One hour later, the battle still hadn't reached a conclusion.
The onlookers had completely lost their ability to react. An Level 5 matching an Level 7 was practically a miracle in their eyes.
"No wonder the rumors about him sound so godlike..."
The white-haired elf murmured softly.
Throughout this hour, both Eiji and Ottar had fought without holding back, giving their all to defeat the other. The numerous wounds and bloodstains covering their bodies were proof of that.
Even though Eiji continuously employed his Blend of Light and Dust technique, Ottar had broken through his stance several times by adopting an injury-for-injury fighting style.
Since Eiji had no intention of using his Blazer ability, he kept accumulating wounds.
Ottar's strength and speed simply surpassed his by too wide a margin. Even with sword skills far superior to his opponent's, Eiji couldn't protect himself completely.
"Everyone, please take a short break."
A female attendant pushed a cart onto the field and dumped its contents onto the ground.
With a clattering sound, crystal bottles were casually tossed onto the grass, their rainbow hues dazzling Eiji's eyes.
Without a word, Ottar walked over, picked up a bottle, and drank its contents. His body quickly returned to pristine condition.
"That's way too extravagant!"
Eiji was green with envy.
Those bottles piled up like a small mountain were all High Potions!
Each bottle was potent enough to save a life, yet Ottar was using them to recover from ordinary flesh wounds. What ridiculous extravagance!
"Does the Freya Familia have an exceptional alchemist or something?"
Eiji also walked over and picked up a bottle to drink.
Well, it wasn't his anyway—using it was pure profit!
"I'm afraid I can't disclose that information."
The attendant looked troubled.
"Then you shouldn't have said anything at all."
Eiji spread his hands helplessly.
The two elves nearby couldn't help giving her looks that said "what an idiot."
By saying that, hadn't she just confirmed his suspicions?
High Potions were priceless and hard to come by. Even the Loki Familia couldn't produce so many at once. Judging by how casually the Freya Familia treated this cartload, it was probably just a fraction of their stock. The gap between their resources was glaring. The Freya Familia definitely had an alchemist capable of brewing High Potions. She really had gathered quite the collection of talents under her banner!
"Were the enemies you encountered in the artificial labyrinth strong?"
Ottar picked up several stamina potions, drinking as he spoke.
The black and white elves and the prum also pricked up their ears. They were quite curious about how the Loki Familia—with its abundance of powerful members—had suffered setbacks in the artificial labyrinth.
"Enemies?"
Eiji pondered briefly.
"The strongest enemy was probably the labyrinth itself. Without that maze, the Loki Familia wouldn't have lost... But the opposition did have some terrifyingly strong individuals. The strongest among them surpassed even you in pure physical ability!"
He thought of the red-haired woman, Revis.
That woman, who grew stronger by devouring magic stones, had reached Level 7 by their last encounter. She could defeat Finn and Ais in a single exchange. Her strength and speed absolutely surpassed Ottar's current level!
"How did you defeat her?"
"I used magic."
At that time, it was Eiji who had used his Blazer ability to force the enemy back.
Without using his ability, who knew how long the grueling battle would have lasted?
Moreover, opponents like Revis possessed formidable regenerative capabilities, making their endurance extremely high. Prolonging the fight would undoubtedly put Eiji at a greater disadvantage.
Ottar remained silent.
An enemy whose physical prowess surpassed his own had still been repelled by him.
Perhaps out of competitive spirit, Ottar raised his massive greatsword once more, its tip pointed directly at Eiji.
"Your stamina's recovered, so let's continue."
"Alright!"
Eiji's eyes gleamed with the fire of a warrior.
Facing Ottar as an opponent would allow his abilities to progress rapidly.
If this kept up, he might even reach the peak of Level 5 before the second assault on the artificial dungeon!
The clanging of metal and thunderous impacts resounded across the plains once more as the two clashed again.
When his stamina ran low, he drank high-grade potions. When injuries piled up, he used elixirs.
This cycle repeated endlessly, keeping Eiji's combat frequency at its highest. By the end of the day, his rest time probably didn't even amount to an hour.
Only with this level of relentless drive could he push past his limits at the fastest possible pace!
The Kali Familia might have taken things too far, but they had proven this point thoroughly.
Knock knock knock!
Suddenly, knocking echoed from the mansion's front gate.
"Requesting guidance!"
A cold, authoritative voice followed.
"...A challenger?"
The fight paused as Eiji blinked in confusion.
Seriously?
Someone actually came to the Freya Familia to issue a challenge?
Were they that reckless? Or just some clueless rookie dreaming of fame?
But the voice sounded familiar.
The tone made it hard to recognize immediately.
Before he could ponder further, the elves and dwarves around him were already furious.
In their hearts, this was the sacred domain of Lady Freya—no fool had the right to set foot here.
Eiji was an exception they couldn't do anything about, but any nameless upstart daring to trespass wouldn't leave alive!
They immediately formed ranks and rushed toward the entrance.
Soon, the gates of the training grounds swung open, revealing the challenger's figure.
The moment they saw her, the elves and dwarves froze in surprise.
"You?"
"Who is it?"
Eiji tilted his head for a look.
One glance was all it took for an overwhelming urge to flee to surge through him.
The ground beneath his feet suddenly felt scorching, making him want to bolt instantly.
But the vast, open plains offered nowhere to hide.
"Uh... what a coincidence!"
He forced an awkward yet polite smile and greeted the newcomer.
The newcomer also froze.
She clearly hadn't expected Eiji to be here, taking a moment to regain her composure.
Her pure golden eyes gradually filled with a strange light.
Her golden hair fluttered in the wind.
Normally, she never raised her voice like that, so Eiji hadn't recognized it immediately. Only upon seeing her did he realize—too late.
The girl was Ais.
Fully armed, she stood at the gates of the Freya Familia, while the Familia's executives watched her every move warily, ready to draw their swords at any moment.
"Huh? Ais? What are you doing here?"
Eiji exclaimed in feigned surprise.
One step ahead!
As long as you strike first, no one can catch you off guard!
"...I want special training from Ottar."
As expected, Ais paused, then honestly stated her purpose.
Ottar's eyelid twitched.
The expressions of the others weren't much better either.
Good grief, first Eiji, and now Ais too.
Are you treating our Freya Familia and the city's strongest fighters as experience points? Something you can just farm whenever you want?