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Roughly seven minutes later…

General Zieg waved his hand after taking to the podium once more. His thunderous voice boomed throughout the grand stadium, filled with cheers, gasps, and anticipation for the growing suspense of each.

“The second round has come to an end! Those fortunate enough to remain standing have secured their position in the second round. Those who have fallen unconscious, been knocked out, or admitted defeat will be treated and sent on their way.”

General Zieg glanced down at some of the crestfallen contestants who couldn’t prevail against the challenge of their peers. “Remember, this isn’t the end of your future. If you were unfortunate, reflect on your mistakes, identify your weaknesses and do your best to remold them. Another chance awaits you in the future if your heart is resilient enough.”

Many of the contestants understood the intentions in General Zieg’s words but losing never left a pleasant taste in one’s mouth.

Nevertheless, some vowed to return with newfound powers while others grumbled ruefully, cursing the fact their round was filled with monsters they couldn’t contend against.

Amidst those still standing on the stage, Kieran looked up at Scar with a confident gleam in his eyes. Despite the disparity in level, Kieran managed to secure his spot by revealing his immense combat knowledge.

There were many times when he was targeted, but his positioning turned another contestant into a target, which enraged both sides—the attacker for missing their strikes and the unsuspecting party for being roped into their conflict.

By the end of the round, Kieran managed to secure more than 15,000 points, placing within the top 1,000.

Even without participating in the second stage, Kieran’s current points qualified for entry into the War Deity Council’s official ranks.

Scar shook his head with a light chuckle. ‘It seems my twerp truly wants to learn that Esoteric Skill. But, he’ll have to do far more to earn such a powerful ability. Besides, even if I teach it to him, there’s no telling if he’ll be able to unleash it.’

Because Esoteric Skills were meant for Advanced Beings, the requirements to activate them were stringent. As an Intermediate Being, Kieran’s current parameters were sorely underwhelming for any of the mighty skills in Scar’s possession.

Several people entered the stadium and carried the unconscious contestants out of the grand coliseum setting. Those capable of walking followed the staff to have their injuries tended to.

After all the injured people were removed, slightly over 100 individuals remained on the stage.

“Congratulations on earning the right to enter the next stage. Take a seat and recuperate. You have approximately 2 hours before the beginning of the second stage. I know some of you exhausted yourself to claw for your spot, so you deserve the rest,” General Zieg said in an understanding tone.

He knew very well the limits of Advanced and Intermediate Beings; they weren’t capable of ceaseless fighting due to their finite Stamina.

Perhaps only an Advanced Being who approached the limits of their current state could achieve such a feat. Otherwise, that kind of Stamina was something found only in Awakened Beings.

Kieran soon exited the True Gladiator Coliseum platform with an exhausted sigh. He used every skill in his repertoire except for Dread Culling and a few other unjustifiable abilities.

Skills like Seethe Burst, Wrath Eruption, Peril Implosion, and Blood Pulse experienced several usages, which nearly emptied his Mana. The current state of his Stamina resulted from activating Abhorrent Paroxysm.

‘I’ve neglected my Mana, which isn’t ideal considering that many of my skills require that I infuse the wielded blood with Mana to do my bidding,’ Kieran thought.

As a result, he used some of the Unassigned Attribute Points in his possession to increase his body’s capacity to hold Mana.

〈System: Intelligence has risen from 100 to 150.〉

〈System: Mana has increased from 750 to 1,000.〉

After using his Unassigned Attributes Points, 44 remained, which Kieran decided to keep for future use. In its current condition, his attributes were thoroughly unbalanced, but balancing them required so many points it gave him a headache.

Only a few options existed for him to correct this issue. But as it was now, it was challenging to realize or attempt any of those options.

At the very least, he would need a higher Constitution.

A few moments later, Kieran returned to his initial position between Azahara and Yashua.

However, unlike before, he took a seat and exhaled while placing Crimson Ashrune over his lap. He glided one finger across the greatsword’s exterior before noticing Yashua’s unusual gaze.

“You thoroughly surprised me. Although I felt you were strong, I didn’t expect you to eliminate so many people. I’m sure several people have come to dislike you after that round,” Yashua said.

There was a faint look of approval in his eyes as he nodded to Kieran.

“Unfortunately, I only did what they wanted to do before they could accomplish it. Everyone on that stage is an enemy, so they would have tried to eliminate me if the chance arose. But, I have an ongoing bet, so I have no intention of being eliminated.”

“A bet?” Yashua looked at Kieran in slight amazement. Did he actually bet on a high-stakes event like the Gladiator Coliseum? That required serious confidence or perhaps unlucky inanity.

“Just a friendly bet. One between my teacher and me,” Kieran nonchalantly revealed.

Yashua let out an uncharacteristic chuckle with a faint smirk. “Of course. How could I be so foolish? If it’s between you and Commander Scar, then it isn’t unbelievable. If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly did you bet over?”

“An Esoteric Skill.”

Even Azahara furrowed her brows after listening to Kieran’s comment. An Esoteric Skill? Did he not know the drawbacks of trying to unleash such a skill at their level?

Azhara had recently stepped upon the path of her Advancement, yet she had no intentions of trying to learn or unleash an Esoteric Skill.

Why? Because if one wasn’t careful while wielding such a skill, it could cause a dire backlash.

The most severe consequences would be ruining one’s Advancement progress, requiring them to start over from the beginning. But restarting couldn’t be performed immediately.

The internal injuries required sufficient time to heal before any attempts to restart occurred lest the individual wanted to destroy their path forward.

“That’s very bold of you. I don’t know the contents of your bet, but if Scar truly does teach you an Estoric Skill, I suggest you refrain from unleashing it. At least, not until you have completed your Advancement,” Azahara said grimly.

Kieran could sense the severity in Azahara’s tone, which compounded upon the fact she rarely spoke. If she took the time to warn Kieran, she clearly understood how dangerous those skills could become.

Azahara wasn’t wrong.

Esoteric Skills possessed another name, which was Taboo Skills. They gained this moniker after people realized they were essentially Awakening Skills for individuals that had yet to awaken.

However, drawing upon a power so close to an Awakening was not without risks.

Azahara had heard of many people destroying their bodies after unleashing an Esoteric Skill in a fit of rage or during a hopeless situation.

Kieran absorbed Azahara’s warning and thanked her for it. “I appreciate the advice, Azahara. I will keep that in mind.”

Azahara gave a subtle nod before returning to her silence.

In the next moment, Yashua’s Lesser War Chest thrummed with the familiar signal from earlier.

“Good luck during your round,” Kieran said.

“Luck? I don’t need luck on my side when I’ve trained for this very moment. The beginning of my aspirations starts inside the War Deity Council. And, I have no intention of failing my first step,” Yashua stated confidently.

This confidence, but more importantly, the words Yashua chose, resonated with Kieran. They were words he told himself not too long ago. In fact, it happened during Scar’s initial test.

It wouldn’t be unusual if the Gladiator Coliseum were an initial test for Yashua—one where he announced his presence. However, if that were true, then an undeniably tough challenge rested before Yashua.

Many contestants, such as Ronan, Bracca, and Knox, were of monstrous strength. To obtain the highest chance of passing, Kieran suggested Yashua acquire as many points as possible during this stage.

‘A kindred spirit who seeks out their own path of great strength. I believe it’s possible if he doesn’t fall here.’

With his halberd flung over his shoulder, Yashua approached the coliseum platform alongside several other youths.

Not too far away, Kieran’s gaze fell upon a particular individual approaching the platform with an inconcealable air of savagery permeating his surroundings.

His wild eyebrows curled across most of his forehead while the rest was covered with bristly black hair, matching that of a lion’s mane.

His deep blue eyes gave off the impression of wanting to devour one whole.

“How unfortunate of Yashua,” Azahara spoke.

“What do you mean?” Kieran turned toward Azahara with a questioning gaze. It was clear she knew important she didn’t.

“That burly young man with the twin axes attached to his back is called Bracca. In other words, he is the contestant with the second highest qualifications.”

Kieran silently analyzed Bracca and noticed something. “Is Bracca a Barbarian?”

“No, but he has visited the Wildes and fought there. It’s where he gained that air of savagery.”