Anthony won without suspense and he managed to defeat his opponent in just less than five moves.
Anthony was just on a whole different level. His ability to wield his halberd as well as his footwork was impressive.
The crowd cheered for his victory.
Soon, the names of the last pair were called. Everyone's eyes gathered upon them.
As Alaric stepped onto the stage, he felt the weight of everyone's expectations. If it was another eighteen-year-old, they might not be able to handle the pressure, but he was different. He was a war veteran in his past life. He had experienced more dangerous situations that made this competition feel trifling to him.
Just like the other participants, Alaric's opponent was also a skilled Knight who had more than a decade of experience.
To the eyes of the crowd, Alaric had no chance of winning. However, some people had different opinions. One of them was Lucas.
He had seen Alaric's skills with his own eyes.
He even defeated his uncle. Defeating that Knight shouldn't be an issue for him.
Lucas thought as he announced the commencement of the match.
For this match, Alaric wanted to try something new.
He gracefully unsheathed a pair of swords and twirled them in his hands in fluid motion which dazzled the crowd.
"Lord Alaric is a dual sword wielder?"
"That's even more difficult than using a two-handed longsword…"
"He looks quite skilled in handling two swords. They don't feel or look awkward every time he makes a move."
Meanwhile, Alaric's opponent was your typical Knight. He was using a sword in his dominant hand and a rectangular shield in his left hand.
___
Mission: Might of House Silversword
Difficulty: Easy
Show everyone the might of House Silversword by winning the competition!
Rewards: 150 Battle Points, 30 EXP, F-Rank Talent Card x1
Penalty for failure: -300 Battle Points
___
Seeing this, Alaric furrowed his eyebrows in surprise. The penalty was quite severe this time. To accumulate 300 Battle Points, he needed to do a full month of daily missions.
Should I use my stat points to ensure my victory?
A thought crossed his mind.
At the moment, he still had 35 unallocated stat points. If he used them to increase certain stats, he would have an advantage against Knights of the same level.
Alaric no longer hesitated. He used up 20 unallocated stat points and distributed them evenly to his agility and strength.
Alaric Silversword [Knight] EXP: 31/500
Potential: B
Talent: Horseback Riding (C), Swordsmanship (SSS), Close Combat (D), Archery (F), Hunting (E), Tracking (F)
Strength: 38+
Stamina: 28+
Agility: 35+
Vitality: 27+
Endurance: 27+
Mana: 13+
Battle Points: 460
Stat Points: 15
(Requirements for next advancement: 500 EXP, 100 in all attributes, and 5000 Battle Points)
With the sudden increase in his agility and strength, Alaric felt more confident.
At this moment, his opponent suddenly grew impatient and launched a simple probing slash.
His sword looked slow in Alaric's eyes.
So this is the advantage of having a higher agility.
Alaric effortlessly evaded his opponent's sword. He then moved forward in a flash and released a sweep kick.
Due to his ghost-like movements, his opponent failed to react in time and lost his footing, stumbling over as he tried to regain his balance.
Alaric didn't waste any time and brandished his sword, cleaving it down after a 180-degree spin in midair.
His opponent realized his intention and immediately raised his shield as he stumbled backward.
As soon as Alaric's sword came in contact with his shield, a powerful force pushed the Knight back, throwing him to the ground.
What a powerful force!
The Knight was stunned by the force behind Alaric's sword.
Just as he was about to stand up, he sensed a cold sensation on his neck. He looked down and saw Alaric's sword pressing on his neck.
Seeing this, he smiled bitterly. "I concede."
Alaric sheathed his swords and helped the man stand up. "It was a good fight."
The Knight bowed to him and left.
The crowd couldn't believe their eyes. A young Knight who had only advanced a week ago actually managed to defeat an experienced Knight in such an overwhelming fashion.
"Unbelievable! No wonder Lord Charles confidently told Lord Alaric to join the competition."
"I have never seen someone so proficient in dual sword wielding. Lord Alaric looked so graceful in that battle. Amazing!"
Alaric's acquaintances were also shocked by his display of skills, especially Rasmus who was currently watching the competition together with William and the children from the orphanage.
"So Lord Alaric is this powerful…" Rasmus's eyes flashed with admiration.
"You have followed a great man, Rasmus. You should learn from him." William muttered as he patted his shoulder.
The old Knight was similarly stunned. He never expected the young Knight to be that powerful.
"Yes, Grandpa!" Rasmus clenched his hands with a determined look.
Meanwhile, Charles was fuming after the battle concluded.
Alaric's swordsmanship was becoming more and more unfathomable in his eyes and even an Elite Knight like him felt threatened.
He wanted Alaric to join the competition and have him face defeat at the hands of the experienced Knights. However, things happened beyond his expectations.
So his victory against me wasn't a mere fluke!
He realized at that moment that he had severely underestimated his nephew.
No… The competition isn't over yet. That old man, Anthony, and that gigolo, Dylann, are still there. They should be able to beat that brat.
With Alaric's victory, the first round of the competition finally ended. Another person was called in to draw the lots for the next round of the competition.
This time, only eight participants remained. Each of them was a Knight of a higher caliber. Among them, Alaric and Dylann were young, while the remaining six had more than a decade of experience.
A moment later, the results of the drawing of lots were revealed.
The guests's enthusiasm intensified after the pairings for the second round were announced.
More people joined in the betting of the candidates which caused the entire venue to shake with excitement.