Chapter 23: Expert gazes

Sael couldn't help but burst out laughing as three Antger were herded into the arena with him. He was laughing so hard the moderator of his little arena started to intercede thinking he was having some sort of break down before Sael managed to get under control enough to stop him.

'Man what are the chances! Ok, let's try and keep a low profile. I won't use any abilities, do my best to just avoid getting hit and poke them for a bit. Once it's been long enough I'll finish 'em off. It doesn't matter how long it takes me to kill them so long as I do and that will get me through round one.' Once his mental planning session was over he squared off against the monsters.

As the Antger charged in he focused on avoiding their attacks and occasionally parried one or two if they got too aggressive. Avoiding using even his trust skill or combat awareness, afraid someone might notice he relied on his excellent dexterity to make sure each of his attacks were shallow and in non-lethal areas. After several minutes of the dance he was starting to get bored. It took way more concentration to not simply destroy the monsters than he'd realized. Lately he'd allowed them to just beat on him to level up his vitality and pain resistance but at least then he could zone out, fighting these monsters while holding back was annoying.

Eventually he decided he'd been messing around long enough and managed to deliver a quick killing blow to each of the monsters in turn. Once the moderator confirmed that he'd successfully cleared the trial he left towards the exit to join up with the girls and Dego. Dego had the last round in his bracket and theirs wouldn't start until after all the lower brackets were done.

The gang was all together in the stands having found a spot to watch over his walled off corner of the arena. "Alright so how did I do compared to the others?" He plopped down at the end next to Beth.

"Look for yourself, you're the first one done." Beth pointed to the other arenas that still had their combatants battling out with their own trio of Antger. He noticed most were having troubles since Antger tended to work together. He was so used to their flanking strategies he hadn't really been bothered by it. But he watched another fighter using a sword and shield struggling just to defend himself. Every time he moved to block one another would dart in and he'd be forced to back peddle or take several blows.

"Damn, I thought I held back enough. I didn't use any skills and even stalled for what felt like ages. It at least looked like I was struggling right?"

The look on the other four faces told him everything he didn't want to know. "Well hell, good thing we already placed our bets. Let's hope Gree can keep the odds under control. Sael turned his attention back to the arena and watched his competition. He was pretty shocked by what he saw. Most of the other fighters were struggling with the Antger's teamwork. Even those who had superior physical abilities were mostly put in a bind just to find an opening. Sael recalled how much trouble fighting the groups of Antger had been at first but he figured that was due to his low level and lack of skills.

Several of the fighters utilized intermediate skills and abilities that made Sael more than a little envious. Still it was a while before the other three finished their rounds and only one other had managed to win. During the second round though Sael felt a bit better about his performance. In the same arena section he'd been in, another came out wearing a full set of gleaming plate armor and wielding a massive great sword. The moment the Antger charged him he rushed forward ignoring their impotent attacks against his superior armor and with one massive two handed sweep slew all of them at once.

Several of those around the group were commenting about how incredible what they'd just seen was.

"That's Duke Kindle's son isn't it?" One stranger asked another.

"Who else would be in the low level bracket wearing a full set of enchanted plate and a behemoth blade?" Was the response he received from the other stranger.

"Damn, He's got a small kingdom's treasury in equipment. I wish I'd seen that before I bet on the Amazon. She's something else but no way she'll beat that monster." The first one pointed out.

"Suck to be you. Once I heard he was in the match I bet everything on him." Grinning the other responded.

"Bah sucks to be both of you!" Dego slapped Sael on the back. "My friend here is going to take home first place. Just you wait. You're gonna regret not betting on the Fairy King!"

Both strangers looked from Dego to Sael and then the two fairies before bursting out laughing. "Your friend did an ok job. But he isn't going to out do the Duke's son. Look at what he's wearing compared to the other. No offense but that junk won't hold a candle up to a set of top tier plate. Let alone with the enchants the Duke's sure to have paid for. Better luck next ball kid." Both strangers stood up and started to leave.

Beth turned to Sael, her face flushed. "You go down there and demand a second chance. This time you better not hold back!" She glared at the backs of the two strangers.

Chuckling Sael tousled her hair. "Come on, it will just be even better when I wipe the floor with everyone in the next rounds!"

He started to pull back his hand when she grasped his wrist with both of he's keeping his hand on her head. "You can win right? If you can't, no need to risk getting hurt. That guy… Even from here I can tell they weren't lying his gear is beyond powerful."

Grinning he messed her hair one last time. "I'll end him so fast he'll be asking for his money back from whoever he overpaid for that junk. I've got the best gear here by a long shot!"

**********

Guild Master Dinn watched the unknown adventurer in the green Antger armor with the strange silver furred sleeves battling the pack of Antgers. "What do you think Sele?"

Sele was a tall dark skinned woman who wore a set of deep violet robes. "I'd ask you to make sure the testing stones were working if I hadn't checked them myself this morning. Who or perhaps what is that?"

Dinn nodded watching the fighter toying with the Antger with an ease that was frightening. To someone without combat experience on his level the show might have made them think he was struggling against the pack of monsters. As long as they didn't pay any attention to how easily he moved or how lazily he attacked. But to the skilled eyes of the two guild masters he revealed far more than Sael would have liked. Dinn recognized the ocean of difference between the man and the monsters, shocked that unlike normally the man held all the advantages. Unlike the amatures who mistook the man's blinding fast thrusts for skills Dinn saw the truth of it all.

For Sele she was far less practiced in the martial skills but as the Guild Master of the Mages Guild she'd been witness to more than her fair share of battles. What she saw was the graceful movements of someone that had danced across a thousand battlefields. When she opened her third eye to appraise him only her lifetime of meditation allowed her to keep the shock from showing. Within the gaze of her unique skill she could measure the physical and magical powers of any enemy. It gave her a great advantage allowing her to know what she was up against and prepare in advance. '

She saw physical power as a red aura or flame rising out of most fighters. For powerful mages they had a blue aura or flame that rose out of them. While gazing at the man faking his battle against the Antger she witnessed two flame pillars rising out of him intertwining until the flame rose up as a rich and violent purple. 'I can not tell if his might or magic is greater but regardless they are both powerful.'

"Perhaps I know how he did it. Has one ever carried the class of warrior and mage at the same time? Which one does the testing stone register?" Dinn glanced at Sele, he knew of her unique ability.

"You're trying to tell me that he is a mage?" Dinn squinted as he stared down into the arena as the man in question easily executed the three monsters before walking off.

"I do not know myself. But he possesses a great deal of magical power as well." Sele kept her gaze locked on the man trying to better read him.

"Even if he did multiclass the stones should be able to tell. Still, I'll look into it. He must be an Arrived for that to even be possible but still…" Dinn trailed off.

"Will you disqualify him?" Sele asked, curious.

"You're sure the spheres are working correctly?" At her furious gaze he held up his hands. "Yeah yeah I know. Do me a favor, see if you can modify one of the spheres to check for your theory. I'll do some digging on my own." Dinn and Sele watched the rest of the first competitors seeing nothing else out of the normal.

Once the second set of competitors entered Dinn and Sele saw who they had originally come to view. Alan the Duke's son was competing in his first Adventurer's Ball. The seventeen year old had been groomed since he was a toddler. He was equipped in the finest arms and armor money could buy, every piece crafted by an Arrived crafter from the capital. He not only had plenty of intermediate skills but a number of advanced skills as well.

Dinn watched as Alan charged forward and used the advanced skill Giant Slayer to destroy the three Antger's at once. Once he killed his enemies his gaze went straight to the strange man from the previous round sitting amongst a group that included two fairy women. None of the group was paying Alan anymore attention seeming to be talking to two other spectators. But neither Dinn nor Sele missed the angry glare on Alan's face.

"Seems we are not the only ones to notice that man's abilities. This does raise my opinion of the Duke's son's abilities but his actions are those of a child." Sele noted.

Dinn just grunted in agreement, 'Even if that man is cheating somehow it might be good to leave him in. A bit of humility might do the Duke's heir a bit of good. I'll make sure they won't meet before the finals though. It will make for a great ending.'

Normally Dinn and Sele would watch through the rest of the day's events but both suddenly had things they needed to do. Dinn headed down to his guild hall needing to get some information on who this stranger was. While Sele retreated back to her own guild in order to prepare a special testing sphere. Both guild masters had more spring in their step than normal, so much so that it caught the attention of their various guilds. Excitement began running through the town as rumors of what might have the two mightiest guild masters so excited began to spread.

**********

Sael, his harem, and Dego left Gree's place after cashing in their initial winnings. They'd still put the vast majority towards the later rounds so they didn't make near as much as they wanted. Sael was extra annoyed that skills turned out to be so much more expensive than he'd expected and wouldn't be able to get one before the next round. Still they all had a great dinner eating out and ordering plenty of local specialties. None of them were aware of the various eyes following them as they left the grand arena. Both human and demonic gazes followed them as they wandered the town and entered a restaurant, none of which were friendly. As the human's left to report to their masters from within a shadow Shel watched her nemesis the Winter Queen and cursed her. "It is time I pay you back, bitch. Without your castle killing you will be child's play."

Shadows spread out from the alley way to circle the entire block. People backed up from the strange phenomenon not sure what was happening. Soon they got their answer as corpse spiders swarmed out of the darkness.