stat was at 40, most of the books in the library only required him about ten minutes to acquire their knowledge.
After thirty minutes Laernea and Gandiva came inside. They asked him if they could help out with anything. Smoke told them that he may need to acquire a mount of his own soon but first he needs the 'Mount Mastery' ability.
Laernea and Gandiva told him that they might know a couple of people who could help them out. They asked permission to leave.
* * * * * *
Smoke went to the south district's Knight academia alone. The Knights on guard at the entrance stared at him intently. He didn't make any eye contact with them and just went straight in.
His Beggar job was really troubling against some NPCs. He was afraid that the examiner would be the same. Regardless he still had to take the exam if he wanted to compete in the tournament.
Smoke asked one of the NPCs inside, where he should sign up for the tournament. He was told to fall in line behind more than a thousand swordsmen.
The exam was simple. The examinee and a Guard Knight would fight on top of a square platform of about ten meters. All the examinee had to do was to push the Guard Knight off the platform.
Examinees who passed were displayed on the screen above. So far there were only five examinees who made it. There were eight platforms in order to accommodate the overwhelming number of examiners.
The ones waiting in line could watch the examinee's fight before them. Most swordsmen used the same attack pattern and launched a frontal attack.
Guard Knights having a strong defense would just block the attack and push examinee off the platform with their shield bash, thereby disqualifying them.
Smoke was waiting in line for about fifteen minutes. There a few swordsmen and swordswomen who would try to attack from the side but they were still pushed off the ring before even getting a chance to strike the Guard Knight.
Finally, a new Swordsman with the name of Blastar was added into the list of passers. A replay of the swordsman attack was displayed on the main screen.
The middle aged Lioumerean Swordsman that had a face that looked like a lion, was carrying a bastard sword. The biggest sword that a Swordsman could carry. He attacked head on and used his 'Sword Smite' ability. The Guard Knight stabilized his footing and braced himself for the attack.
The damage inflected was for 8,834 points. The Guard Knight's defense was overpowered and was knocked off the square ring.
Smoke thought that the damage was pretty high for a Swordsman especially if you consider that he was up against a Guard Knight, one of the strong defensive Knight variations.
Considering that the middle aged Swordsman used a bastard sword and the 'Sword Smite' ability, Smoke's estimate on the passing Swordsman's Strength was around 700. Which would mean that the he would have to be at least level 90.
As Smoke was nearing his turn. There was a beautiful Human Swordswoman with blond hair, who was three persons ahead of him. She was carrying a long saber. She noticed Smoke's glances. She smiled and gave him a flying kiss.
Smoke's eyebrows furrowed as he was bewildered by what just happened. The Swordswoman stepped unto her square ring as Smoke's undercover name was called out.
"Examinee Ilad, please step into the ring."
This would be Smoke's first time that he would use his gladius sword. Its damage was only slightly higher than his green dual knives but its attack speed was much lower.
He readied his armored armadillo shield and gladius. As he looked on the face of the Guard Knight, he couldn't believe that it was the same one who stopped him at the entrance.
"Hahahaha! Well, well well, I knew the fates would not allow such a pathetic excuse of Swordsman like you to enter this city. You may have gotten around me with the help of
Jessica Conant-Park, Susan Conant