17 Going All Out with the Second Form

"What's going on…?" Baffled, Ben Kox asked in a low voice the same question most spectators were asking in their minds.

"T-Thorn wins!" Quite flustered, Lenna Zelu stuttered.

The northern seats.

"T-that expertise, could it be Peak of Control of the Skill!?" The head of The Mercenary's Guild in Lurep Village exclaimed in disbelief, his entire body quivering.

Such shock was to be expected. Everyone knew that the difference between First Step of Control of the Skill and Peak of Control of the Skill was just like the difference between a common soldier and a mighty emperor. After all, Peak of Control of the Skill was the widely acknowledge highest level of understanding on the world. It was the level nearly every cultivator dreamed about to attain, but won't reach in their entire lifetimes. To mention that Delia Adver, the strongest person in the hall and a princess candidate for Guild Master of The Adventurer's Guild, had just recently entered into the Second Step of Control of the Skill.

"This little bastard…What kind of idiot is she? To show off such trump card just for the sake of some little face…" Delia Adver murmured frowning, she was quite shocked as well, but her confusion was deeper. (I cannot discern her actual age, but she is definitely very young. Then, why do she have that level of understanding? I wonder if she is really that smart… But again, the only way to reach such level is by becoming that smart. So, why would she do such foolish thing?) She contemplated Thorn's expression carefully. (It seems like she isn't even a bit afraid of the possible consequences of her acts…)

The public seats.

"Can someone explain to me what is going on?" A goblin, unable of suppressing his curiosity anymore, asked looking around in search of a knowledgeable cultivator.

"Hahaha…" Rose laughed smugly at this question. "Let me enlighten you. Thorn has just now used his Awakened Skill with a level of understanding in Peak of Control of the Skill!"

This declaration left everyone who heard it utterly dumbfounded. They were shocked by the fact that there was such a great expert at just a few meters in front of them, they were flabbergasted by the fact that there was a cultivator within such level of understanding who was still in the Second Level Intermediate Awaken stage, and finally, they have been rendered completely speechless by the fact that such a lofty expert had enough shamelessness to participate in this tournament of novices!

Still filled with complex emotions, Lenna Zelu called out: "Rey Luss!"

Soon, a young male elemental elf, who had green hair, stood up and walked toward the platform. He was unhurried and even had a carefree smile on his face. His aura was in the Fourth Level Advanced Awaken stage.

"*Sigh*…" Thorn couldn't help but sigh at this sight. (How am I supposed to defeat this guy…?)

After Rey Luss took his position on the arena, Lenna Zelu shouted: "Fight!" It wasn't even necessary for Rey Luss to reveal his Awakened Skill. The color of his hair and his race made evident that he was a Wind Type Awakened Skill user.

Thorn tried to move Rey Luss with his Wind Type Awakened Skill. His wind then passed through Rey Luss' body and clothes as if it were dealing with a ghost or an illusion.

(As expected, I didn't work…) Thorn lamented seeing this scene.

Due to their Racial Skill, Elemental Body, the elemental elves couldn't awaken a Special Awakened Skill, they could only awaken an Elemental Awakened Skill or a Special Elemental Awakened Skill.

And there were just nine elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Darkness, Light, Crystalloid and Energy [It was Complex Energy for civilized races and Mystical Energy for monsters].

But in compensation for this restriction, Elemental Body made elemental elves invincible against the element of their Awakened Skill.

While Thorn was pondering about a strategy to beat his opponent, Rey Luss was already punching at Thorn.

(Geez! I got distracted!) Thorn cursed and, in his panic, invoked a powerful wind barrier around his body.

*POW!*

Despite the barrier, Rey Luss' fist landed heavily on Thorn's face unhindered. It was evident that the wind barrier was utterly useless against Rey Luss' Racial Skill.

The punch sent Thorn flying away like a ball.

"Ouch…!" He moaned as his head spun in dizziness, blood sprayed out of his face.

Somehow, relying on his Awakened Skill, Thorn barely managed to stop his body from getting off the combat area.

It was at this moment when he realized something. (Fist… Yeah, I can use that too!)

Seeing that his attack didn't finish the job, Rey Luss immediately kicked the floor and controlled the wind to move as fast as he could to follow up with a second punch. He didn't even try to directly assault Thorn with his Wind Type Awakened Skill, because he understood very well that, with his low level of understanding, his wind wouldn't be able to represent a threat for Thorn.

Just when that punch was about to reach him, Thorn disappeared and reappeared seven meters behind Rey Luss.

Feeling Thorn's aura behind him, Rey Luss revealed an utterly shocked expression, and before he could turn his head to cast a look at his opponent, he felt two fist on his back.

*Bummm!*

The reverberating sound of Rey Luss' body colliding against the floor off the arena was heard through the entire hall.

Hovering in midair, despite his bloody broken arms, Thorn was smiling satisfied.

"Thorn Wins!" This familiar phrase echoed out once again.

"Wooo…!"

"That girl is just unstoppable!"

"Even an elemental elf with the Wind Type Awakened Skill couldn't defeat her!?"

"Is she really planning to be the last standing of the second phase!?"

The spectators grew emotional after seeing Thorn's amazing performance.

"Cure Song!" Called out Lenna Zelu.

Cure Song was a dullahan, his pitch-black smoke had the 'V' shape. He wore heavy armor. And he was in the First Level Advanced Awaken stage.

(At last! Someone who is trembling in fear.) Thorn was elated to see how nervous his next opponent was while walking toward the arena.

Once on the arena, Cure Song slipped off his armguard which had covered his entire hand and forearm. "I have two Special Awakened Skills, the first one, Transparency Color, enables me to become invisible." As he spoke out, his hand turned transparent. He then continued while putting on his armguard: "The second one, Finale Accelerator, is a speed booster."

Double Essence, the dullahan's Racial Skill, had this little detail of allowing its user to awaken two Special Awakened Skills or two Elemental Awakened Skills. It couldn't awaken a Special Awakened Skill and an Elemental Awakened Skill at the same time, it had always to be two of the same kind.

*Clap!*

After Lenna Zelu clapped, she said: "Okay! You two can star to fight now!"

*Crack!*

In the next instant, Thorn's ribbons cracked and his entire person flew away. Cure Song had just now came close to him and punched his chest. He had done that so quickly even the four individuals on the north grasped in astonishment.

Spitting up lots of blood, Thorn got so flustered he used for an instant Memory of the Skill to stop himself from getting off the combat area.

(So, you were pretending to be afraid.) Thorn stared resentful at Cure Song.

On the other hand, Cure Song was absolutely flabbergasted.

(There is no way he could have stabilized himself before exiting the combat area! My punch just now wasn't weak at all, it not only contained all my psychical strength, but also the impulse of my maximum speed!) He thought feeling intense pain from his broken right arm.

At that moment, Rose sighed deeply in relieve. (Such strike! Such speed! Yet Thorn wasn't defeated. Luckily, he used Memory of the Skill and it wasn't evident, it looked just as if Cure Song's strike wasn't powerful enough.) She was also quite happy after seeing the level beyond Control of the Skill, Memory of the Skill in action.

Thorn was already high above the arena observing how Cure Song was avoiding every single of his attempts to blast him away. The dullahan was just too quick. Thorn could feel Cure Song's aura on four or five different places at the same time, and when he attacked those four or five places simultaneously, he felt that his opponent wasn't on those four or five places anymore, but instead, he was already on another four or five places.

For quite a while Thorn was feeling helpless, until a thought flashed through his mind. (There is that funny thing I can now try!) He then ceased his futile attacks and began to gather his Complex Energy in a single point at the center of the arena.

*Swiffff…!*

Following which, the wind from all directions flowed toward that point noisily and visibly.

Seeing such scene playing out, Cure Song stopped in his tracks and cursed inwardly: (Damn it!)

*BooOOMM…!!!*

The wind explosion generated by the powerful pressure of the gathering point left Cure Song with no escaping path. The explosion mercilessly and coldly blasted Cure Song out of the combat region.

"Thorn Wins!" The master of ceremonies once again loudly declared Thorn as the winner.

"W-was it the legendary wind explosion!? The same technique only a few worldly famous experts can unleash!?" A spectator asked in bewilderment, his voice quivering.

"It actually was!!!" Another spectator answered, eyes filled with reverence.

The public then made an unprecedented uproar, it was the first time all of them had seen with their own eyes the wind explosion technique after all.

Enjoying the amazed expressions of the public, Thorn descended onto the center of the arena and waited for his next opponent. He was very pleased with himself. (It really worked!) He was gleefully thinking. Besides that, he was wondering quite confused: (Why does he wear heavy armor…? That doesn't suit his combat style at all… Oh well, he must be just an idiot.)

"Jeremiah Tusk!" Lenna Zelu pronounced the name of Thorn's next opponent.

Jeremiah Tusk was a slim and beautiful male, his ears were pointed, his eyes of a sparkling cyan in color, his skin was pink white, and his hair was golden and long enough to reach his waist. He was an elf. Regarding his equipment, he sported a dark golden light armor and a pair of golden swords.

When he reached the arena, he said dispiritedly: "Energy Type Awakened Skill." His attitude showed clearly the null confidence he had on the probabilities he had to defeat Thorn.

Although an elf and the Energy Type Awakened Skill were a perfect match made in heaven thanks to the elves' Racial Skill, Energy Gatherer, which allowed them to replenish their Complex Energy extremely quickly; Jeremiah Tusk knew it was useless against Thorn and that he would lose within a second.

"Fight!" Lenna Zelu commanded.

And just as Jeremiah Tusk had predicted, he appeared out of the arena in the blink of an eye.

It couldn't be helped, Jeremiah Tusk needed at least a pair of seconds to materialize his Complex Energy, time he hadn't had. What depressed him the most though was the fact that he hadn't had the opportunity to show off what he really was capable of, this had completely buried his hopes of passing to the third phase.

Lenna Zelu announced the winner of this match and immediately after said: "Everyone, let's be witnesses of the last match of the second phase! Berean Drunnel, come here!"