Ibri Achaa announced loudly, "The first match of the War Game goes to the Astraea Familia!"
"Oooooooo—!"
The citizens who had once been helped by the Astraea Familia cheered for the overwhelming strength Ryuu had displayed.
The gods, meanwhile, fell into collective silence.
At this moment, if they still failed to realize Apollo's plan, they might as well bang their heads against a wall.
It was Tian Ji's horse race strategy.
On the surface, the Astraea Familia had claimed a clean victory—but in reality, they had already used up Gale Wind, their top-class horse. What remained were a middle-class horse and a lower-class horse, who would now have to face Apollo Familia's top-class and middle-class horses!
"No way!"
"Apollo, I'm cursing you by drawing circles!"
The gods cried out in grief and indignation. Since when did Apollo become this sharp-minded? They wanted to see their brother suffer, but not to the point where he actually drove away in a luxury chariot.
If Roy were taken by Apollo, it would hurt them even more than not getting him themselves!
Ibri Achaa continued, "Next is the second match of the War Game! Both sides, please send out your adventurers. Apollo Familia, be warned—if you lose again, you will lose the War Game entirely. A major crisis!"
Apollo was extremely tense as well, not daring to send out Hyakinthos rashly. His palms were slick with sweat.
The gods' eyes lit up. If Apollo used a lower-class horse to trade away Hyakinthos, that top-class horse, then the final match would be a clash between middle-class horses—and the Astraea Familia would still have a chance to win!
At that moment, Roy stepped out from the Astraea Familia's waiting area and entered the arena.
"Why?!"
An uproar instantly erupted.
Everyone looked shocked. Not just the sharp-eyed adventurers—even the gods were stunned. They couldn't believe Astraea hadn't seen this coming, yet still handed the initiative over to Apollo.
At this point, Apollo could no longer hide it. He burst into triumphant laughter. "Hahahaha! Astraea, you fell right into my trap!"
Seeing that smug, scheming grin, the gods ground their teeth. Was he really going to succeed?
Astraea, however, remained calm. "I trust my children."
Her unflustered composure made many feel ashamed. That mental fortitude was terrifying.
Apollo's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Roy was just a lower-class horse, meant to trade for Hyakinthos, and the true middle-class horse was an external supporter Astraea had invited?
Roy spoke coldly, "God Apollo, we did not invite any outside help. There's no need to doubt it. This War Game will end in this round. Get up here, Hyakinthos."
The crowd was dumbfounded. Was the Astraea Familia really that confident—certain they would win two rounds in a row?
Sensing no falsehood in Roy's words, Apollo clenched his teeth. "Hyakinthos, go!"
"Lord Apollo, I swear I will bring you the honor of victory!" Hyakinthos said, delight flashing across his face as he strode into the arena.
The second match of the War Game—
"Seed of Justice" Roy vs. "Child of the Sun" Hyakinthos!
The gods were visibly excited, wishing they could use magnifying glasses to watch the fight. Perhaps they might uncover the secret behind Roy's astonishing growth.
Tens of thousands in the arena—and indeed all of Orario—held their breath, staring intently at the battle.
Hyakinthos sneered. "Daphne and Cassandra—you were the one who took them away, weren't you?"
Roy's gaze was icy. He did not answer. He would not give the other side any leverage.
Seeing Roy's darkened expression, Hyakinthos immediately understood and grinned savagely. "What? Are you angry? Hahaha! That woman betrayed the Familia and bewitched Lord Apollo. She deserved it."
"Enough talk. Make your move," Roy said with a cold smile. Daphne had indeed colluded with an opposing Familia—but why she did so was none of Hyakinthos's business.
Clang!
Roy and Hyakinthos moved at the same time. Their figures flashed as they met in the center of the arena, blades colliding and throwing off brilliant sparks.
Both poured their full strength into their swords.
Hyakinthos wore a confident smile. He was Lv.3—there was no way he could lose to a Lv.2!
He tensed every muscle and pressed forward, but the smile on his face gradually faded. Roy before him felt like an immovable mountain.
No matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn't force Roy back.
Feeling Roy's power, Hyakinthos exclaimed in shock, "Impossible! Your strength—is it Lv.3?!"
"…?!"
The entire arena—and all of Orario, from citizens and adventurers to the gods—was shaken to the core, staring in disbelief at Roy, who was matching Hyakinthos head-on.
Ryuu's single strike had instantly defeated an Apollo Familia Lv.2 adventurer, clearly demonstrating how terrifying the gap between levels was.
One level was an insurmountable chasm!
Even though the difference between Lv.2 and Lv.3 wasn't quite as overwhelming, it was still enormous. A newly promoted Lv.3 could easily defeat a Lv.2 in three to five moves, and could handle seven or eight Lv.2 adventurers alone without issue.
For Roy to fight Hyakinthos head-on was, in everyone's eyes, utterly inconceivable.
All eyes were locked on the fierce clash in the arena.
A Lv.2 directly contending with a Lv.3—even veteran adventurers were left staring in stunned silence.
At some point, Hermes had appeared beside Astraea and asked in a low voice, "Astraea, what were Roy's stats when he leveled up from Lv.1? I swear I won't tell anyone."
Astraea smiled calmly. "Without that child's permission, I will not disclose any of his information."
Hermes was shut down, but he didn't mind. Instead, he asked another question. "Does Roy have the potential to become a hero?"
This time, Astraea did not evade it. She nodded lightly—because anyone could see it.
An excited smile spread across Hermes's face. What a wonderful era—so many children with 'hero potential' appearing at the same time.
"Hah…"
Roy took a deep breath, clearing his mind. Sixty million valis, the gravely injured Daphne—none of it mattered anymore. All that remained in his heart was a powerful, throbbing impulse.
"This… is adventuring!"
The moment he grasped that concept, a drastic change occurred within Roy. High-ranking adventurers and the gods sensed it instantly, their hearts trembling.
Name: Roy
Level: 2
Strength: 267 → 1550 (SSS)
Endurance: 238 → 928 (S)
Dexterity: 398 → 921 (S)
Agility: 460 → 999 (S)
Magic: 290 → 812 (A)
Development Ability:Adventurer (I)
Under the influence of the Adventurer Development Ability, Roy's stats skyrocketed at a frenzied pace.
Before entering the arena, he had already consumed a strength-enhancement potion obtained from the Parasite Beast dungeon, increasing his Strength by 30% for ten minutes. Combined with his Development Ability, his Strength surged all the way to SSS rank!
The gap between Lv.2 and Lv.3 was indeed vast.
But Roy's all-SSS stats at Lv.1, the activation of Adventurer, and the boost from the enhancement potion were enough to let his raw numbers catch up to Lv.3 Hyakinthos.
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