Start of Outer Sect Tournament
"Who do you think would win?" asked one of the spectators.
"I would bet on the one with a scar on his face. He is known for his battle prowess, and I can say that even some of the outer sect elders aren't his match. So he will be the winner," answered a man with a long beard.
"No, it would be the burly red-haired man. He is the top outer sect disciple under twenty. He sure will become an inner court disciple," spoke another.
Wherever you go, this is the only talk you can hear in the entire sect. Every discussion is about the tournaments of Inner court and Outer court disciples.
Today is the start of the tournaments for Inner and Outer Court disciples. The tournament attracted everyone as it would determine the power of the sect.
Many sects are paying attention to the tournaments as it means whether to become an ally or see its destruction and take whatever remains. This was the attitude of many sects since the day when the heavens roared and the earth trembled.
Erik was one of those spectators.
Yes, he memorized both techniques but has not fully comprehended them. It's just that no one could do it in just two weeks and at his level. One of them takes at least a month for one at Erik's level. He has already reduced the time required to a fourth of the original time required by others.
After memorizing them, he left his quarters and returned the techniques to the Elder at the skills hall. The Elder felt something weird when Erik was handing back the techniques. He seemed different than before.
With deep blue eyes, Erik always stood out in the crowd. Added to that, only a few disciples came after the outer court assessment, and because of the techniques Erik took, the Elder clearly remembered him.
Did I remember wrongly? The Elder thought. He didn't think much after.
After returning the techniques, he returned back to his quarters and started to comprehend both the techniques; though the level is low, it's not an easy thing to comprehend.
The one thing that made him happy was that his vision seemed different when he went out to the skills hall. He could see far-away things and also could see the stats of every person he looked at. The bonus is that he can detect even the slightest changes around him.
He first observed this in his quarters when he saw a fly but crossed off it as a hallucination.
The EYE OF HORUS worked.
---
Erik felt saddened as he would be missing out on the rewards provided by the sect for the top ten. Yes, unlike before, where they used to reward only the top three, this time they are rewarding the top ten.
The increase in the value of rewards for the top three and the number of disciples that would be rewarded increased the number of participants.
Though the age bar was removed, the condition of being a disciple restricted a few, especially ones that became Elders recently in the past two years. They felt that they could have waited to break through higher realms. The top three awards are worth the wait.
[Host, don't be sad about losing these mealy rewards. You need to become strong, and that should be the only thing you should worry about.]
"I know, Aurora. Let's leave."
Erik stood up and left the arena.
[Host, why are we leaving?]
"If I stay, I will wallow in losing the rewards. I should train and become strong, so I want to go out hunting."
[Good decision, Host. Moreover, there is a debt of 300 sect points. You have to pay within two months, or they'll throw you out, and you are in no way ready to leave the sect yet.]
"Oh, I totally forgot about that. Thanks for the remainder."
---
Inside Missions hall
Unlike most days, the Missions hall is almost empty. There are only a few disciples who returned back to the sect from their journeys.
Erik checked the missions available. There is a lot of demand for beast cores and skin, especially the skin of Silver horned Rhino, a Rank-2 beast. The thing is, it has thick and hardened skin providing it a lot of defense.
Moreover, they always move in herds, which makes killing them difficult.
Beast cores are a different matter. Nothing in Novice Realm drops beast core, which is referred to as Rank-1.
'Hmm, all the missions that need me to go outside seem way above my level. The ones that I can clear are chores for the sect disciples. No way will I be a slave; I have been one for too long. I'll hunt whatever I can and sell for sect points,' Erik thought.
---
While Erik was deep in thought about what missions he should take, the tournament for outer sect disciples had begun.
"Greetings, Sect Master, Grand Elders, Elders, and disciples of the Heavenly Peak Sect. Our sect was established hundreds of years ago, and since its inauguration, we have strived to achieve greatness. Greatness can only be achieved through strength. Only the strong can survive.
This tournmanent is precisely held to show others that point. Let's see who among the contestants shall be in the strong section and who among the weak. Weak will be weeded out, and the strong shall rise above all.
Let the tournament begin," announced the referee.
"Yay"
"Yay"
"Give us a fight."
"Arron beat them all."
The arena was filled with shouts and taunts of spectators. Some supporting for their favorite contestants while some taunt other contestants.
Some drunkards are just cheering to see some fight.
---
Erik paid no attention to the tournament. As he previously thought, many of the contestants are pretty strong than him. Some are better at fighting, even if they are a few levels below him.
He already lost those rewards even before the tournament began, so there is no need to waste time when he can use that time properly.
After deciding that he would sell items for sect points, Erik went to a shop and bought a saber, which is neither short nor long, the one that even a novice can use.
He walked out of the sect, towards the Western forests, where low-rank beasts roam and are less dangerous than Eastern forests, where Rank-3 and above ranks usually live.