"For the first match of the second round…"

"Alaric Silversword and…"

Lucas announced the first matchup and the crowd immediately cheered in excitement.

In a strength-centric nation like the Astanian Empire, everyone loved to watch the Knights fight.

It was like a tradition to them.

The imperial family even established a battle coliseum where the most powerful Knights in the kingdom fought in a formal match to decide who was the strongest. That was how the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard was created- a list that ranks the most powerful in the empire.

Other than the glory of having their names etched on the leaderboard, the rankers also annually receive generous rewards from the imperial family to keep them motivated. The higher their rank, the more generous their rewards will be.

For these reasons, many aspiring warriors from all over the empire wished to one day see their names on the leaderboard. That was how special the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard was.

At this moment…

"If you want to rest, I can give you a few minutes. I don't want to fight an exhausted opponent."

Alaric stared at his opponent in surprise. He didn't expect to hear these words from him.

This guy is a true Knight.

Alaric stared at him deeply.

Knights like him are always the first ones to die on the battlefield.

Alaric respected their discipline and their strict mentality. He was just like them in his past life, but he started changing when he experienced the cruelty of war.

"I'm fine. We can start our fight now."

Alaric unsheathed his swords to reveal his intentions.

Seeing this, his opponent no longer hesitated and took out his weapon, a sword with average length.

In their first clash, Alaric could tell that this guy was much better than his first opponent. He was more versatile and quicker to react.

This guy should be on the same level as Aldrin…

Alaric thought to himself.

He didn't let the battle drag on and ended it in less than ten moves.

Alaric's victory no longer came as a surprise considering how he had won his first match.

More and more people cheered for him. Even those who were skeptical about his skills no longer doubted him.

Two successive victories against experienced Knights wasn't a mere coincidence.

At this point, anyone could tell that Alaric was no ordinary Knight even though he had only recently advanced.

For the next match, it was Anthony's turn. His opponent was also a great fighter, but his skills still fell short against a much better Anthony. The battle ended with Anthony's victory.

In the third match, the person who won was not a Knight from any household, but a veteran mercenary who had some fame in Vale.

For the last match, it was finally Dylann's turn.

He was one of the crowd favorite. The moment he stepped on the stage, the guests were fired up.

For this battle, he didn't win as easily as he did in the first round. It wasn't because he was weak, his opponent was just strong.

This also made everyone realize that the remaining participants were no longer your average Knights.

The second round concluded with Dylann's difficult victory.

Another person was called to draw the lots for the final four.

When the matchups were announced, everyone was bubbling with excitement.

"Oh no! Lord Alaric is matched with Sir Anthony!"

"Who do you think will win between them?"

"I'm not sure. They both won their fights convincingly so it's hard to tell."

"I think Sir Anthony has the upper hand. His weapon has a longer range and he is also a bit more powerful."

The guests argued over who would win between Alaric and Anthony. Both men were amazing and they won spectacularly in their battles so everyone was divided.

No one knew how the battle would end.

As the two men stepped on the stage, the atmosphere became even more intense.

"I am surprised by your skills, my lord. I hope that I can give you a good battle." Anthony bowed respectfully.

Alaric reciprocated the gesture with a light bow.

After Lucas announced the start of the match, the two pulled out their weapons and charged towards each other at the same time.

True to his fame, Anthony's halberd was strong and unshakable. Even with Alaric's improved strength, he found out that he was still weaker in terms of raw power.

His strength alone is already above that of Rigor and his skill should be on the same level as Henry.

Alaric couldn't break through Anthony's defense. No matter how fast his sword was, Anthony could block his attack with perfect timing.

Meanwhile, he didn't even dare block Anthony's halberd head-on. He hadn't increased his endurance so if he forcefully blocked Anthony's halberd at his current level, he would only be injured.

Should I increase my endurance with my remaining stat points?

Anthony was an opponent who couldn't be defeated with his swordsmanship alone. It wasn't that his swordsmanship was weak, but it was because his strength was still lacking to display the true power of his swordsmanship.

After some thought, Alaric no longer hesitated. He used his remaining stat points to increase his endurance.

Alaric Silversword [Knight] EXP: 31/500

Potential: B

Traits: Horseback Riding (C), Swordsmanship (SSS), Close Combat (D), Archery (F), Hunting (E), Tracking (F)

Strength: 38

Stamina: 28

Agility: 35

Vitality: 27

Endurance: 42

Mana: 13

Battle Points: 460

Stat Points: 0

(Requirements for next advancement: 500 EXP, 100 in all attributes, and 5000 Battle Points)

With that, he had used up all the stat points he had saved up, but Alaric couldn't care less.

After increasing his endurance, he had a feeling that his muscles and bones had become more durable.

In the next moment, Alaric no longer evaded Anthony's halberd. He faced the veteran Knight head-on and began a fierce clash with him.

What is going on? How is he able to block my halberd now?

Anthony was stunned by the sudden improvement in Alaric's defense.

Earlier, he was still overwhelming Alaric with his halberd, but in the next instant, Alaric could already block his attacks.

Meanwhile, Alaric could also sense the huge change.

His arms no longer felt like they were tearing apart every time their weapons clashed. He could now withstand the powerful blow of Anthony's halberd!

I can win this!