Armipotent

Tang Shaoyang was disappointed that the arena had a different purpose than he thought it would be. It was not a training ground, but an arena for the participants to fight at each other. Whether it was a sparring fight or to resolve their conflict. The interesting part was that the fighters were not allowed to use their skill in the fight.

The barrier that surrounded the arena had another purpose aside from the safety measures. It was to disable skills as well. That was right, the people who fought in the arena fought with brute force. At least, that was what the person next to him said about the arena.

Tang Shaoyang let out a sigh, disappointed. He came to test his new skills, but that was for naught. How is he supposed to test the new skill if the arena disabled the skill? He could not even try the new skill even if he entered the arena to fight.

"Did you come to test your new skills after the advancement?" The man in the blue robe next to him asked. He was the same man who explained to him about the arena.

"Yeah. Is there any other place that maybe I can use to test a new skill?"

The man in the blue robe shook his head, "Don't think so. I came here yesterday, and I have visited all the districts. Unfortunately, there's no such place. I have come with the same intention, but…" The man did not finish his words, letting out a sigh.

"The frustrating part is that what's a magus like me supposed to do? How am I supposed to fight without my skills? Am I supposed to brawl with someone with a higher Strength and Agility attribute than me? This is so stupid!"

"What are you talking about? Haven't you watched the mage's battle in the first arena?" A female voice interrupted them.

Tang Shaoyang and the man in the blue robe turned around. A woman wearing a bright green tunic stood with her hand crossed on her chest. She was an elf with long green hair, emerald green eyes, and a sharp gaze. Based on the outfit, she came here to watch instead of fighting.

She locked her gaze on Tang Shaoyang, observing him for a while before she decided to sit next to Tang Shaoyang.

"Yesterday, there was a mage battle. They could not use their skills, and yet they still managed to activate their spells. It was a great fight, and that was the reason why this district has more visitors than yesterday."

Her words reminded Tang Shaoyang about using skill without activating the skill. In the last months, he had been training with that and had a major success. He could use most of his skills without activating them. It was hard and easy at the same time. It was easy for the skill with a simple concept, but it was extremely hard because it required a deeper understanding and the fundamentals of the skill itself.

The easy examples were Invisible Slash, Thousand Blast, and Master of Elemental to manipulate elements at his will. It took him a few hours to succeed with those three skills. However, there were skills that he could not fully master to this point. One of them was [Blink]. The concept of space became a hindrance for him to execute the skill without activating the skill. He was still reliant on activating his skills with all his spirit's skills as well.

"I know what you mean, but how will it help me to fight the Calamity? Those basic spells could hurt my peers, but could those basic spells hurt or even kill the calamity? I came here to try my new combination skills and other stuff, but how am I supposed to do that in this stupid arena?"

The man in the blue robe rolled his eyes. He knew what she talked about, but it did not resolve his problem about wanting to try his new skills. This arena was built for the participants to fight without casualty. But he was looking for a private place where he could test his limits. Knowing how strong he was with his new skills allowed him to gauge how far he could go and also allowed him to choose the right prey to hunt. Not knowing his limit might lead him to his doom, something he tried to avoid.

In this trial, his enemy was not just the calamity, but also the other participants. He could not go all out to hunt the calamity. The other participants might come for him to steal his prey if he returned, exhausted.

"Fair point," The elf nodded, "Anyway, my name is Agnes."

"Tang Shaoyang." "Clement Salle."

"Have you formed a party yet, Tang?" She specifically asked Tang Shaoyang.

"Party?" Tang Shaoyang furrowed his brow, and then he shook his head.

"What about forming a party with me, Tang? I am a ranger. You will need someone like me in your party to gather information as well as scouting." There was a tinge of pride when she mentioned her role in the party.

Clement Salle furrowed his brow, clearly displeased that he was excluded from the conversation. Not that he wanted to join the party with her, but it hurt his pride that the elf straight ignored him.

"Hmmmm…" There was something he disliked about the party. Not only does it would divide the point from killing Calamity, but he must share the loot as well. Clearly, the calamity's remains are worth a lot. Having those for himself would help him to get the items he needed quickly.

'Do I really need a party?' He questioned himself if he really needed to form a part in this trial. That was the safest way to clear the trial and advance to the next stage. However, he eventually had to reveal himself to the others. That might put him at a disadvantage for the next round. It would be best if he kept his ability secret.

'But I have you guys. Do I really need a party?' Tang Shaoyang talked to his spirits. Six Archaic Spirits were enough to form a party with seven members.