I guess I will find out later, there is nothing I can do about it either way. For now I am not going to worry about it, or even think about it if I can help it. However, after ending the soulscape I find myself too worked up to sleep.

Since I can't sleep, I may as well work on my own core, but first I get Grimgar. That way he can practice by observing me as I work on my core, it should help him with his own technique. Once Grimgar is ready I sink into meditation and start working on my core.

*DING*

Core Upgrade Progress: 100%

Core Upgrade Completed!

Core Rank 4: +400 HP +200 MP!

Grimgar says "I still can't believe how easy it is for you to upgrade your core!"

"It is mainly because this isn't my first time. Regaining ranks I already had before is a lot easier! Not to mention that I have greatly improved my technique since the first time I ranked up."

Grimgar says "That makes sense and it was really helpful to watch!"

"There is not much left for me to teach you. Now you just need practice."

Grimgar says "I agree. However, I would like to stay with you a bit longer just in case I have questions."

"That's fine. You can follow me around as long as you want."

Grimgar says "Thank you!"

Grimgar goes back to practicing and now that I have calmed down I am finally able to get some sleep. I wake up a couple of hours after dawn, then have some breakfast with Grimgar. As we eat I answer whatever questions he has to the best of my ability.

I can't claim to know everything about cores and working on them, but I have figured out a lot. At least my knowledge should be enough for him to reach the max rank with his core. After that it will depend on his luck in finding a sacred creature to raise him to the next level.

However, I do share what I know about sacred creatures and what becoming one means. It should help him if he manages to find one that is willing to talk to him. By the time I am done telling him everything I know it is about an hour before noon.

So, I tell him to go back to practicing and I leave the manor to head to the arena. The match is being advertised and they have announced what I am fighting, but I don't care. Knowing ahead of time won't really make any difference to me or to how I fight.

So, I just enter the arena and allow someone to lead me to a preparation room. Soon the arena owner and another man in robes arrive to finalize the bet. The man in robes is a mage and is also a high ranking member of the city guard.

He is the one who is going to be the witness for the bet and also hold the stakes. The area owner presents the bill of sale for the seven elves and three million crystal coins. Then I present my four million crystal coins and with that the bet is official and irrevocable.

Now, once I win the match, the mage will give me everything and the arena owner has no chance to go back on it. Of course, if I lose, then the mage would give everything to the arena owner. With that settled, all that's left is the fight itself, so I sit back and relax until it is time.

Even in the preparation room I can hear the noise of the crowd above me. From the sounds of it the arena is completely full and they are excited for the match. They probably all have bets placed, even if I win the arena owner won't lose much money.

The majority of the crowd is probably betting against me, with a few exceptions. So, if I win the match, then the arena is going to win a lot from all those bets. It may not add up to three million crystal coins, but it is probably close.

Finally I hear the announcement, get up, summon the dagger, and walk out onto the sands. There is very little cheering for me, after all I am unknown and most of them bet against me. Surprisingly, the mage also enters the arena to announce the bet and the stakes involved.

When they hear the high amounts involved the crowd goes a little crazy. After all, for most of them, they will never see that kind of money in their entire lives. The crowd's interest in the fight is obviously much higher after the bet is announced.

I even see a lot of the members of the crowd suddenly rush to make last minute bets. I have no idea why knowing about our bet would make people want to place a new bet. Whatever, it doesn't affect me at all, I am just waiting to see what I am fighting against.

The announcer is taking his time and dragging things out to hype up the crowd. I catch him looking at the people placing bets out of the corner of his eye. Only once everyone has had time to place their last minute bets does he finally finish.

At his last words a large gate opens to allow the beast I am to fight to enter the arena. The thing is massive, maybe as much as forty feet long and it is really weird. Its body looks like an alligator with six legs and two tails, but the odd part is its two heads.

The reason the beast looks so weird is that while the rest of the body looks like an alligator, the heads are those of a wolf. It almost looks like someone found a two-headed alligator and replaced the heads with wolf heads. This is the Magic Kingdom, so this thing being artificially made isn't entirely impossible.

When I look into the beast's eyes all I see is insanity, the beast is completely insane. This makes me even more convinced that the beast has been modified by magic. I really want to scan the beast and take a look, but the arena's enchantments would detect it.

Any use of mana on the sands would be noticed by the enchantments and they would make me glow. This is so that the crowd can see if someone in the arena is using magic in the fight. Not that magic is banned, it just changes the odds if someone can use magic.

The problem is that it would instantly be obvious that I am using magic without spellcasting. That would instantly cause a huge commotion and I certainly want to avoid that. So, my curiosity will have to wait, for now I just need to put this poor beast out of its misery.

The beast is ignoring me so far, it is just roaring in rage at the people in the stands. However, thanks to the enchantments, even if it tries to attack them it won't be able to hurt anyone. Since I can't scan the thing I have no idea how strong it is, guess I will have to find out the hard way.