The group traveled to where the mine was located and Leon and Dean immediately entered one of the tents setup and started to sleep. This was the fastest way for them to recover.
Julius didn't disturb them since he knew the mental stress they had to go through given this was their first life-and death-battle. Well, they were on the safe side, but it still took a toll on them.
He heard about the duo's performance from the Warriors, and he couldn't hide the shock on his face when he heard about Leon's performance. He already knew Leon would be on a different level from Dean, but Leon fought like a seasoned Warrior which was a little surprising for someone who just started fighting. He also felt amazed that Dean was able to even make any impact on the battlefield.
After traveling with the duo, he already knew a little about them. Dean, however, surprised him.
The tribesmen immediately started to work on the mine. There was no use in waiting.
Julius and the Warriors would stay here a little longer to clear out the magical beasts in the area. This would ensure the long usage of the mine without having to worry too much about being attacked by magical beasts.
If they manage to kill most of the beasts here, the others would flee the area, making it safe for the Gnurx tribe to mine.
The night went by without them being attacked. Julius saw this as a good sign since it gave them the chance they needed to rest.
Leon and Dean were already awake just after sunrise, and they were training with some of the Warriors. Dean's use of the sword was beyond impressive, even against people with two or three stages above him, he is still able to hold them off with just his sword techniques alone.
Leon on the other hand made it almost impossible for his opponents to get close to him thanks to his impeccable accuracy with the bow.
The duo could almost be regarded as masters of their weapons of choice.
Of course, they were still miles behind the true masters, but against those of weaker levels, they were above them.
"It's a good thing the beasts didn't attack again in the night, I really needed the rest." Leon sighed as he looked around.
"Yeah, I don't know how I would've been able to fight against them then." Dean nodded in agreement.
He had a weaker cultivation stage, so it was natural that he would have weaker stamina. Of course, if push came to shove, he would've been able to fight all through the night, but he preferred it didn't get to that stage. He was still trying to get used to fighting, so even though a long battle would be beneficial for his growth, it might cause him more harm than good.
"Do you want to spar with me?" Julius asked the duo with a smile.
He was above their level, but it didn't mean he couldn't spar with them.
"Sure, Dean." Leon nodded and turned to Dean.
"I don't mind." Dean replied with a shrug.
Leon nodded before standing close to Dean. The Warriors created space for the trio, watching on with a little excitement.
Dean and Leon brought out their weapons, and Julius did the same as well. He was a spear wielder, and after years of practice and use on the battlefield, he was well-versed with the spear.
Leon retreated, and Dean stood between him and Julius. Their plan was simple, Dean would focus on close-range assault while Leon would use the bow. Given how good they were with their respective weapons, it was a great choice of action from a bystander's point of view. Even Julius agreed with their thoughts.
Dean tried to attack Julius, but with a light stab of his spear, he forced Dean back.
Leon shot an arrow before Julius could continue his attack on Dean. With the precision of Leon, Julius didn't dare to take the attack lightly.
With a spin, he not only dodged the arrow, but he took two steps closer to Dean who never expected him to do anything like that.
Dean was a little flustered, but he used his sword to deflect the spear coming his way and retreated as Leon shot another arrow.
Julius blocked the attack this time, and before he could make any moves, Dean took the chance to get close to him and attacked.
Dean hadn't gotten the chance to get close to Julius since the start of the spar, but now that the chance finally presented itself, he couldn't afford to miss it.
He slashed at Julius, but Julius used the end part of the spear to block the attack. After blocking, he tried to create a distance between himself and Dean.
Leon on the other hand attacked once again. His shots were very precise since he knew he might hit Dean with them.
Although it was a spar, they were using real weapons, and he was attacking with his full strength. Given Julius' strength, anything that was beyond his present stage, he would just use his full strength and block or evade.
With Julius' speed, he had no issues with dodging an arrow from Leon. Dean on the other hand would be hurt if hit.
Julius quickly realized this as the battle went on and after getting the position of Leon, he started to use Dean as a shield to block Leon's attacks while fighting against Dean.
He had a complete advantage against Dean since he was more experienced.
Dean was having a hard time fighting alone against Julius, and Leon was standing a good distance away. With Dean blocking his shot, there was no way for him to be of any use.
After thinking about it for some time, he decided to discard his bow and get closer. At this rate, he would just be part of the audience.
'This is a good chance for me to work on close-range battles.' Leon thought as he closed in.