Seed Of Speed

Diego fought against three more opponents, all martial students, but none were able to resist more than a few minutes after he used {Mirage}. If any of his opponents had a helmet with Analyze, his illusion would have instantly been revealed, but most apprentices would not spend so many pellets on equipment. After his fights, he walked out of the ring to let others use it, but before he could leave, he was stopped by a shaman apprentice.

"I haven't heard of 'Twin-Spear' before, and I haven't seen any spear wielders using illusions. Are you new?" the young man asked.

"I've been here for nearly two months, but this is my first time coming to the arena," Diego replied.

"Ah, so you haven't been given a 'name' yet then. Would you be up for another duel?"

"Um, my reserves are a little low to fi…"

"No, no, rest first! I meant after you have recovered," he cut-in.

Diego checked the time by looking up at the sun then shrugged, "I'll need about an hour."

"That's fine, great even! I am Quicksand, apprentice to Grand Master Plasmachop. Don't worry, I will take it easy on you!"

Diego chuckled at the excitement of the young man, but he also knew this was not going to be an easy fight with his opponent being the apprentice of another Grand Master, and one that sounded like a true attacker unlike his own master. The whole reason why he had used another name was to hide the fact that he was the 'Soul Singer' that the rumors spreading around the sect, so people would fight him with their true strength and not hold back in fear of upsetting him. Unlike the others he had faced off against, Quicksand gave off a subtle pressure that reminded him of the aura Barru gave off, but much more reserved, like he was restraining it.

"What level of chi refinement are you at?" Diego couldn't help but ask.

"Ninth Stage of the Mortal Body, but that shouldn't be too far off from you, right? Your stamina should place you in the seventh or eighth stage," Quicksand replied.

Diego scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah, I'm in the seventh stage," he lied as he was at the peak of the sixth stage.

"Not bad, your regulation of chi is quite impressive to manage three fights while supporting that evasion technique for the entire time." Diego gave him a look of surprise, although it was hidden by his helmet, but Quicksand seemingly understood as he said, "Don't be so surprised, I've done a lot of training to sense even the smallest chi fluctuation. Most people on the ninth stage have done the similar training."

"Oh, I should look into that as well."

"You won't have much luck until you reach the ninth stage, but it never hurts to practice," Quicksand replied with a light smile. "I'll let you recover your chi and mana."

Diego nodded and moved over to an empty section of the stands then sat down cross-legged. Before he closed his eyes, he noticed Quicksand sitting down, not too far away, as if he was keeping an eye on him.

(So… That seemed a little convenient,) Diego remarked silently.

::I agree, but I don't think you need to be that worried. While your performance was above average, none of your 'Godpower' seeped out of you, so this is likely a ploy to discover just how strong you are. Your token sends a record of your activities to your master, so it is just as likely that the other pillars of your sect could see them. With the harsh separation between 'attackers' and 'supporters', the fact you are winning some fights in the arena has probably been noticed by someone so they want to see what all you can do and sent Quicksand to test you::

(I don't stand a chance against him, even if I used my bardic abilities. My custom spell might be able to affect him, but I'm not sure that is enough to win.)

::That should be the point. They want to push you into using everything you have at your disposal. Now, you need to decided how important winning is::

(Hmmm… Clearly, I've sparked someone's interest. I noticed a lot of pills in the Exchange that would help strengthen my body, maybe this is my chance to get some help in the martial field, instead of just getting magical help.)

========================================================

Mission Acquired!

- Defeat Quicksand and earn reputation within the Konto Sect

- Requirements: Win duel or make Quicksand concede

- Rewards: 100 experience points and 100 skill points

========================================================

(A hundred experience points?!? I didn't even get a single one from the other three fights,) Diego silently exclaimed.

::Your previous opponents were not strong enough to award you any while your decision to try and defeat this stronger opponent has given you this mission::

(I understand… Ha! With this hundred XP, I'll be able to move into the seventh stage!)

::Meditate so that I can pull you into your mental plane, I have a few upgraded spells that I've been saving for you and this would be a good chance to pull them out::

Diego let out a deep breath while he adjusted his position then he allowed himself to sink into the rhythmic breathing of his cultivation technique. Nearly nine hours passed within his mental plane as Katalina demonstrated the new spells and he practiced. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed that he had drawn more than a few sets of eyes, but he simply chuckled as he let his [Scarlet-Gold Skin] retract.

"Achieving the Scarlet-Gold Body is an impressive feat. Most people outside of the sect can't reach that level," Quicksand remarked when he noticed that Diego's consciousness had returned.

"I was merely lucky," Diego said then stood up, "Do we need to request a ring, or do you want to use one of the private rings?"

"My junior-brother should be able to wrap up his fight quickly if I ask," Quicksand replied confidently.

Diego nodded and followed Quicksand down the stands. They stopped at the railing and Quicksand waved at pair of shaman apprentices who were battling. One had clearly been restraining himself as the moment Quicksand waved, he exploded forward with a flurry of punches. His opponent was caught off-guard and it was too late to recover before the other had knocked him out of the ring.

"Shall we?" Quicksand asked with a grin.

Diego nodded, and the pair moved down into the arena. The shaman who had won the fight gave Quicksand a bow before he left the ring. Diego and Quicksand swiped their tokens across the elder's black token then took their position at opposite sides of the ring.

"We will start with your move," Quicksand said confidently as he took a loose stance.

Diego nodded as he pulled out his two spears from his storage space then activated his [Speed Clone]. He had just passed off the extra weapon to his clone when Quicksand made his move. His entire body flared with blue and green before the energies consolidated on his hands which he slammed down on the ground once the energy had fully gathered. Diego could see the energies race through the sand until the whole field within the ring was engulfed and then, he started to sink.

Quicksand had turned the dueling ground into… well, quicksand. Diego and his clone used [White Lightning Array] to dodge a sudden spike of sand. The skill negated the effect of the quicksand when he was moving, but the moment his feet touched the ground, Diego would start sinking again. Quicksand continued sending spike towards Diego and his clone as he watched with a strange expression. At his level, he should be able to sense the difference between the clone and his true opponent, but he could not.

Growing tired of dodging, Diego stopped dead in his tracks while his clone charged Quicksand. A pair of daggers appeared in Quicksand's hands and he knocked away the clone's spear with a simple flick of his wrist, but when the clone dodged the follow-up attack, a loud crack erupted, and Quicksand's left shoulder became bloody.

In that moment Diego paused, he held up his empty hand and pointed it at Quicksand's shoulder as he casted one of the new spells Katalina had taught him moments ago, {Ice Bullet}. {Ice Bullet} was based off of the basic {Ice Ball} spell, but the second ring of the Sigil was designed to compact the ice into the size of a bullet, strengthen the ice, and increase the travel speed. Aiming was surprisingly easy since it would travel in a straight line in the direction he pointed, just like it was a real bullet from a gun.

Quicksand was stunned as he touched his shoulder and looked at the blood on his fingers, but instead of being angry, he actually smiled then looked at Diego, saying, "I've underestimated you, I apologize. Now, let's have a proper duel!"

The moment Quicksand finished his words, his body erupted with violet and yellow energies before he completely disappeared. Diego barely managed to use his [White Lightning Array] to dodge Quicksand's attack. He was suddenly right behind where he had been standing and struck out with a fist covered in visible lightning while Diego's helmet revealed a number of wind blades dancing between the bolts of electricity.

Quicksand pressed his advance, chasing after Diego, until Diego clone charged and stabbed out with {Thunder Strike}. With a hand, once again, covered with electricity, Quicksand knocked the spearhead away with his dagger, but Diego's perfect affinity with Thunder allowed the electricity from his strike to overpower Quicksand's defense as the energy painfully entered his body through his hand and numbed everywhere it passed. When Diego instantly turned around to attack with his own {Thunder Strike}, Quicksand had no choice but to retreat or risk losing use of both of his arms.

Diego could not stand still for long or he would sink into the watery sand, so he was forced to keep flashing around the ring while he pressed his advantage. Aside from shaking his left arm to regain feeling in it, Quicksand looked excited. Clearly, he was a battle junkie, and for another apprentice to make him fight seriously, it made his blood boil. He rushed a simple healing spell through his arm as Diego closed in, carrying both spears this time.

The benefit of the System allowed him to use any of his learned skills at the same efficiency every time, whether he attacked using both hands or just one. His true body rushed in close, both hands executing [Serpent's Strike] from either direction, while his clone used [White Lightning Array] to move upwards as high as he could, about five meters straight up before the consumption of chi grew more than normal levels. While the clone started to fall, he raised both hands like guns and casted {Ice Bullet}, {Fire Bullet}, and {Lighting Bullet} at Quicksand.

With his right and left sides being threatened with the spear attack, six magical bullets firing straight at him, and his back to the edge of the ring, Quicksand's only choice was to charge forward while activating his own [Scarlet-Gold Skin]. His daggers struck out to knock back the spears while a {Fire Bullet} sparked off the side of his head, leaving no damage behind. Diego only had time to activate his [Scarlet-Gold Skin] before Quicksand headbutted him in the c.h.e.s.t, knocking him back a few steps.

To prevent Quicksand from continuing his attack, Diego spun the spears in his hands as he channeled [Spinning Shield]. Quicksand's hands moved from a low position to a high one as if he was lifting something heavy. Two hands made from water and sand grabbed at Diego's ankles and tried to pull him down. He swiped with both spears at the hands to break free while his clone moved to the side and fire off another round of the three elemental bullets at Quicksand.

The fire and ice bullets could not affect Quicksand with his defensive skill up, but the {Lightning Bullet} left the impact zone slightly dimmer. He noticed this and understood that it was likely because of his perfect affinity with the element combined with the fact that [Scarlet-Gold Skin] had a metal attribute which acted almost like a conduit for the electricity.

With his feet free again, Diego charged at Quicksand while casting {Thunder Strike} on both of his spears. This time, Quicksand did not block the spears at all and chose to dodge them all together then rush the empty-handed clone. Once again, the clone pointed out his finger and the tip flashed with white light as he casted the {Flash Point} spell that Katalina had demonstrated when she first started teaching him magic.

Quicksand, thinking it was another bullet attack, dove to the side while both Diego and his clone laughed. Surprisingly, Quicksand laughed as well as he rolled back to his feet then vanished. Thanks to the helmet, Diego was able to see the moment before he reappeared as a burst of white energy precede his return, but as the clone dodged backwards, another burst of light appeared behind him and Quicksand stepped out with his dagger shooting down towards the clone's unprotected back.

Before the attack could land though, Diego dismissed his [Speed Clone] then threw one of his spears, covered with electricity, straight at Quicksand's c.h.e.s.t. Quicksand shouted as his body flared with violet energy and he struck out at the flying spear. While the spear was knocked out of the ring, the electricity transferred to Quicksand, making his entire body twitch. Diego used [White Lightning Array] to rush forward, but just before he could strike, the sand around Quicksand rippled then shot out at him. Diego powered through the attack and stabbed out with his spear then stopped just centimeters from hitting his neck.

"Winner, Twin-Spear!" the elder announced.

::Quicksand defeated! 25 experience points awarded, 10 mastery points awarded, 15 skill points awarded to [White Lightning Array], 5 skill points awarded to [Serpent's Strike], 10 skill points awarded to [Speed Clone], 2 skill points awarded to [Speed Sight]::

================================================================

Mission Complete!

- Defeat Quicksand and earn reputation within the Konto Sect

- Requirements: Win duel or make Quicksand concede

- Rewards: 100 experience points and 100 skill points

================================================================

Diego pulled back his spear, panting, as his [Scarlet-Gold Skin] deactivated. He had expended most of his chi and over half over his mana as the bullets ate up a lot, but he could not stop smiling. Quicksand released his own [Scarlet-Gold Skin] and sighed.

"Damn, I still underestimated you. Next time, you won't get off so easily," Quicksand laughed. "Twin-Spear, how about you come with me and meet my master? You have great potential for someone who has only been in the sect for a few months."

"I already have a master," Diego replied.

"I understand your loyalty to your master, but don't forget my master is a Grand Master. You master will understand and even agree it is for your own good," Quicksand persuaded.

Diego chuckled, thinking about his own Grand Master master, but before he could respond, his pocket chimed. He reached in and pulled out his token, the message instantly activating.

"Brightmelody, meet me on the eleventh floor of Konto Tower, now," said the image of Grand Master Shadowbolt that hovered above the jade token.

"Brightmelody?!? The Soul Singer?!?" Quicksand exclaimed.

Diego chuckled as he took off his helmet and tucked it under his arm. "Sorry, I figured most people would hold back if they knew who I was. That was a great fight. Let's do it again sometime!" Diego said with a smile.