BOOM! BOOM!
The Ice Wall started to crack and splinter until only a thin layer of ice was left.
It couldn't hold on any longer.
CRACK!
The wall shattered completely, but at least it had blocked his powerful attack.
Baksa Boo didn't slow down.
He charged at me with fierce attacks, though not as strong as before.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
I blocked his strikes with my sword.
His blows were heavy and precise.
A few hits landed on me, but not enough to bring me down.
"Ice Shard!"
I launched a counterattack to give myself a moment to breathe.
Baksa dodged it easily and began gathering mana in his fist.
He was preparing to unleash the same strong attack as before.
"Ice Wall!"
BOOM! BOOM!
The Ice Wall held off the attack again.
"I didn't expect you to have such strong magic,"
Baksa said with a smirk.
"A powerful sword technique and ice magic? You're talented. But—"
A yellow glow surrounded him as his battle barrier activated.
"You still don't have what it takes to beat me."
"You'll see!"
I shouted back, though I knew he was right.
My Ice Magic couldn't break his barrier.
Even my strongest move, Shadow Slash, had failed.
But I wasn't out of options yet.
"Dual Skill."
I had been training this technique since I recovered from my injuries.
I could use it now without much trouble, but only for one or two attacks.
More than that would make my mana unstable and injure me.
"Glacial Shadow Slash!"
This was my strongest attack.
If it didn't work, I'd have to accept defeat.
BAM! BAM! CRACK!
The strike hit his barrier, freezing it solid.
"Huh?"
Baksa's eyes widened in surprise.
I punched the frozen barrier with all my strength, shattering it into pieces.
My fist landed squarely on his abdomen.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
I stood there, panting.
The attack had drained me completely, and running up to land that punch had taken the last of my energy.
I raised my fist in the air and shouted,
"I won!"
The entire arena went silent.
Everyone stared, trying to process what they had just witnessed.
A Rank-2 had broken the defense of the strongest man in their federation.
It seemed impossible, even though they had seen it happen with their own eyes.
Clap. Clap. Clap….
After a moment, the sound of applause echoed through the area.
"Did you see that? He actually broke the federation master's defense!"
"Even with the federation master limiting himself to Rank-2 power, I didn't think it could happen."
"The power of that last attack went beyond Rank-2. I've never imagined a Rank-2 kid could show such incredible strength."
Murmurs spread through the crowd as they discussed what had unfolded, their voices filled with awe and disbelief.
==============================
On the arena floor, I raised my fist and shouted, "I won!"
It had been a tough fight.
I had been too arrogant, thinking I could easily win against a Rank-7+ opponent, even if he limited his power to Rank-2.
If this had been a real battle, I wouldn't have survived.
I realized that in a fight, power, skills, stats, and techniques aren't the only things that matter.
Experience, reaction speed, and even luck play a big role in determining the outcome.
This time, I won because I only needed to land one attack on his body, and he wasn't expecting my final move.
It's good to have confidence, but I learned the hard way not to be overconfident.
I had underestimated Baksa because of how much I had improved recently.
Now I understand why so many talented fighters lose to the protagonists in stories.
They're overconfident and not cautious enough when facing an opponent.
This fight taught me a lot—staying humble, understanding my limits, and the value of experience.
I need to fight more battles to gain experience.
They say experience is the best teacher, after all.
"The winner of this duel is Xerox Zee!"
the referee announced, looking a bit conflicted.
"Haha, I didn't expect you to break my defense,"
Baksa said with a hearty laugh.
"That last attack of yours was the strongest I've seen from a Rank-2."
He didn't look like someone who had just lost.
In fact, he seemed genuinely happy.
Maybe he was impressed by my talent or pleased to see the younger generation growing stronger.
"Thank you for the compliment,"
I replied.
"I still have a lot to learn from you. This fight really opened my eyes."
"As we agreed, my federation will work under your company,"
Baksa said, still smiling.
"I'll have Ekapal send over the contract. I look forward to working together,"
I said.
With this deal, one of my company's biggest problems was solved.
Now I didn't have to worry about other federations trying to take over.
NightShade was one of the strongest Gold-ranked federations around.
No one would risk messing with them just to target my small company.
Hopefully, this would keep the Silver-ranked federations at bay.
Back at the company, we finalized the contract.
It included both a mana-binding agreement and a written document outlining terms like protection, support in business dealings, and other important conditions.
Ekapal handled all the details.
Once that was settled, I started preparing for the next step—going to the auction house.
I needed to get the Malus fruit to help Baksa advance to 10-Rank.
With Baksa's promotion, even other Gold-ranked federations would think twice before challenging NightShade.
This would secure my company's safety for the foreseeable future.
The auction was held the next day.
I brought Baksa along as my assistant, and we attended the event, which lasted about four hours.
Although it cost me a significant amount of coins, I managed to get everything I needed.
"The first item I bought was the Malus Fruit.
It cost me 1.4 million coins."
Name: Malus Fruit
Rank: 4
Description: Increases the user's mana capacity. The exact increase depends on the user's rank.
Requirement: Rank-7
Mana Capacity: +5%
"The second item was the Magic Bracelet, which cost 200 thousand coins."
Name: Enchanted Frost Bracelet
Rank: 5+
Description: A weapon for Ice Magic users, crafted by Enthir. It improves Ice energy control and enhances Ice-based attacks.
Magic Attack: +20%
This bracelet was an unusual choice, as most mages prefer using staffs or wands, which generally have better stats.
However, I needed a weapon that worked with my style.
The bracelet let me use magic without having to switch weapons, allowing me to wield my sword and cast Ice Skill at the same time.
It wasn't a popular item because Ice Magic is rare, but it was perfect for me.
"The next item was a Spatial Ring. It cost 250 thousand coins, a bit pricey compared to regular storage rings, but it offered more space."
Name: Spatial Ring
Rank: 6
Description: Allows storage of non-living items. Items stored will not rot due to magical enchantments.
Capacity: 100 square meters
I was satisfied with the item, but seeing the ring reminded me of a past scam.
That merchant… I'll make sure to get my revenge someday.
"The last item I bought was an Amethyst Earring. It cost me 380 thousand coins, almost double the price of the bracelet."
Name: Amethyst Earring
Rank: 5
Description: Increases the user's mana capacity. It may also enhance the wearer's charm.
Mana Capacity: +15%
The earring was highly contested during the auction.
Unlike the bracelet, which had limited appeal, the earring could be used by almost anyone.
I was happy to win it, even if it cost me more than expected.
With these items, my strength would improve significantly.
I headed to NightShade's training room to test them out.
Their facility was not only close to my company but also far better than other training areas I had access to.
Equipping the earring and bracelet, I decided to test my new power on a training dummy built to withstand Rank-4 attacks.
"Dual Skill: Ice Sword!"
I struck the dummy, and the head came clean off, like a hot knife through butter.
I was speechless.
I hadn't expected such a dramatic increase in power.
The bracelet boosted my Ice Magic to a whole new level, and the earring let me use more mana than before.
My strength now matched that of a typical Rank-4.
I trained until midnight, thrilled by my newfound power.
Still, I reminded myself not to get cocky.
I had a long way to go before I could truly call myself strong.
The next day was the weekend, and it was time to help Baksa reach Rank-10.
Baksa had managed to acquire a Lilium Flower, an item commonly found in Rank-A dungeons.
Although expensive, it wasn't too rare.
I mixed the Malus Fruit and Lilium Flower in a 3:4 ratio, creating a potion.
After pouring it into a glass, I headed to NightShade federation to meet Baksa
.
The receptionist guided me to the federation master's office on the top floor.
"Hello, federation master Baksa,"
I said as I entered.
"Hello, Xerox Zee. What brings you here?"
he asked.
"I'm here to fulfill my contract conditions."
-BUNGGGGGGG!-
"You mean promoting me to Rank-10?"
Baksa stood up, slamming the table in excitement and surprise.
"AAAAhhh Hmmmm....."