The Freya Familia's Battlefield Plain refers to the open grassland outside the courtyard.
As one of the largest Familias in Orario, the Freya Familia's courtyard is extremely vast.
The towering, sturdy walls and gates stretch beyond sight; standing on this grassland feels like being on a real prairie, not at all like a scene that should appear within a city district.
Walking across the open grass, Van, who possesses half-Dwarf blood, approached the blonde elf.
"Lord Hedin, the personnel have finished gathering! Please issue your orders!"
"You have only one goal today."
Hedin turned around and looked at the figure not far away.
"Use any means necessary to defeat him."
"Yes!"
A neat and loud response echoed across the grassland.
Upon receiving Hedin's command, the Freya Familia members, who had been lined up in neat rows, all drew their weapons, their bodies emitting a terrifying aura.
Standing at the edge of the battlefield, Bell felt this terrifying aura rushing toward him, and his breath hitched.
"Is this... the strength of the Freya Familia?"
"What nonsense are you talking?"
Hedin, who had just walked back, glanced at him. "Those standing here are merely low-level combatants."
Bell's eyes widened. "These... are all just low-level combatants?"
"That's right. Anyone below Level 5 is considered low-level combat personnel. To be strict, even Level 5s don't count as true combat power."
Hedin spoke with a calm expression, yet his words were outrageous.
As a First-Class Adventurer, he knew full well what level their strength would have been in the past.
Facing the End that crushed the hope of the lower world, a Level 5 could only barely serve as a logistics officer.
One needed at least Level 6 strength to provide support and clear out monsters on the front lines.
As for Bell...
Looking the rabbit up and down with an expressionless face, Hedin raised a hand to push up his glasses.
Though he didn't know why Lynn and Freya thought highly of this fellow, he still had to do what needed to be done.
"Keep your eyes wide open. What is about to be displayed before you are a battle of First-Class Adventurers."
"First Class Adventurers?"
"Exactly. After breaking through to Level 3, Lynn..."
"Charge!"
Before he could finish, a roar suddenly erupted.
On the distant battlefield, the members of the Freya Familia launched their charge. Van, a Level 4, was the first to rush ahead, reaching Lynn in the blink of an eye.
Cold light cut through the air as two longswords fell toward Lynn simultaneously from the left and right.
"Decent speed."
Lynn moved forward instead of retreating, his body passing perfectly through the gap between the two slashes as he threw a punch.
Crack, crack, crack—!
The sound of bones fracturing, clear enough to make one's scalp tingle, suddenly rang out as a fierce force exploded against Van.
With a muffled groan, his body was sent flying backward, blood spraying wildly as he knocked over several people before smashing into the ground!
"All together! Surround him!"
Seeing Van defeated in an instant, the others charging behind didn't feel fear; instead, they grew even more excited.
The tacit understanding born from years of combat came into play. The warriors, radiating killing intent, instantly split into three groups to surround Lynn from different directions.
"Muda muda!"
Lynn took a step forward, and the ground beneath him shattered.
Amidst a massive roar, he charged straight into the left formation, sending countless people into the sky with one punch each.
"So... so amazing!"
At the edge of the battlefield, Bell strained his eyes to track the figure weaving through the crowd.
Just like in the War Game a month ago, Lynn was once again displaying overwhelming strength.
Every enemy in his path was sent flying the moment they met, without exception, leaving them with no power to fight back.
But unlike over a month ago, those standing here now were the elites of the Freya Familia.
Compared to the Soma Familia, these were battle-hardened elites, powerhouses recognized by Orario.
[When I first joined the Familia and received my blessing, I didn't have a single skill or magic either. ]
Just then, the words Lynn had spoken last night echoed in his mind, giving Bell a jolt of spirit.
That's right, Lynn had started with nothing too.
Yet he had still stood here through hard work, defeating these powerhouses of the Freya Familia.
If that was the case... he had a chance too!
As long as he joined the Battlefield Plain to train, he would have a chance to be as strong as him!
...
"...So beautiful."
Freya silently watched Bell in the distance.
What kind of color was that?
Crystal clear and breathtakingly beautiful.
Since her birth, this was the first time Freya had seen such a color in a soul.
It was different from Lynn's soul, which was surrounded by the mist and emitted a faint, ominous aura.
The moment she saw Bell's soul, her gaze was drawn away by its spiritual radiance.
[I want it. ]
Her habit of collecting souls flared up again, and Freya's gaze gradually flickered with the desire to claim that soul as her own.
However, just then, a new thought arose in Freya's mind.
[It's not time yet. ]
The radiance of a soul determined a person's potential.
If the radiance of Ottar and the others was a blazing fire, then Bell was a newly lit flame.
The brightness of the two was on completely different levels; Bell's only anomaly was the color of his soul.
As a collector, Freya wanted Bell to be polished, so his soul would become even more beautiful and alluring.
She wanted to see what kind of radiance Bell, who possessed such a soul, could eventually burst forth with.
But... how should she do it?
A new question arose in her mind.
To polish a person's soul, the person themselves needed to undergo trials and transformation.
In this step, one needed to teach according to the individual's talent, creating different plans based on each person's situation.
Letting Bell join the Battlefield Plain would only achieve basic polishing. As for what came next...
Freya looked toward the nearby battlefield.
"Ottar, have you noticed anything?"
"He has activated magic."
Beside Freya, the Boarman, who had remained silent since the start of the battle, replied.
"Though it looks inconspicuous, that magic has enhanced his physical attributes."
"Furthermore, his combat instincts are very sharp; he can precisely seize the openings in his enemies' attacks."
"At this rate, this battle will be over within an hour."
"An hour?"
Freya was somewhat surprised.
Although she knew Lynn was an anomalous existence, wasn't this time a bit too short?
Those present were the elites of the Freya Familia, after all. Could they not even hold out for an hour?
"His attacks are very unique."
Sensing Freya's thoughts, Ottar's voice spoke again.
"Every time he throws a punch, a unique vibration appears on the surface of his fist."
"This vibration penetrates into the enemy's body along with the attack, shattering their bones."
The self-recovery ability of high-level adventurers is very strong.
With a numerical advantage, even someone with a caved-in chest can recover and fight another round.
But in reality, Van, who was the first to be knocked down, did not stand back up, and those who were subsequently knocked down also failed to stand up.
These battle-hardened warriors, who wouldn't fear even serious injuries, had all lost their mobility without exception, lying on the ground unable to move.
"Lady Freya, there is no longer any point in continuing this battle. Should we switch people?"
"Let's switch."
Freya gave her response.
Though his soul was unique, she didn't feel any affection or desire for possession toward Lynn.
That man gave her a dangerous feeling.
It was precisely because of this feeling that Freya wasn't very fond of Lynn.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't care whether the training on the Battlefield Plain helped him or not.
But this time was different.
Freya's gaze turned toward Bell again.
She had noticed since the start of the battle that Bell's soul was slowly brightening.
As for the reason... admiration?
Freya, who could faintly sense Bell's emotions, noticed that he was admiring Lynn.
Though she didn't know the principle behind it, knowing the conclusion was enough.
The performance of a powerful warrior could attract Bell's admiration, thereby causing his soul to brighten.
In that case, she would send out the strongest warrior to steal Bell's gaze away from Lynn.
"Ottar, you go."
The silver-haired goddess issued her divine will.
"Use your full strength and crush him head-on."
"Yes."
Ottar nodded.
Though the request was somewhat unexpected, he still chose to accept.
Taking the great sword from his back, he walked toward the battlefield ahead, a terrifying aura slowly emerging from his body.
In just an instant, this aura swept across the entire plain.
Feeling this aura, the warriors of the Freya Familia simultaneously stopped what they were doing.
"Hm? Why are you here?"
Lynn noticed Ottar's arrival: "I'm not ready to fight you yet. Send Hedin and the others instead."
"No."
Ottar shook his head slightly: "This is the will of Lady Freya. She wants me to crush you head-on."
Lynn: "?"
Freya? Why is she suddenly acting strangely for no reason?
Glancing at the silver-haired Goddess sitting not far away, Lynn's eye twitched, feeling somewhat speechless.
"Forget it. Although it's a bit early, having a spar with you first will be a good experience."
Lynn looked toward the Fox Person Maiden sitting nearby: "Haruhime, give me a magic enhancement."
"Yes!"
As soon as Haruhime saw Ottar appear, she had already anticipated this situation.
Now that she received Lynn's command, she immediately raised the staff in her hand, and spiritual fluctuations appeared on her body.
"Grow large! With power and movement, countless treasures and countless wishes! When the bell tolls, pray for splendor and fantasy!"
"Grow large! This body that devours divine food, grant the golden light of the Gods! Return the hammer to the earth, bestow blessings!"
The crisp sounds echoed across the plain.
Ottar stood quietly in place, showing no reaction to the maiden's actions.
LV7 fighting LV3. Regardless of the reason, this was an unequal battle.
Let alone asking Haruhime to cast a magic enhancement, he felt it wouldn't matter even if Hedin provided an enhancement.
"Ten Thousand Treasure Hammer!"
Under everyone's gaze, a dazzling, radiant light hammer descended from the sky, transforming into light particles that wrapped around Lynn's body.
"Current Propulsion."
Lynn also activated his magic.
The golden electric light mixed with the light particles, and surging power erupted from within his body.
The next instant, a roar sounded.
Without any greeting or warning, Lynn appeared behind Ottar in the blink of an eye and slashed down with his sword.
But at that exact moment, a great sword exuding a heavy aura swept over, colliding with Lynn's attack.
Boom—!
The lightning wrapped around the Tachi shattered, turning into several streaks of electric light that fell onto Ottar's body.
On the other side, using the shock from the lightning explosion, Lynn retreated to create distance, preparing to launch a new round of attacks.
However, just then, a tall figure appeared in front of him as if charging forward like a wild boar.
Thunder Breathing · Eighth Form, Raikiri!
Without any hesitation, Lynn decisively unleashed his strongest strike.
In an instant, a streak of lightning tore through the air, slashing towards Ottar's waist and abdomen.
Boom—!
Another roar sounded.
The sturdy great sword, like a city wall, once again blocked Lynn's attack.
"Tsk, can't even scratch him?"
Lynn continued to retreat to create distance.
Despite Haruhime's magic enhancement, there was still a gap in their physical attributes.
Coupled with Ottar's battle skills honed through countless trials, finding another way to break through his defense was necessary.
"A magnificent slash."
Ottar commented on Lynn's performance.
Regardless of the reason, Lynn's previous strike genuinely qualified to be taken seriously.
He could use enhancement magic, attach magic, and was a master swordsman...
Recalling the abilities Lynn had displayed just now, Ottar suddenly felt this was a good opportunity.
"If it's you, you should be qualified, right?"
"?"
What did he mean?
Faced with Ottar's sudden remark, Lynn paused, a hint of confusion appearing on his face.
But in the next second, his attention was diverted.
"[Mercy of the Silver Moon, Field of Gold. ]"
A rough voice echoed across the plain.
Like the Sword of Damocles suspended overhead, a terrifying aura rushed towards him as it was about to fall.
Thunder Breathing · Seventh Form, Flaming Thunder God!
Without any hesitation, Lynn transformed into a streak of lightning and charged forward, attempting to interrupt Ottar's chant.
But as Orario's strongest individual, Ottar had mastered the technique of concurrent chanting long ago.
"[Command my body to be a fighting boar.]"
The chanting continued. Ottar engaged Lynn in constant exchange while maintaining his spell.
In just the span of a single breath, the two had exchanged over a dozen slashes.
Facing the overwhelming stats, although Lynn sustained no damage, he was still forced to pull back.
"[Receiving the Goddess's will, charge forward. ]"
At the same time, the chant reached its conclusion.
"[Hildis Vini! ]"
The magic representing the ultimate strike was officially unleashed. Golden radiance wrapped around the greatsword like the bristles of a wild boar.
"If you wish to defeat me, learn this strike."
Looking at the black-haired youth not far ahead, Ottar slowly raised the greatsword in his hand.
He didn't aim, nor did he need to aim.
The moment the shadow descended, the Battlefield Plain was split in two, and an earth-shattering explosion resonated above Orario.
Boom—!!!
...