Two days came and went as Maximilian explored the middle region. He managed to avoid fighting for most of that time due to how closely everyone was grouped. It was a boon for him in that he could explore without problem, but it was also dangerous. The days of taking on single opponents or even small groups were over, and he wasn't confident in fighting one on ten yet. Even if he thought he could win. The risk wasn't worth it. At least it wasn't. He had quickly realized he had been making a mistake. He hadn't collected my tokens, which meant he wasn't close to winning the trial. Not by a long shot. He just wasn't sure what to do about that. The groups he could take out with little effort were all from Earth. He didn't want to take them out.

  He considered pursuing the harpies and lizardfolk, since they weren't human, but decided against it. He wanted to rule them all. Every person who has lived on Earth and maybe even on other worlds. He wasn't going to risk issues with his citizens by crushing the helpless. So he turned his attention to the otherworlders. Their armies were to put it simply not nice. He had come across corpse after corpse that they had left behind. He had even found the location of one of their leaders. A prince of the imperial family. He just needed to figure out how to approach. He was over half a mile away from the camp.

  He had watched it for two days and had learned a few things. There were thirty people inside, not counting the prince. They were all weak. The strongest being around level 15 based on attributes and overall killing intent. He still hadn't seen the prince. He wasn't sure if that meant he was cautious or a recluse. The man didn't collect tokens himself. Instead, he had his soldiers go out and collect the people. The people would be brought to him. He would then execute them for their tokens. The process was efficient if disgusting. All of this was what made Maximilian confident he could take care of this. The groups never left with more than ten members. When one group left, the rest would go on high alert. The problem was with himself.

  He had no way to kill silently. His strongest attacks were not only loud but also bright and flashy. He couldn't afford to attack at night either. The light would be worse, and the puppets didn't fight with skills. They all used their hands. Which left him with two choices. Either he moved on or he relied on shock and awe. If he unleashed overwhelming power at the beginning, it would have one of two effects. If the prince were a coward, he might be cowed into submission. If he wanted to fight but his soldiers were afraid, he could force a one-on-one. The danger was if both failed. Even if he waited for the first group to leave, he would have to fight 20-on-1. A real test of his strength. His new skill was untested against flesh and blood enemies, but it could be a difference maker.

  His train of thought brought a memory to the forefront. One that felt like it was from half a lifetime ago. He was always a defensive fighter. He preferred to react. Whether it was on the debate stage, a chess match, or even a fight with magick. It was a weakness he had to purge. Ideally, he would do it now and not when it seriously hurt him. He considered it for a few more minutes before he made up his mind. He ran into the sky. Was it a good idea? Arguably, not several of the soldiers had bows, so they could hit him at range, and walking down from the sky made him a target. It was also a lot of fun. He hoped the pomp and circumstance would stop the otherside from reacting. Or at least stun them for a bit. He mentally braced himself for what was about to happen.

  He knew he couldn't fight them while holding back. He had to go for kill shots. This was far from the first time, and yet again, he braced himself for a guilt that never arrived. If anything, he was making himself feel worse, more so than actually feeling bad. A wonder of the Network, one he wasn't sure how to feel about. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he reached the height of the city. Or rather, as high as the Network allowed them to go. A barrier of translucent light separated him from the blue sky. A sky that was its own mystery. He couldn't tell if it was real or not and he wasn't qualified to figure it out. He doubted any of his skills or Dao could break the barrier. Even if they could, he doubted he could survive whatever happened next. It was yet another mystery he would explore if he got the chance. He looked down at his targets and cracked his shoulders. This next part would be interesting.

  He had gotten closer than he thought before someone called out. It was a female archer with dark brown skin and half her head shaved. Her armor was dented, which told him she was either poor or not well cared for. A promising sign. She raised the alert, which meant it was time for action. He started with Severing Disc. The imbued skill activated before the other side decided what to do. The twin buzzsaws roared with the sound of electricity as they shot toward their targets. He didn't bother with accuracy. Choosing to send them to the largest concentration targets. The soldiers reacted faster than he expected. They worked together to defend, but they were no match for his skill. He had killed or maimed several of them before they were able to counter the skill. He watched them for a few moments to get a better idea of what they can or can't do. He wasn't impressed.

  He activated Flowing Sky next. He had improved his control over the lasers a bit over the last two days, but it wasn't quite enough. Anyone he hit was devastated, but more than a few were able to avoid it. Despite that, the skill proved itself even more debilitating than he expected. It was a laser in all senses of the word. It tore through the bodies and armor as if they were made of butter. It was dark, but he was impressive. Now that the initial attack was over, he moved to end it. He held his hands out and formed over two dozen attacks divided across the daos of Squall and Static. He left rain out now, wanting to rely on the healing dao for an offense. He had already made the choice, so it was time to act like it. Unlike the opening salvo, the display wasn't meant as an attack. It was to hammer home the situation. He pushed spiritual energy into his throat and spoke.

  "I am Maximilian Croft of Earth, and I have come to speak with your prince." Simple and direct. He figured that was the best way to deal with the situation. If he said too much, he might blunt his actions, and if he said too little, he could give them time to think straight. Time for the fear to fade. When no one moved for several seconds, he cocked his head. The soldiers hadn't attacked, which was good, but he figured the prince would have to act. At least if he cared about his subjects at all. Maximilian had just started to come up with a new plan when two people stepped out of the building furthest from him. The first was someone he had seen before. He was a warrior, one of the few who carried a shield. His armor was different from the rest. Likely made from higher-quality materials. He was dressed a bit like a Roman soldier. Big shield and spear that. His bald and glared up at him. He was also the person at level 15. Which made him the second strongest person on their side. Maximilian shifted his gaze to the other man. As soon as they locked eyes, Maximilian realized he had made a mistake. A major mistake. The man was likely many things, but a coward wasn't one of them.

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  He was tall and bulky. The build of a professional bodybuilder. The only weapons he could see were two dagger-like blades connected to his gauntlets. He assumed they were some sort of punching weapon. Unlike the rest of the soldiers, the man didn't wear armor outside of the gauntlets. He was shirtless with a strange set of tattoos spread across his torso. Tattoos that were an array. They were beautifully complex to the point that Maximilian had no idea what they did. If he had to guess, they made up for his armor, but that was about it. Unlike the rest of the soldiers, the man had a bloody aura. If he felt like a predator in a jungle his felt like a trained soldier. A professional killer.

  "Ah, there he is." The man began his voice deep and resonant. "The man I had heard about. One of the trio is causing us problems from the other world. "I admit I had no idea what to expect. The way our soldiers spoke about you made me think you were some hallucination. You see, the spear wielder made some sense. Typical warrior. You thought you were odd. Strong with a soft heart. People like you don't make it in our world."

  Maximilian waited patiently as he spoke. He couldn't say he cared about his opinion, but he wouldn't be rude. At least any ruder than he had already been. When he finished his appraisal, Maximilian spoke up. "I hadn't realized I had become so famous amongst your people. I am honored. That said, I would appreciate it if you shared your name." Maximilian wasn't sure if he actually cared about the answer or not.

  "Arentan. You can call me Arentan. Second Prince Arentan. I would tell you to remember it, but you won't be alive long enough for it to matter. His majesty and my royal father would like to recruit you other worlders, but I don't agree. I never cared for politics. Nor have I cared for negotiations. I am here for the conflict. The Network wants us to fight. I see no reason to deny it."

  Maximilian smiled. He couldn't disagree with his words. After all, they still needed the tokens. He wanted to spare as many people as possible. He would have given Arentan the chance to surrender, but it was clear he wouldn't. His aura alone made that clear. He could almost feel the atmosphere change as the soldiers braced themselves. He wondered what they thought of the situation. How they viewed their prince. His shock and awe had worked, but the time to take advantage of it had passed.

  "I wasn't aware that politics mattered at all. We aren't here as ambassadors or fellow rulers. I have come for your token. Yours and everyone else's here. It sounds to me like we agree."

  The man brought his fist together and then released his killing intent. A tsunami of murder rolled off of him like a heat haze. Almost on reflection, Maximilian released his own. The two invisible forces mixed in the air, forming a zone exclusive to the two of them. Maximilian's hair stood on end as they stared at each other. For a solitary moment, the pair stared at each other. The world stood still as if it too waited to see what would happen. Maximilian's instincts screamed a warning a second before the ground beneath Arentan exploded. The distance between them disappeared as the prince unleashed a punch that felt as if it would split the world in two. Relying on his instincts, Maximilian released his dao. The platform beneath him fell away, and he fell. The movement was barely fast enough to avoid the prince's attack. Maximilian's eyes widened as he realized he had understated his opponent. He had finally found someone he could test himself against. He had found someone with a dao. A smile pressed at the edges of his mouth as he flipped in the air. He released his own dao to slow his fall enough to hit the ground gently. A moment later prince Arentan joined him.

  He had expected the prince to immediately follow up, but the man hadn't. Instead, he cracked his shoulders and released a dao field. The Dao was different than Maximilian's. He couldn't place it exactly. It felt like a force or maybe crushing? It made him feel like he would be smashed to pieces if he entered the area. He could tell the dao was at the same stage as his dao of static, which only made him more excited. "I don't know if this is rude or not, but I would like to know. Did you receive that dao before or after you got your class?"

  Arentan brought his fists together. "After." As soon as he finished speaking, his body changed. He grew larger by half. He was now over seven feet tall with muscles that bordered on the ridiculous. His aura increased to match. Maximilian narrowed his eyes. It wasn't hard to figure out what happened. The prince had activated a boosting skill. Based on how his aura changed, it wasn't a simple increase either. Maximilian brought both hands together and activated Flowing Sky. The lasers shot from his hands and toward the prince. He half expected the laser to tear through the prince. If the prince had avoided it, he would have considered it reasonable, but neither happened. Instead, he blocked all three with the weird blades on his fists. Maximilian's smile grew deeper as he unleashed the storm of attacks above them. Wind blades and lightning lances fell like rain. The prince laughed as he rushed forward. He avoided many of them. The ones he couldn't avoid, he smashed with his blades. Despite that, despite his strength it wasn't enough. Before he had crossed the distance, a lance caught him in the right leg. It was then that the array activated. It was as if the man's body had become solid stone.

  The attack did little, if anything at all. Maximilian unleashed an attack as the prince tried to close the gap. Maximilian's smile deepened as he every move forced him back a step. Every attack opened a path for his opponent to move forward. It was different than fighting the wild beasts on Earth. It was different from the creatures during the tutorial. This was fighting a real oponent someone strong enough to challenge him. In the few minutes since the start of their battle, he had unleashed more than two dozen attacks. He was just about to unleash Severing Disc for the second time since he started his attack when his instincts screamed of danger. The prince disappeared a second before Maximilian ducked. The prince's fist shot through the space his head had been a second before. Maximilian barely had enough time to process the attack when another came. This time, he was too slow. The prince's kick shot forward with the force of a freight train. His robes absorbed much of the impact, but he was still shot through the air and into a stone wall with enough force to crater it.

  "I admit you are the most durable spellcaster I've fought. My royal tutor tells me your kind are sheltered. Protected from real combat until you've entered Core Perfection. I see now that he was wrong." The prince bounced on the balls of his feet like a martial artist. "Allow me to correct my disrespect. I am Arentan Shudal, 2nd Prince of the Shudal dynasty."

  Maximilian offered a slightly forced smile as he pulled himself out of the wall. He circulated the Dao of Rain to deal with his injuries. He was pretty sure that this battle would be the catalyst for its next evolution. Assuming he couldn't keep the fighter at a distance. As much as he wanted to rely on his Dao fields and Prismatic Barrier for safety, he knew that wasn't the best option. The worse his injuries, the harder he would have to push the dao of rain. The higher the chances it would evolve. In other words, he had to choose safety or advancement. He brushed himself off. The simple movement sending lava like pain throughout his body. "Arentan Shudai? Good to meet you. I suppose I should give you a more formal introduction as well right? I am Maximilian Croft, King of Nubia. I suppose I am the head of the Croft Dynasty." He cracked his fingers and rolled his neck as he released his three dao fields. "I am not sure how many you have, but I've gathered three lesser dao. I thank you for the opportunity to test my strength."

  For the first time, Arentan looked surprised. He wasn't sure if it was due to the number of dao he had or how strong they were. He also couldn't say he cared. This was going to be the best chance to improve and the best chance to see just how strong he was. He couldn't afford to let it slip by.