[3rd person Pov]
"Excuse me, Ms. Rose, I have to go."
During a small break in the broadcast, Mr. Stone had gotten up from his seat in the box next to the host who was drinking a glass of water. "Hmm?! But, we are still in the middle of the tournament? What's so important that you have to go? Didn't you see that girl, she was amazing!"
And that was exactly the problem. "Yes, she was, and if my suspicions are correct, she is a bit too amazing for her own good. So, I have no choice. I'll try to get back as soon as possible."
Elizabeth couldn't do anything other than pout, knowing she wouldn't be able to change the stubborn man's decision. As she was watching the handsome man, with his dark hair slicked back and rugged face, walk away, she felt a small surge of desire inside. The broad back in the navy blue suit was just too attractive to not appreciate.
======
"Yes, that's right. She most likely has the legendary Dragoon Manual. I want to call for a meeting with the other major guilds and try to make a pact in order to ensure her safety and freedom of choice when she graduates from the academy. We don't want another 7-star Manual to fall into the hands of a hidden family."
In an office high up in a big corporate skyscraper, Tom was standing right in front of an elderly man sitting behind a desk covered in contracts and important documents. Though it was clear he was old, Tom's father still held a lot of power in his body, being one of the only [S-] rank hunters on the planet.
Sighing, Leonardo looked at his son as he took off his reading glasses. "I understand. You have my permission to act as a temporary guild master.", he said as he pitched a small emblem to Tom. It was the emblem of the guild master of Obelisk.
"Thank you, guild master."
"Stop that Tom, you know I want you to call me father when we are alone."
Scratching the back of his head, the handsome Tom suddenly looked a lot like a teenager, scratching the back of his head "Ah, sorry. Well, thank you, dad!"
"No! I said, father, not 'dad'!"
****
[James's Pov]
"Status."
===Status===
Name: James Jackson
Rank: E+
Strength: F+
Agility: E+
Stamina: E-
Intelligence: D-
Mana Capacity: D
--> Main Manual:
[Trickster - Ungraded] - Medium Understanding.
-Core Skill: [Double Trouble]
-1st Skill: [Swap]
-2nd Skill: [Materialize]
--> Side Manual:
[Conjurer - Ungraded] - Minor Understanding
-Core Skill: [Conjure]
--> Elemental Affinity: Mist
->Elemental Skills: [Dome of Mist]
==========
Seeing the progress I had made, I couldn't help but smile. The largest contributor to my development was most definitely all the time I had spent meditating, as the mana not only helped the Intelligence and Mana Capacity but improved the overall capabilities of my body.
Although one could train with a specific goal in mind, the stats were always following one another, meaning that it was incredibly rare to see an [A] rank hunter having any of their stats lower than [B-].
Even more confusing than the fact that someone who spent all his time in the gym might get a [B] rank Intelligence by default, it was that his [B] rank Intelligence might not be as potent as someone else's [C] rank.
Reading the information available online was like trying to make sense of rocket science, a process that triggered my gamer mind a lot. I wanted to make sense of all of it to 'play' optimally, trying to find the most efficient combination of stats, but, alas.
The logic behind all of this was that; an [S] rank mage who had an [A] in strength would a lot of the time be physically weaker than a warrior with a [B] rank strength.
I hated it. I hated the unpredictability and indecipherable system with all my heart. The only way I could make sense of it was to imagine every person having hidden multipliers that affected the stats.
This would mean that if I, who had a low innate Strength, had a multiplier of 2, then Sophie, who was a Strength specialist, might have a multiplier of 5. Then adding in the stats as static factors, one could get a real-world value, in other words, one's physical strength, and by this logic, she would still be stronger than me even if we had the same strength stat.
When I created this thesis, a weight lifted off my shoulders, as I could feel some slight control of the situation.
It gave me a sense of security to find cohesiveness, to be able to predict what the most likely outcomes would be, and the stat system was no exception.
Back to my own status, it was very obvious that my choices with god had made me into a mix of a mage and a rogue, exactly what I wanted me to be. Though the problem was, as I didn't pick up the Spellblade Manual, I was currently very lacking in offensive capabilities. And that had to change.
Gripping my scythe, I was ready to start my weapon enhancement training for real.
****
[Arthur's Pov]
It was finally my time to fight again, after having James take pity upon me and forfeiting the first match, speaking words that were still haunting me.
He hadn't bothered to return for his make-up match, thus getting completely eliminated from the tournament, pissing Brad off immensely as he wanted to make up for his loss against Sophie.
I understood his feelings incredibly well, although I wasn't mad at James like he was. I was angry at myself, fully understanding now that if he had chosen to fight me, there would be nothing I could do. It would most likely end with me getting knocked out before I even knew what happened. My weakness had haunted me for so long, and after I thought I had improved, James proved how far I had to go.
This feeling was only reinforced by seeing Sophie somehow flying up into the air, thrusting Brad into the ground like he was a toy. She was also a monster, yet one of an entirely different kind than James. She was more real, more alive. If she was a dragon, full of fiery passion and extreme vitality.
James, however, was not like that at all. It was as if he was incorporeal, an ethereal entity that couldn't be touched or understood. Just like his element, he was like enveloping mist. Something you could feel, but not touch. A being that was elusive and manipulating, while always making sure he could never be controlled.
I wasn't a fool. Even though I often regressed into a pitiful state of mind, where I would act like some kind of fangirl of the man, I already knew that there was something about him that wasn't quite right. There was no question about the fact that he was hardworking, and I did admire that trait, but it was as if he wasn't looking at the same world as everyone else. As if he not only distanced himself physically but also mentally.
This was the reason why I chose to forfeit the survival event, unable to bear the feeling of being stuck in his webs, where my instincts were telling me that no matter what choice I made, I would fall prey to his plan.
Still, he was a person to admire. Because he was strong, a trait I was going to claim as soon as possible. And now there was no question about what I had to do in order to become strong, they both had already shown me the answer. If I want to become strong, I also have to become a monster. One step at a time.
With my resolve settled, I stepped out into the arena with a smile on my face.
****
[Sophie's Pov]
'I hate this...'
In front of me stood Arthur, the next person I would have to fight in the tournament. It wasn't that I felt hesitant about fighting him, I just wanted to do so later on in the finals. However, it appeared that life wouldn't be so kind as to allow that.
Taking his hand, he was the one to open his mouth, "Just so you know, Sophie, I will be going all out this time."
Looking at the smiling man, there was no doubt about it; Something had caused him to shake off his self-inflicted shackles, or rather should I say, someone. 'What did James do...?'
Even though I was angry at James for doing something weird to my darling, there was a part of me that was happy. Happy that the goblin had somehow managed to convince him to start using the power he was born with, a power he hated with all of his being.
Tightening my fingers around his hand, I felt my smile widening, "I hope you do. Because you will have to if you want to win!"
Both of our souls were burning with conviction and pride, none of us wanting to let the other return to the waiting room as the winner. Unbeknownst to us both was the fact that a raven was sitting behind the king on the back of his throne, looking at us with extreme interest. Its black eyes watching our every move, intent on gathering as much information as possible.
****
[James's Pov]
"But, are we sure it was a good idea to send Matt?"
"Are you an idiot? He is us! It's not like I have put him in an automatic mode. Now, get back to meditating so we don't run out of mana while controlling Matt's body."