Return Of The Strongest Player

The batch then underwent harsh training. Things like enduring the pressure of a waterfall and performing continuous cardiovascular movements were included. By the end, the newbies were exhausted.

Some had deep gashes and bruises on their skin, but the select few were quickly healed by the lackeys of the Tower Administration. However, endurance training wasn't the only aspect of physical training.

It also included spars without weapons.

"The first battle will be between Fiona and Ian," Aryan announced. The two stepped onto the battleground, directing expressions of disgust towards each other while approaching the center of the field.

Aryan used mana to form a barrier encasing the two combatants. The barrier was enormous, and spanned across almost a kilometer. It was lime in color, and had tiny, transparent hexagons spanning across it.

Only the outlines of the hexagons were visible, but even they flickered into a lighter color every once in a while. However, the effects didn't hinder the durability of the barrier, as not even a regular Ranker could shatter it.

It was overkill, producing such a powerful barrier for a battle between newbies. However, Aryan didn't mind, considering his massive mana reserve. The barrier didn't even cause a dent in his reserve.

Fiona was a woman with black hair that was cut short in order to prevent obstruction of vision. Her eyes were always narrowed into slits, as if she were scouring the area for prey as a predator.

Her pupils, albeit difficult to spot, were navy-blue. They were darker in the middle. Her skin was pale, as if she were a vampire. With a flat body, she easily fit into the black tight suit that most attendees of the physical training wore.

Ian was a scrawny, tall man with minimal muscle mass. His skin was a darker shade, while his eyes were larger. His outward appearance seemed to portray him as an innocent being, and his hair complimented that look.

His white hair was pushed to the side in an orderly fashion, with an excessive amount of gel and hair products. It wasn't spiky, and was quite clean to look at. He wore thin-frame, oval-shaped glasses that he took off for the battle.

He also wore a tight suit. 

"Wear these," said Aryan, tossing a pair of metal gauntlets to both Ian and Fiona. As they slipped it on their fists, both combatants commented on its heavy weight, and how moving their arms was difficult.

However, that was the point of the class.

It didn't matter who won. It was a matter of who received most out of the class, and who underwent more growth. The training phase in the tutorial was not competitive by any means. The Tower Administration encouraged friendly competitions, but that was about it.

However, the second trial was the most difficult. In that, most newbies perished. Only a select few were able to enter the tower… the best of the best. 

However, considering the massive number of people that entered the tutorial world every day, there were tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of newbies that entered the tower in each batch.

It was a stupendous number, but it was only a tiny number compared to those that perished along the way.

"Begin," said Aryan. The lime barrier sparkled, and the two combatants shot towards each other. Considering their inability to properly utilize their bodies during battle, their movements were quite stiff and unrefined.

A few of the experienced students watched with disappointment, letting out sighs as Ian and Fiona tripped over their own feet while moving rapidly through the barrier. Their movement was quick, but that was all.

Their agility was nill, and even their perception had gaps. The two allowed for openings and left themselves vulnerable at every move. However, the other didn't take advantage, unable to spot the openings.

'This is sad,' thought Arthur, letting out a bitter chuckle. The crimson-eyed man was not well-versed in physical combat by any means. He'd seen the top dogs of the tower fight using their bodies. They could destroy entire countries with a single punch.

Their movements were comparable to that of sound itself, and their adaptiveness and perception abilities were through the roof. They were opportunistic bastards who could combat mages and magicians quite well.

At that point in the tower, physical combat was no longer inferior to magic.

However, that was only far in the future. For now, when people were not experienced in physical combat, magic was a much better option. However, since it was easy, it was also a competitive path.

One had to fight for resources at every moment, unless one was affiliated with a large clan.

Even then, they couldn't receive food without labor. 

Ian approached Fiona, extending his arm to prepare for a punch. The latter sidestepped before using her left palm to parry the strike. Knocking it off its trajectory, she quickly closed in before using her foot to disturb Ian's balance.

The expressions of the sea of onlookers brightened, finally witnessing an interesting display. The two combatants were evolving amidst battle, which was quite a rare occurrence. Usually, one could not see such exponential growth, unless their shackles shattered.

Mental shackles, mind you.

Ian struggled to maintain his balance, and allowed the front of his feet to lift. His heels were unable to maintain his entire body's center of balance, and using the opportunity, Fiona used her left fist to smash Ian's abdomen.

Ian's eyes turned bloodshot, and his internal organs shook. 

He did not have a powerful constitution, nor could he augment his body using mana. Since it was completely raw power, Fiona could easily suppress the scrawny man. There were no external powers involved. Simply the natural powers of a human.

Bam!

Ian's body collided with the ground, with his upper back suffering most of the impact. Aryan immediately dispelled the barrier, allowing the medics to carry Ian to the infirmary.

The battle that began as a joke served as growth to one of the combatants.

That was the point of training.

To grow.