*Narration.* 

Everyone expected them to go gung-ho at each other at the start, but the two of them just stared at each other.

Watching every movement, calculating every possible opening for them to take. The low level adventurers may see this as them just staring at each other, but for those who had steeped in the realm of being a high class adventurer, they can see that the two of them are having a mental battle to gain the upper hand.

August changed his stance, lowering his center of gravity he held his spear to aim its tip on the ground pointing at Bete's feet. 

This subtle change made Bete adjust his stance as well, he crouched down like a wolf ready to pounce, his two swords forming an x in front of him both ready for attacking as well as defending his front.

seeing this August front foot which is his left slid a couple of centimeters to the left side which Bete saw and made a minor adjustment as well. 

It became a reading match, on who can gain the upper hand when it came to positioning for the perfect strike. Both fighters know that whoever gains the advantages here will control the tempo of the entire match.

"The kid is pretty good don't you think?" Gareth said as he watched the whole thing unfold. "An average fighter would just charge in hoping to get the upper hand by delivering the first strike."

"Yes." Finn nodded. "It looks like August has been trained by someone who really knows the art of combat. The way he adjusted his stance to gain the advantage is something a veteran adventurer would do, just like us."

"But Bete isn't giving him any ground, he is covering every path of attack August is making. I'm surprised Bete didn't try to gain the tempo by attacking first though."

"He is being cautious. He saw a glimpse of what August can do and not to mention that dark magic we felt when he fought Goliath. Only a fool would rush in even after knowing those facts."

Tione and Tiona who were at the side listening to the conversation got a glimpse of how skilled August really is when it came to fighting. They looked at the middle as the two did their lethal dance in taking the optimal position for attack or for defense. It was like a chess match between two experienced masters.

"Hey sis, I really regret not taking the spar with August earlier." Tione said as her eyes are glued at the young man's back.

"Don't make me laugh, you heard what the captain and Garelth said. You are not the type of fighter who relies on taking the optimal position." Tiona smirked at her sister. "Knowing you, you'll probably just charge in without a single thought and lose after a few exchanges."

"Meanie." Tione pouts at those words. She might not like it but it's the truth. She doesn't like this type of fighting. She would rather brute force her way in gaining the upper hand.

"Oh just watch. You might learn something." Tiona said urging Tione to focus in the match.

'No opening, his guard is tight, every adjustment I make he would just counter automatically, even the small minor ones.' August was wracking his brains. He tried everything in his arsenal to get to the most advantageous spot but Bete saw his everyone and has an answer to it. 'Should I just go in? No... That would be stupid on my part, how about creating an opening for him to attack me and taking advantage of it? It's possible but I don't think he's someone who'll fall for that obvious trap.' His mind was working double time, this was the first time he fought someone who knows how to really fight other than his god. He knew how to handle Heracles because he fought him countless times already, he memorized his every tell, but Bete was someone he was fighting for the first time.

He doesn't know any of his habits, his tells, his fighting style in general, he assumed be was a speedy fighter since he was light on his feet and carried two short swords optimal of a fast assault. But as far as he knows, that was it. 

Bete was starting at August's every move. It was like he was face to face with a veteran. For someone so young yet able to judge the fight and simulate it in his head, he is nothing short of a prodigy. A genius. But he has faced his fair share of geniuses before. 'He's just like Ais. Someone who was born with the innate talent to fight.' he thought as he changed his stance to adjust to August.

The other adventurers who can't see the fight within the fight are confused, a minute has passed and they are just both standing there staring at one another. They thought they would be seeing a slug fest, not a staring match. But every one who can felt chills at every move the two are taking.

"Tsk." August clicked his tongue. He developed a plan in his mind but it was risky, still nothing will happen if he did not take the initiative. 'What am I even doing? If there's one thing I'm best at is attacking.' he took a step towards Bete, he'll take the first move and see where it goes from there, but that was all he could do.

As soon as he took that step Bete covered himself with mana and charged at August brandishing his two swords at him.

'Fast!' August widens his eyes as the swords are inches away from his face. "SHIT!" he raised his spear up to block the blow but Bete vanished. The sword strike was a feint. 

August was fast enough to block the kick now coming at his side, he let his left hand go off his spear and using his elbow he planned to destroy Bete's shin with it. 

'Oh? Just try it then.' Bete can see August's plan but still pushes on. 'You're in for a surprise boy.'

August pushed his mana on his shoulder as he smiled viciously. "I'LL BE TAKING THAT LEG OF YOURS!!!" he screamed at Bete.

*BOOM!* 

As their shin and elbow met a huge impact sent shockwaves at the clash.

"THE FUCK!!!" August's eyes went wide, he felt his mana being absorbed by Bete and he was sent flying in the air. 

Bete smiled as he watched August, he then rushed in to finish the match as he knew he couldn't do much in the air.

August tried to regain his balance mid air, straightening himself as he watched a blur of white and blue flying straight at him. "Oh no you don't!" he raised his mana to the limit as he let his spear Beowulf take his mana as he slammed his spear towards Bete.

"Futile!!!" Bete answers back, he plans to block the spear with his sword and finish the match with his other one. But the strike was stronger than he thought.

*BOOM!* 

As metal meets metal Bete was thrown down the ground hard as he made a crater of himself from the impact.

"ARGHH!!!" Bete groaned as his body meets the cold hard surface of the dungeon, but he has no time to rest as August like lightning from above rushed straight down at his position. "You Asshole!!!" putting his hand on the ground bet rolled to his back up to his feet dodging the strike as debris came flying off everywhere. 

"HOLY SHIT!!!"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

"MY GODS THIS IS AWESOME!!!"

The adventurers watching the fight can't help but admire the two warriors facing off, everything that happened transpired in just a few seconds, 42 seconds to be exact. All they can think of is how fast the two of them are. The adventurers below level 2 couldn't even see them move, all they could see was a blur and the silhouette of the two as the spark from their clashing weapons and the sound of it assaulted their ears.

Bete was angry, he was planning to do short work of this boy, but he was stronger than he thought. "Fucking bastard." he curse as he rushed inside August's guard. 

August sees this stood his ground. He let his mana flow inside his body. "Bring it on!"

The two met as sparks flew in the air, their weapons brandished against each other, their clash making the air inside the dungeon blow violently by their every move.

Bete stabbed his weapon straight at August chest.

August spun to dodge the blow and at the same time he slashed his spear straight at Bete's head. 

Bete ducked as he used his hands to twirl in the ground and kicked August.

He blocked it perfectly, but he felt his mana being absorbed again like it did earlier. He jumped back to gain distance but that was a mistake on his part and Bete capitalized on that mistake. 

He rushed and jumped splashing his two swords vertically which pushed August back even more, and like glue he stuck on August twisting his body delivering a hard kick on August's face.

The blow disoriented August and Bete knows it, he used the pummel of his sword to slam it at August's solar plexus making him spit out saliva at the blow.

"UHGG!!" August was sent flying, landing a few meters away and rolling at the ground as he bounced a couple before he balanced his body using his spear by stabbing it to the ground.

He looked at Bete that was smiling mockingly at him. 

"Give up boy. You don't stand a chance." Bete said as he twirls his swords around his fingers.

"Asshole." August said as he stood up and wiped the blood that was falling out his lips. He looked at it and licked the blood off his fingers. "I can do this all day." he said as he twirled his spear and took his stance smiling viciously towards Bete."

"You haven't even touched me yet. Any more of this would be stupid... Come to think of it, that may come naturally for you." Bete said mocking August as he looked at him with amused eyes.

"Oh... I haven't touched you yet? Then why are you bleeding?" August smiled at Bete and pointed at his right leg, a cut has been made by August.

Bete looked at the wound and felt like laughing, it was barely a scratch. "HAHAHA!!! FOOLISH!!! HOW UTTERLY FOOLISH!!! This won't even be considered as a scratch boy." 

August stretched his body as he answered Bete. "A cut is still a cut for me." after he was done stretching mana seems to escape out of his body. Intense bloodlust assaulted everyone who was watching and Bete was the one who was receiving the brunt of August intense bloodlust. "Now the true fight begins." a vicious grin slowly emerges on August's face as blood trickles-down his lips.

The adventurers shook at the pressure August is releasing, the low level ones vomit on the spot as they felt their life being threatened. They felt like death was standing right in front of them. A fear that they couldn't understand gripped their hearts. The only thing they can think of right now is running.

The higher class adventurer felt a prickly sensation on their skin as August's blood list assaulted them as well. It felt chilly and violent but it was not new to them. They felt it everyday while diving in the dungeon. What surprised them is a kid not older than 16 having that type of violent aura.

"Well this is getting interesting." Finn watched carefully, he was surprised by August's strength and prowess earlier and now he was even more so. 

"Is that really the boy from 9 years ago?" Riveria couldn't believe what she was witnessing. She was so much more sensitive to these things, and the bloodlust that August is releasing made her shudder at the intensity of it. 

"Young August seemed to have grown stronger than I thought." Gareth was interested in the outcome of this match, he feels like this can go either way now. That is if Bete wouldn't turn it up a notch himself.

Tione and Tiona felt chills as they stared at the boy, he was the same level as Tione and Tiona, and was a year younger than the two. Yet it felt like he was already stronger than them. That bloodlust he released made them aware of how strong August was.

Ais was curious, August interested her, he was the same age, and achieved the same feat, right now watching the fight made her want to spar with August as well, she wants to see who will win if the two of them fought. Little did she know that she would get a chance to do so in a few weeks time as she will inevitably face August at the tournament but that's a story for another time.

Bete who was on the receiving end of such an intense bloodlust snarled at August. "This Bastard." he curses. He couldn't believe the guts of this boy. If it's a fight he wants then it's a fight he'll get.

Bete unleashed a bloodlust of his own, the whole 18th floor started to shake as both of their aura clashed. The combination of the two bloodlust made the lower level adventurer faint on the spot. It made the spectator who can take it more excited by the two fighters. 

Both of their aura clashed, not giving an inch to one another.

"Looks like it's not a friendly spar after all." Finn said as he massaged the bridge of his nose as he sighs at the two.

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*** 

Chapter 28 is out. How do you guys like the story so far?

Please leave a comment, a review and feedback so I can improve on writing this fanfic. every little thing helps as it allows me to see your preference on things and would help me write a better fanfic for you all to enjoy.

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good day, love y'all. 

P.S 

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