BXBX NOVEL Chapter 73 - 73
Chapter 73: Chapter 73
Approaching the registration desk, Noboru presented himself as a contender. "I\'d like to register for the Duke of the North tournament," he said, his voice calm and steady.
The clerk, a middle-aged man with a scar running down his left cheek, eyed him curiously. "Your Guild Card, please," he asked, extending a hand.
Noboru, who had no such card, improvised. "I\'m new to QuakeTown. I heard about the tournament and decided it was time to test my skills," he explained, maintaining a confident demeanor.
The clerk nodded, understanding the allure the tournament held for fighters far and wide. "Very well, then you will need to apply as an adventurer here. You can do it now for free because Baron Akira is paying the entrance fee. You just need to do some basic tests so we can see where you stand among the ranks of our adventurers," the clerk finished, gesturing for Noboru to follow him to the testing area.
Noboru was led to a vast chamber, where several adventurers were undergoing various tests of strength, agility, and magical prowess. The clerk pointed him towards a corner where a large, ancient-looking rock stood, glowing faintly. "This is the Aura Power Finder, an ancient artifact used to measure an adventurer\'s aura strength. Place your hand on it, and it will reveal your aura\'s power."
Noboru approached the artifact, intrigued by its design and the deep, pulsing energy it emanated. As he laid his hand on the smooth surface of the rock, a brilliant light enveloped the chamber. The adventurers and clerks alike turned to witness an unprecedented event: the Aura Power Finder began to crack, its glow intensifying until, with a resounding shatter, it broke apart.
A stunned silence filled the room. The clerk, wide-eyed, stumbled backwards. "Impossible! Only the legendary hero, capable of wielding all four elemental auras, was said to have enough power to break the Aura Power Finder!"
Noboru withdrew his hand, the faintest smirk playing on his lips. "It seems your artifact wasn\'t prepared for someone like me."
The news of the shattered Aura Power Finder spread like wildfire through QuakeTown. By the time Noboru was led to the next test, a crowd had gathered to witness the newcomer who defied ancient predictions.
The next test was Earth Aura manipulation. Noboru stood in an open field, surrounded by Guild masters and onlookers. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the earth beneath him. With a mere thought, he commanded the earth to rise, and to the astonishment of all present, a massive structure began to form. It was a moon, a perfect replica of the one that adorned their night sky, but this one was made entirely of earth and stone, mirroring QuakeTown in size.
"No way," a townsman said.
"Wow, Mummy, look, that new adventurer is so cool. Can daddy do something like that?" a small kid said.
"A moon. The size of this town. Our town is bigger than most kingdoms. Even Ignarock pales in comparison," said the Guild master.
But Noboru didn\'t stop there. With a wave of his hand, he transformed the surface of the earthen moon, sculpting intricate patterns and designs that told the story of QuakeTown\'s history and its people that he had learned in just a few days of being here. The level of detail was astonishing, each line and curve executed with precision that should\'ve been impossible with such a grand scale.
"It\'s beautiful," a woman said, proud that her and her ancestors\' history was being shown in a magnificent manner. It was like that that Noboru had won the hearts of the town.
"How is this possible?" Many adventurers asked.
"Is this man a god?" another asked.
Then, demonstrating his control over life itself, Noboru willed vegetation to sprout upon the moon, creating lush forests and gardens that teemed with life. Finally, he gently lowered the structure back to the ground, where it settled without causing so much as a tremor, creating a new forest and plants for the town. The forest\'s mere size would make them as rich as the grand city.
"Impossible," stated the Guild Master in astonishment, while the other spectators were just that: spectators watching in awe.
The Aura Power Finder Mini, a smaller device used for more detailed readings, detected that Noboru had accomplished this feat using less than 0.000000001 percent of his power. The Guild masters were speechless, their eyes reflecting a mix of fear, respect, and disbelief.
The final test was a martial arts match against the Guild\'s champion, a renowned fighter known for his unbeatable technique. The match was to be fought without the use of aura, a pure test of physical skill and prowess.
The arena was charged with anticipation as Noboru stepped onto the mat, facing the guild champion, Boros. The crowd fell into a hushed silence, their eyes fixed on the two fighters.
Boros, a towering figure with muscles that spoke of countless battles, smirked condescendingly at Noboru. "So, you\'re the newcomer who shattered the Aura Power Finder? Let\'s see if you\'re as good with your fists as you are with your tricks," he taunted, his voice echoing through the arena.
Noboru remained unfazed, his expression calm. "Talk is cheap. Let your skills speak for themselves," he replied, his stance relaxed yet ready.
The referee signaled the start of the match, and Boros wasted no time. He lunged forward with a powerful straight punch, aiming directly at Noboru\'s face. The crowd gasped, expecting a quick end to the match.
But Noboru was no ordinary fighter. With a fluid motion, he sidestepped the punch, his movements graceful and precise. "Is that all you\'ve got?" he quipped, dodging another of Boros\'s heavy blows.
Boros, now visibly irritated, unleashed a flurry of attacks, each more aggressive than the last. But Noboru danced around them effortlessly, his counter-moves a blur of speed and agility.
"You\'ll have to do better than that," Noboru taunted, as he caught Boros\'s fist mid-strike, twisting it to unbalance the champion.
Boros grunted, pulling back his arm, only to be met with a swift kick to his side from Noboru. The force of the kick sent Boros stumbling, but he quickly regained his footing, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and begrudging respect.
"Interesting," Boros growled, adopting a more cautious stance. "But don\'t think you\'ve won just yet."
The match continued, with Boros adapting his
strategy, attempting to predict Noboru\'s movements. But Noboru was always one step ahead, his mastery of martial arts evident in every block, dodge, and counter.
As the match neared its end, Boros, now desperate, attempted a high-risk spinning kick, hoping to catch Noboru off guard. But Noboru saw through the move, ducking under the kick and positioning himself behind Boros.
In one swift movement, Noboru swept Boros\'s legs from under him, sending the champion crashing to the mat. Before Boros could recover, Noboru pinned him down, his hand poised just inches from Boros\'s face.
The crowd erupted into cheers, their roars filling the arena. Boros, panting and defeated, could only look up at Noboru in disbelief.
"I concede," Boros admitted, his voice barely audible over the crowd. "Your skill is unparalleled."
Noboru offered Boros a hand, helping him to his feet. "It was a good match. Your strength is commendable, but martial arts isn\'t just about brute force. It\'s about understanding your opponent, predicting their moves, and using their strength against them."
Boros nodded, a newfound respect for Noboru evident in his gaze. "Thank you, for the lesson," he said, bowing slightly to Noboru.
As Noboru exited the arena, the crowd\'s cheers still ringing in his ears, he knew that this victory was more than just a personal triumph. It was a statement, a demonstration of his capabilities, and a warning to those who might underestimate him in the battles to come.
Noboru\'s display of power and skill had made a profound impression on the people of QuakeTown. As he walked away from the testing area, whispers followed him, speaking of a new legend in the making, a mysterious adventurer who might just be the key to victory in the Duke of the North tournament.
"Look, that\'s Noboru Chikara," Noboru heard as he walked to the inn.
"Oh my God, have my kids," Noboru heard a woman say but saw nothing to it.
"I heard he\'s the key to QuakeTown\'s success in the tournament," said a man.
But as there was hype for Noboru, there was also hatred and jealousy. As Noboru got closer to the inn, he dodged a fist that punched through a wall nearby.
"You think you\'re all that, hotshot. Don\'t you?" Noboru heard as he turned around and looked at the assailant.
The assailant was an adventurer in his 30s with black hair, brown eyes, and a decent physique. He was accompanied by other adventurers who seemed to be his lackeys.
"Who are you?" Noboru asked.
"You don\'t know me," the adventurer said in a pissed-off tone as Noboru sighed in annoyance. "Of course, you wouldn\'t, I was just a speck of dirt compared to your legacy," the adventurer said.
"What are you talking about?" Noboru asked in confusion.
"I was supposed to be QuakeTown\'s star. I was supposed to be the one who became the adventurer everyone spoke about, but then you showed up and shattered the Aura Power Finder," the adventurer said with anger in his tone as he punched through the wall again in anger, as Noboru looked at him and then at his lackeys who were all giving him looks of hate.
"He was our meal ticket. We betted he would be the best, and you made us lose money so pay up," one lackey said.
"Now we have nothing," another lackey said.
"That\'s not my problem," Noboru said, not in the mood to deal with this. "I don\'t care who you were or who you wanted to be. I\'m just gonna say one thing try this one more time." Noboru said as he grabbed the adventurer\'s hand and snapped it, making him scream in pain as his lackeys looked on in horror.
"And I won\'t be as merciful. I will put you in the ground," Noboru said as he then let go of the adventurer\'s hand and walked away, as he heard the adventurer on the ground weeping.
\'Another Kouki and Meiyo but without their powers,\' Noboru thought as he shook his head in disappointment as he went into the inn and was greeted by Maria who had an innocent blush on her face as she spoke.
"Oh my God! Noboru-Kun I didn\'t know you were that strong," Maria said excitedly as Noboru smiled.
"But how are you not winded at all? Most fights last more than a minute even if you won," Maria said.
"Don\'t worry about it, Maria," Noboru said as he felt a woman press her chest against his back as Maria gave an angry and jealous expression but quickly hid it as Noboru looked behind him to see a young woman in her late 20s with blue hair, blue eyes, and a decent body with D breasts.
"Hey handsome why don\'t we go upstairs," the young woman said as she batted her eyes at Noboru seductively as Noboru\'s face turned red as he started to shy away and quickly pulled back, making most of the women coo at how cute this strong and handsome man was acting.
"Sorry, Miss. But I will have to pass," Noboru said shyly as the woman gave a sad pouty face as Maria smirked.
\'I love Ayame,\' was all Noboru thought and he felt bad that he let some other woman\'s breast touch his arm.
"Oh, you don\'t know what you are missing," the young woman said as she then started to walk away but stopped and turned. "If you decided you changed my mind well ask for the name Alice. I am the owner of the most popular bar in QuakeTown," she said as she then winked at Noboru and walked out of the inn as Maria scoffed and smiled.
"Aren\'t you just so popular. Anyways dinner is gonna be soon, but if you are tired you can relax in your room till then," Maria said as Noboru nodded and headed to his room where he lied down on his bed thinking of ways to get to Earth God or at least a noble rank to meet the Earth God when he got interrupted by Maria who told him dinner was ready as he nodded and ate his dinner with the staff and workers of the inn.
\'My goal is to meet this Earth God and convince him to join the alliance. I will just have to win the tournament first,\' Noboru thought as he was approached by Maria who blushed as she spoke.
"Can we speak, Noboru-kun? It\'s very important," Maria asked as Noboru nodded and they walked to her room where they sat down and Maria began talking.
"Noboru-Kun, a letter came for you. It\'s from Baron Akira, he wishes to meet you," Maria said as Noboru\'s eyebrows widened.
"When?" Noboru asked.
"Tomorrow in the morning," Maria said as she handed the letter to Noboru.
"Ok. Thank you, Maria," Noboru said as he exited her room and went into his own and thought. "So that\'s how I can meet him and fulfill my goal of meeting the Earth God."
Noboru then fell asleep only to wake up at dawn.