An abandoned factory somewhere outside the residential region of the Elysian city-state of Phoenix.

This was a large factory shed, measuring about 300 meters in length and 40 meters wide. There were six pits dug in the ground that served as the battle rings for the underground matches.

Each pit was at a set distance from the other. The audience was allowed to stand around the pits for real-life action. There were also spectral screens getting projected right over the pits that depicted the fights that were unfolding below them.

The abandoned factory was isolated from the rest of the world. To the people who didn’t know what the factory was, it would look barren and lifeless. Only after passing through the barrier would one be able to see what was happening inside.

The fights had already started. There was a huge crowd of a wide variety of people. Rankers and mortals both were invited. The ones with money would always be invited anywhere.

There was a cacophony of noises that could be heard once one passed through the mirage-like barrier. Each pit had its own referee and announcer. The audience surrounding each pit was busy talking among themselves and placing bets.

A mixture of smoke, cigars and barbecued food was lingering in the air. There were various neon and mana-powered light sources that created a unique atmosphere inside the abandoned factory. An atmosphere that was as lively as it was brutal and bloodthirsty because of the ongoing fights.

The third pit was soon going to start with its 7th scheduled match for the night. This would be the second last match of the night. After that, the underground fights would stay closed for about a week before restarting with new participants.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the battle between Keith and Golem has ended with Keish scoring the victory. Hahaha. Keith is moving forward and challenging bigger rankers with much higher stakes. I’m sure all his regular fans would be proud.

Now let’s move on to our next match. It’s a battle between two rookie rankers who would make their debut here. Please welcome them with a round of applause.

Viktor and Tegan.”

The announcer declared the start of the match, and two young rankers jumped into the pit at the same time. The audience burst into cheers and the betting window opened after the two rankers made themselves known to the public.

Tegan had donned a helmet-like head protector with wrist guards. His torso was fully exposed, letting people know his prominent muscle definitions. He was wearing sturdy forearm guards. He wore dark brown pants that seemed to be made of a processed Rank 1 beast hide.

Tegan summoned his small ax and started swinging it around his body before stopping abruptly. He then kept quiet and looked at his opponent to gauge his chances of winning the match.

Viktor looked to be a black-haired young man in his 20s. He still had the same blue eyes. But his facial structure was modified due to the mask he wore that didn’t look like a mask at all.

He had worn a basic, black Rank 1 leather armor for protection over a simple white tee underneath. He had worn blue jeans that also didn’t look like it was ranked apparel.

Some keen people could feel that there was something wrong with Viktor’s appearance. Even his mana sense felt a bit strange. But that wasn’t something novel here. Half of the people present wore masks to conceal their identities. So Viktor’s use of hiding his real identity wasn’t surprising.

Despite both of them being in their fourth Meta rank stage, many people immediately understood why the two fighters were called rookies. They were both poor and in dire need of money. Otherwise, they would have been able to put more resources into their gears and artifacts.

People started cheering and calling their names, telling them what they needed to do to beat their opponents. But ignoring all that, Tegan looked at his opponent one more time before opening his mouth to speak.

“How many days have you spent in the Numbered Oasis?”

Viktor had retrieved his Tachi from his storage. He ran his left hand’s finger over the surface of his blade and looked at the reflection of his changed image in it before answering.

“About six or seven. You?”

Tegan was taken aback by Viktor’s answer. He looked at the sword in his hands for a bit before responding.

“About a month. I wanted to know this because…”

“You want to compare yourself and your progression speed with the rest of your generation. I get it. Let’s start the fight so we can get right on it.”

Eren spoke while taking a stance. The pit was about 30 meters in radius. It gave them plenty of room to use their spells but not enough to maintain distance from each other for long.

The reason for that was simple. The audience had come here to watch duels and not two rankers chasing each other for 30 minutes. They were also prevented from using any excessive defensive artifacts.

Tegan swung his ax with a short staff around him and assumed a battle-ready stance. He then channeled his mana and got ready to cast his spells. As a result, his wind-element mana started creating mini gusts around him that flowed away from him.

Viktor was seen channeling his mana as well. His feet were covered in lightning before vanishing from his position. In the next moment, a distinct metallic sound was heard as Tegan used his short ax to defend against something.

It was revealed to be Viktor’s Tachi that he had drawn earlier. But before the spectators could get a clear look, he vanished from his position and appeared behind Tegan.

Blitz Steps.

Blitz Wave.

Tegan’s eyes widened as he felt a distinct mana pulse coming from behind him. He knew his opponent had launched a series of attacks on two different fronts using his exceptional control over his movement spell.

‘Is this… still a rookie?’

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