powerful of champions or a seed can beat a puppet six levels higher solo. I cannot believe he is forcing you to do so while fighting a warrior puppet and restricted to fighting as a warrior yourself. And even more so without letting you use a weapon. When we return I will make sure to assign someone to teach you weapon arts." Gerald was upset because he believed with the skill jason had already shown if he had a weapon he was trained in, he would have the chance to become a champion and thereby a baron. If he failed to become a baron today he would never be able to use this method to rise in the nobility again. It was all such a waste, and Gerald couldn't help but be angry at War Blade for handicapping Jason like this.
"No father. War Blade is my martial master, I will only pick up weapon training when he deems me ready. " Jason said. Admittedly he was initially angry when he found out that he had bren lied to about the puppet he was training with. But Jess explained that she had already known but decided to keep it a secret as it had made Jason push himself even harder when he thought he was so weak compared to a warrior of the same level as himself.
He had further believed it because Thomas was actually more powerful than the puppet albeit slightly slower and significantly less skilled in martial arts. Now that he knew the truth and the reason behind the lie he found it acceptable. But he was astonished thinking about how Thomas, as a level ten knight apprentice had more brute strength than a level five knight squire. Also when that energy spiked from him his strength was even stronger, Jason reckoned the strength that was released was close to that of a level seven knight squire.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
"I, Duke Gangler, Challenge Jason's right to be a vassal. " a thin man with slitted eyes roared.
Everyone was shocked as it was expected for Duke Evans to issue the challenge since the Kovars were his vassals. Duke Gangler was the enemy of Duke Evans and they often fought both physically and politically.
The king turned to Duke Gangler in annoyance at him messing with the ceremony. "Are you sure you wish to challenge? Should you lose you will have to double the Crowns rewards, as you are not the liege of the Kovar clan. Do you wish to reconsider?" The king expressed his displeasure.
"I will challenge and I am fully aware of the rules. I can afford a hundred gold, and if the young man is truly so talented to win giving away a mana Crystal is a bearable cost as well." the duke responded with an engratiating smile on his face, while sneering in his heart that there was no way a peasant could beat someone four levels higher than him. Besides he would be sending out a gifted child who could beat those a level higher, meaning Jason would need to show power of those five levels higher which is nearly the power of a "kingdom seed". To be honest Gangler didn't give a st*t about Jason, he was only an ant after all. No, the reason he did this was because he hated Duke Evans as the man had killed his son a thousand years ago. Duke Evans was also a sanctimonious prick who punished his son because he had raped a peasant girl. What right did a peasant have to refuse a noble? Also how could a peasant whore's "chastity" possibly compare to a nobles life?
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Jason stared at his opponent who carried two short sabers. Jason new this was going to be a hard fight. Initially he didn't care if he was going to lose so decided to continue fighting as a warrior. But Duke Evans had sent him a message that if he beat this opponent he would add another one hundred gold as well as a token to a low level mysterious realm. As soon as Jess heard about the mysterious realm she yelled at Jason to go all out and win as it could completely change Jason's life.
Jason took out a pair of red gloves that shrank to be skin tight when he out them on. While these gloves didn't increase his damage, they did act as boxing wraps from his previous life, making it were he could hit harder more often without damaging his hands.
When the Royal Advisor announced the start of the fight Jason instantly cast two spells one was the trusty mana shield, while the other was mana blast, which was a modified mana shockwave. It had four times the power and was concentrated in a single direction, giving it a force nearly six times that of mana shockwave and lasting three times longer.
While Jason's enemy ran toward him initially the mana blast picked him up and threw him thirteen meters away. The next spell Jason cast was a sporadic amount of "ghost mana" one of the trump cards he had designed. Currently as a level one spell it turned a 15 cm cubed (approximately 6 inches cubed) patch of ground immaterial while it's appearance didn't change.