15 Sneak Peek

"I hope everyone has understood the rules." Lenna Zelu gets out of the arena and calls: "Ana Li and Harl Rora!"

Ana Li is a tall and strong-looking human and Harl Rora is a silver-skinned goblin. They get on the arena, and then they stand facing each other.

Holding a heavy sword with both hands, Ana Li says: "Special Awakened Skill, when used, it makes my physics capabilities three times stronger."

"Earth Type Awakened Skill." Harl Rora says emotionlessly. Though, it is evident he is an Earth Type Awakened Skill user since he is carrying a heavy-looking backpack where he keeps all kinds of energy minerals and zenanium.

"Very good! You can… start!"

In the moment Lenna Zelu's voice falls, they start their fierce battle.

The seats of Thorn and Rose.

"… I wonder if my turn will be soon…" Thorn murmurs lazily.

"Who knows…" Rose answers without thinking. Suddenly, she remembers something and says: "I remember now, you were talking about some 'second form'. What is that?"

"Mmm…" Thorn hesitates a few seconds, and finally he sighs: "*Sigh*... I suppose if we'll going to work together, it'll be necessary that we comprehend the abilities of each other." He gives a solemn look at Rose and continues: "So, I'll explain to you how strong I am right now." He stops talking for a moment, gazes his surroundings sneakily, and then says: "But first of all, you should activate your Awakened Skill."

Whit curiosity in her eyes, Rose emanates her Complex Energy and uses it to cover the space around them, then she actives her Awakened Skill.

Rose smiles broadly, and nodding strongly, says: "It is done, nobody will hear us, come on now tell me how strong you really are!"

"You already know that I have to suppress my cultivation in Mystical Energy to avoid a disaster, and that I am only using my superior understanding on my Awakened Skill to surmount the difference in cultivation stage with the other competitors." Thorn mentions.

"Yeah, I know. Your understanding is in the peak of Use of the Skill. Because of this and that your Awakened Skill is elemental and you are in a low stage of cultivation, in practice, you have the combat abilities of someone in the Early Advanced Awaken stage. And if your cultivation in Mystical Energy wasn't suppressed, you would have the combat abilities of someone in the Early Full Awaken stage. This is why you could defeat Dani Zelu." Rose summarizes.

"That is half right, but come on Rose! Even though until now, I have only used the peak of Use of the Skill in front of you, you don't really think that is my limit, right? I mean, even you, little monstrosity, have reached Control of the Skill!" Thorn scolds.

"Hahahaha…" Rose laughs sweetly.

She isn't surprised at all by the fact that Thorn knows her level of understanding.

Indeed, she has been using and even is using right now her Awakened Skill with a level of understanding in Control of the Skill. Without doubt, she is a genius devoid of rival in the entire world when it comes to speed of understanding.

Of course, it is a shame that her Awakened Skill isn't meant to be used in direct combat, otherwise she could surmount two stages easily.

That being said, her understanding still reduces the amount of Complex Energy she needs to use her Awakened Skill and allows her Awakened Skill to be used far away from her, different at when her understanding was just in Use of the skill which only allowed her to use her Awakened Skill within her body and on the surface of her skin.

Rose ends her laughter and explains: "Well, to be honest, yes, it seemed to me weird and very… very disappointing that you, who have lived for over a million years, have an understanding just in the peak of Use of the Skill. I had the theory that this was because you were restrained and deprived of your cultivation in Complex Energy." She glares at him with sparkling eyes. "Then, your understanding is in Control of the Skill too?"

"My 'second form' is me using the peak of Control of the Skill." Thorn affirms.

It must be known that a cultivator can pretend to be in an inferior level of understanding, for example a cultivator in Control of the Skill can pretend to be in Use of the skill. But a cultivator can't pretend to be in an inferior sub-level of understanding, for example a cultivator in the peak of Use of the Skill can't pretend to be in the start of Use of the Skill.

"Peak!?" Rose turns her mouth into this shape: O. "So you are already in the highest level of understanding that can be reached in this world!"

Thorn laughs arrogantly and asks: "Do you think I named it 'second form' just for nothing?"

"I thought it was because you wanted to look interesting." Rose responds as saying 'obviously'.

"Haha." He gives a dry laugh. "I don't need tricks to look interesting. Anyway, when in 'first form' I am using Use of the Skill, when in 'second form' I am using Control of the Skill, and when in 'third form' I am using that level without name that is beyond Control of the Skill."

Thorn doesn't have a reason to lie in such a way, so Rose believes in Thorn's words.

Completely perplexed, she just murmurs softly: "Memory of the Skill…"

Now, it is Thorn's turn to be perplexed. "Memory of the Skill? Such a befitting name…"

Rose explains: "There is a legend, very, very few know about it. The legend states that there is indeed a level beyond Control of the Skill and its name is Memory of the Skill, also it describes the characteristics of that level. Though, it is sad that probably nobody believed such a thing is possible, even I didn't believe it."

Thorn now understands: "Oh… Well, now you do know what I meant by saying all that about using my 'second form' if it is necessary to win the prize."

"I see… It's true that you absolutely can't use your cultivation in Mystical Energy just to win this tournament. But, although it will cause some troubles, you can use your 'second form', as last resort that's it." Rose concludes.

Meanwhile, on the arena, Ana Li and Harl Rora are still fighting, it seems they are in a stalemate. Ana Li is destroying Harl Rora's range attacks with brute force while trying to shorten the distance between them, of course, unsuccessfully.

"It looks like they will take a long time... I think I should go to sleep… Please, protect me from the noises, and wake me up when it is my turn." Thorn says, and closes his eyes folding his arms in front of his chest. He then enters in the dream world in just a second. That is a veteran dreamer for you.

Rose says to the sleeping Thorn: "As you wish." Evidently, she has gain quite some respect for him since she learned that he has reached Memory of the Skill.

A lot of time later.

"Thorn!" Lenna Zelu's voice is heard in every corner of the hall.

Rose hits the back of Thorn's head with a gentle slap as she says: "It is your turn!"

He quickly opens his eyes and gets up. Just like that, in an instant, he turns from being deeply asleep to being completely awaken and aware of the situation he is in.

Thorn then walks towards the arena analyzing his opponent. It is a gargoyle with big muscles. There isn't a single wound on his body. He must have defeated his previous opponent with ease.

At that point, Rose cheers Thorn up while moving her little fists: "Thorn you are the best! Beat all of them up, don't dare to lose!"

At the same time, on the southern seats.

Arnold Alch, that good-looking young guy, gives a sideway glance at Rose. (That person…! P-p-princess!? It can't be… She isn't supposed to be here… Is my imagination playing tricks on me? No, she is definitely the youngest princess, Rose! The fact that she is covering her face is proof of it!)

His face changes from confusion to shock, from shock to doubt, from doubt to amazement, all that within a second.

Of the four present individuals that know Rose's face and ex-position, just Arnold Alch end up recognizing her.

There is a reason for this.

Once upon a time, he went to Flowing City with his foster father Cley Alch. At that moment, he cross paths whit Rose in a hallway.

She was walking alone, drenched with her own blood, and with many of her broken bones exposed. She got enough wounds to put almost every intelligent living thing curled up on the floor quaking in agony, to walk? It would be a true miracle if someone with such wounds could be standing.

However, She… She was walking with steady steps, and her clear green eyes were the definition of tranquility. Her face was so at ease that it could have brought the misconception of think that those wounds were just an illusion.

He wasn't captivated by that, the only thing he felt was deep fear, an intuitive fear that came from his very soul.

At that time, he kept her eyes and silhouette clearly within his memory.

He looks at Thorn putting his palm on his forehead. (Why is she encouraging this participant so fervently? How come he to be worthy of the support of someone of her status? I just see a nameless guy with a low cultivation, the only thing that standout about him is that he is as good-looking as me. Mmm… I didn't pay much attention to the boring battles of the first phase, so perhaps he is actually… strong?)

While he sinks himself in deep thought, following the example of Rose's action, many members of the public who saw Thorn's battle start to cry out.

"Good luck, Thorn!"

"Without doubt, you'll win!"

"You are amazing, Thorn!"

"Hahahaha…!" The guy who is being highly praised starts to laugh wildly as he climbs up the arena. Evidently, he is weak against flattery, and have just lost a part of his rationality. "I am sorry, but, from now on, nobody will win a battle in the second phase besides me!" He declares proudly standing on the arena.

"Uuoohh…!!!"

"T-that is so imposing! I love it!"

"That is a cute voice, so she is a woman after all…"

The public make an uproar because of thorn's words.

At this moment, Crok Alch, head of the medical center of Lurep Village, that middle-aged human with black and disheveled hair, also reacts after hearing Thorn's voice. (A woman? Mmm… That is a beautiful one.)

Stealthily, he turns his head to his left, and then to his right. After finding out that nobody is looking at him, he smiles maliciously, and activates his Awakened Skill. His eyes then start to emit a faint blue light, and he gains the ability to see through any object he wants. It is really a helpful skill for a doctor. Obviously, this time, he isn't going to use his skill for a noble purpose, he is just going to peek.

These shining eyes fall upon Thorn's virgin body.

In the next second, a naked body appears before Crok Alch's eyes, and there it is, the picture he'll never fail to recall.

Immediately after, his eyes lose their light, and he just remains there expressionless.

(What kind of heartless trap is this?) He wonders bitterly.