《Ancient Tears BloodLine》 Chapter 1 - Prologue Humans need to break through chains of several cultivation stages to reach a non-human level. Based on the inheritances they fused with at the non-human warrior level, their future path will be set. STAGES Each stage has three sub-levels: Initial, Mid, Peak. 1. Trainee Apprentice 2. Special Trainee 3. Trainee Warrior 4. Elite Warrior 5. Super Elite 6. SS Elite Level 7. SSS Elite Level 8. Commander Level 9. General Level Final human-level breakthrough: 1. Non-human level warrior Inheritance level (1-9) Chapter 2 - Bloodline Inheritor In the aftermath of the battle between the gods of the multiverses, stars exploded and triggered nearby planets to extinction. Far away from that place was a habitual planet traveling aimlessly across the galaxy. This lively and usually radiant planet was called Rogue Planet. The Blood of God spilled across the universe called Ancient Tears. A mysterious god-like aura radiated from its midst which would cause anyone to look at it with reverence. The God Blood carried by a meteor eventually crosses a path with Rogue planet. A meteor soared across the surface of the planet and soon reached a stretch of barren land where a hunter couple lived with their one-year-old child in a small hut. Surrounding temperatures gradually started to increase and the air got extremely hot as the meteor neared the land. The meteor fell not too far from the couple, causing a huge explosion of fire that later turned into hot flowing lava. The couple looked in the distance at the fast-approaching lava and knew in themselves that chances of running away or surviving were futile. The mother of the child looked down at her oblivious, cheerful baby with teary eyes, "Even if we die Zack, you have to live." The child''s father took the child and hoisted him up on a very large rock, "He should be fine here." The child''s mother fell on her knees in tears and her husband took her in his arms. They stayed in each other''s embrace by the rock as the lava edged closer to them. The temperature of the rock increased as the lava flowed beneath it and the young baby on top started crying. Ancient blood rose from the scorched earth and immediately started searching for a body to inhabit. It quickly vanished as it entered the body of the small, crying child. The blood separated into two parts, a fragment entered the boy''s soul and the rest occupied his small, fragile body. Chapter 3 - Bloodline Inheritor 2 The ancient bloodline is a mysterious power bestowed upon fortunate persons by the ancient God. Once awakened, the inheritor will be able to pursue the path of becoming a true God. This ancient, holy blood can protect the inheritor until the blood is fully absorbed as a safety mechanism. The blood cleansed and strengthened the young, child''s body. The lava somehow reached the height of the rock but the blood inside the child automatically formed a thick protective layer around him. Zack fell into a deep slumber after the blood absorption and the body enhancements. ---------------- Mr. Ferral entered the office of the guardian knight, Lockwood, panicked and anxious, "Lord knight, a huge meteor crashed on the outskirts of Maple City. It was only barren land but the damage is far greater than we anticipated. I fear the monsters might use this time of panic and unrest to attack." Lockwood got up, "Assistant Ferral, gather as much men as you can and go inspect the area. I need to inform the city lord right away and organize an army to protect the city." Mr. Ferral nodded and did as he was told. He gathered some of the city''s most elite troops and made his way to the location of the crash site. "Captain Norman, take your half of the team and inspect the surrounding area. Inform me if you spot anything unusual," Mr. Ferral ordered. "Yes, my lord," Norman replied. Ferral looked down at the area below the mountain, "We''ll inspect down below." Mr. Ferral''s abilities allowed him to fly so he took flight and began inspecting the area below the mountain. Ferral''s eyes widened as he saw the huge crater, "How devastating." He couldn''t help but imagine the outcome if a city was hit by it instead. A shiny object caught Ferral''s eye, "What is that?" He flew towards the object at top speed. As if no longer sensing danger, the protective layer around the child slowly disappeared. Ferral''s brows shot up in surprise and shock after seeing the small child sleeping soundly on a piece of rock, "Impossible." Mr. Ferral scooped the child up in his arms, "How are you alive?" He considered the boy''s parents using life-saving treasures to protect him but they were often only owned by nobles and powerful organizations. Captain Norman and his team joined Mr. Ferral''s faction. "Lord Ferral, we have inspected the area. The mountain took majority of the impact and the explosion got rid of most of the mid to low level monsters. Even the highly dangerous level 3 underground worms that occupied this area didn''t survive the disaster," reported Norman. Norman then noticed the baby in Ferral''s arm, "Lord Ferral, who is that child? How is he here?" "I found him here among the rubble completely unharmed. His parents might have been nobles or very skilled adventurers with life-saving treasures, it''s the only way I can think of as a way for this child to have survived," responded Ferral. Ferral held the child against his chest, "Captain Norman, keep monitoring this area and report any anomalies right away. Lord Knight needs to be made aware of the situation," With that, he took flight and rushed to Lockwood''s chamber. Lockwood''s gaze immediately fell on the child the minute Ferral entered, "I ordered you to inspect a meteor crash site and you return with a child? What is the meaning of this?" Ferral immediately reported on the findings of the child that laid asleep in his arms. Lord Knight looked closely at the child, "And the crash site?" "We completely inspected the area, most of the monsters that inhabited the area including the level 3 underground worms were completely destroyed after the explosion. I''ve left my men to continue monitoring the area under Captain Norman''s command." Lockwood nodded in approval, his eyes still scrutinizing the sleeping infant, "Good." The baby released a small sneeze but still didn''t wake up. "This child emits a very strong aura," commented Lockwood. He continued, "His future is bright, if he''s trained properly he might even become a warrior worthy of reaching captain level and becoming a knight." Chapter 4 - Zack Lockwood 1 "Ferral, take this child and have him registered at the nearby orphanage. Tell the head of the orphanage that this child will go by Zack and will be in their care for the next 10 years. Once the 10 years end, we''ll pick him up ourselves and further nurture him," instructed Lockwood. "Sir, I hope you don''t mind me asking but what are you planning to do with this child?" nervously asked Ferral. Lockwood smiled and said, "Ferral we humans are weak. when we do not train our body and elemental energy to the highest level result will be too tragic. That''s why we have a few elites at the human level and it''s very obvious that those echelons at the Supreme level are very few". Then he added, "Only Hope for humanity is that when we successfully defeat the monster race. And close the portal that they are using to pour in numbers. Once and for all." "Legends say the portal belongs to some other world and it''s opened in our world due to some ancient wars in the universe. we have been trying hard to decrease the number of monsters pouring in continuously. Our only hopes are Elite Warriors at the Human level and Supremes(Non-human level warriors)." "They only act, When there is need and at the time of war. which was happened 10 years ago, few of the Supremes were still recovering from their injuries in seclusion. Only their Super elite organizations are working in their absence." "Lets'' hope at least they can create New Diamond Generation Seniors. We got many of the people from Golden Generation Elite Force, It is due to them we can resist the invasion forces of the Foreign race." "So, We need every bit of humanity''s power to restrain monsters. If he reaches Captain level that would be great. Only if he gets a suitable Inheritance and obtains a Mark of Inheritance. He cannot be bullied by others. He will be treated as a Human asset and live honorably. otherwise, he would be like others. fated with living in the outskirts of the outpost." Lockwood returned his gaze to the child, "This child must surpass them all and become humanity''s sword. The next few years will be rough, we''ll need all the firepower we can get." "Who''ll train him?" Ferral questioned. "If this boy has a breakthrough after these 10 years, I will train him myself." ------------------- Ferral sat beside the head of Green Leaf Orphanage, William, "This child goes by Zack, I wish to leave him in your care." William looked at the sleeping baby boy, "I''m sorry Lord Ferral but our current staff is incapable of caring for children below the age of five. Ferral smiled, "I know, that''s why I brought her." Behind them was an old lady, she smiled and took Zack from Ferral''s arms. She spoke in a soft voice, "I apologize for not introducing myself sooner, I am Grandma Parker." Grandma Parker was recommended by Lord Lockwood himself. She lived a sad and lonely life since her husband died in battle with monsters last year. Lockwood thought giving her responsibility for Zack would be a good anti-depressant. Upon hearing Lockwood''s request, she immediately accepted hoping that the small child would bring her happiness and comfort. She leaped at the opportunity to no longer be alone. "You don''t have to worry William; Grandma Parker will take care of him and help out with the other children." -------------- *4 years later* A young boy swung a piece of stick back and forth continued with a serious and determined look on his sweaty face. "Zack come here!" Grandma Parker called out. After hearing the multiple fascinating stories about Grandma Parker''s husband, Zack made it his life goal to become a warrior. At the age of five, Zack started training with a wooden stick. Grandma Parker was impressed by his motivation but couldn''t help but worry about his future if he follows the path of a warrior. She feared he would share the same fate as her deceased husband. The boy quickly ran to her with a bright smile, "What''s for dinner Grandma?" Chapter 5 - Zack Lockwood 2 Wrinkles formed at Grandma Parker''s eyes as she smiled, "James brought steak, so I cooked your favorite dish." Zack looked up from his meal, "Grandma, how come Uncle Lockwood doesn''t come here often? I heard he is a very powerful warrior." Grandma Parker nodded, "Yes he is, he was taught by my late husband after all." Zack beamed, "Do you think he''ll teach me?" She patted his head, "Five years from now, you will leave this orphanage and attend an academy that specializes in the training of knights." His eyes widened with excitement, "An academy for training knights? Do you think Super Elites will be there?" Grandma Parker''s once docile eyes widened with horror and panic. She began sweating profusely and quickly clamped her hand over his mouth, looking around them to see if anyone heard their conversation. Her eyes were red and she spoke in a low whisper, "Zack, why do you know about them? Who told you?" She took her hand off his mouth, "Speak quietly, it''ll be trouble if someone hears our conversation." Zack nodded and proceeded to speak in a low whisper, "I overheard Uncle William and a man in a suit talking about them when I went to the library the other day." Grandma Parker firmly held Zack''s shoulders and stared intensely into his eyes, "Don''t mention what you''ve heard to anybody, not even Uncle Lockwood. Understand?" Zack was confused about what the big deal was but he nodded anyway, "I understand." Grandma Parker released a breath of air through her nose, "Good, now eat your dinner." He showered after eating and returned to his room to sleep but he couldn''t sleep. Zack stared up into the ceiling as he thought about what transpired earlier in the evening, he thought back to his Grandma''s terror-stricken face and panicked eyes, "I''ve never seen her like that before." He frowned, "What are Super Elites anyway? Why was Grandma so scared?" Chapter 6 - Awakening Of SoulChip After 3 years of usual living in this orphanage environment. Zack Lockwood is now 8 years old. Late at night, Zack is sleeping in his bed peacefully, then the Ancient bloodline in his Soul slowly starts to emerge glowing like it''s awakening from a deep slumber. After 8 years of living in his body looks like it has now enough energy. The bloodline now entirely shining like a tiny star in his soul and starts to cover his entire body from the bloodline. A spark starts to show and the spark is divided into two and slowly enters his brain and unlocks the brain''s 7 the region, and the other spark enters his body Constitution, Changing his Physical Structure. Despite all of this happening Zack is sleeping peacefully. unaware of his surrounding, his goal towards his future is already been set in stone. Early in the morning, Zakes wakes up, don''t know why he feels energetic and his mind got a lot clearer than before. Suddenly ding! echo into his mind. "Lord''s inheritor is recognized waiting for Completing the inheritance test" Such a Command Sound ran through his mind, like a bolt Zack got up from his bed, he walks and opens up the window and looks outside. His vision got clearer, he can notice minute things which are not pickup by the brain signals before, but the range of his brain waves that analyze the surroundings is quite low since he only awakened 5% of his brain. Suddenly a Command tone ran through his Mind. "Lord''s inheritor has successfully awakened 5% of his brain''s 7th region, hereby increasing his brain''s analytic and memory abilities and awakened basic physic required for starting the inheritance test" Since his brain ability awakened Zack calm downed quickly and start to comprehend what is happening though? After careful analyzing he only knows he has somehow become powerful both in mind and body, seemed to be unlocked and they are both synchronized. He doesn''t know how to describe this mysterious feeling he is feeling better there is no panic, no tension like something happens to his body. After a couple of minutes, Zack asked in his heart, Hello! Who are you? Where are you? Where is this voice comes from? Spirit in his Soul answered. "Lord''s inheritor as per rules I can only clarify rules for passing inheritance test, failing to pass the test inheritor would die, to avoid prying eyes of the heaven to reveal ancient bloodline only after passing the inheritance test bloodline can be assimilated to the inheritor" "Thereby avoiding cause and effect" "As per rules, the inheritor has to unlock his Brain 100% completely and level up the basic human Physic from level 1 to Domain level Physic level 15, to get the whole inheritance successfully" "Until then the inheritance Spirit Sleeps into deep Slumber thereby protecting Ancient Tears God Bloodline" "The Inheritor is required to level up his both brain and body to successfully pass the test thereby inheriting both inheritance and Advanced intelligence auxiliary tool Spirit! Until then it would be unable to contact the inheritor as per rules" The Spirit sounded through his mind. Zack carefully listened to every single thing and asked spirit again but there is no reply, Zack again has to go through what was happened and realized he needs to complete the test to contact that voice again he thought inwardly. Now he needs to join the academy and train hardly hereafter Zack quickly realized About Super Elite forces, it is very confidential he doesn''t know any information about them he only knows about his location which is safe zone 1012 which is under the rule of some Sector. Other than that he doesn''t know anything. looks like he needs to go to the library, earlier he goes to the library for reading the story of warriors now he needs information about everything. Granny once said confidential information was not available in the library and advised his cot to look for them. Only by getting stronger and recruited through certain organizations, then he would get certain chances that too would have a limited degree of accessibility. Now he needs to take one step at a time Zack thought inwardly. Chapter 7 - SAFEZONE 1012 OUTPOST 1 Early in the morning at the Outpost office of Safe Zone 1012, James Lockwood was sitting in his chair, In front of him were two people, Mr Ferral and Granny Park they were discussing Zack. Granny Park said, "James when are you going to visit Zack? Recently he is been asking about academies out there, you know I can not tell him about that unless He gets past the qualification test". James raised his eyebrow slightly, He is been busy lately, a population of 10 million people in the SAFE ZONE 1012, People think 1012 is just some kind of fancy number or important military code, only designated and important people know that it is not a fancy number but actually. it is a total number of safe zones under our particular sector, only God knows how many sectors are out there, some people say that sectors are managed by High-level organizations. He is been reporting to his senior about the numerous cases of monsters attack lately, After thousands of year now Humanity has been expanding greatly only a few portions of our planet is covered by humans, Rest were unexplored Areas. Due to the increase in the size of the human population in our safe zone, I have been given a task to explore the outskirts of areas of borders, try to explore unmarked areas, and report the situation about the environment, terrain, list of monsters, and their Power level. There are numerous casualties in our recent expedition, the number of attacks increased significantly, looks like someone attacked the monster belongs to the monster tribe! Unless we killed their monster leader, we won''t have some good night''s sleep! James thought inwardly. Because of this, he forgot about that situation of Zack, he thought Zack is 7 years old, Now he realized, Zack is now 8 years old! When he completed the adoption papers he learned about Zack''s parents, they settle in this outpost only 5 years ago! and it is registered as Special Trainee Warriors and their mission is to explore the unmarked zones. But when I tried to access the data 5 years ago, it shows unauthorized access, I don''t know they were posted on some other secret mission or spy mission, but both are dangerous, he started sweating when he thinks about that because he noticed one particular thing in their database. It is reported that they were married but had no child, looks like their parents not updated their database and not even registered about Zack when they were alive! It is troublesome now both of his parents were dead, he decided to let Zack know about his parents when he joints certain force and has some ranking power. He heard about several old sly foxes and greedy powerful people sitting in commanding positions in certain organizations, he doesn''t want to involve in cause and effect! It is dangerous for him and Zack, So he decided to adopt Zack and gave his Surname. He kept things about Zack''s history to himself, He told Granny Park And Mr Ferral that Zack''s Parents were ordinary Hunters registered under PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE, For Zack''s sake he created a false profile of him. And He is a child who belongs to some other Trainee Apprentice Warrior couple, who lost their lives during a monster invasion that happened 7 years ago, in the outskirt town of Zetros. Chapter 8 - SAFEZONE 1012 OUTPOST 2 Mr James then gave a tap on his Sci-fi watch, Which belongs to CLASS LME-1 (LME-Low Medium End), then in front of his desk Virtual Projection Screen with Advanced Tech Resolution (ATC) turns on, It gives you experience is like you are actually in that place and chatting casually with a group of friends, In that projection shows four institutions of SAW SCALE VIPER ACADEMY (SSVA) is shown. Mr James said "Since it''s the era of warriors equipped with sci-fi technology, each institution strongly determines candidates based on overall strength, from their aptitude to basic physic, threat awareness level to facing life and death situations in the complex environment". "Only by doing this warrior can face any situation and humanity can explore unmarked areas in our planet very quickly, with a lack of data of unmarked areas otherwise warriors would face unilateral slaughter of monsters, So we need every individual with the unique potential shown with not only strength but intelligence and survival capabilities in harsh environments". Hearing what Mr James said, Granny asked, "will you be able to get the slot for Zack? the seat in the academy is a cutthroat competition! Most of the slots were all pre-registered by those powerful and influential people for their sons and daughters". Mr Ferral now interjected "There is Nepotism and Favoritism, You cannot expect a wealthy person''s son or daughter to rot in the low-bottom institutions, with their connection and wealthy resources they can protect them! Without background, you cannot face them, I believe already A Grade and B Grade institutions occupy by them". Mr James said. "Now it''s the era of strong, strong who dictates, Strong who makes the rules, the only good thing is that there is a lot of superpower organization in our planet, there is no individual monopoly or individual rule! There is a Group of Ancestor who makes Decision! so there is check and balance". Granny worried and said "Those guys fed their children with treasures of a different class, with those treasures, the Body constitution of children will undergo tremendous changes with that qualification alone, they can get their slot in the A and B Grade institutions of the academy but Zack is different his constitution is strong because of his parents" "We haven''t tested his constitution! plus he did not consume any resources for his physical ability it will be hard for him to get a chance even in D grade institutions". Mr James discussed sadly " I don''t have family, now I adopted Zack based on my merit in the Army Federation, I got only a temporary slot for Zack in D Grade institution! When Zack will be tested with potential, he will be able to get a permanent seat in the D Grade institution". *As for those C Grade institutions. I don''t have enough merits! But only if Zack shows better potential in the qualification test, He may even get a Slot for C Grade institutions under SSV Academy (SSV- SAW SCALE VIPER)". "There are still two years until evaluation , In meantime, I will get some low-end treasures for Zack". Chapter 9 - Discussion A couple of weeks after awakening... Zack is now sitting in his orphanage library, currently checking the visual platform to find any useful books in the library. There is no book available containing information about combat power, I heard my friends discussing the attack of the Monster tribe, I want to know the strength of our people! Zack thought inwardly. After the awakening of his brain''s 7 regions, He becomes a lot mature in thoughts, no emotional fluctuate. Zack said to himself: After becoming 10 years old you have to leave the orphanage according to rules, each year a lot of new children come into the orphanage, and old ones go out. I heard after coming out of the orphanage there will be a potential test to become a warrior conducted by every organizations. I need to soon figure out my situation, need to find information regarding how to level up my powers both body and mind (7th region of the brain)! I''m going to ask Granny. Late at the dinner table in his room, Zack asked Granny "Granny Park, I want to ask something, can you tell me? please!". Granny said "Tell me". "I want to know about the combat strength of warriors, you told me before that I will be joining an academy, so I decided to train harder". Zack asked seriously. Granny Park was taken back, I never expected him to be so serious, I kept many things from him intentionally. So that he can handle rejection during the potential tests otherwise if I told him it would certainly add pressure on him, he already knows about elite forces considering his age it is not good to know too many things, I rather let James, He won''t reveal too much, Granny Park thought inwardly. Then she said. "Next week James is coming to see you, you can ask him directly". Zack said. "It is good since Uncle James is coming, I will ask him directly. He also thought inwardly, by then I will ask him to demonstrate about ranking power level". I heard about ranking power level is different from normal Knight warrior! Ranking warriors can display godly powers. He thought. Soon after eating dinner, He fell asleep He is been practicing hard doing body exercises, he is been scolded by granny not to train the fighting exercises without a teacher. Chapter 10 - VISIT 1 A Few days later. Mr James came to visit Zack at his orphanage, He dressed formally not in his usual Army attire, He took the day off Because he got an appointment from Dr Mearov at his Private Research Facility at Whitesnow City! A few years ago. I once helped Dr Mearov to acquire certain ore, Which I got from exploring an unmarked area, At first, I thought it was an ordinary ore so I placed it as a collection in my home, Who would have that one day Dr Mearov would ask about the details about the exploration. Since it is confidential, I didn''t tell him anything related to the core of the expedition! But he used his connection to find out about the unidentified ore mine we stumbled upon! But mine was confiscated by the Army Federation! It is unidentified metal, we found that it has unique properties, later then all the info about the mine has been sealed since we were the first one to discover the mine. The Federation rewarded our team with the piece of ore, which is not even the size of the thumb! We were dissatisfied, My rewarded ore was even more horrible it looks like an ordinary stone though it faded, like they casually toss off some left-off waste materials from the ore, at least they should reward us with high-tier equipment. Later I placed it in my home as a collection! One day Dr Mearov called me to say that he wanted my small thumb ore for his research, by doing that he would owe me a favour! At First, I hesitated, later when I thought about Zack, It would be a good opportunity for Zack to use his research Facility at the time of selection, So I agreed. So today I got an appointment from him, I will take Zack with me to visit his facility. Mr James thought inwardly. When he spotted Zack in his room, He smiled and said "Zack, I hope you have been doing well". Chapter 11 - WHITESNOW CITY 1 Finally, He is here! It''s better not to be found acting suspiciously by Uncle James, I need to gather a lot of information from him, it is better to utilize this opportunity. they say, Curiosity kills the cat, I don''t want to be that poor cat . Zack thought inwardly. "Uncle James, I''m Fine, But I need to practice a set of fighting techniques. Granny said you could help me". Zack asked Mr James, Who by then he sat down in the chair. Mr James observed Zack keenly while listening to his question, He wants to see, whether he had the demeanour of Warrior. He thought it is good to spend time with him, it helps him to know Zack a lot better. then Mr James replied "Zack, get ready quickly I bought a new dress for you". We were going to visit an important person. so we can''t be late, then he gave newly bought dresses to him then told him to wear them quickly and he will be waiting outside. Uncle James did you bought my favourite gloves, Zack asked. Mr . James said "Ha..Ha..Ha...It is there Kid, now get ready quickly". and then he went outside . Mr . James then went to the Headmaster''s office for a quick chat. Headmaster''s office. Headmaster William squinting his little eye to check, his orphanage monthly report of funds. He worried that these days number of warriors getting killed is increasing monthly, leaving behind their son''s and daughter''s alone, it is good that Army Federation takes responsibility for that and provides funds without much paperwork! but that PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE is a headache. Greedy people entice warriors with high-risk high-reward missions, but they don''t have sufficient information of A-class and S-class missions. And these warriors blindly sign the Hell Contract. Headmaster William dejected quite sadly, He asked the Parazam hunter league for funds to provide orphans left behind by the Parazam hunter league warriors, but they never listened to his pleading. He heard the knock on the door. Mr . James said " Headmaster Can I come in". "Come in" replied Mr William. James How have you been doing? asked Mr William then gave a gesture to him to sit in the chair. "I''m fine. William, but looking at you it is not the same, I guess.". "Don''t tell me it is the hunter league again" Mr . James asked William. Mr . William then told his worries to James and asked the purpose of his visit. "Do not worry. William a recent report shows that the number of warriors dying has increased lately because of the hunter league, they should limit their greed for resources, now they have been pressed by the upper echelons so the problem for the orphanage fund will be solved soon". told James. "I''m here for Zack, He and Ms Park will leave the orphanage. They will be living in my old house, Now that I get transferred to a different Outpost. They can now live in the house without any worry", he told Mr William. "Zack is a good child, now that you have adopted him. Do you wish him to Join the Army Federation, as a Ranking Army Officer". Mr . William asked. "I got a quota for him to enter the Viper Academy. Do you think there will be free chances in the world without any catch. The moment he got selected into the academy, he will represent the Future Reserve Force of the Army Federation". "Because the quota is given by the Army Federation, I happened to be a part of the Army! Likewise, the other children who participate in the qualification test represent their respective WealthyFamilies, Clans, Unions, Hunter league, and other Big Organisations". "So the Children who will be studying in the academy all have backgrounds. that''s why people say you cannot join any institution without representing anyone otherwise, you would be ordinary".Replied James. Unlike others, Army Federation needs an influx of new blood significantly, considering the number of people who sacrifice their lives in the frontline war. Mr . William thought inwardly. "I believe, It is also good for Zack. if he shows potential! He can be promoted in the Ranks without any worries! Because people in the Army don''t work for others, their goal is to defend our world and kill the enemies. So other forces don''t touch the people of the Army easily otherwise there will be nightmares for them". Mr . James said to Mr.William proudly. "It is all possible only if Zack got selected in the qualification test said, Mr William seriously, He thought Zack is a good kid with potential, but he got a lot of competition he has to outperform all of them". "I already sensed his physic. It is already unbelievable that had basic physic of warrior because so-called good nutrients food provided here!". Mr . James said to Mr.William looked sideways for that. "It is good that you helped the orphanage with food supplies often for all those years! that''s why the kid is so good compare to others, he.. he.. he.." Mr .William laughed shamelessly. "Ok then, it is getting late! you can take care of the paperwork, you hand over those papers to Ms.Park. She will be leaving this afternoon". said James. "Hold on .....Where are you going? Let''s just talk, it is not we meet our benefactors daily". asked.Mr William. "I got important work back in my office, I only came here for Zack! We can meet some other day" said Mr James smiling. Meanwhile...Zack is in his room. Wow, he knows my fashion taste, a Black Jacket with Red T-Shirt and Black Cargo Pants, and my favourite black fingerless hand gloves! Zack smiling happily when he looked at his new dress! He also noticed the black jacket had Red logo design of Scorpion, looks like a hand-made design, then got dressed, looked at the mirror. Wow, I look something! Zack is proud of himself! He combed his Black Hair and wore his fingerless gloves, he looked different! with his Green eyes shining like stars, dashing eyebrows with a good-looking pale face having perfect jawline, and with the Dress combo looked more like a uniform. He was awed by the look in front of his mirror. it is because of his bloodline he thought inwardly, it provided him with good physic while opening all the block meridians of the human body. His Basic Physic is different from others.. others only opened one or two meridians while he opened all! also he can feel his veins were different somehow! that is why he is confident of getting into the Academy. Chapter 12 - WHITE SNOW CITY 2 Mr James Lockwood, took his private car, it is a floating car Which is the military model CR2, What I learned from him is that he got a special license to travel around the city. " Zack get inside the car". told Mr James, We got into the car.As we began to travel toward our destination I asked him. "Uncle James, Can you now explain to me about the Ranked Warriors, What is the path of Cultivation?". I don''t know how long I have been waiting for answers. there is no information about warriors in the orphan library. I told everything in my heart very fast in a single breath. "Hold on young lad, it''s too early for you, Wait until you get past the examinations, they will tell you all about Combat Warriors in the academy. All you have to do is to get ready for qualification tests! I''m sure you will pass, but make sure your grade is Above A". Above A, Zack turned serious."Uncle, I know the ranking begins from A to F! What''s above A? ". I asked him. Uncle James then stared at me and begin to tell me, "Grading it''s not normal grading it''s talent grading, When you get good grades you get much more resources compared to others". "So above A-level is S-level and SS-level talents! with S and SS means Superior and Special Superior! so their future path is not limited by their talent With their talent, they need to do hard work and easily break through the warrior limit and become high-ranking warriors". "So in your case, you need a lot of resources to cultivate, so if you get a high grade, I can apply for a Scholarship in Army you will get resources both from the academy and Army and your trouble for resources become less". Deep anxiety starts to eat me! seeing the look on my face. "This is the reason I don''t want to tell you anything to let you perform naturally so don''t be nervous now, knowing at least you can mentally prepare yourself".Uncle James said to me. Then I started to ease myself, it''s a good thing not to be overconfident! To ease up the atmosphere, Mr James asked, "After joining the Academy you need combat equipment for yourself for training! So we will be buying a weapon of your choice after visiting the research facility.So what is your favourite weapon? ". Hearing that smile appear on my face, I remember colourful drawings of weapons on the book while studying the library! I started to dream of fighting monsters then. seeing his eager face I told him. "Uncle, I like a Sword Type weapon, A Sword Called Falchion as Main Weapon, this type of Sword is my favourite sword And also I like to have an auxiliary weapon or hidden weapons for emergencies I choose Needle". " Lad, looks like you are well prepared for your future.The weapon is something that travels with you lifelong. it cannot be changed at the midway. I am more impressed at your choice of weapon, most people choose the short sword, long sword, sabre and knife". " But you choose falchion there are very few falchion techniques in this world, you can count on your fingers, that is why it is a more unpopular weapon and that needle looks like your backhand". "When you go to Academy register your main weapon only don''t mention hidden weapon choice; keep some secrets it can help you in life and death situation". told Mr James. I digest everything Uncle James said, there is a reason it is called a hidden weapon, it will lose its reason when enemies know your info forehand! look like hell is awaiting me in the academy. Chapter 13 - DR MEAROV A few hours later... Ah, finally we came to the snow-white city, it looks magnificent with huge towers glass buildings, skyscrapers I mean whatnot, the streets are very clean many people are walking down crowded, patrol guards are everywhere. looks like each street is different, one particular street is full of high-end restaurants, others are Shopping mall, and Hospitals. I can''t help but sigh, I never visited any other place except orphanage streets! It''s a real eye-opener. As we walked across the streets, I asked Uncle James to visit the research facility as soon as possible! As much as I like to visit every place in the city it is best to complete our work. "Lad, I thought you like to look at few places considering your first visit here since you want to finish our work, Let''s go now. Zack, Dr Mearov is a good person, try to give a good impression as much as possible, if he likes you he will help you whenever it needed". Uncle James said to me. "I will try Uncle James" I told him, I thought in my heart. How easy to create a first impression. I don''t want to pretend to like someone else, But if the conversation is interesting let''s be open-minded as much as possible. Nowadays my entire thought is occupied by one single thing. Qualification test for the academy nothing else, Uncle James told me before Dr Mearov had something that will help me get good grades in the test. Soon we came to a place! high tech building with huge A. I Screen which shows Dr Mearov Photos and his inventions! He looks tall, old with a white long beard I believe he is in his late sixties, no one is sure about his age maybe he will turn out to be an old monster. "Lad let''s go, I already called him he is here". Uncle James opened the front door.We walked in, soon the receptionist saw us, she recognized uncle immediately made a gesture to move to the upstairs room! she looks beautiful tho I laughed internally! hope it turns out to be a good day. Dr Mearov, you look energetic as ever, looks like your research is moving forward! Mr James told Dr Mearov. Dr Mearov''s room is full of books is not in an orderly manner his front table is covered with full of research papers and scribble notes and he is messing with the high-end tab scribbling something. "Oh, James, both of you come and sit in a chair".Dr Mearov told them. "So he is your junior looks handsome, by his outfit I confirm that he will be recruited in an ARMY Squad future. Considering the SAFE ZONE 1012 is under ARMY Federation.He is one of many promising young samplings in this zone". Dr Mearov told. "Dr Mearov, Zack got the Saw Scale Viper Academy quota, and he is in a D grade institution. Warrior techniques and affinity totem were provided by the academy, according to the grades candidate get in a qualification test, but we all know no one buys that because all the candidates got their warrior technique and totem forehand from their representative organization and clans". "You know that I need huge credit for that, I exhaust all my credit by getting a D Grade institution quota for Zack. So I need your help with this". Mr James told to Dr Mearov. "Brat, I know your visit is intentional since you gave me the core X. this kid Zack looks pleasing to the eye but I don''t know he will take the risk, because you know about the totem, it is dangerous and we don''t know this kid''s affinity ". Dr Mearov told us. Man, their conversation is very confusing. It is the first time I have heard about totem and warrior techniques. Most of the techniques I heard about are mostly associated with weapons that warriors use. I sighed internally. It''s better to ask the question to this elder why bother about something I don''t know. Zack asked questions to Elder. "Uh-hmm Elder Dr Mearov I have a question can you explain it to me?". It is good that the brat is taking initiative, Mr. James looked happy. "Oh, Zack looks like you are not a pushover. ask anything?" Dr Mearov asked. He is impressed with Zack''s boldness. "What are the totem and Warrior techniques?". Zack finally asked. After listening to his question Dr Mearov answered. "If warrior needs to level-up from Trainee Apprentice to Special Apprentice and later stages. He needs technique so that he can use his body meridians and veins to channel the world energy and move toward the totem, and totem statue attracts the world energy purifies it and store it in our dantian". "later you use any weapon technique to channel this stored energy to attack monsters with weapons, this is a basic concept so warrior technique and totem statue were the combos that every warrior needs; world energy is complex, it is mostly associated with the affinity of warriors". "There are various warrior techniques and totems, those biggest clans have clan heritage they use a single ancient warrior technique, once the clan warrior uses the technique the totem statue manifests itself in the dantian". "So those kinds of techniques are rare and even in clans, very few clans have it. As human civilization developed, the need for those techniques, monopoly, and pressure of various organizations reduced..The later researcher-developed several combo techniques based upon warriors'' affinity, that''s why we call them affinity totems". Chapter 14 - DR MEAROV 2 "Affinity totems were the latest technology of mankind, day to day numerous research is going on this field. Warrior techniques were mostly the same for all kinds of affinity totems they do energy circulation through veins". Dr Mearov carefully explained to Zack. Wow, Who would have thought that on the path of a warrior is so much is going on! It''s a good thing that my 7th brain region is being unlocked. I can visualise everything he explained in my consciousness. In Zack''s consciousness, a 3D hologram of human physic is developed. let''s zoom it, human physic is zoomed he can see his bone and veins, and blurry vision of dantian. His dantian is not activated yet, wow it''s no less than a movie, my 7th brain region work is no less than A. I Computer, I need to uncover more potential of my brain. I understood everything he said, I thought I could match everyone in the academy, but my starting point is still insignificant, I''m still being overconfident having basic human physic and par intelligence is not enough to compete with fellow students in the academy. From what the elder said, the inheritance totem from the ancient warrior technique sounds powerful than A. I advanced a man-made affinity totem. Zack looked he is immersed in his thoughts for a moment from outside! but in reality, he processed every bit of information quickly, he sighed internally learning the fate of affinity totems but still grateful for the invention without it people would be at the mercy of others. "So, James, What do you think everything was explained to the junior. Since I promised you I will implant Zack with affinity totem, it''s not the latest version. its version was released last year. the latest version was still in the beta phase, it''s better to get the last version". Dr Mearov told Mr James. Mr James looked at Zack, "Zack are you ready let the Doctor test you, Which elemental affinity do you belong to? ". Dr Mearov clicked the tab! Soon a hidden corridor is opened up beside him. he led James and Zack inside the door, they saw state of art facility in there, Energy Chamber, built-in suits, High-end computers connected to the chamber. Doctor sits in a chair and gave Zack a bottle of energy compressed liquid to drink, the bottle looked green in colour and ordered Zack to go inside the energy chamber! the energy chamber looked square in size with a small door. Numerous fibre wires were connected to the server of the computers. This energy liquid is something, I cannot switch off the perception ability of mine around me, I''m in a constant state of hype. this feeling is so wonderful! let go inside this chamber, He opened the door and went inside the chamber. What is this mist around here they looked attracted to me, no they were attracted to liquid that I consumed earlier, with his perception he saw that consumed liquid attracted the mist, the mist easily get inside his body through the pores, and easily get fused with consumed liquid, the consumed liquid then buzz off turned from green liquid colour into with violet sparkling colour! soon they penetrated his body organs everywhere! Mr James stands beside Dr Mearov, James looked at the Computer screen, Dr Mearov looked at the data on the computer screen, the amount of World energy is consumed inside the chamber is shown graphically and also a Simulation of Zack physic being shown on the screen. "James the data looks normal, at least Zack passed the first hurdle on the path of the warrior. looking at the data of energy liquid, which attracts the amount of world energy in his body. He sure got an elemental affinity, most of the young ones don''t even pass the first hurdle, without having an affinity they have no choice to choose some other career except warriors". Doctor explained. James looked happy, he thought now Zack will get affinity totem from Dr Mearov. little did they know Zack is not at all interested in affinity totem but he doesn''t have choices! What a pain damn it, why it is turned into the violet thing it is a no more wonderful feeling, the violet liquid is drilling every part of my body and get assimilated it''s so painful, Zack yelled backs and forth touching his abdomen by both of his hands. His favourite red t-shirt is drenched in sweat! Man, this is what old man talked about a dangerous risk with my turned on perception ability combined with pain, it''s a deadly combo! glad that it''s over the mist starting to get reduced! After everything was over, Dr Mearov collected the data, he turns off the chamber and called Zack to come out.. Zack came slowly outside the door, he slightly adjusted his black jacket covering his drenched red t-shirt! He looked quite okay despite the pain. Chapter 15 - Affinity Stone 1 "Zack, come here and get some rest 10 minutes later you have to be ready for further testing".Dr. Mearov said to me. He went back to his cabin to bring something. "Zack, How are you feeling? ".Uncle James asked. Hearing that I gave him a slight smile and said "I''m okay, Uncle James". It''s a painful and energetic experience, I am still feeling something crawling under my skin it''s a weird sensation. I said to myself. The old man did quite a number on me with that liquid. "Anyway, Uncle what is my affinity? Did you guys find out?". "Lad, I know how are you feeling right now, Do you know how many credit points costs for that bottle. In today''s era, every trade is done with credits other than high-rank value treasures". "People try to save as much credit as possible. So don''t show any dissatisfaction in front of Elder".Uncle James said to me. "Okay, Uncle James, I understand". I replied. Listening to him new seriousness dawn on me. I don''t know why, my intuition tells me whatever comes next is important, I need to pass that hurdle as well, Let''s see What affinity is waiting for me. As Zack raised his eyebrow then shook his head slightly and adjusted his fingerless gloves tightly, there is a glint of spark in his green eyes, let''s face it whatever comes in my way. He calms down his heart. why is that old man taking too much time? Zack wondered himself as both of them patiently waiting for Dr. Mearov. ''''Creak'''' as the door opened by Dr. Mearov "Sorry, I''m late, I have a small collection of affinity stones in my cabin. first, we try with elemental affinity stones for testing, Let''s see Zack kid will get resonated with one of these affinity stones". Dr. Mearov carried five stones with different colors and he placed them on the nearby table started explaining to them about these stones represent their respective elements. They are Redstone - Fire Element. Bluestone- Water Element. Yellowstone- Earth Element. Greenstone- Wind Element. Silverstone- Metal Element. "Come on Zack, place your hand on these affinity stones. you have to test affinity stones one by one until you get resonated, patiently wait for the bright light you will know instantly, don''t jump across other stones quickly". " Sometimes people get a late response. Try to concentrate and absorb the energy inside the stone, If you have fire elements you can easily absorb energy inside the red stone. if you do not get any reaction move on to the next one". Dr. Mearov said to me. Uncle James gestures him to go forward, His eyes were brimming with expectation. Hope this lad gets fire elemental affinity, the fire elemental rankers were highly regarded because of their attack power, they get placed in every elite squad out there! Most of them are squad leaders they can easily defeat any monsters without lifting their weapon. Uncle James said to himself. Zack came across the stone, he removed his fingerless gloves on both hands and placed them on the back pocket of cargo pants stylishly and then he placed his hand on the red stone. Dr. Mearov and Uncle James watch this scene attentively. Wow, fire element stone, let''s see both of us are fated or not, Zack begins to concentrate as he used his perception ability to see any changes occur in his body while trying to absorb them. Hmm..damn it''s not even buzzing, like a dead stone, if not for Uncle James''s trust in the old man, I would think that the old man is trying to get some fake stone to repay the favor but it''s still there is no reaction in my veins and the stone! it looks like I''m not fated with the fire element. Gone are the chances of roasting chicken, Zack laughed internally. Let''s try the second stone of water element, Zack move toward the bluestone and placed his hands on it! He repeated the same process with the bluestone but still no reaction. Soon he came across all the stones but ended with no result! Damn it, What is going on I endured the hellish pain in the chamber, I witnessed that violet thing penetrate every part of my organs, there is a sharp glint in his eyes, he smirked lightly he thought, wait a second don''t tell me that violet reaction of that liquid represents violet stone or certain element. if my hypothesis is correct, I believe my element is different! How am I going to explain? I Cannot tell them about my perception ability, I will try to lead the conversation regarding the other elements! Hope I will get some answers from this elder. Meanwhile Uncle James thought What happened? We clearly saw the data and simulation, it is okay if he doesn''t get fire element but still, there is no reaction from other stones, he became serious and touched his forehead lightly and noticed Dr. Mearov''s reaction. Dr. Mearov looked at the stones on the table with no resonation. He had a bad premonition in his heart he thought that Zack surely has special attributes, it is a blessing for Zack, for me, it''s a huge price to pay, this kid I thought he would end up with one of the five elements.. By looking at their faces they need answers from me. Chapter 16 - Affinity Stone 2 "Mr James, I believe that Zack had an affinity with special elements". Said Doctor. As he once again goes through simulation data of Zack, When he absorbed the world energy in the chamber. Looking at the data he gestures to Mr James to come forward. Both Mr James and Zack were looking at the current data.It clearly shows the rate absorption of world energy is faster. "Dr Mearov the data shows that Zack sure got an affinity element considering the rate of absorption his talent regarding the affinity is even higher grade". Mr James said to Dr Mearov. Listening to their conversation, Zack finally decided to lead the conversation further. "Uncle James, Could you tell me now? What are the other elements out there, Both of you guys intentionally kept me in dark, Now that I got a special element you have to tell me everything". "Ok brat, both of us had no authority to indulge classify information. First, we decided not to tell you because we weren''t sure about your affinity test, If you don''t have an affinity it is impossible to become Ranking Warrior". " Now that we were sure ourselves it is time to find out your special element, I have to go back to the cabin to bring that thing. Meanwhile, your Uncle James will fill you with information about the special elements". Said Doctor. ''Uncle James, What do you know about special elements? Can people with special elements become Ranking Warrior?".Zack asked Uncle James. Responding to Zack, Uncle James said. "Special elements were also part of our world energy but they rarely got an affinity with people and their affinity stones were even rarer" "There are several types of special affinity elements appeared in our world so far they are recorded as Dark Element Shadow Element Light Element Poison Element Lightning Element Healing Element". "So far these 6 Elements were recorded in today''s history but in the ancient era, it was recorded that there were occurrences of many special element users". "Apart from special affinity, there is also affinity associated with Warrior''s Bloodline for those warriors who were part of the bloodline clan their affinity is the same across almost all the warriors in the clan". "So warrior''s belong to special affinity and bloodline affinity were strong but Special affinity warriors were less in numbers. compared to Bloodline warriors, they belong to large families they were deep-rooted in society" "So only normal affinity warriors can outweigh them in numbers, considering the huge population of humans it''s not surprising". Mr James Carefully explained everything to Zack, who is listening very attentively. Well, it''s not so disappointing to be a Special Element Ranking warrior. At least I can stand out among the other warriors, yet the crux of the matter is still resources. Zack said to himself. He heard footsteps coming down, then He turned his head to see, Dr Mearov is back with a huge crystal ball but it''s colourless, it appeared old, looks like the elder cleaned some dust on the way. Mr James also watch this scene seeing this huge crystal a surprising look caught on his face. Dr Mearov placed a huge crystal ball on the table, and he looked at Zack. "Brat, this colourless crystal emits affinity light corresponding to your element in your body". "This crystal contains purified world energy" " Contains all the elements in the world even the special elements we don''t know once you start to absorb the energy the crystal ball will emit light. Now come forward let''s see which special element your got". Dr Mearov said to Zack excitedly. This ball is sure huge, I don''t know which element it is going to be, Zack places his hands on the crystal and started to absorb the world energy, Mmm this sensation is warmth how comforting it is, let''s see what is happening inside my body, As Zack activate his perception ability to observe everything!. What is .this...Ahem?.. Meanwhile in Room. Dr Mearov and Uncle James looked at the crystal ball excitedly. The Crystal ball in a fraction of a second emits a blinding light, both Dr Mearov and Uncle closed their eyes. If someone looked at it closely with a high perception they will see three colours reflecting three energies these energies drilled into his body as Zack constantly absorb them. Yet Still, one colour dominates the other two deceiving the perceivers they will only see one colour. Second, later Dr Mearov and Uncle James opened their eyes they saw the crystal ball emits violate colour with sparking light. Uncle James excitedly said. "Oh my goodness, We got ourselves lightning Ranking Warrior in our ranks of Army Federation". Lightning represents destruction, Speed and lethality which is top-notch. combined with Combat weapons it''s a deadly combo. Uncle James eyes were twinkling with stars as he started to imagine Zack fighting against Monsters with a lightning weapon! one could see with his expression, He was excited and happy for Zack''s future. "Congratulations Mr James, Lightning warrior is indeed special, especially thinking the Army federation now has their asset, they don''t have to recruit from outside with lofty resources". Dr Mearov Chirped in. Dr Mearov was also happy, Do not judge his character he is greedy for resources but still a good person at heart! He spends his savings on inventions. But both of them failed to notice Zack''s reaction When three energies drilled into his body. Zack was Shocked.He ceased his eyebrow for a moment. Why there are other two colours? I''m sure about a Violet thing but What is it with Wood colour and Dark Red colour. Zack''s noticed with perception he felt pain and tingling sensation as the violet energy drilled into his veins travel through all parts of his body. This violet energy was in high quantity compared to the other two energies they both shared 1/3 compared to violated energy which is almost 2/3 of Zack''s absorbed energy. When its time for Dark red energy to pass through the vei.n Zack''s expression became darker, He felt blood boiling sensation like all the liquid in his body was vaporising. What on this world is it that? Red thing Zack yelled in his heart. he squinted his green eyes for a moment. soon it''s over and it''s time for the last wood type energy to pass through the vein, Zack once again startled not due to pain but comfort a new relief sensation felt over his body it''s very pleasant yet it''s over by the time Zack got over!. What in this world happening to me? Zack wondered in his heart. Chapter 17 - Lightning Affinity This dark Red energy is more potent and a lot more fierce than Violet energy. It''s probably less than 1/3 of the energy that I absorbed but still, I felt it''s more lethal than violet energy. Zack is immersed in his thoughts. Meanwhile in the room "Zack, Why are you hazing out? Are you all right? " Uncle James asked me. "It''s just a little pain". I replied lazily. "It''s common to feel pain because you don''t have an affinity totem". Uncle James said. Hearing that, Here we go again it''s not over yet what a drag I cursed in my heart it''s not that I''m not being happy, it''s that I don''t want too many variables in my life, As a person, my nature to have control over all things in my life, Regarding that Ancient inheritance, I felt a sense of urgency took over me it''s like walking above the tip of the knife. My ultimate goal is always been to preserve your life first. This Saw Scale Viper Academy is my first step toward that goal. As I once again prioritize what to do with my life, A sense of ease well over me. A Clarity could be seen in my green shining eyes, I clenched my fists readied my thoughts, and began to ask Uncle James. "Elder and Uncle James, What is my Special affinity, and What are we gonna do with that totem, Since I am a special element user, I believe this facility doesn''t have a Special affinity totem to implant inside me". Uncle James excitedly said. "Lad, you got a lightning affinity and your talent with affinity is no less than high grade. But what specific statistics I''m not sure about that you need the academy to verify you". Dr Mearov looks at Zack with a pleasing smile. He said "Kid Special implant totem was rare in research facilities because they were all ways under trial because since we don''t have many Special affinity users, even so, organizations don''t allow to fund this special research, because they consume huge amounts of resources". "So how come people train". Zack asked back. Dr Mearov looked at Mr James, he thought it would be best James answered his question since both of them were from ARMY. Mr James answered, "If it''s a common affinity totem, it wouldn''t matter they were manufactured daily, even a new version was released last year! Every 10 years they launch new Versions officially", he then glared at Dr Mearov. "But you need permission from authorities at the high-level cabin for special elements users! Since Special element users were part of Special Camp. They were trained by Experienced trainees and monitored by High tech research facilities, once you graduated from the academy you will officially join Ranks of ARMY Federation". "Now that you got a quota under Army Reservation, I''m going to inform them about your affinity. You will be eligible to earn credit points once you entered the academy. They will give your special affinity totem, but I''m not sure about that, Both I and elder don''t have access to this information! For the time being, we have to wait". "Yeah, Zack now you have to wait patiently for the time being. there is still time available for your evaluation for the academy". Dr Mearov answered. And he looked at Mr James and said "James now that I believe I repaid your favour. You know how much it would cost for a person to test his/her affinity privately and don''t say about special element users". Zack said "Thank you Elder for your effort When I join ranks in the future If I could help you with something I won''t hesitate to do it". A look of satisfaction and happiness appeared in Dr Mearov''s eyes. Well, that kid is not an Ungrateful one, hope he does well in the academy. Mr James interjected "Yeah Dr Mearov Thank you for your precious time and help you have given for Zack. I''m very grateful for that. Now that we accomplished what we come for it''s time for us to leave". Mr James said to Elder and he eyed Zack. "Both of you guys don''t be afraid to come here, Whenever you got the time just inform me, I will be available". Dr Mearov said as he accompanied his guest outside. "Ok Elder until next time, Zack waved back to the elder stylishly". As both Mr James and Zack excited the facility. "Uncle James What''s next". Zack asked. "Lad, Don''t be sad. It won''t be long you will get your lightning affinity totem you have to be patient. Our next stop is your favorite Weapon facility Let''s go". As both of them entered their car and jet passed across few streets, it''s already late at night but looking at the streets and buildings lit up with lights. One could not distinguish day and night without Sun and Moon. Soon Zack saw a huge billboard.. Highlighting the Name on the Billboard ''SARA NASH WEAPONRY''. Chapter 18 - Weapon Tower Based on its appearance the weapon shop looks like a new building recently constructed. It outshines all the nearby buildings here. The buildings architecture style is a pagoda. It would be proper to call it is as a pagoda tower. As Zack immensely observing details of the tower. "Let''s go".Uncle James said. As we entered the tower, we were welcomed by a Male receptionist. He is very huge tall and muscular. Judging by his look he seems to be working in weapon smithing. No wonder the shop owners did not have female receptionists. He is not the only one handling customers here, there are other five people just like him talking with people. This ground floor alone is dedicated to receiving customers. Zack said to himself. "Sir, What can we do for you? " asked handler. "We are here to buy Sword weapons. Could you take us towards the section?" Uncle James replied. Soon the receptionist took us toward the first floor. The first floor is a weapon section, it''s a large spacial hall. Lots of different kinds of weapons were displayed neatly all around the hall. As Zack observed. "One needs to ask permission before touching anything here, the weapons were arranged inside a glass chamber. One can look through every detail but cannot touch it. You have to confirm the product for buying. once you confirm the product then they took out the weapon from the glass and let you have it". Explained Uncle James as we walk across many different weapons. I notice there are all kinds of weapons here but no falchion Sword. As I knitted my eyebrow. Uncle James said to the receptionist. "We are here to buy Falchion Sword". Hearing Falchion sword look of surprise appeared on the receptionist''s face. He said, "Guest, the falchion sword is an unpopular weapon it''s been out of commission for many years in our shop, Nobody gives the order for this kind of weapon nowadays except you guys". "Uncle James is there any old falchion sword here".Zack finally asked. He thought if you want a custom made weapon you need to provide them with resources. it''s impossible for me. Uncle James seems to have the same thought as Zack, He then said to the receptionists. "We want to buy a falchion sword, it doesn''t matter when it was made as long it is useable for trainee warrior then it''s fine". Hearing that receptionist replied. " Sir, Give me a second ill check the log and come back". The receptionist went back to look for a falchion sword. No matter what and how long it takes I won''t change it for another weapon. As I am clear about my goal. I am not going to compromise choosing my apt weapon. Zack said to himself. Soon the receptionist came with two long wooden cases, the front side covered with glass. He places them on the table and started to explain. Sir these are the only available falchion sword in the shop. As he points towards the glass and said. "The first one is the falchion sword which is made up of black metal one of the rarest metals for weapons-making. it is Long in size, heavy durable". "The second falchion sword is made up of the Class 10 monster''s spinal bone. Which is carefully carved and made sharp, lightweight, and in medium size". "Both of them were made 25 years ago. As no one is willing to buy them. They were finally showcased for exhibition". Hearing that look of surprise dawn on my face, it is the first time I heard about weapons made out of bones. But Uncle James seems not surprised. it not only made up of bones but it looks extremely white. A white colour Falchion sword of class 10 Monster. I don''t what class 10 means but it looks powerful to withstand the process of weapons-making. which is sure it is one hell of a monster. Zack exclaimed internally. He then decided to choose the White falchion sword. The first one is black in size but I cannot even swing considering its weight. The White sword is my best option. He told Uncle James. "Uncle James, I feel the White sword is best to suit me. Let''s buy it". A look of understanding appeared on uncle James face. Then he decided to buy it after a round of negotiations. As both of them exited the shop, Going back to Zack''s new home. After hours of travel. Uncle James and Zack return to their home. Zack saw a small well-built apartment with a beautiful garden in it. As both of them walk past the garden. A figure caught both of their eyes, watering the plants in the garden. Granny Park, Zack called out and walk towards the old woman. Ms Park turned her head to see both of them arrived. See saw Zack carried a glassy wooden case with him. "Oh my! You guys have quite a purchase".. She said. Chapter 19 - Sir Lowell McClain Three of them had a long conversation in the garden, At night after having dinner they went to bed. In his bedroom, Zack took out his wooden case and placed it on the bed. The room is not so big but it''s quite nice to have a small bed, table and chair for reading doing your work. On the table, there is a set of VR helmets and medium-size closets. On the outside, it looks like 18th-century tradition but actually, everything here is brand-new items integrated with A. I according to a person''s taste one can customize their own home. Looking at the VR helmet on the table. A look of intrigue appeared in his eyes. He wants to try it out but he doesn''t have access. Uncle James said to me that he can only give access to me if I am admitted into the B grade institution. At first, I was confused. Regarding my Special element, I was confident that it won''t be a problem for me to pass the qualification test, yet regarding A and B grading institutions they were stuffed with huge resources. At first, I was nobody got a D grade quota. Now with Special element, I am sure they got me a seat in a C grade institution. Yet, When it comes to A and B grade institutions. I''m not scared once I got a successful lightning totem implantation. There is no problem for me to compete. He took out his white bone sword try out some fancy move with it. After swinging and try out few tricks with it. He his entire being covered with sweats. He then went to a shower had a quick bath, Later he jumped on the bed slept peacefully. Meanwhile in Mr James room. He tapped on his watch on the screen a name is displayed as Dean Marks his Superior. Soon the Call was received. A huge projection of Dean Marks was Shown. He wore a black tuxedo with a white shirt and black tie. He said. "Knight Lockwood, It''s already been discussed that your Junior only got permitted to have a D grade quota in that wretched academy. Your credits are not enough. I hope this call won''t be futile. Do not try to convince me further". He said angrily. Looks like he got a bad day today He directed his anger at Mr James. Mr James knitted his eyebrow. "Sir Mark, I got important news you will be happy to hear that". Mr James said immediately. The anger dissipated on his face immediately, He changed his way of tone and asked. "Mr James What is it? Then soon Mr James informed everything regarding Zack and demanded a Special element totem for him". Hearing that Dean Mark''s face changed immediately. A look of disbelief dawned on his face soon it turned into ecstasy. " Haha Mr James you saved my life he said frantically". "What?"Mr James replied. He immediately changed the topic and said "No, What I mean glad that you informed us sooner. I will call you tomorrow regarding the totem and everything". Then they talked few minutes and turned off the call. After turning down his call. Mr Dean Marks was overjoyed. Glad that he told me as soon as possible. Lately, his mission was downhill, His completion rates plummeted. With this news, I can ease the anger of Sir Lowell McClain. Soon he informed everything about Zack to his Superior McClain. Hearing that Mr Lowell said to himself to think that Special element user appeared in that outskirt zone with no resources. They applied for that little academy with his quota. It Looks like that kid and I were fated. He may turn out helpful to that plan He needs to sign a contract first with me, Recently I have been to ruin, I got the lightning Scripture but most of them were burned only 10% were visible. As he taps on the table by thinking and looks towards the outside window. Unlike Outpost 1012, the area Mr Lowell resided is gigantic, the city is filled with huge skyscrapers above the sky there is a dome-shaped field that is covered the entire city as protection. Every household, shop and mall was filled with powerful auras exhibited by the people. It entirely looks in contrast to outpost 1012. Not a single being is weak here. If people of outpost 1012 will present here they have crushed to death with aura alone. Then he said to himself this entire scripture is useless anyway we have deciphered all of the 10% rest were burnt, it''s best to give that kid as goodwill. He will believe in us further. Then. he called Mr Dean Mark and told everything. This sly fox won''t change his habit as Mr Lowell knitted his eyebrows thinking about Mr Dean Marks behaviour. He had a quite suspicious of him for a long time. His mission completion rate was a failure. Most of the important missions were turned out to be disastrous. He thought it''s a good thing I did not tell him about scripture. I told him to hand over the sealed package to that kid when he signed his contract. It''s can be opened by anyone except that Zack kid. It is a Package of A. I container marked with Zack''s Biometric information. Only he can open the package. It''s best to send the encrypted messages to that kid''s Guardian regarding Mr Dean Marks. It''s best to send an important message to me directly. Once the kid signs the contract he will be entrusted to me. Mr Lowell said to himself. Soon he sent an encrypted message to Mr James. Meanwhile, Mr James reading a book in his room. Soon his watch pinged him. He opens the inbox of the message it turns out to be an encrypted code. His face changed drastically seeing that he soon turned his face and walked towards the door and window, As he checked everything was closed tightly and no one is around here. He then tapped in his table lights were dimmed out.. A secret underground passage was opened beneath the table. Chapter 20 - Lightning Scripture 1 After Mr James entered the secret passage, He then closes the door. It''s an encrypted message, I have to decipher it to infer the information. Mr James said to himself. The Secret Room is simple having a table and chair, several collections of artefacts and beautiful paintings hung on the wall. He then took a seat and took pen and paper to decipher. Oh my god, Sir Lowell send the information. A seriousness dawned on his face. In the information, he told me to be wary of Dean Marks. That shady guy I too don''t feel good about him. As he read the info one by one soon a look of surprise caught in his eyes. He was delighted. Sir Lowell send four things for Zack. 1. Lightning Scripture(Ancient). 2. Special access Military Grade Sci-Fi watch. 3. Contract(Black Contract). 4. Storage Ring(AKA Specially made Faction ring). looking at the contract, he thought sure there is no free lunch in this world. looking at the fact that he sent an old burn out Scripture instead of the totem. Even though it said that 10% of the scripture was unburnt and readable, The notable thing here is they formed a simple lightning technique for warriors. He could not imagine once it was released for sale it could go for billion of credits. I only heard about Sir Lowell that he is some bigwig in the Army but I don''t know further. Looks like he wants to recruit Zack. it''s too good to believe, but we don''t have a choice. without the background, you need a powerful connection. I believe Sir Lowell will be the first connection for Zack. The Military Grade Sci-fi watch and Black storage ring, it''s a necessary item for people who sign the contract. It also represents the faction they belong to. The Sci-fi watch and storage ring, both got biometric information of Zack. They were both made by rare and specific materials belong to their faction. Each faction got different special resources under them. This is no different for ARMY either. Even in the Army, only special people get them. With these things, I can confirm that Sir Lowell recognise Zack as a potential seed. It will get destroyed immediately if anyone except Zack tries to get access to them. Sir Lowell reminding me of Dean Marks, it is safe to say he is not got a hostile intention towards us. He needed Zack more than him. Tomorrow once Zack wakes up. We need a safe place for Zack to have totem manifestation. He quickly thought of a place and intend to visit it there with him. Early in the morning. Zack woke up, After a quick bath, he wore his dress. He looked at the reflection of the mirror. looks like I got taller, Even my hair is grown to shoulder length. My face is good looking but I want it to cover half of my face. leaving my eyes only to see. The perfect creation of a soldier. He laughed at himself he is very much pleased. Today is an important day. I need to get sword technique for white bone, it''s the name I give it to my Falchion sword. It''s a very simple name yet very unique. Soon he came to a dining hall for breakfast. both Uncle James and Granny Park were seated at the table. Seeing Zack coming, Uncle James said. "You eat every food on the table you need a lot of energy. We are going to visit a special place today". Look of understanding appeared on Granny Park''s face. She remained silent. Zack was surprised at first then he said nothing and begin to eat. When the breakfast was over, Both Zack and Uncle James exited the home. They went to a secluded place it appeared behind the barren mountain. it is a mountain cave. Zack looked at the scenery it appeared very dry dessert very few green lush patches on the ground. But the cave''s surroundings were covered with green. Uncle James took out an artefact from his storage ring. it appeared small dome-shaped in silver colour covered in small runes. The runes buzzed and started to shine. soon silver-coloured film started to cover the cave from the top of the Sky. After it covered Zack gasped the entire cave and his surroundings were disappeared. Seeing disbelief look on Zack''s face. Uncle James smiled and said " the shield acts as both concealment and protective shield, for powerful people they were still able to see the cave to not arouse any suspicion but they cannot enter. Depends upon people''s limits as warriors the shield acts differently". A look of understanding appeared on Zack''s face. After the concealing was done. Both of them entered the cave. Inside the cave, there were several passages. Uncle James carefully entered one of the passages. Zack followed behind him. soon they came across at the end of the passage a flat ground with medium space, it''s looks like room but a naturally formed area of the cave. The entry of the passage is the only exit in the cave room. After they entered the room Uncle James formed a small barrier at the entrance. It''s different from the concealment shield. Uncle James looked at Zack before he took four things out of the storage ring. Seeing four things appeared. Zack''s face changed drastically a look of disbelief caught in his eyes. His heart starts to beat faster. He didn''t know what are these things were but in his heart, he surely knew it''s for him. Early in the morning, Uncle James received the package. But the surprising thing was the person who delivered the package. He was so powerful than him. He knew it for sure, the package was from Sir Lowell. The person who delivered the package said. He will be back in the evening to receive the signed contract. Then he disappeared. He wore a black tuxedo he had a knife mark on the left side of his face. Uncle James recalled everything and started to explain to Zack. Wow, lightning scripture. Looks like a goddess of luck is on my side. I hated being average so much that even the goddess of luck heard my inner thoughts. But it''s only 10% it''s fine to have it instead of totem implantation. No wonder Uncle James came here. I thought he will bring me to the research facility for the totem implantation. But his happiness happened for a moment before it disappeared completely. A black colour paper appeared before him.. it''s a contract paper in black colour but the wording written in red colour makes his heart dreadful. Chapter 21 - Lightning Scripture 2 Looking at wording written in red colour, He started to read the terms and conditions of the contract. It stated that he had been selected as a future potential seed. As a Seed Candidate, he needed to sign a black contract to fully acknowledged the terms and hereby follow the said mentor hereafter. The Mentor''s name mention here is Sir Lowell McClain. His contact info is already saved on his Sci-fi watch. For more access to the information about the mentor and his faction in the ARMY. He needs to raise his level for further clearance. it''s stated clearly. He should not discuss anything related to the contract with anyone in the academy. He needs to take care of his life as it is. If any help is needed, The said mentor will help him. It is also stated that after signing a contract all the said resources mentioned here belong to him. Once Lightning totem is manifested successfully. He needs to destroy this Scripture immediately, As the faction already got the Lightning warrior technique from it. So there is no need to keep it. As a safety protocol, he has to destroy it. After quickly read the contract a few times to check any loopholes present. Zack sighed in his heart. He was glad that he got Lightning manifestation totem instead of implantation totem. Once he read the lightning warrior technique of the faction. He can successfully manifest the totem. But the problem is a contract he was not allowed to know the crux of the matter. It simply stated that he was the seed candidate. Zack tilted his head and looked at the four things hover above his head. Uncle James said. "Zack, I know what you are thinking? but I can say that Sir Lowell had a good reputation in the ARMY he is not a greedy and sly person. I heard he is a Short-tempered and Straight forward person in the ARMY. So you can sign the contract without any worry". He then took out a black pen and handed it to Zack. Zack touched the pen and begin to sign the contract. He once again read the terms and conditions, finally decided to sign it. Zack signed his name on the bottoms of the contract. After he signed it, the blue ink buzzed for a moment and his name on the contract turned from blue to blood red and the whole contract shone with light. A small light from the contract quickly turned and penetrated his eyebrows and disappeared. Zack was startled for a moment. He looks towards Uncle James. Uncle James said that it is the binding light of the contract. It manifests once the contract signing was successful. Uncle James then took the contract from Zack and placed it in his storage. Then he said. "Zack, it''s time for totem manifestation. What do you want to do? Directly use the warrior technique or you want to look through the scripture". As he said he handed warrior technique to Zack. I first look into the scripture then technique, I only heard of it. I''m not going to miss it. Zack thought. As he touches the lightning scripture above his head. The scripture shined for a moment before it appeared normal. It is golden-green scripture the writing was in ancient calligraphy written in green on top of golden paper. Only 10¨G were visible rest were blurry looked burnt. Someone intentionally burnt it. Zack sighed internally. Uncle James stayed near the entrance, he created another barrier around Zack. For safety. Uncle James said. "Zack, you can begin now". Zack turned on his perception. And looked at the scripture with concentration. As he deeply immersed in the scripture words. He forgets the time. He is now being in a state of enlightenment. Uncle James cannot see, What is happening inside. It is a specific barrier for totem manifestation. It appeared black, No one can interfere with it from outside. No one can witness, What is happening inside. As Zack was immersed in enlightenment. A beautiful thing happened. His lightning affinity in his body started to resonate with the scripture. Zack was surprised he starts to understand the words in the scriptures. "Dominate the realm with Absolute" "Kill those who shall be killed" "Protect those who qualified to be saved" "Destruct the beings who stood in the way" "For everything Lightning is the way" Once he started to read the words, not only he was able to read 10% words. He was able to uncover the words that were burnt. The burnt scripture under the resonance of his element. quickly came into wordings. Looks like scripture got residual spiritual thoughts, as Zack being the first lightning element user to decipher it under the manifestation of the totem. As Zack completed the wording, the residual spiritual thought of the scripture. Shot toward Zack''s eyebrows straight into his consciousness. Inside his conscious sphere, the residual spiritual thought formed a small lightning rune. Zack followed his instinct towards the consciousness. He was stunned it is a spiritual mind. He heard once the totem starts to manifest. The first sign would be gaining entrance toward one''s spiritual mind. As he peered into his mind. he saw a spiritual world with a pure black atmosphere. As he observed calmly he saw green coloured rune formed in his consciousness. He went blank for a moment, the rune started to shine bright. He knew it is lightning Scripture. His heart started to beat faster. A feeling mixed with fear and ecstasy aroused in his heart. He formed the original rune of the Ancient lightning technique. He smiled. God knows Original Is how many times better than the Warrior technique of the faction. Realised immediately. Started to fear if anyone knows about it. He is dead. Does not matter what kind of backing I had. Treasure at hands of a weakling. It is a Sin. I''m not going to say a word to Uncle James. Like My inheritance secret. I''m going to do the same. After Zack cleared his thoughts. He looked at the rune and begin to concentrate. The rune buzzed with the lightning element in his body. both attracted each other. The rune shot a figure after it gets 100¨G lightning resonance in his body. The figure from his consciousness then entered his dantian. The hazy violet light started to cover the figure once it got placed in his dantian. The figure is none other than his totem. The totem figure started to get attract the violet energy from the surroundings. The violet energy then entered his body. The energy quickly started to travel through his veins and gather under his dantian. The Totem figure shined a light on the gathered energy.. The huge gathered energy started to get reduce turned into thick violet energy with tinges of black colour on it. Chapter 22 - Breaking The Limit. The violet energy with black specks on it started to seep into his body and soul. Zack sensed immense pain as the energy starts to cleanse every cell in his body. After the cell is cleaned each energy pore is filled with new profound energy. The Violet black energy also started to level up his soul. Zack felt his body and soul limit is going to break. He bit his teeth and cleared his mind. His tender muscles started to get power up filled with muscle strength. His soul also powers up same as body strength. As the limit break. He levelled up finally from Initial Basic Human physic to Mid-level Basic Human physic. Zack felt his body loosened. Finally, Before joining the academy I levelled up. It saves a lot of trouble. He once again seeped his conscious into dantian. Saw the hazy totem but can''t get closer. He was repelled back. Zack internally sighed. Lightning totem manifestation successful done. I have to put forth an act convincingly that I got the totem from warrior technique. Before that, I need to destroy the scripture. Zack holds the scripture in his hand. For a moment a violet spark comes from the bottom of the hand. within a flash, it destroys the scripture leave behind no ashes. Zack gasped for a moment. It is the first time he has used lightning. it acts according to his thoughts like the movement of his body. Zack got happy internally. He then turned his attention towards the warrior technique. He started to read but its very plain. it looks like handwritten notes without spiritual thoughts. But he felt the same power as in scripture but on a minuscule scale. He felt relaxed. He starts to conjure a plan. To deceive Uncle James. After everything was done. Zack got up and walk towards the barrier. As he exited the barrier. Uncle James saw him. He was happy. "Zack, Have you made it? How was it?". asked Uncle James. "I Finally formed a manifestation totem from the warrior technique, Uncle James". Zack said smilingly. Uncle James didn''t doubt it. "Okay, now take out the Sci-Fi watch and storage ring and bind it". said Uncle James. Zack touched the Sci-Fi watch and placed it on his left hand. He then activated it. The biometric scanner was turned on the screen as Zack activate it. Zack did his retina scan. After that passed Zack logged in. He saw the inbox and contact list. In his contact list, there were two names they were Uncle James and Sir Lowell McCain. looks like he is the mentor. Zack said to himself. Then wore his storage ring. It did the same after he wore it he felt a ting of pain. The blood verification is done with the storage ring. As he seeped his consciousness he saw it has 500 cu.m of space. "Now everything was done what do you want to do next. Do you want to train him Until the Academy opens?". asked Uncle James. ''I want sword technique for my white bone". Said Zack. Hearing that Uncle James smiled and said. "Okay, for now, you will attend the Sword training centre near the city. They teach basic sword stances for all types of swords. it''s a good opportunity for you. Master all the sword stances and basic sword practices before officially learning the Falchion sword technique". Said Uncle James. "The nearby city is Redstone City, A week later I will take you there for registration". Said Uncle James. After both of them exited the cave and cancelled the concealment to went back home. Late in the evening uncle, James got a visitor he handed the contract to him. Then he disappeared. Meanwhile, Zack is meditating in his room concentrating on the ruin in his consciousness. After an hour of meditating, he got tired went for a bath. After he came back from the shower. He comfortably lay down on his bed. Zack tilted his head saw the wooden case nearby on the table which got white bone on it. He placed the entire case in his storage ring. After I joined the training centre. There is no problem with sword training but my element training is special. I can only control specks of it. It''s very hard to control a large amount of lightning energy. Thanks to soul power I quickly got restrain over it. otherwise, this room will get destroyed. I need the finest control of soul energy to control my lightning element. otherwise, this large amount of energy become useless to me. I need to ask Uncle James about it. Early in the morning after breakfast. He was at Granny park''s favourite place the garden. Both Zack and Granny Park talked casually. He asked Granny park about element control. Surprise caught in Granny park''s eyes. In this past month. Zack''s life changes hugely. When she heard Zack got special elements for the first time. She was very much happy all her worries about the quota had gone away. "Zack for elemental control, you need to participate in lots of fights against monsters. The battle is the key to improve your strength in all aspects. If you think by meditating you can improve your strength it''s a waste of time". said Granny park. Zack lowered his head. For the next few days, he didn''t know what to do except meditating. So then he and granny park discussed monsters, various element users. Granny Park especially reminds him about the academy. How to fight for the resources. How to act low key whenever it is needed. Granny Park starts lecturing Zack. Zack tries to understand everything he can. It will become a helpful experience for Zack in future. Granny park is not a powerful warrior but she had a lot of experience in her life. Especially the monsters her team fight when she was younger. The monsters she described were all different.. There are monster hordes that occur from time to time near the border. Chapter 23 - Redstone City After patiently waiting for a week. The time finally arrives. Zack woke up early and tidy up his bed. He quickly went for a bath and had a long cold shower. Then he wore his dress checked himself in front of the mirror. He looked fine after combing his hair. He got up from the dresser. And begin to be ready for the day. "Ding" His watch notified him. He checked for the inbox. He got a message from Uncle James. Zack looked confused and wondered what was going on. As he begins to read the message. Uncle James went for a mission. He already sent me 10,000 credit points. Yesterday I asked about the Sci-fi watch. How to access all the information in it. Uncle James told me. everything. with his help, I already opened my account. He said to himself then he continues to read the message. Uncle James said. He already contacted his old friend. He is in charge of the Admission of the candidates. He already registered his name in the Sword Training Centre. I have to pay 8000 credit points for the training course. Remaining credit points for my personal and travel expense. Not many civilians are present here in this Torin city. It is one of the safe houses for warriors belong to ARMY Federation. It takes a 2-hour long journey to reach red stone city. There is only one mode of transport. you have to travel by train. There is a big lush forest present in between Torin City and Red Stone city. As he recalled the information he heard earlier. I need to prepare. it''s already 7 am in morning. The train will depart at 9 am. I need to pack up things. Later, After arriving at the station. I quickly bought a ticket and already registered my id with them. In future, I can buy a ticket through the Sci-fi watch. Avoiding any more hassle. A few minutes later I boarded the train. Quickly found a window corner seat. A sat leisurely closed my eyes thinking about my next plan. Many people boarded this train. Soon a young woman shorter than me with blonde curly hair had round big eyes. She is average looking town girl. She sat before my seat. she is my co-passenger. Then for a moment, I tilted my head looked towards the window. I knitted my eyebrows. I thought for an average looking girl the aura that radiates around her is in complete contrast. Do not get deceived Zack, she might be a warrior. Most people do not have to hide the identity as a warrior. Consider the entire human population is made up of warriors. I said to myself. Without her noticing, I observed her. Because I was bored and it is good to spend the time by observing people here on the train. I like it very much. I don''t have much contact with strangers other than orphanages. I''m not an extrovert nor an introvert. I find myself adaptable it''s the best way to survive. without knowing other people''s hearts and motives it''s not best to initiate the contact first. Like the girl before me. I do not want to talk to her. She seems harmless cat but the aura around her is a weapon in disguise. These kinds of people had a lot of stories to tell. who knows it''s a happy story or tragedy. Zack laughed internally. This is what happens when you observe people and in the process, you try to understand them. It''s my mistake. I should stick to the limit. I observe them because I need info to safeguard my safety. Nothing more nor nothing less. Zack closed his eyes, As he saw the girl is reading a magazine. He buried himself in his thoughts. Soon the train crosses the forests. The forest is huge. Green is everywhere, the Zack opened his eyes saw the vegetation that can survive the long parched months of a dry season. Grown in these forests. There must be a reason they left these forests untouched. In one hour the train will arrive at Redstone station. He turned his gaze toward the girl. She shut her eyes close. Zack sighed then he watched the view outside of the window. One hour later the train reaches the red stone city. As the train stopped at the station, Zack picked up his backpack and exited the train. Zack saw the info of the sword training centre on his watch. He boarded the floating taxi. He sat inside. After explaining his destination to the driver. Zack watched the view of Red stone city. The taxi followed the guided lane for floating cars. There is no concept of traffic in the sky. Unlike the terrain problem in the ground. Air Transport doesn''t have that problem. They have to be wary of occasional rainy storms. Other than that Air Transport, I don''t know why it is not implemented in every city in the outpost. you can only have this luxury of transport in a rich area. The red stone city is the exact opposite of White Snow city. White snow city is made up of rich people. The city is filled with high facilities centres but the city got a low population. Here several people living in this city make the red stone city a thriving economic centre. Most people from low urban centres come here for seeking opportunities to change their life. Unlike expensive architects of white snow. The red stone seems normal. The building here is not too old. Average high store apartments. constructed using commonly available stones rather than expensive ores. As Zack immersed in the view of Red stone city. As the floating cab took the turn and reaches the landmark. The taxi cab arrives at the building. Which had a huge signboard. Mentioning the name of the centre "HANSEN SWORD TRAINING CENTRE" Zack was awed looking at it. He paid for the taxi the entered the building. Soon he arrived at the receptionist area. There he saw a woman in a black suit.. Working behind the artificial computer screen with huge holograms popping up here and there. Chapter 24 - Hansen Sword Training Centre Zack came toward the receptionist desk and asked the receptionist lady. "Excuse me," said Zack. The lady in the black tuxedo tilted her head and saw him. Zack asked about the registration fees. The lady responded by saying. "Hi", I am the receptionist in charge of the front desk. My name is Kristy Holmes. Sir Arthur Emerson already informed me about you. She logged in on the screen, reading the information about Zack and said. "Your name is Zack Lockwood. The course for Sword Training is already been registered. You only need to pay for fees using the credit points. Zack used his Sci-fi watch to pay 8,000 credit points for the course. The course description and the information were sent to his ID. He had only 1500+ something credit points as the remaining balance". Zack then toured around the building. The building is U shaped. In the centre, there is a battle arena on the ground. As Zack walk past several rooms. He saw there were several training rooms for individual practice. Zack then stayed in the temporary room. Waiting for classes to be started. He had been given a specific ID as a Sword training student. To enter the facility whenever needed. Each Training room is locked only to be opened by students and teachers. "Ding" a sound rang. Zack got a message stated his classes will be started in 10 minutes in room 206. Zack got up took his backpack went for room 206. soon he arrived in front of the room. seeing the label 206 on the door. Zack showed his specific ID in the Sci-fi watch on the scanner which is latched to the door. The ID quickly got scanned and the door was automatically opened. Zack went inside. Zach was surprised that he got here earlier ahead of time. but the sword trainer is already present in the class, seeing that he quickly said. "Hello", My name is Zack. The sword trainer is a female. She is taller had a strong body filled with absolute strength. She had numerous scars on her hands. There is also a scar on her forehead with a normal face. Zack is awed by it. she is a strong warrior. She got small eyes with short black hair wearing a warriors suit. That''s why he can recognise she is a mentor. He thought. "You got here in time".. My name is Adeline key, I am your sword trainer for the next two years. She told. "Okay, Ms Key". Zack replied. You can take your seat as she pointed upwards. Zack quickly went over the last bench. As he took his seat. He thought looks like I am the first. Both of them waited for a minute before a gigantic figure entered the classroom. Zack saw, The boy is a hunk. A walking talking bull he laughed himself. by looking at his clothing he affirmed his thoughts. Sure rich kid. Seems like he is local. Ever since my brain was activated, I am not behaving like a typical 10 years old. Granny park said kids my age usually complain a lot. They understand a little. Always playful. Only after 12 or 14 years old do they behave like somewhat mature. I am ahead of time looking at my peers. That hunk kid introduced himself as Marcus Moore. He is a young master of a merchant family named Moore. it''s a local tyrant in the red stone city. Uncle James advised me to act as low key before joining the Academy. it''s common to get assassinated before joining. Zack quickly cleared his thoughts. After a talk with the trainer, the Moore kid took his seat on the first bench. He never acknowledges Zack''s existence. Seeing this Zack smirked a sure self-entitled brat. Zack thought. Soon four more figures came they all are females. Zack knitted his eyebrows he felt an elemental aura. One of the females is an elemental warrior. Zack''s heart starts to beat faster. He quickly checks his aura. He said to himself Try not to leak a bit. He earlier concealed his aura. He doesn''t want the sword trainer or anyone else to know about him. besides Uncle James and Granny park. Uncle James sternly warned him at the night of manifestation. They had a long chat about the people. They can kill kids for an academic quota. Zack felt huge pressure then onwards. He firmly decided to act low key no matter what. Act according to the situation. The four females introduced themselves. Among them, two were twins named Joann Allen and Leona Allen. Both were looking the same no elemental aura around them. They had long black hair with a cute face not beautiful enough to fawn over them. They had pale skin. It''s difficult to imagine how they are going to train. Zack thought. The girl next to the twins introduced herself as Candace Wilkerson. She had short brown hair with an average-looking face. But I am more interested in the last one. I felt an elemental aura around her. She introduced herself as Maria Frazier. By hearing the last name the sword trainer''s face changed a little but it quickly turned normal. But Zack noticed it. He thought. The kid from the Frazier family is sure there is no shortage of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. The hunk kid got up and went to the girls. he wants to introduce himself to the girls. But the girls didn''t even battle an eye. They got seated on the left side column. The seats were arranged in two columns each having five rows. Zack and the Hunk kid got seated on the right side of the column. The girls were seated in the first row of the left column. Zack laughed himself, poor kid. The girls did not even introduce their background. They said only their name. if you observe you will notice. They thought mentioning their family name is enough. No need to introduce further. Looks like that Marcus kid is not intellectual. Chapter 25 - Training The Girl Maria Frazier had long black hair they were up to the shoulders with a tinge of blue colour on it. I noticed then averted my gaze toward the teacher. The trainer Ms Key looked at us for a second then said. "I believe you all know the basics. To become the Warrior, The first step is to have an elemental totem implant in your dantian and proper warrior technique. Once you successfully implant the elemental totem and channel your elemental energy through veins by operating the warrior technique. Then we can say you have successfully entered the level of "TRAINEE APPRENTICE" and started your journey as a warrior". "Now, the training we provide here is especially for ZERO candidates. Aspiring candidates like you are called ZERO candidates because you guys are on the stage. Where one step further here leads to becoming TRAINEE APPRENTICE". Hearing that l understand, once you become TRAINEE APPRENTICE as a warrior. If you have the elemental ability you can wield your sword and channel the elemental energy to fight. It will become an easy fight. Imagine a fight between an elemental warrior and a Zero candidate. It''s called volunteer death seeking Zack told in his heart. Ms Key said. "You guys have a good base with proper training, you can master all the basic sword stances. Now let''s go to the training room". As we exited the discussion room to the training room. Behind the trainer, the four ladies who took the lead followed. Marcus Moore and I paced our step a little bit and followed them. Soon we came across the room. the trainer scanned her ID. The door opened one by one we entered the room. The room is medium-sized. Lots of swords varied in varieties were placed at the corner shelf of the hall. They were original. Below the shelf, lots of wooden swords were placed in an organised manner. The trainer asked us to pick up the wooden sword. I moved towards the shelf since I was close enough to do that. Yet Marcus Moore brushes past me. And quickly pick up the wooden sword not one but four. He gave me a provocative look. Then he handed over the wooden swords to the girls. The girls took the sword one by one. I sneered in my heart. Then I pick up mine and walk towards the mentor. the mentor''s expression did not change it''s like she is used to this. Ms Key said. " Now, I will teach you about swords. Each sword got different sword stances. With a wooden sword, I will teach common weird stances". Then she started teaching. The training is unlike anything I have experienced so far. I still remember the solo training I would use to do in the backyard of the orphanage. It''s a good thing that Granny park stopped me, without having proper training unlike now. If I continue to do that I must have injured myself. Training is such a feeling, with every stance of the sword training, I need to balance both my body and sword. I felt a vague idea why we need to do that. To channel body strength from our lower part of the body to the upper part of the body. Ever since I levelled up my basic domain physic to the mid-level, I never felt tired. I want to test my limit of physical strength. Zack told in his heart. After 4 hours of practical training, everybody started to sweat. the four girls were looked exhausted they sat on the ground. Marcus Moore is a bit ok. I am not surprised seeing this scene he is a walking bull. I seemed alright, but to avoid suspiciousness, I laid on the ground lazily. Ms Key said. "Your classes for today is over, Every Day you got four hours of practical training and two hours of solo training in your separate practice room. Total of 6 hours. Only by training for 6 hours, you''re allowed to go outside". Ms key said sternly. An unseen aura started to press us all down. We uniformly affirmed that we will complete our training. What kind of aura is that, She emitted no elemental leakage but with her presence alone she pressed us all down. Zack awes in the heart. He was sworn in his heart one day. he will do the same thing in the future less talk more aura. How cool will it be Zack smiled in his heart in thought of that? Ms key left the classroom leaving all of us alone. The Marcus Moore thought. It''s good that scary mentor left, I need punching beg to vent my anger. Girls as he thought about them he immersed himself in his fantasy. I will make you mine soon but he is upset over the fact that no one cared about his existence. He looked at Maria Frazier walk towards her. "Hey guys. I saw you are exhausted I may help you with some practice as a sparring partner". he said to Maria Frazier. Among four girls she quickly gained her stamina but looking at her friends they were in no shape to accompany her. Then she looked towards zack. She frowned seeing Zack laid on the ground. She thought Zack had a mediocre talent. She said, " Let us practice for an hour after that I need to do the solo practice". Both of them started sparring. Zack saw this scene and sneered in his heart. he quickly exited the room to look for an individual training room. Zack after finding a suitable room for training. There was an impulse in my heart to take out my white bone. But I won''t do that. Who knows there might be a camera here. it''s safe to practice with a wooden sword now. Then he started to practice with a wooden sword for two hours. Zack did not know that he was right all along. Ms Adeline key from her cabin, observed every moment of the ZERO Candidates. There is a big hologram screen in front of her. She saw Maria Frazier and Marcus Moore were sparring. The other three ladies were taking a little break to gain some stamina. Then she saw Zack practising sword stances she taught earlier.. He was training in the individual training room. Chapter 26 - Casual Talk After two hours of solo training, I exited the chamber. It''s already late in the evening. I need to reach the railway station in time. It''s good that courses are only for 6 hours daily. It did not interfere with travelling time. Zack sighed in relief. He got fresh up in the washroom as he was covered in sweat. Then he packed up his things and left for his train. Sometimes later. Marcus Moore was smiling with an evil grin. In name of sparring, he was attacking Maria Frazier''s beautiful body. In the training room while sparring he never looked at her eye. He always has his sight below her neck. Deliberately making uncomfortable for her. Marcus Moore said to himself. This is what happens if you think highly of yourself. Wouldn''t be better if you had accepted my greeting for the first time. I won''t be ruthless. He. He..what a beautiful body. As he was lavishly enjoying his view of Maria Frazier body. Her clothes were completely drenched due to sweats. Maria Frazier frowned seeing Marcus Moore''s evil grin. She thought. Sure this evil pig deliberately making it difficult for me. He must have impure thoughts as she pissed off in her heart. This pig doesn''t know what he is dealing with. If not for concealing my element I wouldn''t be in such a sorry state. it''s a test for me. otherwise, I would pulverize this guy with my water element. She had enough. She told Marcus Moore. "It''s time the class is over. It''s getting late for home". Then she exited with her friends for the washroom. Those girls practised separately. Seeing Maria coming they stopped their practice and joined her to leave. Marcus Moore stood there silently but he is happy in his heart but disappointed in the fact he was unable to watch her drenched body for too long. Maria Frazier dressing looks conservative covering all her assets. Only by drenched in sweat, Marcus Moore was able to see her toned body. But this was realised by Maria. Marcus Moore was last to exit the facility after fresh up. All of this event happening was noticed by Ms Adeline key. She observed everything from start to beginning. This batch got low members yet there is no unity between them on the first day itself. Marcus Moore is a troublemaker. He did not know what he is dealing with. Maria Frazier background can easily evaporate the Moore Merchant family. But looking at her behaviour. She did not want her background to be known to others. Looks like all the rich generation warrior family sent their young generation to trials. The trial is to show them their worth without using background. It''s largely common among them. I need to take care of her. To avoid mishaps dealing with Marcus Moore. The same can be said for the twins and Candace Wilkerson belong to a rich generation family. The only odd kid here is Zack Lockwood, he is adopted by James Lockwood. The well known Knight Ranked warrior. Friend of Arthur Emerson. Zack''s future path is set. he is going to join ARMY. No wonder he quickly sent him here for training. He wants Zack base to be perfect. But looking at his training in the solo chamber. Ms Adeline was confused he was done extremely well in the solo training but he looked drained at the end of training in the practice room. But quickly she got over it. This is their first day. I will know about their strength in the coming days. Ms Adeline said to herself. Maria Frazier travelling to her home with her friends. One of her friends Joann Allen said. "Maria tomorrow do not train with Marcus Moore. He doesn''t look good". "Yeah. His face looks creepy". Leona Allen added. Hearing that Maria tilted her head her expression was dark. " Do not worry about this pig. I do not want to expose my strength. But I''ll show a little bit of strength in the coming days of training. That pig is the best option to test my strength without using elemental energy". She said sternly. Soon Maria averted her gaze to Candace Wilkerson. She said. "Candace Why are you being silent? What happened?".Candace responded saying. "I was thinking about another guy". " Who? That useless kid who gasped for breath after training?". Leona Allen interjected. She had a bad impression of Zack. "He went for solo training to avoid embarrassment". said Joann Allen. "Yes, Candace, He is a weak guy".said Maria finally. "I don''t think so guys my intuition tells me something else. You guys ever noticed his expression. He looked like he doesn''t care. More importantly, he was not at all fazed by Marcus Moore. That Zack was minding his business". Said Candace. She had good intuition from her childhood. Which helped her so many times. So she won''t judge the book by its cover. Hearing What her close friend said. Maria realised she noted carefully. Soon Leona said. "Ok, Candace we will know in future. Whether he is good or bad. It''s just the first day of training so chill. Now the most important thing is, I''m very hungry let''s go to a restaurant". Said Leona. All of them laughed jointly hearing what Leona said she is a foodie. "Okay, let''s go".Candace said. All of them went to a restaurant before going home. Meanwhile, Zack was travelling by train. Immersed in his thoughts. He was thinking about his training stances today. There were three attack stances they were common stances for all swords. They are named 1. Nimble Slice 2. Vital Slice 3. Infinity slice. Three stances were mainly emphasised by Ms Key. Nimble slice attack used to effortlessly breach enemies attack and left sword mark on the opponent''s body. The Vital Slice attack is used to attack the opponent''s vital parts making his movements hindered. The infinity slice attack is aimed at the opponent''s heart. it''s a one time attack. You have to attack without your opponent knowing.. By the time he noticed something he will be dead due to a ruptured heart. Chapter 27 - Mercys Lotus 1 These three stances were important. I remembered it correctly but I need to train them towards the point of having muscle memory. Since its first day, I hope it will improve day by day. As the train reaches the station. Zack picked up his backpack as he exited from the door. Soon Zack came home by booking a floating cab. They were on time and the cab fees are efficient for me. To think next 1 and half years I need to travel by cabs. Zack sighed internally. He opened the gate of the apartment walk past the front garden. He was greeted by Granny park. She is studying books there. I walked towards her. She raised her head to see me coming. "Zack, Come sit here let''s talk. How was the day? How was your first day at Hansen Training Centre?" asked, Granny Park? " It is a great day Granny park. The Facilities they got there is world-class. And New Mentor for us also seemed powerful. At the first meeting, she completely oppressed us with aura". I replied. Then I''m told her "She taught us basic sword stances. I thought it is easy to perform yet you need to maintain perfect body strength to execute the move on time". As Zack started explaining about stances to Granny park. "Looks like you are not disappointed with your sword courses". soon a voice reverberated at the garden. Zack got surprised. He and Granny park both shifted their gazes to see where the voice is coming from. Mr James Lockwood came lazily. He had worn an ARMY suit. His face got a new scar. looks like he got it from his mission. Typical short black hair and black eyes. He is still recognisable. Zack thought in his heart. "Brat James, you looked like you hit an iron plate this time around your mission".Asked Granny park. She was surprised to see James scar. Hearing about the mission Mr James smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, it''s a difficult one". responded Mr James. To change the topic, he asked about a Hansen Training centre. "Zack, Did you see my friend Arthur?" asked Mr James. Zack was surprised to know about Arthur Emerson first from the receptionist. Looks they were good friends Zack said to in his heart and replied. " No, Uncle James except Mentor. I have never seen other teaching staff". Hearing that Mr James was not surprised. He said He is not teaching staff but he is more into administration and business. So it makes sense you won''t see him around the training corner. Next, Zack told about Mentor and his classmates. Listening to What Zack said Surprise glint appeared in Granny and Mr James eyes. "You felt an elemental aura around her. which means she is already a Trainee Apprentice warrior like you. But looking at her last name Frazier. This name is felt familiar yet I cannot remember it; She must be an heir to some rich family. To be on the safe side you need to avoid contact with her as much as possible. It''s also easy for her to find out about you as a Trainee Apprentice warrior". Explained Uncle James. "Do not worry Zack, I had an old pendant in my room, which is an artifact to hide the early apprentice realm of the warrior".Granny park said finally. Zack got ease of expression after that. After some conversation, Zack left for his room. Seeing Zack going back to his room. Granny tilted her head and said to James. "You said when Zack turn 10 years old you will give him a treasure to enhance his physical condition. but it''s already half a year gone". Hearing that Mr James replied. "Why do you think I got a scar on my face? Today is an off day for me. I went to the secluded face to retrieve that thing". Soon disappointed look appear on Mr James face thinking about the condition of that thing. Granny Park''s face changed a little bit. but soon turned normal and said " I think it''s best to give Zack that thing tonight with pendant, he will be safe there is no point in delaying it further". She was already been informed by Mr James about that precious thing. Zack was in his room after the bath he wore his comfort clothes. He was checking the online network for any news. But He is soon disappointed to find out the news feed only showing news about Torin City and some nearby cities including Red Stone City. He did not know why there is such strict prohibition. He needs to join the Academy for further access. Zack sighed as he laid on his bed for some well-needed eye shut. He is not sleeping but immersed in his thoughts. Sometimes later. As he was lying on his bed. His holowatch notified him. Zack opened his eyes and he clutches his head. He felt a headache and some pain all over his body. No wonder it''s caused by today''s sword training. I only got some sleep for an hour. As he checked his inbox. He read the message from Uncle James. Asking me to come to the common training room in the backyard of the apartment. Zack was confused but still decided to go. Both Mr James and Granny Park waited in the common training room in the backyard. Granny park created a barrier around the backyard for safety, so that outsiders can''t find anything. Mr James was holding a metal case. And he was observing the thing inside that metal case. Soon Zack came to the room. As he entered the room he saw both of them. What Granny is doing here? Zack said to himself. He tilted his head to see Mr James and said, Uncle James and Granny What is happening? "Zack, Calm down. James got you a present". said Granny. A surprised look appeared on my face. Uncle what it is, I asked as I begin to walk towards him. Uncle James smiled and pointed his finger toward the metal case on the table. Zack doesn''t know why but still walk towards the case and saw the thing inside the case. He was gasped at its beauty and appearance. his heart starts to beat faster. I had never seen anything like that in my life. Uncle James, what is that? said, Zack. Mr James laughed seeing his look and said. "it''s a single petal belong to a flower called MERCY''S LOTUS is a powerful high-grade treasure. Now in that case we got only one of its petals. The petal is removed from the lotus a long time ago. That''s why over the years its power got reduced. Nobody can''t use it anymore.. it''s only suitable for the early stage warriors". Chapter 28 - Mercys Lotus 2 Mercy''s lotus, What a powerful name. Zack thought internally. "Uncle James, Do you want me to use this treasure?" Zack asked. He was pained in his heart. Ever since he was little. Uncle James was the one who helped him. Both he and Granny Park were like two relatives to him. I had no recollection of my parents. I heard from Granny Park that they died in a monster attack. Uncle James was the one who took care of me. I must become stronger and take care of Uncle James and Granny Park. Zack vowed in his heart. Seeing complex expressions on Zack''s face. Granny park sighed and said. "Don''t trouble yourself, Zack. This treasure is valuable for you now; But for strongest warriors the single petal is useless" She continued "Besides, there is a reason James and I were helping you ; We need strong warriors to defend humanity. At first, we want you to have a normal life. But you on the other hand always wanted to become a Ranking warrior". She is being emotional then She said. "I still remember the days you are asking about warriors in the orphanage spending nights in the library to gain knowledge; Even in the lengths of not having single friends in the orphanage. You isolated yourself completely. Both of us were concerned seeing your behaviour. That is why we decided to support you to become Ranking Warrior to a level higher than us". Mr James had complex expressions on his face. Because he knows the truth. There are only Four people who know Zack''s true bio. They were Captain Norman, Feral, Granny Park and himself. They only knew Zack was rescued from Meteor stricken Zone and Zack''s parents died saving him. But they didn''t know about Zack parents bio. I modified them and lied to them. Saying Zack''s parents from hunter league. He quickly said. "Zack if you want to repay something. Just live well become stronger and save humanity. That''s all. Don''t think about anything else; Do not forget you are the seed of the ARMY Federation. And the Federation don''t like weaklings. This petal will help you create the perfect base. There are three things needed to be noted about Ranking warriors". Uncle James continued by saying. "1. Magical Strength 2. Physical Strength 3. Soul Strength You can gain physical strength and magical strength by levelling up using the warrior technique. But increasing soul strength is harder. By only using rare treasures we can at least gain a little bit of power. This Mercy''s lotus petal help you cleanse your soul from impurities. it''s a rare soul type treasure. Mr James carefully explained everything". Listening to both Granny Park and Uncle James. The turmoil in my heart was reduced. I forget that I am the seed candidate. only by performing better, I can gain resources from ARMY thereby reducing pressure on Uncle James and Granny Park. Hope this will be the last time. I rely on them. Zack said to himself. "Uncle James, How to use this petal?". Zack asked after readied his thoughts. He removed his distracting thoughts and focused his mind on the current task. Uncle James said. "You have to consume the petal quickly. once it leaves the case. It will start to react to the surroundings. Its power will reduce then. Sit in a meditation position there. I will create a barrier around you. Granny Park is maintaining a barrier around the backyard". Zack sat in a meditative position in the centre. In front of him was the metal case. Uncle James signalled Granny Park. And Created a barrier around Zack. Zack opened the metal case carefully. He then calmly picked up the petal. The aura emitted by the petal makes his mind lost for a moment. Zack''s heart starts to beat faster. He opened his mouth and put the petal inside of it. Soon his perception ability turned on itself without him thinking. The White petal melted quickly and entered his soul. Zack lost his mind. He felt blissful seer pleasure took over him. As the white petal energy starts to cleanse his soul. The little aftermath effects were left on his soul by the lightning rune were cleansed and his soul is in the next stage of purification his soul become denser little by little. Zack cannot perceive this whole happening. He is in a state of loss. Mr James from outside cannot see through what is happening inside. It''s already half an hour. He started to worry. Sometimes later Zack regained his consciousness. He was overwhelmed by this new feeling. He felt powerless. A single petal made him defenceless makes him completely lost his mind. Zack bit his lip and readied his thoughts. Soon a surprise caught in his eyes. He felt powerful his physical strength seems to get stronger. Uncle James told me this was a rare soul type treasure. Look like my soul power got levelled up. I did not know how to measure it accurately. I need to ask Uncle James about it. He cleared his mind. Then got up and went outside the barrier. Seeing Zack coming both Uncle James and Granny Park got relaxed. Granny Park felt Zack become stronger. She smiled "looks likes the little petal did his wonder". she responded. Hearing that Zack smiled and said, "Yes Granny I felt powerful but don''t know how to measure it. My intuition tells me my soul power is the same as physical strength". Uncle James added by saying. "It''s hard to sense the exact level of soul power. only by having a powerful artefact you can judge or do you need to have a high-level warrior to sense your power.But it''s not needed to have for the time being; You have now a perfect base filled with power. Now you needed to polish this strength with extreme training". "Okay, Uncle James, I will train harder" Zack replied. He vowed. Hereafter, I will spend some extra hours in training in the sword centre. After some conversation, all of them left.. Zack went back to his room slept peacefully. Chapter 29 - Understanding The Truth Next Day Zack woke up early. I made a comprehensive plan for myself. To-do list, Which has everything I needed to do before my sleep. I uploaded the schedule on my Holowatch which will ping me whenever a new task is required to do. He did some stretching and went for a bath. After a good shower. Zack begins to meditate. Yesterday, Uncle James reminded me that I''m a Vase filled with overflowing water. To avoid a crack in the vase I need to strengthen my base. In every Ascension to Ranking warrior, I need to take care of my base. Only by having a strong base. I can control the immense power without any backlash. Even if any misfortune occurs with a strong base I can recover with time. Zack said to himself. I feel my soul strength is a little below mid-level of the APPRENTICE WARRIOR. I need to test my limit. There is only one way to do it by attacking monsters and defeating them. You can gauge your strength and also the monster''s strength. But the likelihood of that happening is minimal. The Warrior Education System here in the outpost is strict and filled with rules and regulations. Without having proper knowledge of everything you are not allowed to enter the mission. I need to wait for the Academy. Zack sighed internally. Imagine you got a cake in front of you but you are not allowed to eat immediately. You have to wait for the time. It felt daunting but I have no choice. Zack said to himself. After some quick reflection, Zack spends time meditating. Sometimes later. After having a good breakfast. Granny park gave a Zack Green hexagon pendant. It looks Antique yet it did not have any scratches. She said. "Zack this pendant was used by me in the early days of being a Special Trainee; It can conceal your realm up to Trainee Warrior. So safely guard it. It not only helps you from being discovered by humans but also monsters". "Thanks, Granny". said Zack and wore the pendant around his neck. After some conversation with Granny. He left for Sword Training Centre. Uncle James went for the mission but he already sent me credit points for travel expenses. Zack boarded the train he bought his ticket using Holowatch. I planned on buying a special travel card for one year. Instead of booking tickets daily. but I felt it too early to do that. It is my second day at the academy so there is no point in being hasty. Zack booked his favourite seat at the left side of the window corner. He sat in the window seat and had a glance of the outside view. Then he closed his eye as he immersed himself in his thoughts. After one hour of travelling. Zack booked the Hover Cab to Hansen training centre. I need to spend an extra hour in training. And also stay away from that Maria Frazier. Soon a Huge U Shaped building came into view. It''s the Hansen Sword Training centre. After paying for the cab Zack entered the building. He greeted the receptionist and went directly towards the Sword training room. Where Ms Adeline taught yesterday. Zack touched his pendant, Thanks to granny. it''s already been bonded with my blood. Otherwise, it''s hard to escape from Ms Adeline keen sense. He let go of his hands from the pendant. As he reached the room he used his special card for scanning his ID and entered the room. He was surprised from being perceived by a lot of gazes. But he recovered quickly. All his classmates were present here in the classroom. Zack sighed in his heart. it''s the perk of being a local. You can arrive here whenever you want. I am the only guy here who travels from a neighbouring city. Marcus Moore had a Smirk on his face seeing his face. Zack thought why that bull had a gloating expression. He must be waiting for something. looks like not only do I have to learn to fight. I need to have some scheming skills. But this kind of mental ability is something I was born with. I felt no pressure dealing with these people it''s like a game. You anticipate what they are going to do and you develop some contingency plan to deal with it This bull with a small brain must have felt I am weak. Judging by yesterday''s training. He can only propose to do some sparring training with me. Why? because he wants to impress these girls. By stepping upon me. So it''s easy to guess people''s intentions, Especially like him who use lower pants to think. Zack smirked internally but had a normal look outside without any facial expression. At the same time, he also found two girls still looking at him. He shifted his gaze toward them casually. He found Maria Frazier looking at him. As both of their gazes met. Maria Frazier averted her gaze from him quickly. A surprise glint appeared in Zack''s eyes. Sure She is an Apprentice Warrior. This time I felt a strong aura around her now. Maybe it''s due to an increase in soul strength. But Zack thought of something. it''s not only due to my soul but seems my perception range increased a little bit. It''s a combined effect and with the pendant, no one here will doubt me. luckily, no one found out yesterday. I isolated myself in the solo chamber. Otherwise, it''s impossible to escape from Ms Adeline key''s sense. But how come that girl Marian Frazier escaped from Ms Key''s sense. Zack''s face turned serious as he realized important news. The Mentor must have known Marian Frazier being Apprentice Warrior but still, she did not say anything. She is big fish. Soon Zack laughed internally as he saw Marcus Moore looking at girls without even blinking. The poor bull you want to hit an iron plate. I can''t imagine your ending. Zack smirked internally there is another girl who seems more dangerous than Maria Frazier.. This Candace Wilkerson still looking at me. Chapter 30 - Training Zack did not face Candace directly, She is not a warrior, something off about her. I have to wait and see. Zack said to himself. At this moment the door opened, Ms Adeline Key walked inside. She had a usual warrior attire. it''s like a uniform. She said "Alright start training, I will be guiding each of you one by one; After that, you will be doing your separate training". I initially started with basic sword moves to see whether I can manage to execute the moves with new strength. I started to lift the wooden sword and swing it. I did not apply force. Slowly I started to apply a little bit of force. As I repeated the same sword stance over twenty times. Time went on Ms Adeline key is now guiding Marcus Moore. I shifted my gaze from them and started working on my next stances. Next, It''s my turn. Ms Adeline Key came toward me. She said " Zack, attack me with your basic sword techniques". After hearing that I want to test my strength with three sword moves. I started directly with the Vital slice. As we two face each other. I lifted my wooden sword and my target was her abdomen. I raised my right foot to create an angle with the attack. She firmly stood in her place. I used both hands to swing the sword. As my wooden sword tip reached her abdomen. She moved quickly, my sword hit nothing as she used her left leg to hit my abdomen. I failed to realize what happened. in a second I felt severe pain in my abdomen. My wooden sword dropped down as I clutched my abdomen and move backwards. What a drag, I cannot even withstand her casual kick. Even If she used her little strength then my internal organs would turn into a paste. Zack, then slowly stood up. Get back his wooden sword. Ms Adeline Key said. "Zack, You lack flexibility in your movements more importantly you failed to predict your opponent''s moves; What do you think I would gladly accept your attack?". She was pissed off. How could I tell that I am gaining control over my new strength. I got overconfident its easy to execute moves but I''m still unfamiliar with overall control over my body. Control is an important skill in combat. Doesn''t matter how much energy you got in your body with proper control over your techniques you even execute perfect moves with minimal energy. "Sorry Mentor. I will learn from my mistake can we continue? ". Zack told. Hearing that Ms Key''s face eased a lot. Then she nodded. both of them started their practice. Candace Wilkerson furred her eyebrow with confusion. she thought. Was I wrong, he seems to be clumsy. she was confused, her intuition seems to be wrong. Then she shakes her head and continued to focus on practice. Sometimes later. After training with Ms Adeline Key was finished. Zack was in his separate training room. He wanted to practise for an extra hour. There is an actual test for knowing the warrior''s progress. Zack participated in the test. He started with wooden dummies. Yesterday, I practise with these dummies but these were stationary dummies. It can check How much deep the attack landed on it and the amount of strength behind the attack. Unlike combat dummies. it cannot predict opponents move with A. I and act according to it. First I need to clear the stationary dummies level with a perfect score. Next is the laser beam training for movements and evasion. Then comes the battle test with the combat dummies. To clear the first round of stationary dummies. I need to perform every sword attack with good execution. There is A.I. Screen installed in the chamber. It will monitor and guide every test. it will calculate how fast and deep the attack land on the dummy. Zack was continuing his training as time goes on. But every time his attack misses something. First, his speed was slow yet the attack land on the dummy is deep enough. Zack wanted to have good speed and attack. So that he can go to the next level. Soon it was late in the evening. Other classmates were left for home. Ms Adeline key was also left. He was the only person in the building training in his room. Except for the guards around the building. Zack notices something, Classes was started at 10 a.m. and over at 4 p.m. But everyone today had extra training. Zack wants to spend an hour more in training before he left the facility. Fifteen minutes later Zack was laying on the ground smiling happily. Because he passed the first hurdle. The attack landed on a dummy is perfect. it was executed in less than 5 seconds. before he was somewhat clumsy in his leg movements. As training went on had good control over his leg movement. The A.I Screen on the chamber notified him of the laser test. It''s showed him whether he wants to continue or not. Zack thought about it. I was exhausted. It''s better to continue tomorrow. He thought for a moment and shook his head. There is an anticipation in his eyes, let see for it now how hard is it. Even If I fail miserably. I will prepare well tomorrow. Zack wore the special suit for safety to avoid getting drilled by a laser beam. The laser beam setting is not dangerous. it would be quite painful on the skin once it gets exposed. so it''s better to wear a safety suit. Zack said to himself. After wearing his suit. He pressed the start button. Soon the floor started to change colour. it appeared black and white. Zack was puzzled. He stepped on black tiles first there was no reaction from the laser beam. Zack proceeds to step on the white tile in front of him. yet there is no reaction. Zack thought this is not a normal speed test. you have to find a pattern. As he was immersed in his thoughts. A bad premonition rose in his heart. Chapter 31 - Progress I felt ominous. As I move forward I got hit by a laser beam. The first step gives me enough time to think and evade the laser beam but as I move forward the frequency of the laser beam attack is increased. I had to restart. The only way to solve this is to move faster from the beginning. As I tried again and again in the end I failed to pass through. I need to come with a better plan tomorrow. I said to myself. Then I left the facility to return home. Some hours later in Zack''s room. Zack was lying comfortably in his bed. He was operating his holowatch to check today''s stats. He had earlier downloaded the stats from the artificial chamber''s A.I. He was going through how many times he attempted the laser beam test. After checking the stats he closed his eyes tries to visualize the strategy that he is going to do tomorrow. Zack slept unknowingly. Earlier in the morning, Zack woke up he had a good bath. Got out of the shower. Zack wore his dress. Which is ironed perfectly. He wore his Red T-shirt and Black Jacket on top of it. Then he wore black his black cargo pant. Finally had a finishing touch by wearing red fingerless gloves and red sneakers. Zack got up and looked at the mirror. He had black hair grown up to the shoulder. He never took a haircut for the past month. But it looked quite good on him. So he left it as it is. His green shining eyes look attractive on him with perfect eyebrows. Zack smirked with confidence. It always feels good to wear a nice dress which is your favourite. Zack said to himself. After that, he had breakfast with Granny. Uncle James as usual busy with his mission. Recently I have been learning a lot of stuff from Granny. She is well into gardening had good knowledge about plants. I heard from granny it''s good to know about plants even it''s the bare minimum. Zack took his usual route towards the HANSEN TRAINING FACILITY. After arriving at the station in Red Stone City. He continued his schedule with the usual sword training with his Mentor and indulge in his separate training then. Zack is in his separate training room. It''s been one week since I had passed the laser test. The next one is the combat test. I had to attack the dummies with sword moves. Even though it''s a wooden sword. The dummies were a little special. It''s an A. I programmed once I executed a good move it will become defenceless. Then the dummy will stop his attack towards the opponent. Battling with a dummy with a wooden sword is childish. But I had no choice but to get familiar with the fighting itself. It is not entertainment in future I will have to participate in many battles. So now I''m just laying the perfect building blocks for my basement. As he readied his thoughts, Zack activates the next phase of the test on A. I screen. The test time is 15 minutes. Soon a Battle dummy came upward from the ground. It is covered with armour but its armour is made up of a leather dress. I can see small spots flickering with red light inside somewhat transparent leather. I believe the leather is made with special material to take the blow of the wooden sword. And flickering lights were sensors to calculate the stats. I analysed it for a moment. Then I move towards the dummy. I noticed something on the A. I screen it said it is level one. I don''t know what it is guess I will try it out. I started to attack with a wooden sword. First I just made a common swing at the dummies chest. The tip of the wooden sword reaches the dummy. A surprise glint appeared in my eyes. The dummy not only evaded but deflected my attack with its wooden sword. This technology is something. As I tried to attack the dummy as time went on. The stats were collected by sensors and then sends to the A. I chamber''s server. Sometimes later I eventually landed a hit on its chest. It failed to evade my attack. A.I.of the chamber notified me that I passed level one. I felt happiness in my heart witnessing my progress. I love this kind of challenge. And feel the feeling like this further. As level 2 is started. I got perplexed in a moment because this time the attack was initiated by the dummy. soon I was put in a defensive mode. The next day as time went on I moved from defensive to offensive. I started to get familiarise with my shortcomings. Soon the level 2 was breached. I got drenched in sweat. For the next few days, I continued my training on level 3. Level 3 is challenging. it''s related to the speed of the attack and defensive. I need to be very quick in my body movements. To pass this challenge. But Eventually, I even passed level three. Hereby completing all the tests in A. I chamber. But over the days I entered the test once again. To, gain good improvement in my stats. Days went by just like that. Zack felt confident with his strength. He had good control over his strength over the days, He has not reached the perfection level yet. Soon the end of the month has come. It''s been 29 days since Zack joined this facility. It''s a good centre. I had mastered three attack moves and several sword stances. The only downside of this matter it''s not a real sword. But a wooden sword. And I''m restricted from using the lightning moves. How cool it would be once I use a lightning attack with white bone. I cannot wait to join the Academy. I have been avoiding this Marcus Moore as plague. Ever since I came here. It''s a good thing is that both Candace and Frazier lost interest in me. As Zack was immersed in his thoughts he stepped his foot towards the training room. He was greeted by his classmates they nodded towards him. He too responded. Ms Adeline Key came a few seconds later. She looked at all the people one by one and then She said.. "It''s been one month since the training has started; I believe you guys have gone familiar with the courses and training". Chapter 32 - Evaluation Test 1 "There is going to be an evaluation test tomorrow", said Ms Adeline Key; Hearing that Marcus Moore asked " Mentor is that any benefits we can get tomorrow? I heard from seniors that it varies upon different batch that got recruited every year" I frowned internally, It''s been a month but I have never seen a single senior batch student. There are several floors in the building. I only visited the places that I got access to. But this bull had even contact with seniors. I put the thoughts back off my mind. And look towards Mentor. Responding to Marcus Moore. Ms Adeline Key said. " Looks like you have already got the information from your seniors, indeed, resources may very. For your batch, it''s already been decided. only the top 2 will get rewarded from 6 members, And what is the rewards to know you have to wait until you get into the top 2" Seeing her facial expressions, I believe she is pissed off by Marcus Moore. Do not know what is the reason. As I was watching her suddenly she met my gaze. Ms Adeline Key said, "Zack, Today Do not indulge in extra training hours. Don''t injure yourself Tomorrow, Based on everyone''s performance, training courses can be modified further". I replied to her saying " Then it''s fine Mentor, I don''t plan on training further today". She nodded at me. Then she looked at all of us and said " I believe you all get familiarise with A. I chamber combat test; But, tomorrow is different you will be evaluated by an Advanced version of A. I chamber combat test". She then smirked. Seeing Ms Adeline behaviour, I thought this is troublesome. No wonder She advised me not to have extra training hours. The first thing to have is not to get injured yourself. The second thing you don''t know, What is the content of tomorrow''s test? It may be a combat test but I do not know what type of combat test. It''s useless to train further, I was impressed with my current stats of mine. As I was contemplating, I noticed Maria Frazier seems fine. Seeing her confident look. I smiled, I want to test my strength with her instead of dummies. It would be a real test then. Dummies are artificial they don''t have emotions. They don''t intimidate their opponents they are tools to guide your training. I don''t learn much further with them. On other hand, I always get annoyed by Marcus Moore. Battling him I do not know how would I react. I believe it would be an emotional battle. There is also candace, I nicknamed her Mysterious Candace aka Ms Mystery. Maria Frazier is an open book you can see the emotion on her face. But this Candace is a closed book. You don''t know, What is it in her heart? and What is it in her face?. Every flower is different. These days I had met Candace often in the class and had some small chats. She gives vibes, That I do not know How to explain. Looks like some veil covered her. And there are also twin sisters. They are the only two people who look normal among ourselves. I can see their worry on their face. They are listening to Mentor attentively. Then out of nowhere, Maria Frazier asked. "Mentor, What will happen if you perform badly?" Everyone keened our ears to Mentor''s response. Ms Adeline smiled at her and said. " If you perform better you will include in advance class Maria. Otherwise, you will have to stick with this same course throughout training". A sudden thought came to my mind, I asked Mentor. "Ms Adeline, Do we get only one chance here? It has been only one month since the start of the training. We already paid for it. How come there is another advanced course on top of it." Ms Adeline was not surprised by my question. She responded to me by saying " I''m not only a mentor for your class, But I also train your senior batch students; Those exceptional senior students were passed out successfully and left the centre. But still, some people got failed. Refused to go out". "So I was instructed by the administration to teach these lagging students; They also told me to include some talented juniors in the class". Marcus interjected by saying " So, we do not have to pay credits for the Advance courses" His eyes were shining. Ms Adeline sighed and said " I told you earlier top 2 get rewards; The rewards are you got placed in the advanced class with free of cost" Hearing that everyone gasped. I said in my heart. "Zack, this is an opportunity. Don''t miss it" Then after some talks, all of us left the facility. I boarded my usual train and got a window seat. I looked at the sceneries through the window. This train is a common class train with good speed. So I can still see the scenes outside. The timing of the Advance class train had a conflict with my current Schedules. I was contemplating ever since she announced about the test tomorrow. My heart is beating rather faster than usual. I do not know it is due to excitement or nervousness. As I saw the heartbeat rate in my Holowatch. It is hard to believe the sudden turn of events. I cannot wait to tell Granny and Uncle about this. I closed my eyes waiting for the train to reach the destination. Sometime later, I left the train to reach home. After I arrived home. It''s good that I found Uncle is home today. He is return from the mission. Before that, I went to my room had a long shower. I eased up my nerves comfortably. I finally got relaxed. I wore some casual clothes. Then my stomach starts to growl for some food. I lazily laid on the bed waiting for dinner. Finally. At the dinner table, I broke the news to granny and uncle.. They were surprised especially, Uncle. Chapter 33 - Meeting Before Ms Adeline key broke the news to Zack and his Classmates. Earlier Morning in the Meeting Room. Mr Arthur Emerson Said, "Ms Key, You do not have any choice. The Senior Management decided to choose you as their Mentor. I know, what you were worried about. You must be thinking about problems that would occur. When senior and junior students will train same room in the class". Ms Adeline sits in an opposite chair to him. She furrowed her eyebrows and began to contemplate in her heart that there is no way senior management would give advance course access to new Students for free. I do not know? What is the catch here? She decided to ask him. Ms Key asked, "Mr Arthur, I do not know? Why management would make such a sudden decision regarding advance courses especially it''s been only 29 days since the new students joined the class". "It would make no sense to my new students I can understand Ms Maria Frazier in my class had ability beyond any new students in my class; then she continued by saying; It would be waste of time for her to spend time in basic training; there is no problem for her to join advance class". She sighed and said, " What about the rest of them? There is no point in conducting Advance combat tests for them". She did not hold back anything in her heart and told about every query she had. She felt fishy. Listening to what Ms Key said. Mr Arthur Emerson said, "Looks like I have to reveal a bit of information to you" He leaned forward a little and said," We are invited by CRIMSON SWORD HALL for an exhibition match". Hearing the Famous name CRIMSON SWORD HALL. Ms Key face turned serious. She was shocked in her heart. She thought, why they would invite students from HANSEN SWORD CENTRE. CRIMSON SWORD HALL is situated in TIER-7 city. They looked down upon every TIER City below them; especially our RED SONE CITY is TIER-8 City. It''s not just a simple increase in number. The City structure follows a Pyramid system. There are many TIER-8 City but very few TIER-7 City it is far more developed than our city. It got more population than us more resources than us. TIER 8 CITY got Invited to an event of TIER-7 City is nothing more than trouble and humiliation. She began to worry. Seeing Ms Key remained silent for more than a minute. Mr Arthur Emerson said, "See, that''s why I did not want to reveal anything and now you forced me". "I know, to be invited by TIER-7 City is nothing more than a doom spell for us; I wish, I would be born in any of above TOP 5 TIER cities. Anything below TOP-5 TIER City is Nightmare. Considering that cities above TOP-5, TIER-7 cities were nothing more than child''s play for them" Ms Adeline Key came back to her senses and replied, "Mr Arthur, You make it easy for TIER-7 city. When comes to TOP-5 cities, we are not qualified to talk about them. Only Special can dream about them. Considering our OUTPOST 1012''s TOP-5 TIER cities were better than neighbouring OUTPOST. She said proudly at the same time scared mentioning them". Mr Arthur laughed and said, "Even though there is competition between Several TIER Cities among ourselves, When comes to OUTPOST 1012. We are one family. Our OUTPOST had produced several Elite Rank Warriors. Who joined various powerful organisations; so, don''t fret about TIER-7 City. We need strong warriors. CRIMSON SWORD HALL only invited young cubs. I mean seeds at the age of 12" Ms Key responded by saying, "Only age of 12, it''s the typical age where the kids join their respective Academy". Soon she realized something her heart starts to beat faster. Her palms became sweaty. She thought, sure nothing good comes from TIER-7 CITY. She had a bad premonition in her heart. She asked, "They are going to target potential seed. Won''t they?" Mr Arthur Emerson replied, "We cannot do anything about it, there is word spread among our network. This time they are going to pour huge rewards for the competition. To attract the seeds; There is a Risk and Reward". "If you are being targeted you have to watch your back until you joined the academy; at the same time enjoy the rewards from the competition". "It''s not just our TIER city alone got invited every TIER-8 city under the influence of ARMY FEDERATION is got invited; the same thing happened for TIER-7 CITY under PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE. They too invited their respective TIER-8 Cities" "ONE thing is clear Mass filtration is going to happen among seeds" Mr Arthur finally uttered. Ms Key sighed and said. "Only kids, who got quota for Academies has to worry about that; there is a fierce competition happen among academies too; No way they are going to stop". "I believe, it''s done by SAW SCALE VIPER ACADEMY they are being too cruel" Mr Arthur Emerson said, "Everyone has the same thought as yours. There is still time for that Exhibition Competition. CRIMSON SWORD HALL will conduct that event one year later". "You have to train them if our warriors perform well. We can get more resources granted by our UNION" Ms Key said, "Then it''s fine, I will go prepare the content for the test". Then she left the Cabin. Mr Arthur Emerson waited for her to exit. Then he created a simple barrier in the cabin. So that no one can eavesdrop. He looked at his Holowatch and called his friend. Soon a 3D holographic image was projected above the Holowatch. That person is none other than Mr James Lockwood. Mr Arthur Emerson said, "James, I believe you already got the news; If Zack performs well and want to go for the competition; I''m pretty sure they will target him". Mr James replied, "Don''t worry he is a smart Kid, He knows went to move forward and recede back; to be on the safe side I will tell him everything". Chapter 34 - Lack Of Techniques When Zack said about the Advance combat test. Mr James was slightly surprised not by the news of the Advance Combat test. Earlier in the morning his good friend Arthur had conveyed to him everything; including some confidential matter that occurs behind the scenes. He was surprised by seeing Zack''s enthusiasm. Mr James thought in his heart. I believe it is better to send the news to Sir Lowell McClain. Sir McClain is an Official Mentor to him. He will have some better plans due to power and connection. He already told everything to Granny Park. She had belief in Zack more than me. Granny Park asked, "Zack, How confident are you to pass the Advance Combat Test tomorrow?" Zack replied, "To be honest, I don''t know?" then he said, "If it is Basic Combat Test, then I don''t have to worry about it. I had good stats, it won''t be much of a problem to join Advance class". Hearing such a straightforward answer from Zack, Ms Park was happy. She thought it is good that Zack got a sense of measure. He will do well in the CRIMSON SWORD HALL exhibition event. He doesn''t like to show off at the same time He does want to be bullied by others. She smiled and asked, "Then, you don''t seem to be worried at all". Zack replied, "Granny, I do not know the content of the test? It is a waste of time to think about that. I will know about that tomorrow eventually. On other hand, when compared to other classmates in my class. I believe both me and the girl Maria Frazier seems to be the elemental warriors. The rest of them are not and Ms Key conveyed that only the top 2 from the Advance Combat Test get placed in Advance Class, so if it is hard for me then it''s harder for the rest of them". Mr James finally opened his mouth and said, "So, it is already decided then, you and that girl will be the one get placed in Advance Class, But I also remind you not be complacent and do well tomorrow" He wants to explain further that it is not just Simple Advanced Class but in the end. He decides better not to, It will be better it is handled by Sir McClain. Granny Park said, "Zack, Go to sleep early, don''t be a night owl because warrior''s need to maintain a fresh mind and body". Mr James also reminded him to maintain a good health routine. After the dinner was done, everyone left. Zack went back to his room. He laid comfortably on the bed. Zack thought, Uncle James reminded me not to use elemental power tomorrow. He sighed thinking about that. He slightly rubbed the ring on his finger and seeped his consciousness into it. He saw the white bone in the case. Suddenly, He jumped from the bed and took out the White bone Sword from his ring. He holds the sword in his right hand. He observed the sword closely every detail of it. He lifted his left hand above and notices his palm. He thought of lightning and the lightning rune in his consciousness started to flicker and a Violet thick spark generated in his hand. It is just a speck of violet spark. He placed his left hand on the nearby wooden table. While carrying a falchion sword in the right hand. "BANG" A loud sound reverberated throughout the entire bedroom. Zack got perplexed, He defended the debris from reaching him with his right-hand sword. After the aftermath when everything settled down. Zack noticed the area he placed on the table. The area was gone, Even though the generated Violet sparks were little. When violet spark came in contact with the face of the table. It obliterated everything on the surface area like they did not even exist in the first place. Unlike the fire element which burns everything on the contact place left to collect ashes. The lightning element simply destructed it. Leaving behind no ashes. Zack was surprised. He thought I only wanted to test it. But even the little sparks seems to be powerful. If I used this power tomorrow in the combat test. I am sure no one can be my opponent. He sighed. Meanwhile. Hearing the explosion in Zack''s room. Mr James got up from his work. He quickly came to Zack''s room. So did Granny Park. Both Granny and Mr James entered Zack''s room at the same time. Mr James said, "Zack, What happened?" Hearing that Zack became serious, he thought it''s over. He quickly got over the dilemma and replied, "I just used a little bit of lightning energy to test its impact". Granny said, "Zack, without proper technique, you cannot channel the energy. It flows all over the area randomly; especially lightning energy it''s even more dominance you cannot control the range". Zack replied, "I will make sure it won''t happen, Granny". Mr James said, "It not only dangerous but also a waste of energy Zack; with proper technique, you can use minimal energy to achieve effective results". Mr James further continued, "This all can be done when you join the academy but I feel better you to have some lightning techniques earlier". Zack felt relaxed, I thought I will be scolded by both Granny and Uncle James. But he doesn''t know the real reason behind it. Granny said, "I think the most important thing for Zack, now is rest. He got a big day tomorrow". Uncle James also said, "Yes, Zack get some sleep". After both of them left saying good night to Zack. They left the room and arrived at the Hall. Mr James said, "Ms Park, What do you think? I already sent news to Zack''s Mentor Sir Lowell McClain". Granny replied, "I wanted to scold Zack, but seeing him lacking lightning technique. I also felt that he needed some technique especially speed techniques. It can help him escape from the danger". Mr James replied, "Yes, I noticed some spies activities in the town lately ". Chapter 35 - Looming Threat After both Uncle James and Granny Park exited the room. Zack sighed and thought in his heart. it''s unusual not to be scolded by both of them. Then he cleaned the debris that was scattered over the place. Finally, the cleaning is done as he is immersed in his thoughts. He forgot that his whole body reeks with the smell of sweat. He finally took notice and said to himself, "What is this Smell? He looked all over his body; I got over thrilled by the potential of the lightning element, even that I forgot to take shower". He quickly went for a bath. After an hour bath, He came back and wore casual sweat pants. He squeezed his hair dry with the towel. His black hair was grown over to his shoulders. After he switched off the lights and completely laid on the bed. The room was dark. He was silent for a moment then began to check his Scifi-watch. He thought I only got limited access. I cannot find anything from the alliance network. I started to look for lightning techniques but either I have to register with PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE as their Hunter or either should have other I.D such as ARMY FEDERATION or other Association. It''s depressing not to have access. I''m just using the usual credit point''s transactions with the Scifi-watch. To buy some stuff or to book train tickets. I do not have friends yet, How good it would be to hang out with them and spend some credit points. I thought I can get some friendship with the people from HANSEN TRAINING CENTRE. Who would have thought that my batch. This year would admit only six people including me? Zack sighed. My classmates were different. They each got different personalities. It is not suitable for me. He put these thoughts back in his mind and begin to think about important things. Tomorrow is an important day. I got a lot of things to do when I get into the advanced class. He created a To-Do list in his Scifi-watch. The list is encrypted such that no one can get access to the file except him. I feel my lightning element is just an entry-level. My physical and Soul strength is greater compare to Magical strength which is a lightning element. I heard there will be barriers for every stage. As the person starts to level up from initial to the mid-stage then same to consecutive stages. I have not felt that barrier yet I believe there is room for a lot of improvement. So the first point in my checklist is to find affinity stones. Either colourless affinity stone like that Dr Mearov used in his research centre or Lightning elemental stone. Zack began to worry. He said to himself, "I sure got a lot of my problems on my plate. Already it''s filled with my inheritance test. I will die if I failed to level up my physic to level 15 and unlock the 7th region of my brain comp completely. He then quickly edited the 1st point and placed it has 3rd point. My first point is to find a way to level up my physic. 2nd point is to find a way to unlock the 7th region of my brain completely. If I did with the above two points in my checklist. Then I will look for the third point. I won''t voluntarily spend my energy looking for affinity stones unless I got the opportunity. Then he quickly realized. If I can level up my physic. It would be better my soul can level up with physical strength. I cannot ignore my soul strength. Lastly, I consumed Mercy''s Lotus treasure thanks to Uncle but in the future, I have to find my way. He noted to increase his soul strength as the 4th point in his checklist. Zack thought Sir Lowell McClain is my official mentor. I am sure he will guide me in future. But nobody knows my circumstances. It is paramount for me to level up in every aspect of power soon. The inheritance spirit never gave me a deadline to level up my physic. I can vaguely felt his presence in my soul. It would be stupid to sit like a duck. I need to work on my own. He quickly removed his worry from his heart and thought. On other hand, I want to travel across our world. For that I need power. So tomorrow morning I will ask Uncle James''s opinion. Whether to contact Sir McClain or not. He once again checked his to-do checklist then he saved it. Soon he fell asleep. Meanwhile, In Red stone city. A medieval-looking architectural home. It was constructed using today''s era scientific constructional method and rare ores. It is a medieval house but every room in the household is filled with Modern era expensive household items. There is a banner on top of the house named Frazier. There is a compound surrounded the household. Which is strategically designed and constructed. Several sensors and cameras. Which were unable to see in naked eyes were monitoring the area. Guards dressed in black Suit Took turns to watch the surroundings. Few people were roaming inside the household silently. They were maids and butlers. Inside one of the well-protected rooms in the medieval house. A person is talking something to a middle-aged man dressed in a tuxedo who looks like a butler. The outside of the room is equipped with several safety measures. The middle-aged man said, "Young Miss, Family Head wants to talk to you?" Maria Frazier replied, "Uncle Thomas, I said thousand times. I don''t want to leave the HANSEN SWORD CENTRE and spend the rest of the time here cooked up until I join the Academy". Maria Frazier said angrily, "I want to train independently". Her elemental aura started to rise as the two water droplets suspended in the air. Her element is the water element. There is a faint bluish aura surrounds her as she continues to form more droplets. The butler named Mr Thomas got perplexed he replied, "Relax Young Miss, This time there is the genuine reason; Family Head got some information early in the morning". Then he sighed and said, "This time CRIMSON SWORD HALL from Tier-7 city invited nearby Tier-8 cities training institutions to conduct an exhibition match". Hearing the name CRIMSON SWORD HALL Maria Frazier''s face turned serious and shocked in her heart. She said. "When are they going to conduct that event? Do they invite my training centre?" Butler Thomas replied," I believe it will happen one year later and HANSEN SWORD CENTRE got an invitation today". Maria Frazier thought No wonder that Ms Key talked about Advance class. Those who were placed in advance class eventually get to participate in the exhibition match. She finally asked, "So, My father is worried that I will get targeted". Butler Thomas replied, "Yes, Young Miss".. She said, "What if I don''t participate in the tournament?" Hearing that Butler Thomas became relaxed he smiled and replied, "Then I will tell Family Head that Young Miss won''t participate in the tournament". Chapter 36 - Evaluation Test 2: Marias Challenge! Next day at Hansen Sword Training Centre. Zack and his classmates were all waiting for Ms Adeline Key''s arrival. I hope the content of this test will be new and challenging. Zack sighed in the heart. As he looked around and found the familiar faces of his classmates. They all seemed fine. Except for Maria Frazier and Candace Wilkerson. They don''t seem to be rather excited nor nervous. He mumbled to himself, " What''s with those two?". The Twins and the Marcus Moore seemed to be rather too much excited. especially, Marcus, He is behaving like He is already been placed in the Advanced Class. As he was immersed in his thoughts. "Ding" The training room door opened. Ms Adeline Key came. As she found all of us are looking at her. She smiled. "I believe all of you are ready for the Advanced Combat test," She asked. To that few of us nodded immediately. Seeing that she said, "Follow me". Zack and his classmates followed her behind. Ms Key exited the classroom. Soon they came across the lift on the floor. Ms key scanned her I.D the lift door opened. She entered the lift followed by Zack and his classmates. Ms key placed her fingerprint for monitor scanning. The Fingerprint was successfully verified. Then she typed some secret code and pressed enter. Zack and his classmates were unable to see. Due to the small barrier created by Ms key. Suddenly the lift started to move downwards. After reaching the highly fortified and secluded place in the underground. Ms key then used her I.D and fingerprint scanning to exit the place. Zack was surprised in the heart. I never would have thought in my life. If I didn''t see this with my own eyes that there is a secret facility in the underground. Maria Frazier and Candace Wilkerson had an unfazed look. Like everything happened within their calculation. There is no surprise element in it. The twins had a surprising glint in their eyes. But their facial expression remains unchanged. Marcus Moore on the other hand excitingly asked, " Wow, Mentor What is this place? is there any special training facility built here?". Hearing that everyone perked their ears waiting for Ms Key''s response including Zack. Ms key laughed and said, " You will find out soon". As she reached the end of the corridor. She gestured us to get ready. There is nothing at end of the corridor. We are facing the wall. Zack mumbled a little, " What''s she doing?". "Ding" a sound ran through the wall. The wall which I was facing. Soon became clear to my eyes. "Illusion," one of the twins said. Hearing that I was really surprised. Everyone looked at the wall, now it is replaced with a metal door. which is approximately 8ft tall. Terrifying technology. Imagine what would happen if you face your enemies here. You will never know the real reason for your death. Ms key again scanned her details and entered the room. Followed by Zack and his classmates. Suddenly. Unified gasped sounded by everyone as they witness a magnificent arena fortified by the glass. Which is completely enclosed by a dome-like structure. everyone had their mouth wide open. Zack''s heart starts to beat faster. As he realized something. So much of me being confident. yesterday, uncle James reminded me not to be complacent. Zack thought. I guess this arena was built for battle. I did not know what Ms Adeline Key is thinking. As he was immersed in his thoughts. Ms key said seriously, "Get ready, Your Advance combat test will be conducted in this arena". Hearing that everyone one of us had new nervousness all over them. We were all fine moment ago. Zack decided to ask as he kept looking at the arena and said, " Ms key, who will be our opponents?". Marcus Moore smirked and interjected, "We will be fighting among ourselves. Am I right? Mentor, he gave provocative look to Zack". What a dumb ass, if it''s a fighting challenge among ourselves there is no need to come down here, especially since the arena looked rather fortified. Zack laughed internally thinking that. Maria Frazier shakes her head disapprovingly. Hearing Marcus Moore answers she had an annoyed look on her face. Meanwhile. Ms Key looks at the control room. She received a message indicating Advance combat test can be started. Then she looked at her students and said. "Alright, Everyone listens carefully; The arena had a two-door Entry and opposite Exit door". She explained, " You will be considered as Clearing the Advance test once you exited from the opposite door; Top 2 decided by overall stats of your performance" And one more thing she said, "You are allowed to use your real weapon; For individual privacy, the arena will be completely enclosed; so that no one can witness your battle performance including management. All data we want will be collected by A. I and Top 2 results also calculated by it; So, don''t hold back your cards, No one will pry you". Everyone had worry kept over their face. Ms Key said, "Ms Maria Frazier, You are the first one to compete" As everyone saw the Maria Frazier name displayed on A. I monitor''s screen from the control room. Ms key said, " Once you exit from the door, It will lead to the discussion hall. Everyone will wait there. Once the test was completed. I will come there and announce the result". Hearing that everyone nodded. Ms Maria Frazier moved forward and entered the door. Soon dome-like structures started to cover the entire arena. Nothing can be seen outside. As everyone immersed in their thoughts. Zack found a nearby seat and quietly waiting for his turn. Seeing that everyone found their places. Ms Key sending messages from her Scifi-Watch to Someone. "I will be monitoring the situation from the Control room". Ms key said to everyone and left. Meanwhile in the arena. Maria Frazier entered the arena. She looked upwards. The arena is completely enclosed. There is an exit door opposite but it''s not open yet. She looked around the arena and found nothing. Soon she found something there is an "X" mark placed in the centre of the platform. "Ding" A sound rang through the entire arena. From the "X" mark. A door opened, A huge cage came upwards. Inside the Cage, there is a huge Dark Wolf type Class 1 monster that starts howling. It has A. I belt around his neck. "Ha Ha, Father was right. Hansen Sword Centre had tamed Class 1 monsters here in this Underground facility. They use this Class 1 Monsters to have their students to gain their first blood kill". Maria mumbled herself. It''s a distant relative species of Class Monster Grant Wolf. It''s completely covered with black skin. Glowing Dark Red Eyes. Equipped with an arrow-like tail and killer fangs. This Class Monster is a complete Night creature. Made to hunt down its prey. It usually dwells in forests and is very rare to be found in Broadway light. Finally, she realised something this one is male. less intellectual than females. No wonder they captured it. As Maria Frazier keenly observed the Class 1 Monster. The door was opened. The wolf saw Maria standing in front of him. Sensing the familiar scent of his human opponents. The wolf''s eyes turned to blood red. It started to rage and leap forward against Maria. Maria finally took out her weapon from her storage ring. Which is Blue Colour Short Sword. The Sword''s blade was shaped like glass. Had a beautiful aura around it. Seeing this wolf coming towards her. Maria moved backwards. She moved the short sword towards her right to attack it. As the Wolf came near the range of Maria. The belt around his neck started to vibe. The wolf stopped suddenly and moved back to its original position. It howled in pain. Seeing that Maria was surprised. Look like that belt is restricting its movements. It can not move past certain areas around the " X " Mark. The exit door is just behind the "X" Mark. She thought. Either I have to kill it and exit the door or I have to fool it. "No, I will kill it completely," Maria said to herself. The wolf''s pain seemed to be lessened. It walked around the "X" Mark. Sensing the range the belt stopped sending signals. The Wolf circles the "X" mark. Seeing Maria Frazier unscathed. Its eyes were blood red, the pain also made it crazier. The wolf opened its mouth. It wanted to tear down the human with its razor-sharp teeth brutally. Seeing the Wolf remained in the range. Let''s, Attack it from here. She thought. "Aqua Sphere" She yelled. She formed a huge water sphere from both of her hands. The water ball is completely dense with water elements is now suspended in the air. This Water element attack technique was gifted by my father. The attack power is very little in the early stages. But you can flood your opponents with this water attack in later stages. I hope it can somehow slow down the monster. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The author here, For Reader''s Clarity, kindly read the Note : The Beast mentioned here is called Class Monsters. Its power level is Starts from Class 1 to Class 9. Similar to the Human Power level system mentioned in the Prologue Chapter. Class 1 Monster - Trainee Apprentice Warrior. (Class 10 is an advanced beast, it will be explained in later chapters.) There are different categories of Beasts. Class Monsters kind were one of the categories. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Chapter 37 - Successfully, Exit The Door. Seeing the water sphere suspended in the air. The Dark wolf became cautioned. It never took his eyes off from the incoming water attack. Marian Frazier pointed her attack focusing on top of the wolf''s head. The Bluewater sphere quickly moved at a good speed and appeared above the wolf''s head. The Dark wolf was quite startled. It deflected the water sphere with its pointy sharp tail. As the wolf''s tail came in contact with the sphere. It easily pierced through it. The water sphere gets splashed all over the place. The blue sphere failed to make a dent on it. But it sure made the wolf''s whole body drenched in water. Seeing the attack failed. The Dark wolf became confident. It''s starting to intimidate Maria with its aura and growled furiously. Maria Frazier mumbled herself. "The attack failed due to its not being a surprising attack. Considering the wolf''s strength. It can easily defend or evade any frontal attack" she added, "The wolf''s attribute is speed. It can easily injure me. But I hope the Sci-fi belt on its neck can hinder its speed just like another safety mechanism". To be honest this is nothing more than a handicapped match. The Dark Wolf is being handicapped without a sci-fi belt it''s impossible to defeat it. Maria Frazier thought. She used both hands to hold her short sword. She moved forward and try to attack the Dark wolf''s leg. Thereby, hindering its movements further. Time Passed, Whenever she came near the "X" mark. The Dark wolf used his full speed to attack her but it failed due to the sci-fi watch vibe. It may not be able to kill her. But it ended up succeeding in injuring her. Seeing the blood dripping from her forearm. Maria Frazier stopped for a moment and try to take a small breath. She said to herself, " If this continues, I may end up getting my injuries to worsen". Her forearm was slightly pierced by Dark wolf''s tail. She took care of her injury temporarily by taking some first aid from her storage ring. She saved herself by getting out of the range of the "X" mark in time. Otherwise, the Dark wolf had a chance of piercing her bone through its tail. Meanwhile, In the control room. A lot of people working in this room. They were seated in a chair and operating from their monitoring screen. They were preparing to sedate the next batch of Class 1 Monsters. Mr Arthur Emerson asked, "How long it will take for the next batch of Class 1 monsters to regain consciousness?". Hearing that one of the staff replied, "Maximum of Two hours, Sir". Seeing the stats of Maria Frazier and Dark Wolf on A.i Monitor''s Screen. Mr Arthur Emerson said to Ms Adeline, " Will, She be able to pass the exit door". He further added, " Only plausible way to pass the exit door is by slowing down or fooling the dark wolf". Hearing that Ms Adeline Key replied, "If it''s someone, They won''t have a chance; But Ms Maria Frazier being a Trainee Apprentice Warrior. May use her elemental power to Slow down the Dark wolf". Hearing that Mr Arthur Emerson Smiled. He had a certain person came to his mind. He looked at the Entrance room. Found Zack and his classmates were seated and patiently waiting for their chance. Mr Arthur Emerson Said, "We don''t know, what is happening inside the arena? Ms Frazier got only two more hours before the test ends". Ms Adeline furrowed her eyebrows, she asked, "Mr Arthur, Do you think Ms Frazier would decide to participate in CRIMSON SWORD HALL''s exhibition match next year?". Hearing that smile on Mr Arthur faces disappeared. He said without any emotion on his face, "Her father already informed the higher-ups that she won''t participate" then he sighed. Ms Adeline key asked, "Then what are we going to do for numbers, We will be short on candidates" Mr Arthur Emerson looked at Zack for a second and shook his head. He thought his friend would kill him If he decided to use Zack. He said to Ms Adeline Key, "We had enough time to make some other plan". Meanwhile, In the arena. Maria Frazier crashed backwards heaving on the ground. She misjudged the attack power behind the Dark wolf''s front paw. She used her short sword to defend the wolf''s frontal attack in time. She thought luckily they got a sci-fi belt on its neck. Otherwise, My heart would be ripped out. She stood up from the ground and looked at her Sword. The Bluish Short Sword shined brightly. It Did not get any scratch on it from the fierce attack. She said to herself, " I cannot keep up with the Dark wolf''s Speed. Every time, I plan to use my short sword to pierce its skin. The Dark wolf with its speed attribute got away easily". Maria Frazier thought, My elemental energy reducing drastically. I cannot use the water sphere continuously anymore. She has been using the same tactics for the last two hours. She only got one more hour. She thought it is time to change the tactic. Soon, She came up with a crazy idea. She looked at the Dark wolf for a second and formed a large water sphere again with her remaining energy. She quickly moves ahead with good speed aiming at the Dark wolf''s eyes. This time the Dark wolf is slightly away from the exit door. Seeing Water attack came over its eyes. The wolf quickly used his front paw to pierce the water sphere. Seeing the wolf is quite a distance from the exit door. Ms Maria Frazier after launching the attack she did not hold back. She ran straight toward the exit door. The Dark wolf while piercing the water sphere attack from its front paw. It notices Maria went past the "X" mark ran towards the exit door. It furiously used his long tail to whip her. Just as Maria went past the "X'' mark. She notices the Dark wolf''s tail is coming towards her. She quickly improvised by moving backwards and defended the sharp tail attack with her short sword horizontally. Lucky for her the tail attack failed to make a dent on her short sword. hereby, pushing her even further with its pure attack power. Maria Frazier successfully reached the exit door. She gasped for a long breath. She sat down at the exit door for a moment and look back at the Dark wolf. The Dark wolf seeing Maria Frazier reached the exit door. It got furious with boiling rage. The Dark wolf wants to reach the exit door. But it quickly howled in pain due to "X" marks restrictions. Seeing the Dark Wolf''s stupid action. Maria stood up from the ground and shook her head smilingly. She then exited the door and went to the discussion hall. Chapter 38 - The Slithering Green Snake Meanwhile, in the entrance room where Zack was waiting. It is already more than two hours, Why it is taking so long for her? I was surprised. I don''t know the content of the test. But considering Maria Frazier''s strength it will not be so difficult to clear the round. As I shifted my gaze around me. I found everyone seems to be impatient. As time goes on. Soon, the monitor light flashes indicating Maria Frazier exited the door. I am excited to see whether my turn is next. Everyone turn their gaze towards the monitor. To know who is going to enter next. The monitor lit up with the name showing Candace Wilkerson. Everyone''s head turned towards her. I saw her she had no expression on her face whatsoever. She gets up casually and entered the arena. Once she entered. The dome''s entry door was closed. Giving no chance to prying eyes. I was disappointed by the fact that my name was not mentioned. Still, I got no choice but to wait patiently. The only powerful seed beside me here is Maria, the rest of them are not elemental warriors. The test will be over soon. So, I decided to meditate a little. Inside the dome. Where the battle took place on the platform. Candace Wilkerson thought. The entry door is closed behind me. As I saw at the end. I found the exit door. But what is the test? As I was thinking about it a loud sound reverberated. I got startled and looked at the sound where it came from. I saw there is an "X" mark at the centre of the platform. Meanwhile, In the monitor''s room. After seeing Maria Frazier exited the door successfully. Mr Arthur Emerson looked at one of the staff and asked, "Prepare the next batch of CLASS 1 Monster". then he turned towards Ms Adeline Key and said, "She didn''t kill the wolf but escaped successfully". Ms Adeline Key was surprised and replied, " I believe it''s because of time constraints. Even though the Dark Wolf was restricted to kill her. It can easily block her from entering the exit door". Hearing that Mr Arthur Emerson shook his head and said, "The purpose of this test is to have the seed candidates get their first blood kill". and then he added further, " Ever since we announced about Advanced course; The seeds will be looking to exit the door easily. Instead, wasting their time to kill the Red wolf". A look of understanding appeared on Ms Adeline key''s face. She replied, "The test will be over soon. We were expecting Ms Adeline to participate in the CRIMSON SWORD HALL''s tournament; That''s why I decided to come up with a blood kill test" She sighed and added, "if she is not going to participate then it''s a waste of time to conduct this test further; Even she can''t kill the CLASS 1 Monster. I suspect there is hardly anyone from the newbies could kill". Hearing that Mr Arthur Emerson remained silent. He thought. Initially, I agreed to this blood kill test. Hoping to see Maria Frazier would participate in that exhibition match. But now everything is failed. The only way is now to convince James Lockwood to let Zack participate in the match. The blood kill test is usually for Senior students to gain confidence before joining the Academy. But I believe Zack should somehow use this opportunity. It will be fruitful for him. In the battle arena. Candace looking at the " X" Mark on the platform. Suddenly, from the "X" mark a door was opened. Revealing a huge cage. Inside the cage, a hissing sound can be heard. Candace looking at the scene alertly. The door of the cage was opened. Revealing a huge figure. Seeing that huge figure. There is a smirk on Candace''s face. She is not at all Scared. She thought looking at the huge figure. A ClASS 1 Monster Slithering Green Snake. It''s species related to GIANT SNAKE. Commonly found in green forest. Their attribute is Speed but not venomous. Slithering Green Snake use their speed to catch their prey and tangle around the prey with its huge body and squeeze the life out of the prey. Candace once again looked at the exit door. And then shifted her gaze towards the neck of the Slithering Green Snake. There is a Sci-fi collar around it. And the snake looked like it is inoculated with some drug. It''s not actively hissing around like the usual description. Candace stopped thinking and said to herself, "Even though the monster is not venomous. once should not get a bite from its razor-sharp teeth. especially every tooth on its jaw was curved downward; If it''s got hold of your flesh then it will rip it away immediately ". She Shuddered while saying that. While Candace was thinking. The Slithering Green Snake. When it came out of the cage. it''s started to hissing around. It is trying to sense the surroundings. The snake was a little dizzy due to inoculation. So its movements were a little slow compared to its Apex speed. Despite that, It moved its huge body around the "X" mark of the platform. When it tried to move past a certain range after the "X" mark. The Sci-fi watch buzzed and it hindered the slithering snake movements immediately. The snake suddenly wailed in pain. Its dizziness is slightly reduced due to pain. it became a little clear-headed. but still, there is a huge drug effect on its body. Its huge eyes sharply notice everything around the surroundings. Beautiful green scales on its body were shining brightly. It wagging its pointy tail making a little sound. As it''s hissing around with its tongue it sensed the presence of a heat signature. The green scale snake''s gaze sharpened and looked towards the heat signature. It found out the heat signature of a human. It is very angry. It is clearly understood from the earlier lesson. It cannot move past a certain range. so it decided and prepared for any possible attack from this human. The slithering snake body was so huge that it covered the view of the exit door completely. Unlike, Maria who used the opportunity to exit the door using the distance between the Dark Red wolf and the exit door. This cannot be done by Candace Wilkerson. She saw that the huge body of the slithering snake covered the view of the exit door. She said to herself, "It''s impossible to find a way to exit the door without killing it. But due to inoculation, its current speed is greatly reduced. Let me first test the current speed of this monster". Candace looked at her left hand''s forefinger. which is empty earlier, now a silver-coloured beautiful ring appeared around the finger. Candace seeped her consciousness into the ring. Then she took out a long weapon from the ring. The weapon is a whip. It is a long and elongated whip. which had a pointy arrow-like structure at the end of the whip. The pointy arrow-like structure is made up of some rare steel. which exhibits a strange aura. One can witness a violet colour vapour released from the pointy tip. which is nothing but deadly poison. The whip light rose in colour, it was durable, long, it had a firm grip to hold tightly. After she took out the whip, the silver ring disappeared. while holding the long whip in her right hand. Candace moves forward towards the snake. The slithering snake quickly alerted, it saw the human. The human is moving past. The human is coming towards it. It quickly readied itself for a battle mode. It knows its current speed is reduced. so it wanted to make use of its large body. As Candace was moving forward. she focussed on the snake''s movements. she also felt that the collar on its neck had some purpose. she said to herself, "The Green snake''s body is huge". While being an inch away from reaching the danger zone. where the "X" mark is placed in the centre region of the platform. The green snake then moved it had huge bloodthirsty in its eyes. It''s patiently waiting for her to take initiative to reach here. It flung its huge tail towards the face of Candace Wilkerson. Its movement is rather slow yet it managed to do it in time. Candace Wilkerson was startled seeing a huge tail coming towards her. she stopped abruptly and swung her whip towards the tail. She wants to deflect it. But she failed in her judgement. The whip when it came in contact with the tail. It coiled around the tail by binding it. she hoped for whip''s pointy end to deflect it. she made an error in judgement guessing the snake''s speed. The Green snake may be tranquillized yet its speed is a little faster. The green snake got happy seeing the whip coiled around its tail using the movement it once again swung the tail. This time it swung towards the wall of the arena forcibly. Candace Wilkerson currently holding the grip of the whip was thrown immediately at the wall of the arena. She had no time to think. she hit the wall harshly. "Bang" the sound reverberated the entire platform. Outsiders had no clue about it.. Since the dome covered the battle arena for privacy purposes. Chapter 39 - Bloodline Pattern Candace crashed horribly at the wall. She smartly covered her head before hitting the wall. hereby preventing any injury on her head yet her left-hand elbow is fractured due to sudden impact. Candace gritted her teeth due to severe pain. There is no dent in the wall. It was made from rare special steel. No one from outside and inside can make a dent in it. Seeing Candace was crashed down. The Slithering Green Snake eyes raged with fire. Its beast instinct instantly took control of it. It moved forward in thought to tangle down its prey. As half of the body of the green snake get past the danger zone. The Sci-fi collar buzzed. It sent extreme vibes to the snake''s body. The Green Snake which had beastly instinct now due to extreme vibes sent by the sci-fi collar. It became clear-headed once again followed by severe pain. The body of Green Snake stopped abruptly. The slithering green snake shuddered and moved back immediately to the danger zone. where the "X" mark is placed. Candace stood up from the ground. she did not move her left hand. While seeing the Green Snake withering in pain. she said to herself. "In do or die battles any small error in judgement can easily take away one''s life". Then I readied my mind. I finally noticed what was the purpose of that collar. It cannot move past a certain range beyond the "X" mark. But its body is enough to cover the entire danger zone. Seeing around I finally made a decision. The dome covered the entire battle arena. stopping any prying eyes. If I do it where no one can find out. Besides, I don''t have a choice either. I have to pass this test successfully. I took back the whip to my storage ring. I hold my left elbow with my right hand carefully. I calmed my mind. My brown hair fluttered in wind. As I adjusted myself a star-shaped pattern appeared on my forehead. If one looked at it closely they will find the pattern looked like three pointy edges. The pattern is pink in colour. one of the three pointy edges was a dull line. The remaining two edges were shined with bright pink light. If one looked at me from distance they will find something shining on my forehead. I can feel the warmness radiated from two pointy edges of my bloodline pattern. Indicating Mid-level of a Trainee Apprentice. If I make my remaining dull pointy edge to get brighten. I can be promoted to Special Trainee. For that, I need to consume a lot of resources to increase the concentration of bloodline in my body. Unlike other bloodline warriors. My bloodline system is different. I need to vary every detail. If someone sees my bloodline pattern. I will be dead. Once my STAR MARK appeared on my forehead. The Green Snake got alerted. This time it hissed again but did not sense the presence of humans. But something else it did not know belong to a different family gives the heat signature. The STAR MARK on candace''s forehead buzzed. A hazy pink mist covered her entire body. The bloodline in her body reacted. Soon the bloodline power went inside the broken elbow and started healing from joining broken tendons. The healing process is slow because of her current level. But it managed to prevent the injury to get worsen. I saw the Green Slithering Snake got confused now due to my bloodline. I used this opportunity. I lifted my right hand and aimed my finger at Green Snake''s forehead. The pink colour mist that covered my entire body now reacted. The entire Pink hazy mist took the shape of a ball and moved in front of my finger. As the STAR MARK once again buzzed. The pink mist ball. Shot directly at the forehead of the green snake. The Green snake saw this incoming ball coming towards it. It tried to deflect the ball with its tail. As the tail came in contact with the ball. It moves past through by it. The Snake got surprised seeing that. The ball still came to attack at its forehead, too late to move now. The pink ball entered the snake''s forehead. Soon, The entire body of the snake dropped down to the platform did not move an inch. like it was dead. Seeing that Candace relaxed. Finally, the snake is hypnotised to sleep. At my current level, I can only be capable of making one shot. Since her energy was drained. The bloodline pattern on her forehead was disappeared. She came back to her normal self. Seeing the sleepy snake. I move forward and crossed the huge body of a Slithering green snake. If not for my bloodline power. It is impossible to hypnotise it or move it. At my current level, I cannot make a scratch on the green snake. It''s a class 1 Monster comparable to Peak Trainee Apprentice Warrior. I am still one level lower. My bloodline power is inclined to control power not attack power. As I crossed the body of a snake. I looked at it one last time before leaving through the exit door. After leaving through the exit door. I came to the discussion hall. Where Maria is waiting. Maria is meditating in the discussion hall. I looked around and found it just a classroom. She is sitting in the front chair. As she heard some noise Maria opened her closed eyes. She saw Candace came into the discussion hall. while holding her left elbow. "Candace, What happened?" asked Maria. Hearing that Candace smiled and replied, " I got injured while escaping from the Class 1 Monster". This time Maria was genuinely surprised. Even though she asked. She was shocked by her clearance timing to pass this test. She thought other than her. No one will be able to pass the test. Looks like Candace is also an Elemental Warrior. Even though we were friends. She did not ask her about cultivation. I saw her for the first time in a place at Red Stone City''s Famous restaurant. We became friends there through some conversations. I never asked about her cultivation. Everyone knows that it''s taboo to ask about someone''s cultivation. They will reveal it themselves once they joined the academy and choose their respective faction. Then their fraction will issue a notice regarding the recruitment of their warriors. So I did not continue on this matter. I attended to her wounds. I found her wounds seems to be healed. I shook my head thinking that and said to her, "I never thought you would be interested in joining advanced class". Candace looked at Maria Frazier. She knew her friend is an Elemental Warrior. Candace knew due to her instinct. But she did not know her current level. Seeing that content of the test is Class 1 Monster. I believe she passed by either killing it or escaping it. I don''t know what monster species she had faced. She did not press on this matter either. In this world cultivation is personal. Even law protects one''s privacy here. But she wants to know about Class 1 Monster. Why do they bring them here? Candace sighed and asked, " What Monster did you face? It''s ok if you are not ready to tell". Maria was surprised to hear that. She thought her friend would be so strict. when comes to cultivation privacy. She said, "There is no taboo to talk about Class 1 Monster, eventually we are going to hunt them down". and then her face turned serious she uttered, "Dark Red Wolf". Meanwhile, In Control Room. There was silence in the hall. Everyone stopped talking. Ms Adeline key completely gasped. She said, "Look like I have to eat my own words". She never imagined Candace Wilkerson to hide so deep. she was looking at a sci-fi monitor showing Candace Wilkerson clearance time. Hearing the mumbling self-talk of Ms Adeline Key and also his gaze never left the monitor screen. Mr Arthur Emerson thought. Don''t tell me she is another young princess of some high profile family. Why do these powerful people send their children to the lower-tier city and that too in incognito mode? Unlike Maria Frazier, Precious Princess of Frazier Clan. We don''t know about Candace Wilkerson. Her surname didn''t ring any bell either. To clear this round in less than an hour. That too facing Class 1 Monster Slithering Green Snake. Looks like I have to inform higher-ups. It''s best to investigate her background indirectly without affecting her. If she is from the enemy faction. We have to eliminate her. Soon, Ms Adeline Key came out of her thoughts and found Mr Arthur Emerson was into deep thinking. A look of understanding appeared on her face. She said to Mr Arthur, "She is our student, Student of Hansen Sword Centre" then she added, "I know a powerful seed with an unknown background. Rings an alarm bell and a lot of times bring catastrophe, But there are also seeds sent by several families as part of their trial". Hearing that Mr Arthur Emerson eyebrow eased. He replied, "Sometimes instead of having assumptions it''s best to follow the protocol; If we found out Candace Wilkerson having some ulterior motives. As per protocol We have to do.. What is instructed". Chapter 40 - The Black Venomous Spider Hearing the name of Dark Red Wolf which is a Class 1 Monster. Candace was surprised in her heart. She thought Maria may soon have a breakthrough to become Peak Apprentice Warrior. She is looking forward to having one to one battle with her. Seeing Candace stopped talking. "What happened? Don''t tell them they had the same Dark Wolf monster for you as well?" asked, Maria. "No, It''s a Class 1 Monster but different species; Looking at their strength, it''s impossible to exit from the door. Unless you are Ranking Elemental Warrior." replied, Candace. A look of understanding appeared on Maria''s face. "What do you think? is there anyone in our class besides us; Can get past this exit door?" Maria uttered rather suspiciously. Hearing that a particular person''s face flashes in Candace''s mind. Candace thought. It''s a good opportunity to see whether my intuition is turn out to be right or wrong regarding Zack. "Marcus Moore had a good chance, I don''t know about the twins? They might be hiding something deep. And last but not least. I believe Zack Lockwood will clear this test." Said Candace Wilkerson. Hearing that Maria turned her gaze towards Candace''s face. Feeling Maria''s intense gaze "Why are you looking at my face? is there anything on it?" said Candace annoyingly. Then She took the seat beside her. "Ha...Ha.." laughed Maria hysterically then she added, "Here we go again. Don''t tell me this time your intuition, Tells you again that Zack is going to clear this round." There is a small teardrop on Maria''s eyes. Comes from laughing hard. She thinks it''s the biggest joke. Seeing Maria''s odd behaviour. Candace understands her circumstances. She is different from Maria. Not everyone has to guard their whereabouts every day and night from spy. From what she heard from her. Maria belongs to the well-known clan. There might be people looking after her. So Maria doesn''t believe in acting low key or rather never met one. She said to Maria, " How do you felt? When I clear this round rather quickly than you?" Hearing that Maria stopped laughing. She replied, "Candace, I failed to judge you and it''s a coincidence that you happen to be Apprentice Warrior just like me; But to say that Zack will clear this round, and Marcus had some chance. I don''t think so" She added, " Forgive me for my rude behaviour. But I believe coincidence happens once." Candace shakes her head hearing her argument. She can understand why she came to that assumption. But she can''t tell Maria that it''s not Normal intuition it''s due to her bloodline. Then both of them chatted about something after that they start to meditate. Meanwhile, Outside of the dome in the entrance room. Where other seeds were waiting. Monitor Screen lit up with the name Candace Wilkerson and the time taken to clear this test. Seeing that everyone gasped loudly. Zack was shocked internally. I thought Maria being an Elemental Warrior. It would be a piece of cake to clear this round and yet this time Ms Misty (Candace) gave me a huge reminder that. This city is filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Zack said to himself, "I don''t know, what level is her cultivation at now?" looking at the time taken by Maria. I believe this test is not easy. And Ms Adeline key reminded us before to use full hands including weapons. While Zack was contemplating, Monitor''s screen lit up with the next participant''s name. Monitor''s Screen showed Zack Lockwood. Seeing my name finally appeared. I stopped thinking and walked towards the dome''s entry door to the arena. I saw my classmates reactions towards me. The twins nodded at me. While there is the usual grin on Marcus''s face. I don''t know? How he grins all the time. doesn''t it hurt?. As I touched my chin thinking that while walking towards the door. Once I entered the battle arena. The door behind me closed automatically. I looked around found there is a huge "X" mark on the central platform of battle. There is a huge wall covering the platform. As I looked at the sky. There is only artificial light which is fixed at some structure. Emitting the light hereby illuminating the entire platform platform "Creak" A Door opened from the "X" mark. I was startled by a sudden sound. looking at the place where I heard that. Seeing that Hair on my entire body stood up. There is a cage. rising from the underground. Due to that cage, my perception ability turned on automatically without me being willed it. Thanks to Mercy''s lotus My Physical and Soul Strength got increased. I even felt my perception power got a little stronger. Soon the door of the cage was opened. Revealing creepy Class 1 Monster. It''s a deadly venomous black spider. When compared to the Slithering Green Snake its was medium in size yet when compared to Zack''s human physic. It was ten times larger in size. It had eight large legs which had numerous spikes on it. Huge black body overlooking everything with its numerous eyes. It had two deadly fangs which continuously spewing deadly venomous on the floor. As the venomous green colour liquid dropped on the floor. The floor was started to boil with increasing heat. Vapour can be seen arise from that place. like that place was completely rotten away. The most horrible thing about this particular Class 1 Monster is that its odour. The main attribute of this spider was its horrible smell. The venom and silk thread were common attributes found among spider families. Seeing the black spider coming out of the cage and the horrible smell accompanied by it. "What in wor....?" Zack wanted to finish his words. Before that he smelled a horrible odour from this monster. Due to that, he felt a stomach-churning sensation. Zack vomited on the spot. He clutched his stomach with both of his hands. He gasped for a breath. Meanwhile, In the control room. Mr Arthur Emerson smiled seeing Zack entering the dome to the battle arena. He thought from what I heard from James. Zack is quite capable and smart. Even though he had no experience of killing the Class 1 Monster. I hope he will somehow clear this test. James never said anything regarding his cultivation. I believe this kid is an Elemental Warrior. There are a lot of Elemental warriors in our sword centre. Once he passed this test. I need to have a good talk with James. Maria Frazier won''t participate in the CRIMSON SWORD HALL exhibition match. Though Candace Wilkerson is powerful her background is unclear. The only option is left to have Zack participate in the tournament. Considering James related to ARMY FEDERATION. Most of the higher-ups and stakeholders of our Hansen Sword Centre were retired professionals from the ARMY FEDERATION. It''s safe to say that Zack belongs to the ARMY FEDERATION. As he was thinking Ms Adeline Key knitted her eyebrows. She did not have any opinion about Zack. Unlike, Mr Arthur Emerson. She thought Jack should''ve eliminated already. Why? The monitor screen is not showing that. Once the sensor''s around the dome found participants are not fighting the monster or remain static. They will be disqualified immediately. She thought Zack is an ordinary kid. Who yet to awaken any Elemental power. Considering that he needs to be disqualified right now. But Monitor Screen is not indicating anything. This means he is fighting the Class 1 monster somehow. she asked the staff, "Which Class 1 Monster is Zack facing?" Hearing that staff replied immediately, "The Black Venomous Spider" "Which one is it? odour one or Black silk." asked Ms Adeline key. "The odour one" this time the answer came from Mr Arthur Emerson''s mouth. He already looked into the details of the Monster that Zack is facing. He thought this infamous monster was known for its horrible smell. Unfortunately, Zack ended up with this monster. Ms Adeline key surprise by the name of the monster. " Is he fainted due to the horrible smell of the monster?" she uttered. Mr Arthur Emerson got annoyed by her bad mouth. He already made a plan to meet James. If Zack won''t pass this test. Then it would spoil his plan. He replied to Ms Adeline the Key "He is your student, you should have some confidence."Hearing that Ms Adeline Key became silent she didn''t say anything further. In the battle arena. Zack finally readied himself after vomiting. He looked at the spider and said to himself, "What is that ugly thing? Uncle James never told me about Monsters being tamed here; Granny informed me that as our cultivation progress, We will need huge resources for it. So, we have to hunt down monsters according to our level; Thereby exchanging monsters for resources." and He added, "I planned to join the PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE after I got admitted into the academy." Looks like fate got something else for me. I looked at the exit door. Once I leave from the exit door the test will be over but this monster is tricky. The Black venomous spider was busy with something else. "What is it doing?" said, Zack. As he saw that black spider is trying to take away the Sci-fi collar from its neck. "The Collar" mumbled Zack. I don''t know why? But I hope they put the collar on this monster to protect us.. It''s the best time to attack this monster and gain my first blood kill. Chapter 41 - Surprised As I thought of this. Then there is no fear in my mind. This is what I wanted to battle powerful enemies especially Monsters. My entire body is beamed with battle mode. My eyes were blazes with anticipation. I cannot wait to slash this monster into pieces with my sword. As I seeped my consciousness into the storage ring. I took out my White Bone then I removed my red fingerless gloves and put them into my storage ring. They will be burnt due to my lightning. It''s best to have bare hands now. As I lifted my left hand and gazed at my palm. I summon lightning power with my will. As I thought of it my lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. My Lightning Totem is also started reacting. Hereby attracting nearby lightning particles. Violet sparks start to appear one by one in my palm. Soon they cover my entire palm and left fingers. I can hear the little noises that the sparks were making. In a split second my left hand is covered with Pure Violet Lightning. I did not use both hands for lightning. I hold my white bone in my right hand for the attack. Since I didn''t have any attack technique. I cannot projectile my lightning power. I shake my head and got over my messy thoughts. Zack grinned, "One hand Powered with Lightning and other hand holds the White Bone." As I said to myself, "This is quite an Art". I looked at the black spider. Which is now calm down itself. As for now, it didn''t care about my presence. Once I attack it then it will retaliate. As I wondered how to kill it. I thought of a good plan. I need to make it immobilise by attacking its legs. If I cut down its legs one by one. Then it will be easy for me to exit the door. Lightning in my left hand disappeared. As I hold the White Bone with my both hands. I move cautiously towards the black spider. The Black Spider is now moving around here and there in the danger zone. It never stayed in one place for a moment. Seeing that I quickened my pace. I reached the "X" mark danger zone. The Black Spider noticed a human is coming towards it. It never cared about the existence of this human so for yet he carrying a weapon to attack it. Sensing that a powerless ant trying to attack it. The Black Spider got furious. The Black Spider move back its body to face Zack. Numerous eyes on its forehead focussing on him. Two deadly fangs are ready to bite and inject a deadly poison into his body. Since my perception is already on. I can perceive every little moment of Black Spider. It suddenly turned around injected a very fast silk thread at me using its spinnerets(Silk thread producing organs). Thanks to my perception ability. Due to that, every small detail magnified before me. I saw everything crystal clear. My 7th brain region''s development somehow influences my vision with that I easily evade that silk thread attack. I changed my position sideways and I continue with my attack. I didn''t stay in one place for a moment to make me an easy target. I moved position very often. Soon my White Bone taste on one of its legs yet unable to slash it completely. My sword is sharp and thin. My tip of the sword caused it serious injury. The black spider suddenly moved backwards. Seeing green colour liquid oozing from its injury. I continue these tactics time and time again. I tried to attack the same spot where I previously attacked it. Sometimes later, there is a success for me. Everywhere around me is a silk thread. The platform is filled with spider webs. The Spider is now unable to produce silk webs anymore. It''s tired and injured. I am lucky enough that I got perception ability. It''s a damn cheat plus the collar on the monster also preventing it from killing me. If I got Sword techniques and lightning attack techniques. The scenario will be different. I didn''t have to move around. I can roast the black spider by standing in one place. I have seen the prices for techniques were sky-high in the Alliance network. I can''t afford it now. I am contemplating whether I should kill it or use this opportunity to exit. Whenever I tried to approach it. It smartly uses its deadly venom to spray. Even I had the perception ability It will be too late to escape from the deadly poison. When I am very close to it. I sighed and decide to escape from the exit door. Instead of killing it. I believed it''s a wise move. I should control my desire to use lightning. Once I exited the door. I took back my sword and wore the fingerless gloves back again and came to the discussion hall. I am very dissatisfied with my performance. It would be better if I kill it. But the risks are simply high. As I opened the door came to the discussion hall. I noticed the surprised faces of Candace and Maria. specially Maria her gaze is different from before. There is no superior gaze in her eyes anymore. I''m not stupid enough to understand this. But I don''t care. When the test is over. I should ask my Uncle to let me contact him. He is my future teacher. Surely He will give me at least one or two lower grade techniques. I took the empty seat in the room. Avoiding their gazes. As I closed my eyes and start to meditate. I was bombarded with questions. "Did you kill it?" asked Maria. "What type of Monster it is?" questioned Candace. looks like they won''t give me some peace of mind. I cursed in my heart, "Damn it, girls I''m not here to make some friends. stay away from me". I lazily opened one eye. I looked at the girls with my left eye and answered, " It is a black spider with a bad odour; I used my sword to attack its legs. Eventually it movement was slowed. I used this opportunity to escape". I finished my words with one breath and closed my eyes. They want to ask further but stopped talking. Seeing me closed my eyes and they also felt I''m not interested in talking to them. "What an annoying guy". sounded Maria disapprovingly. But she was shocked in her heart. Slightly some hours before She laughed at Candace arguing that coincidence happens once but not very often. But the result has given a huge slap on her face. She was embarrassed to see Candace''s face right now. She slightly focuses her gaze towards Candace. Candace began to meditate her eyes were closed. But there is a smile on her face. Candace was mature than Maria. She knew how she would react. Once she saw Zack. So, She did not want to embarrass her. If one would see Maria''s face. There is a red glow on both sides of her cheeks. But in her heart respect for Candace has risen. Meanwhile, in the control room. "Another hidden Apprentice Warrior". mumbled Ms Adeline Key. Her brain cells were upside down. Today is such a crazy day and Eye-opener. They are my students but I failed to access them. Especially Zack and Candace. She sighed. On the other hand. Mr Arthur Emerson expected Zack to kill the Monster. But was surprised to see Zack didn''t kill it. He chose the same way as his classmates. "Give me the details of the Monster that Zack faced". He asked staff. Hearing that "Are you going to put in the same list as Candace?" asked Ms Adeline Key. He replied, "Yes". But he lied actually. Every wall has ears. He promised James that he won''t publicise the details about Zack. And he would keep eye on him. So he didn''t want to disclose to any of his colleagues. The Administration only had basic information about Zack. Such as residential address, family, age like that. Next participant. Enter the dome. Marcus Moore finally arrived at the platform. He thought rest would be like a battle bot but due to his disappointment. A cage rose from the "X" Mark. A Sharp-tooth Crocodile came out of the cage. It''s a water and land-based Class 1 Monster. It was medium in size. But there are series of spikes on its vertebrate. Its Jaw alone is enough to crush the soul of its prey. Seeing the Sharp tooth Monster. Marcus got scared. His whole body starts to vibrate. The only noise heard on the platform is his shaking teeth. He thought his classmates faced artificial bots in the battle. So that is why none of the three got failed. He was so sure of it. Who would have thought there would be fucking monster here? His father wanted him to visit the implant centre earlier. To awaken his element but he delayed it sighting different reasons. looks like I have to visit the implant centre next week. While Crazy thoughts were running in his mind. The Sawtooth crocodile seeing standing prey it quickly came towards him. It already sensed its prey is quite scared and not moving from his place. Seeing the fucking monster running towards him. Marcus Moore fainted on the spot. But bad luck for him.. He didn''t witness the monster wailed in pain due to leaving the "X" mark danger zone. Chapter 42 - Teachers Gift The sensors in the arena picked up signals indicating that the participant is immobile. It sends back signals to the control room. In the control room, Staff looked at the data and then retrieved the unconscious body of Marcus Moore on the platform. Later they send him to the clinic. The next participants were twins they both faced the same scenario as Marcus. The Class 1 Monster they faced were Two Plant type Monsters. It tangled them with vines. Even before they start to react. They were yet to awaken their elements and their body is physically weak. So they met with the same result as Marcus. After the test was over. Ms Adeline Key came to the discussion hall. Hearing the footsteps. Zack and others opened their eyes. Seeing Ms Adeline Key, He understood the test was over. It''s time to go home. Ms Adeline key said, "Since Three of you successfully passed the test. you guys were promoted to advance class". then she added, "We have also given you two days leave. Don''t forget to come back in time for the advance classes". Hearing that Zack smiled. Finally, there is some rest. I have been attending class without any absence for the past month. It''s the best time to buy some techniques for me. After some conversation, all of them left the facility. As Zack excited the door. One person was watching his back from the administration cabin. He was Mr Arthur Emerson. Ever since he passed the test. Mr Arthur Emerson believed Zack is the only available option for them. So he decided to talk to Mr James late in the evening. I booked my special train ticket and boarded the train peacefully. There is no rush of passengers here. I took my seat and closed my eyes. I am thinking about the next two days. What I am going to do? It''s good that Uncle James was promoted to the Administrator Position in the Army office. They rarely send him on a mission. He will be home mostly hereafter. One thing I understand from today''s battle is that I lack techniques and knowledge regarding Class 1 Monsters. I learned few things about plants from Granny Park. But it''s not enough. I am lucky that Black Spider is a commonly known Class monster. If I face different monsters. It''s hard to predict the outcome. Some times later Zack reached his home. After some quick shower. He wore a black polo T-shirt and White Cargo 3/4 pants. He lazily laid back on the nearby sofa and started to surf about Class Monster books and some other stuff on the Alliance Network Web. He desperately needs the knowledge. After surfing for few minutes. I decided to meditate for an hour. I placed a meditation mat close to my bed. There is a small storage room in my bedroom. If there is a conducive environment for practice. I will clear the storage room and used it as the practice is room. But hardly I can absorb lightning energy here. It is very little. I am beginning to think that, My cultivation is being stagnant. It is progressing at a snail pace. I sighed at the thought of that. The lighting element is special. Warriors need a specific environment for that. Like a mountain where rainy storms and lightning strikes were frequent. Maybe I should ask Uncle James. If I could visit such a place. I would have some sense of measure regarding my cultivation. Meanwhile, In Mr James''s room. Mr James is reading a magazine online. Suddenly his Sci-fi watch received a call. Mr James saw the contact it was from Mr Arthur Emerson. He attended the call and a holographic image of Mr Arthur Emerson appeared. His face is only visible everything around him was blurred. "James, Congrats on your promotion. Finally, You can avoid going on deadly missions. Unless It is a tricky situation" uttered Mr Arthur Emerson. Hearing that Mr James knitted his eyebrow and replied, "I don''t know? which old fox from the higher-ups told you". He added, "Why did you call me? You won''t directly call me before sending a message". Hahahaha laughed Mr Arthur. Mr Arthur asked, "I need your help with something". "What?" uttered Mr James. "I mean, I don''t need your help directly. But I need Zack''s help" replied Mr Arthur Emerson seriously. He told the whole story of CRIMSON SWORD HALL and their invitation to Mr James and his plan regarding letting Zack participate in the match. After hearing the whole situation of Hansen Sword Centre. Mr James thought. I cannot decide this matter. Zack had an official teacher. I better inform Sir Lowell McClain. With his power and connection, it''s very easy to analyse the things about the Crimson hall. "Arthur, Give me some time to think. It is something that involves Zack. So, I cannot give you an answer directly". Hearing that Mr Arthur Emerson did not get disappointed. He already predicted something like this would happen. He is glad that his friend did not reject him directly. He said, "Take your time and DM me once this is done". He ended the call. Mr James did not call Zack back to his room. He reported everything in an encrypted message and send it to Sir Lowell McClain and waited for his response. He believed that Sir Lowell will respond immediately. When he will read a message about Zack. Sometimes later his Sci-fi wat buzzed. Sir Lowell McCain send a response to him. Seeing the message. Mr James got elated. He decrypted the message and he began to read. Sir Lowell quoted, "I know everything about Zack. There is a file on my table. which had a report describing Zack''s day to day activities". "Today he performed well in that Blood kill test. After seeing today''s report. I can confirm that he doesn''t have any techniques to kill that Class Monster despite that he escaped successfully without any scratch. It shows his talent. To live and cultivate in that barren land. Where there is a trickle of special energies in the environment". "You did a good job in not giving him any techniques. Warrior''s conscious sphere is important. It cannot hold multiple runes. He already formed the rune and the totem from the lightning cultivation technique that I gave him. The next step is an important one convince him to change his Falchion sword". "There is hardly any high-grade Sword techniques in the market. So, he should not waste his time forming runes in his consciousness. Tomorrow I will send you a different sword and its attack technique. Its sword type lightning attack technique and also there will be a defensive lightning technique in it". "Prepare him to form attack and defensive rune in his consciousness. Which will give him good base and have good synchronisation effect with cultivation rune in his consciousness". "Also, I need him to participate in that little Crimson Hall tournament. I already saw the list of rewards. There is something very useful for him in that reward. If he managed to perform well. It may come in handy for him once he entered the Academy". "It will also is a good test for him. He will learn to know. How to survive the assassination attempts?. How to kill enemies without leaving any pieces of evidence. His test is already started". The message ended after that. Mr Arthur Emerson finally relaxed finished reading the message. He quickly deleted the message. He thought looks like Sir Lowell McClain already send his men down here. I should not worry about Zack''s safety anymore. But there is a struggle on his face. He thought Sir McClain had already done so much for him. I don''t know? What sort of missions Zack will be forced to do. Once he reached that place. He knows clearly, there are no freebies in the world. Zack may have to repay ten times to them for what he is receiving now. Later at the dining table. While all of them having dinner. I asked, " Uncle James, You never told me about Class 1 Monster being tamed in my Centre". Hearing that Uncle James replied, " It is usually conducted for senior students. Because of certain events. You guys got a chance". They talked a little bit after dining. Zack asked about Monsters mostly. "Zack, You should come to my training room tomorrow morning". Hearing that Zack nodded and went back to his room for sleep. Early in the morning after having breakfast. He went to the training room. He thought. I might ask Uncle James about mountains. Today is a free day anyway. He won''t deny me. Zack entered the room. Where Uncle James is already waiting. He asked him to take his seat. Then he told him. what happened without hold back anything. Hearing that I was shocked. So many things going on behind my back. My unknown teacher again sends me a package. luckily. I did not form any rune after that. I was hoping to purchase some technique on debit. But I was saved. But thinking about my training centre. I was furious about these liars.. They need a scapegoat. Chapter 43 - Techniques It took some time to calm down myself. I never thought there is so much going on behind the back doors. So much for an Advanced Class. They should have told us their purpose for conducting an Advanced Class. My teacher also wanted me to participate in that tournament. Luckily, there is still a year available for me. I can increase my strength before that. As I was thinking about that Uncle James interrupted me up by saying, "Are you ready to form runes?". Hearing that I came back to my sense. I am excited to form another rune; especially attack and defensive type lightning runes. Which is exactly what I am lacking. When Uncle James told me about the consequences of forming wrong runes. There is a sense of fear that overwhelmed me. I should not make any hasty decisions in the future. Which would jeopardise my cultivation base. Then I told him that I am ready. Uncle James said, "We don''t need to go for the secluded place; Only totem implantation need isolated surrounding. You can form these assist runes in your consciousness from your room itself". Hearing that I became relaxed but there is a doubt in my heart that I asked. "Uncle, What is this about Synchronisation effect?" Hearing that there is a struggle on Uncle James face. "This is something you don''t need to know for the time being". and He changed the topic by saying I should start the process now. Mr James took one of the packages he got earlier. He Placed in front of Zack. It''s time, As I opened the package inside there are two small cases. I took the cases out. I prepared to form runes. I took my meditation mat and placed it on the floor. Uncle James standing beside me. He is watching over me in case something might happen. I sat on my mat. I took out two sophisticated scrolls from the case. I opened one of the scrolls and seeped my consciousness into it. The scroll started to react. I found there is a beautiful pattern on the scroll. The drawing pattern on the scroll became lively. As I focussed my gaze on the drawing. suddenly my eye became blurred. I felt being dragged to my conscious sphere. I found myself in the conscious sphere. I am looking at the huge lightning scripture rune. Which is flickering like a heartbeat. Underneath I found a small rune like a butterfly. Which is a newly formed rune. The rune is in the shape of the drawing pattern. That I found it on that scroll. I thought that rune was formed successfully but suddenly I found it from the lightning scripture. Small thread-like Violet Silk came from the lightning rune and attached itself to that small rune. The lightning rune is a mystery. Which is beautiful yet I am unable to see the pattern on the lightning scripture. Understandably, it''s an Ancient Technique. But Whatever happening right now is that I am clueless about it. I cannot ask Uncle James about it. Only time will tell. After lightning thread attached to it. The small rune buzzed. It also starts to flicker like a heartbeat. Wonder-full thing is that big and small runes both were flickering at the same rate. Seeing that I have some clues. But I don''t know how to confirm my guess. I have thoughts that it''s related to the synchronisation effect. Once both runes were started to flicker. I came out of the conscious sphere. I found myself sitting on the mat. I took a breath for a moment. I sighed thinking that lack of knowledge is putting too much pressure on me. "What happened?" asked Uncle James. "The rune is formed but I don''t know which one is it. Attack one or defence one". I replied to him. Uncle James said, "Once it formed you have to recover your mental strength. Then meditate and try to contact the rune". then he added, " Once the rune is formed it became part of yours. Then it will become easier to execute the moves like instinct. Try to connect yourself with the rune just like cultivation rune". Hearing that I was surprised. This is something new to me. Due to the 7th region of my brain. I never paid attention to my mental strength. So, It''s no wonder that rune formed successfully. I have more mental strength than normal warriors. It saves another hard work. But to connect yourself with the rune. I never tried it. It''s already hard to focus my mind on the lightning rune. Everything will become blurred. I have a feeling that my current cultivation level is too low for that. I sighed thinking that. Hope I will find some answers in the future. I removed unnecessary thoughts from my mind and focus on the next scroll. I followed the same process. And the same thing happened. Violet colour silk threads started to attach themselves to the new rune from the big lightning rune. Then the thread starts to connect between two small runes. Finally, It looked like a triangle shape from distance. Three runes are joined through violet silk thread. They started to flicker at the same time. I gasped seeing such a wondrous moment. There is something mysterious in it. The triangle pattern formed by the three runes looks like a brand new rune. My mind became so much calm. Felt a refreshing feeling wash over me. My cultivation is too low to grasp any details in it. Suddenly, I am being dragged out of my consciousness. Like it''s time out. I regretted that I am unable to spend more time on my consciousness. I asked, "Uncle James, Why could not I spend more time on the conscious sphere". Hearing that Uncle James had a knowing smile. He said, "It takes constant practice to stay in your conscious sphere". I nodded after that. "Try to relax for the time being and restore your mental strength," told Mr James. Hearing that I nodded at him and started to meditate. I relaxed and try to forget everything. Soon half an hour later. I composed myself and focussed my mind on the Triad rune. I first focussed on the first small rune that I formed. As I concentrated my mind on it. I found that the small rune had a circular drawing. Finally success. I smiled a little and concentrated further. I began to notice then there is a ton of information that flooded my mind. "Reckoning Circle" This information was pictorial information rather than words. I can understand it clearly My teacher knows about my shortcomings. That I don''t know ancient languages. Fortunately, these were pictorial information. As I began to understand this pictorial information in me. Thanks to my brain. It sure comes in handy at a time like this. From this, I know this is a defensive technique. Which forms circles made up of lightning. It has series of levels. As the cultivation progresses. The numbers and the range of the circle increase. At my current level, It forms one circle which had a form of lightning. It locates me as its centre and the range is 5m. I had a joy seeing such a good technique. Next, I focus my attention on another small rune. Which had a Sword Symbol. I know this attack technique is related to that sword. Unlike, The Ancient lightning technique. Which is a cultivation technique. These two techniques were not ancient. I suspect these were man-made. Because I can see another flooded information. which is the same pictorial information. I can see a man holding a sword. At first, he did not move. he was looking at the distant mountain. Suddenly, He raised his sword. I can see the sword is charging with lightning energy. its absorbing lightning energy from him as well as the surrounding. The sword glowed with violet lightning and started to make thundering noises. After the sword was charged. He pointed the sword to the mountain. he did not point randomly. He pointed at the centre of gravity of the mountain. I did not know, how did he find out the exact position? Huge Thunderbolt came from the sword. in a fraction of a second of the centre of gravity was attacked. That exact position is obliterated. The mountain looked normal for a moment then it collapsed like a deck of cards. Once the gravity is gone. The balance is gone. In a single attack, the mountain is obliterated. He effectively used the attack. This technique is a combination technique. No wonder the sword is being charged. I wondered. How am I going to use it with my White Bone Sword? Like defensive technique. It also had series of levels and ranges. As levels increase the amount of charging increases and the target range also increase. I''m happy at the defensive one. But this one needs charging time and a specific Sword for that. Wondered why my teacher would suggest that? After knowing the techniques. I opened my eyes. I told everything about my technique to Uncle James. He was glad to hear that. He took out another package. I can guess what is that. I sighed thinking that My dream about having Falchion Sword attack techniques.. won''t be filled for the time being. Chapter 44 - Camping I took the package and opened it. There was a black case in it. It was a beautiful case looks like handmade. As I opened the case. I was shocked to see such a sword. It was Complete Black Sword. The Blade of the Sword is very dark and vibrant. Multiple beautiful patterns were drawn on the blade. The Sword''s handle is very simple. It had a good grip. The sword comes with a beautiful Black Scabbard. Which I found beside the case. As I rubbed on the scabbard. I can feel the texture and amazing artwork is done on it. As I was looking at the sword. Uncle James interrupted me by saying, " This Sword is type is Jian. Which had measurements of 46-82cm / 20- 34 inches". Hearing that I nodded at him and began to hold the sword. As I lifted the sword it weighs approximately 250-300 kgs. It is heavier than White Bone. I hope I can manage it well as my cultivation progresses. After that, I placed the sword and scabbard in my storage ring. I asked, "Uncle, Is there any place around the city? Where the concentration of lightning energy is higher." Hearing that he had a knowing smile. "Looks like you face quite a difficulty in cultivating here." He sighed and added, " The entire outpost had a little amount of world energy. Where the presence of Special elements in the surroundings is considered as none." "That is why people use special affinity stone here. But the rate of exchange between special affinity stones and normal stones in the alliance is higher. But don''t worry, unlike other special elements. Your Special element is a natural attribute." "For lightning Elements, I believe Mountain Liz is the perfect place. Especially this time of the season. That place had frequent rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms." Hearing that I breathed in relief. When he started explaining I was scared. I was boasting in my heart for having lightning elements. But what''s the point when you can''t cultivate. Luckily there is Mt Liz. I asked, "Uncle, Where is that place. Can I go tomorrow?" Hearing that he looked at me and said, " If you want to go. you have to leave now. Mountain Liz is located in a rural area. It''s is surrounded by a small forest. Only small-time hunters and herb gatherers go to that place." Uncle James looked at his watch and said, " It''s six-hour travel. Which is a long journey. It will turn dark when you arrive at that place." Hearing that I replied, " It''s fine. I will put up a camp at night. And I will come back home the next day." Uncle James smiled and said, "Your two days off gone just like that. It is also for good. Now you got the techniques you need. you can practise without any worry there." After some conversation. I had breakfast with Granny and Uncle. I booked my train to Mountain Liz. There is only one train that passes via Mountain Liz to some other distant city. Mountain Liz is exactly not a tourist place. It''s still under the habitual zone of humans. There are very rare occurrences of Class monster intrusion that were recorded. So, I don''t have to worry about that. I began to prepare for my journey. This is my first solo trip ever. There is some sort of excitement and fear. Started to well up in my chest. I can already feel my adrenaline rush. After packing up some necessary items for camping. I also took some canned food and snacks. At first, I wanted to eat outside. I believe there are some street shops opened at Mountain Liz station. But I don''t want to take any chances. I looked at my Military Grade Scifi Watch. There are still two or more hours left. I decided to take another shower. After some quick bath. I left the shower. And started dressing up. I always had an extra set of clothing for emergencies. So I decided to take it to the camp. Though there is no place for a bath. I started to wear my favourite Red T-shirt. Full Sleeve Black Jacket on top of it. With matching Black cargo pants and Red fingerless gloves. I always avoid wearing my black mask. when I joined the centre. After knowing everything. I decided not to who knows people might target me in future. I put the mask in my storage ring by thinking that. I will wear it once I arrived at the Mountain. Then I laid lazily on my couch patiently waiting for some time to pass. My Alarm buzzed indicating there is still an hour and a half left. I got up and took my things said bye to Uncle and Granny. Before arriving at the station. I waited for the train. Some times later the train arrived. I boarded the train. I found that there is no one boarded the train beside me. I let go of these things and took my seat. I began to observe the surroundings. I don''t want to take a small nap like I usually do. Then the train took off to Mountain Liz. After six hours of travel. The train arrived at Mountain Liz Station. I took my things and exit the train. I looked at the sky. It is turning dark. I browsed my watch for a map of this region. I found out the route to Mountain Liz. I began to quicken my pace. This is place is deserted. No one is here. Besides some small shops. There is no flying cab here. I have to follow the route by walking myself. After walking some distance. I can see the lush green forest. I turned on the flashlight. And began my journey towards the mountain. After clearing some paths the mountain view was seen. I started to set up camp at foot of the mountain. It''s safe to start now before the rain starts to pours down. After setting up the camp. I went inside placed my meditate map on the ground. And start to cultivate. As I began to cultivate. My Totem starts to attract energy from the surroundings. I can feel more dense lightning energy starts to enter my pores. I channelled all the energies through my vein. And the violet energised gather one by one at the base of my totem. Once I level up I can increase the size of the dantian and collect more energy. I plan to cultivate for an hour and then practise my reckoning circle. Sometimes later. After collecting enough lightning energy. I can feel the time of cultivation got shorter. I want to continue but I noticed the thundering sound from the sky. It''s going to rain. If I cultivate in a place like this for next year. I can easily breakthrough and level up to the Mid-level. Now, I can feel the presence of a certain barrier like a limit. looks like I need to come here again more often. I sighed Then I focused on my defensive rune. My mind is now at the conscious sphere looking at the circle rune. The three runes are now being silent, not flickering like usual. They only flicker during my cultivation. Let''s see what happen to the circle rune. I began to follow the tutorial information in my mind. The circle rune starts to react. I can feel the thin layer of lightning circle forms around me. At first, the concentration of lightning energy is thin. But as time went on I can feel the circle around me become denser. I began to notice but suddenly the circle breaks down. A tiny loss of concentration by me breaks the whole circle. I sighed but was not disappointed. I began to try again. Sometimes later I got little success. I can maintain the form of a lightning circle around me as long as the energy is thin. But I know people can easily break my defence if the circle is thin. I looked at the watch. it''s been already four hours. Since setting up the camp. I''m hungry right now. I ate a few canned foods and snacks. I learn some info about special vegan food from Granny Park. These were not normal food. she told me that certain plants in our world benefit Warrior like us. But they grow in harsh and forbidden lands. After I got enough power. I want to explore our world on my own. Like this Solo trip. The exploration of the forbidden zone would be something. As I was thinking about that suddenly my watch buzzed indicating that I have an intruder. I took out my White bone. which is very easy to handle. I went outside of the tent to look for our guest. I was greeted by something rather annoying. "These were pseudo monsters" I mumbled by noticing the duo of Mosquitoes. These two flying pseudo monsters were exactly something that I am looking for. I plan to test my Reckoning Circle on them. looking at the size they are comparable to adult humans. ********************************************** INFO: PSEUDO MONSTERS - Subspecies of Class Level Monster family. Their Maximum evolution is up to CLASS 1. Largely hunted by hunters for trade and to complete the mission for population control of these monsters. Pros- Reproduction, They can increase the size of the population in a small-time. Cons- Low I.Q and Low Strength. ********************************************** Chapter 45 - Practice One of the mosquitoes flapped its wings and came toward me. It''s trying to suck my blood using its long blood-sucking organ. I felt disgusted by seeing it. So I immediately hold my Sword to Defend it. I did not want to kill it immediately. They are very weak in strength. They use their instinct to find food. But unfortunately, they find me weak. If I use my strength to attack. It will fee away. It has the same strength as mine. It is not fully grown to Class 1 Monster. So I am very confident in my safety. Soon it got annoyed The Class 1 Monster seems to know the prey this time is not easy. It buzzed again calling his companion. Who is now roaming around the tent to find food? Seeing its partner''s call. It came quickly and surrounded Zack. Finally, I can use RECKONING CIRCLE. Seeing they came quite close to me. I summoned the attack. Soon a thin lightning circle starts to form around me. It happens in a flip second. The pseudo monsters got quite startled. They felt scared. When seeing the circle of lightning. Having low I.Q they cannot judge the situation. By that time duo felt overwhelmed with fear. The thin Violet lightning circle came in contact with their body. The Mosquitoes monster body was got electrocuted. I heard some popping noise followed by a roasted smell. The pseudo monster body is fallen to the ground. They were completely fried. Then I removed my attack. Seeing the effect of RECKONING CIRCLE. I was shocked inside. If I use this move with careful planning. It can be used as an effective attack move against the enemy. A little thin energy can cause this much damage. It would be good if I can find Real Class 1 Monsters. I suspect the current level of this attack won''t cause damage to them. Their skin is really tough like that Black Spider. I hope in Advance Class they might give again the same blood kill test. Uncle told me that the test is used for senior students to gain their first kill. I felt nothing by killing this monster. I once again looking at their bodies. Try to access the damage level. This knowledge will be quite useful for me. I believe the popping sound must be due to the sudden burst of their internal organs. It must be quite overloaded. I smirked thinking that. I am glad about the arsenal that I have. I removed their bodies and move back to my tent again to practise. I recovered drained lightning energy. I sighed. I only got half a day tomorrow. By that time I have to practise the Lightning Sword attack. I removed the messy thoughts. I have clearly understood that It certainly needs a lot of time to adjust to New Black Sword. So I am going to do one step at a time. Then I began to make up my bed for sleep. I am exhausted. Next Morning. I got up early and meditate peacefully for more than an hour then I began to cultivate for some time. I don''t know why I felt the concentration of lightning energy at night tit is quite high. It''s time after some practice. I decided to try the Sword attack. I came back to my conscious sphere. Which is nothing but my spiritual sense. I focused my gaze on the Sword rune. I went through the information. After confirming each step. I decided to try it out. This comes in three moves. At first, I have to get familiar with using the black sword. Then I have to channel my lightning energy to charge this Sword. This Sword acts as a small container or medium to project my lightning energy outside. I don''t know what kind of technology they used to make an actual lightning container. The last move was to aim at a target. So that the contained energy can be released all at once. An image crosses my mind. The warrior used this attack effectively to obliterate a large mountain. No wonder he chooses the centre of gravity of the mountain as his target. Because if you miss a target. you have to recharge all over it again. So you have to use it effectively. I sighed thinking it. So much process going behind the single attack. No wonder the Sword is black. It must be specifically used for lightning energy. I decided to try the first move. I took the black sword from my storage ring. I began to try some sword moves slowly. The weight of the sword is a little hard to get adjusted. Time passes I followed the process as depicted in the future. Sometimes later. My watch buzzed indicating it''s time to go home. I began to regret it. I want to spend time here. This is the ideal place for me. How good it would be. If this place is near my home. I sighed maybe I should change the schedule of Advance Class. I need two off days every week so that I can come here regularly. If I do that I will level up eventually. I formulated this good plan. Next, I removed my tent and began to pack my things. After six hours of travel. I arrived home. Seeing me coming to the garden. Granny park asked, " Zack, How did it go?" I smiled and took a seat beside her in the garden. " It went well Granny but that place is too far. Most of the time is gone by travelling." I replied. Then I told her about my plans to spend weekdays at Mountain Liz. I am glad that She also supported my plan. We talked for few minutes before I went back to my room. After some quick shower. I lazily laid on my bed and began to read articles from my sci-fi watch. Patiently waiting for dinner. late at the dining table. Uncle James said, " Once you join the Advance Class Tomorrow. Be always on your guard. Don''t trust anyone." He looked at me then added, "Even your classmates." Hearing that I nodded at him. "I informed my friend Arthur about you. He assured me to take care of you. Though I believe in their protection. But I believe in self-help is the best help." uttered Uncle James. Hearing that I asked, "Am I the only one going to participate in that tournament." " Yes, Don''t worry about it. They will support you with the necessary resources. Because their stakes are quite high." I nodded at him. I don''t care about these things as long as I got resources. Furthermore, "He doesn''t know your element. If he asks you tell him that you have yet to awaken your element." Uncle James added. Granny park also seemed worried. Seeing that I said, "Don''t worry guys. I do have some sense of measure. I can protect myself." Hearing that they got relaxed. I have to acquire the necessary strength to get that Ancient inheritance in my body. Domain Physic Level 15. It''s still a long distance for me. We talked for few minutes after having dinner. Later I went back to my room. The next morning after arriving at Hansen Sword Centre. I plan to wait for Ms Adeliene Key in our training room. As I entered the room. I am being gazed at by my classmates. "How come you pass the test. You must have been cheated." roared Marcus Moore. I looked at him. There is no usual grin on his face. He had a crazy look on his face. Looks he doesn''t have good sleep these days. I laughed internally. Seeing such a narrow-minded guy. I didn''t reply to him. I firmly believe that you cannot win an argument with stupid people. So I avoided him. Seeing that He got pissed off even further. He wanted to attack me this time. Before Marcus thought Zack was weakling. So he didn''t care about him. And acted highly in front of these girls. But now the reality is different. Not only the girls got passed. Zack also got a chance to learn in Advance Class. He got embarrassed. When he got to know the results. He can''t look at the eye of the girls. Maria and Candace were also waiting here beside Zack. They were encouraging the twin sisters. They don''t care about the drama unfolding here. So, Marcus Moore wanted to take out his anger on Zack. He came towards Zack and raised his fist to smack him. But poor soul quickly got pinned to the ground. Not by Zack. But Ms Adeline Key. She entered the room at an exact moment. When Marcus walked towards Zack. Zack quickly noticed her. So he smirked internally. This bull going to have his judgment day today. Ms Adeline Key was instructed by Mr Arthur Emerson to take care of Zack. She knows the reason. Zack is going to represent their centre in future. You have to make sure there is no accident. She felt especially on her watch. She lost her mind. When she saw Marcus going to attack him.. She made her mind to teach him a lesson. Chapter 46 - Kill List "Marcus Moore do you want to get thrown out of the academy." roared Ms Adeline Key. Hearing that Marcus shuddered. He quickly got up from the ground. Did not utter any words and He stood there quietly. "Zack, Maria and Candace, you guys come with me. The rest of you wait for me here," said Ms Adeline Key. Hearing that we followed her. Ms Adeline Key lead us to the new training room. Where the seniors were training. As we entered the room. I was surprised. There was no open practice room. There were several chambers in size of a small room that was built inside the training room. Ms Adeline Key said, " These high-performance chambers will be your training room until you graduate from the centre; They were specifically made to protect your privacy" She further added, "Most of the Chambers occupied by senior students. The last few were unoccupied. They were allocated to you." She pointed to the last three chambers. And gave us a new I.D for chambers. The Chamber''s A. I am already registered with our information. We have to scan and enter the chamber. Ms Adeline Key said, "There is a New Combat Exercise course you have to learn. Before, learning the Main course of the Advance class." Then she added " I will evaluate three of you. Based on the performance of Combat Exercise. I will let you join the Senior class." Hearing that Maria furrowed her eyebrows. She asked, "Why mentor we already passed the qualification test. Ms key explained, " The senior students are older than you. And they know more than you including this combat exercise. Which is base for the Main course." After her explanation everyone understood. Then she left us saying she is going to practice. Not only students but mentors were also got their training chambers. They only help us clear our doubts. When we ask them. They don''t follow you all day and night. Seeing her leaving Candace said, "Okay guys. Let us see who can learn faster. I believe we will join our senior students rather soon." Maria also chirped in "Zack, I don''t know how did you pass. But I believe you got some basic strengths. But that won''t help you when you meet senior students." Hearing them I was surprised. I want to reply but they enter the chamber without waiting for my answer. I shook my head. Went up to the chamber''s monitor and scanned my details. The door opened. I enter the chamber. A sense of freshness wash over me. I can feel the concentration of world energy is a little higher inside the chamber. I looked around. Found the place is very simple inside. There is no extra space here. I wondered. It doesn''t make any. When I looked from outside the chamber looked rather larger but looking at inside. The space is very narrow. It''s enough for one person to train and practise here. If you want to rest. You can sleep on the ground. Then I focussed on the new combat course she gave me. I opened my sci-fi watch to browse the course. I started to read one by one. Soon a look of understanding appeared on my face. I mumbled, "This is a Complex set of fighting techniques. Execute using our elemental power." Unlike other times. There is no rune formed inside my sphere. Because this hand to hand combat techniques. Commonly available to all the people. Once they have enough Cultivation Rank and Credit points. After going through all these. I started to practise these forms the key lies in how to use your elemental energy effectively. As Zack was practising. Somewhere far away from this place. An important meeting is going on. Six people having round table conference in a secret room One of the people said, "Mr Raymond dale. As you said we got our kill list and we also collected bounty amounts that were paid by these respective organisations." Another bald man snorted him, "Why do we need a kill list to kill these rats from lower-level Tier-8 cities; Shouldn''t we direct our force to kill our competitor''s assets in another Tier-7 city". The rest of them supported the bald man argument. But Mr Raymond Dale. As he raised his aura all of them got suppressed. Mr Raymond said, "I know all of you are not satisfied with the kill list. Most of the Seeds mentioned in the kill list were from lower Tier-8 cities ( There is a trace of annoyance in his tone. When he mentioned Tier-8 cities)." Then he added, "Remember, This Kill list was given by our clients. And all of you very well know that. Our clients are not from Tier-8 cities. So, you should do what is instructed." Hearing that all of them became silent. They knew how powerful their clients were. They can''t waste their time hunting rats in lower-tier cities. That is why they use us as a proxy to kill their targets. After some conversation, all of them left. Mr Raymond summoned one of his men. Soon a Man came wearing a long black coat. He covered his face with a black mask. He handed the kill list to the masked man and asked him to finish the assignment sooner. The masked man received the kill list and left the place. After receiving the kill list. He came to his room to pack things. He has been instructed to depart right away. Sometimes later the Masked man finished his task. He opens the folder in his sci-fi watch. He was looking at the immediate black star targets to kill. There were several names in the list that were tagged with a black star. There was one name mentioned. Where he focussed his attention. The name is Michelle Dyer. "Name: Michelle Dyer" "Rank: Mid-level Trainee Apprentice Warrior" "Element awakened: Special Element ¨C Healing" "Threat level: Black" "Affiliation: Merchant Union" After looking at the details. He decided on his first target. Then he goes through other targets starting from Rank high Black level to Rank low yellow level. If Zack was present here. He can see his name on the kill list. It was mentioned as "Name: Zack Lockwood" "Rank: Not Awakened" "Element awakened: None" "Threat level: Yellow" "Affiliation: ARMY Federation" Meanwhile, Somewhere in a real faraway distance. Zack''s teacher Sir Lowell McClain reading Intel in his cabin. He smiled looking at the details. He mumbled, "looks like those clowns started their hunting game." He also noted details regarding Zack. There is a high chance for Zack''s name to be named in the kill list. Because of his affiliation with ARMY Federation. Sir Lowell McClain seeing that he said in his heart, "I''m interested in looking at his performance. New Seed Lightning User of Army Federation; There is no problem with his safety. My men already got an eye on him." Then suddenly aura around his room turned hot. He said to himself, "But we have to teach some lessons to these clowns. To stretch their damned clutches towards ARMY." He smiled he already formed a deadly plan in his mind. Next time, If anyone thinks once or twice before they include the name of Seed Candidates who got affiliation towards ARMY Federation. Then he instructs his men on the ground to teach a lesson to underlings of these clowns. Meanwhile, Zack practising in his secret chamber. There was sweat all over his body. I began to think this technique is not simple as it seems. At first, I''m not happy with this hand to hand combat technique. I thought what is the use of this technique. Who is going to fight Class 1 Monster with hand to hand combat? But lately, I realized humans can also be my enemies. It will come in handy. While assassination. You can kill your enemy without knowing alerting him. I shuddered thinking that the human heart is so cruel. No wonder, They teach this combat technique to all people of the society. I removed the negatives thoughts from my mind quickly. I continued my practice again. while practising the technique. I can feel a thin strand of lightning energy channelling through my vein as I followed a specific move. Soon it''s time to leave home. Today my entire time was spent getting familiarise myself with new moves. I Packed my things and exited the chamber. The door was automatically closed behind me. I saw nearby chambers they were still closed. Looks like these girls still practising. I left the room and caught up with the lift. When I was leaving the Reception Hall. I was greeted by some stranger. "Hi, My name is Arthur Emerson. I believe James already told you about me." Hearing that I was surprised, this was the first time. I met him in person. I have never seen him before ever since I joined the academy. "Hi, Sir Arthur. Uncle James informed me about you." "Let''s go to my cabin. I want to tell you something," he replied. Hearing that I don''t know what to do. There is half an hour left for my train to reach the station. He seems to be understood my thoughts. "It won''t take more than five minutes" He uttered. I nodded at him He took me to his cabin.. After reaching his cabin both of us started our discussions. Chapter 47 - Get Access To Library At Mr Arthur Emerson''s cabin. "Zack, Did James tell you everything?" Asked Mr Arthur. Hearing that I told him what Uncle James explained to me about next year competition. Soon, A knowing look appeared on his face. He added," As James said We were ready to assist you with the necessary resources." Then he explained to me. About the available list of resources that the Management gave me access to. Mr Arthur said, " Can you tell me tomorrow? What you need in a list; So, that I can forward them to the Administration." Hearing that I nodded at him. We talked for about a few more minutes. Before I left. It''s time for my train. Sometimes later, I boarded the train in time. I took my usual window seat. I sighed thinking that things were unfolding in a rather unpredictable way. The only good thing that has happened so far to me is the availability of resources. I don''t need to look for ways to earn credit points anymore. It certainly took away a huge burden on my shoulder. I don''t have to rely on Uncle James hereafter. I took a small nap thinking that. Sometimes, Later I reached home. After I reached home. I waited for dinner. Then I discussed everything with Uncle James and Granny Park about today''s activities in the centre. It certainly became a habit for me to discuss at the dining table while having dinner. Uncle James and Granny Park said few resources names and told me to add them to the list. Reading the names of the resources. I had doubts. "Uncle James, What about Ranks of these resources," I asked him. Granny Park said, " Don''t worry. These were low-end resources. The maximum level up to Peak Apprentice Warrior." Uncle James Chirped in by saying, " If they ever ask you. Why you need Peak Apprentice Resources. Tell them it''s for future need." I nodded at them. Hearing them my doubt is cleared. We talked about an hour before I left for some training. I had a daily night schedule for Elemental Cultivation. I can practice all Cultivation, Sword attack, Lightning Circle and Combat exercise inside the High-Performance Chamber at the centre. But to level up my cultivation. I need to use my time effectively. After some cultivation. I laid down on my bed for sleep. I know that the resources are needed. But I also need knowledge. The information about Plants, Monsters, Techniques and New innovative findings by the research centre. Most of the news published in the alliance network were censored. Only you can know some info by having contacts of some important people in the society. I removed these thoughts from my mind. I began to organise list. That I will submit to him tomorrow. The next day, I woke up early. I meditate for an hour before I left for a bath. After having a bath. I began to wear my dress. I looked myself at in the mirror. I said to myself, " My hair has grown longer. I need a haircut." I combed my hair. After I readied myself. I had breakfast with my family. I gave my list to Uncle James for final go through. Uncle James asked, " You mentioned that you need access to library." Hearing him. Granny Park also looked at me. She said, " I don''t know why you are wasting good opportunity. Once you join the Academy then its easy to gain library resources; You can replace it with something else." Hearing her. How can I refute her perfect argument? Granny had a sharp mind. She now wants answers from me. I cannot tell her that I need to find a way to Unlock my 7th region of brain completely. On top if it I also need to level up body to Domain level 15. I don''t know how far level 15 is?Only Iam able to find answer using some clues. Like domain. I need to find what is mean by domain from library. As I was thinking, "Zack, What happened" said Granny. Hearing that I stopped thinking and said, "I lack information about Class 1 Monster. In that blood kill test. I managed to pass because I came across a black spider; If it''s some other unknown species. I don''t have any idea how the outcome will be." Looking at her expression. I know she is satisfied with my answer. "Sorry, Granny I can''t tell you the real reason," I said to myself. "Then it makes sense. Even we can''t tell you in detail about Monsters and their behaviours. It will be best to access the library." Said Granny. Uncle James handed back the list to me by saying," Then it''s also fine by me. Because No one successfully killed the Class 1 Monster in Blood kill test." Then he added," Sooner or later I believe they will conduct the test again." Hearing that I also affirmed his guessing. Later I left home. Travelled by train to reach the Academy. I directly went to Mr Arthur Emerson''s cabin place. I waited for him quietly outside the cabin. Because he is yet to arrive. Few minutes later I heard footsteps. "Looks like you prepared the list" uttered Mr Arthur Emerson. Seeing that I smiled. Both of us entered the cabin. Then he gone through the list I gave him now. He said, "Lots of Peak resources mentioned in the list, I guess its for future need." He didn''t wait for me to reply. He answered himself. I thanked in my heart. " You mentioned here that you need access to library. I send you unique code with that you can go to the library block in the Academy. Whenever you want." Then he added " I will take you there myself now. Next time you have to visit by yourself." We left the cabin. I followed him. It''s good that he is showing me way for the first time. We reached underground facility through lift. Unlike the battle arena in the underground. This place is filled with different rooms. I can see each room is transparent. Because it''s library. There are so many rooms separated due to their respective field. Library and research centre functioning side by side. I can there are several rooms labelled as Organic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry so on. Soon we came across large room. Mr Arthur Emerson scanned his credential using his I.D. The room is named simply library. It''s is not come under any area of expertise. I followed his instructions and scanned just like that. There is sophisticated A.I system is monitoring the room. It''s divided into two section further. Printed section. Where Books are published and printed in hardcopy. And another section is V R pod section. Where you can learn virtually by seeing images, videos of that particular subject. Mr Arthur Emerson said, " You can spend time here today. It''s up to you manage your schedule between Advance class and the library." Then he explained me about do''s and don''t ''s here. Basically I am not allowed to use my sci-fi watch. I am not allowed to copy any subject here and take it outside. I should follow procedure while handling old printed books. He left saying that. After he left. I just walked around the library and looking at different sections. Finally I am at the V R section. There is A.I monitor in front of me. I scanned my details. The V R pod is opened. After I entered. It closes itself automatically. I wore the V R helmet inside the pod. I''m just going through instructions manual. To see how to operate it. After some understanding. I created virtual account under centre''s network. The account is not public one. As long as I left the academy it will be expired. After creating virtual account. I gone through the content which is available. Soon I saw Monster categories. I also noticed different categories such as plants. I decided to watch Monster first. Then I clicked the Monster section. Soon I saw a virtual atmosphere around me. There is limitation to this account. I can only watch what is happening before me. I banned from doing other activities. This V.R is designed for academic platform. I can understand why would they put ban. Finally the show is started. I saw different Class 1 Monsters. Appearing one by one. But each of their descriptions were stopped up to their Class 3 evolution. Soon half a day went just like that. I have to log out my V.R due to hunger. I sighed. I only watched 10 Class 1 monster descriptions. But it took half a day''s time. But there are still 500 something left. I heard from Granny that there were more than 1000 different species of Class 1 Monster. But it had only a description of 500 or so. I don''t know what happen to rest of them. After having some lunch. I entered the library again this time I was in front of published book section. I regretted watching V.R it''s better to read the book to get important key points. I started reading different books by different Authors. I can memorize everything. It''s not a problem for me. It''s like a photographic memory. My brain''s ability made it easy for me. Time passes just like that. Later it''s two hours left for me to leave the library. I had thought that three hours left for me not two. Looks like the facility closes down before the classes got over. I closed my current book and memorise current book page. I can continue this book tomorrow. Even though there is two hours left. My mood is gone. After long time I have done such excessive reading. I spent an entire day for this. I looked around going through different field related books.. Patiently waiting for my time to leave. Chapter 48 - Blood Element Time passes weeks went like that. I had made a schedule. Divided my time on spending a half-day at the high-performance chamber and half a day at the library facility. Soon two weeks passed after entering the high-performance chamber. Ms. Adeline key had come to see us from time to time. To see progress on our hand-to-hand combat test. Three of us have had good progress so far. Seeing our development at hand-to-hand combat exercise. She gave us two more weeks. After that, we will officially join the Advance class with our senior students. I am looking forward to it. Because not only my hand-to-hand combat course got improvement. My other arsenal as well. I had spent my weekdays cultivating at Mountain Liz. I feel like. I need few more visits by then I will officially become a Mid-level Trainee Apprentice Warriors. But My Sword attack practice is quite lagging. It certainly takes huge effort to pull off the New Black Sword. I''m not even consistent with the first move of the attack. There are still two moves left. When comes to the library. I am very satisfied with it. What I need is knowledge. Each day I spend time reading books there opened my eyes even further. I came to know about different types of species living in our world. What more shocking to me is that. Class Monster is one type of species that is present in our world. I already know about Pseudo Monster. It''s very common among our human population. Most of the Pseudo Monsters are harmless. Rarely do people encounter cases. Where they come across deadly ones. Still, there are more types of species were recorded in the library. It mentioned that they had a specific habitual zone. According to their body constitution. Now, it''s the first day of the third week. I am looking at an important and small place in the library. I would say it''s an antique room. Filled with a collection of artifacts. It''s a very small collection. I had a feeling that it''s a private collection owned by the center. Usually, they move any old scripture to a research facility. If they found. Looking at the design and crafting of artifacts. It is safe to know that it belongs to an old civilization. But it''s not clear the rank and age of the civilization. I looked at artifacts once again before moving back to the Research facility. The research facility is the real deal. Any findings and research is done in this place were being monitored. There are two sections in this room. Library and Restricted Zone. I can understand why is that. The restricted zone looks protected. I can see a beam of red light flashing. Presumably, sensors were installed in this place. I moved my attention towards the library. Where they would publish any recent findings. I found one column while browsing A. I monitor the screen. It''s intriguing. One of the doctors working here published his theory or speculation about an old tribe that lived in the age of old civilization. As I was going through his theory. I got shocked by his bold claim. He described that this tribe as a hunting tribe. They had a physical strength comparable to a ranking warrior. They had an awful fight with warriors of prospering civilization. The fight was so brutal that only a few people from that old civilization were able to escape. He described that he came to this conclusion from a cave painting of the tribe. In that paintings, the warriors from old civilization were aiming small balls at the tribesman. The small balls were elemental manifestations. Only awakened people can do that. How did the tribes'' people survive the elemental attack and effectively able to counterattack the elemental warriors from old civilization. But people refuted his argument. Some renowned researcher replied that tribespeople was also awakened, people. There is no way they could defeat them without it. Because the Doctor claimed that the tribes'' people are not awakened, warriors. Because if they would they paint themselves with the same elemental paintings as other Elemental warriors. Looking at A. I monitor the screen. This guy had published his theory in the public domain of Alliance Network. I stopped looking at A. I monitor''s screen. Then looked at the locked glass container. There were several things inside the glass container. I read the notice placed beside the container. It says anyone can look at the old antique. After looking at they should carefully place it back in the same place. I scanned my details. The door of the glass container opened. Revealing several glass cups, pottery, paintings, and so on. Suddenly I got startled. My perception ability turned on instinctively. It picked some signals. I looked at the place where it came from. It came from very yellow old paper. I wouldn''t say it''s a modern paper. If one looked at it closely they can see its cloth. I took the cloth carefully. I wore gloves in my hands. Before I touched it. Took it to the place. Where could I sit and look at it carefully One by one? I place the yellow cloth in front of me. My brain sends me a trickling sensation. I don''t know what it is? I got an idea. I seeped my consciousness into the paper. Unlike the lightning scripture. The yellow cloth didn''t fly into my eyebrows. But the wordings on the cloth understand by me. I couldn''t explain this mysterious happening. After I understood everything from the wordings. The wording on the cloth didn''t disappear. I kept my emotion in check. There was a secret monitor system in the place. I got up from the seat and placed it back again in the container safely then I removed gloves from my hands. I looked at the description in the A. I monitor the screen to know where did they found these artifacts. Surprisingly they found this item from the ruins of the hunter tribe. The same hunter tribe fought battle with the elemental warrior of an old civilization. I froze for a moment. If what was written in the yellow cloth is real. Then the research doctor''s claims were proved to be half-truth. Looks like they haven''t deciphered the words. But I wondered how come I can understand it. I had a hunch. It''s not simple as it seems. I cannot affirm that it''s due to my 7th region of the brain. Even I don''t know. Anything about it. But my perception ability turned on instantly like it''d got a signal. I had a hunch that inheritance spirit left some backhand to help me. Before it went to deep sleep. If it is backhand then that''s good. I want to go home. To try the things mentioned in the old yellow cloth. I did not make any suspicious move. I do not want anyone to know about it. I will wait until it''s the weekend. Then I continued my routine just like that without arousing any suspiciousness. I maintained my schedule of studying at the library in the morning. And practice in the high-performance chamber in the next half a day. Days went like that soon it''s the time of the weekend. I am currently camping at Mountain Liz. Setting trap for Pseudo Monsters. I want to try the things mentioned in the old yellow cloth. I was shocked and faintly had a guess. The reason behind the reaction of it. I''m not talking about my brain ability. I am talking about wordings written on the cloth. It''s a primitive special Blood element cultivation technique. It looked like hunter tribe people were awakened, warriors. Unlike Natural Elemental warrior. The hunter tribesman were Special Blood element warriors. The blood element cultivation made them physically stronger than the elemental warriors from the old civilization. The researcher''s claim is half right and half wrong. He is right about hunter tribesmen were physically stronger and there are no drawings of manifestation of elemental powers. Yet he was wrong about them not being awakened. I guessed that the blood element works differently. It works internally that''s why tribe warriors were stronger than the Normal awakened warrior. That''s why I am even more excited. Because when I awakened. I am not only awakened Lightning, with it I had awakened two more elements. After spending so much time in the library. I finally know what my unknown elements were. They were blood element and healing element. If I cultivate the same method of the hunter tribespeople. I can certainly improve my physic. Having it I can easily reach the goal of domain level 15. As per the blood cultivation technique. Only blood element people can cultivate them. They can level up their cultivation by consuming the blood of Monsters. The blood element in our body gets energies from the blood of these monsters. Like affinity stone. One can also attract blood energy from world energy. But consuming the blood of monsters can raise cultivation it''s not time-consuming. No wonder they got the names of the hunter tribe. They hunted the different kinds of Monsters for food and cultivation. But People from old civilization must have been blinded by the facts. They thought that they were hunting for food. But looking at today''s world. There is no mention of the blood element. The hunter tribe was rare among humans. They are now extinct. And no one knows this discovery except me. I learned and confirmed that I got a healing element from the library. When comes to blood element. Thanks to the yellow cloth and the burning sensation of blood I felt during the awakening of the blood element. I can confirm that my remaining element is the blood element. My problem with leveling up my physic is gone.. Then I have to find a way to unlock more areas of the 7th region of my brain. Chapter 49 - Collecting Blood. I had set up a few traps around the campsite. After setting up. I have waited for more than two hours. But still, there is no movement yet. I looked at the sky the clouds are getting darker. It''s better to catch Pseudo Monster before it''s start to rain. I said to myself, "Nothing is going to happen. if I sit here expecting to prey to fall on my lap on its own; it''s better to find out by myself." I went out of my tent to find it. The foot of the mountain is covered with dense forest. I am camping very close to the border. In case something happens. So, that I can escape easily. The Mountain Liz is quite large. But I am practicing, cultivating, and put up the camp at the one end of Mountain Liz. Where it''s is close to the train station. To find the pseudo monster. I need to go deeper. Monsters rarely roam around the border of the forest. I decided to go deeper. After entering deep inside few meters. On the way. I made markings on the tree. It will be easy to find out. Whether I''m on a straight path or circling the same location. So far everything is fine. Suddenly I heard a rustling sound. I looked around to find where it came from. It''s from a distant tree. The branches of the tree had a Sudden movement. Seeing that I moved closer to the tree. I don''t know the name of the tree. It had a huge trunk. Looking at it has grown quite taller. As I was accessing the tree. I got sudden chills. I move backward without knowing it. After adjusting myself. I found an uninvited rude guest. Finally, I was excited in my heart. It''s a rare Pseudo Monster. Looking at its shape and scale pattern on its skin. It''s, " CERURA ORANTU SERPENTI." Word came out of my mouth. Pseudo Monster belongs to the Snake family. It''s a rare breed. It hunts down another Pseudo Monster as its food. Typical black snake and round eyes with Beautiful pattern on the skin. Its size is medium. Three times of a human length. It''s best to attack it with the black sword. Let''s see how far my progression had made in the first move. I also readied myself to use a lightning circle for defense. The Snake Monster seeing me move backward. It starts to attack again. I successfully evaded his attack. As I blocked its fang with my black sword. Looking at its strength. It must be at the end of the evolution. A fully grown Pseudo Monster. Its attack is quite strong but as long as I can avoid any frontal attack from it. I can avoid any serious injury. Its strength, when compared to warriors, is Quite low. It has the same strength as the Early stage of Trainee Apprentice Warrior. But Monsters are naturally stronger than humans. Despite me having the same strength as a black snake. I am in a defensive mode. But I am glad it had low I. Q it using the same attack pattern. Either use its deadly fang to inject venom into my body or use its long tail to break my bones. I safely guarding myself. Whenever its fang came close to me. I know how deadly its poison is. So I am looking for an opening to slice its neck. I used a lightning circle. Sensing sudden power. The snake got frightful. Its movements slowed down. Using its dilemma. I moved my black sword to slice its neck. The skin of the snake is rather thick. But I used my full strength from the start. The Sword went inside deeper. The cut was perfectly made. The Snake''s body dropped down. I had no idea. What has happened? Then l dragged the Snake''s body back to my tent. Thanks to My marking there are no hurdles to my way back. After arriving at the tent. I carefully placed the Pseudo Monster body on the ground. I''m happy that it was Snake Monster. If it''s something else. I have to think twice before consuming its blood for my blood element cultivation. I started to dissect its body. I made a plan to sell its parts to a local Merchant Shop near my home. They do Pseudo Monster trade. Several hunters cannot break through in their lifetime or had injuries. Make their living by hunting Pseudo Monsters. I bought a metal container to store Monster''s blood. I make sure that the volume of the container is large. Because of it, I had no problem storing Snake''s blood. Which had huge volume. After draining the blood. I store the parts of the dissected body in another container for selling. It''s not an ordinary container. It was made by a research center. It had a small space provision. Like storage ring. It can store numerous objects. It''s specially designed for PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE. To increase its income. The hunter league association needs lots of credit from the Trade Union. Monster trade being the Backbone of the Trade Union. Hunter league decides to order a storage container. Specifically, for monster parts. They were made cheaply and distributed, sold among the hunters for low credits. Such a move made soaring income to their hunters as well as them. Another reason it was cheap was that the container had a small lifetime. It can not be given for maintenance. It is one time use only. If you need it you have to buy it again. As I was looking at the container before me. My perception turned on instantly. I got startled. I quickly store the containers in my storage ring. And went outside the tent to look for what it is. I had a sense for a while that someone is spying on me. Especially when I entered deep inside forests. I felt that someone is following. But I am not sure about it. So I didn''t mind it. But now with my perception become active on its own. I am sure someone is here. I have no idea whether it''s a friend or foe it''s better to leave here. Luckily I got saved from exposing myself. Even though my lightning cultivation is secret and known to few people. Eventually one day it will come to the limelight. But my blood and healing element is my secrecy. It''s better to cultivate in a safe environment. I decided to remove the tent and pack up my things. After a long journey, I reached home. I didn''t even when to a Merchant shop to sell. A sudden turn of events made me more altered. I said to myself, "It''s safe to cultivate in a high-performance chamber. There is privacy for me. No one will know" Later, at the dining table. I decided to ask Uncle James. I asked, "Uncle James, I killed a Pseudo Monster at Mountain Liz." Hearing that Uncle James, not surprised but he said, "It''s just a low-level Monster. What about it." Then he added, "only class level Monster can be a good opponent." "While killing that Monster. I felt someone or something spying on me. I do not know what it is?" I replied. Hearing that both Uncle James and Granny Park looked at each other''s eyes. I don''t know what they were thinking. Uncle James said, " Did you use your lightning attack?" Hearing that I nodded. Granny Park said, "If he is an assassin. You will be dead without knowing anything; So, even after exposing your lightning element. He didn''t kill you. Which means he is no enemy." Hearing her explanation. I gained some clarity. Uncle James said, "I believe it''s someone send by your teacher to look after you." Then he added, "Remember I told you that he is expecting good performance from you." I nodded hearing that. After we had some conversation for an hour. I went back to my room for practice. I entered my room placed the meditation mat on the floor and began my cultivation. I had a feeling that the limitation barrier is becoming thinner day by day. By Next weekend I am sure that I will reach a Mid-level Apprentice Warrior. Next Day. I boarded the train to the center. This time I was extra careful on the way. Yesterday''s events made me quite angry inside. I don''t like someone spying on me. I know this is for my safety. But I had to look for some other cultivation place to cultivate blood element. I sighed thinking that. Some hours later. I reached the Hansen Training Centre. Today, I don''t want to visit the library. I will spend my entire day on blood cultivation. As I entered the training room. I found a nearby chamber was not logged in yet. Looks like the girls didn''t come today. I scanned my credentials and entered my chamber. The door was locked automatically. I felt my entire being is relaxed. I smiled and took out the blood container. I placed the meditation mat on the ground. I sat comfortably. Blood cultivation needs warriors to form runes in their conscious sphere just like the lightning scripture. But there is an extra condition. It required the monster''s blood.. A warrior needs to consume the blood orally then recite the blood cultivation. Chapter 50 - Blood Element Cultivation I opened the container. Looking at the thick blood and its horrible smell. I''m having internal struggles as to whether to drink the blood or not. I can''t imagine the Ancient Hunter tribesmen consider drinking their blood as part of their daily routine. To cultivate Blood Element. I''m going to follow in their footsteps. I know it''s going to be hard. But I don''t have any choice. The Blood Element will increase my physic greatly. Thinking that I comforted myself and drank the Blacksnake Pseudo Monster''s blood. After I consume the blood. I started to incite the wording that was written on the yellow cloth paper. Suddenly, I am being pulled into my conscious sphere. I saw new runes being formed. It is a blood cultivation rune. A Bloody Red Color Circular Ring Finally, formed in the conscious sphere. It is located far left of the Lightning Rune. Which is located at the center. The Blood Circular Ring starts to shine. I felt that my Blood Element had a Reaction to it. At first, I didn''t feel anything. But moments later, I noticed something amazing happen. I looked internally with my perception. Where my internals was quite visible. While there is Blood Circular Runes were still shining in the conscious sphere. Due to it, a red light covered my entire internal organs including my skeleton. I felt warmth as my entire being bathed in red light internally. I didn''t stop reciting the wordings. I''m repeating it continuously. I won''t stop until the process stops internally. After the red light was done covering entirely. Next, A strange new energy being released by the thick blood of the Pseudo Monster that I consumed earlier. It looked white with red outlines. The white energies then drilled into my bones. I screamed. As the pain is not being stopped. It''s getting worse every second. The white energies didn''t touch any other parts except bones. As I saw that blood I consumed was getting reduced. It''s becoming thinner and thinner as my pain gets worsen. I felt I''m undergone torture for eternity. Soon, all the thick blood of monsters was dried up completely. And white energies stopped drilling into my bones. I fainted after that. I gained my consciousness three hours later. I hold my head and rubbed the temple gently. After looking at the sci-fi watch. I said to myself," My entire morning routine is gone." But I noticed somehow I felt light as a feather. This is Mysterious. It is illusion or what. I wondered inside. I turned on my perception ability and observed internally. I gasped. There is a weird red line drawn on my bones. Its starts from the top of my head and ends with the toes. It''s a single straight line. You have to look at it carefully. Otherwise, you won''t notice. It''s a very thin line. I remember the white energies drilled into my bones. It made me feel light as a feather. It''s just Pseudo Monster. I said to myself, " If I consume the blood of Class 1 Monster. I am quite sure that I can break through to reach Mid-level Apprentice Warrior." Then I mumbled, "This blood cultivation rune is not elemental cultivation method but body cultivation; Which is why there is no manifestation of blood totem in my dantian yet." At first, I thought this method got something to do with my blood. But I was wrong. From start to end there is nothing wrong with my blood. This technique was cultivated using the blood of the Monsters. And the red light which covered my internal organs seems to be My Blood Element. It somehow acts as a catalyst to attract the White energies from the Monster''s Blood. I looked at my conscious sphere. Everything was fine. The lightning rune, defense rune, and Sword attack rune. Connected by Violet Silk thread. Suspended at the center location of my sphere. From looking at a distance. Three connected runes were in the shape of a triangle. While lightning rune at the top and the rest were at the bottom. Then I looked at the blood ring rune. Which is suspended at far most left positions from the lightning rune. I wondered inside. This blood ring rune is a cultivation technique. Would there be an attack and defensive technique with blood element? If there is I have to find it eventually. Then It would be quite a lot of options in my arsenal. I am very happy today. I sorted out my problem with physical strength. My lightning cultivation will have a breakthrough by the coming weekend. Everything seems to be fine for now. Then I focus on practicing hand-to-hand combat exercises There is still one more week left. Before, Ms. Adeline Key will evaluate our performance. Sometimes later. The practice came to an end. "It''s time to go home," I mumbled. As I opened the high-performance chamber to exit. "What happened to you?" Asked Candace Wilkerson. She thought, "His breath somehow seems to be changed. I don''t know why?; This time it''s not due to intuition but my senses felt certain strangeness from him." Hearing her, I was surprised in my heart. "Did she felt something?" I arched my eyebrow as I looked at her to reply. "Nothing, I was practicing as usual," I replied to her. Then I left the place without waiting for her to reply. On the way, I said to myself, " What is wrong with this girl. She is mysterious. I don''t know what her element is?; Yet, she somehow notices things. Which were completely unnoticed by others." "Should I discuss with Uncle James?" I shook my head thinking that. She is my classmate in this Training facility. But there will be a lot of people present. Once I joined the academy. I cannot discuss each and everyone with Uncle James. It would become quite a headache. I left the facility and boarded the train to my home. Days went like that. Until it''s the weekend. I am currently camping at the foot of the mountain Liz. "It''s time for a breakthrough" I uttered. As I felt my cultivation. Cannot remain in a bottleneck anymore. It tore through the limitation barrier and I officially entered the level of Mid-level Trainee Apprentice Warrior. I got up from my mediation mat with excitement. I want to try out my new level. Then I smacked my head. I don''t have lightning energy in my dantian. I have to recover it before trying moves. Then I cultivated again. This time my dantian space is expanded a little. It is to be expected. As my cultivation progresses, my storage capacity in the dantian also increases. With a large amount of lightning, the energy was being attracted from the surroundings. It was quite large comparing to the early stage. As the energy is gathered inside the dantian. The Ancient totem also had some changes due to my breakthrough. The Totem buzzes of giving hazy Violet light. It covers all the gathered energy. The gathered lightning energy was quite separated from each other. The Totem binds them together with its light and makes them purer. The purer the lightning energy, the attack would be more destructive. I don''t know these small activities before? only after a breakthrough, I can perceive small details, I believe following succession breakthrough. Hereafter, Unveil more Mysteries. After collecting enough lightning energy I got up from the mat and went outside the tent. I looked at the surroundings and said to myself, "Last time someone spied on me. Should I do it or not?." I remove hesitation from my mind. I don''t like having the feeling to be on edge all the time. It''s frustrating. After sighing a little. I activate my defensive technique. "THE RECKONING CIRCLE" As the lightning circle formed around me accompanied by small thundering sounds. This time the circle got thicker. I can feel the pure lightning energy gushing through my veins powering up the circle making it denser. "All thanks to Ancient Scripture," I said to myself. Then I remove the lightning circle. I felt a huge adrenaline rush now. I want to try out this amazing lightning power on something. I sighed thinking that. Little did he know. All his activities were monitored by a person sent by Sir Lowell McClain. This is the same person who spied on Zack last week. He disguised himself as a beggar. A Perfect role to roam around the station of Mountain Liz. No one would feel suspicious. After seeing Zack''s breakthrough to Mid-level and later his summoning of the lightning circle. He began to write a report. He already took a video of that. Not only he got a video of his current performance. He made a ton of videos. Which recorded all the activities done by Zack. At the Mountain Liz.The Man send the report to Sir Lowell McClain. Soon, From a faraway place. Sir Lowell McClain, Doing his work on a huge Multiple Sci-fi Screen suspended in the air in front of him. He was looking at one particular screen. Where a team of seven people fighting a huge monster. It''s a four-legged monster. It has a height of 200 meters from the ground. Which is constantly breathing fire around the surroundings. Keeping the team at bay. If one looked closely at the screen they will find its a real-time monitoring system.. Sir Lowell McClain is evaluating the performance of the team. Chapter 51 - Meeting With Seniors 1 Soon, The team of Seven cannot hold back anymore. From the start of the battle, they were pushed towards the back foot position. They were unable to fight the Four-legged fire Monster. Sir Lowell McClain arched his eyebrow witnessing such a scene on the Monitor Screen. He commented, " This batch of recruit is doing not so well. There is still, a lot to improve, When compared to other organizational recruits." As he was contemplating about their performances. His sci-fi watch notified him. After looking at the message received from one of his men. His sullen mood gets some comfort. He started to read the detailed report about Zack Lockwood. There is a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. As he watched the video record of Zack''s defensive technique. He mumbled, "He got a breakthrough. The duration is between two to three months. It is slightly faster than regular lightning Candidates; Looks like the Climatic condition of Mountain Liz is helped little." Then he continued, " On top of it, I believe his lightning grade is higher than expected." After reading the report. Sir Lowell McClain began to operate on his Multiple Sci-Fi screens. He raised Zack''s security level one step further. Which includes gaining access to his information internally. The next day, Zack boarded the train to his training facility. He was seated in his regular seat. Today is going to be fun. I am going to meet a lot of Senior Students and there are chances that some of them already awakened their element. I am looking forward to it. Yesterday''s breakthrough gave me a lot of confidence. Even without showing my lightning ability. I can easily suppress them. So I hope there won''t be a bad situation. The only thing left is to manage my daily schedule. I have read and memorized a lot of information about Class 1 Monster. So far I have completed reading the description about 110 Class 1 Monsters or so. After today''s class. I will decide the schedule at home. Sometimes, later I reached the training facility. I opened the door to the training room. I was greeted by Ms. Adeline Key. Seeing me. She said, " You arrived on time. I am looking forward to seeing your improvement in a hand-to-hand combat exercise." She told me without any expression on her face. I nodded at her and I joined My Classmates Maria Frazier and Candace Wilkerson. Who stood side by side hearing Ms. Adeline Key. They arrived here before me. Ms. Adeline took us to another training room. Where there is no pod chamber. It''s simply for testing your combat skills. After arriving at the room. "I will be fighting each one of you. And I will restrict my strength to your level." Ms. Adeline Key told us. Hearing her rest of us had no issue with it. All of us nodded. But I was expecting internally to fight my classmates. "Zack, it''s your turn first," told Ms. Adeline Key. I stepped forward. There is a small battle platform in the training room without any ring. A. I Monitor System installed on top of the ceiling will access our performance. It sends signals down to the battle platform for assessment. Both of us looked at each other. Maria and Candace. Both girls stood on the sideline to watch our fight. After the signal was given. I made the first move. My movements were agile than before. It was smooth. My left fist aimed at her stomach. If she tries to defend with her hand. I will change my position to attack her with my legs. Ms. Adeline Key was surprised by his smooth and agile movements. She instantly blocks his fist with her hands. Zack bends down and used his legs to kick her. But he failed to land a hit. As she moved back immediately. Seeing Zack on an attacking mode. Ms. Adeline key changed her stance to attack Zack. Time went like that. Every time, Ms.Adeline Key came close to put a blow on him. Zack with his perception ability easily foreseen the movements of her attack. And he was able to evade the attack on time. Everything was analyzed by A. I Monitor Screen. Soon the fight was over. In a given time no one was able to land a hit on each other. Ms.Adeline key was extremely glad. Because Zack was their asset. She commented, "Zack, You got good battle sense. And with that agile movement of yours. It''s very hard for an enemy to land a blow on you." Then she added, " But, of course, this is possible If both of you are at the same level." Hearing her. "I''m just defending. If you used your full strength. I can''t imagine how many of my bones would be broken." I replied her. It may sound humble. It was the truth thanks to my recent breakthrough. My strength got risen not only in elemental power. It still rises a little bit in physical and soul power. Same as with my Blood Cultivation Technique. I feel my bones are a little strengthened. The blood element attribute to Physicality especially Skeleton Structure. I don''t know whether it contributes to My soul and Energy cultivation. Only time will tell. On the sidelines. Both girls had different thoughts running through their minds. Maria Frazier said to herself in heart, " He was strong, Even I wouldn''t be able to defend Ms.Adeline Key''s attack; She got tons of experience in this field. When comes to newbies. She can easily pinpoint his/her weakness and attack it" Then she continued, "But Zack evaded her attack easily and was able to block some of it." Battle intent burned in her eyes thinking that. On the other hand Candace Wilkerson. Had no expression on her face. She knew something changed about Zack. Ever since she felt new vibes from him. She knew it. She didn''t want to pry it further. After Zack left the platform. Then it''s their turn. At first, Candace entered. The Battle was started. Unlike Zack, she was not able to anticipate the attack of the opponent. Ms. Adeline Key was able to land a hit on her with smart moves. Sometime later the battle was over. Both Zack and Candace were failed to land a hit on Ms. Adeline Key. Next, it''s time for Maria Frazier. Zack commented in his heart, " If not for me having perception ability. I wouldn''t battle much better than Ms. Misty (aka Candace Wilkerson)." Then he watched Maria Entered the battle platform. Her battle was started. Time passed. Soon, her battle was over. Her performance was a little paler than Candace''s. At the end of the performance. None of us were able to hit on her. I sighed thinking that. I hope we cleared this evaluation test. Ms. Adeline Key told us, "Wait for me here. I will come up with results of your performance." She left saying that. Meanwhile, the three of us talked a little bit about our performance. Soon, Ms. Adeline Key arrived with reports. She commented, " I already looked at the reports. You guys did well. There is no issue in joining classes with the senior students." Then she added, " I forward the reports to you." We all receive the report. Then Ms.Adeline Key lead us to the actual Advance Class. Where seniors were training. I am excited. Soon, we reached the upper floor. An entire floor is filled with different training rooms. There is a gravity chamber, Underwater Pressure Chamber, Dessert Simulation Chamber, and so on. We reached the common hall. Where the instructions were given. As I entered the hall. I saw four people. Including two males and two females. Ms. Adeline Key pointed them and said, "Hereafter, They will be your senior students and classmates." Then she asked Senior Students to introduce themselves to us. Hearing her one of the Male students stepped forward. He was shorter and had a fat body with black short air. He wore a combat dress. Not a training dress. Looking at the small bird emblem on the chest. I believe it''s related to some organizations. The fat guy came forward and said, "Hi, I am Max Stuart. I am probably a year older than you. My Natural Element is Earth. I am at the Early Stage of Trainee Apprentice." Hearing that I was stumped. There was a gloating look on his face. I commented in my heart, " I was expecting something better. This guy is only at the Early Stage till now." Then I smiled in my heart. Looks like I was worried for nothing. I thought they would be at Peak Stage. Max Stuart was expecting to see surprised looks on newbie''s faces. But he failed to do that. Including Zack, none of them had a change of expression on their faces. Seeing that a look of understanding appeared on Ms. Adeline Key''s eyes. She immediately gestured next person to introduce themselves. This time a guy came forward. He didn''t even have a smile on his face. Looks he doesn''t want to waste a second here. He said," My name is Steven Conway. Nice to meet you." He finished his sentence with that. Seeing that the fat guy commented, "He is a fire element user. And he is at Mid-level of Trainee Apprentice Warrior." Hearing that all of us had a surprising glint in our eyes. I commented in my heart, "Not bad at all. Looks like everybody here is awakened.. But each of us had a different level." Chapter 52 - Meeting With Seniors 2 Hearing the fat guy''s bickering. Steven Conway got annoyed. "If you like to explain so much; you must say it clearly that I am at Mid-level of Trainer Apprentice Warrior; Not Trainee Warrior," told Steven. "Max skipped a whole new level." One of the Senior Girls laughed saying that. She has covered the mouth with her hand. while laughing. Max Stewart got quickly embarrassed. He changed the topic by saying, " You guys should introduce yourself." He pointed at the girls. The girls were stopped laughing. The short girl stepped forward and said, "Hi, I am Ina Walker and She is Andrea Kramer." I looked at their appearance. Ina Walker was short in height had black short hair. Her dress looks like Tuxedo. There is nothing special about it. Andrea Kramer was the same as her. The only stalking difference is their height. She is taller than Ina Walker. Both girls got an ordinary appearance of warriors. Both wore the same dress. There is no glamour in their attire. The two girls belong to the wind element. But they were at an early stage like Max Stuart. Only Steven was at Mid-level may be something to do with his fire affinity. After seniors introduced themselves. Next is our turn. There is no explanation need from our side apart from our name. For them, we were just newbies who yet awaken their element. "So, All the introduction finished. Now it''s time for training." Ms. Adeline key told to us. Then she turned to senior students and said, ''''You guys can go and continue your training." Hearing that All of the senior students nodded and left the hall. The only guys left behind were us. "On the way, you have noticed multiple training room facilities." She added. " Yes, especially there were special environment chambers." Replied Maria. "It was special environment chambers. They Simulate harsh climatic conditions out there; Once you get used to it. You can fight Class 1 monsters in that region" said Ms. Adeline Key. Hearing that Candace asked, " There will be a blood kill test again." "No, For Senior students, they have to hunt and kill Class 1 Monster at an early stage of their evolution; They have to complete this assignment every weekend," Told Ms. Adeline key. Then she turned towards us and smiling said, "Since you guys were not officially awakened; You have to hunt lower-level Monsters. Such as Pseudo Monsters." I can understand. Why she used the term officially. They didn''t inform Senior Students that we have passed the blood kill test. It was a secret test after all. I asked, "is that Everyone has to hunt individually?" Maria and Candace had an expecting look on their faces. Looks like Candace and Maria also had the same doubts as me. Ms. Adeline Key said, " It''s up to you guys. But the kill count should be at least three. If you guys decided to form a team." I interjected immediately by saying, "Nope it won''t work. I had a different schedule; Then it''s just a Pseudo Monster. I can hunt whenever I got the free time." But internally I sighed. I too want to hunt Class 1 Monsters with Seniors. Ms. Adeline Key didn''t refute my argument. She said," It''s fine. But we will give you the location. Where to hunt the Monsters. And you will hunt Specific Monsters according to your Assignments." Hearing that All of us had no problem with it Ms. Adeline Key said, " For that, you have to familiarise yourself with the location. That''s where the help of the special environment chambers Comes." Then she added, "You guys will train here. until your assignment comes." She left the hall by saying that. Then Maria and Candace choose separate environment chambers. I too choose the gravity chamber. It does not come under a special environment chamber. It''s made for physical training. That''s why I am more interested in it. As I enter the training room for Gravity Chamber. I noticed there were multiple specially designed small rooms that were installed from left to right. There were six rooms in total. Starting from level 1 Basic to level 6 Peak. They were divided into difficulties and based on the cultivation of warriors. I entered the basic level room. It was made from rare metal. It was quite thick. Its thickness can be compared to the trunk of a tree. It was very broad. The door closed automatically. After I entered the chamber. I looked around there is no extra space. It has enough space for one person to move his body around. I stretched my hand. They were exactly an inch away from the wall of the chamber. Such an enclosed space. I sighed thinking that. Then I scanned my details in the chamber on A. I monitor the screen. The timer was set for ten minutes. As the countdown started. The huge force pulled me down like suction. Luckily I stand firmly on the floor. Even though I have to bend myself little to alleviate pressure on my back. My breathing seems to be irregular. I need to adjust myself for this gravity. So that I can catch some breath. Ten minutes later. The timer was turned off and the gravity return to normal. I sat on the ground. There was sweat all over my body. Made me look like soaking in a hot water. I am still catching my breath. I didn''t want to turn on the timer yet. I thought me being at the Mid-level of the cultivation. It''s easy to clear the basic level. But looks like no one has yet to use the Advance gravity chambers. Considering the fact beside me and Steven there is no one at Mid-level. Sometime later. I began to practice in the gravity chamber. Meanwhile, Maria and Candace also choose their respective chambers. They also had a similar situation as Zack. Maria her being a water element user. She chooses to train in the underwater pressure chamber. But she can''t hold her breath more than twenty seconds under the water. Candace chooses the dessert training chamber. It is an artificially created environment. Even though it''s not worse compare to the real thing. An increase in temperature made Candace dehydrated immediately. She chooses to reduce her training time a little. Days when like that trio immersed in their new practice session. Over the days, Zack got accustomed to Basic Gravity Chamber. He decided to train his First move of the Sword attack technique. He believed once he get success in training his technique with Black Sword. Then his Sword movement will be very fluent. He was so into it that He didn''t allocate a schedule for the library anymore. Soon, The weekend came it was time for an assignment. In discussion hall. I was chatting with my senior Max. We had a conversation about the Class 1 Monster that He has killed so far in his assignments. He told me that according to the difficulty of their assignment. They will decide to form a team. As we were discussing. I heard footsteps from the front door. "Looks like Ms. Adeline Key came with our assignments," told Max. We got up from our seats. So did the rest of us. Maria and Candace had a conversation with the Senior Girls. Steven Conway didn''t join us today. Don''t know why? "I got an assignment for all of you; I will send it to your contact." Then she sends the assignment to our sci-fi watch. Then all of us received assignments. I read the assignment on my sci-fi watch. My lips curved a little. "White Stripped Forest Spider" I commented in my heart. I did not know what to say. Did the management decide to come up with the monster? Seeing that I failed to kill that Black Spider last time. I sighed a little. It is not comparable to a black spider. Which is a Class 1 Monster. But unlike other spiders this forest spider is clever. even smarter than a black spider in some ways. It won''t attack you with beast instinct. If it feels it''s weaker than the opponent. It won''t hesitate to flee. I have to come up with a good plan. So that I can kill it and cultivate my blood element. I left the hall saying goodbye. It is already too late to catch my train. Hope I will get there in time. I waste my time there in the discussion hall. Waiting to collect my assignment. Ms. Adeline Key has to follow the procedure. We have to sign a consensus letter in front of her. The A.I Monitor screen also records this activity. To deal with future troubles. Sometimes later, Finally, I relaxed after I boarded the train in time. I took the window seat. And began to formulate a plan to kill a white spider. Thanks to the library. I can know about this monster. The habitat of this Monster is the Pinewood forest. Which is located near Pinewood city. Which is a Tier-8 city like Red stone city of ours. According to Map data. This forest is quite large. I don''t know if I will cross-path with Class 1 Monster. Then it would be worth the trip. I should discuss with Uncle James.. Maybe he knows things that I don''t have access to. Chapter 53 - Pinewood Forests After the train journey, I reached home. I went to my room directly. I didn''t find Granny in the garden. She went to a nearby shop. Thinking that I directly laid on my couch. Didn''t even care to remove my sneakers. A sense of comfort wash over me. I commented in my heart, "It feels good. After a long day of training." Due to tiredness. Zack fell asleep. One hour later, I woke up. Massaging my temple. I noticed that I fell asleep for an hour. Then I lazily went for a shower. Had a long bath. After I wore my Shorts and Tees. Decided to do some meditation. At the dining table, "Uncle James, I got an assignment to kill Pseudo Monster. Since I joined the Advance Class. I have to do this kind of assignment every weekend hereafter." Informed Zack. Listening to Zack. Uncle James asked, "Where they assigned you?" Uncle James didn''t mind about Pseudo Monsters. The Assigned location was sometimes caused unnecessary trouble. I answered, "It''s Pinewood Forests, I have to kill White Stripped Forests Spider." I am hoping to get some intel from Uncle James. From library and Alliance Network. I couldn''t find anything other than General description. Uncle James Knitted his eyebrows hearing that. Granny Park also had some doubting look on her face. "I believe that forest is also the habitat of Some Class 1 Monster." Revealed Granny Park. After heard from her. The doubt in my heart is cleared. If it''s possible. I need to kill at least one Class 1 Monster. Uncle James advised me by saying, "It won''t be a problem for you. After your recent breakthrough in energy level(Lightning), It will be easier to battle Class 1 Monster." He continued, "But you have to be careful. There miget, be a frequent occurrence of Pseudo Monsters hoard. And some Class 1 Monster live in Pack; You have to be careful by not coming across them." Granny Park became worried. She noted, "It would be fine. If it is one to one battle. If you find any team. Don''t hesitate to leave that area immediately." She added, "Limit your search area around the border area of the forest. Don''t go deep inside." After hearing both of their points. I gained new clarity over my judgements. It''s good to discuss with both of them. Their experience is something that I don''t have now. I need to go through my plans. Like they said if I come across any pack. It would be difficult to stay in that area. Like Wolf Pack roaming around the forests. I need to be careful of them. We had few conversations. Later I went back to my room. I need a good sleep. Because Tomorrow will be a hectic day. Early Morning, Next Day. I said my goodbyes to Uncle James and Granny Park. And left for the train station. Sometimes later, I boarded the train. The travelling time to Pinewood city is four hours. It''s still a better time. When comparing travelling time for Mountain Liz. I used this time to go through some details about White Stripped Forest Spider. It''s noted that they are usually found in dark caves. They will come outside of the forest to hunt down their prey. Once after hunting down. They will take back the prey to the cave. To consume later. Reading this description. I commented in my heart, " I need to go deep inside the forest. Caves cannot be found in border areas of the forests." I spend my time taking small naps. Until the train reaches Pinewood City Station. Sometimes later, The train reached the station. I left the train and immediately found an air cab. I took the cab to pinewood Forest town. It''s a small town nearby the forests. No monsters can exit the forests. Because Ranger Warrior took Patrol to monitor the area. They will kill any monster that trespasses the livelihood area. Half an hour later. The Air cab dropped me at the Pinewood town''s entrance. I saw dense forest at some distance. But before that, there is a huge wall built around that area. This is the border wall that separates the town from Forests. I had to walk some distance to reach the border wall. There is a Small entrance to that forest. Before that, I have to submit my details to the Ranger office. At Ranger''s office. It was a wide room built near the border wall. Multiple holoscreen projecting different areas of the forests. Numerous staff were working here monitoring the situation. This is just one of the offices. Which is monitoring the northern border area of the forests. Then I informed my purpose of the visit to officials. After collecting my credentials. They allowed me to enter the forests area. I came to the entrance gate. After giving some glance to the border wall. I entered the forest. There is a small footpath going deep inside the forests I followed the footpath. I opened the map in my sci-fi watch. There were three zones. First zone include border areas and some inner parts of the forests. Third zone included the core region of the forest. Where class 1 Monster usually lives. The second zone surrounds the third zone. It acts like buffer between first zone and third zone. The second zone is a grey area. Where I can find caves that inhabiting white stripped forest spider. As I was following the footpath. The ground underneath starts to shake. "What''s happening?" I commented in my heart. I quickly moved from that area. The place I was standing before was started to crack. A huge worm came upward through the hole. Seeing it for the first time. I had the urge to vomit. It''s a Common Ground Worm Pseudo Monster. It wriggled its huge body to move completely from the ground. I pulled my black sword. Seeing it coming towards me to attack. I didn''t face it straightforwardly. I moved immediately from that place and aimed at its abdomen. I used my full strength to attack it''s abdomen with my sword. A huge chunk of flesh fell off. As I sliced. The worm started to twist its body. Seeing that I moved again wanted to completely separate its body into two. After some effort. I succeeded. This worm is something. Even after It divided into two. The organ is still active. I used my sword to decapitate its head. Then everything settled down. The battle would have been ended long ago. If I used my lightning attack. But there is a monitoring system installed. This area is still close to the border wall. So I got no choice to attack it with my sword. I decided to enter the second zone quickly. So that I can use my hand more freely. I continued the path again. Finally, I reached the grey zone. On the way, I didn''t encounter any pseudo monsters. The footpath itself is narrow. On top of it there were some brushes grown. Making it harder to walk further. The footpath ended in grey zone. It didn''t continue further. Because deep inside there is the area of the Class 1 Monster. It''s a Zone 3. I looked around the area. It''s a dense forest filled with trees and bushes. Hereafter, I have to navigate my way. I looked at the Map. I marked the approximate area. "Where to follow" I wondered inside. I decided to follow east. I used a camping knife to mark a sign on the tree along the way. It''s already getting dark. I need to find open land. A soon as possible. As I was walked further deep inside the east region of the grey zone. Soon, I found a small cave. It''s a naturally formed rock. With a huge cleave in it. The cleave is enough for me to hide from the Pseudo Monsters. After climbing up the rock and enter inside the opening of the cave. I took out some plants. And made powder of it. I spread the powder covering the mouth of the cave. It''s a repellent powder. It''s very annoying for Pseudo Monsters. If they smell it. They won''t hesitate to walkway from this place. Seeing its entirely dark. I started to put up a tent. And setup some sensors to trip me in advance. Whenever there is a incident. After arranging the tent completely. I ate the canned food for dinner. All this time I had to be on guard. To watch out for any monster roaming around this area. Because the location of this huge rock is in a random place. So, there is a huge chance of Monster activities here. The only good thing happened so far is. There is no monitor system here. I can use my lightning to kill the monster.Without worrying about ranger''s eyes. I once again checked the sensors at the entrance of the cave. Before I went to sleep. I didn''t consume the blood of the worm to cultivate blood element. Because it''s blood is not in red colour. It''s a disgusting liquid with yellow colour. There is huge pungent smell came when its blood spilled on the ground. I had to forget about cultivating blood element.. Witnessing that. Chapter 54 - Assassination Starts As I was sleeping in the tent peacefully. I heard some growling noise from outside. At first, I didn''t mind it. But it continued for some time. I opened my eyes suddenly. And perked my ear to listen attentively. And then I heard the growl again. I commented in my heart, " It''s real and I''m not hallucinating." I got up slowly in the tent without making a noise. I went outside of the tent. I crouched around the tent. And sneakily looked outside. Seeing that I gasped internally. I saw a pack of wolves sniffing outside continuously. I commented in my heart, "Black Wolf." I saw six wolves sniffing outside circling at the entrance of the cave. I looked at them cclosely to identify their gender. Three of them is female and two is male. And there is no Alpha among the packs. I wondered where is the Alpha now. Luckily, this wolf pack belong to the pseudo-Monster family. But still, it poses a threat. I can''t fight these numbers. I pinned my hopes on the repellent powder. That I sprayed at the entrance of the cave. Soon, the wolves after sniffing they didn''t find anything. The wolf left one by one. I became relax seeing that. I firmly stood in my location for one hour. Safely guarding the entrance. Hoping that the wolves should not return here. After some time. Seeing the outside is safe. I went back to the tent to have some sleep. Meanwhile The Masked Man assigned to kill the Seeds mentioned the kill list. Arrived at Pinewood City. It''s just a coincidence. He happens to be in the same city as Zack. After arriving at the Pinewood City Station. The Masked Man went to the nearby alley in the street. He called his underlings. Soon, Four men wearing a Tuxedo appeared. The Masked Man looked at his sci-fi watch. And Read the names in the kill list. Soon, he read the target''s name in Pinewood city. "Carl Jones- Pinewood City, Fire element user." The Masked Man commented in his heart. The Masked Man turned to one of his men and ordered, "The target is Carl Jones, Kill him without leaving any evidence." And he added, "You guys got one day time." All of them nodded and quickly disappeared into the valley. Meanwhile, Zack woke up the next day. I woke up a little early this morning. There is morning sunlight shown throughout the forests. I don''t want to travel in the noon. It would be quite hot and dehydrating. I so decided to travel in the morning time. I packed my stuff and left the cave. I began to travel further deep inside the forest. Same time cutting huge grown bushes along the way. And marking signings on the tree. Soon, I came across open land. There is a herd of Pseudo Monsters here. It''s a herd of four-legged herbivores monsters. It''s a one-meter in size. With a black body and white horn in it. I watched these beautiful Monsters leave after grazing some grasses in the land. And I didn''t plan to kill them. After the hoard left. I continued my journey. It''s noontime. I sighed thinking that "I need to find some hideout soon, otherwise, I will be dehydrated completely." I commented in my heart. As I was searching for a hideout. I was attacked by a dangerous Pseudo Monster. It was a Black tiger. The attack was so sudden that I failed to defend it. I rolled backwards and heavily hit the nearby tree. Red blood was spilt from my mouth. I moved my body quickly from that place. Even though there is an enormous pain in my back. I looked at the Pseudo Monster. The Black Tiger had a huge body. Its size is twice of a man. Its two blazing eyes glared at me. We were seeing each other''s eyes. It suddenly leapt towards me. Using its huge claw as a frontal attack. Seeing that I pulled my huge black sword. I used it as a shield. When the claw of the monster cane towards me. "Screatch¡­" as the sound of clinging. Reverberated through the entire forests. I felt a huge force pressing down on me. I am barely able to hold its paw with my physical strength. Suddenly, The ground underneath my foot was beginning to crack. Its two huge fangs were just an inch away from my face. I quickly summoned my lightning attack. "Reckoning circle" A thunderous sound sounded accompanied by violet sparks flying everywhere. A Violet Circle is filled with lightning energy. Appeared in front of me. It was a beautiful spectacle. I observed everything in a very slower mode. But looking from outside. It was all happened in a moment. Poor Soul. The Black tiger Pseudo Monster got electrocuted. As soon as Violet lightning circle touches its skin. Its entire black body becomes even blacker. Due to electrocution. Soon, A toasted smell attacked my nose. Suddenly, its body moved. Seeing that I was startled and checked its body. "it got a tough life. Even after electrocution. It is left with half-life." I commented in my heart. I used my sword to pierced its heart. Then it''s dead completely. Once and for all. The good thing for me is that. I can use the blood of the Pseudo Monster for my blood cultivation. I moved its body to the storage ring. Meanwhile In Pinewood City, Four underlings and their team leader were following Carl Jones. Carl Jones was Son of Pinewood Academy''s Dean. Unlike, Hansen Training facility which is built for sword users. Pinewood Academy is built for Fire element users. The city has the majority of people who have awakened their element as the Fire element. So, it''s a very rare sight to see. People with different elemental abilities. Carl Jones is currently headed to a famous fish restaurant with his two friends. So sad for them. They don''t know that. Their life is currently hanging on the thread. This famous fish restaurant is located in the area of the bustling street. Where shops of all kinds were doing their business. Attracting all sorts of warriors visiting this street. But today this street is going to be filled with stains of blood. As the leader of the underling Instructed his men to cover all the exit zone. Because he is going to attack Carl Jones. Meanwhile, Zack After storing the black tiger''s body. He continued his journey. I can''t wait to cultivate my blood technique. Last time I got the blood of Snake. This time it''s going to be a black hole tiger. Soon, I stumbled across the tree. It''s the first time that I have witnessed such humongous creation of nature. It was 1000 ft in height. I saw there is a small hole in the trunk of the tree. It''s not enough to hide the size of a human. I quickly moved into the hole. The whole was slightly uncomfortable. It has no uniform structure. I took my sword to make a comfortable seat to meditate. Then I pulled the body of the black Tiger from my storage ring. I placed my hand on top of its head. This is the new trick I found recently. I don''t know whether it will succeed or not. As I recite the word of blood technique. The circular blood ring in my consciousness starts to shine. A huge suction force appeared on the palm of my hands. The purified blood from the black tiger got sucked into my palms. Unlike, last time I stupidly misunderstood. Blood consumption means. I do not have to drink that nasty blood all the time. The Actual Meaning of the blood scripture means allowing the blood of a monster to enter your body. It doesn''t mean I have to consume orally. Which is an indirect method. As the blood rune is constantly shining. The blood from the monsters entered my body. And the blood element starts to attract white energies from the monster''s blood. The white energies being drilled into my bones. Due to that, I felt huge pain. Like my bones being molten. There is already a form of thin lines formed in my bones. It''s getting to become thicker by the time. Soon, the monster''s blood becomes dried. And the white energies stopped drilling into my bones. I store the monster body for sales. Meanwhile, The Underlings of the Masked Man going to stage a massacre. As the leader of the underling took a black rapier. He instantly flashed in a moment appeared in front of them. The trio of friends had stopped their breath for a moment. A look of horror appeared in trio eyes as they took a sight of black rapier. But unfortunate for them. Their body become stilled due to fear. The leader of the underlings didn''t waste any moment to use his black rapier. The leader of the underling moved his black rapier to slice the throat of the trio. It was happened in a flash moment without making a sound. Blood spilled kin the ground. The trio fell of holding their throats.. There is still look of disbelief in their eyes. Chapter 55 - Assassin Ed It was all happened in a flash of a moment. The leader of the underlings disappeared from that spot immediately. So, as his men. It took some seconds for people to notice the dead bodies. A small cute girl holding hands with her father. Her gaze fallen on dead bodies having their eye opened wide in horror. See witness the blood from the slit throat is gushing like water. "Ahh!" The little girl screamed in fear. Her father heard her daughter''s fearful cry. He shouted, "Lia, What happened?." The little girl Lia pointed her tiny hands to the fallen bodies. Her father watched her action. He noticed, "Someone got killed in actual broad daylight." On the other hand, the little girl''s condition got worsened. Having overwhelming fear took over her. She instantly fainted on the spot. Her Father immediately took her into his embrace. He escaped from the street. While shouting, "Murder, Murder. Someone got killed." Having heard his fearful scream. People saw the reality. Some of the warriors in the street. Immediately called Pinewood city''s law enforcement. Soon, A team of ten people arrived from the law enforcement. They were all "SPECIAL TRAINEE" Ranked Warriors. One of the men took the lead. And start to inspect the dead body. The remaining men split into a team of three having three people each. Started to look for the murderer. They didn''t leave any nook and corner of the bustling street. People were ordered to leave. Shops are all being closed down. Soon, the entire area become deserted. The Man who was inspecting the dead bodies. Notices their throat got slit in one move, with his experience he can guess the name of the crime weapon. "Rapier" He commented in his heart. He was Captain of the three teams. Meanwhile, The Masked Man was reading a magazine in the high-end apartment located at the heart of the "PINEWOOD CITY" The Apartment was one of the main attractions of the city. It was built with famous marble. When some light is shown. The marbles reflect orange light. When people looking at it from the outside. It exhibits dazzling beauty. Like the building was lit on fire. No one would believe it. This actual famous building treated GRIMM Reaper of SEED candidates as one of their VVIP''s. While reading his magazine. His Sci-Fi watch notified him that he got a visitor. The Masked Man looked at his sci-fi watch. His lips curved a little. Soon, the door opened. The Visitor is none other than the leader of the underlings. He entered the room. Seeing the leader is coming. "Ed, I know it''s a piece of cake for you." Said, the Masked Man. He gestures to take a seat. The Name of the leader is "Edward Foley" he belongs to Underworld Organization. Famed for training an assassin. He wore the facial skin of a middle middle-aged in the early forties to hide his identity. Assassins never reveal their facial identity to anyone. Even his name Edward Foley was registered as duplicate I.D. Nobody knows his real name except himself. Edward Foley took a seat. The Masked Man said, "Here, it is your mission''s reward." As he transfers 1 Million credits for eliminating Carl Zones. Using his sci-fi watch to Edward Foley''s account. Edward Foley checked his account. The amount was wired in instant. He commented in his heart, "One million Credits for killing Black Level Threat. Such, Lucrative business." "Since, My job is done. I''m leaving. I have got New assignment from my employer." Told Edward Foley. As he was stood from, the seat to leave. Suddenly, The Masked Man sci-fi watch buzzed. It was an encrypted message from their spy in Red Stone City. After he deciphers it. The Masked Man starts to read the message. But suspiciousness rouse in his heart about the target''s cultivation level. He smilingly said, "It saves time". "Ed, wait!" He shouted. Edward Foley asked, "What is it now?" The Masked Man said, "I have received new intel. That another target of mine is here. He went to Pinewood forests." Hearing that Edward Foley knitted his eyebrow. The Masked Man continued, "I know it''s overkill for you. Could you do it for me?" Hearing that Edward Foley had suspicions in his heart. He asked, "Who are you? Your organization sent you here with four capable warriors under your command." Then he added, " At first, you ordered your men to kill Carl Zones. But Suddenly you hired me as their leader to watch over them and agreed to pay one million credit to kill Carl Zones." A wide grin appeared on Masked Man''s face as he started to listen to Ed. But none could see from outside due to his Mask. He put the Mask on his face all the time. But soon the wide grin disappeared. His face becomes expressionless. He replied, " I have received an Intel from a credible source. Saying that one of my men is turn out to be an enemy spy, But I don''t, know? Which one is it?." He commented in his heart, "Luckily, Intel was arrived on time. Because of it, I was able to make quick decision and call them back before they find trail of Carl Jones." Suddenly, His face becomes ruthless in thought of that. He said, "I am going to find out soon. Then I''m going torture him for fooling me." Then he added, "I can''t give any important mission to them. Until I weed out the spy; So, I am going to hire you to kill again, Do you want to do it or not?" Hearing that a look of clarity appeared in Edward Foley''s thoughts. He commented in his heart, " So, that''s what it is. I too felt something vague about them. Rats are present in every organization. That''s why I liked to work as Solo-Assassin." He replied smilingly, "Well I thought. We were both users of Rapier Weapon. So, you used me as a proxy to make your organization think that you are working like hell to fulfill your targets; But As long as you will pay me. I don''t mind anything." Then Ed added, " Don''t you think. It''s still too much to waste time on unawakened one." Suddenly, Ed commented in his heart, " But to kill an unawakened target. No, he seems to be awakened recently. Otherwise, why would he venture alone into Pinewood Forest?" Ed said, "Your intel is really lacking." The Masked Men replied, "I also had same thought. When I read the intel." He continued, "To venture into that first. He needed to be an awakened one; So I am going to hire you to make sure there is no variable arises. " Meanwhile, Zack left the tree after blood cultivation and continued along his journey. Sometimes later, I am sure something changed internally. After I consumed white energy from the Blood of Black Tiger Pseudo Monster. I hope it would bring benefits to me. While fighting monsters. On the other hand, I came to the location of "WHITE STRIPPED FORESTS SPIDER". I am hoping that I won''t find any other Pseudo Monster in this vicinity. As I am walking cautiously without making noise. I feel like I''m entering the lion''s den. At first, I thought two days will be enough for me. But after arriving at this forest. I can see Pseudo Monsters now and then. Roaming around the forest freely. But I am unable to kill them openly for fear of attracting more monsters. But now it doesn''t matter. I can fulfill my mission now. As I saw an underground cave. I gasped seeing that and a smile blossomed on my face. I never thought it would be an underground cave. Then I climb down the cliff carefully. The underground cave does not entirely go deep inside the earth. I began to follow the path. By Moving slowly I can see the Zig Zag pattern going deep. But I''m carefully looking at the surface to find White Stripped Forests Spider. Also to look out for other Monsters. Suddenly, I heard something moving on the small rocks. I crouched down a little. And began to look at the surroundings. Soon I saw something that I stopped to breathe for a moment. "Red Scaled Centipede Pseudo Monster" I commented in my heart. It was not one but a Pair of Monster. Two monsters were thirty meters long. Several hundreds of its legs moving simultaneously. I didn''t want to make any noise. It''s good that I read about these monsters at the library. I can safeguard myself against them without pissing them off. This cave may be home to a lot of Monsters. But I sighed in my heart wondering "Where is my monster?". According to the description. White Stripped Forest Spider. May flee if it felt threatened. I hope such a situation won''t occur. I cannot chase and hunt it down in these hostile environments. I had doubts in my heart. Should I follow this path? Where it''s getting darker and darker. But luckily, I saw web patterns on a certain rock. Where there is a large hole inside it.. I am certain that there is something inside it. Chapter 56 - Assignment Completed As I moved slightly towards the edge of the hole. Cautiously guarding myself against any sudden movement. I looked back to find the Pair of Centipede Pseudo Monster. "Luckily, they were nowhere to see" I commented in my heart. As I prepared to look through the hole. The hole is quite large. I gasped seeing that. Looking from distance it appeared to be a small hole. But, now it can easily fit the size of a human. Suddenly, A Spider had a size of 5ft in length and 2m in height. Open its numerous eyes, its senses were heightened that something trespasses its area. It delighted that it doesn''t have to look for food. It only had to spin its web and make its prey immobile and slightly inject its deadly venom into the prey. So, that it can easily consume later. It started to move. I decided to enter the hole, but my perception activated instantly to intimate danger. I can perceive something huge coming towards me from the hole. After knowing that I moved back and maintained a certain distance for battle. The Spider got startled, seeing the prey moving backward. It quickened its movement and exited the hole. I never thought this Spider would be this ugly. From its name, I expected something different. Not a mucous-filled monster. The spider was entirely in grey. Unlike, the black spider from the blood kill test. It doesn''t have any spike in its legs. But there are mucous secreting glands in its abdomen. As I remember it correctly from the library. I didn''t want to use any powerful movements for now. There is a possibility, it might escape seeing that. I have to finish it with my sword quickly. So, my strategy is that I''m going to evade its attack and look for an opportunity to kill it. The spider after exiting the entrance. It turned towards Zack. It didn''t feel any threatening aura from him. It leaped towards him and at the same time, it Spit Silk Thread attack to pin him on the ground. The silk thread it''s a good binding attack. It''s difficult to escape once you get stick into it. The Silk thread was quite thick and its projectile was fast. It will be hard for Zack to escape by slicing through the silk thread. I saw the spider leaping toward me. I readied my black sword in hand to slice its body in half. But before that, it spewed silk thread to attack me. It was so fast and the distance was not enough to dodge it. I never expected its attack would be this fast. One of the hurdles for me is that the different landscape in this cave makes it harder for me to move around. I commented in my heart, "No wonder, Training facility gave assignments weekly. It is one thing to battle in an enclosed dome platform. But here it is the actual training in a real environment; though it''s a Pseudo Monster. The Environment here makes it harder to battle. I had to climb around some of the pointy rocks. Had to crouch a little here and there to avoid getting injuries from it." I tried to move away from my spot. I easily evaded initial thread attacks. But the last one binds my left hand. Once I moved away from the spot. I tried to remove the silk thread. But it needs time to focus on it. Which I can''t afford it now. The spider witness its attack and was easily evaded. It landed on the exact spot. Where Zack stood on before. It saw its silk attack landed on Zack''s left hand completely binding it. Zack''s palm was entirely covered with silk thread. He can only use his right hand to hold a black sword. Meanwhile, Red Scaled Centipede Pseudo Monster was hiding somewhere in a distant rock. This time there is only one monster, not pair. It is waiting for its enemy to come outside. Zack wouldn''t have expected that. This Centipede Pseudo Monster had a feud with White Stripped Forests Spider. Last time the spider felt threatened by its attack and went inside its hole for hiding. But, now Centipede Pseudo Monster senses that its enemy had come out. It moved slowly to attack its enemy. Meanwhile, Zack. I hold my black sword and swung it smoothly to attack its legs. Seeing that the spider rotates its body to safeguard itself from the attack. But it failed, My Black sword tip easily slice one of its hind legs. The sword went smooth like butter. It easily split its legs into two. The Spider seeing it failed to defend and lose one of its legs. It felt threatened. It wants to hide inside its hole. Seeing that Zack moves towards the entrance of the hole. Thereby, blocking it. Having no choice The White spider turned around escape towards the cave''s exit. It wants to escape through the forests and find some other hideout. Seeing that Zack was startled. I didn''t expect it to escape soon. I didn''t want to waste any time in chasing. Seeing that it''s very familiar in these surroundings, it escaping quickly by leaping from one rock to another. I decided to use my full strength. I have to kill it immediately. Because I only got a half-day time limit to leave the forests. I became worried seeing the distance between the spider and me is getting further and further away. But, suddenly the spider hastily stopped its movements. It''s got attacked by something. Due to that it flown away like a ragged ball and landed on the nearby rock. I stopped my movements seeing that. The Spider was landed in an upside-down posture. It cannot turn its back to its normal position. It''s trying very hard to move. But it''s every move getting futile. Seeing this good opportunity. I quickly move towards it and used my Black Sword to pierce its head. Blood flew like gushing water from its head. Its body movements stopped in an instant. I quickly used my storage ring to store its body. It happened in all fast. That I forget an important guest. Who played a vital role in attacking this Monster. The Rad Scale Centipede Monster didn''t leave this place immediately. It noticed Zack when he quickly went near to the spider. "I have completed my Assignment" I commented in my heart. A smile blossomed on my face. When I saw the Red Centipede that helped me to kill it. I didn''t have to hold any reservations now. I am going to hunt down all the Monsters along the way for blood cultivation. I used my lightning energy then a violet sparks appeared on my left hand. The silk thread that covered my left hand was got burnt and fallen. I freely rotated my left hand as I move towards the Red scaled Centipede. Like I expected unlike the White Stripped Spider, All other Pseudo Monsters had low I.Q. Even after I exposed my lightning energy it didn''t escape. It chose to attack me. The Centipede leaped on Zack. It got furious when Zack killed that Spider. It felt like he stole its prey. As I summoned my "RECKONING CIRCLE". A Violet circle appeared accompanied by small thunderous sounds. The Lightning Circle looks dazzling having me as its center. The huge body of Centipede came in contact with lighting energy. Zack got an impeccable defence as well as a deadly attack. The Reckoning Circle acts as Combo Move. Not only had the body of the Centipede come in contact with the lightning but also its mouth. The lightning power went inside its inner organs. Due to that all of its organs got roasted both inside out completely. I sighed seeing all of its blood got evaporated. "Such a Waste of opportunity" I commented in my heart. Unlike, the Black tiger. The Centipede got its life taken away. When it decided to use its fangs to bite my Lightning circle. I left the body in this cave and decided to exit. "It''s time to go home" I mumble as I walked towards the exit. After exiting the cave. I climbed up the cliff and decided to follow the Marking I left behind on the trees. Fortunately, I didn''t come across another Pack of Pseudo Monsters. Soon, I saw the huge tree where I cultivated blood element from Black Tiger. I took a glance and continued my journey. Sometimes later, My eyes turned serious as I saw Alpha Wolf. This time there are no other members of its pack behind it. It was the same place where I spent yesterday night. "Looks like its members went for the hunt" I commented in my heart. But I had suspiciousness in my heart. Why didn''t it went alongside them? Usually, Alpha will lead the pack. But here it''s spending time alone. As I decided to hide and observe it closely, Since it''s alone I don''t have any fear of it attacking me. I turned my perception on to see what is going on actually. "No, wonder. It got injured that''s why it didn''t go for the hunt; should I use this opportunity to kill it? Alpha blood might be stronger than other wolves. It will certainly bring benefits to my physic." I commented in my heart. But still, there is a bit of hesitation.. It''s already getting late to leave this place. Chapter 57 - Escape "Maybe I should come next time," I commented in my heart. I decided to leave this place without making any noise. The Alpha Wolf didn''t notice anything suspicious. It is sleeping peacefully. I began to follow the path to Zone 1. On my way, there is no Pseudo Monster. Therefore I quickened my pace a little. "Now it looks way easier to find a way back to the exit Zone 1" I mumbled myself as I carefully looking every Marking on the tree. For the time being everything seems fine. But, Suddenly I had bad premonition. I have feeling that it''s not going to be easy way back home. I operated my sci-fi watch to send message to Uncle James. I typed, "Uncle James, I have completed my assignment. Now, I''m on my way to Zone 1. But I have a vague feeling that if I came across some monsters along the way. It will take time to leave. So, don''t worry about me." I sent the message to Uncle James. And I also forwarded this message to Northern Border Ranger''s office. It is restricted to make call here. Ranger''s office know details of number of people entering and exiting the forests on daily basis. If there is a situation arise they will dispatch their Rangers soon. So, I continued my journey without any worries. Sometimes later, "I didn''t thought my premonition would come so soon" I commented in my heart. Because, before me it''s an infamous CRAZY RED SCAED HYENAS. I stopped my movement, and turned around to look for its pack. I activated my perception ability and covered the area more than eight metres. Soon, a sphere of mind map appeared in my consciousness. When I was first awakened I can barely cover five metres. But, after consumption of Mercy''s lotus and also some indirect effect of lightning and blood rune have risen my perception. My perception now can cover up to eight metres around me. "It''s going to be serious this time. Zack, how are you going to solve this?" I laughed at myself. As I focussed my attention on mind map. "The Hyena in front of me is not Pseudo Monster. It is a Class 1 Monster which lives in Zone 3." I commented in my heart. From the mind map, I found the Hyena is busy eating flesh of some other monster. So, The Hyena couldn''t notice me. "I should have move faster earlier in my journey" I mumbled. Then I removed these thoughts my mind and focussed on Hyena. It''s good that there is no other Hyenas around this vicinity. If its members were present it wouldn''t have luxury to consume the food alone by itself. I only got Lightning circle as an effective attack. There is a drawback in using it. For that I have to be in defensive position and also I have to use my sword to kill it at. When it got hurt by lightning circle. It''s a close combat combo move. Hereafter, I should focus my training on Sword attack more than Lightning circle. I''m too dependent on it. Imagine, if I were to use Black Sword to Charge Lightning Energy and aim at this Hyena. I can kill it from faraway distance. It a handy long range attack. "It is waste of time to think about it now. Let''s kill it quickly and move away from this pace." I comforted myself. I move towards the RED SCALED HYENA from behind its back. I took my Black Sword from the storage ring. The Hyena still busy eating its food. It''s ripping flesh from its razor sharp teeth. Suddenly, it stopped eating the food. There was a bit of flesh is still hanging in its mouth. The RED SCALED HYENA CLASS 1 MONSTER is five metres in height and six metres in length. And very hard defensive red scales covered its whole body. The perfect razor sharp teeth to tear anything off making it look like Perfect Predator created by nature. The Hyena raised its head and started to sniff by its nose. Seeing that "Looks like it found me." I commented in my heart. The huge bite that hanging from its mouth is dropped down. The Hyena turned it head slightly. It looked at Zack. Saliva drooling from its mouth. It made some growling sound seeing its new prey. The Hyena wants to taste it. It moved quickly from that place and ran towards Zack. I readied my posture for battle. It is going to be challenging because this Hyena is a big guy. I pulled my Black Sword and evaded its jaw from biting me. I crouch down and rolled frontwards. Its head alone is half of my body size. I jumped enough that I slashed my Sword back at its body. Several dazzling Red Scales that covered Hyena''s body were looked like Armours. My Sword had made a small cut on the Red Scale. Seeing that smile blossomed on my face. Because we are on same level of energy cultivation. This Monster may belong to level 1 category. But its physical strength seems to be at Mid-level of Trainee Apprentice Warrior. I had a good chance to kill it. Having small injuries on its body. The Hyena''s eyes raged with fire. It became bloodthirsty. It want to tear down Zack by taking huge bite from its mouth. The Hyena started make growling sound even stronger. Hearing that I was startled "What happened?" I commented in my heart. I thought it is going to attack me fiercely after witnessing its own injury. But looking at its action, I had bad premonition in my heart again. The Hyena is calling its companions. It''s going to be dangerous. If I''m got surrounded by group of bloodthirsty Hyena''s. I decided to escape from this spot. Meanwhile, At the outside of the Border Wall. Assassin Ed went to an inn for a drink. He wore a black tuxedo looked like normal person going for a meeting. "Who''s there? Bring me a drink." Told Assassin Ed to the Waiter. He knitted his eyebrow as he looked outside. "It''s getting dark. He should be return from the Pinewood forest by now." I commented in my heart. I should not be wasting my time here to kill a Rat. There are several Black and Red level targets in the order for me to kill. It''s Masked Man job to collect Intel and place order for assassination. He wants to hire me to verify his level and kill him. As he thought of this Assassin Ed mood becomes sullen. Suddenly, His sci-fi watch notified him something. Assassin Ed looked at his watch and decipher the encrypted message. He cancelled his drink and went outside of the inn. To some secluded place to read the message. After reading the message. He sighed and turned his head towards the Border Wall. He mumbled, "What''s his name? Zack, isn''t it? You got lucky this time. I got an emergency order to do and the reward for the mission is five hundred million credit points." His lips curved little reading five hundred million. Comparing to rat. This is way more important. Assassin Ed sent a message to Masked Man saying that "He will cancel this mission due to unforeseen circumstances. If he got time in future He will accept the order again to kill Zack. In Meanwhile, if you cannot wait for that long. Then you have to do this yourself." After Assassin Ed sent the message. He didn''t even look back at the border wall. He immediately left this border town by Air Cab. But he doesn''t know that everything done by him was being monitored by a homeless beggar sitting at the gates of the inn. He looked at the Air Cab that was left. There was sharp glint in his eyes seeing that. Then the beggar turned his attention towards the border wall waiting for certain person to exit. Meanwhile, Zack being chased by the Red Scaled Hyena Class 1 Monsters. There is still one more hour to reach Zone 1. On the way I made Successive attack on its legs to make its speed slower. Blood dripping down from several injuries sustained by Red Scaled Hyena. But it''s still wants to chase down Zack and kill him. Suddenly there was several growling sounds hearing that my heart starts to beat faster. I looked back a little while running. "It''s over" I commented in my heart. Five more hyena''s joined the injured Red Scale Hyena including its pack Leader. The Pack leader was male. It was bigger than rest of them. It looked towards two Hyenas it''s beside and made some noise. Hearing that Two Hyena''s immediately started to chase me down. And rest of them followed in a slow pace. Seeing that I made decision in my heart. I need to wait for a perfect opportunity to use Lightning Circle. The distance between us started to reduce. I know it''s futile to run. I turned back and faced them. There is still two hundred metres distance between us. The Two Hyena''s slowed down their speed seeing me turn back. They looked into each other eyes. There is also some surprise glint in eyes of its leader.. It thought now it''s going to be easy to hunt down its prey. Chapter 58 - Reached Home I confronted these two Hyenas. I am looking at their movements to find out their intention. "Which one is going to attack me? " I mumble a little, one of the Two Hyenas move towards me. Seeing that I hold my Black Sword and raise against it. I swung my Sword a little to see its reaction. But it never paid attention to it. I''m also waiting for a good opportunity to use Lightning Energy. Suddenly, The Hyena on the left side leaped towards me. It used its huge claw to attack me. As its huge paw with sharp claw reached an inch away from me. I hold my Sword horizontally to block it. My Black Sword took the blow. It didn''t even break. Certainly, I can feel this Black sword is Something. I''m holding on my own against this hyena. We were both matched in strength. The Hyena got mad watching that. Seeing it failed to do tear down its prey it applied even more force on the Black Sword. I knitted my eyebrow. "Common make your move, what are you waiting for?" I shouted in my heart. From one eye I looked at another hyena. If both of this Hyena make their move at the same time. Then it would be effective to use the lightning attack. This was all happened within a few minutes. By the time the rest of Hyena''s reached me, including the injured one. While I was confronting these two hyenas. They start to surround me to block my escape. But the eyes of its Leader didn''t leave me. It casually starts walk around me. While watching its members attack me. The Hyena on the right side finally made its move. It opened its mouth which had perfect predator teeth to attack me. A smile blossomed on my face seeing that. "RECKONING CIRCLE" I commanded. A lightning circle appeared in an instant. Hereby electrocuting both of the monsters. Both of the hyenas got only half of their life left. They were growling in pain. Only a little sound can be heard from their mouth. Due to little amount of energy left inside them. Other hyenas quickly got startled seeing that. A commotion appeared among the packs of Hyena''s, seeing its members beaten to death. Some of the Hyenas left seeing that incident. Leaving behind its Leader wondering. The injured Hyena also left with them. There is a bit of hesitation that appeared in the Leader''s eyes. It didn''t want to leave its prey. I saw all of the hyenas left except its leader and two other hyenas growling on the ground. I felt the leader hyena want to leave. So, I didn''t waste any time attacking it. I used the same Lightning Circle making it immobile. Sometimes later, I store the bodies of three hyenas in my storage ring. Then I continued my journey back to the border wall. This time I didn''t waste any time and quickened my pace further. Soon, I saw the border wall at distance. My entire being become relaxed seeing that. I deactivated my perception ability. For the entire time, I didn''t deactivate my perception ability. It acts as good vigilance for me and saves me from sudden attacks. I reached the border wall and gave a last look at it. "I don''t know where will be my next assignment?" I commented in my heart. As I exited from the entrance. Then I went towards the Northern border''s office for reporting. Fortunately, I made it on time. I am two hours behind my schedule. I can manage that. After reporting was done. I found an inn to eat dinner. I took an empty seat. Soon, a waiter arrived to see me. "Give me grilled meat with some side dish," I ordered. Usually, at this time, I will eat dinner at home. I sighed thinking that then I looked at my sci-fi watch and found so many notifications from Uncle James and Granny Park. I replied to them that I''m fine. And I will be leaving from Pinewood Town after having dinner. The dinner arrived. I spent some time eating the food in leisure. Sometimes later, I left the inn after paying them with credit. I booked an Air Cab directly to White Snow city. It''s an expensive one. There is no train to White Snow City at this time. So, I don''t have any choice. After waiting for some time I entered the Air cab and leave for White Snow City. The Homeless beggar at the gate of the inn. Went to a nearby secluded place and operated his Sci-Fi watch to report everything. The Homeless beggar is none other than but Sir Lowell McClain''s men send here to watch over Zack. After sending the report he disappeared from that place. After five hours of travel, I reached home. My lips curved a little. These two days were nothing but an Adventure. As I was prepared to enter the room. I saw Uncle James and Granny Park discussing something serious in the hall. My mood becomes sullen seeing that. Their expression is a little bit tensed. "I don''t know why they are tensed. I already told them that I''m coming home safely." I quickened my pace towards them. Hearing my footsteps the discussion stopped. They looked at me. I saw both of their eyes. I asked, "What happened? Anything serious!" I took an empty seat. While asking. Hearing my question. Uncle James said, "You were quite lucky today and got escaped from great danger." I can see there is a bit of seriousness in his tone. I knitted my eyebrow and rubbed my temple and asked directly, "What is it, Could you explain me directly without holding anything?" I had enough with this puzzling talk. Hearing my question. Granny Park said, "We have received a tip saying that someone sent an assassin to kill you." Then she continued, "While you went inside Pinewood Forests." A tremor ran through my heart hearing that. My eyes were opened wide there is an unbelievable expression on my face. "Nobody knows about my Energy Cultivation, How come they sent an assassin to kill me?" Ever since I activated Lightning Energy. I have been acting low-key. Even my Blood energy is cultivation is started recently. That is a secret that is known only to me. "What''s going on?" I commented in my heart. "It was an intel sent by your teacher. He expressed that you should watch over your back. Even, if you are not in Pinewood forests and both Monsters and Humans were dangerous and cruel. You shouldn''t let down your guard. Until you feel you are safe." Hearing that my heart starts to beat faster. I tried to say something but my words started to stutter. I can feel my chest being tightened. "Anxiety or Fear. I don''t know. This is something new" I commented in my heart. Uncle James and Granny Park both got worried. Seeing me can''t handle this information. They had a guilty look. I rubbed my temples and took a deep breath. I can feel that my chest is relaxed. Now, I can breathe freely. "There is no point in being worried. Preparation is the only Key. Common Zack" I comforted myself. I asked, "Uncle James, Did my teacher tell you about the Energy Level of the Assassin?" This is important information. Which I needed to tackle him. "Assassins are secretive. Some operate as teams. While some do their job as Solo Assassin. The Assassin who is sent after you is likely to be at Peak of Special Trainee." Hearing that I started to think by rubbing my temple. "A gap of one level between us. That too he is Peak Warrior. I need to get a breakthrough for my Physical strength soon. If I came across him, I can choose only to escape." I commented in my heart. Then I asked, "Do they know my level?" This is what confuses me. How come they send a High Profile assassin over me without knowing anything in certain? "Looking at what was happened so far. I believe the Assassin didn''t have any information regarding you. Otherwise, the assassins won''t leave without finishing his Job." Told Granny Park. "I too feel that this is what happened. The information about you is closely guarded. It''s unlikely to be known by everyone." Uttered Uncle James. Then he continued, "Even at your training facility. People can only speculate after looking at your performance on blood kill tests; they don''t know anything yet. But one thing is clear. You are on the list." If they don''t know about my element. Then it will become a trump card for me. Then we discussed few more minutes before we left to sleep. I assure Granny and Uncle James that I will be fine. I won''t spend too much time outside. My schedule is already tightly packed. Even if I want to go outside, I can''t. I laughed myself thinking that. Then I entered my room. Had a quick shower. I didn''t bathe for two days. I smell like garbage. There is a mix of sweat and blood over me. I had a nauseous sensation smelling that. Having got tension so much. I didn''t notice my body odor so far.. After some time, I left the shower and lie in the bed. Chapter 59 - Overthinking Finally, A relaxed feel wash over me. You cannot compare the comfortness that you get from your pillows with anything else. As I began to sleep in the bed. I didn''t fall asleep rather than a strain of thoughts ran through my mind. I need to prepare my next set of goals. My first goal was always been Academy. In order to reach that goal, I need to set a few smaller goals to myself. Looking at the things unfolding. I need to be best prepared for any worst case scenarios. I am currently at Mid level in Lightning Energy. When comes to Blood Energy there is still a barrier in physical strength. If I consume few bloods of the Monsters. which I have stored in my storage ring. I have a feeling that I can get a comfortable breakthrough to Mid level in Physical Strength. Currently, I don''t have any information regarding Knowledge about Soul. Even in the library. The information is limited and the available information were not explained in depth manner. So, I didn''t want to stress about this, it''s not important for the time being. I will look into it in future. Next step is the important one. I need to find a way to unlock more area of 7th region of brain. According to library I have to consume rare resources. "I don''t know, What happened to resource list that I have given to Mr Arthur Emerson?" I commented in my heart. I will ask him tomorrow. May be if I can get one or two things from list. I can increase my fighting capability with that. I sighed thinking that "It would be good if I had Mind Cultivation technique. It would made my job easier; No need to stress about finding resources specifically for mental capability." I commented in my heart. I massage my temple little. And small hope appeared in my thoughts. May be I should visit Library again. If I can find Ancient blood cultivation Method there. Surely, I can come across clues regarding Mind cultivation method. These thoughts were run-through in Zack''s mind within minutes. He is suffering from stress. Due to that he is been overthinking now. He couldn''t get some sleep in one position. He sat down immediately and drank some water. May be I am expecting more in this small training facility. It''s better to get opinion from Uncle James and Granny. When I thought about Assassin. I can feel huge pressure ball weighing down on me. I can only do things one step at a time. I removed these thoughts once for and all. And finally fell asleep. Next Morning, "Uncle James, What do you know about Mind Cultivation?" I told him. While we are having some pancakes. Unlike, yesterday''s sullen atmosphere. Today we are having bright conversations. The mood is good. Hearing my question. Both Uncle James and Granny had a surprise look on their faces. They didn''t expect me to get over with that assassin''s information soon. I looked at them expecting some answer. Uncle James then smiling replied, " There are different kinds of techniques. Mostly they were auxiliary methods; Like hypnosis, mind attack and defensive methods. These are available in Alliance Network." Hearing that I shook my head disapprovingly. I said, "I mean, is there any techniques similar to Lightning Scripture?" Soon, I received a glaring gaze from both of them. "What do you think about techniques? Do you think you can buy it anywhere having some credit points?" then she added, " There are things even with credit points you can''t buy." I don''t want to look into her eyes. She is really pissed off. They don''t know about my lightning scripture. They still think that I followed man made mad lightning technique which researcher''s had deciphered. On top of it, I got my hand on Ancient blood techniques of hunter''s tribe. These are the secrets. I will take it with me to the grave. The atmosphere is stilled for a moment. Granny didn''t explained it further. Uncle James seems to be in his thoughts. He didn''t respond to me either. Then suddenly, "Why do you need it? Your profession is not suitable with Mind Cultivation Warrior''s; Unlike, Elemental Warriors. Mind Cultivation Warrior''s are even rarer in our world." Then he continued, " For Mind Cultivation you need to have affinity just like elements; On top of it there is no record of high end cultivation method available for it. Even if your teacher won''t heard of such a techniques." Uncle James explained me, While having deep look at me. Seeing that I thought, "No wonder Granny is pissed off." Seeing their look I changed the topic. "I came across Pack of Hyena''s yesterday. They were Class 1 Monster; I thought if had some mind techniques. It will come handy while facing them" I explained everything happened in Pinewood Forests. Except Black Tiger. Hearing that their expression eased. "If you told me earlier about Such things, Why would I be angry at you?" told Granny Park. Hearing that I gave them a guilty look. "Its good that you escaped pack of hyena''s successfully. I had anticipated such things. When you send us message yesterday." Told Uncle James. This time I can see Uncle James had bright mood. My lips curved a little seeing that. " If you want auxiliary mind technique. You can discuss with Arthur. I''m sure he can do something about it." added Uncle James. Hearing that I nodded and We talked about few other things. Then I left home for training facility and boarded my usual train. I " I rescheduled my activity earlier. Today I''m going to spend morning time at library. Then afternoon in the training chamber. In between I have to find Mr Arthur Emerson." I commented in my heart. As the train was cruising to the destination. Sometimes later, The train arrived at Red Stone City. I left the station and booked air cab to facility. After some time, at reception hall. I find Mr Arthur Emerson talking to receptionist. I quickened my pace and asked hurriedly, "Mr Arthur, Could you give me some minute?" Mr Arthur surprised hearing my voice. Both the receptionist and Mr Arthur stopped talking. He replied, "Good to see you Zack, What happened? Let''s go the cabin." Then he told receptionist that they can continue their conversation after some time.I followed Mr Arthur Emerson to his cabin. Meanwhile, A day ago. At far away location from this place. In underground secluded location. There is quite dark room. There is no window for air circulation installed in this room. There is only one door. Which act as both entry and exit to this room. Right now at this dark room. If one heard closely. They can hear some boiling noise. At Centre location of the room. There is huge electric boiler is installed. A strange noise other than boiling can be heard from this electric boiler. In front of this boiler. A maniac is rising the voltage level of this boiler. The water in the boiler is further started to rise in temperature. Suddenly, A painful scream can be heard from inside the boiler. The Maniac is none other than the Masked Man. He finally found the culprit. The rat has been working as undercover men to spy on him. There is crazy expression on his face. He is taking pleasure. while torturing him. Suddenly, His Sci-Fi buzzed with notification. He looked at the message. His expression turned dark. "Eddy, This bastard. He cancelled this mission for some other order." He roared furiously. He raised voltage level even further. Smoke can be seen rise from the electric boiler. The waters inside the chamber were started to vaporize. The mournful Scream which were echoed through room were finally stopped. "The rat is dead. I thought he could hold on a bit longer." The Masked Man regretted in raising the electric level. He then replied to Edward Foley''s message saying that "Its fine. I can kill him myself." He then operated on the Monitor Screen of electric boiler. The Electric boiler turned off. A outlet door opened from the chamber. It drained all the water out. Soon all the water inside the electric boiler were gone. Leaving only dead body. The culprit body looked mummified. Due to all the water molecules inside him were got vaporized. Leaving behind only dried skin attached to his skeleton. Due to extreme temperature. His two eye ball got busted and leaving behind two hollow sockets. His mouth were wide opened in desperate need of oxygen. His final moments were nothing less than of horror movies. Seeing the body, the Masked Man had wide grin on his face. He rolled his tongue in his mouth. Then he typed something in his sci-fi watch. The entrance door to this dark room is opened. A man came closely to the Masked Man without making noise. The Masked Man pointed his hands to the dead body. " Take his dead body and dissect his body into several pieces; Send the pieces to his several branch organizations. Especially send the head to his headquarter in a gifted box." He ordered smilingly to his men. There is no change in expression appeared on his men''s face. He is like walking zombie and Obeyed every order.. Don''t know what kind of torture he had undergone. Chapter 60 - A Mind Fruit Treasure At Arthur Emerson''s Cabin. Both Zack and him having some fruitful conversations. "So, you need some treasure from the list to train." Asked Mr. Arthur Emerson. He was surprised by Zack''s demand. He expected this to happen. But, not this earlier. He knitted his eyebrow. There was some hesitation on his side. Which can be visibly seen on his face. Zack noticed his trouble and replied, "What is it? Mr. Arthur." Mr. Arthur Emerson finally decided to tell the reason. "Currently, we are unable to procure some of your listed plants. It will take time." Admitted Mr. Arthur Emerson. Hearing that, Zack felt disappointed. But, luckily Mr. Arthur Emerson added something now. Which brought back a bright smile on Zack''s face. Mr. Arthur Emerson said, "We have one plant. Which might please you. Do you want to hear about it?" I nodded in affirmation. "Hope this one is somewhat helpful" I commented in my heart. Mr. Arthur began to explain about this plant. "ISCALLENAL" Early level Trainee Apprentice Mind treasure. Type ¨C Fruit. The ISCALLENAL is a rare large plant and can be found in the tropical regions of the special Zones. It blooms in early winter. It has narrow, heart-shaped leaves, which are usually light red. It also grows small flowers. Which can be Violet, Red, and Silver. These plants grow alone, but within a decent distance from each other, but it''s extremely difficult to control and maintain their growth. As a defense mechanism, the ISCALLENAL relies mostly on its surroundings to survive. They rely on wind, once polluted, they grow fairly large, delicious fruit. After some explanation, "Finally, A Mind related treasure. This is something I needed most." I commented in my heart. But, there is a bit of confusion. I asked, "So, Which part of it''s a treasure. Do I have to consume wholly or Make a mixture with other ingredients?" Mr. Arthur Emerson replied, "Fruit of this Plant is a treasure. If people knew it had no fruit yet. They won''t touch the plant" Then he added "Currently, We got the fruit of this plant. We don''t have to access to get entire plant itself " I''m glad after hearing that. If I have to make it a mixture liquid. Then it''s trouble. I can''t allocate time to look for it. Then I asked, "When can I get the fruit?" I want to eat it immediately. " Come to my cabin after you finished your classes." Replied Mr. Arthur Emerson. After some time I left the cabin. " Today is a lucky day" I comforted myself. Then I began to visit the library. Soon, after arriving at the library. I didn''t go towards the VR Pod section. Rather I am looking at A. I monitor Screen. Hoping to find some research books about the human brain. Soon, I came across something. Which piqued my interest. But, this is not a book but an Advanced Sophisticated Machine used to treat brain ailments. I am interested in one incredible feature of this machine. It can map the entire brain''s activity. And the patient can use the V.R Pod facility to watch it in real-time. They can see their Healing progression from the vision. Whether the injured region is healed or not it is clearly shown on the VR projection of the brain. If I used this machine to monitor my brain''s 7th region activity. I can see my progression. If the more region is being unlocked, it will be followed by more activity in that region. It''s the only Modern Solution for me. As I scrolled down and looked at its cost price. My hope was gone seeing Five billion Credit Points. I laughed in my heart, "Right now, I''m burning my life to get few grand. How am I going to get Five billion?" It might be possible in the future. Once I get stronger but not now. I added this machine to my future goal list. You can''t expect to stumble across Ancient Artefacts in every adventure. This Sci-Fi Machine is a realistic solution. Hereafter, I should save more credit points to buy it in the future. After spending few hours in the library. I arrived at the training hall of the Advanced Class. I looked around the hall and find no one. I wondered what happened. There is no one here including seniors. Maybe they did not come to class today. Class 1 Monster may sound easy but depending upon their environment. They can do more harm to us. I shook my head from these thoughts and found an empty personal training room to train. At first, I want to enter inside the gravity chamber. But, now I remember. How I am still lagging in the training of Lightning Sword attack. There are still two more moves left in the Sword attack. I do not consider myself an expert at first move. But I can exhibit some fluidity in sword moves. I believe that it''s enough for me to learn the next sword attack. The room''s door closed itself after I entered inside. I calmed my mind and focused on Sword Attack Rune. The Triad Rune (Lightning Scripture Rune, Reckoning Circle Rune, Divide Sword Attack Rune- Together form Triangle Pattern Rune ?) As usual, the Sword Attack Rune shined. And the row of information started to flood my mind. "CHARGING" It''s the second move. To do it. I have to channel all the lightning energy in my body through the veins and project it outside via my palms. To make it simple to understand. ?Dantian act as a container. ?Totem does attraction, filter, and Purification of Lightning energy. ?Veins does channeling of energy. ?Both Palms act as the source''s destination. The Black Sword will observe Lightning energy from my Palm. Later, I can discharge this energy from Sword to kill an enemy. Though I can project my lightning energy from every part of my body. This technique is man-made. Looks they have done a lot of research about it. After simplifying the information. I began to follow the steps. At first, I put down a meditation mat on the ground. I sat down and began to concentrate on dantian. It''s not the first time I have done something like this. Usually, While Cultivating Lightning Energy using Lightning Scriptures. It''s normal to train using veins. It would be an effortless process. I only have to focus a little. The Lightning Scripture did most of the job. Like Automation. But, this time I''m not using scripture. I have to concentrate a little more. While looking at the rune in my consciousness. Except, Sword Rune rest of them did not beat. Seeing them there is only one thing that appeared in my mind. "SYNCHRONIZATION" Even Uncle James refused to tell me. It doesn''t mean that I have no other way. From library this morning. I found out some interesting stuff. I read some clues regarding synchronization saying that if warrior achieved PERFECTION. The Combination of Perfection moves from different runes formed in the consciousness will trigger synchronize effect. To make it simple. I have to achieve Perfection level at every stage. If I achieve perfection level from Reckoning Circle and Sword Attack. It will trigger Synchronization. But it didn''t mention what it mean by that. So, I don''t know. I have to do it myself to find answers. It is hard for warriors to achieve perfection. The Synchronization state is so rare that people don''t even mention it. No wonder that day I saw a struggling look on Uncle James''s face. I have yet to reach something like that. My Reckoning Circle is somewhat okay. I won''t say it''s a super attack. It is still clumsy. It''s not perfect yet but somehow I can manage to kill monsters with it. A Perfect Lightning Circle got strong, thick, and stable shape powered with enough lightning energy. After my recent breakthrough at Mid-level. My Lightning circle got thicker. But, a Breakthrough is a loophole. I have to reach the perfection stage without having a breakthrough. Which needs Hell Training. I made a small commitment to myself to strive for perfection stage. But this whole Assassin situation made me go for a fast breakthrough. Soon, I removed these thoughts and focused on training. I got enough lightning reserve in my dantian. So, I started to channel energy through my veins and take it towards my palms. Sometimes later, It''s s hard to do it, without the help of lightning Scripture. But I made little progress. Now, both my palms had a small Violet lightning Sphere. I can''t maintain this form too long. It started to crumble. I sighed seeing that, "I don''t know how much energy is needed to charge the Sword?" I commented in my heart. For now, I decide to focus on my control ability now. I planned to maintain the lightning sphere form longer. Training went on and the time passes slowly. Soon, it''s the time of evening. I was drenched in sweat. I couldn''t maintain the form for more than two minutes. In-between I used the black sword to test it. But it didn''t even react. It needed stable energy transmission from my palms to the sword. For that, I need good control over it. I got up and went to the washroom to fresh up. It''s time to collect Mind fruit. I exited the Training floor to Mr. Arthur''s Cabin. Fortunately, He did not leave. As I gave knock on the door. Mr. Arthur let me enter inside. I saw a black case with beautiful golden lines over it. It was placed on the table. Mr. Arthur gave me a gesture to open it. I didn''t decline it. I opened the case to find a small blue color fruit in it. The fruit smell made me intoxicating. I felt an immediate bliss.. Soon, I close that case experiencing that feeling. Chapter 61 - Mid Level Breakthrough (Physical) Two days ago, Maria Frazier received an assignment to kill Class 1 Monster. It is "RED DAGGER FISH". After confirming the location. Then she began her journey towards the waterfall city. WATERFALL CITY- TIER 8 CITY Rooted behind a glacier, the city of the waterfall is home to water elemental warriors. This city wasn''t built by a glacier by an accident, as it has an abundance of wildlife, Which is of great importance to the people of Waterfall and its survival. Even though it''s a modern and sci-fi era. People don''t shy away from following their ancient heritage. The city itself looks gorgeous, with its copper rooftops, Pinewood walls, and silent mountain range. It''s too ancient for a Modern Tier-8 City. Waterfall City has a progressive economy, which is mainly supported by hunting, wood crafting, and armsmithing. But their biggest strengths are sustainable hunting and rare animal training. Sometimes later, Maria arrived at Waterfall City. Feeling such a vibrant atmosphere around the city. Her lips curved a little. She made her way through the crowd to reach the exit gate. Her destination was not in the city but outside of the city. RED DAGGER FISH is primarily found living in the largest lake outside of the Waterfall City. She left the city and made her journey towards the lake. She booked an air cab to visit the place. The lake is a common attraction for Hunters and Warriors to kill Class 1 Monsters. It is called Black Lake for some reason. Even though it doesn''t look black. Soon, the Air cab came and dropped her at the location. After exiting the Cab, she looked around her. Seeing few people making their way to the same location. Maria quickened her pace. Soon, she saw a black lake at a distance. "It looks more like sea than a lake. You can''t even find where it ends" Maria Frazier commented in her heart. She looked at her sci-fi watch. To go through the lake''s description again. The black lake has the greatest surface area of any lake as 500,000 square miles. Its deepest measured depth is 4000 meters. She knitted her eyebrow reading that, "It is no way less than an actual sea. Its description itself is quite frightening" she mumbled herself and followed the people. Finally, she arrived at the location. Some of the warriors and hunters, preparing to go deep into the lake, where you can find Class 1 Monsters. She needs to go deep into the lake to find RED DAGGER FISH. Fortunately, she is a water element warrior. She didn''t require breathers to breathe underwater, like other warriors who were equipping themselves with some high-tech equipment. She can easily control water elements around her to make a way to breathe underwater. She didn''t hesitate further and dived deep into the lake. She conjured a simple water ball around her with the water element. It doesn''t require any technique. If you are good at elemental control. You can form and maintain simple elemental forms with different shapes and sizes. She looked around and found the vision inside the lake is getting darker. She put an advanced goggle, it helps her to find lifeforms and also provides some light to move around. She can feel some pressure as she continues to dive deeper. She dived around some 600 meters deep approx. She looked at her sci-fi watch to know some status. Suddenly, she spotted something. Seeing that a smile blossomed on her face. "Finally, I found you!" she commented in the heart. It''s RED DAGGER FISH. It''s now, eating the flesh of some other Pseudo Monster Fish. RED DAGGER FISH ¨C CLASS 1 MONSTER Primarily are found in warm and temperate regions around the world. Primarily in the sea but also in some instances in brackish or freshwater lakes. Fused teeth form a beak-like structure with a split in the center of each jaw. It has a highly toxic substance that is especially concentrated in the internal organs. It is highly noted for its venomous fish spines. Which are capable of producing fatal wounds. It bears a particular pattern of RED color stripes and grows about 50 meters long. Seeing the monsters for the first time. Which looked exactly like mentioned in the description. Maria was surprised. Then she did not waste any time killing it. Unlike, last time in blood kill test. There she suffered from a lack of techniques. She immediately pulled her Blue Short Sword and aimed at RED DAGGER FISH. Sensing the killing intent front the surrounding. The RED DAGGER FISH moved away from that spot and starting to look for threats. It saw a human holding Blue Short Sword targeting it. It didn''t run away rather it move towards Maria to tear her off. Upon seeing this Maria didn''t get sacred rather she made a plan. She led the monster to the nearby pointy rocks. She used the water element to move faster and hide behind the rocks. Meanwhile, Zack at Mr. Arthur''s Cabin. I asked Mr. Arthur Emerson, "Is it always smell like that?" Hearing that Mr. Arthur had a small smile on his face. He replied, "Take it carefully. It''s good for mental strength." But, He didn''t elaborate on it further. I received that beautiful case and stored it in my storage cabin. Then I left the facility after saying goodbye. I had some good training today. But, it will be even better. When I get a breakthrough in my physical strength. I planned to cultivate blood element, after having dinner at night. Having some plan in mind. I boarded my train home. Sometimes later, I reached home and went to my room directly. I had a bath and later dinner. After having dinner. It''s time for blood cultivation. I didn''t go to my room to cultivate. I can''t place the body of the monster inside my room. The Space is not enough for it. I went to my backyard. There is a somewhat spacious training room there. After I entered the room. I placed meditate mat on the ground and took out the monster''s body. It was Hyena''s body. I calmed myself and didn''t waste any time. I placed my palms on its head. And started to recite the words of blood technique. Soon, thick blood from the monster came out. My palms started to suck the entire blood from its body. After the monster''s blood entered inside me. My Blood Element started to react. It attracts the white energies from the blood. Even after going through several books at the library. I couldn''t find out what these white energies represent. Then, these white energies like always drilled into my bones. Followed by extreme pain. I clutched my head by feeling such torture. But, I knew it was important. Without it, I won''t get any breakthrough. After some time, the monster''s blood dried out and the white energies stopped drilling. There is a somewhat Red line pattern on my skeleton. After each time whenever I consumed the blood of the monster. The line started to get thicker and wider. I didn''t want to think too much about it. Then I followed the same procedure by consuming blood of remaining Hyena and its leader. The Redline on my skeleton gotten much more widen and thicker. Due to the Hyena''s being Class 1 Monster. I made an immediate breakthrough in my physical strength. I felt an unknown pressure limit on me is lifted upon. And I felt new profound strength coursing through my body. Every cell in my body beamed with power. It''s not Elemental Power But, Pure Physical Strength. "Finally, I made the breakthrough; To reach Mid-level of Apprentice Trainee Warrior in Physical Level," I commented in my heart. I can feel my soul and magical (Elemental Energy) got a little bit strengthened. It''s an indirect benefit of Physical breakthrough. It did happen like earlier in the case of Lightning Element Breakthrough. Both of them are mutually beneficial to each other. " How good that would be, If I got soul cultivation technique?" I commented in my heart. I didn''t want to leave yet. Because I got one more thing to do. A mind fruit treasure. I need to consume it right away. When comes to the body of White Stripped Forests Spider. I already submitted its body to the administration through Mr. Arthur Emerson. I could not find Ms. Adeline''s key today. So, I sought his help. I took the case from my storage ring and placed it before me. I shouldn''t expect more from a single fruit. It''s just an early-stage treasure. I opened the case and quickly put the blue fruit in my mouth. Before its intoxicating smell attacks me. For some time. Nothing happened. But, soon I felt several pointy needles attacked my brain. It felt an icy cold sensation over the top of my head. It''s a weird sensation. I gritted my teeth to go through over it. Sometimes, later the icy cold sensation stopped. I activated my perception ability to check for any changes. To my surprise, the range got increase two more meters. Currently, I can perceive the area around me more than ten meters. Earlier, it was 8 meters now it got increased by two points. My lips curved a little knowing that. I got up from the mat. And looked at my hands. "I couldn''t wait to test my current strength," I commented in my heart. I had an urge to test it. But, I quickly removed these thoughts. When the thought of Assassin came over my mind. I need to follow some patience. I can surely calculate my capability from the next assignment. After making up my mind. I went to my room and had a quick shower.. Then I went to bed to get some good sleep. Chapter 62 - Defeating 1st Assassin Meanwhile, At the Masked Man location. He asked the Intel about Zack from one of his spies, located in the Red Stone City. Knowing that Zack returned safely from the Pinewood forests and spies inability to collect more information about him. The Masked Man mood becomes sullen. He then tried to ask some other organizations for Intel. But, it ended in futile. No one got concrete information. The Information regarding Zack is tightly guarded. It made his will, even more, stronger to kill Zack. The Masked Man is Grim and Cruel. To climb the ladder of power quickly, He will do anything. Even though his organization demanded him to eliminate all black level threats. But, they didn''t care about lesser targets. Targets with low-level threats can be dealt with in the future. Yet, the Masked Man is due to his brutal, power-hungry, and ego-centric personality. He decided to kill all the people on the kill list. There is a tactical understanding between all the organizations. If they found out any of such all kill activities leaked to the public domain. That Particular organization is deemed to be removed. That''s why all the organizations had some sense of measure. They won''t go for all kill blindly. They only care about black-level threats. Which poses a certain possibility of danger to their organization. But, the Masked Man didn''t care about all these. He had a plan. After this torture fiasco was done. The next day, the masked man decided to kill Zack, instead of hiring Assassin. He hired Hunter. The Hunter is a rogue one. He makes his living by killing and trading Class 1 Monsters. But, on other hand to make extra money. He does criminal work. The Masked Man didn''t meet the hunter in person. But, he placed the order and wired the credit points to his account. The Hunter was currently waiting for Zack in his neighborhood. He didn''t wear any expensive tuxedos. Just, A normal attire of a hunter. He didn''t even try to conceal anything. A sword mark stretching from the right chin and ending towards his right nostril. Disheveled black hair with round black eyes. There is a sword scabbard in his back. Anyone with the right eye can discern that he is a hunter. No one will suspect him as a criminal. The Hunter is an Early-stage Trainee Apprentice Warrior. Reaching close to Mid-level. He is a Fire Elemental Sword user. Right now, he is patiently waiting for Zack at a nearby alley. Where Zack, usually passes through the alley, to reach for an Air Cab. Then he goes to Train Station via Air cab. Meanwhile, Zack getting ready in his room. Yesterday, all my plans went well. Hereafter, I should be working on reaching the perfection stage. I have enough time limit now. Earlier, I thought it would take a minimum of one year to reach Mid-level in lightning Energy Cultivation. Fortunately, I got a breakthrough within two months after joining the facility. On top of it, the physical limit breakthrough is an added advantage. So, I should strive for better. After wore my dress. I left my room to have breakfast with the family. A dining table, "I feel, There is something different about you, Ever since you started hunting Monster," told Uncle James. Hearing that, at first, I don''t know how to answer it. Whether he felt different about my strength or personality. I couldn''t tell. So, I just made a confused look. Seeing me wondering. Uncle James said, "Forget it, killing certainly changes a person. Whether it''s killing a person or Monster." He couldn''t pinpoint, what''s the difference he felt from Zack. So, he assumed maybe he got something to do with killing Monster for the first time. I became relax hearing that. Blood element is not easy. It affects my overall aura. At first, I got the pure natural aura of lightning. Now, it got tangled with blood aura. Talking about the aura. The image of a certain person appeared in my mind. "I didn''t find the girls yesterday. Hope everything will be alright with them." I commented in my heart. After having some hearty conversation with Granny and Uncle. I left home. I am walking casually through a small narrow alley. While humming a favorite tune. Suddenly I noticed there were no people around me. Usually, I find one or two folks walk by here. "That''s, a bit unusual" I doubted in my heart. I continued my pace without thinking much about it. Soon, I walked past a man. Judging by his appearance, I suppose he is a hunter. As I was walking down the alley. Suddenly, my perception turned on perceiving immediate danger. Seeing Zack walked past him. The hunter made his move. He slowly drew a sword from his back. Then He move towards him and slashed downward with the sword. This was all happened within moments. Due to perception. I sidestepped enough to evade this attack. The Sword''s blade slashed an empty air. Before the hunter could respond, I decided to attack. I threw my right fist out in a powerful punch at his right jaw. Cracking sounds of bones could be heard from his mouth. The hunter felt an agonizing pain. This quick blow made him stunned for a moment. Seeing that, I didn''t give him any space to react. I made a simple kick to the hunter''s stomach. The right leg Kick was filled with pure physical power. A small grunt escaped his mouth as the hunter felt head spitting pain. The kick sent him rolling backward. His internal organs were smashed due to that Powerful Kick, after that blow, the hunter left with half-consciousness. Then I slowly walk towards his half-consciousness body. After yesterday''s fortune. I never thought, today someone sent here to kill me. Looking at the hunter. "He is no way near to the Assassin that Uncle James described" I commented in my heart. Looking at his sword mark face. I had some suspiciousness in my heart. He may be at the Mid-level of Trainee Apprentice. I decided to call Uncle James over here. Soon, Uncle James came. I explained the total ordeal to him. He too was confused, knowing the hunter''s action. "Why would hunter attack him, is that some kind of robbery or actual assassin attempt in disguise?" Uncle James commented in his heart. He decided to hand over this hunter to Sir Lowell McClain. After this fiasco. I continued my journey towards the training facility. It didn''t even affect me. Rather I felt happier. I dismantled him with sheer physical prowess. There is no need for elemental energy to defeat him. Initially, I had some reservations. Whether to use it or not. But, still, it is a human inhabitant area. Not a Monsters roaming outskirts. There is a possibility of I can easily spy upon and my secrecy of lightning element will get exposed. Fortunately, it didn''t happen that way. Sometimes later, I reached the training facility. And continued my routine as usual. Meanwhile, Seeing Zack left the alley. Uncle James took back this hunter to the office base. There is ARMY Federation''s interrogation room facility available. On the way, He reported everything in an encrypted message to Sir Lowell McClain. Sir Lowell McClain''s men. The beggar was still at Pinewood city. The beggar got entangled in some other matter. So, he didn''t present, where this small incident happened. Upon hearing the details from Sir Lowell McClain. He quickly made his way to the Red Stone City to continue to watch over Zack. For the following two days, he is been tracking trails of Assassin Ed. But, Unfortunately, Assassin Ed slipped away successfully. After arriving at the interrogation room. Mr. James didn''t give him any medical treatment. He ceased the hunter''s belonging for inspection. He gave the hunter''s sci-fi watch to his team. To analyze digital data from it. Soon, the team finds some incriminating evidence. There is some details of the shady transaction were found in the digital data. It''s not easy for outsiders to access sci-fi matches. Other than the user, No one can have access to privacy. But, when comes to a certain organization. They have some high-tech equipment to gather details without tampering with anything in it. After knowing the transaction amount. Mr. James confirmed his thoughts. This was paid by someone to kill Zack. But, it''s impossible to find the sender. There were 50,000 credit points were wired to hunter''s account this morning. The Master''s mind made deal with the hunter to test the water. Hereafter, I fear there will be more attacks on Zack. Seeing that he successfully foiled their plan. They will send more powerful warriors to kill him. I hope Sir Lowell McClain must have made some arrangements to safeguard him. After that, the Hunter got imprisoned in this facility. Meanwhile, yesterday. Maria Frazier, after successfully killing the RED DAGGER FISH. She left the waterfall city. But, most of her time was gone by traveling. Unlike, Zack She spent an extra day traveling. On the way, she didn''t encounter any mishaps. Due to that she finally reached her home without any worries. Today, while Zack is faced with an assassin attempt. On other hand, Maria came leisurely to the training facility. It was noontime. Upon arriving at the training Hall. She spotted Zack. She asked with a smile on her face. "Zack, are you done with your assignment?" I was preparing to enter the basic gravity chamber.. Suddenly, my lips curved a little hearing the same old annoying voice. Chapter 63 - New Trouble "Yeah, I have completed my assignment," I answered her with a sweet smile on my face. Then I asked, "What about Candace Wilkerson?" A certain person came to mind, Candace Wilkerson. " She should have completed the assignment by now" I commented in my heart. I looked at Maria, yet I didn''t find Candace around her. "She finished her assignment on first-day itself; I believe she is busy with something else." Maria Frazier replied. Then we talked about our journey a little bit. Before, we went into a separate training chamber to train. I entered the Gravity Training Room. Like always I choose the basic level room to train.. which is level 1. After I entered the room. The room''s door closed itself. I operated on the A. I Monitor Screen to set up the timer for ten minutes. Soon, the gravity activated. Unlike, last time I felt immense pressure. This time it was toned down a little bit. Due to my physical strength got increased. I can easily withstand basic level gravity. This level doesn''t pose much of a challenge to me. "It''s time to train in the second room," I commented in my heart and left the basic room to level 2 room. After setting up the timer here. The gravity of this chamber increased by 5% compared to the basic level room. Due to that, I felt an incredible amount of pressure pulling me down. I crouched down a little bit to handle it. A small sweat bead started to appear on the face. "It seems each chamber constructed based upon the level of warriors. The Level 2 poses a challenge to Mid-level Trainee Apprentice." I commented in my heart. Then level 3 will be for Peak Trainee Apprentice. Unlike, other warriors who take years to get a breakthrough. While training in these gravity chambers. I can easily skip one level. Once I get used to level 2, I must- try level 3 training rooms. Soon, by the time ten minutes got over. I was drenched in sweat. This gravity is something. I sensed my muscle being stretched too far. The Pain accompanies by it is even worse. But, fortunately, I didn''t felt my bones being pressured much. All the pain I felt was due to muscle tendons. I don''t know whether it''s something to do with white energies that drilled into my skeleton. Sometime later, I again set up the timer for ten minutes and continued my training. Soon, It was time to leave. I left the level 2 room with satisfaction. There was a smile on my face. I can feel each cell on my body got livelier. Gravity certainly made energy circulation evenly distributed among all parts of the body. "It''s like removing the blockades along the way," I commented in my heart. After having freshened up myself. I didn''t leave the Red Stone City. I need to make some money. So, I decided to sell Class 1 Monster''s body. I heard, there is a very famous shop in Red Stone City, Called Thomas Trade Centre. It''s a subsidiary of Merchant Union. It is famous for its Monster trade. Normally Pseudo Monsters are sold there by hunters. It becomes a hub for them to connect with other hunters. Their entire livelihood depends upon it. Few Class level monsters were traded. They were occasionally handled by the respective organization of the warriors. Only people without any affiliation tend to sell their Monster there. I can also sell monsters through ARMY Federation Channel. But, I''m still a student yet to be officially recognized. Only after official recognition. My status will be open to the public domain, where people can know my affiliation. Until then I''m just a civilian. Other than Class 1 monsters. There is also a higher level Class 2 Monster. It''s sold on rare occasions. I hoping to see such a monster. Their body is so huge that, they require a separate room for display. Soon, I reached the Thomas Trade Centre. There was a huge digital Billboard on display. Seeing that I stopped my movement for a minute to read. The billboard is advertising different Monster''s description and their price rates. There is no mention of Class 1 Monster on it. I doubt a class 1 Monster and above its level were sold behind the scenes. After taking look at the billboard, I entered the gate. Where I saw a huge glass building. These glasses were all energy-generating panels. It''s a ten-story modern building. People from the inside can see the outside view clearly. I was received by a female receptionist. I explained the details to her calmly. She told me to visit the fifth floor. Where Class 1 Monster trade usually happens. I nodded and went to the fifth floor. "Looks like the below fifth floor was meant for Pseudo Monsters trade area," I commented in my heart. On the way, I came across several hunters. Most of them were in groups. Soon I reached the fifth floor by lift. I was greeted by some staff and he led me to his superior. I saw a man with black hair. Had small piercing blue eyes, set perfectly within their sockets. He is wearing a clean shirt, on top of the shirt, he is wearing a perfect vest, having a deep V line and matching black pants with it. Looks like he is superior to this stuff. "Hello young man, What do you need?" The superior asked me in a very polite tone. I''ll be honest with myself, it''s good customer service. Hope it will turn out the same with the Class 1 Monster trade. "I came here to trade Class 1 Monster body parts," I answered him with a normal tone. Due to my blood cultivation. The Monster''s body was all dried up. To not arouse any suspicion. I dissected them into several pieces and I stored them in a container. Ever since I left the training Centre. I brought the container along with me. It would be quite eye-catching. If I use a storage ring in front of them. I place the container in front of me. Seeing that, the interest of superior got piqued. He came forward and opened the container without saying anything. After looking at the contents inside the container. The superior said, " Where did you find this?" he doesn''t believe for one second that Zack was responsible for killing the class 1 Monster. My lips curved a little hearing the question. " I came prepared with all the answers. This Monster was already dead. When it was found by my Uncle in the forest. So, he doesn''t want to leave its body there. Then he dissected the Monster''s body for sale." I told him without stuttering. The superior believed the answer was genuine. He took a deep look at me. Then asked, "Did your Uncle told anything about Monster''s death?" He then pointed his finger at the container. And added, "There is no blood in its body parts." "Looks like he found out," I commented in my heart. I didn''t hesitate to answer, "He was not sure about it. He predicted that Monster was bled to death." After some contemplating the superior was convinced. He agreed to pay 10,000 credit points for each Hyena''s body. I was satisfied with the deal. As long as they don''t dwell about Monster''s blood. I''m fine with it. I received a total of 30,000 credit points. I''m happy to see such a number in my account. After the transaction, the superior gave me their unique trade I.D. With it, I can also browse through alliance networks and do trade. But you need in-person verification to gain unique trade I.D by them. I''m not the only one doing transactions here. This hall is quite large. There were several people here doing their own thing. This Superior is just one of the people here to handle the customers inflow. There were several people like him finishing the trade deal or transaction quicker. Only then they can avoid the crowd. Seeing such a scenario. I can''t imagine what is happening on the upper floor. And especially the First four floors. Where Pseudo Monster trade is going on. Doesn''t matter what the age of civilization is people don''t follow the queue. I laughed silently in my heart thinking that. since my work here is done. I was preparing to exit. But, suddenly I felt a burning sensation of my blood. I got stumped with the sudden reaction of my blood. Sweats started to pour down. I looked around to find the reason for it. But, in this crowd. I could hardly pinpoint anything. I found a blood ring rune in my consciousness that, started to flickering, without having me recite the words. I won''t activate my perception here. There is a bit possibility of the presence of some high-level people. So, it''s stupid to do something like that here. Then I left the Thomas Trade Centre without looking back. After successfully exiting the area of Thomas Trade Centre. I felt relief. My blood reaction became normal. What''s wrong with this place? " I thought everything was going fine, suddenly, out of nowhere a new problem pops up," I commented in my heart. This is the first time something like this happened. I need to figure it out soon. Is there some problem with me or this place? I booked an air cab immediately to go train station. Some hours later, I reached home. After I entered my room "It''s better to ask Uncle James about Thomas trade Centre." I commented in my heart. Then I laid down on my couch comfortably. Chapter 64 - Q/A Session At the dining table, "Uncle James, Could you tell me about Thomas Trade Centre?" I asked, I didn''t stop there and continued asking, "I got surprised by the amount of trade they do on daily basis." I didn''t want to ask bluntly. Otherwise, I would be bombarded with their unnecessary questions. So, I am going to make them reveal some answers. Hearing my question. Uncle James and Granny Park had a smile on their faces. They knew it, there won''t be a day without some Q/A session at the dining table. Granny Park said, "What did you find out on your visit?" she had an intrigued look on her face. "Ha-ha, don''t tell me, you were stumped by Class 2 Monster there," Uncle James told me without realizing he had revealed some answers. Which had brought a bright smile to my face.. "Finally, Some tea. But, I will treat it as Intel." I commented in my heart. "Uncle James, Sorry to disappoint you. Nothing like that happened. On contrary, I made a transaction about 30 thousand credit points." Hearing that they had a stupefied look on their face. Then I explained in great detail about Class 1 Monster Hyena''s trade. I lied about their death. Just, I did with that Superior. Both of them become quite happy. And at the same time. I saw there is some hesitation on Uncle''s face. "What happened? Uncle James, Do you want to tell me something?" I asked. "Looks like your mind is currently occupied with Thomas Trade Centre that, you even forget about the hunter who tried to kill you." Uncle James reminded me. Hearing that, I couldn''t deny him. It''s almost true that I forget about that incident. My blood element mystery has become a more important issue now. But, I can''t tell him. When comes to Assassin. I believe I could handle Peak Trainee Apprentice. I hope, I won''t come across anything above that. Otherwise, I had to run behind my tails. When thought about escaping. I don''t even have escaping technique. A month earlier, Due to a credit point shortage, I couldn''t buy any technique from Alliance Network. Before that, I need to answer him. "I didn''t forget about it, Uncle James. On contrary, I want to focus on my next step." My answer brought a smile to Granny''s face especially. She said," He is right James. It''s our job to handle something like that. He needs to train and become stronger." Then she continued, "Don''t pressure him with such a thing." She looked at Uncle James. Uncle James nodded and said, "I just want to make sure that, he is on alert." Then he added," My aim to bring up this topic now is to discuss something." Both I and Granny perked up our ears. I am more confused. Usually, Uncle James told everything to Granny Park. Don''t know why he wants to go share now. "It must be confidential," I commented in my heart. Uncle James revealed by saying, "Our team has found out that, someone has hired him to kill you." Then he added," As expected we couldn''t track the source; I believe they used him to test the water first." "Did you inform my teacher?" it''s sensible that, Uncle doesn''t have access to high-tech quips and Intel. Even with that he and his team could gather something, which is highly commendable. Uncle James nodded hearing that, He said, "Not only we informed him. But, we plan to hand over the attacker." He continued, "Both of us had the same conclusion that there might be an increase in assassin attempts on you in the future." Hearing that my mood becomes sullen. My inner thought is screaming it says it wants to be at a quiet place, without worrying about anything. But, I knew this is my life. All these problems would be nothing in front of Powerful and influential people. I want to be like them. I want to be strong. I don''t want to be played by them. All these roadblocks will only make me stronger. "Zack. Zack" Granny shouted in a low voice. Which had brought me back to reality. Seeing their face. I showed some smile and said, "Don''t worry, I can safeguard myself. Just like I dismantled the hunter, I will remove anyone who tries to harm me" Suddenly, like a chain reaction. My aura got stirred. Seeing such a strange aura started to surround Zack. "Zack, Calm your mind." Uncle James reminded me. Hearing that I sighed, and in few moments my aura turned back normal. "You brat, you are being short-tempered," Granny advised me. "Sorry, I''m just mad with these people. Why create unnecessary trouble for innocent people. Who yet to live their life fully." I replied. Then both of them started to explain the system. Why it is needed. Checks and balances of the power structure. They are taking too much time to explain. "Zack, you idiot!" I cursed at myself. I shouldn''t have reacted much. If I knew they will start to lecture. I would keep myself quiet. Sometimes later, the lecture was over. Seeing me reacting normally and understood the reality of our world. They decided to let me go. I returned to my room and closed the door. It''s time for some browsing to be done. I logged into the alliance network and browsed the details of Thomas Trade Centre. I got access to their server with the unique I.D I got from them. There were several tags mentioned in the server. I browse the categories of treasure. There were a lot of subcategories under Treasure. They were ranging from rare herbs to flowers, alchemy liquids, and unidentified metals, and finally mineral stones, unlike affinity stones these stones were different. They were mostly axillary. Such as calming stone. I came across this unique stone. While looking at the mineral stone tag. It is a small egg-like structure. Sold at the price rate of 100 thousand credit points. This Calming stone helps in strengthening mental power. I suddenly got an urge to buy this stone. But, I don''t have enough credit points to do that. I sighed at the thought of that and continued browsing. There were several treasures. Which were quite useful to my brain unlocking. For that, I need to have some credit points. Each treasure was sold at such a high price. Looks like whenever possible, I need to hunt some Class 1 Monster. Only by having enough credit points. I can buy without any hesitation. Sometime later, I stopped browsing and went to sleep. Meanwhile, Far away distance from this place at a secluded underground facility. The Masked Man sitting in a chair. He is gently tapping on a table, thinking something. If someone takes out his mask now and get looks at his actual reaction. They will be quite scared. He had a crazy distorted look on his face. I never thought that Hunter would get caught by Army Authorities. It''s not quite clear yet whether he is taken out by Zack Lockwood or by someone else. By the time now, they will be searching for my trail. I have to delay the attack for the time being. He didn''t stress on this matter. He believes that the hunter must have been intercepted by someone. He didn''t even think about Zack''s capabilities. The Hunter being Mid Trainee Apprentice. On top of it, the hunter is a fire element user. He thought it''s impossible to move him. So, the Masked Man is quite confident of him. But, now he has to be patient. Soon, the Masked Man got a visitor. One of his men brought Intel. He let him inside. After reading intel from his men. "So, More than 50% of people in the Kill list were killed successfully." The masked man commented. He then mumbled, "Even though I hired few assassins to do the job. Nonetheless, the result is satisfying." And he continued, "Only a few more people, then I can successfully ask for a higher position in the organization." He then closed his eye and went into deep thinking. Meanwhile, At Zack''s room at Next day. "Last time, Mr. Arthur Emerson gave me Mind Fruit. Hope, this time there will be something special." As I looked at the message, where Mr. Arthur Emerson asked me to visit his office. After having breakfast with the family. I boarded the train. Some hours later, "Knock. Knock" I knocked on the door of Mr. Arthur Emerson''s cabin. "Come in" He let me inside. As I entered, I found him operating on the sci-fi projection screen. I took my seat and asked, "Mr. Arthur, Did you procure all the material on the list." For some second, he didn''t respond. Moments later he turned off his protection screen and looked at me. "I called you for this exact reason." Saying that he placed a silver case in front of me. I opened the case and found a scroll on it. By looking at it, I know it''s some kind of technique. But, I didn''t read it. I gently closed the case. It can be read-only at the time of rune formation. But I had a vague feeling saying that it''s something else. "What kind of technique it is?" I asked. Hearing that Mr. Arthur said, "You mentioned in the list that, you need leg technique." I nodded at him, I never mentioned lightning technique. It must be a common technique followed by warriors like a hand-to-hand combat technique. But, why it is inscroll? For a second, I thought I had to form rune in my consciousness. Mr. Arthur Emerson said, "Like hand to hand combat technique. It''s a leg technique. It can help you in the utilization of your leg power. During the fight, you can move your feet quicker to evade and esacpe." Chapter 65 - Tempting Offer "Thank you for this technique," I told Mr. Arthur Emerson. After collecting this technique into my storage ring. This storage ring is the low-end storage type. I bought yesterday using unique I.D of Thomas Trade Centre. It is quite convenient to use. My identity storage ring currently invisible to other''s eyes. Though it''s always on my ring finger. It only appears, when I seep my conscious into it. We talked about few things, I stressed him to procure more materials in the given list as soon as possible. Sometime later, I left the cabin.. I am going to visit library. I need to gather more knowledge about techniques and human physic, to unfold mysteries that I''m facing. "Huh" I sighed internally thinking that. After entering the library. I browsed through several categories on A.I monitor screen. I found one particular book about human blood. I found that, book on a particular rack and started to read the book. Few minutes gone by but, still I couldn''t find anything. This book mostly talks about blood disease or disorder. Which is not I''m looking for. So, I closed that book. It is a noon time and It''s time for some physical training. My plan to get used to level 2 room. Some hours later inside the gravity chamber. "If I can sustain like this, I believe in two weeks, I can enter level 3 gravity room," I commented in my heart. I cleaned my sweating face and continued the training . Suddenly my sci-fi buzzed, I looked at the message. It was from my senior Max Stuart. He was waiting outside. I turned off the timer. The gravity turned normal. I thought, Normally, People won''t disturb you. While you are at training. " I hope he must have reason" I commented in my heart. I opened the door and found him waiting in front of the door. "Max, is that any problem?" I asked him. Hearing that Max showed some apologetic smile. "No, I just want to talk to you" he replied. Then he started to explain me. He wants to invite me to a party. But, I declined it. Seeing the situation I''m in, It''s unwarranted to participate in social gathering. He wanted to talk about it yesterday itself. But, he couldn''t find me here. Without having no choice. He called me in middle of training. "Sorry, Max. I decided to focus on my training. Social gathering were not cup of my tea. Hope you understand." I told him straightforward manner. In that way, he won''t feel being insulted. Its true that, Some people were loners and some like to increase their social connectivity. He too seems to understand that, but he still offer me something else which I couldn''t decline. "Its fine, if you don''t like party atmosphere then what about auctions. Would you accompany me?" Max Stewart revealed. My interest got piqued hearing the word auction. Seeing surprised look on my face. Max Stuart smirked a little. He thought I didn''t notice his small movements. But, I observed every detail. "Damn, fatty" I cursed him in my heart. But, I had a doubt in my heart, what''s the catch here. Why he needs my company? "Why me, Is there no else, What happened to Steven and others?" I asked him in a questioning tone. Hearing that Max wasn''t surprised. He expected the answer. "Because, I need you to bid behalf of me, See, there is lot of people know me. If they see me bidding, they will purposely rise the bid to cause trouble." Told Max Stewart. My lips curved a little knowing that, I wanted to decline. But, before that I asked, "by the way, Where the auction takes place?" "Thomas Trade Centre" replied Max Stewart. He added, " It was held once a six month. It usually held at 7th floor of Thomas Trade Centre." Many influential people will gather there. From young warriors to traders, several financial and influential people will be going there. They don''t miss a chance to see the auction items. Upon hearing Thomas Trade Centre. My inner thoughts ran like crazy. I want to find out the reason for my blood reaction. What better place could be than Thomas Trade Centre. But, looks like I have to pay some price for that, this fatty don''t know what sort of enemies made. I don''t want to jump in new trap by guarding this fatty. There is already enough trouble on my plate. So, it''s better to decline. I can slowly solve the mystery of blood element later. "Sorry to disappoint you, I have some other work to do." I declined him politely. Risks we''re quite larger. It''s not wise to bid behalf of him. I left the place without looking back. But, Suddenly. "I have something that, might interest you. You don''t need to do bidding for free." Max Stewart Persuaded. I stopped my movements but didn''t turn back to see him. There some hesitation starts to appear inside me. My inner thoughts wanted me to know about it. Max Stewart added, "Today night, I will send the details to you; Then it''s up to you decide." He left the place after that, but I did not move further. I am contemplating about the situation. Seeing that fatty is going too far to persuade me. There is certainly something fishy about it. Let''s see, What kind of details is he going to send me. I lack hardly anything except time. Lots of my financial trouble will also be sorted out, once I join the Academy. In mean time, I have to be patient. I decided to visit library again. This fatty spoiled my mood to train. Even if I don''t cause trouble. The trouble will always find it''s way to me. I laughed internally thinking that. On the way, to library. My inner thoughts were moving around 7th floor of Thomas Trade Centre. Last time I visited the 5th floor. I have vague feeling that, there is something above 5th floor. There I could find some answers for burning question in the heart. Because, on the fifth floor I didn''t come across any sort of display of monsters. It''s purely transactions. Either people trading something or selling their items. It''s a money involving place. Things like treasure and monsters. I believe, only by having special access you can see them. If his deal is not good enough. I might ask him to buy something good from that auction. Soon, I entered the library and started to read book about physiology of humans. I want to know about my own body. For that I need basic knowledge of human structure. There''s a white energies which causes to appear marking of red line on my skeletal bones. "What are those Red lines " I commented in my heart. But, I can feel my aura and bone density started to change. It''s getting strengthened, every time white energies drilled into my bones. So, I want to study about the bones and their chemical composition. I touched my pendant on my neck. It was gifted by Granny to hide my cultivation level. It''s also one of the reason, people can''t speculate about my cultivation. Otherwise, it''s impossible to miss from eyes of Mr. Arthur Emerson. Time went by, I closed the book. And stretched my arms a little, while yawning. It''s time to go home. I exited the library. On the way I came across, Maria Frazier and Candace Wilkerson. Seeing me, they stopped their conversation. I walked towards them and joined the conversation. I massaged my temple," There nothing but gossiping going on here" I commented in my heart. " These girls¡­" I sighed thinking that, they already got information about our senior assignments. Like, The Class 1 Monster type and their location. I didn''t even ask fatty about it. It might consider as invading privacy. So, I avoided it. "Zack, Are you hurt? While hunting that Spider Pseudo Monster." Asked Candace Wilkerson. Hearing that, I looked at Maria Frazier immediately. But, she acted like she didn''t hear anything. She must have told her. To not cause any doubts. I told Maria that, I got injured while killing that spider. Who would have thought, she can''t keep her secrets?. I massaged my temple and said, "Yeah, It''s hard to kill in it''s cave environmental. It''s not like blood kill test. Where you battle with it in the open arena; You have to adapt to their environments out there." Hearing my convincing arguments and seeing serious look on my face. Both of them got convinced. They knew I''m awakened. It''s impossible to pass book kill test without it. But, no body knows my current level. Even with Uncle James and Granny, they knew only about my lightning breakthrough. I hid information about blood element and physical breakthrough. "You are right Zack, Even conditions can cause trouble to kill pseudo Monster." Maria seconded my argument. Candace also nodded. We talked about few minutes. Later, I said, " Okay, Bye girls. See you tomorrow." I left the training facility. And started to go home. Some hours later, at home. I was sleeping in my couch. Taking power nap a little. I started to go through the information in my mind that, I read from the library. This will all be unnecessary. if I get some memory power from unlocking 100% of 7th. Region of brain. I started to imagine myself scanning all the books in the library. I shook my head thinking that, I''m dreaming some impossible stuffs. Suddenly, My scifi watch buzzed. Chapter 66 - Good Deal My lips curved a little, knowing that it''s none other than Max Stewart. He told me earlier about this. I waste no time.I sat in upright position and started to go through his message. I gasped internally after knowing what it is. "CLASS 1 Monster Database" I commented in my heart. This fatty surely knows what I''m lacking. No wonder, with such information in their hands. It will become easy to hunt Class 1 Monster. This database includes library of Class 1 Monsters. It contains descriptions of more than 600 Class 1 Monster. Which further divided into several sub categories, including their pros and cons, location, eating, habitat, Selling Price etc..., Our training facility had only about 500 Class 1 Monster description. Which were stored in V.R database. Look like this information is Max Stewart''s personal database. He frequently updates every new finding of class 1 Monster into his database. That''s why his monster description rose up to 600 collection something. "Should I accept it or not?" I commented in my heart. It''s will be quite useful during upcoming assignments. It''s an important decision to make. As I was deep into my thinking. I was called by my family. It was dinner time. At the dining table, I asked, "Uncle James, Did you hear about upcoming auction?" Hearing my question, both of them looked at me strangely. "Where did you get this kind of information?" she added, "The auction is not open to public. Only selected members were allowed to bid during the auction." "Yeah, As Ms. Park said. This event is Mini auction. It is conducted for their own elite circle" Uncle James replied. Hearing both of their responses. A bad premonition rouse in my heart. "Damn it fatty, he is such a sly guy. When he said people will cause trouble for him. I had thought, maybe it''s one or two." I commented in my heart. All the people were present there will be influential ones. It''s good to talk with Uncle James and Granny. If I had to make enemy out of all those people, it would be troublesome. Should I ask more from fatty? "Compensation of Database is not enough." I commented in my heart. "Zack, You are into deep thinking again!" Granny reminded me. I put my spoon on the plate and looked at her. "I was invited by my senior to attend that Mini auction." I replied. Hearing that there is no change in expression on their face. Looks like Both of them expected it. "You won''t bring the topic for discussion. Unless, it involves you." told granny with a smile. I smiled at her answer. "You don''t have to worry about that, you can go and see for yourself. It''s a good exposure for you." And he added, "Don''t always think about consequences of your action; Sometimes, it''s good to take risk." Uncle James explained to me. After few rounds of talk. Both of them convinced me. They too know that, I''m having concerns about assassin attempts. But, I can''t hide away all the time. So, I decided to visit the event. But, before that my lips curved a little. "Fatty.. Fatty, this guy is rich one. I''m going to make him pay for my purchase." I commented in my heart. Later, I went to my room to get sleep. Next day, A train making it''s journey towards Red Stone City. I am sure in an hour, the train will arrive at Red Stone City Station. I need to spend more time in training Sword Moves. So, that I can have some trump card to deal with tricky situations. I''m having steady progress at second move of the sword rune attack. I can maintain lightning sphere form for more than ten minutes. Hope, today I will get some further success. Soon, the train reaches the station. I exited the train and booked an air cab to training facility. On the way, I waste no time to watch the scenes of bustling city. Every day is noisy reminding me that, economy is really thriving here. Sometimes later, at the library. Yesterday, fatty send me details about database. Which had more than 600 class 1 Monster''s description. I''m making sure that, count of library collection. Last time It was 500. I''m at VR Section, I wore the VR helmet and entered the Pod Chamber. I logged in my student I.D. Soon, I''m able to browse through all the details. "Yup, it''s exact 500." I commented in my heart. It''s like they divided purposely for student access. I don''t know what kind of level, the office members had access to. After making sure. I exited the chamber and went to printed section to study some stuffs. Yesterday, I came across blood disorder. Which is no use to me at the end. Nonetheless, it''s knowledge. So, I didn''t stress about it. I continued my study on human skeletons. After, noon time. I exited the library. I am accessing my sci-fi to make a call. I want to talk to Max Stewart. Otherwise, he would be disturbing me at the middle of training. I made a successful call. We talked about meeting at Advance Class Discussion hall. Before, we get busy on training. "Zack, here!" shouted Max Stewart. He was standing at front door of the discussion hall. Seeing that, I walked towards him. "So, what''s your choice?" Max asked me with shining hopeful eyes. Which looked weird to me by the way. Seeing that, I wanted to puke. But, I controlled myself. "Hmm, I wanted to help you. But, your database is not enough for me." I told him. Soon, his face turned normal. He is hesitant. I added, "The training facility had about 500 descriptions. On the other hand, yours only had 600. Do you think it''s wise for me participate in that MINI AUCTION. I highlighted this word in stern tone to see his reaction. As expected, his eyes were wide opened. "How did you find out?" he asked me in utter disbelief. Then I explained him in details and told him that, I asked administration. I lied about it. It''s because, I don''t trust him. Even though he is my senior. It''s good to be cautious. Hearing my argument. He remained silent. I didn''t disturb him. I want to reach good deal with him. After some deep thinking, Max Stewart asked, "What do you want?" Then I told him to buy me something in auction. He didn''t get convinced. After some argument. We reached an agreement. Max Stewart said, "If there is an item shows up at auction and No one shows interest in it. I will buy it for you." "Then, it''s a deal!" I told him and asked, "When it will be ?" "It''s coming weekend and by the way it''s a one day event." Replied Max Stewart. I moved my eyebrows in surprise. "Then, What about the Assignment?" Then I have to finish it in one day. Hearing that, I can see Max is getting anger. "What happened?" I asked him. "You can''t even a kill Pseudo Monster in one day time." Max Stewart replied. I just smiled to his question. I don''t know how to reply it. We shook our hands and talked about few things and then we went to our separate training rooms. On the way to gravity chamber. I thought, it''s a good deal. I can''t expect him to bid for expensive items and buy for me. On the other hand, If there is an item not favoured by anyone. It can be auctioned at base price. I had a small smile realizing that, I enter gravity room. Where I went to level 2 training room as usual. I set up an timer for 30 minutes. I sat in mediate position. Under this gravity I''m a going to train my lightning control. Which is helpful for my 2nd form of Sword attack. The gravity started to exert huge pressure on me. As long as my lightning energy is densely arranged. It can withstand the downward pressure. But it takes lot of time and energy to do that. It''s takes 30 minutes to form lightning sphere shape on my palms. Time went by small sweat beads started to appear in my face. My face is red. Like someone placed me on top of hot boiling pot. After 30 minutes, the gravity is turned off. A small thunderous sound ran inside gravity chamber. It was due to appearance of lightning sphere on both of my palms. If one looked at closely. They will find there were little sparks on top of the sphere. And the lightning energy is densely packed. Seeing, my lightning sphere. There''s sense of satisfaction in my heart. I want to move onto next sword move. That''s charging. But, I decided to wait for one week. I wanted to reach perfection. Even it''s not possible. I want to reach somewhere close to it. Once again looking at the lightning. I want to test its destruction range. So, far I''m able to make two lightning sphere without any help of techniques. It''s based on control principle. Chapter 67 - Trezi Town I am satisfied with my current progression. I just have to practice till the weekend. By next week onwards. I''ll be focusing on 3rd form of the Sword Attack. Time passes, soon it''s evening. I left the gravity chamber and freshen up myself. Before, making journey towards my home. On the way, I am looking at sci-fi watch. After persuading Max Stewart. I got the Class 1 Monster database from him. The description were detailed. It had more info than library. I had a small smirk knowing that. Four days later, Zack is sleeping in his couch. Suddenly, His Sci-Fi watch buzzed. I opened my eyes and looked at the notification. It''s was reminder from Max Stewart. Day after tomorrow we will be going for Mini-Auction. "Tomorrow, I have to complete the Assignment within a day itself and return home safely." I commented in my heart. Some hours later, After having dinner with the family. I''m making preparation for tomorrow''s journey and reading some details from Max Stewart''s database. "I should call it as my database here after." I commented in my heart. After packing enough stuff in my back pack. I used my storage ring to store it. I looked at my surroundings to find any stuff that left out. There''s none. I became relaxed knowing that. Now, I am reading description of Assignment. KREMARLL LIZARD - The Pseudo Monster. Location ¨C TREZI TOWN. Seeing it''s Trezi town, I heard its closer to Red stone City. So, one of my problem is solved. But, location is slightly difficult than previous assignment. Outskirt of the Trezi Town is semi-desert. It''s a hot semi arid climate region makes the living condition of the town little harder. The town had water scarcity. So, to overcome that, thousands of gallons of water supplied by train from nearby cities. There is a reason for people to make livelihood there, it''s because of mineral ore. The town had mining industry. Which gives surplus fund to the town to operate despite in this harsh conditions. Even Red Stone city provide assistance in water supply to Trezi Town. The Trezi town is a small area, if not for water scarcity. The town would have developed into thriving city. Well, it''s not important to me. What I am interested is in this Monster KREMARLL LIZARD. It''s found in the outskirts of the town. The outskirts is nothing but semi desert. My mood becomes sullen reading that. I have one day time limit. On top of it there is no connectivity. I can''t go deep inside the semi desert. There is no air cab there. I can solve water problem by storing water in storage ring. But, I can''t solve transport issue. If I entered deep inside, then I have to find my way back by walking. Which would take more than one day. Looks like I have got 50% chance to complete this assignment. I went to deep thinking. I am contemplating, Whether failing the assignment would have any consequences. I already asked Mr. Arthur Emerson to procure materials asap. It would left bad impression on him. If I failed to do this assignment. I shook my head thinking that, it''s best to figure out tomorrow. Soon, I began to prepare battle plan to kill KREMARLL Lizard Pseudo Monster. I''m quite confident killing that, Pseudo Monster effortlessly. My Mid level strength is overkill for it. Looking at the description, it had 300 cm in height, sharp teeth with deadly claw. It had a perfect defense with tough skin and quite Fast runner in this semi desert. After knowing that, I became relaxed it''s quite big but not poisonous. So, I can kill it without any worry. Hope I will come across any class 1 Monster tomorrow. I''m planning on saving as much as credit points possible. Next day, Morning at the dining table. "Have you made enough preparation for the journey?" asked Granny Park. Only Granny and I''m having breakfast. Uncle James left early for work. I looked at her and said, "There nothing to prepare actually except drinking water storage." It''s true that, nothing needed except water. Because, the city is very close to Red Stone City. It''s just like having some small trip to nearby town. We talked about few other things. The conversation was light nothing serious. Hardly, comes times when granny talks about funny things. Usually, she won''t leave me without giving enough advice. I bid good bye to her. After having breakfast. I told her that, I will return within a day. I also sent message to Uncle James regarding my mission. Sometimes later, I boarded the train to Red Stone City station. There is no direct train service from my home town. I have to switch over there. It''s two hour journey from Red Stone City to Trezi Town. Some hours later, I''m taking small nap. luckily, I boarded the train on time. Otherwise, I would have miss the train to Trezi Town. There is not much passengers here, except some mining workers. They are not ordinary humans either. You need to be at least Early Trainee apprentice to eligible for mining. Even though there is high tech machinery available for mining. They won''t use it on such a low level mineral ore. It''s not economically feasible. That''s why they go for labour force. Two hours later, At Trezi town. "Finally" I commented in my heart. As I walked out of the train. I saw lot of warriors walking out of the train. Most of them were workers. They wore same uniform belong to certain mining organisation. I removed these thoughts from my mind and focused on my assignment. I booked an air cab immediately. I told him to drop me at the border of the Trezi Town. While travelling, I looked at the Trezi Town from above. The town is built with mineral ores. It''s quite contrast to other cities. Where series of skyscrapers and glass buildings fill the region. Looks they won''t even waste the left-over materials from mining. As I saw the housings were having same brown texture pattern like other buildings. You can''t even tell it''s modern building or medieval one. By looking at population of town and it''s need of water. I can understand, why there is no investment in housing here. It''s just the temporary town. As long as they mine the materials. This town would be active. Otherwise, "Sigh" I sighed thinking that. That''s why I need to get stronger and move towards higher cities. Soon, the air cab dropped me at the town border. I looked at the vast open land before me. There were few trees found in between the land. It''s a bit humid down here. I began my journey to find the Pseudo Monster. I opened the database to look at its location. It''s described that, this Monster usually lives. Where there is enough shadow to overcome the heat and low temperature to survive. I wondered, what it meant by shadow. Whether it''s telling about tree''s shadow or cave''s shadow. As I opened the map and started to map the location. I walked a bit distance. Soon, I came across deformed landscape. Where it''s shows the evidence of river flowing. It might be flash flood. There is rarely rain pour down here. So, it must be flash flood. As I also noticed some broken branches of trees. Which must have been washed away by the flood. I followed this path. There might be chances of encountering some monsters. As I was waking through. Suddenly, is stopped my movements. I noticed something big. Which is not tree, when I carefully observed what it is, I gasped. I was surprised by seeing my first monster here. My eyes were shining like stars. My lips curved a little as I quickened my pace towards the Monster. YELLOW DOTTED SCORPION - Class 1 Monster. The Monster is quite huge. I observed the monster. I brought the Black Sword from my storage ring and turned on my perception ability. Soon, it covered area more than 10 meters. I noticed every tiny details around my surroundings with it. I. Also want to know whether this monster is actually sleeping or faking it. Usually, monster will sense any threat around it sooner. It natural instinct for them. So, I have vague feeling that, it''s faking it. I hold my Black Sword in right hand and took small steps towards it. I''m aiming for it''s head position. Once I cleaved it''s head then it will drop down dead. As I drew my sword to hack it. Suddenly, it''s body moved. It''s eyes opened using it''s eight legs it moved slightly backwards. Seeing it I halted my movements. I smirked a little watching it''s actions. " I''m right, its faking it." I commented in my heart. As it brought down huge stinger to attack me. Which had brought bright smile on my face. I swung my black sword to attack it. The black blade swung in a curve in the air. It slice the part of stinger. It''s exoskeleton defense did not pose much of a strength. As the blade slice through it. The Stinger dropped down. The Scorpion wanted to escape after witnessing it''s sliced part. But, I did not give it a chance. Chapter 68 - Finished: 2nd Assignment It''s the best test piece to test my lightning sphere. I conjure a small lightning sphere in my left palm within a moment. I move towards the scorpion while blocking its escape. I need to get closer to its body to use this attack. This lightning sphere formed without any technique. So, I can''t projectile it. Watching me coming closer. The Scorpion used its two front claws to attack me. I defended it with my Black Sword. Then, I leaped to attack its head. The Scorpion didn''t expect it. It used its tail instinctively to attack me. But, there is no stinger there.. So, I defended it without any worry. Soon, as I came close to its head. I moved my left hand to place my palms on top of its head. I saw there is fear in its eyes by Sensing crackling sound made by my small lightning sphere. "Boom..." A thundering sound echoed the whole area. Soon, a nauseating smell attacked my nose. Its whole body got electrocuted. There is a huge hole that appeared where I placed my palm earlier. My lips curved a little. "It''s obliterated the head region and followed by electrocution of the entire body." I commented in my heart. I am satisfied by destruction results. Even though it''s a small sphere. The lightning energy was quite dense. Soon, I continued my journey after it. The body is no use to me, still, I choose to store it in my storage ring. I''m going to dispose of it in a safe location to avoid spying. I continued my journey. It didn''t take more than ten minutes to solve this Class 1 Monster. Hope I can kill as much as possible in this semi-desert. Soon, it''s half an hour gone. I''m still searching for my Pseudo Monster. I didn''t find any cave structure here. As far as I can see its open land and few green patches sighted here and there. I looked at my sci-fi watch. It''s half a day gone. It takes more than three hours of travel time to head back home via Red Stone City. So, I had three hours left. In the meantime, I have to find that lizard. I decided to change direction to the east side. At the same time, I''m being conscious of not going deep inside. Thanks to the sci-fi watch, it''s working without having any glitches. I activated my perception ability. Soon, the area of more than ten meters has covered. I can perceive all the objects inside the range. Though, it''s not like actual vision. But, I can perceive colourless shapes, patterns and its movements. I moved my eyebrows in doubt, perceiving an odd shape from a six-meter distance. I charged towards it. "is it a rock?" I questioned in my heart. Yet, my intuition tells me to verify it. Soon, I reached that place. "Damn!" I commented in my heart. The weight lifted off my shoulder. It is not a rock structure. It''s that damn lizard. Sleeping underneath the bushes. These huge overgrown bushes provides safe heaven for it. These bushes have grown at the same height as typical humans. Even though, it provides good cover. I am still able to find it. I waste no time to kill it. The KREMARLL LIZARD Pseudo Monster got alerted. But, it''s every attempt turned vain. I used my aura alone to stop its movements. It got startled and couldn''t even move from the spot. My blood element tangled aura weighing on the lizard. Making it completely frozen. Seeing it my lips curved a little. I aimed my lightning sphere at its head. "Boom¡­" The thunderous sound reverberated the area. Hereby, obliterating its head region. I used a very small amount of lightning power. So, that remaining part can be useful. Then, I used my storage ring to store it and retreated from the spot. But, I noticed there is a noise coming from my behind. I used my perception to verify it. It''s a team of three people moving in my direction they are ten meters away from me. They entered my perception range. So, it''s become easy to find them. Then I used my perception to find a suitable hideout. It was none other than these overgrown bushes. I moved five meters from this place and decided to observe from that spot. I tried not to expose my presence by concealing my aura as much as possible. I turned off my perception. It''s going to be troublesome if they find something wrong. Like, I expected, a team of three members arrived at the scene. They were middle-aged warriors. Looking at their dress. I suspect they were hunters. After knowing that, I smirked a little and continued to observe them. "Robby, did you hear from this spot?" asked one of the men. The trio heard some loud sounds from this place. So, they decide to find out the reason for it. Robb cutting away the large bushes to clear the area. "Yeah, Boss! I heard it from this area." Then he added, "Looking at this area. I doubt anything that has happened here. It''s very clean and there is no evidence of trespassing." And last beard men said, "tch! Since, there is nothing here. Can we go and search for some other place?" The last beard guy got annoyed. They were looking for a game deep inside the open land. But, one of their men warned them that, he heard some loud noise nearer to their location. Then the trio decided to search for this area. Hoping to rob from other hunters. The trio''s boss said, "Are you sure Robby? The bearded guy interjected by saying, "Robby must have been imagining things. There is no one around here. On the way, we didn''t come across anyone. I''m sure he misheard it." Then the trio started to fight among themselves but the reality is different. They couldn''t find anything here. Soon, the trio decided to walk away from this place. I''m smiling from the start, by looking at their search operation. From the beginning, they were quite far away from the exact spot. I used a small lightning sphere to reduce the damage. So, the pseudo Monster alone took the brunt. There is no damage to the land and the surroundings. Looking at their back, "Before someone else comes, it''s wise to leave this place." I commented in my heart. I''m on my way back to the Trezi Town''s border. Some hours later, I reached the spot. Where Air Cab dropped me down earlier. "Success!" I commented in my heart and breathed in relief that, I finished the assignment on time. I trusted my instinct to change the direction. Otherwise, I would be wasting a lot of time by wandering here. I booked an air cab. Then I send a message to Granny and Uncle about my departure from Trezi Town. Soon, the Air cab came arrived. Later it dropped at the Trezi Station. Some hours later, I arrived home. It''s the evening time. I found Granny Park in the garden. She is enjoying her time by sipping tea and reading printed books. Granny Park heard footsteps from behind. She turned around and saw Zack. She said, "Looks like, It went well!" I walked towards her and took the opposite seat. She started to pour some tea for me. It''s lemon tea. My favorite one. I held the teacup and started to slip a little. I felt such freshness, like my nerves got loosened. "It''s a fine tea" I complimented her. Granny Park move her eyebrows and said, "You didn''t even answer the question that I asked earlier." "Oh, It went good" I replied. Then I explained, "Class 1 Monster doesn''t pose much of a threat to Mid-level Trainee Apprentice,". After my explanation, her expression eased a little. "It''s true that. At your current level dealing with Class 1 Monster is easy. Then what about Class 2 Monster?" Granny Park asked. Hearing that, I stopped sipping tea and looked at her. I don''t have any idea about Class 2 Monster. It''s completely one level above me. "What do you mean Granny? Do you want me to face Class 2 Monster?" I replied her. "Yes, You won''t learn anything by facing Class 1 Monster and don''t even talk about Pseudo Monster." Granny Park told to me. Then she said, "You better ask James for it, He can take you to the place of Class 2 Monster." She continued, "Unlike, Class 1 Monster. The Class 2 Monster had elemental abilities like warriors. It would be quite difficult to face them." Hearing that, I nodded at her suggestion. I understood her concern. It''s given that, I won''t learn anything by facing them. After having two Mid-level breakthroughs. It''s overkill. After contemplating a bit. I said, "Then, I will ask Uncle James later at dinner. If he agrees, I can start from next week itself." After seeing Zack''s resolute look and firm decision. Granny became relaxed and happy. She worried that Zack might become overconfident by killing the same Class 1 Monster. So, she decided to confront him. After having a conversation. She found Zack didn''t even hesitate to face Class 2 Monster. She is glad about Zack''s decision. Only by facing a tougher opponent, you can learn something and become stronger. Chapter 69 - Auction Begins At the dining table, "Uncle James, I want to fight Class 2 Monster," I revealed my opinion to Uncle James. Including Granny, Three of us having dinner together at the dining table. At first, Uncle James didn''t respond. Seeing that, I furrowed my eyebrows. Moments later, Uncle James responded by saying, "I thought, you would take some time to ask me about this." Then he continued, "But, seeing your breakthrough. It''s good to move ahead now." I''m glad to hear that, Uncle James doesn''t have any negative opinion about this. I asked, "Then, What about next week, is there any specific location? There, I can hunt like Pinewood forests." This is what puzzles me. As far as I know, I don''t have eligibility to fight Class 2 Monster. Especially as a Seed Candidate. That''s why I didn''t stress about it. It''s only after Granny''s suggestion, I thought there might be a chance. "Sigh" Uncle James sighed. He looked at me in his direct eyes. Uncle James said, "I''m going to a certain place next week and I decided to take you with me." Then he continued to eat. But, he didn''t care to explain it further. Since he mentioned it as a certain place. I didn''t want to demand a further answer from him now. Later, we had few conversations. After having dinner. We went to our rooms. I entered my room. "Tomorrow is the day of Mini-Auction," I commented in my heart. I need to go sleep earlier than expected. But, I didn''t want to skip the practice. So, I shortened my sleep and continued to meditate. I am practicing lightning energy. Even though lightning energy is scarce in this region. I tried to store as much as lightning energy in my dantian. I won''t leave it as empty. I plan to make it as habit. Unlike, unconventional Blood Method. It needs a secluded place to practice. Here, I can train the lightning method without any worry. It needs a natural area rich with lightning energy. Sometimes later, After done practicing, I went to sleep. Early morning, The next day, I boarded the train to Red Stone City. I plan to meet Max Stewart in the training facility. From there, we will visit Thomas Trade Centre. Some hours later, In the Advance Class Room. "Zack, Thank goodness you arrived on time!" Max Stuart sounded. He ran towards him and shook his hand. "Thanks for your help. You have completed the assignment within a day." Max Stewart told Zack in delight. He never thought everything would fall into pieces. Early, he gambled on Zack. Whether he could do anything on this matter. From initial conversations to later deals, everything went well. Seeing fatty''s showering compliments. I didn''t care much. What I need is a rare treasure from him. Hope he will pay during the auction. "Can we go? It''s already getting late." I told to Max Stewart. Seeing my unfazed look. He stopped putting in sugary words and nodded. Then we both departed from the training facility. Faraway from this place, "He...He...He "laughed yellow teeth man. His name is Will Roach. He had short black hair and small black eyes. He had a calm face with long nose. Having pale skin he looked quiet. He is wearing a black expensive tuxedo. Will Roach couldn''t stop his inner happiness. Seeing his crazy plan is going to be full fill today. Like few, He is a permanent member of inner elites. When heard that, Mini Auction going to occur. He made a daring plan to rob the auction items. For this act, he needs the help of his two close friends. Frank Terry and Bernard Barker. Trio belong to prominent families. They run small trade companies subsidiary to PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE. Which is a colossal organisation. For the last three years, in Mini Auction they were unsuccessful to bid on their favorite items. There are rare artifacts, herbal treasures, advanced research papers, and Monster Parts. Seeing the expensive items chosen for auction. Greed starts to take over their hearts. They suspect this year too. They will auction more of the rare items. "Will, are you sure about this plan?" asked Frank Terry. He wore a clean shirt and a well-suited vest on top of it. He looked like a scholar. Having a fair skin tone, He had a small face with brown eyes. His hair was black in color. Three of them were talking in a private lounge. No one is here, except the trio. Hearing Frank''s question. Will stopped laughing. He turned his neck and look towards his pessimistic friend and said, "Don''t worry, It''s going to be fine." Then Will Roach added, "We need to observe from the sidelines. Our hired men will do their job. They won''t leave any evidence behind and no one will suspect us." Hearing Will''s explanation. Bernard stopped drinking his wine. He asked, "Do you have any idea about warriors?" then he added, "I heard there might be a team behind the Auction." Bernard likes to wear casuals. Even though he had million credit points in his accounts. He likes to be simple. With curly black hair and black eyes, he looked serious. Pessimistic Frank also perked his ear. Ever since Will told about his plan. He had only negative thoughts that ran through his mind. Then He breathed in relief after the assurance of his friends. Will Roach smiled and answered, "They are Mid to Peak level Trainee apprentices. They were not more than ten in numbers." Then he added, "There is nothing to worry about. Our men can take care of them. Because they are Special Trainee." Hearing that, both Frank''s and Bernard''s expressions eased. Bernard gulped the wine and asked, "Looks like, there is going to be some bloodshed." "Don''t you guys want a breakthrough? You two were asking me about ideas. Now, that I had planned something. Don''t ask too much about it." Explained Will Roach. He is having problems with breakthroughs. He couldn''t get past the peak of the special trainee. It''s been six years but nothing happened. You need talent and a good affinity with elements. To have a smooth breakthrough. Otherwise, you need to look for unconventional methods like treasure or research documents. Few of the scientists come up with their theoretical methods. Even it''s a theory it''s sold at a sky-high price at auction. His friends were also like him. They were both at mid-level of the special trainee. But, they are not risk-takers. He shook his head in the thought of that. Then he got up from the seat and said, "During the auction, Act like you know nothing and bid as usual." Hearing that, Both Frank and Bernard nodded. After few conversations, they left the private lounge to prepare for the auction. Meanwhile, Max Stewart and Zack Lockwood booked an air cab to visit Thomas Trade Centre. On the way, without realizing I uttered, "Fatty" then I corrected myself before he heard it. "Uhm! Max, how much credit points do you have for bidding in Auction? Hearing Zack''s question. Max furrowed his eyebrows. He told that he will tell everything once they arrived at the auction. Sometimes later, The Duo arrived at the Thomas Trade Centre. Looking at this ten storey building. I noticed few people were entering and exiting this place. "This place is quiet today. Looks like they postponed their trading operation for few days" I commented in my heart. As I was observing the area. "Zack, let''s go inside." Max Stewart urged me from behind. We both entered the building. Like always the receptionist gestures us to go to the 7th floor. On the way, we came across few people. They were wearing expensive attire. Seeing that'' I sighed in my heart. "Elite Circle" I smirked a little and followed Max. We came to the 7th floor. This entire floor got one huge auditorium. The place looks like a theatre hall. Instead of seats, there were several rooms built at distance from each other. Seeing that I gasped in my heart. "This nowhere seems like Mini Auction," I commented in my heart. We were both standing at the entrance. From both sides of mine, Few people started to choose their rooms. "Max, where is our room?" I questioned him. He is operating on his Sci-Fi watch. I guess he is finding the room number. There is no assistant here to assist. The details were in his Sci-Fi watch. "Yup, I found it. It''s ten! "Answered Max. Soon, we move towards room no. Ten. The room had A.I screen attached to it. Looks like Max already registered my name. "How did he do that?" I wondered in my heart. After seeing the confusion on Zack''s face. "I used your name for registration. But, Real work needs your access," told Max. My eyebrows eased knowing that, looks like he booked it earlier. We scanned our credentials. After verification, we both entered the room. The room''s door closed. There were two cozy seats inside the room. And huge A. I screen in front of it. The A.I screen shows auction items. You can bid on auction items using it. "Zack, enter your details in the auction server!" Max guided Zack in registering his details in the server as a bidder. Chapter 70 - The Old Man I entered my details in the auction server. Only after verification, I can bid officially. Soon, the verification was completed. My name and image were shown. It can only viewed by Auction Authorities. It will remain anonymous to other bidders. Time went by and all other rooms were getting filled. At first, I thought there were few people. Yet in the last minutes all of the rooms were full. I''m waiting for the presenter to appear. I can''t look outside directly. Everything that happens outside is shown via A.I Monitor.. A couple of minutes later, I saw an old man with a black mustache. He is wearing a black tuxedo that is suited for this occasion. Also, there is a a cowboy hat on top of his head. As he came towards the center of the podium. He gazed towards all our room. His eyes were sharp. Even looking from this Monitor Screen. I felt goosebumps. My gut feeling tells me that, this old guy must be a Special Trainee. No way, an ordinary man can impose such a threatening aura. I didn''t know whether I''m imagining things. As I looked at the Monitor Screen. Maybe this fatty has some clue. "Max, do you know about this old man?" I questioned him. Unlike Zack who was observing every detail through Monitor Screen. Max was quietly taking nap. He decided to wake up when Auction officially starts. "Max¡­ Max" I shouted in low voice. But, this guy looks like went into a deep sleep. After continuous nagging by Zack. Max opened his eyes. After yawning for a moment. He became clear-headed. "What happened?" he asked. I gesture him to look at the monitor screen. Max was surprised by seeing this old man. I saw a knowing look on Max''s face. I asked, "Do you know him?". Max turned towards me and said, " I heard about him. This old man appears only for an important events such as Grand Auction." But, I don''t know why he appeared here for this Mini- Auction?" I affirmed my guess hearing that, answer. "What''s his name? Is he powerful? I bombarded him with my question. Max has gotten annoyed. "Why do you ask? We came here for auction. It''s better to focus on that. As for your question. I don''t know? Like you, I''m heard it from others." He answered in a displeasing tone. Hearing that I stopped nagging him and focused on monitor screen. "why he is on edge today" I wondered inside my heart. But, Zack doesn''t know that, there is something else going on in Max''s mind. When Max saw that person. His calm heart started to become turbulent. He used a handkerchief to clean his sweaty palms. "What''s happening? Why am I feeling nervous?" Max wondered in his heart. One hour ago, At Back office of the Thomas Trade Centre. The Presenter Old Man talking to one of his servants. "is he arrived?" the old man questioned his servant. The Servant is a Male Warrior, Presumably in-between Early to Midlevel Trainee Apprentice. His face is expressionless. He is maintaining a pin-drop silence. He only responds to the old man questions. He wearing a grey shirt and grey pants. After hearing the question, The Servant sent the details to old Man''s Watch. The old man opened the folder to view. In that folder there is a video. He began to watch the video. As the video started playing. He noticed his target has arrived and there is another fellow tagged along with him. Seeing that, his lips curved a little. Then he operated on his Sci-Fi watch. To verify the target, he opened the list. The List is none other than the kill list. There lot of names in that kill list. Most of them were ticked right. Indicating that target is no more. Then followed by it there were few unmarked names. The old man''s eyes focused on a particular name. It''s Max Stewart. If Max was here. He can confirm that, why he had a disturbance in his heart. The old man then looked for another name. It was Zack''s name. But, there is no mention of Zack''s name on the kill list. He then inquired the servant about him. "That, Guy is a Classmate of the target. According to our intel, he belongs to Army faction." The servants answered. The old man was not surprised. but he had other thoughts going on his mind. "What about his rank? The old man asked. He wants to verify something. "According to intel, he is not awakened yet. But, recently he went to pinewood forest." The servant answered. Hearing that, the old man nodded. He wondered in his heart. He is awakened. But not mentioned in my kill list. Looks like the intel team is lagging behind. "What should I do?" the old man commented in his heart. We already killed so many seed-level candidates who belong to Army Faction. It is not wise to kill the guy , not mentioned in the list. If I do, I have to take personal responsibility for this act. The organization won''t support unsanctioned killing. Then he closed his eyes for a moment and went into deep thinking. He opened his eyes and leaned forward his back from the seat. He smiled a Little. Which looked devilish. "looking at the larger picture. killing him doesn''t make any difference." The old man commented in his heart. He decided to kill both Max and Zack. Then he secretly told something to his men. At present now at the podium, The old man pointed his fingers downward. Soon, from the podium. An enclosed glass structured room started to appear from above. Once it came downward. The old man entered inside the glass door room. There is a huge monitor screen installed inside the room. The old man went forward and operated something on the screen. Soon, the name list of bidders appeared on the screen. As he was going through the list. He smiled seeing Zack''s image. Then after confirming everything. He went to another server. It contains a name list of Auction items. He didn''t mind seeing them. After confirming the items. He gave some introduction speech. Later, the first item was auctioned. The old man gave permission. Then the All the details about the auction item were shown on the bidder''s monitor screen. Meanwhile, in Zack''s room. He is been observing everything from the start. "AIS-(AFFINITY IMPROVEMENT SOLUTION)" Base Price: 100K CREDIT POINTS. Status: Theory. Type: Patent. Author/Expert: Ms. Hera Thomson. I uttered everything shown on the screen. At first, Reading the name, I was delighted. But, looking at its status. I felt disappointed. No wonder price is at 100K. If it''s real. Then, It would not appear on the auction list. It''s a failed product. But, for scholars, it''s a valuable item. They can search it from the scratch. I suspect there is anyone here willing to buy the product. But it is getting bid by someone. I looked at the room number on the screen. The camera turns around and shows the image of room number one. But, I can''t see the person who had a successful bid. It was unauthorized from outside. But, I can see them. Once the auction was over. "It has to be some scholar" I commented in my heart. Seeing me looking at the screen. Max said, "Don''t think about it. You never see them again. Unless it''s an auction." Hearing that, I perked my ear. Hoping that he will answer it himself. Seeing fatty''s expression I cursed him in my heart. He wanted me to ask him. I controlled my anger and asked, "Why?" Hearing that fatty had pleasing look on his face. I tried not to look at it. He thinks of himself as a fountain of knowledge. To some extent it''s true. But, I don''t believe he knows everything about the auction. "This area is only for bidding. For transaction, they will do at different floor." Then he added, " And it depends upon auction items. For documents, they transfer it directly and for other artifacts it''s at the designated room." Max explained to me. Hearing that I understood. "It''s for safety" I uttered a little. Max nodded listening to that. Soon, the next item was shown. "Fire Affinity Stone" Base Price: 300 K credit points. Type: Container, Count: 1000. Seller: Anonymous. It''s the first time, I witnessed Fire Affinity stone was sold like hotcakes. The bid was increased by 1000 credit points. I watched every action. The old man opened the container. I gasped seeing that because each stone was at fist size. They were smoothly carved. All of the stones in the container looked the same. "It''s from a certain industry" Max uttered. I nodded at his judgment. "one thing is clear it''s not a looted item." I commented in my heart. Soon, The Container was sold at 350K Credit points. I wonder, what would happen if lightning affinity stone would appear. But, my speculation came into reality. "Lightning affinity stone". Base price: 500 K credit points. Type: small stone. Seller: Anonymous. "What in the¡­!!!" I uttered unknowingly seeing the description of the lightning stone. My world literally turned upside down. It''s a huge revelation of reality. The item does not justify the word small stone. Because it is in fingernail size. I smiled mirthlessly seeing that. I wanted to bid for it. My inner thoughts urged me to buy it. I was lost in a moment. Thanks to Max, he interrupted on time. Chapter 71 - The Robbers Seeing my reaction. Max misunderstood something. He is smiling, said, "You are right, it''s for special element users. But, it''s a known fact that, no one with lightning element appeared." Hearing that, I came back to reality. I don''t know what to answer. If I told him to buy that thing. He would be scared right now. Meanwhile, the old man at the podium. He didn''t move to the next item. He is waiting for people to bid. Seeing that, no one was able to bid after ten minutes. "As expected life is more important than this stone" The old man muttered to himself.. People would be running for their life. Even if they mistakenly bid for this item. Meanwhile, in other separate three rooms. Will Roach, Frank Terry, and Bernard Barks. The trio was individually looking at this auction in separate rooms. There is no one behind them. To not arose any suspicious activity. They didn''t bring their aid with them. Frank Terry remained silent. He seems to think something else. His mind is not on auction. Crazy ran through his mind. He is imagining the robbing situation. But every possible outcome resulted in bad. He is getting the ominous feelings. In another room, Unlike Frank Terry. Bernard is taking nap. He plans to wake up at the time of the robbery. He doesn''t want to bid anything. Unlike both of them. Will Roach is observing everything from his room. He is very attentive. He ordered his men to rob the items. Once the bidding was done. His men will rob at transaction floor. He hired a team of five people. The five were currently hiding at a different locations. All of them were Early Special Trainee Warriors. The five people were outsiders. He made deal with them to have an equal share of the treasure. They were disguised as Staff. So, Will Roach is waiting for an auction to be over. Meanwhile, in Zack''s room. "Sigh" I sighed in my heart. Thinking no one is bidding for the item. Earlier, I made a deal with a fatty that he will buy the auction item that I like. But, seeing lighting stone I couldn''t do anything. It''s not wise to bid it. It will expose my identity. And then I will be targeted even more. Time passes, few items were auctioned simultaneously. Max is not interested in these items. So, I didn''t bid for it. Every item that were shown after the affinity stone was ordinary. Nothing special about it like research documents. "Meditation Mat Artefact" Base Price: 10 k credit points. Type: Effective under Special Trainee. Seller: Anonymous. "Zack, Bid for this item," Max told me. I waste no time to bid for it. I asked him," is it really good?" I wonder why he wants this item. I can enter into meditation without artifact. Hearing Zack''s question. "Not all people can enter into deep meditation. Like me there are people. Who can''t enter into deep meditation without external help? This Mat artifact provides an amazing effect. Which helps people to calm their minds. And unknowingly they enter into deep meditation. It''s an amazing artifact for us. Hearing Max''s explanation I nodded at him. I started to bid for this item. Once I bid for this item. I saw the old man from the podium looking at us. I don''t like his eyes. No one is bidding for this item except us. I wondered. Max told me people will cause him trouble if they knew Max was the bidder. "What happened to your competitors? They are not rising the price. " I turned toward Max and asked him. "It''s just a Mat. This is not useful for them and they don''t know your bidding on behalf of me" Max answered. I nodded at him. Since no one is bidding. In the end, We successfully bid for this Mat. We can collect at this item after the auction was over. Seeing Max got what he want. I really expect some useful things to appear next. I couldn''t do it for lightning stone. Hope there will be something similar to this. "Ancient Tribal Paintings". Base price: 50K Credit points. Type: Painting. Seller: Anonymous. Seeing this item, my gut feeling tells me to buy it. But, my brain tells it is a normal painting. I don''t know what to decide. But, finally, I made my mind to bid for it. "Max, I need this item," I told Max. Max got surprised hearing that. "It''s just a painting. Only artistic people will buy it as a collection. It''s not useful for warriors in any way." Max answered. I don''t know how to reply to that. "I want this item. Even it''s not useful for me." I told Max. Max sighed seeing my conviction. Then he allowed me to bid for it. Wasting no time I bid for it. Like Mat artifacts, luckily no one bid for it. Because of it, I got a successful bid. I can have it later after the bidding was done. Soon, several items are shown. I bid one or two items for Max. Like he said there are people who raise the bid purposely. But, we did not continue to bid for it. We move on to the next auction items. Time went by, we made two successful bids after mat. Max was pleased with it. He decided not to bid for anything further. Even I got what I wanted. Max is annoyed by the painting. He told me that, I wasted my opportunity. I should have bid for something else. I shook my head hearing that. We were watching the old man in the podium. Patiently waiting for bidding to be over. There are some items sold like hotcakes. Some hours later, the old man declared the auction was over. "It''s time to collect auction items," Max said with a smile. I''m pleased with today''s auction. It''s eye-opening for me. Especially, the lightning stone. Max explained to me that, it''s a mini-auction. The things auctioned here were ordinary items compare to the Grand auctions. Hearing about Grand Auction. I had anticipation in my heart. I want to participate in something like that and bid for items that I like. For that, I need to get richer. After the bidding was done. We remained in our room. The transaction location will be shown on monitor screen. Once it was shown I can go and collect there. Soon, Max transferred all the credit points for the purchase to my account. Only the bidder can go and collect the items. Max won''t be accompanying me. "So, where can I meet you?" I asked Max. "We can meet at the Leki restaurant. Leki restaurant run by my father''s friend. I will be waiting for you there" explained Max. I nodded at him. Suddenly, the monitor screen has shown the transaction location for bidder Zack. It was 8th-floor room number nine. Seeing that, "It''s time "I commented in my heart. "Let''s go Zack" Max uttered. Hearing that, I got up from the seat and exited the room. Max also exited the room. He will be waiting outside at leki restaurant. We separated here. I move towards the 8th floor. Meanwhile, the old man from the podium disappeared once the auction was done. He is observing everything from the side-lines. People who had successfully bids going to their transaction location. But he is waiting for one particular room. There was a sharp glint in his eyes. When he saw Zack and Max excited the room. He saw both of them separated there went in different directions. "Look like the kid name Zack is going for transaction location and the target is moving outside." The old man muttered He wastes no time in following Max. The old man changed his disguise. The moustache is not a real one it''s a fake identity. Now he is wearing a face mask of a different person. As Max was entering the lift. The old man caught up with him. "Hey, kid wait a second" the old man started to put up a performance. Hearing that, Max stopped his movement He was inches away from the lift''s door. Meanwhile, Zack entered the 8th floor. I saw there were a hundred rooms on the 8th floor. People dressed as butlers moving from one room to another. I''m walking towards room number nine. Where my transaction going to be held. As I was moving towards. Suddenly, my instincts started to alarm. I stopped my movements. I observed their butlers moving here and there. Among them. There were two people who unlike other butlers remained silent and stationary. Earlier, I noticed they were watching my back. I shook my head and removed these thoughts from my mind. Then I entered room number nine. There I found two people. One male and female. They both were auction staff. I showed my bidder credentials. After verification. I transferred credit points to them. They put all the auction items into low-end storage rings. The storage ring came free of cost. I collected the storage ring and put it into my left-hand ring finger. Meanwhile, the robbers at different transaction floors started robbing. At one particular floor. The bidder came out of the transaction room. The robber dressed as a butler. He used his special trainee power to kill the bidder. And looted his storage ring and other valuable items. Same incidents happening at different locations. The Five Special Trainee robbers started killing and looting items. They hide the body in nearby empty rooms. But, everything done in the hallway is recorded by the Monitor screen. Chapter 72 - Attack 1 The robbers were targeting lone bidders. They will not move if they came across pairs. Usually, everything was monitored by the Security Team. The team of Thomas Trade Centre and Auction Authorities. But, this time they failed to notice the disturbance. At first, the security team didn''t even look at the monitor''s screen. Soon, they received intel. Stating some of the bidders didn''t exit the building after the transaction. They thought they must be wondering or talking to their colleagues. But, as time passes more and more intel came towards them the security team got alarmed. They started to verify through Monitor''s Screen. The Team of Auction Authorities also moved at the same time.. Usually, they don''t have much work. But this time they are facing an enemy higher than their level. Meanwhile, The old man found Max Stewart. Max stopped his movement turned back and asked, "Who are you?" The old man is now in a different disguise. Didn''t hesitate to answer. "Sir, I''m one of the staff here, Your friend asked me to stop you." Hearing the old man''s answers. Max was confused. He already told Zack that, he will be waiting at Leki Restaurant. " What happened now?" Max commented in his heart. Max looked at the old man for a moment. He was a bit confused. Seeing Max is hesitant. The old Man further convinced Max by saying Zack had some issue with the transaction. Max Stewart let down his last guard. After hearing the transaction issue. He didn''t know that this decision might lead him to his death. "Let''s go" Max uttered. And he followed the old man. The old man leads him to a particular room. From the start, he didn''t leak out his aura. So, Max couldn''t suspect him. After entering the particular room. Max looked around found the room is empty. His senses suddenly alarmed him. Max''s heart starts to beat faster. He is having difficulty in breathing. He is having a bad premonition. He wanted to turn back and take a look at the old man. But, his instincts giving him danger signals. While he is having sweats beads appear all over his face. The old man closed the door behind him. He preplanned and arranged this room earlier. Now, he had a wide grin on his face. Which looked devilish. Seeing Max stopped like a statue. The old man continued to smile. He moves towards Max slowly. From looking from outside. It will look like the person is walking on water. There is no noise. It is like a smooth walk. This time Max generated some courage to turn back and look towards the exit. But he was stunned for a moment. Seeing the old man face to face. He is having a devilish smile. Max wanted to say something but there is no word coming out of his mouth. His face looked horror-stricken. The old man said, "Looks like Now you understand." Then he released his special trainee aura. Max Stewart then plummeted on the ground completely. His face is facing towards the floor. His being an early apprentice doesn''t pose much of a challenge to the special trainee. Meanwhile, Zack completed his transaction. As I exited room number nine. I found there is not much human activity here. Except there is one guy. I doubted about this guy earlier. Don''t know why my guts still tell me something wrong about him. I didn''t want to wait any longer. Max must be waiting for me at leki restaurant. As I decided to move. The staff who was quite earlier suddenly turned towards me. I didn''t care about it. And continued to move forward. But, the staff quickly moved. It was so quick that, I was surprised and failed to do anything. Because he came so close to me. The staff is none other than a robber. He used his right fist to attack me. The punch was super fast. Due to instinct, I used my hands to defend myself. But, still, it was too late. The punch landed on my face. "BANG" I was thrown to the floor. I covered my head with my left hand, the attack still landed on my left hand. Due to that impact, I was heavily thrown and landed on the ground. "Ahh" A cry escaped my mouth. I felt my left hand is broken. This was the first time, I felt powerless. "The staff no.. He is not staff, he might be an assassin" crazy thought ran through my mind. Uncle James earlier warned me about this. The assassin is usually one level higher than their target. If Uncle''s Words were true. Then this guy might be a special trainee. The Special trainee, this is the first time I''m facing an attack of such a warrior. The normal fist punch is so powerful. It broke my left-hand bones. I couldn''t imagine if I''m not being a double mid-level trainee apprentice. The attack would have left me half dead. I tried to get up from the ground. The staff aka robber got surprised seeing that. He used a normal fist to attack him without elemental power. Usually, This physical attack is enough to make apprentice warriors get injured. But, this bidder was not injured. Maybe I didn''t use enough power. The robber then releases his special trainee aura. He didn''t want to use elemental power inside the building. It will trigger security alarms. Then it will lead to bigger trouble. And it will compromise the whole robbing plan. He didn''t want such a scenario to occur. Then the robber unleashed his whole aura. Zack is trying to get up from the ground. I can''t use my left hand for now. So, I used my right hand to get up from the ground. Then suddenly I felt a wave of aura submerge me. The aura was so dense. I struggle to breathe for a moment. It''s making me further difficult to get up. I saw the assassin moving towards me. Sweat starts to appear on my forehead. "Come on Zack, think something!" I comforted myself in my heart. I have to do something. I tried looking around the hallway to search for other people. This entire thing happened a minute. I felt it like a day. Chapter 73 - Attack 2 This hallway is empty, But I found security camera at the top. And it''s in working condition. I breathed in relief seeing that. If my guess is true, then, in few minutes warriors from security team will arrive here. Then I have to hold on till they arrive. "Thank Goodness" I commented in my heart. At least there is a hope, I don''t have to expose my special element now. Then I decided to defend him using pure physical strength. As the assassin was inches away from me. I took the black sword from my storage ring and slashed at him. The assassin casually walked towards him. He thought his aura is enough to stop his movements. Suddenly his eyes went wide.. Seeing a black sword aimed at him. The assassin concentration laps for a moment. Using that chance, Zack stood up. He used his right hand to hold the black sword. He didn''t want to use the left hand. So, the injury doesn''t get worsen. The robber then adjusted his posture. Then he took a look at the Zack. He misunderstood that, Zack might be an early special trainee like him. Otherwise, it''s impossible to make him dispel the aura. Reaching such conclusion. The robber got confused. He didn''t want to use elemental power. And there is a time limit for everything, His team made plans to rob few people. Then escape quickly before the security team catches up. Being a special trainee, Its impossible to get caught by Trainee apprentice. Unless, their team has Warrior like bidder before him. Seeing the bidder holding a black sword. The robber didn''t want to waste time, with warrior having same strength like him. So he decided to escape. But, Zack didn''t give him a chance. He was blocking the exit. It''s the only exit in the hallway. Otherwise, the robber has to enter transaction room. Not all transaction room have emergency exits. The robber was caught in a dilemma. Using this chance Zack used his sword to slash downward. The robber defended the attack with his sword. Both of them continued to use a sword. They both had reason for not using elemental power. This idea didn''t come to robber''s mind for the time being. He dealt the attacks of Zack. He is currently in dominating position. He used his sword moves to push Zack in backward position. Unlike this floor. The security teams caught up with other floors. But it didn''t end well for them. Due to difference in power level. A lot of security warriors fell unconscious due to that. One or two robbers in the team, successfully executed their plan. Some reached their destination outside of Thomas Trade Centre. After making several warriors unconscious. Time passes, only one robber is left behind in the building. The robber is fighting, Zack. Meanwhile, Zack''s situation is defensive. I got pushed backward by the attack of the assassin. The reason is simply the difference in power level, second is that, I''m using only one hand to defend. i didn''t move my left hand for a second. Even though, I''m pushed backward, I''m lucky enough to not get injured. Soon, the robbing news reaches the higher level. The administration of Thomas Trade Centre and Auciton Authorities. Then they dispatch hidden forces. Those people were special trainee level. Instructions were given to all the staffs. Suddenly, the area around Thomas Trade Centre isolated. All the staffs doing their job were told to stop. Several instructions were given to the staff. Who were handling transactions of auction items. They immediately stopped their transaction. All the entrance door to transactional room were closed. They were not normal doors. It''s built in mind in such a way to deal with worst case scenario. Meanwhile, The old man is dealing with Max. He didn''t want to waste any time. When he saw Max was left speechless due to fear. "It was your own bad luck" He said with a smile. Then he took out the black color hand knife from the storage ring. The hand knife was so sharp that, it makes people think. It made for slicing the throat. After hearing the old man''s word. Max knew in his heart. This might be his last day. His family warned him of possible assassin threat. But, he didn''t take it seriously. He thought he was common warrior. He is not so special to make other people jealous. But looks like that''s not the case. Image of Zack appeared in his mind. He felt guilt for dragging Zack in this situation. He thought this assassin must have met Zack earlier and killed him. Then he moves towards me. He felt bad that, Zack is dead because of me. As he was thinking with such a fright, that he failed to notice. That, there was a sharp knife. It was held by the assassin. The old man made Max look like frozen state. After holding hand knife in his hand. He touches the blade to test its sharpness. It made a small cut on his finger. "Sharp as ever" The old man said with a smile. He then looks towards Max. And sliced his throat with his hand knife. Blood gushed like water from his neck. Earlier, due to extreme fear. His brain has been shut down. He lost all the senses, including pain. He didn''t even feel that his throat was cut. It was extremely fast. The cut was made. There is no single drop of blood on the blade. Due to excessive blood loss, Max lost his strength and his body fell down. From the beginning due to extreme fear, Max lost his reasoning. Till now, he couldn''t realize what was happening. He felt he is being dragged into a long sleep. Like that Max breathed his last breath. The old Man saw, Max Stewart''s last moments. He then took out a small bottle from the storage ring. If one looked at it. They will find species smaller than insects living in it. It was special species. The old man poured down the bottle on the dead body of Max Stewart. Chapter 74 - Aftermath 1 The old man poured something, on the body of Max Stewart. A small creature is very hard to see with the naked eye. Covered the body of Max Stewart. These creatures were all black in color. Having one big eye. Once they covered the body. They started to eat tissues and then followed by whole flesh. Time went by. The body of Max Stewart is now laid down on the ground. The small creatures left no flesh on the body, leaving behind only bones. The old man then removed electronic gadgets from his body. Especially his sci-fi, watch. He plans to dump it outside the city. If people look at this place now. They will find nothing except the whole skeleton. Then the old man took the skeleton into its storage ring. "Now, the target is finished. It''s time to leave this place" The old man said with a smile. He once again goes through the place to check for any evidence. After confirming everything. The old man typed a message to his servant. The servant is waiting outside of Thomas Trade Centre. The servant was in a secluded place. He is waiting for the old man. He received a message from an old man saying. "Ready for departure!" Once the old man arrived. Both of them flee the town. They go to the next city for completing the kill list. Meanwhile, the old man after killing Max Stewart didn''t wait for too long and exited the place. Meanwhile, Zack and the last robber have their last fights. I don''t know how long it takes, for these people from the building to realize this desperate situation. As Zack expected. The hidden force of the Thomas Trade Centre and Auction Authorities came. They were ten people, their level is Early Special Trainee. They went to each floor to sort out the situation. Due to their late arrival, most of the robbers left the building, leaving behind one. They took care of the unconscious warriors and sent them to medical treatment. Likewise, they followed the same procedure. It''s the same for all the transaction locations on different floors. Then they went to Zack''s floor. Meanwhile, Zack. I couldn''t hold on anymore. Even in the physical aspect, there is a difference. This assassin aka robber knew how to use every muscle fiber and use it effectively. This guy is exerting the greatest force with the least energy. On the other side, I''m having drainage of stamina in my body. I understood my major weakness. In this fight, I couldn''t withstand more than fifteen minutes. I don''t know, it''s because of different energy levels or what. But, it''s certainly an aspect I need to set my focus on. Suddenly, the floor''s lift door opened. A team of five people appeared. When they saw Zack was injured, and he was barely holding on. They waste no time surrounding the robber. The robber got startled by witnessing new situations. He cursed in his heart for his negligence. But, it''s too late to say sorry. The Hidden force team was delighted to catch at least one guy finally. They will interrogate him for this incident. The team''s leader is a brute man, His team was sent by Thomas Trade Centre. He has the utmost responsibility to catch the culprit. Because of Zack''s help. They caught this guy. So, He was impressed with his diligence. He walked towards Zack and said, "What''s your name kid?" He gestures to one of his men to take back the culprit to the interrogation room. Then the team moved from the floor, leaving behind only Zack and their leader. The leader took out some energy drink bottles from the storage ring. He saw Zack was exhausted. "Finally" I commented in my heart. When help arrived on time. Otherwise, I would be broken down. If it stretches for too long. I took the energy drink from this man. And gulped down in one go. I felt a stream of cold and warm spring water washing over my throat. I can feel my stamina being restored. My thoughts become clear now. Then I looked at this man and answered, "Hi, I''m Zack Lockwood. I came here for the transaction" and I added, "Then I was attacked by this random guy disguised as staff." Hearing that the team leader nodded and explained the situation. Then he thanked Zack for not running away and stalling the guy. There were some casualties reported on the transaction floor. Fortunately, they caught one of the robbers, after some talk with Zack. The Team leader told Zack to visit the treatment room. Then he left. This team leader is also a special trainee. I didn''t expect today, would be such a bad day. I believed that guy was an assassin. But, he turned out to be a robber. I relaxed after having that clarity. I thought I''m being targeted by the assassin. I''m glad that I didn''t expose lightning. It''s good that the team leader didn''t ask about my strength. He must have a lot of things going through in his mind. I shook my head thinking that, then I walked towards the emergency clinic for treatment. I need to take care of my left hand. It''s now swollen. On the way, I sent a message to fatty. I hope he didn''t get tangled in this situation. He must be waiting for me at Leki restaurant. Soon, I reached the 3rd floor. I thought this floor pseudo monster trade. Yet, there are certain different room treatments. There are the modern clinic and herbal clinic. I had thought to try an urban clinic. But, I reminded myself this is not time for an experiment. I entered the modern clinic. There were six people inside the room. They were treating patients. When I looked at them. There was a surprising glint in my eyes. I saw some of these guys earlier on the auction floor. Earlier, the team leader told me about causalities. Seeing me, looking at the patients. One of the doctors asked, "Are you injured?" I nodded at him. There were two main doctors and four assistants. The Doctor started to treat my left hand. He injected some liquid to control the swelling. I heard about this liquid, it''s one of the latest inventions of humanity. I hope they won''t charge credit points for this liquid. Chapter 75 - Aftermath 2 I read from the alliance network that, this liquid scientific term is T1EH. It''s a special ailment liquid. It''s a product of rare herbal plants and chemical agents. Once it is injected into your bloodstream. It stops the blood clot. The agents present in liquid starts to heal the wound. Both do help by strengthening the antibodies. And indirectly by the use of healing agents present in the liquid. After the liquid, injected into my left hand.. The Swelling is reduced. I can feel a cold sensation in my bones. It''s the work of a healing agent that, I read before. Time went by, my broken parts were joined and I got completely healed. "It took just one hour to heal completely" I commented in my heart. Meanwhile, The robbery planners. Will Roach, Frank Terry, and Bernard Barks were reviewing their stolen items. They were at a secluded place outside of Thomas Trade Centre. This place is located in the border region. They decided to come here. So, that after reviewing stolen auction items. This can be split among the groups and robbers can escape via the border. Before the information reaches out to the Border Patrol Warriors. "What happened to the last guy?" Will Roach asked with worry. Currently, there were four robbers. The last robber has not arrived yet. There was panic among the members. One of the robbers said, "I think we should escape now. Otherwise, it''s impossible to cross the border." Hearing that, the rest of them had different thoughts running through their mind. Pessimistic Frank got alarmed. He already imagined the scenario of himself getting beaten by auction authorities. He gulped his saliva thinking that. "It was horrible, " Frank commented in his heart. He wanted to say something to his teammates. Especially, Will Roach and Bernard Barks. They too had dreadful looks on their face. Seeing that, words did not come from his mouth. But, later seeing that still there is no news from the last robber. "Guys look like he is being caught," Frank said with worry. Both Will Roach and Bernard Barks were already on edge. Hearing Frank''s words. Will Roach pissed off. "Do you want to die Frank?" Will replied in a threatening tone. Will Roach had different thoughts running through his mind. He made a flawless plan. Especially, selecting the robbers. He wanted them to have at least a special trainee. He clearly knows, after having years of experience. And connection from Thomas Trade Centre. He knows that Thomas Trade Centre won''t use special trainee warriors as staff in their building. They keep them as hidden Force. That''s why timing is important to their robbery plan. They have to finish their robbery before the hidden force gets dispatched. But, looking at the latest events. There might be the appearance of variables. He doesn''t know yet. If what Frank said was true. Then it won''t be long before they caught our trails too. He is getting into a dilemma. That may be his assumption is wrong. Maybe the robber escaped with his loot. You can''t trust these rogues. So, he wants to verify the situation. But, Bernard Bard was quite clear in his head. He wants to escape. The deed is done so, there is the point in staying here. One day or another they will get caught. All he wanted was a move to a new place. And have a long awaiting breakthrough there. But, still there is fear in his eyes. Seeing the worsening situation. The remaining four robbers didn''t waste time to escape from here. They collected their looted share. Leaving behind the trio alone. "Will, I think we should also escape now," Bernard said with a heavy tone. For the first time, Will Roach didn''t dare to voice out his opinion. He listened to his friend and nodded. Then the trio also escaped from this place to a new town. Meanwhile, Zack exited the Thomas Trade Centre. After healing was done. I exited the building. I rotated my left hands frontwards. To see any difference, but it''s working perfectly. I decided to visit Leki Restaurant. The Fatty must be waiting there. Yet, I have some bad feelings in my heart. At first, I thought it was due to Assassin. But, now the situation was clear. But, I didn''t know why I''m getting chills on my backbone. There is a vague feeling that something is wrong. Maybe I should go back to check the casualty ward. There is the possibility that he got injured. "Why he is not picking up the calls? And he is not replying to the message either". It''s only making my assumption for the casualty ward stronger. While Zack is on his way to Leki Restaurant. There is another person waiting outside and keeping eye on him. He was the same beggar. One of the men of Sir Lowell McClain. Currently, He is in a different disguise. Like normal pedestrians wearing simple casual clothes. Earlier, he watched both Zack and Fatty entering the building. But, now Zack only comes back. He has also noticed something wrong with Thomas Trade Centre. He is reporting all the developments to Sir Lowell McClain. The Thomas Trade Centre didn''t yet announce anything. All the injured ones were in Thomas Trade Centre. And the partners of bidders were not allowed inside the building. Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Thomas Trade Centre. A heated debate is going inside the conference room. "Thomas Trade Centre. Must take responsibility for this robbery" commented the bald man with a serious tone. He is the chairman of this Mini-Auction. He is arguing with people from Thomas Trade Centre. He got furious, it''s a huge loss for their Auction. More than a hundred Million credit points'' worth of Auction items was stolen. The damage was reversible. The Admins from Thomas Trade Centre didn''t know how to answer their questions. This is the first time they face a situation like this. They even called their shareholders for the discussion. If the news was leaked out. It would cause huge damage to their reputation. Suddenly, now. The brute man came. He was none other than the team leader. He informed the latest developments. Chapter 76 - News Spreads After hearing the Team Leader''s answer. The atmosphere around the room got quiet. The Bald Man from the auction authorities walked towards the Team leader. He looked at the team leader and said, "Did you find any stolen items?" The Team leader once again looked at the Authorities of TTC aka Thomas Trade Centre. He, did not know? It''s okay to reply. This is not a joint investigation. The Bald Man observed the hesitation on his face. He is currently on the edge, He looked at TTC Authorities "Don''t try to cover up anything?" He said with a serious tone. Then TTC Authorities told Team Leader to explain everything. Soon, all the people present in the room took a seat. The Team leader said, "We caught one of the robbers." Then he added, "After having quick interrogation with him.. We find out, there were four more people with him; they escaped successfully. But, he is being caught. While having a fight with one of the bidders." One of the TTC authorities asked, "Did you cross verify the security camera''s images?" hearing that, "We did verify. It matches the description with Robber''s statement." The Team Leader replied. Suddenly, The Bald Man''s Hidden force Team leader sent a message. He is from an Auction Company. They are tracking the trail left behind by the robbers. After receiving Intel from TTC''s Team. They left the building and started to move towards the border to find the culprit. The Bald Man reads the report. After reading the report. He looked at the people sitting from left to right. And said, "My men were on their way to the border" then he added, "Did the robber say anything about the mastermind? If not, Hand over the robber to us. I''m sure my team has the ability to get answers from him." TTC Authorities got irked hearing that. But, they didn''t show any displeasure now. The team leader explained that the robber was currently unconscious. Once he wakes up. They will continue to interrogate him to reveal the mastermind. The Bald Man didn''t continue to argue after hearing that. But he reminded the team leader to maintain tight security around the robber''s room. Meanwhile, the Robber is in the interrogation room. "Damn it, I don''t know how long I am going to fake it." The Robber cursed in his heart. He put up an act to fool the Authorities. He was initially left unconscious. Soon, he woke up. But didn''t move his body. There were several sensors attached to him. If he shows any form of movement. They will find out soon. He knows it''s over, it''s a matter of time. Before, they came to know the truth. He is delaying the inevitable. He chooses to calm down his nerves. Meanwhile, Zack entered the Leki Restaurant. This Restaurant is a medium one. There were only a few people can be seen inside. I decided to move to the top floor. Maybe fatty is waiting there. After arriving at the top floor. I didn''t find fatty. I looked around and decided to ask the waiter. The waiter told the receptionist and they checked the details. There is no name mentioned as Max Stewart in the guest list. I even made them go through the security camera. From the video, it''s clear that he didn''t come here. I smacked my head a little, I should have checked the casualty ward earlier. It''s a waste of time. Then I made my way to the TTC. Sometime later, I arrived at the spot. But, I found so many people waiting outside, and none of them were allowed to enter. I was confused seeing that, I asked several people around. They replied they don''t have any clue. I had a vague feeling in my heart hearing that. "They were looking to cover up the things" I commented in my heart. It doesn''t bother me. All I wanted to know was the whereabouts of fatty, I tried to reach out to him again. But, it ended in vain. This is very vexing. I thought it would be a fruitful day. But, growing anxiety inside me says something else. Then, I made up my mind and called Uncle James. I explained everything to Uncle James. He assured me to find the news. Then I decided to wait at the entrance of TTC like others. If they started to allow people. I will go and look inside. Meanwhile, the Beggar also noticed Zack''s circumstances. He somewhat guessed his predicament. Soon, the beggar received an encrypted message from Sir Lowell McClain. In that, message Sir Lowell McClain told if TTC didn''t announce news of the robbery. You release it yourself. After reading the message. The beggar deleted it. He once again looked at Zack, and then disappeared from this place. He is going to spread the robbery news. Soon, sometimes later the news of the robbery at TTC catches the wind. It spread like wildfire across the Red stone city. All the big wigs got alerted. The border patrol got tightened. In all public gathering areas and transport areas, their surveillance got increased. The public was baffled by the scale of security. They thought it''s just normal robbery, Maybe some kind of rogue infiltrated the building. But, only big wig know that, it''s not an everyday rogue act. It was a preplanned, almost perfectly executed robbery. If the last robber, perhaps escaped in time. Then it will become more serious. And people will investigate around without any leads. Meanwhile, on the top floor inside the TTC Building. Both TTC and Mini Auction Authorities suspected each other of spreading the news. But, they didn''t voice out. Because it''s almost time, it will spread by bidders or by people who came to the auction. "Did he wake up?" asked the Bald Man. "Not yet" The team leader replied. "Wait for my men to come up. Then continue the interrogation." The Bald Man said with a serious tone. Meanwhile. The old man who killed Max Stewart. Crossed the border, he is on his way to another city with his servant. On the way, they dropped Max Stewart sci-fi Watch in the nearby well. It will soon malfunction if it stays in the water for too long. Chapter 77 - Interrogation Done Meanwhile, the team sent by Bald Man has returned. The team went inside the TTC building and entered the interrogation room. Currently, the robber was tied up with a special metallic chain. He was placed in a special torture chamber. If the robber failed to answer anything. The robber will be subjected to extreme torture. The team leader of the auction authority was a lean man. He went forwards and noticed the robber. He seems still in an unconscious state. But, the leader was ordered by a bald man to wake him up. At first, he operated on the monitor screen. The monitor screen is attached to the torture chamber.. Soon, a purple gas was seen filling the torture chamber. At first, the robber didn''t have any reaction. But, later his skin started changing color, it becomes red. Soon, a bubble starts to appear on top of the skin like boiling water. It happens all over the place on top of his skin. The robber couldn''t take it anymore. He started to scream. His painful shriek thundered the torture chamber. But, it was pin-drop silent outside. Seeing, the robber started to scream. The team leader turned off the purple gas. He didn''t want him to fall unconscious again. Then he turned on the small monitor screen fitted inside the torture chamber. "See, it would be better. If you tell everything. Otherwise, you would be subjected to the same torture." The team leader said with a wide grin. Don''t know whether it''s because of torture or the cunning look of the team leader. The robber started to divulge everything. How he was approached by Will Roach and his friends. Later, He explained the robbery plan set by Will Roach. He was even forced to divulge their meeting location. This was done privately. No one is near the team leader. After recording the information. The team leader left the interrogation room. He is on his way to the top floor. After arriving at the top floor. He met with the bald man. There were still people here. They didn''t leave the building. Unless they sort out the problem and provide a solution. The cunning team leader then stood behind the Bald Man. "See, I have told you. My men will bring out answers from his mouth" The Bald Man said with a smile. Hearing that all the people in their rooms. Stopped their work and looked at the bald man. The brute man team leader, he is standing behind TTC Authorities. He had a displeasing look on his face. One of the TTC authorities said, "Do you think it will do any good? To use of banned items inside the torture chamber." They came to know that, purple gas is used to interrogate the robber. It''s a banned item. The TTC will have to face another headache if the public came to know about this. "I don''t care, it''s your shit to handle." The Bald Man said with a smile. Seeing him smile. All the TTC members had confused looks on their faces. "I heard that there is something called elite circle TTC members," The Bald Man said with a smile. Bad premonition rouse in the heart of TTC Authorities. One of the TTC members asked, "Sir Mathew, What do you know? I think you should share the Intel. That, your men got from the interrogation room." The Bald Man''s name is Mathew Notts. People call him Sir Mathew. From the beginning, he had some inclination. That, it''s an inside job. Now, with evidence in his hands. It convinced his earlier assumption. "I think it''s better, TTC hasn''t been involved in this investigation anymore." Sir Mathew Notts said with a threatening tone. He then left the building with his cunning team leader. The TTC Authorities didn''t know what to do. For the time being, they don''t have any choice except listen to them. The Brute Man team leader asked, "Lot of people have been waiting outside, should we allow them?" The TTC members now had no reason to deny entry to the building. The interrogation was done. So, they gave permission. Meanwhile, Zack has been waiting outside of the building. I was waiting outside. Soon. We received a green signal from the management. Then, along with others, I entered the building. I directly went towards the receptionist. "Ms. Could you find the patient''s name, Max Stewart? He came with me to the auction earlier. And he didn''t exit the building" I explained my situation to the receptionist. Luckily, there were enough people here to handle the situation. She is just one of the receptionists. Soon, she operated on her AI Monitor screen. It took some time, but she couldn''t find out the name of Max Stewart in the registry. There were no patients in the name of Max currently admitted. She told that to me. I was entirely confused. He was not at the leki Restaurant. Not at the medical ward. I''m not satisfied with her answer. I told her to check the security footage. She seems to understand my trouble. I told her the timing of the auction. She checked that footage, she is able to find out our footage. Now, she is checking all the exit footages when the auction was over. I''ve carefully recorded that video through my sci-fi watch. In normal times, you can''t think of such a move inside the TTC Building. But, now is not a normal time. Time passes, she checked all the footage. There is no sighting of Max Stewart. "Is someone deleted the video?" I asked her in confusion. She is too confused. There is evidence of a person entering the building, but not leaving. If that, the case, then Max is inside the building. Such thoughts ran through my mind. It''s too much to handle. If he is inside the building, why he is not picking up the call. This is something I can''t handle. I need to inform my uncle. Soon, Zack called his Uncle and informed everything. Uncle James told Zack that, He will come to the TTC building along with Sir. Arthur Emerson. He instructed Zack to wait there. Until they arrive. I became relaxed hearing that. If both of them come together, I''m sure they will do something about it. Chapter 78 - Arrival I was waiting near the TTC building. Some time later, both Uncle James and Mr. Arthur Emerson arrived at the spot. I walked towards them. "Zack, what happened? Could you explain me from the start?" Mr. Arthur Emerson told me. While Uncle James also patted on my shoulder. It''s his way of assuring me. I took a deep breath and explained the whole situation from the start. After listening to my explanation. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Uncle James looked at each other. I don''t know whether they knew something. So, I decided to ask, "Uncle James, Do you guys know anything?" Uncle James looked at me and said, "I''m not sure. What''s going on? From the news, it''s reported as Robbery. Yet, from your statement thing are not simple as it seems." Mr. Arthur Emerson interjected by saying, "Let''s go and ask the authorities." Then the three of us entered the building. Mr. Arthur Emerson took the lead and asked the receptionist. "Ms. Could you contact the Main Authority? This is my detail." Mr. Arthur Emerson would be the next person after me to worry about Max Stewart. Mr. Arthur Emerson is from the Administrative department. If Max is not found, soon his family will ask questions about him. Even though, it will not be serious. Since there is evidence available to see from the footage. As we were waiting in the reception area. Soon, a person came. His hair is brown. The good-looking face but now it seems tense. He is wearing a black tuxedo. "Mr. Daniel Wildes" uttered Mr. Arthur Emerson. Mr. Arthur Emerson walked towards him. Looks like they both knew each other. Then Mr. Arthur Emerson talked a few things with him. Then he introduced us. Mr. Daniel Wildes, already he is tense about something. Now, it even got more. Mr. Daniel Wildes walked towards the receptionist. He asked her to replay the video. Then, we watched the footage again. "Mr. Daniel, Do you have anything to say?" Mr. Arthur Emerson commented. Mr. Daniel massaged his temple. He is really confused. In that, footage we saw someone talking to Max Stewart. Then two of them disappeared suddenly. From, the administration. We found out the person is an unidentified one. "I will inform my team, He might be another robber," Mr. Daniel Wilde said with a serious tone. Hearing that Mr. Arthur Emerson nodded. There is a sullen atmosphere that starts to spread among us. Nobody is willing to talk about anything. After hearing, Mr. Daniel Wilde''s call. Soon, the brute-man team leader came. "Mike, See this footage first" Mr. Daniel gestures to him to see the video. Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur Emerson informed the situation to Max Stewart''s family. While Mr. Daniel and Team leader Mike discussed things. Uncle James talked to Mr. Arthur Emerson separately. I''m too-tagged along with them. "Arthur, do you think he is a robber?" Hearing Uncle''s question Mr. Arthur Emerson furrowed his eyebrows. I can see no one believed such an assumption. If he is a robber, why does he have to approach fatty? "I don''t know James, Let''s see what they can answer. It''s their responsibility." Mr. Arthur Emerson replied. Mr. Arthur Emerson then looked at me and said, "You can go home now, we will handle it from here." Uncle James also interjected, "Yes, Zack it''s getting late. Ms. Park also waiting for you at home." Hearing that, I sighed and nodded at them. Now, I need good rest. The matter is something which I can''t handle. It can only be solved by elders. I booked an air cab to the Red Stone City Station. After waiting for a while. The Air cab arrived. Then I went towards my home. After Zack left. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Mr. James Lockwood continued their discussion. Meanwhile, sometimes later Zack boarded the train. I''m currently reading news from the alliance network. The robbery news spread like wildfire. All leading publications published the news. Some even come up with conspiracy theories. Even someone went up to say it''s an inside job. I don''t know what to say. Not even an entire day has passed. But, news sites already speculating so much. It''s because still, Thomas trade Centre didn''t say anything yet. It''s confusing by the way. I thought they would do something in order to clear their name. There might be the possibility that Max got kidnapped by their family rivals. Such thoughts ran through my mind. I closed my eyes at the thought of that. Some hours later, I reached my home. "Zack, are you all right?" I heard a familiar voice in my ears. I found Granny Park in the hallway. I didn''t go to the room. But, taking time to explain to her. Today is really depressing. "Don''t worry Zack. They will handle it hereafter. Go and take rest you got class tomorrow" Granny Park said with a comfortable smile. I entered my room and lie down on my couch. A wave of comfort washed over me. I didn''t spend too much time lazily. I went to shower and had a long cold bath. After some time, I wore my casual cloth. Then I prepared for some energy practice. I remembered there is a ring on my finger. It''s an auction item that, I got from the transaction location. I didn''t want to use it yet. Till there is news about Max Stewart. I took out my normal meditation mat and placed it on the ground. And I started to practice lightning elemental energy. I removed these stressful thoughts from my mind and focussed on practice. As I started to practice, lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. And small lightning particles naked to human eyes started to gather inside me. It took some time to fill half of my dantian. I miss practicing at Mountain Liz. I need to divide some time to visit there. Some hours later, I finished practicing. I got up from the meditation mat and stored it inside my storage ring. Then later, I went to sleep. Meanwhile, there is even more serious discussion going on on the top floor of the TTC building. Ron Stewart. He is Max Stewart''s Father. Currently grilling the TTC members. Chapter 79 - Heated Arguments "Where is my son?" Ron Stewart shouted at the members present in the conference room. Beside him were Mr. Arthur Emerson and Mr. James Lockwood. Ron Stewart is Head of the Stewart Family. The Stewart Family runs a couple of Restaurants in Red Stone City. And they have invested in some other food industries. So, money was never been a problem. But, today the only successor, Max Stewart went missing inside the building. Now, that security footage is watched by almost everyone in the room. Seeing such a deteriorating situation. "Wait a minute, Mr. Stewart, Sir. Mathew Notts is on his way" Mr. Daniel Wildes persuaded him. The TTC panel members argued that the current investigation is led by the Auction Team not them. After hearing his argument. Mr. Ron Stewart calmed down. Deep down in his heart. There is something he didn''t tell everyone. Including Mr. Arthur Emerson and Mr. James Lockwood. He felt this was not the right place and time for that. For now, he hoped that TTC comes up with some answers. Soon, the atmosphere quiets down suddenly. Mr. Mathew Notts arrived here. He is with his cunning team leader Mr. John. Mr. Mathew then took a seat and looked at all the people present here. "Now, what happened?" he asked. Mr. Daniel Wildes from TTC explained the new situation. There was a surprising glint that appeared in Mr. John''s eyes. He personally interrogated the robber. But, he didn''t tell me anything like that. Then the footage was shown. Mr. Mathew Notts had an expressionless face. But, deep down in his heart. This new situation makes current progress complex. He has already informed Authorities and Stakeholders about the Robbery. He also revealed the identity of the masterminds. They now are making an effort to seize their available assets in Red Stone city. They can only make up for the loss by doing so. By today evening the Auction Company plans to open the news to the public. And the information about the mastermind is shared among all nearby tier-8 cities. Even if it''s needed, it will be shared to tier-7 city. It''s not easy to convert looted items to credit points in Tier-7 city. So, they are hoping to catch masterminds and robbers within Tier-8 cities. Now, everything was going according to plan. But, the new situation is tricky. Mr. Mathew closed his eyes for a moment and said, "Don''t you think it''s a personal vendetta? That man in the footage is not a robber." Then he added, "We confirmed with our Intel and also robber''s statement. The robbery was a separate act. And this incident is a separate act." Hearing that there is pin-drop silence in the conference room. Mr. Daniel Wildes furrowed his eyebrow. He thought this bald man''s statement. Doesn''t help anything. It''s only worsening the situation. "I''m more interested in the disappearance," Mr. Mathew Notts said with a smile. Then he continued by saying. "It''s impossible for a person to disappear into thin air without happening something." Hearing that, Mr. Daniel Wildes got displeased. He asked, "What do you mean Mr. Mathew? " There is small anger on his face. Mr. Mathew looked at him "I mean, Mr. Ron''s son disappeared into your building. Either a TTC job or some personal Vendetta. As far I''m concerned, this got nothing to do with robbery incident." Mr. Mathew said with a smile. All of the panel members reached the same conclusion. They treat it as an isolated incident. But, Mr. Daniel Wildes wasn''t ready to accept the answer. He firmly rejected by saying, "I''m not sure about that, Mr. Mathew. The person seen from that footage is not from our TTC. I believe he is from Auction Company." Mr. Daniel Wildes dropped this huge bombshell Hearing that, Mr. Mathew stood up from his seat. "Don''t spew rubbish words Daniel" Mr. Mathew shouted at Mr. Daniel Wildes. He released Special Trainee aura in anger. Both sides started to spat suddenly. Two overwhelming aurae from both sides started to appear. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Mr. James Lockwood safeguard themselves from this aura. Mr. Ron Stewart started to get worried. Mr. Mike and Mr. John from both sides mediated and turned off the atmosphere. The atmosphere has now cooled down. Mr. Daniel Wildes once again said, "I''m not saying without evidence. At Auction day. The building was off-limits. Only people arrived to participate in the auction were allowed." Hearing that, Mr. Mathew Calmed down his heart. He took a seat, then said, "Continue!" "We verified all the people in the building. That unidentified person is not our staff or Auction Participant. Then except for one team. That''s your company; my team verified that one of your staff never left the building. He too seems to be disappearing" All of the panel member''s eyes were wide open. It''s a new development. Now, the ball is in their court. Mr. Daniel Wildes found a safety key for their current predicament. It''s true that both incidents were isolated incidents. But, both were an act of an inside job. Mr. Daniel Wildes started to make a strategy. If they publicize the robbery news as an inside job to the public domain. Then it''s game over for Thomas Trade Centre. The same Can be done for their Auction Company. It''s a more severe case than robbery. He actually wants to reach common grounds in both of these incidents. "I believe you won''t give us the footage. Just, like we have done it in the interrogation room." Mr. Mathew Notts said with a serious tone. Hearing that, Mr. Daniel Wildes calmly nodded. Now, both of them had cards against each other. Which can be used for their destruction. Out of all of them, only three people worried about Max. They had a displeasing look hearing both of their conversation. They are doing everything to save their organization''s face. They are not worried about missing person''s life. Mr. Mathew was in a dilemma. He doesn''t know what to do? He thought this Daniel guy won''t speak Unless He got something concrete. He massages his temple, then he gestures to Mr. John to come near. Mr. Mathew informed something in his ear. He told him to stop publicizing the news for a time being. Chapter 80 - Desert Simulation 1 Next day, I woke up earlier. Did some meditation and practice. Each day, I fill my dantian at least half with lightning energy. Because of the environment, it''s impossible to do more than that. I''m currently at Mid-level in both Physic and Elemental Energy. I often do practice the leg technique. Combined with hand-to-hand combat technique. It somehow gives me confidence, to tackle the situation without the use of energy. But, deep down in my heart. I want a license to use my lightning power, without any worry. I''m dreaming about that day very often these days. When comes to two of the lightning techniques. The Reckoning Circle shows some improvement. I''m also doing better at charging the black sword with lightning energy. I never tried that attack while fighting. Hopefully, by the coming weekend, I can at least master the basic level of that. Having some purpose in my mind. I left my room to have breakfast with Granny Park. At the dining table, As usual, I started to put some pancakes on my plate. I was waiting for Granny Park. Usually, I''m the one who arrives late for breakfast. As I was contemplating, I saw Granny Park arrive. "Have you slept well?" Granny Park said with a smile. Hearing that, I nodded. She took her seat. We talked about little things. Soon, I want to ask the important one. "Granny, is there any news about Max?" I asked her. This is the one bugging me. Since yesterday. Even though, I put these thoughts in the back of my mind. It''s always good to know the recent development to avoid anxiety. Hearing that, Granny Park revealed to me that, Uncle James didn''t arrive home yesterday. A lot of things happening behind the scenes. She also told me that, Max''s father is also with Uncle James and Mr. Arthur Emerson. "Granny, Should I return these Auction rings?" I asked her. I have some reservations about using this ring. Without any consent from the Stewart family. Granny seems to understand my worry. "Don''t use that for the time being. Wait for the situation to be clear." Granny Park advised me. After listening to her, my turbulent heart became calm. It is always best to clear your thoughts. When you got time. After having breakfast. I left home. Some hours later, At Hansen Sword Centre. I was standing in front of the training facility. "Sigh" left my mouth seeing that billboard. I entered the building, I''m on my way to the library. I decided to gather more knowledge. Especially, about the painting. The Ancient tribal Painting that, I bought from the auction. Though, I won''t take it out openly and research about it and research about it. It''s good to have knowledge about the paintings. I believe ancient tribal people, won''t do painting as part of their home d¨¦cor. There might be other significance to it. After reaching the library. I scanned my credentials and entered the room. I took a seat in the printed section of the library. And started to go through the books one by one. Time went by, I didn''t find any solid material. When comes to knowledge about the past. You need to go through research papers and archaeological findings. I started to go through some research papers. This library is very limited. When comes to a wide range of topics. On top of it, you can only find a few publications. It''s really frustrating, you cannot form an opinion based on two books. Time went by, soon it was afternoon. Time to leave the library section and go for training. I couldn''t find anything useful. When something happens like this, it really makes me think I''m wasting time here. I arrived at the Advance Class Room. It''s familiar as always. I looked at the gravity chamber. But, for fun today I want to try different chambers. I''m somewhat able to understand the mechanism of the Gravity Chamber. It''s time to try the rest of the chamber. I''m on my way to the Desert Simulation chamber. It reminds me of Trezi Town, But Trezi Town is a semi-desert. Not a real hot desert. While these thoughts ran through my mind. I stumble across Candace Wilkerson. She is blocking my way. I furrowed my eyebrows. Because this is kind of rude. "What are you doing?" I asked her without a smile on my face. Candace Wilkerson, as usual living near the Desert Simulation chamber. She treated the Chamber like her own thing. Hearing my question. Candace smirked a little, "Where is Max Stewart? You guys left the building together. Now, there is no news of Max Stewart." I stopped my movement and looked at her face. I made direct eye contact. But, deep down, I''m having different thoughts run through my mind. "I didn''t expect this scenario to happen. Why would she be interested in this topic?" I laughed mirthlessly? "Maybe, he''s on leave today. You should ask him by the way" I spoke in one breathe. I slowly move closer to her. Now, we were so close to each other. Candace is a little shorter than me. Seeing my behavior. She was stunned for a moment. "He¡­ He¡­ I know these tactics will work" I commented in my heart. While she is being stunned. I used that opportunity to slip away. I didn''t look back for a moment. If Zack saw Candace at this moment. He would spot some red glow on her cheeks. "SIGH" left my mouth after I entered the Desert Simulation chamber. To avoid unnecessary trouble. I''m now doing uncomfortable things. I said to myself mirthlessly. Normal I won''t do stupid things in front of girls. But, this time. I can''t afford to argue with her. The investigation about Max is still going on behind the scenes. I don''t want to create a fuss. Even there is a small slip away from the mouth, it would cause a ruckus. I shook my head at the thought of that. Then I started to look around. This is a desert simulation chamber. There are two sections in it. There is one small room in front of me. And there is another underground room. Two room''s for desert training. "Where should I start from?" I wondered in my heart. Chapter 81 - Desert Simulation 2 While Zack entered the Desert Simulation Chamber. Candace Wilkerson didn''t leave the spot. She was stunned for a moment. But, deep down in her heart. Like Zack, there are different thoughts. She actually watched both of them leave the building. But, today morning. She met with female seniors. Ina Walker and Andrea Kramer both were worried that, Max Stewart didn''t respond to their call. They approached Steven Conway. He asked the Stewart Family. But, they didn''t respond either.. Such events caused depressing situations among friends. Actually, four of them sometimes do assignments together. They were a team. Now, there is no news about one guy. Their worry is understandable. But, she is surprised to see Zack''s behavior. Zack won''t act like that. He detests something like that. She saw it when comes to the Marcus Moore incident. That''s why it''s even more puzzling. From his actions. It looks like, He doesn''t want to answer my question. Candace furrowed her eyebrows. But, she already informed the seniors. That, she saw Max and Zack leaving together yesterday. They will confront him sooner or later. Let''s see what he will do then. Meanwhile, Zack, in a small room. I was looking around this small room. Instead of naming it as a small Room. It''s better to call it as V.R Room. This Small chamber is a Virtual Simulation Chamber. There is an advanced pod installed here. I took the V.R helmet and wore it. After I entered the pod chamber. I saw a server for desert simulation. I entered the credentials of my student account. I knew what''s going to happen. I already witnessed it in the library. But, that is educational stuff. This is survival. After successful verification. I appeared in a strange location. It''s not my real body. It''s a virtual body. I looked around and started to move. Unlike the library, my movements were not restricted here. This place looks red. It''s got something to do with the soil. But, I''m not sure. From my spot, I couldn''t spot a single tree. There were only hard landscapes and some red sands. I don''t know what the goal of this test is. You have some basic sense. When comes to gravity. But here I couldn''t guess anything. So, I waited in one spot. Meanwhile, In the discussion Hall. "Still nothing?" uttered Ina Walker. Beside her, Andrea Kramer and Steven Conway look gloomy. "I think, there is a way to find out what happened?" revealed Steven Conway. Hearing him, both of the girls became attentive. "We should visit Max''s home and ask his parents." Told Steven Conway. Hearing that, both of the girls became silent. They don''t know what to say. Suddenly, Andrea Kramer said, "We should ask Zack Lockwood?" Hearing that, Steven got surprised. He doesn''t have any impression of that junior. He asked, "What about him?" "Earlier, Junior Candace told us, she saw Zack and Max leaving together yesterday." Andrea Kramer told to them. Hearing that, Steven Conway was surprised further. Max Stewart, why would he talk with a junior student? What''s the matter? Such a thought ran through his mind. Meanwhile, Zack, in V R simulation. Temperature getting hotter. I can feel the energy in the Virtual body is getting lost. Even though my real body is fine. The data in the simulation affect the Virtual body. "How am I going to find water in this area?" I commented in my heart. Looks, like I''m going to fail in this basic hurdle. Forgot about fighting the monster here. I said mirthlessly to myself. Time went by, I traveled some distance in the region. Yet, I couldn''t come across any water source. There is no point in continuing here. I logged out of the V. R and exited the chamber. There is nothing useful to learn from this V.R simulation. Then I shifted my focus to the underground. I walked towards the underground room. It''s a metal room. There is A.I monitor screen in front of it. I scanned my credentials. I saw some instructions to be followed inside. After reading it. I needed to do a couple of things. I need to change my dress. There is a special environment suit, I have to wear. The suit was black in color. Even the head part has to be covered with a mask. After completing the task. I entered the room. It was a dome structure. I felt like walking on the sand. As I looked down, I found it was really sand. In order to make it realistic. They placed some stuff here. There are some huge rocks similar to the original environment. Soon, the timer was on. I immediately felt a hot air wash over me. I stumbled backward a little. "This is new" I smiled a little. Time went by, the hot air started to blow very often. I can somewhat understand its purpose. I tried walking in the sand against hot air. At first, it was fine. But, then I noticed something. The Sand''s temperature started to rise. After noticing I quickened my pace and reached the other end. This chamber is basically tested your adaptability. From the start, I set up a manual timer. After each successful attempt. I increased the timing to challenge myself. It''s hard to imagine fighting Class Monsters in that environment. Even there is a situation. I believe it would be team fighting rather than solo fighting. I removed these thoughts from my mind and continued my training. Meanwhile, In Ron Stewart''s discussion room. At his Residence. "Are you hiding something, Mr. Stewart? " Questioned Mr. Arthur Emerson. Beside him, Mr. James Lockwood seated in this room. In front of them, Ron Stewart appeared to be tense. After hearing, Mr. Arthur Emerson''s question. He didn''t want to hide it further. Because there is no fruitful development yet. From both Thomas Trade Centre and Auction Company. Which makes his earlier assumption quite possible. He looked at both of them and decided to reveal. Hearing his revelation. Both Mr. Arthur Emerson and Mr. James Lockwood stood up. This is really unexpected answer. But, we need evidence to back it up. Otherwise, Both TTC and Auction company will treat it as a missing person case. Chapter 82 - Part:1 Blood Elements Invisible Aura "Are you sure this is Assassination?" Mr. James Lockwood said with a grim tone. The room is quiet for a moment. Everyone had different thoughts run through their mind. "We can''t claim it without evidence?" Mr. Arthur Emerson replied. "I know, the video footage is not enough. That''s why I didn''t voice out my opinion earlier." Mr. Ron Stewart commented Half-Heartedly. "Sigh" left the mouth of Mr.. Arthur Emerson. Looks like the CRIMSON SWORD HALL beginning to win, without doing anything. He is getting added pressure on himself. The Hansen Sword Centre has given him responsibility for protecting its students. Before, they get officially participated in the tournament. Now, one of their students is missing. And it is likely to be an act of Assassination. It really makes the situation hard to tackle. It''s impossible to watch every movement of students. Unless someone has to watch over them. Mr. Arthur Emerson had to make a difficult decision. Finally, He made up his mind. To submit an emergency action measure to the Hansen higher-ups. He decided to cancel Assignment work. Until, The Upcoming Crimson Hall Tournament. It removes the need for students to travel outside of the city. Therefore, they have no choice to follow academic life. If they want to get experience outside. They cannot go without a guardian. A Guardian needs to be assigned to their safety. Though it''s very expensive to hire someone. But, if it''s a few trips only. It can be arranged. Mr. Arthur Emerson thought of these action plans. He wants these plans to be implemented by this week itself. On the other hand, Mr. James Lockwood had different thoughts in his mind. Mr. James Lockwood is glad that, He made a good decision to hide Zack''s current status. Otherwise, He now believed. Instead of Max Stewart, Zack would be the one facing deathly situations. At first, he wanted to reveal a little bit about Zack to Mr. Arthur Emerson. He has been asking lately about Zack. Especially, about his progression. Mr. James Lockwood understands the situation. Hansen Sword Centre pinned its hopes on Zack. Even though they had no information about him. Based on the Blood Kill test. They have chosen him. So, Mr. James Lockwood decided that He plans to maintain the secrecy of Zack. Until, Zack joins SSV Academy. When comes to Hansen Sword Centre and Mr. Arthur Emerson He won''t reveal anything about Zack. Meanwhile, Zack practiced inside the Desert Simulation Chamber. "Sigh" left my mouth. I set up my timer for more than ten minutes. I''m happy that, I withstand pressure within the time limit. At first, the temperature starts to rise step by step. Which is the same with hot air. They bought the real-life environment before my eyes. On top of it, this special suit. I don''t know, without a special suit. How long I''m going to tackle it. Time went on... Soon, it''s the time of evening. I have to leave the facility. I removed the suit and wore my dress. Then I walked upwards to the V.R Room. I gave one look at V.R Room before exiting from the door. This V R prepares you mentally. Train you to have the mental toughness. So, that you can avoid an immediate breakdown. As I was thinking about that. I stumbled across a group of people. "This is going to be a headache," I commented in my heart. I found my seniors. Steven Conway, Ina Walker, and Andrea Kramer. The Trio walked towards me. I stopped my movements and turned my attention towards them. "Zack, what happened to Max?" shouted Ina Walker. The Trio started to surround me. In front of me, Steven Conway blocked my way and the two girls stood beside me. I looked at Ina Walker a moment before turning towards others. "These Clowns¡­" I laughed in my heart.. "What happened to Max¡­?" I uttered slowly before I said, "You should ask his parents by the way. I too saw him yesterday. So, there is no point in blocking my way." I said without a smile on my face. This trio intentionally started to release their aura to pressurize me. A huge wave of aura with two different colors came toward me, they were red and a little green in color. They are fire and wind elements. As it comes in contact with my body. I felt heaviness in my head. Since I had a double breakthrough. I withstood it completely. I furrowed my eyebrows. Witnessing that, if I counteract they will be thrown out immediately. I can''t release my aura. It doesn''t mean that I will tolerate their rude behavior. I smirked a little. The trio surprised little, then they fully unleashed their aura. I too have the next action plan. When a full-blown aura came toward me. I used my physical strength. The Blood Ring Rune in my conscious started to flicker for a moment. Then Red lines in my bones started to shine. Until, A heavy invisible aura was released from my bones. The invisible aura started to cover every part of my body. Including, bones, organs, and Dantian. It covered the entire system internally. Then it started to cover me externally starting from the skin. Soon, it covered me like a shield. Then it expanded above me. The heavy invisible aura then collided with the attacking aura. As the collision happened. The Heavy invisible aura tore their combined elemental aura like paper. From the outside it looked like, The Elemental aura starts to fade away once it touches me. I saw their aura, start to fade away little by little. Until it vanishes completely. Seeing that, the trio got surprised. Their eyes were wide opened. Steven Conway had a shocking look on his face. Which is quite watchable. He didn''t expect his Mid-level aura didn''t even move his hair. Same with girls. Ina Walker, earlier, she shouted at Zack. Now, she is petrified. She is backing away. "What is it mean?" she started to question herself. She is damn sure that all of them released elemental aura on Zack. But, it didn''t even fade him. Sweat beads started to appear on Andrea Kramer''s forehead. She is looking at Steven Conway and Ina Walker. Then she looked at Zack. He is smirking at this situation. "Too strong, " She commented in her heart. Chapter 83 - Part 2: Blood Elements Invisible Aura "Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Ha¡­" I laughed in my heart. Seeing their reaction. It is gratifying to see self-entitled people have a taste of their own medicine. They look like they have eaten a shit. I didn''t stay in this spot further. I walked away from them. This time they didn''t even stop me. Steven Conway himself moved aside to give me space. My lips curved a little seeing that. This trio didn''t leave spots. After Zack left only silence remained in the place. The Trio looked at each other.. Deep down, they knew the answer. Zack Lockwood is a Strong Warrior. He is stronger than all. But, they didn''t want to voice out. Steven Conway had only thought in his mind. "Peak Warrior" He misunderstood that Zack is the Peak Trainee Apprentice. That''s why he didn''t even flinch. Two of the girls also had the same thought they looked at Steven Conway for an answer. Steven Conway looked at their eyes and nodded at them. Earlier, they decided to confront Zack. But, now they got a huge revelation. They didn''t see the invisible aura released by Zack. They thought He didn''t even counteract and stood there. They concluded that only warriors with level differences can do that. The Classes were over. The Trio left the place after some time. Meanwhile, Zack boarded the train to his home. Earlier, today I cursed at my bad luck. The time I had spent time in the library went for nothing. Then the Desert Simulation Chamber. The V.R is not suitable for me. I''m not mentally weak. So, I don''t have to prepare mentally to face a harsh scenario. Ever since, my first assignment. I took environment as one of the advantages for monsters. It can be detrimental to us. As long as you have the necessary knowledge forehand. You can avoid a mental breakdown. Coming back to Desert Simulation. At first, I thought it''s going to be a waste of time in the library. But, in Underground Desert Simulation Room. I discovered my new ability. My lips curved a little having some breakthrough in Blood Element Mystery. When I was halfway through, facing the hot blown wind. Which causes sandstorms to appear. The sands have been already hot due to the rising temperature. On top of it, it was getting blown by the hot wind. Creating sandstorm scenarios. It was quite hard to move from Point A to Point B. Thanks to the suit, it safeguards us from any possible injuries. That''s where I started to notice the miracle of Blood Element. At first, Blood Ring Rune in my conscious started to flicker. I failed to notice in the first time. But, as time went on. I felt something happening inside my body. Then, I used my perception to see the wonder. The Red lines in my bones started to release something. I can feel it, but I couldn''t perceive it. Then I used full perception and started to focus on it. Then I''m able to notice some layer starts to cover my inner organs. It is like a colorless wave, washed over my entire inner system. It baffled me completely. I didn''t want to stop it. I saw the colorless wave cover the internal system. Then it started to cover the external system. From top to bottom starting from head, nose, skin, abdomen then legs. The colorless wave covered both internal and external systems. When the small sandstorm hit me. The colorless wave acted like a shield. It protected me from the sand particles. The sand particles couldn''t able to pass through the aura. Then I walked through the storm. It stayed not more than thirty seconds. Precisely, Half-minute. Then, I named it Invisible Aura. Because it''s hard for me to notice it with my full perception. Then I knew it''s invisible to others'' eyes. I carefully observed every scenario. At first, it didn''t appear as I willed it. It only appeared when something from external attacked my system. It doesn''t matter internal or external. Both with a sandstorm and the trio''s aura. The invisible aura appeared like some sort of defense mechanism. It is acting passively. I have yet to figure out, how to make it appear actively. This new discovery, certainly adds up my arsenal. It''s my first blood ability. I slightly guessed the working of Red lines in my skeleton. It has something to do with the invisible aura. I have yet to uncover its abilities. I need to consume more blood for that. Though I named it as invisible aura. It certainly differs from my Blood Elemental Aura and Lightning Elemental Aura. Both of them were my natural signatures. It acts as a natural identification number. I don''t know what use is for it, other than intimidating as the Trio did it. Sometime later, I reached home. Meanwhile, "He is Peak Warrior. Isn''t he?" Ina Walker finally opened her mouth. The trio left the building. Now, they are having a small conversation. They are shocked by the earlier revelation. "SIGH" left the mouth of Steven Conway. He looked at the Sky "Ten and a half years old Peak Warrior" and uttered slowly. His mumbling was heard by both girls. "Now, it''s impossible to get an answer from Zack" Andrea Kramer commented. "Forget about Zack, as he told. We have to ask Max''s Parents" Steven Conway replied. Only, the fool would ask him after knowing his strength. He laughed in his heart in thought of that. Ina Walker asked, "Steve, Do you think others know about Zack''s Strength?" Hearing that, Steven Conway shook his head. "I don''t know about others. But, I believe Management knows. Now, I understand why they put juniors in our class" Steven Conway commented. Listening to Steven, Andrea Kramer and Ina walker smiled mirthlessly. If Steven was right, then Candace Wilkerson and Maria Frazier would be like Zack. They decided to train harder from here on. Meanwhile, Zack is in his practice room. This backyard space is quite good for Sword Training. Currently, a violet color light illuminating the training room. It''s none other than Zack''s lightning energy. The Black Sword is currently being charged with violet lightning energy. I''m holding this Sword in a vertical position. A continuous stream of lightning energy. It''s getting transmitted from my palms to the Black Sword. The Black Sword is lightened up with violet lightning energy. Chapter 84 - Conclusion "SIGH" left my mouth. So, far I''m able to charge this sword. The only remaining thing to do is charge enough. If I charge it enough, then I can move on to the third move. Which is to discharge the energy in one go. I just need a week''s time to get familiarized with the second move. By the coming weekend, I believe I will be attacking the Class Monsters with my Sword Move. "Well, Every time I thought of it, it gives me Goosebumps" I commented in my heart. A few minutes later, I stopped my practice. I completed my today''s schedule. Let''s continue tomorrow. I cheered up myself internally.. Next Morning, at the dining table. Zack, Uncle James, and Granny Park three of them having breakfast together. "Uncle James, Do you got any breakthrough?" I said with a sigh. Seeing my sullen mood, Granny Park asked, "What happened Zack? We already told you to forget about this matter." Hearing Granny Park, I didn''t hide anything. I started to explain the little fiasco that I faced yesterday. Both of them are listening attentively. I thought it''s very silly of me to bring this topic to the table. Because it''s a tussle between classmates. Which is common everywhere. I don''t have any choice though. Both of them won''t answer me, without having a proper reason for it. "Are they going to trouble you again?" Uncle James said with a serious tone. I was surprised to see Uncle''s reaction to this matter. It''s just a small matter. I don''t know why he got tensed up. "Seniors were friends of Max Stewart. They couldn''t find him. So, they have been on edge lately." I replied. To that, both of them nodded. "Zack... Um? " Uncle James uttered something. But, he stopped midway. Seeing that, "Uncle James, You want to tell me something?" I asked. Since I''m asking directly. Uncle James didn''t hide the information. Which is quite shocking. I got stunned for a moment. Even Granny Park stopped eating for a moment to listen. This is a huge revelation. If what Uncle James told me is true. Then, I have to watch my back in all places. Including, training Facility. "Assassination" word echoed in my mind. To think Max Stewart was targeted for Assassins. I got barely escaped. We were both at the same place. Yet, he is one who disappeared. It still baffles me. "How come there is no evidence of his presence inside the building?" I asked Uncle James. Hearing that, it seems Uncle James didn''t have an answer for that. "I don''t know much about it. Even more, we have to worry about ourselves; as you heard it, if it''s an Assassination. Then, hereafter you have to watch your back. Even, while Roaming Red Stone City. Until you get into the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Don''t do anything stupid." Uncle James explained to me carefully. After having breakfast, I''m on my way to the training center. Meanwhile, a faraway place. Sir Lowell McClain reads the report sent by the beggar. He furrowed his eyebrows after reading it. "Missing Person" He uttered to himself. It''s impossible for someone to disappear into thin air. Unless something happened or someone made it happen. Sir. Lowell McClain muttered. His mind started to analyze all possible scenarios. From robbing, kidnapping, keeping hostage, and murder. In every case, there is a time limit. If it''s a robbery case, then there is no reason arises for killing a person. In case of kidnapping, there is no personal vendetta recorded. If it''s a hostage situation, then there will be a calling of demand. Such, a thing never happened so far. Which leaves us, last thing Murder¡­ if it is murder, then what is the motive? Who''s the culprit and where is the body? As he was tapping the table. While contemplating about it. His Sci-fi buzzed. It was from James Lockwood. Seeing that, a name. Sir. Lowell McClain straightened up his back and read the encrypted message. He deleted the message after reading it. There is a small smile on Sir. Lowell McClain''s face. There is no need to do anything. Because now he realized the answer. James Lockwood shared the information. Which he and Mr. Arthur Emerson got from Mr. Ron Stewart''s statement. "Stewart Family successor''s name was on the Kill List" Sir. Lowell McClain commented in his heart. He is interested in the Assassin. An Assassin did his job amidst a chaotic situation. Then there is no need to look for a body. Since he is dead. "Edward Foley? No, He is spotted in a different city that day. Which is quite far away." Then "Who else might be? Sir. Lowell McClain is questioning himself in his heart. He had to uncover the puzzle. Because Zack is involved in this situation. Depending upon their school of thoughts. Assassin act different. Some kill with a sword, some with a dagger, rapier, and poison techniques, and so on. Even, there is Special Assassin who had their own self-developed method. But, for such barren land like outpost 1012. It''s unlikely to send such a force. After contemplating for a while. Sir. Lowell McClain arrived at conclusion. He believed this conclusion got an 80% possibility. "Fallen one or Rogue one" is Such an Assassin blacklisted by their organization. To work, they tend to go to a lower-level region such as outpost 1012. They make their living by traveling between, same-tier cities. Sir. Lowell McClain commented in his heart. Then he typed something in his sci-fi watch. He sent messages to the beggar and James Lockwood. If they find, Intel about which organization accepts outsiders. It''s easy to narrow down the assassin. Like, Sir Lowell McClain predicted. The old man is traveling to a different Tier City. He is an outsider. He is old, to make a living. He came to outpost 1012. Due to habit, he couldn''t give up the job of killing. He couldn''t work like in the old days. But, he developed his way. He pre-planned it and disguised himself to enter the Auction Company. He completed his mission. Now, he is on his way to another mission. Unlike, old times. He took a lot of time to complete the mission. But, his succession rate is 100%. So, He demanded a huge reward for that. Even it''s two kills per year he is happy with it. Chapter 85 - Cancelled I''m on my way to the training center. I hope, I won''t come across my seniors this time. I muttered to myself. After leaving the air cab I entered the building. As usual, I intended to spend my time in the library. A few minutes later, after reaching the library. I made my mind to read about the aura. Why it is needed and its importance. I quickly found several books related to it in the printed section. At first, I started to go through the common books. Which is available to everyone. I spend some time on it.. A few minutes later, I closed the book. "Sigh" left my mouth. It''s the same thing mentioned in the book. But it is described in an academic way. From this book, Just, like I expected. It is stated that Aura is the signature of a warrior. It will get strengthened along with the level of the warrior. It has different purposes. It is used to intimidate lower-class Monsters. It is used as an auxiliary ability by capable warriors. Aura has different characteristics. Its attribute is associated with a warrior''s element. High-level warriors have the ability to change their aura. But it doesn''t mention how? "It''s very academic" I commented in my heart. After I read the book. Time passes, I went through many books. My purpose is to find clues about the invisible aura. My bad luck, I didn''t find anything like that. I shook my head thinking that. I shouldn''t blame myself the library has a limited collection. A few minutes later, I exited the library. It''s time for afternoon training. I arrived at the discussion hall. I halted my movements after witnessing everyone. Like, the first day, everyone presents today at the same time. Except, one person. "Zack, why are you standing like that, take your seat" a smooth voice reached my ear. I turned towards her. It''s been long. Since I last saw her. Ms. Adeline Key came today to the discussion hall. I nodded at her and took my seat at the last table. On my way, I found several eyes on me. Which is no surprise to me. "Looks like the trio didn''t keep their mouth shut," I commented in my heart. I found the trio, Andrea Kramer, Ina Walker, and Steven Conway on my right side. And my classmates. Maria Frazier and Candace Wilkerson are on my left side. They were chatting together. When I looked at the trio. They averted their gaze. I shook my head slightly witnessing that. "Since, everyone arrived. I''m going to inform two important news" sounded Ms. Adeline Key. Her voice reached each one of us. Ms. Adeline Key looked at us for a moment. Then she started to explain. "First news is Max Stewart labeled as a missing person" "Gasp" a loud gasp sounded inside the room. They look at me. Including Ms. Adeline key for a moment. I didn''t show any reaction. I remained silent. Steven Conway wanted to ask something about it. But, she told him to wait. Until she explains the second one. "Second news is, there will be no weekend assignment here on" revealed Ms. Adeline key. "What¡­?" I commented in my heart. All we had a different reaction to this news. Maria Frazier stood up immediately. "And why is that? How come we are going to train, then" Maria Frazier said in a displeased tone. The Trio also raised the same question. Even I got the same question in my heart. It''s very important for me than any of them. I would rather spend time hunting Class Monsters outside than spend time here. I need to train both my blood and lightning element. Monster blood is very essential for Blood Cultivation. Otherwise, it would take ages to level up the physic without it. Bombarded with so many questions. Ms. Adeline key shouted, "Stop it!" The atmosphere remained silent for a moment. Ms. Adeline once again looked at us and said, "when comes to canceling of Assignment. It''s entirely up to a higher-level decision. I have nothing to do with It." Then she continued, "When comes to Max Stewart. The Statement was released by his family. If you have some problem. Then visit his family and ask them." Hearing that, the atmosphere stilled for a moment. But, then Steven Conway stood up and started accusing me. He pointed his finger at me said, "Ms. Key, Max was last seen with Zack. He is clearly hiding something." Listening to his accusation. I made a stern gaze towards him. Seeing my look, He gulped his saliva. Ina Walker and Andrea Kramer both kept their heads down. They don''t want to face me. I found Candace and Maria''s gaze on me. I turned towards them. Before, I stood up from my seat and told to Ms. Adeline Key. "Like you said, Ms. Key. If anyone got an issue. They can freely ask Stewart,''s family." Then I began to walk downstairs. And finally, I reached near Ms. Adeline Key. I stood close to her. Then I looked at the trio "It''s better for everyone not to create. The unnecessary problem for me." I said with a cold smile on my face. Hearing that, Steven Conway turned his head towards the other side. He had a defeated look on his face. Then I told Ms. Key that I need to train. So, I left the discussion hall after that. I don''t know? What do they think about me? Should I take responsibility? For Max. I''m sorry, I''m a good person. That doesn''t mean that I''m na?ve. They don''t know the real situation. Max probably got assassinated. That''s why the higher-ups canceled the assignment trip. I''m walking on the knife myself. Don''t know when I will face the next assassin. So, it''s futile to explain everything to them. So, it doesn''t matter. If I got a bad name in the end. I moved towards the gravity chamber. It''s good that I asked Uncle James about the Class 2 Monster hunting trip. I didn''t expect them to cancel the assignment itself. Hereafter, I should plan more trips with Uncle James. Such thoughts run through my mind. I started to train from level basic of the Gravity chamber. Chapter 86 - Mission With Uncle James I''m training at level 2 of the Gravity chamber. Other, then heaviness in my head. I didn''t feel anything. My body is now comfortable with such pressure. Having, adjusting my posture. It practiced sword moves. I want to test myself in this scenario. Maybe in the future, I could face similar circumstances. I hold my Black Sword in my right hand and slashed downward with it. The Blade Swung in the air. Due to gravity, there is added pressure exerted on it when it came downward. I could notice this minuscule difference. So, I made an effort to improve my control ability. If I could better control the Black Sword with strength. Then, it''s easy to overcome the pressure. Once I did with this. I plan to try the Level 3 Gravity room. I believe Level 3 is for Peak Trainee Apprentice. I like to have tests of its strength. It''s good that I booked the entire Gravity room. Otherwise, people would cause trouble to use the empty rooms. The management built this facility. Keep that in mind. They give importance to privacy. Once, I got above-average control ability. I should try level 3. Just, like that Zack continued to improve my control ability. Days went like that, until its weekend. Zack is currently in his room. "Sigh" left my mouth. I''m confused about the things to pack. Tomorrow, I''m going with Uncle James to hunt the Class 2 Monster. He is keeping a tight lip about it. At least, He could tell me what should I bring? I placed my backpack on the table. Then, I lay down on my couch and started to think. "Man¡­, I should convince him enough. So, that I can bring back the monster body with me." I commented in my heart. I''m worried about Blood Cultivation. That, I forgot about Lightning Energy Cultivation. Maybe, I should visit Liz Mountain the day after tomorrow. I should keep a balance between the two. Such, thoughts run through my mind. A Few minutes later, I went to sleep. The next day morning, I woke up early. I practiced Lightning energy. It takes a lot of time to fill a little bit of lightning energy in my dantian. So, I don''t'' have a choice but to wake up earlier. After done practicing. I went to take a nice bath. A Few minutes later, I put on my pants. Then I wore a red T-shirt and a Black Jacket on top of it. I put on my red sneakers and Black Fingerless gloves. Then I looked at myself in the mirror. Feeling confident "It''s good" I commented in my heart. Then I noticed the time in the Sci-fi Watch. Time to have breakfast with my family. "Are you ready?" asked Uncle James. I looked at him and said, "I really want to express myself. What could be better than Class 2 Monster" Uncle James smiled listening to my answer. Well, it''s true. I have been out of action lately. I only get to fight the Monster during weekends. Now, someone canceled it. It''s a bit sad. But, it''s for everyone''s well-being. For me, I''m not even considering Pseudo Monster. Rather, I want to fight Class Monsters with equal strength. I don''t have to hide anything from Uncle James. He is already aware of my lightning element. So, this time I plan to fight wholeheartedly. Then, Granny Park also joined the conversation. We talked about little fun things. After having dinner. We both left home. We booked an air cab. On the way, I''m asking about that place. But he didn''t listen to my question. "You will know eventually. When we get to that place." Uncle James finished the conversation by saying that. A few minutes later the air cab came. We entered the cab and took our seats. I didn''t ask him any questions along the way. I remained silent. I watched the sceneries. The aerial view of our city is something else. Sometimes later, The Air Cab reached the station. We entered the station. I followed Uncle James. He led me to a different platform. So, many thoughts run through my mind. This platform is for Special places. I looked around and found a few people. One thing I''m sure of. The location is not close. It''s not going to be like Trezi Town and Pinewood City. Soon, we received a notification. Reminding us, our train arrived at the station. It will reach our platform in seconds. "Gasp" left my mouth. Mr. James smiled little after witnessing Zack''s shocked face. "Fortified, this damn train is fortified by heavy metals," I commented in my heart. This is not your regular passenger train. It''s like you are traveling to War Zone, and the train is fortified to protect warriors inside. I turned my head and looked towards Uncle James for an answer. He simply gestures me to enter the compartment. I didn''t hesitate and entered inside. Mr. James followed and then both of them took their seats. "No Wonder" I mumbled. After witnessing the design inside the compartment. Like, I guessed it appears to War Train. There is no unnecessary space in the compartment. Even the seating design was made into the calculation. There is no single thing here that reminds you of luxury and expensive tickets. Even if you are facing Monster horde. You can safeguard yourself by simply being present inside the train. Seeing Zack lost in his thoughts. Mr. James uttered his name "Zack! Zack!" There is no one beside them in the compartment. I was thinking. Suddenly, I came back to reality. "What happened?" I uttered. "You were thinking something else," Uncle James said with a smile. Hearing that, "I was thinking about the purpose of this train" I replied. Uncle James nodded. He started to explain. Like I guessed, it is to protect people from Monster attacks. "The train has to pass through certain areas. Where it is common to see Class Monsters" Uncle James said with a serious tone. Then he added, "So, they fortified train to protect passengers from attacks." "What kind of Monsters?" I asked. "Usually, it is Monsters horde. Ranging from Class 2 to Class 3" Uncle James explained to me. Chapter 87 - KREJIXTH BLACK FORESTS Hearing that, I got stunned for a moment. I expected to be Monster Horde. Never thought it would belong to Class 3 Monster. "So, this train is capable of handling Class 3 monsters," I commented. "Uncle James, Could you tell me now?" I think it''s time for him to say something. "I won''t say anything. Except, it''s going to be a one-day trip. We will be spending two days hunting Monster. Then again one day to travel back to home." Uncle James said with a smile. "Four days" I sighed in my heart. I wanted to say something. But, Uncle James closed his eyes.. He is taking naps. I never spent an entire day traveling before. Even, to the Mountain Liz. It''s a six-hour journey. Guess, I have no choice to get used to it. I plan to spend some time meditating and reading books online. One day later. "Welcome to Special Zone R32. The KREJIXTH BLACK FORESTS. "Uncle James said with a smile. As we stepped out of the compartment. There is a Huge Billboard is displaying the name KREJIXTH. "Uncle James, What is this place?" I asked him. While searching for the exit place. "This train station is built underground. Most of the Stations in the special places were built like this." Uncle James started to explain to me. It is a very compact station. Not much populated. I can see very few people in the station. I assume most of them were stationed here. I started to observe everything. As we exited from the station. I found most of them were guards. They are wearing the same black uniform. Air traveling, not permitted in the Special Zone. Uncle James started to explain the rules and regulations about this place. There is no civilization inside the special zone. Only around KREJIXTH Train Station. We can see human habitat. Which is, I believe it''s accommodation for guards. There are no legal civilians here. Uncle James told me that. Other than high-level Adventures and special permitted people no one comes here. We walked a little bit and found a small building nearer to the station. Uncle James talked to someone through his sci-fi watch. Soon, the door opened. A person wearing a black uniform appeared. He has got the normal look. He is having very short hair and black eyes. He appears to be a normal warrior. But, I know it''s a false sense. High-level warrior often disguises their strength to confuse others. "Mr. Craig Dawson, How are you doing?" Uncle James said with a smile. Mr. Craig Dawson smiled and greeted us inside. "I was surprised by your message earlier. I was stressed lately. Thinking that. Federation would send some unknown person" Mr. Craig Dawson commented along the way. "How''s the situation now?" asked Uncle James. "Sigh" left from Mr. Craig Dawson. "You just arrived now. Take some rest. I''ll tell you later" Mr. Craig Dawson commented. As he began to show us our separate room. I was oblivious to their conversation. I''m sure that, Uncle James has work to do. Uncle James told me to freshen up. Then, we entered our room. I looked around this room and found it''s very compact. One bed, table, closet, and bathroom. Everything is placed here. They kept in mind for one person usage. I opened the window to have some airflow inside. "Sigh" a small sigh left. An entire day went from traveling. Now, in a few hours. The room will be shown with daylight. I opened my backpack and put the dress in the closet. We will be spending two days here. I have to get used to it. In the future, when I travel solo. This experience will be helpful. After arranging things. I took a small nap. Then, I went to shower. A few minutes later, I left the shower and started to wear my dress. Suddenly, I received a message from Uncle James. Stating, he has some work to do. So, he told me to wait for 15 minutes in my room. I have no choice other than to wait. Instead, I started to meditate. Meanwhile, Mr. James Lockwood had a conversation with Mr. Craig Dawson at a different location. "So, what happened?" asked Mr. James. "Our Exploration team has sent us the report. Informing that, increased activity of Class 3 Worms in that region." Mr. Craig Dawson Revealed the report details. "Do you know the reason for it?" questioned, Uncle James. He thought if it''s a simple Class 3 Monster. There is no reason to request his presence here. "No, We don''t'' know the exact cause. But, we believe there might be. Newly evolved Class 4 Monster living in that region" Mr. Craig Dawson commented. Listening to him, a sharp glint appeared in the eyes of Mr. James Lockwood. He looked at Mr. Craig''s calm face and said, "It''s a big claim! Are you sure about it? " Then he continued, "We have to inform higher-ups. If there is the presence of Class 4" Mr. James Lockwood said with a calm tone. Mr. Craig Dawson affirmed hearing that. He is confident about his team report. Once they find the evidence. Then there will be no problem with calling backups. Then he looked at Mr. James. He wants to ask something, but He is hesitating about it. Seeing that, Mr. James uttered "What?" Mr. Craig Dawson asked, "Did you get a breakthrough?" There is a small smile on Mr. James'' face. "I know what you are worried about. I have attained the strength of the weak elite. But, I yet to get breakthrough officially." Mr. James revealed. Mr. Craig Dawson sighed, hearing that. "If you get breakthrough to the Elite level. You will be promoted from official Knight to Higher Stages." Commented Mr. Craig Dawson. "You are worried about me. Not about Class 4" Mr. James Joked with Mr. Craig Dawson. "Don''t worry about it. If it''s a newly evolved class 4. I''m confident that I can handle with my Elite strength" Mr. James assured him. Then they talked about a few things. A few minutes later. Mr. James left the place to meet Zack. Sometimes later, Zack''s sci-fi, watch buzzed. I opened my eyes to read the message. "Uncle James arrived". I commented in my heart. After knowing that, I stood up from the meditation mat and went to meet him. Chapter 88 - Class 2 Monster I opened the door and found Uncle James lay down on the sofa. "Uncle..." I reminded him. Hearing that, Uncle James came back to reality. He looked at me and said, "I have some important work here to finish." Then he continued, "Before that, I will take you to a location. There you can fight Class 2 Monster." Hearing that, I became relaxed. But I asked," is there any sign of horde there?" Uncle James shook his head. "There is no horde, you can fight without worry; No one knows that location except me.. So, don''t'' worry about being spied upon. People only live here at the train station. The Class 2 Monster location is too far." Uncle James explained to me. I felt a sense of relief after listening to his explanation. I really want to ask about his work. But, I don''t want to be rude. It may be confidential. So, I don''t want to cross the limit. Unless he reveals himself about it. "So, when can we leave?" I uttered. "In five minutes" Uncle James replied. Then, I went to my room to pick up my backpack. It''s already packed with necessary items. I even brought a tent with me. A Few minutes later, we left our location. "Are we going to walk?" I asked him. Air transport is banned here. Forget about Train transportation. The only logical explanation I can think of. Either by walking or traveling by some vehicle. Then you can reach the location. "Here it is!" Uncle James pointed his finger towards the four-wheeler. It is a Military Grade Vehicle. Completely shielded on four sides. Leaving the only front view to drive. Uncle James took the driver''s seat. I took the seat beside him. There is only two seats here. I looked at the back seat with confusion. Instead of the back seat. The space is filled with lots of tech Materials. It''s like an exploration vehicle. Seeing Zack''s reaction. Mr. James said, "You are right, it''s Military Exploration Vehicle. There is a lot of navigation and mapping stuff placed backside." "Wow," I felt a sense of joy hearing that. How cool it would be to explore new places. Once I get my official Rank. I will definitely apply for the exploration team. Suddenly, a question comes to mind. I asked, "Uncle James, so this place belongs to Army Federation" Hearing that, Uncle James nodded, We chatted little. In mean time, He continued to drive. There is no proper road here. It''s a bit hard to drive. We left the train station area. Now, we are traveling deep into the black forest. I can see why it is named the Black Forest. The soil is black in color. And it is getting darker as we enter deep inside. A few hours later. Uncle James found some open space. He stopped the vehicle. "Uncle James, Where is the spot?" I asked him as I stepped out of the vehicle. Hearing that "We reached the spot. You can find the Monster, a few meters from here." Uncle James told to me. Hearing that, I became guarded and looked around carefully. "Our current location is a little deeper inside the Black Forests. So, it''s natural to have communication interference." Uncle James advised to me "Here¡­ I transferred some safe spots. And certain locations with strong signal to your sci-fi, watch" then he gave me some map data of this location. We talked about a few other things. A few minutes later, "Remember to contact me. When you have finished with your work" Uncle James reminded me. Then, he left this spot, leaving me alone here. I''m a little disappointed. I thought, he would watch over me. But, looks like he really got important work. Otherwise, he won''t leave me. I became a little sullen. I don''t know whether it''s my situation or because of these Black forests. My mood is getting worsen not any better. I got an entire day to spend. I looked at my surroundings to get a view. From the beginning, I didn''t find any living thing. There are these trees with orange leaves. They were everywhere. Forget about it, I didn''t want to spend my evening in these creepy forests. So, I made my mind to kill the Class 2 monster within half a day. It''s good that Uncle James transferred me some data. I picked up my backpack from the ground and continued walking. I''m on my way to that location. Where Uncle James pointed earlier. It is just a few meters away from me. For safety, I took out my Black Sword from the storage ring. I held it with my right hand. On the way, I''m clearing the hurdles by cutting out some branches. I didn''t think I could use my Sword this way. A few minutes later. I reached the exact spot. I looked for any hideouts around me. I''m being cautious and didn''t make any loud noise. It could disturb the Monster. For the time being, I didn''t spot anything. I got frustrated and started to doubt. Whether the monster is currently somewhere. I''m currently standing under a huge Black Tree. Which is quite interesting. This tree is entirely Black. Including its leaves, branches, trunks, and roots. On top of Black soil, the tree looks creepier. If people come across such a tree at night. They will be shit scared. Zack is observing the tree, forgetting about the monster entirely. He got lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, one of the branches of the Black Tree moved. At first, The Branch moved slowly. Looking from outside, it will look like. It is swaying due to the wind. But, actually, the branch is facing towards the backside of the Zack. Zack is oblivious to the situation. He got no idea, that Black Tree is not an ordinary Tree. The Black tree got consciousness. It is Tree type Class 2 Monster. Earlier its location is exactly pointed by Mr. James Lockwood. But, he didn''t divulge Monster''s info to him. He wanted Zack to find out the answer. That is why Mr. James is not worried about Zack''s safety. Unlike, other Tree Monsters. This Black Tree Monster species got one terrible weakness. It cannot move back its roots and relocate to another place. Chapter 89 - Part 1: Got Beaten So, Mr. James is quite sure about it. If Zack maintained a certain distance from the Black Tree Monster. Then, he will be able to cover his back. Meanwhile, The Black Tree sensed certain prey is standing near. It decided to kill the prey and suck out its blood using the root. The Black Tree Monster consumes its food nutrients by this indirect method. It doesn''t have another killing method. Being, a tree species, it got a long life span. It consumes food nutrients from this black soil using its root. It is a direct method. And it''s the proper natural way. But, nutrients are present in this black soil. Won''t be enough for its successful evolution. So, Ever since the black tree got leveled up to Class 2. Its intelligence has grown with evolution. Then the black tree started to find a way to evolve faster. Then, one day it comes up with the method to kill other monsters and consume their blood. But, the biggest disadvantage of this method is that it has to wait for its prey to come to its location. It cannot move from one location to another. It''s not designed by nature in this way. For a few years, it got successful. By killing little Pseudo Monsters and very few Class 1 Monsters now and then. But, now after several months, there is another prey coming to its location. The Black Tree didn''t waste any time. Using, Zack''s Carelessness. It used its long branch to attack. The Swaying Long Branch suddenly dashed towards Zack. It was so precise it aimed at Zack''s back. When it was an inch away from Zack''s back. The branch curved a little and landed a hit on him. "Bang¡­..Bang¡­" I felt someone stroke my back with the hammer. The impact was so powerful that, I lost consciousness for a moment. Zack got thrown away in the air due to impact and he crashed into the nearby trees. "Ag...Arg" I felt severe pain in my back. I tried to stand up. But, then I puked some blood suddenly. Witnessing that, I sat down. Without analyzing my injuries. I didn''t want to make any sudden movement. . I looked back to see who attacked me. "Gasp" left my mouth. The scene in front of me. I will never forget it in my life. Because of it, I stopped breathing for a moment. I saw the branches of the Black Tree were swaying in the Mid Air. It is not due to Wind. The Black Tree is making it. "What in the world¡­!" I commented in my heart. The Branches were swaying back and forth. I don''t know what to make of it. One thing I''m very sure that, The Black tree is a Class 2 Monster. It''s a simple attack thrown away me just like that in the air. It''s impossible for class one. I thought, my perception would warn me in all kinds of situations. But now, it seems there are exceptions. I touched my Back. "Looking at its strength. It must be somewhere from the middle to the peak." I commented in my heart. I saw the black tree monster, it''s good that its movements were naturally hindered. Its branches were quite a distance from me. It will never reach me. Otherwise, no other monster would give me some space. After making sure, I turned on my perception and try to access my injuries. I saw there was internal bleeding on my backside. "Don''t know how many bones got broken," I commented in my heart. As I began to look deeper. I found, three ribs of mine were fractured. Which caused the bleeding. After knowing that, I turned off my perception. "I hope, I can manage the wound until Mid-day" I uttered. I never got hurt this bad. I believe there is some emergency clinic in the station. I can''t heal it with a first aid kit. Only by going there, I can prevent my injuries get worsening. I clenched my teeth in pain and tried to stand up. Then, I looked at the Black Tree Monster. "Should I attack it or not." I commented in my heart. I don''t want my injury to get worse. And at the same time. I don''t want to leave this place without getting any experience. I got half day time. I got back my Black Sword. Which got thrown away due to earlier impact. This time I held it with my both hands. I''m walking slowly towards the tree. I want to attack its branches first. I know, it''s impossible to approach it closely without clearing the branches. The Black Tree Monster sensed the prey is coming closer to it. It pointed one of the branches towards him. Then it attacked like earlier. I took look at several tree branches. I turned on my perception ability. Soon, it covered an area of more than ten meters. I can perceive all things within ten meters. I can notice any movement hereon. There is no blind spot now. I smirked a little knowing that. I can perceive all the swaying tree branches right now. I believe it''s going to try like the last attack. I walked a little closer to the tree. So, it can have more than two branches behind me. Like, I predicted. Behind my back, one of the branches dashed towards me. I didn''t move from my spot. I waited for the good timing. If I moved now, seeing that, the Black tree will move its branches away. So, I waited. With my perception I noticed. The branch is closing towards me. I let it happen When it is a little inch away from me. I moved. I didn''t hold back my strength. I turned towards the branch and I slashed downward with the Black Sword. The Black Blade with its sharp edge made contact with the branch. The cut was made. The sharp blade penetrated deep inside the branch. It sliced the branch in half. It went like butter. Then, the broken half was dropped down. It happened in a moment. "Screeeeech" such an eerie sound ringing my ear. When the cut was made. I felt dizziness due to this sound. I felt bad premonition. I didn''t wait in the spot further. I took back the broken branch into my storage ring. And I dashed towards the safe spot. Chapter 90 - Part 2: Got Beaten "Damn¡­..this Pain" I cursed in my heart. Earlier, I felt dizzy. Following that, now I''m having head-splitting pain. I clutched my head thinking don''t know what to do next. I started to massage my temple to relieve some pain. I mumbled by thinking, "Looks like the pain is not going away sooner." Thinking about it not going to help me. So, I focussed on the Black Tree Monster. That sound is a passive ability of Black Tree Monster. Earlier, while escaping from that spot. I found an open space quite a distance away from the Black Tree.. So, I decided to take some rest here. While Zack was taking a rest here. The atmosphere around the Black Tree is quiet down. The Branches no more swayed. Now, there is no difference seen between the Black Tree and Normal Tree. The Scariest thing is the Black Tree appeared like a Normal Tree. A Terrible Monster in disguise. A few minutes later. After that cut. The Black Tree Monster didn''t continue to release the eerie sound. That terrible sound is nothing but the scream of the Black Tree Monster. It released the terrible sound due to pain. The eerie sound in turn acts as a passive ability to cause mental attacks. It got frustrating Now, the Black Tree Sensed, no one is around here. It didn''t expect prey to cut down its parts. Now, it''s become vigilant. Next, time if the prey dares come closer to it. It will use all its parts to kill him at one go. Meanwhile, Zack started to put up a tent. It''s good that Black Tree Monster is not going anywhere. I can take this time to think of a suitable plan. Now, I know why Uncle James selected this spot. This Monster is the perfect Training partner to me. After setting up the tent and placing sensors around it, I felt cozy, as I lay down on the bed to conjure a plan. Several thoughts run through my mind. I don''t know about the Monster''s weakness. If I had forehand knowledge about it, I could have used it to kill that Monster. Furthermore, the Black Tree Monster has different abilities. Having an injury at back, so it''s impossible to kill that Monster right away. Finally, I came to the conclusion. I''m going to practice Sword Moves on that Monster. Especially, the third Move. It will be a good long-range practice. After deciding that, I exited my tent. I took the Black Sword from the Storage ring. And I dashed a little closer to the Black Tree Monster. I was at a safe distance not going anywhere near to its branches. I''m planning to attack the body of the tree. "Trunk" I commented in my heart. After done observing. I held the Black Sword in a vertical position. I took a deep breath and started to perform the third move. The Sword Rune in the consciousness started to flicker. Wasting no time, I used the lightning energy in my Dantian immediately. The lightning energy started to cruise through my vein. After having weeks of training. Now, I can control the flow of lightning energy. Without causing any damage to the vein. I transferred all the lightning energy onto the Black sword. A violet colour particle is detectable around Zack. At the moment, the Black Sword in his hands is getting lightened up. Now, the Black Blade is brimming with lightning energy. From the memories of the technique. I knew I had to choose a focal point to discharge the energy. I turned on my perception ability. It will be helpful for me to notice any sudden movements. Then after charging up, I gripped the sword using both hands in a horizontal position. I took aim at the trunk of the tree. I focussed on the focal point. Wasting no time¡­ "Bang ¡­. Bang" thunderous reverberated the area. A violet colour blast liberated from Zack''s Sword. The blast was so fierce that, it went like a bullet. In a second, the attack land a hit at the trunk of the tree. Where Zack was aiming earlier. The attack took a hit at the exact focal point. It is detectable that the targeted area got eradicated. I saw smoke rising from that spot. It was so fast that, it took a moment for Black Tree Monster to release. Following the attack, "Screech" an eerie sound again started to spread the area. "Success" I commented in my heart. While I dashed towards the tent. Earlier, I felt nervous. I thought about the range is not being enough. Now, I''m glad that the attack reached the target. Though, at the current level. I cannot execute the true form of the attack. Like the man from the memories who obliterated the mountain with a single move. But, I''m satisfied with having another trump card. After reaching the tent. I took a deep breath. After that attack, I didn''t even take a closer look at the target. Because I know the Monster would release that strange sound again. I don''t want my headache to get worsen. I looked at my Sci-Fi watch. Two hours more till mid-day. If I do many attacks at the same focal point. I felt that, in no time, the monster would die. If it''s any other monster. I can aim at its head. But, when comes to Black Tree Monster. I don''t know my choice was right or not. Only by doing many attacks, I can find some answers. "Sigh" a huge sigh left my mouth. I''m thinking about doing many attacks. But, I forgot about the main issue here. I don''t have enough energy in my dantian. Now, I can only do one attack with it. Now, I''m frustrated. In these times, I wish to have a fire element. Then it would make my job easy. When comes to lightning, it''s impossible to cultivate here. This Black Forest is not suitable for lightning elements. Having no choice. I decided to perform one last attack again. Before quitting. A few hours later, "The destruction around the targeted area got widened" I commented in my heart. I''m sure if I do many attacks in the same region. The destruction range would spread. In no time it would kill the Black Tree Monster. Chapter 91 - Part 1: Investigation Meanwhile, The Black Tree Monster continued to Scream. The Black Tree Monster didn''t feel much of Zack''s attack. It''s not like Zack predicted. The Black Tree Monster has a tough defense of its trunk region. It needs many attempts to break through the defense. If Zack was one level higher at Special Trainee. He can do it with ease. Then he can kill the Monster with a few attempts. Zack removed the tent from that area. And he decided to set up the tent again at the pick-up location. He doesn''t want to get tangled with Class 2 Monster anymore. He ran out of juice.. There is no more lightning energy in the Dantian. On top of it, He is feeling severe pain in the back. And also having a slight headache he decided to call it to quit. Until Mr. James arrives He is going to wait in the tent. Meanwhile, at somewhere else in the forests. "Mr. Dawson, is this the area?" Mr. James questioned him. He is pointing his fingers at the map. Both of them were traveling to certain locations in four-wheelers. A huge digital map appeared in the A. I Screen. It is one of the mapping equipment carried by the exploration team. Mr. Craig Dawson is driving this time. Hearing a question from Mr. James. He slowed down a little bit and looked at the map. "Yeah, this is the spot mentioned by my team" Mr. Craig Dawson replied. Mr. James nodded and asked, "Where are they now?" From the beginning, he hears about Craig''s team. But has never seen them. "They are currently investigating different locations." Mr. Craig Dawson said with a smile. Then he added, "Don''t worry, they will be joining us. Once they finish with their work." Mr. James affirmed hearing that. He doesn''t want warriors to investigate the place in separate ways. If their findings were true. Then it''s even more important for them to call it to quit. And find their way back to the station. Level 4 Monster can kill them with ease in no time. He knew personnel guarded here were all Trainee Warrior. I knew Mr. Craig Dawson must be at the Mid-level of the trainee warrior. And his teammates might be at the early level. There is no one at Peak level except me. Class 4 is a different Category. It''s Elite Category. People here are no match to its Monstrosity. I hope it''s a false alarm. Like that, Mr. James went to deep thinking. Meanwhile, The Teammates of Mr. Craig Dawson is investigating an area. "Emma, what do you think of this place?" Mr. Paul asked his teammate Emma, she was busy working with communication equipment. Hearing no response, He moves towards her "Don''t you think, Worm Monster love this place? It might be heaven for them" He said with a wide smile. Ms. Emma got annoyed hearing that, "Why are you so happy about it? Our task is to find evidence. Don''t jump to any conclusion before that" She warned him. She is the team leader. And Paul is her assistant. So, he got no choice to listen to her. The smile on Paul''s face disappeared. "I was hoping to get some earth affinity stone as a reward." He commented. Then he continued, "Now, it''s almost a year. I''m being stuck at an early level." Paul sounded a little de-spirited. Hearing that, Emma shook her head. "Let''s do our job. If we can find some compelling evidence. Then we both can get what we wanted from management." Emma sounded optimistic. Both of them started to explore the area. They are wearing Black Uniforms. They went separate ways to explore the area. Emma took some equipment with her to check the soil''s richness. Paul also took mapping equipment to mark the area. So, later Emma could check that area with her equipment. Time went on, both of them doing a fine job, Paul is marking more areas along the way. But, they are taking some time to do that. This area is a little desolate. It''s common to spot Class 2 Monsters here. And few class 3 Monsters in rare cases. The reason Paul called this area heaven is because. The Class Worm Monster likes to live under soil richness area. The Worms consume certain nutrients present in the soil. So, they shift very often from one place to another in search of that area. So, Paul is very confident to find them. Meanwhile, Mr. Craig Dawson and Mr. James Lockwood reached their destination. Both of them stepped out of the car. "It looks like a cliff" commented Mr. James. There is a huge cliff in front of him. There is different land on the other side of the cliff. Hearing that, Mr. Craig Dawson said, "It is not a normal cliff either." Then he pointed his fingers towards the cliffside. This landscape is the result of, two tectonic plates clashing with each other. In the end, one tectonic plate went upward and the other downward. Which made the above landscapes take shape of a cliff. Then both of them walked towards the edge, to see the downward end. "So, your team spotted Worm Monster here," Mr. James pointed his fingers to the opposite side of the land. Currently, they are standing at the top. Seeing opposite land which is at the bottom. Mr. Craig Dawson affirmed. That his team spotted the Worm Monster at the opposite bottomland. They reported that it is three times larger than the actual class 3 Monster. Then Mr. James requested binoculars from him. With that binocular Mr. James began to observe opposite land. The area is a little desolate and a lot of barren lands were noticeable. So, far they have done the aerial mapping of that area. But, no one actually ventured inside that land. They had no reason to waste any time in that area. But, now they had to investigate. The claim made by Mr. Craig Dawson is compelling. So, far No one explored the Black Forest region completely. So, it''s hard to refute his claim. "I didn''t spot any Class 3" Mr. James sounded dejected. Hearing that, "We have no choice other than to form an exploration team" Mr. Craig Dawson said with a serious tone. Chapter 92 - Part 2: Investigation "Forming an Exploration Team is a good idea." Mr. James Lockwood said with a smile. Hearing that, Mr. Craig Dawson became glad. If it were someone else, there would be problems in decision-making. But, with Mr. James, He can share his thoughts without worrying. Both of them inspected the area further. They need to make arrangements for exploration. Starting from finding a safe passage to travel. A few hours later, "it''s enough to reach the other side" Mr. Craig Dawson commented.. They found a safe passage. He sounded optimistic about it. Mr. James is meticulous in his work. Though, they found a route. He is eager to analyze all the aspects. He is visualizing the area with all worst-case scenarios. A few minutes later, "Alright, there will be no problem. There won''t be any Monsters activity in that passage" Mr. James answered. Hearing that, Mr. Craig Dawson nodded. Both of them then started to drive back to Station town (aka Black Forest Train station). On the way, Mr. James''s sci-fi notified him. He looked at the message. He didn''t expect to receive a message from Zack. It''s still Mid-day. The message is not detailed. It said that He finished with his work. Now, He is waiting for me. Mr. James sent a quick reply to that Message. Mr. James doesn''t want to pick up Zack right now. He doesn''t want Mr. Craig to find out about Zack''s abilities. A few hours later, After dropping Mr. Craig Dawson at the station town. Then, Mr. James drove back alone. Mr. Craig Dawson has work to do. He is going to call back his team. Then they will be preparing things for the Exploration journey. In meantime, Mr. James will arrange things for Zack to stay in this town. At first, He thought, it''s going to be a four-day trip. But, now with exploration plan. It might get extended. He doesn''t know how to convince Zack. He knew Zack''s nature. If there is nothing to do. He won''t stay in this place. Meanwhile, Zack is musing about his situation. "There is no one here. How good it would be if I stay here and started to hunt Class Monsters for Blood Cultivation." I commented in my heart. After, the cancelation of the assignment. There is nothing much I can do in Red Stone city. Other than, library and Training Chambers there is nothing to learn. Right now, I need Strength. For that, I need to cultivate a lot. These days, I''m actually spending more time in the library and the Gravity Chamber than cultivation. I knew the difficulty of Lightning Practice and Blood Practice. It would be good if I stay near Mountain Liz. But, it won''t be possible all the time. I need to find a Lightning affinity stone, with it I can level up to Peak Trainee Apprentice in no time. Then, I will focus on Blood Cultivation with peace of mind. In the future, By having a double breakthrough to the Peak level. I can obliterate the Black Tree Monster with ease. As I was contemplating about my depressing situation, I heard a sound from the distance. I knew Uncle James had arrived. "What happened?" Mr. James questioned him. As he stepped out of the vehicle. Hearing that, I looked at him "I got beaten" I replied with a mirthless smile. Mr. James hastens towards Zack. He started to check his injury. Uncle James asked, "Are you hurt?" He seems tense. I looked at his tense face and said, "Three ribs fractured at the back. Apart from that, there is no injury." Uncle James looked at me in direct eyes "How did you know?" He asked me in surprise. Hearing that, I got stunned. I didn''t respond sooner to that. But, deep down in my heart. I commented," Thanks to perception ability, I could trace the fractured part." But, outside I had an expressionless face. Then I took a moment and replied, "I''m feeling immense pain in the back. So, that''s why I felt" Hearing that, Mr. James nodded. It felt the reasonable answer to him. Then, I started to remove my tent. A few minutes later. I entered the vehicle with him. Mr. James started to drive back the vehicle. We were on the way to station town. Uncle James asked, "So, How did it go?" hearing that, I don''t know how to answer that question. He pre-planned everything from the beginning. Now, he is asking me like he knew nothing about it. " I don''t know whether to laugh or cry" I commented in my heart. "You should have told me about it," I replied with a genuine answer. It is genuine. If I had forehand knowledge, I wouldn''t have gotten injured. Hearing a straight forward answer from Zack. Mr. James had a smile on his face. Uncle James said, "I knew you would say that. But remember, at times you will be facing a difficult situation. Without knowing anything" Then he started to lecture Zack. He explained that having Mid-level power alone, it''s not enough to kill a Class 2 Monster. On the contrary, Class 2 Monster can kill Peak Trainee Apprentice with ease. It''s not simple evolution from Class 1 to Class 2. Not only had their strength increased. Their intelligence also has grown with it. But, the Black Tree Monster is a Special Class 2 Monster. Unlike, other Monsters. It can''t move. So, it is a good training partner for Zack. He wanted Zack to understand the level difference. It''s impossible to skip a level and kill a higher-level Monster. While Mr. James is explaining. To that Zack has a different view about it. I agree with all the points that Uncle James explained to me. Except for the last part. I don''t think. It''s impossible to skip a level. It''s possible to skip the level. If you have a double breakthrough like me. Even, these days I''m dreaming about having a triple breakthrough. Physical Strength, Magical Strength, and Soul Strength. If I get my hands on the Soul Cultivation Method. I will cultivate to have triple Breakthrough. Then, I will kill a higher-level Monster with ease. The Passion flame burned in Zack''s eyes at the thought of that idea. Chapter 93 - Wood Element "Uncle James, I want to ask something?" I said to him. I didn''t want to hesitate about this matter. Hearing that, Mr. James nodded and said, "Go on, what it is?" "I need Lightning affinity stone. Could you ask my teacher about it?" I replied to him. This is something important. I don''t want to delay my lightning practice. "Sigh" Mr. James let out a sigh, hearing that, He understands Zack''s circumstances. Zack has a good affinity with the lightning elements. Otherwise, it is hard to get breakthroughs in this environment. If it''s possible to get a lightning stone. Then, it would make his cultivation easier. Then he decided to ask Sir. McClain about it later. "I will ask your teacher about it. I''m sure he''ll do something about it" Uncle James replied. I became relaxed hearing that, other than Blood Method. The teacher has given me everything related to lightning. I don''t feel good about asking more. But, I don''t have any choice. I put these thoughts to the back of my mind. We talked about a few other things. I didn''t ask about his mission. He is still tight-lipped about it. A few hours later, we reached Station Town. Uncle James brought me to the Special Clinic. I took a look at the building. There is not much human presence in the building. It more looked like a house than a clinic. We arrived at the front desk. There is a Male receptionist working behind the Hollow operating screen. (Aka computer). The Male receptionist checked Uncle''s I.D. He then registered my name. He didn''t ask for my details. After done the registering. The Male receptionist gestures us to go to room number seven. We didn''t waste any time and reached room no.7. "Bone Treatment Chamber" I read words written on the door. There is A. I system was installed on the door. Uncle James entered the code given by the receptionist. The door opened as he entered the code. We entered the room. I was surprised to see no one here. Except for the huge Vertical Pod Chamber. The Vertical Pod Chamber was huge. Lots of Black Tubes were attached to the chamber. They looked like pipes. I can see green color gas inside the chamber. Huge A. I operating screen installed near to it. I don''t know what to make of it. I turned towards Uncle James and asked, "Uncle, What is this place? Why no one is here?" Hearing that, Mr. James turned towards Zack and replied, "As you read it before. This chamber is used to treat fractured bones." Then he continued, "It is an Advanced Machine, it''s not open to the Public. Only registered warriors and their family members are allowed to use this machine." "No wonder" I commented in my heart. It''s hard to spot any non-affiliated people around the city. It doesn''t matter small or big organization. Once they graduated. Warriors register their name with the organization. As I was musing about it. "Zack¡­Zack" Uncle James reminded me. I came back to reality and looked towards him. Uncle James pointed his finger towards the chamber. And said, "Remove your shirt and enter the chamber." Hearing that, I removed my top. Uncle James operated something on A. I operating a Screen. As he entered it, the pod chamber''s door opened it. Having outlet the green color gas starting to come outside. Seeing that, I didn''t waste any time and entered the chamber. Soon, the door closed. I stood vertically inside the chamber. A few minutes later, I saw a green color liquid start to fill in. They are coming from the black tubes. I didn''t get panic. I knew it would be some kind of solution. So, I started to expect. I turned on my perception ability. I want to observe how this solution will treat my injury. Soon, the solution filled up to my neck. Then it stopped. A few minutes later, I noticed some reaction taking place. With my perception, I started to observe the internal system. I focussed on the rib region. There are three ribs broken. At first, I didn''t spot anything. But, soon I noticed small green color energies started to gather around the wounded area. The coming green color energies are attached together one by one. Then they apply themselves to the broken area. Once it happened, I started to feel a burning sensation. Bleeding and swelling are starting to reduce. I was surprised to see this wonder. This is not the normal solution, I believe they added some kind of treasure to it. I continued to watch this treatment. But, for some reason. I started to notice the green energies on the wound getting thicker and the healing is done faster. At first, I was confused. I thought it was the effect of a combination of green color energies. That''s why they looked a little darker green color. But, my intuition tells me something else. I started to focus more on that darker green energy with my perception. "Gasp" left my mouth. My eyes were wide open. Seeing my reaction, Uncle James asked what happened. I assured him that I''m fine. But, actually, I was stunned. My mind went blank due to that, I don''t know what to think for a moment. "I totally forgot about this guy" I commented in my heart. I''m not talking about an actual person. But Element. That''s right, My Wood Element or otherwise called Healing Element. I saw, above the dark green color energies. A hazy brown color light has been covering the entire area on top of it. The Brown Colour light is making the healing operation faster. By making the green color energies darker and strengthening the solution. "I did forget that I was a three-element user." I thought in my mind. It was then, I noticed at Dr. Mearov''s center. I have seen my wood element. Earlier I thought, I had a lesser affinity with the wood elements. Having Lightning Element, I totally forgot about it. I remembered the incident during affinity testing. I believe my wood element affinity is the same as the Blood element affinity. I don''t care even it''s less than that because it''s a rare healing element. I already had lightning element for battle and blood element for strength. It would be great if I could use wood elements for personal use only. Zack''s mind is working faster to get Healing Cultivation Method. Chapter 94 - Talk A few hours later, time had passed. My rib fractures were entirely healed. I double-checked the region with my perception before I relaxed. The Wood Element accelerated the healing process. It instills new hope in me. In the future, I will be able to fight without fear of injury. It definitely offers me an advantage over my competitors. Yet, I''m perplexed by the Healing Cultivation Method.. So far, I''ve figured it out. There are many natural elements with various properties. The Lightning Method is not the same as my Blood Method. In Blood Method, there is no concept of a totem. When it comes to Healing Method, I feel the same will be true. For more details, I''ll have to ask Uncle. Uncle James quickly shut off the procedure after double-checking everything. I smiled as I walked out of the pod chamber. My t-shirt and jacket were given to me by Uncle James. "How are you feeling?" he inquired. After I finished wearing it, "I''m healed, Uncle James," I told him. "But, what''s the deal with this solution?" "I felt there''s something intriguing added to it," I continued. Uncle James is listening to my inquiries. As though he expected me to pepper him with questions. "I told you this treatment isn''t for everyone. For this liquid solution, I spent 10,000 Credit Points." Uncle James replied. I''m astonished to hear that. It''s a free treatment, I reasoned. "When it comes to your question about the solution liquid," Mr. James added. "Its specifics were kept under wraps. Every organization engages in this form of solution research. But, has its own team of healers." "Team of Healers," I thought to myself. It appears to be intriguing. I assumed they''d work in the medical field. But, it appears that there are many fields. I''d like to ask him some follow-up questions about it. Uncle James reminded me that we are still in the clinic. As a result, we left the clinic. We arrived at our temporary house a few minutes later. Mr. Craig Dawson, I assumed, would arrive to greet us. Due to the fact that it is now evening. It will soon be nighttime. "Uncle, can you tell me where he is?" I asked. Uncle James replied, "Who? Mr. Dawson, He is going to be late today. He has crucial tasks to complete." Uncle James smiled as he stated. "Zack," he added later. Go ahead and freshen up. I need to go to a meeting. "I''ll see you at supper time." I nodded and went to my room after hearing that. Mr. James then sent a message to Mr. Craig Dawson after informing Zack. He didn''t get any updates from him at the Clinic. He is interested in hearing about the investigation. Mr. James walked to his room after sending the message. Mr. Craig Dawson is working on his communication network. His squad consists of two individuals. Mr. Paul Wheeler and Ms. Emma Watkins. Both of them were experts in the field of investigation. He is currently in his office cell. He will usually direct his team from this location. By making critical decisions and responding to emergencies. Five employees are in charge of this operations office cell. The remaining four participants are divided into two teams. They are engaged in various missions. His wait was soon over. He was able to receive a strong signal. He didn''t take any chances. He made contact with Ms. Emma. Meanwhile, in the black forests'' southeast section. "It''s getting late, Emma." Emma was reminded by Paul. Emma is tinkering with mapping gear. They have completed their work so far. Both of them mapped out all the potential sites. And recorded their soil richness information. She is, yet, making certain that nothing is left out. "Alright, everything is fine," Emma said a few minutes later. "I told you earlier," Paul said as he became irritated. I double-checked all the marking points after that. But, you are adamant on checking it yourself." He added something to the conversation. "Paul, there is nothing wrong with. Having two individuals cross-verify something," Emma stated with a shake of her head. "I''m simply checking to see if everything is in order." Despite the fact that Paul was not satisfied with her response, he replied, "Whatever, Can we leave now?" Hearing that, she nodded, and the two began packing their belongings. Which they completed a few minutes later. The two climbed aboard the four-wheeler. They then departed the barren landscape. "It''s a weak signal here," commented Paul. He''s irritated. He despises working overtime. He can''t, order Emma. She is in charge of the team. But he can''t seem to get away from the annoyance. The organization received a large sum of money. But, they refuse to invest in infrastructure. What a wonderful thing it would be. If they developed a strong communication network in key Black Forest zones. Their job would be a lot easier as a result. By reporting to the operating cell and receiving instructions. A significant amount of time would be saved. He was pondering it at the time. Ms. Emma''s sci-fi, watch beeped with an alert. They had arrived in a signal-rich area. Emma answered the phone. Mr. Craig Dawson emerged as a little projection. He''s calling from his work phone. As you can see, the call is connected. Mr. Craig Dawson''s first words were, "Why so late?" Paul shifted his gaze to Emma when he heard that. Emma had a wry grin on her face. Mr. Craig Dawson let out a sigh as he saw that. "Since you guys fulfilled the mission," he continued. Come to my house in the morning tomorrow." Paul stared at the projection and stated, "I need a break, Mr. Dawson," in a mournful tone. When Mr. Craig Dawson heard that, he furrowed his brow and snapped, "Stop acting Paul. It''s all about the upcoming mission. Don''t let this opportunity pass you by. I''ll see you guys in the morning," He then hung up on the phone. "What do you think of it, Emma?" Paul inquired, leaning in close to Emma. We usually get a respite after each expedition." "Don''t know Paul," Emma said with a shake of her head. But I''m guessing it''s something to do with Class 4" Paul abruptly paused, the four-wheeler came to a complete halt. "Don''t joke about it Emma," Paul responded, startled. We had our doubts about the footage. It''s possible that the Monster underwent a mutation. Mr. Dawson trusts your comments," He continued. "Now that you''ve informed him about the weird Monster, he''ll take action. He''ll look into it till the end." Chapter 95 - Small Meeting Emma''s heart was irritated. "So, do you believe it''s a mutation?" I''m not sure what to do about this person. In my entire life, I have never heard of such a mutation." Emma said, her voice solemn. "Remember Paul," she added. "We''ve seen it firsthand. We also received the footage. It''s up to the administration to decide how to proceed." After hearing it, Paul slowed down his heart. Realizing that he was getting terrified unnecessarily. The footage has yet to be validated; as she stated, it is now up to higher-ups to do so. He was able to let go of these ideas.. After that, he resumed driving. At the dinner table, a few hours later. Mr. Craig Dawson, Mr. James Lockwood, and Zack are enjoying dinner together. Mr. Craig Dawson had informed Mr. James of everything a few minutes before. Mr. James has now decided to inform Zack. "Zack, Mr. Dawson, and I have an important task tomorrow," Mr. James said, as he craned his neck at him. "It''s possible that it''ll be extended for a few days. As a result, you must select a choice." "Do you want to go back or would you prefer to stay here for a few more days?" He said. I''m at a loss for words when I hear it. I couldn''t come up with a good suggestion. "Would you like to return?" No way!" In my head, I remarked. Who would want to leave such a lovely spot? Back at the training facility, the atmosphere is dismal. Especially in light of the seniors'' actions. It would be rather inconvenient to wander about that area. Even Maria and Candace were aware that I was the last person to meet Max Stewart. They''re not going to let me rest easy. As a result, it''s advisable to come here and spend some time. "I''d prefer to stay here, Uncle James," I said. But, deep down in my heart, I''m not so sure. I''m having trouble separating my thoughts. I don''t want to waste time sitting around doing nothing. It would be ideal if they could set up a location where I could hunt some Class 1 Monsters. Mr. Craig Dawson chimed in this time. "What did you want to do?" he inquired. I thanked God in my heart when I heard that. "I''m thinking about killing Pseudo Monster," I finally answered. I had intended to inquire about the Class 1 Monster. Mr. Dawson, I recognized was still an outsider. As a result, talking about Pseudo Monster will not raise any red flags. Mr. Craig Dawson was unconcerned about it. People at Zack''s age are used to hunting Pseudo Monsters. Mr. Craig Dawson began to consider a suitable location. "There is a suitable spot in the northwest region," he remarked, looking at Zack. "HYTRON BOAR can be found there." After hearing that, I became aware of the Pseudo Monster. It was in the library when I read it. "But, you must exercise caution in that region," Mr. Craig Dawson cautioned. "VELARIYUZ ANT COLONIES can also be found there. VELARIYUZ ANT is a Monster of Class 1." It made me happy to hear that. I''ve already decided to go after these Ants. Uncle James had a knowing smirk on his face when he saw my joy. "He must''ve worked it out," I thought to myself. Mr. Craig Dawson then told me that he would arrange for a member of the guard to go with me to the location. After that, we discussed a few more topics. While Zack was still sleeping the next morning. Ms. Emma and Mr. Paul arrived at this location. "Here they are, Mr. James!" Mr. James was introduced to the duo by Mr. Craig Dawson. They then proceeded to the building''s office room. It''s a cramped space close to Mr. Dawson''s room. He usually uses it as a storage space. But, the space has now been cleaned and furnished with chairs and tables. It was converted into a conference room. Four of them walked into the room and sat down. "I''m the official appointed to investigate that Strange Monster occurrence." Mr. James began their chat. Mr. Paul swallowed his saliva when he heard that. It appears that his biggest fear has reawakened. He doesn''t want to get involved in anything that has to do with Class 4. If the report turns out to be accurate. Then you''re on a suicide mission. To take on that Monstrosity, you''ll need Elite Warriors on your side. Ms. Emma began to have second thoughts. If this is true, she wants to figure out why. It could be due to natural selection or something else entirely. Everyone had their own opinions. No one seemed to be responding to his question. "I know you guys were extremely afraid," Mr. James replied. Even I am concerned about it. The two then turned their attention to Mr. James. Mr. Craig Dawson was deafeningly silent. He''s paying close attention to Mr. James''s statements. He only wants to finish the mission. "But the footage you guys have provided is not strong proof," Mr. James said, looking at them. It merely adds to the complexity. Even if it isn''t a Class 4 Monster. Then we''ll have to figure out why it''s so big." Mr. James has a convincing voice. The rest of them nodded when they heard that. Mr. James then turned to face Mr. Craig Dawson. When Mr. Dawson noticed this, he nodded and said, "To solve this case. We''ve decided to form a team of explorers." Then he began to describe the mission to the two. He''s referring to the cliff area. They discovered a safe route to take. The only thing left is to assemble an expert team to investigate the area. Then four of them began to talk about their strategy. They must have extra manpower. Exploration with a single team is challenging. Mr. James then decided to join one more team. Two more persons will be brought in from the train station. Mr. James will lead one squad, while Mr. Craig Dawson will lead the other. They agreed to begin their trek the following day. They have a lot of stuff to arrange. Since then, two more people have joined. They must finish their formalities. Following the discussion of everything. The meeting then came to an end. "Sir. James, do we have permission to attack?" Paul inquired this time. "If we came across the Monster," he further added. When Mr. James heard it, he laughed and replied, "At the end of the day, it''s a Monster, not a human." If we can ensure that no one is hurt. Then we''ll go after it." Chapter 96 - The Ant Colony The arrangements were finished one day later. And two more fresh recruits were added to their team. Mr. Craig Dawson and Mr. James Lockwood were now prepared to go with their group. Mr. James is conversing with Zack in the meantime. "Be careful, don''t go too far into the Black Forests." Uncle James gave me some advice. I nodded when I heard that. Outside the house, I noticed five people waiting. It appears to be a team mission. I felt more at ease after realizing that Uncle James is a powerful man. I don''t believe any of the Black Forest''s Class Level Monsters pose a threat to him. As a result, I was unconcerned. We exchanged a few words. They went to the Mission a few minutes later. It''s also an important day for me. Mr. Craig Dawson has arranged for someone to come here soon. In the meantime, I began reading an article on the internet. Outside, I soon heard a noise. I proceeded to open the door after hearing that. I noticed a lady who got out of her four-wheeler and walked over to my house. As soon as she noticed me. She took a step towards me. She asked, pointing her finger at me, "Are you, Zack Lockwood?" For a little while, I did not respond. Because I was a little perplexed. She appeared to be my age. "How old are you?" I blurted out without thinking it. The lady was taken aback. She squinted her eyes at him. "Hello, my name is Tracy Stevens, and I''m 14 years old. It''s been two years," she stated. I''ve been a Seed Candidate since I was hired." Zack''s eyes glinted with surprise when he heard that. She is almost three years my senior. "You''re Zack, right?" she asked. I forgot to introduce myself after hearing it. I reasoned with myself. Then I said, "Hello, my name is Zack Lockwood, and I''m ten and a half years old." I didn''t go into any further detail. It''s pointless. But deep down in my heart, I''m not so sure. Yet, she informed me right away. That makes me happy Hearing Zack''s response. Ms. Tracy added, "It''s becoming late, and I''ve been instructed to drive you to a certain location." When I heard it, I nodded and told her to hold on a moment. Before that, I need to reclaim my backpack. I got into the four-wheeler a few minutes later. Crazy things race through my mind as she drives. She isn''t that much older than I am. She was presumably aware of a few facts about the academy. But I''m not sure. It''s fine to inquire. Mr. Craig Dawson has arranged for this individual. It wouldn''t be good if I unintentionally revealed any secrets to her. As a result, I''m pondering it. Ms. Tracy, on the other hand, is behind the wheel. She didn''t want to talk about anything. She kept her mouth shut. The driveway was the only thing that kept her attention. I checked my sci-fi, watch as time passed. One hour has passed. Despite this, we were unable to approach the place. I don''t have access to a map of this area. Uncle James only handed me the map of the black tree monster. So I approached her and asked her. "How long will it take to get to that location?" I inquired. "It will take one more hour, perhaps not more than that," she replied. Ms. Tracy didn''t offer anything else to the conversation. I shook my head in response. Uncle James said earlier that, their objective will take a few days to complete. So, I believe she will accompany me until then. She will drop me off and then pick me up at the location every day. In the days ahead, I believe. She''ll be more forthcoming. I''ll be able to receive some answers then. I decided to wait till then. It''s not a smart idea for me to start the conversation. After an hour had passed, we arrived at our destination. The vehicle then came to a complete stop. As I stepped out of the car. "So, here it is," Ms. Tracy said. "Mr. Craig Dawson has requested that I remind you of something. To stay away from the ant colony''s location. All right, then, I''ll take my leave," she continued. "In the evening, I''ll meet you. Don''t forget to wait in this exact location." She added. She then transferred some information about this location''s map. The map has been altered. This is not a comprehensive map of the area. It appears that they have withheld some information from me on purpose. Well, I understand; all I need is the Pseudo Monster area. She then provided her contact information. To contact her in the event of an emergency. She then walked away after stating that. I didn''t get a chance to speak with her. With that in mind, I shook my head and began looking over the map. As a result, they cautioned me not to approach the Ant colony. However, I''m staring at the map''s red-marked area. A few blue dots and a few red dots were present. The red dots indicated the location of a Class level Monster. Pseudo Monster, I suppose, is represented by a blue dot. I moved towards the red mark after double-checking that. It''s not that far away. It will probably take me twenty minutes to get to the location. I''m labeling the region for identification as I go. Despite this, I began to use a sci-fi, watch to track my movements. However, I believe it is beneficial to have physical identification. I''ll feel doubly secure. Time passed, and I arrived at my destination. I was perplexed by the scene in front of me. My residence was the same size as the ant colonies. It reminds me of a sand pyramid. I can see how that may happen. What is at the very top? I never imagined VELARIYUZ ANT MONSTER living in such a spot. Because I had a different idea in my head. There were several Ant Colonies within a short radius of each other. The monster must be twice as big as I had thought. I didn''t want to disturb anyone. Because it will send a signal to the colonies. The Monsters will then bite my head off. I ran to the nearest safe haven. I''m keeping an eye on the situation. I''d like to know how many colonies there are in this area. As time passed, I kept a rough tally.. "More than fifty colonies," In my head, I made a remark. Chapter 97 - Part 1: Fighting Against Ant Monster After double-checking everything. I realized that, as I had predicted, the map I had received was not very detailed. The red zone has just been marked. However, it is not sufficiently briefed. They most likely assumed I wouldn''t approach the colony. It''s fortunate that I devised my own strategy. Doing anything near the colony is a bad idea. If only I could track down a lone Ant. It would be preferable. I got out of my safe zone. I''ll be on the lookout for their tracks. If only I could track down their tracks. Then I''ll be able to find them sooner. They must have gone looking for food along the way, I reasoned. This location has a lot of open space. Unlike the Black Tree Monster''s location. This is a deserted region. A few hours later, time had passed. Just how I had hoped. I noticed the lone worker Ant Monster. I went about 1000 meters to get away from the ant colonies. This is the safest place to fight the Monster. "This VELARIYUZ ANT is enormous," I thought to myself. As I approached this monster, it was only a few meters away from me. It''s now looking for food in the region. I approached it a little closer and began to study its body. This Class Monster stands 14 feet tall. It''s likely to be in the tens of tonnes in weight. I believe it is a Major Worker Ant based on its head size alone. The body of the ant is bright yellow in colour. On the abdomen and thorax, there are little golden hairs. The top of the head contains two huge antennae and two little dark red eyes. I can also make out its massive stinger. I don''t want to go too close. The length of its stinger is half my height. Then there''s the mandible. I have to be very careful with these two sections. I quickly began to formulate a hasty plan. I''m going to go after its legs. To stop it from moving. When I''m finished with it. Then I''ll be able to simply protect myself from the stinging. As I was pondering it. From the Ant Monster''s side, there is sudden movement. Something began to irritate the Velariyuz Ant. Its two antennae are pointing in the direction of Zack. The 14-foot Ant approached the position. It thinks it''s spotted something alive. It recognized it as prey right away. The Velariyuz Ant needed to eat. It is eager to devour its victim as quickly as possible. As a result, it decided to use its lengthy stinger to kill it. It dashed towards Zack with its massive body. It moved at a breakneck speed. When it got close enough to Zack, it rotated its body and stung him with its powerful stinger. Zack, on the other hand, was eventually notified. This Ant Monster, as far as I can tell, has worked it out. I drew my Black Sword and held it vertically in my palms. My eyes gleamed with anticipation. After a long period, this will be the true combat. I''d like to compare our skill levels. I''m not sure if it can see me with its little eyes. However, I am convinced of its antennae. It will draw attention to my location. The stinger''s long, pointed stinger pierced the air. If one looked attentively at it. They''ll notice how exact the attack was. I activated my perceptual abilities. It allows me to notice even the tiniest details. As soon as I spotted it, its massive stinger charged toward me. I made enough of a side step to slash it with the Black Sword. The Black Blade swung across the air. When it got into contact with the stinger, it screamed. "Clang¡­Clang¡­" In the air, a metallic sound resonated. As a result of the collision, little rocks and dust began to fly around. When the dust had settled, I realized I hadn''t moved away from Collison. Which suggests we''re on a par in terms of strength. Then it has to be a Monster of Peak Level 1. I wasn''t expecting its string to be metallic. It''s possible it''s because it''s a Worker Ant. Then I should concentrate on cleaving the rest of its body. The Velariyuz Ant became enraged. Because it can''t use its stinger to kill its victim. It then proceeded to shred its prey apart using its mandible. I kept an eye on the Ant''s next move. It''ll take advantage of Mandible. That didn''t surprise me at all. It only has two ways to attack. But there''s something I''d like to double-check. If the stinger has a metallic appearance. Then I''m guessing its mandible is the same. My lips twisted slightly as I considered my next move. I''m going to conduct some research. Since then, the fight with the Black Tree Monster. I get a feeling I''m not making the best use of my Lightning Attack. The Sword attack has a long-range. I only have one lightning attack technique. As a result, I''d like to test out the Sword Move. Instead of discharging the lightning energy. This time I''m going to leave it alone for now and experiment with Sword Moves. I didn''t think twice at that point. I charged the Black Sword with lightning energy right away. I can see it''s only an inch away from me. It was something I could have defended. But, because of my perception, I kept a safe distance. The Velariyuz Ant enhanced its speed as a result of this. Because of its size, it was able to get closer to Zack right away. Zack, on the other hand, made excellent use of his perception skill. This was going on until he charged his Black Sword with lightning energy to avoid being caught. It took me less than a minute. My Black Sword was charged. The Black Sword is now bursting at the seams with lightning power. My lips curled a little when I saw that. "If this Monster has a metallic character then it''s doomed," I thought to myself. Then I grasped the Black Sword in my hand and pointed to its Mandible. Sensing the Lightning Energy, the Velariyuz Ant felt threatened. All of its senses were alerting the Monster to flee the area. Metallic Energy''s natural adversary is Lightning Energy. The Velariyuz Ant rushed backward when he realized this. It wishes to leave the location. It has a large body and moves quickly. It swiftly gets away from Zack''s grasp. Observing the Ant Monster flees to the Ant Colony. Zack came to a complete halt. I screamed, "Damn it!" Velariyuz Ant flees when he notices this. It''s Metallic Nature Monster, I knew it. I didn''t waste any more time. I directed the Black Sword at the abdomen of the creature.. I''m going to use my lightning strike on it. Chapter 98 - Part 2: Fighting Against Ant Monster Zack activates the Sword attack technique with the command "SWORD DIVIDE." As Zack drew his Sword and aimed it at the Monster''s midsection. A Lightning Strike was unleashed from that blade. And it was so quick that it struck its abdomen region in a split second. When the lightning struck Monster''s body, it screamed. The strike ripped into the organ, penetrating deep within it. Because Monster is metallic. It harnessed lightning energy to wreak devastation on its body. The blood is gushing out of the abdomen. The Ant Monster came to a complete stop. Its inner organs were being paralyzed. And destroyed by the leftover lightning energy in its body. The region below its thorax is utterly destabilized as a result. Ant Monster became immobilized as a result of this. My lips bent slightly as I realized Monster was hurt. It was partly due to chance. Even if I didn''t get to it quickly enough. The Monster would have gotten out of range of the attack. I then proceeded to approach the Monster. I noticed blood streaming from the abdomen. It is no longer able to use its stinger. So I didn''t waste any more time. I leaped to get to its head. As I got closer to its eyes. To make sure no one was here, I activated my perceptive ability. My palms were then placed in its head. I started practicing the Blood Technique. I began sucking the essence of Monster''s blood via my palms soon after. My inside system is invaded by a yellow liquid. It''s as though it''s coursing through my veins. The Blood Rune began to shine in the consciousness. As a result, a hazy red light began to emerge. It engulfed the Blood Essence. The Blood Method began to work its magic. Once the red glow had engulfed it, it was no longer visible. The Blood Essence soon discharged white energy. It was drilled into my skeleton. When the Redline was made wider. I felt a fictitious boost in strength. I was having a wry grin on my face. I have no idea how to assess my strength due to a lack of understanding. I''m not sure how strong I am. I''m using the trial-and-error approach. Until I have another breakthrough, that is. I''ll need to drink more essence blood. If I knew something about it. Then I''d design a strategy based on that. It would provide me with precise data. For example, how much Monster''s Blood do I need to drink? Then I''d be able to do some calculations. That''s something I''ve heard from high-ranking officials. Warriors can use a Power Gauging tool to determine their strength. My mouth lets out a sigh. The Hansen Training Centre does not have such equipment, contrary to popular belief. After cultivating for a few hours, I dissected its massive body into small pieces. I''ll have to do it carefully. So that I may put the dissected section of it in the container. Then I walked away, hoping to see another Ant Monster. If only I could find a few more Monsters to hunt. Then I''ll be able to earn a few thousand Credit points. I can do so by just selling their organs. Now that I understood the Monster was metallic, I resumed my search. I intend to expand the area of search. Yet, I must be wary of the Scouting Ant. The Scouting Ant emits a smell that helps the Worker Ants navigate from the Colonies to food sources. Scouting Ant Monster may have led me to the trail I''m on. Keeping this in mind, I followed the track with caution. I squinted my eyes a few minutes later when I noticed Two Worker Ants. The trail was being followed by the Two Ant Monsters. I confirmed after seeing that. They''re headed to a food source. My perceptive ability was activated. I''ll be able to perceive areas larger than 10 meters in no time. "Thank goodness Monsters are in my range," I thought to myself. I kept an eye on them. After that, I began to gaze ahead of them. I felt at ease knowing that there were no other creatures in the vicinity. Without spending any time, let''s get started. I dashed over to them. My lips bent slightly, and I felt a rush of exhilaration. "It''ll be 2 vs 1," I reasoned in my head. Because they are metallic. I didn''t make any kind of battle strategy. The Two Ant Monsters came to a complete stop. Their Antennae transmitted those signals. It discovered a Living thing in the vicinity. The two Monsters acted as if they were on the lookout for food. They''ve discovered something now. It develops into a rivalry between them. Zack was detected by one of the Monsters. It had the impression that prey was rushing towards it. It moved instead of waiting. In comparison to its companion, this Worker Ant Monster is a little smaller. This Smaller Ant Monster is looking for something to eat. It will then drag whatever is left back to the colony. It is adamant about not sharing its meal with its partner. In the meanwhile, Zack. When I realized this, I slowed down my movements somewhat. Seeing one of the monsters approaching me. I don''t want to let go of my lightning power. It will then be notified. There''s a chance that one of the monsters will get away. As a result, it''s the best option. Rather than widening the space between the Monsters. I''m going to make sure that both creatures approach as close to me as possible. Observing the prey being pursued by its buddy. The other Big Ant Monster had no intention of staying behind. It dashed towards the prey as well. When Monster, the smaller ant, arrived at its prey. It twists its huge body to sting its prey with its long needle-like stinger. The stinger pierced the air like a needle. The sound of air breaking could be heard. It happened so quickly. An empty place was hit by the Stinger. It was unable to pierce the flesh of its prey. This was something Zack had anticipated. He was able to avoid the strike due to his perception. The Ant Monster was furious. It pursued its target in preparation for another attack. The Monster is keeping a close eye on him. Something catches Zack''s attention. It all happened in a flash.. In the meantime, Zack was approached by the second Big Ant Monster. Chapter 99 - Conversing From behind, a monster is chasing me. From the front, the other one drew closer to me. As a result of this, both of them are approaching me. My mouth curled slightly. "At the same time, I''m going to cripple them." "It''s like getting two birds with one stone," I thought to myself. In this case, I''ve devised an appropriate offensive strategy. It will be a defensive offense. Reckoning Circle is what I''m going to use. I''m hoping its range is enough to inflict damage on the Monsters. Both Monsters moved closer to me by one meter. "RECKONING CIRCLE" I commanded. The rune was activated by me. In the mind, the Defensive rune began to shine. As a result, around me, a lightning circle appeared. It has a 2-meter wide range. This circular attack has a lot of lightning energy in it. It is destructive power. If you take a careful look at it. They will note that the Lightning Circle is violet in colour. Within a two-meter range, there was darkness. Violet Lightning is so bright that it appears to have absorbed all the day''s light. Even closer inspection revealed a small crackling sound emanating from the circle. It''s just a terrifying deafening noise. Which reverberated across the region. Meanwhile, two monsters'' antennas detected hazardous energy. Two monsters'' senses were screaming at them to get out of this place. It was, yet, too late. Everything that transpired happened in a matter of seconds. With their gigantic bodies, the Monsters were unable to stop their momentum. Despite their signals alerting them to the forehand. The lightning circle collided with their head. "Bang¡­Bang¡­" The roar of destruction reverberated throughout the region. As the head of the monster collided with the lightning circle. Blood flowed like water from the wound. The delicate areas of its head had been busted. Parts were flying everywhere as a result of that. The lightning bolt was unforgiving. Mandible, antennae, and brain are all missing. Because of the minor touch of its head region with lightning, it developed a hollow head. The lives of the two Ant Monsters ended tragically. The Monster''s massive bulk then collapsed. As soon as I realized this, I relaxed and ended the Reckoning Circle. I won''t be able to apply this strategy against other Monsters. It works wonders against Metallic Monster. On top of that, this Velariyuz Ant has a major flaw. Its two weak spots where its abdomen and head region. "As long as I don''t get stung, that is." I have the ability to wipe out entire ant colonies." I had a thought in my head. After then, without wasting any time. Blood Method was the first thing I started cultivating. I went through the same steps as before. I sensed a rise in strength a few hours later. After consuming the energies of three blood essences, I came to this conclusion. It''s only natural for one''s strength to develop. I''m keeping track of how many Level 1 monsters I''ve killed. It will be beneficial for future breakthroughs. But, I am aware of my skeleton appearance. My white skeleton appeared to have been daubed with red paint. If I keep going like this, it won''t be long before it turns into a red skeleton. The Blood aura has undergone several alterations, as can be seen. It has now turned a dark red colour. It''s being emitted from my body. I examined my sci-fi wristwatch. "I only have three hours," I reasoned in my head. Then I made sure that neither of my auras was radiating. And I began to concentrate on dissecting the bodies of two Monsters. After a few hours, I returned to the location where I was picked up. A whole day was spent chasing down and killing monsters. Particularly the last two Ant Monsters. I didn''t get to know their strength as I did with the first one. But it was already too late. They died as a result of my actions. I need to devise several strategies for dealing with various Monsters. As I was pondering it. I arrived at the location half an hour later. Someone mocked me, saying, "It took you so long to hunt Simple Pseudo Monster." Looking ahead, I discovered Ms. Tracy. She is anticipating my arrival. As soon as I realized this, I quickened my pace and approached her. "Hello," I said, smiling. This time, I noticed there is a different four-wheeler. It appears to be smaller. I was observing it at the time. But she''s looking at me from every angle. My brows furrowed as I saw this. "What?" I inquired. Ms. Tracy had a different impression of Zack. She didn''t pay attention to Zack adequately this morning. She concentrated on her driving. As a result, she couldn''t tell the difference. Then she shook her head, thinking about it. "Perhaps I''m mistaken about that." Tracy pondered in her head, MS. "It''s nothing, Let''s go back to the house," she replied, smiling. They started driving back to the Station Town. "So, how was the hunt?" Ms. Tracy said on the way. I was astonished to learn that since I had expected her to remain closed off. "No, I couldn''t find that Boar Monster today," I answered, my lips twisted slightly. "But, utilizing a map," I added. I was able to observe the site successfully. Hopefully, I''ll be able to kill them tomorrow." She simply nodded when she heard that. She was expecting a response. She didn''t inquire about Zack''s training. She was aware of what was going on around her. For non-awakened folks, wandering about this area means suicide. As a result, she assumed Zack was a newly awakened one. It''s only natural for an awakened individual to practice, combating Pseudo Monster. Yet, there is a flip side. In Zack''s mind, He had opposing thoughts. It seemed like she believed it. I''m not sure what her reaction would be. If I inform her. Three Level 1 Monsters were killed by me. And Peak level is one of them. "It''s fine if you don''t find them," Ms. Tracy stated abruptly. But don''t go hunting for them in other places." I grinned when I heard that. But, I enjoyed our talk. I''d like it to be stretched even further. As a result, I innocently inquired, "Why?" Ms. Tracy shifted her gaze to him when she heard that. She has no idea. It is acceptable to reveal the information. But, what if something happens to Zack? Mr. Craig Dawson isn''t going to be impressed. Mr. Craig Dawson must give me positive feedback.. So that I can complete my internship and return to my Academy. Chapter 100 - Part 1: Passage Way Ms. Tracy finally made up her decision and chose to tell. She replied, "There is a presence of level 2 Queen Ant in that Colony." My pulse beat quickens when I hear that. "It''s a Level 2 Monster," I reasoned. Yes, she is correct. Ant Queen Monsters can be found in every ant colony. This is something I hadn''t considered previously. If she''s telling the truth. My plan to attack the colony should be postponed as a result. Unlike Level 1, Uncle James informed me that Level 2 Class Monsters had certain skills. This could be either elemental or other specific talents. The Monster''s skills will only become stronger as it evolves further. I believe it to be true since I have witnessed it with my own eyes. The Level 2 Black Tree Monster''s passive sound ability in action. I''d stay away if it weren''t for the noise. I would have dealt with it right away. But, at my current level, I was powerless to stop the odd sound. As a result of what he had seen, Zack plunged into deep thought. Ms. Tracy believed Zack had taken her counsel and was now pondering it. However, observing his dissatisfied expression. "What happened?" she couldn''t help but wonder. She inquired. I shifted my gaze to her when I heard that. I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind. "If there is a presence of Level 2 Monster," I responded. Why haven''t the authorities cleared it yet?" It''s a question that''s been on my mind recently. Professional Hunters and High-Level Adventurers. Frequently hunt in the Black Forests, as I knew. Because it is their source of income. However, I do not believe that the entire system is run for their benefit. There''s something else, as well. Zack''s question was heard. Ms. Tracy believes that is a fair question to pose. This black forest is an excellent spot to practice. Those that desire to fight level 2 monsters, in particular. This is one of many unique Zones that may be found throughout the world. Each Special Zone is classified according to the level of Monster it houses. Each location has its own advantages. As a result, exactly like me, each academy allows its students to go to such a facility to train. In response to Zack''s inquiry. "There are two reasons for this," Ms. Tracy began her response. One is for safety, and this black forest is part of the training zone list. People gathered here to acquire experience by fighting level 2 monsters. There is no danger of encountering a high-level monster here. With the exception of a few level 3 monsters. It''s a small number that can be counted on one hand." "Second purpose for this, to limit Monster Population," she stated. If the authorities begin to eradicate Monster. Then no Monster will be accessible for fight training." I nodded when I heard that. It''s an excellent spot to raise warriors. It differs from Pinewood woods in a few ways. That place is a jumble. That day is still fresh in my mind. Where those hyenas had been chasing me. That location is a mixed one. You never know what level Monster may appear on next. Pinewood woodlands and Trezi town''s semi-arid area. Unlike the Black Forests, which are open to the public. Only one requirement must be met: they must be awakened warriors. In some circumstances, the government will not even conduct a check. If you received passes from your academy or organization. I appreciate how thorough she was in her explanation. She outperforms my classmates. Ms. Tracy, unlike Candace and Maria, does not wear a veil. I was curious about Ms. Tracy. It would be beneficial. If she is a member of a greater Academy. It will undoubtedly motivate me if I learn one or two things from her. However, I didn''t want to ask her today. It''s not too late. Then I turned my attention to something else. My day has gone exceptionally nicely. Uncle James, on the other hand, I''m not sure about. It''s something I''m thinking about. Ms. Tracy dropped me off at my house a few hours later. After that, I went into the room. The first thing I did was send Uncle James a message. Due to a poor network, I was unable to make a call. "I''m hoping He''ll respond to me." "Once He''s seen it." I had a thought in my head. *** In the meantime, Mr. James Lockwood and his crew were dispatched to the scene of the incident. They arrived at the location many hours later. Ms. Emma and Mr. Paul spotted the strange Monster there. It''s a scene from the Cliff. Mr. Mike Hopkins and Mr. Leroy Hopkins were the names of the two new recruits. They were identical twins. At the same time, they were both sent to the Black Forests Station. The twins had the appearance of a normal warrior. With a visage that is expressionless and sheer strength. They were committed to their work. Both of them were at the Early Trainee Warrior level. They are those who use the Earth Element. Mr. James and Mr. Craig Dawson chose to add them to their team after studying their profile. They all got out of the four-wheeler. Mr. James summarized the investigation plan once more. There were a total of six people in the group. If they came across any trail. The two squads will next investigate each track separately. Then, from the four-wheeler, both crews carried the essential equipment. They began their journey to the barred land on the other side by taking a safe way. Both teams are wary about Monsters on the way. They are averse to making significant moves. It will cause an unneeded commotion. They are unconcerned with battles with monsters. However, it will cause them to be delayed in their journey. As a result, they took small steps ahead. The route is uneven and at times tight, enabling just one person to travel through at a time. Other times, it''s big enough for three people. The path proceeded in a zigzag pattern, much like a snake. They arrived at the location a few minutes later. Where they had to descend to get to the other side. They came across a couple of Level 1 lizards along the way. The lizard didn''t stay on the spot after sensing their level. They took a step back. Mr. James noticed a lot of poisonous plants. "Stay away from those plants and proceed onward," he urged his people.. Even the scent emitted by its plants was poisonous." Chapter 101 - Part 2: Passage Way The squad is being led through the passageway by Mr. James. Mr. Paul, Ms. Emma, The Twins, and finally Mr. Craig Dawson followed him in order. The two leaders took up positions on opposite sides of the room to deal with issues. Hearing about poisonous plants is alarming. Mr. Paul''s imagination was filled with wacky ideas. He''s already been tense recently. Now I''m noticing the poisonous plants. He quickens his steps. He is hesitant to express his viewpoint. It will be considered a violation of the order. Furthermore, based on their findings, this investigation is ongoing. He had no choice but to take part. He wants to get out of the probe. Instead of two teams, he desired one. To find the tracks, everyone should spit separately. Then he''ll be able to hide in the safest place possible. He knew it deep down in his heart. He was well aware that it was a level 4 monster. Mr. Dawson was informed of the situation by him and Emma. I''m hoping to enlist the help of an Elite warrior to cope with the matter. But now the administration has dispatched a man named James. He leaned in close to him. Seeing Mr. James clears the path, I take a step forward. His eyes were filled with anger. In his heart, hatred is raging. This is because he is only a Peak Trainee Warrior. It''s nothing more than a suicide mission, he reasoned. If they stumble across a Level 4 Monster. It will quickly kill them. Mr. Paul returned his gaze to Ms. Emma. She had a gloomy expression on her face. Mr. Paul shook his head when he saw this. He then kept following Mr. James. Ms. Emma was thinking about that day the whole time. In her thoughts, the strange Monster''s appearance was recreated. She wants to know what''s going on. However, she still felt the same fear in her heart. It''s difficult to get out if the level is Level 4. Don''t even think about leaving. The Monster''s aura will be enough to press us. She will occasionally observe Mr. James'' behavior. So far, he appears to be a decent individual. There''s nothing wrong with his logic. His strength level, however, is insufficient to deal with level 4. She hopes it''s nothing more than a false alarm. "The odd Monsters were the product of mutation," she consoled her in her heart. Something must have gone wrong along the way of its evolution." She pursued them with her fists clenched. On the other hand. The twins were composed. They were unconcerned about the probe. They''re just doing what they''re told. Instead of pondering about the investigation, they were completely focused on their surroundings. Mr. Craig Dawson, who was trailing them. Would occasionally peek behind him to check for monsters. Mr. James is someone he trusts. Mr. James didn''t get a breakthrough, but he knew. He''d already surpassed the Elite level''s weakest strength. As a result, he was unconcerned about level-4. As a result, people had differing viewpoints on the continuing probe. They carried on with their journey. They safely climbed down to the other side a few hours later. They took a little pause to unwind. "It took a half-day to get here," Mr. Craig Dawson said, looking at his Sci-Fi watch. "I''m glad we didn''t get delayed by those Monsters," Mr. James replied with a smile. We''ll have to spend the night here at the passage if that doesn''t work out." Mr. Craig Dawson nodded when he heard that. However, one person had a disgruntled expression on his face. Mr. Paul is so tense that he doesn''t feel the need to conceal his expression. Mr. James is aware of his response. His lips bent slightly as he realized this. He has been watching everyone from the start. He needs everyone''s help with this probe. Following the investigation, based on everyone''s input. He will conclude. If they don''t come across any Monsters, it will happen. That''s why he pays attention to everything. They will have to deal with the ramifications. If they do not cooperate with the investigation. Everyone is taking a break at the moment. "Watch out!" Ms. Emma screamed. She makes a gesture to the ground with her finger. Everyone who had been notified had moved away from the area. The ground begins to crack, and the crack spreads out until a massive level 2 Monster appears. Its huge body is wriggling to reach the surface. It ascended from the depths of the earth to the surface. The Worm Class Monster had a height of 10 feet and a length of more than twenty feet. It possessed a circular mouth that was full of razor-sharp teeth. They were whirling. Mr. James had sensed something was wrong with the ground a few minutes before. If the monster is a level 3 monster. He could have easily sensed it by sensing its aura. The Monsters traveling underground, on the other hand, do not have the same aura. As a result, he became more relaxed. He intends to put his squad to the test in this situation. To determine who is sane and who is prepared for this journey. With a gloomy smirk, Mr. Paul remarked, "It''s the Worm Monster." When the twins noticed Monster''s presence, they spent no time acting. They went on the offensive. Mr. Mike Hopkins commanded, "SPIKE ATTACK." Mike summoned three long spikes from his palms. While directing them towards the Monster, using the earth element. They were four feet long. The nailing sound of "Puch... Puch" resonated. Each spike nailed the worm''s wriggling body one by one. It made a large hole in its body. Due to the agony, the Monster attempted to move its body. From its wound, a yellow acidic liquid flowed out like water. This Monster''s level 2 ability is acidic blood. Mike, launched a swift attack. Leroy took his time forming a massive boulder out of the soil. He pointed to the top of the Worm Monster''s head. A 5-foot-tall boulder crashed down on the Monster''s head. "Boom..." a loud crash resonated throughout the area, The Worm''s head has been smashed. More acidic blood gushes out like water as a result. The level 2 Worm bleeds to death a few minutes later. Mr. Craig Dawson wore a broad grin on his face. He is awestruck by the twins'' reaction time.. And, more significantly, their attack choice. Chapter 102 - Soil Richness? "Way to go, both of you." The twins were lauded by Mr. James. The twins merely nodded in agreement. The twins were incredibly attentive. As stated in their description, and their coordination and strategies were flawless. Adding twins to the team is a wise decision. He was pondering it at the time. Someone has done commentary, but he hasn''t done anything. Yes, he was considering Mr. Paul. He leaned in close to him. Mr. Paul wore a melancholy expression on his face. Mr. James furrowed his brows in response. "This individual is a shambles. He didn''t care to support them from behind because it was simply a Class 2 Monster." In his head, Mr. James is analyzing his move. Mr. Craig Dawson, on the other hand, approached the twins and patted their shoulders one by one. Ms. Emma, too, took a step forward and complimented their assault time. Mr. James thought, "Mr. Paul is behaving oddly." Following the sighting of the Worm Monster. Mr. Paul''s mental state was a complete disaster. "We''ve just started down this path. And there''s already a Level 2 Monster in the area." Mr. Paul pondered in his head. He then turned to face his twin. When He saw them, He walked over to them and congratulated them. "Okay, I believe we''ve had enough of the break. Let''s continue our journey." Mr. James gave his squad instructions. They all nodded when they heard that. Mr. James then summoned Mr. Dawson for further conversation. They''ve arrived at their destination. He spoke with Mr. Dawson. And requested that they begin their investigation immediately now. Mr. Dawson was unconcerned about it. As a result, he agreed. Mr. James then directed his staff to begin their search of the trail. They were also instructed to bring Energy Monitoring Equipment with them. They each brought out their gear in response. This is a commonly used piece of equipment. It is used to calculate the value of the Energy Signature in the vicinity of the site. People can determine the Monster''s Level by using that value. The team set out on their journey soon after. They take a step forward. Ms. Emma traveled with mapping equipment in order to map the area. It will be beneficial to update the database''s old data. Everyone is completing their task a few minutes later. As Mr. James previously stated. The team split up and began marking the area. So far, they haven''t discovered anything. Because it is a border zone, Mr. James expected that result. "Emma, Measure the soil richness value?" Mr. James informed Emma. He''s curious about the reason for the advent of that level 2 Monster. Is it due to the soil''s nutrients? or Is it something else entirely? They''ve slain a level 2 monster in this area. If the data indicates that there are no nutrients in the soil. Then, for level 2 to be roaming around in the border area, it''s strange. Monsters of the Worm Class are sedentary creatures. They stayed underground all day. Unless, of course, someone infiltrates their territory. They don''t make an appearance. Ms. Emma wasted no time after hearing that. She got down to business. She is an expert at what she does. She took the appropriate soil samples with care. And it was placed into the measuring apparatus. The results were displayed a few minutes later. Seeing that, there is worth. Ms. Emma is taken aback. Because the soil is particularly nutrient-dense. The most crucial thing is that it is more valuable than her previous research site. She and Mr. Paul worked overtime there. She smiles wryly as she thinks about it. Taking the thoughts out of her head. She got up and walked over. Mr. Dawson and Mr. James. Both of them are having a talk. Ms. Emma finished her duty, as you can see. Mr. James came to a halt. And then there was the data. His eyes have a gleam of surprise in them. Mr. James reasoned in his mind, "The value of this barren land on the outside is a lot more." He leaned in close to her. He noticed a skeptic''s expression on her face. He didn''t, however, ask her. He deduced that she must be thinking the same things he was. In the meantime, Mr. Dawson examined the data. He turned to Mr. James after witnessing this and asked, "What do you think of this?" Mr. James sighed and sighed again. He didn''t want to blatantly indicate anything. As a result, he responded, "We will make a lot more progress in our investigation than I anticipated." Mr. Dawson understood what he meant after hearing that. This place has great richness. And it''s dense. Then, when they go closer to the center, it will only get Stronger. In his mind''s eye, he saw recalled the report of a level 4 monster. "Then it''s a distinct possibility." He pondered in his head. Meanwhile, the twins are looking into other areas. They''re looking for Monster''s trail. Mr. Paul, on the other hand, appears to be performing honest job. But it''s nothing more than a facade he''s putting up. Since the appearance of the level 2 Monster. He came to a halt in his pondering. He couldn''t take any more of those tense thoughts. So he''s just looking for a way to pass the time. Until they have completed their tasks. The investigation began a few minutes later. The event was postponed. Due to a lack of natural light during the day. It''s almost time for dinner. The group then takes a step forward to find a safe place to pitch up camp. As time passed, they were able to locate some free space. They then started erecting their own tents. They made the decision to retire early. As a result, they will be able to continue their adventure a bit earlier the next day. They also installed a number of sensors throughout the area. Equipment that is especially specialised for measuring any subsurface motions. They don''t want to be confronted with another Worm Monster scenario. Following the tent''s setup. Everyone retired to their beds. But, every now and then. Mr. James and Mr. Dawson took turns looking at the information. After that, the data should be good.. They then retire to their beds. Chapter 103 - Elemental Zone? Zack awoke early the next morning. "Sigh," I sighed. As soon as I had completed the cultivation of lightning energy. I have a strong connection to the element of lightning. Nonetheless, filling half of the Dantian took more than an hour. This is a really poor piece of land. At the Mountain Liz, I felt at ease. Perhaps it''s because the area is densely populated by lightning. Through the nearby window, Zack gazed at the sky. His eyes gleamed with eagerness. In his heart, he made a commitment. "I''ll soon leave this location and travel the world at my leisure." These are simply trying times. When comparing myself to my classmates. I''m more gifted than they are. However, my teacher''s statement makes it plain. It''s a desolate landscape. And he doesn''t have high hopes for this region. "So, what he''s saying is that there are Seeds in his region who are far stronger than me," I thought in my mind. I should not rely on the teacher to provide me with materials. I feel obligated to do something. As I was pondering the situation. My thoughts came up with a brilliant notion. "Why don''t I inquire about it with Ms. Tracy?" I had a thought in my head. Ms. Tracy arrived a few hours later, exactly like she had done the day before. I climbed aboard the four-wheeler. She started to drive. She sees Zack is unusually silent on the drive there. He seemed to be thinking about something, she believes. As a result, she chose to wait till he could inquire himself. As time passed, I made the decision to ask her. But I don''t want to be that forthright. I''m going to have to ask her some questions. Which appears to be a common theme. I can''t openly inquire about lightning with her. I shifted my gaze to her a few moments later. "Ms. Tracy, you discussed unique zones to me yesterday," I said. Hearing it piqued my interest, and I wanted to learn more." "Is that particular zone is the only option for warriors?" I continued. Is there nowhere else for us to go? I tried to be as honest as possible with my expression. I don''t think she''ll doubt me. Listening to Zack''s query. She gave a kind smile. So, he appears to be thinking of training zones. As Zack had predicted. She didn''t notice anything odd about his question. Any new fighter was curious about the outer world. She, on the other hand, knew very little. However, when compared to Tier-8 city dwellers. She is a wealthy woman. Her knowledge is far superior to that. Returning to Zack''s query. She had heard about it herself. She have never been to such sites. Her ambition is to improve her performance at the Academy. So that she can receive a landslide of votes from the Academy''s upper echelon. Only then will she be able to enter the SPECIAL ELEMENTAL ZONE. Fire is her element. Her understanding of the fire element, however, is limited. She hopes to go there and make a breakthrough. Ms. Tracy considered Zack. She, on the other hand, sank into deep thought. She is pondering her predicament. "SIGH," I sighed as I noticed her. "It appears that everyone has their fair share of problems to deal with," I reflected. With a shake of my head, I expressed my dissatisfaction with the situation. "Ms. Tracy...MS. Tracy..." I whispered softly. She snapped back to reality when she heard that. She turned to face him and inquired, "Are you asking about other training zones?" I simply nodded in agreement. She went on to say, "Zone of Elemental Power. It''s a unique location for the Warrior. They can cultivate there more quickly. There were numerous valuables in that location as well. People frequently visit the location in quest of herbs and elemental flowers, in order to achieve a breakthrough." "People can increase their grasp of the element if they stay there long enough," she continued. My heart starts to race when I hear that. As I had predicted. I''m hoping for a spot for the lightning element. My intuition told me to inquire about the lightning Elemental Zone. With considerable trouble. I managed to keep my cool. "It''s only another year." Everything will be OK, then," I reassured myself. I get dreams about that inheritance test from time to time. It''s as though my dreams are constantly reminding me of it. And I had a strong desire to not squander any time. However, I now have some important information. In my current situation, visiting that location is difficult. But what about the Treasure of Lightning? Apart from the lightning affinity stone, I''m certain. Every element has its own set of treasures. Zack was ecstatic with it. "So, what''s your element?" Ms. Tracy inquired as she turned to face him. "Here we go," I thought to myself after hearing that. Sure, there are two ways to have a conversation. I''m not always able to get responses from her. Without responding to her inquiries. So, what should I say? In my head, I wondered. I came with a lovely lie. The soil nutrients in the Black Forests are abundant. As a result, the Earth elemental in this location is quite high. I lied to her when I stated, "I''m an earth element user." Hearing that, she nodded. It''s not a good idea to tell lies. But after this trip to the Black Forest, I''m not going to see her. So it didn''t bother me. We exchanged a few words. Before she left me off at the same area a few hours later. I got out of the car and began walking forward. She had warned me about the level 2 queen the day before. So I''m not going near that colony. I chose to continue on the path I had taken the day before. The route leads to a source of food. I''m not sure what kind of food they''re eating. I''m hoping to find more level class Monsters. If I get there, I''m confident that I''ll be able to break through in my physical strength. Before I complete my Elemental Cultivation. I arrived at the location a few hours later. Scouting Ant Monster was not something I expected to see. I felt a small amount of pressure.. I remarked, "It''s a Peak Class 1 Monster." Chapter 104 - Testing Physical Strength On the way, I noticed that it emits an acidic odor. As the acidic liquid, it ejected. They spilled to the ground. All the grasses on the earth began to decay. A foul odor begins to spread over the area. As the revolting odor assaulted my nostrils. I took a step backward. And I stared at the scene, pondering it. It''s a Scouting Ant Monster. It''s currently working on establishing a trail behind it. As a result, the Working Ant Monster will be able to follow it. The Scouting Ant Monster is a monster that scouts for food. In contrast to other Ants. It attacks its foes with an acidic liquid. Scouting Ants are the only ones with this specific ability, except Ant Queen. Even though they are not level 2 monsters. Ant''s massive body moves forward when he sees it. Zack didn''t waste any time in launching an attack. My perceptive ability was activated. I have to be cautious of its acidic properties. Aside from that, it''s business as usual. I''m going to concentrate on its abdomen and head. Following the creation of a strategy. I sprinted forward. From my perceptual ability. Every action of it catches my attention. I''m particularly interested in its antennae. The antennas will move once it detects my presence. So far, it''s been smooth sailing for seconds. But, when I got closer to it. "It tracked me down." I had a thought in my head. The Massive Scouting Ant stands 5 feet tall. The length is 12 feet. The Scouting Ants are a little more muscular and taller than the Working Ants. It''s now taking a step ahead. Yet, it immediately began to use its antennae. It spotted a living being. The Scouting Ant Monster spun its huge body around and charged towards the live being. The Monster has sensed that prey is coming towards it. Seeing that, It ejected a corrosive liquid. Soon, a green-colored liquid is sprayed in Zack''s direction as quickly as a bullet. When the Scouting Ant was on the lookout for its prey. It didn''t squirt out the corrosive liquid in a ferocious manner. But when it comes to dealing with its prey, it''s a different story. It radically altered its strategy. Zack, on the other hand, notices this. My emotions became more deliberate. It finally sensed my presence. After seeing it, I looked around for a suitable open location in which to combat the Monster. Most of the space on my left side was taken up by trees. However, it''s on my right side. I discovered a location. It is, but, a little further away. I''m not sure if this Monster will stick with me.When I get there. I''ll travel in that direction. thinking that, I made my mind.While I''m on the lookout for some open space. In the meantime, the Scouting Ant begins to move. The acidic attack is released. I didn''t hesitate. When I saw it, I ran for the free area on my right side. Thanks to the ability to perceive. It allowed me to save precious seconds. Quick decision-making, As a result, the corrosive attack landed on the bare earth. All the grasses and plants on the ground immediately wither. I have no idea. What would the outcome be? Even if just a smidgeon of it landed bit on my skin. I''m not going to have the same luck as last time. As I was fleeing the attack. The Scouting Ant Monster became upset as a result of this. It began charging towards me. When I saw it, I didn''t hesitate to lead it to the open area. After a few moments, We were both standing in the open area. Unlike the previous time. It will be difficult to face the Monster this time. When I approach close to the acid, I need to protect myself. I held the Black Sword in my hands and pointed to its abdomen. I''m debating whether or not to use Sword Divide Move. It will flee If I fail to attack it. That is something I do not want to happen. It would also be pointless to use Reckoning Circe. If it attacks with an acidic attack. Dogging it will be challenging. I don''t want even a speck of acid on my face. That was something I shrugged off. As a result, I have no choice except to wait for the ideal opening. To take it out with one fell sweep. My lips curved slightly as I considered a nice plan. I should first put my physical strength to the test. I''m not sure how far I''ve progressed since my last blood cultivation. So, before we end, let''s have a look at it. Meanwhile, the Massive Scouting has made its way to the open space. The prey has halted its movements after sensing something. It didn''t waste any time launching another caustic onslaught. It ran towards him as a result of this. Meanwhile, Zack is aware of the situation. He''s prepared for a fight. I choose to rely on my physical strength. I''ll wait till there''s an opening before using lightning. As far as I could tell, the Monster utilized the same attack. It''s also approaching me at a blazing speed. Speed. Like the prior time, I was able to avoid the corrosive onslaught. But instead of moving away. I raced up to it. As we grew closer to one another. I''m cautious about its stinger. So, that''s how I see it. I''m paying attention to every little movement it makes. The acidic liquid is released by the scouting ant''s abdomen gland. Then, before it''s too late, I should go after its abdomen. The Scouting Ant wanted to rip Zack apart with its jaws. Its two razor-sharp jaws had crept closer to Zack by an inch. When Zack noticed it, He grabbed his Black Sword and stabbed it downward. In the air, the Blade created an arc. When it got into contact with the metal Jaw, It clashed. "Clang...Clang..." echoed across the area. A massive force crashed upon the area. As a result of the impact, wiping away neighboring small trees and vegetation.. A brief moment later, the dust had settled. Chapter 105 - Ant Queen? Meanwhile, Zack charged forward to assault the creature''s abdomen. Following the blockage of its jaw. I took a step to the side and jumped on its abdomen. I clenched my fists around my sword. And then I hacked into its abdomen once again. The Blade is capable of slicing through the air. The Massive Ant notices it and twists its body slightly to utilize its stinger. The stinger, which looked like a needle, collided with the blade. "Clang¡­Clang..." The clatter of metal rang throughout the region. I took enough of a stride to the side to avoid its belly Gland. Then, I take a step back to launch another attack. Just as I''m about to leave the area. The acidic liquid squirts from the gland in its abdomen. As soon as I realized this, I moved away from the area. As time passed, just a few rounds of attacks were launched. But it all comes to the same conclusion. Throughout the entire time. I made use of my physical prowess. Following the most recent cultivation of the blood element. It unquestionably boosted my stamina. On the battlefield, the results can be observed. I can easily sustain this assault for another hour. I''m not going to be exhausted. But I decided to call it a day. Physical strength has satisfied me. It''s pointless to push it any further. As a result, I''ll utilize lightning. It won''t be as difficult as it appears. If I assault it with my lightning. It is, however, making use of its huge size to its advantage. It isn''t allowing me enough time to relax. When I consider using a long-range lightning bolt. It began to attack me with its corrosive attack. I''m being forced to move from one location to another. I couldn''t seem to obtain a good aim. The goal of this combat is to discover an opening to use lightning strike. When it comes to Reckoning Circle, there are a few things to consider. To use it, I need to come closer. However, the Ant Monster would find it more convenient to spray acidic liquid. The attack range would be extended. As I was pondering it. I became oppressed all of a sudden. Sensing this, I wrinkled my brows. "What could it be?" I commented in my heart. The Massive Scouting Ant came to a halt. It dipped its head and slightly bent its legs in the direction of the East. "What is it doing?" I had a thought in my head. My heart flutters with a dreadful omen. Observing its behavior. My instinct urges me to get out of here as soon as possible. But I''d like to figure out what''s causing this pressure. As a result of the pressure, "It has a level 2 feel to it. However, this pressure is greater than that of the Black Tree Monster." I had a thought in my head. I noticed a buzzing sound for a brief moment. It was deafening. The volume of the sound is increasing. Hearing that, I tightened my grip on my sword and held it vertically. Something seemed to be approaching me. I locked my gaze on Ant, who was inspecting the area. It is still in the same place. I looked up at the sky with my perception turned on. I soon noticed it. When I saw it, my eyes were wide open. "This is going to be a disaster!" I had a thought in my head. "Buzz¡­.Buzz..." The sound of flapping wings reverberated across the region. Even before I had a chance to react. It used its Stinger to attack me. Against it, I swung my Sword. Despite this, I couldn''t hold on against its might. Its overwhelming force astonished me. It happened so fast. As a result it. "Bang¡­Bang" The region was shaken by a loud crash. As a result of the collision, Zack was thrown away. He was launched into the air at breakneck speed. Zack tried to keep his movements under control. However, the impact was immediate. As a result, In mid-air, he couldn''t do anything. He eventually crashed into some surrounding trees. Zack screamed in pain, "Arrrgh...arrrgh!" As he collided with the trees. The hit landed squarely on his back. Fortunately, He is aware of the circumstance. He tries to get to his feet. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. The Ant Queen began to circle in the sky, after the attack. I''m looking up at the sky. "Ant Queen," I mumbled. "Monster of Level 2." And it may be a high point. I had a thought in my head. Fortunately, none of my bones were broken. Ant Queen is still thrashing its wings in the air. "Reckoning Circle" I used lightning Move. The Ant Queen had moved in the meantime. It flaps its wings once again as it dashes towards Zack. Meanwhile, a thunderous roar resonated throughout the area. Due to the activation of the Reckoning Circle. In the nick of time, a lightning wheel appeared. The Wheel is bursting at the seams with lightning power. I was startled to see the Queen charging towards me. My mouth curled slightly. "Let''s see who gets hurt this time," I commented. The Ant Queen sprinted towards her prey. However, it detected nemesis energy along the route. The speed was incredible. It will be impossible to avoid colliding. It happened in the blink of an eye. Bang¡­Bang¡­" A deafening sound reverberated throughout the region. Zack was still thrown flying due to the Collision. He knew he couldn''t do anything in the face of such tremendous power. He is still a Trainee Apprentice at the Mid-Level. The Ant Queen, on the other hand, is far more powerful than the Black Tree Monster. In contrast to the Black Tree Monster. The Ant Queen can move. It also has the specific ability of speed. As a result, b. All of Zack''s hopes were pinned on Lightning Wheel. Since the Ant monster has gained the metallic attribute. He is hoping that the strike would at the very least dissuade it. As Zack had predicted. Lightning Wheel was forced to collide with the Ant Queen. Because it is Metallic. Its Mandible was penetrated by the lightning energy, which showed no mercy. Since the contact moment was so brief. Only a small portion of the lightning''s energy reaches the Ant Queen. Before Zack was launched into the air. However, the attack was successful in destroying Ant Queen''s left jaw. It has been eliminated. In agony, the Ant Queen screamed. The Ant Queen was no longer able to dwell in this location due to its injury. It fluttered its wings quickly.. And then it started flying back to its colony. Chapter 106 - Halt? I noticed the Ant Queen fleeing. My entire body relaxes when I see that. A sensation of relaxation washed over me. I was taken aback by Ant Queen''s appearance. Ms. Tracy had reminded me of this earlier. Its power is out of this world. On top of that, it has a high rate of acceleration. Making it even riskier. If it weren''t for the fact that I had lightning energy. It''s not easy to get that level 2 Monster to flee. "Sigh," I sighed, believing that the lightning would be able to destroy its entire head. If I had the necessary strength. I should''ve been able to hold on for a few seconds longer. Until the entire head region was destroyed. After that, I shook my head and pushed myself up. As I rose from the ground. I discovered the Scouting Monster had vanished. After sensing the lightning energy, I assumed it must have escaped like the Queen. "It''s also rather good. I''m not in the mood to continue this fight." I remarked in my heart. My heart is pleading with me to return home and unwind. I should be able to start over tomorrow. My mood was ruined by the Level 2 Monster. I moved on to another location. There''s still time before the darkness arrives. As I examined the sci-fi wristwatch. I choose to spend my time honing my lightning skill. As time passed, Zack arrived at his destination. Ms. Tracy would pick him up there. He started erecting a tent and cultivating. After a few hours, it''s evening. Ms. Tracy arrived shortly after. Zack had already taken down his tent a few minutes before. He jumped on the four-wheeler as soon as he saw her. Zack is pondering something on the way. I inquired, "Ms. Tracy, Have you heard from Uncle James or Mr. Dawson?" Normally, I wouldn''t inquire about such facts. But, at the very least, I''d like to know the time. They didn''t tell me anything in particular. When their mission will come to an end. Listening to Zack''s query. "Yesterday morning we received the word that they had arrived at that place," she replied. "I guess they''ve already started their task," she continued. Inside the Black Forests, you won''t always have a strong communication signal. I''m guessing their mission is a little out of the way. They''ll probably take their time. Getting to a good signal location before sending the report." Hearing her, I nodded. It''s great that they''ve begun their mission. I''m hoping they''ll finish their assignment ahead of schedule. Then we got into a discussion about my hunting experience this time. I lied, as usual. I shifted the focus. And began interrogating her about Elemental Training. It''s a common topic. I''m guessing she''s from the higher Academy based on our earlier conversation. As a result, I longed to hear from her. On the other hand, because the topic of discussion is conventional Elemental practices. Ms. Tracy didn''t hold back when it came to offering her opinions. As time passed, both of them had a good talk. Until they arrived at Zack''s house. Getting out of the car. Zack walked into his house. He desires nothing more than a nice night''s sleep, which allows him to reflect on his recent acts. While Zack was having his poor luck with Ant Queen. Mr. James'' objective, on the other hand, has been a success. But. As they progress deeper into that restricted region, the situation becomes increasingly hazardous. Mr. Dawson said, "I think we shouldn''t go too much deeper, Mr. James." It''s been six hours since I woke up. Since then, the team has resumed its investigation. However, On the way. The team had encountered a large number of level 3 monsters. From low to high, there''s something for everyone. Fortunately, whenever such an occurrence occurs. The team quickly reorganized and began fighting the beasts. Even though they were divided into teams. They aren''t as far apart as they formerly were. Since the communication network in this desolate country is practically non-existent. The group decided not to go too far into the woods on their own. However, the frequency with which monsters appear has recently grown. If there are only one or two Monsters. It doesn''t seem to matter to them. They can each take a turn killing the Monster. However, their numbers began to rise. This puts the crew under a lot of stress. If they came upon a horde or group of Monsters in this situation, it''ll be a disaster. Mr. Dawson''s advice was taken into consideration. "Let''s take a break," Mr. James suggested with a nod. We''ll figure out what to do next." After that, they all began to take a rest. Mr. James, on the other hand, is contemplating. He is directing the crew to examine at a secure location. With his peak consciousness, He detected the presence of a large number of monsters. As a result, He has been leading the team. through the safest route. But, still, they came across some Monsters. However, it is already putting strain on the team. "Don''t you think it''s strange," Mr. Dawson said in the meantime. What is the reason for so many Monsters? Seeing a large number of them. That''s why I asked you to stop ." "Something has to be going on" Mr. James responded. They''ve had some success so far, He reasoned. The data on soil richness reveals a steady increase in dense nutrients. So he didn''t suspect the existence of one or two creatures at first. However, their numbers are beginning to rise. Mr. James is thinking something. Is he at a loss for what to do next? Should the investigation that is now underway be halted? And then return with more manpower later. Or should they just wait and see what happens? While the two of them are conversing. Mr. Paul''s soul seems to have already left his body. He''s downcast. Ms. Emma, on the other hand, isn''t doing any better. Seeing so many creatures has depressed her. The Twins are currently regaining strength. They didn''t say much at all. Whenever there is an opportunity to unwind.. They begin to cultivate and repair their elemental energy right away. Chapter 107 - Level 4 Aura? The twins, Their impact on the squad is significant. Their success has resulted in the deaths of a large number of monsters. Along the route due to their teamwork and time attack. It helped them save a lot of time and energy. Even for them, constantly facing so many creatures is exhausting. Mr. James was well aware of the situation. That''s why he looks after every team member. He and Mr. Dawson provide a helping hand to the squad to relieve stress. They didn''t want to waste any of their resources. While the appearance of level 4 seems improbable. They don''t want to take any chances. However. As a result, they are extremely cautious in their actions. They had to save the point now. Mr. James and Mr. Dawson had to devise the next course of action. They can''t just walk in blindly. They are conversing at the same time. Mr. James went to Emma and inquired, "Why is this area''s soil so densely nutrient-rich?" Everything is unfolding in front of him. It''s adding to the evidence of that Strange Monster''s presence. This soil''s richness worth is out of this world. That is the first time he has seen anything like it. Only high-level Special zones have this kind of value. This black forest, however, is not a high-level zone. Mr. Paul''s question has been heard. Ms. Emma wore a melancholy expression on her face. It has never been documented in previous data. This was something that had happened recently. There must be some explanation for this behavior. If a similar situation has occurred in the past. This area would have been cleared for people. This zone would now be used for the earth element special zone. "Something must have happened here," she said with a shake of her head. And we have no idea what it is? I feel it has something to do with that strange Monster. Mr. Paul''s face lit up with a wry smile as he heard that. Then he remembered Mr. James and craned his neck to look at him. "Do you think we should delve a little deeper? I believe we are still short on manpower. To clean up this area, we''ll need troops." He inquired her. "Once we''ve completed our investigation, it will happen. Since the data of soil richness has skyrocketed. After seeing the data, management will not keep mute." Ms. Emma said, her voice solemn. It''s a foregone conclusion that the area will be cleared out shortly. However, this is a future-related issue. They should now concentrate on themselves. She too thinks it''s better to give up. When management has a look at the facts, they will be able to make an informed decision. Then there will be a series of huge events. People were resting at the time. The ground began to tremble all of a sudden. It''s as though there''s been a tremendous earthquake. The ground began to fracture in an instant, and it continues to crack. "Stay away from the crack!" exclaimed everyone, startled. Mr. James yelled angrily. Everyone moved away from the cracked area as soon as they heard that. The twins built a tiny holding wall in the meantime. Because the soil is nutrient-rich. Their cultivation seemed to be going much more smoothly. As a result, they were able to quickly regain their cultivation energy. It''s now useful in this circumstance. The little wall has become brittle. This wall serves as a source of support for everyone. They waited patiently for the shaking to stop. Meanwhile, Mr. James and Mr. Dawson began to investigate their surroundings. With Mr. James using his consciousness to do so. There is, however, nothing to be found. With the exception of fleeing level Monsters. Several Monsters had fallen into that crack, He noticed. Many monsters are attempting to escape the Crack. However, the ground begins to crack even more. When they attempted to employ their strength. Observing several trees that had been uprooted. Mr. James sighed. A suffocating aura arose out of nowhere. It starts to spread across the air. It cleared out all the impediments everywhere it went. A number of level 1 monsters have been transformed into a paste. Monsters of the pseudo-level vanished into thin air. Level 2 Monsters were not forgotten. They were seriously hurt and left to die. Only a few level 3 survivors were found. The aura soon reaches the team''s location. Mr. James was the first to detect the problem. He began observing the aura right away. His pupils were constricted by the sight of so many monsters being killed. He quickly removed an object from his storage ring. He told his troops to form a ring around him. The artifact is known as "Aura Deflector," and it can be utilized against monsters up to level 5. Everyone flocked around Mr. James after hearing his word. He didn''t waste any time. He began to turn the object on. He set it down on the ground. Before injecting it with his Energy. Soon after, a silver light flashed across the sky. A dome-shaped silver color screen began to cover them. When it was covered. The aura collided at precisely the right moment. Everyone was expecting a loud crash. The deflector, on the other hand, cut through the opposing aura like paper. They had never seen such a powerful object before. Mr. Dawson, on the other hand. He recognized that Mr. James would never be unprepared for such an investigation. Everyone is curious about the Artefact. "Please don''t tell me it''s a level 4 Monster''s aura." Mr. Paul expressed his concern in a panicked tone. His face appeared as if he had lost blood. For an answer, everyone looked to Mr. James. Because he is the one who has spotted the aura. He is also the most powerful of the group. Ms. Emma''s heart began to beat faster. Seeing the circumstance, she resigned herself. If it''s not for the deflector everyone will be injured. She examined the artifact. She was unsure how long it would last. "Please don''t leave this silver dome, everyone. I''ll go looking for it." Mr. James said, his voice solemn. He then turns to face Mr. Dawson.. He told him to keep his distance and protect them. Chapter 108 - Retreat Mr. James began on the hunt for the Monster. Everyone was solemn after hearing Mr. James'' statements. They have no idea whether Mr. James will succeed. Mr. Dawson drew Ms. Emma''s attention. "Mr. Dawson, Do you believe he can restrain the level 4 Monster?" she questioned, a little hesitantly. Her comments were heard by all. Mr. Dawson was the focus of their attention. Mr. Dawson''s expression was understandable. Mr. James is unknown to them. That is why they have succumbed to the fear of level 4. He just stared at them. "Mr. James is not a rash individual. He was most likely there to test Monster''s strength. If level 4 continues to cause mayhem. Mr. Dawson emphasized to them that it is then his obligation to restrain it. Their eyes shone with clarity as they listened to his remarks. Mr. Paul, on the other hand, appears from time to time. He''ll cast a glance towards Aura Deflector. My mind is racing with crazy ideas. So, instead of becoming concerned. Mr. Dawson was the person he chose to ask. "How long can this item last, Mr. Dawson?" Mr. Paul said, his voice solemn. Everyone''s eyes, on the other hand, glowed with hope. When they heard Mr. Dawson''s statements, they were stunned. They now assume Mr. James will avoid the level 4 Monster. Until, the team leave from this place safely. There isn''t going to be any causality. However, when they heard Mr. Paul''s statements, they were taken aback. The environment around them quickly deteriorated. They all cocked their heads to look at him. Mr. Paul cracked a sardonic smile when he saw this. Mr. Dawson sighed deeply. "Don''t worry, this object is fuelled by Colourless Stone," he explained. For the time being, it will not run out. Everyone seemed to unwind after hearing it. So far, they''ve felt a colossal weight pressing down on them. Outside, they could still see the level 4 Monster''s lingering aura. But there is no reason to be optimistic. "You can''t control what happens outside," Mr. Dawson added. Rather than being concerned. "Take advantage of this moment to replenish your elemental energy." He reminded them of something. Everyone nodded in agreement. They started to regain their strength. Mr. Dawson notices a monster of level three. This is the path used by these Monsters to flee. He made the decision to clear them out. While the team''s environment is stable. Mr. James, on the other hand, followed the aura traces. Soon. He arrived at his destination. Mr. James couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "It''s even worse than the report," He pondered in his head. A massive level 4 Worm Monster appears to be resting soundly. However, it is not as simple as it appears. The Level 4 Monster is cultivating, as anyone with keen eyes can see. It feeds on the nutrients in this soil to grow stronger. Mr. James got a little closer to it. His expression became solemn. Because the level 4 Monster released pressure unintentionally. Which appears to be at the Elite Warrior''s Mid-level. He had just thought in his head after confirming that, "This is horrible." The initial purpose of this study is to determine. whether the supplied information is accurate. Higher-ups were unable to make a decision based on the footage. Furthermore, there is no record of the most recent observation. However, the video was genuine and not a hoax. As a result, they dispatched an expedition to properly investigate the situation. However, not only is the news correct presently. The Level 4 Monster, on the other hand, had a breakthrough. Mr. James drew his brows together. He was concerned about level four. However, He is more concerned with the reason for it. The authorities in the area were completely unaware of its presence. This Monster''s intelligence has evolved over time. It is cultivating with great care. Rather than wreaking mayhem. But he has his doubts about how long it will endure. He pondered at first. If it''s a level 4 that has recently evolved. He might be able to help. But it''s now beyond his capabilities. He gradually withdrew from the area. He arrived at the team''s destination a few minutes later. Level 4 Worm Monster, on the other hand, was aware of his existence. It did not, however, take action. It treated him as if he were a fly. It is currently concentrating on maintaining its new level. Mr. James arrived at the location. Everyone in the room rose to their feet as they saw him. "What''s the situation?" Mr. Dawson stepped forward and inquired. So far, the Level 4 aura has been lowered. As a result, Mr. James turned off the silver screen and stored the artifact in his storage ring. Mr. James wore a somber expression on his face. He turned to face them and looked them in the eyes. "It''s a lot worse than you can imagine." It''s a level 4 Worm Monster, I confirmed." Mr. James was surprised when he heard the last word he said. Everyone''s heart begins to beat faster. Mr. Paul''s senses begin to cry for him to flee. Despite this, he managed to pay attention to Mr. James. Mr. James saw that everyone had a gloomy expression on their faces. As a result, "What''s worse," Mr. James said, "is that it''s now had a breakthrough." It''s currently at the level of Mid-level Elite Strength. Listening to his explanation. Everyone''s expressions shifted dramatically. Mr. Dawson''s expression had been solemn before. But it had now become frightening and terrifying. Mr. Paul "plopped" to the ground. When he heard that, he lost the strength in his legs. Mr. Paul whispered to himself, "Mid-level." Observing their gloomy expression. "Get out of here right now. Please return my report to the administration. "As soon as you obtain a network signal." Mr. James spoke to them in a solemn tone. Mr. James then shifted his attention to Mr. Dawson. "I''m going to protect here," he said. Until the arrival of the Elite force. Tell Zack to get out of here right now. Tell him it''s an order from higher-ups if he resists. Mr. Dawson recognizes the gravity of the situation. They have no idea how long it will take Elite Force to arrive. As a result, the scenario will most likely last a few days. He agreed and told Mr.. James that he would make all of the necessary arrangements for his departure. Chapter 109 - Request Without spending any time, Everyone withdrew from the area. They started returning the same way they came. They were hesitant to leave him alone at first. They were, however, inconsequential prior to level 4. Its atmosphere was too much for them to take. Mr. Paul''s hatred towards Mr. James gets eased along the way. When he found out that he would be protecting this location, he was impressed. "He is the Team Captain. As a result, He does not want to leave this area without a fight. Despite such a disparity in power levels. He opted to be a defender." He pondered in his head. Ms. Emma bit her lower lip, frustrated. "I''m going to work harder this year to obtain a breakthrough." She pondered in her head. Everyone is hoping for a breakthrough. After experiencing a powerless situation. The twins, on the other hand, were eager to improve even more. When everyone had left the aura''s level 4 range. Mr. James was at ease. He does not want to lose any members of his team. Besides, they won''t be of much assistance. As a result, He chose to return them. Mr. James then moved his attention to level 4''s location. "So, now it''s just you and me," he said. To observe the Monster, He found a safe spot. It''s not in close proximity to the Monster. Mr. James is welcome to accompany them if he so desires. Because the inquiry is finished and the report has been validated. As a result, he is unable to continue. But, for moral reasons, He chooses to remain at home. He is aware that there are no Elites stationed in the Black Forests. At the moment, there are just a handful of Peak Special Trainees available. He preferred to remain silent and watch the Monster. As a result, He was able to offer them the information they need. When they show up. He also has another reason for it. He also wants to know why it happened. An unexpected boost in soil fertility. Mr. James begins silently observing the Monster. Level 4 remained rooted to the location. It is currently concentrating on energy stability. Mr. James breathed a sigh of relief as he realized this. "They''ll be on their way to the other side in no time." Mr. James made a mental remark. Monster''s Movements, he''s concerned about that. If it chose to assault and destroy everything in its path. Nobody is going to be able to stop it. Until the arrival of the Elite force. I couldn''t fathom it. If that occurs. In addition, He had a mental image of Zack. His expression darkens. "He was looking forward to fighting a level 2 Monster. Now He must wait a few months before returning a year." He pondered in his head. He then continues to keep an eye on the issue. The team arrives at the cliff after several hours. The team did not stop for a rest on the way. They sped up their retreat. On top of that, there isn''t a monster in sight. They appeared to have vanished entirely from the scene. This was extremely beneficial to the team. They were able to locate the vehicle. The group didn''t waste any more time. They need to get into the area of communication. As a result, they hurriedly boarded the vehicle and began driving. Ms. Emma checks her sci-fi watch as she drives. There is currently no signal. She was irritated. Mr. Paul couldn''t help but smile when he saw her look "As you can see, I''ve already informed you. In this region, management should construct infrastructure. In particular, the communication network." "Every second we waste here is going to keep Mr. James under that Monster''s Mercy," he continued. She accelerated the vehicle after hearing that. The team entered the communication zone a few hours later. A notification rang in their sci-fi. They didn''t spare any time in sending reports up the chain of command. It has an emergency situation labeled on it. The report reached the highest levels of government. When the report arrived on schedule at the office. A red alert was sent to the administrative office. Every warrior has been informed. Because the Black Forests are close to Tier-8 cities in the area. However, it is a long way from a Tier-7 city. Elite fighters could be found there. After then, they read Mr. James''s team''s report. Mr. James'' word was taken seriously by the higher-ups. They stated unequivocally that. A Mid-level Elite Monster is currently residing in the region. The report was read by the Director of the Black Forests Administration. Mr. Alvin Robertson, He is an old man who appears to be in his sixties. He has reached the pinnacle of Trainee Warrior. He instantly sought assistance from their Tier-7 cities'' offices. He also sent out a mission request to all Tier-8 cities in the area. Elite Warriors are being summoned. However, it only applies to individuals who are members of the Army Federation. This matter is private, as are the affairs of the Army Federation. He also deciphered the report''s underlying significance. It mentioned the unusual occurrence of a rise in soil richness in particular. Then came the Monster''s instantaneous breakthrough. Mr. Alvin had a brilliant idea. Then he goes on to ask the Research Department for help. After level 4 Monster has been defeated. They can then conduct soil studies. He was befuddled by the information. He then uses the server''s database. To look for information from the previous fifty decades. The outcomes were displayed. When he saw that the soil richness data was modest and usual, he knit his brows. Soon, far away from this location. Close to the Black Forest region, a tier-7 city. It''s also one of the Army Federation''s branch offices. The report from the Black Forests'' Head is now being received by the Head of this office. She was taken aback when she saw the name. It''s the name of his colleague; normally, this elderly man would never ask a question.. She smiled and went on to look over the report. Chapter 110 - Going Back Home Following the completion of the report. "Strange!" was the first thing she said. She is aware, though, of the gravity of the situation. And quickly deployed a five-person crew. They''re all Elite Warrior. Eagle Squad is the name of the squad. In their Tier -7 city, this team is one of the most successful. They were all enrolled with the Army Federation. She responded to the Message. Mr. Alvin was reassured by her. The Eagle Squad will travel as quickly as they can. It will, however, take several hours. She urged him to hang on as tight as he could. After the message has been sent. She''s thinking something. "This is a unique situation. What exactly is going on?" She said something to herself. She was well aware of the level 4 Monster at Mid-level. "What were they up to before? This elderly gentleman is dedicated to his work. He isn''t going to miss it. If there is a level 4 presence at an early stage." She pondered in her head. This is why she was perplexed. She shook her head, thinking that dealing with that Monster was more essential just now. There would be a lot of casualties if this did not happen. She made the decision to keep an eye on the situation. In the meantime, however. In a few hours, the Black Forests crew arrives in Station town. It''s past midnight. Mr. Dawson took a step out of the car. He informed his team that he needed to make preparations for Zack. They nodded as well. Zack shouldn''t be here because he''s in danger. It''s possible that the level 4 Monster will go berserk. As a result, no one will be looking after Zack when that happens. Mr. James took a step towards the house. The rest of the team went to their communication office instead of going home. In the meantime, Zack was sound asleep in his room. However, he did not have a restful night''s sleep. He occasionally wakes up in the middle of the night. Mr. Dawson doesn''t want to wake up Zack in the middle of the night. He made the decision to notify him in the morning. Meanwhile, he needs to finalize some details for his return to the Red Stone city. Mr. James was initially accompanied by Zack. Earlier, Mr. James had scanned his credential. And utilized his access code for this journey. Zack couldn''t come here alone because he didn''t have permission. Consider the seriousness of the situation. Mr. Dawson made the decision to seek approval from the Administration. Mr. Dawson walked into his room. From his sci-fi, watch, he swiftly accessed the server and dialed Mr. Alvin. Mr. Alvin, on the other hand, is currently reading a message given by a good friend. He was relieved that she took prompt action and dispatched the eagle squad. His heart began to calm as he realized that he now had to maintain control of the situation. Until the Eagle Squad arrived. Mr. Alvin did not send any warriors to help Mr. James. It''s a good thing Monster is currently focused on regaining control of its energy. It''s not a smart idea to send lower-level Warriors there. The Monster at level 4 is intelligent. If it reacts, it''s because it''s seen too many people. It will simply increase the number of victims on our side. In the meanwhile, He just hoped Monster wouldn''t act. While he is analyzing the situation. The server had sent him a fresh message. According to the report, the rest of the investigating team arrived safely. Seeing that, he breathed a sigh of relief. Mr. Alvin received a call from Mr. Dawson. The investigation''s vice-captain, a few moments later. Mr. Alvin picked up the phone after seeing his name on the caller ID. Mr. Dawson told Mr. Alvin of everything. Mr. Alvin responded with a nod and sent him a unique pass to depart the Black Forests. He sent the digital card with Zack''s name on it through the server. In the morning, a few hours later. Due to a lack of sleep, Zack awoke sooner. "It''s been a long time, and I''m having trouble sleeping," I grumbled. I was rubbing my temples at the time. After yesterday''s Ant Queen Episode. I was expecting a restful night''s sleep. It would be simple to sleep soundly, I reasoned. Because I''m mentally fatigued. With that in mind, I shook my head. I made the decision to meditate and practice lightning energy cultivation. At the very least, it might help me with my headache. Time passed, and I dutifully practiced for a few hours. This yielded positive outcomes and calmed my nerves. I stood up from my meditation mat a few moments later. I''m getting ready to make breakfast for myself. Everyone embarked on a mission. I''m all alone, so it''s a good thing I picked up a few tips from Granny Park. As I was pondering. I made my way to the kitchen. But I came to a complete stop. I saw Mr. Dawson. I was taken aback. "They said the task would take a few days to complete." I had a thought in my head. "Mr. Dawson, where is my uncle?" I inquired as I approached him. I suddenly realized I had sent a message to Uncle James the day before. However, I did not receive a response. If he''s with him, that is. He would have gotten in touch with me. Zack''s question was heard. Mr. Dawson arrived well-prepared. He was well-versed in dealing with such a situation. "It''s a never-ending mission." I returned to get high-level equipment. We had previously assumed that it would not be required. As a result, we left it here." He said it in a laid-back manner. He doesn''t have a suspicious expression on his face. Seeing Zack, he isn''t suspicious of him. "Oh!" he continued. I completely neglected to inform you. Mr. James has asked me to say something to you. We had anticipated that the task would take a few days. However, looking at the continuing mission. It could take many weeks.. As a result, He advised you to leave the Black Forests and return home." Chapter 111 - Elite Eagle Squad When one considers Mr. Dawson''s performance, one can''t help but be impressed. His statement would not raise any suspicions. It''s very natural. Zack simply nodded in response. Hearing what he has to say. I''m at a loss, I don''t know what to do but sigh. He went over everything with me. It appears that his mission will not be completed any time soon. My heart, on the other hand, was not at ease. I had no idea why I was feeling that way. I''ve already dealt with the situation from yesterday. This time, I couldn''t figure out what was wrong. "When should I leave?" I inquired, craning my neck at him. This Black Forests trip has certainly opened my eyes. It''s a shame it had to come to an end. Is it appropriate for me to inquire about this with him? "Can I stay here until he returns?" I inquired. Zack''s question was heard. With a shake of his head, Mr. Dawson expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. "No way, Zack. We don''t have enough manpower here. Ms. Tracy has gone on a mission as well. So, no one here is looking after you. One of the reasons is this. You were asked to leave by Mr. James. " "I already booked the train tickets for your journey," Mr. Dawson said, as I sighed. Mr. Dawson then sent special digital to his server. And train tickets that were provided by management." I examined the special pass. It included a digital photograph of myself. As well as an access number and a description of the pass''s function. I had a peek at the railway ticket as well. In his eyes, a surprising sparkle appeared. "I only have two hours left," I thought to myself. It''s only a matter of time. Everything is moving at a breakneck pace. Management even gave them special permission for me. "Their managerial functioning is very amazing." I had a thought in my head. Then I expressed my gratitude to Mr. Dawson for his efforts. We talked about a few things before I went to my room to pack my belongings. Mr. Dawson felt a sense of relief when Zack left. He''s relieved he didn''t ask any more questions. Mr. James seemed to have done a good job of teaching him. He said the same thing to Zack when he mentioned Mission. He had come to terms with reality. Mr. Dawson left the house thinking this. He has been asked to assist in the distribution of reports. Except for Mr. James, no one is closer to level 4 Monster right now. However, because to a lack of network, he is unable to send reports. As a result, he chose to travel to the nearest network zone. From there, he''ll send reports to the Administration. He started to feel concerned about Mr. James. He was first very confident in his own strength. However, after it was discovered that Monster had made a breakthrough, everything changed. The power disparity will be enormous. Mr. James should be able to defend himself, he hopes. Meanwhile, Zack is putting his belongings away in his room. I''m not going to see Ms. Tracy again. It happened so quickly that I didn''t even have time to say goodbye. She went to the mission as well. The timing is completely off. But, on the plus side, I now have her contact information. "Should I send her a message?" I paused for a moment. After that, I typed the message. I expressed my gratitude to her for sharing her knowledge with me. An additionally expressed gratitude to her for accompanying me to that location. I resumed packing after sending the message. I''m ready to depart in half an hour. Nonetheless. There is still one hour until the train arrives. The train station is literally within walking distance of the house. As a result, I''m not in a hurry to get there. I started reading some things on the internet. I left the location an hour later, carrying my backpack. I''m on my way to the railway station. I don''t want to leave, but I don''t have a choice. Granny Park will undoubtedly be waiting for my return. I had already communicated with her about the matter. When I arrived at the train station. As I saw, only a few people are making their way to the stage. I examined my sci-fi wristwatch. "There''s still 20 minutes left." In my head, I made a remark. I heard the announcement of another train while waiting. It departed from a Tier-7 city. It will take five minutes to reach the station. Tier-7 city has been mentioned. I simply grinned. I''ll eventually migrate to one of the higher-tier cities. After five minutes, the platform is approached by a large train. It''s the same as the preceding train. When the train came to a complete stop. I took a quick glance at the door. "How many people are going to exit through the door?" I had a thought in my head. Suddenly, I became interested. This is how I pass the time. My train will eventually arrive. I don''t have to watch my Sci-Fi, watch on a regular basis. The door opened with a "crack." Only a few people left through the door. Observing their attire. I had a feeling they were soldiers stationed here. "It may be a shift change," I reasoned. I took a quick glance at a few other doors. Finally, I''m staring at the final door. People were frightened when they saw five persons at the door. They''re all female. Observing their attire. It was a uniform, and they all wore the same insignia. It''s an eagle, of course. I''ve never seen such a pricey uniform before. Uncle James''s outfit is a shade lighter than theirs. "Gasp," I said as I noticed only a few people exiting through the door. They were all bending their heads in front of these five females. Now it all becomes sense to me. They''re all dressed up in costly uniforms. It isn''t because they are well-off. The only word that comes to me is "strength." I''ve visited a number of cities. But I''ve never met anyone like them.. It appears that they can only be accommodated in high-tier cities. Chapter 112 - Part 1: Arrived At The Location As they walked towards the station''s exit, I kept an eye on them. They simply nodded in response to their bows. I scrutinized each of the female soldiers. They aren''t arrogant in the least. They did, however, appear solemn. I kept an eye on things. Until they exited the building. I''m not sure how powerful they are. However, after seeing them, I had a gut feeling. They may be more powerful than Uncle James in this regard. Their youthful appearance intrigues me. They aren''t old fighters with a lot of experience. This makes me consider their education and surroundings in Tier-7 city. It would be great if I could observe their abilities. "It is wishful thinking," I said as I shook my head. When I considered that idea, my lips curled slightly. I heard the announcement of my train''s arrival after some time had passed. It arrived at the station shortly after. I entered the cabin right away and took my seat. "It''s going to take a full day." I had a thought in my head. ¡­ In the meantime, At the Administration Office. Mr. Alvin was provided with information. The Eagle Squad is on its way. He vanished from the scene after learning this. He will not squander any time. He''ll take them to the level four monster''s areas. Ms. Norma Massey This squad''s team leader is her. She is an Elite Warrior at the highest level. Ms. Norma contacted Mr. Alvin after leaving the station. She had previously learned about the problem. There are currently no humans in the vicinity of the level -4 Monster. With the exception of one warrior. Despite the fact that she did not want to spend any time. They must eliminate it as quickly as possible. Also, look into alternative possibilities. There may be one or two monsters. They have to find out. Mr. Alvin has arrived at the location, and they will be waiting soon. In a matter of minutes. The group did not come into the office. Ms. Norma has requested that no one is greeted this time. Mr. Alvin came to see what was going on. "Send me the location and contact information of the warrior who is currently monitoring it," she added, looking at him. Mr. Alvin nodded. He sent her Mr. James''s map and contact information. He wanted to say something, but he couldn''t since he was staring at their faces. He was well aware that they didn''t want any chit-chat. Ms. Norma then turned to face her colleagues. After that, she addressed them. They began to fly in the air soon after. Ms. Norma didn''t even give Mr. Alvin a glance. The crew began to move at breakneck speed through the air. Mr. Alvin had a serious look on his face, witnessing that. From her colleagues, he learns the team''s disposition. He then told her colleague in Tier-7 city of the current situation. Ms. Norma and her colleagues were all from the same family. Clan of Wind Spitting Eagle is their bloodline. This clan is also responsible for the name of the tier-7 city. Due to its contribution to the city. Then it was given the name Eagle City. Ms. Arlene Thompson is the team''s second member, aside from her. She is an Elite Mid-level player. Rosa Hurley, Wanda Burnett, and Ava Baxter were the remaining squad members. They were all at the Early Level Elite level. Ms. Arlene raised her eyes to her Team leader. "Captain, do we have any information about the Monster?" she inquired. Ms. Norma shifted her weight and remarked. "They stated that the level-4 Monster is in the process of settling into its new level". But it had been six hours. We don''t have the most recent information. That is why we must move more quickly." Ms. Arlene nodded in agreement. She was unconcerned about the level 4 Monster. That Monster can be readily dispatched by the team captain alone. However, in order to eliminate any variables, we came as a group. ¡­ Mr. James, on the other hand, is monitoring the Monster. He whispered to himself, "It stabilised its new level." He examined his sci-fi wristwatch. It''s time because there''s no other option. The Elite team must have arrived at this time. He is relieved that it has reached a new degree of stability. It didn''t cause any problems. It was designed to consume nutrients found in the soil. He''s still perplexed. He didn''t come across anything unusual. He''s wary of this region because of the oddity. The level -4 Monster made a sudden appearance. It depleted the soil fertility in this area. It wishes to relocate to a different location. I didn''t think about it any further. It had already been discovered that one of the humans had never left his territory. However, it recognized that human strength was unimportant. As a result, it hasn''t been attacked directly. Instead, it released a Mid-level elite aura while moving. The Worm Monster''s massive body began to move underground. As a result, there is a massive tremor in the area. The ground started to splinter. This time, only a few trees survived the uprooting. A dense level 4 aura began to spread around the area. It was denser than the previous time. It vanquished all impediments wherever it went. A few level 3 Monsters were damaged and perished as a result of taking the brunt of the damage. The level 2 Monster from the last attack has already vanished. Only a few of them managed to flee the region. Mr. James, on the other hand, sensed a worrisome change as it began to spread. When the ground began to tremble. He didn''t think twice about using the Aura Deflector. It''s almost as though it''s a reaction to the initiative. Whenever an Elite level Monster or above moved, he knew. It removes weaklings with its aura as a passive ability. He''s been in a situation like this before. As a result, he''s well-prepared this time. He activates the object by placing it on the ground. Previously, there was time. A silver screen encircled him like a dome this time as well. The dense aura took a few moments to arrive. It came into contact with the object. It tore like paper through the opposing aura. This artefact can handle aura levels up to level 5.. For humans, it is a tremendously helpful and survival item. Chapter 113 - Part 2: Arrived At The Location At the very least, they might be able to save their lives while doing so. Warriors have been given this aura deflector by each group. Those who have accomplished a greater number of missions in their lives. It is not given to newcomers by the organization. They can only buy it with pricey credit points. It''s also for a limited time only. Mr. James kept an eye on the aura as it began to diminish. Mr. James sighed again. He''s on the verge of exploding seeing the aura. He feels relieved to be alone. As soon as he notices, the Monster begins to migrate to a different location. He planned on following close behind. However, there is a significant risk involved. If it was irritated. It has the ability to launch a major attack. As a result, he avoided entering its range. He''ll take it one step at a time. Time moves on. After one hour, currently, the Monster is devouring. It''s nutrition in a new location. Mr. James was able to catch up with it in the end. He notices the Monster''s huge body. After being aware of it. He didn''t approach it. He simply came to a halt. He felt a wave of relief rush over him. He then begins to keep an eye on it. --- Meanwhile, Mr. Dawson spots something unusual in the sky. Five people were flying by him at incredible speed. He bowed his head unconsciously. "They showed up on time. Mr. James will be OK in the future." He grumbled to himself. He feels relieved that everything will work out. Monsters at level 4 are different ball games. He felt insignificant in front of it. As a result, Then he sends Mr. Alvin a report. He''s in a good network area right now. He received a message not long after. Mr. Alvin invited him to return. He felt relief when he saw that and returned quickly. --- Ms. Norma and her team made it to the edge of the cliff. She came to a halt as she noticed the weak level 4 aura in the air. After that, she confirms it. The group gets closer to the location. They soon observed a devastation scene from the sky. The landscape has been utterly turned upside down. A large number of trees were uprooted. These are signs that there is a Monster in the area. "As expected, this destruction was done with its level 4 aura alone". Ms. Arlene observed after witnessing such a spectacle. They all nod in agreement when they hear that. Ms. Norma fixed her focus on a specific spot. It was found where the realm of a level 4 Monster had previously been stabilized. The strong concentration of energy was felt by Ms. Norma. Representing strength at the highest level. "This appears to be the location. "Where did it burst through?" she wondered aloud. Then she realizes the path it has left behind. It took a step back. With her peak elite level perception, she suddenly knew something. She is aware of her surroundings. Mr. James is nowhere to be found. Sensing this, she knitted her brows. "Did He do it or did He die?" She pondered in her head. Then, without wasting any time, she said, "Let''s go, the level 4 Monster has relocated." Everyone nodded when they heard that. They quickly began following the path at breakneck speed. When outsiders look at them, they will think they are moving too quickly. It''s the standard speed for those of the Eagle lineage. The bloodline, in particular, has a wind element. The Eagle team arrived at the place sometime later. Mr. James, who was keeping an eye on everything. Suddenly, something in the sky caught his attention. He takes note of their emblem. In his eyes, a gleam of lucidity dawned. "As a result, they dispatched the well-known Eagle Team." He made a heartfelt remark. Then he had the feeling it will all be over shortly. Observing his stare. The Eagle team have their eyes on him. Ms. Norma will know when he has seen him. She vanished from the scene. She appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. "Mr. James, You''ve done an excellent job. "You should leave this location," Ms. Norma stated solemnly. Mr. James nodded and walked away from the area as soon as he heard that. He was relieved that everything had gone smoothly. They''ll take care of it after that. Initially, I was interested in witnessing their fight. The fight will be over in less than ten minutes. If they all attacked at the same time. However, the intelligence of a level 4 Monster should not be underestimated. While attempting to disrupt the battle, it may assault me. As a result, I agreed with her. When Mr. James left this location, he went fairly far away. The Monster is then noticed by Ms. Norma. Her eyes were as piercing as an eagle''s. One of the bloodline''s powers is this. From the sky, she can see what the level 4 Monster is up to. She sees the enormous Monster. It is swallowing tonnes of soil. She notices with her eye''s abilities. She remembered the report citing high soil nutrient density. It''s almost as though the Monster has an earth affinity. "Surround the Monster," she told her squad after confirming this. "Aim with the Wind Blade at a single location." Ms. Norma didn''t go into any further detail. They all went on a lot of missions. This isn''t the first time it''s happened. They''re up against the Worm Monster. Ms. Norma took the lead, followed by the rest of the group. They were all encircling the level 4 Monster. They need to get rid of it as soon as possible. It''s a conflict between the Earth and Wind elements. As long as the Monster stayed on the surface, it''ll be a simple battle for them. It eventually went underground. It will then be difficult to eliminate it. The level 4 Monster, on the other hand, sensed the existence of four high-level energy. It ceased to consume its nourishment.. The level 4 Monster is well aware that the humans who have arrived this time will obstruct its feast. Chapter 114 - Part 1: Killed After that, they all surrounded the Monster. Ms. Norma was not about to spend any more time. She employed her wind element attack strategy. She raised her palms in the air. As a result, the surrounding twisting elements were abruptly drawn to her palms. When there was enough wind energy around her palms. Then she fashioned a massive, colourless wind blade. That''s long enough to rip the Monster apart. The wind blade had developed. She pointed to the body of a Level 4 Monster. The wind blade buzzes through the air, cutting through it at breakneck speed. The wind blade collided with the Monster''s wriggling body in the blink of an eye. Ms. Norma used her Elite strength at the Peak level. She didn''t hold back. She also told her teammates to use all of their strength. One of the humans was detected by the Level 4 Monster. Getting ready for an attack. As a result, the Monster chose to attack as well. The level 4 Monster ate a lot of soil in a short length of time. This isn''t meant to be cultivated. It''s going to launch a counter-offensive. When the wind blade made contact with the Monster''s body. There was no sound, and the wind blade pierced deep inside the Monster''s body. Ms. Norma was the one who initiated the action. In no time, the rest of them undertake the identical attack. In the air, four long wind blades formed. One by one, it approaches the Monster. They didn''t go over various parts of the monster''s body. The strikes were all directed at the same site. Ms. Norma''s wind blade had already entered this area. The level 4 Monster was getting ready to attack. It began to move its huge body in an attempt to adjust. But, in the meantime, Humans attacked it one by one, penetrating its body one by one. It made a deep incision, and it felt like the first attack had more energy than the rest. Since then, it has developed a gigantic body. Even for Peak Elite, numerous efforts are required to completely mutilate it. As it became angry. It started to feel as if the humans might fire a few more attacks. It would perish. As it felt threatened. It instantly, without wasting any time. It spits a tonne of soil at them from its huge mouth. The attack was swift, and the land is littered with a variety of boulders of varying sizes. It was also dangerous because of its speed. A massive tonne of the soil was hurled towards them. It was directed at the team''s weakest link. Those who were at the beginning of the Elite level. The level 4 Monster had previously detected their energies. As a result, it chose to focus on the pests before tackling the primary foe. Ms. Norma was well aware that this heinous Monster would prey on her most vulnerable member. She genuinely prepares for this attack, and the teams have a delicate understanding. Everyone was ready to help when they saw her move. They''re all lineage fighters, after all. They noticed the level 4 Monster. Preparing for a "Soil Barrage assault" with their ocular abilities. They had been anticipating this attack. The Monster then unleashed his attack. The team leader would then take advantage of the situation and slaughter the Monster. The monster employed "Soil Barrage" as planned. And the Early level Elite Members were ready. Seeing the onslaught approaching at warp speed. They completely avoided the "Soil Barrage" onslaught. It''s common for people with the Eagle bloodline to fly at breakneck speeds. The level 4 attacks of the monster miss their intended target. It was successful in striking neighboring terrains. More harm was caused, and the area was entirely turned over. In the Soil barrage attack, there are several massive rocks hiding. When it came into contact with the land''s surface. There were massive earthquakes as a result of it. If one examines the situation closely. They will land in an area that is prone to many earthquakes at the same time. The attack was initiated by a Level 4 Monster. It waited for enemies to get buried with this strike forever. However, if the strike misses the intended target. It became even more enraged. It didn''t spare any time-consuming, any more subsurface soil. But who is willing to take a chance? Ms. Norma had already vanished from her previous location. And she appeared from behind the creature''s head. She was aware of the current situation. She used both of her hands to summon a massive wind sword. Using a wind element to create a form. Controlling the attack at the perfection level is required. This is the level Zack aspires to reach in order to learn more about the synchronization level. The winds began to blow, and the wind element gathered around her. And then there was the final form of the sword. Meanwhile, Arlene and her colleagues. Attacked the previous location in order to mutilate its huge physique. This all happened in a matter of seconds. And the Monster then attempted to ingest soil with its massive mouth once more. Ms. Norma held the Wind sword tightly in her fingers. With her Peak Elite Strength, she sliced it down. A cut in the air was formed by the wind energy blade. It made touch with the neck at that point. Its neck was sliced by a wind blade that made no sound. Its gigantic jaws slammed shut. The level 4 Monster specialises in soil consumption. However, it was unaware of the incident. Ms. Norma quickly dispatched the level 4 Monster. Her abilities of speed, eyesight, and wind are all executed. She took out the Monster by herself. All she has to do is use her teammates to divert the Monster''s attention away from her. She was also chosen for the final cut. This isn''t the first time they''ve encountered the Worm Monster. On the other hand, level 4 Monster has no battle experience. To remove the weak link, it merely needed to perform a basic computation. However, it was unaware of our wind-related skills. This is the distinction between Monsters and Humans in terms of intelligence.. When up against battle-hardened soldiers, newly improved intelligence isn''t enough. Chapter 115 - Part 2: Killed After having another look at the Monster. She vanished from the scene and reappeared next to her teammates. Everyone is relieved to see this. It''s the same old routine. The Wind sword attack was seen by Ms. Arlene. She hasn''t quite gotten there yet. Time and time again, She has witnessed the attack. It had a positive impact on her. ''Captain,'' she said as she turned to face her captain. That Monster was slain in less than a minute. "Having you alone is still an overkill for that Monster," She commented. Everyone nodded when they heard that. With a little smile on her face, Ms. Norma responded. However, it quickly vanished. She took a few steps back and looked around. It''s total annihilation. She sighed when she realized this. "It''s fortunate that the level 4 Monster didn''t go on a rampage sooner." She pondered in her head. She was well aware that level 4 and higher monsters existed. Their mere presence alone is capable of wreaking havoc. However, the Monster has now been defeated. It''s time to look for any more Monsters that might be lurking around here. She looks at the faces of Ms. Arlene and others. "I''ve already explained it to you. It''s simple to defeat the level 4 Monster. The main job, though, is to locate Monsters that are similar." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Ms. Shannon assigned this assignment to us because of our bloodline," she said. We were born with the ability to fly. We can traverse more ground with Elite level Power." Everyone was listening intently. "This area of the Black Forests is used for training purposes. To combat Level 2 Monsters. There are various weird level 2 Monsters in this Black Forest. The majority of them had something to do with Earth Elements. This Worm species is also an earth element Monster, as you can see. As a result, we must look for more level 4 Monsters. Also, get rid of the Peak level 3 Monster." Ms. Norma calmly conveyed the situation to her teammates. Everyone smiled and nodded. Following that, the Eagle team began looking for other prospective locations. ¡­ Mr. James, on the other hand, had already reached the edge of the precipice. He felt earthquakes from the ground the entire way. However, after a few minutes, it came to a halt. When the shaking stopped, he realized the battle was done. However, getting to the cliff took him more than half a day. He looked up from time to time to see Eagle Squad. "Looks like they''ve got some other tasks," He reasoned. Because this is the only way to reach Station town. After that, you''ll get to the cliff. He was perfectly relaxed. Before continuing on his quest, He intends to relax. This area is still under a weak signal zone. He still has a long way to go before he can find a suitable location. ¡­ When Mr. James arrived at the edge of the cliff. The Eagle team had previously looked several potential places. Maps of the black forest were supplied to them. All of the red and blue specks were recorded. Their quest will be a lot easier now that they have this knowledge. However, they will still need a few days to accomplish all of the Black Forest zones. ¡­ Meanwhile, after a few hours. Mr. James made contact with the administration office as well as Mr. Dawson. They were relieved to discover that Mr. James was unharmed. Mr. Alvin sends Mr. Dawson to fetch him up right away. Mr. James had been waiting for a long time. He got word that Mr. Dawson was on his way. As time passed, Mr. James heard a noise. He pushed himself up from the dirt. When he saw the vehicle, his lips curled slightly. When the vehicle came to a complete stop. Mr. Dawson took a step out of the car. When he saw Mr. James, he raced up to him and hugged him tightly. "You took a great risk this time. Mr. Dawson smiled as He continued, "I''m pleased you''re okay." Mr. James reciprocated with a hug and a light pat on the shoulder before saying, "Let''s go." A few hours later, Mr. Dawson began driving. Mr. Dawson recalls something on the way. "I know you''re psychologically fatigued," He murmured, leaning in close. "Did you respond to Zack?" "It''s fantastic that you prepared the stuff in time," Mr. James stated with a smile after hearing that. "If Zack stayed back during this commotion," He added. It''s difficult to keep a few things hidden. Because it''s a confidential matter. He could be a target." Mr. Dawson became aware of the problem when he heard that. On the surface, it appears to be a level 4 Monster problem. However, it is the soil that is causing the problem. The monster was able to reach the mid-level as a result of it. If the soil has any secrets. Any information relating to it becomes top secret as a result. The study team is still a few days away from arriving. They have been told not to come here until the situation has stabilized. Mr. Dawson has a fresh gleam in his eyes now. He thought, Mr. James, considered the major issue and made a swift choice. To return Zack to the home. Mr. James is merely thought to be observing the Monster. He doesn''t want Zack to know. As a result, no one is pursuing Zack and Mr. James. He also sent us back earlier. Which also saves us. "Thank you, Mr. James," He said, looking at Mr. James. Your rapid decision saved not only Zack''s life, but also the lives of our teams. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized. That, if they found anything in the soil, they would silence us. When he considers the prospect. "Now we don''t have to think about anything else," Mr. James stated after hearing that. Because we need to inform them as it is. Not adding anything further on this topic" Mr. Dawson''s anxiety calmed when he heard that. He consoled himself by thinking, "Yes, we can tell them, We are survivors of this attack.. And they won''t do anything to us." Chapter 116 - Fight For The Resource? Zack arrived at his house one day later. It''s a beautiful sunrise. I''m relieved that Uncle James'' mission is now over. The Black Forest enlightened me about the vastness of our world. Ms. Tracy''s Elemental Zone inputs. As well as knowledge about unique level class Monsters. It''s something I''m really looking forward to. Prior to that, I must complete my studies at the Hansen Sword Centre. I sighed when I realized this. I arrived home early this morning. Now, I must return to the academy. Mr. Arthur requested that I return as soon as possible. If He is anticipating my arrival, He is referring to the Resource List. My eyes glistened with anticipation. I''d gotten my fill of level 2 Monster blood. I have a sense that in a few weeks, I will make another physical strength breakthrough. My lightning cultivation became a source of anxiety for me. I was first concerned that physical cultivation would fall behind. Now, it''s the opposite. As a result of the recent restriction by the Hansen training center. I''m not even sure if I''m allowed to visit Mountain Liz. It''s something I''m thinking about. It appears that I will require Intel. "I''m not sure if they''ve heard anything about Max''s situation." Perhaps I should inquire of Mr. Arthur while gathering information." I had a thought in my head. I had a few discussions with Granny Park after a few minutes. Before, I had left for the academy. She requested that I take a day off. But I''d had enough of it. During my travels yesterday, I did nothing except sleep. I also told Granny about my Black Forest training. Especially when it comes to the dreadful Ant Queen. when compared to that black tree. To Ant Queen, The Black Tree is a little paler. Once I break through and reach the Peak level in Trainee Apprentice. I want to fight both of them. My lips tremble a little as I consider that possibility. I''ll have to work a little harder for a year. According to my teacher, I shall benefit from the Crimson Sword Hall Exhibition Match. While pondering it. I arrived at the city station. I boarded the train as usual. I arrived at my training facility a few hours later. Without wasting any time, I stroll towards Mr. Arthur''s Cabin. "Knock¡­Knock" I went up to the door and knocked. The door swung open instantly. Mr. Arthur was seated in his seat when I entered the cabin. With a smile, I said, "Good Morning, Mr. Arthur." Mr. Arthur was taken aback when he saw Zack. He was wearing a big grin on his face. "You''re busy than me, Zack," he said with a snort. One of the treasures on the resource list was obtained by me. But I can''t seem to locate you." His message was clear. He is a little let down by him. Even the administration has expressed its disgust with Zack. It''s another thing not knowing about his strength. With such strict privacy rules in place. They are powerless to stop it. However, he did not reveal his location. It''s a little excessive. Their academy, in particular, is being scrutinized. Because the Max Stewart case wreaked havoc on the city. He pushed these dismal thoughts to the back of his mind and fixed his eyes on Zack. I was taken aback when I heard that. I''m at a loss for words. Mr. Arthur never said anything to me that made me angry. "Can you tell me what happened?" In my head, I pondered. I''m not sure if Uncle James said anything to him. I made up my mind quickly. I''m afraid I won''t be able to tell him I''m unwell. It''s a ridiculous excuse. Warriors, in particular, do not get sick easily. I was able to come up with a reasonable response. For that, I''ll have to put in some effort. His glance catches my attention. "Mr. Arthur, I''ve been mentally exhausted lately. I was, after all, the last person to spend time with Max Stewart. My senior brothers and sisters are interrogating me. I''m at a loss for words. It mentally exhausted me. That''s why I needed to get out of the house. I went outside for a few days," I murmured, a forlorn expression on my face and a sad tone in my voice. Hearing Zack''s response Mr. Arthur''s expression had softened a little. He heard everything from Ms. Adeline Key. She serves as the class''s Mentor. She is quite concerned about Zack. Max''s pals were indeed obstructing him during training, He admitted with a groan. "If that''s the case, I''m fine with it." Then everything is fine. The Max Stewart case is dead in the water. In addition, our academy is under fire. As a result, it''s natural for you to be stressed." With a smile, Mr. Arthur reassured him. "Don''t you want to know about the resource we obtained for you this time?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. This time, his tone was less pleasant. "Looks like everything worked out," I said after hearing that in my head. "I truly want to know what the treasure is," I added. But, based on his expression, I had the impression he wouldn''t give in that quickly. looks like I need to be prepared for everything. "Last time, we gave you a Mind fruit treasure and a movement technique," Mr. Arthur said. "But, this time," he added, looking at me. I''m not even going to mention the treasure''s name. Unless you can demonstrate your fighting skills in a fight." I cursed him internally when I heard that. However, it is reasonable for them to inquire. So far, they have been pouring resources in without asking for anything in return. "They want to see how far I''ve come," I reasoned. I did, however, hesitate a little. Will I be required to demonstrate my elemental ability? I''m not sure what they''re up to. Observing Zack''s apprehension. Mr. Arthur was aware of the situation. "Then I''m ready for the test," I said. Hearing Zack''s response Mr. Arthur was ecstatic. "Then go, prepare yourselves," he said. The event will take place in the afternoon. With a smirk, he remarked, "You''ll be facing one of your seniors." I was taken aback when I heard that. But I don''t let it show on my face. Chapter 117 - The Research Team I merely gave him a nod and walked away. I intend to enter the level 3 gravity chamber right away. "Senior. "Who will it be?" I paused for a moment. But, thinking that, I shook my head. "I''ll find out eventually." I had a thought in my head. ... The administrative office was reached by Mr. James and Mr. Dawson. Mr. James is responsible for reporting to Mr. Alvin. They arrived at his cabin quickly. "Knock. Knock" was heard. The door swung open. They both walked into the cabin. Mr. Alvin got out of his seat and walked over to Mr. James, patting him on the shoulder. "James, I never imagined our expedition would turn out like this," Mr. Alvin stated solemnly. "We were extremely lucky to escape," Mr. James added with a nod. As He looked at Mr. Dawson beside him, he spoke these things. They had previously agreed on a strategy. "Yes, Mr. Alvin," he said, nodding his head. We managed to go away with our lives intact. The aura of a level 4 monster was too much for us to take." Internally, Mr. James smiled. Mr. James thought to himself, "He''s doing better than I expected." They must persuade this elderly gentleman. This is a rescue mission, not a soil investigation mission. Listening to both of their responses. Mr. Alvin sighed deeply. "You should Thank, Eagle City''s Ms. Shannon." This could have turned into a far worse situation if she hadn''t intervened so quickly." Mr. Alvin expressed his gratitude. Mr. James was unsurprised when he heard that. He was well aware of it. When he saw their logo, he was ecstatic. "How is the situation out there?" he asked, changing the subject. "Do you have to ask?" Mr. Alvin remarked, looking at Mr. James. That Monster was killed in under a minute." "Your mission is fulfilled," He said after looking at each of them. You''re not required to look into it any further. In a matter of hours. The soil testing mission will be taken up by the research team." Hearing it, they both nodded. Mr. James didn''t go any farther with it. He wants to get out of here. He didn''t waste any time in submitting the report. He made changes to the report along the way. On the subject of the soil, He erased his opinions. Make it all about the level 4 Monster. Following the submission of the report. They both walked out of the room. Observing both of them depart. Mr. Alvin studied the reports once more. Squinting at every detail in the report, his eyes were squinting. While reading it, his lips curled slightly. "As sharp as ever, it''s no surprise you''ve managed to keep your job and thrive in the organization thus far." In his perspective, Mr. James was someone he admired much. Because this report not only kept them out of trouble. But it also protected them from being questioned. It also allowed him to retain his leadership position in the Black Forest Zone. Otherwise, those arrogant guys in the research department might interrogate them. And in certain circumstances. they will purposefully blame him and his team for their failings. Mr. James has now resolved the issue. The research team will have to start from the beginning. He felt a wave of calm rush over him. Now all he needs to do is pass it over to those people. ¡­ Mr. Norma and her team searched a number of unsafe locations. However, no indication of another level 4 Monster has been found. They run into a couple of level 3 Peak Monsters. Her teammates killed them completely. She didn''t take any action. For them, it will be a little tedious. "Captain, only the west and central regions of the Black Forest remain," Mr. Arlene replied. looking at her captain. Ms. Norma nodded but did not respond. She noticed that some of her team members were debating something. "Can you tell me what happened?" In a casual tone, she questioned them. Ms. Ava took a step forward and said, "Captain, We''re talking about the benefits. "Do they have any plans to reward us?" Hearing it, the other members'' ears perked up. They want to know what their leader has to say. Ms. Norma smiled when she heard that. "Don''t be concerned about the benefits. Despite the fact that we came here to assist. There are no casualties and the mission is still considered a success. Furthermore, we had to postpone our own Mission as a result of it." She explained everything to them in a calm manner. They were all ecstatic when they heard that. Despite the fact that they are regarded as a powerful Elite Warrior by the rest of the city. They still require resources to continue on their path. "I hope that old hag won''t be stingy," Ms. Norma thought, seeing her team members smile. The Headmistress even threatened us to come here." She pondered in her head. She had also resolved to obtain something from Mr. Alvin. It is his own fault for failing to properly govern this territory. ¡­ A few hours later, on the other hand. The research team arrived on the scene. Twelve people were split into two groups. Each squad is separated into two groups based on gender. A Lean Man leads the Male team. He has a scholar''s aura about him. The battle warrior, on the other hand, is totally different. His two cunning green pupils, on the other hand, were capable of tricking others. He''s dressed in a long white jacket and black pants. A lady leads the female team. She is a little overweight. She is wearing glasses, which she adjusts on the road from time to time. People thought she was harmless. They don''t realize, though, how manipulative she is. With just a few words, she can sway other people''s opinions. They''re walking towards the administrative office together. Mr. Alvin is seated at his desk. Suddenly, he received a message from his station''s staff. He got out of his seat after reading that. "They don''t even let me know when they''re coming." Mr. Alvin grumbled.. It''ll be a pain in the neck. Chapter 118 - Soil Anomaly? Mr. Alvin exited the Administration''s office to welcome them. Brianna Dorsey is the female lead, and Austin Waller is the male lead. Both of them arrived with their squads in the Administration office. The research team was taken aback when they saw it. Mr. Alvin was not arrogant in any way. Instead, He was aware of these individuals. With a warm smile on his face, he instantly put on a show. "Welcome to the Black Forest, Sir Austin, and Madam Brianna." Mr. Alvin greeted both of them. He then escorted these individuals to his office. Both Mr. Austin and Ms. Brianna exchanged glances. When they arrived at Mr. Alvin''s cabin. They all sat in their assigned seats. Ms. Brianne has a cheeky smile on her face as she sees Mr. Alvin. Mr. Alvin was the subject of her observation. "From your report," I must say. That surprised me; The Black Forest soil has a lot of spiritual energy. Even Level 4 Monster is having break through." Mr. Alvin did not object when he heard her statements. "That''s why we need experts like you to solve this riddle," he said. It wasn''t always like this. When it came to spiritual (or world) energy. We only found out recently. Because of the presence of a Level 4 Monster." Mr. Austin, but, quietly listens to their arguments. After a few exchanges of words. Mr. Austin expressed his opinion in a fairly impersonal tone. "I think we should start our work immediately, Ms. Brianne." Mr. Alvin was taken aback. But he was able to maintain his composure. Hearing her name, Ms. Brianna assumed he was uninterested in this discussion. So she just nodded. Both of them were eager to get started on the project. Mr. Alvin handed them the report from Mr. James as well as a few other earlier reports. They look over a quick overview of the report together. Mr. Austin''s brows wrinkled as he read the report. Ms. Brianna, too, had a dissatisfied expression on her face. "The report is all about the rescue mission," Mr. Austin explained. This soil anomaly isn''t even the subject of a theory." "I heard you acquired some skilled warriors," he said, looking at Mr. Alvin. They didn''t locate anything, though." His tone was obnoxious. Internally, Mr. Alvin cursed him. But he said, "As you can see, dealing with Level 4 Monster is more vital than dealing with soil oddity." The Warriors of Eagle City were dispatched to deal with it." With a smile on his face, Mr. Alvin said. When they heard Eagle City, The team leaders exchanged glances and didn''t say anything else. "Then we take our departure," Mr. Austin said as he stood up from his seat. Mr. Alvin nodded and said, "If you need anything, feel free to ask me." He wasn''t looking for anything more. He''s relieved that neither of them pursued the topic any further. After a few days, The Eagle team departed from the Black Forest. They eliminated every level 3 Peak Monster they could find. But, they were unable to locate any level 4 monsters. Mr. Alvin received Ms. Norma''s report before she left. He also gave her and her team a prize. Mr. Alvin is relieved that the situation in the Black Forest has calmed down. Mr. James left this zone the same day he delivered Mr. Alvin the report. ¡­ Mr. Arthur''s cabin, a few days before. "No, why are they fighting now?" Ms. Adeline Key screamed angrily. Mr. Arthur Emerson was astonished when she lost her cool for a bit. "Calm down, Ms. Key," he said. It''s not too late. In the meantime, we can do something about it." Mr. Arthur Emerson persuaded her to change her mind. Mr. Arthur Emerson''s words were heard. She took a deep breath and calmed down. Mr. Arthur Emerson sighed deeply. It''s all about Zack in this matter. Zack was before accepted as our candidate by management. In preparation for the forthcoming Crimson Hall event. But, recent events surrounding Max''s absence have made quite a stir. And there were many who were unhappy with Zack''s appointment. They used this chance to fling mud at each other. He was well aware that Zack had nothing to do with it. People, but, use it as an excuse. So that they might take advantage of his opportunity. He was well aware that this would have an impact on the Hansen Trade Centre''s ambitions. They devote a significant amount of resources to Zack in particular. But, he was unable to persuade several members of the management team. They now want to give one of their members the opportunity. Observing the deterioration of the situation. He was the one who came up with the test concept. These old coots from the management, however, never consented to his requirements. Rather, they come up with their own solution. This is a disadvantage for Zack. Ms. Adeline is enraged because of this. "What happened to these people?" Mr. Adeline replied she is annoyed. "Few of them cared about the Crimson Hall contest earlier. Especially when it comes to Crimson Hall," she concluded. At that time, They were genuinely terrified. Nobody wants their Seed candidate to compete in that tournament." This time, she is completely perplexed by the new circumstances. For an explanation, she looked to Mr. Arthur Emerson. Mr. Arthur knew he had to say something. Mr. Arthur smiled and remarked, "Right, like sending lambs to the slaughterhouse." "However, there has recently been new information circulating. Between the higher-ups of many organizations," he added. Ms. Adeline Key''s ears perked up when she heard that. Observing Ms. Adeline''s responses. "Rewards for this tournament are actually a treasure," Mr. Arthur added with a smile. Ms. Adeline was taken aback for a time. She let out a gasp. She was shocked and covered her mouth. She wondered aloud, "When did this organization become capable of giving treasures?" This is difficult to believe. Affinity stones and a few million credit points. Are usually used as the prize for this competition. However, after hearing Mr. Arthur, her life has been turned upside down. "Is this true?" she inquired. With a sardonic smirk on his face, Mr. Arthur nodded. Even he couldn''t believe it at first. "We don''t even get to enjoy the treasure." Even so, it''s difficult to come by." Ms.. Adeline expressed her sadness. Chapter 119 - Easy Fight "Now, you know these old coots," Mr. Arthur continued. Why are they so irritated about it?" Ms. Adeline simply nodded in response. Even they are thinking about treasure after hearing about it. She said with a shake of her head. "Is Zack have any chance?" She inquired in a normal tone. "According to the agreements, Zack must defeat each of their nominated members. This is going to be a physical strength-based fighting exam." Ms. Adeline was given an explanation of the terminology by Mr. Arthur. She sighed heavily after hearing that. "From here on out, it''s up to Zack." She added something to the conversation. The two of them then conversed and discussed various topics. ¡­ In the meantime, Zack had exited the gravity chamber. "This Gravity Chamber at level 3 is incredible." I had a thought in my head. Earlier in the chamber. I can only withstand the pressure for thirty seconds at a time. I couldn''t stop thinking about it. The blood essence of Level Monster only offered me a minor boost in strength. It''s not a stalking distinction. I''m hoping to be able to withstand more. If I''ve had a breakthrough in future. I eventually arrived at the location while thinking. It''s the same underground facility. It isn''t, however, an underground dome arena. It''s a separate area with a little combat platform. There aren''t many spectators in this area. With the exception of four persons. They were waiting for me when I arrived. I accelerated my pace towards them. Except for one, who stood in an upright position waiting for his opponent. While the other three having a conversation. When they saw Zack, they immediately stopped talking. "So, he''s your pupil." Mr. Derek Elliot remarked. While pointing his fingers in the direction of Zack. Ms. Adeline nodded at him. Mr. Arthur Emerson is in the middle of the two of them. His face has a tiny smile on it. Nobody has any idea what he''s thinking. Zack''s opponent and senior is the individual standing upright. Barry Mann is his name. He didn''t have a friendly smile on his face when he saw Zack. His eyes were ablaze with rage. He''s looking forward to defeating Zack. His inconspicuous actions were never unnoticed. Mr. Arthur Emerson sighed as he watched Barry''s deft moves. Ms. Adeline Key walked up to them and introduced Zack. Mr. Derek Elliot was greeted by Zack. He merely gave him a nod. But she remained silent. Then Zack introduced himself to his Senior Brother Barry. He didn''t even acknowledge Zack''s greeting. "What a jerk!" Internally, I cursed him. These entitled folks irritate me greatly. We didn''t even exchange any movements with this guy. He, on the other hand, is already arrogant. I want to slam a brick in his gorgeous face. I kept a neutral expression on my face. Mr. Arthur Emerson was the only person I turned towards. Mr. Arthur took a step forward when he saw this. He turned to face Zack and Barry. "You''re both aware of it. What is the significance of this battle? As a result, you are not permitted to seriously damage or disable your opponent. This is a straightforward strength competition. I hope this makes sense." Mr. Arthur issued a severe warning to both of them. Both Zack and Barry nodded when they heard it. They were aware of Hansen Training Centre''s bottom line. Observing both of their demeanors. Mr. Arthur smiled as he spoke. Then he motions for them to step onto the platform. It''s a small but formidable combat square platform. They can show off all of their strategies without having to worry about running out of room. Zack and Barry walked onto the stage. They were on opposite sides of the room. Mr. Arthur smiled and nodded. "Start!" he exclaimed. Barry raced towards me when he heard that. I watched him clench his fist and prepare to strike me. When I saw that, my lips curled a little. I didn''t want to activate my ability to perceive. Three powerful warriors, in particular, were watching the battle. Even if it wasn''t the case. I don''t have to use my hands to win this fight. When his punch was an inch from my face, I moved. I took enough of a step to the side to avoid it. As a result, his fist slammed into the empty air beside me. I can imagine him becoming even more upset as a result of this. He repeatedly tried his fist attacks. But I simply avoided all of them. I''m not on his level. ''You coward, Zack! "How come you''re avoiding all of my attacks?" Barry became enraged and yelled at me. He''s extremely enraged. For a brief moment, he stopped attacking. By glancing at his face, I had a big grin on my face. When Barry saw his smile, he choked up. "I dare you to take my fist attack Bastard!" he cursed again. If it weren''t for the existence of these individuals. I would have turned him into a cloud of blood. Against him, my strength is far too strong. If my calculations are correct, he has just been promoted to Early Apprentice Warrior. Even if I was able to use my strength to attack. It would cause him significant harm. So I''m going to demonstrate. It''s simple to avoid his attacks. Mr. Derek, on the other hand, has a displeasing expression on his face. "What''s the matter with him jumping around?" He said it in a disappointed tone. Mr. Arthur shifted his gaze to him when he heard that. "Are you referring to Zack or Branny?" He said that with a smile on his face. He was initially concerned about Zack. But now that He has seen this fight. He was at ease. Zack didn''t even bother to try. He, on the other hand, easily avoids Barry''s strike. Barry, on the other hand, is visibly out of breath. He''s pursuing him. His fist can''t even go close to his shirt. The power imbalance is plain to see. At this precise moment, all of a sudden. "Do we have to keep watching this match?" Ms. Adeline Key smiled as she said. Hearing that, Mr. Dereck''s visage darkens. He has no idea what to say. That Brat is simply playing with his disciple in this way. It''s evident that Barry lacks the strength to press him. This is an unexpected outcome. However, he sighed and reassured himself. "We can put an end to this match!" he stated to Mr.. Arthur Emerson. Chapter 120 - Life And Death Duel Mr. Arthur Emerson went forward and announced Zack as the winner. When we heard him, we immediately stopped sparring and turned to face him. Barry''s face began to twitch. "No, how is this possible," he exclaimed. I''m the one who''s going after him. He is certainly fleeing." He''s smearing me mercilessly. But I was aware of it. This is the only way the outcome can be. They must have noticed how easily I dodged his assaults. Senior Barry, on the other hand, is gasping for air. Mr. Arthur Emerson gave Barry a harsh look. "Are you interrogating me?" So far, Zack has been having fun with you. On the other side, you''ve run out of options. Mr. Arthur remarked, "You can''t even get close to him." With his aura, he presses down on Barry. Mr. Dereck, on the other hand, has a skewed expression on his face. "All right, Arthur, that''s it. He is still a warrior who has awakened. There is a great deal to learn." Mr. Dereck reminded him of something. He dispels the aura with ease. As he moved forward to get Barry up off the ground. Mr. Arthur Emersion sneered and said, "Humph." Ms. Adeline Key approached Zack and patted him on the shoulder. "You astounded me, Zack." It''s been days. Since the last time, I saw you. "However, you didn''t slack off on your training," she remarked, smiling. I merely gave her a nod. I didn''t want to say anything in front of this guy, so I didn''t. Hearing Ms. Adeline''s words of praise for Zack. "This will not be the last match," Mr. Dereck sniffed. From here on, he''ll be up against a lot of people." Barry''s scowl is still visible on his face. He''s still staring at me with a venomous glare. Mr. Dereck and Barry then walked away from the dueling platform. As both of them walk towards the exit. Mr. Dereck spoke to Mr. Arthur in hushed tones. Mr. Arthur had a serious expression on his face as a result of this. But he remained silent as he watched both of them go away. Mr. Arthur Emerson then approaches Zack on foot. Then he revealed a bitter expression on his face. "Zack, you did an excellent job and did not disappoint either of us." Zack was well-liked by Mr. Arthur. As he directs his gaze towards Ms. Adeline. He then motions for them to accompany him to his cabin. I sighed internally, satisfied that everything had gone smoothly. But I have a sneaking suspicion that this isn''t done yet. Especially since that Dereck man mentioned more battles. In such a scenario, I''ll try to extort as many resources as I can. We arrived at his cabin quickly. Ms. Adeline sat on the left side of me. Mr. Arthur took a seat in the front row. "First, let''s get this conversation started. This is the resource you''ve been waiting for." Mr. Arthur reached inside his storage ring and pulled out a small silver case. I grinned internally, thinking to myself, "Finally, there is a good thing." On the small silver case, I''m looking at the delicate carvings. I''m not sure if it''s merely for show or has a deeper meaning. But, in any case, it''s quite lovely. As I was admiring the artwork. Mr. James reminded me that I needed to get it. I keep it in my ring of storage. Then I turn my gaze to Mr. Arthur Emerson. "As I already stated, Zack. Your position is being considered by management. And give it to a member of their own family. However, with your victory today. "I can easily persuade them." Mr. Arthur said, his voice solemn. Looking at his face, I''m perplexed. His facial expression contrasts with his remarks. "Is there any other issue?" I inquired. Mr. Arthur Emerson sighed as he heard that. "I''m sure you heard Mr. Dereck say something. He stated that there will be more difficult battles. As the representative seed in our Hansen Training Centre. You have to face a lot for the time being. The old coots, on the other hand, permitted other candidates to challenge you. If they win, they''ll be appointed as a representative." Mr. Arthur Emerson patiently explained to Zack. I was speechless when I heard that. "These folks don''t think, do they?" I need to get some practice in." In my head, I cursed them. I intend to make a breakthrough. However, I''m not sure how this works. "How many people do I have to confront and for how long?" I questioned, looking at him. There''s still one year left for a Crimson Hall Event, in particular." I told them in an irritated tone. "If you want to deter them from challenging you," Ms. Adeline Key remarked this time. "Fear must be instilled in them." Mr. Arthur Emerson and I were taken aback when we heard that. Ms. Key seems gentle, I thought. Observing their astonished expression. "In today''s fight," Ms. Adeline Key giggled. You didn''t do a good job of fighting him. You could have beaten him with a single move. You, on the other hand, have chosen to avoid him." I''m starting to think after hearing her statements. "If you had defeated him correctly," she added. People will think twice about challenging you after that." "Yeah, Zack, she''s right. Just go for it in the next match. Don''t hold back your strength. This isn''t even an elemental battle." I was persuaded by Mr. Arthur Emerson. I simply nodded in response. They could assume I''m an Early Trainee Apprentice after this conflict. However, they are unaware of my full strength. If I go head-to-head with the enemy. I''m sure I''ll be able to crush them. It''s possible that I''ll get exposed in the process. Details will not escape the notice of those with keen eyes. It''s something I''ve been thinking about. I devised a strategy quickly. "Mr. Arthur, in that case," I responded as I stared at Mr. Arthur. I''d like the regulations for the tough match to be changed." "What?" Mr. Arthur inquired, perking up his ears. He''s caught off guard. He, on the other hand, is awaiting his reply. "It''ll be a life or death battle," I added after a little pause. "What!!!" As she stood up from her seat, Ms. Adeline Key yelled. Mr. Arthur Emerson is taken aback by the situation. His ears rang with disbelief. "Did you just say something?" Incredulous, he said. Ms. Key is then motioned to take a seat by him. She settled onto the seat, her tensions soothed.. With their penetrating eyes, they both stared at me. Chapter 121 - Peak Level (Trainee Apprentice) "You are aware of the Hansen Training Centre''s guidelines. Mr. Arthur Emerson stated solemnly, "Killing is not permitted." "Zack, I told you to make them fearful." However, this does not imply a life-or-death struggle. "It''s too much," Ms. Adeline expressed her concern. ''Ms. Key, I didn''t make my decision based on your advice,'' I said after a little pause. Mr. Arthur might have known about my Uncle. That is why I must train for the academy admission exam. I''m not interested in wasting my time with these people. They''ll put a halt to my training." I responded with a solemn tone. "Only by having a life-and-death duel," I continued. We''ve dealt with people like this before. They won''t bother me then." Having heard my explanation. Ms. Adeline Key and Mr. Arthur Emerson exchanged a glance. "However, for the entrance exam. There are still two years remaining." Ms. Adeline Key was perplexed. Mr. Arthur Emerson sighed. "Yes, Ms. Key, he is correct. According to what I''ve heard, the Entrance Exam may take place sooner this time." She responds with a nod. "It''s not up to me to make the final decision," Mr. Arthur Emerson remarked, looking at me. I''ll inform you tomorrow. You are free to practice." When I heard it, I nodded to both of them and left the room. I don''t have a choice in the matter. Only a life-or-death fight could provide me with peace of mind. In light of my strength. The duel will be quite simple to win. Because all of the contestants will have lower strength. After Zack had left Mr. Arthur''s Cabin. Ms. Adeline Key sighed deeply. "I never considered it." He is really courageous." "What do you think of his strength?" Mr. Arthur asked, with a little smile on his lips. Hearing that, she paused for a moment before responding, "After witnessing today''s match." He had a breakthrough, I suppose." Mr. Arthur Emerson said, "He must be at Midlevel, Otherwise, He wouldn''t have suggested a life and death duel." "What are you going to do about this?" Ms. Adeline inquired. "I''m going to ask higher-ups," Mr. Arthur said. His position has made some individuals envious. In addition to the resources we lavish on him" In his mind''s eye, the image of the silver case appeared. He thought to himself, "It''ll empower him even more." They didn''t go any further with this subject. They discussed other serious issues. Meanwhile, Zack walked into the Gravity chamber. He had booked a whole room for himself. I walked into the simple room. I''m going to put this wealth to good use. I didn''t even bother to ask him. During our talk, we discovered what kind of treasure it is. As soon as I walked into the room. The door closes on its own. The meditation mat was placed on the ground. I didn''t activate gravity. This room will be used to consume the treasure. I sat on the mat after that. I took the small silver case from the ring of storage. As I slid the case open. I came across a small blood pill. A name is also inscribed on a small piece of paper. When I saw that, I gasped. As I already stated, I require a blood pill from the available resources. However, I failed to mention the name of the Monster. It is up to the training centre to make the decision. And they gave me a rare monster''s blood pill now. It''s a Mount Snow Ape blood pill. It belongs to the Class Monsters category. Blood Pill is a supplement that helps with physical strength. Those who have elemental abilities don''t give importance to physical strength. Apart from The exception of, Bloodline warriors. Physically, elemental warriors are vulnerable. As a result, people frequently take a blood supplement. To increase their physical strength. Nonetheless, the blood pill is divided into several categories. Based on the type of monster, the pill''s grade, and the amount of blood essence in the pill. The Blood Pill in my hand is from the Monster class, which is a rare level class. That''s why I''m taken aback when I read that name. I''m getting a whiff of its medicinal odor. It appears to be a level 1 Peak level Pill. I took this blood pill after confirming it. I was able to swallow the pill once it had entered my body. I felt a warm current rush through my body. It''s the first time I''ve used Blood Pill. The Ape Monsters are feared for their ferocious strength. I recite the Blood cultivation chant without further ado. As a result, The Blood Ring Rune began to shine in my consciousness. The hazy red light begins to work its magic. The blood essence was engulfed by a red light. The white energies from the blood essence were drawn to it. Then, one by one, the white energies pierced into my bones. "Aaargh... Aaargh..." I screamed at the top of my lungs. Due to the agony, I became dizzy. The agony is unbearable. This blood essence is more potent than other monsters of the same rank. To keep awake, I bit my lips. Sweat is dripping down my back. The agony continues. The procedure is in progress. With my perception, I detected something. There''s still a little bit of blood essence left. Tears fall from my eyes unintentionally. It felt like an eternity. Right now, I''m concentrating on staying awake. After a few minutes, I felt the weight of the massive mountain being lifted off my shoulders. "I broke through," I thought to myself. As I ripped my way through the limitation. In terms of physical strength, I''ve hit the pinnacle. The entire amount of blood essence was used. Drilling by the white energies came to a halt. A big heated current runs through my veins as a result of that. It affected my hands, limbs, waist, groin, and other bodily regions. My muscles were strengthened and each cell in my body was loaded with energy. My skeleton''s normal red lines have widened. As a result, my bones are becoming a little tougher. All of this filled my body with power. Having achieved success. My aura appears to be more distinct now. It''s a dark crimson colour. "Now I have to concentrate on bringing Lightning Element up to the same level," I muttered. Chapter 122 - A Challenge From Steven I''m feeling a tremendous amount of strength inside of me. I was overjoyed. I reached the Trainee Apprentice Peak level. Many of them aren''t Entry Trainee Apprentices at this level. If Uncle James was made aware of it. "I''m sure he''ll be stunned," I reasoned in my head. Now I''m free to unwind. And concentrate on the next strategy. Suggestions of life-or-death combat may appear foolhardy. However, I believe they will improve resource quality in order to stimulate competition. My lips curled slightly, wondering that. the old coots could wish to rescind my appointment. I wasn''t all that interested at first. My teacher, however, wanted me to join in the Crimson Hall Event. I made the decision not to give up my position. When it comes to the Crimson Hall Event, there are a few things to keep in mind. It has piqued the interest of even my mystery teacher. I''m confident the prize will be beneficial to me. After making a breakthrough, I decided to put my might to the test against Gravity. I got up from my meditation mat. I put it in my storage ring after that. I exited the basic gravity area and entered the level 3 room right away. The gravity level is then activated. I''m getting ready to wait for the pressure to build up. As I expected, a 30 times stronger gravity than normal begins to pressurize me. The pressure caused me to knit my brows. "It''s ineffective at my current level," I thought to myself. Despite the fact that I was nervous. However, I cannot utilize level 3 to train myself. I stepped out of the chamber and into the level 4 room. I activated the gravity chamber. A force of gravity 40 times greater than normal began to bear down on me. As a result of the pressure. I couldn''t get my back straight. It''s difficult to imagine 40 times gravity. I started to adjust to this higher level, and a few minutes later, I was ready. I''m able to take normal breaths. However, I was still unable to sit upright. I sat as straight as I could. I was in excruciating pain. My entire body is being pressed against a wall. The time was up in a matter of minutes. I''m still gasping for air. Before calming down, I took a few deep breaths. I examined my sci-fi wristwatch. "Three more hours," I calculated in my head. I took a look at the A. I Monitor screen. Stay away from this gravity chamber, my inner thoughts were screaming at me. I, on the other hand, clenched my teeth. Also, set a timer for five minutes. The training has begun once more. "My body is in excruciating pain," I thought three hours later. Seeing that the period has come to an end. Today, I''ve decided to call it a day. I don''t want to take it too far. It might make things more difficult. I walked out of the chamber and into the washroom. After a shower and a change of clothes. I make my way to the exit. Unfortunately, this is not the case. From behind me, I heard footsteps. Since there isn''t a high-level Warrior in the area. My perceptive ability was triggered. My mind quickly conjured up a mental image of people. "Trouble is on the way," I thought to myself. I hurried towards the exit, not wanting to waste any time. However, I soon heard a voice. "Zack, hold on a second!" I came to a standstill when I heard that. When I turned around, three people were staring at me. I welcomed them with, "Hello, Senior Brother and Senior Sisters." ''This time, I''m hoping. "They''d have some manners," I grumbled. Steven Conway, on the other hand, pointed his finger at me. Steven, Andrea, and Ina are in the same class as me. "How long has the three been together?" I had a thought in my head. "I know you are the Representative Candidate for Crimson Hall Event." He stated when he saw me, and I remained expressionless. Seeing my unmoved expression. "There is a circular going around," he continued. Management, it was stated, allowed anyone to challenge you. And by winning, we will be able to take your place." He stated it with a big grin on his face. I breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing that they were still holding a grudge. I used my invisible aura to make them take a step back the last time. They must have felt betrayed by their [pride]. "So, what?" I said as I shook my head, thinking about it. Three of them were taken aback when they heard that. No one anticipated me to respond in that manner. I''m looking at you. "I''m going to challenge you tomorrow," Steven Conway said. Let''s see if you have a smug expression then." Internally, I sighed. Another lamb on the verge of being butchered. My mouth curled slightly. "Then I''ll be looking forward to it tomorrow," I said. Without waiting for a response. I left this location. "Ms. Key warned us not to cause him any problems." Ms. Andrea expressed her displeasure. "I''m interested in his position as a representative," he said as he craned her neck. According to what I''ve heard, Management is devoting resources to him." "If I could have some free resource," he said. In no time, I''ll have a breakthrough." None of them spoke against him after hearing that. Ina stood silently by Andrea''s side. She hasn''t formed an opinion on the contest. Andrea, on the other hand, believes Steven is deliberately causing him difficulties. She, on the other hand, remained silent. Since it''s a challenging duel. Ms. Key will be speechless at that point. After the training centre had closed, a few hours later. Mr. Arthur Emerson did not return home; instead, he convened a conference. It''s a gathering to discuss Zack''s proposition for a life-or-death duel. It''s a virtual meeting. One by one, figures began to show on his operational screen. All of them arrived a few minutes later. There are a total of eight persons in the group. "What happened, Arthur?" Is it necessary to convene a special meeting?" With a disgruntled tone, a bald old guy said. The timing of the meeting does not appear to be acceptable to him. Few of the old coots share the same viewpoint. The rest of them were deafeningly quiet. They were waiting for Arthur''s explanation.. They assumed he would only do so if it was really necessary. Chapter 123 - Suggestion Accepted Looking at the individuals who are yelling at him. He was unfazed by the situation. "It''s about the Morning circular that is provided to all our people," he said, his stare steely. When they heard that, they immediately stopped bickering and turned to face him. "It''s already determined, the old guy became enraged. And we came to a unanimous consensus. Don''t tell me you''re here again to persuade us." He stated. The remaining members also have dissatisfied expressions on their faces. People who have previously backed him have been silent this time." "This scumbag" Mr. Arthur yelled obscenities at him in his mind. But he didn''t overtly say anything. "Elder Jensen, I''m not here to convince," he said instead. When I stated those last words. I looked at each of them and said, "But, Zack Lockwood wished for a life and death duel." The elders were all taken aback. Elder Jensen''s eyes were also wide open. Elder Alicia smashed the table with her palms, "Smack...Smack." The table got disintegrated. Everyone knew Elder was enraged when they heard that roar. This was an unexpected outcome. As they all knew that many of their grandsons and granddaughters. were contending for the position of representative. Mr.Arthur was well aware that the old coots were irritated. When he saw their uncertainty, he realized their entire scheme would fail. If this is a life-or-death situation. They can''t even get rid of Zack. His name has already been registered as a Seed Candidate. This information has been shared with a number of organizations. That''s why they''re focusing their efforts on Zack. Crimson Hall''s rewards, on the other hand. caused these ancient coots to reconsider their first decision. As a result, they devised a number of loopholes. They eventually settled on a difficult duel strategy. Internally, Mr. Arthur smiled. He''s curious as to what they''re going to decide. Elder Alicia''s rage was uncontrollable. "This is our institution," she said. "I don''t understand why we have to wrap our heads around this little brat." "It would be better," she continued. If he died, I''d be happy. Then it will be less difficult for us." She said it in a threatening tone. Her statements didn''t sit well with many of the elders. who had noticed that the atmosphere had changed. Especially the most powerful of the elders. Thornton, Elder A former member of the Army Federation who is now retired. Elder Thornton showed his disapproval with a "Humph." "Alicia, if you don''t want your little clan to vanish off the face of the earth. With a chuckle, Elder Thornton added, "It would be better if you behaved. and didn''t even consider doing anything to that little kid." Everyone was aware of his smile, which was nothing more than a warning. Zack''s background had already been examined. Despite the fact that he is an adoptive child. His adopted father is well-known within the organization and has many significant connections. They certainly don''t want to hurt Zack. Elder Thornton''s remarks were heard. Elder Alicia''s face flushed with terror. She seemed to be terrified. Then decide whether or not to stay. Observing her responses. Everyone let out a sigh. "Why are you folks thinking about crooked ways?" Elder Jensen said. Don''t forget that Army Federation has jurisdiction over our city." He didn''t go on to say anything else. Only a few astute individuals have deciphered the underlying meaning. But they continued to sneer at him. He is the one who devised the difficult duel. He is now acting in a more upright manner. "All right," Elder Thornton said. Everyone was staring at him. He is neutral among them, not because he is powerful. He follows all of the rules and regulations. Elder Alicia was among those who pricked up their ears. "Everyone should think as higher ups of the Hansen Sword Centre. rather than your individual, family, clan, or other organization''s perspective." Elder Thornton remarked after a brief glance at Mr. Arthur Emerson. "When we originally chose Zack," he continued. There are no differences between us. Certain seniors, in particular, were delighted to push him forward. So that he can be utilised as a slaughter lamb." He looked Elder Thornton in the eyes as he stated that. Hearing those words, Elder Jansen''s face looked as though he had just eaten excrement. The faces of several of the elders have turned green. They were humiliated. They don''t hesitate to twist their words and views when it comes to benefits. Elder Alicia also helped them. She had previously backed Zack. Mr. Arthur burst out laughing in his heart as he observed their reactions. "Way to go. He thanked Elder Thornton for speaking out against nepotism. In order to give a representative position for their descendants. They don''t even think twice about stooping low. "I want to remind you," Elder Thornton said. Crimson Hall''s deeds are well-known. They will almost certainly target and kill students. It has happened in the past. It''s not even going to change this year. Specifically, information on the tournament''s prizes. I believe it was leaked on purpose. As a result, this year will be even worse than in past years. They''re planning to entice and kill all of the potential applicants. This time, the death toll will be higher." Hearing his statements, they all took a moment to process them. Elder Jensen, who had been irritated previously. In his mind, there was a moment of clarity. As a result, he exhaled deeply. Elder Alicia considers it as well if a member of her clan achieves a good position in the competition. It would be ideal, but if she loses, not only will the member perish. It''s possible that her family will be targeted. Then it won''t be a problem if it''s Zack. It is also beneficial to the Hansen training centre. Now that she has grasped everything, she made the decision not to argue in this case. Elder Thornton fixed his gaze on them. "It appears that all of you have a better understanding of the situation." "Our best option is Zack." Elder Thornton stated. Then he called for votes in this life-or-death contest. They can''t rescind the circular because it''s already been distributed. they can only opt to follow Zack''s suggestion.. Everyone voted for a life-or-death duel this time. Chapter 124 - Part 1: Notice Zack walks to Mr. Arthur''s cabin the next day. "I''m not sure if these old coots accepted my idea or not," I reasoned. I have faith in Mr. Arthur''s negotiating abilities. As I approached his cabin. I went up to his door and knocked. Mr. Arthur then invited me inside. I thought things turned out perfectly when I saw his happy grin. However, I did not start the conversation. I sat in the seat instead. I''m waiting for him to start talking. Mr. Arthur Emerson fixed his gaze on Zack. "This young man''s suggestion was approved. But, did he foresee all of this?" His mind is occupied with a train of thinking. He immediately debunked it, though. He reasoned that Zack was dealing with his own problems. Perhaps he''s bothered by Max''s incident. Because of this, he didn''t want to confront all of the students. Mr. Arthur came up with his own justification. "I informed the higher-ups about your decision, Zack." They''ve agreed to it. Mr. Arthur stated with a smile, "You have one week to prepare. For life or death duel." He remained tight-lipped about the meeting''s inner workings. My mind got relatively calm after hearing his comments. Then I''d be able to concentrate on my next objectives. The problem with the duel event has been resolved. "Thank you, Mr. Arthur," I responded as I glanced at him. "I understand that doing so is excessive. My training would be disrupted otherwise." With a solemn tone, I stated. It''s important for me to be clear about what I''m saying. Otherwise, these folks may take action. Mr. Arthur nodded in agreement. They also discussed a few other topics. Zack eventually left his cabin. I''m on my way to the library. The mystery surrounding the blood element is deepening. I''m overjoyed by the breakthrough. However, it would be beneficial if I had some knowledge of the subject. I''m pondering it. However, there comes a new announcement on the challenging battle. It is delivered to each student''s digital student account. The new message is being accessed by many students via their Sci-fi watches. ¡­ There is one particular group among many. Who appears to be dissatisfied with the situation? Steven Conway, Ina Walker, and Andrea Kramer make up the trio. When they have finished reading the notice. Their minds are filled with a variety of thoughts. "Is it true? I can''t believe what I''m reading. Why would management turn the fight into a life-or-death match?" Andrea presented her thoughts in a perplexed tone. Steven Conway, on the other hand, flashed a wicked grin. "Actually, I want to watch Zack''s reaction," he said instead of responding to her inquiries. He has to be terrified. I assume he has already resigned from his Representative seat." The two girls nodded in agreement as they heard his words. Ina Walker chimed in this time, chuckling, and said, "You told us yesterday." You want to be in his shoes. So, what are your plans now?" Hearing what she has to say Steven ponders the situation. He never expected the institution to act in this manner; they adhered to the No Kill philosophy. Why has it changed now? Many students are now aware of this position. He is a Mid-level Warrior. Only a few people could have a chance against him. There are, nevertheless, persons in the academy. They have reached the pinnacle of their Trainee Apprenticeship level. "Do you have any idea what they''re going to do? They can participate if they want to. Then it becomes impossible to compete with them "He made a mental remark. It''s preferable to wait and see what happens. After that, he told Ina, "Now is such an inopportune time to behave. Let''s wait and see what happens ". Two young ladies gave him a friendly nod. They agree that this is a good decision. The notification has spread like wildfire among the students. It also reaches some of the building''s oldest students. ¡­ One of them is a teenager. He is the son of a family of adventurers. Daniel Haynes is his name. Having light skin and brown eyes that are round. On his left chin, he has a little sword scar. He''s dressed in a green adventurer''s robe and black leather pants. He appeared to be a regular individual. However, this is not the case. His family isn''t large or important enough to belong to a large family or clan. As a result, they act on their own by accepting adventure quests. They earn from the black market mission as well. This frequently includes robbery, espionage, and assassination. As a result, their earnings are slightly higher than that of ordinary civilians. Daniel''s family had hoped that he would be promoted soon. As a result, they could continue to grow their family. However, his abilities are insufficient to keep up with his family''s plans. His moral convictions were eventually distorted. As a result of his family''s pressure. And his own inferiority feeling regarding his low aptitude. Later, his sole purpose was to achieve a breakthrough. To get resources, he won''t think twice about robbing and killing. He is now more aware of the finer points of fighting. When he learned of this, management poured resources into the representative. His mouth twisted into a devious smile. I busted out laughing. "I couldn''t think of a simple approach to obtain additional resources. They even permitted killing. With this, I''ll be able to quickly achieve my next breakthrough "He laughed madly as he said those things. He is unconcerned about the murders. He used to get resources by killing people. Those deeds were carried out in the dark. He now has the opportunity to do it in full daylight. That, too, is lawful. He was overjoyed to be able to do this. He looked at the facts about the current representative with a bursting excitement. He furrowed his brows. "It appears that the management has already spent some resources on this guy," he reasoned. "He''s only 11 years old." He whispered to himself, "He''s still a cub." However, he soon realizes something. "How come he hasn''t withdrawn?" He said something. "It appears he hasn''t seen the notification yet; otherwise, he would be terrified." He said that. In this room, he is now undergoing some training. He''s running out of credits as he prepares for the next breakthrough. He had made his decision.. Go to the registration counter and register for the life-or-death duel. Chapter 125 - Part 2: Notice The news also reaches several elders'' descendants. Philip Jensen is one of the individuals. He is Elder Lane Jensen''s grandson. Elder Jensen was the one who devised the challenging duel. It''s all because of Philip, his grandson. Philip is a man with a ruthless demeanor. He''s a tall man with a lot of muscle. His physical appearance belies his age. He has the appearance of an adult citizen. He is a 12-year-old boy. He, like Daniel, is at the Peak level of Trainee Apprentice. He is dressed in white. The outfit consists of a white leather shirt and white slacks. His hair is short and dark. He is attractive due to his dark eyes and straight nose. He read the notification with pinched brows. He had a fight with his grandfather the night before yesterday. His family''s wealth is sufficient for him to look forward to his future. But who doesn''t want to take advantage of the training centre''s free resources? His Grandpa had previously forbidden him from taking part in the Crimson Hall''s Event. Later on, he reversed his decisions. Inspiring me to learn about the prizes awarded to the top performers at the Crimson Hall Event. He became content. He''s looking forward to it now. Grandpa''s remarks, on the other hand, had infuriated him the day before. The higher-ups decided on a life-or-death fight. He encouraged me not to take part in the fight. And what enraged him, even more, was that it was presented by a rookie. Zack Lockwood is the current representative. They will support it after they have learned about it. His demeanor deteriorates. Even if he Kills Zack, he will have to deal with those individuals later. Some of them were the same as he was. He''s at a loss on what to do. They have given you one week to register. I need to make a decision before the deadline expires. Then he closed his eyes and pondered. In his training room, he is currently meditating. ¡­ At the house of Frazier Clan in the early morning. Mr. Frazier is arguing with a young female figure. Maria Frazier said with a displeased tone, "No, I won''t engage in that duel." Hearing her daughter''s remarks. Mr. Frazier sighed deeply. "It''s a good opportunity," he remarked. "Something interesting might happen at the Crimson Hall Event, according to our sources." With a kind gaze, he stared at his daughter. "But, sadly, your training Centre only got one spot," he continued. "I want to concentrate on the Entrance Exam," Maria Frazier said. There are numerous academies available. I''d like to be well-qualified to fight for it. This Crimson Hall nonsense just serves to divert my attention." Witnessing her daughter''s resolve. "All right, it''s OK," Mr. Frazier said. Because you are unwilling. It is preferable to leave this topic alone. "You may now leave." By stating that, he makes a signal to his daughter. Maria Frazier smiled and thanked her father for his help. Mr. Frazier was approached by someone after she had left. Me. "What do you think?" Frazier inquired of his butler. His butler is an elderly gentleman. "I believe Miss is correct," he replied. The Crimson Hall isn''t going to change its ways. If she agrees to take part. Her chances of being killed might increase. Furthermore, she must not create enemies. with the descendants who control Hansen Training Centre in the process." Hearing his butler words. Mr. Frazier gave him a kind nod. He paused for a time before saying. "Whatever opportunities are accessible at the Crimson Hall Event. It''s not for a well-established family, clan, or organization. We''ve got a lot more to lose. Furthermore, this is a headache for the training institutions. Instead, we should concentrate on those Academies ". Maria makes her way to her room. There are two main causes behind this. She does not want to be a part of it. She was first uninterested. As she explained to her father. Her attention is focused on the entrance exam. Second, she was familiar with the existing representative. She refuses to take his chance. It''s been weeks since I''ve seen you. She hasn''t seen him since she last saw him. She assumed he was getting ready for the Crimson Hall Event. As a result, she is unaware of current happenings. Maria arrives at the training centre a few hours later. She encountered a large number of students along the route. "Something is going on," she remarked. Normally, this location appears barren. It now appears to be crowded. It didn''t bother her. As she was walking towards her training room. Suddenly, she heard some folks say something. "Did you get a chance to look at the notices?" Person 1 uttered ''Is it true that management permits killing?'' Person 3 was the one who inquired. "Can you tell me who is current representative is?" Said Person 4. There''s a lot of chattering like this going on. Maria came to a halt. She entered her student account and accessed the notice after hearing that. After reading the notices'' contents. She was rendered speechless. She''s at a loss for words? When did that hard duel become a life-or-death battle? She had doubts about herself. "No wonder there''s a bustle," she thought as she looked about. Suddenly, a mental image of a specific person appeared. "Did he withdraw?" she wondered, feeling sorry for him. She believes that now is the time for Senior students to take part in this life-or-death struggle. Her father summoned her early in the morning. "Did he realize?" she wondered. She then shook her head again thinking, when the notice arrived half an hour ago. That''s not something he''d be aware of. She made the decision to track down Zack and soothe him. She doesn''t have a lot of contact with him. However, because they were in the same class, she felt it was impolite not to console him. Ms. Adeline, she assumed, had already spoken with him. Zack is currently engrossed in his studies in the library.. He is completely oblivious to the commotion. Chapter 126 - Ridicule On the way, Maria Frazier notices something. His schedule was known by everyone in her class. Zack is at the moment in the library. She exhaled a sigh of relief. "I''ll be able to meet him at afternoon training." She made a mental remark. ¡­ Zack left the library dejected a few hours later. "It''s probably best if I didn''t come here in the first place. There are only a few books in the library. The majority of the information was restricted." "I told myself." I couldn''t help myself but, consider one person. Ms. Tracy is the first person who springs to mind. She has a great deal of knowledge. She shared some of her experiences with me. Those were nowhere to be found in our library. A sigh escaped my lips. "Perhaps I should wait a few months before looking for answers," I thought to myself. I consoled myself by saying, "One step at a time." My first goal was to improve my physical appearance. Following a breakthrough, my constitution seems to have improved. From the Basic domain level to the Near Level 1 domain level. I''m thinking about it. To get to 15, there''s still a long way to go. I shook my head, believing that these dismal ideas would be pushed to the back of my mind. When compared to ordinary warriors, I may appear to be a genius. I was under the age of 12 when I reached Peak and Mid-level. Before officially attending the Academy, achieving a Double Breakthrough. It''s incredibel. But, When it comes to the inheritance test, though. This progression continues to be slow in my opinion. Nobody hands over resources to me on a silver platter. I''ll have to put in a lot of effort to achieve it. It''s the one positive aspect about which I''m pleased. The blood element contributes to the growth of the body. However, I need to work on unlocking the 7th region of my brain. So far, I''ve only used two mental treasures. My perceptual talent skyrocketed as a result of it. But I''m not sure when I''ll obtain something like it again. I decided to seek Mr. Arthur Emersion for permission to complete the task outside of the city. I soon found myself in the discussion hall while thinking about it. It''s a pleasant surprise for all of them to be here. I gave them a small scowl as I looked at them. But I quickly became expressionless. I took a step into the room. Ms. Adeline Key had already sensed my presence. She was well aware of life-or-death battles. As a result, she didn''t ask many questions. She motions for me to walk into the hall. When I walked into the hall, I was met with multiple stares. I looked to my right and saw a familiar face, but there was no Candace. But Maria Frazier. Our gazes collided. She felt compelled to say something. But there was one sharp look from my left. I shifted my sight to the left. "Steven," I grumbled. I was taken aback when I saw him with two senior sisters. I''m not sure if he saw the notification about the life-or-death fight. "Senior Brother, you challenged me yesterday," I said with a smile. "Did you forget?" I inquire. hearing my question. They were all taken aback. Steven Conway, in particular, was taken aback. He came to the meeting room to see Zack''s worried expression. However, there is a contrast. He seems unmoved and unconcerned. "Did he back out?" He pondered in his head. "Zack, Junior Brother, Have you resigned from your position?" With a kind smile, he inquired. Ms. Adeline, however, is an exception. That is the question that everyone wants to know the answer to. They were unable to obtain a response from Ms. Adeline Key. They were looking for answers from Zack. I''m staring at his bashful grin. I could see he was lying. I''m not sure why he''s accompanied by senior sisters all day. In response to his inquiry "No, why would I do something like that?" I simply said. But in my thinking, I cursed at him, "I''m the one who suggested it, you d*ck head." I couldn''t say it out loud, though. As a result, I smiled a little. Zack''s resolution is at the top of the list. Everyone was taken aback. However, "Ha... Ha... Ha..." Steven Conway erupted in laughter. This set off a chain reaction. Andrea Kramer and Ina Walker couldn''t stop laughing. They began to chuckle as well. Maria Frazier had a helpless grin on her face. Ms. Adeline Key, she reasoned, must have persuaded him. On the contrary, nothing of the sort occurred. Ms. Key was the only one she glanced at. In the rooms, there was laughter. Several back lines emerged on Ms. Adeline Key''s forehead. Zack''s martial prowess was well-known to her. He simply harassed that Barry kid the last time. That''s why she didn''t try harder to persuade Zack. She does, however, have some reservations. Steven, on the other hand, couldn''t believe what he''d just heard. His eyes welled up with tears as he laughed. He looked Ms. Key in the eyes and said, "Mentor, something is amiss with his head. "Please double-check it," he replied, smiling. Misty eyes were also seen in the two girls next to him. Unlike Steven, they are now able to contain their laughter. They couldn''t help but believe Zack is simply stupid. When I looked at his laughter, I couldn''t help but frown. This idiot had no idea what was going on. As a result, I didn''t want to waste my time explaining things to him. "They''ll find out eventually. "Just wait till the weekend," I told myself. I sat in an empty seat close. Without paying attention to the clown''s face. Maria Frazier appears to be disturbed, according to my observations. Seeing that made me grin inside. "At the very least, there are some sane people in my class," I thought to myself. "I''m here to give some lectures, so don''t disturb my class." Ms. Adeline key stated, pressing him gently with her feeble aura. Steven returned to reality after sensing this.. And he stopped laughing, but his heart was still amused. Seeing his younger brother who is na?ve Chapter 127 - Assassination Attempt? After everyone had gone to their training session, the talk went on for another hour. Ms. Key reminded Zack before she left. In the Centre, there are students. They were unconcerned about a life-or-death situation. As long as there are advantages. They are prepared to go to any length. There''s a chance they''ll take part. As a result, she insisted that Zack not become complacent. She has witnessed his duel with Barry. Zack, on the other hand, did not demonstrate any martial skills. She is apprehensive about his techniques because of this. After explaining everything to Zack. She was at ease. When I heard it, I gave her a kind nod. She then exited the building. Without spending any time, let''s get started. I make my way to the Gravity room. However, there is someone who will be waiting for me ahead of me. "Do you want to train in the Gravity Chamber?" I asked Maria, I pointed my fingers at the door. "I merely came here to counsel you," Maria remarked after hearing his comments. "This Crimson Hall Event appears to be a trouble." She spoke in hushed tones. "I know you''re doing it for resources," she continued. However, a large number of people are covering your role. It always ends up in trouble. I believe it is in your best interests for you to resign from this position." She said, her voice solemn. For a brief while, I was stunned as I listened to her remarks. "When did she start caring about me?" Is it because I am a classmate of hers?" In my head, I made a remark. I didn''t want to jeopardize her goodwill. "There''s still a week to go." I''ll give it some thought." I stated it with a smile on my face. Maria was unfazed by this news. But she nodded and walked away. She didn''t think about it much on the way. It''s natural for anyone to need time to consider anything. She quickly pushed these thoughts out of her mind. And she began her education. Zack''s gravity training proceeded as well. ¡­ Zack afterward spotted his Uncle James in the hall later that night. "Uncle, Have you recovered from your injuries?" Zack was the one who inquired. Mr. James came to a halt when he heard that. He shifted his gaze to him. "I''m fully recovered now. Don''t be concerned." He said that with a smile on his face. He then went into his room. I''m relieved to hear that. When he gets back from the Black Forest. I was unable to spend time with him. Owing to his injury. Zack, on the other hand, has no idea that his uncle has made up the story. Zack was bound to ask some questions, he knew. He refuses to respond to that. As a result, he exploited this fabrication to divert his attention. ¡­ Meanwhile, a secluded apartment. In tier-7 city is located far distant from this location. The masked man is currently roaming the streets of this city. some hours later, he was seated in his chair. With a smile on his face, he examines the report. "The majority of the seed candidates have been slain in this city thus far. I''ll be leaving this city soon to move on to the next." He was relieved that the recent missions had gone off without a hitch. His men completed the task flawlessly and without leaving any trace. As he was gleeful about it. His Sci-Fi watch vibrates with a notification. He examined the message. He was completely taken aback when he read the name. But not for long. He had a big smile on his face. He said, "I almost forgot about this man." Then he read the message all the way through. So, the greedy scumbags discovered Crimson Hall. They now seek to snare his position by engaging in a life-or-death fight. "Well, it simplifies things for me." I didn''t want to be in his shoes. I''d rather have his life." The masked man said something. Then he comes up with a brilliant plan. Make one of his spies sign up for that game. When the timing is right. He can legally assassinate Zack. He is pondering it for a bit. It''s a fight for survival. What if he concedes defeat in the middle of the game? He wants to send someone who can be trusted. Someone who has the ability to kill him on the first strike. He quickly accesses his sci-fi and watches to learn more about his spies. That happened at the Hansen Training Centre. Not all of his spies carry out his orders. Some people''s sole purpose is to provide information. In exchange for additional data. After reading the summary. A sigh was let out by the masked man. He only discovered one man. Before, I used to instruct him what to do. He must make arrangements for payment in advance. As a result, he resolved to inform that individual the following day. ¡­ The following day, at Hansen Training Centre. Zack is now undergoing laser training. His movement techniques have been honed. After the time was over, I gasped for air. It''s been weeks since I''ve trained in this chamber. I haven''t practiced in a combat training chamber in a long time. My movement technique still needs a lot of work. I need to adjust my skills to match my new level. I logged into my student account on a whim. Few people had offered their names for the life-or-death combat, I discovered. "They have to be seniors," I said. Only a few days remain till the deadline. I am unconcerned with the final members. Because each week only has one match. I can''t fight continuosly. As a result, they chose to hold one match per week. Which is also beneficial to me. In the meantime, I can build up my strength. ¡­ In the meantime, in another room. A man is having an affair with his younger sisters. His charming features and pleasant grin. His sister''s heart skips a beat. His sci-fi watch vibrates with a notification. His smile vanished when he realized this. Some of his sisters were concerned when they saw his startled expression. However, he silently left the area in search of a more remote site. After he got close to a specific new room. He takes the message and reads it. He quickly grasps the situation. Why is he being targeted for assassination? He isn''t interested in learning the cause for it. However, he believes Zack will die at some point. He doesn''t need to make any personal moves. As a result, he replied to the message by saying. My name will be entered into the registration. But I''m not going to act right away. He''s well aware of the issue. Every week, there will be one match. He doesn''t want to be the first one to say something. It will be far too noticeable. He has a lot of resources at his disposal. His older and younger sisters had already provided him with sufficient resources. He has no compelling incentive to participate.. So, an hour before the deadline, he made the decision to register his name. Chapter 128 - Ancient Skill Division Days passed, and Zack went about his daily routine. He is looking forward to the weekend. While practising in several battle chambers, he is honing his talents. ¡­ The day before, Zack is preparing for life-or-death duel. My technique for moving my legs has improved. However, it is still far from flawless. In the training chamber, I''m currently meditating. I''m attempting to digest my newfound knowledge. After so many days in the library. I made the decision to cool things down and not go there until it was absolutely necessary. Despite the fact that I couldn''t locate anything linked to the elemental zone or the blood element. But I came found something that all warriors have in common. When it comes to skill development, I now understand the proper course to take. I''m not as clueless as I used to be. The path of skill development can be interpreted in a variety of ways. While wandering through the library. I read a book about the division of skills. The book outlines the evolution of skill division throughout human history. In that book, there is some history that is lacking. It does, however, provide a glimpse of ancient skill division. At first, whether it''s Martial Combat Technique or Elemental Combat Technique, in the ancient age. According to ancient division, the skill technique growth path is separated into four divisions. Each division is divided into four sub-levels: beginner, intermediate, proficient, and specialist. 1. Small Wheel 2. Big Wheel 3. Perfect Wheel 4. Great Wheel Now, different civilizations gone by. The Skill division was also interpreted in various ways. People in the modern period do not follow the ancient skill categorization. Rather, they adhere to present practises. The level of perfection is the final stumbling block. Once they had perfected their craft. They have the ability to cause synchronisation. And their combat capability will skyrocket. Prior to this, my goal was to achieve perfection. But now, after reading that book, I''m not so sure. I''m thinking other thoughts, and I''m no match for today''s warriors. I cultivate the cultivation technique. They''re both quite ancient one. My intuition told me to stick to the old skill division. Not to blindly follow the trends of the day simply because it is convenient. After some consideration, I decided to follow the ancient skill division. I also created a self-rule. My understanding is restricted. As a result, it makes no difference. It doesn''t matter if it''s information on Monsters, Elements, Herbs, or other valuables. Prior to gaining sufficient knowledge of the subject. I''m not going to make any decisions. My healing and blood elements, in particular. It is something about which I need to learn more. I''m going to hold off till I''ve been accepted into Academy. If I hadn''t read that book earlier, for example, I wouldn''t have had those talents. I''m not aware of any ancient skill division. I also discovered that The Great Wheel is regarded as a myth. Because, even in antiquity, People who have attained the Great Wheel degree of competence are extremely rare. They are regarded as unrivalled evildoers. So many eras have passed. People have created a plethora of high-tech machines and weapons. As a result, their reliance on them grew over time. As a result, in today''s world, individuals keep the perfect stage as a last skill limit. Because in today''s modern world, persons who achieve perfection are regarded as modern-day geniuses. After deciding to follow the ancient divide. I put those earlier skill divisions in the back of my mind. The importance of skills is enormous. Some abilities are inextricably related to your consciousness. My "Reckoning Circle" and "Sword Divide" both become part of my lightning rune, much as my "Reckoning Circle" and "Sword Divide." It was even became part of the Triad rune. Thankfully, I didn''t pick up too many skills and became tied to my consciousness. "I''ll have to be more cautious from now on." "I told myself." The ancient and modern skill divisions are vastly different. I had the impression that the stage of current excellence is comparable to the Big Wheel of Ancient Division. In my face, I flashed a wry smile. "Then my abilities are at the Entry Wheel''s Beginner Step." I was thinking to myself. I sighed when I realised this. Cultivation levels are similar to skill division. You can improve your skills while increasing your cultivation levels. But I''m not going to waste any time on it right now; my main concern is passing the inheritance test. However, I will make every effort to improve my abilities. Which would undoubtedly help my battle capabilities. ¡­ Later that night, "I heard from Mr. Arthur about a life-or-death duel," Mr. James stated, looking at Zack. He was quite anxious." Mr. James sighed deeply. "They don''t know your true elemental strength," he added. It will be relatively simple to win the game. But I kept it a secret from him. Instead, I promised him, "You''ll be fine." "If not for the teacher," I said when I heard that. I wouldn''t recommend a life-or-death duel. It''s a shame that this happened immediately. After entering the academy. I''m sure I''ll be able to communicate with him." Observing Zack''s dissatisfaction. Mr. James made the following observation: "I understand your dissatisfaction. But only if you''ve received formal recognition. It''s pointless to attempt anything. He''s genuinely putting you to the test. He''s already taught you how to use lightning as an attacking and defensive strategy. Now it''s your turn to demonstrate your development by enrolling in academy. Then he will be able to guide you by recognising your potential." "Having a special element does not make one individual take you as a disciple," he remarked. "Uncle James, I understand. My goal isn''t to join the D-rated institutions. To get into such higher-grade institutions, I''ll improve my performance." I responded. "It''s possible Uncle James is worried about the D grade quota. I, on the other hand, do not. Examining the existing state of affairs. It''s simple to get into an A-rated school.." I was thinking to myself. Chapter 129 - Changes? It''s time for a life-or-death duel the next day. "It''s really crowded," I thought to myself. The training centre is bustling with activity. Normally, there aren''t many people wandering through the corridors. I had previously looked over the notification. So far, 12 people have signed up for the life-or-death duel. It will take a total of twelve weeks to complete. Every week, there will be one duel. Following that message, I began to unwind. A life-or-death combat is not for everyone. Unless they are in desperate need of funds. As I made my way towards Mr. Arthur''s cabin. Many interested eyes were fixed on me. I didn''t mind and kept walking. When he arrived at his cabin. Mr. Arthur was reviewing some reports when I arrived. He motions for me to take a seat when he sees me. "Zack, "Are you ready for today''s match?" he asked, smiling. "I don''t see how it''s going to help?" I replied with a nod. Zack''s question was heard. Mr. Arthur responded with a smile, "As soon as you go onto the platform. You are unable to depart without killing the opposing party. To put it another way, from both of you. Which among you is still alive is the winner? Because the match was held in the dome venue, as is customary. In accordance with the law. No one is permitted to observe your life or duel. You can both employ any strategy to eliminate your opponent." Mr. Arthur patiently explained everything to me. That''s what I''m hearing. "Then it''ll be simple," I said mentally, but kept a neutral demeanour on the outside. After that, Mr. Arthur took a little case from his storage ring. "This case includes healing medication," he continued, looking at Zack. "Once you successfully exit the dome arena, I will offer you a healing pill." He said, with a pained expression, "I''m the one who got you into this problem in the first place. As a result, for the next twelve matches. I''ll give you some healing pill. As a result, ensure that you win." Hearing that made me feel warm. It''s not as if I don''t have any hidden agendas. I''m also taking part because of my enigmatic teacher. Otherwise, who wants to make enemies for no cause at all? Then we both had a little conversation before I left his cabin. In the afternoon, a life-or-death struggle will take place. Today I''m not going to the combat training room. I''ll meditate until the afternoon. I walk into the vacant normal training room. I was driving when I remembered Mr. Arthur''s healing pill. He is a considerate individual. Despite the fact that I have a healing element. The healing process will be accelerated with the use of a healing pill. "However, I don''t believe I''ll get hurt," I smirked. Now I''m experiencing a double breakthrough. I''m not afraid of level 2 Monsters. People here are almost at their Peak Apprentice. I''m going to annihilate them. I arrived at the location quickly. There is a lot of training room. I''ll just go into one of them. After seeing one. I didn''t waste any time and started meditating right away. At first, it was with my awareness. My Dantian drew my attention. It''s brimming with thunderous intensity. The impurities were cleaned as usual by the old lightning totem. So, hopefully, I won''t be forced to employ the lightning element. I wish to fight with my physical prowess. If I use lightning as an example. Soon, the struggle will be finished. ¡­ In the Hansen Centre, Everyone was looking forward to the match. They want to know who will fight Zack out of a group of twelve persons. One of those individuals is perplexed by the scenario. Luke is the name of the individual in question. "I assumed that the matchup would be done on a first-come, first-served basis. So, at the last minute, I registered my name. These old scumbags in management are now plotting something." When Luke saw the new situation, he grimaced. I was told by the Masked name. He don''t give a damn about my tactics. He''s fine with it as long as I kill Zack. A girl sobbed by his side at this point. "I noticed your name in the registration list, Brother Luke. What motivates you to participate?" Her eyes were red, she claimed, her eyes teary. More of Luke''s sisters soon noticed him and began bothering him. They were unconcerned about Zack''s safety. They dismissed him as a minor newcomer. They are anxious, though, about Luke, who will face new opponents in the coming weeks. "These scumbags aren''t going to leave me alone for a second." He yelled obscenities at them. While consoling them, he quickly leaves this location. ¡­ The building''s highest level. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, is to blame for this new development. There are only a few elders present. The majority of them did not show up. They were unconcerned, unlike Elder Jensen. Elder Thornton had come to show his support for Zack. Despite the fact that they had never met in person. He is pleased to assist someone who is a member of the federation. Now that he''s seen Elder Jensen''s move, he''s frowning. "Mr. Jensen, please accept my heartfelt greetings." Rules must be followed. Your grandchild is the one who needs to fight first. He''s the first person to sign up for a life-or-death duel," he added sarcastically. Elder Jensen was disappointed after hearing him. "Humph," he said. "It''s our institution," he said. We have the ability to alter as we see fit." On the contrary, he was embarrassed on the inside. He hadn''t expected his grandson Philip to be the first to register his name. He cautioned him against taking part. However, he later learned of the registration. He was powerless to argue with him. Initially, he persuaded him to participate. I''ve gone backwards now. As a result, without an option. To protect his grandson, he handed him a defensive artefact. He can kill Zack as long as he can be offensive.. But he still doesn''t want him to go up against Zack first. Chapter 130 - Part 1: Zack Versus Daniel "I don''t know who will be my opponent," I mutter as I walk towards the same dome arena. It''s just that I''m intrigued about it. Except for my classmates, I never met any other students. It''ll be a fascinating match. I soon arrived at the arena. Mr. Arthur and Ms. Key are in the monitor room as usual. They instructed me to wait here earlier. I came here the last time for the Blood Kill test. I''m about to engage in a life-or-death battle. As I was pondering it. My Sci - fi wristwatch beeped. Ms. Key is on the line. I answered the phone. Above the screen, her hologram face appeared. "Zack, Prepare yourself. In addition, a participant was chosen at random to battle alongside you." Ms. Key expressed herself in a calm manner. When I heard that, I realised what was going on. So it''s possible that my first opponent will be different. "Seems like the management did something again," I thought to myself. She also informed me about the current time. There will be no time limit imposed. Unless one of the parties is deceased, the dome will not open. I''m paying attention to her explanation. It seemed extreme to me. I was the one who proposed a life-or-death fight. Our privacy rules, on the other hand, are very tight. If both are discovered to be alive. It is then simple to reveal the other party. We had already been given permission to use our elements. So long as there''s one survivor, he''ll be able to keep his secret. Then, as a mentor, she gave me some counsel. Before that, it''s duelling time. "Creak" The metal door slid open. I walk into the arena at a steady pace. The door automatically shut behind me. I took a peek around and discovered that the arena was in the same condition as before. Only A. I system is installed above. At the top, there are many panels and sensors to keep an eye on the situation. I''m thinking about it. "Creak," The door slid open on the opposite side. Daniel Haynes was the first to speak up. His face has a unique expression. He has a happy and enthusiastic grin on his face. When He first saw Zack, He was ecstatic "Right, your name is Zack. I''m not sure what kind of good luck you''ve had. That is why our institutions have chosen you to represent them." Daniel expressed his displeasure. Zack, he believed, had more luck than ability. I scowled a little when I heard that. I reasoned that our training centre''s seniors wouldn''t be so pompous. However, it appears that this is not the case. His clothes appear to be those worn by adventurers. It appears that he has already made up his mind to defeat. He''s probably imagining himself triumphant. That made me smirk in my heart. Rather, respond to him. I make my way over to the platform. There is still a "X" mark in the area. Ms. Key''s explanation follows. As long as we''re inside the dome, I believe. To eliminate the opponent, we can employ any strategy. I make the decision to use the entire arena. "I''m not sure what level he''s at." As a result, he appears to be older than me. He''s probably a Mid-level." In my head, I made a remark. "Humph," Daniel muttered. He conveyed his dissatisfaction. He hurried to the platform''s middle to teach him a lesson. The door is shut behind him. Confirming that he had a sheepish grin on his face. He noticed Zack approaching the platform. He decides to execute a sneak attack in order to finish the fight fast. He pulled his weapon from his lower model storage ring and drew it out. <> <> Daniel Haynes wields two weapons. However, he believed that one handgun would suffice. The handgun is powered by fire elemental energy. "Ssshh," a warm energy gathers around the handgun. His control was impeccably fine. There is no energy wastage. In the magazine, it quickly generates energy bullets. Then he takes aim at Zack''s brow and fires a shot. "Bang" "Bang," two rounds fired in rapid succession. The sound reverberated across the dome. Outsiders, fortunately, were not able to see or hear it. The noise and images are blocked by the dome. Two fire energy bullets, each measuring 8mm in diameter. Arrives at Zack at rapid speed. After that, one after the other. As I stepped forward onto the platform. Instinctively, my perceptual ability activated. I''m aware of two lethal threats directed at me. Even utilising perception, I''m having trouble understanding it. Since then, it has gotten closer. Mr. Arthur taught me a movement technique. I had undergone training as a result of it. I took enough of a stride to the side to evade the first bullet. The initial energy bullet misses Zack''s skull and lands in space. However, it was quickly followed by another round of energy bullets. My senses were amplified. The second energy bullet was heading straight towards my heart. He did a meticulous calculation. I moved rapidly to get away from it. Regardless, I''m defending my deadly points. My left elbow is still struck by the energy bullet. I yelled in pain, "Aaaarrrgggghhh!" My elbow was ripped open. It didn''t end there, though. The fire energy has entered my veins and is ravaging them. I''m in excruciating pain right now. To fight the hot fire energy, I quickly ran my lightning energy through my veins. When the two energies collided, it was a big bang. I was in significantly more discomfort. I clenched my teeth to get it through. I broadened my field of perception. Around me, I can perceive a range of about 10 metres. I can clearly see his motions in this space.. "I was careless," I thought to myself when I saw him carrying an Energy Hand Gun. Chapter 131 - Part 2: Zack Versus Daniel This modern-day weaponry is sold for absurdly high prices. If it hadn''t been for the fact that I confronted him this time. I never expected to see someone like him train at our facility. Since then, they''ve let us utilize any tactic we wanted. That is why he is displaying his trump card. In my head, I reasoned. Seeing Zack successfully remain unscathed. Daniel was stunned. Then, he smirked and said, "You got some skill. Let''s see how many times you jump around" He said with a smile. Then he made a quick calculation and aimed precisely. "Bang" "bang" "bang" Several rounds of shots were fired. His hand gun''s barrel is smoking with continuous firing. Seeing that, Daniel Frowned a little. He knows the limitations of Modern-day weapons. He cannot fire continuously. It needs cool-down time. Normally, while powering the weapon with the element energy. It causes a rise in temperature. Which needs cool-down time to function efficiently. Especially, he is a fire element user. It limits him even further. I saw him firing more shots at me. Thankfully, I got this perpetual ability. Otherwise, it will become really hard to predict the trajectory. With my perception, I carefully evaded all the attacks one by one. My perception gave me some cushion time to adjust myself. All energy bullets hit empty air. While in the process, I also felt he was on the Peak level. Seeing Zack jumping around and successfully evading these attacks. "This¡­" he muttered. He is surprised by Zack''s ability. He couldn''t help frown, thinking that. "What''s his level?" Daniel uttered. He is musing about it. Because he needs to maintain the cooldown time. Which needs at least ten minutes. Gladly, he has another handgun. This time he decides to wait for Zack to make his move. After evading those attacks. I took a moment to catch a breath. Seeing he stopped using his attacks. "I need to make my move," I said to myself. I can somewhat guess. Why he is stopped. Either his energy is draining much faster or there is something to do with his energy handgun. I''m having different thoughts, I don''t want to get too much closer. Even with perception. It will become too difficult to escape then. Having kept that in my mind. I made my mind to be defensive for the time being. When the time is right, I will strike him. ¡­ Outside, Students are murmuring among themselves. It''s almost ten minutes. But, there is no sound so far. Though it''s just ten minutes. But, fellow students were still surprised. They initially thought Zack wouldn''t hold on for a minute. But, now seeing the time. They couldn''t help it. "Interesting" Luke muttered. He is among those groups of students who waiting for results. "Daniel is not a pushover. Why is he taking so much time?" Luke commented in his mind since it''s impossible to know what''s happening inside. He decides to wait further. ¡­ At the top floor of the building, "What''s going on?" Elder Jensen uttered. He is in disbelief looking at the monitor screen. "Still no results" He commented in his mind. At first, he changed the rules. So, that his grandson won''t face Zack first. After knowing about Daniel Haynes. He believed Zack got no chance. Because Daniel is an older student at the Hansen Training Centre. He must be like his Grandson. At this moment, elder Thornton chipped in "He is a good seed." He said with a smile. "Humph" Said Elder Jensen. "We didn''t know whether he is begging for life or not" Elder Jensen said in a sarcastic tone. To that Elder, Thornton didn''t reply. Even though, He like Zack. But, he didn''t know about his ability. So, it''s very hard to defend him in front of Elder Jensen. He immediately changes the topic by asking, "So, What happened to your grandson? I thought he would call you sooner. Seeing that you changed the rules. "He said with a smile. Hearing that, a smile disappeared from Elder Jensen''s face. "I haven''t attended his call. I''ll talk to him later," he replied. Then, they continued their banter. ¡­ Mr. Arthur Emerson asked, "What do you think?" He turned towards Ms. Key for her response. Ms. Adeline looks at the Monitor Screen she said, "It''s hard to tell. I still believe Zack is not serious about the life or death duel." Then she added," I don''t know, where his confidence comes from. All his opponents were older than him. They have some experience than him" Mr. Arthur Emerson let out a sigh. He said, " told him that I will give him healing pill. " he added," There is only 20% chance for his winning" "Yeah, nobody expected Senior Students of our Training Centre to enroll for this duel. Especially, Elder Jensen''s Grandson" she said with a dejection. "Don''t worry, Zack is smart. He just has to use his intelligence. Then he will be fine." Mr. Arthur assures her. ... On the other hand, Philip Jensen is constantly calling his Grandpa. "Old Grandpa deceived me again" He uttered. He is currently in his training room. From time to time he looks at his sci-fi wristwatch for any updates. He is surprised about the timing. "The battle is still going on." He commented in his mind. ... Like that, everyone is interested in this duel. Especially, Zack''s classmates. Including, Maria Frazier, Ina Walker, Andrea Kramer, and Steven Conway. All were talking in the discussion hall. Andrea looks at Maira. She has doubts in her mind. She doesn''t know whether it''s appropriate to ask. Because they weren''t that close. But, her expression is seen by Ina. Ina asked her. Andrea told her doubts. Ina said, " Maria, Where is your friend Candace? Today is an important match for your friend. But, she is nowhere to see." Hearing her question. Maria doesn''t know what to say. Even she is clueless about it. So, simply said, "She went, to visit her family. She will be back soon." Hearing Maria''s answer, they didn''t continue to ask about her. But, Maria has different thoughts in her mind. On the other hand, she is nervous about the match.. Also worried about Candace. Chapter 132 - Part 3: Zack Versus Daniel The battle platform inside the dome. Zack and Daniel remained rooted in their positions. One is planning strategies, while the other is waiting for the cool-down period to end. Perhaps I should move closer and unleash a bolt of lightning. I considered several options. I''ll get closer to him. If I get close enough. It''s very likely that I''ll get hurt. I''m not sure what other cards he got. With the help of his energy shots. He has the ability to effortlessly evade close combat. It''s difficult to stay here and wait for the conflict to end. A sigh escaped my lips. I took a step closer to him. There are a few meters between us as well. I''m also wary of his movements. If anything changes. With my perception, I am able to notice. Seeing Zack approaching him. Daniel smirked. The cool-down time is still five minutes away from being over. "Sh*t, I''m not letting him get any closer." Daniel made a mental remark. He pulls out another Hand Gun of the same model right away. He wields two weapons at once. At first, he thought killing him would be simple. However, this is no longer the case. With only one weapon, he was unable to kill him. He compelled him to draw another weapon. But he had a nagging feeling about it. So yet, he has only shown his card. His weapon talent and fire element were revealed. Newcomer, on the other hand, did not reveal anything. So far, he''s been able to effortlessly avoid his energy bullets. The method of avoiding was likewise surreal. As though he had foreseen the onslaught. He laughed at himself and said, "It''s impossible." It''s because he is a newcomer. He doesn''t have experience and instinct. For the time being, he resolves to keep him at bay. Once the cool-down period has passed. He''ll kill him with both handguns. He smirked, thinking of how Zack''s corpse would be riddled with holes. He''s angry with himself. It''s taking a long time to kill him. Now that I''ve realized that. So far, he has only been hit by one bullet. Despite this, he continues to move around with the injury. It''s the element of fire. The injury was treated with a medicinal pill. He didn''t see him use it, though. Something about it bothers him. When he saw Zack approaching, he fired a few rounds of ammunition. The sound of "bang" "bang" shooting reverberated throughout the area. He aimed at different spots this time. Even if he tries to get away with it. There are only a few spots available. He wouldn''t be able to defend it there. Zack''s heart, throat, abdomen, and leg were all targeted with energy bullets. The energy bullets whizzed by at a rapid pace. Seeing him, pulled out a new weapon. My pupils constrict. "There is another weapon, as expected." In my mind, I made a remark. This also aids me in resolving another issue. Previously, he had not been fired due to a lack of energy. Something to do with the energy gun, I''m sure. He would have used both guns in the beginning. If he hadn''t used both weapons. Then avoiding the energy projectiles is impossible. If he used both handguns at the same time. After knowing this, I remember, I still have pain in my shoulder. I''m thinking about it. He unleashed a barrage of bullets. My attention is drawn to perception. "This time, dodging the energy bullets will be more difficult. I, on the other hand, will not go backward." "I told myself." As the energy bullets approached, I was able to avoid some of the energy bullets by using perception. However, only a few hit my stomach. I clenched my teeth, bearing the agony. It''s great that my bodily strength is at its Peak Level. Otherwise, I''ll have to take a number of Healing Pills. To counteract the fiery energy, I used lightning energy. He was trying to fire a few more shots when I noticed him. I made use of my moving strategy. I vanished from my original location in a second. And ran in his direction. I grab my black Sword from the ring of storage. I grabbed it and made a Swift Slash. The Black Blade sliced through the air like a knife. As the blade''s tip approaches him. To defend himself, Daniel used his Hand Gun. "Clang" and "Clang" echoed throughout the area. The tremendous strength was too much for Daniel to handle. He stepped back one step. Realizing the force of the blade, his pupils narrowed. "Are you at the Peak Level?" With astonishment, he said. Why does a beginner have such a high level? He''s a year or two younger than I am. His realization quickly turns to envy. He despised talented individuals. It''s due to his lack of ability. His family despises him. His contorted visage became even more distorted. Due to his rage, he shot even more rounds haphazardly. To avoid it, Zack moves to the side. "What happened to him?" I thought. This guy seemed calculated personality to me. He now appears to be different. I took note of his expression. Hearing what he has to say. This was confirmed by me. He''s taken aback by my strength. I cocked my head and smirked. Observing him becoming disoriented. Reckoning Circle was created from this opportunity. Seeing that the shots were hitting empty space. Daniel makes an effort to control his rage. He couldn''t afford to waste bullets of energy. Zack is now a Peak level Trainee Apprentice, This prospect has been realized. Fear begins to overpower him as he encounters the unknown. He doesn''t want to get himself into trouble. Because of the cool down, he couldn''t use both handguns. After realizing this, he makes the decision to use his energy shots. "I''m going to get closer to him." And shoot this jerk in the head." In his thoughts, he devised a nefarious scheme. Since then, they''ve both become Peak Warrior. He''s strong enough to handle it. All he has to do now is get near. As a result, he won''t be able to avoid this time. He lunged forward immediately, grasping his handgun. As I begin to concentrate on the defensive rune in my mind. Instead of moving away, I noticed Daniel. He made a dash for me. As soon as I saw that, I was overjoyed. The attack was started by me. "RECKONING CIRCLE" The sound of thunder resonated throughout the region. A wheel appears, overflowing with lightning force. I use as much lightning energy as I can. As a result, this attack has the potential to kill Daniel in one fell swoop. Daniel, who comes closer to Zack by one inch. He senses something at this point. He examines his handgun on the left side of his body. The cool-down period has come to an end. He smiles sheepishly as he realizes this. "This time he won''t be able to avoid it." I''ll make holes in his body with both handguns." He made a mental remark. He covers two handguns behind his back with a firm grip. As a result, Zack is oblivious to this. However, poor soul. As he drew nearer to Zack. He suddenly senses a dreadful omen. His chest constricted. A violet colour wheel pops out of nowhere. His pupils dilated. He couldn''t speak the words completely. "Lightning..." he couldn''t say. He couldn''t backtrack in the final second since his momentum was so strong. He collides with Lightning Wheel helplessly. "Boom" A loud roar reverberated throughout the region. When Daniel''s body comes into contact with lightning energy of the Peak level. He is electrocuted by the lightning energy. Daniel screams in agony, "Aaaarrrrgggghh!" The lightning paralyzes his entire body. "Finally..." I saw him go paralyzed as I muttered. I didn''t want to squander this chance. I make a decisive move with my black sword, slashing at his neck. My blade cuts with precision. As a result, the head continues to roll down. The decapitated body gushes blood. As soon as I noticed this, I knelt. "As always, Reckoning Circle came through for me." In my head, I stated. Daniel''s headless body drew my attention. Then there''s his beheaded head, which has a helpless look in his eyes. "if I''m late." I mutter, "He must have prepared to fire a shot at close range." I noticed that he was holding two handguns in his hands. It''s hard to avoid the bombardment of close-range fire. Realizing this, I took a deep breath. "He still managed to injure my shoulder and abdomen," I thought to myself. The injury is still not completely healed. Mr. Arthur''s healing pill is exactly what I need. I drew in my consciousness to observe what happened next. Fortunately, the fire energy is canceled by the lightning energy. Nonetheless, the organs are damaged as a result of the impact. Otherwise, If not for having a double breakthrough. The ramifications may have been disastrous. I can see how that may happen. If there is a warrior who can take my place. He would have perished as a result. I''m thinking about it. The living signal is picked up by many sensors and the monitor screen from above. I''m the last survivor of the warriors. The door to the exit slid open.. I sighed and took a few steps toward the exit. Chapter 133 - First Life Or Death Duel: Won Daniel''s belongings were not taken by me. It happened inside the building. I reasoned that it would be best to hand over the body to his parents. At the very least, I will be able to lessen his family''s anger in this way. But I had a sneaking suspicion it would have a smaller impact. Despite this, I choose to take chances. Thankfully, I didn''t hold back and used all of my lightning energy in the previous attack. Otherwise, the conflict would rage on. I almost go out the door while thinking. But I came to a complete stop. I spun around and dashed towards the body. In my storage ring, I kept his body and chopped head. I also snatched his both handguns and stuffed them into his storage rings. All of his belongings were on his person. As a result, there''s no need to look for it right now. I searched around for any potential flaws. Recognizing that there isn''t any mistake. I took a big breath and exhaled slowly. "I''m on the verge of making a tremendous blunder. Fortunately, I realized it at the last minute." I chastised myself. I intended to be generous, but I forgot that his body contains traces of lightning energy. A single glance at the burnt corpse is all that is required by higher-ups. They will be aware that Daniel has been electrocuted. My lightning element will then be revealed. I mutter, a wry smirk on my face, "It''s like excavating my own grave." Outside, I hear footsteps for the first time. I took a big breath when I heard that. And then proceed to the exit. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Ms. Adeline Key were the first to arrive at the front door. They were tense. They didn''t blink and just stared at the door. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Ms. Adeline Key greeted me. As I walk out the door. "Kid, it appears that you are not in need of a healing pill. Mr. Arthur Emerson, in disbelief, said, "There aren''t many injuries in your body." When Ms. Adeline Key sees the outcome, she is taken aback. She wasn''t expecting him to leave like that. They had already prepared a stretcher in case of an emergency. She had previously believed that he would struggle to win this bout. A little sigh escaped her lips. She then observes that he has a shoulder injury. She looked Mr. Arthur Emerson in the eyes and stated, "He is still recovering from his injuries. We also have no information about his abdominal injuries." She gestures to Zack''s shoulder with her finger. Mr. Arthur Emerson had already recognized the injuries when he heard that. But he had a different idea. He assumed Zack was nearing the end of his life. Several fractured bones, tendons, and Meridian injuries are also expected. That explains why he didn''t report his shoulder problem. For him, it''s just a little ailment. He has no choice but to obey his own words. He then removed his tiny case and gave it over to Zack. "Go heal yourself," he advised. Then come see me at my cabin later." In a serious tone, Mr. Arthur Emerson said. He then motions for him to proceed to an adjacent treatment room. When I heard it, I gave him a kind nod. Then I''ll head over to the nearby training room to recuperate. "Did you see that?" He asked after Zack had left. Mr. Arthur Emerson had inquired of her. Ms. Adeline Key responded, "What do you mean?" Mr. Arthur Emerson''s eyes squinted as he approached the door. He smiled as he continued, "He doesn''t even appear fatigued." In his tone, he expresses surprise. "Looks like we were scared for nothing," Ms. Adeline Key giggled. To deal with this scenario, he has his own deck of cards." The result of the life-or-death duel was then declared by Mr. Arthur Emerson. ¡­ The outcome of the life-or-death combat will be known soon. Displayed on a large screen in the hallways and also communicated over speakers. "Update on the life-or-death duel. The duel had come to an end. Zack Lockwood was declared as the winner. As a result of the battle, Daniel Haynes died." The announcement reverberated throughout the structure. When the results were announced, there was a lot of uproars. Some folks were taken aback, while others couldn''t believe their eyes. After that, someone else said, "How did this happen? Daniel is a Trainee Apprentice at the highest level." Daniel Haynes is a classmate of his. The results were too much for him to take in. Despite the fact that he is a classmate. They didn''t get along. Daniel Haynes, on the other hand, terrified him. And I was bullied on a daily basis. Daniel was at Peak Level, he knew. He wasn''t able to do anything to stop him. Against this, he has developed an instinctual terror. However, now that I''ve seen the end outcome, I''m not so sure. His heart refused to accept the result. He murmurs, "He died exactly like that." As he reads the name of the winner. He resolves to never confront this individual. Then, he finally became happy. After confirming that bastard Daniel is dead. A similar condition can be found all around the world. Some students go through Zack''s files to find out what he knows. Some people are eager to meet him. ¡­ Luke''s joy, on the other hand, faded when he saw the outcome. He locked his gaze on Zack''s name on the monitor. He''s deep in thought. "Even if I were to fight Daniel, I wouldn''t come out unhurt." But how did this newbie get it off? "I''m not sure what level he''s at." In his head, he made a remark. "It''s no surprise the masked man told him to kill Zack." He has a weird quality about him." He mutters something. However, he quickly develops a nasty grin. He had already made a wise judgment. He is constantly concerned with the variable. He now recognizes Zack as a strange individual. He had plenty of time to prepare for the life-or-death fight. ¡­ The building''s highest level. "Hahahah." Elder Thornton burst out laughing. He is pleased with the outcome. He never expected to see something like this in his old age. "It''s nothing short of a miracle. The odds are stacked against him. "Elder Thornton praises Zack, and he emerges as a winner in the end." A few elders nodded in agreement. Elder Jensen was one of the few who remained mute. "Thank Goodness. The rules were amended by me at last minute. I wouldn''t be able to estimate the factors otherwise." In his heart, he applauded himself. Elder Thornton received no response from him. ¡­ "He Won!" Maria exclaims with joy. In the discussion hall, she kept her gaze concentrated on the display screen. Seeing Zack''s name appear on the computer screen. Her anxiety dissipates. She sighed deeply. Recognizing the peaceful heart. She then recalls a classmate. She adjusts her neck slightly to gauge their reaction. She chuckles when she notices this. Steven Conway had already made a boast regarding Zack. Despite the fact that we couldn''t witness the battle. He did Shaming Zack with his imaginary running commentary. Blood drained from his face as he saw the outcome. Her Senior Sisters, too, are pale with dread. When she saw their reaction, she shook her head. They are unaware of Zack''s existence. But she was aware of the situation. Candace, Zack, and her. Three of them took part in a blood kill test in order to be admitted to the advanced class. Then she understood that he might be more powerful than she believes. Now that the results have been revealed, they corroborate her earlier prediction. ¡­ On the one hand, after the outcome was announced. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Ms. Adeline Key enter the arena in order to retrieve the body. "There isn''t a body here." Mr. Arthur Emerson murmured under his breath. Witnessing the platform, he knitted his brows. Zack, he assumed, had taken the body away. If that is the case. They are powerless in this situation. He also realizes that the elemental aura has totally vanished. He and Ms. Adeline Key then decide to return to their cabin. ¡­ In the meantime, Zack went inside an adjacent training room. "Let''s see how effective this drug is." In my head, I made a remark. Place the meditation mat on the ground first. I sat down and took out the tiny case. In that situation, there is a brown pill. I didn''t waste any time and consumed the pill without hesitation. The pill dissolves, causing the medicinal liquid to react. I peered inside myself to observe the healing process. The healing energy travels through my veins to the wounded location. Pill''s healing energy is focused on the wounded area of my abdomen. The energy of the green color then seeps into the wounded area. I felt a sense of comfort. But there''s something else I''m looking forward to. Before the object has a chance to react. Without it, my injury begins to heal more quickly. In the blink of an eye. I''m fully recovered. My shoulder went through the same thing. Older tissue is replaced by new tissue. There was no sign of the flaming fire energy''s aftermath. "It''s a very high-quality pill," I grumbled. As I witnessed the entire procedure. However, I am dissatisfied with the other aspect. My healing element was not present. To control, it appears that I''ll require a healing cultivation method. Then, It will be quite beneficial.. When comes to upcoming battles. Chapter 134 - Stolen Items? I pay a visit over to Mr. Arthur''s Cabin. On the way, I noticed a lot of eyes on me. I give them a sidelong glance. There are a variety of reactions. Envy, fear, awe, and even a desire to speak with me are all present. But I shrugged off their stares and walked slowly towards his cabin. I examine the cabin''s entrance. I slammed it shut. Mr. Arthur opened the door for me. I furrowed my brows at his solemn gaze. "I don''t know why he''s so serious?" In my head, I made a remark. He motions for me to take a seat. I sat down on the seat after that. To start the conversation, I looked at him. "Do you require Daniel''s corpse?" Mr. Arthur said, his voice solemn. "I don''t need his corpse," I said, smiling. But I don''t want anyone else to know about the fight. They''ll be able to tell just looking at his body." "I reacted calmly, not timidly nor overbearingly," I said. Mr. Arthur Emerson sighed as he heard that. "Though Daniel''s parents will not seek vengeance openly," he added. Since you both signed the contract prior to the duel. But I can''t predict what will happen when it becomes dark." To which I simply nodded. I understood what he was trying to say. By delivering Daniel''s body to his parents. We can work out a siting agreement with them. But it''s going to be difficult now. But I came up with a solution. "I need a body preserver," I said, looking at him. After a period of 12 weeks I''ll hand over his body to you" This is the very least I can do. When it comes to my secrets, I''m not going to compromise. Mr. Arthur considered it after hearing that. His eyes became clearer as time went on. "Why don''t we use a corpse preserver for everyone? Even if Zack was to die. We''ll be able to keep his body. As a result, the other candidate will be able to keep secrets safe. It''s possible to accomplish it in verse. I''ll need the elders'' permission. Because that brat Philip likewise had his name registered." Mr. Arthur made a mental remark. He agreed as he stared at Zack. He told Zack about his idea. He is the one who started it all. At the very least, they will be able to calm the parents of all candidates. Eleven people will perish. The winner is the only one who will live to the finish. He should begin counselling their parents right away. The impact would be too much to bear otherwise. Mr. Arthur, after hearing. I breathed a sigh of relief. In this way, at least. I won''t be held responsible. "How effective is the healing pill?" Mr. Arthur shifted the conversation''s focus. The perfume of the healing pill lingers in his nostrils. "It''s extremely wonderful," I said after hearing it. It healed all of my ailments in a matter of seconds." It reminds me of my element of healing. I believe it is preferable to ask him. It''s a good time right now. Otherwise, I''ll have to wait until a later date. "Mr. Arthur, I''d like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your healing pill. Then I looked at him "Why don''t we have enough healers in our centre?" I stated it with a smile on my face. Mr. Arthur grinned when he heard that. He didn''t mind responding. "The Healing Element is an uncommon find. When it comes to Expert Healers, this is especially true. They, like any other warriors, join higher organizations." He began to explain himself to me. I internally scowled when I heard that. His responses are identical to Uncle James''. He described martial families to me. There are a couple of healing clans among them. Each has their own approach. Few days ago, After learnt from Uncle James. I finally realized what was going on. The way of healing cultivation is far more valuable than others. It''s significantly more difficult to obtain a mediocre healing cultivation method. Forget about the ancient one. I don''t want mediocre ones, though. Except for the ancients. Others will not be chosen by me. Otherwise, it''s difficult to get rid of healing runes. Once it''s ingrained in my mind, I''ll be difficult to remove it. Then, Mr. Arthur and I had a little talk. I had previously left his cabin. "It is preferable to return home. Before it starts to become dark." In my head, I made a remark. Then, without more delay. I walked out of the training centre. Previously, I hopped into the air cab. ¡­ Zack''s classmates, on the other hand, had departed the discussion hall. For the time being, they don''t want to confront him. With the exception of Candace. She paused for a few moments longer. She was bored before. She sighed and walked out of the meeting room. ¡­ Zack boarded the train a few minutes later. He sat in the window seat of his choice. "I''m not sure what kind of treasures Daniel got," I thought to myself. Then I realized there were two causes. I was in such a rush to leave the training centre. I don''t want to address Daniel''s parents, for starters. It would be a difficult situation. Second, I''d like to look through his storage rings and search his possessions. It''s not a good idea to do it in the training centre. People also believe that walls have ears. It is preferable to conduct your search at home. That thought made me feel at ease. Then I closed my eyes. I arrived at my house a few hours later. I was met by Granny Park. "Zack, you''re okay?" She starts inspecting my physique right away. Seeing that made me feel warm. "Granny, I''m fine. You''re aware that I''m a Mid-level warrior "I gave her my assurance. She let go of me after hearing that. Before requesting that I consume medicinal soup. I''m fully recovered. But I don''t want to turn down her offer. Before comfortably drinking the soup, I sat in a chair. She smiled as she saw me drinking her medicinal soup. "Can you tell me where Uncle James is?" I inquired of her. "He''s on his way to see his friends. He''ll be back in no time." I gave her a nod when I heard that. Then we had a little conversation before I went to my room. "The soup is quite tasty. I was expecting it to be sour at first "In my head, I made a remark. When you first go into the room. I slammed the door shut. I''m not sure if it''s a smart idea to bring the body out. I bring out Daniel Corpse without further ado. My nose was soon assaulted by a foul odor. It''s been over three hours now. Before returning his body to my storage ring, I promptly removed his storage ring. Observing the blue ring. I took a close look at the ring. There are only a few inscriptions in it. "It''s got to be medium grade," I grumbled. Since then, the owner has passed away. It''s not an issue for me to get to it. I sat peacefully on my couch. I used to soak my consciousness into it before. "Gasp," I exclaimed as I took in the sight of so many pill bottles. "Did he commit a robbery?" In my head, I pondered. A couple of low-grade affinity stones were also discovered. Witnessing that, my eyes were wide open. "I''m sure it''s a stolen item," I thought to myself. Then I took a close look at several additional materials. A few unidentified herbs, a few worn books, and artifacts "This person neglected to take out this object while battling," I thought to myself. Seeing that object sparked my interest. I took the storage ring out right away. "Pendant," I grumbled. I held it in my palm with care. It was something I noticed. In addition, I wear a pendant around my neck. Granny gave it to me to conceal my cultivation. It''s hard to keep a secret from Mr. Arthur otherwise. I stayed for a few more minutes. The back of the pendant has a symbol printed on it. However, it is not apparent. I made the decision to immerse myself in it. My consciousness gradually enters it. I also discovered information about the pendant. "It''s an artifact of the support type. It assists with fire element cultivation up to Elite stage." One by one, I mumbled. As I was reading the data. Daniel had to have stolen this object from a young master. I laughed heartily. "It''d be fantastic if it was a lightning support artifact." In my head, I made a remark. I sighed when I realized this. Then I started looking for further information. A strew of crumpled yellow paper. When I saw that, my brows wrinkled. I took out the yellow paper right away. The paper had only a few words written on it. However, it is written in a different language. I didn''t even know what it was. To find this language, I used the alliance network. It appeared to be quite old to me. My eyes are glistening with eagerness.. I''m hoping for the best. Chapter 135 - Uncles Reminder I examined the data on the server. The alliance network has a number of servers. Which are related to archaeological research. But the phrases scribbled in yellow paper remained a mystery to me. My brows were stitched together. I decided to investigate further. I couldn''t help but be dissatisfied an hour later. There were no parallels between the words typed on the yellow paper and those recorded on those websites. I stuffed this yellow piece of paper into his storage ring after coming up empty-handed. I returned my valuable to Daniel''s ring of storage. There is nothing else in my storage ring except Daniel''s body. After double-checking everything. From the alliance network, I ordered a corpse preserver. It''s worth a total of 20,000 credit points. After I had made the payment. I''m awaiting its arrival. I''d like to save it sooner rather than later. Otherwise, the body would continue to degrade. I double-checked the balance. In my account, I don''t have a lot of credit points. I haven''t been to Thomas Trade Centre in weeks. I sighed when I realised this. I''m not sure what the scenario is like out there. If I visit Thomas Trade Centre. I have the potential to earn a few thousand credit points. In the container, there are still monster bits. It''s Monsters from the Class level that have been left over. That''s what I hunted back in the Black Forests. I got the dead container from a nearby branch in our White city half an hour later. I quickly retrieved Daniel''s body and placed it inside the corpse container. Chemicals are included in this corpse container. It can readily preserve the body for the time being while also dealing with the foul odour. I went to take a shower after clearing things up. After a few moments, I browsed some sites of the Alliance Network. While waiting for dinner to arrive. Today I''m not in the mood to practise. I intend to begin it the next day. At the dinner table, "Zack, congrats on your first life-or-death battle; there will be many more in the future. I hope you have as much success as you had today." Uncle James congratulated me on my achievement. But, in the end, his tone was serious. I smiled and nodded at him when I heard that. "What are you going to do with the corpse?" he continued. Hearing that it astounded me. "Did he say anything to you?" Uncle James was the one who asked. Mr. Arthur is the person I''m referring to. It appears that he will inform Uncle James of all my news. Mr. James responded by saying, "I inquired about Max''s situation. During our conversation, he informed me of the outcome." When I heard that, I said, "The body has already been placed in the preserver. Furthermore, it has deteriorated slightly. When all traces of lightning have vanished. I''ll turn it over to him." I stated it with a smile on my face. Mr. James took a minute to respond after hearing that. "I want to look at the corpse after dinner," he remarked. "Okay," I said, "I don''t have any problems with it." Max''s case has piqued my interest as well. I''d want to keep up with current events. As a result, I approached him and inquired. "Uncle, where did Max''s case and the Thomas Trade Centre go?" I can trade my Class Monster''s body if Thomas'' trade centre is operational as usual. Mr. James, upon hearing this, replied, "The Lord of the City made the decision to close the matter. So far, they haven''t received any news. Max''s father, on the other side, requested that the case be closed. Because of Max''s parents have also made a request. The City Lord considered it prudent to close the case. His disappearance had piqued everyone''s interest." He went on to say, "When it comes to Thomas Trade Centre, it''s a no-brainer. It is scheduled to open next week. There is still a curfew in effect in the city. Only those with permission are permitted to leave the the city. Once the matter has been closed, it will be made public. They will thereafter be subjected to the curfew." I nodded as I listened to his explanation. It''s just a tier-8 metropolis. But there''s a lot going on beneath the currents. My trip to Thomas Trade Centre will have to be postponed for another week. I sighed as I realised what had happened. Following that, we discussed a few more topics. Granny Park also added her inputs to the discussion. Her talk, on the other hand, is light and not ponderous. We both went to the back courtyard a few minutes later. Before he arrived, I took out the body preserver. My nose were soon accosted by a revolting odour. However, it is not as powerful as it once was. It appears that the chemicals were effective. Uncle James, on the other hand, keeps a close eye on the body. He is examining the scar. Lightning is to blame. I reasoned that as the body deteriorated, the scar would fade away as well. "It''s a good thing you didn''t leave this corpse behind," James added. Rather of handing over, it''s preferable to dispose of the body. "In a calm tone, he said. I was taken aback when I heard that. I''ve already squandered a couple of thousand credit points. "Why?" I inquired. "There are different ways to find out about the death of the corpse," Uncle James said. Daniel''s family whereabouts were well known by me. They aren''t an issue. However, I feel that someone else may be interested in purchasing Daniel''s body from his parents. That way, they''ll be able to find something. And create a counter-strategy" Uncle James'' explanation was really helpful. I took a deep breath in. I wasn''t aware of it in any other manner. "I also study about your prospective opponents," Uncle James continued. Philip Jensen is one of them. He is one of the elders'' grandsons. That Elder is a member of one of the highest levels of Hansen Training Centre" Uncle James'' explanation was really helpful. My heart begins to beat more rapidly. "If he''s a grandchild, that is. Why is he obligated to take part? Is he lacking in resources?" In my head, I cursed him. It appears that I am doomed to make enemies with that elder. Outside of Hansen Training Centre, I didn''t mind making enemies. It will be tough, though, if the enemy is a member of the training centre itself. My training in the future years will be challenging. Now I''m having a different set of thoughts. Is it possible that advocating a life-or-death combat was a mistake? Observing Zack''s serious response. Mr. James offered him comfort. "Don''t be concerned. It''s a strange circumstance. Because it''s a life-or-death situation. You have no choice except to kill him. Also, don''t be concerned about the elder. I''ll let your teacher know about the matter. He might be able to communicate with you." Uncle''s remark of the teacher piqued my interest. My heart began to slow down. If my teacher acts as a deterrent. Then I''m confident that elder will not behave rashly. When the timing is right. I took a big breath and exhaled deeply. Negative thoughts are pushed out of my mind. There are some things over which I have no control. That isn''t something I should be concerned about. Rather, I should concentrate on what I can control. After I had made up my mind. I decide to inquire about the yellow paper with him. I grabbed the supporting fire artefact pendant and yellow paper right away. Uncle James received it from me. On the contrary. Mr. James stood silently watching Zack''s actions. He had a surprised light in his eyes after seeing the pendant. He examines the yellow paper as well. He, on the other hand, has no idea. He withdrew the pendant from his grip with care. He began to examine everything with his eyes. Zack, who was standing at his side, told him something he didn''t know. Hearing this, he was taken aback. Supporting artefacts were hard to come by. Like this one, in particular. It can help you get to the elite level. He has no idea how many billions of credit points it could sell for. However, he frowns when he realises something. Daniel was born into a family of adventurers. So he''s certain it''s a thief''s item. So, the issue here is whether or not they were aware of the pendant. There''s a danger they''ll leak the information to outside forces. Mr. James'' face darkens as he realises the prospect. Zack has already been marked for assassination. This merely adds to the problem. Mr. James looked at Zack and inquired about his other belongings. He''s certain now that he''s heard that. The couple, as well as his kid, are members of a shadowy organisation. He considers looking at the yellow paper. Hearing Zack''s side of the storey. He paid close attention to the words. "It obviously belongs to some previous cultures," he said. However, there is no trace of a treasure map.. With the exception of a few words. Chapter 136 - Practising With Dummy "Okay, Zack. Is there any other strange things available in his possession?" Uncle James asked me. He is tone was rather solemn. I shook my head in denial. Other than affinity stones and some herbs. There is nothing valuable. Even in those herbs, I didn''t find any high spiritual energy. So, I assume they were low grade herbs. Then Uncle James asked me not use those stolen items for the time being. He told me that, he will do back ground check about their items. If the result were nothing objectionable. Then, I can use fire affinity stones to convert into credit points. So, I simply agree with his arrangement. Later, we talked about other things before. We went to our room. ¡­ One day later, I woke up early and begin my practice diligently. After yesterday''s exhaustion today I feel rather relax and fresh. Half an hour later, I filled my dantian with lightning Energy. It is half full. Seeing the situation in my dantian. I really want to pay a visit to Mountain Liz. As per Uncle''s words, the curfew will be over by next week. Then I can make arrangements for the travel. Though it won''t be easy. I have to participate in Life or death duel in every week. It''s hard to imagine, what shape I would-be in after that duel. I let out a sigh, thinking that. I put those depressing thoughts back off my mind. I stood up the meditation mat. A few minutes later, I left the home after having breakfast. Today, there is going to be as usual routine. I''m going to train further and sharpen my skills. The only good thing I''m hoping to receive my Uncle''s news about the stolen items. Keeping that in my mind. I board the train to Hansen training Centre. A few hours later, I reached the Hansen building. I can see so many people sizing up me. "Looks line yesterday effect hasn''t faded yet."I commented in my mind. As I was walking towards the training chamber. "Zack¡­Zack" someone called out Zack. Hearing that, I have my footsteps. I turned around to see that person. "Maria" I muttered. Seeing her came towards me. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. "what happened?" I asked her. She won''t bother me. Unless, there is important. Hearing Zack''s question. Maria took a moment to reply. "Congrats for yesterday winning." Hearing that I simply nodded at her, "Anything else" I commented. To that, Maria said, "Candace left the Hansen training Centre." She said in a solemn tone. "What do you mean by left? Is she quit?" I''m surprised hearing that. I don''t have much impression of her. Except being Mysterious. I couldn''t see through her so far. If she really quit from this training Centre. Then, It will be my regret not to have good battle with her. I sighed thinking that. "Candace is not native. She gone back to her family few weeks ago. Later, she sent a message stating she wouldn''t come again" Maria replied in a solemn tone. I really don''t know what to say to her. I told Maria, may be Candace have her own problems to deal with. Hearing my explanation she became relaxed. Even though we both don''t have much contact with Candace. At least she is our classmates. Her disappearance obviously raised questions in our heart. Having said that to her. We both parted our ways to training room. ¡­ Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur Emerson was resting in his room. He looked dispirited. He constantly muttering to himself. How that old coot reacted that day. Later that evening of life or death duel match. Mr. Arthur Emerson after conversing with Zack. He went to meet elders. He immediately told the conversation transpired between him and Zack. He precisely told about the corpse preserver matter. Hearing that faces of couple of elders changed except Elder Thornton. Especially, Elder Jensen expression become darkened. He really didn''t agree with Corpse preserver idea. He demanded to see Daniel''s corpse. He acted as an upright elder. He lectured that, Hansen Centre should handover Daniel''s corpse. Hearing his speech that day. Everyone dumbfounded. Elder Thornton reprimanded him. Elder Thornton quickly exposed Elder Jensen idea to inspect Daniel corpse. Elder Jensen doing everything behind the scenes to help his grandson. His action is open to everyone. But, there is actually a limit. How much he can do. Elder Thornton obviously won''t let him do as he please. Elder Thornton approved idea of using corpse preserver. Which left Elder Jensen rejected. He quickly left that place. Everyone that day understood. It''s not going to be simple life or death duel. There is going to be some inevitable politics. Because, ever since Elder Grandson registered his name. Elder Jensen already asking backing off the other elders. From that day, the elders divided into two teams. One supporting Elder Jensen and other supporting Elder Thornton. Because of those situations. He is feeling stressed lately. He thought he is helping Zack. But, it ended up going against him. Even he himself didn''t expect that brat Philip would register his name. He slammed his table in frustration. ¡­ On the other hand, Mr. James began his investigating about Daniel''s family background. With his intelligence team effort. He quickly gathered some report. From that reports he confirms that. Daniel and his parents involvement in shady activities. With this he can pressure those. Couples. He believes they won''t act rashly once they learn about the situation. Then, after sorting out everything. Mr. James send his report to Sir. Lowell McClain in an encrypted message. He hopes when the times comes he will help Zack. It will be difficult for him to handle Elder Jensen. From Arthur he knows about some inside situation. Which is not good to Zack. He knows Elder Thornton. He has few chats with him couple of years ago. Still, he feels how deep is the support is going to be. So, he hopes for Zack''s teacher''s timely support. ¡­ On the other hand, Zack entered training room. I''m going to try close combat test. When fighting with Daniel. I encountered my current fatal weakness. Without my perception I couldn''t fight well in close counter situations. So, after entering the chamber I intend to fight with practice dummy in close combat. I turned on the settings in A.I monitor screen. Soon, an advanced dummy appeared above the battle platform. I stepped forwards to face it. The timer I set it for 15 minutes. I hope I can hold on for fifteen minutes. The dummy strength also at Peak level Trainee Apprentice. Instead of human brain it has Artificial Intelligence. It can exhibit movements better than average warriors. Suddenly, timer turned on. The dummy instantly disappear from his location and dashed towards me. Seeing that, I gripped my black sword to defend it. The dummy when it reached me. It twist its fists to punch me. I didn''t want to use my perception. I''m too much relying on it. Seeing the fist came to my face. I try to dodge it. But, the dummy with its artificial intelligence quickly analyzed my movement. It immediately changed its aim in midway. It attacked my abdomen. Seeing its fist punched my abdomen. I immediately stepped back. Even though, I didn''t feel aginizing pain. Its still feels numb. Luckily, there is no elemental dummy. I didn''t heard such a thing so far. Seeing the dummy quickly made another movement. I decided to go for offensive. I leaped forward and made a horizontal slash. Yet when my blade cut across the air. The dummy quickly avoided the attack in an effortless manner. Seeing that I squinted my eyes. I had a deep sigh in my heart. Without perception I really couldn''t judge the movements. Time went on, I failed to land a successful hits. On the other hand I''m getting bruised. I''m really frustrated by the scenario. Soon, 15 minutes passed. After the battle time. I took a break. I intend to assimilate some of the insights. So, took out mediate mat and began to reflect on myself. So, far I exhibit movements of hand to hand combat technique same as battle dummy. It also loaded with same combat technique as mine. Intentionally made some changes in the setting. Still, its hard to believe I couldn''t land a successful hit. Even I stopped using my black sword and continued with hand to hand combat technique. I sighed realizing that. But, still, I didn''t feel down. I got up and continued the next round. Time went on, the battle dummy with its artificial intelligence continually put pressure on Zack. At first, Zack couldn''t do much better like previous round. But at last few minutes. He grasped certain things and made successful hit. Though it left him with numerous bruises on his body. After the second round was over. Zack took out some pill. He swallowed it. Its a low grade healing pill. Few minutes later, few bruises faded away. Even though he decided to continue. Time went on, till the evening. After twenty rounds at the end of the day. Zack trained well. He landed multiple hits successfully in close counter.. With that he left the training centre. Chapter 137 - Meeting Mr. Jonathan Earlier, Mr. James sent a message to Sir Lowell McClain. He was taken aback after reading the message. He hadn''t expected Zack to suggest a life-or-death confrontation. He also notices Hansen Training Centre''s approach. His forces were stationed in a number of cities. Crimson Hall informed him about intelligence leaks. It was found that their objective was to cause havoc. This is harming Zack now. He also considers Zack''s opponents'' descriptions. With the exception of Elder''s grandson. It is pointless to pay attention to others. Even if his grandson takes part and perishes. He''ll keep an eye on Elder Jensen to make sure he doesn''t get involved in any shady dealings. As a result, he told James that he would take care of the situation. James is only required to report in the event of an emergency. Sir. Lowell McClain also makes the decision to contact Zack. He had intended to wait until Zack joined the academy to meet him. Now, he thinks it''s a good idea to approach him sooner. Within half a year of awakening, he can kill a peak level warrior. As a result, he is really upbeat about it. ¡­ Zack, on the other hand, arrives at his residence. It took me twenty rounds to figure out how to do it. Practicing with a war dummy is surely not easy. I sighed when I realised this. ''Hmmm... If I maintain doing this practise as a routine,'' I think. "I''m sure I''ll do better, even if I don''t use perception," I thought to myself. While pondering it. I walked into my room. I went to the bathroom to take a short shower. I put forth a lot of effort into my workout today. I''m getting a squirt of cold water waste on my face. I''m feeling revitalised. I changed into my casual clothes a few minutes later. I was looking through the alliance network at the time. My wrist watch vibrates in response to a new notification. I had a brief look around. My eyes were wide open when I looked at it. I couldn''t keep my excitement in check. Sir Lowell McClain, my teacher, has sent me a note. I take a deep breath and read the message. Following the message''s reading. I was taken aback. He asked whether I needed any assistance in that message. I have his men''s contact information. There''s also his own emergency contact information. I definitely felt a weight being lifted from my shoulder. With it, I''ll be able to deal with the looted object. It''s possible that I''ll trade it for something more valuable. I stored his men''s contact information. Jonathan is his name. I went on to do other things after saving it. I''m waiting for dinner to start. In the dining room. Zack notifies to his Uncle. Mr. James nodded when he heard it. And he was told of Daniel''s family''s involvement with a nefarious organisation. He also informed him that he is free to use the stolen stuff. Zack responds by revealing his strategy. He wishes to speak with Mr. Jonathan. Mr. James did not raise any objections to this. When he hear the name Jonathan, Mr. James become excited. On that day a person came to the residence to deliver the cultivation techniques, he remembered. Realizing that possibility, he took a deep breath. However, he immediately recovers. He didn''t want to lose his cool in front of Zack, so he kept his cool. Jonathan is at the very least an Elite Warrior. Without a doubt, he is stronger and at a greater level than him. Mr. James is well aware of this and intends to achieve breakthrough sooner rather than later. After dinner is finished. They went to their respective rooms. The following day, Zack went about his business as usual. Rather of going to the library. He made it a point to practise with a dummy throughout the day. It makes him feel like he''s fighting with actual top-tier fighters. At the end of the day, time passed. Mr. Jonathan was approached by Zack. Mr. Jonathan was the same person who pretended to be a beggar. He is one of the men under Sir Lowell McClain''s command. Following a phone call from Zack. He stopped by the Red Stone city station. It is an ideal location for him to visit Zack. Zack arrives at the spot after agreeing with him. Zack was completely unaware of his appearance. As soon as he arrived at the location. He sat and waited for him. Mr. Jonathan enters a few minutes later and instantly notices Zack. Except for some minor issues, he spent the majority of the day watching Zack. He spent the rest of his time protecting him. Sir. Lowell McClain informed me about the life or death duel. He chooses to keep a closer eye on him. That explains why he is late after Zack. When he first saw Zack, he was ecstatic. He takes a step in front of him. Mr. Jonathan smiled and said, "Hi, my name is Jonathan." I was taken aback when I heard that. This individual appears to be a teenager. "So, He looks young," I mumbled under my breath. I shook my head, thinking it was impossible. He didn''t notice any energy floating as he got closer to him. My intuition, on the other hand, tells me otherwise. It reminds me of the endless ocean. Observing him and anticipating my response. "Hello, Mr. Jonathan," I said. "It''s good to meet you." With a steady voice, I said. "Sir. Lowell McClain already briefed me about your problem," he replied. So, how can I be of use to you?" He responded. When I heard it, I gave him a kind nod. I took a quick glance around me. I don''t want anyone listening in on me. Observing Zack''s delicate movements. Mr. Jonathan cracks a grin. He made use of an object known as the inform bracelet. It creates an impenetrable barrier around them. "Amazing¡­" In my mind, I made a remark. These are the kinds of artefacts I''d like to have. "After defeating my first opponent in that life-or-death combat," I remarked eagerly. I took his possessions. Where I discover a number of stolen stuff. "Some of them were quite pricey." Then I went over the names of the various objects. Daniel''s lower-end storage ring was handed up to him. Where I kept the fire affinity stones and the pendant object that accompanied them. When he got it from Zack. Mr. Jonathan''s curiosity was peaked. He infiltrated the storage ring with his consciousness. He couldn''t remember where he seen that pendant. He didn''t even look at the stones with fire affinity. However, when noticing the faded symbol on the pendant, he changed his mind. He''s taken aback. He''ll go back and get the information on it once he''s found it. He had every intention of telling Zack. If the true owner of the pendant is still hunting for it, that would be an issue. As a result, he turns to Zack and asks, "What do you want?" Do you want me to assist you in converting them to credit points?" Converting stolen stuff to credit points would be a pain, Mr. Jonathan. He knew Zack was Master''s disciple, and Master had also instructed him to assist Zack. He makes the decision to do it. Hearing him, I knew I had to be ready. As a result, I didn''t hesitate to respond to him. "If it''s feasible, I''d like lightning affinity stones or anything else related to lightning," I explained. I''m on the edge of making a breakthrough. So I''m in desperate need of lightning energy. As a result, if I have a breakthrough, my chances of winning improve." Mr. Jonathan''s eyes brightened as he heard that. He is aware of Zack''s predicament. He does, however, appear to be aware of the outpost. The world''s energy supply is extremely limited in this sector. Even for a genius, it''s a challenge. A breakthrough would be tough to achieve. On the contrary. He was present at the time. He accompanied him After his elemental awakening, He seen Zack''s advancement with his own eyes at the Mountain Liz. "When it comes to lightning affinity stones," he explained. In outpost 1012, it''s hard to find. Rather, I can search for herbal treasure and other objects related to lightning." He doesn''t want to give Zack any false optimism. In his Master''s place, he can find lightning affinity stones. However, the journey would take at least a week. There will be no one to protect Zack till then. He didn''t want to put it in jeopardy, so he set out to find some lightning treasures. There are only a few places where you can see powerful lightning. As a result, he decides to pay a visit. On the other hand, Hearing Mr. Jonathan''s simple response. I furrowed my brow. "Even for the men of my teacher." It''s difficult to get your hands on a lightning stone," I sighed deeply. At the very least, he spoke to me. I sincerely hope he is successful in obtaining the lightning treasure. "As long as it has anything to do with lightning," I said to him. When it comes to pendant artefacts, I''m comfortable with that. I didn''t make any separate demands. It''s useless to me. As a result, it''s preferable to deliver it to him with that. We said our goodbyes.. I then boarded my train to return home. Chapter 138 - Patrick Winter Days passed, and Zack put in a lot of practise time. Because of his perseverance. As time passed, he improved. He didn''t even have to use his ability to perceive. Mr. Jonathan, on the other hand, is using his connections to look for Lightning Treasure in various locations. ¡­ A long way from the Red Stone City. It''s a Tier-7 metropolis. Blue tiles is the name of the city. In this opulent metropolis. Winter Pavilion, a well-known commercial pavilion, is growing industry. This pavilion''s owner is an unknown figure. People in the city, including the city lord, had never seen him in person. They can''t bother this pavilion, though, because of its connections. Pavilion head is currently waiting for a specific person in his chamber. While waiting for this individual. He''s drinking a cup of tea. The door slips open with a "crack." The butler arrived quickly, but his motions were silent. When the butler approached his Master, he bowed and said, "Master, Your audience is being sought by an unknown person." In a calm tone, the butler said. Hearing that, the pavilion gave him a kind nod. The butler deduces from Master''s nodding that he wishes to meet him. The butler moved back slowly to make room for the stranger. The butler eventually left the premises. Pavilion head''s face was bright with a smile. This person''s arrival is being eagerly anticipated by the Pavilion''s leader. At the front door, the butler appeared. When he saw the visitor, he acted respectfully. He immediately recognises that the only people capable of confronting his lord are the most powerful. "My Master wishes to see you," the butler stated, as the visitor wore a hood and a mask to hide his face. Even those who are near to him are only able to stare into his eyes. The stranger gives him a kind nod and follows him into the chamber. While driving to the chamber. The stranger pays close attention to his surroundings. When the butler arrives at the chamber of the pavilion head. He motions for the stranger to come in. He then leaves this location. The stranger entered the chamber without waiting any longer. He discovered pavilion head enjoying tea there. The door behind him closed as he entered the chamber. When the stranger noticed this, his attitude altered and he said, "It''s been a long time, how are you Patrick?" He sat at the other seat without waiting for him to respond. He then takes off his disguise, revealing his face. Pavilion''s head smiles slightly as he hears that. ¡­ Patrick Winter is the pavilion''s leader. He is a member of the Winter family and is well-known in the herbal trade. The Winter family frequently conducts business by entering into contracts or purchasing the rights to herbal gardens. This winter family is in charge of a number of herb gardens. They gather a variety of elemental herbal herbs here. Each herbal garden is divided into sections depending on key elements. Mr. Patrick is the winter family''s third young master. He has a sharp wit and a nice face with blonde hair. He is the ideal man for any woman. People, however, look down on him because of his stagnant cultivation and overweight frame. Furthermore, he is uninterested in cultivating anything. Mr. Patrick is enthusiastic about herbal gardening. He wants to sow special element herbal seeds in the herbal gardening. No one has ever done something like this in the history of the world. When it comes to outpost 1012, this winter family is one of the most prevalent. However, the location of this region is inhospitable to elemental warriors. In particular, when it comes to gardening. Planting and harvesting herbal treasures is significantly more challenging in this land. Nonetheless, owing to the winter family''s secret. In the outpost 1012, they have been successful in locating harvesting methods. However, when it comes to Mr. Patrick, his passion for unique elements gardening was met with disapproval by the family patriarch. Though his dedication to the family company is understandable, he requires strong cultivation support. He is lacking in only one part of it. His suitability provides other young masters an opportunity. Mr. Patrick left his home and took over as pavilion Head after being rejected and disrespected. It''s been nearly a decade since he left his family and came to blue tiles city. He, on the other hand, never made a public appearance. He never revealed who he was. People consider him to be a member of the Winter family''s workforce. Even the city''s lord regards him as an employee. He didn''t break his tie after abandoning his family. He, on the other hand, declared himself a non- contender for the job of future patriarch. On the condition that his family backs him up in his research and commercial ventures. Following the agreement. Mr. Patrick was a hard worker who took pride in his work. He ensures that the company does not suffer a significant loss. He also put forth effort in the realm of research. He has been blissfully living in blue tiles city since that day of his departure, having made various influential connections. He also cultivates to lengthen his life span from time to time. However, he received a message from a childhood buddy today. ¡­ "You old fox, Jonathan!" It''s highly unlikely that you recall your old acquaintance." Mr. Patrick smiled as he exposed him. Mr. Jonathan was little embarrassed when he heard that. Instead of responding, He fills his cup with tea. "I''m not a wealthy young master like you," he said later. Jonathan complained, "I need to work to obtain resources." Mr. Patrick shakes his head when he hears that. "Well, don''t lecture me any longer." It''s great to see you again. To answer your query, I''m doing fine, spending my days on research as usual." He added something to the conversation. Mr. Jonathan sighed as he heard his friend''s response. "I''m glad you mentioned that. That would be preferable. If you devote some time to your cultivation, you will reap the benefits. I hope you don''t pass away from old age." Mr. Jonathan gave his dear old pal some advice. "Hmmm, I''m working on that," Mr. Patrick said. So, what brings you to this place? Don''t say you''ve come to reminisce about our childhood." Mr. Jonathan was speechless when he heard that. However, he quickly recovered his expression. He thought for a bit before responding, "I need special elemental treasures and healing pils," he remarked solemnly. Since then, he has kept his commitment to Zack. He''s been looking in a few different areas. However, the results were in vain. He is not, however, hopeless. Rather than waste additional time. He makes the decision to meet up with his pal. Before Zack''s next life-or-death combat, he needs to get his hands on lightning treasure. He was listening to his buddies'' questions. For a brief period, Mr. Patrick was stunned. But he soon grasps the situation. It''s for a specific person. Jonathan isn''t a special element user, he knew. He is, nonetheless, shocked that he will not question him. Unless it''s crucial. Despite the fact that they are buddies, Jonathan has never sought his assistance. "What exactly do you mean when you say Special Element treasures?" "Could you please elaborate?" Mr. Patrick inquired. With healing medicines, he''s fine. However, he requires clarification regarding the special element treasure. In this arid country, the name special element is nearly taboo. As a result, he requires an explanation from his pal. If it''s even possible. He intends to assist him. "I need lightning treasure," Mr. Jonathan replied when he heard that. It doesn''t matter if it''s a pill, blood essence, or herbal treasure. It should be sufficient to help with breakthrough." Mr. Jonathan has vivid memories of Zack. Zack is on the edge of achieving his goal. So, he doesn''t want any lower end treasures. At least, it needs to be at special trainee level. "Lightning¡­" For a little while, Mr. Patrick was perplexed. But he bounces back soon. "Lightning is a powerful element. I don''t have any herbal treasures or pills that can help me with that." In his head, he made a remark. He paused for a second. He then recalls something. He switched on his sci-fi watch right away. He quickly access the the treasure vault folder in it. It''s the winter pavilion''s treasure vault. He quickly moves through the treasure vault, skipping multiple folders until arriving at Monster''s core folder. When he first opens it, he goes through the Monsters'' core element by element. Soon, he was drawn to a photograph. He enlarges the image so that he can read the description. He furrowed his brows after reading it. He kept the image and went on the hunt for more Monster core. He let out a long sigh a few minutes later. Except for one, there is no specific Monster core. However, that Monster core is special. He''s having a hard time revealing it. He gave Mr. Jonathan a sidelong glance. After monitoring his demeanour for a while. He made the decision to inform him. "I glanced through my treasure vault," Mr. Patrick said.. With the exception of one Monster core there is no other treasure to be found." Chapter 139 - Informing Zack Mr. Jonathan, on the other hand, is patiently waiting for his friend to respond. He knows deep down that finding anything connected to rare elements is extremely tough. Even if they bring something, other large organisations or families will buy it before it is available for public sale. Realizing this, he sighed heavily. He then cast a peek at Mr. Patrick''s glum expression. Following Mr. Patrick''s response. He didn''t respond right away. "How about that Monster core ?" he asked after a brief pause. With a solemn tone, he stated. For a brief while, he considered how difficult it would be to obtain that one-of-a-kind core. When he heard his friend''s question, he was taken aback. Mr. Patrick gave a kind smile. "It belongs to a Monster with a bloodline trait," he said. The issue here, though, is that the monster core is tainted with poison." "It''s difficult to separate lightning energy from poison," he said, casting a sidelong glance at him. We''ll only get diluted lightning power even if it''s separated." Mr. Jonathan was disappointed when he heard his friend''s response. "So, you''re saying it''s useless?" he inquired. But he''s cursing his friend deep down. "If the core is polluted." ''What makes you want to retain it in your treasury?'' He pondered his thoughts. He didn''t say it out loud, though. Mr. Patrick flashes an embarrassed smile when he hears that. That is why he is having difficulty making a decision sooner. For a brief while, the atmosphere fell silent. Nobody made a comment. Mr. Jonathan, on the other hand, was the one who brought this problem to light. "Could you ask other channels?" he asked. Mr. Patrick nodded in agreement. He sincerely wishes to assist his pal. Despite the fact that the Monster core was polluted, he preserved it for study purposes. "So, do you want this core or not?" he inquired. Mr. Jonathan didn''t respond right away when he heard that. Rather, he reasoned that it might benefit Zack in some other way. "I''ll wait if no further treasures are discovered," he remarked. I''ll then take it and leave. Mr. Patrick nodded when he heard that. Mr. Patrick believed it was crucial for his friend. They conversed for several hours. Mr. Patrick then motions for him to remain in the guest room. Mr. Patrick, on the other hand, would inquire of his close associates. Mr. Jonathan exited the room. Upon seeing the butler for the second time. He was taken to the guest room by the butler. As soon as you enter the guest room. The door shut on its own. Mr. Jonathan then began to survey the area. He and Patrick, on the other hand, were childhood pals. He didn''t want to let his guard down. He, too, has personal adversaries who are waiting for the right moment to kill him. After checking sure there is no surveillance formation or anything else, a few minutes later. He sighed and sat back in his seat. He started to unwind a little. He has faith in his pal. I''m considering the Monster core. He mutters to himself, "It turned out to be a waste substance." Soon after, he had an idea. He took a look around him. And his wristwatch immediately activates a barrier. An impenetrable barrier appears around him right away. Following the inspection of the barrier. He dials Zack''s Number. ¡­ Zack is doing his usual fighting training in his combat room. After taking a look at the call. He takes a step forward and squats. "How come he''s phoning me right now?" I made a mental remark. I was unconcerned about my surroundings. The room is now completely empty. Locked. No one is here but for myself. I''ll keep that in mind. I answer the phone. Above my wristwatch, a holographic image of Mr. Jonathan appeared. After seeing how I greeted him, I said. "Good morning, Mr. Jonathan. "Did you come across anything?" From the holographic image, I can''t tell what his background is. I grumbled, "It''s actually blur." Mr. Jonathan smiled as he heard Zack''s greeting and said, "I''m fine Mr. Zack." After declaring that he wants to continue, he said, "I came across lightning Element Monster core." I''m taken aback when I hear that. "What type of Monster is it, and what level is it?" I inquired quickly. I felt a release of pressure on my shoulder. That concludes the Monster core. It''s simply a matter of time, before I had a breakthrough. I''m awaiting his next response. "Mr. Zack, calm down a bit and let me complete my words," Mr. Jonathan said, to which Zack nodded. "That Monster core is polluted with poison," Mr. Jonathan added after seeing this. So, there you have it. It''s pointless. Mr. Zack, please accept my apologies. More than that, I''ve yet to come across any other lightning-related materials." Mr. Jonathan apologised for his actions. I sighed when I heard that. "For some reason, I became enthusiastic for no reason," I guffawed. Then I asked him, "Can I inquire how you got that core?" Mr. Jonathan looked at him for a second and nodded. Since Zack is Master''s pupil, he reasoned. It will not be a problem to give some information. Even Master is aware of the winter family. Mr. Jonathan then went into great detail about his encounter with Mr. Patrick. I''m impressed after hearing that. "Mr. Jonathan has a plethora of contacts." In my heart, I praised. For a brief while, my thoughts are drawn to the treasure vault he mentioned. Even the monster core slipped my mind. My mind had a weird concept. "If I found something valuable in the treasure vault. It would be beneficial. Then Mr. Jonathan''s journey will not be in vain." In Zack''s eyes, a sparkle appears. My joy, though, faded quickly. Recognizing this, it would appear impolite to ask him. Observing Zack''s glum expression. "Don''t worry, Mr. Zack," Mr. Jonathan said. I''ll put my faith in my pal. "Even if there is no treasure in the winter pavilion, he will do something about it," he continued. My friend might be able to provide me with some information on the subject. He''s built some powerful contacts throughout the city." I grinned when I heard that. "It''s beneficial to have contacts. It doesn''t matter if you''re pals or not. Business relationships are possible." I made a mental comment. However, taking a glance at my social activities. There''s nothing more to say about the subject. Except for Uncle and Granny. I don''t care about anyone. I had a great plan a few months ago. Max Stewart is someone with whom I''d like to do business. However, the unfortunate guy''s fate was terrible. That made me smile wryly in my heart. "Mr. Jonathan, I have an idea," I said as I stared at him. I''m not sure if it''s proper to ask you." Mr. Jonathan grinned in response. "You can ask Mr. Zack anything," he said. "I''m not going to take it to my heart." "If your friend didn''t locate anything," I inquired after hearing this. You can then take that infected core with you. However, I have a personal request. "I hope you don''t mind," I remarked with a smile, "but I''d like to read through the treasure list." And also Could you please introduce me to your friend?" Mr. Jonathan''s smile vanishes as he hears that. His demeanour shifts to one of seriousness. He hadn''t expected Zack to raise the subject of the treasure list with him. He didn''t even dare to inquire about the treasury with Patrick. You can only make a request to him. If there is something in the treasure that you want. Then he''ll let you know. The winter pavilion operates on this concept. When it comes to Zack''s second question, I''m not sure what to say. He didn''t even consider it. "I''m sorry, Mr. Zack," Mr. Jonathan said. The treasure list is impossible to look at. When it comes to your second question, I''m not sure what to say. You must understand that Master instructed me to assist you with material matters rather than connections." "Mr. Zack, you are too young," he said. There are a number of factions. Simply because he was a childhood buddy of mine. That doesn''t mean he''s a member of our group." When I heard it, I couldn''t help but be concerned. "It''s impossible to see things in black and white." In my head, I made a remark. When I realised what he had said, I immediately apologised. It''s enough to have someone who cares about me. I shouldn''t have aggravated the situation. Mr. Jonathan grinned and nodded in response. "Like I said, I won''t be furious with you," he said. You''re far too young for this. You still don''t understand how the world works. For the time being, Master expects you to enrol in the academy and concentrate on raising your cultivation level." I grinned when I heard that. Before we hung up, we chatted about a few other things. Mr. Jonathan, on the other hand, waited for his companion. Mr. Patrick, on the other hand, is using his link to locate lightning elemental treasure. Mr.. Patrick let out a sigh a few hours later. He whispered to himself, "As expected, this desolate land is a bane to special element cultivation " Chapter 140 - Treasure List After conversing with so many different networks, I''ve come to a conclusion. Mr. Patrick came to a realisation. "Either they''re hiding something or they don''t have any rare elemental treasure," In his head, he made a remark. Mr. Patrick examined his Sci-Fi wristwatch. It''s already beyond midnight. Mr. Jonathan flashed into his head. He grumbled, "We met after a long period, but I couldn''t help him." If his companion inquired about something else. He''d be able to readily offer it. As though they were healing pills. Despite the fact that it is costly. It is, however, not uncommon. Mr. Patrick pondered for a long time. He let out a sigh a few minutes later. "I''ll ask him if he needs anything else," he reasoned to himself. At the very least, he''ll be able to make his friend happy this way. That''s something to keep in mind. Mr. Patrick gets up and walks over to his buddies'' room. He decided that this was a good time to talk to him. Mr. Patrick knocks on the door as he arrives. Mr. Jonathan grinned when he heard that. He turns on the key. The door slid open quickly. Mr. Patrick sat down next to his friends. "Did you find anything?" Mr. Jonathan inquired when he saw him. He said that with a smile on his face. Mr. Patrick cast a sidelong glance at him when he heard that. Observing the anticipation of his buddies. He makes the decision to inform him of the truth now itself. "I''m sorry to have to break it to you, Jonathan. Now is the moment to make a decision. There isn''t a lightning elemental treasure to be found "Mr. Patrick informed a buddy of his contacts and the outcome. "Did you ask them seriously?" Jonathan responded. Even his friend, he realises, has powerful connections. However, there is no such thing as free charity in the world. Mr. Patrick understands the meaning of Mr. Jonathan''s queries after hearing them. "You know yourself, I can''t go much farther," he said. "That''s why they didn''t think it unusual," He continued. "Perhaps my contacts assumed I merely requested them for my research." Imagine if I press them any further, they''ll think it''s unusual, and there''s a potential they''ll want to find out more information about it," Mr. Patrick said in great detail. Hearing his remarks, Mr. Jonathan let out a long sigh. "So, there''s no way," he said. I''m afraid I''ll have to return empty-handed." "You can have that contaminated core," Mr. Patrick stated when he heard it. "...", Mr. Jonathan''s look says. Observing his friend''s dismal demeanour. "Why don''t you ask me about other things?" Mr. Jonathan reassured him. He said that with a smile on his face. He had previously considered this. If his acquaintance requires any additional common items. He has no trouble arranging the goods. Observing his pal deliberating over his choice of words. He makes the decision to wait. Hearing his statements, Mr. Jonathan got perplexed. His thoughts on the talk he had with Zack earlier. "Should I question him about the treasure list?" he wondered. Seeing his pal today in a nice mood. With a blank expression on his face, he summoned the guts to ask, "Patrick, I want to see the treasure list?" Mr. Patrick was taken aback for a moment when he heard that. He couldn''t believe what he''d just heard. "Can you say that again?" He enquired of his pal. For a brief while, the environment fell silent. Observing the tense scene. Mr. Jonathan wracks his brain for a solution to the problem. He wishes to de-escalate the issue. "Cough" "cough," Mr. Jonathan. Mr. Jonathan made the following observation: "Patrick, I understand that the treasure list is a closely guarded secret. However, there isn''t a single lightning element in that treasure vault. I''m not sure what could be rarer in that vault than that." In a pleasant tone, he stated. After straining his head for a while. It was the only thing that sprang to mind. He was surprised to hear his friend''s reaction. Mr. Patrick pondered for a long time. He had considered criticising him at first. But then he remembered that he was the one who made the proposition. And what he said makes sense. "I can''t let him browse through the full list." It''s preferable to make changes to the list. Aside from the essentials and materials for his research. He intends to incorporate both ordinary and unusual products. After he''d made up his mind. "Its fine," he responded, "I''ll give you the list at dinner." He then exited his friend''s room. Hearing his friend''s promise was reassuring. Mr. Jonathan was overjoyed. "At the very least, Mr. Zack will be able to see his other treasure items." He pondered his thoughts. Patrick is to blame for everything. If he hadn''t taken the initiative to make an offer sooner. I would not have dared to ask him if that had been the case. As soon as he saw his pal, he exited the room. The issue is now resolved. He then started cultivating. He never hesitates to mediate and retain his optimum condition when he receives a time throughout the assignment. After he had left his friend''s room. Mr. Patrick returned to his residence. People frequently assumed that, like previous pavilions, the winter pavilion had a treasure vault. Patrick Winter, on the other hand, has a treasure vault in his home. Particularly behind his bedroom door. Mr. Patrick arrives home after a few minutes. He intends to alter the treasure''s name list as soon as possible. So that he can hand it over to Mr. Jonathan at dinnertime. As soon as he enters the corridor. There were people in attendance. He tells them not to let anyone in. They nodded as soon as they heard his remarks. Then there''s him. When, Patrick enters his room. When he first enters into the room. He switches on the formation. No one may enter without his permission. After additional examination of the formation. He then proceeds to walk up the wall behind his bed. He rests his palm on the wall, softly. The artificial intelligence system soon starts buzzing. His palm print is scanned. As a result of "Creak," a secret door opens. After passing through the mysterious door. The door shuts on its own, and the room is dark. Mr. Patrick puts his palm against the wall once more. As a result, the same thing occurs. As a result, the entire room is illuminated. Mr. Patrick examines the room''s several vaults. Mr. Patrick takes a step towards the control panel. He sat down and began operating on the A.I control system, It is related with formations on top of it. If the formation is triggered, it will light up and destroy the room. If it is discovered that the most valuable item in the treasure vault is not the things. But it''s the actual formation on top of it that''s interesting. Then they''d start crying. The A.I. monitor system is primarily employed to keep track of the treasure vault''s inventory. On the one hand, Mr. Patrick checked the inventory. There are various categories in the inventory database. Starting with common objects, uncommon items, unknown materials, research materials, and the most expensive item, the winter family items is formed. This is the most valuable prize is in the winter family section. Mr. Patrick does not have the right to change the winter family section''s list. He will need patriarchal consent for this. He can only add to the list of winter relatives. As a result, he didn''t even bother to look at it. He quickly took two things out of his plan. They have the most expensive items for the Winter family and research items were allocated to Mr. Patrick. His items for personal research. He can''t afford to give it to Mr. Jonathan because his research is predicated on these products. As a result, he starts making a fresh list for his Mr. Jonathan. At first " common items", like that of others, was frequently sold through pavilions. Next is "rare items", These items are rarely sold directly; instead, they are usually sold at auction. Finally, he added unidentified items. The majority of these goods are waste. You won''t know the worth of these items unless someone appraises them. Which largely consists of ancient civilization''s weaponry and equipment. Mr. Patrick prepared the revised list a few minutes later. Then he gave it another look. He completed it after double-checking the items. He double-checked the items on the list while he was compiling it. If he considers himself to be more valued. Then he crossed something off his list. Mr. Patrick sighed profoundly as he rose from his seat. After making sure everything is in order. He returned to his bedroom. Mr. Patrick awaited the start of dinner. He''ll next proceed to his pavilion. He believes that this list will satisfy his friend. Mr. Patrick arrived at his pavilion a few hours later. The pavilion is usually closed at night. It was extended today. Mr. Patrick tells his butler not to bother him for the next few hours. He then proceeded to his friend''s room. Mr.. Jonathan continues to diligently cultivate. Chapter 141 - River Painting "Knock" After knocking on the door, Mr. Patrick has been patiently waiting. Mr. Jonathan is currently engrossed in his meditation, he surmised. He paused for a few moments. A door opened with a "crack." "How are you doing?" Mr. Jonathan inquired. His words alluded to the treasure list. Mr. Patrick gives him a sidelong glance. He sat back in his seat, relaxed. Then he motions Mr. Jonathan to take his seat. Seeing his friend''s small actions renewed his hope. "Can you break the suspense now?" he asked, casting a glance at his pal. The treasure list was delivered to Mr. Jonathan''s sci-fi watch. "Take a look at the list I sent you." Mr.Patrick said that with a smile on his face. Mr. Jonathan was overjoyed when he heard this and instantly logged into his account. It was encrypted, as usual. Before reading it, Mr. Jonathan decoded it. He mutters, "Three categories." He''s going over the treasure list. Mr. Patrick overheard his words. Mr. Jonathan knitted his brow and asked, "How many can I choose from the list?" Mr. Patrick grinned and continued, "This is all I can do, Hope you look through the list and answer me." Mr. Jonathan has a laid-back demeanour. After understanding his intention. Mr. Patrick''s expression, however, shifted. He appeared to be serious. "Are you joking, Jonathan?" For a little while, Mr. Jonathan was stumped. And he added, "Patience, Patrick. I''m not looking for anything for nothing." He then added, "Can I give you the name tomorrow?" To his friend''s request. Mr. Patrick takes a step back for a second. He began to think quietly. "What''s going on with him. Why is he unable to speak now? It won''t take more than 10 minutes "Within his head, he made a remark. Then he got up out of his seat and said, "Okay, go ahead and take your time. In the morning, I''ll return." Mr. Jonathan simply nodded in response. Mr. Patrick then returned the nod and exited the room, after looking at his friend''s reaction. Mr. Jonathan let out a sigh of relief. "At long last, he''s gone." He pondered his thoughts. He erected a barrier, like he had done previously. He then quickly dialled Zack''s number. Zack, on the other hand, is tending his plants in his room. His sci-fi buzzes all of a sudden. Hearing that notification vibrate, I knitted my brows. I blinked open my eyes and looked at the notification. It appears to be a call from Mr. Jonathan. I instantly answer the phone. His face appeared as a holographic image. "Mr. Jonathan, what happened? do you have any good news? "With a smile on my face, I inquired. I''m hoping he''ll say something positive. When Mr. Jonathan heard this, he grinned and added, "Mr. Zack, you''ve had a lot of luck. Now my friend has given me a treasure list." I was speechless when I heard that. I used to believe it was impossible. Even I felt awful about inquiring about it previously. "Is it a genuine one?" With a smile on my face, I inquired. It''s still difficult to comprehend. Mr. Jonathan remarked after hearing this, "Of course, this isn''t a true list. My friend, I assume, made it just for me." I nodded when I heard that. Other than core family members, there is, of course, real treasury. No one will be able to see it. The treasure list was then sent to Zack by Mr. Jonathan. I read the list a few minutes later. I even forgot about the call for a moment. I was completely absorbed in it. Mr. Jonathan reminds Zack, "Cough" "Cough," that he is still on the phone. "Oops, Mr. Jonathan, I''ll give you an answer in two hours, is that okay?" I inquired about him. Because I didn''t recognise most of the names. On top of that, I saw the list was divided into three categories. To learn more about it, I''ll have to read the description. When Mr. Jonathan heard this, he said, "No problem, Mr. Zack, take your time." Then he went on in a pathetic manner, "However, I am hoping that you would respond to me within two hours. I''ll be going at lunchtime tomorrow. Otherwise, my friend will notice something isn''t quite right." When I heard that, I nodded and hung up. I start by reading the descriptions of common items. There were over a hundred pieces in all. I started reading rare items after a few minutes of reading. For now, I found some valuable herbs from common items, which isn''t crucial to me. I also discovered five-element affinity stones. Those affinity stones are considered rare. This comes as no surprise to me. I finished rare things after half an hour. Rare things were meticulously described. I''m not sure if it''s true or not. There were several effective cultivation techniques, as well as offensive and defensive ones. However, a good grade isn''t enough. I groaned, remembering that I shouldn''t be blinded by my current situation. The number of runes I can conjure in my imagination has a limit. If I rush any procedure, it will have long-term effects. I''m aware that the clock is ticking. I started reading the last unknown items. There are no objects that are closely related to lightning elements. Those products are scrutinised by me as well. It would be preferable if it had something to do with blood or a healing element of mine. I skipped most of the items in the unknown section a few minutes later. Because a description isn''t the same as reality. It was assessed by an appraiser. I''m only interested in these photographs. Armour, swords, and sabres were the most common weapons. A river is also seen in the image. The painting is old, but I''m not sure how old. There was no mention of it in the description. However, looking at the brush strokes and faded section, it appears to be a somewhat real. The river landscape resembles that of a real river. It''s a painting of a real landscape, "Interesting." I murmured something. It''s a photograph; imagine how incredible the actual one would be. I''m not sure why it was placed in the unknown items list. It is not appropriate to place it under the unknown items list simply because it lacks a description. I murmured something. With a sigh, I moved on to the next item on the list. After a few minutes, "I really finished it before the two-hour deadline," I thought to myself. The most time was spent on the rare treasure items part. They were very specific in their description. I''m not sure if it''s a marketing ploy to entice customers. When it comes to rare treasure, the sky is the limit. People are not averse to spending a lot of money. There are still a few minutes remaining. I need to make a decision because I haven''t found anything that will help me in my current situation. Since then, I''ve been looking for a blood cultivation method in the library. I felt like a treasure hunter. It appears that luck will not always be on your side. I pondered it while wasting no time. "Why don''t I buy that painting in the unknown section?" I suggested a few minutes later. In my head, I pondered. At the very least, I''ll be able to preserve a couple fire affinity stones this way. I feel it is less expensive than rare and common products. Then there''s the lack of a description. It hasn''t been appraised. There''s a good probability it''ll be mistaken for a fake painting. I really hope it doesn''t end up like this. After I''d made up my mind. I dialled Mr. Jonathan''s number. Mr. Jonathan answered the phone and asked Zack a question. "Have you gone over the list, Mr. Zack? Please specify which item you desire." Mr. Jonathan''s voice has a soothing tone to it. I nodded when I heard that. "I need the river artwork from the Unknown item list, Mr. Jonathan." I stated it with a smile on my face. Mr. Jonathan was speechless in response. "Mr. Zack, are you sure?" he inquired. He seemed to be perplexed. He assumed Zack would select an item from the rare list. He shook his head, indicating that he didn''t want to sway Zack''s opinion. In his sci-fi watch, he looked at that painting. He knitted his brow when he saw that photograph without a caption. "There''s no assessment description on it." He made a mental remark. "Mr. Zack, that painting is most likely phoney," he expressed his concern. Hearing that I had inquired, "If you don''t mind, Mr. Jonathan. Could you please elaborate ?" Mr. Jonathan responded with a smile and the words, "Painting is the subject of this item. When it comes to painting, the possibilities are endless. We need to make sure it''s genuine. Then follows the description. Take a look at this description. There is no mention of real or false in them. I feel it is a forgery." I''m not convinced after hearing that. "If it''s a fake, why are they retaining it?" I wondered. It struck me as odd. Why are you listing it if it''s a fake? Mr. Jonathan laughed heartily at this. Zack is a teenager. He might not be aware. It is, nevertheless, one of the trade secrets. The majority of bogus things are sold through unknown item list. Because there isn''t any information on it.. It''s up to the buyer to decide. Chapter 142 - Agreed? Mr. Jonathan''s explanation was heard. I''m having trouble making a decision. If those two sections contain any precious treasure. I won''t think twice about ignoring the painting. Painting, on the other hand, has always piqued my interest. It''s possible that my instincts are incorrect. But I''d like to rely on my instincts. "Mr. Jonathan, I have made my decision," I said. Please consider purchasing the picture." I stated it with a smile on my face. Mr. Jonathan, taken aback by the news, sighed helplessly and responded, "It''s okay, Mr. Zack." "Is there anything else you require?" "It''s enough," I answered with a shake of my head in response. Then, after a few conversations, I hung up on the phone. I don''t want to think about it any longer. Maybe I''ll alter my mind. If I keep conversing with him. Then I went back to doing my cultivation. ¡­ At the same time, in the Jensen family''s home. "Did you find anything about Daniel''s death, Grandpa?" Philip Jensen inquired solemnly. His grandfather, Jensen, sits next to him. Since then, Daniel has died. He doubts his own ability. He, too, possessed Daniel''s strength. If he and Daniel got into a fight. He was unsure how the outcome would turn out. He knows Daniel isn''t a pushover; Daniel has more combat experience than he does. He looked at his grandfather with a grimace on his face. Jensen, the elderly gentleman, sips his tea peacefully. He was completely absorbed in his own thoughts. He was unconcerned about his grandson''s squabbles. But, all of a sudden, he felt his eyes becoming more focused. He observed his grandson''s dissatisfaction. He put down his cup of tea. And he remembered what his grandson had said. "Please accept my apologies, Philip. I couldn''t get near Daniel''s body." With a solemn tone, he replied. His face darkened as he remembered the earlier event at Hansen Training Centre. "Thornton..." grumbled the elder Jensen. While mumbling his name, he is burning with rage inside. Being able to hear his grandfather''s response. Philip is dissatisfied. "What happened, Grandfather?" he inquired. You''re preoccupied with something else." Hearing that, Elder Jensen grinned. "Philip, you''re as sharp as ever," he said. Then he went on to say, "It''s difficult to openly support you. Because that brat piqued the interest of one of our elders." Philip responded by saying, "What exactly do you mean, Grandfather? Are you referring to Zack?" Elder Jensen gave him a friendly nod. Philip''s face had darkened. He hadn''t anticipated Zack''s support. He was having problems accessing Zack''s combat strength earlier. Now he has the support of an elder. "What would happen if the battle ended?" He pondered his thoughts. He is certain that whichever party wins, he will be victorious. The losing party will then cause havoc. "Which of the elders is it, Grandpa?" The words of his grandfather are difficult for him to comprehend. Elder Jensen didn''t keep it a secret. "Elder Thornton," he replied, his words resonating in Philip''s ears like thunder. He sprung from his seat, startled. He looked to his Grandpa for clarification. He''s completely taken aback right now. Elder Thornton was well-known to him. That is why, among all the seniors, old man Thornton is the most powerful warrior. Now he realises what he''s done. "It''s no surprise Grandpa couldn''t assist behind the scenes." In his head, he made a remark. Observing his Grandson''s actions. Inside, Elder Jensen was even more mortified. He yelled at him, "Sit down!" Philip sucked in a mouthful of saliva. He took his seat without hesitation. For a brief while, the room fell silent. No one said anything. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, is concentrating on his tea. Philip, on the other hand, has a statue-like posture. Elder Jensen emptied his tea cup a few minutes later. He studied his Grandson''s jittery expression. "I already assisted you by changing the match fixture," Elder Jensen said. The other elders were irritated by this." "Now, we have known that, brat Zack is not simple," he said. In a duel, He killed Daniel. That is to say, he is capable of harming you." "Don''t worry, Grandpa," Philip said in answer. He tightened his hand and said, "I will win the life or death duel." "What about Elder Thornton, won''t he interfere?" he wondered as he stared at his Grandpa. Elder Thornton scares him more than Zack. He is afraid that old man Thornton may harm him. Hearing his Grandson''s remarks brought further frustration. "You don''t have to be concerned about Elder Thornton." So long as you follow the rules. After the life-or-death combat, he won''t do anything to you." He explained to his grandson, whose eyes lit up with delight at the news. Seeing his Grandson''s upbeat demeanour. "Even Elder Thornton felt discontent," Elder Jensen chose to urge his Grandson further. He added, "He''s not going to do anything. He may be powerful, but he lacks the support of the board''s other seniors." "I already had a chat with Elder Alicia and a few other Elders on the board," he said. Elder Jensen continued, "Their support has a price tag. It''s great that they finally came to an agreement. They will stand up to Elder Thornton when the time comes." Philip eventually grinned when he heard that. "Grandfather," he asked, looking into his Grandpa''s crafty eyes. "Are you planning on succeeding Elder Thornton as leader?" Elder Thornton cracks a big grin when he hears that. "I want you to win that representative post," he said, looking at his grandson. Hearing this, Philip obediently nodded at him. "Leave now," Elder Jensen says as he motions him to leave. Philip took a bow and exited the room in response. The sight of his Grandson''s return. "If he is elected to the role of representative. He thought to himself, "It won''t be long before I grab that leadership seat from Thornton." ... The following day, at the Winter Pavilion. Mr. Patrick enters the room of his friend. "Have you made up your mind?" Mr. Jonathan was the one who requested him. "I need that River Painting from the unknown section," Mr. Jonathan stated with a nod. Mr. Patrick was taken aback when he heard that. He did not respond. He did, however, use his sci-fi watch to check the list. He initially skipped through the previous sections and arrived at an unknown portion. After a few pages of browsing, He came across a painting of a river. His eyes quickly caught the description. He thought to himself, "There is no description." Seeing that piece of art. He was aware of the fact that it was not valued. He recalls a time a few decades back. It was discovered from the ruins. Several appraisers told me it was a forgery. But, seeing a nice artwork, he didn''t have the courage to call it a fake. As a result, he did not make any adjustments to the empty description. He left it as if it were empty. "Are you sure about it?" Mr. Patrick inquired of his acquaintance. Mr. Jonathan grinned helplessly in his heart as he heard that. He didn''t show it in his face, though. Mr. Jonathan responded: "Yes, I''d like it. What do you know about this work of art?" Mr. Jonathan is interested in learning more about the painting. If Zack has any questions regarding the river painting, He doesn''t want to be caught off guard. Mr. Patrick remembers the region when he recalls that. What they discovered. "Ruins of VLERIMIK CIVILIZATION," he said, looking at his friend. You''re referring to the barbarian kingdom." Mr. Jonathan was taken aback. He had previously assumed that this painting was a forgery. But now he''s taken aback. "If it''s from the time of the barbarian kingdom. Why doesn''t it say something about that in the description?" He made a mental statement. "Hmm, we found it in that ruin," Mr. Patrick said when he heard it. "Why don''t you mention it in the description?" Mr. Jonathan was perplexed. With a long sigh, Mr. Patrick said, "You may not realise it, but many appraisers have discovered that it is a false artwork. They explained that this river picture lacks a painter''s signature for a reason. It''s also discovered in the ruins of a barbarian empire." He continued, "Which barbarian is an artist? Perhaps this river painting belonged to a nearby civilised society at the time. It''s likely that the Barbarians looted it." As he listened to his friend''s explanation. Mr. Jonathan comes to an epiphany. Those are words he can''t say no to. These paintings, at the very least, are from a previous era. "Many notable paintings from the past can be found in wealthy homes. As if it were a royal mansion. It''s possible that it''ll be looted from commoners, if it''s looted." Mr. Jonathan was dejected when he realised this. Mr. Jonathan smiled as he said, "At least it''s from older civilization." "Wait here, I''ll bring it here," Mr. Patrick stated with a nod. He said that as he walked out of the room. On his way back to his house. Mr. Patrick was perplexed. "I assumed he''d select some high-priced goods. However, he chose that particular painting. "It wasn''t that expensive, even if it looked lovely," he reasoned. He felt a smidgeon of remorse for preparing the treasure list. He even put his family''s private collection on the back burner. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He reasoned to himself, "Why don''t I give him infected monster core together with that river painting?" Chapter 143 - Recieved The Package Mr. Patrick went into his friend''s room the next day. Seeing Mr. Jonathan, a buddy. "I brought the river artwork," Mr. Patrick said. Mr. Jonathan, who sat next to him, got up from his seat. Mr. Patrick''s brown case was taken from him. The river artwork is kept in the brown case. He didn''t double-check it. Rather, he had complete faith in his pal. He put the brown case in his ring of storage. Mr. Patrick smiled as he saw his buddies'' behaviour. "He hasn''t changed..." He pondered his thoughts. He retrieved another small silver case from his pocket. It has a tainted Monster core in it. Mr. Jonathan was taken aback when he saw that small case and said, "What is it?" I only requested one thing. However, you gave me two." "Hmm..., it''s polluted monster core," Mr. Patrick replied. The river painting is reasonably priced. Its credibility is also in question. As a result, I believe it is appropriate for me to give up this core to you." Mr. Jonathan gave a kind smile. He didn''t reject it; instead, he placed it in his storage ring. "Thank you very much, Patrick." I understand how essential it is to you. Despite the fact that it''s tainted with poison." He said that with a smile on his face. ¡­ Mr. Patrick responds with a wave of his hand. He didn''t mind assisting his pal. "When are you leaving?" Mr. Patrick inquired. "I now have the item that you sent me. I''m not interested in wasting any time. "I''m getting ready to leave right now." Mr. Jonathan was the one who responded. Mr. Patrick gave him a friendly nod. He is aware of his friend''s covert operations. As a result, he is unable to reveal his true identity. "Take care, my friend," Mr. Jonathan remarked as he walked towards the door. Goodbye until then." Mr. Patrick''s face is lit up with a lovely smile. Following the egress from the winter pavilion. Mr. Jonathan returns to Red Stone City quickly. ... Meanwhile, the Masked Man, the mastermind behind Zack''s assassination attempt. He''s going over the report, which is a kill list. "This year''s outcome is superior to previous years. We couldn''t murder some Seeds since they belonged to significant families. The Masked Man murmured something in his head. His table is stacked high with numerous reports. The majority of his troubles are related to his organisation, while others are related to his personal life. A solitary report in the name of Zack Lockwood can be found in the table''s corner. Following the completion of the report. The disguised man''s gaze is drawn inexorably to the report. When he sees the name, a gleam comes in his eyes. He takes the report and begins to read it. His eyes twitched after reading the report. "That brat hasn''t died yet." As he recalls the report, his eyes gleam with fury. "That brat would have died a long time ago if it had been Assassin Ed." In his head, he made a remark. He''s still amazed that Zack made it through the first round of the life-or-death duel. The masked man immediately remembers that at Hansen Training Centre, one chess piece is still in position. "Perhaps Zack will die at his hands," he smiled as he realised. The masked man pondered his thoughts. He then closed his eyes and became completely absorbed in his own thoughts. ¡­ In the meantime, back at the Hansen Training Centre. Zack is making his way towards the dummy practise room. I heard footsteps behind me as I walked. I turned around to face the individual. "What happened, Mr. Arthur?" I inquired about him. "You know quite well," Mr. Arthur said when he heard that. What brings me here? "Please come to my cabin." Mr. Arthur then walked towards his chamber after stating that. My chest tightens when I hear that. I understand why he is furious. Perhaps it has something to do with a corpse preserver. At that time, Uncle James looked after Daniel''s body. Despite the fact that I told Mr. Arthur that I would deliver Daniel''s body. That''s something I couldn''t do. Uncle James wasn''t happy about it. He urged that, in order to avoid future problems, the corpse should be properly cared for. With a shake of my head, I followed him. We arrived at the cabin quickly. Following my arrival at the cabin. Both of us sat down. Mr. Arthur had a perplexed expression on his face as he stared at Zack. "Your refusal to hand up Daniel''s body displeased a large number of Elders," he continued. I didn''t respond when I heard that. I couldn''t refute what he said. "It''s preferable if I don''t say anything." I was thinking to myself. Then I stared at his face for a little longer. When I see his face, I keep my mouth shut. Mr. Arthur Emerson sighed deeply. "You must look for yourself. Elder Jensen may take action to safeguard his grandson. In a serious tone" he said. Hearing that, my face scowled. "Will he interfere in a life-or-death duel?" I wondered. My suspicions are growing. Mr. Arthur shook his head in response. He replied, "He is not required to take any action. All he has to do now is supply his Grandson with some valuable materials in preparation for the approaching duel." He explained everything to Zack. He went on to say, "Elder Thornton thinks highly of you. All you have to do now is keep winning." My complexion improves as I listen to his comments. In my heart, I sighed. I feel like I''m walking on a knife''s edge. Looking at the current situation, I''m certain of one thing. It won''t be easy for me to relax here. Even if I win the rest of the duels. It''s difficult, but I''m not afraid. My teacher will look after me. If anything occurs that is beyond my control "I should provide a report to my teacher on what has happened recently. I''m sure He''ll come up with a way to lead me." In my head, I made a remark. "Mr. Arthur, don''t be concerned. I''ll look after myself. Aside from that, I''m sincerely sorry about the corpse preserver situation "I informed him. Mr. Arthur remarked after hearing this, "The crux of the situation has already been revealed to me by James. This will very surely boost your chances of winning." When I heard it, I gave him a kind nod. Uncle James stated to him, "It''s good that." Otherwise, it''ll be difficult to avoid his interrogation. Before I departed for my practise, we talked about a few other things. ¡­ It''s already late at night a few days later. Mr. Jonathan makes his way to Zack''s house. Granny Park received the present from him. It took him some time to get from Blue Tile City to Red Stone City. He also believes that handing over at his home is preferable. Mr. Jonathan then walked away after leaving the package. Zack hasn''t arrived yet. As a result, he didn''t waste any time in meeting him. He had already alerted me of his arrival through phone. Zack returns home some time later. I make my way down the corridor to my room. Granny Park suddenly handed me something. There were two packages in the box. I know what it is now that I''ve seen it. I swiftly place the item in my storage ring. "Did he say anything?" I asked Granny Park. She responded with a shake of her head. After that, we had a little discussion. I went into my room afterwards. When I first entered into the room. My excitement was visible in my eyes. I''m eager to open the package. Despite the fact that I am aware of what is contained within. I soon regain my composure. First, I''m going to take a shower. I got out of the shower a few minutes later. I took a nice, relaxing bath. Then I changed into my everyday clothing. After I have double-checked that all of the windows and doors are securely shut. I sat comfortable in my couch. Then I took the two packages from my storage ring and placed them on the table. When I see two packages, I open the brown one first. I recognise it as a river painting based on its scale. I took my time opening the gift. Haste leads to waste. As a result, I don''t want to harm it. After gently removing the box from the package. I got the river painting out of the way. I was taken aback when I saw a painting in front of my eyes. I said to myself, "Beautiful." The painting did not disappoint me, as I had expected. However, now is not the moment to admire the artwork? However, looking at this painting makes me feel wonderful. The river runs through the middle of the image, with lush green trees on both sides. Instead of blue, the river is painted in a bright green hue. I rapidly searched the wall for a suitable location to hang it. I hung it beside my window a few minutes later. "How lovely it would be if the picture reflected the early sun." I was thinking to myself. I opened my next gift after arranging it. After then, Mr. Jonathan told me something. I hadn''t anticipated Mr. Jonathan''s acquaintance being so generous. He even gave me a tainted core. I think I should say something nice about Mr.. Jonathan to my teacher. Chapter 144 - Peak Level: Trainee Apprentice Warrior (Lightning) The area is engulfed by a powerful lightning aura. It feels amazing to be surrounded by lightning energy. My first reaction was to pay attention to the energy. However, I detect luminous specks of a dark colour radiated from the tainted core. When I see that, I put the case back right away. As a result, it will not release harmful gas. "It''s just a hair''s breadth away." I thought to myself. Realizing that, I took a deep breath. I''m not sure how strong this toxin is. It''s because it''s a fundamental part of Monster''s core. I don''t want to take any chances. It''s preferable to inform Uncle. He could have some suggestions about how to deal with it. Without spending any time, I slid the case back into my storage ring. I proceed to Uncle''s chamber. When I got to his room. I went up to the door and knocked. The door slid open with a "crack." When I walked into the room, I noticed Uncle James sitting at his desk. I''ve been reading several reports. When I first saw Zack, I was a little taken aback. "How''s that core?" Mr. James inquired. I''m not surprised at all, given that. I had previously informed you of the situation. From Mr. Jonathan''s arrival, he might have deduced something. "I didn''t expect, the Monster core''s poison is more potent," I replied, looking into his eyes. Uncle James motions for me to remove the core. I gave him a friendly nod. To bring out the case, I shifted my consciousness inside my storage ring. Mr. James took Zack''s case from him and opened it. A purple core with black dots of varying sizes. Mr. James''s face stiffened as he saw that. He had the impression that the black specks were extremely powerful. He takes a close look at Zack and observes him. "It''s excellent that you didn''t observe the energy," he said. With a sombre tone. "Take it back," he urged. I''ll devise a means to obtain that lightning energy. Also, inquire with your teacher about it. He might have a better approach." In return, I gave him a nod. I went back in time. Then I talked about a few additional topics. I returned to my room later. When I first entered into the room. I thought about something. My lightning totem and scripture were both ancient. I have a gut feeling that I should observe the lightning energy using my lightning cultivation approach. I was struck by the totem''s enigmatic quality. It could serve as a deterrence to the poison. I''ve come up with a few suggestions. I removed the core right away, Purple core. I didn''t immediately touch the core with my hands. Rather, I wait for the lightning energy from the purple core to slowly disperse. As time goes on, more lightning energy and black energy accumulate around me. I closed my eyes and began recite the method of lightning scripture. The lightning rune in my head began to flicker as I initiated it. Around me, the lightning energy began to attract me. They began to approach me gradually. From my perspective, I''m observing their moves. My mood improved, and I began to concentrate more. One by one, the lightning energy enters my Dantian. Those black Spots miraculously did not change as a result of my actions. As I can see, my intuition was correct. I didn''t want to waste any more time. I took a thorough examination of my surroundings. Then I sat down on the ground with my meditation mat. Following that, I sat in a mediation position. In my hands, I held the purple core. The lightning cultivation method was recited by me slowly. This time, I''m feeling a surge of lightning energy within me. As time passed, the purple core began to fade away, leaving the toxic energy behind. It''s been ten minutes, and there''s still some lightning energy inside the core. Without further ado, I began to notice more energy emanating from the core. As is customary, the ancient lightning totem performs its magic. It began to purify the incoming lightning energy. As a result, they become incredibly pure, and one by one, they settle into my Dantian. Time passed, and I was involved in the process. I''m starting to feel the constraint on my breakthrough loosening. I felt relieved when I realised this. "Just a little bit more," I told myself. My restriction had totally removed two hours later. As a result, a muffled sound reverberated throughout my body. As a Trainee Apprentice warrior, I have successfully reached Peak level. My Dantian began to grow somewhat, allowing more room for storing lightning energy. The Ancient Totem grew more enigmatic. The purple cloud that surrounds its body thickens. My meridians, in addition to my Dantian, have become stronger. In fact, my entire inner system has been improved. My muscle is bursting at the seams with strength. My veins are filled with a new, energising vitality. My aura is becoming more noticeable. There are two sorts of auras that are entangled. One is purple and the other is scarlet. After observing all of the changes. I eventually cracked a smile. "No one will be able to stop me from winning the duels from now on." I mutter something to myself. As I rose from my seat. Bones were shattering under my feet. My bones, I''m sure, have gotten stronger as well. Thanks to that core and my lightning scripture, I was able to accomplish all of this. I can assure that Monster core had a lot more lightning energy than I expected earlier. That core''s lightning energy gave me cultivation worth of three weeks. I sighed as I realised what had happened. Observing how the purple centre has transformed into a black core. My face becomes more complicated. It merely goes to highlight how uncommon the monster core is. Particularly, the lightning monster core. It would be impossible to access that core if it weren''t for the poison. Fortunately, everything worked out for me. I got up from my meditation mat and walked over to the mirror to assess my progress. Seeing as how my outward look had remained somewhat unchanged. I was disappointed, but this is an improvement. It has the ability to deceive others. They won''t be able to tell how strong I am. Internal adjustments gave me a greater sense of fulfilment. After regaining my composure after achieving this goal. I now have a new problem to deal with. I''d like to inform my uncle of the excellent news. He will, however, ask me a question. I''m not allowed to share anything about the lightning scripture. If I tell them, there will be some scepticism. My teacher, in particular. It was out of my idea. For the time being, it''s best to keep my breakthrough a secret. That''s what I was thinking as I stroked my neck pendant. This pendant, thankfully, will hide my strength. However, I must be cautious not to wander around the building. Who knows, maybe those old coots are watching me. I recognised this after speaking with Mr. Arthur. Certainly, I must maintain a low profile. My pendant isn''t going to hide from high-level warriors. I should stay away from them like the plague. Elder Jensen comes to mind. I couldn''t stop frowning. "For the time being, I should avoid both him and his grandchild," I reasoned in my head. After I''ve sorted through my thoughts. I began to unwind. After deep thinking, Two weeks later, I decided to reveal my breakthrough. Making the procedure as natural as possible. This manner, I''ll be able to escape any suspicion. Suddenly, I was reminded of Mr. Jonathan. I gave a small head smack. "I had completely forgotten about him," I reflected. Then I access my Sci-Fi watch and try to send a message to my teacher. "How should I write?" In my head, I pondered. I typed few words after shaking my head. Mr. Jonathan does not require any additional praise. I just finished writing and then sent message. " The content goes as, I''ll figure out how to extract lightning energy from the core." I double-check that the message is encrypted. After the message has been sent. I began to unwind. I suddenly realised I didn''t eat dinner. They didn''t bother to call me, thankfully. I sat down on my bed after turning around. I grinned as my sight rested on the river artwork. Without thinking further I slept. Zack couldn''t have predicted it. This time he will have a visitor. Knock, Knock Hearing the noise shocked me awake. I rushed forward and opened the door. I came across Granny Park. She had brought the food along. "It''s highly rare for you to go to bed without having dinner," Granny Park stated when she saw Zack. She stated that with a smile on her face. As she walked into my room. I couldn''t help but smile in response. Granny Park examines my surroundings. When I noticed this, I grabbed the serving plate from her grip. Her gaze, however, is drawn to the painting of a river. "Wow, that''s a fantastic painting!" Granny Park admired the painting as she moved forward to examine it more attentively. "Yeah," I replied, "but it doesn''t have a description or an actual name." Chapter 145 - Second Opponent: Philip Jensen After admiring the painting, Granny Park went to the park. She shifted her gaze away from it. "I heard from James about the challenges you''re experiencing," she added, looking at him. She is thrilled to see Zack''s calm demeanour. "Every problem has a solution," she continued. Just deal with it the right way." She stated that with a smile on her face. She then exited Zack''s room. When I saw her go out of the room, I took a deep breath. "She came for a motivational speech." I was thinking to myself. Looking at the painting, I thought to myself, "Thank goodness, I was afraid she''d chastise me for squandering money." Fortunately, she enjoys the art as well." I shake my head, remembering that I began to eat the food because I was suddenly hungry. I slept easily in my bed a few minutes later, with no anxieties. ... The day of the life-or-death combat arrives the next morning. I got up early and put in a lot of practise time. I spent a couple hours putting lightning energy into Dantian. As a result of the breakthrough, the size of the Dantian grew as well. I was pleased to realise what having extra energy meant. With my energy reserves, I can fight for a little longer. After having breakfast, sometimes later. I left my house. I boarded the train that would take me to Red Stone City. This time, there are fewer passengers than normal. I''m not sure why it''s always this way. I closed my eyes for a nap, shaking my head. The train arrives at the Red Stone City station a few hours later. I walked out of the station and made a reservation for an air cab. The air cab arrived at Hansen Training Centre''s entrance gate sometime later. Following the payment of the drive. I enter the building through the front door. Seeing the large crowds at the front desk and in the passageways. I mumbled to myself, "Crazy." It''s the same as last week''s life-or-death battle event . Today, a large number of individuals came to gossip. I walk forward, shaking my head, to my meeting room. Zack was recognised by one of the male students in the throng. "Hey, look, here''s Zack Lockwood," he exclaimed. As he waggles his index finger towards Zack. While his voice can be heard by everyone in the room. They all turn to look at Zack at the same time. Hearing my name made my eyelids flicker. I prefer to keep things low-key. But, because my situation didn''t allow it, I didn''t slow down; instead, I walked steadily. I noticed that some people wanted to talk to me. But I didn''t pay attention to that. While progressing. I recognised a few people. Marcus Moore, a dear classmate of mine, is one of them. When he noticed my attention, he immediately ducked. When I saw his behaviour, I had a hearty chuckle. His pompous demeanour appears to have vanished. Knowing the past outcome, his attitude may have shifted 180 degrees. I didn''t go looking for him after that. I arrived at the discussion hall after a few walks. I entered the hall after scanning my information. There is no one here, I discovered. When I saw that, I let out a sigh. "My Senior brother and sisters did not show up today, as expected." I was thinking to myself. I sat down in an adjacent seat, anticipating Mr. Arthur''s call. I took a little snooze while waiting. I closed my eyes and became so engrossed in my slumber that I forgot I was in a life-or-death battle.today. While Zack is soundly sleeping. Someone entered the discussion chamber a few minutes later. Maria Frazier is the one and only. Maria Frazier entered the hall and discovered Zack asleep with his eyes closed. Seeing that, her lips curled a little. Then she let out a snort and said, "Everyone in this room is talking about a life-or-death duel. The real contender, on the other hand, is taking a nap." She wishes to rouse him from his slumber. But it came to a halt in the middle. "Perhaps it''s some type of pre-match warm-up." She said something to herself. She came here to lift Zack''s spirits. However, with no one in her class other than Zack, her brilliant eyes darkened. She didn''t want to bother Zack when she saw him again. She quickly exited the discussion room. ¡­ At the same time, on the top room of the structure. Except for Elder Thornton, all of the elders were there today. In contrast to the previous week''s event. Mr. Arthur was one of them, standing in front of the Visual Screen. Which will show the following competitor. He''ll have to fight Zack in a life-or-death battle. Since one of the elders'' grandson is taking part. It has also become a source of excitement. Many elders came to see the show on purpose. Because of the limitations and limits, they are unable to witness the live conflict. They can, however, observe the outcome. "Elder Jensen, where is your Grandson?" someone asks abruptly. A nice voice could be heard among the elders behind Elder Jensen. He immediately turned around to face the individual. "It''s Elder Alicia, I''m afraid. My grandson Philip is in his training room, as you can see." He said that with a smile on his face. However, deep down. He''s yelling obscenities at her. "Whenever she speaks in a charming tone, this witch. My entire body is covered with Goosebumps "He pondered his thoughts. Elder Alicia laughed when she heard that. Her demeanour quickly reverted to her usual state. "Have you considered my proposal?" she demanded sternly. Elder Jensen scowled when he heard that. Elder Jensen had contacted Elder Alicia for help a few days ago. He''s getting ready to cope with the fallout from a life-or-death fight. He is confident in his Grandson''s abilities. It''s a life or death situation. It will have a detrimental impact in the future. Zack, the front-runner, is one of them. Once Philip has killed him. Elder Thornton may retaliate in the future. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, has a hidden agenda. He wants Elder Thornton''s leadership position to be deposed. This is not an easy task. That is why he is rallying internal support. "However, this old hag Alicia''s support demands were outrageous." Internally, Elder Jensen cursed her. Because Elder Alicia wants Philip and her Granddaughter Crystal to tie the knot. Elder Alicia is a brilliant strategist. She understands the value of a Representative position. Previously, the individual in this position was considered the scapegoat. This year, though, everything has changed. This individual has a bright future ahead of them. Once he improves his performance and attracts the attention of higher forces. Then everything will change. This is an especially good moment for awards. It''s impossible to say what the prize will be. However, surrounding forces are keeping a close eye on it. Examining the circumstance. She came up with the notion of proposing to his Granddaughter in marriage. She''s now waiting for Elder Jensen''s reaction. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, holds a different viewpoint. "Her proposition will never win my approval. I''d like to be beneath a larger tree than she is "Elder Jensen made a mental remark. Elder Jensen, with a glance at her, said, "It happened so quickly. I''ll consider it carefully ". Elder In answer, Alicia snorted. She is well aware of what he is contemplating. She didn''t say anything else. Rather, she concentrates on the visual display. "How long do you think it''ll take?" In a sombre tone, she inquired. Even though his voice was not loud, it reached everyone''s ears. Mr. Arthur Emerson, in particular. He is in charge of bringing the Artificial Intelligence to run. Which will be chosen at random. Elder Alicia''s comments were heard. "Elder Alicia, We are waiting for Elder Thornton," Mr. Arthur Emerson stated as he bowed to her. In a calm tone, he said. Hearing Elder Jensen''s internal monologue, he rushes to Elder Alicia''s side. Elder Alicia wants to say something first. Loud footsteps stopped her in her tracks. Everyone''s gaze was drawn to the entrance. Elder Thornton moved slowly but steadily. "It appears that I was the one who arrived late; thank you for your patience." That was his greeting to everyone. He is exempt from making an open apology because he is the leader. His eyes is drawn to Elder Alicia and Elder Jensen. His lips were slightly curled. He walks over to Mr. Arthur. "Arthur, you may begin right now," he said. Mr. Arthur nodded when he heard that. Observing how they were shamelessly neglected. Elder Alicia''s and Elder Jensen''s skin became paler. Artificial intelligence is turned on by Mr. Arthur. It soon displays Philip Jensen''s name on the visual screen. Upon seeing the name, the atmosphere is rather depressing. Someone inhaled deeply. Everyone''s eyes is drawn to Elder Jensen, while others are drawn to Elder Thornton. Elden Jensen, on the other hand, burst out laughing. When he hears his Grandson''s name, his previously dark complexion lightens. It''s now bursting at the seams with vibrant colour. Elder Alicia also flashes a savage grin. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, remained silent. Rather, he stood tall. When Mr.. Arthur hears the name Philip Jensen, his heart skips a beat. Chapter 146 - Part 1: Zack Vs Philip Jensen Philip''s name was soon announced. It reverberated along the corridors. All of the pupils at Hansen Training Centre heard it. They were all taken aback since some senior students recognized him as Elder Jensen''s grandson. They started gossiping right away. Others were able to hear it, bringing further attention to the life or death duel. Philip Jensen, who was training in his training room, had to stop. "I wasn''t expecting to have to battle so soon." With a big grin, he whispered. He then exited his chamber and proceeded to the underground dome arena. Zack, on the other hand, who had been nodding off, was startled awake. "It appears that my opponent has been announced," I muttered something to myself. As I checked my sci-fi watch, I noticed that the announcement had just been made. When I realized this, I got out of my seat and walked across to the underground dome stadium. "It was the element of fire the last time. I''m not sure what Philip''s element is." Thinking that my lips curled into a smile. I arrived at the dome venue a few minutes later. Mr. Arthur Emerson and Ms. Adeline key in the control room, as they always do. "It''s been a long time since I last spoke with her." In my head, I made a remark. I sighed, knowing that after this battle, Ms. Adeline Key would undoubtedly come to lecture me. I''m waiting for the front door to open, shaking my head. ¡­ Inside the control room, only a few minutes before, "Will it be any worse?" Ms. Adeline Key inquired solemnly. Mr. Arthur didn''t respond right away when he heard that. He had a solemn countenance from the start. It makes no difference what happens in the duel. He understands the Hansen training centre would be a tumultuous place after this match. Ms. Adeline''s eyes are on me all the time. He began to be perplexed. "Sorry, I was thinking about something else," he explained. "When it comes to your question, well, it''s going to be worse regardless of the outcome," he added. His words were confirmed by his colleagues. The expression on Ms. Adeline Key''s face became strained. She only wishes for a miracle. Elder Jensen was well-known to her. That old coot may have devised some nefarious schemes. Observing her colleague''s skin tone. "Don''t think about it now," Mr. Arthur Emerson said, "we''ll figure something out later." Ms. Adeline Key was advised by him. Ms. Adeline Key nodded at him when she heard that. The sight of Zack drew him to the dome arena. Mr. Arthur Emerson observed Zack and found him to be unnerved. That has taken him by surprise. Philip Jensen caned with a steady tempo a few moments later. "Start the second life or death duel," Mr. Arthur Emerson replied, seeing this. When the staff heard his command, they promptly went to work. At the same time, two entrance doors opened. ¡­ Being able to see the door open. "And so it begins," I grumbled to myself. I walked through the door and was welcomed by the same old platform. Where I killed Daniel the last time. My pupil contracted as soon as I saw my opponent. He was dressed in a white suit. His waist is girded with a long sword. I leapt onto the battle platform to face my opponent, seeing his I didn''t falter. Two doors behind them immediately shut. As a result, the duel has begun. There is only room for one individual to live. Philip Jensen took a stand in the middle of the fighting platform. He possesses self-assurance. Being a Peak Trainee Apprentice Warrior is an honorable position. He has no qualms about confronting Zack. Especially when his grandfather had given him various life-saving items. With a nasty grin on his face, he gazed at Zack. Zack took a step onto the fighting platform. Philip drew his sword from his sheath and slashed at him. As it aims at Zack''s heart, the long Sword pierces the air, the silver blade gleaming brightly. On the other hand, after learning that Philip wields a sword, I became surprised. To move, I clutched my black sword. But who''d have guessed Philip would attack me on his own initiative? I saw his silver sword slashing at me. My perceptive ability was triggered. Soon after, the surrounding area came into focus in my mind. His silver blade was readily visible to me. As the sword approached me. To defend myself from the blade, I clutched my black sword. The metallic sound "clang" reverberated throughout the dome arena. The opponent''s move did not surprise Philip. Rather, he furrowed his brow as he watched his opponent remain still. On the contrary, he took a step backward. "You''re good; it appears that you''re using your strength to defeat Daniel," Philip stated in an enthralling tone. Because his opponent is a formidable opponent. He preferred to employ all of his strength. Furthermore, if things do not go his way, he can employ his grandfather''s gift. Hearing him express his gratitude. Rather, I didn''t respond. His element has piqued my interest the most. I''m not going to use mine unless he uses his elemental attack first. Without devoting any more time to him. With both hands on my black sword, I performed a downward cut. The black blade made an arc sliced through the air like a razor. Philip''s eyes, on the other hand, narrowed. He had a hunch that Zack had Peak level strength based on previous classes. In some ways, it''s even more powerful. As a result, he decides to use his elemental ability. When Zack''s blade touches him, he screams. Philip yelled, "Great shield!" A tremendous silver-colored force burst forth from his left hand in an instant. The silver energy formed a large fighting shield. In the blink of an eye. The silver shield collides with the black sword. A metallic "clang" reverberated throughout the dome arena. The formation of a large defensive shield seemingly out of nowhere. I started planning my next move. "Metallic..." was the last word I could think of. I noticed him making his next move. After successfully blocking the attack, he uses his defensive barrier to protect himself. Philip stabbed him with his Silver sword right away. Philip makes a stab with his arm. He also activates his assault method at the same time. Philip yelled, "Heart Blade!" He activates the move, which is an attack method this time. His hands emitted a silvery ray of mettalic energy. They congregate near the silver blade''s tip. Which is aimed squarely at Zack''s heart. The accumulated silver energy produced an expanded solve blade twice the size of the silver sword in an instant. As a result, the target gap is narrowed. Zack''s body is pierced by the extended silver blade. However, it was unable to penetrate Zack''s heart. Zack was able to avoid the strike at the last possible moment. A clot of fresh red blood falls to the ground. As Philip pulls blood from his extended arm. As a result, the sword reverts to its original state. Seeing his well-timed strike go unnoticed. Philip clenched his teeth in annoyance. Zack, on the other hand, took a few steps backwards. "It was close," I said. As I wiped the sweat off my brow. "What a fantastic method." I made a mental remark. When he yelled heart blade, I froze. I''m sure he''d do something spectacular. However, this assault style resulted in a blade that was twice as long as the original. It is easy to be killed by an extended sword if someone is negligent. Even when it comes to my perception. It''s tough to make a decision concerning a long bake. I had spotted a build-up of silver energy near the point of his sword earlier. However, it developed an expanded blade in a fraction of a second. You can easily be wounded as long as you stay within its target range. "When it comes to weaponry, the metallic aspect is really effective," I thought to myself. It did not frighten me. My lips, on the other hand, curved into a smile. "My lightning energy is a curse to him," I grumbled. ¡­ At the same time, inside the buildings top storey. All of the elders took their places. They''ve come to fight for their lives. They''re also talking about something else. "Have you heard anything? In comparison to past years, a large number of seed candidates were slain this time "In a sombre tone, Elder Thornton added. When he said those words, the room became silent. Hearing that, Elder Jensen sneered. He responded, "So, what''s the deal? It''s been going on since the Underworld organisation become more powerful." "It only makes jobs easy for those huge academies," one of the elders said. Several Elders agreed with him. I overheard Elders arguing over something. "Few of my sources said," Elder Alicia added, "and this time the Crimson Hall''s representative seed is mysterious." Hearing her remarks, they all turned to look at her. That problem was likewise brought to Elder Thornton''s attention by his source. As a result, Elder Alicia''s statements did not surprise him. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, snorted and said, "It makes no difference who it is. Against him, my Grandson shall triumph." Elder Thornton furrowed his brows when he heard that. Elder Jensen has a lot of faith in his grandson.. He knew Zack would have a difficult time surviving this fight. Chapter 147 - Part Second: Zack Vs Philip Jensen Inside the underground dome arena, a fierce combat is raging. Zack is making every effort to bring Philip''s Cards to the surface. Philip was depressed as a result of this. When Philip saw Zack''s movements, he sensed something wasn''t quite right. He clenched his teeth, thinking, "He hasn''t disclosed his element yet." Zack, on the other hand, didn''t want to waste any more time. "Philip has so far employed two strategies, one aggressive and the other defensive. Is there anything else he has?" I muttered something to myself. "He''s losing it," I thought to myself as I observed his waning concentration. "Now is the best time to make a move." I clenched my sword and slashed diagonally once more. My dark blade pierced the atmosphere. Philip''s body is being cleaved in half by it. His pupil narrowed as the blade moved closer to him. As he activates life-saving artefacts to protect himself, he cursed, "crap." As the tip of the black blade made contact, a barrier envelops the area. "Boom," a demoralising sound reverberated over the area. My blade made contact with a wall. My brows knit as I noticed the barrier that encircles Philip''s body. A bright yellow light is used to show this barrier. My gaze was drawn to the yellow glow. It''s coming from a pearl, I discovered. Which was illuminated by a bright yellow light. "It won''t be easy," I grumbled as I noticed my pupils narrowed. Without devoting any more time to him. I held my back sword horizontally and swung it. My attention was drawn to the bright pearl in his palms. My attention was drawn to it. My blade gets closer and closer to his body. As he spotted another attack, Philip adjusted his position. As he clutches the yellow pearl. The black sword slams through the barrier once more. From this encounter, a defeating "bang" reverberated across the arena. I saw that the pearl was becoming a little dimmer as a result of the conflict. My mind had a thought. "The source energy won''t be able to keep the barrier powered up for long." I was thinking to myself. I decided to strike the barrier until the yellow pearl''s strength ran out. A defeating sound boomed across the arena, "Bang" "Bang" "Bang." I noticed Philip''s eyes was red with rage. I understand, but I''m not going to give him an opportunity to respond. I swung my sword with full vigour all the time. Philip, on the other hand, has now realised Zack''s strategy. He seeks to exhaust the yellow pearl''s source energy. He''s continually eroding the defences. Philip begins to back away as he realises this. He wants to put some distance between himself and him. "I don''t have any other option but to utilise assaulting artefact." He whispered something to himself. His eyes were gleaming with a wicked glitter. He''s preparing for his next onslaught. He''ll use that artefact once the barrier is down. As time passed, the yellow pearl began to fade after each attack. After ten minutes, the barrier had depleted the yellow Pearl''s power completely. Seeing that barricade fall away. I smiled as my lips curved into a grin. "At long last..." I grumbled to myself. I''m pleased with myself for lowering it. I still have to figure out a means to kill him. As the barrier fades away. Philip smiles as he aggressively throws a red-colored circular object. The projectile of the thing was really rapid. On the other hand, I was struck by Philip''s odd face. My brows wrinkled as a result of this. "What is he up to?" In my head, I made a remark. As I become aware of the bizarre thing hurled at me. My instincts raised a red flag. They yell at me to leave this location. In a negative foreboding, my heart skips a beat. I was able to focus my perceptive capacity to a larger extent. I kept an eye on the projection as it got closer and closer to me. I took enough of a stride to the side to avoid the projectile. The projectile lands on the ground after colliding with empty air. "Boom," a deafening roar reverberated across the arena. The vibration was so intense that it temporarily disabled sensors. To keep myself secure, I put my hands over my ears. I wasn''t expecting the fallout to be so intense. Shockwave released from this impact as it reaches me. With my aura, I was able to dampen the shockwave. Philip''s visage, on the other hand, has become disfigured as a result of the attack''s failure. He squandered such a valuable explosive device. If it landed on Zack''s body, it would be a disaster. His body was ripped to shreds. This aggravates him even more. Observing Philip''s response. Zack''s eyes twinkle with a cold glimmer. "How ruthless..." I muttered something to myself. I''m not sure if he acquired anything else other than explosive. As I moved closer to him, I didn''t think any further. My veins are filled with a heated stream. I cleaved at him with my sword in my hand. This is merely a ruse. I''ll utilise my lightning once the range is sufficient. "This terrible mad man is going to get scorched." This must have been his grandfather''s gift to him." I was thinking to myself. ¡­ The explosion, on the other hand, caused a temporary malfunction in the dome arena''s sensors. Staff in the control room keep a tight eye on it. The employee instantly got up from his seat. Observing the staff''s strange behaviour. "What happened?" inquired Mr. Arthur Emerson. When the tense staff heard that, they told him everything. Mr. Arthur responds by motioning him to continue his task. "What may have caused all of the sensors inside the dome stadium to go out for a brief period of time?" Mr. Arthur Emerson said something to himself. He considered all of the possibilities. One circumstance in particular causes him to furrow his brow. He thought to himself, "That old coot must have spent a lot of money on his grandchild." Ms. Adeline Key had overheard his earlier whispers. "What happened to sensors?" she inquired. "It''s nothing, just a tiny error," he said when he heard that. Ms. Adeline Key, upon hearing his response, was not convinced. She didn''t, however, ask him to elaborate. Arthur, she knew, would not say anything unless he was certain. ¡­ Philip, on the other hand, utilised his Silver sword to block the blade as it approached him. However, his body strength is comparable to his. His Silver Sword flew away as a result of my actions. As the silver sword sank into the ground. I didn''t make any more room for him. Seeing his ruthless expression. As I triggered my defence method, I yelled "Reckoning Circle." A tremendous roar resonated throughout the region shortly after. Around me, a purple ring formed. As if the wheel were bursting at the seams with lightning force. Philip, on the other hand, has his mouth wide open, his soul having flown out of his body in response to the purple energy. He was overcome by an unknown fear. Philip''s mind was shattered, and he couldn''t think any further. He suddenly turns around and sprints for the door. Poor soul, he was born too late. As my lightning wheel grows in size, it expands even more. My eyes gleamed when I saw that. I knew it had gotten better as a result of my levelling up. As Philip''s body is struck by the bigger purple wheel. "Bang," a defeating sound reverberated around the arena. As I watched Philip''s charred body tumble to the ground. My brow knit together as I sensed life in him. I knelt down to examine him. I observed his horrified expression. He''s itching to say something. I didn''t give him the benefit of the doubt. As I examined him. I noticed a defensive artefact on his person. It''s a battle suit. As far as I recall from recollection. Initially, I noticed this suit in the alliance network. Up to 80,000 credit points are required to purchase this battle suit. To think he''s wealthy enough to afford it. I was still underestimating the Jensens. This outfit is constructed from a unique material. It is effective in dealing with global energies. Because it''s a suit, it won''t be able to cover all of the sections. I mutilated his limbs and legs after observing it. Blood is streaming out of the damaged parts like water. I didn''t want to put him to a hasty death. Otherwise, the door will open as soon as the sensors activate. I''d like to take a look at his valuables. Fortunately, my physique and energy levels are at their highest. It''s impossible to avoid harm if you don''t do so. If I hadn''t experienced a breakthrough. Breaking through his barrier and blocking his sword blows is impossible. It''s fortunate that everything worked out in my favour. Philip was unable to think coherently at this time. As he keeps an eye on his bleeding. Due to his dry mouth, he was unable to speak correctly. I heard his comments and knew exactly what he was trying to express, so I turned around and told him, ''Your Grandfather will meet the same destiny as you.'' Unlike you, I hope he will use his intellect." In a severe tone, I said. His expression became even more contorted when he heard that. I shook my head and took off his inner combat suit.. Then there was his storage ring. Chapter 148 - Part One: Commotion I examined the storage ring, which is silver with a red pattern. I put it in my storage ring after viewing it for a second. I sighed as I realised there were no more variables on his physique. Philip, on the other hand, has a look of regret in his eyes. He senses that he is running out of time. His awareness began to diminish gradually. He died owing to extensive bleeding after finally taking his last breath. Before putting Philip''s body in my corpse preserver, I looked into his eyes. This corpse preserver previously held Daniel''s body; now it''s Philip''s turn. I have a feeling things are about to get out of hand. I take a step out of the arena. As far as I can tell, the only thing that stands in my way is a headache. As the final man standing, Zack emerged victorious. The sensors put above detected life signals. Philip bled to death there. When the sensors detected this, they instantly declared the outcome. And the entry/exit door opens. I returned my gaze to the battleground after hearing the door open. With the exception of the aftermath of that explosive object and Philip''s blood, that is. There''s nothing here that would reveal my abilities. I go towards the exit after giving it a quick glance. ... The announcement of the outcome sparked a tremendous storm in the building. For a brief while, many of Philip Jensen''s students and classmates were stunned. "How is this possible?" exclaimed one of Philip Jensen''s classmates, stunned. Nearby spectators startled as they saw the winner, Zack Lockwood of Advanced Class. After a brief moment of silence, the communion erupted. "This means that newbie is a Peak level warrior," exclaimed one of the students, stunned. It quickly began to spread like wildfire. Marcus Moore, in particular, fled Hansen Training Centre after learning of the outcome. He didn''t want to meet the Monster Zack since his back was saturated with sweat. He felt terrible about his previous conduct. He intends to hide once the storm passes, and the storm''s name is Zack Lockwood. In the Advance Class room''s discussion hall, not everyone is worried. Maria Frazier flashes a defiant grin after seeing the correct result on her SCI-Fi wrist watch. She, like others, confirms her suspicions about Zack. She said to herself, "Zack is a Peak level Warrior." "It''s no surprise he was sleeping. He was certain of this, which is why he recommended a life-or-death duel. We, on the other hand, had no idea." She made a mental statement. She then clasped her fish in a resolute manner. She screamed to herself, "I need to work harder." She then exited the building. She had planned to close for training instead of meeting Zack. Since she was aware of Zack''s strength. She is unconcerned about his safety. On the other side, she now focuses her attention on her own state. The Spy Luke, on the other hand, stood in the halls, surrounded by people, staring at the Visual Screen. The location where the announcement was made. His face darkens when he sees Zack''s name. "So, He''s a Peak level Warrior now, there''s no mistake about that," Luke reasoned. He had previously assumed that Zack would be an easy choice. However, after witnessing the outcome of two life-or-death conflicts. If there is a direct confrontation, he is unsure of his ability. After learning that the deceased''s name is Philip Jensen, He had a nagging feeling that he wouldn''t be able to defeat Zack in a direct fight. "Since it''s a life-or-death situation. "It doesn''t matter what approach you use." Luke mumbled under his breath. "Then I have to count up my cards," Luke said that with a savage grin on his face. He was well aware that Masked Man held Zack in high regard. Luke now understands why the masked man wants to assassinate Zack. By assassinating the opposing faction''s intellect, future issues are avoided. Luke''s eyes are now filled with greed. He plants to demand massive riches from the Masked Man after killing Zack. His deal will not be cheaper this time. He, too, exited the building after pondering this. He doesn''t want to spend any time now that the drama is gone. Zack has no idea what''s going to happen from now on. Various forces will pay attention to him. Those who oppose the Army Federation faction. They''re going to try to kill him. Even those who attempted to assassinate him in the past. As a result, assassination attempts will become more common. ... The atmosphere is scarier on the top floor of the the building, inside the meeting room, It was depressingly sad. There is a pin drop silence when the result is seen. For the time being, several of the elders are afraid of offending Elder Jensen by exhaling. Elder Jensen''s eyes became swollen and bloodshot. "How could he murder my Grandson?" Elder Jensen screamed, as he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. He wanted to rip Zack''s body apart with his bare hands. He vanished from his location in an instant. He attempted to sprint to the underground dome arena. However, poor soul. Even before he could put his plan into action. Elder Thornton has sealed his presence. Soon after, there was a tremendous amount of pressure, the entire room was engulfed by it. The strain was too much for the glass windows to handle. They were, however, manufactured with unique materials. Those glasses shatter into multiple pieces this time. Those elders who were weaker were pinned to the ground. Elder Alicia''s face, on the other hand, turned pale with fear. She was sorry for siding with Elder Jensen. With this event, her meticulous future plans were swept away. Even she couldn''t stand up to the pressure. She knelt to relieve some of the pressure. She felt humiliated. Not only that, but also herself. Those Elders who had previously backed Elder Jensen and those Elders who had benefited from his favours. They were all pinned to the ground. They didn''t have the same status as Elder Alicia. They felt as if they had been slapped across the face. Elder Thornton put his pressure on everyone on purpose. Everyone got what he was getting at. Elder Thornton is trying to make a point. Elder Alicia bit her lower lip in annoyance. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, was able to handle some of the stress. However, he was unable to think clearly at this time. He had to say goodbye to his beloved grandson. His features began to sag. He was overcome with wrath. He only wants to get his hands on that knucklehead. Observing Elder Jensen''s actions. Elder Thornton immediately sent a message to Mr. Arthur Emerson, requesting that Zack to be protected. After sending it, he looked around at everyone, his focus falling on Elder Alicia and Elder Jensen in particular. " Trust me if someone tries to harm Zack. Forget about yourself; your clan and successors will be extinguished from the face of the world. Their existence will be obliterated." Everyone could hear his tyrannical voice. Hearing that made them visibly shudder. After hearing his remarks, Elder Alicia''s soul shook. She had finally grasped something. Elder Thornton will openly back Zack from now on. It''s not like Admiration used to be. He''ll stand by Zack. Despite the fact that this represents a significant loss for her, she refused to cross the bottom line. She didn''t want to ruffle her family''s feathers. Finally, she decides not to get involved in this situation. Others have come to the same conclusion. They don''t want to lose their life for a moment''s gain. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, was upset and stated flatly, "You can''t always protect him Thornton." Everyone heard what he had to say. In answer, they shook their heads. Elder Thornton appeared in front of him almost instantaneously. Seeing Elder Jensen''s startling face. Elder Jensen was knocked unconscious after he slapped his face. Now, he was unconscious, his body fell to the ground. ... Mr. Arthur Emerson and Ms. Adeline Key, on the other hand, came in front of Zack. Unlike the prior time, Zack''s body is not badly injured this time. They were both perplexed. Mr. Arthur Emerson replied calmly, "This time it''s genuinely shocking." But there''s still a glimmer of wonder in his eyes. "From now on, it appears that we won''t have to worry about you," Ms. Adeline Key said. She complimented Zack. However, she felt comforted on the inside. Mr. Author''s sci-fi watch suddenly vibrates with a notice. When he saw the message, his expression changed dramatically. "Zack, let''s go, it''s not time for you to depart," he remarked, looking at Zack. Ms. Adeline''s key and Zack are then motioned to accompany him. Something must have happened when I heard that. But I didn''t inquire of him. Rather, I silently followed both of them. Zack was escorted to a secret area by Mr. Arthur Emerson. It was in close proximity to the dome arena. When the trio entered the room. Mr. Arthur Emerson was the one who input the code. The door opens by itself. The trio walked into the room. "Do you think it''s that serious?" In a sombre tone, I inquired.. As we sat down in our seats. Chapter 149 - Part Two: Commotion "Yeah, it''s more serious than you realise," Mr. Arthur Emerson replied. He already dislike you and then, You''ve now assassinated his grandson. He may use all means at his disposal to assassinate you." He spoke in a sombre tone. Ms. Adeline Key nodded when she heard that. However, I''m not convinced; I still believe Elder Jensen will not publicly target me. Otherwise, things will be difficult for him and his family. Both of them are completely down. Mr. Arthur is attempting to reach someone, I saw. "Can you tell me what happened in that building?" Why isn''t anyone picking up the phone?" Under his breath, Mr. Arthur Emerson murmured something. As you can see, there is no result. Mr. Arthur turned to Ms. Adeline Key and requested that she make contact with someone. Ms. Adeline Key alerted the rest of the team. After that, the employees answered the phone, he briefed them on the issue, and then hung up. Ms. Adeline Key''s expression has changed. "What''s going on, Ms. Key?" I inquire, seeing her solemn demeanour. I couldn''t help myself and blurted it out. The same question was posed by Mr. Arthur Emerson. "A few of the staffs heard activity in the top floor of the building," Ms. Adeline Key said. "They don''t know what''s going on because of the restrictions," she continued. However, they witnessed the window''s glass being shattered at the same time." "No, wonder," Mr. Arthur Emerson thought as he read that. Elder Thornton instructed me to keep Zack hidden. Elder Jensen had to be out of control, and Zack, like him, grasped the predicament. Ms. Adeline Key then spoke with her colleague to learn more about the situation outside. I addressed Mr. Arthur, who was deep in thought. I couldn''t stop frowning. "How long do we have to wait?" I summoned the nerve to ask. Mr. Arthur opened his eyes and stated, "Until Elder Thornton gives us the green light." Hearing that, I couldn''t help but rub my temples a little, and then I said, "Mr. Arthur, at the very least notify my Uncle about the problem." As a result, he may relax." Mr. Arthur did not respond with a negative response. He typed the message right away and sent it to him. ... After knocking down Elder Jensen, on the other hand, Elder Thornton looked around the room as he let go of his pressure. As a result, a large number of them began to pant severely. Due of weariness, one of the elders passed out. Elder Alicia has a hard time getting up, but she succeeds in the end. "So, what now?" she inquired of Elder Thornton. Her comments reverberated in the ears of those present. "The life-or-death duel must continue according to the regulations," Elder Thornton replied. Don''t try anything shady, like assisting Zack''s opponents. I''m sure the majority of you benefited from Elder Jensen''s generosity. But keep in mind that the army federation has jurisdiction over us. So, I hope you don''t cross the line," no one objected after hearing that. Elder Alicia, on the other hand, frowns when she hears, "So, you''re a spy sent by them to monitor us?" she murmurs under her breath. Many of them were affected by her comments. Despite the fact that she had only spoken in hushed tones. Many of them couldn''t help but consider that possibility after hearing her words. "I''m just a retired old man," Elder Thornton responded. They don''t have anything to do with me. In addition, I''m following the regulations." In a calm tone, he said. Elder Alicia snorted and stormed out of the building. She didn''t even give Elder Jensen a glance. Elder Alicia was followed out of the building one by one, leaving Elder Thornton and Elder Jensen comatose. Elder Thornton let out a sigh after that. The gloomy mood that had surrounded the building had returned to normal. He then promptly contacted Mr. Arthur and told him what he needed to do next. ... After taking the call, Mr. Arthur Emerson went into the secret room. "Everything is fine now," he said to Zack. "You can go home now." We can talk about it tomorrow." He sounded unconcerned. I sighed internally when I heard that. "What about Elder Jensen?" I questioned, staring at him. "Won''t the elderly man pursue me as soon as I exit the building?" I was thinking to myself. Hearing what Zack has to say. Ms. Adeline Key is interested in the same information. She fixed her gaze on Mr. Arthur Emerson. "You don''t have to worry about that, Elder Thornton is here," Mr. Arthur Emerson stated. He was able to gain control of the situation." Hearing his remarks made me feel at ease. I''ll be OK as long as the old man doesn''t come across me. Mr. Arthur appears to be aware of Zack''s thoughts. "Don''t think that, Elder Jensen is your only concern," he added solemnly. Along the journey, keep an eye on your back." I gave him a friendly nod. I figured out what he was getting at. "What about his corpse?" Ms. Adeline asked, bringing up an important point. "Of course, I''m not going to hand over," I replied when I heard that. "I have a feeling Elder Jensen will use this as an excuse to get closer to you," Mr. Arthur speculated after hearing this. Ms. Adeline Key gave him a friendly nod. "Then I''ll be more cautious," I stated solemnly. We also discussed a few other essential topics. We then exited the secret room. As we get closer to the main hall. We said our goodbyes. I rushed out of the building to catch my train. On my walk out, I noticed that many of the students had not exited the building. Some of them were waiting near the discussion hall when I arrived. Philip''s classmates are among them. I know it''s not the correct time to confront them based on their expression. They, too, are at or around Peak level, just like Philip. As a result, I went ahead and did it without informing anyone. I walked out of the building. ... Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, spoke with Ms. Adeline Key. He then proceeded to the building''s top storey. Mr. Arthur discovered shattered glasses when he entered the room. With his aura, he vanquished all of them. "Has he gotten out of the building?" Elder Thornton''s footsteps were heard behind him. The heart of Mr. Arthur skips a beat. Elder Thornton was carrying Elder Jensen''s unconscious body when he turned around. He was perplexed when he saw that. "He left, I urged him to wait till tomorrow," he remarked calmly. Elder Thornton said, "Good... Good." He looked at Mr. Arthur and said, "Hmmm, notify the Jensen family to take him away," as he motioned him to leave now. Elder Jensen''s body was taken away by Mr. Arthur Emerson, who bowed. He quickly exited the room. ¡­ Zack, on the other hand, got on his train. "What a drag," I grumbled under my breath as I let out a sigh. Even after defeating Philip Jensen, It didn''t sit well with me. Rather, I had a worsening headache. Two out of every 10 people were killed. I need to concentrate on the remaining eight members. Fortunately, I had already murdered him. Otherwise, they might devise another wicked idea if time passes. I swallowed my saliva when I realised what had happened. Mr. Arthur Emerson''s comments sprang to mind. I can''t afford to be sloppy with this manoeuvre. I turned around and took a look around. With a shake of my head, I counted a few folks. I shut my eyes. I considered sending a message to my teacher. However, I believe it is preferable to call home first and then send him a message. I arrived at my house a few hours later. In the corridors, I found Granny Park and Uncle James. They were sitting and talking about something. Hearing footsteps drew my attention. Mr. James paused in his talk to look at Zack. "You performed a fantastic job. However, you must use greater caution. Now it''s time to move on." Mr. James complimented Zack. When I heard it, I gave him a kind nod. Zack is motioned to have a seat by Granny Park. "Are you hurt?" she wondered. In answer, I grinned and shook my head. Internally, however, I cursed myself. "How could I have forgotten about it?" Mr. Arthur failed to provide me with a healing pill. With all of the hubbub, I, too, had forgotten about it." Granny was staring at me. "I''m alright, Granny," I replied, "if I had some injuries." Mr. Arthur would have given me some anti-inflammatories. " I gave her my assurance. Mr. James, on the other hand, found it difficult to believe. It''s impossible to win a life-or-death fight without getting hurt. Philip, on the other hand, is older than him and was aware of his recent breakthrough. He gained a lot more experience. He has a higher level of consistency than he does. Later, he decides to question Zack about it. He then motions for Zack to enter his room. Then I nodded as they walked away. As I walked into my room. I went straight to the bathroom and took a bath. I exited the bathroom a few minutes later. After I had a nice shower.. Then I dressed casually and began typing a note to my teacher. Chapter 150 - Brief I began looking for technique on the alliance network after sending the message. Previously, in that message. I gave a briefing on what had happened today and the threat posed by Elder Jensen. After that, I forwarded the mail to my teacher. I''m hoping for a response from him. When he sees the message, he''ll know what to do. With a shake of my head, I declare that I aim to concentrate on getting some stuff from online. I sold the herbs a few days ago. I got it from Daniel. Those botanicals have fire-related properties. Which I didn''t find useful. Storage ring is something I''m considering. The thought of Philip''s storage ring came to mind. I subconsciously attempted to get my hands on his ring. I kept it in my storage ring. But I came to a halt in the middle. It''s best to consider it after dinner. Uncle James advised me to be patient. I''m trying to get these thoughts out of my head. I''m surfing the alliance''s website. Except for lightning, I came across a lot of other elemental tactics. Suddenly, I was reminded of Mr. Jonathan. "I''m not going to bother him again." I muttered something beneath my breath. I have a feeling that if I contact Mr. Jonathan, he will be able to assist me. I recall that Mr. Jonathan''s friend might not be a member of our group. "Too many limits," I reasoned in my head. I haven''t been able to find any lighting. I plan to purchase items that will assist me strengthen my mind, body, and spirit. I haven''t had soul treasure in a long time. As I surfed the alliance network, time passed. In the meantime, I bought some herbs to assist me strengthen my body even more. I began to train in my cultivation approach after some time had passed. In my lightning first, I''m practising. When it comes to the blood method, it''s a no-brainer. I intend to put it into practise later. I don''t have enough Monster''s blood right now. I changed all of those into credit points after my excursion from the Black Forests. I can buy monster blood essence at any time if I have enough money. ¡­ While this was going on, Zack arrived at his house. Two hefty men from the Jensen family arrived at Hansen training centre in Red Stone City shortly. They were both Jensen family guards. Specifically, Flynn and Logan. Flynn was the main character, and with his short black hair and dark eyes, as well as his brute physique, he appeared to be more ferocious. His aura is raging like a volcano as his Mid-Level Trainee warrior. Logan, he''s behind him. A bald man with a Mid-level Trainee Warrior aura and the same brutal Physique. Both of them walked into the Hansen Training Centre with a thud. The majority of the students had already exited the building. Since then, a few hours had passed since the building''s closing time. However, there are still some activities going on inside. Elder Jensen is currently awake. Mr. Arthur Emerson is sat in the seat in front of him. Elder Jensen had already directed Mr. Arthur to look after him. He then carried his body back to his room. He was fortunate in that he did not come across any folks. When he got into his room, he put Elder''s body on the couch. Elder Jensen regained consciousness after only a few hours. After his memory has been restored. He intended to run out, but Mr. Arthur cautioned him against it. He, too, has some obnoxious artefacts. He has been given authority to use it in the event of an emergency. Elder Jensen was aware of this as well, so he clenched his teeth and waited patiently for his men. "I already told his guards." on the other hand. It''s possible that they''re on their way." Mr. Arthur pondered his thoughts. He heard loud footsteps as he was working. Elder Jensen''s men were on their way to his room, he knew. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, seemed lifeless. "Knock," two big men said as they pounded on the door. They were let inside by Mr. Arthur Emerson. Elder Jensen was waiting for Flynn and Logan as they entered. Both of them bowed to them as "Master." I was able to see both of them. Elder Jensen got out of his chair. Mr. Jensen motions his troops to follow him and says, "Let''s go." He didn''t want to squander any time in this place. Three of them walked out the door. Elder Jensen''s face reverted to a furious scowl. Flynn and Logan were hesitant to say anything after seeing his expression. After that, the group got onto their four-wheeler. The car then began to make its way towards their house. After arriving to Jensen''s house a few minutes later. Elder Jensen took a hefty stride towards the hallway. In the discussion hall, servants and other family members were already present. It''s a rather dismal atmosphere. Something was rumbling among the servants and members. When they first saw their family''s head, they were ecstatic. They''ve all quieted down. The death of Philip Jensen wreaked havoc on the household. Elder Jensen''s son is currently gone from the city for employment. If he is aware of what occurred. After that, there will be even greater pandemonium. They''re all waiting for Master Jensen to make a decision now. When a bald old man observed Elder Jensen''s outraged countenance, he said, "Elder Brother." Elder Jensen remained silent after hearing this. As he sat in the driver''s seat. He cast a peek around the room at everyone. They didn''t dare to look him in the eyes. Elder Jensen turned to face his younger sibling. "Did any of you tell him?" he inquired. "No, Elder Brother," his second brother said. Elder Jensen sighed when he heard, "We didn''t inform Lucius." He said it twice: "Good" and "Good." Elder Jensen''s son is Lucius Jensen. Philip Jensen is his son. Philip Jensen''s mother died while giving birth to his child. Lucius, his father, never married again. Only Philip remains as the Jensen family''s lone heir. He is now no longer alive. Nobody, including Elder Jensen, has the courage to tell him. "What happened to Philip, Elder Brother?" His second brother sounded alongside him, "We couldn''t believe the news." Elder Jensen was flanked by Flynn and Logan. They didn''t have a single expression on their faces. Elder Jensen stated, "Yes, My Grandson perished in a life or death duel," while hearing his second brother''s comments reaches everyone''s years. Hearing Elder Jensen''s mouth, they all took a deep breath. It''s not their grief that has caused the atmosphere to darken. They are truly enraged. Lucius Grandson, their youthful master, is a tyrant. He''ll storm inside the Hansen building once he knows. Despite this, the combat took place as a result of mutual agreement between the two parties. "What are we going to do, Elder Brother?" "What happened to Philip''s body," his younger brother inquired. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly irritated with his younger brother. He''s always trying to come up with a solution. He couldn''t think of anything following Elder Thornton''s admonition, no matter what. Now, seeing his brother, he said, "Shut up!" Hearing this, his second elder brother gulped his spit. He was adamant about not saying anything else. They remained silent during this time. "Tomorrow, both of you have a mission," Elder Jensen said, looking at Flynn. Lynn and Logan both bowed. "That brat, must have maintained Philip''s body using corpse preserver," Elder Jensen stated, before adding, "Retrieve Philip''s body by any means possible and be sure to murder him." "Don''t worry, master, we''ll get the body of the young lord," Flynn said calmly. Elder Jensen nodded to each of them when he heard that. "I will inform Lucius myself," Elder Jensen stated after a brief glance around the room. Nobody can say anything to him till then." All of the other members nodded when they heard that. Then he motions for everyone to depart silently. Elder Jensen was filled with rage. However, he regained his composure. Now he must ensure that his family is not put under any unnecessary stress. He was well aware of his son''s personality. As well as the actions of Elder Thornton. Elder Thornton is plainly on the side of that brat. All of the forces are now attempting to assassinate that jerk. If Lucius tries to intervene without thinking. Others will take it as a pretext to harm his family. That is something he does not want to happen. ... It''s late at night, after dinner. Mr. James and Zack entered their outdoor training room. After ensuring that there are no outsiders, Mr. James creates a barrier with artefact as a precaution. He then turned to Zack and stated, "Now tell me about the game. Nothing should be hidden "In a sombre tone, he said. Mr. James thought about it for a long time. Elder Jensen clearly provided his grandson some life-saving goods. Despite this, Zack escaped with his life.. As soon as I heard it, I signed internally and informed him everything, even the explosives. Chapter 151 - Part One: Strangers Motive Everything that happened during the battle, I told him. As I explained on by one, I noticed a faint glint in his eyes. "Looks like he was expecting something like that," I thought to myself. After hearing everything I had to say. Uncle James cast a glance at me. "Those explosive items you mentioned," he said. It is the work of the research division. It is hardly ever seen outside. Even while we were on mission. We can''t ask the federation for so many explosive items." In a solemn tone, he said. "I''m curious how Elder James got his hands on it." Mr. James spoke to himself in hushed tones. I was perplexed when I heard that. "How come there is no sale of explosive items in the alliance network?" I inquired. Uncle James responded, "Civilians do not have access to buy this." Even if they are warriors. They don''t know anything about it. When you join a specific faction in the future. You''ll come across a lot of strange things." He patiently explained everything to me. I couldn''t help but feel apprehensive. "I''m still in the dark." "There''s still a long way to go," I reasoned. I take the corpse preserver from my storage ring, shaking my head. When he saw the container in front of him. Uncle James slid it open. Where he discovered Philip''s body. Mr. James remembered a person as he stared at his face. Lucius Jensen is Philip''s father. "You should be careful of one more person," Mr. James said to Zack. This brat''s father is Lucius Jensen. He is insane. He is unconcerned about the status quo and will undoubtedly attack you." My face flushed when I heard that. "Another variable," I chided myself in my heart. "Don''t worry about that," Mr. James said, looking at his expression. "I''ll give it some thought." Then he motions for Zack to leave the room. When I heard that, I nodded and asked, "How about the Philips''s storage ring?" Mr. James was in no mood to check that ring after hearing that. "You can tell about that tomorrow," Mr. James replied. I didn''t want to go any further after hearing his response. He''s clearly thinking about something. I quickly left the area so as not to bother him any further. Zack is seen leaving behind. Mr. James paused for a moment before dialling a number. "Have you found the whereabouts of Lucius Jensen?" He asked the other person , once the call was connected. "Not yet," the other person replied, "but what we can gather from the Jensen family." They did not notify him of his son''s death." Mr. James calmed down when he heard that. In the meantime, it will give him some time to consider a strategy. Then he said a few more things to that person. Then he hung up the phone. On the other hand, when I returned to my room. I sat down on my couch and relaxed. Then I infiltrated my consciousness into the storage ring. I didn''t gasp this time. I saw typical items such as herbs, artefacts, rare metal ore, and pills. I was disappointed, but something else drew my attention away from the pills. It''s a tube filled with red serum, which piqued my interest. I took it from the storage ring and began to study it closely. I became suspicious when I noticed there was no label. However, I discovered the label''s traces. "They obviously removed it on purpose." I was thinking to myself. I''d like to take out the yellow cork and smell the liquid. It could provide me with an answer. But I paused and asked, "What is it?" Is Philip suffering from a disease? "It could be a cure or something," I thought to myself. Even so, I know nothing about the healing world. Despite having a healing component. With a shake of my head, I transferred everything from Philip''s storage ring to my storage ring. I sighed, realising that good fortune does not come my way every time. Then I cleared my mind of those depressing thoughts. And I started to cultivate a little bit. Following a period of training. I rose from my meditative position on the meditating mat. I then sat down on my bed. "My trip to Mt. Liz has been pushed back even further." I made a mental remark. "Since then, my situation has deteriorated. "How about I take a few days off?" My mind wandered to an idea. Mr. Arthur Emerson, on the other hand, has plans for me tomorrow. I hope it won''t cause any problems. I can also inquire about additional resources. Making some plans, I fell asleep without realising it. ... After breakfast the next morning, I told Uncle James, "Uncle James, I found this blood serum tube in Philip''s storage ring." I removed the blood serum tube and handed it to Uncle James. Mr. James was taken aback when he saw the tube. He smelled the yellow cork as he opened it in front of Zack. Mr. James frowned slightly after smelling that. When I noticed this, I inquired, "What is it, Uncle James?" "Is it blood or something?" Mr. James nodded and said, "It contains human blood, and I smelled traces of Monster''s blood mixed with in it as well." Hearing that Philip is not a bloodline warrior stunned me. Why is he having such a thing? Mr. James guessed what Zack was thinking when he said, "This blood serum might be experimental." "I have some reservations, but I believe it works like a blood essence pill," I thought, recalling my blood cultivation method. If I could benefit from the blood serum. It would be preferable. "Can I consume it?" I immediately inquired. Mr. James was taken aback when he heard this and asked, "What happened to you?" I''m not sure about it. I simply stated my assumption. We must test it samples first, and then we will know everything. It''s an experiment, so there will be some side effects. It contains human blood, in particular. So, don''t act hastily," Mr. James said solemnly. When I heard that, I had an epiphany. I gave him a nod. "I was too hasty," I thought to myself. Then we discussed a few other topics. Uncle requested that I not bother Mr. Jonathan with errands. Hearing that, I couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. I assured him that I would never do something like that. Mr. James, on the other hand, has a different reasoning. He was aware that Mr. Jonathan had come here to keep an eye on Zack. If Zack assigns him some errands. There will be no one to protect him then. That''s why he advised him not to do so. I left my house after the conversation. If it hadn''t been for Mr. Arthur''s invitation. I would have visited Mt. Liz. As I walked down the street, I was struck by a person who attacked me in the blink of an eye. I wasn''t surprised; rather, I was prepared for it. Earlier, After I stepped outside of my house. I activated my perceptual ability. I noticed him aiming his black dagger at my heart. I''m waiting for the right moment. As he approached, I sidestepped enough to avoid his pointy dagger. He once missed me. At the same time, I gripped my black sword and prepared to slash at his neck. The stranger startled, but he''s too close to avoid the black blade. As my black blade makes a straight cut. A fresh gush of blood gushed from his neck. In disbelief, this stranger touched his neck. As he exhaled his last breath. As his body fell to the ground, his dagger fell from his hands. Seeing that, I didn''t feel anything and instead focused on my surroundings. I took a deep breath when I realised there was no one else but him. In my mind, I had a strong sense of deja vu. It happened exactly as it did a few months ago. It was an assassin at the time. However, I am unable to confirm anything at this time. My list of enemies has grown. I kept his body in my storage ring. Then I took up his Black Dagger and examined it closely. In Daggers Points, I noticed some kind of liquid. I couldn''t help but imagine a poison. I turn around and walk back to my house, shaking my head. Previously, I intended to continue, but I don''t want to gamble with my life. Accompany him if he has companions. It would then be difficult to flee. I arrived home a few minutes later. Granny was perplexed when she saw me return. "What transpired? Did you leave anything out?" She was curious. "Yes, I am Granny. I''ll just go get it "I deceived her. She nodded at me in response. "Thank goodness," I said to myself. I then went to Uncle''s room. I rapped on his door. The sliding door slid open. "So, what happens?" Uncle James inquired. I just walked into his room and shut the door. I took a deep breath and extracted the stranger''s corpse from in front of him. Mr. James'' pupils constricted when he saw this. He muttered under his breath, "Initial special Trainee " But, without him saying anything, He understood. Mr. James regarded Zack with a puzzled expression. "It''s too fast," he grumbled.. He hadn''t expected someone to try to kill him the next morning. Chapter 152 - Part Two: Strangers Motive I got it from his last words. "My adversaries were extremely fast. I''ll have to be on guard every second from now on." I was thinking to myself. Mr. James, on the other hand, was closely inspecting the stranger''s body. I''ve also shifted my attention to his body. Uncle James, stopped the bleeding from his neck. His brow has a long scar, he has toned skin, and he has black eyes. He appears to be an adventurer, but looking at his body, it appears to be weak due to a lack of nutrients. It''s incredible to think he''s a level above me. Uncle James used his internal energy to scan his body while I was thinking about it. Mr. James observed his body and directed his internal energy to do so. When his internal energy entered the organs of the stranger. Mr. James furrowed his brows, sensing that his meridians and most of his internal organs were damaged. After confirming it, he cast a sidelong glance at Zack and asked, "How did you kill him? Describe it without leaving anything behind." When I heard that, I was taken aback and wondered, "Why is he asking about it?" I was thinking to myself. Then I briefed every detail of the situation. Uncle James sat quietly listening, his face expressionless. "Hell! I can''t believe it either. In one swift motion, I dispatched him. On top of that, he''s a Special Trainee Warrior." I''m taken aback realizing my feat. Seeing my Uncle deep in thought, I inquired once more, "What is it, Uncle, did you find anything?" Uncle James sighed and commented, "From your answer, I can confirm one thing: he is a cripple." "Even before you murdered him." Hearing that, I was rendered speechless. I couldn''t help but laugh hysterically. I thought I''d killed a big shot. "No, Wonder, It went so smoothly," I thought. Then I turned to Uncle James and said, "Uncle, it doesn''t even sound like an assassination attempt." "I''m not sure why this guy decided to kill me with a crippled body." "I''m mentally preparing myself to face high-level warriors, and here some random dude comes up with a sick joke," I thought to myself. Mr. James, on the other hand, kept the stranger''s body in his storage ring. "You will stay at home and train," he said, looking at Zack. "I''ll tell Arthur about it." When I heard that, I nodded. I had considered skipping class earlier. With that, I exited his room and proceeded to my room. Mr. James, on the other hand, once Zack left his room. Then he removed his body from the storage ring. He threw that body to the ground. He took a photograph of his face to verify his identity. Then he summoned his intelligence team. "Officer Rory, I sent you a photograph of a person." I need his description right away." He enquired of the leader of his intelligence team. "Yes, I''m on it," Officer Rory confirmed. ... Zack was alone in the dark. Yesterday, the outcome of his battle with Philip Jensen was immediately shared with all organisations. It makes no difference whether it is a small or large force; everyone received a report. Some were intrigued, while others dismissed it as just another genius in the corner. They believed that a dead genius had no worth. They''ve seen too many times how some Seeds were involved in an accident right after their moment of fame. Those were mostly staged accidents. Only a few forces were successful in saving their Seeds in time. However, some Army federation opposing forces gathered information about Zack. They see it as an opportunity to harm them. Despite the fact that it may harm their image, it will not harm them financially. However, they seek every opportunity to harm them from here and there. ... As an example, one rogue low-level organisation took advantage of this opportunity. Saber tooth organisation is the name of the organisation. Level- The level is very low. Work -Borders between cities are the area of operation. Work entails looting and trafficking in prohibited items. Faction- Black Faction is their affiliation. Rank- Listed in black. Inside the Saber tooth organization''s office. Scott is a balding middle-aged man dressed in tattered clothes. He is currently reading the Hansen Training Centre''s report. Scott is the Saber tooth organization''s leader. Their trafficking operations were recently exposed by a nearby Army Federation branch. They were not only exposed, but the majority of their men were apprehended and are now rotting in prison cells. Scott''s eyes become bloodshot as he recalls recent events. "These cretins wreaked havoc on our livelihoods." "A mere branch organisation of the Army Federation in the city has decided to meddle in our affairs," he murmured to himself. He began reading the entire report; this is one of many reports. Typically, they gather information about their adversary''s organisation. This Hansen Training Centre falls under their purview. As a result, reading the name piqued his interest. Zack''s information drew his attention as he read through the report. As you can see, he is a rising star who also belongs to the Army Federation Family. His expression became venomous. "Yet another seed!" he screamed, gnashing his teeth in rage. As a result, his saliva was all over the report. Seeing his men in pain in their prison cell. And their day-to-day survival was in jeopardy? Their Saber tooth organisation was also blacklisted as a result of their activities. He couldn''t stop thinking of ways to attack them. Despite the fact that their target is merely a branch organisation. They can''t afford to go up against them directly. Even officers in branch organisations are capable of annihilating their organisations on their own. When they were young, they were all regarded as gifted seeds. As a result, he can only think about schemes that will financially affect them whenever possible. After reading the Zack report. Scott''s face lit up with a ferocious grin. "This brat hasn''t joined any organisations yet." However, his family has ties to the Army Federation. In my opinion, he''s already dead. This could be an excellent opportunity to teach them a lesson. If it is successful, it may jeopardise their illustrious reputation." Scott made a mental remark. He had already begun to speculate on what would happen after that brat died. "A news headline might read: The Army Federation failed to protect their members'' families." Tragically, a promising young talent died." Scott made up a storey in his head. He laughed hysterically, thinking that if they were successful, it would be their first victory. This opportunity has the potential to boost their reputation. Scott began to plot after the Army Federation''s reputation was ruined. Other high-level organisations may fund his Saber Tooth organisation. Greed occupied his heart when he thought about money. "Who''s there?" exclaimed Scott. The door to the room slid open as he yelled. The guard at the door immediately came inside. "Yes, leader!" he said, bowing. Scott looked at the guard, and because he was in a good mood, he did not abuse the guard. "Go and put up a bounty of 10,000 credit points," Scott said. I don''t want this jerk to live. "I want all of our remaining men to concentrate on the bounty mission." Scott then handed over the image of Zack and gave the guard some information. Hearing this, the guard nodded and exited the building. Scott smiled and closed his eyes when he saw this. He was startled awake just as he closed his eyes. "No, I''m not sure I''m the only one who came up with a plan, these bastards have so many enemies." If they kill this brat, it will be before my organisation. Then my dreams would be shattered." He reflected to himself. Scott''s back was drenched in perspiration. He rose from his seat. He made a beeline for the notice board. Along the way, He had caught up to the guard. "Wait there, you!" He came to a halt as his words reached the guard''s ears. Scott placed his hand on Scott''s shoulders. He was panting heavily. When he saw that guard, he became terrified. "What happened, Leader?" "I did nothing wrong," he pleaded. Scott regained his composure and stated, "I will increase the bounty mission myself." You are free to go stand guard." The guard left when he heard that. Scott started walking toward the notice screen. It''s a visual screen that shows the bounty missions. When he arrives at the mission''s room. There were some warriors who were staring at the massive visual screen. When they saw the leader, they all bowed to him. Scott approached the screen and added a new bounty mission. Nearby warriors are eagerly awaiting their leader''s next move. Scott is updating the bounty mission. He made some changes, and the rewards were increased to 30,000 credit points. As new information appeared on the visual screen. Nearby warriors exclaimed, "gasped." This is the first time they have seen a bounty mission for a child in their lives. If they were successful, it would be a rags-to-riches storey. Their eyes all shone with a brilliant light. Scott turned to face his men and said, "You are now all focused on this mission. Whoever completes this mission will be promoted to Vice-Leader." Hearing that, they all become speechless. They all nodded and bowed in his direction. Chapter 153 - Elder Thorntons New Job Scott walks into his room after giving his men instructions. Following his exit from the mission hall, the remaining warriors approached the screen to take down the bounty description. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. As a result, they began taking notes right away. Following that, warriors began to leave the area one by one. ... Meanwhile, Zack is cultivating in his room. I exhaled, realising it had been three hours since the morning drama. I think I''ll go ask Uncle. "He hasn''t been doing missions lately." "Does it have anything to do with me?" I was thinking to myself. I stood up from the meditation mat, shaking my head. I then put it in my storage ring. I knitter my brows as I look around my room. My room is not comparable to the secret chamber at Hansen Training Centre. It all comes down to money, I sighed internally. If I have enough cash. I can construct my own safe house. "I need to concentrate on accumulating more credit for the future." I muttered to myself. Then I go into Uncle''s room. "I hope he finds some clues," I muttered to myself as I walked. "Knock" I rapped on the door. "Come in!" says the door slip. Mr. James said. When I walked into the room, I saw Uncle James reading some articles on the operating screen. It has a large display. It appears to be a limited edition based on its appearance. Mr. James stopped reading and looked at Zack when he noticed him. Then he asked, "How''s your training?" When I heard that, I smiled and said, "It''s going well, Uncle, but the environment isn''t the same as it was at the training centre." Taking advantage of the situation, I asked him, "Uncle, "Did you come across anything about that cripple?" Mr. James nodded and said, "Yes, we discovered that he is a rogue warrior who is not affiliated with anyone." When I heard that, I furrowed my brows. Observing Zack''s facial expression. Mr. James took a deep breath and said, "Now, You''ve gotten some attention." Some forces are considering slandering our Army Federation''s reputation." I was able to decipher his hidden meaning, so I asked directly, "May I know their names?" As a result, I can better prepare myself." "There are too many enemies," Mr. James said, "you should concentrate on your cultivation." I believe your teacher has Major Forces plans." "Other than that, Mr. Jonathan and I can take care of the Medium ones," he continued. You can also deal with low-level forces. Their strength is comparable to that of a Special Trainee." When I heard that, I nodded. "Perhaps I can now fight the warriors." This could be a good opportunity." I was thinking to myself. "So, Uncle?" I inquired. How long do I have to stay at home? "May I come tomorrow?" It is impossible to stay at home all of the time. I''d like to practise in a secret chamber. My skills, in particular, are showing little improvement. I want to improve my skills to the intermediate level. From Small Wheel to Big Wheel, there is still a long way to go before entering another realm. If I can do that, I''ll be able to easily defeat a special trainee warrior. It is impossible to expect another breakthrough anytime soon. I''ll need a lot of money for that. Hearing Zack''s query. Mr. James nodded and replied, "You can go tomorrow, I mean time, so I can gather more intel." When I heard that, I nodded and exited his room. Mr. James noticed his back and realised he hadn''t informed Mr. Arthur yet. He addressed him as Soon. Mr. Arthur''s holographic image appeared above his wristwatch. He informed Mr. Arthur of the morning situation. Mr. James then asked, "How''s the movement around Jensen''s house?" after he had explained everything. Mr. Arthur responded, "So far, there has been no significant movement." Except for those two, Elder Jensen''s guards. They''ve been spotted near the Red Stone City train station." Mr. James frowns as he hears this. He has a feeling they''re looking for Zack. Observing Mr. James''s expression. "You don''t have to worry about that, I have my men to handle them," Mr Arthur said immediately. Mr. James gave him a nod. "So, where is he?" Mr. Arthur continued. "Zack has gone to his room. He''ll be there tomorrow." In a solemn tone, Mr. James said. Mr. Arthur noticed a doubtful expression on Mr. James''s face. "James, what happened?" Mr. Arthur was curious. When Mr. James heard this, he asked, "Do you think it''s that simple?" It''s not just the Jensens. We discovered that some organisation had already placed a bounty on his head. We''re down to a few men right now." Mr.James has an uneasy feeling. All they need is a chance to cause harm. It does not have to be a direct confrontation. They have the ability to use artefacts such as explosives. They''ve used it a lot to stage accidents. Mr. Arthur sighed as he heard this. They, too, received a large amount of Intel. Zack, in particular, is their seed candidate. And a big yes to that. Other competitors have not digested it. "Actually, Elder Thornton called for a meeting," he said, looking at Mr. James. We expected Zack to be here. On the other hand, I didn''t expect them to act quickly. I''ll inform Elder Thornton about it." "That''s why I told him to skip class today," Mr. James said, nodding. It''s too risky to rely on incomplete information. I''ll have a better understanding of the situation by the evening." Then he looked Mr. Arthur in the eyes. "I also expect Hansen Training Centre to do their part," he added. This situation arose as a result of your internal politics." Mr. Arthur laughed heartily when he heard that. He is aware that James is correct. If something were to happen to Zack. It will have far-reaching consequences for them. Elder Jensen''s antics, in particular, contribute significantly to the situation. "Don''t worry, James," Mr. Arthur replied. I''ll notify Elder Thornton. We will do everything we can to help Zack. Mr. James nodded when he heard that. They then discussed a few other topics before concluding the call. ... Inside the high-level management room, on the other hand. Elder Thornton''s brow is perspiring. He''s talking to someone on the phone. He was unable to confront this individual through direct eye contact. "Thornton, I asked you to handle this." But your intelligence politics ruined everything. Because of your carelessness, my disciple is now being investigated." Every word spoken by Sir. Lowell McClain has pierced his heart. Elder Thornton couldn''t stop himself from stuttering. Who would have guessed that Unknown brat is this person''s disciple? He couldn''t stop himself from cursing Jensen. If only he had known sooner. Despite all opposition, he would have killed Jensen. They''re plotting against his disciple, to think of it. He couldn''t help but be terrified. I see Thornton is scared, Sir. Lowell McClain frowned, not wanting to waste time with this person. "Thornton, hereafter, You will be responsible for Zack''s safety," Sir. Lowell McClain said. You will be his shadow, protecting him from his adversary. He''ll square off against Special Trainee. You must take care of that, Warrior above that level." ,then. "Remember, you will be his bodyguard until he joins the academy," Sir. Lowell McClain added. Remember, no one should find out about this." Elder Thornton was stunned, and he gulped his saliva as he heard his final words. "Academy, they''ll be hiring next year." To think, without knowing it, Hansen Training Centre has been dragged into a massive shambles." He had the same thought. Elder Thornton then nodded subconsciously in response. He was unable to respond directly. As a result, he decides to obey his command. The call was then abruptly terminated. It isn''t even a minute. "He just called me, scolded me, and then ordered me." "Thank God, it''s all over." Elder Thornton reflected to himself. He is still in disbelief. He exited the building right away. He''s on his way to Zack''s house. As he had promised to that individual. He will be Zack''s personal bodyguard. Elder Thornton bolts from the building. He got into his air cab and hoped in. I started driving towards the white snow city. His sci-fi wristwatch buzzes with a notification a few minutes later. It''s a call from Arthur, I see. Elder Thornton was present. He turned off the holographic image view. He doesn''t want anyone to know what he did. When he arrives in the white snow city. He decides to park his car somewhere. He switched the call to voice-only mode. Elder Thornton inquired, "What exactly is it? Arthur." When Mr. Arthur heard this, he responded, "Sir, I have new information about Zack." "Please tell me!" Elder Thornton said. Mr. Arthur explained everything to him after hearing that. Elder Thornton''s heart skips a beat as he hears his response. No wonder that person asked me to pretend to be Zack''s bodyguard. Elder Thornton has not responded. Mr. Arthur says "Elder" "Elder " Mr. Arthur is perplexed as to why Elder Thornton has not responded. Hearing that, Elder Thornton got back his composure.. Earlier, he didn''t mind to inform Arthur anything. Chapter 154 - Sworn Brothers Elder Thornton looked at Mr. Arthur and said, ''Ok, I''ll take care of this matter. You go and handle Centre''s affairs. If you need anything just call me." Elder Thornton sounded serious. Hearing that, Mr. Arthur nodded at him. They talked few other things then they ended the call. After the call, Mr. Arthur''s expression turned little doubtful. "What happened to Elder? He seems restless." Mr. Arthur try to pinpoint the issue, but he couldn''t find what is it. " Let''s guess, Even, He is reacting for Zack''s situation. But, it looks exaggerating." Mr. Arthur thought to himself. Then he shifted his attention in the current issue. Their intel is not enough, Zack''s situation is getting out of control. Even their training Centre''s reputation is on the line. So, he have no choice to get serious about it. Then, Mr. Arthur began to do his work. On the other hand, Elder Thornton, a few hours later reached White Snow City. He parked his four-wheeler at his colleagues warehouse. After stepping out of the vehicle, " I couldn''t possible be guard Zack all day and night. I should do something about my stay here." Elder Thornton thought to himself. He then decides to stay in rental house in coming days. After sorting that, he then proceeds to Zack''s house. A few minutes later, Elder Thornton observes the building. Which seems to be residence of Mr. James. After confirming the address in his Sci-fi wrist watch. "It''s a good residence, where is that brat''s room" Elder Thornton whispered to himself. He then instantly disappears from the front gate. He appears above the attic, it''s not flight ability by a fast movement technique. Then, Elder Thornton furrowed his eyebrows, seeing some one coming. He then disappears. A moment later, Mr. James arrived at the spot. He began to look around him. Seeing that there is no result, "What''s going on? I really sensed someone" Mr. James thought to himself. He once again looks around and started to mutter, "It''s best to observe from here for few minutes." Deep down he knows, if there is someone here to spy, He will be back again. On the other hand, Elder Thornton is out of his conscious range. He perfectly hides himself from his view. Then, He looked at James and smirked, "This guy, James is one step away from reaching Elite. No wonder, He felt something off" Elder Thornton whispered to himself, Seeing Mr. James is not moving away from the spot. Then he shifted his gaze from him to another room. Where he spots a closed window. "This might be that brat''s room. But, I''m not sure Unless I could get closer to it and make sure." Elder Thornton thought to himself. He is waiting for an opportunity to find Zack''s room. ¡­ << ZACK''S POV>> I exchanged some of the herbs from alliance trading platform. I plan to use it for herbal bath. There is a simple body nourishment method available to maintain healthy body. But, it requires huge herbal resources. Not many could follow it. Especially, it comes with pain. Even wealthy family''s sons and daughters don''t follow this method due to pain. But, I decided to try it. Earlier, I didn''t put this body nourishment method in my eyes. I had superior blood cultivation method to make for it. Now, I feel like, I''m under house arrest. I don''t have other choice to resort to it. I hope, in coming days, I will venture to Class 2 Monsters Zone. After sorting out, I prepared for the herbal bath. I prepared the herbal conditions according to that method. It''s not difficult prepare the herbal concoction. If you follow the instruction manual carefully any layman could do it. After preparing it, I poured the entire herbal liquid in the bath tub. As the herbal liquid mixes with the water, the colour changes into dark brown. If any one sees it, they assume it as mud. Shaking my head, I removed my clothes from top to bottom. Since, I know it''s going to be painful. I mentally prepared myself. I took a deep breath and entered the bath. I immersed myself in the brown liquid. Then, I started to observe the essence from the liquid. Just like, I do it in my cultivation method. Except, it doesn''t have any set of practises. As I focus on my attention, a pure brown essence began to condense around my body. These were darker than the rest of the herbal liquid in the bath tub. As I began to extract the energy, I''m able to seen a sip of energies entered my pores. "Without set of cultivation technique for it, it''s very difficult to use the entire energy in the liquid." I thought to myself. As the pure brown energy courses through veins. "What the fu*k!" I cursed in my heart. I felt an a heart wrenching pain. This energy seems gentle in outside, but trickle of it causes burning sensation in my vein. "Thank goodness," I thought to myself. As the pain fades away due to lack of pure brown energy. I felt the pain is bearable, When compare to my own blood cultivation method. Then I composed myself and began to do it again. ... Time went on, a few hours later, as Zack is training through medicinal bath. Above the attic, Mr. James finally decides to move away from the spot. He vanishes from this spot and proceeds to his room. Seeing that, Mr. James decided to give up. Elder Thornton let out a sigh. "This fellow, He acts as he is under some mission." Elder Thornton grumbled. He is quite annoyed by Mr. James. While, waiting here. Elder Thornton spots few warriors quite distance from here. "What are they up to, it''s just residential area. Looking at their attire, it''s looks like they are not residents." Elder Thornton mumbled under his breath. Elder Thornton vanishes from his spot and proceeds to observe these vermin. He plans to observe their conversations. Elder Thornton gazing at two fellows. These guys discussing something in his voice. Two warriors from saber tooth organisation, after taking the bounty mission. They decided to team up and finish the mission. Once they successful, they can split the rewards among themselves. As they now near the location, they are discussing about it. "Martin, Do you think this brat is at home.?" Victor Inquired. These two fellows were sworn brothers. Most of the difficult mission were perfectly cleared by them. In this process, they developed mutual trust with each other. Since, his brother is asking something, Instead of answering him. Martin is currently occupied with something. He is operating on his sci-fi watch. He wants verify something, he is worried about bounty mission. Other than them, lot of them took the mission and came to this residential area. He doesn''t want to seen by them. Also, He couldn''t able to think of proper plan to execute this bounty mission. Seeing, Marrin is occupied with something. Victor decides to raise his voice. "Martin, Are you alright?" As his sudden loud voice reaches his ear. Hearing that, Martin came back to reality. Starting at his friend, Martin furrowed his eyebrows. Martin commented, "Why are you shouting? Do you want to attract the crowd" He grumbled. Victor taken back hearing that, "Don''t worry brother Martin. I''m just thinking about the bounty mission" To that, Martin shook his head. He commented, "I''m too thinking about that, Our Leader announced such a huge rewards for this bounty mission. We should complete it before others." To that, Victor nodded at him. "Yes brother, We should kill this brat and raise our saber tooth organisation reputation" Victor uttered while gnashing his teeth. Like others, duo also suffered from the hands of the army federation. They to give up several mission dus to them. While they were discussing it among them. It was all heard by Elder Thornton. He Scowled at the duo hearing that. "These bastards both are at Special Trainee Level" Elder Thornton whispered to himself." If that, Zack came across this duo. It will quite difficult to escape. " Elder Thornton commented within his mind. He doesn''t want to kill them right away. He wants to observe for a while. While Elder Thornton is observing. Martin and victor muster up their courage to go near the residence. Their movements were steady. It looks like they are taking normal stroll around the street. On the way, Martin spots few known faces from the same organisation. "Shit!" Martin cursed under his breath. Hearing that, Victor got startled. He is not nerd like his brother. Most of the decision making is done by Martin. Starting at Victor, Martin answered, "Hutson is here!" Martin points his finger at a person. Victor looks at the location. His complexion becomes paler seeing Hutson. Looking at Martin, Victor commented, "What are we going to do? This maniac will spoil our plans. On top of it, we had feud with him." Martin nodded at him hearing his words. This is not the right time to confront Hutson. Usually, It''s ends up with the conflict. If they started to fight here. Then it will attract attention and the whole mission will be jeopardised because of it. Martin began to think about some plan. On the other hand, Elder Thornton amused hearing that. Chapter 155 - Illusion Ends "This low-level organisation has such audacity, to think they''ve decided to challenge behemoths," Elder Thornton snickered heartily. He cast a glance at the sworn brothers. Then he shifted his gaze to the individual known as Hutson. He, too, banded together with his subordinates. Earlier, that illustrious individual (Sir. Lowell McClain) had cautioned me to act properly. Looking at these loose warriors, it''s clear that the majority of them are Special trainees. These people, according to that person, should be left for Zack Lockwood. "I''m not sure Zack is capable of skipping levels and fighting these rogues," Elder Thornton reflected. However, after hearing from that person (Sir. Lowell McClain), he is confident that Zack can handle warriors of a higher level. Recognizing that Elder Thornton has decided to back Zack. "Perhaps I''ll be able to see his true combat ability tomorrow," Elder Thornton thought to himself. "It would be better if they fought among themselves," he says, staring at these people. Elder Thornton muttered something under his breath. He seeps his consciousness into his storage ring and pulls an artefact from it. This artefact is shaped like a circular disc. Elder Thornton smiles sheepishly as he examines the artefact in his hands. This group of people appears to be quite far away from Zack''s home. They are hesitant because they do not know whether Zack''s residence is guarded or not. As a result, the majority of the warriors who came for these bounty missions were waiting for the perfect opportunity. Elder Thornton reasoned that now is a good time to take advantage of this opportunity. As a result, he resolved to use this artefact against them. Elder Thornton turned away from the sworn brothers and vanished from his spot. He lands near Zack''s house a split second later. He didn''t do it this time when he was near the front gate. It''d be very eye-catching. As a result, he hid behind the trees and began to operate the artefact. <>Dream Creator- Illusion Formation Artefacts>> <> He immediately configures and activates the dream creator. Soon after, a fog emerged from the circular disc and began to influence the people beneath it. Martin and Victor are both attempting to avoid Hutson. They are, however, within the range of the illusion fog. As a result, illusion began to have an impact. Martin and Victor were both fooled into thinking Hutson was walking away from that brat''s house. Both of them became excited when they realised they were in a new situation. "Brother, that Maniac is leaving. "How should we proceed from here?" With a smile, Victor asked? Martin smirked as he thought it was the best time to go near the house. "Follow me!" he exclaimed. Instead of going to Zack''s house, they slowly walk towards Hutson''s direction. They fantasised about getting close to Zack''s house in their hearts. Since then, this illusion has been used to confuse people rather than kill them. It causes them to compete with one another. Huston the maniac, on the other hand, has arrived at Zack''s house. As he and his subordinates make their way towards Zack''s house. He notices the white fog and mutters under his breath, "What is this fog?" What is this, he doesn''t realise. He has succumbed to delusion. For a brief moment, his eyes go blank. Then the scene in front of him completely changed. Hutson went to Zack''s house. instead of Zack''s house Martin and Victor were led to him. Soon, both sides were confronted with each other. For a brief moment, the illusion transforms back into reality. For a brief moment, both sides'' eyes went blank. They had no idea what had happened. Both parties believe it is the real thing. When Hutson''s gaze is drawn to the sworn brother duo. He''s unconcerned about the current mission and has completely forgotten about Zack''s residence. He confronted the duo with a sheepish smile. "I can''t believe they''ve come here. "Don''t worry, you guys will never get your chance," Hutson smirked internally. Victor turned pale with fear as Hutson confronted the duo. Martin''s pupils constricted, he was stunned within his mind about the situation. He could tell they were on their way to Zack Lockwood''s house. "But now this maniac has appeared in front of us," Martin muses inside. Huston, on the other hand, did not give this duo a chance to speak. He directed his subordinates to beat the duo down. Hutson was followed by two men who advanced and began to attack. As soon as the conflict erupted, both sides began attacking each other. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, is amused by the situation. It would be simple for him to remove these people without the use of an illusion artefact. But, because he has to follow the instructions of that esteemed person (Sir. Lowell McClain), he has no choice but to orchestrate this little show. ... <> I screamed in agony, "aahhhh." As the brown energies seep inside and flow through my veins. However, the first movements were painful. But later on, I felt a sense of warmth. As the brown energies engulfed my cells. The cells are becoming even stronger. It''s giving me a warm feeling as a result of it. I know it''s only a minor improvement, nothing to brag about. However, less expensive herbs were used for this. I was able to improve as a result of it. As I leaned forward, I noticed a brown essence in the liquid. The liquid still contains some pure essence. It''s been hours since I stepped into the tub. "It''ll take some time to extract the energies from the remaining herbal liquid in the bath tub," I thought. I pushed these thoughts aside and began to extract the remaining liquid. As time passed, the remaining pure brown essence began to dwindle. Zack is harnessing its power to power his cells. After a while, all of the pure brown essence in the medicinal bath had vanished. When I realised this, I stood up and started the bath. I put on my casual clothes and began scanning my body with my perceptual ability. As I concentrate on my cells. They appear to be a lot more animated than before. "What does it all mean?" Inside, I pondered. This method of body nourishment is widely used, and it is frequently used as a method of body rejuvenation by people. It aids in the development of strength. However, it is insignificant in comparison to the actual body cultivation method. "It''s better to have something than nothing," I told myself quietly. My wrist watch suddenly buzzes with a notification. I noticed it had a message. I opened it and began reading the message. My expression turned serious. Sir. Lowell McClain has sent a message. According to the message, my teacher is already aware of the situation. But He wants me to concentrate on my cultivation. He will handle the problems. And he''s already made plans for it; on the other hand, I''ve given the go-ahead to handle Special Trainee Warrior''s. Anything above that level will be handled by someone. I sighed as I finished sorting things out. I could feel my chest loosening. I don''t have to worry about trivial matters. Rather, I should concentrate on improving my skills. With that in mind, I''m feeling a lot better. I considered Uncle, and I believe it is best to inform him. Otherwise, he will be anxious about the situation. Then I walk over to Uncle''s room. ... Meanwhile, outside of Zack''s house. His effect was loosened, as a result of the illusion formation has depleted its energy reserves. But, in the meantime. The situation was almost over. Martin and Victor were both injured as a result of the fight. Only Hutson is unharmed on the other side. His two underlying injuries were also sustained. Hutson gave a ferocious grin. He intends to paralyse both of them. He aimed his grip at Victor''s dantian. Victor''s pupils constricted, and he lost the ability to move his body. When he saw the situation, he was terrified. Martin gritted his teeth as he observed the situation; he, too, had suffered some injury. Even without healing pills, he needs two or three days to recover. "Don''t hurt Victor any further," Martin snarled at Hutson. What do you desire? With bloodshot eyes, he uttered. Hutson snorted when he heard that, "What I want? "I want to paralyse you." In a pleasant tone, he said. Martin became enraged, but he managed to keep his cool. "Hutson, I''ll notify the organization leader." When he learns about the situation, he will be furious. He wants everyone to concentrate on this bounty mission in particular." Huston came to a halt when he heard that, and he was displeased. However, after giving his words some thought. Hutson knows deep down that this is not the best time to act on this duo. He will be able to complete them in the future. He should better now concentrate on his mission. After he had made up his mind. "Scram!!!" Hutson yells at them. When Victor heard that, he took a deep breath and fainted on the spot. Chapter 156 - Part One: New Drill Victor passed out on the spot. when he saw that, Martin gathers his remaining energy and rises from the ground. He slowly walks over and drags Victor away from this location. "Thank goodness, this maniac is concerned about the mission; otherwise, he won''t let us off the hook," Martin thought to himself. He looks back at the location as he walks away, a tinge of regret in his eyes. "If it hadn''t been for Hutson, we''d have a good chance of finishing the mission." He reflected to himself. On the other hand, Observing the Sworn Brothers duo walk away. Hutson chuckled. Then he moved on to his injured underlying. "You two, take your time healing yourself; we have a mission to complete tomorrow morning." With solemnity, he said. His underlying nodded at him when he heard that. And the trio walked away from this location, intending to return tomorrow. "I don''t think that brat is going to leave his house tomorrow." Hutson murmured to himself. He had gathered all of the necessary information for this mission. He also had his men stationed near the Hansen Training Centre. According to the information, brat spends the majority of his time in that Centre. He has no idea why that brat did not leave his house. He does, however, hope to confront him tomorrow and complete the mission as soon as possible. Otherwise, more and more people would come here, increasing competition. He didn''t want something like this to happen. A vicious glint appeared in his mind after he had sorted out his thoughts. On the other hand, Seeing the sworn brothers, Ieft the location. "Strong preys on weak!" Elder Thornton said as he shook his head. He then fixed his gaze on Huston and his underlying. Seeing the trio leave this location. Elder Thornton sighed inwardly. "Why would I think that this assassination attempt on him would become Zack''s new training routine?" Elder Thornton reflected to himself. The more he thought about it, the more perplexed he became. After realising that, it''s possible that it''s true. He smiled wryly on the inside. Elder Thornton then vanishes and reappears above the attic in a split second. This time, he carefully concealed his air. "I don''t think James would sense me this time," Elder Thornton thought to himself. He searches the area for other assassins, but all he finds are rogue warriors. He doesn''t want to squander any of his breath on them. Then he got a phone call from Mr. Arthur Emerson. Elder Thornton gave him the order to eliminate any assassin warriors above Special Trainee Warrior once he had more concrete information. Elder Thornton then waited for the next day with bated breath. ... <> Inside Zack''s room the next day. Zack done with his morning routine and now ready to leave the house and go to the Hansen Training Centre. After I put on my dress, I carefully examined myself in the mirror. "Today will be a more difficult day; I hope I don''t run into any lunatics." In my heart, I was confident. I told Uncle about my teacher''s plan yesterday. After hearing everything I had to say. Uncle James was more at ease. His concern vanished in an instant. Then Uncle James informed me of the teacher''s intention. I should hone my skills by battling warriors of a higher level. This period of time would be extremely beneficial to my battling abilities. Later, I was able to perform much better in the Crimson Hall Event with it. After finishing breakfast, I left the house a few minutes later. Uncle James initially wanted to accompany me. But I politely declined. I don''t believe anyone would attack me in broad daylight. Unless, of course, they were desperate. ... As Zack walked away from his house and down the path. As a result, they look like water ripples. People who had come here on a bounty mission began to move. There were only a few people, and the majority of them wished to be in a fortunate situation. While others came here based on their own strength. They began to slowly follow Zack among them, and Huston began to move at a steady pace. He looked around at other lower level warriors as he followed Zack. The fearful weak warriors who met his gaze ducked away. Some of them came to a complete stop. Zack was aware of the entire situation unfolding around him. Even if he is aware, he is unconcerned. ... Elder Thornton, on the other hand, opened his eyes. He could already feel Zack''s movement. He follows Zack with a slight smile on his face, intending to keep a safe distance from him. Unless the situation is dire. He''s not going to appear in front of Zack. While following, he witnesses some minor drama unfold as a result of Zack. "I''m curious what will happen if they see each other." He muttered something under his breath. He knows from yesterday''s event that this rogue named Hutson is no pushover. So he''s curious to see how Zack would handle this situation. Suddenly, Elder Thornton''s pupils constricted as he travelled, sensing a powerful aura. "It''s higher than Special Trainee Warrior." He muttered something under his breath. When he realised this, he came to a halt and looked around. He follows the aura to see where it comes from. He discovered three people waiting for Zack. They were near the air cab taxi, which Zack always takes to get to White Snow City Station. Elder Thornton vanishes from his position as he realises this. To kill Zack, these three people only need to carry out a single attack. Elder Thornton decides to kill them after realising this. On the opposite side, close to the air can taxi platform. An assassin woman patiently awaits his prayer. She disguises herself as an adventurer. She knows from her organization''s intelligence that a brat named Zack prefers to travel by air cab. She looks around; the majority of the air cabs have already flown away. The rest are waiting for their customers. "If that brat shows up here. I''ll either aim for his heart or cut his neck open. Then I''m going to leave right away." She reflected to herself. Seeing a beautiful adventurer woman standing alone. A taxi driver in an air cab approaches her. "Dear Miss Adventurer, If you reserve my taxi. "I''ll lower the fare for you." With a smile, the driver said. He wishes to engage her in conversation. She snorted when she heard that, the female assassin was disgusted. Suddenly, she felt an ominous presence behind her, and she became terrified. However, it was too late. Her heart is pierced by a hand from behind. Her face was filled with disbelief as she saw her own heart. As a result, her life withers away. Elder Thornton placed her corpse in his storage ring before her lifeless body fell to the ground. The driver, on the other hand, terrified from witnessing the new situation. He turned pale with fear. His weakened legs robbed him of his strength. Elder Thornton knocked him out before he could open his mouth. Elder then vanishes from his position. Everything happened in an instant. Few people noticed the absence of an adventurer woman. As a result, the atmosphere remains normal. Elder Thornton dealt with the other two remaining assassins in the same manner, making no sound, and storing their corpses in his storage ring. He then proceeds to follow Zack from Shadows after he has dealt with it. ... <> After Elder Thornton has dealt with the assassins, Zack arrives at the location a few minutes later. I reserved an air cab to the White Snow City station. I sat in my seat after hopping into the air cab. As the air cab took off, it began to fly towards its destination. I finally relaxed, but I could tell there were a lot of people watching me. And I''m sure some of them are on a higher level than me. Especially one guy who isn''t bothered by his presence. I would have comforted him if it hadn''t been for the presence of too many variables. "Let''s see, I might have a chance to face in Red Stone City," I thought to myself. On the other hand, Zack had booked the air cab. Hutson''s expression darkened. He wouldn''t have hesitated to make a move on him if he was in a remote location. Hutson shakes his head and decides to do it in Redstone City. He continues to follow him after making up new plan. There is only one train that runs every half hour to Red Stone City. He didn''t want to be late for that. For example, Zack and Hutson took an air cab to the train station. All of this happened in front of Elder Thornton''s eyes. He''d already gotten rid of the variables. Then he intends to follow Zack, but this time in a different compartment of the train. ... With all of this going on at Zack''s side. The same thing happens near Hansen Training Centre. Mr. Arthur Emerson, with Elder Thornton''s permission. He assassinated two of Elder Jensen''s guards. Aside from them, there are a few movements from various factions near Hansen Training Centre. At the moment, He is not clear about their motives. Some may come here to collect intel.. While others intend to cause trouble here. Chapter 157 - Part Two: New Drill In the meeting hall of Elder Jensen''s home. Elder Jensen convened a hastily convened family meeting. Everyone was informed of his orders. Everyone began to gather in the family hall soon after. Elder Jensen had already taken his seat in the front row. In the meantime, his brother sat next to him. His brother wore a worried expression on his face, but he didn''t say anything. Especially knowing that the family''s patriarch is a hothead. He does not want to argue with him. Seeing how many people have gathered here. Elder Jensen fixed his gaze on everyone. When they noticed his gaze, some of them ducked away. While others remained expressionless. Elder Jensen took a deep breath as he observed the various reactions. "My son, Lucius, is due to return home today." Elder Jensen announced solemnly. Suddenly, the atmosphere plummets. What was already a little depressing became even more so. His second brother, Elder Jensen, snickered inside. "I''m not sure what this crazy guy is going to do." When he learns that his beloved son died unjustly." While everyone has different perspectives on it. Elder Jensen is at a loss as to how to persuade his son, Lucius. In the absence of Lucius, it is his responsibility as a grandfather to protect his grandson, Philip. But greed blinded him for a brief moment. Inside, Elder Jensen was thinking. He heard footsteps and noticed one of his spies came here to see him as he gazed at the entrance. The spy dressed as a steward approached Elder Jensen after he was allowed to enter. He started whispering something in his ears. At first, Elder Jensen''s expression remained unchanged. However, after hearing everything Spy had to say, his hands began to tremble. His skin is deathly pale. Even in his worst nightmare, he was not confronted with such a scenario. When others saw Elder Jensen''s trembling body. "Patriarch!" everyone exclaimed. "Elder Brother!" "Head of the Family!" People yelled as they watched their Family Head''s behaviour. Hearing everyone, he slowed his pace for a moment. He motioned for his spy to leave immediately, not knowing what he would do. If he can just stay a little longer. The Spy nodded and exited the hall immediately. The situation perplexed everyone in the hall. A random man came here to inform the family leader of something. However, take a look at the leader''s complexion. They are well aware that whatever he has told them is not good news. They are looking for answers from their leader. When his second brother saw his Elder Jensen''s troubled expression, he became terrified. He instinctively told him not to ask any questions. But he summoned the courage to ask, "Family Head, what is it?" Is there any new information?" His voice is not loud, but everyone in the hall can hear it. Inside, Elder Jensen sighed. He has no idea what kind of bad luck has befallen him. The spy revealed something shocking to him. He refuses to believe it. Elder Jensen looked around, shaking his head. "Don''t be concerned. Just be proper in front of Lucius when he arrives.You may now disperse." He spoke in a normal tone. Everyone began to leave as soon as they heard that. They didn''t say anything. Elder Jensen''s words, however, are understood by them. Lucius, the next family leader, may end up killing some of the servants. If he is aware of what occurred. "Hey, where are you going?" said servant 1 as he exited the hall. "Please wait for me." Servant2 is yelled at. In response, the servant 2 did not turn around; instead, he quickly stated, "I''m planning to take leave for a few months." The servant 2 did not want to risk his life by remaining here. Upon hearing this, servant 1 came to a halt. "Wow, what a brilliant idea!" "Why didn''t I think of this sooner?" The servant 1 thought to himself. Everywhere, the same thing is happening. The servants and other guards are plans to avoiding Lucius for a few days. While this was going on, Elder Jensen and his second brother did not leave right away. Elder Jensen took a look around him. He''s checking to make sure no one is here. Then he looks at his Second brother and says, "Second brother, I''m going to tell you something." However, you must keep it in your heart." Elder Jensen stated sternly. When second brother heard that, he gulped down his saliva and nodded at him. Elder Jensen said, looking into his eyes, "Flynn and Logan, both of them were killed." "What!" As he stood up from his seat, his second brother exclaimed. "What are you saying, brother?" "Who could do anything to them? " uttered the second brother in disbelief. Flynn and Logan both went on a mission to find the body of the young lord. And their adversary is a young brat. "This was supposed to be a simple mission. "What went wrong?" pondered the second brother. He then seeks answers from his elder brother. Elder Jensen sighed as he observed his brother''s reaction. He must devise a strategy. He needs to find out who killed his men in order to do so. The Spy only revealed their demise. Nothing to do with the opponent. Elder Jensen furrows his brow in thought. " Right now, we''re short on intelligence. I''m not sure what else I can say." Elder Jensen''s voice was solemn. Then he turned to his second brother and said, "Second brother, you should handle family matters for the next few weeks." "I''m going to take a break." When his second brother heard this, he nodded. He didn''t dare to defy the orders of the family head. Elder Jensen rose from his seat and proceeded to his room. He intends to gather information from his coworkers. He didn''t even consider Hansen Training Centre for a second. Despite this, there is a schism between him and Elder Thornton. Elder Thornton, he still believes, will not do such a thing. If he does, he will be kicked out of Hansen Training Centre. That''s why he wasn''t convinced by that scenario. On the other hand, he suspects that there will be some action on Zack''s end. As a result, he seeks the necessary information to validate his assumption. ... Inside the Hansen Training Centre. Mr. Arthur Emerson is having a conversation with Ms. Adeline Key. "Do you think Zack will come today?" Ms. Adeline inquired. She sounded concerned. Mr. Arthur Emerson responded, "He will come for sure, Ms. Key." He needs to practise in our training facility. He can''t do it at home just by cultivating." Ms. Adeline Key gives him a nod. When he hears that. "What do you think about his next opponents?" she asked. Is it safe to say that he will undoubtedly win?" Mr. Arthur Emerson knitted his brows as he read the names of Zack''s next opponents. He initially believed that, aside from Philip, he had nothing to be concerned about. His pupils constricted as he read the name Luke. He is aware of this student. He is a senior student, and his mentor is well aware of Luke''s abilities. Mr. Arthur Emerson responded solemnly, "There is this one student, He might pose a serious threat to Zack," he said, looking at Ms. Adeline Key. Hearing Ms. Adeline''s key startled me. "Who?" she inquired, perplexed. "That student''s name is Luke, and his mentor told me that he forcibly suppressed his cultivation for this duel," Mr. Arthur Emerson responded. "Seriously, is there any elder supporting him in his actions?" Ms. Adeline Key inquired, perplexed. "I, too, have no idea what he''s up to." Mr. Arthur Emerson said. "After Elder Thornton''s deterrence," he added. "I don''t think anyone dares to do anything," he says, but there is something uneasy about him. However, he was unable to explain why. As a result, he intends to gather information about him. They then discussed a few other topics. Ms. Adeline Key then exited his cabin. After she had left. Mr. Arthur Emerson''s expression became solemn. "I''m not sure how Elder Jensen will react. I killed his underlying if he finds out." He muttered something under his breath. "Thank you, Elder Thornton!" I would not have killed them if it hadn''t been for him. I''d been treating them as an eyesore for a long time; finally, there''s no more annoyance." Mr. Arthur Emerson pondered this. ... <> I arrived at the train station of the white snow city a few minutes later. After a few minutes of waiting. I boarded the train and took a seat by the window. As I had predicted, a few more people entered the same compartment after me. Some of them stayed away from me. While one of the guys approached me and sat in the seat across from me. I closed my eyes after looking at his face. "It''s the same guy who''s been following me." I was thinking to myself. "And he''s obviously a level above me," I couldn''t help but think. If he''s a hitman. I should figure out how to deal with him. "What should I do?" In my head, I made a remark. On the other hand, he is none other than Hutson. He wasn''t concerned enough with his motivations. All he cared about was not being outdone by others.. As a result, he chose to sit across from Zack. Chapter 158 - END: New Drill Huston tried to probe Zack while they were on the road. He concentrates his attention on him. But he couldn''t detect any energy from Zack. As a result, He was unable to confirm Zack''s cultivation level. He finally gives up. ... <> The train arrived at Red Stone City Station a few hours later. When I opened my eyes, that guy was still staring at me. I snickered inside when I saw that. I decided to fight him in a remote location. I stood up from my seat and exited the train once everything was in order. That fellow stood up and followed me as I walked out. I found it vexing. Now I''m convinced that he''s come to kill me. So I resolved not to waste any time. After exiting the train station. I immediately take a stroll down a nearby downtown street. There is a secluded area there that provides excellent cover for the battle. On the other hand, I have the option of leaving that location right away. If I ever see it, things are spiralling out of control. I arrived at that remote location a few minutes later. As expected, he has been following me. I looked around, and all I saw was an empty street. There is no life here, except for a few abandoned buildings along the way. It almost gives me a creepy vibe. If a few more houses are added to it, it will become ghost street. I came to a halt as I approached the end of the street. I turned around and confronted the person who had been following me. "All right, we''re now in a remote location. Could you please tell me right now? "How come you''re following me?" With a smile, I said. Hutson''s face changes to a vicious me when he hears that. Following that, he bursts out laughing. "Ha..Ha¡­Ha¡­" "Good¡­Good, When I saw the bounty mission, I was ecstatic. "I expected you to be a wimp." Hutson went on to say, "But wait a minute! I was mistaken. Observing your composed demeanour. I knew you''d figured it out; I''m a sucker for talented people. Especially if it''s an Army Federation Seed." Hutson vanishes from his spot in an instant. He twists his fist and smashes his fist into Zack''s chest in an instant. Hutson intends to brutally assault Zack. He believes that with his strength, he can easily kill Zack. However, after witnessing Zack''s brilliance. He wants to rip him apart and erase that smile from his face. ... <> My pupils constrict as I watch him fade away. I move my elbow quickly to block his fist attack. Hutson''s elbow collides with Zack''s elbow for the first time in a split second. "Boom" The sound of a collision reverberates throughout the area. "Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!" As a result of the collision, I rolled backwards down the street. I felt a tremendous amount of force slamming into my elbow. I couldn''t beat it in time. It was far too quick. Inside, I couldn''t help but gasp. I assumed that skipping a level and fighting him would be simple. However, feeling the power now is not a normal change in a warrior. After advancing to the Special Trainee level. "It''s a whole new evolution of a warrior," I muttered to myself. This battle is a do-or-die situation. It''s much more difficult to survive these days. ''I''m curious what my teacher is thinking. Making me compete with a Special Trainee? " I couldn''t help but make a mental note of it. Huston smirks slightly as he notices Zack rolling backwards. "OK, So it''s true. Trainee Apprentice Warrior at its pinnacle. Not even a twelfth-year-old, Interesting," a surprise glint in his eyes. In a solemn tone, he said. Hutson launches a barrage of fist attacks without thinking. Zack, on the other hand, is fighting him in a defensive mode. Due to the level difference, his speed is a little lacking. He filled the void with his perceptual ability. He didn''t have a choice but to block all of those fist attacks. As a result, he has bruises all over his form arms. Zack, fortunately, is a body and energy cultivator. He ended up with a slew of unnecessary wounds all over his body. With the passage of time, Zack''s defensive position began to deteriorate. He couldn''t keep up with Hutson''s ferocity and speed. "He''s hell-bent on abusing me..." I thought to myself. I''m not sure how long I''ll be able to keep up with him. Because of my body strength, my stamina is equal to his. If he chooses to employ his elemental attack. It would be difficult to confront him without using my lightning energy. I can''t reveal my lightning element because it''s too early. People almost went insane when they placed a bounty on my head. If they discovered my element. I can''t imagine what would happen if that happened. I decided to back away, shaking my head. I should lead him to the Hansen Training Centre so I can get out of this situation. Zack appears to be on to something. Hutson creases his brows. "What is he up to?" " He thought to himself. He finally realises something. "Don''t bother leaving from here. You filthy scumbag! "I haven''t had enough fun yet," Hutson yelled at Zack. He eventually decides to employ his element. Initially, he intends to kill this child with his bare hands. But now, seeing that kid considering fleeing, he sighed inside. He clutched his sword with both hands. And slashed Zack with a huge slash. Hutson launches his "Wind Cleave" attack. "Sssshhhhh" Wind energy accumulates on his blade, indicating in a green hue. Cleaving at Zack as his blade penetrates the air. As the wind energy is applied, the blade becomes even sharper. Cleavin''s effect is nearly doubled. ... <> My senses screamed at me as I decided to back away. "This guy isn''t going to let me live. "He''ll use his elemental attack," I muttered under my breath. Because I''m at a loss for words. I don''t want to dragged this out any longer. I turned away and used my leg technique to leave this isolated, deserted location. But who would have guessed that this guy is a user of the wind element? "Fu*k! Wind is synonymous with speed. He''ll have me in no time." While running, I instantly activated my perceptual ability. At the very least, I can avoid fatal injuries. While I''m running in my head. I noticed him wielding his sword. Because it''s a sword attack. When compared to firing energy bullets, I thought it was simple to handle. But I was mistaken because this guy used a wind attack technique. As a result, the blade was amplified. I noticed the blade''s edge is gleaming green. I don''t feel good about it when I think about it. All I can do is concentrate harder to avoid this attack. Huston, on the other hand, executed the attack flawlessly. As the blade''s tip reaches Zack''s back. Hutson gave a ferocious grin. But, all of a sudden, his face froze in disbelief. While this was going on, the blade got a little closer. Zack made a quick movement to avoid this attack. "You''re a lucky brat!" "Let''s see how long you can hold out," he joked. Hutson thinks it''s all a coincidence. As a result, Hutson carried out the attack on him once more. Zack, on the other hand, was on the verge of entering the public Zone. For public order, security cameras were installed near streets and buildings. But, much to Huston''s chagrin. His next attack yields the same result. "Not at all!" " Hutson exclaimed in disbelief. Seeing how the blade was unable to sever Zack in half. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Due to wind amplification, Zack was injured on his backside during this attack. Hutson''s speed has increased due to the wind element, but it has failed to pass Zack. He shook his head. Hutson''s eyes have a vicious glint to them. "Does this jerk have eyes on his back!?" It''s far too strange!" Hutson made a mental remark. His heart was filled with rage as he saw the attack fail yet again. He made the decision to launch another attack. ¡­ <> I exhaled sharply. As I evaded his attack once more. When I looked ahead, there were only a few pedestrians. "Finally!" "I''m hoping this guy will stop his attack." I muttered something under my breath. When I saw them, I increased my speed even more. A person appears in front of me out of nowhere. I was taken aback when I saw such a turn. "Mr. Arthur!" "What exactly are you doing here?" In disbelief, I uttered. I never expected this turn of events. But, in any case, it was for the best. I turn around to look for that person. Seeing as he''s nowhere to be found. I couldn''t help but laugh. "Can you tell me what you''re looking at?" Mr. Arthur Emerson was curious. Hearing that, I was taken aback. I obviously can''t tell him about the adversary. I''m not sure if the enemy is a member of the earlier assessing group or related to Elder Jensen. As a result, I decided not to tell him the truth. "I came here to see a friend." But He doesn''t appear to be coming." With a smile, I said. Mr. Arthur Emerson laughed on the inside when he heard that. He is aware of the truth. So he didn''t mind his response. "Well, I came here to get you. Today is our meeting. Don''t forget about the one you missed." With a smile, Mr. Arthur Emerson said. When I heard that, I nodded to him. Then we both hopped into the air cab and took off for Hansen Training Centre. "Mr. Arthur, how did you find me?" I asked him on the way. "Of course, by tracking your whereabouts.." Arthur Emerson responded. Chapter 159 - Part One: Lucius Jensens Fury Zack and Mr. Arthur Emerson both flew away from the scene. Elder Thornton appears, his gaze fixed on Hutson. He drew his brows together. Previously, when Zack was fighting Hutson. All of this happened right in front of Elder Thornton''s eyes. He took the same train as them. After arriving at the remote location. If something goes wrong, he directed Mr. Arthur Emerson to come here and pick up Zack. Elder Thornton was impressed with Zack''s performance. Zack''s physical strength is comparable to that of an Early Special Trainee Warrior. After seeing that, he was convinced that Zack would easily win any upcoming life-or-death battles. However, He was later perplexed. Zack didn''t even use his elemental attack against Hutson from start to finish. So, for example, as Hutson. Hutson too didn''t use the elemental attack. Elder Thornton, fortunately, did not delve too deeply into it. He persuaded himself that Zack was using it as a strategy. The energy reserve of a Special trainee Warrior would be greater than that of an Apprentice. He assumed Zack had considered the situation. As a result, he decided to flee. Mr. Arthur, fortunately, arrived on time. Hutson was put off by his mere presence. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, has already decided not to appear in front of Zack. He even told Mr. Arthur Emerson that he came here to keep an eye on the situation at Red Stone City Station. Where he saw Zack. Following this drama, Elder Thornton makes his way to Hansen Training Centre. He didn''t even look Hutson in the eyes. ¡­ When Elder Thornton departed. Hutson had already disappeared behind a few more streets. He had earlier spotted Mr. Arthur Emerson. He had an immediate Dred reaction to his presence. As a result, he decided to flee. "Fu*k, I didn''t expect to see someone appear out of nowhere." Inside, Hutson wept. His face had darkened; with a few more strikes, he could have killed that brat. "I didn''t get a good look at that guy''s face. But to appear out of nowhere and save that brat. He must be a member of the Hansen organisation." Hutson made a mental remark. In Red Stone City, there is no other connection for that brat. "I should have used the elemental attack from the start," he said as he walked back to the Red Stone city station. I squandered a golden opportunity to murder that brat. He will now be guarded by someone. It''s not going to help me. If I keep wandering around here." Hutson muttered something under his breath. He then immediately departs from the city. It would be far more convenient to stay near Zack''s house than to wander around here in the Red Stone City. ... <> As we arrived at the Hansen building a few minutes later. We parted ways as soon as we entered the building. Mr. Arthur informed me that he would notify me an hour before the meeting. So, in the meantime, I decided to do some practise. Rather than going to my advanced class. I make my way to the pod chamber. " It''s been a long time. "I''ve used that pod chamber since." I thought to myself. Along the way, I discovered that fewer and fewer people wanted to talk to me. I snuck away from them as quickly as I could. I made it to the pod section room in a few strides. Maria Frazier greeted me as I entered the room. "Zack, what brings you here?" Maria inquired, a smile on her face. "I should be the one asking you this question," I replied, smiling. "Wait a second, you broke through!" I was taken aback. As far as I can tell, her power level is that of a mid-level Trainee Apprentice. Maria simply nodded in response to my response. "Well!" he exclaimed, seeing this. Congratulations." With a smile, I said. "Thank you, but ever since the blood kill test, I''ve wanted to fight you." Maria uttered, her eyes gleaming with battle intent. When I see that, it makes me feel embarrassed on the inside. "Don''t worry, it won''t happen for a while," I told myself. " I don''t want to show off my lightning element." It isn''t the right time yet. I have to keep a low profile no matter how difficult the situation is." In my heart, I was confident. "Zack!" "Zack!" Maria uttered, noticing that I was thinking about something else. "Don''t worry, after the life-or-death duel," I heard. "I''ll think about it," I said, smiling. "What are you thinking?" Following the life-or-death duel. I''ll ask Ms. Key to set up a practise match." As she exited the pod section room, Maria uttered. "Another headache is on the way," I muttered under my breath as I saw her return. I walk to my pod chamber, shaking my head. I entered the credentials and the door slip opened, allowing me to enter. The door closed on its own, and dense world energy appeared inside the pod chamber. "Heaven! "Just this breath is wonderful." Sensing the energy of the world. My face brightened with a smile. "Man! Who would have conceived of this scientific masterpiece? I want to give that person a big hug." I thought to myself. When I first walked into this pod chamber. I didn''t think it was very effective. However, Liz did not go to Mountain Liz. This flavour of dense world energy is something I miss. I didn''t dither any longer. I infiltrated my consciousness into the storage ring. I take out the meditation mat and lay it down on the floor. I sat down and began to cultivate lightning scripture. Because the World energy is concentrated inside the chamber. In comparison to my home, I can absorb more lightning energy here. Remembering that. I started cultivating with peace. ¡­ Near Elder Jensen''s house. A hulking man with brown hair. Walking toward the Jensen family''s residence gate with black eyes and a well-defined body. Lucius Jensen is the man in question. He''s feeling tense right now. He heard from his contacts along the way. The Jensens are having some difficulties. They were, however, tight-lipped about it. Hearing that from his contact, he couldn''t keep his cool. He immediately left his job and returned home. In comparison to yesterday, there were fewer servants working in the courtyard this time. Many of them did not come because they were afraid of Lucius Jensen. Seeing Lucius approaching the gate with a solemn expression. A commotion erupted in the courtyard. "Young Lord, arrived !" "The young Lord is approaching!" One of the servants yelled as he went to inform Elder Jensen. Because the rest of them don''t want to face Lucius, they flee timidly. Lucius didn''t mind the commotion once he entered the house. Rather, He walks steadily to the family hall. Elder Jensen''s second brother, who is currently in charge of some files. When he heard the commotion, he directed one of the guards to investigate. The guard soon informs him about Lucius. He dropped his file when he heard that. When he hears the name Lucius, his heart skips a beat. "Go inform the family leader!" He gave the order. When the guard hears this, he walks away and informs Elder Jensen. Having said that, he rushes to family hall before being yelled at by Lucius. Lucius sat in the leader''s seat after entering the family hall. He didn''t mind that he was sitting in his father''s, the family''s, seat. "What transpired?" It''s best to consult with Father about it." Lucius Jensen thought to himself. He was thinking about it at the time. The second brother of Elder Jensen enters the hall. Observing Lucius in the leader''s seat. He came to a complete stop. Suddenly, Lucius approached him and asked, "Uncle, What happened to Father? I want to see him." Elder Jensen''s second brother took a deep breath when he heard that. "Man! I assumed he''d inquire about his son. "It''s better to have Elder Brother handle it," he reasoned. Elder Jensen soon arrived at the family hall. "Lucius!" he exclaimed, seeing his son. He said something. When Lucius heard this, he rose from his seat and approached him. "How are you these days, Father?" Lucius asked a question. "Don''t worry, I''m fine!" Elder Jensen smiled as he spoke. Lucius, on the other hand, was at ease. "Father is in good health!" "After hearing from those contacts, I assumed something had happened to father," Lucius thought to himself. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, is nervous on the inside. He has no idea how to respond to him. He deliberated carefully. Lucius abruptly turned to face him and inquired, "What happened to Philip? "Is he in that Hansen Centre?" he asked, adding, "I told you father, a friend of mine works in a well-known institute in a tier-7 city." I think Philip should be recommended." Elder Jensen''s face darkened when he heard that. He has not yet recovered from his grief. In fear, his hands trembled. His second brother, on the other hand, keeps his distance. Seeing Elder Jensen cursed him on the inside. Lucius, on the other hand, looked at them puzzled. He has been the one speaking from the start. No one is responding to him. "What transpired?" He thought to himself. Lucius then locked his gaze on both of them. Especially towards his father. Observing his trembling hand.. Lucius expression turned serious. Chapter 160 - Part Two: Lucius Jensens Fury In Jensen''s family hall. Looking at his father''s trembling hands, Lucius Jensen frowns. He assured me that he is perfectly fine. His health is in good shape. "Is there any other issue?" Finance problem?" Lucius made a mental remark. "Father, "What exactly is going on?" He inquired solemnly. Elder Jensen looked at his son when he heard that. "Lucius, I betrayed you. I betrayed your trust. As a grandfather, I''ve failed." Elder Jensen uttered a tearful utterance. His eyes have already become as he reveals his heart''s grief. Lucius Jensen got out of his seat. Hearing his father''s words, his chest tightened. He couldn''t help but feel apprehension about the unknown. "What do you mean by failing as a grandfather?" Lucius asked his father. What happened to Philip? Elder Jensen''s heart is pierced by his every word. Last but not least, a word about Philip. Elder Jensen couldn''t stop coughing up blood. Lucius Pupils constricts when he sees the blood. "Father!" he yelled. Lucius meticulously examined his father''s condition. His face became paler. Grief wreaks havoc on Elder Jensen''s body. Lucius couldn''t stand it any longer. "Tell me!" he said to Elder Jensen''s second brother. "What exactly is going on?" Elder Jensen''s second brother gulped down his saliva when he heard that. As his gaze met Lucius'', he began to stutter. "Little Lord Phi," he says. He couldn''t finish his sentence. He then gathered his thoughts. "Your son passed away, Lucius!" He muttered, his teeth clenched. In Lucius Jensen''s ears, his words rang like thunder. In an instant, his cool and calmness vanishes. Lucius then turned his gaze to his father. Elder Jensen was unable to confront his son directly. "Yes, my grandson was killed in a life-or-death duel." Lucius Jensen''s heart was filled with rage. He was unable to process his father''s words. "How is that possible?" Philip, is my son? Before Lucius could process the information, Elder Jensen''s second brother interrupts him with, "Don''t worry, Lucius! Our family will be safe with you here. You can remarry and have a child." "Bang!" a crashing sound reverberates throughout the area. Lucius'' rage erupts like a volcano. It eventually finds a way out. As Elder Jensen''s second brother finished speaking. Lucius'' palm struck him in the chest. He flew back like a broken kite and was eventually smashed against the wall. As a result of the impact, he vomited blood. And faints on the spot as a result of a concussion. Elder Jensen''s complexion darkens even more when he sees this. Lucius didn''t even look at him. He didn''t even look at his father, who was standing next to him. He was still his father at the end of the day. He didn''t want to touch his father. He hurried out of the family room. Observing his son walk away without saying anything. In his heart, a bad omen arose. "Lucius, pay attention!" Elder Jensen screamed. With his frail body, he follows him. He noticed his son approaching the gate. "Lucius, don''t make your move now, that old bastard is Elite," Elder Jensen finally said. It''s not yet the right time." His final words are heard by Lucius. He comes to a halt and slowly turns around to face his father. "Don''t worry, Father," he said. I''m going to have a quick chat! Having said that, he left the house right away. It felt complicated seeing this Elder Jensen''s heart. "Something has to happen. "No matter how hard you try to stop it," he thought to himself. His gaze finally settles on his brother. He immediately summoned his servant to attend to his brother''s needs. His servants immediately escorted his brother to his room for treatment. Elder Jensen sighed as he saw this. " I should get in touch with Alicia." "Will she help me regardless of the situation?" I wonder. He made a mental remark. As a result, he goes to his room to have a private conversation. Something cannot be openly discussed. Elder Jensen''s call was connected with Elder Alicia a few minutes later. He was unconcerned about his privacy in his room. The room''s wall is made of a unique material. It is not possible to spy from the outside. When the call was answered, a stern voice asked, "Why are you calling me?" Jensen." Elder Alicia, whose face was visible in the holographic image. Elder Jensen''s phone call didn''t make him happy. "This b*tch!" She was dead set on marrying his granddaughter to my grandson, Philip, just a few days ago. Elder Jensen was fuming internally as he heard her words. But He didn''t say anything directly. It will not help him. "Elder Alicia, I have a question about our collaboration." "Did you forget about your promise?" Elder Jensen smiled as he spoke. When she hears that, a vicious glint flashes in her eyes. "This moron was still clinging to his wishful thinking. "What''s the point of him becoming Hansen''s leader right now?" Within her mind, Elder Alicia cursed him. "Your Grandson is no longer alive," she replied. "What good is a dead genius?" Elder Jensen''s words made her laugh. "You, s*ut!" Elder Jensen screamed. He couldn''t keep his rage in check any longer. She is clearly shifting her position. Elder Alicia was irritated by his words after hearing them. "Jensen, you need to look after yourself and your family. Please do not drag me into your schemes." Elder Alicia forewarned him sternly. She then hung up the phone. Elder Jensen clenched his teeth in rage. He couldn''t believe his eyes when she abruptly ended the call. On the other end of the line, Elder Alicia hung up the phone. "If you want to blame someone, do so." Jensen, curse your bad luck," she muttered under her breath. A sweet voice suddenly reaches her ears. "Granny!" "Granny!" exclaims her Granddaughter. When she heard that, she cracked a clever smile. As she recalls Zack. Then she turned to face her granddaughter. Her cunning eyes shone with a bright light. She was thinking about something. ... <> Zack was cultivating diligently inside the pod chamber. He had lost track of time because he was so engrossed in his cultivation. He opened his eyes after a few hours. I checked my wristwatch for the time. "It''s been several hours. "I had forgotten about the time." I thought to myself. Shaking my head, I took a casual look around the pod chamber. If I have unrestricted use of the pod chamber. I won''t be surprised if I get the next big break. I will, however, be a little slower than Mountain Liz. I heard that the lockdown has been partially lifted. "Do I need to apply for leave?" Inside, I ponder. But then I remembered the stalker (Hutson). I must be patient. I sighed as I considered this. Despite this, I tried to keep a low profile. I won''t be able to do so because of the circumstances. I can only control myself; I have no control over others. My sci-fi watch flashed with a notification as I pondered it. I took it out to read. " This is a message from Mr. Arthur." As a result, the meeting will begin in ten minutes." I muttered something under my breath. I stood up from the meditation mat after realising this. I then put it in my storage ring. I stretched before exiting the pod chamber. I looked around to see if there were any other pod chambers. They are empty because no one is using them. I was dissatisfied. Such a treasure squandering here. I was startled to hear footsteps from behind me. I turned around to look for Ms. Key. "What''s the point of staring at these pod chambers?" When I heard that, I smiled embarrassingly. "It was just difficult for me." That these chambers are mostly unoccupied." I gave her a sincere response. Ms. Adeline Key smiled and looked at Zack when she heard that. "The majority of the students cultivate with elemental stones." It will be more straightforward and efficient. "Because it''s related to their affinity," she explained with a smile. A light bulb went off inside my head. "No surprise! She was staring at me with those inquisitive eyes. "I''m the only one here who doesn''t have any affinity stones." I thought to myself. Bringing those thoughts back to mind. "Mentor, what are you doing here?" I inquired. Ms. Key laughed when she heard that. "Ha...Ha..Ha..I almost forgot about it. I''ve come to greet you for the meeting. It is held on the building''s top floor. Students are not permitted to enter with their identification cards. It''s not permitted." With a smile, she said. When I heard that, I nodded to her. "Because there was no mention of a location in that message, she came here." Then we both proceed to the top floor. I had this nagging feeling the whole time. I''m not sure why. We took a step inside the lift. Ms. Key pressed the button on the top floor. The lift arrives at the top floor in an instant. We both stepped outside as the door slid open. In front of us is a metallic door. It appears to be brand new. As I''m watching it. "The top floor of the building is reconstructed," Ms. Key said, seeing my expression. It was destroyed the last time after your life-or-death duel." When I heard that, I nodded to her. I recall a commotion erupting after the glass shattering sounds. The glass structure has been replaced by a metallic structure. Then she didn''t say anything else. She quickly entered the code and scanned her ID, and the metallic door slip opened with a "Creak.." We both went inside. Chapter 161 - Part Three: Lucius Jensens Fury Mr. Arthur, who is sitting in the chair, greeted us. An elderly man sits in the main seat. "This person must be Elder Thornton," I thought as I examined his physique. "Zack, Meet Elder Thornton. He is Chairman of the Hansen Training Center" With a smile, Mr. Arthur Emerson said. When I heard that, I looked at the elder and made a slight bow. Elder Thornton smiled and motioned for us to take a seat. Ms. Key sat across from Mr. Arthur Emerson. I sat in the opposite row. Mr. Arthur Emerson began the conversation, seeing that everyone was settled, by saying, "Zack, Do you know? "What is the purpose of this meeting?" "Doesn''t it have something to do with Elder Jensen?" I responded simply. It''s obviously about them. Perhaps they want me to hand over Philip''s body. Elder Thornton fixed his gaze on Zack. He could already tell Zack was on a different level. At first, the small pendant around his neck causes a minor commotion. But now he can see right through it. "It''s no surprise that the old man Jensen''s scheme failed. He misjudged the brat''s strength." Elder Thornton did not initiate the conversation from the start. He paid close attention to Zack. This is their first face-to-face meeting. The other hand, Hearing Zack''s response. Mr. Arthur Emerson flashes an embarrassing grin. "You are correct. But it''s not just the Jensens. You drew unwelcome attention from other forces. They have placed a bounty on your head. Even if it isn''t extreme. But they''ve still marked you." Hearing that, I said nothing to refute it. I sat quietly and listened. I''m no stranger to assassination attempts. I only cast a sidelong glance at Elder Thornton. That Elder never even opened his mouth. Inside, I couldn''t help but frown. "What are they trying to say?" I thought to myself. "Do I have to be careful about something?" I asked Mr. Arthur Emerson. It was answered this time by a rough voice. We all turned to look at Elder Thornton. "When it comes to bounty missions and assassin missions," he said. There is a distinction. Everyone is welcome to participate in the Bounty mission. The rogue cultivators took advantage of the situation to reap massive rewards. They can do it as a group or as a solo mission." "It''s more like direct confrontation," he continued. "Either they gang up on you to kill you, or someone stronger decides to kill you alone." Hearing a sudden alarm rang inside of me. That''s exactly what happened in the morning with the stalker situation. As a result, he is a member of a rogue organisation that has come to complete his bounty mission. But this guy is brave enough to confront in broad daylight. I laughed heartily inside as I remembered the morning situation. Elder Thornton was watching Zack''s reaction. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, understood what the Elder was doing. Ms. Adeline Key is the only one who doesn''t know what''s going on. She sat there with a blank look on her face. She has no idea why Mr. Arthur Emerson invited her. She knew there had to be a reason. As a result, she did not dare to interiorize their conversation. Then after I''ve sorted through my thoughts, I said. "Elder, What exactly are you saying? I need to be cautious of those rogue warriors. "Won''t the city lord intervene?" I had enquired. Elder Thornton smiled, but his heart is torn between laughing and crying. "This brat has no idea that his future path has already been mapped out for him." He only needs to proceed with caution." Elder Thornton made a mental remark. But he''s still staring at his Zack face. "Forget about rogue cultivators," he replied. Because they lack elite. They don''t pose much of a threat. The organization''s remaining strongholds are usually wary of outside forces. They don''t just pick your bounty mission at random. They are only antagonising Hansen Training Centre by doing so." We all nodded as we heard his words. Elder Thornton didn''t stop there, saying, "You must be wary of your assassins. They will use any means necessary to successfully assassinate their target. I wouldn''t be surprised if an elite level assassin was sent to kill you." Then he added, "Furthermore, there will be little direct confrontation. It will be similar to a sneak attack, a poison attack, a curse attack, and in some cases, assassination via soul and curse attacks is possible." Hearing that, everyone''s expressions changed dramatically. "I''m not too important for them to go to such lengths, right?" I couldn''t help but think. Because they were unaware of my true abilities. They only targeted me because of my ties to the Army Federation. So far, I''ve only been a political target. As a person, I''m not a threat. So long as I keep a low profile. It would be fine until I get into the Academy. For the time being, the storms are passing. But these guys were involved in half of this mess. I paid close attention to them. I simply nodded in response to Elder Thornton''s explanation. Otherwise, he may regard it as impolite. Elder Thornton noticed Zack nodding at him after he explained. He signed his name internally. "I''m not sure why I''m explaining to him." Even if he runs into an elite assassin, I''ll be the one to deal with him. It''s more like telling myself to mentally prepare." Then he looked around at everyone. "cough," "cough," "Zack, I''m just telling you these things for a reason." Don''t go anywhere new places until you''ve joined the academy. Don''t worry about our internal shambles. Nobody on our team is going to hurt you. Just concentrate on your cultivation and strength." When I heard that, I smiled and replied, "Don''t worry, Elder Thornton. I''ll look after myself. But all I need is..." I made the last statement on purpose. Do they believe I won''t ask for compensation? Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, interjected, saying, "What is it, Zack?" Speak up in front of Elder Thornton. He can assist you." Mr. Arthur was aware that Zack was discussing resources. So he reasoned that it would be better if everything was settled on the table. Elder Thornton was irritated when he heard that, but it''s also true that some of the problems were caused by Elder Jensen. So he looked at Zack and asked, "What do you need, Zack?" I felt relieved when I heard that. "I already gave you a namelist of resources," I replied. But I''d like to supplement it with some resources." When they heard that, they both nodded. "Zack might need affinity stones," Ms. Adeline Key thought to herself. I continued, looking at them. "I''d also like to receive a blood essence pill from a Class 2 Monster." Hearing this, Elder Thornton did not ask any questions. Bloodline warriors typically use blood essence pills. Energy warriors are rarely touched. "Perhaps it has something to do with his element affinity." He muttered something under his breath. Elder Thornton simply inquired, "Zack, "What elemental affinity do you have?" I''m taken aback after hearing that. This was not something I expected to happen. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, knitted his brows. He, too, is unaware of this, and has frequently inquired of James about it. But he always manages to avoid answering the question. He''s hoping Zack will respond. Ms. Adeline''s interest has been piqued as well. They all looked to Zack for an answer. "What should I do?" I can''t afford to be dishonest. Otherwise, these people will concentrate on elemental resources. "I also can''t show off my special element," I told myself. "Forgive me, Elder Thornton," I said as I looked at them. If my adversary is aware of my element. Then they''ll send assassins, keeping my affinity in mind." This is the only lie I can think of. Hearing that, everyone was taken aback. Elder Thornton basically said, "This brat is cautious." If he is of the water element. The fire element assassin will then find it much easier to kill him." He thought to himself. "OK, you''re right," Elder Thornton said. Arthur, Locate a few rare and powerful Class 2 Monster''s blood essence pills for Zack. " When Mr. Arthur heard this, he replied, "Don''t worry, Elder, I''ll arrange it." "There is a reason, Ms. Adeline Key. You have been summoned. You will now be Zack''s sparring partner." Elder Thornton smiled as he spoke. Ms. Adeline key gained clarity after hearing that. "Rest assured, elder," she replied. I will properly train him." I couldn''t help but twitch when I heard their responses. The meeting ended a few minutes later. Everyone had already left the building. I make my way to the dummy practise room. Before leaving the hall, I told Mr. Arthur that he needed to find the blood essence pill as soon as possible. ... After the meeting, a half-hour later. Lucius Jensen arrived at the Hansen building. He walks toward Mr. Arthur''s cabin after entering the building. He didn''t make any noise along the way. He''s a silent raging volcano. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, is working in his cabin. He was startled to hear the door slam. He let the individual in. Mr. Arthur, however, after looking at the person''s face. He couldn''t keep his cool. He got up from his seat. "Lucius!" he grumbled. Lucius Jensen entered the room. He sat down after a brief glance at Arthur. Mr. Arthur sat down when he saw him. The ambiance is solemn. Nothing is being said.. They were both staring at each other. Chapter 162 - End: Lucius Jensens Fury Arthur Emerson, according to Lucius Jensen, must have done something to cause his son''s death. It would be impossible to turn a blind eye to the situation otherwise. He couldn''t control his rage any longer as he looked into Arthur''s eyes. "Arthur, I didn''t expect you to be so composed in the aftermath of my son''s death." In a solemn tone, he said. He responded, "I requested Elder Jensen not to allow Philip to participate in the life or death duel. But, he didn''t listen to me." Then, Mr. Arthur Emerson did not argue against him. "So you''re saying you''re not to blame for my son''s death? It happened because of my father." He uttered while gritting his teeth. Mr. Arthur Emerson did not respond. He was well aware that any wrong word could cause this manic to act erratically on campus. He does not want to suffer any setbacks. Otherwise, answering Elder Thornton''s questions would be too embarrassing. "Get to the point," Mr. Arthur Emerson advised. "Why are you here?" "Harumph," Lucius harrumphed as he listened to what he was saying. "This jerk obviously knew why I''m here. But he refuses to explain why they did not support my son. There will be no life-or-death fight. If it weren''t for their terrible internal politics." Lucius thought to himself. "I came here for My son''s corpse," he said abruptly to Arthur. I''m hoping at the very least you''ll be able to do that?" Mr. Arthur Emerson is at a loss for words in response to his question. He was well aware that Zack had no intention of returning the corpse. His expression has become more complicated. He refused to name Zack. As a result, he replied, "If you came here for Philip''s corpse. Then you''ll have to come back empty-handed. In a life-or-death duel, the victor takes everything belonging to the loser, including his corpse." Mr. Arthur responded calmly. However, his words appear mocking to Lucius. Hearing that, he released his aura, which weighed heavily on Arthur. The silver aura pressed down on Mr. Arthur like giant metal. Mr. Arthur''s pupils constrict as he detects the aura. He immediately released his aura in response to the attack. His aura was red in colour. As both the silver and red auras collide. As a result, there was a lot of pressure inside the cabin. The ferocity of clashes continues to rise. All of the documents and other items were thrown into the air at the same time. On both sides of the wall, a massive crack appeared. Because neither of them wanted to back down. "Boom," the crashing sound reverberated throughout the area. Because the front door of the cabin couldn''t withstand the pressure. It immediately broke down. The collision triggered the building''s safety alarm. All of the teachers, mentors, and students fled their classrooms. Fortunately, the students'' classes were on different floors. Many of the students fled the building as the commotion erupted. Their mentors in class guided them. Few teachers proceed to the point of collision. Mr. Arthur anticipated what would occur outside. He turned on the emergency siren right away. While Lucius did not obstruct him, he, too, did not want unneeded casualties. Otherwise, the city lord will implicate their family. Once upon a time, the red siren rang throughout the building. Everyone realises what is going on. They were all familiar with the drill, and the siren now rang incessantly. Indicating that an emergency situation exists. People began to leave the building. Fortunately, there is no stampede scenario. To begin with, the student count is low. Aside from a few people, many others were successfully evacuated. Ms. Adeline key, on the other hand, works in a different staff cabin. As she heard, there was an emergency siren. She rose from her seat and sent an evacuation message to her students. On top of that, she wants to know where her students were. She took a step outside her cabin. She discovered no evidence of an earthquake. "What exactly is going on?" She mumled under her breath. Exactly where she was perplexed. "Boom," a derogatory sound reverberated throughout the area. Hearing that sound made her body tremble. She dashes towards the source of the problem. On the other hand, after indicating an emergency. Mr. Arthur waited for the siren to stop. When the number of people falls below a certain threshold, the artificial intelligence system will turn it off automatically. However, on the other hand. Lucius did not pause after the emergency siren sounded. He gets up from his seat and walks away. He appears above Mr. Arthur in an instant. Lucius raised his feet to stomp them on his chest. Unfortunately for him, Arthur was already aware that it was only a matter of time before arguments devolved into conflict. Arthur didn''t give Lucius a chance. He easily avoided it. Then he twists his fist and strikes him on his abdomen. Arthur''s fist technique is a hand-to-hand combat technique. His fist skill is already at the Expert level. Lucius'' expression darkens as he realises what is going on. He was aware of Arthur''s fist level. He tries to block it with his palm instead of evading it. Both fists and palms made contact. Lucius'' face froze in disbelief. His palm couldn''t hold back the overwhelming power, so he flung back from Collison and smashed against the wall. The impact caused the wall to collapse. The cabin has been completely destroyed. Mr. Arthur creases his brow. He wishes to eliminate Lucius. Both of the mindful are not utilising their elemental power. As a result, they employed their physical prowess. The fight is still going on in the hallway. Many of the staff members who came here to investigate the situation were alarmed to see Lucius Jensen. Some of the older members of the staff saw him with Elder Jensen. As a result, they warn new employees not to meddle in this situation. They have been tasked with verifying the student evacuation procedure. Only the old and senior staff remained to observe the current situation. "The son of elder Jensen is clearly lawless, according to rumours," one of the senior staff members said. As he observed both of them fighting neck and neck with each other. "Snorted," one of the female staff members right away. "His son Philip was killed in a duel." Perhaps he came here to seek justice." She muttered something. "How naive are you, Laura?" Nobody takes part in the life-or-death duel unless they give their full consent. "How does the Jensen family treat you? Looks like you have been doing well." Other members of staff couldn''t help but speak up. Staffs are having disagreements like this. ... (Zack''s Perspective) "This metal dummy is pretty much useless when competing against speed," I muttered something under my breath. I couldn''t help but be disappointed when I saw the metallic dummy. The metallic dummy is powerful in terms of both strength and defence. It''s more like a moving boulder. I can put my sword and physical attack to the test with it. But when it comes to speed, I''m helpless. I can''t help but recall the bounty hunter who used the wind element against me. He travels at a much faster pace than I do. Forget about the difference in levels. He can catch up to me even if he only uses the wind element. Just as I was thinking about it. I heard an emergency siren. When I heard that, I paused my practise and exited the training chamber. I called Mr. Arthur right away. But he isn''t answering his phone. I received a message from Ms. Key all of a sudden. She is inquiring as to my whereabouts. Following the reading of the message I called her right away. Ms. Adeline key had arrived at the confirmation area by this time. It is taking place on the fourth floor. She soon discovered other members of the staff watching the fight. She couldn''t help but be concerned about Arthur. "Where has Elder Thornton gone?" She thought to herself. Arthur may appear to be pressing against Lucius. But she knew what would happen if they fought with Elemental attacks. It''s difficult to predict the outcome of the battle. She receives a phone call from Zack. Seeing that she answered the phone. "Where are you, Zack?" she inquired. Hearing this, I responded, "I just got out of the training chamber." What''s the matter, Mentor? "Where have you gone?" When she saw Lucius, she decided not to tell him. "All you have to do is stay inside the training chamber." "Do not come out unless I summon you." She forewarned him. Hearing that, I was rendered speechless. Hearing her tense tone. I couldn''t help but tense up. This gave me a bad feeling. " Should I go or should I not? I mumble something under my breath. I was startled to hear a continuous explosion. "This is not a natural disaster." Someone is fighting somewhere out there. "Who could it be?" My heart skips a beat when I have a bad premonition? I mustered the courage to go on to lookout. I was on the fourth floor in minutes. This structure was built with a unique material. They are not easily brought down.. I noticed a few pieces of debris along the way. Chapter 163 - Jensen Familys Decision (Zack''s POV) I saw someone who resembled Philip Jensen. I was aware of what was going on. "This man could be Philip''s father." It''s best not to confront him." I thought to myself. I didn''t even look at the other person after that. I return to my training chamber. The training chamber is made of a unique material. Unless they decide to use elemental power on each other. It is difficult to damage the walls of the training chamber. But I knew this would be resolved in a flash. Elder Thornton will not stand by and watch the building be demolished. I arrived at the training chamber a few moments later. I carried on with my practise. For the time being, I didn''t want to get involved in this matter. It''s all because of their internal political conflict. Even though there was disagreement among the committee elders, they ultimately agreed to hold a life-or-death duel. So I''m not concerned about it right now. My entire focus is on improving my skill level. ... The debris on the 4th floor of the building was constantly increasing. Senior staff expected both of them to stop fighting within a short period of time. But, much to their surprise, the fight is still going on. "This isn''t good; Lucius may be forced to use his element." One of the employees stated solemnly. Hearing the other staffs'' expressions changed everything. Mentor Alicia Key, for example, has a worried expression on her face. She has no idea why elder Thornton isn''t doing anything. It hasn''t been more than a several hours since that morning meeting. "Where is he?" she muttered to herself. Lucius Jensen and Arthur Emerson abruptly came to a halt in their fight. It is not done willingly. One person forced them to do it. Mr. Arthur''s gaze shifted to the source. When he saw that person, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Man! Elder Thornton was the last person I expected to see. It''s also a good thing he arrived on time." Mr. Arthur made a mental remark. Lucius Pupils, on the other hand, constructs seeing Elder Thornton. In frustration, he gritted his teeth. He was no longer convinced of its impossibility. Clearly, he gathered information about his father''s and Elder Thornton''s power struggle. Both of them were staring at Elder Thornton. Elder Thornton looked at his surroundings. From Arthur and Lucian, his gaze moved to the damaged walls and buildings. "These b**tards!" They will tarnish the Hansen Centre''s reputation." Inside his heart, he couldn''t help but curse them. Then his gaze is drawn to Lucius. Lucius appears to notice this, as he did not look him in the eyes. "Lucius, when did the Hansen building become your Jensen family''s private property?" Elder Thornton stated solemnly. Lucius'' complexion darkens when he hears that. He gritted his teeth and replied, "Elder, if you''re really concerned. You should have arrived earlier. Arthur started it all. Shouldn''t you question him?" While pointing his finger at Arthur, Lucius said. Elder Thornton twitched when he heard his words. He didn''t want to go on, so he said, "Lucius, you should leave this building, and your actions will be reviewed by committee." His demeanour was solemn. Lucius decided not to cause any more trouble after hearing this. He cast a sidelong glance at Arthur before exiting the building, dejected. Elder, on the other hand, stared at his staff and ordered that the rubble be removed. Then, Instructing them to leave the area. Ms. Adeline Key was relieved to see Lucius leave. She dashes back to Arthur. "Are you okay, Mr. Arthur?" she inquired. When Mr. Arthur heard this, he said, "I''m fine, Ms. Key. "Just take care of the students," he said before swallowing the healing pills. Looking back at his demolished cabin. He couldn''t help but feel a headache coming on. He then motions for the other staff to leave. Then he moves on to the underground floor. Ms. Key, along with other staff members, escorted the students back into their classroom. After a few hours, all of the debris had been removed. ¡­ Lucius arrived at his house after leaving the building. He goes straight to his father''s room. "Father!" he exclaimed as he pounded on the door. "Enter!" As the door slides open, he hears a voice. When Lucius entered the room, he found his father sipping tea. Elder Jensen motions for him to take a seat. He then pours him a glass of tea. As Lucius sat next to him. "What did you do at the Hansen building?" Elder Jensen inquired. His voice sounded tense. Hearing his father''s concerned voice. Lucius sighed and recounted the entire encounter. Hearing how Elder Thornton waited a few minutes before calling a halt to the fight. "You sly fox!" Elder Jensen thought to himself. He was aware that Elder Thornton would seek compensation from him in exchange for the support of others. Then he looked at his son and said, "I decided to put an end to all the activities against Elder Thornton." In a solemn tone, he stated. When he noticed that Lucius'' complexion had changed dramatically, he exclaimed, "Why?" "Seeing how Thornton is openly opposing me. I couldn''t stop thinking. Someone is rooting for him. Even Flynn and Logan died from our side. Thornton is not someone who is interested in power or politics. After learning about his character, I devised a plan to depose him as chairman. But everything changed after that brat appeared." Elder Thornton explained calmly to Lucius, who was attentively listening. Following his father''s lengthy explanation. Inside, Lucius sighed. From his father''s words, it''s understandable that the Army faction took a liking to the youngster named Zack. He knew deep down that if it was true, he''d never be able to exact revenge. His family must pay the price for their greed. "I''ll order our men to lay low for a while," he told his father. ¡­ "Jonathan, I''ve already arranged someone to protect Zack," Sir Lowell McClain said gazing at him. Mr. Jonathan, on the other hand, stood in front of him and explained the recent reports. He politely asked, "Master, then my next mission..." after hearing his words. "You know about the kill list, right?" interrupts Sir Lowell McClain. Mr. Jonathan gave him a nod. When Sir Lowell McClain saw Jonathan, he said, "There are already too many variables popped out suddenly." I believe it is best time to eliminate the underground organisation that issues kill orders. "What do you think?" He waits for Jonathan''s response. "Master, I believe it''s time to remove them," Mr. Jonathan said. Otherwise, they''ll cause another complication with Crimson Hall. It will be difficult for us to act openly if this occurs. Many of them are already keeping tabs on my activities. It would be too suspicious if I visited the tier -8 city on a regular basis." Sir Lowell McClain responded, "Why do you think I ordered you to come back?" Zack will have no problems once we take care of that organisation. We can channel resources through someone until he enrols in the academy." Mr. Jonathan left his cabin after a few minutes of conversation to begin his next mission. ¡­ (From Zack''s point of view) I left the building after the class. Ms. Key had previously informed me of the incident. I made a wise decision not to confront him. That person, like Mr. Arthur, is clearly a Peak Trainee Warrior, just one step away from Elite. I witnessed the aftermath of the confrontation along the way. They cleaned up the mess. Mr. Arthur''s cabin, however, is nowhere to be found. I sighed on the inside as I sensed his work stress. Mr. Arthur has no need to get involved in this mess. But he went ahead and did it anyway. With a shake of my head, I booked an air can and arrived a few minutes later. I was able to board the train. I became at ease after taking my seat. ''There is no longer a stalker problem, but I doubt he will let go so easily.'' I thought to myself. Then I told my uncle to meet me at the station. I then closed my eyes. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, boarded the train as well. He is in a separate compartment. He left at the same time as Zack, who was closely following him. "It appears that I need to alter my daily routine." I should start carrying some daily necessities with me starting tomorrow." Elder Thornton thought to himself. He intends to bring some snacks with him. The train arrived at White Snow City Station a few hours later. Uncle James was waiting for me on the platform, as expected. When Uncle James saw me, he said, "I heard there''s a good show going on at Hansen." When I heard that, I rolled my eyes at him. Uncle James, as far as I know, is not a person of humour. What has happened since then? I couldn''t stop myself from thinking. After that, we take an air cab to our house. We arrived at our destination a few minutes later. After going inside. I took a deep breath and then told her about my morning encounter with a wind element user. "No surprise, you asked me to pick you up," Mr.. James said solemnly. Chapter 164 - Part One: Assassin Eds Plan In a far-off tier-8 city. A group of six hooded men fleeing from someone. Many of their bodies were riddled with wounds. Despite this, they did not turn away. They continued to flee in terror. This alley was so dark that it was ideal for an assassination. "Quick! Quick! Don''t let up your pace. We''ve almost made it out of the alley." The group''s leader yelled at his men. Just as he was about to finish his sentence. "Plop," one of the men collapsed. He had a small hole in his brow. The remaining men return their gaze to the corpse. Blood drained from their faces as they watched their companion turn into a corpse in an instant. In an instant, the leader''s face darkened. He couldn''t take the pressure any longer. Instead of killing them instantly, that monster is playing with them. He realised it was pointless to run any longer. When he turned around, he noticed that four of his men had sprung back in different directions. Fear had overcome them to the point where they could no longer listen to his command. He didn''t have the energy to think anymore. All he wants is for this nightmare to end. Exactly what he was thinking. Then Continuous gunshots rang out in the dark alley, "whracck." The leader didn''t need to think any further. It was exactly four shots. They were all dead. As he stumbles backward, the leader''s legs have lost strength. His mind was blank, as if he wanted to close his eyes. He heard footsteps close by. His minuscule consciousness reminds him that the game is coming to an end. He was relieved; he didn''t want to torment himself in fear any longer. Death will be his ultimate release. Footsteps continue to approach him. When he saw the person, he opened his eyes wide. "Who are you?" the leader exclaimed in desperation. Hearing his words, the person sighed. "Do I really need to tell you?" He pulled the trigger once more. As the gunshot echoed throughout the area, the leader''s corpse was left behind with bloodyhole in his head. "I hope young master Zack will be fine," he said after closing the loopholes. He muttered under his breath as he examined the corpse. He didn''t look after the body. The city lord was looking for these rogues. As a result, leaving the corpse behind isn''t a problem. He exited the dark alley a few minutes later, while it was still dark. As he approaches a nearby lodge for lodging. His wristwatch beeps in response to a notification. Observing that he did not open it to read it right away. With his consciousness, he casually observed his surroundings. Seeing as there isn''t a single problem around here. He entered the lodge. As he walks up to the registration desk. A middle-aged man in winter clothes snoozing without a care in the world. "Tup.. Tup..Tup," he taps the front desk, hoping to rouse the elderly gentleman. Seeing as how the old man didn''t appear to hear anything. He furrowed his brows. He couldn''t put it off any longer. He must read the message. Because technology has advanced so much. He is not required to address the elderly gentleman. He scanned his identification, and the virtual screen appeared in an instant. As he looks around the available space. He discovered that all of the low-cost rooms were fully booked. Few costly remain unaccommodated. He had no choice but to stay in an expensive hotel. He moves on to room ten after paying the rent for one night. Inside the room a few minutes later. The person receives a phone call out of the blue. Seeing this, he erected a small shield around himself. He heard a calm voice once the call was connected. "Jonathan, where have you gone?" Sir Lowell McClain was curious. When Jonathan heard this, he replied, "Master, I''m in Brown City." I was in charge of the clearing underground organization''s few hideouts. "I''m leaving tomorrow morning," he said with a smile. "All right, once you find out where they are. Wait for them to move before acting. I''m still looking for someone who is brave enough to stand by them in this situation." Sir Lowell McClain weighed in. "All right, Master. I''ll let you know when I''m finished." Jonathan responded with assurance. They then hung up the phone. Jonathan read the message that he had opened. He furrows his brows after reading it. "Young Master Zack requested that I obtain a few lightning-related Monster cores or blood essence pills. He appears to be short on resources. Rather, he is having difficulty collecting lightning-related items. Should I notify Master? He could arrange them in a matter of minutes if he knew. But the master will not approve; he has already informed me of his decision. Everything must be put on hold until young master Zack enrols in the academy. If Zack''s master gave him lightning resources. Zack''s talent allows him to easily outperform the rest of them in cultivation. It will sow discord among the factions. They''ll look for any information they can find about Zack. This is something Master does not want to happen before he enrols in the academy. I''m sure you have some plans, Master. That''s why he''s allowing this so much trouble for young master Zack." He reflected to himself. Mr. Jonathan then let out a sharp exhale. "Master, I''m afraid I''m unable to assist you at this time." Perhaps I should try my luck with my contacts." He made a passing remark in his head. The hours flew by. The next morning, Mr. Jonathan left the brown hut city. ... The next morning, the masked man was reading his organization''s report. He heard a knocking sound in the door. He frowns slightly before allowing the person to enter. The door slid open with a "Creak." A guard approaches him and says, "Boss, We''ve had some trouble contacting our base in Brown Hut City." The masked man looked at the guard when he heard that. Then he asked, "How long has it been?" "Did you communicate with the other warriors in that base?" Hearing that, the guard became agitated for a brief moment. He then regained his composure and replied, "Boss, No one from that base is answering the phone. They were very active until yesterday afternoon. They did not share their intelligence report from the previous night. We assumed it was a technical problem. As a result, we didn''t take it seriously. However, the same thing happened this morning. We''re at a loss for what to do. That is why I have come to inform you." Hearing the masked man''s heart skip a beat. In his heart, a bad omen arose. "No way, it can''t be." He thought to himself. He shook his head, looked at the guard, and said, "Send a batch of people to investigate at the brown hut city." Hearing that, the guard nodded and asked for his permission to leave. The masked man then sat in his seat, deep in thought. "The brown hut city is a rather powerful household for gathering intelligence." It''s ranked third in their organisation." This is why he couldn''t help but be concerned. He has a nagging feeling inside that tells him he should go instead. But he couldn''t stop his current work based solely on instinct. He then examines the kill list''s completion rate. Taking a look at the kill list. His heart is filled with greed. There are only a few seed candidates to eliminate. If he completes his mission completely, he will be promoted directly to a higher position. Then there will be no shortage of resources. In his eyes, a vicious glint flashes. Finally, he made a firm decision. After he had made up his mind. He dialled the number of a specific individual. He heard a playful voice once the call was connected. "Yo! Masked man, it appears you''ve been doing well lately. "What are you doing now?" He always felt dreadful when he heard this person''s voice. He had no choice but to organise his assistance. "Mr. Ed, I almost finished the kill list," he said, staring at the holographic image of the person. I omitted a few. "I''m hoping you''ll take my order to finish them." When the person heard that, immediately He answered,"Wait, what happened to you?" You''ll always refer to me as "Assassin Ed." Hearing that, the masked man embarrassedly smiled behind his mask. He gathered his thoughts and stated, "No one in history has completed their kill list completely." "I liked being the first." He told it like it was. The other individual is the same assassin named Ed. He once took the order to assassinate Zack. Later, due to an emergency, he dropped it. After hearing the words of the masked man. He was deafeningly quiet for a minute. Ed is not responding because he is pondering it. The masked man couldn''t help but become concerned. All of his future plans were made with assassin Ed in mind. "What happened, assassin Ed?" he inquired. When Ed heard about the assassin, he said, "You know I''m working on a different assignment." And you are not the only one who is obsessed with your organization''s kill list. Other underground organisations have their own list of people to kill. "Don''t you realise that?" Hearing this, the masked man realises his hidden meaning.. He is well aware that he is wishing for a perfect finish. Chapter 165 - Part Two: Assassin Eds Plan Seeing the masked man pondering it, Assassin Ed finally make up his mind. He observed his facial reaction. He let out a sigh and said, "Can I take a look at the kill list and then make a decision?" Assassin Ed thought if its not too troublesome, he can help him. On the other hand, Hearing his words the masked man thought it''s okay. Who knows the assassin Ed might change his opinion after looking at the list. Having thought about it he immediately transferred the encrypted kill list to him. On the other hand, Assassin Ed views the file. After reading it, he felt its very easy to finish this mission. So he looked at the masked man''s eyes and answered, "I''ll do it. But my price would be expensive." He said it straightforwardly. After all this is best chance to get so many credit points. Hearing his words the masked man has pensive look on his face. "Sure, there is no free lunch in this world. "He said to himself. Then he looked at Assassin Ed and asked, "How much do you want?" "Make it double than usual!" Assassin Ed replied. Hearing that loud buzz rang in marked man''s head. "I shouldn''t have asked him. But if he take up the order. I''m sure he will do it without glitch." He said to himself. But imagining future prospect, I couldn''t help but feel happy. He immediately commented, "Okay, Assassin Ed. Make it quick as possible. Once you done it. I will transfer the amount." Then both of them ended their call within few minutes. ... (Zack''s POV) The following days Zack continued his routine as usual. He will either accompanied by Mr. James or Mr. Arthur in Hansen. He spends rest of his time training in gravity and honing his combat skills. Hutson and rest of the rogue cultivators couldn''t find chance to near him. Few daring ones eliminated by Elder Thornton before they could near him. Elder Thornton almost become hermit by guarding Zack day and night. He carried his backpack stuffed with snacks and fruits. A four days later, Zack return to his home from Hansen centre. I entered my room, then quickly went to take long shower. A few minutes later, after wearing my casual clothes. I began to read news articles. Since five days most of the news reported about the strange incidents in Redstone city. Especially about movements of rogue cultivators inside the city. The city lord''s patrol team often caught them for inciting violence. I got a nagging feeling inside me that it could be related to me. I let out a sigh thinking that. When comes to other issues, So far everything is fine. I didn''t came across any assassin or bounty hunters. Jensen family didn''t cause any trouble anymore. Even the wind element user seems to be disappear. I know it seems fine on the surface. I need to be ready for facing any situation. After sitting out my mind. I placed meditation mat on my ground. Then I sat in sitting cross legged and seeped my consciousness into the storage ring. I spot exclusive case and brought outside. Earlier today Mr. Arthur me this metallic case. Looking at this thinking case my eyes shown with bright light. I knew what it is, there is certain rare expensive item placed inside of it. Thinking about it I feel rather grateful to Hansen management. Couple of days ago I felt blackmailing them to handover the resources. But, they didn''t take it to heart and even gave me rare blood essence pill of class monster. I opened the case stared at the reddish yellow pill. Then I shifted my gaze towards the description paper. I began to go through it. <> This monster often found in volcanic areas. It is also nicknamed as volcanic ant. It''s does not have any element. But it got vigorous life energy in his blood. This helps this monster to erupt in more power when fighting against it''s enemies. This attribute also makes it''s unique. And this monster is coveted by everyone. Fortunately, Hansen management able to acquire it. It would be better if its an essence pill of Queen ant. But I feel it''s okay to have worker ant''s essence pill. Queen have more strength than others. But, it''s very expensive. Shaking my head, I swallow this pill without further do. As I recite the blood cultivation technique. The bloody rune ring in my mind began to shine. As it activates, a stream of warm current flows through my vein. The halo red light envelope the dissolved blood essence pill. In a moment, white energies extracted from the blood essence then they drilled into my bones. As usual agonizing pain assaulted me. This also become routine. I gritted my teeth and focussed my attention on blood rune. A few minutes later, all the energies drilled into my bone. Finally relieved my pain then, I felt new force generated from the skeleton. My skeleton is more powerful than my flesh and organs. I don''t know whether it''s illusion or not. But, I get a sense of feeling from observing the bones. Finally, I observed my skeleton. The red lines also become shiny in my bones. I carefully observed further to notice the difference. The red lines become more wide, covering 1/3rd of the bones. Usually, body cultivation focused on flesh and organs. Mine is unusually focused on skeleton. Deep down I''m very sceptical about it. But, decided to go with the flow. The inheritance requirements is more demanding. It''s impossible to level up my physique level without the blood cultivation method. Shaking my head, I put those depressing thoughts back off my mind. After that I stood up from the meditation mat and placed it into my storage ring. "My mood is sullen now. It''s better to gaze at the stars in night." I said to myself. Thinking that I proceed towards my garden. As I walked down the stairs, I found granny park. Then both of us decided to sit and talk in garden. On the other hand, Elder Thornton who is munching snacks. Suddenly noticed the activity around the garden. He is now shifted to adjacent residence to Zack''s building. He spent so much money to convince the former owners to vacate the house. Especially, he came up with convincing lie to vacate the house. Since, it''s almost impossible to watch over Zack from sky. He choose this house as temporary hideout. As he notices the movements. He observed the neighbour''s garden. Where Zack and his granny were talking to each other. Seeing that surprise glint flashes in their eyes. He noticed something different about Zack''s aura. But he couldn''t tell what it is. Shaking his head, he decided to take patrol around the area. ... On the other hand, Assassin Ed is travelling one city to another via armoured train. He changed his identity as normal citizen for travel purposes. Currently he is staring at information of kill list. There were 10 or so seed candidates remain untouched. After going through their information he furrows his eyebrow. He understood why the masked man looked pensive. These kids background is really unfathomable. Alchemy clan, commerce family and the Parazam hunter league. As he was going through he looks at the last name. He paused in surprise. The kids name is Zack Lockwood. Observing from the photo. He remembers this kid''s look. At first he took the assignment to kill him. Later due to emergency he dropped it. Now he looked at his latest information. His performance in Hansen centre, his threat level is increased to red level. But there is no mention of his ability and faction. His element is remained blank. Reading it he began to ponder. He knows the masked man personality. Even he couldn''t gather necessary information about this kid. Only known thing his father is working in the army federation. This level information is too little, there is also mention of previous assassination attempt mentioned in the description. He also looked into the Jensen family information in it. They too remain silent these days. "What''s going on?" He said to himself. He hate half baked Intel''s. If there is backer. It would be too troubling to handle. Shaking his head, he decided to look into his next target. He closed the kill list given by the masked man. And opened the data of the previous mission. His previous mission also involves a kill list. But, it''s a different kill list given by another major power. It involves removing talented seeds studying in reputed academy. His next destination is also about this kill list. The kid name is Mark button. He got dual elements of fire and water. Which makes him a rare evil doer. His residence is in Starline city another famous tier-8 city. His family business mainly focuses on clothing industry. Looking at his scale it''s a medium-sized industry. What makes him more famous is that he is studying in Saw Scale Viper Academy. It is also b grade branch of the organisation.. Way more prestigious than c and d grade branches. Chapter 166 - Mark Buttons Assassination Assassin Ed arrived at Star Line City''s train station a few days later. Then he reaches the middle of the city. "It''s a magnificent city with a much lower population than other cities. As expected, the city exudes a luxurious aura." He thought to himself. Observing the people''s clothing, it''s difficult to tell if this is normal civilian attire. He recognised his target''s family business as being in the clothing industry. Many more small and medium-sized businesses are profitable in this area. He shook his head and decided to stay in the lodge. First, he must locate Mark Button''s current location. He gathered up-to-date information about the button family from his men. Mark, the youngster, may be on his way to his home in this city. According to information, there is some internal strife within their family. He was able to recall the information in his mind. He couldn''t tell because of the kill list. Even in major underground organisations, kill lists are not widely known. Even their higher-ups have access to this information after scrutiny. "Because Intel isn''t enough." It''s best if you go to his house." Assassin Ed muttered something under his breath. Getting these thoughts out of his head. He then goes on to find a nearby lodge. He must first disguise himself, and then change into another disguise. Otherwise, these security cameras may detect the problem. After a few minutes, Assassin Ed found a decent lodge that did not raise any suspicions. The majority of the lodges in this area will be booked by repeat customers. Outsiders rarely came, and if they did, they had to register their identity. Assassin Ed, on the other hand, was unconcerned. It doesn''t get any more difficult when it comes to tier-8 cities. He can take advantage of some loopholes. He successfully reserved a room for a few days after carefully analysing the lodge. He intends to move to Mark Button''s house at night. ¡­ At a distance, there is a restricted forest zone. A young man with a bad temper viciously beating down a lone adventurer. He simply retrieves his monster core after knocking out the person. He couldn''t help but sneer internally as this solo adventure had an idea about his monster core. After taking a quick sidelong glance at the body. He turned around and walked away. The solo adventurer''s condition is unknown. This restricted forest zone is an excellent location for hunting and gaining combat experience by fighting monsters. When this lone adventurer attempted to attack the wounded class 2 Monster and then robbed his monster core, a fight erupted. His scalp nearly exploded with rage as he witnessed the event. The hot-tempered young man then taught that lone adventurer a harsh lesson. This class 2 Monster was previously wounded by a hot-tempered young man. He is, in fact, Mark Button. Mark button intends to pay a brief visit to this restricted forest zone after leaving Saw Scale Academy. He is currently at the Trainee Apprentice Warrior Peak level. It''s been six months and there has been no breakthrough. It is normal for a warrior to have a five to six month breakthrough period. However, it is only for the most rudimentary warriors. They are almost thought to be average. He would not be placed in the same category as them if it weren''t for his dual element. He is a dual element user in his eyes. To make a breakthrough, he requires resources from both elements. That''s why he takes advantage of every opportunity. In this monster zone, he tried his luck. Following the collection of the core. He exited the restricted zone and returned to his home in Star Line City. ¡­ After a few days of staring at the button''s residence. Assassin Ed had a good idea about the domestic strife in that household. It''s a deliberate financial breakdown caused by competing industries. In his room, he was thinking about it. "It''s a bit of a coincidence, isn''t it?" He thought to himself. Previously, people were afraid to take action against the Button family because of his son''s identity. They are now causing havoc without regard for Saw Scale Viper Academy. If there was something exposed, he knitted his brows. Then he wants to get to the bottom of things. This could be a problem for his client. He believed he sent an encrypted message to his subordinates and client organisation to gather information about this issue. He sighed as he sorted things out. His sci-fi wrist watch suddenly buzzes with a notification. When he looks at this, a glint flashes in his eyes. He smirked as he read the message, "Looks like that Mark button is back." It''s time to get rid of him." Assassin Ed arrives at Mark Button''s house a few minutes later. A long courtyard with a medium-sized castle structure. Ed, the assassin, was secretly disguised. He left no trace of himself. Assassin Ed frowns as he observes the residence with small movements. But his expression soon returns to indifference. He enters the house quickly in search of Mark Button''s Room. He was startled to hear footsteps from upstairs. When Assassin Ed hears this, he quickly hides behind the door, concealing his breath. He used his awareness to observe his surroundings. He eventually tracked down the person responsible for the footsteps. He sneered inside after confirming that. "Poor brat, he''ll die today," he thought to himself. He follows the Mark Button through his consciousness after looking at the back of him. " This brat went downstairs to get some water. He is now returning to his room upstairs. " He made a mental remark. Then he discovered his room upstairs. He was unconcerned about silencing others. Because his reward money is contingent on a single kill. He didn''t want to squander his efforts or his time. After Mark pressed the button, he entered his room. Seeing this, I proceed upstairs while holding my breath. To open the door, he tinkered with the lock. I observed the brat after carefully withdrawing my consciousness. However, his actions made my job much easier. "This fuck"ng brat is currently engaged in V.R simulation." In his heart, he laughed. V.R helmet is worn by Mark Button. He is currently oblivious to his surroundings. He probably thought that by locking his door, no one would bother him. But he couldn''t have predicted that he''d make it easy for his assassin. Ed, the assassin, made his move. He swallowed an antidote for gleaming multicoloured pill. He put the pill in his palm as soon as he did. The fragrance of the pill began to permeate his room. Ed didn''t mind because he had taken antidote assassin. Mark Button, on the other hand, smells fragrant, but he can''t figure out what it is. As a result of his feelings, he fell asleep. Assassin Ed took advantage of the situation and placed his body in the bed. Then he stuffed the multicolor into Mark button''s mouth. Assassin Ed then used his energy to guide the pill to his stomach. The pill melted completely a few minutes later, and the energies gathered inside his heart. The operation was observed by Assassin Ed. As the energy gathered inside his heart, it instantly stopped his heart. Mark Button had gone unconscious as a result of the pill, and he couldn''t even feel his heartbeat. When Assassin Ed saw Vicious, a smile appeared on his face. Then, as soon as he finished the mission, he returned to the location. Mark Button, who was wearing a V.R helmet, died a few minutes later. Then half an hour ater, the accumulated energy within his heart dissipated. Few household servants and maids are aware of it. Even the Mark family''s butler, who came to Mark''s room to call for dinner, failed to notice the difference. He mistook young master Mark occupied in an V.R simulation player. He went downstairs, shaking his head. After finishing the mission, the assassin travelled to the next city for his mission. Six hours later, a massive storm swept through the city. The news of the death of Young Master of the Button Family sent shockwaves through the community. The most shocking aspect of his death is that it was declared natural. There are no anomalies in his body. There is no poison or injury to his consciousness, in particular. Many news outlets blamed it on V.R Helmet. They suspect that the product is faulty and lead to damaging the brains. On the other hand, Mark Button''s father, Olle Button, examined the death report. There is a nagging feeling in the bus''s heart. Something had gone wrong; how could his otherwise healthy son have died of a heart attack? He went through all of his house''s security cameras. With the permission of the citylord, I even gained access to Starline City''s security camera. His mind has gone numb. Because of this news, his wife became bedridden. As a result, he went in search of the clues on his own. But so far, there has only been a dead end. "Perhaps it is natural death." "I''m just not convinced." He thought to himself. Assassin Ed read the news report the next day. When he realised the effect of the pill, he couldn''t help but smile. Nobody had any suspicions. This method of killing is part of one''s personal arsenal.. Most of the time, he completed his mission without spilling any blood. Chapter 167 - Convincing Everyone (Zack''s POV) I sighed, These days are going well. There will be another life-or-death duel in a few days. After the previous drama, I''m hoping there will be no surprises this time. Currently, I have completed my cultivation training time at home. The body''s strength has improved slightly. I can sense my next barrier if I take a few more blood essence pills. In the meantime, I need to gain a lot of experience. Keeping this in mind, I began to browse the alliance network. I intend to go to Monster Zone. For that, I''ll need a basic understanding of the Monster''s zone nearby. In contrast to the Black Forest, which is a restricted zone. Civilians can enter certain zones. After browsing various websites for a few minutes, I had gathered enough information. After I''ve made up my mind, I go downstairs to seek Uncle''s advice. Then I discovered Uncle James conversing with Granny Park. Granny Park motions him to sit behind him after hearing his footstep. "Zack, how are you preparing for the next duel?" Uncle James was curious. Granny Park''s ears perked up as well. I took a look at both of them. "It''s going well," I said with a smile, "I''ve been working on improving my skills lately." With a smile, I said. Then I said, "Uncle, I''m planning to go to Monster Zone." Hearing that both of them were taken aback, "When? "I thought you were currently engaged in a life-or-death duel." The phrase "Granny park" was added to the conversation. "At first, I thought it could be done after a life-or-death duel." However, for my breakthrough, I need a large amount of experience. "Sitting won''t do anything for me." I expressed my point of view to them. Uncle James sighed as he listened to my words. He was at ease because Zack never left the house for anything other than hansen school. He, too, realised it had been far too long since the expedition to the Black Forest Zone. It''s time for Zack to branch out. The uproar caused by Max Stewart''s disappearance subsided as well. So he didn''t want to argue. Then he turned to Zack and asked, "Have you made up your mind?" Granny Park was staring at me as well. I gulped down my saliva; I''m not sure if they let me or not. Hearing Uncle''s inquiry. I gave him a nod. "There is actually a large coniferous forest near Marsh City," I continued. "I intend to visit there after this weekend." Monsters of the reptile class live in the coniferous forest near Marsh city. Fighting against them would be a valuable learning experience. When they heard my response, they were both satisfied. Marsh city is not far away. It''s only a single day of travel. I didn''t anticipate them agreeing. But I''m relieved. Following that, we discussed a few other topics. After dinner, we parted ways. ... The next day, I left my house and immediately booked an air cab. I didn''t come across any disturbances along the way. I''m going to notify Mr. Arthur of my intention to visit Marsh City. "I hope he doesn''t stymie me with nonsense." I thought to myself. I arrived at the train station a few minutes later. When I noticed a person, I couldn''t help but frown a little. He''s been staring at me since I walked into the station. "Is this yet another assassin?" I muttered something under my breath. I wasn''t sure if my assumption was correct. Since then, I''ve been under surveillance by bounty hunters from a rogue organisation. Every person on the street has my suspicions. I''m patiently waiting for my train, shaking my head. The train arrived a few minutes later. I boarded the train, but the stranger exited. I noticed this and turned around to look at his back. I couldn''t help but think there was something wrong with the timing. Getting these thoughts out of my head. I sat down and closed my eyes. The stranger, on the other hand, is none other than Hutson. After so many days of work. He couldn''t help but be irritated. Previously, he believed it would be simple to murder Zack. However, an expert from our organisation recently attempted to shoot him, but he fled unnoticed. Only their organisation has access to this information. From behind, a certain expert is keeping an eye on him. After confirming that, many of us halted our work on him. But he has a strange feeling, even though the expert who took action has died, it is only one incident. Many of us, low-level warriors who fought against Zack, were unharmed. Even the man who attacked Zack is doing well. He has disguised himself ever since that incident. Shaking his head, he directed his men to gather intelligence in Red Stone City. He then exited the train station. I arrived at Hansen Building''s campus a few hours later. I heard murmurs from my classmates. They''re gossiping about the next life-or-death duel. I sighed, it''s impossible to predict who my next opponent will be. It was chosen at random. Perhaps this gave them an opportunity to gossip about my opponents. Then I accelerated my approach to Mr. Arthur''s room. I knocked on his cabin door when I arrived. But I didn''t get a response. "Perhaps he isn''t in his room." I made a mental comment. Then I exited the building and proceeded to the training chamber. I sent a message to Mr. Arthur on the way. After I had finished sending the message. Unconsciously, I collided with the individual. Recognizing this, I came to a halt and apologised. But the next thing I knew, my scalp was numb. A creepy feeling overcame me all of a sudden. "Who exactly is it?" I just blurted it out. Someone had bumped him, according to the individual. With a wide grin, he turned around and looked at Zack. "Oh! It''s you, Junior." With a creepy smile, he said. I got goosebumps all over my body when I saw his smile. I''ve been studying here for a while now. I''ve never met anyone like that. I can tell this guy is senior based on his words. Then I said, "I''m sorry, I didn''t notice senior." Hearing this, senior said, "Hmm, it''s fine. "I have some work to do, see you later," he said, and the smile on his face vanished. Luke is the senior member of the group. The Masked Man dispatched the assassin. He has recently been preparing for the life-or-death duel. He does not want to have the same fate as Philip Jensen. He was almost taken aback when he saw Zack now. It has, however, caused him to prepare more cards. I stood in the same spot as surprise after the senior left. This senior is stronger, and I have a good feeling about him. I''m not sure what to make of it. I''m not sure what his name is. I quickly enquired of the other students in the corridor. They identified him as Luke. Hearing that, I was perplexed. "Could it be?" I muttered something under my breath. Luke, a warrior, is also mentioned as one of the participants in the life-or-death duel. I quickly opened the notification to read it. There were twelve people in attendance. While going over the names and faces. I discovered the name Luke registered in last. Recognizing the face causes my pupils to constrict. "It''s the same guy," I reminded myself. I assured Uncle that everything would be fine yesterday. But look at it now. I''m being overly optimistic. I need to get my cards ready. My expression became solemn, and I proceeded to the training chamber to increase my strength. ... Zack diligently trained in his training chamber as time passed. My wristwatch buzzes with a notification at noon. For a brief moment, I paused my training. After reading the message. I know Mr. Arthur has returned to his cabin. He''s now requesting my presence. As a result, after washing up, I left the training changer. I entered Mr. Arthur''s cabin a few minutes later and sat in the opposite seat. ", Zack, what''s the matter, you''re looking for me." Mr. Arthur was curious. When I heard that, I told them about the coniferous forest in Marsh City. When he heard Zack''s words, Mr. Arthur looked hesitant. He''s been unwinding lately. He''s having a good time right now. Because Elder Jensen no longer visits the Hansen building. They appear to have removed Philip Jensen''s matte. I''m not seeing any movement from them. He began to smile. But after hearing from Zack, he had a bad feeling. "Why don''t you be patient," he suggested. until everything is finished It will only be a matter of time before you join a particular faction. Then the bugs (Assassin) won''t bother you." I sighed when I heard that. I reassured him that everything would be alright. While we were conversing. Ms Adeline Key dialled my number. Given that I answered the phone, "Zack, where have you gone? Don''t forget about your sparring session with me." Ms. Key was curious. When I heard that, I gulped down my saliva. I hoped to persuade her to attend class once a week. But she was adamantly opposed. Mr. Arthur Emerson, on the other hand, has an intriguing smile. He knew he couldn''t get away from Ms..Adeline key. Chapter 168 - Travelling To Marshcity I left Mr. Arthur''s cabin after a long conversation and went to Ms. Adeline Key''s cabin. She persuaded me to attend every class every day. It appears that I will devote more time to sparring in the future. I arrived at her cabin a few minutes later. Then I rapped on the door. The door slid open with a "Creak." Ms. Adeline Key walked out of the cabin. When she saw Zack, she asked, "Are you ready?" When I heard that, I smiled and asked, "Mentor, I hope you''re gentle with me. I have a life-or-death duel coming up in a few days." "Don''t worry, I''ll seal my cultivation at your level," Ms. Adeline Key said with a shake of her head. "I''m going to work with you on your reflexes." With a smile, she said. I understand what she''s saying. I don''t have any combat experience right now. The last time I fought someone with a higher level than mine, I faced Ant Queen and Black Tree. That was a moment I''d never forget. What does the fact that I pushed myself into the corner without launching a counterattack at that time. That made me sigh on the inside. "I still have a long way to go." I thought to myself. Then we talked about a few other things before heading to the combat platform. It''s a metallic room designed specifically for sparring sessions. There were several rooms like this built on adjacent sides. Ms. Adeline scanned her identification card. The metallic door slip slides open. We both went inside. The door closes on its own. Ms. Adeline Key approached me and asked, "How do you want to fight?" Do you enjoy using your elemental technique?" Hearing that makes my heart skip a beat. I immediately thought of a good response and said, "Mentor, my Elemental skill is improving." So I''m not going to use elemental power." Ms. Key heard his words and, without hesitation, nodded and led him to the circular battle platform. They used to stand on opposite sides of the platform. Ms. Key raised her cultivation base to the level of Zack. "Before using hand to hand combat and leg technique," she said, staring at him. "It''s best to putting your reflexes to the test." When I heard that, I nodded to her. I''d like to learn from her as well. I left out the plan to use perceptual ability. It is preferable to refrain from becoming overly reliant on it. Zack finally agreed to her words. Ms. Key took the initiative. She accelerated and appeared in front of Zack in an instant. When she noticed Zack''s movement, she moved her palm to strike him on the chest. She used the same Power as Zack in the Palm move. My pupils, on the other hand, constrict my ability to see her movement. Her movements are very fluid, with no hesitation. After realising this, I concentrated on her movements. She appeared in front of me in the blink of an eye and performed her palm move. I noticed that I used my hand to block it. My hand had just made contact with her palm. My hand deflected in an instant as I felt a huge vibration. As a result, I made few mistakes. Ms. Key takes advantage of the situation and strikes him in the chest. "Bang," that hit knocked me back a few steps. My eyes light up with a surprise glint. I didn''t stop it this time. I twist my fist to strike her. Ms. Adeline key, on the other side, easily blocked his twist. It happened so quickly that I couldn''t muster enough strength to overpower her. We exchanged so many moves as time passed. This time, we can use hand-to-hand combat and the leg technique. Again, I have the impression that her movements were extremely quick. I was forced to fight in a passive mode. We were both drenched in sweat a few hours later. Ms. Key''s appearance has become even more embarrassing. Knowing this, I turned away from her. I got some ideas from sparring with her. There is a significant difference between sparring with a person and sparring with a battle puppet. She has the ability to improvise her moves in an instant. Which is difficult when it comes to fighting puppets in our academy. I''m not sure if there is a high-end battle puppet. For the time being, sparring against her is beneficial. Ms. Key, on the other hand, noticed her appearance. Seeing this, she decided to call a halt to today''s sparring session. "Zack, we can continue tomorrow," she said, looking at him. Hearing that, I thanked her from the bottom of my heart. Nobody wants to be the one on the receiving end. Following that, we parted ways. I make my way to the restroom to freshen up. On the way, I recalled our sparring session in my head. Ms. Key has complete control over her strength. She has the ability to increase her strength and move in response to the situation. That''s why I felt a vibration; if I need to counter attach, I must exert the same amount of movement. That is extremely difficult to accomplish in a single day. After I freshened up. I exited the building and made my way home. ... On the other hand, there''s the sullen masked man. Many of his organization''s strongholds vanished in a matter of days. For the time being, no one knows who the enemy is. He himself is unsure whether anything has anything to do with him. His organisation is involved in a variety of other shady activities. He is no longer responsive except for the kill list. He also handed them over to Assassin Ed. All he has to do now is wait for the outcome. When it is finished, he will be able to leave this location and return to his headquarters. But he has a nagging feeling in his gut. Things aren''t that simple. "If only I could find some information about our adversary." Then I won''t have to stay in the dark." He thought to himself. On the other hand, he examined some reports delivered by Assassin Ed. In his heart, he was overjoyed. He, too, learns of Mark Button''s demise. It created a huge wave, and several media outlets covered the story. They were more interested in V R helmet products. He sneered inside as he read these reports. "Assassin Ed''s handwriting is difficult to describe in simple terms. "It''s absolutely flawless," he murmured under his breath. This also made him happy in the midst of his organization''s depressing situation. He couldn''t wait to see him finish the kill list. Then he started reading other reports. ... The days that followed were uneventful. Ms. Adeline Key diligently trained Zack. He understood the meaning of the control. Fortunately, Zack did not face Luke on the day of the life-or-death duel. He ran into another opponent. It was simple to deal with him. The following day, Zack travels to the Marsh city. He is unaware that Elder Thornton is also following him. I boarded the train bound for Marsh City Station a short time later. After taking a seat in a comfortable chair. I thought about my plans for the next day. I had previously read about the coniferous forest in Marsh City. I''m hoping there aren''t any variables this time. I miss the days of searching for Class Monsters. If I can get a lot of cores, I''ll be able to exchange them for credit points. Mr. Jonathan, I suddenly remembered. But he hasn''t been heard from in a long time. I hope everything is going well for him. A short time later, I boarded the train bound for Marsh City Station. After settling into a comfortable chair. I considered my plans for the next day. I''d read about the coniferous forest in Marsh City before. This time, I''m hoping there aren''t any variables. I long for the days when I could hunt down Class Monsters. If I can obtain a large number of cores, I will be able to exchange them for credit points. I suddenly remembered, Mr. Jonathan. However, he hasn''t been heard from in quite some time. I hope things are going well for him. While Zack mulls over it. Elder Thornton sat in a nearby compartment. Arthur informed him that Zack was visiting Marsh City''s Monster Zone. "Why can''t that brat sit still for a while?" he grumbled inside. To think he has to stand guard for a year. He couldn''t help but have a solemn expression on his face. The crimson hall event is still more than ten months away. While muttering, he notices someone staring at him. He looked at the person, who immediately closed his eyes. Elder Thornton frowns as he looks at him. "Is it just a coincidence, or what?" He thought to himself. Elder Thornton then stopped staring at him. He decided to keep an eye on him once the train arrived at the Marsh City station. As time passed, the journey became a one-day excursion. Elder Thornton occasionally confirms that a stranger is staring at him. Elder Thornton believes it would be impolite to test him with his senses right now. He couldn''t help but wonder if he was an assassin. He immediately sent a message to Arthur to inquire about the train''s passenger list. Once he confirms this person''s identity. He''ll be at ease. Zack''s discovery, on the other hand, confirms the law and order issue in red wine city. He couldn''t help but suspect something was wrong. But he knew it was out of his hands. Getting these thoughts out of my head. He makes an effort to learn about medical theories. It might come in handy once he learns how to cultivate healing.. However, the majority of the ones he read on those websites were about healing description not actual research papers. Chapter 169 - Part One: Marsh Citys Monster Zone After long journey, Zack arrived at the Marsh City. Unlike other city, Marsh City is mostly treated as border city. Due to rapid increase in movements of Class level Monsters, they built large wall near the border, separating the city and forests. Marsh City''s Warriors and civilians livelihood associated with Class Monsters trade and herbal treasures. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) After I stepped out the train station. I immediately go through the map of the city. Just as I expected, the city is not much crowded. The city is more or like business hub. You will find anything here related to Monsters. Then I shifted my gaze towards the coniferous forest. There is quite some distance from here to the border wall. After making up my mind. I booked the nearby air cab and hopped into it. Then I told the driver about my destination. A few minutes later, the air cab landed near the landmark. I glanced outside to make sure about the destination. Then after confirming it, I stepped out of the car. I exhaled long breath to relax. "Finally, I made it!" I mumbled under my breath. Such a good feeling, I hope everything will be good. As my gaze fall on the border wall. It''s the same procedure as previous Monster Zone. I thought. I have to inform the Patrol officer and get permission. Unlike other Monster Zone, I don''t know about this Monster Zone, especially about their jurisdiction. If it''s under the Army federation, Uncle would have told me about it. As far a I know, it''s management based on bidding. The highest bidder gets rights to manage this Monster Zone for the set amount of years. It''s really surprising its not coveted by any faction. May be they treated this Monster Zone as experience zone for civilians. I let out a long sigh, it doesn''t matter for me anyway. Then I stroll towards the Patrol room for registration. As I walked near to office, I spotted multiple staffs working diligently in their operating screen. Noticing my gaze one of the male staff gestures me to enter. Nodding my head gently, I entered the room. "Give me your ID card?" the staff uttered. Hearing that, I handed over the Hansen ID card. As the staff looks over the card and muttered, "Ah, Student! Another dead meat" His voice was not loud but I can hear it. I couldn''t help but frown. I don''t want to make any scene here. So, I didn''t refute him. "Man, Why everywhere there would be people like him. Why don''t they mind their own business?" I scolded him in my heart then the staff did his job without asking any further. After paying credit points as tax. I left the office. On the way to border gate, I heard murmuring of people. I shifted my gaze towards them. Team of four men talking to each other. I caught what they were talking, they need one more person to form a team. A team of five people is minimum requirement in this Zone. Otherwise you have to pay extra tax to enter, if you insist on four member team. It would be difficult. Shaking my head, I didn''t immediately enter the border gate. I have to make sure everything is packed. I don''t know when will I come out once I enter the gate. Sometime earlier, On the other hand, Elder Thornton having some troubles. Ever since he stepped out of the train. He marked the other party who is staring at him earlier in the compartment. Now the stranger left the train station without looking at him. He decided to stop observing him. Just as he pondering it, his sci-fi watch lit up with notification. After looking at the name, he knew the intel about the passenger list came. He opened it and began to read the report. His pupil constrict seeing the description of the person. "Simon Mills, assistant at branch office of Parazam Hunter League in Greenleaf city. " He mumbled under his breath. This is the same guy who gazed at him earlier. "is this some kind of sick joke or what" He said to himself. It''s impossible for a small character to observe him from time to time. He guts telling him something wrong here. He looked ahead and spotted Zack who is talking with cab driver, Seeing that his brows relaxed. His brain went into deep thinking. Recalling the temperament of the person and unfazed look, he knew he have to verify it. Instantly he sent message to Arthur to verify the character of Simon Mills, He also sent his observation. After doing that he quickened his pace towards Zack. Seeing him hoping into the air can, Elder Thornton knew Zack''s destination. So, he booked nearby air cab. Unlike Zack, he is not shortage of credit points. So, he didn''t bargain. Elder Thornton them immediately flew towards the Zack''s destination. On the other hand, the stranger who left the station observed everything from distance. "As expected a strong man is following that kid. But who could be ?" but he doesn''t know that strong men is none other than chairman of the Hansen building. He immediately called his boss. As the call connected. He said, "Boss, someone is protecting that kid. " He sounded dejected. On the other side of call, a stern voice said, "Hansen sure protecting their Seed Candidate. No wonder there is no turmoil so far " the stranger asked, "Boss, What should I do now? Shall I leave. I didn''t probe the level that old man. But I feel he is lot stronger than me " hearing that boss remain silent for a moment. Then he commented, "Then you just watch. Don''t confront them. I''ll just send some one over there " Then the stranger felt relax hearing that then they ended their call after some short conversation. ¡­ In Hansen building, Mr. Arthur is on the call with someone over in green leaf city. He is one of the reputed adventurer there. He took high-level mission of Parazam Hunter league over there. "Fred, where are you?" Mr. Arthur inquired. On the other side of the call, Fred answered, "Oh, Mr. Arthur. How have you been lately? I''m just back from mission." Hearing that Mr. Arthur nodded through his holographic image. Then he asked, "Do you know someone named Simon Mills working in that branch office?" Hearing that Fred raided his eyebrow. Then he commented, "Yeah, Mr. Arthur. There is middle aged man working there. He is quite experience in management." On the other side of the call, a surprise glint flashes in his eyes. Mr. Arthur then asked about crucial information, "What about his character?" Fred responded in humor. "Mr. Arthur that Fred is quite nerd in management. He didn''t like bloodshed and hunting and his character is quite cowardly" He said with a smile. Hearing that Mr. Arthur ''s suspicion aroused. After few chats he ended the call. Then he contacted few other channel before he confirmed that real Simon Mill is quite different from Elder Thornton''s description. "Something happened by the way. The Simon bill is out for vacation. But why did he appear at Marsh City." He mumbled under his breath. He guessed quite a few things. But he need concrete evidence for that. Currently Elder Thornton is on that spot. So, he decide to tell him about the intel and his plan. Then he dialed him but the call didn''t connected. Seeing that he sent a detailed encrypted message to him. "Hope he sees the message in time. Otherwise, We won''t know who''s hatching the plan this time." He mumbled under his breath. ¡­ On the other hand, Elder Thornton waited near border wall of the Marsh city. He saw Zack entering the border gate. This Monster Zone doesn''t have permission to enter for elite warrior like him. So, he decided to stay here and wait for him. He observed all the surroundings, so far there is no suspicious movements except the stranger. Just as he thought, he received message for Mr. Arthur. After reading the message his lips curved a little. "Could be someone impersonating that guy?" He smirked thinking that. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) After entering the gate, I quickly walked towards the area pointed in the map. A few minutes later, I walked along the same path way. I didn''t divert from here. So, far I didn''t find any monsters. It''s natural for them not to appear near out area. Once they near the border wall, then the Patrol team will frighten them. They won''t unnecessary kill. Unless there is certain high level monster or monster hoard spotted. Having that in mind, I walked further into the forest. Now, I plan to reach the grey area it''s the landmass between the inner area and outer area of forest. From my previous experience in quite sure. I''ll spot few monsters in that area. Last time, tribe of hyenas almost ripped me off. I have to careful this time. If there is uncertainty, I should walkway from that place immediately. Sometimes later deep into the woods. I heard some movements. Right now, I''m in grey area. Hearing that noise I calmed down my nerves. As I activated my perpetual abiltiy, I observed the area around me in my mind. In my mind, I spotted four moving persons. They are quite distance from me. So, I couldn''t make it clearly. From their movements, I observed they are coming towards my area. Confirming that I knitted my eyebrow.. "Who could be?" I mumbled under my breath. Chapter 170 - Collecting Cores I''m thinking about it. I can finally tell who they are. It''s a four-person team. I recall seeing them in front of the gate. It is preferable not to confront them. Who knows, maybe they''ll force me to follow them. I''m really interested in getting a sense of where they''re at. But, in the end, I came to a reluctant halt. If I do it, it will immediately reveal my location. As a result, I held my breath and waited for them to leave. The four-person team kept a close eye on the surroundings. They are not in the mood for small talk. Fortunately, they did not come across Zack. As a result, after a few minutes. They walked away from this location and into the grey area. When I saw four people, I moved away from this location. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I look at the map to figure out where I''m going next. Clearly, I''m not going to go after them. It is preferable to be far away from them. I went deeper into the grey area after confirming it. Exact opposite of four team members'' directions. A half-hour later, time had passed. I drank water while remaining vigilant in the surrounding area. I''m fairly certain now that I''ve checked the map. I''m stuck in the middle of nowhere. If I keep up my usual pace, I will undoubtedly reach the inner area. I don''t want to take the risk at this time. So I''m going to scout this area. If there is a monster area, it would be ideal. I really don''t want to go any further. I arrived at an open space a few minutes later. It''s a barren, rocky landscape. It''s a good battleground. My efforts were rewarded when I discovered a Class 2 Monster. I''m not sure how I feel about the race. I need to get closer to it. I accelerated my pace after making my decision. Finally, I can make out the monster. I became excited after realising what it was. Crimson Dot Salamander- Class Monster Level 2>> It''s body was constantly emitted a rich, fiery energy. A surprise glint flashes in my eyes as I notice this. That fiery energy appeared to be fire energy, and seeing that some heat was emitted from it, I''m certain of it. In contrast to the world''s normal fire element. Because of the bloodline, this fire energy undoubtedly possesses additional characteristics. When I realised this, it piqued my interest. The salamander is perched on a rock. I''m not sure if he''s sleeping or not. I absorbed my consciousness into the storage ring and drew the black sword from the storage ring. I flew towards the salamander, gripping my sword tightly. I''m not sure if it''s my bad luck or not. It became aware of my presence and immediately spewed attributed fire energy from its mouth. When I realised this, my face became solemn. This energy does not sit well with me. So, instead of confronting it. I stepped away from it. After that, I slashed downward. My blade formed an arc in the air, and as it touched its body, it penetrated its skin a little deeper. "What exactly is it?" "Why is its flesh so different?" I mumbled to myself. It didn''t appear to be scale or flesh. While I was thinking about it, the salamander attacked me with its tale. I deflected it with my sword when I saw it coming. It is very simple to win the battle. This salamander is still in its early stages. But I''m wary of its ferocious energy. I need to devise a good strategy. I realised I had moved away from my original location. I intended to use a long-range attack. "Sword Divide," I said. As a result, my mental lightning rune began to flicker. I focused my attention and began to charge my back sword with lightning energy. As the lightning energy poured into the sword. It was accompanied by a small thundering sound. Meanwhile, the Monster kept charging at me. Firey energy is being directed precisely at my location. As I focused on the sword. To deal with it, I moved far enough away from its attack range. The black sword became charged with purple lightning energy in an instant. With my sword, I had already marked the salamander''s energy. My sword is gripped tightly. I expelled the energy all at once. As a result, a violet beam shot from the sword and slammed into the salamander''s head. As a result of the attack, "Puff" the salamander''s skull was ripped open. Everything inside its skull has been charcoaled. If it''s a monster of level one. Its head would have vanished during the attack. My lips curved slightly, satisfied with the devastation. It''s now enough for a class 2 monster. The Monster''s body fell to the ground. Because of my recent skill advancements, I now have less charging time. I''m hoping to get to intermediate in the next few days. However, it still takes some time. If my skill level improves slightly, It will increase my combat power. The charging time would be reduced as a result. I let out a wry smile thinking that for instant skill. I need to make a breakthrough in order to reach the big wheel or the perfect wheel. Seeing the monster''s body. I''m not going to waste any time. I attempted to remove its skin. However, it is consuming far too much time and energy. As a result, I cut its body into small pieces and stored them all in a container. I put its reddish brown core in my storage ring. I moved away from the area after removing the traces. This fight will draw a monster. So I accelerated my pace. A few minutes later, a few monsters arrived and sniffed the scent before fleeing. Time passed, but Zack was unable to locate any other Monsters. Seeing that environment is a long way off. In frustration, I knitted my brows. I took out my wristwatch to inspect the surroundings. Given that I''m only a short distance from the heart of the coniferous forest. My heart beats a little faster. My trip would be pointless if I didn''t find any monsters. I need to make a decision right now. I took a deep breath after calming down my nerves. "Looks like I''ll have to go into the tiger''s den," I muttered under my breath. Then I slowed my face as I approached the inner area. I know it''s crazy, but I have to take a chance. Please come across me if you come across any higher level monsters. I will undoubtedly employ the explosive artefact. I never imagined Philip''s artefact would become my backup plan. An hour later, on the outskirts of the inner care. Zack fought a mutated lizard and successfully recovered the core of their bodies. He had killed four monsters so far, including a salamander. But his lightning energy reserve is now depleted. Due to a lack of reserve, he was unable to perform sword divide. By observing the situation in my dantian, I smiled wryly. This is something I won''t be able to solve as long as I stay in Tier 8 cities. The sword divide uses a lot more energy. It is extremely perplexing in the early stages. However, this attack would truly execute its original horror in a level above the elite. After I got those negative thoughts out of my head. Due to a lack of energy, I have decided to leave this location. I can''t replenish my lightning energy because I don''t have affinity stones. It is pointless to try again. So I decided to walk backwards to the grey area. I walked towards the grey area a few minutes later. My chest tightens unexpectedly. My expression changed dramatically as I realised something was wrong. I make a firm decision to hide behind trees. After I killed those monsters, I never turned off my perceptual ability. If there is a risk. I would have noticed it. I turned off my perceptual ability and concealed my breath. My expression became solemn as I turned my gaze in the direction of the inner area. The inner area posed a threat to me. "It must be a class three Monster," I reasoned in my head. I even battled a Peak level Class 2 Monster. But this momentum is scarier than Monster''s black forests. I''m still ducked as a statue. Fortunately, it''s not the monster''s breath. Otherwise, I would have been found out. Seeing how far the movement has spread. I slowed down a little. A few minutes later, I decided to continue my retreat. But who would think I''d been duped? I started moving towards the grey area. My body strength gave me a lot of power. I had the impression that I used my leg technique to move faster and try to get out of this situation. "dum" "dum," a loud sound reverberates throughout the area. "This is bad, what bad luck," I grumbled. My movements are not in a straight line. Otherwise, whatever is coming from my behind would target me. I had no choice but to activate my perceptual ability to detect danger. Immediately surrounding environments came to mind in my mind. I noticed a four-legged animal coming from the interior.. When I realised this, my chest tightened and my heart began to beat faster. Chapter 171 - Leaving The Forests "Damn, Fox! It''s a Class 3 Fox Monster" I roared in my mind. After confirming it, I deactivated my perception. I don''t know what level is that class 3 at? But for my condition, I''m no way an opponent for class 3. Forget my current condition at lack of energy reserve. Even if I''m at my refreshed condition. Battling it would be result with my dead end. On the other hand, As the Class 3 Fox Monster came to the border area of inner core. It began to sniff the scent of it''s prey. If it''s an weaker then it would immediately charge towards it''s direction to consume it''s food. Suddenly the class 3 Monster raised its head toward Zack''s direction. It already sensed something. It dash towards the Zack''s direction. The Fox Monster is intrigued, along the way it spotted something with his vision. Seeing that it increased its speed. On the other hand, Zack is forcing is full strength to escape. I knew that Fox Monster is following me, sensing that I got sudden chill on my back. I gripped my black sword for defense. There is only good thing is that it''s not level 4. So, I cannot die here. Suddenly, I made strong decision. It useless to run anymore. The fox master won''t turn back it only be more intrigued. I sighed. "I have no choice to use backup plan. But, it''s difficult to fool fox Monster. I have to wait for good timing " I mumbled under my breath. Just as I made decision. The footsteps sounds become louder and closer. I observed the surrounding and chose a good spot to confront. I ducked behind huge bush. I didn''t use perception this time. Because, the monster came so close, that is visible to eye. The fox monster halted its footsteps and began to sniff. It suddenly move towards the bush. Just as it''s lower it''s head. "Lightning Wheel!" A defensive lightning wheel is released by me. I exhausted my remaining lightning reserve for this attack. On the other hand, I threw one explosive artefact over it''s body. The Purple lightning wheel collides with monster ''s face, on the other hand, the explosive artefact explodes when it contacts with it''s body. "Roar!" The Fox Monster roared in agony. Due to lack of lightning energy in the wheel attack. The Fox Monster left with grievous injury on it''s head. It swayed it''s head sideways in pain. The explosive artefact also caused some deep injury. The Monster eyes become bloodshot. It stared at the human prey who attacked. The monster again sniff the human''s scent and decisively ran away to recover from injury. Seeing that Monster runaway I relaxed. Looking at the Monster''s blood shot eye. I knew its pissed off clearly. I completely did sneak attack on it. Everything is right in law of survival. Shaking my head, I looked at the inner area. "This trip is my first and last trip. If come again, this fox monster won''t let me live, Unless I get a breakthrough " I mumbled under my breath. Then I continued to retreat without looking back. But this time my speed become less. I ran out of reserve. I need to find some hideout to replenish my energy. At least, I need to have some energy to escape from this place. I don''t want to put my life on guess. Who knows that fox monster may come back with it''s companions. I couldn''t help but shiver at a thought of it. Time went on, half an hour later, I arrived at the border area of the grey area. It took me sometime to come here. Along the way, I took few stops to recuperate. Gladly, I didn''t find any blood thirsty monster to fight on the way. Then I continue to retreat via outer area. Time went on, along the way I killed few Class 2 Monsters. Fortunately, they didn''t pose a huge threat. Time went on, a few hours later. A huge wall came to my vision. Seeing that my lips curved into smile. Tomorrow, I have class. Only I have weekdays to free myself. But, nowadays duel to life or death duel conducted on weekdays. I left with one day to rest. "If isn''t for that I would have spend some days to kill here" I sighed inside thinking that. Shaking my head, I stroll toward the entrance gate. Few patrol guards stared at me and then shifted their gaze. After leaving the gate, I walk towards Patrol office room to register my exit from the forest. A few minutes later, I choose some cheap restaurant to have some food. ¡­ On the other hand, Elder Thornton sighed in relief seeing Zack came back from the forest. Earlier, while Zack was in the forest. Elder Thornton observed the movement of person named Simon Mills. It isn''t clear whether the guy is imposter or not. Unless he personally confronts him. For a while, Elder Thornton decided not to do that. If the guy have some malice towards Zack. Than he would do it. He don''t want to entangle more in muddy waters. Seeing Zack move towards the low end restaurant. Elder Thornton decisively booked an air cab and chose to wait near the restaurant. ¡­ On the other hand, imposter Simon Mills dejected seeing the old man. He couldn''t help but frown, that he failed to near the brat named Zack. That old man being like a shadow he never left the brat. He thought he could get a chance to enter the forest. But, the old man already seen me. So, it''s impossible to do that. If he sees me entering the forest. Then it would have been trouble. That''s why he chose to wait here. But, now he saw that brat entering the restaurant. It would be good opportunity to get close to him. A hope radiated in his eyes. But again that despicable old man guarding him near the restaurant. He fumed with anger. "What I have to do next? Think! Think!" He mumbled under his breath. He wants tiennd it in low key. Then he gazed at the restaurant. Looking at the building he knew its cheap. If he bribe someone to poison his food. It would be great. Without thinking further he chose to enter the restaurant like a customer. His hearts beats faster when he passes by the old man near the air cab. He had strange illusion that old man''s eyes never left him. So, he increase his speed in desperation. After entering the restaurant he spotted Zack who sat near window seat. He choose opposite chair to sit. He waited for waiter to approach. He hatched some nice plan in his mind. Which is very old way. A moment later, a waiter approached Zack. He ordered some food then waited patiently. Seeing that a happy glint flashes in that imposter Simon Mills eyes. After seeing the waiter walking away after taking the order. He stood up and slowly walked towards him. Then with a happy grin he bribed the waiter. After some sweet talk he gave him some credit points. But, he didn''t know all this plot seen by Elder Thornton. He observed from outside. Elder Thornton knew that this guy is up to no good. So, he observed his activities from distance. Elder Thornton decided to deter him. While that guy transferring credit points. His eyes stared them with killing intent. On the other hand, the waiter stumbles backwards from fear. He thought his action was seen, so he ran away in fear. Simon Mills heart palpitates in fear. His back shiver by sensing killing intent. He turned back and observe the source. "Fu*k!" He scolded himself. He knew the old man observing him earlier, this time he himself gave him key to act. But, he got no choice. Once the brat leaves the city by train. Then it would be much more difficult to near him. He have no choice to kill the old man, He must be at Peak of Special Trainee. To think that brat had a protector of this level. He couldn''t help but feel jealous inside. But, he knew why his organisation wants him to act personally. He himself at Mid level of Trainee(Sub-Elite) Even though it''s a overkill, but it''s needed for a thorough kill. So, he decided to deal with old man. But, he felt something wrong with his killing intent. It''s shouldn''t have been for his level. But, again he thought something. "Did the Hansen management hired mercenary? He said to himself. His eyes become cold. He knew some rich old foxes run the Hansen Centre. It is quite possible for them. Now his plan ruined, Then he chose to leave the restaurant and wait near the train station. Once the brat boards the train. Then he will plant the old man. His eyes blazed with killing intent. Then without confronting the old man. He left decisively. On the other hand, Elder Thornton he already probed his level. His expression turned serious by observing his level. This guy is one level away from Elite. To think some sent sub elite to assassinate Zack. He couldn''t help but feel chill. "This is getting out of hand. Now, big fishes are entering the muddy water." He said to himself. If not for Zack have him at his back at elite level.. It''s impossible for Zack to leave this place alive. Chapter 172 - Part Two: Marsh Citys Monster Zone The imposter doesn''t have a clue. Whether opposite party knows his level or not. Either way Elder Thornton decided to confront him. Because his level is not consistent with the report. While Zack was having food. He connected call with Mr. Arthur Emerson. Once the call connected with Mr. Arthur. He said, "Arthur, I''m now clear that he is imposter. He is at Trainee level(Sub elite ). To think someone like him worming in a branch office behind desk it''s inconceivable. I''m planning to confront him." Hearing that expression of Mr. Arthur changes drastically. He answered, "Which force have power to send sub elite person?" He blurted out. He too have same thinking like Elder Thornton. He himself at peak of Sub Elite. Hansen only got one elite person that is Elder Thornton. To think the killer is sublevel. He thought, it''s definitely not small organisation. He commented, " Elder, You must catch him alive. Otherwise, we won''t know which force is it. There is still long time await for Zack to enroll in the academy. If the enemy send few elite level then we will have no strength to face them by then" On the other side, Elder Thornton nodded after hearing his words. He answered, "Don''t worry, I''ll try to hold him back. If not I''ll kill him." When he uttered those words there is ruthless glint flashes in his eyes. He didn''t believe himself, just in few days. This situation developed to this extent. Then both of them talked few other things then ended their call. ¡­ (Zack''s Perspective) Meanwhile, The food given by this restaurant is somewhat okay. I''m still faraway from eating monster''s meat. There are few variety of Class Monsters. Their meat is edible for humans. But it is not afforded by everyone. Especially in Tier-8 cities. Realizing that my yearning for Tier-7 cities and above even grown further. The Quality of life there is somewhat different. Shaking my head, I continued to gulped down the food. A few minutes later, I exited the restaurant after paying the bill. After walking down the streets, I looked into the train''s departure time. "There is still one hour to go" I mumbled under my breath. Should I tour around the city? Or it''s better to wait near the train station. I looked around, there is nothing interest me in this place, except coniferous forest Monster Zone. Earlier, I already gained enough knowledge about this place. So, it''s waste of time to spend here. After that I booked an air cab to travel to train station. A few minutes later, the Marsh City''s train station came into view. After the cab landed at the platform. I stepped out and entered the waiting room. While doing that, I also observed the surrounding. So far I didn''t felt any one peeping on me. This is also good, I need some rest from those assassins. Shaking my head, I began to relax at the waiting area. ¡­ When Zack went into the waiting area. A person walk passed by that area. He is none other than imposter Simon Mills. After confirming Zack is indeed waiting for his train. He wore a vicious grin on his face. "Now, it''s time to deal with the old man" He mumbled under his breath. He then stroll towards the exit area and walk in front of the old man. He then looked into the old figure and said, "Hello, I want to tell you something." The old man is none other than Elder Thornton. After that quick chat with Arthur. He waited patiently for this moment. But, who would have thought that enemy had a same thinking like him. After hearing words now, he understood something in his heart. This guy didn''t know his identity. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have confront him like that. Elder Thornton thought, he did good by hiding his breath. Otherwise, this guy would have scared to death by him. Then plans to not to expose his identity. Until they move quite distance away from city. Then Elder Thornton nodded at him and answered, "Okay, Can we talk here!" While saying that he glanced at the waiting area. Seeing his action, imposter Simon Mills misunderstood him. He smirked inside, "Looks like the old man didn''t want to leave this kid." He said to himself. Then he try to act amicably by saying, "Not, here! My office is quite distance from here. We will go there. Don''t worry it won''t take five minutes." Elder Thornton thought it''s also good for him, So he nodded. Then both of them quietly left the area of the train station. Imposter Simon Mills purposely led him to the isolated area. From time to time, he looked backwards to notice the old man''s expression. Seeing the other party didn''t doubt him. He became delighted inside. "The old man is fool, to think he is an veteran mercenary. I almost fool myself." He mumbled under my breath. Later, After arriving at the isolated street far away from border wall. The imposter Simon Mills halted his movements. He released his breath suddenly at the pedestrians. Few people walking down the street feeling his breath ran away from this place. The act of looting is quite common in isolated place. They thought he is a rouge warrior it''s better to ran away from this place. Soon, the isolated street became quite. A few shop owners closed their shop abruptly. Some even tried to reach out patrol team. Seeing that Imposter Simon Mills didn''t care. He thought before some one come here. He should deal with this old man. He then turned towards to see old man''s reaction. But he dumbfounded. "Why is he smiling?" "What happened?" Imposter Simon Mills said to himself. On the other hand, Elder Thornton smiling ear to ear. He thought whole ordeal is laughable. Especially, the imposter released his breath to scare away the pedestrians. Seeing imposter''s dumbfounded look. Elder Thornton sneered. Then he made a move. Elder Thornton didn''t release his Elite level breath, it will alarm the city. So, he shoot directly. He appeared in front of him and made a slap. "Puf" blood spills from his nose Simon Mills knocked out completely. Until the last moment he had a disbelief look on his face. He failed to make out ins and outs. Elder Thornton palm print imprinted on his face. As a result it reddened completely. He fell unconscious sooner. Elder Thornton appeared beside him and took his body away. He needed him alive for interrogation. So, that why he didn''t kill him. It''s Elite level body strength is enough for him to contend with imposter Mills. After than he crossed across few streets before he infiltrated into some empty house hold. After placed his body in the ground. Elder Thornton took out a sleeping pill and fed him. Even though he is unconscious without sleeping pill. He will woke up soon. Elder Thornton doesn''t want to happen that. Then he called Arthur. As the call is connected a holographic image of Mr. Arthur''s face appear. When Mr. Arthur spotted unconscious body behind Elder Thornton. He knew Elder Succeeded. Elder Thornton said, "When will you arrive here?" Elder Thornton felt impatient inside. He didn''t want to leave Zack from his sight. He can''t afford to be careless now. If something happens to Zack. That esteemed person would definitely plant me. He sighed. Hearing that Mr. Arthur answered, "I will arrive there by next train." Then Mr. Arthur somewhat confused inside. He thought Elder was busy. To think he would take matter in his hands he somewhat pleased inside. He thought Elder Thornton did it for Hansen''s reputation. If not, he would mind his own business. Then Elder Thornton told him his plan. Since, he can''t stay here. It''s best to tie this imposter here somewhere. This is an empty house. It is put for a sale. So, it''s best place complete their plan since no one here to disturb them. Hearing Elder Thornton''s plan Mr. Arthur satisfied and nodded at him. He told Elder Thornton that he will handle the interrogation. After then they review their plan and ended their call. After placing him in somewhere dark room. Elder Thornton left the place. And he made his way towards the train station. The imposter lay there in the dark room with his hands and feets were tied up completely. Complete in sate of unconscious, it will take eight hours to awake due to sleeping pill. His valuables and wrist watch were taken up by the elder along the way earlier. Otherwise, it would expose their location. After leaving the empty house hold, Elder Thornton reaches the train station. The wrist watch lit up with notification. Elder Thornton confused it''s not his wrist watch. It was from the valuables collected from imposter. Upon seeing the wrist watch of the imposter. Elder Thornton shows a intrigued look. The name shown on the screen is named as boss. After seeing that he knew it''s the boss of the imposter. ... On the other hand, the train to red stone city station is departed from Marsh City. Zack boarded the train and Elder Thornton also followed him.. After they left the city, soon the isolated street is searched by the patrol team. Chapter 173 - Simon Mills Reveals Info Mr. Arthur boarded the train to Marsh City. Since, He knew the suspect is under control. He didn''t feel any stress for this interrogation. He then operated his sci-fi watch to go through the report about Simon Mills again. Earlier, he once again called their beach office to ask about Simon Mills. But, they told me he haven''t come back from vacation. After learning that He knew the real Simon Mills is perhaps died. The chances of him being very alive is slim. So, he is very curious about other party''s identity. He then shut his eyes, patiently awaiting for the destination. On the other hand, Time went on, After eight hours, the imposter Simon Mills regained his consciousness but his mind is somewhat fuzzy. He is sweating, a small bead like sweat is dripping from his forehead. Little by little, the imposter Simon Mills regains clarity. A moment later he recalls the whole incident. A huge panic rang in his heart. His back shiver with chill as he recalls about the old man. He is almost got planted by him. He gritted his teeth in hatred. He thought, he calculated the old man, in the end he was the one who fooled. "I messed up the mission given by the boss. " He mumbled under his breath. As he remembers his boss, he tried to sense his wrist watch. But poor his valuables were all collected by the old man. After realizing that, "Despicable!" He yelled. He cursed the old man in his heart. In frustration, the imposter Simon Mills looks around the dark house. He tries to untie the rope, yet all his attempts ended in vain. "I have to inform boss about the old man. His strength is stronger than I expected. Probably, He is not mercenary. Then who could be?" He said to himself. Earlier, Elder Thornton Knocked him unconscious. So he failed to access his real strength. Till now, the imposter Simon Mills doesn''t realize the old man is at elite level. While, he was in frustration. His mind races to think of a suitable plan. The rope is medium end artefact. It sucked his essence energy rendering him unable to exert his full strength. Medium end artefact in the tier-8 city is considered as rare. To think the old man used it on him, He couldn''t help but feel stressed. As the time went on, the imposter Simon Mills tried various tricks, yet whenever he generates essence energy. The rope reacts and sucked the energy completely. A several hours later, Mr. Arthur arrived at the Marsh City. He booked the air cab an landed near the destination couple of minutes later. Mr. Arthur wear normal suit as citizen. It didn''t attract attention of the locals. He then walked towards the empty house hold and entered inside. After recalling, Elder Thornton''s words. He then move towards the dark room where the imposter was tied-up. On the other hand, hearing the footsteps the imposter jolted up. His bad premonition becomes reality. He knew its impossible for someone to leave him here like that. He tilted his head to looked at the person. Seeing that person''s face his expression froze. "This guy is the administrator of Hansen Centre" He said to himself. "This is bad!" He observed the person from top to bottom. He understands, This guy came here to interrogate me. "No wonder, they didn''t kill me" a certain clarity come to his mind. Mr. Arthur''s sight falls on the imposter Simon Mills body. After seeing him, he immediately pulls up barrier artefact and activates it. A hazy field generated from artefact it envelops both of them. It prevents from prying eyes. And also no one will hear their conversation happened between the two inside the barrier. After setting up the barrier, Mr. Arthur gazes up the rope artefact. There are few scratch marks on the artefact other than that there is no damage. It can be used as new. Then Mr. Arthur looked at him and said, "You knew why I am here. Can you tell me why are you stalking our Seed Candidate Zack? Who send you?" "Tell me one by one. My patient is very limited!" Hearing that, the imposter Simon Mills pupils constructs. He immediately refuted, "You got the wrong person. Untie me, otherwise you will face severe actions " "Severe actions from who?" Mr. Arthur inquired. The imposter Simon Mills gritted his teeth. He knew he is going to be planted today. Its going to be endless torture. If he fails to cooperate with him. On the other hand, Mr. Arthur getting patient. "Where is real Simon Mills?" Mr. Arthur inquired. He thought, it''s important to save other person''s life. If he is alive. Then Mr. Arthur move towards him. He take out a crystal pill from his storage ring and placed in his palm. Seeing that, the imposter horrified. "Where did you get this pill?" "This is insane" "No!" He become complete mad. This pill will put your mind under suffering. You will be crippled as a result of it. "It''s better to die than undergo this torture." He said to himself. Then the imposter Simon Mills made up his mind. He became dejected. He answered, "There is no imposter here. I''m the real one. I''m working in that branch office as part of my undercover mission." Hearing that, "This handwriting!" "It''s a deep secret. Its definitely big!" A surprise glint flashes across Mr. Arthur ''s mind. "Who gave you the mission? Who asked you to follow our Seed Candidate?" Mr. Arthur inquired multiple questions. "Crimson Hall! It''s all Crimson Hall" Finally, Simon Mills reveals his organisation. He knew its impossible to leave here. It''s better to have easy death than mid torture. Hearing Crimson Hall, Mr. Arthur''s expression turned solemn. He knew from this day onwards, this act would be like completely tearing off each other''s face. If other party find about the Simon Mills. Then they will sure scheme against Zack in the exhibition match. To think other party is simultaneously spying on Parazam Hunter league. Mr. Arthur thought it''s better to form alliance with Parazam hunter league with this investigation. It will also helpful for them. Then Mr. Arthur continues to interrogate him. Then he finds out that Crimson Hall''s attention fell on Zack. Right now, no organisation has complete profile of him. Including theirs. His elemental ability and other technique is completely unknown to everyone. So, the crimson hall send him to probe Zack. Now, everything became clear to Mr. Arthur. It''s a new headache to him, if this guy failed to report back. Then the crimson hall would certainly notice his absence. Then they would dispatch next team. Mr. Arthur couldn''t help but get worried. Then Mr. Arthur then fed Simon Mills another sleeping Mills. Since, he decided to have operation with Parazam Hunter league. It better to have him in good shape. Other than lack of energy reserve. This guy is unharmed. Mr. Arthur connected call with Elder Thornton. Once the call connected a stern voice sounded. "Arthur did you find anything?" other side, Elder Thornton raised his voice in expectation. But suddenly, seeing Arthur''s expression, Elder Frowns. The Mr. Arthur explained everything to him. A moment later, Elder Thornton let out a sigh. But, unlike Arthur, Elder Thornton didn''t worry about Zack. He knew about Zack''s background. He casually said, "Okay, I''ll inform Parazam Hunter league. We collected our intel. Next, they should be most interested in him than us." At first, Elder Thornton thought that he is imposter. To think he is the real one but working in under cover mission for crimson hall. Elder Thornton understood that this matter is more serious than theirs. After then both of them ended their call. A couple of days went by. In meantime Elder Thornton had a secret meeting with officials from Parazam Hunter league. At first they didn''t believe it. From their perspective, Parazam Hunter league is giant its not comparable to Hansen training centre a small organisation. They only decided to have meeting with Elder Thornton because of his Cultivation level. Elder Thornton is Elite warrior, So the officials from Parazam Hunter league thought it''s good to have connection with him. But later, after Elder Thornton revealed the information with evidence. It stirred quite a commotion in upper echelons. They directly retained Simon Mills for interrogation. They also owe favour towards Hansen Centre for this exposure. On the other hand, Zack continued his daily life by training and cultivation. After trading some monster core for blood essence pill. His body cultivation reach one step closer to breakthrough. On the other hand, there is tiff grown between Parazam Hunter league and Crimson Hall due to Simon Mills incident. Upper echelons of Crimson Hall, became embarrassed due to this incident. They were pressure up by Parazam Hunter league. Finally, they have no choice to yield and gave up lot of assets as compensation. Later, their entire hatred towards Hansen Centre. Hansen Centre exposed this incident, this damaged their reputation. Crimson Hall can''t retaliate against Parazam Hunter league. It is a giant.. But they can do something to Hansen Centre. Chapter 174 - Leon Stevens Arrival (Zack''s Point of View) Seeing the atmosphere around the Hansen building has given me a strange feeling these days. I''m not sure why a couple of people are staring at the building outside. Some people, in particular, are deliberately or unintentionally observing me. They avert their gaze whenever I try to look at them. I walk towards Mr. Arthur''s cabin, shaking my head. Mr. Arthur let me in after I knocked the door. "I''m glad he''s here," I muttered under my breath. When I saw him go missing for a few days, I assumed he was sick. "How are you doing, Zack?" Mr. Arthur was curious. When I heard that, I responded, "I''m fine, Mr. Arthur, but what''s going on?" "Could you please tell me?" Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, squinted his brow. He was aware of what Zack was inquiring about. "Those scumbags from Crimson Hall are already acting. "There has been an increase in activity near the Hansen building over the last few days," He thought to himself. He sighed and turned to face Zack. Mr. Arthur decided it was best to notify Zack. Allow him to stay up to date on Intel. "Do you know Crimson Hall?" Mr. Arthur asked. When I heard that, I nodded to him. "Someone was spying on you from behind while you were in Marsh City." He uttered. Hearing that, my heart tightened, and I looked at him for more information. "Actually, seeing your performance in a life-or-death duel," Mr. Arthur continued. "Many forces have their sights set on you. They wanted to gather information about you. Nobody, including our centre, is aware of your ability." "Crimson Hall, as one of these forces, dispatched their men to investigate your level. You, in particular, are our center''s seed candidate. They are more concerned with you. But, thankfully, Elder Thornton overheard this information and successfully apprehended the man." Then Mr. Arthur informed the following Intel about the Parazam Hunter league. After hearing his explanation, I was at a loss for words for a moment. A massive movement occurred behind me. I couldn''t stop getting goosebumps. "So, those guys watching from outside were sent by Crimson Hall," I said solemnly. When Mr. Arthur heard this, he interrupted, saying, "Not necessarily; perhaps they hired some lower forces to keep an eye on us." While they were both talking. Notifications flashed on Mr. Arthur''s sci-fi watch. After hearing the words from the receptionist, Mr. Arthur''s expression became solemn. Mr. Arthur said, "Let him in!" after listening to the receptionist. Then he hung up the phone. Inside, I''m perplexed by Mr. Arthur''s expression. But I didn''t inquire. It''s impolite to inquire if it has nothing to do with my case. Then Mr. Arthur looked at Zack and asked, "How are you preparing for the upcoming life-or-death duel?" Hearing that, I''m taken aback. No one can possibly be my opponent. Last week, in particular, it took no more than five minutes to win the duel. "What is it, Mr. Arthur?" I inquired. Is there anything I should be cautious of? Then Mr. Arthur said, "There is a senior student named Luke." His whereabouts had been unknown for several days. And we don''t have any reliable information about his past. Especially given his personality. He is not interested in these types of exhibition events. It''s very suspicious for him to sign up for a live or death duel. We don''t have any evidence. So, Confronting him is difficult." Hearing that my pupils are constricting, I''ve been slacking lately. To believe that there is another variable. I sighed quietly to myself. We were about to leave when we heard a knock on the door. Mr. Arthur opened the door for the visitor. A very attractive young man entered, a sword scabbard hanging at his side. What''s more, this young man is dressed in a white suit. It stands in stark contrast to the usual black suit worn by warriors. Deep blue eyes, black hair, and a straight nose. This is accompanied by fair skin. It''s difficult to believe he''s a warrior. Mr. Arthur was looking at the blue-eyed youth. The youth didn''t look at Zack and simply said, "Hello, Mr. Arthur, Rayford Training Centre is where I''m from. I came here on the orders of my elders to seek advice." Hearing the new words May ford Campus piqued my interest. "Does this have anything to do with student exchange?" I thought to myself. But consider Mr. Arthur''s completion. He does not appear to be pleased to see this person. Mr. Arthur eventually asked, "What is your name?" "I''m Leon Steven," the blue-eyed adolescent said with a smile. Mr. Arthur nodded when he heard that. "All right," he said, "I''ll arrange for someone to see you." "You wait in the reception area." Mr. Arthur motions for him to leave. But this guy appears to be thinking about something. Leon Steven was visibly upset, and he didn''t even try to hide it. He looked at Mr. Arthur and saw that he didn''t want to talk any longer. He exited the cabin. Nobody behaves like him in front of Mr. Arthur, and I''m completely perplexed. "What exactly is going on?" "What is his purpose?" a slew of questions raced through my mind. Observing Zack''s perplexed expression. "Didn''t I tell you earlier that Crimson Hall will act indirectly?" sighed Mr. Arthur. This May Ford Academy is a well-known training facility located in one of the largest Tier-8 cities. Willow Peak City is named after their founder, Late May Ford. Crimson Hall is behind it. Because of their stature, they will not act directly. They''ll send someone to cause trouble here on their behalf." Hearing this, my expression became solemn. How long has it been since my visit to Marsh City? They acted quickly. This situation is becoming increasingly complicated. As long as we tried to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble. The more problems that pile up on us, the more problems that pile up on us. Hansen bulging''s calm atmosphere is about to be disrupted. When you think about it, it is extremely stressful. But I also see it as a challenge to sharpen my character. I don''t want to be irritable and reveal my true identity. Looking at Mr. Arthur, who is keeping his mouth shut. "Mr. Arthur, why can''t we refuse?" I remarked. It''s a tier-8 city like us." Mr. Arthur shook his head and said, "It''s not as simple as that; usually, people send their students to different parts of the tier-8 cities to learn as part of the programme." It is unusual for us to have these international students. However, it is now going to be increased, and it will not be peaceful. Willow Peak City''s population has been growing at an alarming rate over the last few decades. This is primarily due to the fact that this city shares a border with Crimson Seal, a Tier-7 city. There is currently discussion about elevating Willow Peak City from Tier ¨C 8 to Tier-7 status." When I heard that, I took a deep breath. I see why Mr. Arthur is so solemn now. This is considered bullying. Crimson Hall is causing havoc here by utilising their connection. Given these events, I''m not sure how long I''ll be able to continue studying here. If something happens to that bright-eyed adolescent. Then there''d be a problem. Then I turned to look at Mr. Arthur. He was wearing a wry smile on his face. "How are you going to handle this, Mr. Arthur?" Even if we exercise caution in our actions. There''s bound to be some issue." In a serious tone, I inquired. Mr. Arthur cracks a small smile when he hears that. "Don''t worry, everything has a solution," he replied. You must concentrate on the next battle. Don''t even consider these issues. It is not your responsibility." Hearing that, I nodded, and we talked about a few other topics before I left his cabin and went to my training. ... Mr. Arthur dialled Elder Thornton''s number after Zack had left the building. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, remarked, "Looks like that brat from May Ford academy came here." Mr. Arthur''s ears pick up on his words. "Elder, what are we going to do?" he inquired hastily. If this kid did something on purpose, it''s going to be a headache." When Elder Thornton heard this, he snorted, "What is he going to do? Apart from attempting to sully our reputation and gather intelligence during his stay here." Mr. Arthur gave him a nod. Elder Thornton then appeared to have had an idea. "If it really gets out of our hands," he quickly added. "We don''t have a choice but to close our facility." Mr. Arthur was taken aback when he heard that. But then I realised something. He, too, thought it was a good idea. It is impossible for us to allow those people to slander us. Once our reputation is ruined, we will suffer additional losses. "OK, Elder," Mr. Arthur said after gaining some clarity. I''ll try to deal with those issues for a while." He ended the call after saying that. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, sighed. "I''m getting on in years. I can''t work on both projects at the same time.. "I''m already guarding Zack, and I don''t have the energy to handle the affairs of the Hansen building for the time being," He thought to himself. Chapter 175 - Part One: May Ford Teams Challenge Following the departure from Mr. Arthur''s cabin. Leon Steven walks towards the waiting area, with a gloomy expression on his face. He didn''t come alone; he was accompanied by a few other students. When they saw Leon approaching, they exclaimed, "Leon, why are you so depressed? What transpired? One of his classmates spoke up. Leon became even more enraged as he looked at the person who had just commented. "Fatty, "Does it appear that you require a thrashing?" Leon exclaimed with a wide grin. Fatty couldn''t stop himself from ducking away. Fatty disliked coming here. But he is compelled to do so. He has been banking few classes at the May Ford Training Centre for several days. Unfortunately for him, his mentor forced him to go with Leon this time. However, this does not imply. He will obey his commands. He didn''t want to argue anymore after seeing what had happened to Leon. Leon was pleased to see that there were more responses from his classmates. He told everyone about Mr. Arthur''s arrangement. Leon''s classmate now understands why he is so upset. "In this tiny city, this Hansen centre is a small, unknown centre." I''m not sure if it''s graded at all. "Why did our mentor tell us to come here?" One of the classmates couldn''t stop himself from blurting out his statements. A few others nodded, indicating that they, too, had no idea what was going on. But, unlike others, Leon is not in the dark. His mentor informed him of the situation. Despite the fact that he didn''t know the entire ins and outs. But he was well aware that the Hansen Training Centre had offended their benefactor. He has no idea who the benefactor is. However, his mentor stated that the benefactor would be pleased if the Hansen building''s name was tarnished. "What is the most effective way to tarnish a school''s image?" It is by exposing how filthy this place is. He intends to accomplish this by trampling on their students. By demonstrating how worthless they are to this city. If it''s successful, I don''t think anyone will want to train here after that," Leon thought to himself, a cruel glint flashes in his eyes as he considers his next move. Leon didn''t want to explain his situation to his classmates. If someone said this with their stupid mouth, the wall has ears. The consequences would be severe for us. Leon''s face became solemn for a moment as he realised this. "Don''t worry, we''ve come here to learn," he said to his classmates. It is only for two days. After that, we''ll leave here right away." Hearing that, others nodded at him, and the disgruntled student calmed down. There is no reason to be disappointed. Consider it a casual trip. While everyone is thinking about how to calm down. Only Leon''s heart had a different interpretation. In order to carry out this plan flawlessly. He must act righteously so that others will not point fingers at him. He rubbed his white scabbard gently after collecting his thoughts. He began to consider duelling with Hansen students. A member of the Hansen building''s staff soon arrived at the waiting area. He then led them on a tour of the building. Leon and his classmates take a tour of the building, except for the restricted area. After everything was finished, Leon approached the staff and said, "Mr. Frederick, thank you for guiding us." However, I enjoy sparring with your students. When he said that, a member of the staff named Frederick nodded. He was already aware of the purpose of the people on the May Fare campus. Mr. Arthur filled in the blanks. The guest team was then directed to the common combat platform. Private battle platform in the Hansen building, on the other hand. This common platform space is large and can be seen by a large number of students. Leon has a happy expression on his face after seeing the large platform. Then he turned to the staff, Frederick, and said, "Please notify everyone." I''d like to compete with your best students." While Leon and his colleagues were courting Mr. Frederick, the crowd''s attention was drawn to them. Their attire piqued the interest of some students. Leon''s white suit, in particular. They paused their activities to observe the newcomers. Mr. Frederick, on the other hand, informed Mr. Arthur of the situation. The announcement was made soon after. People from the May Ford campus came to learn. Top students in their class have been instructed to report to the common battle platform for a duel. After the announcement was made, a few minutes later. The common battle platform was swarming with people. The battle platform was shielded. As a result, the viewers can be shielded from harm. A few live screens were activated to view the battle. All of the seats were taken, and those who remained stood with their eyes fixed on the live screen. .... (Zack''s Perspective) I''m practising my sword moves. The Sword Divide move consumes a significant amount of lightning energy. If I can precisely control how much lightning energy is used to charge the sword. Then I''ll be able to execute multiple moves later. I was practising my lightning moves on the dummy at the time. My sci-fi watch flashed with a notification. I came to a halt and opened it to read. After reading the announcement, I smiled wryly. "As expected, they began to challenge within a few movements of their arrival," I muttered under my breath. I shake my head as I prepare to continue practising. But then I remembered someone named Leon. I''d never seen other campus students compete in terms of combat strength and combat style. It would be a fantastic opportunity to learn. In my heart, a new expectation arose. To view, I logged into my student account. They are, thankfully, broadcasting live. However, I am aware that management wishes to document this battle. I clicked the broadcasting link after logging into my account. The common battle platform appeared soon after. Many of the students sat outside, anticipating the battle. "Many of the students may have had the same thought as me," I muttered under my breath, seeing that I smiled inside. Seeing as how the viewing screen is small in my watch. I intend to watch it in our discussion room. I arrived at the discussion hall a few minutes later, after freshening up. I shook my head in disappointment when I saw no one inside. I haven''t seen my classmates in weeks. Senior students, in particular, appear to have vanished. Then I turned on the large screen in the discussion room and activated it. The battle platform appeared soon after. I sat in the nearby centre seat, which was more comfortable for me. A tall burly youth from the May Ford campus stepped onto the battle platform. "Hmmm, his appearance isn''t appropriate for his age." I grumbled to myself. Then I took a look at his opponent. Nobody entered the battle platform for a brief moment. As for I can see, I''m perplexed. "Don''t tell me nobody''s going there," I exclaimed. These guys are going to make our centre look bad. I couldn''t imagine Mr. Arthur''s expression. I cracked a grin. While I''m thinking about it. I could hear footsteps. I cocked my head to see who was there. "Zack, What exactly are you doing here? "You should have gone there" With a smile, Maria Frazier said. She indicated the viewing screen with her finger. I''m surprised to see her; normally, I spend the majority of my time sparring with Mentor Key. The rest of the time, I practise on my own, either with a dummy or in a gravity chamber. As a result, unless Mentor Key gives a lecture, classmates rarely see each other. I''m putting these thoughts behind me. "I just want to see the battle," I told her. There are other students in the senior class who are eager to fight them." Maria Frazier rolls her eyes at me when she hears that. I just shook my head, knowing she didn''t believe me. But I''d like to know where those who signed up for a life-or-death duel are. Maria took a seat beside me. Suddenly, there is a burst of joy. Maria began, "Someone accepted the challenge." I gave her a nod. Then we saw a picture of the person who accepted the challenge. In my heart, a flash of vigilance appeared. "Who is he?" Maria asked. "Luke," I said. "Huh! How did you find out? "Does he have strength?" She asked several questions. On my brow, black lines appeared. How am I going to deal with her small talk? Inside, I sighed. Just as she was about to ask me another question. When the match began, Luke and the burly youth confronted each other. We were both staring at the screen. She paused in her speech. "Thank goodness," I murmured quietly. "What?" Maria was curious. "Have a look at him. "I believe the visiting student is in big trouble." In a solemn tone, I said. I didn''t lie when I said that the exchange student was going to get in trouble. The burly men made a move just as the battle began. He dashed straight at Luke. He''s twisting his palm in preparation to strike him.. His body has bulging muscles, which I can see. Chapter 176 - Part Two: May Ford Teams Challenge With brute force, he pumped his fist. As his punch gets closer to Luke. Luke made his move in that split second. He poked the burly youth''s neck with his two fingers. It all happened in an instant. As a result, the burly youth''s momentum slowed and he opened his eyes wide. The audience is in a frenzy. After Luke''s inch-by-inch assault. The burly adolescent spat blood from his mouth. His face turned horrified as his body collapsed in an instant. When I see Luke''s decisive movement, my pupils constrict. "I''m not sure why I feel bad about this." "This guy''s casting a doomsday spell for us," I muttered under my breath. Maria Frazier, on the other hand, used her tiny hands to close her mouth. "He is extremely powerful. "How come I hadn''t heard it before?" Maria was curious. Hearing that, I let out a wry smile, thanking Mr. Arthur if not for him. Even I am kept in the dark about his abilities. "Perhaps he''s a low-key person," I remarked with a smile. The audience on a battle platform erupted in applause for Luke. I shook my head, because I don''t think the May Ford people will be so kind as to let it go. Soon after, a medical team arrived, along with her assistants. They loaded the burly adolescent onto a stretcher and escorted him away for treatment. Leon Steven and his classmates, on the other hand, did not appear pleased. They are extremely dissatisfied. Their faces are filled with rage. Some were even arguing with Mr. Frederick, who was nearby. He couldn''t help but smile helplessly. Nobody would have guessed it. Seeing Luke''s poker face, I couldn''t help but suspect trouble. Then, while standing upright on the battle platform, Luke''s gaze was drawn to the May Ford People''s sitting area. He motions for them to step forward as his next opponent. People at May Ford Academy turned green when they saw his actions. Leon, too, clenched his scabbard tightly. Then a skinny young man stepped forward and onto the platform. Observing Leon''s facial expression. I''m at a loss for words. I thought he was the most powerful member of his team. "Shouldn''t he be the one to take on the next challenge?" In disbelief, I rubbed my temples. I''m not sure if he''s the strongest or not. "Zack, what do you think?" Maria Frazier asked as she turned to face me. "This isn''t looking good, Maria," I sighed. If the May Ford crowd retaliates, it will be bad for our campus." After hearing that, she nodded her head at me. Then we both turned our attention to the battle platform. They were standing opposite each other on the common battle platform. Laurence was the name of the skinny teen. He made his first move in the match by shooting water bullets. It appears that Laurance was aware that tackling Luke in close combat would be difficult. Four water bullets fired at the breaknecking speed. This water attack didn''t seem to bother Luke. He appeared steady and focused. When the water bullets got a little bit closer to him. Luke swerved enough to avoid all of the bullets. After successfully evading the attacks, the bullets that pierced the empty space landed on the defense shield. Everyone erupted in applause. It perplexed Maria Frazier as well. "I couldn''t help but admire his ability to move. I''m not sure how far he progressed in his skill division." I muttered something under my breath. Maria overheard my low voice. "He looks like a veteran fighter," she said. It''s hard to believe he''s only a year or two older than us." My heart was racing with a sense of urgency. It''s just a matter of his movement technique. However, his skill level is higher than mine. I''m excited to see what else he can do. ¡­ On the other hand, everyone in the May Ford Academy viewing area, including Leon and his classmates, turned ugly. Fatty, despite his dislike for being here. He couldn''t help but feel irritated. He turned to Leon and said, "Leon, if this continues, our reputation will be ruined." You must now enter and teach them a lesson." Leon Stevens was surprised to learn that the majority of his classmates shared fatty''s sentiments. But Leon had a sly grin in his heart. Everything was going his way, he reasoned. He had previously considered humiliating Hansen students. But now the situation has shifted even more in his favour. If this person injures a few more of his classmates, our campus will be able to directly demand an explanation. A clever thought flashes through his mind. He then turned to face his classmates and said, "If I''m going to duel against them in every match." Then why are you all here?" Hearing his words his classmates averted his gaze in shame. They are unable to refute his words because they are logical. They can only chastise themselves for their incompetence. ... However, after seeing the water bullets fail to hit him. Laurence''s pupils contract in terror. He intends to make a powerful move. But Luke moved before he could do so. He got to him in a few steps thanks to his movement technique. Laurence took a step backwards in an attempt to defend himself. In a hurry, he erected a defensive water shield. However, the water shield is only half full of energy. It appeared thinner because, in his haste, he failed to execute a perfect move. Luke took advantage of the situation and slammed his fist into the defensive shield. As a result, it ripped like paper. His punch hit him in the chest. He fell backwards from the battle platform. As a result, he is disqualified. Laurence was dumbfounded as he stared at Luke. His chest tightens in pain, but he is not injured. Laurence stood up and walked in shame towards the May Ford viewing stand, seeing so many eyes on him. Hansen students burst out laughing when he saw this. Luke''s ability is being lauded. He didn''t even use a lot of moves. He defeated two of his opponents from May Ford Campus using only his body strength. Seeing the other opponent, he walks away. Luke kept his poker face intact. He then turned to the May Ford students and asked, "Is there any competent warrior on your May Ford campus?" Heading that, Hansen students burst out laughing. May Ford People''s faces all turned green. When Luke saw the restored faces, he felt satisfied and asked, "Who is next?" Please arrive sooner. I don''t have the entire day to duel here." May Ford''s people''s eyes filled with rage as they heard his words. They are determined to teach him a lesson. All of them turned to face Leon, but he remained deafeningly silent. When the rest of his classmates saw his reactions, they clutched their firsts helplessly. One of the guys from the May Ford campus, perceiving the surrounding gaze. He stepped onto the battle platform because he couldn''t take it any longer. Observing the atmosphere around the battle platform calm down. They are all excited for the next challenge. However, people on the May Ford campus, including his classmates, were perplexed. Fatty, in particular, "Why is this moron going?" he asked. He''s going to get thrashed." When the rest of his classmates heard this, they all smiled helplessly. They reasoned, "At least this guy is weaker than the opposing party, but he has the courage to do it." When everyone''s attention was drawn to the third challenge. The fight was over in ten seconds. Luke didn''t give his opponent a chance. He took the initiative this time. He appeared in front of the youth and kicked him in the stomach when the bell rang. "Aahhhh!" screamed the youngster in agony. As a result of the kick''s impact, he flew outside of the battle platform. Blood spurted from his mouth as he said "dud." As he collapsed to the ground. Everyone on the May Ford campus cheered when they saw it again. Leon was among those who stood up from their seats. Despite the fact that events are going in his favour. However, this is overbearing: "It appears that the opposing party is hell bent on humiliating us." He thought to himself. Then he remembered Mr. Arthur''s earlier behaviour. He was irritated by his lack of respect. "Did he order this guy to do it?" he thinks to himself as he observes Luke''s apathetic expression. ... "OMG! Is this the May Ford student''s power? What is the source of their frailty?" Maria Frazier, in disbelief, inquired? I shook my head when I heard that. "It''s not that they''re helpless. Luke is far too powerful." In a solemn tone, I responded. When Maria heard this, she remarked, "Then why is he not more famous?" Then she had a lightbulb moment. "Is he in a life-or-death duel?" she asked, turning to face Zack. I nodded, When she saw my response, she let out a gasp. "Zack, So, what are your plans? Nobody can stand up to a few moves from this guy. He will be more ruthless in a life-or-death duel." She expressed her concern. I remained silent and did not respond to her words. However, deep within my heart.. I''m seriously considering how to deal with his moves. Chapter 177 - Part Three: May Ford Teams Challenge Inside the office cabin, Arthur, who has been watching the entire episode on his live screen, is growing increasingly suspicious of Luke. Luke''s performance deliberately pits Hansen against the May Ford Centre. "Who is he working for?" He wondered as he watched Luke''s fight on the big screen. As he taps his fingers on the desk, he thinks to himself. He is concerned that a young man named Leon will cause trouble. However, he did not foresee this situation. Given this, Luke is engaged in a life-or-death duel. "What made him decide to demonstrate his abilities right now?" Is it really because of the May Fords? Or maybe there''s something else." He began to think. If this situation persists, we will find ourselves in an unfavourable position in relation to May Ford Centre. Mr. Arthur didn''t dare to think of going against May Ford Centre''s future prospects. He made contact with Frederick. When the call was answered, Mr. Arthur said, "Frederick, cancel the event now." Three matches are sufficient. It would be difficult to respond otherwise. If any of them are hurt." Mr. Frederick, on the other hand, followed the instruction. When he saw the kid from May Ford, he stood up and prepared to take part in the fourth challenge. His voice was heard by everyone when he yelled, "Silence!" Students stopped what they were doing when they heard him, and everyone, including May Ford students, turned to face him. Mr. Frederick was pleased to see everyone''s reaction. "Everyone, the challenge is over. You can all go to your classes and continue your training." Students are dissatisfied after hearing his words. They are very interested in seeing Luke''s fight progress. But, without a choice, students disperse from the common battle platform one by one. They all left quickly, just a few minutes later. Luke, Mr. Frederick, and the May Ford students were left behind. Luke was dissatisfied in his heart as he watched everyone leave. "It appears that someone in management noticed something. "It''s a waste of time to keep going." Luke shook his head and walked away from this location to his class. When he passed the May Ford people, he didn''t even give them a sidelong glance. He bolted right away. May Ford Student''s face has an unnatural expression as a result of his behaviour. Leon Stevens, in particular, is pleased with the outcome, but he did not expect the challenges to end so abruptly. "Looks like they have some smart people in their management," he thought to himself. Leon rose from his seat as he noticed Luke return. He must act now in order for his plan to be successful. So he approached Mr. Frederick and said, "Mr. Frederick, We came here, as you said, to learn by exchanging pointers with your students. But the rest of us didn''t even get to fight. After watching three defeats, it''s impossible to leave this place with this result, especially since I''m the strongest of them. I hope we can continue to learn from your students tomorrow." Hearing his words, I finally relaxed and smiled with joy. Their concerns were alleviated. "Leon will definitely teach them a lesson if he makes a move tomorrow." Some of his classmates expressed their thoughts. Mr. Frederick, on the other hand, has black lines on his forehead. He didn''t directly refute it. "I can''t make this decision for you," he replied. It''s up to higher-ups; I''ll notify them of your concern." Leon has no trouble understanding what he is saying. He was well aware that he was not the one making decisions. "All right, Mr. Frederick, we''ll be back tomorrow," he said. "Don''t you want to see other areas of the building?" Mr. Frederick was curious. "Mr. Frederick," Leon said, shaking his head. Two of our friends were taken away for medical treatment. We''d like to start by paying them a visit. Furthermore, we are currently not in the mood to participate in the campus tour." Mr. Frederick''s idea was carefully rejected by Leon. Seeing that none of Leon''s classmates disagree with him. Mr. Frederick exhaled a sigh. He then led them to the treatment area. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) "What happened?" Maria expressed her displeasure. It must be Mr. Arthur, because he decisively ended this match before it could turn into a squabble. In my heart, I admired Mr. Arthur''s thinking. Then I turned to Maria and said, "It''s not an official match." There''s no need to fight them all. Otherwise, the May Ford Centre may cause trouble." Maria''s eyes widened as she heard my words. "Oh, I had no idea something like that existed. I was interested in by their duel. However, based on your words, it does not appear to be simple." Maria stated solemnly. I sighed and nodded in response to her words. At the very least, she is not stupid, as one would expect of an heir from a powerful family. "You should look after yourself. As you mentioned, Luke is a difficult opponent. It would be preferable if you prepared some whole cards ahead of time." Maria finally said those words to me as she exited the discussion hall. She didn''t have to tell me because I''d already classified him as a Class 3 Monster rather than a human. My pace is slower than his. I''m hoping I won''t have to deal with him in the coming days. There aren''t many options if it''s next week. By then, I''ll most likely have made a breakthrough. For the past few days, I''ve been sensing the next barrier. Unlike small realm barriers, the Trainee Apprentice and Special Trainee face a massive barrier. I moved towards the gravity training chamber room for training. ¡­ On the other hand, after seeing how well his classmates were doing. In his heart, Leon frowns. He didn''t show it on his face, though. The fatty turned to Leon and said, "Leon, if you had acted up earlier. We might perhaps not ended in this situation. We would have erased their smug expressions." "Look at this pig!" Leon couldn''t help but feel compelled to reprimand him. This fatty is powerful enough to rally all of his classmates against him. Before anyone had a chance to say anything. "Don''t worry, guys," Leon said, "I''ll challenge them tomorrow." If the management of Hansen did not accept the challenge. Then we''ll notify everyone on campus." Mr. Fredericks'' smile was helpless. " As far as he knows, Leon is a strong kid. I must inform Mr. Arthur that he must select a few strong students to face him tomorrow." He reflected to himself. "Usually, this guy would refute me," Fatty said, doubting Leon''s words. "Why is he following me?" He didn''t think about it any further after that. As he saw it, it was natural for anyone to defend their classmates and academy. Leon smiled inwardly as he received the expected response from his classmate. "Even if I intentionally injure them, Hansen has no choice but to swallow their words tomorrow," he thought to himself, a ruthless glint in his eyes flashes. Leon and his friends left the Hansen building after verifying the final checkup. They intend to return earlier tomorrow. Mr. Frederick finally felt at ease when he saw the backs of the May Ford students vanish. He walks directly toward Mr. Arthur''s cabin after taking a deep breath. ¡­ Mr. Arthur is currently researching Luke''s background. Even in his database, there is no credible information about him. They didn''t see the point in going any further. As long as people''s interests do not conflict with the academy''s. Most of the time, they turn a blind eye. Because people will not be able to stay here indefinitely, teaching is limited to three years. They must leave by the end of the year, willing or not. "This Luke is going to leave at the end of the year." Why is he behaving this way right now? It is not in his best interests for him to do so. First it was a life-or-death duel, and now it''s a challenge against the May Ford People. His actions are legal, but they are not in the best interests of Hansen." He reflected to himself. He, too, examined Luke''s abilities. He couldn''t help but become concerned about Zack. "I need to remind this kid once more." Mr. Arthur muttered something under his breath. While Mr. Arthur mulls over it. When he heard a knock, he opened the door and let the person in. When he saw Mr. Frederick walk in, he realised those devils (aka May Ford students) had left the building. Seeing Mr. Frederick''s expression, he motions for him to take a seat and inquires, "What did he say?" When Mr. Frederick heard this, he explained everything, including conversations between May Ford students. He then talks about Leon''s remarks. He then urged Mr. Arthur to bring a strong lineup tomorrow, if an event is scheduled. Mr. Arthur furrowed his brows. He was well aware that Leon was up to no good. It would be surprising if Leon did not take advantage of this opportunity in light of Luke''s actions. Observing Mr. Arthur''s silence. "Mr. Arthur," Mr. Frederick said. What should I tell them? They''ll be hounding me for the details." "Only the elders can make a decision." I''ll notify you in the evening." Mr. Arthur reassured him with his words. Chapter 178 - Part Four: May Ford Teams Challenge Mr. Arthur then called Elder Thornton after Mr. Frederick exited his cabin. Elder Thornton''s office, on the other hand, is on the top floor. Suddenly, his sci-fi watch lit up with a notification where he was immersed in reports. Seeing this, he paused his work and answered the phone. "What exactly is it, Arthur?" Elder Thornton asked a question. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, briefed him on the situation with the May Ford students. Elder Thornton remained silent for a moment after learning everything. Then he said, "Luke ah! "Are you certain that kid has a plan?" "His behaviour over the last few days has been strange. Again, he has no reason to compete for the position of Seed Candidate." In a serious tone, Mr. Arthur said. "You mean that brat named Luke doesn''t have background?" said Elder Thornton. Mr. Arthur confirmed his thoughts by nodding his head, then he said, "Yes, his bio data indicated that he was an orphan." However, we are unable to confirm his orphanage information. Because that orphanage was destroyed a decade ago by a monster hoard. In that incident, all electronic data was destroyed. As a result, we were unable to confirm his identity." Elder Thornton''s eyes light up with a startling glint. "Does Luke have anyone backing him up?" He reflected to himself. "Arthur, was Luke met by someone after Zack joined our campus?" he asked solemnly. Arthur didn''t say it directly under that heading. "There were days when his whereabouts were unknown," he replied, taking a deep breath. We couldn''t come up with anything. To be honest, we didn''t think he was worthy of our time. His course, in particular, will be completed by the end of the year. As a result, we never paid attention to him." Elder Thornton furrowed his brows. He was aware that it was a variable. Both of them remained silent for a few moments. Considering the next step. Mr. Arthur''s mind flashed with a brilliant idea. "Elder, why can''t we give everyone a few days off?" he asked. Elder Thornton shook his head and said, "We can''t do that, it will ruin our reputation." Crimson Hall, in particular, is adamant about resolving this issue. They will enlist the help of another academy to wreak havoc on us. Then this matter will go on indefinitely." "Arthur, put Luke''s case aside for the time being. We need to plan for tomorrow''s event. That Leon kid will not remain silent tomorrow just like today." Elder Thornton went on to say. Mr. Arthur gave him a nod of his head. Then he said, "Elder, I think it''s at least better to give Zack a few days off." He is our first choice for the position of Seed Candidate. I have a feeling Leon might challenge him to a duel tomorrow." Elder Thornton agreed, saying, "Not only Zack, give a few days off to other life or death participants." They won''t single out Zack and criticise him this way." Mr. Arthur stated that he will do so following the meeting. They both ended their call a few minutes later. ¡­ In a somewhat opulent hotel in Red Stone City. Leon Stevens and his classmates spent the night here. They booked this hotel as soon as they left the Hansen building. Leon and his friends remained in their respective rooms. Because they reserved a single room for a single person. Because everyone''s training regimen is unique. So, in order to avoid disruption. They decided to go that route. Leon entered his room after making his reservation. After sorting through everything and freshening up, He returned a few minutes later. Leon activated a small barrier to prevent spying and then contacted his mentor. As soon as the phone call connected, he heard a pleasant female voice in his years. "How are things going, Leon?" "Did you run into anyone there?" Carla, the mentor, inquired, surprised. Leon exhaled a sigh of relief and said, "Mentor Carla, Mr. Arthur didn''t give me a welcome, as you might have expected?" Mentor Carla was not surprised when she heard this and instead asked, "Brief me everything from the beginning?" Leon nodded and replied, "When we went to the Hansen building." Arthur, the administrator, was the first person we met. Then we put the Hansen students to the test." Then he abruptly stopped speaking. Because the next thing that happened was humiliating. Luke, a Hansen student, thrashed us. Despite the fact that he allowed it to happen. He didn''t dare to tell his mentor. Carla, the mentor on the other end of the line, frowns slightly as she hears. She then looks at Leon''s holographic image. "What happened next?" she asked. I''m sure you''re hiding something from me. "Please tell me whatever it is." She was watching Leon''s reaction when he abruptly ended his words. Leon exhaled sharply. He knew it was pointless to try to conceal it. Because he knew she''d question fatty about it. That pig is causing me a lot of problems. "When we challenged Hansen students," Leon says. A student named Luke accepted our challenge and consistently defeated us in the next two duels." Carla, the mentor on the other end of the line, was taken aback. She was aware that the other party had allowed their top student to accept the challenge. But Leon surprised her because he allowed it to happen. "Did you forget what I asked you to do?" mentor Carla inquired. It is extremely important. Crimson Hall, our alliance partner, would be disappointed. You would have failed your task if they had known." When Leon heard this, he smiled and said, "Don''t worry, mentor. If I had acted inappropriately earlier. They would have discovered a flaw in it. Now, things are different. I''m competing for May Ford''s good name. I can easily injure a few or all of their students." Carla, Leon''s mentor, understood his strategy. "All right, then I''ll just wait for your call tomorrow." With a smile, she said. Then they both hung up the phone. Leon was well aware that it was a significant event for the May Ford campus. If he was successful. He may be able to earn a quota for admission to a prestigious academy. All of these things were possible for Crimson Hall, he knew. His eyes shine brightly as he considers the possibilities of the future. In any case, others will not be able to defeat him tomorrow. Despite the fact that it is not an official match. With his physical strength, he can injure his opponents. Having that faith in him. He began cultivating for the next few hours. ¡­ (From Zack''s point of view) Zack finished his training for the day a few hours later. He spent the last few hours in the gravity chamber, dessert simulation chamber, dummy training, and laser movements training. Just as I was leaving the training room. Mr. Arthur dialled my number. "Zack, please come to my cabin!" Mr. Arthur''s voice reached my ears as soon as the call was connected. Then, without thinking further, I walk towards his cabin. I approached his cabin and knocked on the door a few moments later. I walked inside and sat in the opposite seat after Mr. Arthur let me in. Mr. Arthur was as usual preoccupied with his work. He came to a halt when he saw me approaching. "Do you understand why I summoned you here?" Mr. Arthur was curious. Hearing that, I had an idea. "Does it have anything to do with the May Fords?" In a solemn tone, I said. Mr. Arthur sighed and nodded, "You don''t have to come here tomorrow." Management has decided to give you and a few others some time off." Hearing that, I became speechless because I assumed he was going to ask me to fight them. Observing Zack''s perplexed expression. Mr. Arthur got it right away. "Don''t worry, we don''t want May Ford People''s antics to disrupt a life-or-death duel," he said. "Is that why?" I muttered something under my breath. In any case, it''s beneficial to me. I can use this time to make a breakthrough. Then I''ll pay Mountain Liz a visit. I made a good plan in my heart. "Then it''s fine, Mr. Arthur," I said. But I have another question for you." "Tell me!" exclaimed Mr. Arthur. "I''m in need of a few more blood essence pills," I explained. Mr. Arthur was taken aback when he heard this. "Why do you need blood essence?" he replied. It is used as a supplement to treat the warrior''s lack of blood essence. Other than that, it serves no purpose." He obviously doesn''t understand why Zack requires these pills. Hearing this, I declared, "I intend to use it in a life-or-death duel." "What if something goes wrong?" Mr. Arthur finds his reasoning to be somewhat logical. "Right now, we don''t have any stock," he said. "I''ll send the pill to you later." Then we both discussed a few other topics. Then I walked out of his cabin and toward the building''s exit. I''m hoping he''ll deliver a few blood essence pills in the next few days. I''m going to put it to good use.. I''m not going to have to wait weeks for a breakthrough. Chapter 179 - Part Five: May Ford Teams Challenge (Zack''s POV) I arrived at home a few hours later. After freshening up, I spoke with Uncle James and Granny Park about the incident occurred in Hansen Campus. I spend some time cultivating after a few conversations. Later, before going to bed, I planned my trip to Mountain Liz, my next destination. This visit to Mountain Liz is very important to me. Right now, there is a significant gap between my body cultivation and energy cultivation. I need to improve my energy cultivation so that it is more in line with my body cultivation. I went to bed earlier after making my decision. Leon Stevens and his classmates arrived at the Hansen building the next day. "This time, Leon, you must take the initiative and challenge them. Otherwise, these people will purposefully cause us to be late." Fatty expressed his dissatisfaction. But deep down, he wishes to return home sooner rather than later. Fatty''s words were backed up by his friends. They, too, shared fatty''s viewpoint. "Yes, Leon, these Hansen bastards may deceive us by not holding the challenge event." One of the students expresses his thoughts. "Brother Leon teach them a good lesson today!" said another female classmate. Listening to each of his classmates'' opinions one at a time. Leon Steven was overjoyed in his heart. Then he quickly consoles everyone by saying he''ll take care of it. Then they all went to the reception area. Seeing these people''s outfits. The receptionists immediately grasped the situation. Then she sent a message to Mr. Arthur right away. Mr. Arthur asked her to lead them to the common battle platform after receiving the message. The challenge event will begin in ten minutes. Mr. Arthur''s approval was obtained. The receptionist informed the May Ford team of everything. When they heard that, everyone on the May Ford campus cracked a vicious grin. Leon, in particular, was taken aback. "What exactly is going on?" This isn''t supposed to be the template, is it?" He thought to himself. In any case, if they really want to be beaten, he can give it to them. He walked towards the common battle platform with his friends, a wide smile on his face. They were walking near a common battle platform at the time. Leon Stevens addressed his classmates, saying, "Guys, you go to the viewing platform." I''ll take the initiative and stand here to begin the challenge." Following his words, everyone proceeded to the viewing platform. "Fatty, What do you think? "How long will it take Brother Leon to defeat everyone?" One of the students inquired. Hearing this, fatty responded casually, "I hope he can finish it as soon as possible." We''ll be home sooner by then." He is concerned. He began to chew on some snacks after settling into a comfortable position. While there is some muttering among the May Ford students. Leon Steven stepped inside the common battle platform. A few minutes later, everyone was waiting for the clock to strike ten. The waiting period had come to an end. "Second day of May Ford''s challenge is going to happen in a few minutes," said the announcement. Get to the common battle platform as soon as possible if you want to participate in the duel." The announcement was displayed on all of the displaying screens installed throughout the building. When the announcement was made, there was an immediate uproar. The Hansen students all rush to the common battle platform. They were unable to compete yesterday. They can''t wait to see Luke''s continued triumph. However, not everyone was aware that the participants in the life or death duel had been granted a few days off. After a few minutes, the viewing platform is swarming with people. The May Ford Students were the centre of attention. They were noticed by strange stares. One of the May Ford students grumbled angrily, "These bastards!" Hansen''s stares made Fatty feel uneasy as well. He snorted lightly. However, the rest of the May Ford students were perplexed when they saw Leon standing alone on the battle platform. Unlike the Hansen students, they thought he was just another weak student opposing their Luke brother. Meanwhile, I see that everyone has gathered here. Leon is starting from a distance to see Luke, but the viewing platform is already crowded with Hansen people. However, he has yet to meet the student named Luke. "What transpired?" He thought to himself. He was walking down the street when he noticed Mr. Frederick. When Leon noticed him, he approached him and asked, "Mr. Frederick, why isn''t there anyone here to accept the duel?" "Can you tell me where Luke is?" Mr. Frederick has black lines across his brow as a result of his multiple questions. Inside, he felt helpless. "If he''d known they''d been given a few days off." "I''m not sure how these people will react." Mr. Frederick thought to himself. "He might be late," he replied, noticing Leon''s gaze. "All you have to do is wait for someone to challenge you." Leon raised an eyebrow when he heard that. His responses, on the other hand, seemed logical. Given Luke''s demeanour, it''s unlikely he won''t accept today''s challenge. As a result, he decided to wait for him. Leon then proceeded to the platform. When Mr. Frederick realised it was time for the duel, he exclaimed, "Listen everyone! Anyone who accepts the challenge should proceed to the common battle platform." Everyone''s ears were pricked as his voice rang out. They all burst out laughing. Only one May Ford student knowingly smiled. Fatty muttered under his breath, "ignorant." The rest of the May Ford students smiled as well. This is their opportunity to reclaim their lost respect. While Leon waited for the challenger, one of Hansen''s students stood up and entered the common battle platform. The Hansen student''s heart sings with joy when he imagined about his victory. Yet, He erred in his calculation. He assumed that this May Ford guy would be the same as those who challenged Luke the day before. In the battle platform, he stood opposite Luke. "He is at the Mid level of Trainee Apprentice, I''m surprised he wants to challenge me." He thought to himself. Mr. Frederick, on the other hand, already knew the outcome. Unlike Hansen''s cheering students. He had already requested that medical personnel be on standby. He knew it wouldn''t take long to end this battle. Before the student from Hansen realised what was going on, he was thrown off the battle platform. For a brief moment, the atmosphere came to a halt. All of the applause had died away. Only May Ford students are beaming with delight. Fatty was overjoyed when he saw how long it took to end this duel. If this continues, we will be able to return home soon. All of the Hansen students had a puzzled expression on their faces. "No way, he''s a strong man!" The silence was broken by someone. The rest of them are still in shock. The youth were soon taken away for treatment by medical personnel. Mr. Frederick shook his head helplessly as he observed the students'' reactions. At the very least, that student was not seriously injured. Leon, on the other hand, was dissatisfied. "Who the hell is this jerk?" Where is your most talented student? "Invite him to come here!" Leon''s voice rang out across the common battle platform. The May Ford students burst out laughing when they heard that. They were satisfied inside their hearts as they observed the facial reactions of Hansen students. The Hansen students felt humiliated after hearing Leon''s words. Where one section is debating Luke''s whereabouts. While others inquire about other outstanding students. Then a few students became enraged within their hearts. "I''ll accept the challenge," one of the students said. Everyone turned to look at him when they heard what he was saying. As the new Hansen student steps onto the batter platform. The Hansen students were aware of his abilities. He is a slightly larger-than-average warrior. However, he is not the most powerful person on campus. But they continue to hope for a positive outcome. The way Leon smirked, "I knew this guy was the same as the other." Leon moved as soon as the battle began. He appears in front of him and delivers a powerful kick to his abdomen. Leon''s peak strength was unleashed with this kick. The Hansen youth staggers backwards. Before he could calm down. He was in excruciating pain in his abdomen. "Aaaahhhh," he screamed in agony as he fell off the platform. Fresh blood flowed from his mouth. Some of his internal organs were swollen. If Leon had used his elemental power when delivering that kick. His internal organs would have been permanently damaged. For a brief moment, the atmosphere is deafeningly quiet. Several Hansen students rose from their seats. While some of them roared in rage once more. Other people sat in disbelief. "Waste!" exclaimed Leon, observing everyone''s reactions. His words pierced Hansen''s heart once more. Some of them went to Mr. Frederick to complain. Mr. Frederick has a headache, so he rubbed his temple. "Silence, Go back to your seat. You have no right to speak if you are weak "With solemnity, he said. A few students stopped complaining after hearing his words.. They returned to their seats, helpless. Chapter 180 - Leons Verbal Spat (From Zack''s perspective) "I''ll get to Mountain Liz in a few hours." I muttered something under my breath. As I considered the travel time. I got up earlier today to prepare for this trip. That doesn''t mean I''m not concerned about what''s going on at the Hansen campus. I went to my student account to see if there were any new updates. I was surprised to see the new announcement as soon as the homepage appeared. "Damn!" "The second challenge duel is underway." I didn''t expect the May Ford students to challenge as soon as they stepped onto campus when I read the announcement, I sighed. Perhaps because they are dissatisfied with yesterday''s outcome. Then I pressed the play button on the video of the first duel. Leon annihilating his opponent in the blink of an eye. I knew he was tough deep down. But defeating someone without batting an eyelid only demonstrates how deep he is hidden. As I watched the second duel, my suspicions were confirmed. With a shake of my head, I predicted the outcome of the next duel. Almost every powerful top students on the Hansen campus took part in the life-or-death duel. We were given a few days off, but I wasn''t sure how the May Ford People would react if they knew the truth. I refreshed the homepage, slightly concerned, to see the next duel. ... Meanwhile, inside the Hansen building, Mr. Arthur is watching the ongoing challenge duel from his office. His face is worried, but he has a glimmer of hope about the third duel. The May Ford supporters will calm down and call an end to this duel. However, seeing the expressions of the Hansen students, he felt bad, but it is necessary not to expose the true strength of the top students. Within the general battle platform. Leon is looking forward to the next opponent after humiliating Hansen students. But all he could see were the hesitant expressions of Hansen students. "What exactly is going on?" Even after I uttered those heinous words. Luke and the other strong students are nowhere to be found." Leon is a little perplexed about the situation. He then noticed Mr. Frederick''s expression. Even after those students started complaining about me, he didn''t seem to care. "There''s something wrong!" Leon''s brow furrowed in scepticism. Since no one wants to take on the challenge. Leon reasoned that waiting here was pointless. He made his way toward Mr. Frederick. The Hansen students stopped arguing when they saw Leon approaching their staff. They wish to listen in on the conversation. Mr. Frederick moved his gaze to Leon. His heartbeat began to quicken. "What is he doing, why is he approaching me?" He thought to himself. Leon approached him, and this time he clearly decided to raise his voice a little higher. So that everyone can hear his voice clearly. "Mr. Frederick, "Where has Luke gone?" Leon smiled as he said this. His voice rang out across the entire viewing platform. Leon''s words were heard by all. Among the Hansen students, there was a sudden murmur. They, too, want to know why Luke didn''t show up today. If Luke had arrived earlier. The outcome of the first and second duels would be different. The same discussion is taking place among May Ford students. "Fatty bro, what do you think about that Luke?" one of the May Ford students asked. Hearing that, fatty put down his snacks. "Luke is strong, but in comparison to our Leon, he is not that special," he said after drinking water. I was hoping to see the fight between these two yesterday. However, this did not occur." Fatty began to eat his snacks again, shaking his head. While the same conversation is taking place among the students everywhere. Mr. Frederick, on the other hand, responded, "Leon did not come today." We don''t know exactly why." Leon didn''t believe him when he heard this. He had a feeling there was something fishy going on. But he couldn''t pinpoint what it was. "Then, where are your other top students?" Leon sighed. So, how about them? There is still one duel to be had. I''d like to compete against your best students. Otherwise, I''ll tell the outside world that your campus is teaching wimps, cowards, and trash warriors." "You!" Mr. Frederick indicated him with his finger. He couldn''t help but pause in the middle of his words. He knew if he said anything else. There would be severe ramifications. May Ford students, on the other hand, were beaming. "How come he isn''t here today?" Fatty made a remark. "In any case, this is also beneficial to us because it allows us to return home earlier." One of the female students spoke up. "No, it would be meaningless if we defeated Hansen''s weak ones," fatty said, shaking his head. Hansen may slander us behind our backs tomorrow, claiming that we did not defeat their strong ones." The rest of the May Ford students nodded in agreement. Hansen students, on the other hand, were in disbelief. "No way, unless Luke brother is truly absent today." "Then who will fight him?" one Hansen student debated with his friends. Then, out of nowhere, one of the female students approached her friend and asked, "Claire, Is your boyfriend''s name Miles? He is also one of our best students," Claire said after hearing her friend''s words. "That guy didn''t come today," she snorted. His mentor granted him a few days'' leave to rest at home." Claire''s female friends all smiled helplessly as they heard her words. Everywhere, the same conversation is taking place. They eventually discovered that the top students had been given a few days off. Knowing that those top students'' friends understood something. Management is to blame for their unexpected departure. As a result, they remained silent and did not say anything. ... More than 15 minutes after the second duel. There are still no top students who have come here to take on the challenge. Leon couldn''t help but become irritated. To carry out his plan, he must defeat Hansen''s top students. He felt a sudden surge of rage in his heart. "I used to think Hansen students were a bunch of jerks. The top students were terrified. They didn''t even attempt to take up the challenge. What a waste of time this is." Leon uttered those words aloud. When his words were heard by all. Particularly on the May Ford viewing platform. In disbelief, Fatty spits out the snack. "No way, this isn''t Leon." What will happen to him?" Fatty thought to himself. Leon despised those vulgar words, he knew. This is not your typical template. What exactly is going on? The rest of the May Ford employees were also taken aback by Leon''s words. It''s the first time they''ve seen their classmate Leon act like this. Some of them opened their eyes wide in disbelief. Female students covered their mouths with their hands. Some Hansen students, on the other hand, stood up from their seats. They couldn''t possibly want to punch the person who is insulting them. In contrast to the management, the Hansen students were unaware of the May Ford campus''s status in comparison to their own. As a result, they began to refute Leon''s words without any prior knowledge. While some students rose from their seats to refute Leon''s claim. At one of the viewing platform''s corners. There were five people who were staunch supporters of Zack Lockwood. They were talking about Zack. "If Zack was here," one female supporter said. We could have seen his combat prowess in broad daylight." Hearing her words, the rest of her friends nodded. This conversation, however, piques the interest of Luke''s supporter. "Harumph," snorted one Luke supporter upon hearing that, "Right, where is Zack?" He is now our current Seed Candidate. It is his moral obligation to defend Hansen. Isn''t that right?" He expressed his displeasure. His voice was somewhat audible. It piqued the interest of other Hansen students. This provided them with an opportunity to defend their favourite. Zack is a legitimate seed candidate. They started talking about him. Eventually, the entire stand is discussing Zack. May Ford students, on the other hand, began to hear their words. "Who is this Zack?" Under his teeth, Fatty muttered. In search of answers, he turned to his classmates. But they, too, appeared to be in the dark about it. "Wait, I''ll ask Hansen students about it," one of his classmates said. He returned a few minutes later and said, "Fatty, that fellow named Zack is the seed candidate of Hansen campus." But it appears that he did not arrive today." Fatty was taken aback when he heard his classmate''s words. A seed candidate is no laughing matter. It is officially bestowed upon strong and potential warriors. Their May Ford campus also received Seed Candidate, but he is far more powerful than currant Leon. His heart is suddenly piqued with curiosity. He''s eager to see how strong Hansen''s seed candidate is. "Perhaps this trip isn''t as bad as I think." He thought to himself. Leon, on the other hand, has heard the name Zack. In his eyes, a surprised glint appears. "Think Hansen campus can also afford Seed quota." What is his name? If I can thrash their Seed Candidate in front of them, It would be best. Then my mission would be completed without further comment.." He hatches evil plan in his mind. Chapter 181 - Crisis Averted He looked around the viewing platform and exclaimed, "Where is your Seed Candidate Zack?" Why didn''t he show up to take up the challenge? Don''t tell me he''s scared as well. Then really your campus is a complete shambles. Waste!" Mr. Frederick couldn''t keep his rage in check this time. "Mr. Leon," he said, staring at him. You came here as a visitor. It is not your responsibility to place orders around here. I believe you had enough of this challenge. You may depart at this time." Mr. Frederick''s words are backed up by his students. Some of them agreed with him. Leon and his classmates were asked to leave the campus immediately. Students at Hansen were also dissatisfied with Zack''s absence. Because he isn''t the only one who isn''t there. They were dissatisfied, but they calmed down. But this time, after hearing Leon''s words. They believed he had crossed the line. They all began to yell angrily at him. Suddenly, a new announcement arrived. It was from Hansen Management, and they wanted all of the students to disperse so that they could return to their training chamber. Many Hansen students were unable to let go of the announcement after reading it. But, They didn''t dare to say anything when they saw Mr. Frederick and the other Mentors. They will be expelled from campus if they do not comply. ... The May Ford Viewing platform, on the other hand. "This time Leon''s reaction is too much," Fatty sighed. Otherwise, we might have seen another duel." Fatty muttered something under his breath. His classmates also shared their thoughts. The majority of them were disappointed that there because of one less duel. The remaining few were relieved to be able to return home earlier. Leon, on the other hand, was filled with rage. To think that Hansen management has backed down right now. His mind has collapsed, and his once good-looking and handsome appearance has now become twisted. "Leon, calm down!" Getting angry is pointless. It appears that the Hansen''s top students were not present today. They would have appeared sooner if not later. Even Hansen students were unaware of their absence." Leon thought to himself. This time, Hansen did a good job of calculating. Even the mentor will not be held responsible. Leon believed he had done his best. He exited the Common battle platform after reassuring himself. By the end, May Ford students had flocked to him. "You did your best, Leon. "Who would have thought there would be no show from Hansen''s top students?" one of his classmates exclaimed. The rest of them exchanged a few words with Leon as well. Leon didn''t even flinch when he heard that. His mind is not at ease. Then they all went to their exit. Seeing that there is no reason to stay here any longer. They all decided to leave the city. ... The common battle platform is emptied a few minutes later. Mr. Frederick felt relieved as he saw the backs of the May Ford students fade away. "This time, we were able to avoid the crisis." He muttered helplessly to himself. Mr. Arthur sat inside the office cabin, watching the entire situation. He firmly placed a new notification to put an end to this matter. Otherwise, Leon''s words will be the catalyst for the conflict. He sighed as he observed Leon''s lack of reaction to the announcement. He was thinking about Elder Thornton at the time. If it weren''t for him, students wouldn''t have a few days off. I''m not sure how many students would have been hurt by then. He felt fortunate on the inside, so he returned his attention to his work. ... (From Zack''s point of view) Hearing my name changes my expression. But after hearing Leon''s statement, I realised what he meant. "Seed Candidate!" I muttered something under my breath. I would have no choice but to fight him. If it weren''t for today''s trip. Leon''s abilities piqued my interest, and I became preoccupied with his techniques and combat strength. However, on the other hand. I understand the management''s hesitancy. Already, I''ve piqued the interest of Crimson Hall. It''s not going to be a big deal right now. I dozed off, shaking my head. The train arrived at the station a few hours later. As soon as I stepped outside, I made my way to Mountain Liz. I''ve become acquainted with the terrain as a result of my frequent visits to this location. I arrived at the Mountain Liz''s location a few minutes later. To cultivate in a good area, I need to climb above to find a good spot. After I had sorted everything out, I began to climb upwards. I''m clearing out the bushes along the way little by little. I found a good hiding spot a few minutes later. After inspecting the hideout, I noticed somewhat area, that my lips curved slightly. I started erecting the tent. Since, I''ve taken a few days off. It is preferable to spend a few days here in cultivation. Just as I was concentrating on repairing my tent. My perception ability activates automatically. I was startled a little because I sensed it. "What''s going on?" I asked myself as I looked around. But there was no sign of life around me. It creates a sense of impending doom in my heart. I took a deep breath and tried to recall what had happened. Unless there is a threat to me, my perception will not activate on its own. "Murderous intent!" "Prying!" I had no inkling of a murderous intent. Then it can only mean I''m not alone here. I gulped down my saliva as I read that. He would have made a move if it had been an assassin. Who else could it be? Stranger? Alternatively, Class Monster. I couldn''t make head or tails of it. I took a deep breath and pushed these thoughts away from my mind. Then I returned my focus to the tent. After I finished setting up the tent, I placed several sensors around it to alert me. Since then, I''ve known I''m not alone. I''m double-checking that all of the sensors are operational. After that, I went inside the tent to cultivate. I slipped my consciousness into my storage ring in order to retrieve the meditation mat. Following the placement of the medication mat on the ground. I sat and cultivated it. I also surrounded myself with isolation artefacts. Outside, the lightning energy will not dissipate. Even now, I believe it is safe to avoid exposing lightning energy in Mountain Liz. I started reciting lightning scripture. My mental rune began to flicker. In an instant, I can feel lightning energy surrounding me. I smiled and began to cultivate. The lightning energy gradually gathered around me. Attracted by the ancient totem, I noticed an increase in the number of energies within me that gathered around the dantian. After a few hours, I notice that my stagnant lightning cultivation is really moving forward. I wish it would rain here, to go along with the lightning and thunder. My cultivation could improve even faster. As if a dry well were filled with rainwater. My dantian is brimming with lightning energy. I smiled as I recognised the dantian state. ... Leon and his classmates, on the other hand, checked out of the hotel. They boarded the train a few moments later. Leon''s expression is still solemn. He was fortunate not to receive a call from his mentor. He didn''t know what to say to her. After all of his classmates had sat in their assigned seats. They started talking. Leon, on the other hand, averted his gaze. When he saw Leon''s behaviour, Fatty felt something was wrong. He didn''t, however, ask directly. He began to eat the snacks. And he began to talk to his classmates. Leon''s sci-fi watch suddenly lit up with notifications. Leon blinked open his eyes to look at it. Recognizing it as a message from his mentor. He sat up straight and read it. He sighed after reading it. His master inquired about the events of the day. She requested that I send her report. As soon as I realised this, I organised my thoughts and began typing the report. I didn''t go any further with my exaggeration. Master can easily discover my deception. As a result, I typed the report exactly as it is. After going through multiple corrections, I sent the report to her a few minutes later. "At the very least, I''m hoping for some water essence pills as a reward," Leon thought to himself. Then he closed his eyes again. In contrast, as part of a daily meeting. Elder Thornton was contacted by Mr. Arthur. But he was unable to contact him. Seeing as Elder Thornton has not responded. He no longer called him. Just as he was about to resume his work. Ms. Adeline Key dialled his number. "What happened, Ms. Key?" Mr. Arthur was curious. "It''s nothing I just saw, Elder Jensen in the building." With solemnity, Ms. Adeline Key said. "He arrived!" Mr. Arthur said. He expected it would take a long time for him to recover from his grief. But he didn''t expect old coot to show up so soon. "Is he up to something else?" He reflected to himself. Ms. Adeline Key, on the other hand, stated, "It''s a good thing Zack isn''t here." I can do my work while relaxing. But you must keep an eye on him." Mr. Arthur returned to reality after hearing that. He gave her a nod of his head. Then they both hung up the phone. Following the phone call, Mr. Arthur went into deep thought. Elder Thornton isn''t here, so I''ll go see Elder Jensen on his behalf. Mr.. Arthur rose from his seat to see him. Chapter 182 - Part One: The Masked Mans Fear Elder Jensen is strolling down the corridor. His grandson''s death, on the other hand, is unbearable. He must keep it together and move forward for the sake of his clan. He was the father of one son. His son has a short temper and his personality is unsuitable for clan management. He expected his grandson to prosper the next generation of his clan. Now it''s all been for naught. Despite this, he wishes to assassinate Zack and avenge his grandson. However, acting directly is impossible at this moment. All he can do is wait for a chance to kill that brat. In the meantime, one must endure. After he had sorted out his inner thoughts. Elder Jensen approached the lift. Just as he was about to press the button. Someone called out behind his back, "Elder Jensen." He turned away from the person. "Arthur!" Elder Jensen muttered between his teeth. Certainly, he has a negative opinion of Arthur. All he knows is that Arthur has never been on his side. Even when it came to his grandson''s death, he remembered Arthur''s carefree demeanour at the time. His heart was churning with rage, but he managed to calm down. "What exactly do you want?" With a poker face, he said. No one can deduce anything from his expression, and the same is true for Mr. Arthur. Mr. Arthur makes it in time to meet Elder Jensen. But, judging by Elder Jensen''s expression, his suspicion grows even stronger. "As expected, this old fellow is hiding something," Mr. Arthur reflected. After hearing his words. Mr. Arthur smiled and said, "Oh, Elder Jensen, it''s nothing, I just saw you." So I stopped by to say hello. You can contact me if you have any questions." Elder Jensen snorted after hearing his words, "Harumph." He entered the lift without saying anything and proceeded to his office cabin. Mr. Arthur smiled helplessly as he watched Elder Jensen''s back disappear. "My hands will be full hereafter," he thought to himself, shaking his head. He then returns to his cabin. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, entered his cabin. His heart is content after carefully inspecting each item placed inside here. He confirmed that no one trespassed after that incident. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, opened the door to his cabin. After carefully inspecting each item placed inside here, his heart is content. He confirmed that no one trespassed in the aftermath of the incident. Elder Jensen sat in his heat before logging into the campus server to get the most up-to-date information. Elder Jensen let out a sigh a few minutes later. "May Ford Academy, what a shambles!" He muttered something venomous under his breath. He, too, saw the video of today''s challenge duel, which took place in the morning. Leon''s face almost turned green as he listened to his statement. "On the campus website, there is no official announcement of holidays." So, where are they? "How come they didn''t accept his challenge?" Elder Jensen reflected to himself. The more he tried to understand, the more dissatisfied he became. It appears that he has withheld some information from him. Typically, their staff will update weekly reports. Where he can learn about important events that occurred on campus. Nonetheless, there is no mention of the arrival of May Ford campus personnel. It struck him as odd. Since Luke fought the day before. Why didn''t he show up today? He shook his head. He decided to contact another Elder to find out more information. He learned a few things from his colleague a few minutes later. For example, Elder Thornton''s frequent absences and the uninvited sudden appearance of the May Ford students. These were one things, but he was also aware of strange activities on the Hansen campus. It''s mostly because of Seed Candidate. He knows a few things about Zack and his current situation thanks to his contacts. When he found out about the intelligence report, he threw a big party for his entire family. "I hope that beast dies sooner," he said. Then he remembered Elder Thornton. His ambition to become chairman has been dashed. As a result, he must remain silent in order to complete his vengeance. As a result, he was unconcerned about his current activities. After thinking about it, he goes through the other important reports. ... At the moment, Elder Thornton is erecting a tend at the foot of Mountain Liz. He is perplexed by Zack''s current behaviour. "What brought him to this small mountain?" There are no class 2 Monsters in this area. Even Class 1 is uncommon." Elder Thornton thought to himself. When he noticed Zack entering his tent. He chooses to spend the night in his tent at the foot of the mountain. This location is quite far away from Zack''s. Initially, he assumed Zack had come here to train himself by fighting Class Monsters. But now that he''s learned more about the Mountain Liz, he''s a little unsure. Zack, on the other hand, is not looking for monsters to fight. He understood unequivocally that Zack is not here to fight. Deep down he want ask him directly at that time. However, according to that esteemed individual. He should not reveal his activities to Zack. As a result, he calmed down. So thinking about it any further is pointless. He then fell asleep. ¡­ (From Zack''s perspective) Zack, on the other hand, is cultivating peacefully. I opened my eyes a few minutes later. I planned at first to practise my sword technique. But my mood has darkened as a result of the strange circumstances that have arisen. I''m not sure if it''s foe or if it''s for a friend. I''ll have to tell Uncle about it. If it had been Mr. Jonathan, he would have informed me. I made it clear after our last conversation. If he wants to keep an eye on me in private. He must first inform me. So I''m pretty sure this incident isn''t the fault of Mr. Jonathan. I furrowed my brows as I considered my next course of action. For the time being, I am unable to practise my lightning sword moves. I have to devote the rest of my time to my cultivation. Even if it isn''t the outcome I had hoped for. I don''t have a choice until I clarify things. I sighed once everything was in order. After that, I began my cultivation a few minutes later. ¡­ The masked man''s face twists in a faraway place in his hideout, as he reads the current report. In a matter of weeks, the majority of the second and third hideouts were demolished. His organisation, as well as himself, are unsure of the enemy. Every single hideout is well guarded. Thought it was a second and third rate, but all of their activities were well recorded. It is not possible for information to be leaked. Since no one knows who the enemy is. As a result, his organisation is not harsh on him. But they still want him to find out anything he can about the enemy. He thought everything was fine a few weeks ago. He devised a plan for the future in which he would sit and relax and enjoy his life. But now, every piece of information is lethal. One part of him tells him about the kill list assassination deep down. "Does it have anything to do with the victim''s family?" He muttered something under his breath. He was lost in his own thoughts as he tapped his finger on the desk. But he has no idea that Mr. Jonathan is to blame for everything. Sir. Lowell McClain''s orders were received. He went from city to city, dealing massive blows to Masked Man''s organisation. Suddenly, The masked man''s sci-fi watch flashed with an alert. Hearing that irritating sound caused him to knit his brows. He straightened his back to examine it. When he saw the name Assassin Ed, his face became solemn. He remembered giving him the order to finish the kill list. He answered the phone and said, "Yes, Mr. Ed." "What transpired?" "I have to ask you what happened?" said assassin Ed on the other end of the line. Certainly not you! I heard a favourable report about your organisation. "It appears that your organisation has hit an iron plate this time." Hearing his words, the Masked Man''s bad mood worsens even more. But he doesn''t want to provoke him. Because Assassin Ed frightens him. Because he appears to be friendly and his conversations are almost casual. But this person, who knows what his inner thoughts were, might kill me without a reason. As a result, he stated unequivocally, "Yeah, it''s true. We weren''t sure who the enemy was." "Ha¡­Ha¡­Ha¡­" Assassin Ed burst out laughing. "To think your actions were exposed this earlier," he remarked. "I''m at a loss for words." The Masked Man is becoming irritated. "Leave it, Mr. Ed," he said. "Could you please tell me why you called me this time?" "Well, I finished my previous assignment." I currently have no assignments other than your request for a kill list." Ed, the assassin, said with a smile. Following on from the recent Intel. He made the decision to demand more rewards from the masked man.. The victim family is almost certainly to blame for their recent problems. Chapter 183 - Part Two: The Masked Mans Fear Hearing his words, the Masked Man was suspicious. "What exactly do you mean?" He asked, squinting his eyes at him. Ed, the assassin, didn''t want to drag this issue any longer. "I need more rewards for this mission," he said with a smile. Since the difficulty level has been raised. There will be more problems to deal with along the way." The Masked Man is not deafeningly deaf "Assassin Ed suspects that some victim''s family is causing their organization''s problems." Ah!" He reflected to himself. But Assassin Ed''s concern is not unfounded. But it''s too late for him to back out of the contract. "Since the order has been placed. Simply go with it." He thought to himself. Furthermore, even though he is willing to cancel the contract, Assassin Ed will not agree. That guy is a resource hoarder. I''ve taken too many blows in the last few weeks. He didn''t have the energy to keep Assassin Ed entertained. "Assassin Ed," he said. Please finish your mission. Is there any reason to expect more resources from me? Our adversary has not yet been identified. We continue to believe it has nothing to do with the Killing List." Assassin Ed is deeply dissatisfied in his heart. He too knows the intelligence report is not confirmed. Otherwise, he''s certain he''d swindle a few more wealth from the Masked Man. "Okay, I''ll contact you after the mission," he said without changing his expression. He then hung up the phone. ... After a few days, Zack returned from Mountain Liz and resumed his normal life. In the meantime, he informed his Uncle of his suspicion. His uncle assured him that he will look into this further. Later, Zack shifted his attention to a weekend life-or-death duel. ... In the meantime, May Ford students returned to their hometown. The following day, Leon Stevens entered the snow-white May Ford Training Centre. It''s a large campus here, spanning several hundred acres. There are several structures along the way. A sky bridge connects each building. Where students walks up from one building to the next. Leon quickens his pace and strides towards his mentor''s office cabin as he notices that familiar budding. There is a separate building for May Ford Training Centre employees. Leon entered the medium-sized building a few minutes later. Where several rooms can be seen. Every room is reserved for the staff. Their image and name are displayed on a screen installed at the bottom of the door. Leon arrived in front of his mentor''s cabin after a few more steps. There is also a picture with a small oval face and curly blonde hair. No one would believe she is a mentor rather than a student. He displayed his identification card on the screen. It scanned his credentials and intimidated to his mentor Carla about his arrival. The technology on this campus is more advanced than on Hansen Campus. This indicates that the city is gradually losing its tier-8 skin and is on its way to becoming a tier-7 city. "Creak," the door swung open. Leon took a cautious step inside. This cabin is literally enormous in size. Aside from the office desk, there are a few high-end chairs and a luxurious couch. There is a minimalistic kitchen, toilet, and a small nap area. Seeing her mentor emerge from the kitchen. "Mentor, I brought the detailed report you requested," Leon said as he greeted her. Mentor Carla was already aware of his impending arrival due to earlier indications. She placed the tea pot gently on the desk and then poured two cups of tea gently. "Take this and drink it slowly." She motions for him to drink it. Leon handed over the report to her server before taking a sip from her teacup. They both sat in their seats. Mentor Carla sipped tea with one hand while reading the report on the screen with the other. While reading the report, she squinted her eyes. He was a little nervous when he saw her expression. "What''s going on?" he wondered as he sipped his tea. Previously, when he returned from Red Stone City to his home. He received a call from her requesting that he compile a detailed report. I was initially perplexed, but now I''m fairly certain that this report was requested by someone from Crimson Hall. With that thought in his head, he sighed inwardly. Then he began to sip his tea while holding nothing. Mentor Carla finished reading the report a few moments later. She sighed deeply and began to drink tea, shaking her head. Leon''s words, "Mentor, why do we have to listen to Crimson Hall?" abruptly interrupted her thoughts. Mentor Carla sighed as she looked at her student and said, "It''s natural." Because of the collaboration. It''s not just us; a few other institutes have also joined forces with Crimson Hall. Crimson Hall rarely requests anything from lower-level institutions. As a result, we must do everything in our power to fulfil their request." But Leon is clearly dissatisfied. "Mentor, you told me earlier that Crimson Hall might reward me," he replied. Carla, the mentor, nodded as he headed his students'' statements. "The rewards are not treasured," she said as she stared at him. "It''s far more valuable than that," she teased. Leon has no idea what to make of her words. "What could possibly be more valuable than treasure?" Initially, he dreamed of getting pills. It doesn''t appear that it will happen." As he reflected to himself, he felt a little helpless. When Leon did not respond, Mentor Carla decided to tell him right away. "They gave you quota to attend their trial for the upcoming exhibition event," she said. However, unlike the other seed candidates who were chosen. You must follow their trail." Leon''s heart raced when he heard that. He was well aware of how valuable the opportunity to participate among his peers was. He can demonstrate his abilities in order to attract the attention of some powerful forces. He was also familiar with the quota system. Seed Candidates from various institutions typically compete in the competition. To appease infrequent cultivators and a few minor forces. They established a quota system for their students to obtain the title of Seed Candidate. It is not easy to take part in this trial. The registration fees alone can bankrupt a small family. This trail is only used by people from large fish. I have a quota to participate without having to pay any registration fees. This is a good for me. Carla, his mentor, gave him some time to process the information. "The trail itself is a huge event," she said a few moments later. However, it appears that they will take place a few months before the main event. When it happens, you must be prepared." When Leon smiled and nodded, he suddenly remembered something. "What about the other students, Mentor?" If they had known there might be some issues." He inquired, hesitantly. "This matter is decided by the heads of two institutes," said mentor Carla. You don''t have to be concerned about that. It''s purely coincidental. You happened to be in a couple of other cities at the time. Which of these is closer to Red Stone City? Even if they knew, they can''t help themselves." She gave him her assurance. Then she remembers something. Even if the elders agreed on this point. These are some conceited students on campus who could cause him problems. "To be on the safe side, stay low key and stay away from our Seed candidates and his companions," she said to Leon. While mentioning our seed candidate. She was disgusted on the inside. It''s one thing to have exceptional talent and strength. However, if the character is flawed. It''s unavoidable to hide from troubles. Leon''s brow furrowed when he heard the word "seed candidate." He''s a lot weaker than that guy. Since Management has given him the go-ahead. He has no major concerns. Only a few students might give it a shot. He was familiar with their Seed Candidate''s personality. That guy will not hesitate to cripple their classmates for minor infractions. If a significant event relating to his area of interest occurs. He will not hesitate to murder me. He shook his head, not thinking about it. He thought he was stronger than Him. However, they both come from strong families. As a result, Leon is banking on his family''s clout. If he tells his family about the chance. They will always be there for him. ... A few days later, the same thing happened. Leon told his family about his opportunity. They were overjoyed, and his standing in his family grew even higher. But you must still wait for the official announcement. Even for trail events, the Crimson Hall would distribute name lists of participants in their trail. Certainly, rumours about Leon''s trail event participation began to circulate on campus. Certainly, some members of management purposefully leaked some information. This caused quite a commotion. However, due to Leon''s strength and background, no one dares to confront him. He is in no way comparable to the seed candidate. Nonetheless, he was ranked as one of the top twenty students on their campus. Only a few of the top ten students were dissatisfied with this. They blew their chance a few months ago when they faced off against their number one student. Now, there is someone weaker than them who has seized such an opportunity.. They couldn''t contain their anger. Chapter 184 - Part One: Breakthrough (Physique)- Special Trainee - Initial (From Zack''s point of view) Today is my life or death battle. I''m not sure whether or not a variable will appear. Luke is the only one I need to be cautious of. There are no other strongmen on our campus besides him. Following my return from Mountain Liz. I got one step closer to making the next big breakthrough. All I need to do now is build up enough strength, and I''ll be able to make a clean break. For my body strength, I only need two blood essence pills to make a breakthrough. But there''s no rush; I can ask Mr. Arthur after the duel. My current strength is enough to kill Luke and the others. The only thing I need to be cautious of is their calculation. I can dissolve their backhand with my perceptual ability. I just hope no anomalies appear. I left home after packing my belongings and made my way to the train station. Along the way, I pay close attention to my power. Even though, for my age, I had already surpassed my peers in cultivation. But I have a strong sense of urgency. Only by unlocking the 7th region of the brain and increasing my body strength to domain level 15 will I be able to relax. I shook my head and pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind. I used to dream about that inheritance test in my sleep now and then. Which constantly reminds me to concentrate on my main goal of passing the test. Realizing this, I smiled helplessly. These days, I feel safe around Uncle James, Granny, and the Hansen campus staff. Even I forgot about my inheritance test because I was dreaming about Saw Scale Viper academy. However, if I pass the inheritance test and gain access to that ancient legacy. I am easily counted among the powerhouses. Despite this, I am not aware of our country''s status as a world powerhouse. But I don''t think my inheritance will pale in comparison. I boarded the train to Red Stone City a few minutes later. I looked through some articles on the server. It''s great that students from May Ford People returned to their original location on the same day. Otherwise, I can''t put up with unnecessary headaches. I closed my eyes and waited for my destination after reading a couple of articles in the server. The train arrives in Red Stone City a few hours later. I opened my eyes when I heard the announcement. And took a step out of the compartment. Then I make my way to the exit. Along the way, I became aware of someone prying on me. I immediately remembered the strange incident I had witnessed at the Mountain Liz. I''m getting black lines on my forehead just thinking about it. Anyway, as long as there is no intent to kill, everything is fine. I can turn a blind eye to it. But I''m not sure how things are on my uncle''s side of the office. I''d be relieved if he could provide me with some information about it. These superfluous things annoy me daily. Then I noticed a white air cab close to the station''s exit. I rushed in and informed the driver about my destination. The air cab landed near Hansen campus a few minutes later. Then I make my way to Mr. Arthur''s cabin. It also became a part of my routine. I make an effort to speak with him whenever I have the opportunity. Several students were staring at me as I walked. I assumed it was the usual gossip spewed by them. But as I continued to walk forward. Their expression is little but gloomy, in my opinion. It''s not just them; some juniors have sad expressions as well. "What transpired?" In perplexity, I furrowed my brows. Usually, these seniors have a bias against me. And they used to look down on me. But what about these newcomers who arrived later than me? I arrived at Mr. Arthur''s cabin, shaking my head. Hearing a knock on the door. He opened the door for me. As I entered the cabin, my steps came to a halt when I noticed Mr. Arthur''s glum expression. What transpired? Why is everyone so pessimistic? Something is wrong, I couldn''t help but think. Mr. Arthur motions for me to take a seat. I nodded and took the seat across from him. "How self-assured are you?" With a blank expression on his face, Mr. Arthur inquired. When I heard that, I knew he was asking about today''s duel. "I''m pretty confident in killing Luke," I said, nodding my head. Despite the fact that his means were formidable. But I, too, have some powerful cards in my hand. So I''m not concerned." Mr. Arthur gave a weak smile when he heard that. Seeing this, I inquired, "Mr. Arthur, What transpired? "Are you sick or what?" Mr. Arthur sighed as he heard Zack''s words. "It''s nothing," he said. I''ve been working extra hours for a few days now. "As a result, I''m a little tired." Hearing that, I had no doubts about him. Even if he is having difficulties, he can seek the assistance of Elder Thornton. As a result, I''m not concerned about his safety. On the other hand, I told him about the students'' strange expressions. When he heard that, Mr. Arthur smiled wryly. He, too, understands the students'' mindset. They were bothered by the humiliation of the May Ford students. It can''t be avoided, given the importance of student and campus safety. Nothing more than a little humiliation. Mr. Arthur shook his head as he observed Zack''s expression and asked, "Did you watch the video?" Mr. Arthur added, "Since top students were given leave that day." I nodded. They were unable to take part in that difficult event. On the other hand, for them no one accepted his last challenge that day. As a result, the match ended with two duels. It only made students a little dissatisfied." That''s why the students were acting strangely. I shook my head in displeasure. It''s natural for them to have that expression because they aren''t aware of the intelligence. Then I inquired, "Mr. Arthur, "How about that blood essence pill?" "Kid, blood essence pills aren''t like candies you can get anywhere. I''ve already told you about this, Uh huh" leave it be, here''s your pill. Mr. Arthur presented Zack with a small wooden case. "Last time you told me you were going to use blood essence pill in a duel," he added. So I went out and bought two pills for you." " Thank you, Mr. Arthur. " I''ll keep the wooden case in my storage ring. With a smile, I said. "Uh, there''s no need to thank me. In any case, it''s not my money. "I''m depleting our treasury." Mr. Arthur responded with a heartfelt chuckle. In my heart, I smiled wryly. Anyway, I''m hoping to make a breakthrough with these two pills. I didn''t think he''d give me today. I expected it to take another week. With this, I can try to make a breakthrough before the match at noon. "OK, Mr. Arthur," I said as I stood up from my seat. "I''ll just go prepare for the game." Mr. Arthur nodded and added, "And one more thing, Elder Jensen has returned." So, keep a safe distance from him." Hearing that, my eyes condensed; I just hope the old man doesn''t pursue the matter. I then left his cabin and went to my training pod chamber. When I arrived at my pod chamber, I scanned my ID to gain access. "Creak," the door opened as soon as the confirmation was given. When I stepped inside, the door closed on its own. Since I''ve made a breakthrough, this pod chamber is the best place for me. In comparison to the outside world, the world''s energy is a little more abundant. This location is always ideal for me to have a breakthrough. Then, without further thought, I placed a meditation mat on the ground. Then I turned on the world energy settings. I can vaguely sense dense world energy a few seconds later. After that, I sat on the meditation mat. I seeped my consciousness into the storage ring and took out the wooden case. Inside the wooden case, I noticed two red pills. Then I read the essence pill''s description. It''s the blood essence pill of a snake monster of Class 1''s Peak level. I only took one pill. My mouth is filled with warm energy. Then, all of a sudden, a warm current courses through my vein as it begins to melt. I started reciting the blood cultivation method. The routine soon resumed as usual. I endured the agonising pain while maintaining my conscious. As time passed, the white energies became ingrained in my bones. I''m starting to feel the barrier again. All I need to do is break through that one major barrier. Seeing the blood essence dwindle. I took another blood essence pill. As the white energies are being drilled into bone this time. My body is changing, and I can feel it. It appears to be an illusion, but I knew it was one step closer to a better physique. Chapter 185 - Part Two: Breakthrough (Physique)- Special Trainee - Initial (Zack''s POV) The movement of white energies slowed as the blood essence began to dry. My skeleton''s red line mark becomes more dazzling. I''m getting a Dred vibe from Red Mark. "Boom," a muffled sound burst from my body. The surrounding dense energy poured crazily into my body. "I finally made it." "Initial- Special Trainee ¨C Physical Strength" My physique has broken through; I can feel my meridians widening and my veins strengthening. As a result, it can withstand powerful lightning current in my veins. My veins were filled with a warm energy. Every cell in my body was pulsing with energy. I can feel a lively feeling, it''s almost mystical. In joy, I clenched my fist. I can crush Luke with just my body strength. With each level increase, my confidence grows. After experiencing a breakthrough, I began adjust my strength. Time passed as I focused on adjusting my breathing. I eventually forgot the time. Afternoon arrived, My sci-fi (scientific) watch flashed with a notification. Hearing that sound, I opened my eyes. I recognised it as a reminder notification for the duel as soon as I glanced at it. I got up from the meditation mat after I confirmed it. ... Luke, on the other hand, is preparing for the duel as well. "I''m not sure?" How did he previously killed those people? But today, I''ll make certain that he suffers the same fate," Luke sneered in his heart. Even Zack possesses middle-level power. He won''t be able to withstand his fist. He has already ascended to the Peak level of Trainee Apprentice Warrior. As a result, he is unconcerned about today''s duel. All he wants is good rewards from the Masked Man. He hasn''t contacted him in a while due to uncertainty. Even today, he is unsure whether he will oppose Zack. The duel has a random selection. But he has a feeling he''ll be up against Zack today. As a result, he immediately dialled the number for the Masked Man. As the phone call connects, he hears an impatient voice say, "What is it Luke, I''m busy today." I told you not to call me for trivial matters." The masked man responded quickly. Hearing his words, Luke has black lines on his forehead. He''s already prepared some questions, but he''s forgetting them right now. For a brief moment, he adjusted his breathing. "Ahmm, Today is a life or death battle for the position of seed candidate. I might get to fight Zack today." Luke spoke in a solemn tone. Masked Man''s eyes glimmer with surprise on the other end of the line. He had almost forgotten about Zack''s existence. But when he heard from Luke, he was unimpressed. His hands were already tied due to an ongoing matter. His organization''s elders were scoffing. In order to find that unknown enemy, everyone is working harder. They were not sparing the organization''s resources. Their organisation is just one of many in the dark world. There are other organisations doing similar work as them. Some of them were also contacted by the head of his organisation. In the hopes of locating their adversary, he also delegated the remainder of the work to Assassin Ed. As a result, he focuses on locating that bastard (unknown enemy). "Boss" "Boss" Luke, on the other hand, utters his name, believing that the Masked Man will not be able to hear him. As a result, he yells in the call. When he hears the words "Boss," the masked man returns to reality. However, he was unconcerned about Luke and Zack. He had already given the order to Assassin Ed. It''s not a good sign if Luke intervenes and demands a reward. Nonetheless, he replied, "Okay, you contact me after the duel." Because it''s a life or death fight. He''ll die if he loses that duel. Even if he is successful, he can hire assassin Ed to deal with him. The masked man then abruptly terminates the call. Luke''s face turned green on the other side. The masked man didn''t give him a straight answer from start to finish. He also has a bad feeling about the masked man. Because it isn''t his place to ask him. As a result, he didn''t dare to inquire. All of his resentment turned to rage against Zack. He wouldn''t have registered for the life or death duel in the first place if it hadn''t been for Zack. Earlier, The Masked Man enticed me to kill him with few rewards. However, his tone has changed and he now appears unconcerned. Luke clenched his teeth in rage. In any case, it''s impossible to know anything about the situation there. He made the decision to deal with the situation at hand. Because he struck another bargain with Elder Jensen. When he remembered that, he smiled, he felt relieved that he had not declined elder Jensen''s request. Now, Elder Jensen will give him his reward. Time passed, and when the time came for the duel, he made his way to the underground batter arena. Elder Jensen returned to the Jensen building a few days ago. He''d already heard about Luke''s prowess from his battle with May Ford Academy. He also found out about his participation in the life-or-death duel. He felt it was a good opportunity after learning that. Because it''s a life or death fight. Elder Jensen thought it would be a good idea to entice Luke with more rewards. Otherwise, Luke will be lacking in motivation to kill Zack. It''s his best chance at vengeance. He doesn''t know if he''ll get another chance if he misses this one. But he has to do it alone. Nobody should be aware of his activities. As he plans the calculation, a ruthless glint flashes in his eyes. "It''s not a good idea to talk to him when there are so many prying eyes around here." Elder Jensen mumbles something under his breath. He knew Arthur appeared to be innocent, but that fellow would inform Elder Thornton about his activist. He needs to meet Luke privately. Elder Jensen eventually met Luke outside of Red Stone City, as expected. He informed him through one of his lackeys. He is able to converse with him in this manner. Luke was unsurprised, but he had already guessed in his heart. That this could be related to the death of his grandson. He waited patiently for his explanation. Elder Jensen''s eyes, on the other hand, shine brightly. It''s as if he no longer feels grief. His current weapon for killing Zack is Luke. As a result, he had a lively spirit. Then Elder Jensen told Luke flatly that he must kill Zack, no matter what the cost. Hearing that Luke''s heart was filled with resource greed. He immediately put conditions in place. His condition is far too severe. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, was unconcerned. He wasn''t even aware of his condition. Even if Luke demands ridiculous terms, his heart is set on vengeance. He''ll give you a nod. Luke demanded free resources from Elder Jensen until he achieved Elite status. Elder Jensen immediately nodded his head when he heard that. Luke became dissatisfied at the sudden realisation that he should have demanded more resources from him. However, he kept it in his heart. He assured Elder Jensen that he would undoubtedly kill Zack. ¡­ A few minutes earlier for the life-or-death fight. Ms. Adeline Key comes into the monitoring room. Mr. Arthur was already in the room waiting for her. Aside from that, Mr. Arthur and his staff perform routine checks on the underground battle arena''s condition. Sensors, lighting, and shield defence level are all included. Mr. Arthur greeted Ms. Adeline Key as she entered and asked her to take a seat. Then Mr. Arthur paused for a moment and inquired, "How is your sparring session with Zack going?" Ms. Adeline Key''s face lit up with an unnatural smile when she heard that. "What happened?" Mr. Arthur asked, visibly stunned. "Did that brat fail the class?" Mr. Arthur was curious. Ms. Adeline Key sighed and replied, "Zack is learning quickly." "At times, it appears that he is already skilled enough that he no longer requires sparring sessions." Mr. Arthur''s eyes light up with surprise. "How is that possible, he has no real-world experience?" It''s nothing like what he does here." He said this in a perplexed tone. When she heard his words she laughed. "Why did you think that?" "I felt strange answering that question." With a smile, she said. Mr. Arthur responded by laughing and shaking his head. Ms. Adeline Key abruptly stopped smiling, and the atmosphere became rather solemn as a result of that brief conversation. "is that Luke is powerful enough to hurt Zack." Ms. Adeline Key inquired, her voice worried. Mr. Arthur''s brow furrowed when he heard that. After watching the video of the difficult duel, he, too, has this question in his mind. Mr. Arthur sighed and replied, "Luke is a strong man. But I believe Zack has a sufficient number of hole cards." Ms. Adeline Key''s heart relaxed after hearing his words. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, is unsure of his words. He was unaware of Zack''s abilities.. This makes him feel uneasy. Chapter 186 - Part One: Zack Vs Luke- Final Face Off (Zack''s POV) My strength is stabilized, it''s enough to kill Luke. Then I exited the pod chamber and headed towards the underground battle arena. ¡­ Since, the announcement was made. Many students skipped their class for this duel. Though, the live broadcasting is banned. It doesn''t stop them from gossiping with their friends and making speculation about the match. Even some went on to held betting. This type of betting is very common among students, it''s also serve as a way to entertain themselves. Many students dissatisfied earlier due to no show from Zack. But still they held it in their heart and looking forward to the match. On the other hand, Elder Thornton also focusing on this duel. He witnessed the progress of Zack as his guardian. But only regret in his heart, that he didn''t see his elemental ability. "Harumph, that brat is done for sure. Does he think, he can live well after killing my grandson? " Elder Jensen sneered in his heart. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) A coupe of minutes later, I arrived at underground battle arena through the lift. This time Mr. Arthur and Ms. Key didn''t came to receive me. They are currently in the monitoring room. But they did send me their wishes through their message. Seeing the huge metallic door, I took a step forward and scanned my I.D. "Creak" the door slip opens. I took a step forward and entered inside. The same metallic smell assaulted my nose. "Why don''t they put some refresher here?" I wrinkled my nose and stepped forward to the Circular battle platform. Just as I landed my foot, I heard "Creak" opposite door slip opens. "Coming!" I looked ahead to see him. This time it''s going to tough. I need to be cautious. Luke with heavy steps entered the platform. Seeing me, his face blooms with vicious grin. " As expected, he is unkind" I couldn''t help but think he has a ulterior motives. I sighed internally, Since the matter comes to live or death duel. It doesn''t matter, whether he has ulterior motives or not. I can only kill him. My pupils condensed having strong determination in my heart. "Zack" "Zack" Luke utters, while taking stride forwards to Circular battle platform. "I really didn''t expect a newbie to have such growth, Couple of months after entering the Academy(Hansen)" Luke sneered as looks at Zack''s confident face. "Well, I it''s just a fluke Senior." I said with a small smile. Hearing that Luke''s face condensed. "Whether it''s a fluke or not, It doesn''t matter today you will die" Luke roared, He made a first move, He disappeared in an instant and appear in front of Zack in a blink of eye. I turned on my perceptual ability in a instant. Seeing that this guy using his fist in full force. I used my palm to block it as defense. Luke twisted his fist, he used his Peak level strength straight away. He want to crack his bones, then slowly torture him to way to his death. Ruthless glint flashes in his eyes as made his mind. Just as his fist came closer to my face. I used my palm to block it. "Puff" I neutralized his fist power directly. Then I used Peak power of Trainee Apprentice, to kick his abdomen. I didn''t want to reveal my full powers yet. Seeing his fist is blocked. Luke expression condensed. "As expected, Peak power" Luke thought to himself. Instead of worrying, he is happy. He really made his preparation expecting Zack to be at Peak Power. Seeing the Zack using his leg kick as counterattack. "Harumph" Luke snorted and rolled backwards. Seeing both of them neutralized their first encounter. They stood opposite to observe each other. On the other hand, I''m surprised that this guy is hiding deep. He is at Peak level. Mr. Arthur is right, this guys is not easy. If not for me having timely breakthrough. Thinks could have been more complicated. But, I''m more intrigued about his element. When I blocked his fist, I felt baleful aura for a moment. This kind of aura is very unnatural. It''s either his bloodline or something to do have with his cultivation technique. So, when it comes to special element, I''m clueless. I never heard such an element has baleful attribute. My interest even more piqued. No wonder this guy is so confident. On the other hand, Luke is excited. He observed Zack for a moment and released his breath(aura). In a moment, the atmosphere around the platform turned darker. His pale white skin slowly changes into dark complex. Within a moment, His whole body looked pale sick. My expression turned solemn, "Bloodline" one word escape from my mouth. The bloodline warrior really makes me jealous. And Luke seems to be succeeded in hiding his talents. Even Mr. Arthur is clueless about it. I took a sharp breath. This handwriting really vicious. May be this guy is doing shady stuff. When I''m pondering it, Luke made an attack. A Giant dark palm formed in the air. He ruthlessly pushes the giant palm against me. "ssshhh" I move back decisively to counter attack it. This dark air makes my heart palpitates. No wonder I sensed baleful aura earlier. "Zack, take this palm and die!" Luke roared viciously as he executed his move. Hearing that I couldn''t help feel he seems to be turned into different person. And what is it with bloodline, I don''t have any idea about it. If I could know which bloodline monster it is. I can ease my heart. My mood becomes sullen. But it doesn''t stop me from counterattack. "Sword Divide!" I slew my dark sword against the dark palm. A radiant purple thunder burst from the dark sword and dashed towards it. "Boom" A bright purple thunder tore through the dark palm. Which dissipated in an instant. On the other hand, Luke''s mouth is wide open as "O". He stood in disbelief. With a horror-stricken face, he uttered, "Lightning". Luke mind went blank. He wasn''t able to think about a countermeasure for a time. Seeing the dark palm vanishes, I immediately executed another sword divide attack. But this time I aimed at Luke. As I swung my sword to execute another attack. Luke stand in a daze, I smirked seeing that. I expected this reaction. He seemed to be caught off guard. As a bursting purple lightning dashed towards him. On the other hand, Luke heart palpitates seeing another lightning attack coming towards him. "No, I can''t face this attack directly." He roared in his mind. He decisively sacrifices the defensive artefact. It''s an earth shield. He instinctively ducks under the earth shield. The shield is very uncommon. This shield is muddy concrete. As the fierce lightning lands a hit on it. "Boom" smoke covers the circular battle platform. Suddenly, I heard a cracking sound. As the smoke slowly clears out. I saw the muddy shield has numerous cracks over the surface due to overbearing attack. On the other hand, Luke hands trembled in fear. In these few minutes, his mood turned upside down. At first, he thought, he could kill Zack. "Damn! This bastard has a special element " Luke gritted his teeth in anger. He is a peak bloodline warrior. Using his poisonous breath he had killed numerous enemies. But this time he hit an iron plate. At this them, he can only wait for him to exhaust his energy. Then he will sacrifice all his artefacts in his hands. He can still feel his veins under immense pressure due to that lightning attack. He couldn''t imagine the result, what would happen if he took the direct brunt. "Damn it!" Luke cursing himself. He side glanced at Zack who is preparing for his next attack. His expression instantly turned cold with certain fear in it. He moved back decisively to widen the gap between him and Zack. I snorted seeing his action. I knew he has some artefacts in his hands. Seeing that it can withstand Peak level attack, I should move with caution. Only by getting closer to him, I can use another lightning attack. After sorting it out, I used my movement technique to get closer to him. My entire attention is on his actions. Who knows he might execute the weird attack again. My mental perception is catching his every action. Then I released Special trainee power. My speed increased further. As a result, I caught Zack within a small breath of time. Luke, made a move, it''s another aerial attack. This time he released a dark gaseous attack on me. My pupils constrict seeing that move. I stopped breathing for a moment. It might be poisonous if I mistakenly inhaled it. It will be disastrous. I feel my eyes hurt a little. "Damn!" I closed my eyes. And I used my perception ability to view him. As expected this is dark breath poison. I don''t know what kind of weird poison bloodline it is. It''s better to finish him sooner rather entangled in it. If not for me having lightning element. This guy really would have a chance to kill me. Thanks to my overbearing element. I kill this weird freak.. I couldn''t help but feel disgusted, seeing the twisted face of Luke. Chapter 187 - Part Two: Zack Vs Luke- Final Face Off I slammed my fist into his chest. My skill level is one step higher than his. This is more than enough to knock him out. When my fist made contact with his chest, he flew backwards and fell to the ground. Luke made a low muffling sound, blood is dripping from his mouth. His twisted face is twisted even more. "No way, how is this even possible?" This is a sham!" "Please get me out of here!" Luke yells. Luke''s reasoning had failed him, and he couldn''t believe what was happening in front of his eyes: loss, frustration, anger, disbelief, and fear. Luke experienced every possible emotion in a matter of minutes. With his injured chest, he attempted to stand. He knew Zack had crossed the barrier and reached Special Trained at this point. He felt that this was no longer a fair duel. "You, please let me go!" Luke began to rant while pointing a trembling finger at Zack. I had a feeling this guy was having terrible mood swings. I''m going to take advantage of this situation to murder him. Otherwise, he might consider sacrificing a few more artefacts. I drew my sword again and made a downward slash at him. Seeing Zack moved his sword. Luke defends himself once more with an earth shield artefact. Despite this, the earth shield had numerous cracks as a result of previous attacks. This time, it couldn''t hang on any longer. When the tip of the blade comes into contact with the death shield. "Boom," another ominous sound reverberated throughout the arena. As a result of the lack of earth elements, the earth shield artefact continued to break. The earth shield artefact is deactivated in a matter of seconds. Taking advantage of the situation, I slashed my sword at his neck once more. In the air, my blade moves quickly. He wanted to return after seeing that artefact become a shambles. Despite this, Zack is making another Sword move. He wishes to use the forbidden explosion pill given to him by Elder Jensen. When he was speaking with Elder Jensen. He believed that the blood explosion pill was unnecessary. Luke demanded that he give him a defensive artefact. But the old fox made me take this pill. I assumed the old man had gone insane to exact his revenge. But who would have guessed that the blood explosion pill would come in handy right now? He swallowed the pill and stepped back enough to avoid the attack. Luke''s blood boils in extreme heat as he swallows the blood pill. This forbidden pill consumes the warrior''s blood essence to forcibly increase his strength. Zack was aware of this. "This jerk is attempting to drag me into the pit." I expressed my displeasure. No, I''ve got to finish him. If this continues, he may blow up his dantian. Seeing a his twisted figure under the stress of an explosion pill. I approached him using my movement technique. Seeing Zack, Luke urged his blood to burn, and a surge of explosive power coursed through his veins. It is the polar opposite of the Special Trainee power, which is obtained by levelling up. I got to close him in a single breath. "Lightning Wheel!" In an instant, an overpowering lightning wheel formed with me at its centre. The wheel is exploding with fierce lightning elements, making one''s heart palpitate. When he saw the attack, Luke''s expression tightened. To counterattack the lightning wheel, he condensed his dark palm. This time, the dark palm had turned completely black. His bloodline was greatly stimulated by the explosive pill. As a result, he pushed the poison elements in his bloodline to their limit. Nonetheless, when the purple lightning wheel collides with the pitch black dark palm. "Crack," the lightning strike was unafraid, and it easily ripped apart the dark palm. Luke''s face had turned pale. With fear, he wishes to flee the ensuing attack. However, it was too late. He took the full brunt of the attack because his attack failed. "No!" Luke screams as he fails to avoid the attack. While the purple lightning wheel slams into his chest. "Boom," Luke flew backwards and landed on the ground like a broken kite. His internal organs had been ripped apart, and meridians had burst open. He had a large hole in his chest as a result of the attack. Luke''s vitality is fading, and he is struggling to stay awake. But, within a split second, He exhaled his last breath. Seeing Luke''s corpse. I gave a pleasant smile. Finally, the variable is no longer present. But, until the end, I couldn''t figure out his bloodline. I sighed and stuffed his shattered body parts into the corpse preserver. The corpse preserver was then placed in my storage ring. Finishing him also put my mind at ease. When I return to home, I''ll be able to inquire about his bloodline with Uncle. Then I destroyed all of the lightning traces in the area. ... When Luke took his last breath, on the other hand. The sensor detected the signals of the last man standing and declared him the winner of the match. The announcement was made. It caused quite a stir among students and faculty. "He won!" exclaimed Ms. Adeline Key, She flashes a gentle smile. Mr. Arthur''s tensed brow, on the other hand, relaxed as he exhaled in relief. "How powerful is he?" He was thinking to himself at the same time. Then they both went to greet him, and he wants to give him a healing pill at the same time. When they both arrived at the front door, "Creak" the massive metallic door slid open at the same time. Mr. Arthur and Ms. Adeline''s expressions changed to disbelief as Zack took his first step forward. Both of them were taken aback when they saw Zack was unharmed. "You, brat, you!" What exactly are you? "How come you don''t have a single scratch on your body?" Mr. Arthur made a wry remark. It''s an incredible battle, he thought. "What a monster! He even killed Luke!" For the first time, he realised Zack was no pushover. He is one of the geniuses of wealthy training centres. "Wonderful work, Zack!" And you really proved your worth this time." Ms. Adeline Key said, smiling. Hearing the sweet words of Ms. Adeline Key. My heart swells with joy. I had a wide smile on my face without realising it. "It''s all thanks to your sparring session, Ms. Key!" I made a small bow to her. That is correct. I learned those instinctive reactions during the sparring session. When combined with perception, it''s become my hidden talent. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, wore a solemn expression. He knew that the more dazzling Zack is, the more trouble he''ll face on the way. He appears to have caught something this time. He turned to Zack and said, "Well, it''s all right, you''re fine. However, this is not the time to be complacent. If they noticed you looking healthier after such a life-or-death battle. Certain people''s curiosity will be difficult to quell." Ms. Adeline Key''s smile faded. She also understands the futility of a dead genius. The growth period is important even for a peerless evildoer. If they are caught in a violent storm during that time. Surviving will be difficult. I sighed as I saw both of their solemn expressions. I understand that now is not the time to brag. Even if I don''t take any action. People will undoubtedly pick up on some hints. Given that the old coot Jensen has returned, it''s not a bad idea to be cautious and low-key. Then I asked, "So, Mr. Arthur, I suppose you''ve already devised some strategy." Mr. Arthur gave Zack a nod. Ms. Adeline Key ears perked up when she saw Mr. Arthur. "Let people know, you''ve been severely injured in this battle," Mr. Arthur said. It will take a long time for you to recover. People can feel secure in this manner. Because you''re both quite strong. It is common for a person on the winning side to sustain serious injuries. "Not like you!" Hearing that, especially his last words to me, made me smirk inside. "By the way, it sounds logical." Ms. Adeline Key agreed with Mr. Arthur''s plan. I, too, thought the handwriting (Plan) was excellent. It doesn''t cost me much to put on a show for my own protection. So I gave him a nod. Mr. Arthur then escorted me to the underground clinic room to bandage me. I twitched as soon as I realised that. Ms. Adeline Key, on the other hand, laughed. For a brief moment, I reasoned that these positive vibes might stick with me indefinitely. I left the clinic room an hour later with bandages all over my body. "Do you think it''s too much, Mr. Arthur?" You truly transformed me into a walking corpse." With a sigh of disappointment, I said. "Ha... ha... Ha..." Ms. Adeline Key laughed when she saw my appearance. I couldn''t help but feel embarrassed little. "It''s for your own good, little boy." You can untie it once you''ve returned home. You must maintain this act for at least five days." Mr. Arthur stated solemnly. I twitched, hoping not to run into any of my classmates. Maria, in particular. She''ll photograph my current appearance.. Then, She''ll later use it to tease me. Chapter 188 - Part One: Staying In The Clinic Room "So I can''t just walk around casually, right?" I muttered something under my breath. We''ve just arrived at the lift''s entrance. So many people are expecting for my arrival from above. Mr. Arthur nodded as he heard Zack''s words and said, "Well, I thought of a good idea, I don''t know." "Are you willing to agree?" "What is it?" my curiosity grew slightly. With solemnity, I said. "Why don''t you stay here for a week instead of going home?" Mr. Arthur suggested. It will be much easier to deal with outside problems." "What?" I''m astounded. The campus is usually closed at dawn. They don''t let anyone stay here any longer than that. Even the management elders leave after a while. "Zack, this is good," Ms. Adeline Key said. Why don''t you stick around and practise? Those people are easily duped." Then she had an idea and added, "If you want, I can keep you company for a week." Mr. Arthur was taken aback as he listened to her. Even I''m going to be speechless on the inside. I''m asking my mentor to be my nanny right now. I, in particular, have my own secrets to protect. I can''t let it get out. As I began to think, my face became solemn. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, asked her, "Are you sure? "Miss Key." Ms. Adeline Key gave a nod. "I don''t doubt your goodwill," Mr. Arthur said with a sigh. However, it will raise a few eyebrows. People are already wary of me if you''re involved in Seed Candidate politics. It will be extremely hazardous for you." Hearing his words, my heart skips a beat. Mr. Arthur is a serious thinker. He even went so far as to calculate. After making a decision, I furrowed my brow. "Mr. Arthur is the right mentor," I said as I turned to face them both. You are not required to participate in this matter. I should probably stay at home. My uncle can look after me." "Well, I''ll ask James to come here," Mr. Arthur said, frowning. He''ll be able to take you home by then." Ms. Adeline Key remained silent at this point. She was well aware of Elder Jensen. As a result, she accepted their decisions. "Well, then, I''ll go back and stay in the Clinic room," I said, smiling. "Here is the room card; without it, no one can enter." Mr. Arthur presented Zack with a one-of-a-kind identification card. Then I saw both of them enter the lift and return to the upper building. Every time there is a life-or-death duel. I''ll be confronted with a variety of difficult situations. I''m getting irritated. It is, after all, to be expected. I''m interested in the rewards that the Crimson Hall is offering this time. My teacher even told me it was good for me. I walk back to the clinic rooms, shaking my head, and decide to wait for my Uncle''s arrival. ¡­ In the campus structure, Students exclaimed when they saw the announcement. Luke''s supporters were dissatisfied. They didn''t think it was possible. After witnessing Luke''s strength against the May Ford students, they knew in their hearts that Luke is a formidable opponent. However, their belief has now crumbled. "How did Zack get so strong?" If he''s that powerful, why didn''t he fight the May Ford students?" One of Luke''s supporters burst out in anger. "He''s right, It appears to be impossible. But now he''s gone," another supporter laments. A similar situation occurs in other parts of the building. A group of students is debating the life-or-death duel. Some teachers even began to talk with their coworkers. They, too, thought the outcome was remarkable. Luke''s classmates and female senior sisters, in particular. Luke''s sisters were in disbelief, sobbing. They had firsthand knowledge of Luke''s strength. "Sister, Luke''s brother has died; what are we going to do now?" "wu wuu," one of Luke''s female sister is sobbing. "I know, I warned brother not to take any chances and participate in that duel." Another sister agreed and began to wipe away her tears. Some of the sisters became emotional and began to cry. Tears can help you cope with your grief. And others became enraged, wanting to confront Zack right away. "Let''s go sisters, we can go and ask that big demon (Zack) for answers," one of the short-tempered senior sisters and Luke''s classmates suggested. Hearing this, a group of strong-willed individuals gathered and followed her to the entrance of the underground building. ¡­ Elder Jensen, on the other hand, shatters the items around him in rage. "Waste" "Waste" "Even after I gave him the explosive pill." He couldn''t possibly kill him. What a jerk! "My resources have been squandered," Elder Jensen grumbled angrily. He began to yell aimlessly, venting his frustration by smashing items here and there. the other hand, When Elder Thornton heard the announcement, he burst out laughing, "He...He...He." "I was looking forward to seeing Jensen''s reaction. "Good... Good... Good." He muttered something under his breath. He hadn''t felt this contented in a long time. Because of the rules, he is unable to request that Jensen be harmed. But this handwriting is enough to satisfy him. Elder Thornton seemed to think to himself, "I should give some gift to that brat (Zack) for making me so happy after a long time," he thought. ... Inside the advanced Class''s discussion hall. Maria Frazier exclaimed with delight. She felt good after seeing the outcome, as if she had won herself. She dashes to the front door to greet Zack. At the same time, a large number of students began to congregate at the entrance, including Zack''s and Luke''s supporters, as well as students who came simply to watch the show. Mr. Arthur and Ms. Key exited the lift at the same time. Mr. Arthur frowns as he notices a lot of eyes on him and asks, "What are you guys doing here?" Return to your classes. Otherwise, there will be repercussions." Hearing some students'' heads bowed in fear. When Luke''s supporters heard this, their faces turned green, and they came to confront Zack. But he hasn''t shown up. The same misunderstanding exists among Zack''s supporters. Maria arrives at the entrance at the same time. When she notices the crowds gathered at the entrance, she quickens her pace and moves closer to the entrance in a few steps. She noticed Mr. Arthur and Ms. Key are among those in crowd. However, there is no Zack. She walks closer to them, realising this, and asks, "Mentor, where is Zack?" "What happened to him? Everyone''s ears perked up when they heard that. They, too, are curious about the answer. But they didn''t take the risk. Ms. Adeline Key turned to Mr. Arthur after hearing her students'' questions. Mr. Arthur nodded as he noticed her gaze. He said in a deep voice as he looked out into the crowd. "Zack was victorious in the duel. He is, however, seriously injured. He is currently being treated in a clinic room. So, don''t make a scene here. Otherwise, brace yourself for punishment." Everyone took a deep breath when they heard that. "No way!" exclaimed one of Zack''s supporters. "He got what he deserved!" Luke''s short-tempered sister and classmate snorted when she heard that. Everyone has a different reaction. However, given Luke''s strength and Zack''s previous track record. Mr. Arthur''s words convinced everyone that he was telling the truth. They didn''t look into it any further. And one by one, the crowd began to disperse. A few minutes later, the crowd dispersed, leaving three people behind. "I didn''t know Luke had so many followers," Ms. Adeline Key sighed. Mr. Arthur shook his head, dissatisfied with the students'' demeanour. Instead of becoming stronger. The majority of them spend their time trying to get into the good graces of powerful people. As a result, he was dissatisfied in his heart. "What are you doing here?" he asks Maria Frazier. "If you came here for Zack, his life is not in danger. You can return to your chamber and train. You''ll be able to see him again once he''s recovered from his injuries." Maria Frazier wants to say something after hearing that, but she holds back. She then nodded to both of them and returned to her class. Seeing Maria''s disappearing back Ms. Adeline Key was depressed. "She is a good kid, and she appears to be Zack''s only friend," she said. "How come we can''t tell her?" Mr. Arthur did not agree with her way of thinking, which he immediately refuted by saying, "We decided to put on a show." And we should keep it going until the end. And she is a member of the Frazier family. There''s no need to inform her. Some things are better left within the four walls of our campus." Ms. Key''s eyes light up with clarity. "I apologise," she said with a nod. "I didn''t think it through." "Let''s go!" says Mr. Arthur, waving his hands. Both of them parted their ways few minutes later, by going back to their cabin. ... Inside Mr. Arthur''s cabin, He contacted Elder Jensen right away. A deep voice rang in his ears, "How is he?" Elder Thornton inquired. Mr.. Arthur, for a moment collected his thoughts, and explained every detail of his plan to him. Chapter 189 - Part Two: Staying In The Clinic Room Elder Thornton, after hearing Mr. Arthur''s explanation. "I still underestimated him," he reflected. "Arthur, you did well," he said with a smile. Now that Jensen has returned, everything is not back to normal. He must be going insane as a result of this information. Even if Zack is injured, outside forces are unlikely to show much malice." Mr. Arthur gave him a nod. He had the same thought. Too much glitz would cause too many problems. Then Elder Thornton appears to think for a moment and says, "I also have some gift here, hand it to the little guy." It is extremely beneficial to him." Mr. Arthur was taken aback by his gesture. Elder Thornton, he assumed, would not be personally involved in student affairs. And what is going on now? He didn''t argue with him and decided to go get the treasure and give it to Zack. They then talked about a few other things before ending their call. Simultaneously, Mr. Arthur contacted Mr. James and briefed him on the situation. Mr. James then agrees to arrive as soon as possible. Mr. Arthur collapsed in his seat exhausted after sorting everything out. ... On the other hand, no one is aware that a dangerous storm is bearing down on Hansen Campus. After a long wait, Assassin Ed has some free time to continue the mission assigned to him by the masked man. "He...He...he...he...he... the little vermin is still alive today." So far, he''s had a lot of good fortune. "Well, I guess I should kill him as my next target," Assassin Ed muttered as he read through the report on Zack. The information is a little out of date. Because he has been travelling so far, the current intel is not up to date. But he isn''t too concerned with the finer points. He is only concerned with the target''s background and strength. At first, he felt contempt for killing a kid, However, since accepting the entire mission. He made the decision to finish it regardless of personal opinion. After reviewing the reports on his wristwatch. He leans back slightly as he closes the file. Then he looks at the time with one eye. "There''s still time to get to Red Stone City," he reasoned to himself. Assassin Ed is currently on his way to Red Stone City via train. Based on his departure time, he''ll arrive in Red Stone City late at night, probably around midnight. Then Assassin Ed closed his eyes and waited for the train to arrive at his destination. ... (Zack''s Point of View) Mr. James arrives at Hansen Campus a few hours later. When he arrived, he made contact with Mr. Arthur. Then they both went to see Zack in the underground clinic room. Zack, on the other hand, is resting comfortably in his med bed. I wasn''t expecting Luke to be so wealthy. But it''s a shame. His storage ring contains no affinity stones. Following the collection of the ring from the Luke Corpse. I''m sorting through the valuables. Seeing as there is a prohibited explosive pill in the storage ring. I couldn''t help but feel enraged on the inside. "This item is prohibited. It is extremely difficult to find a complete pill. "Yet this guy has a couple of prohibited pills in his storage ring," I muttered under my breath. I sat up after straightening my back and pondering. "There''s something fishy going on. He was cruel. Now that he''s gone. It''s hard to say who supplied him." I said in hushed tones. I was about to go through other stuff, then I heard footsteps approaching. I gathered my thoughts and placed the Luke''s storage ring in my storage ring. With the exception of the explosive pill. I intend to present it to Mr Arthur. He could be on to something. Just as I was about to make a decision, I heard loud and clear footsteps. The door slid open with a "Creak." Two individuals entered the room. I twitched when I saw that person. "I thought you were busy, Uncle." I didn''t expect you to arrive so soon." With a smile, I said. True, my uncle James always arrives late at night. Even if he has a few days off. He would rather be outside than at home. But now that he''s in front of me. I''m quite surprised. Is it due to Mr. Arthur? I looked at the other person, who was smiling at me. "I''m already concerned about your safety, you brat." Now, knowing your accomplishments. I''m not sure. "What happens next?" Mr. James stated solemnly. Hearing that, I''m at a loss for words. What should I do in a life-or-death battle? It''s probably because of my opponents that they''re starting to notice my strength. There wouldn''t have been as much of a scene now if it hadn''t been for them. "Cough" "Cough" Mr. Arthur on the other end, "James, you''re worried for nothing." We''ve come to take care of him. No one will ever harm him. So, don''t worry," he assured Mr. James as he patted his shoulder. When I heard Mr. Arthur, I got black lines on my forehead. My uncle is staring at me as well. How come I don''t get it? Mr. Arthur is referring to Elder Jensen and other bounty hunters. While my uncle is discussing assassination attempts on me. At this point, I believe it is best for me to remain silent. Mr. James then sighed and inquired, "So, does that Kid have any relatives?" I smiled wryly as I thought about it. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, responded, "Luke has suspicious background identity." Then he didn''t say anything else. However, Mr. Arthur spotted Zack''s expression was concerned, and he inquired, "What happened?" "Have you discovered anything?" Mr. James looked to Zack for an answer as well. I didn''t say anything, but I took the explosion pill right away. Seeing that prohibited explosive pill in my palm. Mr. Arthur''s face became solemn. As he snatched the explosion pill from Zack''s grasp and began to examine it. "How did you get this illegal explosion pill?" Mr. Arthur inquired quietly. "What?" Mr. James yelled. Seeing their reaction, I went over everything in great detail. Only then did both of their expressions soften a little. "Luke, this kid hides too deep," Mr. Arthur says, furrowing his brow. Even capable of obtaining this prohibited pill" His face had turned sour. Mr. James reflected and stated, "Luke undoubtedly had some contacts with Rogues." It is against the law to sell in stores or at auction." Then he turns to Zack and says, "It''s a good thing you killed him." Otherwise, some hidden danger will exist." "Do you have any other pills with you?" Mr. Arthur inquired. If you are caught with a prohibited pill in your position. Forget about being a seed candidate; you won''t even be admitted to those academies." My heart skips a beat when I hear that. I assumed it would cost me a fine to pay. If such a situation exists. I immediately handed him the remaining banned pill from the storage ring. Mr. Arthur said, "Good," after Zack had gave the pill. "Here, Elder Thornton asked me to give you this," Mr. Arthur said, handing Zack a small green case. "Wow," I muttered subconsciously. The green case was then placed in my storage ring. Mr. James, on the other hand, was taken aback. Then he has some reservations in his heart. He didn''t want to bring it up with Zack. Earlier, on the way, he had gathered information about Luke. Luke is an Apprentice at the Peak Trainee Level. It''s an incredible task to kill him without injuring their hand. He believes Zack recently broke through. But he didn''t feel like asking Zack right now. As a result, he decided to ask him later. Zack, on the other hand, because of the pendant he wears around his neck. It automatically hides Zack''s realm. Except for a few strong elite, no one can see past his current level. Even Elder Thornton finds it difficult to probe. I''m not sure what''s inside the green case. Anyway, if it comes from Elder Thornton, it must be good. Then I remembered something and, with a mischievous smile, inquired, "Mr. Arthur, "Where is my healing pill for this duel?" "What a jerk!" Mr. Arthur was disheartened. A healing pill does not come cheap. He has to give him because he made a deal with him. Then he gave Zack one of the healing pills. Mr. James, on the other hand, smiled and asked, "So, how long do you have to stay here?" It is preferable to leave this location in three days. We can make some headlines so that no one else suspects anything." Mr. Arthur sighed, "It''s too early to say anything; we''ll make a decision in two days." Let''s wait and see how people react." Mr. James had no choice but to nod. He can only decide to inform Zack''s teacher. We talked about a few other things, and I asked my uncle to tell Granny not to worry. Mr. Arthur and my uncle then exited the building. When they left, the clinic room door automatically closed. I then placed the green case from my storage ring in my palm. I opened the case to look at it.. "Ssshh," I exclaimed as I read the description. Chapter 190 - Breakthrough (Mental Space-15%) "Beselles Spiritual Pill" I placed the spiritual pill in my palm. And it observed earnestly. This kind of pill is one of a kind. I always looked forward to get this pill. when I first saw it in alliance auction store, it piqued my interest. Because, this spiritual pill''s main ingredient is a Class 3 Monster, Beselles- Plant type monster. This Plant Monster''s main attack attribute is spiritual. Through numerous research, Some institute come up with recipe of spiritual pill. It is said that it can increase warrior''s mental capacity. But the cost of such pill is not that could I afford. Even for some elite level powerhouse. This pill is a huge wealth. For me, right now, it''s been long time since I got an opportunity for to increase my brain capacity further. With this pill I can increase my brain''s 7th region capacity from 10% to 15%. An exciting glint flashes through my eyes. I didn''t dwell further, I swallowed the pill in my mouth. With in a moment, As warm current courses through my vein. The pills medicinal effect began to work it''s wonder. As a result, I felt freshness in my mind. Such a clarity is like a pure crystal water. At the same time, Beselles plant monsters uniqueness came into play as it further increases Zack''s 7th brain region. Finally, stepping into 15%. Now, Zack''s perceptual ability also increases to range of 15 meters around him. Finally, couple of minutes later. I opened my eyes in ecstasy. "Wow, this feeling feels like spring. There is no hesitation, such a clarity of thought will make my comprehension even more stronger." I mumbled under my breath. This, I have to thank Elder Thornton for such a generous gift. Pity, I only met him once during the conference meeting. If I could meet him in the future, I should express my gratitude. After sorting out my mind, I sighed. Then I lazily laid on couch to relax for a few minutes. ¡­ The other hand, Mr. Arthur and Mr. James parted their ways. In few hours the campus will be closed, except Zack and few other guards of Hansen campus. No one is allowed to stay inside the campus. The food and other necessarily arrangements for Zack were done. A couple of hours later, When the dawn arrives, one by one people start to leave the campus. With in few minutes, except Zack, Mr. Arthur, Elder Thornton and few other guards, everyone left the campus. Mr. Arthur went to Elder Thornton''s cabin. "Knock" The door slid opens, Elder Thornton still laying down casually in his seat. Which surprises Mr. Arthur. "Why is he not leaving yet?" Mr. Arthur said to himself. Usually, Elder Thornton will leave like others. These days he couldn''t see through Elder Thornton. "You came, What is it? " Elder Thornton said with a smile. Mr. Arthur became speeches hearing that. "Well, I had made arrangements for Zack. But, I still feel the power level of our guards is bit low." He said in a solemn tone. Elder Thornton straightened his back. He already plans to protect Zack at night. So, he decided to stay here. If Arthur too insists on staying here that would be too troublesome. So, Elder Thornton began to contemplate. Seeing there is no response from Elder Thornton, Mr. Arthur frowns. "Elder " He yells. Which brought Elder Thornton back into reality. He said, "What is it you suggest then?" Mr. Arthur answered, "Considering Zack''s safety, I felt its better to stay here. Besides, I also assured my friend James to take care of Zack." Hearing that Elder Thornton has black lines on his forehead. He doesn''t want to deny Arthur. Two hands is better than one. But still he doesn''t want to expose his identity as Zack''s protector. After taking some time, Elder Thornton finally decides to agree. "Okay, Arthur you can stay here. If something ups you can call me immediately." Saying that Elder Thornton stood up from his seat and decides to get some fresh air. After getting confirmation, Mr. Arthur gone back to under ground battle arena to check up on Zack. He thought, it''s good to spend time with Zack. Once Mr. Arthur left his cabin. Elder Thornton left the Hansen campus to fool everyone ''s eye. He decided to come back again late at night. ¡­ Time went on, at night. Assassin Ed reaches safely to the Red Stone city. Upon touching the soil, Assassin Ed felt tired. "Finally, To kill a single brat. I covered lot of distance." Assassin Ed snorted. He still feels little disgust. You can spend some little more money to arrange local goons to kill that kid. But he put aside this crumbly attitude. Then he headed towards the local hotel. Which is directly under one of his connections. After booking a air cab, Assassin Ed arrive at medium end luxurious hotel. He already contacted owner of this hotel upon his arrival. Looking at the hotel''s name, Assassin Ed shook his head in funny. The hotel name is "Heaven''s Stay" Just as he steps inside the hotel. A middle aged man in black tuxedo came hurriedly to greet Assassin Ed. Seeing that Assassin Ed coughed little to remind him. Which in turn made Middle age man''s foot step''s to slowed. "Oh, Ricky! Why are you so late? Let''s go back to our premium suite and discuss." The middle aged man instantly come up with false identification. Assassin Ed pleased with his performance, he nodded back. Then both parties entered inside the building. The middle aged man led assassin Ed towards the top floor of the building. Where most VVIP people stay in the premium suit room. On the way, neither of them talked. A few minutes later, both of them arrived at top floor through lift. There were only five large rooms at the top floor. Which is currently unoccupied. The middle aged man led assassin Ed to the last room. After scanning the I.D "Creak" the door slid opens. The middle aged man entered the room followed by Assassin Ed. Then the door closed back automatically. Assassin Ed looks around and observed the room. He casually activates the bracelet artefact in his hand. Suddenly, an invincible waves spread from the artefact and envelops the entire room. A few minutes later, Assassin Ed uttered, "Good" On the other hand, sweat beads dripping from the middle aged man''s forehead. He knew what was going on. Assassin Ed is checking on potential spyware. Upon confirming, he deactivates the artefact and erect another barrier. Soon, a invisible barrier envelops both of them. The middle-aged man swallows his saliva in fear. Assassin observes his reaction and said, "Oliver, Did you finish my work?" The middle age man named, Oliver came back to reality. "Yes, Master! We have collected latest Intel as per you request" Assassin Ed nodded hearing that. Oliver began to explain the information at his hands. Mostly its about Hansen and few other forces around this area. He also filled in Hansen campus today''s life or death duel event and Zack''s injury due to it. Hearing that a surprise glint flashes in Assassin Ed''s eyes. "is it true?" He asked him. Oliver immediately said, "Rest assure master. This information provided by their students. We have collected information from multiple students and staffs. The kid named Zack is injured. He is currently under treatment in Hansen Campus." Hearing that Assassin Ed said, "Okay, You can leave now " He gestures him to leave. Oliver didn''t stay any further, he left the room immediately. Then Assassin Ed fell into deep thought. The Intel is too good to be true. If that brat is really injured then why didn''t they shift him to medical care. Do they have exceptional medical facility at their hands. He clearly knows the institution here is lacks in infrastructure unlike those in Tier-7 city. This what makes him puzzled and confused. "Do any other local forces has eyes on him?" He mumbled under his breath. Since, that brat is really inside the city. Then it''s way better for me. I can kill him here and move onto my next target. Then Assassin Ed made his mind to check Hansen campus. A few minutes later, he left the hotel. After leaving the hotel, He wore dark disguise. Then he headed towards the Hansen campus. At the same time inside the Hansen building. Zack is training inside the gravity chamber. He decide to make good use of his time. He felt its better to train sometime in night. He has to make good use of this opportunity than others. After getting approval from Elder Thornton and Mr. Arthur, He went on to train. The other hand, Mr. Arthur is also handling his day to day work in his time. He is been working overtime past few days. He thought today he got best time to reduce work load on himself. Elder Thornton went back to Hansen campus without alerting anyone. As a Elder and chairman he has some special privilege. Using that, he entered the building though different entrance. He has some nagging feeling inside his heart that something bad is going to happen. So, he decided to stay full alert during night time. Right now he feels Mr. Arthur really made good decision today.. That, Hansen campus is best safe heaven for Zack now. Chapter 191 - Part One: Intruder Assassin Ed arrives at the Hansen campus in ten minutes. "Looks like this Centre has a lot of funding behind their back," he thought as he gazed at the massive structure. He then shifted his gaze to the entrance, where he notices a couple of guards. They were patrolling erratically rather than leisurely. "What?" he exclaimed, taken aback. It''s rare to come across such a trustworthy guard these days. Then he decides to take a look around the building for any variables. A few minutes later, I notice an anomaly and the entire building is shrouded in darkness. He concludes that there is no one in this building. "However, according to intelligence, that brat appears to be staying here for treatment." He muttered as he gazed at the glass structures. Then he came up with an idea. He believes it is impossible to receive treatment without the presence of medical personnel. There must be a medical team here, treating him in a private room. As a result, Assassin Ed decided to break in and take a look for himself. Then, without further ado, He moves. His dark clothing provides him with the perfect disguise in the dark to fool patrolling guards. The patrolling guards didn''t even notice the wind a few minutes later. Ed, the assassin, was successful in infiltrating the reception hall. To get past this point and into the main building, he must hack the Monitoring system. In front of the Monitoring System. "This is a fairly basic standard system," Assassin Ed frowns. It isn''t difficult to crack, but?" He senses that things aren''t as simple as they appear. "I broke through to reach Initial ¨C Elite," he sighs. Even if there will be some inconvenience ahead. He mumbles under his breath, "I can crush them with my bare hands." Then, from his storage ring, Assassin Ed took a mini hacking system. He started hacking the basic system. "Creak," the main hall door slid open after a few moments. As the basic monitoring system indicates a green light. Assassin Ed''s take back is a miniature hacking system and placed it back to his storage ring. Then he enters the main hall in search of a clinic room. ... Elder Thornton, on the other hand, straightens his back and says, "Hmmm." As soon as he receives the instant alert signal. He immediately accessed the notification while seated in front of the massive monitoring system. Elder Thornton''s eyes widen as he notices the main entrance room is open. He got up from his seat. "Someone broke in." As he focuses his gaze on the display screen, he mutters. Every door is equipped with a monitoring system, so it''s a no-brainer. It is impossible to enter without proper identification and access codes. Elder Thornton made a quick decision. He enters the access code and gains access to the underground server system. When the access codes were entered, the underground battle arena immediately cut the power system inside the monitoring system, which was installed in the door. This access code is unique to the underground arena. As a result, every room and area related to the underground arena were locked. As a result, even with a hacking system, no one could enter the arena. ... Elder Thornton then immediately contacted Mr. Arthur. Mr. Arthur sounded surprised as the phone call connected, "What is it, Elder?" "Someone broke into the Hansen campus. I''ve already secured the underground battle arena. So, keep an eye out for the intruder. "I''ll be there." Elder Thornton ended his call with that statement. Then he started looking for the intruder. Mr. Arthur''s heart palpitates when he hears, "How come?" He thought to himself. Then he put down his work and approached the intruder. ... (From Zack''s perspective) Zack, on the other hand, is completely unaware of anything. He felt something when the underground system was turned off. "Uhhh," I heard something go off. What exactly is it? I sat up from my medic bed, perplexed. After experiencing a breakthrough in my mind, I gained tremendous confidence in my ability to solve any problem. So, even at this point, I wasn''t taking it seriously. Then I sat down in the medic bed, drowsily. I''ve only been out of the gravity room for a few minutes. As a result, I began to rest. I decided to go to bed a few minutes later. But then I noticed something as I cast a sidelong glance at the door. The monitoring system has been deactivated. Seeing that raised my eyebrows, but it piqued my interest. So I got up and walked over to the door. Mr. Arthur''s special identification was affixed to it. However, there are no responses from the Monitor system. " It is not possible for the power system to fail." It''s extremely disturbing." I muttered something under my breath. I returned to my bed, somewhat perplexed. Mr. Arthur was working inside his cabin, he knew. As a result, he was unconcerned. ... Assassin Ed walks through several rooms. In this dark corridor, they were all locked. As an Elite, he felt no discomfort. His senses were sharp enough to keep him out of trouble. Suddenly, his senses picked up on movement coming from upstairs. He immediately came to a halt and went into hiding. Mr. Arthur created the movement, which is real. Despite the fact that he is cautious enough not to alert the infiltrator. However, it cannot escape the Elite person''s perceptions. Mr. Arthur could not have predicted this scenario, and he is in a dangerous situation. As he cautiously walks downstairs. on the other hand. "Hmm" Assassin Ed, spotting the individual. "Who exactly is he?" " He thought to himself. A look of disdain flashes through his eyes as he observes the person''s power level. "As expected, someone is looking after that kid," he thought to himself. He had previously assumed that it was impossible to leave an injured child alone in medical care. Assassin Ed has now misunderstood Mr. Arthur to be a member of the medical team. As a result, he intends to keep an eye on him until it gets dark. On the other hand, he uses his senses to look for any traces here and there. Simultaneously, Elder Thornton searches for intruders near the underground battle arena, where Zack is located. Finally, the intruder is on the lookout for him. As a result, Elder Thornton decides to sit and wait for his prey. He is under the impression that the intruder is a bounty hunter or a rogue warrior. So, if Mr. Arthur finds that person sooner, he may eliminate him. As a result, he relaxed a little. However, his ability to hack is troubling in his heart. But all of his speculative thinking is for naught. Ed, the assassin, decides to confront Mr. Arthur. "What exactly is he doing probing here and there?" Assassin Ed thought to himself. Then he appears to think of something, which is not surprising given that they appear to have discovered my intrusion. Realizing this, he sneered. "Nothing will change, even if they find something, because I''m going to kill him." Ed, the assassin, thought to himself. Then he confronts him and demands answers from Mr. Arthur regarding Zack''s whereabouts. Mr. Arthur slowly makes his way to the main hall way. Just as he''s about to enter the reception area. Mr. Arthur''s face was solemn as an overbearing aura engulfed him from behind. As a result, his heart began to beat faster. His back was drenched in sweat. He has a negative promotion heart. Mr. Arthur is startled to hear footsteps behind him. Mr. Arthur made a heartfelt decision. He made the decision to fight whoever it was. "Ever since Elder Thornton became aware of this intruder. He''s got to be on his way. I just have to hang on for a little while longer." He thought to himself. Just as he turns back to look at the people. His face shifted dramatically. The assassin is none other than Assassin Ed in a dark disguise, his face structure altered for the purpose of the assassination. As a result, his true identity cannot be revealed. Mr. Arthur utters one word as he stares at the person in front of him: "Elite!" Mr. Arthur had a gut feeling about something. Respected Elite warrior has infiltrated this location. Things are not within the scope of what these small forces are capable of. "What exactly is going on?" In his heart, he roars. He thought a small fish had entered the house and that he could squash it whenever he pleased. However, he came across a large whale rather than a small fish. "Where has Elder Thornton gone?" He thought to himself. Assassin Ed, on the other hand, completely encircles Mr. Arthur with his elite aura. As a result, Mr. Arthur is unable to move his muscle even an inch. Ed, the assassin, took a step forward and decided to drag him away. Outside, a little further away from the entrance, where patrolling guards are stationed. As a result, Assassin Ed drags him away from this location. In fear, Mr. Arthur''s brow began to sweat. He couldn''t even get to anything. So, he decides to wait and see what happens. Assassin Ed and Mr. Arthur reach the top floor a few minutes later. To unlock a room, he employs a mini hacking system. Mr. Arthur is perspiring even more as he watches the entire process. "This is an illegal product.." "Who exactly is he?" He started to think about it. Chapter 192 - Part Two: Intruder Mr. Arthur was surrounded by Assassin Ed''s elite aura, which he loosened. "Where is Zack Lockwood, Hansen''s Seed Candidate?" Assassin Ed asked, His voice was stern. He wishes to complete the task as soon as possible. Mr. Arthur''s bad promotion, on the other hand, came true. He previously speculated that it has something to do with Zack. But now that it had come true, his mind raced to find a solution. Of course, there is no way to respond to him. He had already promised his good friend James that he would look after Zack. As a result, he is unwilling to back down. Mr. Arthur responded in a low voice, "I don''t know," with a weakened face. The Assassin, upon hearing that response, Ed''s expression became distorted. He realised he was wasting his time by asking here. He only needs to spend a little more time looking for the clinic room in this building. His palm moved faster after he made up his mind. His palm reached his chest in the blink of an eye. Mr. Arthur''s pupils constricts when he sees that, and he knows that if he doesn''t do something, he will be planted. Inside, he was already dressed in an armoured suit. He infused the armour suit with his entire essence. "Boom" The Assassin Ed''s palm collided with Mr. Arthur''s armour suit, causing him to fly like a broken kite and fall to the ground. "Blurt," Mr. Arthur exclaimed, spitting out his blood. There were a few chinks in the armour. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, was unconcerned about these. All he desired was a chance, so he waited patiently. Taking advantage of the situation, he immediately attempts to activate the red alarm signal via his sci-fi watch. "It''s a shambles!" The Assassin Ed''s expression darkened as he failed to locate his inner armour suit from earlier. Seeing that he intends to do something. For the first time, Assassin Ed unleashed his elemental power, shooting ice elemental energy from his palm. "Hysss!" in the blink of an eye. The ice elemental energy penetrated his injured body and instantly transformed it into an ice sculpture. The temperature in the area dropped dramatically. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, failed to notify everyone. His eyes flashed in horror as he felt the essence of elemental power. His internal organs have begun to freeze, and his breathing has become increasingly shallow. Then Assassin Ed didn''t even look at the aftermath of his attack. In search of the clinical room, he moved to other areas. ¡­ Elder Thornton, on the other hand, began to feel uneasy as time passed. So far, he hasn''t found anyone. He attempts to call Mr. Arthur, but the call is not connected. When this occurs, he immediately rushes to his cabin. When he arrived at Mr. Arthur''s cabin a few minutes later. "He isn''t here; where has he gone?" He uttered, then began to walk towards the main hall. While Elder Thornton races from Mr. Arthur''s cabin to find him, Assassin Ed discovers a clinic room in the opposite area. He calmed down when he saw the Clinic room. "Finally, let''s find out where you''re hiding." He thought to himself. Then he noticed the monitoring system that was attached to the room. He started hacking it. "He...He... He..." He uses his mini hacking system to unlock it while laughing. The monitoring system was compromised. And then the door slid open. Assassin Ed walks into the room. He frowns as he notices the room is completely dark, then expands his consciousness around the room. However, there is no result, and no one is present. "How come there is no one here?" Assassin became irritated. Is there another room nearby?" He thought to himself. Then he began his stack in search of other rooms. Simultaneously, Elder Thornton discovers a clue. The temperature in the surrounding area is rather low, and there is some evidence of elemental energy release. He dashes towards the area right away. Elder Thornton''s face froze in disbelief when he arrived at that location a few minutes later. He came across Mr. Arthur''s frozen body. He uses his moves to completely rescue him. The force caused the ice to crack one by one. Mr. Arthur''s pale body is revealed. When Elder Thornton retrieves the body, he immediately sends this warm essence to Mr. Arthur''s body. He discovers active pulse, As the warm currents rush inside, the frozen essence melts little by little. Elder Thornton pops a high level blood essence pill into his mouth after resolving some minor issues. The blood essence pill works its magic as the warm current rushes through his vein. Little by little, the frozen blood began to melt. All of the frozen blood thaws and returns to normal. The warm current of the blood essence pill completely fuses with Mr. Arthur''s blood. As the blood began to circulate, so did the vitality. Mr. Arthur, on the other hand, is still unconscious and has not been awakened. Elder Thornton examines his injury and makes a diagnosis. "Fortunately, he was wearing inner armour!" He thought to himself. Seeing the blood circulation, he gave him another vitality pill to speed it up. Some time later, he confirms that there is no problem with his internal system. Elder Thornton sighed contentedly. "Thank goodness this guy is a strong Peak level Trainee Warrior" Otherwise, it''s impossible to save him," he reasoned. Mr. Arthur is still unconscious, and it will take a few days for him to regain consciousness. He''ll be fine after that. Elder Thornton''s face tightened as he considered the intruder. It is not something that a low-level intruder can do. "Elite level strength and hacking ability." Who is the adversary? I need to inform that esteemed individual." He reflected to himself. Given Mr. Arthur''s condition, that''s correct. Elder Thornton recognised that his opponent is Elite or higher. If two elite level warriors fight each other. The surrounding area were then reduced to ruins. As a result, Elder Thornton spends the majority of his time reserving his physical energy. As often as possible. He couldn''t imagine what would happen if two of them got into a fight inside the building. Elder Thornton then carried Arthur''s body to the treatment room. He really wants to call the hospital, but there is still an intruder inside. He doesn''t want to be the cause of any casualties. As a result, He deicdes to place his body in a clinic room. Then he''ll track down the intruder. In any case, the underground battle arena is safe. As a result, he is unconcerned. Assassin Ed, on the other hand, began ranting furiously, "Could it be that intel is incorrect? What happened to him? No, because that guy didn''t respond earlier. "I believe they put that brat in a safe place." From bottom to top, he nearly covered the entire area. Nonetheless, he came up empty-handed. He began to race his mind in an attempt to find a solution. "Perhaps they have some hidden facility." He thought to himself. Then he checks the potential location right away. First, he rushes to the underground arena''s entrance. Elder Thornton arrives in the clinic room at the same time. His footsteps came to a halt. He noticed the clinic room was open. To check, he cautiously spreads his consciousness. He rushes inside when he notices that no one is there. "He came to get Zack!" This is not something Crimson Hall is capable of accomplishing. It appears that the handwriting behind the scenes is quite large; I need to know who the enemy is. Otherwise, that kid will have a difficult time escaping." Elder Thornton reflected to himself. Elder Thornton''s expression is solemn; he, too, is an Elite warrior. However, considering the opponent''s elemental ability and other unknown hole cards. He began to have reservations, but he decided to confront him. He, too, has additional responsibility to attack the intruder as Chairman of the Hansen campus. Following the placement of Mr. Arthur''s body in the med bed. To monitor his body, he activates the room''s medicinal ability. He modifies the monitoring system''s access code to his personal finger print after completing some previous procedures. Even with a hacking system, it will be difficult to change the access. He then exits the clinic room in search of the intruder. If his speculation is correct, he rushes to the underground battle arena. He might run into him there. Assassin Ed appears at the entrance to the underground battle arena a few minutes later. "Something is wrong with the rooms around here." He reflected to himself. He couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows when he noticed the deactivated monitoring system. So far, he has not discovered a single room with a deactivated system. He was thinking about it when he heard footsteps behind him. "Well, I can save sometime," Assassin Ed sneered inside. "The prey approaches the hunter." Elder Thornton, on the other hand, noticed Assassin Ed. At the same time, his expression tightened. "Can you tell me your name?" As he released his Elite aura, Elder Thornton inquired. When Assassin Ed hears that he turns around, his lips curved slightly as he sees the old man. "Interesting!" He reflected to himself. "Who would have guessed, a dignified elite warrior working late at night on this campus," Assassin Ed remarked sarcastically. "Harumph!" Elder Thornton responded with a snort. Chapter 193 - Assassin Ed Vs Elder Thornton For the first time in this Red Stone City, Elder Thornton reveals his true power. As he runs his bloodline power, his muscles began to bulge and an endless amount of power surged through his veins. Assassin smirked as Elder Thornton prepared to make his move, saying, "I have long heard of Veteran Capt. Thornton''s prowess; I want to see how you can defend my ice elemental power with your mutated tiger bloodline." "You recognise me!" Elder Thornton was taken aback. "He¡­He¡­He¡­" "Well, talking is tedious. Let''s just go at it." Assassin Ed fires a volley of ice pikes at him. Those ice pikes sped up and hit Elder Thornton''s chest in the blink of an eye. Elder Thornton''s defence was heightened as a result of the bloodline surge. Those spikes broke completely, but they were unable to penetrate his defence. "dud" "dud," those shattered ice cubes fell to the ground one by one. Assassin Ed''s expression, on the other hand, has condensed, but he is unconcerned. "He...h...he..., this old coot, even after retirement, his strength hasn''t diminished." He reflected to himself. "Also, otherwise. It''d be too boring!" He forced his mind to unleash his full power. Elder Thornton''s mutated tiger bloodline gives him superhuman strength; he''s like a walking human tank. His strength alone is sufficient to crush any warrior below the elite level. As a result, he must control the momentum of the elite force so that it does not destroy buildings. However, taking a look at the opponent''s unrestrained demeanour. "Fortunately, Elemental warriors'' Physique is not strong," he sighed. "All I have to do is fight him in close combat, and then I can crush his heart in one blow." He reflected to himself. Assassin Ed snorted, "Harumph." He had many battles against warriors who relied on strength. So he already knew Elder Thornton was planning on engaging in close combat. When he realised this, he concentrated pure ice essence in both of his palms, waiting for an opportunity to strike. As the overbearing fist approaches his chest. Assassin Ed is not overconfident, as a breaking sound resonates in his ears. The battle became more intense, his expression became solemn. Assassin Ed took a step to the side to avoid his fist. Just as his fist collides with an empty space. Assassin Ed, on the other hand, shoots his ice essence at his legs. "Hysss!" The ice elements freezes Elder Thornton''s legs in the blink of an eye. Who desperately uses his bloodline strength to break free from the ice. Assassin Ed, on the other hand, smiled viciously at him. Elder Thornton''s heart palpating, Seeing his smile. Assassin Ed took advantage of the situation and slashed Elder Thornton''s neck with his poison dagger. At the tip of the blade, the black poison condensed heavily. Elder Thornton didn''t even think before letting out a time roar as the poison blade''s tip approached him. An oppressive sonic attachment reverberated throughout the area. It''s a part of bloodline ability. Assassin Ed clenched his teeth as the sonic attack began to hurt his ears. He rolls backwards to get a better view of the scene. "You! Bloodline warriors are a thorny bunch." Ed, the assassin, expresses his disdain. "What a waste of Chance, Old Fox; he probably knew what was going to happen; even if it''s a nick from my poison dagger, he can say goodbye to his life." Even with his bloodline power, he couldn''t stop the poison." He became frustrated inside. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, was able to break free from the frozen ice. His sense of liberation is heightened by the sudden realisation. "Assassin? "What''s going on here, Elite Level Assassin?" Elder Thornton screamed from within. Elder Thornton pushes his bloodline to the limit. He wants to end this duel as soon as possible because he doesn''t want to give him the opportunity to release the artefact. The artefact duel at Elite level would completely demolish this structure. Then, in a matter of minutes, they exchanged a couple of blows. A couple of rooms have already been reduced to ruins as a result of the battle. Outside patrolling guards, on the other hand, ran inside the building after hearing a defeaning sound. The duel sound drew the attention of nearby business buildings, but they are still unaware of the ongoing situation. They assumed an internal accident had occurred. As a result, they did not pay enough attention. As the guards entered the building, they were met with destroyed rooms, half-dented pillars, and broken windows. Seeing that, cold sweat began to fall from their brows. They assumed it was some kind of mishap. Patrolling captain, in particular, began to be hesitant to look into this matter. When the surrounding guards noticed the Patrolling Captain''s hesitation, they began to retrace their steps in fear. The patrolling captain tries to remain calm after realising his error. "You guys are coming with me to look for this place." In rage, he yells at his patrolling team. Hearing that, the rest of the guards had no choice but to follow him upstairs. They notice a slight tremor in the building as they travel. When they realised such a phenomenon, the patrolling team, they slowed their pace slightly. "Captain?" asks one of the guards, attempting to communicate. However, the patrolling guard rebuked him for venting his rage and fear on the guards. The patrol captain didn''t want to go any further. His instincts tell him to flee as quickly as possible. He moved forward with his guards, keeping his cool. They arrive at the duel site some time later. All of the guards planted down, feeling the huge momentum of the two elite level auras. When the patrolling captain sees Elder Thornton fighting with an unknown person, his soul flees. "Please, Chairman, save us!" He wants to scream. But he couldn''t because of the huge momentum squeezing everyone. The sound of creaking bones can be heard. Due to the immense pressure, one of the weak guards'' hearts burst open. "Oh! "What exactly do we have here?" Assassin Ed smirked as he saw the squeezed warriors. "Fools!" Elder Thornton yells angrily. "He¡­he¡­Don''t be concerned, he... I''ll take care of these critters." Having said that, Assassin Ed unleashed a hail of ice bullets on the patrolling guards. "Do you dare?" Elder Thornton roared in rage when he saw this. He tries to stop, but he is powerless to do so. He is not a long-range fighter. Some of the patrolling guards fainted due to a weak heart when they saw the ice bullets coming at them. Some people closed their eyes in terror. "It''s over!" said the patrolling captain in his head. He is completely content with his fate. "burst" "burst" "burst" "burst" "burst" As the ice bullets rain down on them, their heads burst open like watermelons, and blood spills all over the place. All of the guards were killed in the blink of an eye. Their bodies are frozen as a result of the remaining energy, resulting in ice corpses. Elder Thornton''s eyes turned blood red from rage when he saw that he had gone completely insane. He immediately attempts to use the explosion artefact. Seeing Assassin Ed''s smile solidified my resolve. ... (Zack''s Perspective) "What!" "This temor, something worse happening out there," I uttered in disbelief. This underground battle arena serves as a safe haven. My heart couldn''t calm down when I heard a tremor sound here. Even with this strong defense, I could hear minor noises. It''s difficult to imagine what''s going on up there. I immediately reach for my sci-fi watch in order to contact Mr. Arthur. I waited a few minutes for the call to connect. But I received no response. Storms were raging in my heart. Then I got in touch with my uncle. "Zack, What happen?" Mr. James was taken aback. When I heard his voice, I said, "Uncle, Where have you gone? "Could you please return to the Hansen now?" On the other side, Mr. James'' expression became solemn, and he responded, "What is going on?" "Please explain." When I heard that, I calmed down and explained the situation to him. But, sadly, he had already returned home. He''ll have to wait a couple of hours to get back on the train. As a result, he informed me that he would contact Elder Thornton. Mr. James, on the other hand, attempts to contact Elder Thornton. From Zack''s words, he deduced that Arthur was spending the night on the Hansen campus. He suspects Arthur will confront those rogues. He believes he may require assistance. He has no idea how perilous the situation is out there. Several minutes later, "It doesn''t feel good; even Elder isn''t answering his phone." Mr. James muttered something under his breath. He, too, believes there is something serious going on. He was familiar with the underground battle arena''s layout. How difficult it must have been to break through that barrier. For the time being, he is unconcerned about Zack''s safety. He is contemplating Arthur. He immediately contacted his colleague in Red Stone City and requested a visit. He also contacted some adventurers to accompany him there. ... A couple of minutes later, Soon, a team of warrior dispatched upon receiving Mr.. James request. Chapter 194 - Elder Thorntons Resolve Inside the Hansen building, Assassin Ed and Elder Thornton are engaged in a heated battle. Seeing Elder Thornton sacrifice the explosion artefact, Assassin Ed''s expression darkened. "What a jerk!" "I can''t keep fighting him for much longer," Assassin Ed thought to himself. Elder Thornton fires the explosion artefact at him, sensing the loss of guard''s life. Assassin Ed rolls backwards to get away from the attach as he rolls backwards. The medium artefact explodes as it lands on the empty ground. As a result of the explosion, nearby rooms collapsed even more. The surrounding area is completely engulfed in smoke. It formed a massive tremor, which alarmed the nearby structures. Every business building began to light up one by one. The news even made its way to the city lord''s mansion. "Harumph" Assassin Ed, on the other hand, snorted immediately. He knew that when the artefact exploded, it would make a lot of noise. As a result, his expression becomes dissatisfied. At this point, Assassin Ed made a quick decision. He ran away from here. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, sees no sign of an opponent. To confirm, he expands his consciousness. Elder Thornton let out a huge sigh after realising that his opponent was truly gone. He turned to face the corpses of patrolling guards. Elder Thornton was moved by pity and regret. He soon heard footsteps coming from downstairs. As his thoughts wandered, he noticed that some people had entered the building. "From their costumes, it appears to be an adventurer league." He thought to himself. Then he walked towards them, doing nothing to those corpses. It''s best left to the city lord''s team. They will look into the situation. Several people arrive downstairs with armour and high-tech equipment. When they saw Elder Thornton, they were all taken aback and immediately bowed. They were aware that this man was the chairman. Elder Thornton later approached them and briefed them on the situation. He mingled some lies with truth. He informed them that some bounty hunters had infiltrated the campus and killed the patrolling guards. Then the scene was later cleared by City Lord''s team. Elder Thornton mediated the situation, and people exited one by one. Then he immediately made arrangements for Mr. Arthur''s treatment at a high-end medical Centre in Red Stone City. It took an entire night to finalise all of the arrangements. Soon, Early morning, Elder Thornton also made an announcement at the same time. "The Hansen Campus will be closed for a while." Early in the morning, news of the Hansen incident began to circulate in Red Stone City. It caused massive waves, and several intelligence forces began to gather information one by one. ¡­ (From Zack''s Point of View) Elder Thornton arrived with Mr. James to pay Zack a visit in the underground battle arena. Mr. James was already aware of the situation thanks to Elder Thornton''s words. The rest of the world only knows that some bounty hunters broke into the Hansen campus. But when he heard about a real-life situation, a shiver ran down his spine. He couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat as learnt of elite level assassin. Both of them then entered the clinic room. Previously, Elder Thornton modifies the access code that serves as his fingerprint in the monitoring system. The door opened when he scanned his finger print. "Creak" As the door opened, I noticed Elder Thornton and Uncle James enter. "Elder" and "Uncle," I said solemnly as I stood up. "Fortunately, you were shifted here yesterday," Elder Thornton said to Zack. Otherwise, you might not have lived." Mr. James, on the other hand, responded, "Yes, Zack, Elder Thornton is to be thanked. You made it through the night." Hearing that, my expression became solemn. I was aware of an accident that occurred the night before. At one point in particular, I heard a deafening sound. However, uncle James later refused to tell me. He told me he''d brief me in the morning. I knew right now, seeing their solemn expression, that movement was not insignificant. "Uncle, can you tell me now?" I asked, looking at them. What transpired? "I couldn''t sleep last night. " Then they both explained the true situation. My expression was solemn at first, but as I listened further, it changed to horror. "Elite Assassin," I exclaimed in disbelief. Why is this so? I''m a very low-key person. I''ve never met anyone else besides my family and Hansen students. Even I was not present during May Ford People''s stay. My teacher was the only person who could assist me at this time. With Uncle''s help, I thought I could handle things. But, as it stands now, even my Uncle couldn''t avoid facing Elite level Warriors. I''d like to speak with my teacher right away. But when I saw Elder Thornton, I came to a halt. Elder Thornton and Mr. James both gave Zack some space to process the information. After a while, Elder Thornton looked at Zack and said, "Campus has been suspended for a while." Except for a few Elders, no one will enter here. You can practise here at your leisure and improve your level." When I heard that, I nodded and said, "Elder, before that, I''d like to pay a visit to Mr. Arthur." "I''d like to check on his health." I couldn''t help but feel powerless. I have the sensation that a high mountain is pressing down on me. Elder Thornton sighed and said, "You can''t visit him." He is being closely monitored. It will take some time for him to recover mentally. As a result, no one is permitted to see him." "Why?" I couldn''t help but wonder. Mr. James, on the other hand, responded, "You''re not going to understand." Arthur has taken a beating. His mind has been harmed. His vitality is unaffected thanks to Elder. He is being treated in a specialised medical facility. As a result, no one other than medical personnel is permitted." Hearing that, I couldn''t help but sigh helplessly. After a while, three of us arrived at the hallway via lift. Elder Thornton split up in the middle. Uncle James and I decide to eat breakfast at a nearby restaurant. "Uncle, do you think it''s the same Assassin who''s been targeting me?" I asked as I exited the Hansen building. Mr. James, on the other hand, stated, "According to Elder, the opponent is an ice element warrior, with a poison dagger as his weapon." Then Mr. James remembered something Elder Thornton had specifically mentioned to him. "Elder Thornton also mentioned that assassin is looking for you," Mr. James replied, sighing. He broke into the medical clinic room last night." When I heard that, my expression tightened. Then we didn''t bring it up again as we walked through the crowds. We found a good restaurant a few minutes later. Then we sat down to a hearty breakfast. ¡­ Following yesterday''s failed attempt. Ed, the assassin, did not leave the city. According to some, the most dangerous place is also the safest. He returned late at night to his own hideout. He stayed in the hotel''s premium suite. Assassin Ed is currently meditating intently. After a while, he opens his eyes. "Harumph, "It appears that brat stayed inside the building last night" He muttered something under his breath. He began to run his thoughts through his mind. He went through the majority of the locations yesterday. However, he was unable to locate that brat''s location. He had a hunch about the secret facility at the time. However, he is not certain about that speculation. At the time, I ran into the chairman of the Hansen campus. And he was the reason why his entire plan failed. In perplexity, he furrows his brows. He was expending his energy on battle at the time. As a result, he failed to consider an important point. "What was old man up to at the time?" There is also one staff that I shot him with at the time. "There are so many variables?" He thought to himself. Just as he was getting frustrated, the masked man''s face came to mind. "That useless idiot''s information is a waste of time." "Why are there so many variables appearing?" In frustration, he clenched his teeth. Then he appears to have had an epiphany, as he accessed his sci-fi watch to contact his man for the most recent intel. Assassin Ed was later updated with the most recent information. "As a result, they disguised themselves as bounty hunters." As he realised the latest development, his lips curved slightly. "That kid is being pursued by a number of forces." Crimson Hall, in particular. Is it because of the seed challenge?" He thought to himself. "He won''t live long enough for that," he smirked. I should confirm yesterday''s strange situation right now. Why did that old man appear at that time? "Does it have anything to do with me?" Inside, he sneered. Nobody knows about his arrival or, more importantly, his existence. As a result, he must clarify the strange situation that occurred last night. Then make your next move. Assassin Ed gathered his thoughts. ... Concurrently, after parting ways with Zack and his Uncle. Elder Thornton then returns to his cabin. He was able to resolve the majority of the outside issues. Now he has to be concerned about internal problems.. The building has been severely damaged, and restoration will take a long time. Chapter 195 - Trouble Solved Elder Thornton rubbed his temple in tiredness. Now, he has to make plan for solving future troubles. Suddenly, he receives notification from his sci-fi watch. Elder Thornton frowns his eyebrow in dissatisfaction. The name flashes in his sci-fi watch is from troublesome person. Elder Thornton let out a sigh, then he straightened his back to answer the call. As the call connected, a threatening voice rang in his ears, " Thornton, What have you done? Hansen building has suffered numerous damages because of your incompetence. Who is going to take responsibility for this? " Elder Jensen uttered in a vicious smile from the other side of the call. "Harumph" Elder Thornton snorted immediately, "Old fox, Do you forget my old lesson? Or Do I need to teach you again?" Elder Thornton knew from today some snakes will show up their fangs. He already has a good plan in his mind. The other side of the call, Elder Jensen face become distorted hearing that, "Thornton, This time, I''ll see how long you can hold this chairman post." With that Elder Jensen ended the call. Though, Elder Thornton''s reply made him dissatisfied. But he have good opportunity in his hands. Using this current turmoil, he can cause upsurge among the management elders. " Then it will be matter of time before he get his hands on the chairman seat." He said to himself. The other hand, Elder Thornton furrows his eyebrows as he began to contemplate. From this call, he can understand one or two things about Elder Jensen''s intentions. "That guy may have plans in his heart to get my chairmanship position" He thought to himself. To quell any dissatisfaction among the shareholders, He needs to take responsibility for this matter. Though, the opponent is an enemy. But the damage he caused so far is beyond his limit. Such as Reputation, economic, infrastructure damage. He thought of only one person who could save him from this situation. So, he decided to call him again. Yesterday he already sent him a message regarding the incident. Hope he attends now, with sweating hands, he used his sci-fi wrist watch to contact him. As the call connected, Elder Thornton expression become serious. There is already an isolation barrier is active in his cabin. So, he need not to worry about information leakage. An extremely stern voice rang thunderous in his ears, "Capt. Thornton you did well." Hearing that Elder Thornton''s heart set on waves. Thank goodness, nothing happen to Zack. Otherwise, he wouldn''t able to escape alive from this person. Elder Thornton tries to calm heart and said, " Sir, I acted as per your order. But, I don''t know what to do here after. So, I humbly seek your guidance." The other hand, there is no reply for a moment then the voice sounded, "You don''t need to worry about that. You will do same as before, Protect Zack in secret. As for the elite level assassin, he will be no more. " Hearing that Elder Thornton''s expression eased. He let go of huge worry in his heart. Even though he is an elite warrior but facing a same level professional assassin. He needs to have sense of measure in his heart. His immense experience as veteran person in the Army Federation taught him valuable lesson. Elder Thornton smiled and answered, " Then, I''ll do as per your order. " From the other side of the call, the person finally said, " For your internal troubles, People from Army Federation will take care of it including building restoration. " Then he ended the call. Hearing that Elder Thornton smiled happily. Because the other person is Zack''s teacher, Sir. Lowell McClain. So, now he don''t need to worry about Elder Jensen''s antics. Elder Thornton sighed in relax. ¡­ The other hand, Sir. Lowell McClain reading reports in his palace. This report is much more detailed about what was happened in OUTPOST 1012. " There is sign of Elite level assassin targeting several Seed candidates, now, which includes Zack. " Sir. Lowell McClain murmured. His tone is calm and gentle. There is no big waves due to this issue. He knew Jonathan demolished several of their hideouts. He might be busy somewhere, So, no wonder that Assassin got lucky chance. Soon, he felt some discomfort in his heart. He needs to deter those forces even more severely. After sorting out, he smiled gently. He sent a message to Mr. James. ¡­ (Zack''s Perspective) At the same time after having some breakfast from the restaurant, Zack and his Uncle, spend some time in the city. On their way back to campus, Suddenly, Mr. James received message from Sir. Lowell McClain. Seeing that he halted his footsteps. I caught Uncle James''s dazed expression, So in curiosity I asked, " Uncle, What is it?" He is starting at his wrist watch for some reason. Hearing that Mr. James replied, " Ahem, Let''s go back to Hansen campus first." "Hmmm" I nodded at him. After sometime later, both of them reached Hansen building. They headed towards Underground battle arena. Zack, still got Special permission. Though they planned to let him fake his injury. Now, everything has changed due to yesterday''s incident. Elder Thornton lied to outside world, that his own plan to save Zack from bounty hunters. So, he don''t need to stay in underground arena forever. But, still threat of Elite level assassin looming over Zack''s head. Until, the threat is solved, Elder Thornton advised Zack to stay here and train openly. A few minutes later, both of them arrived at Underground battle arena. I scanned my special I.D and the door slid opens immediately, Both of us stepped inside, Uncle James didn''t speak along the way. From his demeanor, I knew matter is something important. The door closed automatically after we entered inside. After stepping inside, Mr. James activated an isolated barrier. Then without looking at Zack. He began to decrypt the message. After decrypting it, he began to go through it. At first, Mr. James expression was solemn. Then as he reads halfway through there some excitement and joy after he finished it. He smiled happily. Looking at my Uncle''s face, My expression become weird. I waited for him to answer me patiently. Uncle James then looked at me and answered, " It''s a message from your teacher." Then he added, " He stated, he already aware of your incident. And he will take care of those enemies, you have to only focus on increasing your strength." Mr. James said with a smile. Hearing that, I''m surprised and glad. Finally, I can spent my energy on cultivation. I don''t need to worry about that elite. Then I looked at my Uncle and asked, "Uncle, Did my teacher stated anything else. Anything about resources?" I looked at him with expectation. If I got strong lightning treasure, I can break through further without any worry. The other hand, Mr. James stunned for a while, then he helplessly smiled and answered, " No, there is no mention of resources. He only talked about enemy." Mr. James then observed Zack''s gloomy reaction and said," ahem, I know. You are worrying about your lightning cultivation progress; but, you have to understand. You already far surpassed your peers comparing to your age and power level." Listening to Uncle''s words there is some disappointment risen in my heart. But I have to be patient. They only knew my lightning cultivation''s limitation here. And they don''t know about my inheritance test. I rubbed my temples, and discared those depressing thoughts. After that, We had some good conversation. Uncle James left the campus for his work. I too went to training room after that. ... Inside the Jensen family building, Elder Jensen is taking with his peers about the Hansen incident. Instead of slandering the enemy, he is instigating some trouble. He is talking about incompetence of Elder Thornton. His thoughts were accepted by many of his colleague. Yet he don''t know that he is going to hit iron plate sooner. Soon, he connected a call with one of the main elder in the management, Elder Smith. Elder smith is one of the minor share holder of the Hansen Training Centre. Elder Jensen is hitching cunning plan. He wants to gather all the support from share holders except main stake holder, the Army federation. Elder Jensen knew, when these kind of incident occurs. None of the share holders is willing to empty their pockets. So, he decided to flare up this incident and plans to remove Elder Thornton from his post. As part of his plan, he contacted Elder Smith. As the call connected, Elder smith smiled and said, "Ha..Ha..Ha..Jensen looks like your desire is ignited again" Elder Smith knew about Elder Jensen''s ambition. Earlier, He supported him indirectly. Due to Elder Thornton ''s strength and support of the Army Fededation behind his back. Elder smith didn''t dare to show his support openly. But, now he has a chance. Because, Once Elder Jensen becomes Chariman. He can use his position to get many resources to his family. Thinking about that prospect, his heart beat in excitement. "Elder Smith, I believe, You knew about the recent incident." Elder Jensen said with a ambitious smile on his face. He is smile is vicious. "Ha...Ha..Ha.." Elder Smith let out a hearty laughter. Elder Smith then commented, " Jensen, this time you must succeed" Hearing that, a ruthless glint flashes in Elder Jensen''s eyes. He even used his own grandson for his plan. Now, he got good opportunity.. This time he plans to take revenge fully. Chapter 196 - Mr. Jonathans Spoils "Fine, do you have any plans now?" Elder Smith asked. He wants to know everything so that he can be ready for anything. Elder Jensen, on the other hand, smiled calmly when he heard that. "No, Elder Smith," he replied. Right now, I''m curious to know who is on my side. I''ll hatch a new palm based on the level of support." Elder Smith was taken aback when he heard that. "Nefarious fox!" In his heart, he said. "Then, Elder Jensen, do inform me of recent updates," he said with a smile. You know me, I won''t jump in unless I''m certain I''ll survive." Elder Jensen laughed heartily as he listened to his words. "Don''t worry, Elder Smith," he said, assuring him. After I devised my strategy. Naturally, the first person who will take it from me is you." Elder Smith responded with a smile and a nod. Then they both hung up the phone. Elder Jensen''s smile faded after the call ended. His expression conveys a sense of contempt. He has a negative opinion of Elder Smith. They are both of the same breed. He wants a bigger pie, while Elder Smith wants leftovers. But, deep down, he knew that the Army Federation would get more than half of the pie. "I have to be cautious of those scumbags." In his heart, he said. He was aware that in the Army Federation, people support their own men regardless of their personal circumstances. Otherwise, where would Thornton, the lone wolf, be? Knowing such a treatment makes him envious. Where he and others like him are constantly plotting against one another to gain resources. After calming down, Elder Jensen decides to inform his son, who is currently away from the city, of the good news. ... The next day, A Certain Person is in his room, going over his spoils. He is, of course, Mr. Jonathan. He demolished several Underground organisation hideouts at the request of his Master. He not only destroyed, but he also accumulated a large number of valuable items. He''s currently inspecting the spoils inside the storage ring. The majority of them were affinity stones, meaning they were affinity stones of common natural elements. Mr. Jonathan is suddenly drawn to something, and he focuses his attention on it. It''s a metal container. He took it out and opened it out of curiosity. When he sees that object, his eyes light up with joy. "Wood of Thunder Spirit" He murmurs the name of a rare treasure. To be certain, he conducts additional research. Then a look of disappointment flashes across his face. "This wood is a piece of a massive trunk." It has a natural concentration of thunder attribute. Perhaps this tree is located in a lightning-prone area." He reflected to himself. His disappointment stems from the fact that it isn''t a rare treasure. These types of thunder attributed wood are fairly common. It is used as an auxiliary item in other branches. "If it''s a special treasure, it''ll be a huge gain for Zack; however, given the current state of the wood. I believe it is sufficient to support his current cultivation. There is still a significant amount of Lightning Energy in it." He reflected to himself. Similarly, he is carefully sorting out the spoils that are useful to Zack. Normally, in this type of mission, he received all of the spoils. Zack is a member of the Lightning system. He reasoned that it would be better to give it to him rather than sell it to others. "Ring" Mr. Jonathan''s wrist watch beeps with a notification at this point. He straightened his back and sat up. Because he has received this notification from his master. He quickly activated an isolated barrier around himself. This isolation barrier is many times stronger than the basic standard barrier. Even the most skilled warriors will have difficulty snooping for information. He attends the call after erecting the barrier. Instead of a holographic image, he heard a voice. "Are you aware? "What occurred in Red Stone City?" Sir. Lowell McClain inquired calmly. Listening to his Master''s words, Mr. Jonathan''s heart skips a beat. "It''s not something bad, is it?" His rational mind is working hard to find solutions. Mr. Jonathan didn''t want to lie to his Master, so he simply stated, "Sorry, Master. "I haven''t kept up with the latest news." "Hmm, it''s fine. I''ll send you the intelligence report, from which you can learn. Stop whatever you''re doing right now. Later, purchase some rare attribute Peak Class 2 Monster cores and personally deliver them to Zack." Sir. Lowell McClain gave him some instructions. "After finishing meeting up with him," Sir. Lowell McClain added. Come to me; I have a new assignment for you." Mr. Jonathan responded, "Well, it''s fine Master. "I''ll do whatever you say." They then hung up the phone. Mr. Jonathan began reading the report right away; it is a detailed one. Even Red Stone City''s City Lord does not have such a detailed report on his desk. Mr. Jonathan''s expression is calm and composed at first, but he loses his cool after the middle section. He then calmed down and continued reading the report until the end. "This is the same person who initially targeted Zack. He has now been promoted to Elite. Fortunately, Master had predicted something similar. Otherwise, the outcome would be irreversible." He thought to himself. He has already begun preparing spoils for Zack. He now has the opportunity to pay him a personal visit. He is overjoyed about it. ... (From Zack''s perspective) My training speed appears to have slowed. Some training chambers had high requirements, while others were very basic to me. " I''m at a loss for what to do now." As I stepped out of the gravity chamber, I mumbled under my breath. Only my essence needs to be upgraded because my physique is at the second level. I''m hoping to come across some natural treasures. As I walked down the corridor, my steps slowed as I noticed a few workers. I wandered over to that location out of curiosity. "Huh!" Surprisingly, I blurted out. The restoration process is well underway. Who could it possibly be? Our management is extremely generous. I couldn''t help but have my doubts. I was feeling a little uneasy earlier. Teaching has been halted as a result of my circumstances. I''m not sure how many poor guys were affected by this. "Sigh," I exhaled a huge sigh of relief. In any case, the restoration process is a positive sign. It is hoped that it will be over soon and that students will be able to resume their training. Then I turned around, just as I was looking in front of me. Elder Thornton was approaching me when I noticed him. What exactly is going on? However, he appears to be in good spirits. I assumed he was sulking in his cabin. But now, when I look at his face, it shines like a bright light. It''s fine with me as long as he doesn''t hold it against me. Elder Thornton took a confident stride up to Zack. "Kid, how''s your training going?" he asked, looking at Zack from head to toe. When I heard that, I said, "Ahem, Elder Thornton, it''s fine." But I believe I require a new training platform" Elder Thornton, on the other hand, is eager to probe his level in order to learn the truth. But he didn''t want to bother his teacher, the benefactor. The restoration project going on is solely due to benefit of his teacher. So he sensed in his heart. He should do a better job of guiding this kid. Nonetheless, he furrows his brow. As long as he receives the green signal, the Elite Assassin is no longer present. He can direct this child to a better training facility. There are training towers that are managed by all parties. Anyone can participate in the tower and complete the corresponding levels to receive the appropriate rewards. However, the entry fee is 50,000 credit points. Don''t be concerned about the entry fees. Authorities replace the rewards whenever they become empty based on the revenue generated by the entry fees. As a result, he decides to sponsor Zack. However, in order to enter it, a warrior must first be at the Trainee Apprentice stage. After making his decision, he turned to Zack and said, "Zack, Don''t be concerned. I know a better location. It''s known as the Star Tower. I''ll give you permission to go there when the time is right." Hearing that, I''m both surprised and delighted. It''s unusual for Elder to speak to me in this manner. "Thank you, Elder Thornton," I replied. I''ll just have to wait for that day." Elder Thornton nodded and returned to his cabin. Hmmm, star tower. Of course, I''d heard of such places. But I didn''t give it much thought. I don''t have much time to visit there because of my current circumstances. If my memory serves me correctly, it will take two weeks to travel to that city and visit the Star Tower. That position is appealing to the average warrior. However, I have a lightning system. So I don''t want to waste any time. I returned to my new room after I had cleared my mind. Chapter 197 - Part One: Visit From Federation (Zack''s POV) Two days later, Morning time. I''m staying here in new single bed room, inside the Hansen building. Fortunately, I didn''t come across any trouble these days. Rather I would say, people are very busy dealing with their own matters. No one got any time to think about single student. Which is very convenient for me to roam around the building here and there freely. Just as I leisurely lying down on the couch. "Ding" My sci-fi wrists watch beeps with notification. I take a good look at it to read. "Hmm" It''s from Mr. Jonathan, reading the name, I straightened my back to read it fully. After going through the message my eyes lit up with joy. I thought something would be serious. Luckily, his message is like spring breeze for me. "Good!" He mentioned that he brought something which is very valuable to me. I remember last time, I got mutated bloodline core from him. It greatly improved my cultivation back then. "I don''t know what kind of sweet goods he bought this time." I mumbled under my breath. As usual, I will exchange items from Luke''s storage ring to Mr. Jonathan. He also knew my situation. He is currently travelling to reach here. He will reach Red Stone City by evening. He also gave me some hotel address to visit him there at that time. He surely prepared for everything. Which is good, then I will patiently. After sorting out, I went to fight against combat Puppet. Still, I can''t be sulking about my slow progress of lightning method. There fore, I focused my mind on improving skill proficiency. At this time, I couldn''t help but think of Mr. Arthur and Ms. Adeline Key. Ms. Adeline key is taking care of him personally. So, she can''t teach me during her daily fighting session. So, I intent to use this good opportunity to increase my strength. ¡­ At this time, Elder Thornton is visited by People from the Army Federation. So, Elder Thornton patiently waiting for them at the Front gate. He is not the only one, he is accompanied by several other Elders. Including Elder Jensen, Elder Alicia and Elder Smith. Elder Jensen and Elder Smith both of them smiling gleefully. While Elder Alicia reveals a small smile. But inside her heart, she couldn''t stand against these two. It''s not the she turned over a new leaf. Rather she and Elder Jensen, both of them tore each other faces. So, its impossible to stand in same team in future. In these past few days, she also heard about Elder Jensen''s activity. "Like a dead wood, which got a new spring of life. He is been over active lately." She sneered inside her heart. The other hand, She saws Elder Thornton''s poker face. She has a complex expression seeing him like that. She feels it will be hard for Elder Thornton to solve this coming trouble. Earlier, she thought it won''t be much of criticism. Because this incident is caused by enemy. But still people use it as chance to discredit him. Elder Alicia caught in dilemma. She never stood in Elder Thornton''s side, now, she also tore face with Elder Jensen. So, this time she will suffer some economical disadvantages. She let out a long sigh in her heart, Realizing it. The other hand, Elder Jensen and Elder Smith glancing at each other in understanding. There were also some other Elder talking among themselves. "Several Elders, Could you please be quite for a moment?" Elder Thornton said with a stern tone. The atmosphere quiet down a moment after hearing his words. All of them stopped their murmuring. "Harumph" "Thornton, What are you playing now? There is still some time left for people to arrive here" Elder Jensen sneered openly. Hearing that Elder Thornton glanced at Elder Jensen. Then he revert back to his original posture gazing at outside. He didn''t want to waste his time with this moron. Elder Smith the other hand stood silently. He didn''t want to participate in verbal spat between these two. Although he is supportive of Elder Jensen. He didn''t want to act against Elder Thornton openly. He didn''t like to stand out too much. The other Elders stood silently, suddenly, there is a roar of four wheeler on the street. All of them looked ahead immediately. An High end laser installed, an armored four wheeler roared across the street. With in a few minutes, it reaches Hansen Training Centre''s entrance gate. Two people stepped out of the vehicle, one of them is a middle aged man and fourteen year old youth. Elders, all of them surprised seeing the duo. These two people look a like in appearance, both of them were father and son duo. The name of the middle aged person is Adrian Curry and his son''s name is Dean Curry. The middle aged man, Adrian Curry worn a black military uniform. He is distinguished by several medals on his chest. Which shows his valor and courage on the battlefield. He also had two special badges stitched on both sides of his fore arm. There is picture of black knight with blood Sword in his hands, stood in upright posture. Which symbolizes special division in the Army Federation. Adrian Curry, has a typical military cut short black hair. A tall man with physically fit body, hides his overbearing power from others sensibly. His black eyes is shield with black sun glass. A white skin tone and well proportionate face with chiseled chin making him more handsome. His son, Dean Curry, the kid is same as his father. He is wearing academic uniform with light camouflage texture with small academic symbol badge on his chest. Unlike, his father he had a long grown black hair little over his shoulder. Having brown eyes and light white skin tone with slightly thinner body. His appearance doesn''t pale in comparison with his father. Just as these two people glanced at the gate, Elder Thornton walked forward hurriedly to greet them. "Sir. Adrian and Young Master Dean, Thank you for coming here and grace our campus with your presence." Elder Thornton said with a smile. Dean Curry doesn''t like this flattering, So he maintained his poker face. But his father Adrian knew Elder Thornton, So, he let out a small laugh. Adrian Curry smiled and said, " Captain, You don''t have to follow this kind of etiquette." Adrian Curry knew about this old man. This old man had a good career profile in the federation. He also got some good old record to his names. So, He likes to give him a face. But he is here for some other reason. His gaze condensed as he looks at the restoration process. "It''s a quite damage." He said to himself. Some pillars damaged severely, so, construction workers working hard to restore it. The damage is occurred in one part of the building. So, the remaining part is safe and functioning. He could only predict seriousness of damage inside. Hearing that Elder Thornton smiled and led them to introduce other Elders besides him. Dean Curry Stood behind his father, as his father talks with other Elder. At this time, Elder Jensen stepped forward and said, "Master, I''m Elder Jensen. Besides Thornton, I''m one of the active Elders of our campus." The other hand, Elder Alicia snorted in her heart, "Good fellow, He started his famous boot licking strategy." "Master Uhhh, Interesting!" Adrian Curry began to profile his character in his heart. Elder Thornton only had slight headache, He knew Jensen would create some drama before he leaves this place. Then one by one, all other Elders Introduce themselves. Finally, all of them headed back to meeting room. Elder Thornton leads the way, followed by Adrian Curry and his son. Then rest of the elder followed behind them leaving only Elder Jensen and Elder Smith. As the people walked some distance ahead, Elder Smith turned toward Elder Jensen and asked, "Jensen, who is he? Why people from the Army Federation visiting us" Hearing that, Elder Jensen remained silent for a moment. He too doesn''t know purpose of their visit. It seems very unplanned. But he speculates in his heart that they came to inspect the site. Elder Jensen said, "I think they came to oversee the restoration process." Elder smith thought this is quite possible, so he nodded at him. Then both of them increased their pace to keep up with the Elders. The other hand, Adrian Curry looks at the damage site, then he side glanced at Elder Thornton for a second. Then without commenting anything, he gestures him to continue their walk to meeting room. Some time later, Inside the meeting hall, everyone is seated in their seat. The main chair is headed by Adrian Curry, beside him, his son Dean Curry stood in upright position. Elder Thornton seated from his right-hand of side and Elder Jensen seated from his left hand of side. Adrian Curry began the topic by asking some annual reports, budget list and resources list. One hour gone by each and every elders share their opinion and remarks. The other hand, Elder smith has some discomfort in his heart. He hoped that strict looking warrior don''t probe too much in his affairs. The same desperation going on among some elders. Elder Jensen twitched, He is hoping to score good points before him. But this guy is constantly taking about account reports. "Don''t tell me he is like Thornton" He said to himself. Chapter 198 - Part Two: Visit From Federation (Zack''s Perspective) When meeting is going on at the top floor, Zack is training inside the combat chamber. This combat chamber is mostly used by Last year students. Since no one is here, I decided to train for a while. Right now after completing half an hour training, I increased the speed settings in the monitor. Which in turn changed the speed attribute of combat puppet/dummy in front of me. I sighed, Realizing that there is no other advanced training chamber other than this. So, I intend to utilize the time in my hand, before the management decides to lift the suspension. There is a huge circular platform, both Zack and combat puppet stood opposite to each other. When timer turned on. The combat puppet moved, the combat puppet''s attribute status is equal to Initial Special Trainee, the only difference is it''s speed is increased by Zack. The combat puppet raised it''s claw towards Zack. In a blink of eye, it appears before Zack . The other hand, Zack didn''t use his perceptual ability. As he notices, movement of combat puppet. His senses were tightened. The combat puppet''s current movement ability is beyond his own ability. He instinctively gripped his black sword to defend against it''s claws. "Clang" The combat puppet''s sudden burst of power, caused him to move his feet backwards. In order to avoid staggering he decided to roll backwards. But unfortunately, Zack is still couldn''t able to fight against its speed. As the combat puppet''s claw clashed against his black blade. The Combat puppet''s artificial system took the next course of action. It immediately send signals to combat puppet. The combat puppet then used its metallic leg to kick in his abdomen. This movement was sudden, Zack couldn''t able to properly hold his sword to defend against this attack. Finally, the battle puppet''s leg attack reaches his abdomen. "Bang" As a result, Zack flew backwards outside of the battle platform and fell on the ground. "Damn! This pain." I blurted out few words, as I felt agonizing pain in my abdomen. Thankfully, I didn''t raise its power level foolishly. Otherwise, consequence would be really serious. I need to get familarize with battle puppet''s current speed. The only drawback of combat puppet is, it doesn''t have elemental energy. It need few advanced technology to install in it. Right now, I don''t want to use any elemental energy, it need breakthrough. So, I decided to use my body strength. Since, Zack fell outside of the battle platform. The match was stopped automatically, the combat puppet stopped its movements. It''s part of safety mechanism. If participant want to quit the match. He can step outside of the platform voluntarily. Right now, Zack adjusted his breath. He plans to continue to it, after recovering his peak strength. ¡­ The other hand, heated discussion is going on at the top floor during meeting. Sweat beads began to ooze from Elder''s forehead. No one is smiling, including Elder Thornton. Elder Jensen didn''t get any chance to say anything. Elder Alicia and Elder Smith maintained their silence. Only Elder Thornton answered some questions from Adrian Curry, time to time. "There is no supportive document to support this account report." Adrian Curry placed a file on his desk. He looked at Elder Thornton for answer. The other hand, Elder Thornton knitted his eyebrow in frustration. He sighed inside his heart. He thought meeting would go smoothly. But not, Even though he is chairman. He turn blind eye to some of the events. He knew its one of the corrupt work of Elders. He side glanced at them. Yet, All of them maintained innocent look on their faces. All of their subtle actions were noticed by Adrian Curry. He smiled in his heart. "It''s time to start the main course." He smirked inside his heart. Adrian Curry asked, "Does any of you have connection with Crimson Hall?" His question, rang like thunder in Elder''s ears. All of their expression changed drastically, especially Elder Morris. He is slightly obese. He maintained his presence so far unnoticed. When he heard the question, His heart skips a beat for a second. As far he recalls, he did some resources exchange with people from Crimson Hall. But that was long time ago. That too those people were lower level staffs. He didn''t even heard of upper echelons staff. So, he don''t know how to answer it for a second. The other hand, Elder Thornton''s expression turned grave. He had few interactions some time ago. But that was related to some spy, that doesn''t concern Hansen Campus anyway. He too remain clueless about this question. Then Elder Thornton made up his mind. He observed facial reaction of Adrian Curry. From beginning to end he maintained same facial expression. Elder Thornton couldn''t judge anything. So, He answered tactfully, "As for Crimson Hall is concerned, We don''t have any connections with them." Hearing that remaining Elders nodded their head. But, Adrian Curry felt disapproval inside his heart. According to his own intel, he knew there are few bad apples among the Elders. Yet its not the time to remove them. Everything would be reorganized after completion of Crimson Hall Exhibition event. So, he didn''t say anything further regarding this question. Any way, He is here for some other matter. He changed the topic. He said, "The restoration cost would be funded by the Army Federation." He said to Elder Thornton. Hearing that a joy flashes in Elder Thornton''s eyes. Huge mountain lifted off from his shoulder. He felt ease when he initially learnt from Sir. Lowell McClain. But now hearing the confirmation from his mouth. He let go of his worry. Time went on, Some hours later. Meeting came to an end. Adrian Curry decided to roam around the city for a while. He told Elders to take care Dean Curry for a while. All of them, They took a deep breath in relief in their heart. After stepping out of the building, Adrian Curry went to nearby hotel to disguise himself. He came here on instructions, To complete his mission, he needs to kill Elite Level Assassin. The same assassin who caused damaged to Hansen building. He received intel, that he still remain in darkness inside this city. At first, he was confused. The Hansen Campus is just one of the many institutions, where their federation invest their funds. But looking at this Hansen campus its still same as per report. To think this tiny institution received attention from federation. He was truly surprised, Normally its usual for training Centre''s to get targeted by opponents. He doesn''t know what the federation officials doing behind their scenes. He let out a huge sigh, He don''t know what to say, All he cared about rewards in this mission. So, He made up his mind to complete this mission within night. ¡­ The other hand, Dean Curry surrounded by Elders. They began their flattering one by one. Elder Thornton felt headache. At this time, Elder Jensen''s eyes shone brightly. He thought this is good opportunity for him to improve his favorability. Elder Jensen immediately said, "Young Master, I''ll show you around the building" He said with a flattering smile. Hearing that rest of the Elders had black lines on their forehead. Elder Thornton felt trouble. Dean Curry, Hearing that he turned towards Elder Jensen and he gently nodded. After getting his confirmation, Elder Jensen let out small laughter and began to accompany him. Rest of the Elders dispersed one by one. Elder Smith finally reveals a smile after that tough meeting. Earlier, He worried about Elder Jensen that he won''t get any chance. But, now, he is making his move. Seeing that he let go of his worry and dispersed from this place. Finally, Elder Thornton stood in that place lonely. He seems to caught something. The appearance of Adrian Curry is not simple as it appears. But he decided to not to ask him. It''s not his business. He just hoped there won''t be any new problem because of Elder Jensen. Then he headed to his cabin. The other hand, Elder Jensen is talking along way and introducing various facilities. To that Dean Curry simply nodded at him to not to embarrass him. But deep in his heart, these facilities seems outdated to him. He had seen several advanced facilities in his academy. For this city he felt this training facility were somewhat okay. Time went on, Elder Jensen continued to show around the building. Just as they move on to the new building. Elder Jensen comes across an advanced combat chamber of the Senior Class. Both of them stood in front of the building. Elder Jensen frowns seeing a locked building. On the other hand, Dean Curry felt certain curiosity. He looked at Elder Jensen for answers. Seeing that Elder Jensen smiled helplessly. Other than Elders no one is allowed inside the Hansen campus. The training facility is suspended for period of time. "Who could be?" He said to himself. "Did someone sneaked into the building?" He felt chills behind his back. He gazed at Dean Curry who is still staring at him. He felt helpless, finally he got an opportunity. So, he doesn''t want to waste his effort. Elder Jensen began to contemplate, Finally he recalls one person. A ruthless glint flashes in his eyes remembering him. But he needs to make sure that it''s him.. If it''s him, then he needs to utilize this opportunity. Chapter 199 - Part One: First Meeting Elder Jensen hatched vicious plan in his mind. If Zack comes out, there will be a good show to watch. The other hand, Dean Curry, little by little he is losing his interest. Seeing motionless Elder Jensen, his handsome face frowns a little. Then Dean Curry wanted move ahead. He took few steps forward passing by Elder Jensen. Seeing the sudden movement of Dean Curry, his mind jolted awake. Elder Jensen decided to stop him, otherwise his plan will not succeed. He hurriedly went forward and try to persuade him. "Young Master, I think, Our Seed Candidate is training in this facility." Hearing that Dean Curry halted his footsteps and raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh! I heard, there is no student here nowadays." Dean Curry said with a confusion. Elder Jensen felt good, grasping his line he tries to continue this conversation. "Young Master, He is Special. Many organisations were after his blood. Which caused our Hansen Campus lots of damage." Elder Jensen said with a flattering smile. Dean Curry reveals a amusing smile, "This old man, something wrong with him." He thought to himself. But after hearing his words, Dean Curry didn''t think too much about it. He has seen real talented people, he himself considered to be talented one. He felt little bored. He looked towards Elder Jensen and said, "Why do you sound little disappointed with your Seed Candidate?" Elder Jensen turned little stiff, hearing his words. "Did he see through me?" He thought to himself. "If its true, then this kid is really scary. You can''t judge people from high tier cities with common sense." Elder Jensen''s face become little dignified after realizing something. So he immediately made up his mind to not to cross any bottom line. Otherwise, it would become trouble for him. Elder Jensen reveals a helpless smile and said, "No! No! Young Master. My Grandson died in his hands in a life or death duel. So, there is some grievances in my heart. Other than that there is no dissatisfaction." Hearing that Dean Curry smiled in his heart. "Sure, this old man have some ulterior motives." He thought to himself. From beginning to end, he voluntarily step forward to introduce the facility and now this. Especially, those trade mark flattering smile. He has seen so many people with this kind of behaviour. He sneered inside his heart. But, his outward facial expression didn''t change a bit. Since, He and his father came here for must one day trip. He is not interested in involving in their internal politics. Especially, this tiny institution there is no use to him. So, he decided to continue to look around until his father comes back. At the same time, "Creak" The Advanced combat chamber''s room door slid opens and Zack stepped out. (Zack''s POV) Today is just beginning, I need few more days to familiarize with combat puppet''s speed movement. It''s good that I suffered superficial injury, I can recover myself with cultivation. Just as I want to turn around, I saw disgusting face. "My bad, What is he doing here?" I mumbled under my breath in a low tone. I saw Elder Jensen with a kid, not much older than me. But looking at kid''s dress. He is not poor for sure. My mind ran faster to find solution. Finally, I thought some possible solution. He might be grandson of certain Elder. Because, I already killed Elder Jensen''s grandson. After sorting out, I didn''t want to entangle with them. So, I decided to head towards my room. I took few steps forward, try to get out as soon as possible. Then I heard a voice sounded in anger. "Zack Lockwood!" Elder Jensen called out his name in anger. When he firsts saw Zack stepping out of the Senior student''s training Chamber, His eyes flashes with ruthless glint. For a moment, He let out his aura of middle cultivation stage of Trainee Warrior. Hearing my name, I felt headache, "Why is he acting out?" Ever since I killed his Grandson, I never met him once. I thought Elder Thornton made things clear with him. But looking at now, he is still looking for vengeance. Especially, Dean Curry the other hand felt dissatisfied with Elder Jensen''s behaviour. Elder Jensen is letting out his aura, which is pressurising him. So, he immediately "Harumph" snorted. Feeling sudden disdain from Dean Curry, Elder Jensen immediately withdrew his aura. Feeling, because of Zack he again faltered in his plan. He felt huge anger in his heart. He immediately said in low tone, "Sorry, Young Master." At the same time, Looking at him, I smiled and said, "What is it? Elder Jensen." Hearing my voice, both of them turned towards me. "What are you doing in this Chamber? Who gave you permission?" Elder Jensen inquired in stern tone. He knew this chamber is reserved for Peak Trainee Apprentice Warrior. So, its impossible for Zack to train here. He thought, he is here for some other purposes. Hearing that, I thought here we go. This old man is trying to create some scene here. But too bad, I already sort out some solution. So, I simply answered, "Well, I heard from Elder Thornton that this Advanced Combat Chamber is good. So, I asked his permission to look around." I said with a smile. I didn''t tell him that I was actually training here couple of minutes ago. It will certainly raise few eyebrows, if I did that. Especially, in front my enemy Elder Jensen and that unknown kid beside him. I will never do such a foolish act. Just as per Zack''s thought, The other hand, Elder Jensen eyebrows eased, "Harumph, I was right. This brat is playing around. Why Jensen is keeping him around? " The other hand, Dean Curry little amused by their interaction. He knew this Elder had grudges with this new kid. The other hand he also felt curious. He didn''t sense any power fluctuations. "Treasure!" He thought to himself. "Perhaps its due to threat caused by those organisations. Some one gave treasure to him to hide his cultivation base. Good move!" Dean Curry said to himself. ... At the same time, Adrian Curry successfully found the hideout of the Elite Assassin. He disguised himself as a old man in a coarse cloth. He received confirmation intel from the reliable source. An unknown person is staying in the luxurious hotel. Especially, that person lodged in premium suite. He already checked various Intel''s, Such as Warrior''s going in and going out from the city for past few weeks. Including train transport passenger''s list and various auction house''s customer list. But there is no suspicious person found with Elite base level. Elite base level is a huge news in this tiny. Especially that guy is a professional assassin. So, normal method won''t work. But yesterday, he received convincing report. Certain person entered the city few days ago via Train Transport. But that person''s name is not registered in this city''s database and there is no details of that person is checking out from the city. So, he tracked down the location of current luxurious hotel. After confirming, he headed towards that location. The other hand, Assassin Ed is sulking inside his room. Currently, he is lying down in his couch skimming through various news reports. "Why there is a big movement around the city gates?" Assassin Ed frowns, reading this news report. Earlier, he thought its not worry some. Since, Hansen Campus let out false report to the world. So, he didn''t mind it. But now for past few days there is big movement happening around the city. Like unusual screening, Usually, something like this won''t happen unless there is a huge threat. Screening usually does to isolate rogue cultivators, dark organisation and in some case to kill enemy organisation. But, too think that kind of operation is happening in this tiny city, He felt unreal. For him, Elite level Assassin. It''s easy to skip the checking and go out of the city. But there is a possibility that leaving out small traces without knowing him. If his enemy caught something, then his next mission will be jeopardized. So, he decided to wait for this storm to pass through. But he doesn''t know that some already caught up his trails. ... The other hand, Elder Jensen tries to find new ways to implement his plan. At the same time, Dean Curry decided to walk away from this place, without waiting for Elder Jensen. He started to head towards the guest cabin. He felt bored, he decided to wait there until his father comes back. Seeing that Dean Curry walking away. The other hand Zack too headed back to his place. Leaving behind Elder Jensen lamenting alone. "Damn it! I thought it''s easy to fool that kid." Elder Jensen cursed his lack of judgement. From beginning to end, that Dean Curry didn''t treat him seriously. Also seeing good health of Zack. Elder Jensen felt even more furious. He don''t know what to do further. He raced his mind to impress Dean Curry. So, he decided to follow him and try to understand his like and dislikes. He needs to do something before its too late. Then his second chance would gone forever. After sorting out, he carefully follows behind Dean Curry. Chapter 200 - Visiting The Medical Facility (Zack''s Perspective) After parting ways from them, I returned back to my room few minutes later. It''s a single bed room accommodation situated near the dormitory. After coming back to my room, I went to take a cold shower, a couple of minutes later, My tiredness gone, I worn a causal cloth and lying down on my bed to take small nap. A couple of minutes later, I glanced at the wrists watch to view time. There is still some hours left before Mr. Jonathan''s arrival. I let out a huge sigh, I don''t know what to do until then. I have been training hard lately, Even I''m using training chambers during night tims. But I feel, I need some fresh air. Suddenly, an idea pop up in my mind. "Why don''t I visit medical facility to see Mr. Arthur?" I mumbled under my breath. I can also take walk to get fresh air and in the same way, I can inquire about his current health condition. Even, Ms. Adeline key seems to visit him time to time. I thought this is good plan. After making up my mind, I called Elder Thornton. As the call connected, a surprise voice sounded in my ears. "Oh! What is it Zack? Do you need anything?" Elder Thornton inquired from other side of the call. Hearing that I explained my intention to him. Elder Thornton is not surprised by Zack''s request. But he asked something else. Elder Thornton asked, "Did you see Elder Jensen?" I''m surprised actually, does he know? I shook my head and told him about my encounter with Elder Jensen and the strange kid. I also told him about Elder Jensen''s deliberate attempt to discredit me. The other hand, I''m also curious about that strange kid''s identity. So, I asked, "Ahem, Elder. Who is that new kid? Is it new enroll or something?" Listening to Zack''s encounter details with Elder Jensen and Dean Curry, Elder Thornton couldn''t control his fury. He really felt that Elder Jensen need some smacking, so that he can be bedridden forever. "He wants to cause rift between Dean Curry and Zack?" Elder Thornton don''t know whether to laugh or cry. For now Adrian Curry and his son may seem big wheel, but actually Zack''s teacher is the real big man behind the scene. Even Adrian Curry is clueless about it. Otherwise. He would have met Zack in advance. Elder Thornton couldn''t help but speculate few theories. Seeing that Zack is awaiting for his answer, Elder Thornton sighed. He answered, "Zack if you come across Dean Curry. Try as much as possible to not to have contact with him; He and his father came from federation. You know federation is our major share holder. Elder Thornton will definitely try to create dispute. So, be careful." A sense of astonishment appeared in my heart. " The Army Federation, it''s a big handwriting. " I said to myself. No wonder this kid''s dressing is so good. After careful understanding of Elder Jensen''s method this time. I couldn''t help but clench my fist in frustration. This old fox is really not thinking about letting go off past. Then I commented, "Elder Thornton, What should we do with Elder Jensen? He is really unkind. " I said with a long sigh. The other hand Elder Thornton already saw through his worries. He answered, "You don''t need to worry about him. Just try to focus on increase your strength. " Hearing that I shook my head in disappointment. How easy it could be to kill an Elder? I don''t know but if it necessary, I should prepare some means to deal myself. Then we talked about few other things, finally Elder Thornton allowed me to visit Mr. Arthur. After ending the call, I began to get ready to go out. A couple of minutes later, I stepped outside of the building. Fortunately, I didn''t come across anybody along the way. Then I booked an air cab to nearby medical facility. Soon, a white color cab landed in parking platform. A fifty year old middle aged man gesture me to get inside. After confirming the air can number, I entered. The air cab took off and flew away. A couple of second later, the middle age man asked additional identify verification. I was surprised hearing that. "Why are you asking additional information?" I inquired in a calm tone. The cab driver didn''t felt anything wrong. He seems to be dealing with same situation since few days. He said, "Customer, its an order from the city lord. Unidentified person is not allowed to travel." "From when?" Hearing that I blurted out immediately. Why are these sudden norms popping up now? The cab driver explained carefully, "Hmm, It''s been going on since past few days. I don''t know what happen. But seeing the effort of patrol team. I believe they are looking for trails of outsider." "Trails of outsider." I murmured those words. I only felt headache by his words. So much things going on inside the city. Any way, its nothing to with me, as I shrugged off immediately. A several minutes later, the air cab landed near the top medical facility in the red stone city. After stepping out, I immediately collected details from receptionist. Fortunately, they are allowing the visitors to see. Soon, I came to the third floor through lift. After passing few rooms, I came across room no.110. The door is opened. Seeing that I stepped inside, I saw Mr. Arthur is talking with Ms. Adeline Key. "As expected! " I said to myself. Then I knocked the door to notify my arrival. Seeing the sudden visitor both of them jolted awake and stopped their talking. Seeing the familiar face both of them stunned. "Zack, What are you doing here?" Ms. Adeline Key inquired in surprise. "He¡­He¡­He.., Mentor, Why I am not suppose to come here? I asked Elder Thornton''s permission to see him." I said with a smile. Ms. Adeline key expression eased but the others hand, Mr. Arthur is having complicated expression seeing Zack. He commented, "Zack, Close the door first." Hearing that I nodded at him and locked the door. I knew there is going to be deep conversation. Seeing Zack locked the door, Mr. Arthur gesture him to take nearby seat. Then he asked Ms. Adeline key to activate the isolation barrier. Seeing Mr. Arthur ''s actions, I didn''t say anything. But every time if some uses their artefact it always fascinates me. Now a days, I''m fiddling with artefacts received from life and death duel. Most of them were one time use, activated during duel. After Ms. Adeline Key activates the barrier. A transparent screen envelops them, protecting their conversation from prying eyes. Mr. Arthur is currently in sleeping position, using pillow under his neck. He adjusted his posture little bit then he looked at Zack and asked, "What is going on in the campus?" Hearing that I''m stunned. I''m the one who supposed to inquire his health condition by the way. Why is he asking about campus now? I pondered little. Then I caught something, may be he is worried about restoration. Then I looked at both of them and answered, " Mentor and Mr. Arthur, Don''t worry? The building restoration is going on in full swing. I believe in few weeks we can see brand new building." I said with a enthusiastic smile. Hearing that Mr. Arthur and Ms. Adeline looked at each other and let out a weird expression. Seeing their expression, I''m somewhat confuse. So, I asked, "What happened?" Ms. Adeline key rolled her eyes at Zack and asked, "Don''t you know? What''s happening in our Red stone city these days?" Hearing that the first thing that came to my mind is air cab driver ''s statement. I nodded and said, "I heard City lord''s patrol team is looking for someone." Mr. Arthur let out a sigh and said, "Looks like other than training, you don''t seems to be interested in other things." Seeing Zack still maintaining clueless expression, Mr. Arthur commented, "It''s true that City Lord is Searching for some one. But don''t you guess who is it?" "Elite Assassin" I uttered. Hearing my guess, Mr. Arthur nodded and said, " Yes, But I'' m not sure 100%. Things beginning to change after that incident in our campus." "Did they know?" I asked in surprise tone. We already told them we are attacked by bounty hunters. I don''t know why there is a big movement. Hearing my question, both of them shook their heads. Mr. Arthur smiled and said, "That''s why I asked is there anything going on in our campus." Suddenly, I realized something, the appearance of officials from federation. Even Elder Thornton seems to be busy. Especially, encounter with Elder Jensen and that strange kid. Does the official have something to do with City lord''s handwriting. Then I explained everything to Mr. Arthur and Ms. Adeline key. "You said, Elder Jensen is flattering official''s son." Ms. Adeline key asked in surprised tone. The other hand, Mr. Arthur didn''t doubt anything. He commented, "No, wonder. Elder Thornton didn''t pick up my call today. He seems to be busy. But from your explanation, it''s clear that official from federation is not in lower post." Then he sneered, " To think Elder Jensen trying to gain lost lime light is like a death seeking gesture." Then Ms. Adeline Key said, "Its good that you didn''t fall in his trap." She said in a serious tone. Hearing her words, I smiled and said, "Don''t worry, Mentor. Even though Elder Jensen is trying to curry his favor. But the son of that official is not even buying his words." I let out a small laugh saying that.. I remembered how he foolishly released his aura. Chapter 201 - Part Two: First Meeting Then I shifted to main topic, I inquired about his current health condition. To recover from ice element''s injury is not easy. Fortunately, Because of Elder Thornton''s timely arrival, Mr. Arthur is saved. Hearing Zack''s questions, Ms. Adeline key explained about Mr. Arthur''s current health progress. And the results are good. In few days, he will fully recover. Hearing that I smiled. It''s naturally good for me. I can''t always seek Elder Thornton for help. If Mr. Arthur comes back to work. It will be very helpful. After that, we talked about few other things, then I decided to stay here until evening. ¡­ Adrian Curry who is in disguise, successfully infiltrated the luxurious hotel. He already checked all the rooms of the building, except premium suite. He naturally want to check the premium room first. But just in case, he wants to make sure, there is no one suspicious in other rooms. After arriving at the floor, Adrian Curry already hacked the monitoring cameras. He replaced them with another footage. The quality is so good, no one will find any changes for the time being. Unless they compare with actual place and the live feed. A couple of minutes later, Adrian Curry finally reaches the last room. He highly suspects Assassin is in this room. If not then it would be troublesome. With solemn face, He succeeded in unlocking the door. He opened it immediately to confront the opponent. The other hand, when the door opened. Assassin Ed Jolted awake, "Who?" He shot his ice attack at the opponent. He knew, it''s impossible for others to open the door. He already informed owner of this hotel to not to disturb him, unless he calls him himself. So, now, he knew its an enemy. Without thinking further, he choose to attack. Perceiving the ice element, Adrian Curry snorted, As he releases Peak Elite aura, the ice attack melts away in a blink of a eye. At the same time, Adrian Curry made his move. After confirming with his own eyes. He knew he is the target of the mission. So, he decided to lock him. The other hand, Assassin Ed''s expression changed drastically. As he felt the aura of Peak Elite, which is stronger than him. Clashing against Peak Elite Warrior, there will be no save end. As a Professional Assassin he knew what to do right now. He used his mid level artefact to break away from opponent lock. Using Mid level defensive artefact, Assassin Ed try to escape through the window. It''s not a good place to battle. It will easily restrict him, fighting against strong warrior. Realizing that he immediately chooses to flee. The other hand, observing the opponents artefact. Adrian Curry expression didn''t change much. He appears in front of Assassin Ed in a blink of eye. He has a mission to kill him, So there is no need to keep his hands behind. So, Adrian Curry chooses to end him. As he appears in front of him. He used peak elite strength to smash him. He opens his palm to slap him. "Hysss" The movement was so fast, Assassin Ed unleash his full elemental power to restrict it. He has a defensive artefact, so he didn''t mind about defending. So, he pours his entire strength in his attack. He knew opposite party chooses to end him. His expression really become serious and unsightly. All his calculation gone vain against this immediate disaster. As the Palm clashes against the huge dense ice block. "Boom" Huge palm print presses against the ice block. As the huge palm didn''t stop it as it came in contact with ice block, it went further deep inside. Until, the palm travels all the ways to end and smashes against opponent''s chin. "Bang" Assassin Ed blown away like a broken kite and crashed against the wall. At the same time, the ice block cracked into several pieces and smashed all over the place. As a result of fast crash, Assassin Ed saved from injuries due to defensive artefact. He is able to protect his body not his head. That huge slap caused sudden concussion and now further clashed against the wall. He felt further dizzy in his head. Due to dizziness, he couldn''t even able to sense his pain. The other hand, seeing the state of Assassin Ed. Adrian Curry smirked. Hitting against Peak Elite warrior. It''s no difference than hitting against iron plate. After reaching Elite level, every increment in level is qualitative improvement. Adrian Curry knew, every attempt of Assassin is a futile attempt. Seeing the crashed body, He no longer stood still. He moved, in an instant huge foot pressed down against the chest of Assassin Ed. "Aaahhhh" Assassin Ed yells in agonizing pain, His internal organs couldn''t hold against the incoming pressure, His initial ¨C Elite level physique broke down instantly. "blurt" As a result, his lungs burst open, he spurted large amount of blood. His body trembled due to sudden shock. Assassin Ed''s already loose conscious further becomes blurry. As his vitality withers away due to loss of blood. A Renowned Professional Assassin, due to imminent disaster loses his life in a blink of a eye. The other hand, Seeing slowly slipping away the vitality of Assassin Ed. Adrian Curry decides to end it quickly. He crushed his throat with his foot. As a result, Assassin Ed dies, from beginning to end it''s an one side crush. After ending the opponent, Adrian Curry collected his body in his storage ring. As a evidence of his mission completion. Then Adrian Curry uses the age old trick to cover the secrets. He sets the fire in the this room. After that he disappears from the place. After departure of Adrian Curry, the fire blazes strongly and destroys everything in this room. Surrounding items quickly catches the fire. As a result, it began to burn even heavily. Due to earlier battle commotion, Sound of Assassin Ed crashing against the wall. Reaches everyone mildly. Staffs quickly arrive here to check the situation. But After seeing the blazing heat, it alarmed everyone. Safety measures, being followed. All the people from the building, began to exit the building. The incident quickly flashes as breaking news in the site and broadcasted everywhere. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) As Zack is chatting with everyone. They saw the breaking news in television screen. "Looks like huge fire broke out" Mr. Author said in a solemn gaze. Hearing that I too looked at the screen to view. How come huge luxurious hotel have such an accident? Safety protocols were followed strictly in every business. Especially, in case of wealthy business. "These days Red Stone city under many storms. I don''t know whether it''s good or bad." Ms. Adeline key said in a worry tone. Hearing that Mr. Arthur sighed and said, "Don''t think too much about it Ms. Key. Our circumstances are good compare to other cities." Hearing that I nodded, not all cities were peaceful. Even among same tier cities there will be some competition. Leading to some intentional attacks on the other cities. For us it''s good that there is no hostile city around us. But above each and every tier, there is a huge competition among them. I only heard certain few things from Mr. Jonathan. I''m looking forward to have further chat with him. May be this time, I can learn more things. ¡­ The other hand, Adrian Curry removed his disguise and turned back to his original self. After successfully competing his mission, he took some time to remove his disguise. After sorting out everything, he headed backs to Hansen campus. Some time later, He reaches Hansen campus and arrives at guest room in few minutes. After seeing his son lazing lying down the couch. Adrian Curry said, "Junior, I already told you before, it''s going to be boring trip. But you didn''t listen to me." Hearing his father''s voice, Dean Curry sat up immediately. "Father, If it''s your work done, Can we go back now?" Dean Curry said in a restless voice. Hearing that Adrian Curry smiled and said, "Alright, Get ready!" Dean Curry reveals small smile and stood up from the couch. Seeing his enthusiastic son he asked, "Are you really want to go back now? is this place is really boring?" Recalling Elder Jensen''s behavior earlier, Dean Curry looked at his father and answered, " There is nothing interesting here." But remembering mention of Seed Candidate. He added, "But this Hansen campus is giving too much importance to Seed Candidate." "Oh!" an interesting gleam flashes in Adrian Curry''s eyes. Then Dean Curry explained everything. But after hearing his son''s words, Adrian Curry face looked dissatisfied. "This management really need some reshuffle. I will inform my superiors about it." He thought to himself. Then he looks at his son and said, "Oh, you don''t have to care about this people. They born here an die here." Hearing that Dean Curry nodded. Then both of them decides to leave from this place. Before that, Adrian Curry informed everyone about their departure. To that, All the elders accompanied the father and son duo, Until they left the campus. Seeing the officials gone away, Elder Thornton sighted in relief. Rest of the elders too have good smile on their face. They worried they would be under some inspection. Since, there is no such case, they all felt good. Except Elder Jensen and Elder Smith. Both of them looked like deflated balloon. They failed to accomplish their plan. Elder Jensen gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn''t receive any response from the official and his son.. They sounded like they didn''t even care. Chapter 202 - Zack Knows The Truth (Zack''s POV) After having some good conversation with Mr. Arthur and Ms.Adeline key, I left the medical facility and headed towards the certain Location. A couple of minutes ago, I received message from Mr. Jonathan. He will be there in few minutes. So, increased my pace. Some time later, I arrived at the location. It''s an small hotel, Realizing that I didn''t enter hastily. I waited for him to arrive. Time went on, As I patiently observing the people, soon a I spotted a familiar face. "Here he comes!" I blurted out. Thankfully, he didn''t make me wait for too long. Upon spotting Zack, Mr. Jonathan waved his hand in response. In a few breaths, he arrived in front of Zack. Observing the situation around here, Mr. Jonathan gestures Zack to get inside. Where Mr. Jonathan booked a room for one night stay. He came here for providing Zack with necessary items. So, he didn''t want to drag it long and decided to book for a night stay. After both of them entered the room, as usual Mr. Jonathan created an isolated barrier to prevent prying eyes. Then they began their conversation. I have to say Mr. Jonathan is very detail in his work. He didn''t even reveal any suspicion action. But for me I''m interested in his goods. I couldn''t hold on my curiosity and I asked, "Mr. Jonathan, Did you bring any treasure? Hearing that Mr. Jonathan smiled helplessly. So, he immediately placed few wooden cases on table from his storage ring. As per his Master''s request, Mr. Jonathan brought couple of Highly rated Monster''s core for Zack. Seeing few dazzling wooden cases on the table, I took a sharp breath. I have sharp hunch about what it is inside the case. There are very few things which could rise my lightning essence to next level. But I have low hopes for that, for my breakthrough I need lightning bloodline monster core or lightning attributed treasure. So, I believe it may be some kind of herbal treasure to improve my aptitude. Seeing Zack''s puzzling gaze, Mr. Jonathan let out a amusing smile. He couldn''t wait to see Zack''s reaction. When he spots, Thunder attributed wood. The other hand, I didn''t hesitate anymore. Just as I wanted to open the case, Mr. Jonathan stopped me. He advised me to open it in my room. Hearing that I raised by eyebrows in question. Seeing that he didn''t want to elaborate further. I complied and places those cases in my storage ring. Then we talked about few other things, especially I learned about high tier cities. There is always something to learn. After we had some long conversation. Our conversation shifted to serious topic. Mr. Jonathan commented, "Zack, I heard about the recent incident" Hearing that my expression turned solemn. I couldn''t help but ask," Mr. Jonathan, is that Assassin''s task is something to do with me" Remembering Elite level Assassin, I''m having chills on my back. There is still long way for me to reach that level. I believe Mr. Jonathan got some answers for me. I observed his expression. The other hand, Mr. Jonathan let out a long sigh. He recalled his Master''s words. He already knew there is a dead end for that Assassin. So, he looked at Zack and said, "It''s really bit dangerous. But fortunately you are fine. Master, Already told me he will take care of that Assassin" Hearing that I became speechless for a minutes. Someone already decided to take care of that Assassin, and that person is none other than my teacher. " Hmmm, sure that damn assassin was after my life." I mumbled under my breath. I don''t know why that elite level person is after my life. I''m hundred percent sure that I never exposed my lightning element. So, why are these people making my life hard. I looked at him and asked, "Mr. Jonathan, is it something to do with my Seed Candidate title." I asked him with a some worry some tone. The other hand, Mr. Jonathan smiled helplessly. "As far as he knew, this is all coincidence. Who would have thought, Elite level assassin could took mission of eliminating Seed Candidates? It''s simply nightmare." He thought to himself. So, he looked at Zack and answered, " Zack, don''t think too much about it. This is all pure coincidence. This assassin targeted you because of your Seed Candidate title. He already killed few other seeds in several cities." Hearing that I took sharp breath. Just because of good future potential. Someone will send elite level to kill the budding talents. It''s very horrible. My complexion turned worse for a moment. Observing Zack''s complexion, Mr. Jonathan felt bad and explained the real situation. How various forces targeted potential warriors. For one thing, as a humans we have huge population on this planet. But the corresponding resources were very scarce. Only talented people can fully utilize the resources to reach higher level. So, indirectly several competition took place between the various forces. Some conduct legal screening method. While others use indirect method to kill and eliminate the opposing potential candidate for once and for all. This method may not be appeasing for public. But forces had mutual tactic understanding between them. After carefully explaining to Zack, Mr. Jonathan sighed. He too lost few companion when he was young due to this method. But this law of survival, what can we do. At least, he is happy for Zack. At the very beginning, he accepted as disciple by his Master. The other hand, after listening to his explanation. I don''t know what expression to make. Suddenly, I feel the world is very dark. And my Red Stone city is felt like the safest place. To think starting point in my life is filled with life and death struggle. I don''t know what will happen in higher stages. For a moment, the atmosphere turned solemn between these two. Finally, Mr. Jonathan break the ice. He commented, " As long as you strong, you can do anything Zack. Until then be patient." Hearing that I nodded at him. Then we talked few other things later, I left the hotel and headed back to the Hansen campus. Some time later, I arrived at the campus and entered inside the building. For a moment, I recalled the strange kid. "Looks they gone back to their place." I mumbled under my breath. Fortunately, it can save me some trouble. Looking back at Elder Jensen''s effort to flatter him. I really felt headache. I sighed and hurried back to my room. After reaching my room in few breaths. I entered inside and went to take hot shower. After some good bath, I worn causal clothes and felt better. Then, I had good few minutes chat with Granny Park and Uncle James. I also informed Uncle James about Mr. Jonathan''s arrival. I told him about Mr. Jonathan''s findings. Uncle really felt ease after knowing that it''s an pure coincident for Assassinate to took the kill list mission. After ending the call, I shifted my attention to the wooden case. I placed the wooden case on my table and began to open it, one by one. When I opened the first case, My expression intrigued but it didn''t change much. Because its an Class 2 level''s Monster core. I expected its to be Monster core. But what I''m intrigued about it''s monster''s bloodline. The Monster core belong to bird family named pheltrix. Some says it''s mutated bloodline of Phoenix. The bird Phoenix is legendary one. Now days, no body sure how much is true. Because, the bloodline of Pheltrix is completely mutated and its hard to trace ancestry. The mutated bloodline has some unique attributes. It''s core could provide good benefits to warriors. But it only happen in rare cases. So, nobody take risk to hunt down these monsters. So, I''m surprised why Mr. Jonathan send me this Monster core. Does he expect me to trigger rare probability to get some benefits from this monster core. I don''t know what part of me gets improvement, if I consume this core. I placed the core back to the case. Then I shifted my attention to other wooden cases. After going through other cases except last one which is wider compare to other cases, my interest dropped down. As I expected, these monster cores were rare and unique one. But none of them related to lightning method. I''m slightly surprised, why did he choose these cores for me. After sorting out everything, I looked at last wooden case. Without any slightest expectation, I opened the wooden case to view. As I opened, I felt breath of lightning. My heart beat gets fast in a second. I took sharp breath. "This is a lighting attributed wood piece. I can finally get breakthrough." I blurted out in surprise. I clenched my fist in excitement. As I immediately begin to get ready for breakthrough. I don''t know whether this piece of wood would help me or not. But I definitely want to try it now. ... The other hand, Elder Jensen and Elder Smith discussing their next plan. Elder Jensen is now at Elder Smith''s residence. "I thought, your plan would succeed." Elder Smith said in a wry smile. "Harumph" Elder Jensen snorted immediately, "If not for that kid.." Elder Jensen gritted his teeth in anger. Chapter 203 - Breakthrough (Essence)- Special Trainee- Initial Listening to Elder Jensen''s words, Elder Smith furrows his eyebrows. He knew Elder Jensen is thinking about taking revenge. But the problem is we need that kid to do well in that Crimson Hall''s event. Otherwise, we won''t get necessary funds from the major share holders. So, that kid''s good performance will be mutually beneficial for all of us. But looking at Elder Jensen''s persistent revenge attitude, makes him evaluate Elder Jensen as a bit selfish. Especially, He blames that kid for his plan''s failure. Suddenly, he feels regret cooperating with Elder Jensen. Ever since his grandson died he is not usual himself. This makes him further cautious on this matter. So, he stared at Elder Jensen and said, "Elder Jensen, Why don''t we plan our next step after Crimson Hall event." He really want to convince him on this matter. Having said that Elder Smith face become somewhat restless. The other hand, Elder Jensen frowns hearing his words, he asked, "Why? Are you backing away now?" His tone was slightly stern. He already torn off face with Elder Alicia. So, he really don''t want add up the count. But now hearing from him, he slightly felt dissatisfied. Elder Smith face become slightly pale for a moment. Then he recovered soon, He let out a small laughter by saying, "Elder Jensen, I''m just saying we suffered catastrophe now. It will take some time to recover. If you make big movement now, It will be too eye catching." He reveals big smile, hoping not to offend him too much. Elder Jensen remained silent for a moment. He begin to ponder, he himself don''t have any plans now. He just lending out his frustration. Even if he decides to cook up some scheme, it will be difficult to get another opportunity. He has two ambitions now, one to kill that brat Zack and other to get to chairmanship position. Both of them will take some time from now. Especially for that brat, He really doesn''t know what his ability and elemental qualification. But too sustain this far from life or death duel. It shows that brat is some what capable from ordinary kids. Unfortunately, there is no other kid is as strong as him in the Hansen campus. He really doesn''t know what will happen in future at the Crimson Hall event. If that brat dies in that event, it will be good solution. But he doesn''t have any influential connections with them. He certainly remembers Adrian Curry''s today''s words. Going behind Hansen campus and having talks with them will certainly cause him trouble. So, he really doesn''t want to do that now. After sorting out, he let out a small sigh. He looked back at Elder Smith and nodded. "Elder Smith is really wise'' He said with a calm tone. Elder Smith finally eased his heart. For a moment he really had a cold back, "Fortunately, Elder Jensen is sensible " He said wryly in his heart. ... (Zack''s POV) After adjusting my peak state, I paced the lightning attributed wood in my palm. Then I began to recite the lightning scripture. In a moment, Lightning rune in my mind began to flicker as the process began to follow. At this moment, a pure lightning essence is being sucked through my palm. The quantity is little lower, but it''s nothing comparing to the quality. As the pure lightning essence course through my vein, it immediately got attracted by the lightning totem. Then it got gathered inside my dantian. As my totem becomes active more and more lightning essence is being sucked through my palm. Time went on, The lightning attributed wood began to loose it''s essence. Slowly, the lightning attributed wood becomes dry. Finally, I breathed in relief. Its been long since I felt the barrier, But now I gathered enough energy to break the barrier. I believe in following two days, I will get break through. After calculating the timing, I sent message to Uncle, Granny, Mentor and Mr. Arthur. "Now, I can focus on my retreat." I uttered in determination. Time went on, Zack''s message was received by everyone. They understood what was going on. So, they don''t plan to disturb him for couple of days. Three days later, A muffled sound burst out in my body, As I succeed in getting breakthrough to reach Initial- Special Trainee in lightning cultivation. As a result my dantian space widened a little more. In due process, my whole body got some improvement in strength. My meridian''s got more strengthened. I felt bursting power in my muscles. Comparing to body strength, my lightning essence got more dense and pure. Now, with more dantian space, I can store more lightning essence in it. Considerably, I can increase my lightning sword training few more hours from now onwards. I took sharp breath in excitement, one step closer toward my goal. Currently, My body and essence both are at Initial-Special Trainee Level. On top of it, My 7th region of brain is also at 10% development. All of them got progress, Then I shook my head in somewhat disapproval. I still feel my rate of progression is slow. Considering, My living city it can be rated as amazing achievement. But, my rate of succession will be lot faster. If I getting into more higher and resourceful cities. Right now, I only had one opportunity to do that. If I get into that academy in future, my progression is also be lot faster then. I let out a huge sigh, after sorting out my emotion. I don''t know when will be my next breakthrough. I couldn''t calculate the future planning due to lack of resources. But, I should strive on finding more opportunities. Just like Mr. Jonathan helped me lot this time. After adjusting my strength a little bit, I thought about informing Uncle about my breakthrough. He is the one who really knows about my lightning element. He will be happy, if he knows it. ... The other hand, In these two days, Adrian Curry also reached his place with his son. He also filed report of his successful mission. On top of it, Corpse of Assassin Ed also handed over to relevant department. While dying Assassin Ed had his wrist watch on him. Which is now confiscated by Intel department of the federation. Its normal task to crack down the Assassins and rogue warriors. But mission of killing Assassin Ed is somewhat important. Behind the scenes, the upper echelons after confirming the mission report. They informed Sir. Lowell McClain immediately. At the same time, After learning about the mission. The other hand, Sir. Lowell McClain sent message to Mr. James and Elder Thornton. Confirming the death of the Assassin. Which in turn put them at ease. Zack is oblivious to all of this due to his breakthrough retreat. ... The other hand, Elder Thornton is really cheerful these days. He received two good news in past few days. The first one is about the restoration project of the building. He doesn''t have to worry about the funding. As the federation took care of it. The second is about the death of the Assassin. He can now rest assured for now, as there is no imminent danger. Right now, Elder Thornton is in his cabin. He took some break now to get some relax. Suddenly, he recalls about Mr. Arthur''s health condition. He knew about his speedy recovery. So, he contacted him immediately. As the call connected, A cheerful voice greeted him, "Elder Thornton, What''s the matter?" Elder Thornton smiled hearing his voice, " Listening to your voice, Looks like your full recovery is on the way." He said with a smile. The other hand, Mr. Arthur laughed little. He also told about his recent improvement. Then Elder Thornton finally added the good news, "Arthur, there is also some good news for our campus." "huh" Mr. Arthur uttered in surprise. Hearing that Elder Thornton smiled and finally break out the news. "That Elite Assassin is dead." Elder Thornton said the first good news. "What? Really...now way!" Mr. Arthur exclaimed in surprise. "How fast!" He blurted out in surprise. As he himself couldn''t believe the news. He really got scared facing against him at that time. "Now, he is gone. Who could be?" He ran his mind to find some answers. Mr. Arthur even forgot that Elder Thornton is currently on the line. The other hand, Elder Thornton didn''t mind it. He knew there is some negative effect left on his mind due to that incident. After hearing this good news, it will even further increase his speedy recovery. Finally, Mr. Arthur calmed down his nerves. As he took deep breath in relief, he remembers Elder Thornton is still on the line. Mr. Arthur hurriedly answered, "Sorry Elder! I really can''t believe the news." Then he continued, " Elder Thornton, If you don''t mind. Could you tell me how it happened." Hearing that Elder Thornton answered, "Federation forces killed him at some other incident. But they don''t know that he was responsible for our trouble too." Hearing that Mr. Arthur surprised but he again has some doubt. he looked at Elder Thornton and asked, "Then Elder, How come?" Before he could finish his words. The other hand, Elder Thornton already understood his dilemma. He interrupted him by saying, "I have my own source. Because, I already knew why he had came at that day. So, don''t think too much about it." Hearing that Mr. Arthur got relaxed finally. Since, Elder knew about the background details. He doesn''t want to ask too much about it.. He finally let go of his inner curiosity. Chapter 204 - Next Adventure The other hand Elder Thornton ended the call, after telling him that good news. Time went on, Several weeks later, Zack''s life return back to normal. In these few weeks, several changes took place. The suspension lifted off, therefore warriors return back to the Hansen campus to train. As the restoration project is completed. The Hansen building looked like brand new. The other hand Mr. Arthur got discharged from Medical Facility. As he recovered hundred percent, he began to work again in the Hansen campus. In mean time, life or death duel event ended. Zack remained victorious from all the matches. He killed his opponents in his matches, claiming convincing victory. As a result, his position as a Seed Candidate also consolidated. No one caused any objections over this. Then Zack shifted his entire energy towards raising his calculation level. But after having whole level ascension from Trainee Apprentice to Special Trainee. The Dantian Space is widened, it took lot of cultivation time for him to restore the lighting essence. So, next breakthrough will probably take coupe of months. After confirming his thoughts, Zack focused even more on his cultivation. While in his skill level he reached Peak level in beginner stage of Small Wheel Division. Right now, he is at his home. It''s been long since he shifted his accommodation back to his home. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) At the dining table, "Zack, this food is made with lot of strong ingredients. Especially, Spiritual vegetables." Granny Park said with a smile, as she points out various ingredients in the food. Hearing that I nodded at her, I began to taste the food. After having first few spoons, "This is amazing!" I exclaimed in surprise. The strong energy from the food alleviate the hunger and brings warm energy to cells. Hearing my words, Granny Park smiled. The other hand, Mr. James too complemented, "He is right, Ms. Park. The food is good. But you don''t have to do all of this. You know?" Hearing that I too supported his words. She is old, why she have to work instead of resting?. Hearing that Granny Park refuted our words. I shook my head in disapproval. It''s hard to convince her not to do that. She finds joy in cooking the food. So, I''m happy anyway. Then discussion shifted to some other topic, As Mr. James asked, "Zack, What is your next plan?" I stopped eating for a moment, and began to ponder seriously about it. I knew why he is asking like that. I need to explore more places like Mountain Liz. Where places filled with more lightning essence. Cultivating out there, I can reduce next breakthrough time. Then I answered, "I have been searching places like Mountain Liz. But they are too far away. Most of the days will be spent on travelling. So, it''s waste, if I choose to go out there." Hearing that Uncle James let out huge sigh. Then he said, "You don''t have to worry about that. Actually your current progress is in line with other sons and daughters from big families. But their elemental ability is common one. While in your case, you got special element." Then he added, "Your current level is enough to join the A grade institution of Saw Scale Viper Academy. So, you already passed the initial struggle. Just focus on improving other skill set." Hearing that I nodded at him and said, "It''s fine Uncle. I already began to focus on my skills." Listening to Zack''s words, Mr. James nodded in affirmation. Then he recalls something, When he and Arthur conversing about Zack. He immediately commented, "Zack, Why don''t you try star tower?" Hearing that I''m stunned, "Here we go again?" I looked at him and said, "Uncle as I said before, the location of star tower is also faraway. It will definitely waste my time." I frowned a little, Hearing from Uncle James. I knew Elder Thornton somehow mentioned that too him. Why everyone is mentioning that too me? Is there any something more than that? The other hand, Mr. James knew Zack''s lack of knowledge. He smiled amusingly. Then he decides to shed light on this matter. He looked at Zack and said, "If you are worried about transport facility. Then there is a solution for that. It can reduce your travel time" Hearing that I''m surprised, but it doesn''t mean I''m interested to participate in that tower challenge. So, I listened. Mr. James, observing Zack''s relation he added further, " There is a sub way system available between two mid-zone cities. The star tower is located at west word city. If you reach baron fort city, you can travel to west word city through subway system. Then the time of travel will be reduced to three days." "Hmmm" I affirmed his explanation by nodding my head. Looking at Zack''s reaction, Mr. James shook his head in disapproval. "You are taking it very lightly." Mr. James said with a stern tone. Hearing that I immediately abandoned my indifferent attitude and answered, "Uncle, Why everyone is giving too much importance to that star tower. It may be attractive for other elemental warriors. For me it''s really tasteless Uncle. There won''t be any lightning element related rewards." I explained my worries straightforwardly. Hearing that Mr. James understood Zack''s worries. He said, " I know, you are worrying about lightning element rewards. But there is one more significance to star tower. If you do good performance in star tower, it will add special title and rank in your career profile. It is also add some importance to your admission to the academy." Seeing Zack is finally getting serious, He continued further, " It may be seems waste time for you now, but in long run, the star tower ranking will play significant role your life." Listening to Uncle''s expansion. My expression turned serious for first time. So, it star tower ranking will play big role in future. I began to consider it seriously. If it really helps me that much. Then I don''t have to delay it any longer. I looked at my Uncle and answered, "Okay, Uncle I will participate in Star tower Challenge." Hearing that Mr. James smiled finally. He commented, "Hmmm, Then go and prepare for your travel. Elder Thornton already registered your name as participant." "What?" I blurted out in surprise. No wonder, they insist on this topic. Elder already paid the entry fees. Realizing that, I sighed in my heart. After ending this topic, we completed our dinner. Later, I went back to my room for preparation. The other hand, Mr. James contacted Elder Thornton in his room. As the call connected, "Oh, Mr. James. What did he say?" Elder Thornton inquired in huge expectation. Hearing that, Mr. James smiled helplessly and answered, " Ahem, Elder. He did confirmed to participate in star tower. But I also told him about the sub way system travel." Mr. James really worried about this topic. He disclose this topic without asking him. "Huh" The other hand, Elder Thornton stunned, He already paid huge price for that entry fees. But sub system travel is somewhat exclusive. Its not easy to get that exclusive travel I.D. he began to tap his finger at desk. He can''t ask Sir. Lowell McClain for every matter. For something he needs to sort out the solution. He didn''t blame Mr. James for this. Yet, he is really confused. Why that brat is so adamant about not participating in that challenge. It''s very attractive power place for every elemental warriors. "Did he worried about the cost of registration fees?" he though to himself. That might be the real issue. Silly brat, having such teacher behind him. Why does he worried about credit points? Then Elder Thornton suddenly remembers, Mr. James is still on the line. He said, "Ahem, Mr. James, you don''t have to worry about that issue. I''ll try to ask for special permission" Hearing that Mr. James relaxed. "Then, Thanks Elder for your effort." He said with a smile. After having that little conversation, both of them ended their call. ¡­ (Zack''s POV) Three days later, I left house and headed to the train station. I thought it would take some time. But fortunately, Elder Thornton got me special I.D for that sub way system. I''m really grateful for that. Yet, I couldn''t help but wonder. Why is he helping so much? Is it because of my Seed Candidate. It more looks like a personal care. Especially, I saw some changes after Elite level Assassin. He is been converting with me after that incident. Does he feels any guilt due to that? Or my teacher scolded him for that. I couldn''t help but raise my eyebrows in frustration. A couple of minutes later, I arrived at the station, there still some time left for my train''s arrival. Suddenly, my wrist watch lit up with notification. "Hmmm" I blurted out in surprise. It''s from Maria Frazier. Why is she calling me now? I don''t know whether to attend the call or not. Then I decided to attend the call. It may be some emergency. As I attended the call, An impatient voice reached my ears, "Zack, Are you participating in Star tower Challenge?" Maria Frazier inquired in impatient tone. Chapter 205 - Marias Determination Hearing her voice, I''m literally stunned, "How does she know?" I''m literally confused. It''s impossible to spy on me. Having perceptual ability, I can easily found the traces of unkind eyes on me. So, I immediately calm down my heart. I asked, " How do you know?" The other hand, Maria Frazier breathed in relax, " Everyone knew about your participation in our Red Stone City" "What?" I blurted out in surprise. How come entire city knows? For a moment, my brain froze for a moment. I didn''t reply for a moment. Suddenly, the announcement came. My Train is on the way, it will arrive in ten minutes. Seeing Zack is bit confused, Maria Frazier let out a small laughter on the other hand. She immediately commented, "Zack, Why so serious?" Then she continued, " Star tower released notification yesterday night itself. I tried to call you yesterday. But you are unreachable. " Hearing that I''m stunned. No way, I usually avoid limelight. This will be troublesome then, because I noticed, few people who doesn''t have much calculation base than me. Trying to take few photos of me. I twitched slightly, they must be some reported. Now onwards, they begin to gossip even further. What to do? I shook my head in frustration. Let''s do some ordinary performance. Basic enough to admire, not more dazzling so that they can''t kill me. After sorting out my thought, I remember she is still on the line. "I slept early yesterday. So, I didn''t notice your call." Then I continued, "So, Why do you call me?" She won''t call me unless something important, she knows my character. The other hand hearing my question. Maria Frazier''s smile froze, she knew Zack don''t like idle talking. She answered in annoyed tone, "As you know the participant list is publicized. There are also participants from other cities. Especially from Crimson Hall. You must take care of yourself. Some mat intentionally seek trouble." Hearing that I smiled and answered, " Oh, I didn''t know that this kind of stuff. Thank you for your concern. I''ll act in a low key manner even more." The other hand, Maria Frazier finally reveals a smile on her cold face. Then I thought about something, I don''t know whether she knows or not. Let''s try ask her, it would be useful if she actually knows some inner details. "Maria, Do you have any idea of the content of challenge? I said with a smile. "No, Every time the content would be different. Its useless to know. But looking at your performance in life or death challenge. I believe you can easily deal with basic challenge." Maria said in a solemn tone. Hearing that I sighed, I knew there will be some kind of abacus. Otherwise, Uncle would have told me in advance. After realizing that, I said, "Then its fine Maria, I''ll talk to you later. My train is on the way." "Okay, Zack" Maria uttered. Then we ended the call. Just as I ended the call, I heard train sound. A long special class passenger train arrives at the moment. Seeing that I became ready and waited for the train to come to halt. A moment later, train stopped to receive passengers. Then without side glancing at the reporters. I boarded the compartment. The other hand, the reporters stopped taking pictures. Then they went back to their companies to publish the tomorrow''s news. ¡­ The other hand, Frazier''s family. After the call, Maria looked at the blue sky through window. She began to ponder deeply. In front of her, the family butler stood politely. All the information about the star tower is collected by him. As per miss order he did it immediately. But he was confused, he doesn''t believe it''s worth her effort. The butler asked, "Young Miss, Why are you helping that kid named Zack. Isn''t he is your competitor?" He knew before the seed candidate selection, selected through life or death duel. Young Miss interested in participated in that selection. But all of it was grabbed by that kid. Hearing butler''s words, Maria dazed for a little. She came back to reality. She observed the question for a moment. But she don''t know how to answer it. She looked at the butler and said, "I''m betting on him. If he reach some high level in future. Having good relationship with will be good for the family. So, it doesn''t bad to make friendship with strong people" Hearing that Butler understood her meaning, Young miss is betting on his future. He nodded at her in understanding. To that Maria gesture him to leave now. Then the butler left her room politely. But the other hand, Maria began to contemplate even further. Before joining the Hansen campus, she worried about she will be constant limelight, due to heir of Frazier clan. But nothing happen like that, from initial classmates, three of them promoted to advanced class. All three of them were different. She spent most of her training inside her clan. She rarely goes to campus. The other hand, Candace her only female good friend went back to her family. She misses her deeply, she was a good sparring partner. She sighed thinking about her. She tried numerous ways to contact her and collect details about the family. But the result was not. Couldn''t able to collect to any intel. Only Zack is the regular in her set. Yet he only focuses on his cultivation. He doesn''t seems to be fond making any connections. He means business. She doesn''t know whether her bet was good or not. Hope he won''t turn his back when he reaches higher level. She already understood his attitude from this call now. The other hand she is not pushover. She clenched her fists determination. Normally male would inherit the family, but too inherit her family as a female warrior. She needs strength to back it. She also has good ambition further develop her clan. That''s why he seeks to form good relationship with Zack. She notices some changes around the people he has been dealing with. Earlier she thought he would be goner, when he killed Elder Jensen''s grandson. But the turn around events happened aftermath of that match made her baffled. Even today, Zack came as winner from all the life or death duel challenge. Thinking about that it''s already an amazing feat. From her father, she knew that Zack got good backing from the management. Its hard to get support from elders of the management without any benefits. She knew about Zack''s background. He is an adopted kid of James Lockwood. From such a background, he did pretty good for himself. Which in return motivates her to cultivate hard and became stronger for herself and family, with her family''s background. She just have to persist on the round. ¡­ The other hand, Star tower participants list attracted the nearby cities. Usually for every fifty cities in the surroundings had start tower in them to encourage the budding talents. So, its usual to have some attention but its limited to scope of these fifty city. Because there are multiple star tower in other areas. So, it''s not heaven defying event. Its an opportunity for budding talents to have feather on their caps. Since, it''s their first step towards the future ascension. Like, Marian Frazier predicted, the participant list was viewed by Crimson Hall officials. In a main department head room, a small discussion is going on. "Head Master, Looks like that little fellow from Hansen campus is going to participate in that event." An assistant staff informed in a solemn tone. Hearing that Head Master looked at his assistant in somewhat confusion. "What happened? Didn''t they released the statement sometime ago saying that someone attacked their campus." The Headmaster Wells said with a serious tone. He clearly remembered, that matter caused him quite a headache. Every forces around here believed it was their doing. When he heard that he didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at that time. He doesn''t know what happened to Hansen people now. "They are stupid or what?" He thought to himself. The other hand, the assistant immediately collected her thoughts. And handed over the customized report of their organisation. It was done by intel team, it not only included their name but their abilities, talent and current cultivation level. But most of them were speculated abilities based upon some events. The assistant, she now only saw Zack''s name. She is surprised then only she informed the head master wells. The other hand, Head Master wells began to go through the report. He first glanced at Zack''s details, as most of the details were empty. Seeing that he couldn''t help but frowns. "How come a little organisation is keeping their secrecy so tight?" He said with a little frustration. The other hand, her assistant don''t know what to comment it''s not her department anyway. The other hand, Head master wells let out a huge sigh. Then he began to read other participant''s details. As it''s impossible to know about Zack''s qualifications. He doesn''t want to dwell on this matter. As he began to read through the report. He began to make strong challengers on this list. Like others their Crimson Hall also have a challenger of their own. He wants to see, if there is any threat? Chapter 206 - Baron Fort City (Zack''s POV) The seating in this train looks amazing. As I sat in my window seat, I felt good comfort. Having such a comfortness, I will fall asleep in no time. No wonder, in a long distance express train. Such details were made in mind of passengers. He¡­he¡­he¡­if they fall asleep due to good comfortness. They won''t have a chance to complain about anything. I just took the window seat, when a burly man with brown tuxedo sat opposite to me. He had a trademark moustache and cow boy hat on him. I just took a glance at him and shut my eyes. I don''t want to chat with strangers. I like to mind my own business. Earlier, Maria Frazier''s reminder, still echoes in my ears. Where does she gets this kind of intel? Sure, belonging to prominent family, these things were one kind of perks. "Anyway, having good friend like her, only have positive effects on me" I smiled in my heart. Then my mind shifted to think about next hurdle. Its impossible to guess the challenge of star tower. Its hard to believe such a things, obviously people behind the scenes replace the rewards during every time of the challenge. Then how come they don''t know about the challenge. ... Time went on, After three days, The express train passes through several small cities. Its next destination is baron fort city. In few hours, it will reach the destination. In these days, Zack didn''t have any privacy. He didn''t cultivate due to the lack of such facility in this train. His true lightning essence is full, it never exhausted in these days. Zack time to time, chatted with his friends and family. He also checked the news sites of Red Stone city. Due to Elite Assassin incident, Hansen campus was always among the hot topic among the public. Hansen campus''s every move after that attracts everyone. Especially, the speed of restoration project and appearance of new building. Which bought quite attraction from the public, slightly increases the reputation among every forces. Now, Zack as Seed Candidate was also heard by every forces around there. Now his participation news at the star tower also received quite a few gazes. It not a big deal to participate, all you can do to register the name of the warrior and pay the entry fees. For every forces second thing is not a problem but first thing is headache. Yes, you need such a potential candidate to participate behalf of the organisation and perform well at the event. If the candidate lose, it will be a huge loss of face. It will damage the reputation of the organisation. So, usually, without any assurance other forces won''t send their candidates. That''s why Zack participation and Hansen campus trusts on him attracted such a attention. ... While Zack was travelling, Inside the Hansen campus, Elder Thornton is having discussion with Mr. Arthur in his cabin. In front of them, there is a Red Stone Daily, it''s a leading news broadcasting company in the Red Stone city and having quite few branches in other cities. Mr. Arthur after looking at the newspaper. He sighed, he spotted the news about Zack. Not only Zack, but the news also mentioned other candidates who were going to participate in that star tower challenge. He commented, "Elder, Don''t you think it''s quite a eye catching." Then he added worriedly, "Won''t other forces will use this opportunity to cause him trouble." Mr. Arthur has just been discharged from the medical facility. He wanted to have some peaceful days. But looking at Zack''s movement and other forces constant prying, it is impossible to remain calm. He knew this is all due old man in front of him, Elder Thornton. He thought Elder won''t make any big actions. Fortunately, He saved his chairman seat after that debacle. He also managed to gather funds to complete the restoration project. He is been lucky. Now, why does he wants to test his limit. If he hasn''t forced Zack to participate in the tower, Zack would have got some peaceful training time here. He can be safe until the day of Crimson Hall event. His hands sweating now thinking about Elite Assassin. He doesn''t want to experience that kind of experience again. He can''t wait to break the limit and reach the elite level. Then it would calm his spirit. The other hand, hearing Mr. Arthur words. He observed his uneasy expression. He understood his worries. Elder Thornton smiled and said, "Arthur, You have to understand one thing, The episode of Elite Assassin is a pure coincidence. It won''t happen again. Since he is dead, You don''t have to worry unnecessarily. This challenge of Star tower is important for Zack. If he does well, it will raise his career profile. Which is also good for our Hansen campus." On the other hand, Mr. Arthur listened attentively, he calm down his heart. He is not a rookie, Since Elder Thornton insists on things. There must be some kind of baking. He also guessed quite a few things from the death of the assassin. Though Hansen campus is a tiny institute, it is also spite belongs to the army federation. He has a gut feeling, this must be their doing. He didn''t dare to ask openly, at the end of the day he was just one of the staff working on the Hansen campus. He needs to have some sense of measure. Then he looked at Elder Thornton and commented "Okay, Elder Thornton. I believe you." Then he added, "Hope, Zack will do well. " Then both of them discussed few other things before they ended their discussion. The other hand, at the Jensen household. Elder Jensen having some tea, in front of him there is a daily newspapers. Its a daily routine for him to read it. In these past few days, he missed reading it. He already frustrated about the failure of his plan. He didn''t have further leisure time to look into it. As he recalls, he didn''t read it for some time. He immediately picks up the old newspaper. As he began to read through while having some tea. There is no reaction from him. But as he finishes a couple of pages and began to read the middle section. His expression changed drastically for a moment. "Wait, Zack!" He blurted out in confusion. He looks at the picture, it''s the side profile of that brat whom he hates to the bone. At first, he didn''t quite get it, as he began to understand the news. "How is it possible?" He spilled his tea in astonishment. He immediately spilled the tea in frustration. "Damn, brat. That little vermin is on cloud nine. While I''m clueless about his actions." He gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew about the star tower challenge event. But he is confused about one thing, where does that brat get such an amount? Even for himself, it will hole out his assets. Seriously, he cocouldn''t understand anything. "Why does that brat got such shitty luck!" He said to himself. He is here, thinking about the next course of the plan. But that brat won''t be here. It''s impossible to plan anything without the presence of that brat on campus. Elder Jensen couldn''t help but frown. His son is currently out of the city due to work. If he knows, it will cause a few losses of lives. Already servants and maids were scared of him. If he sees this news, one or two people surely going to die. He rubbed his temple in frustration. ... (Zack''s POV) Several hours later, The passenger train reaches the baron fort city. Zack opened his eyes finally, The moustache man already departed in another city earlier. So, Zack is alone in his seat. After the train halted, Zack stepped out of the train. He breathed the fresh air of the new city. He looked at sideways, unlike his hometown. This platform is crowded with people. He immediately understood his Uncle words. This city has a unique subway system between the cities. Which reduces travel time, it''s normal for people to use this station. Then he headed towards the exit, Now it''s almost afternoon. His next train will arrI''vee at night. So, for the time being, Zack decides to stay in a hotel. This city is something, it doesn''t even look like a tier-8 city. The dresses of the adventures here were looking good, not even shabby. I stood there for a moment to looks around. Then I accessed the city map to find a nearby hotel. Soon, I found a medium-sized hotel. It''s a walkable distance from here. After confirming the location, I began to headed towards the location. I didn''t increase my pace, rather I walked leisurely around a few shops. Just as I looked around, I found a small auction house. It piqued my curiosity. I''ll have so much time on my hand. It won''t be waste of time. So, I decided to go and book a room at the hotel. Then I''ll visit the shop. A few minutes later, I found the hotel. It looked good. To have this hotel situated in this main street. It must be the good only thing I have to worry about it''s rental fees. I entered the hotel, I took a few steps ahead. I spotted a female receptionist behind the desk. Perceiving my gaze, she looked at me.. Then I immediately asked about the room details. Chapter 207 - Small Auction House The female receptionist gave me details about the empty room. I looked at the cost. Two thousand credit points for a day. Seeing the number, I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows. This is bit expensive, but I don''t have any choice. This hotel is close to train station. Even if I choose other hotels, they must be as expensive as this one. I took a moment to decide then I told receptionist about Choosing one room. I transferred two thousand credit points to their account. She gave me key for the room no. 206. After grabbing the key, I immediately thought headed towards my room. I hope it''s not just expensive for namesake. Shaking my head, I approached the nearby lift to enter, A couple of seconds later, I arrived at the fifth floor. After exiting the lift, I looked for room no.206. A few second later, I found the room. After inserting the key and entering new access code provide by the receptionist, the door opened. I entered the room, after locking the door. I began to check the entire room for any disturbance. A few minutes later, After confirming everything is clean and tidy. I intend to take long shower, it''s been days since I have a bath. There is bath facility in the train but I didn''t used it. For safety concern, I didn''t want to use it. The room is a bit luxurious, and breath of fresh air. After having long good bath in shower, I changed by clothes. Then I ordered good energetic food from the room service. While waiting for food service, I once again studied this cities map. It will be good if there is few more shop like auction house. A few minutes later, I marked some interesting shops on the map. Just a going through the map, the room service came with the ordered food. After arranging my food on the table they left the room. As fresh and good smell of food invaded my nostrils. Sensing that, I stopped doing my current work and began to ear food. After finishing the food couple of minutes later, I decided to go around the city and visit the marked shops on the city map. I was getting ready, I received an call from Granny Park. Seeing that I attended the call. "Zack, Where are you right now?" Granny Park inquired my whereabouts in gentle tone. Hearing that I let out a small smile, I sat down in my couch and took some time to talk to her. "I''m at the baron city right now, My next train will arrive at night. So, I booked a nearby hotel to spend time until then." I said with a smile. The other end of the call, Granny Park satisfied with the my answer. She then talked about recent news reports. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. I too read the couple of news about me in the alliance network. Then Granny Park commented, "Okay, take care of yourself. Text me after you boarded the train." "Sure, Granny!" I uttered. Then she ended the call. Its rare for her to call by herself. Usually, I''m the one inquires about everyone. Shaking my head, I stood up from the couch to leave. After locking door, a few moments later I stepped out of the hotel. The street is still lively, buzzing with the crowd. Feeling positive vibe, I walked among the crowds. From time to time, I sense powerful auras from the people. But no one is leaking out intentionally. Looks like that crime rate is lower in the city. After walking few steps ahead, I came across the small auction house. Looking at the name "Junior Fred auction house." I remembered the name in my mind. Then I step my foot inside the auction house. Seeing the old antique like structure, my interest piqued further. Though, I''m not hoping to buy anything. I''m here to spend time to quench my interest. Hearing my footsteps, a shop keeper came forward to greet me. He is a bit old, probably sixty year old man with small white beard and small moustache. "Young man, Come here inside and looked around, See if you like anything to buy." The shopkeeper said with a smile. I felt pleased by his words, then without making him wait. I followed him to the main hall. Amazing, there is not much room here. The walls were fitted with glass cupboards. I can see numerous goods in each glass cabin. There were some antiques among few items. It will take some time to go through all the stuffs. So, I didn''t see it immediately. I looked at the shopkeeper and asked, " old man, Could you show me some interesting stuff" I believe this old man knew some knowledge about some goods. Hearing Zack''s words, the old man hesitated for a moment. He didn''t know whether the young man is going to buy or not. The old man knitted his eyebrows, seeing Zack''s perceiving gaze. The old man nodded and went back private room to bring registration book. Seeing the back of disappearing old man, I waited for him. A few minutes later, the old man came with huge registration book. This registration book is compilation of all the antiques goods. Its quite detailed with picture and the description of the items. Seeing the huge book, I felt headache. I hurried towards the old man to help him up. I took the huge book from his hands and placed it on the nearby desk. The old man took sharp breath for a moment. I gave him a bottle of water. After drinking it, the old man thanked me. I let out a huge sigh, then I took a nearby seat and sat down leisurely to read the book. I opened the first page, thank goodness, it has some index page. I took a few glances towards it. Some were old crude artefacts, some ancient relics, old era decorative items, some worn-out pictures. One by one, I began to read the index page list. Time passes slowly, Zack is immersed in his reading. While the old man observing him from time to time. Seeing Zack''s curiosity, the old man thought may be young man can really buy some items from the book. Suddenly, as I passed through the section of decorative items. I spotted palm size mirror in the book. The description says it''s an mirror found middle-aged era ruin. There are no other specifications other than face looking mirror. But my intuition tells me otherwise. To confirm it, I need to see the item for myself. I turned around and looked at the old man, On the other hand, perceiving my gaze the old man was startled. "Did you select something?" The old man inquired. I nodded at him. And passed the huge book to him. The other hand, old man took the book in his hands, at that time I pointed out the item, "I liked to see the mirror , if it''s good then I will give it to my granny" I said with a smile. Hearing that old man nodded at me, it was convincing statement. He didn''t even doubt me. The old man then went to bring the old bronze mirror. I decided to wait for him, a couple of minutes went by, but there is no sight of the old man. I began to wonder, why is it taking so long to bring that stuff. Then something strike my mind, did the old guy fainted on the way. Then suddenly I heard footsteps, old man is back with metallic case. Sure, this metallic case is used to protect the relic. The old man walked towards me and placed the metallic case on the table. I didn''t open it, I let him do it. The old man opened the case after entering the access code. He took the small bronze mirror, which is covered in cloth. After accessing the old bronze for any mistake. The old man then gave it to me. I took the small bronze mirror in my hands, My intuition becomes further stronger. This item is something else. I''m sure, I just need to uncover its secrets. But on my face, I revealed some solemn expression. Seeing my condensed expression, the old man startled, "What happen? Don''t you like it?" the old man asked in a worry some tone. Hearing that I knitted my eyebrows, and said, "Its very old and the design pattern was worn out" Hearing that old man sighed in relief. He thought that young man would back out in last minute. But fortunately, that''s not the case. He looked at the young man with a smile and said, "Don''t worry, I will give a reasonable price for it" He really hoping that young man would buy this bronze mirror. Hearing that I didn''t answer it immediately, then touched the small bronze mirror with my hands. Then I asked him solemnly, "How much does it cost?" Hearing that old man made some calculation in his mind. He said, "It''s only thirty thousand credit points." My heart skips a best hearing him. Its much expensive than expected.. I commented, "This is just face looking mirror. Don''t you think it''s too much?" Chapter 208 - Bargain- Bronze Mirror No way, I''m going to pay amount of thirty thousand credit points. My mind began to race, I have to bargain a little bit. "Old man, take a good look at this face looking mirror. The only selling point of this mirror that its belong to an old era. Other than that nothing valuable to point out" I said with a little disappointed look. It works, the old man began to contemplate after listening to my words. I smiled inside my heart, and waited for the old man to lower the price. The other hand, the old man frowns a little. He just worker in this shop, not a owner. The owners living in other city far away from here. They gave him some decision making rights, including appraisal and negotiation. Now, hearing the young man''s words. The old Shop keeper comes to the same judgement, It''s just small old bronze mirror. The old man too thinks it''s a face looking mirror, her antique has a certain market value. He can''t sell lower than that. There are collectors out there, no matter what kind of item is it. They will buy it, if it''s belong to an old era. Slightly, shaking his head. The old shopkeeper said, " Young Man, What about twenty five thousand credit points" he said with a wide smile. Seeing his creepy smile, I got goosebumps all over my body. Without looking at him further, I walked towards the exit. The other hand, Zack''s sudden movement startled the old man. He stunned for a moment, he couldn''t comprehend due to old age for a moment. Then he immediately follows behind him, "Young Man, Wait! What happened?" The old shop keeper inquires in somewhat distress voice. I don''t want to cause him any disturbance, So, I halted my footsteps immediately. I turned towards the old man and answered, "Sorry, Old man. I don''t have that much credit points in my account. If you insists on that price. I''m sorry, I have to walk away from here." I said with a distressed face. The other hand, hearing Zack''s words. The old man remain silent for a moment. He don''t want to dwell on this matter in his old age. But he has a responsibility to make some profit for the shop. If he can sell above fifteen thousand credit points, he can make some profit. That''s why earlier, he told twenty thousand credit points. The old man gritted his teeth. It''s rare for customer to visit antique shop these days. So, old man don''t have any choice to lower the amount a little bit. He looked at the young man and said, "Young man, I believe you are smart kid. I can''t sell item without making some profit. So, lastly what about twenty thousand credit points." The old shopkeeper said with a strict face. Even though, old shopkeeper still making some profit, yet he has to make him believe his words. After hearing the old man words, I felt I can''t bargain further. So, I nodded at him with somewhat happy face. Then we proceed toward transaction, after transferring the amount. I placed the metallic case in my storage ring. After saying good bye to the shopkeeper, I left the auction building towards my hotel. A few minutes later, I arrived at my room. After locking the door, I lazily sat on my couch. Then I take out the metallic case from my storage ring. After opening it, I placed the small bronze case on my palm. I observed carefully once again. My institution told me something about it. Now, I got good time on my hands to analyze it. As I lazily lay down, I try to seep my conscious into it. Hmmm, I got faint reaction. As a result, I jolted awake. I tried to seep my consciousness deeper. But my consciousness was blocked by wall. I slightly frowned, then I retracted my consciousness back. "I knew this item is not ordinary" I mumbled under my breath. I feel satisfied, as I revealed small smile on my face. He¡­he¡­he, I don''t know how the old man will react. If he finds out this item is an artefact. Not a simple household item. But I can''t buy an old artefact with just twenty thousand credit points again. Hmmm, It will take some time to restore it. On top of it, I don''t have much knowledge regarding the artefact. It''s completely different fields. How about I find someone to test it. Suddenly, a face of an old man come to my mind. Dr. Mearov, it''s been long since I met him. After the trip of star tower, I will inform Uncle James. After sorting out my mind, I placed the mirror back in the metallic case, then I kept it in my storage ring. I looked at the time, there still seven hours left. Should I go again and stroll across the street. I began to contemplate for a moment. Then shaking my head, I began to sleep in the bed. I feel lazy, I got what I wanted from the credit points. I don''t have much balance left other than daily life expenses. So, my interest is naturally gone. Six hours later, I woke up from my sleep. Looking at the time, I felt urgency to get ready. There is only two hours left before the train arrival. I need to get ready in half an hour. Realising that, I immediately went to take bath. A few minutes later, I felt good after having some good bath. Then I began to change my clothes. After done getting ready, I began to check out from this hotel. I didn''t have that much, personal belongings. The little things I have now, I already kept them in my storage ring. A few minutes later, After checking out, I headed towards the tain station. There is still one hour left before the train''s arrival. I booked the nearby air cab to travel. A couple of minutes later, I arrived at the station. Though it''s a walkable distance, I felt its good to save some time.. If I miss this train, then I will miss participating in the star tower challenge. Chapter 209 - Star Tower Inspection (From Zack''s POV) After exiting the cab, I entered the train station. Time went on, But there is no sign of train''s arrival. I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows in worry. Could something have happened? I whispered to myself. Shaking my head, I didn''t dwell on this matter. I decided to patiently wait for the train. Time went on, [Ding! The Express train to West Word City will arrive, a few minutes later] The announcement rang in my ears, Hearing that I quickened my pace towards the platform. I knew the express train won''t come at the exact time. Sometimes, the train track is disturbed by Monster hoard, it''s normal for a train to arrive few minutes late. As expected! The Long Armored Train halts it''s speed slowly, As it entered the platform. Soon, I don''t know when? A stream of crowd came towards this platform. Seeing this bustling crowd, a look of amazement flashes in my eyes. The Size of this platform is triple in size than my home town platform. But looking at this stream of people stand in queue, it''s quite an eye opening for me. No matter, how much is the credit points, People were willing to travel as long it''s save their previous time. Observing the crowd, I find out most of them were middle aged people. So, far I didn''t find my set of people. It will take some time to trail to depart. So, I walked towards my compartment and stand in queue. A few minutes later, As the crowd one by one, began to decrease in number. Soon, it came for my turn. I stepped inside the compartment and took my seat. This time it''s not window seat sadly, it''s occupied by stranger. I sat beside him. In seat opposite to me, two individuals conversing with each other. Seeing that, I couldn''t help but sigh inside my heart. This trip won''t be peaceful. Constant chit chat, won''t help me to have some good sleep. At this time, "Hello! Young Man, What''s your name?" A middle age man with back spectacle asked me. Hearing that I couldn''t help but curse in my heart. He is the same gentle man who is seated beside me. I couldn''t able to see through his strength, Sure he is strong. "Ahem, Hello Sir, I''m Zack" I said with a smile. As I gave him small handshake. In return, he shook my hand. The other hand, The middle aged man pleased with Zack''s answer. He began to introduce himself. "Nice name, Young Man. I''m Nick Garner." He said with a smile then he wants to further add up. But seeing Zack''s uninterested face. He stopped his introduction. After listening to his introduction, I shut my eyes. I didn''t want to continue the conversation with stranger. Seeing that middle aged man stopped saying anything further, I smiled inside my heart. Then I began to take nap. ¡­ The other hand , at the West Word Senior officials preparing for the Star tower Challenge event. Every time, the challenge will be different. General Public is clueless about it. But the oldest member behind the scenes has some clues about next challenge. In a meeting room, The oldest official of the Star tower frowns seeing the numerous request in his message. All of them are asking about some inside details. Some were even ready to bribe. What''s more disheartening is that, few of these people were known to him personally. Unlike, other forces the Star tower force is an mysterious force. They have huge responsibility to screen proper talent so that they can leap over from here to much better place. Shaking his head, he cancelled all those request. And began to see the report of the event. So, far all the registration process were completed. All the participants details were included. Only first two hundred people who register for this event were eligible to participate. Rest of them were not allowed to participate. Even if they were ready to pay huge amount of credit points. After placing the file in his desk, the old man stood up from his seat. He slowly walked towards the exit. When he steps outside, in a distance a huge green tower stood like giant against the sky. The Star tower is located at the middle of forest inside the West Word city. Since, it''s an main attraction. The entire zone is isolated by the officials. Other than officials behind start tower no one is allowed to enter. Only at the time of star tower challenge event, the participants were allowed to enter. The old man then slowly walked towards the Star Tower. The huge green color star tower has fifty floors. In each floor respective rewards were placed. Only after the clearance of particular level, the corresponding reward will be given. After taking few steps forwards, the old man arrived in front of the Star tower entrance. Right now, no one else is behind him. Rest of the officials were few walks away. Even if they present here, they were not allowed to enter inside. Only the old man has the authority. After scanning his finger prints, retina details. They finally the old man dripped some blood. After confirming his bloodline. Then the Star tower lit up with green light for a moment. Suddenly, the old man stepped inside and disappeared in an instant. Then the green light dimmed down. The other hand, appeared inside the control towed. From where he can see the situation clearly. Obviously, it''s going to be combat challenge. The old man began to check the formation whether it''s renewed or not. Even thought this star tower is lowest among the existence of other star towers. But it''s basic functionality is enough to withstand the power level of beginner warriors. After making sure there is no crack present at the formations, and every formations at each floor is fresh and new. The old man began to check other functions. Then finally, the old man began to check the rewards. He placed the rewards few days ago, now seeing the glistering reward the old man began to check one by one. Time went on, After confirming every functions efficiency, the old man left the start tower and headed towards his cabin. There is only few days to go for the event. Now, if all the participant can arrive safely within time. Then the management can began the event. ¡­ Outside, few forces began to get distressed seeing there is no reply from the star tower old man. Most of them were related to first few hundred participants. This not the first time, they have done something like this. Every time, when the star tower challenge event is held. They try to collect the intel. Basic Intel can be sold for million credit points. Inside the Williamson Household, The Family Head, Brock Williamson talking to his son Robb Williamson. "Robb, What did your teacher told you? The Middle aged man, Brock, inquires his son. Hearing that, Robb rubbed his temple. "Father, My teacher told me, Even their management failed to acquire any intel." Hearing that Brock Williamson face looked dissatisfied. "From past few years, Crimson Hall''s prestige increased greatly. But still they couldn''t able to get that Intel." He said with a dissatisfied tone. Listening to his father''s tone. Robb''s face also turned solemn. For them, their goal is above top twenty five levea l. Clearing first twenty five levels is regarded as significant achievement. It''s not only going to increase participants'' reputations. But also increase their chance to get admission to better academies. That''s why Brock Williamson is stressed about it, Looking at his father''s distressed face. Robb immediately said, "Father, Don''t worry. Even without the intel. I''m sure, I can easily get past level twenty-five." Robb is sure of himself, he heard about Star tower. It''s used to select the best talent among beginner level warriors. Since, it''s for selecting beginner level warriors. He is sure, logically it will be not more difficult than fighting against Peak level Special Trainee. He is now at Peak level Trainee Apprentice Warrior, so he is quite sure about the difficultly. Hearing his son''s confident words, the other hand Brock Williamson smiled heartily, he is sure about is son that he will placed in good academy. Then he looked at his son and said, "Other than you, who else going to participate? Hearing that, Robb answered, "Including me, total of six people is going to participate from the crimson hall." This time, Brock astonished hearing that number. "Does Crimson Hall have that much money to spend?" He thought to himself. He really astonished in his heart. He really made good decision to send his son to study in Crimson Hall. Then he suddenly thought of something, "Robb, You said, apart from you five people going to participate. What about them? " He said in a solemn tone. Hearing his father''s question, Robb understood his worry. He sighed and answered, "Father, They are strong as myself. Why do you think Crimson Hall would send weak people?" The other hand, Brock stunned hearing his words.. He then nodded his head in understanding. Chapter 210 - Part One: Crimson Halls Team (From Zack''s Perspective) Time went on, the passenger train speedily coursing through the track. On the way, there is no episode of Monster Hoard or any other hurdle. Soon, a day went by. At this time, I yawned, as I woke up from my sleep. Then I gazed at my watch. Seeing the timing, I knew it''s the second day of travel. Massaging my temples, I decide to brush up first. After adjusting folding the seat in seating position. I headed towards the washroom. There were four small baths in this compartment. I slightly looked around, and found twenty heads in this compartment including me. For a moment, I forgot the yesterday''s rush. For our compartment, it''s okay to have this much of people. Shaking my head, I entered the washroom. The other hand, Nick Garner, the co-passenger of Zack is already woke. Now, he is having some tea, While reading his book. Seeing Zack sleepy expression he let out amusing smile, "Interesting Kid!" He thought to himself. A few minutes later, after brushing up my teeth. I again went to take small shower. Then after having some good bath, I changed my clothes to a bit casual. After finishing the routine, I sat back in my seat. Then suddenly, Nick Garner poured some tea for me. "Thanks!" Saying that, I take the tea cup from his hands and begin to sip it slowly. I felt good, this tea is really refreshing. While, I''m sipping it, I unconsciously glanced at his book. My eyes flashes in surprise. It''s about human anatomy. "This Guy is healer or what?" A question rang in my mind. Now, I felt bad. Earlier, when he introduced himself. I didn''t listen to him properly. If this guy has healing element. Then his knowledge about healing is very useful for me. Then I decided, next time I will be attentive, If he brings out the same conversation again. Then Mr. Nick went back to his reading, He immersed in his reading. Seeing that, I don''t want to disturb him. So, I began to read the latest news. ¡­ At the same time, Crimson Hall team of six members, begin to get ready for the journey. Right now, Rob Williamson already left his home and arrived here. This City is the closest city to West Word City. The team of six people already arrived in the city. But they were in different location, right now. So, they have to gather at one point. Before they travel together to West Word City. At this time, Rob Williamson eating food in a restaurant, He received call from one of his team member, Darius Case. "Robb, Where are you? I lazy voice rang in his ears. Hearing that, He knew his team member wants to gather. Then Robb answered, "I''m at this restaurant called Rainbow leaf. Why?" The other hand, Darius nodded. Then he said, "It''s nothing, I''m just asking casually. By the way, When did you arrive?" Robb replied, "I came here yesterday. Darius, What about rest of them? What are they doing?" The other hand, Darius answered, "I don''t know? I''m going to call them one by one." Hearing that Robb surprised. He thought he was confident to clear some levels. But looks his friends also have this nonchalant attitude. He smiled wryly thinking about it. After having few conversation. He ended the call. ¡­ Inside the Hansen Campus, Elder Thornton currently checking the attendance. "Seems like all of the students present today." He said to himself. After suspension was lifted off, He thought it will take quite while for student to return back to the campus. But, now he was happy looking at the attendance. Not only old students came back, there is also admission of some new students. "Good" He said to himself. After confirming it, He suddenly thought about Zack. "In few days, Star tower challenge is going to start, I don''t know how many levels he is going to clear?" He thought to himself. "If he can successfully get past level ten. Then it will be good record." He mumbled under his breath. Because, He knew this event is not only for Zack. But also for the Hansen Campus''s future. Elder Thornton has a clear direction now, Before retiring, he wants develop this tiny campus into somewhat middle size campus. If not this possible, at least he have to lay out some base for it. He is also got the notification about Crimson Hall team. "Six members ah? I don''t know how many forces they looted for the entry fees. I don''t believe Crimson Hall is willing to spend from their pocket." He thought to himself. He promised Sir. Lowell McCain that he will take care of Zack. But so many things changed after that initial conversation. He can''t leave the office like whenever he wants. Everyone is watching his move, further more he don''t want to displease the shareholder. Which is also one of the reason, he recommended Zack to participate in the star tower. In this way, normally forces won''t target challengers. There is also some record of sudden disappearance of people belong to various forces, after they intercepted and killed some challengers. He believe this must be doing of Star Tower Management. But there is no conclusive evidence for it. After that incident forces began to behave carefully, but also there were some loose heads who doesn''t believe in this conspiracy theory. They intercepted the kids on the way. But after the event they also met with same fate. So, that''s why he believes that Zack will be quite safe on this trip. And he didn''t tend to follow him behind because of this. ¡­ A faraway place from this location, on a certain wasteland. There is a wide underground prison under this land. The underground prison is built with special metals. It''s so hard that it can''t be broken by simple means. A certain Prison Guard doing his daily routine rounds. At first, On top of the land, This is where the gate to the underground prison is located. The Prison Guards attire look bit shabby, He appeared like savage. No one from the General Population would believe, this savage looking man is the Prison Guard of this dangerous prison. The Prison Guard went near the gate. There is huge mechanical lock attached to it. There is no sign of modern technology so far. The Prison Guard uses key to operate several combination to unlock it. A few moments later, the lock was opened. Then the prison guard entered inside it, while he was doing it. His Colleague took care of the guarding until he arrives back. There is only one way, going downwards through the spiral stair cases. The prison guard stepped slowly towards the spiral stair cases. As he walks down the spiral stairs, he lit up the lamps with fire. There is no lighting system here. So, he began to lit up the lamp one by one as he goes downwards. As a result, the spiral stair cases illuminates with bright light. This underground prion reveals the aura of Medieval era. Finally, the prison guard descends and touches the land. From here onwards, both from his left and right there were prison cells. There were only ten prison cells here, locking up ten criminals each. There were five cells on his left and five on his right side. This is just first floor. The Prison Guard moves to do his daily routine. He is going to check the prisoners. At first the room was totally dark. After the Prison Guard descended here. First thing, He does was to lit up the lamp. As a result, entire first floor is illuminates with light. Suddenly, There is growling sound, resonated from some cells. "Ahem, Who do we have here?" A crackling voice rang in prison guard ears, without minding it. He began to check it one by one. Seeing the guard''s face, a senile old man commented, "It''s our fellow Prison Guard." After saying that, the senile old man begins to laugh. Like that, time to time prisoners making some noise. But the Prison Guard didn''t get affected by it. He is used to their farce. After checking the ten cell, He decides to descend even further. The Prison Guard moved, He once again descend even further using the same spiral case. As he came in front of the spiral case. To go down once again, he needs to unlock the entrance gate of the second floor. After following the same procedure as the first gate. The Prison Guard begins to descend further. A few moments later, After illuminating the second floor, the Prison Guard follows the same routine, But suddenly he heard loud screaming, "Let me out of here!" The Screaming is came from the tenth prison cell. The Person''s face is distorted hair is Dishelved. Hearing his screaming, the other Prisoner felt dissatisfied. "This vermin! Won''t you quiet down. " another prisoner shouts at him. Soon, due to illumination of light, the prisoners began to converse. "This newbie is such a pu**y!" the prisoner from the first cell said with a laugh. "What Crime does he commit? " another prisoner inquired. "I heard he is lackey from Devil Cry.." Another Prisoner interrupts his conversation in midway. You can read the novel fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net Chapter 211 - Part Two: Crimson Halls Team (From Zack''s Perspective) The passenger train reaches the destination a day before the star tower challenge. Seeing the passenger train entering inside west word city, I begin to get ready, Finally, I can take breath of fresh air. The travelling is so tiring and uncomfortable. This is why I don''t prefer long journey. Thanks to my co- passengers, my travelling time was so peaceful. No one disturbed me, Seeing that I''m not interested in having long conversation. All I did was Read, Eat and Sleep. Meanwhile, the gentleman beside me also minding his own business. It saves lot of trouble. Soon, The Passenger train after entering the platform. It''s begin to halt. The other hand, the middle aged man, Nick Garner also packing his stuff, Seeing that Zack done packing his stuff, He let out a amusing smile. "Interesting Kid, After observing him for a while, I can assume that this kid wants to enter west word city as soon as possible. I wonder why?" He thought to himself. Shaking his head, He begin to check his stuff for one last time. After the train came to halt, People begin to exit one by one. Some important stuffs are placed inside the storage ring. I didn''t expose it earlier. I just picked up this back pack and some books for eyelash. After stepping out of the compartment. I landed my foot on the platform ground. "Finally!" I took a deep breath. After doing some small stretch out, I headed towards the exit. First thing, I need to do is to find out the cheap restaurant. Then I''ll inform Uncle and Granny about my arrival. And finally I will stroll around this big city late at night. Even though, I want to exit as soon as possible. But this steam crowd is something else. It''s just like the same scenario happened in previous city. For a while, I moved like snail. It''s also interesting that so far I didn''t find any scuffle. It''s also for some loose heads to venting out their anger. A half an hour later, "This is really maddening!" I couldn''t help but curse. My backs drenched in sweat while standing in queue earlier. I sighed in relief from getting out successfully. Then I used my wrist watch to access the west word city map. I stood near a shop, and viewed the city map. This city is huge, it''s divided into business area and residential area separately. I begin to search for the cheap hotel nearby. Soon, I spotted a hotel nearby. It''s a walkable distance from here. Seeing that I relaxed and began to headed towards that place. I don''t know whether the rooms were reserved or not. There is no details updates in the map. Sometimes later, I arrived in front of the hotel. [Leonard''s inn] Seeing the name, I knew this was the location. I stepped inside the gate and walk towards the registration desk. A bearded old man, lying comfortably in his desk. He seemed to be little drowsy. I walked in front of him and said, "Hello, Sir,!" Hearing my voice the old man woke up from his sleep. He opened his eyes and glanced at Zack. A glint of surprise, flashes in his eyes. He commented, "Young Man, What do you want?" The old man knew, this kid probably came for accommodation. Hearing that I asked for room to stay. But unfortunately, all of the rooms were booked. No, wonder the old man is sleeping without any worry. Shaking my head, in left this inn to search for other places. After searching few other places, finally I found room in this hotel. This place is quite faraway from the central city. It makes quite sense. On top of it, this hotel has bad rating. Right now, I didn''t even care, For me is just one night stay. I''ll manage somehow. After sorting out, I entered inside. This time, in the registration desk. An old lady greeted me immediately. "Young Man, Do you need any room?" Hearing that I sighed in relief, "Ahem, Yes!" I nodded my head in response. Then she gave me access code and key to the room. After taking it, I headed towards the room. This inn is somewhat okay in appearance. I don''t know how it looks inside. After arriving in front of the door no. 10. I logged and entered the access codes, then after the unlocking it with key. I entered inside. I locked the door, then I looked around the room. The space inside the room is very little. There is no reading room and hall. Only one bedroom and bathroom. I let out a deep sigh, at least there is some facility for bath. Then I immediately went inside to take a long bath. I changed clothes a few minutes after having bath. Then I decided to stroll around the city. ... At he same time, Crimson Hall''s team also arrived at the west word city through different route. There four male members and two female members in this group. Rob Williamson- Bloodline Power( Earth Rock Rhino Monster) ¨C Special Trainee- Initial, Darius Case- Fire Element - Special Trainee- Initial, Austin Boyer- Ice element -Special Trainee- Initial, Bradley Reese- Earth element- Special Trainee- Initial, Ella Downs- Bloodline Power ( Mutated Dotted Snake) - Special Trainee- Initial, Sallie Mills- Water element- Special Trainee- Initial, The team of six gathered around and begin to discuss their next course of plan. At this time, Darius Case commented, "Why don''t we go to hotel and settle down first?" Hearing his words, Sallie Mills added, "Yeah, it''s very tiring. I need to freshen up immediately." There were two females in this group, beside her, Ella Downs is the only one in the group. Rest of them too nodded, after sorting out they headed towards the hotel. Their stay is already taken care of by the Crimson Hall authorities. Rooms were booked in advance. So, they don''t have to worry about this matter. On the way, Austin looked at Rob and asked, "Rob, Did you find out any information about the levels." Hearing his words, rest of his companions also quiet down. They perked up their ears to listen to him. "You guys!" Robb got black lines on his forehead. Even if he knew, he won''t be nice enough to reveal all the details. Shaking his head and answered, "Do you think it''s joke? So, far in history no one is quite successful in finding out the details. Because each and every time the challenge is different. you will never know what is the exact challenge. " His expression turned gloomy after saying this. The other hand, He also promised his father to get past the level 25. Hearing Robb''s answer, All of them sighed. They knew this was the case, but they couldn''t help to raise some hope. Them without wasting anytime, the team hurried their pace towards their hotel. On the way, minds of these people were occupied by something. But they didn''t let out a words, Each of them quite confident in their own strength. When comparing to cultivation level base, all of them were same. Even though, they were team. There is still competition exists among them. To reach this place, So, far they defeated too many challengers from Crimson Hall. Now, All of them wanted to perform well and set record. ¡­ Meanwhile, Inside the Underground Prison. At the second floor, after every prisoner letting out their dissatisfaction about the newbie. The new inmate from Prison Cell ten, didn''t even care. He continues to scream, "I didn''t do anything wrong. Let me out of here." The Savage Prison Guard, snorted and slams at the iron grid. Which in turn frightens the prisoner. The Prison Guard then said, "Newbie, If you insists on acting this way. Then you will soon end up dead." The Prison Guard voice was creepy. Hearing that, the inmate from prison cell ten quiet down immediately. He was so scared that he didn''t want to voice out anything. Another prisoner chuckles, "He didn''t have to do anything. His mind was so fragile that he will loose his shit due to fear" Every other prisoner echoed the same opinion as him. The other hand, after finishing the checkup at this floor. The prison guard continues to do so, in other down floors. After the prison guard left this floor, the conversation quiet down some times later. The other hand, the inmate from prison cell ten. His mind also went crazy. Everything was fine, few weeks ago. Who could be? He clearly remembers, that he didn''t even offend any powerful forces. His plan about kill list is going smoothly few weeks ago. Now he is rotting in prison cell. He knew, some one attacked their bases one by one. Initially they didn''t mind it much. But as the time goes on, most of their assets gone. Enemy is likely to be an Elite Warrior. Now, He doesn''t know what happens to Assassin Ed. Before he could know about the enemy, He was thrown into this prison. Now, He hopes for his organisation members to save him from this wretched place. Chapter 212 - Final Preparation (Star Tower) Inside the luxurious hotel, Team from crimson hall, Chose this hotel for their stay. Each one of them chose their favorite room to settle down. Among those, Robb Williamson chose the closest room to the exit, which is from no. 47 Inside the room, Robb Williamson cultivates quietly in the reading hall. It didn''t take much time for him to adapt to this place. After taking some deep breath, Robb Williamson wondered," Not long after I left my home. I succeeded in getting a breakthrough to reach Special Trainee. But who would have thought, I was not the only one, the other hand my friends were also one step ahead of me, reaching Special Trainee" "The Competition is even more severe now," he thought to himself. At home, he is quite sure of clearing level 25, But now, that goal is not very attractive. He needs to set his standard even higher. He is quite sure most of his friends would clear level 25 without breaking sweat. After adjusting his mind, He begin to focus on his cultivation. Because, next morning they have to reach the heart of the city sooner. Where Star tower is located. The Same Scenario is going on inside the rooms of others. Outside, they seemed to be playful in front of others. But, Right now, Everyone is calm and composed. Because tomorrow, everything is going to change. They can''t wait to do well. ¡­ (From MC''s Perspective) I didn''t even have time to appreciate the beauty of this city. I wish I could spend one or two weeks here. By simply sightseeing and having delicious food around the street corner. But, it won''t happen. I have to say, Every time, I see something that interests me. Then, I eventually forget about the seriousness of the task at hand. This city may seem more active, But I believe one of those reasons is due to the Star tower challenge event. I wonder, How many people are going to participate tomorrow? Though, I didn''t expect much from rewards. At least, I wish to have valuable rewards that could help my blood and healing elements. Right now, Both body and essence were at the stage of Special Trainee. I''m a rare double cultivator. I heard from my uncle that clearing level ten itself is quite an achievement. " Let''s see, How far can I reach?" I whispered to myself. ¡­ Inside the Star Tower Meeting hall, The old man from the Star tower took the main seat. Followed by him, Every other member sat in their respective seat. Total of twelve people chaired the meeting including the old man. Every member appeared different, their attire and aura, especially their opposing personality. No one from the general public believes that these people were behind the star tower management. But one thing for sure, all of them were quite powerful. "Cough" "Cough" The old man from the main seat to attract attention. Hearing his voice, all the murmuring is stopped. Observing their reaction, the old man nodded and asked, "What about participants?" Seeing the discussion started, all of them put back behind their nonchalant attitude. Hearing the old man''s questions, one of the members, an old woman answered, "All the registered participants left their city. Most of them have already reached our city. Only few of them remaining, they must be on their way." Hearing that old man nodded his head in approval. Another Senior member raised questions about the Challenge, " Hall Master, How are we going to manage them this time?" Rest of the members perked up their ears. It''s the same situation every time. Only the old man can direct them about this situation. Listening to his colleague, the old man commented, "We will follow the batch method this time; Each batch contains ten warriors, One by one they will enter the Star tower. Only after completion of the first batch, then the next batch will enter." Hearing the old man''s explanation. A surprise glint flashes in the member''s eyes. Then the senior member replied, "Then the event will go on for a month" The old man nodded, hearing that, and the rest of them didn''t dare to ask about the challenge. They were sure about one thing, it''s going to be an individual challenge. And it''s very likely to be a combat challenge. Otherwise, there is no need for a batch method. After dealing with the main topic, then the discussion shifted towards various forces. The old woman commented, "Hall Master, We believe there will be intervention of many forces during this event." As the old woman reveals the topic, the atmosphere becomes quiet. Another member, Garrett continued, "It must be due to academic recruitment." Hearing that old women nodded in approval. Another youngest member commented, "They want to reduce the competition faced by their sons and daughters." The old woman replied, "Why don''t they understand? It''s not going to help them at all. Because, those children will face even more cruel competition once they admitted inside." At this time, white haired old man who sat beside the Hall Master commented, "He¡­.He¡­He...If they can''t bear the pressure and fail in their final year. Then they have no choice but to spend the rest of their lives like us. By rotting in the outer post forever ." He seems to recall old and painful memories, so he said with a dissatisfied tone. The atmosphere becomes solemn, The other hand, the Hall Master, the old man from the main seat, sighed. As he seems to recall old memories. "Those guys why do they want to recruit earlier." He thought to himself. For some people, they don''t know about the events that happen outside of our Outpost. But he knew some details. Does this trend started by other Outpost fellows? He couldn''t help but wonder. Shaking his head, he wants to deal with matters at hand. He glanced at all of them and said, "Don''t worry about those forces? It doesn''t matter, How many times they try? The result will be the same. Hearing the Hall Master''s words, All of them sighed in relief. Then they begin to discuss other matters. As the time passed, the meeting was almost done. Sometime later, Members left the meeting hall leaving behind the old man. Since, the event is going to be extended over a period of months. The old man needs to do one last thing before the start of the event tomorrow. He is going to have a good chat with the City lord of Westward City. Safety measures are much more important than events. After sorting out, the old man sent a message to the City Lord. Ten minutes later, A Chubby middle aged man arrives at the Star Tower Meeting hall. Meanwhile, the old man didn''t leave after the meeting. He patiently waited for the City Lord Garry to come here. As the City Lord Stepped inside, He greeted the old man by saying, "Hall Master, Have you decided about the event?" This is a normal routine for City Lord. Every time, during this event, they will discuss security issues. So, he is not much surprised. The other hand, the old man gestures to him to take seat. After the City Lord sat in his seat. The old man began to explain, " From the meeting, We have finalized. The event will go on for a month. So, the necessary security measures need to be taken. " Hearing that City Lord''s face turned solemn, "For a month, then it''s going to be the longest event. This needs thorough planning." He thought to himself. Then the old man further added, "I believe this time will be no different, forces going to act during the event. The event is going to be held for a month. We can''t withhold the challengers who had completed their trail. " The City Lord understood the seriousness of this matter, if some forces tried to intercept the warriors. Then it will be disastrous. Not only the reputation of Star tower will be challenged. It also posed a threat to his current seat. People definitely raise questions about his qualifications. He also got his fair share of his enemies, those guys can''t wait to see his downfall. He became focused and asked, "Hall Master, Do you have any plan? I''m ready to cooperate with you at all levels." The other hand, the old man nodded. He knew the City Lord understood the seriousness of this issue. He said, "Don''t worry, I''ll ask for help from some of my contacts. They will be here by tomorrow evening. You just need to cooperate with them. " Then the old man also nodded, " If the event is successful. I will recommend your name for the position of City Lord at Tier-7 City." Hearing that Chubby Lord Stunned. This not only became a moment for his survival but also for his future ascension. City Lord eyes shown with bright light. "Hall Master, The event will be successful." He said with a smile. He conveyed it with a few words, but it''s enough to show his intention. Till today. He has not been involved personally with the Star tower event. But now he has a time opportunity to leap over. Once he gets the position of City Lord Tier-7 City, Then it will become a nightmare for his enemies . He can move his hands freely then. He knows the old man only told about the recommendation. But he is sure that once he is recommended then the position is reserved for him. Sometime Later, the city lord left the meeting hall. Chapter 213 - Random Selection (From MC''s Perspective) The following day, I woke up earlier today, I didn''t want late for the event. After cultivating for a while, I went to take a good bath. Some times alter, I changed my clothes into usual one, after leaving the bath. Then I viewed the time, it''s morning 7 AM. I have still some time, before going there, I like to have good breakfast. This hotel is cheap, I don''t want to have my breakfast here. So, I decided to check out. I packed my stuff and placed them inside the storage ring. After sorting out, I took one last glance around the room. Seeing that there is no stuff left behind. I left the room and headed towards the registration desk. After completing the task at hands, I left the hotel. Suddenly, My wrist watch buzzes with notification. I stopped for a moment to check it. "It''s call from uncle" I said to myself. Then I attended the call, "Zack, Are you ready? Are you close to the star tower?" serious of questions rang in my ears. Hearing that, I answered, "Wait, Uncle, I already walked out the hotel. I plan to grab some food before heading towards the location." The other end of the call, Mr. James nodded listening to his words. Then again, he seems to thought of something and said, "Zack, after the event, You don''t have to leave early. Elder Thornton will be there to pick you up." "What! Elder Thornton will come here. Why? What happened "I said with a solemn tone. It''s not usual for busy elder to accompany me. Multiple doubts flashes in my eyes. The other hand, Mr. James didn''t want to elaborate anything further. He didn''t want to spoil his state of mind by saying unnecessary things. So, he lied, "Usually, Student is accompanied by Staff. But, our situation is little tricky. There is not much staff in Hansen Campus and rest of them were busy." Then he continued, "Right now, Elder Thornton got some free times in his hands. So, You don''t have to worry about anything." Listening to Uncle''s explanation, I didn''t doubt it. It''s also good anyway. Elder Thornton is strong warrior, is there is any mishap along the way he can deal with it. Then I replied to him by saying, "It works great for me, Then I''ll be waiting for him after the challenge." With that we ended the call. I didn''t dwell on this matter, with in few breaths, I found good restaurant. After having good breakfast, I rushed towards the Star Tower using air cab service. ¡­ The Crimson Hall team left simultaneously after having breakfast together. They took large size air cab to Star Tower. The Same Scenario is happening everywhere around the city. Large number participants headed towards the same location. The team of six conversing with each other inside the cab. "How long, Do you think the duration of the vent going to be held?" Sallie couldn''t help but ask, she held her chin up with hands. But in her head she is thinking about the challenge. Hearing her friend''s question, Ella rolled her eyes at her. "Are you worried?" she inquired in surprise tone. Shaking her head, Sallie answered, "I''m thinking about the challenges. It will be good, if it won''t take much time." Ella nodded hearing that. Everyone wants to end the challenge as soon as possible. But at this time, Austin changed the topic by saying, "Have you heard someone from Red Stone City also registered for the challenge?" Immediately, everyone''s attention drawn to this topic, The other hand Robb''s face turned solemn. At this time, Bradley asked, "Oh! Red Stone City, Where is it?" Hearing that Austin replied, "That City is close to our city compare to other participant''s cities" Darius snorted, by saying, "To think people from unknown city is dare to participate in this event." He immediately, thought certain people don''t know the height of the mountain. Hearing Darius''s dissatisfied tone, Austin edit want to continue the topic, they were still few minutes away from Star Tower. So, he don''t want to ruin the mood. Some time later, The Crimson Hall team arrives at the Star Tower. ¡­ (From MC''s Perspective) "Finally" I sighed in relief as I reached the location. Thankfully, there is no mishap on the way. I reached here within time. Just as I walked in front of the gate. There is actually official standing there and guiding everyone inside. I''m not only here, there is also stream of other participants. Seeing that I''m hurried my pace towards him. The other hand, official saw incoming Zack. He gestures him to follow others. Seeing the I followed the rest of the people. Soon, We came in front of the meeting hall, inside there were hundred seats for participants. After entering inside, everyone one begin to sat in the seat on by one. Some time later, the meeting hall is filled with people. At this time, the Crimson Hall team also entered inside and took their seat. Soon, All the participants took their seat. At this time, a star tower official came in front of them to instruct them. Seeing that every participants straightened their back and perked up their ears. "First of all, Congratulations for participating in Star Tower Challenge." The official said with a smile. Then he saw everyone is attentive, he continued, " The Star Tower Challenge is going to be held in batches. Each batch has ten warrior. They were selected in a random manner. When the first batch completes the trial followed by second one, Simultaneously, rest of the batches will participate in the challenge." He then gave them some time to digest the information. Hearing that all of the participants took sharp breath. "What? For a whole month." Sallie was taken back. Earlier, They were discussing about the event. But they didn''t imagine, it''s going to be held for month. Soon, everyone begins to understand about the batch system. It will take some time for everyone to compete. Besides, this just hundred participants, rest of them probably in different meeting hall. The other hand, Zack. Where am I going to stay for a month? I already checked out from the cheap hotel. Even if I go back, I don''t there will be accommodation. It''s seems new headache on the way. For a while, little murmuring is going on. At this time, The official coughed to seek attention. Then he commented, "I believe everyone can understand the detail. If you have any doubts you can ask me." Hearing that participants begin to ask questions one by one. Most of them were about the rewards. But the official didn''t disclose the detail. Then some time later, It was the time of random selection. The random selection for first hundred participants is being held. It''s done by artificial system, and it''s going to happen before our eyes. So, there is nothing going on behind the scenes. In the meeting hall, Everyone''s name is displayed on the visual screen. Then the official begin the random selection. The participants don''t mind much about the selection. Since, it''s going to be individual challenge, it doesn''t matter in which batch they are going to be selected. Soon, one by one. The Participants divided into ten batches. Zack was on first batch itself. The Crimson Hall team members were among second, third and eighth batches. Among them Ella and Sallie belong to third batch, Darius belong to second batch, while Robb, Austin and Bradley belong to eighth batch. Seeing his name on eighth batch, Robb felt quite dissatisfied. While Ella and Sallie brimming with joy. They were quite worried about duration of the challenge event. But, now they can roam around the city after finishing the challenge. But rest of the Crimson Hall members didn''t bother about it much. On the other hand, I felt happy. I can go home after completing the challenge. Soon the atmosphere, quite down. Everyone understood about their batch. The official the other hand looked at everyone and said, " Okay everyone listen, the challenge is going to start in one hour. Other than first and second batch, everyone can stay here. The leader ranking board will be broadcasted to everyone." Hearing that twenty warriors belong to two batches stood from their seat and followed the official. While rest of them stayed back there. Two batches arrived at the foot of Star Tower a few minutes later. The Star Tower looked dazzling by illuminating green light. It''s so huge that people from below can''t see level above thirty." The Crowd exclaimed seeing the huge tower, everyone''s eyes shown with bright light. I couldn''t help but feel amazed. Even standing at here, I can feel such a relaxation. It''s very auspicious tower, No wonder. Like rest of them, I too observed the height of the tower. After seeing it for a while. I looked around to see any other features. Like the meeting hall, there is also huge display installed here.. It''s the leader board ranking, Currently there is no name and ranking. Chapter 214 - First Floor (From MC''s Perspective) We twenty people from two batches stood in front of the Green color Star Tower, waiting for future instructions. Looking at these huge tower, I couldn''t help but wonder, "What kind of Challenge we will be facing inside?" At this time, Star Tower official came in front them and said, "Alright, Everyone! We will begin the Challenge" He spoke to the two batches, then he added, "First batch, Get ready! One by one you will be entering the tower." Listening to his explanation, everyone from the first batch understood. I too come close to my batch people. Then the official gestures first batch to enter the tower. Nodding their head, People begin to enter one by one. I too followed them and stepped inside. Seeing that everyone from first batch entered the tower, the official sent confirmation message to Head Management. At this time, He instantly received further instructions from the management. The official begin to look at the instruction, after reading the instruction. A surprise glint flashes in his eyes. Then he typed back replying to the message. Then the official looks at the second batch and said, "Listen, Everyone. I have just received an update now. Due to time, constraint. Small Changes has been made. You don''t need to wait for warrior from first batch to finish it completely. As long as, a person exit from the tower. Then the next participant can enter. So, Second batch get ready." After instructing them, He also told his assistant to inform third and fourth batch. Receiving the order, the assistant immediately rushed towards the waiting area. The other hand, the warriors from second batch sight jn relief. They don''t know about the challenge, yet they don''t want to wait all day long. The other hand, Inside the Star Tower. "Damn, Why this place is so dark?" I whispered to myself. My wrist watch has been blocked. So, I couldn''t know the timing. But I feel, it has been five minutes, Since walking along here in the dark place. "What could be the challenge?" I begin to murmur. At this time, a wing flapping sound came from behind. I instantly activated my perceptual ability. And moved sideways to evade the attack from behind. "whizzzzz" a wind tearing sound resonates the area. In mind I saw the silhouette of Eagle Monster. "It''s not Class level but Pseudo Monster!" I become excited after confirming it. The only trick thing is there is no light. It''s a piece of cake to defeat it. Then I moved, with the guidance of perception. I waited for an opportunity to attack. I can easily see its movements. Right now, its taking an arc to launch another attack. Their attack is not at all issue, other than pointy claw there is nothing dangerous. I can easily quash as bug. The other hand, the pseudo monster suddenly dive down. It made an eerry sound before it dive back to attack Zack. It''s huge claws waiting to penetrate his body and taste it''s blood. Seeing it coming down in a breakneck speed. I focused my attention on it''s movements. In a moment, I used my movement technique to speed up, the other hand I unleashed full strength to break it''s neck. Just as I grabbed the Pseudo Monster neck. It tried to attack me using its clue. But I don''t give any chance, I broke its neck in next instant. Just as the Pseudo Monster dies, it''s body withers away rapidly leaving behind no dust. I became bewildered for a moment. "This is not real, it''s more like a phantom spirit " I gulped down my saliva realizing that. "This is big handwriting, it seems more real" I wondered to myself. Then suddenly a bright light shot towards me from nowhere, as it falls over my body and entered inside. I felt rejuvenated inside. Though I didn''t even spend my strength. Next moment, I disappeared from the spot and appeared at the second floor. ¡­ The other hand, outside the Star Tower. The Changes appeared in the leader board ranking, as Zack name appeared on the first spot, it immediately attracted the attention. [ LEADER BOARD ¨C STAR TOWER ] [ Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Time ] [ 1. Zack Lockwood, Hansen Campus ¨C 2nd Floor ¨C 5s ] [ 2. __________-_________ - _________ ] [ 3. __________-_________ - _________ ] "Wow, who is he? He cleared the first level in five seconds!" A Loud exclamation broke out. Every one stared at the leader board, Not only people outside the star tower. The leader board ranking is broadcasted everywhere around the region. The most importantly it caused both Positive and Hostile attention. Inside the waiting hall, rest of the eight batches began to converse even further. Lot of these people from various forced, they got first hand knowledge about talent warriors surrounding their region. But now looking at these unknown person name, they all become bewildered confuse. Immediately, all of them began to contact their forces. Especially, Robb expression changed even more gloomy. At first he didn''t care about these details, but now it drew his attention even more. He registered the name of Zack in his mind. Beside him Darius got even more bewildered. Earlier, He made bad remark about this unknown kid. But seems like this person name Zack indeed got some stuff. But it was just a thought, He doesn''t know what kind of challenge they are facing. He still believes there might be some luck behind him. Other''s too had various reactions on their faces. But it was just for a moment. Since, it''s first level they don''t give much attention to it. There is still many more to come. The other hand, Zack''s friends and family also saw the leader board ranking. "Ha¡­Ha¡­Ha.." Elder Thornton let out a hearty laughter seeing the leader board ranking. He believed tomorrow morning this will be enough to have headlines in news. He is quite surprised and happy with the progress so far. He hoped Zack to maintain this momentum for a while. At the same time Mr. James and Granny Park also had the same reaction. On the other hand, Mr. Arthur and Ms. Adeline Key are also same, they put behind their work for a while. They glued to the special broadcasting site. Only one person didn''t aware of this scenario, Maria Frazier. She don''t know about the latest news due to her training. ¡­ Inside the tower, When Zack reached the second level. "Here we go, the same situation occurs. The Area is dark again" I whispered to myself. I believed here onwards, I will face Class Monsters. For somehow, Me reaching the level above ten seems to be difficult. If it''s based on Monster''s strength. Then there will be phantom of Class 2 and Class 3 Monsters eventually. Just as I begin to ponder, two more silhouette begin to flash passed me. I ready myself into battle ready mode, in mind I saw one more pseudo monster. My expression become dignified, I''m not worried about this level. My mind begin to about fighting against two or more Class Monsters at the same time. Then putting these depressing thoughts behind and begin to focus on current task. I don''t want to waste too much time and energy on this pseudo monsters. So, I used the same tactics as used in the first floor. These two pseudo monsters also some kind of mutated bird monster. I didn''t dwell into details, as I decided to kill them. A couple of seconds later, Zack arrives at the third floor after clearing second level. The corresponding changes also happened in leader board ranking. As Zack finished the level finished the second level in ten seconds, at this time rest of the warrior from second floor begin to clear the first level. ¡­ The other hand, Seeing the leader board''s ranking finally begin to fill. The news outlets begin to cover the news. As this is the opening day of Star Tower, it will attract more attention from the people. This time main headline was the top three people in the leader board at the first day ranking. At this time, various forces begin to collect the information about the people in leader board ranking. Even though they had collected some information forehand, but still there were some unknown people making appearance at the leader board ranking. The name of Zack Lockwood become hot topic, His information begin to circle around within few seconds after appearance of his name at the leader board ranking. ... The other hand, Zack faced against three pseudo monsters at level 3. It more than twenty seconds to clear this level. As Zack''s record time noticed by the people, at the same time it''s huge contrast between other warrior from first batch. They are some still at first floor, few appeared at the second floor. Though it''s only one minutes, it''s enough to make people notice some details. Suddenly, After clearing the level three, Zack appeared at the fourth floor. Where it become little tricky.. Inside the fourth floor, level 2 Pseudo Monster made an appearance. Chapter 215 - Part One: Clearing Levels While Zack was fighting in level 4, The changes begin to happen in leader board ranking. Except Rank one, Rest of the rankings have changes from past five minutes. But no one from first batch exited so far. Many of the officials below tower thought soon it will change. The other hand, Crimson Hall team sucked cold air. Their expression were unsightly seeing the unchanged top ranking. Seeing their friends uneasy expression, Ella couldn''t help but say, " What are you guys worrying about? Not even ten minutes completed, Soon, I believe this speed will reduce." Hearing that five of her friends nodded in affirmation, Especially Sallie, Earlier she was intrigued little bit in her heart. She thought that unknown person named Zack is little interesting. Now, seeing the record. She and her friend beginning to feel overwhelmed. To broke icy atmosphere, she commented, "I believe that if Zack from unknown campus can do it with ease. I feel we are not worse than him, it''s a matter of time before we set our own record." Listening to her words the atmosphere eased little but. The other hand, Bradley thoughts of something interesting, So He said, " For now we can say he is strong. Look at all those fellows in leader board below him. Some of the belong to strong forces not lower than us. And their cultivation base also same us. But still they are taking time to clear it. They were little bit pale compare to number one person." The other hand, Austin couldn''t help but blurt out, "Then what do you think, how many level he can clear?" Hearing that Bradley sighed helplessly. He don''t want to make assumption. But still he said straightforwardly what''s going on in his minds. He observed their reaction, he found all of them eager to listen to his answer. Realizing that he solemn said, "Looking at his clearing speed. I believe he didn''t even spend much of his essence before defeating whatever challenge in front of him. So, I think he can cross level ten with ease." Robb Williamson expression turned uneasy. But still he has confident in himself. But the little factor of unknown making them worry. He turned towards his companions and said, "Okay, Guys. Don''t look at the leader board ranking for a while. It will affect your mood. Its best to stay away from that and wait for our turn to participate in the challenge." The other hand, only Darius felt unconvinced. At first, he thought lucky. But now he seems he really missed the details. "Is he that powerful? He wondered to himself. " but now listening to Robb words, he felt which is logical. There is no need to waste out time in unnecessary things. After Robb words everyone nodded, they decided to not look at the leaderboard ranking for a while. ¡­ ( From MC''s perspective) The other hand, Zack is fighting against Pseudo Monster 2 in level 4. "It''s really as predicted earlier!" I whispered to myself. Under even Class 2 Monster, I don''t feel any threat. It''s just pseudo monster, So I don''t waste any time to eliminate soon. Its Lizard Monster. This time inside the place, there is light. So, I can see the Monster clearly. So, I leaped over it to smash it with my fist. A crackled sound rang out, as I bend my fist to hit it. As my fist touches the skull, at this time muffled sound rang out. Blood spurted like water, the monster''s skull is on other hand is completely broken. Its huge body drops down and dissipated in ate air instantly. Clearing the level, My peak is completely returned other hand, Now my expression dignified. I already guessed what is the challenge is all about. But now looking at the monster it only confirms the idea of mine. I should use bit more tactic to solve it quickly. Instead of waiting for direct to direct confirmation. Suddenly, a white light shown on me. I disappeared and appeared at the fifth floor. Outside the leader board corresponding changes taken place. LEADER BOARD RANKING [ Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Time ] [ Zack, Hansen Campus ¨C 4th floor ¨C 10s ] Inside the leader board, a white light shown on top ranking and in next second the changes updates. Seeing that new person name Zack cleared fourth floor in ten seconds. "hyssssss" Everyone outside of the star tower sucked cold breath. "How come this guy is clearing the levels at rapid rate?" One of the strong warrior from second batch couldn''t help but say. His heart already set on storms, seeing the sudden changes in few seconds. Another female warrior, the other hand commented, "Could be the challenge faced by everyone is different. " She voiced out the doubt in her hearts. She too reconciled seeing the rapid development. "It must be so, that''s why others are taking so much time to clear one level than him" A burly warrior said with a serious tone. He also strong youth belong to middle level forces. Friend of his already entered the tower and reached third floor. He clearly understands strength of his friends. His friend clearly demonstrated Peak level Trainee Apprentice strength back in the campus and defeated several strong seniors. That''s why he came to conclusion. Challenge must be different for each person. Once this burly man said it in a rather unintentional loud voice. But it was heard by everyone. Most of them present outside the star tower felt it was true and this must be the case, So, they rekindle their fighting spirit. Back in the tower, Every other participants right now begin to level up. ¡­ Inside the fifth floor, As I appeared in the fifth floor, I knew it may more one or two Pseudo Monsters. Just as I ponder it, I saw two middles size black cat appeared out of nowhere. Without even giving monster a chance to react, I moved and released the frontal attack. A two quick fist blow landed on their bodies simultaneously. Making their bodies disappeared instantly. Then I finally, cleared the basic levels and arrive at the Sixth floor. After arriving at the sixth floor, I took sharp breath. I knew from here on wards, real challenge will going to be start. Just as I began to ponder. A new phantom spirit appeared in front of me out of nowhere. It''s a huge black bear Monster, I immediately thought begin to sense it''s level. "Class 1 ¨C Initial level" If I use my lightning, it will case me loss of certain amount of essence. Its better to kill it with pure body strength. After sorting out my mind, I moved. The other hand, Bear monster manifested and seeing it''s opponent it let out a huge roar. Then it used its huge paw to attack. In a moment, both collided with full strength. A dust blown off, the bear staggered backwards and fell down. It couldn''t able to control the full pressure. Taking the advantage, Zack landed multiple blows at it''s neck and heart. The other hand, Bear Monster''s eyes turned blood shot. It let out a furious roar due to it suffered multiple injuries As the time progressed, the bear monster suffered various injuries. Even though, it''s a just a phantom spirit. It actions and reactions were real. In one point, the defense of bear monster broke down. It couldn''t able to hold back Zack''s relentless attacks. As the final part of its defense broke down, the bear monster disappeared instantly. I took a sharp breath, after defeating it. Then the light simultaneously falls down, I recovered the peak state and appeared at the seventh floor. The corresponding changes also appears at the leader board ranking. ¡­ At the same time, Inside the Hansen campus. Elder Thornton stopped doing his work. He postponed all his work due to Star Tower Challenge. "This kid, Looks like he is going to clear the level ten in half an hour" He whispered to himself. He couldn''t believe his eyes, this bit seems unreal. At first he thought Zack is using artefact, but now he seems to doubt it. Even it''s a artefact, how long he is going to use it. If there is a damage, it''s impossible to repair it on the spot. Unless, He forfeit the challenge and exit the Star Tower. Now, there is only answer, He could arrive at this juncture. May be his teacher given him some treasure. He couldn''t help but gulp down saliva. He doesn''t know what kind of artefact Zack is using? But he is sure in his heart, that it must be high end. "Zack is really luck to have such teacher." He said to himself. Then he leisurely picked up his tea pot to fill the cup and then he begin to drink it, While watching the commentary. Even though, they don''t broadcast the event, What''s happening inside the tower. But these commentators really fascinates him. He couldn''t help but smile, when time to time commentators bring the name of Zack and Hansen Campus. He already begin to receive several notifications. Mostly from his old colleague who are now constantly inquiring about Zack.. But now he doesn''t want to reply, until the event ends. Chapter 216 - Part Two: Clearing Levels (From Zack''s Perspective) Inside the seventh floor, After defeating those monster at the sixth floor, I eventually appeared at the seventh floor. I immediately gripped my black sword and held it forward. In an instant, I felt two distinct auras appeared at the same time. I activated perceptual ability to lock them. The other hand two huge Ape manifested and immediately locked the target. Two apes dashed forward while smashing their chest. Seeing the two giant apes at the level of class one, I decide to kill the as soon as possible. This time I released the lightning energy, as I gripped my sword and made downward slash. ''''SWORD DIVIDE'''' I roared as my black sword filled with lightning energy ready for an attack. Small thunderous sound resonated inside the place. The other hand black penetrates the air and the tip of blade drilled inside ape''s chest. ''''ROAR'''' The deep injury accompanied by lightening energy caused much more damage. This made the ape to get furious in anger. So, it let out a huge roar. The other hand, I also smashed my fist against the other ape. ''''BOOM'''' The second ape staggered backward, using this chance I gripped the sword and made further attack on the first ape. The blade penetrated further inside its chest and cleaved its heart. The power of lightning snatches away its vitality even more quickly. After letting out last angry roar, the second ape monster dissipates. It was happened so fast that in mean time, the second ape able to stabilize its balance. I poured lightning energy to make another attack. Seeing its other companion died, the monster''s eyes turned bloodshot. Its aura beginning to increase. After smashing its fist at its chest, the monster made long cry before charging towards Zack. The monster appeared to have intelligence, as a last ditch attempt it unleashes full power. Feeling the monster''s aura, I released Special Trainee strength towards the monster. As the ape dashing towards me, I readied my sword to kill it one ago. By noticing its movements from my perception, I plan to cut its thick neck with one full swooping. The other hand monster lacked in tactic, it fails to perceive Zack''s strength. The monster''s judgment clouded with rage which gives Zack a moment of opportunity. Finally, I can end this farce. Then I slit the monster''s throat using good opportunity. As a result Monster dies with unwillingness. Then as usual Zack recovered his peak state and appeared at the eight floor. Due to his clearance of seventh floor, the leader board ranking also has changes simultaneously. ¡­ Outside the Star Tower, [LEADER BOARD RANKING] [NAME, PLACE ¨C FLOOR ¨C TIME- RANK] [ZACK LOCKWOOD, HANSEN ¨C 7TH ¨C 2 min ¨C 1st] Once the changes happened, as usual loud exclamation broke out outside. '''' Look he cleared the seventh floor '''' one of girl shouts as she points out her finger at the display screen. '''' This guy!'''' the bury warrior from the second batch stood in disbelief. The burly man thought his friend better than Zack. But now looking at the ranking, he couldn''t help but smile wryly. While his friend his still stuck at fourth floor. This time he time he didn''t have any courage to make bold comments. He stood there and decided to silently watch the leader board ranking, until his time comes. Several other warrior from two batches, have disbelief expression on their faces. Right now, there atmosphere is quiet there is a pin drop silent. Only the official has hint of surprise in his eyes. Unlike newbies, he had experience. He knew the challenge is fair to everyone. Hardly any luck can play role in this challenge. He shook his head in disapproval for the comment of these students. He feels once they entered the challenge, they can see it for themselves. It''s useless to say anything here. The other hand, the leader board has hardly any rapid changes in ranking other than Zack. It''s not even five minutes completed since the start of the challenge. That''s why people got exaggerated reaction over Zack''s reaction. Because they felt it''s simply too unreal. The other hand, Crimson Hall members begin to adjust their breath. They believed it will be matter of time before their turn to enter. So, they are getting ready. And at this time, Ella couldn''t control her curiosity, she felt little boring. She sneakily glanced at her friend. All of them are little distance away from each other. Seeing all of her friends closer their eyes and immersed in their cultivation. She sighed in relief and her lips bent gently. She sneakily looked at the broadcast ranking. Seeing the current ranking of Zack it didn''t surprised her but just as she changed her gaze at the floor ranking. She couldn''t help but blurt out in surprise, "What!" she sucked cold breath inn disbelief. She finally believed now that Zack is strong than herself and may be stronger than his team. For a moment, she don''t know what to say, except her eyes glued at the leader board ranking. At the same time, Hearing her friend''s startled voice Sallie felt annoyed. "Ella, what''s wrong with you now?" She said in annoying tone. But when she saw Ella''s strange expression. Hint of curiosity appeared her eyes. Hearing her friends voice, Ella hurriedly said, "Nothing, I''m just going to take a walk" After saying that she stood from her seat and went outside to calm her heart. On the way, her mind wine into rapid thinking, "Who is this guy actually?" Suddenly she thought of something, in order to find answers about Zack''s background there is actually a way. She accepted the alliance network to see news site. Star Challenge is such an attractive event, some sites might be doing live commentary now. Realizing that she begin to search it. At the same time, seeing her friend walking away, without seeing her face. Sallie frowns a little, "What happened to her? She wondered. Then she let out a huge sigh while slightly stretching her arms. Then she heard loud discussion going on among others. It''s not in one group, while all of the remaining batch conversing something seriously. This waiting hall is quite huge, there is no need to cramp up here. As there is a somewhat distance from each group. Due to curiosity, she perked up her ears a little bit, as she focuses on one of the groups in front of her "Hey, how long do you think he can hold up?" One of the warriors asked his friend sat beside him. Hearing that his friend replied, "This Zack is something else. He is rewriting history, I don''t know how can be he is this much strong." His friend smiled wryly. Upon hearing their conversation, Sallie said, "Zack?" Don''t tell me he cleared the level again? She screamed in her mind. Then she quickly glances at the leaded board. Her pupil constricts seeing the clearance timing of seventh floor. Unknowingly she gulped down in saliva. Then she turned around and looked at the other members. They seem to be in deep concentration. For a moment she hesitated whether to tell them or not. Then she remembers Robb''s earlier words, recalling that she let go of it and then she headed towards Ella to tell her. After arriving at the exit she looks around, then she spots Ella under a tree seemingly busy with wrist watch. She walk towards her and said, "Ella, Do you know something?" She said in a surprised tone. Hearing her friend''s voice at this time, Ella twitched her mouth. She turned around and asked, "What?" On the other hand, Sallie smiling said "Guess what? The leader board ranking had shocking change now" Upon hearing that Ella smiled knowingly, she said, "I just saw it, Zack cleared the seventh floor." Hearing that Sallie nodded and said, "Isn''t it bit shocking, he already cleared seventh floor. Which is considered to be talent." Hearing that Ella don''t know what to reply, she just calmed down her stormy heart. Shaking his head, she said, "But, It''s sad that he is not from our force." She already saw the live commentary and learned that he from the faction of Army Federation. Which is considered to be somewhat opposing to their faction. She sighed in distress, there is no more chance of meeting in person. Sallie frowns again, "How did you know?" She inquired. Ella said nothing but simply points to her wrist watch. Seeing that Sallie came forwards and gripped her arm to look into the watch. Currently, there new site page opened and live commentary of Star tower is going on. Under the comment section, there is lot of live discussion commented by fans. Sallie face becomes serious as she begin to read the comment. Then she stared at the faction name which is highlighted in bold letter. "Army Federation uh, seeing that Sallie shook her head, looks like we are going to be enemy instead of friend" She whispered to herself. But the other hand, Ella heard it clearly. Even though she dislikes to kill unknown person. But she knew about her organization means. They won''t leave any future threat. Especially threat under their nose.. She knew about Darius attitude, this guy won''t even hesitate to do it. Chapter 217 - Part Three: Clearing Levels After taking some glance at the comments section, Sallie sighed. Then she turned towards Ella and asked, "What do you think?" She likes to hear her opinion, she wants to know whether Ella will treat him as an enemy. Ella is quite started, then she replied, "What do you mean?" She doesn''t know what she is inquiring about. She looked at her for answers. Shaking his head, Sallie said, "Obviously, I''m talking about him. Though he is from a small campus, their backing forces are enemies to us. Don''t you think? Once our people from management find out, they won''t hesitate to act. " Hearing that Ella nodes her head helplessly. Anyway, it doesn''t concern her. It''s just a blooming flower that is going to wither away soon. She then commented, "Let''s go back. There will be people exiting from the star tower from now on." After saying that she and Sallie went back to the waiting hall. ¡­ (From MC''s Perspective) Inside the 8th floor, "Those two ape fellas were something. Fortunately, I didn''t give them any chance to team up. "I mumbled under my breath. After saying that, once again I activated my perceptual ability. "8th floor ah, I don''t know what kind of monster it will be?" I said to myself. Then I gripped the sword and held it tight. On the other hand, three brown silhouettes appeared out of thin air. STEEL WILD BOAR ¨C Initial Level- Class 1 Monster. Three wild boars with massive builds staring at Zack. The steel name comes from their trunk. This trunk is mutated with steel attributes. Giving them massive attacks and penetrative strength. They can easily tear through the enemies'' muscles and cause them deep injury. At the same time, looking at three class 1 Monsters, My expression becomes gloomy. I lack some experience against group strength. I never thought Star Tower place could be my new learning place. Fighting against these monsters, I can gain huge experience. I can go to some huge Monster Zone without any concern. Right now, observing the monsters. I decided to use the same tactics. On the other hand, I also want to gain some experience. At the same time, the three monsters moved. Three wild boar monsters after making a sound dashed towards Zack. They followed one after another. Their body height is equal to Zack. If not Zack is a little bit careful, they can easily kill him with ease? I became startled sensing their speed, I flew backwards to widen the distance between us. I sidestepped to avoid colliding against the incoming wild boar. Then I made a side slash at the second wild boar monster. It''s just an ordinary slash without any lightning power. On the other hand, another hand Boar Monster misses its target. Since Zack sidesteps to avoid a frontal collision it turns around to make another attack. At the same time, the black blade made an arc. When it made contact with its skin, it left a small sword mark injury. It fails to penetrate deeper inside its skin. Seeing that injury, I made a quick assessment. It makes sense that it has such tough skin. Looks like the steel attribute not only enhanced its tusk. It also made its body even tougher. It is hard to breP[;''-0ak its skin with simple means. Realising it, I made another full swing with Special Trainee Strength against the third wild board. On the other hand, feeling the power of my swing, the third will board pupils, shrink in fear. Its whole body trembled with fright. It made a loud streak before turning around to dash away. Seeing that I made a wild grin, unlike those apes, these monsters didn''t even hesitate to turn away. But it was too late, at this time my blade already reached its body. The old boar was paralyzed due to extreme fear. Which made it even easier for my blade. The Black Blade sliced its neck, the wild boar''s head fell away making its body dissipate into thin air. Then I made the same attack against the other two wild boars. It didn''t take me a few seconds to kill them. After clearing this level, I arrived at the ninth floor. At the same time, the corresponding ranking also has some changes in the leaderboard ranking. ¡­ Outside the Star Tower, [Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Time ¨C Rank] [Zack Lockwood ¨C 8th ¨C 1 min ¨C 1st] Seeing the timing, a hint of surprise flashes in official eyes. This time the other warriors were not at all surprised. Only silence remains outside of the Star Tower. Right now, the burly warrior''s mouth twitched. He even felt a slight nervousness inside. At this time, someone from the first batch exited from the star tower. He couldn''t clear the seventh floor. Seeing him, the official felt surprised. He felt it''s too early for someone to exit now. Then he observed his power level. "He seems to be at the Mid-level of Trainee Apprentice." He said to himself. To clear the sixth floor it is somewhat okay. He is not at least mediocre. Then the official gestures to the first person from the second batch to enter inside. Now everyone turned their attention from Zack''s ranking to their ranking. Everyone now staring at the star tower to see the next person''s exit. ¡­ At Crimson Hall''s Management building, The Crimson Hall''s headmaster is currently viewing the LeaderBoard Ranking. His face has been somewhat gloomy ever since the start of the Star Tower Challenge. He is quite sure about the Crimson Hall students. Six of them were top students, they had their own advantages and disadvantages. They were selected after several trials for this star challenge. But now his good mood has been broken away by the leaderboard ranking. He never thought that a kid from Hansen campus could be so capable. "Looks we all underestimated this kid" He mumbled under his breath. Right now, he couldn''t help but have thought of killing this kid. But he knew about the accident that happened at Hansen Campus a few weeks ago. Everyone seems to think it''s just an accident caused by Rogue Warriors. But the upper level of management has a clear understanding of the issue. How could a rogue cultivator make a move against Hansen Campus? Especially that Thornton old man stayed in the Hansen campus at night. There are a lot of suspicious things happening there. So, the upper echelon doesn''t believe the actual report. He let out a huge sigh, keeping that in mind. He doesn''t want to think about another plan. Especially, without consulting the upper echelon. With a sombre mood, he stopped looking at the ranking. ¡­ At Federation branch office, Mr. James while doing his work, From time to time he looks at the leaderboard ranking. At first, He was somewhat worried. There are a lot of forces that might cause trouble for Zack. But after confirming that Zack reached the location, he breathed in relief. Then he looked at the ranking. Within three minutes Zack cleared several levels successfully, He couldn''t believe his eyes, looking at the timing of the record. Unlike others he knew Zack had a lightning element. So, he is not surprised by his combat power. But to have such low clearance timing is something else. Now, he had some unknown bad premonition. Though he is happy, he feels it will attract even more trouble. He couldn''t help but to have a helpless sigh. "Zack, already escaped from the clutches of Elite level Assassin, Thanks to Elder Thornton. But he doesn''t know that the same will happen again." He begins to get worried. Shaking his head, he suddenly thought about something. It''s good that Elder Thornton decided to get him back. So, he can forget about the current trouble. Unless, those forces had multiple elite forces to dispatch. They can''t cause any trouble to Elder Thornton and Zack. The other hand, Inside the Frazier family, Maria Frazier after finishing her practice in Hansen campus she came to her home today. After arriving at her home, the butler immediately came in front of her and said, "Young Miss, Take a look at the leaderboard ranking." The butler hurriedly said with a surprise. At first he was doing some other work. He even forgot about the leaderboard ranking. But suddenly he saw the news. Several news sites in red stone city picked up the event as a hot topic. With curiosity, He looked at the news. Then the name of Zack is mentioned in bold letters. Then he remembered about the young miss, studying at the same campus. Such an event shocked him at the core. He couldn''t believe his own eyes. He thought that kid was somewhat okay, but he never compared with his own young miss. He even objected to the young miss to have friendship with his kid. Looking at the ranking it subverts his cognizant. He seems more talented than young miss. Not even five minutes completed, but that kid named Zack cleared several floors to reach the ninth floor.. After calming down his stormy heart, He waited for his young miss to arrive. Chapter 218 - Reactions And Discussion Maria Frazier halter her footsteps, she hasn''t heard clearly. She looked at her butler and asked, "Old Uncle, What happened? Is there any issue" She is a bit confused. She never saw him act this way. Looking at Butler''s eagerness, she waited for him to answer. On the other hand, the butler jolted awake, he came back to reality. Looking at his young miss. He took a deep breath and said, "Miss, Take a look at the leaderboard ranking, you will know everything. " Hearing the term leaderboard ranking she knew the butler was talking about the Star Tower Challenge. Then she suddenly remembers Zack, "What did he do?" She wondered. Then without waiting for her butler to reveal anything. She immediately accessed her sci-fi watch to view the news site. In the news site, under the trending section. Zack Lockwood''s name is mentioned in bold letters. Under that various deeds of his were clearly mentioned. Especially about Star Tower''s No. 1 Ranking. Looking at the leaderboard her eyes widened. Her heart set on storms, especially looking at the floor ranking and clearance timing. Compared to him, suddenly she feels weak. There are others from various forces mentioned in the leaderboard ranking. But compared to Zack, there is still a huge gap between him and others. "Monster," She uttered in disbelief. Looking at the young miss''s shocked face, the butler doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He too felt a huge shock when he read the news. He slowly said, "Miss?" Maria took a deep breath. She thought it''s useless to compare him. She still remembers when they first battled in a blood kill test. Due to various restrictions and privacy laws, Hansen campus didn''t allow the live broadcast. As a result, Zack''s ability is a complete mystery to everyone. Even today, she can''t feel the depth of this person. Shaking her head, she looked at her butler and asked, "Old Uncle, What do you think of him?" She really wants to hear the opinions of elders. Maybe they have seen something, which she failed to see earlier. Hearing that, Butler nodded and began to ponder for a moment. Even though he felt disappeared earlier, Right now, after viewing that ranking he put behind all the prejudice against Zack. He feels everyone greatly underestimated that kid, with this kid''s performance. He may easily get into their high profile academies. He doesn''t have to compete much, unless he wants to admit I''m a better graded institution. The old butler sighed and said, "Young Miss, This Kid Zack is strong. Possibly stronger than you." He spoke straightforwardly. Since Young Miss asked this question, He don''t want to lie. On the other hand, Maria didn''t get angry. But she begins to contemplate, her assumption becomes true, it''s not related to level. But he may be stronger to such a degree that he can skip levels and fight against his opponents. She believed 100% now, Zack was destined to be admitted into the academy. He won''t rot here. She might see him in the future as well. After realizing this she reveals a small smile before it quickly disappears. She too has her own path, to become strong and develop her clan. On the other hand, the butler notices the small changes. But he doesn''t say anything, all he wants is that her young miss not to give up. Seeing her small smile, He sighed in relief. After this episode was over, Maria went to her room. The other hand Butler was summoned by Clan Head. The old Butler walked slowly to Clan Head''s office room. After all it''s a big clan, the clan itself covered several hectares. After slowly arriving in front of the room, the old Butler knocks the door. "Knock" "Come in" a commanding voice came from inside. Hearing that the butler opened the door and walked inside. The Clan Head, Mr. Frazier is sitting behind his desk. After summoning the butler, He is waiting for his arrival. A moment later, seeing that butler arrived. He let him inside. The old butler entered inside, seeing the Clan Head. He said, "Master!" Mr. Frazier didn''t lift his head but asked, "Did you see the news?" He is currently skimming through the clan''s reports. But his mind is on the main topic. Hearing the question, the old Butler''s mind points to the Star Tower Challenge. He said in a low voice, "Master, is it about the Star Tower Challenge?" Mr. Frazier nodded his head slightly. After confirming it, the butler said, "Being Seed Candidate of Hansen Campus is now completely satisfied. There won''t be any voices against him (Zack) both internally and externally." Hearing that Mr. Frazier''s face turned a little bit serious. He said, "Looks like my bet on that kid is right. Earlier, Maria asked my permission to withdraw from the Seed Candidate Challenge. At first, I felt displeased but later l placed a bet on this kid and accepted Maria''s withdrawal." Hearing that old butler nodded, He too was present on that day during the discussion. Really on that day, He felt displeased for Zack. He thought because of friendship Young Miss was not participating in the Seed Challenge. But looking at today, Young Miss is right all along. Instead they failed to see the big picture. Then Mr. Frazier thought about something, "What do you think? Hansen is really capable of protecting this Kid, until he joins the academy. "He inquired in a serious tone. On the other hand, the old butter begins to ponder. They knew there is only existence that could deter all the forces present in the Hansen campus that is Elder Thornton, An Elite Level Veteran. But recent happenings occurred on that campus, and I couldn''t help but raise my eyebrows. The old butler straightforwardly said, "Master, It''s hard to tell, other than Elder Thornton. There are no powerful warriors. Even Elder Thornton has a post of Chairman. I don''t think he got a leisure time to guard that kid." Then he seems to think about something and solemnly added, "Even Elder Thornton decides to protect that kid. But now, it will be difficult after Kid''s performance in Star Tower. " Mr. Frazier let out a deep sigh hearing that. He too understands the seriousness of the situation. He really thought of an idea, if that kid gets into the Academy. His future will be bright, so there won''t be a problem having connections with strong people. But for that he needs to survive first. Even he wasn''t able to calm down. Such a talented person won''t be left by the enemy forces. At this time, the old butler couldn''t help but ask, "Master, What are you thinking about?" Hearing that Mr. Frazier said, "I''m just thinking how we can help this kid? If we won''t help him in his troubled times and especially at his growth stage. He won''t appreciate it, when he becomes strong and gains a name for himself." Hearing that old butler nodded but he doesn''t have any solution for this problem. Especially to deter those opposing forces, one needs a strong background. In Zack''s situation, He lacks especially this. The old butler sighed in his heart. He looked at the clan head and answered, "Master, to stay away from this storm, that kid needs to stay low key for a while." Hearing that Mr. Frazier smiled helplessly. "Even if they miss somehow. They won''t miss Crimson Hall''s exhibition event. " Hearing that old butler sucked cold breathe for a moment. He even forgot about those villains. He feels a slight headache, "Master, Then How come people from Hansen campus allowed him to participate?" Mr. Frazier straightened his back for a moment. "I''m too puzzled about this. Let''s just wait and see for a while. In the meantime, collect some Intel about those forces. Maybe this could help him." He said with a calm tone. Hearing that old Butler nodded. Then they began to discuss class matters before they ended the meeting a few hours later. ¡­ Inside the Hansen Campus building, Mr. Arthur has a bewildered expression as he looks at the live leaderboard ranking. "This kid hides too deep, I need to talk to James about it. Is it his real strength or artifact?" He wondered to himself. The more dazzling Zack looks, the more he feels helpless about it. He is the one responsible for persuading Zack to Participate in Seed Challenge. At first he thought everything was going fine. But for the past few weeks, He couldn''t make any head or tails about the event. Elder Thornton seems to be hiding some secret. But he doesn''t dare to ask, every day he recalls that incident. The presence of Elder Thornton surprised him that day. He thought he was going to die facing against the assassin. But Elder Thornton saved him from dying. It still feels unreal, He seems almost like he is waiting for that assassin. Shaking his head, he came out behind those negative thoughts. Right now, He needs to protect Zack. Quickly, He needs to find a way for it.. While pondering it, He also looked at the leaderboard ranking. Chapter 219 - Clearing The 8th Floor (From MC''s Perspective) After arriving at the ninth floor, my expression become a little serious. I have been fighting against a Class 1 Monster after entering the fifth floor. Each and every time the monster''s count increases by one. Now, I''m on the ninth floor. After realizing this pattern, I confirmed that I''m going to face four monsters at the same time. Just as I made calculations in my mind. "Whizzzzz" a wing flapping sound resonated in the area. In my perception, I spotted four Horn Bee''s. As expected they were Class 1 Monsters and their size is half of mine. My heart palpitates little by spotting the needle like a stinger. I race my mind to recall its description. A Horn Bee Class Monster, it belongs to the poison category. The name Horn comes from the long needle-like stinger. These venomous bees can suck blood from their enemies in a matter of minutes. Especially, its deadly venom paralyzes enemies on the spot. These Horn Bees kills enemies by sucking their blood. After understanding the pattern, I begin to sketch good plan to wipe out these bees as soon as possible. On the other hand, Four Horn Bee''s appeared out of thin air. Their wing flapping was so fast that it created howling winds nearby. After spotting Zack with their small eyes, they moved towards him to launch a sting attack. I heard a loud wing flipping sound, I knew these bees were fast. Especially, fighting against these four bees in terms of Speed will be difficult. So, I decided to do a defensive counter attack. As one of the horn bee''s came towards me with a break necking speed. I recited the blood method in my mind. It''s been so long since I used this method. I never thought this would come in Handy during battle. My blood ring rune in my mind begins to flicker as I recited the blood method. As a result, I released Invisible aura around me like a shield. It''s a Peak Special Trainee Aura. I''m one level stronger than them. So, I had no worries facing them. Then I gripped my sword to swing. On the other hand, The Horn bee wasn''t able to see the aura as it''s colorless. But when it reached near him, it felt real horror. The Horn Bee wants to fly back but it becomes immobile due to level suppression. Not only have that, the colorless aura of Blood Element made its small mind further blanked. On the other hand, seeing that my plan becomes successful. I made a vertical cut. It was so fast, my blade didn''t face any resistance as it easily split the Horn bee body into two. As a result of it, it dies and finally dissipates into the thin air. Seeing that I''m stunned, it was too easy. I thought with my physique alone, I could crush all the way to level ten. But I didn''t expect my other skills to be so handy. Then I used the same method to kill the remaining three Horn bee''s. Unlike Apes they don''t have strong physiques. As long as you can stay from those deadly sting, you can easily kill them. After that a bright light shone on me. Due to that, I instantly recovered my Peak State. It seems like the default function of this tower, Even though I don''t need it. It still does its job. Then I disappeared from the spot and appeared on the tenth floor. I signed in relief after reaching the tenth floor successfully. It was the limit set by Elder Thornton. "He¡­He¡­.He¡­" I don''t know what his reaction will be? When he knew it took me no time to reach the tenth floor. Perhaps he underestimated me. Nobody knows my true cultivation level. Even though Elder Thornton set the goal of ten floors, on the other hand I yet to reach my limit. So far I have done overkill due to level suppression. I don''t know what will happen? When I fight against the same rank? Just as I''m pondering it, the challenge of level ten started. "Now, there will be five Class 1 Monsters" I whispered to myself. "Hissssss" a hissing sound reverberated in the area. On the other hand, five monsters appeared out of thin air. Dark Violet Snake- Class 1 Monster. Five large snake monsters together made a loud hissing sound. "This¡­" Seeing five snake monsters together, I''m a little startled. Though it''s just a phantom, fighting against them feels real and creepy. I didn''t use my colorless aura this time. It will become simply too easy. So, I''m going to sharpen my blade without leaking my aura. On the other hand, the Snake Monster saw a powerless human. Since Zack didn''t leak his aura. The Snake''s small mind thought him as a good prey. Not only had this snake, the other four remaining snakes beside it also thought in the same way. Immediately the first snake moved, but it was blocked by the second and third snake. Every other monster wants to consume the prey for itself. ¡­ On the other hand, Outside the Star Tower when Zack cleared the ninth floor. The corresponding changes also take place in the leaderboard. [Leaderboard Ranking] [Name, Place ¨C Floor - Clearance Time ¨C Rank] [Zack Lockwood, Hansen Campus ¨C 9th ¨C 10S ¨C1st] Seeing the leaderboard update again, everyone from outside stood speechless again. "Hey, is it an artefact or what? It''s very hard to believe someone can do this with their own strength" A person from Second batch broke out in cold sweat. Hearing that there is only a drop of silence remained. At this time, someone said, "If it is an artefact then it must be high end. Even though it''s a high end, it needs a huge essence to operate. It can only be operated by strong" When he said, a realization dawned upon everyone. They immediately strike out the possibility of Zack being weak. It can be only said that Zack is strong, but they don''t know how strong he is. On the other hand, The officials from Star Tower begin to remind those people who exited from Star Tower, to not to reveal the content of the test. After reminding them, those students begin to disperse. The official is not worried about leaking of the content. Some people did not even clear the fifth floor. So, it lacks value. On the other hand, they can''t leave the city until the end of the event. Once they leave this area, people from Star Tower will begin to monitor them. So, there won''t be any situation at all. Even if there is one, people will clear it out completely. After instructing them his eyes eventually fell on the leaderboard ranking. Seeing the clearance time of the 9th floor a hint of surprise flashes in his eyes. In his opinion clearing level ten is no big deal. He has seen it many times, it was done by many talented Warriors from reputable organizations in previous years. But to have this record by an unknown person from a small organization. It really surprised him. This is a great achievement for this person who may be recruited by large forces after this event. After done pondering, he set his eyes on remaining warriors. Right now, People beginning to exit from the Star Tower. It only states that their strength or skill is not up to par. At the same time, inside the meeting hall. Everyone is discussing the current hot topic, which is about Zack. When he cleared the 9th floor, People broke out in loud exclamations. Which eventually disturbs the concentration of the Crimson Hall Team. On the other hand, Ella and Sallie smiled helplessly viewing the current ranking. Before one of them could comment, the loud exclamation broke the concentration of their teammates. "What''s wrong with these people?" Robb said with a dissatisfied tone as he opened his eyes. Simultaneously, Bradley, Darius and Austin opened their eyes one by one. Austin said slowly, "What happened? Is it our turn now" For a moment he forgot the time. Bradley and Darius didn''t say anything but they looked around to see the commotion. Suddenly, they heard that Zack''s name was being discussed by the people. Robb too notices that he turned towards Sallie and asked, "Sallie, What is going on here?" He thought these two people might know something. "See the Leaderboard Ranking for yourself" Hearing what Sallie said without change in her face. Hearing her words, the rest of the team turned their eyes toward the leader''s board ranking. "Oh my goodness!" Bradley stood from his seat in disbelief. Even dissatisfied Darius stunned for a moment. "Is this real?" He was taken back. Austin then remembers the current time, he gulped down the saliva in shock. The only comment he made his mind that, "He couldn''t do that" "How did he do that?" Robb finally uttered in a low tone. Seeing the various reactions of their teammates, Ella and Sallie couldn''t help but smile wryly. Then Sallie commented, "When we saw first, we reacted the same way" Chapter 220 - Part One: Crimson Halls Meeting (From MC''s Perspective) Seeing Snake Monster''s behavior, I thought it would be good. If they begin to attack. These Dark Violet Class Snake Monsters had been born with a unique poison trait since their birth. They do not need to get close to the prey to kill it. They can spit poisonous venom from far distances to attack the prey. Except that most of the other characteristics were similar to the snake family. It would be interesting to see, what are they going to do? This Monster''s unique trait is useless against me. I activated my perceptual ability to observe their actions. In case, if they simultaneously spit venom against me. Then I have to be on guard against it. On the other hand, The Dark Violet Snake Monster made a loud hissing sound, presumably displeased with it''s companions. Then it moved instantly with it''s huge body. The huge body of Snake made a zigzag movement to reach its prey. At the same time, A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes, I thought it will use its venom. But it looks like it wants to swallow me. I stomped my foot forward to face the attack. At the same time, I gripped my sword face against it. I look forward to testing its scales. Seeing it''s companion took the lead forward. The other snakes hissed and followed behind it. The other snakes want to snatch the pieces of prey. The Snake reaches closer to me, It''s speed is higher than expected. The monster uses its massive body to its advantage. Upon getting closer to me. It wide opened its mouth to swallow me. Seeing it''s huge deadly fangs, My expression condensed a little bit. As the Snake intended to swallow me. I flew sideways a little bit, using the opportunity at hand. I made a casual swing with my black sword. The black blade makes contact with it''s scale and penetrates a little deeper. Seeing the injury, I felt surprised. I thought its defense must be strong. But it looks like it''s not. Maybe it needs further level ups to develop its body. But right now, it actually disappoints. I thought I could have a good experience without leaking my aura. My interest is blown away immediately, the injured snake begins to move away from me due to fear. Seeing that I smiled, "It finally used its instinct to save itself" I mumbled under my breath. But it''s futile as I already made up my mind to clear this level and move ahead. At the same time, I released my whole aura on those snakes and made a direct cut against the second snake monster. The second Monster didn''t have time to escape as it got overwhelmed and became immobile due to my aura. The blade of mine reached its neck, and sliced it. In that instant, it dissipates into thin air. I dealt with remaining snake monster in no time and eventually I arrived at the 11th floor. "The real games starts hereafter" I mumbled under my breath. 11th Floor, I saw a massive body appear out of thin air. I immediately begin to probe the level of the monster. A spider monster appears out of thin air. "Giant Mountain Spider ¨C Class 1 Monster ¨C Mid Level" Sensing its level, I nodded slightly. I didn''t make any mistakes earlier. If my guess is correct, the next four floors will have Mid level Class 1 Monsters. And the numbers are going to be the same as the previous floors. On the other hand, The Giant Mountain Spider begins to spin the web out of instinct. It didn''t even glance at Zack. A white silky substance coming out of it in a speedy manner. Seeing it''s behavior, I recalled the description of the monsters in my mind. This Giant Mountain Spider can trap Peak level Monsters with its web. Once the prey gets trapped into its web, it can slowly kill it using it''s venom. Though I''m a Special Trainee, one level higher than Peak. I don''t want to test the strength of its venom. Seeing it diligently spinning its web. I gripped my sword tightly and began to charge it with lightning power. A pure lightning essence course through my vein as I poured the lightning essence towards the sword to charge it. This lightning power contains the strength of the Power level of a Special Trainee. I want to see the strength of the spider web. Simultaneously, The Giant Mountain Spider notices the purple thunder. It begins to increase the speed of web spinning. On the other hand, After charging the Black Sword, I launched the offensive attack. "SWORD DIVIDE" A ball of purple lightning burst out from the sword towards the Giant Spider. It was so fast that in a blink of an eye, it reached the target. The purple lightning strike fell on a huge web. "Boom" The lightning power interacts with spider webs. A sudden crackling sound can be heard. In a few seconds due to overbearing power the spider webs fell apart. Even the Giant Spider took direct brunt of the lightning attack. It''s massive body roasted with lightning power. A huge black smoke coming out of its body. But there still some vitality left out in its body. Seeing that a hint of surprises flashes in my eyes. Then I moved from my spot and walked towards the spider. After coming in front of it, I made a casual thrust at it''s abdomen to end its life. As a result, it''s vitality withers away and it''s body dissipates into thin air. Simultaneously, I arrived at the 12th floor. In that moment, the corresponding changes also take place in the Leaderboard Ranking. ¡­ Outside of the Star Tower, A couple of second ago, [Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Rank] [Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 10th floor ¨C 20s ¨C 1st] "Here we go, He is maintaining the same speed" a warrior from the second batch yelled out. He has been staring at the leaderboard ranking since the start. Now, seeing the sudden change he blurts out unconsciously. His words immediately attracted attention. The gazes of everyone falls on the leaderboard ranking. "How come he clears each floor within thirty seconds?" Another warrior voiced his opinion. His words enlightened everyone, they have been fixated on the number one ranking. But they forgot one important point. The Clearance speed of Zack at each floor has been constant. While everyone ponders it, another update takes place in the leaderboard ranking. [Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 11th floor ¨C 15s ¨C 1st] This update drew everyone''s attention, Another exclamation breaks out, Everyone is discussing Zack. But once again his clearance speed shocked them to the core. This time they don''t know how to comment. Everyone felt it was unreal, they stood dazed. ¡­ At the same time, Inside the meeting hall of Crimson Hall Campus. A Huge display screen suspended above the Centre of the table. Surrounded by numerous officials sitting behind their desks for this meeting. Everyone conversed with each other in a hushed tone. The topic of their discussion is Star Tower Challenge. Everyone here took a day off and gathered here to discuss the Star Challenge event. Students from the Hansen campus were also going to participate in the Star Tower Challenge. But ever since the beginning of the challenge everyone''s attention gathered one particular person, He is none other than Zack Lockwood. The Headmaster of Crimson Hall was also present among those people. From time to time his attention fell on leaderboard ranking. Seeing the dazzling performance of Zack Lockwood, His intestine turned green. At the same time, He also observes the various reactions of Elders present here. There were some sighs, frustration, regret and deep anger. Even some elders released faint killing intent. He knew soon he was going to get lectured by everyone. At the same time, Suddenly everyone''s attention fell on leaderboard ranking. Where Zack successfully cleared the eleventh floor in a few seconds. "This kid, how does he train?" one of the elders said with a slight annoyance. The Elder beside him commented, "Do we really don''t have any information about him?" He is dissatisfied with their intelligence team. " How come they fail to collect Intel information about him? " He wondered to himself. If they have some Intel about him to discuss then it would be fine. But they don''t know anything right now. Hearing both Elder''s questions, The Crimson Hall''s Head Master knew these questions were directed at him. His back was drenched in sweat. He slowly said, "Elder, This kid is hiding too deep, Not only us even other forces don''t have any Intel about him" Hearing his words some of the elders clearly had disdain in their eyes. One of the Elder said, "Looks we need to discuss changing Head Master''s position first. " The Crimson Hall''s HeadMaster heart shudders for a moment. "Elder?" He said in a low tone. Another Elder commented, "I don''t care about others'' forces. But as for you, it clearly shows your incompetence. How hard is it to ask about someone''s ability? You can easily contact this kid''s friends and ask them. I''m sure with good persuasion, they will reveal some secrets." Hearing his words, some elders nodded their heads in approval. Chapter 221 - Clearing The 12th Floor (From Mc''s Perspective) 12th floor, After arriving on the twelfth floor, I looked around for a moment. There is overwhelming silence around the area. I don''t know why this feels a little creepy. But I''m on guard with my perception. I try to notice any subtle changes around here. After a couple of seconds, I heard some noise, Hearing that sound makes my expression dignified. Usually, Monsters appear out of thin air in front of me. "What is happening now?" I mumbled under my breath. This pattern is something new to me. So, I didn''t let down my guard. Suddenly, I heard something coming towards me. I held my black sword in a vertical position to attack it. Using my operation, I saw something unbelievable. This twelfth floor is quite visible, after a couple of seconds the thing becomes visible to naked eye. "I never thought I would see this type of Monster so soon" I sighed in my heart. Right now, the thing coming towards me is the root of a tree monster. "Giant Tree Monster ¨C Class 1- Mid level " It''s been a while since I fought against the Class Tree Monster. Last time it was in Black Forests, that trip is one of the most memorable trips in my life. On that trip, I''m almost at the mercy of the Class Tree Monster. Fortunately, this is Class 1 at Mid level. In the meantime, when the root reaches me. I flew backwards a little to avoid it. For a time being, I don''t want to get entangled with root. I need to find the main body. Especially, in this level there will be one more tree monster. But the tree root seems to track me, it follows me wherever I try to move away. Seeing that it''s not working. I begin to trace the main body using its roots. As I flew towards the main body, the root began to retract at a faster pace. Seeing that I smirked a little, it looked like a tree monster was alerted , sensing my speed. Seems like it''s little intelligence is working well. Then I increased my speed even more. As I move past at breakneck speed. A couple of seconds later I found the main body. Which looks horrible because there is no single leaf in its branches. The Giant tree stood 50ft tall. It looked entirely dark brown in color. It uses its branches as arms and roots as legs. The roots were wide and thick. Time to time there is root spike sprouting out from the root. Seeing that I knew it''s one of the attack methods of tree monsters. But I didn''t immediately jump on to attack it. Last time I fought it''s a different family of tree monsters. Yet it attacked me with mind power. I still remember it as clear as a day. So, right now I don''t want surprises like that. First I need to figure out its characteristics. Even so, I spend tons of hours studying class monster''s description. But still there is some left out. Like the tree monster in front of me. Which is completely new to me. Time to time, I evaded its root attack. If I get even a step closer to it''s main body. I suspect it will attack me with its branches. But it didn''t stop me from trying. After waiting for a couple of seconds. I analyzed its speed of attack. So, I adjusted my speed to evade it without attacking. I moved a bit closer to it''s main body. Just as I stepped a little closer. Soon, I found several branches coming towards me like a whip. Its speed is making a tearing sound in the air. But it didn''t faze me a little. I casually held my sword and made a slight swing. But it was enough. As my blade comes in contact with incoming branches. There is no chance of resistance. As I easily cleaved the branches into two. Soon seeing it get attacked the tree monster sent a couple of more branches towards me. I gripped my sword and immediately poured lightning essence to charge it. In a few seconds the sword was completely charged. Then I held my black sword and aimed at the giant tree''s body. I''m focusing at it''s branches. "Sword Divide" As I recited the Sword attack method in my mind. A lightning power burst out from my sword. A long purple lightning strike fell on the Giant Tree Monster''s body. Especially the attack aimed at its trunk. "Bang" A crackling sound can be heard from the tree. This lightning strike contains the strength of a Special Trainee. For a moment the chasing of tree branches and roots were stopped for a moment. Looks like the full blown attack of mine is quite effective. I waited a couple of seconds to see the aftermath. As expected there were several cracks on it''s trunk. Almost the target area is darkened due to the attack. It appears though the giant tree had no life but I won''t be fooled by its appearance. Then suddenly the Giant tree monster let out a loud scream. For a moment, I was dazed. But due to my higher cultivation base I wasn''t affected that much. "Damn " I uttered in a solemn tone. If I had a little bit lower base than this monster then the outcome would be severe. Still some bad experience of black forest flashes before my eyes. For a moment, I felt wrath. I gripped my sword once again to charge it. In a moment, I executed another deadly lightning strike. This time when the purple lightning falls on it. The Giant tree monster dissipates like smoke. Seeing that I immediately ponder about another monster. So far each monster appeared in pairs that too side by side. But this level is different, I didn''t even catch wind of this monster''s appearance. I need to search around this area further . For a while I circled around this area. But I didn''t find any trails of monsters. I felt it was a little bit tricky to solve. Even with my perception range, I didn''t notice any changes. Then I decided to start from the location where I appeared. Several minutes later, I searched around the area after coming back to the location. I observed some changes in the east. Which is exactly opposite to the previous monster''s location. This place seems to be more challenging and the space around this floor is larger than the previous floors. And with causation I flew towards the spot while observing with my perception. Sometimes later, I don''t know how much time has passed. But I reached the monster''s location. In front of me is another giant tree monster. Unlike the previous monster, it seems dead. But I knew it was faking it. What is wrong with the intelligence of these monsters? From each level not only their strength but their intelligence seems to work a lot. So the same monsters but each with different intelligence. This is something I need to be careful of. From each floor here after I may need to be careful of their tricks. After sorting out my thoughts, I made an attack. Though the monster didn''t take initiative. But I won''t leave it like that. "Sword Divide" I made another lightning strike towards it. The Purple lightning power falls on its trunk. Which alarming it greatly but it was too late to do something. As a result, it took full brunt of the attack. "Bang" a thundering sound echoed in the area. The Giant tree monster got smoked left with half life. Then I immediately made a consecutive lightning strike to end its life. Finally, the monster dissipates into thin air. Then I recovered my peak state in a blink of an eye. Afterwards, I appeared on the 13th floor. ¡­ The corresponding changes take place as Zack cleared the 12th floor. [Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Rank] [Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 12th ¨C 14 min ¨C 1st ] Outside the Star Tower, The update attracted everyone''s attention. This time. Everyone thought it was fourteen seconds again. They failed to notice the minutes. "Zack cleared the 12th floor. I don''t know whether he will clear the 20th floor." A warrior from the second batch said to himself. Hearing that someone snorted by saying, "It won''t be easy. The levels above are hard for everyone. I don''t remember any clear this level before." Rest of the people also nodded hearing his words. It''s not easy to clear those above level. Even from their organization they haven''t heard such a thing. The 18th floor itself is a record. So, Zack clearing those levels won''t be easy. But as for others they have different thoughts in their mind. Seeing the clearance time they felt it was possible to see that miracle. Suddenly one of the warriors glanced at the leaderboard ranking. Seeing the minutes instead of seconds, he felt stunned for a moment. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the leaderboard ranking again. Then he saw 14 minutes instead of 14 Seconds. "Hey guys look at the leaderboard ranking! Zack took 14 minutes to clear the 12th floor.." He yelled out in surprise. Chapter 222 - Part Two: Crimson Halls Meeting Inside the meeting room of Crimson Hall. While everyone is dissatisfied with the Headmaster of Crimson Hall. But from time to time their gaze is set on the ranking. The Leaderboard Ranking is going through some changes. Except for Zack, Rest of the people from the first batch failed to clear the floor one by one. Other than Zack, the warrior from the first batch succeeds in getting to the 9th floor. But unfortunately he failed to clear that level and left the tower in dejection. Which also gives chances to other warriors from the second batch to enter the tower after them. Soon, the turn for the third batch also comes. Although from time to time everyone stares at the leaderboard ranking, they don''t forget their own purpose. Like Zack, they too have ambition to leap over the gate to become a dragon. Once you set a good record, you will get famous. And the academy will offer scholarships for you, you don''t have to spend a single penny for your career. With ambition everyone got ready for their turns, for a moment they forgot about Zack. They don''t want their mood to get spoiled by unattainable goals. Soon, Zack cleared the 12th floor. He also became the only person left out from the first batch. And the people from the second batch everyone is going through the star tower challenge. At this time under the order of Star tower officials, the warriors from the third batch also arrive in front of the star tower. The third batch also included the Crimson Hall''s team. Crimson Hall''s team expression appears to be solemn. Ella Downs''s mouth twitched seeing the leader board ranking. "This guy hopes he survives after leaving the city." She thought to herself. Among them only she and Sallie belong to the third batch. Rest of them just accompanied them. On the other hand, Robb brows furrowed a little seeing the ranking, "I want to see how hard the challenge is. If he can do it easily. We warriors from Crimson Hall are not pushovers either." He said to himself. But he belonged to the eighth batch. He just accompanied his friends. Darius on the other hand takes a side glance at the leaderboard ranking. Unlike others he felt excited to compete. He was from the second batch but he was the last of them. Only Austin, Bradley and Sallie appeared to be calm on the outside. But their minds raced with different thoughts. The Appearances of Crimson Hall team at the Star Tower also broadcasted live. Which is also seen by the Elders from the Crimson Hall. Inside the meeting Hall, When the Crimson Hall Team appears on the screen. All the murmurs were quiet down, people present here set their gazes on the screen. For a while, no one whispered the name of Zack. The only reason they gathered here to witness the performance of their warriors. Upon seeing the reactions of elders, the headmaster of Crimson Hall sighed in relief. "Goodness, I really felt knife over my head." He said to himself. Now everyone is focused on the Crimson Hall Team. He thought the Elders won''t pick up the topic. When the image of Zack flashes over his eyes, he feels anger and regret. At this time, the second elder said, "Whom do you think is going to do well?" His question sparked the interest for conversation. Hearing his question one of the elders answered straightforwardly, but he didn''t point out one particular name. He answered, "I believe people with bloodline can do better compared to others." Hearing that atmosphere got solemn for a moment. One of the Elder snorted by saying, "For that you need to have pure bloodline." He knew the one who said earlier was a bloodline warrior. He really hates the guts of those people who think they are superior to others since they have bloodline. At this time, the first elder, higher in authority among others commented, "Can you say something good? Those kids are from Crimson Hall. It doesn''t matter if they have bloodline or not. " Hearing the first elder''s reprimand, the other two quiet down for a moment. At this time, seeing those two elders behaved. He didn''t continue the topic, instead he looked at the headmaster of the crimson hall. Perceiving the gaze, the Crimson Hall HeadMaster shuddered for a moment. "First Elder?" He was really afraid of the first elder. First Elder is at Peak Elite, He can kill him with ease. On the other hand, First Elder, "What do you think about them?" Hearing that the HeadMaster straightened his back. He answered solemnly, "First Elder, These six of them were good. Right now their cultivation base is at Initial ¨C Special Trainee. All of them can clear the first ten floors in no time." Hearing that the First Elder once again takes a look at him nodded. Even the rest of the Elders who had contempt for him now were replaced with appreciation. They too know that those kids with Special Trainee power won''t face much of a problem. Right now, they are already looking forward to their performance. When the rest of the elders are optimistic about the challenge, First Elder has different calculations running through his mind. His gaze is set on the First Rank of the Leaderboard Ranking. He too knew that level of Zack. Now, the kids from the Crimson Hall also had the same cultivation. He really wants to see his record broken. If they do it, then the reputation of Crimson Hall will soar across the region. Then again he feels a little bit aggrieved comparing their students with unknown kids. He feels really unsettled. But looking at the information of the kid. He learnt about the Hansen Campus. A hint of surprise flashes in his eyes. Then he looked at the head master and asked, " Do you know about the Hansen Campus?" Hearing the First Elder ''s words, the head master replied slowly, " First Elder, It''s just a little academy in our region. This time they have applied for an Exhibition Event. And that kid, Zack, is the Seed Candidate representing them." For the first time since the beginning of this event, the first elders have heard some good news. "If that kid is really going to be a participant in our event then we can do something for him." He sneered inside. On the other hand, Upon seeing the first elder''s reaction. He knew Elder was going to do it. If that kid is left out, it''s only going to damage the reputation of Crimson Hall. And no one around here is going to let that happen. Once the kid leaves the city, then it will be a nightmare for him. ... At the same time, Inside the Hansen Campus meeting room. Elder Thornton, Mr. Arthur, Ms. Adeline key were present inside. Elder Thornton invited them to see the Star Tower challenge event. When he was in his cabin, he thought it would be difficult for Zack to reach the 10th floor. But later he cleared this level in no time. Then he immediately invited the duo to the meeting room to see the challenge. Right now, Zack cleared the 12th floor and reached the next floor. Seeing that Elder Thornton commented, "This kid is something." On the other hand, Ms. Adeline Key smiled. But Mr. Arthur was nervous. His mind is running with different thoughts. He really wants to ask Elder if there is something that he didn''t know about. But held back those thoughts. But this was clearly noticed by Elder Thornton. His expression frowned for a moment and asked, "Arthur, What is it?" Hearing that Mr. Arthur smiled and said, "Elder, I don''t know about you but I ''m really worried." Upon hearing that the atmosphere turned solemn. Elder Thornton knew that Mr. Arthur still had some scars from that incident. That''s why he is worried. He really wants to talk about Zack''s Master in his heart. But he won''t do that. Instead he said, " Arthur, You don''t have to worry about it. I already recommended Zack ''s name to Federation. Upon seeing Zack''s performance in Star Tower. I believe that they will do everything to protect him." Hearing Elder''s words Mr. Arthur signed in relief. Finally his spirit lifted up. "Elder, When did that happen?" He inquired in a surprise tone. If Zack really got under shades of a big umbrella. Then his future will be bright. Then we don''t have to worry about Crimson Hall Methods. Ms. Adeline Key was also surprised. Her slight worried eyebrow also eased. Seeing their happy reaction, Elder Thornton smiled and said, "Why do you think? I asked him to participate in this event?" Hearing his words, Mr. Arthur and Ms. Adeline key understood immediately. They were not kids, at first they too had guessed it. But upon getting confirmation from Elder''s mouth. They really feel relaxed now. "He already thought it through." Mr. Arthur said to himself. At this time, Elder Thornton commented, "I believe you have already guessed it. After that accident, it''s really difficult for us to cover Zack. We can''t do it forever. There are still several months left for him to graduate from here." Then he added further, "So, in order to protect him. I already informed the federation officials. But they won''t show any interest to random kids. So, that''s why in order to attract attention. I asked Zack to participate." Ms. Adeline Key, "Elder, Indeed this is really a good method." She knew Elder Thornton was a veteran from the federation. Finally, Mr.. Arthur let go of his worry and smiled hearing the Elder''s explanation. Chapter 223 - Clearing The 13th Floor (From Mc''s Perspective) 13th FLOOR, After arriving at the 13th floor, I immediately found three Worker Ant Monsters with Class 1 Middle level strength. "Why is it quite similar to Black Forest''s ant colony?" I whispered to myself. Last time I escaped from the terrible Class-2 Ant queen. At that time, My strength was weak. Right now, I can easily deal with them. Compared to the tree monsters, this level is quite easy. After sorting out my thoughts, I moved. These Ant monsters were giant in size, Twice the size of mine. These ant monsters were not mutated species. But commonly found in Monster Forest Zones around the world. Other than it''s mandible and stinger, there is no other attack means. The three Ant Monsters are slowly moving toward me. But they are quite distant from each other. I knew their snail-like speed was quite fake. Once they can burst out at real speed, they can reach me in seconds. As expected, one should not underestimate their intelligence. After reaching in front of the incoming ant monster, I slash my sword at it. There is no essence power in it but I swung with full strength. As my blade reaches near antennas to slash it. The Ant monster felt alarmed. It rolls backwards at great speed. Seeing that I knew it would react like that. Then I didn''t hold back my power. When the second ant monster reached near me, I launched a defensive counterattack. "LIGHTNING WHEEL" A dense purple lightning wheel bursts out in power. A sudden cracking sound resonates in the area. The incoming Ant Monster jumps in fright. But it was too late to do anything. As the lightning wheel expands in a blink of an eye, it touches the ant monster''s body. As a result of it, the ant monster electrocuted in an instant. But due to dense vitality in its body it still hangs it''s life. On the other hand, Seeing the monster''s tenacity I didn''t faze. I ended its life with my next sword move. The phantom of the second ant monster dissipates into thin air. Seeing the overbearing power lightning, I felt glad. At least my efforts were not in vain. Then I moved towards the other two frightened monsters. I ended their phantom in succession. Then a bright light fell on me, I recovered my peak state instantly due to that. Later, I appeared on the fourteenth floor. 14th FLOOR, I appeared on the 14th floor. What greeted me was the power of the fire element. I looked around to spot the four Class 1 ¨C Middle level Strength Monster running towards me. Their size is three times that of mine. "Crimson Rock Bull" Seeing that I had a look of yearning, " Finally, there is Something new to see. I actually got bored fighting against common monsters." I mumbled under my breath. Elemental monsters are the real threat. I can see the Crimson Bull is spitting fireballs from its mouth. It''s huge horn is glowing like a molten red iron rod. That kind of temperature, it''s horn can easily tear through human skin. I gulped down my saliva visualizing that. Fortunately, it''s just a phantom spirit. But it''s really creepy. It actually feels very real. The huge incoming bull gushing out a hot stream through its nostrils. Upon reaching a targetable distance. The Crimson Rock Bull spits out a huge fire ball towards him. On the other hand, the rest of the bulls also caught up with it and spit out several fire balls against him. On the other hand, I saw those monster''s actions. I couldn''t help but feel, Sometimes numbers can pose more of a threat than actual strength. Seeing the incoming fire balls, I hurriedly flew away from the spot. As the several fire balls on the empty land. "Boom" A defeating sound reverberated throughout the area. A huge mushroom cloud smoke rose from that place. Seeing those failed attacks, the rest of the bulls begin to find the trace of Zack.. On the other hand, I flew a few metres backwards. Fortunately, this space had quite large space. I can see those fireball strengths. If I was at first level, this might get me into trouble. Thankfully, I''m strong. I had a feeling in my heart to test those fireballs. But I won''t do that. Who knows if my essence gets dries out, I may forcibly thrown from this start tower challenge. So, far I''m not sure how to deal with these. Elemental bull, As far as I can think, I can only eliminate them one by one. Otherwise they will target me with those first balls. A few minutes later, Suddenly, those monsters found the trace of mine. I didn''t hold back. I launched a sword attack to test its strength. "SWORD DIVIDE" A cracking purple lightning strike falls on the first bull. "Boom" a thundering sound resonated in the area. As the smoke cleared out, I found the crimson bull only slowed down for a moment. Other than a few superficial scars, there is not much damage. A moment later, the crimson bull in wrath breathed fire through its nostrils. Seeing my full blown attack not even effective, I felt amazed. Don''t tell me not only humans, even class monsters can leapfrog and fight. I knew it, Elemental Monsters were not a good thing. My overbearing lightning couldn''t completely eliminate its fire elements. I knew these crimson rock bull monsters are treasure. If any fire elemental warriors see this, their eyes would be green with envy. Unfortunately, it''s not useful to me. After sorting out my thoughts, I flew towards the last bull monster in a s-pattern path speedily. So, they can''t target me. A moment later, When I reached near the last bull monster. I didn''t give it any chance to attack me. I twisted my wrist and punched it against its body. In this attack I released full body strength. As my fists land a hit on its body, a muffled sound escapes from its mouth. Then it''s huge body staggered. Seeing that it''s working, I held my sword and made a deep penetration with it. It''s abdomen it''s a weak point. As long as I can break it''s soft abdomen, I can easily defeat it. Seeing the monster trying to fight back, I launched a lightning attack. "Lightning Wheel" A bursting thunderous wheel touches the body. In a moment, it detonated. "Boom" I staggered backwards due to it. I felt completely bewildered for a moment. Seeing my attack detonated, I couldn''t believe my eyes. "This, why does it happen?" I whispered to myself. Usually, I had good control over this wheel attack. Just as I ponder it, the other hand smoke dissipates. I saw a scene which shocked me to the core. This huge crimson rock bull is going to detonate it''s core. I sucked cold breath. I clearly felt fire elemental fluctuation from it''s stomach. There is a crimson like ball glowing in bright red inside it''s stomach. Seeing that I knew it was the monster core, then I gripped my sword and moved quite a distance from this place. In a few seconds, "Boom" The Crimson Bull Rock Monster explodes its own core, hereby dissipates into thin air. On the other hand, seeing the aftermath, I sighed in relief. Good guy, even if I''m a Special Trainee. There is no way I would be unscathed from it''s detonation. Fortunately, I escaped from elimination. No wonder, they say it''s hard to clear above level 10. Monster''s intelligence is not to be trifled with. Then I saw three other monsters coming towards this place. I immediately flew towards the far distance. Thank goodness, the space is quite wide. I can recover my peak strength. Later I can make an attack on the other three monsters. On the other hand, three other crimson bulls roaming around the detonated area. They are trying hard to search for the traces of Zack. After reaching quite far, I sat down and tried to recover my peak state. Only thinking that can aid me to clear this level is my full strength. Both of my lightning attacks were not working properly. I really regret not training in more attack techniques. Maybe this might be the difference between those big forces and small forces. Thanks to my teacher, otherwise I won''t even have this attack method right now. I smiled wryly, thinking about how the Elder Thornton expected me to reach at least the sixth floor. No wonder this means I''m not weak. He thinks I don''t have attacking and defensive means against these monsters. I take a deep breath and put behind those complex thoughts. For now just focus on this level. It would be better if I take one step at a time. I sipped my consciousness into the storage ring and took out some monster cores to replenish my strength. Fortunately, My storage ring is not banned here. I placed the first monster core in my palm and I slowly began to recite the blood method. In this instant, My blood ring runs in my mind begins to flicker. As it flickers dazzlingly, I begin to observe the monster''s essence.. A warm current coursing through my vein and filling my dantian gradually. Chapter 224 - Clearing The14th Floor (From Mc''s Perspective) A half an hour later, I recovered my peak using a few contaminated lightning cores. Although a few cores were insufficient for me to sustain in the long term. Earlier, I didn''t plan to use the lightning monster core as much as possible. I spent a great effort to get these contaminated lightning cores from Mr. Jonathan. But who would have that elemental monster''s ability? I lack experience fighting against elemental monsters. After putting those complex thoughts behind, I stood up from the ground. It''s good that earlier on the way here I didn''t leak out my breath. Then I immediately moved from this spot to find them. A couple of minutes later, I found Crimson Ball Rock Monster. It''s roaming lonely and there are no other monsters near it. Seeing that a bright glow flashes in my eyes. I know this is a good opportunity to seize. Thinking that I held my black sword and went nearer to it. On other hand, the crimson bull monster perceived the trace of Zack. It immediately turned around to see him. After confirming it, a huge fire element is gathering around its mouth. It wants to target and kill him directly. Seeing it''s action, I didn''t faze. I can easily release my invisible aura. But there is a possibility that it won''t be effective. So, I don''t want to test it. It''s a good opportunity to kill. Then I increased my pace and dashed towards it. As I got nearer to it, it released a huge fire ball towards me. Seeing that I side stepped enough to evade it, on the other hand a huge fireball hit an empty space and landed on the ground. "Boom" a deafening sound resonated the area, A huge cloud of smoke rose from the ground. The other hand, by observing its weak spot. I made a long slash at it''s abdomen. The black blade easily tore through the skin. Which made the monster completely immobile for a moment. Then I launched a lightning attack. "Lightning wheel" A huge purple lightning wheel formed in a moment. In that instant thunderous sound reverberated the area which greatly altered the other three monsters. As the lightning wheel touches it''s body, the lightning power bursts out completely. As a result the lightning power charcoal its entire body. The monster let out a muffled sound, using the monster''s weak moment I drew the sword further deeper further ending it''s life. As the monster dies, it dissipates into thin air. After killing the monster, I didn''t stay here. I plan to locate the other two monsters. I believe after hearing that crashing sound, they will be marching near me. ¡­ Outside the Star Tower, when Zack cleared the 13th floor. The corresponding changes also take place in the leaderboard ranking. [Name, Place- Floor- Clearance Time ¨C Rank] [Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 13th ¨C 25min ¨C 1st] At this point of time, no one left from the first batch except Zack. There were only the last few members left out from the second batch and third batch. Seeing the sudden changes and the name of Zack Lockwood constantly flashing in the leaderboard ranking. They already become numb to the point. But there were some warriors who noticed the changes in leaderboard ranking. "Looks like after level 10 it''s extremely difficult." One of the warriors from the third batch mumbled under his breath. He has been aware of the changes in the leaderboard, particularly the clearance time. After seeing Zack take this much time to clear, He felt that that round must be difficult for him. Suddenly, at this time a warrior from the second batch walked out from the tower. He fails to clear the 10th floor. Seeing him walking out of the star tower, the official gestures to the next person from the second batch to enter the challenge tower. The next person is none other than the Darius Case. Seeing he is called out, Darius glanced at Sallie and Ella. Then he strides forward to enter. Of the remaining three of them, the other three from the crimson hall already left for the meeting hall. Earlier, they just came with them to accompany. On the other hand, Seeing Darius stepped inside the tower. Sallie commented, "Ella, What do you think? Is that Darius going to reach the 20th floor?" She said in a curiosity. For others it''s difficult to clear the 10th floor. But for them it''s easy, since they are Special Trainees. So, far other than Zack, there are no Special Trainee Warriors beside them. That''s why they walked out of the tower so soon. Hearing Sallie''s words, Ella takes a side glance at the leaderboard ranking, especially clearance time. Zack is also a Special Trainee. For him to take such time to clear those levels. She has been intrigued, and she knows deep down in her heart that it''s not going to be easy. So she said, "Sallie, We will eventually know, when we step inside. And I''m not sure about Darius''s ability either. He may be hiding deep. Hearing that Sallie nodded she also thought like that. ¡­ 1st Floor Darius Case, When Darius stepped inside, he immediately found Pseudo Monster. It''s just a pseudo monster belonging to a mixed breed family. Seeing that pseudo monster, a surprise glint flashes in his eyes. He immediately flickered his finger to generate the fire ball. A huge red fire ball formed above his palm. On the other hand, the pseudo monster frightened. Before it could flee, it saw huge incoming fire ball in a blink of eye. But it was too late to do anything. As the monster dissipates into thin air when the fire ball touches its body. At the same time, a bright light fell over him and he appeared on the second floor. When he appeared on the second floor, a realization dawned upon him. "No wonder, that Zack guy cleared the first few floors in a few seconds." He whispered to himself. When he was pondering it, a bright light flashes over him. There are two common sparrow pseudo monsters in front of him. Seeing the two Pseudo monsters Darius Case didn''t even flinch his eyes. He flickered his finger to generate flames, Immediately the two monsters dissipated into thin air. As usual the bright light fell over him, he immediately appeared at the 3rd floor. ¡­ Outside of the star tower, inside the meeting hall. Robb Williamson, Austin and Bradley were starting at the leaderboard. Since Darius entered the floor, they have wanted to see his performance. Three of them had different thoughts running through their mind. Upon seeing Darius clearing the two floors in no time. A surprise glint flashes before Robb''s eyes, "It looks like I worried for nothing" He mumbled under his breath. The other hand faces of Austin and Bradley eased a little bit. The other hand , Austin raised his eyebrow and asked, "Robb, Looks like Zack won''t be able to reach the 20th floor." He said in a surprised tone. At first, he was quite worried about seeing his clearance time. But now seeing Darius is also clearing the floors in no time. He got new hope filled in his heart. Heading Austin''s question, Robb answered, " I just know above level 20 is really difficult. He might reach the 18th floor. I don''t think the above is possible. Hearing that Bradley and Austin nodded at his words. ¡­ (From Mc''s Perspective) A few minutes later, I spotted two other monsters. They were roaming around together. "This will be a little tricky" I mumbled under my breath. It''s hard to reach it''s abdomen area to attack. For that you need to get closer to it. For a moment, I begin to ponder. What if I use an invisible aura to disturb them, it might cause them to flee in the opposite direction. Then I can use that opportunity to chase them down to kill separately. After sorting out my thoughts, I moved towards them. Upon sensing my arrival, both of the monsters begin to act. I gripped my sword and moved faster. On the way, I evaded those fireballs to get near to it. As I got near to the crimson ball, I used my blood element. I released the invincible aura to deter. When the invisible aura got pressed on those monsters, they got overwhelmed with fear. I used this opportunity to slay it''s abdomen. Then I used the two lightning attacks consecutively to end those monsters. A couple of seconds later, those two monsters dissipate into thin air. Then eventually, a bright light fell over me and I appeared on the 15th floor. ¡­ When I appeared on the 15th floor, my heart palpitated a little. I know I''m going to face five middle level strength monsters. But I''m hoping it won''t be an elementary one. It already took great effort to clear those bull monsters. It also poses great difficulty when fighting against huge numbers. I''m clear about one thing, I''m going to kill them separately. Just as I began to ponder, I heard a loud "shriek". It sounded like a almost bird cry. "Damn" I cursed at my bad luck. If it''s a bird monster. How am I going to hunt them down separately? I felt a great crisis.. I only got one long range attack method, but I need to use it wisely before consuming my essence completely. Chapter 225 - Ella And Sallie Entered The Tower (From Mc''s Perspective) After hearing the bird Monster''s sound, I looked ahead and saw that it was a sparrow monster. Not just one, but five of them in total. Seeing them my mind begins to race fast to see how to tackle them. As I pondered it, one of the monsters reached me in the blink of an eye. I saw its steel like beaks and claws. Which is enough to cause me superficial injury. I launched a lightning counter attack without knowing myself. "Lightning Wheel" A thunderous lightning wheel formed in an instant surrounding me. Just as the crackling sound resonates in the area, the sparrow monster gets alarmed. But it''s too late to dodge the lightning wheel. As it''s humongous body clashes with lightning wheel, "Boom" A defeating sound resonates in the area. The lightning power electrocuted its body, Here by injuring both of it''s feathers. The bird monster with a muffled groan falls on the ground. Seeing it''s companion get injured, the other bird monsters got alerted. They begin to circle around the sky. On the other hand, seeing their behavior I sighed in relief. "Aleast, These monsters are not elemental one. By Having common attribute as metal, It''s impossible to do anything to me." I whispered to myself. Having confidence back in myself, I stride towards the fallen bird monster. I grabbed my black sword and ended its life with a swift slash. As a result, the monster dies and dissipates into thin air. After ending it''s life, I glanced at other monsters flying above me. "How to kill those things, if they don''t come down?" I wondered to myself. Fortunately, My lightning is effective as usual against commonly attributed class monsters. So, I need not to worry about wasting my lightning essence. After sorting out my thoughts, I begin to ponder. These monsters already got alerted. They won''t foolishly come down unlike it''s companion. These two things I can do, either I have to blast it away with my lightning power or wait for an opportunity until it comes down. Other than these two things I don''t have any solution. Even with the second solution, I have my doubts. These bird monsters may seem real, but at the end of the day, they are just phantom spirits. "What would happen, if they continued to fly around." I wondered to myself. Then it would be trouble, if it becomes true. I glanced at those bird monsters for a moment and decided to wait. I can only wait and confirm my assumption, whether those bird monsters have endless energy or not. Having my overbearing lightning power with me to attack, it will be a matter of time before I clear this floor and reach the 16th floor. ¡­ Inside the office cabin of City Lord, City Lord Garry is currently viewing the inspection reports on his screen. It''s been more than half an hour since the start of the star tower challenge event. Even in this half an hour, he got various news reports about suspicious activities. He knew some people can''t wait to show their fangs. For a moment his expression frowned a little, He tapped his screen to call someone and within a seconds his subordinates arrived in front of him. He gave a formal salute then waited for his command. On the other hand, City Lord Garry nodded seeing him. He asked, "Conner, do any of them leave the city after participating in the challenge? " In usual star tower challenge events warriors can certainly leave the city, if they decide to. But this year''s Star Tower challenge is a little different. It''s going to happen for a period of a month. So it''s impossible to leave the city. But this is difficult. In the usual event, we can prevent those forces from doing anything. Yet now we have to guard them for an entire month. On a whim, he gave his word to the Hall Master of Star Tower. But it also includes his desire of transferring to Tier-7 City. After listening to his words, Conner contemplates before answering anything. "City Lord, So far none of those warriors leave the city. " He was quite sure. Star tower is placed in a restricted zone. There is no sign of people excited from the Star Tower zone. Maybe they have stayed back inside the Star Tower Zone. City Lord Garry after hearing his words, he asked for confirmation. Then later confirming the situation, the City Lord sighed in relief. As long as people don''t come out of the Star Tower Zone, then it would be easy for them to guard. If they exit from the star tower zone, then they need to dispatch extra manpower to watch over them. City Lord Garry also remembers Star Tower Hall Master''s words. Earlier, the Hall Master said that he requested some of his friends'' help. But he doesn''t know when they will arrive. After shaking his head, the City Lord thought, there is still some time for them to come here. After all, it''s been only half an hour since the beginning of the challenge. After letting out a deep sigh, He gestures to his subordinate to leave. Then begins to focus on his work. From time to time, he also takes some glance at the leaderboard ranking. After seeing Zack consistent ranking , his eyes shone with appreciation. But other than that he didn''t think about it further. Right now, his mind is filled with various plans. He is under immense pressure. He already begins to list out the forces that need to be cautioned about. ¡­ Outside the Star Tower, As time progressed, people began to enter and exit continuously. Sallie and Ella from the Crimson Hall team also entered the tower. So, other than Darius and a few others there is no one left in the second batch. Even in the third batch, people started coming out. On the other hand, seeing the situation. The Star Tower official already called out names of the fourth batch and fifth batch. At this time inside the star tower, 6th Floor, Sometimes later, after clearing the fifth floor. Darius Case appears on the sixth floor. So far he cleared those five floors in a few seconds. His strong flame ability is absolutely disastrous to the opponents. He didn''t face any resistance on the way. When he began to look around, He spotted a wide swamp. A hint of curiosity appears in his eyes. He already figured out the challenge of Star Tower. "This year''s Challenge of Star Tower is really something. I don''t know whether there will be Class 3 or Class 4 Monsters " He jokingly said to himself. Then shaking his head, he stride towards the swamp. He knew a monster was lurking under the swamp. He already felt its breath in a few seconds when he appeared on this floor. To confirm what type of monster it is, He needs to get a good look at it. After arriving in front of the swamp. He snapped his finger to conjure a humongous flame ball. Then he throws it at the center of the swamp. In that moment, "Boom" a deafening sound resonates in the area. The huge flame ball instantly evaporates the swamp water, when it falls on the center of the swamp. Due to a sudden full scale flame attack the monster dies and dissipates into thin air. Darius Case smiled seeing the end of the monster. He didn''t even take a look at it. At this time a bright light falls on him, to recover his peak state. Then he vanishes from the spot and appears at the 7th floor. ¡­ 1st Floor, Sallie Mills, Sallie appears on the first floor, for a moment she is on great alert. As she doesn''t know the exact challenge, she begins to look around the area. Then suddenly in front of her, a mutated salamander pseudo monster appears. Seeing that she was startled for a moment. Then she probed the level of the monster. After confirming its level a smile rose from the corner of her mouth. "This looks easy," She whispered to herself. Then she released her Special Trainee aura to end it''s life. As a result, the pseudo monster dies and dissipates into thin air. A bright light fell on her, she dazed for a moment. Then she appears on the second floor. ¡­ 1st Floor, Ella Downs, When Ella appears at the first floor, she immediately finds the breath of the monster due to her bloodline instinct. Upon seeing the breath of a pseudo monster her eyes flashes with disdain. On the other hand, the forest wolf pseudo monster trembled with fear. Though she doesn''t release her special trainee breath. The monster senses bloodline oppression. It didn''t even move. Seeing the monster, Ella snorted in contempt and released her breath fully to end it''s life. Then a bright light fell on her, she looked at it with confusion. After it dissipated, she understood.. Then she immediately appears on the second floor. Chapter 226 - Clearing The15th & 16th Floor (From Mc''s Perspective) 15th Floor, Fortunately, those bird monsters do not seem to contain endless energy. From time to time they come to the ground. What do I need to do now to separate them? I wondered. After making up my mind, I waited for a good opportunity. Ever since I killed the first monster, I chose to hide myself from them. Otherwise If they spot me, I can''t guarantee the end result. I''m quite confident in taking them down together. But since I''m contesting in a competition. I don''t want to bet on chances. As I''m pondering it, suddenly I saw one of the bird monsters fly in the opposite direction. Seeing that a hint of surprise flashes before my eyes. I didn''t think my opportunity would come so soon. For safety, I glanced at other monsters. They don''t seem to care about it''s companions'' behaviour. I feel relaxed, confirming that then I slowly moved towards that bird monster. A few minutes later, when both monsters and I separated from the rest of the monsters. I released my breath of Initial ¨C Trainee Apprentice. I don''t want to release the aura of my full strength. It would inevitably alert the monster. On the other hand, the bird monster notices my aura immediately. After sensing my breath it didn''t hesitate to rush towards me. It''s already made its huge metal claw in attack position. Seeing it''s behaviour I smiled, "It took the bait" I mumbled under my breath. When it reaches me in a blink of an eye. I released my whole momentum and launched the lightning strike. "Lightning Wheel" A thunderous sound echoes the area. As the lightning wheel is bursting out with overbearing power. Seeing the overwhelming aura, the monster got alarmed. But it was too late to do anything as it''s body crashed against the lightning wheel. "Boom" A defeating sound resonates in the area. As the whole body of the bird monster got smoked. It didn''t even have enough vitality to put forth the fight. On the other hand, Seeing my plan succeed. I gripped my sword and ended its life. Finally, the monster dissipates into thin air. It felt repetitive to use this method. But what to do? I don''t have any other method apart from this. Shaking my head, I plan on luring those monsters and ending their life in the same method. What''s more important now is to clear the floor? After having determination, I moved. A half an hour later, after some waiting and planning. I ended those monsters in the same way. At this moment, a bright light falls on me. I recovered my peak state and I appear on the 16th floor. 16th Floor, After appearing on the 16th floor, I feel like I need a break. Because here after, I can''t use any tricks or do level suppression with my aura. A Class 1 Peak Monster can fight against a Special Trainee. Each improvement in base corresponds to growth in strength and intelligence. I take sharp breath as I felt fluctuations. Now, the terrain itself has changed. I feel like I''m in an empty land surrounded by forests. But deep down I know these were the work of some formations. That''s why I didn''t gave any importance to that so far. Suddenly, Class 1 Peak monster appears to inform me. "Damn, this Elemental Monster again?" I was taken back. Green Wolf Monster ¨C Class 1 Peak Monster. This green wolf monster is another product of the wolf monster family. And this one is not an ordinary class monster but a wind elemental one. I hate to see elemental monsters. That too wind elements amplifies the speed. The Green Wolf monster upon seeing Zack, raises it''s huge claw against him. The movement was so fast that even wind breaking sound can be heard. Seeing it''s speed I burst out with full power to evade, while with my perception I noticed it''s claw movements. The Green Wolf Monstrous claw reaches near Zack, but he side stepped to avoid it in time. As the attack fails the Green wolf roars in anger. Using hind leg''s power it leaps towards him at great speed. The movement was so swift everything was happening in seconds. Seeing it suddenly burst out in speed. I held my back sword to cut downwards. As the black sword made a downward arc. The Green wolf uses its paw to press against it. "Clang" The Green Wolf didn''t suffer any injury. As it''s paw collides against black blade in equal strength. After the clash, no one retreats a step backwards. A hint of amazement flashes before my eyes. It''s common knowledge that monsters are a bit stronger than humans. Especially when compared to the same levels. But it still amazes me as I''m both body and essence cultivator. "Is it because of element ones? I wondered. I doubt whether the monster has any other attack methods. On the other hand, Seeing for the second time the monster failed. It immediately released its main attack. As it begins to howl, a ball of wind energy gathers around in it''s mouth. Seeing that I readied myself. As the Green wolf launches a long wind scythe from its mouth. It tore through the air in a blink of an eye. As the long wind scythe reaches him to cleave. On the other hand, Zack launched a defensive counter attack. "Lightning Wheel" The thunderous lightning wheel obliterated the wind scythe into thin air. As my attack got successful, I decided to make a consecutive attack. "Sword Divide" A huge amount of lightning essence is being poured into black sword to charge it. In a few seconds I waved my sword against it. A powerful purple lightning burst out from the sword and strikes on the Green Wolf. On the other hand, the Green wolf observes Zack movements when its wind scythe fails. But it didn''t expect an alarming lightning power to fall on its body at breakneck speed. The Green wolf lets out a muffled groan due to agonising pain. But with it''s powerful body it endured the attack. As the attack momentum dies down, the Green wolf''s eyes turn blood red. The lightning attack left with injury. But it''s not life threatening enough to kill. The Green wolf stood from the ground to attack Zack. As it dashing towards him in a random pattern. It''s not running towards him in a straight path, with it''s little intelligence it figures out that as long as it prevents the human being from aiming towards its body, it can kill him. On the other hand, I saw that my attack is not effective against the Green Wolf. I didn''t get surprised as it was under my expectation. As my mind raced to ponder the next plan. The Green wild moving towards me at great speed. I can see the Green wolf is using a wind element to enhance its speed. I can see it will reach me in a few breaths. At this time, I released my blood element''s invisible aura to deter its momentum. On the other hand, a ripple appears in Green Wolf''s blood red eyes upon sensing an ominous aura from Zack. It couldn''t perceive what it is as a result its movement slows down a little. Using this opportunity on the other hand Zack strikes another decisive attack. Sensing the Green Wolf''s speed slows down a little, I smiled. I thought my trick could not work any more. But it helps me to gain a moment of opportunity. Seeing it rushing towards me after some hesitation. I decided to hit it with a lightning attack once again. "Sword Divide" I executed the sword move. Another purple lightning strike falls on the monster causing it to groan in agonising pain. This time the Green wolf gets completely immobile due to an overbearing lightning strike. As the overheating lightning power drills into the injured area, it causes further more damage. And this time half of it''s vitality is gone and I get deeply injured. It couldn''t even move it''s massive body again. Seeing immobile Green Wolf I sighed in relief. These were the times I felt the advantage of having a lightning element. I don''t know whether replacing it with another element can cause half of the damage done by the lightning element. Shaking my head, I move towards it''s fallen body. There is still some life left, but it won''t cause any waves with it. After gripping my sword tightly, I sliced its neck to end it. As a result, with unwilling gaze the Green wolf dissipates into thin air. I know so far I cleared consecutive levels unscathed. It is all thanks to my perpetual ability. If not for it I couldn''t even exhibit half of the result. In a growth stage the help of perceptual ability is paramount. After reaching further higher levels, I can do these simple probes without relying on the ability. Just as I begin to ponder, a bright light falls over me.. I disappeared from the spot and reached the 17th floor. Chapter 227 - Crimson Hall - First Elders Decision When Zack cleared the 15th & 16th floor. The corresponding changes also take place in the Leaderboard Ranking. This alarmed the interest of various forces, and along with Zack they wanted to kill other talented warriors from other forces. If their plan is successful it will naturally allow the development period of their own talented people. While various forces were eyeing, the crimson hall management also made some decisions. Crimson Hall''s Meeting Room, The First Elder has a solemn expression on his face. The faces of the HeadMaster and rest of the elders were naturally not better either. Earlier everyone predicted that their Crimson Hall Students were better than Zack Lockwood. But who would have thought that nameless kid would break through each floor and eventually reach the 17th floor. Right now everyone''s gazes fall on the leaderboard ranking. Where in number 1 Ranking, Zack Lockwood ''s name is flickering bright. Everyone faces becomes unsightly. On the other hand, naturally the performance of Darius, Ella and Sallie were also noticed by everyone. But it was too early to judge their performance. So far they have done good to clear those basic levels. LEADERBOARD RANKING [Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time- Rank] [Zack Lockwood ¨C 16th ¨C 35 min -1st ] [Darius Case ¨C 10th ¨C 2 min ¨C 4th ] [ Sallie Mills ¨C 6th ¨C 1 min -8th ] [ Ella Downs -8th ¨C 54 s ¨C 6th ] The Headmaster of Crimson Hall is slightly panicking. He knew even though there was no fault on him. These old fogey will eventually blame him at the end. He already told them the Crimson Hall team will perform better than this nameless brat. But, right now looking at his current floor, my back is drenched in sweat. The problem here is it''s not about that kid anymore, it''s about him. He knew once the kid leaves the Star Tower. He will be planted by various forces. Now, He wants to escape from old fogey scheming. Small sweats were dripping from his forehead. For a moment, the atmosphere is really solemn. Earlier cheerful atmosphere turned sullen. At this time, the First Elder opened his mouth. "Everyone, What do you say? Shall we join other forces to intercept the kid or Shall we do it alone?" He said with a serious expression. Hearing First Elder''s words everyone looked at each other. The HeadMaster swallowed his saliva hearing that. Earlier, He knew it''s just a matter of time before the First Elder would do it. But Right now he said it himself. He knew First Elder wants to gain merit by killing that Kid. Later he will use that merit to fulfil his own self interest. Second Elder after contemplating He asked, " First Elder, Does that kid have any background?" Hearing that, the First Elder turned his gaze towards the Head Master. Upon feeling his gaze the Headmaster of the Crimson Hall knew He wanted me to say. Then he straightened up his back for a moment and said in detail, "Second Elder, that Kid Zack doesn''t have anyone beside his Uncle and Grandmother. And His uncle is just a low level official working in the Federation." Hearing Federation everyone''s expression changed drastically. The Second Elder said at this time, "If it''s Federation. Don''t you think right now? They have already paid attention to this matter." He really feels it will be difficult to do anything hereafter. It would be better if they left out matters alone and didn''t interfere with federation affairs . Second Elder''s words gained approval from everyone. How come people don''t do anything about it here after? The Headmaster of Crimson Hall set his gaze towards the First elder. He already said the details. Now it''s up to the First Elder to say anything. While everyone is showing a change of expression on this topic. The First Elder on the other hand, didn''t seem to be bothered about it. He already decided in his mind to Kill that Kid. "Cough" "Cough" He coughed little to attract attention. The sudden murmuring becomes quiet. Everyone is looking at the First elder. Everything is dependent on his words. If he decided to do it, then they don''t have any choice other than to oblige. The First Elder said, "I know what you guys are worried about? Earlier, I thought we could deal with him some time later when he enters our exhibition event. But who would have thought? This kid turned out to be so enchanting. Even for big forces they need huge resources to cultivate someone who can clear above 15 floors." He sighed deeply then commented, " Right now, it''s impossible to kill him at our event. It will be self inflicting. Once he leaves the Star Tower he will definitely be contacted by the federation fellows." He said in a dissatisfied tone. At this time the Second Elder said, "So, First Elder what do you want to say? You know those mad guys from the federation won''t leave it once they find out about our involvement." Hearing the term made the new elders confused but some old fogeys memories were clear as day. Decades ago the Crimson Hall suffered great damage from the hands of a few warriors. When they wanted to retaliate at that time, they found out those guys'' ranking were somewhat above lower officials. So, they held back their resentment by not showing it anymore. If they do it then they will suffer even more federation. Recalling the old memories, a few old Elders persuaded the first elder by saying, "First Elder, It''s best if we don''t repeat the old events." It would be best if the kid is disregarded by the officials, then they can kill the kid. But right now they don''t know? They don''t dare to do it before confirmation. First Elder snorted hearing that, He said, " Okay, Don''t worry we don''t have to do it alone. We will join with other forces top kill opposing force''s students. While doing that we will focus mainly on killing Zack Lockwood" His eyes flashes with ruthless killing intent while revealing his plan. Hearing that other elders didn''t dare to refute. Even the second elder has some unwillingness to hear that. But while joining with other forces to do it. He feels slight comfort. So, he plans to cooperate. Upon seeing everyone ''s submissive reaction, First Elder sneered. "Even if they refute So what? They don''t have the strength to back it up." He thought to himself. His gaze fell on the Head Master and said, "You will arrange a meeting with other forces. Remember to only arrange meetings with allies, not with new forces. If the plans leak out it will cause disaster." Hearing the First Elder''s instruction, the HeadMaster nodded nervously. He said, "First Elder, I will arrange meeting as soon as possible." On the other hand, the First Elder retracts his gaze upon hearing that. About the Star Tower Challenge, Right now he doesn''t have any interest in watching it anymore. So, he dispersed the meeting. Everyone understood his meaning and dispersed quietly. After leaving the meeting hall, the Headmaster of the Crimson Hall first headed toward his cabin. In a few breaths he reached his cabin and stepped inside. He looked around to see his assistant. But there is no silhouette. Shaking his head he leaned back in his seat in relaxation. He feels like he just escaped from great punishment. "Fortunately, the First Elder didn''t plan on abusing me" He thought to himself. "Creak" The door slid open, his assistant walked inside and said, "Master?" Seeing that he straightened his back and said, " First Elder, Gave instructions to arrange a quick meeting. You go back and collect the list immediately" Hearing that his assistant quickly went back to do the work. Then he immediately contacted his few connections to arrange the meeting on the other side. The Crimson Hall''s allies consist of numerous forces including some small and large. He has some friends in other forces. He plans to inform them first then once his assistant collects the list. Then he will further scrutinise it further. For a moment the face of Zack Lockwood flashes before him. From the First Elder and others'' attitude he understands that once this attack fails they won''t do it next time. Especially since they won''t do it under the name of Crimson Hall. There are some chances that Even First Elder will show some relaxation on this matter next time. So, he wants this meeting to be successful. And whatever they plan they come up with at the end of the meeting. Its better be fool proof. He wants that kid to die no matter what. If somehow in the future that kid tried to avenge then his life would end in misery. He clearly remembered that it was because of Hansen Campus interference. They got pitted against the Parazam Hunter League sometime ago. He has suffered huge losses because of that issue. He completely holed out his pocket to solve the issue.. After that he can only save his seat as Headmaster. Chapter 228 - Sir. Lowell McClains Plans At some faraway place from the outpost, Sir. Lowell McCain is looking at the leaderboard ranking. He naturally gave permission to Elder Thornton to allow Zack to participate in it. Unlike, others He naturally knows the content of the Star Tower. Since, it''s Star Tower situated in barren land. It''s not hard for him to collect details from his connections. After knowing the content he felt amazed by Zack''s performance. He clearly knows Zack''s ability. "He can reach this far using only those two lightning methods. He is indeed talented, not worse than any fellows here." He sighed to himself. It''s not that he doesn''t want to give him any lightning methods. Sometimes it will become a hindrance if there are too many options to choose from. He can naturally guess, Zack must have some improvement in skill division. Especially Sword Divide and Lightning wheel. If you can have achievement in skill then you can draw more lightning power using those two methods. He began to ponder. "Should I give him one more lightning technique? " He wondered. He already made some plans for his disciple. So far his plan is working well. And the people behind Hansen campus also helped him in secret. If this general trend is to be followed. He needs to give him another lightning technique after he joins the academy. He already gave Zack lightning cultivation technique under contract. But looking at his stellar performance in the Star Tower Challenge. I believe he will expect something from him. "What can I give? His cultivation parth is related to lightning. He already has cultivation, offense and defense technique. What''s he lacking? Movement, Mind, Body and Soul." He mumbled under his breath. While tapping his desk, He take deep sigh. "If I give him a body cultivation method. It will hinder his progress. Don''t mention it''s hard enough to cultivate essence. And the body method is impossible. Especially for him he needs a large amount of lightning spar. " He said to himself. The conditions at the outpost are poor. He sent Jonathan to help him acquire the lightning monster core. His hands were tied, He can''t interfere in the law of outermost blatantly. If they found Zack''s astounding growth in cultivation. It will raise doubt. Especially in the lightning method, they will surely suspect it was due to help from an inner post. That''s why he didn''t help Zack other than giving him lightning techniques. Sometimes it''s good to follow general trends. Once he admits into the academy and becomes elite, then I can officially rope him to my side. Until then I need some patience. For a moment his surging power distorts the space around him. Just as he ponders it, the leaderboard ranking changes. It displays Zack''s clearance on the 16th floor. Seeing that his lips curved a little, "Looks like I really need to give him some gift. Otherwise he will feel neglected" He sighed in happiness. After making the decision, He operates on the screen to look at the available lightning methods under their organization. As he browses it, the screen shows following things, [ 1. Flash Step ¨C Extreme Movement technique. Description: A movement technique incorporates the power of lightning. Users can cross multiple distances with each step. As long as the user is supported by lightning essence. He can cross miles once he reaches Big Wheel in Skill Division. ] [ 2. Lightning Phantom ¨C Extreme Movement technique. Description: An illusory movement technique, where the user can use lightning essence to form an illusory phantom to move. It''s impossible to touch the phantom once it''s executed. Yet it''s speed is lacking. ] After browsing a couple of steps like this, He then sets his gaze on Soul technique. [ 1. Soul Bell ¨C A Soul defensive technique. Description: User can cultivate illusory bell in their soul to defend against soul attacks. ] [ 2. Soul Sword ¨C A Soul attack technique. Description: User can cultivate illusory soul to attack the opponent''s soul. ] Shaking his head, he begins to browse other techniques. These techniques were too profound. If someone cultivates it, it''s usually guided by teachers. There is no record of people cultivating themselves without any help. This is the exact reason he felt amazed by Zack. Without the help of his teacher he improved his skill in all three lightning techniques. He felt little guilt because of his endurance. Since, He can do well in Star Tower. It shows this kid succeed in getting a breakthrough in one major realm. I believe he is now a Special Trainee. He must have got some success in lightning cultivation technique by understanding lightning mysteries. "If I gave him another lightning cultivation technique. Since he is so good at it. Then this won''t be any hindrance. Body Cultivation Method? Nope, Soul Cultivation Method is a good choice." He said to himself. Right now, there are few soul cultivation methods available in his organization. Unfortunately, He feels those were not suitable for Zack. Because some soul cultivation methods were attributed to different elements . Especially Dark Soul Lamp. It''s one of the Special elements ¨C Dark Element Soul cultivation method. Since Zack is on a lightning path it''s not useful for him. Shaking his head he began to think deeper. The only things Zack can cultivate were Lightning type soul cultivation method and Attribute less soul cultivation method. Attribute less cultivation methods were regarded as secret treasure by every organization. In history, each and every ownerless attribute less cultivation techniques were followed by bloody storms. So many killings and cutting in the end it was seized by someone. "Lightning Soul Cultivation technique?" Sir. Lowell McClain whispered to himself. His organization doesn''t have a lightning soul method. Lightning is a special element. It''s rare for someone to have full essence cultivation technique. Even their lightning cultivation technique is derived from ancient cultivation techniques. Otherwise it''s impossible to have them. Shaking his head, he sighed. Fortunately, the star tower event is going to be held for one month. So, Zack, probably will be there after his chance. In the meantime, He can ask his close contacts about the lightning soul method. After making his decision, he takes a deep breath. Then taps his wrist watch to contact Jonathan. Soon, A hazy dark silhouette appears above his watch. This person is none other than Mr. Jonathan. He slowly greeted me by saying, "Master, is there any task?" On the other hand, Sir. Lowell McClain nodded and asked, "Where are you?" His voice is gentle and calm. Hearing that Mr. Jonathan replied, "Master, After destroying those pests (Masked Man''s organization), I''m roaming around a few cities to find lightning spar." He answered genuinely. Zack requested him to find as many lightning related resources as possible. He knew this kid was preparing for a breakthrough. Otherwise he won''t ask that much. On the other hand, Sir. Lowell McClain nodded hearing that. It''s not surprise him much. From time to time Jonathan would tell his whereabouts. All he wants to know is whether he is close to Star tower or not. Sir. Lowell McClain said, "Did you see the Star Tower Challenge ranking?" On the other side of the call Mr. Jonathan was stunned hearing that. He doesn''t know why the master is asking about it suddenly. He knew of Elder Thornton''s plan about letting Zack participate in it. "Could something have happened to him?" His heart shuddered for a moment. He gulped down his saliva in fear. He answered in a low voice, "Master, has something happened to Zack?" He slowly starts to precipitate. While Sir. Lowell McClain let out a small chuckle hearing that. "Zack is fine. He is doing extremely well in the rankings. But I believe some pests will trouble him once he leaves the city." Mr. Jonathan let go of his worry full heart hearing that. He smiled wryly. For a moment, He thought he was going to fall into disaster. Then a hint of doubt arises in his heart. He commented, "Master, Those Star Tower People are also powerful. Though it is a basic tower in barren land. But I believe that there will be some capable people behind it." His expression was solemn mentioning that. He doesn''t know why the master is so worried about it. In that place no one can touch Zack. For decades, those who tried to intervene in their event were later eliminated by star tower people. Sir. Lowell McClain ''s expression didn''t change after hearing that. But he answered in a stern tone, "What do we have to do with their guys? Zack is one of our own. It''s our responsibility to guard. Though these people clear some mice . But they won''t specifically safeguard Zack. Since there were a lot of people to protect, there will be a loophole. I believe some forces will deliberately target him. Because federation branch out there has some issues with surrounding forces." Then he added, "So you can''t wait for someone to help him. You go with Elder Thornton to protect him in secret. " Mr. Jonathan understands Hearing his words. Even if there is a small chance of threat available, you need to clear it immediately. Otherwise there is no point in crying later. He nodded his head and said, "Okay Master, I will depart to Hansen campus quickly." After having that conversation, both of them ended their call. Chapter 229 - Failed To Clear The 19th Floor (From Mc''s Perspective) Time progressed, After clearing the 17th floor. It took me an hour to clear the 18th floor. Then I appeared on the 19th floor. 19th Floor, After appearing on this floor, I felt a solemn atmosphere. It took me a great deal of effort to reach here. Perhaps, My winning streak may come to an end. Fortunately, there were no elemental monsters in the previous two floors. So, I took my time to kill them. "Common, Where are you?" I spoke in a low tone. It''s been ten seconds, yet there is no sign of the monster''s appearance. I feel a little off. Just as I pondered it I heard a loud roar. "Crocodile" I yelled in disbelief. "No, no, something is wrong. Why is this monster''s appearance so different? " My vision became clear as I spotted a terrifying monster near me. The battle field changes into sea. I''m standing in the middle of nowhere. "It must be an island" I mumbled under my breath. I rack up my brain to recall the monster''s appearance. But I found nothing. This monster looks like Combination of crocodile and Salamander. 100ft in size, it has Crazy shaped jaws. Those terrifying blood eyes make me realise this is not a common class monster. May it''s above elemental monster. Otherwise, My senses won''t have this kind of reaction. Today , My horizons have widened. I never thought there would be something crazier than an elemental monster. That Unknown monster''s eyes seem playful. Seeing that I felt shuddered, "What a terrifying intelligence?" I sucked cold breath. Seeing that monster taking steps towards me, I heightened my senses. I gripped my sword to block any possible attack. On the other hand, the unknown monster as it''s foot lands on the ground. It created a huge vibration around the area. While it''s looking at Zack as it''s prey. At the same time, there was another monster roar echoed around the area. Second Unknown monster rises it''s head above the sea. "This.." I really don''t have any words to say. Just as my worst worry becomes reality. I haven''t tested it''s defence. But at this time another monster makes its appearance. "Two Peak Class 1 Monster" I mumbled under my breath. I feel helpless. First, this landscape has disadvantages. I can''t hide away to replenish my essence. On this tiny island these monsters will find me in no time. What can I do? Just as I''m hesitating, the second unknown monster opens its wide mouth. It begins to swallow gallons of water. Seeing that my pupil shrink. This view I couldn''t forget in my life. After swallowing the large gallons of water. The second unknown monster launched an attack on Zack. It opened its mouth like a huge water cannon to attack me. In a bink of an eye, it fired numerous water bombs. I know this unknown monster locked me. I gazed at the first unknown monster, it seemed to not interfere. Seeing that I flew backwards at full speed. In my perception I saw those water bombs dropping at the empty space. I''m not surprised by its terrifying speed. Compared to a monster body, it''s natural for it to have this ability. "Boom" A defeating sound resonates in the area. As the first water bomb lands on the ground. In the next second followed by a few other attacks landed near me. If not for me having my perceptual ability I''m a goner. I don''t know what effect my pitiful lightning strike will have against these waters. From one mouthful of swallowing, it fired several water bombs. But I can''t say the same for myself. And with my Special Trainee essence, I can strike only four full scale lightning attacks. I sighed in regret, This one level feels extremely difficult. Shaking my head, I prepare to attack it. It''s just these two monsters, I can try my hand. If you drag it any longer. It''s possible that two other unknown monsters will show up. While I''m pondering it, the first unknown monster also began to swallow gallons of water. I didn''t hesitate any further, before both of them began to cooperate. I need to attack it. After pouring a large amount of lightning essence and charging my sword. I targeted it''s huge mouth. "Sword Divide" A long purple lightning strike bursts out from the sword and goes straight against the first unknown monster. On the other hand, the first unknown monster sneered. It felt pitiful. As it fires several shots against the lightning. As the multiple water bombs collides agausbt the purple lightning. "Boom" A thunderous sound resonates in the area. The lightning strike withers down as it''s power drains away by numerous water balls. And at this time a second unknown monster also filled up its stomach with water. On the other hand, I felt gobsmacked. My lightning strike feels like purple stick against those huge water bombs. It breaks down in a few strikes. "Damn, this landscape it''s highly advantageous to it. It can consume gallons of water whenever it feels like it." I mumbled under my breath. Then I flew backwards, as spotted both of the unknown monster begin to rain down on me with their water bombs. I gritted my teeth and tried to move away from their attack range. "Boom" "Boom" Several hundreds water bombs rains down on this tiny island. Hereby by changing the island landscape forever. "Roar" "Roar" At this time two more unknown monsters make their appearance. On the other hand, I thought I escaped. But I spotted two or more water bombs reach near to me. I gripped my sword and held it in a horizontal position to defend against it. "Bang" The huge water bomb collides against Zack. As the Size of water bomb is same size of Zack. It made a huge impact. I wasn''t able to parry the attack. As its speed and force is completely overwhelming me. Due to the heavy impact, It threw me backwards and I crashed against the huge boulder. "Crash" I blurted a few bloods due to internal injury. It''s hard to imagine, phantoms can injure. I even don''t know whether this injury is real or not. But it certainly feels real. Just I try to move my body. Due to agonising pain, I let out a muffled groan. "Aaahhhh" Then I begin to focus on my healing element. Hope it works, but my situation is not at all helpful. As I found a land shaking sound, I knew these two monsters coming toward me. Even though I moved away from my original spot. I can see those monsters with my perception. "Damn, Looks like this is my limit." I cursed under my breath. My pain won''t let me move my body away. But I won''t have any choice. Otherwise, I will be crushed by these two monsters. Controlling the agonising pain, I stood up from the ground. It''s size is huge, like other monsters if I find any weakness. I can use it for myself. But I don''t have any methods to fight against water bombs. I already saw two heads peeking on me in the sea. Two other monsters also appear at this time. Four Peak Class 1 against me. It''s a terrible situation. I haven''t imagined this kind of scenario to occur even in a monster zone. I sighed, it''s a waste of time to do anything. It''s better to face them. Then I can go back home and seriously reflect on myself. I walked forwards with one hand on my black sword. Those two monsters slowly took steps towards me. Even after I released invisible aura and Special Trainee aura. There is no change in them. Looks like from the beginning itself I had lost the chance. After going home, I will search about this monster''s description. As I etched every bit of its body details in my mind. Those monsters reach near to me. Facing two 100ft giants, I held my black sword tight and I ran dashing towards the first monster. On the other hand, a hint of surprise flashes before those monster''s eyes. Instead of getting angry, they still seemed more playful. Their cunning eyes want to see what this human is going to do. Their level of intelligence is higher than the average human population. As I got close to it''s massive body, I immediately launched a full scale attack of mine. "Lightning Wheel" I didn''t keep any lightning reserve in my dantian. As I pour every bit of lightning essence to this wheel attack. On the other hand, the first unknown monster squints it''s large eyes seeing the thunderous purple wheel. It feels uncomfortable and huge irritation. It immediately raises its giant paw to squash it. I saw the monster''s huge paw is going to collide against the lightning wheel. In next breath, When the huge paw collides against the lightning. There are not even bursts of power. As it''s huge body strength breaks down the lightning wheel. Then it''s huge paw landed on Zack. "Puff" It crushes Zack instantly and Zack''s body vanishes from the spot. Seeing that the unknown monster felt surprised. It''s confused about the human''s sudden disappearance. On the other hand, my consciousness woke up. When I realised my last fighting moment, I sucked cold bread. "Looks like I failed, it''s huge paw completely crushed me." I mumbled under my breath. Then I observed my healthy body.. I knew my challenge came to an end. Chapter 230 - Staying Inside The City (From Mc''s Perspective) As I''m thinking about the unknown monster. I heard a mechanical voice. "Ding! Participant Zack Lockwood fails to clear the 19th floor." "Total floor cleared:18" "The corresponding reward has been calculated." Hearing that I looked around. I understand this voice is some type of guide. Sure, this floor is not a combat floor. Maybe this floor is used for giving rewards. Suddenly, an object reaches me slowly from above. I looked at it closely to observe. "Storage Ring" A bright object falls over my palm. I immediately seeped my consciousness into it. "Goodness" I sucked cold breath. I already sensed those auras, some high grade herbs were placed in it. Finally, something good. I became excited to check out all the rewards. I don''t know how many rewards are placed in it. The mechanical voice didn''t hint about it. Just as I''m beaming with joy, I feel my vision vanishes. Then I suddenly appear outside of the Star Tower gate. Seeing my appearance, a huge exclamation broke outside. "Look here, Zack comes out!" Someone pointed fingers at me. His words reach everyone''s ears. Their gaze falls on Zack immediately. Under the eyes of everyone, I walked out slowly. I can perceive their gazes, some gazes filled with envy, some with admiration and mostly with malice or unkind gazes. I didn''t even look at them. But my gaze falls on the leaderboard ranking. [Name, Place- Floor- Clearance time ¨C Rank] [Zack Lockwood, Hansen Campus- 18th ¨C 1.10min ¨C 1st Rank] Seeing my name dazzling in block letters, I smiled. Earlier, there was some regret in my heart due to failure on the 19th floor. But now looking at the leaderboard, I realized I have a stable ranking. This is enough for me, at least no one will be able to break this record for a while. I''m not being arrogant thinking like that. I''m both body and essence cultivator. Even I can''t defend against the mob attacks of the monsters. So, there will hardly be anyone who will be able to succeed. Shaking my head, I retract my glance from the leaderboard and I stride forward towards the exit. My task here has been completed. I don''t think it''s necessary to stay here and waste more time. It''s better to go home and try to increase my strength. "Zack Lockwood" Someone calls out from the crowd. Just as I''m walking towards the exit, I heard someone calling my name. I turn around to take a look at the person . "Official" I said. That person is none other than a Star Tower official. He actually went away for sometime to make some arrangements. When he came back at the gate, He didn''t expect Zack to exit from the Star Tower suddenly. As he walked in front of him with an admiring gaze, He said, "Zack, I believe you don''t know the latest news. The Star Tower Event will be going on till the end of the month. Until then, no one is allowed to leave the city." On the other hand, I stand in silence to think. Then I answered, "is it a content issue?" Hearing that Star official instead of replying he nodded his head in solemn expression. Observing his expression, I understood the seriousness. Then I let out a deep sigh. I don''t know what I''m going to do for a month. Then I replied, "Okay, I won''t leave the city till the end of the competition. " After saying that I began to walk away. "Wait" the official called out, I halted my footsteps hearing his calling. I turned around and asked, "is there something else?" The official created a sound barrier enveloping both Zack and him. He looked at Zack and said, "I want to give you a friendly reminder. The city is actually under emergency law." Hearing that, I was stunned. Why would there be an emergency situation? I looked at him for an answer. The official further added, " Usually, it''s normal for various forces to cause disturbance during the event. So far they don''t have the guts to do it inside the city. This is also one of the reasons we didn''t allow participants to go out of the city after their challenge." My expression becomes dignified listening to his words. I commented, "is it that serious?" Hearing that the official smiled wryly, He answered, "It''s a very delicate situation. These people are from various forces. Off which some where friends and somewhere enemies. What do you think they will do? Once the talented warrior walk out from the city." Damn it, I already had my fair share of experience on this issue. I don''t want to fall into a new whirlpool. At this time, the official observed Zack''s expression and said in a serious tone. "Especially, You are 1st Rank Holder in this event so far. Though you are from a humble background. People won''t leave you alive just because of that. So, it''s more dangerous for you personally to go out alone. Ask someone powerful from your campus to accompany you." Hearing that I nodded and answered, "Thanks officially for your reminder. Otherwise, I''m planning to head out now." The official nodded and said, " Well, the Hall Master told me to inform you personally. Since, You are the number 1 ranked. He doesn''t want any mishap to happen to you." Hearing that I nodded. They are worried about their reputation, if something bad happens to me. After that little chat, we parted our ways. I never thought the matter would be this serious. "Looks like target behind my back is going to increase." I spoke to myself. Then I increased my pace towards the exit. It''s necessary to find a suitable inn for a month. I have to hurry, I hope they won''t increase their room price after hearing the announcement. While walking on the way, I sent messages to my family and Hansen teachers. Time progressed, A half an hour later, I entered a somewhat medium size inn. Looking at my appearance, the female receptionist glanced for a moment and asked, "Hellos Sir, How May I help you?" Hearing that I requested a one person room for a month''s stay. Receptionist began to check the availability of rooms, after hearing my request. She said, "Sir, Actually there is only one room available at this moment." Hearing that I nodded and asked, "How much is the rent?" The receptionist answered, "Sir, the price is 1000 Credits/day. And a total of 30,000 Credits for a month." My heart bleeds out hearing that, I didn''t have that much in my wallet. But Elder Thornton sent me some amount for emergency use. I really don''t want to use that amount. Since, there is emergency law in place. I don''t have any choice. After paying that amount, the receptionist registered my details and gave me access code. I walked upstairs towards the room after collecting the access codes. The room number is ten. I entered the access codes in the monitoring system. "Creak" The door slid open, I locked the room after entering inside. After entering the room, I couldn''t help but curse out loud, "Damn, Why is there so much price under the emergency ban?" Shaking my head in frustration, I removed my clothes and prepared to take a long shower. A several minutes later, I wore comfortable clothes after shower. Then I began to sit on the sofa to watch the news. There is also a large television screen in this room. I turned on and switched channels to the alliance network. Currently, the news is being broadcast based on geographical location. Since, I''m in westward city, the news is also mostly about this city and its surrounding regions. My expression becomes little worse, there is no news about Star Tower event. "What is going on?" I mumbled under my breath. Currently, The news is being broadcasting about the rain forecast. Is it even important now? I feel bad for a moment. Suddenly, my wrist watch buzzes with a call. "It is from my Uncle." Hearing that I attended it, "Zack, Where are you?" Mr. James said in urgency from the other side of the call. Then I explained my situation clearly. Hearing that Mr. James sighed in relief. Then I asked, "Uncle, what is it? Is there any situation?" On the other hand, Mr. James said, " There is no situation so far. But you have to be careful. Don''t leave the city until Elder Thornton reaches there." Hearing that I recalled the words of the Official from the Star Tower. "Uncle, An official from the Star tower already spoke to me about the disturbance caused by forces." I said in a solemn tone. Mr. James also confirms the situation from their side. He commented, "Everything is fine until your ranking starts to kick up. Suddenly we received an intel stating that there will be some forces going to target you, Once you leave the city." "What?" I exclaimed in surprise. I believe it''s really too fast. It''s hard to believe so many forces will move quickly enough. Hearing Zack''s surprised tone. He couldn''t help but to worry. But he comforted him by saying, " Don''t worry, Elder Thornton has some plans.. Until then, stay there quietly." Chapter 231 - Viewing The Rewards (From Perspective) We talked for a few more minutes before ending the call. It looks like the situation is really serious. As long as I get to Barron City safely. Then I can easily survive those assassin attempts. And also I learnt from the call that other than this city everyone is broadcasting about the Star Tower. I think it''s due to some emergency protocol. I don''t have any choice to wait for Elder Thornton. I told my Uncle to inform him. In case my call wasn''t able to connect Elder Thornton in time. I let out a deep sigh, hoping the Star Tower people will sort out the situation sooner. Then my mood turns better thinking about rewards. I took the reward from the storage ring and seeped my consciousness into it. "Wow" Meridian Washing Pill ¨C Medium Grade ¨C 1 bottle. Small Realm Promotion Pill ¨C Medium Grade- 1 bottle. Essence Recovery Pill ¨C Medium Grade - 1 bottle. Blood essence Pill ¨C Medium Grade ¨C 1 bottle. Healing Pill ¨C Medium Grade ¨C 1 bottle. Credit Points ¨C 100,000 Will be wired after the competition. My eyes opened wide by calculating the reward. All of the pills were in medium grade. There are three types of pill I have never tried so far. Meridian washing Pill, Small Promotion pill and Essence Recovery Pill. But looking at their name I can guess what they were used for. My eyes constantly fell on a small promotion pill. If I can reach my limit in the initial stage of Special Trainee. I can use this pill to increase my success rate in getting breakthroughs. Especially the Medium Grade Pill, So there is no chance of failure. Thinking about breakthroughs, I could not help but think about Uncle and Mr. Arthur. Both of them remain in Peak Stage quite so far. If I give them some pills, it can increase their chances of getting breakthroughs to reach Elite level. Obviously, I''m not going to hand them the entire pill. Just in case their strength increases because of this pill. Then my safety can be guaranteed little. Then my gaze falls on the essence recovery pill, with the name itself we can understand it is used to recover our essence. It will come quite handy during battles. So, there is no need to do research about it. Then I started with a Meridian washing pill in my hands. I can understand a little bit about it. I think this pill is used to nourish the meridian. Lastly, the blood essence pill and healing pill, I''m quite used to it by taking them. And there are 100,000 Credit points. Star Tower is really generous in their reward system. Though I felt a little disappointed in not getting anything related to my lightning element. I doubt whether Star Tower management includes elemental related resources in their reward system or not. But my gut feeling tells me that the reward system includes pills and credit points. Even one bottle of Medium Grade pill will be sold at a high price if placed in auction. So, I''m totally happy with the rewards. More importantly they play a life saving role during a crisis situation. Looking at chaos unfolding outside of the city, I don''t know whether they intentionally placed these pills in their award system. I smiled wryly imagining that. It would be best if I don''t get to use this in the worst situation. Then placing all those pills back in the shortage ring. I remembered the unknown monster that I faced on the 19th floor. After recalling every bit of its appearance and it''s behavior. I logged into alliance site to check it. Just as I''m working on it. I received a call from Mr. Arthur, seeing that I attended the call without thinking.. A small holographic image of Mr. Arthur appears above my watch. Seeing Zack''s face, Mr. Arthur said, "Zack, You created a miracle. It''s hard to believe you have cleared 18 floors successfully. No one in our Red Stone City has done this before. I can''t remember even someone from the surrounding city has done this before. On top of it, You have achieved the number 1 position in the leaderboard ranking. The media here is going frenzy." Mr. Arthur said everything without taking a break. Hearing that I smiled, I don''t know whether Elder Thornton and Uncle James told him anything. If he knew about Exact situation he wouldn''t be this enthusiastic. Thinking that I smiled wryly in my heart. But I don''t want to spoil his mood. He had just recovered from the last turmoil in the campus. It''s best if he doesn''t know. Then we talked about a few other things before we ended the call. After ending the call, I thought, from the beginning, he didn''t ask me about the competition. Looks like he knew the competition was going to be held for a month. Which is also good, it saves me from explanation. Then I continued searching in the alliance network. I didn''t ask Mr. Arthur since the content is not allowed to disclose till the end of the competition. Otherwise, I would have asked him in detail. But I believe, even in our campus, there is no description of this unknown monster. Looks like I need to go back and study more thoroughly. With my brain''s power it''s quite easy for me to remember all the details. ¡­ Inside the Star Tower, Darius case appears at the 10th floor, His fiery temper explodes after seeing Five, Initial Class 1 Monsters. "Mutated Mountain Tiger ¨CInitial- Class 1 Monster. These monsters were not Elemental Monsters but Bloodline Monsters. Seeing Darius'' presence they began to surround him one by one. On the other hand, Darius immediately released his Special Trainee aura to disrupt their momentum. Though they are at the initial level. He thought it''s quite a hassle to deal with five of them. Like he expected, his aura frightens the monster. One by one let out a furious roar. They are sensing level suppression. The monsters were hesitating to attack. Using that opportunity Darius fired huge flame balls at the monster. Seeing the fire balls, these monsters finally let down their attack and begin to run away. But Seeing the situation, Darius didn''t get fazed. There is no time limit to clear this floor. As long as you can kill this monster. You can ascend to the next floor. Some time later, he roasted all the monsters on this floor successfully. And he appears on the 11th floor. 11th Floor, As Darius appears on the 11th floor. He finds Class 1- Black Tailed Snake Monster. Which is at Mid level in strength. Seeing that his eyes flashes in surprise. He clearly remembered about Zack''s number 1 standing in the leader ranking. At first, he thought it was fluke. But right now by experiencing for yourself. His expression turned solemn. He clearly knew the number is going to increase like last few floors. He couldn''t help but to say recalling about Zack, "That guy is indeed strong. I don''t know how many floors he has reached. " He said to himself. Then his eyes set on the Snake monster. Which is coming towards him while hissing. He decided to end it quickly to reach other floors. After raining down the Snake monster with constant fire balls. The Snake monster loses its life and dissipates into thin air. After recovering his peak state, he reaches the next floor. ¡­ Alternatively, Ella Downs appears on the 8th floor. She faces three initial level Class 1 monsters. "Mountain Ape- Initial level ¨C Class 1 Monster." Seeing three low level monsters appear before her, Her eyes flashes in disdain. She didn''t even bother to use blood line power. So far with level suppression alone, She had successfully cleared the past few floors. Now this time also she released her aura to suppress the monsters. Seeing her power level, the ape monster frightened in fear. Then she moved, in a blink of an eye she appeared before them. One by one she smashes her small fist against those monsters. "Bang" "Bang" "Bang" Those monsters weren''t even able to defend against her fist. In the end they dissipate into thin air. A bright light falls over her. She appears on the next floor. 9th Floor, When she appears at the 9th floor, She finds four Class monsters. "Initial ¨C Class 1 ¨C Wild Bull Monster" This time too, she felt at ease. Instead of flexing her muscles even more. She brutally attacks those monsters one by one. While doing that she didn''t even constraint her aura. After smashing these four monsters into thin air. She finally stopped, "I think only Peak monsters can pose me any threat " She said to herself. Then she remembers about Zack. Recalling his records she doubts whether he is a bloodline warrior or not. Shaking her head, She waited for the bright light to fall over her. Though she didn''t even consume her strength. yet the bright light falls on her.. Then she reaches the next floor comfortably. Chapter 232 - Crimson Halls Small Alliance Meeting When Zack exited from the Star Tower, the news broke out immediately. Many of the warriors want to find Zack. But he was nowhere to be seen. He left the Star Tower Campus and stayed inside the city. His exit also broadcasted in all other regions except Westword city due to emergency law. When the people from Crimson Hall came to know about it they quickly conveyed the meeting of allied forces. At the virtual meeting, From Crimson Hall, Apart from First Elder. The Second Elder and the Headmaster of the Crimson Hall preside over the meeting. Total of Six forces agreed to participate in this meeting. On the visual screen, the image of elders from six other forces can be seen. It''s a live meeting. "He.. he...He..." The Great Elder from sunflower training institute. let out a small chuckle and added, "It''s hard to believe that people from Crimson Hall took initiative to eliminate some talents from the opposing party." Hearing that expression of the First Elder become speeches. Earlier, they didn''t reveal the true purpose of their meeting. Crimson Hall ''s main purpose is to eliminate Zack. But if they conveyed it to others it can bring out huge dissatisfaction. After all, everyone''s target is different. They want to use this opportunity to fulfil it. Hearing the Great Elder''s word, others also let out a knowing smile. Seeing that the First Elder from Crimson Hall answered ambiguously, "Everyone has own interests. Let us now discuss dispatching strong people." Hearing his words, the atmosphere becomes dignified. The other hand, The Great Elder from Sunflower institution shook his head smilingly, He knew distinctively there was something wrong with this Crimson Hall People. But he didn''t bother to inquire about it. Since their own organisation has a lot of problems. At this time, One of the Elder from medium size force commented, "Why don''t we send a team of Trainee Warrior to complete the mission?" Hearing his words all of them nodded, Even the Great Elder from Sunflower institution began to listen seriously. But, People from Crimson Hall looked at each other. While the First Elder from Crimson Hall frowns. He thinks sending a team of Trainee Warrior power is a little bit unreliable. Seeing his frowning face, the Great Elder asked, "What happened to the First Elder? Do you think sending the team of Trainee Warriors is not enough?" The First Elder was startled hearing his words. Then he cursed the Great Elder inside his heart, "I didn''t expect him to come here for this meeting." He clearly knew about this person''s method. Even though we are allies on the surface. But there is intense competition between us. He understands that even in this meeting the old man will try to collect some intel from his behaviour. Then he looks at all of then and said, " I proposes we should send team of Elite Warriors" Hearing that, the rest of them were stunned. Even the Great Elder is bewildered hearing his words. "Are you even serious Thomas?" This time Great Elder directly took the name of First Elder from Crimson Hall. Seeing this intention, The first Elder didn''t utter anything. But the Great Elder expression becomes dignified. The meeting rests on his decision. Even the rest of the five elders from other forces have fear and respect for the man. Seeing there was no response from the First Elder, Then the Great Elder once again added, "Tell me Thomas, is there any need to send elite warriors over there to kill some few brats? He said in a solemn tone. Even the rest of the Elders become confused hearing his proposal. Mobilising a team of Elite warriors is not easy. Somewhere guarding strategic places in their organisation. So, they feel absurd hearing his proposal. Even the First Elder from Crimson Hall thought it might be unreasonable for them to hear a first. So, he needs to convince them thoroughly. He said, "I feel, Even though we sent Trainee Warriors. It won''t be fool proof enough. The people from Star Tower won''t let them easily do anything. On top of it, there are chances that enemies have already sent their strongest to protect their students." Hearing that all of them took time to ponder. But the Great Elder felt even more uneasy from his words. "Sure, Something is going on. This Thomas brat won''t suggest this unless there is something serious." He thought to himself. At this time, the Great Elder opened his mouth. He said, "Still, I believe sending Elite Warriors is too much. Even if we fail we can try later. And also it''s not easy to mobilise Elite Warriors from our organisation." Hearing that the First Elder gritted his teeth. He understood, this person won''t let him succeed. If hasn''t come here today, then he will try to persuade others successfully. And at this time, one of the elders from the rest of the forces commented, "First Elder, it''s impossible for us to send Elite Warriors. Because we have only a handful of people. Therefore, we can''t afford any casualties. It will be a huge loss to us, if someone loses their life." Hearing his words, the rest of the four forces all echoed their same point. It''s not easy to send elite forces. Who will take responsibility for them if someone falls? Their organisations only vent their anger on them if something happens like that. For a moment, they were a bit scared. So, they unanimously opposed the First Elder''s proposal. On the other hand, the Great Elder Smiled hearing that. Seeing their response, the First Elder knew his proposal had failed. Having no other choice he answered, "Okay, It''s fine. We can send a team of Elite Warriors. " "Ha...Ha...Ha..." Hearing that Great Elder let out a huge laughter. Then he added, " Then it''s decided, Our team will be waiting for the perfect opportunity to eliminate some threats at the end of the competition." After saying that he ended the call. Followed by him, others also ended their call. Finally, the First Elder from Crimson Hall remained in his seat. His face immediately becomes unsightly. Seeing his frustrated face, the headmaster of the Crimson Hall was scared silly. Even the second Elder hesitates to say anything. Then the First Elder calmed down after a few breaths then he said, " We will send three Elite warriors behind our team in shadows. When the opportunity presents they can kill that kid once and for all" Hearing that Second Elder nodded without objecting. But deep down in his heart. He felt sending three elite warriors was a bit overkill. On the other hand, the Headmaster of the Crimson Hall sighed in relief. He really wants this situation to end and move on. The other hand, the First Elder seems to recall something. "Did you trace the recent activities of Crimson Hall?" He inquired at the Headmaster of the Crimson Hall. The Head Master replied, "First Elder, We have been monitoring since the start of the competition. There is no movement noticed from Hansen Campus." Hearing that the First Elder frowns, He felt something strange but he didn''t know what it was. He wasn''t able to pinpoint. Shaking his head he commented, " Okay, Arrange the team as quickly as possible." After saying that he left the meeting room. ... On the other hand, Elder Thornton already left the Hansen campus. He is already on his way to West Word city. When he stepped out of the Hansen Campus. He already makes sure that no one can find out about his whereabouts. When on his way to the west word city. He received a message from Zack. Seeing that he let out a smile. He is currently travelling by train towards the West Word City. In a few hours he will reach the destination. He knew there was an emergency lockdown placed in the West Word city. Unnecessarily, you can''t roam around the city. For him it''s not a problem. But for Mr. Jonathan he will be staying outside of the city. He doesn''t want to meet Zack and accompany him. He plans to protect him from distance, with two elite warriors Zack safety can be guaranteed. He doesn''t know the current location of Mr. Jonathan. But on the other hand, informed him that he will be present at the end of the competition. He guessed Meanwhile, He has some other work to do.. Then he glanced at the current leader board ranking. After seeing Zack''s record of clearing 18 floors, he became stunned again. Since the beginning of the competition, he doesn''t know how many times he has become speechless. At first, he set the first ten floors as a huge benchmark for him. Which is already a mountain task. But now Zack had gone one step ahead and cleared 18 floors. He also noticed the name of Zack also stopper flickering. Which means Zack exited the platform. He smiled, This is already a high record. "I don''t which force will break the record?" He said to himself. But still he underestimated Zack. Since he doesn''t know the content.. He felt it''s quite possible for other force''s top students to break the record. Chapter 233 - City Lord Garrys Orders When there is a serious threat looming outside for the Star Tower Participants. Unaware of it, those students begin to stay inside the Westword city after they have done participating in it. Some even tried to go out of the West Word City, but they were soon blocked by the City Lord''s Patrol Guards. Upon strict vigilance done by City Lord Garry, from time to time they find traces of forces gathering outside. After noticing the movements, He gave instructions to further tighten the measure. He has nothing to do outside. He doesn''t have jurisdiction over that. All he can do is to maintain law and order inside the city. At this point of time, Crimson Hall ''s last member also entered the tower. They too have noticed the recent changes in Leaderboard Ranking. They came to know that Zack exited the tower. So, his record of 18 floor clearance has set a benchmark for the rest of the participants. They are very eager to compete and improve their standing in the ranking. The only candidate that has come so far close to Zack''s standing in leaderboard ranking is Martin Dyers. LEADERBOARD RANKING [ Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Rank ] [ Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 18 - 1 Hour 10 Min ¨C 1st ] [ Martin Dyers, Wiscount ¨C 12 ¨C 2 Hour 16 Min ¨C 2nd ] [ Darius Case, Crimson ¨C 11- 30 Min ¨C 3rd ] [ Maria Robert, Azure City ¨C 10- 40 Min ¨C 4th ] [ Ella Downs, Crimson ¨C 9 - 15 Min ¨C 5th ] [ Sallie Mills, Crimson ¨C 9- 16 Min ¨C 6th ] [ Bradley Reese, Crimson ¨C 6¨C 5 Min ¨C 35th ] [ Austin Boyer, Crimson ¨C 5 ¨C 1 Min ¨C 36th ] [ Robb Williamson, Crimson ¨C 4 -20s ¨C 37th ] There were a large number of participants in the same ranking. But so far none of them reached above 15 Floors. ¡­ Inside the City Lord Garry''s cabin, "City Lord, There were groups of people lurking at the border of our City" City Lord''s subordinate said in a hurry. Hearing that City Lord Garry stopped doing his current work and looked at him. He said, "Brief me on the specifics." After hearing his words, the subordinate begins to explain the entire situation. It took quite a while to explain it clearly. Time to time, the City Lord would interject and ask him for further clarification. A few minutes later, City Lord begins to ponder about the situation. He believes that none of the forces have the guts to infiltrate into our city and do it (Killing) inside the city. He also knows that forces have tactical understanding between them. So, they won''t easily expose others'' whereabouts. He also got help from Star Tower officials. In case of emergency he can contact them and get their help. Then he made the decision. He looked at his subordinate and ordered, "Send Captain Miles'' team to oversee the situation there." The subordinate left after receiving the order. On the other hand, City Lord begins to contemplate, Captain Miles''s team consists of Trainee Warrior and Captain Miles himself is an initial ¨C Elite Warrior. So, they can handle any unforeseen situation that arises from there. Then for the time being he doesn''t have to worry about that Eastern Border. ¡­ The West Word City is a special city, Since it''s the base location of Star Tower. It became the central attraction for warriors. The City is surrounded by neighboring cities on four fronts. One has to reach the West Word city through any one of the cities by Rail Transport. Each city belongs to different forces. The Star Tower can''t exercise their power outside of the West Word City. So, it''s usual for various forces to be involved in intercept and killing for decades. And this time was also not so different. As many strong warriors from different forces gathered outside of the borders in disguise. At this point of time, Outside of the Eastern border of the West Word City. A team of six trainee warriors disguised in black. All of them were males. They are here to complete the mission given by their organization. "Team Leader, Look. The brat from Wiscount institute got second place in the leaderboard ranking." A brawny warrior said to his Team Leader. He is also Vice leader of this small team. "Harumph" The Team Leader snorted, hearing that immediately. "Their organization is a prime rival to the Wiscount institute. For this exact reason they have been sent here to kill that kid. And in this way, the Wiscount institute will lose face and their reputation will further plummet." He sneered foreseeing the future of that kid. The Vice Lead, Palmer understood seeing the team leader''s reaction." The Team Leader doesn''t want to hear anything about that organization. " He thought to himself. On the other hand, The Team Leader looked at him and said, "Palmer, Get ready! Once the brat comes out of the city. We will deal with him quickly and go back to our place as soon as possible. " His face frowns a little, recalling the recent movements from City Guard''s patrol team. He hopes that their team won''t attract much attention from them. Otherwise, it will be hard to change the plan. Their team is just one of the four teams. To kill that kid his organization has sent three more teams covering the entire border. But this matter is only known to Team Leaders. Rest of the members were unaware of it. Then he and his team were hidden once again. ¡­ (From MC Perspective) I woke up some time later, After having strong coffee. I decided to call Elder Thornton. But as I try to connect the call. It wasn''t successful. I felt he must be on his way. Ever since I came out of the tower. My mind is occupied with so many things. I didn''t even look at the leaderboard ranking. But now I feel little interest in seeing other strong contenders. If not for my body and essential strength it''s impossible to reach the 19th floor. So, I like to see if there are any other warriors beside me worth watching. I opened the alliance network and viewed the Star Tower''s leader board ranking. My lips curved a little seeing my number one ranking in the leaderboard. Then I stared at the following rankings below. "Hmm" My eyebrows raised in surprise, as I noticed the people from Crimson Hall also managed to get some good rankings. "Their level must be at Special Trainee" I mumbled under my breath. Shaking my head, I closed off the page. Then I prepare myself to cultivate a little. Since I have a promotion pill in my hand. I don''t want to waste any more time. If I cultivate a little longer and shorten the time of reaching the limit. Then I can use this pill to get breakthroughs. I don''t know what sort of trouble awaits outside of the border. If I can add a little more strength to myself then it will be more helpful. After sorting out my thoughts, I begin to cultivate. ¡­ Inside the Star Tower, Darius Case appears on the 15th floor. "Damn it, I can''t hold on any longer." He said to himself. It took him a great deal of work to eliminate those Four Mid Level- Class 1 Monsters. Now, he knows this time he will fight against Five - Class 1 Monsters, adding one more due to this floor. Just as he is wondering, Five Fire Elemental Class 1 Monsters appear quite a distance from him. "Crimson Bull ¨C Mid level ¨C Class 1 Monster" Seeing those fire elemental monsters his face distorts in frustration. He really didn''t expect this situation, Elemental Monster at this level can compare to Peak level monster. But now with five monsters it''s not very difficult for them to fight against the Special Trainee Warrior. For a moment, He didn''t take the initiative to attack. Since it''s the elemental monsters they have elemental abilities like him. What''s more frustrating for him is that those monsters also belong to the fire elemental category. If it were real, he would have acquired those elemental monster cores to cultivate. But sadly, he knew these were just phantoms. While he was waiting, the Crimson Bull Monsters didn''t hesitate, they had already smelled the taste of fire element energy from his body. One by one each monster begins to dash towards him. On the other hand, Seeing the Monster coming towards me. I made a huge Flame ball and threw it at the incoming monster. I hope to see whether it will cause any damage or not. But when the crimson bull came into contact with the Flame balls. It didn''t stagger backwards or fell over. Instead, the flame ball didn''t even cause serious inflictions. It only caused superficial damage, But with it''s tough skin it didn''t feel anything. Once it''s power dissipates the Crimson Bull felt even more angry by this attack. It rushing towards him in amazing speed. "How come?" Darius Case was taken back. He feels stupefied. He knew these monsters were strong. But at least he hopes to hinder their movement.. Gritting his teeth he flew backwards to maintain some distance from those monsters. Chapter 234 - Frazier Clan Heads Realization Frazier Clan, Two people were discussing inside the Clan Head''s Study room. "Clan Head, The intel reports just came" After saying that old butler handed over a memory chip. The Frazier Family Head, father of Maria Frazier looked at him. After receiving the memory chip he immediately connected to the visual operating screen. As the memory chip''s data was assessed. Lots of information was reported in detail. Somewhere backed with evidence and somewhere just speculation. His gaze falls over each report one by one, right now he wants to look at the intel about Hansen Campus. Finally after scrolling down two pages. The information about Hansen campus is mentioned in the 3rd column. He paused for a moment and read every word carefully. It''s stated that there are lots of movements around Hansen campus. The location was swarmed by the news reporters of Red Stone City and there is also a group of people from time to time gathering around the area. After reading the first few lines. He didn''t get surprised. It''s normal to have this reaction after seeing this kid''s performance in the Star Tower Event. Shaking his head he further scrolls downs to see. Suddenly, his eyes noticed some interesting information. It''s reported that Warriors from the Rogue organization were also seen there. "Bounty?" He said. "No, all those rogue warriors stopped their movements after that incident occurred in Hansen Campus. " He said in his heart. Then where do these people get their guts to roam around Hansen Campus again. Having some doubt, he further reads down the reports one by one. It''s also stated that the Hansen campus is functioning as usual. This piece of news is confirmed by his daughter. Again, there are also reports that the Chairman of Hansen Campus never left the City. After that incident, He is been spending more time on the campus. By overseeing the restoration project and all that. For a moment, He looks at his butler and asked, " How long will it take Hansen to complete the restoration of their building?" The old butler was surprised to hear that. He immediately answered, "Clan Head, I heard Young Miss saying something about the completion of the restoration project. " "Uh?" Mr. Frazier furrows his eyebrows in doubt. Then he told the old butler to ask her daughter to come here for a moment. The old butler left after receiving the order. The other hand, He shifted his attention back to the screen. A few minutes later, Maria Frazier stepped inside her father''s study room followed by the old butler. Looking at his daughter Mr. Frazier smiled and asked, " Maria, is that Hansen Campus''s restoration work is complete?" At first Maria didn''t know why her father asked her to come. But now hearing his words, she understood and answered, "Hmmm, It''s not entirely complete. But 80% of the work has been completed." "Why are you asking Dad?" She was surprised and asked, "Do you want to fund it?" "No, it''s not about that. I''m just wondering about Elder Thornton''s Whereabouts? He said with a smile. "Hmmm" Maria began to ponder, "So far I haven''t seen him inside the Hansen Campus. " Then she added, "Usually, it''s very rare for us to come across Elder Thornton. And after that incident it becomes even harder to see his presence." Unlike Maria. The other hand, he has different thoughts running through his mind. He knew Zack was participating on behalf of Hansen Campus. The Name of Hansen is clearly mentioned in the leaded board ranking beside Zack''s name. So, How come people are not worried about his safety? Shaking his head he put his doubts behind his mind. Then he asked her daughter, "Do you know about Zack''s ability? " He knew both Zack and her daughter were classmates. She might know about him. It also puzzles him, it''s been months since Zack came to the Red Stone City''s Hansen campus to train. Yet so far there is no wind of his true abilities. He was really amazed by this fact. On the other hand, Maria smiled wryly. Like others She is also in the dark about Zack''s talent. But looking at his current standing in the leaderboard ranking. His rank is number one. So far none of the warriors from big forces could get close to him. Seeing his daughter''s silence. He uttered, "Even, You don''t know about it." Maria nodded her head hearing his words. On the other hand, Mr. Frazier doesn''t know what to say for a moment. Here he thought his daughter didn''t want to disclose about his friend''s talent. But seeing her disappointing reaction, it looks like her words were true. Confirming that He smiled mysteriously. "Elder Thornton?" He thought of something, "He must have known about it. Otherwise, without knowing his student ability. It''s impossible to allow him to participate in the Star Tower event." He really underestimated the Hansen campus. There were days when he objected to his daughter''s demand to train there. But looking at all the events that happened after that, Including the infiltration incident. The Hansen Campus still stood tall. Even Elder Thornton was able to keep his position. And even that kid, Zack also showed his dazzling performance in Star Tower. Thinking all about it, He really feels stupefied. No one could have imagined these happenings. But it''s happening right now before everyone''s eyes. On the other hand, Maria and the old butler stood in silence. While Old Butler also has some thoughts on his mind. He knew the Family Head was trying to develop a fruitful relationship with the kid. At this time, Maria seems to understand something. "Dad, Remember, At first I told you Hansen campus is good. But you objected that day. But look here right now, it''s getting famous around our surrounding regions." She said with a triumphant smile. Hearing that, the Family Head nodded. "It''s all because of that kid. Elder Thornton is really something. Looks like he really envisioned all of this." He said with a sigh. Then he senses his daughter''s power level. "How long will it take you to get your next breakthrough?" Maria was stunned to hear that, "Dad, it''s not even a week has passed since my breakthrough." She said with a solemn tone. "Ahem," He forgot about that, "Do you know? why didn''t I allow you to go there?" "Is it about my safety?" Maria asked. Mr. Frazier smiled. Then he added, "Not only it''s about safety. Even if you go there it''s hard to compete in this challenge." Then he continued further in a solemn tone, " I believe that your friend already has the strength of a Mid level Special Trainee." "No way? Is that level gap between us really too long? " Maria wondered to herself. She just got her breakthrough to reach Peak of Trainee Apprentice Warrior. But Zack is already two levels higher than her. She unconsciously clenched her fists. She had been training most of her day. But still it''s enough. "I need to change my training plan. I will talk to Mentor Key tomorrow." She said in her heart. On the other hand, Mr. Frazier finds out Zack''s strength Using the leaderboard ranking. Apart from first place, rest of the warriors who were close to his rankings all have Special Trainee Cultivation Base. So, it''s no brainer to realize Zack''s real strength. Looking at her daughter''s solemn face. Mr. Frazier sighed deeply., He regretted saying that. Then he commented, "There is still time, if you can get the next breakthrough before the Crimson Hall Exhibition event. I will allow you to go with Hansen Campus." Maria Frazier stood stunned hearing that, Her father never took great risk. Having only a daughter, he won''t make decisions unless he is entirely sure about her safety. Now, he is allowing me to go. She even forgot that she needs to get breakthrough for that. At this time, the old butler panicked. He hurriedly said, "Clan Head, It''s too early to make this decision." Unlike Star Tower, People will target openly in the name of completion rules at Crimson Hall''s event. He doesn''t know why Clan Head made this decision." On the other hand, Mr. Frazier gestures to the old butler to stop. At this time, Maria opened her mouth to say, "Don''t worry Dad? There are still months left before the Crimson Hall Exhibition event. I can reach my next breakthrough easily. " She now changed her priority to get breakthroughs as soon as possible. For that She will ask Mentor Key''s help. With her help she believes that her goal is achievable. Mr. Frazier smiled hearing that then he gestures to both of them to leave. What they both don''t know? Mr. Frazier is betting on Elder Thornton and Zack Lockwood for his daughter''s safety. "I believe there is something behind Hansen campus that No one couldn''t perceive." He whispered to himself. Earlier, He thought about Helping Zack. But looking at the report. He knows that he can help Hansen Campus and Zack Lockwood. He plans to identify those rogue organizations separately. If he could get information about people behind them. It will help Hansen a lot.. Thinking that, He made up his mind to help them in this way. Chapter 235 - Dariuss Dilemma? Some time later, in the evening. Elder Thornton reaches West Word City in time. His journey was smooth; he didn''t meet with any mishaps on the way. But deep down he knew it was just calm before the storm. It''s not even a day over since the beginning of the event. There is still a month left. He expected forces to gather around one by one as the event went on. After reaching out the cab, He made his way towards Zack''s inn. He plans to stay with him and gather intel. Looking at the few people around the city, He wondered, " The City is under emergency law. No one can cause any disturbance here" Then he suddenly thought of something. I don''t know what is he (Mr. Jonathan) doing right now? After finding Zack, I''ll try to contact him once again. After a few minutes, the cab lands in front of the inn. Elder Thornton stepped out of the cab after paying the money. He made his way towards Zack''s room. The receptionist already received a hint from Zack. There will be a guest visiting him personally. After knowing that she didn''t stop Elder Thornton. (From Mc Perspective) "Ding!" I received notification from the door system. After confirming it''s Elder Thornton. I stood up from my couch and went to open the door. "Creak" The door slid open. "Zack, You have created a storm on the alliance network." Elder Thornton patted his shoulder in congratulations. Hearing that I smiled. He still has time to joke around. I wonder whether he has any plans to return safely. Then both of us sat on the couch to chat. Looking at Zack''s tensed face. Elder Thornton asked, "Are you worried about those organisations?" After hearing his words, I sighed. " Yes, When I came to know about this I wasn''t able to calm my mind. I try to cultivate a little longer to stay away from those messy thoughts. But I wasn''t able to do it." I said with a worried tone. Then I looked straight into his eyes and said, " Elder, Do you have any plans for this deadly situation." I really want to hear some good answers from him. At this moment, I forgot about the Star Tower Ranking. For me the event has ended. Now, I have to focus on getting back home in one piece. If not for this emergency lockdown. I would have gotten home sooner. I don''t know what those officials were thinking. They are actually giving time to opposing forces to gather around the border. Now, I understand the plight of ordinary people. If you are ordinary without background, you have to worry about everything and be careful making decisions. So, many constraints for common people. On the other hand, Elder Thornton gets surprised hearing his words. He never expected Zack to be worried about this. "Don''t worry, I have some plans. Nothing bad will happen to you" He assures him with a gentle smile. Then he added, "I''m not the only one who came here to protect you. Beside me, your teacher''s subordinate will also coordinate with me to protect you." When he said actually he had some plans in his mind. My mind calms down a little. Then my heart finally eased when he mentioned Mr. Jonathan. "Where is he?" I asked. He won''t enter the city. He will be looking after you from the shadows. I nodded hearing that. It''s good that they had prepared some plans. Then I can cultivate without any worry. At this time, Elder Thornton asked, "What is your reward? By the way, I didn''t expect you to reach the 19th Floor. You kid hides too deeply" I knew it''s impossible to cover up my Special Trainee Power any longer. People can easily analyse after seeing the leaderboard ranking. Then I placed the rewards on my palm. Elder Thornton was deeply amazed to see those pills. "Medium Grade Pills were rare in our region. Don''t expose it to others. Instead say, ``You have received some Martial Skill." He said with a serious tone. Then Elder Thornton thought about something. He embarrassingly asked, "Do you regret coming here?" I''m stunned hearing his words. Does he feel any guilt about my situation? My lips curved a little. "No, Elder Thornton. I didn''t regret it. The rewards were good. On top of it, I can easily stand amongst those strong warriors from Big Forces. When the time comes I can easily join the Academy without facing any large schemes." I said with a slight sigh. Then again I added, "Elder, I hope this will be the last one before the Crimson Hall event. I don''t want to get involved in another whirlpool." After saying that, I placed those rewards back in my storage ring. On the other hand, Elder Thornton commented, "Zack, Can you let go of your worry? There won''t be any event before the Crimson Hall Exhibition event. After going back you can cultivate with peace. No one will bother you." Elder Thornton assured him again. He was also glad that Zack didn''t blame him for the current turbulent situation. Then he looked at Zack and said, "Your effort deserves some rewards from Hansen Campus also. One we go back, I''ll discuss with Arthur to reward you for your number one ranking in the leaderboard." When he said those words, the solemn atmosphere between the two of them withers away. Then both of them talked a few other things before Elder Thornton left his room to gather Intel around the city. No one will ask him anything. Since he is guardian of the Star Tower Contestant. The Patrol Team won''t make any trouble after confirming his identity. ... At the Star Tower, Darius Case excited from the Star Tower after failing to clear 15th Floor. His ranking in the leaderboard stayed at 14th floor. [Name, Place ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Floor ¨C Rank] [Darius Case ¨C 1.42 Min ¨C 14th ¨C 3rd ] His mouth twitched when he compares his own ranking with Zack Lockwood. "Monster, He is a completely perverted one." He spoke to himself. Those warriors standing in queue begin to murmur, while pointing his finger at him. He didn''t mind and went straight to the meeting hall. His companions were still fighting in the Star Tower. All of them had a Special Trainee Cultivation base. But he believes that warriors with bloodline power will have a slight edge compared to others. When fighting against Elemental Monsters, if one had good physical strength. It will be advantageous to them. He also lost because of this, he couldn''t fend off against Crimson Bull when they tore through him. Thinking about it he gritted his teeth. Now, his chance is over. Next he is worried about facing his teacher and headmaster of the Crimson Hall. Previously, All of them had promised to reach at least the 25th floor. He smiled wryly thinking about their overconfidence. It is hard to even clear the 15th floor, I don''t know what exists on the 25th floor. Which is exactly ten floors ahead of his current experience. His spine went chill thinking about it. "Even Special Trainee Power is not enough." He clenched his fists in frustration. LEADERBOARD RANKING [ Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Rank ] [ Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 18 - 1 Hour 10 Min ¨C 1st ] [ Martin Dyers, Wiscount ¨C 16 ¨C 2 Hour 2 Min¨C 2nd ] [ Darius Case, Crimson ¨C 14- 1.42 Min ¨C 3rd ] [ Maria Robert, Azure City ¨C 13- 48 Min ¨C 4th ] [ Ella Downs, Crimson ¨C 11 - 35 Min ¨C 5th ] [ Sallie Mills, Crimson ¨C 10- 14 Min ¨C 6th ] [ Bradley Reese, Crimson ¨C 8 ¨C 10 Min ¨C 8th ] [ Austin Boyer, Crimson ¨C 7 ¨C 6 Min ¨C 9th ] [ Robb Williamson, Crimson ¨C 6 ¨C 2 Min¨C 10th ] Then he thought about his viewing of his companion ''s performance. He comforted himself by saying, "Aleast, He won''t be the worst among them." His expression condensed after seeing Ella''s standing. She is closing in towards his record. "No, My rank is at risk. Ella is a bloodline warrior. On top of it, She must have some kind of artefact with her." He whispered to himself. He too had an Artefact with him. But he wasn''t able to use it on the battlefield. Because it needed a huge essence to run it. He really didn''t have that luxury when facing those Crimson Bulls. He plans to find the same kind of Monsters once he gets back to Crimson Hall. Then he will use their monster core for his cultivation. Only in this way he can soothe his anger. He also sensed some threat from Robb Williamson. He predicted his family must have given him something of a trump card to use in an emergency situation. I doubt whether he will use it in this challenge. After all no matter how wealthy you are, the trump cards are not easy to come by. His mind racing with different calculations. Other than these two people, He didn''t feel any kind of threat from others. Robb is also a powerful bloodline warrior. His physical strength will be useful to him. When it comes to Austin and Bradley their blood line power doesn''t give them a physical boost.. Lastly, Sallie is like him, an Elemental Warrior. It''s hard to predict what she can do? Chapter 236 - Part 1: Ella Appears On 15th Floor A few days later, A Team of Patrol Guard went to eastern border under the orders of City Lord. The Peak Trainee Warrior team is led by Captain Miles who is an Elite level warrior. Other than the Captain the team consists of Ten people. Some time later, the team reaches their government mansion at the eastern border. Except for large towns, There is no major cities at the eastern border. Yet the Warriors from City Lord''s Patrol Team are quite active all around the border of West Word City. They have yet to investigate the reports of other forces. Meanwhile, they need to settle down first. After quickly arranging everyone''s room. Captain Miles requested a quick meeting. Inside the Mansion''s meeting hall, Ten warriors stood in front of Captain Miles to discuss their mission. Before starting discussion, Captain Miles looked at everyone and said, "We begin our mission tomorrow morning. There are activities of other forces along the border. So, it''s not speculation but real deal. We will act against them tomorrow when we find their traces." Remaining warriors didn''t refute his words. As they came here to fulfill their mission, they didn''t want to drag it any longer. They only wanted to complete it as soon as possible. Then they talked about a few other things before Captain Miles dispersed everyone. ¡­ Next morning, "Palmer, is there any movement seen around the mansion?" The team leader from Steel Dart force inquires about it to his Vice Leader. Palmer began to sweat hearing his question. He was already aware of the movements from a small government mansion in the town. He actually wanted to talk to him before confirming the identities. But right now he has to inform him about the intel in their hands. Palmer nervously answered, "Captain, There are indeed some movements that can be seen along the Government mansion. But we weren''t able to confirm their identity at this point of time." "Waste!" The Captain yells at him in frustration. The Captain feels something bad from the information. If they are really sent by the City Lord. Then it would be troublesome. It will be a matter of time before they begin to investigate. When it happens then they really have to change their hideout and move to some other place. "Damn, what a mess? I don''t know what other forces are doing right now." He whispered to himself. It''s been several days since they occupied a small hideout near the eastern border. But right now, they are not the only forces behind the dark. There were several known and unknown forces beginning to occupy the border. At this time, his minds telling him that it''s too early for City Lord to dispatch the team. He thought since the competition is going to occur for a month. There is still plenty of time in their hands to change their strategy. There is less probability for City Lord''s notice their presence. He let out a deep sigh thinking about it. He felt as long as they didn''t show their presence for the time being. They won''t reveal any traces behind and eventually they will find about those unknown people inside the mansion. Then he looked at Palmer and instructed him and his men to stay low for a while. Until his next order comes no one can operate privately. The Vice Captain, Palmer left the room after hearing his words. Seeing that his men left his room, " Looks like the chances of my team is slim compared to others." He thought to himself. To kill one talented seed of their enemy forces. Their organization dispatched four elite teams including them. If one team misses then the other team can intercept and kill the target. " Martin Dyers hope you will choose eastern border to exit." He said in his heart. ¡­ Inside the Mansion''s meeting hall, Beginning of the mission, Captain Miles and his team slightly disguised their appearance for this mission. If they walk around with their official uniform. Then it will rattle the snakes hiding behind the border. "You can split into two teams of five members, Once you reach the border line then begin the mission. Don''t cause any disturbance to civilians and others. Do missions secretly without revealing your identity. " He instructed his team. Then he added, " First try to find out about their exact location and inform me. Do not follow them on your own." Then they talked about other necessary details before leaving the meeting hall for their mission. Captain Miles is not in a hurry as long as they don''t cross the border and enter inside the town. Then there won''t be any problem for him and he can easily command his team from sitting in one place. Finally he can interfere during the fights between two forces. After making up his mind, He begins to read other intel. Sometime later, The team reaches the border line in secret. After arriving at the location they split into two teams to begin their investigation. The eastern border line is situated near the border town with population of 50,000. There is still a stream of people crossing the border between the two cities. The emergency law placed here is not so stringent, as there is no person present here to monitor the situation. But still people dare not to disobey the law and follow it completely. There is also huge billboards of Star Tower can be seen alongside the streets of the town. The commercial play beside the billboard, time to time reveals the news about Star Tower event and it''s leaderboard ranking with current status. Because of it people are quite aware of it, even though their town is quite distance from the main city. Since there is an emergency law in place, it becomes easy for two teams to do their mission. One team began to collect intel from local stalls at the street. And another team begins to observe body language and dress code of the people. They knew the opposing forces wouldn''t reveal their identity. They must be in disguise. If the other faction members cross the border, they can easily find them. As the time progresses, their activities get noticed by some forces. Even the forces who decided to cross the border earlier, now retract back their decision and now want to find out about these two teams'' real identity. From time to time the information is passed to Captain Miles. For him the mission can be successful as long as he prevents them from entering inside the city. He doesn''t have to personally seek and kill them one by one. He can sit back and relax. He can defend against them until the end of the competition. Which can also be considered a successful mission. ¡­ Inside the Star Tower, Ella Downs appears on the 15th floor successfully. So, far with assistance from Power of her Bloodline. She somehow able to reach this floor by defeating also those monsters. Right now, her expression is a bit condensed. There is no look of disdain on her face. Earlier indifference is replaced by seriousness. Five Mid level Class 1 Monsters besiege her instantly out of thin air. Silver Spike Centipede Monsters- Class 1- Mid level. "Clang" "Clang" "Clang" "Clang" Numerous legs of those centipede monsters make metallic sounds while walking. Their giant body blocks Ella downs from slipping away. Unusually, these Centipede monsters begin to cooperate instead of fighting with each other. Sensing that she releases her blood line power to overpower them. A small tattoo of a snake can be seen on her forehead. Which appears instantly due to release of her bloodline power. If it were an ordinary monster an immediate effect can be seen from the suppression of her bloodline power. But as she realizes these were elemental monsters. She gritted her teeth in anger. Suddenly, The centipede monster begins to attack her. Ella clenched her fist to slam it''s head heavily. As her fist technique executed with the power of a Special Trainee. It alone causes opposite monsters to halt for a moment. Using that opportunity she directly punched her first against its head. "Bang" The collision occurs, the monster backs away due to the attack. Yet it didn''t suffer any injury. It''s defense is a bit stronger due to its metallic attribute. Unlike Darius, Ella understands the severity of the situation. She can''t drag it any longer. Instead it only drains her energy further. Biting her lips, she made a huge decision at this moment. She is ready to use her life saving trump card. It''s too expensive to use it in this way. But she has no choice, if it''s next level she can win one to one against Peak Monster. But these Five Mid Level elemental monsters is powerful than single Peak level monsters. "I will slap the person whoever design this stupid challenge" She scolded the person behind this idea. At this time, somewhere inside the Star Tower Hall Master''s residence.. "Achoo" a sneezing sound can be heard. Chapter 237 - Part 2: Ella Appears On 15th Floor Gritting her teeth she takes out the life saving artifact from her storage ring. It''s a one time attack artefact. This artifact stored her father''s one time Peak Elite level attack. While ago she already understood the pattern of this challenge. She really wanted to use it on a higher floor but not now. But seeing the category of the monster and their numbers. She doesn''t have any choice other than to use it. She shows the green color pendant artifact against those monsters from a distance. As the blood drops on it from her finger, the artefact activates in an instant. At this moment, an overbearing aura envelops the entire space of the 15th floor for a moment. Even before the actual attack falls on them. The five monsters dissipate into thin air due Peak Level Elite pressure. And the next moment, "Boom" A green light flashes from the green pendent and the attack strikes on the empty space. For a second the floor begins to vibrate and recovers in the next instant. Seeing the result, Ella smiled wryly and placed the snake lookalike jade pendant back in her storage ring. A bright light falls over her due to clearance and she reaches the next floor. When she cleared the corresponding changes also took place in the leaderboard rank. [Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Rank] [Ella Downs ¨C 15th ¨C 4 Min 20s ¨C 3rd ] ¡­ Outside of the Star Tower, the huge change in the leaderboard ranking is also noticed by people. They immediately begin to discuss it. So far no one left from the first few batches, warriors from next branches begin to participate in the challenge. Darius was also surprised seeing the sudden changes. His predictions were slowly becoming true. He knew the difficulty of fighting against Five Monsters with the same power level. But seeing Ella''s name on the board, he already understood in his heart, "It must be a trump card. Other than that, there is no logical explanation for it" His mood is dampened a little bit not only by his leaderboard ranking status. He also constantly receives notifications from his organization and his family. He put all those calls in silent mode. He''s not in the mood to discuss it with anybody. But when it comes to organizations specifically. He doesn''t want to confront his teachers and elders alone. Since they came as a team, it would be better if they face the consequences as a team. He let out a deep sigh in frustration. At first he is making plans to book an inn inside the city. The Officials from Star Tower already explained the current situation. Besides, he also learnt the latest news from sites. But right now, some of his friends may exit in the next half an hour. Then he can discuss with them about their next plan. ¡­ (From Mc Perspective) Elder Thornton roams around the city. He also made few talks with lower level officials from the City Guard. While doing so, he completely restrained his Elite level aura in order to not expose himself completely. Some time later, He return back to Zack''s room. Upon seeing him, I curiously asked, "Elder, Do you find anything?" Only Elder can tell me what is happening in reality. Even the news sites from time to time reveal some bits of information about the situation. But he believes that there is a lot happening behind the scenes. Elder Thornton sat in his chair and answered Zack''s question, "The City is really under emergency law. I thought there would be some leniency, but no. The City Lord of this City is really cautious. He is actually doing his job seriously. I even had an imagination of sensing a few elite warriors aura around the city." Obviously it was people from Star Tower, but Elder Thornton mistook it as part of his imagination. "This is also good, if they are really doing their duty in seriousness. It can prevent any malicious people from entering the city. " I spoke to Elder Thornton after hearing his words. Then I asked him, " Elder, Where are you going to stay?" If he stays here, it can easily be found out by others. I can''t say for sure that there are no spies in the city. Elder Thornton shook his head, " Nope I can''t stay here. I already found a good inn. You can stay here to relax. I''ll come here often to visit you." He said with a smile. Then we talked about a few other things before Elder Thornton left. ¡­ Ten days later, The batches participating in the Star Tower began to decrease gradually as the days progressed. None of the warriors from various organizations were able to shake the top two rankings. Surprisingly, Ella downs reaches the 17th floor but she fails to clear that floor. Which eventually lead to tie in number 2 rank in the leaderboard. Other than Zack''s First Rank. The Second rank is occupied by two people namely Martin Dyers and Ella Downs. Rest of the Warriors from Crimson Hall successfully reached above 12 Floors. But after that they begin to exit one by one. Only Ella Downs remains in 2nd Rank. LEADERBOARD RANKING [ Name, Place ¨C Floor ¨C Clearance Time ¨C Rank ] [ Zack Lockwood, Hansen ¨C 18 - 1 Hour 10 Min ¨C 1st ] [ Martin Dyers, Wiscount ¨C 16 ¨C 2 Hour 2 Min¨C 2nd ] [Ella Downs, Crimson ¨C 16 ¨C 1 Hour 48 Min ¨C 2nd ] [Robb Williamson ¨C 15 ¨C 2 Hour 46 Min ¨C 3rd ] [Bradley Reese, Crimson ¨C 15 - 1 Hour 30 Min ¨C 3rd] [ Darius Case, Crimson ¨C 14- 1 Hour 42 Min ¨C 4th] [ Austin Boyer, Crimson ¨C 14 ¨C 2 Hour 34 Min -4th] [ Sallie Mills, Crimson- 14 ¨C 1 Hour 15 Min ¨C 4th ] [ Maria Robert, Azure City ¨C 13- 48 Min ¨C 5th ] When the warrior from Crimson Hall excited the Star Tower. There was obvious shock on their faces seeing their rankings. The worst one was they underestimated the strength of their own team members. The underestimated person is none other than Ella Downs, Her team thought she was in bottom rank in strength compared to others. But the ranks in the leaderboard says otherwise. But others didn''t dare to ask their own team mates how they did it. The only person not surprised was Ella Downs. She knew she used Elite Level artefact to reach the current standing in the leaderboard. So, none of them even talked deeply about it other than small chats. Even cheerful Sallie is a little down looking at her current performance. The team decided to have a small meeting among themselves when everyone exited from the Star Tower. These days, Darius and others who left after him booked a luxurious inn for their stay. All of them plan to see each other during the meeting. When everyone exited from the Star Tower, On one particular day the Crimson Hall Team gathered inside the common study hall of the luxurious inn. Meeting Day, At first, Darius came for a meeting. Followed by the rest of the members, lastly it was Robb Williamson. He had a gloomy expression on his face ever since he left the Star Tower. Not only him, all of them had a bit of a sullen expression. Only the expression of Ella is a bit unchanged making it hard for others to predict her mood. When all of them sat in round table to discuss. The atmosphere becomes drastically quiet for a moment. None of them seemed to open the topic for discussion. All of them wanted to return to their home and continue their training. But unfortunately, they can''t do that. So many changes have taken place since the beginning of the competition. The sullen atmosphere is not only due to their own disappointing performance but largely due to their organization''s demand. At this time, Darius opened his mouth to break the ice. His mood long since turned back to normal. "Okay, Guys. The Head Master asked us to cooperate with each other to collect intel about the participants and then provide back to them." After saying that he looks around carefully to see anyone snooping on them secretly. "Harumph" At this time Robb snorted back and created a barrier around them to avoid spying upon their discussion. Seeing the barrier being erected and enveloping everyone. Darius cursed at his carelessness and smiled embarrassingly. After the barrier was completed, Sallie commented, "Do any of us have any idea? Why is the Headmaster asking us to collect intel?" Actually she knew why, but she didn''t want to believe it. She hopes her friends will prove her wrong. Hearing her words, Ella who is sitting beside her knitted her eyebrows. For a moment her expression turned a little bit sad then turned back to normal. Even Austin and Bradley looked at Sallie in surprise yet they didn''t answer her. At this time before Darius could say something Robb stopped him in and said, "Are you even serious Sallie? You expect us to believe your words." Sallie bit her lips hearing his harsh tone.. Even others feel Robb is still brooding over the fact that Ella''s performance is better than him. Chapter 238 - Marias Surprise Call Robb''s remark further dampens the atmosphere. Ella felt irritable for a moment, "This guy can''t even digest my achievement." She made up her mind to stay away from him. Then she sighed and looked at Sallie, "We have no choice other than to act in the interest of our organization." She advised Sallie with her words. Robb''s face became even more distorted and suddenly thought of something. "I can''t move against her for a while. But on the other hand¡­" He thought of Number 1 Rank Holder Zack. "I can use this opportunity to eliminate him." "I suppose our organization might be keen to eliminate that bastard. If any opportunity arises, they won''t hesitate to do it" He hatched a vicious plan in his mind. He thought since their organization didn''t mention to collect details about a particular participant. So, he might as well use this opportunity to find out about Zack''s whereabouts. Seeing Robb''s remaining silent. Rest of them sighed in relief. At this point of time, Darius commented, "Okay, Guys. There is no need to feel bad about this matter. As far as I heard, it is not only our organization. Even some other forces ordered their members to collect Intel information about Star Tower Participants." Bradley nodded his head in approval and said, "Who knows we might have a target behind our backs?" Bradley''s words brought a new light to them. As everyone here had good standing in the leaderboard ranking. Unlike other forces, where their members participate in large numbers. But no one was able to make a quiet mark in the Lead Board at the end. On the other hand, here all of them come under Top 10 Ranks. It alone is a huge feat compared to other forces. So, there is a probability that their life might as well be in danger. So, Finally at one point everyone agrees to investigate and collect details. Then the discussion ended after everyone''s agreement. No one is interested in discussing the topics. So, they plan to do the mission given by their organization. Robb was the one to stand up from his seat first, before leaving the hall he glared at Ella in Unkind eyes. His behavior was noticed by others. But none of them said anything to him. After Robb''s leaving, Bradley and Austin also left, saying goodbye. Finally Darius, Ella and Sallie remained in their seats. Darius looked at both of them and said, "You guys as well start doing the mission. Otherwise, it''s hard to escape from our Head Master''s fury." After saying that Darius also left the place. Finally, Ella and Sallied sighed together. "These guys don''t even give us any chance to discuss. " Sallie grunted. Then she slightly turned towards Ella and asked, "Ella, Do you know what it means? Zack will be targeted by everyone since he is the top ranker." Some time ago, both of them discussed Zack. But who would have thought things would come to this end. At this time, Ella opened her mouth to reveal her true concern. " That Zack guy doesn''t need others to spy on him. I suspect our team members already had an eye on Zack Lockwood." Sallie squinted her little eyes in curiosity, "Who do you think will do that?" Listening to Sallie''s question, Ella recalls their team member''s expression a moment ago. She said, "In the entire discussion, both Bradley and Austin remain indifferent. And Robb is easy to read, His entire thoughts can be seen by looking at his face. The only person I feel is calculative is Darius Case." Sallie Chucked hearing that, "So, You think Darius might expose Zack''s whereabouts to our organization. " Shaking her head, Ella commented, " I doubt not only him. Even Austin, Bradley and Robb might as well love to see Zack''s end." Sallie nodded her head hearing that. Both of them knew clearly about their organization. They don''t leave any hidden danger behind. If there is any chance they might as well kill him. "Will he ever come to our organization in future?" Sallie mumbled under her breath. Ella smacked her head, "Well, let''s see if he escapes from this city. " She begins to imagine Zack''s plight in the future. After having a few chats both of them left together to their room to cultivate. ¡­. (From Mc''s Perspective) "Goodness, Why is there so much noise around this little inn?" I said to myself. It''s been ten days since the beginning of the competition. I somehow managed to cook up in this room without going outside too much. But still there are 20 days to go. "My patience is beginning to decrease day by day. If this continues, I might as well risk myself to go outside for a while." I begin to lament while laying down in bed. Elder Thornton advised me to stay here until his instructions. He already speculated about undergoing currents. "How am I going to get past those forces successfully? I remember, I had a little bit of experience fighting against those bounty hunters in Red Stone City. But here we are talking about a whole new level. There is a chance I can see fights between Elite level Power Houses. I held my pillow and punched it in frustration. Suddenly, at this point of time. Zack''s watch buzzes with notification. "Who might be?" I looked at the notification in doubt. It''s a call from Maria Frazier. I attended the call without thinking further as I saw her name on the screen. As the video call connected, a holographic face of Maria appears. As the face became clear, I heard a sweet voice. "Zack, How are you? " Maria inquired. "I''m fine, it''s just boring without spending time in the training chamber." I said with a smile. Then I added, "How have you been these days?" It''s been a quite a while since I last met her. She rarely comes to Hansen Campus. So, we missed an opportunity to meet with each other. Maria smiled and said, "I''m good. I had a breakthrough recently. It''s just that you became the Star of Red Stone city overnight. I believe you will face quite a headache when you reach here." My mouth twitched hearing that, what star? . I suspect some forces might as well have increased their bounty amount on my head. It''s already difficult to roam around the city freely. I don''t know what will happen once I go back. Then I changed the topic and said, " It''s good that you broke through. I believe you can fight with our seniors now." Maria let out a chuckle hearing that, "What''s the point of fighting with our seniors. Their talent is not enough. We might as well surpass them in a few months. The real competition now exists only in the Academy." "Academy Uhhh? I couldn''t help but think about my admission quota. My Uncle used his merit to buy a D grade quota for me in Saw Scaled Viper Academy. I doubt whether it can be replaced by a better grade quota after my performance in Star Tower. "Zack?" Maria calls out seeing Zack''s dazed expression. I came back to my senses after hearing her voice. Then I looked at her and said, "Don''t worry you will do better once you join the Academy?" She is the next best student in the Hansen campus, second to me. And together with her family resources, she will gradually improve further in future. So, I believe she won''t end up at the bottom once she gets admitted. While my scenario on the other hand is quite strange. I don''t know what plans my teacher made for me. Looking at my past events, I believe the future is going to be even more adventurous. Maria became happy by hearing his words. At least someone is acknowledging her strength openly. The. She asked in curiosity, "Zack, Which Academy? Are you going to choose?" For a moment, I couldn''t remember whether I talked to her about this before. As far as I know, no one had any idea about my D grade quota. I sighed, it''s better not to tell her. I can''t afford to have any variable arise at this point of time. I told her about Saw Scale Viper Academy. She might as well choose the same academy to study. So, it''s not good. After making up my mind, I told her, "So, far I don''t have any idea. For now I plan to increase my strength further." Maria frowned hearing that but her expression softened in the next movement. I''m glad that she didn''t continue to ask about it. Everyone has their own destiny. There is no need to influence her on this matter. I suddenly wondered about what Mr. Arthur and Ms. Key were doing. Among all the staff, I only had a good interaction with these two. Ms. Key ''s fighting session actually came in handy in the Star Tower Challenge. Hearing that Maria told about Hansen Campus''s recent updates to him, including about Mr. Arthur and Ms. Key''s work. Then both of them ended their call a few minutes later. Chapter 239 - Permission To Kill? The following day, The members from the Crimson Hall team decided to investigate separately except Ella and Sallie. As both of them decided to work together as a team. After leaving their inn, all of them went separate ways. Ella and Sallie choose one place to go and investigate. For this mission, they wore ordinary clothes in order not to raise any suspicions. While on the way the duo spotted a few more people belonging to their ages roaming around this city. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." Sallie let out a small laugh before saying, "Ella, Don''t you think those guys were too doing the same work?" Hearing that Ella shifted her gaze towards the three men. Three of them follow another team in secret. Though they appeared to be cautious in their work. But still it''s very noticeable from a distance. "Looks like their target is going towards the Bakery shop." Ella mumbled under her breath. Sallie too watched their activities. She felt funny by looking at their behavior. She thought it''s actually not a difficult mission but rather it''s quite tricky. Since the participants'' details were all open to the public. Any of them can search it online and learn about them. As their faces were recognizable it''s easy to find the target. But the hardest and tricky party is to collect details without letting them know about it. If the targeted party happens to catch a whim, then it would mess up the whole thing. Next moment, Ella and Sallie looked into each other''s eyes seemingly planning the same thing. At this point of time, talkative Sallie opened her mouth to take lead, "Ella, Why don''t we follow these two teams? We can go back to the inn after collecting the information about these two. " Sallie said with a knowing smile. Ella thought this plan was feasible. After all, they can''t waste time by roaming around the city. Ella answered, "Okay! But, I don''t know whether you will be ready to use your favorite face mask or not?" Sallie pouted hearing that it''s one time use low end artefact. You can slightly change your appearance but the drawback is, it will wear off after a few days. It''s difficult to remove it yourself until then, unless there is a high-level warrior willing to do it for you. Seeing Sallie''s reaction, Ella''s smile curved a little. Most of the work will be done, if Sallie is willing to use her face mask. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to do. They are not experienced on this task. Only people from the intelligence team can pull off this. While they were pondering, the three men already entered the bakery shop by following the other team. Sallie sneered by looking at their behavior, "What''s the point of blindly following someone? People won''t casually talk about their organization while walking outside." She felt they are being stupid by doing this. They must be from some low level forces. "This won''t work Ella, these people are not a threat to our organization. We must change our target." Sallie said with dissatisfaction. "Oh, Really?" Ella rolled her eyes at her. She thought Sallie didn''t want to use her face mask. That''s why she is changing the topic all of a sudden. But unlike her, Ella recognized one face from the trio. That guy exited the tower along with me. But he didn''t even cross the 7th flower. His power is quite ordinary. He is at Peak Trainee level. After confirming it, she agreed with Sallie. Shaking her head, She didn''t talk about the face mask any longer. Then both of them changed their ways to find suitable targets. .... At the Star Tower Elder''s Meeting hall, An urgent virtual meeting session was being held at this moment. Except the Hall Master of the Star Tower, the rest of the Elders were virtually present. As all of the elders were guarding strategic locations all over the city. It''s impossible to attend the meeting in real body. Not only the elders were involved in safeguarding the city, which also includes some power houses gathered by the Hall Master. Right now, the old man, the hall master of Star tower, sat in his seat in silence. He is waiting for someone to open the discussion. As the meeting was requested by a few elders. He already knew what''s going on. But he wants them to bring those topics to the table. And also he had one news to reveal at the end. Which can be regarded as the last trump card. At this time, one of the elders opened his mouth to say, "Hall Master, This time we are in a difficult situation. The Elites from opposing forces are increasing gradually." As the Elder broke the ice, following by it another elder began to complain. "Hall Master, We lack in Elite Warriors. I''m spending most of the time fending off those warriors. I don''t know what to do, if numbers were to increase." Followed by him, everyone began to pour out their worry. This situation is even more new for the Hall Master. He too didn''t expect the number of elites to increase. He has been hearing from numerous intel reports. That many forces recruit at least one Elite level warrior on their team. So far he heard the movements of fifty Elite warriors from the four borders. Which is more than usual. He sighed deeply, On their side here the numbers seem to be lacking. The Hall Master feels quite a headache hearing their constant murmuring. "Silence" He said in a hoarse voice. The atmosphere became quiet. Achieving the response the Hall Master commented, "One by one, brief carefully, what''s happening on your side." His words instilled fear among them they don''t dare to disobey. Following his words, Each Elder explained their own situation of dealing with opposing forces. Sometime later, All of them explained their own scenario carefully without hiding anything. From the beginning, the Hall Master begins to listen to their worries carefully. He didn''t interject in the middle by asking for some clarity. When everyone has done their part to explain. At this time the Hall Master answered, "Okay, Everyone! You all did well by protecting your own post. It''s assuring that there is no casualty of Elite level warriors reported until now. But it''s impossible to say that will be the case as the time progresses further." The atmosphere became solemn for a moment. It''s easy to understand their current situation. But the difficult thing is to solve the problem. It''s too late now to request assistance from other forces. As it will take some time to reach here. So, it''s a waste of time to ask for more assistance, they can only rely on themselves to solve the problem. The Hall Master let out a deep sigh, "Looks like I need to leave the Star Tower for a while to assist each one of you." The Hall Master dropped bomb shells which stunner everyone. At this point of time, Ross, the second most powerful elder beside the Hall Master commented, "Hall Master, it''s against the protocol to leave the Star Tower Zone. Unless there is an imminent threat attack on Star Tower. Which is impossible to happen." Elder Ross thought if any situation arises we can ask help from above. The Hall Master nodded hearing Mr. Ross''s words. "I''m just joking, But I believe in you guys. You won''t let the situation deteriorate further." After saying that he looks at everyone''s reaction. He doesn''t like whining people. If they can''t even find some solution, then it''s shows only their incompetence. Then the Hall Master finally came to the topic, He said, "I already informed the higher-ups about the situation. I requested permission to kill Elite level and above." Elder Ross smiled, He was thinking about it now. But on the other hand, the Hall Master asked permission for it. A desire to kill rose in his heart. He looked at the Hall Master and said, "Hall Master, then it''s settled. We don''t have to worry about their numbers. We can hold on until we get the green signal from higher ups. Once the permission arrives, We can deal them a heavy blow." The Hall Master nodded, He too knew the importance of that green signal. Right now unlike opponents they are restrained outside of the border. Like, they can''t cause damage to public property and they can''t wipe out other organizations. All they can do is to deter and in some cases they can kill by evaluating the threat of the person. They can exert their full power inside the city to kill the opponents. But unfortunately the enemy forces won''t come inside the city. The other hand, the rest of the elders sighed in relief hearing his words. They felt they had been worried for nothing. As long as the higher ups desires the situation can be overturned in a matter of seconds.. Then the meeting ended after having other miscellaneous talks. Chapter 240 - Part One: Elder Ross Vs Three Elites The Second emergency meeting of Star Tower came to an end. After getting an assurance from the Hall Master, the elders leave one by one and the Virtual body dissipates. But who would have thought, Just after the meeting a terrible situation is awaiting for Second Elder Ross. Second Elder has been guarding West Fort since the beginning of the Star Tower Challenge. The West Fort is a government building, which acts as a second line of defense after the border line. This setup is the same for the rest of the borders except the last line of defense. The last line of defense is the central city, which is under the direct protection of City Lord Garry. When the Second Elder consciousness came back to his real body. An ominous promotion rose in his heart. The next moment, a loud siren resonated throughout the area. Hearing that everyone was alarmed greatly. Second Elder Ross appeared above the sky overlooking everyone. His Power level is at Peak Elite level Warrior. He awakened flight ability as early as during his Initial Elite level stage. At this time, all the warriors stationed below Elite stage rushed to the front to face enemies. Opposite to them a large number of warriors hurriedly rushing towards them. All of them were wearing dark uniforms in disguise to hide their identity. Elder Ross''s face frowns seeing the number of the warriors. At this moment he sensed three elite level powerhouses trying to besiege him. "Harumph" Elder Ross snorted immediately, He released several silver spikes from his hand attacking them. "Hysss!" the air breaking sound can be heard at this instant. A long silver colored, needle like spike falls on the three Elite level power houses at the same time. "Bang" "Bang" "Bang" A continuous blocking sound reverberated the area. The three powerhouses begin to fend off those silver pikes. In a moment, all three of them pushed into a defensive position. Just like Elder Ross fighting against three powerhouses. Below the constant fighting is going on. Warriors from both sides attacking and defending against each other. The number of warriors from West Fort is twice in comparison to the enemy faction. The enemy faction is overwhelmed by numbers. Yet the overall advantage is still held by the enemy faction due to three Elite level Power houses. Above, Elder Ross already guessed a flaw in the defense. He began to target the weakest elite among them. As the three of them were quite far from each other. Elder Ross disappears from the spot and appears above the Initial Elite Warrior. The Warrior''s pupil shrank sensing him at close. Looking at his expression Elder Ross sneered, a deep killing intent rose in his heart. Using his right leg, He slammed heavily at the center of his chest. "blurt" A blood spilled from his mouth, as he lets out a muffled groan due to agonizing pain. He doesn''t know how many chest bones broke. His Initial Elite level strength wasn''t able to block his attack. As his body heavily falls on the ground from above. Due to another heavy impact on his body he fainted on the spot. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. While the other two took the entire time to fend off those Silver Spikes. They weren''t even able to help their companion in the middle of an attack. After clearing the weak one, Elder Ross set his eyes on the other two. Unlike the weak one, the other two were better in strength. He already probed their strength. One is at Peak Elite level as him and the other is at Mid Elite level. Feeling his gaze the Peak Elite level Warrior let out a creepy laughter, "He¡­He¡­He¡­" "As expected of the Elder from the Star Tower. You guys are as cocky as ever." He said with a vicious smile. He removed the mask from his face without worrying. At this moment, Elder Ross recognised face. He smiled and said, "You escaped last time due to sheer luck. I don''t think this time even luck can help you." Hearing his words, the enemy burst out in anger. He glanced at the Mid level warrior for a moment. There is a tacit understanding between them. He immediately attacked Elder Ross with his Giant Flame Sword. A blazing heat is constantly emanating from the Flame Sword. As the tip of the Giant Flame Word slashed against him. Elder Ross''s eyes flickered with interest. To defend against the flame sword. He formed a thick shield out of thin air using metal elements. As the blade touches the metallic shield. "Clang" A metallic sound resonated in the area due to the collision. Both moves canceled out each other, As Elder Ross thought about the next movement. He also observed the other Mid level Warrior. He has been looking for openings, Elder Ross plans to take him out as soon as possible. ¡­ ( From Mc Perspective) At Zack''s inn, The Elder Thornton hurriedly reaches Zack''s room. Upon seeing his flustered expression, I asked, "Elder, What''s wrong?" Elder Thornton drinks a glass of water to quench his thirst. After hearing Zack''s question, He gestures to him to sit. After taking seat, Elder Thornton commented, "The turmoil has started. Just a while ago Mr. Jonathan informed me about the new situation at the West border." Then he looked at Zack''s expression. Instead of getting tense, He appeared Calm. Elder Thornton''s eyes flashed with appreciation. Then he continued, "The West border is breached. Some forces infiltrated successfully into the town. Right now, The Constant battle has been going on there." Hearing that I''m surprised, Which force dared to do this. Won''t they worry about any retaliation after the Competition? I wondered. I looked at Elder Thornton and asked, "Elder, I heard, Star Tower can employ any means to eliminate the threat once they enter inside the city during the ongoing competition." Elder Thornton nodded and commented, "Yes, It''s true. But we don''t know how they are going to do it." Then he added, "What I''m worried about is the killing done by the assassins. It''s a good time to infiltrate the city during chaos." I knitted my eyebrows hearing the term assassin after a long time. "I believe The City Lord will take care of it. Already his Patrol guard has been keeping an eye on the streets. It will be difficult to get past them." I said with confidence. Shaking his head, Elder Thornton disapproved of Zack''s reasoning. He added, "You seem to forget something. Do you think these normal guards can fight against Elite Assassin?" I sucked cold breath heading that, "What Elite level Assassin?" I''m beginning to get tense. I had the worst experience with the assassins. Elder Thornton didn''t want to say it first. But he feels Zack is letting down his guard. So, having no other choice he told him seriousness about the situation. After seeing Zack''s reaction, "Yes, There is quite a possibility for it. Though, He/she might not be from the same force. Which tried to assassinate you on our campus." Hearing that I sighed in relief. I already learnt from Mr. Jonathan that he had eliminated the assassin some time ago. So, I don''t think there will be another force ready to act so soon. Elder Thornton said, "So, in any case. You have to be careful. Don''t go outside until the end of the competition. It''s just one more week. Then we can rush out of the city." "Elder?" I said. "I knew you hadn''t gone outside for a while. But I''m saying it''s for your own good. Right now, we are outnumbered. You have me and Mr. Jonathan. In case of emergency it''s impossible for Mr. Jonathan to enter the city. Which leaves me to protect against those forces." Elder Thornton convinced Zack in a solemn tone. Hearing his words made me tense even more. Elder Thornton is the one who wanted me to participate in the completion. Now, it looks like he himself hasn''t expected this situation to develop this far. Perhaps, he made a wrong calculation by assuming I''m weak. If he had known my real strength. He wouldn''t recommend it and I wouldn''t be in this desperate situation. Then I said to Elder Thornton, "Okay, Elder. I won''t leave this inn. But What''s your next Plan?" Elder Thornton signed in relief hearing Zack''s words. Next he can focus on his work without worrying about Zack. "Don''t worry about me? I met an old friend here. If there is any situation he will help us." After saying that he left Zack''s room. Seeing the Elder leaving my room, I frowned. He came to meet me to discuss this matter alone. I thought he would stay here for a while. Shaking my head, I begin to cultivate. Only having good strength can aid me during this crisis. It''s better to focus on increasing strength than involving in conspiracies. Elder Thornton, on the other hand, went directly to a different location to meet his friend. He didn''t divulge the information about him to Zack.. He thought it''s too early for Zack to know certain things. Chapter 241 - Part Two: Elder Ross Vs Three Elites After the heavy collision the dust settles down. Elder Ross frowned, He didn''t expect that Giant Flame Sword to be Powerful. "He¡­He¡­He¡­" "Old Man, Looking at your face. I see you didn''t expect me to be this powerful." The Peak Elite Warrior sneered facing Elder Ross. Next second, His eyes flashes with killing intent. As he made his next move. He raised both his palms to form a sea of flames in the sky. Then he launched the entire sea of flames towards Elder Ross. Compared to the Giant Flame Sword, the heat emanating from the sea of flames poses a threat to the normal Elite Warriors. Seeing his leader made a decisive attack on the enemy. The Mid level Warrior also made his move. He is an Earth Elemental Warrior using that power. He attracted several boulders from the ground. As the boulders moved towards the sky from the ground one by one, The Earth Elemental Warrior then pushed those boulders towards Elder Ross. Several large and medium size boulders were flying towards Elder Ross. The other hand, facing the two frontal attacks, Elder Ross didn''t get flustered. "Earth Elemental one uh?" Elder Ross smirked. "I can only deal with them quickly in close combat." He said to himself. Facing a wave of flames, He enveloped himself using a silver layer shield using metal elements. If one looks closely towards the shield, from a distance Elder Ross appears to be inside of a Silver Color Ball. When the sea of flames drowns the ball, "Bang" A deafening sound resonated in the area. It''s impossible to see what''s happening over there with a naked eye. As those flames completely drowned the Silver Ball. And more scorching heat envelops the surrounding area due to the attack. At the same time, several boulders slammed into the sea of flames towards the Silver Ball. When the boulder comes into contact with a metallic silver ball. "Boom" "Boom" "Boom" The sound of constant collision resonated throughout the area. The other hand, Due to the extreme flame attack the first layer of the shield completely withers into thin air. The first layer turned into ashes facing the full blown attack. When the second layer comes in contact with flames attack. The impact was reduced a little bit, but at this time Several boulders landed on the shield out of no air. Everything happening in the shield is completely noticed by Elder Ross. He is constantly maintaining the stability of the shield by pouring metallic energy. His eyes flicker in instant, as he notices the second layer is working fine under the flame attack. But the impact of earth boulders putting a dent on the shield. Which further reduces the effectiveness of the second layer. "Damn, I can''t delay it any longer. I need to provide support to other places" After making up his mind, He decide to use his offensive artifact. He took a bow and arrow set from his storage ring. This Silver Weapon set is a high end offensive artifact. It''s mostly used by metal attribute warriors. At this moment, Elder Ross decided to target the Mid level Warrior. He placed the arrow carefully then he poured metallic energy into it. The silver arrow gets sharper and stronger due to its metallic essence. All he needs is less than a second to launch the attack. Then Elder Ross aimed at Mid level Warrior''s eyes. After locking the target, He immediately pulled the bow string. The arrow launches towards the target at a break-necking speed. Outside, Seeing the sea of flames scorching the enemy, the Elite Peak level Warrior smiled viciously. But deep down he knows this attack alone won''t be enough to wear him down completely. He needs to make multiple attacks to drain his energy. Then he can use his trump card to kill him. At this moment, suddenly an old memory flashes before his eyes. Where he and his companions get chased and hunted down by Star Tower Warriors. Only a few people were able to escape from their pursuit in the end. But unfortunately due to severe injuries some of them passed away later. Except him, the rest of them choose to live their remaining life peacefully. But he can''t do it, his brother died from their endless pursuit and killing. It''s the same as the last time, in order to kill a few talented kids. His team took a bounty mission. Their team is just one of those many teams who had taken the same mission. At that time his team is able to eliminate most of the heads successfully. In the end, they had completed their mission. He is maddening more as he thinks about the tragic past. They should have returned to their organization after completing the mission. But unfortunately greed took over the hearts of some of his members at that time. Because of them he was even himself tempted to do more killing. Sadly, like others he too fell to their convincing arguments. Finally, After having brainwashed their team indulge in more excessive killing and ends up getting chased by Star Tower Officials. He knew the old man before him and also eliminated some of his guys. He felt a sudden burst of anger recalling their tragic moments. He made another violent flame attack. This time he poured a huge amount of fire elemental essence to form a giant flame ball. He fiercely slammed the Giant Flame Ball towards Elder Ross. This Giant Flame Ball looks like a mini sun from the ground. All the warriors battling in the ground stopped their fighting for a moment and looked at the sky. They can feel scorching heat emanating from the giant flame ball. As the Giant Flame ball dashing towards the Silver shield/ball. "Hiss!" The piercing silver arrow was shot towards the Mid level Elite Warrior. It happened in the blink of an eye. After launching the flame ball, he looks forward to the attack. Just as he looks at it, he senses imminent danger. He caught a glimpse of an arrow piercing towards the Mid level Elite Warrior beside him. It''s an artifact attack launched by Elite Peak State Warrior. It''s even hard for him to block it directly. "puch" Before the Mid level Elite Warrior could react, the arrow reached him and pierced through it. The brain matters burst out completely towards the surrounding. As a result, his vitality withers away due to the sudden attack and his huge body falls to the ground. He couldn''t have imagined he would meet with a tragic death in the end. Seeing his other companion gone, His face becomes even more distorted. He already recognized the silver arrow. His expression condensed further. "Just as expected. It''s not easy to kill this old thing." He spoke to himself. Just at this moment, "Boom" The Giant Flame Ball comes into contact with the shield. The second layer was completely torn away due to a powerful attack. The flame attack didn''t even take a second to reach the third layer. Elder Ross smiled on the other hand, He slightly rubbed his favorite weapon set. Like old days, he took out the target in one shot. Then he placed the weapon back in his storage ring. And in the next moment his smile disappears as he notices the impact of the flame ball. "This pest!" He snorted. The last layer is also gone in a few minutes. He disappeared from the spot and plans to end the opponent in close combat. The other hand, the Peak level warrior notices that there is no injury on the opponent''s body. He also burst out in full strength to attack him. "Boom" "Boom" Both of the opponents fiercely fought against each other. Due to lack of combat experience, He wasn''t even able to switch to offense as Elder Ross''s punches landed on his body continuously. At the same time, the numbers of warriors from his side were also in decline. In a few minutes, half of his warriors died. If the situation goes on everyone will be wiped out. But there is no hint of remorse in his heart. He put himself in a tricky situation, he got no time to think about them. Elder Ross on the other hand covers his palm in a thin metallic layer. In every attack he didn''t give the opponent any time to counterattack him. He knew what''s happening on the ground. It will be a matter of time before his men clear out the battlefield. So, he can''t be behind them. Next moment, He formed a sharp spike to nail him. As the opponent was so close to defend his attack. Seeing the spike he wasn''t able to move away from the spot in time. He only managed to twist his body to protect his heart. The spike pierced through his shoulder bone, hereby injuring him greatly. Elder Ross didn''t give him anymore time to move away. He launches several spikes in close range. Seeing those spikes dashing towards him, he gritted his teeth in anger. He knew it''s impossible to stop all those spikes in close range. Next moment, He made a firm decision.. He drank some kind of forbidden liquid at this moment. Chapter 242 - Eastern Fort Is Under Attack Elder Ross'' expression changed drastically, as he recognised the liquid in opponent''s hands. But it was too late to stop him. As the Peak Elite Warrior drank the forbidden liquid without any hesitation, his body underwent drastic transformation. Soon, his entire body began to bulge. Red coloured veins were popping all over his body making him completely unrecognisable. Elder Ross made his move, He formed another sharp silver spike to pierce him. The other hand, the Peak Elite Warrior let out a maddening laugh. As the time goes by, His reasoning begins to corrode due to effects of the liquid. When the metallic spike came into contact with his body. "Clang" It couldn''t even pierce through his defence. The forbidden liquid strengthened his body beyond his limit. Seeing the changes happening before his eyes, Elder Ross frowns. " I don''t think he can hold on for so long. I can end him when the effects wear down." He thought to himself. Though he couldn''t reason, his eyes turned bloodshot due to inner instinct to kill the person in front of him. The Peak Elite Warrior made a powerful punch against him. Elder Ross made a silver layer to cover his palm to block his fist. But when both of them collided. Elder Ross flew backwards a little due to the collision. "Crack" His silver layer cracked due to the powerful blow. His entire right arm felt numb due to the collision. Gritting his teeth, Elder Ross decided to use an artefact again. But for that he needs to maintain a suitable distance from him. Otherwise he will hinder him. Just as he ponders, The Peak Elite Warrior made another move. He didn''t even give any chance to Elder Ross. The Peak Elite Warrior was driven by our instinct. This time Elder Ross was put into a defensive position as his constant blows landed on him. "Boom" "Boom" The constant collision of blows made by them resonated in the areas. While things came to the last stage at Elder Ross sides. But his warriors have already completed their mission. Only a few warriors remain alive from enemy sides. But they are at their last breath. It will be a matter of seconds before everyone clears out. "Boom" A wave of flames covered the giant sky. This time the attack is even more stronger than the last time made by the Peak Elite Warrior. The forbidden liquid squeezes out his entire elemental potential in his body. He can make only one or two attacks like this before the power of forbidden liquid wears down. Elder Ross quickly forms a defensive shield/ball. This metallic shield is stronger than previous ones as it has five layers. Even though Elder Ross didn''t let out his guard, especially seeing those sea of flames coming like a tsunami towards him. When the sea of flames drowns Elder Ross. He took full brunt of the attack. He gritted his teeth in frustration as he clearly underestimated the opponent. The other hand, his metallic elemental essence in his dantian won''t last long. That''s why he is hoping to end him with artefact using his last bit of energy. Just as he was holding on, his defensive shield didn''t last long. First few layers completely blown away by those flames they couldn''t hold on against that much intense heat. At this time, "Hmmm" Elder Ross notices something. The power of forbidden liquid showing signs of wearing down. The Peak Elite Warrior will be completely dead once the effect dries down. Seeing the situation, Elder Ross smiled. " As expected of forbidden liquid, it can only give you buffs of one or two attacks." "Crack" His last defensive layer broke into pieces. The other hand, those flames haven''t died down. As the last layer breaches the entire flames drowns Elder Ross. Fortunately, Elder Ross is prepared beforehand he has a defensive armour beneath his dress. When the flames touched his body, his dresses were completely turned into ashes. Using this opportunity, Elder Ross flew backwards to use his artefact. Since the Peak Elite Warrior''s reasoning ability was gone. He wasn''t able to guess Elder Ross''s auctions. Those flames didn''t even cause a slightest injury to him. As his defensive silver armour artefact is the same grade as his weapon artefact set. As a result there is not even a dent on it. Seeing his state, he surprised. "It''s been a long time since someone cornered me this far." He said to himself. Then he looks at the Peak Elite Warrior who is responsible for this and said, "Sure, You can''t underestimate someone who is ready put his life on the line." He can already sense his worsening condition. His reasoning was lost, if it weren''t for it this guy would have already made the next attack on me. Elder Ross knows if this goes on he will die in a few minutes. But he won''t let it happen, He wants him to die by his hands. He used the weapon artefact set again. "Roar" The Peak Elite Warrior roared in agonising pain. Which can be heard by Warrior standing on the ground. Right now, there is no one left from enemies factions. The Elder Ross side suffered few casualties, that''s all. All of them looked at the sky to see the end result. At that moment, A loud wind breaking sound can be heard. A long silver coloured arrow shines brightly in the sky, it tore through the air in break necking speed. Before everyone could follow the path of the silver arrow. It already pierces the target. "puff" blood filled brain matter burst out throughout the sky. Like the previous killing, Elder Ross used the same tactic to end the opponent by targeting his eyes. After killing him, Elder Ross quickly collected their bodies as part of the evidence. As for the first fainted guy, he already died due to burst out organs, his heart also took the brunt of the attack. because of it his vitality quickly withers away. Elder Ross quickly ordered his men to guard the fort. Then Elder Ross quickly went to his chamber to recuperate. Though he didn''t suffer any serious injury. He needs to quickly fill his reserve. Seeing the situation, he knows he can be called at any time. After arriving at his chamber, Elder Ross used several rare herbal treasures to restore his essence. Most of the treasures are related to metal attributes. Some time later, Elder Ross sighed in relief, his tired expression replaced by an energetic one. Suddenly, his watch buzzes with notification. He quickly received it to view. "Damn, These bastards, they are pushing their luck too far" He cursed at them as he read the message. The situation at the eastern fort is extremely grimm. Some groups attacked the east fort at the same time as they faced an attack here. And they are still fighting against the enemy, Seeing the worsening situation they have requested for assistance. For a moment, he decided to go there. But soon he holds down his impulse. He is in a dilemma, if he goes there, who will protect his fort. Right now, He plans to assess the current situation on his side before going out to support them. ... At Eastern Fort, Like Western Fort government building, the second line of defence also breached in minutes. Unlike the western fort the numbers of warriors from the enemy faction is the same as that of the Eastern Fort warriors. Not only on the ground, the situation above the sky is also favourable to the enemy faction. Five Warriors from the enemy faction besieging two warriors from the eastern fort. Among five of them, two were Peak Elite level Warriors, one Mid Elite level Warrior and two Initial Elite Level Warriors. The Eastern Fort side is supported by two Peak Elite Level Warriors. One of the Peak Elite Warriors is an Elder from the Star Tower, Elder Smith. He is ranking below Elder Ross. His ranking is at no.8. The other Peak Elite Warrior is a female, Elder Dorothy. She is the powerhouse requested by the Hall Master of Star Tower to help them during the competition. At first, the eastern fort was under the protection of 8th Elder Smith. But due to increase in activities seen at the eastern border side. The Star Tower management finally decided to send one Peak Elite Power house to assist. But who would have thought the situation here is worse than they imagined. Facing the enemy they are still underpowered. After the enemy faction breached the second line of defence to reach eastern fort. It alarmed everyone, as it happened in no time. I took some time to react, Then a constant battle broke out between the two parties. At first, Elder Smith and Elder Dorothy managed to hold on for a while. But as the time went, they suffered some injuries due to sneak attack caused by the other three Elite Warriors. Situation, here is completely deteriorating. If it''s a two vs two situation they can easily kill their opponent.. But now their essence reserve is draining in alarming a rate. Chapter 243 - The Hall Masters Problem? Elder Smith looks exhausted, it''s not that it''s a do or die situation. But they have the responsibility to defend any means possible, dying is the last choice. Right now, each has sufficient artefact on them to protect themselves from life threatening situations. Yet they can''t use it casually, they need to find an appropriate chance for that. Both of them had already requested emergency assistance. For now they need to hold on until the help comes. That''s why both of them are reluctant to use artefacts on their hands. It''s also important to notice, they can''t be sure that the enemy faction doesn''t have any artefacts on them. "BOOM" Another big collision sound resonated in the area. The Peak Elite Warrior from the enemy faction continuously bombarded Elder Smith with huge boulders. Elder Smith uses concentrated flames to destroy those rocky boulders in a single attack. The other hand, Elder Dorothy is a bloodline warrior. Her bloodline belongs to a feline cat. She swiftly evades those wind elemental blades from another Peak Elite Warrior. Seeing Elder Dorothy evades his attack easily, the opposite scared face, Peak Element Warrior gritted his teeth in anger. He instantly enhanced his speed using the wind element to chase her. He decided to face Elder Dorothy head on. As his actions were noticed by her, Elder Dorothy laughed inside her heart. At first she is worried about how to break the enforcement. But now seeing the opponent''s foolish actions, She feels there is a good chance to kill him. Both of them collided in close combat. As the scar faced warrior''s punch reaches her, she decisively uses her minimum strength to block it. She decided to lure the opponent first, then she will use her full strength on the end move(Killing Strike). The Scar faced Warrior''s punch was easily blocked. But it didn''t surprise him that much, he thought this much of strength is expected from Peak Elite Warrior. "Let''s see how you can block my next move." He sneered inside his heart. As both of them engage in a close fist fight, he uses the next fist attack, but this time it was different. When his twisted fist reaches her abdomen, Elder Dorothy tries to block as usual, but due to her bloodline instinct''s warning at this moment. She didn''t let down her guard, The Scar faced Warrior opened his fist at the last moment to launch a concentrated wind attack on her abdomen. "BANG" Elder Dorothy flew backwards due to the opponent''s unexpected attack. Fortunately, she prepared for this surprise attack. When she feels the threat received by bloodline instinct. She ignited the bloodline power to strengthen her body for a moment at the last moment. As a result, she didn''t suffer any serious injury except there is only a slight injury on her palm. "I should make him feel that I''m weakened by his attacks." Elder Dorothy thought to herself. The Scar faced Warrior smiled viciously, "Finally, I landed a hit on her. Let''s continue to thrash her. " He spoke to himself. He feels a sense of pleasure by beating his opponents using bare hands. The other Midlevel Elite and two Initial Elite Warriors formed a team. From time to time they sneak attacked Elder Smith and Elder Dorothy. The other hand, Elder Smith also made his moves. Unlike, Conventional Elemental Warriors, where they use long range flame attack techniques. Elder Smith''s techniques were mostly related to close combat attacks. Where he uses bursts of flames in his palms to punch his enemies. At this moment, as he destroys those boulders using a flaming palm, the other hand opponent closes him. The bald head Peak Elite Warrior from the enemy faction, for a moment he glanced at his Scar faced companion. Seeing that he went into an offensive mode, he too decided to do that. He can see the sneak attack caused by the other three warriors is not enough damage. So, he decided to fight in close range. "Hmmm" Elder Smith also notices the sudden changes. Seeing that opponent is getting close. He didn''t get surprised, rather he is glad that he doesn''t have to exhaust his fire essence anymore on those boulders. On one side Elder Smith uses his flame palms to attack. The other hand, the bald head warrior uses his earth element power to harden his palm. When both of them collided, "BOOM" a deafening sound reverberated in the area. As both of them were at the same power level, their two attack moves cancelled out each other. The other hand, two Initial Warriors smiled helplessly seeing the situation. They thought they could easily cause damage to two Peak Elite Warriors. But now seeing the four Peak Elite warriors bursting out in full strength, their heart palpitates. If any one of those attacks falls on them, it can easily kill them. Both of them shifted their eyes towards Mid level Elite Warrior. Where he is moving his neck constantly to watch the fights happening on both sides. "As expected, Peak Elite is something. It''s even hard for me to trace their attacks." He thought to himself. Suddenly, he perceived the gazes from his two companions. Seeing their tensed faces, he knew they can''t participate in Peak Elite Level fights. But what can he do, it''s an order from these two guys to form a three man sneak attack team. If not for it, they would have participated at least in ground fights. Where they can easily sweep through the other parties. For a moment, he hesitated. If they continue to sneak attack, there are chances to get killed by those two Star Tower Elders. The landscape on the ground changes drastically, fortunately, the battle is taking place some distance away from the east fort. There is no civilian population in the surrounding area. They have been evacuated early towards the centre of the city. Currently, the casualties from both sides are somewhat the same. The Peak Trainee Warrior from both sides is leading their team to attack. The rest of the Special Trainee Warriors under them fight vigorously against each other. ... At Western Fort, The situation here is stabilised after the enemy faction is eliminated. Elder Ross instructed some Peak Trainee Warriors to go to western border and see for any chance of further infiltrations. After instructing them, he contacted the Hall master of Star Tower. When the call connected, the holographic face of the Hall master appeared above his watch. Looking at his face, Elder Ross said, "Hall Master, the situation here is stabilised. I''ll head out to eastern fort after this call." Hearing that, the hall master commented, "You did well by eliminating them, Elder Ross. It''s not easy to get forbidden liquid. We will look into this matter after the end of the competition." Then he added, "Do you need anything at the Western Fort?" Elder Ross nodded, Then he answered, "I need at least Mid level Warrior''s presence here to temporarily handle the fort until I come back." He doesn''t want to give any chances to the opponents. If someone took advantage of his absence here, then the result would be catastrophic. If there is an Mid level Elite with Artefact, he can at least hold on for a while when facing against Peak Elite Warrior. The Hall Master knitted his eyebrows upon hearing his sudden request. But he didn''t deny it, he said, "Okay, I''ll arrange for someone at western fort. You can go and assist eastern fort." Then both of them ended their call. Elder Ross didn''t waste any time after the call. He instructed the remaining Peak Trainee Warrior about the situation. Then he made his way towards the eastern fort. The other hand, the hall master found himself in a difficult spot. The help he had requested from the powerhouses is not enough. He needs more assistance now. He can''t ask the City Lord, that guy Garry, himself is dependent on him. "How come this year is more challenging than previous decades?", the hall master sighed. He is already aware of the events happening around the four borders. He really didn''t expect the attack of a huge number of elite level warriors from the enemy faction. "Someone is really pushing behind the scenes." He thought to himself. Right now, he is in need of a high level warrior. It''s impossible to ask for help from outside now, it will take them some time to reach here. So, he dropped the idea of asking help from outside. "If the situation persists, I really don''t have a choice to step out of the star tower" He mumbled under his breath. Next moment, suddenly, he thought of a possibility. He immediately contacted the City Lord Garry. Some seconds later, the call connected. The holographic face of the city Lord appears, but his expression is grave. "Hall Master, Our City forces under immense pressure. The amount of infiltration happening around the border is increasing day by day. I have already sent some of the forces to assist over there.." He said with a tensed voice. Chapter 244 - Part One: Quick Meeting City Lord Garry expressed his concern directly. The other hand, the Hall Master listened patiently to him. When City Lord Garry finished saying his words. Then the Hall Master commented, " It''s okay, Don''t worry. I got a plan here." The City Lord''s face lit up when he heard his words. The Hall Master said, "How many Elite Warriors in our city currently and those who were not part of this ongoing battle?" After saying that he looked at his expression. For a moment, City Lord Garry is confused, "What does he mean?" Then suddenly he seems to realize something. "Wait a second! Does the Hall Master plan to seek help from neutral forces?" Finally, his nervous expression was replaced with a hopeful one. City Lord Garry answered, "Hall Master, For now we have found 10 Elite level powerhouses in the city. They seem to be the guardians of Star Tower Participants." He knew for sure, without their permission. It''s impossible for an Elite level Powerhouse to directly enter the city. Hearing that the Hall Master smiled, He thought this number would be enough to handle the current pressure. The Hall Master said, "City Lord, It would be better, If you can arrange a quick meeting with them half an hour later." City Lord Garry nodded. The meeting ended with that quick conversation. ¡­ At Eastern Fort, Situation here is drastically changing at the ground level. Where corpses can be seen everywhere around the battlefield. No one is ready yet to collect them on either side. Above the sky, The Scar faced Peak Elite Power house is getting frustrated as the time goes on. He already understood that the female powerhouse from their side is a bloodline warrior. Seeing her smiling face, His expression turned even more gloomy. Then he glances at his partner who is even worse than him. He is struggling hard. "I can''t let this continue," the scar-faced warrior mumbled. Then an idea came to his mind. He plans to break their calmness. He wore a vicious grin on his face as he thought about this plan''s effectiveness. He turned towards the sneak attack team, where those three people stood helplessly not knowing what to do. The three Low level Elite Warriors shuddered feeling his gaze. The Scared face Warrior signaled them to get to the ground, eliminating those warriors fighting against them immediately. After receiving the instructions, the sneak attack team immediately went ahead to sweep those warriors. For a while, chaos can be seen on the ground. The Eastern Fort Warrior bewildered seeing three Elite level Powerhouses in front of them. It''s against the code of conduct. But the Elite Power houses didn''t say anything. They immediately made their moves. First, the two Initial Elite Warriors made their move separately against Eastern Fort Warriors. A storm of Water bullets and Flames can be seen simultaneously. In a few seconds, lots of dead bodies were piled up continuously. Seeing the situation, the morale of eastern fort warrior breaks down completely. The Warriors from the enemy faction cheered in victory. Above the sky, "Ha¡­Ha¡­.Ha¡­." The Scar faced Warrior laughed creepily seeing those corpses on the ground. "You Scum!" Elder Dorothy roared in anger, She lost her calm composure at this moment. Her eyes turned bloodshot, watching the fall of their brave warriors. She knows the opponents wants to let her guard down. By making her to lose her calmness. But she couldn''t able to sit still upon seeing those killings on the ground. Those were talented warriors only one step away from being an Elite Powerhouse. But now they have died under the hands of Elites. At this moment, using her anger as a catalyst. She stimulated her bloodline to gain further strength. The other hand, Elder Smith is no different. "Your organization will have to face serious consequences. For the injustice you have caused here." Hearing that, the bald headed, earth element warrior sneered. " Stop sounding so diplomatic here. First, See for yourselves. Whether you can leave from here alive or not. Itself a question." "Harumph," Elder Smith snorted. Then both of them involved in a further intense clashing against each other. ¡­ At Zack''s inn, Elder Thornton and Zack were watching breaking news on the virtual screen inside the reading room. Where some news reporters even show the dead bodies of fallen warriors without censoring whatsoever. "What''s wrong with these people? Who allowed them to visit a battle zone?" I mumbled under my breath. This is completely crazy, no responsibility, no ethics. I thought the battle between forces was supposed to be a secret one. At the same time, Elder Thornton''s watch beside me lit up with notification. Seeing that Elder Thornton attended the call casually. At first his face was normal but as the seconds went on, his expression turned gloomy. Dripping sweat beads can be seen on his forehead. The call continues for ten minutes, Where he has been answering with yes or no. I couldn''t even guess the topic of their conversation with that. Then a few seconds later he ended the call. "Elder, What happened? " I inquired. Elder Thornton sighed and said, "The Situation at the moment is worse than we thought. I have been asked to visit the City Lord''s office building for an emergency meeting." I understand what it means, "Elder, If they request you to assist. What are you going to do? Are you really going to fight?" Zack''s question put Elder Thornton in a tough spot. Elder Thornton commented, "Let''s see what will happen at the meeting. You wait for me here until I come back." He said in a serious tone. Elder Thornton doesn''t want Zack to wander around at this critical moment. "Don''t worry Elder, Even if you ask me to go outside. I won''t go at this moment." I answered him straightforwardly. After gaining Zack''s confirmation, Elder Thornton left the inn to visit City Lord''s office building. Then I shifted my gaze towards the virtual screen. I let out a deep sigh at this moment. I don''t know why I feel unknown deep worry at this moment. I know the ongoing situation is terrible. But I have faith in Star Tower management. They won''t let the horrible situation continue. Then I immediately turned off the virtual screen. It''s better to cultivate in peace for a while. Otherwise my mind will be stressed, if I continue to watch the breaking news. ¡­ Sometime later, At this moment, Elder Thornton reached the City Lord building. Along with him, other nine Elite level Powerhouses were already present there. Upon sensing Elder Thornton''s power low-level they greeted him personally. Among the ten elite warriors, there were four Peak Elite level power houses, one is female Elite Power house and other three is male including Elder Thornton. Following them, Three Mid level Elite warriors and Three Initial Elite level warriors. All of them were males. Seeing that Elder Thornton is a Peak power house, he was greeted with respect. Suddenly at this moment, City Lord''s subordinate came to them. He gestures to them to follow him towards the meeting hall. A moments later, Ten people entered the meeting hall. There is a huge round table present for this meeting at the center of the meeting hall. Quickly the ten warriors take their seats, a moment later City Lord Garry entered the hall with a tensed face. He gestures to them to sit without wanting any etiquette at this moment. After taking the main seat, the City Lord Garry looks at the ten Elite Warriors in front of him. A small smile blossomed on his face. He felt relieved seeing there are at least four peak hours present at this moment. He hopes that the Hall Master will convince them to participate in the battle. The other hand, Four Elite level Powerhouses are seated without any expressions on their face. But the rest of the warriors right now have small sweat beads on their forehead. They don''t know what to expect at this moment. The City Lord Garry said, "I know all of you are quite worried seeing the recent developments around the city. And many of you might know the reasons and importance of this meeting." Seeing those warriors listening to him carefully, He further added, "To be honest, This meeting was arranged on request from the Star Tower." "Gasped" When he uttered those words, the Initial Elite Warriors failed to hold their calm demeanor. They were shocked, Star Tower is the high power house. Why are they requesting this meeting? They wondered. Seeing the hardened gaze from City Lord. They quickly composed themselves. Only Peak Elite Power houses grasped the vague idea on this matter. But they hoped it wouldn''t be the case. Elder Thornton was quite worried at this moment. "This is bad, I know the situation is getting worse. But I hadn''t expected it to be this serious. Serious enough to even the Star Tower have to intervene at this moment." He thought to himself. The City Lord Garry without wasting any time, arranges a virtual meeting with the Star Tower. Chapter 245 - Part Two: Quick Meeting At the City Lord''s building, When City Lord Garry connected the call with Star Tower Management, the rest of the people here thought, including Elder Thornton, that it must be someone powerful from Star Tower. But they have no idea that the Hall Master himself is going to attend the meeting. As the call connected, the holographic face of the Hall Master appears. City Lord''s expression turned serious for a moment. Which is noticed by everyone; they too nervously watched the holographic image. From the other side of the call, the Hall Master already receives details about those Elite Warriors seated in the meeting hall over there. He is quite satisfied with the Peak Elite Level Warriors numbers. Seeing as everyone was waiting for his words, the Hall Master commented, "Ahem, Hello everyone, I''m the Hall Master of the Star Tower. I thank everyone for gathering here on quick notice." When the Hall Master revealed his identity, at the same time the 10 Elite level Power houses stood up from their seat in respect. At this moment, they were stunned and quite speechless. "It''s actually the Hall Master of the Star Tower. The Top Existence of the Star Tower. They say his strength is unfathomable. No one is quite sure of his current level. Some say he is at Peak Elite level like them and some argue that he already broke through to reach the next level." Elder Thornton said to himself. The rest of the Elite level power house had the same thoughts running through their mind. "We greet the Star Tower''s Hall Master." Ten Elite Warriors greeted with respect. The other hand, the Hall Master smiled and gestured for them to sit. While City Lord Garry inside his heart is hoping for a better outcome from this meeting. After everyone seated, the Hall Master said, "I''m going to be direct as to why we called you here. It''s because we need your assistance at this moment." Hearing that a few Elite level Power houses looked at each other''s face, while others still want to listen more on this matter. The Hall Master Continued to say, "At this moment, the borders of Westword city are under the attack of hostile forces. So far we managed to hold on and successfully eliminated them. But, We suspect that this time the number of attacks is going to increase as the time goes by." When he finished saying his words, he looked at everyone''s reaction. Especially at Peak Elite level Power houses, what he needed at this moment was assistance from Peak Elite Powerhouse. He didn''t even take a look at the rest of the Warriors. For a moment, the atmosphere turned solemn. The City Lord Garry is looking forward to their answer. Lots of pressure can be handled with their timely assistance. He knew the Hall Master was careful with his words, he didn''t explicitly say we are under the attack of many Peak Elite level Warriors. Seeing these people hesitating to participate, he knew if they came to know about Peak Elite enemies. It''s hard to guess whether they are ready to put their life on the line or not for some other organizations. At this moment, the two male warriors, Peak Elite Level Power houses made their decision. The First one stood up from his seat and commented, "Forgive me, Hall Master. Including me, our organization only has four Peak Elite level Warriors. I came here as a guardian for our organization''s seed. I can''t put my life and especially his life at great risk unnecessarily." Seeing his strong refusal, the other Peak Elite level Power house also declined the request. Leaving behind only Elder Thornton and other female Powerhouses from their side. The Hall Master frowns a little from the other end of the Call. But he didn''t force them on this issue in the end. There is a great probability of losing their life here. He can see why they are hesitant. He let out a deep sigh, "Okay, Those who are not ready to participate can leave the hall immediately. And most importantly the meeting happening here is highly confidential. I don''t even want your organization to know about it. If we come to know about such things later, you and your organization can say goodbye to this world." He said with a smiling face. Seeing that, the rest of the warriors shuddered. Even the City Lord Garry felt, no one can threaten like the Hall Master by having a smile on their face. Before going out, they gave their word to keep this matter buried in their heart forever. Not only two Peak Elite level Warriors left. Along with them other three Mid level and the three Elite level Powerhouses left with them hurriedly. They were quite scared for their life, on top of it they don''t want their organization to be involved in such trouble. The City Lord''s face twists seeing these cowardly people. Right now, apart from the City Lord. Only two people still remain in their seats. Elder Thornton and other Female, Peak Elite Power house. Seeing the decision of two of them, the Hall Master nodded and slightly glanced at their information on his table. Suddenly, He let out a small laugh in happiness after reading the information. Hearing his laughter, three of them looked at the Hall Master in surprise. Especially, the City Lord thought, the Hall Master mood is not okay after those rejects. "But now he is laughing, what''s going on?" He thought to himself. The Hall Master then composed himself and sighed in relief. He then looks at the two Peak Elite level Power houses and commented, "You two made the right decision in your life. Not only for yourself but also your organization as well." Elder Thornton and the female powerhouse looked at each other hearing the hall master''s words. The Hall Master continues to say, "Don''t worry, once your mission is successful. I can assure you that no one can lay their hands on Zack Lockwood and Martin Dyers until they reach their home safely." After saying that he looked at Elder Thornton from the Hansen Campus and Elder Ruth Lawson from Winston institute. Elder Thornton and Elder Ruth Lawson, both of them were shocked by the revelation. While Elder Ruth Lawson was quite surprised hearing the name Zack Lockwood. That kid is the current No.1 Rank Holder in the LeaderBoard at this moment. And followed by their Seed, Martin Dyers at 2nd Rank. And the person in front of her is actually Elder of that kid. She once again looks at Elder Thornton in surprise. "What a coincidence? " She thought to herself. One of the main reasons why she agreed to the Hall Master request was that they need the star tower''s protection. She already received intel from her organization that some forces agreed to kill Martin Dyers when he leaves the city. But after hearing the Hall Master''s words, she can be sure that the same can be said for that kid Zack Lockwood from the Hansen Campus. Forces even more ready to kill him at any cost than their Martin Dyers. Elder Thornton on the other hand smiled wryly. The 1st and 2nd Rank Warrior''s from this competition have no other choice except to seek help from the Star Tower at this moment. He already suspected this might be the case upon seeing her. Other than this reason, why would anyone willing to participate in this madness. Earlier, He thought the strength of himself and Mr. Jonathan was enough to protect Zack. But now seeing the ongoing situation his hope is crushed. He knew if they caught off guard, it would be dangerous for Zack to be alive. So, he needs help from the Star Tower just like they need help from him. The City Lord Garry is bewildered, "Why I haven''t thought of this before? No wonder, The Hall Master is glad at this moment." Seeing the stunned expression of these two people, the Hall Master smiled and said, "I''m impressed by those two kids from your organizations." The atmosphere now turned somewhat normal. Hearing the Hall Master''s words, the two elders looked at him. The Hall Master continued, "Especially, I''m much more impressed by that kid, Zack Lockwood. So far no one is able to reach his record. And of course that kid, Martin Dyers, is good too." When he said that he is much more impressed with Zack Lockwood. Elder Ruth Lawson looks at Elder Thornton in envy. Even she and her organization are quite shocked on this matter. She wants to know more about this perverted(Monstrous talent) kid. "Hall Master, you are quite generous with your words. Still that kid has a long way to go." Elder Thornton said with a proud smile. Hearing that the Hall Master shook his head, He laughed wryly in his heart, "What you know? That kid is defeated at the hands of a Special Monster. If the monster''s identity is exposed it will shake the entire outpost (1012) region." He didn''t have access to see the live battle. But he can view the details about the monsters that participants were facing. After seeing his record, he planned to send Zack Lockwood''s record to higher ups. But he hadn''t expected to face a crisis at this moment.. So, He will do it later after this mess is cleaned up. Chapter 246 - Part One: Eastern Fort - Final Battle The Hall Master commented, "In order to show you my sincerity. I will give One Small Realm Promotion Pill of High Grade to Zack Lockwood and Martin Dyers." Then he added, "The City Lord will give you the pill after this meeting. I hope it''s enough for you to trust us." Elder Thornton and Elder Ruth sucked cold breath. "The Hall Master''s handwriting is too big. With one high grade pill Zack can easily step into Mid level." Elder Thornton said to himself. He will tell Zack to get a breakthrough after this meeting. The other hand, Elder Ruth also made decision to support Star Tower in heart. Even with their organisations its difficult to buy high grade pill. Usually, this type of pill sold through auction. And it''s eventually lands in the hands of Powerful organisations. "It''s a better reward than I had imagined." Elder Ruth said to herself. "Hall Master, I will assist Star Tower full-heartedly in this crisis." Elder Thornton said with a seriousness. Elder Ruth also echoed the same opinion. "Good" "Good" The Hall Master is satisfied with their words. He said, "The two of you, Before going out for the mission. You can ask your students to get accommodated in our Star Tower Zone. There are few guest houses in our premises. They can use it till the end of the competition." Then he added, "Since, you have accepted the mission. I don''t have anything to discuss further. The location for the mission will be sent to your contact. Your only job is to defend the fort temporarily. It''s fine, If you aren''t able to kill the enemy." After saying that he ended the call. At this time the City Lord takes out two silver cases consisting of pills. He then gave it to two Elders. The City Lord Garry didn''t say anything regarding the mission. Instead he thanked them for their cooperation. The two elders parted ways after leaving the City Lord Building. ... At the Eastern Fort, The Situation is terrible at the Eastern Fort. The ground is littered with the corpses of the eastern for warriors. None of them is left out alive. Three Elite Power House from the sneak attack team wiped out the entire army in half an hour. After clearing out, all of the warriors looked at the sky to see the final result. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." the Scar faced warrior laughed out creepily, he is satisfied with killings done at the ground. Elder Dorothy gritted her teeth in anger. They were completely entangled by the enemy. Until the last moment they weren''t even able to break out from the attacks of these two. Before they try to land decisive blows at those three Elites on the ground. "Maybe I should have used the bloodline ore." For a moment she thought. Then she comforts herself by saying, " If either of us fail. It will the doom the eastern fort. We must hold on until the help arrives." Wounds on her body are increasing steadily under the attack of Scar faced enemy. From time to time she also strikes some blows to the opponent. But if this goes on, her energy will be completely drained. If she stimulates her bloodline power beyond limit. It will boost her strength but she will also bedridden due to the burden. "Scar face, You did well!" The Bald headed, Peak Elite Warrior on the other side chuckles. "Harumph" The Scar faced warrior snorted hearing that, Then he gestures to the sneak attack team to come back and assist them. He believes that women in front of him must have consumed so much energy at this point of time. If the trio launches their sneak attack this time. There is a high chance that she will be hit. The trio, After getting instruction, rose to the sky to assist them. Their plan was seen through by Elder Smith. He looked towards Elder Dorothy and said, "Elder Dorothy, I think it''s time to use our trump card. We can''t let them cross eastern fort. We must get rid of these two(Peak Elite) before dying. Elder Dorothy nodded hearing that, She quickly consumed some kind of ore to stimulate her bloodline. Elder Smith also takes out his flame thrower artefact- Medium End. There is not much fire element essence left out in his dantian. He must use remaining energy decisively to kill the enemy. Their actions were noticed by Bald Headed Warrior. He sneered, "Looks like you two can''t hold on anymore." His expression condensed seeing the flame thrower. He became alert, He knew about this artefact. It had high destruction power. But he didn''t fret, He too had a compatible defensive artefact to tackle an attack like this. "Boom" Next moment, The Collison starts the fight and intensifies to the next level. A muffle sound came out from Elder Dorothy''s Body. As she successfully stimulates her bloodline power at this moment. Which in turn gives a huge boost in strength to her body. At this time, an overwhelming pressure released from her body. She received 5% of Super Elite Strength at this moment. Perceiving the huge power coursing through her body. She feels amazed, "I don''t know how many months. I will be bedridden." She said to herself. But it certainly will have an impact on her future breakthrough. Knowing that she felt overwhelming wrath, She wants to tear down the person responsible for this. She turned around and faced Scar Faced Warrior. And in the next moment, She disappears. This overwhelming power is sensed by the Scar Faced Warrior. "This bitch.!" He immediately cursed out loud. Before he could take out his artefact. "BANG" Elder Dorothy''s fist lands on his chest. A muffled sound escapes his mouth, like a broken kite his body flew backwards in breakneck speed and crashes heavily on the ground. The Bald Headed Warrior''s scalp exploded seeing this. "This Power!" He shuddered completely. He didn''t even catch a silhouette. Elder Smith swallowed his saliva sensing the power. He felt fortunate that He is not the one facing the full blown attack. He knew this is why the bloodline warriors is feared and respected by others. At the same time, He uses his flame thrower artefact. He wants to kill him as soon as possible. Because it will be a matter of time before she runs out of her boost and gets paralyzed. "BOOM" "BOOM "BOOM" Elder Smith shoots highly concentrated flames at him. The Flame thrower artefact looked dazzling in fiery red pattern over its body. The three crimson red flame lands on the Bald Headed, Peak Elite in a blink of an eye. The other hand, the bald headed warrior caught off guard. He lost his sense for a while seeing the bloodline warrior. Now, his body is burning due to these flames. He hurriedly activates his defensive artefact armour beneath his dress. A mud layered armour instantly covered his skin. Feeling the sensation he poured his entire earth elemental essence to it. But unfortunately though he pours his essence constantly, he feels he has been cooked alive. "Roar" He roared in angonisng pain. At the same time, after slamming the scar faced warrior hard. Elder Dorothy suddenly turned around towards the sneak attack team. These bastards slaughtered the entire eastern fort team. The agonising voice of warriors still ringing in her ears. "Puf" "Puf" "Puf" She released her bloodline coercion though her palms. Those three Elite Warriors frightened completely. And in the next moment, the heads of three warriors burst out like watermelons. Until the last moment of their death, they didn''t even plan on defending as their mind went completely blank due to extreme fear. She suddenly feels her strength is going to decline in a few seconds. She needs to get this over quickly. Next second, she appears in front of the bald headed warrior and lands a heavy kick on his abdomen using her leg. "Bang" He rolled backwards in the blink of an eye. The defensive artefact took the brunt of the attack. Small crack begins to spread over the surface. This attack broke its defence. Elder Dorothy didn''t even look at him. She moves to the ground to kill Scar face. She knew one attack is not enough to kill Peak Elite Power House. She needs to make sure there is no scum left out of his body. Elder Smith''s eyes lit up seeing the blow. Using this opportunity, He launches consecutively flame balls on the bald head Warrior. ... (From MC Perspective) At Zack''s inn, Elder Thornton returns back to the inn. After seeing Zack, he gave him the high grade - small realm breaking pill for breakthrough. Inside the room, "To think this pill is one grade higher than the previous pill. Star Tower is really generous." My eyes gleamed in surprise as I looked at the colourful pill on my palm. Elder Thornton didn''t even tell me about the meeting. Instead he wants me to get breakthrough first. But looking at his face, I knew something troubling his mind. Shaking my head, I prepared for the breakthrough. Chapter 247 - Part Two: Eastern Fort - Final Battle (From MC Perspective) When I swallowed the pill and in the next moment. I feel warm current coursing through my veins. It feels like an endless torrent of energy. Then I immediately begin to recite the lightning scripture. Next moment, The lightning scripture rune in mind begins to flicker. As seconds went by the rune shone more dazzlingly. My entire body is beginning to change greatly. I feel slowly the shackles beginning to lose. Starting from meridians, veins and marrow undergo a huge transformation. A few minutes later, I touched the limit. Feeling that, I immediately concentrated those energies to break the barrier inside the dantian. A few moments later, "Boom" A small crack begins to appear on the barrier. It slowly began to spread due to the constant bombardment. Finally, After the last crack was formed, the entire barrier tore like a piece of paper. The dantian begins to expand in size. After reaching the limit, it stopped expanding. "Special Trainee- Mid level" And I feel a closer connection to the lightning element. I thought it would take a few weeks to reach the Mid level. This high grade pill is something, it even solves the trouble of gathering lightning elements. It would be good, if I get my hands on this pill recipe. It will certainly be helpful for me in this barren environment. The remaining energy settles down in my dantian. I used it to stabilize the realm. A half an hour later, I left the room, Seeing that Elder Thornton is looking at his sci-fi watch seriously. I called out to him, "Elder?" "Hmmm" Elder Thornton knitted his eyebrows after hearing his name. But when he looks at Zack. A small smile appeared on his face. "Good, But I couldn''t sense your energy. You must have some artifact to hide your breath." Elder Thornton said in appreciation. He knew Zack had a successful breakthrough from looking at his smiling face. Then Elder Thornton added, " Since, You broke through. It''s time for me to fill you in with some details." I smiled embarrassingly hearing the name of the artifact. Sometime ago, I thought the artifact stopped working. But it looks fine. Who could have thought that I might face a threat from Elites? I need to find a way to upgrade the artifact. Then I sat in a nearby seat to listen to Elder Thornton. The other hand, Elder Thornton quickly summarized what happened in the meeting. At first my expression was normal, but when he stated the current plight of Star Tower. It really broke my view. Even the omnipotent Star Tower is facing challenges. Thinking about it I had a wry smile on my face. "Gosh, This is too much. Who could give this much trouble to Star Tower" I said in a frustrated tone. Fortunately, I have completed my challenge earlier. Elder Thornton on the other hand nodded hearing Zack''s mumbling. He too feels unreal seeing what''s happening. Then he looked at Zack and said, "In a few minutes, I will receive a mission notice from Star Tower. After my leaving, you can go back to their place to get accommodated." I nodded heading that. It would be better if I could kill a few underlings. But I hope the matter won''t come to such an end. ¡­ At Crimson Hall Team''s inn, "Ella, This place is getting worse. Why is our organization still waiting at the northern border?" Sallie said with frustration. She is brooded about the fact that their organization''s Elders were hesitating to come inside the city. Ella quietly listened to her friends murmuring. Both of them stayed inside one room. Under their organization instruction they have collected some intel about other participants. Later, they sent it to the organization. But it''s been days since there has been no reply from the people. In frustration each of them contracted their own family to know about the situation. Finally, from their parents they came to know that warrior from their organizations waiting at the northern border. But that''s it, they have yet to receive any developments from them. "Ella?" Sallie calls out. Ella Downs looks at her friend. She knows her friend is worrying unnecessarily. So, she said, "Sallie, Calm down for a moment. Just stop overthinking. People won''t be foolish enough to attack government buildings." "Harumph" "Just look at these broadcasting sites. So many elite powerhouses are attacking the border towns. And there is no support so far from other known organizations." Sallie refutes her words annoyingly. Ella shook her head in rejection. She knew it''s impossible to convince her. ¡­ At the Eastern Fort, Elder Dorothy kicked scar faced abdomen to end him clearly. The other hand, The Scar Faced Peak Elite Warrior fainted due to earlier attack. Now, when Elder Dorothy''s kick lands on his abdomen. His internal organs burst open and He died unconsciously. She sighed in relief after confirming his death. Then in the next seconds she feels a burning sensation over her body, she knows time is running out. Without wasting any more time, She moves towards the bald headed warrior to kill him before getting paralyzed. The other hand, due to the attack of flamethrowers the bald head warrior''s defensive armor fell off completely. He is holding the last straw of his life. Which is next ended by Elder Dorothy. After finishing him she feels one by one her organs beginning to slow down. She turned towards Elder Smith and said, "Elder Smith, You can clear out the remaining pests." After saying that she moved toward the eastern fort building to get rest. The other hand, A huge commotion breaks out in the crowd below. They thought they had achieved victory. But who would have thought this would result in their leaders dying one by one in the blink of an eye. Feeling scared one by one the crowd starts to flee. Which is noticed by Elder Smith. He feels bad from the beginning to the end . He acted like a sidekick. So, he took out his anger on those fleeing Warriors. He placed the artifact back in his storage ring. Then he created several flame balls and finally threw them into the crowd. "Hiss!" The enemy faction warriors died in agonizing pain. The flame ball covered everyone. In a matter of seconds, everyone roasted and turned to ashes. Some time later, After finishing everyone he sighed in relief. Looking at the destruction on both sides, he uttered, "It''s a huge loss. They have lost their entire army. On top of it Elder Dorothy''s combat ability is compromised." Right now, He is the only one remaining in the fort. Just as he sighed. "He¡­He¡­He¡­" "To think eastern fort is reduced to such a state. What is sight seeing? It''s a cooling sensation to our eyes." Team Leader Palmer said in hearty laughter. At this time his subordinate also commented, "Leader, You made a good decision to not interfere while they were fighting. But now we have achieved victory without even sweating" The other nine warriors behind him also echoed the same opinion. They wire quite scared earlier watching the battle between the elites. But now everyone is dead, leaving behind only one Elite. "Not good!" Elder Smith noticed the arrival of a new team. He thought everything was over. But looking at these people he finally realized something. There are still some people who are waiting to fish in the chaotic water. He smiled helplessly, "Looks like we are doomed. Elder Dorothy is already paralyzed. I don''t have any essence left. " The other hand, "Hmm" Team leader Palmer noticed Elder Smith''s presence. "Looks like his oil has run out" He smirked triumphantly. He already observed their battle. He is quite scared of that bloodline warrior. But seeing her overwhelming power, He knew she perhaps consumed some forbidden liquid. It''s a matter of time before she loses her strength. So, he waited patiently. Right now, he thought he shouldn''t give him any more chance to recover his essence. So, he gestures to his lackeys to back away. Then he made his next attack. "It''s much more exciting fighting against Fire Element Warrior" after saying that he launched several gigantic water arrows at him. Several long water arrows made their way towards the Elder Smith who is resigned to his fate now. Seeing those arrows, team leader Palmer sneered, "Let''s see how you can escape my arrows." The other hand all of his lackeys looked at this attack gloating. It''s a matter of time before they infiltrate the city. The other hand his subordinate commented, "Harumph, After this Martin Dyers won''t escape from Leader''s clutches." Elder Smith essence is dried out, earlier due to anger he used his remaining essence on those low level warriors. Now at this moment, he can''t even save himself. "What a turn around?" He sighed. Sensing the power of those arrows, he knows the opponent is another Peak Elite. Shaking his head, He thought, "It''s futile to expect any more help on our side. It''s too late" Even if someone comes here to assist them. It''s useless. Because these Warriors had already infiltrated our city at that time. He didn''t even try to defend.. It''s futile. Chapter 248 - Star Towers Guest House (From MC Perspective) At Zack''s inn, It''s not even ten minutes after the discussion. Elder Thornton received notification from the Star Tower Management. After glancing at the information, He learnt about his mission. "I have been asked to be stationed at the Western Fort" Looking at Zack, He told him about the mission. I understand Elder''s worry. He has been feeling guilt towards me. Who would have expected such a thing to happen? Shaking my head, I said, "Elder, Don''t worry about me. I don''t think they will foolishly attack Star Tower. Then it will lead to all out war." Then I added further, "Since, I broke through. There is no urgency to return back home. Later, I will explain to my family about it. We can leave safely after everything calms down. Doesn''t matter how long it takes. We should prioritize saving our lives first. Right now, the safest place for me is the star tower. I wonder if there are any training places out there. I''m looking forward to testing my current strength. Elder Thornton smiled hearing that then he commented, " I''m leaving now, you can go back by yourself. In case of emergency don''t hesitate to contact me. " After saying that he took his leave. Seeing his disappearing back I sighed. I wonder about Mr. Jonathan, what is he doing right now? If it were normal circumstances, I would have contacted him. Right now, I don''t know whether to contact him or not. Even Elder Thornton seems to have contacted him a couple of days ago. I hope everything is okay on his side. After sorting out my thoughts, I begin to pack up things. Some time later, I became ready to vacate the inn. All those personal stuff were placed in my storage ring. There was no stuff left behind. After making sure one more. I bid goodbye to this inn and headed straight towards the Star Tower. There''s only a couple of days left before the end of the competition. I wonder what''s the situation inside the Star Tower. Just as I''m pondering on the way. I heard a small commotion ahead. Hearing that I quickened my pace. After a few breaths, I found the source of noise. Few people tried to rob the old couple in broad daylight. "Madness" I felt infuriating seeing the situation. Three Initial Stage Special Trainee Warriors begin to surround the old age couple by demanding something from them. The old couple looked frightened. But both of them wore a luxurious dress. Suddenly, they halted their actions after hearing my footsteps. "Boy, Stay out the way. If you don''t want to be crippled" One of the Warriors begins to threaten me with his words. Heading that I sneered, Without replying to them I made a move. I exploded with my full strength. A crackling sound can be heard from my fists. The leader of this group is one who is asking something from an old age couple. Now, He look frightened. He couldn''t even sense kid Strength. "Boom" As my fists landed on his chest, like a broken kite he rolled backwards several feats. The other two warriors look like frightened chickens. They begin to flee in panic. Seeing that I didn''t chase after them, I helped the old couple to stand up properly. "Thank you! Young Man" the old woman politely thanked Zack. While on the other hand she supported her husband. Seeing that I gestured to them not to do that, I asked, "What''s going on here? How come there is a movement of Patrol Guards here?" I feel quite strange, usually this street is crowded. And there has always been a team of Patrol Guards here. Even after the emergency law is in place. The Patrol Guards still did their job as usual. But now I haven''t even found a single warrior so far. Hearing his question the old couples reacted slowly, the old woman commented, "The Strength of the Patrol Guards have been halved lately. That''s why people dare to rob in broad daylight." Don''t tell me the City Lord directed some of his warriors to the front line. I wondered. Well, looking at this place that seems to be the case. Situation is getting worse as days go by. Unless they stamp the enemy sooner, the situation inside the city becomes Inhabitable. Shaking my head, I bid goodbye to this old couple. Those pests had already run away from here. So, there is no danger again to this old couple. Along the way, I can see the impacts of the news sites. Most of the shops were closed. Not many people can be seen around here, it''s even worse than the normal day under emergency law. Fortunately, those inn were not cruel enough to drive me away. Some time later, I reached the premise of Star Tower Zone. I Saw new participants coming out of the Star Tower Zone. Seeing that I quickened my pace towards the management office. The building happens to be at the entrance of the Star Tower Zone. Only if you want to visit Star Tower, you need to go deep inside. I don''t think they will let me visit Star Tower again. Shaking my head, I arrived in front of the Admin room. Right now not many people are around this premise. So they didn''t recognize Zack''s identity. Besides, everyone is busy with their own thoughts. Even if someone recognizes Zack, they won''t be in a mood to appreciate it. But at this time there were some people working inside the admin office. Right now, someone from the admin office noticed Zack''s presence. He is none other than head of this management office, Bill Floyd. When he clearly saw Zack''s face. Hints of surprise flashes in his eyes. He already received notification from Elders to assist Zack Lockwood. He will be staying in their guest house for a while. After recognizing him he went ahead to receive him. "Hmm" I noticed someone is coming towards me. He appears to be a Peak Special Trainee Warrior. "Hello, Mr. Zack! I''m the Head of this management office here." Bill Floyd greeted him with a smile. Before Zack could say anything he further added, " Elders already informed about the situation. Let''s go to the guest house." Hearing that I nodded and didn''t interrupt him. Soon we walked through different paths and reached the guest house area. There were few houses that appeared to be constructed side by side. He led me towards the first house. After saying a few words he left the place. Then I begin to arrange a few things. I don''t know why this staff seems to be in a hurry, I frowned upon realizing that. ¡­ At the eastern fort, Elder Smith failed to defend his body from those attacks. As his body is pierced by those water arrows. He coughed up a few bloods, "It''s over!" The other hand, the leader Palmer smiled seeing his state. But he didn''t stop midway. He continues to rain down the target with his attacks. "Ha¡­Ha¡­Ha... It''s very satisfying to watch his state" Palmer mumbled under his breath. He felt it was a matter of time before some other forces came here. He needs to quicken his activity. He signals his men to go near him and check his pulse. The other hand, Elder Smith''s entire body is bloodied. His body is littered with bloody holes. He held the last straw of his life. His consciousness is slowly fading away. Just as his body falls down to the ground. Palmer''s subordinates went near him to check his pulse. After sensing the slipping vitality, they informed their leader. Hearing that Palmer smiled, he told them to end him while he was busy checking around the premises. He wants to make sure that there is no other force hiding here and planning just like they did. But before he could react, "Presumptuous" A loud voice echoes the surrounding area. Palmer shuddered for no reason hearing that voice. "Who is it?" Palmer yelled. He suspects there is another gang hiding around this area. So, he prepares for a battle. The other hand, when his subordinate tries to end Elder Smith''s life. A horrifying aura pasted them to the ground. There is not even a bone left. Suddenly, a silhouette put a high grade healing pill inside Elder Smith ''s smith. A warm current courses through his body slowly stopping the slipping away vitality. His deep injuries were beginning to recover slowly. The Silhouette is none other than Elder Ross. The other hand Palmer''s expression discolored as he noticed the state of his subordinate. He knew instantly the opponent was Peak Elite Warrior. Without giving him any chance to attack, He made his move. Several water arrows were fired at him in a blink of an eye. "Harumph" Elder Ross snorted immediately. He took Elder Smith''s body to the safest place. Those water arrows land in the empty space. "Boom" The landscape changed due to bombardment of those water arrows. Palmer''s expression was dignified seeing the reaction speed of the enemy.. He quickly begins to chase him from behind. Chapter 249 - Sad News (From MC Perspective) At Star Tower''s Guest House, After the admin left, I began to look around the house. I''m obviously going to practice here. Hopefully there won''t be any secret cameras to spy on me here. It may sound silly, but I''m actually going to check nooks and corners around this house. I started by checking my bedroom first. The room has a medium sized space. Which is enough for one king size bed, few furniture and cupboards. It''s amazing, this guest house is not at all inferior to any luxurious inn. Two hours later, I breathed in relief as I haven''t found anything suspicious so far. So, the Star Tower can be considered credible. Then suddenly I thought about Elder Thornton and Mr. Jonathan. Next moment, I sent messages to their contact regarding my accommodation here. Then I contacted Uncle James. It''s been a long time since I called him live. These days he has been communicating with me through voice notes. As the call connected a holographic image of his face appeared. "Zack, How is the situation out there?" Mr. James'' anxious voice rang in his ears. "Hmmm" I said, "Uncle You don''t know about it. I thought Mr. Arthur already told you something about it." My Uncle is working in a federation, it''s hard to believe he doesn''t know anything. Mr. James smiled wryly hearing that. Though he knew some information. Which is nothing compared to what''s happening around the ground. He then answered, "Arthur is busy handling your campus affairs. And he will definitely tell me something if had some information in his hands." Hearing that I nodded and said, "I can''t talk about the general situation. But my situation here is quite safe." Then I informed him about the Elder Thornton''s meeting with Star Tower Management. Mr. James listened to his words in silence, after sometime he answered, "Compared to others your situation is quite good. You can rest assured, Stay as long as you want in that city. If you need some money, I can send you asap." I shook my head and said, "Uncle, I received a reward from Star Tower which included some Credit Amounts. So, You don''t have to pressure yourself at my expense." Then I added, "How is Granny Park?" The other hand, Mr. James doesn''t know how to answer his last question. Seeing his long silence made me feel bad. "Uncle?" I called out to him. Mr. James collected his thoughts and said in a grimm tone, " Ms. Park is hospitalized due to sudden illness." Deep down he doesn''t want to reveal it. But he treated Zack like a mature kid. So, he thought it''s better to tell him sooner than later. "What?" I stood up from my seat. My heartbeat accelerates due to panic. Granny, She is a bit old but she is also a warrior. How come she became sick all of a sudden. "Uncle, How is she now?" I immediately thought about it. Mr. James commented, "She is doing fine now. But her vitality is a little weak. It will take a few months to recover." I breathed in relief hearing that. Mr. James added further, "Zack, She is fine now. You don''t have to worry about it. You can visit her later." I calmed down my nerves listening to his words. I don''t know why these few months have been bad. One after another unfavorable situation surrounds me. I really want some peace of mind at this moment. I sighed, my mood was a little bit low, It''s hard to believe Granny got sick. I plan to sleep for a while to calm down my mind. ¡­ At Crimson Hall, The First Elder is discussing with the HeadMaster, " What about their current situation?" Right now, other than two no one is beside them. Even the righteous second Elder is nowhere to be seen around them now. The HeadMaster gulped down his saliva in nervousness. He thought it would be a piece of cake for their team to complete the mission. But the situation is worse than they thought. Even the Star Tower is facing trouble. When he heard the elder''s words, he collected his thoughts and answered, " Elder, Currently our men are hiding at.." Before he could say anything, the First Elder glanced at him. Seeing that the Head Master understood the meaning behind the gaze, he decisively answered, "Ahem, Elder Our men were currently stationed at the Northern border. They have been asking us whether to proceed or not." Hearing that the first elder fell into deep thought. He commented, "What about our allies? How long will it take their team to reach the northern border?" "Sigh, Elder, That''s one of the reasons our team is getting impatient now. They really want to go inside without them " The HeadMaster said with a wry smile on his face. Then suddenly he thought about something, then he added, "Elder, what about our students? Their parents have been pressuring us to protect them." He glanced at the first elder for answers who has been maintaining a nonchalant attitude from the beginning. Hearing that the first elder knitted his eyebrow then he commented, "For now, tell those kids to stay inside the city. Transfer some amount to their account. Once the team deals with the mission, they can go and secure them." The HeadMaster nodded hearing that. But he doesn''t know that the First Elder is under great pressure. The other hand, the First Elder is contemplating. He knew about the situation that Star Tower is facing. If he doesn''t help them to handle some pressure, there is some possibility that Crimson Hall might face some retaliation. He pondered to find a suitable solution. if he doesn''t help them now then the consequences would be disastrous. Then he glanced at the Head Master and answered, "Tell our men to wait for a while. In the meantime I will contact our allies to know about their situation." The Headmaster sighed in relief hearing that. Chapter 250 - Part 1: Darius Collision With Zack At the Eastern Fort, After securing both Elder Smith''s and Elder Dorothy''s body. Elder Ross placed it in a safe place away from the battle. He did it amidst a person chasing him from behind. After placing it, he turned back to face the enemy. The other hand, The Peak Elite Warrior from the enemy faction stayed behind little. He didn''t want to endlessly waste his energy. For a moment, he hesitated. A look of confusion can be seen on his face. "It''s troublesome, I feel like I stepped into deep shit. Wouldn''t it be better if I went back to normal?" But just as he ponder it, "Hiss!" Several silver spike needles dashed towards him. "What is it?" He instinctively deflected those attacks with a water barrier. "Harumph" Elder Ross sighed, "To think the situation pushed me to this state." Then he raised his head and looked at the person. "Well, It''s time to stabilize the situation here." He mumbled under his breath. While he released his next attack simultaneously. Seeing Elder Ross''s face clearly now. The Peak Elite Warrior instinctively knew this person was from Star Tower Management. His face becomes condensed for a moment. Then he decided to fight head on. He knows it''s too late to back away. Seeing another wave of silver needles coming at him. He created a large defensive barrier around him in response. "Boom" "Boom" a deafening sound resonates in the area. Large number of silver needles collide at the water barrier in the blink of an eye. But they all get deflected one by one. There is no dent left on the Water barrier. Seeing the collision, Elder Ross''s expression didn''t falter. They were just appetizers, and there is still some time left for him to use the main course. But before that he wants to make sure that there are no other Peak Elite Warriors, hiding in the vicinity. Otherwise, he would fall into the same trip like Elder Smith and Elder Dorothy. He decided to use the minimum essence possible. Then he suddenly disappeared from his spot and in the next moment his right foot stomped on opponent''s chest. "Bang" Like bullets the opponents flung backwards in a blink of an eye. Unlike Water element, his metal elements greatly enhanced the physique attributes. Elder Ross wants to wear out the opponent before killing him by using the essence technique. The other hand, For opponent it took him some seconds to react and stabilize himself. Unlike Elder Ross his body strength is not up to the mark. He feels conflicted little as his mind races to find the solution. "Looks like he wants to drain my energy." He thought to himself. He doesn''t want to drag it any longer. The other hand his lackeys were watching his battle nervously. Elder Smith''s deep wounded injuries began to heal slowly. The blood clots stopped slowly after healing pills'' energies began to work. It will take some time for him to gain his strength as usual. But the state of Elder Dorothy is a bit serious. Unlike Elder Smith. Elder Ross gave her two pills apart from the healing pill. He also put a Meridian calming pill into her mouth. The Meridian calming pill slowly calmed her stressed meridians. While the healing pill also accelerated his recovery a little bit. Unless Elder Ross transferred them to a nearby medic unit their condition won''t get any better. ... At Northern border, Like other borders, there are also battles taking place between the forces. One Peak Elite Elder from Star Tower is battling against an enemy from Peak Elite Warrior. Unlike other borders the situation here is balanced. No one can predict who is going to win against these two. While the collision taking place between the two forces. There were also some small forces hiding the vicinity. They were waiting for a chance to fish in the troubled water. Among those hiding forces, the team from Crimson Hall is also hiding quietly. Unlike other teams, this team is led by two Peak Elite Power houses. One is hiding his breath and leaking the aura of Peak Elite Warrior. While the other one is officially leading the team in the name of the leader. Apart from the duo, there were nine trainee peak warrior subordinates assigned for the mission. One extra Peak Elite Warrior is specifically assigned for this mission. In order to not to alert the enemy, he has been ordered to remain undercover. From time to time, the two peak elites glanced at each other. For them they didn''t care about the ongoing battle. They worried about their allied forces. It''s been several hours since they came here to the northern border. But there is no word from the allieds forces. They don''t even have any idea about their strength. Besides, there are no clear instructions from the organization. That''s why they don''t even ponder about the ongoing battle. ... At Crimson Hall team, The emergency fund was transferred to the Crimson Hall team by their organization. They also received clear instruction from their organization to stay inside the inn and not to roam around the city. But not all of them took it seriously. Apart from Sallie and Ella, the rest of their teammates were involved in collecting details about the participant. Because the competition is still going and participants are going in and out of the star tower every moment. At this time Darius from Crimson Hall is went near the Star Tower Zone. He spotted a few familiar faces from the current batches. Some of the warriors hailed from the enemy family. It''s nothing to do with organization. He had already completed a mission for his organization. Unlike his other teammates, he doesn''t want to do extra missions. Right now, he wants to collect information about them to help his family. He didn''t even tell his teammates about his little mission. Because, sometime ago he received information from his organization reminding them to stay put inside their inn.. But he believes that there is no harm in doing missions near the Star Tower. Chapter 251 - Part 2: Darius Collision With Zack (MC Perspective) I woke up after a good late night sleep. After completing my morning routine, I''m having a delicious breakfast right now. During my stay in the inn, I bought some tender fresh monster''s meat to eat. My cooking skill has gotten better compared to the days of my Lightning Training at Mountain Liz. Now the atmosphere here is also different compared to the Mountain Jungle. Here I can enjoy the juicy aroma of meat without worrying about any monsters and failing sensors. Suddenly, I had a memory flash in my eyes. Such as first training at Mountain Liz, Blood Kill test in the campus, tragic events at the auction house, later Red Stone City''s lockdown, and my secret trip to Black forest Zone, Cementing my Seed Candidature in campus and Now my current situation in Star Tower. Thinking about it feels amazing, I even forgot about the Elite Assassin who broke into campus and tried to kill me. I let out a deep sigh as I recalled those memories. But I always considered joining the academy and getting formal training as a warrior as my first goal. Compared to my goal these events are just passing memories. I drank a glass of water while reflecting on it. Next only stumbling block in my way is the CRIMSON HALL EXHIBITION EVENT. Earlier after having some clashing with CrimsonHall''s management. Elder Thornton reminded me to be wary of these people. I have learned a lot of things in the past several months. If they really got murderous intention towards me, I don''t mind killing few people in silent. Shaking my head, I stopped overthinking. "I will decide later, if I come across someone from the Crimson Hall" while mumbling I ate the last bite of meat from my plate. After completing the plate, I stood up from the seat. I decided to go around the Star Tower and find a suitable training room. I hope they will allow me. Before leaving I checked my handsomeness in front of the mirror. I changed a lot compared to my past non-experienced look. Those days I used to train with wooden sticks at an orphanage. Thinking about orphanages, it reminded me of my birth parents. I usually don''t want to recall it. It will ruin the atmosphere around me. Even Granny Park used to urge me to move forward. "What kind of People were my Parents?" I uttered in sadness. When I think about it, Granny told me that both of my parents were hunters. And they died due to a monster invasion that occurred at Zetros Town. I need to visit that place when I have some free time in my hands. After clearing my thoughts, I left the guest house towards the meeting hall. I know that the Green Star Tower is off-limits. Other than the Star Tower officials and participants no one can enter. That is why I''m heading towards the meeting hall. This wouldn''t have happened if the admin had explained everything. "If there is no way, I''ll ask him personally "I said to myself. Sometime later, I reached the meeting hall area after a few minutes. I saw the area was more crowded than usual. People were wandering here and there, some were chatting with their team. Only a few people appear to be waiting for their turn to participate in the challenge. Since there''s only a few days left for the end of the competition, the number of participants right now is left with the last few batches. But there is no excitement whatsoever in their expression. The current turmoil in the city must have had some impact on them. I bet if the City lord and Star Tower Management give some options to them to exit the city, these people will leave right away. While shaking my head, I slowly walked near the meeting hall while glancing at the nearby room. Any of them could be some training room. So I begin to check each one of them. Soon, my strange actions attracted so many gazes. Finally someone from the crowd recognized Zack''s face at first glance. He is none other than a brute warrior from the second batch. Earlier, he saw Zack started to clear levels with his own eyes. Zack clearing speed of the levels had a huge impact on him. Which left a deep impression in his heart. He said to his team mate in a hushed tone, "Look at there, He is Zack Lockwood, No.1 Rank Holder." When he dropped this bombshell everyone was shocked. They turned their gazes towards Zack immediately. By looking at Zack''s actions everyone had one simple question in their mind, "What is he doing here?" Slowly everyone near the meeting hall started to recognize his face. Suddenly someone pointed at Zack from the crowd, "Hey isn''t he Zack Lockwood?" "Hiss!" the crowd looked baffled. Though it''s not exaggerated as much due to the current depressing atmosphere. Still people find it very surprising to see his presence here. Alternatively, I halted my footsteps when I heard my name. "Finally someone uh!" I uttered. I was wondering why no one recognized me so far. I''m glad that someone did it. Okay now, what I have to tell these people, I sighed. Just as I was walking away from here, "Zack Lockwood!" Someone called out loud my name again. I felt irritated hearing that, so I turned around and spotted the person and asked, "What? Do you need something?" The other hand the person is none other than Darius Case from the Crimson Hall. Darius Case is thrilled to see the person here. Though there were many reasons for it including his organization''s missions. Yet he is mainly interested in Star Tower''s top floors. When he heard Zack''s question, he answered, "What is it in the 19th Floor?" The sudden interaction between these two attracted everyone''s attention. When the crowd heard Darius''s question. A huge curiosity rose in their heart. They perked up their ears to listen to Zack''s answer. Alternatively, "This fellow" I''m surprised by hearing his sudden question. For a moment the memory of a giant sea monster flashes before my eyes. They completely trampled on me. Those unknown beasts were really terrific opponents. Then I looked straight into his eyes and replied, "Something Horrible" Chapter 252 - Part One: Killing Darius Case (From MC Perspective) The Crowd looks disappointed by hearing Zack''s answer. Even Darius frowns looking at his face, he didn''t expect this answer. Seeing the crowd''s reactions, I commented, "What? Don''t forget that the competition is still going on? It''s a felony to reveal the content of the competition." When I said that realization dawned upon them. But they didn''t treat it seriously. Among their friends and teammates they discussed the monster''s secrecy. But it doesn''t matter at all, because they are all lower level floors. Even if they leak it somehow, it isn''t going to make a huge change. But the content of the higher level monsters is the real deal. It is sought by every organisation. Who knows it may come helpful for their next generation? So, they like to collect information about that. So, the purpose of Darius Case was exactly like that. Even if he likes to hear about it, it isn''t going to get him a penny unless he shares with his organisation. Seeing that Zack is very careful on this matter. He is utterly displeased. Shaking my head, I begin to go through the room. The crowd also continues their work. The only person left behind is Darius Case. His expression condensed a little. He doesn''t want to miss this chance. He knew his organisation sees Zack as an important threat. A hint of greed flashes in front of his eyes. He will expose Zack''s current whereabouts to his organisation. In his mind he already begins to think about the set of rewards he is going to receive. To gain additional rewards he needs to gain additional information about Zack. Its best not to tell his teammates about him now. He suddenly dashed forward behind Zack to stop him getting away from this place. Alternatively, "Sigh" Most of the rooms here are locked. And unlocked rooms were empty and clean. I bet the unlocked rooms were for participants to stay. " Should I contact the admin?" I mumbled under my breath. Suddenly, a shadow flashes in front of me. I halted my footsteps seeing that person. What does he want? He is the same one who asked me a question earlier. Who is he anyway? Darius Case smiled and said, "Hi, I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Darius Case from the Crimson Hall." When he said that, I didn''t show a change in my expression. I maintained an indifferent expression. But in my heart, I already considered this person dead. I am always wary of starting away from hostile forces. But who would have thought someone from Crimson Hall find me first. I have vague feeling in my heart this guy definitely has some ulterior motive. Then why does he too want to find me? And his earlier question about top floor is also bugging me? So, I simply nodded my head in reply. I didn''t introduce myself since he already knows me. I''m going to play some trick here. Let''s see if he follows me or not. If he does then I don''t have any choice except to kill him. After nodding at him, I choose to drop my current plan and I walk straight towards the exit. I''m going to leave the Star Tower Zone for a while and find some isolated area. Darius'' face distorts seeing the response from Zack. He couldn''t believe this guy didn''t even budge even after mentioning his organisation name. Didn''t he know that Crimson Hall is several times higher than Hansen campus. He clenched his fists in anger. Seeing him walking away, he thought about the rewards he is going to get by selling out this person. Then he slowly calmed down himself. He already decided to follow this person secretly. He wants to collect his current location. It must be some kind of inn or guest house. After pondering it, he slowly starts to follow him without exposing him greatly. Alternatively, To track this fellow, I activated my perpetual ability soon after an area more than 10 meters range came under my perception. This fellow Darius is well within my range. He casually followed behind me. He maintains a distance of 8 meters away from me. I smirked thinking that my earlier assumption was correct. Since my first assumption was correct that he has an ulterior motive. Now I need to find whether he had called his companions or not. Since, he doesn''t know my destination. It''s less likely for that to happen. So, in order to make sure I plan to walk for a while rather than picking up an air cab or other transport. Since the streets are not crowded that much. Pedestrians were pretty much visible to the eyes. Seeing that Zack is not taking any cabs for his travel. Darius was confused a bit. Then seeing Zack''s calm walking pace he raced his doubt. "Since he is well within my eyesight. It''s good anyway." He said to himself. A 15 minutes later, I smiled seeing that there is no one following me beside me. Looks like this fellow is really ambitious. He is causally following behind me. Well it saves me a lot of trouble. Then I immediately thought of my next plan. It is to find an isolated alley. For that I accessed the city map. The patrol guard''s numbers are already reduced in half. So all of them are stationed in important locations. I can easily finish this person in an isolated area. Before that I better need to collect information from him. It will be helpful to Elder and Mr. Jonathan. After going through the city map, I found several isolated places away from the range of Patrolling Posts. Somewhere hard to reach due to current lock down. If I continue to walk without any destination. It will raise suspicion. I already decided to end him. So, I can''t walk anymore. After selecting a suitable isolated area which is quite away from the patrolling post, I deliberately walked towards the air cab landing stations. It will give a chance to Darius to follow me further. In my perception I saw Darius is still maintaining the same space as me.. After confirming it, I increased my pace. Chapter 253 - Part Two: Killing Darius Case ( From MC Perspective) After getting into the cab, I directed the driver to a nearby town as my destination. From there I will go to an isolated area by foot. And also I advised the driver to drive slowly. So that Darius can catch up to me. The Cab driver shows a strange reaction to his request. Yet since he is a customer, he refrain himself from making any comment on his request. After agreeing, he begins to drive the cab slowly. Darius Case on the other hand saw Zack is picking up a cab. "Finally, this bas**rd is going to his home." Darius is grunted in anger. He almost got overwhelmed from his own anger. He really suspects something is wrong with Zack Lockwood'' head. He is walking aimlessly without any destination. Seeing that happening, he almost exploded in anger and wanted to confront him directly and gather intel from his own mouth. He knows both Zack and himself were both at Initial Special Trainee. Yet his own record is far away from Zack number one ranking. But he feels that it has nothing to do with power level. He suspects ZCk has higher end artefact with him. Seeing that the Cab is getting away from the place. He hesitated for a moment. He ponders what happens if Zack used his artefact against him. It will be dangerous. Then he comforted himself then snorted, I''m just going to find his home''s location. Then I will return back to my place. "What a No.1 rank holder. Soon, He is going to be dead anyway" Darius sneered. After making up his mind, he increased his speed towards the cab stations. He worries that Zack''s cab will fly away from his eyesight. He releases his full strength to increase the pace. After taking a few steps he reached the cab landing stations. His sudden burst of strength caught the cab driver in surprise. But no one is foolish enough to offend this person. After hopping into the cab, Darius urged the can driver to follow in the northern direction. The air cab slowly floated and flew towards the northern direction. Right now, there is no shadow of Zack''s cab. Darius'' face distorts, "Damn it!" He cursed out loud. "Sir!" Darius'' voice startled the driver. Hearing that Darius told him to accelerate the speed he needs to catch someone in that direction. A couple of seconds later, "Hmmm" Darius was taken back. "Slow down!" He urges the driver immediately slow down the speed The other hand, the driver cursed himself to meet with bad fortune today. "What is wrong with kids these days?" He feels over training made Darius''s mind unstable. He wasn''t able to make the right decision. Fear of his strength, the driver didn''t voice out his inner thoughts. Darius breathed in relief spotting Zack''s cab. But after a while he observed the speed of his cab was slower than usual. He knitted his eyebrow in confusion. But he decided to follow him anyway. A few minutes later, Zack''s cab landed at a town. Seeing that Darius frowns, "Why is he landing here?" Then he gestures to his driver as well. Darius begins to ponder. This town is faraway from Star Tower Zone and on top of it this town doesn''t have any facilities. Then an idea came to his mind. He believes that to stay away from the enemy their campus must have chosen this spot. Thinking that he sneered. He suddenly became happy that their plans were going to be blown away. Zack started to walk away after landing, seeing that he too began to follow. Suddenly, his watch buzzes with notification. It''s a call from Robb Williamson. Seeing that he ended the call immediately. He guessed Robb''s intention. He must be eager to know about my Intel. I fooled him earlier by telling him that I''m going to take a walk. Now he must be suspecting me. Shaking his head Darius continues to follow Zack. Alternatively, After stepping out of the cab, I walk towards the isolated area. This town doesn''t have any operating patrol posts. The population of this town is very low. This place will be the perfect place to execute him. Then I ponder about those cab drivers. They will be the two loopholes left in this plan. I bet after killing Darius someone will investigate this matter and track the details, "What to do?" I begin to murmur. Then shaking my head, I''m going to stick with my heart. I''m not going to kill those drivers. If they really want revenge then I can seek help from my teacher. A ten minutes later, After arriving at an isolated area. I looked around and found two old houses. Looking at their state and growing weeds around them. I know no one is living there. So, I walked towards the house to trap the enemy. Darius on the other hand slowly reaches the area by following Zack. He has a bad promotion all of a sudden that things are not going to end well for him. Yet seeing. He observed the area, other than two houses the area is pretty much barren. He saw Zack walking up here, "Where did he go now?" He said to himself. Then his eyes set on those two houses. If he can confirm Zack''s location right now, he can walk away from here. But before that he needs to make sure of his presence now. So, he slowly walked towards the house. The other hand, Seeing Darius took the bait. I smiled and held my breath. I knew he would make sure of my presence now. I saw him instead of stepping into the house, he slowly walked around the area. He is glancing at the window. Seeing his action, I smirked and decided to confront him now. "Why are you here?" I asked as I appeared in front of him suddenly. Darius got startled, "I made a grave mistake here. I shouldn''t have investigated the house" Seeing Zack''s face he doesn''t know what to say now.. Even if he says anything it''s hard to convince him. Chapter 254 - Part Three: Killing Darius Case (From MC Perspective) "Hey, Darius! Why are you here?" I said. Darius has a gloomy expression hearing his words. Due to a small calculation failure, now he has to confront Zack. But soon the gloomy expression on his face was replaced by a ruthless glint, "I want to see, What good is the No.1 Rank Holder?" He sneered. He thought since both of their level is at Initial Special Trainee there won''t be any much of difference. So he made his move. He wanted to strike Zack first but before he could make his move. A horrible pressure envelopes him suddenly, "What?" Darius screamed. He would have never imagined a situation like this. The pressure released by Zack is unlikely for the Initial Special Trainee Warrior. Pfff! He spilled a large amount of blood from his mouth.Several of his inner organs burst open. Making him roar in agonizing pain. He couldn''t even fathom what is happening right now. His eyes were wide open staring at Zack. Though there is one level between them. Yet, Zack''s aura is innately stronger than other warriors. So, Darius is severely injured. Alternatively, "Well, it''s better to collect information before killing him" I mumbled under my breath. I had completely locked his presence with my aura. Even though he is injured, I don''t want to give him any chance. He might have some live saving cards. After making up my mind, I looked at Darius''s scared expression. He is completely frightened from this situation. I hope he is cognitively working properly now. "Darius," I yelled. Hearing that Darius gulped his saliva and became further scared. He began to rant, "Zack, leave me. If something happens to me right now. Then you can forget about living. My Father and Head Master will kill you and your family." Darius begins to threaten as a last chance of hope. "Crazy" I said. I made a small lightning arc attack on his body. It''s a very small purple arc, it''s powerful enough to provide him endless pain. "Aaaaaaahhhh" Darius screamed in agonizing pain. Those small lighting arcs land on his deep injury making it further worse. His vitality begins to slip away slowly as the conditions deteriorate. Seeing Darius'' reaction, I was satisfied. After stopping the lightning arc. I fed him a low end healing elixir. It will help him to stay conscious. I still need to collect information from him. So, I hope this guy is sensible enough to answer me. Otherwise, I need to use a corpse container. The other hand, the healing pill is working properly. Darius slowly begins to have some clarity. When he recalls this lightning arc, his heart skips a beat. "Zack is a lightning element user. Impossible!" He is completely scared. No wonder he is at no.1 rank. "Darius, Do you want to taste my lightning arc?" I smiled. Darius felt goosebumps over his body, so he immediately asked, "What do you want?" Heading that I asked, "Well, I have several questions. But first, Why did you follow me?" I looked at him with a piercing gaze. It would be troublesome if this guy had informed someone earlier on the way. "I was doing my task." Darius said. "Task? What kind of task? Explain to about whole ins and out clearly." I threatened him with cold and indifferent eyes. I never thought Crimson hall would act soon before their exhibition match. "It must be due to my ranking in the leaderboard." I thought to myself. Darius thought if he didn''t answer him. He needs to face another attack. He is feeling endless pain, if not for that healing pill. He would have fainted. Darius said to Zack, "Your performance in Star Tower Challenge made Elders view you as a threat." He stopped midway. But seeing Zack''s he added, "I received a task from HeadMaster to collect information about you." Seeing that this guy is not faking, I nodded. Then I asked, "Did you send any team to kill me?" Hearing that Darius shook his head and commented, "They only sent a team to escort us back to the academy." I looked at his expression before pondering. Crimson Hall asked them to collect information about me. For what? Unless they have a troop standby to intercept and kill me. This rat really thinks I''m a fool. "Where are they now? "What is the strength of the team?" I inquired. Darius unwillingly answered, "They are at the northern border. Leader is an Elite Elder and his team were Peak Trainee Warrior. I believe including elder there were ten people." Hearing that, "Good," I said. Then I slit his throat with my sword. Before dying Darius'' expression filled with regret and unwillingness. He really thought about reaching some kind of deal with Zack to save his life. But unfortunately he had an ill fate. After killing him, I checked for any kind of artefact for tracking and markings on his body. After making sure there is nothing like that, I breathed in relief. Then I put his corpse in a monster container. I don''t want to collect his valuables. It''s better to dump his entire corpse on the field. But there are still some traces of lightning in his body. Then I made some decisions to buy some type of fire artefact or corrosion pill to disintegrate his corpse secretly. After gaining some clarity, I decided to return back. I had already destroyed Darius'' wrist watch. It''s impossible to know anything happened here. On top of it, if I stay away from the Star Tower guest house. It will raise some suspicions if someone begins to search his whereabouts. I need to quickly get back to the guest house after taking care of his corpse. Fortunately, I have gained some information from his mouth. I sent a message to Elder Thornton and Mr. Jonathan about Crimson Hall''s Team location. With this information I hope they will make some plan to eliminate them. If it''s just one elite in their team then it will be easier for Mr.. Jonathan to make them disappear. Chapter 255 - Part 1: Meeting With Mr. Jonathan (From MC Perspective) At Northern border, Coincidentally, Mr. Jonathan is staying near the northern border. Since the beginning he has been closely monitoring the situation. From time to time he has been sending every information regarding Zack Lockwood back to his master. When Zack completed his Star Tower Challenge successfully and got 1st place in leaderboard ranking. His master asked him to come back and retrieve some stuff that he had prepared for Zack. But suddenly the situation on the ground changes. People in the dark beginning to come forward. After discussing with his master he choose to stay behind. Right now he is staying in some old fashioned inn situated in the northern border town. "Ding!" Suddenly his watch buzzes with notification. Seeing that it''s a message from Zack, he read it immediately. He knows Zack won''t say anything unless it''s something important. After reading it carefully his expression condensed. "Right now, Crimson Hall''s team is at the Northern Border" He uttered. How does he know? He is confused. Normally this type of information is kept secret. It''s even hard for any normal faction to know information about other factions. He feels something wrong so he called Zack. ¡­ Alternatively, Instead of travelling through an air cab. I choose to walk for a while, I don''t want to pick up an air cab here. While walking I received a call from Mr. Jonathan. I ended the call since the location is not suitable for having a conversation . Rather, I sent him another message to have a conversation through message service. [Chat Service] [Mr. Jonathan: What Happened? Why are you not picking up the call?] [Me: Can''t talk now, I need to meet you immediately.] [Mr. Jonathan: Okay, Let us meet at Brooker town 2 hours later] [Chat ends] ¡­ Mr. Jonathan furrows his eyebrow after having a small chat. He smells some kind of trouble looking at Zack''s message. Zack is known for having straightforward conversation. So he won''t say something like this unless there is something important. It''s good that he had already entered this town situated at the northern border some time ago. To reach Brooker town he needs to travel for at least one hour. He doesn''t know Zack''s location right now. So he recommended Brooker town, it''s located slightly central as per geographical landmark. People from all the borders of West word city can reach Brooker town in 3 hours. After pondering it, he decided to leave right away. There is not much stuff left out here. He didn''t buy any stuff in the first place. Since he stayed here to monitor the action of various forces. He thought it''s not good to stay here legally. So he booked this room by bribing the staff. After giving some extra money to staff he left right away. Actually there are not many people left here in the border town. The border is in turmoil. He can feel the battle tremor here but the actual fight is going on somewhere from here. So all the shops were closed down. Only those who were in desperate need of money chose to open the shops. Fortunately he happens to bump into one of the shops. While walking, he saw that not a soul could be found here on the street. Literally the street is looking like Ghost Street. A While ago few brave people could be seen on the street continuing their life as it is. But ever since the fight started at the border everyone fled. Shaking his head, he ponders about his next plan. He needs to pick up a ride, fortunately the brooker town is far away from the actual battlefield. He won''t face any troubles midway. Sometimes later, He found air cab landing stations nearby. But none of the cab drivers were ready to go. All of them were quite scared for their life. These were normal people, none of them wanted to bump into enemy forces. They tend to eliminate all the possible evidence by killing people. Fearing that these drivers are not ready to listen to him. Finally he told them to pay extra money. Only when he finished his words, one of the drivers raised his hands. Seeing that he agreed, he hopped into the car. ¡­ After arriving at the border of the town, I spotted an air cab. Then I told him to reach Brooker Town. The air can fly away the next moment. On the way I searched about Brooker Town. Mr. Jonathan may be near the town. At first I thought he had not entered the city. Fortunately, this saves me time. I can ask his help on this matter. This might be my first time killing a fellow human. I never would have imagined this scenario to happen. But everything changed after the assassination attempt and got hunter by bounty hunters. I was always on the run. My strength is weaker than theirs. But when facing Darius. I didn''t have that hesitation to kill him. "Sigh" it won''t be any surprise if I do this again. I heard there were others from Crimson Hall this time in competition. I immediately checked the leader board to see his remaining team number. There Were Six members, including him; there were four males and two female members in his team. My eyebrows furrow for a moment, Outsiders won''t know anything about. But before dying Darius clearly mentioned it as a mission. Won''t others be looking for me right now? I wondered. I bet they won''t know about my current location. Shaking my head I removed these messy thoughts from my mind. Two and half hours later, The air cab landed at the Brooker Town''s landing station. On the way the driver acted overly cautious. Though there is no shadow of any turmoil here. Yet people still watch the news daily. The fighting updates were posted constantly on the websites. So far only the border took the brunt due to this fight.. I bet the star tower management won''t let it happen any longer. Chapter 256 - Part Two: Meeting With Mr. Jonathan (From MC Perspective) Just after arriving here, I received a message from Mr. Jonathan to meet him at Max inn. Then I asked someone about the location. This small inn is famous in the town, so everyone knows about it. I wonder why Mr. Jonathan chose this inn. It will attract unnecessary attention. My brows knitted even further. "Hope everything goes well" I said to myself. Then I headed straight towards the location. ; Sometimes later, Inside the inn''s room. "Mr. Jonathan, why did you pick this spot?" I said in a displaced tone. It''s been a while since I came here. But Mr. Jonathan came a couple of minutes later. Seeing Zack''s displeased tone. Mr. Jonathan was surprised. He said to him, "What happened Zack, it''s unlikely for you to act like this?" I composed myself after hearing his words. It''s true I''m acting out a bit. Then I told him to create a sound barrier around us. Mr. Jonathan activated small artefact to form invisible soundproof barriers around them. ;Then looking at Zack''s face he said, "Now you can tell me what''s going on, without worrying about anything" I took a deep breath and said, "It''s Crimson Hall. They told their students to collect information about me. I happened to bump into one of their students. That guy kept on following me to collect information. To silence him I killed him in the end." Hearing that Mr. Jonathan was stunned , he took a deep look at Zack for a moment. ; "Are you scared?" He said. ; I shake my head, why would I? If not that guy would have exposed my whereabouts. It will certainly pose a life threatening situation to Elder Thornton and Mr. Jonathan. I still remember how helpless I felt facing the Elite Assassin. I don''t want to face that kind of situation ever again. ; Then I added, " From his mouth I also learnt that Crimson Hall''s elders were waiting at the Northern border. I bet they are planning to eliminate me." Mr. Jonathan appreciated seeing Zack''s calm and resolute face. He thought Zack would have killed him out of anger. But hearing his words and after observing his expression. He felt Zack pre planned to kill him. ;Otherwise he would be nervous. Then he sighed, feeling that his master ''s decision was right to select Zack as his disciple. ; It''s important to get used to killing and all otherwise someone will end you in the end. ; Then he commented, "You did good, there is no need to worry over it. I will handle the remaining things. Just give me his corpse." ; Hearing that I passed him the corpse container. Mr. Jonathan placed the corpse container in his storage ring. Then to lighten the mood, he revealed, "The Master was impressed by your performance at the Star Tower Challenge." "What?" I replied. My mood literally recovered to normal. Though I felt uncomfortable killing him. But it was necessary. Yet now after hearing Mr. Jonathan''s words. I finally smiled. ; Mr. Jonathan added further, "Yes, Even though the Star tower in Outer post is in basic standard. But it''s enough to determine the quality of Warriors born here; Especially, You have completed 18 floors in it. Which is not lower than inner post warriors." ; Hearing that I''m stunned for a moment. I noticed one particular sentence from his mouth. I performed no lower than inner post warriors. That means, my performance is just regular when compared to inner post warriors. What kind of place is the inner post? To breed powerful warriors. I can''t imagine the strength of extremely talented evildoers. ; For a moment, I really want to fight against them. I''m both body and essence cultivator. Nobody knows about it even my teacher. I got help from both of my powers to reach the 18th floor, but I got thrashed on the 19th floor. Recalling the 19th floor, the images of those monsters flashes before my eyes. ; I thought about learning them after going back home. But now I feel it''s good time to ask Mr. Jonathan. There is a chance he might know. Since he is from an inner post, his knowledge is higher than the rest of us. Seeing Zack go into deep thinking, Mr. Jonathan called out his name. "Zack?" ; "Ahem" "Mr. Jonathan, I have something to tell you?" I said. "Hmmm, Go ahead," Mr. Jonathan replied. Then I described the situation that I faced on the 19th floor. I also told him about the ;characteristics of those giant monsters. ; Mr. Jonathan''s face looked normal at first. ;But when he started to listen to Zack. His face changed drastically to disbelief. But soon he recovered his face and continued to listen to Zack. But there is a small ripple in his eyes. He couldn''t believe what he heard just now. ; Including the Master and himself, Zack did well in that Challenge. But it''s very strange for that kind of special beasts phantom to appear in that challenge. Looks like the outer post Star Tower is not as simple as it seems. ;I need to tell my master about it. Then he observed Zack again." ;If not for those special beasts. He might have advanced to several floors." ;He thought to himself. He knows Special beasts were not simple. Even inner posts warriors face a hard time dealing with it. But he doesn''t want to tell Zack right now. This matter requires his Master''s permission. Unless his master allowed it he won''t tell it right away. ;Seeing Zack is looking at him for an answer. He felt conflicted yet he said, " It is really strange. I haven''t heard of such monsters. Don''t worry, I will look into it." I felt a little bit disappointed hearing his answer. Even he himself doesn''t know. Looks like this will remain a mystery for now. But I need to work harder even now. My goal is now competing with those inner post warriors now. Then I commented, "Mr. Jonathan, What I have to do right now? Elder Thornton will be busy for a while. I don''t know how long I will have to stay in the Star Tower Guest house." ; Hearing that Mr. Jonathan told him after he disposed of Darius'' corpse.. Until then I have to stay in the Star Tower guest house. Chapter 257 Part One: Northern Fort Crisis Two days later, The disappearance of Darius Case finally reaches everyone''s ears including upper echelons of Crimson Hall. At first they didn''t take it seriously enough but when the family of Darius Case raised the alarm bell. The management from Crimson Hall decided to investigate this matter. At Northern Border, The Northern Fort''s Protector successfully defended the fort by killing his enemies quick sessions. Which caused quite a stir among the enemy forces. For a time being no one chose to attack the northern fort. So, Right now the atmosphere around the northern fort appears to be calm but still there is some. Undercurrents. No one is quite sure when it will surge. The Crimson Hall team on the other hand decided not to join hands with allied forces. The Elders from Crimson Hall already gave them strict direction to act independently and finish their missions. One is to escort their Crimson Hall students back to home. And another is to kill talented warriors in leaderboard ranking. Especially top talents including Zack Lockwood. Right now two Peak Elite Warriors are responsible for this mission. These two hold Elder positions in Crimson Hall''s Management. Upon First Elder''s arrangement, they themselves took the mission. At this time two of them received messages from their management. After reading the message two of them sucked cold breath. Both of them don''t know how to react to this message. One of their students is missing. Management isn''t clear about the situation. For now management suspects this is the work of enemy forces. So they instructed them to enter the city no matter what and escort back their students. Seeing the message, the two looked at each other. It''s time to move now. One of them is officially leading the team and the other is in disguise, both of them coordinated with each other nicely. Right now, they have to confront the protector of the northern fort. It''s impossible to get past him without alarming him. Soon, the crimson hall team moved and reached near the northern fort. "Hmm" The Elite Warrior stationed at northern fort notices the situation. He is now recuperating from his injuries that he had suffered from earlier battles. Earlier when he finished killing those elite warriors he thought there would be some buffer time before the next wave. But right now facing new adverse situation, he grunted in anger, "Damn it" He flew upwards from his fort to face the enemy. Simultaneously the alarm bell rang alerting remaining warriors in the eastern fort. They immediately begin to March towards the enemy. The number of warriors under elite on eastern side twice in comparison towards the Crimson Hall Team. The Eastern side has twenty Trainee Apprentice Warriors and a couple of Special Trainee Warriors. The Crimson Hall team has Two Peak Elites and Nine Trainee Apprentice Warriors on their side. Which is quite deceiving, if not for the presence of one extra elite warrior on their side. The northern fort protector was also fooled by this. When he appears in front of them to fight. The two Elite warriors on the Crimson Hall side separated. They two eyes glanced at each other. Seemingly, if no support comes for the northern fort''s protector then it will be a dead end for him. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Harumph" The northern protector snorted seeing ten people flew towards his troops. He couldn''t understand how dare they face his warrior with their feeble numbers. His warriors are definitely going to crush them with overwhelming numbers. He only needs to take care of this Peak Elite Warrior before him. Before his injury worsens even further he needs to end him quickly. He is a wind element warrior, he quickly uses wind power to his advantage to enhance his speed. He quickly disappears from the spot and launches a few wind blades at him. "Whizz" Several colorless wind blades flew one after another towards Crimson Hall''s Peak Elite Warrior. "Bang" "Bang" The other hand, Crimson Hall''s Elite Warrior executed a defensive attack by erecting a mud wall. Which shows he is an Earth Element Warrior. All those blades landed on his body and completely disintegrated into thin air. While this battle was going on in the sky. The warriors on the ground started to fight against each other. The disguised Elite Warrior looked out for traces of other Warriors in the vicinity. If not for it, he would have joined forces with his companion to kill the northern protector. But seeing the northern protector is a wind element warrior, he knew his companion had a complete advantage fighting against him. Right now from time to time he is helping Trainee Warriors by killing the enemy sneakily. The northern protector''s face distorts seeing that the opponent is an earth element warrior. He is cursing at his bad luck right now. On one hand he has to take care of the injury while fighting against the earth element warrior which is very disadvantageous to him. Even during his Peak State it is not easy to fight against earth element warriors. He gritted his teeth in anger. He shouldn''t have listened to the Star Tower Hall Master''s Words. He thought he just needed to show his presence as an Elite Warrior. But he hadn''t expected to be involved in a continuous battle. He is not one of those Star Tower Elders, he came here to help. He had already done his job. But he feels hesitant to fight any longer. His gut feeling tells him to run away from this place as soon as possible. For safety he immediately sent a request for assistance. While making some distance away from the Earth Element warrior. The other hand, the Crimson Hall''s Elite Warrior notices the strange behavior of the northern protector. He immediately went into an offensive mode by launching several boulders against him. Using earth element essence he created several rocks before launching towards him. All of those rocks were different sizes. If he had concentrated enough he could make them in uniform size but in order to avoid wasting time. He launched these attacks in a quick session. Chapter 258 Part Two: Northern Fort Crisis At Northern Fort, Northern Protector moves his body to evade those boulders using his wind element successfully. While doing that his face becomes more distorted. There is a deep claw inquiry in its abdomen. It is getting worse by the second. Which puts so much strain on his body. That he began to feel agonising pain. These were the injuries suffered from previous battles. "What to do? I can''t drag it any longer, ``he thought to himself. The Crimson Hall''s Peak Elite on the other hand takes a glance at his partner Who is verifying the presence of any third party on the ground. Once his partner is done with his job they can join hands to kill the northern protector. Just as he was pondering, his partner who is disguised as Trainee Warrior. Suddenly flew towards him, seeing that a happy glint flashes before his eyes. He knows the time has come, for the time being he can be sure that there is no presence of a third party around here. The Northern Protector''s senses screamed in alarming tones. He knew the new guy was not a foot soldier. Suddenly, he thought about fleeing from this place. He has done his best as an outsider. The problem of Star Tower has nothing to do with him. Right now he has to take care of his own life. "Whiz" He uses his wind element to flee. Seeing that the Crimson Hall duo stunned on the spot. They hadn''t expected such a turn around. Suddenly, the earth element elite warrior begins to give chase. When comparing in terms of speed. He is nowhere near the northern protector. As a wind element warrior, the northern protector faced no difficulty in escaping. The Earth Element Elite Warrior''s expression changed drastically, "What a waste" He sneered inside. He had a good impression of Star Tower Elder. He never expected them to be such cowards. With a disappointing expression he flew back towards his partner. "What happened?" The disguised Peak Elite Warrior inquired in a solemn tone. "He is gone. I never thought he would find out soon about your disguise." The Earth Element Elite Warrior uttered in dissatisfaction. "Sigh" "I should have made a sneak attack earlier." The disguised Warrior mumbled, shaking his head. He is quite disappointed about his own lack of judgement. While the two were discussing, the situation on the ground overturned entirely. The northern protector''s troop morale blows away completely. They didn''t expect their lord to run away at the last moment. They are feeling quite a nightmare. Soon, there is more bloodshed shed. Some of the troops begin to flee to save their life. While some caught battling against Crimson Hall''s troops. The ground is littered with corpses. The earlier overwhelming numbers is reduced to 1/3. Capitalising the opportunity the Crimson Hall team begin to clear out the remaining enemies. While the Peak Elite duo feel lazy to move their hands against low level warriors. They waited for their own warriors to clear out the battlefield. "It turned out so easy in the end. We haven''t suffered any losses so far" The Earth Element Warrior grinned. Hearing that the disguised Elite Warrior shook his head and said," The Northern Protector had suffered injuries from previous battles and he also sacrificed his own artefacts on those battles. Otherwise it''s impossible to be left unscathed." The Earth Element Warrior nodded. Then he expressed in a solemn tone, "Let''s go, before someone comes to this place. Then it will become a difficult situation for us to face. We have to finish our next part of the mission as soon as possible." The Elite duo soon moved towards the city with their subordinates. They didn''t occupy the northern fort or get involved in other side missions. Right now, their main objective is to secure their students. Once they moved away from the northern fort border region. The area literally looked war torn, more than half of northern troops fell. Only a few escaped warriors breathed in relief. When they confirmed the enemy forces moved away from this spot. They decided not to stay in this spot otherwise they will be considered deserters. Soon the news about northern fort''s fall broke out soon. There were some brave war reporters who broadcasted the whole thing from a distance. Which includes the northern protector''s earlier successful battles to his last cowardly feeling. The face of entire government officials turned green with shame. Actually it''s the job of the City Lord and his officials to safeguard the city. The Star Tower management is not responsible for protecting this city. They are only doing it for their ongoing competition. Which will end in a few days. Then what will happen? The City Lord fumed in anger by watching the broadcast. Not only him, his entire city is watching the broadcast. How come the northern protector chose to flee at the last moment? His veins pop up thinking that. Soon, he will become a laughing stock. His ambition of moving towards Tier-7 City now becomes impossible. Such a bad record who will support him now. He doesn''t believe even the Hall Master of Star Tower can support him in this situation. The other hand, thinking about two Peak elite warriors. He got even angrier. "What audacity to send two Elite Warriors?" his eyes flashes with killing intent, "Which force is it?" He knew there was already someone moving towards the northern fort. There is a good chance to intercept those guys. Recalling that he decided to call him. ... (From MC Perspective) At Star Tower''s guest house, "Thank goodness" I sighed in relief. When I received a confirmation message from Mr. Jonathan. He has successfully disposed of Darius''s body and there is no evidence left out. Even Crimson Hall can''t do anything about it. They will return empty handed. While I''m beaming with joy, the news channel suddenly broadcasted breaking news. "Hmmm" Seeing the name of Northern Protector, I was taken back. Soon the reporter briefed the news with battle footage. My expression changed drastically watching the fleeing video of the northern protector. Chapter 259 New Help? (From MC Perspective) Seeing the breaking news, a small sweat beads to form on my forehead. "Northern Border, I wonder whether this force is from Crimson Hall or not. They actually breached the Northern fort." I mumbled. This is getting even more serious, I don''t know what City Lord is doing. This is actually his job. Shaking my head, I decided to not to move an inch away from the guest house. The competition is going to end in two or three days. Until then this place is a safe haven for me. The Hall Master of Star Tower is a powerful warrior. This place is under his direct protection. I don''t believe anyone has the guts to barge into this place. If I go outside there are chances that people will follow me like Darius. And I can''t kill all of them. It would be too troublesome to do that. Sighing, I decide to reach out to Elder Thornton. I hope everything is alright in eastern fort. It will become dangerous if Eastern forts face the same situation. As the call connected¡­ "Zack, Are you okay?" Elder Thornton''s voice rang in my ears. I can''t see the holographic image, it looks like he turned off the feature. "I''m fine Elder. I''m not brooding about that killing anymore." I answered. Elder Thornton is also aware of Darius Death. He is wondering if I might be feeling bad. But that''s not the case. Now, I''m worrying about facing Elite Warrior. It''s too early for me to make such an enemy. I don''t want to be helpless again. I said, "Elder, Did you see the northern fort''s breach?" After saying that I heard a deep sigh from him. Looks like he knew. Elder Thornton asked, "Are you wondering? They might be from Crimson Hall" "Yes," I said. "I don''t know clearly. I doubt they have the guts to do that." Elder Thornton said in disapproval. He don''t think such a big faction will do something stupid. They have huge stakes, it will tarnish their reputation if such an evil comes to light. But the news about the presence of Crimson Hall at the Northern border also troubling him. Right now there is no one at the northern fort. It will take some time for officials to reach that place and handle the situation. Until then are chances for hostile forces to secretly infiltrate into the city including the team of Crimson Hall. It will soon lead to further chaos. He doesn''t want to get involved in such a whirlpool. He hopes to return back home with Zack after two days. This is something he can''t handle. Recalling Zack is on the line, he immediately said, "Zack, I''ll be back in two days. Don''t move away from the house until then." His voice sounded serious. Hearing Elder Thornton''s concerned voice, I nodded and ended the call after that. I know why he sounded so concerned. It''s reality that City Lord doesn''t have any man power right now. He is worried that he might be dragged into this mess. "What a mess? Elder is the one who paid the registration fees for me. Now he himself got dragged into this" I spoke to myself. Sighing, I got back to my daily essence cultivation routine. ¡­ Inside Star Tower Management''s Meeting Hall, The Hall Master sat behind his desk, and he is watching ongoing chaos at Northern border. Several War reporters were capturing the footage. He too had his own men on the line. It won''t take a few minutes for him to collect information about this new hostile force. "How many decades has it been since someone challenged the Stat Tower?" He spoke to himself while tapping the desk. Actually, he was too aware of the lack of manpower. But still he was somewhat disappointed in City Lord Garry. Instead of Strengthening the border. He stationed his Elite Warrior in different places. And right now, the northern fort is breached. There are still two days left until the end of the tournament. Then the Elite Warriors who came to assist eventually left. He can''t ask them anymore to risk their lives and fight against the hostile forces. "Ding!" Suddenly an alarm rang out. He switched to see what the reason for the alarm was. [Breaking News: The Southern Fort is breached.] [Breaking News: The Southern Fort is breached.] "What?" He was taken back after seeing the news. He stood up in anger and began to read further reports. The Western Fort is breached by new hostile forces. The hostile force consists of Twenty members. He isn''t sure how many elite members there are. But their Elite Warrior teamed up and killed the Southern Fort Protector. The Southern Fort Protector is none other than the Star Tower Elder. For a moment, he thought it''s necessary to kill these forces. It''s been decades since such things have happened. Star Tower needs to teach them a lesson. They had finally crossed the border line by killing Star tower Elder. If they don''t do some killing now, these hostile forces will remain arrogant. He calmed down his heart for a moment. He sat back in his seat and began to plan his next move. He immediately called a number. As the call connected¡­ "Mr. Chris, I need your assistance at West Word City Right now." The Hall Master said. From the other side of the call, a solemn voice answered the call, "What is it? Hall Master. Is there any problem?" Then the Hall Master described current chaos happening at the West Word City. From Start to finish he didn''t leave anything out. After finished saying his words, he hoped for a positive answer from Mr. Chris. Only he is able to solve the current turmoil in time. Mr. Chris holds one of the high level positions in Parazam Hunter league. Like Star Tower, Parazam Hunter league is also one of the biggest forces in the region. Most importantly, which is also one of the nearest forces here. He needs their assistance right now. Otherwise it will be too late. He doesn''t worry about Star Tower, rather he doesn''t like needless bloodshed. If the Parazam Hunter league helps now, it will be a lot easier for them to kill these hostile forces soon. Mr. Chris answered, "Hall Master, This is something in need to discuss with others. I''ll contact you later" After saying that Mr. Chris ended the call. He too knows the ongoing situation in Westword city. But he didn''t take it too seriously. He thought the Hall Master had some back up plan for this situation. But right now looking at his words, it seems things have gotten out of hand. He feels rather strange. He understands the situation of the Hall Master. But don''t expect so many forces to move. First he needs to make sure there are no forces under their organisation responsible for this situation. Otherwise, relationships between Parazam Hunter league and Star Tower will worsen later. Soon, he contacted the intelligence department for this matter. "Mr. Howard, are there any of our subsidiary forces near the West word city. If it is then send me the name list as soon as possible. " After instructing him he ended the call. Mr. Chris didn''t contact other Elders about the Hall Master''s request. He plans to do that after confirming the intelligence department''s report. While tapping the desk, he patiently waited for the report to arrive. The intelligence department doesn''t need to collect the new data. They already have an intelligence report filled in the database. Right now they only need to sort out and hand it over to Mr. Chris. A ten minutes later, Mr. Howard sent the report to Mr. Chris''s contact. "Ding!" Mr. Chris let out a deep sigh after reading the report. There are no subsidiary forces of the Parazam hunter league involved in such infiltration. Right now they have a good opportunity to help Star Tower. In this way they can reap huge benefits later. Thinking about it an exciting glint flashes before his eyes. Next moment, after confirming the report once again. He called for an emergency meeting. The upper echelons only need ten minutes to assemble in a virtual meeting. It is impossible to arrange an in -person meeting at short notice. The Virtual meeting is enough to decide on this matter. Soon, 15 elders assembled for the meeting in virtual form. Rest of the elders including Mr. Chris attended the meeting in person. As everyone gathered for the meeting, Mr. Chris opened his mouth to discuss the topic. He briefed the conversation between the Hall Master and Himself. The atmosphere becomes quiet after listening to Mr. Chris''s words. All the elders begin to weigh down the situation. The Elders don''t know whether it is good for them to interfere on this matter. Mr. Chris saw their silence then he displayed Howard''s intelligence report on the screen. There is no disadvantage for the Parazam Hunter league in this situation. Rather, it will help further strengthen the ties between them and Star Tower. Chapter 260 Two Teams? Seeing the report shown by Mr. Chris. Everyone''s eyes gleamed with interest. "Ha¡­Ha¡­Ha¡­, Since no forces are involved in such a mess. I think it''s the right time to reap some benefits" one of the brute elders in Virtual form voiced out his opinion. Most of the elders echoed the same opinion. Since there is no loss to them on this matter. So, Why can''t we help Star Tower? Everyone knows the Star Tower is also a mysterious big organisation. But nonetheless its fat sheep. Mr. Chris smiled seeing their response. He considered this matter to be settled. He just arranged this meeting to see any difference of opinion. There is no harm in making sure that no one is against helping Star Tower this time. He is quite sure maybe their subsidiary forces were not involved in such a mess, breaking into government city. But he knows that few Elders have an independent connection with those hostel forces. Which right now is creating havoc in West Word City. Since an individual''s actions are not related to the organisation. He is not worried even if some elder connections might be revealed later. After once again confirming everyone''s opinion on this issuer. He ended the meeting after getting the green signal. All Elders gave him permission to mobilize Elite level forces during the meeting. Since none of them wanted to do an overtime job. He happily accepted their suggestion. After letting out a deep sigh. He immediately contacted the Hall Master of Star Tower. As the call connected¡­ "Mr. Chris, is there any news?" The Hall Master of Star Tower asked with slight hesitation. He is slightly under pressure. He can''t move around while completion is going on. Hearing the Hall Master''s worried tone, Mr. Chris let out a laugh. "Ha¡­Ha¡­Ha¡­, Hall Master, Don''t worry. I already received permission from the Elders to mobilize the forces." The Hall Master breathed in relief hearing the good news. The first problem is solved. Now, he is worried about how fast Mr. Chris can mobilize the forces. The sooner they come the better the result will be. The Hall Master commented, "Mr. Chris, Thank you for your organization''s support. The Star Tower will remember this favor." He immediately thanked them for their help. He doesn''t know whether it''s a good time to ask about the second issue. Mr. Chris said, " Hall Master, it will take one day for our Elite level forces to reach West Word City." He said in a calm tone. He knows the urgency of the Hall Master. Something can''t be avoided, such as travelling time. Since there were some monster Zones in between, there is no straight and shortest route towards the West Word City. He only hoped that City Can managed to save themselves somehow until they arrived. "One day, Uhhh?" The Hall Master sighed. He understands the difficulty of the Parazam Hunter league also. This can''t be helped anyway. So, he answered, "It''s okay, Mr. Chris. We will try to hold on until you come" After saying that he ended the call. The Hall Master sounded dejected. "I never thought I would ask help from the Parazam Hunter League" originally, this is a government issue. Not directly responsible for Star Tower. They can only support this matter to protect the city. It''s impossible to take direct lead to protect the entity city. It''s the responsibility of a City Lord City to protect this city, not Star Tower. Otherwise, he can mobilize all the elders in Star Tower to stop the chaos. "Looks like someone from the government doesn''t want to send additional elite forces to support the Elite Lord. They actually want Star Tower to bleed. He sneered thinking that, that''s why asked for help from the Parazam Hunter League. After gaining some clarity, he decided to ask a few Elders to support the city until Parazam Hunter League forces arrive. He stretched his hands after making up his mind. Then he slightly glanced at the LeaderBoard. Where Zack''s name is shining in gold letters. ... The Crimson Hall''s Rescue team begins to move towards the central city after breaching the northern fort. The Star Tower Zone is inside the central city, Where the competition is currently going on. The Rescue team didn''t take any transport for their travel in order not to arouse any suspicion. At this time, The disguised Warrior asked, "Should We Eliminate Zack first or rescue our students?" He asked the Elite Earth Element Warrior who is currently leading the team. The Elite Earth Element Warrior knitted his eyebrows. Right now they don''t have any information about this warrior named Zack Lockwood. They only know their students are staying in Central City. For a moment, he begins to hesitate. His colleague is right. Before coming here, First Elder reminded them no matter what cost they have to eliminate the person named Zack Lockwood. Only after eliminating him can they focus on rescuing their students. Seeing the hesitation of Earth Element Warrior. The disguised Warrior asked, "What?" The rest of the Peak Trainee Warrior stood behind them silently not wanting to make any noise. Seeing the conversation between leader and disguised Warrior, these warriors thought this disguised Warrior might be some Elder''s son. That''s why he is talking to their leader without any worry. The Elite Earth Element Warrior replied, "We were supposed to kill those warriors on the leader board including Zack Lockwood." Heading that the disguised warrior nodded and answered in dejection, "Yeah, it''s the initial plan of our allied forces. But right now we are acting independently. We don''t need to care about all of them. Only we have to kill Zack Lockwood." The Earth Element Warrior nodded, and he immediately contacted Robb Williamson. As the call connected¡­. An anxious voice sounded in his ears, "Sixth Elder, Is there any news about Darius Case" Robb Williamson inquired. Hearing that the Earth Element Warrior frowned. The matter of the Darius Case is very serious. They don''t have enough time to investigate it either. Pushing the matter of Darius Case behind his mind. He asked, "Did you find the whereabouts of Zack Lockwood?" "Zack Lockwood?" Robb Williamson''s face condensed. This is the first time he heard from someone at Elder level. Openly asking about Zack Lockwood. "Sure, they want to kill him," he thought to himself. After confirming his expression turned bright. "Sixth Elder, Last time, I saw him near the Star Tower Zone. It was during the first day of competition. " Robb Williamson answered obediently. Hearing that the Earth Element Warrior got further disappointed. There is no way that they can breach into the star tower zone. It''s impossible to happen. For a moment, his mind sprung up in action to find some solution. If they go back without killing Zack. The First Elder will skin them alive. Recalling the instruction from the first Elder, small sweat beads formed in the forehead. Robb Williamson is currently on the line waiting for some answers. The disguised Elder glanced at Earth Element Warrior and sighed. Such a difficult situation, where they are going to find Zack Lockwood in two days. It''s impossible to ask their students to search around the city looking for his whereabouts. Already some forces eliminated Darius Case, they didn''t know which force was responsible. They fear it might happen again. So, there is no way they are going to allow their students to do that. At this time, the disguised Elder commented, "Can we ask the First Elder what to do? We have only two days to complete the mission." The disguised Elder sounded rather serious. Hearing that the Earth Element Warrior. Though he didn''t want to contact the First Elder, they don''t have any choice right now. Seeing that Robb Williamson is still on the line, he answered, "Robb, I''ll call you later." After saying that he ended the call. Then he immediately connected the call with the First Elder. As the call connected, he immediately began to summarize his situation. The First Elder of the Crimson Hall didn''t make any comment before he finished his explanation. He was already quite satisfied with breaching the northern fort without the help of Allied forces. After understanding the difficulty of the rescue team. He continues to ponder. There is no way he is going to let Zack Lockwood walk out alive. He doesn''t want any variables to arise during the Crimson Hall Exhibition event. Which is a significantly very important event for Crimson Hall. Seeing that he actually sent two peak elite warriors on that reduce team. He smiled. He immediately answered the Earth Element Warrior to divide the team in two. One is going to reduce the their Crimson Hall Students. And other team is going to responsible for finding and killing Zack Lockwood. He also reminded them if they come across any warrior in leaderboard they can kill them without having any hesitation. After saying that he ended the call, from start to finish he didn''t talk about their student Darius Case. He also didn''t mention what would happen if they failed to complete the mission. The Earth Element Warrior and the disguised Elder nodded to each other. Since they are going to split up into two teams there is no need to maintain the disguise anymore. The disguised Warrior released his original Peak Elite aura. Chapter 261 Part One: Last Day The disguised Elite Warrior and Earth Elite Warrior discussed with each other and split into two teams. The disguised Warrior with his team went to look for Zack Lockwood and the earth element warrior with his team wine to rescue Crimson Hall Students. Rescuing Crimson Hall students is also the main thing. They can''t afford to have another causality. They already failed to convince the parents of Darius Case. They blamed his death on hostile forces in the end. But which force exactly isn''t clear for now. Having that in mind, the Earth Element Elite Warrior increased his pace. It will take several hours to reach the central city. While on the way he sent a message to his students to get ready. ¡­ At luxurious inn of central city, Ella and Sallie stayed inside their room ever since the demise of Darius Case. The Crimson Hall campus too strictly instructed them not to leave the city. Since the identity of those hostile forces is not yet confirmed. Right now both of them were cooked up in their room. Patiently waiting for the competition to end. Suddenly, their watch buzzed with notification. As Sallie finished reading the message, she breathed in relief. She immediately opened her room and jolted towards Ella''s room. After getting inside Ella''s room, Sallie ran towards her and gave her a big hug. "Ella, We are saved." "We are saved" She said with a huge relief on her face. Ella smiled too. A huge relief can be seen on her face. She calmed down and commented, " See, Ella. I have told you before. Our campus won''t let us alone." Ella was too worried about recent events happening in the city. The city is in turmoil. On top of it we have lost one of our students. Sallie nodded, hearing her words, then she sat on the sofa comfortably. Then suddenly she remembered something. Her expression looked worried. Ella noticed her expression and asked, "And What is it now?? Everything is going to be fine Sallie. Don''t you worry unnecessarily" Sallie sighed and said, "Actually, I''m thinking about something else. Whom do you think responsible for Darius''s death? Even his body has not recovered so far." Ella shook her head in disapproval and commented, "At that time, who knows what he is up to? He might have come across hospice forces. His ranking at leader board is quote good." Ella''s thinking about the whole situation is relates to the leader board. It''s normal for some forces to kill outstanding students of their enemies. Sallie looks at Ella and commented, "You remember our last mission right. It''s about collecting information about Zack Lockwood. Unlike us the rest of our teams were quite interested in that mission." Ella frowns hearing that, " What do you want to say? Darius'' death is related to our last mission." Sallie answered, "I don''t know for sure. But I feel there is a good possibility for that." Ella didn''t agree with Sallie''s words in her heart. Nobody has seen Zack Lockwood so far. Even before the mission given by the organisation. She feels since he is number one rank holder. His organisation might have come up with some kind of safe haven. So it''s highly unlikely for Darius to confront him. Then she Commented, "Just leave this topic right now. Our organisation will eventually find out the killer. Until then we have to wait patiently." Hearing Ella''s words. Sallie felt right then she shifted the topic of the conversation. One day later, the competition comes to an end. So they are making a list of what to do after going back to their home. ¡­ Inside Star Tower''s guest house, "Don''t worry granny, I''ll be back at home in no time." After saying that I hung up the call. The current situation in the city has reached everyone''s ears. Granny Park is having conversations with me at least four times a day. ? "Sigh" "I had lost the all of the excitement about Star Tower." I mumbled under my breath. I don''t feel anything good about my ranking on the leaderboard. I hope Elder Thornton will come back tomorrow from his mission. It''s good that there is no new infiltration on his side. As long as there is no new situation, the Star tower will be released from his mission. For the past few days, I have been practising diligently both with my body and essence cultivation technique. Even Though I won''t get much improvement in essence cultivation technique due to my recent breakthrough, I haven''t stopped practising it. The only good thing that has happened so far is my body practice. I got a lot of blood essence pills from Darius''s storage ring. Initially, I haven''t touched it. But Mr. Jonathan gave me some pills from his storage ring before getting his body. I''m beginning to feel my body limit. Eventually in dew days I might get a breakthrough in body cultivation technique. So my trip to this westward city did not end in vain. I don''t think I might get the same opportunity back home. My breakthrough has a lot to do with pills. Fortunately my blood method completely eliminates the impurities in the blood essence pill. That''s why I''m consuming those pills without any worry. The only thing I need to do is to make up for my shortcomings. I need to find suitable movement techniques. It will help me greatly when facing enemies. Thinking about Crimson Hall''s actions, I got chills in my back. Fortunately, I eliminated the threat early. To think Crimson Hall is willing to go so far to eliminate me. I haven''t done anything against them except representing Hansen Campus as their representative. Unfortunately, things are not in my hands. I can only ask Elder''s help. But in the future, once I get strong. I will pay back ten fold to Crimson Hall. They need to learn that messing up with the wrong person is not a good idea. I believe Crimson Hall''s exhibition is truly going to be dangerous for me. If not for the teacher''s instruction. I might have given up my seed representative seat. Chapter 262 Part Two: Last Day The following day, PARAZAM HUNTER LEAGUE sent their Elite Warriors to Westword city. In a few hours they will reach their borders, and then onwards they will begin to calm down the situation. The team consists of a total of ten Elite Warriors. Which is enough to assist the Star Tower power house. At the Star Tower Management, Hall Master of the Star Tower after receiving the news, He instructed Elder Thornton and others like him that they can go back to their place. Fortunately, at this time the Star Tower competition also came to an end. He also became free due to that. Simultaneously, The batch of Warriors that participated in the Star Tower Challenge completed their trial making the Star Tower event a successful one. Like a bird freed from the cage, those warriors who stayed behind in the West word City since the beginning of the competition are beginning to move towards their home. Due to that, in several hours, despite ongoing lockdown, the central city looked crowded. All modes of transport were booked by the participants. The crowding indirectly leads to dangerous situation. In such a situation, it''s impossible to distinguish friend and foe from the crowd. Using the ongoing turmoil and lack of City Guard personnel around the area. Some hostile forces begin to implement their evil plan. Whenever they come across talented warriors of their competitors. The hostile forces try to take their life. Which leads to direct confrontation here and there. Dead bodies are beginning to pile up on the street. Elite forces on both sides were involved in direct confrontation in the city. Which caused numerous casualties. For the time being, the War reporters began to shift their attention from borders to the central city turmoil. Slowly, various news sites began to broadcast fights between the forces. From time to time, the lack of manpower of the City Guard is being criticized. Mostly all the blame was thrown on the City Lord Garry who failed to foresee such a situation. If he had planned some back up plan earlier, this situation could have been completely avoided. Time progressed, Eventually, the Crimson Hall team led by the Earth Element Warrior reached the central city and a few minutes later they met up with remaining Crimson Hall students. Ella Downs, Sallie Mills, Bradley Reese, Austin Boyer and Rob Williamson, all of them met up with Elite Earth Element Warrior. Except Rob Williamson, everyone fails to recognize the slightly disguised warrior is their Sixth Elder. Seeing the sixth elder in person, Rob Williams gulped down his saliva. He remembers the sixth elder asking about Zack Lockwood''s whereabouts. And they failed to get that. While he was pondering it, Sallie and Ella breathed in relief finally they could get back to their home safely. Looking at five of their students, the Elite Earth Element Warrior said, "Since, everyone is here we can move. As long as we spend time here, it will attract hostile forces." Rob Williamson nodded and commented, "Our Crimson Hall team performed very well in the competition. Now, It will attract some unkind gazes. There is already some killing going on. It would be better if we move away from the city as soon as possible." Hearing that everyone echoed the same opinion. The Elite Earth Element Warrior then glanced at here and there. Then suddenly his eyes fell on Rob Williamson. Feeling the gaze, "Elder?" He blurts out unknowingly. His voice was not loud but it was heard by everyone. "Gasp" Five of them were shocked. They expected to be someone from their protection department. But they didn''t expect to be an Elder. Earth Element Warrior frowns upon hearing that he immediately said, " Quiet!" Five of them stopped murmuring, feeling his gaze. The Elite Earth Element Warrior then asked, " Have any of you seen Zack Lockwood?" Hearing that five of them looked at each other. They know about the mission. But everyone thought except Rob that the mission was cancelled. Yet now hearing Elder''s words, they don''t know what to say. Seeing that everyone is maintaining silence. He looks at Rob for an answer. Feeling his gaze, Rob answered, "Don''t know Elder? He is like disappearing into thin air. I suspect he has already left the city." Shaking his head, he decided to drop this matter. Then he gestures to the students to follow him. Elite Earth Element Warrior led the team followed by five students and the remaining Peak Trainee Warriors. The Earth Element Warrior thought the matter of Zack Lockwood will be handled by the disguised Warrior. Since both of them agree to split up the take. He doesn''t want to think about Zack Lockwood anymore. Even If the first Elder confronts him, he will tell it as it is. The City is in turmoil. It''s impossible say whether Zack Lockwood moved out of the city or not. ¡­ (From MC Perspective) These days, I have been like a couch potato. The City''s current situation can be clearly seen on this news site. At first there is border turmoil, then there is successful infiltration and right now there is infighting going on between the forces. From the news, the situation is quite clear. Warrior on leaderboard ranking is getting targeted particularly. Thinking about leaderboard ranking, I couldn''t help but think about Crimson Hall. I hope they met with some accidents. All of their members performed well and had good ranking in the leaderboard. I''m pretty sure, if I go outside there is a high likelihood that I might get targeted. Laying on the sofa comfortably, I continue to watch the news. I don''t know how long it will take for Elder Thornton to come back. Even Mr. Jonathan is already waiting for us at the border. Once Elder Thornton comes back, then I can discuss the next plan with him. It''s not safe to move away from the city right now. I feel it''s best to wait until Hall Master and City Lord take control of the situation. Once they calm down, it will be a lot easier and safer to move around. I can see some forces had more than one Elite Warriors on the team and few Peak Trainee Warriors. This City is in an absolutely dangerous situation. Chapter 263 Normalcy Returns A few hours later, the Elite team sent by Parazam Hunter League reaches the Westword City''s border. They immediately begin to calm down the chaos and take control of his border. Simultaneously, the Elite Warriors who came from outside to help Star Tower, went back to their place after the end of the competition. Parazam Hunter League''s timely help provides a breath of relief to City Guard''s Elite Warriors and Star Tower Elders. Apart from borders, most of the Star Tower Elders were stationed in strategically important positions. That''s why the Hall Master of Star Tower''s hand tightened by this situation. As the border situation begins to calm down, the City Guard forces move back to the central city one by one. On the way, they have arrested several warriors who caused turmoil. In a few hours, the chaos cloud which surrounds the city begins to recede. The War reporters continuously broadcast the situation. And eventually at night the city ''s normalcy begins to turn around. But still the City Lord Garry didn''t lift the emergency lockdown. There are still some perpetrators hiding in the city. So, weed them out. The City Lord gave orders to patrol guards to go out for all out search. At City Lord''s residence, The City Lord''s face is unsightly. Right now he is reading multiple reports of the class. Fortunately, there are not many civilian casualties. Due to lockdown and border turmoil the majority of the people moved away to safe haven. But instead the City suffered a huge economic loss. Any fight between Elite Warriors leads to changes in terrain. Power erupted from them and caused massive destruction. Everyone has a clear idea who is responsible for such an atrocity. It''s clear that forces behind the warriors, those who had participated in the Star Tower Competition, are clearly responsible for the current situation. Since he had the name list of those forces it is quite easy to investigate now. Except those who stayed behind till now, the real culprits were those who crossed the border. Once his team finds the slightest evidence then he will bleed out their treasury. Only in this way can he compensate for the City''s losses. Thankfully, the Hall Master asked for help from the Parazam Hunter league. Otherwise, the city'' start will reduce to become less than Tier-8 City. He sighed thinking that. He even forgets about that Hall Master ''s promise to him. He doesn''t know whether he can keep his position or not. Rubbing his temple he mumbled, "Lot''s of work needs to be done." At the Star Tower''s Meeting Hall, "whizzzzz" Several Elders came one by one for this meeting. Unlike last time, most of them came in person. After everyone assembled, the Hall Master conveyed the meeting by saying, "It''s been decades since someone caused such a headache so far. But still we manage to successfully conducted the competition" When he finished saying their words, anger could be seen on the Elders faces. This time one of their own died on the southern border. Because of this reason most of them came in person to discuss revenge plans. Unlike the majority of forces here, Star Tower is not a regional force. It is a behemoth like Parazam Hunter League and the Army Federation. That''s why they feel this small stunt caused damage to their reputation. At this time, Elder Ross who contributed greatly by killing Elite Warrior''s from hostile forces opened his mouth. "Hall Master, This is high time for us to mobilize our forces outside the border. It is a good time to teach them a hard lesson. In this way, no one can think about causing any harm to our Star Tower in future." Everyone nodded and echoed the same opinion. People normally won''t refute Elder Ross''s words. And especially this time no one dared to say a thing. The Hall Master answered, "I already got permission from above. Once the City turns back to normal. We will move our forces. And especially apart from those forces who had helped us. Rest of them need to pay a price, Including those neutral forces." Hearing that everyone can''t wait to move out of the city and flexing their muscles. The Hall Master is quite clear, he has seen reports about Elite Warriors seen in the city. But they chose not to help and stay behind the sidelines. He feels because of them the hostile forces gained upper hand. So he won''t leave them just like that. Like the City Lord, he has the same idea in his mind. Using a name list to find out those forces and teach them a lesson. ¡­ (From MC Perspective) At the Star Tower Guest House, "Elder, Finally we can go back home." I said to Elder Thornton who just came inside. Elder Thornton sighed while lying down on the sofa. "I haven''t experienced such a dangerous situation. Ever since I retired from the Army Federation. These Forces really dared to pull the tiger''s tail. They were going to suffer in the end." He said in a solemn tone. Hearing that my curiosity is piqued. I asked, "Elder, What do you think? What are they going to do ?" Looking at Zack, Elder Thornton said, " There is a possibility of some forces wiping out completely." Hearing that I gulped down my saliva. "Is Star Tower that powerful?" Elder Thornton nodded and commented, "It''s a powerful faction comparable to our Army Federation. That''s why I agreed to help them without any hesitation." Suddenly he thought about something, He added by saying, "There is also good news for us. If the Crimson Hall forces really came from the northern border. Then they obviously are going to suffer. It''s impossible to hide away from the crimes. Once the Star Tower finds out then the Crimson Hall hegemony will be over." I nodded hearing that what I''m more happy about is that there are not many civilian casualties. And Elder Thornton too came back safely. "Elder, When can we move out? I already talked to Mr. Jonathan. He is waiting for us at Barron Fort City." I said. Elder Thornton was surprised to hear that. He asked, "When did he reach Barron Fort? I though he supposed to be wait for us at the border " "I too asked that but Mr. Jonathan replied that the border is under surveillance of Parazam Forces. So he feels it''s not safe to move around." I said. Elder Thornton understood the situation and answered, "Then we can leave for home tomorrow comfortably." Chapter 264 Surprise? (From MC Perspective) The following day, Both of us left early in the morning. I don''t know whether he informed the Hall Master or not. I plan to ask him after getting into Barron Fort City. Right now, we were going to the train station. Sometime later, We reached the destination. Unlike past few days, the place is not much crowded. The air car slowly landed near the train station. After stepping out of the car, we walked towards the ticket counter. But we were stopped by two Patrol Guards. Seeing them I turned towards Elder Thornton. Unlike Zack, Elder Thornton''s face changes for a moment. Because he notices the subtle differences in their breath. "Elite Warriors!" Elder Thornton exclaimed in his heart. Then without waiting for Zack to ask anything. He went forward to discuss with them. To his surprise, one of the Elite Warriors brought up a list to check his information. After confirming his identity, Elder Thornton saw both of their attitudes change and a bit of respect can be seen in their eyes. I saw Elder Thornton conversing with them a moment later when he came up with a green signal. After getting the ticket we waited for the train to arrive. Seeing that there is still some time left, I asked, "Elder, What''s up with them?" Hearing that Elder Thornton, "Those two were Elites." After saying that he ended the matter. He didn''t continue to comment on this matter. He doesn''t feel good about the name list. It''s good that it''s something related to them. I''m stunned for a moment. Elites, I didn''t feel any single breath for them. Huh, no wonder Elder Thornton went to talk to them. Which also shows the City is back to normal. I shrugged off thinking about the events of the past few days. This is the first time in my life I feel so happy to leave a City. One thing for sure, it doesn''t matter whether it''s a small or big city. Whenever there is a presence of multiple forces in the city, something is bound to happen. A 15 minutes later, The Special train for Barron city arrives, after boarding the train. We sat up in silence. Elder Thornton seems to be in deep thinking. Especially after his conversation with Elites. Sigh, Seeing that there is nothing to converse with, I shut my eyes. Apart from them, the train''s compartment is not crowded. There were a lot of empty seats. The expressions of the remaining passengers were a bit solemn. But when the train begins to depart, a sigh of relief can be seen on their faces. Waiting in West Word city already made them tense. A few hours later, the train entered the region of Barron Fort city and in a few minutes it slowly reached the train station. Seeing that train has arrived at the destination, I felt a huge pressure on my shoulder lifted off. Walking in Westword city is the same as walking on a landmine. Finally, I can breathe in relief. I can''t wait to see Mr. Jonathan, he told me there is a surprise waiting for me after the competition. At first I''m not in the mood to ask him about that, especially after killing Darius Case. But fortunately, Mr. Jonathan didn''t blame me and instead helped me to dispose of Darius''s corpse. Which also shows that my teacher is approving my actions. "It is good to walk out of that damn place." Elder Thornton uttered in relief. Hearing that I smiled, then both of us went to the destination told by Mr. Jonathan. Unlike the chaos seen in Westword city, the Barron Fort is usually calm. Considering the fact that it''s the main connecting city to the Westword city. Several minutes later, I smiled wryly as I saw the billboard of this building. It''s very surprising to see that Mr. Jonathan never changes his style. He always chooses an auction house as a destination. Whether it''s a small or big auction house, it doesn''t matter. He always has a connection with them in one way or another. No wonder he can collect lightning attributed treasures in time. A look of surprise appeared on Elder Thornton''s face but he didn''t ask it. Because, Mr. Jonathan is someone related to Zack and he is the subordinate of that esteemed person. It''s not wise to poke into their matters. So, he decided to give them some time to chat. After entering the auction house instead of inquiring at the registration desk I contacted Mr. Jonathan directly. As I called him, a moment later I heard footsteps coming towards me. Seeing that person I smiled and called off the call. The person is none other than Mr. Jonathan. Seeing Zack with Elder Thornton. He gestures to Zack to follow him. Elder Thornton understands the meaning, so he told Zack that he will wait for him. I''m confused by seeing Mr. Jonathan''s reaction. I thought he would take some time to greet us. But he directly went on to matter. Shrugging off, I hurriedly followed his footsteps. Since it''s not a big auction house, there were minimum rooms around here. Mr. Jonathan led me to one small private room. After stepping inside the room, he sets up a barrier to prevent spying. "Zack, take your seat" Nodding, I sat on the couch. "Mr. Jonathan, What''s wrong? You seem to be in a hurry." I asked straightforwardly. Mr. Jonathan was surprised to hear that he felt Zack''s perception is too high. Without hiding he commented, "Sigh, I received a new assignment this morning. I decided to leave after meeting up with you." As expected Mr. Jonathan is as busy as ever. I wonder what kind of work he is doing here. Then, without waiting for Zack to reply Mr. Jonathan reveals, "Okay, there is some good news for you." Hearing that I smiled. "Mr. Jonathan, Tell me what it is? I''m eager to know." Seeing Zack is getting impatient. Mr. Jonathan takes out a crystal ball from the storage ring. This violet color ball shines brightly and lit up the entire room. At first glance, I know that this dazzling crystal ball may look similar to an affinity stone. But It ''s clearly not, that''s why after confirming it my breathing becomes a lot quicker. Chapter 265 Lightning Flash Technique (From MC Perspective) Seeing Zack''s shining eyes, Mr. Jonathan chuckled and asked, "Do you recognize this ball?" I nodded and said, "This ball is used to engrain combat techniques in our mind." Mr. Jonathan smiled hearing his answer. He hadn''t expected his master to give this technique to Zack right now. His earlier plan was to give it after the Crimson Hall Exhibition event. But looking at recent events, It''s possible that things went beyond the master''s prediction. "Alright, Zack. Just clear your mind and touch the ball. The technique will be automatically transferred to your mind." Mr. Jonathan said with a smile. I took a deep breath and emptied my thoughts before placing my palm on the ball. When I placed my palm on the ball, I felt something uploading in my mind. It took me five minutes to realize that technique was uploaded. The shining crystal ball becomes dull after five minutes. Mr. Jonathan knew the technique was ingrained successfully. When I felt technique was ingrained completely. I try to understand the technique. "Lightning Flash Step" [A powerful movement technique, which uses lightning essence for speed enhancement. As its name implies, the Warrior can move from one point to another in flash speed. The technique consists of nine levels. From short distance flash to large distance.] "Wow" I said. This is an absolutely pleasant surprise. Before Star Tower Challenge, I was sulking about having a lack of combat technique. But this technique solves the problem for my speed. Initially I was using normal leg technique. Which is not comparable to essence combat techniques. Right now there were two runes glowing in my mind. Lightning Celestine Scripture rune and Blood Cultivation Rune. Under the Lightning rune, there were two smaller runes connected to it. One is the Lightning wheel. And the second rune is Sword Divide. If I run this movement technique, it will form another small rune by connecting to the Main Lightning rune. Seeing that lone bloody rune, I feel a sense of loss. I don''t know where I''m going to find blood essence techniques. I have a vague feeling in my heart that as long as I continue to explore the world. I may stumble across blood essence techniques. After having determination in my heart, I slowly opened my eyes. "How is it?" Mr. Jonathan asked in curiosity. I said, "It''s a lightning movement technique." Mr. Jonathan nodded, Then he asked, "Do you need anything else?" "Mr. Jonathan you guessed right. Like always if you can find lightning related treasure. It will be helpful. In addition to it, I need monster cores and high grade essence pills." I said without leaving anything. "I know you will ask Monster cores. So, I already bought some monster cores for you. As for a high grade essence pill, I don''t have one right now. I will give it to you next time." After saying that, He takes out a few metallic cases out of his storage ring. My eyes gleamed with surprise seeing that. I don''t know how many monster cores there are. But I feel with four monster cores I will get my next physique breakthrough. "Thanks, Mr. Jonathan. These Monster cores were as important as the Lightning movement technique for me." I said with gratitude. Though he is a subordinate of my teacher. But I don''t see him as a subordinate. But I see him on the same level with Elder Thornton. "Don''t say it. It is what you deserve after your stellar performance in Star Tower Challenge. But I have to remind you though, the Crimson Hall Exhibition event is more challenging. So, be prepared for it." Mr. Jonathan said in a solemn tone. Then he added, "You can do your own thing to relax. We won''t allow Crimson Hall to lay hands on you. Just treat it as a final trial before joining the academy." "Crimson Hall uh?" I mumbled. But I don''t feel fear. I already crossed the Star Tower hurdle. It''s just another one. I smiled and said, "Actually, I''m looking forward to participating in it. So I will act with caution before doing anything." Mr. Jonathan nodded in appreciation. "Okay, Zack. It''s time for me to leave. But before going out I want to ask something." Mr. Jonathan asked because he wasn''t able to see through Zack''s current cultivation level. Hearing that I looked at him and said, "What is it? Mr. Jonathan" Mr. Jonathan commented, "what is your current level?'' I came to realize that I was wearing a pendant, due to the fact that he wasn''t able to see my breath. I said, "Mid-level- Special Trainee" A surprise glint flashes before Mr. Jonathan''s eyes. He knew Zack got a breakthrough, but he feels Zack''s strength is stronger than average mid-level special trainees. That''s why he asked again. After Zack''s confirmation, he didn''t dwell on this matter. He left after saying goodbye. Seeing Mr. Jonathan leaving through the auction''s back door, I feel strange. "Why didn''t he talk to Elder Thornton?" I uttered. Shaking my head, I walk back to the reception area. Seeing me coming, Elder Thornton stood from his seat and said, "Let''s go back. It will take days to reach Red Stone City." Then both of us walked out of the auction house. On the way I casually asked, "Elder, why didn''t you meet Mr. Jonathan" Hearing that Elder Thornton smiled and said, "Do you really think no one noticed us so far in this city?" I nodded in silence, I''m not a stranger anymore. I bet I''ll become popular after leaderboard ranking. Seeing Zack''s quick understanding, Elder Thornton appreciated Zack in his heart. He commented, "There were a lot of eyeliner in the city. Most of them already took note of us. So, it''s not wise to meet Mr. Jonathan at this point of time." "Hmmm" I said. To confirm it, I activated my perception ability. Soon I was able to perceive everything in a range of 15 meters. 9.Amongst the bustling crowd, there were people whose eyes were constantly set on us. It''s good to have perception ability. I can see these people without alerting them. Chapter 266 Back To Red Stone City Looking at them, I feel no one has an idea of making a move against us. It''s good, Westword city has already suffered enough. It would be worse, If there was any disturbance. After arriving at Barron Fort City''s train station, We bought two tickets from the counter. It will take days to reach home, so it''s nice to have some relaxation time. Sometime later, We boarded the train. Like always I took the window seat. Elder Thornton sat opposite me. Even though we safely exited from the Westword city, Elder Thornton couldn''t help but to check the news sites from time to time. Seeing him doing that, I decided to avoid conversation for a while. I can see there is something bugging his mind. Elder Thornton will definitely tell me once he feels right. "Ding!" I received a message from Granny Park. She is asking about our current status. Seeing that, I typed back and sent it to her. I heard from Uncle that Granny is recovering better. Especially after hearing me coming back. She became spirited. Time progressed, A day later. We were close to our destination. From time to time, Elder Thornton talks to me a little bit. But he spends most of his time on news sites. At this time I decided to ask, "Elder, How is the situation there right now?" "Hmmm, I thought you don''t want to talk about it" Elder Thornton was surprised by Vincent''s question. Then he added,"According to reports everything is fine right now. The Elite warriors who came to assist in the last days were from Parazam Hunter League. They immediately acted and successfully controlled the four borders. Which in turn gave some time to City Lord''s forces to act and arrest warriors from hostile forces." I nodded and asked, "Elder, then what about our Army Federation. Were they on friendly terms with the Star Tower?" "Our relations with the Star Tower are not bad. But our office is located in a different region. Compared to us, Parazam Hunter League is quite close to them. " Elder Thornton replied. No wonder, Their Elite forces came on time. Time progressed, A day later the train crossed several areas to reach Red Stone City. Unlike Westword city, Red Stone City''s environment looks as usual. When the train entered the platform, I reminded Elder Thornton. Slowly, the train comes to a halt. Passenger''s begin to exit one by one. Seeing we have also stood from the seat and followed them. "Arthur is already waiting for us, Let''s go, '''' Elder Thornton said with a smile. I halted my footsteps hearing that. "Hmmm, What?" Elder Thornton said. I said, "I plan to go home directly from here." To reach my home, I need to board another train. I want to go home, I have already spent enough time outside. Elder Thornton smiled hearing that. "I know you want to go home. But do you really think it is as simple as back then" Elder Thornton said with an amusing smile on his face. "What do you mean?" I said. "You will know when you step outside," Elder Thornton commented. Then he gestures to me to follow him. What''s going on? I wondered. Then slowly I followed him to exit the compartment with others. When I landed my footsteps on the ground. I heard multiple clicking sounds and light flashes before me. "Mr. Zack, What do you want to say about your performance at the Star Tower?" One of the local reporters asked. "Mr. Zack, Could you comment on those battles that happened at the border?" Another famous media reporter chirped in. One by one several reports begin to surround me. For a moment, My mind went blank. I don''t know what to say. This is something new to me. Parting away from them, I found the silhouette of Elder Thornton. I hurriedly walked towards him escaping away from the crowd. Not only reporters there were also people beginning to follow me. Elder Thornton never stopped smiling. He knew the Hansen Campus was going to be famous. Then he led Zack towards the area of Arthur. He already learnt the reality of the situation here from Arthur. That''s why when Zack is having conversation with Mr. Jonathan . He took that time to call Arthur. Seeing Zack become famous overnight he told Arthur to receive them at the train station. After arriving outside of the train station. We found Mr. Arthur in an air cab. We hurriedly walked towards him and stepped inside the cab. Seeing that swarm of people coming towards them. Mr. Arthur didn''t talk, he directly drove the cab toward the Hansen Campus. I smiled seeing Mr. Arthur''s condition. He has really gotten better. He looks even stronger compared back to that day. I said, "Mr. Arthur, How is your condition?" Mr. Arthur smiled and said, "Hey Zack. I want to congratulate you first. Your performance at Star Tower is amazing. Even today I couldn''t believe that you achieved number 1 standing at LeaderBoard." Mr. Arthur continued to say everything in his heart enthusiastically. For a while, I didn''t know how to stop him. Only after reaching the Hansen Campus he stopped praising me. Damn! Thankfully my ear is fine. Soon three of us stepped inside of the campus. The campus looked completely new. Few leftover restoration work was also completed. "Hmmm" I noticed something strange along the way. I haven''t found any students so far. Seeing Zack''s confusion, Elder Thornton answered, "Today is an off day. If students knew you were coming today. Do you think our staff can handle them?" I smiled wryly hearing that. The situation in Red Stone City is totally opposite of Westword and Barron Fort city. There was no one there to recognize me. Hereafter, I don''t know how I am going to handle this new popularity. It''s nice to be lowkey. Through the lift we reached the meeting hall situated at the top floor. I feel Elder Thornton is going to talk about the upcoming Crimson Hall Exhibition Event. Chapter 267 19th Floor Mystery? (From MC Perspective) As expected, both of them led me to the meeting hall. "Creak" the metallic door opens I remember last I came here with Ms. Key. I wonder what she is upto now. When the door opened followed by them I stepped inside. Elder Thornton took the main seat. Mr. Arthur sat on his right side. Where I took a nearby seat on the left side. After we sat in our seats, I asked, "Mr.Arthur, What about Ms. Key? Where is she?" Mr. Arthur smiled and said, "It''s an off day for her also. She exhausted herself by doing overwork latey. But don''t worry she will come back tomorrow" I nodded, and said, " What now?" I looked at both of them. Elder Thornton let out a huge sigh before looking at two of them. "Zack, You would have probably guessed what am I going to say" Elder Thornton said, then he added, "We should discuss our next plan related to Crimson Hall Exhibition Event" "Hmmm" I muttered. As expected, it''s about Crimson Hall. They failed to kill me this time, I wonder what their move will be next time. Next time, It would be hard to come across someone like Darius Case. I have perception power, it would be awesome if I get power related to knowing someone''s heart. Mr. Arthur interjected by saying, " Elder, Do they plan to conduct this event? I heard one of their students got killed in Westword City?" "Cough" "Cough" Elder Thornton coughed and subconsciously glanced at Zack. Apart from Zack, Only three people know about his killing. Himself, Mr. Jonathan and Zack''s teacher. "Two months ago, Crimson Hall published notice that they will held their event prior to said date. But as you said now, We don''t know their current circumstances. Yet I believe their Exhibition Event will be held at any cost." Elder Thornton said his opinion. He can''t reveal some truth to Arthur. But he believes that since their assassination against Zack is failed. They will surely do it next time, and the place probably would be at their next event. When Zack joined this Hansen campus, He thought with Zack the Hansen campus would gain some reputation. As a seed candidate he had great hopes for Zack but now things have changed completely. The Hansen Campus is in the spotlight right now. So there is no need to participate in their Exhibition event. But he heard from Zack that his teacher gave him some kind of test. Which related to their event. Shaking his head, he knows this is something he doesn''t have any power over. He can only help Zack in any way possible. So, Elder Thornton looked at Zack and said, " Do you need something for this tournament? We will help you in anyway possible." Mr. Arthur too echoed his opinion. Hearing both of them, I smiled and said, "Well, First, I need full access to our essence chamber. Second, I want to fight against Class 3 Monsters just like the blood kill test. Third, I need full resources from the treasure list that I gave to you. So far I have only collected a few of them from you. I believe the rest of them were in your hands." The Crimson Hall Exhibition event will be my last event before joining the academy. It''s just the last hurdle I have to face before getting admitted into the academy. By showing good performance, I can change my D grade quota to C or B grade quota. I don''t know about the A grade quota. I heard it''s actually fixed. There is also something to do with my inheritance. So far I have upgraded my mental ability twice. My essence cultivation is one step ahead compared to body cultivation. I need to find a way to balance these three. I have a feeling that once I consume the resources from the treasure list. There will be significant improvement in my strength. When Mr. Arthur heard about Zack''s wish to fight against the Class 3 Monster. "What? Are you even serious?" He exclaimed in shock. Elder Thornton smiled hearing that he understood something. Without minding Arthur''s shock, He asked, "Zack, Can you explain to me clearly ? What did you fight against on the 19th floor?" Mr. Arthur wanted to ask Zack, but he stopped midway when he heard Elder''s question. Image of three gigantic monsters flashes before my eyes. I hadn''t expected Elder to ask about this right now. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Even Mr. Jonathan didn''t give me any clear answer. He is especially from outside of our region. But upon seeing Elder''s eyes, I sighed and said, "The monster which I had faced on the 19th floor has a humongous body with human-like intelligence. I would say that their intellect is higher than the average human being. It''s 100ft tall. From the beginning, it didn''t even use its true power. It only used one attack, it launched a water cannon from his mouth. Till the end I felt like I was being played upon. Those monsters didn''t even consider me as their opponents. I wonder if this is the true level of the 19th floor. I don''t know what the level above six floors is. It''s really terrible." Mr. Arthur gulped his saliva after hearing Zack''s explanation. Even himself, he didn''t hear about such monsters. "Is this true ?" He asked. "Sigh" "Did I ever joke about something serious like this?" I said. Mr. Arthur nodded and looked at Elder Thornton for answer. He believes his words but it''s too unreal to imagine. Elder Thornton ponders, Several decades back during his trainee days he heard the same conversation. But he fails to remember what that matter is about. Looking at Zack, He thought, "A monster with human-like intelligence uh? It''s not strange for monsters to have human-like intelligence. Like us, once the monsters get breakthrough to higher levels they will achieve human-like intelligence. But he felt strange about those floors. Like Zack said, it''s not something Special Trainee Warriors can fight against." Chapter 268 Back Home! Elder Thornton looked at Zack solemnly and said, "There is no record of such monsters at our outpost 1012. But I believe it belongs to other regions." "Outside?" I muttered. I also thought of the same reasoning. But why didn''t Mr. Jonathan say anything about it? He had a wide range of knowledge. It''s impossible to know nothing about it. "Sigh" I won''t get any answer at this time, it''s better to forget it for now. Hmmm, Anyway, The Star Tower mission is over. It''s time to relax a little bit. Then I asked, "Ahem, Elder. In your opinion, how much time is left for the upcoming Crimson Hall''s exhibition event?" This is the question bugging me. But I guess, it will take at least 8 months. So, in the meantime, I can practice and relax at my own pace without worrying about anything else. Hearing Zack''s question, Elder Thornton commented, "As per earlier schedule, it will take 6 months. But right now, I predict in four months the event is going to be held." "4 months uh, Hmmm" I mumbled under my breath. It''s so soon, but it can''t be helped. I need to get stronger in these 4 months. Personally, I feel those guy can''t wait to see me dead. Pushing away thoughts, Then I remembered Granny Park. I said, "Okay, Elder Thornton and Mr. Arthur, let''s drop this discussion for a while. And it''s time for me to go home." Elder Thornton and Mr. Arthur looked at each other. They knew his mind was not really into the discussion. Elder Thornton thought about protecting Zack from behind. But soon he disregarded these thoughts. He doesn''t believe anyone will act upon Zack at this time. People will follow once he gets outside. So no one will dare to do it in front of the media. So he bets on this assumption. So he glanced at Zack and said, "It''s alright, you can go back home and relax. But I expect you to return after two days. In the meantime, Arthur will arrange resources. And I''ll also head outside to capture a few Class 3 Monsters for you to practise" I nodded at both of them, Then I left the meeting room hurriedly to go back home. When I stepped outside, As usual I had to go through the swarm of media people to get outside. Fortunately, I found an air cab in the distance. After hopping inside the air cab, I breathed in relief. Such a crowd will suffocate me to the death. After catching up a breath, I called Uncle James. As the call connected, I heard a deep voice. "Zack, Where are you?" Mr. James inquires in a worrisome tone. Hearing that I smiled and elaborated on the situation here. "Ha...ha...ha..., I also saw some people lurking around here. Since, Most of the residents here belong to one or another medium faction. They don''t dare to cause any ruckus. But don''t worry you will get used to this. And also I''m going to wait for you at the train station." Mr. James said. "Thank Goodness. There are not many people there. I''m not used to this, It will be normal once I leave the city. Okay, Uncle James. I''ll contact you later." I replied in a calm tone. "Sigh" After Sighing in relief, I waited for the air cab to reach the station. Earlier, while on the train, I had one booked a ticket for me to go home. Sometimes later, The air cab reaches the station. When the air cab landed on the platform, I left hurriedly after paying him. After hiding away from frenzied reporters, I reached my platform. I wear a black face mask to hide my face. People use it as a fashion. But for me it''s a lifesaver. A 15 minutes later, The train for White snow City arrives at the platform. Like always there is no soul inside the compartment, except one or two people. I sat in my usual window seat and shut off my eyes. It will take a while to reach home. So I thought about taking a small nap right now. Two hours later, The train reached the White Snow City''s station. After exiting the compartment, I immediately found Uncle James was waiting for me at the cafeteria. Seeing me coming, Uncle James gestures to me to follow him quietly. I understood his reactions, The Red Stone City''s media house even caught up here. Sighing, I followed Uncle. We reached home sometime later. Since its a strict residential area. The reporters didn''t make a noise. Because of it, I peacefully entered my house. The first thing I did after stepping inside my home was to see Granny. But after hearing Uncle''s words, I came to know that she fell asleep. "She was active a while ago, What happened?" I said. Mr. James, "She fell asleep due to medication." He remembered how Ms. Park refused to consume a medication pill. She insisted on seeing Zack first, then she would consume a pill. But somehow I managed to convince her to take the pill. I nodded hearing that and said, "It''s fine you can call me once she wakes up" after saying that I walk towards my room to freshen up. "Smell of my room" I muttered. Now, I came to know how much I longed for my room after smelling the breath. The feeling of insecurity completely went away. My room is a real safe haven for me. With that feeling I laid comfortably on my bed for few minutes, 10 Minutes later, I went to take a bath. After walking out of the shower. I picked some casuals to wear. Since I bought most of the clothes for my journey. So right now only few of them left in cupboard. It''s just a casual t-shirt and 3/4. After getting done, I head towards Uncle''s room to have a chat. He has been dying to know what actually happened in the Westword city. Chapter 269 Relaxing? (From MC Perspective) I had a good long conversation with Uncle James. I told him everything about the journey except Darius''s case. Uncle James was glad that I got No. 1 Rank at leaderboard. He told me that it will help me improve my qualification during the Saw Scale Viper Academy''s admission. On top of it, He also mentioned once I get into the academy, I don''t need to hide my lightning element anymore. I can also have the opportunity to meet my teacher personally. When I heard that I felt adrenaline rushing through my veins. Is there anyone who doesn''t want to flex their power? I can''t wait to see the shocking face of everyone when I show my element to the world. There is also my blood method. But for the time being, I don''t want anyone to know about my blood element, including my teacher. Hope I will find blood combat techniques inside the Saw Scale Viper Academy. My combat strength would be increased several times after practicing those techniques. Then I left his room after having a deep conversation. As I stepped inside my room, I began to contemplate. So I don''t have to worry about my D rank quota. My Performance at Star Tower alone will get me into C or B rank institutions. On top of that, If I perform better at the Crimson Hall event. It will further cement my qualifications. I breathed in relief realizing that so many things have changed in the past several months. At first we discussed that getting a D rank admission quota is itself a miracle. Countless people were dying to get that D rank quota alone. Uncle James got for me with his merit points. I''m happy that I didn''t disappoint him. Right now, I am one step ahead and my eyes are set on top institutions. Getting into the academy is 100% confirmed. But what grade of the institution I will be getting into is decided by my further performances. "I''m looking forward to fulfilling my role as Seed Candidate." I mumbled under my breath. For a moment, I thought it would be better if I got more info about this academy. But Uncle is tight lipped about it. Hmmm, As long as I have enough strength. I can jump out of this well and move to higher places. Time progresses, Later, I heard Granny Park was awake. I immediately sprung into her room. After learning about her condition, I sighed in relief. She will recover soon as long as she continues to take her medicine. I had a light conversation with Granny. Keeping her condition in mind, I didn''t mention about those fighting and border tensions at Westword city. We just talked about food and plants. Since, I got two days leave. I decided to accompany Granny Park. Two days later, Early Morning. "Beep!" "Beep!" "Beep!" I woke up after hearing the buzzing alarm. "These two days have been so relaxing. Now, it''s time for me to get busy." I muttered as I went to take a bath. After completing my morning routine. I get ready for Hansen campus. Standing in front of the mirror, I looked at myself. I wore a Red t-shirt, it looked clean and neat. Then I wear a black jacket and black cargo pants. Finally I finished my dressing with black fingerless gloves. When everything looked fine, I saw the timing on the clock. "There is still some time left for breakfast" I said to myself while looking at the clock. So I decided to wait for a while. Suddenly, I thought of something. For the past few days I have been taking care of Granny. So I literally forget about the outside world. Even Elder Thornton and Mr. Arthur didn''t disturb me. I wonder what is happening in Westword City Right now. A deep curiosity rose in my heart, I immediately switched on the virtual screen and immediately connected with news sites. As the news site was connected, I saw the News anchors talking about the notice released by Star Tower. The notice stated that there will be a press conference held this upcoming weekend. Where Star Tower Management will brief about the entire situation. My expression turned cold for a moment. I don''t know whether they caught the culprit or not. Especially the sign of Crimson Hall''s team at the northern border. As I''m pondering it, the news anchor then also mentions about the Leader Board. I saw an image of me getting out of the Star tower on the screen. "It must be taken by the Star Tower authorities. Were they hoping to divert the news by mentioning about the leaderboard Ranking." I questioned myself. But I don''t think so, Elder Thornton highly talked about the Hall Master of Star Tower. So there must be a reason for it. Then the image of mine changes again. This time the image of me leaving from the Red Stone City''s station is being shown on the screen. Seeing that I smiled wryly, I don''t know how long they will repeat the same news again. It''s not just me they also reported about the other rank holders. I saw the name of the second rank holder. I don''t know what happened to that dude. There is no news of him and his Elder''s whereabouts were unknown. But the Star Tower Management didn''t mention any death of the top 5 rank holders. After watching a bit of the news, I switched it off. Initially, I thought the news would die down after a few days. But it''s still making news due to Star Tower Management. Shaking my head, I looked at the clock again. Seeing it''s almost time for breakfast, I went downstairs to eat. Sometimes later, I left home after having breakfast. Granny Park had made healthy food for us. Instead of enjoying it, my mind is always on today''s plan. I''m going to achieve a Physique breakthrough inside the essence filled chamber. I already got permission and necessary resources from Elder Thornton. So, I''m looking forward to it. Chapter 270 Marias Advice (From MC Perspective) Hansen Campus, I immediately headed to Mr. Arthur''s cabin after stepping inside the campus. I can see students were having their training. Some were talking among their groups and some were standing in queue to use gravity camber. Seeing the normal atmosphere of Hansen Campus, I feel relaxed. Looks like they don''t know about my return to Hansen campus. After walking a few steps, I reached Mr. Arthur''s cabin. "Creak" The door slid open. Like always Mr. Arthur is working behind the desk. Seeing me coming he gestures to me to take a seat. I nodded and sat comfortably in the chair. I saw him bringing so much stuff out of his storage ring. I know these were the resources that I asked for. All of them were enclosed in a metallic case in order to preserve them. There were 10 metallic cases placed on the desk. Mr. Arthur smiled triumphantly looking at them. "While you are busy in Star Tower, I took that time to collect remaining resources with the permission of Elder Thornton." Mr. Arthur said with a smile. Then he added, "Here is the list, take back with you. And don''t forget to increase your strength before fighting against Class 3 Monsters" My eyes gleamed with delight looking at them. Hearing his Mr. Arthur''s words I affirmed, "Don''t worry, Mr. Arthur. Before Elder Thornton comes back with Class 3 Monsters. I would have already increased my strength." Mr. Arthur doesn''t know that I''m going to achieve a breakthrough today. I would have told him if it was an essence cultivation technique. But unfortunately it''s my physique. After glancing at the 10 metallic cases for a moment, I placed all of them in my storage ring. I sighed in relief after getting all the resources from the treasure list. How long has it been since I''ve been longing to get all the resources in my hand? I believe it''s from day 1 of the Seed Challenge. "Sigh" "By the way, Mr. Arthur. How is your health these days?" I asked while observing his physique. His complexion looks better than usual. Mr. Arthur smiled and said, "I''m fine, It''s been a month since that incident. Now, there is no worry. I recovered completely." Then we talked about a few more things before I left his cabin and headed straight towards the essence filled chamber. "It''s been so long..." I muttered as I stepped inside the essence filled chamber room. Suddenly, I saw someone opening the essence filled chamber next to mine. "Maria?" I said. Hearing my words that person looked back at me. "Zack, is it you?" Maria''s eyes popped out in surprise, She asked back by covering her little mouth. While smiling I slowly walked towards her and answered, "I just came back two days ago. And what are you upto these days?" I can see her strength has increased since I saw her last time. She broke through, Her strength is of Peak of Trainee Apprentice Warrior. Unlike me, Her Elemental resources are not scarce around this region. So as long as she gets steady resources in her hands she will achieve breakthroughs. While I''m busy observing her, Maria came back to her senses after confirming it''s really Zack. Hearing Zack''s words, instead of getting shy or timid. A fighting intent rose in her heart, she knows about Zacks rank in the LeaderBoard. Right Now, Zack is famous around the region. He has been given the title of young genius. Which is recognised by various forces and news sites. She herself wants to do well and wants to get placed in a good academy. Her father had already asked his few contacts and successfully got a quota for her. So she is sure about her future. But she doesn''t know about Zack. But she knows after his Star Tower Performance, He will definitely be noticed by academy people. And also she doesn''t know how strong Zack is right now. With a little bit of hesitation she asked, "Zack, I want to ask you something?" "Hmmm, Go ahead." I said. Maria asked, "What is your actual strength right now?" After saying that she looked straight into his eyes. Since everyone would have probably guessed after my performance at the Star Tower Power. I don''t think it''s necessary to hide from her. So I replied, "Initial- Special Trainee" Maira was shocked inside her heart when she heard from his mouth. This was the same as her father''s prediction at that time. But she didn''t believe it. She remembers the day when both of them were just rookie. At that time, Zack is not the strongest one, instead her friend. Remembering her a gloomy feeling rose in her heart, but she quickly recovered herself. "Oh, You broke through. Then I guess I have to cultivate hard as well." Maria said with a small smile. I raised my eyebrows hearing her full voice. But I didn''t inquire about it , instead I asked, "You never answered my question. What are you going to do next? Are you going to stay in this city forever?" I heard her clan is good. I don''t think they will let her stay in the Red Stone City forever. Maria commented, "About that, I will join some academy. I''m not sure which academy it is. " Then she raised her head and asked Zack, "What about you?" "I don''t know ? I''ll decide after the Crimson Hall Event." I lied to her. If I told her that I will join Saw Scale Viper Academy. There are chances that it will influence her decision. I want nature to take its course. Since everyone has their own journey to experience, It''s better not to influence anyone. Talking about Crimson Hall, nothing good comes to Maria''s mind. She remembers her father and butler seems to be wary about the Crimson Hall. She herself knows one or two things about them. That''s why her father didn''t allow her to be a Seed Candidate in the first place. She sighed thinking that and looking at Zack she reminded, "Zack, Crimson Hall people were not good. They normally target anyone who disagrees with them. Now that you are in the limelight and ranking top well above their students in the LeaderBoard. They won''t digest it and will surely plan something to harm you . So you better take care of yourself." Chapter 271 Initial - Special Trainee - Body (From MC Perspective) Listening to her advice, I nodded back at her and said, "Don''t worry, I know what I''m getting into." Then after having a few conversations, we both entered into our own essence filled chamber separately. "Sigh" "Crimson Hall''s reputation is rotten to the core. It''s really surprising that no one took care of them so far. If it were another organisation, they would have been long eliminated from this world." I said to myself while observing the essence filled chamber. I had already set the timings, in ten minutes the world''s essence energy will pour into this room. In the meantime, I need to sort out the materials. After making up my mind, I sat cross legged on the ground. From the storage ring, I take out four metallic cases and placed it before me on the ground. Inside the metallic case there were four blood essence pills. I hope that it will be enough for my breakthrough. Ever since I felt the barrier in the Physique level, I had waited for perfect conditions to get breakthrough. Now, that everything is in place. I took a deep breath and exhaled it. I took the first metallic case. After opening it, I placed the exquisite blood red pill on my palm. A 10 Minutes later, As the essence starts to fill in the room. I swallowed the pill without any hesitation. As the blood essence pill enters my body, I can feel that the pill is beginning to melt slowly and the hot blood essence liquid is starting to come out of it. I immediately began to recite blood cultivation method. I can feel my dormant blood element is beginning to respond. When I started reciting blood cultivation words, the usual phenomenon takes place. The bloody red rune in mind begins to shine bright. While it started to flicker brightly, a hazy blood light came out of nowhere from my body and it immediately envelops the blood essence energy like its prey. Slowly, the conversion takes place and the formidable white energy is being released by the hazy blood light. It slowly consumes the blood essence energy. Those white energies begin to drill into my skeleton bones. When white energy pierced into my bones like a needle, I felt heart wrenching pain. While gritting my teeth, I continue to endure it. I clearly know the horror of the blood method. With my formidable Physique alone, I cleared most of the floors in Star Tower. It''s just that I''m lacking a suitable technique for it. Time progresses, The blood essence energy starts to dry out as the time went on. In few minutes it will dry out completely. Small sweat beads dripping from my forehead, it''s really getting hard to get used to such pain. I can perceive my skeleton''s blood red color is being thickened further and it slowly begins to expand to other areas. Several minutes later, "Finally" I said. I can feel the solid invisible barrier preventing me from getting breakthrough. To tear it apart, I need to consume two more blood essence pills. Then without any delay, I acted faster. I opened the second case and swallowed the second pill. Soon, I followed the same procedure and waited for the solid barrier to become thin. Time progresses, I consumed a third pill and this time I can feel the barrier is getting thin. I have a vague feeling that as long as I consume one more pill I will achieve a breakthrough. But this is going to be my last blood essence pill. Looks like even if I get breakthroughs, I need to consolidate it with the use of monster cores. After letting out a sigh, I consumed the last blood essence pill. And this time as predicted the barrier didn''t put any resistance as the energy tore it through to reach the next level. "Initial Special Trainee- Body" After stepping into a new level, a warm energy began to course through my veins. The bones, veins and bone marrow were undergoing huge transformation. I can feel new profound strength is lying dormant in my cells. "Amazing" I mumbled under my breath. Now that both my body and essence were at the same level. I can feel somewhat relaxed. To consolidate the level, I took the Class 3 Monster cores from my storage ring. I started reciting blood method after placing my palm on the monster cores. Slowly, I begin to suck the energy with the help of a bloody rune in my mind. A very hot energy is coursing through my veins. Like always, the hazy blood light begins to convert the energy. Time progresses, "Phew" I finally consolidated my level after consuming two monster cores. Looks like hereafter I need to look out for more resources. After getting each breakthrough the amount of resources it requires is also increased. With my perception, I observed internally. Where I can see my physique undergone a qualitative change. So now I can say that I''ve officially entered Level 2 in Domain Physique. To get the approval of inheritance, I need to reach Level 15 in Domain Physique. "Level 15 uh?" I muttered. It''s really too far for me right now. But I will get there eventually one day. I really want to see what kind of inheritance it is? Which requires such harsh conditions. Shaking my head, I put these thoughts behind my mind. Right now, I need to focus on exhibition events. So far no one spoke about the event, including Elder Thornton. I wonder if it''s the same as Star Tower. Then it would be really boring. Since my physique is levelled up, I don''t need to use my lightning element. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind. I released aura of both element from my body. Two different distinct aura quickly spread around me. One is purple in color, while other aura has a light red hue in it. I wonder, since it''s a blood element, why isn''t it entirely red? Talking about blood element ability, I have innate blood element ability. It''s an invisible aura or shield. I couldn''t able to distinguish it clearly. I even got it confused with my blood element aura. Inorder to confirm it, I need to do lot of experiments. I remember last time, I scared my senior by releasing the invisible aura. It''s colorless attribute is really useful to me. Chapter 272 New Wind? As a result of this new breakthrough, my physique has been strengthened. I can feel that even without using the lightning element, I can easily kill the class 3 monsters. "Sigh." Then I shifted my mind to slowly stabilise the level. Time progresses. I stabilised my level after taking some blood essence pills. When I clenched my fist, I could feel the pure force. I can''t wait to try out against those monsters. "Wonder, What''s (Elder Thornton) up to?" I mumbled under my breath. I don''t know how long it will take for Elder Thornton to capture those monsters. If it''s dragging along, I can use this time to look for specific monster zones. Talking about monster zones, last time I ran behind my tails due to that cunning fox, I smiled wryly, recalling that memory. It''s never been easy to fight against intellectual species. "Huh, why am I overthinking these days?" I rose from the ground, shaking my head. Now I have plenty of time on my hands to practise my lighting flash technique. A small smile rose on my face upon realising that, and I immediately exited the room to visit the combat room. I didn''t spot Maria this time when I left the essence chamber. Unlike me, she has a strong background. So I''m sure that she won''t stay in this Red Stone City forever. After taking one last glance at her essence chamber, I headed straight towards the combat room. ... Crimson Hall''s Meeting Room, "What a waste!" "Waste" "A bunch of trash!" The First Elder is lashing out in anger, "I gave you one simple mission. Who is going to kill that kid? I mean, how did you fail on such an easy mission? " The First Elder gritted his teeth in frustration. How long has it been since he felt such wrath? Usually he used to have some backup plan, but in this issue he really didn''t have anything. In front of him, the sixth elder and the disguised Elite warrior stood in silence. Listening to the First Elder''s berating, the Sixth Elder didn''t dare make eye contact. It''s an easy mission at first. But due to a critical situation at that time, they decided to split up and search for that kid, Zack Lockwood, individually. Yet even after filtering out the entire city, they returned empty handed. He suspects that the kid might have moved from the city; that''s why they didn''t find any trail. So he strongly feels it''s due to an intelligence failure that their mission has ended up in vain. The person beside him didn''t make any noise. His mind was also empty of thoughts. The First Elder notices the duo''s attitude and says, "Harrumph." He snorts immediately. His entire mind is now thinking about Star Tower''s follow-up actions. As far as he knows, they didn''t leave out any concrete evidence on the ground, so it''s for the time being. But deep down, he knows it won''t be long for them to put the pieces together. So he needs to prepare for that. At this time, the 6th elder''s brain lit up with new ideas. He looked at the first elder with hesitation and asked, in a low tone, "Elder, I believe we still have some chance to kill that kid." Hearing his words, the First Elder looked at him in disdain. He replied, "Oh, what a good idea do you have? Don''t tell me it''s about our upcoming event. " The First Elder sneered. He feels the brains of these people are getting low. The 6th Elder immediately shut his mouth. He realised that the First Elder already knew about it. He feels it''s best to not interrupt him. Suddenly, the First Elder gestures to the two of them to leave. He thinks it''s a waste of time to talk with them. After seeing the disappearance of these two, He ponders alone. "Zack Lockwood, uh?" This kid''s luck is good. He had surveyed so many assassination attempts. Even these local bounty hunters turned up waste. He furrowed his eyebrows, thinking about the Crimson Hall event. They need to come up with a good plan to kill that kid. If they failed to kill this kid, then it''s impossible to think about it in the future. After that, there is a good chance that kid might be admitted into some academy after that. As his mind races to find a solution, his eyes also catch the report of Darius Case''s file. He twitched at seeing that. "Such a talented kid met with misfortune." He muttered while his mind now shifted to thinking about which faction was responsible for Darius''s death. Failure after failure, the Crimson Hall suffered so much damage in this recent Star Tower event. His mood is dampened. No good solution has come to his mind now. Tiredly sitting behind his desk, he rested for a while. ... Mr. Jonathan had already left the outpost 1012 and went back to meet his master, Sir Lowell McClain. This time, the mission of protecting Zack is considered a success. He didn''t even come across any dreadful situations. He didn''t even break a sweat. Smiling, he reached his master''s palace. After reaching the entrance gate, there is no guard. He just scanned his ID. "Creak," the door opens. After passing through what appears to be a secret passage, he arrives at the main hall. This entrance is not known to everyone. Only the master''s secret confidants have the right to use it. Once he reaches the main hall, he receives the message from his master. After seeing the message, he smiled and headed towards the meeting room. He knows the Master is at home right now because he received the message; otherwise, he would have to wait for him. The door opens after confirming his ID. After stepping inside, Mr. Jonathan gave a slight bow to his master. Sir Lowell McClain smiled, looking at him. "Huh, it looks like everything went fine without any disruption," Sir. Lowell McClain said, smiling at him. He''s in a good mood right now. Seeing the master''s light mood, a surprise glint flashes before Mr. Jonathan''s eyes. He is sure it''s not just about Zack''s safety. There is much more to that. Chapter 273 Getting Treausre Sir. Lowell McClain would rarely smile. But this time seeing his bright mood, Mr. Jonathan couldn''t control his inner curiosity. So he asked with some hesitation, " Master, is there any good news?" "Ha...Ha...ha..." Sir. Lowell McClain let out a hearty laughter. Looking at curious Jonathan before him, He smiled and said, "Yes, There is indeed some good news!" Then he added, "The recent red level mission went without any mishap. On top of it there is no loss of live" Mr. Jonathan dumbfounded hearing that, "How could it be? He knows the dangerous Red level mission. To return successfully without loss of life, it''s a great achievement." He thought to himself. Suddenly a thought rose in his heart, he wondered in his heart, "What was their mission? And who completed it." But soon he trampled those thoughts. He almost forgot that such missions were kept in secrecy. He asked casually but he hadn''t expected the Master to answer him. So he tight lipped about this matter. Seeing Mr. Jonathan''s sudden change in attitude. Sir. Lowell McClain pleased, the one quality he appreciates about Jonathan is that he knows his bottom line. So he suddenly changed the topic back to important. "How is my disciple?" He asked. Mr. Jonathan expected his question, so he answered immediately, "Master, Zack is fine. He recently broke through to become a Special Trainee." When he said Special Trainee. He means essence Cultivation. Zack doesn''t reveal to anyone that he is double repair. Sir. Lowell McClain nodded, He is simply pleased with his new disciple. If top cultivation techniques with enough resources can be guaranteed. He is sure that Zack will be no less than the inner posta genius warrior. But it''s a pity that Zack was born in outerpost. It will take some time for him to leap over the gate. "Well, It''s okay. The current situation of Zack is fine. But I''m more impressed with his Star Performance." Sir. Lowell McClain smilingly said. Jonathan slightly smacked his forehead hearing that. "I almost forgot about this matter." He cursed in his heart. Mr. Jonathan commented, "Uh, Master. I almost forgot to say something." "Hmmm" Sir. Lowell McClain became interested in seeing his flustered expression. He gestures to him to continue. "Master, Zack told me something about the 19th floor." Mr. Jonathan said while looking at his expression. Then he continues by saying, "In that 19th floor, Zack mentioned that he came across some special beast" "Special Beast?" Sir. Lowell McClain furrows his eyebrows hearing that then he inquired, "Did he mention that Monster''s appearance?" Mr. Jonathan nodded and reiterated what Zack told him. After explaining , he looks at his master''s expression. He seems to be in deep thinking. "Looks like the Master is too suspicious about it," He said to himself. He suspected as earlier when Zack mentioned it to him. But he doesn''t want to jump to conclusions too quickly. That''s why he told Zack that he is clueless about the monster. Right now after looking at his master''s expression. He had a vague feeling that might be a special beast belonging to the inner post. But if it''s true then how come the spirit phantom is placed in outerpost Star Tower. "It''s truly unfair to that kid. Otherwise he had potential to breach above 20th floor." Mr. Jonathan thought to himself. "Interesting!" "There were too many monsters here that had similar appearances. But beasts were different categories, these creatures which had a strong bloodline with high potential. On top of their intelligence is no less than our human beings." Sir. Lowell McClain muttered under his breath. He doesn''t know whether Zack exaggerated the information or not. But it''s hard to believe the appearance of such a beast spirit in the Star Tower Challenge. It can only be confirmed after looking at it in person whether it''s monster family or beast family. But since it''s phantom his interest fades away immediately. If it''s an actual alive beast, this matter can be discussed. Yet Sir. Lowell McClain felt even more pleased with Zack. He wants Zack to get into the inner post as quickly as possible. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. Looking at Jonathan infront of him he said, "So Do you know anything about the Crimson Hall event." Mr. Jonathan surprised but he quickly replied, " Master, I heard this time they had planned to conduct it as early as possible " "Harumph" Sir. Lowell McClaon snorts immediately. He knows their abacus. Ever since they track down the perpetrators of the Killing list. He found out who were active participants and sponsors. He feels disdain to trample them. This Crimson Hall is also one of the active participants. They had actively participated and killed so many talented young warriors so far. So their Crimson Hall''s next is also one of their killing methods. "Tap" "Tap" While tapping his finger, He ponders. Mr. Jonathan stood in silence. He doesn''t know what his Master is planning. But thinking about Crimson Hall''s exhibition event. He suspects the Master is planning something. Once his Master is done he will have his next task. So he plans to wait patiently. Time progresses, A few minutes later, Sir. Lowell McClain let out a deep sigh. He seems to have arrived at some decision. Looking at Jonathan he said, "I decided to watch the Crimson Hall''s little what" "What?" Jonathan dumbfounded. He couldn''t believe his own ears. He hurriedly answered, "Master, Outerpost is banned. With Our powers it''s impossible to enter inside." Jonathan knows horrors of his master''s power s. If he enters inside it will drastically change the landscape. Then the entire outpost will be killed. Sir. Lowell McClain smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I''m going there for fun not to kill." He chuckled seeing scared expression of Jonathan. "For now, take some rest, if there is a mission, I''ll call you." After saying that he gestures to him to leave. Jonathan gulped his saliva he didn''t dare to refute anymore. So he immediately left the hall. Sir. Lowell McClain actually decided to analyse Zack''s strength in person. If possible he will meet him and give some pointers. Zack had already shown tremendous potential. With his pointers if he can gain much more strength, then it would be useful for Zack. He will gain a foothold once he gets into the academy. Then sooner or later, Zack will enter into the inner post. But coming back to Crimson Hall''s exhibition event. This also a test he gave to Zack. There is something in rewards which is helpful to his lightning system. If he can get it then he passed his little test. Earlier, He was under pressure with different issues. His mind was in dealing with inner post works. Now that the red level mission is over. There will be some buffer time here after. So he can use this time to see his disciple. "Sigh" After sorting out he shut his eyes. ... (From MC Perspective) At the same time, Hansen Campus. Zack is diligently practising lightning phantom technique inside the combat room. "Huh, this technique has nine levels. But it''s getting hard to grasp level 1 itself." I muttered while massaging my temple. This technique is a little profound to grasp. Looks like I need to spend more time understanding it. I sighed realising that I had spent four unknowingly. Suddenly, an idea came to my mind. If there is any treasure to improve my mind, I''m sure it will help me grasp some meaning in level one. I''m not sure it will help improve my aptitude. But it''s better to try out my luck. Instead of wasting time here, I guess it''s best to see something valuable. After sorting out my thoughts, I exited the combat room and headed directly towards Mr. Arthur''s room. He had already sent me a message about it. But I''m too involved in studying lightning technique. Sometimes later, "Creak" the door slid open. "Mr. Arthur, Where is it?" I hurriedly asked after stepping inside Mr. Arthur''s room. Seeing my flustered expression, Mr. Arthur who is sitting behind his desk chuckled. "It''s very rare to see your flustered expression. Where is that Calm and composed Zack" after saying that he takes out a low end storage ring. "Here is your treasure. Take it practice well. And Most importantly don''t use this treasure for quick promotion. Otherwise it will leave you with an unstable foundation.''''Seeing Zack''s eager expression Mr. Arthur solemnly advised. He fears Zack will use it one go. So advised repeatedly. "Cough" "Cough" "Mr. Arthur, Thank you for your hard work. But don''t worry. I know the sense of measure. " I answered looking at his expression. But looks like he didn''t get convinced from my words. Shaking my head, I added, " Mr. Arthur, I didn''t even use my Star Tower rewards. Do you think their treasures were higher grade than them" My voice sounded a little sad. Mr. Arthur''s expression changed drastically. He got up from his seat and tapped my shoulder. "It''s fine, I trust you completely." Mr. Arthur said wryly. Chapter 274 Brain Power Breakthrough (From MC Perspective) After getting the treasure box from Mr. Arthur, I hurriedly left the room. I didn''t want to embarass him any longer. I don''t know why he got paranoid unnecessarily. Shaking my head, I walked straight towards the essence chamber room. It''s the best place to cultivate and consume these treasures. After reaching the door, I quickly entered without alerting anyone. I sat cross legged and opened the treasure box. "Hmmm" I was taken back seeing there is another layer beside the major lock. Soon I realised one thing: it''s a special container used to store items. It functions similarly to a storage ring. But this one is specifically designed for keeping special herbs intact. After realising it, I sipped my consciousness into the storage ring. Soon, I found various herbs and essence pills were placed in different cubes. They were isolated from each other with a thin layer. Seeing the mechanism, I couldn''t help but feel amazed. "Good, This special container alone is worth a lot of money," I muttered. Then my gaze shifted back to the various resources. I need to pick some carefully for my advancement. Since both of my body and essence were in the same state. Only my brain breakthrough is a bit lacking. After figuring out, I focussed on which of these were useful for my brain power advancement. After skimming through various descriptions, I came across useful ones. It''s not a flower but some kind of pill which is glowing bright and radiating sky blue color. Though the grades of these were not comparable to Star Tower rewards. But I feel something is better than nothing. There were times I even dreamt of getting these on my hands. After sighing, I carefully take out the dazzling blue color pill. Before the efficacy fades, I quickly put it into my mouth. A warm current quickly flows through my vein and finally settles down in my dantian. I suddenly feel hot springs bursting out in boys beaming with power. When the essence pill is done it''s a wonder, there is a sudden explosion in mind. I can feel my mind being freshened and widened. I don''t know how exactly, but I can feel it. So I tried to hold on to this feeling. Sometime later, I exhaled deeply and a large smile blossomed on my face. I can feel my perception getting a lot stronger and strengthened. I can sense it stretches beyond 20 meters. But due to the essence chamber, I stopped stretching out further. With a gleeful smile, I begin to comprehend the lightning phantom technique. Soon, like a door is kicked open. I tore through the difficulty of the first level of comprehension. I began to comprehend next as I caught the little inspiration. So I hold it tightly, Time progresses, Slowly, like a epiphany. I forgot the time, went into deep comprehension. Two hours later, I opened my eyes, "So, That''s how it is'' '' Earlier, I''m just scratching the surface of lightning phantom technique. Now, with my brain expansion, my aptitude has improved further. Unlike before, I went step ahead. This time I won''t fail in applying the technique. Feeling a new wave of stamina, I exited the essence chamber. And went towards the combat room. "Creak" the door slid open. After stepping inside the combat room, I shut the door and quickly begin to try the lightning phantom technique. When I run my essence energy according to the routes of lightning phantom technique. "Bang" I suddenly displaced and crashed at the nearby wall. "Damn it!" I cursed out loud. The practical is extremely difficult. I need to concentrate on my sense of direction and at the same time I have to run my energy carefully. I sighed, obviously this is my first ever essence technique. Earlier, I used common leg martial arts to move around. But my scope of distance is greatly limited. It will take at least a little more time to grasp a sense of direction. Eventually, I can avoid crashing down. Anyway, I put these negative thoughts behind my mind. It''s very fortunate to have this kind of peerless technique, So I should be more careful here in the future. After sorting out my thoughts, I continue to try the technique. Time went on, From time to time I ended up crashing here and there. But with determination I continue to try with little bit caution. It would be worse if I got injured instead. ... At the same time, Elder Thornton is back in his cabin. Ever since he came from the Star Tower mission. He rarely stayed on campus. Due to the upcoming Crimson Hall''s event, everyone is racking up their mind to guess the content of the event. But Elder Thornton is a little more invested in it. Since it involves Zack''s life. He is very careful about it. Not only about Zack, he knows it might turn around the good fortunes of Hansen Campus. So after returning, he immediately went around to ask a couple of his connections to inquire information. But unfortunately, none of his connections concretely say anything. Each of them bulshitting thier own speculation. He suspects since Hansen campus is in line right now. These guys want to rub on some good fortunes. So they are spewing various speculations. Since then he gives up on contacting his connection and chooses to return back to the campus. Right now, He began to go through the first report, time went on but after five minutes he gave up. "No one gives a break to this old man." He scolded angrily. Right now, after getting back to his own turf. Elder Thornton goes through various reports. There were piles of reports on his desk. It''s just that the event at the Star Tower is held for one month. So various reports were unsigned; they need some verification and sign of his to process further. But he is the Chairman and he cannot walk away like that. Right now there were multiple endorsement deals, there were some good ones related to the Army Federation. So he plans to contact them to negotiate. He had no idea how the future would unfold. So he feels choosing those organisations who had good relations with the Army Federation is best. Chapter 275 Elder Thorntons Worry Elder Thornton begins to go through the report after realizing the seriousness of the matter. If the deal becomes successful then they receive one more sponsor. Time progresses, Elder Thornton flips one report after another, From time to time he contacts the accounts team to verify some details. He completed 1/3 of the reports by the end of the evening. He picks those reports which need his urgence signing. After placing the completed files on the right side of his desk he looks at the timing. "There is still one hour left before closing of the campus" He mumbled under his breath. Seeing there is sometimes left he frowns but now way he would continue to go through the reports. With an hour left, he plans to meet Mr. Arthur and discuss something. Actually he needs to discuss these matters with other elders. But ever since some elders wanted to expel from Chairman Seat, he turned a cold eye to them. Apart from high level confidential matters he chose not to contact them. His behavior was obviously understood by the Elders. Though there is some dissatisfaction in their heart they didn''t show it. They knew Elder Thornton had great going these days. Every event is favorable to him. Seeing his great momentum no one wants to offend him. Some wise elders realize that everything Elder Thornton does turns out beneficial to the campus. As some of them were shareholders they were obviously happy with his actions. They hoped that Elder Thornton would bring more money to their belly. At this time Elder Thornton walks along the corridor. He hears the discussion of students and lectures mentors from the class. The Hansen Campus does more combat training than lectures. Though they have a good library on campus, students rarely go to the library. Shaking his head, he feels a little disappointed about the situation. Apart from a few fellows, the library is not visited by everyone. Talking about the library image of Zack flashes before his eyes. "What is he doing?" He remembers Arthur notified him about Zack this morning. Arthur gave him the treasure box. He hopes Zack won''t swallow it entirely. He knows about Zack but still he wants to make sure everything is fine. He quickly reaches Arthur''s cabin. "Creak" the door slid open. "Elder, When did you come back? I thought you were away." Mr. Arthur was shocked to see Elder Thornton. One of the reasons he advised Zack so hard was he felt Elder Thornton won''t be present today. So he needs to advise Zack behalf him. So he was stunned to see him. "Ahem, I was busy with reports. I don''t have any time to contact you." Elder Thornton said with dissatisfaction. Obviously he wants to forget about the remaining zunk of work he needs to do. Taking his seat, Elder Thornton looked at Arthur and asked, "What is he doing?" Arthur blinked his eyes twice and asked, "Who?" Elder Thornton twitched, and said, "Zack Lockwood" Mr. Arthur smiled wryly recalling the morning event. He coughed and said, "Don''t worry Elder, I advised him sternly before giving away the treasure. He must be practising hard" Elder Thornton nodded that he is pleased with his action. Mr. Arthur remembers something and asked impatiently, "Elder, Do you hear anything about Crimson Hall?" By mentioning Crimson Hall he is obviously meaning their event. Elder Thornton let out a deep sigh hearing that. He shook his head in denial and commented, "There is not even wind about the event. I suspect even their elders haven''t started planning for the event." Mr. Arthur was dumbfounded hearing that. Unlike Star Tower, normal events were planned ahead. When it comes to Star Tower, It was set by Star Tower at random and a place of Challenge also happens inside the Star Tower. But Crimson Hall is different. Five years ago, they conducted their event at Class 2 Monster Zone. Which resulted in heavy loss of lives. He wonders this time what they are upto, Especially Zack is targeted by them now. So he doesn''t know what to comment on this matter. It''s impossible to backaway right now. Zack''s name was already registered in the challenger list. Seeing Arthur''s fluctuating mood, Elder Thornton knows he is concerned about Zack''s safety. So he commented, "Stop worrying too much. As long as we find content of their competition. We can always plan something." Then he straightened his back and added, "I don''t think they can be secretive about this matter for so long." Mr. Arthur''s eyes lit up and asked, "How?" Elder Thornton smiled and answered, "Crimson Hall is funded by many factions, especially some rich families. Do you really think they won''t ask about the competition." He sneered inside and added, "Obviously they won''t send their descendants to death bed. So it will be a matter of time before the content leaks out." Hearing that a new hope arises in Mr. Arthur''s hearts. If what Elder says is true then they can have some plans to save Zack. Looking at Elder Thornton, Mr. Arthur said, "Elder, Shall I try to contact some of the families" Hearing that Elder Thornton immediately refuted, "No, You stay away from it. I had already planned something. " Just as they were conversing, they were interrupted by sudden notification. Mr. Arthur looks at the pop-up Virtual screen, Seeing that Zack is standing outside. He immediately let him enter inside. "Creak" the door slid open Zack entered inside, looking at the heavily built body in front of him. He immediately recognised. "Ha...Ha...Ha..., Zack. I thought it would be difficult to see you for a few days." Elder Thornton said with a laugh. He thought Zack won''t return until he consumes a few of the treasures. Mr. Arthur smiled hearing that, then he senses Zack''s health. Since there is no danger he felt relief. After saying it, his expression changes for a moment. Observing Zack from top to bottom he notices subtle changes. But he doesn''t know what. But he feels there are some changes in Zack. Obviously Zack has consumed some treasure. But he didn''t know what it was so he asked, "Zack, What did you consume?" Chapter 276 Strange Painting (From MC Perspective) Hearing Elder Thornton''s words, I''m surprised, I hadn''t expected him to notice my change. But even though I answered, "Elder, I consumed Sky Blue Pill." While uttering, I sat in the chair beside the Elder. "Sky Blue Pill uh?" Elder Thornton mutters, then quickly recalls that the pill is used to nourish the mind. But he doesn''t know that it had brought heaven defying changes to Zack''s brain. Then Elder Thornton''s didn''t convinced enough, he thought Zack might have consumed other pills. He looked at Zack and added, "Did you consume any other pills?" I raised his eyebrows hearing his words. Did he feel something? My dragon pendant is still active, it''s impossible for him to notice my cultivation base. Suddenly, I thought of something. Since my brian is expanded, my perception is further stretched. Did he feel my mind power? Feeling Elder and Mr. Arthur is looking at me. I coughed and said, "No, I''m sensible enough not to try everything at once." My answer surprised both of them. In order to change the topic, I immediately asked, "Mr. Arthur, Where is Mentor Key? I miss sparring with her" Hearing that Mr. Arthur smiled answered, "She is now guiding Ms. Frazier" His answer piqued my interest, I know Maria is also practising hard to get into some academy. So it''s no surprise for her to seek guidance from Ms. Key. Seeing Zack is little taken back, Elder Thornton chuckled and said, "Don''t think you are the only one in the campus with huge potential. Ms. Key also had a huge potential as like you." Then he added, "But her situation is somewhat different from you, If not she might have become Seed Candidate for us." I nodded and didn''t refute him. She has a huge family behind her to support. So it is normal for her to be powerful. Then we talked about a few other things before I walked out of the Hansen campus. It''s already late, so I head directly towards the station without stopping anywhere. Two hours later, After arriving at the White Snow City, I booked an air cab to go home. Several minutes later, the air cab lands at my residence. I hopped out slowly and paid the amount to the cab driver. Then I slowly entered inside my residence. And walk towards my room. I know Granny is resting in her room. So, I don''t want to disturb her. "Creak" the door slid open, I stepped inside and locked the door, then I began to freshen up. A few minutes later, I laid down on my bed and pondered about future plans. So much to do but I had less time in my hand. I need to gain some entry level in phantom technique before the Crimson Hall''s Exhibition Event. If it gets successful then I will have one more trump card in my hand. "Sigh" I casually glanced at the window then my eyes fell on the beautiful river painting that I bought from the auction. Now that my brain is expanded, glancing at the river painting right now, I feel something strange. I had a vague sense that something was wrong with that river painting. "What could be?" I muttered to myself. Feeling such a new situation, I sat up straight and decided to check up on the river painting. I picked up the river painting and sat on my couch to analyse it. From the old man''s words, I know this painting belongs to an old era. Why do I feel something strange about it? With confusion, I peeped my consciousness into it. As the invisible ray of light enters the river painting, the ray of light scatters and there is no response from it. Seeing that I raised my eyebrow, What is going on? Did I hallucinate or what? I started to doubt myself. Because the river painting is like Deadwood. There are no spiritual fluctuations in it. Shaking my head, I hung the river painting on the wall. I feel tired , that''s why I''m overthinking and imagining things. I''ll be fine, If I get some sleep. So I decided to take a small nap. Time progresses, At dinner table, Three of us conversed while eating food. Looking at Uncle James, I recalled something. "Uncle, Do you know any Class 3 Monster Zones?" My question stunned both of them, Granny Park hurriedly refuted, "Zack, It''s not even gotten past since you came back. Instead of getting rest, Why are you hopping around?" Hearing scolding from Granny Park, I smiled wryly. It''s been so long since I heard her scolding. Shaking my head, I commented, "Granny, As you know I''m Seed Candidate, I need to improve my strength. Otherwise I will be left behind." I said with a somewhat frustrated tone. Mr. James raised his eyebrows hearing Zack''s question. It''s not that he doesn''t want to help Zack. But Class Monster Zones were dangerous. Unlike Class 2 the Class 3 Monster Zones are filled with different kinds. Only people with huge experience choose to enter Class 3 Zones. He also recalls their last adventure in the Black Forest. He still feels chills recalling the memory of fleeing from the Class 4 Worm Monster. If not for the elite''s deterrence the base would have faced total annihilation. So he feels Class 3 Monster is still no for Zack and let him familiarise with Class 2 Zones. So he looked at Zack in solemn tone and said, "Zack, It''s very hard to get permission for Class 3 Zones. Remember Black Forest." He didn''t continue further because both of them hid some details from Granny Park. So he added, "I think it''s better for you to familiarise yourself with different Class 2 Zones. There are different types of Monsters in each zone. You had only visited local ones and that to you scram around the outer area. Am I right?" Hearing that I smiled wryly. Uncle is right, I thought after breakthrough I can venture into Class 3 Zones. But I''m being over confident. Chapter 277 Meeting Meeting Room- Crimson Hall, The First Elder and rest of the nine elders gathered here to discuss the Exhibition Event. It''s a high level meeting not even the current Headmaster invited to discuss among them. This meeting is not presided by the First Elder rather it''s Grand Elder Chris. Grand Elder Chris spends his time in cultivation in seclusion. He rarely interferes with matters of the Crimson Hall. Unless something important he won''t come, But today is one of those occasions where his inputs were mostly needed. "Creak" the door opens, Grand Elder Chris slowly enters the room. Next second everyone stood up from their seat and bowed to their Elder. The First Elder went towards him and guided him towards the main seat. Seeing the face of the First Elder, Grand Elder''s face lit up immediately. He said, "Casey, How have you been?" Then he probes his cultivation base to know. His expression frowns a little seeing there is no change in his cultivation base. Not everyone knows the First Elder name, most of them in Crimson Hall call him as First Elder including the Head Master. But the Grand Elder Chris is different ; he is one who appointed him in this position. Seeing the changing face of the Grand Elder, the First Elder sighed. He knows there is no improvement lately, He has been stuck at the Initial Stage of Elite for years. But the Elite level is enough to deter other forces in Tier-7 City. So usually he won''t bother about it. But in front of the Grand Elder he can''t put air. This old man is responsible for bringing him to Crimson Hall and giving him respective position. So he needs to be humble. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? He apologetically answered, "Forgive me, Grand Elder. I failed to raise my cultivation further." Hearing the conversation between the rest of the nine elders didn''t dare to make a sound. The Grand Elder sighed and sat in the main seat and he motions everyone to sit including the First Elder. The First Elder nodded and sat on his right side. Seeing that everyone sat one by one. Grand Elder Chris for a moment observes everyone before opening his mouth, "Every Exhibition Event is an important occasion for our Crimson Hall. Mainly because it''s our major resources line. Several factions pay huge amounts of money to get some seats for their descendants. Which makes up half of our treasury" Seeing that everyone is listening attentively he nodded and added, " So this time I hope the event will be successful as always." Hearing that, the First Elder smiled and replied, "Don''t worry, Elder. This time so many participants had registered for the Exhibition Event. And the resources we have gained so far also exceed last year. This time the event will be more grand and successful than last year." Other Elders also echoed the same opinion. They all had seen the reports so they are quite confident about the upcoming event. Grand Elder Chris nodded and revealed a small smile. Then he commented, "Since it''s bigger than last year. Then the event should also exceed everyone''s expectations. Especially those Academies." He uttered last words quite deeper, Unlike these forces in Tier-7 Cities. He knew the real attitude of those Academies situated in Tier-6 Cities. Only one word came to his mind when he thinks about them "Arrogance" "Arrogance " and "Arrogance" For them it''s just a little event to select some cannon fodders. Yes cannon fodders not students. Unless someone has a huge background or has an influential connection, it''s hard for people to survive in those Academies. They just want to make up some numbers in their recruitment. That''s why they disdain such little events. Crimson Hall''s event is the only one nearby region that also has its own Tier-7 City faction to conduct such an event. He just hopes for the event to pass as quickly as possible. At Least he is satisfied in heart hearing that there were so many rookie warriors registered for the event. He believes it''s enough for those academies to choose and they won''t complain anything about participants numbers. "Sigh" "Okay, Do you guys have any plans for this event? Especially you Casey." Grand Elder Chris questions everyone. The First Elder nodded and said, "Grand Elder, I believe we should conduct it like last year. But this time the Monsters will be Class 3 One " It was the first time that the First Elder said his plan before everyone. So this was like a bombshell dropped on everyone, Even the Grand Elder Chris was surprised. The First Elder didn''t mind seeing the shocking expression of everyone; he only cares about Grand Elder''s opinion. The Plan will be implemented as long as he agrees. "Cough" The Grand Elder Chris coughed and said, "Do you know what will happen if the forces know about this?" He knows even if they plan something great it must be agreed by forces, especially their own allied forces. Because most of the participants were descendants of the allied forces. They won''t agree to this plan. That''s why he raised this question to the First Elder. The First Elder knitted his eyebrows he obviously understood the meaning. But he knows Grand Elder isn''t aware of the recent events. If he knows about their misadventures in Westword City, he is surely going to rampage. Last time the Grand Elder was in seclusion so no one went to disturb him. Looking at the Grand Elder he plans to bring this topic on the table, Once he knows he will agree to his plan. "Grand Elder, Something Happened!" "Since, You are in Seclusion. We weren''t able to tell you." The First Elder said it without much expression on his face. Hearing his words, the rest of the Elders feel chills down their spine. They know today is going to be a hell of a today. Grand Elder is Peak Elite Warrior, If he does something they will end up miserable. They scolded the First Elder in their heart, It''s not the right time to bring up the topic. Chapter 278 Scolding Everyone! Grand Elder Chris feels unease hearing from the First Elder. What''s making him unsettled? Then he sees ugly expressions of nine elders. They are reacting like they have seen ghosts. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "What is it Casey?" The First Elder Sighed and decided to explain about their misadventures in the Westword City. At first, the Grand Elder begins to listen patiently but when the First Elder reveals the news about the death of their prodigy. "Trash" The Grand Elder slammed the table in displeasure. This sudden action caught all of them off guard. All of them stood up from their seats in fear, including the First Elder. For a moment silence fills the place. None of them dare to say anything. Each one of them is responsible for good and bad related to the Crimson Hall. Some of the Elders started to sweat in worry. Only the First Elder maintained the icy cold expression. He had already expected such a reaction , that''s why he wasn''t unsettled. Various thoughts run in Grand Elder Chris''s mind. He doesn''t care about the death of the child, but what annoys him is that none of them could find the traces of the culprit. What would happen? If the culprit chooses to target higher officials in Crimson Hall. Then it would be too late to regret. His old bone can''t tolerate much anger so he tries to calm himself down. After sometime he let out a deep sigh, then he gestures to the First Elder to continue. At this point of time he was clearly disappointed with First Elder''s management. He knows it''s rare for him to miss a chance. But now it''s implications will be greater, Considering they are having Exhibition Event in coming months. He doesn''t want to see a scenario where someone will mess up the event in front of those recruiters. This time none of the Elders choose to sit back. The First Elder begins to explain further about their actions at the border. Which in turn enrages Grand Elder further." Are you even serious, Casey?" He shouts at the First Elder angrily. Next second, A horrible aura of Peak Elite envelops the meeting room completely. Facing such huge pressure some of the Elders break down immediately. Only People with Elite Cultivation manage to hold down. Even they break down after a couple of seconds leaving behind the First Elder. He is the last person who is holding on against such pressure. Finally he too was brought down to his knee. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He knows only Grand Elder could do something about it, if things got out of control. Seeing that everyone is on the ground, Grand Elder Chris finally loses his pressure. He knitted his eyebrows and said in displeasure, "Do you think Star Tower is a soft permission?" The First Elder was ashamed to hear that. Grand Elder further added, "If they knew Crimson Hall was too involved in their border conflict, I couldn''t imagine the implications." He sighed, "Let''s just hope they don''t find anything." After saying that he calms down finally and pressure weighs in, everyone fades away completely. Grand Elder motions everyone to sat back in their seat."It''s not right time to teach them a lesson. Right now We need to focus on our event" He thought to himself. If he injures everyone out of anger, then there is no one to manage the event. So he chose to turn blind eye for now. Seeing his action ,one by one sat back in their seats and let go of their hanging hearts. After the First Elder sat back in his seat, he breathed in relief. He feels like came back from hell. If the Head Master sees the state of the First Elder, He wouldn''t have believed his eyes. Usually the First Elder is the one who gives order to others. Now he is being taught by the Grand Elder. But unfortunately no one will leak out what happens inside after the meeting. Everyone has some face to maintain. Seeing that everyone is back on their seat, Grand Elder looks at First Elder and says in a deep voice, "So you hope that Star Tower geniuses die by the hands of Class 3 Monsters." A cold glint flashes in the First Elder''s eyes he replied, "Yes, In this way we can avoid some future troubles." After saying that he added further, "There are some of our own allied forces disrespectful to us lately. Everyone relies on their descendants to change the status quo. But if their descendants dies, nothing can be done." Grand Elder Chirs nodded but he was in a dilemma. Unlike the First Elder he is not much concerned about the future. If most of the good seedling dies then what will recruiters do? They obviously won''t select medicores. Instead they will slander Crimson Hall even more if they won''t make up the numbers. Rubbing his forehead slightly, he decided to go make some changes. "Class 3 won''t do, If there is a large number of casualties. Then those Academy guys won''t sit back. Then it will be more troublesome for us." He said with a calm tone. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Grand Elder''s words make Elders realise the attitude of thode recruiters. What they call talent among themselves is only waste in the eyes of recruiters. They are usually very picky about it, it''s good that there is a quota system otherwise they won''t select in large numbers. Like Elder said they couldn''t imagine what would happen if everyone turns out medicores. All of their expressions turn ugly thinking about it. The First Elder contemplates hearing Grand Elder''s words. But he couldn''t judge what the recruiters would do. He thinks that recruiters won''t do too much. Since there is a quota system, it''s enough to make up the numbers. Not everyone is going to participate in the exhibition event. Only warriors who don''t have a quota or someone who wants to improve their quota seat will choose to participate. So Those A and B rank quota warriors are already enough for them to make up the numbers. He also knows people having such quotas were from powerful and influential forces. Even some forces were stronger than Crimson Hall. So his target is naturally not them. His target''s were allied and hostile forces''s descendants and most of them have C and D rank quota. Chapter 279 Hall Masters Worries Meeting Room- Crimson Hall, "Okay, It''s settled. Other than PeaK Class 2 Monster. There should be no Class 3 ones." Grand Elder Chris ended this matter finally. He can''t afford to take huge risks. There is always going to be struggle among the forces. But you can''t antagonize those recruiters. Obviously he was an old fellow, he has seen many things Unlike rest of the people here. At first he wanted to discuss more, but now he is in no mood for this. Since the matter of the Exhibition Event is settled he wants to go back to Seclusion. After making up his mind, he stood from his seat. Without saying anything he walked towards the exit. Seeing that, the rest of the elders immediately followed him. The First Elder is dissatisfied but still he can still make up with some vicious Class 2 Peak Monsters. After having that idea, He smiled finally. Seeing that Grand Elder is walking back, for respect he decided to accompany him. After everyone retreated, the First Elder left alone in the meeting hall. Hereafter he doesn''t need to listen to the opinions of other Elders. He can do what he wants. Suddenly the image of the cowardly Head Master flashes before his eyes. He called him and told him to come to the meeting hall immediately. At this time the Headmaster of the Crimson Hall was talking to some students. Upon receiving a call from the first Elder. He immediately went ahead. "Creak" the door slid open, and he stepped inside. Seeing the First Elder sitting in the main seat, he gulped his saliva and walked close to him. "Elder?" He called out. "Harumph" the First Elder snorted back and said, "What about the task I gave you?" Hearing that, the Headmaster nodded and replied," First Elder, As per your order, I went to Darius Family and pacified them." But after that he hesitated to say the following words. His thoughts were easily seen through by the First Elder, He glared at him and uttered, " Next?" "Ahem, Elder. But the Darius family requested for a place in the Exhibition Event" the Head Master uttered in dissatisfaction. He feels Darius Family is really greedy. The First Elder raised his eyebrows and asked, " For whom? Is there any potential warrior other than Darius" The Headmaster thought about it and said, "Actually, There is a cousin besides him." Shaking his head, the First Elder said, "Anyway, it''s just an Exhibition seat, give them one." Then he shifted to an important topic. He asked, "is there any news from the Star Tower?" "As for now there is no movement from the Star Tower guys." He sighed and said. After confirming it, the first Elder gestures to him to leave. Now he knows that there is no movement from the Star Tower, he sighs in relief. Now he can put his entire mind on the event. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Class 2 Monster Zones? Which one to choose?" He muttered while tapping his desk. Then he tapped his sci-fi watch to view the region map. Soon a holographic projection of a map displayed in front of his eyes. Map with various terrains and rivers clearly visible on yeh screen. He tapped slightly to pinpoint the current location. The map zoomed out, various monster Zones with different lights constantly flickering on the screen. The Pale Green represents Sub- Class Monsters. Dark Green represents Class 1 Monsters. Yellow one represents Class 2 Monsters and Orange one represents Class 3 Monsters. There are no Elite level Monster Zones in this region. Looking at the screen, he contemplates. Some Class 2 Monsters were not allowed to Capture. So his list will be narrowed. For a while, he plans to make some rough plans. Then after getting permission from authorities, He will decide. ... Star Tower- Westword City, A week later, Hall Master of Star Tower conveyed the Elder meeting today. Like usual people begin to assemble one by one. Unlike most of the time, All of the Elders came in person. When the twelve Elders assembled finally, the Hall Master entered the room and sat in the main seat. None of them had been in a good mood lately, Ever since the border turmoil the reputation of the Star Tower took a great hit. There is also huge infrastructure damage to the Westword City. Which resulted in huge economic loss. Seeing the bad mood of everyone, the Hall Master sighed and asked, "is there any clue about the hostile forces?" Elder Smith nodded and replied, "Hall Master, We have identified Six Factions so far. Still the investigation is going on. We can''t be sure about the exact numbers." It''s not his own information, it''s data collected from all the elders. Some of them even infiltrated hostile forces to confirm the intel and returned back. Hearing Eder Smith''s words, the Hall Master frowns. He feels the numbers are low. It''s impossible for six forces to make such a damage. Any person with some little insight can say it must be work done by allied forces. It''s just number 6, very low. He had a vague feeling that the number was at least 20. Without the support of the big faction, other small and medium size factions won''t move. He looked at Elder Smith and said, "The number is really low. We can''t make any big movements because of a few factions. All of you know what I mean right." Inorder to instill fear in them, their retaliation should be heavy handed. For this he hopes for Elders to gather more intel. Then the Hall Master shifted his mind to another topic. He asked about the reconstruction of some establishments. Time went on, After the meeting came to an end. Only the Hall Master sat alone inside the Hall. He had already reported to his higher ups, but there is no reply so far. Which is exactly stopping him from making any retaliation. Up To now those hostile forces might be wondering, why there is no action from the Star Tower. But only he knows the true situation. Chapter 280 Part 1: Brown Cliff Monster Zone (From MC Perspective) The Following day, Zack is having a good conversation with Uncle James and Granny Park while having breakfast. "Beep" "Beep" "Beep" Mr. James'' communication watch lit up with notification. He accessed the notification to view it. After seeing the content of the message, He smiled. Then he looks at Zack who is munching down his food silently. "Ahem, Zack. There is good news for you." "Hmmm" I stopped eating food for a moment and raised my head to see him. My eyes gleamed with expectation. Seeing Zack''s expectation, Granny Park Chuckled. She asked, "What is it, James? " Mr. James smiled and answered, " A couple of seconds ago, I received approval for Browncliff Monster Zone. It''s a Class 2 Monster Zone." Hearing that I stood up from my seat in joy. "Uncle, is it real? Didn''t they ask for any documents of mine?" I asked back in surprise. Mr. James shook his head and said, "No, Brown Cliff Monster Zones doesn''t require much proof to get permission. Only Level 3 and above require strict verification." Then he looked at him and added further, " Zack, you got permission only for two days. Don''t stay in the monster zones during night time." Granny Park''s expression turned solemn, She advised, "Zack, Usually adventures camp at night at the Monster Zones. If you come across any of them, don''t trust them easily. If you can, stay away from them as much as possible " Obviously she had a bad experience with adventurers. Most of the adventurers were criminals. It doesn''t matter whether it''s a decade ago or now, Nothing changed. Hearing Granny''s solemn expression, I understood the reality. But with my double repair strength, I can contend against the Trainee Warriors. Even in the worst cases, I''m capable of retreating from the battle. Yet this was my personal secret, both of them were not aware of it. That''s why they were troubled. "Don''t worry, Granny, I have a sense of measure. I will only hunt in the outer area. " Hearing Zack''s affirmation she breathed in relief. But Mr. James is not easy to fool, He knows it will be a safe trip unless Zack came across Peak Trainee Warrior. Talking about Peak Trainee Warrior, with their strength they can easily dismantle Class 3 Monsters. So Class 2 Monster Zones were useless to them. He believes there is a very slim possibility of encountering them. He sighed and answered, "Zack, Improve as much as you can before the Crimson Hall Exhibition event." A glint flashes before my eyes, hearing Crimson Hall. "Uncle, Do you have any news about their Exhibition Event? Even Elder Thornton is clueless about it." I asked back hurriedly hoping Uncle would answer me something about it. Mr. James smiled wryly, He shook his head in denial. "It''s not easy to know their plan. I came to know that even some of their acquaintance failed to know about the details" "This..." I was taken back a little, this means either they are really keeping it tight or nor they really planned about it. Mr. James commented, "Don''t think too much about it. Just focus on this trip for now " Then he thought about something and advised, "And be aware of Hard Rock Bears, they were widely seen Class 2 Monsters in Brown Cliff Monster Zone" ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I nodded and sat back to finish the food on the plate. After having breakfast, I bid goodbye and made my way towards the train station. It''s been a while since I last ventured into Monster Zones. This time I''m going a little deeper inside the inner area. After sorting out my thoughts, I hopped into an air cab. Later, I boarded the train to Red Stone City. To reach Brown Cliff Monster Zone, I need to board a train from Red Stone City. The Brown Cliff Monster Zone is also one of the closest Monster Zone from here. It''s situated in Brown Cliff town, where its name is actually derived from. Before I visited the Black Forest Zone, Uncle had applied for the Brown Cliff Monster Zone. At that time I was a beginner so it''s hard to get approval. But this time my application is easily passed. Sighing, I shut my eyes and waited for the train to reach the Red Stony City. I didn''t plan on stopping by Hansen Campus. It will delay my time. Since I only have two days, I need to use this opportunity efficiently. Time progresses, The train reaches Red Stone City two hours later. I stepped out and walk towards opposite platform to board the next train. Fortunately, I didn''t have to wait for long. After waiting for one hour the train arrived. As usual the train is heavily built, one can see at glance this train is going to stop at the Monster Zone. The train slowed down its speed and halted after a couple of seconds. This platform is crowded with adventurers. It''s a no-brainer that everyone is going for the same Monster Zone as mine. For a while no one noticed me. After confirming my coach, I stepped inside and walked towards my seat. Suddenly, I feel numerous gazes on me. "Hmmm " I was taken back. "These people" but soon without minding everyone''s gazes, I sat in my window seat. These adventurers might have recognised me. Feeling that I shut my eyes to avoid conversation with them. Like Granny advised, Who knows what their real intentions were? So I didn''t plan on meeting them. Like Zack expected, most of the adventurers recognised Zack at first glance. Especially the adventurer beside Zack, he once again observed closely before confirming it. He got excited and wanted to strike up a conversation with him. But seeing Zack shutting his eyes he got disappointed. It''s rude to wake a person in sleep. So he decided not to wake Zack. The Coach is occupied with people. Soon the presence of Zack Lockwood spread among them immediately. One by one people went closer to take a look and confirm. Chapter 281 Part 2: Brown Cliff Monster Zone (From MC Perspective) The Adventurers thought Zack was asleep. But actually he was keenly listening to every conversation. Sigh, I forgot that I''m famous now. And people will recognise me instantly. Why haven''t I thought about it earlier? I wanted to smack my forehead, But I stopped after realizing my situation. "Hey, He is so young. But he actually achieved the number 1 spot in Star Tower." One of the female adventurers started admiring. Likewise conversation started to break out, while one of the old adventurers'' faces turned ugly, as he sensed no cultivation base from Zack Lockwood. Am I wrong? No it must be some kind of artifact to hide his level. "Sure this kid has some life saving measures. Otherwise he wouldn''t venture out all alone." The old adventurer said to himself. Time progresses, Everyone failed to strike conversation with Zack Lockwood. In the end they went back to their seats dejectedly. Yet still some had hope that Zack will wake up when the train reaches Brown Cliff Monster Zone. Then they will surely get a chance to meet him. Few hours later, The train enters the Brown Cliff City''s train station. The whole time, Zack didn''t get any sleep. He is actually eavesdropping everyone''s conversation the entire time. Some appeared to be normal but some were having ulterior motives. As the train reached the platform it slowed down its speed and at the same time, the announcement came. Hearing that I prepared myself for getting out as early as possible through the crowd. As the train came to a complete halt, before anyone rose from their seats. I swiftly head towards the exit. Seeing such sudden movement, everyone turned towards the direction. But upon seeing it''s Zack Lockwood. The commotion breaks out, "He is escaping!" Someone couldn''t help but shout. Soon the crowd immediately rushed behind Zack to stop him from slipping away. But unfortunately Zack got successful. "Phew!" Such a close call. Fortunately, I successfully escaped. Then I immediately hopped into the air car before anyone recognised me here. After taking a seat, I told the driver about my destination. The air car moved slowly upwards and immediately flew above the high clouds. I can see the clear view of the Brown Cliff town from here, only the infrastructure around the train station can be seen. Rest of the area is still underdeveloped. Situation around here is a little different compared to other Monster Zones. Usually, lot of trade happens around the moneter zones. But I don''t know what the exact situation is around here. A few minutes later, the air car slowly reached the ground as we reached the entrance of the Monster Zone. I stepped out of the car and immediately went towards the control room where they will give me a personal code to enter. With this code I can walk out from the Monster Zone whenever I want. Like any other Monster Zones, Brown Cliff Monster Zone is surrounded by a huge wall to contain the Monsters from outbreaks. If you want to enter you can only go through the main gate, for which you need personal code to type in. The Admin didn''t make it any difficult for me, after verifying my details he gave code to me. Then without wasting much time around here, I walk towards the entrance gate. As I walked along, I found a wave of Adventurers moving towards the main direction. Most of them were in teams, I could rarely spot any solo adventurer. After arriving at the main entrance gate, I typed in personal code. The door immediately opened after it, Then I stepped in and decided to find some secluded location before making some plans. Followed by Zack, Warriors stepped in one by one. As usual the Monster Zone is divided into outer area, inner area and core area. Only beginners spend most of their time around the outer area. While some experienced adventurers venture in the inner area, even some daring warriors don''t mind stepping inside the core area. After walking along the narrow path, I found some secluded spots. Actually this narrow path is different from the main path. Where the main path is the adventurers used to take normally Since I''m not planning to go with them. I broke away from the main path and ended up in this narrow path. Inorder to make sure, I used my perceptual ability. Soon the area within 20 meters mapped in mind. I found so many moving spots around me going in different directions. No doubt they were adventurers who came along with me. My perception ability also evolved due to brain expansion. I can distinguish clearly between the moving objects, whether it''s monsters or humans it''s represented in different colors. The blue dots in mind represent humans and I don''t know about the Monsters. But I will find it soon. Then I access the map to get a clear view of my location. Uncle talked about Hardened Bears, they must be inside the core area. Which brings back my old memories, where I got chased by those hyenas. This time it''s different, I shrugged off and walked away immediately. Monsters won''t roam around the outer area. To find it, I need to go a little deeper. I held my black blade in my hand to slice these bushes hindering my way. Looks like it''s been long since someone walked down this path. Otherwise there won''t be so many weeds along this path. Other than Monsters, the difficult thing here is to navigate around this area safely. Thanks to perception, I can avoid the sudden appearance of Monsters. No wonder, the adventurers go as a team. Someone needs to watch their back for safety. Few hours later, ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Phew! I finally reached the inner area, it took me lot of time to walk through the narrow path. If it were main path, it would have saved me a hour. But everything is fine since I spot number of monsters around the vicinity. It will make up my loss eventually. Inorder to make sure, I once again used my perception. After confirming it, I choose my first target. Chapter 282 Collecting Spoils (From MC Perspective) Just as I was inspecting the area, I found a small flickering light in my mind. As I observed it closely, I found it was red. A small smile rose from my lips, seeing that. "It must be Monster" I mumbled under my breath. Then without waiting much, I dashed towards the location. "Silver Tooth Boar" I spotted the wild boar from a distance. Looking at its strength, I knew it''s a Initial- Class 1 Monsters. It''s not enough to improve my strength but it can fulfill my appetite. My mouth raised a little, I used the phantom lightning technique to move. "Wizz '''' Suddenly, A purple arc flashes for a moment in a zigzag manner. In a blink of an eye, I reached the top of the boar. Its silver coated back is clearly visible to my eye. The speed was so fast that the boar didn''t feel anything. I swiftly held the black sword and made a slash at its neck. The Boar suddenly became alarmed. Before it could make any sound, the boar''s head fell over. My blade sliced its neck neatly. Seeing there is not much blood, I smiled. It''s been a while since I did such a neat killing. The most important thing in the wild is to avoid as much commotion as possible. If the battle commotion attracts unwanted guests then it would be troublesome. So this kind of neat killing is very efficient. I smiled, Before slicing its parts. I used perception again to investigate the area. I breathed in relief as I found there were moving spots. Soon, I moved. I cut down these overgrown bushes and tree branches to make a temporary space to sit down. I placed the boar''s body in the centre and began to slice down its body parts. A few minutes later, I tasted roasted meat. After munching down the food, I plan to wait here for a while. Then I packed the leftover meat and placed it in my storage ring. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? 20 minutes later, At the centre of the inner area, An adventurers group of three members team involved in robbery and killing. To avoid being chased by other adventurers they went off road and camped at open space available at the inner area. They were laughing, chatting and counting their spoils. Suddenly, they heard some footsteps behind them. Three of them rose from the ground and immediately looked over the area. "Andrew, Don''t hesitate to hack. We need to catch this Monster" The Leader of the team shouts at his companion. A silhouette appears in front of them from the bush. He is none other than Zack Lockwood. "Three Special Trainees," I muttered. After leaving behind the empty spot, I tried to find as much open space as possible. It''s hard to move through the dense area. But luckily I found these three beforehand through my perception. I couldn''t help but think of Granny Park by looking at their spoils. No wonder, It''s easy to loot then fight against monsters and with their strength they must have looted so many peoples. Since there of them were thiefs to avoid commotion, I acted fast. I recited blood method in an instant. The throbbing blood power coursed through my vein. As double repair, I don''t see them as a threat at all. The Leader of the group started seeing the person coming out of the bush. "Rookie '''' Andrew beside him commented. The Leader then glanced at Zack''s appearance and raised his eyebrows. As he sensed no cultivation base from him, his senses alarmed him. But before he could say something. The person disappeared in a blink of an eye and appeared in front of his friend. "Andrew!" The Leader screamed and raised his iron hammer against the enemy. I raised my fist with throbbing power and slammed at the enemy''s chest. "Crack" a muffled sound rang out as the enemy flew backwards like a broken kite and crashed to the ground. His chest bones were broken like powder leaving behind lifeless corpses. It happened in the blink of an eye. Seeing the iron hammer coming towards me, I looked at him in disdain. And drew my black sword to block it. The last adventurer''s thief was so scared, He begin to flee when he saw Andrew''s lifeless corpse. He didn''t even glance at the condition of the leader. "Clang" the metallic sound resonated in the area. I didn''t move an inch from my spot. But the enemy staggered a few steps backwards. The old driver thief looks at Zack in disbelief. "How could it be?" This person appears to be so young but his strength is higher than mine. Suddenly he thought of someone and shouted, "Thomas!" A cold sweat started to drip from his forehead. As realizes his friend left him all alone. I smirked seeing his expression, but I''m not interested in any interaction. Suddenly, I held my sword and yelled, "Lightning Wheel" A thunderous sound reverberates the area. As the purple wheel bursting with lightning power formed in an instant. The Leader was horrified, his iron hammer fell from his hand. Before he could ask for forgiveness. The purple wheel smashed at his body. "Bang" The purple wheel busted in an instant as it came into contact with the body. The explosion shredded his body in pieces, his arms and limbs were torn apart completely. The Lightning Wheel is improved in accordance with my breakthrough. With an increase in cultivation level, the quantity of pure lightning essence in my dantian also increased. So it''s no surprise to see the aftermath of the lightning wheel. Without glancing at its corpse, I used my perception to see a fleeing person. The last guy is fleeing frantically, but his speed is limited by the overgrown bushes. After seeing there are no other adventurers around here. I stored their looted items in my storage ring. Then I immediately removed their corpse and erased the traces for any battle that happened here. Before going back deep into the area, I need to kill that person. After locating his area, I dashed towards him. Chapter 283 Tiring Situation (From MC Perspective) The last person is fleeing frantically but after some time he isn''t able to go through such dense vegetation. From time to time he looks back to see whether the person is following him or not. He knows if he gets caught then it will be the end for him. He is really scared, he feels the enemy might be related to the victims. Soon he calms down his worries and tries to go through the bushes. But unfortunately, his fate is already decided. Soon, I caught the glimpse of the person. He is quite a distance away from me. But it''s enough for me to use my sword attack. I held my sword vertically and took aim at him. Then I used the Lightning Sword attack. "Sword Divide" I pour a large amount of pure lightning essence in the sword. In the next moment, an overbearing lightning power released from the sword. It looked like a straight purple line. The lightning energy reached the back of the person in a blink of an eye and made a gigantic hole in his chest. "Pop" The corpse falls on the ground the next second. Seeing the result, I hurried my pace to erase the traces. After some time, I disposed of his body after collecting his valuables. Then I made my way towards the little deeper inside the inner area. I''m quite pleased with the improvement of my techniques. It''s quite swift and clean. After going a little deep inside, I found no traces of monsters in my perception. I feel a little strange about the situation after reaching this far. It''s normal for monsters to not appear near outer areas. So, I thought about encountering them in the inner area. But I only came across the Wild Boar. That monster was supposed to roam around the outer area. But it was wandering in the inner area. For that Wild Boar to roam around the inner area, there is only one reason behind it. There is no predator monster here. Did constant hunting reduce the count of Monsters? I couldn''t help but raise my eyebrows realizing the reason. In that case, I need to go even further deep. Maybe the core area. But it''s going to be a little tricky. Hmm, I have never come across such a situation. Normally, at this point of time. I should be fleeing from monsters, if it were some other monster zone. But this one is different, I sighed and used my perceptual again. Constant use of perceptual ability makes me mentally tired. If it goes on, my concentration will lapse. Suddenly, I noticed several blue dots coming towards my direction. But their movement is somewhat slow. Seeing that I decided to move from this place and go a little deeper. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? 20 Minutes later, Finally, There is some movement from monsters. I raised my eyebrows in curiosity, What kind of monsters are going together in one direction? A bad premonition rose in my heart. Is it pack? I couldn''t help but recall old memories of Hyenas Pack. If it''s a pack then it would be troublesome. Even with double repair strength, I''m not sure about how I fare against them. On top of that, I don''t know what kind of Monster it is. I observed the red dots a little bit more in mind. By looking at their direction, I know they are moving towards the core area. I smiled wryly seeing that. These Monsters won''t be scared by core area monsters. As they are moving together as a pack. I twitched, If not for a pack I might have confronted them. Shaking my head, I begin to check the spoils. I don''t think there will be any treasure in these spoils. I can vaguely guess the items. After going through their storage ring, I found huge amounts of pills. Seeing that, "Sure" I uttered with a knowing smile. These were basic necessities bought by every Adventurer. 1. Healing Pill, 2. Blood essence Pill, 3. Poison Pill. 4. Bug Resistant Powder. 5. Monster Attracting Powder. And few other low end artifacts. After going through it, I placed them in my storage ring. As I expected, all of them were basic stuff. These thieves must have planned to sell them outside. Though these pills can be bought with a few hundred credit points. Yet large quantities were something else, It can be sold for thousand credit points. With such an amount in my hand, I can buy a good monster core. After going through all of it, I thought about my current situation again. It''s really disappointing to not come across any monsters. But If I go to the core area, I may encounter not only monsters but also humans. I still have some reservations about my element. I don''t plan on exposing it before the exhibition event. I have endured it so far. So I don''t want to spoil my effort over this trip. I sighed and made a decision. Instead of going towards the core area. I plan to go sideways towards my right direction. If I continue according to my plan, it''s impossible for monsters to escape from my perception. So I moved towards my right direction. It will be difficult, since it''s not a straight path. Soon, I came across a few blue dots in my mind. Seeing the arrangements of the dots, it''s seems like two groups fighting each other. For a moment, I hesitated a little bit. Should I see what''s going on? No, I came to hunt monsters. It''s better to move around them and follow my original direction. After sorting out my thoughts, I continued to move. It''s already noon, this hot weather is also making my movements a little slower. Sometimes later, I came across a large wet swamp. Seeing that I halted my movements suddenly. So far there is no movement around me. But I found this swamp a little different. Suddenly, I heard some rusting sound which surprised me. I looked over the dark swamp for any movements. I also make sure that there is no breath released from me. Seeing that there is no response so far. I take out monster attracting powder from the storage ring. This is going to be crazy! Chapter 284 BLACK TOOTH CROCODILE (From MC Perspective) I observed the red powder for a while. Then I throw it towards the wet swamp. I already opened the cork, soon the powder will spread outside. It will be the time when nearby monsters start to go crazy. Seeing the bottle floating on the swamp water. I chose to hide behind the tree. It''s not good to be exposed directly. Sometimes later, The red power begins to spread around the swamps. Soon, I heard a rustling sound. This is the same sound I heard a while ago. "What is it?" I muttered to myself. I knew this must be the sound raised by Monster. But I couldn''t guess what type it was. There are a lot of swamp monsters. It''s hard to distinguish some sounds. Sure, Book knowledge is important but Field knowledge is something else. As the red powder spreads out completely, one by one monsters begin to smell the powder. The monster closes in on Zack. It went mad smelling the monster attacking powder. Suddenly, It swam towards the source. Just as I was pondering, I caught the glimpse of the monster. "Dark Tooth Crocodile." I said. Its fluctuations reveal its strength. By probing it, I realized it''s a Class 2 Monster. Then I probed the surrounding area with perception. I don''t want to see any unwanted guests popping up suddenly. After doing some probing, I sighed in relief as I found no blue dots and red dots around the surrounding area. Suddenly, I sensed a threat from the Dark Tooth Crocodile. "Looks like it realizes the red powder is something to do with me." I muttered, it must be due to the lingering smell around me. I held my black sword without minding it. Earlier, I wanted to test my double repair strength. But these monsters were not suitable for it. The Croc Monster speeds up fast towards Zack. Seeing the Monster''s intention, I ran lightning phantom technique in an instant. "Wiz" the sound of purple lightning resonates in the area. Like a zig zag, I moved around the monster and made a heavy slash at its back. The Crocs Monster halted its speed seeing the enemy had disappeared. "Clang" the blade made a sound as it touched the hard rock scales at its back. But unfortunately the blade failed to make a deep cut. Seeing the small injury at its back, I wasn''t surprised. "As expected of Crock Monsters. Not only their scales, their entire exoskeleton is a hardened one." I mumbled under my breath. "Roar" the Crock Monster roared in anger. Even Though it''s a slight injury, it angered the Croc Monster. Sensing the enemy is standing behind its back. It used its giant tail to whip at him. The sudden movement caught Zack off guard. "Damn it!" I muttered. "Bang" The giant tail made a collision with the black blade. The pure force made Zack stagger backwards. It''s really a textbook move, yet it still caught me off guard. Luckily, I held my sword to block it in time."What a terrible strength?" I muttered by looking at the monster. The Crock Monster opened its mouth to bite Zack. Its entire razor sharp black teeth were clearly visible to eyes. One of the distinguishing features of the monster is its teeth. Unlike other monsters this crock monster has black teeth. Which really gives me chills. Seeing its provocation, I smiled back. I held the sword with both of my hands and dashed towards it. I leaped and made another cleave at its back. This time it''s precisely at the same spot. I can easily end its life with a lightning move. But I want to practise, this is a perfect opportunity to use my lightning phantom technique. The Crock Monster flustered, it hadn''t expected the enemy to disappear again. It roared back and wags its huge tail heavily. At this time, I made the blade to deepen the injury. Unlike last time, I made a heavy cleavage at the injury. The blade tears through old injury as expected. Feeling the pain the monster made a fanatic roar. It''s rollover sideways due to pain. Listening to Croc Monster''s roar, the nearby monsters flee away in fear. Despite the attraction of red powder, some weak monsters immediately fled after the roar. Seeing the Monster''s rolling sideways, I ponder. In order to improve lightning phantom technique further. I need to get closer. If it makes any sudden movement, I can use the lightning phantom technique to move around. Time progresses, As I continue to hack around the monster, the Monster''s vitality begin to slip away. Sometimes later, the monster dropped dead. I hacked the Crock Monster to retrieve the Monster Core. Talking about the monster core, this Crock Monster is earth attributed one. This monster core is beneficial for those with earth elements. After glancing at it once again, I stuffed it into my storage ring. Then I placed the severed body parts in the container. Then I moved away from the spot after cleaning the traces. Fortunately, no one came to disturb me. Because of it, I gained little insight into lightning phantom technique. Unlike other elements, the lightning element is destructive in nature but it also has a speed attribute. If I can use the sudden burst of lightning power to extend the speed further, then it will be good. I looked around and found that it''s not the right place to try. These overgrown vegetation will hinder my movements. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then I decided to go further. At this time I didn''t go towards the side. I decided to go towards the core area. Time progresses, On the way, I came across a few adventure teams. But I avoided them early with perception. The vegetation seems to denser further as I venture inside the inner area. In one hour, it will be evening time. Camping at core area at night is no less than the sucidal attack. Inorder to make sure, I check the map again. The map is not a detailed one, it had details noted by the several veteran adventurers. It is very useful in recognising various terrain around here. After glancing at the map again, I made a decision to camp around here. Then I will continue my journey by tomorrow morning. Chapter 285 Unexpected Surprise? (From MC Perspective) Following day, I reached the core area after traveling for an hour. Fortunately, I didn''t come across any monsters last night. Which saved me from energy consumption. Right now, looking at the open terrain. I feel this place is a common spot for Monsters to roam around. I''m only standing at the premises of the core area, but it has already made me tense. Class 2 Monsters were nothing. But Class 3 Monsters were different. I recalled the old memories, where the Class 3 Peak worm monster caused havoc at the Black Forest Monster Zone. Shaking my head, I put behind those depressing thoughts. Right now, I can only hope to not come across those monsters. Suddenly, I heard a howling sound. "What?" I muttered. I had a bad premonition when I heard the sound. Then I used the perception to investigate the area. "Hmmm" I was taken back. Few meters away from here, there are a lot of movements. Three dim blue lights are surrounded by five dark red dots. Why does it feel like Deja Vu? Don''t tell me they become prey for Monster Pack. My heart beats faster after realising the situation. Should I help them or not? If it were one against one then it''s fine. But it was a group of Monsters, I can already see the result of the clash. Three Adventurers will definitely die miserably. Let''s drive those monsters away, then it will be fine. I used phantom lightning technique to move towards the direction. Strangely, It''s a few meters away from me. Strangely, I didn''t come across them. Fortunately, It''s just one pack. If it were many of them, even with my double repair strength. I won''t hesitate to flee. A ten minutes later, I arrived at the spot. Seeing the pack of wolves, I held my sword tightly. Then my eyes immediately set on the victims. My pupils constrict seeing them. "What is she doing here?" My chest tightens seeing injured Maira. She is half- conscious, beside her two of her clan members were fighting against the Wolf Monsters. Both of them were males. By looking at their appearance, it seems they were on the verge of death. They were barely keeping their life. But unfortunately it''s too late to save them. These Brown Wolves were commonly seen species across many Monster Zones. They were very cunning, fast and agile. I rushed towards her and crushed the healing pill and put it in her mouth. Seeing Zack''s sudden appearance. Two of the Frazier Clan members were surprised and sighed in relief. After putting the healing pill in her mouth, I didn''t wait any further. I came closer to them and shouted, " Two of you get behind me. I''ll take care of it." After saying that, I rush towards the nearest wolf using phantom lightning technique. And swung my sword at its abdomen. "Thank Goodness, Finally someone came to help" One of the Male warriors breathed in relief while covering his injured abdomen. "Quick, Check young lady''s condition." The other warrior hurries to check Maria Frazier''s conditions. Both of them are not in the mood to see Zack''s battle. After confirming that young Miss is doing fine, the warrior answered, "Young lady is fine. Let''s go back and assist the person." Even on the verge of death they decided to help Zack. The Class 2 Wolf rolled backwards from the collision. "It''s a Initial- Class 2 Monster" I grinned after confirming. Then I will end them before alpha comes back. I can guess alpha must be around somewhere near. Seeing these monsters were at Initial level, I guess alpha must be a Class 2 Peak Monster. Before it comes back, I need to end these monsters. The Brown Wolf roared back, but unfortunately it wasn''t able to do anything. I swung my sword again and sliced its neck. Blood spurted from the monster as it lost its life miserably. The remaining wolf got angered and the first brunt was taken by those two Frazier Clan members. One of the Warrior''s movements got slow due to injury. As a result his neck is bitten by a wolf and loses his life in the end. "Ahhhh '''' Seeing his companion dead, the other Warrior waved his sword frantically. But unfortunately he got pounded by three other wolves. One of the wolves collided with the sword and the two wolves were ripping his body parts apart. This scene is very miserable. The other end, Zack got delayed by the fourth monster. "This!" Seeing their death, I don''t know how to react. Even if they survived from the monsters, it''s hard to save their life. Their injuries were so deep that their life can''t be saved by healing pills. From beginning to the end, Maria is clueless about what is happening around her. She wasn''t even aware that she swallowed the healing pill unknowingly. The healing pill energy spreads around the body and begins to heal the wounds. Fortunately, after killing those guys. The wolfs turned towards Zack. They didn''t even glance at Maria who was unconscious. Seeing four of them coming towards me, I grinned. As one by one these monsters began to surround me, I stayed in my spot. Not due to fear, but it''s a perfect situation to use the lightning attack. Seeing the prey is not moving away from the spot. The four wolves pounced on Zack the next moment. Each of their sharp claws were aimed at his chest and abdomen. When the four wolves came closer towards me, I used the Lightning Technique. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Lightning Wheel" A purple color lightning wheel formed in an instant. The wolves got alarmed in mid air. But it''s too late to back away. As their body came in contact with the lightning wheel, an explosion happened. "Bang" The destructive lightning tore through their bodies. As a result, four scorched bodies crashed in different directions. No, no need to look at them, they were dead. "Phew!" I like this one shot kill. Then my experience changed drastically as I rushed towards Maria. I don''t know whether she swallowed the pill or not. Chapter 286 Alpha? (From MC Perspective) I sighed in relief after seeing her injury is slowly recovering. Then I turned around and glanced at the four corpses. " It''s a pity, Four Monster cores must have busted from the explosion." I muttered while glancing at the corpses. Then I thought about another wolf which I had killed with my sword. I walked towards the brown wolf and sliced its abdomen to receive the monster core. The Monster''s core is dark brown in color. Most of the wolves belong to the wind element. It''s rare to see an Earth element wolf. And what I found strange is? In this monster zone, most of the monsters that I came across were earth element one''s, including this brown wolf. "Hmmm" Maria begins to gain her clarity slowly. She knitted her eyebrows in confusion. Her eyebrows trembled as she slowly opened her eyes to see. Then she seems to recall what happened before she fell half unconscious. Suddenly she notices the silhouette near her. "Zack!" She shouts in surprise. As I was observing the core, I heard my name. Immediately turning around I found Maria to regain her clarity. After placing the core back into the storage ring, I rushed towards her. "Are you fine?" I asked back. She nodded and asked, "What are you doing here?" Hearing that, Instead of answering her I glanced around. This place is not suitable, still there is no sign of alpha. I bet soon the alpha will appear here. Before that it''s better to move away from this spot. "Maria, It''s not a place to talk. Let''s go to some secluded location." I advised her about our situation. Maria wasn''t surprised by Zack''s words. The battle will attract some monsters. She too realizes the severity of the situation. Yet she glanced at her clan member''s corpse. Her mood worsens seeing their demise. By looking at her expression, I understand she is undergoing mood changes. Then I take out the corpse container. Seeing my sudden actions, Maria said, "Zack, There is no need for a corpse container. My storage ring has enough place to keep the corpse intact" Suddenly, I''m embarrassed by her words. You can only put body prices in a corpse container. And she doesn''t want to mutilate her clan members'' corpses. Then she slowly moved towards the corpse and placed them in a storage ring. "Take one more healing pill to stabilize your condition." I said while looking at her haggard expression. I don''t think one healing pill is enough to heal her injury. Taking a look at Zack, she nodded. Just as we were conversing with each other. "Howling" Suddenly, I heard a howling sound. I twitched, It''s not that I''m scared. I don''t want to expose my lightning element in front of her. Even Though she is my good friend, I don''t trust her completely. "Zack, Hurry. There seems to be another pack" Maria uttered while hurrying towards Zack. Right now she is in bad condition. It''s impossible to contend against a group of monsters again. I used my perception to verify the situation. I saw one red dot rushing towards us from the east. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? My expression eased a little bit after knowing it''s an alpha. Since it''s one against one there is no need to use a lightning element. I will fight against using pure physical strength. Seeing me standing in daze, Maria asked, "Zack, What happened? Let''s go!" Maria grabbed my hand in a hurry. Seeing her frustration I replied, "Don''t worry, It''s just one monster." "Uh, How do you know? It''s one monster" Maria asked back in surprise. I was dumbfounded by her words. "Cough" "Cough" "Ahem, It''s an alpha wolf." I said with a calm expression and gestures her to hide for a while. I said, "Since it''s one against one. I can kill it with ease. Just make sure to hide your breath for a while." A sudden realisation dawned upon Maria. She glances at Zack in disbelief. She realises she was the clown here. She couldn''t even realize this simple thing. Her face turned red and she took this as a chance to hide away from Zack. I chuckled seeing her expression. "Thank Goodness, She didn''t doubt me "Shaking my head, I set my gaze towards east. Suddenly, A huge brown wolf leaped from the bushes. "Brown Alpha Wolf- Class 2 Peak Monster" "As expected it''s a peak one." My expression eased after knowing it''s not a Class 3 one. If it''s a class 3 one, then it''s going to be a dead end. Maria''s expression turned pale. She covered her mouth due to fear. Even though she is a Peak Trainee Apprentice, she can leapfrog one small realm and fight against the monster. But she didn''t have the ability to leapfrog an entire realm. Seeing Zack, she couldn''t help but worry. In her eyes, Zack has the same strength as her. She couldn''t recall how Zack killed those monsters. But she knows those previous wolves were at only entry level. That''s why she is sure that Zack can leapfrog like her. The huge brown Alpha wolf looks at the smoked corpses of 4 other wolves. It howled looking at the sky. Next moment, the momentum of alpha begins to rise. It completely stepped in full berserk mode. My expression turned solemn by looking at the maddened state. "What kind of ability is this? It''s certainly not an elemental one" I muttered under my breath. This momentum is no less than the Class 3 one. Last time, when I faced that fox monster. It was a nightmare. But right now it''s momentum is reaching the same level as it is. I Immediately turned my attention towards Maria. Maria, who is hiding behind the bush, appears to be scared. She is completely crouched down to hide her presence. I nodded at her. Her presence of mind is good. I guess her clan must have given her some protective artefact. So, I didn''t worry about her safety. I held my sword and rushed towards the alpha wolf. It''s better to wound it before it gains full momentum. Chapter 287 Chance! (From MC Perspective) The Brown Alpha Wolf successfully reaches full momentum before Zack could reach it. Seeing the enemy rushing towards it, the alpha roared back and tackled him with its huge giant paw. Suddenly, a sharp claw extended from Alpha''s paw and made a clash against the blade. "Clang" the clashing sound resonates in the area. From its giant paw, I felt equal opposing pressure weighing down one me. I stagger backwards due to impact, but the alpha seems to be in the same place. Right now the Alpha''s strength is really shocking. It pushed me backwards with its one paw alone. The Alpha Wolf left the corpse of its companion. Now it''s entirely focused on the enemy. Its eyes reddened further, the next moment it made a giant leap towards Zack all of a sudden. The Alpha wants to take a bite out of Zack with its razor sharp teeth. My perceptual ability is already in an active state, so every move is magnified before my eyes. When it made a giant leap, I ran a common leg technique to move backwards. If I use, Lightning Phantom technique then it will expose my element straight away. So right now, I have no choice other than to fight like the old ways. I brought my black sword forward to avoid its gigantic mouth. Next moment, When the alpha sees the black sword, a hint of light flashes before its eyes. It courageously takes a bite at the sword. "Clang" I was caught off guard by its bite strength. Both of my palms turned numb due to the vibration. But fortunately the black sword is made of good material. It didn''t break directly. I try to take back the black sword from its mouth. But I couldn''t, the alpha had no intention to open its mouth. My instincts urge me to use a lightning wheel attack. If I use it right now, it will be far more destructive. It will directly blow away its jaw from the lightning explosion. Maria Frazier trembled on the other hand. "The Alpha must be at Class 2 Mid Stage." She misunderstood in her heart. She would have fainted if she knew the alpha strength right now is no less than Initial Class 3 Stage. Time progresses, Maria is silently watching the clashes between the two. She couldn''t help but frown, "Why doesn''t he use his element ability?" Then suddenly she realises something. She and Zack may be classmates but she actually isn''t aware of his abilities. Whenever she brings up the conversation with him, Zack has diverted the matter knowingly or unknowingly. At that time, She thought Zack was maintaining his privacy. So it''s normal for him to hide his information. But the situation right here is different. He is fighting against the alpha wolf in a life or death situation. Then why doesn''t he use his elemental ability? Her mind comes up with a lot of questions? "It''s impossible for a Warrior to level-up without elemental ability." A curious glint flashes in her eyes while watching the confrontation between these two. More than fear of Alpha, right now she is wondering about Zack. In curiosity, she continues to watch the fight. "Damn!" This alpha is the same as me, Our physical powers balance out each other. If this goes on, I''m afraid there will be trouble. Not only me, the alpha appears to be more frustrated. At this time, I''m betting on one thing. I don''t think it can maintain its Class 3 strength so far. It''s not at it''s natural level. The alpha''s real level is at Class 2 Peak stage. And this is also one of a kind experience. I didn''t hear of such an ability to gain Class 3 strength before. I want to see, How long can it hold on? When it reverts back to its original state, then I will end it. The other hand, the alpha is getting impatient. After realising that the enemy is slipping away, the alpha wolf finally uses its elemental ability to attack. Right now, both of them are confronting each other. It suddenly uses the earth element ability to control soil under the opponent''s feet. From steady ground, it quickly converted to loose sand. Which makes enemy feet slip away suddenly. "What the f**k? Such an incredible soil manipulation ability" I exclaimed in surprise while keeping my feet away from the soil. This is going to be a headache. I became more alerted when seeing the Monster''s earth element. I wonder, what kind of other ability does it has? Seeing the enemy didn''t get caught in his trap, the alpha again roared back in anger. It continues to leap against Zack in aim of biting his neck. Time progresses, 10 Minutes later, From time to time, the alpha wolf uses soil manipulation ability. But Zack with his perception evades all kinds of attacks in time. The Alpha Wolf is frustrated by the enemy. It''s getting restless as its momentum begins to drop down slowly. "Hmmm" I noticed some change in my perception. Finally, I can stop being defensive. I inched closer against it and swung my sword at it''s back to test Alpha''s current strength. "Clang" the clashing sound resonates the area again. This time I only took two steps backward from the collision. I grinned by watching his momentum drop. I sighed in relief as my assumption came true. The Alpha has some kind of bloodline ability, which increases its strength for some time. This time, I took the initiative to attack. Maria was bored with their confrontation. Initially, She was scared and worried about his fight. But as the time goes on, she couldn''t help but think Zack is using the alpha as a sparring partner. If not for her injury, she would have joined in the fun too. Eventually, she forgets about Zack''s elemental ability. As the time goes on, she also notices some changes in alpha. "The Alpha ran out of energy?" She muttered in confusion. No way, it''s monster. Why it''s energy drop down suddenly? She racks up her brain to find the answer. And again there is no answer. Then she observes Zack who is having a wide smile on his face for whatever reason. Chapter 288 Hacking The Alpha! (From MC Perspective) The Brown Alpha Wolf realises its momentum has dropped down. It Immediately uses its rest of the power to attack the enemy. By looking at the monster''s last desperate attempt, I knew this time my double repair strength is enough to hack the monster. I held by black sword and aimed at its neck region. Just as the alpha closed on me, I used my leg technique to evade the direct Confrontation. Next moment, I stepped sideways and made a full swing at its neck. My sudden movement caught Alpha off guard. Before it could move, the black blade penetrated its skin. This time the balde went a little deeper. Feeling the agonizing pain, the alpha howled back and directly used its soil manipulation to throw off the enemy. I leaped backward by seeing its soil manipulation. Even at its desperation, the monster continues to use its soil manipulation. But its efforts were useless in front of my perceptual ability. I smirked and then again swung my sword to hack it''s neck. In the next two attacks, its neck will be sliced. Perceiving the danger, for the first time the Monster felt weak in front of the enemy. At this point of the time the Monster''s strength reverts back to the original strength. The alpha''s neck sustained deep injury. The alpha''s cunning eye flashes with light, it makes a sudden decision to back away. As it tries to turn around, the black blade again reaches its neck. This time the angel seems to be perfect. With one heavy slice the monster''s head fell off. Maria from the other end wide opened her mouth in disbelief. She is still clueless, why Monster''s strength falls down so quickly. But more than that she is happy that the monster has finally died. She stood up and walked towards Zack with joy. "Phew!" This monster really gave me a scare. If it goes on I think I''m going to be exposed today. But fortunately, I''m saved. Then I approached the body and began to hack to retrieve its core. I spend too much time here, soon someone or some monsters will come for sure. I need to slice its parts before moving away. My eyes gleamed with ecstasy, as I looked at giant alpha''s body. The Parts of Alpha wolf are expensive compared to normal monsters. This one is a little special. Class 2 Peak Monster with weird ability. Just as I was hacking its parts, Maria approached me at this time. Turning towards her, I asked, "Are you alright?" Maria nodded and replied, " I''m fine!" Then she looked at Zack from top to bottom with scruitning gaze and added, "Zack, You are really strong. Now, You can even fight against and kill a Mid level Class 2 Monster." I was choked up by her words. What a mid level? It''s a Pseudo Class 3 one. Shaking my head, I can only cry inside and can''t tell her. "Help me slice up its parts" I said. Maria nodded and took her blow sword out of sheat to slice. Few minutes later, I placed all of the alpha''s parts in the storage ring. It''s good that from beginning to end, Maria didn''t raise any unwanted questions. In between I also set my focus on perception to look around the area. Fortunately no one came after the battle. Seeing there is no movement of blue and red dots 20 metres around me, My heart eases down. On normal days, I can use perception without much worry. But in this dense jungle, it''s very challenging. "Zack, What are you thinking?" Maria called out. Then I retracted my thoughts and replied, "We shouldn''t waste too much around here. It''s better to move right now." Maria nodded, then both of them cooperated to erase the trace of battle. After doing that they move a little deeper towards the core area. Maria observes the direction that Zack was leading to and she couldn''t help but frown. She knows this direction leads to the core area further. She had already made a mistake by convincing her clanmates to go for the core area. Because of her they had lost their life right now. If she again goes on like this the danger is going to increase again. She also had some knowledge about the Monster Zones. Only boss level monsters choose to live in the core area, like the brown alpha wolf. It already took a great deal to kill the alpha monster. Right now she doesn''t have the confidence to face more powerful monsters along the way. Before coming here, her father and old butler repeatedly advised her to not go near the inner area. But when she came she didn''t come across any strong monsters in the inner area. That''s why her heart prompted her to try the core region. She bit her lips by feeling powerless, then she suddenly halted her footsteps. I extended my black sword to hack down the overgrown bushes and leaves to make a pathway. At the same time my mind is also set on the surroundings. Right now other than me, there is only one blue dot behind me, which is Maria. "Hmmm" I focused on the blue dot a little more which appears to be stagante on one spot. My heart is alarmed by feeling something bad happen to her. I hurriedly turned around to see her but there was no silhouette. Then I immediately ran towards the blue dot spot. In a few breaths, I saw Maria. She sat on the rock in daze. After confirming she was fine, I sighed in relief. "This girl, What''s wrong with her brain?" I muttered while walking towards her. Perceiving my gaze, Maria opened her eyes and said in apologetic tone, "I''m sorry. I can''t go on." I massaged my temple slightly and asked "What happened? Do you want to go back?" I know in the core area, she is nothing but a drag bottle. Yet, I couldn''t leave her just like that. She lost her clanmates and it''s impossible to walk back alone. Looks like I need to abort this trip. Chapter 289 Part 1: Return (From MC Perspective) Maria was surprised by his words. She looked at Zack and said, "Actually, I''m not in a state to fight. Especially, in this dangerous core area, I don''t want to drag you." I sighed and replied, "Well, Seems like you realised this. I''m not even sure what kind of monster is ahead. It will be dangerous if he got besieged by other monsters." Maria nodded and asked back, "So, Are you going to continue?" I smiled and answered, "Let''s go back to our home, before it gets to dawn." ? Maria smiled like Chrysanthemum, She hadn''t expected Zack to drop his plan. is it for her? then shaking her head, she denied her thoughts. She knows about Zack, other than cultivation he doesn''t have anything other on his mind. He must be realizes the possibility of danger. So he forfeit his plan. "Let''s go!" I getures her to follow me back slowly. Fortunately, I made a small mark along the way. So it''s easy for me to find a way back. From time to time, I also make sure to see whether any hostile groups are near us. After making sure, we continued our journey. Along the way, We did stop for a while to rejuvenate. At this time, Maria asked, "Zack, What do you think about the Crimson Hall Exhibition Event." "Hmmm" I was taken back. Why is she asking me? I frowned. But again I head she is also training digily under Ms. key. "I don''t know. Some say this time the event will be different." I said without much expression on my face. A curious glint flashes in her eyes immediately. Suddenly, I remembered something and asked back, "Are you going to participate in the Crimson Hall''s event?" Maria stunned but she nodded back to his question. "This?" No way, I heard even some influential clans can''t get their hands on the single seat. The price of the single seat is very expensive. I''m lucky to be part of Hansen Campus, So I got a Seed Position without a cost. Then her clan must be powerful and rich. Maybe she knows something about the event. Should I ask? I raised my eyebrows. Well, it doesn''t cost me anything, So I asked, "Do you know content of the exhibition event?" Maria smiled as she expected the answer, she replied, "Sigh, I too have no idea about the event. Major clans actually inquired about this, but it seems like Crimson Hall has not made any preparations yet. " "Did you make any preparations?" I uttered in disbelief. These guys even dare to offend the Star Tower. I thought they had already planned some big movement. But looks like it''s not? What is going on actually? Seeing the conflicted face of Zack, Maria''s eyes shone in curiosity. "What is he thinking?"Maria thought to herself. Then she suddenly realized something, Zack is the seed candidate for our campus. If he knows the details he can prepare himself in advance. Unlike the Star Tower, the Crimson Hall''s event has always been a field event. But this time, who knows what they are planning. When I''m pondering, I spotted red spots near me. I halted my footsteps suddenly and told her to stop. It''s impossible to see what they look like in this dense jungle. There are two red spots standing opposite to each other. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. "Zack, What happened?" Maria asked back in confusion. "Ahem, It''s the wrong route. We need to change direction. " I gestured to her to follow me back on a different route. If I''m alone, I may fight against those monsters. But this is not the right time. Soon their clash will attract the unwanted adventurers. After changing the route slightly, We made a detour and joined back in the previous route. Along the way, with the help of my perception. We avoided the Monsters and adventurers. Time progresses, Late evening, "Finally, We reached the exit." I raised my head and saw the main gate. "I''m really tired" Maria sounded back behind me. I smiled and together we walk towards the main gate. Suddenly, I realised something. Now, My appearance is known by everyone. It would be trouble, If I got surrounded by others. I turned around and said to Maria, "I''m directly heading towards the station. Are you coming with me?" I feel she wants to freshen up right away after the exit. If it was me earlier, I would have waited. But right now, I really don''t want to get spotted by others. Maira answered, "huh, I want to go back to my clan and the report the incident to my father" I nodded and together we exited the main gate. After stepping outside, I saw very few people gathering inside. Obviously, no one wants to enter the Monster Zone at night. Then we walked towards the air car platform. Fortunately, the area is not crowded. After hopping inside, we told the destination to the driver. The air car slowly rose in the air and then flew towards the train station direction. Fortunately, it was morning and the scenario might be different. A few minutes later, The air car slowly lands on the platform near the station. It''s surprising that Maria didn''t talk too much. Looks like the grief of her classmate''s loss finally gets to her. Sighing, I too didn''t engage in any conversation. We stepped out of the air car and slowly headed towards the platform. I actually booked a return ticket for tomorrow but due to changes in plan right now, it''s difficult to get a seat. While walking, Maria accessed the train booking site. She also has the same worry like Zack. If they don''t get a ticket, they have to spend the entire day here. A few minutes later, We got two seats on the next train. I didn''t even expect Maria to act faster than me. She booked tickets even before I had asked. Since we booked tickets, we choose a place to sit down and relax. "Zack, What is your elemental ability?" Maria suddenly raised a question, when they two just sat down to relax. Chapter 290 Part 2: Return Just as I thought, I will get some shut. Maria''s sudden questioning made me stunned. Sure, she caught the anomaly. But without showing much expression on my face. "Ha..Ha..Ha.." I let out a small laughter. I chuckled and said, "How can you forget? I had already told you before that I''m a Fire element Warrior." "Is it?" Maira furrows her eyebrows in confusion. But as far as she remembers there is no such a thing. Then she asked back again, " Then why didn''t you use it during the battle?" "This woman?" I massaged my temple by hearing her words. "Are you dumb or what? How can fire element contend against the earth element?" I said with a smile. Maria displeased by hearinh dumb. She snorts back and chooses to remain in silence, until the train comes back. I sighed in relief by her behavior. Thank goodness, if she continues to ask me it will irritate me further. Time progresses, The train for Red Stone City arrives in time. Seeing that both of us stood from our seats and went to board. After sitting back in our seats, we still didn''t talk to each other. But my mind is on something else, I hope no one recognises me until I get home. My whole being got relaxed after getting into the train. Monster Zones were not simple. Whether it''s a small one or big one. Talking about Monster Zones, This time my hauls were not fruitful. I thought about reaching the heart of the core area but it ended in failure. I sighed in heart, I don''t know when I will get my next opportunity. Looks like I need to ask Uncle again, then next moment I denied this plan. Instead of troubling Uncle, I will ask for Elder Thornton''s help. As a Chairman of Hansen Campus, he has an obligation to fulfill my request. I begin to hatch good plans in my mind. At the same time, the trains depart to Red Stone City slowly. Maria Frazier also immersed in her own world. Both of them slowly begin to shut their eyes at one point. Time progresses, Several hours later, The train arrives at the Red Stone City station. Both of them opened their eyes after hearing the announcement. After stepping outside, I turned towards Maria and asked, "Can I tell Elder Thornton about this?" Maria also Hansen Campus''s student. If something happens to her, then it will certainly cause some damage to campus. Maira halted our footsteps, She commented, "It doesn''t matter. Usually, Warrior''s from Clan will go for such Monster Zone. Not everyone relies on campus for cultivation." She said with somewhat anger. Is she talking about me? I frowned but I didn''t talk back. We parted our ways after getting out of the train station. Instead of going home, I plan to meet Elder Thornton at this time. Soon, I saw an air cab landing near me. I hurried my footsteps to hop in. After getting in, I told the destination to the driver. The next moment, the air car slowly moved upwards and then it flew towards our destination. A few minutes later, I walked back into our campus. Few students walking along the corridor noticed my appearance. They immediately ran towards me. "This?" Another headache, I swiftly used my leg technique to disappear from the spot. The students who reached the spot at that time sighed in disappointment. In a few breaths, I came in front of Mr. Arthur''s cabin and knocked on the door. "Creak" the door slid open. I stepped in and saw Mr. Arthur behind his desk. Seeing the appearance of Zack, Mr. Arthur commented in surprise, " I thought you will spend more time in Monster Zone." I sat in the opposite seat and answered, " There were some unexpected changes." "Hmmm" Mr. Arthur raised his eyebrows in confusion. Then he suddenly enlightened, "Don''t tell me your fans didn''t let you go?" Mr. Arthur said with a laugh. "Coughed" "Ahem, I met Ms. Maria in core area." I said. "What? You went to the core area. Are you mad?" Mr. Arthur suddenly exclaimed in disbelief. He had never expected him to be so daring. Without waiting for Zack to reply. Mr. Arthur advised further, "Don''t you know there were more fierce monsters living inside the core area. Even the expected adventurers would think twice before venturing into their lair. " Hearing his advice, I couldn''t help but curse myself, "I shouldn''t have told him." After advising, Mr. Arthur observes Zack''s expression less face. He was surprised and asked, "What happened?" You should have asked me this first, I sighed and answered, "Mr. Arthur, This BrownCliff Monster Zone is really weird. I didn''t came across any monster until I fought at inner Zone " Then without stopping I added, "And It was then, I met Ms. Maria. She was with her two clan members. Three of them were fighting against the pack of wolves. Unfortunately two of them died due to a sudden attack by the Monsters. Fortunately, I came in time and was able to save her in the end." By hearing Zack''s words. Mr. Arthur is not surprised by hearing Maria''s own trip. It''s common for clans to organize such a trip for their descendants. Right now he is happy knowing that she is doing fine. Then Mr. Arthur also ponders about Zack''s experience. "It''s really strange." He uttered. Then he looked at Zack and said, " Well, I guess, it must be your bad luck this time. As far as I know, Only Peak Monsters choose to live in the core area and other Mid level monsters live in the inner area in larger numbers. " He continues to say, "Since this trip is not fruitful. What do you plan to do next?" Finally, Mr. Arthur reaches the point. I smiled and answered, " Mr. Arthur, I would like to go to another Monster Zone." "Monster Zone?" Mr. Arthur uttered, but next moment he realized that Zack didn''t gain any experience this time. So he wants to visit other Zones. Chapter 291 New Essence Pill? (From MC Perspective) After hearing my request, I hope that Mr. Arthur will help. I looked at him, Mr. Arthur seemed to think about it. Maybe he can really help me with this. Mr. Arthur answered, "Well, If you want to go to a more dangerous Monster zone, then it''s very difficult to get permission." Then he added, "But I believe Elder Thornton can get it for you. Why don''t you ask him directly?" I smiled and said, "I''m planning to go out tomorrow. So, I won''t come to campus. Earlier, I thought about telling you, that''s why I came. " Mr. Arthur nodded to that, then I didn''t wait and needed to get home before it''s really dark. After saying bidding bye to him, I walk out of the campus. Then I immediately hopped into the nearby air car. The air car rose upwards and flew towards the Red Stone City''s Train Station. I sighed. As I watched the scenery through the window, I couldn''t help but recall the earlier conversation with Mr. Arthur. Huh, I know it''s too much to ask Mr. Arthur. May be, He is worried about me and that''s why he didn''t agree with my plan. Who knows I may end up going towards the core area in my next monster zone? Shaking my head, I begin to look through the window. The scenery is really stunning, lit up buildings and buzzing streets. I don''t know what it looks like in my Master''s place. Time progresses, 2 and half minutes later, I reached home in time, after walking back into the hall. I found Uncle James in the hall. Seeing my appearance, he smiled back and gestured to me to take a seat. After sitting on the couch, I let out a deep sigh. Seeing Zack''s behavior, Mr. James asked, "Is everything okay?" I smiled wryly and replied, "This trip had wasted my time greatly." Mr. James surprised and asked back in curiosity, "Oh, then tell me about it." I told him about my encounter with Maria and followed up events. Uncle James listened patiently till the end, he didn''t even raise any question in between. Why do I feel like he knows everything about the forehand? Mr. James commented, "It''s really good that both of you didn''t go any further towards the core area." Then he looked at Zack and said in a solemn tone, "Unlike other areas, the core area has little land mass. It''s basically leir to powerful monsters. Even the patrol guards won''t dare to disturb the core area but you guys!" He sighed in the end. "I know Uncle, But unfortunately I didn''t come across any powerful monster except the croc and wolves" I said with a somewhat disappointing tone. Talking about wolves, I recalled the weird ability of Brown Alpha. Maybe Uncle knows about it. "Ahem, Uncle. Talking about wolves. The alpha showed some weird ability." I uttered while looking at him. Then I explained in detail about the sudden increase in momentum done by Brown Wolf. Mr. James didn''t get surprised by it. There were a lot of Mutated Monsters which had the same weird ability in them. Then he told Zack something about them. When we both finished our little conversation, I walked back into my room to freshen up. As expected, Monsters are not the same. Like the Black Tree that I had faced in the past, this brown alpha also has the weird ability. But what a strange thing is, their abilities were not fully described in some books. Which also shows the importance of field experience. It won''t do good, If I blindly trusts the book knowledge. After getting into the bath, I begin to take a cold shower. Sometimes later, Laying in bed, I searched about the weather forecast at Mountain Liz. Mountain Liz is the perfect place to practise my lightning techniques. For so long, I endure to hide my lightning element. But I don''t know how long I will manage to keep it as a secret. Inorder to perform better at Crimson Hall Exhibition Event. I need to improve in every aspect. So I can''t delay my training further. If there is good weather around Mountain Liz, then I will go tomorrow. My heart is eased after sorting out my thoughts. Then I recalled the looted items. So many pills and cores, I look into the storage ring to go through the looted stuff. One of my best haul is that I got the monster core of an Alpha Wolf. It will sell in the thousands, If I place it in the store. Consuming this monster core won''t bring much of a strength to me as it''s an earth element monster. If I can exchange it for money or other useful things then it will be good. I''ll give it to Uncle later, he will definitely exchange it for some good stuff. Then I exit my room to go to the backyard for cultivation. A few minutes later, I stepped inside the backyard training room. After shutting the door, I sat cross legged. One of the good things that I found from the thieves'' storage is a few attribute-less essence pills. I placed the attribute less essence pills in my palm. It looked milky white in color. By looking at the stuff, it really smelled rich to me. This must belong to some rich person. "Poor soul!" I uttered before swallowing the pill. The pure milky white pill my organs. Next moment, I can feel a burst of warm energy coursing through my body and finally get settled in my dantian. Once it reaches the dantian, I can easily see the pure essence easily blends into my purple lightning essence. Visibly, the white essence changes into purple color as it gets blended with dense purple essence. My eyes gleamed with surprise when I saw there was a little more quantity in dantian than earlier. This pill is really useful, but I don''t know about its impurities. Next time, I''ll learn some basic knowledge about the pills. At Least that way, I can feel safe by consuming any pill. After consuming it, I continued the process. There were two more pills in my hand. I plan to consume it completely before ending my practice. Chapter 292 Mountain Liz Again! (From MC Perspective) The following day, I woke up a bit earlier to travel. After getting ready, I went downstairs and wrote a reminder about my trip to Mountain Liz. After placing it one the table, I walked out. I had already told Uncle about my plan yesterday night. So I''m not worried about my sudden departure. Time Progresses, I boarded the train to Mt. Liz on time. After sitting in the window seat, I again checked the weather forecast. Deep down, I actually want it to rain heavily. Heavy rain with thunderstorms is the perfect place to practice the lightning element. "Hi, Are you the same Zack Lockwood who ranked Top in Star Tower Competition." A girl with brown curly hair asked me suddenly. She sat opposite to me and looked at me with expectation. Her sudden question caught me off guard. "Sure, You can''t hide it for so long." I muttered to myself while shaking my head. "What?" The Curly hair girl asked back again. She leaned little forward to heart Zack''s word clearly. "Oh.oh.wait Miss, I''m not the person you are looking for" I immediately leaned backward by seeing her behavior. "Don''t tell me she is my little fan" I cried in my heart. "Hmmm, No way! You both look Same." The Curly haired girl refuted straight away. I sighed and shut my eyes off. She won''t disturb me, If I sleep. So I begin to act till the train reaches the destination. The other hand, the brown curly haired girl with a frowny face searches the server. She didn''t doubt her judgement, the person is sitting opposite is exactly the same person. But inorder to verify, She checks it again through her sci-fi watch. Soon, the page of Star Tower opened up. She taps on the page of Leaderboard Ranking. Where the image of the rankers were posted along with their rank, name and address. She immediately scrolls down the page to see the top rankings. In the No.1 Rank, Image of Zack is very clearly visible and name was also mentioned in Block Letters. Seeing that her smile curved a little, she raised her head to size up the opposite person. But seeing him decisively closed his eyes, she smiled even more. After making sure, She laid back in her seat and uttered, "Liar!" Her eyes set on Zack''s face for any changes. But sadly, she saw no more change in expression. Then she captured the sleeping image of Zack and saved it in her sci-fi match. After doing it, she couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed. Zack is her idol, She closely watched the progression of his ranking in the Star Tower. By knowing that a unknown person from unknown institute leads the leaderboard ranking by overtaking the warrior of all other famous faction. She became fan instantly. Shaking her head, She sets her mind on the outside scenery. Time progresses, Several hours later, the train reaches the Mountain Liz''s Station. At that moment, I decided to open my eyes. When I opened my eyes, "You are finally awake." The Curly haired curly said. I''m surprised to see her but I didn''t answer her questions. I came here to practise alone and secret. I don''t want to be known by anyone at this point of time. I twitched seeing that it''s almost impossible to get away if she follows me. As the train slowly came to halt, I hurriedly left without waiting for her reply. Once I stepped out, I walked towards the exit. I''m already familiar with the route. So it won''t take much time to reach my usual camping site. The Curly haired girl is stupefied by his actions. She wants to follow Zack, but she retracts her mind. She almost forgot her own plan. After taking one glance at him, She decided to do her work. "Wow, this place is the same as always." I muttered while looking at the huge mountain ahead. I walked slowly towards the bottom of the mountain. It''s impossible to reach the top, last time I remember. I avoided camping near some of the peaks. I smiled and continued walking. From time to time, I look back to see whether the girl is following me back or not. After confirming there was no one, I confidently went ahead. The other hand, the Curly haired girl walked out slowly after picking up her huge backpack. Her backpack looked oversized compared to her lean body. Looking at the under crowded station, she couldn''t help but feel surprised. She heard from her friends that this place was the best location for camping. For this purpose alone, She took a long journey to come to this place. "Mountain Liz!" She muttered as the gigantic mountain came to her view. Some of her friends had already visited this place. So they made a comprehensive map based on their visit. She did not hurriedly walk towards the maintenance. Instead she chooses the place to sit down and understand the map. She wants to know the best location for the camping. She accessed the map through the sci-fi watch. This huge mountain has several peaks on it. Her friends noted only a few places on the map. From a few of these noted places, she picks up the closest one to reach. Since it''s her first time to camp here, she doesn''t want to get into a dangerous situation. A few minutes later, she finally chooses three spots. Which is near to the bottom of the mountain. In case there is any trouble, she can choose to leave right away. After figuring it out, She stood up from her seat and walked towards the location. Coincidentally, her direction is the same as Zack. But at this time Zack had already gone a little deeper. So it''s impossible for both of them to meet right now unless she camps at the same exact site as him. "Wizz!" A Pseudo Monster leaped all of a sudden, the next moment I hacked it with my Black Sword and there was no suspense in it. Chapter 293 Camping At The Same Site (From MC Perspective) This Mosquito Pseudo Monster reminds me of my first trip to this Mountain. Back then I was powerless to fend off to even Pseudo Monsters, forget about Class Monsters. I smiled by recalling the old memories. Then I continue to head towards the bottom of the mountain. In a few more minutes, I will reach the location. From there, I will climb up ahead to reach my Campsite. From time to time, I look at the sky to check further. It would be better if it rains, after I have done camping. After checking the sky, I continue to walk. The other hand, The curly haired girl named Claire Walton walked in the same direction as Zack. She doesn''t have any clue about it. She basically follows the map noted by her friends. Time Progresses, Two hours later, I successfully reached the spot, after climbing up for an hour. Then the only thing left for me to do was camp at this site. Before camping, I take some time to check out the surroundings. The old memories were clearly vivid in my head. Last time, the sensors alarmed me about the sudden intrusion of the monsters. This time it''s going to be the same. I''m going to set up sensors around the camping site. Even if there is an intrusion of Class 1 Monsters it will raise an alarm to intimate me. It took me 20 minutes to set the sensors, then I proceeded towards camping. While Zack was camping, Claire began to have already climbed up several feets. In an hour she will reach Zack''s camping site. Another 15 minutes later, I have finished setting up the tent. Suddenly, a thunderous sound reverberates in the sky. I know it''s a sign of rain. Thank Goodness, Just as I have predicted rain starts to pour after I have done camping. Next moment, I try to sense the lightning element around me. As expected there is much more concentration of lightning energy around me than at home. This place is far better than my home for cultivation. By sensing such an atmosphere, I didn''t even waste any time. I immediately got into my tent and sat crossless ged to cultivate. Before beginning, I activated my perception to investigate the surrounding area. As there is no disturbance in the surroundings, I let go of my vigilance and get immersed in cultivation. Time Progresses, As Zack was immersed in his cultivation, An hour later Claire Walton reached the site successfully. After climbing up, She looked ahead to check whether the spot was reached or not. But upon seeing the green tent, her expression is filled with surprise. She hadn''t expected someone to camp here before her. She immediately misunderstood that these people had come earlier than us. It solves the doubt of her which is exactly the place recommended by her friend. After confirming it, she walked slowly towards the campus. She wants to ask whether the person is okay with her camping here or not. But before she went in, the sensors began to alarm. It was immediately sensed by Zack. Just as I was immersed in cultivation. I heard the alarming sound. Which caught me off guard. Next moment, I stood up from the ground and held my black sword tightly. As I walked out to kill the monster, I''m stunned to see the person in front of me. This is the same girl who sat opposite me on the train. What is she doing here? I''m completely dumbstruck by seeing it here. "Don''t tell me she followed me back here?" I mumbled under my breath. The other hand, Claire Walton was stunned seeing Zack infront of her. She had obviously expected some other person, but not Zack. She begin to stutter as she wants to explain herself. Already this person has scolded her enough, she doesn''t want to hear harsh words again. By looking at her dazed expression, I sighed and placed my sword back to my storage ring. I asked, "What do you want?" She collected her thoughts and answered, " ahem, I came here to camp but I didn''t expect to see you here." I touched my forehead when hearing her answer. Well, this place is not private property. Anyone came here to camp. But my situation is different, I obviously want to practise my sword moves here. "Coughed" "Well, You can camp here but don''t disturb the sensors." I said. Though my mind told me to drive away her, I didn''t do it. As long as I can cultivate peacefully here, then it''s fine. Shaking my head, I went back to my tent to cultivate. I didn''t even mind her. Seeing there was no reaction from Zack, she was obviously surprised. Right now, She completely believes the person is exactly the Zack Lockwood, No.1 Ranker in Leaderboard. She became excited to camp here beside his tent. Thinking about it, she immediately moved to work. A few minutes later, A brand new tent appears beside Zack''s tent. At this moment, Zack is still immersed in his cultivation he doesn''t aware of her activities. After thundering for a long time, the rain begins to pour down heavily. I retracted my thoughts from the cultivation and noticed the heavy rain. "It''s actually fun to cultivate here" I muttered to myself and stood up from the ground. I wonder, What she is upto? While pondering, I walked out from the tent. The heavy rain began to wash over me. But still I gazed at the sky to observe those lightning. The other hand, Claire hid in her tent in order to avoid getting wet. Though she stays in her tent, She wonders about Zack. From the beginning she didn''t see him coming outside of his tent. Just as she is complaining, she feels sudden movement outside. By hearing that she tries to see what''s happening outside. But when she saw Zack getting drenched in rain she wide opened her mouth. "What is happening with him?" She thought to herself. If not for the heavy rain, she would have asked him. Chapter 294 Crimson Halls Sudden Change Of Fortune Crimson Hall- Meeting Room, Grand Elder Chris once again came out of his seclusion for another important meeting. Unlike last time, this time Grand Elder Chris only asked for First Elder Casey''s presence. He doesn''t want other Elders to know about this meeting. "Creak" the door slid opens First Elder Casey stepped inside the meeting room. Upon seeing Grand Elder was waiting for him, he hurriedly went forward and greeted him. "Grand Elder!" To that Grand Elder Chris just gestures to him to take a seat without minding his etiquette. Next moment, First Elder Casey takes first seat beside the main seat. Ever since the last meeting, he has tried to come up with various solutions for the exhibition event. There were two things for it, he wanted their event to be a great one. At the same time he wants Grand Elder to recognise him again. From the last meeting, he knows that he had disappointed the Grand Elder greatly due to his poor handling of the Star Tower situations. But unfortunately, things were not going well for him. The Star Tower is trying to make a big move. People had already guessed the reason behind this. Ever since he heard about it he couldn''t sleep well at night. He just hopes that Star Tower won''t come across anything concrete. The other hand, Grand Elder Chris notices the worry-filled face of the first Elder. He gazed at him from his old eyes, yet he can easily see through his thoughts. Shaking his head slightly, Grand Elder asked, "What now?" He is not used to this new Casey. "What happened to the boy who is always calm and composed?" Grand Elder said in his heart. "This?" First Elder Casey hesitated a bit to answer. Then he calmed down his heart then commented, "The Star Tower is planning to do something." He doesn''t need to explain it further, Grand Elder Chris already understood the crux of the matter. He looked at the First Elder with a frowning face and said, " The Star Tower won''t act on us unless there is solid evidence." First Elder nodded to that, he is patiently listening to Grand Elder to know what he has to stay. The Grand Elder Chris added further, "Right now, We need to focus on our event. Even if they have something they won''t come at this point of time, they will wait until the recruitment is over. So you can relax" Finally, the First Elder sighed in relief. All he needed was some time to freely think about the plan. Right now his mind is occupied with different issues, he can''t focus on one. "Thank you, Grand Elder, for your words!" The First Elder said. Grand Elder nodded and said, " Right now, I asked you to come here because of one thing. I don''t know whether it''s your luck or what, someone has proposed the same thing as you said to me in the last meeting." ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? First Elder complexion turns solemn. He had never expected such a turn over. If what Grand Elder is talking about is Monster Zone, then it is a seriously good thing for him. After a long time he had heard something positive. He smiled and asked, "What is it? Grand Elder'''' "This time warriors are going to fight in the Monster Zone. It really is surprising that this notion is proposed by someone from the Academy side, not from any of the factions." Grand Elder said with a smile. "How is it possible?" The First Elder exclaimed in surprise. He thought those Academic people were arrogant; they had never put a fraction in their eyes. But what changed now? With a bewildered expression he looked at the Grand Elder. Grand Elder chuckled, "Do you really think competition exists only among Factions and Clans?" Then he added, "There is also severe competition among the academies. This time I heard it was very serious. So now everyone wants to recruit good seedlings at the cost of a high death rate." First Elder eyes gleamed with surprise. He hurriedly asked back, "Grand Elder, What about Monster Zones? Is it decided or what?" Grand Elder smiled and said, "Well, The decision is up to us. They had talked about their need. We only need to fulfill them. That''s why I called you here. Not only us particularly, It was same for other regions. So you need to hurry up and contact the official to register the Good Monster Zone for event. Otherwise it will be robbed by other regions." First Elder smiled and answered, "Grand Elder, Don''t worry, I had already contacted some. But I just need confirmation from you. After the meeting, I''ll arrange a good monster zone to filter good seedlings" His eyes gleamed with delight, but he didn''t care if everyone died in the monster zone. Since People from the Academy have spoken about it, he doesn''t need to worry about anything. He was all smiles now but before coming here his mood was a little bit low. Now it changes drastically, "Those who were against the Crimson Hall, should be ready to grief the death of their descendants. Because none of them will return alive." He made a good calculation in his heart. Then they talked about a few other things before the meeting came to an end. After instructing the First Elder the Grand Elder again went back to the seclusion. On contrary, the First Elder didn''t leave the meeting room. Since he had received head up from the Grand Elder. He needs to make a few calls to register for their event. Before doing that he accessed the map of their region to spot various monster zones. Usually, Class 2 Monster Zones were threshold. But he was interested in Class 3 one. If any of them see the First Elder''s thoughts, they would be scared sh!t. Because none of them could return alive from the clutches of Class 3 Monster Zones. A hologram map view hovers above his scifi watch. Earlier, he had already marked potential places. But this time, he directly views the dangerous Monster Zones in their region. There are only a few they can count on fingers. Chapter 295 Food Torture? (From MC perspective) Though I''m experiencing the fruit of the lightning element, I didn''t let go of my vigilance. When Claire Walton walks out, I noticed her presence immediately. Then I let go of this nearby lightning essence. I twitched, why do I feel like she came to spoil my mood. I can''t practise the sword move in front of her. Let''s see if I can camp at different peaks after the rain stops. It''s bit of a hassle but I didn''t let my anger on the girl beside me. Shaking my head, I walk backwards to my tent. "Wait?" Claire said. "Hmmm, what is it ?" I asked back with a frown on my face. Claire doesn''t mind his indifferent attitude. She asked, " I know you are Zack Lockwood. I have confirmed it already. But I''m little curious though, What are you doing here?" ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "This girl.." I touched my forehead with a headache. I turned towards her and commented, "Why are you asking? Does it have something to do with you?" Then looking at her, I again added, "I came here to spend some time alone. I hope you won''t interfere in my privacy." After saying it one last time, I went into my tent to sleep. The heavy rain doesn''t look like it''s going to stop anytime soon. I planned to spend the entire day practicing. But everything changes now, shaking my head. I shut my eyes. Seeing the disappearing back of Zack, Claire pouted back in anger. But one good thing though he didn''t decline his identity this time. After realizing that, she smiled and went back to her tent. Since he insisted on spending time alone, Claire didn''t plan to interfere any further. She understands that Zack is not a talkative character. Especially with girls, He remain indifferent even after she introduced herself as a fan. Next moment, she put behind these thoughts and plans to cook some food. One of the best parts of camping is cooking delicious food and having it all by yourself. Her spirit is rejuvenated by thinking about delicious food. Next moment, she placed the electric stove at the centre. And placed a cooking pot on top of it. After lighting the fire, she began to cook food as per food recipe. Time progresses, A few minutes later, she successfully cooked a vegetable soup with scrambled eggs. The aroma of scent went past the tent and reached Zack''s tent eventually. What a smell? Why is it so good? It''s like a dream. But I''m only half asleep. Soon I realised it''s not a dream but reality. I woke up in surprise, then my attention shifted towards the girl''s tent. The aroma is coming from her tent. What is she cooking? I twitched. I told her not to disturb me, but this is different kind of torture and it''s still worse. Warriors until they broke through the elite rank. Their appetite is the same as normal humans. There are ways to stop hunger such as pills. But naturally warrios won''t consume such pills unless there is a specific need. On the other hand, I bought only cooked canned food. I looked outside, and the rain continued to pour heavily. If not for the rain, I would have escaped to outside from the torture. I touched my stomach in hunger. Then the next second, I took out the canned food to eat. Claire Walton looked at the delicious soup, and next moment she poured it into a soup bowl. And placed the scrambled eggs on a plate. Feeling the heavy thunderstorm and cold. She wants to eat the food while looking outside. She wants to observe the rain and at the same time experience the atmosphere. Next moment, she opened the tent and unintentionally her gaze set on Zack''s tent. Realizing that she snorts, "If he had behaved better I wouldn''t mind giving him some soups. What a cold guy?" She thought to herself. The aroma reaches nostrils, smelling that she has put behind unpleasant thoughts and begins to eat the food. Zack''s Tent, I couldn''t help but smell the aroma. I want to see what she is cooking? Next moment, I activated my perceptual ability. And the entire situation mapped in mind. I watched the whole process even until she began to consume the soup. But her expression didn''t escape my perception. Next second, My expression turned a bit amusing and then I deactivated my perception. "What a girl?" I muttered to myself. Should I have talked to her? Shaking my head, I renounce my Idea. Who knows where she comes from? And what''s her name? I had already suffered a backhand created by Crimson Hall. After that Incident, I made up my mind not to interact with strangers unless there is something important. And this girl reported herself as a fan. Which makes me even more unsure to not engage with her. If both were strangers then it''s fine, but she knows me and I don''t know her. I don''t like the situation where the other part is in the light while I''m in the dark. I didn''t notice before, but now her cultivation level is at Mid level Trainee Apprentice. This girl is really not afraid of attracting trouble. Shaking my head, I shut my eyes again. Clair Walton on the other hand slowly completes the soup and scrambled eggs. Just after she finished her eating, she shot a glance at Zack''s tent and then turned her attention towards her own tent. But before she could enter, Zack''s sensor picked up the signal of an unwanted guest. The silhouette was so fast that it reached the area of the tent in seconds and its target was obviously Claire. Her food not only woke Zack but some nearby monsters. The silhouette looks black in color. It''s even harder to identify the silhouette at night. It leaped forwards towards Claire in intention of attacking her. Claire was obviously alarmed from the sounds of sensors. She knows what it means but before she could figure it out the next course of action. She saw a black silhouette jump at her. She couldn''t tell what it was due to pitch black atmosphere. The distance was so close that it''s impossible for her to evade the attack completely. Chapter 296 Capturing Night Cat? (From MC Perspective) "Clang" At the last moment, I used my black sword to block the attack. The black silhouette staggered backwards due to the collision. Seeing the sudden appearance of Zack Lockwood infront of her Claire Walton was shocked. Then her gaze net shifted to the black silhouette. The night atmosphere also makes it hard for her to identify. "Night Cat- Class 1 Monster" Though it''s dark, I can easily see through its appearance using my perception. But this type of Monster''s growth stops at Class 1. Their bloodline is so thin, they won''t level up. After knowing the monster, my killing intention fades away. Using these type of cat monsters were kept as pet by high level warriors. Instead of killing it, I can earn more money by selling it. My lips rose a little while thinking about it. Since it''s a really good plan, I didn''t hesitate anymore. I disappeared from my spot and went to capture it. Claire Walton is really clueless of what is happening around her. Seeing that Zack went to chase it away. She smiled and let go of her worries. Class 1 Monsters won''t pose a threat to Star Tower Ranker. A few seconds gone by, I knocked down the night cat and fed it with some sleeping pills. Next moment, I wonder how to take the monster from here. I glanced at my storage ring, this storage ring is given by the master. I don''t know whether any living things can be placed in it. In curiosity, I actually tried to place the night cat in a storage ring. But it ended in failure, "Sure, It''s not easy to place living things inside the storage ring. I wonder, ``Where can I buy such a ring?" I muttered to myself. This also means even the storage ring provided by the master is not enough. Shaking my head, I proceed to do the next things. I can only keep the monster on my side. The night cat is really small, it can easily be placed on my lap. I held the Black sword in one hand and with the other. I carried the Little Night cat back to my tent. At this time, a still thunderous sound resonated throughout the dark clouds. I''m completely drenched in rain, it''s better to go back fast and change clothes. I used my league technique to move towards the tent. In a few breaths, I reached my tent. But the girl was sitting in a tent and saw my arrival. Seeing the night cat in my hand, she walked out the tent in curiosity. "Wow, what a cutie! " Claire Walton cried out in surprise. "Where did you find such a beautiful night cat? And what about the monster that attacked me." She asked back again, While looking at the cute little cat. I twitched, "what cutie? If she knows this is a Class 1 Monster. I wonder how she will react" "Cough" "Okay, Go back to your tent and don''t cause any trouble." After saying that I went to my tent with my cat. Claire Walton is stunned and she looks speechless for a moment. This guy is really cold, she almost scolds herself for her behavior right now. She should have minded her own business. She pouted and went back to her tent again. She had already formed an idea of getting the night cat from Zack''s tent. But his cold behavior makes her hard to ask. Time progresses, Later there was no monster attack throughout the night. Even the heavy rain stopped after a couple of hours. Both Zack and Claire fell asleep in their own tent. Next Morning, I woke up a bit earlier, I plan to move the camping tent in a few hours. Instead of rushing out to see outside. I used my perception to check the surroundings again, including Claire''s tent. I know it''s kind of rude to check her tent. But I''m going to cultivate it right now. So it''s necessary to make safety precautions. I wasted an entire day yesterday. Today I got only a few hours to practise. Later, I will leave this place in the afternoon. Elder Thornton might have returned from his trip. Though Mr. Arthur didn''t agree to my request, I hope he must have discussed it with Elder Thornton. I''m looking forward to his answer once I get back. Shaking my head, I retracted my mind from there thoughts and focussed on cultivation. I sat cross legged and slowly try to sense the rich lightning energy around the surroundings. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Time progresses, One by one lightning energy fell on my body and they were finally observed by me and settled back in dantian. Even Though the final product is not high in quantity. But its little quality enough, certainly this place is good for lightning cultivation. I often spend more time in cultivation at home to store little essence back in dantian. Time went by, 2 hours later, Claire also woke up, when she opened her eyes it was already a bright morning. She enjoyed her camping experience last night. She wasn''t disappointed by the sudden downpour of rain. But rather she enjoyed it. Except for her cold neighbour everythings is fine. She walked out the tent and enjoyed the morning sunlight and fresh air. After standing still and bathing in sunlight for a few minutes, she returned back. Seeing that Zack''s tent is still closed. She thought, "Zack told me that he will find a new camping site today. Is he really going to shift?" "What a hassle!" She uttered. "Hmmm" I noticed the neighbour girl is awake and it''s time to stop cultivation. I was so immersed in Cultivation that I even forgot the surroundings. ? It''s good that her eyesight is poor. She can''t even recognise the night cat, then how she can notice subtle world energy around here. Talking about the night cat, I hurriedly checked the condition of the cat. I had fed it with a warrior pill, I don''t know whether it''s effective on monsters or not. But as far as I know one sleeping pill is enough to knock down a warrior for 6 hours. But the night cat is still sleeping. Chapter 297 Selling Night Cat? (From MC Perspective) Mt. Liz, Seeing the little night cat sleeping, I didn''t disturb it. But I don''t know what to do, if it wakes up. Not every time I can knock it unconcious. I held my chin in contemplation. Suddenly, an idea popped up in my bed. If the neighbour girl has any solution for it, then it will be good. Otherwise, I can only leave it back here. Sighing, he got up and walked out of the tent. The girl is still standing outside, I thought she got back to her tent earlier. Shaking my head, I walked towards her. Upon noticing my presence the girl was surprised and asked, "Hey, did you take any wrong medicine?" I twitched, if not for the expensive night cat I wouldn''t need her help. "Ahem, Well! You can see I caught a night cat yesterday. But I don''t have any suitable artifact to put on its neck. So I wonder whether you got any rope-like artifact." I said with an expressionless face. The girl looked at me in amazement. Wait a second! What is her name? When I thought about it, I still don''t recall the girl''s name. Did she introduce herself yesterday? Claire Walton stupefied for a moment, she didn''t know what to say. She wondered how he got a sudden change of heart. But the next second, she thought about his words. She also noticed that cute little night cat yesterday. "Huh, I thought about touching a cute little cat. But he didn''t allow me yesterday." She thought to herself. Next second, I asked, "Ahem, Well! What is your name again?" "What?" She stupefied again, this guy really didn''t listen her words yesterday. She touched her forehead and answered, "I''m Claire Walton, Trainee Apprentice Earth Elemental Warrior." "Okay, Ms. Claire." I said. By looking at Zack''s reaction she nodded and added, "Well, I do have one pet back home. I don''t have any artifacts in my hand right now. But I still have some of its pills in my storage ring." After saying that she begins to check her stock. It was rare for someone to ask her help, but this time it''s Star Tower Ranker. If words get out, she doesn''t know how many people will be jealous about it. I sighed in relief at her words. Well, it''s too much to ask about artifacts. But I''m glad that she has pet pills in her hands rights now. Which is enough for the cat, until the train reaches the Red Stone City. Then I looked at her. I wondered what she would ask me in return. I do have some monster cores and essence pills in my storage ring. I think it''s worth it compared to the pet pills. Soon, as expected, she takes a few pill bottles from her storage ring. By looking at Zack she handed it right away. "Ms. Claire, I heard that pet pills were usually expensive." While asking, I grabbed pill bottles from her hand. These pills were colorful. One bottle has blue colored pills in it while the other has brown pills. Seeing Zack''s reaction, Ms. Claire answered, " Yeah, Pet Pills were really expensive. Because not many monsters can be kept as pets. Unlike humans, each monster has a different Physique. So some of the pet pills were exclusively made." Her words made me realise about pets. "So, the night cat is going to be very expensive" I laughed in my heart. It''s been months since I made such a good deal. Usually I trade monster cores to make money, but this pet business is really promising. In future, If I come across a chance like this. I mustn''t lose. Claire observed Zack''s behavior. From the beginning to end, He seems like he has concerns about the night cat. She asked by looking at him, "What are you going to exchange with my pet pills?" Her words brought me back to reality. Sure, there are no free meals in this world. "Ahem, I have some blood essence Pills. I wonder if it''s enough to cover its cost." I replied. Blood essence pills were really expensive. It''s more expensive than healing pills. I don''t think it''s costlier than the pet pills. But the next moment, My expression changes by seeing her smirk. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? When Zack said that, Claire Walton had already made up her mind to somehow buy a night cat from his hand. Unlike Zack she really knows a lot about pets. This night cat has a separate market. Various calculations ran through her mind and finally she commented, "No, I don''t want pills. I want to buy this night cat." "This?" I''m stunned, well I should have expected this from her. Since yesterday she had an eye on the night cat. I sighed and asked, "I have an idea about selling it, but it''s too early. '''' After saying that I really waited for to change her mind. By hearing Zack''s words, Claire didn''t want to let it go. Since he had the idea about selling it, she needs to close the deal right away. She asked, "Make a price. I''ll pay for it." "Hmmm" Her words really surprised me. Maybe she is second generation rich. If it''s true then, it makes me regret thinking about my earlier reaction towards her. But the point here is I don''t know the worth of a night cat. Then I thought about the sites. Let''s see whether there is any post about it. I opened the alliance network in sci-fi watch. It''s really hard to get access in Mountain Liz. But let''s see whether the server is working or not. Zack''s actions were easily seen through by Claire. Like Zack, as suspected Claire is really wealthy as old rich but not as a new rich. She knows Night cat worth is estimated at 60,000 credit points in her city, which is Tier-7 City. In this part of Tier-8 cities she hasn''t seen someone with pets so far. So it''s understandable that their knowledge is a bit poor regarding pets. If Zack wants money she can pay it right away. Chapter 298 Grade 4 - Vine? (From MC Perspective) Soon, I found the normal worth of the monster pets from the sites. It''s around somewhere between 10,000 - 20,000 credit points. By reading such an amount, I sucked cold breath. It''s really such a lucrative business. But still there is no news about the night cat''s description. The night cat is more expensive than common pet monsters. I bet it must be around somewhat 35,000 credit points. Since Ms. Claire knows about the real worth. It''s better not to open my mouth. I need to hear the real value of the night cat from her. I glanced at her smiling face, which gave me an uneasy feeling. This girl is not simple. She still didn''t disclose her background. Which is also suspicious. Shaking my head, I put behind suspicious thoughts. Right now what I most need is resources. The resources I got from treasure list is good. But they are not higher qualities, most pills were in low quality comparing to Star Tower rewards. Which is also source of my dissatisfaction. I still didn''t even consume some of the rewards. I sighed, let''s see if she has some good pills in her hands to exchange. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then I raised my head and commented, "Ms. Claire, instead of credit points. I want you to pay me with some good pills." After saying that I looked at her expression. If she is really a second generation rich, then she must have some good pills in her hands. My eyes gleamed with expectation. Ms. Claire Walton wasn''t surprised by Zack''s request. She predicted this would happen a few minutes ago. You need some advance level access to search about night cat and others. Only the citizens in advance level city has such privilege. But she didn''t reveal to Zack about it. She would have told him, if he had behaved better towards her. Shaking her head, She seeped consciousness into her storage ring. In her storage ring, Like Zack predicted there were precious pills. Which her family gave her for cultivation. 1. Blood essence pill, 2.Healing pills, 3.Earth energy pill, and some precious herbs. She knows the night cat''s worth around 60,000 credit points. She contemplates for a while. Whether to give him all of her pills or not. Obviously, she can''t exchange every pill. Otherwise her family would reprimand her. Her expression frowns a little by thinking about it. She then turned towards Zack and asked, "By the way, what is your element?" Her question brought me back to reality. "Elemental Pills?" I muttered. She has elemental Pills in her hand, which is very rare. Elemental Pills were created using multiple rare precious herbs. No doubt she is really second generation rich. It''s hard to find even ingredients of such pills these days. For a moment, my expectations rose. I know it''s stupid to dream about lightning element. But I''m thinking about the other two elements in my body. Healing element and Blood element. It''s impossible to ask her about the lightning element pill. But I can inquire about the healing element. Perceiving her gaze, I coughed and replied, "I''m a Fire elemental Warrior." By hearing my words, there is no change in her expression. She just nodded to my words. Most of our region is dominated by Fire and Earth Elemental forces except a few clans and families. When comes to water element, I can only think about Maria Frazier. Taking about Maria, I wonder what is she up to now? It''s a pity, she lost two clan members. I hope her family won''t be too harsh on her. While Zack was in his own world. Maria seems to check her storage ring again. It''s not about Pills but some of her herbs have fire attributes. After confirming a few fire attributes mountain her herbs she smiled and commented, "Well, I have few fire attributes herbs. Do you want it?" "Hmmm" I was taken back a little. But suddenly I smiled wryly by thinking about the fire element. "Ahem, Ms. Claire, I know it''s kind of rude. But can you tell me about the pills and herbs in your storage ring." I said with some hesitation. This girl admires me, I hope she won''t get angry. The other hand, Ms. Claire observes Zack in a strange gaze. But again recalling his polite request she nodded and told about the pills and herbs in her hand. At first my reaction was not so great, because I really felt bad. Because pills in her hands were at least of middle grades. Most of them were tailor made for earth elemental ability. This is the first time I met with someone having elemental pills. Then my expression changes little when she begins to talk about herbs. Because few of the herbs were new to me. Finally, Ms. Claire ended the topic with last herb, " Blood Cleansing Vine" My complexion becomes solemn by hearing the last herb. "Blood Cleansing!" I uttered. It''s easy to infer the usage of the herb from its name. Then I hurriedly looked at her and asked, "Can you tell me about the Blood Cleansing Vine?" This time Ms. Claire was actually surprised. Because earlier she found him being uninterested in her pills. Yet now he is asking about this strange plant. If not for her Grandfather''s birthday, she wouldn''t have purchased it in the first place. But anyway since Zack wants to know about it she answered, "Blood Cleansing Vine. You can easily understand its name. It''s a grade 4 plant, which is used to cleanse impurities in the blood." Then she saw Zack''s expectation, she nodded and added further, "This Vine is used by mostly bloodline warriors and old age peoples. But unfortunately, You can''t consume it directly. If someone wants to cleanse their blood, they need to consume a blood cleansing pill for it. This Vine is one of the ingredients for the pill." After saying that she looked at Zack again, but he is showing the same enthusiasm again. Upon seeing that, She unconsciously blurted out, "Do you want this Vine?" By hearing her words, I nodded immediately. What are you talking about ? This precious plant belongs to the Grade 4 category. Who doesn''t want it? Then I revealed a bright smile. Chapter 299 Conversation? (From MC Perspective) I didn''t hesitate any more and replied to her, "I want this Blood Cleansing Vine. But Ms. Claire, I wonder, is it enough for the night cat?" Ms. Claire Walton blinked her beautiful big eyes. She expected this from Zack, when talking about Blood Cleansing Vine, his face showed a surprised expression. So she didn''t doubt it, when it came to the price of the Blood Cleaning Vine. She bought it for her grandfather. She knitted her eyebrows in confusion. Because her Grandfather''s birthday is very near. She doesn''t know in the meantime whether she can buy another gift or not. But seeing the person she admires more she couldn''t help but give in. And also at this time, she thought about maintaining good connections with Zack in the coming days. In that way, she won''t incur any loss. A smile blossomed on her face after sorting out her thoughts. Next second, she takes out a metallic box from her storage ring and hands it over to Zack. With that she added, "It''s a Grade 4 Plant, so it''s price is around 55,000 credit points. It''s the same as a night cat''s price. So don''t worry about it." She said with a smile. "Hmmm," I nodded. Even the night cat''s worth is higher than the Vine, I won''t mind it. After grabbing the metal box, I opened it to verify. Seeing there is no problem with it, I placed it in my storage ring. Then the next moment, I went to the tent to bring back the sleeping night cat. Wow, the deal went well. I couldn''t help but reveal a small smile. I was disappointed due to yesterday''s events. But now the situation has totally changed. A few seconds later, I gave the night cat to her and exchanged our contacts for future communications. I really don''t mind chatting with the second generation rich. I can trade something valuable in the future like now. Since there is no animosity between us, I began to chat with her. At first the conversation went normal about our cultivation, then I asked about her background a few minutes later. "I''m from Walton family, a Medium sized cultivation family in Tier-7 City" Ms. Claire reveals her background without much expression on her face. "Tier-7 City?" I muttered in disbelief. I didn''t even mind about the family, only Tier-7 City is lingering in mind. Wow, I thought she was from some luxurious city like Westword and Barron City. But it''s a Tier-7 City, Damn! And also I recall the Crimson Hall is situated in Tier-7 City, but I don''t know the city name. Seeing that Zack is spacing out, Ms. Claire calls out his name, "Zack?" Both of them are sitting inside Zack''s tent and having this peaceful conversation. By hearing my name, I turned towards and asked, "Do you know about Crimson Hall?" "Crimson Hall!" Ms. Claire held her chin to think about it. Then the next second finds out about such a name. She heard the similar name, which is located in nearby Tier-7 City. She looks at Zack and uttered, "Glaser City" ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then she added, "I heard a similar name in nearby Tier-7 City called Glaser City. But I''m not sure if it''s the same one." I nodded to her words. It''s not surprising that she wasn''t sure about it. Several Tier-8 cities make up one Tier-7 City. I couldn''t even imagine the size of Tier-7 City. Especially, how many training centres and cultivation families are there? Which reminds me about one thing, If she is from Tier-7 City, then what is she doing here? No, wonder she casually gave me Grade-4 Vine. Anyway, it''s win-win for me, I can inquire more information about the Tier-7 City. The other hand, Ms. Claire looks at Zack in a strange gaze again. "Why is he spacing out again?" She pouted a little. She almost wanted to open his head and see what he was thinking about? I turned towards and asked back, "Ms. Claire, You say you are from Tier-7, then what are you doing in this remote location?" Ms. Claire finally understands the reason for his spacing out. She knows Zack is local. The Star Tower revealed everything about him. So it''s not surprising to see Zack like this. People in Tier-8 cities don''t have a clue about Tier-7 City. Unless, their access level is very high. She chuckled and answered, " Actually, I came to Welton City with my dad for some business issue. I heard from my friend about this location, so I took some time out to come here." Again I nodded and didn''t reply, But I have several doubts in my heart. Why would someone from Tier-7 City come to Tier-8 City? I don''t believe it''s for business reasons. But it''s not my place to ask her about it. Shaking my head, I talked about a few other things including powerful warriors, treasures academies and finally about servers. Which is one of the biggest questions in my heart? Even Uncle James refused to talk about it. He simply avoided me by saying I''m still a kid. Her answers opened my door to a new wider world. From her words, I learnt that our servers are controlled. Not much news can be seen on sites. Especially about our world and other regions. So legally, the alliance controls everything. "The server is only for convenience purposes'' '' Ms. Claire uttered. I sighed, which also makes me yearn to go to higher cities. Coming back to other interesting things, I recalled the Monster Zones. "Ms. Claire, Can you tell me about Monster Zones in Tier-7 City?" I asked with some interest. Ms. Claire nodded, She knows that with Zack''s talent he will one day visit Higher Tier Monster Zones. She commented, "It''s not much different from Monster Zones. The rules and regulations were the same. Except the Monster''s level. Here many of the Monster Zones have Class 2 Peak Monsters as a limit and few of the restricted ones have Class 3." Then looking at Zack she added, "In Our City, It''s Class-4 Monsters and some restricted ones have Class-5 Monsters as limit." Chapter 300 Future Classmates? (From MC Perspective) Hearing her say, Class 5 Monsters. My mind went blank for a moment. Class 5 Monsters literally equal to Elite Warriors in strength. It''s too far away from me right now. If Tier-7 City has such a resource then the upcoming Crimson Hall''s Exhibition event will be filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Who knows how many younger generations will participate in that event? I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. "Ms. Claire, Who is strongest in Tier-7 City? Especially when comes to our generation." I asked back without glancing at her. If she can tell me then I will be better prepared. Looks like this trip had really turned fruitful, I smiled while thinking about her knowledge. Ms. Claire clearly sees that Zack has some worries. Which is clearly visible on his face. Then after hearing his question, she was surprised and asked, "huh, What happened Zack? You don''t look good." I shook my head and replied, "First answer my question, then I''ll tell you." Ms. Claire frowns but still she answered, "It''s hard to say, I can''t pinpoint one. There were so many young warriors in our Tier-7 city." Then she added, "But I can tell you about their strength. When it comes to our generation, the strongest warriors have the strength of Trainee Warriors." "Trainee Warriors!" I uttered in disbelief. It''s one step away from being elite. Don''t tell me Warriors with such strength will participate in that event. I''m quite alarmed even thinking about it. I thought I could sweep away the place with my current strength. Right now, I couldn''t help but smile wryly. Seeing Zack''s gasping expression. Ms. Claire Chuckled and said, "Hey, it''s just Initial Trainee Warriors." I nodded in relief at her words. But still even Initial Trainee Warrior level is quite scary. When it comes to me, I still have two obstacles in my way. One small level- Peak Special Trainee and a big level- Trainee Warrior. The other hand, Ms. Claire still doesn''t know why he is asking about it? At first Zack asked about Tier-7 City, she thought it''s due to his curiosity. But now she thinks there is much more than that. "Zack, Can you tell me right now?" She said, "Hmmm" I nodded. I don''t plan on hiding the information. She already gave some useful information. Instead of asking her, I can even inquire Uncle and Elder Thornton about it. But I feel much more at ease when having conversation with warriors of the same age group. So I said to her, "Do you remember? I asked about Crimson Hall a few seconds ago." Ms. Claire nodded in surprise. I smiled and continued, "I''m going to participate in an event conducted by them. Which is going to be held in Tier-7 City?" "O" Ms. Claire wide opened her mouth. This is literally breaking news for her. She thought Zack would cultivate in silence after the Star Tower episode. This one really surprised her. For a second, she didn''t even talk. Then a couple of seconds later, Ms. Claire opened her mouth to say, "It''s really breaking news for me. I will definitely watch the event." After saying that she realizes that she doesn''t know about the event. So turned towards Zack and asked, "So, What kind of event is it? It''s something like Star Tower." She had already seen Zack''s record at Star Tower. So right now she is looking forward to the next event much more. Star Tower uh? if it''s like Star Tower then I would be much more happy. But Crimson Hall is still a small time organisation compared to Star Tower, yet these Villains were acting very mysteriously. A cold glint flashes in my eyes while thinking about it. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then looking at her, I replied, "The event is nothing like Star Tower. And it''s much more important to me." After saying I glanced at her, seeing that she is much more interested to hear. I said, " The Crimson Hall Event is conducted to select talented warriors for Academies in Tier-6 City." "Tier-6 Academy?" Ms. Claire asked with a knowing smile on her face. I''m taken back by her smile suddenly. Then I added, "Yeah, It''s like leaping over dragon gate for me." Her smile tells me that she knows something. "Do you know?" I asked with some hesitation. From earlier small chat to Monster Zones, now the conversation is going towards some deep topics. Ms. Claire instead of replying to Zack''s questions. She asked back instead, "Are you thinking about joining Tier-6 Academies?" I simply nodded to her. Seeing that she nodded and commented, "If you really want to go Tier-6 Academies, I can ask my Grandfather to give you a recommendation letter. I think with your strength it''s easy to get selected. And with a recommendation letter on top of it, I''m sure it will seal your spot." She said with a huge smile on her face. This girl? Sure, she really thinks that I don''t know her little abacus behind her words. I''m not a fool to get binded by their cultivation family. If she knows about my teacher then she will get scared. But I think it''s enough to stop my conversation right now. If I continue, It will lead to leakage of some information. "Thank you for your words, Ms. Claire. But I have my own preparation for it." I declined her proposal directly. Ms. Claire is not stupid to understand his meanings, she simply pouted in reaction to his words. But the next second, she recalled something and answered, "Well, I''m looking forward to the performance anyway. Then I''ll know about it." Then she added, "I''m going to join Saw Scaled Viper Academy." When she said that my heart skips a beat. Damn! Is it really a coincidence to meet her here? For a second, I don''t know what to say. So there is a possibility that we might be future classmates. I smiled realizing it. In Order to not to reveal any flaw, I nodded and commented, "Oh, What a nice name? I don''t even have any clue about Tier-7 City. So forget about Tier-6 City. " Chapter 301 Part 1: 1st Blood Cleansing (From MC Perspective) Ms. Claire rolls her eyes at Zack for his words. Then she said, "Don''t worry Zack. You will eventually go to a higher city one day." I nodded at her. Like that our conversation went on for a few more hours. After that I took some time to separate from her and did cultivation inside the tent. Several hours later, It''s time to leave. After removing the tents and packing up our things, both of us climbed down from the peak one by one. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? The train to Red stone city will arrive in an hour. So we decided to leave early as soon as possible. Because no one can predict the rain here. It would be distasteful, If the climate were to change. Soon, Two hours later. We reached the bottom of the Mountain Liz successfully. From there we decided to head to Train Station without stopping anywhere in midway. From time to time, Ms. Claire inquired about my personal details. Since I saw through her thoughts sometime ago, I choose to evade her questions. Unless, It''s related to cultivation , I didn''t open my mouth. Ms. Claire was not dumb, she quickly realised this but eventhough she still continue to ask. Because in her point of view, who knows when they will meet next time. So she used this time for some conversation. Soon, the duo reaches the train station. Right now, It''s a evening time. The train will reach Red Stone City by morning. After waiting for several minutes, the special train for Red Stone city arrives in time. Seeing the train, I finally sighed in relief. Otherwise, Ms. Claire would continue to bombard me with questions. All Zack''s subtle facial reactions didn''t escape her eyes. But she didn''t ask any further at this time. Then both of us boarded the train and quickly sat in our team. Then in a few minutes, the train departed from Mountain Liz and moved towards Red Stone City. In the meantime, both of us had small talk. It''s impossible to move away from her inside the moving train. I couldn''t even watch the scenery because of night time. So by having no choice I talked to her. Several hours later, Next morning, The train reaches the Red Stone City, Both of us stepped out of the train one by one. Then while walking towards the exit, Ms. Claire suddenly turned towards me. "Zack, Don''t forget to contact me. If you have some time in the future." Ms. Claire said as she walked out the train station. "Sure thing. Just take care of yourself Ms. Claire." I replied. After bidding goodbye we parted our ways. I don''t have any clue how she is going to leave from here. The only mode of transportation here is Train. If you want to go by air transport you need to visit other cities. Shaking my head, I hopped inside the air car. Right now my mind is filled with Blood Cleansing Vine. I couldn''t wait to consume it. The essence chamber is the best place to consume the Blood Cleansing Vine. Fortunately, I have the clearance to use the chamber whenever I want. By looking at it outside, I observed that it''s still early in the morning. There is still some time left for the opening of the Hansen Campus. But for me, I can enter inside whenever I want. There was a time where I spent the entire night in an underground chamber. Fortunately, there is no danger from any kind of Assassin this time. Mr. Jonathan had already uprooted some of the strongholds responsible for it. A few minutes later, The air car lands near the Hansen Camps. Seeing the sign board of the campus, I stepped out of the air car. After paying the amount, I head towards the entrance. The Gate of Hansen Campus is closed. But the Guard who is doing his duty outside notices my presence. Seeing my face he quickly recognised and hurriedly came toward me. After the Star Tower event, my name became a household name here. So, I don''t need to introduce myself. "Good Morning, Mr. Zack, You came a bit earlier this time." The Guard said with a smile. In response, I greeted him and told him about my purpose. Next moment, he opened the door for me. After thanking him, I walked towards the lift to reach the essence chamber floor. In few minutes, I came in front of the essence chamber room. I stepped inside after scanning the ID. "It''s been so long!" I sighed while looking at Six essence chambers in front of me. Suddenly, I Thought about Granny Park and Uncle James. I didn''t tell them about my arrival yet. I plan to do it, after using the Blood Cleansing Vine. "Creak" the door opens. Then without wasting any time, I entered my usual essence chamber using the ID. The door closed itself after I entered inside. Then I moved towards the timer to turn on the machine. After setting the time, I chose the center place and sat crosslessged. In a few seconds the essence chamber is activated. Dense mana is starting to come out of the inlet pipe. Feeling that, I didn''t waste any time. I took the metallic case from the storage ring and placed it in my palm. "Ms. Claire said this Vine is one of the ingredients for Blood Cleansing Pill" I muttered to myself while observing the pill. But for others, it must be true but for me it''s entirely different. I bet it on my blood element. I hope it will neutralise any adverse effects produce by this Vine. Seeing the long elongated red vine, I don''t know how to consume it. Next moment, I held the block sword to chop the vine into small pieces. And I ate it one by one, and in a few breaths I swallowed the entire pieces. At first, there was no reaction. But as I recite the Blood Method in mind. Things started to happen inside my body. Due to Blood Method, Red color energies were drawn out from the swallowed vines easily. As the blood ring rune in mind starts to flicker, I feel blood in my body begin to boil. Chapter 302 Part 2: 1st Blood Cleansing (From MC Perspective) Essence Chamber- Hansen Campus, As the blood in my body begins to boil, I feel great hunger all of sudden from the blood. As it likes to devour everything. This feeling is very real that I almost break in cold sweat behind my back. "Crazy!" I uttered. Next second, I look at my internal organs and try to perceive closely what is really happening? Those rosy red energies consumed by my blood. There is no trace left to see. The blood continues to boil but luckily there is no sign of evaporation. 15 minutes later, Changes beginning to happen slowly, A black color substance begins to ooze out from the skin. Seeing that I observed the boiling blood, it was glistering brightly. On top of it, blood also releases the black liquid slowly. "Cleansing!" An idea popped up in my mind, seeing the black substance. Time passes, My outer body is completely shrouded with black substance. It''s just a small layer of black impurities but still it makes my stomach churning. But the next second, My eyes gleamed with surprise by perceiving the changes in my body. There is no doubt that blood is cleansed with the help of Blood Cleansing Vine. Before, I had consumed so many monster cores with the help of Blood Method. But I hadn''t thought about the consequences of my causal behavior. If I hadn''t come across such a good opportunity to use Blood Cleansing Vince, there is a slight possibility that impurities will hinder my breakthrough. Fortunately, I woke up now. Next, which reminds me of something that there is no Blood Cleansing Vine in the resources given by Mr. Arthur. Looks like in the future I need to stock up on such useful products. What to be noted is that unlike others I can use the Vine directly with the help of Blood Method. Which is very cost effective. After sorting out my thoughts, I smiled. Then I thought about continuing to cultivate here. This time I didn''t have the opportunity to cultivate in Mountain Liz. Which really disappointed me greatly. But upon feeling the world''s energy in an essence chamber, I feel thrilled. Next moment, I took out one blood essence pill from a storage ring and swallowed it. I plan to get a breakthrough in physique first. It has more opportunities than essence cultivation. As the blood essence energy flows through the body, like as usual I recited the blood method in mind. A hazy red color mist flows out of my blood and covers the entire blood essence. Next second, the process of conversion takes place. The hazy blood mist converts them into white milky energy which constantly drills into every inch of bone. "Aaahhhh" I screamed out loud due to heart wrenching pain. This process is something that I''m not used to yet. As the white energy drills into the bone, which in result leaves a bloody ink tattoo all over my bone. Unlike last time, these newly painted blood tattoos in the bones were glistering bright. Which is very consistent with previous red tattoos in my bone. Where the previous red tattoo in bone looked rather dull compared to the new one. The process continues to happen, and in the future I believe my entire exo-skeleton will completely turn into a red color. 10 minutes later, The process comes to an end. A terrible pressure radiates from the Red tattooed bone unknowingly. Feeling that I hurriedly recited the blood method to control. In a few seconds, everything turned to normal. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "I''ll be damned. This one is greater than time." I''m stunned by the overwhelming pressure. "What Changed?" I muttered. Obviously, I didn''t sense any barrier yet. It''s impossible to do it after just consuming a few blood essence pills. Obviously, I need to spend some time in blood cultivation. The World energy in our world consists of several essence energies. Ranging from common five elemental types to rare and special elements. Right now, I have no clue about the suitable location for cultivating using blood elements. After finishing up here, I will go to the library to search for a suitable location. Not only the blood element but also the healing element. Such various thoughts run through my mind. After hearing the strength of the powerful young generation warriors in Tier-7 City, I couldn''t sit still. I need to breakthrough to reach Peak of the Special Trainee, at least in my Body Cultivation. For my body cultivation, I have absolute confidence. Especially after consuming blood consuming vine. I have a vague feeling in my heart that with the help of a few Blood Cleansing Pills. My chances of breakthrough will be increased further. Next Second, I put unnecessary thoughts in my mind. This time, instead of blood cultivation. I focused on celestial lightning scripture in mind. It''s been days since I have cultivated an essence chamber. This time I will make proper use of time. As I recited the Celestial Lightning Scripture in mind, a small pockets of lightning energies attracted to my body. I observed all those surrounding small lightning pockets. Slowly, My dantian fills with lightning energy. Next second, The lightning totem does its wonders. The gathering lightning energies were slowly purified by the majestic totem in the dantian. Time passed and I eventually immersed myself in cultivation slowly. Few hours later, I opened my eyes when I heard the alarm. I had set the timer for a few hours. Now it''s reached the limit, the machine is turned off. Next second, the world''s energies stopped coming from the inlet. Seeing that I stopped cultivating and stood from the ground. Feeling the abundant lightning energy in dantian, I smiled. It''s rare to see fully filled lightning essence in dantian. Usually, I consume some amount during fights and movement technique. But lately, I haven''t come across any adverse situations. Which left me with free time to cultivate and store lightning energy in dantian. Shaking my head, I scanned the ID to exit. "Creak" the door opens. After stepping out of the essence chamber, I head straight towards the bathroom to clean my body. Along the way, I thought about the library. There was a time, I used to spend half a day in the library. Now, I feel nostalgic about it. While walking, I saw a group of people coming towards the essence chamber. Chapter 303 Elder Thornton Is Back (From MC Perspective) Hansen Campus- Red Stone City, Seeing the campus is lively, I smiled and headed towards the bath to clean myself. These black liquids make it impossible for me to breath for a moment. A few minutes later, I came out of the bath after cleaning those black impurities. Fortunately, I used to have some extra pairs of dresses in the storage ring. So there is no problem in changing here. After getting ready in fresh clothes, I feel fresh. Next Second, I made a call to inform Uncle James about my situation. It''s been several hours since I came here. So it''s necessary to inform him. When the call connected, "Zack, Where have you been?" Mr. James'' asked with a somewhat worried voice. "Cough" "Cough" "Ahem, Uncle I''m fine. I came back from Mountain Liz a couple of hours ago. It''s just that I forgot time as I got immersed myself in cultivation." I said with a smile. It''s the genuine reason. It would be a waste of time, if I make an extra trip home. The essence chamber is proved to be the perfect place to consume the Blood Cleansing Vine. The other hand, Mr. James has blacklines on his forehead. Whenever there is a situation, Zack will excuse himself by saying that he was immersed in cultivation. Right now, Mr. James is used to his words. Then he talked about a few other things before ending the call. "Sigh" Thank Goodness, Uncle James didn''t bombarded me with unnecessary questions. Then I head straight towards the library. After stepping inside the lift, I pressed the button for the library floor. It''s none other than an underground chamber. Soon, the lift reaches the underground chamber. If it were others, they would need a lot of permission to get through the restrictions. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? But luckily My ID had higher level access. As the lift door opened, I walked out and proceeded towards the library direction. Unlike other buildings, the library is surrounded by glass walls. It''s very transparent. After scanning the ID again, the library door opens automatically. After stepping inside, I smelled the breath of books. "It''s been a while." I muttered to myself. For a second, I looked around to see whether there were any changes or not. It''s the same as last time, other than the staff, rarely does anyone come here. Shaking my head, I walk towards the monitor to screen the books. What I need right now is information about strange places. The monitor screen lit up, after logging in. I continue to browse down the topics. I accessed the geography section. For a moment, I stopped browsing. "Ms. Claire said that information was usually restricted. It''s hard to trust any information in these books. " I gazed at numerous book shelves while muttering to myself. "Tck!" I couldn''t even plan properly without any reliable information at hand. For a moment, I was at loss. It would be really disappointing if the information were to be fake. "Sigh" After sorting out my thoughts, I didn''t plan to give up yet. Because this is the place where I got my blood method. So I should not feel too pessimistic about it. Next second, I browsed the books about various landscapes in our Outpost. Time progresses, I continue to go through the information. But so far I came across nothing which is really disappointing. Should I ask Elder Thornton? No...No he is already brooding about the fact that he doesn''t know my element yet. If I ask him, then he will eventually find clues about my special element. All of this hiding will come to an end at the exhibition event. It''s already a miracle that I escaped from the assassin. Here after there won''t be any problem anymore. After searching for a few minutes, I decided to quit. There is nothing more than speculation written in many books. I had a vague feeling that Alliance won''t reveal such information to the public. Imagine what would happen if people occupied such places. The result will be disastrous. Shaking my head, I walk out of the library. "What to do next?" I said to myself. Whether to go back home or not. Just as I was pondering, I got a message from Elder Thornton. After going through the message, my eyes lit up with surprise. I never thought he would receive some credible information so soon. Since it''s about Crimson Hall, I decided to meet Elder Thornton back in his cabin. Soon, within a few minutes I came in front of his cabin. Usually we had our conversation inside the meeting hall. It''s rare to have one to one tall with each other. I sighed and pressed the call button installed on his door. "Creak" the door opens I stepped inside and sat opposite Elder Thornton. The door behind me closed itself automatically. Seeing the appearance of Zack Lockwood, Elder Thornton took a moment to observe him properly. He has been busy lately, So he handed over some responsibility to Mr. Arthur. Elder Thornton eyes scanned Zack from top to bottom. He feels something strange about it. But he couldn''t pinpoint what exactly is the reason. After sitting in the seat, I saw Elder Thornton remain in silence. Seeing that I called out his name immediately, "Elder Thornton?" By hearing his name, Elder Thornton retracted his thoughts and looked at Zack and asked, "Ahem, Zack. How is your cultivation going?" "Hmmm, It''s going good Elder." I replied. I didn''t want to add anything. Old fox is quite clever, he can see through some things. Elder Thornton became stiff by hearing a simple reply. He had expected something else from Zack. Like he has reached a certain bottleneck. Sighing, Elder Thornton decided to talk on the main topic. By looking at Zack he said, "I had received some credible information about the Crimson Hall''s event" To that I nodded at him. I''m all ears right now. Any news related to the exhibition event is really valuable. Elder Thornton appreciated Zack''s calm attitude and answered, "This time I heard that they are looking for Monster Zones." "Monster Zones!" I said. How come alliances allow thousands of people to enter inside the Monster Zones? Chapter 304 Discussing With Elder Thornton (From MC Perspective) Inside the Meeting Hall- Hansen Campus, By hearing Elder Thornton''s words. I couldn''t help but doubt him. It''s not easy to conduct such a huge event inside the Monster Zones. It''s easy to see the content of the event, it''s about hunting the monster zones. Elder Thornton frowns by seeing Zack''s expression. "What is he thinking?" He thought to himself. Next moment, I noticed Elder Thornton''s changing expression. I sighed and said, "Elder, Do you really believe such a massive event can be held inside Monster Zones?" There is a valid reason for my doubt. Thousands of participants is enough to raze the monster zones to the ground. For example, BrownCliff may look like land filled with jungle. But its landmass is actually small. Elder Thornton expression becomes normal. He now understands Zack''s worry. At first, he too was skeptical about this but this information was confirmed by so many interested factions. So he chose to believe that even though he had some scruples about it. Because none of the faction would dare to cause harm to their own descendants. Then he looked at Zack to assure him, He said, "I can understand your doubts. But this information was confirmed by numerous factions. And those factions were like us, their descendants also going to participate in the Crimson Hall event." I nodded, this also can''t be ruled out. If so many factions confirmed it then there must be some truth to it. But what is the rule of such a hunting event? There are only a few Peak Class 2 Monsters in the Monster Zones. It''s impossible for everyone to share monsters between them. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. The information seems to be credible and at the same time it seems impossible to hold a big event in that place. Shaking my head, I put behind these thoughts. Right now, only strength matters. Talking about strength, Ms. Claire comes to my mind. "Elder, What is the top strength of warriors that are going to participate in the event? " I immediately changed the topic by asking this one. Though Ms. Claire told me but still it''s bugging my mind. It''s hard to believe such warriors would participate in the Crimson Hall event. Mr. Jonathan told me that this place is barren land. It''s very rare for any talent to be born out of this place. Sighing, I looked at Elder Thornton for an answer. Elder Thornton Obviously not expect such a question from Zack. But again it only tells he is worried about the event. Then again he recalls the discussion with various people. Some of them have ties with Tier-7 City. In one particular conversation, he heard someone boasting about the powerful young generation in Tier-7 City. Among them many of them have a cultivation base of Trainee Warrior. To be honest he didn''t believe that so he didn''t put too much attention on it. Only after Zack''s question, he recalled it right now. But looking at Zack obviously his strength is nowhere near them. He is worried whether his answer will motivate him or not. Then looking at Zack he answered, "I don''t know whether the information is true or not. But I heard some say, "The younger generation in Tier-7 City has the strength of a Trainee Warrior." My expression turned solemn by hearing his words. "So it''s true!" I muttered while shaking my head. It''s really a disaster, And here, I''m hoping to make a splendid performance. Imagine, Star Tower No.1 Rank Warrior to underperform in the Crimson Hall event. It would be very embarrassing to both Star Tower and me. "Zack, Don''t put too much pressure on yourself?" Elder Thornton said with worry. This is the first time he saw Zack''s tense expression. Even during the Star Tower event, Zack didn''t lose his cool. He kept composed through the turbulent situation in the Westword city. He really doesn''t know what to say, cultivation is something that requires time and opportunities. It can''t be forced otherwise it would damage Warrior''s foundation. When comes to Zack he doesn''t have any clue about his abilities. Especially his powerful teacher who made him act as a bodyguard for Zack. So he won''t dare to ask unnecessary questions. At least if he knows about Zack''s element, he can ask some help from some of his old friends. Those guys won''t shy away from helping him. So in this situation he is really helpless. The campus already given him the promised treasures. But considering top combat power from Tier-7 City, it''s not enough. "Zack, As I said earlier, don''t think too much about it. Even if you don''t get into Top Ranks it''s fine for us. You have already made a name for our campus in the Star Tower Competition. Just take this as another Challenge." Elder Thornton said with a smile. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. This Crimson Hall event is much more important to me than Star Tower. I still remember the Teacher''s words. He wants me to win 1st place because there is something important for me in that 1st place reward. Besides, it is also my goal to enroll in a better Academy. The Saw Scaled Viper Academy has 4 types of institutions ranking from A to D. I have only a D rank quota at my hands, but my eyes are set on A Rank institutions. It is the place for crouching tiger and hidden dragon. So for my better future, I need to achieve top rank even at the cost of exposing my lightning element. At this point of time, I''m confident in my double repair strength. If I can upgrade both of my essence and body to the peak of Special Trainee. Then I don''t need to fear Trainee Warriors. After sorting out my thoughts, I asked, "Elder, is there any herb that can enhance my body strength? I''m willing to exchange it with treasures given by our campus. " "Increase your body strength?" Elder Thornton held up his chin while pondering. Obviously he is no stranger to such herbs. Because enhancing body strength is something common among Army Federation Warriors.. By looking at Zack he thought these ideas must have come from his Uncle. Chapter 305 Official Ben (From MC Perspective) Hansen Campus- Red Stone City, Elder Thornton fell into contemplation. Why would Zack want to replace it with body enhancing treasure? He had no clue about it, he had made up his mind to not ask him any questions about it. Then looking at Zack he said, "I will contact you. Once I finished collecting the treasures." "Thank you so much Elder." I said with a smile. I thought there was going to be some negotiation. But surprisingly he agrees with me directly. My worries eased a little bit. Then I can focus on increasing my strength. Time progresses, We talked about a few other things before ending our meeting. After walking out of the meeting room, I headed straight towards my home. ... Crimson Hall, The First Elder is sitting behind his desk leisurely. Because after long research, he succeeded in finding a suitable Monster Zone for their Crimson Hall Event. He has completed only the first step. Next he needs to acquire necessary permission for the event. So he decided to visit some officials in person. Coincidentally, the targeted monster zone and officials office were in the same area. He doesn''t need to make two separate visits to verify his plans. Since, Grand Elder had already given him full control of the event. First Elder wants to tell after sorting out all things. Thinking about the murderous monsters in that monster zone, First Elder grinned wildly. He can imagine the entire monster zone is washed away with blood. The Following day, The First Elder made a long journey to visit the Odyssey Restricted Zone also known as Odyssey Monster Zone. Since it''s a restricted area other than officials, no civilians are allowed to enter. This place is barely known to public. So the First Elder guesses boldly that no Factions will be able to find out about the monster zone. For this journey, he made it secretly. He didn''t even tell the useless Head Master of the Crimson Hall about it. Time Progresses, ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Two days later, First Elder reaches the restricted area via special train. As he walks out of the train station, he plans to visit the official''s office right away. Along the way, various thoughts about the monster zones come to mind. He made up his mind to fix the deal at any cost. Odyssey Restricted Zone, If placed in the sea it will look like a large circular island. One of the particular reason, First Elder chose this monster zone is because it''s an unranked zone. Normally, In Level-4 Monster Zones it''s normal to find Class 4 Monsters. First Elder Casey actually desired Level Monster Zones in his heart. But once he reveals it, he knows he will face unilateral opposition. Even the Grand Elder warned him about it. Yet for him it''s impossible to hide his blood thirsty thoughts. So he chose this zone which is as much as deadly as level- 4 Monster Zones. Odyssey Monster Zone is filled with carnivorous forest. Even some random plant can cause death to the warriors. There are numerous Class 3 Monster Trees in it. Meat eating plants, Poisonous Plants and hallucination plants were just part of the Odyssey Monster Zone. Apart from the plant kingdom, there were dangerous Class 3 Blood devouring rats. As the name suggests, these monsters evolve by consuming monster bloods. Any monster infected by it will lose its strength due to poison. Then next the monster gets ripped apart by the swarm of blood devouring rats. The First Elder knows these few monsters will be enough to wipe out half of the participants. Then there are other deadly monsters waiting for them, If warriors escape from the first few monsters successfully. A couple of minutes later, First Elder Casey walks in front of a four storey white building. From a distance it looks like some kind of medieval castle. The First Elder stepped inside and walked upstairs to reach the 4th floor. Where his appointment is fixed with the important official. In a few breaths, First Elder reaches the 4th floor. He walks towards the last room on the floor. As he reaches the room he sees the male staff is looking at him. "He must be an assistant," First Elder Casey thought to himself. Because there is another steel cabin inside the room. After confirming it, he talked about the meeting with the official. Next second, the male staff informs his superior. Then after getting his permission from him, the male staff allows First Elder to enter. "Creak" the door opens. First Elder stepped inside with a smile. "Hey, Casey. How are you?" Official Ben walks towards him and gives him a warm hug. First Elder smiled and greeted him back, "Official Ben, I''m fine. But looking at you. I feel like you finally got used to the atmosphere here." "Ha...ha...ha..." Official Ben let out a hearty laughter by seeing his close friend. Then both of them sit in their respective seats. Official Ben smiled and asked, "So why do you want to meet me all of a sudden? I know there must be some reason behind it." Official Ben is a Water element Warrior. His cultivation base is at Initial Elite. The Odyssey Monster Zone is located in a tricky area. It''s very close to Tier-7 cities. So most of the officials here were Elites, even though there are no Class 4 Monsters in the Monster Zones. They are safeguarding the Tier-7 cities from monster breaks outs. Official Ben appears to be a middle aged person, but actually he is very old. Due to Elite level essence he can keep his young appearance so far. Both of them were belong to same generation. Yet First Elder failed to reach his level in strength. First Elder expression turned solemn and said, "I think you know about our Crimson Hall Event." Official Ben nodded his head. His home is at Tier-7 City he obviously knows about it. Official Ben replied, "I heard this time academies were going to be very picky. So, What are you guys planning to do?" First Elder answered, "I came here to meet you exactly for this reason." His words immediately stunned Official Ben. For a moment, he lost his cool. Official Ben asked back in stern tone, "What do you mean by this Casey?" The atmosphere turned a little bit chill as Official Ben is unknowingly leaking out his elite aura. Chapter 306 Official Ben Agrees Odyssey Restricted Area, The atmosphere between official Ben and First Elder Casey stilled for a moment. Official Ben looked at his friend with a piercing gaze. He knows all about First Elder Casey. Right now by hearing his words, he feels his friend is going to calculate him. The other hand, the First Elder sneered inside, "Neither of us were good fellows. Why is this guy reacting like that." He too didn''t back away from looking at his eyes. Both of them have good reason to be on guard. Time passes, A few seconds later, The First Elder decides to break the ice. Since he is the one approaching his friend for favor. Right now other than his grand plan for the event nothing comes to mind. So the First Elder decided to put aside his ego at this moment. "Official Ben, First hear my words. Then you are free to make a decision." The First Elder said with an expressionless face without minding the oppressing elite aura on him. Official Ben took a little bit back. "This guy is usually arrogant. What happened now?" He thought to himself. But upon seeing his serious expression, he decided to hear him. So in response he slowly nodded his head. The First Elder revealed a smile in his heart and said, "Academies have great expectations for our region warrior''s. So in order to screen talented warriors across thousands. We decided to conduct the event in this monster zone." Official Ben''s expression becomes serious. He knows the dangers of these monster zones, so he asked, "Casey, Are you even serious?" Then he added, "Are you really planning to send them on a dead road?" The First Elder was surprised by his friend. His friend can literally see through his thoughts. Next second, he couldn''t control himself and laughed out loud, "Ha....Ha....Ha..." "Crazy," Official Ben muttered. Next second, the First Elder controlled himself and answered, " What? Do you think I''m Crazy?" "Harrumph" He snorted back and said, "These academic people in normal days won''t give sh!t about us. Each and every time, they find some fault in us. Especially this time. It''s going to be much worse." After saying that, the First Elder looked at Official Ben for a reply. First Elder''s words brought some sense to Official Ben. It''s not that he is not going to allow them to conduct events. Official Ben worries there might be some calculation against him. But now after realizing that it''s about the Warrior''s recruitment his worries ease down a little bit. When comes to matter of Odyssey Monster Zone, obviously he believes there is going to be numerous causalities. So he decided to add on few clauses to safeguard himself. Before sending to his higher ups for final approval. After gaining some clarity, Official Ben asked, "So when is the event day?" It''s not easy to arrange papers and get approval. There will be numerous scrutiny. So obviously it will take some time to confirm on his side. Then there will be some time to arrange things for the event. The First Elder smiled and said, "We decided to conduct within 4 Months." Outside Crimson Hall, many factions were guessing that it might take 6 months to 1 year. But no one would imagine that it''s going to be held sooner. Even Grand Elder Chris doesn''t know about this. This is all within the calculation of First Elder Casey. He had already made so many blunders in his previous decision. This time he wants no mistake in his plan. Official Ben nodded his head and replied, "It will take a few days to arrange papers. I''ll contact you once it''s done." First Elder finally let go of his worry. It''s not difficult to get permission. But still his friend has the power to delay this matter. Fortunately, he didn''t make things difficult. So he reveals a small smile. His first plan is worked out. Next he has to wait for them. "Thanks for your Cooperation, Official Ben. Then I''ll be leaving now. " First Elder said with satisfaction. Official Ben was surprised and answered, "Why are you leaving now?If possible I can give you a small tour of our Monster Zone." Now everything is settled. There is no hostility between them. First Elder thought about it, he had a good opportunity to see the Monster Zones. Later he can modify some rules based on terrains. Next second he smiled and agreed. Official Ben laughed, then he brought the First Elder along with him to the Monster Zone. Instead of walking, Official Ben flew in the air. He supported the First Elder with his power. His sudden action caught the First Elder off guard. First Elder really pissed off by his actions. Yet even if he feels wronged he can do nothing against Elite Warrior. So he gritted his teeth in anger and tried not to explode his anger. Otherwise this will give him reason to delay things for him. It''s still morning, but the environment around this restricted area looks a little gloomy and dark. Soon, Official Ben flew around the area and reached the entrance within a few minutes. Finally, the First Elder relaxes. He can''t spend time with this guy. It''s really infuriating for him. Right now, they came in front of a huge metallic gate. This gives him time to avoid conversation with official Ben. Both of them land on the ground, Official Ben gone to register the First Elder''s name. It''s a compulsory rule. Even for Elite Warriors, they need to abide by the rules. The First Elder waited for him, in the meantime he looked around the area. There are few little buildings in this restricted area. In order to accommodate more than thousands warriors, it''s not going to be easy. Various thoughts come to his mind. He only needs to worry about the starting few hours of the event, not the end. Because in the end, he knows very few can survive. Then he also needs to allocate land for medical treatment. Otherwise it will not end well among the public. All of them are going to watch the live event. So no one should see through his plan. Even the academies won''t raise questions against him. Because at the end of the day they asked for themselves. Academies asked for better events, so even if there is any trouble they can face it. Chapter 307 Cruel Means Odyssey Restricted Area, Official Ben went back to the control room to register their information. Meanwhile, First Elder Casey is looking around the lands. Seemingly thinking about what to do inorder to accommodate lots of people. Usually if someone does shady work, they do it because of their own profit. But here the First Elder does it for own pure pleasure. At the same time, he wants to cause a heavy blow to their enemy faction. One way of doing it is by eliminating budding talented Warriors of their factions. All of this was a priority before coming here, but after meeting with his old friend Ben. His long lost ambition begins to stir. First Elder Casey gave away the dream of Elite after failing twice in breakthrough. But he doesn''t know why after meeting Ben he doesn''t want to back down just yet. He thinks of the possibility of getting opportunities by conducting this event. Various calculations flow through his mind. Before he could immerse deeply in it, he was called out by Official Ben, "Casey, Let''s go." The First Elder retracts his thoughts and turns towards him. "Do we need to walk?" He said. Official Ben chuckles, He knows Casey is not an Elite Warrior so he can''t fly. But now he doesn''t want to walk. "Why don''t you complain now?" Official Ben said in his heart. "Okay, I''ll give you a quick tour of our Monster Zone." Official Ben grabbed First Elder''s shoulder and flew above the entrance towards the Monster Zone. This time First Elder is prepared so he wasn''t flustered all of a sudden. Next his gaze is focus on distant deadly forests. The premise of the forest is cleaned to monitor the area. Only by traveling deep inside, you can see actual forest. Soon, they both flew towards the east of the area. Which is the core area of Class Tree Monsters. A few minutes later, Both of them from high above clouds observed the movements in the ground. In a small swamp, the dark-scaled crocodile is struggling to get away from the roots of the Tree Monster. The crocodile monster can only see the roots, not the tree body. In frustration, this Class 2 monster tries to flip around to break away from the roots. "Splash" As it made a giant flip over, one or two roots broke. But soon several roots reached its body and tied it up. Next Second without giving much of a sense to crocodile monsters. The roots suddenly covered it''s whole body and the monster body got dragged deeper into the woods. This all happened within a few minutes, it''s not even an hour long struggle. Official Ben smiled looking at this situation and asked the First Elder who is near him, "Do you think anyone can survive from this?" There is a small glint in the First Elder''s eyes. But he didn''t reply straight away. Seeing that he is maintaining silence, official Ben added further, "It''s even hard for the Initial Trainee Warrior to escape from this situation. Unless their body is strong enough to break out from the roots. They can forget about living." First Elder understands that still Official Ben is testing himself. So he answered, "Those Academies are not short of people. They are only coming to this barren land because of rules. Otherwise they would have been neglected long ago." Then he continues to say, "Certainly, they are not expecting to find a gem in the competition. Yet recruiters have the responsibility to save some for their academy. So they were forced to select some capable Warriors from the event. And I believe some 100 or so will survive from this event will be enough for their academies." "100 or so?" Ben suddenly feels a chill in his back. His expression condensed, he asked the First Elder, "How many have registered for this event?" "At Least 10,000." First Elder replied nonchalantly. Official Ben''s heart skips a beat. He looked at the First Elder''s expression and saw there was no reaction whatsoever. Then suddenly he sneered inside, "It''s easy to say but there is something called public sentiment. If the event will be really live then it''s impossible to say people will sit back and watch it relax. Perceiving the gaze of official Ben, the First Elder asked, "What''s wrong?" "Don''t you think the public will criticize?" Official Ben asked. "Ha...ha...ha..." The First Elder laughed all of a sudden. He really feels his friend''s brain works slow. After laughing he calmed himself and replied, " Bloodshed is common in this competition. But compared to previous years, this time the difficulty of survival is going to be a lot harder. If the public dared to say anything, they would suffer more. In the worst case, academies may stop recruiting in our region.`` At this time, Official Ben realizes that his friend has completely sorted out this whole plan. "This Madman, Luckily he is not elite. Otherwise his cruel means will extend at a larger scale." Official Ben said in his heart. But one thing is puzzling though, why does his friend have to go to such a length this time? "Okay, one last question. Why are you doing this? I can see it''s certainly not for revenge or profit. You don''t have to make it this harder" official Ben asked back the last question in his heart. There were lots of monster zones around the region. Why this particular monster zone? Such a question ringing a bell in his mind. He has already sensed some vague answer. Yet he is afraid that it will come true. The First Elder looked at him in surprise. This time his friend''s brain really worked hard to form this answer. So he decided to answer. He said, "You ask me why? It''s just for fun." Official Ben feels his brain has suffered from thunder clap. This time he really doesn''t know how to react to his answer. He certainly regretted his previous actions by stopping him from leaving. He knows if he continues to stick around, even his own sense of judgement will change. Next moment, both of them flew towards the other area. Official Ben decided to give him a short tour. And he wants Casey to leave this place as soon as possible. Along the way, official Ben avoided starting a conversation with him. Chapter 308 Back To Routine Official Ben finishes the short tour in an hour. Earlier, from time to time, the First Elder insisted that he should wait for a while so that he could understand the terrain better. Now the tour was over, official Ben sighed in relief. Official Ben flew towards the nearby station after exiting the monster zone. In a few breaths, he slowly lands near the entrance. After setting foot on the ground, official Ben laughed and said, " Casey, I hope you had a good time by seeing our monster zone. Then don''t worry about the papers. I''ll get it signed as soon as possible." Official Ben said it with a little bit of a laugh, like he is having a fun conversation. First Elder smiled he can easily through his deception. But he doesn''t want to break the ice now. So he answered, "Well, Thank you, Ben, for your guidance. We will meet soon. Until then good bye." The First Elder politely uttered. Official Ben nodded. Then both of us parted their ways. Official Ben went back to his office. While the First Elder walked towards the platform. After parting ways, none of them had the same smile on their face. It''s disappeared completely. Official Ben wipes out his sweat on his forehead while going towards his office. First Elder Casey expression becomes stiff. Because he notices subtle changes in Ben. He is sure that his friend is not comfortable talking with him. Next Second, First Elder retracts his thoughts as he enters the platform area. Soon he finds the waiting area to sit. There is some time left for the train to arrive. So he plans to sit and wait until the train arrives. In meantime, he has some time to think his next course of action. Time progresses, When the train reached the platform, the first elder entered the coach and sat in his seat. The other hand, Official Ben takes some time to fix appointments with his higher ups to discuss the First Elder''s request. ... ( From MC Perspective ) It''s been two days since I came back from Mountain Liz. I think it''s time to go back to the campus. These two days have been really good for me to calm down my pressure. After having breakfast with my family, I left home early to board the train. Two and half hours later, I reached the campus. Unlike the last time, people''s interest in me fades away a little bit. I think it''s something to do with Crimson Hall''s event. Each and every faction will send their students to participate. Hansen Campus has only me as their seed candidate. So the atmosphere around here is a little bit tense. That''s why the public seems to realize and turn back to normal. Shaking my head, I retracted these unnecessary thoughts and walked towards Mr. Arthur''s cabin. It''s actually become a daily routine for me to have some conversation with him in the mornings. Like, I''m reporting my work to the superior. Soon, I came to Mr.Arthur''s cabin and informed him. "Creak" the door opens, As usual Mr.Arthur is working behind his desk. While walking towards the seat, I greeted him. Mr. Arthur nodded in response and told me to sit. I smiled and sat in the chair. "So, How is your training going?" Mr. Arthur asked with interest. I nodded, Mr. Arthur knows my trip to Mountain Liz. So it''s nothing surprising for me. "No issue, Mr. Arthur. Everything is going fine." I said with a smile. Mr. Arthur took a little bit back. He is really surprised that Zack didn''t complain. Usually, he used to complain about something. But this time there is some change. Mr. Arthur smiled and replied, " Well, then it''s good for you. If you need something you can tell me." I nodded in response. After talking about a few other things, I left his cabin. Coming out of his cabin, instead of going to the Essence Chamber. I head towards the Gravity Chamber. I''m preparing for my body breakthrough. And the Gravity Chamber is the best place to push my limits. There are six chambers. Level 3 is currently suitable for me. Last time, I plummeted to the ground by using it. But this time my strength is enough to withstand level 3 Gravity Pressure. When I walked into the Gravity Room, students began to gossip about me. Shaking my head, I checked whether anyone was using the Level 3 chamber or not. Seeing there is no one, I stepped inside and locked the room. But Zack''s action caused a chilling effect to everyone outside. "Hey, What is Zack doing?" One of the senior students asked. He is one year older than Zack. Seeing Zack stepping into the level 3 room. He is dumbstruck. But soon he realizes that it''s a foolish move done by Zack. So he sneered, "Looks like winning the Star tower competition has really gotten into his head." His words reach few other fellows. Only a few students were inside the Gravity Room. All of them were standing in que to use level 1 & level 2 Gravity Chamber. But seeing Zack''s action right now made them displeased. Another senior student, who heard his friend''s word also echoed the same opinion, "Only Trainee Warriors can use level 3 Chamber. He is seeking nothing but only a death wish." By hearing two student''s back to back words. Rest of the students laughed out loud. But none of this reached Zack''s ears. Even if it did, he wouldn''t have cared. After stepping inside I set the timer for 2 minutes. I remember, last time I had set the time for 10 minutes later I got crushed to the ground. So this time I will start from 2 minutes, step by step I will increase the time further. "Whizz" Next moment, the chamber turned on. I feel huge mountain weighing above me. Inorder to withstand the pressure, I used both body strength and essence strength. As the seconds went by, I crouched down a little bit. It''s better than the previous time, I can feel my muscle fibers being elongated. It also gives me intense pain from one end. If I can reach the limit, it will give me the opportunity to break through. Chapter 309 Mid- Level Special Trainee (Body Breakthrough) (From MC Perspective) Gravity Chamber- Hansen Campus, While facing immense gravity pressure, I slowly ran a blood cultivation method. I can feel the pressure eases a little bit. When the blood energy in the body begins to boil. Coincidentally, I sensed the barrier this time. By catching such a sensation, I didn''t let it go. I try to hold on as much as possible. 2 Minutes later, the machine turned off. "Phew" It went well without any injury. I sat down cross legged and began to recover my energy. Outside, People were waiting outside to see Zack''s joke. But as the 2 minutes passed by, they weren''t silent. "What happened now?" One of them asked. Another one replied, "I bet he hasn''t activated the chamber yet." Everyone came up with the same reason. Inside, Last few times, I tried to sense the barrier but I failed. But this time there is a high possibility of breaking through to reach Mid level in body strength. A couple of weeks ago, I thought about reaching Peak level as soon as possible. But who would have thought after consuming so many monster cores, blood essence pills. I still failed to sense the barrier. Even after consuming blood cleansing Vine there is no sign of the barrier. Yet right now, Gravity Chamber made me realize, only now I have touched the limit. Smiling,I retract my thoughts and focus on recovering my energy. Level 3 is supposed to be used by Trainee Warrior. Here I''m using it in Initial Special Trainee level. Time went by, After recovering my energy, I set the timer for 3 minutes this time. Soon, the machine turned on. Again, I put my body under heavy pressure. For the first two minutes, I managed to withstand the pressure. When the last minutes came, my body began to tremble. Small injuries begin to appear on my screen. Soon, I thought this last one minute was like one hour. I knew it''s only a couple of seconds before they went off. So, I shifted my focus back to the body. Muscles were tearing apart all over causing bleeding. I activated my perception to look at the internal situation. Inside the body the meridians and veins are all fine. There are no drastic effects in internal organs. Seeing that I sighed in relief. Finally, the last minutes were over. I dropped down instantly and began to gasp for breath. "Level 3 is over kill right now. Fortunately, I started from the minimum time." I mumbled. Seeing the blood all over my forearms. I swallowed the healing pill and began to heal from the wounds. 5 minutes later, I opened my eyes and began to check the injury. This is nothing but superficial injury. But still I make sure that there is no hidden injury left behind. Because, I''m going to attempt a breakthrough. The hidden injury will cause serious trouble during breakthroughs. When it comes to breakthroughs, this place is obviously not a good place to try. I''m going to try it in an essence chamber. After gaining some clarity, I stood up from the ground and walked out of the gravity chamber. "Hmmm" I saw numerous gazes on me. What''s wrong with these people? I saw shock written all over their faces. Then I realised something, students only have a gravity chamber below level 3. Above level 3 were used by teachers and other staff. Next second, I turned towards the exit. Obviously, I have zero interest in talking to these people. After waking out of the Gravity Room, I head straight towards the essence chamber. Along the way, I came across some students after talking to them a little. I reached the essence chamber in a few minutes. "Creak" the door opens. I entered inside at the same second the door behind me closed automatically. Then without wasting much time, I turned on the chamber. "Wizz" As the machine turned on, pure essence began to come in via the inlet. My body begins to absorb small parts of essence energy even without using cultivation methods for it. Then I sat cross legged on the ground and checked my stock inside the storage ring. I have a couple of blood essence pills in stock. A very few monster cores. Usually, I tend to use Monster Core for breakthroughs. But after consuming blood cleaning vine, I realized the direct consumption of monster cores will leave impurities in my body. So this time, I''m going to use Blood Essence pills in my hands to attack the barrier. I took out a red pill from my storage ring and swallowed it. At the same time, I recited the blood cultivation method in my mind. The blood ring like a runic circle in mind begins to flicker. As it begins to flicker brightly, changes in the body happen to take place. The hazy blood light appears as usual from my blood, it immediately envelops the energy that comes from the pill. Slowly the conversion takes place. The hazy blood light converts pill energies into white unknown energies. These white energies then begin to drill into every inch of my bone. This process of getting a tattoo on my bones with more red paint gives me agonizing pain. But I know the red color conversion of bone is nothing but pure blood power. This exact power gives me the inhumane strength to fight against enemies. The white energy slowly covers my bone with red color marks. Which I call a blood tattoo. Once the bones are covered, then there is going to be feedback of energies. I''m going to use that energy to attack the barrier. Soon, the process was over. When the feedback occurs, my body beaming with energy. I continued to run blood cultivation methods and began to attack the invisible barrier. At the first attack on the barrier there is no reaction. So I try to attack it again. Soon, I sensed a small crack appear on the barrier. My eyes gleamed with expectations. I hurriedly swallowed the blood essence pill and continued the process. A few minutes later, I tear through the barrier to reach Mid level. A new profound strength begins to fill up every cell in my body. This is a new level. I believe with this strength, I can withstand the pressure in the Gravity Chamber for more than 10 minutes. Then I concentrated to stabilize the new strength in my body. A few minutes later, I opened my eyes. "Finally, Body strength is Mid-level Special Trainee & lightning essence strength is Initial- level Special Trainee." I grunted. Chapter 310 Again Blood Kill Test (From MC Perspective) Hansen Campus, After stabilizing the new level, I walked out of the essence chamber. A smile blossomed on my face by feeling bursting energy in the body. "I need to test this new course of power." I grunted. What could be the best place other than the combat room? I decided my schedule for the afternoon. I''m going to spend the entire time fighting against combat puppets. After gaining some clarity, I moved towards the combat room. Combat room, It''s been a while since I had spent some time in this room. First, I decided to check my agility. To check it, I walked near the laser room. After setting the timer, I stepped inside the range of laser light. A beam of light came toward me in an instant. In this agility practice, I''m not going to use perceptual ability. As the beam of light inch closer towards me, I used a common leg technique to evade it. I side stepped enough to evade it last moment. It all happened in less than seconds. When it comes to this laser test, instead of lowering the seconds. The best way is to increase laser beams. If there are multiple lasers at the same time, it will be very hard to evade them. So the next second, the laser beams started to increase slowly. When I evaded the first beam, the second beam attacked me in an instant. Then again I moved to evade it. In this way, laser beams increased slowly and hereby making it difficult to grasp for breath. 10 minutes later, The timer turned off, I sat down to recover. To evade 600 laser beams continuously without using lightning technique is really challenging. If I use lightning technique, it''s easy to cross half an hour. But I intend to use common leg technique to evade. Only in this way, I can see my improvements clearly. Using lightning phantom technique won''t give me much satisfaction in this test. Time went on, I got slowly immersed in the combat room, forgetting the time entirely. The other hand... Elder Thornton had captured a few living Class 2 Monsters for Zack to fight. He is going to put them inside the underground chamber. For the last few days, he has been busy with this matter. This is something they had discussed earlier. An hour later, After placing all the monsters inside the chamber. Elder Thornton called Zack to inform him. Combat room, "This.." I sensed someone was calling me. So I stopped the timer and walked out of a laser test platform to attend the call. "Elder Thornton" I grunted. I attended the call and asked, "Elder, What is it?" From the other side of the call, Elder Thornton replied, "Zack, Are you ready for some fight?" "What do you mean?" I asked. Then Elder Thornton explained everything to me. Blood Kill test, what can I say? The timing is quite right for me. So I answered, "Okay, Elder. I''m coming." I walked out of the room. My eyes gleamed with surprise at the Elder''s actions. "He is really quick." I muttered to myself. Talking about the Blood Kill test, it takes me back to the time. Soon, I reached the underground chamber via lift. After entering inside, the beautiful dome structure came into view. Then I shifted my gaze towards the control room. Last time, Mr. Arthur and Ms.key directed from this control room. "I bet he is inside the room right now." I mumbled. Next second, my sci-fi watch lit up. No surprise, It''s none other than Elder Thornton. "Zack, Do you want to start from Class 1?" Elder Thornton asked. "What?" I''m taken by his question. He obviously knows my strength from Star tower performance. But still he is talking about Class 1 monsters. "Elder, I want to face Class 2 Monsters straight away." I said. "Okay" Elder Thornton replied. Next Second, "Creak" The metallic door opens, it''s the entrance to the central battle platform. Seeing that I walk towards the entrance to enter. After stepping inside, I continue to walk. The door behind me closed automatically. There is a huge "X" Mark on the central battle platform. I know monsters will pop up from this spot. To make some distance, I walked near the edge of the platform. At my current level, Class 2 Monsters were easy. But still if there is an unknown monster then there is going to be some trouble. After standing near the edge of the platform, I waited patiently for Monster to appear. A few seconds later, ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? There was sound coming from the "X" mark. Soon, the door slid open and the large monster leaped high from the ground and landed on the platform. Seeing the appearance of the Class Monster, I''m stunned. From his jumping action, I thought it must be a wolf monster. But it''s fuc!ing bear. It''s almost 10ft in size. "Giant" I uttered. Then I thought, where did Elder Thornton capture this monster from? "Brown Armoured Earth Bear - Initial Class 2 Monster" This monster is a common overlord of certain monster zones. Their body is covered by armor like a shell. Which gives them enough protection from all kinds of attack. "Roar" The Bear Monster roared at Zack upon seeing him straight away. Because it feels threatened by Zack. "Its armour is quite interesting. I want to check, how hard is it actually?" I grunted. Seeing that monster is getting irritated, I''m planning to use only body strength. It''s been ages since I last fought some monster heartly. Brown Cliff Monster Zone and Mountain Liz disappointed me. So right now, I''m going to fight my heart content. "Rwwaaarrrrrrrrr" The bear monster came screaming at me. Its giant claws and his powerful jaws were deadly weapons. Even at my current mid level strength, I''m not sure whether I can turn unscathed from his sharp claws. I clenched my fists facing against it, when the monster got closer to me. It raised its giant paw against me to tear me down. But my target is something else, I targeted its chest part. When its paw inched towards me, I crouched down to evade it. Then raised my fists to slam against its chest. Chapter 311 Putting An End To The Bear Monster (From MC Perspective) Brown Armoured Earth Bear- Initial Class 2 Monster. When my fist landed at its chest armour. "Boom" a deafening sound reverberated in the area. The Bear Monster''s defense is almost perfect. My causal fist attack has no effect on the monster. It didn''t even flinch. I move backwards to make some distance to fight again. The Bear Monster is completely dumbstruck, the monster surprised that its attack didn''t even touch me, instead I''m the one who made a successful blow to the monster. "Roar" The Bear monster roared looking at above, there is nothing but dome structure ceiling there. Next second, The monster turned towards me, its eyes looked fierce. I can see it''s completely pissed off. Various ideas come to mind, I need to find a weak spot to attack it as quickly as possible. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Again, I used the leg technique to evade its attacks. I can use lightning essence, but I don''t want to waste it on movement technique. It''s better to use a lightning attack move. Time progresses, Soon, I found its weak spot using my perceptual ability. There is no armor like defense skin in its neck region. While Zack was battling, inside the control room, Elder Thornton leisurely sat in his seat & monitoring the data. "It''s been 10 minutes. What is he doing?" Elder Thornton grunted. Elder Thornton has a vague idea about Zack''s power. During the Star Tower Competition, he knows Zack had a breakthrough. Otherwise it''s impossible for him to succeed. But here looking at the data on the screen, he doesn''t know why he is taking so much time to kill the monster. A quick glint flashes in Elder''s eyes as he feels Zack is as mysterious as his teacher. Inside the dome, As I confirmed the weak spot of the monster. Next moment, I didn''t hesitate to try the sword move on it. When I reached very close to the monster, I raised my black sword and swung at its neck region. The bear Monster''s size is so huge that I had to use leg technique to leap forward to reach the spot. "Clang" a metallic sound resonated in the area. I got dumbstruck by the sound, next second I leaped backward to escape from Monster''s paw swing. Just as I move from the spot, a monster''s huge paw tears through the air. If I had wasted one more second behind its back, it''s possible to be heavily hit by the monster. But one good thing, I find its neck region is not as hard as other parts. It''s impossible to penetrate with a blade by the just casual swing of the sword. Sword Divide attack is a suitable one to target its neck part. Unlike before, my proficiency in the skill has greatly improved over the weeks. As I activated the attack, I poured a flood of lightning essence to the black sword. Soon, the sword lit up the purple lightning. It all happened in the blink of an eye. I doubt if I were to launch the sword divide from here, it''s quite possible for that bear monster to escape from the brunt. Even if it''s slightly missed, lightning attack would have landed on its armour like body. Which in turn will have no effect on the monster. Next Second, I burst out with a break necking speed by using lightning phantom technique. "Sword Divide" In a few breaths, I reached the back of the bewildered monster and released the gathered lightning power stored in my sword. A thunderous blast of lightning power reaches the bear monster''s neck region in a blink of an eye. "Bang" The neck region of the monster was torn apart by the heavy blow caused by a burst of lightning power. "rwwa rrrrrrrrr" While roaring with agonizing pain, the monster stumbles back and falls on the ground. Dark blood spurted out from its neck part & the central platform splattered with blood. Seeing the huge body of the monster flattened on the ground. I smiled, this is a good opportunity to end its life before it makes unnecessary moves. Next second, I reached its body in a few breaths. Again, I made another swing to serve its gigantic head. "Pffff" The blade penetrated further deep inside and finally made a cut by severing the head from its body. "Phew" "That was easy!" The battle ended in a few minutes just after finding its weak spot. If not for the weak spot, I would have wasted my energy & time by fighting blindly. Just as the vitality in the Monster''s body comes to an end. The sensors installed in the dome ceiling pick up the signals. Soon another monster will appear in a few minutes. I know the sensor will pick-up the signals. I don''t want to waste my time on slicing its body & storing it in a container. Who knows what monster might pop up in the next second? So I moved forward and dragged its gigantic body away from the central platform. I will later place it in my storage ring after dissecting its body. "Such a colossal bear, phew!" I grunted while dragging away the monster. Outside, Ms. Key going towards Mr. Arthur''s cabin. It''s been a long time since she saw Zack on the Hansen campus. Every time Zack visited here after Star Tower, Ms. Key wasn''t able to meet him due to some other work. But now she has some free time, she is ready to meet Zack. "Creak" the door opens. Ms. Key stepped inside, upon seeing her Mr. Arthur said, "What are you doing here?" Ms. Key reveals a small smile & sits in the opposite seat. "Zack wasn''t picking up the call. I doubt you know something about it." Ms. Key said with a smile. Mr. Arthur nodded and said, " Yeah, I just received a message from Elder Thornton." Then looking at her he added, " Zack is taking a new blood kill test." Ms. Key was stunned and asked, "isn''t it any different from Star Tower?" She thought what difference would it make by fighting against low level Monsters? Shaking his head, Mr. Arthur commented, " I don''t think Elder Thornton only captured Class 2 Peak Monsters. There might be Class 3 Monsters." Ms. Key dumbfounded, "How could be?" She asked. To fight Class 3 Monsters, a Warrior needs the strength of at least Trainee Warrior. Mr. Arthur smiled wryly, from the beginning he was clueless about Zack''s actual strength. He also underestimated the competition of Star Tower. Chapter 312 Odyssey Zone, A Trouble? While Zack Lockwood was busy undergoing a blood kill test, new developments were taking place in Crimson Hall. After selecting the place for the event, the First Elder from the Crimson Hall is making some other plans. At the same time, far away from this barren outpost, Zack''s teacher, Mr. Lowell McClain, is having a discussion with his servant, Jonathan. Inside Mr. Lowell McClain''s study room, "Jonathan, Did you find out? What is Crimson Hall up to these days? Sir Lowell McClain asked with interest. Sir. Lowell McClain is already planning to go there and watch the event. The first thing he wanted to see was Zack''s performance. If he succeeds, he plans to meet him in person. But Crimson Hall''s movements have been vague lately. Mr. Lowell McClain was not sure about their intention. So he asked Jonathan for an answer. Mr. Jonathan, who is standing in front of him, is quite surprised. He knew his master had made up his mind to visit outerpost 1012. But it''s easier said than done. Even if his master enters the land somehow, there are going to be a lot of eyes in the dark. If there is a slight fluctuation in power, it will be noticed by others. Mr. Jonathan sighed inside. He still dared not question his master. Maybe he had already sorted it through. So when talking about Crimson Hall, looking at his master, Mr. Jonathan replied, "Master, from our sources." I received some information. " "Oh, tell me about it," Sir Lowell McClain said. He raised his eyebrows in interest. Even Sir Lowell McClain was quite surprised by their activities. From the Killing List to the latest event, this little crimson hall is involved in a lot of shady things. In his opinion, it''s better to remove such an organisation before it causes a lot of damage. Mr. Jonathan raised his head to answer, "Master, According to the latest information, an official from Crimson Hall was last spotted in the Odyssey Monster Zone" "Odyssey?" Sir, Lowell McClain asked back. He is not aware of the barren land''s monster zone. In his eyes, those monsters are comparable to ants. Mr. Jonathan smiled wryly. He knew it was nothing when it came to his master''s standards. Since his master has no knowledge about the barren land, he replied, "Master, the Odyssey Monster Zone is used to keep rare mutation monsters under watch." A quick glint flashes in Sir Lowell McClain''s eyes. He guessed something. With a smile, he asked back, "Then, what happened?" Mr. Jonathan answered, "Master, it''s hard to know what transpired in their meeting." But one of our spies saw them taking a tour of the monster zone. " 2/3/ Sir.Lowell McClain has a vague feeling in his heart that this Odyssey location might be their competition site. Looking at Jonathan, he ordered, "Find out what happened in the meeting." I guess this zone might be their event location. " Mr. Jonathan was stunned, "No way." He knows the Odyssey zone is a special zone. It is kept for other purposes. especially for research. Some rare monsters were kept for observation. These mutation monsters were inherently more bloodthirsty than others. If this monster zone is selected for their competition, then there would be lots of bloodshed. Thinking about the blood drained from Jonathan''s face "Master?" Mr. Jonathan said. Sir Lowell McClain sighed and said, "If it''s true, then it can''t be stopped. Don''t forget, we can''t interfere in their affairs. At the end of the day, I can only save Zack" Mr. Jonathan understands his master''s words. The majority of the population don''t know there is a wider world outside of their outpost. They are all purposefully kept in the dark. If people were aware of such news, it would lead to a lot of chaos. Shaking his head, Mr. Jonathan asked, "Master, then why don''t you stop Zack from participating in it?" Sir.Lowell McClain said with a smile, "You still underestimate him after his splendid performance at the Star Tower." ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then Sir Lowell McClain added further, "Right now, I bet his strength has increased further." So, there is going to be no life-threatening situation inside the monster zone. All I can do is to save him from certain factions'' backhands. " "Besides, I already told him that this event is a test for him. If he succeeds, I will formally select him as my disciple. " ? Mr. Jonathan sighed inwardly. He only hoped for Zack to pass this hurdle. Then Mr. Jonathan thought about Zack''s worry. Now, he realises what backhands are meant by the master. Obviously, there are going to be some forces that might show an interest in Zack. As a lightning warrior with top talent, Zack will be sure to attract a lot of attention once he displays his powers publicly. He also knew his master had already given the green signal to Zack. Zack can use his lightning element in Crimon Hall''s event. Then both of them discussed other situations before Mr. Jonathan left his master''s study room... (From the MC''s point of view) Hansen Campus, Underground Battle Arena, This bear monster doesn''t even pose a threat. I hope that Elder Thornton will send more challenging mosnters for dueling. In the control room, Elder Thornton has a bewildered expression on his face looking at the signals. which show Zack has successfully cleared the blood kill test. "How could it be?" Elder Thornton is taken back. He knows, unlike other monsters, this bear monster has terrible defences. He wants to know how he killed the monster. "Damn, boy. If not for my position, I would have opened this underground arena already to see." Elder Thornton said, with frustration. After Zack''s star tower performance, he wants to see his duel in person. His curiosity about Zack''s ability is further increased. Elder Thornton had guessed something in his heart. In his opinion, Zack''s teacher has given some powerful techniques. That''s why this brat is performing well. If not for his powerful teacher, Elder Thornton would have asked him directly. Next, he retracted his thoughts. Now he needs to send another monster for Zack to fight. He pressed a certain button in the control room. This time, Zack is going to face a tough monster. Chapter 313 Violet Horned Snake (From MC''s POV) Hansen Campus, underground battle platform. As the "X" marked door begins to open, A huge violet-colored snake leaped forward to land on the battle platform. Seeing the appearance of the monster, I finally recognised it. Violet Horned Snake-Class 2 Mid-level Monster Fighting against snake monsters is not something new to me. But I have to be cautious of its poison every time. Just as I was figuring out the battle plan, the Violet Horned Snake hissed upon seeing me. I realised that, like any other monster, it is in a belief that I am its prey. Next, the snake monster moved fast towards Zack. It wants to gulp down its prey in one bite. I activated my perception to watch the snake''s movements clearly. I gripped my black sword tight. I decided to test its scale. Just as the snake inched closer towards me, I stepped enough to evade its fangs. At the same time, I swing my sword at the back of its head. "Clang" A metallic collision sound resonates in the area. A flicker of interest flashes in my eyes. As expected of mid-level monsters, they''re quite sturdier than initial level monsters. After the collision, I moved away from the spot. The snake monster got startled after seeing the prey escape from its fangs. It got me completely enraged. It swung its long tail against Zack as he moved away from the previous spot. I perceive a giant tail coming towards me under my perception. At that moment, I didn''t hesitate anymore. My legs were covered completely in lightning energy right away. And I disappeared from the spot in a flash. At the same time, a huge giant tail smashes the ground to pieces, which I had stood on previously. These monsters were inherently stronger than humans. My initial lightning power is not enough to damage mid-level monsters in one blow. It looks like I need to use the same method that I did previously with Best Monster. Which is to find the perfect opportunity to use lightning power. The violet snake furiously hisses. It gets angered by the slippery prey.. I placed the black sword back in my storage ring. I''m going to flex my muscles. This time, before the snake moved, I disappeared from the spot using the lightning phantom technique. The snake monster is flustered. It fails to track my movement. In a few breaths, I reached the top of its giant body. I use all of my mid-level body strength to deliver a powerful punch to its body. "Crack" ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? As my fist made contact against its scales. It began to crack slowly. At first it was a small crack. Then it slowly begins to expand. A delightful gleam flashed in my eyes as I watched the cracks on the snake''s scales. At the same time, the snake begins to hiss in agonising pain. Seeing that I didn''t waste anymore time, I made another powerful punch at the same spot. "Bang" As its massive body crashed to the ground, the cracked scales turned to powder. The snake monster is horribly wounded. I took the black sword back and moved closer towards its body. The snake kept twisting its body. It even forgot that I was getting closer towards its body. Feeling confident, I moved closer towards it. But all of a sudden, the violet snake monster raised its head to spray purple venom against me. Fortunately, I caught its movements through perception. which gave me enough time to evade its attack. The purple poison hits the empty air and finally lands on the ground. In a fraction of seconds, the entire tile gets corroded. When I see the aftermath of the attack, my pupils constrict. If it were human flesh, I can''t imagine the outcome. Sure, I should not be complacent. Even if it''s a mid-level monster, its venom can pose a threat to peak monsters. This venom is a safety mechanism of the monsters. Even if its venom can''t kill peak monsters, it will give some ample time to escape from it. Then I moved closer towards it. And I launched a lightning attack technique. "Lightning wheel" A purple lightning wheel formed around me in an instant. The wheel is busting with thunderous power. Seeing the thunderous lightning power, the snake monster got frightened. The snake monster finally realised that its injury was very serious and twisted its giant body to move away from me. Seeing that, I smirked, with a lightning wheel around me. As I got closer, the lightning wheel made contact with injury. "Bang," a deafening sound resonates in the area. The purple thunderous lightning power tore through the snake monster''s injury. It led to further damage to its vitality. Right now, the snake is half beaten; its life is hanging by a thread. It will be a matter of time before it loses its life. The snake monster didn''t move its body from the spot as the monster lost its strength. If not for its earlier injury, it''s impossible to cause this level of damage through lightning power. Next, I looked around me. The entire platform is out of shape. The earlier confrontation with the bear monster alone did severe damage to this battle platform. This duel with the snake monster completely destroyed the battle platform. I immediately sent a message to Elder Thornton about this. After sending the message, I glanced at the monster. Targeting the head of the snake, I launched my next lightning move. "Sword Divide" I held my black sword straight. I slowly pour lightning essence onto the black sword to charge it. In a moment, the entire blade is covered with purple energy. The snake monster''s head region is not as hard as its other body parts. I believe this blow alone is enough to take care of its remaining life. Next, I released thunderous lightning power towards the snake monster''s head region. The snake monster is still unaware of the danger; it''s simply lying down due to the injury. A huge blast released from the sword, when the thunderous lightning power landed on its head "Pfff" The snake''s head was completely blown to pieces, and with it, the monster was completely dead. Next, I moved closer to dissect its body to remove the monster core. A few minutes later, I placed the monster core in the storage ring. I also dissected a snake corpse into pieces and stored it in a corpse container. Now, the snake monster is finished. I only need to take care of the giant bear monster. Chapter 314 Part 1: Made A Request (From MC''s POV) After storing the disected parts of the Violet Snake Monster, I walked towards the gigantic body of the bear monster. I already sent a message to Elder Thornton. So, I''m not worried about the appearance of some random monster all of a sudden. 20 minutes later, I dissected the bear monster''s body parts and placed them back in my storage ring. Two monster cores will fetch a lot of money. I plan to sell it through online later. After erasing the trail of lightning energy, I walked towards the entrance. I''m tired of acting this low-key. I hope it will change soon. I can''t wait for the Crimson Hall Exhibition event where I can show off my ability. Only the strength of Tier-7 City warriors troubling me. Before the event, I need to raise my essence cultivation to the same level as my body strength. It will probably take a few weeks to get a breakthrough in essence cultivation. But if I get some lightning resources, it will save a lot of time. When it comes to Lightning resources, only one person comes to mind: my teacher. At this time, I made a decision in my heart to contact him once I got back to my home. After walking near the exit, I reminded Elder Thornton to open the door. "Creak," the huge metallic door opens. Seeing that, I stepped outside and waited near the lift for Elder Thornton to come. Soon, a silhoutte hurriedly walked towards me. "You brat, how you did it?" Elder Thornton asked in surprise. Seeing his flustered expression, I understood he must be surprised about my clearance time. To answer his question, it''s impossible to tell him that I killed the two monsters with lightning power. Shaking my head, I changed the subject and said, "Elder, I have some other work to do." I''ll contact you when I get ready for the blood test." After saying that, I stepped inside the lift. Elder Thornton was stupified by my direct rebutal. He hurriedly answered, "Alright brat, wait for me." He entered the lift with me. When the lift''s door completely closed, I turned towards him and asked, "Elder, Is there any resources which can improve essence cultivation? " I asked him after weighing everything in my mind. It will be a matter of time before he knows my lightning ability. Since, I''m not going to reveal my lightning element directly. It doesn''t hurt if I can ask one or two things about essence cultivation. A strange glint flashes in Elder Thornton''s eyes. He wasn''t expecting such a question from Zack. Ever since he met with Zack, Zach has always talked about Class Monsters. This is the first time Zack has talked about essence cultivation or other fighting techniques on this campus. Seeing the shocked expression of Elder Thornton, I called out his name, "Elder Thornton." By hearing his name, Elder Thornton retracted his thoughts and looked at Zack again. Elder Thornton said, "Zack, What happened to you? You never talked about essence cultivation before. " So he caught on, and I sighed internally. Then I honestly answered, "Elder, I want to improve my essence cultivation. For that, I need some special resources." Elder Thornton''s expression condensed after hearing my request. He replied, "You already holed out our campus resources, now you are asking back again. What have you done with the precious herbs which Arthur gave you?" Those previous herbs are obviously not helpful at all. My lightning essence is difficult to improve with these herbs. Otherwise, why do I long for lightning resources? Seeing that Elder Thornton is not at all convinced by my request, I said, "Elder, I have kept those herbs. But I don''t think it will be helpful for my breakthrough. " This time, Elder Thornton was shocked again. He remembers Zack''s getting a breakthrough not long ago at the Star Tower Competition. Now he is talking about a breakthrough? Elder Thornton doesn''t know what to say? He looked at Zack with a serious expression. "Did he consume all those pills to get a breakthrough?" Elder Thornton thought to himself. Then again, he shakes his head in denial. Cultivation through pills won''t have a stable base. Seeing Zack''s previous performance, he doesn''t think that might be the case. To kill those monsters in half an hour is not a joke. We reached the first floor while we were talking. "Creak" the lift door opens. Both of us stepped outside the lift, but neither of us brought the topic back again. I thought it was up to him next whether he wanted to help me or not. After bidding good bye to him, I headed straight towards the exit. Elder Thornton watched Zack''s back disappear slowly. He ponders that if what Zack says is true, then he must help him. He has already shown a splendid performance at Star Tower. If Zack gets another breakthrough, it will be good for him and also good for our campus. Zack might really contend against the geniuses of Tier-7 City. A flicker of interest flashes in Elder Thornton''s eyes. Next, he walks back to his cabin. On the other hand, I noticed the watch light up with a notification as I approached the exit. I opened it to view. I smiled, seeing it was from Ms. Key. She is currently at Mr. Arthur''s cabin. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "It''s been a long time since I last saw her. I wonder how she is doing" I muttered to myself. Then I turned back and walked towards Mr. Arthur''s cabin. Maybe my sullen mood will brighten up after talking to her. In a few minutes, I reached Mr. Arthur''s cabin. "Creak," the door opens. When I walked inside, the first thing that came into view was the beautiful silhouette of Ms. Key. She is sitting opposite Mr. Arthur. She wore an adventure uniform. If not for her teaching here, I might think of her as an actual adventure guild person. Shaking my head, I walked up to her. Seeing me coming, both of them turned towards me. Mr. Arthur gestures to take a seat. Chapter 315 Part 2: Made A Request (From MC''s Pov) Hansen Campus, "Hi, Ms. Key. It''s been a while. How have you been these days? I asked her while I sat in my seat. Upon hearing my voice, Ms. Key reveals a warm smile on her face. She turned towards me and replied, "I''m doing alright, Zack. On the other hand, you are very busy. I hear it''s very difficult to see you in person than Elder Thornton. " Hearing her talking about Elder Thornton, Mr. Arthur chuckled. I smiled wryly, thinking about the Mountain Liz trip. I sighed and said, "Well, I''m worried about Crimson Hall''s event. So far there is no news whatsoever regarding the event. " When I mentioned serious matters, the expressions on both of their faces tightened. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Ms. Adeline Key is slightly shocked. She has never seen him take it seriously. "What happened?" She said it in her heart. Then she looked at Arthur for an answer. This is something she talked about with Arthur a few minutes ago. But both of them never discussed it seriously. Maybe they are underestimating certain things? Zack is the only seed candidate on their campus. If he is not feeling good about the event, then it might hinder his performance later. If Zack fails to shine in the event, then it will be difficult for their campus to get the next term of resources. Mr. Arthur is worried. He immediately asked, "Zack, What''s wrong? " I chuckled, seeing their expression. Then I answered, "Well, I thought about Star Tower. When it comes to Star Tower, we had some information forehand. So it was easy for me to prepare. But this time with Crimson Hall, I''m completely clueless. " Then I continue to say, "Without knowing, it''s getting hard for me to concentrate on my training. I know we have talked about this before. But I want our management to find out as soon as possible. Who knows, Crimson Hall might come up with something I''m not aware of? I''m tired of Elder Thornton''s previous attitude. He really thinks I can take care of things, just like that. I''m not confident enough to face those geniuses of Tier-7 City. They are at Trainee Warrior Level. I''m clearly one whole level behind them. Maybe in their case, my current strength is alone to get some rankings for Hansen Campus. So none of them were worried. But they don''t know about my test. I can only pass the test of my teacher after getting the 1st place. My current strength is not enough for that. "What to do?" I grunted. Ms. Adeline and Mr. Arthur finally understand Zack''s worry. These people from Crimson Hall were clearly tight-lipped about their event. No one is willing to say anything. "Don''t worry, Zack," Mr. Arthur said, looking at Zack. Do you think they can hide the news for so long? I bet the information about the event will be leaked sooner than later. Apart from us, some factions have a lot of stakes in this event. They won''t be silent for long. " Hearing that Ms. Adeline Key also supported his opinion by saying, "Yeah, Zack. There are still some months left before the event. You should focus on your training. Soon you will hear the news about the event. " I nodded at them. I know the authority of Ms. Key and Mr. Arthur is limited on the campus. Only management can do something about it. Then I changed the topic and talked about a few other things. After having the conversation, I bid goodbye to both of them. I have already decided to contact my teacher. I''m not wasting anymore time here. So I left the room to go home. Seeing the disappearance of Zack, worry kept sweeping over Ms. Adeline Key''s face. She looked at Arthur and asked, "Is that Crimson Hall''s event is tougher than Star Tower''s?" "No!" Mr. Arthur said. Then he added, "You know, it''s not as famous as Star Tower. Crimson Hall is conducting an event for recruiters. So that people from the academy can pick up talented seeds" So, Ms. Key nodded and asked, "So, what was the theme of the event?" "Usually, they set up a ranking board. The Warriors need to win against their opponent to reach the next round. In this way, they need to clear multiple rounds to reach good rankings. " Mr. Arthur said. Then he continued to say, "Out of thousands, finally the top rankers will be listed.Then the recruiters will select the talented seeds for their academy. Apart from them, those who got quota previously also get admitted into the academy. " Mr. Arthur explained it clearly. After thinking about something, Ms. Key asked, "Do you think Zack can be listed in the top rankings?" Mr. Arthur was dumbfounded. He immediately replied, "What are you talking about? If Zack can perform better than our competitors, then he will automatically gain a good ranking for our campus. So he doesn''t need to fight other top warriors. And also, he has a quota to get into the academy, so there is no reason to fight others. " Ms. Key shook her head and said, "Again, you are missing one thing. If Zack came across strong opponents in most of his rounds, then imagine what would happen. He will lose even before he gets to meet the warriors of our competitors" Mr. Arthur thought about her words and answered, "Warriors were chosen randomly." So it can''t be helped if there is a case like this. We can only say "hard luck" if Zack comes across strong opponents in most of his duel rounds" Then he added, "If we were to face such a result, then it would be a huge loss to our campus. Yet Zack can still get into the academy based on his quota. " Ms. Key doesn''t find anything wrong with his statement. She furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Maybe Zack is anxious because he wants to do better." Mr. Arthur nodded and replied, "That might be the case. Anyway, for his sake, I''ll ask Elder Thornton again to look into this matter. " Ms. Key nodded at his words. On the other hand, After walking out of the campus, I reached the train station via air car. Then I boarded my train on time. While sitting next to the window seat, I texted Mr. Jonathan. I asked him whether the teacher was available or not. If he is not available, then I''ll contact him some time later. After sending the message, I waited for his reply. I wonder what Mr. Jonathan is doing right now. Time Progresses, An hour later, I received his reply. [Busy, I''ll call you back later]. -Jonathan Reading his message, I sighed internally. Chapter 316 Part 1: Conditions? Crimson Hall, After returning from the Odyssey Monster Zone, the first elder turned his attention to other projects. It will take some time to get a reply from Official Ben. So he doesn''t plan on dwelling on it. While tapping the desk, he ponders. He doesn''t know whether the higher ups of Odyssey Monster Zone will agree with his request. He believes that since he has taken a gamble, soon there will be a result. On that day, he reminded his good friend, Ben, about the seriousness of this situation. If they won''t agree, he won''t hesitate to drag them into his scheme. With his friend Ben''s personality, he believes that he will convince them for sure. Only after receiving confirmation can he consider the next step. For signing a contract, it can be only done by Grand Elder Chris. Which is another troublesome thing. These contracts should be signed by the higher-ups of each faction. He and his friend Ben were just spokespeople for their respected faction. He hopes that once he gets a green signal, He will take some time to arrange a meeting with the Grand Elder. With his permission, he can decide the rules for the competition. The Odyssey Monster Zone is large, like an island. He can plan different levels of difficulty for participants. Just as he was pondering, he received a notification from Communication Watch. Reading the message, "What is the moron doing here?" With a frown on his face, the First Elder uttered. Next, he gives permission to open the door. "Creak" the door opens. Stepping inside, the HeadMaster walked up to him slowly. Seeing his humble attitude, the first elder knows it''s just a play. "Harumph, What do you want? " The First Elder asked The Headmaster smiled wryly, and small sweat beads began to form on his forehead. If not for an urgent situation, he would not have come here. The head master replied, "First Elder, our alliance factions are demanding an urgent meeting lately." A flicker of interest flashes in the first elder''s eyes. With an indifferent gaze, the First Elder asked, "What is it about?" The headmaster cursed him in his heart. He knows that the First Elder is aware of the current situation. But still, he is making things hard. While he was cursing inwardly, on the outside, his face was calm and peaceful. Then the head master smiled wryly and answered, "They were asking about the event. Since we are tight-lipped, they are requesting an immediate meeting" Shaking his head, the First Elder said, "Why are they in a hurry? There are still a few months left before the event. You can go and handle them. Tell them that I''m busy. " The head master''s mouth twitched, "How am I going to handle them?" He muttered to himself. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? If there is a conversation between the headmasters of two factions, then he can dominate the other party. But clearly, here the situation is different. Some of the alliance factions directly brought their Grand Elders for a chat. "What am I going to do?" The Headmaster cried in his heart. At the same time, he failed to notice that the first elder was getting displeased because of his silence. When he came to realise this, his heart came out of his mouth. "If you want to waste any more of my time, then you should prepare for the consequences," the First Elder said with dissatisfaction. Next, the headmaster didn''t waste any time; he immediately left his cabin. Seeing the disappearing back of the head master, the first elder snorted and shut his eyes off. He knew people out there wanted to know about the event. But it can''t be said now, only after receiving confirmation that he can do something about it. And he won''t reveal any information about the event right away. He will let them know a few pieces of information four days before the event. While he was in deep thought, his communication watch lit up with a notification. Hearing that, the First Elder opened his eyes in disdain. But right after seeing the name, he changed his posture. He straightened his back and answered the call, "Official Ben, What happened? " He hadn''t expected to receive a call from him. He predicted it would take a few more days to receive news from them. But since his friend has called him now, He expected to get good news. From the other end of the call, official Ben sounded, "Elder Casey, I spoke with higher ups about your request." Fortunately, they agreed. But it''s based on certain conditions. Those conditions will be included in the contract. You can decide after viewing it. " "Conditions?" The First Elder was taken back. He thought there was going to be some kind of demand for resources. But he didn''t know what those conditions were. "Do you know what the conditions were?" asked the First Elder. Official Ben replied, "I don''t think they have decided yet. But higher ups will definitely tell in two days" Hearing that, the First Elder sighed and thanked him before ending the call. "Sure, their old foxes might want to share the pie." A cruel glint flashed in the First Elder''s eyes while he thought to himself. But again, since they agreed, he thinks that they won''t touch his bottom line. Then he ponders, since Ben had talked to them, the first elder felt it was important to inform the Grand Elder also. He quickly rose from his seat and exited his cabin to meet Grand Elder. Elder has a separate building for his seclusion. No one else can enter here other than him. The building is located on a nearby small hill. The small hill is owned by Crimson Hall. It''s completely forbidden for Crimson Hall students and the elders. The first elder went straight towards the entrance after reaching the building on top of the hill. Before he could speak, the door opened automatically. A hunched-back old man walked out of the building. The First Elder''s face stiffens. He remembers the majestic appearance of the Grand Elder at the previous meeting. "What happened? Are there any changes that I don''t know about?" First Elder Casey said in his heart. Chapter 317 Part 2: Conditions? Crimson Hall, But he dared not show any expression on his face. He hurriedly went forward and helped Grand Elder sit on a nearby slab. But Grand Elder Chris didn''t stop him. As he sat on the slab, he looked at the First Elder and asked, "What are your preparations for the event?" First Elder responded immediately, "Grand Elder, as I previously informed you, I have chosen a specific monster zone for our event." The Grand Elder''s eyes flickered with interest. He wasn''t expecting this. "Casey has decided this early," the Grand Elder said in his heart. Without waiting for the Grand Elder to reply, First Elder Casey continued to say, "I have chosen this trial zone called Odyssey Monster Zone. To confirm the zone, I personally went there and met with officials" "After making my request, I returned back to our place a few days ago.Coincidentally, a few minutes ago. I received confirmation from other parties. They have agreed to our request, but it is only possible if we agree to their certain conditions." Grand Elder Chris raised his eyebrows in confusion. So many things have happened in the span of a few days. Looking at Casey, he didn''t know what to say. In his opinion, such drastic measures were unwarranted. Yet at the last meeting, Casey insisted on doing so to weaken the hostile forces. There is also competition between the alliances. Finally, thinking about all of it. He let out a deep sigh. Then Grand Elder asked, "What is their condition?" If it hurts our interest, there is still some time left to select another location." The First Elder understands his worry. He had already made up his mind. If they touch his bottom line, he can still choose another monster zone. So looking at Grand Elder, he said, "They will tell us after two days. Don''t worry, Grand Elder. If it''s not feasible, then I will select another location for the event." Hearing such a quick answer from him, Grand Elder''s old face reveals a small smile. At least he is satisfied that Casey seems to know what to do and what not to do. Then they talked about a few other things before the first elder walked back to his own cabin. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? In his cabin A new gleam of light flashes in the First Elder''s eyes. The current appearance of the Grand Elder made him think about several things. "Is he going to run out of oil?" First Elder thought to himself Even though he knew he was going to die, the first elder believed it would be better after the event. There is already so much at stake in this event. He doesn''t want any mishap to happen midway. Time Progresses, Two days went in a flash, Odyssey Monster Zone, Official Ben is working in his office. Suddenly, he received a call from his higher ups. Seeing that, he immediately attended. A half an hour later, Official Ben sat back in his seat in frustration. Because his higher ups informed his of their conditions during the call. First, their faction wants half of the resources provided by academies for Crimson Hall. Second, higher-ups want to know all the details about the event. Including all those rules and all. Because the higher ups are likely to send some of their own people to the competition. If they knew the rules forehand, it''d be easy for them to rank high in the event. "Shameless!" Even official Ben cursed at his own higher-ups in his heart. Forget about the second condition, after hearing the first condition itself, he knows that Casey won''t agree to their condition. Official Ben thought his higher ups were really asking for too much. Shaking his head, he decided to tell Casey about it. The decision is up to him anyway, so he doesn''t want to get dragged into their problems. Next, official Ben called Casey. Crimson Hall, The First Elder, who was talking to someone in his cabin, After receiving the call, he told the opposite party to leave when the person walked out of his room. The First Elder attended the call to answer. "Official Ben, I was just waiting for your call. What happens now? "Did your higher ups speak about the conditions?" First Elder asked with expectation. He hopes that the conditions won''t be too excessive. On the other hand, official Ben begins to talk about the conditions. After hearing the first condition, there is not much change in his face. But after hearing the second condition, his face reveals a cunning smile. "What sly foxes!" The First Elder muttered to himself. On one hand, they want to have huge resources. And at the same time, they want their people to get into the academy easily. What was more surprising to him was that he knew that the Odyssey Monster Zone was not under the control of one particular faction. It is more or less an alliance, with the majority of it dominated by medical factions. These research people take these monsters for experiment purposes. For a brief moment, a tinge of curiosity rose in his heart. He wants to know who the higher ups were. Are they from the same faction or a different one? Now, Thinking about it, the First Elder thinks that they really want to have a share of a large pie. From the other end of the call, official Ben was taken back by seeing Casey''s silence. He expected a strong rebuttal. But there are no words whatsoever. Official Ben called out again, "Elder Casey?" Hearing his name, the First Elder retracted his thoughts and asked, "Official Ben, could you tell me the name and affiliation of your higher ups?" Official Ben''s heart skipped a beat. He diplomatically answered, "You will know when you sign the contract." The First Elder chuckled. He commented, "I want to know which faction is currently in charge of the Odyssey Monster Zone. I know it is jointly managed by many, so don''t fool me. " Official Ben remembers the words of his higher ups. Actually, they don''t want to reveal their identity. Shaking his head, Official Ben replied, "Casey, Unless you agree to these two conditions, It''s impossible to reveal their identity. " Now the situation has become tricky. First Elder Casey doesn''t want to agree before knowing who is in charge of the Odyssey Monster Zone. Then he thought about something and answered, "Okay, I''ll ask our Grand Elder for his opinion. Only then I can tell you about it." After saying that, he ended the call. Chapter 318 Part 1: New Place To Train Mr. Jonathan, who is currently busy with his work, Coincidentally, he opened his communication watch to view the message. He was surprised to see the message from Zack. Next, after looking at the message A hint of light flashes in his eyes; "Zack is worried that his strength is not enough to contend with warriors from higher cities." Jonathan thought to himself. Then again, Zack''s worries are also related to the Master''s test. The next second, Mr. Jonathan smiled. He seeped his consciousness into the storage ring. Where there is a dark ball flickering with purple light all over it. Looking at the object, coincidentally, this thing also fell into my hands. This thing will help Zack raise his strength to another level. "Before the start of the event, I must make another trip back to outpost 1012." Jonathan muttered to himself. Jonathan decided to hand over this thing to Zack. This is something he obtained personally, not given by his master. So he knows that his master won''t stop him from giving this thing to Zack. After making up his mind, Jonathan sent a message to Zack by saying, "Don''t worry, the thing you need will arrive before the event." "Master has decided to go there." I don''t know whether I can go along with him or not. " Jonathan thought to himself. Then, retracting his mind from these thoughts, he continues to do his work .... (From MC''s POV) Dinner time, James Lockwood Residence, "Uncle, other than Monster Zone, is there any place where I can train myself?" I asked while looking at Uncle James. I know he hates it when someone starts to talk while eating. But surprisingly, the uncle is patient. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Mr. James observes Zack with a calm face. Zack doesn''t know that his discussion with Mr. Arthur has already reached Mr. James'' ears. Mr. James knows that Zack is worried about the Crimson Hall Event. Unlike Star Tower, there might be an open battle. The duel can also be viewed directly. So there is a slight possibility that Zack may come across strong opponents. He discussed it with Arthur. The only thing that could help Zack at this time was to find a way to improve his strength. Right now, after hearing Zack''s question. Mr. James thought of something. He knows a place that is a den of bandits. That place is quite close to Tier-8 City. Due to natural obstructions, the officials weren''t able to solve this banditry. But from time to time, the city lord recruited some brave warriors for a mission. which includes the killing of bandits and clearing up their dens. After thinking about it, he looked at Zack and said, "There is a place where you can hone your skills. But that place might have Trainee Warriors" Hearing his words, I began to think. Trainee Warriors are the same as Class-3 Monsters. If I burst out with all my strength, I can take care of the Initial Trainee Warriors. But above such a level, it is impossible. Then, without knowing about the place, I don''t want to make a decision. So I asked, "Uncle, can you tell me about the place?" Mr. James answered, "There is a bandit group creating problems for Tier-8 City." Then he added, "The bandit group is hiding in a forest located outside of the city. Very often they are involved in robbery and killings. " My eyes lit up with surprise upon hearing about bandits. This might be the right place for me to test my skills. Fighting against monsters is one thing, but I want to know the human heart. These nefarious bandits might be the right option. Then I thought of something and asked, "Uncle, If they are really hiding in a forest, Why don''t they send strong warriors to eradicate them? " Mr. James chuckled. He expected this question from him. Shaking his head, Mr. James commented, "This forest is not something that anyone can enter. But these bandits found some way to live there. " "Interesting!" I muttered. Without waiting for Zack to reply, Mr. James continues to say, "This forest has a nickname called the insect zone. Like Monster Zone, this forest is heaven for some insect species. " This is something new to me. I had seen some insect monsters previously. But what my uncle is describing is something new. Mr. Jameseasily saw through Zack''s thoughts. He commented, "I know you are comparing it with Class Monsters. But these insects were not classified as monsters. They don''t have a long lifespan. But what makes them deadly is their venom. There is a record that some trainee warriors who were bitten by these insects were found dead. " Then looking at Zack, he further added, "That''s why no one is willing to go there. After realizing this, the city lord started to recruit people. And these people often try to venture into the forest. But the majority of them died. Some found a few traces of bandits, that''s all." I commented, "So no one succeeded in killing them." Mr. James answered, "Officials often kill those bandits who walk out of the forest. The officials built a few camps outside of the forest. If any bandits come out, they will meet a miserable end. " There is such a thing, by hearing Uncle''s words. I can only imagine that the operation is not small. I heard these bandits usually have treasures inside their den. On the other hand, Granny Park didn''t stop the two of them from talking. She was used to watching them like this. She finished her food without waiting for them. Next, I didn''t answer directly. I continue to finish the food on my plate. I''ll talk to him after finishing the food. Mr. James, who is watching Zack''s actions, wasn''t surprised. Venturing into a deadly insect forest is not a small thing. If it were for another young warrior, he wouldn''t have any hope. But Zack is different he has lightning element. Next, he too continues to eat food. Chapter 319 Part 2 : New Place To Train Time Progresses, One hour later, inside the study room, "Have you decided?" Mr. James asked, looking at Zack in front of him. He knows it''s not an easy decision, but he wants to see whether Zack is willing or not. Hearing Uncle''s question, I immediately answered, "Well, I decided to go there. But Uncle, I want to know, normally you wouldn''t allow me to visit a place like this. But now what happened? " "He caught on!" Mr. James thought to himself. Next, with a smile, he answered, "I believe those insects won''t be a problem for you because of your element. The majority of insect species dislike lightning. So you only need to focus on those bandits. " "Is there such a thing?" I asked. I hadn''t expected to hear such good news. If I go there, then I''m obviously ahead of some warriors. I don''t need to waste my time on grouping. Mr. James said with a smile, "Yes, consider it one of the advantages of being a lighting warrior." I nodded at him and asked, "Uncle, When can I go there? " I want to return in time before the event. The bandit mission is not something that is going to end in one or two days. I believe it will take at least one or two months. Mr. James said, "Well, it''s up to you. You can leave tomorrow also. " Then Mr. James thought about something and added, "Zack, one more thing. I suspect the boss of bandits might be on the same level as me, a Peak Trainee Warrior. One step closer to becoming a warrior of the elite. Just take care of those low-level bandits. Don''t think about testing deep waters. " I understand Uncle James'' worries. Only a fool would fight such an existence. I''m only thinking about fighting against initial level trainee warriors. "Don''t worry Uncle, I know my limits" I assured him with strong determination. Seeing that, Mr. James smiled and said, "Well, you can leave tomorrow. For travel expenses, I will send you some credit points. " I nodded at him, then we talked about a few other things before I left the study room. After coming back to my room, I laid on my bed comfortably. "This trip is going to be more fun than mountain Liz. New people, new location, new enemies. Everything is going to be new," I muttered to myself. Earlier, I was worried about a breakthrough. Since lightning, treasure has been something rare. I shouldn''t be dwelling on this. I need to first cultivate normally. Increase my lightning essence on a daily basis. After making up my mind, I shut my eyes off to sleep. On the other hand, Mr. James was on a call with Mr. Arthur. "Are you really planning to send Zack to that place?" Mr. Arthur asked, back in tension. Mr. James smiled and answered, "I''m not planning. I already talked to Zack about this. And he agreed to go there to train." Mr. Arthur felt he had been struck by lightning. For a moment, none of them said anything. Finally, Mr. Arthur breaks the silence by saying, "That forest is not something for humans. You are underestimating the dangers there." Mr. James sighed internally. About Zack''s element, only a few people knew about this. His confidence also comes from Zack''s element. But he obviously can''t reveal it to Arthur. "Nothing will happen to him. This is something necessary for him. He can''t always fight monsters. He needs to understand the evil nature of humans also. " Mr. James said in a solemn tone. Mr. Arthur doesn''t know what to say. Finally, before ending the call, He answered, "If Zack can come back alive from this, Then the Crimson Hall event will be nothing in his eyes. " ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? A quick glint flashes in Mr. James'' eyes. Obviously, he understands the meaning behind the author''s words. Those geniuses from Tier-7 cities were nothing compared to nefarious bandits. Mr. James really wanted to see the day. Where Zack can shine brightly among those talented warriors. The following day, I left home early and picked up an air car for travel. Soon, the air car landed near the train station. After paying the fees, I headed straight towards the waiting area. There is some time before the train arrives. Like always, I need to travel via Red Stone City. After finding the empty seat in the waiting area, I sat back and waited for the train to arrive. Last night, I received the necessary information from my uncle. The insect forest is called the ourez forest. And nearby Tier-8 is called Ironpost City. A gleam flashes in my eyes, recalling the name. Last night, when I first heard it I wondered whether their city wall is made of iron. Shaking my head, I thought about the City Lord. His name is Aaron Powell, Peak Trainee Wind Warrior. Recalling the bandit boss'' strength I thought, if not for the City Lord, the bandit would have long since acted. Fortunately, this place is not located far away from the Red Stone City. I can reach it in a day. Time Progresses, Sometime later, I boarded the train to Red Stone City. I need to shift to another one before reaching the destination. Soon, two hours later, the train reaches the platform of Red Stone City. I walked out and headed to another platform to board my next train. While Zack was on his trip, someone was exploding in rage inside the Hansen Campus. Hansen Campus "Which madman let him go?" Elder Thornton inside Arthur''s cabin roared in anger. He was furious because nobody told him about Zack''s trip to the Ourez forest. Mr. Arthur panicked greatly. He knew this was going to happen. But it''s impossible to stop Zack. That kid had already made up his mind to go there. It''s impossible to convince him to return. Looking at silent Arthur, veins begin to pop up on Elder Thornton''s head. Seeing the expression of Elder Thornton, Mr. Arthur hurriedly said, "Elder, you know it''s not due to me. The decision was made by Zack''s family. I''m totally helpless about it. " Elder Thornton snorted coldly, saying, "That brat told me that he would come back to continue his blood test. But now he is going to that damned place. which is a lot worse than Monster Zone." Mr. Arthur laughed wryly in his heart. He doesn''t know how to cool him down. Chapter 320 Tier -8: Iron Post City (From MC''s POV) Several hours later, I arrived at the train station in Iron Post City. After entering the city, I discovered that it is similar to Red Stone City. After finding the hotel, I settled in. Although it''s similar, I find some gloomy atmosphere all over the place. It''s best to find out about the current events in the city. After gaining some clarity, I made a call to the room server. Soon, I heard a knock on the door. A middle-aged person wearing a black tuxedo stood in front of me. Upon seeing me, he immediately greeted me, "Esteemed guest, is there something you want?" Hearing that, I nodded and replied, "I really want something. It''s not food but information. " A quick glint flashes in his eyes. He looked at me for a moment before he nodded. Then the server quickly entered the room, following behind me. Upon reaching the small study hall in the room, I sat comfortably and placed one fire affinity stone on the table. The server''s mood lit up when he saw the stone. He immediately asked, "Esteemed guest, you can ask me about anything." Hearing that, I began to ask questions. A couple of minutes later, The server man left the room with a fire affinity stone in his hands. "The City Lord is very interesting," I muttered, while recalling the information. This city is like any other vibrant city. Trade and business in the cities were enough to run the city. But because the trade route is often interrupted by the atrocities of bandits, the city suffered huge losses. The City Lord tried several means to put an end to it. But he failed whenever there was a chance of success. The bandits flee into the insect forest. Because of the bandits'' actions, the transit route is disturbed. And the businesses inside the city have also been hit. It may look like a bright day, but there is actually a gloomy atmosphere surrounding the city. To think that such a forest is so close to such a bustling city. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. Then to put an end to this matter. The City Lord tried to attract various warriors to come to their city. He announced as long as people submit the head of the bandit. They can get their rewards. The rewards are very lucrative; it''s 50,000 credit points per bandit head. With such a sum, I don''t know whether the city is rich or the City Lord. Shaking my head, I thought about Bandit Head. The server man said nothing about the bandit hideout or their bandit boss. It''s surprising that they have little information about the insect forests. It is the same as what my uncle told me last night. Maybe I''m asking the wrong person. The server person might have had limited knowledge about this. It''s better to go out tomorrow and ask around. Just as I was pondering, my sci-fi watch lit up with a notification. I read it casually. "No way!" I exclaimed all of a sudden. It was a message from Mr. Jonathan. After taking a look at the message again, I breathed in relief. Mr. Jonathan replied that he would give me what I needed. Obviously, I need lightning resources. From his message, I can infer that he has found some things suitable for me. A small smile rose on my face upon realising this. I can finally put my worries about essence cultivation to rest. Fortunately, things went well for me in the end. Now I can focus on the things before me. I''ll go outside tomorrow after taking a rest today. I don''t want to come across unnecessary trouble at night. The following day, I left the hotel after having breakfast. Then I plan to roam around the city and find a suitable place to gather information. Time went by. One hour later, I stepped inside a bar. Looking at the people inside the room, I wasn''t surprised. All of them were warriors. What is more surprising is that I couldn''t see through a few people. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? All of them were having fun and chatting. My entrance didn''t attract anyone, so I quickly found a corner to sit in. Then I ordered something to eat. The thing that interests me will soon be heard by me. From a nearby table, two warriors were conversing with each other. "Damn, these bandits. Our new team was almost wiped out. Now several of them are injured. It''s hard to participate in future missions" One of the warriors said with a bitter smile. His teammate, who is sitting opposite him, made a comment, "I don''t know how many missions we have to do to get rewards, like the bandit mission." He is not good-looking either. Both of them begin to pour down their worries with the help of the drink. I sighed, trying to imagine someone posing a threat to the City Lord. He must be at the same level as him. Otherwise, the city lord would have long acted. Now the bandit head is back, using the opportunity to disturb the trade route as much as possible. which led to the loss of several lives. The bandits were never easy. The origin of them is also not so clear. At this point, I recalled Uncle''s words. He never wanted me involved too deeply. As long as I get certain experience, then it''s fine. The City Lord is in charge of the bandit problem. If he is afraid of life, then he can only do these kinds of things. Shaking my head, I thought it would be easy if they hired some Elite Warriors to come over. To raise such money for a mission. I believe the City Lord has enough money to reward an Elite Warrior. Why isn''t he doing it? A question popped up in my mind. When I tried to understand the problem, several questions came to mind. At this point in time, from another table A warrior commented, "Hey, tomorrow the city lord is going to recruit another few batches for the mission." Hearing that, the people inside the room immediately sneered. I looked at the person who made a comment. There is a crystal badge pinned on his chest. Looking at the emblem, I realised the warrior is from the Parazam Hunter League. To have a badge, one must have reached some level in the Parazam hunter league. So this guy is clearly not a rookie. So why is he making bold comments about the City Lord here? While I was looking at him, suddenly his companion made a point. He sneered by saying, "What a batch! They are simply sending everyone to their death bed. It''s best not to go over there at all" Another badge-wearing person. What''s up with these two? Clearly, these warriors are not afraid of city guards arresting them. Crazy! What''s more surprising is that no one is stopping him or refusing him. Suddenly, a thought rose in my heart. It''s best to leave this place and inquire somewhere else. I stood up from my seat and made my way towards the exit. Fortunately, my visit didn''t displease anyone, or I should say, none of them cared. Then, after making several rounds around the city, I went back to my room. Back in my room, I lay down in my bed. Today''s event clearly opened my eyes. Why are warriors behaving like lawless individuals? I still find something amiss with the Parazam Hunter League. They suffer in business due to the City Lord''s inaction against bandits. For the hunter league, they also need skilled warriors to complete their mission. Now the majority of the strong warriors are focused on the bandits'' mission. I believe hardly anyone is taking up their mission. No wonder there were a lot of dissatisfied voices. What to do? It''s troublesome to visit the City Lord''s mansion tomorrow. To select warriors for the mission Obviously, they record information about everyone. which is not good for me. If my lighting element is exposed, then it would be more troublesome. I rack my mind to find some solutions. Finally, I thought of something. To act as cannon fodder. No one will care about such an existence. They obviously don''t record information about cannon fodder apart from their basic details. I heard from my uncle that there is a camp outside the city. Whichever is the best place to start, I may come across a team. Who knows, there might be someone hiring me as Cannon fodder. The troublesome forest is a dangerous place to venture alone. Since, I''m going to stay here for months. There is no hurry to venture into the forest. After making up my mind, I sent a message to Uncle James and Granny Park. An image of Hansen campus flashes before my eyes. Talking about Elder Thornton, he must be furious right now. If not for our earlier conversation, I would have talked to him. I shook my head. I shut my eyes off. Time Progresses, At dinner time, Instead of going out, I ordered food from the hotel. After gobbling down the food, I went back to my room. The following day, I woke up earlier. After getting ready, I left the hotel. I need to go to the north side of the city to venture outside. Soon, I reached the north gate via air cab. I can see warriors standing in a queue. I hope they won''t inquire about my identity. But looking at their behaviour, I bet it''s possible. Chapter 321 Part 1: Collecting Intel Tier-8-Iron Post City, When I reached the exit gate, I saw warriors were lining up in a queue. And the city guards were maintaining the order and a few of them began to screen the warriors. For identification, I noticed warriors showed their ID. As for me, I decided to use Hansen Campus'' ID. Since I''m a student, there won''t be any problems for me going outside. Soon, one by one, warriors exited from the gate, and eventually my turn came up. The city guard said, "Show me your identification card!" Then hearing that I gave him the ID. The city guard took the ID from me and began to verify the details. Soon after confirming the identity, he gave back the ID to me and let me pass. I placed the ID card back on my storage ring and then walked towards the exit. Unlike I had imagined, the walls of the city were built like other cities. There are also four monitoring towers at the four corners of the city. With such strong patrolling, it''s understandable that bandits couldn''t be able to stir commotion inside the city. The outside of the city is covered with pure vegetation. There is only one road that can be seen leading somewhere. Seeing that warriors were walking along the same route, I believe it''s the usual trade route where banditry often happens. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "I need to find a camp as soon as possible," I grunted. For accommodation, I don''t think there will be any temporary huts. I guess everyone has their own camp to stay at night. Compared to Liz''s lonely mountain trip, this trip is very different. There I spent time without worrying about anything. Other than the troublesome pseudo-monsters, the mountain Liz lives on is actually quiet. Next, I followed behind another warrior. Both sides of the path are covered with green vegetation. It''s difficult to see what''s behind them. But according to the city map, I knew the city was very close to an insect forest. Time went on, After half an hour of walking, I spotted a few large camps. The Warriors can be seen taking a rest there. Seeing that, I increased my pace and in a few minutes, I reached the camp. This is actually a very large open area. I believe it''s specifically cleared out for the missions. I found there were many groups looking in our direction. Seeing their behavior, I guess they are looking for warriors to recruit into their team. I didn''t make a hasty decision after realizing. First, I''m going to figure out their strengths. If the boss of the group has Initial Trainee Warrior strength, then it is fine. Then I will join that group. But if the strength is above that criteria, I won''t join. In this atmosphere, the heart of man is difficult to understand. Who knows if there is a situation inside where people might turn against me? So I feel it''s better to be on alert. Then I found a tent where they were selling energy drinks. I decided to take this opportunity to figure out the situation around here. When I came near the tent, I found a middle-aged person behind the counter. At first glance, I can''t see through his strength. which means he might be a trainee warrior. Behind the counter, Seeing a new person coming towards the tent, the seller raised his head to see. But upon noticing it was a very young warrior, his face lit up with surprise. In curiosity, he tried to probe his strength, but his effort ended in vain. As there was a giant fog covering the person''s body, the seller failed to notice anything. Then suddenly a thought came to his mind. Recently, this insect forest''s outer area has seen lots of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. And the seller thought this young warrior might be one of those with a rich background. After figuring it out, the seller praised himself. On the other hand, Zack Lockwood I noticed the stranger was looking at me with a strange gaze. Then I immediately coughed to break the atmosphere. "Cough" "Cough" The seller immediately breaks out of his dream. Then, looking at the person before him, he asked in a polite tone, "Young Warrior, What do you need? " Seeing the seller''s friendly attitude, I was slightly surprised, but I didn''t show it on my face. "Give me one energy drink," I said. Hearing that, the seller immediately went inside to bring the drink. Next, I focused my attention on those groups. I can see the teams are talking to lots of warriors who are coming out of the city for bandit missions. The reward for bandit head is such a lucrative reward. Suddenly, a specific group attracted my attention, where as many as twenty warriors could be seen in this group. "20 people in a team?" I muttered in surprise. "Yeah, they are the fire crow team." A voice sounded from behind. When I heard that, I turned to see the seller who had returned with the energy drink. A quick glint flashes in my eyes; this guy might be the right person to ask. I asked, "Do you know everything? The seller smiled and replied, "Well, I know a few things about the teams. If you want to know, you can come inside. " I nodded and walked inside the tent. The seller told his helper to watch the shop on behalf of him. We came to the back of the tent, where the seller''s own tent can be seen. Looking at the tent, I guessed this guy was actually staying here at night. I thought these people would return back to the city at night. Then I entered his little camp along with him. After sitting cross-legged, the seller said, "Let me introduce myself. I''m Remington Talley. I''m a fire element trainee warrior. I''m a native of Iron Post City. So you can tell, I knew a lot of things since I grew up here." Hearing that, I nodded, but I didn''t believe him because of his words. After getting his information, I needed to find its authenticity. Seeing the calm expression of the young warrior, Remington realized one thing. It''s not easy to convince others. Especially in this place where banditry is rampant. Thinking about it, Remington reveals an embarrassing smile & takes out his ID card to show. I took his ID card to see. I muttered, "Burke Trading Centre." This guy is currently working at Burke Trading Centre as a clerk. So I can see that in order to earn more profit, they had set up a stall here to sell their items. From this energy drink, I can infer that their main commodity is beverages. After taking a look at the ID one more time, I gave it to him. "Young warrior, are you convinced?" Remington asked while taking back the ID. "To be honest, I don''t care about your background. As long as your information is fine, I can pay you with credit points. " I said with a smile. "Straight to the point," Remington uttered. Then Remington added, "As long as the young warrior is willing to pay 2000 credit points. I can tell you everything that I know. " I replied, "1000 credit points no more. Because I''m not in a hurry, I can spend a few more days collecting the information. So you can think about it. " Remington was displeased, but again he realized the information which he knew was not that secret. If this young man spends some time in the city to ask around, he will eventually know. After realizing this, he sighed in his heart, "It''s not easy to fool young people these days." Then Remington compromised in his heart and said, "Alright, 1000 credit points is okay for me." Because the beverages he sold were at a cost of 10 points/energy credit. and his monthly salary is 3000 credit points. He''s thinking about earning 1000 credit points by selling known information. He feels it''s worth it. Only secretive information sells for higher prices. After figuring it out, he looked at Zack and said, "Well, I''ll start with hunting teams. Currently, there are a total of 10 teams in this camp. The top three teams were exceptionally strong; each team killed at least 40 bandits." "40 bandits!" I exclaimed in surprise. What is the concept? How many warriors are actually involved in banditry? Remington wasn''t surprised to see Zack''s reaction. He said with a bitter smile and replied, "I know what you are thinking. The City Lord''s negligence led up to such a calamity. A few years ago, the city did not look like this. There is no strict law whatsoever. Bribery and corruption are everywhere. And there is no strict screening of people coming over here. Slowly, the city has turned into such a state now." From his explanation, it''s still hard to believe the number of bandits in the forests. I looked at him and asked, "Do you know the approximate number of bandits still hiding in the forests?" Remington took a moment to reply, "I heard there are still 500 bandits hiding in the forests." 500 bandits The number is quite astonishing. How do these people tackle these numbers with just 20 hunting teams? Uncle had previously warned me not to get too involved in this matter. Chapter 322 Part 2: Collecting Intel (From MC''s POV) When it comes to 20 hunting teams, apart from those 10 teams I believe there are also a few other unknown teams in this area. which may be suitable for me to join those teams. And also, I came here to hone my skills, not for a mission. So, as my Uncle said, I need to mind my own business. Then looking at Remington, I asked, "I don''t think there are only 10 teams in this mission. What about others? " A quick glint flashes before Remington''s eyes. From these few conversations, he understands that the young man in front of him is not dumb. So he decided to answer truthfully, "Well, obviously there are others. But the strength of other teams was low. And their leader''s strength may range from peak special trainee to initial trainee warrior. " A small smile rose on my face. This is what I wanted. As I guessed earlier, there were other teams who took the same mission. Seeing changes in Zack''s expression, Reminginton asked, "Young man, do you want to join any team?" Hearing that, I nodded. One thing I noticed so far is that the previous Star Tower''s competition spotlight has faded away. And people didn''t remember me that much. But if I join any strong team, there might be some unnecessary trouble. Various thoughts run in my mind. On the other hand, Remington Tally wasn''t surprised by Zack''s answer. If not for the mission, he doubted there would be any valid reason. The problem is that he couldn''t see through this young man''s strength. So he couldn''t think of any suitable teams. Besides, it''s not easy to join those top teams just like that. He knows that behind those top teams, there is usually someone behind the top support. They include their own men in their mission team. As a result, he doubted that there were many openings for newcomers. Remington didn''t think about other teams. There is nothing to gain by joining weak teams. Even if they do earn something, later they will be bullied by strong teams. Some are even forced to transfer their credit points. So there is also one thing for warriors to join top teams; it''s about their safety. Top team members can keep their money. No one would bully them. There is no theft or killing faced by strong teams. So there are numerous advantages for warriors if they join a strong team. Seeing Remington''s silence, I thought something was wrong. So I asked, "What happened?" Hearing that, Remington Talley set his gaze at Zack and replied, "Young man, I don''t know your thoughts. But it''s not easy to join top teams. " Then he continues to say, "To join the top teams, you need to pass their test. In particular, you need to get the approval of the backer behind their team. " I was taken back by his answer. I immediately replied by saying, "I''m not thinking about joining any strong team at all." Remington Talley was dumbfounded by his words. Usually, warriors die to join a strong team. But this young man, Remington, couldn''t understand him at all. Seeing the stupefied expression of Remington, I said with a smile, "I won''t stay here for long. I came here to gain some fighting experience. So it''s not good to join a strong team where their goal is to complete the mission. '''' Remington is enlightened by Zack''s words. "As expected, a young man from an influential background." He muttered in his heart. He heard heirs of influential backgrounds go to the outside world to gain experience. So this is the first time in his life that he has met such a person. So there were some changes in his attitude. He coughed twice to break the silence. "Cough" "Cough" "Young man, if you just came here to gain fighting experience, Then I can recommend a team, "Remington said in a calm tone. His words piqued my interest. Actually, I''m quite waiting for this. I know how come these trade people don''t have any contact with warriors. So I asked with some surprise, "Oh, can you tell me about the team?" Remington smiled and said, "Iron Hammer Team." Then he continued to say, "Actually, the leader of the team is Mervin Waller, a water element-peak special trainee warrior. He is also one of our trade center''s protector" A surprise glint flashes in my eyes. Well, this is a very close connection to their trade centre. Usually, these protectors were employed to safeguard their goods and staff from bandits. It''s really surprising to see such warriors take up the mission. I commented, "He is really daring." I neither said it in a humble nor an arrogant tone. I said with appreciation. These people usually keep to themselves. They don''t do anything that would jeopardise their careers. But this Mervin guy was actually on such a perilous mission. Remington reveals a bitter smile by hearing that he replied, "Young warrior, Mervin Waller, lost some of his good friends due to these bandits. Some of them were killed while he was acting as the protector" I sighed internally, then nodded in understanding. Speaking of his team, if this guy really is a peak special trainee, then none of them can force me. I can do my business. There is no pressure whatsoever. After thinking about it, I realised this is a suitable team for me to join. In particular, the background of the person is also not scary. Especially when comparing this team to a strong team with backers. This team is very suitable for me. I asked, "This team is good. Can you tell me everything about the team?" including their competitors and supporters. " A hint of appreciation flashes in Remington''s eyes. He realised this conversation felt more like some kind of business deal than a natural conversation. Shaking his head, he answered, "Well, it''s natural to have competitors. However, in this forest, the most important thing is to avoid these venomous bugs rather than bandits" Then he added further, "Even if you somehow survived from these bandits. Later, you will be robbed by other hunting teams. " My face condensed a little bit by hearing this. This is the nature of the human heart. By robbing the same teams, they will earn some extra money. Well, every team has their own advantages and disadvantages. So I''m slightly aware of the dangers. Besides, I''m not planning to bond with the team. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? If there is an opportunity, I will look for those bandits alone. I sighed internally, I looked towards Reminginton and answered, "Well, I''m ready to join this team, but I''m going to leave after a month." Earlier, I thought about staying here for one or two months. But after knowing that it''s even hard to survive here, I changed my mind. It''s better not to get involved too much in this mission. After hearing Zack''s confirmation, Remington smiled. because he also has some interest in this help. He wants to have business contact with Zack. "There is a good opportunity for growth. I can get some kind of business deal, I can get a promotion for sure," Remington said in his heart. Then he looked at Zack and said, "Young man, since you had decided. Let''s not waste time here. You can return to the city. I''ll arrange a meeting with the team tomorrow. " And taking a look at the surroundings for the moment, he added further, "This place is not suitable for meetings. If some people knew, then it would cause some trouble." I nodded, then we talked about a few other things before I left his tent. At first, I came here to look for a good team to join. Now that I have joined. I decided to go back to the city. Seeing the disappearing back of Zack, Remington said in his heart, "I made a decision on behalf of Mervin. That guy has a lot of temper. I don''t know whether he is going to agree with this." Later, he decided to have a conversation with Mervin before the meeting. Because right now, Mervin is doing the mission inside the forest. It will take some time for him to return. Once Mervin comes back with his team, Remington decides to convince him somehow. On the other hand, I returned to the same hotel an hour later. Fortunately, there was no accident while coming back. After coming back to the room, I took a shower. I''m glad that the first hurdle is solved. And I''m looking forward to the meeting tomorrow. Time Progresses, Late evening, Three burley middle-aged men walked out of the insect forest. Damn, these pigs. I couldn''t wait to hack them to death, "one of the warriors gnashed his teeth in hatred." Hearing that, the other two kept silent. These three people were none other than members of the Iron Hammer team. After walking out of the forest, both of them walked towards their camp area. Soon all of them came to Remington''s tent. All of their faces looked a little bit solemn. Remington, who was behind the counter, noticed three of them. Seeing their haggard expression, he feels something is wrong. Suddenly, he thought of something. "Why did three of them only come back?" What about the other two?" Chapter 323 Manager Peter Tier-8 Iron Post City, Remington Talley couldn''t digest the fact that his worst nightmare had come true. The Iron Hammer team lost two more members. Now the team is left with just 3 members. From looking at their haggard expressions, Remington gets the feeling that it''s difficult for them to continue the mission. Among three of them, the middle one is the leader and his friend, Mervin Waller. And the one who sat right beside him is Spencer Gill, Fire element Middle Level Special Trainee, and the last one is Gavin Cowen, Earth element Middle Level Special Trainee. The atmosphere became solemn. Remington saw no one was ready to talk about what happened back in the forest. From his experience, he has already seen through some things. Remington thought they suffered from the backhand of those guys. The iron hammer team is not weak. So why the state of their current condition? It''s because of their unwillingness to give in. Remington knows that whenever this team faced oppression from those strong teams, they fought back. Which led to the loss of lives and resources. Thinking about those previous events, Remington sighs. On the other hand, Mervin Waller clenches his fists in sheer anger. The sheer anger that he feels towards himself The inability to fight back and the later consequences faced by the team His friends and colleagues, whoever joined because of him, were reduced to bones. Seeing the state of their leader, the two warriors beside him also kept silence. They were not in the right state of mind to console him. It''s already a miracle for them to escape alive with their leader. Time went on. ? Finally, Remington broke the silence by asking, "Mervin, can you tell me now?" What exactly happened? " Hearing his words, Mervin retracted his thoughts from his painful memories. Then he raised his head to look at Remington. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? He slowly opened his mouth and said, "It''s all due to the Black Fist Team." "Back Fist Team, 9th strongest team?" Remington muttered. Mervin nodded his head and continued to say, "Yeah, it''s actually those guys. When we were fighting against those bandit groups, These people from the Black Fist Team are actually waiting behind us. " Then he added further, "When we finally killed those bandits, these guys ambushed us." Ron and Jackson died in their hands. We were forced to escape from them. Fortunately, three of them succeeded in slipping away from their hands. Remington breaks out in a cold sweat. Typically, the top five teams engage in this type of bullying. teams don''t have any courage at all. So he is surprised by these changes. Looking at Mervin, Remington asked, "Is it true?" If this news is true, then the survivability of other teams also becomes questionable. Mervin said, "Yes, at first I was too surprised by them." Before this incident, whenever we encountered other teams, we would separate from them. But these guys targeted us right from the start. " Remington thought this was a very serious development. Before the next mission, it''s best for the team to find the reason behind this. Remington thought about something and asked, "Did any of you offend them in any way previously?" Mervin shook his head, then he glanced at two members beside him. Spencer and Gavin shook their heads at the same time. For Remington, the information is important to him. either for the iron hammer team''s safety or for collecting intelligence. Both of the proposals were crucial to him. Shaking his head, Reminginton asked, "What is your plan?" Mervin sighed and said, "I''m going to quit and disband the team forever." Remington wasn''t surprised; he had expected this. This blow is very hard. For a bandit hunting team to get approval, they need to have a minimum of three members in the team. Remington had already promised this to the young man (Zack). Seeing the current situation, he didn''t have the heart to convince them. It''s better for Mervin and others to drop this mission and get back to their previous lives. I''ll try to persuade the young man tomorrow. This bandit hunting mission is getting more and more dangerous. "I don''t want that young man to lose his life on this mission," Remington said in his heart. Then, looking at three of them before him, Remington answered, "Okay, I''ll talk to the manager about this tomorrow." You can go back and rest. " Mervin simply nodded his head and left with his two team members to rest. Seeing the disappearance of these two, Remington sent a message to Burke Trade Centre''s manager. Then, in order to collect details about the Black Fist Team. Remington decided to contact East Wood Company. East Wood Company sells weapons of all types. Remington believes they must have been aware of the recent changes taking place within the city. decided to visit them tomorrow. When it comes to the young man (Zack), he has been demoted to second priority. The following day, (From MC''s POV), I woke up early and later had breakfast at the hotel''s restaurant itself. Then, after getting changed to good attire, I waited in my hotel room for quite some time. "Remington told me to wait for the meeting with the team." But so far I hadn''t received any calls from him. " I muttered to myself. Then I thought about something. Maybe the iron hammer team has not yet arrived. Shaking my head, I decided to contact him. Yesterday, I got his contact info. I called him via Sci-Fi Watch. Time went on. Unfortunately, the call was not connected. "What''s going on?" I grunted. Won''t the guy backtrack all of a sudden? My expression turned a bit solemn. Shaking my head, I thought that wouldn''t be the case. I should wait a few more hours to see Meanwhile, I decided to contact Uncle James. .... On the other hand, Remington Talley closed his tent and left the camping site with other team members. On the way, all of them avoided contact with other team members. In particular, everyone increased their pace when they spotted top teams. Soon, four of them entered the city. Remington directly led them towards Burke Trading Centre. On the way, Remington received a call from Zack. After noticing it, he cancelled the call. He decided to accommodate them first. Three of them followed him silently. just as they continued to walk. Remington received another call from Zack. This time it ranged continuously. Seeing the call, Remington cancelled it. But Mervin noticed the changes and asked, "What is happening?" Do you have any other work? " Remington smiled and answered, "No, this call is related to a business deal. This call would take hours to attend. That''s why I cancelled it and decided to attend later. Mervin nodded in understanding. Soon they come across the Burke Trade Centre building. This building structure looks like a tower. It has 10 floors. When they came inside the building, Remington contacted the manager. After getting his reply, Remington confirmed that the manager is still in the building. Then he led everyone inside, after arranging for them to stay in the waiting area. Remington walked towards the manager''s room. "Creak," the door opens. Inside the cabin, An old man is sitting behind the desk. Seeing the person, Richmond greeted him and told him about the situation. Manager Peter, He is 60 years old. Since the launch of the company, he has been part of it. After hearing the situation, Manager Peter''s expression condensed. From the beginning, he opposed the idea of forming a bandit hunting team. It''s not their cup of tea, but unfortunately, some of the protectors sided with Mervin and joined his bandit hunting team. After several gruelling defeats, their team is now left with three members. On the other hand, Remington is really tense. Forget about the bandits'' hunting team, he himself is not sure whether they can secure their old jobs. At the very beginning, the old man opposed the idea. But everyone sided with Mervin. They were on the same page as Mervin to eradicate bandits. Now that he thought about the old memories, Reminginton sighed inside. The atmosphere becomes solemn for a moment. Neither of them were ready to speak about the issue. Where Remington hoped that the old man would give another leash of life to them. He also stated that if he disagrees, Mervin will spend his entire heart seeking vengeance. He will add a few other members to the team. Then he will lead others on the mission. Remington sighed, imagining it. He is afraid it will repeat the vicious cycle again. Without knowing about the recent developments, it''s foolish to think about the mission. On the other hand, manager Peter fell into contemplation. Actually, he doesn''t want them back as a protector. But the current situation of their trade centre is in a critical condition. Burke Trade Centre urgently needs well-trained protectors. Since there is a vacancy, he finally agreed to reappoint them. But he also hopes that Mervin will listen to his words. Manager Peter sighed and looked at Reminginton, "Alright, our trade centre urgently needs protectors." I''m ready to reappoint them, but on one condition. " Remington was surprised by his words and asked, "What condition?" Manager Peter replied, "They should forget about the bandit hunting mission." Chapter 324 East Wood Company? The City of Iron Post, Burke Trade Centre, Remington Talley is glad that the manager agreed to appoint them. And also, his condition was not so excessive. Even he does not want them back in Bandit Hunting Mission. Shaking his head, Remington decided to leave. But suddenly, he thought of something. He had intended to contact the Black Fist Team. But he decided not to talk about this. He is just another employee in this trade centre. He doesn''t want to take too many liberties. Even if he crossed their bottomline, it might cause some problems for his career. Then he talked about a few other things with Manager Peter before leaving the room. Manager Peter, then continued to do his previous work. Remington Talley arrived at the waiting area. Observing three of them nervously waiting He smiled and walked towards them. "Mervin?" He called out his name. Seeing that Remington had arrived, Mervin asked with hopeful eyes, "What happened inside?" Did that old thing agree? " Remington smiled wryly. His tone is the same as always. "Manger Peter agreed to appoint all three of you back." But he doesn''t want any of you to return to the bandit hunting mission. " Mervin''s eyes were pained." Actually, he is helpless right now. since he doesn''t know how to get revenge. For the time being, he decided to get back to his old job. But now that he has thought about the conditions, Mervin is silent. At this time, Spencer and Gavin looked at each other. "Leader, we will support you on whatever choice you make," Spencer said, looking at his leader. Hearing that, Reminginton''s face condensed. "These guys, Last night I had a good talk with them. But still they are not able to overcome. " Then he thought about the place. Walls have ears; it''s a good place to comment on bandit hunting missions. Remington said, "Alright, let''s walk outside." Then four of them walked out of the building after leaving their premise. Remington impatiently asked, "Mervin, I can help you with this much." But if you still had plans for revenge, Then you should forget your old job. Mervin glanced at his teammates. He seems to have made some decisions at this point. Then he looked at Remington and said, "Thank you for your help, Remmy." But I realised that I needed some alone time right now. I''ll meet you a few days later. " After saying that, he left with his two team members. Remington sighs, looking at the disappearance of three of them. "He still has two minds." Remington muttered. He thought about others since the first thing was done. It''s good that he didn''t arrange the meeting. Remington assumed that the young man (Zack) had transferred to another team. And he doesn''t have much contact with other teams. He knows a few guys in other teams, but he doesn''t trust them at all. Shaking his head, he decided to call that young man .... (From MC''s POV) My eyes opened suddenly after hearing the notification buzz. After looking at the time, it''s been more than an hour since I shut my eyes off. I looked at my communication watch and found that it was a call from Remington Talley. "Looks like he didn''t forget his words," I muttered. Next, when the call is connected Remington told me about the meeting spot. Then, after ending the call, I exited my room right away. I''m curious to see how these teams fared. I know this bandit hunting team is different from the usual monster hunting teams. I believe some warriors had experience of killings. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? After walking out of the hotel, I walked towards the location. It''s a cafeteria, which is quite close to my location. I appreciate his choice of spot. I thought he might choose some famous restaurant or landmark. But this cafeteria is not that famous. Soon, I arrived at the cafeteria, where a huge billboard can be seen above the shop. "Blue Leaf Cafeteria," I exclaimed. nice name. After stepping inside, I found Remington was waiting for me at the counter. Seeing me coming, he led me towards the other area. "I already booked a private room to talk," Remington said. A slight glint flashes in my eyes. Why is he alone? What about others? I looked around and found that no one was following us. I thought he came with the iron hammer team. That''s why he is late. Soon, two of them entered a room. There is a simple sofa chair to sit on and talk on. After taking their seats, Remington told the server that he would order later. Remington sighs, seeing Zack''s surprised face. He helplessly commented, "I know you must be surprised right now." But it''s impossible for you to join the iron hammer team. " Hearing that, my expression bit condensed and I asked, "What happened?" Hearing that Remington told everything that happened yesterday and the current state of Mervin''s mind. After explaining everything, he further added, "So without knowing what is happening right now, It''s not safe for you to join any teams. The Black Fist team must be planning something. If they find an iron hammer team, they will surely target their team members." This? I''m quite dumbfounded. I thought things were alright. As long as I don''t offend top teams, I can spend time here training. But the muddy water here is truly very deep. Every day has some changes to look after. After hearing his explanation, I completely gave up the idea of joining the iron hammer team. I sighed inside and also, I''m getting nervous. The environment here is quite scarier than at Crimson Hall. This is just a Tier-8 city, but Crimson Hall is a Tier-7 city. Looking at the silent expression of Zack, Reminginton said, "I knew you must be disappointed." But things are not easy here. If you really want to take such a risk, it''s up to you. " Hearing that, I fell into contemplation. This guy has great convincing skills. Even now, I''m hesitating to accept the mission. But the hesitation was for a moment, then it completely disappeared. Looking at the upcoming Crimson Hall event, I have no choice but to accept the bandit hunting mission. Then, looking at his face, I asked, "Is there any team that I can join apart from the Iron Hammer Team?" Remington is deeply surprised. This young man is quite unexpected. He took some time to advise him, but still, this young man is hell bent on accepting the bandit hunting mission. He really doesn''t want to guide him wrong. His relationships with other weak teams were not close. If it were a normal time, he would have advised. But things were changing constantly, and he even himself wasn''t able to find any trustworthy team to recommend. "I''m sorry, Mr. Zack. I don''t know about the other teams. Remington said with a sigh. Hearing his clear-cut answer, I don''t want to force him. I nodded and said, "Well, I know your difficulties." So, I don''t mind it. Thank you for your help. " After saying that, I stood up from the seat since he had no other way to join the team. So I feel it''s time to leave. Remington Talley really wanted to help. But he strongly thinks that instead of giving bad advice, It''s better not to help. Seeing that he was ready to leave, he suddenly thought about something. "EastWood Company," he said in his heart. Then, looking at Zack, he said, "Young man, hold on a second." Hearing that, I turned towards him. Remington commented, "The reason I''m helpless about your request is because I don''t know about the other teams. But I know someone who does." A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I''m ready to listen. "You can tell me," I said. Then I sat back in the seat. Remington nodded and said, "There is a famous artefact company in our city." The company is called "EastWood Company." Then he added further, "From outside, it may look like they are selling all kinds of artefacts in a day. But in the dark they do other business. It''s about selling and collecting intelligence reports. I''m not surprised about this. I''ve heard of such an organisation. To do business like this, the person behind the EastWood Company must be very powerful. Remington said, "Don''t worry, their information is quite true." since the iron hammer team is reduced to such a state. I wanted to know what happened, so I decided to collect intel from them. Hearing that, I nodded. So he really didn''t know anything. Maybe this company can help me find a reliable team to join. But all of a sudden, images of Star Tower flash before my eyes. Actually, I want to stay low-key. If this company knew my real identity, then it would be troublesome. I still have fresh memories of an assassination attempt on me. Who knows? If this East Wood Company reveals my identity behind my back, Then there is a possibility of another assassination attempt on me. I twitched. Going to EastWood Company is really a bad idea. Fortunately, I recalled it before it''s too late. Looking at Remington, I asked, "It would be great. If you share your intel with me, because I''m not coming with you to that place. " Chapter 325 Jonathan Is Back Mr. Jonathan returns back to the castle after finishing the mission. Next, he decided to head out to outerpost 1012 with his master. McClain Castle, Inside the study hall, Sir.Lowell McClain came to know that Jonathan had returned from his mission. So he is ready to meet him. "Creak," the door opens. Jonathan walked inside the room slowly. After seeing his master, he halted his footsteps and waited for him to speak. Sir, Lowell McClain stopped looking at the projection screen and turned towards Jonathan and asked, "What happened with that level-6 monster?" His words were as calm as a breeze. Jonathan raised his head to see him and answered, "Master, the monster was wiped out by our men." Hearing that, Sir. Lowell McClain nodded and said, "Good," Sir. Lowell McClain thought about something and asked, "Do you have any other work after this?" Jonathan shook his head in denial and replied, "No Master." Sir.Lowell McClain commented, "Well, there are still 2 and a half months left before that Crimson Hall event." Then he continues to say, "We will go to that outer post in two months." Jonathan sighed in relief upon hearing that. He thought it was difficult to go along with the master. But now he is glad he was worried for nothing. Then immediately, images of Zack flash before their eyes. He remembered that he needed to send back the lighting ore to Zack. "Master?" Jonathan hesitated a little bit to ask permission for this. He knew his master didn''t want to give too much help to Zack. Zack has to endure this and has to win first place at Crimson Hall''s event. After that, everything will change. His master won''t reprimand him for helping Zack. Sir.Lowell McClain clearly saw that Jonathan had some trouble. So he asked, "What is it?" Jonathan mustered up his courage and spoke to his master about the lightning core in his hands. Sir. Lowell McClain understands that the lightning core is precious to Zack. Because of it, his strength will rise by several points. Sir.Lowell McClain didn''t immediately answer. So the atmosphere becomes quite solemn around them. Jonathan''s heart skips a beat. Lately, he has been talking back to his master very frequently. A quick glint flashes in Sir Lowell McClain''s eyes. He is not displeased by Jonathan. Rather, he is thinking about allowing him to send that resource back to Zack. Sometime ago, he received credible intel from his trustworthy friend, who also happened to be one of the elders from Saw Scale Viper Academy. According to that intel, the sketch of Crimson Hall this time is very treacherous. Sacrificing thousands of young warriors for their own personal interests. The Crimson Hall is damned. It would be shocking if they didn''t arouse public anger after the event. "Experimental Zone!" He muttered in his heart. He also saw the files of that experimental zone after getting the intel from his friend. In that monster zone, the monsters were top notch among weak monster species. From mutated ones to rare tree monsters. "Crimson Hall''s sketch is really big," Sir. Lowell McClain said in his heart. He is not worried about the lives of others. From Crimson Hall''s eyes, these hundred thousand young warriors were nothing in their eyes except talented warriors. It is the same for Sir. Lowell McClain: In his eyes, the entire outpost is nothing. He knew the strong warriors were gathered in the inner post. If not for Zack''s presence, he wouldn''t care about any of this. Including Crimson Hall''s activities. At first he thought of testing Zack''s strength, so he used Crimson Hall''s event as a whetstone. But the events that have happened lately have surprised him greatly. The blatant scheme of Crimson Hall hasn''t received a backlash from academies. Those people even seem to be okay with it. It looks like the situation of academies is also not good. They urgently need talented young blood to bolster the academies. For Zack, he knows this experimental monster zone will increase Zack''s difficulty by 50%. Because some weird monsters have abilities to protect themselves from harm. It''s pointless to fight the monsters unless Zack knows about them. It''s more impossible to survive without knowledge. Sir. Lowell McClain had even read the confidential file about those monsters. He decided to give some hints to Zack about the experimental zone. Looking at Jonathan, he said, "Okay, now you can return this ore back to Zack and also, I want you to act as his guardian secretly." He stressed the last word very hard. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Jonathan is completely stumped. This is beyond his expectations. Sir. Lowell McClain thought of something and reminded, "Don''t reveal your original strength in front of him." Jonathan nodded in understanding. He knows that Zack doesn''t know about actual strength. Since the master strongly advised him not to reveal it, he won''t talk about it. "Where is he now?" sir. Lowell McClain casually asked. Jonathan was surprised to hear that. He immediately replied, "Master, yesterday I sent you a new report." "Oh!" Sir. Lowell McClain is surprised that he missed reading the report. Soon, he accessed the projection screen in front of him. He opened the inbox screen, where the new report sent by Jonathan popped up first. He opened it to look at it. It was the report about Zack''s current whereabouts. Not only Zack''s current circumstances. The report also included information about strong forces ruling that location. And what about people who might pose a threat to Zack? "Iron Post City?" Sir.Lowell McClain muttered to himself. What a name? Then he begins to read about the current environment of the city. A quick glint flashes in his eyes when he reads about the bandit hunting mission. It piqued his interest further. "This kid, why doesn''t he go to any normal places?" Sir.Lowell McClain said, with some surprise. On the other hand, Jonathan wasn''t surprised by this. because he too had the same reaction when he first heard it from Zack''s uncle. He also knew his uncle was the one who told him to do so. Jonathan also thought it was a good idea. as long as Zack is in new territory. The threat faced by him will be reduced further. It may seem that no one is eyeing Zack in public. But in the dark, some forces are staring at Hansen Campus. The public may forget about the Star Tower, but not the forces. Some forces have already suffered severe damage caused by Star Tower''s Elders. Seeing such an action, the rest of the forces were kept quiet. None of them were ready to stir up new trouble. And every force was preparing their young warriors for the Crimson Hall event. The young warriors didn''t gain much from Star Tower, so they were eyeing the Crimson Hall event. For that, they have to face the strongest obstacles from monsters and fellow competitors. The young warriors from Tier-7 City were indifferent to this. But when it comes to Tier-8 City, Zack is the strongest among young warriors. Before the Crimson Hall event, everyone wants to challenge Zack and test their strength. So there are numerous eyes on Hansen Campus in the dark. So Jonathan is glad that Zack is out of the city. On the other hand, Sir. Lowell McClain''s face frowns after reading the information about the bandits. "Insect forest, home for special bugs," he said in his heart. This place is not new to him; he has seen several places like this. But the troubling thing is, why would someone hide in the forest? An Elite Warrior? Sir Lowell McClain raised eyebrows. He convinced the bandit boss that he must be an Elite Warrior. such a large-scale operation and management of over 500 bandits. It can''t be done by low-level warriors. Even if it''s an elite warrior, it''s impossible for an ordinary warrior to do this. He also notices that this bandit issue has been going on for years. Sir.Lowell McClain felt something amiss. He raised his head and asked, "Do you have any idea about the identity of the bandit boss?" Hearing the master''s words, Jonathan begins to contemplate. He actually didn''t know about the bandit boss. But he tried to recall something from his conversation with Zack''s uncle. According to Zack''s uncle, the bandit boss might have the strength of a Peak Trainee Warrior or an Initial Elite. If it''s above, then he can easily destroy the iron post city. Because there are no Elite Warriors in all Tier-8 cities. Jonathan also suspects that the bandit is injured. That''s why he is hiding inside the insect forests. Otherwise, with his elite strength, he can easily destroy iron post cities. After pondering, Jonathan looked at his master and replied, "Master, I don''t know his identity." But I suspect the bandit boss is an elite warrior. " Sir.Lowell McClain nodded, but he still feels it''s too dangerous for Zack to be involved in this. Most of the bandits also have the strength of trainee warriors. But this kid dared to venture alone. Sir Lowell McClain feels something is amiss about this. How come a city lord let this happen? Is their superior from Tier-7 City not willing to act? There were a lot of things strange about it. Next, he looked at Jonathan and said, "Jonathan, first inform that kid to not act before you get there in person." Jonathan nodded his head in understanding. Chapter 326 Old Man Tuckers Hesitation The Iron Post City Blue leaves the cafeteria, I voiced out my concern that I''m not ready to meet Eastwood Company officials. I''m not in any kind of hurry to do the bandit hunting mission. It all takes a few days to gather information from the public. Remington Talley fell into contemplation. He thought about introducing Zack to Eastwood Company. It is a win-win situation for both of them. But this young man has a different opinion about it. Shaking his head, Reminginton sighs. He can do only this much. It''s up to the young man (Zack) whether he wants to join a good bandit hunting team or not. Then, looking at Zack, he said, "Well, good luck with your training. If you need any help in the future, you can contact me." After saying that, he walked out of the Blue Leaves cafeteria. Seeing his disappearing back, I''m glad that he didn''t make any fuss about it. In this new city, it''s not wise to make an enemy out of him. Then, looking around, I felt it didn''t make any sense to spend time here. The conversation didn''t go well, so I decided to go back to my hotel room to figure out the next course of action. ... A few minutes later, Eastwood Company, The four-story building is busy with customers. Most of them were warriors who were going on a mission. Ever since the launch of the bandit hunting mission, EastWood Company has been receiving a new wave of customers. Their artifacts were sold like hot cakes. As long as there is a mission for these warriors, the East Wood Company won''t lose these customers easily. Right now, a middle-aged man is walking in front of the entrance. To manage crowds, two entrances and two exits were used to make some room for people. The middleaged man is none other than Remington Talley. After having a conversation with Zack, he came directly to this building. Remington is standing in front of the first entrance. He knew the first three floors were for artifacts. Artifacts for trainee apprentices can be bought on the first floor. Simultaneously, artifacts for special trainees were placed on the 2nd floor for sale. And on the 3rd floor, artifacts for the Trainee Warrior were put on sale. Only the fourth floor is not allowed for the public. It''s an office space for officials of this building. But unlike the general public, Remington knows you can obtain intelligence on the 4th floor. After taking a glance at the building, Remington walked past the entrance and entered the building. There were several rooms on each floor. Each room had a specific artifact for sale. To buy weapon artifacts, warriors need to go to a specific room for that. People can be seen coming in and going out of the room. He shifted his gaze from them and looked for Elevator. Remington spotted the lift near the last room. In a few breaths, he arrived at the lift. After pressing the button, the door opens. Then he stepped inside and pressed the button for the 4th floor. It''s not easy to visit people on the 4th floor unless there is an appointment. But it''s not a problem for him. When the lift reached the 4th floor, he walked out of the lift. He was greeted by a burly figure. Remington smiled at seeing him. He knew this person was sitting here to guard the 4th floor. The burly figure walked closer to him and asked him about the purpose of his visit. Hearing that, Reminginton simply uttered, "Intelligence." A quick glint flashes in the burly figure''s eyes. He nodded in understanding. Then he accessed his communication watch to inform his higher ups. The next moment, the burly figure got a reply. Seeing that, he led Reminginton towards the last room. After arriving in front of the room, the burly figure gestures to him to enter. Remington nodded and opened the door to step inside. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? A teenage-looking person is sitting behind the desk. Seeing that, Remington was dumfounded. The door behind him closed automatically. Taking a glance at the teenage youth, Remington thought he had come to the wrong room. But just as he was pondering "Creak," the door opens. A 60-year old man walked out of the washroom. Seeing that someone has entered the room, he gestures to Richmond to take a seat. Remington nodded in understanding. because he is familiar with this old man. The old man is the one who sells information in this building. He thinks that the teenager might be his grandson. After taking his seat, Remington waited for the old man to speak. The old man walked past his grandson and sat in another seat beside him. Before the old man could speak, the teenager opened his mouth to say, "Hi, how may I help you?" Remingtom is surprised; the teenager looked no older than the young man, Zack. So, what is he doing here? Instead of answering, he glanced at the old man. The East Wood Company is run by the Nelson family. The old man''s name is Tucker Nelson. He is the fourth generation head of his family. The teenager sitting beside him is his grandson, Lewis. Old Man Tucker wore a black blazer. He has white hair due to old age. He has fair skin and a healthy body. Instead of reprimanding his grandson, Tucker looked towards Reminginton and said, "It''s okay, you can speak in front of him." Lewis is the same age as Zack. He is a Fire Elemental Warrior. His rank is that of a Peak special trainee.Unlike Zack, he is not suffering from a lack of resources. Resources for fire elements are quite abundant in this region. With his rich family''s support, it''s easy for him to buy whatever resources he wants. Lewis Nelson has a fair skin tone. He has black curly hair and eyes with a chiselled jaw line. He stands 6 feet tall.He was dressed in a white hoody and blue jeans. Lewis smirked at hearing his grandfather''s approval. Remington laughed in his heart, looking at the teenager. Since the old man was a familiar person, he dropped his guard. When it comes to the topic, his expression condenses immediately. Remington said, "The iron hammer team was defeated by the black fist team yesterday.Two iron hammer team members died of their hands. With that loss, team leader Mervin disbanded the team directly." Then he added further, "I want to know the reason for the black fist team''s sudden action behind this." Old Man Tucker wasn''t surprised by his words. Upon seeing him, he already guessed why he came to his cabin. He answered, "The things that happened with the iron hammer team are really unfortunate." Then he raised his eyebrows further. The old man doesn''t know whether it''s okay to sell information to Remington. Because this action done by the Black Fist team is not simple either. Remington is just a clerk working for a trading company. Knowing this information is nothing less than playing in muddy water. For a clerk like him, it is unnecessary. The old man also guessed: why is he concerned about the Iron Hammer team?The leader, Mervin, is a close friend of his. And some of the late members of the team from their team were also part of Burke Trading Centre''s protection team. If it were for revenge, old man Tucker sighs. He feels it''s best not to tell the reason. On the other hand, the light dimmed a little in Lewis Nelson''s eyes. He knew the reason, but he waited for his grandfather to answer it. It''s normal to make a deal before revealing the information. He is not sure about the deal, so he didn''t talk this time. Remington watched the old man''s frowning face. He is keeping silent intentionally. The atmosphere inside the room turned into pin-drop silence. Shaking his head, old man Tucker replied, "Remington, listen to me. This information is not good for you. Then he added further by saying, "And it''s also not good for the rest of the iron hammer team members." Remington Talley''s expression turned grim for a moment. He hadn''t expected the reason behind the black fist team to be so confidential. "What were these guys up to?" "In his heart," Remington said. Not only Remington was surprised. Lewis turned towards his grandfather for an explanation. He thought his grandfather was going to talk about a deal. But instead, he is advising the customer. Old Man Tucker gestures to his grandson to keep quiet by shaking his head slightly. Lewis Welson is not okay with it. He has a different view. In his opinion, as long as the price is right, any kind of information can be sold. Remington thought about Mervin''s mental state. If he had agreed to join for work this morning, he wouldn''t have cared that much about the black fist team. But Mervin is clearly looking for revenge. And his remaining team members were also okay with it. At first, he didn''t plan to come here. After knowing that the iron hammer team is going to disband, He didn''t know how to help Zack and keep his word. So he thought about Eastwood Company. Since yesterday, there have been many twists and turns. In the end, the young man, Zack, didn''t agree to come here with him. Chapter 327 Bandit Boss Soren At the City of Iron Post, EastWood Company, Remington Talley is deeply worried that his friend Mervin will seek revenge despite the losses he has suffered so far. In his opinion, it''s not worth it. He believes that City Lord must have received the news about the Black Fist team''s despicable action. But still, the news about them is totally suppressed. He had a solemn expression on his face. Shaking his head, he thought about convincing Mervin once more. Then he looked at the old man, Tucker, and replied, "Well, I understand the deeper meaning behind your words. So I will leave right now. And thank you for your time. " Nelson sighed in his heart. He thought the company had lost a deal. He couldn''t help questioning his grandfather after this. Old Man Tucker was pleased by his words. He appreciated Remington in his heart. Remington knows when to advance and when to retreat. In response, he simply nodded his head. Remington stood from his seat and walked out of the room. Once he left the room, Lewis Nelson said in a displeased tone, "Grandpa, "What is happening?" Old Man Tucker sighed in relief. He looked at his grandson and answered, "Nelson, Not all the information can be sold. For some information we weren''t allowed to talk about them, let alone sell intelligence to someone." What exactly is this?Nelson was surprised by his Grandpa''s words. He actually knows the reason behind the Black Fist Team''s despicable team. Because the leader of the black first team becomes the servant of the first team. But his grandpa''s attitude tells him that things are not as simple as they look. Perhaps he is unaware of the bigger picture.Thinking about it his expression condensed. Old man Tucker notices his grandson''s expression. He advised him by saying, "Nelson, it would be better if you dropped out of your team." "Grandpa!" Nelson exclaimed in disbelief. Shaking his head, old man Tucker said, "Things were beyond the City Lord''s control. You understand my words right. " "Gasp!" Nelson was dumbfounded. "What do you mean by beyond the City Lord''s control?" Nelson cried in his heart. Actually, he understands the words, but he refuses to believe them. If the City Lord is helpless, then this city will soon plunge into turmoil. For a moment, he fell into deep contemplation. He finally realised that maybe his grandfather was right about this issue. Before it''s too late, he decided to let his team withdraw from the bandit hunting mission as soon as possible. He immediately got up from his seat to leave. Old man Tucker easily sees through his worries. He advised, "Nelson, don''t reveal the information to your team." Nelson halted his footsteps and nodded his head at Grandpa before leaving the room. Seeing the disappearing back of his grandson, Old Man Tucker mumbled, "Maybe I should send him somewhere." Then I''ll call him back once things have settled down here. " A quick glint flashes in his eyes while he is determined to send his grandson out of the city. ¡­ (From MC''s POV) I lay on my bed inside after getting back to my room. It''s unfortunate that things were not going my way. What to do? Should I go out to collect information? Actually, I''m under a lot of confusion. After knowing that a team called Black Fist killed Iron Hammer members, I don''t know what I''m getting myself into. Maybe I should consult Uncle James about this. The intelligence department in his office might know something about Iron Post City. Just as I decided to call him, my communication watch lit up with a notification. I sat cross legged and looked at the watch. It''s a call from Mr. Jonathan. My eyes lit up with surprise. And I immediately attended the call. "Zack, how have you been?" Mr. Jonathan''s cheerful voice rang in my ears. I sighed and began to answer, "Mr. Jonathan, I''m fine. What about you? " "My life here is pretty good," He said. Hearing that, I immediately thought about my teacher''s location. Soon I will go there. Next, I thought about my current circumstances and lack of strength. I asked, "Mr. Jonathan, I received your message about some surprise. I urgently need to raise my strength. " Upon hearing that, Mr. Jonathan wasn''t surprised. because I already knew what''s happening out there in Iron Post City. But he didn''t let Zack know about it. Taking note of the lightning ore, he decided to reveal the good news to him. "Zack, actually I''m coming there to give you the gift." "Mr. Jonathan," he said in a calm tone. Because, as per his master''s order. He needs to act as Zack''s guardian. Hearing Mr. Jonathan''s words, I felt a huge burden lifted off my shoulder. I don''t know what the gift is. But I feel like it must be something special. Mr. Jonathan is giving me the gift by keeping in mind the Crimson Hall Event. If I can increase my essence cutliavtion to Mid-Level Special Trainee, then I''m quite confident about this bandit hunting mission. I can easily fight against the Initial-Trainee Warrior. And when it comes to Mid-Level Trainee Warrior, I''m confident I can escape from them. As long as I don''t come across as a Peak-Level Trainee Warrior, everything would be fine. On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan thought about the bandit hunting mission. He remembered that the Master didn''t want Zack to go on a mission before he got to that place. He hurriedly answered, "Zack, I forgot to tell you something." I retracted my thoughts and asked, "What is it?, Mr. Jonathan" He has asked me to tell you one thing. He wants you to consume the gift (treasure) before signing up for the bandit hunting mission. Mr. Jonathan said. What exactly is this? So the master knew about my circumstances. No wonder he allowed Mr. Jonathan to send that gift to me. Even Master thinks that it''s difficult to survive with my current strength. I"m not in a hurry; I can wait for a few more days. Until Mr. Jonathan comes to visit me. I answered, "Okay, Mr. Jonathan." I will wait for you. Then we talked about a few more things before we ended our conversation. After ending the call, I leisurely lay in my bed. All my worries were swept away completely. But I still need to beware of the top teams. They were not easy. Then I decided to cultivate after taking some rest. ¡­ Inner Post, Inside the Study Hall-McClain''s Castle, Sir. Lowell McClain didn''t forget about Zack''s circumstances. After his previous conversation with Jonathan, he asked a few of his contacts about Iron Post City. He looked at a wide projection while sitting behind his desk. He is currently reading a report sent by his contacts about Iron Post City. As he continues to read, he finds various new information about the iron post city. "Fugitive!" Sir Lowell McClain muttered after learning about the identity of the bandit boss. His assumption came true; earlier he felt something amiss about the sudden appearance of the bandit boss. now that he knows the bandit boss is the most wanted fugitive. The fugitive is Soren Ewart, a Metal Elemental-Initial Elite Warrior. Sir Lowell McClain continues to read the report. The fugitive is a former Captain of the City Guard in Tier-7 City. Soren Ewart was involved in a lot of corruption. At the time, he had the strength of a peak trainee warrior. Due to the resources he earned from corruption, he was successfully able to get a breakthrough to reach the elite. When he got caught, he immediately slipped away from the hands of the City Lord. He immediately fled towards the Tier-8 region. Despite the fact that he successfully avoided capture, during the fight with the City Lord, Soren suffered severe injuries. Later, he somehow infiltrated this Tier-8 city. To recuperate from injuries, he had chosen this insect forest as a base. He continues to collect resources to treat his injury through looting and killing. Soon, he was able to form personal bandit forces. When the City Lord of Iron Post City came to eliminate him, Soren successfully thwarted the City Lord''s attempt to kill him; instead he caused injury to the City Lord. Later, the City Lord gave up dealing with him directly and instead commissioned a new mission called the Bandit Hunting Mission. After knowing every detail, Sir Lowell McClain raised his eyebrows in frustration. Everything is crystal clear, but he doesn''t know why the City Lord of Tier-7 City hasn''t taken any actions so far. It''s easy to take him down if the City Lord of Tier-7 city files a complaint about him. He doesn''t know why these people were letting it go. Sir. Lowell McClain feels it''s a good decision to send Jonathan to act as a guardian for Zack. Sir. Lowell McClain feels something is amiss about the City Lord of Tier-7 City. He feels that the City Lord is intentionally silent about it. Then the image of Zack flashes before his eyes. Jonathan can easily take down Soren and the City Lord of Iron Post City. So he is not worried about Zack''s safety now. Chapter 328 Mr. Jonathan Arrives At The City (From MC''s Perspective) At the City of Iron Post, After knowing that Mr. Jonathan would arrive here in a couple of days, I let go of my previous worries. In the meantime, I can use this opportunity to spend time on essence cultivation. Try to get through as much as possible. Like that, a few days went by. Then the outside City looked rather calm. But there are actually undercurrents surging in the dark. while Zack was immersed in cultivation inside the hotel room. Terrible changes take place in the insect forest. All lower level bandit hunting teams were subdued by the top 5 teams. These changes quickly spread throughout the city. From then on, no new warriors were willing to take the bandit hunting mission. The number of bandits killed by adventurers was also greatly reduced. which led to an increase in the rate of banditry. All the merchants and other traders were greatly alarmed. Together, they had decided to confront the City Lord on this issue. But unfortunately, no one is allowed inside the City Lord Mansion. The entire iron post city is in a state of disturbance. Some wealthy families have already begun to sell out their property shares and plan to settle down in other cities. If this goes on, the economic growth of the city will be hit hard. Apart from merchants and traders, normal residents of the iron post city were dissatisfied by their City Lord''s silence. They would be okay if there was any single statement released from the City Lord Mansion. But there is none whatsoever. Normal residents were quite scared to move out of their city. There are two modes of transportation. The first is rail, and the second is road. transport is disturbed by bandits. Leaving behind only reliable and safe rail transportation. So in these few days, the Iron Post train station is constantly crowded with people. Most of the people were going out of the city. The numbers were increasing day by day. On the other hand, people coming to the city were reduced by half. Especially as the situation of the bandit hunting mission spreads to other nearby cities. The wave of warriors coming to the city is drastically reduced. Now the safety of the city rests on the shoulders of top bandit hunting teams. But they subdued weaker teams for whatever reason. But they didn''t leave the city, unlike others. So criticism about the top teams'' actions was equally divided among the public. Some slandered the current state of the city as being due to action. While some target the City Lord, at the end of the day, it''s his responsibility to take care of the city. But he chose silence instead of solving the problem. Just like that, time went on. It''s been one week since Zack immersed himself in cultivation. The following day, Mr. Jonathan arrived at the iron post city. After stepping inside the city, he is surprised to see the situation right in front of him. Almost half of the shops were closed for certain reasons, except for a few reputed ones. A quick glint flashed in his eyes; the changes were slightly higher than he had expected. Shaking his head, he tries to find an air cab. Since he knows the state of the city, he is not expecting to find the cab any sooner. Then, after asking around for a couple of minutes, He finally found an air cab, but it was packed with people. "These guys are looking for death." Mr. Jonathan muttered to himself. What happened to the law and order of the city? What is City Lord doing these days? A curiosity rose in his heart. He planned to look around the City Lord Mansion later. Next, he stopped looking for cabs. He knew Zack''s current whereabouts. The hotel is a walkable distance from the train station. So he directly walked towards the location. Inside the hotel room, I opened my eyes and stopped cultivating. I knew today that Mr. Jonathan would come to visit me. Apart from that, I didn''t spend much time on outside affairs. I occasionally failed to keep update on my situation. From his calls, I knew the iron post city was in turmoil. My uncle advised me to return immediately. But I declined. I told him about Uncle Jonathan. which is much more important to me than outside chaos. My uncle also stopped persuading me after this. But there is also one more person who is constantly pestering me with phone calls. He is none other than Elder Thornton. It looks like he is not calm after the blood test. After the blood test, I stopped picking up his calls. I suspect this must be infuriating to him. I am thinking about a small smile rising on my face. Let''s see if he arranges any resources for me in the future. I clearly told him that their resources were not helping me at all. But Elder Thornton is still insisting on finding out my abilities. His curiosity is further increased after the Star Tower Competition. That''s why I decided to not talk to him for a while. Just as I was thinking, I heard a calling bell sound. I retracted my thoughts and walked towards the door. I guess it must be Mr. Jonathan. "Creak," I opened the door. Just as I expected, the guest is none other than Mr. Jonathan. I greeted him inside, then both of us sat in chairs opposite to each other. Before speaking, Jonathan tries to probe Zack''s strength. Like last time, a faint mist obstructed his probe. Because of his master, he didn''t try to investigate. But this time, it''s different. He really got permission from the master to act as Zack''s guardian. Slowly, he released his strength, and his sense increased exponentially. Just as he tried to explore further, he quickly stopped. Looking at Mr. Jonathan, I feel something strange. At the same time, his eyes were unusually sharp. At the same time, my prediction ability turned on automatically. The next second, I felt sudden goosebumps. I realised Mr. Jonathan was probing my details. My heart skips a beat upon realising that. Then I "coughed" to break the silence. Mr. Jonathan Suddenly, he retracted his thoughts in surprise. He looked at Zack in amazement. What exactly is this? "How does he know?" Mr. Jonathan said in his heart. He is extremely surprised that it''s impossible for someone to know his pleading. Even for some of the warriors at the same level as him, it''s impossible to defend to some extent. But he was really surprised by Zack. It looks like things were not as simple as they seemed. Zack is more talented than both his master and he had expected. In addition to lightning, it looks like Zach has spiritual talent. Maybe I''ll be exceptional at soul technique. Various thoughts run in his mind. He decided to note these points and report them to his master later. "There are lots of surprises waiting for me as his guardian." Mr. Jonathan said to himself. Maybe in this time period, he can figure out Zack''s advantages and disadvantages in his combat. His inputs could be valuable for his upcoming Crimson Hall event. The master told him to protect Zack secretly. So he didn''t plan to reveal this to Zack. Next, seeing that Zack is looking at him. Mr. Jonathan didn''t hide it. He said, "I was trying to access your strength." But it looks like you found out surprisingly before that. " Hearing Mr. Jonathan''s straightforward answer, I''m stunned. I knew he had just tried to learn my details right now. But I wasn''t expecting him to accept it. Then again, I realised Mr. Jonathan is not as simple as it seems. At first, I thought he was an elite warrior. But now I realise I overlooked one detail. Mr. Jonathan is working for my master. So he must be exceptionally talented. I believe his strength might be higher than the elite level. As these thoughts rose in my heart, I firmly believed this guess was actually true. Like him, I can''t ask openly. It must be rude and disrespectful to him. Next, I recall memories of our previous conversation. I remembered Mr. Jonathan talked about gifts. Then I looked at him and asked, "Mr. Jonathan, What about the gift? Have you brought it?" Mr. Jonathan finally gets relief from this awkward silence. But before retrieving that thing, he asked back, "Yeah, the gift is with me." But I want to confirm one thing. Do you really want to do this bandit hunting mission? " A quick glint flashes in my eyes. Uncle James told me that the city was in chaos. But fortunately, this hotel is quite a reputed one. Though it looks ordinary, the people behind this hotel were somewhat wealthy. They didn''t drive me from this place. Next looking at Mr. Jonathan, "My uncle told me about the situation here. I know the situation here is tense. But I''m really intense about doing this mission. I don''t think there is any place better than this where you can legally kill someone. " After saying that, I added further, "I''m tired of killing class monsters." I want to have a real life or death battle with warriors. This place is quite right for it. " I looked at his expression after voicing out my opinion. Chapter 329 Mid-Level Special Trainee (Lightning) (From MC''s POV) The Iron Post City, At the hotel, Mr. Jonathan looked at me with an appreciative gaze. Zack''s thoughts were in line with his master''s. His master had previously expressed that a bandit hunting mission would immensely help Zack''s growth. Once he gets successful in his bandit hunting mission, Then he won''t suffer in the upcoming Crimson Hall event. Maybe this bandit hunting stone is the real grinding stone for Zack. Then he nodded and looked around his surroundings. This is not their own turf, but it''s a hotel. Mr. Jonathan absolutely believes in the concept of walls having ears. That''s why instead of mentioning it as a lightning treasure openly He is naming it "a gift from the outside." And Zack is also clever enough to understand this. At his current level, no one can get past his defence to overhear their conversation. But still, after his probing of Zack made him realise that Not to underestimate anyone. As a precaution, he takes out a small formation disc from his storage ring. This circular silver coloured plate is brimming with energy. It has a huge world energy stone in its center. It will act as a source to power the formation. Mr. Jonathan placed it on the ground. He asked Zack to sit near the formation plate. so it can provide good cover for him. Hearing Mr. Jonathan''s words, I immediately acted. I sat cross-legged near the formation plate. Next, Mr. Jonathan put his mind into the formation plate to activate it. As the formation plate is activated, a colourless screen begins to envelop the entire room. It formed a dome-like shape to cover us. Then I turned towards Mr. Jonathan. He is taking something from his storage ring. I don''t have to ask; it''s a gift. Mr. Jonathan takes out the lightning ore from the storage ring. "INFINITE LIGHTNING ESSENCE PEARL" When Mr. Jonathan brought this thing outside, The lightning pearl almost blinded everyone with its dazzling purple light. The formation immediately acted to dispel the light. Inside the formation, the lightning pearl shines brightly. But outside the formation, no one can see what''s happening inside. The formation layer acts as an invisible screen to obstruct people''s senses. Looking at the purple coloured object in Mr. Jonathan''s palm, I don''t know for what reason exactly, but my breathing is getting shorter. I immediately take my gaze off of it and begin to calm my heart. I don''t need to think about the purple object. It is the one resource that I desperately need. This purple object is the real deal. It''s pure lightning treasure. Unlike the monster cores and other treasures, there is no contamination whatsoever in them. The energy that I can feel is very pure. This feeling is a little closer towards the lightning scripture in mind. I know there is no reason to compare them. because the scripture is way beyond my knowledge. And this purple-colored object is the first lightning treasury I have come across. If not for Mr. Jonathan, I would have already grabbed the thing. On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan dispels the left over violent energy coming off of the pearl. Then he saw Zack, who kept staring at the pearl in his hand. Mr. Jonathan commented, "This thing is called an infinite lightning essence pearl. I got this thing from the lightning zone." "Compared to other lightning resources This one is highly sought after because of its gentle pure energy. It can be directly refined by warriors without any auxiliary materials. " My heart skips a beat upon hearing his explanation. Is it directly consumable treasure? But from the beginning, I didn''t use any auxiliary materials for my cultivation. It could be my Lightning Essence Cultivation or my Blood Method of my body. The heaven-defying ability of the blood method helps me refine blood pills or monster cores directly. There is no need for auxiliary materials whatsoever. But even after using it, I still have to use Blood Cleansing Vine to remove left-over impurities in my body. Fortunately, he didn''t ask about my cultivation experiences. Then Mr. Jonathan said, "Taking this thing to improve your strength now. I will act as a protector. You can cultivate peacefully. No one will disturb you here. " After saying that, Mr. Jonathan handed over the lightning pearl to Zack. My expression became a bit solemn. I calmed my heart and raised my hand to grab the lightning pearl from him. Just as my palm touched the pearl, it started to glow. A large amount of lightning essence sipped into my palm automatically. I didn''t even activate the celestial lightning scripture, but I can absorb the energy. I don''t know what to say about this phenomenon. Then, by shaking my head, I dispel the thoughts. I placed both my palms on the lightning pearl and brought it near to the dantian. After closing my eyes, I slowly started to recite the celestial lightning scripture in my mind. Next, the lightning rune in my mind started to flicker. Which means the scripture has started to run. At the same time, I can also begin to absorb the lightning essence from the pearl. It is, as the name implies, the lightning essence rather than the lightning energy. It''s more concentrated lightning energy. It almost equals the essence energy gatherer in my dantian. I''m looking forward to seeing what the mysterious totem will do to this lightning essence. On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan also focuses on the surroundings. He is not worried about Zack. because the pearl is a gentle source of lightning energy. This won''t be a problem for Zack to refine this gentle source of energy. So he put his mind to the surroundings. Mr. Jonathan doesn''t want any mishaps to happen at this time. He released his senses to scan the hotel. especially the nearby room. Soon, Mr. Jonathan sensed the movements of apprentice warriors inside the hotel. There is no sign of a Special Trainee or Trainee Warrior. As time progresses, I begin to circulate the absorbed pure essence through the meridians. The circulation is extremely fast. The energies in the dantian begin to settle down gradually. I slowly try to sense the action of the lightning totem. At the same time, the lightning totem started to act. The pure lightning essence gathered at its feet underwent some changes. It slowly begins to turn milky white. If one looks closely, they will find Milky white is just the outer layer of the purple essence. An extremely strong purple essence lies beneath it. Then, from the next circulation, I felt shocking changes in my body. My foundation of lightning essence cultivation is strengthened further. I can feel the strength of the physique also rising further. Yet, it''s still the beginning. So I will continue to cultivate. Time passes, and I finally reach the limit 20 minutes later. This time I''m quite sure that I will get a breakthrough. Then I continue to run the lightning scripture. "Creak" The invisible layer broke into pieces. I broke through the shackles and successfully reached the level of mid-level special trainee. But what is most surprising to me is that not even half of the lightning essence is consumed by the pearl. On the other hand, a quick glint flashes in Mr. Jonathan''s eyes. It was for a moment, but he noticed the changes in Zack''s physique immediately. "Has he had a breakthrough?" Mr. Jonathan said in his heart. Now he understands why he has been stressing about lightning resources lately. This little guy was on the verge of a breakthrough. But he needed that one last push to reach the next level. The remaining energy in the pearl is more than enough to stabilise the base. "Hmmm." Mr. Jonathan was surprised by seeing the left-over energy in the pearl. Looking at the pearl, he felt this would be more than enough to support Zack''s cultivation for a while. Time progresses. One hour later, I opened my eyes after stabilising the base. I muttered to myself, "Mid- Level Special Trainee." I''m glad that I reached mid-level special trainee in lightning essence cultivation within time. Now that my physique and essence are at the same level, I wonder what the limit of my strength is? Can I fight against a mid-level trainee warrior? Various questions run through my mind. Then I saw Mr. Jonathan was looking at me. So, I dispelled my thoughts and placed the pearl in my storage ring. Then she stood on the ground and looked at him. "Looks like your strength has risen another level," Mr. Jonathan said with a smile. I nodded. It''s impossible to escape from his discerning eyes. He was so close to me. Mr. Jonathan asked, "If you don''t mind, can you tell me your level?" He failed to probe Zack''s strength. Instead of wondering about his strength, he decided to ask directly. This is also helpful for him while he is acting as Zack''s guardian. Hearing Mr. Jonathan''s words, I thought it didn''t matter to tell him. It''s just the essence of a cultivation base. But no one knows about my physical cultivation. Then I looked at him and answered, "Mid-level Special Trainee." Chapter 330 Survival Trial? Crimson Hall, A few days ago, Grand Elder Chris successfully signed a contract with Odyssey Monster Zone''s small alliance faction. At first he had two minds about it, whether to agree with First Elder Casey''s plan or not. But then, later, realising that those people from the alliance faction were also looking forward to this deal, Grand Elder Chris made up his mind to sign the contract. He thought the alliance faction''s people were too greedy. Grand Elder Chris is finally convinced that it''s in Crimson Hall''s interest to successfully conduct the event and not anger those academy recruiters. So with that, the contract signing has been done. Now it''s up to the Crimson Hall officials to decide the next course of action. Inside First Elder Casey''s cabin, First Elder Casey is working behind his desk. Now that the deal has been made with the alliance faction, He is working on other plans. In particular, what types of monsters should be selected for the trials? A huge projection screen appeared above the desk. On that screen, a list of various monsters that inhabit the Odyssey Monster Zone is displayed. Some of the monsters were extremely vicious. Ranging from tree monsters, poison misamic monsters, to normal terrian monsters, The island of Odyssey Monster Zone is extremely huge. He wants to utilize every space. In a normal monster zone, the layout is classified into three areas: outer area, inner area, and last core area. This clear distinction helps warriors to avoid danger and to successfully hunt. But the situation is not the same with the Odyssey Monster Zone. The previous layouts don''t apply at all. First Elder Casey''s gaze was set on the map displayed on the screen. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. At Odyssey Monster Zone, each area is special. Every special area is like the core area of a monster zone. For example, the Tree Monster experimental area on the island can be considered as a core area. The Tree Monster area is located in the west part of the island. Then First Elder Casey looked at the other areas. The north of the area has a wide lake. When he looked at the lake, he remembered the Piranah monsters. The Pirah monsters normally have a bloodthirsty nature. But the monsters in the lake were obviously experimented on. He couldn''t predict how the blood-thirsty nature of the monster had changed so far. He suspects that the bloodthirsty nature of Piranah must have gone one step ahead. If anyone steps into the lake, these piranahs will tear off their bodies. After glancing at the lake, he focused his attention on other areas of the map. At the centre of the island, it''s the nest of bloodsucking rats. These bloodsucking rats occupied a small part of the area. This small part of the land is filled with lush green vegetation. The warriors wouldn''t be able to find out from which hole the bloodsucking rats might pop up. First Elder Casey is most optimistic about the bloodthirsty rats. He feels that warriors might identify other special areas in advance. But this bloodsucking rat special area is difficult to find. Imagining the pile of dead corpses A small smile rose on his face. Next, he concentrated on the east part of the island. The eastern part of the island is occupied by miasmic forests. Images of miasmic forests are displayed on the screen. He has no doubt this miasmic forest is another dreadful area. Other than poison-attributed monsters, you can''t find any other monsters in the miasmic area. Even for Peak Trainee Warriors, this miasmic forest is difficult to handle. They have to take poison repelling pills before venturing into the misamic forest. And that pill has limitations. It only works for two hours, then warriors have to consume another pill. He didn''t know this place also posed a terrible challenge to warrios below Trainee Warrior level. First Elder Casey then observed the other areas. A small gap caught his eyes. It''s a small swamp occupied by crock monsters and snake monsters. This small swamp occupied a small part of land between the bloodsucking rats'' area and the tree monster area. Finally, he set his gaze on the south part of the island, which is also the entrance. After reading the details about the south part of the island, "This south part looks like a normal monster zone," he said to himself. This area is occupied by wolves, hyenas, snakes, and a few other terrain class monsters. There are also a few steep hills. At the feet of the hills, a few ape colonies can be seen. With that, he finished reading about the monster zone. Various plans run in his mind. First Elder Casey muttered, "Is that enough? Or should I place more monsters there? " He is quite satisfied with the Odyssey Monster Zone. He said to himself, "I have to say it''s the most dangerous monster zone I have seen" because he realised there was no elemental advantage for warriors whatsoever. If it were a fire elemental warrior, he would face serious challenges in the swamp area and lake area. So he feels every warrior will have to face some type of challenge. Then he made up his mind to not add anything to this island. The mosnters that lived there were already dangerous enough to wipe out the warriors. So he begins to think about the rules. At first, he thought about continuing the previous year''s rule. by ranking those warriors who got the highest number of monster cores. It would be fine if it were any other monster. To collect more monster cores, warriors have to go a little deeper into the inner area. Not only is hunting, killing and looting allowed. But here in the Odyssey Monster Zone, forget about hunting. The Warriors first need to survive successfully here. So, he thought about conducting the event as a survival trial. For this survival trial, he decided to hold it for weeks. "Let''s select those warriors who were alive after a week." He said to himself. It is the first screening. For the second screening, warriors'' aptitude and their elements need to be checked. These two screenings are enough to select talented warriors. Then why not conduct the aptitude event first, and the survival event later? Because he still holds a small grudge in his heart against those alliance faction officials. Though the contract was signed. He is quite displeased by their attitude. He knows those factions will obviously send talented warriors to this event. They hope that their warriors will be selected by academies. Since he knew their calculation, he wouldn''t let it happen. First Elder Casey thought that with this plan, the majority of their warriors were sure to die. As a result, their calculation would end in vain. He can''t wait to watch their expressions at that time. No matter what, this event is beneficial to Crimson Hall. After figuring out everything, he was pleased with the current layout of the event. He currently needs Grand Elder Chris''s permission to finalise this plan. Then he stood up from his seat and planned to visit the courtyard of Grand Elder at the back of the mountain. After walking out of his cabin, he immediately headed towards the exit. While on the way, he felt numerous eyes on me. He sneered inside by feeling their motives: "These people can''t wait to learn about the event." He is quite annoyed by the calls lately. Everyone wants to know about the event first hand. Even though he owed someone previously, he didn''t compromise when it came to the crimson hall event. He thought it''d be best to keep it as mysterious as possible. The fewer people knew about the event, the greater the benefits. In particular, he doesn''t want his plan to be known by alliance factions. After dispelling these thoughts from his mind, he arrived at the entrance of the courtyard. He had already informed the Grand Elder about his arrival. "Creak," the door opens. After stepping inside, he directly walked towards the building. Soon he arrived in front of the gate. He didn''t enter inside, rather he waited for him. Next, Grand Elde Chris walked out of the room after opening the door. When he sees Casey, he invites him to take a seat. In the courtyard, there is a table and chairs for visitors. Both of them sat opposite to each other. Grand Elder Chris is surprised to see him. It''s not even a few days since the signing of the contract. He hadn''t expected Casey to visit him sooner. Grand Elder Chris asked, "What happened?" Is there any new trouble? " First Elder Grand Elder denied by shaking his head and answered, "Grand Elder, I finalised the plan for the event." "Oh!" Grand Elder Chris is taken back. Then he waited for Casey to answer. First Elder Casey added further, "The Crimson Hall''s event, this time it''s going to be a survival event." After saying that, he begins to explain his plan. Grand Elder Chris obviously knew about Odyssey Monster Zone. Before signing the contract, he learned about it. After signing the contract, he expected Casey to make some changes to it. because that place is extremely dangerous. But now his expression has turned a bit solemn. Because in Casey''s plan, he didn''t see any changes. Chapter 331 Accepting The Mission Hotel Room in the City of Iron Post, "What is your next plan?" Mr. Jonathan asked Zack while taking note of his strength. Hearing that, I nodded, "I''m quite confident fighting against Peak Special Trainee. If I were to use my lightning element, I could even fight against the Initial Trainee Warrior. " Mr. Jonathan ponders. He wasn''t surprised by Zack''s current strength. In fact, his master already guessed this much. But what is most surprising is that his previous performance at the start tower event was poor. Zack cleared those floors with the strength of an initial special trainee. Now that Zack has made a breakthrough, Mr. Jonathan wonders what would happen if he took that test now. Mr. Jonathan predicts that Zack will be sure to clear 20 floors. He knew a few things about Star Tower. Above 20 floors, there might be a lot of Class 3 monsters. So it''s not a problem for Zack to clear higher floors. Now coming back to the bandit hunting mission, since Zack himself said that he can fight against the Initial Trainee Warrior, Mr. Jonathan decides to believe him. If there is any unexpected danger inside the insect forest, he will take care of it. Then he thought about something, and then looking at Zack, he commented, "Zack, you can use your lighting element without any worry." "Hmmm. " This is unexpected. The teacher told me to hide my element until the crimson hall event. Then why does he ask me to reveal my element? Is it a teacher''s order? A trace of worry flashes in my eyes. It''s not that I don''t want to reveal it. If any slippery rats come to know about this, they will surely tip off other organisations. Then my peaceful life and training will both be affected. Mr. Jonathan knew what was going on inside Zack''s mind. He already made up his mind to kill those people who escaped from Zack. So he answered, "Don''t worry, I will take care of people." You can practise peacefully. " I don''t know what to say for a moment. Mr. Jonathan sure has got something on his mind. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have suggested this. Then I nodded at him and said, "Okay, Mr. Jonathan, then I will fight without any worry." Mr. Jonathan replied, "Alright, you can visit the insect forest now. I''ll be watching from behind. " After saying that, he walked out of the room. I signed in again. Mr. Jonathan said he could take care of eyewitnesses. Then I don''t need to hide it anymore. I am thinking about using the lightning element again. Ecstasy rose in my heart; I had been anticipating this moment for a long time. Back in a sparring session at Hansen''s campus, students use their elements to fight against him. But on the other hand, I was the helpful one. I use my basic hand and leg techniques to fight against them. It had a lot to do with my body''s strength. I overwhelmed others with my body strength alone. Many of them even suspected whether I had any elements or not. Only staff and elders knew I did have an element. But for some reason, I''m not ready to reveal it. But right here at his place. I have been given a free hand. After calming down my excitement, I decided to head towards the insect forest. But before that, I need to visit City Lord Mansion to pick up the mission task. Then I stood up from the ground and began to check the items. There were a couple of artefacts in my storage ring. This might come in handy in this place. There were a few healing pills and blood pills for emergency use. After sorting out everything, I exited the room. It looks like I''m going to spend a couple of days in the forest. Then I checked out of the hotel. I found there was no one beside me. Other than staff, no one is outside the hotel. The hotel looked completely deserted. I''m surprised by these drastic changes. I remember a few days ago, the hotel was crowded with people. At that time, I found it difficult to get a room here. Shaking my head, I walked out of the hotel. Next, I accessed the map to look for the City Lord Mansion. The City Lord Mansion is located in the west part of the city. which is on the right side of mine. I didn''t find Mr. Jonathan around me. I guessed he must be secretly following me from behind. 10 minutes later, I arrived in front of the city lord''s mansion. It''s a huge, five-story white building. The City Lord Mansion looked simple and elegant. Then I spotted two city guards standing in front of the gate. Seeing them, I immediately walked towards them to inquire about our bandit hunting mission. One of the city guards turned towards me and asked, "Stop! This is the City Lord Mansion. State your purpose of visit here. " Hearing that, I nodded and asked about the bandit hunting mission. Both of the city guards looked at each other. I have a feeling that they weren''t convinced by it, especially looking at their young appearance. When I thought there was going to be some trouble. All of a sudden, they allowed me to go inside. I thanked them before entering the inside. Seeing the disappearing back of Zack, one of the City Guards asked, "Hey, he looked so young." Do you think he came here for a mission? " The other city guard revealed a thought-full look on his face. He commented, "Maybe someone asked this kid to inquire about a bandit hunting mission." The other city guard also nodded in understanding and said, "This must be the case." On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan watched Zack entering the City Lord Mansion from above. Mr. Jonathan used artefacts to hide his presence from his surroundings. He was quite interested in this incompetent City Lord. The city is in chaos, but this didn''t even take any steps to solve it. He plans to observe the City Lord when Zack meets the mission issuer. Just as he fell into contemplation, he found Zack talking to another person. "Since he is talking about the mission." It''s best to see what the City Lord is upto now. Mr. Jonathan said to himself. Then he flew towards the main hall, and while on the way, he didn''t alert anyone. The warriors below elite level were clueless about his arrival. Slowly, Mr. Jonathan flew a little further inside the mansion. He found the room looked like a library. For a moment, he decided to expand his senses. After sensing that there was no one in the library, he moved forward. While Mr. Jonathan is searching for a room, on the other hand¡­ "Are you really willing to accept this mission?" The manager inquired about it with surprise. I nodded at him. The manager of the City Lord Mansion took up the responsibility as a mission issuer for this bandit hunting mission. Hearing mission accept request from this young man in front of him right now He didn''t know what to say. But still, he decided to confirm this young man''s identity. "Alright, give me your I''D." The manager said. I gave him a Hansen Campus ID. The manager verifies the details with their database. After confirming that this young man in front of him is actually a warrior, The manager sighed in relief. Then he collected a young man named Zack''s information in their database. The manager also updated the bandit hunting mission panel. Other than teams, there is no one who takes the mission as a single person. So the manager is quite bewildered by the young man, Zack''s, decision. Since the information is recorded now. He won''t persuade the young man anymore. The manager turned towards Zack and said, "Well, your information is recorded. Now, you can go for the mission. " Hearing that, I nodded at him and walked out of the manager''s office. I sighed internally, thinking that this went rather smoothly. Actually, I had a concern earlier. This is a team task, but I asked for solo permission. If it were a few weeks ago, it would be impossible to receive a solo bandit hunting mission. Now that the city is in chaos, the City Lord Mansion desperately needs warriors to eliminate bandits. Sighing, I walked towards the exit. On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan finally saw the City Lord of this iron post city. Inside the huge, spacious room, which is located at the back of this mansion, At First, Mr. Jonathan thought this might be some kind of meeting room. But after expanding his senses, he found the aura of a Peak Trainee Warrior. Mr. Jonathan immediately knew this was the City Lord''s room. Then he slowly stepped inside the room to take a look at the person. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Unlike he had imagined, this city lord turned out to be an old person. A quick glint flashed in his eyes as he observed the City Lord''s breath. He notices something strange. According to the master, the city lord of this iron post must be an elite level warrior. But this old man only has the breath of a peak trainee warrior. "What is going on?" Mr. Jonathan said in his heart. Chapter 332 Insect Forest: 1st Kill City of Iron Post, City Lord''s Mansion, Mr. Jonathan is confused by the breath of the City Lord. He notices that the City Lord has severe injuries. But he is not sure whether his cultivation base dropped down due to injury or not. Anyway, he recorded the City Lord''s condition using a sci-fi watch. Then he slowly retreated from the City Lord Mansion. When he flew towards the exit, he spotted Zack''s silhoutte. He knew Zack''s next spot was going to be an insect forest. So he begins to act as Zack''s guardian. ¡­ (From MC''s POV) "The manager was really surprised by the request. Thankfully, he didn''t obstruct me from accepting the missions, "I mumbled under my breath. Then, a few minutes later, I reached the city wall. Surprisingly, few people were standing in the queue. By looking at their attire, I realised they were from a bandit hunting team. I don''t know which team it is. There were five people in front of me. All of them were dressed in black uniforms. They also had gear to protect their body parts. especially the metallic helmet, inner armour, and leather boots. What exactly is this? For a moment, my views are further broadened. By looking at them, only one word hit my mind. "PROFESSIONALS" They didn''t look like ordinary adventurers either. Everything about them reminds me of money. Someone really poured enormous resources on them. I retracted my gaze, shaking my head. I''m not looking forward to striking up a conversation with them. Slowly, following the crowd, I stand in line behind them. Soon, a city guard begins his work. He started to verify the first warrior''s story. After verifying his identification, the city guard allowed him to exit. Then, one by one, the warriors begin to exit. Then it''s my turn. After verifying my identity, the City Guard let me go. And just as I walked out of the gate, I spotted those warriors. Instead of going to the insect forest, these people were discussing something. After giving it a quick glance, I proceed to the insect forest. This is not the right time to attract attention. But who would have thought that things would go the opposite to my thoughts? One of them shouted at me when I walked past them. "Hey, kid, where are you going?" A burly middle-aged person inquired. I immediately reasoned that it would be foolish to offend them at this time. turned towards the person and answered, "I''m a helper at the beverage shop." After saying that, I pointed my fingers in the campsite direction. None of them doubted my words. The middle-aged person then let me go. After that, I sighed in relief. These guys, what are they up to? Clearly, there are no other warriors beside us. And I''m the one who is walking alone. This might have caught their attention. "Phew!" Then, without wasting any more time, I reached the campsite within a few minutes. But I didn''t plan on visiting there. Instead, I hurriedly went past the camp. Soon, I arrived at the end of the path. There is only deep vegetation in front of me. Seeing that, I activated my perception ability at this moment. The surrounding area within 25 metres was mapped in my mind. I noticed there were a lot of blue dots at the campsite. Clearly, a lot of people are ready to venture into the forest. Then I saw no one was behind me. Before anyone arrives, I decided to move forward. Slowly, after stepping into the forest. I followed the small narrow path to move forward. I also look for any changes through perception. I used my black sword to chop those overgrown vegetation. I slowly walked forward after clearing those hurdles. Fortunately, after accepting the mission, the manager from the city lord mansion sent me a map of the insect forest. I look at the map after entering through sci-fi. Clearly, I''m in the outer area of the forest. There is still a lot of distance to cover. Then I noticed one thing: this forest is similar to the monster zone. It can also be divided into three areas: outer area, inner area, and core area. But I''m not sure about the class monsters. But these insect monsters can be found in all areas of the forest. Who knows there may be an insect nest next to me? This overgrown vegetation hinders the vision. I can only rely on perception to avoid danger. Then I saw there were only a few spots marked on the maps. These are safe zones. In case of an emergency, you can run to either of these safe zones. Shaking my head, I thought, how naive! By looking at current circumstances, I feel this "safe zone" might turn into a "dead zone." For a new face like me, this spot is a must to avoid. I can only see that most of the marked spots were close to the outer areas of the forest. A few of the safe zones loaded in the inner area of the forest. But there is none whatsoever in the core area, which is the central part of the forest. I don''t know what is hiding in the core area of the forest. But I can only think of two things: either it''s a bandit''s lair or a deadly insect''s nest. After dispelling my thoughts, I decided to walk towards the west side of the forest. I have a feeling that if I continue to follow this narrow path, I might come across a bandit sooner. Soon, I spotted very small red dots coming towards me. "Insect monsters!" I grunted. Next, I covered the black blade with purple lightning. My lightning reserve also expanded with my promotion. There is also a lightning pearl in my storage ring. So I don''t need to worry about essence consumption. Then I waited for those insect monsters to arrive. Soon, I spotted a thumb-sized black beetle insect. A small swarm of bettle insects is inching closer towards me. I''m taken by the abnormal size of the beetle insect. I feel like this entire forest is mutated. Not only did their size change, but their nature also changed. The insects become bloodthirsty. When the insect swarm inched closer towards me, I made a casual swing. "Pfff" "Pfff" "Pfff" Like a popping sound, the insects burst open. Within a few minutes, I cleared the rest of the swarm by swinging my sword. Seeing that there is no other swarm of insects nearby, I continue to walk forward. 10 minutes later, I spotted one large red dot in particular. Looking at the size of the dot I confirmed that this red dot is human. But why is there only one person? I raised my eyebrows in confusion. This person is ahead of me, so I decided to check it in person. Soon, I spotted the silhouette. It''s hard to guess whether this person belongs to a bandit hunting team or bandits. So I decided to observe him in secret. Then I slowly hid behind the tree and crouched down to observe. This person is dressed in a green adventurer suite. This is a common suit for every adventurer. It is freely distributed by the Parazam Hunter League. The green colour adventurer suit is not exclusive to the Parazam Hunter League. This basic suit is sold in a lot of shops. It can also be bought by other warriors. But based on this, I won''t jump to conclusions. There is a possibility for him to be a bandit. This suit might be stolen from others. To confirm, I decided to observe further. Next, I heard a murmuring sound. I noticed this guy muttering about something. ? "Damn, why did I agree to act as an informer?" The person sounded dejected. But I clearly heard his words. What exactly is this? I don''t need to use my brain. This guy is waiting for the bandit hunting team. He is going to tip off the bandits. My expression turned solemn after realising this. Then, instead of hiding, I walked towards him openly. The guy quickly alerted me upon seeing me. "Who are you?" The guy asked me with a threatening tone. But I answered with a smile, "I''m just another bandit member." The leader asked me to check on you. "Is that why you came here?" The guy answered with a frownful face, "I promised him that I wouldn''t run away." Then he asked again, "Hey, why did you come from this direction?" "Spot on!" I said. Next, without further ado, I dashed towards him. The distance was so close that the guy got flustered. But it was too late to do anything. I directly punched him in the abdomen. The impact made him take a few steps backwards. "Aaahh", the guy let out a groaning sound. Only after getting hit did the person come to realise that he was fooled. But he was just an initial special trainee. It''s impossible to fight against the opponent. He tried to get back, but I came in front of him, right in front of him. "You!" He pointed his finger at me. But I didn''t give him any chance to fight back. I take out my sword to slice his neck. "Pfff" blood spurts from his neck. The next moment, his body and head got separated. Chapter 333 Elder Roth Crimson Hall, Grand Elder Chris becomes quiet after listening to First Elder Casey''s survival trial. In his whole life, he had never listened to such an outrageous slaughter plan. Grand Elder Chris looked at Casey. He didn''t know what to say for a moment. Then he let out a deep sigh by saying, "Do you think anyone can survive in this condition?" Grand Elder Chris added further, "Even for veteran adventurers, the current environment in the Odyssey Monster Zones can pose a threat to them. Forget about the young warriors who haven''t even seen the world yet. " First Elder Casey frowns, "Why do you even care?" He said it in his heart. But again, if none of them is able to survive in the end, Then he may be forced to take full responsibility for the mess. So, first Elder Casey thought he needed to be careful. Grand Elder''s words struck his calm mind. In his opinion, the young warriors won''t survive my current plan. What to do? He ponders. It''s impossible to change the environment out there in the Odyssey Monster Zone. That would require a large-scale operation and money. So he obviously won''t support that. He wants to utilise Odyssey Monster Zone''s potential. To him, the current plan seems fine. He needs to modify the rules so that young warriors can survive in the end. Then he turned towards Grand Elder and said, "Grand Elder, Thank you for making me aware. I will change some rules. So that it can be helpful for young warriors" Grand Elder Chris smiled in relief. Next, he gestured to him to leave this place. First Elder Casey nodded and walked back to his cabin. On the way, various thoughts run through his mind. Soon, he reached his cabin and stepped inside. He also didn''t fail to notice those people who were waiting for him outside. After sitting back in his seat, he grunted, "I didn''t have any appointments today. Then what''s up with their sudden appearance? " Then images of the current headmaster flash before his eyes. "This moron? He is utterly useless. " First Elder Casey muttered in anger. Because he recognised a few familiar faces. Next, he sent a message to the headmaster to come to his cabin. "Creak," the door opened. The Headmaster walked in slowly. Upon seeing the solemn expression of the First Elder, he said in his heart, "I knew it was impossible to escape today." First Elder Casey, who was sitting behind the desk, observed the head master. He gazed at him in anger and asked, "Did you allow them to come?" Hearing that, the headmaster broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly answered, "First Elder, I told them not to come here. But they didn''t even listen to my words. I threatened to kill them. But these guys didn''t even seem fazed by my words. " "Harumph," the First Elder snorted. How come the dignified headmaster of Crimson Hall is not respected by subsidiary power? If it was earlier, these subsidiary forces wouldn''t even dare to raise their heads. But now, bcause of Tier-6 academies'' recruitment. All of these subsidiary forces were ready to tear off the face at any time. These recruitments were not happening for the first time. But compared to previous years, there is a steady decline in the number of talented warriors coming out of the Crimson Hall. Now the current situation is even worse. There are no exceptionally talented warriors in the Crimson Hall. So it will be difficult for their own talented seeds to get recruited into these academies. First Elder Casey sighs, thinking about it. Times have changed. Since there were no such warriors in Crimson Hall this time, these subsidiary forces may have come to the conclusion that this is the right time to challenge us. Then he looked at the head master and said, "Allow Elder Brody from May Ford Academy to enter. Keep the rest of them outside. " A quick glint flashes in the headmaster''s eyes. He immediately nodded and exited the cabin. Seeing the disappearing back of the headmaster, first elder Casey muttered, "Even people from May Ford Academy can''t sit still." Obviously, he understands the reason behind this. There were a lot of talented seeds coming out this time from their academy. Even Crimson Hall''s current warriors are slightly pale in front of them. To nurture these seeded warriors, the Mayford Academy heavily invested in them. They didn''t even let anyone participate in that Star Tower Event. Thinking about the Star Tower event, it''s a massive failure. Not only did their warriors fail to reach the first place in the leaderboard ranking, They also offended the Star Tower people at the same time. Just as he was thinking about it, "Creak," the door opened. A white-haired old man in his sixties walked inside. He was dressed in a white tuxedo. His name is Brody Roth, one of the elders at May Ford Academy. Seeing that old man, First Elder Casey said with a smile, "Elder Brody, Please take your seat. " Elder Roth nodded his head and sat down in the seat. The atmosphere turned solemn for a moment. Both of them looked at each other but said nothing. "So, how may I help you?" First Elder Casey said. First Elder Casey furrowed his eyebrows. He knew this old man, who was one of their descendants and was currently enrolled at Tier-6 Academy. But he couldn''t recall which Tier-6 academy it was. He hadn''t expected the sly foxes of May Ford Academy to dispatch Elder Roth as their representative. First Elder Casey thought it was not wise to offend this old man. He adjusted his thoughts and waited for the elder to speak. Next, Elder Roth smiled wryly. Like First Elder Casey, he too cursed the old fellows in his academy. At first, he didn''t agree to come here. But later, other elders decided to give another seed candidate quota to his right family. With this, the probability of someone from Roth''s family getting selected is increased. Finally, he agreed to come here after receiving such compensation. Then why such compensation? Because none of them wanted to offend Crimson Hall. Especially the person in front of him. The Elder Roth was aware that Casey was possibly younger than him. But his schemes are very hard to see through. Even for them, they have to think for a moment before talking to him. Though Casey had a misadventure with Star Tower, But he is still not ready to underestimate him. Elder Roth let out a sigh and said, "Elder Casey, you obviously knew the purpose of my visit." Then why make things difficult? " Hearing that, First Elder Casey sneered inside, "Even if it''s you, I won''t tell you." Then, looking at Elder Roth, he said, "Elder Roth, I don''t understand." Can you tell me what you want? " Next, Elder Roth''s expression changed drastically. What exactly is this? He gritted his teeth in frustration. "I want to hear about your plans for the event," Elder Roth said in a solemn tone. First Elder Casey replied, "Well, I haven''t made any plans yet. There are still a few months left for it. So I''m not in any hurry." Hearing his words, veins popped up in Elder Roth''s forehead. First Elder Casey knew Elder Roth was on the verge of an explosion. But he didn''t even care. For a moment, Elder Roth thought, Casey is deliberately not saying anything to him. He had already promised those old fogies in the academy. He couldn''t go back without some information. Elder Roth ponders that he needs to somehow get information from him. Then he turned towards Casey and asked, "If you need anything, just name it." But in return, I would like to hear details about your plan. " First Elder Casey was surprised to hear that. "This guy, what happened to him?" First Elder Casey said in his heart. He had never seen him begging for anything. Always cold and aloof, then what caused him to be in such a desperate situation. A quick glint flashes in his eyes. The Roth family is one of the influential families in Tier-7 Willow Peak City. They lack nothing. To some extent, they don''t even have to rely on May Ford Academy. First Elder Casey said with a smile, "You believe it or not, this is the actual truth. I''m still discussing it with Grand Elder Chris. We didn''t finalise anything" After saying that, he further added, "And again, this is not the first time Tier-6 Academies have come to recruit people." So why are you in such a hurry? If your warriors are capable, they can easily attract the attention of recruiters. On the other hand, Elder Roth didn''t even believe his words. "How can he lie with such a straight face?" Elder Roth said in his heart. Elder Roth finally made some decisions. Unless he offers something, Casey won''t even budge. So what does Casey need right now? Money? No Elder Roth ponders, There are very few things which can attract Casey. Then he suddenly thought of something, "People say he is at the peak of a trainee warrior." But he believes that Casey is already halfway to being an elite warrior. So, he just needs one last push to achieve a breakthrough. Chapter 334 Mateo Roth ( Leader Of Fire Sword Team) Restaurant, City of Iron Post Inside an isolated room, A person who is disguised as a veteran warrior was eating his food. The person is none other than Mateo Roth, team leader of the No. 1 bandit hunting team, the Flaming Sword Team. As the name indicates, team members were fire elemental warriors who used swords as their main weapon. "Tck, the city lord is completely defeated. I don''t think he will make any noise anymore," Mateo said in his heart. Mateo is currently in disguise. But his original identity is a young warrior with a healthy physique. He is 6 feet tall in height. He had red hair and black eyes. He looked pale in color. After taking a glance at the time, various thoughts run in his mind. "I need to get back to my academy once this is over. Otherwise they will give my quota to someone else, "Mateo muttered to himself." Then he recalled the situation some time ago. At that time, he was preparing for the Star Tower event, but due to unforeseen circumstances, his academy didn''t allow him to venture outside. He thought that the academy was way too cautious about the exposure. At that time, the academy told me that they would arrange a proper training environment for him later. In the end, he chose to give in. and didn''t participate in Star Tower. But later, he learnt that an unknown kid named Zack Lockwood had made it to the number 1 ranking on the leaderboard. His May Ford Academy is just a subsidiary force under Crimson Hall. Even their warriors were pale in front of that unknown kid. But he doubted the credibility of his strength. Mateo felt that Crimson Hall''s warriors were so weak in strength. That they even let an unknown kid step on them. At that time, he felt that the academy had made a stupid decision not to let him go. Otherwise, he would have cleared more than 20 floors by outshining all other warriors. He still feels some regret for letting go of that opportunity. Fortunately, his family stepped in at the right time. which is related to his current bandit hunting mission right now. Their Roth family is asked by someone to interfere in the bandit hunting mission. His family sent him to thwart the work of the City Lord by not actually acting against bandits. At first, he thought this was something dangerous; acting against the City Lord is a terrible crime. But his family was daring enough to do that. He can''t question his family. So he quietly followed their arrangements to come here. Shaking his head, he regretted his decision again. Ever since he came here, there has been no major improvement in his strength. According to his family, he simply just needs to get the position of top team in a bandit hunting mission. Apart from that, he shouldn''t do anything that touches the bottom line of bandit Boss Soren. What is his bottom line? At first he wondered, but later he realised he shouldn''t kill the bandits working under the bandit boss. At the same time, he should be careful of getting exposed by the City Lord. He was just trapped between these two existences, unable to improve further. His team had risen the ranks by looting others. The number of actual bandits killed by them can be counted on one hand. That too happened in unavoidable circumstances. Because he is unable to improve, He can''t feel secure about position as the seed candidate. He needs to get stronger. There are a lot of challenges waiting for him, both at May Ford Academy and the Roth family. That''s why he is hoping for some sort of solution. The fight between bandit Boss Soren and the City Lord can''t go on. Shaking his head, he dispelled his thoughts and continued to eat the food. But a few minutes later, Mateo received a call from his father. After attending it, he asked about his health. But from the other side of the call. There is no reply whatsoever. Mateo furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "What is it, father?" A small sigh can be heard from the other side of the call. Mateo''s expressions worsen after hearing the helpless sigh. "What''s wrong?" He said it in his heart. Mateo''s father replied, "Something happened! It''s related to your seed position. " Hearing that, Mateo put the forks on the plate. His expression finally became serious. "What is happening out there, father?"Mateo commented. Everything is fine on my side. I did what my family asked me to do. The Fire Sword team has secured the first position among bandit hunting teams. We also subdued many other weak teams. It will be a matter of time before I come back home. Mateo''s voice had a hint of anger. When his other palm touched the wooden dining table, it charred completely. A hot red blazing flame keeps releasing from his palm. Even though the flame appeared for a moment, it managed to char the table within a second. Mateo''s father again became silent after listening to his son''s words. He can really feel his son is on the verge of exploding. "Father?" Mateo said. "Sigh, it''s all due to May Ford Academy." Mateo''s father uttered this with hatred. Mateo''s pupil constricts. He asked, "What did they do? Did they take back my position? " It''s the worst thing he could think of right now. He was already displeased by the academy''s last interruption by not letting him participate in Star Tower. Now he feels the academy did something which is unfavourable to him again. But he would like to hear from his father about it. Mateo''s father replied, "The May Ford Academy asked Elder Brody to do something. If he is successful in his task, The academy will grant another seed position to our family. Adding you, from the Roth family, two people will participate in Crimson Hall''s competition. " Mateo clenched his fist while listening to his father. He knew Elder Brody. His full name is Brody Roth. He is from the same family. "What is the task which needs Elder Brody to do?" Mateo said. Mateo asked, "Father, do you know what the task is all about?" "Fortunately, since I''m part of the family elders, I came to know about a few things. The May Ford Academy wants to use the Roth family connection to learn about the Crimson Hall event, "Mateo''s father said in a calm tone." "It''s a really dangerous game. Recently, our family has been playing with fire very often. First, they sent me here to act against the City Lord. Now, we are going to offend Crimson Hall, which is a superior force to us," Mateo replied in a displeased tone. He was curious as to what the family''s patriarch was thinking. actions were nothing less than self-seeking death. "So, who family decided to give the new seed position?" he asked back, retracting his thoughts. Mateo''s father again replied in a helpless tone, "It''s our young miss, Everly Roth." " Mateo was dumbfounded. He really wasn''t expecting this answer. She is really young. He replied, "Father, what are they thinking? She is really young. She can participate in the next competition without any problem" "I knew you would say that. But she''s become a lot stronger lately. She had broken through to become a Peak of Special Trainee," Mateo''s father said. "Peak Special Trainee?" Mateo muttered. He replied, "But still, it''s not enough. In a crimson hall competition, the trainee warrior will overwhelm others. It''s a foregone conclusion that the winner will be decided among "Trainee Warriors." Mateo''s father answered, "I know, but the family head is quite confident in her. He believes that she will get the next breakthrough before the start of the competition" Shaking his head in denial, Mateo completely disagrees with Family Head''s words. But he didn''t talk about him. After talking about a few other things, he ended the call. He doesn''t know what''s up with May Ford Academy. They even sacrificed a seed position to their family in order to get a few pieces of information. Mateo strongly believes that if you are strong enough, then you can easily overwhelm others. Well, he didn''t have any grudge against young Miss Everly. But he feels she is still young and her base is not enough to rival others in the competition. Then again, he is glad that the academy didn''t touch his seed position. So he won''t worry about trivial matters anymore. Right now, his concentration is entirely on improving his strength. He He walked out of the restaurant after completing his meal. He has some plans for his training. His fire element poses a threat to insect monsters. He couldn''t touch these bandits, so he decided to take some risks and confront some of the dangerous insect monsters. He intends to gain some experience by fighting these monsters. So far, in this insect forest, he and his team have come across a few dangerous insect nests. But there are still a lot of areas in the insect forest left unexplored by the adventurers. He plans to take his team deep into some of these areas. Chapter 335 Elder Brodys Failure Crimson Hall, Elder Brody from May Ford Academy is convinced that he can''t persuade Casey to reveal information about the Crimson Hall Competition. So he came up with a way to solve this problem. "Treasure, which can help him to get a breakthrough," Elder Brody said in his heart. Then he looked at Casey, who was still maintaining an indifferent attitude. He said, "I''m ready to give you pills which can help you get a breakthrough." First Elder Casey''s expression changes for the first time. "I wasn''t expecting this from old fellow Brody," he says, his heart moved. "But I have to say it''s a really nice deal. Yet, it''s not worth it. " First Elder Casey obviously knew what May Ford Academy would do once they had information in their hands. To make up for the losses, they will surely sell the information to other parties. If this trend goes on, the information will soon reach everyone''s ears. In the end, their crimson hall will incur heavy losses by that time. The current survival plan may look like a slaughter scheme. But first, he knows, if everyone is aware of information, then each faction will invest heavily in their warriors. By providing them with high-grade pills and equipping everyone with extremely high-quality gear. These items will increase their chances of survivability in the Odyssey Monster Zone. Taking all these things in mind, First Elder Casey decided not to say anything to this person in front of him. But in order to thwart May Ford Academy''s future attempts, He has to find a way. Suddenly, he thought of one solution which might come in handy at this point of time. First Elder Casey commented, "I''m sorry Elder Brody, the competition should be fair for everyone. If I leaked out information, then it would be unfair for warriors without background. " Elder Brody lost his composure by hearing Casey''s righteous words. Little flame sparks appear all over his body. Seeing the flame sparks spreading around the room, First Elder Casey snorted, "Harumph!" and released his pressure to cancel out the flame energy. When two pressures collided with each other, an immediate shock wave spread around the room. First Elder Casey is displeased by his attitude. His calm tone instantly turned into an aggressive one. He said, "Elder Brody, know your place. May Ford Academy is just a subsidiary force. You dare act in front of me " Elder Brody returned to normal after hearing the threatening words. His face didn''t look good either. The word "subsidiary" really hit his mind. In anger, Elder Brody utters two words, "Good¡­Good." Elder Brody really felt fury, even after offering such a huge treasure. This guy, Casey, didn''t even flinch. Elder Brody really wanted to say, "Crimson Hall has become a lot weaker. Some subsidiary forces like them can contend against the current Crimson Hall " But Elder Brody calmed the anger boiling in his heart. He realised that he was not only the elder of May Ford Academy, but also a member of the Roth Family. "If this guy retaliates, not only may Ford Academy suffer. His Roth family will suffer more losses, "Elder Brody said in his heart. Biting his teeth in frustration, Elder Brody said, "Alright, I''m off. I will report your words back to my academy." After saying that, he walked out of the room. Seeing his disappearing back, the First Elder sneered in his heart by saying, "Sly fox really thinks himself as a big shot." " It''s not like Crimson Hall''s warriors were not studying in Tier-6 academies. If he really wants to make things difficult, then it would be no problem for him. First Elder Casey can do it by simply asking for help from the Crimson Hall''s connection. But this help can be sought only when the Crimson Hall is met with a do or die situation. So he is not willing to do it right now. It''s just May Ford Academy; he can deal with them easily. Outside, The elderly and officials from other organisations were waiting outside. Even some old people from subsidiary forces also came. They all came here with one purpose: for everyone to get information about the Crimson Hall event. It doesn''t matter if they are not allowed. As long as any one person gets a chance to meet Elder Casey. They will somehow collect information from that person. Everyone has the same thoughts in their mind. Right now, after seeing Elder Brody from May Ford Academy, went inside. Everyone cheered in their hearts. Some weak forces immediately informed their academy. In order to ask Elder Brody, the only person with equal power and strength is eligible. Others were smart enough to not confront Elder Brody. While everyone was waiting for Elder Brody, some elderly from equal rank forces like May Ford Academy were glad in their hearts. They won''t miss today''s opportunity. Once Elder Brody walked out, everyone decided to ask him. For this, some made eye contact in tacit understanding. When Elder Brody walks out of the Crimson Hall, everyone decides to surround him. Elder Brody walked outside with an ugly expression. Seeing his face, others who were waiting outside Casey''s office also realised something bad must have happened. But one thing is certain; they didn''t know the purpose of Elder Brody''s visit. At that moment, they knew Elder Brody didn''t get what he wanted. Not all of them thought the same way, especially those forces that had equal strength with May Ford Academy. A burly elder from Steel Castle Academy sneered inside, "This guy really thinks himself to be a good actor." He thought Elder Brody was putting up an act to fool others. Among the subsidiary forces, everyone knew that the closeness between Crimson Hall and May Ford Academy was really high. Otherwise, Elder Casey wouldn''t have let him inside. So, Elder from Steel Castle Academy is disgusted by his acting. When Elder Brody realised everyone was looking at him, He felt his face was burning. "[email protected]@ds!" He cursed everyone in his heart. He immediately decided to walk away from this place. When he walked past everyone towards the exit, No one went forward to stop him. But they slowly followed him from behind. This has not gone unnoticed. Elder Brody easily sensed their presence from behind. "These flies." He gnashed his teeth in anger. Then, without thinking further, he immediately released his breath to shun others. Next, he used his strength to move away from this place. Everyone fell backwards by taking the impact of the pressure. Warriors with a low base immediately spurted blood from the blackclash. "Despicable!" Warriors yelled from behind them. "Damn it!" Some uttered words in anger. "This is too much. What did I do? " Another warrior who was simply minding his own business screamed out loud. Everyone didn''t expect this shameless act from Elder Brody. Even the Elders of the Crimson Hall are infuriated by his actions. If it were outside, they wouldn''t mind. But Elder Brody''s action shows he really didn''t put Crimson Hall in his eyes. After taking care of them, Elder Brody exited the crimson hall and proceeded to go back to Willow Peak City. But just as Elder Brody was about to enter his air car, he was stopped by a huge burly figure dressed in silver armour. Seeing that, Elder Brody raised his head to confront him. "Richard, What do you want? " While looking at the burly figure, he asked in a slightly displeased tone. "Ha... Ha...Ha..." Elder Richard let out a hearty laugh. Then, looking at Elder Brody, he uttered, "When did you learn to become such a fine actor?" Elder Richard''s smile disappeared when he finished with his words. "This guy? It''s really infuriating, "Elder Brody said in his heart. He has taken care of those small flies easily, but Richard is not easy. He can''t fight with him. So she immediately answered, "I don''t know, what happened to Crimson Hall?" But this time they are really tight-lipped about it. "Oh, really?" Elder Richard is taken back. But then again, he looked at Elder Brody''s face for a moment. Elder Richard wants to verify whether this guy is acting or not. The atmosphere becomes quiet for a moment. Their conversation was heard by others who were not far away. Earlier, everyone planned to surround Elder Brody. When Elder Richard went ahead, everyone decided to wait and watch. But upon hearing the conversation, Not everyone is convinced. Immediately, various silhouttes appear beside Elder Brody and Elder Richard. Seeing everyone, Elder Brody''s expression changed drastically. "This is bad!" He said it in his heart. It''s impossible to convince everyone. Elder Brody looked at everyone. Some were subsidiary forces. And he also recognised a few people from hostile forces. He immediately said, "Subsidiary forces dare to join hands with the enemy." Elder Richard also frowned by looking at the elderly from the hostile faction. Everyone is still on the premise of Crimson Hall. Their presence without invitation is clearly crossing the bottomline of Crimson Hall. Elder Richard looked around to identify the thief who had invited elders from hostile factions here. Chapter 336 Shield Team Vs Black Fist Team (From MC''s Perspective) Insect forest--City of Iron Post, One hour later, I venture deep into the forest after dealing with that scumbag. The influence of bandits can be seen by looking at that wretched fellow. I don''t know. How much secret information did he tip off to those bandits? This is disturbing. It''s not even safe to trust fellow warriors. Then I thought about something, "Maybe the iron hammer team suffered backhands from these backstabbers." I muttered to myself. Then, dispelling my thoughts, I used my perception to look for monsters. I don''t have to worry about anything. Mr. Jonathan assured me that nothing would happen. I have no idea about Mr. Jonathan''s strength, but I''ve got this vague feeling in my heart that it won''t be any problem for him to take care of Bandit Boss. Just as I was pondering, I spotted several red dots ahead of me. After finding that I halted my footsteps, "Red Dots! "It''s either a monster or a hostile human," I said. But nonetheless, the dots were the enemy, so I walked forward with caution. A small open field came into view a few minutes later. The area is not a natural one; someone removed the vegetation for camping here. Seeing that, I used my perception to check for the number of red dots in this area. In my view, I spotted two large tents opposite to each other, and there was a small campfire built in the middle. I realized that maybe these groups were taking a rest inside. Finally, I confirmed the number of warriors staying inside the tent. There were a total of ten warriors here, divided into two camps. I doubt these ten warriors belong to one bandit hunting team. There is one more troubling thing. It''s not wise to head there all of a sudden. Though I''m in the middle of the special trainee base, facing off against ten hostile warriors is no joke. I need to figure out the situation in the camp before making some decisions. After gaining some clarity, I chose some safe spots to hide and monitor them. Shield Team-Inside the 1st camp, Five warriors sit in a circle, all of them seriously discussing something. A warrior named Ron asked his leader, "Leader, Black Fist team is up to no good." We should go back to the city before dawn. " Apart from their leader, the other three also echoed the same words as Ron. The shield team leader, Victor Brown, was displeased to hear that. He immediately replied, "Are you looking for death? "Keep your voice down." Everyone suddenly realized it''s not wise to say anything now. The Black Fist team might be looking for an opportunity to annoy them.Everyone became quiet after that, but still their faces were filled with concern. Victor Brown calmed his nerves after scolding them. Like them, he was too flustered by the Black Fist team''s sudden appearance. But surprisingly, they didn''t start to attack right away. The Black Fist team hurriedly set up their tent and went inside to take a rest. He wasn''t able to figure out their intentions by observing their actions. One thing is certain, they are not obviously here for loot. Otherwise, he and his team would have been long dead. "What are they up to?" he asked, touching his forehead in contemplation. Victor Brown was also aware of the rumors. The Black Fist team slaughtered many other weak teams in succession. Even though it''s a rumor, many warriors choose to believe it. He believes those words as well.The City Lord''s inaction also caused them to move boldly. The things surrounding the bandit hunting team are too much for a warrior like him. The reason he is staying here is because he didn''t want to cause some misunderstanding. If he moves away from this place too abruptly with his team, it will give them an opportunity to point a gun at us. Even at this time, Victor''s heart is not at ease. Just as he was pondering, he heard loud footsteps from outside. Hearing that, the other four members immediately stood up from the ground. Everyone looked at each other''s faces in despair. The leader, Victor Brown''s, face turned solemn. He gripped the huge long sword with both hands tightly. Next, he signaled to his members to equip quickly. Everyone grabbed their weapons and held them in their hands to face the enemy. Slowly, Victor walked out of his tent, followed by his team members one by one. When five of them stepped outside, they were immediately greeted by the Black Fist team. "He... He... He... He..." "Look at their ugly faces. Everyone is scared shit right now, "Benny Sutton, the leader of the Black Fist team, said with laughter. The four teammates beside his team had wide grins on their faces. I''m not sure.How many kills have they made successfully? " Benny Sutton''s right-hand man, Rob, said with expectations. Hearing that, Benny Sutton smiled and directly glanced at everyone. Next, his gaze is set on Victor Brown, who is sweating heavily. Because Benny Sutton''s base is at Initial Trainee Warrior, while Victor Brown''s is only at the level of Peak Special Trainee. It''s also the same for team members on both sides. Everyone''s base is at the Special Trainee Level. The shield team has no chance of retaliation. This is also the reason why the Black Fist team took their time to mess with them. Benny Sutton saw the shield badge on their armor. Then he opened his mouth to say, "Are you guys from the shield team?" Victor Brown nodded his head in agreement. At this moment, Victor Brown knew these guys would slaughter everyone. A thought struck his mind: rumors are indeed true. The Black Fist team finally revealed their cruel nature. Victor made up his mind in order to let his team members escape. He needs to stall Benny Sutton. Then his team members will take care of the rest. "Ron, escape with others and tell the city about the Black Fist team''s betrayal." After saying that, Victor swung his long sword at the black-fist team leader. The atmosphere changed drastically. "Harrumph, I won''t give you any chance for that." Benny Sutton gets infuriated. After uttering, he immediately used the essence technique. "Earth Wall" Benny Sutton used his earth element technique to raise the earth wall. The earth elements gathered together in a blink of an eye and the strong earth wall formed at the height of 6 ft. At the same time, Victor''s sword blade collided with the earth''s wall. "Boom," a small deafening sound, resonated in the area. The aftermath swept small rocks and vegetation around them. When the dust settled down, Victor found his blade was only able to cause a few cracks on the earth wall. The earth wall is still strong and extremely thick. Seeing that, Victor utters, "Trainee Warrior!" while gnashing his teeth in anger. The elemental essence of a trainee warrior is extremely pure compared to that of a special trainee. Victor understood that using the essence technique alone would not be enough to defeat him.But from the start, he didn''t aim to win; he hoped that his team members would find some chance to slip away. While the leaders of the two teams started their confrontation, Ron and others from the shield team immediately fled from the place. They didn''t even think about supporting their leader, Victor, for a bit. Seeing them fleeing, the black fist warriors quickly followed them from behind. All of this didn''t go unnoticed by a certain person hiding behind the tree. Seeing that Shield team members left their team leader alone, it completely pissed me off. Earlier, I thought these groups belonged to one team. But looking at the current situation, I certainly do not. But one thing felt strange to me. It also made me not move forward and help them. In my perception, my ability showed everyone in a red dot. Which means everyone here is my enemy. How does one''s perception rate one as hostile or friendly to me?Certainly, this ability comes from inheritance. I''m just evolving it further by practicing. Then my gaze was drawn to the scene in front of him: should I go or should I not?If this goes on, that guy will surely die. But my expression changed drastically. "You can drop your righteous act, Victor, it''s really disgusting to see," Benny Sutton said, with a wide grin on his face. "Oh! What are you blabbering about? " Victor Brown replied back in confusion. Benny Sutton said in disdain, "All the remaining bandit hunting teams joined under the top 5 teams. So at this point in time, there is no independent bandit hunting team in Iron Post City. " The expression of Victor Brown turned ugly. He didn''t expect Benny Sutton to bring up this topic now. Benny Sutton uttered some truth, but there are slight changes in it. Victor Brown was recruited by the 5th strongest team, but they rejected his remaining team members. Victor Brown filled the last slot, so he was ordered to disband the teams within a month. This is also one of the reasons why Victor wanted his team members to escape. Chapter 337 Fighting Against Benny Sutton Insect Forest -City of Iron Post, Seeing that his secret is known by him, Victor Brown slightly guessed the other party''s motive behind this. "Does he want to eliminate me?" A terrible question rose in his heart. Without further ado, Victor thought of a plan. He couldn''t carelessly waste mana by using the essence technique. So he slowly covered the sword blade with metallic essence. This will further strengthen the sword against earth element-based attacks. Before Benny Sutton could say anything, he raised his long sword to make another swing. The blade was slashed vertically. Benny Sutton frowns, "I was ordered to capture him and return to our base. It looks like this isn''t happening anymore. So It''s better to end him here, "Benny Sutton thought to himself. Then he easily saw through Victor''s idea. Seeing the sword coming at him, he leapt backward to evade the attack. Benny Sutton was finally determined to end him quickly. He covered his fist with earth essence, making it look like a rock. Next, he dashed towards Victor at a breakneck speed. When the long sword missed the target, Victor raised his head to see Benny Sutton, who was dashing towards me. Upon realising that, he held the long sword close to his body to block the attack. But it was too late. The movement of the Trainee Warrior is extremely fast. Which Victor failed to realize. So, instead of attacking the blade, Benny smashed Victor''s head. "Bang," a loud crashing sound resonates in the area. Victor Brown flew like a broken kite from the impact and finally crashed to the ground. This change of attack by Benny Sutton caught him off guard. Victor''s face is completely disfigured and blood is dripping from his forehead, making one side of his face dyed in red. On the other hand, Benny Sutton slowly walks up to him. Upon noticing Victor''s swollen nose, he let out a huge laugh. "Ha... Ha... Ha..." "Victor, I never expected you to be so stupid" Benny Sutton, he said with a mocking tone. Victor Brown is currently half conscious. He knew someone was talking to him. But he couldn''t figure out what it was. Understanding the state of Victor Brown, Benny didn''t want to continue the chat. He crouched down to pick up Victor''s long sword. "How do you feel about getting killed by your own sword?" After saying that, Benny Sutton inserted the tip of the blade into Vincent''s heart. The inner armour of Victor didn''t pose any resistance; the tip of the blade easily pierced through his heart in seconds. "Pfff," Victor Brown dies, spurting blood. ... (From MC''s Perspective) "Cruel" while looking at the terrible situation in front of me, I grunted. I heard their whole conversation. Though the Victor guy seems to be innocent, he did join the 5th strongest team. If I come across the 5th team, it will be a do or die battle. So it''s good that he died right now. Next, I immediately search for others through my perception. Team members of both teams were away from my perception range. I guess they must be fighting against each other. And this gives me the opportunity to make my debut. I stood up and walked towards the open land area. This Benny Sutton guy is going to be a useful living target. The sound of the bush reverberates, "Shssshh." Hearing that, Benny Sutton immediately turned around to see. Upon seeing a teenage kid coming towards him, Benny Sutton was stunned. "Who are you, kid?" Benny Sutton blurts it out all of a sudden. He didn''t even put the young kid as a threat. Tck! young kid? Looking at my age, his words were indeed true. But I came here to fight against him. So there is no need to answer his question. I used my basic leg technique to inch closer towards him. Seeing that, Benny Sutton was bewildered, was that kid trying to attack me? Does he know who we are? Many questions rose in his heart. But still, this kid walked out of the bushes. So, he must have witnessed the whole thing. Benny Sutton''s expression changed directly, recognising this. "To think I made such a childish mistake. I should have ordered someone to monitor the surroundings earlier, "Benny Sutton said to himself. Fortunately, this kid came right at him. Seeing that, he used his normal palm to smash him. On the other hand, I observed Benny Sutton using his palm to punch me. Tck! He still didn''t plan on using the essence technique. Well, this gives me a chance to test my body''s strength. My recent essence breakthrough, I believe, has enhanced my physique a little bit. I think it''s enough to counter him. When I reached closer towards his body, I used my full strength to counter his punch. I raised my fist to smash against his. When two of our fists collided. "Bang," a defeaning sound resonates in the area. The shock wave swept away the nearby rocks. I took three steps backward from the impact and stabilised myself. When the dust settled, Benny Sutton looked at his palm with disbelief. He didn''t even move from the spot. Yet he has small bruises on his palm. Benny Sutton looked at the young kid with amazement. Next, his expression becomes slightly condensed. At such a young age, this kid has such body strength. From this first power alone, Benny guessed his strength was no less than peak special trainee warrior. If he had used the solid rock palm like earlier, he would have easily abolished this kid''s arm. Looking at Zack, he commented, "Young man, May I know which family you belong to?" Hearing that, a slight glint flashes in my eyes. Is he hesitating? I frowned. This guy might think I''m from an influential family. Then, dispelling the thoughts, I concentrated on the blood ring rune in my mind. My double repair made me take three steps backward. I want to see what happens if I use blood power. The blood ring rune in my mind starts to flicker. As it continues to flicker at a fast rate, I feel the blood in my body begin to boil. I miss this sensation very much. With the activation of the blood method, the red-inked skeleton part begins to shine as well. A hazy blood light covers the entire blood stream. It also spreads over the entire skeleton. like a skeleton is covered with a light cloak of blood. I feel an endless stream of energy rushing through my veins. Unlike the essence of this sensation, I felt it in my own blood. I felt my body had become light-weight all of a sudden. On the other hand, Benny Sutton is pissed off by this kid''s indifferent attitude. He has a vague feeling that this kid might be from an influential family. If this is true, then he needs to act with caution. His young master will be implicated if something happens to this kid. Suddenly, he doesn''t know what to do with this kid. Should he attack or not? If this kid escapes from here, there is a possibility that the annihilation of the Shield Team will reach everyone''s ears. Again, I used my fist against him. This time an endless stream of energy rushed through my palm. This strength gives me a domineering feeling. Blood power is really something, and it appears that I need to reassess my abilities. My sudden action caused Benny Sutton to retract his thoughts. "Is this kid going to do it again?" Benny Sutton thought to himself. Benny Sutton is slightly displeased. He wanted to know about the kid''s background before fighting against him. But it looks like this is going to be impossible. Finally, Benny Sutton decided not to be heavy-handed on this kid. He will try to collect some details while fighting against him. Seeing that he was using his fist again to punch, Benny Sutton still avoided using the solid rock palm. He didn''t feel any change in the kid''s palm this time. So he casually raised his hand to block it. But when the kid''s fist collided with his palm, "Aahhhhhhh," Benny Sutton let out an agonising scream. His whole body was flung backwards due to impact and he got crahsed on the ground. "Bang," a crashing sound resonates in the area. The shock wave swept away all the rocks. It took a few seconds for the dust to settle. "Wow." This is amazing. I didn''t feel any resistance from his palm. Did he use his full strength? What a fool? I can see that Benny Sutton didn''t even use his essence at all. He is completely looking down on me. I sighed. I thought this guy was going to be another muscle head. But he is clearly hesitating now. He believes that I''m from an influential background. So he doesn''t want to offend me. On the other hand, Benny Sutton''s mind went blank when he felt sudden pain. He tried to collect his thoughts. Recalling that kid''s attack a few seconds ago, he is totally shocked to the core. "No way!" Benny Sutton exclaimed in disbelief. This power is no less than a mid-level trainee warrior. because he knew this kid didn''t even use essence from the beginning. So what does it mean? The kid didn''t use his full strength in the first attack. If this is his real body strength, then his base is a mid-level trainee warrior. "Damn it! I''m right. This kid must be a young master from an influential family," Benny Sutton screamed in his heart. Chapter 338 Escaped From The Crimson Hall (From MC''s Perspective) Insect forest-City of Iron Post, Benny Sutton made a firm decision in his mind. In his opinion, this young man must be from some influential family. Yet the young man is hell bent on fighting against him. This only means this person is the enemy. I need to escape from here and quickly inform the young master. He stood up off the ground and tried to move away from this place. Since he is not elite, he can''t fly. He needs to walk past Zack before escaping from this place. Seeing that guy finally stopped spacing out, I decided to use the lightning technique. I can somewhat gauge my body''s strength. Let''s see how lightning power has improved so far. I find that guy gazing at the exit, "is he thinking about escaping?" I muttered to myself. He is really cautious. No wonder the Black Fist team is successful so far. Next, I dashed towards him using the lightning phantom technique. When I started using the technique, a small purple mist wrapped around my legs. My speed increased exponentially. It''s impossible to see the purple mist with the naked eye. At the same time, Black Fist team leader Benny Sutton takes a step forward to exit the place. But he was suddenly startled upon seeing Zack''s action. Benny Sutton''s pupils'' construct upon not being able to locate Zack. All of a sudden, he felt a dreadful feeling. This unknown scene made him forget his current predicament. Yet, when Zack suddenly appeared before him, His instincts kicked in, and he suddenly used an earth elemental technique. "Earth Armour". He released his earth elemental essence to cover his body parts like an armour. But it was too late; the speed was not able to catch up with Zack. While dashing towards him, I quickly launched a lightning technique. "LIGHTNING WHEEL" A thunderous sound reverberates through the whole area, which makes all nearby insect monsters drop down to the ground. A purple colour wheel instantly formed around me, a thunderous lightning power beaming with power inside the wheel. When the lightning wheel completely formed in shape, at the same time, I came into contact with Benny Sutton. On the other hand, Benny Sutton''s dreadful feelings rose at an alarming rate. This is just an instinct; it has nothing to do with one''s power. But upon seeing the scene in front of him, he felt goosebumps all over his body. "Fu!k!" Benny Sutton exclaimed in fear. Benny Sutton had never thought he would be in such a situation. He heard some rumours about special elements. In particular, lightning, which is even rarer. Those people gifted with special elements were often descendants of giant families. Such a family, not even his young master''s family, dares to offend. When the purple lightning struck his body, Benny Sutton had only one thought in his mind: "Young master, please, don''t come across this person ever." "Boom" a deafening sound resonates in the area. Benny Sutton''s body was thrown into the air by the lightning wheel''s explosion. The aftermath swept away all the rocks, small trees and even those two camps. A deep pit was formed at the site as a result of the direct explosion. At the same time, Benny Sutton''s body smashed into the nearby tree, 60 metres away from the deep pit. When the aftermath settled down, I gasped in surprise. No way! This is not my lightning power. It''s too OP. But my expression dulled soon, I guess this guy didn''t use his earth element again. He was still hesitating about whether to attack me or not. If he knows the actual truth, I bet he won''t be this careless. Right now, the dust is settling a little bit. Next, I looked around to see Benny Sutton''s body. The aftermath completely overturned the camps; they were broken into pieces. Soon, I spotted his body a few metres away from here. I walked towards him. At the same time, upon seeing me coming, Benny Sutton spurts blood. Benny Sutton has suffered a severe injury in the chest region. The lightning explosion crumbles his chest bones into pieces. It was all due to his carelessness. which made him unable to form Earth Armor in time. "His chest bone is sticking out," I mumbled while looking at his body. This guy is an earth element warrior. If he had used some techniques, I bet the impact wouldn''t be this much. Due to a broken chest, Benny Sutton couldn''t be able to breathe properly. But he didn''t lose consciousness. Upon seeing Zack, he asked, "Who are you?" What are you doing at this place? " This guy is talking even in this state. Then I swung my black sword around at his neck. Benny Sutton closed his eyes. He had already given up the resistance from the beginning. He is loyal to his young master and family. Even if he successfully escaped from this place by killing this kid. The end won''t be much different from now. "A special element user from the giant family. Who dares to offend them? " A last thought rose in his mind before his head was separated from the body. Seeing his corpse, I sighed internally. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry by recalling his foolishness. The battle would have been different if I had revealed my identity to him. Fortunately, I didn''t make such a foolish mistake. He is completely marked in red in my perception. So there is no point in leaving him alive. Dispelling my thoughts, I placed the corpse in my storage ring. Then I touched my forehead, "I need to erase the trace also." Then I quickly spent some time erasing the trace before leaving from this spot. Simultaneously, Mr. Jonathan, who is secretly following Zack in the air, is truly shocked by Zack''s power. "Zack finished off the opponents in four moves," he muttered to himself. Despite the fact that the opponent was responsible for the majority of his success. But he feels Zack''s lightning power is much more domineering. He knew Zack had killed one of the Crimson Hall members at Star Tower. He personally went there to take care of the aftermath. Even at that time, he didn''t have any clue about Zack''s strength. Everyone was speculating based upon his star tower performance. But right now, he saw it clearly. What''s even more astonishing is Zack has abnormal body strength. He can even take down the initial trainee warrior without using the essence. A surprise glint flashes in his eyes. "This is an extremely important development," Mr. Jonathan muttered to himself. Mr. Jonathan is convinced that Zack has physical talent as well. He decided to report this to his master later. When Zack moves away from the spot, he appears above the open land. Although Zack has eliminated some traces, some people with discernment can spot some clues. So Mr. Jonathan completely took care of that. Then he continues to follow Zack secretly from above. ¡­ Crimson Hall, Finally, after the deterrence shown by Grand Elder Chris, All the hostile forces escaped from the Crimson Hall premise. Even those from the auxiliary forces left without saying much. They knew it was impossible to stop Elder Roth anymore. But that doesn''t mean they will not act. Every force has some plans in their mind. They will act after leaving this place. Using such a good opportunity, Elder Brody Roth immediately flew back to Willow Peak City using the air car. While driving the air car, Elder Brody Roth said to himself, "Damn it, this is too much. I feel like I have fallen into a big trap. " If not for Grand Elder''s timely deterrence, he would have been swarmed up by these people. He really feels thankful towards Grand Elder Chris. Then, thinking about the forces, veins began to pop up in his head. Not only did he not get any information regarding the Crimson Hall event, now he has fallen into a big trap. And these forces must have thought, I got information from First Elder Casey. Elder Brody Roth hates May Ford Academy''s elders at this point of time. Many forces will soon harass their May Ford Academy. Forget about them, Elder Roth feels his family will also be troubled by them. The Roth family won''t be able to handle such situations. He gritted his teeth in anger. He wasn''t expecting this much of a reaction from other forces. He initially assumed there were only a few people in the waiting area. But after coming out of Crimson Hall, he was stopped by many people. It looks like in order to get information, These people won''t even hesitate to stay at Crimson Hall. Elder Brody Roth doesn''t know what to do. For one single quota, he made his entire family a target. After reporting to the dean, he decided to stay at home till the competition. He will simply tell everything to the dean back at the academy. It''s up to them how they handle the aftermath. Dispelling the thoughts, he increases the speed of the air car. Chapter 339 Roth Family: Meeting Hall Roth family-Willow Peak City, The Roth family was staying in a castle-like building deep inside a restricted area. The main branch of the family lives in the castle, while the side branches reside in Willow Peak City. Several family elders were assembled in the meeting for an emergency meeting. The meeting was called by their family head, Clyde Roth. No one has a slight clue about the meeting. While everyone was conversing with each other, a burly middle-aged man with a heavy build entered the meeting hall. He is none other than the family head, Clyde Roth. He has red hair and black eyes with fair skin. He stands 6 feet tall. He was dressed in a red blazer suit. Seeing the appearance of the family head, everyone quieted down. Clyde Roth is a Peak Trainee, Fire Elemental Warrior. Most importantly, their flame ability is an inherited one. It was passed down from their ancestors. After taking the main seat, Clyde Roth looked at everyone. He clearly saw the restlessness and confusion on their faces. He understands their feelings clearly. The meeting is usually not held unless there is an important issue. But a few minutes ago, he received a message from Elder Brody. His trip to Crimson Hall ended in vain. Not only has he failed, but they now need to deal with lots of trouble. "Coughed," Clyde Roth coughed, breaking the silence. Then, looking at everyone, "I understand your confusion. But wait for a while. Elder Roth is on the way here. When he arrives here, I''ll talk about the main topic. " Before that, let''s talk about the outstanding issue," Clyde Roth said. Hearing that everyone was surprised, some quick-witted people understood that the meeting was related to Elder Roth. While some others were confused, they didn''t dare ask the family head. At this time, a slight glint flashes in Hector; he is the father of Mateo Roth. "What happened to the old man?" Did he succeed in getting information? " Hector Roth said to himself. Earlier, Hector talked to his son Mateo about this. But his son was not dazed by the development. He is quite confident in his strength. Unlike his son, Hector was not calmed at all. But in this situation, other than being helpless, he can''t do anything. He can only patiently wait for Elder Roth to arrive. One hour later, An air car enters the air space of a restricted area and slowly lands in front of the Roth family castle. Elder Brody Roth exited the air car and directly hurried towards the meeting hall. Seeing his appearance, Clyde Roth stopped the previous discussion.The atmosphere became quiet all of a sudden. All the eyes were focused on Elder Brody Roth, who slowly walked up to the chair beside Clyde Roth and sat in it. Clyde Roth is quite dissatisfied with Elder Brody''s failure. In particular, his daughter has lost the chance of a second quota. It''s not like he can''t purchase the quota with his family''s health. But the issue here is one of prestige. His daughter, Everly, is the prideful one. Warriors who win qualification based upon their strength are more highly respected than their peers who use wealth and connections to get the quota. Clyde Roth didn''t want to spoil his daughter by using his money to get her quota. Right now he has second thoughts. He can let his daughter be directly admitted to Tier-6 Academy without going through all this nonsense. But the trouble is, he needs to convince his daughter. Right now, after seeing the Elder Roth, He decided to discuss the main topic. Clyde Roth turned towards Elder Brody for his opinion. Perceiving his gaze, Elder Brody nodded his head. He wasn''t in any mood to talk right now. Getting the nod, Clyde Roth said, "Alright, we encountered a slight issue. As everyone is already aware of May Ford Academy''s promise of quota to our family" When he said that, everyone''s expression turned a bit solemn. Because the face of Elder Brody didn''t look well at all. It was noted by other elders in the hall. Hector, who keenly observed the expression of Elder Brody, was a bit surprised, "Why does his face look like a shit?" He suddenly thought of something. He set his gaze on the family head''s face. The family head''s face also looked full and solemn. Hector already guessed something, but he is looking forward to getting the answer from Clyde Roth''s mouth. At the same time, Clyde Roth added further, "So in order to fulfil their request, Elder Brody Roth went to Crimson Hall. But his efforts were in vain. The First Elder, Casey from Crimson Hall, had rejected Elder Brody''s request. " Everyone sucked cold breath,"utter failure," one thing struck their mind. But none of them want to gossip about it. Especially in front of Elder Brody Roth. He may vent his rage on the other elders. So everyone is cautious about it. None of them present there questioned Clyde Roth. But one person among the crowd is extremely glad about the turn of events. "As expected, Elder Brody failed to collect the information." Hector laughed in his heart. It means May Ford Academy won''t give additional quota to their family. And his son can take all the spotlights with ease. He was not worried about the family head buying the quota for her daughter. Hector knew the young woman''s character. There was no way she would let her father buy the quota. Then he continued to listen to the family head''s words. Simultaneously, Clyde Roth commented, "It''s unfortunate that we didn''t get the information. But right now we need to face much more important things. " "The other forces might think Elder Brody has information in his hands. Soon they will knock on our door. If anyone happens to come across other forces, they should quickly inform the respective elders. Then we will take care of it. " Everyone''s faces changed drastically. They didn''t expect the situation to worsen. What are they going to do next? Clyde Roth uttered it simply. But what will happen? If they get harassed by those hostile forces, Several questions popped up in their minds. Clyde Roth sighed and replied, "I understand. If anyone crosses the line, just attack them. I will take care of the aftermath." When he finished his words, Elder Brody Roth stood beside him feeling guilty. At the same time, everyone sighed in relief after hearing the family head''s words. Next, Clyde Roth dispersed the meeting. Except him and Elder Brody, everyone left the meeting hall. Seeing Elder Brody''s dull expression, Clyde Roth said with a sigh, "Elder, What are your thoughts? " Elder Brody straightened his back and replied, "I had never seen Casey be this strict before. Usually, he would agree whenever there was a great offer. This time I offered him the Elite Breakthrough resources. But still he didn''t agree" "What?" Clyde Roth said. He is taken back by the offer. He never thought Elder Brody would go this far. In his opinion, May Ford Academy itself doesn''t have much of an elite resource. So, which means, Elder Brody offered his life time savings. Elder Brody was not surprised by Clyde Roth''s reaction. Elite resources were not easy to collect in this Tier-7 city. Even after offering such a resource, Casey denied it straightforwardly. At this time, Clyde Roth replied, "Sigh, is that crimson Hall going to tear off face with everyone?" Elder Brody shook his head in denial and commented, "I too had this opinion before going back to the crimson hall. Even May Ford Academy was confident because of Crimson Hall''s current situation. But that guy was totally unfazed. He is not at all worried about all that. " Elder Brody added further, "Right now, we can''t mess with the Crimson Hall. Even though their current desecendants are weak, they still have some strong connections. " "Hmmm, I also decided to let Everly join directly into the Tier-6 Academy," Clyde Roth replied, nodding. Hearing that, Elder Brody thought about it and asked, "What about that little fellow Mateo?" Clyde Roth answered, "He is good. Mateo had already completed the family task at Iron Post City. Right now, he is waiting for our call. " Hearing that, a slight glint flashes in Elder Brody''s eyes. Elder Brody replied, "Alright, I''ll ask the person regarding Iron Post City. Once he agrees, we can call Mateo back. Then let him prepare for the Crimson Hall competition." Clyde Roth nodded his head, then they talked about a few other things before walking back to their own place. Clyde Roth entered his personal study room. After walking inside, he saw his daughter, Everly, was waiting for him. "Father, I heard Elder Brody is back. What happened? " Ms. Everly asked with some expectation. Clyde Roth signed internally. He didn''t want to disclose the news yet. So he replied, "Elder Roth was called back by the academy. I''ll ask him tomorrow about it. " Everly Roth disappointed by her father''s words. She was looking forward to hear the news. But now she has to wait further. Chapter 340 Mateos Move Insect Forest, Mateo Roth walks out the city gate together with his team members. The Fire Sword team is currently the leading team in bandit hunting missions and is considered to be the strongest one. Apart from Mateo, the vice captain of the team was a female Initial Trainee Warrior, Carla Gill, a Fire Elemental user. The other three male members were also carefully selected by Mateo. Except Mateo, everyone in this team has the same strength as the Initial Trainee Warrior and everyone was a fire elemental user. Mateo, on the other hand, was a mid-level trainee warrior. The whole city thinks that the team leader of the fire sword team is a powerful warrior. But no one of them had a clue about his actual strength. Even the team members couldn''t see through Mateo. There are numerous reasons for it. From the beginning, the fire sword team never fought with bandits, excluding a few situations. So everyone in the team knew Mateo was a trainee warrior, but they didn''t know whether he was mid-level one or peak one. At this time, everyone is heading toward the camp site. Everyone had a sword on their back, including Mateo. On the way, all the warriors averted their gaze. The whole iron post city knew that the fire sword team had successfully subdued many other teams. Without minding their attitude, Mateo Roth asked, "Will everyone arrive?" Carla Gill replied, "Leader, I have informed everyone. Soon, they will gather at the campsite" Mateo Roth nodded his head. Carla Gill is a warrior from the Gill family. The Gill family is close to the Roth family. For Mateo''s sake, his family arranged a few capable Warriors to accompany him. Apart from Carla Gill, other Warriors infiltrated into other teams, like Benny Sutton, the Captain of the Black Fist team. Currently, the fire sword team is dressed in a red adventurer''s suit. It''s a unique combat dress custom made by the Roth family. Soon, the team reaches the camping area. which was already crowded with people. Upon seeing the fire sword team, the crowds'' murmuring quieted down. Mateo Roth halted his steps and glanced around the surroundings. Next, he looked at the people in front of him. The team''s badge on their chest is used to identify them. After taking a look, Mateo asked, "Carla, What about the other four teams? There is no wind of them. " "Leader, the other four teams already ventured into the forest a day ago," Carla said. Hearing that Mateo''s eyes furrowed, Unlike people''s beliefs, only Mateo knows that he had no interaction whatsoever, other than a simple greeting with the other four teams. His Roth family was asked by someone to help bandit Boss Soren. So he came here with Carla and a few others. After a few months of bandit hunting missions, Surprisingly, the other four teams also adopted their fire sword team''s tactics. They too started to subdue other weak teams. Not only the tactics, the other team also selected members based on basic elements. Then, dispelling these thoughts, he looked at everyone in front of him and ordered, "Alright, I don''t want to wait anymore. I believe all of you received tasks from Carla. You just have to investigate those dangerous areas and send that information back to us" "Gasp! " a small commotion broke out among the crowd. Everyone received the information some time ago, but many of them were not satisfied. Just because they submitted to the Fire Sword team, doesn''t mean they have to listen to every demand. "No, we won''t go!" someone from the crowd shouted in anger. "Yeah, we are here for a bandit hunting mission." Another voice sounded from the ground. "The City Lord Mansion didn''t allow anyone to trespass into the dangerous area." Another warrior screamed out in anger. Hearing that Mateo was slightly displeased, he immediately released the breath of the mid-level trainee warrior. "Rumble" The overwhelming pressure enveloped everyone within seconds. Most of them have weak bases planted on the ground directly. "Pfff" Warriors spurt blood directly due to impact. Carla and others stepped backwards. When the aftermath settles down, some of the weaker Warriors found to be injured. Only the Warriors with a Trainee Warrior base managed to hold on. Seeing that, Mateo was quite satisfied. Then he said to everyone, "Now, I want to see who else is dissatisfied with the order." The atmosphere turned quite sullen for a moment. At this time, no one came forward to ask a question. Everyone realised this young man didn''t even put the City Lord in his eyes. So don''t even talk about the adventurers like them. Seeing that there was no voice, Mateo commented, "Alright, I''ll take silence as your affirmative." After saying that, he pointed fingers at injured people and said, "Except, injured Warriors, the rest of you go to the mission." Hearing that, the trainee warrior acted. Soon, they gathered together with their team and walked towards the insect forest. Right now, only warriors with a special trainee base are left. Seeing that, Mateo ordered them to go back to the city. Like Carla, there is also another warrior under his command, Benny Sutton. Remembering him suddenly, Mateo asked Carla, "What about the Black Fist Team?" Hearing that, Carla replied, "Actually, they are inside the forest. I told them to gather at the nearest safe point. " Mateo nodded. He also decided to go out later. There are still quite a few teams yet to arrive. All he cares about is the strength of the Trainee Warriors. The special trainee in the teams doesn''t have to go. Some of the dangerous spots in the insect forest were life-threatening to even Peak Trainee Warrior. He didn''t know how the bandit, Boss Soren, was actually able to live in this deadly forest. Next, the fire sword team walked into their tent. After taking a seat, Mateo asked her to take out the Insect Forest Map. Maps were mostly in digital form, but for family tasks, Carla personally drew a map for convenient use. Carla placed the map made of animal skin on the table. A flash of appreciation flashes in Mateo''s eyes while looking at the map. The map is not only detailed and neat like a digital one. Carla personally detailed a few places on them. In his opinion, these few places were only known to their fire sword team. Evem the City Lord Mansion''s map is pale in comparison to their map. The other four members also focus their attention on the map. Mateo gazed at the nearest dangerous spot. It''s located on the west side of the forest called "Mutated Bee Queen Nest." Usually, mutated monsters were hard to deal with compared to normal-class monsters. Here the dangerous bee queen was mutated. What''s the most disturbing thing? It''s not known whether the mutated bee queen is a level 2 or level 3 monster. In his opinion, if it''s a class 3 monster. The area does need to be called a dangerous one. So the mutated bee queen is a Class 3 monster. When it comes to class 4, He thinks it''s impossible. Class 4, comparable to Elite Warrior, if it''s true then the bandits wouldn''t have survived now. "It''s safe to say that the mutated bee queen is almost Class 3 Peak one," Mateo said to himself. Having a fire element with mid-level trainee strength Mateo is quite confident in facing the challenge. He just needed to wait for their warriors to scout for him. It would be troublesome if they missed anything. Next, Mateo said to everyone, "We''ll go to the mutated bee queen''s nest." Hearing that everyone nodded, Carla too didn''t have any opinion about this. Then the fire sword team waited for those warriors to send back news. ¡­ Crimson Hall, "Ha... Ha... Ha...The old guy has really met with bad luck," First Elder Casey said with a laugh. When he heard the reports from the headmaster in front of him, he couldn''t help but smile. Earlier, he had already predicted something like this would happen. But he didn''t expect the elders from hostile forces to enter their premises. It''s good that Grand Elder Chris diffused the situation. As a host of this event, it''s difficult to stand against the hostile force. For the time being, the crimson hall needs to treat everyone the same. Then, looking at the useless headmaster, he thought about something and asked, "How is the progression of Star Tower Participants?" Half of the plan has been completed. Now, First Elder Casey decided to take a look at the Crimson Hall students'' progression. He hopes that at least a few of them will be accepted into Tier-6 academies. As a host of the event, it would be the same if their own warriors didn''t perform well. The headmaster''s eyes lit up with surprise. Just like others, he was clueless about the competition. In other major factions, the headmaster has certain power. But here he is not qualified to know about the crimson hall competition. Perceiving the First Elder''s gaze, he hurriedly replied, "First Elder, rest assured. Everyone is working hard. Especially the warriors who participated in the Star Tower Competition. Some of them have reached initial Trainee Warrior" "Initial Trainee Warrior?" The First Elder Said. If it were the last decade, the Initial Trainee Warriors would be considered as geniuses. But right now, the situation is different. As far as he knows, some of the descendants of allied forces have reached Peak Trainee Warrior. It''s even hard to believe such news. But he knew those old sky foxes had really spent a huge fortune on their descendants this time. Chapter 341 Insect Forest : Attacking On The Bandit Team Hansen Campus-Red Stone City, Cabin, Elder Thornton is having a conversation with Arthur. He didn''t expect Zack to react like this. He didn''t answer anyone''s call from Hansen Campus. At that time, he really felt Zack was requesting too many resources from them. So he was a little harsh on Zack. Thinking about it, Elder Thornton sighed internally. He asked, "Is there any news from James? We don''t know. What is Zack doing out there? " Last time, Elder Thornton went to Star Tower with Zack as a guardian. This time Zack went all alone to Iron Post City. "Factions were busy preparing for the Crimson Hall competition. On the surface, it might seem like no one cares about weaker organisations. But actually, that''s not the case," Elder Thornton thought to himself. On the other hand, Mr. Arthur was also concerned about Zack. He replied, "Elder, Zack is doing fine. He hadn''t joined any teams yet. Currently, he is cultivating in seclusion. " Elder Thornton nodded, a slight glint flashing in his eyes. Zack is the current winner of the Star Tower Competition. It''s been a few days since Zack left. But still, there are a lot of eyes peeping at Hansen Campus. It won''t remain the same for long. When these people find out that Zack is truly not here, Then they will look for him using their sources. When Elder Thornton touched his forehead, he commented, "It would have been good if Zack stayed here." Mr. Arthur smiled. He had heard a few things from James. Zack is not going there for a mission. He intends to practise his skills in the insect forest. Then, suddenly, Mr. Arthur received an emergency message from Ms. Key. He immediately opened it to view it. Mr. Arthur''s expression changed drastically. "Elder, Take a look at this news " After saying that Mr. Arthur forwarded the news to him, Elder Thornton retracted his thoughts and looked at the news. He uttered, "Elder Brody Roth''s high-level visit to Crimson Hall" Elder Thornton''s expression condensed a little bit. He continued to read the message. His expression was still unbelievable when he finally got it. He asked, "Arthur, Tell our connections to stay vigilant. " Elder Thornton added further, "I don''t know whether that person from May Ford Academy was able to collect information or not." "But I believe there will be some skirmishes before the competition. So tell our people to stay away from them. " "Don''t worry, elder. I''ll take care of this matter." Mr. Arthur assured him with his words. ¡­ (From MC''s Perspective) Insect Forest, "Pfff" Another one is gone. After killing a few bugs, I continued my journey. After killing Benny Sutton, I didn''t find his lackeys chasing me from behind. Then, a few hours later, I was hit with these annoying bugs. I have just covered one safe zone since this morning. But it took several hours for me to do this. It''s hard to even walk through this forest. I looked at the sky. Before dawn, I needed to reach another safe zone to spend the night there. Then, in my perception, there is no living thing beside me. I recalled the City Lord''s Mansion. From my current position, the nearest safe zone is located in the west part of the forest. Unlike the previous one, it''s located in the inner part of the forest. After figuring it out, I walked towards the destination. Various thoughts run in my mind. I intend to improve my flaws, such as charging and discharging lightning power with my sword. The discharge speed should be too fast for the opponent. Using the Sword Divide move, if I spent too much time on locking the target, it would be detrimental to me in the future. If it''s a one on one fight, then it''s okay. But facing a group, it''s hard to use sword divide efficiently. "RED" Suddenly, a few red dots appeared in my mind. Seeing that, I halted my footsteps and began to observe the speed of the red dots. By looking at their slow movements, I''m pretty much convinced that this time it''s not bugs but rather humans. "Last time it was the Black Fist team. Who could it be this time?" While looking at the red dots, I muttered to myself. Next, I slowly moved towards the red dots. The red dots are moving ahead. They are certainly not coming in my direction. After figuring it out, I increased my speed. 10 minutes later, I hid behind the tree and continued to watch the situation in front of me. There were ten black dressed people. They are slowly moving forward while talking to each other. In order not to alert them, I stopped following. From previous experience, I have learnt a lot of things. Like, Victor Brown was selected for the 5th team. Benny Sutton''s master order to capture Victor. There is too much going on between the teams. If I can learn one or two things from these groups, It will be helpful for my information collection. While talking about information, the image of Reminginton Talley flashes before my eyes. I wonder, what is he up to? Remington wouldn''t have guessed that I was soloing in the forest. Dispelling my thoughts, I continue to follow them secretly. Suddenly, I heard something from these people. Among those ten people walking forward, one of them raised a question: "Leader, is this path safe? I heard this path is mostly used by the warriors for logistics. " The leader of the group was a burly figure; his face was covered with a black mask. Not only him, but the entire group had their faces masked to conceal their identities. The leader of this bandit team was not surprised by the question. It''s not their style to walk boldly and search for their prey. They usually set up an ambush and wait for them. "Don''t worry," the leader said with a smile." The warriors don''t dare touch us. We just simply need to look for those weak ones to loot. " Hearing that the one who raised a question suddenly replied without thinking, "Ha... ha... ha... You are the right leader; even their strongest team never touched one of us" When he said that, the expression of the leader changed drastically. He charged up to the person and kicked him in the stomach. "Bast**d, do you want to die?" The leader shouted at him. Remember what the boss told us before leaving? "Walls have ears, so does this forest," the leader said. The person spurts out blood immediately. He immediately begged for forgiveness. Seeing that the leader snorted and stopped stomping him, "Harrumph," He then waved his hand. Next, two people went forward to pick him up. Next, the bandit team continues to walk forward after this small episode. Alternatively, At this point, what? I was quite taken back inside. It took me some minutes to digest the information. What did they mean by the strongest team? Did the Fire Sword Team never touch them in the first place? Several questions popped into my mind. I don''t know whether to believe it or not. But upon seeing the strong reaction from the bandit leader, I believe the information spilled by his subordinate is true. An image of Uncle James flashes before my eyes. He warned me not to get involved in this bandit hunting mission. I sighed; the water here is really too deep. I thought bandits and the Fire Sword team were on the same page. No wonder the city is currently in chaos. Maybe the City Lord might know something. Then again, a question rose in my heart. If I start to act against them, there is a possibility that it will reach bandit hunting teams. What will they do then? Their reaction will be worth seeing then. Next, I already gauged the strength of these people. The leader is a Peak Special Trainee. His subordinates are divided between Mid and Initial levels. As I watched them fade away, I began to move. I plan to use a sword divide on them. It''s a good move to catch them off guard. After reaching a little bit closer to them, I held the Black Sword in my hands. The bandit team, unaware of the surroundings, continues to walk forward. Next, "Sword Divide," I activated the lightning move. I began to pour the lightning essence into the sword. The black blade was charged with lightning power within seconds. Then, without further ado, I released the lightning power to the group. "Thudrrr" A thunderous sound resonated in the area with the discharge of the lightning power. At breakneck speed, the purple lightning dashed towards the bandit team. The bandits were alarmed by the sounds. When the leader turned to his right to look backward, he got dumbstruck. "Boom" "Rumble" The lightning power blasted the bandit team in different directions. The initial trainee warrior was directly injured by the blast. But, Including the bandit leader, four other bandits managed to hold on. The aftermath swept away the nearby rocks and trees. I dashed towards them using this opportunity. "Enemy!" "Watch out," the bandit leader shouted. "Pfff" "Pfff" "Pfff" I managed to slice the necks of three initial trainee warriors. Then I dashed towards the other two. Chapter 342 Fire Sword Teams Action (From MC''s Perspective) Insect Forest -City of Iron Post, When the after math was settled, the bandit leader dashed towards me. Seeing that, I turned my attention towards the other four warriors. It would be foolish to head on directly. I made up my mind to eliminate the other Warriors. I slowly recited the blood method in my heart. Next, changes began to take place in my body. while feeling that I evaded the wind attack of the leader. "Whizzz!" The wind blade went past the empty air. Using that opportunity, I dashed towards the nearby warrior. The lightning phantom technique was too fast for the opponent to notice. Seeing my sudden appearance, the opponent was caught off guard. It all happened in the blink of an eye. I covered my fist with purple lightning power. Then I punched at my opponent''s abdomen with great force. "Pfff, " the opponent coughed up blood. The bandit warrior flung backwards like a cannon ball and his body smashed on to the ground. I used my full strength in this attack. So there is no chance for the opponent to get back on his feet. After finishing one, I glanced at the other three bandits beside the leader. At this point in time, the lead bandit understood my motive. He signalled others to act together. The next second, everyone is ready to bombard me with their elements. Seeing that, only one idea came to my mind. It''s about the lightning wheel. "LIGHTNING WHEEL" I launched the lightning attack. While doing that, I dashed towards the group. Within seconds, a purple lightning wheel formed in an instant. At this point in time, the bandits also executed their move. I saw two fire balls, one boulder, and one wind pscythe coming towards me. Seeing that, I used the lightning phantom technique. Using two different types of lightning techniques requires so much concentration. But I managed to pull it off in the end. By the time their attack reached me, my lightning wheel also came into contact with their body. The next second, four of the bandit warriors'' faces were panic struck with horror. "Boom," a defeaning sound, resonates in the area. The lightning wheel directly explodes when it comes to contact with the bandit''s body. The explosion swept away everyone''s bodies in different directions. "Cough" "Cough" Those two fire balls triggered the lightning wheel, resulting in a big explosion. It also caught me off guard and made me lose my balance. Fortunately, I managed to evade the boulder and the wind pscythe. The brunt of the two fireballs was taken by the lightning wheel. Others than a few brushes by tripping. I didn''t suffer any other injuries. Then quickly, I sorted out the situation by using my perception. As expected, the 3 bandits with a special trainee base are rendered immobile. Only the bandit leader was somewhat conscious. Seeing the situation, a small smile rose on my face. This went rather smoothly than expected. Using this opportunity, I immediately ended everyone one by one. After looting everyone''s valuables, I dragged their corpses behind the bush. I also used this opportunity to dispose of Benny Sutton''s corpse together with it. "I hope this will be enough to cover the trails." I grumbled to myself. After taking one glance at the surroundings, I made my way to the safe zone. Alternatively, Everything that happened below didn''t go unnoticed by Mr. Jonathan''s eyes. He recalled those three lightning techniques used by Zack. All of those were given to Zack by his master. Suddenly, Mr. Jonathan smacked his forehead. He recalled that his master had given him a lightning technique for Zack. Mr. Jonathan forgot to tell Zack about it. "Sigh," Mr. Jonathan sighed internally. Then he decided to hand it over to him later. because the new lightning technique is meant to be a new trump card for Zack. It will be a huge help to him. After gaining some clarity, Mr. Jonathan stared at the below. So far, he has only had one task: to erase everyone''s traces. Seeing the piled up corpses, Mr. Jonathan completely took care of them. Then he continues to follow Zack from above. ... Mateo Roth readied himself to enter the insect forest with his team. When he stepped out of the tent, he saw Carla Gill was already waiting for him. Mateo asked, "What is it?" He couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows by looking at her worried face. "The Black Fist Team was annihilated," Carla replied in a tense tone. "What?" Mateo was taken aback by surprise. But in the next second, he burst out in anger. A red flame appears all over her body. Carla stepped back, feeling the blazing heat. "Leader?" She called out in worry. Hearing that, Mateo calmed his boiling heart and retracted his blazing flame in his body. If it were any other team, he wouldn''t have minded. But the Black Fist team is different. The leader, Benny Sutton, is one of his men. And to think someone eliminated him. He couldn''t even digest the information. Then, looking at Carla, he said, "Tell me everything from the beginning." "A few minutes ago, someone spotted Black Fist Team members'' corpses," Carla said. Then she added further, "But we didn''t find any trace of Benny Sutton''s body." Hearing that, a slight glint flashes in Mateo''s eyes. He didn''t know whether Benny was alive or not. But this situation is really bad for him. Various thoughts came to his mind. Who could it be? Everyone knows that the Black Fist Team joined under the flag of the Fire Sword Team. So no one dares to act against them. But what is it with the current situation? Did any one of the other four teams act behind his back? Mateo couldn''t be able to conclude. Everything is going smoothly. Just as he decided to head out, this bad news came. Mateo Roth looked at Carla and said, "Immediately stop everyone from doing their current task." Order them to look for the culprits. " "Tell them if anyone finds out anything, they will be handsomely rewarded." Carla nodded and left the place to inform everyone. Mateo Roth returned back to his tent. He sat back in the chair and fell into contemplation. His family''s task is of the utmost importance to him. now that someone is interfering in it. Mateo decided to look into this matter. He dropped the thoughts about improving his strength. Soon after his arrival, Carla told everyone about the new development. When the news was heard by other warriors, the news washed away like shock waves. Especially the neutral warriors, shopkeepers, and other vendors. They couldn''t even believe the news. Everyone was already concerned by the ongoing state of the iron post city. Now everyone is worried about how this issue is going to impact everyone. Someone dares to touch the hornest nest. No one knows who the culprit is. Soon, all the teams under the Fire Sword Team immediately went away to look for culprits. Alternatively, just as Mateo was completely down, he received a call from his father. Seeing that he immediately attended the call, Mateo asked, "What is it, father?" From the other side of the call, Hector answered, "Mateo, there is good news for you." After saying that, Hector begins to explain what transpired in their meeting hall. Hearing that, Mateo''s dull face begins to brighten. This good news came at the right time. "Elder Brody Roth failed". This is the first time Mateo has heard something like this. "So, it means there is no additional quota anymore," Mateo said with a smile. "Ha... ha... ha..., It''s true. You can rest assured, "Hector said with a laugh. He is obviously happy about his son''s life. At the same time, Mateo was slightly disappointed. Somewhere in his heart, he expected to hear about Crimson Hall''s event. Because knowing one or two things about the events is obviously helpful to him. But it''s a pity that Crimson Hall is really tightlipped about the event. He doesn''t know what Ford Academy will do about this next. Hector asked, "I believe soon you will be asked to come back." Until then, be ready for the news. " Hearing that, Mateo thought about the ongoing problem. Dispelling his thoughts, both of them talked about a few other things before ending the call. Mateo was in a good mood. One of his obstacles was solved automatically. He just needs to take care of this new problem. Alternatively, Carla Gill made her way to the East Wood Company to collect intel. She believes they might have known about this attack. She went together with other members of the fire sword team. Everyone on the way was alarmed by seeing the Fire Sword Team members. Some people with discerning eyes have already thought about something. They knew it had something to do with the Black Fist Team. So some people quickly left the place. Carla didn''t mind their reaction. Benny Sutton''s image currently occupies her mind. She thought someone was targeting Mateo Roth particularly. But she needs to speak with evidence. That''s why she didn''t tell Mateo about it. Then everyone from the fire sword team quickly walked towards the city''s gate. Chapter 343 Iron Post City: Turbulent Situation The Iron Post City, A few days passed in the blink of an eye. The news about Black Fist''s destruction eventually reached everyone''s ears. From neutral warriors to citizens of the iron post city, everyone was rendered speechless by this development. Everyone expected some notice from the City Lord Mansion. The days passed with no response from the City Lord Mansion. than issuing bandit hunting missions, they didn''t care about anything related to the city. Burke Trade Centre, At this time, Remington Talley is conversing with traders. When the news reached his ears, he didn''t believe it at first. But right after noticing the aggressive action of the Fire Sword Team, he finally believed the rumour. An image of Iron Hammer team members flashes before his eyes. "They really were met with retribution!" Remington said with a laugh. The traders in front of him were bewildered by his behaviour. But soon their expressions condensed after hearing the news. Everyone is already racking their brains to solve the current turmoil. Now there is another disturbance. They fear the remaining citizens will leave the city because of the situation. Insect Forest The teams that pledged to the Fire Sword Team were already searching every nook and corner of the outer area of the forest. Before getting orders from the Fire Sword Team, they didn''t dare move to the inner area. which is said to be dangerous as there is no safe zone deep inside the inner area. The inner area of the insect forest is home to different bugs. The premises of the insect forest were known to everyone. The Warriors'' constant killing has reduced the activities of bugs in that area. If the teams were given orders, then they had no choice other than to enter the inner area with caution. At the camping site, Mateo Roth held a discussion with his team members. At this time, Mateo felt a headache from the ongoing situation. It''s been a few days but there has been no news about the culprit. Even the Eastwood company was clueless about the situation. It''s really unbelievable for him. Then, looking at the team members in front of him, he nonchalantly asked, "I heard EastWood Company had never failed to collect information before." But I bet this time they too feel something strange. " Anyone who provides first-hand information with solid evidence is usually considered credible. The Eastwood company rewarded them with affinity stones. " "So they have never been in a situation like this." It must be the first setback for them. " Hearing that, Mateo nodded and said, "True, affinity stones are not a simple reward." A slight glint flashes in his eyes. Even in their Tier-7 city, Willow Peak. The affinity stones were sold at a sky-high price. If you want to try your luck, you can only do it at an auction. I think they would use affinity stones to ignite warriors'' greed. The EastWood Company deserved its name. "What about the other four teams? Is there any movement from them? "Mateo asked, as he was strongly suspicious about the other four teams. From the beginning, Mateo disliked them because they copied their Fire Sword Team strategy. Everything was going fine at that time, so he didn''t confront them. After the Black Fist team''s destruction was known to the public, the other four teams kept silent. So far, except for their subsidiary teams, no one has stepped inside the insect forest. Mateo furrowed his eyebrows. "What is it with these people?" he thought to himself. Mateo thought it would do no good if they wasted too much time and manpower on this issue. In particular, he has another reason to worry about. So far, he didn''t know about bandit boss Siren''s current situation. He has been following his family''s orders. If his family is made aware of the new mess, things can go wrong for him. Finally, Mateo comes to a conclusion. He decided to solve old doubts with new ones. He plans to meet the leaders of the other four teams. "Carla, send the invitation to four team leaders." I want to meet them as soon as possible, "Mateo said in a solemn tone. He doesn''t want to drag this out any longer. Carla nodded and walked out of the tent. East Wood Company, Old man Tucker Nelson is arranging his men to collect information regarding the Black Fist team. "Such an event happened in our city. But we couldn''t find the reason for it, "old man Tucker said to himself." He sat back in his seat, tired. When he first heard the request from the Fire Sword Team, he thought they were joking with him. Surprisingly, he received first-hand information from the Fire Sword Team themselves. Tapping his finger on the table, old man Tucker fell into contemplation. "Who could be so daring?" About the Fire Sword Team, he knew the leader had a scary background. If it is possible, he can easily dig out information about them. But by doing so, he will offend the other party. Even old man Tucker has a vague feeling that they have something to do with the bandit hunting mission. But these are all just his own assumptions. It can''t be trusted without evidence. Even if he gets something, he will think twice before acting against the other party. Right now, their eastwood company has got a good opportunity to befriend the Fire Sword Team leader. They don''t have any trouble, just proving them with information is enough. Old man Tucker believes they will remember their help. Suddenly, old man Tucker stopped tapping the table. A good idea came to his mind. Other than the Fire Sword Team, the other four teams also have members with strong backgrounds. It''s different for strangers. He doesn''t know whether any such Warriors have entered the city recently. His men were staring at the top 5 teams. If there were any new developments, their captain would quickly inform him. Old man Tucker decided to collect information about the strangers. He feels there is a possibility of a new powerful team entering their city. Then he also thought about contacting the manager of the City Lord Mansion. If he gathers the information about the new bandit hunting team list, it will also be helpful for him. But deep in his heart, old man Tucker didn''t want to do this. Last time, his east wood company bled heavily in order to collect information from the City Lord Mansion. This time, he is sure that they will suffer further. But in order to befriend the Fire Sword team, old man Tucker decided to visit the City Lord Mansion personally. After gaining some clarity, Old Man Tucker told his grandson Lewis to take care of the office. Ten minutes later, Old Man Tucker''s air car landed in front of the City Lord Mansion. He stepped out of the air car and walked towards the gate. Seeing his appearance, the city guard immediately recognised him. They allowed him inside without making any fuss. Soon, old man Tucker strides towards the manager''s office. He came here without informing the other party. I don''t know if the manager is available or not. With a frownful face, he walked up to the front desk. The assistant working behind the desk immediately recognised Tucker Nelson. Perceiving his glance, old man Tucker said, "I''m here to meet your manager." Go and inform him. " Hearing that, the assistant nodded and quickly walked away to inform the manager. Seeing that, a slight glint flashes in his eyes. He muttered, "Looks like the manager is here." Dispelling the thoughts, he shifted his gaze towards the main building. A strange worry occupied his heart. He didn''t know what the City Lord was doing. "If the City Lord had executed half of his responsibility, the city wouldn''t have suffered this much," Old Man Tucker muttered to himself. "What are you babbling about?" The manager''s voice sounded from behind. Hearing that old man, Tucker''s face turned ugly. He was stunned by his sudden arrival. "Ha... Ha... Ha.. Manager Lawrence, I''m just thinking about our City Lord," Old Man Tucker said with a laugh. The Manager frowns. No one dares to address him by his name except the City Lord. Since he was aware of the identity of the old man Tucker, he didn''t mind it. The manager, Lawrence, greeted him inside his cabin. After taking their seats, both of them looked at each other. The manager, Lawrence, has guessed something in his heart. He knew old man Tucker came here for the bandit hunting mission''s name list. "Mr. Nelson, I''m afraid I can''t help you with information anymore," Mr. Lawrence declined in a polite tone, even before Old Man Tucker opened his mouth. Hearing that old man, Tucker chuckled. He is familiar with the same old routine. He knows unless he offers something valuable, this guy won''t even react. "I''m ready to transfer 5 million credit points," Old Man Tucker said. Hearing that the manager, Lawrence''s expression moved a little. But still, he kept his face expressionless. Seeing that old man, Tucker said, "Tck! Alright, 10 million credit points. If you aren''t satisfied, I''m going to leave. " "Deal!" The manager, Lawrence, said with a grin. Heading that, old man Tucker said in his heart, "The entire City Lord Mansion is corrupted." Chapter 344 Class 3 Plant Monster (From MC''s Perspective) Insect Forest, These days, I have been hiding in the basement of the cave. The cave structure provides a natural shelter from rain and sunlight. Earlier, I thought about spending time in a safe zone. But surprisingly, the activities of warriors were unusually high in the outer area. Most of them occupied the safe zone to stay. I already guessed their intention. It must be related to those escaped warriors from Iron Hammer. Their situation must have been noticed by someone. But I''m confident that no one can find anything. Even if they did, by the time I''m long gone out of the city, My Lightning Pearl is enough to assist my cultivation for a few weeks. So I''m not going to waste much time here. Next, I plan to scout the inner area of the forest. At this point of time, the Fire Sword Team must have mobilised their entire teams under them to investigate. So it''s not wise to stay here any longer. It''s still noon; I need to enter the inner area before dawn. After gaining some clarity about my next move, I walked towards the inner area of the forest. I can already see the densely packed vegetation all over the place. I used my black sword to chop these overgrown bushes to clear the road. Though these didn''t cost much energy. However, it still takes a long time pause in between to clear the way. I only hope to not come across any insects. But my wish became futile the next second. Instead of bugs, this time it''s an army of ants. They occupied the entire path. Immediately I observed through my perception, there were few insect colonies formed on the narrow road. If I want to walk further, I need to remove the obstacles before me. Fortunately, I didn''t disturb them. But it would be a waste of time if I returned back to find another route. "What to do next?" I muttered to myself. Just as I''m pondering, I find new red dots coming in my direction. After seeing that, I immediately choose to hide little bit distance away from these place. I have no other choice than to hide behind the bushes. Then I carefully moved around in order to not leave any traces behind. Ten minutes later, A group of warriors signed up for a bandit hunting mission came to the place. Looking at their attire, I confirmed that they are not bandits but they are looking for the culprits. I probe through my perception to see any other team coming behind them. Because I don''t want to get exposed right now. This place is not suitable for any combat. Then I suddenly noticed a faded little dot exactly right near the bandits. Looking at one extra dot confuses me.There are only ten warriors here, but my perception is picking up eleven signals. I knew it was a monster, but my attention shifted to its state. Unlike the other red dots, this one is dim. Is that monster injured? A doubt rose in my heart. Because it can''t be insect bugs, only terrain monsters venture out solo. I calmed down my nerves and plan to observe the next development. At the same time, the leader of the group notices that ant colonies are obstructing the path. He didn''t think about anything. He ordered his team members to clear out the way. Next, immediately a few warriors from the group acted to remove these ant colonies. Everyone uses their elements to destroy them by throwing fireballs, rock bolders, water arrows, etc. Seeing that, I frowned, because I never had a good experience with ant class monsters. As I recalled last time, it took me a great deal of effort to escape from the clutches of Any Queen. Black Forest, uh? This time, if there is any opportunity, I will sweep those places. Then my attention shifted towards those warriors. They are talking about something. "Tck! I don''t know which bast**d is responsible for the Black Fist team''s destruction. All of us are suffering because of him. " One of the warriors who went to clear out ant colonies said in a dissatisfied tone. The other warriors beside him also spit some hateful words in support of him. The leader also didn''t bother to refute him. Because all of them were already dead-beaten. They spent several hours trying to find Benny Sutton''s body in the outer area. But there is no clue whatsoever in the end. They thought about returning back to the camping site. But the Fire Sword Team strictly orders them to not retreat unless they find something. Upon seeing their mood, I realised that this Benny Sutton guy was not a nobody. He is obviously someone important to the Fire Sword Team leader. Here I was of the belief that he must''ve been a third wheel. Next, I continue to watch their activities. Also, I put my half attention on an extra red spot. So far, there has been no movement from the nearby monsters. The warriors acted swiftly to remove the ant colonies. The Ant Queen was only at the strength of Class 2-Initial level. It didn''t pose much of a threat to these warriors. Under their leader''s lead, the warriors started to move. Seeing their disappearing back, I hesitated for a moment. Because the ten-man team was actually quite close to the extra red dot. Instead of moving out, I stayed behind and continued to observe them. These guys are reducing my work time for clearing out the overgrown bushes. A small smile rose on my face by looking at their hard work. Getting into the inner area is harder than I thought. But I feel like soon everyone will come across more bandits. The outer area of the insect forest is just like a small trial. But here I came across ant colonies and ten warriors in a span of a few minutes. If I continue to follow this route, then there will be more battles ahead. Suddenly, the extra red dot immediately brightens up. My eyes lit up with surprise, then I shifted my attention toward those Warriors. "Aaahhhh", the sound of an agonising scream resonated throughout the area. "What''s happening?" I uttered it in surprise. Then, without thinking further, I jumped out of the bushes and hurried to see what was happening out there. But in the next second, my pupils constrict upon seeing something unimaginable. "This?" I was stunned by looking at the carnivore plant monster. Using its tentacle like roots, the plant monster directly swallowed two special trainee Warriors just like that. It''s all happened in the blink of an eye. Next, I immediately realised something and quickly retreated back to my previous position. After coming back to my previous position, I observed the situation through perception. I instinctively walked out to assess the situation before checking my perception. This was a really bad move by me. That plant monster is not an ordinary one. By looking at the plant monster''s effortless killing, I guess this is Class 3. Definitely a Class 3 monster. To think it fooled the perception of the Trainee Warrior with ease, it sent shivers down my spine. Even I would''ve been fooled, if not for my perception ability. "Aaahhhh" Another round of screaming resonates in the area. "Damn, it''s not even the premise of the inner area. Yet there is already a Class 3 Monster hiding here, "I said to myself. After calming my nerves, I got my head straight. I used my perception to see what they are up to now. I saw there were one to five people left behind, including the leader. The plant monster stands ten feet tall.The leader of the team is taking the lead in cutting out the tentacles like roots. Others are supporting them from behind. I feel something bad. It would be best if they found out its weakness spot and targeted it instead of wasting time on cutting roots. They are my enemies, so I would not have helped them openly. Next, something strange caught my attention, including the leader. The skin of the warriors started to change. "Is it poison?" I mumbled under my breath. Then suddenly, something struck my mind like lightning. I uttered in shock, "Pollens." These guys must have inhaled toxic pollen released by this plant monster. "Tck! This plant monster clearly views them as prey rather than an enemy." I muttered to myself. From the very beginning, everyone of their team members fell into Monster''s traps. No wonder, my perception showed a dimmed red spot. The plant monster was already waiting for them. I believe it must have released its toxic pollen then. Class 3 Monster is comparable to Trainee Warrior. But the monsters were inherently stronger than humans. Especially in the same base, it''s hard to defeat. Given that this one is more difficult than most Class 3 monsters, Images of Class 3 Fox monsters flash before my eyes. Last time, I was lucky. The fox monster is much more dangerous than the plant monster. Because it has tricks no less than those of the plant type, and at the same time, unlike plant monsters, the fox monster has mobility. It can move around with extreme speed. Chapter 345 Lewis Confusion (From MC''s Perspective) Insect Forest, The warriors begin to lose their strength gradually due to poison. They weren''t able to exert their maximum strength. In desperation, some even decided to flee. But it was quickly noticed by their group leader. So having no choice everyone continued their fight. Seeing their desperation, I sighed internally. Everyone knows the inner area of the insect forest is no joke. You may come across a do or die situation very frequently. Having known all of this, the Fire Sword Team decided to send them here. "Tck, these guys didn''t realise they were nothing but cannon fodders." I mumbled under my breath. Then I patiently waited for this terrible scene to end. I have not changed my mind about getting into the inner area. Before that, I need to clear out this hurdle. 10 minutes later, The warriors lost all of their strength. Their last bit of struggle was crushed by the plant monster. It immediately swallowed those who fell first. Within a few minutes, there was no trace of them left on the ground. My expression is a little bit tense. I''m still unclear about the plant monster''s strength. It''s surely class-3, but I couldn''t tell whether it''s a mid-one or a peak one. Then I thought about an idea. Why do I need to fight this monster? My goal is to enter the inner area. As long as I went past the monster, everything would be fine. In other ways, it''s also helpful for me if another group doesn''t follow the path because of the monster. This Class 3 monster is a strong deterrent to others. This idea seems really feasible to me. Then, without further thinking, I decided to use the lightning phantom technique to move ahead at extreme speed. A purple mist covered my legs. Then I disappeared from my spot and dashed towards the destination. When I enter the area of plant monsters, It got alerted quickly. Numerous vines came towards me, but my speed is fast enough to dodge all of these attacks. My lightning technique helped me greatly in this situation to escape easily from the monster. After getting past it, I continued to move forward. Only after reaching a further distance did I halt my movements. "Hmph, the narrow road path came to an end. Hereafter, I can only rely on myself, "I said to myself." Fortunately, I didn''t get delayed by any monsters. Then I looked around to see if there was anywhere I could rest. While looking around, I also kept my perception in check. There is no sign of any red dots in my surroundings. Alternatively, Mr. Jonathan was standing at the top of a nearby tree. He watched the entire situation that happened before. In the past few days, he has come to know about many situations. especially the identity of the person behind the Fire Sword Team. Mr. Jonathan already took care of those corpses. He knows a large number of warriors looking for their trails. But he didn''t care about it. His interest was piqued after knowing the name of the Fire Sword Team leader. Mr. Jonathan said in his heart, "Mateo Roth." He knew something was fishy about bandit hunting teams. But he didn''t expect someone from Tier-7 City to come here. "What is the person from the Roth family doing here?" A doubt rose in his heart. Mr. Jonathan knew the history of Bandit Boss Soren and the City Lord. Roth''s child is the leader of the bandit hunting team, but his actions are not in line with the trend. Their actions are more favourable to bandit Boss Soren. From time to time, if he had any new information, Mr. Jonathan directly sent it to his master. Somewhere in his heart, he really wants to dive into this matter. But since he took up the responsibility as a guardian, He needs to do it earnestly. A look of appreciation flashes in his eyes after witnessing Zack''s quick decision. Mr. Jonathan can easily see through the monster''s strength. He knew that the plant monster was a Class 3-Peak one. Mr. Jonathan knew that if Zack were to fight that monster, he would have been slowed down by the toxic pollen. When it happens, it''s impossible to get treated here. So it was a wise decision made by Zack to not fight the monster. Now, looking at him searching for a safe spot, Mr. Jonathan smiled. EastWood Company, Old man Tucker Nelson bought the bandit hunting mission details after paying a hefty sum of money. This time he paid more than last time. Dispelling the thoughts, he sat back leisurely in his seat. Opposite to him, his grandson, Lewis, is looking at him with eagerness. "Grandfather, give me the list. I will find those warriors in no time," Lewis Nelson said with a smile. From the beginning, his grandfather warned him not to get too involved in bandit hunting missions. Yet he went with his team ahead. But after learning about the actions of top teams, he backed away from the mission immediately. Like his grandfather told him, the people behind those teams are not simple. Right now, the situation is different. Some people disrupted the trend of the strongest team in this city. When he came to know about that, he asked his grandfather. Unfortunately, at that time, he didn''t have any clue. But he has a chance right now to find those warriors. Old Man Tucker twitched. He warned him not to think about it. But right now, he has decided to befriend the Fire Sword Team. As a result, his grandson may become the spokesperson for their EastWood Company. So he gave him the file. Lewis immediately went to his cabin to look at the file alone. The old man, Tucker, recalled his conversation with Manager Lawrence. While conversing, he tried to collect information about the City Lord. But Manager Lawrence refused to talk about anything related to the City Lord Mansion. At that time, he even asked what they were going to do about the economic condition of their city. But he didn''t see any sort of emotion in his eyes. Old Man Tucker felt very bad about his silence. The manager, Lawrence, is reacting as if everything is under their control. And whatever was happening inside the city was not at all surprising to them. Dispelling the thoughts, he glanced at Lewis''s cabin''s directions. He plans to shut his eyes for a while. In the meantime, he hopes Lewis will find an answer. Alternatively, Lewis comfortably sat in his chair to analyse the file. In front of him were two files. One of them was an old file about the bandit hunting mission. He didn''t take a look at the old file. Because that information already registered in his mind. So Lewis opened the new file to look at the new teams that recently joined the bandit hunting missions. Because there is currently no independent bandit hunting team in their city. So he wants to see whether any new names are left out. 15 minutes later, After skimming through the details, he didn''t come across any unknown teams. He even checked the list of those destroyed teams. Because Lewis believed, if not the new team, then the survivors from the old teams must have retaliated. Because everyone is aware of the Fire Sword Team''s activities. More than hunting bandits, they were involved in more killings and looting of the other teams. So it''s not surprising to find someone has a grudge against them. But still, even after looking at the old details, He couldn''t come across any concrete points. Most of the old teams were either completely destroyed or disbanded later. Even the survivors were either crippled or retired from their adventurer careers.So there are no suitable available warriors to form a team. Lewis fell into contemplation. Earlier, he thought it was easy to find the culprits. But there is no new team that joined recently, and not even an old team is responsible for this. Then how could it be possible to destroy the black fist team? Not even the body of the black fist team''s leader has been recovered. Then suddenly, a slight glint flashes in his eyes. Apart from the Fire Sword Team, there are the other four teams. "Could it be those teams?" Lewis said to himself. Because other than that, he couldn''t think of any other possibility. Only the members of the other four teams were strong and daring enough to challenge the Fire Sword Team. If his assumption is true, then it''s bad for their iron post city. If there is infighting among bandit hunting teams, then who will kill those bandits? The number of bandits was already astounding. If things go on like this, it would be difficult to handle this bandit group. Lewis also knows about the current state of their city. Due to the worsening economic situation, some broke warriors secretly joined the bandit groups. This story was kept confidential; it is not allowed to circulate in the media. He strongly feels if this goes on, even reputed organisations may choose to relocate to other stable cities. Chapter 346 Dean Jefferson Tier 7¨CWillow Peak City, Elder Brody Roth went to May Ford Academy. A total mess has happened. Now the aftermath should be handled by the academy. The May Ford Academy is located quite close to all the main families. The academy is run by the rich and wealthy. Since it''s a subsidiary force under Crimson Hall, no other forces in the nearby region trouble them much. When the air car landed in front of the gates, Elder Brody stepped out in a hurry. He is impatient, like he has been summoned by his higher-ups. He walked past several white buildings after stepping inside the campus. If you don''t look at the sign board, you will get confused. because every white building looked like a similar structure. Students dressed in white academic uniforms can be seen all over the place. Various facilities were built for warriors with different elemental abilities. When a student comes across Elder Brody, they give him a slight bow in respect. Even the faculties were not different. Seeing their attitude, he can confirm that the news has not reached everyone''s ears. Soon he reached the faculty building. It''s a five-floor white marble building. Elder used an elevator to reach the top floor. May Ford Academy''s dean''s cabin is on the 5th floor. "Creak," the door opens. Elder Brody walked in slowly. He saw Dean was already waiting for him. Then he walked up to the opposite chair and sat in it. Jefferson Small, a peak trainee warrior of the water element.He was a bald-headed old man in his sixties and was dressed in a white tuxedo. Upon seeing Brody, his dull mood worsens further. The incident that happened at Crimson Hall had already reached his ears. "I''m tired of hearing various versions of that incident. I waited for you to tell me the actual truth. So now tell me what really happened." Dean Jefferson inquired in a calm tone. Elder Brody nodded at him and began to explain the conversation that transpired between him and Mr. Casey. Then he told us about the interference of hostile forces. Without Grand Elder Chris''s timely deterrence, it''s impossible for him to walked out of that place peacefully. Dean Jefferson touched his forehead. He looked quite depressed. "We were really bold this time," Dean said. Hearing that Elder Brody remains silent, if not for these people, he wouldn''t have gotten into this mess. On the other hand, Dean fell into contemplation. He was hoping for Crimson Hall to give them some face. But from Elder Brody''s words, he can see that Crimson Hall was decidedly tight-lipped about this matter. Not only that, every other force tried to get some pieces of information. They were the first to confront Crimson Hall about this matter. Yet they met with failure. He should have held Elder Brody accountable for this failure. But he can''t do that because the council elders forced him to take the task. And Elder Brody also made things clear before walking out of the place. Looking at Elder Brody, Dean asked, "Have you already expected this result?" The elderly body smiled helplessly and replied, "I knew about Mr. Casey''s character. He was not short of resources or anything. As a subsidiary force, it''s difficult to get into his eyes. In particular, we are asking him to reveal details about this high-profile competition. As a host, he will think twice before saying anything about the event." Dean lets out a deep sigh. He now understands that the council elders really underestimated Mr. Casey. Everyone thought that after their misadventure at the Star Tower competition, Crimson Hall would seek outside help to manage their reputation. But nothing like that sort of happened. Crimson Hall stayed low-key in preparation for the competition. But now he realized that Crimson Hall didn''t care about their failure in the first place. They want to regain their reputation by successfully hosting the competition. At this time, Elder Brody asked, "Dean, what are your orders? Our Roth family is also going to be harassed by the other forces soon." Then Dean retracted his thoughts and commented, "It''s up to the council elders. I will quickly call for a meeting. Let''s see what happens then." Elder Brody nodded and then both of them talked about a few other topics. Later, Elder Brody went back to his cabin. ¡­ Iron Post City, EastWood Company After long contemplation, Lewis Nelson couldn''t come up with suitable answers. He stood up from the seat and decided to inform his grandfather. He thinks his grandfather knew something that he wasn''t aware of. The old man, Tucker Nelson, opened his eyes after sensing his grandson''s presence. He is surprised by looking at Lewis'' dull face. So he asked, "Did you find something?" Lewis shakes his head in denial and places both files on his table. He begins to explain his conclusion. After hearing everything, Tucker Nelson was dumbfounded. He asked, "How is it possible?" He couldn''t believe there was no new team that was responsible for the black fist team''s destruction. Mr. Tucker begins to read the files. Even though he has the utmost trust in his grandson. He decided to read it for himself. On the other hand, Lewis doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He expected his grandfather to say something, but in the end, he was also clueless. Then he waited for him. 10 minutes later, Mr. Tucker''s face turned ugly. He wanted to throw these files into the dustbin. Yet he doesn''t want to lose his cool in front of his grandson. "Coughed" After coughing, he said with a helpless smile, "I wasted millions on these garbage files." Lewis asked bluntly, "Grandfather, what are you planning?" Lewis never thought the price of those two files would be millions. He knew the Black Fist team''s issue was the current hot topic in this city. But he feels it''s a waste to spend too much money on these files. In order not to hurt his feelings, he didn''t say it openly. When Tucker Nelson decided to reveal, he commented, "I wanted to befriend the Fire Sword Team." Lewis was completely taken back, "What?" "Grandfather, what happened to you? Our city was in chaos thanks to them. On top of that, who knows how many killings they were involved in? " "If these matters come to light, then they will be punished very severely," Lewis voiced out the opinion in his heart. He didn''t think of the Fire Sword Team as good in any way. It''s better not to get involved with them. Tucker Nelson sighed, knowing his grandson had a strong opinion about the top teams. Because of them, he had to leave and disband his bandit hunting team. Tucker Nelson said, "The City Lord Mansion''s people were unusually silent on this matter. Do you really believe that they don''t know about the top teams? " A slight glint flashes in Lewis''s eyes. He asked, "What do you mean?" "The Fire Sword Team has a strong background. They are strong enough to make the city lord silent. " "Using the current situation, if we provide some intelligence, it would be helpful for our company and we can expand our branches to other cities quickly," Tucker Nelson explained the reasoning behind all of his actions. Still, Lewis wasn''t able to accept this. Numerous warriors died because of them. It''s fine not to get involved with them but to befriend them. Lewis immediately said, "No way!" He further added, "The Fire Sword Team''s actions reduced our city to such a state. It''s good to provide them with intelligence because it''s our job. But I don''t feel it''s good to engage with them. " Tucker Nelson remained silent for a moment. Then he said, "Okay, we can talk about this later. Coming back to the Black Fist team''s destruction As you said earlier, I didn''t find any teams responsible for this. " "What about the other four teams? They are strong enough to pose a threat to the Fire Sword Team. " Lewis said. Tucker Nelson fell into contemplation. He had never thought about it before. Sometime ago, he thought the top five teams were all hand in glove with each other. That''s why they had never seen any severe clashes between them except a few skirmishes. But right now, after hearing things about insect forests, he furrowed his eyebrows. The Fire Sword Team was staying at a camping site. They have so far not stepped inside the insect forests. Strangely, the other four teams also didn''t enter the insect forest after learning about the Black Fist team. Tucker knew there was a huge search operation going on inside the insect forest. No one is really giving thought to hunting bandits. He also couldn''t see through the other four teams'' actions. This is really bad. He looked at his grandson and said, "We can''t speculate without evidence. Especially for intelligence companies like us. We need more evidence before words come out of our mouth. " "If anyone hears about the top four teams from us, then it would be bad for us. Like the Fire Sword Team, the other four teams are also not easy. " Lewis nodded. He thought his grandfather was right on this. He was too hasty to jump to the conclusion. Like his grandfather said, they needed to find some evidence quickly. Chapter 347 Part 1: Meeting Iron Post City, Carla Gill swiftly acted after getting orders from the team leader. Soon the news reached the other four teams'' leaders. The top five teams, 1. Fire Sword Team: Leader Mateo Roth, 2. Breezing Wind Team: Leader Regina Hicks, 3. Team Drizzling Rainwater: Bethany Marsh, 4. Igneous Earth Team: Leader Morgan Buck. 5. Silver Shield Team: Leader Caleb Green. Surprisingly, the top 5 strongest teams of bandit hunting missions are divided based on natural elements. Inside the room of one of the reputed hotels in this city, The team leader, Morgan Buck, received the news from his Vice Captain, Morris. Earlier, Carla thought it was inappropriate to contact their leader directly. So she sent the message to the other four Vice Captains. A quick glint flashes in Morgan''s eyes. He muttered to himself, "As expected, he can'' help but suspect us." Then, looking at his vice captain, he said, "You can leave now." Hearing that, Morris hesitated a little bit. But he still nodded in the end and walked out. Morgan was all alone in the room. He began to contemplate about the meeting. Earlier, when the news about the Black Fist team''s destruction swept away the city. Including him, the other three leaders decided to stay low for a while. Because everyone knows how scary the background of the Fire Sword Team is? He quickly made a call to Caleb Green. When the call was connected, a solemn voice sounded in his ears, "Did you receive the message?" "Caleb!" Morgan said. Then Morgan added further, "Yes, I received the message from Morris just now." Caleb replied, "Well, this wasn''t surprising." We already predicted this would happen." Hearing that, Morgan sighed and replied, "I told you before we shouldn''t follow their methods blindly. Now he will suspect us more. " Morgan''s face was not good when he said that. The atmosphere becomes solemn for a moment. None of them said anything. Caleb also remained silent for a moment. "Okay, before going to see him. We will have our own meeting together, "Caleb said. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Morgan said, "Alright." After that, both of them ended their calls. Morgan is quite close to Caleb. On the other hand, the other two leaders are quite close to each other. Since everyone belonged to one camp, they didn''t act against each other in this iron post city. A few weeks ago, everyone decided to copy Fire Sword Team tactics. Morgan was one who strongly opposed it. At that time, none of them inquired about Mateo Roth''s background from their family. So they didn''t mind Morgan''s objection. They openly subdued other teams. It was only after some time that everyone came to know about Mateo Roth''s background. Everyone strongly regretted it, but it was too late to change anything. Isn''t it like Morgan and others are scared of the Roth family? But four of them belong to the opposite camp. Four of their families were subsidiary to a force called White Snow Academy. which is a hostile force to Crimson Hall. Now the Crimson Hall is under the limelight because of the competition. Their own families strongly advised them to not get involved in any trouble. That''s why Morgan is slightly worried. If their family came to know about this, then it would be unnecessary trouble for them. Because all four of them were seed candidates for their family. They will participate in Crimson Hall''s competition. Morgan doesn''t want any mishap to happen in the middle. After letting out a deep sigh, he decided to stop thinking about it. Everyone at the meeting will soon know the result. Morgan thinks Mateo was not stupid enough to offend hostile forces. He is betting on one thing. Before the crimson hall competition, no one will act stupidly, especially the seed candidates. Alternatively, at the camping site, Mateo saw Carla was coming towards him. Mateo asked, "What did they say?" Hearing that, Carla told them about the response given by the other four Vice Captains. A slight glint flashes in Mateo''s eyes. "It''s good that they have accepted my request. Otherwise, something is wrong with their attitude, "Mateo muttered to himself. Then both of them talked about a few other things before Carla exited his tent. Mateo knows the names of the other four leaders. For the first time since he came here, a curiosity about the other four teams rose in his heart. A couple of weeks ago, everything was fine. But later, the other four teams started to follow his method. At that time, he didn''t mind it. He was hoping that his family would call him back. But everything has changed in the past few days. May Ford Academy''s unexpected offer of additional quota to his family, it troubled him greatly. Later, that trouble was solved in the end. Mateo let out a deep sigh. He wanted to put an end to the Black Fist team''s issue. Many reports were placed on his table in front of him. The other teams under his command have already searched the outer areas of the insect forest. Aside from bandits, they didn''t see any new faces. Even weaker teams belong to other four teams fled once they came across our warriors. "These reports really didn''t say anything," Mateo said to himself. He ponders, "If not the outer area, what could it be?" He couldn''t believe there was no clue found from the outer area. Then he decided to call his father. He wanted to know what happened in the family. He was quite sure Elder Brody must have left for the May Ford Academy. When the call was connected, "What is it, Mateo?" His voice sounded through his sci-fi watch. Mateo asked, "Father, Remember sometime ago, I talked to you about other strong teams beside us? " Hearing that, Hector wasn''t surprised. He asked back, "Yes, I remember clearly." Did they annoy you or what?" Sometime ago, the Roth family collected intel about forces residing in the iron post city. They also collected information about bandit hunting mission teams. Hector withheld some information from his son because of the family''s orders. He knew the other four teams'' families were subsidiary forces under White Snow Academy. Another strong force, he can even say it''s currently stronger than Crimson Hall. Later, the Roth family found out that their presence was not intentional. Four families decided to train their descendants unanimously. So it was no surprise to see them in Iron Post City. Hector only hopes for no clash between them. At the same time, Mateo replied, "No, everything is fine here. But I''m going to meet them tomorrow. Before talking to them, I thought about knowing their background first. " Hearing that, Hector hesitated a little bit. He didn''t know what the meeting was all about. Yet, Hector decided to tell him. It''s better to avoid unnecessary trouble. If Mateo knows about them, he will show some restraint. Then Hector told his son everything about the other four teams. Mateo''s eyes lit up with surprise. He was quite shocked internally, but he wasn''t scared of them. In his opinion, people from hostile forces think twice before offending him. But now that he knows about them, his suspicion has increased greatly. He hasn''t offended them so far in this city. But the same can''t be said about them. "Perhaps they didn''t want someone from the opposing camp to be ranked number one in this city," Mateo reasoned in his heart. Then images of Elder Brody flash before his eyes. Mateo immediately asked, "Father, what happened after the meeting?" "What is Old doing right now?" He asked back to-back questions. Because this incident was not known to his friends back at the academy, Otherwise, he would have asked them what''s happening out there. Hector didn''t hide anything; he told Elder Brody he had already gone to meet the dean of the academy. "Only after knowing May Ford Academy''s decision, the Roth family will do something," Hector said. Then they talked about other topics before ending their call. Next morning, The meeting was scheduled for this morning at 10 a.m. But the other four teams decided to meet each other at 8 in the morning before going to the camping site. At 8 A.M. in the morning, One of the private rooms of the luxurious restaurant. Four team leaders gathered together. Caleb muttered, "All the other well-known shops have died down." "Onlya few of them were remaining. After saying that, he sighed. Hearing that, Morgan commented, "We are here to discuss the Fire Sword Team. Not the economic condition of Iron Post City. " Caleb didn''t say anything, but he looked at the other two leaders in front of them and said, "You two don''t seem to care about anything." After saying that, Caleb further added, "You also know that the guy is from the Roth family. Did your family say anything about it? " Because last night, Caleb already had a discussion with his family. His family advised him not to cause any problems for the Caleb family. Hearing that, he understands it''s not wise to get involved with the Fire Sword Team. At that time, he also regretted it. Why did they have to copy the Fire Sword Team''s strategy? Thinking about it, he sighed again. Seeing his continuous sighing, Morgan raised his eyebrows. "This guy, what''s wrong with him?" He said in his heart. Chapter 348 Part 2: Meeting (From the MC''s Point of View) Night time-Insect Forest, After scanning the surroundings for a while, I began to take a nap. It''s impossible to get a good sleep in this forest. In particular, I''m at the door of the inner area. Who knows when the next monster will pop up in front of me? I slept on the branches of the tree. Time went on. The next morning, I woke up earlier to venture inside. It''s fortunate that no monster came out last night to disturb me. After finishing my morning routine, I scanned the surrounding area with my perception. Images of plant monsters flash before my eyes. I don''t know whether anyone came by following the same route. Then, dispelling the thoughts, I started to move. I used the black sword in my hands to clear out the vegetation. I need to find a path that leads me deep inside the insect forest. It would be best if I came across paths used by bandits. The maps that I had didn''t have information about the inner area routes. They only marked the dangerous areas on the map. It shows that many warriors didn''t enter the inner areas before. Otherwise, the intelligence would have been recorded. Time progresses, and slowly I begin to move deeper into the woods. Except for a few nasty bug monsters, I haven''t encountered any dangerous monsters or bandits so far. At the same time, I also had my attention on the surrounding areas. If I find any secretive places,then I will spend some time perfecting my lightning technique. Most of my time is wasted on navigating my way through the forest. I hardly came across any monsters. When I was lamenting, several red dots popped up in my mind. I had already thought of a feasible plan to deal with these bugs. I decided to use my blood method aura to stun them. I remember the last time I used this invisible aura to put my senior into his place. Combining the stun effect of invisible aura with lightning power, it''s easy to remove these bugs in no time. "Buzz!" A swarm of bugs is coming towards me at a breakneck speed. I adjusted my posture before taking a look at my surroundings. It''s hard to get around this place. I feel these bugs might have sensed my presence before. So their nest is somewhere around here. Through my perception, I saw red dots moving fast. But I can''t see the bugs in front of me. What''s happening? I quickly used my brain to find an answer. My senses have already been heightened as a result of the breakthrough. On top of that, I''m undergoing Inheritance''s trial also. So there is no way for these bugs to escape my eyes. "Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!" Even before I saw the monster, I heard a buzzing sound from these bugs. Next,I recited the blood method in my mind. A familiar sensation of blood boiling occurs in my body. The red inked part of my skeleton began to vibrate. The next second, I felt an invisible aura take over me. It''s just that I can''t see through the colour of it. But if I concentrate enough, I can spot some blood. Soon, the red dots reached me. The buzzing sound almost made my ears bleed. Then I try to expand the aura. As I expected, the swarm of bugs halted for a moment. My lips curved into an arc. "SWORD DIVIDE" I launched the lightning attack. After storing the lightning essence in my blade, I discharge the purple-colored lightning at them. "Boom," a deafening sound, resonates in the area. "Spike," I introduced myself. Through perception, I saw almost 2/3 of the red dots dissipate into thin air. Then I used the same move to wipe out the remaining ones in no time. For ordinary elemental warriors, these bugs were a nightmare for them. Because most of the bugs in this forest were deadly. If someone gets bitten by one of these bugs, they will die due to poisoning. Even if they want to treat the person, they have to first get out of the forest safely. My condition was way better than theirs. These bugs won''t be able to break the defence of my lightning wheel. Next, after erasing the traces, I continued my journey. ¡­ Restaurant-Iron Post City, Hearing Caleb''s words, Regina Hicks and Bethany Marsh looked at each other. At this time, the breezing wind team leader Regina Hicks opened her mouth to say, "Now that I think about it, we shouldn''t have followed the Fire Sword Team''s methods." "Harumph!" Morgan Buck snorted in displeasure. This girl was the one who proposed the method in the first place. Now she is regretting it. So what is the use of it now? Morgan shakes his head in denial. Seeing the attitude of Morgan, drizzling rain water team leader Bethany Marsh chuckled. On the other hand, Caleb decided to talk about the main topic. Otherwise, three of them will fight with each other. "Coughed," he coughed, breaking the silence. "Have you guys received any clues about the Black Fist team?" Caleb asked. He is pretty sure that Mateo is going to talk about this in the meeting. Morgan furrowed his eyebrows. He asked Morris to look into this matter. But clearly they didn''t find anything. It almost feels like Benny Sutton disappears into thin air. He suddenly thought of something and asked, "Did Benny Sutton get killed by insect bugs?" Hearing that, three of them looked at him like a fool. Regina Hicks commented, "There are no deadly bugs in the outer area which can pose a threat to the trainee Warrior; besides, they haven''t found his corpse yet." A slight glint flashes in Caleb''s eyes. He said, "So someone must have murdered him." At this moment, all of them remained silent. Morgan also understands the seriousness of this issue. Bethany Marsh added by saying, "I guess it must be done by his enemy. So who could be? " A slight disdain flashes in Morgan''s eyes. He had heard some rumours before that the Fire Sword Team didn''t even kill bandits. All their rewards and achievements are because of looted items from other teams. Morgan looked at everyone and asked, "Have you guys heard about that rumor before?" The word "rumour" struck everyone''s mind. Caleb sucked in a cold breath. He didn''t want to believe such an outrageous claim, If it''s true then it was clearly a felony. Regina shakes her head in disbelief and says, "common, isn''t it like we haven''t looted anyone before? I guess it''s the same with the Fire Sword Team." This girl! Morgan is clearly displeased by her presence here. Instead of looking at her, Morgan turned towards Caleb and asked, "Caleb, what do you think about that rumor?" Hearing that, Caleb immediately refuted it by saying, "I don''t know. But Morgan, I advise you not to think about those rumors anymore. It''s not good to be involved with them." "Tck! I''m just saying, think about it; if someone is seeking revenge because of their actions, then their current situation is nothing but retribution," Morgan said. Caleb touched his forehead. He just advised him to not talk about it. Then Caleb said, "Alright, I think we should help the Fire Sword Team to clear our name first. Before the Crimson Hall competition, it''s not wise to offend him, and my family is very clear about this. " Morgan twitched. He thought, no wonder this guy is passive. Morgan knew about him. Caleb is a strong-headed person. It''s not his way of backing down. Since it''s a family decision, no one can say anything. Bethany and Regina looked at each other. This was the same with their family. They too feel it''s good to help Mateo Roth right now. "Good idea. I agree with your words," Bethany said. "Yes, we can do as Caleb says," Regina commented. All three of them were on the same page, only Morgan hesitated a little bit. But in the end, he too ended up agreeing. camping site, 10 a.m. Morgan, Caleb, Bethany, and Regina. All four of them arrived at the camping site together with their teams. The atmosphere around the campsite turned very strange. The weaker teams left the way for the other four teams to move. Right now, Mateo is sitting in a chair inside the tent. Four more chairs were placed beside him for the meeting. And the Fire Sword Team members are standing outside of the tent. Suddenly, Carla Gill walked inside the tent. Seeing that, Mateo asked, "Did they arrive?" Carla nodded in response. "Other than four of them, don''t allow anyone inside," Mateo said. Then Carla walked out of the tent. At that moment, a small commotion broke out in the camping area. Fire Sword Team members immediately glanced at the entrance. Four team leaders coming in their direction with their teams. When four of them walked in closer, Carla told them that only leaders were allowed to enter. When they heard that, four of them agreed without hesitation. After the four team leaders stepped inside the camp, the vice captains and other members stood outside. Inside the tent, Mateo greeted four of them and asked them to sit. Other than Morgan, everyone responded with a smile on their faces. Mateo''s eyes lit up with surprise upon noticing Morgan''s expression. Then everyone sat down in their seats for discussion. Chapter 349 Dispatch Camping Site-Iron Post City, The atmosphere becomes solemn for a moment. Because Mateo hadn''t started the discussion yet. He is simply observing everyone''s reaction. In particular, he looked at Morgan. Mateo''s suspicions about the other four teams have grown since his last conversation with his father. Suddenly, Mateo asked, "I''ll come to the point. The Black Fist team got destroyed recently. None of the members were alive. We couldn''t even find the leader''s body. " After saying that, he added further, "So, I suspect apart from four of you. None of them had any guys to fight against us. " Hearing that, Morgan immediately fumed in anger. Before he could say anything, Caleb replied with a small laugh, "Ha.. ha.. ha...,Mr. Mateo, there is clearly a misunderstanding between us." Then Caleb added, "We are not stupid to offend the Roth family. In particular, nowadays, everyone is looking forward to the crimson hall''s competition to participate in it." Hearing that, a slight glint flashes in Mateo''s eyes. He thought, It''s true that no one will do such a stupid action at this point of time. But this is not enough to convince him. Mateo quickly thought of something and said, "Well, I can''t simply trust your words without evidence." At this moment, Morgan couldn''t help but say, "Mateo Roth, what do you want? As Caleb said, we didn''t have enmity against you. We simply came here to practise." Caleb''s eyes lit up with surprise. He thought Morgan would burst out in anger. But fortunately, he didn''t utter any ugly words. Mateo chuckled. He already sensed that Morgan Buck felt uncomfortable being here. Then looking at four of them, Mateo asked, "If you guys are innocent, then tell me why did you follow my strategy?" Morgan gnashed his teeth in anger. Because he truly couldn''t refute his words. Next, he glanced at two stupid women beside him. They are the source of this problem. Caleb also didn''t defend the girls this time. Mateo observed the ugly reaction of Morgan Buck. It''s easy to see that these two girls were the source of his anger. Bethany Marsh and Regina Hicks looked at each other. They knew Morgan wouldn''t support them right now. "It''s actually our idea to follow your strategy. At that time, we didn''t inquire about your background from our family; when we knew about it, it was already too late to change anything, "Bethany Marsh said in a solemn tone. Regina nodded her head in support. Mateo looked at their strength. Four of them were Initial Trainee Warriors. They are weaker than him. Mateo hesitated. If not them, then who is it? Bandits? Only the bandits working under bandit Boss Soren remained on his list. Did Benny Sutton offend any of the bandit leaders before dying? Lots of questions popped up in his mind. It''s like a maze; there is no end to the current situation. Should I stop the current actions? Deep in his heart, he actually wanted to drop this matter and spend his time on increasing his strength. But the reason for doing all of this was his family. There are four factions in the Roth family. He fears that someone will use this situation to take away his qualification. Thinking about it, a fierce glint flashes in his eyes. Mateo made up his mind to get to the bottom of this matter. At least he needs to find some clues. Seeing Mateo''s silence, the four of them don''t know what to say. Caleb''s eyes signalled Morgan to have some patience. Caleb thought their words must have convinced him. That''s why Mateo is contemplating it right now. 2 minutes later, Mateo said, "Well, I thought about a plan. I need four of you to help me with this. I can only get rid of my suspicions in this way." Morgan was irritated by his words. Caleb smiled wryly. When he thought Mateo was convinced, suddenly he placed a request like this infront of them. Then Caleb looked at the girls for an answer. Both of them nodded their heads in response. They simply don''t have any choice but to agree to Mateo''s request. Caleb then looked at Morgan. Morgan didn''t say anything, but he took his silence as an affirmation. Caleb looked at Mateo and replied, "We will help you. Just let us know your plan. " Mateo''s tense face finally eases down. He smiled and said, "The other teams under my command are looking for the culprits. I want your teams to join hands with my team." Then he finally added, with a smile on his face, "I believe with our combined strength we can find the real culprit easily." Hearing Mateo''s plan, four of them sighed in relief. If it''s about dispatching manpower, then there is nothing to be afraid of. It''s great that they can avoid Mateo''s schemes now. Mateo is happy that everyone agreed to his plan. Then suddenly, he thought about something. He asked, "Have you guys had any information about Crimson Hall''s competition?" Hearing that, Morgan almost choked himself. Then he looked at Mateo in disbelief. Good guy! Everyone knows about the recent incident that happened at the Crimson Hall. But he is reacting as if he doesn''t know anything. "Cough" "Cough" Morgan coughed twice to avoid the embarrassment. Caleb didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He thought they were going to leave this place. But this guy started another topic to discuss. He slightly touched his forehead. Both Bethany and Regina chuckled. They are happy that Mateo let go of the previous topic. At this time, Bethany opened her mouth to say, "Our family elders really tried to get in touch with Crimson Hall, but unfortunately they didn''t give us any appointment to meet." Regina said, "Same with our family. Since we belong to the opposite camp, They didn''t think twice before rejecting us. " Mateo wasn''t surprised by their answer. If people from hostile forces know some information, then there''s something wrong with the crimson hall. Time went on. They talked about a few other things before ending their discussion. Next morning, Another shock swept through the city. The Top 5 teams joined hands together to deal with bandits. Yes, this careful change was made by Mateo. If people came to know that they were looking for culprits. It might cause an unfavourable situation for him. Especially now, since they joined hands together, it''s even more crucial to hide the fact. He can''t imagine the public sentiment if word gets out. So he deliberately told other teams to spread words in this way. Common folks were obviously happy to hear the news. Only a retired and crippled warrior knew that these were all lies. Some adventures speculate that the top 5 teams were hand in glove with each other from the beginning. The Fire Sword Team started to subdue others. followed by the other four teams. Now they have joined hands together officially. What more to say? Some veteran adventurers sneered at them. This, however, occurred during their private conversation.None of them dared voice their opinion publicly. Like always, the City Lord Mansion chose to remain silent on this matter. Common folks and traders have nothing more to say. Most of them have already migrated to other nearby cities. Only a few choose to go fishing in muddy water. A few hours after the news broke out, The Breezing wind team, the drizzling rain team, the igneous earth team, and the Silver Shield team. Four of them dispatched the weaker teams under their command to search for the culprits. More than 20 teams entered the insect forest. Already, ten teams from the Fire Sword Team had made their way into the inner area. Such a large-scale operation shocked everyone. People with discerning eyes can see that they are not looking for bandits but culprits. Some sighed. If they showed such unity to hunt bandits, then the bandit hunting mission would have been completed long ago. East Wood Company, Old Man Tucker was completely stupified. He wasn''t expecting this bold move from the Roth family''s kid. As for him, he hadn''t come across any valuable clues yet. He feels a slight pain due to the loss of money. "Tck! How can I befriend the Roth family''s kid like this? " Old Man Tucker muttered to himself. Camping site, Mateo asked, "What''s the recent situation?" ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Carla Gill replied, "Our warriors have already entered the inner area. Newly joined warriors are planning to search the outer areas again. " Hearing that, Mateo nodded and recalled something. He asked, "What about those bandit groups? Is there any clashes? " Now that everyone has joined hands together, If he chooses to neglect the trouble caused by bandits, then the other four leaders will suspect him. It''s great that they don''t know about confidential things. Mateo plans to keep it that way. Carla Gill hesitated a little bit, then replied, "There were a few skirmishes reported by our Warriors. Now that they have entered the inner area, We can expect more clashes with bandits. " A slight glint flashes in his eyes. He sighed and said, "It can''t be avoided." After saying that, he went back to his tent to stay. Mateo also decided not to spend too much time on this. The inner area is no joke. Even for him, he needs to make ample preparations before venturing into the inner areas. So if there were more casualties, he would call them back without any hesitation. Chapter 350 Inner Area: Safe Zone (From MC''s Perspective) Inner area: Insect forest, After spending so much time walking, I arrived a little bit deeper in the inner area. Because I keep picking up red dots in mind from my surroundings. Unlike the outer area, now I need to move at snail''s pace. Suddenly, I spot a few red dots coming towards my direction. My senses got alarmed. I quickly crouched down to avoid getting spotted by them. At the same time, I concealed my breath. These bugs usually don''t have good eyesight. But I can''t say for sure, so it''s best to hide for now. The buzz! The buzz! The swarm of bugs went past me in the blink of an eye. Seeing that they were gone, I breathed a relief. "Phew!" "Did I make the right decision to come here?" I muttered to myself. Everything around me is like an explosive artifact. If I make a simple mistake, I might get exposed to danger. On top of all of this, these overgrown bushes were tiring me out. Various thoughts come to mind. Finally, I decided to look for some open land. There must be a place for these bandit groups to rest. A quick glint flashed in my eyes as I made my decision. Time went by. I continue to move deeper while avoiding the red dots. "CLANGGG" "CLANGGG" "CLANGGG" I heard a clashing sound coming from the front direction. I quickly moved ahead to see. When I saw the situation at the front, it completely horrified me. "Gulp" I swallowed my saliva in fear. The bandit groups were fiercely fighting against a swarm of bugs. The bandits'' warriors are charging at tiny bugs. They release all sorts of attacks on them. But what most scared me was that a few of the warriors were completely enveloped in shadow like robes. But through my perception, I clearly saw the truth. The shadowy thing isn''t a robe, but rather bugs. Through my perception, I observed groups of dots covering the warriors. When I continued to watch, I witnessed something unbelievable. It''s a pure act of horror. The warriors were reduced to bones by the swarm of bugs. A shiver ran down my spine.These bugs are not venomous monsters. But it belongs to the most deadly category, like the plant monster. "Carnivore," I uttered in disbelief. Though I have double repair strength. But facing carnivore bugs, I really feel clueless right now. As far as I recall, this is the first time I came across a hurdle like this. Those mosquito pseudo-monsters at mountain Liz are ants compared to these tiny bugs. Helplessly, I continued to watch the situation. Atleast these bugs are doing the jobs of bandit-hunting warriors. No wonder the bandit boss has recruited so many warriors under his wings. It may seem like the count of bandit warriors sounds astounding from outside. But I guess they had to deal with lots of casulalities in this inner area. Soon, the number of warriors fighting against bugs will continue to reduce. These bugs don''t leave anyone alive. After consuming one warrior, they immediately target the next nearby warrior. My brother tells me to move away from this place. But I knew if I did, it would immediately alert others. It also involves certain risks. If I choose to fight against these bugs, it''s possible to attract surrounding bugs towards me. I don''t have infinite lightning essence to fight against these monsters. 10 minutes later, All the bandit warriors were reduced to bones. I even saw some of the bugs try to consume it. I''ve made my decision to not go deeper anymore. Rather, I''ll go sideways in search of open land. The swarm of bugs quickly left the area in the blink of an eye. "Phew," that was something. Above, Mr. Jonathan, who was secretly guarding Zack, was completely impressed. "Zack has good surviving skills. I wonder who taught him these methods, "Jonathan said to himself. He saw Zack avoiding danger just like that. It''s not an easy skill to learn at all. He also knew Zack''s background. If James really taught him, then it''s really something. Mr. Jonathan knew that, so far, Zack had successfully avoided the dangers. Earlier, Mr. Jonathan sensed multiple groups entering the inner area. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? It will be a matter of time before he comes across these people. When it happens, he would like to see what Zack would do. Below, Time went on. One hour later, As I expected, I finally found the narrow path. After choosing this path, I began to observe the footprints and other small traces. I want to check whether anyone has used this path recently. Through perception, I noticed this narrow path was not a straight one. It''s leading in a zig-zag manner. But my instincts tell me that it will surely lead to some resting spot. After checking that there were no recent footprints, I walked along this path. I also used my perception to look out for the dangers. 20 minutes later, A small smile blossemed on my face. I found a medium-sized tent house ahead of me. By looking at its size, it''s enough to accommodate twenty warriors. I used my perception to see whether anyone was staying inside or not. Fortunately, I didn''t find any living signals. When I got closer to the entrance, I found a few deadly traps. Deep pits were covered with deadly poison arrows in disguise. I wasn''t surprised by this. The poison is most deadly in this area. If not treated in time, death is the only end. After avoiding these traps, I went forward to open the door. Then again, I showed some caution. I didn''t step inside immediately. I walked in after confirming there was no trap inside. I saw there were three rooms and one large kitchen. As I expected, this place must be a resting spot for bandits. Suddenly, I thought about something. Is there a secret basement built under this place? It''s normal to have secret places like bunkers in dangerous areas. I''m not expecting anything sophisticated like that. As curiosity rose in my heart, I decided to check this place out. Other than a few shabby pillows, there was nothing left in the room. Time went on. 20 minutes later, I searched every nook and corner of this wooden house. Yet, I didn''t come across any place leading to the basement. I felt disappointment in my heart. Suddenly, several red dots popped up in my mind. I quickly used the backdoor to walk out. I decided to observe these red dots from this place. My expression condensed after hearing the sounds of conversations. Bandits? Or Warriors? I turned to look for an exit. But the backyard is covered with vegetation. I twitched. There was no proper place to hide. Having no choice, I leaped up to land on the roof gently. "Have you heard that recently a large number of our warriors entered our territory?" One of the bandits is talking to his team members. "Harrupmh, these guys came to seek their death." Their bandit boss uttered this in disdain. There were five bandits in this small group, including their leader. They plan to take a rest here for a while. My curiosity was piqued after hearing their conversations. Another warrior asked, "So, who sent them here?" The bandit boss halted his footsteps for a moment. Seeing that the other four warriors had quickly become alert, they immediately looked around their surroundings. There is a possibility of a swarm of bugs attacking them. So five of the bandits went into battle mode. But even after five minutes, there is no danger. "Am I wrong ?" The bandit boss muttered to himself. From his years of experience, he had developed the knack of knowing someone''s presence around him. It may seem like an insignificant ability, but in this insect forest, this ability saved him countless times from danger. He felt a presence nearby when he reached for the door knob. But there were no monsters or bugs around here. Then he thought of something and opened the door to enter inside. After he walked in, the bandit boss quickly went to check the room. He thought someone must have stayed inside. Then he dispelled his thoughts and joined his team members to talk. The bandit boss recalled the previous conversation. He said, "I remember, these warriors were sent by the Fire Sword Team." The atmosphere becomes quiet all of a sudden. Then suddenly, the oldest bandit in the group burst out in laughter. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." The old bandit asked, "Leader, Are you sure? The Fire Sword Team never acted against our bandits. What happened to them now? " The same questions bugged everyone''s mind. The bandit boss said in disdain, "Their black fist team got annihilated; many teams were dispatched here to search for evidence." The old Vereran bandit commented, "Despite fooling everyone, they are living comfortably in the city. But we are rotting down here. " The bandit boss replied, "Okay, leave the topic. Don''t you know? It''s taboo to talk about them. " Roof, My heart is set on storms. These guys are really hiding enough. And they dared to play on both sides. Chapter 351 Annoying Bugs! (From MC''s Perspective) This information is very hard to believe. No wonder the city was in such a state. ? These people took bandit hunting missions from the city lord''s mansion. Instead of killing them, they are actually helping the bandits. I guess Mr. Jonathan must have heard their words. Various thoughts run in my mind. I don''t know who to blame for a moment. City Lord? I believe he must have known. How come these people didn''t even react at all? Fortunately, my uncle reminded me. If I had blindly trusted the city lord''s mansion, my situation would have ended no different from that of fallen warriors. I sighed internally. I hope someone will solve this problem. If this goes on, the iron post city will be deserted soon. A slight glint flashes in my eyes as I recall another piece of information. The Fire Sword Team had sent various teams to the inner area. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. Even for me, with perceptual ability in hand, it''s hard to move around this area. If not for my perception, I would have already fought numerous battles against the bugs. Then again, it''s also good for me. Only trainee warriors with good surviving skills can exit from the place. The Special Trianee Warrior won''t dare enter the inner area. If the trainee warrior teams die here, it will greatly weaken the Fire Sword Team. Then I can handle the rest of the teams staying in outer areas. A confident smile rose on my face after making some plans. Then my attention shifted back to these people. What to do? Should I fight? Various calculations flash in my mind. This location is not the ideal place for battle. I should follow them before finding a place to end them. One hour later, The five bandits walked out of the wooden house. After discussing with each other, the bandit team walked towards the inner area. A small hesitation rose in my heart. They decided to enter the inner area. Is there any base ahead? A quick glint flashes in my eyes. If I come across any treasure out there, then my trip would be meaningful. It''s okay, I can''t practise here, but I can find some treasures. such as herbal plants and energy fruits. After careful contemplation, I made a firm decision. Next, I secretly followed the bandit team. It''s easier to walk along this path. Since you don''t have to remove the vegetation, The bandit team is moving like a snail. From time to time, the bandit leader checks the surroundings. He was very careful not to come across any monsters or bugs. Through my perception, I knew there was no danger around here. But this also made me realise the seriousness of the matter. If not for my perception, I would have wasted a lot of time here. Then I continue to follow the team. So far I haven''t found any good places to start a fight. Suddenly, a few red dots appeared in my perception. I slowed down my speed a little bit. After looking at the moving speed, I confirmed the red dots were not bugs this time. There is another bandit team coming from the front. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I thought there would be many bandits in a single team. But here, no one has more than 5 members in their team. Then I recall the last encounter, in which a swarm of bugs devoured many bandits. Dispelling my thoughts, I decided to hear their conversation. Next, I immediately chose a good spot to hide. As the bandit team walked forward, they met with another bandit team. Both teams halted their footsteps. The bandit leaders from both sides walked forward and exchanged some curious information with each other. After gaining information, they nodded before walking past each other with their teams. The new bandit team is coming towards my direction. Until the new bandit team disappeared from my sight. I remained in the same position. When they completely disappeared, I appeared at my previous spot. Both bandit leaders spoke with each other in a low tone. Even their team members couldn''t have possibly heard it. I feel slightly disappointed by that. Next, I used the lightning phantom technique to reach up to them. Soon, I saw five of their silhouettes. After reaching close to them, I stopped using the lightning phantom technique. At that time, the old veteran observed the leader''s expression carefully. Seeing that their leader is calm and composed The old veteran asked, "Leader, is there any good news? That one-eyed bast**d also seems to be happy. " Hearing that, the bandit leader laughed out loud, "Ha... Ha...Ha..." "Old fogey, you''re sharp as always," said the bandit leader. After saying that, the bandit leader said, "Yes, you have guessed right." Orders came from our bandit boss. He gave the order to kill bandit hunting warriors. The old veteran bandit was dumbfounded for a moment. He hurriedly asked, "Leader, what about teams related to the Fire Sword Team?" The bandit leader smiled amusingly and replied, "Are you dumb? Various teams belonging to the Fire Sword team were currently entering the inner area, so orders were specifically given to remove them from our territory. " Hearing that, the rest of them sucked cold breath. Everyone understands that the long-lasting friendships between bandits and the Fire Sword team are coming to an end. Alternatively, I heard every bit of conversion between them. Thankgoodness, they started to discuss it. Otherwise, I would be clueless about it. The clash between bandits and teams belonging to the Fire Sword team will soon impact everyone. Dispelling the thoughts, I decided to focus on the current task. Soon, the bandit team reached a rather wider path. It''s enough for 20 people to walk along. This place also gives me time to move around. Then, seeing five of their backs, a cold glint flashes in my eyes. The bandit leader is a Mid-Trainee Warrior, while the rest are Initial Trainees. My last duel with Benny Sutton involved too many factors. That fool Benny Sutton didn''t retaliate at all. He gladly took my attack. Otherwise, the battle wouldn''t have felt easier. But here, the situation is really different. I don''t know whether I can take care of them all. If I attack the leader, then four of them will besiege me. "Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!" The sudden buzzing sound brought me back to reality. When I saw the swarm of red dots approaching us, my face tightened. I saw the bandit team quickly get alarmed. The bandit leader started to give commands. Suddenly, five of them ran in different directions to hide. "Tck! What kind of strategy is this? " I muttered to myself. Then I saw two running back in my direction. I immediately disappeared from the spot. It''s puzzling to me why they chose to flee. "Buzz" "Buzz" "Buzz" The sound reached closer to us. When I finally saw the appearance of these bugs, "Fuck," I cursed at myself. Carnivorous insects!I thought these bugs went in the other direction. So, I selected the opposite direction to come here. I''m rooted in the same spot. Now I can understand why the bandit leader made such a decision. He must have known it was carnivore bugs from that buzzing sound alone. His survival skills baffle me. How did he identify the bugs from the sound alone? The bandit leader has some skills. I made a clever decision earlier to not confront them. Otherwise, everyone would have been exposed to these bugs. Suddenly, I noticed some changes. The swarm of carnivore bugs looked like black clouds. The black clouds split into five small clouds. Leaving one behind, four clouds immediately chased the warriors. I gulped my saliva after seeing that. At that moment, I prayed for their afterlife. It''s impossible to escape alive from these bugs. These damn bugs won''t even leave your bones. Next, the last back cloud stayed in one spot. All of a sudden, I got goosebumps all over my body. I feel like this swarm of bugs is staring at me. Is this real? The small black clouds started to move. My expression changes drastically, as these bugs slowly come towards me. But their movement is somewhat slow. When I found myself in front of a swarm of tiny bugs My heart starts to beat faster. I''m ready to use the lightning wheel technique at any moment. But I''m more confused by looking at their state. These small bugs seem to scan me from head to toe. What is happening? Next, the swarm of bugs suddenly flew back to their previous position. Then suddenly, I thought of something. I stared in a certain direction above. It must be the work of Mr. Jonathan. I breathed in relief. With him here, I don''t have to worry about my safety. But he acts as eyes and ears for my teacher. If I gave a sloppy performance, it would soon reach my teacher. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I made the decision to pick a suitable opponent to fight. I can only impress Mr. Jonathan in this way. Then I waited for these bugs to leave. Chapter 352 Several Days Later Several days went by. While Zack Lockwood was silently training in the insect forest, so did others. Various forces vigorously trained their seed candidates and tried to raise their level to Trainee Warrior. It is not hidden knowledge that many of the geniuses from Tier-7 cities have the strength of a Trainee Warrior. So in order to compete with them, Tier-8 cities made their seed candidates to break through as much as possible. On the other hand, various forces, including allied and hostile forces, had placed their spies near Crimson Hall. Even after the strong deterrence shown by Grand Elder Chris, some forces still decided to send their spies to Crimson Hall. A certain person felt annoyed by these spies. Especially, the headmaster of the Crimson Hall. He thought after Brody Roth''s episode, no other force would disturb them further. And yet he was wrong. Recently, he had noticed the presence of several spies in the city. The headmaster of Crimson Hall felt a myriad of reactions. The first elder, Casey, didn''t say anything. So he chose not to act against them. Then, as per First Elder Casey''s command, He carefully selected a few talented students for specific training. He knows first-class Casey must have some plans for them. So he allocated various resources for the students. At the same time, undercurrents surge under the main academy at Willow Peak City. After their plans misfired, the May Ford Academy faced numerous troubles. Everyone wanted to know about Crimson Hall''s information collected by them. In response, the dean of the academy strongly denied the request of the forces. During the council meeting, everyone discussed the mess created by them and how to solve it. But none of them criticised Brody for this. Crimson Hall''s response was speculated by a few elders in their council. Yet it was the last thing they expected. Since nothing can be changed. After a long discussion, the crimson hall came to a conclusion. They ordered the dean of the academy to put out a statement. Finally, due to pressure, the dean officially put out a statement saying, "May Ford Academy had sent Elder Brody to give a proposal for a joint sparring session." This statement was a complete lie. But the dean didn''t care. People will be more suspicious if acadmey stays silent for a long time. When the statement came out, various forces didn''t believe it at all. But the statement reduced the few troubles faced by May Ford Academy. The Headmaste of the Crimson Hall sneered at these bast**ds for their shamelessness. Time went on. First Elder Casey and the alliance members began to plan for the competition. From constructing basic infrastructure for seed candidates, staff, and other important guests to transporting a significant monster to a different experimental zone. ? Various tasks were being completed as the days went on. People from the alliance are responsible for monitoring the workers. While signing the contract, one of the things strongly demanded by First Elder Casey was to implement strict management. He doesn''t want any of the workers to blabber out the details to others. So both the Crimson Hall and Alliance people put so much effort into monitoring. On the one hand, after negotiation alliance, people successfully transferred important monster species for their research. The monster was left in Odyssey Monster Zones were the useless ones. They were deemed left over by the research people as the monsters held no research values. But these seemingly leftover monsters alone can wipe out half of the seed candidates easily. Yet, First Elder Casey was not satisfied by these monsters. He agreed to negotiations due to the promise he made to Grand Elder Chris. Because Grand Elder Chris doesn''t like the idea of too much blood shed. This promise was made before the contact. First Elder Casey had no choice but to drop the topic of monsters. But his eyes shone with light as he planned to add some traps to compensate for the lack of deadly monsters. There are several months left before the start of the actual completion. So he is not in a hurry. Once the infrastructure is built, he will then focus on the monsters and set traps at several strategic locations inside the Odyssey Monster Zone. While this was going on, the Hansen campus in Redstone City conducted numerous activities for their students. It''s not like Zack Lockwood is the only student who studies at Hansen Campus. There are many students, teachers, and staff at Hansen Campus. Especially the warriors who were defeated at the hands of Zack Lockwood. They still held on to the hope of bouncing back. Previous seed candidate challengers, as well as many senior students on the Hansen campus, plan to challenge Zack once he returns from his private training. It''s no secret to students and teachers that Zack Lockwood rarely practises in their Hansen Campus. In particular, after his splendid performance at Star Tower, his fame shot up. There is not a single person in Red Stone City who doesn''t know his name. At the same time, students'' ambitions did not go unnoticed by their elders. Elder Thornton''s seat as chairman became firm after the last misadventure of some elders.. After getting approval from shareholders, Elder Thornton faced no more opposing voices. But that doesn''t mean that other elderls won''t support the ambitions of the other students. Everyone knows Elder Thornton''s favouritism towards Zack Lockwood. Many voices died down when he won the seed challenge duels. But still, there are people who don''t want Elder Thornton''s influence to increase. Yet their plans crumbled after the Star Tower Competition. Zack Lockwood holds a firm position among students as a representative. Elder Thornton is acting as a strong supporter for Zack. These two names are known to outside forces. Well, it doesn''t mean none of them will cause trouble. Some of the elders decided to support senior students and other seed challengers. If Zack shows any weakness, he will be challenged immediately. So few elders people are waiting for an appropriate chance. They are operating indirectly by secretly providing resources to some students. Elder Thornton knows all of their operations. But he didn''t even think about taking action against them. When it comes to combat prowess, he has the utmost trust in Zack. Zack cleared the star tower trail floors with ease. So the ambition shown by students is nothing but a small obstacle to Zack. Right now, there is a small friction between him and Zack Lockwood. It''s been a few weeks since he left the Hansen campus. The Iron Post City is a weird place, especially since it''s built adjacent to an insect forest. No one wants to visit the city at a normal time. But in the last few weeks, terrible changes have taken place in Iron Post City. The whereabouts of the City Lord are unknown and the city is plagued by banditry incidents. Especially with the recent migration of people. The city comes under the limelight. The reporters didn''t miss a single day. They began to report on every happening in Iron Post City. With a crumbling economy, it will be a matter of time before the city gets desserted. When it comes to Zack''s current situation, his family is keeping a tight lid about it. Mr. James conveyed that Zack didn''t want to be disturbed by anyone. Zack is aware of the current situation. He will return quickly once he completes his training. Mr. James wasn''t disturbed by Elder Thornton anymore. Elder is annoyed that Zack is not responding to Hansen Campus. But at the same time, he thinks it''s a good decision. Because there are some pests waiting for Zack outside. Most of them were spies sent by force. There are also a few with a murderous aura. He knows these people have ill intentions towards Zack. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? He didn''t remove them straight away. He had given orders to Arthur to collect information about them. Once he gets information in his hands, he will take care of them. Alternatively, Brody Roth of the Roth family was preoccupied with another matter.While everyone is assuming that he is taking care of the mess created by his actions, Only a few important elders and the head of the family knew that he was handling the different issues. The turmoil in Iron Post City also came to their notice. After knowing the seriousness of the turmoil, they sent Elder Brody to deal with the issue. If not carefully handled, they will be exposed to higher officials. Even if Crimson Hall decided to help them, it wouldn''t work. The head of the family proposed calling back Mateo from Iron Post City. But some of the elders in their family directly opposed it. They decided not to call back unless the situation worsened. At the same time, The Bandit Boss is quickly recovering from his wounds. After smuggling all the resources collected by bandits, he had received some precious herbs to cure his injury. It will be a matter of time before he gets back to his peak state. Even so, there are chances of a possible breakthrough. Once he gets better, he will soon escape from this place. From the beginning to the end, he didn''t put City Lord in his eyes. in order to deal with the City Lord and other powerful enemies. He had made several poisonous traps to kill the opponents. Even the elite will fall once he triggers the trap. Chapter 353 City Lords Move "CLANG"CLANG" "CLANG" Several clashing sounds resonate throughout the area. The Bandits were fighting against the warriors, those especially who went deeper into the inner area. Rivers of blood flow; mutilated corpses can be seen all over the ground. One would puke at the sight of such a horrible scene. It''s impossible to recognise from the mutilated bodies whether they belong to bandits or warriors. Such things have been taking place for the past two weeks. Ever since the order came down from bandit Boss Soren, The bandit warriors wasted no time in acting against the warriors. They knew their boss would reward the person who had the most kills. So they leave no stone unturned. A similar situation happened with a bandit hunting warrior. Actually, they came here to find the culprit as per Fire Sword Team order. But things quickly turned around when they took a step inside the inner area of the insect forest. Out of nowhere, bandits launched a barrage of attacks against them. In response, the warriors fought back. But the mounting of corpses increased on the bandit hunting warriors'' side. The bandits knew how to make use of their environment to kill the enemy. While the bandit hunting warriors entered the inner area without prior knowledge. As a result, the number of teams entering the inner area on the bandit hunting warriors side was drastically reduced. This sudden action of bandits caused a chain reaction. which quickly reached everyone''s ears in the outer area. Many of the survivors start to flee; they don''t want to take part in the Fire Sword Team''s mission. Some of them even started rumours that the Black Fist team was annihilated by the Bandits. And the bandits'' sudden actions were also tuned with rumors. The survivors didn''t refute the words. As most of them were trainee warriors, it didn''t take much time to convince the special trainee team in the inner area. Quickly, the news started to spread like wildfire. It soon reached the ears of the five leaders. Even Mateo Roth started to believe the rumors. At first, he didn''t take the reports seriously. He thought his warriors must have come across some bandit maniacs. These manics won''t care about the rules set by their bandit boss. These maniacs would kill any of them, it seems. Mateo also thought this must be the case. Why would bandits attack him? He is the one who has actually been helping them since he came here. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? He knew the bandits were smart enough to not forget that. Besides, he also had a hunch that his family must have informed the bandits'' boss about him. So there is no way for bandits to retaliate against him. But soon, his belief started to crumble when numerous reports started to pile up on his desk in a few weeks. The insect forest itself is a tough place to survive. It would take plenty of time to move from one point to another. So Mateo Roth was actually receiving delayed reports. He wasn''t able to draw any conclusion from these reports. He doesn''t know why the bandits are retaliating against him. Soon he came to learn from one of the reports of the survivors. One bandit leader they came across spit out some information before killing his team members. After learning the news, Mateo Roth''s expression condensed. Because the bandit leader spoke, it was an order given from their bandit boss. He wanted to convey the information to his family. But they won''t believe a report from a single survivor. So he ordered Carla''s testimonials of survivors as much as possible. If it''s truly an order given by the bandit boss, then he didn''t need to worry that much. Because his family will take direct action, using that chance, he will return to his family. As the days passed, Carla was successfully able to collect similar reports. After getting it from Carla, Mateo didn''t waste any time in informing his father. But the result made him disappointed. His family would reach a conclusion after the council meeting. Because such a sudden twist of events made him forget about the Black Fist Team. As he begins to suspect that something is wrong with the bandit boss and his black fist team, they bear the brunt of it.With that, his suspicion about the other four team leaders was also removed from his heart. Now that the bandit leader started to make noise, he knew the city lord wouldn''t remain silent. And it will be a matter of time before they put out a notice. This shocking development from the insect forest quickly affected the lives of the people who lived in Iron Post City. Fear and despair spread among the common folks. At first, there was a small migration due to the failing economic condition of the iron post city. Soon it turned into a large migration when all the weak teams joined under the banner of five strong teams. And now, with the current development, everyone is expecting a mass exodus. It was fine when the City Lord Mansion chose to remain silent. People''s only source of belief was bandit hunting teams. In particular, the five strongest teams, though their recent actions have caused displeasure among the masses. But still, they are the strongest line of defence acting against banditry. When the news swept away that bandits were taking on the strongest team, It sent strong messages to everyone residing in Iron Post City. It doesn''t matter whether it''s rich or poor. Everyone knew this was the huge turning point in their bandit hunting mission. If the five strongest teams fail, then it would need the city lord to personally step up. If he still chooses to remain silent at that point, the mass exodus of people is a foregone conclusion. The city was swarmed by reporters and streamers from various cities.Instead of assisting the masses, they are obsessed with creating content. Whether it''s negative or positive information, the news is broadcast to other cities. Yet the only thing that remained unchanged was the city lord mansion''s inaction. Which only sends negative signals to other cities. If they have such a city lord, their cities'' result will be nothing different from that of an iron post city. Weak-hearted people got cold shivers going down their spines. Soon, no one knows whether it''s the immense pressure made by Media or something else. The City Lord Manion put out a statement: 1 million credit points will be rewarded to those who collect the heads of bandit leaders residing in the inner area of the insect forest. Another shocking piece of news swept away the city. The City Lord Mansion''s sudden awakening from their sleep surprised people. The news reports and streams started to pick up the news. 1 million credit points is not a joke. Only the cores of elite monsters are sold above a million points. Adventurer warriors were those who made calculations with wide open mouths. Even warriors who came to know the iron post started making plans. No one knows that a statement put out by the city lord will soon attract another wave of adventurers to their city. In particular, the criminals and warriors who are in desperate need of money will surely make use of this opportunity. When this piece of news reached certain strong teams, it made them uncomfortable. "SMASH" "SMASH" "SMASH" In a rage, Mateo Roth smashed nearby tables and flower pots. The broken pieces can be seen all over the ground. Things at this moment were going exactly the opposite to my wishes. At first, there was trouble in the insect forest. Second, his family won''t make a decision until the council meeting. Now, thirdly, the city lord started to move. He had spent so much time gaining the status of the strongest team in this city. Then he made his team subdue other weak teams one after another. Now the statement put out by the City Lord''s Mansion will make him start from the beginning. Which is that he is not at all ready to do that. Carla and the other team members chose to remain silent at this moment. The City Lord Mansion''s move not only affected the Fire Sword Team. It also made their four teams wrinkle their eyebrows. Morgan Buck is the leader of the Igneous Earth team.He chuckled after hearing the news. Even for someone from an influential family like his, such an amount is not easy to take out. Numerous calculations run in his mind. Suddenly, he thought of a deadly idea. to go back to the inner area with his team. Morgan thought about killing bandit leaders as much as possible. He is already dreaming of making at least 50 million. He just needs to collect 50 heads for that. But suddenly, a flash of hesitation flashes in his eyes. Along with the other three leaders, he agreed to cooperate with Mateo Roth. "Harumph," he snorts after recalling Mateo''s face in his mind. At that moment, he made his decision to not let go of this opportunity. If he can collect 100 heads, then he will be rewarded with 1 billion. This amount will help him purchase high-grade resources for a breakthrough. After gaining some clarity, he decided to inform his friend, Caleb Green. He would not let go of this opportunity. He needs to convince Caleb before a new wave of warriors comes to the city. Chapter 354 New Mission Notice? (From MC''s Perspective) My life has been a constant condition of survival since I entered this inner area. I encountered bandits, city warriors, and, most critically, these lethal insect bugs. One thing was certain: none of them suspected my identity. Due to confrontations between bandits and city warriors, the city warriors eventually gave up looking for the culprit''s responsible for black fist team''s destruction. It made me sigh with relief. I''ve been learning about the inner-area bandits'' operations for the last few weeks. In contrast to the outside areas, the bandits appear to be operating fast. The majority of the bandits I encountered were outside at noon. I rarely saw anyone walking out at night. This could be because of the threat posed by insect bugs. As a result, the bandits remained in their hideout after evening. I wouldn''t have made it through the night without my perceptual skills. Taking a risk might also be beneficial. Despite having a few kills, my loot items alone were worth a few thousand credit points. THUP, THUP, THUP Suddenly, I heard a faint noise that I almost overlooked. My perception revealed that the area around me was clear. And I have no red dots in my mind. But my instincts tell me that someone is nearing me. I chose to be patient. Five red dots appeared in my mind shortly after. These red dots formed a line in the queue. Like a line of people following their leader. After I confirmed it, a slight smile appeared on my face. I waited some more to see if the group was made up of bandits or city warriors. I confirmed their identities as bandit hunting warriors (aka city warriors) when they approached me. My eyes brightened up with amazement when I noticed their strength. The group''s leader is an Initial Trainee Warrior, and the other four members are Special Trainees. Their bravery has really impressed me. The trainee warriors have been running like dogs every time they come across bandit groups for the past few weeks. This new team, however, enter this inner area. "Lucky me!" I grumbled. Anyway, I can''t complain about their stupidity. Because their items will add to my collection, I clutched my black sword to use lightning attack when the leader of the group approached my target range. I then put lightning essence into the black sword. Purple light shone from the black blade. From bursting energy, a slight crackling sound can be heard. When the charge was finished, I released a lightning strike at the opponent "SWORD DIVIDE" Like a beam of light, the purple-colored energy pierces the air. It arrived at the leader in the blink of an eye and struck a hit on him. BANG! A loud roar reverberates throughout the region. Before the leader realized what was happening, he flew backwards like a broken kite and crashed into the trees. The other four team members were disturbed by these unexpected events. They were terrified of an unknown foe. I took advantage of their panic to launch a series of sword divide assaults. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Four of them smashed into the ground in different directions within a few minutes. These warriors will be unable to recover. Then I returned my focus to the leader. In my current state, I can easily take care of those initial trainee warriors. If the opponent is clever, it will be difficult. But as long as I can catch them off guard with a sneak attack, it won''t be difficult to end them. The only ones who caused difficulties were the mid and Peak Trainee Warriors. But I''ve rarely seen anyone with peak trainee strength since I entered the inner area. "SPURT" When I approached him, he spat blood from his mouth in rage. My lightning strike had shattered his chest region. I smirked and raised my black sword against him as I saw this. The leader''s eyes were wide with concern. In a panic, he blurts out, "Who are you?" He then spurted blood again as a result of the injury. I didn''t respond to his query because I noticed he was looking for a way out. But I''m not going to give him a chance to flee. I swiftly poured a large amount of essence into the sword to charge it. The leader''s expression changed when he noticed purple energy emanating from the guy in front of him. This completely altered his perception of the world. Realizing that person is going to attack with that purple sword beam once more. His expression was filled with fear. He quickly repositioned himself to avoid the enemy. But when he saw the purple flickering blades aimed at him, his pupils pinched. Then he lost consciousness the following second after hearing only the word "SWORD DIVIDE." I need to assess the others'' vitality before disposing of the corpse. Four more fighters were thrown in different directions. The attack was so unexpected that four of them were unable to fully protect themselves. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I suppose the onslaught alone rendered them motionless. I detected four little red lights via perception. They are no longer as dazzling as they once were. This confirms that their lives are hanging by a thread. I returned the blade to my storage ring after confirming it. My fist is enough to take their last breath. I walked up to the next Special Trainee Warrior. A gleam flashes across my eyes. After my first attack, even the leader was half dead. So, what''s the deal with Special Trainee Warriors? What is preventing them from dying? I noted the first warrior was wearing medium-grade inner armor when I found him. The inner armor took the majority of the damage. That''s why he''s just half-alive right now. I sighed as I realized I had encountered wealthy people. The Special Trainee Warrior is still alive and well. When he saw me approaching, he began to speak. "Wait a minute, I''ll turn over the bandit leader''s head." "Just give me a chance to live," he urged. I came to a standstill when I heard that. I couldn''t help but look at him in awe. This weak team is even capable of killing the bandit leader. It''s not possible. -Did your team killed the bandit leader?" I inquired, looking at him. "No, we looted from another team," the Special Trainee Warrior admitted, averting his gaze in shame. After that, he erased the imprint on his storage ring and handed it to me. Curiosity drove me to grab the storage ring and soak my consciousness into it. One bloodied head stood out among the pill bottles and colorless stone. I didn''t even glance at the head, but my eyes lit up when I saw the other goodies. I''m curious whether the other three were commoners or wealthy. Now, looking at the half dead person in front of me, I thought as one would expect from a wealthy child. After regaining consciousness, I asked nonchalantly, "There is just one head. What about the team members'' heads?" In disbelief, the Special Trainee Warrior spat blood. "Who is this guy?" The entire city is swamped by adventurers looking to sign up for a bandit hunting mission. "Does he live in a cave?" He reflected to himself. When I saw the guy spacing out, I decided it was time to kill him. I raised my fist and prepared to attack him. But that individual quickly said, "City Lord Mansion rewards one million for the head of a bandit leader." "What?" I was surprised. Then I realized my error and inquired, "What was going on?" The Special Trainee Warrior starts spilling the beans. Especially the recent new mission notice from City Lord Mansion. My eyes twinkled with excitement at the million-dollar prize. The next thing I knew, I was cursing myself. I eliminated bandit groups. But I had never gathered their bodies, aside from the treasures. What should I do? If I submit the head counts, I will quickly catch the attention of unwanted people. And it''ll only be a matter of time before they suspect me of murdering the Black Fist squad. Several thoughts occur to me. When I''m distracted, the special trainee warrior attempts to flee. When I noticed this, I curved my lips before throwing my fist at him. I searched his body for loot after killing him. Seeing that there was nothing but the ring he offered. I dragged his body towards the leaders. Then I went to take care of the other three members one by one. Three of them, unlike the first, were unconscious. It didn''t take me long to put three of them to sleep. I stacked up five corpses in front of me a few minutes later. I only recovered their valuables from the corpse. Unlike the first day, I don''t have to work too hard to get rid of the corpse. There is a fire artifact in my looted collection. And it is my favorite fire-related artifact. It''s an explosive fire artifact. All I have to do now is set the artifacts on corpses before activating them. After a few minutes, the ground is littered with blown-up body pieces. It is no longer feasible for anyone to identify the individuals. Chapter 355 Insidious Means (From MC''s Perspective) I checked my spoils after finding the safe spot. Apart from that first fellow, the rest of the special trainee warriors didn''t have much in their storage ring. Which left me with disappointment. "Sigh." Anyway, at least I''m able to learn the latest news from their mouth. I feel it''s time to make a decision about it. I can''t let go of such an opportunity. In particular, the Hansen campus nowadays has become stingy when it comes to resources. If I had enough money in my own hands, I could go around auction houses to buy resources. I knew Mr. Jonathan was taking care of me secretly. So there is no way to do things passively. Now, It''s a golden opportunity to make money. A small smile rose on my lips as I made my decision. Then immediately, I began to look out for bandit groups through my perception. I also marked my previous routes on maps. If I go back to the location where I found the small wooden house, there is a good opportunity to come across another team. Time flies in the blink of an eye. One hour later, I stroll towards the small wooden house after searching other areas. Suddenly, a few red dots appeared in my perception. Seeing that, my eyes lit up with surprise. I never thought that I would encounter a bandit team this soon. But the trick here is that none of them were weak. The leader is a mid-trainee warrior, and the other four members are initial-trainee warriors. It''s a strong team. My expression turned solemn. I quickly need to formalise a strategy to counter them. My brain springs into action. I need to make at least two of the bandits immobile before fighting them head on. Then I quickly thought of a solution. It''s a very dangerous option, but I think it''s needed now. In my looted collection, there were some sealed herbs that I had collected from other bandit groups. I don''t know the exact name of the herb. But I heard some information from bandits.These specific sealed herbs are the favourite food of insect bugs. If the seal is removed, it will soon attract nearby bugs from the surrounding regions. I gulped my saliva. I knew my thoughts were quite insidious. But those bandits were way more cunning than me. I had never seen anyone fighting righteously before. These bandits always use insidious means to kill the warriors. Like luring opponents to poisonous traps or attracting insects from nearby areas. So I''m just going to give them a taste of their own medicine. After making up my mind, I take out the sealed herbs from the storage ring. These bandits are conversing with each other. Once they step inside the wooden house, I will immediately use it. ? Time flies, The bandit leader seems to be tired after talking for about 15 minutes. He quickly entered the room, followed by four other warriors. "Phew!" I breathed in relief. I almost thought these bandits would spend the entire day talking. My pupils constrict as I stare at the slidy red box in my hands.I almost forgot about one important thing. I need to make sure not to touch the herb with my bare hands. Otherwise, it won''t be easy to erase the herb scent. Then my eyes fixed on the wooden house. After making sure no one was at the entrance, I swiftly rushed towards the entrance without making a noise. I also looked at the window to see whether anyone was peeping from inside. Seeing that no one was standing near the window, I swiftly moved. After walking past the entrance gate, I walked up to the door. But I need to use wooden stairs before reaching the door knob. Having no other choice, I put the red wooden box on the wooden step slowly. After taking a long breath, I removed the cover swiftly before walking away from the place. Within minutes, I arrived at the previous spot. My heartbeat rate increased slightly. Fortunately, these bandits were chatting inside. If any of them showed some caution, then it wouldn''t be possible to reach the wooden house. Then I sniffed my palms carefully to see whether there was any scent on them or not. Time flies in the blink of an eye. 15 minutes later, I have been using my perception to look out for my surroundings. But so far, there is no sign of insect bugs. I feel that it will be a matter of time before the scent is sniffed by some bugs. BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ. Immediately, red clouds appeared in my mind. Yes, it''s red clouds, no doubt. It must be a swarm of bugs coming from the north direction. When I patiently waited for insect bugs to come here, BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ. "What the f**k?" My heart skips a beat. Suddenly, a new wave of red clouds coming from the east appeared in my mind. Seeing that, I immediately gulped my saliva. Is this some kind of joke or what? This herb is too OP. It quickly attracted two groups of insect bugs. Now I thought about my own safety for a moment. I realise that, again, I''m relying on Mr. Jonathan''s help to save my life. I felt a little disappointed in myself. Next time, I should not bring out this deadly herb openly. Instead, I should set up a trap and wait for the bandits. When the sound became louder, "Creak," one of the bandits, walked out of the house to check the surroundings. At this time, two separate groups of insects had already arrived above the small wooden house. These insects seem to find the location of the herb. But the poor guy was standing near the stairs. Next, I would never forget his reaction in my life. That bandit warrior was horrified by the sight of an army of insect bugs. His expression becomes pale with fright. Soon, I saw another silhouette walking out of the house. When he spotted the insect bugs, his expression was nothing different from his usual. But unlike the first bandit, he quickly tries to flee. When he walks down from the staircase, He accidentally stepped on the herb. Seeing that, my heart skips a beat. This is not at all in my script. "Hiss": This guy is dead now. As I expected the two groups of insect bugs begin to act. BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ. Hearing that buzzing sound is getting louder. I knew the bugs were completely enraged. Fortunately, these bugs were just regular poisonous bugs. It will take time for their venom to act on the enemy. If it were a certain deadly kind (carnivore), they would be reduced to bones within a minute. The fleeing bandit was quickly swallowed up by the army of bugs. The second wave of the bugs quickly dashed to the other warriors. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I got goosebumps all over my body. I knew what it would be like in the aftermath of this. It''s impossible to escape from a swarm of bugs. On top of that, getting stung by all of the deadly bugs. Then the venom will quickly spread all over the bandit''s body. It will be a matter of time before he loses his life. While all this was going on, I heard no sound from the other three warriors, including the bandit leader. I muttered, "Good guy." The other three bandits must have noticed the situation. So they didn''t walk out of the house, in order not to expose themselves. But I smiled. All I wanted was to remove at least two warriors from the group. so that I can take care of the other three. Suddenly, there is a new development. One part of an army of bugs quickly flew inside the house. "AAHHHHHHH," someone screamed out loud from the house. It looks like these insect bugs will take care of everything. I just need to collect their heads in the end. A small smile rose on my face. This method seems deadly and vicious, but it''s extremely effective in the end. I continued to watch the horrific scene in front of me. A peculiar scene caught my attention. None of the insect bugs went forward towards the herbs. Don''t tell me these insect groups will fight against each other in the end? A hint of doubt rose in my heart. But it will help me further to understand these insect bugs. Those two bandits became completely immobile. After taking care of them, the entire group flew towards the house. My heartbeats rise further. 10 minutes later, Two clouds of insects flew out of the house and quickly came over to swarm the small herbs. I don''t know what happened to the leader. His head value is more important than others. There is no sound of screaming either. Then I patiently waited for these insect bugs to move away from the spot. Surprisingly, these bugs didn''t fight against each other. After consuming the entire herb, two groups immediately flew away in different directions. I breathed in relief. I almost thought these things would find me. Fortunately, I didn''t let the scent attach to me. Chapter 356 Coming Of New Warriors Through perception, I observed that the coast is clear. There are no more red clouds appearing in my mind. I made my way towards the wooden house after confirming it. This time I felt no pressure whatsoever. Because of these bandits lives were hanging by a thread. Without an antidote, it''s impossible to save their lives. While strolling, I held a black sword in my hand. First, I reached that foolish bandit warrior who tried to flee earlier. Seeing his unconscious body, I casually swung my sword at his neck. PFFF Blood spilled from the enemy''s neck. After killing him, I walked silently towards the other one. Like the previous one, he too felt unconscious due to insect bugs'' venom. PFFF After another swing, I removed two bandits from the team of five. Now, I need to take a look inside the house. At this time, I observed my surroundings through perception. There is a faint flickering of a red dot. Seeing that, a small smile rose on my face. It looks easier than I thought. "Creak," the door opens. My left hand reached for the door knob to unlock it. Then I slowly stepped inside the house and found two unconscious bodies in front of me. My expression immediately condensed. The leader of the bandit group is as cunning as I had expected. I knew, from my perception, that the leader was hiding in the next room. I didn''t look at the two special trainee bandits in front of me. I plan to take care of the leader before coming back to them. I gripped my sword tightly and moved slowly towards the nearby room. I find that the red dot is not moving at all. With that confidence, I stepped into the next room. The next moment, I found the leader of the bandit group staring at me. "This guy is conscious," I muttered to myself. I thought he must have been stung by a swarm of insect bugs. What is happening? A curiosity rose in my heart. But I noticed the feint flickering of the red dots. Suddenly, I realised something. This guy is clearly poisoned right now. But somehow, he is awake. On the other hand, the bandit leader''s pupils constrict. He had never expected someone to come here at this time. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Earlier, he was fortunate enough to swallow an antidote pill in time. Otherwise, the venom would have spread all over his body. But right now, looking at the single person in front of him, the bandit leader wrinkled his eyebrows. He knew the person in front of him was not part of the bandits. Upon realising that, he feared others might be waiting outside. Seeing the panic-stricken face of the bandit leader, I chuckled. These bandits used to instil fear in others. Now that he is facing that himself, Instead of getting closer to him, I halted my footsteps all of a sudden. If the leader was unconscious, I wouldn''t think twice about going near him. But right now, the situation is different. I raised my black sword at him. Seeing that, the leader immediately said, "Why don''t we solve it in a peaceful manner?" I raised my eyebrows for a moment. Even at death''s door, the leader is thinking about ways to save his life. A small smile rose on my face. Next, I concentrated on the sword divide rune in my mind. When the rune begins to flicker, I begin to pour a huge amount of lightning essence to charge the black sword. Within seconds, the black blade was flickering with purple light. A small thunder clapping sound can be heard from the blade. Seeing the scene in front of him, the leader got completely dumbstruck. He widened his mouth in horror. "What the..?" He wasn''t able to complete his words. Because his eyes spotted a huge streak of purple energy dashing towards him. His expression became pale with fright. BOOM A defeaning sound resonated inside the room. When the lightning strike landed a hit on the bandit leader, he crashed into the wooden wall. Due to impact, the wooden wall broke into pieces and fell on his body. Then I wasted no time in ending his life. After collecting the decapitated head in my storage bracelet. I dragged his body to the outside. Next, I killed the other two unconcious bandits. After collecting their heads, I used the same methods to dispose of the corpses. It may seem unsightly, but it''s necessary for me to do this. Then I turned towards the wooden house. which is damaged right now. I wonder whether other bandits will notice something or not. After clearing my mind, I begin to search for the next target. Time flies in the blink of an eye. Two days later, I stayed quiet at night and continued to kill weaker bandit groups at day time. From time to time, I also noticed the appearance of bandit hunting warriors in the inner area. But I never came forward to greet them. At this point, it''s best to have less contact with strangers. Especially after the recent mission notice. It won''t be surprising for the bandit hunting teams to fight against each other so soon. It''s easier for them to loot each other items than to fight against strong bandit groups. For the past two days, I only came across three weaker teams. I had also encountered some Peak-Trainee bandits, but acted swiftly to hide away from them. The inner area of the insect forest is turning more and more dangerous as Peak-Trainee bandits are also coming out of their hideout. I figured it out. It must be due to the recent mission notice. The bandit boss perhaps decided to send out Peak-Trainee bandits in his command to send a strong message to others. I''m not confident enough to face off against Peak-Trainee bandits yet. To replenish my lightning essence, I cultivate at night using the lightning pearl. Without such a treasure, it''s impossible for me to use lightning to move against the enemy. Fighting against the cunning enemy head on is the last thing I want to do. After figuring out their means, I controlled my impulse to use the blood cultivation method. Only after turning the opponent half dead, I did use my body strength to smash the opponent to death. While this was going on, the city lord''s notice had spread like wildfire to various cities.The reporters and the streamers continue to show the events of the iron post city. On the second day after the release of the new mission notice, a new wave of warriors touched the land of Iron Post City. Everyone came to know about the staggering count difference between the bandits and the city warriors (aka bandit hunting warriors). And the City Lord Mansion never denied anyone from registering for a bandit hunting mission. At the same time, upon realising the seriousness of the new developments, Mateo Roth was ordered to call back the teams under his command. Before the new mission notice, the teams under his command had suffered enough from the hands of bandits. Since, the new wave of warriors is coming. He doesn''t want the teams under his command to suffer anymore. He also spoke with the other four leaders to end their cooperation. It''s not wise to stick to the reason for the black fist team''s annihilation. Because before them, there is other challenges. The other four leaders were also happy to end their cooperation. Even Morgan had a small smile on his face. Before, he wanted to discuss it with his team. But who would have thought his wish was granted by Mateo Roth? Except, Fire Sword Team. The four other teams venture into the inner area of the insect forest. Like Morgan, everyone had decided to kill as many bandit leaders as possible to get reward money. Only Mateo Roth remained indifferent after calling back the teams under his command. He shifted back to the luxurious hotel in Iron Post City. He also lost interest in his family tasks. Mateo decided it was best for him to return to his family after seeing the bandit boss and city lord begin to awaken.His family elders had told him to wait. But Mateo doesn''t know how long it will take for the situation to worsen. So instead of worrying about the outside turmoil, Mateo simply stayed inside his hotel room. He had numerous resources in his hands to cultivate quietly in the room. As their leader made his decision, Carla Gill and others in his team also chose to follow him. They too stopped caring about the outside disturbance. The Fire Sword Team''s inaction was quickly noticed by a few people. In particular, spies sent by the EastWood Company. The spies immediately sent the information back to the old man, Tucker Nelson. Apart from Mateo Roth, Tucker Nelson is the second person in the city who is pissed off by the recent developments. He had holed out his wallet to collect information from the City Lord Mansion. After spending so much money, he had failed to find clues about the Black Fist team''s destruction. On top of that, he had never expected the situation to worsen for the Fire Sword Team. The clashes that happened between bandits and Mateo Roth''s other teams totally caught him off guard. Chapter 357 Fighting Against The Peak Trainee Bandit (From MC''s Perspective) When I found out the Peak Trainee bandits were making their move the next day, I opted to flee to the borders. Where I previously encountered the plant monster. Certainly, these bandits will not allow others to move into their territory. Rather, they will move to the borders to eliminate the incoming City Warriors'' teams. I expect conflicts to erupt across the outside area in a few days. So there''s no need for me to stay in the inner area anymore. So far, I''ve already put my newfound strength to the test. My lightning skills were gradually developing. When it comes to physical strength, I can easily handle the Initial Trainee Warrior. My lightning skills were gradually improving. When it comes to physical strength, I can easily handle the Initial Trainee Warrior. I knew it wasn''t safe to stay in the inner area anymore after the last few events. The most surprising factor in the inner area is the abrupt appearance of insect bugs. You never know when they will emerge in your path. I continued my journey towards the border after clearing my mind. After an hour, I noticed a few red spots in my mind. Then I came to a standstill and studied the scene carefully. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG. The metallic sound echoes across the area. These lush green forests and dense bushes give me good cover from my enemies. I waited for the red dots to fade away. I can confirm that none of them were in good enough shape to fight. Half an hour later, the fight is over. There was no sound of clashing. With the exception of one bright red dot, they all turned gray. With that, I can confirm that, with the exception of one warrior, all of them were dead. He can seize the rest of their loot without hesitation right now. Looking at all of this made me smile a little. Unfortunately for him. I''m going to put a stop to his dream. Then I boldly emerged from the bushes and approached the warrior. But as I look at the person''s level, my pupil suddenly constricts. My smile had vanished from my face. I mumbled, "Peak Trainee Bandit." There were heaped up corpses all over the place as I saw the aftermath of the attack. Looking at their situation, I realized he had slain both city warriors and bandits. The scattered boulders on the ground are proof of this. Peak Trainee Warrior is difficult to eliminate. Furthermore, this bandit has an earth element. As a result, his defense will be excellent. It''s no surprise that others were crushed to death. SIGH ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? This is going to be a tough battle. My expression tightened as the bandit warrior approached. I realized at that instant that I had encountered one of those bandit maniacs that even kill and plunder their own team. Without further thought, I focused on the blood cultivation method. At the proper time, I''ll deploy the lightning technique as a sneak attack. Meanwhile, I must deal with him solely via my physical power. The bandit warrior, on the other hand, raised his brows in amazement. He mistook Zack for a member of the City Warriors. On one side of his face, he had a long scar. When the bandit looked at Zack, he revealed a cruel smile. He tightened his fist in rage, feeling that one rat had almost slipped through his grasp. Then a cruel glare appears in his eyes. He didn''t even consider why the other party had decided to appear now. Because there was little space between them, the bandit sprinted towards the opponent. When I recited the blood method, changes began to occur at the same time. My body seems to be filled with unidentified energy. I recognized it as the result of the mind''s red inked bone. When I saw the bandit approaching, I raised my fist to attack him. His eyes light up with surprise as he watches me raise my fist at him. However, it simply made matters worse. That guy is raging at me like a furious bull. He raised his fist in response to my threat. BOOM! Happened when our fists collided. A loud noise echoed throughout the region. I took a few steps backward as a result of the impact. But the bandit remained in the same spot like a statue. My hand is trembling as a result of the blow. "Damn, "I said. My fists felt like they had hit with unyielding rock. The bandit''s body is no laughing matter. I need to be more cautious. The bandit, on the other hand, was perplexed. He had no idea what had occurred. He seemed surprised at the last rat. "His comrades had not withstood my single punch. But who is this guy?" He thought to himself. Various ideas cross his mind. Bandits start to think more seriously. Was he truly terrified? In the previous attack, the bandit had used all of his strength. The fact that he escaped unhurt from his punch demonstrates that the enemy is not easy. Anger caused the bandit''s eyes to turn red. He had previously considered fleeing this location after killing and plundering everyone. However, someone has disrupted his plan. He couldn''t process it. The bandit decided to finish the opponent fast before anyone else arrived because of the commotion. It took me a few seconds to stabilize my hands at the same time. Even after using the blood power, I couldn''t see much of a change. This demonstrates that engaging the Peak Trainee Warrior in close combat is challenging at my level. As I already stated, I must devise an effective plan. I pull my black blade from the storage ring. I want to use the sword on him since my hand is trembling from the collision. I had an unexpected thought. I thought an explosive artifact might be useful at this time. I ran towards him using the lightning phantom technique while the bandit looked at me with a scrutinizing stare. My legs'' quick rush of purple energy astonished him. I took advantage of the situation and moved quickly towards him. The bandit, on the other hand, suspected something was wrong. He made the decision to deploy the earth element against the enemies. He no longer wants to make fists move against his opponent. The bandit noticed the opponent wielding a blade. As a result, he immediately directed the nearby earth elements to build armor around his body. A black sword slashed into the chest region as the earth armor wrapped around the body. "Clang," a clashing sound reverberates throughout the region. At the same time, I was deterred. I strengthened my grasp and attempted to insert the blade''s point deep into the opponent''s armor. But the bandit quickly realized what I was up to and leapt backward to make some room. I will become a suitable target for the opponent if I stop moving. I''m not going to let him utilize his earth element technique against me. I utilized the lightning phantom approach once more to get closer. I moved erratically rather than in a straight line. The bandit attempted to find me. I knew the earth element warrior''s weakness was speed. I took out the explosive artifact after reaching his blind area. I''ll activate this item when I move closer to him. At the same time, the robber placed several rocks on the ground to slow down the opponent. I jumped over all those boulders to get to him. I reached behind his back this time and placed several explosive artifacts around his feet. I appeared in front of him and made a horizontal cut before he realized it. Seeing that bandit exposes a cunning smile. He mistook the opponent''s next move for the previous one. The bandit is self-assured in his earth armor. As a result, he dismissed the sword attack. I laughed inside my heart when I saw the bandit''s smile. This sword motion is really a deception. A clanging sound could be heard across the region. This time, like the last, my black blade is greeted with fierce defense. I couldn''t even scratch the surface of the Peak Trainee''s armor. After such a setback, I retreated utilizing the lightning technique. "Ha... Ha... Ha..." exclaimed the bandit. "You can''t kill me because my armor is powerful," he said. But, once again, he was irritated. He was forced to employ his defensive maneuver. The bandit roared, his pulse pounding with hatred. He can''t wait for his opponent to exhaust his essence. He detects something odd about his opponent. The opponent is always moving at breakneck speed. However, the bandit believes that the purple light is not caused by the wind element. The bandit''s chest tightens unexpectedly. The purple streak flew at him before he could recognize it. When he realized this, he immediately reinforced the armor by pouring earth essence into it. Surprisingly, the purple streak had nothing to do with him. It landed right at his feet. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM Several loud roars reverberate throughout the region. The explosion of the purple streak set off nearby explosive artifacts. All of the explosive artifacts exploded one by one within seconds. Chapter 358 Four Strong Teams Decision When the aftermath was settled, I witnessed the deep pit in front of me. And the body of the bandit is nowhere to be seen. Then I quickly walked up to the deep pit to check. This time I placed numerous explosive artifacts without thinking. After reaching the deep pit, I saw the burnt body of the bandit. He is completely disfigured. There is no sign of vitality coming from his body. Seeing that, a small smile rose on my lips, I paid a small price to reap his life. It is satisfactory. I knew from the beginning that it was impossible to get a win from a straight fight. At my current level, without employing some means, it''s impossible to counter peak trainee bandits. Then I removed his head and put it inside my storage ring. I also placed all the loot inside my storage ring. I will look into it after finding some quiet place. After taking a look at the surroundings once again, I made my way towards the outer area. I didn''t follow the route used by bandits. I''m again making my way by clearing out all the vegetation again. If I follow the old route, it''s quite possible to encounter both city warriors and bandits. The last thing I want to do is to put myself into such a desperate situation. After clearing my mind, I continued to move forward slowly and steadily. Time flies in the blink of an eye. While I was resting on the branch of the tree. A few red dots appeared in my mind. I wasn''t surprised anymore. Because it''s normal to encounter people as I''m getting closer to the outer area. Instead of getting out to see, I decided to wait and watch the fun. The team of five is coming in my direction. Watching this, a small smile rose on my lips. They made my life easy by creating this narrow path. If I follow the route, I will soon reach the outer area. Next, I observed their strength. The warrior coming at the front has the strength of an initial trainee warrior, and the rest of the members were special trainee warriors. Soon this team came closer towards the path which I had cleared out to come here. Seeing that, the leader quickly becomes vigilant. He ordered the rest of the members to check out the surroundings. Seeing that, I chuckled. Normally, I wouldn''t greet city warriors in this insect forest. But these fellows literally saved a lot of time for me. It doesn''t hurt me to warn them about what''s coming next. Maybe it will save their lives. After making up my mind, I jumped from the branch and landed on the ground. My appearance startled him. He quickly asked, "Who are you?" I replied in a solemn tone, "I''m just a city warrior like you." The leader was taken back. Seeing that, I added further, "I advise your team to proceed with caution; your team''s strength is not enough to survive the harsh conditions of the inner area." The leader looked at me from top to bottom. I don''t know what he is thinking. But I''m confident that he didn''t buy my words. In particular, he had a knowing smile on his face. At this time, the rest of his team members also came back. Everyone looked at me with a strange gaze. Suddenly, the leader uttered something which completely stupefied me. "Hey, bandit. I heard you guys trick others by using cheap tactics like this. Do you think I will fall for your words?" The leader said, with a smile. When he uttered those words, the rest of the members drew their weapons to fight. I mumbled under my breath, "Fools." But at the same time, I understand his reasoning. I came from an inner-area without any team members. So, it''s normal for him to misunderstand me as a bandit. SIGH If I continue to say something, it will only make things worse. After gaining some clarity, I commented, "It''s up to you whether you believe it or not. I''m off now." After saying that, I walked towards the path that they had come from. The leader was taken back. He had expected something else. But the bandit went past them without alerting anyone. For a moment, he hesitated to make a move. At this time, one of the team members opened his mouth to say, "It''s impossible for someone to venture into the inner area alone except bandits. So don''t fall for his words." Hearing that, the leader suddenly realized something. He completely believed his team member''s words. Seeing the disappearing back of the bandit, he quickly shouted, "Wait." The leader was alarmed. He wants to take care of the bandit before he tips off others. On the other hand, when I heard the bandit''s shout, I immediately used the lightning phantom technique to disappear from the spot. When the leader came with his team, he found no one on the spot. "Damn, he is gone," the leader grumbled. Then he quickly decided to leave before the bandit arrived with others. At the same time, I observed the whole situation from a little distance. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. I went out to help them, but these guys mistook me for a bandit. Then I decided not to make the same mistake anymore. After gaining some clarity, I followed their path. These guys made a clear route to come here. Seeing that, a hint of appreciation rose in my heart. I also noticed none of them had any serious injuries. All of them seemed fine. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I uttered, "Lucky ba***rds!" ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I recalled what I had gone through to reach this place. It looks like they had not even come across any insect bugs. I can''t imagine their reaction when they encounter carnivore bugs. I can''t count how many city warriors and bandits have become food for these bugs. One good thing coming out of the inner area is escaping from these carnivore bugs. Now I only need to worry about those bandits. I continued to move towards the destination while keeping an eye on my surroundings. Time flies in a blink of an eye, My journey is going a little smoother than expected. But even after walking along this path, I didn''t come across any other team. I want to see which part of the outer area this path leads to. Even in the outer areas, there are some dangerous places similar to the inner areas. Before coming here, I simply avoided those places. Then, dispelling these thoughts, I continued to walk along this path. Alternatively, The four strong teams quickly got separated after entering the outer area. Each of them had the own path to follow. Like an experienced team, the four teams quickly avoided all the dangerous areas. Each team had their own customized map of these insect forests. Time flies in a blink of an eye, After experiencing their own fair share of battles, the four teams reached the border area. So far, none of the team has encountered Peak Trainee bandits. The first one to enter the inner area is the igneous earth team. Morgan Buck and his team members were lucky enough to escape from grievous injuries. His team members were completely fine compared to the other three teams. Before coming here, he had a tacit understanding with the other three leaders. Everyone wants to make money separately, especially Morgan. He didn''t let go of any opportunity to find the whereabouts of bandits. From the information he had gathered so far, The Peak Trainee bandits were coming out of their hideout. It will be a matter of time before his team encounters those Peak Trainee level bandits. Morgan''s expression couldn''t help but condense with this piece of information. He is not arrogant enough to fight against the Peak Trainee bandits. He made up his mind to flee whenever they came across such strong bandits. Furthermore, he came here to make money, not to lose his life. Soon, the igneous earth team came across their first wave of bandit warriors in the inner area. This simple bandit team, made of three Initial Trainees and two Special Trainee bandits, got completely crushed by the igneous earth team. The fight didn''t take more than a few hours to finish. After collecting their heads, the igneous earth team continued their journey. The same thing happened with the other three teams. They made their way through the insect forest easily. So far, none of them have encountered any setbacks. Alternatively, While this was going on, the city wall''s gate was swarmed up by the new wave of warriors. The city guards were finding themselves in quite a tough spot. The manpower is not enough to handle the crowd. It is taking a long time to verify the background of the warriors. There is no sign of a decreasing crowd. This situation is streamed and reported by various people. The remaining common folks residing in the city felt somewhat relief. For them, more warrior means more safety. Only with this kind of force, it is possible to eliminate all bandits. Chapter 359 New Situation Roth family, Elder Brody Roth is completely dumbfounded by the recent news. He didn''t like the events happening at Iron Post City. In particular, the news he is getting one after another about insects in the forest makes him perplexed. Earlier, as per the family head''s orders He tried to see what was happening out there. Unfortunately, he lost all means of contact with bandit boss Soren. If he wants to see him, he has no choice but to visit him in person. SIGH Elder Brody let out a deep sigh. He doesn''t want his Roth family to get dragged into this mess. After gaining some clarity, "Looks like I need to go to the insect forest," he muttered to himself. If the bandit boss''s identity is exposed to the public, then they will face serious repercussions. After seeing the city lord''s move, he feels it is more necessary to meet bandit boss Soren in person. Elder Brody decided to let the family head know about his decision. Then he will leave the family in a few days. Alternatively, City Lord Mansion-Iron Post City, The City Lord is yet to recover from his injuries. He has been monitoring the situation through his manager. Earlier, when he heard that the city was being deserted He didn''t know what to do. As a city lord, he can exercise a lot of power to solve the current situation, but due to some personal problems, he is unwilling to request any help from his superior. So, in order to stop the migration, he came up with a plan to attract nearby city warriors. He thought at least it could give him a few weeks'' time. But who thought that the current situation would worsen more than expected? He had no clue how Soren had managed to get so many Peak Trainee Warriors under his command. The numbers that he had heard from his manager were astonishing. It''s not anywhere lower than that of some small-scale organisations. Even in some medium-range forces, such numbers of peak trainee warriors are hard to see. But here is where Soren was able to gather so many warriors. For a moment, the atmosphere around his room turned pin-drop silent. He needs some time to think of a plan. He can''t let this atrocity continue. As a City Lord, he needs to do his job, otherwise he can''t even escape the punishment. He doesn''t want to end up behind bars after having such a stupendous career. BUZZ When he was contemplating, suddenly his communication watch lit up with a notification. Looking at the contact name, his expression became pale with fright. He knew if he attended the call, he was goner. His superior is calling him right now. Maybe the situation in the iron post city has already reached his ears. The city lord had thought his superior wouldn''t mind the situation of a mere Tier-8 city. But it looks like it''s not. As his communication watch continues to buzz, his expression becomes unsightly. Finally, the buzzing sound died down after 10 minutes. A small drop of sweat begins to drop from his forehead. The city lord took his handkerchief to wipe out the sweat. For a moment, his mind went blank. He now realised he had lost his time. Even if he tries to mend things now, it''s useless. His superior had already taken note of this city. "Getting my revenge is going to be difficult now," he muttered to himself. If he didn''t answer the phone call, it would be a matter of time before his superior sent his men to oversee the city. Should I attend the call or not? Either way, he is going to suffer. Then suddenly, he made up his mind to attend the call. He can''t delay it anymore. When the call was connected, he heard a deep voice, "Are you alive?" Hearing that, the City Lord''s heart skips a beat. He was very familiar with this voice. He hasn''t had the courage to say it in a long time. He replied, "Mr. Anderson, I''m recovering from an injury." There was sudden pause for a moment. Mr. Anderson asked, "How long will it take? You have been using this same excuse for so long. " There is a hint of mocking in his tone. The City Lord didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. But he knows he will have to face lots of trouble later if he lied to him now. "My foundation was hurt during the last fight. It will take a year to recover completely," he said. The City Lord''s mind is occupied with lots of thoughts. His superior is up to something. But he doesn''t know what it is. Then Mr. Anderson said something that finally shocked him to the core. "Someone will take care of that bandit for you. So you don''t need to exert yourself. All you have to do now is to govern the city properly, "Mr. Anderson commented. The City Lord had actually expected the worst to happen. But now he is hearing good news all of a sudden. He couldn''t help but ask, "Why?" "Ha.... Ha... Ha...", Anderson laughed heartily. The City Lord was dumbfounded. He couldn''t make any heads or tails out of this conversation. Earlier, he was even afraid to answer the phone after seeing his name. At the same time, Anderson stopped laughing and replied, "Count your luck, stars." That''s all I can say. " Then he suddenly thought of something. Recalling that, he added further, "And one more thing, be ready to handle the aftermath." Anderson didn''t close the information directly. He only spoke about what he had to do now. Then they talked about a few other things before ending the call. The City Lord directly collapsed onto the bed. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard now. The conversation itself feels surreal. He thought his career was going to be over. A small smile blossomed on his face. He feels some regret that he is not going to get revenge on his own hands. SIGH He somewhat understood why his superior let him go. It must be someone else who must have talked to him. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be this jubilant. Soren is an Elite Warrior. Even officials think twice before taking action against him. If not for his own personal reasons, he wouldn''t have volunteered to be the City Lord of Iron Post City. He doubts anyone else would have been ready for the post. For this sole reason, his superior, Anderson, didn''t poke into the internal affairs of Iron Post City for so long. Now that the situation has been solved somehow, He couldn''t help but feel a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulder. Like his superior had advised, he can now focus on governing the city. Alternatively, After ending the call with the City Lord, Mr. Anderson immediately dialled another esteemed person. The other esteemed person is none other than Mr. Jonathan. When the call was connected, Mr. Jonathan asked, "What happened?" Hearing that, Anderson let out a small laugh before replying, "Mr. Jonathan, you don''t have to worry." I spoke with the City Lord. He won''t interfere in the matters of the culprit Soren anymore. " Anderson is speaking with a very humble tone. His way of conversing has totally changed in comparison with the last conversation. A quick glint flashes in Mr. Jonathan''s eyes. He is extremely pleased with the news. Then they talked about other things before ending their call. Right now, Mr. Jonathan is secretly acting as guardian for Zack Lockwood. So far, he is extremely satisfied with Zack''s performance. Zack has now entered the outer area to kill other bandits. Mr. Jonathan recalled the past few days'' events. What impressed him the most about Zack?His knack for avoiding evil Mr. Jonathan doesn''t know how to describe it. But he feels it has a lot to do with Zack''s instincts. At the same time, Mr. Jonathan was also aware of the events happening at the iron post city. Apart from protecting Zack, Mr. Jonathan went to gather information from time to time. He knew the situation was starting to deteriorate. If this goes on, the city won''t be safe for the people. Not only for Zack, but also for the good of the people. Mr. Jonathan decided to help. He had already informed his master of the situation. and in response, his master had given the green signal. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? It will be a matter of time before the bandit boss, Soren, comes out. So Mr. Jonathan took his time contacting Anderson about this. Now that the trouble on the city lord''s side is solved, He can take action at any time he want. Then Mr. Jonathan set his eyes on Zack. He knew Zack is hell bent on gathering wealth. He has personally seen his method of looting. Recalling that he don''t know whether to laugh or cry about it. Shaking his head, he decided to contact Zack right now. Once Zack walked out of the insect forest, he will take action right away. Then suddenly Mr. Jonathan notices the new situation. Zack is going to involve in another fight now. Chapter 360 Morgan Bucks Bad Luck (From MC''s Perspective) Mr. Jonathan made up his mind to confront the bandit boss, Soren. Before doing that, he waited for Zack to finish his fight. Right now, Zack is fighting against the new team of bandits. Time Progresses, CLANG As time went on, Zack began to overwhelm others. Soon he eliminated the weakest link of them all. followed by the next strongest warriors. One by one, he begins to eliminate others, finally gaining victory by defeating the leader, a Mid-Trainee Warrior. When he finished collecting their heads and loot, he saw another figure appear in front of me. "Mr. Jonathan!" I exclaimed in surprise. I never expected him to appear in front of me all of a sudden. I saw him sizing me up from top to bottom. Mr. Jonathan said, "Zack, I''m totally impressed by your performance." In particular, your survival skills are top notch; I have updated the report about your improvement back to master. I''m sure he is very much pleased with you. " Finally, I let go of my hanging heart. Hearing his appreciation, it swept away all of my worries. I don''t need to be wary about my actions any more. But his next words completely stunned me. "Well, I want you to end your training session right now and go back to the Red Stone City," Mr. Jonathan stated in a solemn tone. On the other hand, I felt I heard something wrong. I blurted out words in confusion, "Come again," Hearing that, a small smile rose on Mr. Jonathan''s face. Then he said, without hiding anything, "Zack, I''m going to take action against the bandit boss. I have already got clearance for this. So this place won''t be safe anymore." He added, "I want you to leave the city. In this way, I can focus on dealing with the aftermath without worrying about you anymore. " It took me some time to digest his words. I knew there was going to be a clash between the bandit boss and the city lord. But I hadn''t expected such a day to come sooner. A hint of appreciation rose in my heart after hearing his words. I guess he didn''t plan it earlier. It''s because of me that he came to know about Iron Post City. Recalling the past events, my expression turned a bit solemn. Then I said, "Mr. Jonathan, I have to say, it''s very kind of you to lend your helping hands to others." Hearing that, Mr. Jonathan simply shakes his head in denial. Then he asked, "So, what''s your decision?" I looked at him before pondering for a moment. Summarizing my experience in this insect forest, it''s very gratifying. I used a very calculative approach to deal with danger. Thanks to perception, which has saved my life a number of times. Right now, under Peak Trainee Warrior, I can beat everyone. When it comes to Peak Trainee Warrior, it''s impossible for me to contend against them at my current level. After calculating all those things, I made my decision. Unless I get an immediate breakthrough, my experience won''t change that much. So it''s better to listen to him and leave this place now. Later, I''ll ask him about monster zones for further training. Then, looking at Mr. Jonathan, I replied, "Well, I''m ready to leave this place now." Mr. Jonathan nodded and said, "You''ve got plenty of time on your hands. As long as you get a breakthrough before the competition, it''s fine. So, don''t rush yourself now. " In response, I simply nodded. Next Second, WHIZZZ I felt my head spinning for a moment. Due to dizziness, I lost track of time and direction. A few minutes later, my feet landed on the ground near the exit of the insect forest. It took me some seconds to stabilise my body. Then I looked around to find Mr. Jonathan. But he is nowhere to be seen. I realised he must have gone after dropping me. "What a terrible flight ability!" A gleam flashes in my eyes. This shows just a fraction of his terrible power. Earlier, I was somewhat worried about the situation. In particular, the bandit boss is a person who had previously injured the city lord. But after knowing the means of Mr. Jonathan, my worries were swept away. So it will be a matter of time before the good news reaches everyone. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. Best I need to collect the rewards before leaving the city. "The City Lord Mansion, here I come," I muttered to myself. Then my eyes focused on the narrow path that leads to the exit. Without further ado, I walked down the path. Alternatively, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG. "Damn it!" "How come there are so many trainee warriors in this little area?" Morgan Buck screamed out loud. After coming across the first wave of the bandits, the igneous earth team effortlessly gained their victory. Yet they soon came across another team of bandits. After a long and fierce fight, the igneous earth team emerged victorious. But as time goes on, they begin to encounter the bandit teams very frequently. It was at this moment that the leader, Morgan Buck, felt something was wrong. He knew the health condition of his team. The injuries begin to worsen due to the continuous fight. Even for small injuries, it takes some time to recover. Morgan made a hasty decision to enter the inner area now that he was aware.It feels good as long as they win. But it can''t be the same in the future. Who knows? If his team comes across two bandit groups at the same time, It will be horrifying. After understanding the seriousness of this situation, Morgan made the decision to retreat. Soon, the igneous earth team retreated back to the safe place. After finding some sort of resting spot, they all begin to recuperate. Morgan Buck tried to contact his friend Caleb. In the inner areas, it''s difficult to establish good connections. After trying it out many times, Morgan gave up and chose to hatch his plan. He decided to keep an eye on things from the outskirts. It will give them ample time to prepare for the next fight. BUZZ When everyone was recuperating under the shade tree, the sudden buzzing sound alarmed everyone. When Morgan got up from the ground, he had a bad premonition about this. Even if it''s a normal poisonous bug, in their situation it could become even more deadly. They have yet to recover from their injuries. Injection of slight venom at this point may lead to their death. Then Morgan quickly thought of something. He takes out the bug repellent power from his storage ring. He hoped that whatever was coming would be repelled by this powder. Morgan then begins to spread bug repellent power around them. While they were doing it, the buzzing sound continued to increase. Morgan knew it would be a matter of time before the swarm of bugs reached here. His teammates'' expressions become pale with fright. Soon the dark black clouds will fly above them. Morgan''s pupil constricts before his expression turns into complete horror. "Carnivore bugs," his team members exclaimed in horror. For a moment, Morgan''s mind went blank. He had heard about the bugs. But this is the first time he has come across such a deadly bug. The black clouds didn''t go past them. Instead, the clouds came to a complete halt. Seeing that, Morgan began to lose strength in his leg. His senses screamed at him to run away from this place as soon as possible. Morgan knew he couldn''t waste time any more. So he used the last ounce of his strength to scream at his team members, "Quickly, follow me!" His teammates broke up from fear and immediately chose to run behind him. At the same time, watch the movements of prey. The black clouds are beginning to act. The swarm of carnivore bugs quickly arrived at the first warrior at a breakneck speed. The warrior was immediately swallowed by the sea of carnivore bugs. This scene caused terror to other ignoble team members. They quickly increase their speed to escape. None of them want to look back at the situation of fallen team members. Other team members who knew enough about carnivore bugs knew their teammates had no chance of survival. Morgan Buck is quickly dashing towards the narrow path. He is literally fleeing for his life. which he almost forgot that his teammates were behind him. In the blink of an eye, the first warrior was reduced to bones. The black clouds of bugs quickly chase after the next target. AAAHHHH An agonising scream resonated throughout the area. His scream sent chills down everyone''s spine. Morgan Buck cursed at his bad luck. First it was a continuous wave of bandits. Now, it''s clouds of carnivorous bugs. At this moment, his eyes caught on a safe spot. In Front of him, there is a shade tree, which has a wide hollow space in its trunk. Seeing that, Morgan''s eyes gleamed with surprise. "Finally, there is some hope," he mumbled under his breath. Then, without thinking further, he quickly dashed toward the tree. After arriving at the tree, he hid in the hollowed space to escape from the swarm of carnivore bugs. Chapter 361 Meeting Remington Talley Again Insect Forest, The swarm of carnivore bugs continuously attacked the remaining members of the Igneous Earth team. Half an hour later, there were nothing but bones left on the ground. Morgan Buck watched everything carefully. He couldn''t explain the horror that he felt inside. His long-lasting friends have now become food for carnivore bugs. More than angry, he feels scared right now. He is not dumb enough to charge towards this swarm of bugs. Even hiding inside this hole, he doesn''t feel safe. His mind is still working to come up with some sort of solution. Next, the swarm of bugs turned towards him. Morgan Buck''s pupils constrict. He knew these bugs were aware of his scent. All three sides were protected by tree trunks. He only needs to cover up the hole to avoid the monster. He remembered his good friend Caleb had given him a silver shield previously. It''s a medium-ranged defense artifact. Morgan feels the size of the artifact is enough to cover up the hole. Right now, the swarm of bugs has started to move towards the tree. They are just following the scent of humans. Seeing that, Morgan brought the silver shield in front of him and held it above his head. Coincidentally, the oval-shaped shield is wide enough to cover the trunk hole. Morgan breathed in relief, but he still felt it was not enough. With his other hand, he takes out the bottle from the pocket. After removing the cork, he poured the insect repellent powder on himself. Best This method previously failed, but he remains hopeful that the stench will deter the bugs. On the other hand, the carnivore bugs came to the large shade tree by following the scent. The clouds of carnivore bugs are divided into small groups. Some flew around the large tree, while a few flew towards the trunk region. Morgan Buck didn''t make any movements. He firmly held the shield. So, there is no light inside the dark space. He didn''t know what was happening outside. As the seconds go by, his heart starts to beat faster. Like a ticking clock, he can hear his heartbeat clearly. He laughed self-deprecatingly in his heart. His greed blinded his intelligence. Now, there is no remorse for medicine. Everything now is based on the actions of insects like bugs. Time went on. The carnivore bugs finally gave up looking for the missing prey. Then a small group of bugs immediately gathered to form the previous cloud of carnivore bugs. BUZZ When all the bugs join together to form, a cloud-shaped pattern, their flapping wings begin to reverberate throughout the surroundings. Hearing that, Morgan almost scared shit inside the trunk hole. The buzzing sound was so loud that he felt the bugs were waiting outside. His palm starts to tremble. Fortunately, he was able to hold on. He didn''t let go of his grip. The cloud of carnivore bugs then immediately flew in the east direction. Time went on. Morgan remains hidden in the trunk hole for another half hour. Finally, Morgan felt assured that there was no more buzzing sound. It''s been more than half an hour since he heard that sound. Now he can put away the silver shield with confidence. His eyes begin to look out for the surroundings after placing the shield back in the storage bracelet. After five minutes of hesitation, he walked out of the hall. THUP Morgan completely collapsed into the ground because of tiredness. His mental energy is almost drained. He needs some time to get back into normal shape. Now he is breathing in relief. Then, unknowingly, he falls asleep under the tree. For the past several hours, the igneous earth team has been dealing with a continuous fight. Now the team is wiped out, leaving Morgan behind. With that, Morgan''s mental strength crumbles down. At this point, only good sleep can make him recover. ... (From MC''s perspective) Following the narrow path, I''m quickly able to walk out of the forest. After finding the outside plain area, I knew this was one of the entrances and exits to this insect forest. Then I walked along the plain area, which then led to another sand road, which connects the wall of the iron post city. On the way, I encountered many warriors, covering up their entire bodies with protective gear. I couldn''t help but wait and watch until the group entered the forest. Seeing that, a small smile rose on my face. It doesn''t matter what type and grade of protective gear it is. It''s impossible to escape from those tiny bugs. As long as there is a small gap in your protective gear, it will give those bugs a chance to attack you. One thing is certain now: there is a lack of intelligence about the inner forest. I believe my information will sell like hot cakes. I can make extra money out of this. While placing my fingers on my chin, I began to contemplate. A certain person''s image flashed before my eyes. I grunted, "Remington Talley." "What is he doing right now?" I muttered to myself. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. My idea seems to be a good one. I need to have a good talk with him. So, we can both make a lot of money with intelligence. After gaining some clarity, I continued to walk along the road. Ten minutes later, After walking past incoming bandit hunting warriors, I spotted a few resting tents ahead of me. From looking at them, I knew these were private tents of the teams. Without minding them, I continued to walk along. Soon, I caught a glimpse of a large tent. Seeing that, my lips curved into an arc. Spotting that tent means I''m closer to the city wall now. This is the same tent where I met Remington Talley for the first time. Then I thought about checking out his little beverage shop before continuing my journey. After the wide spread of the new notice, I believe he is back to his little shop. Compared to my first visit, there were many warriors this time. Coming in and going out of the camping site. Then I increased my speed to reach the place. After reaching the tent, I quickly moved ahead to find the little beverage shop. When I followed the old route, I quickly spotted a little beverage shop. There were a few customers standing in front of the counter. Seeing that, I smiled and walked towards the shop. When I got closer, I found someone else behind the counter. A disappointment rose in my heart. I realized that Remington may not be here. Shaking my head, I turned back to walk towards the exit. "Mr. Zack!" Suddenly, I heard a loud voice from behind. Hearing that, I turned back to see the person. Seeing that he was none other than Remington Talley himself, I sighed in relief. On the other hand, Remington Talley let out hearty laughter, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." Then he said, "Mr. Zack, I thought you went back to your home already." After saying that, Remington didn''t give Zack any chance to reply. He gently dragged him towards his tent, located at the back of the shop. No one noticed their little conversation. "This guy," I uttered while following him towards his little tent. I remembered him talking about a bandit hunting team last time we were here. Both of them sat in chairs after stepping inside the tent. For a moment, both of us looked into each other''s eyes. I realized that, looking at his bright mood, Remington is doing fine. On the other hand, Remington was obviously happy to meet Zack again. But he doesn''t know where to begin the conversation. He remembered Zack being interested in insect forests at the time. He didn''t know what happened then. It''s been several weeks since their last meeting. "Cough" "Cough" Remington coughed twice to break the silence. Then he asked, "Mr. Zack, What did you do after our last conversation? " Hearing that, I smiled. I''m not going to reveal the entire truth. So, I replied, "I''m doing some rounds in the outer area." Remington Talley wasn''t surprised by the answer. Upon seeing Zack, he obviously guessed this much. But he didn''t know which team he had joined. Previously, he had recommended many teams to Zack, so he asked, "What about your team?" Hearing that, my lips curved into an arc again. Then, looking into his eyes, I uttered, "Solo." "What! Are you joking right now? " Remington Talley exclaimed in surprise. A series of changes have taken place since their last meeting. He couldn''t believe Zack was venturing out solo this whole time. He didn''t think about the inner area. For him, that place is taboo. Looking for bandits in the outer area is a big thing in itself. So, it took him some seconds to digest the answer. At the same time, looking at the shocked expression of Remington, I felt my answer was too much for him to handle. I added, "What are you so shocked about? I have been there only twice. So far, I have encountered only two special trainee bandits. " Hearing that, Remington sighed in relief. He really has imagined something else now. Then, looking at Zack, he reveals an embarrassing smile on his face. Chapter 362 Back To Hotel Room (From MC''s Perspective) "You are safe, and that''s enough for me," Remington said with a smile. He forgot about the previous embarrassing moment and asked about something else. "Mr. Zack, I guess that you are aware of recent happenings inside the city." So what are your plans now? " "Are you going to continue with the same flow?" Remington inquired. The current circumstances are totally different from a few weeks ago. So Reminginton knows that even if someone tries to fish in muddy water, then it would be the end of him. Everyone is aiming for the bandit leader''s head. Recalling the reward money, Reminton sighed. On the other hand, I looked into his eyes. I''m wondering how to bring up the topic of inner areas. I don''t know whether he will believe my intel or not. After pondering for a moment, I replied, "I''m going to quit." Mr. Remington wasn''t surprised; he revealed a knowing smile on his face. This is what all sane warriors would do. So he had expected this answer from Zack. "Cough, you made the right decision." In the forest, only Mid and Peak Trainee Warriors can survive."There is no place for ordinary warriors like us," Remington said with a sigh. I twitched. He really thinks I''m a loser. But I didn''t take it to heart. Using this opportunity, I commented, "Yeah, before going back to my home. I want to make some money. " Remington''s eyes gleamed with surprise. He looked at Zack for a moment. Right now, the adventurer can make money only by collecting the heads of bandits. And just now, Zack has admitted that he didn''t come across that many warriors. So how is he going to make money? As the question rose in his heart, he immediately asked, "How?" Hearing that, a small smile rose on my face. Then I said, "I spent quite some time collecting intel inside the forest. I even overheard the conversation of some strong teams. " Remington was bewildered, and a look of understanding dawned upon him. He was surprised to see Zack take the same hobby as him. Collecting intelligence is not a simple thing. More than strength, you need patience. Only in that way, can you collect intel without alerting others. But he is still quite sceptical about Zack''s intelligence report. So in order to verify, he asked, "Can you tell me some information?" So that I can know whether your claim is true or not. " I nodded and revealed some information about the top teams. Hearing that, Reminginton remained silent for a moment. But his eyes literally lit up with surprise. "As far as he knew, the four teams were in the outer area. I never knew they would move to the inner area this soon,"he said. Then, after recalling something, he added further, "If your information is true, then it will fetch good money." I smiled. I knew it because I obviously overheard the conversations from bandits in the inner area. Someone had already tipped off the inner area bandits while four teams were moving inside the outer area. I breathed in relief. Fortunately, he didn''t suspect me. It was normal to overhear the conversation of others if they had stayed near that person or group. Since he is convinced now. Little by little, I will reveal some information. After gaining some clarity, I asked, "So how do I sell the information?" Hearing that, Remington reveals a mysterious smile. There is only one place in this city that stands tall even after all this turmoil. It is the main place for buying and selling information. "EastWood Company," Remington uttered. Hearing that, I raised my eyebrows. I recalled our last meeting was about the EastWood Company. And it is very shocking to hear that the company is still operating under this chaos. Which means the people behind that company have some background. And I also believe this company is credible. On the other hand, Remington looked at Zack and asked, "Are you fine with EastWood Company?" Or do you want me to look for some other organisations?" I retracted my thoughts after hearing his words. I''m quite intrigued by this Eastwood company. Last time, I wasn''t interested in meeting them. Let''s use this opportunity to see their methods. I looked into Remington''s eyes and answered, "I''m fine with Eastwood company." Let''s visit them as soon as possible. " Remington smiled and said, "Okay then, I''ll call you tomorrow." I nodded. Then we talked about a few more things before I exited the tent. After bidding goodbye to him, I walked along the narrow road. Time went on. 10 minutes later, I spotted the huge city wall from a distance. This time, I noticed that the previously empty road was now clogged with people.It will take some time to reach the gate. Soon, I stopped behind the long queue. As usual, the city lord''s mansion didn''t solve the problem of manpower shortage. It will now take another 10 minutes for screening. Having no other choice, I chose to wait. Time went on. Soon, one by one, the queue will begin to decrease. Finally, it was my turn. I walked up to the city guard and showed my ID. After scanning my ID, the city guard let me inside. Then I stroll towards the air-car platform. I halted my steps after feeling the fresh air of the city. Unlike the previous gloomy atmosphere, the city is now completely different. I can see many of the shops that were previously closed are now being opened. There is also a new wave of warriors. Many of them roam the city as a group. It gives me a strange feeling. These people come into the city, like it''s some sort of tourist attraction. They don''t realise what dangers await them back in the insect forest. Everyone will come to know the true horror when reality hits their face. Then, retracting my gaze from them, I proceeded to walk towards the air car platform. A small smile rose on my face as I saw a familiar driver. After recognising him, I immediately walked towards the driver, said, "Hi, there" The middle-aged person''s eyes lit up with surprise as he looked at me. ? "Mr. Zack, how have you been?" He immediately asked. Before addressing him, I let out a small laugh. "I''m doing fine," I said. After patting his shoulder, I hopped into the air car. The driver smiled back and didn''t say anything. He sat in the driver''s seat and started the car. Seeing that, I told him my destination. It''s the same old hotel. I hope they didn''t shut it down. WHIZZ The air car rose from the platform and flew towards the destination. Through the window, I observed the areas of the city. The old deserted streets are now filled with people. Apart from a few abandoned streets, most of the places have now returned to normal. This is really surprising. A few weeks ago, half of the city was deserted. Now it''s bursting with people. Such a scene brought a bright sense of relief to my heart. Even though the City Lord is not acting up, at least these residences didn''t give up on this city. The image of Mr. Jonathan flashes before my eyes. "I hope he puts an end to this problem," I muttered to myself. After fleeing past other air vehicles, the air car finally reaches the destination a few minutes later. My eyes immediately focused on the hotel. Seeing the familiar receptionist at the front office I smiled in relief. This hotel is one of the few least expensive hotels in the city. When the air car landed on the platform, I stepped out of it. After paying the amount, I talked with the driver for a few minutes. I asked him about the recent events that have happened inside the city. Especially given the upheaval that followed the mission announcement.I didn''t entirely believe him. Most of his words were just hearsay. Seeing that another customer had walked in, I bid goodbye to the driver before walking back to the hotel. In a few breaths, I reached the front office. After an inquiry about the hotel rooms, I booked the cheapest room for two days. I don''t know when Mr. Jonathan will come back. So I booked for one extra day. If he comes back in time, then we will return to the red stone city together. After getting the key from the receptionist, I took the lift to reach my room. It''s been several weeks since I felt safe. From the beginning of the mission to now, I didn''t let down my guard. even though I knew Mr. Jonathan was guarding me in secret. I believe it will take some time for me to get back to normal. The first thing I did after entering my room was lie down on my bed. The whole comforting feeling washed over me. It made me let down my guard completely. I don''t know what happened. But I fell asleep the next moment. Best Time went on. I don''t know how long it has been. I slowly opened my eyes. Chapter 363 Alert (From MC''s Perspective) I looked at the dark night through the window. Then I got up from bed and went to take a bath. It''s been a long time since I had a proper bath. If anyone neared me at this point, he would have died from smelling the foul scent of me. Time went by. After taking a long cold shower, I walked out of the bath. Then I changed to casual clothing. "Phew!" I collapsed onto the sofa after that. I stretch my hands and legs in relaxation. Then I operated the sci-fi watch to look into the recent news. Numerous headlines popped up on the screen. I specially search the topics in looking for Iron Post City. When I searched for Iron Post City, Many articles came up front. Seeing that, I clicked on the headline to read. As the time passes, I read articles one by one. The majority of the articles described the current state of Iron Post City. When I learnt about the recent developments in the city, a small smile rose on my face. I was really worried that the entire city would be deserted. But City Lord''s unexpected move obviously brought some positive change. Then I try to find information about the insect forest. Next, another headline came up front. It''s a topic about the bandits who hunted warriors. I clicked it to read the topic because it piqued my interest. A few minutes later, my expression turned ugly. I don''t know who wrote this. But this article is critical of the incompetence of bandit hunting warriors. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. I thought someone wrote this article about the influx of a new wave of bandit hunting warriors. But, "sigh," I said. I can understand the reality. So I''m not going to curse the writer. The bandits were too strong, and they were quite large in number. Unless the authorities take serious action. It''s impossible to erase this scourge. Since Mr. Jonathan is here, I believe the headlines will change in a few days. Then I spent a little more time reading the articles. After knowing about the recent events, I decided to check on my family. I phoned Uncle James. As the call connected, I heard a deep voice. "Zack, have you returned from the insect forest?" Mr. James inquired in a surprised tone. Hearing that, a small smile rose on my face. I answered, "I just came back today." Then, I''ll be leaving the city two days later. Hearing that, Mr. James sighed in relief. He was fed up with the grim news coming out of the city. It''s high time for Zack to return home safely. Now that he heard Zack''s voice, Mr. James let go of his hanging heart. On the other hand, I inquired about Granny. Then we talked about a few other things before ending the call. My uncle knew I was obviously tired, so he didn''t continue the conversation. After ending the call, I began to contemplate. Now, I need to think about my next course of action properly. Shall I go back to Hansen Campus? Or inquire about other monster zones. The Monster Zones are pretty much safe compared to the insect forest. Images of the Black Forest flash before my eyes. Last time, I gained a long-lasting memory from that black forest excursion. Level-4 Mutated Worm Monster, uh? I muttered. But I knew from Uncle James''s that authorities had successfully cleansed the site. And the scourge of mutated monsters has vanished. Yet I have a feeling that Uncle James might not agree to my request. He might say it''s too dangerous to visit. Unless I request specific help from someone, I muttered, "Elder Thornton," My lips curved into a small arc as I thought about him. I wonder what the old man is doing right now? He is probably pissed off that I have stopped contacting him. But I have a feeling that he will agree to my request this time. Maybe I should talk to him about the monster zones. A slight glint flashes in my eyes. Then, retracting my thoughts, I decided to cultivate lightning scripture. I activated a small isolation artefact before placing it on the ground. Then I sat crosslegged on the ground and took out the lightning pearl from the storage ring. An invisible barrier was erected around me. It will prevent others from prying into my details. Then I looked at the lightning pearl. It is the same as ever, glisstering with a purple hue. There is a lot more pure lightning essence in it. Seeing that the barrier was erected, I started to cultivate. I placed my hands on it and began to recite the lightning scripture. The purple rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I begin to absorb the purple essence through my palm. The lightning energy began to circulate inside my body according to scripture, then finally gathered inside my dantian. Time passes, Slowly, more and more essence settled down inside my dantian. Then the next course of action takes place. The majestic lightning totem inside my dantian begins to act. The purple essence from the lightning pearl is already so much more. I wonder what the lightning totem is up to now. I began to carefully observe the changes through my senses. WHIZZ The lightning totem covers the entire essence. Slowly, the changes started to take place. Under the influence of the lightning totem, a milky white hue begins to come out of the gathered essence. Time passes, I will continue to cultivate. As the process continues, my lightning essence slowly starts to replenish. When half of the lightning essence filled up my reserve, I stopped cultivating and opened my eyes. Since I''m not going to fight anyone, Half of the lightning essence is enough for me. Besides, it already took me several hours for me to replenish the reserve. I got up from the ground. Suddenly, I felt a grumbling sound from the stomach. I realized I had forgotten to eat the food. I proceed to order food because I am hungry. Time passes, Soon the food was brought by the hotel server. When he left the room, I began to consume the food slowly. Later, I collapsed into my bed. The following day, I woke up pretty early for the meeting. Then I meditated for a few hours. After getting ready, I phoned Mr. Remington Talley. After knowing the location, I walked down to the lobby area. Instead of eating breakfast here, I decided to eat my food at the old restaurant. After stepping outside, I strolled towards the hotel. It''s a walking distance from here. Mr. Remington told me that he was going to wait for me at that restaurant. After walking past a few more streets, I reached the restaurant. From a distance, I saw Mr. Remington waving his hands at me. Seeing that, I quickened my pace and walked up to him. "Why don''t you use an air car for travel?" Mr. Remington asked. Shaking my head, I answered, "There is no need to waste money; the restaurant is a walkable distance from the hotel." On hearing that, Mr. Remington smiled but didn''t say anything. Then we proceed to enter the restaurant. After stepping inside, we found a suitable spot to sit. Then the waiter came hurriedly. After taking a look at the menu, both of us ordered a steak to eat. Remington is just like me. He didn''t mind eating steaks for breakfast. I realised Mr. Remington is very smart. He did not bring up the Eastwood company here. Because walls have ears. This seemingly small restaurant may have spies from an organisation. Some people came here just to simply listen to people''s conversations. While we were conversing, the waiter brought up the food. The waiter just removed the lid. Next, the aroma attacked my nostrils. Next, we had tacit understanding. Instead of talking, we began to enjoy the food. Best The taste alone makes us forget about the bad memories. Then, after consuming the food, we left the restaurant. Next, we are going to meet the big man behind the East Wood Company. I don''t know what will happen. But I''m sure the information in my hands will sell like hot cakes. Suddenly, an idea came to my mind. I don''t know what''s happening with Crimson Hall. At this point in time, I believe the information must have spread to the other organisations. I can''t wait to reach Hansen campus and talk to Mr. Arthur about it. Also, East Wood Company is an intelligence company, so maybe they knew something about Crimson Hall. Perhaps I should use this opportunity to collect information about the Crimson Hall. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. Crimson Hall, uh? Last time they ordered their members to collect information about me, Even one of them tried to kill me. I doubt they''d gone back to their old ways.I''m sure they are looking for my whereabouts out there. I should not carelessly reveal my information to others. If they knew my real identity, it may have caused a lot of problems later. From now on, I should be more careful. Chapter 364 Joke? (From MC''s Perspective) Soon both of us reached the area of East Wood Company. In a few breaths, we arrived in front of the front gate. Seeing such a beautiful structure, I paused for a moment. I thought the intelligence selling company would look like an old run down building. But here they are doing their business openly in broad daylight. I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. Seeing my bewilderment, Remington Talley chuckled and led me towards the building. On the way, Remington thought about something and said in a solemn tone, "Don''t ask any unnecessary questions." On hearing, I raised my eyebrows slightly. I don''t know why he said that, but I nodded at him. Getting my affirmation, Remington Talley didn''t say anything, and we quietly approached the lift to reach the 4th floor. My face revealed a puzzled expression.At that moment, I hear a voice beside me. "East Wood Company also buys and sells artifacts," Remington Talley said. Hearing that, I nodded. It is no wonder they have built such an exclusive building. And I had really misunderstood earlier. Soon, we reached the 4th floor. When we walked out of the lift, I spotted a burly-looking middleaged man right in front of us. His sudden appearance caught me off guard. I immediately stepped back in a defensive position. Remington Talley hurriedly said, "This is a place where information can be sold and bought. And this person is responsible for guarding the floor. " Hearing that, I breathed in relief. Their methods were totally different from what I had imagined. Don''t these intelligence companies usually follow some sort of secrecy? On the other hand, the burly middle-aged man immediately walked back to inform his superior. I saw Remington was quietly waiting for him to come back. Then I decided to wait as well. Soon the burly middle-aged man came back and informed us that we could enter the room. Remington Talley turned towards me and said, "Let''s go." Hearing that, I followed along. "Creak," the door opens. As we stepped inside, I found two people sitting behind the desk side by side in front of us. One is a 60-year old man and the other one is a young man like me. On the other hand, Tucker Nelson was surprised by Remington''s sudden visit. Suddenly, he stared at the young man beside him. He couldn''t think of anyone related to Remington Talley. Then he smiled and said, "Reminginton, come on, take your seat and you too, young man." Besides, Lewis Nelson sat silently. He watched both of them with some what curiosity. He doesn''t know the purpose of their visit. At the same time, Remington Talley let out a small laugh, "Ha...Ha...Ha." "Mr. Nelson, how have you been?" He asked. Seeing Mr. Remington is starting a conversation. I quietly followed him along and sat beside him. Then I found the young man staring at me with curiosity. On the other hand, Old Man Nelson reveals a bitter smile and says, "Well, I''m doing fine. So what information do you want?" Hearing that, Mr. Remington suddenly turned towards me before saying, "Cough." "Mr. Nelson, we came here to sell information." "We?" Old Man Nelson raised his eyebrows in surprise. I found his gaze on me. SIGH I thought it would be better for me to start the conversation. "Hi, Mr. Nelson. My name is Zack, and I''m one of the City Warriors, "I said." Then I added further by saying, "During the mission in the insect forest, I have gathered some information and I would like to sell it." "Hmmm," the old man Nelson, taken by the young man''s words. At this time, Remington added, "This young man is a friend of mine. And his words were quite credible. That''s why I brought him here. " "Oh," Old Man Nelson said. Beside his grandson, Lewis suddenly asked, "Which team are you from?" My heart skipped a beat, but I calmly answered, " I don''t belong to any team. I just wandered around the broader of the outer areas. " "Harumph!" Lewis snorted in disdain. He didn''t believe the words coming out of the young man''s mouth. In particular, the young man who appeared to be the same age as him. Lewis would have believed if the person had some background, like the backing of some strong team. But on hearing that he had ventured solo, Lewis doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. On the other hand, Old Man''s face turned ugly. He too had the same thought as his grandson. This young man''s words were too hard to believe. Looking at the young man, he didn''t know what to say. He immediately glared at Remington Talley for an answer. Seeing the unbelievable look of old man Nelsom, Remington let out a bitter laugh, "Ha...Ha..Ha." Then he said, "I knew you guys wouldn''t believe that easily. But trust me, the information is much more valuable than you think." Seeing that Mr. Remington came to my rescue, I sighed in relief. Looking at the expressions of these people, I felt they were really too much. At least they should have listened to my words. SIGH Old Man Nelson decided to give himself up to Remington. At the same time, he finds the young man quite interesting. He wants to hear what he wants to say. Then, looking at the young man named Zack, he asked, "Young man, tell me what you want to share." On the other hand, Remington had already predicted what would happen when they heard information about the insect forest. At the same time, I began to gradually explain the insect forest. I omitted the some crucial information from my explanation. I only knew bits and pieces of the insect forest, including some places where bandits used to take rest. When I started to explain, I found the faces of everyone slowly starting to change. But without minding them, I continued to share the information. Soon, when I completed my words, I heard a loud laugh from the young man in front of me, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." Lewis Nelson couldn''t take it any longer.He let out a hearty laugh. He looked at Zack with a strange gaze. An unknown warrior who wandered around the outer area is now sharing information about the inner part of the insect forest. What nerve has he got? He really thinks everyone is a fool here. In particular, it''s too hard to believe that this information is gathered by overhearing others'' conversations. Lewis shakes his head in disapproval and looks at his grandfather. Old Man Nelson''s face turned ugly. His early expectations were completely swept away. He looked at Zack with a threatening glare. because he found Zack''s words really baseless. There is no supporting evidence to back up his claim. Especially since Zack himself said earlier that he was in the outer area, then how did he know about the inner area? Just by overhearing? Then he immediately shifted his attention towards Reminginton Talley. While gnashing his teeth in anger, he looked at Remington with a blaring gaze. "Remington, Before I throw you out. It''s best for you to leave with this person right now," Old Man Nelson said in anger. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Hearing that, Reminginton Talley gulped his saliva. He really doesn''t know what''s going on. Because Zack had shared a simple version of information with him. But here he had elaborated on something which he wasn''t aware of. To be honest, he too felt some of the information shared by Zack was hard to believe. Especially, the information about the insect bugs found in the inner area, it''s unbelievable. Even the strongest team thinks twice before entering the inner area. But Zack is describing the information as if he had personally gone there. He found that old man Nelson was still glaring at him. Before he gets pissed off completely, it''s best to leave from here. He then turned towards Zack and said, "Let''s leave." At the same time, after seeing the reaction of these people, My heart is boiling in rage. I had really thought I could make some money by selling the information. But it looks like it won''t be possible. I felt bitter inside. Next, I hear the sound of small laughter. I looked at the young man in front of me with a cold gaze. This young man had some facial features like the old man. I bet this person might be his grandson. On the other hand, Lewis Nelson shuddered at feeling the cold gaze of Zack. The next moment, he felt goosebumps all over his body. "What is going on?" He thought to himself. Then he looked at Zack with a completely different gaze. "Zack?" Remington Talley called out my name. Hearing that, I retracted my thoughts and nodded at Remington. Then both of us left the cabin. On the way, I found Mr. Remington had something to talk about. But he didn''t talk straight away. I waited for us to leave this building. After waking out of the lift, we strolled towards the exit. In a few breaths, we exited the building. I found Remington looking at me with a complicated gaze. Seeing that, I sighed inside. It looked like he too didn''t believe me. But I feel if I had told my real identity, this wouldn''t have been the case. Now that my plan has ended in failure, I don''t want to waste time anymore by explaining to Remington. Chapter 365 Surprise! (From MC''s Perspective) I noticed Remington wanted to say something. But before he could say that, I politely said, "I''m not feeling well right now. So I''m going back to my hotel room. " After saying that, I hopped into a nearby air car for travel. Seeing the air car take off, Remington let out a deep sigh. Then, shaking his head in disapproval, he muttered, "Such a promising young man. What''s wrong with him? " Next, he begins to move towards the Burke Trading Centre. He has to do his usual reporting in the morning. Then, within minutes, both of them walked away from the East Woods company. Alternatively, Pfff Lewis Nelson burst into laughter, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." Seeing his grandson''s contagious laughter, the old man realised that his grandson was still thinking about that outrageous young man. Given their similar ages, why is there such a disparity in their perspectives? "Harumph!" He snorted again, recalling the girl who had fooled him with her false information. The old man doesn''t know what''s wrong with Reminginton either to bring that young man to his place. Lewis controlled his laughter after hearing the snorting sound of his grandfather. Lewis asked, "Grandfather, Are you still angry about it? " old man. Nelson sighed and replied, "Let''s forget it." He doesn''t want to mess up his current work by recalling that incident. Their spies are not reporting a lot of things lately, as a result they are receiving very little information from them. He is pondering how to solve this problem. On the other hand, Lewis left the cabin after a quick chat with his grandfather. Then both of them continued to mind their own business. Alternatively, After getting back to my hotel room, I thought about leaving the city immediately. Since one of the plans ended in failure. Then I need to submit my mission items back to the city lord''s mansion. After collecting the reward, I will leave this city at night. Then I proceeded to check the online train tickets. The train station is jam packed with people lately. The constant influx of warriors made it almost impossible for others to easily roam around the station. I breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the train to Red Stone City had available seats. Then I immediately proceeded to book the late night ticket. My eyes gleamed with delight as I found the availability of a window seat. "It''s been a while," I grunted. I miss the long and quiet train journeys. After booking the tickets, I plan to take a rest before moving out. Time progresses, I walked down to the hotel lobby after taking a small nap. Earlier, I received a message from Remington stating that he was back at Burke Trading Centre. He returned to his daily life. Now it''s time for me as well. After retracting my thoughts, I left the hotel lobby and walked towards the exit. I immediately spotted an air car nearby the hotel. The air car flew towards the city lord''s mansion a few minutes later. My mood has not yet improved after East Wood Company''s visit. But I have a feeling in my heart that they will soon regret it. The air car reached the spot in a few minutes. Then air car proceed to land slowly in front of the huge gate. I stepped out of the car after paying the bill. Then I shifted my gaze towards the huge city lord mansion. Surprisingly, the city lord''s mansion is crowded with warriors. This time, instead of two, there were six guards stationed at the front gate. They are busy screening warriors one by one. Seeing that, I walked towards them to stand behind the queue. "Hey, we are going to be rich after taking up this mission." One of the warriors in front of me spoke with his friend. Hearing that, I can only say that people are delusional. But I restrained myself from saying it aloud. Then I continued to listen to their conversation as I patiently waited for my turn. Soon my turn came up. I walked forward and showed my mission acceptance information. After confirming the information was fine, the city guards let me in. Then I followed the path to reach the administration office. Within a few breaths, I arrived at the place. Instead of going to the mission desk, I walked towards the front office. Seeing me coming, the stationed guard at the door raised his head to watch me. When I went near him, I explained the purpose of my visit. But he looked at me with a strange gaze, and then I heard something from his mouth. "Lucky Bird" I twitched, hearing that. I understand his words right now. I''m a rare visitor here without an adventurer team. He perhaps thought I had picked up the loot somewhere. I revealed a bitter smile. The city guard went inside to inform the staff. I patiently waited for his return. Right now, there is no one beside me. I''m the one who came here to submit my mission report. Soon, the city guard came back and gestured for me to enter the office. I nodded at him before stepping inside. I found many people working behind their desks. Seeing me coming, one of the female staff stood up and led me towards another room. I''m curious how they determine whether the decapitated head belongs to a bandit or not. A hint of curiosity rose in my heart. I slowly followed the person towards the next room. "Creak," the door opens. Both of us stepped inside. In front of me is a wide, metallic desk. The staff immediately walked behind the desk and looked at me. "Now, you can take out the stuff," the staff said. Hearing that, I nodded. I seeped my consciousness into a storage ring and took out more than 50 metallic containers. THUD When I placed the metallic container on the desk, "gasp," the staff gasped in surprise. She couldn''t believe what was in front of his eyes. The staff looked at the young man and these metallic boxes back to back. Even for the strongest adventurers'' teams, the number is not possible. The staff looked at the young man with a complicated gaze. Seeing the staff look at me with bewilderment, I chuckled and said, "Please continue." My words brought the staff back to reality. But I can see some hesitation in her eyes. She didn''t completely believe that it was my own killing. But it can''t be helped. Even if it''s a looted item, the city lord mansion doesn''t care about the background. As long as the bandit is dead, the City Lord is fine with it. Seeing the staff still spacing out, I coughed twice. "Cough" "Cough" Then, feeling my stern gaze, the staff broke out in a cold sweat and began to work. She opened the cover and took out the decapitated head. The stench immediately assaulted our nostrils. The staff took out two masks from the drawer and handed one over to me. I put on the mask and began to observe the work. It will take quite a while. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? The staff collected some samples from the decapitated head, then put the head back in the container. Then she takes out some tape from the drawer and begins to deal with it. As time passes, one by one, the staff begin to collect samples from other metallic boxes. Time went on. Finally, the staff completed her work two hours later. The female staff raised her head and asked me in a timid voice, "Sir, What''s your name? " Hearing that, I chuckled and said, "You will know soon. But can you help me with settling the rewards right now? " The staff nodded at me before proceeding with settling the rewards. "Creak," the door opens. Both of us walked outside, and she led me towards the account office. She had already made a list and stored it in her sci-fi watch. I also got a copy from her. The total number of bandits I have killed so far is 167. Among them, the decapitated heads of bandit leaders were found to be 62 in number; the remaining 105 were normal warriors. While walking, I observed her facial expressions. She still can''t get out of shock. Shaking my head, I followed her to the accountant''s cabin. "Creak," the door opens. After stepping inside, I spotted the accountant. She is a female and appears to be more than 40 years old. She has brown hair and blue eyes. She wore black-rimmed glasses . She was dressed in a black tuxedo. Her look reminds me of a typical office worker. Seeing us coming, the account raised her head to see us. Then a female staff member quickly went forward to explain things. The account nodded at me after knowing I''m a bandit hunting warrior. While drinking the hot coffee, she glanced at the female staff before asking her to hand over the report. The female staff quickly sent her the list that she had made. BUZZ The notification sound came from the projection screen disc. Seeing that, the accountant begins to access the report. When the screen pops up, "Pfff," she spits out the hot coffee from her mouth. Chapter 366 Part 1: Manager Lawrences Blunder (From MC''s Perspective) For a moment, the atmosphere becomes completely quiet. The female accountant was dumbfounded by the bounty collection. From the bandit leader''s head alone, the young man had made over 50 million credit points. And when she calculated the whole reward, it resulted in a staggering amount of just over a billion credit points. Her fingers begin to tremble for a moment. She needs to get approval from the Manager Lawrence for more than 25 million in transactions. Right now, she can''t process the reward. She raised her head to meet the young man''s eyes. The female accountant said, in a complex tone, "The reward amount is over a billion. To transfer this amount, I need the approval of our manager. " "Gasp!" The female staff member beside me covered her mouth in exclamation. Hearing that, I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I thought it would be a smooth process. I asked in an impatient tone, "Why do you need permission to transfer this amount? I''m not okay with revealing my background. Hearing the first sentence, the female accountant frowns, but as he hears the second, she understands something. "Maybe this young man is second generation rich. So his family must have given him high-end treasures. " "Coupling with his strength, it''s no wonder that he can be able to do such mass killing," she thought to herself. Yes, instead of bandit hunting, she refers to it as a mass killing. No one would believe it if they revealed it in public. "I understand your worry. But it''s our formality to do so before transferring such a large amount of money. Don''t worry, I''ll tell the manager about your worry. So he won''t get into your details, "she said with a smile. Her previous concerns have vanished now that she knows the young man is a second generation rich.Fear of the unknown is the most traumatic thing. Her heart returns to peace as her doubts are cleared. "This..." I said. Seriously, it will take some time to get clearance. I can''t wait until then. I have already booked a ticket for my return home. Seeing the young man spacing out, the female accountant wrinkled her eyebrows and asked, "Is there something troubling you?" Hearing that, I nodded at her, "I decided to head home today. I have already booked my train tickets. So I hope you will process the transaction as soon as possible. The staff and accountant looked at each other. The accountant felt the young man''s words were quite reasonable. She let out a huge sigh and said, "Well, you did a huge favour to our city by eradicating those bandits. I''ll try to complete it within today. " Hearing her words eased my heart and I immediately thanked her. Then both of us exchanged our contacts. She will contact me once she gets the permission. After that, I walked out of the front office and strode towards the exit. This time, while walking out, I saw there was no queue to follow. So I exited the City of Lord Manion in no time. A few minutes later, I returned to the hotel by air car. ... City Lord''s Mansion, The female accountant made a new report to hand over to the manager, Richardson. The female staff member who assisted Zack, on the other hand, was returned to her seat. One hour later, The female accountant completed the report. She is now ready to discuss it with the manager. After saving the report, she walked out of the front office. Looking at the accountant, the front guard bowed in respect. The female accountant nodded before walking toward the manager''s office. ... Manager''s cabin, Mr. Lawrence was the same person who previously contacted old man Nelson. He made a lot of illegal money by selling the information. He was also the right hand man of the City Lord. Right now, he is working behind his desk. Recently, he discovered the changes that have taken place in the mansion. It was mostly about the acting lord. From the city lord, he learnt that major changes were going to take place in the future. And the city lord seems to have changed. Lawrence couldn''t pin point exactly what the changes were, but he believed the mood of the city lord had changed somehow. He hopes that the City Lord will tell him in the future. When he was lost in thought, BUZZ, "he received notification." His lips curled into a sly grin. He has been trying to woo her for a long time. But he got no response whatsoever. "Creak," the door opens. A mature figure stepped inside the cabin. The female accountant is always careful when dealing with the [email protected]@rd manager. She knows that the manager has bad thoughts about her. But fortunately, she is not a help. She also hails from a good background. And the city lord was also aware of it. That''s why the manager, Lawrence, was under his limits. So she has some confidence when it comes to people like managers. Seeing her coming, Manager Lawrence wore a wide grin on his face. "Ms. Melinda, what greets you here?" He asked. The female accountant, Ms. Melinda, wrinkled her eyebrows, but she didn''t say anything. She went to the opposite seat and sat in it. "Manager, I need approval for the bandit hunting mission rewards," she said in a plain tone. Lawrence is displeased by her indifferent attitude. But in the next second, it quickly disappeared. He was used to seeing her like this. So there is no need to get angry over this. But right after hearing her words, "Oh," he said in surprise. He immediately realised a certain team had crossed over the 25 million mark. It''s not uncommon for the strongest team to achieve this feat. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? But right now, the insect forest is at its peak. Even the Peak Trainee Bandits were coming out in numbers. So at this time, for a strong bandit hunting team to achieve this record is an extraordinary feat. On the other hand, Ms. Melinda sent the report to his projection desk. Seeing that, Lawrence begins to check the details. When he opened the report to read it completely, he was astonished by the information. Lawrence couldn''t digest the information. "Is this true or what?" He mumbled under his breath. It''s too hard for him to believe the information. Then he immediately looked at Melinda for a moment. He asked, "What is this?" Hearing that, Ms. Melinda reveals a bitter smile on her face, and she knows the manager won''t believe the reports. So she immediately answered, "Yes, it''s true. And I have checked it personally. " She recalled the image of a second-generation rich young man in her mind. Unknowingly, she defended Zack in front of the manager. Lawrence got up from his seat immediately. Seeing that, Melinda also rose from the seat. Which team is it? Do I want to meet them in person? " Lawrence said with an enthusiastic smile. Earlier, he was thinking about the changes that were going to take place in But he never thought he would receive such a surprise now. Which bandit hunting team achieved this feat? His mind sprung into action. This news will bring a huge face-lift to the city. He can''t wait to inform the city lord after confirming the news. On the other hand, Melinda had black lines on her forehead. Seeing the enthusiastic expression of the Maanger, she doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. So she waited patiently for him to calm down. A few seconds later, Lawrence calmed his heart and looked at his accountant, Melina. "What? led me towards the new team? " He ordered SIGH Melinda let out a small sigh before saying, "This feat was achieved by a single person, not by bandit hunting teams." Hearing that Lawrence paused for a moment, his heart was set on storms. This is another wave of unbelievable news. He looked at the accountant and didn''t know what to say for a moment. He returned back to his seat and began to carefully read the report. Because earlier, after seeing the reward he got from his seat, Now he wants to read it fully. When he finished reading the report, he wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. He asked, "Why is there no background information on him?" Suddenly, he thought there was some conspiracy behind this. It''s impossible for a single person to achieve this feat. It''s really scary. He also knew no one would believe this information, not even the city lord. A doubt rose in his heart at this time. He looked at Melinda with a doubtful gaze. But quickly, he shakes his head in denial. He had been following Melinda for a long time. If there was something suspicious, he would have known it before. So there is no chance for her to be involved in this consistency. Then who is responsible for this? At this time, his heart was afraid to accept the report. 1 billion is not a joke. If the information is verified again, his heart won''t be in peace. There is a high chance for this person to be a bad guy. Lawrence decided to confront him and inquire about the bandit heads. Chapter 367 Part 2: Manager Lawrences Blunder City of iron post, Manager''s office¡ªCity Lord Mansion, "Ms. Melinda, where is this person?" Manager Lawrence inquired. He made up his mind to get to the bottom of this matter. Hearing that, Ms. Melinda wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. She realised that the manager was clearly intending to investigate this matter. which is clearly against the mission rules. So she asked back, "Manager, it''s clearly against the rules to interrogate the bandit hunting warriors. We already stated that as long as warriors complete their mission, we won''t interfere with them. " Manager Lawrence''s face darkened hearing that. But he didn''t take it to heart. He simply replied, "I just want to meet him right now. Can you ask him to come back? " Ms. Melinda frowns. She doesn''t like where this is going. She finally decided to tell him what the young man said to her. "Manager, that young warrior has already decided to go home tonight. He just came here to get his reward. And he clearly states that no one should investigate his background. " "Going home?" Lawrence raised his eyebrows in displeasure. But when it comes to later words, Obviously, he didn''t mind it. Right now, he has become impatient. He doesn''t want to drag this matter, even though there is a beauty sitting in front of him. "Ms.Melinda," he said in a stern tone. "Just inform this person that I want to meet him," he instructed. Seeing his annoyed expression, Ms. Melinda understood that he had already made up his mind. Then she got up from the seat to leave. She tried to convince the manager as much as she could. It''s up to the young man now how he deals with the manager. She arrived back at her cabin in a few minutes. After taking her seat, she fell silent for a moment. She doesn''t know why the manager is hell bent on investigating this. To some extent, she can understand. But they have made it public that the City Lord''s mansion won''t interfere. Then again, this is also good for her. If the young man really has a terrible background, she can say that the manager is going to kick the iron plate this time. When she imagined that happened, a small smile rose on her face. Next, she immediately phoned a young man named Zack through her sci-fi watch. ¡­ (From MC''s Perspective) When I was spending my lone time reading articles online, I suddenly heard a notification sound. BUZZ Seeing that it''s a call from an accountant, I immediately answered the call. I said, "Thank you for processing this fast." Without minding her reply, I waited for my bank notification. My eyes can''t wait to see the billion credit points in my account. On the other hand, Ms. Melinda was stunned. She coughed immediately in response. Hearing the cough sound, I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Are you alright?" I just asked casually, but the next second my demeanor changed. "Mr. Zack , there is a problem. Our manager wants to see you. Could you please come back? " Ms. Melinda requested. Next, I get up from the sofa. It obviously smells like trouble. So I directly asked, "What''s happening? I have told you before that I don''t want to reveal my background. Ms. Melinda revealed a bitter smile and said, "Mr. Zack, you must understand that a billion credit points is not a small amount. Even the strongest team won''t be able to achieve this feat. That''s why the manager is being suspicious about it. " "So, what? Before you guys clearly put out a statement saying the City Lord Mansion won''t care about the process as long as the bandit head is collected. Why backtrack now? " I asked in a displeased tone. I''m already pissed off by the treatment of the Eastwood Company. Now these guys are going to another level. Ms. Melinda really felt helpless. She let out a small sigh before saying, "Mr. Zack, you must understand I''m just an accountant. If you want to seek justice, you can confront the manager. " Hearing that, a cold glint flashes in my eyes. I immediately responded by saying, "Okay, I''m coming back." After saying that, I ended the call abruptly. Before this situation, I really didn''t have a good opinion about the city lord of this city and his minions. So far, they didn''t care about the city''s affairs except for the bandits roaming inside the insect forest. Now the manager seems to be no good. If it''s a simple misunderstanding, then it''s fine. But if he tries to create an unnecessary problem, then I will have to act against him. Mr. Jonathan was going to solve the scourge of this city. That''s what I''m curious about: what would happen if they created a problem for his acquaintance, which is me. A smile blossomed on my face thinking about it. I mumbled under my breath, "I really hope that the manager will create problems for me." But before that, I decided to type some messages to Mr. Jonathan. He should know what I''m up to now. I don''t know what would happen if things really worsened. So Mr. Jonathan is my insurance. He would bail me back out if I got stuck in a terrible situation. I quickly changed my clothes after sending the message.Then I walked out of the hotel a few minutes later. Today my mood went up and down a couple of times. I hope they won''t seize my rewards. As usual, I spotted an aircar to travel in. This guy is the same one who previously dropped me at the City Lord Mansion. After walking up to him, I told him about my destination. "What again?" The driver asked In response, I simply nodded at him. Then I got inside the car and sat in the seat. The air car rose from the platform and flew toward the destination. A few minutes later, I was standing in front of the huge city lord mansion again. I let out a deep sigh before following the queue. The process was repeated again. It was the same city guard who was screening the warriors. When it was my turn, the city guard paused after seeing my ID. He raised his head to observe me and asked, "Young man, did you came here an hour ago?" I nodded and replied, "Yeah, I got a call from the administration office." Hearing that, the city guard nodded and let me in. Soon I followed the others to enter. Then I walked towards the administration office. When I arrived at the spot, the front guard nodded at me before going inside to inform his superiors. A few moments later, the accounting woman walked out. She nodded at me before saying, "Let''s go." "Hmmm,I said. I understand she is leading me towards the manager. Within a few breaths, we arrived at another fancy building. After walking inside, she led the way towards the manager''s cabin. A "Creak" door opens. Both of us walked inside. I found a man who appeared to be in his fifties sitting behind the desk. I assume this guy is the manager of the city lord mansion. Seeing us coming, the manager raised his head to see us. I found he was looking at me with a cold gaze. I couldn''t help but frown when I felt that. "This is going to be trouble," I grunted. "Ms. Melinda, you can leave now. "I would like to have a private conversation with this young man," Manager Lawrence said. So the accountant''s name is Ms. Melinda. I smiled inside. But I found she was hesitating a bit. Shaking my head, I said,"Ms. Melinda, don''t worry. I can take care of myself. " Hearing that, I heard snorting from the manager. What''s going on? I just spoke casually. I don''t know why the manager is displeased right now. On the other hand, hearing my words, Ms. Melinda nodded at me before leaving the cabin. As the door closed, the manager said, "Young man, come here and take your seat." I nodded and walked towards the opposite chair to sit in. After taking a seat, I immediately asked, "Manager, why did you ask me to come here?" "Harrumph" "Tell me, how did you collect so many decapitated heads?" Manager Lawrence asked in a threatening tone. The atmosphere inside the room quickly becomes quiet. I can see that he''s already made up his mind that I''m not the one who achieved this feat. Feeling his blazing glare at me, I answered in a calm tone, " First of all, what does it have to do with you?" "In the mission notice, it is clearly mentioned that you guys will not explore the details behind the decapitated heads." I replied one by one in a calm tone. Manager Lawrence''s heart boiled in anger. He thought the young man didn''t take him seriously. It''s true that there is such a rule. But what about it? He had previously assumed that a veteran would arrive. But right now, he is already dumbfounded by looking at the person in front of him. This person is too young for any conspiracy. The manager didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He was afraid to call this young man a conspirator. For a moment, both of them remained silent. Manager Lawrence really wants to understand how he did it. Chapter 368 Breaking News! (From MC''s Perspective) Mansion of the City Lord, Looking at the quiet man in front of me, I couldn''t help but raise my eyebrows. Before coming here, I thought this guy would be unreasonable. But, it looks like he really can''t believe the fact that a young man like me achieved this feat. What happens? If I reveal my identity, Will he believe me? A curious glint flashes in my eyes. I can''t drag this out any longer. I looked into his eyes and said, "Can you stop doubting me and give my reward money?" My words brought him back to reality. He looked at me and said, "Okay, you can leave now. The reward amount will be transferred within the evening. " Hearing that, I was stunned. Did I hear it wrong? But looking at his serious face, I believe it''s true. Then I revealed a small smile before saying, "Thank you for your understanding." After saying that, I got up from the seat and walked towards the exit. Lawrence''s eyes gleamed with surprise at seeing the disappearing back of the young man. The reason he decided to let it go was because of the rules formed by the city lord mansion. If anyone hears about his treatment of this kid, it will raise several eyebrows. And secondly, he didn''t know about the kid''s background. which also made him not act rashly. At this time, the reminder of Ms. Melinda comes to his mind. If he is truly from a powerful background, then there will be several peak trainee warriors in his family. Like an old sly fox, he knows how to retreat and move forward. Let the young man walk out; that doesn''t mean he won''t verify the truth. Once his mission achievement is revealed to the public, it will be a huge facelift for their city lord. And when it happens, in one way or another, this young man''s background will be revealed. His old mouth reveals a cunning smile. He is already planning on how to cash in on this. This method seems more feasible than directly confronting the young man. If it''s the former, there will be trouble for him, as for now he only needs to release the news, he won''t held accountable. The rest will be taken care of by the interested people. He chuckled slightly, imagining the situation. On the other hand, after waking out of the building, I breathed in relief. This matter ended without any bloodshed. I was actually prepared to fight against the city guards. In the end, it resulted in no need for such a scene. But I have a feeling in my heart that this is not that simple. The next second, my lips curved into a gentle arc. My strength is sufficient to deal with Trainee Warrior. If I can get another breakthrough, I''m sure to tie with Peak Trainee Warriors. In other words, I have no opponents in Tier-8 cities. I smirked, realising that. Next, I decided to return to the hotel without any delay. Several minutes later, I collapsed into bed. Today was such a rollercoaster for me. In order to recover my mind, I need some rest. Without realizing myself, I fell asleep. Time passes, A couple of hours later, News broke out from the city lord''s mansion, which swept away the entire city like an earthquake. Someone won 1 billion credit points for a bandit hunting mission. This is one piece of news released by the City Lord Mansion. But they strictly kept quiet about the details of the mission. When the news reached the media houses, they went into a frenzy. Soon the gate of the city lord''s mansion is swarmed by the people. Most of the people were reporters and streamers. A few powerful adventurer teams can be seen roaming the area. As for the common folks, this news brought them great relief. There are actually people who are capable of this feat. The family of the victims burst into tears. Even some of the retired veterans thought this news was too good to hear. But all of them failed to notice that the city lord''s mansion didn''t disclose the identity of the person. Residents and media houses assumed it was done by a pretty strong adventure team. This sparked further discussion about whether it was done by an existing strong team or by a new team from outside. This topic is beginning to trend in news articles. Media houses broadcast it as breaking news. So in a few hours, this achievement will be known to many people. And with that, dissatisfaction with the city''s Lord is drastically reduced as the media houses were focusing on this issue. Late evening, I opened my eyes after a long sleep. The first thing that came to mind was the reward amount. I sat up cross-legged on the bed and immediately accessed my bank account through my sci-fi watch. My eyes twinkled with delight as I saw credit points worth more than a billion dollars.My breathing became a lot quicker. Should I move out to Tier-7 City with my family? I believe with this money we can buy a decent house on the outskirts. Tier-8 cities encounter more frequent monster outbreaks compared to Tier-7 cities. So Tier-7 City will be a much safer place. I decided to tell Uncle about it after getting back home. Then I glanced at the timing. It''s 6:30 in the evening. There are still three hours left before the train''s departure. Seeing that, I got up from my bed and went to get freshened. A few minutes later, I decided to head to the hotel lobby to get some fresh air. When I walked towards the lift, I saw there were two more people in front of me. One male and one female. From their appearance, I can guess that they were a couple. Without minding them, I approached the lift. "Creak," the door opens. I stepped inside the lift, following the couple. They didn''t mind me as they were busy conversing with each other. "Gosh, I can''t believe the adventurer team won 1 billion credit points," the man said with a sigh. Hearing that, I got goosebumps all over my body. What happened? I''m shocked to the core. 1 billion? Adventurer team? What are they talking about? I perked up my ears to listen to their conversations. Hearing her husband sighing, the woman replied, "Humph, the city lord mansion won''t reveal false news. So this information can''t be fake. " City Lord Mansion? A slight glint flashes in my eyes. It''s easy to see what they did. I accessed the online site through my sci-fi. My eyes caught up with the trending topic. I searched for news about Iron Post City. Soon I came across the breaking news. "F*ck," I blurted out, foul words all of a sudden. "Young man, watch your mouth," the man beside me said with a displeased tone. Hearing that, I apologized. It can''t be helped that this news is really too much. A cruel glint flashes in my eyes as I read the news. That sly old fox disclosed the news without mentioning my name. I told them clearly that I didn''t want to be interrogated. But that manager came up with such a method. That guy wanted to find the truth of the matter. Since he can''t force me because of their rules, He disclosed the information now. The media houses won''t stay silent anymore. Whether the information is true or not, they will surely get to the bottom of this. "Creak," the door opens. The couple walked out. Before leaving, the woman looked at me with contempt. "These people," I muttered. It can''t be helped because of my situation as such. Next, I decided to head back to my hotel room. My mood suffered blows after blows. Various thoughts come to mind. The lift door closed. Seeing that, I leaned back against the wall. "There are already so many people out there looking for my whereabouts and this sudden news is not helping at all," I mumbled under my breath. I recalled the Crimson Hall''s meaning. My expression hardened after that. "Fortunately, I''m going to leave this city in a few hours," I grumbled. City Lord''s Mansion, On the other hand, Manager Lawrence was pleased with the media response. Now everyone is demanding further details from the City Lord Mansion. He is wondering whether to release further news or not. After pondering for a moment, he made up his mind to release another piece of news tomorrow. He can''t wait to see the response of people if they knew the announced reward belongs to a single person. "Ha... Ha... Ha..." Lawrence laughed out loud. Not only common folks, even people working in the City Lord Mansion couldn''t believe the news. Only Ms. Melinda and the female staff appeared to be normal. Ms. Melinda realised that it was done by the manager. She has a vague feeling that sooner or later the manager will face While the news swept away the city on one hand, It also reached the warriors outside the city wall at their camping site. A few hours ago, Mateo Roth is currently taking rest in his tent. A few hours ago, he received word from his father that Elder Roth was coming here to take him back. At first he didn''t believe the news, but it was later confirmed by his father. So he decided to take a walk around here before the elder arrives. Suddenly, Carla walked inside the tent with a grave expression. Chapter 369 Reached Home Camping site: Iron Post City, Mateo slowly opened his eyes after hearing the footsteps. But in the next second, he couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows after seeing the glum expression of Carla Gill. He asked, "What happened?" Carla paused her movements and told him about the recent news released from the City Lord Mansion. Mateo Roth stunned for a moment. "How could this be possible?" The next second, he got up from his seat in surprise. He looked into Carla''s eyes, wanting to know whether it was a bluff. But seeing her expression, Mateo''s expression darkened. "Which team is it?" He inquired. "City Lord Mansion didn''t disclose the news," she said. Mateo furrowed his eyebrows. He is 100% sure that 1 billion credit points were earned by an outside team. He obviously underestimated the new wave of warriors. In a short time, a new team was able to achieve this feat. He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. And when it comes to the other four strong teams, Mateo already knew about their leader''s strength. And he heard that they were still inside the insect forest. So there is no doubt this was the work of an outside team. SIGH Mateo Roth let out a deep sigh after pondering. He is fortunate that this is not a situation under his watch. Now his family is calling him back, so he doesn''t need to think about the iron post city and insect forest anymore. Then he turned towards Carla and said, "Just leave it; we don''t need to worry about it anymore." Hearing that, Carla nodded and understood the meaning behind his words. She knows a little bit about Mateo Roth''s mission here. Seeing that he was not worried anymore, Carla guessed that his mission may have ended. After nodding at him, she left the tent. Mateo then sat back in his seat. His mind is occupied with thoughts about this new team. The Peak Traniee Warrior, he believes, is the team''s leader. Peak Trainee Warrior is the only one who can achieve this feat. At the same time, a quick glint flashes in his eyes. He feels that he may come across this team at the Crimson Hall competition. And he is looking forward to meeting these people. Mateo also thought of telling Elder Roth this news. He may find their real idenities. As this thought arose, a small smile rose on his face. ... ( From MC''s Perspective) I boarded the train to Red Stone City successfully. It will be a matter of minutes before the train leaves the platform for its destination. Upon realising that, I leaned back comfortably in my window seat. I shut my eyes off in relaxation. At the same time, I heard the conversation of my co-passengers. Not surprisingly, everyone is talking about the blockbuster news released by City Lord Mansion. I twitched hearing that. If I continue to listen to the same conversation, it will hurt my ears. So without minding them, I fell asleep. I don''t know how long it has been. I opened my eyes after hearing the alarm bell. This indicates that the train is getting closer to its destination. It''s been several hours since our departure. I realised that. I straightened my back. I feel a lot more comfortable now after getting off of the city of iron post. There is no need to worry about carnivorous insect bugs anymore. Soon, the train entered the premise of Red Stone City. I observed the city through the window. Should I visit Hansen Campus today? Or should I head home directly? I began to contemplate Then I realised I had no mood to strike up a conversation with Elder Thornton now. So I think it''s better to go home instead. I breathed in relief after making up my mind. On the other hand, the train reaches the station. And it''s speed, gradually slowing down. And when it came to a complete halt, passengers began to exit one by one. Seeing that, I picked up my luggage and followed the queue. After stepping down, I walked towards another platform instead of exiting the station. From the next platform, I can board the train to White Snow City. While walking, I sent messages to Uncle James and Mr. Jonathan. Uncle James knows about my departure from Iron Post City. But I don''t know what''s happening with Mr. Jonathan. I thought it would take a day or two to solve bandit boss Soren''s puzzle. However, it appears that the situation is not as straightforward as it appears. Fortunately, I left that horrible place in time. Then, retracting my thoughts, I increased my pace to reach the next platform. I sat down in a seat in the waiting area, quietly waiting for the train. From the timings, I knew it would take another half an hour for the train to arrive. Having no choice, I shut off my eyes to rest. 20 minutes later, A metric bell rang from my sci-fi watch. Hearing that, I wrinkled my eyebrows in displeasure. I slowly opened my eyes to view the notification. [Arthur] My eyes gleamed with surprise at seeing the name. But I didn''t pick up the call right away. Rather, I sent him a message saying that I would call him a few hours later. No way. If I take the call right now, it will go on forever. In particular, I''m not in the mood to talk about my adventures in the insect forest. For that, it will take a long time. Then I boarded the train to White Snow City ten minutes later. Suddenly, I felt like I was at home. My appearance is a little bit different compared to a month ago. I became a lot thinner. Because of the lack of food inside the insect forest, even if someone knows my identity before, they won''t recognise me this time. With that confidence, I sat in my seat. Some time ago, I also followed the articles from media houses here. Surprisingly, they mentioned my name after my City Lord Mansion new notice. The media houses want to know which strong warriors are going to participate in the mission. A few of the reporters stayed outside of Hansen''s campus to get some answers. They appear to be waiting for someone. In particular, they want to catch a glimpse of me. After reading the news, I laughed hard that time. But I don''t know the current situation of the Hansen campus. Whether any reporters continued to wait outside of the campus is unknown. Then a sudden realisation hit me. I think Mr. Arthur''s call might not be a coincidence. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I better hope there is no dog sh!t drama going on there. Time Progresses, The train halts at the platform of the white snow city two hours later. When I walked out of the station a few minutes later, my eyes were wide with surprise. I mutter, "Military grade air car." Seeing that Uncle took a military grade vehicle to pick me up, I don''t know what to say. When I was lost in my thoughts, I heard roaring laughter. "Ha... Ha... Ha... Zack, I''m extremely pleased with you. "You didn''t deceive my eyes back then," Uncle James said with a laugh. He tapped my shoulder with his big hand. On the other hand, Mr. James takes a deep look at Zack. When he just tapped now, he felt strong power, slightly inferior to his. "Now way," he thought to himself. He really wanted to ask a question straight away. But looking at the surroundings, he knew this was not the right place to talk. Both of them hoped inside the car. Mr. James drove the car towards his home. On the way, my eyes were all over the military-grade air car. This car is far more efficient than normal cars. Furthermore, this car has been sufficiently modified to withstand the brunt of average class 1 monsters. These were the things I heard from Uncle James before. But looking at things directly is different from hearing them. On the other hand, Mr. James observed the reaction of Zack. He said, with a small cough, "Don''t overthink it; it''s not for my personal use." Hearing that, I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Seeing my confusion, Uncle James begins to explain to me. After hearing everything, I understood. He just came back from a mission. After seeing my message, he borrowed this vehicle to pick me up. A small smile rose on my face. The military is really generous to provide this vehicle to a small outer post office. A few minutes later, we arrived at our home. Uncle James slowly landed the vehicle in front of our house. Then both of us slowly stepped out of the car. My eyes immediately caught a glimpse of Granny Park in the garden. Seeing that, I ran towards her. Hearing my footsteps, Granny walked towards me. A huge smile blossomed on her old, wrinkled face. After approaching her, I hugged her in happiness. She looked completely fine. It looks like her illness has faded away. Though I still ask, "Granny, how have you been doing?" Hearing that, she said, "I''m fine, Zack. But what happened to you? "You got thinner, boy." Next, she began to observe me with worry. Seeing that I''m completely fine, she sighed in relief. "What happened? Is there no class monster in the monster zone? " She inquired. Hearing that, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. Chapter 370 Hiding The Truth (From MC''s Perspective) I spoke with Grandma Park for a few more minutes before getting back to my room. My uncle seems to know that I''m tired, so he didn''t raise any questions. After stepping inside my room, I immediately collapsed into my bed. The insect forest taught me that a warrior should have a strong mind as well. Otherwise, with my varying mood swings, there was a possibility of making some bad judgments. Fortunately, I controlled my impulses in time and decided to walk out of the city straight away. Coincidentally, my gaze fell on the beautiful painting hung on the wall. Unknowingly, I got myself immersed in the painting and fell asleep. Noon time, I woke up a few hours later. Seeing the bright sunlight through the window, I realized I had fallen asleep without knowing it. Then I immediately went to take a long shower before changing back to comfort clothes. After getting ready, I sat on my sofa and fell into contemplation. If I walk down now, I''m sure my uncle will ask me about the insect forest. And also the news about the 1 billion reward. I don''t know if it''s any good to tell him about it. But one thing turned out well. I achieved a breakthrough in lightning essence. My primary goal was to get a breakthrough at Iron Post City. Which was achieved successfully. So I can tell Uncle about my cultivation level but not about the actual situation in the insect forest. Then I let out a small sigh, thinking about Mr. Jonathan. At that time, Mr. Jonathan gave me a lightning essence pearl for my cultivation. But I guess he has some other things to give me. The recent developments have made everyone''s plans change. So, I don''t know whether he will come to see me or not after killing the bandit boss. A curious glint flashes in my eyes as I ponder my cultivation. Right now, I don''t need to worry about my cultivation that much. The pearl can assist me for a few weeks. I just need to worry about my next practice destination. I will use this time to sit and talk with my uncle about monster zones? The Black Forest Zone is nearest to the one here. And it is also the most difficult one. Since getting defeated at the hands of the ant queen, I''m itching to go back to that place again. After making up my mind, I exited my room. Mr. James hasn''t gone anywhere since Zack''s return. Because he wants to know about his situation. On top of that, the two people from Hansen campus pressured him to reveal information about Zack. He also heard some information about the Hansen campus. Lately, local news has been reporting about the Hansen campus. The champion of the Star Tower was challenged by new and talented warriors of the Red Stone City and Hansen Campus. Mr. James didn''t take the news seriously at that time. But his most recent conversations with Arthur say otherwise. The momentum is really taking place because of news reporting. And residents were looking forward to it. So Elder Thornton and Arthur don''t have a choice but to reveal some statements soon. But in order to do that, they need Zack''s permission. He also learnt about a small misunderstanding between Elder Thornton and Zack. He hopes to clear it as well. Suddenly, he heard footsteps from behind. Seeing the appearance of Zack, a small smile blossomed on his face. He immediately urged Zack to take a seat. On the other hand, seeing the enthusiastic expression of Uncle James, I sighed inside. I guessed right; he is waiting for me here. Then I sat opposite him. It''s been a while since I had a good talk in the living room. It''s very comforting, I stretched my hands lightly. But I returned back to normal after feeling the gaze of Uncle James. "Can we talk now?" Uncle James asked. Hearing that, I nodded and began to explain my adventures in the insect forest. First, I spoke about monster bugs that I had come across in the insect forest, including carnivore bugs and some plant monsters. Mr. James'' expression was normal at first. But when he learnt about carnivore bugs, his expression turned pale with fright. He immediately got up from his seat and asked, "Who saved you?" Hearing that, I''m stunned all of a sudden. "Uncle, don''t you think? "It''s a bit of an overreaction," I commented. Uncle James sat back in his seat after that. Seeing that, I said, "I hid myself perfectly so that insect bugs had no clue." Mr. James doesn''t know what to say. But the statements recorded from victims say that it''s impossible to escape from insect bugs alive. Shaking his head, he continues to listen. Seeing that Uncle James was alright, I changed my topic of discussion immediately to adventurer teams. I began to explain how the five strongest teams have controlled other teams to achieve their goals. Time passes, Half an hour later, Finally, I ended my conversation with the latest breaking news. Uncle James has listened patiently to my words so far. I wonder what his opinions are? "Zack, do you know who got the 1 billion reward?" He asked me with some expectation. My heart skips a beat upon hearing that. I thought he would ask me about the strongest teams. But he is interested in the person behind 1 billion reward. No way, I won''t tell him. If I reveal to him that I''m the one who won 1 billion credit points, He will definitely tell Mr. Arthur. And I know Mr. Arthur, he won''t keep secrets from Elder Thornton. Then he will definitely reveal all the information to Elder Thornton. And with Elder Thornton''s character, he will do everything to raise the reputation of the Hansen campus. And what other good opportunities does he have besides this information? [The champion of the Star Tower has set yet another record.] Media houses will surely make headlines like this. No way, I won''t let this happen. "Zack?" Uncle James called out my name. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Hearing that, I retracted my thoughts and looked at him. "I don''t know. But I guess this must be done by a strong adventurer team, "I said." SIGH Hearing that, Uncle James let out a small sigh. Looking at him, I knew he was impressed by this achievement. But I prefer to be low-key. On the other hand, Mr. James didn''t feel anything wrong with Zack''s words. Not only him, everyone in his office assumed that it was done by an adventure team. Then he thought about the low-key City Lord of Iron Post City, Aaron Powell. He had never seen such a low-key city lord. It''s normal for City Lord''s to have a press meeting once in a while. But Aaron Powell is an exception. But this recent move made by him earned a lot of credit. Eradicating the bandits legally is not an easy job. But the 1 billion credit points, award won by the adventurers'' team was the result of his timely action. Mr. James hopes to see more and more adventurous teams earn such rewards. Then only the residents of Iron Post City can breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing Uncle James''s contemplation, I remained silent for a moment. "So, what about your cultivation?" Uncle James asked. Hearing that finally, I let out a small smile. "Mid level¡ªSpecial Trainee," I said. Uncle James let out a happy laugh, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "Good...Good.....Good" "With this cultivation base, you can now survive in the Crimson Hall competition," he added further. A quick glint flashes in my eyes as I hear the familiar name. "Crimson Hall," I grumbled. "Uncle, is there any news about the competition?" I asked. Mr. James understands the meaning behind Zack''s words. But so far, no information has leaked from the Crimson Hall. which is troubling everyone. And this desperation pushed some families into pit fires. In particular, the Roth family. Shaking his head in denial, he answered, "Sigh, recently the crimson hall has been like a fortified wall. We don''t know what''s happening out there. Hearing that, a hint of disappointment rose in my heart. I thought at least some information had leaked out at this point of time. But it looks like it''s not. My mood has turned a little bit solemn right now. Mr. James observed Zack''s reaction right now. Seeing that his mood was getting lower, Mr. James decided to change the topic. He remembered the Hansen Campus. "Zack, when are you leaving for Hansen campus?" He asked. Uncle James''s question brought me back to reality. He''s curious about my plans for Hansen Campus. Sure, Mr. Arthur must be behind this. I didn''t even attend his call. I looked into his eyes and said, "Not now. I''ll go there after a few days. Right now, I plan to stay at home for a while. " Mr. James didn''t know how to react. He assumed Zack was interested in going back to Hansen campus. It looks like the tiff between him and Elder Thornton is really serious. He is going to talk about Hansen Campus. But seeing that Zack is not even interested, Mr. James decided to not bring up this topic right now. It''s all over the local news site. Zack will eventually know about it. But the problem is, he needs to convince the old fogey. Chapter 371 Aaron Powells Decision While Zack was discussing with his home, a sudden news release from Iron Post City caused turbulent waves among the masses. [A Trainee Warrior, not an adventurer team, earned the reward of 1 billion credit points] This time the news was released by the City Lord, Aaron Powell, himself. This news swept the entire city. From normal residents to powerful warriors, there is only one thing on their mind. which is that their City Lord is alive and well. For the past few months, there has been no word from him, and people have gradually stopped expecting his presence. Especially when the first migration took place. They didn''t care about the City Lord Mansion. It''s due to their irresponsibility that the city was reduced to such a state. The city suffers from crippling economic conditions inside and the scourge of banditry from outside. But now, after hearing the information from City Lord Aaron Powell himself, people don''t know how to react. It''s not easy to erase the old scares. Especially the victims, for this turned out to be only bitter smiles on their faces. Many things could have been changed if the city lord chose to show up earlier. A lot of ugly things could have been avoided. But on the other hand, the media houses were again in a frenzy. Unlike the masses and victims, the media houses now have great content because of City Lord Aaron Powell''s public appearance. Now they have an opportunity to ask many questions, mainly about the scourge of banditry in the insect forest. which even a new wave of warriors finds it difficult to break down. It''s not a secret that Peak Trainee bandits were coming down in numbers from the inner area. Their main motive is to hunt down the warriors who trespass their safe haven. This news is also known by media houses. So they are wondering about the thoughts of City Lord Aaron Powell this time. Main Hall-City Lord Mansion, At this time, City Lord Aaron Powell controlled half of his injuries. With his current condition, he can''t be involved in any fight. But it''s enough to walk around and talk with people. After learning from the superior that someone would take care of Soren, he decided to show up before the public. But who would have thought such unexpected new developments would take place? Even before he made his public appearance, he heard good news from Lawrence. Right now, he is sitting in the main seat of the hall. In front of him, Manager Lawrence stood quietly. Surprisingly, there were two others standing beside him. The female staff and the accountant, Ms. Melinda, They just now released the news under the name of City Lord. which is equivalent to making a public appearance. The atmosphere is quite solemn at this moment. Manager Lawrence was sweating profusely. He didn''t dare take a glance at the City Lord. Seeing his appearance, Ms. Melinda sneered inside, "This guy finally hit an iron plate." She couldn''t help but feel joy upon seeing Lawrence''s dog-beaten expression. She expected that manager Lawrence''s actions might receive backlash from the young man''s family. But surprisingly, it caused dissatisfaction with City Lord Aaron. She takes a small peek at the City Lord ''s expression before turning back to her old self. The City Lord Aaron was lost in thought. More than a reward, his mind is occupied with bandit boss Soren now. There was no update from the superior. which made him wrinkle his eyebrows in confusion. After some thought, he decided it was best not to think about it any longer. His superior also advised him to stay away from it and instructed him to take care of the city. Thinking about his city, he couldn''t help but feel a tinge of guilt. His injury and thirst for revenge made him unable to take care of the city. If not for his injury, the city wouldn''t have been reduced to such a state. Now, there is no point in overthinking about it. So hereafter, Aaron made up his mind to govern the city properly. Then, retracting his thoughts, he glanced at the people in front of him. The reason they were here is because he was intrigued by the young man''s identity. He actually decided to commission this young man to remove the bandit scourge as soon as possible. That young man had proved that one strong warrior is better than the average team. But sadly, the young man had already left this city. Otherwise, he would have discussed the deal with him. Suddenly, he glanced at the accountant and asked, "Melinda, do you have that young man''s contact number?" From their words, Aaron had already learned about the situation. He also knew Melinda had contacted that young man before. On the other hand, Ms.Melinda stepped forward and answered, "My Lord, I do have his contact number." Her voice was sweet and gentle. Aaron Powell nodded at her. As a City Lord, he can track down this person with ease. But the problem is the young man''s attitude before leaving. From Melinda''s statement, it is clear that the young man didn''t want his identity to be known to the public. That is why he did not name the young man in the press release. SIGH He let out a sigh, realising that his current actions would increase the dissatisfaction of the young man. But it can''t be helped. Earlier, he made up his mind to make a public appearance. If he makes an appearance, the media houses will be sure to question the reward winner. So, in order to save his face and avoid an embarrassing situation, he allowed the news to be released. In this way, his public appearance won''t be hated by people, because they will be more curious about that young man''s identity. And the media houses will be more focused on him. Meanwhile, he can avoid the direct brunt of harsh criticism. That young man''s name is Zack, right? His mouth was raised in a slight arc. His achievements came in a timely manner, which helped him greatly. But it''s a pity that Zack was not in this city. Seeing that, the City Lord was again lost in his thoughts. Three of them don''t know what to do. He is taking his time to ask questions one by one. Amongst three of them, one person is more uncomfortable. That person is the manager, Lawrence. At that moment, he didn''t make any noise. But various thoughts were running through his mind. "Damn it, I didn''t expect the lord to appear abruptly," he thought to himself. Earlier, he knew that the lord was recovering from his injury. So he assumed that he wouldn''t interfere with outside matters as usual. Apart from making some crucial decisions, the lord wasn''t involved in city affairs that much. He also assumed the lord would not make a public appearance until he had recovered from his injury.But unfortunately, everything went against his assumptions. The Lord decided to show up just after he released the news about the 1 billion reward. The lord didn''t say anything, but he knows this is going to be trouble. The Lord is thoroughly dissatisfied with his unverified actions. His mind is racing to find some solutions. Before the lord questions him, he needs to come up with some answers. Right now, he doesn''t know what the lord is up to next. He can only bite his nails and wait for the lord to question him. The only person without any worry is the female staff, who inspect Zack''s collections on that day. The City Lord, Aaron Powell, realised that three of them were waiting for his instructions. Next, he told the three of them to leave. Surprisingly, he didn''t reprimand Lawrence right now; he allowed him to leave with them as well. Seeing the disappearing backs of three of them, he decided to go to the study room. He finally gave up the thought of contacting the young man, Zack, right now. He believes that media houses will find out his identity in one way or another. because some media houses have the support of giants behind them. If this current news gains enough attention from the people, then soon the identity of the young man will come to light. His lips curved into a gentle arc before he walked back to the study room. ... Hansen''s Campus-Red Stone City, Meeting hall, Elder Thornton is having a conversation with Arthur. Currently, they are discussing about Zack. These days, many people are camping outside the gate of Hansen''s campus. Many of them were media houses and a few were spies from hostile forces. Elder Thornton is feeling a headache. Without Zack, he wouldn''t be able to make some crucial decisions. The talented young warriors of Iron Post City now want to fight against Zack Lockwood. In this situation, he is totally perplexed. So he looked at Arthur. He hoped that Arthur would speak with his friend about it. Elder Thornton knows as long as James helps with their current situation. Their current troubles will be resolved in a matter of time. It''s because Zack had never denied his uncle''s words. On the other hand, Mr. Arthur doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He already spoke with his friend James about their issue. His friend agreed to help them as much as possible. But he knows James won''t go against Zack''s wishes. So, their current situation is quite tricky. Chapter 372 What Will Zack Do? (From MC''s Perspective) After having a conversation with Uncle, I went back to the backyard to cultivate. It''s been a long time since I used the small training room. After arriving at the backyard, I entered the training room. Seeing the fortified wall, my expression eased a little. I don''t want the breath of the lightning essence to be noticed by anyone. The lightning pearl has a pure essence that can be easily noticed by powerhouses. I don''t know whether anyone is staring at our home right now. But I feel there is a possibility of it. So I decided to be more careful in my actions. After locking the door, I walked forward to the centre. Then I sat cross legged and took the lightning essence pearl out of my storage ring. The glittering purple colour blinds my eye for a moment. Then slowly I adjusted myself and began to cultivate. I held the lightning pearl between my two palms and began reciting the celestial lightning scripture. Next, the lightning rune in my mind began to flicker as I recited the words. Slowly I immersed myself in cultivation. After absorption, the pure lightning essence started to circulate in my body according to the scripture, then it finally settled down in my dantian. The process continues, and I slowly forget what''s happening outside, as my goal is to spend a few more hours on cultivation this time. ... At this time, what Zack wasn''t aware of was that news released by City Lord Aaron Powell also detonated Red Stone City. Hearing that, cold shivers went down everyone''s spine. People want to believe it as false news. But no way, who told the City Lord to release it himself? When it comes to Iron Post City, he is the ultimate authority. Study room, James Lockwood was completely dumbstruck by the news. He talked about this to Zack a couple of minutes ago. After reading the online news, he couldn''t keep his calm. "Damn, which force is it? It''s so fierce,"he muttered in shock. It took a while for him to digest the information. Then a slight glint flashes in her eyes. Apart from Tier-7 cities, nothing comes to his mind right now. Only they are capable of raising such monsters. "Are those powerful families already letting their descendants walk around?" He said to himself. James knows that the crimson hall competition is a few months around the corner from happening. So it''s quite understandable that talented geniuses were popping up at this time. What does he fear that this explosive news will have a ripple effect? In the coming days, there is a possibility that more and more geniuses will appear. Suddenly, he gazed in the direction of the backyard. He is worried about Zack right now. Zack is the current leader/champion of Star Tower. So there is a possibility that these talented warriors will challenge Zack in the coming days. He also guessed that the winner of 1 billion credit points might be Peak Trainee Warrior. Such cultivation bases under 14 or 16 years old can be called monsters. When they join the academy, they will step into an elite base in a few days. "Zack, how are you going to handle the coming storm?" James muttered to himself. At that moment, he forgot about the assassins and bounty hunters. If Zack can emerge as the winner from peer challenges, then there is nothing to worry about outside threats. He believes that Zack''s teacher will take care of the outside problem. But when it comes to the road Zack can only walk himself. He decided to have a good talk with Zack about it. He knows Zack is a mature child. If he can cross this hurdle, then he won''t be afraid of other participants in the Crimson Hall competition. BUZZ A notification sound resonated inside the room. James glanced at the contact number before attending the call. He asked, "What is it now?" He knows the other person is getting impatient. Arthur had requested his help to ease down the relationship between Zack and Elder Thornton. But seeing Zack''s firm attitude, how can he go against his wishes? On the other hand, hearing James''s annoying tone, Arthur doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. In front of him, Elder Thornton is hearing their conversations. Because Arthur put it on speaker. ? "Did you talk to Zack?" Arthur inquired. James sighed and said, "Yes, he decided to take some rest for a few days before going out." A quick glint flashes in Elder Thornton''s eyes. "What happened to this child?" He thought to himself. Usually, Zack comes to their Hansen Campus after his monster-zone excursion. Because he needs to travel via Red Stone City to reach his home. So Zack had no other choice but to stop by the Red Stone City. But this time, Zack didn''t even come to their campus. "Strange," he grumbled. But the next second he realised something. He directly asked, "Is he injured?" Hearing that Arthur had blacklines in his forehead Earlier, Elder said he wouldn''t interfere in his conversation. But right now he is interjecting openly. James heard a deep voice this time. He had no doubt whose voice belonged to. His expression turned solemn for a moment. "Why this secrecy? He can talk to me directly, "James said in his heart. But the next second, he retracted his thoughts and answered politely, "Elder, Zack is doing alright now and he has a Mid-level Special Trainee cultivation base." A happy glint flashes in Elder Thornton''s eyes. Even Arthur was surprised. Earlier, everyone opposed Zack''s trip. He even scolded his friend James, who proposed it. But Zack somehow benefited from the trip in the end. Which is also good for their campus. At this time, Elder Thornton and Arthur looked into each other''s eyes. They have a tacit understanding of each other. It''s not a good idea to push him any further now that he''s made a breakthrough. So Elder Thornton was satisfied with Zack''s progression. He decided to let him rest for a few days. Then he signalled to Arthur to end the conversation. Seeing that, Arthur nodded and replied, "It''s good news, which we all needed right now. Tell Zack to take a rest without any worries. We are fine with it. Then I''ll call you back later. " James breathed in relief. It''s good that both of them understand the situation. Then suddenly, he decided to ask about the monster genius who won 1 billion credit points. "Arthur," he said. On the other hand, Arthur decided to end the call but paused his movements at the last second. Arthur asked, "Is there anything you want to ask?" Hearing from James about the news that was released a couple of minutes ago, Elder Thornton''s eyes widened in surprise. He immediately accessed his sci-fi watch to read the news. Both of them were in the meeting hall, so they didn''t check the news. Elder Thornton''s eyes quickly scanned the trending articles from the red stone city''s media houses. "It''s as James spoke, a monster genius popped up all of a sudden," Elder Thornton said. Arthur''s breath quickens faster. If this is true, then what is the exact cultivation basis of such geniuses? Arthur worries that some stupid meida houses in Redstone City will take this topic to compare against Zack. Already, they are debating about a challenge post from the new young warriors of Red Stone City. Now this will gain further attention.Then everyone will further stare at their campus''s direction. Several thoughts were running throughout his mind. The atmosphere turned solemn for a moment. This situation can''t be discussed on the call. In order to make future preparations, they need to formalise some plans. In particular, how to keep the media from exacerbating the situation. Elder Thornton finally said, "Okay, James. It''s a serious topic, we can discuss it in person later." Then they talked about a few more things before ending the call. After ending the call, Arthur looked at Elder Thornton for some answers. "This smells like trouble," Elder Thornton said. Their little Hansen Campus got famous because of Zack. Other than Zack, there is no one here to uphold their reputation. That''s why they didn''t accept the challenge requested by the young warriors without Zack''s consent. Now, he doesn''t know? What problems will this minor development cause?He also thinks that Iron Post City''s monster genius may come from Tier-7 City. As this thought arose, his expression condensed greatly. Zack''s images flash before his eyes. He was worried about Zack as well. More than the challenges issued by local warriors, he fears the challenges from Tier-7 city warriors will trouble Zack greatly. Elder Thornton has made some firm decisions right now. He looked at Arthur and said, "Arthur, you go to Zack''s house right now." "What?" Arthur was startled. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? He was expecting something else. But he didn''t expect Elder to say this. What does he want me to do? Looking at his expression, Elder Thornton answered, "You go and see, what are his intentions? If he needs something, you can tell me right away. We need his presence here more than now." Arthur nodded at him in understanding. He sighed inside. If not for the previous misunderstanding, we wouldn''t have had to be hesitant now. As per the Elder''s order, he can check Zack''s attitude in person. Chapter 373 Change Of Plans (From MC''s Perspective) Lockwood Residence, I stopped my cultivation five hours later. Then I checked the amount of lightning essence gathered in my dantian. Seeing that my reserve has increased further, I signed in relief. Next, I have to focus on lightning skills. For that, I have to use campus facilities. For a moment, I hesitated a bit. I''m avoiding this for a reason. I planned to look for a suitable monster zone next. If I go to Hansen campus now, then I''ll have to act according to their schedules. I have already seen some of the online articles. It''s really absurd that they think they can challenge me. It would have been good. If the media houses analysed the strength of the participants who attempted the star tower trial with me, The statistics clearly would have shown them the difference. But still, the media houses decided to make such a splash. I shake my head in disapproval of their methods. It will waste my time. So I think it''s better for me to go to the monster zone instead of Hansen Campus. Then, dispelling the thoughts, I got up from the ground and walked out of this little training room. I leisurely walked toward the garden and decided to take some rest. I sat on the small wooden bench and leaned back a little. Then I thought about the news. I decided to see what''s trending right now. I have a gut feeling that something is wrong. As this thought arose, I felt my chest tighten a little. Then I accessed the trending news via Sci-Fi Watch. Seeing the news of Iron Post City, my expression turned solemn. "What is going on?" I mumbled under my breath. Then I saw something unbelievable. The news about City Lord Aaron Powell is currently trending online. Seeing that, I clicked on the headline to read further. The more I read the news, the more my heart boils in anger. I have told them before I''m not okay with my identity being revealed. But this City Lord used my identity to gain public approval. "[email protected]," I muttered. I will tell Mr. Jonathan about it. I guess the city lord doesn''t know about my ties with Mr. Jonathan. If he had known, he wouldn''t have dared do this PR stunt. A small smile rose on my face as I thought about it. After clearing my mind, I walked back to the house. When I walked past the hall, I came across Uncle James. He paused his movements right after seeing me. I saw conflicting emotions in his eyes. I walked up to him in concern and asked, "Uncle, is everything alright?" I couldn''t help but think there was something bothering him. Mr. James let out a small sigh after hearing that. His conversation with Arthur occupied his thoughts right now. He looked at Zack and asked, "Did you watch the news?" "News?" I said. I realised he was talking about me. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Why is he asking about me? I asked back, "Uncle, what''s wrong?" Mr. James couldn''t hide his worries anymore. He led Zack towards his study room for private conversations. He knows walls have ears. Especially after Zack''s return, he is more concerned about his safety. Inside the study room, both of them sat in their seats. The next second, Mr. James begins to talk about his concern regarding the Tier-7 cities'' geniuses. At first, my reaction was normal, but as I continued to listen, my expression turned dark. I''ve heard people make conspiracy theories, but my uncle''s theory is too much. "I also spoke with Elder Thornton and Arthur. We also believe that the Iron Post City record holder may be from a Tier-7 city," he said solemnly. When I heard that, I almost choked myself. For a moment, I began to regret hiding the information from Uncle James. At least he would have stopped worrying about me. Should I tell him or not? I fell into contemplation. On one hand, I''m listening to his words. At the same time, I thought it was good this way. What if he worries more after I reveal the news? Whatever is happening right now is best for me. My complexion turned normal after gaining some clarity. Because the media houses will come up with the same theory. In this way, I can avoid the spotlight while they are debating about Tier-7 cities'' geniuses. Finally, my heart returns to peace. When Uncle James finished his words, I assured him that I would take care of myself. Only after hearing those words did his complexion turn better. "Good," "Good," he said twice. Then Mr. James decided to bring up the topic of Hansen Campus. He knows if he doesn''t ask right now, then those two will call him back again. "Zack, Are you sure about returning back to Hansen campus a few days later? " Mr. James asked. He is sure that Elder Thornton must have plans regarding Tier-7 cities. But he previously refused to talk about it on call. So he feels it is better for Zack to meet him sooner and solve the misunderstanding. Hearing his questions, I don''t know what to say. Clearly, I have told him, I''m not going anywhere for now. Soon I realised where this is coming from. Mr. Arthur might have contacted him. "Uncle, I decided to visit the monster zone next," I replied. Mr. James was surprised to hear that. He thought that after a month-long trip, Zack was mentally fatigued. But he wants to go to the monster zone. He feels Zack is taking too much on himself. He is sure to be under a lot of pressure to prove himself. He was literally moved by Zack''s words. SIGH So he decided to hear it first, "Which monster zones are you planning to visit?" He asked. Hearing that, my lips swept into an arc before saying, "Black Forest." "What?" Uncle James was slightly taken by my words. But I know my strength. I can handle those weird monsters dwelling in the back forest. Mr. James commented, "Your courage is commendable. But black forest is now classified. " "After that unexplainable mutation, that place is now visited by medical scientists. It''s more appropriate to call it a research place than a monster zone," he added further. Hearing that, I felt disappointment in my heart. I never thought that place would attract so many people. Maybe this explains why there are so many weird monsters out there. "Sigh, Uncle, do you know any suitable monster zones for me?" I asked. I''m asking him to look for it so that some places that were previously restricted to my uncle can get a free pass for me.In that way, I don''t have to spend a lot of credit points. On the other hand, Mr. James wasn''t surprised by Zack''s request. He almost guessed when Zack raised the topic of the monster zone. But it''s not easy to get access to and visit challenging monster zones. It will take some time. Considering Zack''s strength right now, he can easily clear small monster zones nearby. At least he needs to train in monster zones as difficult as the Black Forest. He hadn''t made any decisions right now. Looking at Zack, he said, "It will take some time, probably a few weeks. I feel you should pay a visit to Hansen campus in the meantime. " I remained silent for a moment. I knew I couldn''t avoid visiting Hansen Campus. From Uncle''s words, I guess it must be the result of his conversation with Elder Thornton and Mr. Arthur. Then, having no other choice, I nodded at him. Then we talked about a few other things before I left the study room. A few minutes later, I lay on my sofa, checking incoming messages. It''s strange that there has been no news whatsoever from Mr. Jonathan so far. Why is he taking so much time? Is that hideout really dangerous? What could be more dangerous than carnivore bugs? Numerous questions run through my mind. Then I checked the news again. I want to see what the impact of the news in Red Stone City is. Soon, through my sci-fi watch, I accessed the local news site. My eyes gleamed with surprise. As expected, the news sites were picking this up. Seeing that, a wide smile blossomed on my face. I made the right decision by not telling him. I can''t imagine the aftermath if the information leaked out. Best This place would have been swarmed by reporters right now. Then I proceeded to check the comments. "Is this news real or fake?" "Wow, the city lord is alive." "Ha...Ha...Ha... I thought he had escaped. " "The city lord is shameless. Why is he deciding to come out right now?" "He should be jailed." "Die******" Looking at the mixed responses, I don''t know how to take it. Most of the comments are abuse directed at the city lord. I can understand their emotions. I had no sympathy for the city lord myself. I believe most of the comments were from residents of Iron Post City. I can guess that previously they were waiting for him to show up. Now that he has arrived, people are releasing a barrage of attacks on him. Chapter 374 Returning Back To Hansen After Long Time (From MC''s Perspective) Two days later, I decided to pay a visit to Hansen campus. If I did not leave now, then I believe Uncle wouldn''t even proceed to look for monster zones. Before exiting the house, I wore a black hoodie on top to prevent others from noticing me. Then after bidding goodbye to granny park, I walked out of the house. Thankfully, I found no one suspicious near my house. I then headed straight towards the air car platform. Walking down the street, I didn''t fail to observe the pedestrians. Through perception, I monitor the area around me. I can easily find anyone with suspicious behavior once they entered my perception range. Fortunately, that''s not the case with my house. But I don''t think Hansen campus will be peaceful like here. I have watched some videos. In that video some people are camping outside of our campus. I believe they want to meet authorities. But with Elder Thornton''s attitude, I think he didn''t give any response so far. Thinking about it gives me a headache right now. Anyway I''m going to lock myself in combat training room. And I won''t get out until evening. A Few minutes later, I reached the air car platform. Then I spotted a familiar cab driver amongst the group of drivers. Everyone is waiting for customers to come in. I walked up to the driver and greeted him with a smile. The old driver was surprised to see me and this guy knows my identity. So he clearly avoided others and led me towards his cab. "I heard Red Stone City has become frenzy because of you," the old driver uttered in surprise. Hearing that I chuckled and replied, "Let''s go, we will talk on the way." The driver nodded at me before he got inside. Seeing that I entered the cab and sat leisurely back in the window seat. Next, the air car rose from the platform slowly. Then the driver drove the air car towards the destination. The air car flew past at good speed as there is no traffic in this morning time. While looking at the ground, I asked the driver, " Are there any reporters who came here recently?" "Reporters?" The driver said. Then after contemplating for a moment, he answered,"I don''t know but there are some new faces around the community recently." Hearing that I furrowed my eyebrows in doubt. New faces huh? It''s worth looking into it. Because this white stone city is small city full of residents and little shops. It''s not a tourist destination at all. Looks like I need to check my neighborhood. It''s good to take precautionary measures. "Zack, what happened? Are you worried that there might be reporters from red stone city? " The old cab driver asked casually. I sighed and answered, "Probably, yes. These days people don''t give damn about your privacy." After saying that I added further, "Old man, if someone asks my whereabouts. Just act as if you never met me. Because some of them might be bad people." The old driver pressed a sudden break in midair, the air car stopped abruptly, then the old man asked in worry, "Kid, what are you talking about?" "He...He....He..." "Why did you stop the car? I''m just telling it''s okay to be careful," I said in a calm tone with a small smile on his face. Hearing that, old man muttered to himself,"What careful? Young people these days acting like old ones." After saying he started the car and drove fast towards the destination. Seeing the speed of the air car, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. He obviously wants to drop me down as soon as possible. Then I stopped reminding, I knew the old man is clever enough to understand the seriousness of the issue. A Couple of minutes later, he dropped me at the station. I already booked a bunch of tickets previously, there is no need to go through the hassle of buying a ticket. After walking past the crowd of passengers, I reached the familiar platform. I looked at the clock and realized the train to Red stone city would arrive in ten minutes. I felt bored right now. So I started to observe people through perception. It''s my favorite pastime. There are no high class people here like in Red stone city. These people are just normal workers who go to work in nearby cities. I found a few warriors around me. I presume they are going to Red stone city as well. As time passed, I found nothing interesting. So I stopped looking around and quietly waited for my train. Then a few minutes later, I heard the sound of train. Seeing the coming train, I reliased the train has been strengthened further. It looks more fortified than before. I don''t know how many metals they have spent on it. When the train came to a complete halt, I proceeded to enter inside. A Couple of minutes later, I was sitting in the window seat. In order to avoid any disturbance, I take out new weapon from my storage ring. It''s the mask to cover up my face. I never thought I would use it again. I remembered, I have used this thing previously at Star tower competition. Now I''m using it again. Then shaking my head helplessly, I wore the mask. With this hoodie and mask, I doubt anyone would recognize me. When the train began to depart, I decided to take some nap until the train reached Red stone city. Two hours later, The announcement woke me up from sleep. From looking at outside, I realised it''s red stone city. Then quickly I stepped out of the train and headed to the exit. After walking out, I found the air cav drive conversing at the platform. Instead of walking up to them, I quietly stood like a statue for a moment. I have this feeling that it''s not wise to tell them about my destination. Who knows these people might have come into contact with media people? If they knew my identity, there is a possibility that they would inform other people. Then I took a deep breath. I felt I was overthinking the possibilities. So I directly walked up to then without hesitation. Once I walked closer, I overheard some conversation which shook me. "Hey, did the guy from red bird pay you enough money?" "ha....ha...ha .. " "He paid me 500 credit points upfront" "What? Seriously." "Damn it, why don''t I have such luck?" "I just need to inform him once I see the kid named Zack." "Wow, star tower kid." "Yeah, that boy" Hearing their conversations my heart skips a beat for a moment. Sure, I''m not being paranoid. These things were actually happening. "Sir, where do you want to go?" A middle-aged driver walked up to me and inquired. I replied,"huh, just drop me at red berry restaurant." The red berry restaurant located right next to Hansen campus. I decided to observe the movements outside before going into campus. I''m sure I''ll find something interesting. If there is involvement of crimson hall again, I''ll find some ways to inflict damage to them. After getting inside, I avoided talking to the driver and sat back quietly. Several minutes later, the air cab slowly landed in front of the red berry restaurant. After paying the amount, I stepped outside of the car. Then I walked straight towards the restaurant. I never even looked at the campus direction. I started to monitor through perception from that moment. After entering inside, I found some corner seat to sit and ordered fresh juice. I casually looked around and there were not many people here. Some were starting to come in right now. Through perception, I began to observe a few people eating in the restaurant. I started to look for sigh like company badges or logo. It''s impossible to look for gadgets as they usually store them in their storage ring. So from badges I can identify which organization they belong to. Time passes, The waiter brought the fresh juice in time. Unfortunately, I didn''t find anything concrete so far. Unless, I ask people''s background openly. It''s difficult to find they are media people or not. Then shaking my head in helplessness, I started to drink. A Few minutes later, I walked out of the restaurant slowly. Then I headed towards the campus building. When I raised my head to see the group of people, I paused my movements for a moment. Best "Damn, people were blocking the gate," I grumbled. I saw five of them arguing with security for some reason. And few of them had gadgets in their hands, taking photographs boldly. "What is Elder doing right now?" Clearly he can tell these people to walkaway. Then why is he being silent? Numerous questions come to mind. Suddenly, I saw one of them staring at my direction. In order not to cause suspicion, I stared to walk. Due to my dressing, they couldn''t identify me. So I easily walked past them and then I found opportunity to get inside while they were arguing. "Phew," I took a deep breath after getting inside the campus. Chapter 375 Testing Against Puppets Hansen Campus, Seeing someone slipped inside, the people who were arguing with security were stunned. "Did you find out who that is?" The lean middle-aged man inquired of his colleague. They have been pressured by their superiors to collect some news. In particular, the news related hansen campus. They were pissed off, witnessing someone went inside under their nose. "No, I couldn''t see his face." His colleague replied. Hearing that they didn''t argue anymore. Everyone saw that person wore a mask to cover his face. He also used hoodie to cover his head. Who is this strange fella? Everyone puzzled. Next they decided to stay vigilant to not let anyone before they learn about that person''s identity. ... (From MC''s Perspective) I entered inside the building. For a moment, I looked at my left and right side. I saw more number of students compared to last time. There is still some time left for staff to arrive. So it''s not even total strength of the students. "What''s going on?" I mumbled under my breath. It''s quite intriguing, earlier deserted places were occupied by students. Then I stroll towards the practice room after clearing my mind. On the way, some students looked at me with strange gaze because of my mask and hoodie. Seeing that I removed the hoodie and continued to walk forward. I arrived at the trainning room few minutes later. Next, I take out my ID to scan. After scanning my ID, the metallic door immediately opened. "Creak" Seeing that, I stepped inside and the door behind me shut automatically. Next, smile blossomed on my face after seeing that training room was same as usual. Apart from me, there is no one present inside at this time. Then I walked towards the puppet training room. I hope they it''s also same as usual. I walked past the speed testing room and arrived infront of puppet training room. "Creak" I stepped inside after scanning my ID, the door then closed automatically and no will disturb me until I come out. Seeing that I proceed to select the type of puppets. I started from selecting normal wooden puppets. BUZZ When I made the selection, a wooden puppet appeared above from the ground. The fight mode was turned on by me. In few seconds, the wooden puppet will start attack me Realizing that, I take out the black sword from storage ring. When the timer was on, the wooden puppet moved. The wooden puppets movements were limited to the stage. This function can be turned on and turned off. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I just didn''t bother to turn it off. The wooden puppet current strength was at Initial level- Trainee Apprentice Warrior. I want to see the power level difference between. I aimed the sword at the wooden puppet''s head. I charged the sword with small amount of lightning essence. "SWORD DIVIDE," I said. A burst of purple light released at the wooden puppet. Next second, the wooden puppet was blast into pieces. The Special Trainee level lightning energy was unbearable for the Trainee level puppets. It was totally shredded into pieces. Next, I decided to test the lightning power by rising the power level of the puppets from Initial to mid level then Peak level Trainee Apprentice Strength. Time passed, From every test, I have noticed. I only need to charge the black sword with little more lightning essence. And everytime it was the same result. The wooden puppet was shredded into smaller pieces. Next, I decided to select special trainee level wooden puppet. Obviously this time the consumption will be large, but I would like to try it. My lightning reserve is enough to carry out my little experiment. When the initial level- special trainee puppet appeared. I charged the black sword with full lightning energy. I didn''t leave any space to left out. When the sword was brimming with purple color energy. "SWORD DIVIDE," I muttered. This time the clapping sound of purple lightning was loud enough. It reverberated inside the room. Fortunately, this metallic room was completely fortified otherwise the sound would have been noticed by others. When the purple lightning beam blasted the wooden puppet, I saw the top of the humanoid puppet completely disappeared. My eyes gleamed with interest. It''s a wooden puppet that''s why it''s top was completely disappeared. If it is replaced by living warrior without protective gear. I believe this energy is alone to cause fatal wounds. Wooden puppet is not enough for my test. So U decided to change the puppet. Then I selected the metallic puppet with Initial- Special Trainee level from the monitoring system. This metallic puppet is harder than human flesh. I wonder, how many attacks will it take to damage the metallic puppet. BUZZ The previous wooden puppet had completely disappeared. Now a brand new metallic puppet appeared above the platform. The moves made by puppets were recorded one. As long as you are familiar with puppet movements, then it''s easy to stay away from the puppet and shift your attention on being offensive. This time after charging the sword with lightning energy, I blasted the metallic puppet with sword divide move. "BOOM" a deafening sound resonates inside the room. Without minding it, then I saw the aftermath. A three and half inch dent can be seen on the puppet''s chest region. I spotted small purple arcs lingering over the metallic puppet. When it comes to Warrior, this attack would have left them with broken chest bones. No wonder, I easily dealt with those Special Trainee bandits back at Insect forest. My only trouble was those seasoned bandits. They gave me quite a headache. Then I observed my lightning reserve in my dantian. Seeing that it was enough to release a few more attacks, I selected metallic puppet with next level, Mid-level Special Trainee. The result was a 3 inch dent. Time passed, I repeated the same process with Peak level- Special Trainee puppet. This time it was resulted with 2 and half inch dent on metallic puppet. The dent size was again reduced by half. This will be the case when there is no inner armor. Based on the grade of the artifact, I believe the impact will be greatly reduced. My curiosity for Trainee Warrior level puppet was further increased. This is the level of teachers and elders here. I assume that only Elder Thornton has taken half step in Elite level. And the rest of the elders and teachers''s cultivation base was at Trainee Warrior level. I walked up to the monitoring system and selected the Trainee Warrior level puppet. BUZZ A small smile blossemed on my face hearing that sound. This time I saw the metallic puppet was different from previous one. Obviously, the puppet was further strengthened with metal elements. It can be seen from, how dense was the metallic puppet''s hand was? Next, I repeated the previous attack after charging the sword. "BOOM" the loud sound resonated inside the room. This time I saw the metallic puppet didn''t even vibrated. But I spotted one inch dent mark on it''s head. The dent size was decreased by 1 and half. It was huge difference. But I intrigued about the desinger of this metallic puppet. How did the designer make this calculation? Is it the Trainee Warrior puppet was randomly strengthened or is there any calculation behind it? A hint of curiosity rose in my heart. Considering Elder Thornton''s background, I feel it''s reliable. If this is the case, then Mid level- Peak Trainee puppet will have a half inch dent. This is just my assumption but in-order to verify. Again, I selected the next level puppet and proceeded to repeat the process. "Boom" After the aftermath, I spotted a half inch dent. I smiled,"The result was same." Then the next level was the last one. There is no more elite level puppet in this institute. Then I continued the same process with Peak Trainee puppet. Seeing that, there is no dent on it, I let out a small sigh. Then I didn''t continue with sparring, I just turned it off. I found the lightning reserve in dantian reduced to quarter. Then I sat cross legged on the ground. I didn''t take out lightning essence pearl to cultivate. Rather I fell into contemplation. There is no problem with lightning power. It''s destruction power will increase whenever there is a cultivation breakthrough. The problem lies in skills. I took a few more seconds in charging the sword. There was slight improvement compared to a month ago. Currently, I have intermediate level proficiency both in sword divide and Lightning wheel techniques. But this is not enough. If I met opponent with better skills, then it will expose my flaw right away. Considering the crimson hall competition few months away. I need to increase my skill level further. At-least I need to reach proficient level. These are modern day level method. Considering ancient skill division, my skill comes under a small wheel. In that proficient level is just sub level of small wheel. I can''t imagine the effect of further levels. I can operate the lightning techniques in the blink of an eye. That would be deadly. For current me, I should reach proficient level before the competition. After gaining some clarity, I decided to go with speed test. Chapter 376 Elder Thorntons New Surprise For Zack Hansen Campus, Beep! Elder Thornton squinted eyes as he saw the new notification popped- up in the projection screen. He was looking at his mail as part of his daily routine. But, all of a sudden this new notification came up, he clicked the notification to read further. Next second, he got up from the seat in surprise. Because he saw the name of Zack in notification. Earlier, he changed the settings to remind him whenever a person with Zack''s ID, scans the monitor system. Now, from the monitor system he received notification that someone with Zack''s ID had entered the combat training room. Elder Thornton guessed, that person most presumably Zack. Then without thinking further, he contacted Arthur. He instructed him to come to his cabin as soon as possible. Since, Zack is here. He needs to think about the next course of plan. He knew reporters waiting outside of the building. He wondered, how did Zack bypass them to enter the building? His eyes gleamed with surprise. Then he muttered,"How to clear the misunderstanding between us?" Last time, he accused Zack of hoarding their resources. But from that kid''s point of view, he had demanded the rare resources which he was in need of. He glanced at the projection screen. The name of Zack is blinking in green color. Which shows Zack began to practise using one of the facilities inside the combat training room. So it will take some time for him to leave. Which gives plenty of time to Elder Thornton to think of a viable plan. A few minutes later, his cabin door was opened by Arthur. He walked inside with a worrisome expression on his face. Taking a glance at him, Elder Thornton understands his mood. "Cough" "Cough" He coughed twice to clear the awkward atmosphere. Earlier, he was the one who pressured Arthur to visit Zack''s house. But unexpectedly the trip was canceled due to some other issue. Arthur sat opposite to him and asked, "Elder, what happened?" After saying that he waited for Elder to explain, he has been pressured by Elder lately. Ever since Zack left for the insect forest. Elder Thornton wanted him to learn about his every move. So having no other choice, he asked his good friend James about Zack. So with his help he was able to withstand the pressure so far. But now he heard Zack has returned. He doesn''t have to continue it anymore. Looking at Arthur, Elder Thornton said, "That kid Zack is now training inside the combat chamber." He said it in a calm tone. But for Arthur it took some seconds to realize. "What?" He exclaimed in surprise. He had expected they needed to come up with something to convince Zack. But it looks like they were overthinking so far. SIGH Elder Thornton let out a deep sigh. Casting a glance at the screen again, he commented, "Looks like the kid has been practicing hard." A quick glint flashes in Arthur''s eyes. If it was earlier, he would have celebrated Zack''s success. But now with geniuses from Tier-7 city popping up, he worries that Zack''s current strength is not enough to handle them. Getting no response from Arthur, Elder Thornton raised his eyebrows and asked, "What? Are you not happy?" Arthur was stunned. He immediately refuted by saying, "Elder, I''m happy with his progression. But looking at Tier-7 Cities'' warriors. I don''t know how to react." Elder Thornton didn''t doubt his words. Even he has some concerns about it. But it can''t be helped. From the very beginning, Tier-7 cities have maintained their dominance over Tier-8. In recent decades, he hardly saw any Tier-8 City getting promoted to Tier-7. "If Zack was born in Tier-7 City, he would have reached Peak Trainee level by now," Elder Thornton said in a solemn tone. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? ? Arthur nodded hearing his words. Even if they don''t know about Zack''s element, at least they can see Zack''s cultivation talent. Zack''s talent is no worse than the geniuses of Tier-7 City. Suddenly, a doubt rose in his heart. Arthur asked, "Elder, What are you expecting from Zack?" He was obviously talking about the crimson hall''s competition. He can''t recall how many times they have discussed it. But seeing there is no leak of information from crimson hall, he couldn''t help but worry. If Zack can pass this hurdle successfully, then he will be recruited by those giant academies. And then his future will be limitless. For this, Elder Thornton has a mirthless grin on his face. He commented, "Arthur, you are forgetting something. Zack had ''D" rank quota." He further added, "Despite his future performance, it was clear that he will join a certain academy." Hearing that a look of understanding appeared on Arthur''s face. Zack doesn''t have to bet his life on the line. As long as he plays safe and remains undefeated for several rounds, then his name will be known by everyone. In that way, their hansen institute will gain further reputation. Then the sponsors, resources and new wave students were just around the corner. These are all good things. Then why is he not happy about it? Arthur looked at Elder Thornton with a puzzling gaze. Elder Thornton saw through his thoughts. He replied, "I''m worried because Crimson hall had already forged enmity with Zack. Obviously they will act against him if there is a chance." Then he continued to say,"We still don''t know about the competition. But knowing how cunning they are? I feel the crimson hall will do something to benefit themselves. Which also gives them an opportunity to target their enemies." Elder Thornton also wanted to say, if something happens to Zack then his teacher will make the hansen institute disappear along with him. Realizing that he gulped his saliva. He is most terrified about Zack''s teacher not crimson hall. But there is also some hope in his heart that Zack''s teacher won''t let anything dangerous befall on Zack. So, in short, the current Hansen Institute is riding on a tiger. Anything can happen to it in the future. Arthur sighed inside. He understands that they won''t be able to help if Zack gets targeted at the competition. The atmosphere turned quiet for a moment. Elder Thornton decided to drop this matter and want to discuss the current things. "So, what do you think? This kid won''t be pleased unless we give something that benefits him," Elder Thornton said. "Breakthrough Pills," Arthur replied. Elder Thornton shakes his head in disapproval. "I guess, he got a breakthrough recently, the pills won''t help be helpful for now," he said. Arthur nodded in understanding. It might take a few months for Zack to get next breakthrough. Then suddenly a good idea comes to his mind. This idea is viable for the current situation and it will help Zack to improve his strength further. "Elder, what about getting a monster zone pass for him?" Arthur asked. Hearing that Elder Thornton fell into contemplation. This idea seems not bad at all. But considering Zack''s strength right now. The nearby monster zones won''t be challenging that much. If Zack can survive insect forest successfully, which shows he can escape from peak trainee warriors. But there is a huge problem. If Zack''s whereabouts were known by hostile forces. In particular, Crimson hall. He doubts they will pass the chance to kill Zack. He can imagine the scenario where the monster zone is filled by bounty hunters in search of Zack. So he canceled the monster zone idea right now. Last time, he was lucky to save Zack from assassination. But he can''t be sure about the future. Before the start of the competition. It would be best if no one knows about his whereabouts. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind about sending Zack to an unexpected place. A place which can''t be predicted by the other forces including the crimson hall. Then a quick glint flashes in his eyes. Recently his old friend requested some help from him. It''s about exploring an abandoned site. He remembered his old friend mumbling about that place. That site belongs to a very old era. More than the site he was interested in that actual location. The side was located in the middle of the forest. And that forest was creepy, almost similar to the insect forests. That place is also plagued by deadly monsters. Along with improving his strength, Zack can also widen his horizon. If not for Zack''s successful survival from insect forest, he wouldn''t have thought about this plan. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided that the place would be suitable for Zack''s next training. When it comes to exploration sites, he can help his friend whenever he has time. He is sure that crimson hall won''t be able to find anything. Finally, a wide smile blossomed on his face as he thought of this good plan. Arthur was startled, he knew the Elder had thought of a good plan and he couldn''t wait to listen. "Elder?" Arthur said. Elder Thornton almost forgot about Arthur''s existence. He said, "I thought of something good. You can leave now and bring me Zack later. I know he will come to you after the practice." Hearing that Arthur nodded at him before he left his cabin. Chapter 377 Part 1: Trunulesia Forest? (From MC''s perspective) "Creak" the door opens I walked out of the combat training room. Then I looked at the sci-fi watch and realised. In fact, I have spent four hours in training. So far, the training has been very successful. Next, I want to try the gravity training chamber after lunch. Then I will go home later without any worries. After gaining some clarity, I decide to freshen up. Then I make my way to the school''s restrooms. A few minutes later, I put on new clothes and put the dirty clothes back in the storage ring. As I decided to move, a Beep! Sound rang in my ears. I saw that Mr. Arthur was calling me. Then I answered the call. "Hello...", I said. "Zack, are you done with your training?" inquired Arthur. Hearing this, I replied, "Yes, I am coming to your cabin now." Arthur was happy to hear that and cheerfully replied, "Okay, I''ll wait for you here." After saying that, I ended the call because I already felt bad for not calling him back last time. Most of all, I neglected his call after I came back home. Shaking my head, I increased my pace. A few minutes later, "creak" the door opens. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I went into Arthur''s cubicle and sat down in the chair opposite him. The atmosphere was dull for a moment. Mr. Arthur was working on the projection screen. I did not disturb him and decided to wait until he finished. On the other side, Arthur glanced briefly at Zack before turning back to the projection screen. Arthur does not make it hard for Zack on purpose. He suddenly received an important email. He takes his time to answer it. A few minutes later, Arthur finally finished his work. He heaved a deep sigh before turning to Zack. "Zack, how are you?" asked Arthur with a smile on his face. Hearing this, I replied with a smile, "I am fine, Mr. Arthur, and you?" "I am fine," he said before his expression tightened. His serious look startled me and I asked, "What happened?" "Zack, I hope you can clear up the misunderstanding with Elder Thornton," Arthur said in a solemn tone. I was silent for a moment. I remembered my last encounter with Elder Thornton. I felt that there was actually no serious misunderstanding between us. I was just annoyed by his constant bickering. So I decided to stay away from him for a while. I sighed inwardly. Uncle James also wished for the same thing. Finally, I decided to let it go and move on. I looked at Mr. Arthur and replied, "All right, I will forget the old things." Arthur sighed with relief. Earlier, he had really thought it would take some time to convince Zack. But now things were going smoothly. He could not help but relax a little. Now he did not have to listen to Elder Thornton''s whining. Then he asked Zack to come back after lunch. He specifically mentioned that Elder Thornton had something to tell him. When Zack left the room, Arthur called Elder Thornton to inform him of Zack''s change of heart. Arthur knows that he had some doubts, but he himself does not know what Elder Thornton has in mind. At the same time, after leaving Arthur''s cabin. I stroll to the school cafeteria. As usual, I wore a mask to hide my face. Time passed, This time I ate much more food. My strange behaviour attracted everyone''s attention. But they could not recognise my face because of the mask. Without caring about their stares, I continued to complete the food on my plate. A few minutes later, I left the cafeteria and went back to Mr. Arthur''s cabin. Images of Elder Thornton flashed before my eyes. I wonder what he is up to now? To be honest, I want to know if Elder Thornton had any information about Crimson Hall. That would help me immensely. Soon I reached Mr. Arthur''s cabin again. As I approached to open the door. A silhoutte came from the cabin. I saw Mr. Arthur come out just in time. When he saw me, he was startled and asked, "Zack, can we go now?" Hearing this, I nodded. Then Mr. Arthur led me to Elder Thornton''s cabin. On the way there, we encountered some students who bowed to Mr. Arthur before looking at me with strange looks. I grinned inwardly because some of these fellows were older students of mine. I wonder what they would think if they saw my face. Then we walked past them. On the other side, Arthur showed a little smile. He too noticed this little episode. Except for Zack, he does not usually spend time with other students. Therefore, some of the students were suspicious after watching the two of them. He cast an appreciative glance at Zack. "He was clearly wearing a mask to hide his face. It''s difficult for people to know his true identity." A few minutes later, they both arrived in front of Elder Thornton''s cabin. "Creak!" the door opened. We entered the cabin. When Elder Thornton saw us coming, he tuned in to us with a bright smile on his face. I had the feeling that he was mainly verifying my cultivation base. But my pendent will thwart his attempt. "Zack, come here and sit down. It''s been months since I have seen you," Elder Thornton said enthusiastically. He had even forgotten Arthur''s existence. Arthur, on the other hand, did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had not expected Elder Thornton to change so drastically. Arthur saw that there was no trace of dissatisfaction in Elder''s face. Then he stepped forward and took a seat next to Zack. Hearing Elder''s words, I was taken aback. I thought he was acting arrogantly. Why this sudden change of heart? A hint of doubt rose in my heart. After taking my seat, I made myself comfortable. Then something suddenly occurred to me. Maybe the elder is showing his face to me because of my teacher. There is no doubt about that. The doubts in my heart were swept away when I realised this. "Elder, I heard you have something to talk about?" I asked. No way, I do not like this awkwardness. It''s better to jump into the discussion. Hearing this, the elder Thornton smiled. Actually, he was a bit exuberant because of his earlier phone call with his old friend. The two had had a fruitful conversation. His old friend also agreed to have Zack work at their reconnaissance site. Elder Thornton leaned back comfortably in his seat before starting the conversation. He glanced at Zack before saying, "Zack, your performance in the Insect Forest exceeded our expectations. Not only did you survive the deadly insects, but you broke through in the end." A brief glint flashes in my eyes as I hear his appreciation. Where is this going? Did Uncle James tell him something? Especially about my request to train in monster zones? Noticing the look on Elder Thornton''s face, I thought it was not wise to remain silent. So I answered, "Well, I was lucky to have survived. And I also left the place before it fell into chaos. At that moment Arthur spoke up, "Is this about those Peak Trainee Warriors?" I turned to him and replied, "Yes, apart from deadly insects colonies, I have never seen so many trainee warriors in one place." The elder Thornton nodded at this point. He too sensed that Zack was moving on. So there is no need to think about old things. Finally, he decided to announce the news. He said, "Zack, I have chosen a suitable place for the next training." When I heard that, my eyes lit up with surprise. Moreover, Arthur was the first to ask, "Elder, which monster zone did you choose?" Earlier, the elder had said to him that he did not agree with monster zones. So what happened now? Hearing Arthur-san''s question, I was also waiting for Elder to answer. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." Elder Thornton let out a small laugh before saying, "It''s not a monster zone. But a dangerous place like the insect forest." "What?" This time I was taken seriously again by his words. He had actually found another place that resembled the Insect Forest. Damn! Unlike me, Mr. Arthur beside me panicked. "Elder, are you sure?" He asked. "You know he was lucky enough to escape from this insect forest. Why did you choose such a place?" added Arthur further. When I heard his words, I wanted to disagree. Because actually I was excited to hear this similar place. But before I could say anything, Elder Thornton said, "Trunulesia." "Trunulesia," I said. That word did not ring a bell with me. Then I saw Mr. Arthur; he seemed to know something. "Is this where the mutant class monsters live?" asked Arthur. Hearing this, I turned to Elder Thornton. Elder Thornton looked at both of them and answered in a calm tone, "Yes, the Trunulesia Forest. It is a little different from the Insect Forest. There you had to deal with deadly insects. But here you will encounter mutated monsters." I swallowed my saliva as I heard this. When it comes to mutant class monsters, the only one that comes to mind is the tree monster kind. I remember how difficult it was to escape from its roar. The atmosphere calmed down for a moment. I felt their gazes on me. But various doubts rose in my heart. I have only heard of class monsters being locked up in monster zones. So what is it about the Trunulesia Forest? Chapter 378 Rumors? (From MC''s perspective) Hansen Campus, Elder Thornton saw Zack''s confusion. He said, "These mutant monsters are very different from those confined in monster zones." Hearing that my eyes gleamed with surprise. I looked at him for further explanation. I have a vague feeling in my heart that trunulesia forest might be more dangerous than insect forest. Beside me, Mr. Arthur also patiently listened to Elder''s words. Seeing that two of them were interested to hear further, Thornton decided to disclose the news fully. "The trunulesia forest underwent mutation a long time ago because changes happened at a nearby old ruin site." "The unknown change not only caused the mutation to forest, it also caused the mutation to monsters dwelling in it" After saying that he observed the reaction of Arthur and Zack. He gave them some time to digest the news. Hearing this piece of information blows away my mind. How come an old ruin site has powers to do that? For a long time, I thought the ruins were nothing but abandoned buildings sites from bygone eras. But it looks like things were not just simple. I asked,"Elder, what exactly is the old ruin site?" Why do I feel? The ruin site is more important than the forest. To think it caused mutation, obviously the site itself is a most dangerous place. A quick glint flashes in Elder Thornton''s eyes. He predicted the information would intrigue Zack. So he answered with a smile, "I don''t know?" "What?" I was startled a little bit. As expected this Trunulesia forest seems to be nothing like an insect forest. How come I am going to face this? A hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. It''s hard to survive with lack of information. Atleast at insect forest, the place was divided into outer area and inner area. What about the trunulesia forest? I saw Elder Thornton is taking too much time in explaining things. I wrinkled my eyebrows in tension. Elder Thornton smiled bitterly after seeing the reaction of both. Then he said,"Actually, nobody is able to find the reason. Because the mutation was happened long time ago." "Probably, several hundred years," he added. "So far we came to know that mutant monsters are dwelling in it, afraid of going outside. In the morning, there is no monster activity. But at night the entire forest was found to be alive. " "Some Elite warriors in history tried to capture some monsters but after getting contact with them they were soon found to be infected by the mutant monsters, resulting in death," Elder Thornton answered in solemn tone. I sucked cold breath. How to defeat such a thing? Elder Thornton continued to say, "Imagine that place like a special zone. The trunulesia forest has its own special environment due to mutation. It also became a safe haven for mutant monsters." "If the mutant monsters walk out of the forest, they will die. Only the special environment makes them survive. So it''s typically naturally formed monster zones." "This place is indeed more dangerous than an insect forest," I replied. I asked, "Elder, then how will you survive in that forest?" This is the doubt which bugs me greatly. If I can''t get close to the monster, then how am I going to defeat it? How did predecessors die? Are mutant monsters causing any infection? Or they died because of the special environment of the forest. At this time, I heard Elder Thornton''s words. Which solved my doubts. "In order to protect yourself, you need to wear full body safety gear specifically designed for Trunulesia forest explorers," Elder Thornton said with a smile. I sighed in relief. Atleast, there is something which can protect me from that special environment. I don''t know whether I''m able to improve my strength in that forest. But at least I can have some protection from the outside world. After the Trunulesia mission, I will participate in Crimson Hall''s competition directly. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I have to say, Elder Thornton had really found a strange place for me. I guess, no one will be able to find my whereabouts before crimson hall''s competition. I asked, "Elder, when should I leave?" Elder Thornton remained silent for a moment. He didn''t reply immediately but he watched Arthur''s expression. He can obviously see traces of worry from his eyes. Elder Thornton knew how dangerous that place was. That''s why he is letting Zack join his friend''s team. In that way, he can escape from any trouble with the help of the team. He sighed and said, "Zack, I''m not sending you alone." Hearing that, a quick glint flashes in Arthur''s eyes. "Sure, there is a catch here," Arthur thought to himself. Elder Thornton and Arthur looked into each other''s eyes. I''m not going alone. What does he mean by that? I saw Elder Thornton look at Arthur before turning towards me. "At this time, you must have realised how dangerous that place is?" "Actually, an old friend of mine is going to that old ruin site for exploration. He had asked me to arrange for a helper. So, I''m recommending you," Elder Thornton answered with a smile. Finally, a realization struck my mind. That''s how it is? I actually thought Elder Thornton voluntarily selected that place for me. But it looks like I''m going to be just a helper. I feel my action will be hindered in this way. Will his friend allow me to venture inside the forest? A lot of doubts appeared in my heart. "Elder, If I stick around your old friend, then how am I going to train separately?" I asked in a dejected tone. "Don''t worry about it. I briefed everything to him. You just have to assist him with his work and in free time you can train inside the forest," Elder Thornton replied. Hearing that I nodded and finally my tensed expression eases down a little. SIGH Elder Thornton let out a sigh before saying, "My friend didn''t reveal the exact date. But I believe by this week he will tell me about it. So In meantime you can practise here as usual." Then he looked at Arthur and asked, "Arthur, what about you? Are you okay with the arrangements?" Mr. Arthur doesn''t know what to say. But he can see what Elder Thornton''s thought behind this. He let out a small laugh and said, "Elder, I''m happy as long as the environment is safe for Zack." Elder Thornton nodded and replied, "what we need to do now? is to block the prying eyes of crimson hall." "Crimson Hall," I muttered. I almost forgot to ask about the crucial question. "Crimson hall, what are they upto these days?" Mr. Arthur looked at Elder Thornton. Seeing that Elder Thornton signalled him to answer this time, he replied,"It was the same as before. Not a single piece of information is getting outside of the crimson hall." Hearing that I wrinkled my eyebrows, "How could it be?" Mr. Arthur could see the same doubt in Zack''s eyes, which plagued everyone''s mind. "We also don''t know, How did they do it? Even their Ally organization was helpless in this situation," Arthur answered in a solemn tone. At this time, Elder Thornton said, "Zack, don''t think about them now. Just focus on your training. I want to see how long they can conceal the information?" Obviously, Crimson Hall''s discussion made everyone''s mood dull. We talked about iron posts before bringing the discussion to an end. After leaving the cabin, I separated from Mr. Arthur and walked towards the gravity room. I wore the mask to hide my face again. On the way, I encountered a few students but they didn''t mind my presence. A few minutes later, I reached the gravity training room. After stepping inside, I found the place was crowded as usual. Students were conversing with each other. Some were waiting for other students to finish their training in the gravity chamber. Suddenly, I overheard a conversation. "Have you heard the rumors?" "Our chairman has sent Zack to trian in Tier-7 City." "What? This is unfair" "We should strongly protest against this" Hearing the conversation, I almost choked. What is going on here? I looked at the group of people who were seriously discussing me. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Who is spreading lies about me? I walked up to the group of five. Seeing me coming, five of them stopped their conversation and turned towards me. "Who are you?" A skinny looking student inquired about me. Five of them also looked at me suspiciously. Fortunately, I wore a mask. Otherwise, It will be difficult to inquire about news from them. "Cough" "I''m one of the passed out students from this institute. I just overheard your conversation which piqued my curiosity?" I said with a smile. Hearing that five of them looked at each other before turning towards me. "What do you want?" Another student inquired. Hearing that I chuckled and asked, "Tell me about the rumour? Is this true?" The atmosphere was silent for a moment. Seeing their hesitation, I added further, "Don''t worry, I''m just asking casually." Hearing my words, all of them calmed down. Chapter 379 Sorens Condition (From MC''s perspective) "Senior, we don''t know the exact details. But we heard it from other students. " The skinny student said. Hearing that, I wrinkled my eyebrows. Obviously, I won''t believe the rumour started to spread out of nowhere. Who''s behind it? I pondered for a moment. Then I decided to let it go. Right now, my training is more important. I take a glance at five of them before turning towards the gravity chamber. ... The Iron Post City, City Lord Aaron Powell is currently looking at the reports. There were a lot of casualties reported in the last two days. He doesn''t know whether the trend will continue in the coming weeks. SIGH He let out a deep sigh before muttering, "What is happening out there?" "Why is Soren not dead yet?" A couple of days ago, his superior assured him that the bandit boss would be no more in the future. After saying that, he didn''t even reveal any further details. Having no choice, he blindly trusted his superior words. But as the days go by, he is getting more impatient. He already made an announcement that he would be taking care of the office. If things go south now, it will further plummet his reputation. "Should I make some backup plans?" He muttered to himself. But his superior had already warned him to stay away from this matter. Gritting his teeth, he finally decided to wait for a few days. Who knows, he might hear some good news? After gaining some clarity, he picked up another report to read. It''s about the reward. 150,000 credit points were given in the last two days. A foreign adventurers'' team received the reward. A slight glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at the report, because he remembered Zack Lockwood at this time. "That kid? Why is there no news so far?" Aaron Powell''s eyes gleamed with surprise. He is also keeping an eye on various news sites. Every media house debated the 1 billion credit point winner. But none of them were able to find his actual identity. Aaron feels things are not as simple as they seem. Maybe that young man had some background, because otherwise he wouldn''t have told us not to reveal his name. His expression hardened further. He is actually hoping for good relations with Zack. He believes that Zack''s presence will instill fear among the bandits. In that way, the banditry will be reduced gradually. And the economic loss of the city can be controlled. But all of his plans were based upon successful cooperation from Zack. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Now they don''t even know the other party''s background. How come he is going to contact him? His mind was a little bit sullen after hearing bad news one after another. He can''t let the city worsen further. "I will wait a few days. If Soren was not dead by then, I should contact my superior, "Aaron Powell mumbled under his breath. When the city lord was lost in his thoughts, a silhouette entered the city without informing him. He is none other than Elder Brody Roth from the Roth family. He was supposed to come here a few days ago. But his plan was delayed by May Ford Academy''s affairs. When he walked out of the train station, he immediately called Mateo Roth. A few minutes later, a luxurious air car landed in front of him slowly. Elder Brody jumped into the air car as soon as it touched down. Mateo was sitting in the seat next to him. "Hey kid, you still don''t want to show your face?" Elder Brody asked in an amusing tone. He was not offended by Mateo''s attitude. Before coming here, Mateo had already informed him that he didn''t want to appear in front of the public. Because, in recent days, the performance of foreign adventurer teams from various cities has amazed everyone. which in turn made everyone take a look at their own team. Some time ago, Mateo''s Fire Sword Team was the strongest team. Because of the family''s order, Mateo had stayed away from the affairs of the iron post city. His team''s absence raised some eyebrows because of it. Seeing the absence of his team, people started to criticise him deeply. He noticed Mateo''s mood was sullen because of it. Shaking his head in disapproval, Elder Brody commented, "Why are you still thinking about the bandit hunting mission?" A bright glint flashes in Mateo''s dull eyes. Hearing the elder Roth''s question, he answered, "It''s because a single person''s achievement made me look back at my own progress." "It will be even harder for me to kill that many warriors at Insect Forest." Elder Brody''s eyes flashed with a cold glint. Obviously, he too heard about the news. He even watched some debate shows about it. It''s hard to believe such a monster genius has visited this city. SIGH After sighing, he looked at Mateo and comforted, "It must be a talented genius secretly trained by some family. So don''t compare yourself with him and start to focus on your progression. " Mateo nodded helplessly. But he was not convinced in his heart. He is a skilled warrior from a Tier-7 city. But his performance was not worth mentioning in front of that person. Which family is he from? Mateo started to ponder. When the news first came out, he didn''t mind that much. But he was shocked when the second notice was issued by the City Lord himself. City Lord Aaron Powell decided to show himself at this point of time. He even suspected that the unnamed warrior was planted by the city lord himself to divert people''s attention. This is what he believed at first. But after two days, he learned that the information was true. Some of the spies at the city lord mansion even verified the information. His heart was boiling with anger. Most of his anger was directed towards his own family. because they made him spend too much time on this useless mission. If not for this mission, he would have reached peak trainee warrior right now. By this time, the luxurious air car had already reached the destination. It slowly lands in front of the hotel. Everyone from the Fire Sword team was staying in this hotel. After stepping out, two of them walked into the hotel and headed towards their room. On the way, Elder Brody casually asked, "Are there any recent changes in insect forest?" Hearing that, Mateo answered, "Apart from the usual killing and looting, I didn''t notice any major changes." Mateo was astute enough to realise Elder was referring to Bandit boss Soren.Since the city lord has made an appearance, then it''s time for the bandit boss too. Mateo thinks that the Elder doesn''t want to come across the City Lord during his stay in this city. Soon they reached their respective rooms. Elder Brody didn''t have any further talks with Mateo. Before leaving the city with Mateo, he needs to complete his own mission. Time passed, After disguising himself as an old veteran warrior, Elder Brody exited the building. In order to visit, insect forest, he even forged a fake ID for himself. Soon, he reached the city wall. After showing the fake ID, he smoothly walked Seeing the borderless in front of him, Elder Brody couldn''t help but think of his first visit. At that time, he went to meet bandit boss Soren. Even this time, he made a visit here to meet him. He didn''t know whether Soren had recovered from his injuries. If he is recovered, then it''s great news, he won''t need the Roth family''s help anymore. But if it''s the other case, then they have to conjure another plan. Elder Brody has a vague feeling that this trip is extremely important to the Roth family. Shaking his head, he walked towards the destination. After getting near the narrowed path, he didn''t wait anymore. He rushed forward. Last time, bandit boss Soren gave him an exclusive map of this forest. Following that map, he can bypass various obstacles on the way. But he also knows, he has to be careful in the inner areas. After gaining some clarity, he directly followed the route according to his memory. At this time, Deep inside the inner area, There is a medium-sized wooden house. It was built under the naturally formed cave''s space. Outside of the wooden house, several peak trainee warriors can be seen taking rounds to monitor the area. In one of the rooms of this wooden house, "Who are you?" A haggard figure roared back in anger. But unfortunately, his painful screaming was blocked by the invisible barrier. Nobody knows that the dignified bandit boss has been undergoing extremely severe torture. "He...He...He..." "Does it matter? I had already planned to skin you alive, "Mr. Jonathan said with a laugh. Hearing that, bandit boss Soren''s expression tightened. He immediately refuted it by saying, "No, you are that ghost sent by Aaron Powell. since he can''t take revenge himself. He must have approached you. " "Tell me, what did he offer? I can give you ten fold of that. " Mr. Jonathan sneered, "Stop daydreaming." "It was already decided that you would lose your life here." After saying that, Mr. Jonathan took out some liquid from his storage ring. In that liquid bottle, a black substance can be seen squirming. Seeing that, Mr. Jonathan smiled sweetly. Under the horrified gaze of Soren, he poured the entire black liquid on his body. Chapter 380 Sorens Sad Ending The iron post city, Wooden house - insect forest, Seeing that bandit boss Soren''s health condition deteriorating, Mr. Jonathan decided to end this quickly. He had tortured him enough these days. He wondered, how did Soren find this isolated place? Because Mr. Jonathan didn''t come across the swarm of insect bugs in this place. If it''s one day then it''s fine, but he has spent more than one day here yet there is no sign of bugs. Which made him more confused. Finally, Mr. Jonathan strongly feels that something is wrong with this place. He decided to search this entire place before leaving. The next second, he walked up to bandit boss Soren. Feeling his presence, Soren raised his head and asked, "What are you doing?" Mr. Jonathan replied with a smile, "Well, your suffering ends here." After saying that he arrived in front of Soren and stomped at his chest. PFFF Soren spilled a large amount of blood from his mouth. His eyes were wide open, he lowered his head to look at his chest. Looking at the wide hole in his chest, Soren spurted blood again. His vitality drops to the bottom and breathes his last breath a few seconds later. Then Mr. Jonathan proceeded to dispose of the corpse. He decided to erase the corpse. So that no one can know, Soren had died here. 1 hour later, Mr. Jonathan is standing in front of a strange tree. He has searched the nook and corner of Soren''s safe haven. So far he didn''t find any suspicious things except this tree. Because in front of him there is a purple shade tree. Seeing the purple color at first, he thought this tree might be a mutant class monster. But after careful checking, he learned that this tree is ordinary but its color is different. He has a vague feeling that this purple tree provides string deterrence to insect bugs and other nearby monsters. This was his assumption but to confirm it. He decided to collect some samples. Starting from soil samples, root samples, and even some leaves. Then he left several minutes later. Now, his work is done. He decided to meet Zack next. Before doing that he decided to make a phone call to his master after getting out of this place. His master had a desire to come to this small outer post to watch Zack''s competition. Mr. Jonathan doesn''t know whether his master''s decision has changed or not. So he didn''t want to waste any more time here. He increased his speed the next second. At this same time, there is also one silhouette rushing towards the inner through a secret route. He is none other than Brody Roth. He has no idea that the person he wants to meet has already disappeared from this world. In order not to raise any eyebrows. Mr. Jonathan didn''t touch Soren''s men. He left them alive purposely. They were still guarding Soren''s room 24/7. Several hours later, When Mr. Jonathan exited the insect forest, it was already nighttime. He followed his way back to the iron post city along with others. He found the activities of warriors hadn''t reduced at all. Clashes were still going on between warriors and bandits. But he knows that at one point, those bandits will realize that their boss is no more. By that time, the scourge of banditry will disappear automatically. Then he successfully entered the city a few minutes later. The first thing he did was book a hotel room. He didn''t leave right away to meet Zack. There are still a lot of things he has to do here. Then after getting inside the hotel room, he reported everything to his master via phone call. But what made him speechless was, that he learned that his master was already in this small outer post. He had black lines on his forehead after hearing that. He knows, that if the master''s traces were leaked, then it will lead to a huge disaster. After meeting with Zack, he decided to join his master. His master had already sent his address. Mr. Jonathan gave a lightning essence pearl to Zack. But he has one more thing in his hands. His master reminded him again to hand over the thing to Zack without fail. The following day, After checking out the hotel, Mr. Jonathan hid from others and decided to see the city lord. When he saw Aaron Powell last time he was recovering from injury. Mr. Jonathan wanted to see what he was doing right now. And also he wants to see whether he has any motive to hurt Zack. Because last night he learned some great news. The city lord published Zack''s achievement without mentioning his name. But he knows that some forces will show some interest to know about Zack. If the City Lord leaked Zack''s name to others, then it will be easier for others to narrow down the search. Then it will matter for time before they learn Zack is the same person who ranked No.1 in the star tower rankings. A cold glint flashes into Mr. Jonathan''s eyes. He spoke with the City Lord''s superior. But his superior doesn''t know about the connection between him and Zack. So Mr. Jonathan decided to remind Aaron Powell before leaving this city. City Lord Mansion, At the meeting hall, the city lord is conversing with his manager Lawrence. "Lord, the reporters were asking about that kid again." Manager Lawrence said in a solemn tone. At first, Lawrence released the information because he believed that media houses will find Zack''s identity. But so far none of them can find him. And now in return, they expect the city lord mansion to reveal the information. He raised his eyebrows in frustration. He is the second most answerable person after the city lord. So the reporters won''t leave him for a second If he didn''t answer their questions. The atmosphere was silent for a moment. Aaron Powell listened to Lawrence''s words without many expressions on his face. His mind was occupied with some other matter. The death toll of warriors on their side increased quite drastically. In one day more than 100 warriors died. This number is quite astounding. Fearing public criticism, Aaron Powell was quite hesitant about revealing the news. He is pondering whether to ask superiors about it. Seeing the city lord spacing out, manager Lawrence called out, "Lord?" Hearing that Aaron Powell retracted his thoughts and looked at the manager. At this time both of them weren''t aware that another person came into the hall without alerting them. Mr. Jonathan raised his eyebrows in surprise after looking at the healthy city lord. Then he chooses to overhear their conversations silently. Aaron Powell asked, "What is it? Lawrence" Feeling the cold gaze, manager Lawrence''s heart skips a beat. He realized that the city lord is brooding about some other thing. Manager Lawrence swallowed his saliva in fear. Then he replied, "Lord, what to do with those reporters?" "Should I reveal that Kid''s name to them?" When finished saying those words, he creeped out all of sudden. For a second, he felt death was near him. He raised his head to meet the city lord''s eyes. "Is it lord?" His heart was set on storms. Other than the city lord there is no one here. And their city lord is the strongest presence in this city. So he did not doubt that the city lord was dissatisfied with his words. On the other hand, Aaron Powell pondered. When it comes to a young man named Zack. He doesn''t know how to decide. The young man strongly requested them to not reveal his identity. But if his superior requests the information, Aaron Powell doesn''t know what to do then. SIGH After letting out a deep sigh, he answered, "Just tell them considering the safety of the young man in mind. The city lord mansion is not going to reveal his identity." His answer was simple and plain. The city lord doesn''t know that his answer just saved him from a lot of beatings. Manager Lawrence was not surprised by the answer. He knows about City Lord with his caring personality, he won''t offend the young man without knowing his background. Knowing that lord was not in a good mood. Manager Lawrence decided to leave this place. After seeing his disappearing back, Aaron Powell decided to leave the hall. But before he could do that he felt tremendous pressure. The next second, he completely bent down. Mr. Jonathan showed some restraint, otherwise, Aaron would have crashed to the ground. A sudden change in situation caught him off guard. Aaron Powell''s mind went blank for a moment. Before Aaron could open his mouth, he heard a voice from behind. "You did the right thing by not revealing Zack''s identity. I hope you will do the same in the future," after saying that Mr.Jonathan disappeared from the place. The next second, Aaron Powell broke out in cold sweat. He immediately turned around to look for the person. But unfortunately, he didn''t feel any presence. Then a horrible realization struck his mind all of a sudden. Chapter 381 The City Lords Strong Actions The City Lord Mansion - Iron Post City, City Lord Aaron Powell realized that someone stronger than him warned him just now. "Who could be?" He muttered in disbelief. He used elite power to probe the surroundings. But his every attempt ended in vain. That person came as a ghost and left in an instant. Horrible! He couldn''t describe the feeling he is going through right now. Even his superior''s oppression will pale in comparison. He sat down on the ground to gasp for breath. Five minutes later, He returned to his usual self. He had controlled his heart turmoil somehow. After gaining some clarity, he recalled that person''s words before he left. "Zack Lockwood," He muttered to himself. This person is related to Zack Lockwood. After realising the fact, he felt grateful that he didn''t make any blunder. "Ha...Ha...Ha.., " he let out a self-deprecating laugh. One wrong move, he would have died right now. The next second he got up from the ground and ordered manager Lawrence to come back. 5 minutes later, Manager Lawrence walked into the huge hall clueless. He is pondering, he just came back from this place. Then why did the city lord call him back? But he didn''t show any displeasure. Seeing his appearance, the city lord Aaron Powell who is sitting in the main seat raised his eyebrows. After instructing Lawrence to come, he pondered deeply. He decided to destroy all the evidence they have about Zack. Especially the data about his mission acceptance and submission date. He is aware that there were a lot of rats in this mission. Some were professional spies and some leaked information to get handsome money. As long as there are greedy people in the city lord mansion, he can''t sit and relax casually. Especially after getting this warning, he decided to weed out some people from the city lord mansion. He saw that manager Lawrence stepped forward and bowed. Seeing that he raised his hand to stop this formality and decided to get into the topic. He looked at Lawrence and said in a solemn tone, "From now onwards, all the information about Zack Lockwood should be destroyed." Manager Lawrence was in disbelief after hearing the instructions. It took some seconds for him to understand. Lawrence raised his head and looked at the city lord in confusion. He couldn''t understand what was going on inside the lord''s mind. Just a few minutes ago, he ordered him not to reveal any information about Zack to media houses. And now he is telling that every piece of information about Zack should be destroyed. What does he mean? Traces of apprehension appeared in his eyes. Aaron Powell has seen through Lawrence''s thoughts completely. He knows Lawrence was not a good man either. So he needs to start from him. Since Lawrence and a few others were quite loyal to him, he decided to let them live with a slight warning. "Lawrence," Aaron said in a deep voice. Hearing the domineering voice, Lawrence straightened up his back. "My lord, what is your command?" Lawrence replied in a trembling voice. He just realized something. Though the lord appears to be calm on the surface. He feels lord''s mood has worsened drastically. It''s even worse compared to a few minutes ago. What is going to happen? Fear rose in his heart. Seeing that Lawrence was attentive, Aaron Powell nodded and instructed, "Since you are right-hand men of mine. I can give you a little piece of advice." "Zack''s background was scarier than I thought. If his information was leaked, then none of us will escape alive." "What?" Lawrence screamed out loud in fear. When heard the lord''s words, fear took control of his heart entirely. He exclaimed without thinking. The next second, he realised the horrible fact. He made a malicious plan against someone whom even the lord doesn''t want to offend. His legs completely lost their strength. He completely collapsed on the ground SIGH Seeing that Aaron let out a deep sigh, he wasn''t surprised by his behaviour. He knew that Lawrence published the information without getting consent from the young man named Zack. After getting a warning, Aaron realised they didn''t even put Lawrence''s little actions in their mind. Lawrence is just an ant to them and the ant''s action against them won''t even work. At this moment, Aaron understands something. If Lawrence had published the name, he won''t be talking right now. Realising that he gulped his saliva in fear right now. A cold glint flashes into his eyes. Looking at Lawrence who collapsed on the ground, he said in a threatening tone, "Lawrence, next time, if you do something behind my back or publish notice without my consent you will end up worse than dead." Hearing the direct threat from the city lord himself, Lawrence broke out in cold sweat. He immediately asks for forgiveness. "Lord, trust me. I won''t do something like this again." "Harumph," Aaron Powell gave a cold snort with that he also released some light pressure on him. PFFF Lawrence spurted blood from his mouth. The pressure swept away his body like dust. His body reached the exit of the hall. A little more push he would have thrown outside. Lawrence realised that the lord gave him face. Otherwise, he would have been thrown outside. City guards were patrolling outside. He would have lost face in front of them. He felt grateful that the lord saved him from getting humiliated. The next second, he tried to get up from the ground. But he felt there were a few broken bones in his chest. Though the lord was measured in his warning. But it was enough to make him deeply injured. He is not sure how long it will take to recover. On the other hand, City Lord Aaron Powell instructed some guards to come. Seeing the appearance of two city guards, Lawrence twitched. Later, he decided to tell them not to reveal anything they have seen here. Aaron Powell instructed them to admit Lawrence to their clinic. Getting his orders, the guards acted swiftly. They carried Lawrence towards the clinic. Seeing their disappearing back, Aaron Powell sighed again. He had to give some lessons. Otherwise, they won''t realise the seriousness of this matter. Then he walked back to his room. The following day, All the information about Zack was erased from the iron post city''s database. After Lawrence, Aaron Powell warned accountant Melinda and another female staff individually. Only three of them met Zack in person. After his strong warning, no one will leak any information in future. Following that, Aaron Powell dismissed many people from the mansion. Ranging from normal staff, maids, gardeners and even some guards were thrown out of the mansion. Nobody from the outside world knows that mass cleaning was happening inside the city lord''s mansion. ... (From MC''s perspective) Library room, "Creak" the door opens, I walked into the library slowly. It''s been a long time since I came here. I smelled the scent of these books. It brought me a feeling of nostalgia. I remembered this is the place where I awakened my blood element. Apart from my lightning element, the blood element helped me greatly. It helped me to deter the swarm of bugs indirectly. Where the lightning element can break out in purple colour, but the blood element can solve the trouble invisibly. Especially the ability of blood aura. I don''t know what to call it exactly. But this ability from the blood element can provide a strong cover for me. It can make the swarm of bugs fail from noticing my presence. At that time, I didn''t think about it deeply. But now I slowly started to realise, that I can do many things from this blood element. Then I slowly retracted my thoughts. I almost forgot about why I came here. After hearing about the exploration site from Elder Thornton, I realised my lack of knowledge in this domain. Only researchers spend most of their time exploring these things. I don''t know. What would it be like to work with Elder Thornton''s friend? A hint of expectation rose in my heart. I''m not worried about my next breakthrough. As long as I have enough time, I can do it smoothly with the help of lightning essence pearls. So in the upcoming trip, I will mainly focus on my combat. After gaining some clarity, I glanced around the library for a moment. Then my gaze finally set on the library database. It''s a system which has a whole collection library. Searching for it will save me a lot of time. After reaching the database system, I began to search for old sites. In the next second, numerous headlines appeared on the screen. Ranging from books, articles, research papers and even some videos. Seeing the video, piqued my curiosity greatly. I clicked the video and it started to play in the next second. "Site#074," I muttered. This was the headline of the video. Looking at its description, I realised this video is an overview of Site#074. Then I slowly immersed myself in watching the video. Chapter 382 Meeting With Mr. Jonathan (From MC''s perspective) I continued to watch the video about site#074. In the video, some researchers were exploring the site. I saw them going inside an old ancient structure. I''m not sure whether it''s a house or some other building. Three people went inside and suddenly the person who was responsible for recording was barred. He was not allowed to enter inside. Seeing that I shook my head in disapproval. It''s nothing but censorship again. Government doesn''t want people to know about anything. Then I fast forward the video, when the researchers came out they immediately went inside their tent. A few hours later, they conducted a press meet to brief about the old ruin site. I couldn''t help but wrinkle my eyebrows. Who knows whether they are telling the truth or not? As expected, the lead researcher opened his mouth briefly. He said that this particular site belongs to some kind of glass factory. They have collected a few items used in glass manufacturing. When the video was finished, I began to search for another good video. But so far, I haven''t found anything close to Trunulesia forest. I didn''t even find a video about insect forest. There were only some informative videos about the insect forest. But after watching those videos, I realised they didn''t even talk about the inner area. Those videos only talked about a few dangerous spots in the outer area. I couldn''t help but sneer, "There is no actual footage of carnivore bugs." When it comes to insect forest these deadly bugs were the main topic to be discussed about it. I''m a little bit. Why censor such crucial information? I don''t understand. And I also have a hunch that Trunulesia forest will be censored as well. SIGH If I want to learn about everything, I need to be qualified for that. After becoming powerful and influential enough you can easily learn about these things. As these thoughts rose in my heart, I firmly grasped it. Since I came here, I decided to spend a few more hours in the library. And this time I''m going to read about the healing element. I want to know more about my healing element. How can I utilized it more efficiently? So far the healing element in my body is working passively. Without proper cultivation method, it''s impossible to use actively. It''s fortunate that I came across a blood cultivation method. Otherwise, I would have to spend hours searching for it. The following day, Lockwood Residence, Beep! The alarm bell rang loudly. Hearing that I stopped the alarm clock and got up from my bed. Last night, I thought about fighting against class monsters. I guess, Elder Thornton still has some monsters in captivity. After reaching Hansen campus, I''ll ask Mr. Arthur about it. I''m sure he will agree to another blood test. A quick glint flashes into my eyes. After gaining some clarity, I decided to take a long bath. "Today is going to be hectic," I muttered as I walked into the bathroom. On the other hand, a silhouette stepped inside the lockwood residence secretly. He is none other than Mr. Jonathan. Me. Jonathan came here after dealing with some issues. He wanted to meet Zack at his home. Zack''s home is more suitable than Hansen campus. Mr. Jonathan phoned Mr. James and spoke to him. He doesn''t want to be rude by getting inside the house secretly. "Creak" the door opens, Mr. James opened the door and he saw Mr. Jonathan in front of him. Seeing that he immediately greeted him inside. Mr. Jonathan revealed a smile on his face. Then both of them walked into the living room and sat opposite each other. "I''m going to call Zack," Mr. James said. After saying that he immediately walk towards the stairs. Seeing that Mr. Jonathan said nothing, actually he was in a hurry. He needs to join with his master as soon as possible at Tier-7 city. Mr. Jonathan guessed, his master might give him some missions later. 5 minutes later, When I changed into my casual clothes. I heard the door knocking. Hearing that, I walked up to the door. "Creak" "Zack, come to the living hall with me." After saying this, Mr. James grabbed Zack''s hand and dragged him towards the living hall. Seeing his abrupt action, I''m startled. But I didn''t say anything but looking at his face. I understand it must be something important. When we reached the living hall, I spotted another person sitting in the chair. It took me a few moments to realise, it was none other than Mr. Jonathan. "Mr. Jonathan," I said. Hearing my voice, he turned towards me. "Come and sit here," he said. I nodded and sat on the couch beside him. At the same time, Uncle James sat in the opposite chair to Mr. Jonathan. Looking at Mr. Jonathan here, I realised the bandit boss''s chapter was closed. And the scourge plaguing the iron post city will soon disappear in future. A smile blossomed on my face. Seeing a smile on Zack''s face, Mr. Jonathan asked, "What are you thinking about?" "Insect forest," I said. Mr. Jonathan nodded but he didn''t want to talk about it. Something it''s better not said openly. Then he thought about the purpose of his visit here. The next second, he takes out an artifact from his storage ring. It''s the usual isolation barrier. Seeing that Mr. James immediately understood, he got up from his seat and proceeded to guard. Something can''t be heard by family members. Seeing Uncle James walking away, my expression condensed a little bit. Is there any new trouble again? I saw the barrier being released from a circular artifact. Soon the invisible cover enveloped both of us. Now our conversation can''t be heard by anyone. When the barrier completely formed, Mr. Jonathan turned toward me and said, "Soren is dead." Hearing that I smiled and asked back, "Is he really an elite warrior?" This was the question bugging me greatly. Because, I heard the elite warriors are usually found in Tier-7 cities. But here two elite warriors stayed in the iron post city. It''s really something unusual. Mr. Jonathan commented, "He has just stepped into the elite level. And he was not familiar with the power." I nodded in understanding. "Well, I heard that the city lord''s mansion revealed your information," he said. Hearing that my face paled. That guy Lawrence was really treacherous. I said with a bitter smile, "I told them not to reveal my identity. But they went ahead to publish my achievements'''' Mr. Jonathan answered, "Don''t worry, I gave a little warning to that city lord. Hereafter he won''t dare to trouble you." My eyes gleamed with surprise. He didn''t expect Mr. Arthur to do it for me. But his words brought me relief. I don''t have to carry the baggage anymore. I can now focus on my next trip to Trunulesia forest. The next second, I decided to tell Mr. Jonathan about it. Because I feel it''s better to get a nod from my teacher. Then I began to explain everything. At first Mr. Jonathan was fine. But when he heard the name trunulesia from Zack''s mouth. A quick glint flashes into his eyes. Then without interejecting, he continued to listen to the conversation. 5 minutes later, Mr. Jonathan was completely surprised after hearing the whole explanation from Zack. He hadn''t expected Elder Thornton to have researched friend. The trunulesia forest is not easy. He also heard about it. The atmosphere inside that forest is not suitable for warriors from outside at all. He also heard people will die when they come into contact with a mutated atmosphere. His face couldn''t help but condensed in the end. "Zack, wait for the master''s word first," he said. Mr. Jonathan knows about Zack. He won''t jump in without verifying first. At the same time, he also pondered about Elder Thornton''s old friend. Unfortunately, Zack doesn''t know about that person''s face. Otherwise he would use that name to search for crucial information. Mr. Jonathan turned towards Zack and asked, " Ask the name of that person from your elder." Hearing that I nodded. I already guessed Mr. Jonathan is going to do a background check of that person. The next second, Mr. Jonathan decided to talk about the main topic. "Zack, I have something to give you," Mr. Jonathan said. I asked, "What is it?" But before I could say anything, I saw Mr.Jonathan take out black box from his storage ring. A hint of curiosity rose in my heart. When he opened the box, I saw a medium sized black helmet. Seeing that I have already guessed something. "Technique," My eyes gleamed with surprise. This must be another lightning technique. My heart starts to beat faster. Before I could say something, Mr. Jonathan opened his mouth to say, "Master asked me to give lightning technique to you." After saying that he handed black helmet to wear. I''m not expecting anything similar to ancient celestial scripture. This must be another lightning technique modified by strong powerhouses and researchers. Mr. Jonathan didn''t say anything. Because everything was recorded inside the black helmet. Chapter 383 Two Soul Techniques (From MC''s Perspective) I cast a glance at black helmet before wearing it on my head. A blue screen appeared in front of my eyes the next second. I''m familiar with the interface, it is the same as the sci-fi watch. [Enter name: ] On the blue screen, clear instructions appeared. Seeing that, I looked for a virtual keyboard. Using my gaze, I typed the name. [Zack Lockwood] When the name was entered. The next instructions came out displaying the names of various techniques. Based on different attributes the techniques were divided. Fire, water, metal, earth, light, dark, lightning , healing. My expression condensed after seeing two new elements, light and dark. I know like lightning these two were another special element. When I tried to access it, sadly the permission was denied. Then I realized only the lightning element was activated. Looks like Mr. Jonathan had changed the setting before coming here. Unfortunately, I can''t reveal my other two elements to them. After seeing the healing element, a sudden thought rose in my heart. I considered whether to tell them or not. But in the end, I dispelled the thoughts. Even if my teacher is benevolent and good, I don''t want to take any chances. I don''t want to end up as a lab rat in some laboratory. SIGH After sighing inwardly, I looked at the lightning section. It was unlocked. Seeing that I proceed to access it. When the lightning section was, various lightning techniques were listed out in next seconds. [LIGHTNING MOVEMENT TECHNIQUES] [LIGHTNING ATTACK TECHNIQUES] [LIGHTNING DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES] [LIGHTNING SOUL TECHNIQUES] My eyes gleamed with surprise as I saw the four options. Then my eyes were drawn to soul techniques. I have three techniques which are all around. Sword Divide techniques are enough for all around attack. I don''t need another technique right now. Besides, Lightning wheel attacks can also cause a great deal of damage to the opponents. With these two techniques in my hands, I''m not at all worried anymore. Then I ponder about movement techniques. Lightning phantom techniques is the best one so far. I couldn''t find any fault with it. After contemplating for a few minutes, I decided to go for soul techniques. When my gaze fell on it, the section got clicked and in the next second another page appeared. [Soul Tower Method] Description: Nine layer soul tower. Each layer can defend against the soul attack from the warriors of similar cultivation base. [Soul Shield Technique] A modified soul technique which was derived from similar defensive techniques. The technique can withstand the attack up to Elite Warrior. [Soul Needle Art] It''s a type of soul attack technique. It consists of 10 moves. And the combination of ten moves can form the ultimate needle attack. And the ultimate attack can cause injury to Super Elite Warrior. [Soul Defensive Screen] Another Top Notch defensive method. Apart from providing defense, the techniques can prevent others from prying into warrior''s details. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I saw only four techniques listed with descriptions. I''m not disappointed with the lack of techniques. If it gets released, each one of the techniques can cause a blood bath outside. So I''m grateful to have even come across such techniques. Then I began to read the techniques one by one. Soul Tower Method, what a domineering name. From the name alone I can see it''s a defensive method. And the nine layers seem to correspond to our cultivation base. For example, the 1st layer corresponds to the Trainee Apprentice. The 2nd layer corresponds to a Special Trainee. The 3rd layer corresponds to Trainee Warrior. And similarly the 4th layer corresponds to Elite Warrior. A quick glint flashes into my eyes. This soul tower technique is really OP. If I can cultivate to my current base, then I can prevent soul attacks during crimson hall competition. I don''t know why? I have a vague feeling that soul technique is extremely important to me. Considering my next trip is towards the trunulesia forest. Soul techniques might come handy in crucial moments. Then I began to read about the soul shield technique. Seeing that it''s a modified one, my interest was dimmed a little. It can only block soul attacks up to elite warriors. I''m just one big realm away from being an elite warrior. This technique might have come handy when I started my cultivation technique. But now this technique seems bland to me. I skipped it directly and began to read the 3rd description. Attack type technique! From the library, I heard that it was rare to come across attack type soul techniques. My curiosity increased further. Especially needle art. The needle is considered as hidden weapon, it''s best for silent assassination. I really wanted to select this technique, one for defense and one for attack purposes. Before doing that I need to take a look at the last technique. Soul defensive screen! This technique is the same as shield one. But I noticed one big difference, it''s the ability to stop others from prying. So If I use this method, I don''t have to use Granny park''s pendant anymore. I can prevent others from knowing my cultivation base. I have already started to imagine. How will it look in future? But unfortunately, I can''t select many techniques. If I do then it will be hard for me to cultivate in future. After contemplating for a moment, I decided to go with two soul techniques. Soul Tower Method and Soul Needle Art. After making the decision, my gaze fell on the soul tower method the next second. [You have selected the soul tower method] [Whether to accept it or not?] [YES/NO] Seeing the options, my gaze immediately fell on the YES option. When the option got clicked, the next second I felt a tinge in my mind. I know the technique is going to be engraved in my mind. Feeling that I gnashed my teeth in pain. But I somehow controlled it. The next second, a small tower rune formed below the celestial scripture in mind. The tower rune is slowly connected to the sword divide, lightning wheel and lightning phantom runes. Under the celestial scripture rune, four runes joined together. Soon the information about the soul tower method appeared in my mind. It took me a couple of minutes to stabilize my mind. When all the information was dumped in my mind, I didn''t begin to read it right away. Rather, my gaze fell on soul needle art. I will read the technique after I finish ingraining it in my mind. Next, I repeated the same procedure with soul needle art. Soon, the 5th rune appeared in my mind. The rune looked like a needle shape. It gradually moved towards the 4 different runes. The 5th runes slowly joined together with 4 other different runes. When 5 runes joined together. The same process repeated again. Another load of information appeared in my mind. It took me another few minutes to digest the information. On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan looked at the timings. It''s been an hour but still Zack hasn''t completed the process. He wrinkled his eyebrows in tension. "Is there any problem with the helmet?" He thought to himself. But he was sure about the functioning of the product. He even tested himself before coming here. So there is nothing wrong with the black helmet. SIGH Mr. Jonathan decided to wait for a moment. He thought Zack was taking his time to select the techniques. 5 minutes later, I removed the black helmet and placed it on the table. Then I begin to massage both sides of my temple. The information was extremely large. Fortunately, it''s nothing like celestial scripture. The information feed is comparable to one with sword divide and lightning wheel techniques. A couple of seconds later, I stopped massaging and looked at Mr. Jonathan. Then I realized I have selected two techniques instead of one. Will he say something? I wrinkled my eyebrows in tension. But I decided to be honest about it and both the techniques were extremely useful to me. Then I told Mr. Jonathan about my choice. I thought he would say something. But fortunately, he was also satisfied with my choice. Mr. Jonathan then placed the black helmet in his storage ring. Then he looked at Zack and said, "Alright Zack, I''m leaving." "Be careful on your next trip. I will see you before the start of the competition." After saying that Mr. Jonathan deactivated the isolation barrier. After recovering it, he got up from his seat and decided to leave. He was already late. First because of his own delay to come here. Secondly, Zack also took some time to select the lightning techniques. Before proceeding towards the exit, he said, "Zack, First read the techniques thoroughly. If you have any doubt, you can message me." After saying that he immediately left the house, he didn''t have time to see Mr. James. When he disappeared from the spot, Mr. James walked into the living room. Seeing that, Zack was sighing to himself. Mr. James quickly walked up to him and asked, " Zack, what happened?" He knew Mr. Jonathan must have given him some resources. So he couldn''t wait to ask about it. Chapter 384 Small Protest (From MC''S perspective) Seeing my uncle walk into the living room, I turned to face him. Then hearing his question, I didn''t hide. "I got two soul techniques," I said. "What?" Mr James was taken aback. Soul technique! How rare it is? "Is it true?" He asked back again. From Mr Jonathan''s visit, he had guessed that the other party won''t come empty-handed. But now this piece of information is truly shocking to him. I nodded at him. SIGH I know for uncle it''s a big deal. But after watching the name list of techniques in that black helmet. My knowledge got widened. It''s a pity that I missed the healing element. Something can''t be said to others. Looks like to obtain a healing technique, I have to find some ways. Then I saw my uncle sitting before me. He looked at me with an intriguing gaze. Feeling his burning gaze, I understand he wants to know more about soul techniques. Then I took five minutes to explain the whole thing to him. After explaining to him, I laid back on the couch leisurely and then I shut my eyes for a moment. I''m planning to go through the soul techniques thoroughly. But before I could do that, I heard Uncle James'' trembling voice. "Zack?" He said. The next second, I opened my eyes and looked at him. I found his expression was in total shock. "Uncle, what is it?" I asked. Why is he showing overreaction? It''s just soul techniques. I got black lines on my forehead. Mr James was shocked to the core. At first, he thought it was a normal technique. But when he heard that the soul tower method can withstand the attack from the general level. His world has turned upside down for a moment. He has only heard about the existence above Elite level from his superiors. And the General level was the peak of their cultivation of base. To this that Zack''s soul technique can withstand the soul attack from the general level. He couldn''t able to keep his calm anymore. But when he saw Zack''s laid-back attitude. He let out a bitter smile. Then after calming down his heart, he answered, "Zack, do you aware of what''s above elite level?" I straightened my back and sat upright. "Above Elite level?" I muttered. Before getting the soul techniques, I was clueless about higher cultivation levels. But when I read the description, certain words caught my attention. "Super Elite," I replied. Uncle James nodded and inquired again, "What is above super elite level? And further higher levels." ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Hearing that I shook my head. I understand why is he raising this question all of a sudden. Because the soul techniques were too OP. On the other hand, Mr James realised that he was rash at this moment. He shouldn''t spill the beans yet? Considering the competition is a few months away. Mr James felt it would be better if Zack can learn about the higher cultivation levels from the academy. So he decided to stop his words. Then he got up from his seat and said to Zack, "Don''t talk to anyone about your soul techniques, including Arthur and Elder Thornton." Then he thought about something and added further, "Even if your lightning element got exposed to the world in future. It won''t change anything. Once you become strong people won''t mess with you unnecessarily." "But soul techniques were different. It''s a heritage." After saying that he walked back to his room. Seeing the disappearance back of the uncle, I sighed. His words made me ponder deeply. He even told me not to reveal it to Arthur and Elder Thornton. Does this show how precious soul techniques are? I will not tell a single person about this. Like my lightning element, I will strongly guard this secret. Then after getting back to my room. I searched the news about iron post city. While accessing the news on a sci-fi watch, I sat comfortably in my chair. When the headline popped up, I begin to read it with curiosity. [City Lord Mansion: Strange disappearance of warriors.] This topic drew my attention immediately. I clicked the topic and began to read the article slowly. My expression was normal at first. But when I finished reading the news, I couldn''t help but reveal an amusing smile. I guess this must be the work of Mr Jonathan. Then I closed the site and began to get ready. I decided to go to the Hansen campus after breakfast. Because the cultivation will be more effective inside the energy chamber. And I''m also going to start practising the soul cultivation technique. I want to get started successfully before my trip to the trunulesia forest. Doing this will give me more confidence to face future troubles. Time went by, After having breakfast, I left home a few hours later. As usual, I went into incognito mode. I wore a hoody and mask to prevent people from noticing me. Two and half hours later, I reached the Hansen campus. After paying the amount, I stepped out of the air car. But the situation in front of me shocked me to the core. "What is going on?" I looked at the situation in disbelief. A huge crowd gathered in front of the gate. They seemed to be protecting against the Hansen institute. My words drew the attention of others. Soon one person walked toward me from the crowd. He appeared to be the same age as mine. He looked at me from top to bottom. "Brother, who are you?" The young man inquired. My mask seems to be working. He couldn''t recognize my face at all. I smiled knowing that then I responded by saying, "Cough, I''m a warrior from a nearby city." The young man nodded in understanding. Seeing that I''m stunned, he believed just like that. What is happening? I looked at the young man with a puzzling gaze. "Cough, Could you tell me?" "What is going on?" I asked. Hearing that young man nodded and began to explain to me. A quick glint flashes into my eyes. When I heard learnt about the whole situation. I sucked a cold breath. This protest is all about the young warriors of this city. The young warrior in this red stone city wanted to fight against me. So they officially posed a challenge through media houses. But as result, they got no response from the management. They patiently waited a couple of days here for an answer. Unfortunately, their efforts ended in vain. This protest is now happening due to false rumours. The rumour is precisely about me. Someone had spread the malicious rumours that I had officially quitted from Hansen institute. My gaze turned cold. Because of this rumour, I can see someone acting from behind. This rumour is not small at all. It has gradually taken a huge momentum. And now the media houses were covering the news. They won''t back off until they get news from the management. Either management has to release the news about my whereabouts or I have to come up myself. This move is vicious. In a few days, I will depart for trunulesia forest. So protesting at this time is uncomfortable. I hope this won''t bring any sudden changes to my plan. Shaking my head, I proceed to enter the building. After walking past the crowd, I somehow got myself inside the building. "Phew!" I sighed in relief. I can still hear the voices of the crowd behind me. I don''t know. When will the commotion be over? Someone needs to take the action. Then I decided to meet Mr Arthur before going to the energy chamber. On the way, I found students talking about the commotion out there. Without minding them, I walked past them. A few minutes later, I arrived in front of Mr Arthur''s cabin. "Creak" the door opened, I walked into the room. Then I saw the worrisome face of Mr Arthur. No need to guess. He is worried about the outside commotion. "Cough" "Cough" I coughed twice to draw his attention. Mr Arthur raised his head to see my face. Upon seeing me, he gestured to take a seat. I nodded and sat opposite him. "Mr Arthur, what is going on?" I asked. "SIGH" Mr Arthur let out a deep sigh. Then a few seconds later, he returned to his usual self. Mr Arthur replied, "I believe, you already know something about the protest." I answered, "Hmmm, It''s about me. But who is spreading the rumours?" Mr Arthur commented, "This is what puzzles us. And Elder Thornton ordered us to not give any statement to press regarding this." "He wants to find out who is behind these rumours" Arthur added further." The atmosphere became silent for a moment. Only Elder Thornton can do something about this. What I''m worried about is something else. If people decided to storm inside then who would go to stop them? It''s giving me a headache to me. I also know once such a situation arises, I will be forced to step up. Chapter 385 Small Competition (From MC''s Perspective) Hansen institute, Mr Arthur seemed to be a little clueless regarding how to handle the current situation. Seeing his contemplating expression, I felt I should have taken a day off today. At least, In that way, I would have stayed away from all the commotion. Shaking my head in disappointment, I rose from the seat. Seeing that, Mr Arthur raised his head to see me. Then he asked in a solemn tone, "What are you going to do next?" I have already seen through his thoughts. So I jokingly replied, "Don''t worry, Mr Arthur. I won''t run away from here." After saying that, I couldn''t help but smile. My words stunned Mr Arthur. He looked at me with an embarrassing smile on his face. "Okay, You can leave. I''ll contact you once Elder Thornton comes back," Mr Arthur said. Hearing that, my expression tightened. "Are you seriously considering exposing my whereabouts?" "No" "No" "I didn''t mean it like that" "Elder Thornton likely had a phone call with his friend. So I think he may ask you to come for the meeting," Mr Arthur said with a bitter smile. "Phew!" I breathed in relief. "Okay, then I''ll see you later," after saying that I walked out of the cabin. The door behind me closed automatically. Hearing that, I paused my movements for a moment. I''m considering going back home. But if Elder Thornton had a conversation with his friend. Then I don''t have any other choice than to wait for the meeting. Did Mr Arthur deliberately reveal this info? A quick glint flashes into my eyes. It''s possible! Other than me, he doesn''t have other suitable plans to tackle the ongoing situation. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then without further do, I stroll towards the energy chamber. Time went by, A few minutes later, Energy Chamber, I sat cross-legged on the ground. This time I didn''t turn on the machine. Because I''m not going to cultivate right now. My focus was all on brand new soul techniques. I closed my eyes and immersed myself in understanding the first soul technique, the soul tower method. Time passes, One hour later, I opened my eyes in disbelief. I found that some things were similar to the lightning phantom technique. Right now, I can only able to read and understand how to form the 1st floor of the tower. The consecutive tower level was blocked. I''m able to unlock it after the successful creation of 1st layer of the soul tower. It''s like step-by-step prices. What amazed me was the soul technique is different from lighting celestial scripture. This soul tower has no attribute. At that time, I saw all the soul techniques were placed under the lightning soul technique category. ? So I thought the soul technique must have some lightning power. But now it looks like it''s not. After gaining some clarity, I proceed to cultivate 1st layer of the soul tower. I don''t know how hard is it. There was a slight worry in my heart. Then I closed my eyes and proceed to cultivate the soul technique. As I immersed myself in cultivation, I felt I have grasped something. This power is weird and ethereal. When I try to grasp the energy, it disappears instantly. There is no reaction in the first place. Like it didn''t exist at all. I assumed soul power is similar to world energy. But looks like it''s not, the soul energy is much thinner than the world energy. When I tried to mobilize the soul power, It didn''t even work. I did exactly as per the instructions of the soul tower method. Then I realised, this is my first attempt. I should be more patient when it comes to soul power. Time passed, A few minutes later, I opened my eyes in disappointment. "Where is the fault?" I muttered to myself. I felt something amiss. Why is it very hard to start? I fell into contemplation. From the library books, I have learned that soul cultivation is very hard. Only warriors with exceptional talent can able to do soul cultivation. Is it something wrong with my aptitude? No, If I lack aptitude for soul cultivation. Then Mr Jonathan wouldn''t have given me the techniques in the first place. So where does the problem lies? To find some answers, I decided to visit the library. After gaining some clarity, I rose from the ground and walked out of the energy chamber. ... On the other hand, Elder Thornton arrived in front of his cabin. Nobody knows how did he get inside the building. But he was calm and composed like outside commotion didn''t affect him at all. "Creak" the door opens, Seeing that he walked into the room, as he entered inside, the door behind him closed automatically. Then after taking the seat, he sat comfortably. He closed his eyes to take a small nap. At the same time, if one can take look at his sci-fi watch. They can see the notification count is gradually increasing. Before coming here, Elder Thornton already put his sci-fi watch in silence. Then he opened his eyes a few minutes later. But in the next second, a cold glint flashes into his eyes. "Who is spreading the rumours?" He muttered to himself. He has some observations like Zack. Someone is spreading false rumours against their institute. After knowing this he contacted some of his friends, but still he couldn''t able to find the culprits. Someone is using the media houses for their interest. Sadly, he didn''t know anyone influential from media houses. He was quite helpless about it. The only thing he can do is to wait until the commotion got over. When he was lost in thoughts, he heard the notification sound. BUZZ But this time it''s from the projection screen. Seeing that, Elder Thornton checked the notification. "Arthur," He muttered seeing the name on the screen. The next second, he understands that Arthur is going through the same shit as him. He felt it was necessary to talk to him. Then he immediately replied to the message, instructing him to come to his cabin. Then he thought about Zack. He doesn''t want to drag the kid into this mess. So he sent a message again saying, don''t disturb Zack. After sending the message, he laid back in his seat casually. A few minutes later, Mr Arthur walked inside the cabin with a haggard expression on his face. Seeing that, Elder Thornton sighed. He told him to take a seat. The atmosphere became solemn for a moment. "Elder, have you thought of something?" Mr Arthur immediately asked. People kept on calling him continuously. So he desperately waited for Elder Thornton to arrive. Now that he has arrived, Arthur immediately wants to solve the problem. Elder Thornton didn''t immediately reply. But he showed his sci-fi watch to Mr Arthur. He want to remind me, that he was in the same situation as Mr Arthur. On the other hand, Mr Arthur glanced at the notification screen. But when he saw the name he widened his eyes in surprise. Because it was the call from their city lord. "Why the city lord of their red stone city contracting? " Arthur said to himself. He felt the situation is going somewhere else. Suddenly, a bad premonition struck his heart. He felt ongoing commotion has something to do with the City lord. If the city lord of their city is involved in this matter, then it''s difficult to solve the trouble. Elder Thornton didn''t say anything for a moment. He remained silent. He felt Arthur is suffering from severe mood swings. SIGH "Arthur, I will take care of the issue. You don''t have to worry about that. Just look after your health for the time being," Elder Thornton said with a sigh. "Elder, what does city lord want?" Mr Arthur inquired. Elder Thornton revealed a bitter smile before saying, "Actually, I didn''t even pick up his call." "What?" Mr Arthur was taken aback. He feels Elder is taking a huge risk. Because their city lord is an arrogant person. It''s easy to offend him than please him. Elder Thornton said, "To be honest, it''s not a big deal." "Young warriors want to fight against Zack." "This is what everyone is protesting about. But in reality, some forces want to know his whereabouts to kill," Elder Thornton added further. Mr Arthur nodded. At this time, a very good plan hatched in Elder Thornton''s mind. "Arthur, Let us arrange a competition in our institute." "Whoever wanted to fight against Zack. Can sign up and participate in the competition." "And the winner will fight against Zack." Elder Thornton uttered words one by one. For Arthur, it took a few seconds to digest the information. But after hearing the whole information, he sighed in relief. Because they know Zack''s strength. He can easily defeat the local warriors. So they are not worried about the result of the competition. Conducting this small competition will buy some time for Zack. He can go to the trunulesia forest without any worry. Then he answered, "Elder, This seems to be a good plan. I''ll work on it right away." Hearing that, Elder Thornton nodded and handed all the responsibility to him. Chapter 386 Trouble Was Solved Hansen Institute, When Zack was studying in the library. A piece of news was released from the management. The news was about the competition going to conduct by Hansen Institute in a few weeks. This news spread like wildfire across the red stone city. When the statement was published. It also made the people who were protesting outside of the gate disperse immediately. As the statement was released now, they had no reason to protest anymore. So the entire place was vacated immediately. Except for a few people who came here for different purposes rest of them were gone. The media houses begin to broadcast the news about the Hansen campus. [Accoding to the statement released by Hansen Institute.] [The competition''s date will be decided after closing off the registration process.] [The time limit for registration is 2 weeks and limited to Red Stone City''s warriors.] [Only warriors below 18 years old were allowed to participate.] [Rules and Prizes of the competition will be announced after completion of the registration process.] Time went by, When this news was broadcasted to residents of the city. It immediately created a huge hysteria. Even the voices from the city lord mansion stopped disturbing Elder Thornton. On the other hand, people who were waiting outside of the Hansen institute were immediately called back by their force. Some belonged to the local city while the rest of them came from outside of the city. Though this announcement immediately lifted Hansen Institute''s problem. But still, some media houses continue to inquire about Zack Lockwood. Even some media houses began to hold debate shows about this. Some veterans felt that this move might have something to do with this year''s star tower winner, Zack Lockwood. But unfortunately, no one knows his current whereabouts. Zack was last spotted at Red Stone City''s station a few months ago. Until now, they couldn''t able to find out his whereabouts. Unknown to them, Zack was gradually increasing his knowledge about the Soul power. Elder Thornton''s cabin, Elder Thornton is currently watching the effect of their statement around the city. Apart from some big media houses, there are only a few local channels in their city. But all of them are showing the news about Hansen''s competition. He wore a wide grin on his face after looking at the reaction. This small idea has changed the circumstances of their Hansen campus. Now no one will pester them anymore. Especially, people who maliciously spread lies about the Hansen institute and Zack, now need to come up with another tactic. Feeling the accomplishment, Elder Thornton breathed in relief. The next second his sci-fi watch buzzes with notification. Seeing that, he lazily cast a glance at the contact name. He felt that people from the city lord mansion pestering him again. But when his dull eyes saw the name of Ricardo Compton. His eyes gleamed with surprise. He quickly straightened his back and sat upright. Then he attended the call and answered, "Ricardo?" From the other side of the call, a deep voice came, "Thornton, what happened with the helper? I''ll be leaving with my team in a few days." Hearing the impatient voice, Elder Thornton replied, "Yes, I have arranged one of our students as your helper." He didn''t want to repeat the same conversation. This was something that had already been talked about. He felt his friend is confirming things again. Well, it''s understandable, since they are going to leave in a few days. The next second, Elder Thornton heard loud laughter from the other side of the phone call. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "I knew you won''t disappoint me." "Get that chap ready, we will be leaving coming Monday. And you know where to find us." After saying that Ricardo abruptly ended the phone call. Seeing that, Elder Thornton was dazed for a moment. He wanted to remind him about a few taboos. He knows his old friend won''t offend Zack. But it can be said the same with Ricardo''s team members. If something happens to Zack because of Ricardo and his team members. Then Zack''s teacher will bury everyone alive. So Elder Thornton has slight fear that someone will offend Zack. That''s why he wanted to remind his good friend. But seeing that he ended the call all of sudden. He felt a quite headache. Ricardo is a researcher. He rarely picks up a call. Even if he dials back him again, Ricardo won''t pick it up. Knowing other person''s character well, he had black lines on his forehead. Since the exploration team is finalised. He will remind Ricardo when he and Zack reach their base. So it''s unnecessary to wrap your mind around this now. Then he sent a message to Zack. Requesting his presence here before he goes back home. Elder Thornton didn''t know that Zack was inside the library. He assumed Zack was practising inside one of the training chambers. ... Crimson Hall, The current crimson hall appeared to be deserted. Apart from the students, the number of staff was gradually reduced. Very few leaders can be seen inside the building. At this time, outside of the headmaster''s room. The female assistant quickly arranged the reports in her hands. Suddenly, her sci-fi watch buzzes with notification. With all the reports in her hand, it''s difficult for her to look at the message. At that time, "Creak" the door in front of her opened. Seeing that, she immediately walked into the room with perfectly arranged reports. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Opposite her, the grumpy headmaster of the crimson hall was working on the protection screen. When he saw the reports in the assistant''s hands. His eyes gleamed with surprise. "Finally, the reports were here," He thought to himself. First Elder Casey asked him about the progress report of their students a few days ago. Right now, he saw his assistant place the report on his table. He asked her, "is that all?" The female assistant nodded and answered, "Head, all the reports of our students are placed here." Hearing that, the headmaster nodded with a smile. He decided to hand over the reports to First Elder Casey in a few minutes. Beep! Then he heard the notification sound from the assistant''s sci-fi watch. Feeling his gaze, the female assistant quickly begins to check the notification. The headmaster didn''t disturb her. But he wrinkles his eyebrows as he saw her calm face turned into total shock. He asked, "What happened?" Hearing that, the female staff quickly replied, "Head, check this news out." After saying that she forwarded the news to him. Beep! When the headmaster received the notification, he began to check it. It is a new article from the red stone city. If it were anyone they don''t waste their time by reading a Tier-8 city''s news article. But for the crimson hall''s headmaster, it immediately drew attention. He quickly accessed the site to read the whole article. It''s the article about the warrior competition that is going to happen in Red Stone City. What amazed him was? The event will be conducted by Hansen Institute. A cold glint flashes into his eyes as he reads the familiar name. After reading the whole article his expression turned solemn. "It looks like they counterattack the rumours by releasing this statement," He mumbled under his breath. He is not oblivious about what was happening inside the red stone city. Few of their men were stationed there for a spying operation. Especially, they are starting at Hansen Campus. A quick glint flashes in his eyes. "Is there any sign of Zack Lockwood?" The headmaster inquired. Hearing that, the female staff commented, "Our spies haven''t found him so far." Most of his bad luck started when he began to deal with this kid. From bounty missions to the assassination attempt. Then they implemented of killing scheme at star tower. The kid Zack has survived every situation. Now he is gone incognito for a few months. Who knows? Where is he hiding right now? Including them, several hostile forces searching for his whereabouts. The more he thinks about Zack, the more his face becomes ugly. He knows more than him, First Elder Casey wants that kid dead. Because of their misadventure at star tower. First Elder Casey had to deal with a lot of humiliation. It all started with a small mission which further became a border dispute. So First Elder Casey won''t leave that kid alive. If they had completed the mission, the border wouldn''t have happened. SIGH He let out a deep sigh as he recalled those bitter memories. He saw his assistant is still waiting for his instructions. Then he told her to leave before his eyes set on the reports. First, he needs to get permission from Elder Casey for the meeting. He knows for the past few months Elder Casey is working tirelessly. And he has no idea about that? The dignified headmaster of the crimson hall doesn''t know about their event. If the outside forces know about it, then they will laugh at him. When it comes to the upcoming event, he feels helpless about it. He has attempted many times to inquire about news from First Elder Casey. But sadly, the elder didn''t even put him in his eyes.11 Chapter 387 Crimson Halls Next Move Crimson Hall, Elder''s cabin, A person is satisfied after reading the reports. The report says that the infrastructure built up at odyssey monster zone is going smoothly. The person is none other than First Elder Casey himself. He was happy that his plan is going forward without much interruption. Though there are some outside noises like pressure exerted from the other forces. But so far he has managed to hold them down. When the infrastructure is built up is finished, then they have to take the next step to modify the monster zone according to his plan. So far no one is allowed to step inside the monster zone except a few officials from both sides. It was all done to keep secrecy. If someone leaks out the name of the monsters to the outside world. Then his whole plan will jeopardize. Beep! When he was lost in his thoughts he heard the notification sound from a sci-fi watch. Seeing that it was from the useless headmaster, his face frowns a little bit. He recalled the last time that guy wanted to learn about the odyssey monster zone. But he denied his interference and didn''t reveal anything to him. He felt the headmaster should stick to his job and do what he says. He also recalled he had instructed the headmaster to collect the student''s progression reports. When he realised this he decided to meet him. A few minutes later, "Creak" the door opens. The headmaster walked into the room holding reports in his hands. He carefully noticed the expression of another party. Seeing that, the First Elder is calm and composed. He breathed in relief. Then he took a step forward to place the reports on the table. On the other hand, First Elder Casey stopped working after noticing his presence. Then he cast a glance at the reports on his table. But before he could say anything he heard the headmaster say, "First Elder, I have something to report." "Hmmm," First Elder Casey raised his eyebrows in surprise and then nodded at him. Receiving the signal, the headmaster slowly started to explain. He decided to include spy reports and red stone city''s news articles. First Elder quickly interested after knowing that it''s about little Hansen institute. "It has been a few months and I have almost forgotten about that kid," He thought to himself. He doesn''t know how to react to this. Because after his failure at the star tower trial, he completely dedicated himself to the crimson hall competition. He handed over other miscellaneous activists to the headmaster in front of him. 5 minutes later, When the headmaster finished his words, a cold glint flashed into his eyes. "Rumours forced them to act. Otherwise, the media houses will plummet their reputation further," First Elder Casey said with a smile. "Small Competition ah?" First Elder Casey sneered inwardly. He knows that this move was done to appease the people of red stone city. But what he was not interested in was Hansen institute rather certain genius kid. "Zack Lockwood," He mumbled under his breath. If the intel reports were true then that kid Zack was not in Hansen Institute at this moment. So where does he go? Did the people from Hansen institute hide him somewhere? In the next second, a ruthless glint flashes into his eyes. "It doesn''t matter where he is right now?" "As long as he participates in our competition he will die for sure," He said with an evil grin on his face. He didn''t forget that his failure started with that kid. If he had died in the first place, then the confrontation with the start tower wouldn''t have happened in the end. When he recalled past events, it only left bitter memories in his mind. At this moment he made a firm decision in his heart. He looked at the headmaster in front of him with a stern gaze. Which made the headmaster shudder. But in his mind, he thought about the red stone city. Some time ago, a new city lord was appointed to Red Stone City. If his memory serves him right, the new city lord is connected to the Army Federation. So most likely he is from other forces. When he realised that a beautiful plan hatched in his mind. He knows that few elders behind the Hansen Institute have a strong connection to the Army Federation. On top of it, the former city lord of their city was not on good terms with the crimson hall. But now he has a golden opportunity, the next second he looked at the trembling headmaster and said, "I want to meet the new city lord of red stone city asap." Hearing that, the headmaster''s eyes gleamed with delight. He bowed and replied, "Don''t worry Elder, I will arrange for the meeting." After saying that he immediately left the cabin. Looking at his disappearing back, First Elder snorted coldly, "Harumph" Even if the head masted does his work diligently, he still won''t reveal anything about the completion to him. The next second, he looked at the reports. His good plan needs cooperation from the new city lord. From the headmaster''s mouth, he came to know that the Hansen Institute''s small tournament was only limited to their city. The registration time is two weeks. He needs to act before the registration is implemented. First Elder Casey decided to send their crimson hall warriors to participate in that competition. He knows other than that kid Zack, there is no strong one that exists there. Using this golden opportunity, he decided to humiliate them greatly. If their crimson hall warriors cripple their Hansen students, in one way or another they will be forced to seek help from that kid. When that kid dares to come out, then he will use killers to remove him immediately. Even if he doesn''t come out, he will die inside the odyssey monster zone. First Elder Casey knows not only him, there are still other forces who don''t want that kid alive. The next second, he decided to read the progression reports. A few hours later, "Creak" the door opens. The headmaster walked into the room again. But this time he has an excited expression on his face. Like he had accomplished something. By this time, First Elder Casey also finished reading the reports. He already thought of names of warriors that he is going to send. "What happened?" He inquired. Hearing that, the headmaster said with a smile, "First Elder, when I mentioned crimson hall. He immediately agrees to meet you." A quick glint flashes into his eyes. But this time he is certain that the new city lord is an opportunistic dog. As long as crimson hall offers something, the new city lord will be sure to help. The next second, he asked, "Bob Williamson" "Austin Boyer" "Bradley Reese" "Ella Downs" and "Sallie Mills" "Where are these people right now?" At the same time, the headmaster was surprised to hear the familiar names. These 5 students were the same people who had previously participated in that star tower trial. He doesn''t know whether the elder knows about this. The next second he decided to respond. "Elder, All of them were diligently training in our academy for the competition," he replied. "Oh," First Elder was pleased to hear that. Because he knows that 5 of them were star tower participants. They showed a good performance at the start tower trial. But it was nothing in front of that kid. The world remembers the winners not runner-ups like 5 of them. He felt this was a good opportunity for 5 of them to appear in front of the world. This time they can redeem the crimson hall''s prestige. There is one more reason that he chose these 5 people as their cultivation base already reached the Peak of Special Trainee. They are one step away from reaching the Trainee Warrior level. To survive in the odyssey monster zone, they need to have at least a trainee-level base. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? He hopes that using this opportunity at least one of them to get a breakthrough. After gaining some clarity, he told the headmaster about his detailed plan. 2 minutes later, "Instruct 5 of them not to go anywhere," He said. "Once I confirm the deal with the new city lord. Then you will arrange for them to participate in that small competition," First Elder Casey added further. On the other hand, the headmaster was shocked to the core. He never thought that situation will develop into this. But soon he recovered himself and nodded at the elder. Just as he walked out of the cabin, he breathed in relief. He decided to inform the students first not to leave the city for the time being. Soon after getting into his office, he instructed the assistant to call those 5 students to his cabin. He then walks back to his chair to sit. Like First Elder said, he is also satisfied with their progress so far. But unfortunately, the kid Darius Case died mysteriously. Otherwise, the number would be 6 rather than 5. Chapter 388 Shock! (From MC''s Perspective) Several hours later, I walked out of the gravity chamber. When I decided to meet Mr Arthur, I noticed there are several notifications popped up on my sci-fi watch. Then suddenly I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion, Who could be? But when I opened the sci-fi watch, I found it was a message from Mr Arthur and Elder Thornton. Seeing that, I quickly figured it out. I guess Elder Thornton''s friend must have contacted his friend. A wide smile blossomed on my face after realising the situation. The next second, I immediately head towards Elder Thornton''s cabin. A few minutes later, "Creak" the door opens. When the door opened, I quickly walked into the room. I saw Elder Thornton working behind the desk. I wonder, what type of work he has? Shaking my head, I walked forward to sit opposite him. Elder Thornton already felt my arrival. After closing his projection screen, he looked at me. "Zack, I got good news for you," Elder Thornton said with a smile. Hearing that, I can confirm my assumption was right. Before I could ask anything, he said, "My friend Ricardo decided to go to Trunulesia Forest after two days." "So we will leave the day after tomorrow to meet him," Elder Thornton added further. "Day after tomorrow?" I mumbled under my breath. So I got one free day in between. Should I stay at home tomorrow? Various thoughts come to mind. On the other hand, Elder Thornton saw through Zack''s thoughts. He said with a smile on his face, "You don''t have to come tomorrow. Take rest at your home. Then I will send our meeting point later." "Okay," I said. My mind is a little bit solemn right now. Because I failed to start my soul cultivation. I felt something missing, but I don''t know what it is. Seeing the face of Elder Thornton in front of me, a thought rose in my heart to ask him about my doubts. But Mr Jonathan clearly warned me not to reveal soul cultivation. This leaves me no choice other than to contact Mr Jonathan himself. On the other hand, Elder Thornton felt its better to tell Zack about the competition. Because at the end of the day everything revolves around Zack. The purpose of this small competition is to hide Zack''s whereabouts and to stop people''s attempts from defaming their institute. "Cough" "Cough" Elder Thornton coughed twice before start explaining the situation. 5 minutes later, At first, I was surprised, I never thought Elder Thornton would care for people''s criticism. But this plan is extremely important now. Otherwise, I would be forced to step up. Which I don''t want. So I don''t have any problem with this competition rather I''m glad. Then I looked at the Elder and asked, "So I have to fight the winner of this small competition." To that Elder, Thornton nodded his head. He replied, "There is no young Trainee Warrior in our city. So you can be at ease. It will be an easy fight." "Then it''s fine. Just make sure that no one uses artefacts in the tournament," I said. The only thing that can pose threat to me is deadly artefacts. Who knows if some rich dude comes up with a high-end artefact, then there is no point in fighting against him. A quick glint flashes into his eyes. He also realised there are things which can cause danger to Zack during the fight. Such as high-end artefacts and forbidden pills. Fortunately, they didn''t think of the competition''s rules yet. Elder Thornton then said in a solemn tone, "Don''t worry, we will take care of it." Hearing that, I nodded and decided to leave. "Okay Elder, I''m leaving now," After saying that, I got up from the seat. After walking out of his cabin, I covered my face with the mask and walked towards the exit. I thought about meeting Mr Arthur earlier. But after considering his mental state right now. I thoughts it''s best to leave him alone. He was already under a lot of mental stress because of press people. So he needs some rest right now. Then a few minutes later, I exited the building. This time not a single person can be seen protesting outside. The place was empty and clean. I found the security guard was staring at me with a strange gaze. Then without minding him, I proceeded forward to find an air car. Soon I found the air car at a nearby restaurant. Then a couple of seconds later, the air car flew towards the destination. ... The following day, Crimson Hall, The headmaster''s office. "Creak," the door opens. One by one five silhouettes quickly walked into the room. They were Bob Williamson, Austin Boyer, Bradley Reese, Ella Downs and Sallie Mills. Five of them came here as per their headmaster''s order. The headmaster of the crimson hall noticed their presence. So he stopped working on the screen and turned towards them. Just ten minutes ago, he had received a message from First Elder. First Elder stated that the deal was made successfully between Red Stone City''s City Lord and him. So now he can implement First Elder''s plan. Various thoughts come to mind. Then he raised his head to observe five of them. Three male warriors and two female warriors. If they participate in that small competition, he knows all of them will completely crush their opponents. When he was thinking, he heard Bob Williamson''s voice," Headmaster?" Hearing that, he retracted his thoughts. He looked at everyone and said, "First Elder has a small mission for you." "What?" Austin Boyer was startled. Not only him but after hearing that everyone''s expression tightened. Who doesn''t know about their First Elder? He is more famous than their headmaster. Now entire outside forces were looking for the first elder Casey. Nobody knows where is he right now. And what is he doing? The entire crimson hall is now shrouded in mystery. Even students like them were clueless about what their organisation is up to now. A trace of worry appeared on Sallie''s face. She remembered what had happened at star tower. It was already a miracle to escape alive from that place. People say the border conflict happened partially due to crimson hall''s plan. And when it comes to planning, there are only two people behind the crimson hall. The first one is their great elder and the second one is their first elder. So she is a little scared. She doesn''t know what type of mission they have to do now. At the same time, Ella Downs is not good either. She feels something bad about the mission. Because she also remembers when was the last time the same people gathered together. It was at the star tower trial. After the star tower trial, everyone stopped meeting with each other. Especially, she and Sallie stopped meeting Bob, Austin and Bradley. Apart from Crimson Hall''s misadventure, the death of Darius Case caused them to feel wary of each other. So far crimson hall had found many possible suspects, but in the end, they couldn''t able to find the actual killer. While two girls were sulking about the mission, the other hand their boys has different thoughts about it, A quick glint flashes into Bob''s eyes. Recently, his family has been asking about the huge competition that is going to happen in a few months. But unfortunately, their teachers and elders were clueless about it. Unless he meets First Elder in person, it''s impossible to know about the competition. Now he has a chance to meet the First Elder in person. Before anyone could digest the information, he opened his mouth to say, "Headmaster, if I complete the mission. Will I have the opportunity to meet First Elder?" His words startled everyone. This guy? Austin''s face completely turned ugly. He was surprised by Bob''s quick thinking. "Sure, Bob is cunning, " Austin thought to himself. Only Bradley Reese remained silent. First, he wants to hear about the mission before making any assumptions. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? On the other hand, seeing various reactions from everyone, the headmaster let out a small laugh, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "Let me first tell you it is not going to be your usual mission," after saying that he began to explain the red stone city''s competition. When five of them heard slightly familiar words, they began to frown. "Red Stone City, it feels familiar," Bob said. Bradley and Austin were surprised to hear from Bob. Because they too had this familiar feeling. At the same time, Sallie seems to realise something. "Zack is from Red Stone City," She was shocked to the core. She felt has heard something wrong, so quickly composed herself. But after a few minutes, The place-tuned pin dropped silently. Sallie felt terrible inside. This mission was aimed at Zack Lockwood. The First Elder didn''t forget about him after the star tower trial. Ella Down''s eyes gleamed with surprise and shock. Who doesn''t know about Zack Lockwood? Especially, after the star tower trial, everyone named him as Tier-8 city''s genius. She and Sallie had talked with him. But she doesn''t know how strong has he grown since last time? She is curious to know about it. Chapter 389 The City Lord Alex Fuller Red Stone City, The following day, The news about the competition already spread to the entire city. Through the media houses, the residents of the city quickly get updated with the recent news. Right now many young warriors can''t wait for the registration site to open. The news also swept away the dissatisfaction of the young warriors. It doesn''t matter whether warriors from an institute or a certain clan anyone can participate in the competition. Even warriors without a proper background can also participate as long as they are residents of red stone city. City Lord Mansion, The newly appointed city lord is watching one of the famous news channels in this city. The City Lord''s name is Alex Fuller. He hails from a small neutral force. Which is not big as Parazam Hunter League or the Army Federation. Alex Fuller has a selfish personality. Since he was from a small force, he lacks the opportunity and resources to train. By that time, he was transferred to this city as a new city lord. He was already short on personal wealth. Usually, Alex used to gather his wealth through corruption. Unfortunately, the economic activity of Red Stone City is not thriving as he imagined. It was impossible to gather massive wealth through corruption here. Alex has life long dream of stepping into the Elite level. Currently, he was 50 years old. So his opportunity is gradually diminishing due to ageing. That''s why he tried to find various sources to earn money. But who would have thought there is a golden opportunity to exist in this city? Right after a few days, he received multiple requests from several forces. It includes small and medium-sized forces. Interestingly, everyone had the same request. It was to know the whereabouts of a person. That person is a young genius of this city, Zack Lockwood. He was also the current champion of star tower. "Star Tower," Alex mumbled under his breath while watching the debate. He knows that star tower has a terrifying background. It made him hesitant to accept everyone''s request. But after getting so many alluring offers, he convinced himself. It''s just getting the current whereabouts of the kid. He can fulfil the deal by selling the information to others. He is not going to act against the kid personally anyway. So Alex agreed to cooperate but when he tried to contact the chairman of the Hansen Institute. He couldn''t able to reach him. It''s like another party is purposely avoiding his calls. But, yesterday, when he was thinking about a good plan, he was called by a certain big force from Tier-7 city. In fear, he visited the crimson hall right away. But who would have thought he was going to meet a famous person? After he met with Mr Casey, he figured out ins and outs of the situation. Shockingly, the crimson hall also wants to find out the whereabouts of Zack Lockwood as well. But unlike those small and medium forces, Mr Casey had a different plan. He wants to use Hansen''s small competition to embarrass them completely. Mr Casey believed, that to save their face they will force Zack Lockwood to appear. Only that kid can somewhat fight decently against Tier-7 city''s warriors. But the problem lies here, he needs to find a way to let warriors from crimson hall participate in that competition. If he do that, Mr Carey had promised him to reward handsome money. He knows the wealth of Tier-7 city forces. It''s not comparable to the puny wealth they have here in this Tier-8 city. Not only that, but he was also aware of Crimson Hall''s background. They are going to do something big in a few months. Every small and large force looking forward to it. If he can do as he says, he will earn a lot more in the end. A cold glint flashes into his eyes. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? The next second, he turned off the protection disk. Alex Fuller knows he doesn''t have much time. Before the registration opens up, he needs to think of a solution. He noticed the problem right away. The competition is going to conduct by Hansen Campus in their private capacity. So he can''t interfere in their affairs directly. What to do? He thought to himself. If he conducts the competition himself instead of on Hansen campus, he is not sure whether that kid (Zack) will participate. For some time, he couldn''t able to come up with a good solution. If he forces Hansen campus to allow crimson hall students to participate. He will not meet with a good end. Even if Mr Casey didn''t say anything about their bad relationship with Star Tower. He already knows one or two things. If the star tower people came to know that crimson hall is targeting their champion. They will deal with him first. When he thought about the worst-case scenario, his face turned ugly. So he is not going to coerce the Hansen Institute anyway. Then suddenly an old-school idea comes to his mind. "What about creating a false identity?" He said to himself. The more he thought about the plan the more it sounds possible. Because Mr Casey had informed him that he is going to send only 5 warriors to participate. He can easily arrange false identities of these people. Finally, after long contemplation. He decided to implement this plan. Then he immediately ordered his manager to come to the main hall. Several minutes later, The City Lord Alex saw the manager walk into the hall. Seeing that, he quickly avoided the formalities and jumped into the topic. "Manager Walter, how long you have been working here?" He inquired. Hearing that, Walter was surprised but he quickly replied by saying, "It''s been 15 years my lord." "15 years," Alex muttered. He thought that Manager Walter has vast experience. So he might have a good understanding of the city. Especially, a good understanding of the forces here. Including those cultivation and business clans here. After gaining some clarity, Alex asked, "Manger Walter, tell me the names of low-key forces here." Alex felt to perfectly assimilate 5 of them into this city. He needs the help of a certain family with a good background. Especially, those forces that are rarely talked about in public. He felt that in this way no one can suspect the identity of the 5 new warriors. Once the competition is finished, he will send them to crimson hall right away. On the other hand, Manager Walter began to ponder. Seeing that, various calculations appeared in Alex''s mind. After a few minutes, Manager Walter began to talk about the low-key forces in this city. When the manager finished his words. A quick glint flashes into his eyes. "Good" "Good," Alex uttered in surprise. He never thought there are more than two forces with low-key development here. Then he spent more than one hour discussing those families. Then he finalized one family in the end. "Frazier Clan," He muttered to himself. Then he looked at Manager Walter and instructed, "Arrange a quick meeting with the head of the Frazier clan." "Yes, my lord," Manager Walter answered. Then he quickly left the hall. "I hope this plan will be successful," The City Lord Alex said to himself. SIGH After sighing, he rose from the chair. Beep! But suddenly his sci-fi watch buzzes with notification. Seeing that, he immediately saw the contact name. It was called from the headmaster of the crimson hall. Alex furrowed his eyebrows in tension. He guessed maybe the headmaster was asked by Mr Casey to inquire about the updates. He felt quite a headache. But still, he has to attend this call. Otherwise, it will create a bad impression. Then he quickly walked into his room to attend the call. "City lord, did you find any way to implement our plan?" The headmaster inquired. Hearing that, City Lord Alex began to explain his current plan. He wants to create five false identities using the name of the Frazier clan. The headmaster remained quiet for a moment. He felt quite dissatisfied in his heart. The headmaster expected something else. He thought that the city lord should coerce the Hansen institute to change its rules. It will be a very easy and direct method. He doesn''t know why the city lord is implying old means. Feeling the silence, the city lord Alex feels uncomfortable. "Cough" "Cough" He coughed twice to break the awkward atmosphere. Then he continued to say, "Headmaster, don''t worry, my plan will be successful." Hearing his word, the headmaster felt quite assured. So he didn''t refute his words. "Okay, then call me after confirming everything," After saying that he ended the call. The City Lord Alex sighed in relief. "At least, he didn''t reject my efforts," He said to himself. After saying that, he waited for manager Walter to arrange the meeting. He also knows if his meeting Frazier clan head fails, then it will take a lot of time to think next plan. By that time, perhaps the registration of that small competition might start. So he has no other choice but to make it work. Chapter 390 Boring List (From MC''s perspective) Lockwood residence, The following day, I arranged everything for my new trip. I bought a few emergency stuff from an online store some time ago and stored them in my storage ring. Yesterday, I spoke to Uncle James about the new trip. After knowing that the old researcher was Elder Thornton''s friend, he stopped worrying. Not only uncle James, but I also received a green signal from Mr Jonathan. Earlier, after my discussion with Elder Thornton. I texted Mr Jonathan about Ricardo Compton. I guess Mr Jonathan must have done extensive research about him. The only person I didn''t tell was Granny Park. In her old age, it''s better not to hear this type of news. I believe Uncle James will tell a suitable lie to her. Then after packing things, I walked downstairs. Uncle James already went to work. So Granny Park will be alone in this house after I leave. It can''t be helped. After reaching the living room, I saw her reading books. Then I walked up to her and told her that I''m leaving for the Hansen campus. Hearing that she nodded and didn''t suspect my words. Then after bidding goodbye to her, I left the home. Elder Thornton told me to wait at the Red Stone City station. He didn''t want me to come back to Hansen Institute. Anyway, I''ll do as he says, this saves my time also. After gaining some clarity in my thoughts, I continued to walk along the street. Soon, I reached the air cab platforms. Numerous air cars were parked line by line. Seeing that, I walked forward to look for a familiar driver. This air cab platform station is located quite close to my residency. So I''m familiar with many drivers. A few minutes later, I spotted a familiar driver. I told my destination after getting inside the car. Then the air car rose from the platform and flew towards the train station. I don''t know many things about Ricardo Compton. Even I used various sites to search about him. Apart from his biodata and images, there is nothing that can be found on these sites. I believe like many things his works were also censored. Not many things were disclosed to the public. Especially, his work on numerous old ruins. All of the information about the old runes was also blocked. It''s good that Elder Thornton told me about this, otherwise it''s impossible to learn about these things from other sources. The air cab reached the train station a few minutes later. After paying the amount, I stepped out of the car and head toward the station''s entrance. This time I came to the station on time. The train to the red stone city will arrive shortly. So I don''t have to wait here for long. I found people staring at me. Like last time, I wore a mask to cover my face now. So I''m helpless when it comes to this. Without minding their gaze, I continued to wait. BUZZ A few minutes later, a loud sound was heard from the distance. The train''s arrival sound is so loud and clear that all the passengers rose from their seats. Slowly, the train came to a complete halt. Then one by one passengers started to enter the train. Seeing that, I followed them to enter inside. The seats started to fill in. Then I found my seat and sat comfortably in it. Then a few minutes later, the train started to depart. Then I thought about reading the news articles. I realised the trending topics will be about our small competition. It will trend for at least two weeks until registration. If the small competition will be interesting enough to watch people, then it will gain further traction. I guess, our event will occupy people''s minds for at least one week. Then after accessing the sci-fi watch, I found it was the same reaction as I had expected. The media houses are already started their debate. They have already made a possible candidate list. What''s more amazing is that each media house has made its list. "Interesting?" I mumbled under my breath. I want to see whether any candidate is worth noticing. It''s really that I wasn''t aware of much of red stone city. Especially, the information about young warriors. From what I know, there are several strong clans in Red Stone City. But their descendants are not as strong as me. Otherwise, I would have encountered them at the star tower trial itself. As I opened the list, I saw the names and information of the candidates in the list. The media houses even collected information about individual cultivation bases. My eyes gleamed with surprise. "Is it true?" I asked myself... But I have heard from Elder Thornton that some media houses have their spies to gather this kind of information. And these people were extremely professional. Then I began to scroll down the page as I looked into each possible candidate''s cultivation base. I''m interested in knowing their cultivation base. Not in their family background. So far the candidate''s cultivation base is average. Many of them were still at Peak Trainee Apprentice, not even at Special Trainee. After scrolling down a few pages, I finally found a few names. They have a Special Trainee Cultivation base. I clicked the name to read their background information. A quick glint flashes into my eyes. When I noticed this young warrior is from a certain clan. Now, I wasn''t surprised by his current level. They might have poured their entire resources on this young warrior. Then I began to access other media houses'' candidate lists. After looking at a few lists, I found a familiar name. In this new list, Maria Frazier''s name tops the list. It is reported that her cultivation has reached Initial Special Trainee a few weeks ago. Talking about Maria, it''s been a long since I saw her. I wonder whether she will participate in this competition. This small competition is being held to divert others'' attention. I don''t know if her father is aware of this. If he knows he won''t allow her to participate unnecessarily, this is going to be just a waste of time. Then I spent another few minutes going through every list. "Phew," I sighed in relief. The candidate lists were not worth noticing. Apart from Maria, I didn''t care about others. It''s true like Elder Thornton said. This small competition is going to be rather easy. I don''t have to worry about it. Then after closing the pages, I proceed to take a small nap. Times goes by, The train reached the Red Stone city station two hours later. Hearing the loud announcement, I opened my eyes. Then I followed others to exit the train. After stepping out, I looked around me. Elder Thornton should have been waiting for me. Where is he now? Soon, I saw a person walking toward me. He was dressed in a black suit and he wore black coolers. "Hmmm," I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. But the next second, I realised he is none other than Elder Thornton. When he arrived in front of me, I asked, "Elder, what''s up with your dress?" Hearing that, Elder Thornton coughed twice. "Cough" "Cough" "Well, it''s all for hiding our identities," Elder Thornton replied with a smile on his face. I shook my head and asked, "Elder, what''s your plan now?" I don''t want to spend much more time in Red Stone city. I hope we can leave this place right now. On the other hand, Elder Thornton began to access his communication watch. He is looking for something else. Seeing that, I stopped inquiring and waited for him to do his work. A few minutes later, Elder Thornton uttered something which I couldn''t hear properly. "Elder, what is it?" I asked. "Baguva," Elder Thornton replied after closing his sci-fi watch. This name sounds familiar. But I don''t know where have I heard it before? Before I could ask anything, Elder Thornton said, "This city is the meeting point fixed by my friend." A quick glint flashes into my eyes. Now, I remembered the details of this city. Baguva is the smallest city that I have heard of. This city has the smallest population. Apart from it, the city is bursting with strong economic activity. Lots of rare materials can be bought from this city. Ranging from precious herbs to full body gears. And most of those items were less expensive compared to other cities. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? What is more amazing is that Baguva city is a Tier-7 city. It''s not easy to enter Tier-7 city from Tier-8 city just like that. I guess his friend must have got the required travel pass for this. To confirm, I decided to ask. On the other hand, Elder Thornton had already seen through his thoughts. He answered, "I presume you know about that baguva city." Hearing that I nodded. Seeing that, Elder Thornton said, "My friend has acquired travel pass after long difficulty." "So you don''t have to worry about legal issues." "You can roam around the city easily with this pass." After talking for a few minutes, we waited for the train to arrive. Chapter 391 Fraziers Decision City Lord Mansion - Red Stone City, The City Lord Alex Fuller was in his study room where he received a message from Manager Walter. Seeing that, he rose from the chair and walked towards the main hall. He hopes for hearing some positive answers. When he arrived at the main hall, he saw apart from Manager Walter another person is standing beside him. Looking at his burly physique and cultivation base, quick glint flashes into his eyes. The city lord Alex soon realized something. "He must be the head of the Frazier Clan," Alex thought to himself. Because the other person''s cultivation base was the same as himself. Only strong heads of cultivation families can have this level. Then he walked up to the main seat and sat in it. Seeing that, Manager Walter and Frazier Clan''s heads bowed to him in respect. Then the city lord signalled the manager Walter to leave. He will take care of the next course of action. After receiving the order, the manager Walter exited the hall. Seeing all of this a trace of apprehension appeared in Mr Frazier''s eyes. He couldn''t understand the action of their new city lord. Why did he ask him to come here? When he was confused, he heard the city lord''s voice. "Mr Frazier, No need for formalities," After saying that he gestured to him to take a seat. Mr Frazier didn''t ask back any questions and sat in the nearby chair. He knows the city lord has something important to discuss. So he decided not to talk back unnecessarily. Seeing his attitude, the city lord Alex was pleased. He felt his plan will go a lot smoother than he had expected earlier. "Cough" he coughed to break the awkward atmosphere. He felt it was best not to talk about the crimson hall. Who knows? If the information leaks out it will create another headache. Then he looked at Mr Frazier with a bright smile on his face before asking, "Mr Frazer, I need your help with something." ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Hearing that, Mr Frazier widened his eyes in surprise. The next second he composed himself but still, there are many questions appeared in his mind. Then the city lord Alex began to explain his request. He will send 5 new warriors to Hansen''s competition under the name of Frazier Clan. At first, Mr Frazier''s expression was normal. But his expression turned ugly as he started to listen more. The city lord Alex wasn''t surprised by Mr Frazier''s expression. Rather he felt it was normal. But what he doesn''t know is that Mr Frazier has different thoughts in his mind. "When did Hansen campus have offended the new city lord?" He thought to himself. As far as he knows there is no interaction at all. If it was another issue, he won''t mind helping. But the things with Hansen campus were different. His daughter Maria studies and practises there. So Mr Frazier was hesitant in his heart about whether he should agree with the city lord''s request. He knows sending strong warriors to participate in a small competition. It''s nothing but the act of humiliating Hansen''s institute on purpose. On the other hand, the city lord noticed Mr Frazier is dwelling on his words. He asked, "Mr Frazier, is there any problem?" Hearing that, Mr Frazier nodded but he decided to mention a different reason. "Lord, I have few connections in Hansen Institute. Some of the elders know about my family very well," After saying that he added further. So If they saw the sudden appearance of new warriors under the Frazier clan''s name, it will raise their eyebrows. Eventually, if one starts to investigate, then it will be easy to know, that 5 of them were not part of the Frazier Clan. Hearing his concerns, the city lord Alex realized there were genuine concerns, not some random excuse. For a moment, he thought about considering other families. But he neglected those thoughts the next second. He replied, "Mr Frazier, you have to do only one thing to do that is to keep the secret until the competition." "Then if someone finds the identity of the 5 warriors after the end of the competition. Your clan won''t be held accountable," the city lord Alex added further. Hearing that, Mr Frazier breathed in relief. If it was the case then their clan can be saved from trouble. But in his heart, he won''t want to take action against Hansen Campus. Unfortunately, he can''t deny the request from the city lord. He may seem to be all smiles on his face. But he knows that if he offends the city lord now. It will cause a lot of damage to their clan economically. After sighing inwardly, Mr Frazier decided to agree with the city lord''s proposal. Then he nodded at the lord and replied, "Lord, I agree to help you. But I''m not sure about helping you with their protection." Then a few minutes later, both reached some common ground in the discussion. After talking about a few things, Mr Frazier immediately left the building. The city lord Alex was glad to convince the other party. It took some effort but he was fine with it. Because the headmaster wells from the crimson Hall pressuring him from one side. This confirmation news will give him some time to breathe. The next second he immediately texted the headmaster wells. After doing that, he walked back to his room. On the other hand, After leaving the city lord mansion. Mr Frazier didn''t stop anywhere. He heads straight towards his clan home. Several few minutes later, Mr Frazier reached his home. On the way, several clansmen bowed toward him in respect. After acknowledging them, he went straight toward his study room. He needed some alone time right now. After getting inside the study room, Mr Frazier finally lost his composure. "Damn it, what''s up with the new city lord?" He said to himself. He knows offending the new city lord is more dangerous than offending the old ones. Because this new city lord will continue to serve until he gets transferred to some other places. In meantime, he doesn''t want his clan to be harassed by the City lord Mansion people. Then walked up to his chair and sat in it. He began to recall their conversation one by one. Earlier, he noticed the city lord forget to tell him something. Rather, it''s best to say he purposely avoided something. Especially, the city lord didn''t tell him the background of the warriors. But Mr Frazier has a strong feeling that it has something to do with Hansen Campus. Why would he target Hansen Institute? There is no possibility of enmity between them. The City lord was appointed recently. So there must be someone behind the city lord who wants to target Hansen Institute. After realising this he was shocked to the core. His clan can''t handle the new city lord. Forget about the existence behind him. So Mr Frazier decides not to tell Elder Thornton after understanding the seriousness of this matter. When it comes to Hansen''s competition, he felt helpless. He can only hope nothing bad happens to their young warriors. He let out a deep sigh before focussing his mind on other issues. ... (From MC''s perspective) Train Station - Red Stone City, The train to Baguva city arrived after one hour. Seeing that, Elder Thornton and I boarded the train. I remembered the last time we went to star tower together. But this time it was for a different situation. We sat back comfortably after finding our seats. From Elder Thornton, I heard it will probably take a week to reach baguva city. One week is indeed a long train journey. This is the first time I''m going to experience such a long trip. So I decided to sleep for a few hours. I closed my eyes and then slowly fell into a deep sleep. On the other hand, Elder Thornton smiled when he saw Zack''s actions. He then shifted his attention towards his sci-fi watch. A while ago, he received many notifications. But he didn''t think about taking a look at it. He noticed there are many messages inbox. Most of them were sent by other elders of the Hansen Institue. He knows all of them were quite pissed. Because he made a unanimous decision. He didn''t even ask any second opinion regarding the small competition. So it''s quite normal for them to react in this way. He didn''t want to send them a reply now. When he returns from baguva city, he will think of a solution. Then he continued to go through the other messages one by one. Suddenly, his eyes fixated on one person''s name. It was a message from his friend Ricardo Cartell. His friend inquired about their whereabouts. But he had already made a phone call a while ago. So he didn''t reply to this message again. Then he began to scroll down and finally, he saw an interesting name. "Alex Fuller," He mumbled under his breath. This message was sent a week ago. But he neglected back them. In curiosity, he opened the message to read it. After reading it, he wasn''t surprised. Because the new city lord wanted to meet him. And he didn''t give a proper response at that time. Chapter 392 Arriving At Baguva City Several days later, Tier-7 Baguva City, The entire city was built in the shape of a dome-like structure. If some looked at the city from distance, they will see the curved structure of the city wall. The curved wall is one massive piece of metal, which connects the other three sides of the city in a circular pattern. The curved wall of the city provides massive protection from monster breakouts. Even if the monster''s stampede occurs in large numbers, they can''t cause a small dent in the city wall. The highly fortified city can withstand the attack from the Level-4 Peak Monster. Only level-5 Monster can cause damage to this Baguva City. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? But such level-5 monsters are not present in the surrounding region of the city. So the residents of the city were not afraid of monsters running into their houses. At this time, from the grey colour metal wall. A huge door was lifted. If one looked at it closely, one can see a wide railroad going inside the city. A few seconds later, the train buzzing sound reverberated throughout the surroundings. A highly fortified train is going to the city at full speed. When the last compartment of the train disappeared. The huge metallic door was lowered down. Then the trace of the lift completely disappeared from anyone''s sight. The metallic wall of the city appeared brand new. Inside the city, The train from red stone city finally reached the platform. Unlike other Tier-8 cities, the infrastructure of Tier-7 cities is different. You can''t leave the station and enter the city just like that. There is a specially built checking post in between to verify the background of the passengers. Only people with proper background and a travel pass can go into the city. To do this thorough background check. The special teams with Peak Trainee Warrior cultivation base were appointed for this purpose. The head of the special trainee teams'' is an Elite warrior. ... (From MC''s perspective) "Zack, wake up," Elder Thornton said. Hearing that, I opened my eyes and realised that we arrived at our destination. For a moment, a trace of disappointment appeared in my eyes. I missed the opportunity to see how the city looked from the outside. I bet this city is huge. My eyes gleamed with light as curiosity rose in my heart. Then I stored the neck pillow in my storage ring with the rest of the materials. After that, I followed Elder Thornton to step out of the compartment. When I exited the train and looked at the surroundings. My eyes widened in surprise and shock. "Huge and Marvelous," I mumbled under my breath. A tremor went in my heart as I looked at the breathtaking size of the train station. I guess it''s just one of the platforms. I guess the rest of the buildings were also the same as this. On the other hand, Elder Thornton smiled after seeing their stupefied expression of Zack. He realised this is the first time Zack to visit a proper Tier-7 city. Though baguva city is small in population. But no other Tier-7 city beats it in status and development. Even among the Tier-7 cities, baguva city is considered a small giant. And there is a valid reason for it. Looking at Zack he couldn''t help but say, "The train station''s size alone is half of the size of a white stone city." Hearing Elder Thornton''s words, I looked at him in disbelief. Now only realised, I underestimated the size of the city. "It''s bigger than I thought," I said to him. "Yeah, it''s big infrastructure," Elder Thornton replied. "Let''s go we have to go through the inspection before entering the city," After saying that Elder Thornton led me towards the exit. "Inspection?" A trace of doubt appeared in my heart. Then I thought about something. I guess the travel pass must have something to do with it. It is just the process of verification. Soon after exiting the platform, I spotted another building. Passengers are standing in queue to go through the verification process. There are four queues and Elder Thornton led me to one of them. Then we waited for our opportunity to turn up. Time passed, Slowly, the number of passengers started to reduce. Then our turn came up a few minutes later. I saw a warrior dressed in black asking for details from Elder Thornton. He is doing the inquiry. Then I saw Elder Thornton showing the travel pass to him. After verifying the travel pass. The warrior seemed too convinced. Finally, he allowed us to enter the city. Both of us then head directly towards the exit after that. On the way, I couldn''t help but ask, "Elder, what is the validity of this pass?" Hearing that, Elder Thornton paused his movements and looked at Zack. He realised he didn''t fully explain to Zack about the travel pass. "Oh yes, about the travel pass," Elder Thornton said. "This travel pass is only valid for three months. I believe that your trip is won''t be that long," he added further. "Three months is enough for this trip," I said. But Elder Thornton let out a bitter smile and answered, "Don''t daydream about it. Even if they decide to extend their plan, you on the other hand will have to quit the exploration team." I wasn''t surprised by his words. Researchers can immerse deeply into their role without worrying about the time and days. If it happens then I will have to return alone. SIGH I sighed inwardly. This is completely going to be a new experience. Then after leaving the exit we came across a different atmosphere. "Waiting area," Elder Thornton muttered. Hearing that I looked around the surrounding. Stop saying this is a waiting area. This building was a shopping mall. People can be seen visiting different shops. There are also several rooms available for people to take a rest. It took me some moments to digest the information. It''s different from the previous experience. In Tier-8 city, there is no other option other than quietly waiting for your train. But here you can spend your extra time shopping. And there is no chance for you to get bored around this place. While I was looking at those shops, I heard Elder Thornton''s coughing sound. Elder Thornton said, "Don''t worry, after speaking with my friend. I''ll take you around the city." Hearing that I nodded. I have to say I''m enjoying Elder Thornton''s company. It was like the previous experience of the Star Tower visit. Where he took care of everything. And this time also he seemed to come prepared. Then I followed him towards the exit. It''s hard for me to look for entrance and exit here. Looking at Elder Thornton, I believed he must have visited the city multiple times. Then after walking past similar-looking buildings. We finally exited the train station minutes later. Finally, I breathed in relief after looking at the sky. Then I glanced at the humongous station behind me. "Damn, this station is larger than I had expected," I said to myself. Then I straightened my back and looked at the city in front of me. Seeing that, I revealed a small smile on his face. Because the city is nothing different from Tier-8 cities apart from its size and hygiene. Then I found a new thing. It doesn''t matter where it''s a small or big shop. I can feel the luxurious vibe from it. When I was lost in my thoughts, I heard Elder Thornton''s voice beside me. The next second, I saw he is talking to the cab driver. Seeing that, my gaze immediately set on the air taxi next to him. I twitched as the air car also seems to be different. I had never seen or heard of this model before. This air car is almost twice in size compared to that one back in my city. In curiosity, I walked up to the air car for further inspection. While Elder Thornton was busy talking to the driver. I began to observe the air car. This air car has many seats. I believe seven people can sit comfortably inside the air car. Then my gaze landed on the monstrous wheels. With this air car, I can easily enter the monster zone. While I was appreciating it, I heard Elder Thornton''s voice again. Seems like he successfully negotiated with an air cab driver. Then I entered the air car after Elder Thornton. The driver seems to be a strong warrior. He doesn''t want to be rude by probing him. So I guessed in my heart. Looking at his burly physique and feeling the subtle pressure from his body. I think the air cab driver is a Trainee Warrior. This realization completely broadens my knowledge further. Elder Thornton finds out Zack''s doubt. He answered, "It''s normal for Trainee Warrior to be a driver in this city." Hearing that, I was shocked inside. I never thought the strong warriors are like clouds in this city. It is totally beyond my belief. Then what about the Elite Warriors? Chapter 393 Meeting With Elder Compton (From MC''s perspective) Tier-7 - Baguva City, The air cab driver who is also a peak trainee warrior sat in the driver''s seat. At this moment, I heard Elder Thornton''s voice from next to me. "Zack, this air car has a different name. It is called wind car model #98," Elder Thornton said. "Wind car," I muttered. But I recalled those customized air cars used at the Black Forest. Compared to those modified air cars, this wind car is quite big. In the next second, the wind car rose from the ground. Seeing that, I immediately began to view the city through the window. As the wind car rose above the clouds. I can see the overall infrastructure of the train station. Like Elder Thornton has said, the train station is really big. The wind car slowly moved towards the destination. Seeing the speed control, I was puzzled. Then a look of understanding appeared on my face. The city has strict traffic control. That''s why the peak trainee warrior is responsibly following the rules. Shaking my head, I asked Elder Thornton, "Elder, where are we going?" I suppose Elder Thornton already told the driver about the destination. "Shopping," Elder Thornton uttered a word. Hearing that, a trace of confusion appeared in my eyes. "Ha...Ha....Ha...." "Just be patient, we will arrive at the location shortly," After saying that he began to text his good friend. SIGH I sighed inwardly. Then I shift my attention toward the city. There are many high-rise buildings in this city. Back at home, usually, wealthy business people have this type of building. Apart from them, there is the only building of City Lord Mansion that can rival them. Even our Hansen building is pale in comparison. I''m curious though if it''s some company building then what about the residence building? Do all of them have a similar structure? A thought rose in my heart. Then next second, I felt it was absurd. Shaking my head, I continue to observe the city. 20 minutes later, The wind car slowly descends on the landing platform. When it came to a complete halt, I stepped out of the car followed by Elder Thornton. I saw Elder Thornton walk up to him. Seeing that I decided to wait. After paying the amount to the driver, he led me to a certain location. After walking past several buildings, he came to a complete stop in front of a particular building. CAMPBELL GEAR CENTRE A quick glint flashes into my eyes as I read the name. "What Gear?" I mumbled under my breath. Feeling the confusion, I glanced at Elder Thornton. He wasn''t surprised as I am. Suddenly, a person walked out by opening the glass door. "Ha....Ha....Ha....," Elder Thornton burst into laughter after seeing that person. "Ricardo, how have you been?" Elder Thornton stepped forward to meet him. Hearing that, I realised what was happening. Then immediately I observed the person. He appeared to be 60 years old. He was a bald person with white curly hair. He is 5.5ft tall in height. He has a lean physique with fair skin. He wore a white blazer. "Zack, come here. He is my friend Ricardo Compton," Elder Thornton suddenly said to Zack. Hearing Elder Thornton''s words, I looked at the bald elder and walked toward him. When I walked in front of him, I felt his gaze over my body. I realised he is probing me right now. I don''t know. Whether he will bypass the pendant''s protection. A trace of worry appeared in my eyes. On the other hand, Elder Thornton was shocked to his core. He made an important discovery right now. His friend Ricardo seemed to be more powerful than him. He couldn''t even guess Ricardo''s cultivation base. At the same time, bald Ricardo Compton was surprised by Zack''s strength. When he tried to probe, he found the small block. He knows it must be a protective item. But he easily bypassed it and found Zack''s real strength. "Mid-level- Special Trainee," He thought to himself. Then a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes because he also found his bone age of Zack. "Less than 15 years old, good, " He said to himself. Then in curiosity, he asked, "Brat, what is your element?" Hearing that, my heart skips a beat. Instead of answering, I glanced at Elder Thornton for support. I can''t tell him about my lightning element. Elder Thornton never expected his friend to raise this question all of a sudden. "Cough" "Cough" He coughs twice before saying, "Can we go inside now?" "We came here after a long tiring journey," he added further. Bald Compton realised his mistake. He replied in an apologetic tone, "Sorry, I forgot about this." Then he greeted both of them inside. "Phew," I breathed in relief. Then I gave thumps up to Elder Thornton. He saved me from trouble this time. But I don''t know. What to do after getting inside the trunulesia forest. I followed behind the two with a worry in my heart. On the other hand, Elder Thornton is speaking with Compton. He was surprised by knowing his friend far surpassed him. But he doesn''t know what level is he at right now. This building has several floors. Right now, they are on the first floor. Precisely in the waiting area, Elder Thornton asked, "Compton, what is your level? Tell me honestly." Hearing that, bald Compton chuckled. But he didn''t feel any reason to hide it. So he answered, "Mid-level Elite Warrior." Hearing that, Elder Thornton felt quite unbelievable. How long has it been? The last time when he saw his friend, he was taking the step to break through. Now he is saying he has reached Mid-level. This must be due to differences in talent. It''s normal for warriors to exhaust their potential at old age. But this case is only applicable to the average warrior. Warriors with good talent are quite an exception to it. SIGH Elder Thornton sighed inwardly. Soon three of them reached the elevator. On the other hand, the conversation between these two was heard by me. What can I say? I''m finally coming in contact with Elite world. As expected the person with Mid- Elite strength. He has easily seen through my cultivation base. Looks like Granny''s pendant won''t be able to provide cover anymore. I have to buy an upgraded version of the pendant. As I walked inside the lift, I saw a bald Elder looking at me with a doubtful gaze. "Brat, are you alright?" "Why are you so tensed?" Compton inquired the young man in a calm tone. He felt this young man was nervous because of a new place. On the other hand, Elder Thornton quickly interjected by saying, "Ha..Ha..ha.., it''s the first time for him to see an Elite Warrior." Elder Thornton thought his friend has become talkative suddenly for no reason. Does he find something in Zack? As this thought rose in his heart. He glanced at Zack with worry. Compton shook his head. He didn''t ask anything further. Then he presses the button to the 10th floor. Seeing that, the bald elder didn''t inquire anymore, I felt relief in my heart. Damn, I can''t stand two minutes with him. If our conversation goes like this, then I don''t know what I''m going to do. It is hard to come up with a lie every time. One lie leads to another. When the lift reached the 10th floor. We walked out of the lift one by one. What greeted me was a high-tech shop. There is glass built entrance door with a small system attached to it. I saw the bald elder walled forward to do something. He went closed so that his communication watch get connected to the small system. The next second the glass door opened automatically. Then we entered the room. My gaze was immediately drawn to the shelves. Where different types of gears were placed in it. All of them were full body gear. Each one is different in size and model. Some of them were in armour type and others were in normal adventurer suit type. Seeing that, I stopped walking and continued to observe them. At the same time, Elder Thornton noticed Zack''s situation. He didn''t disturb him rather he said to Compton, "Are you purchasing the gear for Zack?" Hearing that, Compton turned around he looked at Zack first and then he faced his friend. "Did you brief him about trunulesia forest?" He asked in a solemn tone. Elder Thornton nodded and replied, "I told him about some basic information." Looking at the serious expression of Compton he asked, "is there any problem?" Compton''s expression eased a little bit, then he let out a sigh before saying, "Actually, there are some changes that happened in Trunulesia forest." "The concentration of the weird energy is increased a lot compared to the past few decades," he added further. Hearing that, Elder Thornton''s expression changed drastically. He immediately looked at Zack. He found Zack was observing the gear suits without minding their conversation. He sighed in relief before turning towards Compton, "If it''s dangerous, then we will return to our city right away." No way, if something happens to Zack, their institute will disappear overnight. Chapter 394 Reminder To His Friend Tier-7 Baguva City, Compton observed Thornton''s reaction. In his opinion, he is showing too much concern for Zack. Of course, a trunulesia forest is a dangerous place. But there are also many opportunities in it. If that brat can survive successfully he will reap more rewards than he can imagine in his life. Compton knows the importance of the trunulesia forest. He is sure that Zack will gain something if he joins their exploration team. He said, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of everything." "Why do think we came here?" After saying that, he turned toward the shelves. He pointed his fingers at the armoured gears and said, "To withstand the weird energies we have to wear the full body gear." "Especially, at current circumstances prevails inside the trunulesia forest. Our team decided to buy grade #2 full body gear," Compton added further. "Grade #2," Elder Thornton muttered to himself. He is aware that how expensive is that single product. The basic model or grade #1 product is sold at 1 million credit points. When it comes to Grade #2 products, the cost of the full body gear is sold at 3 million credit points. A quick flashes into his eyes when he realised that, he was surprised by his friend''s gesture. They are ready to spend such an amount on Zack. He is extremely pleased with it. Since they are willing this far, he can''t drag Zack away from this city. After gaining some clarity, he coughed twice. "Cough" "Cough" "Compton, I trust you. But I want to remind you something as your old friend," Elder Thornton said. Hearing that, "hmmm" Compton raised his eyebrows. He turned towards Elder Thornton and asked, "What is it?" He furrowed his eyebrows, what advice is he gonna give me? Elder Thornton smiled, "Zack has a powerful background. So his life is more important than mine." Elder Thornton''s words made him surprised. Compton looked at Elder Thornton with a questioning gaze. He knows his friend won''t joke about something like this. Seeing that, he is being silent. Compton then glanced at Zack who is still looking at the different gears. "If you don''t tell me, I''ll ask him," Compton said to Elder Thornton. SIGH After letting out a sigh, Elder Thornton answered, "Okay, I''ll give you hint. But you have to promise that you won''t inquire about his background anymore." "And more importantly you will not ask Zack." Compton gritted his teeth and nodded his head. His curiosity piqued further, who can make his friend so serious? He has never seen Thornton reacting like this before. "His background is scarier than Tier-6 City," Elder Thornton dropped a bombshell as he uttered these words. "What?" "Are you nuts?" Compton was taken aback. He couldn''t believe what he has heard just now. He was expecting Zack''s powerful background to be similar to an Elite-level powerhouse. "Powerful than Tier-6 city." "It''s completely on a whole new level," He mumbled under his breath. Then he immediately looked at Elder Thornton. Seeing him nodding, Compton sucked a cold breath. "No wonder Thornton was so scared," he thought to himself. Compton felt good that his friend didn''t reveal Zack''s background to him. He is one of the most powerful existence in this baguva city. But baguva is the smallest city among other Tier-7 cities. So forget about Tier-6 city, he can''t sure about confronting elite warriors from other Tier-7 cities. Because of this Thornton''s words made him shocked to the core. When it comes to Tier-6 city, he has only heard about it. His strength is weak and he has no authority to get into a Tier-6 city. The Tier-6 city also has another name. It''s also called a stronghold of academies. Compton only heard some rumours regarding the existence above that. Which is far more powerful than Tier-6 cities. At this point, Ricardo Compton made a huge decision in his heart. He will warn his exploration team members to not offend Zack in any way. By this time, small sweat formed on his forehead. Compton sighed inwardly realising that. The next second, he looked at Thornton with slight envy. When did he come in contact with such people? But the next second Compton returned to their usual self. He has a vague feeling in his heart that their trip is going to be more dangerous. But now after knowing about Zack. He has different thoughts. He felt its better for everyone if Zack does not join his team. Now his thoughts have taken a huge shift compared to five minutes ago. Then it''s too late to change anything. The brat is already here if he told him to leave now. Then it only creates a bad impression. Who knows his action might offend people behind that kid? It is the last thing he wanna face something like that. He decided to keep an eye on Zack from here onwards. It will be tiring but he has no choice. On the other hand, Elder Thornton was satisfied after seeing his friend''s serious expression. Which shows his friend has given importance to Zack. So here after he doesn''t have to worry about his safety. ... (From MC''s perspective) While observing the different products, I also kept my eye on Elder Thornton. He is speaking with Bald Elder Compton in low voice. Which is audible to me. Seeing that, I didn''t disturb him and continued to wait for their conversation to be over. A few minutes later, both of them walked near to me. Surprisingly, Bald elder Compton took initiative to speak. "Zack, I''m going to buy a full body gear set for you," Compton said. Hearing that, my heart was amazed. I was hoping this would be the case. Otherwise, why would we waste our time here? In response, I nodded my head. Besides, Elder Thornton began explaining to me. I was shocked to the core when I heard about the cost of the basic model. 1 million credit points? I only got 1 million credit points by doing all those killings. But here the basic model is rated at 1 million points. My head started to get dizzy for a moment. Ever since I entered the city, my mind is getting turbulent. The constant shock I''m getting is too much. On the other hand, Compton proceeds to buy the grade #2 product. He put his hands on the display screen placed on the glass table. In the next second, the display screen listed the various items. Seeing that, he began to select grade #2 full body armour. After selecting the product, he paid the amount. A robotic arm rose from the ground and picks up the product and turned to place it on the glass table. On the other hand, I felt something was ground. The full-body armoured gear was in grey and I know this is not the basic product at all. The basic product is like an adventurer costume. It is green in colour. Feeling my puzzling gaze, bald elder Compton answered, "This gear suit is grade #2 model." Hearing that my scalp went numb. I almost went dizzy. Fortunately, I''m able to calm down my mind. But still, my breathing was quicker than usual. A moment ago I was shocked by the price of the basic model which was rated at 1 million credit points. The price was shocking enough that I didn''t dare to check the price of further models. But I''m sorry this 2nd grade cost him crazy money. Why is he buying that product for me? Numerous questions appeared in my heart. "Elder?" I turned towards Elder Thornton. Hoping that he would clarify what is going on here exactly. But before Elder Thornton could say anything, Compton said, "Here take this set and store it in your ring." Hearing that, I proceed to take out the grey colour suit from the glass table. Surprisingly the weight of the armour surprised me. Then it took me a few seconds to place it in my storage ring. "Zack, don''t think too much about it. The trunulesia forest has some changes. So as a safety precaution our team is going to wear grade #2 product," Compton said. His words brought me a sense of relief. No wonder he is willing to spend so much money. But suddenly I got a doubt. Will I have to hand over the product after the trip? But he didn''t say anything about it. Shaking my head, I decided not to think about this right now. Then I asked, "Where are we going next?" Hearing that, Elder Thornton looked at Compton. Compton smiled and said, "Well, I got some urgent work right now." "Why don''t you take Zack around the city?" "I''ll join you guys after finishing my work," Compton added further. Hearing that, the elder''s eyes gleamed with surprise. He thought to himself, "Does he got urgent work?" Elder Thornton then felt this plan is suitable. Earlier, he had the same conversation with Zack. So he is okay with it. On the other hand, Compton has different thoughts in his mind. He decided to warn other members before they officially meet Zack. So that their first meeting will be good without any drama. Chapter 395 Red Heart Peach Tier-7 Baguva City, When Zack and Thornton disappeared from his sight, Ricardo Compton immediately left the place. He had already parked his car earlier. It is another model of air car. Mostly used by civilians. After getting inside the car, he decided to go home first. The next second, the air car rose from the parking lot and flew towards the destination. While driving, he began to contemplate. He knows some of his team members are busy. Before Thornton came with Zack. He already spoke with his team members about Zack''s arrival. But the conversation didn''t go as he had expected. It took him some time to convince them. From that conversation alone, he understands certain things. There is the possibility that his team members will make things difficult for Zack. Some might behave rudely to him, while others might test his combat strength. Anyway, after getting a warning from Thornton. He knows what to do next. He has two things on his mind. First, it was obvious that his team members might cause trouble. So he will take care of it. The second thing in his mind was something different. It''s about Zack''s current strength. Though Zack''s Mid-level Special Trainee level is impressive. He can protect his own life from danger in Trunulesia Forest. But he still feels it''s not enough. Considering the recent increase in the concentration of weird energy in that forest. He feels there might be unexpected changes in the coming days. So he is not 100% sure that Zack can protect himself with his Special Trainee cultivation base. Since he has promised Thornton that he will take care of Zack. He needs to act on it. That''s why he thought about providing something to Zack. Which can quickly raise his cultivation base to the Trainee Warrior level. When that happens, it will be easier for Zack to mingle with his group. On top of it, he doesn''t have to worry about Zack''s safety at all. So all of this comes to personal strength. In the next second, a quick glint flashes in his eyes as he remembers something. Earlier, when he asked about Zack''s element. Thornton dodged his question and began to talk about some other topic. So he didn''t know about Zack''s element. If he knows the element it will be easier for him to select the suitable treasure for Zack. He felt it would be better for Zack to rise his cultivation base before he meets with his team members. Various thoughts appeared in Compton''s mind. It''s been a long since he had worried about something other than his work. It''s because of Zack''s background. At his level, it''s impossible to come in contact with such people. Thanks to Thornton this is the first time he had a chance to meet someone related to such powerful existences. This gives him the best opportunity to create a good impression. Who knows? In future, he might get the returns from Zack. Compton made up his mind to select good treasure as an investment. He also knows some other things from Thornton. Like Crimson Hall''s competition. Thornton''s Hansen Institute is facing trouble because of Crimson Hall. And when it comes to forces like Crimson Hall, he knows this is the hot topic trending these days. Those academic people from Tier-6 cities will only select candidates with good talent and base. So Zack''s current strength is pale in comparison when it comes to their Tier-7 city warrior. He feels Zack will remember his help for sure. If he becomes a Trainee Warrior, he can get to choose a good academy. After ten minutes, he slowly landed the air car in the parking lot in front of his private villa. When the air car came to a complete halt, he stepped out of the car. No one lives in this private villa other than him. He doesn''t even have assistants and bodyguards. The security around this community is so strong that he doesn''t need warriors in his house. The Villa was built in Mediterranean style. The architecture looked elegant and beautiful. After opening the front door, he stepped inside. The first Compton did was go to the underground basement. Where his secret vault is located. The entrance to the basement is located in his bedroom. After arriving at the bedroom, he walked up to the lamp. This lamp looked like antique peace but it has another function. When he arrived in front of the lamp, he used his sci-fi watch to activate it. Beep! When the sound came, the lamp lit up with bright light. The next second, Compton proceed to type some access code in his watch. "Creak" A secret door to the basement was revealed on the ground. The next second the door opened automatically. Seeing that, Compton took steps to walk downstairs to the secret vault. When he walked downstairs the light lit up automatically making the entire basement room bright. In the centre of the room, there is a big metallic storage vault can be seen. The height of the storage vault is twice the size of Compton. Like another storage vault, this storage vault also has a safety mechanism. Compton immediately began to enter the code after arriving in front of it. It''s been a long since he had time to check his collections. Apart from consumable treasures, he also had antique collections. The next second, the vault opens. He began to observe each item one by one. His eyes began to move from one item to another. Since he doesn''t know Zack''s element. He decided to give him the treasure with no attribute. Usually, the treasure with no attributes has abundant world energy. Any elemental warrior can consume the world''s energy treasures and use them to improve his strength. Even the bloodline warriors can gain strength from world energy treasures. So he is quite sure that world energy treasure will be helpful for Zack. Inside the vault, items are shining in a different light. Some shone with fiery red colour which is for fire elemental warriors. And some have blue colour light in them. Finally, his gaze land on the world''s energy treasure. "Red Heart Peach," he muttered as his gazes fell on the crimson colour treasure inside the transparent glass. The elemental treasures are usually graded in levels corresponding to the warrior cultivation base. Like most of the treasures in this vault are useful for Elite and Super Elite Warriors. But this Red Heart Peach is a little different. It''s an Elite level treasure. If any elite warrior uses it, the treasure will only assist them in breakthrough. In most cases, Elite Warrior can rise one small level in their base successfully. He also had thought about using it. But he prefers elemental treasures usually. He just bought this world energy treasure for emergency use. "I guess this Red heart peach is enough for Zack to reach Trainee Warrior level," Compton thought to himself. Elite-level resources are not easy to come around. Especially, the world energy varieties. He hopes that Zack will remember his favour. Then he carefully picks up the treasure from the glass container. After storing the red heart peach inside the storage ring, he closed the vault. Beep! The next second, his sci-fi watch buzzes with notification. After closing the vault, he began to read the message. The message was from his team members in the chat groups. They are discussing the meeting. Seeing that, his lips swept into arcs. Because the topic of their discussion is about the new team member. [Hey, where is our leader?] [The old man went to receive the guests.] [Ha...Ha....Ha...] [Tck, the old leader appointed outsider instead of my cousin''s son] The chat was filled with ridicule and displeasure about the new member who is going to join. Seeing that, Compton furrowed his eyebrows. He didn''t give a reply to any of that messages. Because he had expected something like this from them. Then after closing the watch, he decided to leave. ... (From MC''s perspective) I never thought Elder Thornton will lead me toward the biggest shopping complex in this city. And I have never seen such a magnificent building before. Even around the Star Tower Zone, there is no such building exists. After appreciating the view of the building, I entered the building alongside Elder Thornton. Time passed, By the time we walked out of the building, Elder Thornton received a call from Elder Thornton. I guess it must be from elder Compton. After five-ten minutes, I saw a familiar air car in the sky. I remember this air car from that centre. When I was pondering, the air car landed in front of us. Elder Compton stepped out of the air car the next second. Seeing that, I was startled for a moment. No wonder the air car looked familiar. It was his air car. Then Elder Thornton and I entered the air car. I guess Elder Compton finally took me to visit his team. I don''t know why? have a vague feeling in my heart that the meeting is not going to be fruitful. But I calmed down my heart the next second. Chapter 396 Consuming The Treasure (From MC''s perspective) Tier-7 Baguva City, Elder Compton drove the car at a good speed. After some time, I saw him slowing down his speed. But surprisingly this location was not something I have expected. Because we arrived at the residential area. Looking at the many different stylish homes down below. I feel Elder Compton might take us to his home. Before I could ask anything, I saw Elder Thornton inquiring. "Are we going to your home?" Elder Thornton asked. Hearing that, Compton smiled and replied, "Yes, my team members are not in one place. So it will take some time for them to come to my home." A quick glint flashed into Elder Thornton''s eyes as he realised his friend had changed his plans. Earlier, they planned to visit Research Centre. Now, Ricardo changed his plan. It''s unlikely of him to do so. When Elder Thornton was lost in his thoughts, the air car entered the community. Compton slowed down his speed. A couple of seconds later, he slowly landed his air car in his parking lot. On the other hand, I was amazed by the infrastructure of the house. It looked amazing and cool. When the air car touched the ground, Elder Thornton stepped out. Seeing that, I walked out of the car and glanced at the surroundings. "Looks like you have made some changes to your house," Elder Thornton said to Compton. He remembered before the villa was not as good-looking as it looks now. He felt that his friend had spent quite a money on it. At the same time, Compton is thinking about something else. He then led everyone to enter his home. After arriving at the living area, Compton decided to open the topic. He looked at Zack and Thornton for a moment before turning towards Zack. He said, "Zack, I feel your current strength is low for our exploration." Hearing that, my mind went blank for a moment. I don''t know what to say. Instead of answering, I looked at Elder Thornton. Elder Thornton was dumbfounded. He too wasn''t expecting these words. But before Elder Thornton could ask anything. I heard shocking words from Elder Compton. "I thought you should improve your base before we go to the trunulesia forest," he added further. "Improving my cultivation base," I said. Compton nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, for this I have picked up treasure from my vault." "What?" Elder Thornton was taken aback. "Compton, when did you become so good?" Elder Thornton asked. At this moment, he was shocked to the core. Ever since he had arrived in this city, his friend''s behaviour surprised me greatly. First, his friend generously bought the grade 2 armour suit. Now he went further and even took the treasure from the vault for Zack. Elder Thornton doesn''t know what treasures it. But he believes it won''t be anything ordinary. Only extraordinary and rare items normally drew his attention. When he realised this he couldn''t calm down his heart and looked at his friend. On the other hand, Treasure? I can''t believe what I have heard just now. Elder Compton is going to give me treasure. Suddenly, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. If I can get my next breakthrough, it will reduce the pressure by a lot. The next second, my eyes gleamed with expectation. Compton glared at Thornton before turning towards Zack, he asked, "Are you ready?" Hearing that, I nodded my head. Seeing that, Compton decided to start the process. But before doing that he glanced at the surroundings. The living room is not suitable for a breakthrough. He decided to let Zack use his training chamber. After gaining some clarity, he led Zack and Thornton to his training chamber. Unlike the underground room, the personal training chamber is located in the backyard. There is a special room built for it. After arriving at the spot, Elder Thornton suddenly recalls something. "Damn, he doesn''t know Zack''s element. So what treasure did he select?" Elder Thornton thought to himself. But soon he found the answer himself. "World energy treasure," he uttered while looking at his friend Compton. Because he knows world energy treasure is the one without any attributes. So his friend might have selected this. Elder Thornton sucked cold breath after realising this. On the other hand, Compton felt the gaze of Thornton. Looking at Thornton''s knowing smile, Compton shook his head and said to Zack, "You can use my training room for a breakthrough." After saying that he pointed his finger at the personal training chamber. Seeing that, I replied, "Okay" But my mind is occupied with treasure. I don''t know what''s the use of it. Will it be suitable for my body breakthrough or essence breakthrough? I hope like he said earlier the treasure will improve my cultivation base. Then my attention shifted back to him. Elder Compton takes something out from his storage ring. Seeing that, I stopped thinking and looked at the item in his hands. It shone brightly in fiery red light. Seeing that, the first thought that rose in my heart was, "Fire element treasure" But when I saw Elder Thornton''s face. I was stumped. Because he had a disbelief expression on his face. Before I could ask anything, Elder Thornton exclaimed again in surprise, "As expected of world energy treasure." Hearing that, my heart skips a beat. "World energy treasure," I uttered. It brings me back some old memories. In the next second my breathing becomes a lot quicker. Elder Compton is great. He even brought this thing out. I know how rare it is. I remembered asking the same thing from Elder Thornton. But Mr Jonathan and the Teacher wanted me to use lightning element treasure. So I haven''t had the opportunity to use the world energy treasure recently. On the other hand, looking at the reaction of these two. Compton revealed a bright smile on his face. He was satisfied by their expression. Then he handed the treasure to Zack and told him to enter the personal training chamber. I held the treasure in my palm and glanced at two of them before entering the room. Elder Compton had already entered the access code to open the training chamber. After stepping inside the training chamber, I took a good look at the room. I can only say wow. Even the lighting system inside my room is amazing. It''s nothing like the back one in the Hansen Chamber. Then I noticed the door behind me closed automatically. Seeing that, I didn''t immediately start to consume the treasure rather I walked up to the monitoring system. I want to check the functions of this high-tech training chamber. What''s more amazing is? This one is a personal training chamber that anyone could buy. After tapping the screen, I saw numerous icons appearing on the screen. There is an icon called energy output. Seeing that, I immediately tapped on it. I realised this icon was about the energy settings. I can control the inflow of world energy pouring into this room. But unfortunately, the setting was now on default mode. I can''t change it. SIGH I sighed inwardly. Then I checked a few more icons before starting the training chamber. The next second, I began to feel the world''s energy filling the room slowly. Seeing that, I decided to start the process. I walked up to the centre of the platform and sat cross-legged. Then I slowly take out the world energy treasure from the glass container. This treasure appeared to be in heart shape. After taking a glance at its fiery red colour, I swallowed the treasure. The next second, I felt a hot stream running down my throat. I couldn''t help but feel agonizing pain all over my body. Then I felt a burst of energy coursing through my body. The energy was so overwhelming that my mind went blank. The hot sensation brought by the world energy continued to increase. I felt I was drowning under the hot lava. But I somehow controlled my thought and started to run the celestial scripture. I guided the warm stream of energy according to the cultivation route. The lightning rune in my mind began to flicker. Finally, the warm current started to settle down in my dantian. But this is the beginning, the agonising pain didn''t slow at all. It only started to increase further. My flesh began to tear up. I realised the speed of cultivation is not enough. The excess energy is finding its way to gather up in my body. At this critical moment, a good idea struck my mind. I don''t know whether it will work or not. The only thing that can help me to deal with the excess energy is the blood cultivation method. The next second, I started to run the blood cultivation method. Surprisingly, I felt a sudden craving for the world energy all of a sudden. This must be the power of blood. Like lightning scripture, the bloody ring-shaped rune in my mind started to flicker. Chapter 397 Double Breakthrough - Peak- Level Special Trainee(Body & Essence) Tier-7 Baguva City, Compton Villa, "What is the name of the treasure?" Elder Thornton asked. He noticed the treasure appeared to be in heart shape. He hadn''t seen something like this before. Ricardo Compton has no problem in revealing the name. Besides, he also wants to show his investment in Zack Lockwood. He hoped his friend also will remember his gesture. "Red Heart Peach, I collected this fruit from the special monster zone," Compton finished after saying this he didn''t want to elaborate more on this matter. His gaze then fell on the training chamber. Expectations rose in his heart. He has no idea about Zack''s cultivation talent. But he has some idea about Red Heart Peach. The Red Heart Peach is a rare treasure, It can be even consumed by an averagely talented person. So he is not worried about any failure at this moment. On the other hand, Elder Thornton remained silent after hearing the answer. There is a tacit understanding between them. None of them wants to talk about the existence behind Zack Lockwood. In particular, Elder Thornton is very conscious about it. He understands his friend''s move, and he is not against it. Because at the end of the day, all he cares about is Zack''s safety. ... (From MC''s Perspective) As both cultivation methods began to work simultaneously, I felt somewhat relief from the heart-wrenching pain. And what is more surprising is that, I have a feeling that my body strength has reached its limit. After a few minutes, I guess I will have a successful breakthrough in body strength. Time went by, BOOM I felt a muffled sound in my body after the limit was broken successfully. In the next second, a new profound energy began to course through my body and hereby refreshing the entire cells. Peak-level Special Trainee (body) As expected this time the energy is more profound compared to the previous level. Elder Compton said that I will reach Trainee Warrior. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. Reaching the Trainee Warrior level seems impossible right now. If it was an ordinary warrior, this might be possible. But I''m different, I''m cultivating both my body and essence. As the cells beaming with new energy, I thought about focusing on lightning essence after stabilizing the body strength. When the body strength was stabilized, I immediately stopped using the blood cultivation method and focussed on essence cultivation. Right now, inside my dantian. The ancient totem is completely suppressing the refined energy. I was amazed by another remarkable sight. Exactly because of the ancient totem''s help, the pressure on me was reduced by half. Otherwise, things could have gone wrong. Then I focussed on reaching the essence limit. As long as I reach the limit, then it will be easier for me to break the essence limit. Time went by, The world energy showed no sign of stopping. I''m pouring all the energy towards my dantian. Ten minutes later, I have finally touched the limit with the help of abundant world energy and ancient totem. The ancient totem inside my dantian assimilated the refined world energy essence into purple lightning essence. Because of it, both the quality and quantity of lightning essence drastically increase and hereby help me reach the limit. Then I proceed to break the limit. After several attempts, I felt that limit was loosening. BOOM After the next attempt, I heard a muffled sound from dantian as another limit was broken through successfully. Peak-level Special Trainee (essence) As a result of it, the size of the dantian began to widen. The size of the dantian is quite big compared to the previous one. The next second, I used remaining world energy coursing in my body to stabilize the realm. Time went by, I opened my eyes half an hour later. This time the world energies were dried up completely. I don''t know if I use the same treasure again. Will I have the same result? Then shaking my head, I began to check my body. I sighed in relief after seeing only superficial injury on my muscles. When I extend my arc, I can see small purple arc dancing in my palm. Some time ago, I heard after reaching the elite level you can freely use your element. Especially, after reaching the elite level you can control your element outwardly without using any cultivation technique. I don''t know how much this is true. I haven''t seen any elite warriors fight before. A quick glint flashes into my eyes as I remember Elder Compton. He was generous enough to give me such treasure. I remember, Mr Thornton is inquiring about him last. Maybe next time when I meet Mr Jonathan. I will tell good words about Elder Compton. Though I''m unable to reach the Trainee Warrior level, it gives me immense joy just after reaching Peak level Special Trainee in both body and essence. When I clenched my fist, a small shock force released from it. The blood method is something. I''m looking forward to its power in further higher stages. Then I thought about my combat prowess. I held up my chin in contemplation. Last time, I withstood the attack from Early and Mid-level Trainee Warriors. Even escaped successfully from possible Peak Trainee Warrior. But this time, I have vague feeling in my heart that I don''t have to run anymore. I can protect myself from any Peak Trainee Warriors or Class 3 Peak Monster. My lips swept into a gentle arc as I gained some clarity. Then again a thought rose in my heart as I looked at the dancing purple arc. This is the first time I''m going to meet strangers. I don''t want to expose the lightning element yet. There is still time for the crimson hall tournament. Mr Jonathan said that I can use the lightning element during the competition but not before that. Already, crimson hall and other hostile forces looking for me. If they know I''m a lightning element warrior, then the chances of getting attacked will further increase. So I don''t have any choice to be tight-lipped about it. And if there is an emergency, I will use my body strength to face it. The next second, I noticed the pendant on my neck. Seeing that, I signed inwardly. This won''t be useful anymore. I thought this pendant will block the probing from Elite Warriors. But I realised, even among the elite warrior there is a difference in power. And not everyone is the same. When I recalled Elder Compton''s probing. I guess, he didn''t probe me deeply. Otherwise, my lightning essence would have drawn his attention. Fortunately, he only checked my base slightly. Small sweat beads began to appear on my forehead. No way! This time I was lucky. This can''t be same for future. Especially, I''m going to meet the members of the exploration team. If someone there decided to probe me deeply, then my secret will be exposed. I don''t want to be chased by multiple warriors. I can''t imagine myself in such a deadly situation. At this moment, I made a firm decision in my heart. After getting out of this chamber, I will request Elder Thornton to buy me an upgraded version of the pendant. The stronger, the better. After gaining some clarity, I rose from the platform and closed the timer. "Creak" After opening the door, I stepped outside. On the other hand, Elder Compton noticed the difference instantly. "He is releasing special trainee level pressure," Compton mumbled under his breath. "What happened?" Compton asked. Then he stepped forward to check Zack. At the same time, Elder Thornton was dumbfounded. His friend was saying Zack will at least reach Trainee Warrior level for sure. Then what happened now? He was quite shocked by Compton''s exclamation. Then he also acted immediately. When I decided to meet the two leaders, I heard a loud exclamation from ahead. My cultivation base must have been exposed. What to do now? I won''t let them probe me. When Elder Compton arrived in front of me, I hurriedly step backwards by saying, "Elder, Don''t probe me without my consent." Ricardo Compton was startled as he heard his words. Then he paused his movements and looked at Zack with a puzzling gaze. "This brat, what is he doing?" He muttered to himself. Elder Thornton asked, "Zack, Are you all right?" He reached right after Compton. He also heard Zack''s words earlier, that''s why he immediately asked before Compton could get displeased. I sighed inwardly after hearing Elder Thornton''s words. After calming down my racing heart, I looked at both of them before saying, "The treasure was good. I''m able to reach Peak-level Special Trainee successfully." Compton was now sure that Zack was failed to reach the Trainee Warrior level. He has a complicated expression on his face. Even the average warrior can reach breakthrough multiple levels with this red heart peach fruit. But this brat has reached only peak level from mid-level. Is there something wrong with the red heart peach? Multiple questions popped up in his mind. Since Zack has told them not to probe, Compton respected his words. He wanted to hear from him, what had happened actually? Chapter 398 Erik Lloyd (From MC''s perspective) Tier-7 Baguva City, Seeing the concerned face of both elders. I began to explain. "Elder, I broke through successfully. But I don''t want anyone to know my cultivation level." Hearing that, a quick glint flash into Elder Thornton''s eyes. He recalled past events. Zack doesn''t want anyone to know about his cultivation base before. But here in this city, he was exposed by his friend Compton. Now he understands what Zack is worried about. Compton has easily seen through his cultivation base. If it were the enemy, then Zack''s life will be endangered. After gaining some clarity on this matter, he turned toward his friend. "Compton," he said. On the other hand, Ricardo Compton misunderstood everything. He assumed Zack failed to reach Trainee Warrior, that''s why he doesn''t want anyone to know his current level. He didn''t mind Zack''s overreaction. Rather his mind is filled with images of teammates. All are at Peak-level Trainer Warrior. And Zack is one level behind them. He never really revealed much about Zack. But if they came to know Zack''s strength. There will be a strong protest. Especially, Erik won''t remain silent. Earlier, Erik requested to allow his relative to take part in their exploration work. But he denied his request because of Thornton. If that guy knows he will convince others not to allow Zack in their team. He has a strong headache thinking about it. The only solution to this situation is to lie to them. Retracting his thought he glanced at Zack and Thornton, seconds ago he heard their conversation. A quick gleam flashed in his eyes as he recalled Zack''s request. He remembers he has a protective necklace inside the vault. But it can only prevent probing from others up to a certain level. If his memory serves him right, then the necklace blocks the probing from Peak-level Super Elite Warrior. He had stored it inside his vault. Because it was useless to him after he became an elite warrior. Super Elite Warrior can be counted in fingers. There are not many in Tier-7 cities. But it can be helpful for Zack Lockwood. It can save his life from enemies. On top of it, it will also help to keep the lie from exposing in front of his members. After realizing this usefulness, his tensed eyebrows eased. Then looking at Zack, Compton said, "Brat, I don''t know what happened?" "Normally, any average warrior can increase his base by several levels with red heart peach." "But, you are different," Compton added further. SIGH After letting out a small sigh, he replied, "I have something similar to your pendant. But it''s more advanced." "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Elder Thornton burst into joyful laughter. "Phew," I breathed in relief. Elder Compton''s words made my worries disappear completely. I''m surprised by Elder Compton''s change of heart. From his earlier expression, I thought he would try to know, what had happened. But fortunately, everything went well for me. Then three of us walked back to the villa. We sat on the couch after arriving in the living room. "Okay, I''ll go and get the necklace for you," After saying that he walked away from the place. Seeing that, I nodded at him. When Elder Compton disappeared from our sight. I heard Elder Thornton''s words. "Did you refine all the energy from Red Heart Peach?" Elder Thornton asked. He still remembers his confident face of Compton. Compton was so sure that Zack will reach Trainee Warrior. So what went wrong? I had black lines on my forehead. Even Elder Compton didn''t ask me anything. Then why is he so interested in it? "Cough" "Elder doesn''t ask me about it," I said with a cough. Elder Thornton shook his head in denial. Then he didn''t ask anything. Both then waited for Compton to arrive. 10 minutes later, I saw Elder Compton walk into the living area with a small metal box in his hands. After sitting in the seat, he then placed the metal box on the table. He then slowly removed the cover and took out the necklace from it. This is not a typical necklace. Because it''s a ring-type necklace. If the warrior wants, he can remove the ring and wear it on his finger. Compton feels it''s would be best for Zack to wear it as a ring, to avoid the events of snatching in future. Then he handed the silver ring to Zack. Seeing Elder Compton''s actions, I didn''t disturb him. After taking the ring, I wore it on my fingers. "Don''t worry, this ring may look ordinary but it is working," Elder Compton said. Hearing that, I nodded. Only after wearing the ring, I can feel somewhat relaxed. I observed Elder Thornton, he remained silent. Just as I thought the situation is getting boring. Beep! Elder Compton received the notification. "He is here, " after seeing that he quickly rose from the seat and walked up to the door. His words caught me off guard. "Get ready and you are going to meet the exploration team, "Elder Thornton said with a smile. Hearing that, my eyes gleamed with expectation. I hope the new team members won''t be rude. From Elder Compton''s words, I know the exploration team members are seniors and are quite older than me. The next second, I heard footsteps coming in our direction. I saw Elder Compton walking toward us. But my gaze set on the middle-aged man beside him. The middle-aged man has a heavily built physique. My expression tightened instantly as I felt the oppressive pressure from the middle-aged man. Even Elder Thornton didn''t have such an oppressive aura. The middle-aged man appears to be 50 years old. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He is slightly taller than Elder Compton. He has a medium tan skin tone. Looking at his bulging muscles, I have a vague feeling about his element. On the other hand, Erik Lloyd is speaking with Leader Compton. Suddenly, he noticed the appearance of two new people in the living area. Erik quickly thought of something and realised these people might be related to their leader. Then his gaze immediately fell on the young-looking kid. A cold glint flashed into his eyes as he realised this kid might be the new addition to their team. " is he the one?" He asked. Compton wrinkled his eyebrows. He had not expected him to arrive so soon. Fortunately, the ring was worn by Zack. There is nothing to worry about anymore. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "Erik, let me introduce my friend to you." He said with a laugh. Then he began to introduce Elder Thornton. After doing that, he looked at Zack and answered, "Yeah, he is the one." "Zack Lockwood" Erik Lloyd remained silent for a moment. He began to observe the young man named Zack in front of him. He began to probe without asking anything. It was totally rude. Elder Compton and Elder Thornton quickly realised what Erik was up to. But both didn''t raise any voice against it. Elder Thornton laughed inside, "I have to say, Zack acted swiftly this time." On the other hand, Elder Compton felt glad that he had this treasure. Otherwise, he won''t know how to convince this guy. Erik Lloyd wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. Because when he tried to probe, he felt a huge wall blocking his sense. "Damn it," "Hey, brat, what is your cultivation base?" Erik Lloyd asked in a threatening tone. Hearing that, my face instantly turned dark. I thought Elder Compton''s team members are humble and nice. But this guy is pissing me off. Before I could answer him, I heard Elder Compton''s voice. "Early Trainee Warrior" "Zack is Early Trainee Warrior, so can you stop acting rude right now," After saying that Compton placed his hands on Erik''s shoulder. Erik''s expression has changed drastically. Because he felt Elite level pressure from Leader Compton. Compton is using his hand to suppress Erik completely. These two were related to Leader Compton. If he doesn''t stop his actions right now, then he will be humiliated by leader Compton. He looked at the brat in front of him with a cold gaze. He agrees that this is not the right moment to act. He will get plenty of chances in Trunulesia Forest. The next second, he changed his attitude. "Ha...Ha...Ha...." "Leader, I''m just joking right now" "I wanted to see whether Zack is courageous or not," Erik Lloyd said with a laugh. After saying that he revealed a wide smile on his face. His demeanour changed compared to a few seconds ago. Seeing that, Compton retracted his hands from Erik''s shoulder. He knows Erik''s attitude. Erik is not okay with his response. He will surely cause some problems in the Trunulesia forest. Compton decided to remind Zack about it later. "You are an Early Trainee Warrior at a young age" "Which Tier-7 city are you from?" Erik Lloyd asked back-to-back questions. Which immediately raised the dissatisfaction of everyone. Elder Thornton wants to smack this fellow. He doesn''t know whether Erik is deliberately making things difficult for Zack. Chapter 399 Surprise Call Red Stone City, The City Lord has received confirmation from his manager Walter that the head of the Frazier clan agreed to his request. Hearing that, a wide smile blossomed on his face. Though their earlier meeting went well. He worried that the head of the Frazier clan will change his mind. That''s why he asked his manager to make sure again. Now that he was sure, his worries disappeared instantly. Some time ago, he received a reply from the headmaster wells that their students already departed from the city. They will arrive in Red Stone City rather soon. He doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He wanted to make sure because of this message also. Now he doesn''t think that Frazier Clan''s head will cause problems. When those five students from crimson hall arrive here, he will ask Frazier Clan''s head to come. He thought about introducing them to each other in this City Lord''s Mansion Hall. When it comes to the headmaster wells, he never expected him to send his students right away. He sighed inwardly. Now that he is going to support crimson hall. He needs to make sure about the protection of those students. No one should have any complaints under his watch. Then he suddenly thought about Hansen Institute. Next second, he ordered the manager Walter to come to the hall. He feels something strange because he has received no news about the Hansen Institute today. After a few minutes, manager Walter entered the hall. Seeing that, he immediately inquired about the Hansen Institute. "Is there any news about them?" The City Lord Alex Fuller asked. Manager Walter immediately understand. These days the Hansen Institute is being watched by the City Lord Mansion. So he wasn''t surprised by the question. "Lord, I asked our men. But there are no suspicious activities were found," The manager Walter replied. Manager Walter knows that Lord doesn''t want anyone to know about their intention against Hansen Institute. Even this matter is carefully handled inside City Lord Mansion and not many people here know about this. Alex Fuller frowns because he knows if they are getting no information then there is something wrong with it. He asked, "What about their chairman Thornton?" When he said those words, his expression turned dark. So far he hasn''t received a single reply from that person. As a City Lord on duty, he feels humiliation and disrespect from Thornton''s action. There is not even a response for courtesy''s sake. Shaking his head, he looked at Walter for an answer. Manager Walter was silent for a moment. He hesitated whether to tell the news to the lord. Because the news wasn''t credible enough. Then he felt that the lord was staring at him. He sighed inwardly and decided to tell the information he had gotten from the source. "Lord, Strangely the whereabouts of the chairman is unknown," Walter said. After saying that he further added, "No one has seen him leaving the Hansen Institute." "Hmm," Alex Fuller raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" He asked. Alex Fuller felt that the information is not true. They might have missed him. He feels a little irritated by now. As a City lord of this city, he was supposed to be aware of everything happening inside the city. But he wasn''t able to get a single piece of information about this small institute. Manager Walter didn''t get falter as he was expecting this reaction from the lord. Because the information is not credible from the very beginning. "Lord, I''m not sure but this is what our spies told," Walter replied. The next second, "Harumph," Alex Fuller snorted coldly. He wanted to know what is going on there before the crimson hall students arrives here. "Okay, just leave this matter," Alex Fuller said. He is carefully thinking of a way to get information. The Hansen Institute is a little trickier. He heard about past events that have occurred there. Right now, the Hansen Institute is under the control of one person. He happened to be the chairman of Thornton. "Walter, can we contact anyone from their management?" Alex Fuller asked. He feels that if they are working on the event, then there is a possibility for discussion. He believes that if he can contact an elder from Hansen Institute, he will learn about inside events. A quick glint flashes into his eyes. Manager Walter felt this was doable. He doesn''t know about the chairman. But he feels others will respect the lord''s words. He replied, "Lord, what instructions do you have?" Hearing that, Alex Fuller revealed a smile on his face. His eyebrows eases down as he thought about some solution. He looked at Walter and instructed him to contact an elder from Hansen Institue and asked another party to come here and meet him in person. Alex Fuller didn''t explain anything further. Manager Walter walked out of the hall after getting his orders. Seeing his disappearing back, Alex muttered to himself, "I don''t think others will be as arrogant as Thornton." If he can find an inside man, then it will be helpful for his plan. He can collect information whenever he wants and also it will be helpful for crimson hall students. They can learn the rules about the competition before others. Finally, all his worries are swept away as this plan seems more viable than contacting Thornton. Then he walked back to his room. Outside, After arriving at his office, manager Walter began to look for information. Manager Walter then started to go through the information they have. He quickly came to know about a person named Arthur. Walter realised that Arthur is most likely an important figure in management. Because as per their information, apart from teaching others does more management work. So he believes that Arthur might know a lot about their competition. After making sure about the information, he contacts him right away. Hansen Institute, Arthur was doing his work as usual. Ever since Elder Thornton left with Zack. He handed his share of work to Arthur. Inside his cabin, Arthur is taking note of his upcoming schedule. The schedule was hectic and there is no free day available in the current week. Seeing that, he cursed at himself, "I should have stayed away from this management work." The image of Elder Thornton comes to his mind. SIGH He sighed inwardly. "I don''t know what they are up to now?" Beep! When he was lamenting over, he received a sudden call from an unknown number. Seeing that, he raised his eyebrows in confusion but he attended the call. "Hello, this is Arthur from Hansen Institute," Arthur said. "Mr Arthur, I''m Manager Walter calling from the City Lord Mansion," a voice sounded from another end of the call. Hearing that, Arthur was startled. Walter? He had heard about this person before. Manager Walter is an experienced one. He doesn''t know how long he has been serving there. After taking some moments of silence, "Mr Walter, how may I help you?" "Are you free right now?" Mr Walter asked. "Free?" Arthur was confused. But again he recalled his conversation with Elder Thornton. Elder Thornton revealed that he didn''t pick up the call of the City Lord. He had black lines on his forehead realising that. Is this backlash? He began to worry. "Arthur?" Mr Walter said. "Mr Walter, what is this all about?" "If you need something right now, you can tell me," Arthur replied. "City Lord wants to meet you right now," Walter said. Hearing that, Arthur felt lightning struck on his mind. He thought this is some kind of back clash. He already thought about mentioning Elder Thornton''s name. But the city lord wants to meet me instead. Arthur doesn''t know how to react properly. He felt the City Lord want to see himself because of Elder Thornton. If he doesn''t agree, it will offend the city lord. "Mr Walter, I''m leaving right now," Arthur said. Hearing that, Manager Walter replied, "Good" both ended their conversation after that. Arthur wants to save Elder Thornton. If the city lord wanted to inquire about Elder Thornton, he decided to tell him a lie. But before doing that, he wanted to DM elder Thornton about it. Then he texted Elder Thornton regarding their conversation. Instead of calling, he usually texts him. It had become a habit of his. But right now he feels something different. He decided to call him. The next second, the ring went for a couple of seconds. But there is no response from Elder Thornton. Seeing that, he sighed inwardly. He wasn''t surprised by this. He just tried to make sure he was available. Then he began to postpone his current schedule. After arranging the work schedule, he got up from the seat and walked out of the cabin. Ten minutes later, He reached the city lord''s mansion. After informing the city guard about his meeting, the city guard confirms the same with Manager Walter. They let him in after verifying the information. Mr Arthur then walked into the huge mansion. He was quite eager to meet the manager Walter. He hopes that the meeting goes well. Chapter 400 Alex Fullers Dilemma (From MC''s perspective) Tier-7 Baguva City, Ricardo Compton doesn''t want Erik to cause any problems. So he interrupted him by saying, "Erik, can you give him some break now?" After saying that he added further, "Let''s focus on Trunulesia Forest." Erik twitched, after hearing the lecture again. Then he took a glance at me before nodding at me. I''m getting tensed right now. From this guy''s attitude and behaviour, he doesn''t look good at all. I feel something bad is going to happen sooner or later. On the other hand, I saw Elder Compton diverted the topic by asking Trunulesia Forest. Beep! Erik Lloyd suddenly got a message from someone. After staying that, he immediately left the place. Only after seeing his disappearing back, I sighed in relief. "Zack, I have to remind you about something," Elder Compton said. Hearing that, I looked at Elder Thornton before turning towards him. "He had requested me to allow his relative to join the exploration team earlier. So he is pissed by your addition to the team," Compton said. Hearing that, I soon connected the dots. No wonder, he is aggressive towards me. Realising that, I sighed inwardly. I thought my trip will be nice. But looks like I need to stay away from certain people. Then I suddenly thought of something. "Elder, what is his strength?" I asked. "Peak Trainee - Earth element warrior," Compton said. I wasn''t surprised by the base. I guessed he might be a strong trainee warrior. Fortunately, he is not elite. Otherwise, the trip will be nothing worse than a nightmare. At this time, Elder Thornton interjected by saying, "is he not half-step elite?" Because Thornton felt that person''s strength is stronger than him. It''s been a long since he had felt this way before. That''s why he was silent the whole time. Ricardo Compton furrowed his eyebrows. Because he didn''t feel anything from his probing. Earlier, when he laid his hands on Erik''s shoulder. He didn''t feel any strong oppressive energy. But he knows there is nothing possible. There is quite a possibility for him to cultivate some other technique. "Don''t worry, he is not half-step elite. But I guess he has terrible techniques in his hands," Ricardo Compton said. Then he remembered these two haven''t taken any rest yet. "Okay, take some rest. I''ll take you to my office in the evening," Ricardo added further. Hearing that, I finally felt some good. There is some alone time. Then Elder Compton showed us our room. Elder Thornton''s room is opposite to me. After talking with Elder Compton for a few minutes, I walked into my room. After closing the door, I began to check the nook and corner of the room. This became a habit of mine. After making sure, there is nothing suspicious gadgets. I collapsed into the king-size bed. Feeling the warm feeling of the cosy bed. I felt tiredness wash over me. I got an immediate urge to sleep. Then without realising myself, I slept. On the other hand, Elder Thornton walked into his room. The first thing he did was check his inbox. After going through the new unread messages, he began to feel a headache. Because most of the message is from well-known people. Everyone wants to know about their small competition. Elder Thornton doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "My situation has become similar to the crimson hall. But on small scale," He muttered to himself. Then he noticed he also had a few missed calls. Seeing that he began to check, he wasn''t surprised by the names except for one person. "Arthur?" He said. A quick glint flashed into his eyes. Thornton knows about Arthur''s behaviour. Arthur mostly likes to send him text messages. Only in case of an emergency, he will call directly. As this thought rose in his heart, he immediately contacted him. When the call was connected, he asked, "Arthur, what happened?" Coincidentally, Arthur is currently waiting for the manager Walter inside the city lord mansion. He sighed in relief after getting Elder Thornton''s call. Arthur answered, "Elder, something is up" after saying that he began to explain the situation. Thornton''s face changed drastically. He felt he had underestimated the new city lord. The city lord summoned Arthur. He feels bad. Thornton doesn''t know what the new city lord is up to. But he feels it''s very important and it might be related to Hansen institute. Then he quickly thought of something and replied, "Arthur, don''t offend him. Just agree to whatever request he has. We will think of something once I return." Arthur noticed someone approaching him. When he saw manager Walter, he replied, "Okay" before ending the call casually. "Who is on the phone?" Manager Walter asked. Arthur replied, "Office staff," "I didn''t tell anyone that I''m coming here," he added. Manager Walter nodded and said, "We have to wait for a while. Lord is speaking to someone right now." "Okay, no problem," Arthur said. On the other hand, Thornton couldn''t able to sit still. Because Arthur is at city lord mansion. He doesn''t know much about the city lord Alex. He hopes that Arthur is smart enough to handle the conversation with that Alex. He also wants Arthur to collect as much as information possible. It''s been several days since he left Hansen institute, but the city lord is still staring at the Hansen building. ... City Lord Hall- Red Stone City, After getting permission from the lord, manager Walter led Arthur into the huge hall. Right now, the new city lord is yet to come. Arthur''s heart was not calm at all. He wanted to speak with manager Walter. But the manager Walter looked solemn. "What is going on?" Arthur asked in his heart. The next second, he heard the sound of footsteps coming in their direction. Alex Fuller glanced at them before walking up to the main chair and sitting on it. Arthur was nervous. He saw the face of the new city lord. He doesn''t appear to be scary at all. But he knows that this person has a similar strength to Elder Thornton. Alex Fuller fell into contamination for a while. He is thinking about how to use this fellow. "Where is your chairman?" Alex Fuller asked. "Lord, he went to his home," Arthur replied. Hearing that, Alex furrowed his eyebrows. He felt it was better to ask about the small competition. "I heard that your institute is going to conduct small completion in a few weeks," Alex Fuller said. "Yes, my lord, we are working on it," Arthur replied. He remembers Elder Thornton''s reminder. He doesn''t want to spill more facts. Alex Fuller is slightly getting displeased. Usually, people lick his boots and divulged the information before he could stress. But this person in front of him is acting strangely. A quick flash into Alex Fuller''s eyes as he suddenly thought of something. He looked at Arthur before replying, "Okay, you can leave now." Hearing that, manager Walter was stunned. He looked at lord in confusion. He more or less had guessed the lord''s intention. But the lord didn''t inquire about the internal situation of Hansen Institute. On the other hand, Arthur was startled. He suddenly feels his thoughts were seen through by the new city lord. At this moment, he felt that Elder Thornton was right in his warning. He reminded him not to offend the new city lord. The next second, he didn''t waste any time. After giving a slight bow, he left the hall immediately. Manager Walter didn''t raise any questions until Arthur walked out of the hall. When Arthur completely disappeared. Manager Walter looked at the city lord. Looking at the lord''s solemn mood he became hesitant. He doesn''t know whether to ask the question or not. Alex Fuller noticed the expression of the manager Walter. SIGH He sighed inwardly before saying, "That Arthur guy is not good. I feel he is hiding something." Manager Walter seemed to understand something. He replied, "Lord, we can summon another elder." Hearing that, Alex Fuller raised his hand to stop him. "Don''t do anything right now. Just continue to stare at the building. I''ll think of something else," Alex Fuller instructed. Hearing that Manager Walter nodded before leaving the discussion hall. Alex Fuller realised he was being too hasty. First, he needs to find those forces who are against crimson Hall. He thinks that they might know more about Hansen Institute than anyone else. The reason he didn''t inquire about the head of the Frazier clan. Because Frazier Clan''s head has close ties with the Hansen Institute. After his warning, he believes that Frazier Clan''s head is not stupid enough to inform Chairman Thornton. After gaining some clarity, he rose from the seat and walked into his room. Outside of the mansion, Arthur didn''t stop his movements until he walked out of the mansion. Only after getting farther away from the mansion, he breathed in relief. "Too scary," he mumbled under his breath. He felt fortunate that the meeting was over. He can''t handle the pressure of the meeting. The new city lord is clearly up to something. Realizing that, he decided to inform Elder Thornton after returning to Hansen Institute. Chapter 401 Meeting The Exploration Team (From MC''s perspective) Tier-7 Baguva City, Time passed, Thornton learnt what had happened inside the discussion hall from Arthur. He was shocked to know about the new city lord. As he had expected earlier, the new city lord Alex is showing his interest in their competition. But he doesn''t know the exact reason behind this. "SIGH" He sighed inwardly. This is something he can find only when he returns. Right now, he should focus on the exploration team. Earlier, he thought that the trunulesia forest is going to be tough for Zack. But now he realised there is some internal friction exists in the team itself. But he has full confidence in his friend. No one dares to offend the elite warrior. So the team members will be mindful of him. Then he saw the time, there is still a few hours left before Compton arrives. Until then he decided to take a rest. Time went by, A big air car slowly descended on the ground. When the air car touched the land, I walked out of the car. Then Elder Thornton and Elder Compton stepped out of the car. I have taken enough rest but still, I can''t get over the feeling of uneasiness. The next second, Elder Compton led us to the building. The building looked like a normal apartment. But he has his office on one of the floors. After entering the building, soon we reached his office. I wasn''t expecting this. I thought there will be lots of books and maps spread around the table. But there is nothing here as in my imagination. The first thing that came into my view was the empty cabin. Seeing that I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. Then I looked at Elder Thornton. Because he wasn''t looked surprised by this empty room. I asked, "Elder, why the room is empty?" Before Elder Thornton could answer anything, Compton answered, "We already packed things two days ago. After doing that, we waited for your arrival." I nodded in understanding after hearing that. So which means the trip is delayed because of me. Next, Compton walked into the adjacent room after opening the door. Seeing that, we both followed him. Fortunately, this new room is a proper discussion or meeting room. Unlike the previous one, this room has chairs, tables and bookshelves. There is also a large circular couch placed in the middle of the room. "You guys can sit, my teammates are on the way here," Elder Compton uttered while checking his sci-fi watch. I sat beside Elder Thornton and waited for the exploration team members to arrive. Time went by, After one hour, 5 people walked into the discussion room one by one. Seeing that, I stopped my conversation with Elder Thornton. "This?" I was startled by feeling the powerful auras. When my mind was blank, I heard Elder Compton''s laughter, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." But instead of looking at him, my gaze fixed on these five people. Five of them immediately sat on the nearby chair one by one. Two female warriors and three male warriors including that annoying person, Eric Lloyd. What amazed me was that. all of them are giving me off similar pressure. If my assumption is correct, then maybe 5 of them are at Peak Trainee Level. In one way, it is a really good thing for me. On the other hand, Compton saw their reaction of Zack. He found Zack is not giving him any attention at all. Seeing that, he said, "Zack Lockwood, Let me give you a formal introduction of our team. Previously, you had met with another member. Including me, all five of us are part of the exploration team." Elder Compton''s words sounded very stern and serious. Hearing that I retracted my thoughts and looked at him. "First I''m the leader of this team, Ricardo Compton. Mid-Elite, Fire elemental warrior," "Second, Valerie Lyons. She is the vice leader of the team. Peak Trainee, Water Elemental warrior." "Erik Lloyd. Third in command. Peak Trainee, Earth elemental warrior." "Terrell Boyd. Fourth in command. Peak Trainee, Wind elemental warrior." "Garrett Marsh. Fifth in command. Peak Trainee, Metal elemental warrior." "And Kara Robles, Sixth in command. Peak Trainee. Fire elemental warrior." Hearing that, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Five of them are not easy. all the common elements of this world can be seen in this one team. This team also have a metal elemental warrior. I know how rare is it. Last time, I fought someone having the same element at the insect forest. I''m also surprised to see wind element warrior. Most of the warriors, I had met with usually had Earth or Fire elements in them. And very few are water element warriors. So Metal and wind elements piqued my curiosity. I''m happy to be a part of such a diverse team. On the other hand, after saying that, Compton glanced at five of his team members before turning towards Zack. "Guys, he is our new addition to the team. His name is Zack Lockwood," Ricardo Compton said with a smile. "And that old guy beside him is my old friend, Thornton," He added further. When he finished his words, I found their gazes on me. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. When they entered the room no one took a glance at me. Now they are doing it after Elder Compton''s words. Then feeling their gazes I politely nodded in response. What''s making me more hesitant is that all of them are seniors. None of them is in their twenties, forget about my age group. On the other hand, Thornton felt something wrong with the atmosphere. He saw Erik Lloyd smirking. Like he had preplanned something. Suddenly, Garrett Marsh said in a mocking tone, "Boss, why are we letting a young kid join our team?" Erik Lloyd beside him revealed a sly smile on his face. He had already spoken with his teammates about this. Erik wants his relative kid back on the team. So he asked for others'' help. Though not all of them agreed to help him. Vice leader Valerie was against him because she supports the leader, Compton. Karla denied his request because she don''t want to offend the leader. Only two male members of the team were on his side. And they are not helping him for free, because he had made a deal with them. So right now, Erik couldn''t wait to hear leader Compton''s response. He was confident that the leader won''t be able to support his arguments. Because he doesn''t think that a young man named Zack is Peak Trainee Warrior. He has seen this level only from the descendants of Top families residing in Tier-7 cities. Unfortunately, he couldn''t able to know anything about Zack Lockwood. Something blocked his sense from probing the strength of Zack Lockwood. And leader Compton shields the kid Zack from him. Harumph, Erik Lloyd snorted coldly inside. The reactions of the rest of the members were different. Terrell Boyd, another male member of the team is watching everything in silence. He didn''t even plan to condemn Garrett. Only Valerie and Kara were displeased. Kara is worried that the team will be divided because of this. While Valerie thought of a whole new picture. She understands that leader Compton is not stupid. If he is doing something like this, then there must be a solid reason behind it. But unfortunately, other members are not looking at the big picture. On the other hand, Thornton slightly began to regret it. Because the team is looking toxic. He feels more than Trunulesia forest, Zack needs to stay away from these people. "SIGH" I couldn''t help but sigh in my heart. Because I realise dealing with monsters is easier than dealing with people around you. This conversation is going to destroy everyone''s mood. The atmosphere quieted down for a moment. Because no one spoke. Everyone is looking at Elder Compton for some kind of explanation. But I know from our earlier conversation. Elder Compton is pissed right now. On the other hand, Compton spoke after some silence. He asked, "Garrett, do you got any problem with my decision?" The next second, his fiery gaze lands on Erik Llyod sitting right next to him. He knew Erik won''t remain silent and he will cause problems later. But he hasn''t expected him to start right away before their departure to Trunulesia forest. Erik Llyod stopped smiling and looked at Garrett Marsh. "Boss, we are going to explore the ruins. It is the most dangerous place out there. So what is the need of taking this kid with us?" Garrett replied. He felt his thinking was reasonable. Hearing that, Compton decided to clear some things first. He doesn''t want to hear the same conversation again in Trunulesia forest. "Look, I''m going to make one thing clear." "I''m allowing him to work with me as my assistant. It''s my own decision. There is no need for you to interfere in it," Compton said. "Secondly, Zack is not going to involve in research. He is joining the team to gain some experience in the outside world. So you guys don''t have to worry about anything. The exploration will continue as usual with him or without him." Chapter 402 Different Views Tier-7 Baguva City, Five members left right away after the meeting. They didn''t even think about having a small chat with Zack and Elder Thornton. Seeing their attitude, Compton felt helpless. Nothing can be changed in one day. On top of it, he felt its best for them to leave this place right now. Otherwise, who knows? what will happen? if Erik decides to do something. After they left, Compton talked with Zack and Thornton. The exploration team will leave tomorrow officially. Compton doesn''t want to waste any more time by delaying the trip. Fortunately, there are multiple routes to Trunulesia Forest from Baguva city. If there is no incident occurs, they will pick up the short route to travel. The journey will take at least one week on normal days. if everything goes right, the team will reach the forest after one week. After explaining certain things to both, he led them back to the villa. The following day, The exploration team left early for the trip. Elder Thornton went together to the train station to send off Zack. Last night, he reminded Zack to stay away from the team members as much as possible. Because he is going there to gain experience. Not to explore the ruins. So now his worries were lessened. When the train departed from the city, Thornton also decided to return. There is no use in staying here. Because his mind is now occupied with Hansen Institute. One hour later, Thornton boarded the train back to Red Stone City. It will take a couple of days for him to get back. But he decided to assist Arthur from time to time. Time went by, Four days later, Thornton came to know about the recent happenings from Arthur. The registration process is going on smoothly. All the talented young warriors from the city were keenly registering their names for this competition. Especially, Thornton realised that the local media houses were covering extensively about the competition. He was surprised by such a smooth process. But somewhere in his heart, there is a shadow of a doubt. After Arthur came from the City Lord Mansion, there are no other actions taken from the City lord Alex Fuller. Which puzzled him more. He was expecting some kind of measure from the city lord. To think none happened. He doesn''t know how to take it. But he feels everything will be clear once he returns. ... City Lord Mansion - Red Stone City, Discussion Hall, "Walter, where are they?" the city lord Alex Fuller asked. A clear frown can be seen on his face. Manager Walter replied, "Lord, they are not willing to come here." "Harumph," Alex Fuller snorted. Yesterday, a team of five from the Crimson Hall organisation entered this city. Alex Fuller wanted them to have a meeting with Frazier Clan''s head. But these people were ignoring his orders. He felt helpless, he can''t force them to come here. All he can do was inform their headmaster wells. Maybe Mr Wells might instruct them to meet me. "SIGH," He let out a small sigh. Making a deal with Crimson Hall is not easy. To get resources, he needs to put up with their actions and behaviours. He then asked, "How is the registration is going? Manager Walter replied, "Lord, a lot of young warriors from our city were registering for this competition." "Hmmm," Alex Fuller furrowed his eyebrows. He feels this city is not bad as he imagined considering there is a good number of talented warriors in this city. Then again he feels he needs to make a quick arrangement before the registration closes up. ... Red Stone City, At the same time, two female warriors were wandering around several streets and shops. They were none other than Ella Downs and Sallie Mills. Currently, both walked out of one of the shops. Sallie thought of something and asked, "Should we go and take a look at Hansen Institute?" Hearing that Ella halted her footsteps. A trace of apprehension can be seen on her face. Both were not interested in this competition at all. It''s because of the mission order, they have to obey it. On top of it, she couldn''t understand the crimson hall''s enmity against Zack Lockwood. Even their headmaster didn''t say it openly. But they can understand, five of them are ultimately here for Zack Lockwood. Last time, Zack defeated everyone at the Star Tower trials by taking first place. The trial of the star tower is such that no one can see what taking place inside the tower. So warrior''s battle was blocked from viewing. Which made them wonder about Zack. No one could easily access his combat strength. She feels that their organisation might send them because of this reason. Seeing Ella spacing out in the middle of the street, she said, "Ella?" Hearing that, Ella retracted her thoughts. She replied, "Okay" she knows this place is quite close to the Hansen Institute. So there is no problem in checking out the place. Then both changed their destination to the Hansen Institute. On the way, both of their minds are occupied with different thoughts. Ella is thinking about the small competition. Where Sallie is thinking about the city lord. She saw the inbox is filled with manager Walter''s message. Seeing that, she had black lines on her forehead. "Ella, Did you receive the message?" Sallie asked. Ella nodded and replied, "I just blocked his contact number." Ella knows that she is talking about the manager Walter from the city lord mansion. Because he is the one who is sending these text messages ever since they entered this city. Retracting these thoughts both then continued to walk. 5 minutes later, Ella and Sallie arrived in front of the Hansen Institute. Surprisingly, they are many people in front of this small building. Both Sallie and Ella found this building nowhere at the level of their Crimson Hall. This building may be huge compared to nearby buildings, but Sallie and Ella are not awed by the infrastructure. "Harrumph, to think Zack Lockwood was from this garbage institute," ridicule and contempt-filled voice reached their ears. Sallie and Ella found this voice very familiar. Both turned towards the direction where the voice came from. "Bob?" Sallie said. Both saw Bob Williamson coming toward them. Seeing that, Ella furrowed her eyebrows. She knows among the five of them, Bob is more interested in this mission. After seeing him both remained silent, Bob already noticed the presence of these two. That''s why he commented. Seeing that there is no response to his words, Bob revealed a sly smile. He knows unlike him, these two have good opinions about Zack. But it''s unfortunate for Zack because their organisation is already decided to take him out. No one can save his life anymore. After taking a glance at these two, Bob walked past them. He wants to see what the crowd were doing. When he disappeared, both Sallie and Ella sighed in relief. Sallie immediately answered, "This guy won''t give up even if our organisation decide to let go of Zack." Ella nodded. Not only, Bob, She knows the other two members have similar thoughts. For resources, both will do anything. Then after spending a few more minutes here, Sallie and Ella both left the place. On the other hand, Bob Williamson is standing there among the crowds. Before coming here Bob had asked his family to collect some Intel. Interestingly, he found that Zack Lockwood was rarely seen after the star trial. Apart from a few appearances near the Hansen Institute, no one has seen him. Bob Willaimson was intrigued by the news. He has already thought of some clues. He feels that Hansen Institute might have sent Zack far away for special training. Then retracting his thoughts, he continued to observe the campus for a few more minutes before leaving. A few minutes later, Austin Boyer and Bradley Reese came to look at the Hansen Institute. Looking at the building, Austin Boyer commented, "It''s hard to believe Zack Lockwood comes from this small institute." Austin Boyer wall impressed. He had heard about Zack''s background before. But this is the first time for everyone to see the institute. A quick flash into Bradley''s eyes as he recalls the start tower ranking. He asked, "What do you think about Zack''s strength?" Austin was quiet for a moment. Because he hadn''t thought about this before. All of them are quite confident because of the Peak Special Trainee Cultivation base. They are one step away from touching the Trainee Warrior level. So he thinks that Zack is not up to their level. Especially, the warriors around here are Trainee Apprentice. This shows that the talent of this region is very low. Only Zack was exceptional. "What are you thinking about?" Bradley asked. Hearing that, Austin retracted his thoughts and replied, "I think Zack is Mid-level Special Trainee Warrior." Bradley nodded, he to thinks this might be the case. If their assumption is true then they can easily get their revenge. Chapter 403 Alex Fullers Anger (From MC''s perspective) This highly fortified train is moving towards the destination at full speed. Unfortunately, it''s impossible to appreciate the outside view. Because the windows are covered up due to safety issues. I feel tense because of this. On normal days, I can divert my mind by watching the outside views. But here I can only shut my eyes and pretend asleep. Right now, there is one more reason to pretend. Elder Compton is sitting right next to me. Opposite me, the vice leader of the team, Valerie Lyons is reading a book. Right next to her, Kara Robles is watching something on her watch. I don''t whether she is sleeping or not. This seating arrangement was done by Elder Compton. Which alone shows the existing friction in the team. From time to time, I feel hostile gazes on me. But I know exactly where it is coming from. It was none other than Erik Lloyd. I have a vague feeling that he is hatching some plan. I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows when I think about it. It''s not that I can''t take him down. I fear I will face more trouble after killing him. So there is no good in going against him. It''s best to stick to Elder Compton. Only he can make him calm down. After retracting the thoughts, I closed my eyes. On the other hand, a quick glint flashed into Compton''s eyes. He looked in Erik Lloyd''s direction before retracting his gaze. He also noticed some malicious intentions from Erik Lloyd. Which is not at all good for everyone including himself in the team. Ever since he had got a hint from his good friend. Compton already made up his mind to protect Zack. Even he readied himself to go to a certain length. "I hope Erik won''t cross the line. Otherwise, I have to kill him myself," Compton thought to himself. The exploration team members have different thoughts about the new team member. No one is willing to babysit a new team member. Especially, in places like Trunulesia forest. It''s hard to keep their own life alive. Time passes in a blink of an eye After a couple of days, Elder Thornton reached the Red Stone city. After getting into Hansen Institute, he was soon involved in their upcoming fighting competition work. When Thornton came back, Arthur felt half of his pressure reduced. He soon recounted the things that happened inside the discussion hall. But in the end, both failed to guess the city lord''s mind. The city lord Alex Fuller''s unclear intentions made them act carefully. Elder Thornton feels that nothing serious will take place. Because the competition is only for their city''s young warriors. He believes that there won''t be any calculation behind it. Even if some force tries to calculate, he does not worry about it. Because apart from Zack, there are no other important person''s studies here. Since Zack is away from the city, Thornton is acting without any worry. Coincidentally, on the same day, An important meeting is taking place inside the discussion hall of the city lord''s mansion. The city lord mansion, The City Lord Alex Fuller is keenly observing the five people in front of him. These five talented warriors were sent by Crimson Hall a couple of days ago. After carefully roaming around the city, now they got enough time on their hands to visit him. His heart is boiling in anger. But he kept his outward expression calm as possible. These people''s behaviour a spoiled lot of his plans. Including the meeting with the Frazier clan head. Which is also getting postponed because of them. Unfortunately, the Frazier clan''s head is out of this city at this time. He would have solved the problem if he was available. SIGH He couldn''t help but sigh thinking about it. "Lord," Manager Walter stepped forward to inquire. He knows the lord is frustrated because of these young people. But this can''t be helped. They can''t afford to offend the Crimson Hall organisation. On the other hand, Bob Williamson smirked watching the overall situation. This is the first time he has seen Tier-8 city''s city lord in person. But he feels that everyone went overboard this time. Otherwise, their headmaster wells won''t urge them to visit the city lord as soon as possible. Bob was puzzled, usually, their headmaster won''t put tier-8 cities in his eyes. Including the government forces and organisations. But this time he was serious. Then retracting his thoughts, he waited for the meeting to take place. Ella Downs, Sallie Mills, Austin Boyer and Bradley Reese also has different thoughts in their mind. But one thing is common, all of them wanted this meeting to end as soon as possible. "Cough" Alex Fuller coughed to break the awkward atmosphere. "The Frazier Clan''s head is not available right now. So the meeting is not going to take place. Once he comes back, I''ll inform you," he said in a calm tone. Hearing that five of them were bewildered. That''s it! Bob wrinkled his eyebrows. It''s not that five of them don''t know what to do. Their headmaster had already briefed them about this. But still, if they want to know to implement the plan they need the presence of the Frazier clan''s head. Realizing this Bob''s gave becomes ugly. "So we are wasting our time here, " Bob mumbled under his breath. Hearing that, Alex and Bradley nodded their head. Ella and Sallie don''t know what to say. But both thought, Bob should keep his mouth shut. Bob Williamson''s words were not so loud. But it was heard by Alex Fuller. Veins begin to pop up from his forehead. For the first time, he felt he shouldn''t have contacted the crimson hall. These arrogant brats are too much for him to handle. Before he could utter anything, he heard a question from the same brat. "Lord, do you know the whereabouts of Zack Lockwood?" Bob Williamson asked. When he asked that there is a tinge of expectation in his heart. He believes that it''s normal for any city lord to know about certain crucial information. Especially, the current number one rank in star tower''s leader board ranking is local to this city. Bob believes that City Lord has information about Zack Lockwood. The atmosphere has become pin drop silence. Sallie laughed in her heart, seeing that Bob is not giving a face at all to the city lord. For this city lord, Sallie has absolute disgust in her heart. To gain personal interest, he is ready to sacrifice the local force. For such a person she doesn''t have any respect. It is the same with Ella Downs, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. She wants to leave the place, but Bob started a conversation all of a sudden. But this question Bob, she wants to hear the answer as well. Austin Boyer and Bradley Reese looked at each other with helpless smiles on their face. Because Bob is started to act on his own. They don''t know what will happen next. On the other hand, Alex Fuller was stunned. He didn''t expect such a question at this moment. But his mood becomes complicated. Because the same question was inquired by many people before including their First Elder and the headmaster. That kid Zack Lockwood seemed to disappear into thin air. There is no news about him. Nowadays, he has felt that Zack Lockwood might have died somewhere. But he can''t say his opinion loud. Because people need evidence to verify the news. He has tried many ways to contact the Hansen Institute''s chairman. Unfortunately, there is no response from the other side. Then he answered, "I don''t know about it." Hearing that, Bob''s face turned solemn. There is only one question in his mind. How? "Is he dead?" He asked. A quick glint flashed in Ella''s eyes. She doesn''t want to think like that. But if the person is missing for so long, she won''t know how to describe it. On the other hand, Alex Fuller smiled. He had the same thought as the young man. But things are not that simple. He answered, "He is most likely alive. Because if he is dead, his institute and the star tower won''t remain silent." "They would have published the news," he added further. Hearing that Bob nodded in understanding. Especially, about the star tower, he feels the city lord is right. So far there are no changes taking place in the city lord ranking. This means Zack Lockwood is alive. On the other hand, Ella also felt peace in her heart. She also thinks about how absurd her previous assumptions were. Seeing that there is one asking questions anymore, Alex Fuller asked them to leave. Manager Walter guided them outside. Seeing their disappearing sight, Alex muttered to himself, "I don''t know if my actions were good or bad" Because he feels if crimson hall can''t able to find the whereabouts of that kid. How can they expect a small city lord like him to answer? Then he thought about his next action. He feels he needs to visit the Hansen Institute in person. Chapter 404 Deserted Station (From MC''s perspective) Time went by, After a couple of days, the train reached the Trunulesia station. When the train came to halt, all the passengers got alarmed. Everyone knows about this terrible place. Usually, the train won''t halt at this place. So everyone inside the train seemed to be confused. On the other hand, after seeing the terrified face of everyone. My face turned a bit solemn. I don''t know whether everyone is overreacting or genuinely terrified. Suddenly, I heard a small chuckle beside me. He is none other than Elder Compton. A moment later, he said, "Let''s go." Hearing that, five of us got from our seats and prepared to leave. On the other hand, the passengers in this particular compartment seemed to realise that people were leaving. Shock and disbelief were written on their face. But no one dared to say anything. Because people who go this place were strong warriors. So nobody wants to offend. Only after seeing the disappearing back of the last person, the passengers sighed in relief. In a few seconds, the train began to leave. At the same time, after stepping out of the train. I looked around me. This train station, I don''t how to describe. Because there is not even a single person can be seen. Apart from breezing wind, not a single person. This entire place is completely deserted. At this moment, the image of mountain Liz flashed before my eyes. I sighed thinking about it. Even that remote place had one or two people walking around. It is also the same case with insect forests. Many warriors entered the insect forest after knowing how dangerous is it. But after seeing this place my mood has become dull. "Don''t be discouraged," at this time, I heard a voice behind me. Seeing that, I saw it was coming from Elder Compton. In response, I nodded at him. But suddenly I heard another mocking voice. "This why I had urged not to bring unnecessary burdens with us," Erik Lloyd said in a mocking tone. He doesn''t care presence of Compton. He began to mock boldly. Garrett Marsh stood beside him for support. He also wore a wide grin on his face. Like he is enjoying the situation. A cold glint flashes into my eyes after hearing his words. This guy is making me think twice. Earlier, I had decided to stay low-key. But looking at this ongoing situation. I feel I need to think of some backup plans. Suddenly, Compton coughed to break the atmosphere. The next second, Compton''s face turned serious as he thinks about the next plan. "Alright, We need to cross this trunulesia forest before dawn," Compton said in a solemn tone. When he brought up the topic, everyone''s face becomes serious. On the other hand, I began to recall the information about the forest. Usually, during the daytime, there is no monster activity recorded. At day time, the trunulesia forest is peaceful and calm. But at night time, the situation will change drastically. There will be many monsters. ... Compton saw everyone is listening to him. He nodded and continued to say, "Everyone knows that the current trunulesia forest is not what used to be. There are some changes. So even in the daytime, we should not let down our guard." "Don''t worry leader, we will be cautious," the vice leader, Valerie Lyons replied. After that one by one echoed their opinion. Even Erik also voices his opinion. On the other hand, I saw Elder Compton turn towards me. He said, "Zack, you will stay in middle. Erik and Garrett will take care of the rear" "I will lead from the front." "And the rest of them will provide support to the team." Hearing that, Valerie, Karla and Terrell nodded their heads in understanding. Though Valerie is the vice leader of the team, she can''t take care of the front attack. Because she is a water element warrior. So Compton decided to take care of that. On the other hand, Erik as an earth elemental warrior will provide defensive support. At the same time, Garrett can also provide both offensive and defensive support. Overall, it''s a rare combination of teams. After giving instructions, Compton led everyone towards their old base. The entire trunulesia forest is covered with weird energy due to mutation. So they need to wear full body gear before entering the forest. While walking, Erik Llyod couldn''t help but look at the back of the young man. He is deeply pondering about something. Seeing his state, his friend who is walking beside him decided to ask. Garrett asked, "What are you thinking about?" Hearing that, Erik Llyod replied with a smile, "I''m wondering, how to kill that brat." Garrett wasn''t surprised by the answer. He knows about Erik, Erik will take revenge for even small things. But Garrett doesn''t care about his behaviour. Because Erik had given numerous resources multiple times. So Garrett knows if he takes care of that kid, Erik will give him some resources. His eyes gleamed with a twinkle as he thought about it. Garrett said in a husky voice, "Don''t worry, everything will be over during nighttime." A quick glint flashed into Erik''s eyes as he realised something. The nighttime is the best time for killing. Especially in this trunulesia forest. But Erik found some trouble in this plan. Leader Compton already made things clear. He wants everyone to cross the forest before dawn. So if this goes on, killing that kid would be impossible. Because Compton said that kid will not enter the ruins. If he wants to bury that kid, the only suitable place is trunulesia forest. Also, he needs to do it during night time. Either before entering the ruins or after entering the ruins. Erik also knows that delaying their current schedule will offend Compton. So he can only think about removing that brat after they explored the ruin. Right now, he doesn''t have any choice but to wait further. Soon, everyone reached their old base. Which is located near the train station. The base is none other than the large-sized wooden building which was built a decade ago. There are more than 6 rooms inside the building. After entering the building, everyone began to wear full body armour in their respective rooms. ... Inside one of the six rooms, I dropped the brand new full-body gear on the bed. My eyes gleamed with twinkle whenever I observed that things. This model of full-body gear is very costly. I heard Elder Compton has bought the same model for everyone. To think he has so much passion for the ruins. He went on to buy the same model for everyone. But I also realised, Elder Compton is Elite Warrior. So his wealth is something which I cannot fathom. Then I began to wear the full body armour. After wearing it, I instantly felt a terrible weight. Like a small mountain weighing on me. Fortunately, I''m also a body cultivator. I can manage it somehow despite my low cultivation base. My entire body is now covered with body armour. To allow visibility, the face helmet has a shield in front of my eyes. I can view them. The face helmet has a full face open and close function. I couldn''t help but sigh after seeing such a function. Suddenly, I thought about Crimson Hall''s competition. I don''t know whether this armour will be allowed to use in that competition. If it is then it will be terrible, every rich kid from Tier-7 city will buy this for sure. Then warriors from Tier-8 cities will face terrible challenges. I hope this thing will not be allowed. Then I thought about one more thing, I want to check my lightning element. When I extend my palms, the armour opened up a little. I can see my palm. In the next second, a small purple colour arc formed in my palms. Seeing that, there is no problem. Then I tried to walk inside the room. This takes me back to memory lane where I trained inside the gravity chamber. So my current situation is not worse. My normal movements were wasn''t affected. But things will be trickier when it comes to fighting. A strong determination rose in my heart. I will take this as a new training method. Then after making sure everything is ready, I walked out of the room casually. On the other hand, the rest of them were waiting for Zack. When they saw him walking out casually, surprise-filled everyone''s faces. Garrett Marsh twitched, and he said, "This brat is a trainee warrior." Not only the rest of them also misunderstood, including Compton. Erik Llyod frowned after seeing this." is he from Tier-7 city?" He thought to himself. The reason for their misunderstanding was only warriors with trainee warrior cultivation base and above can move around effortlessly wearing that armour. After realizing this, Compton sighed in relief. He doesn''t have to worry about Zack''s safety anymore. Zack can easily take care of mutated monsters of Class-3 level. Right now he has only one problem. He hopes Erik won''t cause an unnecessary problem during their journey. Chapter 405 Mutated Monster Trunulesia Forest, (From MC''s perspective) Erik Lloyd''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle when he misunderstood Zack''s cultivation base as Trainee Warrior. Not only he, everyone else thinks like that. Because of this, no one looked at Zack with contempt and ridicule anymore. Since Zack is strong, there is no need to give him the cold shoulder. Especially, Valerie Lyons is glad that Zack is not oil battle. She looked at leader Compton with admitting gaze. "No wonder that he was calm and composed," She thought to herself. On the other hand, Ricardo Compton decided to move from the spot. He led the exploration towards the trunulesia forest. Which is a walkable distance from the train station. Everyone moved according to the formation. At the same time, after feeling the shift in attitude from everyone, "I sighed inwardly." I vaguely heard their conversation. They think I''m a trainee warrior. But only I know the truth. I''m seemingly operating after wearing the full body gear because of my body strength. Then dispelling the thoughts, I continued to follow along with the formation. While walking, I felt a cold stare from behind. No doubt, it''s Erik Lloyd. I have a vague feeling that he still hasn''t given up his thoughts. So I decided to keep an eye on him. Time went by, After twenty minutes, we arrived at the entrance of the trunulesia forest. Seeing the dark gloomy forest ahead in the daytime. I don''t why a sense of uneasiness filled my heart. Not only me, I saw my fellow team members stop their movements. On the other hand, a trace of apprehension appeared in Elder Compton''s eyes. He found the forest has visible changes compared to last time. This time he can visibly see the dark clouds above the forest. Which then entirely shrouds the whole forest in a dark atmosphere. Fortunately, the mutated monsters will only appear at night time. So they got plenty of time clear the forest. Before continuing, he looked at everyone and instructed, "You can see that the forest has some changes. So keep your guard up all the time." Hearing that everyone nodded their head including me. The demeanour of the exploration team has completely changed. They are not cold and arrogant anymore. I can feel the air of nervousness. Which in turn made me wrinkle my eyebrows. Everyone is worried in presence of a Mid-elite warrior like Elder Compton. I don''t know how to describe this feeling. Then slowly we walked towards the entrance. It''s daytime, so the area is visible. But the problem lies in the dark clouds. When everyone reached the entrance, Compton turned again to observe the team. Before going inside, he wants to make sure that everyone is fully equipped and covered their head. Because once they go deep into the woods. The weird mists will envelop them. If the weird mists come to contact will any exposed skin parts, then death will be the only result. After checking out, everyone entered the forest in formation. Right now, I''m more concerned about the dangers lurking inside the forest than Erik Lloyd. Because the uneasiness in my heart is getting increasing. We walked along the narrow path. This route may probably formed by the researchers who visit this place often. Then suddenly, I recalled the ruins. Earlier, Elder Compton had briefed everyone about the trunulesia forest. Since I''m new, he explained it in more detail. Unlike the monster zones, this trunulesia forest is quite different. From the map, I recalled this forest was stretched like a canyon. I don''t where its border ends on both sides. But the location of the ruins was quite clear. It was located in opposite direction. Once we crossed this forest. We will soon reach the north end where the ruin is located. Now we are entering the forest from the southern direction. Where the train station is located. After recalling the complex structure of the forest, I couldn''t help but sigh inside. If someone runs in the direction east or west end, they will be dead for sure. Because there is no end in both directions. After realising that, I decided to have some sense of direction. From time to time, Compton turned around to check up on the team. Since everyone wore full body armour, it was impossible to see their facial expression. But Compton never failed to strike up a conversation. Then he looked at Zack and said, "Zack, relax. We are not in danger right now." Hearing that, I revealed a bitter smile. But still, I nodded at him. He says there is no danger. But why do I feel something wrong? On the other hand, Compton shook his head after seeing the slow response. Time went by, After one hour, the exploration team already is getting closer to the centre. If they continue at the same pace, they will cross the trunulesia forest after four hours. Suddenly, Compton halted his footsteps. Seeing that everyone stopped moving. The air around him felt denser than before. He knew it was because of the mutated energy. Compton wanted to check the weird energy. But he has no extra time for it. So he decided to head to the ruin first. "Let''s go," he said. After saying that, he continued to lead everyone deep into the woods. But as they go inside, apart from the weird energy, the calm and quiet atmosphere gives everyone a creepy feeling. No one said anything, everyone quietly followed behind. Even Erik has stopped thinking about Zack. Instead, he focused on the surroundings. When everyone moved ahead, the ground below them started to shake. The tremor is not like an earthquake but it''s happening inside a specific range. "Step back a little," Compton shouted. Hearing that I immediately leapt backwards. But still, the ground continued to shake. Like something is going to come out. "It''s a monster," the vice leader, Valerie shouted at Compton. Apart from the monster, nothing can make such huge tremors. "Impossible," Erik uttered from behind. My mind went blank for a moment. It''s hard to fathom what''s going on here. The tremor is making it impossible to control the balance. But I vaguely heard their conversation. "Monster, how could be?" I mumbled under my breath. Elder Compton told me that there will be no monster activity here at day time. If so then what happened now? I raised my head to see the situation. My eyes widened in surprise the next moment. I saw a gigantic head rising from the ground. The head size alone looks the size of the monster. My face become discoloured after realising the fact. If it''s the head then, what about the rest of the body? The monster''s head alone is humungous in size. Then I can''t imagine the size of the rest of the body. I suddenly recalled the name of the monster. "Ground Worm," I uttered in surprise. But unlike normal worm monsters. This one looked completely back. Apart from the pitch-black head, only two red eyes can be seen clearly. I had never seen such a creepy monster before. BOOM The next second, another tremor happened. The worm monster began to take out its entire body from the ground. The exploration team members immediately separated from the formation. Only Ricardo Compton stayed in one place. If someone watches carefully they can see, using his elite power, Compton stood in mid-air. A trace of confusion and apprehension appeared in Compton''s eyes. Confusion because the mutated monster had never appeared during the daytime. So this is the first time he to come across such a situation. Second, he has slight fear that many more monsters will appear in succession. Because the tremor caused by this worm monster was so huge that it will soon attract other nearby monsters. So Compton decided to kill the monster quickly before leaving this place. When the huge monster appeared, Compton swiftly acted. He raised his hand to conjure fireballs in a blink of an eye and threw them towards the worm monster. Those fireballs emitted heat like a blazing sun. When they landed on the monster''s body. BOOM A deafening sound reverberated through the area. The worm monster twisted its huge body to stop the fire. But the fireballs had caused enough damage. It immediately affected the vitality of the monster. Seeing that, the monster is dying. Compton has no change in expression. When the monster first appeared, he has already seen through the monster. The worm monster has the strength of Class 3 Mid level. So as an elite warrior, it was no problem for him to make it disappear. But to end it quickly. Compton once again used the fireballs to kill the monster. When everything was over, he turned towards his team. Seeing that everyone is fine, he sighed in relief. Then he led everyone towards the destination. But this time, the whole team increased their speed. The appearance of the monster is not a good sign at all. So the whole team decide to move from this place as soon as possible. Not long after they left, the destruction spot was swarmed by other mutated monsters. Chapter 406 Another Encounter (From MC''s perspective) Trunulesia Forest, After ten minutes, Compton and his group arrived in front of a large shade tree to take some rest. Except for Compton, everyone collapsed on the ground to gasp for some breath. All of them escaped from that place at full speed. None of them wants to encounter similar situations like the worm monster. On the other hand, I sighed in relief. After looking at everyone''s expressions, I realised that none of them had expected this situation to turn out like this. It was an unprecedented one. This situation here is completely different from the Insect forest. You will never know when the mutated monsters will appear in front of you. "Are there any elite-level monsters in this forest?" I muttered to myself. Because the appearance of the worm monster had already blown away my mind. I don''t know what different types of monsters dwell in this forest. Various thoughts occupied my mind. I''m sure about one thing. It won''t be easy to cross this forest in day time anymore. Then everyone''s eyes fell on Elder Compton. "Leader, what is happening?" Erik Lloyd shouted at the leader. He had completely lost his patience. The appearance mutated class 3 monster made him frightened already. When the rest of them heard his words, none of them stopped him from lashing out. Because they can understand the situation. Mutated monster is stronger than normal class monsters. Even if they are Peak Trainee Warriors, they are not confident enough to take down the Class 3 Peak mutated monsters. At the same time, I wrinkled my eyebrows in displeasure. This Erik Lloyd is creating scenes unnecessarily. Elder Compton is a Mid-level, Elite Warrior. So forget about Class 3, he can even easily take down Class 4 level Monsters. Then I looked at Elder Compton. He seems to be pondering something else. On the other hand, Compton is keeping an eye on the surrounding. He spread his elite-level sense to cover the area. Previously the worm monster surprised him by appearing from the ground below. So he doesn''t want to encounter a similar situation again. When he heard Erik''s words, his eyes flashed into a cold glint. Because like everyone else, he was also surprised by the change in the situation here. So he feels Erik''s antics were too much. Then he proceeds to think about the next course of action. On the other hand, I watched everyone''s expression begin to have changes. Especially after seeing elder Compton''s silence. I can see veins popping up on Erik''s forehead. This guy even dares offend an elite-level warrior. I don''t know whether he is stupid or not. When I was observing everyone''s expressions. I heard a faint howling sound from from distance. For a moment, I didn''t take it seriously. But when I heard a similar sound a second time. I decided to use my perceptual ability around me. The next second, I spread my sense around the surroundings. An area of more than 25 meters came into my view. When I heard the sound for the third time, I followed the direction. Then I saw the group of black jackals. For a moment, I misunderstood them as hyenas. But looking at the body structure. I realised they were jackals. And I don''t know the exact numbers in the group. The jackals are in black due to mutation. From the group, I sensed four strong and scary auras. Even stronger than mine. I have a vague feeling that they are Class 4 Monsters similar to worm monsters. And the remaining monsters were Class 3 level. Then I saw the group of monsters coming towards our direction. I immediately retracted my thoughts and looked at Elder Compton. I saw Elder Compton is not in his place. Seeing that, I immediately turned towards the group of hyenas. I saw one silhouette walking in mid-air towards the group. My pupils constrict after witnessing such a scene. "Sure, elite level is something else," I grumbled. On the other hand, everyone got alert after seeing Compton''s action. The vice leader and others immediately began to rush towards the monsters, including Erik. In the end, I was the one who was left behind. I don''t know whether these people know about the presence of four class-4 level monsters up ahead. Then dispelling the thoughts, I followed behind the slowly. Fortunately, I had stored items in my spare storage ring. Which was in the small vault area placed in the forearm of the suit. While rushing, I opened the vault to use the storage ring. The next second, I brought out the black sword from the storage ring and held it tightly in my hand. This is going to be my first battle at Trunulesia forest and that too against mutated class 3 level monsters. Boom Suddenly, I heard a loud bang ahead. I realized, Elder Compton is fighting against Class 4 monsters. I''m careful not to enter their battle area. I knew the aftermath would be very serious. So I diverted my path and found the nearest class 3 monsters. I saw rest of my teammates had begun to fight. Seeing that, I didn''t waste any more time. I raised my black sword against the incoming monster and made a fierce swing. Puff When the tip of the blade, came in contact with its skin. The blade went inside the skin smoothly like butter. The next second, blood spurted out from its neck. And the monster''s body fell after losing its life. Seeing that, I didn''t collect the monster''s body. Instead, I dashed towards the other monsters. Time went by, The clash continued to happen. One by one the monsters began to die at the hands of exploration team members. On the other hand, Compton already killed two Class 4 monsters. Now he is fighting against the remaining two severely injured monsters. At this time, everyone seems to be occupied and no one cares about the newcomer in their team. After a few minutes, the vice leader Valerie thought about Zack Lockwood. She immediately killed the monster in front of her and then began to look for Zack. When her gaze fell in a certain direction, her eyes widened in disbelief. Behind Zack, there are piles of monsters. And the count is higher than her. Chapter 407 Part One: Recovering From The Exhaustion (From MC''s perspective) Trunulesia Forest, After killing the monster on my side, I looked at others. When my gaze met the eyes of the vice leader, l revealed a small smile on my face. She was shocked to see my actual strength. But I was glad in my heart. At least hereafter, they won''t look at me with contempt. After slightly nodding at her, I dashed to help others. Valerie Lyons was exhausted. But after seeing Zack''s sprinting, she doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. She had misjudged the person. Not only her everyone in the team has underestimated the new team member, Zack Lockwood. But after this battle, everyone''s opinion will change. Then dispelling the thoughts, Valerie went forward to help others like Zack Lockwood. Time passed, After a few hours, Ricardo Compton successfully ended the life of the last monster. With that, the battle has also come to an end. Though the exploration team have won the battle. But they greatly exhausted their strength. Especially, Ricardo almost ended up using half of the essence. Realizing that, he furrowed his eyes in displeasure. Their journey was getting delayed. if this goes on, they will have to spend the night time here. Ricardo Compton instructed his team, "Let''s leave this place as soon as possible." He also caught the auras of some monsters not far away from here. Before this place gets swarmed by monsters, he decided to leave with the team. Everyone moved their exhausted body again. Garrett Marsh asked, "Hey, newcomer. How are you holding up?" Hearing that, a strange light flashed into my eyes. I saw the expression of Garrett Marsh. This time there is no arrogance on his face. Looks like he finally acknowledged my strength of mine. Then I said with a smile, "I''m fine Mr Garrett." "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "You can call me brother. With your strength it will be a matter of time before you surpass us," Garrett said with a laugh. His voice was not so loud but still, it attracted the attention of others. Except for Erik Lloyd, others looked at Zack with a hint of approval in their eyes. No way, it is not easy to survive in this place. Especially, to deal with mutated monsters. You must be a talented warrior. Otherwise, you will die in this place. Feeling the respect from everyone''s eyes, I sighed inwardly. Finally, the gap between the team members and me has reduced a lot. There is no more alienation. But I don''t know what is going on inside Erik Lloyd''s mind. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. But anyway, since I got the approval of others. I don''t think Erik will act rashly. They don''t know that I''m not a Trainee Warrior but a Peak level- Special Trainee. This news will subvert this cognition. But I don''t want to expose my strength yet. Time passed, After crossing several hurdles along the way, we finally reached the border of the trunulesia forest. By the time we crossed the border. It was already nighttime. The team leader decided to spend the night time here. It''s nighttime, we can''t go and look for the ruins yet. It''s better to take rest and replenish our energy. Everyone had set up their tent, including the leader Compton. Soon the 6 tents can be seen under the night light. Inside the tent, I sat cross-legged and began to ponder my next course of action. Fortunately, Erik Lloyd didn''t cause any problems. But I have a nagging feeling in my heart that Erik Lloyd is looking for an opportunity. Well, this feeling can''t be helped. If he has any plan like that, I still got enough time to kill him. After gaining some clarity, I began to cultivate. In today''s battle, except me. Everyone had released their elemental attack. Which raised some eyebrows. For that, I can only put up an act and say that monsters were weak. But it will be hard to follow the same method in future. It will be fine as long as I can kill the monster with brute force. Once I come across strong monsters like level 4, then it will be disastrous for me. Even, the early class-4 monsters can''t be underestimated here. The mutated energy made the monsters fight across the ranks. Which is a terrible feeling. But I have to say, thanks to Elder Compton''s quick thinking. We were finally able to leave the forest late at night. Looking in the forest''s direction, I muttered, "Otherwise, you will never know what will you face at night time." This solemn feeling brings me despair at the same time some excitement. Despair due to the various unknown inside the forest. And excitement due to the combat experience, I will gain after this trip. Then I looked straight, where a large and luxurious tent was set up. It was the camp of Elder Compton. Now the five tents were arranged in a circle, having the leader''s tent in middle. This is also because elite warriors'' senses were greater than Peak Warrior''s. Elder Compton can easily sense the threat, so I with perceptual ability. Dispelling the unnecessary thoughts, I think about the pressing issue. So far Elder Compton hasn''t talked about the ruins. As if he was already overwhelmed by seeing the changes in the trunulesia forest during day time. I don''t know what happened at the ruin''s site. It''s reasonable that he is tight-lipped about it. The next second, a trace of doubt rose in my heart. Is that ruin site safe? What will we do? If that place is also trespassed by the mutated monsters. I sucked cold breath when I thought about it. The more think about it, the more it seems possible to me. No wonder, he hasn''t said anything. If my assumption is true then, we will have to face another bloody fight in the morning. Thinking about it, I decided to immerse myself in cultivation without further ado. My lightning essence has no consumption. But I feel tiredness all over my body. Then I used a blood essence pill to recover my body strength. Chapter 408 Part Two: Recovering From The Exhaustion Trunulesia Forest, Six tents had been set up circularly. But in the middle, there is a large tent. Inside the tent, the leader of the exploration team replenishes his energy. Recalling the recent events, Ricardo Compton sighed to himself. "I hadn''t expected the changes to be this severe," He said to himself. He had underestimated the changes in the trunulesia forest. Before coming here, he had assumed apart from the high concentration of mutation energy, there is not much change. But after coming here, he came to know that his assumption was wrong. Mutated monsters are rampaging in broad daylight. Which is something that has not happened since the ruin''s discovery. Fortunately, he had managed to bring his team safe and soundly. He can''t imagine what would happen if they had stayed there longer. He has a vague feeling that the monster will be more bloodthirsty and cruel during nighttime. His expression couldn''t help but turn solemn when he thinks about it. Now onwards, he has to act more carefully. He decided to drop his previous plans and arrangements. According to the previous arrangement, the exploration team will research the ruin and Zack Lockwood will train at Trunulesia forest. But now the situation is different. He decided to bring Zack with him to the ruin. Then Ricardo Compton thought about another mess. The behaviour of Erik Lloyd pissed him off. But he believes that after the recent fight against the monster. Erik Lloyd perhaps dropped the idea of offending Zack Lockwood. He also remembers his conversation with Thornton, presumably, there is a big man behind the kid Zack Lockwood. Compton had promised that he will protect Zack Lockwood. Now the situation demands even more attention from him. He secretly made up his mind not to let go of Zack from his sight. ... (From MC''s perspective) The following day, I woke up early. Then immediately I felt the weight of the armour. This was the first time I had slept wearing armour. It feels weird. Then dispelling the thoughts, I examined internally using my perception. Now my both essence and body strength had recovered to a peak state. Thanks to all those blood essence pills that I had consumed last night. Otherwise, It will be impossible for me to reach this peak state. Then I got up from the ground and walked out of the tent. Then my gaze immediately fell on other tents. The rest of the tents were closed except the middle one. Seeing that, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Looks like elder is awake," I grumbled. Then I walked towards the large tent. I don''t know what he has planned today. Shaking my head, I entered his tent. On the other hand, Ricardo Compton already perceived the presence of Zack Lockwood. When he saw him walking into the tent, he revealed a bright smile. "Zack, come here and sit," Compton pointed his finger at the nearby chair, saying that. Hearing that, I smiled and walked up to the chair to sit. Looking at the bright smile on Elder''s face, I bet he is in good mood. Then I watched him sit in the opposite chair. "Do you have any doubts?" Compton asked. "Hmmm," I''m stunned for a moment. Then I calmed down in my heart and thought about the question. "Elder, do we have to wear this gear all the time?" I asked. Hearing that, Elder Compton chuckled before saying, "Don''t worry, there is a small base near the ruin. We can remove our gear then." I sighed in relief after hearing his words. Then thinking about the trunulesia forest my expression turned solemn. "Elder?" "I want to go back to the forest," When I said the atmosphere turned into pin-drop silent. I saw Elder Compton''s expression change drastically. What happened? I didn''t say anything wrong. "Zack, there is a change of plans," Compton said with a sigh. Then looking at Zack, he further added, "As you saw yesterday, monsters are running through the forest in broad daylight." "I don''t know if there are other changes in the forest. So it''s safe for you to stay here." Saying that Compton looked at Zack for an answer. "This?" The elder''s words shocked me. I had never thought he would backtrack at the last moment. Changes inside the trunulesia forest are indeed scary. But I''m not stupid enough to go deep into the woods. "Elder, I want to fight against the mutated monsters. Otherwise, my trip here would be wasted," I replied in a solemn tone. Ricardo Compton didn''t reply to Zack. But he began to ponder deeply. "Alright, you can go to the forest. But you have to return to this base before dawn," Compton said. Then he thought about something and added, "One more thing Zack, just practise around the outer area, don''t go deep into the woods." Hearing that I nodded in relief. After speaking with him about a few other topics, I left the tent. On the other hand, seeing disappearing back of Zack. Compton let out a small sigh. He understands it''s impossible to control Zack Lockwood. He also doesn''t offend this person. Since Zack is going to the trunulesia forest, he thought about sending one of the team members as a protector. He immediately omitted Erik Lloyd from his mind. He also neglected Garrett Marsh. He knows Marsh is a good friend of Erik. So he doesn''t have a good opinion of both of them. Then the image of Terrell Boyd comes to his mind. Compton shook his head in denial. Even though, Terrell Boyd doesn''t have any ill intentions towards Zack. But he won''t know whether Terrell would risk his life to save Zack. Then once again he shook his head in denial. Terrell is not the best man for the job. Which left him only two options. "Valerie and Robles." These two will listen to him. After pondering for a moment, he decided to send Valerie Lyons as protector. She is the vice leader of the team. He believes she will risk her life to save Zack. Then he summoned Valerie Lyons to his room to instruct her. Chapter 409 Valeries Concerns Trunulesia Forest, Shortly after Zack left, Compton summoned the vice leader of the exploration team to his tent. Valerie Lyons walked into the tent. She knows it''s the time for ruin exploration. When he saw the leader sitting in the chair, she gave a small before standing in the same position. Compton nodded at her before opening his mouth to say, "I have some instructions for you." Hearing that, Valerie blinked her big eyes but still she nodded and was ready to obey the orders. "Zack will be heading to the premise of the trunulesia forest. So go and protect him from shadows," Compton said in a solemn tone. Valerie widened her eyes in disbelief. She thought the discussion would be about the ruin. But what is it with Zack Lockwood? She furrowed her eyes in confusion. She didn''t know why the leader is giving too much importance to the kid. On the other hand, Compton noticed the doubtful expression on Valerie''s face. He sighed inwardly. He looked at Valerie and said, "Just, do as I say. That kid came here to gain combat experience. And his safety is more important." Hearing that, Valerie nodded and gave a bow before walking out of the tent. Then she immediately glanced at the last tent from the left side. She knows this is the tent of Zack Lockwood. After realizing that, she walked up to the tent and waited for the kid to exit. But suddenly she heard a voice from behind. "Don''t let him know that you are his protector" Hearing that, she turned around and looked at the leader''s tent. After pondering for a few minutes, she left the place. Soon after, Zack Lockwood walked out of the tent and head straight towards the trunulesia forest. Seeing that, Valerie Lyons also began to act. ... (From MC''s perspective) I slowly walked towards the trunulesia forest. Though I''m glad that Elder accepted my request without making things difficult but I still feel his concerns were genuine. The changes inside the trunuledsia forest were real and I need to be very careful about it. That''s why I''m walking at a slow pace. And my senses were all sharp. One hour later, I reached the outer area of the forest. Looking at the forest, a trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. I recalled how we walked out of the forest with exhaustion. Then I used my perceptual ability to spread my sense around. "Hmmm," My eyes gleamed with surprise when I found a silhouette is following me secretly. But soon I recovered myself and didn''t stop my movement and it will alert the person who is following me. Valerie Lyons? Why is she following me? A trace of doubt appeared in my heart. But then a look of understanding dawned upon me. Considering, how Elder Compton was worried about my safety. I guess, she must have been sent by the vice leader to protect me. After gaining some clarity, I sighed in relief. But again I''m not at all okay with the protection. If I had known earlier about this, I would have strongly objected to this. But it''s a pity, I can only do something after entering deep into the woods. After a few minutes, I came across the first mutated monster. Thanks to my exceptional perception ability. I caught the location of the monster. Seeing that, I didn''t immediately act rather I began to observe the monster''s movements slowly. The mutated monster looked completely pitch black. When I saw its green pupils, I realized it was a snake monster. The snake monster is currently coiled around the bushes. But its big head is continuously monitoring the surroundings. Seeing that, a wide smile spread on my face. Before attacking, I decided to check the surroundings once more. On the other hand, Valerie Lyons observed Zack''s activities from distance. As per the leader''s order, she didn''t want to expose her whereabouts. But after seeing the monster, she quickly became alert. She saw the appearance of the monster and recognised its level in an instant. "Class 2 Peak level," She thought to herself. But the mutated snake monster can fight across the ranks. But she knows Zack''s combat power. He can easily take care of the monsters. Just as she expected, she saw Zack dashing towards the monster to attack. At this moment, she realised something. "I don''t know what element that kid has?" She thought to herself. She recalled the past fights. But she never saw Zack''s element at all. So a trace of curiosity appeared in her eyes. But to her disappointment. Zack has killed the mutated monster with brute force. It all happened in a blink of an eye. She saw him smashing the snake''s head. The next second, the snake''s head burst into blood mists. Seeing that, a look of approval appeared in her eyes. She felt Zack doesn''t want to consume his elemental essence. Since he can kill the monster with body strength then wasting elemental essence is unnecessary. Time passed, After one hour, there were no mutated monsters around their area. Now, she saw Zack is going deep into the woods. Seeing that, her expression changed drastically. Even she has no confidence in going deep into the inner area. There will be more monsters in that area. If two of them were besieged, then it will become difficult to escape from that area. Realizing this, she decided to stop Zack. She quickly disappears from the spot and dashed towards Zack at full speed. A couple of seconds later, she appeared in front of him. On the other hand, when I found the area is clear. I decided to go a little deeper. But I believe Valerie Lyons won''t let me go. Yet I made up my mind to see what''s her reaction. Whoosh When I began to walk towards the inner area. A few seconds later, she appeared in front of me. Seeing that, a complicated expression appeared in my eyes. If she tails me, then it will be impossible for me to practise peacefully inside the forest. I began to hatch a good plan in my mind. Chapter 410 Part One: Ruin (From MC''s perspective) Trunulesia Forest, After knowing, Valerie Lyons is keeping an eye on me. I decided to stay alert. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find a good reason to persuade her to go back. I raised my head and saw deep dark woods in the middle of the day. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. Earlier, I wanted to go deep into the woods. But I almost neglected the most important thing. That''s safety. There is a high chance of encountering more than one mutated monster. If it''s a group of monsters, then it will be more difficult for me not to use the lightning element. Thinking about the possible outcomes, I decided to stop my current plans. It will be better If I go back and confront Elder Compton about this. After fighting out, I took one good glance at the woods before going back to the base camp. On the other hand, Valeri Lyons is looking forward to seeing Zack''s strength. But when she saw him standing like a statue in the same place. She furrowed her eyebrows, "What is he doing?" Then she spread around her senses to find mutated monsters. Seeing that there are no monsters around the vicinity, she sighed in relief. But it won''t be the same for so long. Mutated monsters residing in this forest have terrible senses. It will be possible for them to find out their whereabouts. So before anything goes wrong, she decides to remind Zack. But suddenly, she saw Zack walking back towards their base''s direction. "What happened?" She said to herself. Then she decided to follow as well. ... At the same time, Ricardo Compton and others reached the ruin site. In front of them, it''s the ruins of a massive complex. Looking at the tonnes of stones, Compton''s expression turned solemn. This is not the first time he has come here. But he was perplexed after finding some disturbance ruins. A trace of trespassing can be seen. Not only him, but others also find out some traces. Erik Lloyd commented, "How come monsters appeared here?" He squinted his eyes as he noticed the trace of monster footprints. Garrett Marsh also heard his friends murmur. He said, "I just hope it''s not the elite monsters." His words immediately sent a cold shiver down everyone''s spine. Only Compton appeared to be calm. He is slowly accessing the situation regarding how to proceed further. He accepted his communication watch to look at the map of the ruins. When he heard everyone''s words, he uttered in a stern tone, "Keep quiet and watch out for the surroundings" After saying that he immediately looked into the ruined map. Others immediately began to act upon receiving orders. Garrett and Erik looked at each other before scanning the area for monsters. Terrell Boyd and Kara Robles also did the same. Four of them picked each direction to scan the place, leaving behind the leader Compton in the middle. Right now, Compton saw the map. This was the map drawn by him when he visited this place previously. The ruin is divided into three sections. The first section of the ruin covered the entrance and some dilapidated buildings. The second section covered one medium size building. The third section is unknown. He had previously reached the end of the second section. Because of a shortage of manpower, he wasn''t able to access the third section. After checking out everything, he sighed inwardly. The map was fine. But the problem is the current situation of the ruin. If monsters had trespassed this place. Then there is a high chance for the old paths to be blocked. Then it will take some time for them to clear out everything. After retracting his thoughts, he looked at everyone, "Alright everyone we can enter the ruin now." After hearing that everyone sighs in relief and returned to their position. Seeing that, Compton slowly led them towards the entrance of the ruins. The entrance has no gate except for a narrow path. Right now the path is occupied by grown-out weeds. Seeing that Erik Lloyd went forward to clear the path. After entering the first section area, the group slowly started to access the area. Compton decided to check the first section before entering the second section. He wants to see whether any mutated monsters are hiding here. Last time, he had thoroughly checked the buildings. All the valuable research materials were already taken out. There is nothing more to research here. His goals were this time to check the unmarked place in the second section and to further explore the third section. Time passed, One hour later, the group found no trace of the monsters. After knowing that, the group finally walked towards the second section. After they left, the ground beneath some buildings started to shake. Some old run-down buildings immediately started to crumble down. But unfortunately, the group was not here to witness them. The second section, "Leader, what is your plan?" Garrett Marsh asked. He is the second most talkative person after Vice leader Valerie Lyons. Others also perked up their ears to listen. Compton looked around and recalled the location of the unmarked building. "We will check the unmarked building first," Compton said. When he uttered those words, the expressions of others turned solemn. Unmarked buildings were not ordinary buildings. Every room inside that building has some kind of restrictions. Compton observed the reactions of everyone. He doesn''t want to fool everyone. This ruin is dangerous. After several decades of research, they only came to know this ruin might be some Academy. But his old friends had different opinions. I think this ruin is a laboratory. Differences of opinion, but nothing can be said unless they complete the research. They still have one more section to explore. Who knows what kind of place is the third section? After dispelling the thoughts, he looked around the surroundings. The area is covered with overgrown vegetation. It is not wise to use elemental powers inside the ruin. It might trigger some restrictions. After a few minutes, they reached the unmarked building. Compton spread around his elite sense to check the area. His senses immediately covered the door. Seeing that, there is no restriction on the door. He sighed in relief. Then he took a lead to open the door. "Don''t know how long it has been but this metallic door is still strong," Compton muttered to himself. After entering inside, a wide spacious hall came into view. Compton was stunned for a moment. Because the place was empty without any furniture or other items. Right after him, Erik Lloyd and others slowly entered inside. They were also stunned after looking at the place. "What happened?" "Has anyone come before us?" Erik Lloyd and Garrett Marsh uttered one by one. Kara Robles started gazing at the other doors. But, suddenly her eyes widened in disbelief. Chapter 411 Part Two: Ruin (From MC''s perspective) A few hours later, I arrived at the base camp. Seeing that there is no one here. I realized everyone went to the ruin site. Shortly after, Ms Valerie arrived. Looking at me she said, "Let''s go to the ruin site." Hearing that, my eyes gleamed with surprise. I thought she would restrict me like Elder Compton. But it looks like she doesn''t want any mishap to happen to me. Then I nodded in understanding. Anyway, I have to tell Elder Compton face to face that I don''t need her protection. So far she has been hindering me. Then shaking my head, I followed her. Thinking about the ruins, my heart rose in excitement. This is the first time I''m going to see the actual ruin site. So far I have only seen some books and videos about the ruins. But most of them were censored. I don''t know whether the information piled up online was true or not. "Follow my commands after entering the ruin. Don''t act on your own," Valerie Lyons said without turning her back. Hearing that I retracted my thoughts and looked at her. "Is there any danger inside the ruin?" I asked. Valerie''s expression turned solemn before replying, "There might be some old traps. Only a leader can solve them in our team. So we have to be careful after entering the ruin." "She is right," a look of understanding dawned upon me. Elder Compton is an elite-level powerhouse. It''s normal for him to solve problems. Time passed in the blink of an eye, We arrived at the spot. Seeing the run-down stone structure, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. I asked, "Is this some kind of building?" On the other hand, Valerie Lyons opened the ruins map in watch to check. Currently, they are standing in front of section 1 of the ruins area. She looked at the map once again before her eyes fell on the ruins'' structure. She found some changes in it. It didn''t look like what the leader had described. Then retracting her thoughts, she turned towards Zack Lockwood. "Yeah, this is the ruin site. We are currently at section area one. You can use the map to check." After saying that she added further, "I believe the leader went ahead with the team. So let''s go inside." After saying that she entered section area 1 following the narrowed path. She found traces of footprints. Seeing that she confirmed her thoughts. At the same time, several questions appeared in my heart. What type of ruin is this? I can tell these were complete structures. But right now time has left traces on them. It''s hard to discern what they were in the original. I silently used my perceptual ability to check the nearby area. Seeing that there is no problem around me. I silently followed the footprints of Valerie Lyons. "Wait," Valerie Lyons shouted all of a sudden. Hearing that, my expression turned solemn. Because I found she was shocked to the core. I asked, "What happened?" Seeing her standing like status, I walked past her to look ahead. But what came into my view was a large hole in the ground. My heart starts to beat faster. "What is this?" The hole is 10 m wide in size. Is this natural or what? Several questions popped up in my mind. But all of this can be only answered by the research team. I turned around and saw the petrified face of Valerie Lyons. Seeing her like that I have a bad feeling about this. "Ms Valerie?" I called out. She let out a deep sigh before saying, "I tried to reach out to the leader. But I found some kind of interference in the signal." Hearing that I once again looked at the hole. Does something happen to them? But I quickly removed these thoughts. Elder Compton is Elite Warrior. He should be fine. Instead, we should worry about ourselves. Shaking my head, I asked, "Can we go ahead?" Valerie Lyons nodded in understanding. When the duo moved forward they found similar holes and cracks in the ground, inside the section 1 area. But they carefully avoided them and walked forward towards the section 2 area''s direction. "Are we not going to investigate this place?" I asked. Valerie Lyons said in a solemn tone, "Section area 1 was already cleared out. There is nothing valuable here. I believe the leader and others were in the section 2 area." "The section-2 area has several unexplored structures," She added further. Hearing that, I''m looking forward to seeing what''s going on inside. Right after the duo left, the cracks started to widen on the ground inside section area 1. Time passed, After several minutes, we entered section area 2. But still, there is no sign of the leader and others. Though the area appeared to be calm. I don''t know. Why do I feel something amiss about this? Valerie Lyons stopped her movements after arriving here. She is sure that the leader is not inside section area 3. Because that section is an unexplored area. So the leader won''t go blindly inside without the full support of the team. So Valerie made up her mind to investigate this section area 2. She turned towards Zack and said, "Okay, we will start searching from this place." Hearing that I nodded then slowly we started from a nearby ruined structure. Time passed in a blink of an eye. An hour later, we didn''t find traces of the leader and others. Which made me furrow my eyebrows further. Things are getting troublesome. I have to say Valerie Lyons seems clueless. I can say that only in my heart. I let out a small sigh before asking, "is this place fully covered like section area 1?" A quick glint flashed in Valerie Lyon''s eyes. There are still places inside this section which are left unexplored. She has the feeling that the leader perhaps walked into one of these places. As this thought rose in her heart. She felt this is most likely possible. She replied looking at Zack, "Yes, there are some unmarked stone structures in this area." "Let''s go and search that place also," She added. Chapter 412 Weapon Storage House? Ruin Section area-2, For a moment, everyone thought it was an illusion. The members immediately looked at their leader for answers. Ricardo Compton feels something amiss. Looking at the empty hall, he thinks there is something more to it. Because this building is an unmarked one. Which means no one had explored it before. "Alright, everyone. Go and check the rooms one by one," Ricardo Compton instructed his subordinates. Hearing that, Eric Lloyd and others swiftly acted. Kara Robles and Terrell Boyd went to inspect adjacent rooms. On the other hand, Eric and Garret Marsh looked at each other. There is a mutual understanding between them. Both of them decided to check other rooms. Finally, Ricardo Compton was left alone in the hall. He turned around and began to look for a secret compartment. Because he believes it''s impossible for such a massive building to be hollowed out. There must be some secrets in it. Time passes in a blink of an eye. A few hours later, "Damn it, there is nothing left in this building," Eric Lloyd became frustrated. They wasted too much time in this area number 2. And now they have to prepare for the dark. On the other hand, Kara Robles sees some ruby-like stones inside one of the rooms. But what attracted her attention is that the stones were of different sizes. In curiosity, she touched one of the stones and felt no reaction. "Hmmm," She raised her eyebrows in confusion. What kind of stones is this? But she realized at least she got something in her hands. Something is better than nothing. After collecting the stones, she left the room. Terrell Boyd is carefully looking for any secret door like the leader. But so far he failed to find anything concrete. Because of that, his moods worsened a little. "It''s better to leave this building and search for another one," he mumbled under his breath. Then shaking his head, he left the room and decided to speak with the leader. But unlike others, Garret Marsh found some fortune. He spotted some gold sacks inside a certain room. The next moment, his eyes sparkled with delight. "Ha...Ha...Ha....," he burst into laughter. But the next second, he realized his voice was too loud. So he quickly recovered himself. But eyes flash an evil glint. He doesn''t want to hand over this fortune to the leader. As usual, he thought about selling the stuff at the black market of baguva city. "Sorry, leader. You should forgive me," Garret said to himself. The next second, the gold sack disappears from the spot. He carefully stored them inside his storage space. While this was going on, Ricardo Compton found some traces of some exotic materials. Which made his assumption further strong. Before he could do more searching, he heard the sound of footsteps. Turning around he sees Eric, Terrell and Karla. Only one person is missing. Compton asked, "What happened?" Eric Marsh took the initiative to speak. "Leader, we are wasting time here. Why don''t we go to some other place?" Hearing that, Compton knitted his eyebrows. This guy, ever since Eric became part of the group. He is constantly creating trouble for the group. Just now he spotted some metallic traces. It''s too early to leave this place. Before he could speak, Karla stepped forward to hand over something. Which immediately stunned the rest of them. "Leader, I found some strange stones inside the room," After saying that she handed over the ruby-like stones. Compton''s eyes widened in his surprise. His mind sprang up in action. He gave a vague feeling in his heart that this building perhaps used to be a weapon storage area. This is just his assumption. But looking at the strange stones in his hands. He feels it might be possible. When everyone is observing the stones. Garret Marsh arrives at the spot. At this moment, his face is full of smiles. He assumed everyone else returned empty-handed. But suddenly he sees the strange stone in Leader''s hands. The next moment, the smile on his face disappeared. Eric Lloyd notices the presence of Garrett Marsh. But he frowns when he sees the unnatural expression of Garrett Marsh. "Garrett, what happened to you?" Eric Lloyd asked back. Hearing that everyone turned their attention towards Garrett Marsh. Garrett Marsh quickly adjusted himself. He revealed an embarrassing smile on his face before saying, "I thought you guys found some treasure. But it''s just a broken piece." Karla Robles was displeased after hearing that. But she kept it in her heart. The leader Ricardo Compton sighed inwardly and kept those stones inside his storage space. He looked at Karla and said, "Good work." Which immediately confused everyone. Feeling the confusion in everyone''s eyes, he answered, "I think this building is related to a weapon refinery. Because I also found metallic traces." "Right now after seeing this stone. I believe my assumption is true. But I don''t know whether those materials were shifted to some other place." Hearing that everyone became excited. Garrett Marsh''s heart skips a beat. He thought he was lucky to find some gold sacks. But he had never expected this entire building to turn out like some kind of storehouse. From time to time, Eric Lloyd observes Garrett''s reaction. Seeing their strange reaction to Garrett, he feels Garrett is hiding something. But this is not the right place to bring up the topic. Then after hearing the initial findings from the leader, everyone is ready to do one more search. ... (From MC''s perspective) "Zack, follow my footsteps. The unmarked locations were most dangerous," Valerie Lyons said without turning her back. Hearing that, I replied, "Alright." But my heart is not calm. At first, I thought the ruins were boring places and my heart was set on practicing inside the mutated forest. But after coming here, my alertness didn''t reduce a bit. I spread my perception around the area covering both of us. If there are any strange movements, they won''t go unnoticed under my eyes. Soon we arrived at the unmarked spot. Seeing this huge building, we stopped our movements for a moment. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Can we go inside to check?" I asked her. Valerie Lyons nodded and headed towards the entrance. But the next moment, a huge surprise filled our faces. "Leader!" Valerie Lyons called out after finding her team. Right now, her raging heart eases down a little bit. She thought the team perhaps entered inside section area 3. But fortunately, nothing like that had happened. At the same time, I followed her footsteps to enter inside. I see Elder Compton is discussing among others. After sensing our arrival, everyone stopped talking and looked at us in surprise. On the other hand, Ricardo Compton''s expression changes a little bit. "Why did you bring him here?" He inquired about Valerie. He thought that the brat was practicing inside the mutated forest. So what happened now? Valerie Lyons hurriedly replied, "Leader, I saved him from a group of monsters. The mutated monsters were large in numbers. And they were spotted roaming at the outer ring." A strange glint flashes in Ricardo''s eyes. He trusted her judgments. But still, this ruin is more dangerous than the mutated forest. "Sigh," He let out a deep sigh. Since the brat came here, he has to keep an eye on him. "Zack, don''t go anywhere. Just stay near me," He said to me all of a sudden. Having no other choice, I nodded my head in reply. "Harumph, oil bottle." Eric Lloyd uttered in displeasure. He is looking for an opportunity to remove this kid. But after exiting the mutated forest, there is no suitable time to do that. But he feels this ruin might be this kid''s burial place. An evil plan began to rise in his heart. But this is something which needs the cooperation of others. Especially, since he knows the leader is keeping an eye on him. But as long as he removed that kid. He believes that the leader won''t stand up for the dead kid. Eric''s voice is not loud but it''s heard by others. "Alright, Eric. Don''t forget why we came here. Just go and look for the traces," Ricardo Compton said to him. He doesn''t want Zack and Eric in the same place. On the other hand, a strange feeling rose in my heart. Looks like I have to be more careful of this person named Eric. Especially, he discards the leader''s presence openly. Which means this guy won''t hesitate to kill me,If there is any opportunity arises. A sense of urgency rose in my heart. At the same time, I see Eric left with Garrett Marsh to search for another place. Right now, Elder Compton looked at others and said something. Seconds later, Karla and Terrell Boyd moved to search in the opposition direction. Finally, the three of us left inside the hall. Elder Compton started to explain his findings. Which finally aroused some interest in me. Weapon storage building? I immediately looked around this massive structure in curiosity. I want to check this building like others. But the leader won''t let me go. "Valerie, you can join them after taking some rest here," Elder Compton said. "Hmmm," Valerie nodded in response. Chapter 413 The Appearance Of Monster Inside The Ruins (From MC''s perspective) Ruins section area -2, Night, After exploration, everyone used this wide spacious hall to set up a tent. Seven different tents were arranged circularly. Inside one of the tents, Garrett Marsh pondered deeply. "This building used to be a storage house. But it''s a pity, I came across nothing except the gold sacks," he grumbled. Should I give him or not? He became hesitant. Earlier he thought no one would find anything about this building. But as usual, the leader came up with a result. Then he thought about observing the gold stone. In curiosity, he takes out a few gold stones from the gold sacks and places them on the ground. The stone is not completely bright. The gold stone faded over time and now it looked like some kind of rock. But he believes that it is similar to modern-day gems. While he was observing something sinister taking place outside. Outside of the building, The ground began to crack. As time went on, the cracks enlarged. Right after, a huge head has risen from the ground. Boom! A mutated class-4 worm monster began to rise from the ground. It''s happening right in front of the abandoned building. So the huge commotion immediately alarmed everyone. "What''s happening?" I widened my eyes in surprise. Under instinct, I used my perception ability to scan the surroundings. The next moment, my expression changes drastically. "How come monsters appeared here?" I grumbled. I remember Elder Compton saying mutated monsters avoid these ruins like a plague. So what changed now? A lot of doubts appeared in my heart. But I know this is not the time for seeking answers. First, we need to deal with the situation in front of us. Then I walked out of the tent to meet others. On the other hand, the rest of the team is already standing together to attack the monster. Seeing them, I walked up to them. "This is trouble. It''s a worm monster," Garrett Marsh uttered in disbelief. Everyone looked at the monster with solemn gazes. "Has it found us?" Eric Loyd asked. Because no one knows why the monster popped up all of a sudden. A quick glint flashed in Compton''s eyes. He should have expected this before coming here. Because the mysterious energy inside the mutated forest is unusually high. On top of it, the sudden appearance of a monster here. It only tells us something caused this to happen. And why is it? Compton looked in the direction of section area 3. Section area 3 is a completely brand-new and unexplored site. So the changes happening here are also related to that area. After realizing this, he said, "Hold on, I''m going to solve this monster." After saying that he disappeared from the spot and appeared outside on top of the giant head of the worm monster. Looking at the ugly head and shark-like teeth. Compton''s eyes revealed a cold glint. This worm monster is unusual compared to other similar species. Because the monster looked somewhat intelligent. It already sensed the arrival of a strong enemy yet it didn''t attack the enemy casually. Which caused Compton to raise his eyebrow. Compton knows this one is a mutated monster. And the level of mutation is extremely high. So he made up his mind to decimate the monster in one move. The next moment, he released a giant fireball at the monster''s giant head. Right after the appearance of the fireball, the entire place was illuminated with bright light. Which also made everyone see the mutated monster. There is no difference between the corpse and the mutated monster. The mutated monster''s body was riddled with holes and green colored liquids were dripping from the holes. "Vaaak," Kara Robles controlled her vomiting. "Ewww," Valerie Lyons feels disgusted. This is the first time she has seen something like this. The rest of the member''s faces were also not good. On the other hand, I continued to monitor the situation. Unlike others, I used my perception to scan further areas. I sensed another worm monster not far away from here. My heart skips a beat for a moment. Before I could warn them, the giant fireball outside landed on the monster. Boom! A terrible sound resonated in the area. This sound was enough to attract other mutated monsters around the vicinity. The fireball attack caused severe damage to the monster. Half of the head was completely burnt up by a fireball. The worm monster wailed in pain. Seeing that, Compton released two more consecutive fireballs like a giant son on top of the monster. Boom! Boom! One by one the attack landed on the monster''s head. When the flames come in contact with the skin of the monster. It completely turned them into ashes. A few minutes later, after the complete bombing of the fireballs. Not a scum left on the ground. Seeing that team members sighed in relief. At the same time, I took this opportunity to warn others. "Elder, there is one more monster hiding in the dark," He said out loud. Compton''s eyes lit up with surprise. He released his elite sense to scan the surroundings. Soon he found another worm monster. Right after he disappeared from the spot to attack it. On the other hand, seeing him disappearing. I exhaled in relief. I''m still far away from dealing with level 4. Especially if it''s a mutated class. Suddenly, I realized everyone was staring at me. Eric Loyd asked, "How did you know?" His gaze penetrated people''s hearts. But I smiled in response. Which caused his mood to worsen further. Valerie Lyons feels a headache when it comes to situations between these two. "Zack, I''m curious about this. How did you find out?" Valerie Lyons inquired. Hearing that Eric Loyd''s mood eases down a little. "Hmmm," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I can''t deny the vice-leader''s question. So I replied, "It''s easy. Earlier, I heard two different sounds. So I knew there must be two monsters nearby." "So that''s how it is," Kara Robles widened her eyes in surprise. "Harumph," Eric Loyd gave a cold snort before turning towards Garrett Marsh. Seeing everyone''s reactions, I shrugged it off. A couple of seconds later, we heard another booming sound. I knew the second monster was over. A few seconds later, Elder Compton appeared in front of us. But I found that Elder''s face is not good looking. I asked, "Elder, what happened?" Hearing that, everyone realized something was wrong. Compton said with a dejected face, "I suspect the ruin is now filled with monsters." "What more is there more?" Terrell Boyd uttered in surprise. This was the same thought in everyone else''s mind. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? The more troublesome thing is that they can''t handle class 4 and above monsters. If there were more class-4 monsters, then they were completely cornered at this point. Feeling everyone''s mood, Compton said, "Don''t worry. Right now as long as we don''t step outside everything will be fine. Then we will think of something tomorrow morning." Hearing that everyone nodded in relief. But on the other hand, I have a feeling that the Elder is hiding something. Things were not as simple as it looks. What if? These monsters are targeting us. A terrible thought comes to mind. But I quickly suppressed it. This forest is many times more dangerous than the black forest. I wonder whether Elder Thornton is aware of these recent changes. Then like everyone, I choose to hide inside the tent. On the other hand, Eric Loyd saw the back of Garrett Marsh. He found Garrett to be less talkative ever since they arrived here. Then he followed back to his tent. Seeing that everyone was out, Compton disappeared from the spot and went outside to chase some monster out. He knows his team members will be helpless when it comes to a class monster. So he made up his mind to clear as many obstacles as possible for tomorrow''s exploration. Inside Garrett''s tent, "Damn, this cursed place," Garrett Marsh said to himself. For a moment he thought this place was cursed. "Yeah, this ruin is the cursed site," A voice sounded from behind. Hearing that Garrett Marsh turned around to see Eric Loyd entering inside. Fortunately, he hid his gold sacks in storage space before coming outside. Seeing him, Garrett Marsh asked, "What are you doing here?" Eric Loyd sneered, "What? I''m not allowed to see my good friend." Garrett Marsh commented, "If you are here for that kid then I''m sorry. Now everyone in the group knows the animosity between you and that kid Zack." "So I''m not going to help," he added further. A cold glint flashed in Eric''s eyes when he heard Zack''s name. He was not surprised by Garrett''s change in heart. The leader openly warned him before others. So it is not surprising for everyone to know. But right now he is not here for that kid. If he wants to remove that kid, he can do it even without the help of others. This time his purpose is different. Eric wants to know what happened with Garrett Marsh. Garrett''s behavior is a little bit suspicious. So looking at Garrett, Eric asked, "Garrett, are you hiding something from me?" Hearing that Garrett Marsh''s heart skips a beat. He refuted this by saying," What are you babbling about?" Chapter 414 The Threat Of Class-5 Monster (From MC''s perspective) The cold wind brushed past my face. The eerie feeling continues to give me an ominous vibe. I came here to train myself. But the condition here is overwhelming me. The appearance of the worm is not okay at all. "Zack, stay close to me. Don''t go outside," Compton said in a solemn tone. He made up his mind not to make any movements before confirming. What is going on? Hearing the Elder''s voice, I sighed inwardly. I don''t know how much pressure is adding to him. Then I stopped probing and went back to my tent. On the other hand, Eric Lloyd was not satisfied with Garrett Marsh''s words. He is sure that Garrett is hiding something. It''s not at all related to the sudden appearance of the monster. Boom! Another deafening sound reached everyone''s ears. "Monster!" Valerie Lyons shouted in a high pitched voice. Her voice was so loud that it alarmed everyone. Swish! "What again?" Ricardo Compton appeared before Valerie Lyons. At this moment, he noticed his reaction to Valerie. Seeing her pointing fingers in the western direction. Ricardo shifted his face in that direction. His expression changes drastically. Swish! Swish! One by one everyone appeared in a few seconds. This time the sound was more alarming than the last time. Swish! "Zack," Compton uttered. Hearing that I nodded my head. Like everyone else, my expression is not good either. I''m hoping that we could get some time. But it looks like we were trapped inside the rune section 2. I slightly observed the reaction of Eric Lloyd and Garrett Marsh. "What is going on between these two?" I said to myself. Especially during this time. It''s of utmost importance to stick together. But looking at them, I feel elder Compton would lose his patience soon. Outside, A Gigantic worm monster made its appearance. The massive body of the monster destroyed the existing abandoned structure. The energy released from the monster is no less than that of a Class-5 Monster. The size of the monster is twice that of the last monster. The green small eyes immediately found the trace of prey. The intelligence of the class 5 monster is quite developed. Earlier it''s minions were killed by someone. Right after seeing the prey, the worm monster moved its humongous body toward the abandoned building. It made a massive crack in the ground. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Inside, Ricardo Compton finally realizes that the monster is not the usual one. His senses were alarmed after a few seconds. "Everyone moves and quickly hides somewhere," After saying that Ricardo Compton disappeared from the spot and moved to confront the monster. Right after, Garrett Marsh disappeared using this opportunity. Everyone is not dumb. Even though Ricardo didn''t say it explicitly. But it''s clear to everyone that the new monster is stronger than the previous one. The movement of Garrett didn''t go unnoticed under Eric Lloyd''s eyes. "Damn you pig," he cursed under his breath. Next second, without minding everyone he chased after Garrett Marsh. "These two," Valerie Lyons''s expression darkened. This is an important time to stay together. But these two chose to act separately. At this time, Kara Robles commented, "Vice-leader, leave those two. We don''t have much time." Hearing that Valerie Lyons glanced at her and Terrell Boyd. She noticed the expression of these two was not good. But when her gaze fell on Zack Lockwood. Her eyes lit up with surprise. Zack Lockwood''s eyes were calm as water without any fear. This caused her even more shock. How is it possible? The monster is possibly a Class-5 one. Then she collected her thoughts and lead everyone towards the exit. Because the abandoned building is not safe anymore. When three of them walked out and appeared outside. They found the landscape changed completely. It is turned upside down. Earlier a few battles caused massive damage here. Valerie Lyons quickly led everyone towards the opposite of the Class-5 Monster. "The Armor Suit is taking a toll on me," Terrell Boyd finally spilled some words from his mouth. Kara Robles rolled her eyes at him. While the Vice-leader Valerie Lyons glanced at Zack. From time to time, she kept her eyes on him. She feels Zack will act separately if not for her watch. She remembers the previous fight in the mutated forest. She can''t deal with the same headache anymore. "Roooaarrrrr," another deafening sound reached everyone''s ears. Valerie Lyons''s face was discolored. Right before them, another worm monster appeared. Four of them stopped their movements. "Class-4," Terrell Boyd said with a distraught expression. How can they confront such a massive monster? Even the leader Compton took some effort to kill the monster previously. But for them, it''s impossible to face this monster. It''s like seeking death directly. "Valerie, I think we should split right now," Kara Robles said in a trembling voice. Due to fear, she didn''t address her as Vice leader. Hearing that Valerie Lyons revealed a complicated expression on her face. She can''t abandon them. But Kara''s words made her realize some truth. None of them are capable of facing that monster. Finally, her gaze fell on Zack. From what she had heard, leader Compton promised his friend to take care of Zack. At the same time, I noticed the gaze of Valerie Lyons. So much chaos is happening right now. I guess it''s the right time to act individually. Unless Elder Compton solves that class-5 monster. They can''t escape alive. "Vice-leader, I want to act alone," I said. "Zack, you.." Valerie Lyons uttered in low tome "Roooarrrr," The worm monster made another sound. It got closer to the team. If they waste any more time, it will result in death. "Split," Valerie Lyons said while gritting her teeth. Swish! Swish! Next second, everyone chooses a different direction to escape. But I choose to go in the direction where Eric Lloyd and Garrett Marsh disappeared. Those two are up to something. But I don''t know what it is. While rushing, I glanced toward the Class-5 Monster. The monster is probably located at the entrance of the ruin. But I see the shadow of the monster here itself. I had never thought the appearance of a Class-5 monster made everyone run for their life. Then retracting my thoughts, I increased my pace a little bit. As Terrell spoke earlier. Running while wearing the Armour suit is a daunting task. Behind my back, I hear the terrible sound of a monster. I know no one is fighting except Elder Compton. So before any monster chases me down. I have to find the other two. One good thing though the worm monster lacks speed. So I believe everyone can escape safely. 10 minutes later, I reached the other end of the ruin. There are no more abandoned buildings. If I cross this spot, I will reach the plains. The other side of the plain is a mutated forest. Which is another troublesome thing. A frown appeared on my face. I know that those two initially ran in this direction. But here there is no sign of them. Where did they go? I''m sure that I will not go back to confront that monster. My mind sprang up in action. This spot is not safe either. The whole ruin 2 is attacked by the worm monster. I guess it will be a matter of time before another monster arrives here. Then I finally made up my mind to go and check the plains. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and dashed towards the plains. A few minutes later, In the middle of the plains, I noticed some footprints. This land is not so big either. So apart from some grasses, there is no other structure here. But the footprints made me puzzled. So I followed the footprints. Soon another footprint came into my view. This time I made an accurate judgment. Garrett Marsh and Eric Lloyd! A quick glint flashed in my eyes. I found two sets of footprints. One is medium size and another one is a bit large. No doubt! It''s the leg footprint of the armor suit. These two guys go? In curiosity, I followed the footprint. I walked past the uneven land and finally, I came across the corpse. My back went cold for a moment. The next moment, I used my perception to scan the surroundings. I used it carefully so as not to alarm the worm monsters. It would be troublesome if the monsters noticed my presence. So I started slowly. Finally, after confirming there is no threat around me. I walked up to the corpse and checked it. When I realized it was the corpse of Garrett Marsh, I sighed inwardly. But I wasn''t surprised. Looking at their previous behavior, I realized there is indeed some bad blood between them. But what made Eric kill his friend? That guy was obviously after me. I thought he made up a team with Garrett Marsh to attack me. But the ending was unexpected. Then after checking one more time, I decided to track Eric Lloyd. There must be something going on. I didn''t find any traces on the corpse. But I believe Eric Lloyd has some answers. Chapter 415 Achieving Multiple Breakthrough (From MC''s perspective) When I walked further, I saw the silhouette of Eric Lloyd. Seeing that he is up to something. I started to follow him from behind. This situation inside the ruin is dire. But this guy is working on his plan. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. I can fight across ranks. But that doesn''t mean I can hold a candle against Class-5 Monster. Shaking my head, I continued to follow him. After a few minutes, I felt something strange. The ground beneath my feet felt different. It''s not solid ground. It felt artificial. Crack! Before I could think anything further. The ground beneath my feet collapsed and it swallowed me. Everything happened in a blink of an eye, Tud! I heavily dropped onto the ground. I don''t know where it is. The entire area looked pitch black. Fortunately, I''m wearing the armor suit. It took the majority of the impact. Which saved me from injury. The armor suit has lights. When I used it, the surroundings became visible to my eye. My eyes lit up with surprise. It''s a very old laboratory. I remember seeing images of it from various books. How come such architecture is present here? Slightly away from the old ruin. So from the very beginning, people were doing it all wrong. They are searching for something like this in the ruins. Many people including Elder Compton were expecting to find something inside ruin area 3. But now I feel sorry for them. The next moment, I thought about Garrett Marsh and Eric Lloyd. Those two? Are they aware of something like this? If it is true then, they are stabbing the back of Elder Compton. I shook my head in disappointment. Elder Compton is lenient towards them. Then I tried to stand up. After I got up from the ground, I observed the state of my armor suit. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Seeing that there is no crack on them, I sighed in relief. Next, my gaze turned toward the laboratory. The laboratory seems to be huge. First, I should search this area. There is no track of Eric Lloyd. I wonder what happened to that guy. I slowly started to investigate the surroundings. I wonder if there is any entrance and exit to this laboratory? I walked past a lot of cages. I see many broken skeletons inside. What kind of horrible experiment people were doing at that time? A cold shiver went down my spine. Finally, I spotted a wooden desk and chair. It seems to be the working spot of a researcher. I hurriedly walked up to the spot and opened the drawer. After cleaning the debris, I found an old withered book. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Finally, there is something profitable. I tried to open the page to read it. But right after seeing the scrambled letters. "It''s not my cup of tea," I mumbled under my breath. The words are written in an old language. I don''t know which era it belongs to. But when I casually flipped a few pages. My gaze fixed on one of the pages. It''s not the letters but the drawing that attracted my attention. It seems to be some kind of liquid bottle. The liquid looked red. A vague feeling rose in my heart. I don''t know why? But I feel this liquid is very important to me. Then I glanced at various cages. Don''t tell me the liquid bottle is a product of this experiment. After placing the withered book inside my storage space. I continue to investigate the surroundings. I feel the liquid bottle exists inside this laboratory. Time passed in a blink of an eye, One hour later, After searching the nook and corner, I finally found the sealed area of the cabin. The door of the sealed area is very thick, unlike other areas. So far I haven''t used my power here. The area looked old. If I use my power, then the area will be destabilized. I decided to handle it carefully. I twisted my fist and punched it heavily. Boom! The thick metallic door began to crack. A few minutes later, it broke into several pieces. When the smoke was gone. I stepped inside the room. As expected the room is a hidden and important room of the laboratory. The room is covered with dust and spider webs. Then I slowly started to clean it. After a few minutes, I came across another table and chair. I hurriedly opened the drawer. This time I found a metal box inside the drawer. Seeing that I felt immediate hunger inside me. "Blood Element," I mumbled under my breath. There must be something inside of it. I took the metallic box and placed it on the table. Fortunately, the metallic box is a normal one. Click! The lock of the metallic box looked simple. So I opened it after a few tries. When I removed the top cover. I see a red liquid bottle carefully placed inside. The next second, I felt the throbbing of a heart. The blood element won''t react unless something is important. So this liquid is useful to me. But I don''t know what it is. Unfortunately, the withered book was written in an old language. But I can infer that the red color liquid is the final product of the experiment. I don''t know what type of experiments they carried out. Thinking about those skeletons. I feel the experiment has something to do with blood. The throbbing of the heart increased suddenly. The craving is getting increased second by second. A trace of determination appeared in my eyes. Next second, I picked the red colored liquid bottle. I unscrewed the bottle and drank it in one go. The red color liquid went down my throat. I felt the insane heat all over my body. Without thinking further, I sat cross-legged on the spot. I gritted my teeth and started to run the blood method. The bloody rune ring inside my consciousness became bright red. A second later, the celestial lightning scripture started to flicker all of a sudden. My heart shook to the core. Unless there is a lightning element, the lightning scripture won''t take initiative to start. But this time the lightning scripture broke my cognition. What is the origin of this liquid? The next second, I felt a change in my lightning essence. After realizing it, I looked inside my organs. The blood light immediately started to absorb the energy from the red liquid. At the same time, I felt the energies also added to the lightning essence. This dual operation of two exercises surprised me the most. Then I retraced my thoughts and started to absorb the energy. A few seconds later, I felt a breakthrough opportunity. My heart filled with surprise. Then without waiting further, I used this opportunity to achieve a breakthrough. I ran the essence to collide against the invisible barrier. Click! Surprisingly, the barrier broke into pieces on the very first attempt. The dantian inside my body started to expand. After a few seconds, the expansion stopped and the essence energy started to fill the dantian. This all happened in a blink of an eye. I officially became the Initial Trainee Warrior. Finally, my purpose of visiting the mutated forest is fulfilled. Now I can perform well in Crimson Hall''s exhibition match. Just as I felt happy. I feel another movement inside my dantian. The essence filled my dantian. The energy is very abundant. After confirming it, I felt the true horror. The power of the red liquid has not vanished. I hurriedly used this opportunity to achieve another breakthrough. I realized I stumbled upon a very rare opportunity. The resource of the lightning element is especially scarce in this region. So I don''t want to miss this opportunity. I carefully ran the essence energy and started to attack another barrier. A few seconds later, Click! I tore through the barrier. The next second, the dantian started to expand again. This time the size of the dantian became huge. I stepped into a new realm- Mid level Trainee Warrior. I felt this time the dantian will stop expanding. Nevertheless, the red color liquid hasn''t exhausted its energy. When I relaxed my guard. I felt the movement again. My expression was filled with horror. I don''t know where this uncontrolled breakthrough would lead me to. My expression turned solemn and I carefully controlled the energy for another breakthrough. I revealed a bitter smile on my face. I''m getting too much happiness at one time. 10 minutes later, Peak Level Trainee Warrior! 20 minutes later, Initial Elite Warrior! The lightning rune in my consciousness dimmed. And the celestial scripture withdrew from running. "Phew," I exhaled in relief. When I gazed inside my dantian. I couldn''t help but reveal a happy smile on my face. "I became Elite," I uttered in disbelief. I see a sea of purple essence inside my dantian. Especially, I see the majestic totem standing in the middle of the lightning essence. The violet color essence has a mix of a blue tinge to it. The essence seems to be a lot purer and thicker. Chapter 416 Double Breakthrough: Elite Warrior (Body & Essence Breakthrough) (From MC''s perspective) My attention shifted from dantian towards the remaining red liquid. Seeing that the red liquid has exhausted somewhat. But it''s not up to the point where I can say the energy is completely absorbed. The blood light from my body started to convert the remaining red liquid energy to white energy. This white energy then started to enter my skeleton. Once again, I was reminded of the tearing pain. In preparation, I gritted my teeth. I decided to upgrade my body strength as well. "Ahhh," I let out a small scream before stopping. Compared to before the white energy this time is a little bit overbearing. Slowly, changes started to take place. The red bone part of my skeleton began to stretch further. Slowly the red color started to expand. I gritted my teeth and focussed on running the blood method. At a certain point, Click! Initial Trainee Warrior! (Physique) I broke through. But the movements didn''t stop. It repeated similar to essence breakthroughs. Small sweat beads formed on my forehead. Unlike before, the body breakthrough comes with agonizing pain. I have to experience similar pain before reaching another breakthrough. Things have come this far. I don''t have any option to turn it back. I continued to run the blood method. Time passed in a blink of an eye, 20 minutes later, Mid-level Trainee Warrior (Physique) 30 Minutes later, Peak level Trainee Warrior (Physique) 1 hour later, Initial Elite Warrior (Physique) "Finally," I uttered in disbelief. It feels surreal. I officially step into Elite rank in both essence and body cultivation. I don''t know how Elder Thornton and others would react. If they learn about my breakthrough, their reaction would be worth seeing. The feeling right now, can''t be described in one statement. This red liquid is enough for ordinary warriors to skip two entire big realms and step into a higher realm. But I''m both body and essence cultivator. That''s why the energy required for me is extremely huge. If I was an essence cultivator alone, I would have become a Super Elite warrior by now. My lips curved into an arc after feeling such beaming strength inside my body. The next second, I felt another movement. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? My heart skips a beat. Don''t tell me the red liquid is yet to dry. When I looked inside, I found the remaining red liquid. The amount is drastically reduced compared to before. Seeing that the blood-red rune in my consciousness dimmed. I feel that the remaining red energy won''t pose a threat to me. After checking one more time, I withdrew my consciousness. "Phew," I sighed in relief. When I tried to get up, my feet didn''t even touch the ground. "I''m levitating," I mumbled under my breath. The next second, a look of understanding dawned upon me. After becoming an elite warrior one can gain flight ability. The scenes of Elder Compton''s fight against the worm monster flashed before my eyes. He used his flight ability to cause damage to the monster. While levitating, I also absorbed the armor suit. The armor suit weighs a lot less than before. The elite power brings a sense of security to me. I can do a leapfrog battle. So I think Class-5 Monster can''t pose a threat to me. "Ha...Ha...Ha....," loud laughter reached my ears suddenly. Hearing that my expression changes drastically. Who could be? I''m all alone here. "Eric Lloyd," I muttered. I easily recognized the voice. Then I disappeared from the spot and moved towards the source of Voice. I immediately found the location. "This?" I had never expected there to be an underground chamber beneath this facility. Eric''s voice also comes from the underground chamber. When I decided to go down. I heard another roar of laughter. "Ha..Ha...Ha..." "I''m an Elite Warrior now." "[email protected] Elite Warrior" When the words reached my ears. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. How? A question popped up in my mind. It''s already huge luck to come across such a heaven-defying red liquid. Don''t tell me there is one more existing underground. I paused my movements for a second and started to think. I can''t rashly enter the underground. Because this facility is heavily run down. Any clash here would cause further damage to the structure. After figuring it out, I made up my mind to enter. Because there is quite a possibility that the underground chamber has another entrance. Then I opened the wooden door and started to descend. I started to hover instead of touching the ground. I see Eric Lloyd hysterically laughing to himself. So much that he didn''t even notice my presence. I smirked. What made him react like that? On the other hand, Eric Lloyd was over the moon. Without minding the surroundings, he started to blubber. "I''m really lucky. I found the inheritance of the ruin owner. Compton is going to bleed blood," He said to himself. "No!" "I''m not going to share the secret with him. Especially, no one should know about the healing scripture," He said in a low tone. But he isn''t aware that someone is listening to his mumbling. At the same time, I felt throbbing in my heart again. Healing scripture? My hand trembles a little. Even this guy has dog sh!t luck. To think he was able to find a healing cultivation method. Thank goodness, my search for a healing cultivation method comes to an end. I''m finally going to make use of a healing element similar to the blood element. The next second, a firm determination appeared in my eyes. It is impossible to obtain the healing scripture without killing him. Swish! I disappeared from my spot. My speed was so fast that Eric wasn''t able to react. When he realized something was wrong. It was too late. I gave a heavy blow to his head. Smash! The blow was so fast. Eric Lloyd failed to block it. His mind went blank for a moment. Before he could realize it, he got smashed onto the ground. Pfff! Coughing up blood, Eric Loyd tries to get up with a horror-stricken face. All of this happened in a blink of an eye. Except for the armor suit''s light, everything appeared dark. At the same time, my gaze turned toward the table. An emptied liquid bottle and A piece of cloth are on the table which attracted my attention. From his earlier, blabbering. I see that piece of cloth seems valuable. I reached out to pick it up. "Don''t touch my things," Eric Lloyd said in a hoarse voice. His consciousness becomes a little bit clear. Finally, he managed to recognize the face. "Zack, it''s you," He uttered in disbelief. He never expected this kid to be so strong. How is this possible? On the other hand, I uncovered a piece of cloth. Seeing that there is something written in it. My curiosity was piqued further. "Harumph," "Don''t waste your time. Only people with healing elements can read the scripture," Eric Lloyd said in a cold tone. He forgot about his situation and wanted to see Zack making a fool of himself. But the next second his mouth widened in disbelief. "What?" He saw the piece of cloth lit up with green light and the next second a green light shot between Zack''s eyebrows. On the other hand, I''m shocked. I spread my consciousness casually. But the word became alive unexpectedly. Surprisingly, I understand the healing cultivation method. But it''s not time to experience it. So I retracted my mind and looked at injured Eric Lloyd. "Thanks to you. I got what I wanted," I said with a smile. "Impossible, how could you have a dual element?" "Who are you?" Eric Lloyd asked back in a trembling voice. I sneered looking at him. I run the blood element in my body. The next second, I felt monstrous power hiding in my muscles. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and appeared above Eric Lloyd. Under his panic-stricken face, I raised my leg and gave a heavy kick to his chest. Eric''s armor suit couldn''t withstand the blow. Boom! A small crack appeared on the suit. Eric Lloyd was further crushed to the ground. When the smoke is cleared, I see a huge dent in the armor suit. Unfortunately, I can''t use my lighting element here. Eric Lloyd''s face is discolored. His chest bones were broken from the blow. He couldn''t fathom his strength of Zack. "He is just a kid. Why does he have the strength of Elite?" Eric Lloyd cried in his heart. But unfortunately, his questions will remain answered. Because he saw another foot coming against him. A few minutes later, Eric Lloyd turned into a cold corpse. The armor suit was broken. There is a wide hole in its chest region. If one looks closely, one can find it was completely caused by brute strength. "Phew," I exhaled in relief. Thanks to the blood power, I somehow manage to kill him. And Eric Lloyd is my first Elite-level kill. Then my gaze landed on the emptied bottle. Shaking my head, I decided to search the place. I want to see whether anything is left out apart from healing scripture. Chapter 417 Part One: Fighting Against Class 5 Monsters (From MC''s perspective) Underground chamber, I spotted a narrow hole that leads to the surface. Seeing that, I confirmed Eric must have come from here. Other than that there is no other entrance/exit to this underground chamber. The narrow hole is like another secret path that leads to the surface. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I already searched the nook and corner of this place. There are no more books and other experimental stuff. Every other lab equipment got eroded over time. Finally, I decided to leave. Before leaving there is one more thing to take care of. I can''t leave the corpse here. There is a mutated forest ahead. It''s better to dump the corpse there. After figuring it out, I picked up the cold corpse and moved toward the narrow hole. A few minutes later, I got back to the surface. My gaze turned towards the ruin. I don''t know what is happening out there. But in a few hours, the sun is going to rise. I hope that monster activity will decrease over time. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and dragged the corpse towards the mutated forest. "Wooowwww," I let out an excited roar. The flight ability is more amazing than I had imagined. It gives me an adrenaline rush. In a blink of an eye, I reached the mutated forest. I quickly slowed down my movement. Though I became an Elite warrior. I''m not going to underestimate the mutated forest for a moment. Even Elder Compton was surprised by recent changes here. My expression turned solemn. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then I entered the forest and dropped the body under a giant shade tree. I took a final glance at the smashed corpse of Eric Lloyd before disappearing from the spot. A few minutes later, I arrived back at my previous location. In mid-air, my eyes were scanning the surroundings. I spread my perception around here. This time the range of my perceptual ability is increased after a successful breakthrough. After seeing that, there are no monsters in this vicinity. I decided to rescue my teammates. And it''s time to test my new powers. After a few minutes, I reached the ruin area 2. The damage done was beyond my belief. After taking a glance at them, I looked for monsters. My eyes spotted a few injured Class-3 Monsters. But they seemed to be injured from the Class-5 Monster''s appearance. Shaking my head, my eyes started to look for the big fish."Where is the Class-5 Monster?" I muttered to myself. "RoooaaarrR" A terrible sound reached my ears. After hearing that, I head towards the source. On the way, I realized the sound was coming from area 3. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. Ruin area 3 is an unexplored region. Even the researchers find it hard to enter this particular ruin. What''s hiding in this place? I increased my speed slightly. Soon I reached the spot. But I will never forget this scene in my life. Two Class-5 Monsters trying to reach the surface from the ground. And the ground appeared to be the site of ruin area 3. The intelligence of Class-5 Monster is quite developed. So that''s why the tussle is happening between these two monsters? The appearance of the monsters on this site is unexpected. A lot of pus is released from the monster''s pores. Which made me even more disgusted. The next moment, I took the black sword from the storage space. After a long time, I''m going to use my lightning technique in the open area. "Sword Divide," I gripped the sword and started to charge it. A thick lightning essence is absorbed by the sword in a blink of an eye. Moments later, I released the lightning shot at one of the monster''s heads. Boom! A purple beam of energy piece through the air. The appearance of a purple beam illuminates the sky completely. In a blink of an eye, the attack reached the monster. Bang! The attack was so fast that a lightning beam pierced the head of the monster in one shot. "Rrroooaaarrr" Another terrible sound resonated in the area. A wide hole appears at the center of the monster''s head. A lot of yellow pus spilled from the monster''s head. Seeing that other Class-5 Monsters got alerted. Before the other one makes a move against me. I charged the black sword again. I was even surprised by the power of lightning. After reaching the Elite, I see a clear difference. Now the lightning seems to be more destructive and overbearing. Average monsters won''t be able to withstand the lightning power. But this monster seems to be a Peak one. ... Ruin Area: 2 Pfff Ricardo Compton coughed up blood. The surrounding landscapes were destroyed. Earlier abandoned structures were nowhere to be seen. Everything was decimated by the rampage of the Class 5 Monster. The sunlight is yet to come. Now the ruin site is surrounded by smoke and debris. Even smoke covered the sky completely. Ricardo Compton slowly adjusted himself before collecting the thoughts. He was able to injure the Class-5 monster by overdrawing his energy. Right now, the meridians inside his body were slightly damaged. Only after some recuperation, he is able to recover. But that facility is not possible here. "What happened to them?" Compton muttered to himself. To provide safe cover to his team. He had confronted the monster alone. The appearance of the Class-5 Monster caught off guard everyone. But he feels that the appearance of the monster is a coincidence. It won''t happen again. His team members might have escaped from the commotion. When he feels everything is okay right now. "RrroooarrrR," a deafening scream reached his ears all of a sudden. Compton''s face was discolored. The nightmare started to appear again. "How is this possible?" He grumbled. The vibration from the sound is no less than that of a Class 5 Monster. "No" "I have to move out from here," Ricardo Compton tried to get up. He is in no shape to fight against the monster. The changes in this area were beyond his control. At first, he thought the mutated forest had undergone some changes. But it looks like even the ruined areas were no different. Unless a high-rank warrior arrives here. It''s impossible to handle the situation. Ricardo Compton managed to drag his body away from this debris. But the monster''s roar was getting near. He used his flight ability to move in mid-air. Slowly, he reached the ruin area 1. When he arrived back at the familiar spot. He looked at the surroundings. Everything has changed. Sighing, he moved towards the base camp. 1 hour later, He took his time to reach the base camp. But there is no sign of a tent here. The grounds have massive cracks which lead deep inside. When he was lost in thoughts. He heard some voices. "Leader" From behind the massive boulder. Valerie Lyons, Kara Robles, and Terrel Boyd walked out. Swish! The next moment, he appeared before them. Upon seeing them alright, Ricardo Compton felt relieved. But at the same time, his eyes searched for one more person. Valerie Lyons and Kara Robles looked at each other. Valerie understood that the leader was looking for Zack Lockwood. But they separated some time ago. After fleeing from the monster, fortunately, the three of them managed to regroup together. But they didn''t find a trace of Zack Lockwood. Valerie Lyons lowered her head in shame. In her opinion, Zack must have perished from the monster''s attacks. Even for them, a Trainee Warrior. The situation had become a do or die situation a few hours ago. But Zack is a mere Special Trainee. There is no way to escape. This is the same thought in everyone''s mind. But no one dares to speak in front of the leader. Compton''s eyes turned cold. From their expressions alone he already guessed something. Zack was left alone. He looked at them with a stern gaze for a moment. Before letting out a deep sigh. The situation was so dire that he can''t blame anyone else. He knew many Class-3 Monsters and few Class-4 Monsters razed the ruin to the ground. The atmosphere turned a bit solemn for a moment. A couple of seconds later, Ricardo Compton gained some clarity. "Alright, this place is not suitable for us to stay anymore. There is some sign of Class-5 Monsters back in the ruin," He said in a solemn tone. "What?" Kara Robles exclaimed in a trembling voice. Terrell Boyd gulped his saliva in fear. Valerie Lyons'' face is also not good-looking either. Compton made up his mind to search for Zack before quitting the exploration. He knows his friend Thornton won''t spare him. But the environment here is posing a threat to Elite level warriors. So in the end he can only say bad luck for Zack. When it comes to the other two, Eric Lloyd and Garrett Marsh. He doesn''t care about them. When the commotion happened, those two slipped away first. Which is already unforgivable in his opinion. "Alright, I''m going to search for Zack. You guys can stay here," After saying that Compton disappeared from the spot. The three of them didn''t have any other choice other than to wait for their leader to come back. Chapter 418 Part Two: Fighting Against Class 5 Monsters (From MC''s perspective) Ruin Area:3 My two lightning attacks tore through the defense of the monster. One of the monsters is dead and the other one is lingering with the last vitality in its body. "Sword Divide" I shot the lightning beam once more. When the lightning attack fell on its body, the rest of the body blew into pieces. With that, the 2nd Class 5 Monster lost its life. The ground is littered with yellow pus liquid. I took this opportunity to scan the surroundings. I spread my perception around this section of the ruin. The appearance of two Class 5 Monsters from the ground. Made my suspicion deepen further. "There is something wrong with the 3rd section of the ruin," I said to myself. Suddenly, I noticed someone coming in my direction. After confirming it, I landed on the ground. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. I''m standing near the monster''s carcass. How to explain this situation? Because I realized the person is none other than Elder Compton. "Zack, is that you?" A silhouette suddenly appeared before me. I revealed a small smile on my face. But my gaze instantly fell on his body. He suffered a gruesome injury. Yet he came in search of me. I sighed inwardly. Elder Compton failed to notice the massive carcass near Zack. He didn''t even believe his senses a couple of seconds ago. After seeing Zack safe and sound, he let go of his hanging heart. "Kid, you are very lucky. To think you had survived this ordeal. I have no words to express my sense of relief," Compton said with a smile. Pfff But the next second, he coughed up blood. I hurriedly walked up to support him. Compton wiped the blood from his face before saying, "We have to leave this place asap." Hearing that, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. Elder''s injury seems to be severe. He needs urgent treatment. Which is something impossible here. Everyone should stop this expedition and go back to Baguva City. "Alright, elder" "But I need to collect something before going out," I said. Elder Compton looked confused. Next second, his gaze fell on two monstrous carcasses of the monsters. His face was discolored in fear. For a moment, he felt blank. But soon he realized these two monsters were Class-5 Monsters. A look of bewilderment appeared on my face. He sees Zack collecting the monster core from the monster''s carcass. Which further shocked him to the core. How is this possible? Compton''s eyes stared at the carcass and Zack back to back. From the information which he sees, his brain tells him that Zack has something to do with the monster. But he doesn''t want to believe it. He was injured by one single monster. As an Elite warrior, he knows the horror of the monster. But what happened to Zack? How come a Special Trainee Warrior became like this? On the other hand, I collected the two monster cores for storage space. I realized Elder Compton is feeling shocked right now. I think he should understand the situation first. After collecting the cores, I walked back to him. "Zack, you...?" Elder Compton opened his mouth to ask something. "Elder, this is my real strength. That''s why I came here to practice in the mutated forest," I lied to him. Compton revealed a complex expression on his face. This is Zack''s real strength. He finds it hard to believe. But the facts before him were compelling. And it''s impossible to jump from Special Trainee to Elite level in one night and skip one whole realm in the middle. Considering the situation last night, he shook his head in denial. What''s more shocking is that? How old is he? 14 or 15? Suddenly he feels sorry for those kids from Tier-7 cities. Zack will undoubtedly become number one in an upcoming competition. Then he let out a small sigh before saying, "Young people these days are very scary. And that [email protected] Thornton, I envy him," Compton said with a smile. In response, I revealed a smile on my face. A few minutes later, We both arrived at our base camp. I hovered in mid-air and supported Elder Compton''s body. Now that we are safe. The real trouble lies ahead. I don''t want any mishap to happen in a mutated forest. Once we cross the mutated forest, then we will be safe for sure. When I was lost in thought, I heard some movement ahead. "Leader is back," Kara Robles said in a loud tone as she appeared before us. Similarly, Swish! Swish! Valerie Lyons and Terrell Boyd appeared right after her. "Impossible," Valerie Lyons exclaimed looking at me. Kara Robles and Terrell Boyd revealed dumbfounded expressions on their faces. "How did you survive?" Finally, Kara Robles took initiative to ask. But in response, I looked at my feet. Feeling my gaze, three of them looked downwards. Seeing my flight ability, Valerie Lyons widened her eyes in disbelief. "Aahhh," Kara said. A hint of fear appeared in Terrell''s eyes. Three of their world views turned upside down within seconds. The atmosphere turned pin-drop silent for a moment. Seeing the strange reaction of everyone. Compton took initiative to clarify the doubts. "Zack has been hiding his strength for a good reason. If not for last night''s incident, he wouldn''t have revealed his strength," Compton said. Hearing that three of them revealed a complicated expression on their faces. After a couple of minutes, three of them were disgusted with this shocking fact. Valerie Lyons calmed down her heart. Suddenly she felt her actions a few days ago were stupid. At that time, she interceded in Zack''s training to save him. But looking at the situation right now. She doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Suddenly she realized two members were still missing. "Leader, what about Eric Lloyd and Garrett Marsh?" She asked. Compton''s expression turned serious. He searched the entire ruin but he failed to find their trace. Not even a corpse was seen. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Suddenly, he turned towards Zack. Maybe Zack has information about these two. On the other hand, four of their gazes fell on me. Feeling that, I wrinkled my eyebrows. I''m not going to tell you that I killed Eric Lloyd. "Zack, what are you thinking?" Compton asked. "After our separation last night. I didn''t see those two," I said without many expressions on my face. My words didn''t raise any suspicion. But four of them fell silent. They are hesitant about leaving the team members behind. But those two were not good. Garrett was probably killed by Eric. Shaking my head, I asked, "What to do now?" Everyone then looked at Elder Compton. Now everything rests on his decision. Compton is not looking to leave anyone behind. But he was afraid of Class-5 Monsters. Even with Zack''s presence, he is not sure about facing one more Class 5 Monster. Finally, he asked for Zack''s opinion. "Zack, what do you think?" Hearing that, my heart filled with surprise. I had never thought that there would be a day like this. I took a couple of seconds to answer. "Elder, I believe the ruins were not safe anymore. Especially the ruin number 3," I said. Compton''s pupils constrict. He immediately connected the dots. Those two giant carcasses that he saw earlier were parts of Class 5 Monster. From Zack''s words, he already found some clues. "Alright, Zack and I will do one more search around this area. After that, we will leave," Compton said. Three of them sighed in relief. But a strange expression appeared on my face. I realized those two may be bad but they are old teammates in the end. The team won''t leave that easily. After some talk, we went in two directions. I randomly started to search for a few spots. I decided to check ruin number 3. I know Elder Compton won''t go to that place. So I should look around there. A few minutes later, I started to scan the surroundings. I still don''t know what is causing the change here. But I have a vague feeling that there is something beneath this ruin. It feels like deja vu. I still remember the changes that happened at the Black Forest. At that time, the situation was similar to the current one. Where did the appearance of the Class 4 Monster cause turmoil? But this time it is a mutated forest with a Class 5 Monster threat. ... On the other hand, Kara Robles looked at Valerie Lyons. "That Zack is hiding deep. I should have noticed something in our first meeting itself," Kara Robles commented. Her words reached the other two. Terrell Boyd nodded his head and said, "If Zack had revealed his strength earlier, our situation would have been better." "Maybe we could have saved Eric and Garrett," He added further. Kara Robles echoed the same opinion by saying, "It would be better if Zack had fought last night." Valerie Lyons who knows ins and outs sneered in her heart. She knows Eric was targeting Zack first. Then why would Zack waste his time to save Eric? She shook her head in disappointment. Chapter 419 Arrived Back To The City (From MC''s perspective) Mutated Forest, After searching for one hour, elder Compton was convinced that two members had died. He doesn''t plan on wasting any more time. So we immediately left the base camp and entered the mutated forest. It will take some time to exit the mutated forest. But unlike when we came, this time I''m not worried about the sudden appearance of monsters. A few hours later, While moving through the mutated forest, we came across many monsters including a few Class 3. But both Elder Compton and I dealt with a lot of monsters. The rest of the minions were dealt with by the other three warriors on the team. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Several days later, We arrived back at Baguva City. It feels surreal to me. Things happened to me fast. Especially after becoming an Elite Warrior. A lot of unnecessary worries in my heart were completely swept away. I feel a lot more secure and at ease. Even on our backs, the mutated forest didn''t pose much threat to us. All of this is possible because of strength. If it was earlier, I would be in a constant state of alertness. But this time I feel a lot more relaxed. Soon we reached Elder Compton''s office. After stepping out of the air car, we walked back to the massive building. On the way, I noticed some changes in Valerie Lyons, Kara Robles, and Terrell Boyd. They seem to maintain some distance from me. Is it because of my strength? A quick glint flashed in my eyes. I have a feeling that it must be due to the disappearance of two team members that caused them to behave strangely. Then shaking my head, I followed Elder Compton back to his office. Creak The door opened. After stepping inside everyone sat on the sofa. Click! I removed the armor helmet from my head and breathed the fresh air after a long time. Following my movements the rest of them also removed their armor suit. "Finally we came from that terrible place," Kara Robles said with a sigh. Valerie Lyons feels some disappointment. They started the research trip with a lot of expectations. But in the end, the not only trip turned out to be in vain. They even lost two members. While Terrell Boyd is keeping his silence. Right now he wants to go back to his place. But this was not possible before the leader Compton opened his mouth. After removing the armor helmet, he placed it on a desk. He observed the expressions of everyone. Looking at them he solemnly added, "Soon the changes in the mutated forest will attract everyone''s attention." "Eventually, people will know that we are the last research team who went there." "So I''m going to create a report just in case anyone asks me in the future, " he added further. His words didn''t raise any objections. So none of them were refuted. Seeing that he decided to add one more thing. Before that, his gaze fell on Zack. Compton thinks it is necessary to hide Zack''s power in a report. Because in a few weeks the Crimson Hall''s match will start. If people came to know about Zack''s strength, then he will eventually be targeted by many. Thinking about it, a dignified expression appeared on his face. He said, "One more thing, Valerie, Kara, and Terrell." Hearing the name, three of them straightened their backs. Valerie already guessed something in her mind. "Three of you should forget about Zack hereafter. He didn''t participate in our research trip," Compton said in a solemn tone. Three of their expressions changed drastically when they heard that. On the other hand, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. I had never expected Elder Compton to come up with this plan. If people learn about me, it would raise a lot of eyebrows. Though I''m not weak as before, it''s still a good precautionary method. At the same time, Valerie Lyons quickly understands the meaning behind Compton''s words. Even Kara and Terrell were not stupid either. Then three of them agreed not to reveal anything about Zack Lockwood. Kara felt a little disappointed in her heart. They have yet to ask why Zack didn''t reveal his strength earlier. But the leader Compton is doing everything in favor of Zack. "Anyway people are big. It is not good to offend them," She sighed in her heart. Terrell Boyd already made up his mind to forget about Zack. He had never seen such a young Elite powerhouse in his life. The Elite warriors are already considered giants in Tier-8 cities. But Zack has achieved such a feat at a young age. It made him doubt his worldview. Ricardo Compton was satisfied with everyone''s expression. Then after some discussion three of them left the building leaving behind Compton and Zack in the room. "Alright Zack, when do you want to leave?" Ricardo Compton asked. Their trip ended abruptly. And they came earlier than the scheduled plan. So he doesn''t know what is going on inside Zack''s mind. Hearing that, I raised my eyebrows. There are a lot of things to do. Especially, I want to check the healing scripture. On the other hand, Compton said, "Alright, you can take a rest in Villa. We will talk about this later." I nodded my head in response. Then I walked out of the building and booked the air cab to go back to the villa. A few minutes later, A giant four-wheeler appeared in front of me. Seeing that I hopped inside the cab and told the destination to the driver. The air cab rose from the ground and moved towards the destination the next second. On the way, the cab driver appeared to a stranger. I easily thought of his thoughts. Because from time to time, he glanced at my armor suit. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes. 20 minutes later, The air cab slowly landed in front of the gated community. After paying the cab fees, I stepped out and walked towards the Villa. After entering my room. I removed the full-body armor completely. Feeling the weight removed from my body, I feel a lot less. "Phew," I exhaled in relief. After dropping the armor suit, I went to take a long bath. Several minutes later, I changed into my comfortable clothes before lying down in bed. Suddenly a wave of tiredness washed over me. Without realizing it, I fell asleep. I woke up after a few hours. Being Elite level has its perks. I feel quite energetic. It''s just that I was mentally exhausted before. After feeling good, I sat up cross-legged on the bed. Then I took the healing scripture from my storage ring. Seeing the scripture, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. Looking at the scripture, the terrible laboratory comes to my mind. I suspect the owner of the laboratory might be a healing warrior. Otherwise, it is impossible to explain the origin of the red liquid and the healing scripture. After retracting my thoughts, I finally glanced at the healing scripture. I slowly opened the piece of cloth to look at it. The piece of cloth looked empty. After seeing there are no words inside. I can confirm now that the green light in my consciousness is complete healing scripture. I placed the cloth back in my storage ring. Then I closed my eyes and started to investigate the green light in my consciousness. Finally, I noticed a change in my consciousness. The green color light is located between the lightning element rune and the blood element rune. This weird pattern attracted my attention. Then I slowly started to understand the green color light. When I concentrate more, the green color light becomes clear. In that place, I saw a triangle-shaped rune. Then the words of healing scripture appeared in my mind. Unconsciously, I started to run the healing method in my body. Immediately, I feel some change inside of me. I noticed deep green energy energies were absorbed by me from the surroundings. Seeing that my lips curved into a gentle arc. I repeated the process. Slowly, the green energies gathered inside my body. And I immerse myself in cultivation. ... Back in the office, Ricardo Compton after finishing some work. He immediately called his good friend Thornton. When the call is connected. A tired voice reached his ears. "Are you back?" Hearing that, Compton felt strange. He doesn''t know how to explain the events that happened in the mutated forest. "Yeah, we came back from our expedition. What about you?" "Are you coming back to receive Zack?" Thornton asked back in a calm tone. The atmosphere turned quiet for a moment. Suddenly, ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "What about Zack?" "Is he alright?" Thornton asked back with some excitement. Compton looked dumbfounded. What could go wrong with Elite Warrior? He revealed a wry smile on his face. "Zack is fine," Compton finally said. "Good" "Good" Thornton uttered well twice. "Alright Compton, I''m going to come. I''ll leave tomorrow morning right away," Thornton said. Compton nodded his head in understanding. "Okay, I''m waiting for you here," Compton replied with a simple. After hanging up the call, he decided to go home as well. Chapter 420 Healing Scripture (From MC''s perspective) As I immersed myself in cultivation. I started to notice that green energies began to gather inside my dantian. Seeing that I broke out in cold sweat. I don''t know whether the dantian can allow two different energies to settle down. On top of it, there is also a majestic mysterious totem standing tall in the middle of the lightning essence. I''m hoping there won''t be any adverse reaction. Then I see the green energy easily settle down beside the thick lightning essence without any obstruction. I sighed in relief in my heart. The major hurdle has been cleared. What about the totem? There are many unexplained things in my body. First, it''s the totem and second is the red bone in my body. Two of them are related to the cultivation method that I practice. I would like to see whether it is the same case with the unknown healing scripture. Time passed in a blink of an eye, I opened my eyes two hours later. This time a small number of green energies are present in my dantian. I became hesitant. Is there a technique to use this energy? To channel this energy, I need proper technique. Like the Lightning wheel, Sword Divide, and Lightning phantom techniques. Otherwise, it is impossible to use this healing energy for external use. A trace of conflict appeared in my eyes. Why do I need healing energy? The healing method is just an added burden on me. Suddenly, a look of realization dawned upon me. I remember old events vividly in my mind. Especially the injuries which I had suffered at the Black Forest. It is because of the healing liquid that I recovered completely. It was that day, I realized the existence of a healing element in my body. Because of the healing element, internal injuries were cured much faster. "That''s right, I don''t have to use healing energy for others. It will play a huge role in saving me from a desperate situation," I said to myself. Right now, the gathered energy was minimal. So I continued my cultivation. ? Two hours later, I opened my eyes again. This time the green energies were slightly larger compared to before. Now I found it appropriate to call it green essence. Because the healing energies looked much more condensed than before. Seeing that, a small smile appeared on my face. Then I decided to circulate the healing essence in my body. I want to see what would happen when the healing energy runs through my veins. When the healing essence from dantian ran through my vein. I felt a cooling sensation all over my body. I had never felt this sensation in my body, especially the veins. Like the veins were washed over by cold power. But after a few seconds, I felt warm in the same spot. This amazing sensation made me continue the circulation. When I completed the one full circle, I somehow felt lighter. After realizing this, I repeated the process again and again. Slowly the green essence energy starts to dry up. I realized that monster cores were observed by blood power in my body. The same healing essence energy is also being absorbed by my body. I feel it''s a good change. Especially to my veins, the healing essence would provide good treatment. When the healing essence completely dried up, I stopped cultivation. Then I got up and proceeded to take a bath. 30 minutes later, Again, I switched to new comfortable clothes. I feel good. The healing scripture turned out to be good. And one of my goals was fulfilled. Right now my three elements were equipped with cultivation methods. The only thing I want to do in the future is to look for blood element techniques. There is no one ahead of me. I hope to find answers in Tier-6 cities. I don''t know whether the Saw Scale Viper Academy has a collection of books from antique eras. After retracting my thoughts, I looked at my sci-fi. Image of Uncle James & Granny Park appeared in my mind. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I smiled and immediately contacted Uncle James. When the call is connected. I heard a familiar voice. "Zack, are you awake?" "I heard about your situation from Elder Thornton," James blurted out all of a sudden. He didn''t expect a call from Zack. He assumed the other party was taking some rest. My eyes lit up with surprise. Then I realized, Elder Compton must have communicated with Elder Thornton. Then I start speaking about my trip. But I omitted the important ones. Especially the events related to changes in the mutated forest and the ruins. I thought everything was fine at the other end. But my expression changed drastically when I heard turmoil in Hansen Campus. Especially the wild spread of negative news about me in Red City. "City Lord is intentionally ruining your reputation," Uncle James'' words struck my heart. What is going on? Everyone advised me to leave the red city at that time. No one wanted me to stay in the red city until the start of the Crimson Hall event. "Alright, Elder Thornton is probably leaving tomorrow. You can ask him the rest of the matter," James uttered before hanging up the call. My eyes burst out with a cold glint the next second. "City Lord Alex Fuller," I muttered to myself. Is this guy from Crimson Hall? A question popped up in my mind. Then why would he allow crimson hall members to cause havoc in Hansen Institute? Especially the warriors from crimson hall challenged Hansen students right after arriving in the red city. This almost looked preplanned. Quite a few students were injured from their challenge. It was nothing but extreme provocation. From Uncle''s words, I see that their target is me. But after finding out about my absence. They took their anger out on the rest of the students. My heart boils in anger. "Crimson Hall" "Crimson Hall" "I naively thought you guys left me alone. But looks like it is not," I mumbled under my breath. The crimson hall event is the right place to get back revenge on them. Right now, they are doing everything to lure me out. Especially the person named Alex Fuller. Instead of supporting local people, this guy is doing the opposite. He has been fueling hatred among people. Like Uncle James just said. This new City Lord is intentionally spoiling my name. I suspect this guy was already bought by Crimson Hall. No wonder, Elder Thornton is coming here to see me. Then I calmed down. If it was earlier, I thought of seeking support. But now I''m an Elite Warrior. Both body and essence cultivation are at the same level. No one can be my rival in the same rank. So I''m not afraid of assassination attempts like before. After retracting my thoughts, I decided to do other work. The following day, I continued the routine. After doing some morning exercise, I decided to cultivate. This time I''m going to do blood cultivation. There are Class 5 Monster cores in a storage ring. After remembering that, I picked up the core and placed it on my palm. Then I started to run the blood method. The next moment, the blood rune in consciousness started to flicker. Then I started to absorb the energy from the monster''s core. When the energy gathered inside my body. The blood light immediately appeared and started to convert those energies into mysterious white energies. Then the white energies drilled into my skeleton. What follows next is the tearing pain. Even after becoming Elite level, I couldn''t help but feel this agonizing pain. The mysterious energy seemed to be stronger than before. I see the red ink in my bones start to expand further. At one point, the expansion stopped. Seeing that, I continued to absorb the energy from the monster''s core. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours, the monster''s core broke into pieces. I completely absorbed the energy. And I felt a slight improvement in my physique. Which shows the horror of the Class 5 monster. Even If I want to buy a similar monster core from outside, it would be impossible. Then after retracting my thoughts, I decided to call Jonathan. I don''t know where he is. And what is he doing? When I tried to contact them, I wasn''t able to reach him. Seeing that, I sent a text message to him. He would be pleasantly surprised. If he knew I became an Elite Warrior. After doing that, I got up from the ground and decided to take a round around the city. It would take several days for Elder Thornton to reach here. But in the meantime, I got plenty of opportunities to explore the city. Several minutes later, After changing into nice clothes, I walked out of the Villa. It feels good and lighter without an armor suit. Then I immediately stride towards the gate. Outside, I see air cabs waiting for a customer. There are many nice places in this city. The one I would like to visit is the Antique store. I got plenty of opportunities from antiques. So before going, it''s better to ask Elder Compton''s opinion. Chapter 421 Red Eye Armour (From MC''s Perspective) Baguva City, Elder Compton gave me a few names of antique shops which are quite popular in this city. One of the shop names is Green Field Store. The name is not at all suitable. But I hope they have some interesting collections in their store. The four-wheeler massive cab is moving towards the destination. The store is located in the southern part of the city. But with the speed of the cab, I believe there will be no delay. On the way, I see different types of flight vehicles occupying the air space. The four-wheeler is one of the vehicles among many. I see a long sized bus rushing past us at breakneck speed. The bus appeared to be more sophisticated than cabs. Suddenly, a look of understanding dawned upon me. This city is different from my hometown. Here you can see many Trainee Warriors casually. This city has an existence of Elite warriors. So there are many things in this city that were upgraded. Even this current air cab, I believe, can withstand the power of the average Trainee Warrior. After figuring it out, I stopped thinking too much then and began to observe the city casually. Several minutes later, The air cab slowly descends on the platform. But I stared at the glass building in front of me in disbelief. The glass building looked like a 7-star hotel. The architecture doesn''t resemble an antique. A trace of confusion appeared in my eyes. After paying the cab fees, I walked out and stride towards the entrance. Two guards are standing in front of the gate. I quickly see through their strength. " Trainee Warrior," I uttered in surprise. But the next second, a wry smile appeared on my face. As expected the city has many Trainee Warriors. What''s more surprising is that they are doing normal jobs. Is it because of resources here? Baguva city is like no other city. Richness and prosperity can be seen everywhere. Then shaking my head, I walked up to the gate. The guards didn''t stop me. So I walked past them. Only after walking a few steps ahead. I noticed some differences. There is a scanning system installed at the gate to check the visitors. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. Before entering, I failed to notice such a thing. Then a vague curiosity appeared in my heart. I''m quite looking forward to the store. Because it doesn''t appear to be a simple antique store on the surface. Then I continued to walk towards the entrance. There is an automatic entry/exit door. When I walked near, the door opened automatically. Seeing that I walked inside the building. A plain-looking corridor appeared before my eyes. Then I see a shopkeeper walking towards me from the right side. The male staff seems to access me. But his Trainee Warrior strength is not enough to access Elite warrior. After a couple of seconds, he stopped staring at me and asked me about the purpose of the visit. I told him that I would like to see their collection. The male shopkeeper didn''t ask me any more questions and led me toward the second floor. After a few minutes, we reached the second floor. The entire floor is allocated for antique pieces. I see both sides have antique pieces placed on the table. But the room is covered by a transparent glass wall. For a moment, I stood in the same spot. The only thing that comes to my mind is the word "Rich" Damn! I think things in this store cannot be bought by ordinary people. Especially people who come from Tier-8 cities like me. A shock appeared in my heart but I didn''t show it on my face. Then I walked forward to observe the artifacts. The staff didn''t leave, rather his job was to assist me with the purchase. A wry smile appeared on many faces. After some talk, I got useful information. Instead of purchasing using credit points. We can also exchange the artifacts with another one. My gaze swept through a variety of items. Like a broken vase, small daggers, an antique lamp, and a Treasure box. On both sides, there are more weapon pieces than other ordinary stuff. I wanted to look for a book collection. So that I can find some blood element techniques. Then I spent more than one hour observing each item on this floor. But I feel no blood induction. Suddenly, I heard the staff''s voice. "Guest," "If you don''t mind, can you tell me? What are you looking for?" Hearing that, I nodded my head and replied, "I''m looking for any functional artifact." A quick glint flashed in Staff''s eyes. "Like?" He asked back. Hearing that a trace of conflict appeared in my heart. Should I reveal it? Then I remembered Jonathan''s words. He told me that the teacher has given me a free hand. So I can use my lightning element in competition without any worry. The Crimson Hall competition will start in a few weeks. Even if the people behind the store will try to find something, there is no real danger to me. I have the teacher''s backing. But the problem here is that Crimson Hall''s recent actions were alarming. So I have to show some caution. "I''m here to buy suitable antique pieces. But these antique pieces were quite ordinary," I said. Hearing that, A bright smile appeared on the staff''s face. Now, I seem to be a valuable customer. Seeing the staff''s expression, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. "Guests, you should visit our 3rd floor. I believe you can find something there," the staff said. The middle-aged staff''s words brought me some hope. Then we walked towards the 3rd floor. So the real stuff is located on the 3rd floor. A thought appeared in my mind. When we arrived on the 3rd floor. I felt blood induction in my body. "Okay," My eyes lit up with surprise. There is something important here related to the blood method. I didn''t show much expression on my face. I see a similar setup but artifacts here were carefully preserved. There are no broken items here. Especially the flower pot in front of me. The beautiful design pattern in it belongs to the old era. After glancing at it, I tried to feel the induction. Where it''s coming from. I slowly walked past the staff and began to observe the items. Slowly, one piece after another. I observed each item. Such as glass antiques, furniture antiques, art antiques, and weapon antiques. I see a change in the expression on the staff''s face. But he didn''t stop my actions. Soon, I came across this black armor piece. There is a design with blood-red eyes in the armor chest. Upon observing it, I feel the throbbing in my heart. I let out a cheerful laugh in my heart. My bet was right. I found items related to the blood method. I calmed down my heart and recovered my gaze. Then I started to observe other items to conceal from the staff. After spending one more hour, I stopped my search and let out a disappointed sigh. The staff hurriedly walked up to me and asked, "Guest, what happened?" I raised my head and looked into his eyes. "Well, there is no suitable item here. Which I can present as a birthday gift for my cousin," I replied with a disappointed expression. Before he could open his mouth. I said, "I''ll buy that beautiful flower pot." I pointed my fingers at the flower pot which I came across previously. I hope it''s not too expensive. The staff revealed a bright smile on his face after hearing my words. Several minutes later, After purchasing the ordinary antique piece using 10, 000 credit points. I left the store calmly. I hope that no one will buy that black armor. It took me a great deal of acting to fool that staff. I don''t want to use a similar method again. I immediately entered the air car to visit another store. On the way, I collected my thoughts. I think the blood method is connected to the red-eye drawing. If I can come across a similar pattern, that would be helpful. I found some clues. This will further help in my findings. When it comes to black armor, it is better to tell Elder Thornton. I believe he can buy that armor casually. A good plan appeared in my mind. But I don''t know whether he got money for it. Then shaking my head, I realized Elder Compton is a more suitable person. He is familiar with this city. I''ll talk to him after this trip. Sometime later, On the other hand, the male staff met his manager and told him everything. The manager then checked the footage. After seeing that the customer wasn''t able to find a suitable item and left after purchasing some random flower pot. The manager found it strange. Because the customer had spent hours observing each item. For what? Then once again he checked the footage. After seeing no abnormal behavior. He then stopped looking at it. He assumed the young customer might be an antique collector. So it is normal for him to observe and appreciate each item. Chapter 422 Blood Field Technique (From MC''s perspective) After two days, Elder Compton got me the red-eye armor. I immediately hurried to the villa after receiving it from him. I wanted to know what was hiding in there. After entering my room, I took the armor from my storage ring. Immediately, I felt the throbbing in my heart. When I brought the armor closer to my chest. I felt the blood induction. Then I quickly set up a barrier around me. After doing that, I started running the blood cultivation method. The red eye armor vibrates all of a sudden. For a moment, I got confused. I don''t know how to access the thing inside the armor. Suddenly, a good idea comes to my mind. I made a small cut on my finger and a drop of blood fell on the red-eye armor. When the blood comes in contact with the armor. Swish! The changes start to take place. A red color word appeared below the red eye design pattern. Seeing that, I quickly started to read it. What''s more wonderful is that I started to understand the old language. It might be due to the mystery of the blood cultivation method. A few seconds later, The words disappeared all of a sudden. S simultaneously, I felt changes in my consciousness. What is going on? Then I noticed the blood rune in my consciousness had become bigger. Earlier, the ring-shaped rune now got thickened further. Finally, I understood what the mysterious words mean. It''s a blood technique but it''s a different one. It took me a couple of seconds to understand the information. "Field," I muttered to myself. The information took me back to memory lane. I remember back in Hansen Campus, the blood element burst out suddenly at one point in time. I even casually named it an invisible aura. Later, I failed to utilize the energy completely. But now it seems the new blood technique is tailor-made for me. With this technique, I can use the aura as a field. I don''t know what the power of the field is. As this curiosity rose in my heart. I dropped the armor and started to cultivate the technique. Swish! As I began to run the blood field technique. I felt the immediate changes in me. An aura came out of me. Unlike before the aura looked different now. The aura looked completely blood red. It became visible to me. Then I tried to control the red aura. Then the aura spreads around me. But it is not perfect and seems unstable. It will take some time to get started in this blood field technique. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Several days later, Elder Thornton arrived in the city. We boarded the air cab to reach the Villa. I don''t know why? Elder is insisting on talking to me in private. But I guessed something in my mind. The incident which had taken place at the campus has taken a toll on him. On the way, we maintained silence. I haven''t seen him this seriously before. Several minutes later, After paying the cab fees, we entered the Villa. "Zack, tell me what happened in the mutated forest?" Thornton asked. He then sat on the sofa. A trace of apprehension appeared on my face. "Is the situation in the red city more serious than I thought?" I said in my heart. Then I sat opposite him and started to speak about the changes that have taken place in a mutated forest. I skipped my adventure and loot and told him about the appearance of the Class-5 Monster. When the words fell on Thornton''s ears. His face was discolored instantly. Class 5 Monster? "Are you kidding me?" Thornton asked back with a trembling face. Fear of the Class 5 monster made him forget about the incident that happened in Hansen. Seeing that Zack simply nodded his head. He then took a deep look at Zack before letting out a sigh. In his opinion, the incident caused by Crimson Hall members was nothing compared to the dangers in the mutated forest. "Then how did you guys escape?" Thornton asked. In his opinion, Ricardo Compton can''t fight against a Class-5 monster. Which is considered to be a level higher than Class 4. There is a huge gap between Class 4 and Class 5 monsters. So Thornton feels it''s a miracle. Hearing that, I revealed a small smile on my face. Elder Compton already knows about my strength. So there is no point in hiding it from Elder Thornton. "Zack?" Elder Thornton stared at me. "Ahem, elder. It''s me, I saved them from Class 5 Monster," I said with a smile. The atmosphere turned into pin drop silent for a moment. Elder Thornton looked at me with disbelief. I know it would take some time for him to digest the facts. He always wanted to know about my strength. Thornton''s heart set off storms. He knew Zack is not the type who likes to joke. As an elder even he is not sure about Zack''s strength. It took a few minutes to calm down his heart. He felt his worldview turned upside down. He then asked in a serious tone, "Zack, what is your real strength?" He has asked this question many times before. But that time was different. It''s not easy to defeat a Class -5 Monster. He already thought about something in his heart. Elite? Above Elite? The thought alone scared him sh!t. "Elder, don''t worry about Crimson Hall anymore. I have broken through Elite level," I said in a calm tone. Thornton widened his eyes in surprise. More than a surprise. He is shocked by the fact that Zack can defeat the Class 5 Monster. He gulped his saliva in fear. Feeling his throat go dry, he drank a glass of water. Too much explosive news. It took him some time to digest everything. After gaining some clarity, he finally accepted the fact. He knows there is a big man behind Zack. Probably his teacher. So Zack''s current strength didn''t cause any suspicion to him. Thornton already assumed something in his mind. He felt Zack might have received secret training resources from his teacher. Then he came back to the main topic and asked, "Who else knows about this?" Seeing that Elder Thornton is alright. I slowly revealed the details of what Elder Compton spoke. "Good," "Compton is clever as well. If the members shut their mouths, then no one will know about your strength," Thornton said. Unlike Compton, he didn''t trust the team members. Shaking his head, he decided to talk about Crimson Hall. "Zack, now that you have broken through. I can stay relaxed. But still, the Crimson Hall is not easy," Thornton said. Hearing that, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. Then Elder Thornton continues to speak. He revealed shocking details. The Crimson Hall is not only targeting me but other seeds as well. I asked, "Elder, is there any Elite level warrior in Crimson Hall?" Thornton replied, "I heard they have an old ancestor as the Great Elder." No wonder, Crimson Hall has taken bold actions so far. They even dared to conspire against the Star Tower. So I wasn''t surprised that much. There is only one thing that concerns me right now. Which is about Crimson Hall''s match. "Elder, have you collected details about the competition?" I asked. Thornton nodded his head. He collected his thoughts before replying, "I don''t know whether it is true or not. But it is widely circulated among many forces. "Which is that the Crimson Hall event is going to be held in a certain Monster Zone." A look of bewilderment appeared on my face. Outer is fine. But the inner and core area of the monster zone is deadly for people under the Trainee Warrior realm. Is that even real? I looked at Elder with somewhat confusion. Thornton revealed a bitter smile. He knows this piece of news is too much nonsense. But what''s troublesome is that the news is not denied by forces. "Zack, many forces found this news credible. Even Star Tower didn''t come forward to refute it," Thornton said with a bitter laugh. "This?" This time I''m truly shocked. If it is true then Crimson Hall''s design is very cruel. How come forces were going to agree with this? And who is permitted to conduct an event in Monster Zone? A lot of questions appeared in my mind. I don''t think a mere Crimson Hall is responsible for this. There must be something going on. "Everyone fears that there will be a massacre. Fortunately, you are an Elite warrior now. I can sit and watch and relax," Thornton commented. I sighed in my heart. Things were happening beyond my belief. Competition in a monster zone. I don''t know what it would look like. "Elder, what about the new city lord?" "Is he still looking for me?" I asked. "Alex Fuller, that guy is rotten to the core," Thorton gritted his teeth in anger. "He made the City Guards monitor our Hansen Campus," he added further. Hearing that, a good plan comes to mind. Unless necessary, I won''t attack the City Lord. We discussed a few other things before Elder Thornton decided to take some rest. Chapter 423 Arrived Back In Red City (From MC''s perspective) Baguva City, Elder Thornton decided to spend a few more days before leaving. He wanted to spend time with his friend. I know Elder Thornton still wanted to know more about the mutated forest. So he might succeed in the coming days to get information from Elder Compton. In the meantime, I''m going to practice the blood field technique. Time passed in a blink of an eye, 4 days later, We boarded the fortified train back to our city. The journey will take several days to reach the destination. But fortunately, I didn''t waste my previous days. I succeeded in getting started in the blood field technique. After arriving in Red City, I''ll visit the nearest monster zone to train myself. After gaining some clarity, I shut my eyes. Beside me, Elder Thornton has already fallen asleep. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Several days later, The fortified train reached the station of the red city. When the announcement was made. The passengers started to leave one by one. "Nice mask," Elder Thornton commented looking at me. My black mask is very useful. It''s hard for people to distinguish my face. Then slowly we stepped outside. When I walked out, I stopped my movements and took a good look at the surroundings. It feels like a deja vu. It''s been so long but the environment hasn''t changed a bit. The platform is crowded with people as usual. "Let''s go," Elder Thornton said. Hearing that I followed him behind. After walking out, we hopped inside the air cab. The Hansen building is a few minutes away from here. Like me, Elder Thornton also covered his face using a face mask. The cab driver didn''t seem to mind our destination. But I strongly feel something is wrong. When Elder Thornton told the destination. The cab driver gave a slight pause in his movements. I quickly see through his cultivation base. My eyes lit up with surprise. Then my suspicion becomes even deeper. After figuring it out, I don''t break the news right now. I decided to tell after reaching the Hansen building. Several minutes later, The Hansen building came into my view. The air cab slowly landed in front of the gate. Creak First Elder Thornton walked out of the cab. The cab driver wanted to know about the Elder''s identity. So he cautiously observed him. But he doesn''t know that I''m yet to leave. I observed his every action. Seconds later, Elder Thornton turned his back to look at me. Only at this moment, the cab driver realized something was wrong. Before he could do anything, I released a small momentum to lock him. The cab seats were crushed under heavy pressure. The cab driver is a Special Trainee. I have never seen a Special Trainee driver in this city before. The cab driver''s face filled with horror. He wasn''t able to make a single noise out of fear. His entire back was drenched in a cold sweat. "Lord..?" The cab driver wanted to say something. Seeing that I nodded my head before asking, "Who are you?" "Tell me everything without leaving any details." On the other hand, Elder Thornton understood something was wrong with the driver. He stood in the same spot to observe. Because he knew it was impossible to do anything in front of the Elite Warrior. A few minutes later, The cab driver in disguise spilled everything. He was planted by the City Lord to monitor. Not only he, but the entire cab drivers were also working for him to find out my whereabouts. "Interesting," A quick glint flashed in my eyes. Then I calmly said looking at him, "Alright, I''m not going to harm you. But if you reveal anything to your boss later, then it will be over for you." The cab driver shuddered to hear that. Then he fiercely nodded his head in understanding. Seeing the fear of death in his eyes, I feel satisfied. After paying the cab fees, I walked out. "Zack, I was careless. How did you find out?" Elder Thornton asked with a sorry face. I chuckled and told him everything. Elder Thornton sighed inwardly. He knew the City Lord was looking for them. But due to travel tiredness. He failed to recognize the danger. Then he looked at Zack and asked, "Do you want to tell others?" Hearing that, I shook my head and replied, "I will go to the nearest monster zone to train myself." A look of bewilderment appeared on Elder Thornton''s face. Zack is now an Elite Warrior. There is nothing that can pose a danger to him. Especially in nearby monster zones. The highest-order monsters residing in them were Class 3 Monsters. But Zack has defeated the Class 5 monster previously. That too a mutated one. But he quickly recovered himself and didn''t ask anything more. "Until then, you can practice in our underground chamber, "Elder Thornton said I nodded my head and then we walked towards the gate. I didn''t use any ID card to verify. Elder Thornton already took care of everything. He also gave me the newly modified access code for the underground chamber. After entering inside, I see a state of change. I knew the renovation project was going on for some time. But looking at it now. I feel most of the work has finished. The building looks brand new. Then we walked into the hall. It''s 10 A.M now but there is no sign of the student whatsoever. I realized most of the students were retired after that incident. And few of them were practicing from home. No wonder, the Elder looked normal. If the place is crowded with students, then it is hard to escape from their eyes. Especially people who can recognize Elder Thornton completely. Then after talking a few words to him, I got separated and walked towards the lift. Creak The lift door opened and I immediately pressed the last floor. A few minutes later, When I stepped outside. What appeared in front of me was the dome-shaped battle arena. It takes me back to memory lane. At that time, I first participated in a blood test to get a good ranking. After taking a few glances at it, I walked towards the room. Last time, I took a rest here due to some incident. The room is similar to my home. But here there are many medic kits placed inside. I can use it in case of an emergency. I also see some renovation done here. The door appeared to be new. Looks like Elder Thornton wants to change everything. Creak The door opened after the identification was done. I quickly went to take a long bath. After a few minutes, I changed into casual clothes. A wave of tiredness washed over me. Without realizing it, I fell asleep. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Beep! After three hours, I woke up exactly at noon. The reason for my alarm is the damn notification sound. When I take a look at the contact. My gloomy mind was swept away completely. The message is from Jonathan. How did he know about my arrival? A trace of surprise flashed in my eyes. Nobody knows about my stay here except Elder Thornton. Then I connected the dots. Elder Thornton might have contacted Uncle James and told him about my stay here. After gaining some clarity, I looked at the message again. Jonathan is busy doing some missions. So it will take some time for him to meet me. But he already found something about the Crimson Hall''s exhibition match. Hearing that a quick glint flashed in my eyes. The next second, my expression turned serious and I started to read further messages. It''s important to know about the event. A few minutes later, I closed the message and sighed inwardly. Jonathan is something. He even found crucial information which is impossible for other forces. But the information is shocking to me. "Odyssey Monster Zone," I mumbled under my breath. It''s a special monster zone similar to the black forest. Earlier, the odyssey monster zone was strictly forbidden to others. Because of some experiments happening there. But later the Monster Zone came under the control of Crimson Hall. A cold glint flashed in my eyes. Now, I realized the words of Elder Thornton are not false at all. To conduct the event Crimson Hall has selected such a dreadful place. Fortunately, I am an Elite Warrior now. That monster zone is dangerous for even Trainee Warriors. Forget about Special Trainee. The Special Trainees are just cannon fodder. My expression turned ugly. How come they are going to select students in this way? The warriors from Tier-8 cities stood no chance. Even the warriors from Tier-7 cities will face hard to survive. I fell into deep contemplation. There is something big happening behind the scenes. Jonathan and the Teacher might know about this. It took me some seconds to digest everything. Then suddenly an image of a certain person comes to mind. "Maria!" I uttered in surprise. I guess she is also participating in the competition. Then I made up my mind to tell her later. Chapter 424 Marsh City (From MC''s perspective) The following day, I left the Hansen building and decided to head toward the monster zone. I''m going to visit Marsh City''s monster zone. This particular monster zone takes me back to memory lane. I remember going there for the first time after I arrived in this red city. So a vague curiosity rose in my heart. At that time I was a rookie afraid of going deeper into the woods. This time I must stay in the middle of the core area. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. After gaining some clarity, I boarded the air cab to go to the train station. The cab driver this time is an ordinary warrior. After taking a glance at him, I sat back in a relaxed manner. Soon the cab reached the station a few minutes later. I used a mask to cover my face as usual. So there is no chance for others to recognize me. After paying the fees, I stride towards the entrance. My perception is not what it used to be. The range has increased many times. Before entering inside, I think it''s better to check out something. I activated my perceptual ability and spread it around the area. Soon the movements of people appeared in my mind. After a couple of seconds, my mouth rises slightly. I noticed the presence of many Special Trainee Warriors. How come such a small city like ours got so many Special Trainee warriors? I feel a little strange inside. Then shaking my head, I walked up to the entrance. There is no point in exposing myself right now. There is still some time before the start of the Crimson Hall match. Then after entering inside, I walked past the crowd. Last night, I told someone to come and see me. I wonder whether she will accept my request or not. 10 minutes later, When I''m waiting for my train to Marsh City. A beautiful figure appeared before me. Her white mask failed to cover her identity. I quickly see through her. "Maria Frazier," I said in my heart. Before I could say anything she sat beside me. "Zack, is that you?" "Why can''t I sense your cultivation base?" Maria Frazier said in a low voice. But the excitement in her voice can be seen clearly. Hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Trainee Warrior," My lips curved into a gentle arc. Looks like the Frazier Clan heavily invested in her. I remember last time her cultivation was weak. But still, it can''t save her from the dangers waiting in Odyssey Monster Zone. "Maria, are you going to participate in Crimson Hall''s match?" I asked. I know the truth but I want to hear from her. Maria gave a slight pause before carefully observing Zack. She wondered what happened. Is this related to recent turmoil? Her heart was not calm. She is aware of the incident that happened in Hansen Campus. The members from Crimson Hall have crossed the bottom line this time. Even the City Lord seems to be supporting the Crimson Hall members. Then she solemnly nodded her head in response. Seeing that I let out a deep sigh. I said, "Maria, you are a good friend of mine. So don''t go to the Crimson Hall''s competition." A surprise flashed in Maria''s eyes. She couldn''t help but remember her father''s recent behaviors. He seems to be very bothered about something. Every time she asked about it. Her father denies anything wrong. Now looking at Zack. She feels her intuition is correct. She asked, "Zack, what is it?" "Do you know something?" I nodded my head and told about the odyssey monster zone. At first, Maria''s face is calm. But soon her face becomes discolored instantly and her jade white hands start trembling. "How is it possible?" After some seconds, she exclaimed in surprise. She knows how her clan decided to bet everything on her. It''s impossible to take a step back. Suddenly the image of her father comes to her mind. "No wonder my father looked dispirited," she bit her lips in worry. Seeing the myriad of expressions of her. I sighed inwardly. The information is shocking even for an Elite level warrior like me. She just entered the Trainee Warrior realm not long ago. So I can understand her fluctuations in mood. A few minutes later, A firm determination appeared on her face. She shook her head and answered," Sorry, Zack. I can''t go back. I have to join one of those academies." I see a firm look in her eyes. "Sigh" I let out a deep sigh. Her family is not right. Suddenly, I remember Elder Thornton''s words from some time ago. The Frazier clan here is just a side branch. The real roots lie somewhere. Then I observed her with a different gaze. She has a burden like everyone else on her shoulder. It is better to support her than to convince her to quit. "Alright, I''ll help you. Just ask your clan to prepare a few more trump cards," I said with a smile. Apart from her, there is one more girl. I wonder what happened to her. She disappeared right after joining Hansen. But I have this gut feeling that I will meet her soon. Don''t know why? Maria let go of her hanging heart. Zack''s words gave a sense of confidence. But still, the dangers awaiting there are real. She decided to find some trump cards. Then she suddenly asked, "Are you going to the monster zone?" I nodded in response. Suddenly the announcement is made at this point. Seeing that, I got up from the seat and was ready to board. Maria made up her mind to join as well. Seeing that I agreed to her request. Then she quickly booked the tickets. The train to Marsh city is empty. Due to the availability of frequent trains, crowding and rushing can be avoided. After a few minutes, we boarded the train. The train journey allows us to discuss. I wanted to know about Crimson Hall. The Frazier Clan seems to have some contact with the City Lord. On the way, I inquired about many things. Especially the name of the Crimson Hall members. I can''t forget their names. They had participated in the Star Tower as well. My expression turned gloomy for a second. Looks like it is not that easy to get revenge. Among the members some of them were innocent. Especially the girls, they even took initiative to warn me last time. But I calmed down a few seconds later. I also learn about City Lord''s contact with Maria''s father. It seems the City Lord is simply using the Frazier Clan''s head. After figuring out the ins and outs, I decided to tell Jonathan later. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Several hours later, the train reached Marsh City. We stepped out of the train and quickly headed towards the monster zone. The monster zone is close to the city. So we quickly reached the spot without stopping anywhere. Finally, the huge wall came into view. It feels like a deja vu. I remember venturing into the woods alone last time. Then we quickly went towards the office to register my name. After registering the name, we quickly entered inside. The guards didn''t stop us. When we entered inside, I found the area didn''t change a bit at all. Especially the narrow path which leads to the inner area. Then I lead her to the inner area. Only in the inner area, we can come across some monsters. Maria silently followed from behind. She wasn''t able to see through his cultivation base. But she feels Zack''s strength is unfathomable. Soon the duo walked past the hurdles along the way. The overgrown bushes were quickly cleared by two. Swish! A wild boar appears in front of me. Seeing that I signaled Maria to deal with it. The wild boar monster can be dealt with by elite-level coercion alone. So I decided to stand back and relax. Maria didn''t waste any more time. She hurriedly leaped forward to attack the monster. Time passed in a blink of an eye, On the way, Maria cleared all low-level monsters without much effort. Seeing that, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. "Zack, why didn''t you start attacking from now on?" Maria asked while blinking her big eyes. She noticed Zack''s laid-back style. Which annoyed her greatly. She wants to witness Zack''s strength from her own eyes. Hearing that I raised my eyebrows. Swish! A wind wolf appeared in the vicinity. Seeing that my lips curved into a gentle arc. I looked at her before disappearing from the spot. Swish! "This speed," Maria widened her eyes in disbelief. She didn''t even find the silhouette. In a blink of an eye, I appeared above the monster. "Oops!" I noticed that I used my flight ability unconsciously. Then I landed on the ground in an instant. The wind wolf scared sh!t. It''s a mere Class 2 Monster. I raise my palm to slap it away casually. Pfff! The wind wolf turned into blood mist the next second. Chapter 425 Blood Vapourisation (From MC''s perspective) Marsh Monster Zone, After finishing the wind wolf, I looked back casually. Maria seems to be in a daze. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. It feels good. The immense strength gives me a sense of security. "What happened?" Maria uttered in surprise. Before she could realize the monster disappeared in a blink of an eye. She asked, "Zack, what is your exact realm?" In curiosity, she walked up to him. I let out a small chuckle and shook my head. If she knows it will be a huge blow for her. So I replied, "Similar to you, but I practice some strange techniques." Maria rolled her eyes at him. She is not a fool. Which technique can make a warrior disappear in an instant? Even her father seems pale in front of Zack. Thinking about the gap difference between the two, she sighed inwardly. But her and Zack''s paths are different. She is carrying the burden of her clan. Things can be changed after joining the academy. At the same time, I observed Maria''s expression. She seems to be contemplating. Shaking my head, I decided to head deep into the woods. 50 minutes later, We reached the middle of the inner area. Compared to the last time, I reached here in a short time. "Are we going to spend our entire day here?" Maria asked. Hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. She made an immediate decision to travel together with me. What about her family? Did they know? "Yes, I''m not going to return soon. The city lord is staring at Hansen. To avoid unnecessary troubles, I don''t want to expose myself before the start of the tournament," I answered with a small smile on my face. Maria nodded her head in understanding. I glanced at her before deciding to take some rest for a while. The journey is easy for me. But she seems to be a little exhausted. She needs to gather the energy from the surroundings before continuing our adventure. Then I proceed to set up two large tents laid with some formation. Which can remind us in case of some danger. Class 2 Monsters appear very often in this place. It may become a suitable training spot for Maria. 10 minutes later, We both repeated back in our tent. Sitting cross-legged on the mat. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. I also wanted to test my Blood Field Technique. It is not good to reveal my cards in front of her. Swish! The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and appeared outside. "Maria, I''m going outside for a while. I''ll be back in an hour," Saying I choose the right direction to leave. Swish! After a couple of seconds, Maria walked out of the tent. Seeing the empty tent opposite her. A curious glint flashed in her eyes. At the same time, I reached closer to a group of monsters. But I stopped my movement in mid-air and hid among big clouds. I see adventurer groups were targeting the group of monsters. Some of them were setting traps before the start of the crucial fight. The monsters are a group of hyenas. Currently, taking a rest under the shade of a tree. And these people seem to be aware of it. My lips curved into a gentle arc. To be honest, I don''t like hyenas either. But this Marsh City''s monster zone is weak and has a low number of monsters. The government puts no restrictions on adventure groups which caused a drastic reduction in the Monster population. This is also one of the reasons why I didn''t tag along with Maria earlier. The only reason I came here was to test blood field technique not to hunt monsters. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? The monsters below Class 4 are especially weak. So there is no point in crushing them. I slowly observed everyone''s movements. Seeing the number of traps placed. A frown appeared on my face. These people intend to wipe out the entire group. Slight anger appeared in my heart. This Monster Zone is a livelihood for many warriors from Tier-8 cities. I can''t imagine. If there is no monster zone in our area, then we have to travel to another region. Which is bound with hostilities. A cold glint flashed in my eyes. "These people are suitable targets to test my blood field technique," I mumbled under my breath. Swish! I disappeared from the cloud and appeared closer to the adventurer groups. None of them can sense my presence. Imagining the invisible aura in mind. I started to run the field technique. A vicious red color field appealed next second. The reddish field starts to expand like a blood sea. I didn''t use the Elite cultivation base. I simply restricted the powers to the Special Trainee level. Because none of them were Trainee Warriors. This is a reality of warriors from the surrounding city. Compared to Baguva city, the difference is sky and mud. At the same time, I also activated the perceptual ability to notice the changes. The groups of warriors who were busy setting up traps suddenly felt alarmed. Before they could realize the warriors were caught inside the blood sea. Immediately changes happen to take place inside the field. The blood of warriors starts to undergo some changes. Especially the blood power makes the warrior''s blood boil. After a couple of seconds, the blood starts to vaporize. Seeing such a phenomenon inside the field, my heart set off storms. What kind of crazy technique is this? It is almost a silent killer. No one can explain the phenomenon of blood vaporization. A few minutes later, Several dried corpses dropped to the ground. If one looks at the state of corpses, one will experience a terrible nightmare. "This field technique is a kind of hole card. If it is released, then the enemy would be caught off guard," I said to myself. Then I turned the remaining corpses into ashes before going back to the tent. My little experiment here is done. Now, I can spend the rest of my time on future goals. After a few minutes, I arrived back. Maria seems to be in a state of retreat. I didn''t disturb her and quickly entered my tent. Sitting cross-legged, I ponder deeply. What to do next? Going back to white snow city? I shake my head in denial. More than the Hansen campus, I believe many people were waiting outside at home. The population of the White snow city is low compared to Red City. So I can''t walk freely out there. Do I have to be cautious? My instinct tells me not to do anything before seeing Jonathan. The more I think about it the more it seems logical. There is no need to hurry. I can''t cultivate in this environment anymore. The energy around the atmosphere seems to be thin. No wonder, after the breakthrough many Elite Warriors choose to leave for Tier-7 cities and above to practice. They can''t stay here. After reaching this realm, I feel the difference. I can only pass the remaining days leisurely by improving the rest of the techniques. Suddenly the image of a certain place comes to mind. "Mountain Liz," I mumbled under my breath. Last time, I met a girl from a Tier-7 city. I wonder what she is doing right now? A figure of a woman comes to mind. Smash! Suddenly, I heard some sounds outside. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and appeared outside. Black Striped Tiger- Class 3 Monster I recognized the monster in one glance. The monster is currently observing our tent. The blood of the tiger monster is extremely valuable. It is tasteless to me but for Maria, it will improve her physique. Swish! Right after the disturbance, Maria walked out instantly. "Class-3 Monster," Maria uttered in surprise. "Good" "Can you defeat it? I asked. Maria looked at me before a firm look appeared in her eyes. Without replying she rushed to attack the black tiger. Seeing that I nodded and decided to monitor from the sidelines. The dangers in the odyssey monster zone are going to be many times compared to here. She should face this kind of monster alone. One hour later, Maria takes out the monster''s core from the cold corpse. Time passed in a blink of an eye, The entire day went through hunting and resting. The following day, We decided to go back home. I feel bored here. Instead of wasting time here, I made up my mind to visit old places. Including the mountain Liz, the iron post city, and the star tower. I believe that the whole journey would take a couple of weeks. And after the completion of the trip, the crimson hall event would officially start. Then after walking out of the monster zone. We immediately left Marsh City. We both parted ways. Maria has gone back to her Clan. And I decided to go to the iron post city. Last time, the city was plagued by bandit activities. The economy of the city had also gone through turmoil. I can''t wait to see the changes happen there later. There is one more thing I''m planning to do. I''m going to investigate the whole insect forest this time. The strange atmosphere prevailing in insect forest is worth the study. Chapter 426 Part One: Night Monster (From MC''s perspective) Several days later, The fortified train arrived in iron post city. Unlike last time, I see many people coming and going. Which shows that the situation has changed. And the state of the city is much better compared to better. After walking out of the train station, I took some time to observe nearby areas. The street shops and the pedestrians walking down the street. Everything looked normal here. After taking a glance at them. I signaled a nearby cab driver to come here. My first goal is to inspect the insect forest. I hopped inside and the cab moved towards the city gate wall. On the way, I took a good look at the city below. From the top view, I see several shops doing business. There was no gloomy atmosphere anymore. Suddenly I thought of something and decided to ask the cab driver. On the way, I inquired about the recent changes in the iron post city. From his words, the city''s economic conditions were drastically improved after the appointment of a new city lord. Unlike before the new city lord seems to be a Trainee Warrior. Because the bandit issue was resolved. Now there is no threat to the public and the insect forest is not monopolized anymore. After figuring out the ins and outs, I sighed in relief. 10 minutes later, The air cab reached the city gate wall. The situation on the ground caught my attention. "This?" My eyes lit up with surprise. From this distance, I see the changes. A sea of people was waiting outside the gate to enter the wilderness. The cab driver noticed the expression. He let out a small laugh before saying, "You must be very surprised. The rules were changed now. Anyone can enter the insect forest to earn money." Hearing that, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. "It must be the work of the new city lord," I said in my heart. Then the air cab landed on the ground. After paying the cab fees, I walked out. My appearance didn''t cause any waves. Because I know most of the adventurers here were from nearby regions. Looks like the new rules also made it easier for everyone. I glanced at the crowd. The highest warriors ranged from Special Trainee to Trainee Warrior. Looking at the scene in front of me. I believe it would take some time to enter. It can''t be helped. Shaking my head, I decided to wait. Time passed in a blink of an eye, One hour later, I walked into the wilderness after completing the verification. Instead of following the group to the insect forest. I moved away from the adventurer groups and used my flight ability to enter the insect forest. Swish! A few minutes later, I reached the outer region. I don''t directly barge to the inner area. Because there is some area. I would like to check. I accessed the map. After knowing the direction, I immediately rushed towards it. Time passed in a blink of an eye, I checked all the mysterious places within two hours. Apart from deadly swamps and bugs, there is nothing more valuable in those places. "It''s time to enter the inner area," I mumbled under my breath. Old memories flashed in my eyes. How did I escape from those black insects? A vague curiosity rose in my heart. I believe my elite power can restrain those monsters and it doesn''t matter how mysterious their insect bugs were. Swish! I didn''t waste any more time. After picking up the location on the map, I flew toward that place. After several minutes, I crossed the outer area border and entered the space of the inner area. From above I come across many black clouds. I instinctively knew these were groups of deadly bugs Seeing that my lips curved into an arc. When I tried to move closer to the monster. The swarm of bugs retreated immediately. Now I''m certain that Elite level strength can deter the bugs. No wonder that elite-level bandit was so rampant in the insect forest. The inner area and the small core were a haven for the elite-level bandit. Seeing the swarm of bugs, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. If I want I can easily erase these bugs and get back my revenge. But I feel it is not good to destroy the ecosystem here. It''s better to leave these insect bugs here and continue my business. After several minutes, I reached one of the dangerous areas marked on the map. In the middle of a dense jungle, there is a big cave structure here. I looked at it from above. If one looks at it closely one can see there is no entry and exit to the cave structure. The entire cave structure is protected from outside monsters. Seeing that a quick glint flashed in my eyes. To verify, I circled this cave structure once more. The cave appears to be going deep underground. Then what''s making it more dangerous? A lot of doubts appeared in my mind. Then I quickly moved into the cave structure. Inside there is only pitch-black darkness. I didn''t land on the ground. I used the flight ability to go deep inside. Though there is no darkness. I used my senses to cover everything. Slowly, I''m going underground. On the way, I find no sign of life. It puzzles me more. If there is no sign of life, then what''s causing danger to adventurers? Then suddenly, I see the path divided into two. I waste no time choosing. I picked the right one to investigate. As time went on, I furrowed my eyebrows. Because a bad smell began to attack my nostril. And I have yet to find the source of this smell. A few minutes later, I sensed the dead end ahead. I began to feel some frustration. Just I want to retreat. I sensed a small throbbing of life. "Life sign?" My eyes lit up with surprise. Swish! I moved and appeared closer to the dead end. In front of me, there are many eggs. The egg was so small that it was difficult to find it. What is this? Doubt appeared in my heart. At the same time, I realized something. "Mysterious insect bugs?" I mumbled under my breath. Now I think that it all makes sense. The cave structure is the home for these insect bugs. After gaining some clarity, I decided to investigate. So I take out the light gadget to illuminate the surroundings. When the light appeared in the dark. The cave became a lot more visible. Then my gaze swept past everything. "Hmmm," Suddenly, I felt a vague threat from behind. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and retreated backward. I feel something coming towards me. From this light, I see the appearance of the monster. For a moment, I adjusted my mentality. Because the monster looked nastier. I have never seen this monster before. Soon, I guessed something. It must be native to this cave structure. Seeing that I didn''t take initiative to attack. Since there is a threat to me. I want to see the ability of this night monster. The monster appeared to be a bird species. But from its wings and mouth. I see more resemblance towards the night bats. Swish! Swish! Slowly, one by one night monsters arrived right after. The entire path is blocked now. From these few minutes, I conclude that the night monster didn''t have the visible ability. The danger is slowly getting increased. I decided to end this quickly. Swish! Next second, I started to run the blood field technique. Sensing the threat, the group of weird night monsters lets out a scream. Hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. The scream ability is also some kind of attack. But with my elite power, I blocked the monster''s attack completely. As the blood field began to spread. It starts to cover the night monster one by one. The terrible scream quieted down suddenly. As the blood power starts to work. The first night monster is beginning to suffer. The entire blood from the monster''s body starts to vaporize. This field attack continues to attack the other monsters. One by one, the night monster suffered from the attack. But there is one problem. The blood field technique is not a fast one. It will take some seconds to erase the entire blood. A couple of seconds later, Pfff The first-night monster lost its vitality and the rest of the monsters followed suit one by one. After a few minutes, the entire path is cleared completely. Seeing that I sighed in relief. There is no threat anymore. But it''s a pity, I wasn''t able to see the further abilities of the monster. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Swish! I disappeared from the spot and retreated upwards. A few minutes later, I found myself back in the usual position where the two paths got split. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. I don''t know what lies ahead on this left path. Chapter 427 Part Two: Night Monster (From MC''s perspective) My gaze fell on the left path. There are weird monsters in this cave which can cause danger to Elite level warriors. I couldn''t help but up my guard. The weird bat-type monster has nothing to do with insect bugs. But the environment here is responsible for the changes. After taking a deep breath, I decided to check the left path. Swish! I''m swiftly moving while illuminating the surroundings using the light gadget. On the way, I observed the cave structure. Which is similar to the right path. There is no man-made sign here. "Scream" Right after, a terrible scream reached my ears. I stopped my movements and instinctively used the blood field technique. A reddish aura released from my body. I looked ahead and the appearance of the monster became much more clear. But I wasn''t surprised by the night monster. Rather I took the initiative to attack. The blood field quickly expands in a blink of an eye and covers the night monster. The next movement, the night monster let out a terrible scream. But the attack is not so powerful. Under the power of the blood, the monster is suppressed completely. A few seconds later, the blood in its body completely vaporized. When I moved past the corpse, a quick glint flashed in my eyes. I paused my movements and looked at the cold corpse again. Why don''t I try to absorb the monster core? Doubt appeared in my heart. Out of curiosity, I picked up the corpse and searched for the monster''s core. The entire corpse was an empty shell without blood. Suddenly, I caught something. Slowly, I retrieved the core from the corpse. Unlike other monster cores, this monster core is dark in color. Looking at it, I don''t why? A hint of uneasiness appeared in my eyes. Then shaking my head, I placed the monster core in my storage ring before continuing the journey. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Even after two hours of journey, I didn''t reach the dead end. My mood is beginning to worsen. I feel it is not safe to go deep anymore. Though Elite level strength gives me the courage I''m not stupid enough to barge in without thinking. When this thought appeared in my mind. I stopped moving forward. So far I found nothing valuable. There is no point in continuing anymore. Swish! I started to retreat to the surface without thinking further. As time went on, I reached the spot where two paths were divided. After taking one glance at the paths, I moved and flew back toward the surface. A few hours later, Swish! I appeared above the surface and stood in mid-air. "Phew," I exhaled in relief. Finally, I came back to the surface before anything went wrong. Then I looked around. It''s already late evening. I have to find a good spot to spend the night time. Suddenly, I remembered the old wooden house in the inner area. After knowing the direction, I immediately moved toward the destination. One hour later, I arrived in front of the wooden house. It brings back old memories. Where I killed those bandits last time here. I spread my consciousness around to check the area. After seeing there is no problem in this vicinity. I decided to take a rest here. The following day, Again, I continued my journey. This time I picked another dangerous spot to investigate. This dangerous spot is quite familiar to adventurers. It is called a green swamp or poisonous swamp. Many adventurers and bandits had lost their lives after mistakenly stepping inside the green swamp. But I would like to know what is causing the poisonous miasma around there. Without wasting any more time. I disappeared from the spot and moved towards the destination at a breakneck speed. Soon the poisonous swamp appeared before my eyes. From mid-air, I looked down below. Near the swamp, some courageous adventurers were trying their luck. But it''s nothing but self-seeking death. A deep green color mist shrouded the entire green swamp. Seeing that I moved closer to the mist. I feel no sense of threat from the poisonous mist. To be on the safe side, I used a blood field aura to dispel the poisonous mist near me. Swish! I stood in mid-air on top of the swamp. Using my perceptual ability, I quickly started to scan the surroundings. Those adventurer groups didn''t find any abnormality. In a blink of an eye, my senses covered a few parts of the swamp. "Hmmm," My eyes lit up with surprise. Like a cave structure, I spotted the minute sign of life. Other weird monsters living under the swamp. I frowned a little. I''m not ready to dive into the swamp. Soon I sensed a strange object in my perception. What is it? Swish! I disappeared from the spot and landed on the surface of the swamp water. From here I can sense the object. Splash! Then without thinking further, I dived into the swamp. A terrific smell attacked my nostril. It is not much worse than the cave structure. Then I reached the bottom of the swamp to retrieve the strange object. After picking it up, I hurriedly flew upwards. Splash! In a blink of an eye, I appeared in mid-air. Finally, I take a good look at the strange object. "Metal stele," I uttered in disbelief. My gaze immediately fell on strange letters written on the metal stele. This thing is more precious than I had imagined. Because I have seen something similar back in the library. In old times, powerful warriors used to record their techniques on a stele. I get the same feeling with this stele. After calming down my heart, I gained a trace of clarity in my thoughts. Then I placed the stele in my storage ring. I came here to investigate this place but I got something else instead. Then my gaze fell on the swamp again. This place is something else. I feel if I spend a few more times here, I may come across other valuable things. Shaking my head, I decided to move away from there. The disgusting smell continues to attack my nostril. Swish! Several minutes later, I found a small stream ahead. After landing near the running stream, I immediately began to clean myself. While cleaning myself, I felt a rumbling sound in my stomach. After getting freshened, I ate a few mana fruits which I had stored earlier. The monsters roaming in this forest are unsafe to eat. I''m not going to do that till the end. Tap! Suddenly, I heard some disturbance. Hearing that, I quickly spread my perception. Within my perception, a huge plant monster appeared. The plant monster is targeting small prey to eat. After figuring it out, I retracted my perception. Next, I accessed the map again. Earlier, the trip to the cave structure failed. And I found the stele in a swamp area. But it''s a relic that belongs to the old times. So I hope to find something good on the next site. The area close to me now is an important one. It is safe to say it''s the core area of the insect forest. It is also the old home of an elite bandit leader. Thinking about the elite bandit, my lips curve into a gentle arc. I know that Jonathan had dealt with him easily. But I don''t know whether there will be any leftover treasures in that place. If my assumption is right, no one entered that place after the death of the elite bandit leader. A heat appeared in my heart. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Soon I reached the core area. In mid-air, I stopped my movements and looked ahead. I have to say this place has natural protection. The core area is slightly above the ground. Like the top of the hill. Except for plant monsters and bird-type monsters. The place is not accessible to terrain monsters. Swish! Then I entered the core area. When I got a little bit closer. I see many broken and smashed wooden houses. The traces of battles are very visible. "Sigh" Seeing that I let out a deep sigh. I''m more convinced that no one had visited this place. Jonathan had completely overturned the core area. Then shaking my head, I went a little bit deeper. "Where is that leader''s hideout?" I mumbled under my breath. My gaze swept past the nearest areas. But there is no sign of life. I furrowed my eyebrows. The bandit leader was not an ordinary person. So where is the place? Slowly, I crossed half of the core area. But I didn''t stop my perception. Finally, when I moved further, my perception caught something. "What is that?" I looked at a certain ruin. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and landed on the ground. The wooden structure looked larger compared to other areas. There seems to be another space hidden inside the wooden structure. I released my momentum to clear away the debris. Soon the place becomes visible. And I see a door leading to the underground chamber. Chapter 428 Days Passed (From MC''s perspective) Insect forest, After breaking into the underground chamber, I began to search for treasures. Surprisingly, the underground hideout was not as damaged as I had previously imagined. The stone path leads to a wide room. A surprise glint flashed in my eyes. I see this hideout must be used for emergency purposes. While walking, I remember the elite bandit leader. The reason he came to this insect forest was to plunder resources from the adventurers. All that is because the bandit leader suffered a gruesome injury before coming to this city. And he used the resources from the plundering to cure himself. After gaining some clarity, I furrowed my eyebrows. This means I''m reaching a dead end. Anyway, I have come this far. It''s better to search entirely before leaving this place. After a couple of seconds, I walked into the wide room. The spacious underground room looked empty without any items. Seeing that my expression darkened. I expected this but still, it''s shocking to see that nothing is left in this room. I sighed inwardly before leaving this place with disappointment. Days passed, After finding nothing in the core area. I had spent many days searching for treasure in other dangerous spots. But apart from weird monsters and bugs, I had failed to come across something valuable. For the rest of the time, I heavily practiced my lightning techniques, blood field technique, and two soul techniques. In case of injury, I used the healing scripture to heal myself. Also, the insect forest turned out to be a perfect place for practice. At the time of thunder and rain, I practice essence cultivation. So my cultivation didn''t face any hurdles. When it comes to proficiency in techniques. 1. Sword Divide: Great wheel (Beginner) 2. Lightning Wheel: Great wheel (Beginner) 3. Lightning Phantom: Great wheel (Beginner) 4. Blood Field Technique: Small wheel (intermediate) 5. Soul Tower Method: Small wheel (Beginner) 6. Soul Needle Art: Small wheel ( Beginner) I got six ranges of attacks under my sleeve. I made a wise decision to come here. Otherwise, I would have forgotten about the soul techniques. Due to the changes that happened in a mysterious forest(Trunulesia), I had no time to think about soul techniques. But here, I spent a few days getting started with these techniques. I successfully constructed one layer of the soul tower. And I successfully practiced two moves from soul needle art. I believe this preparation with Elite level cultivation is enough to deal with all kinds of backhands in the odyssey monster zone. A few weeks later, I walked out of the insect forest after completing the investigations. About the origin of insect forests, I can conclude. The land beneath the insect forest hides the secrets. Especially the deep cave structure. I didn''t make it to the end. Which made me dissatisfied. But it''s also real that I can come back at any time. I feel my current Elite level strength is not safe. So it''s better to come back after raising a few realms. After coming out, I don''t plan on leaving right away. I booked a good hotel nearby and decided to take some rest. Night time, Laying down in my bed. I''m reading all the undead messages so far. Most of them were just updates from Elder Thornton and Uncle James. Thinking about Uncle James and Granny Park. I feel a sense of guilt inside. After coming back from baguva city, I didn''t go home and see my family. Which pains me a lot but I have no other choice. A lot of eyes were staring at my family. The current city lord turned out to be a Crimson Hall supporter. So there is no point in confronting him right now. Everything will be settled when I get my place in the academy. Thinking about the academy. My gaze fell on one particular update from Elder Thornton. It is about the crimson hall competition. "Finally," My eyes lit up with surprise. The wait is over now. I read further messages to confirm. "So, the crimson hall will announce the date in five days," I muttered to myself. But still, a hint of disappointment flashed in my eyes. I heard from Jonathan that the location of Odyssey Monster Zone is far away. And it will take many days to reach the place. Because that particular monster zone is forbidden and restricted to civilians. To reach there, it will be a herculean task. The next second, my eyes burst out with a cold glint. Looks like the crimson hall is purposely doing this late announcement. So many warriors from rival forces would miss this opportunity. "Hmph," I gave a cold snort in my heart. Jonathan had destroyed multiple branches of the crimson hall a few months ago. But I believe this is not enough. If anything goes wrong in the competition, the crimson hall will pay a heavy price. Then shaking my head, I decided to leave tomorrow morning. I guess many of them don''t know about the location. So they are going to wait for the announcement. But I''m different. I can use this opportunity to reach the Odyssey Monster Zone a few days earlier than other people. After reading the unread messages, I sent a message about my departure to Uncle James, Elder Thornton, and Jonathan. The following day, I left the hotel early to board the train. Unfortunately, it will take a few days to reach the red city. But it can''t be helped. Time passed in a blink of an eye, On the way, the passengers were talking about the crimson hall. Even though they don''t know about the real face of this organization. Everyone is speculating about which genius would perform well in the competition. After hearing all those amusing conversations, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. I hope that many will survive a massacre. I don''t even know what kind of hybrid and experimental monster they would let out in the competition. Several days later, The train reached the red city. After stepping out of the compartment, I smiled in relief. Two days ago, crimson hall announced the date and location of the competition. Most importantly I wasn''t surprised by their evil trick. They did something. The competition will start in six days. But It will be hard for normal warriors to reach the location without any support. Thankfully, my situation is quite different. During the journey, I received a reply from Jonathan. He had made arrangements for my trip long ago. The news was not surprising to me at all. Then shaking my head, I exited the station and hopped inside the air cab. Swish! Sitting back, I observed the city. Some digital boards are showing ads about crimson halls. Which is very eye-catching. The next second, a strange expression appeared on my face. These days, I also learned about my reputation here. Which is completely bad. Unlike the days after the star tower performance. This time the new city lord has managed to spoil my name. Especially my disappearance after the Hansen incident. The new city lord blamed me for the no-show. Even the narratives of media posts were similar to his. But none of these affected my moods. All of these were just passing clouds. Long since I knew that our region is just a corner of the barren land. Especially after becoming a student of a powerful existence. My horizons had widened. So the new city lord is jumping clowns in my eyes. Swish! Several minutes later, The air cab landed in front of the Hansen institute. Since I covered my face with a mask. The cab driver didn''t recognize me. After paying the fees, I stepped out and walked towards the gate. "Hmm," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I see a group of students coming and going. The classes and training started a week ago. Seeing that I sighed inwardly. Hardly few people go to the higher city and see the wider world. After entering the access code, I walked into the building. I directly took the lift to reach Elder Thornton''s cabin. A few minutes later, I arrived in front of a big room. Right after the door opened and I walked into the cabin. "Zack, how have you been?" a familiar voice reached my ears. Turning, I see the face of Uncle James. There is also Granny Park sitting beside him. Elder Thornton sitting in the main seat. "Everyone is here," I uttered in surprise. My face becomes bright instantly. After a long time, I''m meeting my family. Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over my heart. Because I see Granny Park''s body deteriorating due to old age. My Elite sense picked up the dead vitality from her body. Seeing her I received a bright smile. "I''m doing fine, Uncle. What about you and granny? Is she alright?" I asked. Before James could speak, Granny Park took initiative to speak. "Zack, you are back finally. "It''s good to see you again," Granny Park said in a trembling voice. Hearing that, I immediately hugged her and supported her to sit. Chapter 429 Departure Day (From MC''s perspective) Hansen campus, "I will have to find some treasure that can prolong her life," I said in my heart, looking at Granny Park. Then I turned my gaze and looked at Elder Thornton before sitting on my seat. James saw through Zack''s thoughts. "Zack, don''t worry. I''ll take care of Ms. Park," He said in a calm tone. Hearing that, I smiled in response. Of course, I know Uncle James will help her. But some pills are expensive and hard to find. Even in Baguva city, such life-extending pills are a rare commodity. Suddenly, the image of Jonathan comes to find. That''s right, why haven''t I thought about it before? I''ll request Jonathan to provide some pills and help granny park. After gaining some clarity, I let go of my hanging heart. "Zack?" Elder Thornton opened his mouth at this time. Even Granny Park feels some guilt. She hopes that Zack won''t think too much about her. "I''m good," I uttered before recovering myself. "Good," Seeing Thornton uttered well. "Now let''s get to the topic. Zack, did you get the news?" Thornton asked. Hearing that I nodded my head. A complicated glint flashed in Thornton''s eyes. But he remembers Zack''s current strength. A sense of assurance appeared in his heart. Thornton asked, "When are you leaving?" A lot of questions appear in my heart. But I don''t want to discuss it in front of Granny Park. She came here to see me. So she doesn''t know about the Odyssey Monster Zone. "I''ll leave tomorrow but..." I opened my mouth to say something but I stopped mid-way. Because I remember something valuable. There is a beautiful river painting hanging on the wall near my bed. I believe I bought that painting from some antique store. Let''s not talk about that now. I''ll ask Uncle James to pick it up later. The next moment, I said, "Elder, The timing of crimson hall is not right. I believe it''s good to leave tomorrow." Elder Thornton and James were not fools. They can see that something is stopping Zack from speaking. A sudden realization dawned upon them. "Ms. Park is sick after all. It is not good for the heart to hear something bad," James sighed to himself. Then he stood up and supported Ms. Park to leave. Both came here to send off Zack. But something can''t be discussed openly in front of her. Granny Park nodded in understanding. Soon both left, leaving Elder Thornton and Zack. "Phew," I exhaled in relief. Looking at Elder Thornton, I couldn''t help but remember my first meeting and the following events after that. Especially the one particular event where he fought to save my life from the assassin. "Elder Thornton, thank you for your teaching. I don''t know whether there will be an opportunity to come back again. So I''m saying right now," I said with a smile. "This," Elder Thornton dumbfounded for a second. More than an Elite Warrior, Zack seems to be a teenager right now. He sighed to himself. So many things have happened to Hansen since Zack''s joining. But ultimately he feels good. Especially Zack''s performance and achievement in the Star Tower will be remembered forever. When it comes to the current City Lord. He is not afraid of him. Once Zack gets into the Academy, then the circumstances surrounding them will be changed. "Zack, your strength already surpassed us. I don''t worry about anything. I hope you won''t forget us when you reach higher levels," Thornton commented as he remembered his prime days. If not for limited talent, he would have participated in some competitions like Crimson Hall. Hearing that, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I know Elder Thornton has offended a lot of elders in the academy to favor me. So the best way to repay him is to make a name for Hansen''s wild spread in the competition. Then we talked about a few other things before I decided to leave. "Arthur and Ms. Key will be back to work tomorrow. I hope you will meet them before leaving," Thornton said. I nodded at him before leaving. Creak The door opens. Right after leaving Elder Thornton''s cabin. I see Uncle James waiting for me outside. "Uncle," I called out. James nodded and said, "Alas, I know Ms. Park''s sickness is troubling you. But it can''t be helped. Her vitality is decaying slowly." "Zack, I want to talk to you alone," James added. Hearing that I nodded. I also decided to tell you about the river painting. Then I led him towards the underground chamber. On the way, we walked past students and staff. Since we wore normal clothing. It didn''t attract much attention. A few minutes later, Creak We arrived in front of the underground room. After entering inside, I introduced this place to him. "I know this is the foundation of Hansen. The battle arena''s defense can even stop the attack of Class 3 Monster," He said with an appreciative look. Then we entered the room and started to discuss. Some things can''t be discussed in front of Elder Thornton. For example the origin of Jonathan and Teacher. "Uncle, what about Mr. Jonathan?" I asked. I know he had made arrangements for the trip. But I don''t know what it is exactly. James wasn''t surprised by the question. He replied, "Don''t worry, he will come." My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Sure, Jonathan has been keeping in touch with Uncle James. Which is good. Then we spent a few more hours talking. Especially he talked about my past. Where he completely revealed everything to me without hiding anything. The atmosphere turned solemn for a moment. My past seems to be a mystery. Because there is a long way before accepting the inheritance. Currently, I''m undergoing an inheritance trial. Except for the perceptual ability. I have no other powers from inheritance. Only after improving the domain physique to an unimaginable level, can my body withstand the power of inheritance. Despite all that, I have awakened three different elemental powers in my body. Lightning, Blood, and Healing element. Three of the elements were extreme in a separate category. But I have all three of them. Which shows that my parents were not simple adventurers. But Uncle James doesn''t know much about my family either. A frown appeared on my face. Things were not simple back then. I have this vague feeling that I will get some answers after becoming strong. Uncle James left after the private talk. Time passed in a blink of an eye, The following day, 9 A.M "Still there is no sign of Jonathan," I mumble under my breath. Then shaking my head, I walked towards Elder Thornton''s cabin. A few minutes later, Right after, I entered Elder''s cabin. Arthur and Ms. Key also walked into the room. "Mr. Arthur" "Ms. Key" I greeted them with a smile. "Zack, how have you been?" A surprise glint flashes in his eyes. The next second, he found he couldn''t see through Zack. Zack seems to be unfathomable. He is shocked to the core. At the same time, Ms. Key was also dumbfounded. She knows Zack has been training in the outside world for some time. It is normal to have improvement. But she feels some kind of pressure. "Cough" "Cough" Looking at their reactions, I coughed twice. Hearing that both returned to reality and watched Zack in horror. Then Elder Thornton reminded them to sit. He had a similar reaction sometime before. A wry smile appeared on his face. Then Arthur started the conversation by talking about Crimson Hall. I couldn''t help but look at Elder Thornton. Looks like Elder Thornton didn''t reveal the dangers inside the Odyssey Monster Zone. Then we spent a few hours in discussion. Beep! Before I received a message from Jonathan. Right after that, I immediately left Hansen. And reached a meeting point a few minutes later. Swish! Jonathan appeared in front in a blink of an eye. Seeing that I let go of my hanging heart. Jonathan asked, "Can we leave now?" Hearing that I nodded my head. There is nothing to carry, everything is inside my storage ring. But I decided to inform others before leaving. I left Jonathan and hurried towards Hansen. Using my flight ability, I reached the campus quickly. On the other hand, Jonathan''s eyes flickered with a surprised glint. The next second, disbelief appeared on his face. "Elite," He said to himself. Then he shook his head in denial. No, it must be imagination. Jonathan feels absurd. How can Zack become an Elite warrior in this broken land? He removed the unnecessary thoughts from his heart. A few minutes later, When Zack appeared again. Jonathan stood in disbelief. He can sense the Elite-level aura from Zack. "How is this possible?" Jonathan uttered in surprise. Unlike the normal Elite aura. The aura on Zack''s body is very strong. At the same time, I revealed a small smile on my face. I see the expected reaction from Jonathan. Earlier, I felt it was better to tell him in person. Chapter 430 Six Academies Consent (From MC''s perspective) Finally, Jonathan couldn''t control his curiosity. He asked, "What happened in that forest?'' Hearing that I looked around for a moment. There are movements of people nearby. It is better to have conversations on the way. Jonathan saw through his thoughts. Then both of them quickly left the city. Seeing Jonathan using flight ability, I''m not surprised at all. From the killing of the bandit leader alone, I see that he is above Elite. But for some reason, he is concealing his powers. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. Soon we reached the empty land and landed on the ground. We walked away from the red city. The size of the Red City is small, to begin with. So the city is miles away from here. But Why did he bring me here? A strong curiosity rose in my heart. Screech! A terrible scream resonated throughout the area. "This sound?" My eyes lit up with surprise. It is the scream of a powerful monster. I looked at Jonathan who was calm at this moment. Shortly after, a giant bird appeared from the clouds and slowly landed in front of us. My mouth curved into an arc. [Class 4 Monster- Brown Feathered Eagle] I recalled the information about the bird from my memory. The Class monsters are highly intelligent. It''s hard to tame them for domestic purposes. I couldn''t help but take a look at Jonathan again. Finally, I''m getting into the secrets of the world. I sighed inwardly. Jonathan then walked towards the massive bird monster and gently stroked its beak. Seeing that I''m certain that this monster belongs to Jonathan. No wonder he appears out of nowhere just like that. Because he got a different mode of monsters compared to civilians. The monster is 20 meters in size. It can easily sweep away the average warriors below Elite. Then upon Jonathan''s signal, the monster adjusted its posture so that both of them could stand on its back. Seeing Jonathan''s action, I walked up to him. I don''t think the bird monster is hostile. As expected the monster slightly glanced at me before looking sideways. I chuckled seeing that. Alas, it would be better if I could get such a monster in the future. A couple of seconds later, We both stood on the back of the monster. After letting out a fierce scream, the bird monster rose from the ground and started flying towards the destination. When the wind brushed past my face. I feel so good. Suddenly, I found Jonathan staring at me. I realized it''s time to talk. Then I revealed what happened in a mysterious forest. I omitted the details of healing scripture and other unnecessary details. Then I spoke about the soul cultivation technique. Jonathan''s eyes lit up with surprise. The soul techniques were not easy to start without assisted resources like soul stones. But Zack comprehends the technique with his understanding. Jonathan was shocked in his heart. As the master said, Zack''s talent is no less than that of inner post warriors. After several minutes, Jonathan gained some clarity in his thoughts. Right now, there is nothing in this outer post that can help Zack to improve further. Elite warriors'' have to consume much more resources for the breakthrough. When it comes to Zack, it''s much more complicated. Zack has lightning power and the resources of the lightning element are scarce in this barren land. It was already a miracle for Zack to come across a chance to become Elite Warrior. He doesn''t know how many would bleed their heart. If they heard about a chance that can raise several big realms. A wry smile appeared on Jonathan''s face. He knows that It''s not going to happen that frequently. But he recovered his thoughts and then pondered about the Odyssey Monster Zone. At the same time, I see Jonathan didn''t raise further questions. Seeing that I slowly closed my eyes. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Several hours later, Along the way, the duo crossed many Tier-8 cities. Right now they are going to cross the space of Tier-7 City. Soon the vicinity of Tier-7 city came into view. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I have to say the speed of the giant eagle is many times faster than the fortified train. On top of it, there is no obstacle in the air. The bird monster moves freely in the sky with freedom. Slowly we fly over the city wall. Since we are flying high above the clouds. Ordinary warriors'' can''t see us. At this time Jonathan opened his eyes. Seeing that I asked, "When will we reach the monster zone?" "Three days," Jonathan uttered. Beep! Jonathan''s communication watch lit up with a notification. Seeing that he began to read it. After a couple of seconds, a surprised glint flashed in his eyes. "Master has come to Odyssey Monster Zone," He said in his heart. The next second, he thinks the master will be surprised to know Zack''s strength. Besides, he thinks Zack doesn''t need to participate in the competition. Especially Zack''s current strength is similar to many City Lords. He feels the Master will certainly change his plan. Then he sent a reply back to the message. His master asked about their whereabouts. After sending the message, he closed his eyes again. ... The announcement from the crimson hall caused a massive stir in many organizations. Especially the location of the event caused some panic among lower and medium-sized organizations. High-rank warriors and forces with strong backgrounds are aware of the horror of the odyssey monster zone. That monster zone is a forbidden place. Even the government was forced to think twice before entering the odyssey monster zone. So many forces stopped their descendants from going there. Not only the hybrid monsters, but the environments in the monster zone can also cause a threat to many talented seeds. After getting the news many strong forces felt Star Tower is way better than Crimson Hall. Conducting a life-changing event in a deadly place is nothing but a vicious scheme. Everyone aware of Crimson Hall''s means decided to rally up to forcibly stop the event. The news quickly spread like a wildfire. The warriors who were preparing for the competition from many Tier-8 cities were confused. They didn''t know about the Odyssey monster zone. So they felt it is not good to stop the competition. Only some powerful organizations support the momentum. They hoped that the event would be stopped. But Crimson Hall was insidious. They had previously planned everything. So that event will start a few days after the announcement. Crimson Hall, After reading the reports, Casey sneered inside, "It''s too late to protest." He is aware of these organizations'' intentions. They don''t want their descendants to die. But if the seed candidates don''t participate in the competition. Then they will miss a good opportunity to join the six academies. The next second, his gaze fell on other reports. The report is about the six academies that were coming to recruit the students. 1. Saw Scaled Viper Academy 2. White Palace 3. Red Moon Tower 4. The Eclipse Academy 5. Silver Clouds Academy 6. Giant Tower Unlike the Tier-7 City, these academies have their separate jurisdiction. They are not bonded to government rules. Even he can''t afford to mess with them. But thankfully, the situation of these academies is right. He doesn''t know what is going on. But he gained some information from his connections. The six academies were short on resources and manpower. This has never been the case with these academies. These six academies have their jurisdiction and City. The City under these academies was rated as Tier-6 City. Thinking about the Tier-6 City, an envious glint flashed in his eyes. But soon he recovered himself. After knowing their situation, he decided to exploit them. That''s why he is so sure that this event will happen for sure. Because he knows that the academies were aware of his movements. Especially since they knew about the Odyssey. Monster Zone. But there is a tacit understanding between them. None of them showed any objection. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Some happened two days later. Which went beyond his expectations. The stirring commotion and protest were quieted down all of a sudden. Because six big academies have sent a joint statement. Stating that they were fine with the arrangements done by Crimson Hall. The news came out of the blue. Which shocked several forces. None of them had expected six academies to support crimson hall. Which made everyone stunned. Now, no one can protest against the competition. After learning about the statement, several big forces sighed. They are helpless. It''s impossible to send their descendants to this competition. And they can''t reveal the dangers in the Odyssey Monster Zone to the public. It goes against the rules. And none of them want to offend the big academies either. So Many of them decided not to attend the competition in the end. On the other hand, the Tier-8 cities'' warriors didn''t know what was going on. But they are glad that the competition is going to be held. So they are happily getting ready. And some already started to leave. Chapter 431 Meeting With Teacher (From MC''s perspective) After crossing the Tier-7 city, we moved faster toward the destination. The giant eagle monster doesn''t seem to be exhausted at all. But I believe Jonathan would stop it somewhere. Several hours later, As I expected, the giant eagle monster landed on land in the middle of nowhere. When I raise my head to look around, I see the endless vast open plains. My eyes lit up in surprise. Such a place is rare to see where there are no monsters and vegetation. Then I see a giant eagle lowering its body to take some rest. Suddenly Jonathan turned around and looked at me. "We will take some rest here. In the meantime, if you have any questions, you can ask me," Jonathan said. Before I could respond, I saw him setting up a table and chair. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. To think he carried this with him. I don''t know what to say for a moment. But it''s better than sitting on the ground. I walked forward and sat opposite him. Right now, I know about Odyssey Monster Zone. And what are the dangers ahead? So our conversation has been fruitful. So what should I ask now? Suddenly a strange glint flashed in my eyes. It was already pre-planned that I would join the Saw Scale Viper Academy. But what about other academies? I''m curious about other academies like which one is stronger. Then looking at Jonathan, I asked, "Mr. Jonathan, can you tell me about the academies?" Jonathan''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. Then he began to tell the names of the academies and their strengths and weaknesses. One hour later, Jonathan stopped talking and asked, "Do you understand now?" I nodded my head in response. The situation between the academies was worse than I thought. There is no real friendship between them except for severe competition. The Saw Scale Viper Academy is typically the training academy of the Army Federation. Warriors who passed out from this academy directly joined the Army Federation. My future path will be the same. The academy teaches various battle-related techniques and combat training. And when it comes to White Palace, this academy specifically recruits female warriors. Because their inheritance is suitable for the female warriors to cultivate. So it''s a waste of time for male warriors to join the White Palace. The Red Moon Tower is similar to the Saw Scale Viper Academy. They too specifically focus on combat training. But unlike the army, they have their secret inheritance to pass on. And the students of the Red Tower are said to be bloodthirsty due to their strange cultivation techniques. The Eclipse Academy is considered to be a normal academy. Where any warrior can join and graduate from the academy. There is no specific condition to fulfill. The Silver Clouds Academy sounds strange. It''s the academy jointly run by a few powerful clans and families. To join this academy, first, the warriors have to join one of the families. This academy is not good. Warriors will lose their rights if they join this academy. But some people don''t care. To reach higher heights they are ready to sacrifice everything. Finally the Giant Tower, like the name sounds. They have a special inheritance. Not anyone can practice. So of all these academies, the Giant Tower has a lower number of warriors. After gaining some clarity, I sighed inwardly. Even the giant tower got a lower number of students compared to other academies. I won''t underestimate them. Because of their inheritance. Each one of them is a strong warrior. Where in the Saw Scale Viper Academy. There are four institutions ranging from A to D. Only the A & B institutions got strong warriors comparable to other academies. The rest of the institution functions based on relations and money. After putting these unnecessary thoughts aside, I decided to cultivate them for a while. We resumed our journey a few hours later. Days passed in a blink of an eye, The Giant Eagle reached the destination three days later. "Odyssey Monster Zone," I mumbled under my breath. A gigantic wall came into view. Damn! The wall''s height is twice the size of Tier-7 City''s wall. Then I see several buildings outside of the monster zone. They appeared to be brand new. I also see many street shops built outside. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. They are resting places for the seed candidate and their forces. A look of understanding dawned upon me. Then Jonathan directed the giant eagle in a different direction. "Hmmm," I furrowed my eyebrows in surprise. Where are we going? But I didn''t ask him about it. There must be a reason behind it. The giant eagle flies over several buildings. Slowly, the giant eagle is flying away from the monster zone. Soon I realized something. There must be a place for us to stay. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have directed the monster away from the monster zone. Screech! When the bird got closer to the destination. I hear several bird-screeching sounds. Looking around, I see many warriors coming in using similar bird monsters. Seeing that, I wasn''t surprised. Some truly big forces have a similar mode of transport. Especially for this competition, everyone will gather. Swish! The giant Eagle finally slows down the speed. Feeling that I looked ahead, and I saw a massive mansion ahead of us. And there is no adjacent building beside it. The giant eagle lands on the ground. Then we slowly stepped out. I couldn''t help but look at Jonathan for an answer. "It''s the mansion of Saw Scale Viper Academy," Jonathan calmly replied. "What?" I uttered in surprise. Isn''t it too soon to meet these people? Especially before the competition. Jonathan saw through his thoughts. He chuckled and said," Right now, there is no one except one person staying in the mansion." "Could it be?" My eyes lit up with surprise. Jonathan is smiling mysteriously. I have a vague feeling in my heart. Suppressing our curiosity, we walked towards the gate. After entering inside, I see a huge spacious hall. Before I could appreciate the architecture, I saw someone walking downstairs. A warrior wearing a black military uniform is slowly stepping downwards while looking at me. My pupils constrict the next second. I feel everything stopped around me. The blood element in my body is showing some response. Threat? A cold sweat appeared on my forehead. I felt like several days passed in an instant. What is this power? Before I could realize it, the man walked in front of us. Everything happens in a blink of an eye, For a second, I forgot that I''m an Elite warrior. Thinking about strangers can make me feel powerless. Then what is the reality of this person? Various questions appeared in my heart. But the next scene made me even more disbelieving. Jonathan stepped forward and bowed to the stranger. "Master," Jonathan uttered. The words fell like a thunderclap in my ears. "Teacher," I looked at the person in front of me in disbelief. Earlier, I had vaguely guessed it. But I never thought it would come true. But soon, I recovered myself and gave a bow as well. The man wearing a military uniform is none other than Lowell McCain. Looking at them, he replied," At ease." Hearing that both of us recovered to our usual position. A quick glint flashed in Lowell''s eyes. He already saw through Zack''s realm. To cultivate up to the Elite level in this barren land is a huge feat. "Zack Lockwood" "You kid looks like I underestimated your cultivation talent again," Lowell said with a smile. Hearing that, I hurriedly explained about the mutated forest. A few minutes later, Lowell''s eyes flickered with a strange glint. "Hmmm, it''s normal for this land to contain some ruins," He uttered. While he recalled various histories of this land in his mind. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Then he recovered his thoughts and said, "Okay, you guys take some rest. We will chat later." Saying that he disappears from the spot. The next second, he is nowhere to see. Powerful! My heart starts to beat faster. Jonathan observed Zack''s reaction and said, "Master is currently in disguise. So be careful not to expose him." Hearing that, my heart set off storms. What is the reason behind this? I didn''t dare to ask. But I''m glad that I met my teacher. He seems to be a man of few words. But I''ll ask him about the wider world. Then Jonathan guided me towards the room. After entering inside, I started to freshen up. On the other hand, Jonathan disappeared from the spot and moved toward the study room. Creak After opening the door, he entered inside. "You came," Lowell said with an indifferent attitude. "Get me details about that mysterious forest," He added further. Hearing that, Jonathan nodded and retreated backward. When Jonathan left the room, Lowell glanced at the reports. The six academies are deeply rotten to the core. But for Zack''s development, he felt the Saw Scale Viper Academy would be suitable. Surprisingly, this kid has an elite-level cultivation base. Which brought him a pleasant surprise. Now he is pondering whether to take him back with him or not. Chapter 432 Part One: Crimson Halls Competition (From MC''s perspective) The following day, I woke up pretty late. Neither Jonathan nor the teacher neither of them disturbed me. After getting ready, I left the room to see the teacher. I was supposed to discuss this on his last day. But I slept without realizing it. Shaking my head, I quickly walked into the hall. Jonathan is already waiting for me. "You are here," Jonathan said. Hearing that I nodded. Jonathan smiled and said, "Let''s go to the master''s study room." Then we quickly arrived in front of a room. Creak The door opens. Jonathan signaled me to enter inside. "This?" I furrowed my eyebrows. Then I walked into the room. It''s a wide spacious study room. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. The study hall is not empty. There is a book collection in it. I couldn''t help but feel stunned. All of this infrastructure was temporary. Even this mansion is built as a temporary stay. Then I walked a little bit further. I see the teacher is looking at some stuff. I quietly stepped forward and stood in front of a wooden table. Lowell McClain is already aware of Zack''s presence. He then stopped viewing the report and turned his attention toward his student. He said, "Zack, your rate of progress went beyond my prediction. Normally, students will graduate after becoming super elite from the academy. " "You are just one big realm away from it," Lowell added further. Hearing that, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "You can graduate after becoming super elite," I said in my heart. Lowell observes Vincent''s reaction. "That''s right, the super-elite is limited. The outer post lacks the energy and resources for further cultivation." Hearing that a look of realization dawned upon me. So it is not the academy but the outer post region that doesn''t have energy for further cultivation. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. I thought after joining the academy my journey would be smooth sailing. But what I''m going to do if there is a lack of resources? Especially I need rare lightning elemental resources. Lowell saw through his student''s troubles. He knew what was bothering him. Lightning elements are scarce in this region. An elite-level resource, he knows only one place where it is available. "Zack," "To train you. I already made a perfect plan. You will spend one year at Saw Scale Viper Academy. After that I will take you back with me to the Inner Post region," Lowell said with a smile. "One year," I asked out in surprise. For what? Lowell replied, "The Saw Scale Viper Academy has super elite-level resources. And you will find one for your lightning element in the Special elemental Zone." "In the meantime, I will make arrangements for you in the Inner Post. It will take at least a few months for me. But if you manage to get that resource in a shorter period, then you can contact me," Lowell said in a calm tone. My heart set off storms. Super elite-level lightning resources? I''d already guessed what this is. It must be related to the special element zone. Then I quickly calmed down by heart. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to leave the outer post entirely after collecting the lightning resource. But why do I feel this is another test from the teacher? Talking about the test, I looked at him. I don''t know whether it is okay or not. I asked, "Teacher, what should I do in the competition?" Lowell sighed inwardly. He thought this competition would be a whetting stone for him. But with Zack''s current strength, he can walk sideways completely. "Well, now it has become easy for you. Do you remember what I told you about the rewards?" Lowell asked. I quickly recalled something from memory. The first place in this competition is awarded mysterious rewards. And that teacher has said that previously, that reward is important to me. So If I don''t participate, how can I get the reward? After gaining some clarity, I looked at the teacher and said, "Teacher, I understand. I will get first place in the competition." A hint of appreciation flashed in Lowell''s eyes. Then he said, "It''s good. You can leave now." Hearing that I nodded and left the study hall. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Two days later, The Odyssey Monster Zone''s location is crowded with many forces. Almost every mansion is occupied by people. People from big forces were staying in a large mansion. Whereas people from medium and small-sized forces were staying in small buildings. Strangely, the seed warriors from Tier-7 cities were not that many. And some of the big influential forces didn''t even come. Right now most of the warriors walking along the street were Tier-8 city residents. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? They don''t know the danger of the Odyssey Monster Zone. As such in one of the medium size buildings, the people from Frazier Clan were staying inside. In the main hall, "Maria, are you sure?" The Frazier Clan head asked in a calm tone. Maria Frazier nodded her head in response. Seeing that, a hint of hesitation flashed in Head''s eyes. The Frazier Clan people came here last night. But right after that, they managed to collect various information. The competition is going to start tomorrow. But there is no sign of seed warriors from big forces. The Clan Head feels something wrong. That''s why he asked his daughter whether she was sure about her participation. At the same, Maria was aware of the dangers in the monster zone because of Zack''s intel. Seeing not many people from Tier-7 cities shows that Zack''s information is credible. But to further develop her clan she had no other option except to participate in it. Similar meetings were happening across the forces that came here late. Especially the forces coming from Tier-8 cities. One by one starting to realize that something was fishy. In a couple of days, some big forces strongly protested to stop the competition. But everything died down after the joint statement released by the academies. Anyway, it is too late to change anything. The competition will start tomorrow. The forces make their seed warriors in a peak state. At this time people from Crimson Hall also arrived at the location. They were all walking towards their mansion. As a host, a very large mansion was built near the monster zone similar to the big forces. First Elder Casey reveals a triumphant smile on his face. He really can''t wait to start the competition. So that people can see his masterpiece. But he also notices some slippery foxes didn''t come here at all. Their descendants are going to miss the opportunity. Casey sneered inside. Though some of the forces didn''t come. But he saw the forces connected to their Crimson Hall blindly come here. They must be betting on the reputation of the crimson hall. He let out a small laugh. Those forces will know how wrong they are tomorrow. The following day, 8 A.M I hear the participants were gathering in front of the monster zone right now. And the powerhouse from the six academies will arrive shortly. When the information reached my ears. I left the mansion and walked toward the monster zone. The entrance to the monster zone is similar to other monster zones. There is a vetting process. Only the registered participants can enter inside. While walking, I see a huge sky tower building close to the wall. Seeing that a quick glint flashed in my eyes. The sky tower building is specifically built for people from the academies. I don''t know whether anyone has arrived or not. Not only that, I heard that crimson hall has arranged live broadcasting for the competition. I don''t know what happened to Jonathan and the Teacher. They were nowhere to see this morning. But I believe they will be monitoring the event in secret. Then putting aside these thoughts, I walked forward to the monster zone. At the same time, inside the sky tower. First Elder Casey is waiting for the academy powerhouse to arrive. There were several floors in this sky tower. Each floor is opened to the forces. They were allowed to enter inside based on their ranking. Right now the small forces were entering the lower floors. Where the medium-sized forces are slightly above it. And the big forces were occupying higher floors except for the top. The top is left for academy powerhouses. Each floor is set up with a big screen to show the live event. One by one the floors were getting filled with people. From the clouds high above, two people were observing everything calmly. Essentially the scenes happening in the sky tower didn''t go unnoticed by their eyes. "Master, is there something wrong with the six forces? Jonathan asked. A quick glint flashed in Lowell''s eyes. The next second, he revealed a small smile on his face. "The six academies lost their spine. I think it''s time to put them back in their place," Lowell said with a smile. But a small volcano is boiling in his heart. The academies were stopping so low to cover their inability to recruit more warriors. Chapter 433 Part Two: Crimson Halls Competition (From MC''s perspective) Odyssey Monster Zone, Soon, I reached the registration desk. After the vetting is done. Everyone lined up in a queue. So I followed others and stood behind them. Only after the announcement the gate will be lifted. ¡­ Meanwhile, Casey is waiting on the top floor. He is afraid that people from the 6 academies will be late. "What are they doing?" He mumbled under his breath. Time passed in a blink of an eye, One hour later, Swish! Six flying boats appeared in mid-air. Seeing that Casey walked out to greet them. Gasp! The crowd let out a loud gasp after seeing the flying boat. No need to guess. Everyone realizes that people from the academy have arrived. And the competition is going to start soon. Swish! One by one the figure stepped out of the boat and walked toward the top floor. Upon seeing them Casey hurriedly walked up to greet them one by one. When six of them walked into the room. Without much talking, they sat down in their respective seats. Casey immediately recognized the bigwigs. He had already read the reports about these dignitaries. All are giants and have a huge reputations. Among them, there are also special elemental warriors. He once again recalls the information about their identities to see whether he has missed anything in his report. 1. Saw Scale Viper Academy Mike Smith - Super Elite Warrior - Elegant Wind Warrior. 2. White Palace Autumn Holt - Super Elite Warrior - Mystery Rain Warrior. 3. Red Moon Tower Teresa York - Super Elite Warrior - Dark Wave Warrior. 4. The Eclipse Academy Harvey Kim - Super Elite Warrior - Eclipse Sun Warrior. 5. Silver Clouds Academy June Shelton- Super Elite Warrior- Light Arrow Warrior. 6. Giant Tower Eduard Ortega - Super Elite Warrior- Metal Body Warrior. Meanwhile, The Super Elite Warriors didn''t seem to be very talkative. Their expression tells them that they are in a hurry. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Casey felt a mountain of weight pressing down on his body. But he knew none of them had released their momentum. But if anyone with a weak base stands close to Super Elite Warrior, they will feel the momentum. The next moment, Casey hurriedly stepped backward. Meanwhile, Mike Smith is a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties. Like Lowell McClain, he is dressed in military uniform. He stands 6ft tall in height. His short black hair and valiant eyes give away his identity. His skin color is tanned. Right after sitting, he immediately checked the unread messages. His behavior didn''t catch any attention. After reading the message, his heart set off storms. "So the big man is indeed here," He said in his heart. He is thinking about Lowell McClain. Some time ago, a big man appeared in Saw Scaled Viper Academy. And he had reached some kind of agreement with academy superiors. He doesn''t know about the specifics. But he knows that it has something to do with his student. Personal student of a giant from the inner post. What a blessing! Even the six academies won''t be able to hold a candle against that kid''s background. But the academy is glad that the big man has chosen their Saw Scale Viper Academy for his student. He doesn''t know the reason for this. But some things he doesn''t dare to speculate. His only job is to protect the student and carefully guide him back toward the academy. What is the kid''s name? He carefully recalls the intel information. "Zack Lockwood," He said in his heart. That''s right, Zack Lockwood is the name of that student. He sighed in his heart. He knows that kid is going to participate in this sh!t competition. Yeah, the competition sh!t. If not for the difficulties faced by the six academies, they would have suspended this competition. At one point, the superiors back in the academy were scared that the big man would take revenge on them. At that time, nobody had expected the personal disciple of that big man to be a seed candidate from Tier-8 City. At that time the information shocked everyone. But soon the information was covered up. If not for the task given to him by the superior, he would have been ignorant. Fortunately, everyone later understood that the big man is making this competition a stepping stone for his disciple. For people from the inner post, this competition is a meaningless one. But for the outermost people, this recruitment event is already a big one. Now it is going to be watched by millions in this region. Thinking about it, he revealed a complicated expression on his face. At the same time, the change in his expression is caught by Harvey Kim from the Eclipse Academy. His age is similar to Mike''s. But unlike Mike, he is dressed in the academy''s white clothes. "Mike, what happened to you?" Harvey asked casually. There are no legit concerns. Instead, he felt bored here. So after seeing Mike''s expression, he asked out in surprise. "It''s nothing," Mike replied. He knows Harvey wanted to make a scene. But he won''t give me any chance to do that. There is serious competition between the six academies. There are no real friends or enemies. Especially the six of them who were all famous in their academy. On the other hand, Harvey Kim''s expression darkened. The other four Super Elite Warriors turned towards him. Eduard Ortega from Giant Tower grinned wildly. It''s unusual for everyone to stay silent here. A cold glint flashes in Teresa York''s eyes. Her Red Moon Tower enrolls people with suitable qualifications. But some time ago, she found no such seed candidate in their intel. Yet she feels there is an opportunity. It''s natural for latecomers to appear. She hopes that at least one or two would stand out in this competition. Suddenly, her gaze fell on Casey. She knows that this crooked person deliberately made an evil plan to destroy the descendants of many forces. So the casualties are going to be higher. To save their face and protect the resources the candies jointly agreed to his plan. If it is a normal recruitment year, she would have liked this plan. But this year is different, nobody knows how many seed candidates will survive in the end. And she doesn''t want to return alone without students. When it comes to other academies. She doesn''t care. Usually, they recruit warriors in suitable numbers. This time it would be different. Meanwhile, Harvey''s words reached her ears. Autumn Holt from White Palace revealed an amusing smile on her face. She is in contrast to Teresa''s cold demeanor. But looking at the sea of seed warriors outside, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. Her White Palace is an academy with Special Inheritance. Which can be only inherited by female warriors. Due to current circumstances, she came here half-heartedly. There is a lack of resources in her academy. It''s impossible to spend the remaining resources on mediocre people. At first, her academy superiors had decided not to participate in this year''s academy recruitment. But the other five academies opposed it strongly. This a joint event conducted by six of them. So her academy''s decision was retracted soon. But that doesn''t mean other academies can interfere in their recruitment policy. Unless there is a warrior with an excellent appearance, she won''t raise her voice. She had already made up her mind to return alone. Meanwhile, June Shelton from Silver Clouds Academy frowns. He feels Harvey Kim is an eyesore. Not only because he doesn''t like him. There is one more reason for it. Among the people from the six academies present here, there is a heavy rivalry between the Silver Clouds Academy and the Eclipse Academy. They usually recruit more seed candidates compared to others. There are also not many constraints to joining them either. Because of these various incidents have occurred in the past. Like both academy warriors killing each other in the dark has become a normal thing. But that''s not the case with other Academies. Not many people voluntarily join military academies like the Saw Scale Viper. White Palace only recruits females. Blood Moon Tower is also a strange one. They only recruit suitable warriors for their inheritance. Not one more or one less. And this is the same case with Giant Tower. June Shelton glances at Eduard Ortega before retracting his glance. He already had a suitable plan in his mind. And his clan masters also agreed with him. They ordered him to recruit warriors no less than that of the Eclipse academy. Outside, Lowell McClain is watching everything with a playful smile on his face. He already saw through the Super Elite warriors. Two of them were special element users. Light and Dark elements? "Interesting," He mumbled under his breath. Suddenly, he turned towards Jonathan. "These two?" "Are they going to enter the Inner Post?" He asked. Jonathan''s eyes lit up with surprise. He knows that it''s rare for special element users to appear in the Outer Post. If it happens, then it will be snatched by big forces. Looking at these people, he recalled the information. Chapter 434 Part Three: Crimson Halls Competition Odyssey Monster Zone, In mid-air, Lowell McClain''s gaze passed through the glasses and fell on the Super Elite Warriors. But none of them were aware that someone was watching their movements. Besides, Jonathan quickly recalled the information about the two. "Master, you are right. Presumably, these two guys were connected to those old forces in the Inner Post," Jonathan said in a calm tone. A quick glint flashes in Lowell''s eyes. Then soon it disappears. A small smile rose on Lowell''s face. No one would believe that his current get-up is just a disguise. "Well, the Inner Post is going to be much more interesting when the geniuses from all around the outer post gather in one spot," Lowell said in his heart. Meanwhile, Sky Tower, Crimson Hall''s Casey realizes that it''s time to start the competition. So he looked at the six academy powerhouses and decided to ask their permission. When he asked for permission. Mike Smith immediately agreed with him and told him not to waste any more time. The other five academy powerhouse conveyed the same opinion. Casey then hurried to make an announcement. He knew the seed candidates were waiting outside for the announcement. ... (From MC''s perspective) I stood patiently behind the seed candidates. I don''t see anyone from Crimson Hall. Which I feel is quite strange. Then the image of one more person flashes into my mind. Maria? Before coming here, I already texted her. But I got no response in return. Then I sent her a message again. This time I told her to contact me in case of any emergency inside the monster zone. Which I feel is bound to happen. Shortly after the announcement came. Which alerted everyone instantly. The rules were pretty much the same. The winner is decided based on the number of monster cores collected by seed candidates. Class 1 Monster Core - 100 points. Class 2 Monster Core - 200 points. Class 3 Monster Core - 300 points. The Competition is for 7 days. At the end of the 7th day, the points will be counted officially. When I see the point distribution, a quick glint flashes in my eyes. If I didn''t know the specifics, I would have been fooled right now. The monsters residing in this monster zone are not everyday monsters hunted by adventurers. But all of the hybrids and products of the lab experiment. So an ordinary hybrid monster''s strength might surpass regular Class 1 Monster. Suddenly I feel pity for these seed candidates. Hundreds of them are standing behind me. But sadly many of them are not going to return. Suddenly, many silhouettes appeared near the gate. I immediately recognized the symbol on their robe. "Crimson Hall," My eyes burst out with a cold glint. I see a lot of familiar faces. Especially the group I previously met in Star Tower. "Bob Williamson" "Austin Boyer" "Bradley Reese" "Ella Downs" and "Sallie Mills," ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? I muttered their name one by one. Earlier, I had sympathy for this group. But right now there is no more soft corner. Even for Ella Downs and Sallie Mills. These two girls let me down greatly. These two also participated in the Hansen Incident. After taking a glance at them, I turned towards their elder. Apart from these five people, there is one more group standing behind the elder. I raise my eyebrows in confusion. Strange? The monster zone is dangerous for everyone. Despite knowing why Crimson Hall allowed their members to participate? I don''t know what they are ranking. The strength of everyone is Trainee Warrior. But it is not enough. Is Crimson Hall going to feign ignorance in the end? The more I think about it, the more it feels real. The Crimson Hall is going to sacrifice their warriors for their benefit. What an evil organization! Then I put aside these strange thoughts and prepare to enter. Before entering inside, the guards were distributing storage bags to everyone. After getting the items, the Crimson Hall''s members were the first to enter the monster zone. Nobody raised any objections to that. Slowly one by one entered inside. When my turn came, I picked up the storage bag and entered inside. Swish! I didn''t waste any more time. I disappeared from the spot and quickly hid in the woods. Because of the teacher''s order, I can''t use elite-level strength. Then suppressing my thoughts, I decided to hunt. I moved deep into the woods. Swish! When I went deeper, I encountered my first monster. The Class- 1 Snake monster. After coming across the monster, I didn''t wait for it to attack. I appeared behind the monster and crushed its neck in an instant. Then I immediately retrieved the core from its body and placed it in the storage big. After doing that, I resumed my hunt. Meanwhile, The seed candidates were entering the southern part of the monster zone one by one. After entering inside, the warriors started to explore on their own. Some started to rush in the west direction. While others are towards the east. Everyone picks up their goals to hunt down the monsters and collect as much monster core as possible. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours, more than 500 seed candidates entered inside. Right now, no one is waiting outside the gate to enter. After confirming that, the entrance is closed. Hereafter the latecomers will not be allowed to enter the monster zone. Meanwhile, Sky Tower, The big screen started to show the live competition. Seeing that Casey let go of his hanging heart. Everything is set in tone. He doesn''t have to worry anymore. The super-elite warriors were watching the big screen. They can see the situation inside the monster zone. Mike Smith frowns. Of all the places in the monster zone, only the southern part is considered a little dangerous. But the actual safe part was made as an entrance to the wilderness. Mike Smith''s mouth twitched. He already learned about this monster zone. The southern part is a normal wilderness. Where you can find typical monsters like anywhere else. A western part is a special place. It''s the habitat of Tree monsters. The northern part is covered by a lake. And the lake itself hides terrible fish monsters. The eastern part is a region made up of poisonous mists. Mostly poisonous attributed monsters were living there. And finally when it comes to a central area. It consists of two parts. One is a swamp and the other one is a dense forest. The Class -3 Crocodile monsters were living in swamps. And the dense forest is home to bloodsucking rats. Thinking about the tragedy that is going to occur, he sighed inwardly. He is helpless in this situation. He is going to watch the massacre which is going to unfold before his eyes. The other five super elite warriors also recalled the information. Some of their faces changed for a moment before returning to normal. "If it was for a normal time, your proposal would have met with the destruction of Crimson Hall along with you," Harvey Kim said in a cold tone, looking at the big screen. His voice is not so loud. Casey shuddered a little. He quickly cursed in his heart, "Damn you." He can only say it in his heart, not outside. He knows that Eclipse Academy portrays righteousness. The competition is unacceptable under current circumstances. But right now, they can''t do anything to stop his plan. "Harumph," Harvey Kim gave a cold snort without looking at Casey. Meanwhile, June Shelton beside him furrowed his eyebrows. He too dislikes the current situation. Their academy is run by clans and families. Though the clans and families have descendants. But they are fewer in number. The outside warriors were the major backbone of the academy. If not for the constant replenishing of members each year. It''s difficult for the academy to compete against the eclipse academy. After realizing that, a gloomy glint flashes in his eyes. Meanwhile, Autumn Holt from White Palace sighed in her heart. She has to be honest with herself. The current situation is extremely favorable to her academy. If there are fewer people, nobody can force her to recruit more. Teresa York remained indifferent to the situation. She doesn''t feel sympathy at all. Her gaze is focused on observing the warriors. For their inheritance, the temperament of the warrior is much more important. The current environment inside the monster zone might bring out the potential of the warriors. On the other hand, Eduard Ortega''s eyes fell on the southern area where ape monsters fiercely hunted down the seed candidates. From one look he can see that ape monsters were different from usual monsters. Watching seed candidates torn into pieces. Eduard Ortega remained speechless. None of the seed candidates can withstand the single blow of an ape monster. Eduard''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Because the seed candidates were all Trainee Warriors. Normally any Trainee Warrior can defend against the Class 3 Monster. But here the ape monster easily crushed warriors without much effort. "What kind of lab experiment happened?" He said in his heart. Chapter 435 Part Four: Crimson Halls Competition Odyssey Monster Zone, Time passed in a blink of an eye, All the seed candidates immersed themselves in hunting. Nobody was aware of the danger that was waiting for them. The monster zone is so huge that it consumes everyone''s time. Finally, a group of warriors crossed the border area to reach the western area of the monster zone. On the way, they successfully killed Class 2 and Class 3 Monsters. Meanwhile, Mark''s mouth twitched. His gaze fell on a group of warriors who were moving toward the tree monsters'' area. He can already imagine their end if they come across the tree monster. As he had expected, the changes started to take place. Out of nowhere, a tree root appeared in front of the group. And it pierced through the body of the warrior. "Don''t tell me that you guys didn''t even leave tree monsters," Harvey said, looking at the screen. The root of the tree monster appears to be double in size. So this is not the normal case unless someone made a successful experiment. Everyone knows his words were pointed at Casey. First Elder Casey''s face is darkened. Earlier, these people showed no objection to his proposal. And now they are pointing fingers at him. He cursed them in his heart. But he couldn''t dare to refute it, so he silently endured it. None of them looked at Casey''s reaction, rather the situation on the ground was rather serious. In a blink of an eye, the tree monster killed everyone. Not even corpses were spared after their death. The roots immediately sucked blood from the corpses before disappearing back into the ground. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Seeing that, Autumn Holt furrowed her beautiful eyebrows. The appearance of the tree monster disgusted her greatly. Especially after knowing the monster is an experimental product, her expressions became complicated. On normal days, these practices were banned by the academy. But now the times have changed. To think such monsters were used for screening, she felt mixed emotions in her heart. Unlike Autumn, Teresa York is appreciating the work gone beyond the tree monster. She feels the same method can be employed back in the academy. Where the competition would be even more severe. Similarly, the other super elite warriors focused their attention on a different screen. In one particular screen, a lone warrior trespassed the area of a bloodsucking rat. Unaware, the warrior made his way even deeper into the area. Click! He hears a broken twig sound which makes him break out in cold sweat. Unlike the southern area, the territory here is gloomy and wet. The warrior''s feeling gets worse as the seconds go by. Swish! Before he could think straight, death catches him. A lot of blood eyes rat monsters rushed towards him from all directions. Plop! Seeing that warrior loses strength in his legs and dropped to the ground. The swarm of rat monsters attacked him and within seconds there was no sign of him except piles of bones. This scene caught the eyes of a super elite warrior from Silver Clouds Academy, June Shelton. He finally saw someone crossing the central area. Which piqued his curiosity. But the ending left him disappointed. The majority of the warriors were still roaming in the southern section. And those who crossed to reach other areas died shortly after their arrival. The screening is going nowhere in his opinion. At least he didn''t even spot talented seeds. Outside, "Jonathan, don''t forget to destroy this monster zone. I don''t want any single of the lab experiments to slip away, " Lowell McCain said in a cold tone. "As per your order, master," Jonathan said. Jonathan knows the horror of escaped lab experiments. Many such cases happened in history. Any wrong judgment would end up reaping millions of lives. But here there is no way, the army federation is not aware of this situation. He couldn''t help but look at the back of his master. He expects something big is going to happen soon. If any rotten pieces are hiding in the federation, they will soon witness the master''s wrath. Meanwhile, Bob Williamson, Austin Boyer, Bradley Reese, Ella Downs, and Sallie Mills safely crossed the southern area to reach the dark swamp. The group didn''t hastily barge into the swamp after their arrival. Rather they set up their tent half a mile before the dark swamp. Inside the tent, "Sigh" "Thanks to our intel. We successfully avoided all those dangerous traps," Sallie said with a sigh. Next to her, Ella Down is sitting cross-legged and cultivating to recover the depleted essence in her dantian. But when she heard Sallie''s words, she opened her eyes to look at her. "The dark swamp trial is easy compared to other sections," Ella added but a hint of fear flashed in her eyes the next second. Before coming here, the crimson hall gave them a general idea of the monster zone. Especially the information about the different sections of the monster zone. At that time none of them wanted to participate in it. Because the desire for competition is replaced by fear. There is a very slim possibility to survive in the end. But as a host, it would be bad if no one from Crimson Hall participates in the competition. Thinking about their current situation. Ella sighed inwardly. If not for prior Intel, they would have been dead long ago. Now it''s much more important to survive than collecting monster cores. Sallie nodded in response. For others, the dark swamp is a dangerous area. But they only know that it is providing a natural barrier. So that the bloodthirsty rats won''t come in. Thinking about the bloodthirsty rats, her face discolored slightly. ... (From MC''s perspective) After crossing the forest area, I''m finally getting close to the eastern direction. Thankfully, I killed a lot of monsters on the way without making much noise. Now I have more than a thousand points with me. I believe this will be enough to stand out. When I''m pondering, I hear some disturbance nearby. I raised my eyebrows and quickly used my perceptual ability. The surrounding area quickly comes to my mind. "To think such a nasty monster is hiding here," I mumbled under my breath. The monster is none other than a worm monster. I''m familiar with this type of monster. But I doubt it will be difficult to retrieve the core from this monster. Half of the body is hiding under the ground. The monster will slip away easily. Besides, I''m not in any hurry to collect the monster cores. Suddenly, images of some familiar flash into my mind. I wonder what they are doing? Shaking my head, I resumed my journey. After a few minutes, I spotted many boar monsters ahead. But looking at several injuries on their body. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. The injury appeared to be unnatural. How come all monsters had gruesome injuries on their body? But suddenly, I realized something. "Lab products?" I uttered in surprise. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. How come there is not even a single ordinary monster here? I shook my head before approaching them slowly. When I got closer, I released the soul needle attack on them. Swish! An invisible needle shot at the boar monster in a blink of an eye. The monster wasn''t aware of the incoming danger. Then after a few seconds, it suddenly dropped dead on the ground. This sudden situation alerted other nearby monsters. They immediately began to flee. Seeing that, I released a few more soul needle attacks. Swish! Swish! In a blink of an eye, the boar monsters fell one by one. When all the monsters were dead, I walked forward to collect the monster cores. After collecting the monster cores, I moved away from the area. But soon I picked up a signal in my perception. "Warriors," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I had never expected other groups to catch upon. "Interesting," I said in my heart. I believe these groups of warriors might be from Tier-7 cities. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Let''s see the power of Tier-7 city warriors. I have collected enough points anyway. So it doesn''t hurt if I can observe them for a while. Soon I hid behind the tree and concealed my presence. A few minutes later, a group of warriors appeared at the same spot. "Trainee Warriors," I muttered to myself. Looking at their expensive armor and safety gear. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. But the next second, I sneered. After having experience wearing those full-body armor suits, these gears look cheap in my eyes. Then my gaze followed their movements. One of them crouched down to touch the footprints of the boar monster. I have to say the soul needle method is extremely flawless. There is not even a single blood drop splatter on the ground. The warrior starts to check the carcass of the monster. The group looked quite bewildered after seeing the corpse of the monsters. Especially, seeing no trace of blood here. The monster''s life appeared to be ended by some unknown method. Chapter 436 Part Five: Zack Is Being Watched (From MC''s perspective) Seeing the clueless face of the warriors, I laughed in my heart. I never thought I would be so carefree here. Such confidence comes from my Elite level strength. Then I overhear their conversation. They seemed to have collected several monster cores. Most of them come from looting other warriors. My eyes gleamed with twinkle after confirmation. Then I shot several needle attacks. In a blink of an eye, the needle attack reaped the life of the warriors one by one. After killing them, I collected their valuables. Especially the monster cores. But after looking at the numbers, a strange expression appeared on my face. Because the collection has less than 15 monster cores. This shows that monsters are not easy to kill in this monster zone. Since I have collected the monster cores easily. I made up my mind to change the route and head in the northern direction. Time passed in a blink of an eye, I crossed many hurdles on the way. But I feel the competition is getting boring as time goes on. Maybe it is because of my elite-level strength, I feel the environment is not so dangerous for me. But I remember a teacher saying the rewards for first place are extremely useful to me. So I have no other choice but to kill every monster that I come across. A few hours later, I reached the northern area. But the scene in front of me amazed me further. There is an extremely wide lake that appeared in front of me. Seeing that, I used my perceptual ability. When my mind covers the lake, I sense the presence of a deadly fish monster under the lake. My eyes lit up with surprise. It''s rare to see water-type monsters. I don''t want to miss this opportunity. But it''s a pity, I can''t eat the fish. This might be another product of the lab experiment. To check, I threw the fresh meat of the monster on top of the lake. Splash! When the meat pieces dropped into the water. It disappeared from the surface the next second. My mouth curves into an arc. I see the meat pieces pulled down by a nasty fish monster. The Sharp tooth piranha monster looks way uglier than what is described in library books. But the next scene surprised me even more. The fresh meat was completely eaten by the fish monster. I''m not fooled by the outer surface. I knew apart from it, many more fish monsters are living in the lake. And the average strength of the fish monsters appeared to be Class 3. And the lake environment is an added advantage to it. Like the poisonous mists in the east, this lake is extremely dangerous to the warriors. The image of crimson hall members comes to mind. The Crimson Hall organization is cruel to the core. Not only are their rivals going to be affected by this competition. Even the closest allies will suffer from their calculation. What a terrible scheme! It even amazes me that these guys can convince the recruiters. Shaking my head, I thought about the teacher. I believe he won''t let it go like this. There will be some kind of retribution for the crimson hall later. ... Sky Tower, Meanwhile, "Hey, who is this person?" Harvey Kim asked out in surprise. Hearing that everyone''s gazes fell on a certain candidate in the northern lake. Mike Smith from the Saw Scaled Viper Academy immediately recognized the person. "Zack Lockwood," He exclaimed in his heart. He knew this kid. He has an extraordinary background. One of the reasons he came here is to recruit him specifically. First Elder Casey''s face darkened. The thing he most hated has happened now. How could he forget the face of Zack Lockwood? That kid had ruined their reputation greatly back in Star Tower. After Crimson Hall launched several assassination attempts, they met with failures. But that kid survived against all the odds. Thinking about it, he gritted his teeth in anger. The name of Zack Lockwood is written in its must-kill list. He thought Zack would be facing struggles here. But seeing the carefree attitude of the kid, veins began to pop up on his forehead. The change in Casey''s expression was noticed by others. "Harumph," Harvey Kim snorted coldly. He felt that person disrespected his words. First Elder Casey felt like a thunderclap rang in his ears. He immediately changed his attitude and apologized to Harvey Kim. Seeing that other super elite warriors smirked greatly. Harvey Kim eases his eyebrows and lets him talk further. First Elder Casey then revealed the information about Zack Lockwood. "Lord, this kid has many secrets. We weren''t able to discern his real cultivation level," First Elder Casey added further. The hatred in his heart is so high that he wanted the super-elite warriors to kill that kid. Meanwhile, Mike Smith observes every word that comes from Casey''s mouth. He can see that Crimson Hall had formed an enmity with Zack Lockwood. He knows it will be a matter of time before Crimson Hall disappears from the map. Especially that big man won''t let it go. Outside, The little drama happening inside the sky tower didn''t go unnoticed under two people standing in mid-air. "Master, this person has great hatred for Zack," Jonathan said in a cold tone. Hearing that, Lowell McClain revealed no reaction on his face. He simply replied, "Wait for the competition to be over, Mike will take care of him." Jonathan nodded his head in understanding. He knows that competition will be disturbed if that guy got killed in the middle of the competition. Since the hatred is forged, Crimson Hall''s ending is marked. Meanwhile, The Super Elite Warriors revealed a myriad of reactions. How come the person can''t even see the cultivation level of the candidate? "Is it true?" Teresa York asked with a sly smile on her face. Hearing that First Elder Casey hurriedly nodded his head. He thinks that kid Zack will die for sure. The next moment, a small smile appeared on his face. Seeing that Mike Smith sneered inside. He made up his mind to kill this guy after the competition. Teresa''s eyes lit up with surprise. Seeing that the seed candidate appeared in the northern lake unscathed. It shows that the seed candidate named Zack is strong among the warriors. The next second, she made a firm decision. She said, "Alright, I want this candidate." Hearing that other super elite warriors were quite surprised. Because none of them saw that kid making any move. Isn''t it too early to select the candidate? The same question appeared in everyone''s heart. At this time, Harvey Kim sneered inside. He asked, "Are you after his secrets?" Teresa York let out a small chuckle. Her gaze collided with Harvey Kim. "What kind of secret have the people from this barren place got?" She said jokingly. She genuinely thinks that the kid named Zack is strong. And when it comes to secrets everything will be cleared after the competition. On the other hand, First Elder Casey''s face turned ugly. He thought these people would kill Zack to get his secrets. But right after hearing their conversations. His face discolored even more. "No...No..." "It looks like they want to recruit him," Casey muttered to himself. No way, if that kid finds out later, then it will be disastrous for Crimson Hall. What to do? He can''t intervene in their discussion. Otherwise, it will raise their dissatisfaction. This further increased the hatred in his heart. Meanwhile, June Shelton from Silver Clouds Academy shook his head in disappointment and said, "This kid seems to hail from the army background." Right after his words, everyone looked at Mike Smith. "Ahem, he is right. That kid already got a quota to enter our academy," Mike Smith said with a smile. Teresa''s eyes flickered with a cold glint. She almost forgot about the quota system. Unlike others, Autumn Holt and Eduard Ortega remained silent. They are not interested in recruiting this person. Eduard Ortega especially doesn''t want the person from the Army Federation to enter his organization. On the other hand, Autumn Holt sighed to herself. She is not in any position to recruit this person. Besides, her organization''s cultivation techniques favor female warriors more than male warriors. But it''s a pity that the number of female warriors was less in numbers compared to males. Right now the situation is even worse. The majority of the warriors have already died. She doesn''t think the remaining female warriors can survive the monster''s slaughter. Thinking about it, her expression dulled a little bit. Meanwhile, After hearing the confirmation from Mike Smith, Harvey Kim stopped talking about it. Since the seed candidate already belongs to the Army Federation then there is no point in talking about it anymore. Because the Saw Scaled Viper Academy is considered the backbone of the Army federation. The majority of the warriors after their graduation enlist their names to join the Army Federation. He can already see the future of that particular seed candidate. Then pushing back these thoughts, he set his gaze on the screen. Chapter 437 Rising Dissatisfaction The ongoing competition in the monster zone is being watched by millions of people residing in the outer post. There was no censorship whatsoever. The brutal slaughter of seed candidates by the hybrid monsters has caused panic among the public. It''s not an isolated incident, but everywhere inside the monster zone, the seed candidates were fleeing in panic. The majority of the Special Trainee warriors lost their lives. They can''t hold a candle against the hybrid class monsters. Having no other choice, they can only make desperate attempts to survive. But still, their helplessness is currently being witnessed by the public and their organization. Those who moved from the southern area are coming back to the starting point in an attempt to save their life. The tree monster area in the western part has seen the majority of the slaughter. Not a single warrior was able to trespass the western area successfully. If not for the current immobility of the tree monster, the number of slaughters would have been further increased. Similarly, the eastern area with poisonous mists also caused a few deaths. So nowhere is safe, and the competition turned into a mode of survival. Seeing such a scene, a cold shiver went down the spine of millions of people. It doesn''t matter whether it is a small or big organization. The inhumane competition instantly arouses a strong dislike towards the academies. The common public wasn''t aware of the existence of the academies. For them, the existence of a Tier-7 city itself is a pyramid. But unlike them, quite a few forces are aware of some knowledge. Especially those forces who willingly send their descendants or seed candidates to the competition. They are starting to realize the consequences and treachery of the crimson hall organization. Before the start of the competition, there was a rumor floating around many organizations regarding the hybrid monsters. But none of them had evidence to speak against the crimson hall. Besides, all organizations had faith in the six academies'' policies. But the current situation is enough to overturn their worldview. The slaughter is happening in front of the people from six academies. The broadcast only showed the image of the sky tower to the public. So people can know that competition is being watched by the people from six academies. So the mood of many organizations was worsening. Looking at the situation, everyone started to realize that the current situation caused no problems for the people from the six academies. Those who are allied to the crimson hall were starting to rethink the alliance itself. The current loss can''t justify the reasons for the crimson hall. Because from the very beginning, organizations were aware of crimson hall''s double standards. Now seeing their scheme unfolding, anger starts to build up in their heart. Meanwhile, Hansen Campus, "It''s insane," Thornton said to himself, watching the scenes of tree monsters sucking the blood of seed candidates. The live competition is broadcast live on screen. Arthur and Ms. Key are not in good condition either. They are watching together with Elder Thornton inside his cabin. Similarly, the scene is taking place in all other cabs inside the Hansen campus. Especially the elders who opposed Zack earlier were watching the competition as well. "Elder, why can''t I see Zack among those warriors?" Arthur asked. His eyes were scanning the scene but he wasn''t able to find the silhouette of Zack. Ms. Key closed her eyes. The ongoing slaughter is really brutal. She thought about her situation. Some of the seed candidates in the competition have the strength to defeat her easily. But they too easily got killed by hybrid monsters. Seeing the river of blood, she immediately thought of Zack. How is he doing? Zack is too young compared to others. Elder Thornton furrowed his eyebrows. The one person he is not worried about in the competition is none other than Zack Lockwood. Thinking about Zack''s true strength, a wry smile appeared on his face. "Don''t worry, Zack will be fine. His strength is not what it used to be. He is stronger than many of these seed candidates," Thornton said in a calm tone. Hearing that, Arthur and Ms. Key looked at each other. They think Elder Thornton is comforting them. Next, they immediately set their gazes on the screen. Meanwhile, Inside the monster zone, Maria Frazier is fleeing from bloodthirsty rat monsters. She cluelessly trespassed the lair of bloodthirsty rats. Fortunately, she realized something was wrong before it was too late. But still, her smell attracted the attention of bloodthirsty rats quickly. While fleeing she attacked some of the rats with water techniques. But it is not enough to kill the monsters in one shot and the current terrain is also unfavorable to her. "Where is he?" She muttered to herself. The image of Zack comes to her mind whenever there is a desperate time. Zack had warned her before the competition. But still, she underestimated the dangers of the competition. There were no weak monsters at all. Every monster she had come across so far had the strength of a peak monster. And she wasn''t able to kill a single monster because of that. Swish! Suddenly, she noticed one of the monsters got close to her. Her condition is not good. The essence inside her dantian was depleting rapidly. If she does not take any preventative measures, then she will be swarmed by these bloodthirsty rats. Soon, a tent set up caught her attention immediately. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in her eyes. It must be warriors resting in tents. She immediately increased her speed to reach the tent. Meanwhile, Ella Downs and Sallie Mills were practicing in their tent recently. It''s been several hours since they had set up a tent here. But the team wasn''t able to come up with a good plan to cross the bloodthirsty area. So they are currently cooked up in the same tent to practice. Swish! Ella Downs hears some disturbances from outside of the tent. At first thought, it was some random noise. But suddenly the sound is getting closer. She opened her eyes and alerted Sallie Mills next to her. Hearing the calling, Sallie Mills also opened her eyes as well. She asked, "What happened?" Before Ella could reply to her, an uninvited guest entered the tent. Maria Frazier sighed in relief after seeing two familiar faces. Ella and Sallie widened their eyes in surprise. Both recognized the identity of the person. She is the current heir of the Frazier clan. During their stay in the red city, they met with Maria''s father. "What are you doing here?" Ella asked out in surprise. Maria replied, "There is no time to explain. I''m being chased by bloodthirsty rats." "What?" Sallie exclaimed in surprise. Swish! Three of them walked out of the tent the next second. Two bloodthirsty rats were searching near the tent. Immediately, Maria attacked them using water techniques. Two bloodthirsty rats flew backward like a broken kite and slammed into the nearby tree. But right after that bloodthirsty rats stood upright as if nothing had happened. This scene immediately shocked the three of them. "No way, it is impossible to kill them using simple means," Ella said in a cold tone. Sallie Mills nodded her head and answered, "I think this place will be surrounded by more bloodthirsty rats. So we should leave quickly." "What about you?" She then asked looking at Maria Frazier. Two girls have a good impression of Maria. So adding her to their team doesn''t hurt them. But Ella quickly thought of Male members of the team. They have gone to survey other areas. It''s impossible to wait for them here. "What to do now?" She mumbled under her breath. But Sallie quickly saw through her thoughts. "Don''t worry about them. We will regroup later," She said. Maria Frazier also feels it''s right to join them. It''s difficult to survive alone in this trial. Then three of them immediately fled from the place. A few minutes later, Three of them were able to escape successfully. Right now, their current destination is the eastern poisonous mists area. After finding a good spot, three of them sat to take a rest. "Finally," Ella exhaled in relief. Sallie smiled in response. They have good combat strength to kill the rat monster. But if they kill the rat monster, the spilled blood will attract the attention of more monsters. If that happens, it would be difficult to escape from the group of monsters then. Maria Frazier let out a small sigh. Fortunately, she met with these two. If not it would have been difficult to replenish her essence. She immediately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate. Seeing that Sallie and Ella stopped talking and began to guard her. Ella furrowed her eyebrows. So far they have not seen other seed candidates except the dangerous monsters. She then looked at Maria. To be honest, she is surprised to see Maria. Whenever she looks at Maria, the image of Zack Lockwood comes to her mind. Suddenly she realized something. That''s right he must be here as well. She wanted to inquire about Zack. But after seeing Maria meditate, she decided to ask later. Chapter 438 Part One: Reaching The End (From MC''s perspective) Northern Lake, I spent quite a few hours resting near the shore of the lake. During that time, I got the intuition that someone is watching my movements. After getting those feelings, I stopped hunting fish monsters. I knew the competition was broadcasting live to millions of people. And it''s not appropriate to show overwhelming power. Otherwise, it will arouse the suspicion of many people. Before coming here, I thought I could freely use lightning power. But I hadn''t expected a change in the plans of the teacher. He had even made arrangements for my study at Saw Scaled Viper Academy. Shaking my head, I decided to leave. It''s best to kill terrain monsters physically. I think an overpowered physique won''t raise any doubts. While going back, I choose the central route which goes via a dark swamp. I believe quite a few monsters were left out there. If I can collect all those monster cores, then no one can beat me. Meanwhile, The death toll of seed candidates started to increase in numbers. This time not only the special trainee warriors died even the Trainee Warriors didn''t seem to escape from this harsh reality. Witnessing such a horrific scene, millions of people stopped watching it. Even the organizations found no change in the situation. Right now, only survivors'' organizations and families were glued to the screen. From this event, people started to realize that seed candidates from Tier-7 cities were not so great either. They are like everyone trying to escape from the hybrid monsters. Central area, The Male warriors from the Crimson Hall team are caught in a precarious situation. Like Maria and her team, they too are being chased by the bloodthirsty rat monsters. Unfortunately, the number of bloodthirsty rat monsters was staggeringly great. They don''t have breathing time like Maria and her team. Bob Williamson, Austin Boyer, and Bradley Reese were running for their life. Bob is taking the lead. Feeling desperation, a cold glint burst out from his eyes. Earlier, they went out to map the surrounding area. To think they came across bloodthirsty rats. He couldn''t help but curse at their bad luck. Swish! He made a quick slash to cut down the branches on the way. If any of them falls mistakenly, it will be all over. While fleeing, he kept his eyes on bloodthirsty rat monsters. Seeing the maddened state of those chasing rats. He knew it would be difficult to shake them off. At the same time, Austin Boyer and Bradley Reese looked at each other. Both of them follow Bob blindly. But they don''t know whether Bob has any destination in mind. Unfortunately, it is not the time for a talk. This harsh jungle makes it difficult to move. Suddenly, Austin sees some silhouettes ahead. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Not only him, Bradley and Bob also took notice of seed candidates coming in their direction. An evil smile appeared on Bob''s face. They are in desperate need of a scapegoat. Now they finally got their wish. Suddenly, three of them made eye contact. There is a tacit understanding between them. Sky Tower, Scenes of crimson hall members being watched by the Super elite warrior. First Elder Casey grinned wildly. Seeing that three of them were going to make use of clueless seed candidates, a hint of appreciation flashed in his eye. He hoped that their performance would catch the attention of the academy people. A trace of disdain flashed in Mike Smith''s eyes. He can see what is in Casey''s mind. But the end of Crimson Hall is already a foregone conclusion. And it''s impossible to leave any roots left in the end. Shaking his head, his gaze fell on another figure. He is none other than Zack Lockwood. To be honest, Zack''s movements didn''t go unnoticed under his eyes. It can be seen that Zack is not interested in fighting the monsters at all. He killed most of the monsters using brute strength. Which clearly shows that he is on a different scale than the rest of the seed candidates. Is it Peak Trainee or half-step elite? A doubt appeared in his heart. In either case, it''s good for their Saw Scale Viper Academy. He also knows other Super elite warriors keeping an eye on Zack. They don''t want to see the rise of such talented warriors in Saw Scale Viper Academy. He believes that they will do something after getting back to their organization. If they dare to do something now. He...He...He... The big man will make them disappear. These thoughts were running wild in his mind. He can''t say it openly. On the other hand, Harvey Kim shows a slight interest in Crimson Hall members. He didn''t despise their actions. If they don''t do something, then three of them would be eaten alive by a bloodthirsty rat monster. He takes a glance at Casey before watching the scene again. He didn''t expect this person to be ruthless enough to send his organization members. In this way, he can avoid some harsh criticism. Next, he sees that three of them made a surprise attack on clueless seed candidates. Which immediately caught them off guard. This sudden attack resulted in heavy injury. The new group has fallen to the ground. Seeing that the crimson hall members immediately fled from the place. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Harvey Kim burst into laughter. The reaction shown by the crimson hall members amused him greatly. The next moment, a horrible thing happened. The bloodthirsty rat monsters surrounded the new group. The seed candidates turned into bones in a matter of minutes. At the same time, Autumn Holt from White Palace frowns. She thinks exactly the opposite of Harvey Kim. In her opinion, there are ways to get rid of the monster instead of making someone else scale the goat. Like the method executed by Maria Frazier. Which deeply impressed her. Maria Frazier''s water element caught her attention. She is by far the most suitable candidate for the White Palace. At this moment, she made a firm decision. Which caused some changes in her plans. Earlier, she thought it would be best to return empty-handed. But that young girl seems promising. And sword techniques displayed here seem to be family techniques. So it doesn''t hurt to recruit one person. Besides, there are not many female candidates currently alive in this competition. She finally made up her mind to recruit this girl. Like her, other super elite warriors also select suitable candidates for their organization in their hearts. On the other hand, Teresa York is watching the scene without many expressions on her face. Instead of crimson hall members, her attention is mostly focused on one young man. It''s a pity that this young man is related to the Army Federation. But his actions piqued curiosity in her heart. She is confused why is he not making any move at all? She also observed one more thing. She hasn''t seen that young man using any element at all. That young man named Zack is using his fist to kill the monster. She furrowed her beautiful eyebrows. She then immediately turned towards a certain super elite warrior and asked, "Mike, what is the elemental power of a young man named Zack?" Her words immediately caught the attention of others. Harvey Kim''s eyes lit up with surprise. He too made a similar observation earlier. Since that young man is not going to join his organization. He didn''t ask about it. But now seeing Teresa, he perked up his ears to listen. "That young man has an extremely strong physique," Eduard Ortega suddenly commented. "Harumph," Harvey Kim gave a cold snort. Anyone can see that the young man has a strong physique. June Shelton from Silver Clouds Academy revealed an amusing smile on his face. He is not sad knowing that the young man is a person of the Army Federation. It would be troublesome if he is a member of the Eclipse Academy. But thankfully he is not. So he is quietly enjoying the show. Even Autumn Holt shifted her attention back to Teresa''s question. Facing all of their gazes, Mike Smith smiled wryly. "I don''t know?" He replied with a smile. Hearing that, a trace of disappointment flashes in Teresa''s eyes. She didn''t expect him to say anything. "Harumph," Harvey Kim another cold snort. He feels Mike is deliberately hiding the information. What a moron? Anyway, that kid is going to be exploited by the Army Federation. If he shows any lack of performance or sustains an injury, then he will be thrown out immediately. Shaking his head, his gaze then fell on the screen. But suddenly, an idea strikes his mind. While everyone shifted their attention back to the competition. He turned towards the event organizer. Casey from the Crimson Hall. "You...," Harvey pointed his finger at Casey and asked, "Do you know what that kid''s element of power is?" His words rang like thunder in Casey''s ears. He didn''t expect to hear a sudden question out of nowhere. Teresa York''e eyes lit up with surprise. She almost forgot about the existence of this person. Chapter 439 Part Two: Reaching The End Sky Tower, Casey broke out in cold sweat. He didn''t know about that brat''s awakened element. Not only that, no other organizations know about this specific information. Feeling the cold gaze from the super elite warrior, he knew it was impossible to remain silent anymore. "Ahem, sir. We don''t know about that brat''s element. Like I had said earlier, the brat is shrouded in secrets," He replied in a solemn tone. Hearing that, Harvey Kim''s face turned ugly. He waved his hand slightly but the force immediately impacted Casey. Pfff! First Elder Casey suffered a small blow from the impact. His heart is boiling in anger. He didn''t dare to show any discomfort on his face. He lowered his head and retreated backward. None of the super-elite warriors showed any pity to him. Harvey Kim then glanced at Mike Smith before turning toward the screen. Everyone knows that Mike Smith is not going to spill any secrets. A trace of disappointment flashes in Teresa''s eyes. But she knows there is no point in talking about it. ... (From MC''s perspective) The following day, I reached the outskirts of the dark swamp. Before going deep into the area, I decided to set up a tent there. A few minutes later, I walked into my tent and sat cross-legged on the mat. From the last day, I have got this peculiar feeling that someone is watching my movements. It''s quite possible that my movements attracted their attention. Day by day, the number of seed candidates is dying large numbers. So it''s normal for survivors to be noticed by the people. Thinking about it, a wry smile appeared on my face. Sometimes later, I walked out and headed straight toward the dark swamp. Roar! Just after I got closer, I saw two hybrid crocodiles fighting against each other. The monster is double in size compared to normal wilderness croc monsters. The two croc monsters were rolling sideways causing a disturbance. The shock wave swept away nearby trees and rocks. Seeing that, I didn''t hurriedly jump right into it. Rather I spread my consciousness slowly around these surroundings. Apart from two croc monsters, nothing caught my attention. But suddenly I feel a thing in my heart. My intuition is telling me that I''m missing something. And this feeling is getting more. Then I used my perceptual ability to scan the surroundings once again. But I furrowed my eyebrows a few minutes later. Still, nothing caught my attention. Then I shifted my attention back to the crock monster. Right now the croc monsters were worn out completely. Both the monsters have suffered gruesome injuries after fighting against each other. Yet, neither of them was retreating backward. Well, this gives me a good opportunity to kill these two monsters. Then without thinking further, I barged into their territory. My appearance is immediately noticed by two monsters. These two crocs made some noise in anger. But I remained indifferent to it. In a blink of an eye, I reached the closest monster. The croc widened and opened its massive jaw to take a bite. But I quickly evaded it and stomped heavily on top of its body. Crack! Bones crushed from the blow. Right after, the monster made a noise under agonizing pain. The other crock monster felt a huge threat from the newcomer. It immediately retreated backward to escape. Seeing that, I decided to end the monster quickly. I raised my fist to punch the monster''s head. Pfff! My punch easily tore through the monster''s head causing a wide hole. The hole looks small considering the monster''s massive head. I didn''t retract my hands back. Rather, I released a few lightning arcs from my palms. Boom! Right after, the huge head of the croc monster was blown into pieces. The brain matter mixed with blood splattered all around the ground. Tud! Then the massive body of the crock monster dropped dead on the ground. At the same time, I turned in the opposite direction and decided to give another croc monster a chase. But before I could do that, my senses were alarmed greatly. It warned me to move away from the spot immediately. "Lightning Phantom Technique," I uttered. The next second, like a flash I disappeared from the spot and reached my tent in a blink of an eye. Right after, I stopped using the lightning movement technique. The purple arcs released from my body are very eye-catching. Now everything has returned to normal. But I couldn''t help but curse at myself. The dangerous feeling was so great that I was pushed to use the lightning movement technique. I hope the teacher won''t scold me later. Shaking my head, my attention shifted back to the dark swamp again. I can still see the carcass of a massive croc monster. But what''s with the dangerous feeling before? It can cause danger to an elite-level warrior like me. There is something ominous there. It can even slip away from perception. My expression turned solemn after that. I immediately thought of Crimson Hall. I knew they were cruel. But I don''t think they can cause a threat to elite-level warriors. So whatever happening in the dark swap is something else. Should I inform the teacher about this? A quick glint flashes in my eyes. The event is going to end in a couple of hours. There is no point in making a fuss about it. Besides, apart from me, there is a slight possibility of other people coming here. If anyone comes here, they have to cross a giant crock monster before getting into the swamp. So I don''t think there will be casualties because of the sudden change. Then a hint of determination appeared in my eyes. "It''s best to leave this place and go back to the southern point. I have enough monster cores in my collection. There is no point in roaming around here, " I muttered to myself. Then I began to remove the tent. ... Meanwhile, Sky Tower, A few minutes ago, After the last episode, no one paid attention to Zack''s movements except Mike Smith. From time to time, Teresa would take a glance. Apart from that everyone is focussing on picking up their candidate. Suddenly, Mike watches Zack''s sudden movements. Looking at it, he realizes that the kid is going to fight against the croc monster. But those two croc monsters were not ordinary monsters either. Like other hybrids, these two crocs monsters also belong to the same category. Does he want to see what he is going to do? Coincidentally, Teresa''s gaze also fell on Zack''s screen. Seeing that Zack is going to confront the crock monster. She paused her gaze. Other seed candidates are either dying or fleeing from the monsters in desperation and fear. But Zack is doing the opposite. He has the strength to deal with all the monsters. So she became interested in watching Zack''s next move. At this time, no one is paying attention to Zack''s screen apart from these two. Even Casey from the crimson hall is focusing on his warriors. Suddenly, a quick change takes place on Zack''s screen. Seeing the massive head of the monster blown into pieces. A hint of surprise flashes in Mike Smith''s eyes. He is impressed by that kid''s strong physique again but he failed to notice the small purple arcs in Zack''s palm. Teresa is stunned as well. But her brain immediately works to find some answer. How come a massive head blows into pieces? What kind of force caused it? She squinted her eyes again. She knows Zack''s got the strength to kill that monster. But to blast the monster''s head into pieces. It requires force or elemental power to do that. She now confirms something in her heart. Which is that Zack used his elemental power now. She found something which even Mike failed to notice. "What kind of elemental power is that?" She said in her heart. When she was pondering, the next scene made her pale with fright. "What?" She got up from the seat the next second. Her sudden exclamation caught everyone off guard. She just saw purple arcs disappearing in flash. And in a blink of an eye, Zack appeared back in his tent. "Purple flash?" "Purple?" "Isn''t it a lightning element?" She asked in her heart. At the same time, the other super elite warriors stood up from their seats after the disturbance. "Teresa, what happened?" Harvey Kim asked in a solemn tone. They all are super elite warriors. So what can cause her to stand up with fright? Apart from the clueless four people, only Mike Smith knew what had happened. He immediately broke out in cold sweat. "So, Zack is a lightning warrior," He exclaimed in his heart. His earlier doubts were replaced by confirmation now. All other events that happened back in the academy between the higher-ups suddenly make sense now. No wonder that big man personally came here to protect his student. But unfortunately this b!tch noticed something. What to do now? He takes a glance at Teresa before his gaze falls on Zack. He knows Zack is sensible. So what caused him to release the lightning element? He believes something must have happened. Chapter 440 Change In Situations Sky Tower, The atmosphere turned solemn. Everyone is looking toward Teresa for answers. But her heart was set off storms. The more she recalled what she had witnessed a moment ago. It feels all real. She is sure that kid Zack Lockwood is a rare special element user like her. She is a user of the dark element and she knows the importance of the special element warrior. And now seeing the silent reaction of Mike Smith. She knows this is true. Her brain quickly works to come up with some solution. It''s impossible to let go of special element users just like that. But the problem is that the kid has a background related to the Army Federation. So technically no one can stop him from joining the Saw Scale Viper Academy. No way, if she can''t get such talented resources, then she should destroy Saw Scale Viper Academy''s opportunity. On the surface, everyone reveals a bit of cooperation. But in reality, a fierce struggle is happening between the academies. "Teresa?" Harvey Kim called out her name again. He is getting impatient. This woman caused a ruckus all of a sudden and now she is taking her time to reply. He cursed at her in his heart. Hearing that, Terersa turned towards Harvey. She knows it''s impossible to stop Mike Smith from taking away the kid. But if everyone else joined hands with her, then it would be a different case. Her eyes flickered with a cold glint. She then takes a glance at Mike before turning toward others. "Everyone, I got important information to share," She said. Autumn Holt, June Shelton, Harvey Kim, and Eduard Ortega looked at her. Harvey Kim raises his eyebrows in displeasure. Something must have happened. Otherwise, she won''t react like that a moment ago. Mike Smith clenched his fist. But he realizes something. The big man is watching the event so there is no need to worry about Zack''s safety. After thinking about it, he relaxed his fist. Now she dares to reveal the news then the Red Moon Tower will suffer huge consequences later. Meanwhile, First Elder Casey was dumbfounded by the sudden developments. What happened to these super-elite warriors? From the beginning, everyone is acting weirdly. And that woman in particular let out a scream all of a sudden. He didn''t dare to raise his voice now. He suffered a gruesome injury earlier. Just because he didn''t reply properly. A wry smile appeared on his face. He made up his mind to retreat backward. Otherwise, who knows what will happen next? Meanwhile, Autumn Holt bit her lips. She is confused by Teresa''s reaction. She knows how cold this woman is in real life. So what made her panic? June Shelton as usual revealed an amusing smile on his face. He knows the drama is going to be much more interesting from now onwards. But the next words from Teresa made him wide open his mouth. "That kid Zack Lockwood is a lightning element user," Teresa said in a cold tone. Gasp! Her words fell like a thunderclap in everyone''s ear. How rare to come across a special element user? There are hundreds of millions of people living in the entire outer post. And the number of new special element warriors can be counted on fingers. Autumn Holt''s heart skips a beat. She never expected the news to be this huge. But it''s a pity, her organization is doomed to not get a special element warrior. If it is a female warrior, then it would be a different case. A hint of disappointment flashes in her eyes. Harvey Kim''s heart skips a beat. But seeing her serious reaction, he feels the information might be true. Comparing previous words from the event organizer Casey. His expression couldn''t help but turn serious. June Shelton wide opened his mouth in disbelief. How did she find out? A question rose in her heart. Before he could ask, a burly man appeared in front of Teresa. He is none other than Eduard Ortega from the Giant Tower. Now the calm and composed face of Eduard Ortega is replaced by rare seriousness. He asked, "Is it true?" Teresa knows it''s hard for everyone to believe her words. So she explained what she saw on the screen. Then everyone turned towards Mike Smith a couple of seconds later. Seeing him not reacting to their conversation. A vicious glint flashes in Eduard Ortega''s eyes. "Saw Scale Viper Academy? What are you scheming?" He said in a deep voice. Not only him, but even Harvey Kim''s eyes also flash with killing intent. Right now, everyone believes Teresa''s words. On top of it, they had never seen Zack using elemental power in this competition. Which added to their doubts more and combined with claims made by the event organizer. Everyone concluded that Teresa''s words are true. Now they can''t see a new special element user joining Saw Scale Viper Academy. The amusing smile on June Shelton''s face disappeared. He then stands along with Harvey Kim. Autumn Holt bit her lips, her organization is made up of female warriors. She doesn''t know who to support this time. But seeing that majority of them are against Mike. She helplessly stands together with them. On the other hand, Casey''s eyes shone with bright light. "So, that''s how it is?" He mumbled under his breath. For a long time, the organization has spent numerous hours finding out Vincent''s information. But unfortunately, no one was able to find the valid information. So much so that he even himself got involved in dealing with the young warrior. Now looking back at various events. Especially Vincent''s amazing performance in Star Tower Trials and later his mysterious disappearance from the city. When he connects all these dots. Everything makes sense to him now. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," He then let out a bitter laugh. To think that kid holds such a secret. Anger rose in his heart. Now that he knows the information, it is even impossible for him to let that kid go. Special Element users are sought by many big organizations. And that kid can join such an organization. If the kid seeks revenge in the future, then it would be disastrous for his organization and himself. But fortunately, watching the reactions of super elite warriors. He knows that these people won''t let it happen. He won''t be surprised even if they kill Zack. Now he is just waiting for their order. More than the result of the competition, he wants to see the corpse of that kid. Meanwhile, The situation has become like 5 vs 1. Teresa York, Autumn Holt, Eduard Ortega, Harvey Kim and Mike Smith were facing Mike Smith. They are expecting Mike to back out from the recruitment. But it is impossible to do so. To their actions, Mike responded with a smile. Shaking his head, he said, "I told you before that kid has connections with the Army Federation. So don''t do stupid actions." After saying that he sat back in his seat. Like nothing had happened. Mike''s fearless response stunned the rest of them. Eduard Ortega gave a cold snort before saying, "What connections are you talking about? He is just a Trainee Warrior brat." "That''s right, that kid didn''t join any organization officially. So no one can say anything to us if we kill him by mistake," Harvey Kim added to Eduard''s words. Teresa''s eyes burst out with a cold glint. Seeing his calm and composed face of Mike. She feels something is not right. What gives him such confidence? So that he is not afraid of joint retaliation by their organization. Mike Smith responded with an indifferent gaze to their questions. He is not afraid of their attack at all. Rather they should be worrying about their life. He hadn''t expected Vincent''s information to get exposed in this way. Shaking his head, he set his gaze on the screen. Now he hopes that these people won''t stupidly stop this competition. Seeing his non-nonchalant attitude of Mike, veins begin to pop up on Eduard''s forehead. If not for the current occasion, he would attack the other party right now. June Shelton quickly thought of something and asked, "Should we stop this competition?" "No," Harvey Kim immediately refuted his words. So far hundreds of seed candidates have died. It already raised the dissatisfaction of millions of people. If they stop this competition now, then their reputation will further plummet. Then who should bear the loss of lives? Which is more troublesome than dealing with the special element warrior. Then he quickly explained the pros and cons to others. Harvey''s quick explanation convinced everyone. They can still deal with the kid after the competition. Then everyone sat back in their seats one by one. Harvey Kim''s explanation made a lot more sense to them. Autumn Holt feels it is unnecessary to kill that kid. But these people won''t let another powerhouse appear in the Army Federation. Especially the special element user would get a lot more attention compared to others. Like those two, she looked at Teresa and June for a couple of seconds before looking at the screen. Eduard Ortega was unconvinced in his heart. But it is difficult to act against a decision made by the majority. Chapter 441 The Competition Came To An End Odyssey Monster Zone, The actions of the super-elite warriors didn''t go unnoticed under Lowell & Jonathan''s eyes. For them, these super elite warriors were 5 bigger ants. You can crush them anytime you want. So Lowell McClain didn''t mind their little calculations. If they dare to cross their line, he won''t mind erasing them. Also, he already noted down their expressions. Especially the super elite warriors from the eclipse academy and the giant tower. He will put them back in their place later. But right now his attention is focused on the middle of the monster zone. His eyes easily saw difficulties of Zack. Especially when Zack released the lightning power to escape, he sensed the changes. A deadly mutation is occurring in a dark swamp, causing the swamp water to be more poisonous and corrosive. He also realized that not everything was under the control of Crimson Hall. They carelessly played with the environment of this monster zone. Because of it, unknown changes were starting to take place in the dark swamp. His eyes flickered with a slight glint. The competition is coming to an end. So he feels there is no need to interfere right now. But after the competition, he made up his mind to collect a sample of the dark swamp. At the same time, his servant Jonathan is watching everything silently. He is waiting for his master''s order. If his master signals him, he is ready to take the life of these super elite warriors. Meanwhile, The super-elite warriors were clueless about the impending danger. Rather they had decided to join hands together to prevent Mike Smith from taking away Zack Lockwood. ... (From MC''s perspective) Sitting under a giant shade tree, I looked at the vast sky. The competition is coming to an end in a few hours. I don''t know how many people will survive in the end. Thinking about the possible numbers, I sighed inwardly. Suddenly the image of a beautiful figure comes to mind. She is none other than Maria Frazier. I wonder how she is doing. Is she alive? The next moment, I shook my head. Her clan is quite strong. They must have provided her with life-saving items. There is a possibility of survival. Then I waited for the competition to come to an end. The changes in the dark swamp already made me quite scared. It can pose a threat to elite-level warriors. It made me cautious not to barge into other places. Time passed in a blink of an eye, A few hours later, The loud announcement spread throughout the entire monster zone. Hearing that, I got up from the ground and rushed in the southern direction. Evening, 5 P.M I reached the outskirts of the southern area. The exit gate is located half a mile from here. So I will be there soon. Swish! Suddenly, three female silhouettes appeared on the opposite side. Seeing that, I paused my movement for a moment. "Ella Downs" "Sallie Mills" and "Maria Frazier" I mumbled under my breath. I didn''t expect these three to group together. Especially after the recent turmoil in the red city. It''s natural for Maria to not join them. The next moment, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Perhaps, the hybrid monsters and extreme conditions out here changed their mindset. By this time, the other survivors who hid near the southern exit gate also started to appear. My gaze immediately shifted to them. Seeing their almost unscathed body and armor, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. Looking at their appearance, I realized they didn''t even leave this place. To survive, they chose to hide near the gate. Coincidentally, I saw Maria and others looking at me right now. Ella Downs and Sallie Mills revealed shocked expressions on their faces. And Maria revealed a small smile on her face. Seeing that, I nodded my head in response. But I couldn''t help but think about other crimson hall members. What happened to them? My gaze then immediately swept past the surroundings. But I see no sign of crimson hall''s warriors. Then shaking my head, I walked toward the giant gate. Meanwhile, Sky Tower, The atmosphere inside the sky tower again shifted to freezing point. When the announcement was made. Everyone got up from their seats. Teresa York seemed impatient. Not only her the other 5 super elite warriors are looking at one particular screen. Where the image of Zack can be seen. He is walking towards the exit along with other seed candidates. "Let''s catch him before he realizes something," Teresa said in a cold tone. Autumn Holt shook her head helplessly. Eduard Ortega clenched his big fist. Which sent a shock wave around him. "Wait for a while, that kid won first place. We will catch him when arrives to collect his reward," Harvey Kim said with a smile. He already calculated how to catch this kid without making much fuss. Because he gives more importance to the reputation of the academy. Now the kid was watched by millions of people. And everyone knows that he is the final winner. If Zack fails to appear on the screen to get his winning reward. Then people will suspect them eventually. He doesn''t want such a scene to happen. At the same, June Shelton gave a small applause. He is once again surprised by Harvey Kim''s quick thinking. Now they can watch the kid die silently. A hint of clarity appeared in Teresa''s eyes. She almost forgot about the rewards. Suddenly, a hint of realization dawned upon her. The reward for 1st place in this competition is an unknown elemental seed. The unknown elemental seed is an expensive treasure. And the exact value can''t be evaluated because of its lack of details. The reason it''s placed in a reward section is because of its damaged origin. Otherwise, the research people would have got this item by any means possible. But now it has become cheap for this brat. Then thinking about the brat''s end, she revealed a smile on her face. Eduard Ortega eases his fist. Harvey''s words made some sense. Right now everyone is looking forward to seeing Zack. Subconsciously, everyone avoided seeing Mike Smith. Meanwhile, Mike Smith laughed coldly in his heart. These people are overestimating themselves. Shaking his head, he set his gaze on the screen. Outside, Cheer! When I walked outside. I heard a loud cheer among the audience who were waiting outside. There were all forces related to the survivors. But soon some of the seed candidates broke down. Those who were injured were taken to the emergency click. Except for a few who went into a hide. Almost everyone has suffered some kind of injury. So the commotion quieted down quickly. But the live broadcast has not stopped. Until the award ceremony, it is going to continue. Suddenly, I noticed Maria is greeted by her clan members. Sallie and Ella Downs were quickly taken by their clan members as well. Seeing that, a quick glint flash in my eyes. Because there is no sign of other crimson hall members yet. "So they are killed as well," I mumbled under my breath. But it''s a pity, they didn''t die in my hands. Shaking my head, I decided to find some room to freshen up. I believe that the next announcement would come up short. But before I could do that, the path was blocked by people. There are plenty of people who want to see my face right now. Because of the security arrangements made by the event organizer. The crowd can''t break them. Hearing the loud chant of my name. I feel sudden dizziness. What to do now? Beep! Suddenly my watch lit up with a notification. Seeing that it was a message from Jonathan, I sighed in relief. After reading the message, a hint of relief flashed in my eyes. Jonathan wants me to come to the backside of the administration building. After knowing that, I changed my route and walked toward the administration building right next to me. I walked past the staff and quickly arrived backside of the administration building. Seeing the face of the familiar person, I smiled in response. "Zack," Jonathan uttered. The next moment, he grabbed Zack''s shoulder and disappeared from the spot. After a few seconds, the staff who followed Zack stood in disbelief. At the same time, Jonathan dropped Zack on top of the sky tower. Swish! I landed on the ground slowly. But the smile on my face didn''t disappear. Looks like Jonathan forgot that I can still fly because I''m an elite-level warrior now. Jonathan also quickly realized his mistake and let out a small laugh, "Ha...Ha....Ha..." "You are an elite-level warrior now. I still remember the helpless face of a special trainee warrior back then, " He said with a sigh. How long has it been? Zack''s astonishing growth rate surprised him a lot. Then after pushing these unnecessary thoughts back off his mind. He shifted his attention back to the main topic. The super-elite warriors made up their minds to kill Zack. So Zack should know about them before accepting the reward. Chapter 442 Award Ceremony From MC''s perspective: Jonathan''s face turned serious. Which made me think about what could go wrong. No one could beat him and the teacher. Before I could ask, Jonathan began to speak. After a few minutes, I raised my eyebrows. I had never expected my lightning movement to get noticed by these people. And now they know that I''m a lightning elemental warrior. It will be a matter of time before the news goes to their organization. But the worry appeared on my face for a moment before it disappeared completely. Since both of them are present here, they will take care of everything. At this time, Jonathan said, "They are planning to capture you after the prize ceremony. So don''t worry about it, I''ll be hiding in the shadows. If any of them raise their hand, I''ll take care of them silently." Jonathan''s strong words assured me. So I nodded my head in response. After some talk, he dropped me back to the old place and disappeared from the spot silently. The back of the administration office is a blind spot. So the media can''t naturally cover everything. Then I slowly appeared before the staff. My sudden appearance surprised them greatly. Then the event staff quickly led me to the Sky Tower, where the prize was going to be awarded by the academy representatives. I eagerly looked forward to seeing the representative from the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Gasp! At the same time, I saw my image on the big screen and those waiting outside started to chant my name. Seeing all this, I didn''t know how to react. I felt they were purposely shifting attention from the actual tragedy. The bodies of the seed candidates had yet to be recovered from the monster zone, and I didn''t know if the management was planning to retrieve them or not. Similar thoughts came to mind. The staff then led me to the conference room, where the top participants would be seated. After walking into the room, the staff guided me to the front row. Then I sat silently in my chair. After speaking a few words to me, the staff quietly left the room. A few minutes later, The other seed candidates began to come in. After taking a quick look at me, everyone found an empty chair to sit in. Apart from me, no one was sure of their ranking. The monster cores have not been collected yet. As the warriors began to arrive, my gaze passed by everyone. As I expected, they were all Trainee Warriors. I noticed that some of the warriors had missing body parts. Such a scene was becoming more common. Only those who chose to hide were unscathed. Shaking my head, I returned to my usual position. After a few minutes, the broadcast staff arrived with their equipment. Soon after, the event staff arrived. It was time to collect the monster cores from the participants and announce the rankings. As I glanced around, I spotted familiar faces. Three girls were sitting together and talking. Then, my gaze swept over the rest of the people. "Only 100 of them were seated," I muttered under my breath. I guessed that the people behind the scenes already knew the rankings because the competition was alive. Therefore, the staff was carefully observing every movement of the warriors. Suddenly, I felt a cold gaze behind me. Then, I saw a stranger approaching the stand. Judging by the reactions of the staff, I guessed that he was related to the management. But when the staff introduced him, a look of understanding came over me. The next moment, my eyes glinted coldly. So he was the famous elder of the Crimson Hall. And the main cause of my difficulties was him. He was the one who ordered the Crimson Hall members to kill me. Also, the previous assassination attempt on me had a lot to do with him. If the event hadn''t been broadcast live, I would have taken action against him right now. Meanwhile, Casey''s hatred towards Zack did not diminish, but he controlled himself. He knew the plan of the super-elite warrior. Five of the super-elite warriors were planning to kill Zack after the awards ceremony, so Zack only had a few hours to live. And as for the other super-elite warrior, He didn''t think that the representative from Saw Scale Viper Academy could fight against the rest of the super-elite warriors. After gaining some clarity in his thoughts, he laughed to himself. Then, he proceeded to collect the monster cores from the seed candidates. On the other hand, the five super elite warriors were watching the event. Seeing Zack seated in the first row, everyone controlled their impulse. From now on, there was no chance for that kid to escape. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Harvey Kim burst out laughing before turning his gaze towards Mike Smith. "Mike, I feel sorry for you. You won''t be able to do anything now," he added. Hearing that, others revealed small smiles on their faces, but Mike Smith remained indifferent to their behavior. Because he already knew how everything was going to end. In his eyes, these people were just jumping clowns. Teresa York observed Mike''s expression. She felt something was wrong, but she didn''t know what it was. Mike Smith came alone without any support, So how could he stay calm and composed? Then, upon seeing Zack''s face on the screen, she calmed her heart. It was just a matter of time before they would present the award to him. Everything would come to light at that time, there was no need to overthink too much. Eduard Ortega grinned wildly upon seeing Zack''s face on the screen. Thinking about uprooting the future powerhouse, he was glad in his heart. Only Autumn Holt and June Shelton remained calm compared to the other three. Autumn Holt felt the rising tension, but more than that, her attention was shifted to something else. She was looking at one particular screen where the image of Maria Frazier could be seen. She had already selected her as a student of the White Palace. She didn''t care about Zack''s ending, rather, she hoped that these people wouldn''t stop her from recruiting Maria Frazier. "Other two girls were quite good as well," Her gaze then fell on Sallie Mills and Ella Downs. "These three seed candidates were quite eye-catching in the competition." "Cough." Teresa York noticed the expression of Autumn Holt. She was well aware of the condition of the White Palace right now. Was she planning to recruit someone? She raised her eyebrows in surprise. Then she followed her gaze and finally saw the faces of the three seed candidates on the screen. She quickly connected the dots. She knew that the seed candidate named Maria Frazier was a Water Element Warrior, so it was normal for Autumn to be interested in recruiting her. ... Meanwhile, First Elder Casey was proceeding to collect the monster core. When my name was announced in the first place, I wasn''t surprised. I got up from my seat and walked up to the desk. Then I started taking out the monster cores one by one. "Gasp!" When I placed the monster core of the Class-3 Monster on the table, the seed candidates behind me exclaimed in surprise. But the reaction of the staff was normal. After a few minutes, I submitted all of my monster cores and then went back to my seat. Casey then calculated the points and listed my name in the rankings. I was ranked first with 12,000 points. Gasp! The staggering number left people speechless. They knew how difficult it was to kill even one hybrid monster in the monster zone, but I had killed many more. It was something that others couldn''t even imagine accomplishing. The high score even wiped the smile off Casey''s face. Meanwhile, Maria''s mouth hung open in surprise, along with Sallie Mills and Ella Downs, who also showed a similar reaction. "How is that possible?" Ella Downs exclaimed in surprise. She remembered that Zack was not this strong when she first met him at Star Tower. Even Sallie Mills found it hard to believe. Everyone else had come out of life-threatening situations alive, but this person had made so many kills. It seemed like the majority of the hybrid monsters had been wiped out by him. A wry smile appeared on her face as she thought about it. Maria Frazier calmed herself down. She remembered the advice Zack had given her back in Red City. She thought Zack was just a Trainee Warrior like her. But looking at the score, she realized that Zack was hiding his true strength. Was he above the Trainee Warrior level? The thought made her face show disbelief. She knows what''s above Trainee Warrior, but that base is difficult to achieve. Shaking her head, she pushed these unnecessary thoughts behind her. She feels it''s better to ask Zack directly some other time. Right now, it''s given that Zack will easily join one of the six academies. Thinking about it, she felt happy in her heart. Chapter 443 Part One: Final Clash From MC''s perspective: Odyssey Monster Zone, After my turn, the other seed candidates submitted their monster cores. Feeling the gazes around me, I remained silent. As the time gets closer, I see the expression on the person from the crimson hall getting brighter. Does he know? I couldn''t help but think of Jonathan''s words. My eyes flickered with a cold glint. But the next second it recovered back to normal. Time passed, When everyone submitted their monster cores, the final rankings were listed and shown on the screen. My eyes set on the 1st place and then followed other names. Looking at the number of points in the 2nd position. My mouth curved into an arc. "Someone managed to achieve 2000 points," I mumbled under my breath. The people must have hailed from a strong background. Then after taking a glance at other rankings, I recovered back to my usual position. It''s strange, there is no name of three girls in the top 10. But I know they are stronger than average warriors. Maybe the majority of them in the top 10 rankings might have looted the monster cores from other warriors. Meanwhile, the staff came forward and stated the top 10 will get the prize from the hands of the representatives from the different academies. Hearing the announcement, I sighed inwardly. The time has come. Don''t know how many will survive at the hands of Jonathan? Right after, the staff told the top 10 warriors to follow the event head. He is none other than the person from Crimson Hall. The person named Casey looked at me with an evil grin on his face. If I wasn''t aware of his real face, I must have believed this person is genuinely happy for me. Ignoring his evil grin, I followed him to the top floor. The rest of the seed candidates quietly followed me from behind. When we reach the top floor. I slowly walked into the room. But the next moment, I feel a terrifying malicious intent. My expression changes drastically. When I raised my head to see. I see six strong warriors seated next to each other. "Strong," I said in my heart. No doubt, the strong presence of these people tells me that all of them were above the Elite level. And that level is called Super Elite. A small sweat bead appears on my forehead. From Jonathan''s words, I knew except one other 5 Super Elite Warriors wanted me dead. And the strong malicious intent comes from the burly figure. The heavily built middle-aged man is looking at me with red eyes. I think if not for the occasion, he wouldn''t have patiently sat on the seat. Meanwhile, the super-elite warrior scrutinizes Zack as well. Mike Smith from the Saw Scale Viper Academy was impressed by seeing Zack''s calm temperament. He believes such a temperament comes from inner confidence. Recalling Zack''s teacher, a hint of envy flashes in his eyes but it''s for a moment before it disappears. On the other hand, Teresa York observed Zack''s expression. Seeing there is no hint of fear on Zack''s face, she is quite surprised. At this time, she looked at Mike''s reaction. Seeing his calm, made her even more confused. How come the other party is so calm and composed? Shouldn''t he step toward saving Zack''s life? She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Harvey Kim revealed a bright smile on his face. He knows that the event is going live. So he didn''t reveal malicious intent carelessly like Eduard Ortega. Only Autumn Holt and June Shelton remained quiet and looked at everything silently. Meanwhile, Lowell McClain already arrives above the dark swamp. Looking at the dark swamp from mid-air, his eyes flickered with a slight glint. He just needs to collect the sample. Later, he can do all the testing back in his home. Then he slowly descended to the ground and proceeded to collect some samples. He didn''t worry about other things. Because Jonathan is capable of handling other Super Elite Warriors. Now his attention is entirely on the contamination. He wants to know how the mutation works ? Apart from him, no one is aware of such changes. Meanwhile, The staff began to announce the winner''s name. And the person who is going to present the award is none other than Super Elite Warrior from Red Moon Tower, Teresa York. Teresa York got up from the seat and walked forward. She didn''t expect that she is going to present the unknown seed. After arriving in front of the camera, she is ready to present the prize. On the other hand, my face looked calm but my heart was not calm at all. I don''t know when Jonathan will barge here to save me. I think these people won''t do anything before the live camera. But once the live telecast comes to an end. They will act for sure. Suddenly, the staff uttered my name. Click! The sounds of the camera clicking appeared louder all of a sudden. People behind the camera zoomed in on Zack''s image. "Sigh" I let out a small sigh before walking forward in front of everyone''s gazes. When I stood opposite the Super Elite Warrior named Teresa York. I subconsciously felt tremendous pressure. Thankfully, I''m an Elite Warrior. I don''t know what will happen. If it''s someone else. Teresa''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. She released a fraction of a pressure unknowingly. But Zack didn''t suffer any disadvantage. Teresa knows if it were an ordinary warrior, he would have suffered a few broken bones. But right now there is no time for such thinking. Because the staff brought the prize. It is a golden box. Seeing that she retracted her thoughts and focussed on the present event. When the staff handed over the treasure, she took it from the staff. On the other hand, my eyes gleamed with twinkles seeing the golden box. Huge expectations rose in my heart. The important moment has arrived. I participated in this competition for the 1st prize. Earlier, the teacher told me about treasure. He said the prize is more suitable for me. I can''t wait to see what''s inside the box. In front of everyone, I received the golden box. After receiving it, I stored the Golden box in my storage ring. Next, I stepped backward and let other people receive the reward. I turned around and walked toward the exit. But suddenly I paused, the elder from Crimson Hall blocking my path. "This guy?" My eyes flickered with a cold glint. What to do? Then I turned around and returned to my previous position, standing together with other seed candidates. Seeing that first elder Casey revealed an evil grin on his face. Meanwhile, Eduard Ortega sneered inside. He doesn''t know what''s with the event organizer. His deliberate action is helping them. From the beginning, his eyes never left the sight of Zack Lockwood. Time passed, One by one other seed candidates got their prizes. The live broadcast comes to an end. With that, the competition comes to a formal end as well. Right after that, other seed candidates and event staff began to leave the room. Seeing that, I am also looking forward to leaving. But before I could do that I heard a strong voice from behind. ? "Zack Lockwood, wait for a second," Mike Smith said all of sudden. His words surprised everyone. I turned around and looked at the person. "Hi, Zack. I''m Mike Smith from the Saw Scale Viper Academy," Mike Smith said. Hearing that, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Before I could reply, the other super-elite warriors surrounded us in a blink of an eye. Seeing that my expression changes drastically. The worst thing has happened. When I looked around, except other seed warriors and staff had already left the room. So there was no more live broadcast. Seeing the changes Mike Smith didn''t get flustered. Rather he is waiting for a certain person to barge in. Instead of looking at the warriors, I looked through the window. Jonathan, where are you? I don''t want to get attacked by the super-elite warriors. Meanwhile, seeing the reactions of these two. Teresa got alarmed. The unknown feeling in her heart is starting to get heavier. From the beginning, she knows something is wrong. Now seeing their relaxed look from them. She realized there must be some kind of backup. Swish! All of a sudden, tremendous pressure appeared. The 5 super elite warriors felt humongous pressure weighing on them. Boom! Before they could think five of them were crushed to the ground. What? Harvey Kim exclaimed in horror. Pfff! Coughing up blood, again he fell and lay down on the ground. Teresa York''s pupil constricts in disbelief. She wasn''t able to lift her body. The pressure is so huge that she can''t tilt her head. Feeling that, she looked at Zack and Mike Smith in horror. Her assumption became true. These guys have a strong backup. So strong that even super-elite warriors were pale in comparison. Chapter 444 Part Two: Final Clash From MC''s perspective: Sky Tower, Seeing everyone crushed down to the ground. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Jonathan started to act now. I can let go of my hanging heart. Then I see Mike Smith break out in cold sweat. I wasn''t surprised by his reaction. He must be surprised by Jonathan''s power. While I''m pondering, I suddenly noticed one of the rats is hiding cleverly. He is none other than the Elder from the crimson hall. Feeling my gaze, that guy is genuinely terrified. But I have no sympathy for him. From the beginning, he had devised a plan to kill me. Fortunately, I broke through before the start of the competition. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and instantly appeared in front of the guy. First Elder Casey starts panicking, his worldview has turned over completely. Seeing the super elite warriors lying down on the ground like an ant. His legs completely lost their strength. Now Zack appeared in front of him all of a sudden. Meanwhile, I took out the black sword from the storage ring and made a slash. Under the horrifying gaze of Casey, the blade sliced through the neck like butter. Pfff! The next second, a headless corpse dropped down to the ground. No one would have thought that Crimson Hall''s First Elder would be met with such an end. After taking one glance at the cold corpse, I placed the black sword back in my storage ring. ... Mike Smith is dumbstruck by Zack''s actions. He had never expected this brat to dare to kill someone under his nose. But then a sudden realization struck his mind. Zack''s actions must be approved by his teacher. So he didn''t dare to ask Zack. Meanwhile, the super-elite warriors'' faces are discolored in fear. Zack''s bold actions stunned them as well. Autumn Holt''s hands became pale in color, her whole body trembling In fear. Suddenly, she realizes what went wrong. She looked at Mike Smith who was standing without any expression on his face. "It must be those federation guys. They had sent a powerful house to take away the special element warrior," She said in her heart. And without realizing that five of them stood against Mike. She doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Teresa York and Harvey Kim hastily made the decision. Now everyone is experiencing the heat of it. She can only hope to get pity from the powerhouse. Meanwhile, June Shelton''s face was also covered in dust. He couldn''t even see what was happening around him. ... Swish! Jonathan appeared in the middle of the room. His appearance startled everyone. At the same time, ignoring everyone. I walked up to him. I can''t wait to leave this place to check the golden box. Seeing Zack, Jonathan then glances at the headless corpse for a second. Before turning back his attention toward Zack. A hint of surprise flashes in his eyes. He had never expected such a daring move from Zack. Jonathan didn''t even look at the figures lying on the ground. The super-elite warriors felt great humiliation. Like Teresa York, her heart is boiling in anger. At this moment, she remembered her advice from Mike. He knew about the backup. That''s why he was calm and composed all along. A small miscalculation on their part made them offend someone who shouldn''t be offended. Five of them knew that the federation powerhouse was many times stronger than them. His pressure alone can make them surrender. Such a horrible feeling appears in her heart. Harvey Kim gritted his teeth in anger. He couldn''t help but curse at Mike in his heart. The other party knew something. But he didn''t reveal the news a bit. If he had known such a powerhouse was for the lightning elemental warrior, he would have kept silent. Now the situation has worsened, his life is in the hands of the powerhouse. Meanwhile, Mike Smith felt chills down his spine, seeing Jonathan. He knows this person is the servant of that big man. Feeling such strong pressure, he wasn''t able to guess the real cultivation of the powerhouse. Feeling the gaze, Jonathan simply nodded at him. Looking at Zack, he asked, "Are you ready?" Hearing that, I nodded my head. Because It''s time to leave this monster zone. Jonathan then glances at the super-elite warriors lying down on the ground. Feeling his piercing gaze, everyone is terrified. "Ahem, I have been observing your movements since the start of the competition," He uttered while looking at everyone with a cold gaze. His words fell like a thunderclap in everyone''s ears. Harvey Kim''s heart skips a beat. Apart from him and Teresa, no one spoke that many words. He fears that the powerhouse would take action on him. Seeing the extreme fear in everyone''s eyes, Jonathan canceled the pressure. The next moment, everyone gasped for breath. "Zack is part of our federation now. I hope everyone will forget about him. Otherwise, no one can save your life in this entire outer post," Jonathan said while looking at everyone. His words completely jolted awake them from their dream. They didn''t doubt his words. The pressure alone can make everyone believe. "And you," Suddenly, Jonathan pointed his finger at Eduard Ortega. Eduard Ortega''s pupils constrict. He remembered his earlier words. Facing a powerhouse, he started to stutter. "Do you want your Giant Tower to be destroyed?" Jonathan asked in a cold tone. Eduard Ortega''s face darkened. Facing thunderous questions, he stepped backward in fear. "No" "I made a mistake," Eduard Ortega replied in fear. He thinks he is going to die. Hearing that, Teresa York turned stiff. She is the one who exposed Zack''s lightning power. Beep! A notification sound comes from Jonathan''s watch. Seeing that, Jonathan looked through the window. "Looks like Master finished his sample collection," He said in his heart. "Harumph," Then he gave a cold snort, looking at Eduard Ortega. "Remember my words," Saying that he grabbed Zack''s collar and disappeared from the spot. Tud! Right after his disappearance, everyone slumped back to the ground. "Damn it," Harvey Kim uttered. His back was drenched in a cold sweat. Ignoring everyone, he panted heavily. Teresa York also sighed in relief. "[email protected]," Eduard Ortega uttered in relief. He felt that huge weight lifted off his shoulder. For a moment, he thought he was gone. Autumn Holt and June Shelton are also not in good shape either. Looking at everyone, Mike Smith revealed a smirk on his face. He had advised them earlier. But none of them listened to his friends. Then looking at everyone, he said," Alright, guys. Don''t you want to recruit other seed candidates?" "Shall I call them?" He said in a mocking tone. Pfff! Hearing that, Harvey Kim coughed up blood. Feeling the mocking tone, he gritted his teeth in anger. He had never expected such a mocking tone from Mike. Veins began to pop up from his forehead. The expression of others also turned dark. Right now, Teresa has managed to stand up. Ignoring the words, she sat back in her seat and swallowed the healing pills. The healing pills are very high-grade. Right after consumption, her internal injuries were instantly healed. And she returned to her peak within minutes. Seeing her doing that, the rest of them took the healing pills immediately. A few minutes later, Everyone returned to their peak. Seeing that Mike Smith shook his head and returned to his seat. For a moment, the atmosphere quieted down all of a sudden. None of them spoke any words. Meanwhile, the staff was getting impatient. They don''t know what happened to Elder Casey. By this time, the recruitment should have happened. Seeing the absence of First Elder Casey, they were confused. Why hasn''t Elder Casey arrived? The staff started to discuss with each other. The seed candidates also appeared to be clueless. No one dares to go to the top floor. If they disturb the representative, then the consequences will be disastrous. Meanwhile, Sallie frowned. She feels something is wrong. Because she hasn''t seen the silhouette of Zack yet. Which means Zack is still on the top floor. On top of it, there is no news about Elder Casey. What happened to them? Has the elder made any move against Zack? Sallie thought to herself. Similar thoughts appeared in the mind of Ella Downs. She looked at Sallie and asked, "Can you contact other elders?" Hearing that, Sallie nodded her head. They must have the contact information of Elder Casey. Besides, Maria Frazier is busy speaking to her father. Everyone wants to know the update. Since the live broadcast ended. No one had any clue about what happened next. The entire Frazier Clan wants to know about the recruitment process. They are looking forward to seeing which academy their young miss is going to join. Similarly, the atmosphere back in the red city is not any different. The entire city is celebrating Zack''s success. Zack''s winning made their entire city famous. Now, the entire outer post knows about the Tier-8 City called the Red City. Chapter 445 Part Three: Final Clash From MC''s perspective: Before I could realize where Jonathan is taking me. I arrived back at a familiar place. Seeing the teacher standing in mid-air above the dark swamp. A lot of questions come to mind. What is he doing here? A cold shiver went down my spine. Something is wrong with this dark swamp. Is he coming to investigate this place? Meanwhile, Lowell McClain is already aware of their presence. After retracting his glance from the dark swamp, he turned towards the two. There is no need to ask. Lowell knows that Zack got 1st place and received the prize as well. And when it comes to those Super Elite Warriors. He didn''t even bother to ask. "Did you get that seed as a prize?" Lowell inquired looking toward Zack. Feeling the gaze of the teacher, I immediately brought out the golden box and handed it over to him. Lowell McClain picked up the golden box and opened it. Inside, a black color seed is placed inside the box. Seeing the black seed, he revealed a satisfied smile on his face. The Super Elite Warriors didn''t recognize the seed. Not only them but in the entire outer post. Nobody knows about the exact origin of the black seed. If they had known, the black seed wouldn''t have appeared in the competition. It would have been snatched away by the powerhouses. After closing the box, he gave it back to Vincent. Then he slowly said, "Do you know why? I want you to win 1st place." Hearing that, my gaze fell on the golden box in my hand. I asked back, "Teacher, what exactly is the black seed?" "The black seed is related to your lightning element. If you absorb the energy, it can increase your lightning talent further," Lowell said in a calm tone. I widened my eyes in disbelief. But the teacher''s next words poured cold water on my head. "But the black seed is damaged right now. It will take a huge essence of lightning power to recover. You can keep the seed with yourself for the time being," Lowell added further. I don''t know how to react for a moment. So the black seed is nothing but a waste product right now. A wry smile appeared on my face. Lowell McClain saw through Zack''s thoughts. He said, "Now that your talent is exposed. It will be a matter of time before you see the wider world." "And to face all of the challenges ahead, the black seed will be immensely helpful when you go to the Inner Post." Hearing such positive words from the teacher, my mood becomes much better. The seed is great but it''s nothing compared to the Ancient Inheritance. Thinking about the inheritance, I broke out in a cold sweat. I almost forgot about it. The mysterious spirit gave me many conditions. If I fail any of those, I would be dead. "Domain Physique," I said in my heart. I have to reach level-15 in physique improvement. Currently, I''m in level-4. Thanks to the blood element. It helped me to increase my body strength. But it''s not enough. Still, I have to improve my physique 11 times more. Only then, I can fulfill the condition of the inheritance. What kind of horrible inheritance could it be? To think it needs such a perverted physique qualification. My expression discolored for a moment. "Zack, are you alright?" Jonathan''s words reached my ears. Only then my thoughts came back to reality. I quickly adjusted myself and replied, "I''m fine." "What''s bothering you?" Before I could think, the teacher''s words reached my ears. "I ....._," I opened my mouth to reply. But I don''t know what to say quickly. Then suddenly the image of Crimson Hall comes to mind. "Teacher, what to do with the Crimson Hall?" I asked. Lowell McClain''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. He knew Zack had killed that person from Crimson Hall a few minutes ago. Maybe he is worried about the aftermath. "You are thinking too much. Now, you are going to join the academy. The status will be different hereafter. Even the Tier-6 City''s City Lord will have to give respect upon seeing you." "So don''t worry about a mere Crimson Hall," Lowell said in a calm tone. Hearing that, I nodded in response. But actually, I''m quite relieved in my heart. The secret about the Ancient Bloodline Inheritance is deeply buried in my heart. Hereafter, I should act with more caution. Lowell McClain felt it''s time to go back to the castle. His free time almost comes to an end. If he stays any longer in the Outer Post, his whereabouts would be exposed. Then it will create much more noise. After gaining some clarity, "Alright, it''s time to leave."After saying that he looked toward Zack and added further, "Zack, use your free time well in the academy. Once you step inside the Inner Post, things will be dire." My expression turned a bit serious. After some seconds, I replied in a confident tone, "Teacher, I will listen to your words. I won''t waste my time on other things than improving myself." Because the ancient spirit will kill me. If I fail to achieve the qualification. Sadly, these things can be only said in my heart. A hint of approval flashes in Lowell''s eyes. He didn''t doubt Zack at all. Because Zack''s strength is already at Elite level. Which is far better than other warriors of his age. Lowell then looked at Jonathan and said, "Jonathan, I''m leaving. You can come back after handling Zack''s affairs." "Yes, master," Jonathan said. Swish! Right after, Lowell McClain disappeared from the spot. I stood in the same spot for a moment. Only after a few seconds, I took a deep breath to calm down. Then a small smile appeared on my face looking at Jonathan. From the beginning of the conversation, Jonathan has been staying silent. I asked, "Jonathan, is the Inner Post that scary?" a look of longing appeared in my eyes. Jonathan shook his head and answered, "It''s too early to tell you something. But I can still give some comparison." "Those super elite warriors can only act as cannon fodder in the Inner Post," He added further. Hearing that my heart skips a beat. "Cannon fodder," I mumbled under my breath. Again, a cold shiver went down my spine. Jonathan smiled in response. Then he said, "Let''s go, it''s time to drop two of you back at the academy." Hearing that I nodded my head in response. Before I could think of something, Jonathan grabbed my collar again. "Wait, I can fly...," Before I could complete my words. Jonathan dragged me back to the Sky Tower. Swish! In a blink of an eye, we appeared back on the top floor. Our appearance immediately startled everyone. Five Super Elite Warriors got up from their seats in fright. This time everyone recovered from their internal injury. Their complexion looked much better compared to before. Jonathan scanned everyone before his gaze fell on Mike Smith and asked, "Are you going to recruit other seed candidates? Mike Smith gulped his saliva in fear. He controlled his emotions before replying, "Yes, I''m going to recruit at least 4 seed candidates excluding Zack." Jonathan nodded his head and answered, "Okay, you can take your time. I''ll drop Zack at the academy." After saying that he grabbed Zack''s hand and disappeared from the spot. Meanwhile, Harvey Kim and others broke out in cold sweats. For a second, everyone thought the person came back to silence them. Seeing him disappearing again, everyone sighed in relief. Even Teresa York was shocked in her head. "What level is he?" She was surprised by Jonathan''s strength again. But this time, the person didn''t attack them. She recalled the words spoken by that person. He is going to drop that lightning kid at the academy. So he is not going to take that kid away from the outer post? A lot of thoughts come to her mind. But the next moment, she removed the unnecessary thoughts. She doesn''t want to offend the person again. Otherwise, the consequence will be disastrous. Unlike her, other super elite warriors were having different thoughts. Autumn Holt and June Shelton also understood that it''s best to forget about this incident. As a special element warrior, June Shelton knows the importance of special element power. After witnessing the power of that person, he realized their background might be terrifying. The Silver Clouds Academy can''t afford to offend such a person. After gaining some clarity, he decided to completely forget about this incident. Meanwhile, Harvey Kim is fuming in anger. He has suffered humiliation after humiliation. It is not like their Eclipse Academy didn''t have any connection to the Inner Post. He began to hatch an evil plan in his mind. He made up his mind to report this incident to his higher-ups. Especially the information about the lightning element warrior must be reported back. Eduard Ortega from the Giant Tower has decided to report this incident as well. The relationship between their two academies is not good in the first place. So this will add further fuel. Chapter 446 Part One: Selection Odyssey Monster Zone: Sky Tower, Seeing the atmosphere is not right. Autumn Holt opened her mouth to say, "I don''t know about you guys. But I want to leave after recruiting one person." She had already decided to recruit Maria Frazier into White Palace. But she is worried that Maria might walk away from this place. Teresa York was stunned. She slightly looked at Autumn Holt before saying, "Alright, we should start recruiting before that person comes back again." When she uttered those words. Everyone jolted awake. Because there is some truth in Teresa''s words. Soon, Teresa''s voice reaches the staff. She instructed them to send the top 100 seed candidates one by one for screening. Though six of them had chosen their seed candidates. But still, they need to check the warrior in person before recruiting. Harvey Kim''s eyes dimmed a little. Even though his mood worsened he still had to recruit some people to fulfill his responsibility. He can''t return empty-handed. Mike Smith was the happiest person of all. It''s been a long time since 5 of them had their noses cut together. Situations have completely changed compared to before. He is in a completely relaxed state. Meanwhile, the staff sighed in relief after getting commands from the Super Elite Warrior. But they don''t know what happened to First Elder Casey. Right after the staff immediately revealed the news to the candidate who was perfectly waiting for the updates. Shortly after, Maria, Sallie, and Ella Downs grouped. "I was scared before. Fortunately, they have started the recruitment, " Maria said with a sigh. A few moments ago, her father nagged her about the updates. But nobody knows what''s happening on the top floor. Sallie and Ella were not in good moods. Which is quickly seen through by Maria. She realized something was bothering them. She asked, "What happened guys?" Sallie answered, "There was no news about Elder Casey. Signals can''t get through. The communication was blocked." Maria''s heart skips a beat. Her happy-go expression was replaced with seriousness. She asked in a solemn tone, "What do you mean?" Because everyone saw him an hour ago. So what happened later? But when she uses her brain to come up with an answer. She arrived at a horrible conclusion. Sallie saw through her thoughts. She said, "That''s right. He didn''t leave the top floor." After saying she dropped the topic. She didn''t want to say her speculation. Which might offend the Super Elite Warrior. Ellen Downs remained quiet. Unlike them, she is thinking about Zack Lockwood. She fears that there might be some confrontation between Zack and Elder Casey. Meanwhile, the staff guided the next ten seed warriors to the top floor. When the group walked into the room, a headless corpse caught their attention. Gasp! Which immediately alarmed the group. But none of them dared to voice out. Because everyone noticed the presence of 6 Super Elite Warriors in front of them. The leading male staff recognized the headless corpse. Because he is from Crimson Hall as well. How come he did not know Elder Casey? Who was turned into a cold corpse right now? Ignoring their grave expression, Teresa York said, "Okay guys, you can start selecting." The ten warriors stood side by side. The Super Elite Warriors scrutinize them from head to toe. They want to select suitable candidates for their academy. Whether it''s an inheritance or element power. The super-elite warriors have to screen out suitable people to avoid wasting resources. Time passed, A few minutes later, From the first batch, three people were selected by June Shelton for the Silver Clouds Academy. After that, the next batch consisting of 10 seed candidates was entered. But unfortunately, none of them got selected. The primary reason that some of them didn''t participate in the competition was that they chose to hide until the end of the competition. Such behavior was not appreciated by the sixth academy. Later, Eduard Oretega from the Giant Tower recruited two people for his organization. Followed by Harvey Kim for the Eclipse Academy. Harvey had selected one warrior to his side. At the same time, Autumn Holt is waiting for one person to appear. But she knows that the ranking of that warrior named Maria Frazier is low. She had no choice other than to wait for her to appear. One hour later, Mike Smith has successfully recruited four warriors for the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Right now apart from the Red Moon Tower and the White Palace. Everyone else had recruited people. "What are you doing?" "Teresa?" Harvey Kim asked out in surprise. He then added, "I can understand the White Palace'' situation. But the Red Moon Tower can afford to recruit people. So why are you not selecting anyone." Teresa York frowned. She didn''t find any suitable female warrior so far. There are some good male warriors. But their performance was average in the competition. Before she could reply another batch stepped in. Maria Frazier, Sallie Mills, and Ella Downs are also among the batch. After entering inside, the headless corpse caught their attention. Some of the weak-willed warriors puked after seeing the corpse. At the same time, Sallie''s hands tremble a little. Even Ella Downs is panicking in her heart. The horror can be seen on both of their faces. "First Elder is dead," Ella Downs shocked to the core. Who killed him? But the most shocking thing was that his corpse was discarded just like that. Sallie Mills'' heartbeats increased slightly. The change in the appearance of these two was quickly noticed by Maria. When she followed their gaze. She too spotted the headless corpse. No need to wait. She immediately recognized the identity. This corpse is the body of the Crimson Hall Elder. Thinking about such a powerful elder met with such an end. Her expression changes drastically. The other seed warriors also started to fear. The three of them immediately thought of Zack Lockwood. But there was no sign of Zack Lockwood in the room. And they haven''t seen him walking out either. What happened to him? Maria began to worry in her heart. Sallie and Ella also worried there might be something wrong with Zack Lockwood. But this is not the time to investigate. They will report it back to the headmaster later. Meanwhile, the super-elite warriors noticed their expression. But none of them wanted to explain anything. Even Teresa thought this headless corpse scene was testing everyone''s will. Which in turn helped them to find good warriors. Upon seeing Maria, Autumn relaxed a lot. Because Maria is more suitable to join the White Palace Academy. Meanwhile, Maria is also looking forward to joining any one of the six academies. But unfortunately, her father didn''t want her to join the academy connected to the Army Federation. She doesn''t know the reason. But she knows Zack is related to the Army Federation. Sallie Mills and Ella Downs also have trouble choosing the academy. What they don''t know yet is that Teresa York is interested in recruiting these two. Before Teresa could open her mouth. Autumn Holt asked, "Maria, would you like to join my organization?" She had already gone through her details. She doesn''t need excessive background verification. Maria Frazier found one of the recruiters staring at her. But when she heard her words. Her heart skips a beat. She had never expected someone to take interest in her. It was a pleasant surprise. But she doesn''t know much about the academy. There are only two female recruiters here. For a moment, she remained silent. Autumn Holt saw through her thoughts. She said with a smile, "I come from the White Palace Academy. It''s the largest academy for female warriors. Our inheritance techniques related to the water element." "So I believe you should join our academy," After saying that, she stretched her palm. In the blink of an eye, several water drops appear in her palm. But if anyone gets close to the water drop, they can feel the immense power hiding in it. Such a scene attracted everyone''s attention. Maria Frazier immediately felt the power of the water element from the small water drops. Hearing her description, she finds no fault in it. Because she also realized the White Palace might be a suitable organization for her. Coupled with water element inheritance, her future development would be smooth. After gaining some clarity, she agrees to join the White Palace. A bright smile appeared on Autumn Holt''s face. She feels its worth to come here. The other super elite warriors didn''t stop her from recruiting. Because, she made it clear a few hours ago. And they also feel it''s best for Maria to join the White Palace. Besides, everyone else has recruited two or more seed warriors except Teresa and Autumn. Now that Autumn has finished her recruitment. Everyone''s gaze turned toward Teresa York. Because, it''s time for the Red Moon Tower to be selected. Meanwhile, Sallie Mills and Ella Downs began to feel nervous. Maria successfully joined one of the six organizations. Before coming here, they thought it would be easy to join. But now they are starting to feel some pressure. Chapter 447 Part Two: Selection Odyssey Monster Zone: Sky Tower: Teresa York has finally made up her mind. She looked at Sallie Mills and Ella Downs. After scrutinizing them up and down, she asked, "Would you guys like to join the Red Moon Tower?" Her words brought immense joy and relief to Sallie Mills and Ella Downs. Sallie immediately agrees by nodding her head. Ella also felt a lot more relieved in her heart. Two best friends are going to join the same academy. She can''t ask for more. Then she also nodded her head in agreement. "Well, come here and stand beside me," Teresa York said. She didn''t show much expression on her face. Right after that, Sallie and Ella quickly walked up to Teresa and stood beside her. Right after that other Super Elite Warriors began recruiting the warriors. Time passed, Two hours later, In a blink of an eye, the 6 Academy recruited their warriors. And the rest of the seed warriors'' names were recorded. There is a high possibility of the warriors being recruited by other grade institutions. "Let''s leave," Harvey Kim said in a cold tone. Then without waiting for others to react. He disappeared from the spot along with the recruits. Seeing that Eduard Ortega from the Giant Tower got up to leave. He was already impatient to leave. Now that the work is over. It''s time for him to leave. Recalling the humiliation, he has suffered. A hint of anger flashes in his eyes. He glanced at Mike Smith before disappearing along with the recruited students. June Shelton from the Silver Clouds Academy didn''t wait either. After glancing at everyone, he too bid goodbye. Now, Autumn Holt and Teresa York rose from their seats. It''s because of the three female warriors. Maria Frazier looked toward Sallie Mills and Ella Downs. Autumn Holt didn''t plan on her stopping her. She knows Maria is friends with the other two. Teresa York said, "I''ll give you 2 minutes." Hearing that Sallie and Ella nodded their heads. And walked up to Maria to say some words before parting. Meanwhile, Maria frowned. She remembered the image of Zack Lockwood. Her gaze fell on Mike Smith and other seed warriors standing beside him. But no silhouette of Zack could be seen among them."Look, there was no sign of Zack yet," Maria looked toward the side of Mike Smith. Sallie and Ella followed her gaze. They too noticed the absence of Zack. Three of them looked at each other. "Was he killed?" Sallie said in her heart. Because they have seen the headless corpse of their elder. So it wouldn''t be much of a surprise if Zack was killed by these people. Ella Downs'' face is full of worry. Autumn Holt and Teresa York observed their reactions. "They are looking in his direction," Teresa York slightly glanced at Mike''a side. At this time, Autumn Holt also noticed something. She immediately asked, "What happened?" Maria, Sallie, and Ella immediately turned toward their teacher. "We are looking for our friend, Zack," Maria said. Teresa asked, "You mean Zack Lockwood." Don''t know why? The image of Zack comes to her mind. Hearing that, Maria nodded her head. Sallie and Ella were surprised by Teresa''s answer. Autumn and Teresa looked at each other. Teresa''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. "Is this coincidence or what?" Teresa said in her heart. Then she sighed to herself before replying, "Your friend is fine. He joined the Saw Scale Viper Academy." Maria''s eyes lit up with joy. She let go of her hanging heart. Sallie and Ella Downs breathed in relief. Now their confusion has cleared. They didn''t have to worry about unnecessary things. Maria''s eyes scanned the surroundings. She calmed down her heart. She doesn''t know why but she feels it''s best not to inquire further. Sallie and Ella also saw a change in the expression on Teresa''s face. They too kept their mouths quiet. "Alright, we are leaving as well," Mike Smith said to Autumn Holt and Teresa York. A moment ago, he too felt that those seed candidates were searching for someone. But he didn''t bother to inquire. His purpose of the visit was fulfilled. And now he can go back to the academy. Swish! The next moment, Mike Smith disappeared together with his students. Leaving only the other two behind. Seeing that Teresa looked at Sallie and Ella. "It''s time for us to leave as well," She uttered. She too wants to leave the place right away. After a long time, she had such a bad day. Sallie and Ella said their words before parting. Teresa York didn''t waste any more time. She left immediately along with the seed candidates. Shortly after, Autumn Holt left with Maria Frazier. Surprisingly, the White Palace Academy was the last to leave. All the staff breathed in relief. Since the six academy delegates left the Sky Tower. They can now announce that the competition selection has ended. Some of the staff looked at the headless corpse lying on the floor. "What to do now?" One of the staff asked. "Who killed him?" Other staff started to gossip. Other knowledgeable staff contacted the Crimson Hall officials. Everyone thought it best to leave this matter to them. Shortly after, the Crimson Hall members arrived. When they looked at the cold corpse lying on the ground. Everyone became pale with fright. "Quickly collect the corpse and contact Great Elder Chris immediately," A certain elder from the Crimson Hall hurriedly said in a panic. Hearing that others rushed to collect the corpse first. Meanwhile, the forces who were waiting outside were leaving after the event ended. There was no point in staying further. But the media reporters were waiting to catch the glimpse of Zack. None of them had seen Zack leaving the Sky Tower. So they are patiently waiting to catch the image of Zack Lockwood. But as the forces have one by one. They are starting to lose patience. Some of the media reporters took the initiative to step inside the Sky Tower. They hid their gadgets and walked upstairs. On the way, they come across the warriors from Crimson Hall. But the Crimson Hall officials seemed in a hurry. When the reporters walked past the group. They overheard the conversation. But the content of the conversation was shocking. So much that they forget about Zack Lockwood. "Crimson Hall''s First Elder is dead," the reporters shocked to the core. They immediately turned back to confront the Crimson Hall officials. They brought the gadget forward and started to ask questions. The officials did some loose talk. So the news started to spread like wildfire. Hansen Campus: The situation inside the Hansen Campus is pleasant. After the news broke out about Zack''s victory, the Hansen campus turned into a celebration mood. The entire Red City is beaming with joy. The dignitaries started to come in. The Hansen higher-ups were busy dealing with the people. It will be a matter of time before the recruitment details will be released. But before that, another shocking news came out of the blue. It''s about the shocking demise of First Elder Casey. Everyone here in Tier-8 city knows about Crimson Hall. The Hansen warriors in particular. When they heard the news about Casey''s demise. They celebrated even more. Thornton is watching the news in a daze. He couldn''t believe his own eyes. How come the most powerful elder of the crimson hall is dead? What happened? Thornton looked for further news. But there is no news about other events. Like who killed him? When did he die? A lot of questions appeared in his heart. Beep! His watch lit up with a notification. When he read the message. A hint of relief flashed in her eyes. "Elder, did you get the news?" At this time, Arthur came hurriedly with a happy face. Hearing that, Thornton came back to reality. He turned toward Arthur and asked back, "Which news are you talking about?" Arthur gave a doubtful look. Before he could open his mouth. Thornton said, "The Crimson Hall''s Casey is dead. It''s all over the news. You can see it for yourself." "What?" Arthur exclaimed in surprise. The next moment, his face lit up with joy. The lingering fear about Crimson Hall is completely swept away at this moment. Seeing the disbelief on Arthur''s face. Thornton let out a deep sigh. He can understand Arthur''s mood. Previously, the Hansen Campus was targeted by Crimson Hall intentionally. At that time, they were completely helpless. Now the situation has taken a complete turn. Before the competition, everyone was dissatisfied with Crimson Hall''s methods. Now the main pillar is gone. He can already predict the future somewhat. Many hostile forces have waited for this opportunity. He is sure that they will attack the crimson hall. Especially those forces whose descendants have died in this competition in numbers. The rage is already boiling in people''s hearts. Before they couldn''t stop the ongoing competition. Now the event is over. It will be a matter of time before Crimson Hall collapses. Thinking about it, Thornton let out a happy laughter in his heart. Chapter 448 The Higher Realms From MC''s perspective: After leaving the odyssey monster zone, Jonathan used the familiar bird monster for travel. We crossed many miles within two hours. But I haven''t seen a single city so far. Currently, we are heading in the northern direction. Except for the vast open plains down the ground. No other habitat can be seen. I couldn''t help but think we are heading in the wrong direction. But looking at Jonathan''s closed eyes. I decided not to disturb him. The image of uncle James and Granny Park comes to mind. I wanted to contact them. But traveling is hindering communication. After sighing, I thought about my plans. Now that everyone knows I''m a lightning warrior. I don''t have to hide it in the academy. Which is good for me. But at the same time, I should keep an eye on the other 5 academies. Thinking about other academies, I don''t know whether the three girls were able to join any of the academies or not. But unfortunately, I can''t contact her at this point. I don''t even know whether it is possible to return to Tier-8 in the future. Before I was longing for the outside world. But now there is a trace of uneasiness in my heart. I don''t know what are the challenges waiting ahead for me. In particular, I remembered the teacher''s words. He said that super elite warriors are nothing but cannon fodder in the Inner Post. What is the inner post? How big is it? At this time, Jonathan opened his eyes. Seeing that, I sighed in relief. Finally, he has opened his eyes. I thought he was going to be silent for the whole journey. Feeling my gaze, Jonathan turned toward me and asked, "Do you have any doubts?" Yes, I do have a lot of doubts. But before I could ask. Jonathan began to explain. "Alright, I will tell you a few things about the Academy and city. I guess you have heard about this before. The Saw Scale Viper Academy is divided into four grade institutions.'' "Starting from A to D based on warriors'' talent. From your earlier quota, you should have entered a D grade Institution. But now everything changes because of your special element of power and ranking in the competition." "On top of it, the Master also has made arrangements for you to join the A-grade institutions. So your position in A grade institution was already set." My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. This is what I''m waiting for. Finally, I''m starting to hear the news about the wider world. Then I perked up my ears to listen further. Jonathan is aware that Zack is listening keenly. So he continued to explain further. "I believe you remember the master''s words. The Inner Post is for anyone who can enter. Only powerful warriors can enter the Inner Post." "Because the resources and energy in the outer post are scarce. It can''t support the development of high-level warriors. So many choose to enter the inner posts after choosing to join one of the forces." I wasn''t surprised by Jonathan''s words. I knew how difficult it was to cultivate lightning techniques. When there were no abundant lightning resources. Thanks to the chance that I came across the old ruin. Because of it, I stepped into the Elite level. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for me to kill those hybrid monsters that easily. Suddenly, I wanted to know what the realm above the Super Elite Base was. "Jonathan, what is the level above the Super Elite?" I asked. Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows slightly. He doesn''t know whether it''s okay to tell without the Master''s permission. But after thinking about Zack''s Elite level base. He felt it was okay to reveal a few levels. "There are levels that exist above Elite level. Namely 1. Super Elite 2. SS Elite 3. SSS Elite and other levels," He said without turning back. Jonathan uttered it casually. But my heart was set off by storms. "Super Elite" "SS and SSS Elite," I muttered to myself. What kind of naming is this? But my attention was attracted to other unknown levels above these three. "Jonathan, what about other levels?" I asked back. Jonathan shook his head in response and replied, "You can search for other information in the academy." I know the horror of Elite-level Base. I can casually kill the level-3 monster. Because I''m walking on a dual path. Both body and essence are in the Elite Level. This is the secret only known to me. I don''t know how long it will take for me to rise to the future ranks in both paths. Not every time, I can come across some random chance. In the future, I need to figure out a way to earn money and collect resources. Jonathan said, "When it comes to the academy. Remember, there is a fierce battle going on between all the six academies." "Your appearance will attract a lot of hate again. People will find a way to attack you. Some academies won''t hesitate to send an assassin to kill you," He added further. "What? "Assassination again," I exclaimed in surprise. I regret asking him to open his mouth. I thought I would be at peace hereafter. But his words poured cold water on me. I couldn''t help but slightly massage both sides of my temple. Jonathan saw through Zack''s mood. But he doesn''t plan on consoling. Then before changing the topic, he said, "Alright, just be wary of the Giant Tower and the Eclipse Academy." "The Giant Tower has hostile relations with the Army Federation. They won''t digest the fact that you joined the Army Federation." "And their means are stronger than the Crimson Hall. On the other hand, the Eclipse Academy may seem righteous. But they will do anything for their interest," Jonathan continued to advise Zack. "Eclipse Academy" "Giant Tower" I remembered two people looking at me with murderous gazes at that time. No wonder, they harbored such hatred. It''s because of the Army Federation. A slight glint flashes in my eyes. Before I had one enemy called the Crimson Hall. But now it feels boring to deal with Crimson Hall. When I killed the Crimson Hall''s Elder. Most of the hatred in my heart was completely gone. At my current level, I can single-handedly destroy the Crimson Hall organization. But those two academies were not simple. I don''t know how many people were strong like clouds out there. A gloomy glint flashes in my eyes. Looks like the future is not going to be that simple. I have to again adopt the low-key policy. But fortunately, I can use lightning elements without any constraints. Jonathan observed Zack''s expression. So he stopped talking about it. He feels this information is enough to let Zack act with caution. .... Hansen Campus, While Thorton and Arthur were discussing. The news about Maria Frazier also reached his ears. The Frazier Clan head texted Thornton in particular. The news came as double joy for Thornton. "White Palace," He mumbled under his breath. He heard about the academy while he worked in the federation. But that was a long time ago. He only knows that the academy recruits female warriors. Then he shared the news with Arthur who was equally surprised as well. "Elder, should we reveal the news?" Arthur asked. Thornton shook his head in denial. He answered, "Maria had participated on behalf of her clan. It''s a family power. She is not part of our Hansen anymore." "Pity," Arthur uttered in a low tone. He imagined advertising Zack and Maria''s name to the whole city. Thornton furrowed his eyebrows. He got no reply from Zack. Which puzzled him a lot. Are they traveling to the academy right away? Thornton became hesitant. But he thinks Zack''s uncle would know a lot. He decided to contact him right away. Meanwhile, James Lockwood couldn''t control his happiness back at home. The news about Zack Lockwood is all over the news. He recalled the past. Where he had saved Zack from the flowing lava. Now Zack has successfully stepped into the wider world. He couldn''t help but feel a little proud. Initially, he wanted Zack to practice and join the federation as a small officer. But now he realizes Zack will go beyond the ranks of the superior. Then he immediately shared the news with Ms. Park who is taking bed rest. Shortly after, Granny Park shed happy tears. She is now relieved after knowing Zack had the strength of protecting himself. Images of an orphanage flash before her eyes. She recalled how Zack had trained with a wooden stick at a young age. From the little outskirts to this white snow city and then later to the Red City. Zack has experienced the journey of various cities and monster zones in these years. She hopes to see Zack one more time before her final moments. But she is afraid it''s not possible at all. James saw through her mood. No need to ask if he understands the mood of Ms. Park. She dedicated her later years to the upbringing of Zack. Because of her, Zack didn''t ask about his birth parents. Right now, he is waiting for Zack''s call. Chapter 449 Part One: Tier-6 Viper City From MC''s perspective: Time passed in the blink of an eye, The bird monster crossed several regions and cities in two months. The next morning, fortunately, I got to see the destination. A huge black wall came into view. The wall is many times higher than that of one in level-7 Baguva City. Suddenly, the bird monster slowed down its speed. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Because I see there is no entrance gate to the city. "Is it hidden?" I mumbled under my breath. Jonathan guided the monster to land slowly in front of the wall. There is nothing but empty land on the ground. Tud! When the bird monster landed, I jumped off it and landed slowly on the ground. Right after, Jonathan landed. I raised my head and tried to look at the end of the wall. But the wall''s height is extremely high. "It''s not a city wall," Seeing the confusion on Zack''s face, Jonathan said. My eyes lit up in surprise. "Not the city wall," I muttered. But I only see Jonathan smiling knowingly. Then I see him contacting someone. A few seconds later. A huge noise came before me. When I turned toward the black wall. I see a new door being opened to let the visitors in. Seeing that Jonathan guided the monster to enter. I followed him in disbelief. I''m looking forward to seeing what''s inside. The monster, Jonathan, and I, three of us walked through the huge gate. But when I crossed half of the path and took a step forward to walk the future. I felt like I''m passing through transparent film. The feeling appeared for a moment before it disappeared. By the time, we reached the end of the path. I am already starting to feel the changes. "The World energy seems to become thicker and more abundant," My heart set off storms. I felt nothing like this before. This feeling is similar to that I have experienced in a special environment. I looked toward Jonathan and wanted to inquire. But we already reached the end of the path by that time. I feel like passing through some secret tunnels. When we walked out of the tunnel, a magnificent scene came into view. "What a magnificent place?" I uttered in disbelief. In front of me, several sky-rising towers and glass buildings can be seen. On top of it, I see several dots flying in a pattern. What''s more, what caught my attention is the huge forest levitating in mid-air at the center of the city. It''s more like a garden. But looking at its massive size. It''s safe to say it''s a small forest. Jonathan saw Zack''s expression and smiled. He didn''t disturb Zack''s mood. Rather let him experience the new feeling. The bird monster seems to enjoy the abundance of world energy present in the atmosphere. It took me a moment to realize what was happening. This place is a city. It looked many times more magnificent than the Tier-7 Baguva City. Wherever I see, I can only see the tall structure. No need to guess. It''s a city related to the academy. "Jonathan, is this Tier-6 city?" I asked in a calm tone. I already know but I want to confirm his words. Jonathan nodded his head and replied, "You are right, This city is a Tier-6 city under the control of your academy. It''s called the Viper City." "One more important thing. I guess you have already realized the abundance of world energy in front of you," he added further. Hearing that, I nodded my head in response. "It''s because we are not in the outer post region anymore," Jonathan said without blinking his eyes. But his words fell like a thunderclap in my ears. What about home? Images of home, Uncle James, Granny Park, White Snow City, the Red City, and the Hansen campus come to mind. At this time, Jonathan''s words again brought me some clarity. "Don''t think too much. Let''s go and find an inn. I''ll explain to you slowly later," Jonathan said to me. I calmed down after listening to his words. But my gaze fell on the bird monster. I asked, "What are you going to do with it?'' Jonathan glanced at the bird monster before replying, "Don''t worry, there is a place here. Where they take care of the tamed monsters." "But before doing anything. We should first register your identity. Let''s go to the city lord''s mansion," After saying that, he started walking along with a monster. "City Lord Mansion?" I said in my heart. Don''t know why the City Lord Mansion gives me an uncomfortable feeling. The experiences in the Iron Post City left a bad taste in my mouth. On top of it, the City Lord of the Red City was not good either. I hope this is not the case here. Walking, I found a lot of pedestrians on the street. Aura from their body gives me heart palpitations. I remember the three realms above the Elite level. Coming across several powerful auras, I feel powerless after a long time. It''s like coming to Tier-8 city again. But this time, the scale is bigger. The next second, I put these unnecessary thoughts behind my mind. I believe with enough resources, I will step into the higher ranks eventually. A few minutes later, We reached the City Lord Mansion. Like other cities, the mansion looked good with the usual architectural model. Fortunately, the mansion is located quite close to the wall. And it''s also a walkable distance. The monsters are not allowed to trespass. There is a place where we can rest the tamed monsters. Strangely, I haven''t seen anyone using tamed monsters. Apart from seeing different types of flying cars, I have yet to see any sign of a monster here. The area right next to the mansion is where tamed monsters were put together. When I walked into the place, the bird monster seemed to be restless. "Alright, I''ll be back in a few minutes," Jonathan assured the monster. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. It is nice to have pet monsters. But unfortunately, to raise pet monsters you need capital. I''m not in a position to take care of myself. It''s unwise to think about the pet monsters. Sighing, I decided to roam around the place. It will take a few minutes for Jonathan to handle the matter. I see him walking with the staff. Seeing that, I walked past several rooms. These rooms were specially built to keep the pet monster. This reminds me of those iron cages back in the ruin. It was a bad place. But I got the opportunity from that bad place. Shaking my head, I walked past several empty rooms before spotting a room with the monster. I paused my footsteps and walked up to the room. I looked through the glass, I saw a green snake resting on a wooden branch. Seeing the small size of the snake monster, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Is this class monster?" Doubt appeared in my heart. But it''s too small for a class monster. Seeing the small green snake. I don''t know what to think for a moment. Then I thought about the mutated monster back in the mysterious forest. But as far as I remember, apart from a change in strength and appearance. The hybrid monsters didn''t change in overall size. Which makes me think further. After a few minutes, I heard the sound of footsteps from behind my back. Turning around, I see Jonathan walking back. Seeing him, I immediately asked, "Jonathan, what is this monster?" Jonathan recognized the monster at a glance. But he became hesitant for a moment. "Who could be the owner of this special monster?" a doubt appeared in Jonathan''s heart. Then he said, "It''s a monster of a different category. It''s not the same as Class Monster, Hybrid Monster, or Mutated ones." after saying that he looked toward Zack. Zack is the one who has faced rare mutated monsters. Meanwhile, I note down his words in my heart. Special Monster uh? I will look into it later. Then we walked out of the facility. The bird monster seems to rest in a good room. Now Jonathan can act freely. After leaving, we then walked toward the mansion. Soon a familiar suit caught my attention. The two city guards who are standing at the front gate are covered in full body armor suits. The grade of the full-body armor suit looks expensive. By the time we got closer, the guard stepped forward to inspect us. After seeing we came here for registration, the guard let us in. But when I walked past him. I vaguely sensed his horrible aura. A small sweat bead appeared on my forehead. "Don''t probe him. High-level warriors have keen senses," Jonathan said without turning back. Hearing that I collected my thoughts and hurriedly caught up to Jonathan. Jonathan noticed Zack''s expression. "The rules here are strict. Act with caution hereafter, "Jonathan said with a smile. Hearing that, a wry smile appeared on my face. Looks like I have to change my old habits. Chapter 450 Part Two: Tier-6 Viper City A couple of days ago, Crimson Hall, The entire Crimson Hall is in a state of panic. First Elder Casey''s demise came as thunder. The headmaster of Crimson Hall fainted on the spot after hearing the news. Who would have expected such a tragic end for the First Elder? Right after the news broke out, the clans and other merchant families under the Crimson Hall cut ties to their relations from the Crimson Hall instantly. Already millions of people are dissatisfied with the live broadcast. Especially witnessing the massacre of talented warriors from various cities. Public sentiment against Crimson Hall is starting to increase. Protests are happening in front of the various Tier-7 and Tier-8 cities. In a few cities, the City Lord Mansion got directly attacked. Especially the forces of the deceased seed candidates directly or indirectly causing the protest to rising. Back in Crimson Hall, chaos can be seen everywhere. Some of the elders wanted to escape. Because the news about the protest is already starting to reach their ears. Now, on top of it, the First Elder was gone. No one can support Crimson Hall anymore. The Grand Elder Chris is already old. He can''t handle the aftermath alone. "Headmaster, what are you going to do?" One of the elders wanted the headmaster to take some action. Because the voices of fleeing started to increase. No one boldly acted on the surface. But some of the elderly and students'' families are already shifted to other cities. "Hateful," The headmaster of the Crimson Hall cursed at the deceased Casey. He thought First Elder Casey was creating trouble for him even after his death. He remembered something during those discussions. At that time many elders were against Casey''s plan. Even the Grand Elder Chirs didn''t support the competition plan open-heartedly. After learning about the Odyssey Monster Zone, even the allied forces stood against First Elder Casey. But he had conducted the event against all odds. Now he doesn''t know how the First Elder Casey has died? Information says that he was found dead at the top of the sky tower. Where the dignitaries from the six academies watched the duel. Has he offended the academy people? When this thought arises in his mind. His expression became pale with fright. "No, it''s impossible," He got up from the seat in disbelief. If the First Elder had offended those dignitaries, then there would be no place for them to stay alive. Extreme fear appeared in his heart. Right now, his expression is being watched by the elders. If he shows any fear, then this guy will spread this to others. The next moment, he made a firm decision in his heart. Right now the only person who can save him is Grand Elder Chris. After gaining some clarity, he replied, "I''ll talk to the Grand Elder." He then immediately left the room to see the Grand Elder. Walking, small sweat beads started to appear on his forehead. On the way, he comes across many elders. But unfortunately, the strength of the students dropped by half. He doesn''t know when the remaining ones will flee. A few minutes later, He arrived at the isolated courtyard of the Grand Elder Casey. "Elder..?" "Grand Elder?" He immediately started to call him. Creak! The door opens. Right after, an old figure walked out of the room. Seeing the headmaster, a wry smile appeared on his face. "Casey messed up everything," Grand Elder said with regret. Everything went beyond his belief. Now the foundation of Crimson Hall is being threatened. Grand Elder Chris felt that he had underestimated the public sentiment. He should have stopped Casey at that time. Now it''s too late to regret everything. Everything is messed up now. He looked at the sky and murmured, "I don''t know which force is ready to attack?" He can''t even ask for allies'' help at this time. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Grand Elder Chris let out a bitter laugh. The Headmaster who was watching everything was scared sh!t. "Grand Elder?" He called out again. He came here to ask for help. But after watching Grand Elder''s expression. He doesn''t know what to say. He hopes that Grand Elder will say something. A few minutes later, Grand Elder Chris calmed down himself. The next moment, a fierce glint appeared in his eyes. He turned toward the headmaster and instructed him, "If anyone wants to leave Crimson Hall, they can leave now." Hearing that, a look of disbelief appeared on the Headmaster''s face. ... Tier-6 Viper City, City Lord Mansion, Jonathan and I, both arrived at the front office. This administration office belongs to the City Lord Mansion. As we entered inside, we were greeted by the staff. Jonathan began to speak to the staff. When Jonathan uttered the academy name. The staff gave me a normal look without much surprise in her eyes. Her gaze seems like she was used to seeing people like me. Then I see her doing something on the system screen. "What''s your name?" The female staff asked without turning her back. "Zack Lockwood," I said. Hearing that she immediately searched for my name in the database. Seeing that quick glint flashes in my eyes. "How come?" I said in my heart. Because this is my first visit to the city. It''s normal to think that they don''t have any information about me. "Looks like the academy has already given the name list," Jonathan commented beside me. A look of understanding dawned upon me. Like me, there will be other students in the coming days. To ease down the process, the academy already gave our information to the City Lord. I quickly connected the dots and gained some clarity in my thoughts. Soon my image with my name and other background information appeared on the screen. Gasp! The staff let out a low exclamation. Seeing that, my eyes scanned the details. Finally, I spotted the source of her exclamation. [Element - Lightning(Special Element)] "So quick," My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. My information was updated so quickly. "I hope you don''t attract much attention," Jonathan said with a smile. Hearing that the female staff shuddered for a moment. But she quickly controlled her emotions. Fortunately, there was no one to witness this scene. Several minutes later, We walked out after registering my information. I looked at the new I.D. on my communication watch. With this, I can roam freely in this city. "Alright, the important thing has been done. What next?" I said to Jonathan. Walking, we followed the same route toward the gate. Jonathan smiled and said, "I''ll take you to the academy tomorrow after spending the night here." I nodded my head in response. Then we left the City Lord Mansion after walking past the guard. Soon we entered the facility to take back our bird monster. Time passed, 20 minutes later, We came to the hotel. Looking at the size of the hotel, I stood in a daze again. Because this hotel is one of the giant skyscrapers in the city. What''s more amazing is that? I see warriors entering the hotel together with their pets. After walking into the front desk. Jonathan inquired about the accommodation which can facilitate the pet monster. After paying the amount, the staff gave us the access code. Soon we found the lift to reach our room. Jonathan booked two separate rooms. I don''t know what he is going to do with the bird monster. But the answer came soon. When the lift reached the 5th floor. We both stepped out. But the next moment, a look of amazement flashes in my eyes. Because the entire floor has only four rooms. And among the four rooms, two rooms were specially built for the pet monster. No wonder, Jonathan chose to come here. The surprise appeared for a moment before it disappeared. "This is your access code. If you want to roam around the city alone, you can go," Jonathan said after giving me the access code. "No, I''ll see you around the city some other time," I replied. Jonathan nodded his head before leaving with his pet monster. As I guessed, he opened the special room for the bird monster. Because the ceiling was so high it could accommodate the monster easily. Then I walked toward my room. After entering the access code in the door''s smart system. The door opens in the next second. Creak! As I walked into the room the door behind me closed automatically. In front of me is the beautiful living space. Through the window, I can see the opposite and nearby buildings. "What a spot?" A hint of amazement flashes in my eyes. My heart tells me to explore the city. But I feel it''s not good to move around without knowing how deep the city is. My decision became firm after knowing that my background information was updated. Now it looks like the city government knows. I won''t be surprised if the city lord himself knows about me. Then shaking my head, I decided to sleep after taking a long shower. Chapter 451 Part One: Saw Scale Viper Academy From MC''s Perspective: Tier-6 Viper City, The following day, I woke up from sleep. Yesterday, I didn''t leave my room for a bit. I had spent the entire day inside the room. Creak! After walking out, I Immediately met with Jonathan. "Are you ready?" Jonathan asked. Hearing that I nodded my head. Of course, I''m looking forward to seeing my academy. Then I see Jonathan walking toward the opposite room to get the bird monster. Screech! The bird monster immediately let out a screech after seeing Jonathan. Then without wasting further time, we walked out of the hotel. It''s morning 9 A.M, I don''t know how long it will take for us to reach the academy. But considering the city is under the academy. I believe the distance is not that far. Soon we reached the back gate wall. Where we first used this pass to come in. Right after, Jonathan''s request. A pass appeared between the black gate wall. This time I''m used to seeing this gigantic wall. Jonathan walked forward together with the bird monster. Seeing that I followed him behind. When he finally stepped outside. Jonathan and I stood on top of the monster. Screech! The bird monster let out a scream before rising from the ground. Compared to before, the monster didn''t show much aversion. Then the bird monster stretched his wings and fly across the huge city. It''s a nice opportunity to look at the overview of the city. Soon the monster flew across the many skyscrapers and yet the ending of the city border is nowhere to see. At this moment, I realized how wide the city is. Only after half an hour, we were able to see the giant black wall again. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. I thought it would take forever to cross the city itself. Time passed in a blink of an eye, 3 hours later, "We are here," Jonathan said. The bird monster entered the academy''s space. "Saw Scale Viper Academy," I mumbled under my breath. A hint of expectation rose in my heart. After entering the Academy, the speed didn''t slow down. The bird monster flew across many greenery gardens with beautiful flowers growing in them. Soon a magnificent medieval-style building came into view. Looking at the architecture, I couldn''t help but remember the style of the Star Tower building. But when we got closer. I finally got to see the name of the building. "Saw Scale Viper Academy" "D-Grade Institute." Reading the name, a look of understanding dawned upon me. There are four institutes under one main academy. If it were normal times, I should have joined this institute. Then I see Jonathan didn''t slow down his speed. Soon we came across another building structure. "Saw Scale Viper Academy" "C-Grade Institute." This building looks a bit more luxurious than the previous one. Obviously, according to the grade, the facilities might be higher than D- Grade Institute. Again, after crossing several green parks. We came across another building. Which is way more magnificent and extravagant than C- Grade Institute. "Saw Scale Viper Academy" "B-Grade Institute." Seeing such a high-rise building. A quick glint flashed in my eyes. The size of the building is twice that of the C-Grade Institute. But I also know the number of students might not be that high in B- Grade Institute. This also made me wonder about the Grade Institute. A few minutes later, We reached the A- Grade Institute. Two medieval-sized castle buildings came into view. "This?" A look of amazement flashes in my eyes. The building looked way more magnificent. "Let''s go down, this is your academy," After saying that, Jonathan guided the monster to land. Hearing that, I came back to reality. When the monster touched the ground. Then I realized how small I''m compared to the building. Fortunately, Jonathan didn''t land the monster in front of the gate. Right after we touched the ground. Jonathan wanted to keep the monster in the facility before we completed the formalities. On the way, I see many students walking past. Our appearance didn''t attract that much attention. But I vaguely felt an Elite level aura from the many students. Before coming here, I had some basic knowledge about the academy. The warriors in the A- Grade institute are geniuses. No one with mediocre talent can enter this particular institute. Even if they have good influence and strong background. They can''t buy their way into A- Grade Institute. Again, we walked past male and female warriors. The black academy dress drew my attention. In particular, they got a gold badge with a viper symbol on it. Unknowingly, I feel good about the A- Grade Institute. After a few minutes, Jonathan and I walked toward the administration building for my registration. When we were walking, our appearance attracted the attention of other students. I vaguely overhear some of their conversations. Meanwhile, a few students who were passing stopped walking after spotting two people going toward the administration building. "Hey, we got a newcomer here." One of the students said in an excited tone. It''s not easy for warriors to join A- Grade Institute. A- Grade Institute is a pinnacle Institute for warriors studying here. Even the hundreds of warriors studying in the other three institutes were looking for ways to enter the A- Grade Institute. But unless there is an opportunity or someone fulfilled the condition to enter the A- Grade Institute. No one can join here. So the current scene is quickly shocking to everyone. "Hey, what element user he might be?" Another warrior asked. Now that it''s confirmed that the newcomer is here. Another thought is in everyone''s heart. Which element user he might be? Apart from the division between the institutions. Many faction groups exist in each institution. They are divided based on their element. Like there is a Flame Faction. Only warriors with fire elements can join this faction. Similarly, there is Gale Faction with wind element warriors. Rock Faction with earth element warriors. Rain Faction with water element warriors. And Metal Faction with Silver element warriors. Apart from this elemental faction, there is one more powerful faction. It''s called a Special Faction. The Special Faction has members with Special element powers. Compared to other factions, the Special Faction has fewer members. Seeing the two strangers enter the administration office. The students didn''t leave right away. Rather their discussion heated further. "What if the newcomer is a Special Element Warrior?" Another warrior blurted out suddenly. "Harumph," The warrior beside him gave a cold snort. "Special Element users are rare. Not anyone can awaken that power," Others also sneered beside him. Many of them thought the newcomer is a fire, elemental warrior. Because the number of fire elemental warriors is large in numbers among the faction. Meanwhile, Inside the administration office, we met with the manager. The manager appeared to be an old man in his sixties. His eyes were black with short white air. His skin tone is fair. Though he appeared to be old. I can feel the same overwhelming pressure from him. No doubt, the manager is one level higher than me. Maybe the manager is Super Elite Warrior. Jonathan started the conversation. But a few seconds after the conversation, the old man shuddered a little. Seeing that, a look of understanding dawned upon me. Jonathan disclosed my details. That''s why the manager is in a state of shock. It took him a few seconds to adjust his emotions. "So young man. You are a lightning element warrior," the manager suddenly said as he turned toward me. Hearing that I nodded my head in response. "Hi, I''m a hawk. I guess you are the first special elemental warrior with lightning here," the manager said with an excited tone. A gloomy glint flashes in Jonathan''s eyes. "Alright, he is only going to study for two years. And I think you should start the registration," Jonathan said in a kind tone. The manager stopped talking abruptly. He knows the person is dissatisfied. It''s better to start the registration. Then he registers the name of Zack Lockwood in the Special Element Faction. Then after seeing the cultivation information. The manager turned toward me. I also observed the screen. I don''t know whether it is okay to reveal the cultivation information. Jonathan saw through Zack''s mood. He said to the manager, "Is it necessary to fill in that information?" He said it in a stern tone. Hearing that the manager broke out in cold sweat. He doesn''t know the fierce man behind this lightning-element kid. But seeing the newcomer is a lightning-element warrior. The background must be terrifying. He doesn''t want to offend such a person. Thought the cultivation base must be filled after verification. He doesn''t know if another party will agree to do this. For a moment, the manager thought it is necessary to consult his superior. Then the manager adjusted his fear and said, "I need to ask for my superior''s permission to hide the cultivation information." A quick glint flashes in Jonathan''s eyes. He then slightly nodded his head. Chapter 452 Part Two: Saw Scale Viper Academy From MC''s perspective: The manager hawk quickly contacted the higher-ups. The higher-ups were none other than the Elders of the academy. When the communication was established, the manager began to speak. But after a few minutes, his expression changes drastically. I don''t know what''s going on. But he looked at me with some kind of fear in his eyes. I couldn''t help but think about the Teacher. He told me that he had made arrangements for me. Is this included? I looked at the manager with a small smile on my face. After a few minutes, the manager ended the call. He solemnly said, "Higher-ups have agreed to your request. We can hide the cultivation details." A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then further processes were completed quickly. "Now you are an official student of our academy," Manager Hawk said with a smile. He then gave the joining kits with the academy uniform. He was already terrified by the higher-up''s flattery attitude toward this young man. He is an old fox with a lot of experience. He can already infer something. The young man in front of him has a terrifying background. On top of it, the young man is a special element user as well. So he made up his mind to please. In the coming days, there will be more noise in the academy. He can already imagine what kind of wave will cause other warriors because of this special element warrior. Meanwhile, I placed the joining kits and the academy uniform in my storage ring. The manager also gave me a map and some rule books. Which I can use to understand the Academy better. "Alright, it''s time for me to leave," Jonathan said to Zack. His main job was to escort Zack here. Now that the registration is done. He can now leave with peace. "Are you leaving right now?" I asked back. I thought he would spend time here before leaving. Jonathan smiled and said, "Master gave me some important tasks. I have to complete it without any delay." Hearing the word "Master" I sighed inwardly. Then I nodded my head in response. At least I can see him off. We then walked toward the monster pet facility. On the other hand, the warriors who were peeping right now were stunned. "Hey, why can''t I see through the newcomer?" One of the warriors asked out in doubt. A couple of seconds ago, everyone was wondering about the newcomer''s element. So they decided to probe. But right now they can''t see through the newcomer''s cultivation base. "Weird," Another warrior muttered. The warriors looked confused. "Hey, don''t you think the person beside him blocked our senses," A warrior commented? "Maybe, he is right. Let''s probe him some other time. First, we need to spread the news," A female warrior said in a calm tone. Hearing that everyone''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Right after, everyone disappeared from the spot and quickly went to spread the news to their faction. Meanwhile, Jonathan stood on top of the bird monster. Right after his signal, the monster rose from the ground. "If you need anything, you can contact me at any time," Jonathan''s words reached my ears. As he and the monster slowly disappeared from my sight. "Sigh," I let out a deep sigh unknowingly. After a few seconds, I adjusted my mind and accessed the academy map on my communication watch. First, I have to see my room. I heard the academy''s accommodations were top-class. I quickly opened the map and accessed my current area. After a few seconds of scanning, I immediately found the dormitory. The dorm is within walking distance from here. There are four dorm buildings for each grade institution. I don''t know whether the facilities in the dorm were based on the grade as well. A hint of expectation rose in my heart. Then l followed the map and walked toward the destination. Several minutes later, I arrived at the dorm. It''s a high-story building as well. Why do I feel this building is similar to the City Lord Mansion? But this one is quite large in comparison. After taking a look at the building, I walked up to the front desk. A male staff member is working behind his desk. But the aura emanating from his body is no less than that of a Super Elite Warrior. Seeing that, my mouth twitched. Feeling my presence, the staff looked at me, "You are.." Before he could complete his words. I handed him over the gold badge with the Viper Symbol in it. The gold badge is proof that I''m a student at an A-grade institute. The staff widened his eyes in surprise. He got up from the seat and immediately picked up the gold badge. After doing verification, the staff realized the young man is a newcomer who joined now. After clearing the doubts, he handed over the badge. "My bad, here is your room number and access code," The staff texted two things to the young man. At the same time, I simply nodded my head in response before walking toward the dorm room. My dorm room is located on the 2nd floor. Seeing that, I used the lift. I don''t know why? I see no one here except the staff. Has everyone left for the classes? Doubt appeared in my heart. A few seconds later, I stepped out. Again, I see no one around this floor. "Strange," I muttered to myself. Then shaking my head, I walked toward my room. There are no more than 20 rooms on this floor. I quickly found the room. After entering the access code, I walked into the room. The next moment, a look of disbelief appeared on my face. The rooms are more spacious than I had previously imagined. The living room is wide and spacious. There is one single bedroom with an attached restroom and bath. On top of it, there is also a single isolated room for cultivation. But I see no kitchen here. Then a look of understanding dawned upon me. From the map, I see a common dining hall. There is a big dining hall for each grade institution. I don''t know whether there is any day-to-day interaction between warriors from different institutions. Shaking my head, I pushed these unnecessary thoughts behind my mind. First, I decided to take a bath before thinking about something else. A few minutes later, I wore the new black academy uniform. The set has two pairs of black leather shirts and pants. The golden badge is a special ID. It has a lot of functions. Then I pinned the golden badge on the left side of my chest. Seeing that everything was okay, I put the extra pair of dresses in my storage ring. I quickly found a mirror to check myself. The black dress suits me perfectly. Seeing that everything is okay, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. "Sigh" Then I let out a deep sigh before sitting on the sofa. Everything is done and now it''s time to contact the family. They must be waiting for my call. Then I immediately contacted Uncle James. When the communication was established. Uncle James'' concerned voice reached my ears. Hearing that, I began to speak. After knowing that I have safely reached the academy. Uncle James breathed in relaxation. He then inquired with me about the academy. After a few minutes, I spoke to Granny Park. She wanted me to visit her whenever there was a time. So I promised her. I feel the visit is too sudden. There was no time to say a proper goodbye to the acquaintances. Time passed, After having a conversation with him. I decided to contact Elder Thornton as well. I know before the competition we had some conflicts. But now the competition is over. It''s time to talk to him and others. When the communication was established. I quickly updated him with details. After learning that I was safe and sound. He seemed to sigh in relief. Then he revealed shocking news to me. "Crimson Hall is in turmoil," My eyes flickered with a slight glint. A few minutes ago, Jonathan left. But the turmoil in Crimson Hall has already started. I think the Crimson Hall will be destroyed even before Jonathan''s arrival. Then a look of understanding dawned upon me. The live broadcast must have caused serious reactions. Thinking about it, a wry smile appeared on my face. How arrogant were they before a competition? Now their entire organization is facing a threat. Elder Thornton''s next question stumped me. Does he want to know what happened to Elder Casey from Crimson Hall? In reply, I lied to him. I think he shouldn''t know about this. Especially, I can''t tell him until the Crimson Hall''s destruction. Talking about the crimson hall, images of a few people come to mind. "What happened to Maria?" I said in my heart. Then I asked Elder Thornton about it. "She joined the White Palace," Thornton said with a smile. "White Palace?" I mumbled under my breath. I remember, there is one more female super elite warrior beside that cold woman. I guess she was the elder of the White Palace Academy. Chapter 453 Resuming Cultivation From MC''s perspective: Saw Scale Viper Academy, After spending time talking with my family and friends, I spent the rest of the time reading the introductory book of the academy. After a few hours, a look of understanding dawned upon me. The warriors are split into many groups based on elemental power. And I know where I''m going to enter. The Special Elemental Faction consists of warriors with variant element power. From the manager''s words, I came to know that I''m the first warrior to be enrolled with a lightning element. There was no one before me. But apart from that there are other variant powers in the world. I couldn''t help but recall some old memories. When I first got to know I''m a special element warrior. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I remember apart from the lightning element. There are other special elements known to the world such as dark elements, light elements, healing, and poison element. There are even variants such as ice elements and soil elements. When it comes to special elements. I have two more elemental powers in my body. Adding to lightning, I have a blood element and a healing element. Thinking about it, my mouth curved into an arc. If the outside world knows about my real thoughts. They would hack me into pieces. I think no one in history is blessed with three special elements at the same time. So in this case, I''m blessed. When it comes to the other two elements. I rarely practiced. I think it is better to allocate some time to cultivating three elements. After gaining some clarity, I looked at the book again. There is no information regarding members in this book. It only tells the outline of the academy. Apart from the elemental factions. There are also several small factions that are involved in refining the weapons and treating the injured warriors. Beep! Suddenly my watch lit up with a notification. Seeing that I placed the book on the table before accessing the message. [Greetings!] [Welcome new student Zack Lockwood to our Academy. You are assigned to the Special Elemental Faction of our Academy. You are given three days to get familiar with rules and regulations.] [After three days, the class schedules will be sent to your student account. For that, Kindly, open a student account and register your details.] [As a student of A- Grade Institute, you are eligible for several privileges. Please, take your time to look into the attached document.] After reading the information, I sighed in relief. "At least, they gave me three days," I mumbled under my breath. Before receiving the message, I was feeling a little uncomfortable. But right now the little gloominess in my heart is completely swept away. I can use the three days to get familiar with the academy. And most importantly, I want to resume my cultivation practice. After closing the message box, I decided to look into the attached documents. "Privileges," I mumbled under my breath. Thinking about the privileges, a hint of expectation rose in my heart. I couldn''t help but remember the energy chamber back in the Hansen Campus. There is also a Special Gravity Chamber built up for training. These two facilities in my opinion were very important for warriors'' growth. But the Hansen academy is just a small institute in a Tier-8 city. The facility in this academy might be superior to that. Already world energy in this area is very abundant. I don''t know whether a similar energy chamber exists in the academy. I accessed the document one by one. A few minutes later, My eyes are shown with bright light. "Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed in my heart. The benefits were beyond my imagination. I believe the benefits were only available for warriors in the A- Grade Institute. When it comes to other grade institutes, the benefits will be naturally lower. It took me a couple of seconds to calm down my heart. Then I slowly recalled in my heart. What are the benefits? First, there is a similar energized cultivation chamber available in the academy. Second, there is also a gravity chamber available. But it''s many times more advanced than the one I had trained in Hansen. Third, there are also training places available based on different elements. For example, for a fire element warrior. There is a blessed place filled with fire element energy. When training in that place the speed of cultivation will be faster for fire elemental warriors. Similarly, there are blessed places for other elemental warriors. For a moment, a trace of doubt flashes in my eyes. The blessed places are available for common elements. I don''t know whether the academy has one for special-element warriors. To verify, I can only look into the academy. Because even there are places available for special elemental warriors. I can''t be sure whether they got one for lightning element warrior. Teacher McClain said I need a lot of lightning resources to re-energize the unknown seed. A gloomy glint flashes in my eyes. Then after sighing, I pushed the unnecessary thoughts behind my mind before looking into other privileges. Apart from the facilities for training, there is also a place for getting resources. We can get any kind of elemental treasure or pills from the Treasure Hall. Either we can buy it using points given by the academy or buy it using affinity stones. "Affinity stones," My eyes lit up with surprise. Apart from cultivating by gathering energy from the world. We can also cultivate using affinity stones. But it''s a pity, one of the disadvantages of being a special element warrior is that it is hard to find the affinity stones. There are fire affinity stones available in the market. But it can''t be said the same for the special element warrior. It was even rare to come across one. But I like the idea of using points to purchase the treasure items. Then how to earn points? I can already think of something. ? When I began to read further information in the document. My assumption became right. Points can be earned by completing the task. I couldn''t help but think about Crimson Hall. They too have a similar method. By only completing the task, the organization would give them a rewarding task. Compared to Hansen Campus. I feel the Hansen Campus is more lenient. There were no facilities. At the same time, the restrictions were not strict either. Then I began to read further information. After half an hour, I completely understood the whole document. I walked to the isolated training place to cultivate. After placing the mat on the ground, I sat cross-legged. Then I started to run the celestial scripture. When I started to run the celestial scripture. The rune in my consciousness started to flicker. As time went on, I began to attract the energies from the surroundings. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to celestial scripture. After circulation, the energy settled down in my dantian. Now my dantian is vastly filled with purified lightning essence. When this energy is added to it. It immediately disappeared into it. Seeing that the energy is not enough. I began to circulate the energy again. Time passed, When there was enough energy. The totem inside the dantian began to vibrate. Seeing the familiar operation, I stopped worrying and let it happen. The totem began to purify the gathered essence. The process came to an end a minute later. Seeing that, I sighed in relief. Then I began to observe the essence of energy. The elite-level essence feels a lot more powerful. After stopping the lightning scripture cultivation. I decided to cultivate the blood element method. Before doing that, I brought out the level-3 monster core from the storage ring. Placing the monster core in my palm. I started to run the blood element method. When the bloody rune in my mind started to flicker. I feel a hotting throb of blood in my body. Then I slowly began to observe the monster''s core energy. The energy began to enter my body. Inside the body, a hazy blood light starts to appear. When this observed energy entered the organs. The hazy blood light quickly covered it. As usual, the blood light began to convert the energy into white energy.1 The white energy drilled into my bones. Right after, I felt agonizing pain. "This?" I gritted my teeth to control myself. Even after becoming an elite-level warrior. I feel this horrible pain again. The blood cultivation method is inhumane. It is not a cup of tea for everyone. Then I see the red tattooed mark on my skeleton begin to expand further. After a few minutes, the process comes to an end. Right after, I took a deep breath and exhaled. The monster''s core then crumbles into pieces. Seeing that, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I know one monster core is not enough for cultivation. So I took another monster core from the storage ring and began to repeat the process. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After several minutes, the monster''s core crumbles into pieces. Chapter 454 Crimson Halls Destruction The next day, The clouds above Crimson Hall are dark and gloomy. Grand Elder Chris let out a deep sigh of regret and sadness. Hundreds of years of the foundation are reaching a dead end. Looking at the dark sky, he fell silent for a moment. Right now, not many were left in Crimson Hall. Apart from the upper echelons, the rest of the members had left the organization. Those families who were under Crimson Hall fled to other cities right after the competition ended. But fortunately, there was no official threat from the government. Since the competition happened due to the agreement of Super Elite Warriors. No force can legally attack them. Using the opportunity, he gave others time to flee. Grand Elder Chris suddenly feels bad premonition. He doesn''t know why? He feels some danger is coming ahead. Before Grand Elder Chris could realize this. A giant dark hand fell on top of the building. Boom! A terrible sound resonated in the area. The massive building was destroyed in seconds. The aftermath swept away other nearby buildings. The force was so huge that it caused so many casualties. Puff! Grand Elder Chris coughed up blood. He was caught off guard. The attack was beyond his belief. He doesn''t know who attacked now. But the power is something he can''t contend against. When I looked down at his body. He found several broken bones. Seeing that his face became ugly. Before his vitality was already reaching a dead end. Now, these injuries caused a loss of vitality even more. It will be a matter of time before his vitality comes to an end. Facing such a quick death, he doesn''t know how to react. The next second a wry smile appeared on his face. His eyes scanned the surroundings. Other than the smoke nothing can be seen. It took several minutes before the aftermath settled down. When the smoke cleared. He saw the aftermath. The trace of the building is nowhere to be seen. Only dust and piles of broken stones are everywhere. The members of the upper echelons are completely buried under the rubble. Grand Elder Chris knows there was no chance for others to survive this attack. Finally, after a couple of seconds. He lost his breath as well. Swish! Jonathan appeared above the massive debris. He quickly scanned the surroundings for the survivors. Soon he spotted a few people asking for help. Seeing that he disappeared from the spot. And immediately killed all those people one by one. After a few minutes, Jonathan appeared in the same spot again. "Harumph," He gave a cold snort in his heart. He had never expected the city and organization to be so deserted. It looks like many of the families under the Crimson Hall were gone already. And he came a bit late, his eyes flickered with gloomy glint. Master instructed him to destroy the organization. But now some rats have slipped away. Jonathan fell silent for a moment. He doesn''t want to waste his time searching for the escaped families. He decided to ask his master later. Then he spent a few more minutes searching the place before disappearing from the spot. Shortly after, the people around the vicinity came to this place. Seeing the destruction dumbfounded them. Quickly the news was shared with the local channels. Within an hour, the news starts to spread like a wildfire. The destruction of the Crimson Hall came so suddenly. The forces who were waiting to see something happening to Crimson Hall broke out in joy. They didn''t know which force did it. But they were extremely happy right now. Meanwhile, when the news spread to the public. It caused another shock wave. In particular, the people who were protesting suddenly stopped and began to celebrate in the streets. Even the hostile forces got mixed reactions. They didn''t know which one of them did it. Because they all know there was one great elder behind the Crimson Hall. Even Casey''s death is not enough to give them courage. Grand Elder Chris is capable of causing severe damage to them. That''s why most of them decided to wait and watch the approach. Now seeing the destruction, everyone is quite clear that Grand Elder Chris is probably dead. Which caused mixed reactions. Meanwhile, when the news reached the Red City. The City Lord of the Red City became pale with fright. He was doing everything because of Crimson Hall''s support. Now the support is gone. The City Lord felt the sky come down itself. He knows now people can''t wait to attack him. If he stays here any longer, there is no guarantee that he will be safe. City Lord then gazed in the direction of Hansen. A look of regret appeared in his eyes. He was aware of Zack Lockwood''s success in the competition. After knowing that he was hoping to get some opportunity to get away or transfer to other cities. But even before that happened Crimson Hall''s destruction came as a bolt out of blue. The City Lord made up his mind to escape. For this, he didn''t even want to alert People close to him. Hansen, "Ha.....Ha....Ha....," Thornton burst into laughter. "Retribution," Thornton said in a deep voice. He couldn''t help but listen to the news again. All over the news, you can see the breaking news about Crimson Hall''s destruction. It took him a few minutes to digest the emotions. For so long, Crimson Hall has been creating a problem for Zack and the Hansen People. So much so that they even arranged for the assassin to kill Zack. After all these events, now he feels somewhat relieved. Now he doesn''t have to worry about Crimson Hall anymore. When he was lost in thoughts. Arthur walked into his cabin. Seeing that Thornton got up from the seat and said, "Arthur, did you see the news?" Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise. He came here to discuss some administrative issues. But looking at the joyful face of the Elder. He almost forgot about them. "Crimson Hall is no more," Thornton said in a deep voice. Arthur wide opened his mouth. He felt he heard something wrong. But after some seconds, he asked out in surprise, "How?" Thornton pointed his finger at the news on the screen. Arthur hurriedly walked up to listen. After a few minutes, he let out joyful laughter as well. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Arthur laughed. "Elder, who did it?" He asked again, as he moved to sit opposite Thornton. Thornton furrowed his eyebrows. There was no information about that. From the news, it can be seen that Crimson Hall''s destruction came so suddenly. No one is alive after that. The people who shared the news went there after hearing the loud noise. So no one knows who destroyed it in reality. Thornton shook his head in response. "This?"Arthur was surprised again. Thornton suddenly thinks about Zack. He doesn''t know why? He feels the destruction of Crimson Hall is related to Zack. The more he thinks about it the more he feels real. But he didn''t share his views with Arthur. He doesn''t want to scare Arthur. Star Tower, At the same time, the news also sent a shock wave to the Star Tower. The Star Tower Elders were all surprised by the news. The Star Tower is starting to recover from the last battle. So earlier, they didn''t have time to think about Crimson Hall at all. But that doesn''t mean they forget about Crimson Hall''s crimes. They decided to deal with Crimson Hall later. Now that seeing someone had a deal with them. The higher-ups of the Star Tower were all in confusion. Who could be? Unlike other forces, they were quite knowledgeable about the power division. It is not easy to move to Crimson Hall. So someone or some force with similar strength to them had taken action. But after arriving at this conclusion. The higher-ups unanimously decided to stop interfering in this matter. Meanwhile, Red Moon Tower, Ella Downs and Sallie Browns were just beginning to get familiar with Red Moon Tower. Like the Saw Scale Viper Academy, the Red Moon Tower also gave a few days to them. Right after the competition, both were deeply worried about the state of Crimson Hall. Elder Casey is dead. They don''t know what happened later. The communication was cut off. Just as they were discussing again. Teresa York appeared all of a sudden. Looking at the two girls, Teresa York''s mouth curved into an arc. But when she recalled the recent news from the Tier-7 City. Her eyes flickered with a gloomy glint. Sensing her presence, Ella Downs and Sallie Browns got up from their seats. "Why are you guys so down?" Teresa York asked. Sallie Browns and Ella Downs looked at each other. "We don''t know? What happened to our home?" Sallie said. Like other families, Sallie and Ella''s family is also attached to Crimson Hall. If anything happens to Crimson Hall, then their family will also face the consequences. Teresa York sighed. She probably knows who is responsible for that destruction. Chapter 455 Dean Rebecca Red Moon Tower, Teresa York revealed the news about Crimson Hall''s destruction without hiding the truth. "How could it be?" Ella Downs widened her eyes in disbelief. She had expected something bad. But this news was certainly beyond her belief. "Destruction," Sallie uttered in the loss. What about her family and friends? And the nearby shopkeepers and neighbors. An entire city has been relying on Crimson Hall''s existence. So what happened now? Sallie and Ella have similar concerns regarding their family. They were afraid something bad happened to them. Teresa York saw through their moods. She recalled the humiliation she suffered at the hands of that figure. That figure was closer to the lightning kid, Zack Lockwood. And the Crimson Hall''s elder has died under the hands of Zack Lockwood. She strongly feels the destruction of the Crimson Hall is related to them. "Elder, who is behind the attack?" At this time, Sallie opened her mouth to ask. Ella Downs turned toward Teresa York as well. Feeling the gazes from two. Teresa York said, "It''s not yet confirmed who is behind the attack." "But we had watched your elder die under the hands of Zack Lockwood." The atmosphere becomes pin-drop silence. Sallie knew somewhere in her heart that it might be related to Zack. But she doesn''t know about Zack''s actual background. In her opinion, Hansen Institute was not capable of doing anything against Crimson Hall. Ella Downs seems to be dumbstruck as well. Teresa''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. She doesn''t know how the girls are going to react. But she is against the Army Federation. Like it or not, these girls are going to stand against Zack Lockwood in the future. .... From MC''s Perspective, Saw Scale Viper Academy, Last day before the first class, Back in the room. I got up from the ground after the cultivation. When I looked internally inside my dantian. Apart from the vast purple essence, there were also some green spots. The green spots were nothing but the essence of the healing element. After the trip to the ruin, I didn''t get much time to spend in cultivation. Considering the big competition on the way at that time. But here, I had an entire day to spend time in cultivation. The healing scripture was not that simple. I wasn''t able to guess the rank. Considering it was recovered from the ruin. I believe that the healing scripture rank is close to the lightning scripture. 10 A.M Seeing the timing, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Yesterday, I received the schedule from the administration. I was assigned to a special element class. Most of the schedules were similar to that one in Hansen Campus. Most of the classes were directed to combat training. Apart from the normal schedule. Warriors can also attend refining class and alchemy class. I don''t know whether I had talent in this category. The Blood Element Method and Healing Method seem to cover all of my time. "Sigh" I let out a sigh before giving up the thoughts. Right now, I need to focus on getting lightning resources. I need to raise my elite-level cultivation. Meanwhile, Deep inside the building. Several people were seated for a roundtable discussion. All of them were heads of factions who were responsible for guiding the warriors in the A- Grade Institute. Right now everyone is here for an important meeting. Suddenly, an old woman appeared in the main seat. She appears to be sixty years old. But her real age is unknown. She has long white hair and black eyes. Her body is covered with a black robe. She is 6ft tall in height. Her skin tone is fair. But all of them were covered in black robes. Her name is Rebecca Smith, SSS- Elite Water Elemental Warrior. She is the dean of Saw Scale Viper Academy. Right after her appearance, everyone stood up from their seats. These people were heads of different factions in the Academy. For example, a fiery old man with crimson hair. Franklin Madden, SS- Elite Fire Elemental Warrior. He is the vice dean of the academy. And he is also the current head of the Flame Faction. Similarly, other Faction Elders have the SS-Elite level cultivation base. But there was one empty seat. Rebecca''s old eyes immediately caught the detail. When she glances around. She found the absence of a Special Elemental Faction Head. Her mouth twitched. She had instructed everyone to attend this meeting without any absence. But that person from the Special Element Faction seems to be in retreat. Sighing, she signaled everyone to sit. Seeing her, others understood the mood. This was not the first time the Special Element Faction Head was absent from the meeting. Meanwhile, Franklin gave a cold snort in his heart. He is the Vice-dean but he can''t put air in front of the Dean. But that guy from Special Faction is in retreat. Thinking about that person''s courage, a wave of anger rose in his heart. "Dean, you should reprimand Carlos," Franklin began to complain. But before he could finish his sentence. He was stopped by the Dean. Rebecca easily saw through his thoughts. She knows it''s nothing but rivalry between Carlos and Franklin. Seeing that Dean is getting impatient. Franklin stopped talking and sat back in his seat. Rebecca then glanced at everyone before sitting on her main chair. Before her, information about Zack Lockwood is placed. She picked it up and began to go through the details. It''s been three days since Zack''s arrival. But Zack hadn''t left his room at all. Except for having food and casual walking. Most of the time Zack was cooking up his room. He wasn''t aware that his every movement was being monitored. Rebecca has the exact routine information of Zack. After reading the document, she placed it on the table. But in her heart, she muttered, "Is that kid cautious?" Her eyes flickered with a slight glint. The information about Zack is known to only a few people including her, Carlos, and a few ancestors of the academy. But something unexpected happened back then. Now the information is known to everyone including the other five academies. Right now, she wants to officially disclose the news to others. "Alright, I want to share some good news with you, "After saying that she added further, "We got one new student enrolled in our A- Grade Institute." "His name is Zack Lockwood. Almost 15 years old. Elite Level- Lightning elemental warrior." Gasp When she dropped the news, a few people exclaimed in surprise. While a strange glint flashes in others'' eyes. "So it''s true," Franklin''s face turned ugly. A few days ago, shocking news reached everyone''s ears. But he couldn''t confirm it. The person who went for the recruitment was not his own. But hearing from the Dean herself. Franklin confirmed it now. He knows the importance of the lightning warrior. Now, the Special Element Faction has gained another future powerhouse. Franklin didn''t feel happy at all. In the whole academy, the Flame faction got the highest strength. Followed by other Elemental Factions. But the Special Element Faction has the least members. The commotion took some seconds to quiet down. Rebecca raised her head and looked at everyone. She knows that the news might be shocking to a few people. "Ahem, Zack''s information was already learned by the other five academies. And I''m pretty sure they don''t want him to live" "If there is a chance, I don''t think anyone would hesitate twice to kill this kid," When she said this expression everyone turned solemn. Lightning element? How rare? They can understand the worry of the Dean. Because the Special Element Warriors got more chances to enter the Inner Post than others. For the lightning warrior, it is 100% certain that he will join the Inner Post as well. Until then, everyone has to protect that kid. If nothing happens, Zack will be a strong pillar for the academy in the future. The Dean saw everyone''s mood. She said, "That''s right, we need to protect that kid." "In the future, we need to be wary of other academy''s schemes. I don''t want that kid to fall in a mid-way," She said in a cold tone. But in her heart, she is thinking of something else. She didn''t tell everyone that she knows the person behind that kid. And the background of the person is terrifying. In her view, Zack is already part of Inner Post. The ancestor had some connection with that person as well. What she knows is Zack will only study for two years here. After that, he will go to the Inner Post. Rebecca fears that if anything bad befalls that kid, the whole academy would face serious consequences. Her ancestor had instructed her to specifically take care of that kid. That''s why she had arranged this meeting. Then one after another people shared their opinion. Some wanted to tighten security. While others wanted to reduce frequent academy exchanges. As long as there is minimal communication between the six academies. The possibility of information leak out would be reduced. And the schemes of other academies can be stopped in this way. Chapter 456 Part One: Meeting New Classmates The following day, I woke up earlier. After completing my morning routine, I sat for cultivation. I decided to practice each element for one hour. First, I started with lightning celestial scripture. Sitting cross-legged on the mat, I began to run the cultivation method. As I started the rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I began to absorb energy from my surroundings. When the energies entered my body, I guided them according to celestial scripture. After circulation, the energy settles down in my dantian. The purified lightning essence quickly disappeared into my dantian. Seeing that, I continued to repeat the process. When a considerable amount of energy gathered inside my dantian. The mysterious totem began to act. Soon the essence seems to refine further. Soon more refined lightning essence settled down in my dantian. Seeing that, a hint of satisfaction flashes in my eyes. Then I continued to cultivate. One hour later, I opened my eyes after I stopped practicing the lightning scripture. It''s 7 A.M. Seeing that, I decided to start to cultivate the 2nd element. I took out the monster core from the storage ring and held it in my palm. As I started to run the blood cultivation method. The bloody rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Soon I began to absorb the energy from the monster''s core. When the energy entered my body. A bloody red light appeared from the blood and began to convert the energies into white essence. Seeing that, a hint of anticipation rose in my heart. But I know there will be agonizing pain ahead. When the white energies drilled into my bones. I felt heart-wrenching pain. I gritted my teeth to control my emotions. Slowly the red tattooed part of the skeleton began to expand further. I get an ominous feeling from the red tattooed part of the skeleton. Then I took out another monster core from the storage ring and began to repeat the process. One hour later, I have finished cultivating the blood element method. Now, it''s time to focus on the healing scripture. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After one hour, I got up from the seat. I have practiced all three elements. Soon I will touch the limit in both my body and essence cultivation. Maybe if I get rich resources, my breakthrough period would be shortened further. Then I went to take a bath. Considering today is the first day of my class. I don''t want to be late. Several minutes later, I wore the black uniform of the academy. On the left side of my chest, there is a golden badge. Which shows I''m a student of the A- grade institute. After checking myself in my mirror, I left the dorm room and walked toward the academy. There are two castle-type buildings. Right now, I have to enter the Special Element for my class. On the way to the castle building, I came across a lush green garden on both sides of the path. Looking at the plants growing, a strange glint flash in my eyes. None of the plants seems to be ordinary. And what''s more strange is that I couldn''t even recognize the flowers. In particular, I have noticed one massive flower with many bees on top of it. Then shifting my gaze from the garden, I looked ahead. Right now, there was no one on the path. I''m the lonely one who is heading toward the academy. Meanwhile, Zack''s movements were quickly reported back to the management. Seeing that Zack is going to attend the class. The guards hiding in the dark didn''t choose to follow from behind. At the same time, when I got closer to the building. I see a massive medieval entrance gate made full of iron. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Even the gate of the academy building seems to be strong. When I walked into the building. I see many warriors walking around and chatting with people. All of them were wearing distinct golden badges on their chest. Seeing that I viewed the map again, after finding the route for the Special Faction place. I took the stairs to reach there. Meanwhile, few people from the flame faction noticed the clueless face of the warrior. "Hey, why is that person glancing around?" One of the Flame Faction warriors said. Hearing that, others turned around to see. "A newcomer?" Another one asked out in surprise. When the words come out. Others realized it might be possible. Soon the group of five watched that person''s actions. "Is he going toward the Gale Faction?" A female warrior asked. The group was quite attracted by such a scene. One of them suggested by saying, "Let''s follow him." Immediately five of them from the Flame Faction walked upstairs. Hoping to catch up with the newcomer. Meanwhile, I set foot on the 3rd floor of the building. But what greeted me was a massive door with a system. But above the door, I see a massive lettering saying, Special Elemental Faction. "So it''s here," I mumbled under my breath. The third floor is nothing but the place of the Special Element Faction. I know how to enter inside. Already the management has sent me the access code for various facilities. I stepped forward to enter the code. After entering the code, I stood silently. Creak! The massive door opens. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. Then I stepped inside. Behind me, the door shut automatically. Seeing that I couldn''t help but think of Hansen''s underground chamber. Next, I started to walk. There are multiple rooms on both sides. Soon, I found room number 206. This is where my first class is going to happen. I looked at the door in front of me. Meanwhile, A minute ago, The group from the Flame Faction finally caught up with the newcomer. But when they saw him walking toward the third floor. Everyone stood in disbelief. Shock and fear can be seen on their faces. "You tell me. Is he going to enter the Special Faction?" "Or he came to the wrong place without knowing it?" A warrior asked. But when they saw Zack step inside. Everyone became pale with fright. "It''s real. The newcomer is Special Element Warrior." "Quick, spread the news. We need to find out who he is?" Fire elemental warrior said with a panic-stricken voice. Right after, everyone left. They wanted to spread the news as quickly as possible. A new special elemental warrior appeared. How come they do not know about it? ... At the same time, I opened the door and walked into the room. When I raised my head to look around. I see one or two warriors chatting among themselves. My appearance immediately attracted attention. I see two male warriors and one female warrior looking at me with confusion. Michael Blevins, Ernest Kirk, and Laverne Morrow. The Three Special Element Warriors stopped talking and observed the stranger. Michael Blevins appeared to be in his early twenties. He has golden hair and eyes. His skin tone is fair. He wore a black academy uniform. He is Golden light, Super Elite Warrior. Golden light is a variant of a rare light element. Besides him, Ernest Kirk appears to be in his early twenties as well. Unlike Michael, he has black curly hair and eyes. His skin tone is a little bit tanned. He is Soil Element, Super Elite Warrior. The third one is Laverne Morrow. She is the female in the group. She has white long hair and eyes. Her skin tone is pale. She also wore a black academy uniform. Her elemental power is ice. She is a Super Elite Warrior as well. Seeing the appearance of the newcomer. Three of them looked at each other. "Who are you?" Laverne Morrow asked. Hearing that I stood in a daze for a moment. The voice sounds so sweet. But the next moment, I recovered myself. I looked at three of them and replied, "Hi, I''m Zack Lockwood. I''m a new student here." "What new student?" Laverne asked out in surprise. Then she quickly realized something. Other than Special Element Warrior no one is allowed to come here. So the person is not lying. Michael and Enrest looked at each other in surprise. The appearance of the new student is good news for them and the whole Special Elemental Faction. Laverne tilted her head slightly and asked, "What''s your element and cultivation base?" She found the newcomer to be pleasing. So she inquired further. "Ah, my bad. I forgot to tell you." "I''m a lightning element warrior with an Elite level cultivation base," I answered without hiding my cultivation base. Gasp! Three of them stood in surprise. Laverne covered her mouth in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" Michael blurted out in surprise. Lightning power? It''s very rare. For so many years no one had awakened lightning elements in the Outer Post. So the news came out of the blue. Ernest Kirk was also shocked to the core. He even pinched himself to check whether this is true or not. Chapter 457 Part Two: Meeting New Classmates From MC''s Perspective: SSV Academy, "Yes, I''m indeed a lightning element warrior," After saying this, I snapped my finger. A purple arc appeared for a moment and it disappeared. Gasp! Laverne Morrow exclaimed in surprise. Michael and Ernest looked at each other in surprise. Then three of them introduced themselves one by one. A strange glint flashes in my eyes. "Golden Light" "Soil Element" "Ice element" I muttered in my heart. These three special elements were rare and powerful as well. Then they invited me to sit beside them. Three of them were one realm higher than me. And they seemed to be much older as well. Michael opened his mouth to give an introduction about the Special Element Faction. From time to time, Ernest and Laverne added the point as well. 20 minutes later, The conversation comes to an end. And I somewhat learned about the special element faction and other factions in the Academy. The Special Element Warriors can be counted on fingers. And the Head of the faction seems to be in retreat as well. When it comes to other warriors. Either they are in retreat or they have gone on a mission. And these three were one group, that''s why only three of them spent time here. "Hey, is there a place with lightning resources?" I asked. Michael and Enrest saw through my thoughts. "There is a place. But that place only is active in the later part of the years, "After saying that, Ernest explained about one particular blessed place. When he finished his words. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes."So, that place is the blessed land of Gale Faction. And that place will be filled by lightning and storms in the later part of a year," I said in my heart. Though this phenomenon is simply due to changes in climatic conditions. But that environment is perfect for my lightning cultivation. Seeing Zack dozing off, Laverne Morrow said, "Hey, why can''t we take Zack to the monster zone with us? It will be helpful for our mission." "Monster Zone?" Hearing the familiar word. I returned to reality. Michael liked the suggestion, so he turned toward Zack and said," Actually, the three of us are planning to go to a monster zone for a mission. If you are free, you can join us." I asked, "Can you tell me about the monster zone?" Ernest took this opportunity to explain them one by one. After a few minutes, my heart set off storms. The monster zone here was simply upgraded versions of previous ones in low Tier cities. There are even Class-6 and Class-7 monsters in the monster zone. And from Ernest''s words, I can tell that the size of the monster zone is extremely large. For a moment, a hint of expectation rose in my heart. I''m quite interested in seeing this monster zone. "Alright, I will join you guys," I said. "Good" "What are we waiting for? We can leave now?" Laverne said with an excited tone. I''m dumbfounded by her reactions. I asked, "What about classes?" "Class?" Michael uttered with an amusing smile on his face. "Seniors are in retreat. In their free time, they teach. Now we can use this opportunity to train ourselves," Michael added. A look of understanding dawned upon me. Unlike other factions, there are only a few people here. So here warriors have more free time compared to others. Then all of us left the room and walked downstairs. Suddenly I feel a lot of fiery gazes on me. "This?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. There are a lot of people in black dresses looking toward us. Most importantly they are looking at me. "Flame faction," Laverne said in an icy tone. Michael nodded his head before turning toward Zack. "Looks like they already know about you," He said jokingly. Shaking my head, I revealed a small smile on my face. Soon we walked past them, ignoring their gazes. A few minutes later, we reached a particular place. "Mission Hall," Seeing the board, a look of understanding dawned upon me. A burly male warrior is working behind the desk. Michael walked up to him to inquire about the task details. A few minutes later, Michael returned with the mission. "Okay, we can now visit that monster zone," Michael said with a smile. I nodded my head in response. Unlike those monster zones in low-tier cities. The monster zones here were directly under the control of the academy. After walking out of the castle building. We walked toward the teleportation facility. Teleportation is another shocking technology of the academy. I guess only higher-level warriors were eligible to use this function. "Hmm," I furrowed my eyebrows. Earlier, I didn''t notice it. But some people are following us secretly. Is there any friction between the factions? But I heard that there was no particular hatred between the factions. Everyone seems to be united. Laverne suddenly observed a frown on Zack''s face. She asked, "What happened?" "Some people seem to follow us," I said. Ernest replied, "Forget about them. They seem too interested in you." "Interested in me?" I asked out in surprise. I remember I don''t have any clashes with warriors here. Laverne chuckled and said, "Usually, the movements of special element warriors attract a lot of attention. Some of the hot-headed warriors always wanted to fight us." "I guess now they got a new opportunity," Laverne said looking at Zack. A strange glint flashes in my eyes. Their words seem to make sense. At this time, Michael said, "Don''t worry about them. If you beat them hard, they will never dare to pester you again." I nodded my head. These guys seem to have pretty much experience. Soon, we reached the narrow tower located at the backside of the building. But a strange thing caught my eye. The tower has only one entrance. When we got closer. I see the magnificent door before us. Two guards are standing in front. We walked past them to enter inside. There is a huge platform in the middle of the ground. I see Michael walk up to the platform and stand in the middle of it. Followed by Ernest and Laverne. Seeing these three, the doubt in my heart completely got cleared. Then I stepped forward and stood beside them. I see Michael doing something in his sci-fi watch. A few seconds later, A blue color field enveloped us. The next second, we disappeared from the spot. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a new environment. The trees are massive in size compared to those in a normal environment. I feel like a small ant in front of these trees. "Welcome to #64 monster zone," Laverne said with a smile. "#64?" I raise my eyebrows in confusion. Monster Zones'' names were given in codes. Michael turned toward us. He said, "Alright, we need to collect the monster core of Class-5 Monster." After saying that Michael turned toward me. "Zack, you are the weakest of us. So support us from behind. We will take care of the rest of the things," Michael added. My mouth twitched but I only nodded in response. Michael then took the lead to enter. Followed by Ernest and Laverne. I slowly followed them from behind. We rushed past several overgrown vegetation on the way. But so far, I haven''t been able to see an open plain. "Wait up," Michael suddenly shouted. Everyone stopped on their track. The next second, a huge head came into my view. Looking at the monster, I froze on the spot. "Thick Skulled Violent Boar - Class 5 Monster" My heart set off storms. The monster''s appearance immediately caused violent coercion. When the pressure hit my body, I retreated a few steps backward. The monster is similar to Super Elite Warrior. The violent aura causes so much oppressive force. This is totally on a different scale from those mutated monsters. This boar seems to be a different species. His menacing eyes immediately locked us. From the eyes, I can tell it''s similar to human intellect. I almost forgot about one important thing. After class-4, the higher-level monster has an advanced body and intellect. You cannot simply fool the monster. Before I could think of anything else. I see Michael leap forward. He stretched his hand, and the next moment a bright golden color light released from his fingers. The light was so blinding. The boar monster wanted to avoid it. But the speed of the light was so fast that it reached the monster in a blink of an eye. The next thing I saw light penetrated the monster''s body leaving behind holes. Roar! The monster began to scream in agonizing pain. A look of understanding dawned upon me. Michael seems to have hit a vital part of the monster. Then I saw Ernest making a move. He manipulated the stable ground and turned it into the soil surface. Which causes the monster''s body to fall sideways. Swish! The next second, freezing ice attacked the monster''s leg. The Boar monster failed to stabilize and fell sideways. The ice attack is from Laverne. Seeing the perfect coordination, a hint of appreciation flashes in my eyes. Chapter 458 Fighting Against Class-5 Monster From MC''s perspective: Michael shot another golden strike. This time the shot penetrated deep into the monster''s neck. After a couple of seconds, a massive head fell to the ground. Tud! Seeing the fallen head, Laverne said with joy," Our luck is not bad. We came across this class-5 monster right after our appearance." Ernest Kirk smiled and said, "And I doubt there will be other boar monsters nearby." Hearing their friendly conversation. My mood becomes light. One thing I''m sure of is that their teamwork is perfect. They have killed this monster in a short time. After gaining some clarity, I sighed to myself. I feel like I''m starting all over. Then I see Michael digging up the monster core. After placing the monster core in his storage ring. Michael began to dissect the monster''s body using his golden light power. The process was over in a blink of an eye. I see many dissected pieces arranged properly within minutes. After a few minutes, we resumed our journey again. Looking at them, I feel I''m not much of use here. But I know if I combine the blood element and the lightning element. I''m capable of fighting across ranks. When the group came to the open space, everyone stopped moving. Because there were several footprints across the open space. "Look these footprints belong to a boar monster," Ernest pointed his fingers at the footprint. A strange glint flashes in my eyes. If it''s one against three, they can kill monsters easily. But what about the group? Before I could think of anything else. I heard another roar. This time not one but multiple roars. "Zack, stay back. A herd is coming here," Michael shouted in a high-pitched voice. Hearing that not only his, everyone''s expression changes drastically. "Fck!" I cursed out loud in my mind. I have just guessed a moment ago. Now the situation turned out to be true. Right after everyone retreats backward. Michael, Ernest, and Laverne formed a group. Shortly after, "Thick Skulled Violent Boar - Class 5 Monster" Two massive monsters rushed toward us. Michael confronts the first monster alone. Ernest and Laverne took charge of confronting another monster. Seeing the scene, I stood in a daze. I don''t want to be a spectator. ? The next moment, I drew a black sword from my storage ring. It''s been so long since I have used my lightning technique. A surge of heat appeared in my heart. The next second, I pour an immense amount of lightning essence into the black sword. The purple energy appeared with a crackling sound. In a blink of an eye, the black blade flickered with a bright purple glow. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. Next, I grabbed the black sword tightly and pointed at the boar monster. "Sword Divide," I uttered. The next second, a massive lightning beam shot at the monster. In a blink of an eye, the beam reaches the monster''s eye. The purple beam was so blinding to the eye. That even attracted the attention of others. "What is that? Ernest cried out in surprise. Before he could finish his words. The purple beam hit the eye of the monster. Roar! The boar monster let out a scream in agonizing pain. Using this opportunity, Ernest used his soil element to make the ground unstable again. Laverne also recovered from her shock. She quickly uses her ice element to lock the monster. The 1st boar monster was riddled with holes. Drops of blood were oozing out of it. Seeing that the monster has lost the strength to retaliate back. Michael shifted his attention to the 2nd monster. Meanwhile, I rushed forward. When I got closer, a massive aura locked my presence. It all happened in the blink of an eye. I couldn''t even move my body an inch. When I looked at the monster. The monster''s blood-red eyes looked at me. Feeling the gaze, I broke out in cold sweat. Unknowingly, I ran a blood element in my body. All of a sudden, an invisible aura appeared to me and it broke away from the influence of the monster''s aura. When the lock disappeared. I retreated backward immediately. Michael Quickie saw the scene. He said, "Zack, you retreat backward. I will take care of the monster." By that time he had already solved the 2nd monster and appeared in front of the 1st monster. Again he stretched his hand, and a golden light shot at the monster. In a blink of an eye, multiple golden beams shot at the monster. In a blink of an eye, the monster''s body was again riddled with many holes. This time the monster was pushed to the verge of death. A few seconds later, Tud! Monster''s body dropped dead after losing the final breath. Seeing that Michael sighed in relief. Then he turned toward me and asked, "Are you okay?" At the same time, I loosened the grip slightly. Looking at Michael, I replied, "I''m fine. " But my heart is not calm at all. A hard cold fact lies before me. I couldn''t even get near the class-5 monster. What''s so different about the monster? Unlike other monsters in low-tier cities. The monsters here were filled with so much savage aura. Which even blocked me from getting near. Meanwhile, Michael began to dissect the monster again. Ernest is providing protection. He is using soil elements on the ground to sense the vibration. If any monster comes in his direction, he would get an instant response. Laverne took an ice affinity stone to recover her essence. But suddenly she caught the expression of Zack. Seeing him looking down. She asked out of concern, "Zack, are you alright?" Hearing that, I returned to reality. I looked at her and replied, "Ahem, I''m a little bit surprised. The monster''s defense was too strong." Laverne''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. She understands Zack''s situation. Zack is from a small town. So the environment here is challenging for him. The monsters living in low-tier cities were not comparable to the monsters here. Before she could speak. Michael opened his mouth to say, "Zack, you are being restless. Just take your time to adapt. The world energy here is many times purer and higher than lower regions." "And there is no control over the monster''s population. This place is comparable to real wilderness. Only the survival of the fittest works here. So the monsters around here are more brutal and bloodthirsty." "Besides, it''s not easy to fight against a Class-5 Monster being in Elite level," Michael added. Hearing his explanation, a look of understanding dawned upon me. I''m thinking too much. This place is new to me. As he is sad, I should first adapt to the environment. "Here, take this monster core. It''s our meeting gift," Saying that, Michael threw the monster core at me. "This?" I caught the monster''s core and looked at him in surprise. "Hey, take it. We are not short of monster cores," Laverne added further. I see Ernest raising thumbs-up as well. Seeing that, I sighed inwardly and accepted the monster core. Several minutes later, We resumed our journey. The team needs one more monster core before completing the mission. Soon we came across another monster. This time it was the bull. "Mad Horn Bull - Class 5 Monster" This time the team became even more vigilant. I stopped moving and stood behind the team. A trace of complex emotions flashes in my eyes. I haven''t seen a single Class-4 Monster yet. But the Class-5 Monsters are popping up all of a sudden. I couldn''t help but feel vexed. The Mad Bull noticed the presence of a few ants. Smelling a familiar scent, hot air gushed out of the bull''s nostrils. It immediately lowered its head to rush forward. The Bull''s horns were sharp as a knife. One hit from the horn can cause severe injury to anyone. Ernest moved forward quickly. He immediately manipulated stable ground. "Laverne, target monster''s eyes," Michael shouted before attacking the monster using golden light. Meanwhile, I gripped my sword tightly and waited for the perfect opportunity to support me. As far as I know, the bull monster has thick skin and the defense is even stronger than the boar monster. The golden light beam penetrated the monster''s body. But this time the injury was not much deeper. Seeing that Michael shot multiple golden beams toward the monster. The Bull Monster''s legs were trapped in muddy sand. All thanks to Ernest''s quick soil manipulation. Because of it, the monster''s speed slowed down drastically. Meanwhile, Laverne targeted the weakest part of the monster using the ice element. The combination of their attack was so perfect. That the monster finds it difficult to free itself. Seeing that the monster got locked. Michael shot multiple golden beams in a blink of an eye. The injury on the monster''s body starts to get deeper. In the blink of an eye, several wounds appeared on the monster''s body. The Bull starts to realize its current situation. If the situation continues further, it will lose its life. The next moment, the monster''s eyes turned blood red. Michael''s expression changes drastically. "Be careful, the monster is going berserk," Michael shouted in a high-pitched tone. Chapter 459 Mission Ends (From MC''s perspective) Monster Zone, Seeing the bull monster is getting berserk. I gripped my sword tightly and began to pour lightning essence into the sword. Soon the black blade flickered with a purple glow. Feeling the bursting power in it. I raised my sword against the monster and made a target in his eyes. "Sword Divide," I released the lightning beam the next second. The powerful beam shot at the monster in a blink of an eye. When everyone is hesitant, a purple beam went past them out of nowhere. Bang! The lightning beam lands a blow to the monster''s eye. Which caused the berserk state to unstable. A gruesome injury can be seen in the monster''s eyes. The attack from Zack came out as a surprise again. Using this opportunity, Michael made his move. He released consecutive golden light attacks on the monster. A few minutes later, The Bull Monster lost its breath. Seeing that everyone sighed in relief. Now with this monster core their mission has come to an end. They can now return back to the academy. Ernest who is on guard suddenly turned toward Zack and said," Your lightning element doesn''t seem to be that weak. It can injure Class-5 Monster. But the only drawback is that it''s not easy to replenish lightning elements here." Hearing Ernest''s words, I wasn''t surprised. Because it''s the fact. Unlike other elements, it''s not easy to absorb lightning energy from the surroundings. Unless it''s a specific blessed land of the lightning element. Various thought comes to my mind before I say, "Yes." This situation is not only difficult for me. But for others with Special elements as well. In this case, Ernest is slightly blessed. His soil element is a variant of the earth element. He can cultivate like any other earth elemental warrior. Michael focused on dissecting the monster''s body. Laverne as usual took her ice affinity stones to recover. A strange glint flashes in my eyes. She at least got ice affinity stones for practice. "Do I have to wait for year-end to come?" I said in my heart. Certainly, I can''t waste the meantime. Like the teacher had said I have only two years to study here. So each and every day is important. Several minutes later, We reached the teleportation point. Which is much hidden from the surroundings. After clearing the rocks, we found a similar metal platform marked on the ground. Then we stepped inside one after another. When four of us stood inside the circle platform. Michael activated some signal. Right after, the circular platform lit up with blue colors. Swish! We disappeared from the spot and appeared back inside the teleportation tower. "We are back," Laverne said with joy. "Yeah, it''s lucky that we didn''t come across Class-6 Monster," Ernest said with somewhat relief. "Class-6 Monster?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Then I see Michael remaining silent. I was wondering how to deal with the savage aura of Class-5 Monster. But if it''s Class-6 Monster, I can only imagine the horror. I remember the piece of advice from Jonathan. He told me that high-level monsters are not that simple. My expression couldn''t help but turn serious. Several minutes later, I returned to my room. The group seems to be exhausted. Especially, Michael seems to have used his whole essence in his dantian. Only after some practice, can they replenish the reserve. After handing over mission items, we parted ways. Considering my situation my expression couldn''t help but turn ugly. Before doing anything, I should take a shower. A few minutes later, 5 P.M Sitting on a chair, I''m going through online information. There are various facilities available to the warriors in the academy. But not all of them are free. You need certain points to access them. As a new student, I received some points from the management. But I''m not in hurry to use it. I''m planning to use the facilities when I hit the bottleneck. Then I browse some other news. Some exciting news caught my eye. In particular, the competition between four-grade institutions. I have learned a few things from my classmates. Competition not only exists among the students but also among the teachers. Warriors in D grade institution wants to join C grade intuition. Similarly C to B and B to A grade institutions. Fortunately, my starting is high. Then I also saw the news about me. A strange glint flashes in my eyes upon seeing my picture walking along with Michael and others. "People from the flame faction. What''s with them?" I muttered to myself. Clearly, their actions are annoying. I hope their interest dies down after a couple of days. Now the news should have reached other factions in the academy. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. A few minutes later, I closed online pages and decided to cultivate. After stepping inside the training room, I sat cross-legged. I took out the class-5 monster core from the storage ring and placed it on my palm. Sensing the savage aura releasing from the core, my heart skips a beat. I hope that the blood element will suppress the savage aura. I closed my eyes and began to run the blood element method. Right after, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I feel the savage aura starts to recede. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Now I''m sure that there will be no problem with the cultivation. Slowly, I began to observe the energy from the monster''s core. As the energies entered my body, the hazy blood light instantly appeared. It immediately began to convert the energy into white energy. Then the white energy slowly drilled into my bones. I feel the heart-wrenching pain the next second. For a second, I even lost my senses. My mind appeared to be in a blank space for a moment. After a few seconds, I returned back to reality. But the pain returned back as well. Time passed in a blink of an eye. I noticed the changes in my bones half an hour later. This time the red tattoo completely covered my left foot. I don''t know what these changes are meant. In particular the redbones. I have a vague feeling that the blood element method is completely changing my physique including my bones. My expression turned solemn. I don''t know whether it''s good or bad. But I feel cultivating the blood element method is necessary. To accept the ancient inheritance, I have to be eligible for that. Only by practicing this method, I can develop my physique. Then pushing down these thoughts, I looked at the monster core in my palm. Seeing that the monster''s core is filled with energy, a look of disbelief appeared on my face. Because the monster core looked brand new. Which shows there is plenty of energy left inside the monster''s core. Seeing that I continued to absorb the energy. 1 hour later, The monster core in my palm crumbles into pieces. Feeling that I opened my eyes and began to inspect my condition. I vaguely felt the barrier but I''m not sure. I believe after one more monster core, I will touch the body limit again. But I''m not happy at all. I want my both body and essence cultivation to go in parallel. I don''t want to have too much gap between these two. Then I got up from the ground and walked out of the training room. Feeling the energy in my muscles and bones, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. The image of a Class-5 Monster comes to mind. "I should do something about my lack of combat experience," I mumbled under my breath. The best way is to train inside the monster zone. After gaining some clarity, I made up my mind to ask my classmates later. ¡­ Meanwhile, A few hours ago, Dean Rebecca Smith is listening to the information about Zack Lockwood. Hearing that he had joined hands with other Special element warriors. A trace of worry flashes in her eyes. Then she quickly goes through the details of the mission. Seeing that it''s a mission to collect the monster core of Class-5 Monster. Her expression becomes dignified. She knows about the monster zone. Instead of calling it a monster zone, it''s best to call it wilderness. There are many Class-5 and Class-6 Monsters roaming inside the #64 Monster Zone. For a newcomer, the place is not safe. She is not worried about the other special element warriors. Because the old students are familiar with teleportation sites. In case of any threat, they know how to escape. Besides they are not without life-protecting items. That''s why she is unsure about Zack. "Should we send some guards for protection?" She muttered to herself. Then she made up her mind to send at least one Super Elite Warrior for their protection. Right after her clearance, a shadow followed behind Zack and others. When they entered the teleportation, the shadow entered as well. Chapter 460 Lightning Finger Technique From MC''s Perspective: The following day, Before leaving the dorm, I took some time to review my techniques. 1. Sword Divide: Big wheel (Beginner) 2. Lightning Wheel: Big wheel (Beginner) 3. Lightning Phantom: Big wheel (Beginner) 4. Blood Field Technique: Small wheel (intermediate) 5. Soul Tower Method: Small wheel (Beginner) 6. Soul Needle Art: Small wheel ( Beginner) After recalling the techniques, a strange glint flashes in my eyes. I got a few attacking techniques. Leaving aside lightning and soul techniques, I don''t have any attack techniques related to the body method. In a critical situation, where I exhausted my lightning essence. I can still use my body strength to kill the opponent. So far I haven''t used my body strength properly. This puts me in a passive situation. Thinking about how I stood behind other special element warriors. My face couldn''t help but turn ugly. The lightning element is domineering. But what''s good if the essence was exhausted? And in the middle of the battle, the situation could lead to death. After some contemplation, I realized this is a major flaw. I should learn some palm, fist, or other body-related techniques. After learning, I can move around freely in the monster zones. I don''t have to worry about my energy reserves. After some realization, my heart eases down a little. Then I left the dorm and walked toward the academy. I heard there is a place inside the academy where I can learn different techniques. On the way, I quickly viewed the map. My eyes immediately scanned the details and my gaze fell on a particular spot. "The Techniques Hall," My eyes lit up in surprise. After recognizing the route, I closed the map. When I walked into the academy, I came across other students. Ignoring them, I quickly head to the destination. I don''t want to attract attention. There are flame faction people after me. It''s best to move away from here before they catch my whereabouts. A few minutes later, I arrived in front of the Treasure Hall. From the outside, the place doesn''t look that big. Then I stepped into the room. I was immediately greeted by the person in charge. The person appears to be an old man in his sixties. But I dare not inspect his realm. It would be rude. "Young man, do you need help?" The person in front of me asked. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I was wondering how to get help. But this person appeared at the right moment. Then I told him that I want to learn some techniques. Hearing that, the old man guided me inside. I thought he would show me some room. But he led me to the dead end of the room. But I didn''t doubt the old man. Soon in front of my eye, a hidden door appeared. A look of understanding dawned upon me. The cultivation techniques and other attack and defense-related techniques are the heritage of the academy. That kind of place is not easy to access. No wonder this place looked inaccessible from the outside. If not for the map marking this place, I would have ignored this location. When the hidden door opened, he led me inside. "This is the place where all kinds of techniques were stored. You can spend your time here. I''ll be waiting for you outside," The old man said. Hearing that, I simply nodded my head. Because my attention is simply focused on several crystal balls on the racks. Why does this remind me of the element awakening stone? My mouth curved into an arc. Then pushing down these thoughts. I simply walked toward the front racks. The first thing I noticed was that the racks were divided based on different elements. Seeing that my expression frowned. Except for the blood technique, the other techniques were given by the teacher. So I doubt whether I''m going to find any lightning-related techniques. Then I started to pass by each rack. The Fire element rack, Water Element rack, Earth Element rack, Wind Element rack, and Metal Element rack. Then I reached the last rack. Which is a Special Element Rack, a hint of joy flashes in my eyes. I immediately walked forward to inspect it. "Incomplete dark hand- dark palm technique" "Mud Golem- defensive soil technique." "Cold palm - ice palm technique." One after another, I began to go through the names. But most of them were incomplete. This shows how rare were Special Element Warriors in the world. But as long as warriors get their hands on suitable techniques his/her combat techniques would rise drastically. I even came across a rather special element cultivation technique, "Storm?" My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. It''s a variant of the wind element. But I have to say the Academy has a lot of Special Element Techniques. If it was in low-tier cities, it''s impossible to come across such techniques. Even normal element techniques considered as treasure back in my place. Suddenly my pupil shrank. Because I came across something impossible. "Lightning finger technique?" Reading the name, a surge of heat appeared in my heart. I felt unreal. How come this Academy has a lightning technique? Even in Inner Post, lightning techniques are considered to be rare. If not for the teacher''s grace, I wouldn''t have learned those techniques. But after reading the description, my eyes dimmed a little. "It''s an incomplete one," I mumbled under my breath. It took some seconds to calm down my mind. Before looking at the technique. At least it''s better than nothing. I can now give some rest to my sword. The finger techniques will be useful. Though it''s incomplete, I can use it to deal with small troubles. The technique is stored in a crystal ball. How to access it? Should I inject my consciousness into it? I feel this is the right way. Then I released my mental power into the crystal ball. I feel no hindrance. Before I could think of anything else. I feel like I came to a blank space. Then a row of information appeared before me. Fortunately, it''s understandable. I spent time learning. I don''t know how long it''s been. After learning the technique, the words disappeared the next second. And I appeared back in reality. Looking at the crystal ball again, I stood in daze for a moment. Then I spread my consciousness again. But this time it was blocked. Seeing that a look of understanding dawned upon me. I know it''s not easy. I go through the finger technique in my mind. There are only three complete stages recorded in the crystal ball. The power of lightning in each stage will be multiplied. After that, a hint of satisfaction appeared on my face. I came here to see body technique. But I found the lightning technique instead. Then I began to go through the remaining technique. A few minutes later, A hint of disappointment appeared in my eyes. How come there was not one body-related technique stored here? The body-related techniques here are related to different elements. For example my lightning finger technique. Then shaking my head, I decided to leave the technique hall. When I walked back, I found an old man waiting for me. Then I told him about my selection. After registering the information, I walked out of the Hall. Now the plans have changed. First, I decided to practice the lightning-finger technique. Soon I walked toward another facility. It''s a training chamber to practice different attack techniques. When I came to the facility, I felt a lot of prying gazes on me. "This?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Almost all the chambers appeared to be occupied. What to do? Should I practice in the wilderness? Then shaking my head, I decided to go to the Special Class Room. I still wanted to ask them about different monster zones. Before I could turn back. "Hey, are you Zack Lockwood?" a warrior from the flame faction stepped forward. Hearing that, I stopped my movements. When I turned toward him, a burly figure came into my view. "Yes, what do you want?" I asked back. I already guessed their motives. These people from the flame faction are looking for a fight. If I don''t do something, these people will continue to pester me. The burly figure went straight to the point, "I want to challenge you,"He said. Gasp! The words reached everyone''s ears. A small gasp immediately responded to the area. Everyone here is looking forward to the show. Especially the people from the flame faction grouped together. They stood behind the burly figure in support. I wasn''t surprised by his words. It''s just as I had expected. Then without showing many expressions replied, "I don''t have much time. Can we get over this quickly?" "Arrogant,"people behind him refuted immediately. I ignored their gazes and looked at the burly figure. The person with brute strength surprised in his heart. He didn''t expect his plan to work smoothly. He is just one of the many warriors who wanted to challenge this new Special Element Warrior. Chapter 461 Practicing Lightning Finger Technique From MC''s Perspective: The burly figure raised his hand to grab my shoulder. I grabbed his hand in response. This all happened in a blink of an eye. The burly figure snorted. He thought the Special Element Warrior is really confident. But when he tried to overwhelm and push back. Crack! He felt his hand collide with a metal hand. Right after, his bones began to crack slowly. At first, the burly man didn''t realize. But soon he felt the pain in his hand. At the same time, seeing the flustered face of the burly man. My mouth curved into an arc. Then I loosened my grip and walked away. Hope this small episode will teach them a lesson. On the way, I feel there is no proper place to hide from the flame faction. Several minutes later, I arrived at the Special Faction. After confirming my identity, I stepped inside the room. Soon I entered the class and spotted the three guys again. A strange glint flashes in my eyes. Last time, I saw them chatting. And this time they appeared to be seriously discussing something. What is going on? My appearance caught their attention again. "You are back again?" Laverne Morrow said with a happy smile on her face. Michael Blevins and Ernest Kirk nodded their heads. I smiled in response and walked up to them to sit beside them. Beep! Michael received some messages at this time. But after reading the message, he appeared to be stunned. "You, what did you do to a flame faction member?" Michael asked. Ernest and Laverne turned toward me. "Me?" "I just taught someone a lesson," I replied with a blank expression on my face. Michael and others looked at each other. Seeing their expression, I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Michael said,"When it comes to flame faction. Be careful. The Flame Faction Head is the current Vice-dean of the academy." "Yeah, it''s better not to touch their bottom line,"Ernest added. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. These guys don''t know about my circumstances. Even if the dean wants to act against me, he won''t do that. Because, I know the teacher seems to have made arrangements already. But I don''t think it''s necessary to reveal details to them. "What are you thinking?" Laverne asked. "Ahem, I will be careful hereafter," I replied. Only after then do I see a change in expression on their face. They seem to be relieved now. What''s going on? Didn''t he tell me about the peaceful coexistence of the faction here? But again, there are always people with cunning schemes and evil plans. So no place is ordinary. Then I suddenly realized something. I asked,"You guys, I want to go to the monster zone." "Monster Zone?" Michael asked back. Then he realized something. He remembers the helpless expression of Zack on that day. If not for three of them, he would have been eaten by those savage monsters. Michael then nodded his head and replied," Alright, you need to adapt to the environment here. The quick way is to fight the monsters and get experience yourself." Ernest and Laverne are also supportive of this idea. "There are many monster zones under our academy. You can choose a relatively safer zone for practice ," Micheal said. I nodded my head. Then we discussed other important things before I left the room. Since I got the news, I don''t want to waste time here. Soon, I reached the teleportation tower. Michael told me how to use authorization. Anyone can go to the monster zones. There is no restriction here. Unlike those monster zones back home where I have to register my identity and pay some feel. Seeing the tower of sky rising, a trace of expectation flashes in my eyes. Michael gave me the coordinates of some monster zones. Where the highest ranking monsters were just Class-5 Monster. After entering inside the tower, I walked to the teleportation platform and stood in the middle of it. Then I logged into my student account and accessed the server to use teleportation. There is no problem in my identity, after accessing the server. I see a row of coordinates with names. I see names of monster zones and blessed lands. After selecting the coordinate, I activated it. The circular platform under me lit up with blue light. Swish! Before I could think of anything else. I disappeared from the spot. Meanwhile, a shadow quickly arrived at the teleportation back. Seeing that Zack Lockwood disappeared. The shadow quickly informed the dean of the academy. Meanwhile, Rebecca is in her office. After receiving the information from the protector, she furrowed her eyebrows. "He went again," She muttered to herself. Why can''t this child sit in one place? He had plenty of time in his hands to adapt. Then she immediately accessed the data in front of her system. After learning the coordinates of Zack. She sighed in relief. Because she saw Zack went to one of the Class-5 Monster Zone. Normally, Class -5 Monsters are located in the center of the zone. They won''t move out of their place that easily. So Zack is a relatively safe place. A few minutes ago, she also received information from the Treasure Hall. Treasure Hall is not only a place for exchanging Treasure, but also a place for learning techniques. She also learned that Zack has chosen an incomplete lightning finger technique. So she knows now that Zack has decided to practice in the monster zone. Then she informed the protector not to follow. Swish! Meanwhile, I appeared inside the monster zone. Right after, I immediately activated my perceptual ability. Last time, I didn''t use perception in order not to attract the attention of Michael. Because, I''m wary of his golden light magic. Because, it doesn''t look that simple. Right now, they think I''m a weak Elite Warrior. I hope to maintain the low-key status as much as possible. Then I spread my consciousness a little further. Surrounding terrain appeared in my mind. Gigantic Trees, Plants, uneven terrain and many 1st and 2nd order herds monsters appeared in my mind. Seeing that my current spot is safe without any monsters. I sighed in relief. Now I have some privacy. Next, I glanced around me. I found a massive rock twice the size of mine. I decided to use that rock as my practice target. Then I slowly started to practice the finger technique. The route of 1st stage comes to mind. I spend a few minutes memorizing the meridian routes. Then I began to circulate the lightning essence according to routes recorded in the 2nd stage. Slowly, I felt a tinge of pain in my fore finger. I noticed a small purple arc appearing on the surface. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. But it''s enough, I need to gather more energy in my finger point to release it. It took me a few minutes to gather enough energy in my finger point. Right now, a small purple ball can be seen on the tip of my fore finger. Next, I raised my hand and shot at the brown rock in front of me. A straight purple beam released from my finger and shot at the brown rock. The energy reached the target in a blink of an eye. Bang! The beam penetrated into the rock. When the smoke cleared, I saw a small dent of the brown rock. There is no other damage. Seeing the thumb size dent, a look of satisfaction appeared on my face. The. The 2nd stage of finger technique is enough to deal with low level warriors. But the range is only 10 meters in 1st stage. I don''t know whether the range will be increased in the 2nd stage. After pushing down these thoughts, I continued to practice. Time passed in a blink of an eye, For more than one hour, no monsters came close to me. Relatively calm and peaceful environment helped me to practice the finger technique more. A few minutes later, I opened my eyes. This time when I shot the finger beam, it took me a couple of seconds. But this time was not enough to give a surprise attack. I want to release the finger attack within seconds. My perception is active. So I can easily see the movements around me. Seeing there is no threat again, I closed my eyes and decided to practice again. ... Meanwhile, Franklin Madden came to know about the small confrontation. At first he didn''t mind, he knew the students of his faction liked to challenge others. So he misunderstood it was a similar episode. But when he came to know about the opposite faction and warrior''s name. He broke out in cold sweat. "No, that kid can''t be offended," He muttered to himself. As a Faction Head, he really wants to see the competition between the warriors. But that kid Zack is a special case, if he decides to complain and seek revenge, then it would spell doom for him and his faction. He remembers the attitude of Dean. She seems to be very respectful to the forces behind this kid. Regarding this, Franklin made up his mind to discuss with the Dean. Chapter 462 Hostile Academys Schemes From MC''s Perspective: Monster Zone, After spending some hours in practice, I got up from the ground. So far no monsters spotted nearby. I decided to rush deep into the woods. A few minutes later, Hiss! I stopped my movements after hearing the hissing sound. No doubt it''s a snake monster. In my perception, I caught the shadow of the monster near me. When I turned toward the spot, I see the shadow behind a giant shade tree. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and moved closer to the monster. I see a completely brown color snake coiled around under the tree. My appearance immediately alerted the monster. Hiss! The snake moved instantly, the whole body and it appeared to be 20 meters in length. When the snake monster raised its head, I already leaped backward. "Class -4 Brown Snake," I said in my heart. This is one of the most dangerous monsters in the Class-4 type. I stood in the same spot and stared at the snake. I didn''t plan on using the black sword. I''m going to test my finger technique. The Snake suddenly rushed towards me. Seeing that, I pointed my fingers at the monster''s head and released the technique. Swish! The purple beam shot at the monster. Before the snake could realize it, the beam penetrated the head of the monster. Pfff! The shot left a small hole in its head. The next moment monster dropped dead on the ground. This all happened in a couple of seconds. Seeing the effectiveness of the finger technique, my mouth curved into an arc. I walked forward and took out the black sword to collect the monster''s core. The process was over in a minute. After collecting the monster core and corpse, I moved further into the woods. Time passed in a blink of an eye, 2 hours later, After spending some time testing the lightning finger technique in combat. I returned to the nearest teleportation point to return. Most of the teleportation points are located on the outskirts. After activating the signal, I disappeared from the spot and returned to the tower. When I appeared there was no one beside me. Seeing that my eyes flickered with a slight glint. Looks like the warrior from the flame faction didn''t know about my current whereabouts. Then I walked toward the dorm. Meanwhile, Giant Tower, A high-level meeting is taking place because of a seed candidate. In the meeting room, Eduard Ortega the Super Elite Warrior is standing in front of several elders of the academy. "Eduard, are you sure the seed candidate named Zack is a lightning element warrior?" One of the bald elders is asked who just came back from the mission. The news about the new lightning element warrior is already spread widely among the academies. And some of the elders knew about this right after the competition. But the meeting was delayed due to the absence of some key elders. "It''s true elder, the news is admitted by the Saw Scale Viper Academy''s spokesperson," He replied with a solemn expression on his face. Hearing that expression of some of the Elders changes drastically. While others remained silent as they knew about this. "What are we going to do now?" "The lightning element warrior will have a bright future in Inner Post. I guess it will be a matter of time before the Saw Scale Viper Academy sends the kid to the Inner Post," A certain elder voiced out of his worry. The Giant Tower Organization is hostile to the Army Federation. And the Saw Scale Viper Academy comes under the Federation as well. So these people don''t like to see such a strong talent rising in the opposite camp. "We must kill that kid in bud. Once he goes to the Inner Post, then it will become difficult to take action." Seeing the fierce aura coming from the elders, Eduard Ortega broke out in cold sweat. It''s challenging to stand in front of oppressive pressure. When it comes to that lightning kid, he feels it is a done deal. All the Elders appeared to be on the same page. But suddenly the memories of humiliation come to his mind. He recalled that everyone was crushed by the terrifying figure at that time. His back went cold the next moment. He doesn''t know where the powerhouse is from the Saw Scale Viper Academy or some other force. He thinks it''s necessary to share the details. But he saw everyone is seriously discussing and he don''t want to interrupt them. Suddenly the dean noticed his expression and allowed him to speak. Eduard then spoke about the terrifying powerhouse who made them despair at that time. When he finished his words, the atmosphere quieted down all of a sudden. The Dean''s face is solemn, and he asked, "Is the Saw Scale Viper Academy hiding another powerhouse?" Hearing that other Elders pondered. "As far as we know that kid comes from a Tie-8 city. His parents seem to die from a monster breakout. Later a small local officer from the federation adopted him. So the kid''s background is quite clear," an elder from the intelligence department said. Hearing that dean frowned. If the information is true, then who could be? A doubt appeared in his heart. Suddenly a white-haired elder from the corner commented, "Maybe from the inner post?" Gasp! A sudden exclamation broke out in the room. "No way" "It''s absurd" the rest of the elders immediately refuted. Because this claim is too farfetched. Even the Dean furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure. He said, "No one from the inner post can come here, because the space here is weak. If anyone enters our outer post then it will cause a heavy burden on our weak space." The white-haired elder from the corner remained silent. Because he knows Dean''s words were true. But he still feels in his heart that another way is not impossible. But that requires powerful treasure or someone with a high degree of control in space elements. Seeing that no one is talking anymore, the Dean waved his hand and said," Alright, I think that powerhouse might be the hidden hand of the Saw Scale Viper Academy. As long as the powerhouse is related to Outermost, we can take action without worrying about anything." "So let''s begin our discussion about how to kill that kid, "the dean said. Hearing that quiet atmosphere began to activate again. Eduard Ortega stood petrified. He hopes that someone would let him leave. He can''t stand against the oppressive aura anymore. The Dean noticed the struggle of Eduard. So he said, "Alright, you can leave now." Eduard sighed in relief, the next second he immediately walked out of the meeting place. After leaving the meeting room, he once again exhaled in relief. Beep! Then he received a message from Harvey Kim. Seeing that he rushed to a safe spot before attending the call. After a couple of seconds, he attended the call. "Hey, what do you want?" Eduard Ortega asked with impatient. He knows this person called him for collecting the information. Harvey Kim on the other side of the call sneered inside. But he calmly asked," Our Academy has decided to assassinate that kid. So what about you?" Eduard Ortega''s heart skips a beat. He had never expected this person to be bold. For a moment, he remained silent. Harvey Kim''s eyes raised his eyebrows in surprise. "This brute man knows something," he muttered in his heart. Eduard Ortega shook his head and said," I don''t know what the meeting is going on currently." Hearing that Harvey Kim feels disappointed. Then he ended the call abruptly. Eduard Ortega stood dumbfounded staring at the blank screen. "This [email protected]," he cursed at this shameless person. Eduard knows like himself, Harvey Kim also looking for revenge. Then shaking his head, he immediately left the spot. Meanwhile, Inside the meeting room, everyone arrived on the same page after some discussion. The Dean said," Alright, we can send a few strong students for the upcoming exchange. Let them challenge that lightning kid in a duel and kill him." Hearing that everyone nodded their head in support. Seeing the response, the dean nodded his head in satisfaction. Earlier, most of them wanted to arrange some assassination mission to kill that kid named Zack. But he was strongly against the assassination. He doesn''t want any mishap to happen and get caught. If it was a student exchange, the killing of the lightning kid won''t get big. After some further discussion, the meeting ended. A similar kind of meeting is taking place in Red Moon Tower, they are not aggressive as the Giant Tower and the Eclipse Academy. But if there is the opportunity they won''t hesitate to kill Zack. Similarly, the Silver Clouds Academy didn''t plan on taking aggressive action. But that doesn''t mean they won''t teach that kid a lesson. Because they don''t want to offend the Federation for a trifling lightning element kid. The special element is rare, but their academy too got the special element warrior who is none other than June Shelton. Strangely, the White Palace decided to stay out of the trouble. They have become weak. Instead of offending others, they wanted to focus on increasing their strength. Chapter 463 Mid-Level Elite(Body Breakthrough) Saw Scale Viper Academy: A few days passed in a blink of an eye, At this time in Dean''s office. Dean Rebecca received intelligence information from the elder. Each academy has its spies inserted in other academies including the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Right now reading the reports her eyes burst out with a cold glint. "As expected these guys are starting to make moves," She muttered to herself. But she knows their attempts would end in vain. Because Zack has a terrifying background. And he will only study for two years. Then he will move into the Inner Post. But this information was only known to her and the ancestor. So other academies'' actions were nothing but self-seeking death. Then she made up her mind to up the protection if Zackchoose went outside. Then she began to read another report. Her expression sank again. "Giant Tower have come up with a good plan but they are not courageous like the eclipse academy," She said in her heart. She knows it''s not wise to deny the student exchange meeting. It''s one of the platforms where warriors from two academies can exchange their views. She doesn''t want to deny the permit because of Zack. The Student exchange is good for the overall development of the academy. Starting from grade A to D. Dean Rebecca decided to send Zack somewhere at that time. Because she understands this time the warriors from Giant Tower would challenge Zack. Suddenly she received the request for a meeting from the Vice-Dean Franklin Madden. Seeing that she allowed him to enter. Right after Franklin entered with a dignified expression. He asked, "Dean, the brats from my faction wanted to challenge that kid Zack." "What to do now?" He added further. Dean Rebecca frowned. As a dean, she knows the attitude of warriors under the Flame Faction. Normally she doesn''t interfere in student affairs as long as they don''t touch the bottom line of the academy. But this time things were different. She doesn''t want any deadly conflict to be broken out between the students and Zack. Besides Zack is just Elite level, Warrior. And most of the students were Mid-level Elite and Peak-level Elite, warriors. Where Zack is an Early- Elite level Warrior. So it''s early for him to fight with the elites of the academy. She looked toward the Vice-Dean and said, "Only the Initial Stage Elite Warrior were allowed to take action." Hearing that Franklin sighed in relief. He to accept the current decision. It''s better to allow Initial Elite Warrior. He doesn''t want to break their fighting spirit. Then he immediately left the room. Soon the news was conveyed to flame faction members. Most of the warriors were disappointed while a few Initial Stage Elite Warriors were ready to take action. Similarly, the news reached other factions as well. Unlike the flame faction, the other faction showed wait and watch attitude. Because the number of warriors in the Flame Faction was high. It will be a matter of time before everyone knows the bottom of Zack Lockwood. Then it will be not too late for other faction warriors to take action. ... From MC''s Perspective: Noon time, Dorm room: "What?" I uttered in surprise while viewing the post about me. The Flame Faction Warriors are ready to challenge me. And it''s even approved by their Head as well. A look of disbelief appeared on my face. These few days were peaceful after my trip to the monster zone. I thought they choose to give up. But it looks like it''s not. Fortunately, I also read a piece of news that only the Initial Stage Elite Warrior was allowed to take action against me. Which is good for me. Before that, I should break through. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. These days, of hard cultivation helped me to touch the limit barrier of my physique. I placed the mat on the ground and sat cross-legged. I took out two Class-4 Monster Cores and held them in my palm. Then I started to run the blood element method directly. The next moment, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, the savage energy from the monster''s core entered my body. Right after I feel burning pain in my meridians. The energies were fierce. But slowly the energies were converted into white energies by blood light from the blood. The white energies then drilled into every part of my bones. A heart-wrenching pain came again. I feel almost numb but still gritting my teeth. I continued the process. This time my other leg bone started to dye red. The red color mark started to appear all over the leg bone. This significant change brought surprised me. I also feel the barrier getting loosened. Then without worrying about anything. I repeated the process. Time went on, 30 minutes later, Click! The energy tore through the barrier. And I have officially stepped into the realm of the Mid-level Elite Stage in Physique. Next, the changes began to take place. I feel the warm current washing over my bones, tendons, veins, and meridians. I feel my physique has upgraded one step further. When I clenched my fist. Boom! A wave of force released from my fist. Earlier, the force was not that significant. But this time the pure brute force is clearly showing some significance. Then I immediately looked inside my body. My heart skips a beat. Apart from the red color part of my bones, I see a red color luster surrounding the rest of my bones. For a moment, I remained silent. I don''t know the changes whether the changes were good or bad. But I get a sense of ominous feeling from my bones. What is the origin of this blood method? I couldn''t help but feel more intrigued about it. Then I also felt the improvement in meridians, veins, tendons, and organs. All of them were strengthened further. Even I feel slight changes in my eyesight and perception. I can see a lot more detail now. It''s getting scary. The minute details of the objects around me became clear and crystal. This type of powerful eyesight will help me in battle mode. And combined with perceptual ability. Hardly anyone can beat me in close combat. Thinking about the flame warriors. I wonder what will be their reaction if they learned about my breakthrough. My mouth curved into the arc. But I guess it''s not easy to probe my physique. No one knows that I''m both a body and essence cultivator. Then pushing down the thoughts, I decided to consume a few more monster cores before stabilizing the realm. Meanwhile, A lot of flame warriors walk around the Special Faction to see Zack Lockwood. This immediately caught the attention of everyone. Inside the room, Michael saw the video of people walking around before their Hall. His expression turned cold. He too heard the news. He knows these guys are waiting for Zack''s arrival. But far past few days, Zack had stopped coming here. So he doesn''t know what Zack is doing right now. "What happened?" Ernest asked. Michael showed the video. "Then again," Laverne said with a smile. Ernest shook his head and said, "It''s not about defeating Zack. Those guys want to step on the image of Special Faction." Michael nodded his head. That''s why his expression turned cold. Laverne asked, "Shall we help him?" She looked toward the other two in response. Michael frowned. He knows backing away from the challenge is not a good thing. It will only be detrimental to their image. Michael said, "He should accept their challenge. Otherwise, these flame faction members will continue to annoy him." Ernest said, "But I think it''s too early for Zack to show up and accept their challenge. He was not used to our environment. It will take some time." Michael nodded in understanding. This is something they can''t interfere with. On the other hand, I left the dorm room to have lunch. When I walk toward the dining hall. I got stopped by a few flame faction members. Seeing that, my eyes flickered with a quick glint. Looks like they have been waiting for me all this time. I couldn''t help but chuckle after seeing their haggard expression. The flame faction members were infuriated. "You are such a coward." "It''s really surprising to see you walk out of the turtle shell." The warriors looked at the dorm building for a moment before they turned toward me. "Zack, do you dare to accept my challenge?" A burly figure stepped forward. I can already feel the fire element coming from him. The commotion quickly attracted the attention of others. Seeing that I feel a headache. "Not now," After saying that I ignored them and walked into the Hall. The flame faction members stood in disbelief. "This guy completely ignored us," One of the warriors said in dissatisfaction. "Looks like he doesn''t put our faction into his eyes. We should tell others," The leading burly figure said. He has completely lost his face. Ignoring the people around them, the flame warrior immediately walked away from the place. Chapter 464 The Giant Towers Warriors Arrival From MC''s Perspective: Saw Scale Viper Academy, A few days later, Warriors from the Giant Tower arrived at the academy for student exchange. This time the Giant Tower has sent 10 Elite level Warriors. The arrival of people sent shock waves across the Academy. No way, everyone knows that Giant Tower is an enemy organization. Every year they come for student exchange meetings not for exchanging knowledge but to try to abuse warriors in Saw Scaled Viper Academy. Dean Rebecca received the information. She ordered Vice-Dean Franklin to greet them. She knitted her eyebrows in headache. She knows these Giant Tower Warriors came here for a mission. But what caught her off guard was their timing. They were supposed to come the day after tomorrow. After seeing their arrival, she knows it was one of their plans. She immediately contacted Zack''s number. Dorm Room, Beep! Hearing the notification sound. I quickly opened the communication watch. Seeing that it''s a call from the Dean. I got up from my seat and attended the call. "Dean?" I uttered in surprise. I didn''t expect to get a call from the dean directly. "Zack Lockwood," "Since your faction leader is retreating. I decided to reach you directly. Warriors from the Giant Tower came here today for student exchange." "I''m not going to hide it from you. As per intelligence report, their target is you," She said. Hearing that, a gloomy glint flashes in my eyes. Giant Tower is not a good force. On that day, I was targeted by the Giant Tower''s Super Elife Warrior. And now the warriors from those factions came here. I really wanted to fight them now. Dean Rebecca didn''t know what''s going on inside Zack''s mind. But she called for a different reason. She said,"I advised you to enter the monster zone for practice. You can return after a few days." Hearing that, a trace of clarity returned to my eyes. Want me to enter the monster zone? "Dean, what is the realm of those warriors?" I asked back. Dean Rebecca''s eyes gleamed with twinkle. Does he want to fight? She thought Zack liked to be low key. Especially after reading so many reports about his recent activities. She absolutely thought Zack likes to avoid the edge. Then she answered,"They are Elite level Warriors. Two of them are Peak Elite and the rest of them are mixed." Hearing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. "If it''s Elite level, then I can fight them without any problem," I said with assurance. But in my heart, I know I can fight across the ranks. ? But I haven''t fought against the Super Elite Warriors. So it''s wise to atleast test my strength against Elite level. Dean Rebecca remained silent for a moment. She was''t surprised by Zack''s words. But the problem is I don''t know the bottom of Zack. As per reports, he had one small tiff with Flame Faction Warrior that all. So she hesitates whether it''s good to allow him. Then suddenly odyssey monster zone video memories flashes in her mind. After that she calmed down. That competition is enough to show Zack''s strength. She said,"Alright, you can fight them. But before other faction members will test them" Then she ended the call. Seeing the blank screen, I closed the terminal. It''s been a long time since I fought against warriors. I''m going to use Giant Tower Warriors'' as punching bags to test my new realm. On the other hand, the Giant Tower members landed at the A Grade Institute. Their appearance immediately attracted the attention of other warriors. Flame Faction, Gale Faction, Water Faction, Rock Faction and Rain Faction. Immediately warriors from other factions quickly arrived. Seeing the group of warriors surrounding them, the Giant Tower members sneered. "Group of weaklings. I can''t wait to smash their heads," Ron, the leader of the group, looked proactively toward everyone. His words explode the anger of warriors around him. "Haumph, the muscle headed people come here again," The Fire Elemental Warrior said with a snort. Ron stopped his footsteps before turning toward the person. Rest of the giant members stopped behind him. The Fire Elemental Warrior''s eyes met with a terrifying gaze. "What?" He felt his brain had exploded. He stepped back in fear. Seeing that other warrior surrounding them took a step back. His action caused anger among the Fire Elemental Warriors. They used to run arrogant among their own courtyard now someone dared to step on their face. Seeing their faces, Ron again gave a proactive look before continuing to walk. Swish! Suddenly, a silhouette appeared before them. He is none other than Vice-Dean Franklin Madden. Ron suddenly felt massive pressure. He immediately stopped moving and looked beside. A fierce looking elder appeared beside him. The Fierce man is the one of the elder of Giant Flower. He is Metal Element SS-Elite Warrior. A few seconds ago, he noticed the presence of Vice-Dean. So he stepped forward to cancel the pressure. "Elder Red, it''s been long," Franklin greeted with a fake smile. "Harumph," Red Elder snorted. He knew the face of the Vice- Dean. So he felt absolutely dissatisfied. Seeing the ugly expression of the Red Elder. Franklin didn''t care. He is the flame faction head. How can he watch his students get hurt? Ron''s face turned ugly. This is not his 1st trip here. When he was Initial Elite, he came to this place. At that time, he learnt about the inner workings here. The Flame Faction members were large in numbers. When it comes to combat, they were the leading participant. Second, the Gale Faction members have few experts. The others were just average in his opinion. The Vice- Dean decided to lead them toward their rooms. Student exchange event is a two day event. Normally, on the first day the exchange warrior walks around the academy. And on the 2nd day there will be a duel. Ron''s eyes flickered with cold glint. He knows where they are heading now. First day is like orientation. He doesn''t want to waste time. All of them came here for a specific purpose. The dean of the academy gave them a mission. Unlike last time, this time their main purpose is to kill or cripple a person. Ron doesn''t know where to find the Special Faction Members. He can''t ask others otherwise, it would expose their plan. He can only search for that person. If not he can officially challenge that person tomorrow. Special Faction Members: On the other hand, "These brain dead warriors came for an exchange meeting." "Isn''t it too early?" Laverne Morrow said with confusion. Three of them were watching the video of Giant Tower Faction''s members'' arrival. "Uh?" "This guy is here for the 2nd time" Michael noticed the presence of Ron who is leading the team. He knew about this person. One of the most famous Elite Warriors in the Giant Tower. "This time the duel challenge will be interesting," Michael laughed in his heart. He is already imagining the behavior of Flame Faction members in his mind. Every time this year, the flame faction was slapped by other academies. Ernest Kirk suddenly thought of something. "Hey, do you think Zack will appear to watch the duel?" Ernest Kirk asked. "Zack," A strange glint flashes in his eyes. "I don''t know what is wrong with this guy?" Michael thought to himself. At first everyone thought Zack was new to the environment. So it will take some time for him to adapt. But now, he starts to feel Zack is taking too much time. Shaking his head, he pushed down his thoughts. ... On the other hand, Elder Red''s eyes gleamed with twinkle. "Where is that brat?" He muttered to himself while glancing around the surroundings. There are many students following them. While others are doing their own business. But he can''t find the target person. "Is he hiding?" A doubt appeared in his heart. The missions were not only given to the students. But to himself as well. During the duel, he needs to prevent others from interfering. He knows that lightning kid would be protected by Elders. It''s not simple to move against him. He can only be killed in the duel. He made up his mind to collect the whereabouts of the person before the duel tomorrow. Meanwhile, Franklin Madden monitored the movements of everyone including their expression and actions. Seeing the expression of Red Elder, his eyes turned cold. The Dean already shared the information. These people came here to kill that lightning kid. Franklin knows that Dean has arranged an Elder for protection specially for that kid. So it''s impossible for anyone to sneak in and assassinate the kid. A few minutes later, The Giant Tower Warrior reached the guest room. There is no perfect schedule for the 1st day. They have free time before checking out the Academy. After making the arrangements, the Vice-Dean Franklin left. Ron then turned toward Red Elder and asked,"Elder, how do we find that guy?" Hearing that everyone turned toward the Red Elder. Red Elder nodded his head and answered, "We can buy information from people here." Chapter 465 The Challenge Post Saw Scale Viper Academy: Dean Office, Franklin Madden entered the Dean''s office. Dean Rebecca noticed his presence. She lifted her head and said: "Is everything alright?" Franklin said with a grave face,"This time they have sent Elder Red to protect them." Rebecca''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. She said, "Don''t worry, he won''t attack Zack directly. He knows Zack is not without protection. They can only deal with him during the duel." Franklin was quite surprised. He asked, "Dean, did he agree to participate?" Rebecca nodded her head. Then she said,"You select a few warriors and let them participate in tomorrow''s duel." Franklin asked, "What about Zack?" "He will appear last. Don''t let them know about Zack''s whereabouts." The red elder is quite a tricky person," She said in a solemn tone. Then after some discussion, he left the cabin. Meanwhile, The red elder sent one of the Giant Tower''s warriors to interact with the students. The plan was to buy Zack information from them. But they didn''t not that Zack had a special status in the academy. And for the past few days, he has been staying low-key. No one knows about his situation. Only the Special Element Warriors were aware that Zack was staying in his room all day long. Time passed, The Giant Tower warrior met with many students from different factions. But he wasn''t able to find the necessary information. So he helplessly returned to the guest room. Seeing his appearance, the group leader Ron was the first to ask. "What happened, Did you succeed?"He asked. The warrior briefed the overall situation. Everyone was surprised to hear about the internal situation, including the Red Elder. Ron muttered, "I never expected him to be such a low-key person." "But the report says he was high profile back in the competition." Ron doesn''t know what to say for a while. Their attempt to collect information met with failure. The red elder frowned. He knows more about the academy than the students. Looking toward everyone, he said, "It''s possible that he is staying in the Special Faction Room, or he has gone somewhere right now." Ron''s face turned gloomy. If the targeted person is in the academy, then it''s okay. They can come up with some other plan. But if the person is not all in the academy, then their overall purpose is going to be wasted. They came here to kill the target, not share knowledge with each other. Ron turned toward Red Elder and said,"Elder, you should contact the Head. We can''t simply waste our time here. The Head may give us a new direction." Red Elder nodded his head. He too feels the situation is tricky. Then he contacted the Head of the Giant Tower to discuss. When the call was connected. Two of them begin to discuss. After a few minutes, Red Elder''s eyes turned cold. The head''s suggestion brought him huge danger. The head ordered him to kill that kid if possible. But how is it going to be easy? Even the Dean knows it is quite impossible. But he dares to propose this method. Shaking his head, he said to everyone,"The Head instructed us to propose the challenge to the kid. Let''s see whether he will appear tomorrow or not." "If he is really outside, then it can''t be helped. He might be killed by others," he added further. Hearing that everyone revealed different reactions. Ron is not stupid. This is the only way. If not successful, at least it can embarrass the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Then he agreed with the method and told Red Elder to release the challenge post. The red elder didn''t waste any more time, he quickly sent the official post in the name of the Giant Tower. A few minutes later, Dean Rebecca saw the post sent by the Red Elder. The Giant Tower''s student wants to challenge Zack Lockwood. Her eyes burst out with a cold glint. She thought they would challenge Zack tomorrow. But the challenge post at this time shocked her. Suddenly, she remembers something. She quickly accessed the page of Giant Tower. Then she saw the challenge post was uploaded on the site of the Giant Tower as well. So it''s necessary to pay attention to the challenge. Otherwise, the outside world would laugh at them. "What a cunning calculation by this Giant Tower?" She muttered to herself. She can already imagine the other 4 academies already looking forward to the duel. She let out a deep sigh. At this moment, she has no other choice but to let Zack participate tomorrow. Franklin Madden also saw the post. His face was ugly for a different reason. He can understand that this was their plan to kill Zack. But he was upset they completely ignore the Flame Faction''s existence. And the Dean instructed him to send qualified warriors. And most of the qualified warriors in the Flame Faction. He feels like his students were nothing but cannon fodder. He suddenly sent instructions to all the flame faction members to assemble in the common hall. On the other hand, the challenge post quickly sent shockwaves across the academy. All four grade institutions were in an uproar because of the post. This challenging post was nothing like before. Because the challenge was against a single warrior. [Zack Lockwood] The name Zack Lockwood is quite famous in the A-grade institute. But because of the challenge post, the name started to attract attention in other grade institutes as well. Soon the social media site of the academy flooded with posts about the challenge post. And most of the posts were uploaded by Flame Faction members targeting the Giant Faction members. They came here for student exchange, not for a challenge duel. ... Giant Tower, The Giant Tower Head saw the reactions of the challenge post. The elders quickly called him for the meeting. Because issuing the challenge post was his personal decision. The group of elders must be shocked by this news. A wry smile appeared on his face. Anyway, it has been done, there was no point in retracting. At first, he was shocked to know that the kid might not be in the academy. Fortunately, Red Elder gave him the heads up. That''s how he came up with a quick plan. Now he wants to see the reaction of the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Even that brat is staying outside. He has no other choice other than to show up tomorrow to save the academy''s face. Thinking about his clever plan. He wore a wide grin on his face. ... The Red Moon Tower, "Challenge Post," Teresa York uttered in surprise. She has just received the information. After reading the post, she raised her eyebrows. The Giant Tower''s post surprised her. She knows that the Giant Tower has more hostile relations with the Federation than the Red Moon Tower. And the Saw Scale Viper Academy comes under the Federation. The Giant Tower uses every opportunity to attack them. Now they have made a move. She is looking forward to seeing what the brat is going to do tomorrow. Meanwhile, The news was also heard by Sallie Mills and Ella Downs. Unlike last time, they showed mixed reactions. They didn''t forget the destruction of Crimson Hall. Some of their family members were displayed. Thanks to the Red Moon Tower''s statements. They are not being chased and killed. "What to do?"Ella asked. Sallie replied,"We should distance ourselves from him." Ella looked at her in surprise. The relationship between Zack and them is not so close. At the same time, there was no enmity. Sallie saw a doubtful reaction from Ella. She added further, "Crimson Hall is gone. Now we are members of the Red Moon Tower." "And we don''t know the relationship between the Red Moon Tower and the Army Federation. At least I can see that they are not allies. So next time, if we meet him. We are enemies." Ella lowered her head and remained silent. She can''t forget the days of the Star Tower Trial. Now they can only wait and watch where the future goes. ... The Eclipse Academy, Killing intent flashes in Harvey''s eyes. When he came to know about the challenge post, a few days ago, he asked Eduard about their plan. But that guy refused to reveal the details. But now he sees the challenge post as a killing post. He is not stupid. He thinks the Giant Tower wants to use this opportunity to kill the lightning kid. "Hateful," he can''t forget the humiliation he suffered on that day. He can only pay back by tearing that kid. But, unfortunately, the Giant Tower took the lead. He hopes that kid will survive in the end. Only in that way, that kid can die under the hands of the Eclipse Academy. .... The White Palace, Maria Frazier is currently practicing water techniques. Fortunately, Autumn Holt was assigned to her as a teacher. Because of that, her progress was going on smoothly. Beep! Suddenly, her watch lit up with a notification. Seeing that, she stopped practicing and views the message. It was from her teacher. There was some link inserted in the message. In curiosity, she accessed the link. The Giant Tower''s page comes up first. When she scrolls down the page to see. A name caught her attention. Chapter 466 Part 1: Duel From Mc''s Perspective: Dorm Room, When I walked out of the training room. I see my communication watch bombarded with many notifications. Seeing that I wasn''t surprised. These days I have been busy with cultivating the lightning technique. My body strength has reached the Mid-Elite level. So I have been practicing hard these days so that my essence can reach Mid-Elite as well. I didn''t open the message right away. First, I decided to take shower. Several minutes later, I sat on the sofa comfortably. "Let''s see what all those messages are about," I mumbled under my breath. Then I began to read the message. "Hmmm," I raised my eyebrows as one headline caught my attention. Because it''s from management, I opened that particular message to read it. After a few seconds, my eyes burst out with a cold glint. Dean Rebecca told me about this but I still took it lightly. But these guys were bold enough to challenge me. Which shows their determination to challenge me. But one thing I couldn''t understand, Jonathan clearly crushed them. I thought it would deter than but it shows clearly not. Looks like other academies are hell-bent on erasing me. A frown appeared on my face. I thought after the destruction of Crimson Hall. I can cultivate peace. And there will be no more hostile organizations who were planning to kill me. But now I have realized, I had underestimated the people''s hearts. Everyone was wary of me. At this moment, a bitter smile appeared on my face. And I recalled Jonathan''s words once again. He told me the journey after the competition would be even harder. In particular, I should be ready for facing the Inner Post challenge. It took me a few minutes to adjust my emotions and correct my mindset. Then I began to go through the message again. The Giant tower members formally issued a challenge. I guess if I don''t appear tomorrow, they will embarrass the academy. My eyes burst out with fighting intent. Meanwhile, Elder Red, Ron, and others are smiling happily because of the Giant Tower Head''s action. Elder Ron smiled and said, "Now the problem has been sorted out. That kid will definitely appear tomorrow." After saying that, the elder turned toward Ron and asked, "You will be fighting against him tomorrow. So make no mistake to cripple the kid. If possible you can kill him. It''ll prevent others from interfering." His eyes turned cold. Ron subconsciously nodded his head. He knows it''s impossible to backtrack the decision is forgone conclusion. Then everyone retreated. The following day, The entire Saw Scale Viper Academy is filled with different atmospheres. Many were very enthusiastic about the duel. In particular, the other 4-grade institutions. While the A-grade institute''s atmosphere is solemn. Because the challenge was an issue to a single special element warrior. The rest of them felt ignored. The Flame faction members'' hearts were boiling in anger. Because of the head of Franklin, they didn''t have much choice other than to listen to him. The Giant Tower members walked out of their guest room. Vice- Dean is guiding them toward the battle platform. On the way, some of the students followed along silently. Vice-dean ignored them and continue to walk forward. At this moment, the Red Elder opened his mouth to say, "Vice-dean, what about that kid Zack?" When he said that Ron & others turned toward him. Since the last day, they have not seen or heard about Zack. They couldn''t help but doubt whether Zack is return back from his trip. Vice-dean sneered inside. How can he not know these people''s thoughts? They really can''t wait to kill that kid. Then he slowly replied without turning back, "Don''t worry, he will appear at right time." Hearing that, the Red Elder frowned. But he didn''t ask anything more. Ron and the rest of the warriors'' faces were also not good-looking either. Vice-dean Franklin snorted inside his heart. Before coming here, he instructed his flame faction members to surround the platform. Now the spectator area is filled with fire elemental warriors. As per the dean''s instruction, he should let other warriors fight against the Giant Tower members. Slowly the group reached the duel stage. Vice-dean guided them towards the special area. Where Giant Tower members will be seated. Flame Faction, Gale Faction, Water Faction, Metal Faction, and Rock Faction. Surprisingly most of the warriors were presented in the spectator area from each faction. Even a few elites from other grade institutes were allowed to watch the duel. But the teachers and elders were in a different mood. They don''t know whether Zack can win the dual. Apart from the faction head, Vice-dean, Dean, and ancestor. The rest of the elders and teachers don''t know the importance of the duel. Many are thinking of it as Giant Tower''s arrogance. But others were skeptical. They don''t know whether Zack can survive in the end. All Faction Heads are present inside the spectator area waiting for the person to arrive. Meanwhile, inside the Dorm Room. "Are you ready?" Dean Rebecca asked. Seeing the holographic image, I nodded in response. "Well, that''s good to hear. Don''t worry, before your appearance. Someone will fight against the Giant Tower members. You can watch their videos before appearing," After saying that she ended the call. Staring at the blank screen, I stood in a daze for a moment. It''s good that they have made such an arrangement. I don''t want to get into a duel blindly. Then I walk toward the sofa and sat on it. I opened the student account page and saw the duel link. Someone broadcasting the duel live for the entire academy to watch. Seeing that strange glint flashes in my eyes. Who is behind this work? Is this even allowed? I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Then I opened the link and the video appeared the next second. A magnificent stadium came into view. The spectator area was crowded with people. Seeing that, a look of disbelief appeared on my face. Did they allow four-grade institutions to see the duel? Doubt appeared in my heart. Then I spotted a few burly men entering the dueling stadium. "The Giant Tower members," I uttered in surprise. Compared to others, the Giant Tower members are taller in height. So I can easily see them. Meanwhile, The Red Elders and others saw the atmosphere of the duel. Ron in particular sneered inside, "These people don''t know that Zack will die here." The Red Elder asked, "Where is he?" Vice-dean smiled and replied, "Don''t you think it''s too early for the final match? Why don''t we send a few warriors to compare first?" The Red Elder''s face turned ugly. Obviously, other party is delaying the time. But he has no other choice but to agree with him. Then he turned towards the Giant Tower members before pointing one out. A burly figure stepped forward to salute the elders before walking to the dueling platform. "Will, smash everyone''s head." The Giant Tower members encouraged the burly figure. Even Ron nodded at him in approval. Ron knows everyone on his team were elite. Before coming here they were not randomly picked. Each one of the members held some records back in the Giant Tower. Especially, Will in particular. He has two strong hands. Combine with body techniques. He can pose threat to Mid-level Elite. So Ron is looking forward to seeing his opponent. Vice-dean squinted his eyes. He knows the Giant Tower members were elite and can possibly fight across ranks. So he won''t allow average members to be cannon fodder. Then he sent a message to one of the elite warrior warriors'' factions to appear. A few minutes later, A person with red short hair descends is Fire Element Initial Elite Warrior. But his flame techniques were strong and they can even cause injury to Mid-level Elite Warriors. When he walks to the duel stage. The crowd erupts in cheer. They are excited about the duel. On the other hand, inside the dean''s office. Dean Rebecca watching the live video as well. A complex emotion flashes in her eyes. She knows these warriors were definitely not simple. Some of the Giant Tower Warriors can fight across ranks. What''s worries her that elites in the academy were in retreat. Only a few of them were participating in a duel. She doesn''t know whether the emerging flame faction members can defeat the Giant Tower members or not. Duel stadium, Red Elder opened his communication watch stream the duel live. So that Elders back in the Giant Tower can watch. A few seconds later, the connection was stabilized. The next moment, a holographic image of the Giant Tower Head appeared. Seeing that the red elder became more respectfully. Vice-dean''s face turned ugly. He didn''t hinder the actions of the red elder. Meanwhile, inside the dorm room. I saw the giant tower member and flame faction members. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Interesting," I mumbled under my breath. Both were looking like strong warriors. I''m looking forward to seeing whether he can bring out the cards of the Giant tower member. Chapter 467 Part 2: Duel Duel Stadium: Two opponents stared at each other. When the bell rang, the crowd erupted in cheer. The next moment, the fire elemental warrior made his move. He released two massive flame balls toward the Giant Tower''s warrior. Seeing the blazing sun-like flame coming in my direction. The Giant Tower Warrior Will grinned. For a moment, he remained silent. The crowd was expecting to see some reaction. But seeing the giant tower warrior being motionless the crowd was stunned. Some even thought the Giant Tower Warrior is petrified but only people in the Giant Tower section thought it was something else. Ron''s mouth curves into an arc. How can a trifling flame cause injury to Will? He is one of our elite warriors. The elder red smirked. He has been focusing on getting coverage. The Head is watching the duel as well. In the duel stage, the flame reached the Giant Tower warrior in a blink of an eye. Gasp Seeing that crowd let out and exclaimed in surprise. Even the fire elemental warrior standing opposite let down his guard. But the moment his pupil shrank. The flame balls exploded with a massive fist. Seeing that the fire elemental warrior tries to release the next move. But Will with his massive body charged toward him. All this happened in a blink of an eye. "Flame Fist," The fire elemental warrior raised his fist to punch. Seeing Ron in the gallery laughed out loud. It''s unwise to challenge the Giant Tower Warrior in body strength. On the stage, the Giant Tower Warrior revealed a wild grin. Seeing that flame fist coming towards him, he raised his fist to counterattack. When their fist collided with each other. "Aahhh," the fire elemental warrior let out agonizing pain. His body flew backward like a broken kite. His right arm was smashed and hanging down. Thud His body crashed outside of the platform. This all happened in a blink of an eye, A pin-drop silence can be seen in the entire stadium. The Giant Tower Warrior didn''t even glance back at the opponent. He lowered his hand and reiterated back to the previous spot. In Giant Tower Gallery, "Looks like Will is not satisfied at all. Hope they send good warriors next time," Ron said with a smile. Hearing that, the rest of the members let out laughter. "Well said," The Red Elder added. Vice-dean Franklin''s face turned ugly. This scene was unexpected. He couldn''t help but curse at the stupidity of the student. He should have avoided the confrontation. But in the end, he paid the cost of underestimating the opponent. A few minutes later, someone brought the stretcher to receive the injured student. From MC''s Perspective: Inside the dorm room, my expression turned solemn watching the duel. The brute force can even push away Mid-Elite Warrior. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Looks like I have to evaluate this warrior once again. The Giant Tower has sent power warriors who can fight across ranks. I don''t know whether anyone at the stadium can fight across ranks as well. My gaze fell on the crowd. Then my gaze shifted back to the Giant Tower area. Looking at the Giant Tower Members, I''m certain that there might be Mid & Peak level Elite Warriors among them. Don''t know what''s happening on the dean''s side. If no one can hold on, then tomorrow everyone will become a laughing stock. At the same time, I raised my eyebrows in confusion. The Saw Scale Viper Academy is one of the strong academies. So the peerless warriors should be strong in numbers. But I haven''t heard a single name so far. Are they in retreat? Doubt appeared in my heart. Dean Rebecca is disappointed. She saw how the flame faction member was blown away by a single fist. She knows the Giant Tower Members use brute force. But this time she saw a simple punch. Not even the technique was involved. The special element warrior strangely stayed in their common hall. They didn''t go to the stadium to watch the duel. "Such a brutal attack," Laverne Morrow said in a solemn tone. Seeing the smiling face of the Giant Tower Member. She feels even more disgusted. "What happened to Kyle, Leon, and others?" Ernest Kirk asked. The result was unsightly. Michael Blevins let out a deep sigh before saying, "I have to say the Giant Tower has picked a good timing. Most peerless warriors are in retreat. And few of them are doing missions outside." "Are you saying no one can fight the warrior?" Laverne asked in confusion. Michael replied, "There are some good warriors in the stadium who can fight across ranks. But I don''t know whether it''s working against the Giant Tower Warriors." "I understand, you can''t defeat them using simple techniques. You have to come up with a certain plan," Ernest Kirk added. "What about Zack?" "How is he going to fight against the body cultivator?" Laverne Morrow asked. Michael and Ernest looked at each other. They almost forget about Zack in this matter. For a moment everyone remained silent. Even Michael doesn''t know what is going to happen. He remembers the monster zone scenes. At that time, Zack stayed behind them. He did help us all. But his lightning attacks were not that instant. He couldn''t come up with a logical answer. In particular, he doesn''t know whether Zack has succeeded in getting adapted to the new environment here. "I guess, he has no chance," Ernest Kirk muttered. "Our Special Element Faction maintains a good reputation so far. I''m sure the Giant Tower would smear against us as well after their win," Laverne added further. Like Michael and Ernest. She doesn''t think Zack can win against the Giant Tower Members. So there is more probability of failure. "Should we go?" Michael uttered. Hearing that, Ernest and Laverne are surprised. Michael usually doesn''t care about such events. He is rarely into fights. But this time he made such a statement. "Let''s see if all the factions lose then we will make an entrance at that time," Ernest Kirk said. He doesn''t want to go there right now. Because the Special Faction has very few members. Except three of them and Zack. The rest of them were in retreat. He wants to see other faction members step up. Dual Stage, Vice-dean Franklin instructed another warrior to step up. This time the fire elemental warrior is stronger than the previous one. His appearance immediately attracted attention. Apart from the fire elemental warriors, no one else made noise. The Giant Tower Warrior''s strength shocked them. They still can''t get over it. Unless someone defeats him. This time a slender-looking young man walked up to the stage. When he looked toward the smiling giant tower member. His expression condensed a little bit. The crowd is entirely focused on this 2nd duel. The slender-looking young man brings out a sword to attack. Which caused the flame faction members to erupt in support. The red elder squinted his eyes. He said, "This person is better than the previous one." Vice-dean Franklin revealed a small smile on his face. Because the current warrior can use the sword in his hand to cause more damage. The Giant Tower Warrior Ron looked solemn. Dual Stage, When the bell rang, the slender-looking young man made a vertical slash. Right after, a red color shot at the Giant Tower Member. The Giant Tower Member Will raised his hand once again to punch. But this time a golden color force appeared in his palm. When he punched in the air, a golden-colored fist collided against the red color arc. Boom! A terrible sound resonated throughout the area. Cheer! The crowd erupted in roaring cheer. Seeing that attacks on both sides. Everyone thought the 2nd duel can be won. When the dust settles everything becomes clear. The slender-looking young man looks at the unscathed body of the Giant Tower Member. He furrowed his eyebrows. The first slash was just a casual swing. The next moment, he gripped his sword and rushed forward. The Giant Tower Warrior clenched his fist and watched the movement of the sword user. The slender-looking young man raised his sword and made a vertical slash at him. This time a massive red arc shot at the opponent. The sword attack was so swift that it reached the opponent in a blink of an eye. The drawback of a brute warrior is speed. He wasn''t able to avoid the sword attack at close quarters. He clenched his fist and made a similar punch attack. When the two of them collide, a terrible sound resonates in the arena. Everyone was eager to see the defeated face of the Giant Tower member. When the smoke cleared. Will remained unscathed except for some superfluous injury on the skin. The slender-looking young man was dumbfounded. The sword arc attack was not weak. If not for body cultivation, the attack might have resulted in gruesome injury. For a moment, he stood in a daze. Chapter 468 Part 3: Duel From MC''s Perspective: From, I''m watching the 2nd confrontation with solemn expression on my face. The new fire elemental warrior is much better than the previous one. But his fierce sword aura is not enough to cause much damage to the opponent. In the live video, I saw the Giant Tower warrior remain unscathed. His body strength is much more powerful than I had expected. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I don''t know what kind of body cultivation techniques they are practicing. Especially the golden aura released from his palm. I guess it has something to do with their cultivation method. I want to know how it''s different from my blood method. The blood method of mine is a special body cultivation method. It''s starting to transform my physique starting from bones. Even though I''m not as muscular as the Giant Tower Warriors, both of us are body cultivators. Then I see sudden changes take place in the dueling stage. The slender looking warrior made his move again. Using opponents lack of speed, he released multiple attacks on him. "This method might work," I nodded my head in approval. The Giant Tower Warrior bombarded with many sword arcs. Especially at weak parts of his body such as joints and legs. The slender looking fire elemental warrior didn''t seem to stop. He once again released the barrage of attack on them. When the smoke settled down. The Giant tower warrior was found injured and tattered. Multiple sword marks can be seen on his body. If this goes on he will suffer a gruesome injury. Suddenly, the Giant Tower Member accepted the defeat. This move surprised everyone including me. The Giant Tower Members don''t want to be embarrassed further. So he surprisingly left the platform in front of everyone. Seeing that I revealed a small smile on my face. "The Flame Faction members don''t seem to be that bad," I mumbled under my breath. Now this will give confidence to others. I don''t know whether anyone from the other 4 factions is willing to step up. ... Meanwhile, The Red Elder knitted his eyebrows in disappointment from Will''s defeat. But he understands it''s difficult to defeat the flame sword warrior as a body cultivator. The lack of speed is the major weakness and it was well exploited by the flame sword warrior. "Your speed can''t keep up in the end," Vice-dean Franklin made a sarcastic comment. The red elder''s face turned ugly not because of the sarcastic words. But he looks at the projection. Currently he is streaming the event live. He is worried whether the Head would listen to bad remarks. The leader Ron''s eyes flickered with cold glint. This duel is a classic example of exploiting an enemy''s weakness. He also found that the sword warrior didn''t seem to be simple. The sword attacks broke the protective layer of skin and caused deep injury to Will. Which shows the power of the sword aura. Then he turned toward another warrior and said,"Vik, next your turn. Don''t give an opponent a chance." Hearing that a burly figure got up from the seat. His distinct short nose made him recognizable easily. After getting approval from the leader and the red elder, he walks toward the duel stage. ... On the other hand, several silhouettes were watching the duel in the Giant Tower. The Giant Tower Head and many other other elders analyzed the duel. "These guys are acting shameless. Sending a sword warrior to confront the body cultivator," one of the elders said with dissatisfaction. Hearing that many others echoed the same opinion. They can see that the sword warrior made use of the weakness otherwise their warrior would have won easily. Unlike them, The head is clear minded. He knows that Saw Scale Viper Academy doesn''t have that many body cultivators. That''s why he has sent talented warriors there. Most of them can fight across ranks unless they come across similar opponents. Just like the sword warrior. "That brat''s name is Vik. He is different from others. He has practiced many speed techniques to make up for the weakness," One of the senior elders pointed out. Hearing that everyone becomes interested. ... Office room, Dean Rebecca sighed in relief after seeing the result. She saw that the Sword warrior exploited the opponents weakness successfully. But she knows that the red elder won''t let it happen in the next duel. Her eyes gleamed with twinkle. Now that the Flame Faction gained one win. She wants to see the participation of other 4 factions as well. Suddenly she remembers Zack. She doesn''t know whether Zack can fight against the Giant Tower''s strongest warrior. Because from the duel it''s clear that the Giant Tower warriors were not weak. ... Special Faction Common Room: "Good win," Michael uttered in surprise. Hearing that Ernest and Larverne nodded in relief. "Hey, I heard that guy is not far away from reaching Mid-elite," Ernest commented. "That''s how it is, no wonder his sword aura was so fierce,"Laverne uttered in realization. Michael then turned his attention to the screen. He saw someone from the Giant Tower walking to the stage. Seeing that his attention shifted back to the other factions. Ernest and Laverne also turned to the screen. "Who do you think will come up next from our side?" Laverne asked. Michael smiled and answered,"Gale Faction." Laverne asked,"How?" Ernest''s eyes shone with bright light. He knows there is an important factor that was common in previous duels. Which is speed. The previous sword warrior won using the same method. Now the Giant Tower Member won''t let it happen. In order to defeat them again, Gale Faction Warrior might play a crucial role. Then he slowly explained to Laverne about this. .... Meanwhile, Vice-dean instructed the Gale Faction members to step up. Suddenly, one of the female wind warriors rose up from the seat to accept the challenge. Seeing her the audience erupted in cheer. She is one of the top warriors in Gale Faction. Her realm is similar to the Giant Tower member. She has an Initial Elite level cultivation base. In the duel stage, Vik''s eyes flashes in disdain. He thought the male warrior would step up. But seeing the female wind elemental warrior. His heart boils in anger. He made up his mind to thrash this woman''s face. The female warrior with black hair stepped forward and stood opposite to him. Her eyes were calm without trouble. She brought a short sword from the storage ring. Cheer! Seeing the move the crowd erupted in cheer again. Opposite, Vik''s face turned ugly. He also saw the bad state of Will earlier. The sword aura completely broke the protective cover. Though the opponent is Initial Stage Elite. He doesn''t want to underestimate her. When the bell rang, Vik broke out at a terrible speed. He charged towards the opponent. Swish! Seeing the speed, the crowd exclaimed in surprise. Elders can see the difference. In each successive step, Vik advanced in great speed. The female elite warrior flustered. Vik''s sudden speed caught her off guard. She retreated back in a hurry. Seeing that Vik smirked, he raised his hand to release the palm attack. Right after, a golden palm shot at the female warrior at great speed. At the same time, Everyone''s expression turned solemn except the Giant Tower Members. The red elder grinned. He knew this brat Vik has no weakness when it comes to Speed. He can be as tough as a wind element warrior. Beside, Vice-dean Franklin squinted his eyes. He knew these guys won''t be fooled. Just as he had expected, they sent a warrior who had no speed weakness. He then looked at the state of the female warrior. If not careful the female warrior would suffer greatly. The leader Ron on the Giant Tower side looked at the duel in delight. He predicts their members will this turn. In the duel stage, The female warrior releases the counter attack using the short sword. A green sword arc collides with a golden palm. Bang! The distance was so close that she was swept away from the collision. Pfff! She crashed on the ground close to the edge of the duel stage. The atmosphere quieted down all of a sudden. No one had expected that burly figure could break out in great speed. The speed was so fast that it narrowed the gap in an instant. The female warrior immediately moved away from the spot using her wind technique. Bang! Another golden palm fell on the previous spot. The female warrior didn''t stop running her wind technique. She then releases many sword arcs in response. Opposite, Vik''s face turned ugly. The previous palm attack was not accurate. Most of the brunt was taken by her sword attack. Seeing the many moving flashes of her. He stood in the same spot for a moment. He knew he had missed one golden opportunity. Now it will be difficult to repeat the same method. Then he raised his hand and released multiple punch attacks. The next moment, multiple golden fists shot at the multiple images. Chapter 469 Part 4: Duel Dueling Stage, The female warrior evaded the punch attacks but her injury is getting deepened further. Not only that, her wind essence is also decreasing drastically. She can''t passively evade the attacks. Swish! The next moment, she rushed toward the giant tower warrior. On the opposite side, Giant Tower Warrior Vik''s mouth curved into arc. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity. When she got closer to her. A golden color force appeared in his leg. Suddenly, he raised his leg and stomped heavily on the ground. Many cracks appeared on the ground. The female wind elemental warrior took a misstep. This sudden move caught her off guard. She wanted to change direction. But it was too late. A palm force bombarded her all of a sudden. Her body flew backwards like a broken kite and crashed onto the ground. Vik cracked a wild grin after retracting his fist. This woman made him release two or more techniques. Though he is a little dissatisfied in his heart. He is happy that he won the duel in the end. Meanwhile, "Well done,"The red elder appreciated with a smile. Vik''s duel performance impressed him. Initially the duel appeared to be even. But later on the female wind elemental warrior relied too much on speed. Which resulted in her defeat. Vice-dean Franklin sighed in disappointment. It was such an amateur mistake. But he can understand why the Gale Faction warrior had taken such a step. If she had continued to use the speed techniques, she would have run out of the essence. In desperation, she had taken such a step. But it''s a pity that her sword attack is not as strong as a flame faction warrior. Right after, a stretcher was brought out to take her way. The Giant Tower Warrior stood in the previous spot and waited for the next opponent to appear. Franklin''s gaze then turned toward the Rock Faction. Meanwhile, Ron and other Giant Tower members were happy with their 2nd win. At the same time, Ron also glanced at the entrance. There is no sign of Zack Lockwood yet. He can''t wait to fight that person. He doesn''t know whether Zack can push him to the limit. But it''s a pity, the elders had advised him not to give any chance for survival during the duel. Thinking about it, his eyes flickered with a cold glint. At this moment, he really wants to tell the red elder that we can skip these boring duels and conduct the final event. But he knows that it''s quite impossible. He can only patiently wait at this moment. A couple of seconds later, A warrior from the rock faction walks out. The warrior is muscular and not as bulging as Vik. Seeing his appearance on the dueling stage. Vik''s expression condensed. He didn''t plan on letting down his guard. When the bell rang. He immediately released many fist attacks on the opponent. Seeing his sudden action, the rock warrior got alerted. He immediately released defense techniques. A mud wall rose up from the ground. This all happened in a blink of an eye. The golden fist collided with the mud wall. Bang! Bang! Bang! Cracks formed on the mud wall before it completely broke. But it was enough to defend all those attacks successfully. The rock warrior is a little more clever than the previous warrior. He shot a few rock boulders using the earth essence. . Seeing the sudden counter attack, Vik''s eyes flickered with surprise glint. Facing the massive boulder, he raised his fist punch. Bang! After the collision, the boulder crumbles into pieces. If anyone can look closely they can see a golden aura covering Vik''s fists. Then he dealt with another boulder the same way. But what he didn''t know was that his feet were already trapped in mud. The earlier boulder attack was just a diversion. The main attack was released by the rock warrior. Vik''s face turned ugly. He was fooled without realizing anything. He tried to move his feet. But the earth essence looked rock solid. He decided to land a massive punch on the ground. So that the mud can disintegrate. Yet his plan failed. Using the opportunity, the rocks warrior shot multiple rocks at him. This time rocks seem to have pointed end. Seeing that a cold chill went down his spine. He hurriedly releases defensive technique. A golden aura covers his entire body in full. When those rocks fell on the golden cover. It left a small dent in the cover. Seeing that a gloomy glint flashes in his eyes. The pointy rocks were mode sharper than he had expected. If this goes on, he will completely lose his cover. Within a few seconds, his golden cover was bombarded by countless pointy rocks. At this point, many cracks can be seen on the golden cover. His feet were completely trapped in the mud. He had no chance to move either. "It''s over, " the rock warrior commented. Vik gritted his teeth in anger. He had underestimated the combination attacks. Now he was pushed to the corner. "I admit defeat," He said in a complicated tone. Cheer! The next moment, the audience erupted in a loud cheer. Compared to previous duels, this one was most comprehensive. The warrior from the rock faction didn''t give any opportunity to fight back. The Giant Tower warrior was completely clueless. "Ha...Ha...Ha...., nice one." Vice-dean Franklin Madden said with a laugh. The Rock Faction got warriors with the strongest defense. This statement has once again been proved by them. . The Red Elder''s smile disappeared completely. He really wants to smash the face of Franklin. But again the Giant Tower member was clueless this time. The leader Ron snorted in dissatisfaction. But he can see that the defeat was complete. It was a perfect combination of strategy and execution. To deal with this kind of warrior. Initial Stage Elite level was not enough. He turned towards the team and instructed the Mid-Elite Warrior to step up. He noticed that the golden cover failed to block the rock attacks. But with the Mid-Elite Warriors defense it would be fine. After getting the instruction, the Giant Tower''s Mid Elite Warrior stepped forward. "Shameless," Franklin uttered in disdai ne didn''t expect them to send a Mid-Elite level warrior. Then the next duel will have no suspense. After realizing this, he decided to send the Mid-Elite level Warrior. But he stopped midway. "Anyway, it will be a good learning lesson for the rock faction warrior," He muttered in his heart. He is the Vice-dean of the academy. So he has to look after everyone. Dueling Stage, The rock warrior''s face turned solemn. He can feel the oppressive aura from the Giant Tower Warrior. He feels it will be difficult to win this time. When the bell rang, the Giant Tower Warrior made his move. Just as he had expected. The Giant Tower Warrior releases the fists attack. The golden fists appeared the next moment. The aura around the golden fists is Mid- Elite. He releases the mud wall in defense. But the mud wall is pale in comparison. It was blown away by the attack. But the attack didn''t seem to stop at all. It reached the rock warrior in a blink of an eye. Bang! Caught off guard, the rock warrior threw off the stage and fell down the ground coughing up blood. Gasp! The atmosphere turned into pin drop silence. No one had expected such a turn around. In one move, the previous duel winner was defeated. At this moment, everyone realized the power of the Mid-Elite Warrior. Right after, the stretcher was brought in to take away the injured warrior for treatment. Vice-dean Franklin sighed inwardly. He realized the gap was too big between the Initial stage and Mid-stage. Fortunately, the warrior''s injury was not too deep. Then shaking his head, he glanced at the Rain Faction and Metal Faction. He believes metal elements will be challenging for the Giant Tower Warrior. Then he sent instructions to the Metal Element Warrior. The next second, a burly figure walks out from the metal element faction. Seeing that the Red elder squinted his eyes. "It will be difficult," He muttered in his heart. He carefully adjusted his watch to record the duel. He doesn''t know whether the Head is watching the duel or not. He knows the character of the Head. He doesn''t like failure at all. Even though it seems the Giant Tower is gaining upper hand. But in reality both the academy got the equal win. Unless, Ron stepped forward to thrash everyone. This situation will continue to repeat. Suddenly, the image of Zack comes to his mind. Where is that brat? He looked around and found no silhouette of Zack Lockwood. He asked,"Franklin, where is that brat?" Hearing that, Franklin''s eyes flickered with cold glint. "Does he want to skip the current duel?" A doubt appeared in his heart. The previous duels were enough to give some details to Zack. He hopes that Zack will learn one or two things from the duel. Then looking at the red elder he said,"Don''t worry, he will come." Chapter 470 Part 5: Duel From MC''s Perspective: Inside the dorm room, I watched the duel in interest. The duel brought me a huge surprise. The warriors from other factions are not pushovers either. But I heard most of the elites are retreating. Then I see the metal element warrior walking down toward the dueling stage. My eyes lit up with surprise. The Flame Faction and The Rock Faction seem to be strong. They got many strong warriors despite some of the top warriors retreating. When the bell rang. I see two Mid-Elite Warriors charged against each other. The Giant Tower Warrior''s body is covered in gold aura whereas the Metal Faction warrior''s body emits a silver aura. Bang! A terrible sound resonated in the area. When two collided against each other. The aftermath swept away the dust. When the dust has settled down. I see two of them retreat a few steps backward. The strength is almost equal. Beep! Suddenly, my communication watch lit up with notification. Seeing that I attended the call. The holographic image of Dean Rebecca appeared. She asked, "Are you ready?" I squinted my eyes. Because this is not the right time. The Peak Elite Warrior is yet to appear. On top of it, the person who posed a challenge against me was also waiting silently. But looking at her, I calmly replied, "I''m ready. What about the challenger." Dean Rebecca said,"It''s decided that your duel will be held at last. Did you learn anything from Giant Tower Warriors?" She wanted to ask about this. Fighting across ranks is not an easy task. From the previous duel alone, it can be easily seen. In particular, it''s difficult to fight across two ranks. As per the information, the Giant Tower Warrior Ron is Peak Elite Warrior. Even though he suppressed his realm to fight, he can easily defeat Zack. Looking at the holographic image, I frowned. Looks like she didn''t have that much confidence in me. But I smiled and replied,"Their golden aura attack is really powerful." Dean Rebecca said,"I don''t know much about your lightning attack. So better be careful. Don''t engage him in close combat." After saying that she ended the call. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I know better about my condition. My lightning finger technique alone is enough to cause terrible injury. Though I have an Initial stage Elite Cultivation base in essence. But I have confidence that the lightning finger technique would be more dangerous if used properly. My eyes flickered before I set my gaze on screen. By that time both of them had few clashes. And none of them seemed to be tired. In his opinion this duel has no suspense. Unless the metal elemental warrior comes up with sharp technique. Just as I had thought, the metal elemental warrior released a sharp blade in his hand. And slashed at the Giant Tower Warrior. As usual the Giant Tower Warrior formed golden cover all over his body. By the time the silver blade collided with the golden cover. Bang! The collision has sent another terrible shock wave across the stage. Seeing the scene a frown appeared on my face. Because I noticed that the golden cover had no dent. Which means the silver blade failed to cause any damage. I also noticed the metal element warrior is not as smart as the earth element warrior. At least he should have won the duel in the same ranks. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After half an hour, the match ended in a draw surprisingly. Both the opponents failed to come up with a new strategy. Then the next warrior walks down from the Giant Tower Faction. He seems to be another Mid -Elite Warrior. Time went on, After a few rounds, it''s finally the stage for the final round. Seeing that I left the room and walked toward the dueling stage. Meanwhile, Inside the common room, the special faction members were discussing. Michael sighed in relief and said,"Thankfully, the competition is balanced. None of the sides suppressed the other directly." Ernest Kirk nodded and said,"But now the result is in the hands of Zack. Whether the official challenge or overall win counts. It''s on Zack''s head." "We got 9 wins and they have managed to secure 9 wins as well. I don''t know whether Zack will win or not," Laverne said with concern. Because everyone here knows Zack is an Initial Stage Elite Warrior. But the Giant Tower Warrior is Elite Peak stage. The difference in the gap is huge. It''s especially not easy to fight across two big realms. "Michael, don''t you want to help,"Ernest asked. A few hours ago, everyone made up their mind to participate in the duel to help academy and Zack. But fortunately other faction warriors didn''t disappoint them. In the end, the academy managed to get an equal win. Laverne also looks toward Michael. The final duel seems to be difficult. Feeling the gazes of these two, Michael smiled bitterly. He said,"We can''t interfere in the official challenge. It''s up to Zack now." Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. Three of them had seen Zack''s fight during the monster zone. Even the lightning seems domineering. They don''t know whether it can breach the golden cover or not. Dean''s office, Rebecca taps her finger on the table. The final duel brings her more concern. The Giant Tower Warrior named Ron has a good reputation in his academy. Unlike other warriors, he seems to have endless means. Recalling the calm face of Zack. She can only be optimistic right now. The Giant Tower, The Head and other elders of the academy were looking at the screen. Their expressions right now are very bad. In particular, the head. Before sending the team he had great expectations. He thought the Giant Tower Team would win overwhelmingly. But right now his heart is boiling in anger. Though the Giant Tower hasn''t embarrassed them. But the wins were not worthy to celebrate. Because the Saw Scale Viper Academy has gained equal victory as well. Suddenly seeing Ron''s silhouette, he turned toward the elders and asked,"Elders, what do you think of Ron?" His question immediately brought surprise to them. Many elders looked at each other before one of the elders commented,"Head, Ron this child is very talented. Very few can win him in the same realm. A week ago he had a confrontation with Super Elite Warrior." Hearing that the Giant Tower Head''s eyes gleamed with twinkle. He knows a few things about Ron. But he didn''t know about this matter. So he asked,"What about the result?" Hearing that everyone perked up their ears. The elder smiled and answered,"Ron had fought with Initial Stage Super Elite Warrior. In the end he had managed to secure a draw." "Good" "Good" The Giant Tower Head uttered good twice. Now everyone is more confident about the final duel. Because everyone knows that this is not a normal student exchange. They had planned to kill the Special Element Warrior Zack Lockwood. ? The Head finally revealed a smile on his face. Earlier he was disappointed by the average result. But now he is more concerned with the task. No matter what the lightning warrior has to die. The stadium, The red elder''s eyes flickered with cold glint. The previous duel was disappointing. But now it''s time to execute the task. He turned toward Ron and asked him to step forward. Standing beside, Vice-dean''s expressions become complicated. He said to Ron,"Peak Elite Warrior is challenging Initial Stage Warrior." "Red Elder, I hope you advise that kid to suppress his realm." Vice-dean''s words were not so loud. It was heard by people around him. Right after, Red Elder''s face turned ugly. He then told Ron to suppress the realm. Hearing that Ron nodded his head before walking toward the dueling stage. Rest of the Giant Tower members supported Ron. Cheer! The crowd also broke out in cheer. But they didn''t know about the importance of the duel. Only a few higher ups are aware of the Giant Tower''s sinister plan. Vice-dean Franklin''s eyes flashes with complicated glint. The red elder saw the changes in Franklin''s eyes. He asked sarcastically, "What happened to you?" "Don''t you have confidence in the Special Element Warrior?" Vice-dean Franklin''s eyes flashes with killing intent for a moment. But soon it disappeared. Then he realizes it''s not wise to stay near the red elder for the final duel. Otherwise, it would be difficult to take action in crucial moments. When he tried to walk away, the red elder blocked his path. Seeing that a frown appeared on his face. He asked,"What are you doing?" The red elder sneerer inside. He doesn''t want the Vice-dean to leave. His task is to prevent anyone from interfering in the duel. Right now, two of them are close to the dueling stage. The red elder quickly recovered his face. He suddenly asked," Where is that Special Element warrior?" "Is he afraid to come?" His voice is loud as well. The students were pissed off by his words. Vice-dean saw the message. He replied,"He is coming. So don''t block my way." Chapter 471 Part 1: Zack Vs Ron From MC''s Perspective: Duel Stadium, After a few minutes of walking, I reached the stadium. I see a few people waiting at the entrance. Once I got closer, I heard them talking. They are actually waiting for me. "You are Zack Lockwood right?" "Vice-dean has been waiting for you. Go to the dueling stage directly,"the middle-aged man guarding the gate said. I nodded my head and walked past them. When I stepped inside, a magnificent arena came into view. The gallery was filled with people. It looks more amazing in real life than live video. Suddenly a silhouette caught my attention. On the dueling stage someone is waiting for me. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. Then I walk toward the dueling stage. My appearance immediately attracted attention. Right after I hear loud chanting of my own name. People are familiar with faces because of the challenge issued by the Giant Tower. At the same time, Vice-dean Franklin sighs in relief. He thought that kid was being intentional. But after seeing his appearance. He changed his mind. Standing beside him, the red elder also noticed the appearance of a lightning warrior. He muttered,"So he is Zack Lockwood. I heard his lightning element is very domineering." Franklin''s eyes flickered with cold glint. He said,"I hope you don''t make unnecessary moves." The red elder sneered inside. Now he realized the higher ups of the Saw Scale Viper Academy have figured out their intentions. But it''s too late to stop them. Then his gaze fell on the dueling stage. At this time the whole crowd''s eyes were set on the dueling stage. In particular everyone''s gaze fell on two people. Not many people are familiar with Zack Lockwood. They only knew that Giant Tower had challenged this person. Which intrigued everyone''s curiosity. Inside the special faction common room, "Hey, the wait is over. I hope he can do well in this duel," Laverne Morrow said to herself. Three of them glued to the screen. At this time, Ernest Kirk furrowed his eyebrow. He asked,"Michael, why does the Giant Tower pose a challenge specifically to Zack?" "And how come they know each other?" This sudden question made them realize one thing. This duel is not easy. "Yeah, why haven''t I thought about this before?" Michael remained silent before saying,"I don''t know? We might better ask him in person later." He already thought about this silently in his heart. He thinks there is some grudge between Zack and the Giant Tower. Similarly, dean Rebecca glued to the screen as well. She is worried in her heart. Because it''s not a simple exchange. The Giant Tower is here for a kill. And that Giant Tower member on the stage won''t let go of this opportunity. Suddenly, she made up her mind to go to the duel stadium. Though Franklin is watching everything. But under her monitoring nothing can happen to Zack. Meanwhile, Dueling Stage, After stepping up, I stood opposite the Giant Tower Warrior. And I know his name as well. "Ron," I said in my heart. When I met his eyes, he suddenly broke out with a wide grin on his face. His eyes look like he wants to swallow me directly. When the bell rang, the crowd erupts in cheer. And at the same time, I released my perception and covered the dueling stage within seconds. Now his every action will be under my perception. Ron raised his fist to punch me. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with twinkle. Right after a golden palm released from his fist. The attack was directed at me. But I easily side stepped to evade it. Seeing that Ron burst into laughter,"Ha...Ha...Ha..." "Interesting, I see how long you can evade my attack," He said. Right after he again released the punch attacks. But this time there are more than one. Seeing the barrage of golden punches coming towards me. My mouth curved into an arc. "Lightning phantom technique," I said. The next second, my legs wrapped up with a purple lightning arc. Swish! In a blink of an eye, I disappeared from the spot and appeared closer to him. The barrage of Golden punch hit the empty air. Boom! A few attacks land a blow to the empty ground. Ignoring the noise, I raised my hand and pointed my fingers at Ron. My sudden appearance startled the Giant Tower Warrior. His face filled with shock and surprise. He underestimated the speed of lightning movement technique. Seeing his bewildered face, I smirked. "Lightning finger technique,"I muttered. Right after, a deep purple lightning arc covered my fingers. This is only the 1st stage of the technique. But I can still feel the horror of it. Without wasting any more time, I shot the lightning attack at him. A straight purple beam comes from my finger and breaks through the air in the blink of an eye. Gasp! The crowd let out a huge gasp. Everyone saw a purple arc appear on the stage for a moment before it disappeared. But the next second, the person appeared right before the Giant Tower. Yet the next scene will forever be etched in their mind. Inside the dean''s office, Dean Rebecca''s eyes filled with surprise. The speed generated from the lightning element can only be equaled by a bright light element or dark element. But when she saw the next scene, Her heart filled with surprise. "Broken finger technique,"She uttered in surprise. The name broken finger technique is derived from incomplete lightning finger technique. But what caught her attention was that Zack had entered the 1st stage. Which is not easy at all. She knows it has only been a couple of days since Zack got that technique. Which shows Zack comprehension is really good. Meanwhile, The red elder''s face darkened. He doesn''t know why? He suddenly started to lose confidence. The lightning movement technique is no joke. That brat broke out with such a speed. Which was unexpected. The next moment, a murderous intent flashes in his eyes. "Red Elder," A powerful voice reached his ears. The next moment, he recovered his expression back to normal. Vice-dean Franklin was surprised by Zack''s speed as well. But at the same time, he had kept his eyes on the red elder. Seeing the killing intent, he called out his name in a steen voice. Their small means immediately scared people around them. Dueling stage, Seeing the lightning beam, Ron''s expression turns pale with fright. He can feel the dangerous aura from the lightning element. He hurriedly released his defensive technique. In a blink of an eye, his body is covered with golden cover. At the same time a lightning beam collided with a golden cover. Boom! The collision was so loud that it sent a shockwave across the dueling stage. Crack! A cracking sound can be heard clearly. Through my perception, I see the golden cover is damaged. Seeing that I released another lightning beam in succession. It was just before the dust settled down. At the same time, horror can be seen on Ron''s face. His golden cover is crumbling into pieces. "What kind of power is this?" He screamed in his heart. The lightning power is total domineering and destructive. Right after, another lightning beam collides with the golden cover. The next moment, the golden cover broke into pieces. It fails to withstand the blow, the remaining power of the lightning beam lands a blow to his chest. Pfff! He coughed up blood. Ron couldn''t believe his own eyes. In a blink of an eye, he was injured to this extent. He looks at his chest. He feels severe pain from his chest bone. He has to re-access the plans. Zack is only in the Initial stage of Elite. On the same level, he realized he is not an opponent. Before coming to the stage, he suppressed his realm to the Initial Stage. But now he broke out with full strength. Peak Elite aura emitting from his body. The sudden aura swept away the nearby dust. Swish! At the same time, I retreated back using the lightning phantom technique. "Peak Elite,"My eyes lit up with surprise. Before coming here, I heard we are going to fight in the same realm. So what happened to this guy now? Gasp! The commotion broke out among the audience as well. "Red Elder, what does this mean?" "Are you going to break your own words?" Vice-dean Franklin asked out loud. The surrounding students also glared at the red elder in anger. Ron''s Peak Elite aura surprised him. Seeing that his face turned ugly. No way, the challenge is going to continue like that. Dueling stage, Ron also overhears the commotion. But right now, he has no time for that. His eyes flickered with overwhelming killing intent. The duel challenge is just an excuse to kill Zack. He is not going to waste anymore time. The lightning element gives him a bad feeling. He decided to attack Zack with overwhelming strength. He raised his hand to release the punch attack. The next moment, his fists were covered with a deep golden color aura. Seeing the power brewing in his fist, he grinned evilly. Chapter 472 Part 2: Zack Vs Ron Dueling Stage, Rebecca knitted her eyebrows. She is directly hiding in the void. She also noticed the actions of the red elder and Franklin. She is not worried that the red elder would do something. But her gaze fell on the dueling stage. Where Zack is confronting the Giant Tower Warrior. As per the word, the Giant Tower Warrior should suppress his realm and fight. Now that the Giant Tower Warrior broke the rules. She decided to intervene in this duel when there is a threat for Zack. She also witnessed Zack''s progression. She only knew about the finger technique from the written records. But after witnessing the lightning finger technique in person. She felt everyone had underestimated the power of the technique. The attack can injure warriors above one realm easily. So she decided to watch more. And this also gives her an opportunity to understand Zack''s bottom line. Meanwhile, Inside the Giant Tower, The elders'' eyes were filled with killing intent. "It was the first time for me to witness the power of lightning. It''s truly violent and domineering as per record says," One of the elders made a comment. "Yeah, it''s a pity. He is not ours," certain elder said with a sigh. The Giant Tower Head frowns. He clearly didn''t like the actions of Ron. He shouldn''t have suppressed his realm. For others it''s a challenging duel. But for him it''s clearly a mission. Instead of using the opportunity to kill, he had suppressed his realm to fight. He was also surprised by the power of the lightning. Fortunately, the lightning brat was exposed in the competition. Otherwise they wouldn''t have got that intel. He only fears that the old hag would intervene in this duel. If it happens then everything would be for not. And next time, it would be very difficult to kill that lightning brat. .... From MC''s Perspective: Dueling Stage, The opponent has released the golden fist technique again. Right after several golden fist shots at me. Seeing a thick oppressive aura around the golden fist. I realized this is a peak power of the elite. When the attack reached closer to me. I burst out with great speed using lightning phantom technique. I disappeared from the spot and evaded all those attacks in a blink of an eye. Then I released "Blood Field Technique '''' for a short moment. This was all happened in a blink of an eye, Ron who was smiling happily. Suddenly he felt a bad premonition in his heart. It was so sudden that before he could think of it his brain went blank. Followed by heart wrenching pain. No one from outside can see what had happened. Ron was feeling internally. At the same time, I released the lightning finger technique right after the blood field technique. A thick purple color formed at the tip of my finger. The next second, the lightning beam is shot at him. In a blink of an eye, it reaches the target and lands a huge at his chest part. Boom! The lightning hit caused his body to fly backward like a broken kite and got smashed into the ground. Ron who was experiencing heart wrenching pain was caught off guard by the attack. There is not even a golden cover to protect his physique. Pfff! He coughed up blood from the terrible impact force. At this moment, he was completely woken. When he opened his eyes to look around. He saw he was thrown off from the stage. "What happened?" He said in his heart. He only remembers going blank for a moment and experiencing severe pain. But now he sees his chest region was injured. He is clearly feeling the cracking in the bones. When did he release his finger technique? He then looked toward Zack on the dueling stage with horror. The feeling of unknown sent a terrible chill down his spine. And with this deep injury, he can''t continue the duel even if he wants to. Because he was eliminated. He was thrown off the dueling stage. A wry smile appeared on his face. He doesn''t know how to explain this unknown to the red elder and the Giant Tower head. But next second, he remembers the stern warning from the Giant Tower Head. The Giant Tower Head doesn''t want to hear about the mission failure. Gritting his teeth, he decided to walk up to the dueling stage to fight again. "Zack wins the official duel" When he was lost in thoughts, he heard the loud voice. Which reached the entire stadium. He raised his head to see. A figure appeared before everyone who is none other than Rebecca. Meanwhile, On the dueling stage, I sighed in relief after hearing the announcement. And the voice seems so familiar. The next moment, I see Dean Rebecca appear before us. Finally, I relaxed a lot. Rebecca''s eyes fell on Zack for a moment before turning toward the red elder. The red elder himself couldn''t believe his own eyes. The Peak Elite warrior was thrown off the stage strangely by the lightning attack. He doesn''t know how to explain the situation. But what''s more annoying is that the dean of the academy appears here. How long has been she watching the duel? He can''t take action under her nose. The mission was a total failure. The audience was also in a state of shock. But after hearing the dean''s voice. Everyone erupted in cheer. The duel was way beyond their expectations. Nobody had thought someone could fight across two big realms. Especially Zack''s performance broke their cognition. This was the first time everyone had witnessed the power of a special element called the lightning element. Special Faction Common Room, Three of Zack''s classmates got up from the ground. "How could it be?" Ernest Kirk uttered in surprise. Earlier, three of them worried about Zack. But now three of them have strange expressions on their faces. Mostly it was shock and disbelief. A complicated glint flashes in Michael''s eyes. He said,"Looks like we all misunderstood him." Laverne asked, "What do you mean?" Ernest also looked at him. He thinks Michael might have spotted something. "Have you noticed one thing?" "Zack used a new lightning technique this time," Michael said. Hearing that a look of understanding dawned upon Ernest. "That''s right, Zack said before that he had only three lightning techniques. One sword attack technique, a defensive technique and a speed technique." "So what''s about this finger technique?" Ernest said. Laverne widened her eyes in disbelief. Everyone misunderstood that Zack is being cooked up in his room. And he was taking too much time to adapt. But now their view was completely broken. Michael remained silent. What he didn''t tell others was Giant Tower Warrior''s late reaction? How come the Peak Elite Warrior failed to react? If he had used the golden defense technique, the lightning beam wouldn''t have penetrated. So why didn''t he use the defensive technique? Michael became more confused. But when he saw the appearance of the dean. He eases down his eyebrows. On the other hand, Giant Tower Warrior Ron was taken to the clinic. He still has a lingering lightning element left in the injured parts. Seeing that Red Elder and other Giant Tower members immediately left the stadium and walked towards the clinic. Rebecca nodded her head after seeing the red elder''s actions. Then she instructed the Vice-dean to follow them. Before disappearing she uttered,"Zack you can return back to the dorm." On the dueling stage, I feel a huge being lifted off from my shoulder. Fortunately, Dean Rebecca is here. Otherwise, the Giant Tower Elder might have done something. Then I turned around and walked toward the exit. I still hear the roaring chants of my name. I twitched my mouth. Hereafter, everyone will know my name. It would be similar to the Red City. But the scale would be completely different. I hope to reach Mid-level in essence before the enemy comes up with other sinister schemes. A few minutes later, I returned to my dorm room. Then I checked the online posts. The duel was a live event. I know it must have created an impact. But right after seeing the headline, my eyes lit up with surprise. The students already started doing comparisons. Especially I see many unfamiliar names from each faction. Then I began to go through the post. After a few minutes, I realized what was going on. Some of the names mentioned in the posts were top 5 warriors in each faction. Surprisingly none of them were in the academy at this moment. And those warriors who got a win against the Giant Tower Warriors were not even in the Top 5. Which was very surprising. I bet after this everyone wants to challenge me. Then, shaking my head, I closed the online site. Meanwhile, Inside the Giant Tower, The atmosphere becomes solemn. None of them expected to witness such a result. What happened in the end? The elders looked at each other for some explanation. But everyone remained silent and finally turned toward the head. The Giant Tower Head''s eyes flickered with murderous intent. Chapter 473 Change In Attitudes (The Giant Tower) The following day, The news about the Giant Tower''s defeat began to wide spread. In particular, other 4 academies quickly learnt about this matter. They didn''t expect Zack Lockwood to defeat Peak Elite Stage Warrior. The news came out of the blue. Which caused other academies to take action and convey the meeting. In particular the eclipse academy. Earlier they have arranged several assassins. But now looking at the new information. They plan to hire a Super Elite Warrior as an assassin. Zack''s strength startled them. They don''t want to see him raise them. Ella Downs, Sallie Mills, Maria Frazier and many other warriors were shocked as well. Many of the warriors started to do comparisons between their warriors and Zack. Inside the Giant Tower, The Giant Tower Head is looking at the people standing in front of him. They are none other than the Giant Tower Team. After losing the duels and failing to complete the mission, they returned to the academy looking dispirited. But they didn''t expect to get summoned by the Head that quickly. Ron, Vik and Will and other Giant Tower Members are worried. The red elder in particular has no smile on his face. He is going to face more wrath than the students. Previously, the Head gave him a separate instruction to kill Zack. But he hadn''t expected the appearance of the old hag Rebecca. She clearly didn''t give any chance to intervene. The whole duel was watched by the Head and other elders. So he hoped that he would get away with harsh talks. The Giant Tower Head raised his head and gazed at everyone from left to right. He released small pressure in displeasure. Pfff! The pressure instantly covered them and caused them to bleed heavily. Ron, Vik, Will and others half kneel on the ground. Everyone''s faces turned ugly. They didn''t dare to voice out their displeasure. They knew if anyone says something he will suffer a huge clash.. Only the Red Elder has managed to withstood the pressure. But still he broke out in cold sweat in the end. "I need answers," The Giant Tower Head said in a cold tone. He didn''t even hide his disappointment in his face. Cold shiver went down everyone''s spine. The red elder''s face turned ugly. He took the initiative to speak. "Head, they already knew about our intentions. Otherwise, the old hag Rebecca wouldn''t have appeared for the final duel," He said. The Giant tower head suddenly turned toward the red elder. And attacked him with pressure. Boom! The red elder got smashed into the nearby wall. The attack was so fast that he couldn''t even defend. Pfff! The red elder coughed up blood. He held his head down. He didn''t dare to speak again. Even though it''s an excuse, it''s still not enough to justify their failure. The Giant Tower Head said,"You guys had two days. But you insisted on finishing that kid in the official duel. In the end, you guys even failed to do that." When he said those words everyone''s face turned red with humiliation. In particular, Ron who was quite confident to deal with Zack Lockwood was defeated in the end. Seeing no one dare to meet his gaze, he said,"Now the Saw Scale Viper Academy knows our intention. It''s impossible for that kid to leave any time sooner." "Next time, it''s even more difficult for that kid,'''' he muttered to himself. Then he instructed everyone to leave. When everyone disappeared from his sight. His eyes flickered with murderous glint. Now that the Saw Scale Viper Academy knows about their intention. It''s inevitable that there will be more clashes in future. He thinks that it''s difficult to act alone. In order to remove the threat, he has to join forces with others. In these past few days, he is also aware of other academy''s attitudes. No one wants to fully offend the Saw Scale Viper Academy for a trifling Special Element Warrior. If somehow that lightning brat manages to get inside the Inner Post, then it will leave a huge threat to their Giant Tower. Now it''s impossible to back track, he decided to collude with another academy. Right now, the White Palace is very weak. They will not cooperate. Similarly, the Red Moon Tower won''t offend the Army Federation behind the Saw Scale Viper Academy. And the Silver Clouds Academy has a tiff with the Eclipse Academy. So they won''t be involved. Which leaves them and the Eclipse Academy. The Giant Tower Head doesn''t know whether the Eclipse Academy is ready to tear off face with the Saw Scale Viper Academy. Their Giant Tower has hostile relations with the Army Federation. But that''s not the case with the Eclipse Academy. Many of the graduates from the Eclipse Academy have chosen to join the federation every year. So he is in a dilemma right now. Finally after some contemplation he decided to wait. He wants to see the attitude of the Eclipse Academy. He knows that they have arranged several assassins secretly. He is going to wait to see their results. Inside the Saw Scale Viper Academy, Dean Rebecca conducts a meeting again. Apart from Special Faction Head, others were present here. Rebecca seated in her main seat. While Vice-dean Franklin seated on the left side of her. Franklin already guessed the objective of the meeting. The Giant Tower didn''t put the academy in their eyes and they went on to challenge Zack Lockwood. They had issued the official post without consulting the dean. Which was tantamount of insulting them. He was glad that their academy won in the end. And Zack had managed to secure a win. Otherwise, their academy would have become a laughing stock in front of other academics. Dean Rebecca raised her head and looked toward everyone. "You guys should have guessed something," She said. Then without waiting for anyone to speak. She added further,"Remember the first meeting. Where I said that Zack Lockwood''s life is under threat." "As I had expected the other academies started to make moves already. The Giant Tower people were bold enough to use the exchange meeting to kill Zack. Which shows their determination." Vice-dean Franklin replied,"Dean, you can''t simply lock up the kid in the academy. It will be detrimental for his future growth." When he said those words. Others also echoed the same opinion. Franklin was satisfied by the support. He didn''t have any grudge against the kid. But he simply doesn''t want to see the academy raise a greenhouse. Dean Rebecca said,"I know. I just want to tighten up the security further. You guys are already aware of spies in our academy." "The A-Grade Institute is completely safe without spies. Because it''s our constant watch. But it can''t be said for other grade institutions." "So arrange someone to weed out the spies. I don''t want to see anyone leak the whereabouts of Zack," She added further. No one objected after hearing the instructions. Dean Rebecca nodded her head. Then she said,"One more thing I would like to discuss is the annual meet between the 6 academies." When she said those words everyone''s expression turned solemn. The reason is because the annual meet is an important event. Which decides the allocation of the resources. The allocation of resources is decided based upon the result of combat competition. During each annual meet, the 6 academies sent their warriors to fight in the competition. In the end, the resources were allocated based on the top 6 rankings. But unlike the last time, this year is going to be difficult. Major resources in the academy were dried up. Which caused their fortune to plummet. This situation was faced by other 5 academies as well. Vice-dean Franklin''s face darkened. He said,"Dean, I don''t think this time will be any different. The other academy will not agree to our request." Dean Rebecca''s eyes gleamed with twinkle. She didn''t want the allocation to happen this year. Not all the academy got equal strength. If the allocation happens this year, then the top 2 academies will get huge benefits. The weak academies only get weakened further. Which will lead to a huge imbalance. Right now the 6 academies were balancing each other. Even the small imbalance will lead to some conflicts. She doesn''t want to see such a scene happen. After some contemplation, she said,"Alright, let''s see what is going to happen in the end. But I doubt other academies will be kind enough to share the burden. I don''t want to see 6 academies become one less." Franklin face was gloomy. He understands the meaning behind the dean''s words. She is thinking about the big picture. Even if she is right, it''s difficult to convince other academies. Unless they win the competition to become No.1 Then they talked about a few other topics before the meeting came to an end. When everyone left dean Rebecca still seated. Though Franklin was being practical. But she doesn''t want to give up like that. If their academy achieves the 1st position then the balance can be maintained. Within the next year, the weak academy would become slightly stronger. Chapter 474 Going To The Monster Zone Again From MC''s perspective: Inside the dorm room, 5 A.M After hearing the alarm sound, I got up from the bed. Today, I''m planning to enter the monster zone again. Hereafter, I will face numerous challenges like back in my hometown. So it''s necessary to upgrade the essence to Mid- Elite. After finishing the morning routine, I enter the training room to practice. I sat cross-legged. After closing my eyes, I began to practice the lightning celestial scripture. I began to absorb the lightning essence from the surroundings. The lightning energies were not abundant in the surroundings. But it''s much stronger than the Tier-7 and Tier-8 cities environment. Slowly, I guided the energy according to the scripture. After some circulation, the energy settled inside my dantian. Seeing that I repeat the process again. Time went on, After two hours, I opened my eyes. Feeling the half filled essence in my dantian. I sighed in relief. Yesterday, I didn''t consume that much lightning essence to defeat the Giant Tower Warrior. Thanks to the lightning finger technique. It''s efficient and powerful as well. Then I decided to cultivate two other cultivation methods. The Blood Element Method and Healing Technique as well. Time passed in a blink of an eye, 8:30 A.M I opened my eyes after completing the practice. Then I left the training room to take a bath. After several minutes, I changed to fresh clothes. Then I walked out of my room. On the way, I came across a few more people. Strangely, few of them greeted me with a smile. Soon I realized it''s the aftermath of yesterday''s duel. Now everyone is familiar with my name. It can''t be avoided in the future. After entering the building, I reached the dining hall quickly. My appearance immediately attracted attention. Before no one paid attention to me. So I had my breakfast peacefully. Now everything is messed up. I massaged my temple while walking. After receiving the food from the counter. I found an isolated spot to sit down. Strangely, no one came to disturb me. But I feel multiple gazes on me. Many looked at me with curiosity while others looked at me with envy. Surprisingly, there were no malice filled eyes. Then ignoring their gazes, I began to eat. Time passed, After having breakfast, I immediately went to the Teleportation tower. I didn''t go to the Special Faction. I can meet with them later. After entering inside the tower, I quickly viewed the server. There are many monster zones. So I selected monster zone with lot more difficulty. I selected the monster zone where Class-6 Monster is overlord. After selecting the server, I stepped inside the platform. The next moment, the blue lights lit up around the platform. When the activation was finished, I disappeared from the spot. The next moment, I appeared in the bush plains. I raised my head to see the end. But apart from vast bush plains I see no other changes. There aren''t many trees around this area. Any Class-5 and above monsters can spot me easily. Now I understand what''s more difficult about this monster zone. There is no place to hide at all. But the next moment, a trace of heat appears in my heart. I decided to accept the challenge to get more experience. Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca receives the news about Zack. Reading the report, a small smile appeared on her face. "This kid finally started to move," She said to herself. She wasn''t surprised. She knows many warriors want to challenge this kid. It''s better for him not to stick in one place. Also she rejected the idea of sending guards. Right now there is no threat for Zack inside the academy. When Zack decides to go outside for the mission she will arrange for a protection guard then. Special Faction Room, Michael and others expected to see Zack at this time. But as the time went on there was no sign of Zack. Michael asked,"What happened to him?" Ernest replied,"Let''s send him a message. Next time, maybe he will join our team." Laverne nodded her head and texted Zack. On one hand, Zack went to monster zone practice. At the same time, there were many warriors interested in challenging him. Most of them were Mid and Peak Elite Warriors. The Initial Elite Warriors are not ignorant. They knew they can''t fight across two realms. The information about Zack is known to everyone by this time. Zack is Initial Elite Warrior but he had defeated the Peak Elite Warrior easily. This has sent shockwaves across the academy. On the other hand, some of the warriors are waiting for the top warriors in each faction to appear. Once they appear, they will definitely challenge Zack. Many of them expect top warriors from the Flame Faction to return. Because the Flame Faction has more warriors. Meanwhile, Inside the monster zone, I cautiously move forward. I don''t know when the monster will pop up. I spread my consciousness around me. When I was walking forward. I spotted a monster in my mind. Seeing that I stood in the same spot like concrete. Suddenly, I spotted a few more monsters in my perception. The monster is a wolf pack. Seeing that a wry smile appeared on my face. It takes me back to the memory lane. Where I fought with the wolf type monsters. Pushing down these thoughts, I began to observe the monster''s movements. If you make any sudden movements now, it will attract the monster''s attention. ? Suddenly, a heavy wind passes in my direction. Right after the wolf pack starts to come in my direction. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. Everything was fine a moment ago. Then what happened now? I couldn''t tell the strength of the monster from this distance. If it''s a pack of Class-6 Monster then it would be trouble. I have yet to find the nearest teleportation point. I hope it''s a pure coincidence. The pack of wolves has four full grown wolf monsters. I haven''t spotted the leader yet. They appear to be looking for the prey. When the monster got closer, I slowly squatted down. After a few seconds, the trace of monsters disappeared from my perception. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Looks like they moved in different directions.. But still I didn''t move an inch from my spot. I decided to move after a few minutes. Time went on, Seeing that there was no movement in perception, I stood up and moved forward. When I crossed half a mile in search of monsters. A bad premonition appears in my heart. I slowly turned around. Then I spotted a huge wolf head. One of the wolves found me. It''s clearly staring at me. But seeing the wolf''s strength, I sighed in relief. The wolf is a Class-4 Monster. It''s no threat to me. But I don''t want to attack the monster in order not to attract the attention of the wolf pack. So I''m hoping that the monster will move away from here. Howl! Suddenly the wolf howls before rushing towards me. My mouth twitches. I raised my hand and pointed my fingers at the wolf''s leg. I immediately used the lightning finger technique. A thick purple color energy formed at the tip of my finger. The next moment, I shot the energy at the monster. Swish! In a blink of an eye, the energy tore through the air and reached the monster. Boom! The lightning attack lands a blow to the monster''s leg. Using the aftermath, I immediately used a lightning phantom technique to slip away. Swish! Right after my disappearance from the spot. I heard the angry howl of the wolf. Hearing that I increased the speed further. The monster''s wolf will definitely attract the attention of other wolves. I don''t want to get swarmed by the entire wolf pack. I used the blood element to cover my trails. After a few minutes, I came across the Single Boar Monster. This time I took initiative to attack the Class-4 Bush Monster. The fight is going to be challenging. The Boar Monster releases a peak aura. I''m going to use the finger technique to check its defense. The Boar Monster raises it''s tusk before charging towards me. The sharp tusk looks deadly. But I got the fair share of experience fighting the same monsters. When it got closer to me, I disappeared from my spot using the lightning phantom technique. And I appeared on the right side of the monster. I gripped the black sword and made a vertical slash at the monster. I didn''t use the lightning power instead it''s a casual slash. When the black blade comes in contact with the monster''s skin. It slightly penetrated deep inside the monster. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with twinkle. It''s better than last time. My Mid-Elite body strength is powerful. Clearly, the brute force behind the slash made the injury more deeper. Roar! The boar monster let out a scream before turning towards me. Seeing that I raised my sword again to make another slash. But all of a sudden the howling sound reached my ears. Chapter 475 Doing Some Research From MC''s Perspective: "Trouble,"I mumbled under my breath. Then I released the blood field technique to stun the boar monster. This all happened in a blink of an eye. The boar monster stopped its crazy roar for a moment. Using this opportunity, I used the lightning phantom technique to flee. "Crazy," I said in my heart. I thought the episode of the wolf pack was over. But somehow I came across a similar howl again. I knew this was not the time to relax. I need to find the nearest teleportation point. Next time, I should research some monster zones before selecting the place. When I crossed some distance, I finally found the nearest teleportation point. But just before I could reach that place. Four wolves appeared out of nowhere and surrounded me all of a sudden. I gripped the black sword and looked toward the monsters. [Wind wolves - Class-4 Monsters] The wind wolves were triple the size of mine. But fortunately none of them were Class-5 Monsters. Growl! One of the wolves growls before rushing towards me. Seeing that, the other three wolves began to attack. A fierce glint flashes in my eyes. When the wolves got closer, I released the lightning attack technique. "Lightning wheel," I said. The next second a majestic ring appears around me. The purple color lightning power bursting out from the rings. The wolves senses threat from the lightning power. But it''s too late to change their direction. Eventually their bodies collided with the lightning wheel. Boom! A terrible sound resonated in the area. The lightning blow was enough to cause them a terrible injury. Right after the wolves howled in pain. After the dust settled down, I clearly watched their condition. The wolves are not in position to move right away. But I looked around the surroundings. Their continuous howl might attract the attention of the wolf leader. So I turned around and rushed to the teleportation point to exit. The wolves'' eyes turned red in anger. But they can''t move around. After reaching the teleportation point, I activated the signal. I disappeared from the spot and appeared back in the teleportation tower. "Hey, Zack Lockwoosd is here." "isn''t he the lightning warrior?" When I turned around, I saw a group of warriors waiting for the teleportation. Ignoring their gazes, I walked toward the dorm room. My appearance immediately attracted attention. Seeing their faces, I have a vague feeling that something is brewing up. After a few minutes, I returned to my room. The first thing I did was to check my injuries. Seeing that everything is fine. I went to take a bath. Several minutes later, I walked out of the bath and changed to casual clothes. Lying down in the bed, I began to read about the different monster zones. Today, the appearance of the wolf packs totally destroyed my plans. If not I would have spent more hours in the monster zones. When I browsed the details through my student account. I see the name of the listed monster zone in the academy page. Seeing that I clicked the page and began to access the list. The name of monster zones popped up. I sorted the list by least dangerous. Then I see the least difficult one is the Class-4 Monster Zones where Class-5 Monster is over lord. These monster zones are further divided into different environments. For example, bush plains, swamps and tropical areas etc. Seeing that I couldn''t help but recall some old memories. Where I fought with ugly worm monsters and ant colonies. That was a one of a kind experience. I should select the place where there is no herd. For the time being, I decided to delve into the least difficult monster zones. Since there are many environments to choose from, I decided to pick one of these for my next trip. Soon I saw the name of the snow field. It immediately attracted my attention. When I read the description my eyes gleamed with twinkle. This one is a special monster zone where it''s home to the water and ice type monsters. I couldn''t help but think of Laverne Morrow at this moment. For her this place is the exact blessing land. But it''s a pity I have to wait for half a month to enter the lightning blessed land. Thinking about it, anticipation appears in my heart. But in the meantime, I can''t waste these six months. Should I increase my body cultivation? At this moment, I fell into a dilemma. I need to choose the mode of my practice. Without abundant lightning essence, I can''t keep up the speed of essence cultivation. And I have only a 2 year period in this Academy. It''s more or like a buffer period. Only after getting into the Inner Post, I might come across harsh competition. Michael, Ernest and Laverne are Super Elite Warriors. At least I should catch up with them. I made firm determination in my heart. I won''t stop practicing the blood element method. Because, I have a vague feeling that body strength will play a crucial role when it comes to my safety. An idea struck my mind. From the dean, I knew the academy didn''t have a specific place for the lightning warriors. But what about blood element power and healing power? I guess the Academy might have some weird places. When this thought rose in my heart. I had an urge to check out the internet. Then after closing the monster zone list. I type blood in the search bar. When I entered, a various list popped up before me. Soon a specific headline caught my eyes. [Horror of abandoned borders] Seeing the weird title, I became quickly interested. I opened the page to read it. One more thing about the academy and Tier-6 city is that the information is not restricted. Unlike in lower tier cities, it''s impossible to search weird places similar to this abandoned border. The abandoned border page was opened and I began to go through the details. It looks like someone has done detailed research on this place and published his views. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After one hour, I closed the page. But my expression turned gloomy. I have never seen or heard such a worst place in my life so far. The abandoned border is nothing but the actual border which isolates the Outer Post and the Inner Post. Hundreds of years ago, the area of the Outer post was large. At that time there were many Tier-6 cities and more than 20 academies were operating in this region. But as the decades went on. The outer post started to shrink. Because the space barrier started to push the outer post toward the edge. Now the Outer Post is reduced to 6 top tier academies. But what caught my attention was the land of the border area. The land appears to have buried many dead bones. Once upon a time the place had witnessed many battles. So this specific area was filled with malice. So eventually the place was banned by the authorities. Most of them were concerned with the space barrier. No one wants anyone to mess with the space barrier. This specific border area eventually became an abandoned area. But it''s a pity no one is allowed to enter this place. I can understand their worries. I don''t even want to go anywhere near the space barrier. But I want to know a similar place where the battle took place. Then I continued to browse further. Soon I came across similar pages. "Hmmm," A specific page caught my attention. A small ruin is located close to the Academy. That place was explored completely and the resources were exploited by the academy decades ago. But what I''m surprised about is that the small ruin has a lot of malice aura which has not been reduced to this day. This place might be helpful to my blood element cultivation. And it''s also mentioned that this place is private property of the Saw Scaled Viper academy. Seeing that a quick glint flashes in my eyes. I want to check whether this place has any teleportation points. If there is any teleportation point, then my job would be much easier. After closing the page, I immediately accessed the academy servers. Then I quickly spotted the teleportation point of the small ruin. "Phew," I signed in relief. Finally, I spotted a place where I can cultivate peacefully. Suddenly, a trace of doubt appeared in my heart. If I go there to practice, it''s possible for the academy to know my location. I don''t want to expose the blood element method. What to do? Maybe I should make a special request to the dean. She can help me with the difficulties. After closing the page, I decided to contact the dean right away. When the connection was established. The holographic image of the dean appeared. Rebecca asked,"Zack, do you need something?" Her eyes filled with surprise. This is the first time Zack took initiative to contact her. She wants to know why? At the same time, I didn''t plan on hiding it. Right away, I spoke about the small ruin. Chapter 476 Going To The Small Ruins From Mc''s Perspective: Dorm Room, I spoke to Dean Rebecca about the small ruins. But she is maintaining silence. Seeing that a trace of worry appeared in my heart. I know that she must be wondering why I am asking about the place filled with malice aura. "Zack, why do you want to go there?" Rebecca asked, she couldn''t contain her curiosity. Though that place is empty without any treasures. But the amount of malice in that place can still affect the minds of the warriors. On one hand, she is upgrading the security of the whole academy. But on the other hand, Zack wants to visit the dangerous place. At the same time, I replied, "Dean, I want to practice there. Because the monster in the monster zones is filled with a savage aura. It''s hard to fight them unless I got familiar myself with a similar aura." "It also helps to train my mind," I added further. Dean Rebecca remained silent. She fell into deep contemplation. She is also aware that Zack got trouble adapting to the environment of the new monster zones. Especially after his last trip with classmates, he didn''t go back with them. "Alright, I''ll call you back in an hour," After saying that she ended the call. Seeing the blank screen, I sighed in relief. It''s not easy to convince her. Thankfully, the monster''s savage aura is no different than the malice aura. Both are dangerous and evil can corrupt a warrior''s mind. I''m looking forward to seeing how the blood element is going to work. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca is looking up the information on small ruins. That place got a teleportation point but no one is stationed there. After typing the name, several pieces of information popped up on her screen. She began to go through the recent reports. After seeing that there was no serious threat in that place. She made up her mind to accept Zack''s request. Back in the dorm, I received confirmation from the dean. She also gave me exclusive permission. After thanking her, I resumed my practice. The following day, I woke up earlier. After finishing my morning routine, I went to the training room. I sat cross-legged and started to run the lightning celestial scripture. When I began to run the lightning scripture, the rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I began to absorb the energies from my surroundings. When the energies entered my body, I guided the energy according to the scripture. After circulation, the energy settled down in my dantian. Then I continued to repeat the process. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After a few hours, I stopped cultivating the lightning essence. When I look inside my dantian, I found that dantian is almost filled with lightning essence. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. When it comes to body cultivation. I decided to do it inside the small ruin. Then I went to take bath before planning to go to the dining hall. Several minutes later, When I walk into the dining Hall. A small commotion breaks out among the warriors upon seeing me. Yesterday, the rumors about the top warriors'' list were making the rounds online. Quickly, people come up with the names of the top warriors from each faction and then they started to make comparisons. And now looking at the expression of these people. I guess it might be something to do with that. Ignoring their gazes, I went to the counter to receive the food. 20 minutes later, I walk out of the dining hall and head to the teleportation tower. I didn''t consume too much food except a few steaks and an energy drink. On the way, I checked the social media site in curiosity. Then the image of mine getting good from the counter caught my attention. "So fast," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Under the post, I see a lot of comments. [Yo, is he the lightning one?] [He looks so young. But he can defeat Peak Elite Warrior. What a monster?] >>Monster? My brother is currently in retreat. If not for that he would have defeated the Giant Tower Warriors. [tck! My flame faction is going through a similar situation.] [So do my gale faction!] [I can''t wait to watch the fight between lightning warriors and other elemental warriors.] [tck, it''s pity that Zack is Elite Warrior. So no Super Elite Warrior can challenge him.] >>Yeah, he got lucky. [Let''s hope our warriors end the retreat soon.] My mouth twitched after reading all those comments. Looks like no one had seen through the details. They are thinking my lightning element made me win. Shaking my head, I closed the page. By that time, I already reached the teleportation tower. No one is near the teleportation tower this morning time. When I walked into the tower, the blue light under the platform lit up with light. It means someone had activated the teleportation portal to come back. Swish! Right after that three figures appeared. Seeing that, my eyes flickered with surprise. But the next second, a wry smile appeared on my face. Three of them were none other than Michael, Ernest, and Laverne. "Zack?" "What are you doing here?" Ernest blurted out in surprise. Michael and Laverne looked at each other. Surprise can be seen on their faces. I smiled in response to them and then answered, "I''m going to the least-risk monster zone." "Monster Zone? So you are finally coming out. That''s good," Laverne said with a smile. Michael also nodded his head in appreciation. "When you reach Super Elite Warrior. You can join us for the hunting," Michael added further. Hearing that I replied,"Okay." Then I activated the teleportation point to enter the small ruin. Meanwhile, Ernest gave a doubtful look. He asked, "Michael, what''s wrong with you? Zack can easily defeat Peak Elite Warrior. Which means no Class-4 Monster pose threat to him." Laverne is also confused. She doesn''t know why Michael said something like that. Michael sighed inwardly. He is still not convinced about Zack''s strength. He still thinks Zack won the duel because of Giant Tower Warrior''s mistake. "Zack needs some alone time and practice. If we go with him, it will only attract attention," Michael said. Ernest nodded his head in understanding. Everyone has seen recent trending topics in the academy. Then the trio left the teleport Son tower. Meanwhile, I appeared on the outskirts of the small ruin. The very first impression of this place is gloomy and dark. The sky was covered with dark clouds, only allowing a small amount of light to reach the surface. Which is more than enough to walk around this place. After stepping out of the teleportation point, I looked around. The place is full of dark terrain with no grass on the ground. Turning around, I observed the teleportation point. Thankfully, the teleportation point appeared to be brand new. After checking, I turned around and stretched my arms. Finally, I got this place reserved for me. No one will come to this place to disturb me. I opened the map and started to access this place. These small ruins are similar to the size of the island. But instead of water, the border was covered with a space barrier. In order to experience the malice aura, I decided to go deep into the ruins. After closing the map, I started walking. On the way, I spread my consciousness to look for threats. When I got close to the middle area, I feel hotter. The vibe around this area is heavy which gives me a dark feeling. Suddenly, I saw something through my perception. "Bones," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. That place is perfect to test the blood cultivation method. The spot is located right in the middle. After covering a few distances, I reached the dead spot. On the ground, I see many broken bones. It''s hard to discern whether the bones were rotated to humans or animals. Before coming here, I did some research. The bones belonged to the dead warriors. And the malic aura comes from the resentment of the fallen warriors. I spread my consciousness further to check. Everywhere I see it''s just a pile of bones. As time went on, I feel a heavy burden on my head. It''s like something huge placed on my head. But I knew the aura around here is affecting my mood. The malice aura coming from the dead is said to be very dangerous. Even I''m having second thoughts about using the blood element here. I don''t know where this idea comes from. But I strongly feel that the blood element has something to do with the wars, body strength, and bloody battles. After calming down my heart, I decided to cultivate here. Out of curiosity, I started to run the blood element method. Rumble! Right after, changes take place. The malicious aura around me rushed toward me. Seeing that I immediately stopped running the blood element method in fear. Chapter 477 Part 1: Gravity Chamber From MC''s perspective: "What the fu#k?" I uttered in surprise. As I had guessed before, the malicious aura is useful. The blood element method is absorbing the malicious aura around me. Then after taking a deep breath. I sat cross-legged on the ground and started to run the blood element method. When I ran the blood element method. The bloody rune in my consciousness started to flicker. The next moment, a heavy malicious aura rushed towards me. I calmed down my mind and began to absorb the aura slowly. I want to see what changes are going to take place inside my body. But right after, the blood element inside my body got triggered. The hazy red light came out from the bloodstream and started to swallow the malicious energies. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. But the next process is going to be painful. When I''m looking forward to energy conversion. I see a sudden change in the process. The red blood light didn''t convert the aura into white energy. Instead, it completely swallowed up the malicious aura. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. What is going to happen next? I continued to observe the changes. As time went on, I spotted the minute changes. The blood red light starts to increase in size and become a lot thicker. Seeing that look of understanding dawned upon me. The blood light feeds on the malicious aura and then grows slowly. A higher concentration of red light will help to convert the energy more. To verify it, I stopped absorbing the malicious aura. I opened my eyes and took out two Class-4 Monster Cores from the storage ring. I held it in my both palms and started to run the blood element method. Rumble! I slowly began to absorb the energy from the monster''s core. But at the same time, a small amount of malicious aura seeped into my body. Two processes are currently happening at the same time. Seeing that I carefully continued the process. When the monster core''s energy entered my body. They got quickly swallowed up by the blood-red light. Then the blood-red light converts the energies into white energies. Seeing that I braced up for the upcoming pain. When the white energies drilled into my bones. The next second, I felt the heart-wrenching pain. Even after reaching the Mid-Elite in body strength. The pain doesn''t seem to reduce at all. I gritted my teeth and continued to repeat the process. Slowly the red-marked area in my bones starts to spread further. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours, the monster core in my palms crumbles into pieces. At the same time, the red light also increased in quantity due to the presence of a malicious aura. "Phew," I sighed in relief. As I guessed before, cultivating here is more useful. The blood red light increases the monster core absorption rate. If I continue to practice here then it will be a matter of time before I reach the Peak Elite in body strength. Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca is already aware of Zack''s whereabouts. That''s why she is not worried about him. So her current focus is entirely on the annual meet. The lack of resources in the academy is currently eating her up. With the current resources, the academy may sustain itself for at least five years. But beyond that, there is no hope. After contemplation, she let out a deep sigh. Now she can only rest her hopes on the young warriors. If they perform well in the annual meet, they can avoid hitting the bottom. Beep! When she was lost in her thoughts. She receives a request from Vice-dean to enter. Seeing that she collected her thoughts and gave permission. Creak! After opening the door, Franklin walks inside. After greeting dean Rebecca, he immediately commented on recent happenings. "Dean, why don''t we conduct an internal competition?" Franklin asked. "Internal competition?" Rebecca raised her eyebrows. She shook his head and replied, "It''s too early to decide on that. Most of the top warriors are in retreat. So we can talk about this next month." Franklin is disappointed but he understands the meaning behind her words. Any competition without the top warrior is a waste of time. Meanwhile, I ended my cultivation inside the small ruin. And it''s time to go back. I got up from the ground and surveyed the surroundings. After making sure everything was fine, I walked back to the teleportation point. A few minutes later, I appeared back in the teleportation tower. Then without wasting any time, I returned to my dorm. I already decided what to do next. There are many facilities in the academy. Which I have yet to access. For example, there is an Advanced Gravity Chamber built inside the campus. It''s many times more powerful than the one in Hansen Campus. Several minutes later, I changed into new clothes after taking a bath. Then I opened the map to view the location. The gravity chamber facility is located in the 2nd castle building. After walking out of the dorm, I head straight toward the 2nd castle building. On the way, my appearance attracted a lot of attention. Seeing the flame faction members, my mouth twitched. I already become a well-known person among the flame faction members. So after seeing me, people started to talk in a hushed voice. Then ignoring their gazes, I walked inside the 2nd building. The Gravity Chamber is located in an underground facility. I walk toward the facility. Unlike the 1st castle building, there are a lot of people here. My appearance immediately attracted attention. People want to see what I''m going to do. Shaking my head, I used the lift to reach the destination. After a few seconds, I reached the underground. The underground is nothing different from any other floor. In front of me, there are many Gravity Chambers. Some of them were active. Then I immediately walk toward the nearest one. The interface is more advanced. But the identification process remains the same. After entering the name and other information, the room opened suddenly. Rumble! The gravity chamber opened slowly. Seeing that I entered inside. The door behind me closed automatically. Then I looked around and saw the room was more spacious than I had imagined. I quickly found the interface again. I can manually set the gravity setting. So without wasting any more time, I set the settings to normal mode. I don''t know the exact pressure of the normal mode here. So I decided to start from the normal mode. Right after the election, the gravity chamber turned on. I stood in the middle of the room to withstand the pressure. After a couple of seconds, I slowly felt the heat of the pressure. In normal mode, the gravity seems to weigh more than 10,000 kgs. Only the Elite Warrior and above can withstand such pressure. Since I''m Mid-Elite in body strength. I find it easy to withstand the gravity pressure as time goes on. But unfortunately with this normal mode. I wasn''t able to notice the changes in my body. Suddenly, an idea strikes my mind. For a long time, I''ve been curious about the red-marked area of my bones. I believe it''s some kind of power. But I don''t know how to use it directly. Besides, I want to check whether the red-marked area of my bone has improved further or not. So I went to change the settings again. This time, I set the gravity to 2X mode. Right after the pressure was doubled. I instantly felt the gravity pressure over 20,000 kgs. The high pressure instantly made the muscle fibers stretch further. This caused agonizing pain. But I gritted my teeth and continued to endure it. The bones appeared to be a lot sturdier than I thought. Time passes in a blink of an eye, Outside, a lot of warriors gathered outside the gravity chamber. They knew inside one of the chambers Zack Lockwood is training. But unfortunately, they don''t know which gravity room it is. So everyone is keeping an eye on the locked gravity room. As time passed, people started to exit and get inside the gravity chamber. But none of them were Zack Lockwood. But people waiting outside were finally able to screen out the rooms. In the end, only one room remained closed. "I''m sure he is using this room," One of the flame faction members said in a cold tone. "Don''t know how strong he is?" Another warrior commented. "I think he must be practicing under 5X mode," Gale Faction Warrior said. "Tck! 5X mode, only Super Elite Warrior is capable of handling that pressure." Another warrior refuted immediately. Likewise, people started to gossip. As the crowd started to gather, it immediately blocked the entrance. Such a scene quickly caught the attention of online users. A few Flame Faction Warriors started to post about the situation. Already there are a lot of people who wanted to know about Zack Lockwood. So this news quickly caught the attention of interested people. Chapter 478 Part 2: Gravity Chamber From MC''s perspective: I somehow managed to withstand the settings of 2X Gravity Pressure. Right now, I want to increase it further. I''m sure it will lead to muscle tearing. But I''m betting my hope on the healing element of mine. I want to test the efficiency of the healing element as well. I slowly stood up and walked toward the interface. I took a deep breath before changing the settings to 3X. Then I walked back to my previous position and was ready to brace the new pressure. I felt the heavy gravity pressure of over 30,000 kgs. "Aaaaghh," I let out a small scream, feeling the muscle tear. My skin turned blood red. Fresh blood can be seen oozing from the skin. But surprisingly I didn''t feel that much pain from my bones. Only my inner organs and muscles were suffering under the huge gravity pressure. I gritted my teeth and continued to endure the pain. The injury is slightly getting deeper as time went on. So I started to run the wood scripture. At first, I didn''t feel anything, but as time went on deep green color dots appeared on the injured spots. Seeing that my plan is working, I continued to repeat the process. But the gathering of healing essence was slow compared to constant gravity pressure. Then I made a quick decision. I slowly managed to get up and walk toward the interface. I tapped the screen and turned off the gravity. Rumble! Right after, the gravity function stopped and pressure returned to normal. But I was covered with blood all over my body. If I go outside in this state, it would be nothing less than horror. So I returned to my previous position and sat cross-legged. The small deep green essence was slowly healing my injuries. But the speed was slow. Seeing that I turned my attention to the dantian. Under the thick purple essence. I see a small quantity of green essence. I quickly used the green essence to make the recovery faster. Meanwhile, The crowd gathered outside of the gravity chamber. At this point, everyone is aware that Zack Lockwood is using this specific gravity chamber. The situation also became a hot topic on the academy''s social media site. Seeing some of the warriors quickly went to the 2nd building. While everyone is waiting to see Zack Lockwood. Shortly after, shocking news came. Tyler Lane ended his retreat. Now he is interacting with the flame faction members. Tyler Lane is Peak Elite Fire Elemental Warrior. Amongst the top flame faction members. He was ranked in the 5th position. When the news is posted online. It quickly became a hot topic. And some even hoped to see a clash between Zack and Tyler. Because Tyler also holds the record of fighting across ranks. So the clash between the two would attract a lot of attention. The Flame Faction Area, Tyler Lane is chatting with his friends. He appears to be twenty years old. He has black hair and eyes. He is 6ft tall in height. His skin color is fair. He was dressed in an academy uniform. His friends were updating him with recent happenings. When Tyler learns that he was the first one to end his retreat. His face turned ugly. Like everyone else, he is competitive with his peers. He doesn''t want to lag behind them. At this moment, one of his friends spoke about the student exchange meeting. "Student Exchange Meet?" Tyler raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was no stranger to the student exchange meet. But it was supposed to happen later. What happened this year? He further inquired about his friend. "Our academy has recruited a lightning element warrior this year. He was the one who defeated the Giant Tower Warriors," One of his friends made a point. "Lightning element?" Tyler stood up in surprise. He thought he heard it wrong. He looked towards his friends and asked, "Come again?" "Is it a lightning element user?" He added further. His friends revealed amusing smiles on their faces before they confirmed the news again. Tyler became excited and said, "So it''s real. A real lightning element user. I don''t know how strong is he?" His eyes flickered with fierce glint. A strong fighting intent rose in his heart. At first, he was disappointed because he ended his retreat quickly. But now he was glad that he came to know about the new warrior. "It''s a nice opportunity to raise my reputation," He grinned evilly. His friends beside him understood his character. They also want him to spar against Zack Lockwood. Their flame faction failed to shine at the student exchange meet before. Now because of Tyler. They got wonderful opportunities. After a few seconds, Tyler asked, "Where is he right now?" He is looking forward to fighting Zack before anyone else. "He is training at Gravity Chamber Facility," His friend said while checking the social media post. Tyler grinned and said, "Let''s go meet him." After saying that he left the area together with his friends. Meanwhile, I opened my eyes one hour later. The bleeding injuries were healed completely. The inner organs seem to recover as well. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. As I guessed before, the healing element comes in handy right at this moment. With this, I can practice for long hours inside the gravity chamber. But I''m going to stop the experimentation for today. A few minutes later, I got up from the ground. Looking at the sweat mixed blood all over my body. My expression turned ugly. "I need to take a shower," I said to myself. Then I logged out and walked out of the gravity room. But the next moment, my expression changes drastically upon seeing the group of crowds blocking my moment. "What the fu*k?" I cursed out in my heart. At first, I was confused, but then I quickly realized. These people are waiting here to see me. Ignoring their gazes, I immediately slipped away from the crowd and rushed toward my dorm. "Hey, what happened to him?" "Zack seems to be injured right now" "tck, he must have used higher settings" The warriors started to gossip all of a sudden. Some even managed to take some pictures and upload them online. Right after Zack''s disappearance. Tyler appeared there together with his friends. After knowing that Zack was injured. Tyler''s expression becomes strange. "Looks like he overestimated himself," Tyler said with a chuckle. He understands that Zack might be younger than him. So it''s natural for him to make some mistakes. Then while leaving he asked his friend to upload a duel challenge between him and Zack Lockwood. Hearing that one of his friends refuted it by saying, "It''s not easy. You need to ask for permission from our Head." Hearing that Tyler was stunned. He asked, "Why?" "Don''t know but the Head warned us not to give him unnecessary trouble," His friend said with a sigh. Tyler frowned but he knows the nature of their Head. So he decided to do it anyway. "Don''t worry, I''ll tell him later. In the meantime you guys have to promote the challenge," He said with a smile on his face. Head Franklin never stopped anyone from challenging other warriors. Meanwhile, Several minutes later, I returned to my room. "What''s wrong with these people?" he muttered to himself. Then he quickly went to take a shower. On the other hand, Tyler''s challenge post began to trend. This new challenge post came out of the blue. Which caught the people by surprise. Tyler Lane is not an ordinary warrior. He is ranked 5th in the flame faction. So his challenge post quickly caught the attention of the grade institution as well. Apart from A-grade institutions, many warriors are studying in B, C, and D-grade institutions. The number of warriors there is slightly larger than in the A- Grade Institution. So any news from the A-grade institution was quickly shared by the warriors. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Vice-dean Franklin learned about this challenge post as well. He doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Because he predicted something like this would happen. Many talented warriors are in retreat. So who doesn''t want to fight the rare special element warrior? Franklin starts to feel a headache. Tyler is just one of the many top warriors. "If everyone wants to fight Zack, then the dean would attack me," He said in his heart. But at the same time as a Flame Faction Head. He doesn''t want to stop the fighting spirit of fire elemental warriors. Finally, Franklin decided to let it go. He will take care of things after this duel. Meanwhile, After walking out of the bath, I laid down on the bed directly. I didn''t know what was happening outside. But the amazing comforts washed over me. I shut my eyes without realizing it. Sometime later, the special element faction members came to know about Tyler Lane. They quickly contacted Zack but unfortunately, Zack was asleep. The notification sounds didn''t wake him up. Chapter 479 Accepting The Challenge Dean Rebecca quickly learned about the Gravity Facility incident. She wasn''t surprised by Tyler Lane''s challenge. The chain reactions were bound to happen. Since Zack had defeated the Giant Tower Warriors. Tyler was the first one to end his retreat. Soon others will follow the same trend. But that doesn''t mean she would force Zack to accept the challenge. It''s up to him whether he wants to accept the challenge or not. ... From MC''s perspective: The following day, I did my morning routine as usual. But for cultivation, I planned to go to the small ruin. That place is more suitable for body cultivation than here. So I begin to get ready. I wore a fresh uniform after taking a bath. Then checking myself in the mirror. I feel it''s good to go. After closing the room, I left the dorm building. When I entered the dining hall. I overheard some conversation about me. This has become a daily habit of mine. People would discuss recent events while having their food. But this time I knitted my eyebrows. I couldn''t help but think about yesterday''s awkward moments. A group of people blocked my path on the last day. Then shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. I then walked up to the food counter to receive the food plate. After getting the food, I found a good spot to sit down. "Tyler Lane," My eyes lit up with surprise. Listening to people''s conversations, this specific name was repeated multiple times. I decided to check it after having the food. Meanwhile, the female staff behind the food counter recognized Zack''s face. Because Zack used to come at this time. The female staff looked down at Zack''s face. She hesitated to talk. She and Zack had no previous conversation. But this time she feels she has an opportunity to strike up a conversation with him. When she wants to go there. She spotted the flame faction members walking by. On one hand, the flame faction members easily found Zack. Everyone knows about Zack''s morning routine. Because someone had posted a few pics of Zack eating food. So it''s normal for everyone to know his whereabouts. On the other hand, I saw a few people coming in my direction. Feeling the fire aura from their body, my mouth twitched. Ignoring their gazes, I ate the vegetable salad. Soon four people walked up to my table and looked down at me. "Sigh," I let out a sigh before putting the spoon on the plate. I asked, "What do you guys want?" A young man with a short nose and brown hair stood cross-armed and answered, "Are you going to accept the challenge or not?" His voice was not loud but it reached everyone''s ears. The female staff behind the food counter looked worried. At the same time, the warriors who were having their food also got up from their seats. The appearance of flame faction members didn''t surprise them. "Challenge?" I furrowed my eyebrows. What again? The young man with a short nose was startled. He saw Zack''s blank face and looked toward his members with confusion. Then he said, "Tyler Lane wants to challenge you. So we came to confirm the date." "Tyler Lane again?" My mouth twitched. No wonder people discussed it enthusiastically. From their tone, it seems that Tyler Lane is from the flame faction. Then ignoring their gazes, I decided to access the information online. After a few seconds, I see many trending topics in the name of Tyler Lane. I clicked the first one. A bloodied image of me walking out of the gravity room was captured. Seeing that a gloomy look appeared on my face. Then there was the image of the average person. But when I read the name a look of understanding dawned upon me. I didn''t see him yesterday. Maybe the picture was captured after I left. Then I began to go through the post. After a few minutes, I figured out the ins and out of this matter. Tyler Lane who is currently ranked in 5th position wants to challenge me. He is a Peak Elite Warrior- Fire Elemental Warrior. I knew defeating Giant Tower Warrior would attract a lot of eyebrows. And this person happens to be the 1st one. What to do? Should I challenge him or not? If I do that then there would be no return. Thereafter I have to face endless challenges. It feels like deja vu. I remember fighting against the top warriors of Hansen Institute back home. That time it was about selecting the seed candidate. But here the numbers of warriors were high. They won''t let me cultivate in peace. When my thoughts returned to reality. I see multiple gazes on me. At this moment, I made a firm decision. The challenge is good. If I use the opportunity well, then I can gain good experience. It would be even better than Star Tower Trials. I raised my head and looked toward everyone. "I will face him one week later," I replied. Gasp! The surrounding people let out a small gasp. The flame faction members were disappointed by the date. But it''s better than nothing. At least Zack has accepted the duel. Then without making any noise, they retreated. Others also sat down and continued to eat. Seeing that, I sneered inside. At least these people won''t bother me for one week. In the meantime, I should increase the finger technique to stage 2. In stage 2, the lightning attack would be more powerful compared to stage 1. Then I resumed eating. After having food, I put the plate on the clean and walked back to the teleportation point. The Gravity chamber training turned out to be useful. Combined with the cultivation of body strength inside the small ruin will further speed up the progress. If this goes on, I will reach the Peak Elite in body strength sooner. On the way, while walking. I thought about other special element warriors. Apart from Michael, Ernest, and Laverne. I have yet to meet other people. I think they are in a retreat like Tyler Lane. The Flame Faction members were fortunate they could do the cultivation in the blessed land. And here I''m longing for lightning-blessed land. Shirley after, I reached the teleportation tower. After walking inside, I reached the platform and stepped forward, and stood in the middle. Then I selected the server of the small ruins. After selection, the platform lit up with blue lights. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and appeared inside the small ruin. Feeling the familiar vibes around me. I quickly adjusted my mood. "Phew," I took a deep breath before starting walking toward the middle area. Soon, I quickly arrived at the pile of bones. I found an empty spot to sit cross-legged. Then I took out class-3 monster cores and held them in both of my palms. Then I started to run the blood element method. Right after the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Swish! As usual, the malicious aura rushed toward me. I slowly began to absorb the malicious aura and monster core energies as well. When the energy entered my body. I quickly guided the energies according to the blood element method. Right after, a red light appears above my blood. The red light then quickly absorbed the monster''s core energies and converted them into white energies. The converted white energies drilled into my bones. This time I managed to endure the pain quickly. At the same time, the malicious aura was swallowed up by the blood light. The two processes continued to happen at the same time. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours of practice, I opened my eyes. Then I quickly checked my skeleton. The red-marked area of my bones was further spread. It almost covered up the entire leg. Seeing the progression a look of bewilderment appeared on my face. Then shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. After checking everything was fine. I got up from the ground and decided to leave. At first, I thought about trying to cultivate healing techniques. But the malicious aura here was too strong. This is not an ideal place to cultivate the healing technique. Then using the teleportation point, I returned to the tower. Swish! After appearing on the platform. I didn''t leave. Rather, I selected a new monster zone to enter. After selecting the several, I waited for the teleportation point to activate. Shortly after, the platform lit up with blue lights and I disappeared from the spot. Swish! This time the monster zone is a new one. I appeared in the swamp area. Feeling the humid and wet atmosphere, I spread my consciousness around me. Seeing that no monster was around me. I took some time to adjust. "Where do I start?" I mumbled under my breath. Then I opened the map and started to go through it. The monster zone is smaller in size. And the core area appears to be a huge lake. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. After glancing around, I moved toward the core area. Chapter 480 The Challenge Day From MC''s perspective: Rumble! When I crossed half a distance. I suddenly saw a massive scorpion moving ahead. The color was completely pitch black. If not for my perception, I would have missed it. The monster noticed me. Seeing that I didn''t stop my movement and moved closer to it. [Class 4 Monster- Black Scorpion] After confirming the level of the monster. I gripped my black sword and made a casual swing against it. The scorpion monster moved its two massive grasping pincers. Clang! The sword blade made contact with the skin. Right after a metallic sound resonated. Looking down at its tough skin, a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. After realizing it''s difficult to injure with sword moves. I retreated backward and was ready to attack again with the lightning attack. I begin to charge the black sword with the purple lightning essence. At the same time, the giant scorpion raised its stinger to attack me. The stinger looks deadly with sharp points. Swish! I sidestepped enough to evade the attack. When the stinger hits the empty ground. I raised my sword against the monster. "Sword Divide," I said. Rumble! A purple color beam shot at the monster. In a blink of an eye, the lightning strike lands a blow to the monster''s body. Bang! When the aftermath settles down. I see a massive crack on the tough skin. Seeing that, my eyes flickered with a slight glint. Then I repeated the process. After releasing a few more lightning strikes, the scorpion monster lost its mobility. "Lightning finger technique," I muttered while pointing my finger at the monster''s head. Rumble! A straight purple beam shot at the monster. Bang! The attack lands a direct hit. The beam tore through the monster''s head and within seconds the monster lost its final breath. Finally, I gained a new Class-4 Monster Core. Then I walked up to the monster and started to dissect the body. After a few minutes, I collected the monster core and placed it in my storage ring. Then I resumed my movements again. The battle is sure to attract a lot of nearby monsters. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After spending a few hours fighting the monsters. I decided to return. On this trip, I collected 4 Class 4 Monster cores. Which is enough to sustain my body cultivation for two days. I quickly found the nearest teleportation point and activated it. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and appeared back in the teleportation tower. The whole academy must have known about my decision by this time. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts and walked back to my room. ... Meanwhile, The academy''s social media site was boiling because of Zack''s answer. Yet some people criticized Zack for delaying the duel for one week. Even Tyler Lane was unhappy about the duel date. He fears other warriors would return from the retreat. He doesn''t want his limelight to be taken by others. Days passed, p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® Zack went to the different monster zone to practice the 2nd stage of the finger technique and to collect some monster cores as well. While in the academy the momentum is taking place slowly. Everyone is pumped about the duel. And somehow the news was spread to the other 5 academies through spies. The Giant Tower, Because of the student exchange meet. The Giant Tower has become a laughingstock. Their utter defeat made them lose face in front of other academics. In particular, the Eclipse Academy is taking greater pleasure in insulting them. But unfortunately, the Eclipse academy hasn''t got a chance yet to kill Zack. When they know about the inside information. They have realized it''s impossible to kill Zack anytime soon. So both the Giant Tower and the Eclipse Academy were thinking of ending Zack''s life during the annual meet competition. Then they have to watch everything patiently. Meanwhile, the two female warriors in the Red Moon Tower isolate themselves from the outside world to get strong. And the elders of the Red Moon Tower were taking special care in training them. Only Maria Frazier in the White Palace keeping an eye on Zack''s information. When she learned that Zack had defeated the top warriors of the Giant Tower. She decided to train harder. She doesn''t want to stay behind Zack forever. Especially after learning that Zack is a lightning-element warrior. Her longing for growth has multiplied ever since. The Silver Clouds Academy is watching everything from the sidelines. ... From MC''s perspective: Days passed, Eventually, the day for the duel challenge comes up. Inside the dorm room, I woke up after hearing the alarm sound. Then I got up from my bed to do the morning routine. After several minutes, I entered the training room to cultivate the lightning essence. Today is an important day. I''m going to fight Tyler Lane in the duel arena. Sigh, It feels like I have accepted the challenge yesterday. But in a blink of an eye, several days have passed. But I''m not without any improvement. Sitting down cross-legged, I began to observe my body. I''m getting closer to Peak Elite Stage in body strength. I have a vague feeling that in a few weeks. I will touch the barrier. Then pushing down these thoughts, I started to run the celestial lightning scripture. The next moment, the rune in my consciousness started to flicker as I started to recite the scripture. Then slowly from the surroundings, I began to absorb the energy. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy through meridians after the circulation of the energy gathered inside my dantian. Slowly, I continued to repeat the process. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours, I ended my lightning essence cultivation. When I looked inside the dantian. The lightning essence reserves were half-filled. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then I took out two monster cores and held them in my palm. I started to run the blood element method. As time goes on, I begin to absorb the monster''s core energy. When the energy entered my body. I started to circulate the energy according to the blood element method. The red light from the bloodstream appears and starts to convert the monster''s core energies into white energies. Then the white energies drilled into my bones. The next moment I felt heart-wrenching pain. I gritted my teeth and continued to endure it. A few minutes later, the red color began to spread further in my bones. Right now, my two legs are dyed a deep red color. Now it has reached my hips. Seeing that, I continued to absorb the energy from the monster''s core. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours, I opened my eyes. Feeling the increase in the red color of my bones. I revealed a bitter smile on my face. I''m still not clear about this situation. I can tell that the red color has made my bones stronger and sturdier. But I have a vague feeling that it''s not as simple as that. There must be some other use. Then I look at the time which is showing 9 A.M. The time for the duel is 11 A.M. There is still some time left before the duel. In the meantime, I decided to cultivate the wood scripture. After that commotion, I stopped going to the gravity chamber. I hope after today the gravity training place will be quiet. Then I started to run the wood technique. Slowly, I guided the energy according to the method. As time went on, a small green color essence was gathered inside the dantian. Seeing that I repeated the process. An hour later, I walked out of the training room after completing the cultivation. Several minutes later, I wore an academy uniform after taking the bath. It''s 10 A.M. An hour is left before the start of the duel. Seeing that I began to get ready quickly. After a few minutes, I left the room and walked toward the dining hall. I guess the whole academy is assembled at the dueling stadium right now. On the way, I came across many people. They were surprised to see me here. But none of them came forward to ask me. Ignoring their gazes, I walked inside the dining hall. Right now, there was no one inside the dining hall except the staff. I walked up to the counter and received the food plate. The female staff behind the counter stood in disbelief. "What is he doing here?" She said in her heart. She knows the whole academy is waiting for this person to appear at the dueling stadium. But he came here to eat right now. Feeling the gaze she began to put food on the plate. Small steaks, veg salads, and energy drinks. After receiving the food plate, I took a nearby seat to sit down. Without minding the time, I began to eat the food. Chapter 481 Defeating Tyler Lane Special Faction Room, "The Stadium is fully packed right now," Laverne Morrow said with a smile. Beside her, Michael and Ernest are sitting down on the sofa. Three of them looking at the digital screen. Where the live streaming of the event is going on. "I don''t know how far he has improved over these days," Michael said in a calm tone. Ernest kept quiet but his eyes never left the digital screen. After their last monster zone trip together, Zack has been acting alone all this time. They knew Zack had been going to the monster zones from time to time. Since it''s relatively safer monster zones, they didn''t interfere in Zack''s affairs. On top of it, the Head of the Special Element Faction is in retreat. Which gives Zack a free schedule to act alone without having to ask for permission. Dean Office, Similarly, Dean Rebecca also took some time off from her schedule to watch Zack''s duel. She has been keeping tabs on Zack''s activities. She knows his frequent visit to the monster zones. But one thing she is not clear about is Zack''s visit to the small ruins where the land was filled with a malicious aura. Later she found nothing wrong with Zack. So she didn''t stop him from going there. To be honest, she wants Zack''s participation in the annual meeting. But unfortunately, Zack''s safety will be compromised once he leaves the academy. She doesn''t want anything bad to happen to him. So she is hoping that other warriors would step up for the annual meet. The news regarding the annual meeting was tightly wrapped. Only the respective head of each faction and elders knows about the annual meeting. Duel Stadium, This time Vice-dean Franklin didn''t come. Right now the stadiums were filled with warriors from each faction. As usual most of the seats were occupied by the Flame Faction members. Some of them are ardent supporters of Tyler Lane. Every flame faction member wants Tyler Lane to win. Last time, the limelight was taken by Zack. So this time the flame faction members want to see some turnaround. At this time, Tyler Lane entered the arena. Upon seeing him, the flame faction members erupted in cheer. Looking at the sea of the crowd, a sense of satisfaction appeared on his face. "Wonderful crowd," He said to himself. Then in front of everyone''s eyes. He stepped up and walked inside the platform. "Where is he right now?" Tyler frowned. Finally, he remembers the opponent Zack Lockwood. But still, there was no sign of him. From the beginning, he didn''t think much about the challenge. After posing the challenge to Zack Lockwood. He completely forgot about it. In the meantime, he spent his days quite leisurely. Just a day before he was reminded of this duel. He feels fortunate that other top warriors didn''t end their retreat. Now he has an opportunity to shine. Then looking down at the entrance he continues to wait for Zack. ... From MC''s perspective: Duel Stadium, After having breakfast, I left the dining hall and reached the duel stadium. This time I''m familiar with the route. I quickly walked inside the admin room where I came across the staff. One of them briefed me about the situation. After knowing that Tyler Lane is waiting for me. I nodded at the person before going to the dueling platform. When I entered the arena, I saw that arena was filled with crowds. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. The crowd appears to be not less than that of my precious duel. Then I pushed down these thoughts and walked up to the platform where a person was waiting for me. Walking up to the stage, I stood opposite Tyler Lane. The crowd continues to make loud noises in excitement. They can''t wait for the duel to start. "You are late," Tyler Lane said in a cold tone. I shook my head in response and waited for the bell to ring. Tyler Lane''s face turned ugly after getting no response. He never thought this person to be so arrogant. His heart boils in anger. The bell rang all of a sudden. Indicating that duel starts! Tyler Lane made the first move. He raised his fist and charged toward the opponent. The crowd erupts in cheer. The Flame Faction members kept their eyes on Tyler. They want to see how many moves he is going to make to end the duel. Clearly in everyone''s mind. Tyler Lane is stronger than the Giant Tower Members. Meanwhile, seeing him coming at me. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. He is not dumb as I had expected. He wants to test me before making the final move. When he got closer to me. He punched me. His fists released burning flames. Suddenly the temperature around me rose greatly. I feel a small threat from the punch attack. This guy didn''t even suppress his realm. His flame punch contains the power of the peak elite. When the power got closer to me. I used the lightning phantom technique to evade. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and evaded the flame punch in time. Bang! The attack lands a hit at the empty platform. A terrible sound resonated throughout the area. Right after the flame burst into several small flames. The heat immediately swept around the platform. Gasp! The crowd let out a huge gasp in surprise. Everyone saw Zack evading the attack at the last moment. Tyler Lane was surprised as well. Because he didn''t suppress his realm at all. He used peak speed to charge at the opponent. Now, Zack''s lightning movement technique caught him by surprise. Swish! Both of them returned to their previous position and stood opposite each other. Tyler Lane frowned. He had underestimated the opponent''s lightning power. Now he feels a little bit tricky to handle it. Meanwhile, I took a few glances at the platform before turning toward him. The platform was roasted by the red flames. My face turned dignified. The flame does not look simple. It''s just an ordinary attack from the opponent but it can cause severe damage. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. Swish! This time I took the lead and rushed toward him. I used the phantom technique to reduce the distance by half. This all happened in a blink of an eye, Tyler Lane became alerted quickly. He shot fireballs at the opponent. The flame ball brushed past me and landed a hit at the empty spot. Bang! A terrible sound resonates in the area. Ignoring the sound, I reached him in an instant. "Lightning Wheel," I said. A purple color wheel appears around me. The wheel is beaming with lightning power. But the next moment, the lightning wheel comes in contact with Tyler Lane''s body. Bang! Right after, the lightning wheel blows up. A terrible sound resonates in the area. Tyler Lane was thrown off stage from the impact force. For a moment, the dueling platform is covered in smoke. No one can see Zack. But Tyler Lane crashed on the ground. His abdomen has suffered a severe injury. Seeing that the whole crowd became silent all of a sudden. No one had expected to witness such a result. Tyler Lane was wiping in pain. Everyone can see that he needs urgent medical attention. The smoke was cleared on the platform. Gasp! The crowd gasped again in shock. What happened? They witnessed a purple color wheel appear for a moment. Then all of a sudden Tyler Lane was swept away from the impact. Meanwhile, my eyes flickered with a surprising glint. My assumption was right. His body was not that much stronger compared to the Giant Tower Warrior. My single lightning-wheel attack was enough to cause severe damage. Now he won''t be able to get up from the ground. After seeing my unscathed body the crowd erupted in a loud cheer. Everyone must be surprised by the lightning wheel. But they don''t know that I have exhausted the whole purple essence in my dantian. Now there is little lightning essence left in my dantian. The next moment, the announcement came. The staff declared me a winner. Right after, I stepped down and walked toward the exit amid the loud cheer. Then Tyler was taken by the staff for treatment. Special Faction Room, Michael''s pupil becomes dignified. "Have you seen this attack before?" He asked. They know about Zack''s lightning moves. But this time three times I saw something different. "Looks like it''s Zack''s new move," Laverne uttered in surprise. She was shocked by this new lightning attack''s power. Ernest said, "It appears we had underestimated Zack''s strength. He still has some cards in his sleeves." Michael nodded his head and said, "Yeah, he is hiding his strength. But it would be useless against Super Elite Warrior." Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. They heard a change in Michael''s tone. Both turned toward Michael for some answers. Michael felt the gazes on him. So he quickly collected his thoughts and answered, "I don''t know what he is thinking?" "But you guys know that our Head likes to be low-key. He won''t appreciate Zack''s action," He added further. Ernest and Laverne smiled helplessly in response. Chapter 482 Meeting With Dean From MC''s perspective: The following day, After waking up from sleep. I did the morning routine as usual. I know yesterday''s duel might have created a bigger impact. Because Tyler Lane was one of the top warriors from the flame faction. If my assumption was correct, then many more warriors will come. I should be ready to face them at any time. Fortunately, many of the warriors are in retreat. Which gives me time for further improvement. It is just the lightning cultivation that is dragging me behind. I did not feel this clueless before when it comes to lightning cultivation. Even back home, I had come across an opportunity in one way or another. For example, the mountain Liz. I practiced in the mountain liz from time to time. Though the world energy around here is abundant compared to lower tier cities. But it''s a pity it was not useful to me. I don''t know why I have this vague feeling that the dean might know some answers. If there is a good place then I should visit it. As this thought rose in my heart. I made up my mind to visit her later. Morning 9 A.M, The dining hall is filled with more people than usual at this time. At first, I didn''t understand. But when I reached the counter, I felt a lot of gazes on me. "Sure they came to see me," I mumbled under my breath. Usually, I come pretty late to this place. Now it''s hard to see empty seats around here. Then ignoring their gazes, I received the food plate and walked to the empty seat to sit down. "Hmm," I found something strange. Usually, there is female staff working behind the counter. What happened to her today? Is she absent? Then shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts and began to eat. The meat contains pure energy. It tastes delicious as well. Back home, I didn''t have the luxury to eat this kind of food. But now I''m enjoying it every day. After a few minutes, I walked out of the dining hall. Surprisingly, none of the flame faction members came to disturb me this time. My mouth curves into a beautiful arc. These guys were perhaps hit by Tyler''s defeat. Until the next warrior ends his/her retreat. They probably won''t come to pester me. While feeling good, I head toward the dean''s office. The dean''s office is located inside the 1st place. I already got permission through a text message. I just hope she gives me a good solution. When I walked inside the 1st building. I bumped into my classmates who were walking downstairs. "Michael," "Laverne," and "Ernest," I said to myself. Looks like there three were heading to the monster zone again. Then shaking my head, I just turned. But before I could walk away. "Zack?" I heard my name. Turning around, I see three of them walking up to me. "Your duel was great yesterday," Laverne said with a smile. To that, I responded with a small smile on my face. Right now there are not many walking down the corridor. So four of us got some privacy. Michael said, "I''m surprised by your improvement these days. It won''t be long before you step into the Super Elite category." Hearing genuine words from someone powerful in my faction. I couldn''t help but appreciate him. But his next words poured cold water on me. "Next time don''t agree to duel challenges that easily," Michael added further. Hearing that my eyes flickered with a slight glint. What happened to his attitude? He looked dissatisfied with the decision. Ernest, who was standing quietly, caught the facial reaction of Zack. He commented, "Zack, our faction head was in retreat. Usually, the duel challenges won''t take place without the knowledge of the faction head." "And our faction head doesn''t like to stand out too much. Your action would piss him off if he gets to know about it," Ernest added. The next moment, a look of understanding dawned upon me. No wonder, Michael seems to be displeased. Then I replied, "Don''t worry, I had a good talk with the dean before the duel. It is just a friendly spar. If I don''t do it then they will continue to pester me for sure." Laverne and Ernest looked into each other. Michael''s eyes flash with a slight glint. Three of them didn''t know about the dean''s involvement. They thought Zack was acting on his own. Now that the misunderstanding was clear. Michael eases down his eyebrows. "Alright, we are going to the monster zone. Do you want to come?" Michael asked. Laverne added with a chuckle, "Your strength is catching up with us slowly. It won''t be a problem for you to take down Class-5 Monster." Hearing that, I fell into contemplation. To be honest, I want to fight alone to hone my skills. Some things can''t be shown in front of their eyes. "Maybe next time guys. Right now, I have some other work to do," I said. Michele smiled and said, "Okay Zack, you can take your time. But we are getting late right now." After saying that three of them bid goodbye before walking out. Meanwhile, I head to the dean''s cabin. Outside, "Michael, what happened?" "Are you dissatisfied by his answer?" Laverne asked with concern. The trio is walking in the direction of the teleportation tower. Michale glanced around the surroundings before saying, "No, I just hope for him to become Super Elite Warrior a little quicker." The answer stunned Laverne and Ernest. Michael stopped walking and turned around to see their surprised expression. Michael reveals an amusing simple before saying, "Looks like your family didn''t tell you about the annual summit." "Annual summit?" Ernest blurted out in surprise. "That event happens every year. What''s so good about this?" Earnest added. Michael shook his head and replied,'' I don''t know what''s exactly going on behind the scenes. But my family didn''t want me to participate in this year''s annual summit." Gasp! Laverne gasped in surprise. She asked, "What is going on? And what does it have to do with Zack?" Ernest realized something quickly. But he waited for Michale to answer. Michael turned around and resumed walking. Seeing that two of them followed as well. "You guys know that the Academy will send top warriors to the competition. So far Zack has been invisible in the Elite Level Category. I guess the academy might allow Zack to participate this time," Michael said. Ernest sucked a cold breath of air. Now he realized the seriousness of the matter. So Zack standing out makes things worse than good. Laverne said with a sigh, "Hope our head ends his retreat soon." Meanwhile, I reached the office and quickly walked toward the dean''s cabin. Creak The door opened automatically. Seeing that I slowly walked inside. Dean Rebecca with her glasses asked me to take a seat. "Zack, what happened?" "Is there any problem?" Dean Rebecca asked with a concerned filled tone. She was surprised by Zack''s request this morning. She expected him to take some rest after yesterday''s duel. But seeing Zack right now, she feels something going on. "Sigh" I let out a small sigh before starting to explain my worries. A few minutes later, The atmosphere quieted down all of a sudden. I told her about my cultivation problems. Let''s see whether she has any solution or not. Dean Rebecca furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn''t surprised by Zack''s worries. When Zack joined the academy. She thought about the same problem as well. Unfortunately, the Academy doesn''t have a blessed place related to a lightning element. But they have one wind-element blessed place where sometimes the weather changes. Resulting in heavy thunder and lightning. She thought about sending Zack to that place a few months later. But right now that place is not suitable for lightning cultivation. Seeing Zack''s face, she fell into deep contemplation. Their academy doesn''t have a blessed place. But what about other academies? As per her current knowledge, she didn''t know whether other academics have a lightning-related place or not. After a few minutes, she looked toward Zack and answered, "You know about our academy''s situation. We don''t have a lightning-blessed place. But I will look into other academies'' secret places." When she said those words. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. At least she took initiative to look into other academies. Then I thanked her before trying to get up from the seat. "Zack, wait for a second. I need to tell you something," Dean Rebecca said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise before sitting down. Dean Rebecca made up her mind to talk about the annual meeting. Zack will play an important role in the annual meet competition. She feels it''s the right time to let him know about the competition. Then she slowly begins to explain. 20 minutes later, "So, what do you think? Are you going to participate or not?" Dean Rebecca asked. My mouth twitched. Competition again? I thought after Crimson Hall''s competition. There would be a period of some rest. But the annual meeting would be more difficult. Chapter 483 Practising For Hours From MC''s perspective: Dean''s office, I fell into deep contemplation. She is asking about my interest. But I know that the annual meeting is not going to be simple. Already people are after my life. And my direct participation would expose me completely. Then after some seconds, a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. What am I afraid of? I''m not like others. I''m someone who is going to enter the Inner Post in the future. I also got the backing of my teacher and Jonathan. Then a sudden realization struck my mind. Don''t tell me she is betting on my connection. What clever women! But again why me? I looked into her eyes and asked, "Dean, could you clarify for me further? The matter appears to be not so simple." Rebecca was dumbfounded. She was hoping to get a nod from Zack. , But instead, he wants to learn more about the competition. When she thought about Zack''s background. She decided not to hide crucial information. Then she began to speak about more confidential information. 20 minutes later, My expression couldn''t help but worsen after listening to her explanation. As I had thought there is another conspiracy. If we fail to achieve our goal in the annual meeting, then there is a possibility of future conflict. The delicate balance between the 6 academies would break in the future. Thinking about future turmoil, I furrowed my eyebrows further. No wonder she was concerned about the academy. If things go wrong, it would not only affect other academies but as well as ours. "Sigh," I let out a deep sigh. Rebecca asked, "Now you know everything. What''s your answer?" Hearing that I smiled in response. Though my participation would expose me. But it will also allow me to fight the best among other academies. Maria Frazier, Ella Downs, and Sallie Mills. I don''t know what is going on with them. But I might get to see them at the annual meeting. Then a sudden thought comes to mind. What about the prize? "Dean, I''m ready to participate in the competition. But what about the prize?" I said to her, A hint of relief flashes in Rebecca''s eyes. Finally, she manages to convince Zack. When it comes to the final prize it is too early to say anything about it. "There will be rounds of meetings before the annual meeting. The prize would be decided then," She replied. Then we talked about a few more things before I left the room. Instead of going back to the dorm. I decided to hit the training room. After seeing Michael and others, I wanted to go to the monster zone. They are Super Elite Warriors but still, they are going to dangerous monster zones from time to time. A few minutes later, I came to the training floor. Where multiple training rooms can be seen. It is similar to the gravity rooms. The walls were highly reinforced. It can withstand the attack from SS Elite Warrior. So no matter what? The destructive power of the lightning can be contained in this room. Right now warriors are coming and going from this place. My appearance didn''t attract that much attention. Using this opportunity, I entered the nearby training room. Creak The door behind me closed automatically. The next moment, the wide spacious training room came into my view. As I thought earlier, the walls are made up of similar materials. Which was used in gravity rooms. When I looked around. I spotted some weapons placed in racks. After taking a glance at them, I recalled my techniques. 1. Sword Divide: Big wheel (Beginner) 2. Lightning Wheel: Big wheel (Beginner) 3. Lightning Phantom: Big wheel (Beginner) 4. Blood Field Technique: Small wheel (Intermediate) 5. Soul Tower Method: Small wheel (Beginner) 6. Soul Needle Art: Small wheel ( Beginner) 7. Lightning finger technique: (Beginner) After recalling the techniques in my mind. I felt there was still a long way to go before mastering the techniques. All of my techniques were at the beginner level right now. The next moment, I brought the black sword from my storage ring and decided to execute a few lightning moves. "Sword Divide," I said. I charged the black sword with lightning power and released it the next moment. The next moment, a beam of power was released from my sword and shot at the metallic wall opposite me. Bang! The attack exploded right after coming into contact with the wall. The trick lies in charging time. I have to reduce the charging time to release the attack more effectively. Then I continue to repeat the attack. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After one hour, I stopped executing the first move and started practicing the lightning wheel technique. A few hours later, I walked out of the training room. After practicing for some hours, I feel good now. Then I head straight towards my dorm. Meanwhile, The Metallic Faction was in an uproar. One of their top warriors returns from his retreat. So many metallic faction warriors are gathered to greet him. One of the main reasons people want to meet him is because of Zack. Already Tyler Lane from the Flame Faction lost miserably to Zack Lockwood. Which in turn rocketed the prestige of the Special Faction. Now the warriors of the metallic faction hope to see the rise of their faction. Which can be done by defeating Zack Lockwood. The news about the top warrior''s return was kept tightly. Only the head of the metallic faction can further instructions. On one hand, things were going smoothly for the metallic faction. On the other hand, Dean Rebecca was aware of the news. In her office, she is looking at the information on metallic faction warriors. "He is now Peak Elite Warrior," She said to herself. Her eyes gleamed with a twinkle. She knows Zack can defeat Peak Elite Warrior. She is quite curious about what this metallic faction warrior would do. Like others, she is also looking forward to the metallic faction''s next move. She thinks these duels will be helpful for Zack. Chapter 484 Brandon Hurst (The Metal Faction) Metal Element Faction, A warrior with white long hair is listening to the recent events from the mouth of his subordinates. "What?" "Someone new joined the special element faction when I was in retreat," he muttered to himself. His subordinates in front of him nodded their heads. The warrior with white long hair is none other than the top warrior of the metallic faction. Unlike Tyler Lane who was ranked 5th in his faction. His standing is way better. He is ranked 3rd in the metallic faction in Elite Level Section. His name is Brandon Hurst. He stands 6ft tall in height. Apart from distinct white long hair. He has a well-built body. A faint silver texture can be seen over his fair skin. It is the result of his body cultivation technique. His subordinates didn''t stop but continued to share the news. When Brandon heard about Tyler Lane''s defeat. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," He burst into joyful laughter. "To think that moron was defeated." "The face of flame faction [email protected] must have been burnt," He said with a wide grin on his face. The attitude and behavior of Flame faction members were well-known throughout the academy. Brandon felt he had missed the great opportunity to witness their embarrassment. "So now what are they up to?" He asked his subordinates. The Flame faction has many warriors. They don''t usually take the defeat lightly. "Boss, right now top warriors are in retreat except you and Tyler. So now everyone is waiting for them to end their retreat," One of his subordinates said. Hearing that, Brandon held up his chin in contemplation. Unlike Tyler, he is not a blockhead. "So it''s true that the person named Zack Lockwood is only an Initial Stage Elite Warrior." "Not a mid-level elite?" He asked back. His subordinate nodded his head and affirmed by saying, "Boss, the information was confirmed by all factions. Even Vice-dean himself said Zack was "Initial Stage Elite Warrior." A quick gleam flashes in Bradon''s eyes. "Fighting across two small realms is not an easy task," He muttered to himself. He is already aware of the mood of the people around him. They want him to defeat the warrior named Zack and raise the fame of the metallic faction. But if he does that there is a slight possibility for top warriors to challenge him in the future. So he is quite cautious in issuing the challenge. After talking with his subordinates he sends them back. Beep! Shortly after, his watch lit up with a notification. Seeing the contact name. His expression changes for a moment. He opened the message to read it. Right after he raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Faction Head wants to meet me," He mumbled under his breath. The faction head won''t call him unless it''s necessary. He suspects it has the least to do with his return. Then pushing down these thoughts, he got up from the seat. He decided to meet the faction head right away. A few minutes later, The Metallic Faction Office, A person wearing a metal mask is working behind the desk. He is the head of the faction. His name is Marcus Lin. He was dressed in a plain white shirt and black pants. He has black hair and eyes. But no emotions can be seen from those eyes. Suddenly his gaze shifted to the monitor screen. Where he saw Brandon coming to his room. Creak! Shortly after, the person entered. Brandon nervously stood in front of him. Seeing that Marcus Lin collected his thoughts. "Brandon, take your seat," Marcus said in a calm tone. But it rang like thunder in Brandon''s ears. A cold sweat appears on his forehead. The next moment, he took the seat and waited for the head to speak. Marcus Lin nodded his head and said, "You must be wondering why I called you here?" Before Brandon could reply. Marcus added further, "I want you to fight against Zack Lockwood." Brandon was confused for a moment. At first, he thought he had heard it wrong. But in a few seconds, he realized it was true. The faction head is asking him to fight the same person. For a second he felt unreal. "Faction Head?" Brandon showed hesitation. Marcus Lin quickly caught the expression. He asked, "What''s wrong?" "Do you have any problem fighting against him?" Brandon replied, "I just want to wait for a few more days before making a decision." "Ha...Ha...Ha...and why is that?" Marcus felt amused by Brandon''s words. Certainly, something had happened after his retreat. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have shown hesitation. Anyways, the instruction came from the dean. Even he can''t refute it. So looking into Brandon''s eyes. Marcus said, "I don''t know what you will do. But I want to see your fight against Zack Lockwood within three days." "You can go now?" He added. Brandon cursed in his heart. Since it''s an order he can''t deny it. Helplessly, he got up from his seat and walked out of the room. Walking out, Brandon couldn''t help but feel irritated. Before coming here he had made up his mind not to antagonize other top warriors. Now the situation has become something different. Either Zack will win or he will become his stepping stone. "Faction Head gave me three days. What to do with three days?" He muttered to himself. His appearance immediately attracted attention. Ignoring everyone, he returned to his faction area. ... (From MC''s Perspective) The following day, I got up as usual and started to do my morning routine. Several minutes later, I entered the training room for cultivation. I sat cross-legged and started practicing the lightning cultivation techniques. When I ran the cultivation technique. I didn''t feel the presence of lightning energy from the surroundings. It would take some time to absorb the energy. After a few minutes, I absorbed the trickle of energy and started to guide the energy according to the cultivation method. After circulation, the energy stored inside my dantian. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Two hours later, I opened my eyes. But my lightning essence was only half filled. It was not because of today''s cultivation. But for the past few days, I have been saving the lightning essence. The half reserve was the result of that saving. Chapter 485 Class- 4 Dark Brown Falcon From MC''s perspective: After completing the lightning cultivation. I got up and walked out of the training room. Currently, I lack a monster core. If I want to cultivate body strength then I must consume the energy from the monster core. On top of it, cultivating healing energy would take time. After pushing down these thoughts, I made up my mind to hunt monsters. After gaining some clarity, I begin to get ready. Several minutes later, I walked out of the dorm building and walk toward the dining hall. On the way, I thought about the academy. Rumors are spreading about the metallic faction''s big move. I already know that one of the big warriors of the metallic faction has returned. And I saw some of his images circulating on online posts. I''m pretty much sure that everyone wants to see the duel between us. With a smile on my face, I entered the dining hall. No matter who it is? As long as the warrior is under the super elite warrior. I can defeat him with ease. As usual, my appearance attracted a lot of attention. And people immediately started gossiping. This almost become a daily scenario to watch. Ignoring the gazes, I received the food plate from the counter and found a quiet spot to sit down. While eating the mana-filled vegetables. I''m also keeping an eye on the surrounding. Don''t know why? I feel something is going to happen today. Then shaking my head, I neglected the unnecessary thoughts and continued to eat. A few minutes later, I left the dining hall and headed toward the teleportation tower. At this time no one except me is heading to that place. Usually, warriors would form a team to enter the monster zones. But I on the other hand prefer soloing. After reaching the teleportation point, I selected the server. The next moment, blue lights lit up all over the platform. Swish! I disappeared from the spot and appeared inside the monster zone. Feeling the solid ground under the feet. I carefully looked around. This time I have selected a slightly difficult monster zone. This place is the nest of many bird-type monsters. Only super elite warriors and above usually come here to hunt. Because they got flight ability. Which gave them the capability to fight against bird monsters. So rarely anyone would come here under super-elite level. The main reason I have selected this place is. It''s to test my attack techniques. The lightning sword and finger techniques will be difficult to execute here. Screech~ Suddenly I heard a loud bird cry. The next moment, I saw a big shadow appear above me. A huge bird monster came into view. Seeing its huge mandible and crown. I quickly recognized the monster. [Class 4 Monster - Dark Brown Falcon] I have seen its description in the books before. But the next moment, I felt a deep gaze on me. No doubt the bird monster has found me. Screech~ The falcon monster let out another cry before flapping its huge wings. The massive wings send out a huge wind attack. It''s directed toward me. From the sound alone I can feel the destructive nature of the wind attack. Swish~ I quickly used the lightning phantom technique to move away from the spot. The next moment, bolts of purple lightning appear in my leg. Within a few seconds, I moved to the opposite side. The wind attacks and lands a hit on the empty ground. Boom~ Right after, I heard two massive sounds behind me. I quickly activated my perceptual ability. Then I spotted two massive cracks in the ground. It was formed by a powerful wind attack. The falcon monster is not within my range. Otherwise, I could have accurately seen its movements. Above, the falcon monster is circling in the air. It noticed that the wind attack has failed. By using its powerful eyes, it quickly spotted the prey near the tree. Screech~ The Falcon monster releases a few more wind attacks in the same direction by using its massive wings. Hearing another scream, I realized the monster is ready for another wind attack. I brought the black sword from the storage ring and held it in my hand. In this situation, only the sword divide can help me greatly. Swish~ By using the lightning phantom technique, I moved away from the spot. And at the same time, I try to charge the black sword by using the lightning essence. Executing two things at the same time is challenging. But the bird monster won''t let me off easily if I stay in one spot. Boom~ The wind attacks immediately swept away the surroundings. Almost removing the nearby green grounds. But unfortunately, none of the attacks can get me. When the black sword was charged completely. Then I looked for the appropriate opportunity to release the attack. When I looked above, I saw the falcon monster circling in the mid-air. But one good thing though due to its massive size. I can easily target the monster. The black blade is fully covered with purple arcs. Then suddenly, I saw an opening. The monster seems confused as I''m moving in a zig-zag manner. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. I raised my sword and released the charged lightning attack. "Sword Divide," I said. A powerful purple lightning beam released from the sword and shot at the flying monster. If one looks at it from distance one can see a purple straight line. The lightning beam reaches the target in a blink of an eye and pieces through the monster''s wings. Screech~ The falcon monster lets out another bird cry. But this time it''s due to the injury. The powerful lightning beam manages to damage one of its wings. Which causes the bird monster to spiral down at great speed. Seeing the perfect attack, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. But the next scene brought me a huge shock. The monster is falling at great speed. I bet this would cause greater injury than my attack. Tud~ The bird monster crashes onto the ground. I never thought one attack would cause the downfall of the monster. The impact immediately swept away the surroundings. Chapter 486 Class-5 Deadly Vulture Monster From MC''s Perspective: The dark brown falcon was injured gravely beyond my belief. But the savage aura released from the monster''s body is not reduced a bit. Seeing that the bird monster is not getting up. I charged the black sword with lightning power again. "Sword Divide," Right after, I released the fully charged lightning beam. The powerful attack reaches the fallen monster in a blink of an eye. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated throughout the area as the attack came into contact with the monster. The attack pierces through the bird''s crown resulting in sudden death. The killing was neat in the end. After confirming the monster''s loss of life, I walked up to the monster. And I began to search for the monster core. Though the fight ended within minutes. But it created a lot of noise. It would be a matter of minutes before the place was swarmed by the deadly vultures. Which is another worst-class bird-type monster. Screech~ When I was slicing the monster''s body to retrieve the core. A loud bird cry reached my ears. Which has sent chills down my spine. The bird''s cry might sound the same. But I know that probably those deadly vultures already found this place. Then I hurriedly searched for the monster core. I felt it in the next second. After collecting the core, I got up to leave. But the next moment, my eyes flickered with a cold glint. I see a huge shadow on the ground just like before. This time the shadow cast on the ground is different in size. The Deadly Vultures'' bald head and hooked claw can be clearly distinguished. I hope it''s not an advanced-class monster. "Lightning phantom technique, " I uttered. A purple arc covers both my legs in an instant. Swish~ Right after, I disappeared from the spot and moved to the area with densely packed trees. A few seconds later, I''m able to see the bird monster as it descends on the ground. [Class-5 Deadly Vulture Monster.] I''m now able to confirm the identity of the monster. Especially the savage aura leaking out. It''s a Class-5 Monster. A trace of hesitation appears in my eyes. Should I fight back or head to the nearest teleportation point? But this is a good opportunity to fight against the Class-5 Monster. While I''m hesitating, the bald vulture already starts to bite down its food. I let out a long sigh before making the final decision. I gripped the black sword tightly. And at the same time, I noticed my essence reserve. The lightning essence is not enough to support a prolonged fight. Especially when it comes to fighting against higher-class monsters. So I have to end it quickly before the fight attracts its companion. The deadly vulture is within my perception range. Strangely, it hasn''t noticed my presence yet. The next moment, the vulture suddenly turned toward me. Which immediately sent goosebumps all over my body. "[email protected]," I cursed out loud before using the lightning phantom technique. Swish~ I rushed towards the nearest teleportation point. It must be somewhere near here. I had underestimated the sensitivity of Class-5 Monster. Screech~ A loud bird cry resonated in the area. Hearing that I spread the perception around me. I don''t think the deadly vulture is considering me a threat. But the next second, I found I was wrong. The damn Vulture is chasing me from behind. At the rate of my current essence reserve, I don''t plan on confronting the monster head-on. I must find the teleportation first. Before entering the monster zone, I took notice of a few teleportation points which are located on the outskirts. But here with these densely packed trees hindering the way. It is becoming quite difficult to look for it. Unlike the falcon, the deadly vulture is not taking initiative to attack. Is it looking down on me? But the next second, I shook my head in denial. The deadly Vultures loved to use their clawed toes on their prey. If it was an open field, I would have got attacked right now. After having this sudden realization, I broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, I didn''t let down my guard. Meanwhile, the deadly vulture is patiently flying above its prey. But the towering trees make it harder for it to dive down. .... The Metal Faction, Brandon Hurst didn''t wait for three days to end. He already made up his mind to release the news right now. He understands one thing for sure. Their head Marcus Lin wants a fight between him and Zack Lockwood to happen. It doesn''t matter how many days it would take. After making the decision, he sends a message to their Head before releasing the challenge post. A few minutes later, [The metallic faction- Brandon Hurst issues an official duel challenge to the Special Faction''s Zack Lockwood.] A duel post under Brandon Hurst''s name began to circulate online. Shortly after the news spread like a wildfire. But no one was surprised by the news. As everyone had expected to hear this news before. Now that the official duel post was issued. Everyone wants to see the reaction from Zack Lockwood. Except for the dean, Rebecca nobody was aware that Zack is training inside the monster zone. Meanwhile, the powerful trio from the Special Faction came to know about the news. "The duel post" "Again?" "What those faction guys are thinking?" Laverne Morrow said with anger. So much that ice-cold energy is leaking out from her body. "Calm down" "Laverne" Ernest said to her. Besides, Michael is looking at the official post. He was surprised by the Metal Faction''s sudden move. It may look like all other factions are picking on their Special Element Faction. But he knows everyone wants to see Zack Lockwood''s bottom line precisely. Since he had shown that he can defeat Peak Elite Warrior despite being in Elite Initial Stage himself. Now all other factions would send out their top warriors one by one until Zack tasted his first defeat. Thinking about Zack''s situation, Michael furrowed his eyebrows. Chapter 487 Leaving The Monster Zone ? From MC''s perspective: "Lightning finger technique," I muttered. A purple beam released from the finger and shot at the monster''s wings at breakneck speed. If anyone looks from outside, they can witness a straight purple line. The lightning beam pierces through the monster''s wing. Screech~ The deadly vulture let out a scream in pain. But its momentum did not slow down. It reached the prey and launched heavy attacks using its claw. Meanwhile, my senses alarmed me of a great danger. I instinctively used the lightning phantom technique to move away from the spot. Boom~ Monstrous claw landed on the ground just before I moved from the spot. But the collision force swept me away. The power from the class-5 monster can be clearly seen from this attack. The nearby trees were completely uprooted. Several deep cracks were formed on the ground. Meanwhile, I found the monster through my perception. It''s using its eyes to search for me. Cough! I coughed up some blood. Seeing the trace of blood in my palm. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. As I had guessed before, the monster is absolutely the peak one. Such brute force can injure me. My expression becomes dignified. My essence power is not enough. At this rate, I can only release a few lightning techniques. My mind races up fast. I decided to find the nearest teleportation point before I ran out of the reserve. Behind me the deadly vulture acted up again. Realizing that I used the lightning phantom technique. Screech! The deadly vulture spotted the purple arcs. It flapped its giant wings to fly. The chase continued for a few minutes before I spotted the teleportation point. After entering inside the teleportation point. I wasted no time in activating the server. Swish! I disappeared from the spot. The deadly vulture collided with a barrier right after that. When I appeared back inside the teleportation tower. I was completely worn out. Hardly any lightning essence left in my body. Phew! I took a deep breath before I walked out from the tower. While heading towards my room. I still can''t get out of the picture of a deadly vulture from my head. That monster was tenacious even after getting hit from the lightning attacks. It was completely different from the Falcon monster. A 10 minutes later, Before I realized, I had already arrived in front of my room. After waking into the room, I lie down in my bed. I''m not in any condition to move around. Though I didn''t get attacked directly from the monster. But continuous movements had taken a toll on my body. Meanwhile, the academy was discussing Brandon Hurst. Everyone was looking forward to the next duel. After the flame faction''s failure, nobody was sure about the metal faction. Time went by, I woke up after a few hours. My mind is a lot clearer now. I got up from the bed and headed towards the shower. I almost forgot about sweating. After a few minutes, I walked out of the bath. The cold shower made me even more refreshed. Then after changing into casual clothes. I sat down comfortably. When I looked inside. I found my dantian completely dry without purple essence. I wrinkled my eyebrows in displeasure. It took me a great deal of effort to cultivate the lightning essence but it was all gone after a few lightning attacks. After pushing down these thoughts. I shifted my attention toward body cultivation. Fortunately, I was able to slay the falcon monster. The Class-4 monster core will help me further to raise my level. Due to the availability of monster cores, I can reach the peak elite in body strength sooner than expected. After gaining some clarity, I decided not to slow down the body cultivation just because I was one step slower in essence cultivation. Fighting against the deadly vulture, I have realized one thing. If I were to have peak elite level body strength, then I had the good chance of killing the deadly vulture. But I was desperately setting my mind on the lightning cultivation. Since the dean has promised me to find a suitable lighting cultivation spot. I should wait for her words before unnecessarily worrying about the lack of lightning cultivation environment. Beep~ When I was lost in thoughts. I received a call from the dean, Rebecca. My eyes lit up with surprise. I just thought about her. But she contacted me right away. Is it a coincidence or what? I feel she is keeping an eye on me. My mouth curves into arc after realizing this. Then I recovered my expression back to normal before attending the call. Dean Rebecca: Zack, are you back? Hearing the voice, I''m certain that she is keeping an eye on me. After the surprise, I replied,"Yeah, dean. I came back a few hours ago." After that there was some silence. I felt something in my heart. She won''t call me for nothing. Dean Rebecca: Did you hear the news? Then I heard her voice after a few seconds. I asked,"What news?" Dean Rebecca: Someone from the metal faction has issued a challenge against you. The warrior is similar to Tyler Lane. But his fighting experience is far more than Tyler Lane. My eyes gleamed with twinkle. Again? I had expected this to happen. But the challenge came sooner than I had expected. It was obvious that warriors from other factions also wanted to fight me. But I''m glad no super elite warrior challenged me. Dean Rebecca: Zack? Are you there? I replied,"Ahem, dean. I''m severely lacking in lightning cultivation. These constant duels only hinder my cultivation time." I''m not exaggerating the situation. But this is the fact. Without the purple essence, I can''t fight against the monster. And these people only know I''m an essence cultivator not a body cultivator. Dean Rebecca asked,"How bad is your situation?" "Don''t worry about the cultivation. I already found a few places. Which could help you," She added further. A quick glint flashes in his eyes. After a long time, I heard some positive news from her. I was worried earlier. But the Tier-6 region was not as bad as I had thought. Then I spoke to her about my situation and my fight against the Class-4 & Class-5 Monsters. Dean Rebecca said,"So you are not in any condition to duel against the warrior. Alright, then I''ll give you the coordinates of a few places where you can find a lightning environment." "You can accept the duel after cultivating your lightning essence." After saying that she ended the call. "Finally, I can cultivate the lightning power," I mumbled under my breath. Then my attention shifted back to the challenge post. I should check out the social media site. I bet these people have already started to trend about the challenge duel. When I opened the site, The first thing that caught my attention was the person''s image. "Brandon Hurst," I read the name under the post. So this guy is the warrior from the metal faction. He looks similar to Tyler Lane. After memorizing the image, I began to read the detailed post. The challenge post was direct. But he didn''t mention any time and place. So they are expecting my reply. They want me to fix the time and place for the duel. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. Like the dean said, I should get ready to visit the place. As long as I stay in the academy, these people would pester me regarding the duel post. After gaining some clarity, I decided to cultivate. I entered the isolated training room and sat cross-legged on the ground. Then I took the Class-4 Monster core of the falcon and held it in my palm. Slowly, I began to recite the blood element method in my mind. Right after the bloody rune in my consciousness started to flicker. I slowly began to absorb the energy from the monster core. When the energy entered my body. I waited for the blood light to appear. After a few seconds, the red blood light appears above the blood to absorb the energy. The red blood light began to convert absorbed energies into white energies. These white energies then slowly began to drill into my bones. The next moment, I felt heart wrenching pain. But my senses become numb all of a sudden. Because, at this point of time. I almost got used to this pain. The red part of my bones began to expand further. After a few minutes, the red color stopped expanding. My bones become a lot more strengthened. Feeling the rise in strength, my eyes gleamed with twinkle. Then I continue to repeat the process. The Class-4 Monster Core still has remaining energy. It would take some time to completely absorb everything. Time went by, After a few hours, I opened my eyes. The monster core crumbles into pieces. My body strength has risen one step further. Then I got up from the ground and walked out of the training room. Looking at the sweat all over my skin, I decided to take a bath again. Chapter 488 Selecting The Place To Cultivate ? From MC''s perspective: The following day, After having breakfast, I head to the main building to meet the dean. A few minutes later, I walked into her cabin and sat directly opposite her. She seems to be working on something. Instead of disturbing her, I waited patiently to finish her work. Dean Rebecca noticed Zack''s presence. She is currently looking at the places where lightning is found. On the screen images of two places can be seen. A long canyon with dark clouds in the sky. And the second place seems to be the peak of the mountain. Here in this picture as well the dark clouds can be seen in the sky. The two places appear to have rainstorms all day long. Thunder and lightning were frequent events occurring there. After reading the further details. Dean Rebecca confirmed the sources. Though these two places are not blessed land, they can assist Zack in his lightning cultivation. "Zack, I found these two places for you." Dean Rebecca said, as she turned the screen slightly so that Zack could see. My eyes immediately fell on two images on the screen. One of the images is of a deep canyon. This is the first time for me to see places like this. And another is a mountain peak similar to mountain liz. "What do you think of this place?" Dean Rebecca asked. She thinks Zack will choose a deep canyon. But Zack''s words surprised her greatly. "I decided to go to the mountain," I responded with a smile looking at the image. I feel I have great affinity with mountains. Mountain Liz used to be my favorite spot. I hope this place will be as usual as well. "Are you sure? The deep canyon is closest to the academy. But that mountain is in the territory of the Red Moon Tower," She added further. "Red Moon Tower!" My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I don''t know what Sallie and Ella are doing there? Dean Rebecca saw through Zack''s thoughts. She said,"I heard your friends joined the Red Moon Tower." "We don''t have enmity with Red Moon Tower. But at the same time we are not friends either. Besides, the mountain area is less trespassed by people. So you can avoid lot of eyed before getting there." She shared some useful information. In response I nodded my head. But the problem is how to get there. I can''t go there with the academy identity. It would expose me directly. Then something happens that I can''t think of. "Dean, how to get there?" "Should I use direct transport," I asked. Dean Rebecca let out a small chuckle all of a sudden. She felt amused by Zack''s words. She replied,"Don''t you know? Great number of people are after your life." "I''m not even sure of the Red Moon Tower. I won''t be surprised if they join forces with others to eliminate you." Her words send a cold chill along my spine. I suddenly remembered the face of the rude woman. She was the one who selected those two girls at that time. Seeing Zack''s mood went down. . Dean Rebecca said,"About transportation. There is one solution available." When she said those words. I raised my head to look into her eyes. What solution is she going to talk about? "Like the teleportation tower. We do have similar teleportation points connecting to the nearest places of other academies." "The teleportation point was a secret known to few people of our academy. Unless, it''s important no one is allowed to use the teleportation point." When she dropped such a huge secret. My heart set off storms. Don''t tell me they all are strategic teleportation points. Unless the academy faces a huge threat. They won''t be using it. But I was surprised by her actions. Why did she reveal such a secret to me? There was no need for that. Traveling there is a bit of hassle. But it''s not impossible. Dean Rebecca again saw through Zack''s thoughts. "From your flustered face. I can see you were surprised. But we are not the only ones who have secret teleportation points. I bet other academies do as well," She said. Again, I felt slightly dizzy from such a revelation. "Dean, you don''t have to tell me the confidential information," I said with a small cough. "Alright, here are coordinates for the teleportation point. I will send you access later. You can use the teleportation point after going out of the academy,"After saying that she sent two coordinates to Zack''s watch. Beep! I received the messages the next second. Then after thanking her. I walked out of the room. Phew! Finally, I got a chance to go outside. Now that I got the permission. I have to make steady preparation before venturing outside. Starting from buying emergency items. The treasure pavilion has many items. Ranging from weapons to healing herbs. After gaining some clarity, I decided to look into the treasure pavilion items. Beep! Before I could move. I received another message from someone. "Who is it this time?" I muttered, as I began to read the message. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. The Special Faction members want to see me. It has been some time since I talked with them. Sigh! It can''t be helped. They all are Super Elite Warriors. I can''t join their mission. But it would be stupid to ignore their request. They also know more about the faction head. I have yet to meet that person. After gaining some clarity in thoughts, I changed my direction and walked toward the Special Faction Area. A few minutes later, I reached the lobby. The warriors who were passing by already noticed my presence. Gasp! The commotion broke out all of a sudden. "Hey, why is he here?" "Is he going to the Special Faction Room?" "What about the challenge post?" "No metal faction members are here." The flame faction members immediately recognised Zack''s face and they started to call out. But unfortunately there are no warriors from the metal faction found in the lobby. There are people from other factions as well. But they are small in numbers. My mouth twitched, hearing the commotion from these people. Ignoring everyone, I walked upstairs. I''m sure in a few minutes, warriors from the metal faction would arrive here. I quickly reached the Special Faction Common Room. After entering the access code, I walked into the hall. Then I entered the living section. Where I met them last time. "Zack, you are here?" Ice queen, Laverne Morrow greeted me with an icy cold voice. "Senior," I responded with a slight nod. I see Michael Blevins and Ernest Kirk on the sofa. "Zack, take your seat," Michael said. Hearing that I sat down in a nearby chair and looked toward them. I don''t know their purpose for calling me. "Zack, do you know Brandon Hurst?" Ernest asked. I sighed inwardly. So that was all about. I realized something. Michael already advised me about this. The Special Faction Head doesn''t like his students to stand out too much. This challenge duel will once garner attention from people. Not only from our academy but other academies as well. What to do? I''m not afraid of offending the faction head. Because the dean was on my side. If my assumption was correct, she was behind the duel arrangement. Nothing can happen without her permission. I answered,"I''m going to accept the challenge. And the dean had already given me permission." "Dean?" Michael raises his eyebrows in surprise. If the dean is behind all of these then nothing can be done. Ernest was surprised as well. Three of them were finally able to realize that these duels were not simple. It''s not happening due to rivalry. But the higher ups wanted it to happen. Michael let out a deep sigh. He said,"Since the duel is going to happen. Make sure you win it." "If you need help, you can ask us," Laverne said with a smile. Hearing that an idea comes to mind. I do need help. But not for the duel but for my trip to the mountain. "I need some pills,"I said. My words surprised three of them. "Ha..Ha...Ha.." "I thought you were going to ask for treasures or some weapons. But you need pills. Which is fine with me," Ernest said with some laughter. "What kind of pill do you want?" Michael asked. "Just healing pills were fine," I replied. Right now, I need healing pills for my trip more than anything. Who knows if I got attacked it would come handy. Since my essence was dried out. I can only use my body strength. So the healing pills are going to be much more useful. "Are you preparing for the aftermath of the duel? You remain unscathed after fighting against Tyler Lane. So why do you need the healing pills?" Laverne asked out of curiosity. She spotted it. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. Before I could respond. Michael answered,"Okay, we will give you healing pills before the duel." Chapter 489 High Peak Mountain ? From MC''s Perspective: After two days, I got ready to leave the academy. For the past two days, I have been preparing for this trip. I bought some healing pills from the Treasure Pavilion. There are a lot more items that I could buy. But due to lack of money. I bought only the necessary items. Then I walked out of their dorm building. While heading toward the teleportation tower. I texted the dean about my leaving. I believe she might be able to control chaos after my departure. The metal faction members are getting impatient. They wanted an immediate reply from me. But I simply disregarded and ignored the official duel post. Some of them are purposely staying outside the special faction common room. But it''s a pity they won''t get to see me for some time. I reached the teleportation tower. Already some warriors spotted me on the way. But they don''t hinder me. They must be thinking I''m going to the monster zone for training. After entering the building, I walked up to the center. Then I selected the private coordinates point to teleport. Swish! Shortly after, the blue lights lit up. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot. Red Moon Tower: Forest Area, When I opened my eyes. I found myself in the middle of a green vegetation. "This," I muttered. Looking at the surroundings. My eyes flickered with surprise. When she told me, I thought it was a suburb. But looking at this place. I feel I got closer to the destination. I opened my sci-fi to see whether the network is active. Seeing the active signal. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. At least I can navigate easily. Then I opened the map to see my current location. A holographic image appeared above the watch. And I spotted the red dot on the blue color map. Then I searched for the destination. The high peak mountain is closer than I had expected before. Which is good news to me. My current location is far away from the core area of the Red Moon Tower. Hardly, anyone comes to this forest area. I don''t want to face anyone during the cultivation. Especially the elder who was hostile to me during the crimson hall competition. I don''t want to come across ever. She had openly stated she won''t be friendly when we meet next time. After pushing down these thoughts, I started to walk. The sky was covered with rainy clouds. At any moment, I can hear thunder and lightning. But it was good for me. Only with lightning and thunder, I can gather more lightning energy from the surroundings. While walking, I''m clearing the overgrown bushes as well. I don''t know whether this forest has any Class Monsters. But I''m sure like Liz Mountain, this place has some pseudo-monsters as well. One hour later, The sky was covered with dark clouds. Heavy rain starts to pour down my face. Accompany by thunder and the environment. This environment gives me the perfect condition to cultivate. Unfortunately, I can''t find any solid open spots to sit down and cultivate. But I have yet to reach my goal. Because the high peak mountain is half a mile away from here. It would take some time to reach the foot of the mountain. Without minding the pouring heavy rain. I continued to walk on the path. A few hours later, I reached the foot of the mountain. This time I found a few bedrock at the foot of the mountain. This is a blessing in disguise. I drank some water before walking up to the place. I sat cross-legged on the solid rock. Before I started cultivating, I activated the perceptual ability. Though I haven''t seen any pseudo-monsters. I''m sure there are some around the vicinity. I closed my eyes and started to run the celestial scripture. Right after, a star lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Right after, I felt a sense of ease and closeness to the surroundings. I can confirm that the surrounding environment has lightning energy. Then I started to attract the energy faster from the surroundings. It was even twice as fast compared to the academy environment. And when it is compared to the mountain Liz. It''s many more times. Because this high-peak mountain area is located inside the Tier-6 region. Normally world energy is abundantly present here. Now that I have a chance to cultivate in the lightning environment. I can feel a huge difference now. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy through veins according to the method. After circulation, the refined essence settles down inside the dantian. The purple essence slowly starts to fill the empty dantian. But the majestic totem didn''t move at all. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. When a certain refined essence filled in. The totem will make a move. After a few hours, I see the vibration of the totem. When the purple essence covered half of the dantian. The totem starts to make the purple essence more pure and powerful. Seeing that I continued the process. When the dantian is fully covered. I can go back to the academy. Time passed, I opened my eyes two hours later. A bright smile can be seen on my face. Because the environment here is more effective than I had thought. It took me a few hours to fill the dantian with lightning essence. It saved me a lot of time. When I''m thinking about cultivation. Suddenly, I felt some movements ahead through perception. I got up from the solid rock and carefully looked outside. I spotted a few red dots coming in my direction. A hint of doubt flashes in my eyes. Is this monster or a warrior? I decided to hide and watch over them. "Lightning Phantom Technique," I said. The next moment, the purple arcs covered my legs. I disappeared from the spot and moved towards a gigantic mountain rock to hide behind it. Shortly after, I see the identities of the red dots. "Red Moon Tower Warriors," I said in my heart. Seeing the number of people. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. What are they doing here? A trace of doubt appeared in my heart. But I decided to wait and see. "Hey, look here." "See, I told you someone came before us." "The traces are clear." The four male warriors started to talk among themselves. They all are Elite Warriors from the Red Moon Tower. Like any other academy, the red moon tower also sends its warriors to do some missions. Especially when it comes to collecting specific herbs. Warriors come to high-peak mountains to collect herbs. But at this moment, four of them were perplexed. They don''t see anyone leaving the academy before them. "It must be our academy student," One of the warriors commented. Four of them didn''t suspect the person might be an outsider. The high peak mountain is their territory. Who dares to come here other than them? Suddenly, one of the warriors frowned. "Do you guys feel something weird here?"He asked. "What?" The 2nd warrior asked back. Hearing that the warrior shook his head. "It''s nothing." "Let''s go. We have to find other herbs as well," the warrior said. Right after, four of them went to the other side of the mountain. After some time, I appeared back at the solid rock. "Herbs," I muttered while massaging the temple. I almost forgot about this. The mountain is an ideal place for energy-rich herbs to grow. Suddenly, a good idea struck my mind. I have completed my lightning training. So what about the healing scripture? This is a good place to gather healing energy as well. But the problem is those people. If they come back during cultivation, it would be troublesome. What to do? A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. Then I decided to take the chance. If they appear, I can always detect them using my perception ability. After deciding, I sat cross-legged on the ground and started to cultivate the wooden scripture. Right after, I felt the presence of green energy from the surroundings. I cracked up a wide grin. Having the healing energy before a duel is a good thing for me. It saves me from using the healing pill. Slowly, I circulated the absorbed green energy through my body. After the circulation, the refined energy settles down inside the dantian. A small amount of green essence can be seen in the purple sea. Seeing that, I continued to repeat the process. Meanwhile, the red moon tower team is busy looking for the herbs. After one hour, I looked inside the dantian. The amount of green essence has increased compared to last time. Fortunately, the purple lightning essence and green healing essence didn''t mix. After retracting my thoughts, I looked outside. The thundering rainstorms didn''t stop at all. Looking at the time, I realized it was evening. I can go back later. So I have decided to cultivate a few more hours before leaving this place. Chapter 490 Accepting The 2nd Duel Post ? From MC''s Perspective: High Mountain Peak, After a few hours, I stopped cultivating the wood scripture. It''d almost dawn. And the rain continues to pour down. So I decided to leave. Before getting up, I looked inside my dantian. The green essence was increased by a considerable amount. So I can leave the place with ease. Rumble~ When I got up I heard some rumbling sound. But nothing was found in my perception. Feeling uneasy slightly in my heart. I started to move toward the teleportation point. This time I don''t want him to use the lightning movement technique. It''s a waste to use the lightning phantom technique after spending long hours storing purple essence in my dantian. Meanwhile, the red moon tower warriors appeared back at the same place after some time. They are going back after completing their mission. But as they walked past the solid bedrock, one of the warriors noticed something. He spotted footprints on the ground. Which shows someone just walking by this place. "Looks like that one from the academy is going back before us," The 2nd warrior commented. At this time the rest of them also noticed the footprints. All are convinced that the person is their academy student. After taking a glance at the footprints, they continued their journey. Time went by, After some hours, I used the same teleportation point to come back to the academy. But the time went beyond 9 P.M. And I haven''t had a nice meal yet. If it was wild, I could cook monster meat for dinner. Sigh~ After letting out a small sigh, I walk back to the dorm room. I quickly walked to take a hot bath. The rainy atmosphere is something. It made me take a hot shower. Several minutes later, I changed into comfortable clothes and laid down comfortably on my bed. The trip to the high mountain peak turned out to be fruitful. Thanks to the dean, she had found a gem of a place. Hereafter, I can use it as a secret base. I''m feeling relaxed right now. The issue about the lack of a lightning cultivation environment was weighing down in my mind earlier. Now it has gone completely. I don''t have to worry about balancing both lightning and body technique. I cracked up a small smile unknowingly. "Oh, yes. What have these metal faction warriors done today?" I mumbled under my breath. I guess, probably they might have searched the entire academy to find me. Though they are annoying with their stalking. But they do bring some entertainment from time to time. Suddenly, the image of Uncle James and Granny Park comes to mind. My mood instantly goes down. Though tier-6 region is a blessed land for warriors. But for people coming from lower-tier cities. It is nothing but the experience of walking on the edge of the knife. I''m yet to feel comfortable here. When it comes to the Red City and my home in White Snow City. I had always felt somewhat confident. But here the environment is completely different. I know who is targeting me. People are openly doing it. The Giant Tower Faction even made it clear. Even the dean didn''t hide secrets from me. She even told me about the year-end conference. The conflicts between the various academies are a reality. I can only raise my strength and develop steadily before going to the inner post. I don''t know what''s like inside the Inner Post regions. A look of longing appeared in my eyes. Then pushing down these thoughts, I access my communication watch to look for the post online. When the page appears. I see a lot of headlines. But the next moment, my heart turned cold. [Cowardly cat Zack Lockwood''s disappearance.] "Who made this post?" I said to myself. Then I began to scroll down the page. I see several mean posts about me. These people labeled me as a coward running away from the challenge. I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. Everyone saw how I took care of Tyler Lane. The guy was Peak Elite Warrior. And I don''t think there is a massive gap between him and Brandon Hurst. My mouth curves into arcs. These guys are using academy students'' opinions to raise the image of their faction. What a trick! I sneered inside. The dean gave me some time before the duel. Since I have recovered the purple essence. I don''t want to waste time. I made up my mind to accept the duel post. And as for the date? I cracked up with a cold smile on my face. After closing down the site, I accessed my student account. To accept the challenge, I have to properly respond through the official channel. Then I set the duel for the next afternoon. After completing the procedure, I fell asleep comfortably. Meanwhile, the official duel post''s scheduled date appears on everyone''s timeline. Shortly after, the academy''s social media site was taken by storm. Today all day long the Academy social media site was bombarded with mean posts and rude comments about Zack Lockwood. But no one would have expected to see the official duel schedule at this time. The dean, Rebecca, was sleeping in her bedroom. When the notification came she immediately woke up. As a dean, she can''t miss a single notification. But when she saw the message, She let out hysterical laughter, "Ha...Ha...Ha...." "So he came back successfully from the high peak mountain," She said to herself. The news came as a surprise. More than the duel, she is glad that Zack''s trouble was solved. Now he can go to the high peak mountain to cultivate lightning essence. Not only Zack, as a dean she was also worried about that problem. Because Zack''s presence is important during the year-end conference. If he can raise his level, then it would be good news for the academy as well. Then she went back to sleep. Hurst Family, Brandon Hurst was sleeping as well. But this news has completely taken away his sleep. Instead of getting angrier. He is smiling cruelly. "Good" "Good" "I thought he didn''t want to face me," Brandon said to himself. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "Tomorrow, I will defeat Zack in front of the Flame faction members. Then the prestige of the metal faction would rise by many folds," Brandon muttered. Then he got up from the bed to train. The following day, The whole academy is aware of last night''s post. Even the Flame faction members were surprised. Inside the flame faction common hall, Tyler Lane knitted his eyebrows. He knows about Zack''s strength. But at the same time, he didn''t underestimate Brandon either. Brandon got sophisticated metal techniques. It won''t be easy for Zack to win either. "So the duel will be worthwhile to watch," He said to himself. Similarly, Other faction members are looking forward to the duel. 9 A.M I walked out of the dorm building and headed to the dining hall. On the way, I spotted many students'' eyes filled with surprise. I guess last night''s news must have shocked them. After entering the dining hall, I saw that the seats were half filled. Even the half-filled seats were unusual at this time. Then a sudden realization struck my mind. These guys are here for me. If people want to see me, they can only find me here. Then ignoring their gazes, I walked up to the food counter. The familiar staff behind the counter greeted me with a smile. "Are you ready for the duel?" When I received the food plate. Her voice reached my ears. My eyes lit up with surprise. This is the 2nd time she took the initiative to talk to me. Last time she had warned me about the Flame faction warriors. "Yeah, I''m 100% ready," I answered with a smile. Then I sat in a corner to eat the food. While eating the food, I perked up my ears to listen to people''s conversations. "I heard Brandon has been training in deadly techniques." "Hey, if it''s true then, do you think Zack can survive?" "It''s not easy to win against Brandon." "Last time Zack defeated Tyler Lane effortlessly." "Harumph. It''s a lie." "I think Tyler was careless." When I heard all types of conversations. I almost choked up. These people are underestimating me. I think it''s better to make an example out of Brandon. After that, no elite warrior would dare to challenge me. But the problem is Brandon is not even a top warrior. There are many others in retreat. Then I continued to eat food. Several minutes later, I head towards the central arena or duel stage. Last time, I came at the last minute. So I didn''t have time to appreciate the massive arena. "Hmmm," I raised my eyebrows. I found some people following me from behind. Shaking my head, I walk slowly toward the central arena. Beep! Suddenly, I received a call from the dean. Seeing that I stopped my movements. Why is she calling me? Maybe she wants to know about high mountain peaks. Then I attended the call. The dean wants to meet me before the duel. Chapter 491 Part 1: Zack Vs Brandon ? From MC''s perspective: After ending the call, I changed my direction and headed to meet the dean. The people who are following me were surprised. But soon many of them start gathering in the main arena. A few minutes later, I reached the dean''s office and entered the room. As usual the dean is waiting for my arrival. I stepped forward to take a seat and sat opposite to her. Dean Rebecca smiled brightly. When Zack entered the room. She felt the surging energy from Zack''s badly. "Looks like the high peak mountain turned out to be a blessing," Dean Rebecca said with a smile. When her words reached my ears. I felt the assumption turned out to be true. She wants to know about the high peak mountain. Should I tell her about those red moon tower warriors? "Dean, the teleportation point was close to the high peak mountain. So I managed to reach the foot of the mountain under pouring rain." "But shortly after I spotted red moon tower warriors. They came to collect herbs near the foot of the mountain," I replied calmly. Rebecca''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. She almost forgot about the importance of that place. From time to time the red moon tower allows their students to visit there. "It''s good as long as you don''t get caught. Otherwise, it would become difficult for us to even save you," Rebecca said in a serious tone. It''s not guaranteed whether they would spare Zack''s life if they caught him. I nodded in response. But she isn''t aware of my capabilities. With perception alone, I can avoid a lot of dangers. "Okay, you can get ready for the duel," Rebecca said. Then I got up from the seat and walked out of her cabin. Several minutes later, I reached the duel arena. I took the participants'' entrance and followed the path. Last time, I signed the papers before the duel. When I walked inside. I found no staff yet to come. But the door to the arena was opened. Seeing that I walked toward the door. When I stepped outside, I saw the whole view of the arena. Hundreds of empty seats came into view. In the middle of the ground, there is this duel platform. After taking a good look at the massive structure, I walked back to the registration spot and found the chair to sit down on. Right now, no one is here. I can use this time to sit and relax. 1. Sword Divide: Big wheel (Beginner) 2. Lightning Wheel: Big wheel (Beginner) 3. Lightning Phantom: Big wheel (Beginner) 4. Blood Field Technique: Small wheel (Intermediate) 5. Soul Tower Method: Small wheel (Beginner) 6. Soul Needle Art: Small wheel ( Beginner) 7. Lightning finger technique: (Beginner) I reviewed the techniques in my mind. The Sword Divide and Lightning Wheel would consume more purple essence compared to the Lightning finger technique. So I decided to try the Lightning finger technique. If the opponent is too hard to difficult then I will choose other methods to end him. "Brandon uh?" I mumbled. I hope this guy will give me a tough time. Then I closed my eyes and began to wait. Meanwhile, The Metal Faction Head, Marcus Lin is receiving messages from other faction heads. They want to hear his opinion. Everyone is waiting to see whether Brandon can win against Zack Lockwood. Even the Vice-dean Franklin asked him casually the other day. But last night the news came out as unexpected. He too has seen the rude post yesterday. Earlier, the students are impatient regarding Zack''s decision. He feels the rude post triggered Zack to make such a fast decision. Anyways, he was happy. He got chance to show the other factions about metal faction warriors fighting techniques. So today''s duel is going to be important. He knows Zack is strong under Super Elite. But at the same time he wants to see the progression of Brandon. Time went by, As the time for duel gets closer. Dean Rebecca allowed students of A grade institute to watch the duel. So the warriors from the Flame Faction, Rain/Water Faction, Gale/Wind Faction, Rock Faction and Metal Faction are entering the duel arena. Meanwhile, The Special Faction Common Room was occupied by three people as usual. Like last time, they have planned to watch the duel live from here. Michael, Laverne and Ernest were sitting in their seats comfortably. "What happened to Zack?" "He approved the duel all of a sudden. I thought he was training hard the other day," Ernest said. A quick glint flashes in Michael''s eyes. Actually the newcomer Zack made him more interested. Lightning element is so domineering that he wanted to fight Zack when he reached their level. But Zack''s sudden show of strength shows that he can perform missions with them. If Zack can defeat Peak Elite warrior without breaking sweat. Then he can fight against Class 5 Monsters. For some reason after that day he avoided their proposal. Ever since then this question weighed down his mind. Suddenly, a good idea struck his mind. Next time, he decided to follow Zack to the monster zone and see what he is up to? Laverne as usual didn''t think that deeply. Three of them have their opinions when it comes to Zack Lcokwood. Meanwhile, Brandon Hurst walks out of the metal faction common room and heads to the duel arena with his team members. Duel Arena, I was greeted by the staff. They are surprised to see me sitting here alone. After nodding at them, I continued to wait. There is still half an hour left before the start of the duel. Several minutes later, Brandon Hurst came here to sign papers. Seeing me he was surprised. He asked,"You came early." I smiled and replied,"I want to end the match quicker before going to the dorm." Hearing that Brandon''s face turned ugly. He purposely tries to probe Zack''s base. But he didn''t find anything. He gave a slight snort before signing the papers. After he entered the duel area. Seeing that I stood up as well and processed to finish the procedures. After signing, I walked into the ground slowly. At this time, the atmosphere of the duel arena is different. It was silent a couple of hours ago. Now I can hear loud noises. As far as I can see the seats were filled with people. After reaching the duel platform, I stepped forward and made direct eye contact with Brandon Harsh. The Conference room, "It''s happening," Rebecca muttered, looking at the screen. Right now, all the faction heads are sitting inside the conference room including Vice-dean Franklin and the Metal Faction Head, Marcus Lin. Dean Rebecca wants to stress the importance of the year end conference after this duel. Though the faction heads are proud of their students. She wants them to motivate the warriors further. If Zack wins the duel, Brandon has to work harder to improve his strength. Vice-dean Franklin seated expressionless. He knows Zack is a special person because of powerful background. So the dean is paying special attention to him. He is aware that the dean has given special privileges to Zack so that he can enter any monster zones under the Academy. It''s a partial treatment. And it''s unfair to the top warriors of the academy. He always wanted to confront the dean about this. Fortunately, she called for this meeting. If Zack loses to Brandon, he decides to bring up the issue before everyone. Whereas Marcus Lin is hoping Brandon will fight well. Duel Arena, [The official duel starts now.] When the announcement came. I see Brandon making his first move. I raised my hand and pointed fingers at Brandon to release the 1st stage of lightning finger technique. The powerful lightning gathers at the tip of my fore finger in the blink of an eye. Cheer~ The crowd let out a huge cheer in response. The next moment, a purple beam shot at the target. Brandon didn''t get flustered. He forms a round metal shield in thin air to defend himself. When the powerful beam collides with the shield. Boom~ A loud boom reverberated throughout the arena. The collision resulted in an explosion. The next second, smoke quickly covered the whole duel platform. Gasp! The warriors exclaimed in surprise witnessing the lightning power. The lightning element is rare. Not every day the warriors from other factions can witness the strength of the Special element warrior. When the smoke cleared. Brandon''s appearance came into view. The silver color round shield got black mark in the middle. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with twinkle. Brandon started to use peak elite power from the get go. "Harumph," Brandon gave a cold snort before forming several metal spikes in mid air. Cheer~ Seeing this move the warriors from the metal faction erupted in loud cheer. The sharp spike technique is one of the killing moves of the metal faction warriors. They didn''t expect to see this move from the start. Brandon shot several sharp spikes at me. They are coming at full speed. Without concentration, it''s difficult to see each spike. Chapter 492 Part 2: Zack Vs Brandon ? From MC''d Perspective: Several metal spikes were shot at me.. Swish~ The next second, the purple arcs covered my legs in a blink of an eye. I evaded those spikes by using lightning movement technique. I was not planning to waste purple essence. But I underestimated the metal element killing techniques. I remember someone warned me about this before. A small smile appeared on my face. Boom~ Boom~ The metal spikes land a hit at an empty spot creating noise. Using the opportunity, I raised my hand and pointed my firefighter at Brandon. "Lightning finger technique-2nd stage," I said in my heart. I mobilized the purple essence. The next moment, lightning power gathered at my fingertips. Seeing this move, the crowd erupted again. Even I hear a booing sound all of a sudden. Brandon reveals a smirk on his face. Seeing that I laughed in my heart. The next second, I released the attack. The purple beam shot at Brandon. This time the attack speed was twice as fast as the 2nd stage. "What?" Brandon was stunned. He hurriedly forms the metal shield to block. But he was too late. The purple beam collides with a metal shield when it''s not fully formed. Boom~ Unlike before, the 2nd stage finger technique output was powerful. It destroyed the half formed metal shield. And the remaining purple arc lands a blow to Brandon''s body. This all happened in the blink of an eye. The aftermath immediately swept away the platform. The smoke covered the audience''s view as well. Swish~ Seeing that the purple arc covered my legs again and I dashed towards him to land a surprise blow. Brandon''s expression turned ugly. His shield took the majority of the impact from the attack earlier. Except superficial injury over skin. He is alright. Just as the smoke is disappearing. He sees a purple arc before him. Before he could realize he was attacked. The opponent punched him on the face. Smack~ The brute force pushed him towards the edge. His face filled with shock. "What the [email protected] happened?" Why does he feel pain over a simple punch? He realized this was not the time to doze off. But again he was too late. A purple beam lands a blow to his chest. Argh! He let out a scream in agonizing pain and fell out of the duel platform. This time he took the brunt of lightning finger technique. Silence~ The crowd uttered complete silence. Everyone hoped to see a fiery fight and that too a long standing one. But the duel once again resulted in one sided crushing. At the same time, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Brandon was overconfident. I realized I had to use fist to end this duel quickly. [Official Duel: Zack Lockwood is declared as winner.] Cheer~ This time the audience woke up after the loud announcement and let out a roaring cheer. Once again, Zack''s domineering lightning etched in everyone''s mind. By this time, Brandon also came to his senses. Looking at the surroundings, he feels dumb. "How?" he uttered. Veins begin to pop up in his forehead. He realized his mistake. "So he had planned this from the beginning," He said to himself, looking at Zack who was enjoying the praises. He feels humiliated. He wanted this duel to be upright. But the opponent played cunning. "Zack" "You are a coward. No wonder you won against Tyler as well." "Instead of defeating us fair and square. You had to resort to a trick. How despicable," Brandon uttered ruthless words. When his words reached my ears. My mouth curves into arcs. Our conversation no one can hear because of loud cheer. I looked towards him. His face looked distorted. Looks like the defeat hit him hard. "Brandon. Don''t forget you are a Peak Elite Warrior. So, don''t find any excuse," I replied. Then I waved my hand toward the audience before leaving the duel arena. Conference Room, "Ha..Ha...Ha...," Dean Rebecca let out laughter in joy. Zack won the official duel again. And it''s the 2nd one. This is the scene she wants to see. Peak Elite Warriors are defeated by Early Level Elite. The metal faction head, Marcus Lin''s face is not looking good. And Dean''s laughter irked him more. The Elite Section''s 3rd powerful warrior in their metal faction has lost the duel. Marcus completely lost his face in front of everyone here. Even Vice-dean Franklin Madden was speechless as well. He looked towards the dean and asked,"Dean, is that lightning element really that powerful?" Hearing that question everyone turned their attention towards the dean. Dean Rebecca sighed. She can understand the mood of everyone. "The lightning element is a special element. And it''s as powerful as the record says. But it also depends on the warrior who uses it," She said, looking at everyone. "This time, Zack made Brandon let down his guard by revealing a small attack. From then Brandon used the killing technique right away." "But unfortunately, he was overconfident and Zack tricked him in the end. The 2nd lightning attack was powerful than 1st one." "Before Brandon could think. Zack made him fall off the platform," She added further. Shock~ The faction heads revealed shocked expressions on their faces. "So Zack used his brain and Brandon didn''t," Franklin commented. Marcus Lin''s expression went down a little after hearing Dean''s words. He too noticed Zack''s quick thinking. Like somehow he came prepared. But Brandon was blinded by his Peak Elite Strength. So he decided to talk some sense to him later. Vice-dean Franklin furrowed his eyes. He knows that the dean didn''t simply call them here to watch the duel. There is something more. He was also disappointed by Brandon''s defeat. He was planning to bring up the issue on the table. But Brandon spoiled all of his plans. Now if he does that he will get on the dean''s bad side. At this time, Rebecca turned off the screen and looked at everyone. "Now let''s get down to the real business." "I called you all for this meeting to discuss the year end conference." Gasp~ The Faction heads expressed surprise. Vice-dean Franklin was calm on the other hand. He was wondering what this was all about? But a year end conference? "isn''t it too early to discuss this matter?" Franklin asked. Rebecca replied,"No, it''s a good time to discuss. Because I want all the faction heads to train their students even harder. Especially the top 10 warriors in each faction." "I don''t want to see them defeated by Early Elite Warriors like Zack," When she said those words. The faction heads were displeased. But they nodded their heads in understanding. They can understand why the dean arranged this meeting now. The warriors from other academies are exceptionally strong as well. They won''t be surprised if they see a warrior similar to Zack who can fight across ranks. Seeing the serious expression on everyone''s face. Dean Rebecca was satisfied. This is the reaction she wants to see from them. If it was earlier, then they would have neglected her words. Now Zack''s duel showed them a mirror. Hereafter, each faction will be well prepared. Then they talked about a few other things before ending the meeting. The Special Faction Room: Michael remained silent. His earlier suspicion became more. Even in this duel, it looked like Zack dealt with it easily. "Good" "Good" "As usual we were worried for nothing," Ernest said with a smile. "Hereafter, no-one will challenge him," Laverene said. "That won''t happen," Michael interjected by saying that. "Have you forgotten those hot heads from the flame faction?" Michael asked. Laverne frowned. She almost forgot about those annoying guys. Tyler Lane was just one person. There are still many others in retreat. If those hot headed guys are back, then they would pester Zack for sure. The Metal Faction: Brandon Hurst secretly went back without meeting everyone''s eyes. At this moment, he can''t see his friend and faction members'' eyes. It''s totally humiliating and embarrassing. When he was about to enter the room. He received a message from the faction head. Seeing that his expression became even more worse. He knows what''s going to happen next? Several minutes later, He reached the office after avoiding the scrutinizing gaze of everyone on the way. The Flame Faction: Tyler Lane was in a better mood compared to a few days ago. "He...He..He..." "This guy Brandon was worse than me," Tyler Lane said to his friends in front of him. "Yeah, he was an idiot. Lost without showing much of a fight." "What about other factions?" "I don''t think the Rain Faction and the Rock Faction would participate in an official duel." The flame faction members started to talk among themselves. Earlier, everyone thought that metal factions would embarrass them. But in contrast to everyone else. Brandon has met with the same fate as Tyler. So those flame faction warriors who were dissatisfied with Tyler earlier.Now their anger was gone completely. Meanwhile, I came back to my room with a smile on my face. Brandon was not that strong. And he was not a quick thinker as well. After pushing down these thoughts, I went back to take a shower. Chapter 493 Class-5 Black Horned Snake ? From MC''s perspective: The following day- 9 AM, After getting ready, I decided to go to the dining hall. Last night, I had a good night''s sleep. So I woke up a little bit late today. Before going to the dining hall, I thought about seeing the online post. I hope people''s opinion changed after the last day''s duel. I opened my sci-fi watch and started to access the Academy''s social media site. When I opened the page, I saw images of yesterday''s duel. Seeing that I scrolled down to see further news. [Zack proved his dominance again.] [Real or Fake: Zack showed his prowess in the duel.] [Brandon''s lack of judgment?] [is the Rain Faction & the Rock Faction going to stay silent?] I came across many posts. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Unlike the day before yesterday, I see no negative posts this time. "This is good news," I muttered to myself. I got up from the bed and walked out of the room. Today I''m planning on hitting the gravity chamber. I have to push the body''s limits further. So that I can absorb the monster cores better. After a few minutes, I walked inside the dining hall. The atmosphere inside the hall is different from before. I stopped my walking before looking around the hall. As usual I feel a lot of gazes on me. But this time there was some change. I see a lot of awe in people''s eyes. I think it''s a good start. As long as people are not hostile. It''s fine for me. I remember a similar thing happening back in the Hansen Campus. Before I got the place as a seedling candidate the senior students didn''t like me that much. Then nodding at them I walked to the food counter. I see a middle aged man behind the counter. "What happened to her?" I asked. The middle aged man was startled hearing my voice. He raised his head and answered, "She took a sick leave." "Hmmm," I nodded my head in response before receiving the food plate. Then I found a nearby empty seat to sit down on. While munching down the fruit said. I ponder deeply. For morning practice, I plan on using the gravity room. Then I will go to the monster zone at noon. I have a vague feeling that my body strength will hit the barrier soon. If I could collect monster cores, the breakthrough process can be . Several minutes later, I walked out of the dining hall and headed straight to the Gravity Training place. Walking, I see people looking at me with respectful gaze. Sigh~ I sighed inwardly. Everywhere you go, only the strong are respected. I reached the training spot quickly. The training place was located in the 2nd building. When I walked in, my eyes immediately scanned the available gravity rooms. Right three gravity rooms were lit up with green signals. So I can use any one of them. I accessed the nearest one to enter. Creak~ The gravity chamber door closed automatically. . I then walked up to the monitor to change the settings. I set the gravity force to stage 4. Rumble~ Shortly after, the vibration started. I stand in the middle of the platform. Slowly, the gravity pressure increases from stage 1 to stage 4. When the gravity pressure hits stage 4. The sweat beads already started to form on my forehead. As expected, I should train under gravity pressure every day. But the muscle tearing pain is getting higher. I see strains on my muscles. If I increase the gravity to stage 5, I will bleed. Then calming down my emotions. I tried to run the blood method. To see whether there is an effect. This is quite a reckless move. Because I don''t have the monster core with me right now. Feeling the pressure on my leg, I sat cross-legged to alleviate some. "Hmmm," My eyes lit up with surprise. The red blood light again appears above flowing blood. Suddenly, I feel some cool down in my nerves. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom The muscle tension reduced as well. After feeling such changes, I closed my eyes and continued to endure. I know training under such extreme pressure will be beneficial to my body. Time passed, I opened my eyes two hours later. I realized I was completely soaked up in sweat. I got up from the ground and walked to the monitor. I changed the settings back to normal. Rumble~ The gravitational pressure disappeared. And I took a huge breath in relief. I felt a huge weight lifted off from my shoulder. Creak~ I opened the gravity room and walked out. The time is almost noon. Seeing that, I decided to take a shower before going to the monster zone. While heading back, I came across the metal faction members. Seeing their gloomy expression. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," I laughed in my heart. The metal faction warriors avoided my gaze and walked past me in hurry. Shaking my head, I continued walking. Dean wants to win at the year end conference. But looking at these guys, I doubt whether it would happen. Even the Red Moon Tower warriors are strong compared to these fellows. A few minutes later, I walked back to the dorm building and entered my room. The bad smell is attacking my nostrils. Hurriedly, I rushed to take a bath. Several minutes later, I changed to fresh clothes. I don''t know why I got this strange feeling in my body. I feel a lot more relaxed right now. Maybe the effects of gravity training are starting to work right now. A small smile appeared on my face. Then pushing down these thoughts, I walked out of the dorm building and headed to the teleportation tower. This time I am planning to enter the Class-5 Monster Zone. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. The Class-5 Monster Core can provide me with great energy. After entering the teleportation tower, I stepped up and selected the server. Right after the blue lights under the platform lit up. Swish~ The next second, I disappeared from the spot. When I opened my eyes. I found myself standing in the barren land. Unlike the dense green forest, I see the vast land in front of me. Wherever I see, there is only an open field. There is no sign of green patches on the ground. When I was observing the ground. Rumble~ The ground starts to vibrate all of a sudden. "It came," I muttered. I wasn''t surprised by the sound. I activated my perception ability. My perception covered the area surrounding me. The next second, I spotted a huge crack on the ground. Something coming in my direction. I took out the black sword and held it in my hand. I don''t know whether it''s a Class-4 or Class-5. But from the tremor, I have a feeling that it''s a Class-5. Boom~ A huge body rose up from the ground. Seeing that my pupil shrank. [Class-5 Black Horned Snake] A dark brown snake with two black horns appeared before me. After recognizing the snake, my expression becomes dignified. The reason is because this species of snake moves fast. Especially the Class-5 Monster, I can hardly imagine. I remained still in the position. It''s hard to judge the speed of the Class-5 Monster. The Black Horned Snake looked at me. Its snake pupils moved. Seeing that I became ready to use the lightning phantom technique. Rumble~ The snake dashed to the prey at breakneck speed. At the same time, I got alerted through my perception. "Lightning Phantom Technique" The purple arcs covered my legs. The next second, I retreated back at fast speed avoiding the deadly fangs of the snake. Dust rose up from the ground. The snake monster movements swept away the surroundings. After making a huge gap, a trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. This gap is not enough. The monster can reach me in a blink of an eye. For a moment, I''m having second thoughts about training here. Unlike the dense forest, this is an empty barren land. I have nowhere to hide. The Class-5 Snake can reach me in an instant. By that time, the dust had cleared. The snake monster turned toward me. I raised my sword to defend. The next second, the snake monster swept its long tail against me. Seeing the long tail, I covered the legs with purple essence again. Swish! I moved in the opposite direction in order to find some cover. While moving, I''m pondering how to handle the situation. Suddenly, a good idea comes to mind. I can target the snake''s eye by using the lightning finger technique. Boom~ The snake monster''s long tail lands a hit on the empty ground. The force caused a crack on the ground. The snake monster is not at all rushing to kill the prey. Meanwhile, I stopped moving and turned towards the snake monster. Through my perception, I can clearly perceive the movement''s of the monster. I''m waiting for the exact movement to attack. I know the monster will turn towards me. So I raised my hand and pointed the forefinger at the monster. Chapter 494 Calm Days ? (From MC''s Perspective) Monster Zone: Through perception, I see the monster''s movement. The next second, I released the lightning finger technique targeting the eye. Thunder~ A purple beam released from my finger and shot at the monster. The Black Horned Snake senses danger coming towards it. It moved its massive body. Because of its fast ability, the snake monster manages to avoid the hit. But the sense of danger coming from prey pisses it greatly. Hissing, the snake launched a full-scale assault. It dashed toward the prey at a faster speed. Meanwhile, I''m seeing an unbelievable scene through perception. I missed the target. It had never happened before. Then I suddenly realized something. The Class-5 Monster is different. You can''t treat it as dumb. The snake monster is especially cunning. Seeing the monster get closer, I held my sword before me. It''s not wise to run anymore. I will suffer more damage while fleeing. It''s best to confront the monster straight ahead. The snake monster opened its mouth and it aimed its massive fangs at me. Clang~ I blocked the fang with my black sword. The monster is slowly pushing me backward. Thanks to Mid-level body strength. I''m not crushed. I want to use the finger technique at this point and it won''t miss the target. Suddenly, a good idea comes to mind. "Blood Field Technique," I muttered. I released the aura hiding inside my body. The invisible provides deterrence to hostile minds. When the invisible aura appears around my body. The Black Horned Snake lost its mind for a moment. "Good Chance," I uttered. The next second, I held the black sword in my left hand and raised my right hand against the monster. "Lightning finger technique," A purple ball formed in my forefinger in a blink of an eye. The next second, I released the purple beam targeting the snake''s pupil. Thunder~ A straight purple beam reaches the target in a second. Boom~ The lightning pierces through the monster''s eye. The monster gained clarity right before the attack. But it was too late. Hiss~ Black Horned Snake monster hissed in agonizing pain. Seeing it is one eye gone, I pointed my fingers towards the left eye. But I saw a massive tail coming at me. I gripped the black sword in both hands and blocked the attack. Boom~ When the blade comes in contact with the snake''s scales. The collision caused a terrible sound. I retreated backward several steps. Because of my body strength, I''m not getting overwhelmed right now. I saw that the black-horned snake is not retreating at all. It''s still glaring at me with its left eye. It''s been a while since I have used the other lightning technique. My mouth curved into an arc. The next second, I dashed toward the monster without using the lightning technique. The snake monster is charging toward the prey as well. The annoying prey is slipping away from its fangs. The snake monster is enraged. When the monster got closer to me. I used the blood field technique again. Hiss~ Using the opportunity, I used the lightning attack technique. "Lightning Wheel" A massive lightning wheel appeared around me. The lightning power is more domineering than before because of the purified purple essence. The back-horned snake senses danger. But it was too late. Even using the speed ability, the monster wasn''t able to escape. The massive body comes in contact with the lightning wheel. Boom~ The lightning wheel explodes after coming into contact with the snake''s body. The Class-5 Monster''s scales are hard. It took the most of the brunt leaving behind the superficial injury. Seeing that, I wasn''t surprised. I clenched my fist and punched the monster. This all happened within seconds. I ran the blood method inside my body. The blood energy comes from redbones in my skeleton reaching my arms and finally, the power gathered around my fist. The Power was invisible to the eye. But I know a massive force gathered in my punch. When the punch comes in contact with the snake''s scales. Crack~ The punch tore through the monster''s body and the scales broke into several pieces. When I retract my fist, I see a massive hole in the snake''s body. Seeing that disbelief appeared in my eyes. I know my body strength is strong. But not to this extent. Then I realized it was due to weird movements earlier. I gained certain force from the red bones of mine. When I realized the power. A wave of ecstasy rose in my heart. After the blood field technique, I was looking forward to another blood technique. And this seems to be a proper killing technique. The Black Horned Snake is hissing in pain. I recalled the previous movement in mind. The next second, I charged against the monster. The snake monster spotted the prey. But it can''t move its body like before. The speed got massively reduced compared to before. I got closer to the monster. Like before I try to mobilize the force from the red bones of my skeleton. Right after, I ran the blood method. I felt a similar feeling inside my body. A certain force reached my arm from the bones. This kind of domineering feeling is addictive. Then I twisted my fist and punched the monster with brute force. Boom~ This time I tore through the defense more easily leaving behind another hole. Shortly after, the black-horned monster lost its vitality and dropped dead on the ground. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. This time the trip turned out to be fruitful. More than the monster core, I gained a new fist technique. Then I gripped the black sword and walked up to the monster. I started to dissect the body parts slowly. Time passed, Several minutes later, I stored the monster parts and monster core in my storage ring. When I looked inside my dantian. I found the purple essence was reduced by half. I furrowed my eyebrows. It took several lightning attacks to end the monster''s life. It even depleted half of my purple reserve. Then after calming down my heart. I decided to leave. I was hoping to collect two or more monster cores. But the purple essence was not enough. If I fight any other monster, my purple essence will be emptied. Then without thinking further, I moved to find the next teleportation point to leave. Shortly after, I reached the teleportation point. Fortunately, I didn''t come across monsters on the way. After stepping inside, I selected the server. Swish~ The next moment, I disappeared from my spot. When I opened my eyes. I found myself back inside the teleportation tower. A few minutes later, I walked back into my room. Before taking a shower, I decided to cultivate the blood element method. I stepped inside the training room. I walked to the middle of the platform and sat-cross legged. Then I took the Class-5 Monster Core and held it in my palm. I closed my eyes and started to run the blood element method. Slowly, I started to absorb the monster''s core energy. When the energy entered my body. A hazy blood light appears above my blood. The next moment, the red light starts to absorb the energy. Immediately after, the energy was converted to white energy. Those white energies immediately drilled into my bones. I felt extreme heart-wrenching pain the next moment. I gritted my teeth and began to endure the pain. The red color started to expand and slowly it covered the thigh bone. It completely looked blood red. The Class-5 Monster Core still has some remaining energy left. When I repeated the process. I felt the barrier. A wave of ecstasy rose in my heart. The process can''t be repeated unless the barrier is broken. So I started to absorb the energy to attack the barrier. The barrier remained solid after the first attack. Seeing that I continued to attack the barrier. Even after some time, the barrier remained intact. A trace of disappointment flashes in my eyes. I opened my eyes and looked at the monster core in my hand. I can feel the small amount of energy in it. "I was right. One monster core is not enough," I said to myself. Then I placed the monster core back in my storage ring. I got up from the ground and walked out of the training room. The progress of the body method is good. But the essence of cultivation is lacking. Then I went to take a shower. Days went by, I stopped going to the monster zones. Instead, I shifted my attention back to the essence of cultivation. In the following days, I continued to visit the high peak mountain. One thing is to replenish the purple essence and another one is to reach the barrier in essence cultivation. I got the opportunity to reduce the gap between body strength and essence cultivation. So I had made up my mind to reach the essence barrier as soon as possible. And I hadn''t come across any of those Red Moon Tower Warriors. Strangely, no one came to disturb me. The academy site also became calm without any controversy. These days the Saw Scale Academy is in peace without any turmoil. Chapter 495 Mid-Level-Elite(Lightning Essence) ? From MC''s Perspective: A week later, After having breakfast, I head to the teleportation tower. For the past several days, I have been focusing on improving my essence cultivation. I hope today I will touch the barrier in essence cultivation. If I break through the essence barrier, then I simultaneously attempt a breakthrough in body cultivation. Everything has been calm lately. Even the flame faction warriors have been keeping silent for some reason. No one gave me any trouble lately. I hope this situation continues in the future. After walking inside the teleportation tower. I stepped up and stood in the middle of the platform. Then I selected the server for transfer. Right after, blue light lit up on the platform. Swish~ I disappeared from the spot. When I opened my eyes I found myself standing in the dense forest. Red Moon Tower- High Peak Mountain, When I looked up at the sky, I saw that the clouds were clear. Then as usual I started to move towards the destination. The place at the foot of the mountain has become my daily cultivation spot. After a few hours of walking, I reached the spot. I could have used the flight ability to reach here. But the risks are higher. I don''t want to be spotted by the Red Moon Tower People. So every time, I come here. I have been low key. Then pushing down these thoughts, I found the rock to sit down on. I sat cross-legged and activated my perception ability. Then I closed my eyes and started to run the celestial lightning scripture. Right after, the lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I began to absorb the purple energy from the surroundings. When the energy entered my body, I guided the energy according to the method. After circulation, the refined energy settles down in my dantian. Then I continued to repeat the process. After some time, I felt the presence of a barrier. My heart was at ease. Finally there is some result. Then I continued to repeat the process. Slowly, after the barrier became clear and solid. I feel I will breakthrough within the next two sessions. Now that the limit has been reached. I can''t refine the energy more. The dantian''s space has to be expanded next. For that I have to be patient until I get a breakthrough. So I got up and chose to exit. Two days later, I sat in the same place and started to attempt the breakthrough. I closed my eyes and started to run the lightning scripture. When the energy entered my body, I guided the energy to break the barrier. The purple energy collides with the invisible barrier. But the barrier remains intact. I felt no crack or weakness. The barrier appears to be solid. I have been doing this for two days. But the barrier is showing no signs of cracking. I continued to repeat the process. After some time, I felt some changes in the barrier. It''s loosening all of a sudden. Seeing that, a wave of ecstasy rose in my heart. Then I continued to attack the loosened barrier. Crack~ The essence barrier shattered. And I felt a new rush of energy inside my body. Inside the dantian, the size is beginning to expand. The movement stopped a few seconds later. Compared to before , the size was increased by half. Mid-level-Elite (Lightning Essence Cultivation) The next second, I found changes in my physique as well. The changes were subtle but I know the veins and meridians looked somewhat sturdier than before. I know the body changes are nothing when it comes to the blood element method. But I guess it has something to do with scripture. The ancient scripture also improved the physique slowly. So that physique can adapt with a domineering lightning element in each level. Then I continued to cultivate the purple essence in my dantian. From outside, the dantian looks normal. But inside the area is large. The ancient totem is standing in the middle covered by mists. After a few hours, the dantian was filled with purple essence. Earlier, the ancient totem made a move to purify the refined purple essence. After seeing that everything was fine. I stopped cultivation and opened my eyes. The breakthrough brought me a sense of ease. Now I don''t have to rely on body strength to defeat other Elite Warriors. Even if those top warriors came back from their retreat, I can defeat them. I also feel the lightning element has become powerful after the breakthrough. I suddenly got the urge to try out. I turned around and spotted the tree close to me. I raised my hand and pointed at the trunk of the tree. "Lightning finger technique," I muttered. A thick purple ball gathered at the tip of my forefinger. The next second, I released the lightning power. A thick purple beam shot at the target in a blink of an eye. Thundr~ When the lightning beam collided with the trunk. Boom~ The next second, the thick trunk was blasted into pieces. Leaving behind the tree debris on the ground. I looked at the result in disbelief. I just used a small amount of purple essence for the target. But the impact was great. A hint of satisfaction appeared in my eyes. Then I got up from the seat and decided to leave. A few hours later, I appeared back inside the teleportation tower. The pendant in my neck is blocking the inspecting eyes. No one can see through my realm. After a few minutes, I walked inside my room. A small black layer of impurities can be seen over my skin surface. Seeing that, I quickly went to take a shower. Time passed, At night, I began to search about the monster zones. There are quite dangerous monster zones present under the academy. I decided to collect as much as monster cores in the coming days. Starting from the barren monster zone tomorrow. I don''t know how many are required for the breakthrough. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. The following day, I walked inside the teleportation tower. After reaching the platform, I selected the server for transfer. Swish~ I disappeared from the spot and appeared back in the vast open field. Seeing the familiar atmosphere, I immediately activated my perception ability. Last time, the black horned snake monster made it difficult to hunt it down. This time, I don''t know what will appear? Through my perception, I saw no sign of a monster. Then I choose the direction to explore. I moved from the spot and headed towards the east. eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Growl~ Shortly after, I heard a monster sound. Hearing that I stopped my movement. And dashed towards the direction where the sound is coming from. A 10 feet brown leopard appeared in my sight. Not one but two. The two brown leopard monsters are fighting against each other. [Class-5 Brown Leopard Monster] My appearance stopped their fighting. The two male predators turned towards me. Seeing that I wasn''t surprised but felt glad in my heart. My workload is going to be reduced. One of the brown leopards suddenly leaped towards me. "Lightning finger technique" I released the lightning beam targeting the monster''s abdomen. Thundr~ A dense lightning beam pierces through the air. In a blink of an eye, it reached the monster''s abdomen. Boom~ The lightning power tore through the monster''s organs. Thud~ The brown leopard dropped dead on the ground after losing its vitality. Seeing that the 2nd brown leopard tried to flee. I released the lightning finger technique again. The powerful beam lands a blow in the blink of an eye. Pfff! Blood splattered on the ground. The monster then bleeds to death. Seeing that, my eyes gleamed with twinkle. Earlier, I needed more than one move to kill the monster. But now single finger technique alone is enough to take a monster''s life. Then I collected monster cores from the corpses. After placing them inside the storage ring, I began to dissect the parts. Time passed, After killing the brown leopards, I didn''t come across other monsters. Seeing that I decided to leave. I couldn''t wait to consume these monster cores. I returned to the academy a few hours later. After walking inside the room, I went to take a shower. When I walked out of the shower. I finally noticed the time. It''s almost evening time. I sighed inwardly. I didn''t even notice the time. After changing into comfortable clothes, I head to the dining hall. The following day, After completing the morning routine. I entered the training room to cultivate. I sat cross-legged and took the Class-5 Monster Core from the storage ring. I held it in my palm and began to run the blood element method. Right after, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, the monster core energy entered my body. I began to circulate the energy according to the blood method. But immediately after I felt the solid barrier. Then I guided the energy to break the barrier. When the energy collides with the barrier. It remained intact without any crack. After feeling that, I continued to repeat the process. Chapter 496 Peak-Level-Elite (Body Breakthrough) ? From MC''s Perspective: Dorm room, The barrier was loosened after the continuous attack. Right after, I guided the energy to attack the barrier again. Crack~ Right after, the barrier broke into pieces. The next moment, the changes begin to take place inside my body. My veins, meridians, bones, and inner organs strengthened a lot. Peak Elite- Body Strength My body cultivation steps into the peak stage of the elite. No one will be my opponent in the elite stage hereafter. Now, I have the confidence to fight against the Super Elite Warrior. After calming down my heart, I ran the blood element method to consume the remaining energy. When the monster''s core energy entered my body. The red light appears above the flowing blood. It immediately began to absorb the monster''s core energy then started to convert them into white energies. The process was faster compared to before. When the white energies drilled into my bones. The thigh bones are dyed with blood color. The area started to expand further. Several minutes later, the monster''s core crumbles into pieces. Then I took another Class-5 monster out of the storage ring to cultivate. I held it in my palm and started to run the blood element method. One hour later, When I finished stabilizing my new base. The monster core in my palm crumbles into pieces. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Now my essence is at Mid-level & body strength is at Peak-level. The Class-5 Monsters won''t be able to pose any threat. What about Class-6 Monster Core? I haven''t heard Michael, Ernest and Laverne talk about Class-6 Monsters before. Well, I feel there is no need to hurry right now. During the Crimson Competition, I felt threatened by the Super Elite Warriors. So I was not thinking of going outside earlier. But now I have strength to protect myself. I should do some missions to earn some points. I can''t ask the dean anything for free. She had already made a big concession by giving me the teleport address to the Red Moon Tower. After gaining some clarity, I decided to leave early. I walked out of the training room and headed to the bath to take a cold shower. Time passed, I intended to buy fresh clothes several minutes later. For this trip, I didn''t prepare that much. After getting ready, I left the room. Then I walk towards the mission hall to get some missions. After walking inside the building, I head to the mission hall. My appearance attracted people''s attention. But after giving some glances. They stopped bothering me. When I reached the mission hall. I see warriors coming and going. Some came to accept the mission and while others submitted the report. "Hey, what is he doing here?" "isn''t he practicing?" "I heard he has been spending time in the gravity chamber?" Everyone was surprised to see me here. Ignoring their gazes, I walked up to the front. The missions are displayed on the screen. They are differentiated based on difficulties. Starting from D-level missions to A-level missions. Apart from these categories, there are special missions that come under the category of S-rank. A level mission attracted my attention. But these missions are for Super Elite Warriors. That too only top warriors normally do A The restions. Rest of them were given B-level missions. And C & D level missions were given to the Elite Warriors like us. After reading the notice, a hint of disappointment flashes in my eyes. Then I shifted my attention to the D-level mission. And I began to read the task given. There are escort missions, errbody gardens, body guard missions and even tutoring. These missions are basic without any difficulties. Looks like the A & B mission and the C & B mission is divided into two categories. One is for strong warriors and the other one is for average warriors. After taking a glance at D missions, then I turned to C - level missions. When I glanced at a few headlines. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. The C- level missions are different. Then I slowly began to read the task details. After a few minutes, a realization dawned upon me. The C- level tasks are composed of arresting the rogue, spying, killing the wanted warriors, corrupt officials and other miscellaneous tasks which involve risk of life. After finding out the difference, I showed no hesitancy. The C- level tasks are suitable for me. I touched the monitor screen and selected the killing mission. Then I entered my student account number. Beep! The next moment, I received the mission information in my sci-fi watch. I didn''t open the message to read it fully. Because this is not the place to read. So I walked back to the dorm room. Meanwhile, Seeing the disappearing back of Zack. Everyone started to murmur again. Most of them saw Zack selecting the C-level mission. It will be a matter of time before it spreads to the entire academy. A few minutes later, I entered my room and immediately sat on the couch. It''s a killing mission but I want to know who the target is? I opened the message to read the mission description. [Mission Grade: C] [Target: Victor Philips. Age: 45. Base: Peak Elite Stage. Element: Mutated Fire] [Details: Kill the rogue warrior who committed heinous crimes under Saw Scale Academy Jurisdiction. Last seen: Outskirts of a small town located 50 miles away from the Viper City.] [Mission Rewards: 1000 points. 10 mid grade affinity stones.] My eyes flickered with a slight glint. The rogue''s information doesn''t look ordinary. Especially the information on elemental power. Mutated fire? I heard about this before. It''s not common for mutated elements to appear. But it was not rare either. Each year there are a considerable number of people who awaken mutated elements. But what I don''t understand is that the target is a rogue warrior. Then shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. It''s good that there is a time limit for the mission. Then I glanced at the rewards. I''m not interested in affinity stones but points. I can buy some monster essence pills from the Treasure Hall with it. There is no time to waste. So I got up from the couch and walked out the room after locking it. After a few minutes of walking, I reached the monster facility. Where the tamed monsters reside here. In order to go to the Viper City, I have to register first. Shortly after, I found the administration office. After a few minutes of registration. Someone came to me. The person appears to be a middle aged man. He is an Early Elite Stage Warrior. He seems to be an employee here. No need to guess. Those warriors who failed to breakthrough within limited years. Either they are expelled from the academy or they choose to work for the academy. "Hello Sir, are you the one requested for the transport service?" He asked. I nodded and showed the registration details in response. After confirming the details, he led me to the monster area. There are different types of bird monsters used for the transport service. But the monster''s strength is under Class-5 Initial to Class-5 Peak. There were no Class-6 Tamed monsters here. Class-6 existence can rival the Super Elite Warriors. One Class-6 Monster''s rampage is enough to destroy several low tier cities. Finally, I saw the appearance of the monster. It''s a distant relative of fierce falcons. The pointy claws and sharp beaks are showing some similarities. I heard the fierce falcon monsters have elemental ability. But this one seems to have reached its potential. There was no follow up growth. No wonder it was domesticated. We both sat on the bird monster''s back. Shortly after the bird monster rose up from the ground. Its huge wings created a powerful wind force. Right after, the bird monster started to fly towards the destination. Last time, I came here with the help of a bird monster. That monster looked a bit fierce compared to this one. The middle aged man guided the monster to fly at appropriate speed. Seeing that, a hint of approval flashes in my eyes. Then I began to enjoy the view down below. Meanwhile, The dean office: Right after, the giant bird left. Rebecca learnt of Zack''s departure. A hint of surprise flashes in her eyes. She is glad that Zack is going outside for a mission. But Zack''s sudden decision surprised her. "Maybe he wants to gain experience outside,"Shs said to herself. Sometime ago, she told him about the year end conference. e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Rebecca thinks this might be the reason. But that doesn''t mean that Zack will be safer outside. She immediately dispatched one of the academy''s strongmen to protect Zack in secret. When Zack joined the academy. She had arranged the safety measures. Including the guardian to protect Zack''s life. This time Zack is going outside under public eyes. She feels the news might reach some unwanted people. So Zack might face a threat from another academy. But under the protection of the Guardian he will be safe. She is also aware of the mission details. The area is not far away from the Viper City. In case of emergency, the assistance can be provided in time. Chapter 497 The News Is Leaked ? From MC''s Perspective: Several hours later, A huge city surrounded by massive walls on four sides appeared. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Viper City," I muttered to myself. I never expected to come here sooner. After a few minutes, the bird monster entered the city and the middle-aged man guided toward the monster facility. My destination is not here. Otherwise, I would have taken the time to explore the city alone. A few minutes later, The bird monster landed in front of the monster facility. After stepping down, I bid goodbye to the person before walking away. The target location is 50 miles away from here. I can use my flight ability to cover the distance sooner. While hatching the plan in mind. I continued to walk on. The streets look busy. I remember the last time we had to stop outside of the city wall before entering the city. But academy people have access to enter the city whenever they want. People are coming and going out of the shops. There are many restaurants on either side of the streets. Seeing that I got the urge to consume something before going out. I haven''t had breakfast either. Then I picked one of the busy shops to enter. I walked inside and glanced around the table. I spotted two empty seats. Then I walked to take a seat. Shortly after, I ordered the energy-rich monster meat. My appearance didn''t cause any noise. All of them are warriors here. And it''s normal for people from different cities to come here to trade. When the food was served. I started to gulp it down. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man with a slightly obese body greeted the customer enthusiastically. He was happy that the restaurant was filled with people. His name is Ronan Atick. The branch manager of a bright food restaurant. After guiding him to the exit door. He glanced at the remaining customers. But his eyebrows trembled when he saw a certain someone. He immediately recognized the identity of the person who is eating right now. "Zack Lockwood," He muttered in his heart. For Ronan, it was not easy to maintain the business. By using his connection. He had managed to compete with other businesses. Among his connections, one of them helped him greatly. That person has a connection with the Giant Tower. In return for helping his business run smoothly. That person requested something from him. Which is to share information on Saw Scaled Viper Academy Warriors. And he has been doing the work without alarming the officials. But he had never expected to see the big fish here. His friend has promised him a hefty amount. If he shares some important information on top warriors. After realizing this his fat body trembled slightly. In order not to show any suspicion. He quickly walked to his office room. He closed the door tightly before taking the seat. He then immediately typed and sent an encrypted message to his friend. Meanwhile, After completing the food, I got up from the seat. Shortly after, I left the restaurant after paying the amount. Right now, I''m walking to the City Gate. Once I get out of the city, I will use my flight ability to move. Several minutes later, I reached the City Gate. There is a system installed to verify the identity. I used my academy identity number for verification. The entire Viper City is the property of an academy. The next moment, I received the green signal. Creak~ A door opened between the iron wall. Seeing that I entered to walk out. The door leads towards the exit. But I''m surprised by the thickness of the City Wall. Even a level-6 Monster won''t be able to make a dent in it. After walking out of the door, I breathe in fresh outside air. The area outside is desolate. Outside of the City Wall, you can only find a vast open field. The lands were barren without any green dense vegetation. Sighing~ After sighing, I opened the map to view it. There is only one town which is 50 miles away from here. And I think it''s the target location. Swish~ After closing the map, I rose from the ground and began to fly toward the destination. Meanwhile, The Giant Tower: The SSVA academy has an intelligent network. Similarly, the Giant Tower has its intelligence department. Right now, one of the lower-level staff is looking at the message with a bewildered expression on their face. He doesn''t know whether the information is true or not. He has known Ronan for a long time. Apart from working here, he too has a side business. It was coincidental to meet someone from Viper City. But after a long time, their relationship became steady. He even used Ronan to gather intel on Saw Scaled Viper Academy Warriors. e¦Áglesnovel`c,om If the news is true, then he will get a big promotion. He calmed down before texting his friend again. Shortly after, he received a positive reply from Ronan. "Ha....Ha...Ha...," He let out joyful laughter. The news is good to be true. But he believes Ronan won''t lie to him. Because Zack Lockwood is a famous warrior. His appearance was long known to everyone. So there was no possibility of a mistake here. Creak~ He hurriedly walked out of his room and rushed to the elder office. He should inform his direct superior. But he knows that sly [email protected] would take credit for himself. While he is rushing, people look at him with strange gazes. Seeing that he sneered inside. "It will be a matter of time before I get a promotion." "Then I''ll see your arrogant gazes then," He said in his heart. A few minutes later, He arrived in front of the elder''s room. Looking at the high facility room. A dignified expression appeared on his face. "Hey, you lowly [email protected]?" "What are you doing here?" At this time some people spotted someone without authority coming here. Because the distinction can be seen in their dress. His uniform is given to bottom-level staff. Hearing the smearing, he wasn''t flustered. "I want to see elder" "I have some urgent news to share with him," He answered. Hearing that people are surprised. But soon it was replaced with anger. Who is the elder? Why would someone like to see bottom-level staff? The warriors started to scold. Creak~ The next moment, the door in front of him opened automatically. He realized the elder is watching everything through the camera. Ignoring their smearing, he walked inside. Right after, the door closed automatically. The warriors were stunned looking at the whole scene. "You are?" An old man in his sixties looked down at the staff. "Hi elder, my name is Miles. I got some information useful to you," Miles answered calmly. The old man nodded his head. Signaling him to go on. Seeing that Miles revealed the information. At first, the elder was calm. But when he heard the word "Zack Lockwood." He lost his composure. "How is this possible?" "Are you lying to me?" The old man asked. A heavy pressure broke out from his body and pressed Miles to the ground. Miles, who was unprepared, was caught off guard. He suffered small injuries to the body. "Elder it''s true, you can verify with someone else," Miles answered. The next moment the pressure disappeared. Tud~ Miles slumped on the ground. His entire back went cold. He regrets it slightly. He knows that high-level people won''t believe him. So he decides to wait for the elder to confirm. The Elder immediately contacted his subordinates to come here. People are investigating Zack Lockwood. If Zack was truly out of the academy, then they got a good opportunity to kill him. He knows their Giant Tower lost face in student exchange some time ago. So now they have a chance to redeem it. Shortly after, 6 people entered the office. All of them looked burly. They are practicing Giant Tower''s cultivation methods. So their physiques are well developed. Their body strength is similar to a small tower. The elder turned towards his subordinates and asked them to confirm something. Hearing that the faces of 6 of them changed. Right after, they began to collect the news from their channels. The Giant Tower''s informer is studying at the Saw Scaled Viper Academy. But he was a person of an -grade institution. Compared to A Grade Institute''s monitoring. The rest of the institute isn''t monitored strictly. The weakness allowed Giant Tower Academy to make use of it. After a few minutes, one of the subordinates stepped forward and said, "Elder, the news is true. The informer was not sure about the reason." "He said that on their academy site, Zack Lockwood''s name is trending. Some of them saw Zack Lockwood picking up a mission in the morning." "That''s right, he is going on n a mission," Elder said in a cold tone. The next moment, he turned toward the person on the ground. "Your name is Miles, right?" The elder asked. Hearing that, Miles answered, "Yes, elder." "You did a good job. You will get your promotion soon. Now you can leave," The elder said. Hearing that Miles hurriedly thanked before leaving the office room. He couldn''t wait to get out and enjoy. Chapter 498 The Sharp Daggers! ? Giant Tower: eaglesnov?1,§ão§® An urgent meeting was conveyed in a short time. The Giant Tower Head and other elders were seated inside the conference room. The elder from the intelligence department contacted the Head and talked to him about Zack Lockwood. But the Head can''t make a unanimous decision. Consent has to be reached in this quick meeting. . Inside the conference room, Seeing that everyone is gathered. The head looked at everyone. "I don''t want to talk long. The Special element seed, Zack Lockwood was spotted in the Viper City. As per intel, he is going out for a mission." "I want to ask you. Are there any of our men lurking near Viper City?" He said. Gasp! The elders exclaimed in surprise. They have been waiting for this exact news ever since the student exchange meeting ended. Now hearing the head''s words. They began to murmur. There are many undercover men working for them. But they are not high end warriors. But in order to assassinate Zack Lockwood they require Super Elite Warriors. The Head furrowed his eyebrows. This was the least thing he wants to see. No one is giving him straight answer. If this goes on, it''s hard to reach a consensus. "Ahem, we don''t have any Super Elite Warriors near the Viper City," One of the elders said at this time. Hearing that the head nodded his head. "That''s why I''m thinking of submitting a mission request to the Sharp Daggers," He said. Gasp~ The elders were surprised again. Most of them are aware that the head has his own answers. But he planned this meeting just for formality. But they can''t utter those words outside. Seeing that no one is refuting his words. "That''s it. Contact the sharp daggers. Offer them a high grade artifact as a reward. I bet they would do anything to get it," The head said with a sly smile on his face. "Sharp daggers," The Red Elder said in his heart. He was the same person who led the young team in the student exchange meeting. But right now his expression was not right. It''s not every day you can find a high grade artifact. Each high grade artifact is a valuable treasure. Even in auctions you can''t buy the artifact that easily. He doesn''t know why the head offers such a reward? He is quite dissatisfied in his heart. Shortly after, the meeting ended. Everyone dispersed. A few minutes later, At a secretive place located 60 miles away from the Viper City. It''s a massive hideout built underground. No one knows such a secretive hideout is located under Saw Scale Viper Academy Jurisdiction. At this time, a warrior wearing black sleeved clothes receives a message from the client. After decoding the mission request, the warrior immediately rushed to meet the leader. The Sharp Daggers is a medium scale organization. The force consists of rogue warriors. Ranging from Elite to Super Elite. Surprisingly the leader of the force is half-step SS Elite Warrior. He is over 50 years old. Unlike the rogue''s here. He had a noble background in the initial days. But after that his crimes were exposed. In order to escape from the punishment and chasing from the Eclipse Academy. Not only did he change his name to Vik. He turned himself into a rogue warrior. After spending several years in a mercenary job. He was able to cultivate into a half-step SS Warrior. Later, he himself created a force. Which now has become a medium size organization. His power is metal. Which is considered to be strong in both offensive and defensive. The warriors he recruited were personally screened by him. So there was no possibility of information leakage. And he chooses to act upon very few requests which favors him. So in order to say, he created this force for himself. He has been amassing wealth from mission completion. So that he can one day complete the half step. As long as he can become a full-fledged SS Elite Warrior. He would then expand his forces to other academies as well. Right at this time, his subordinates inform him of a mission request from the Giant Tower. He wasn''t surprised by the client''s name. He has done some mercenary work for them before. So he knows among the 6 great academies. The Giant Tower is a dark hearted one. They do a lot of dirty work. Even after creating the Sharp daggers. He has seen many mission requests from them. But after hearing the mission details. Vik''s eyes grew cold. This mission request is a big one. Completing the mission would lead to facing the wrath of Saw Scaled Viper Academy. And their hideout is under their jurisdiction. Did our hideout get exposed? Vik couldn''t help but frown. He was so sure about the secrecy of this place. Because he has been keeping an eye on everyone. No single details can miss his eyes. So he is sure that the Giant Tower doesn''t know. But asking them to kill an important seed of Saw Scaled Viper Academy is nothing but grabbing the tiger''s tail. If there are any leaks, then the Sharp Daggers would be buried along with him. He is aware of Target identity. He is the most famous promising warrior in the Outerpost. "Zack Lockwood?" Vik muttered to himself. He knows the target is a special element warrior. A lightning user. So it''s difficult to say that he would travel alone. The Saw Scale Academy''s people are not brainless. He is sure that there must be some kind of protection. It may be an artifact or other means. Then shaking his head, he decided to give up the mission. He is not in a hurry to head. Besides, the Giant Tower considers them cheaper. He owns several high grade artifacts. So the Giant Tower''s reward is disappointing him. "Reply them back, we don''t lack high grade artifacts. So we refuse their mission request," After saying that he closed his eyes. He doesn''t want to use a gun. A few minutes later, His subordinate again came to him with another report. "What is it now?" Vik asked. "Leader, the Giant Tower has changed the reward this time. They want us to complete the mission at any cost," The subordinate replied. "Harumph," Vik gave a cold snort. He hates the attitude of big academies. If not for rich awards for the missions, he wouldn''t have accepted all of their mission requests so far. He calmed down his heart and asked,"What is the reward?" "Advanced Grade Artifact," The subordinate said in a low voice. He himself feels hard to believe. "What?" Vik lost his composure. "Are you sure?" "Send me the mission request," Vik instructed. The next moment, he received the information in his watch. When he began to access the authenticity. He confirms that the reward is true. "It''s, true" "The Giant Tower is ready to reward an advanced grade artifact," He uttered in disbelief. What is an advanced artifact? This thing can only be wielded by SS Elite Warrior and above. For any organization, such a treasure is a protective item. But the next second, he calmed down his emotions. The advanced grade artifact is much needed for the Sharp Daggers. He can protect his force with it. He just doubts the credibility of the Giant Tower. It''s hard to imagine a sly [email protected] like them can give an advanced grade artifact just like that. There is a high possibility that they would backtrack. Vik held up his chin in contemplation. "Alright, send three Super Elite Warriors for this mission. I want the target dead as soon as possible," Vik ordered. "Super Elite Warrior?" His subordinate shuddered. He knows the target is an elite warrior. So sending the Super Elite Warrior is an overkill. But he dared not stay outside. He quickly left the leader''s room. Vik noticed subordinates'' expressions. He can understand his mind. The reason for sending the Super Elite Warriors. It''s because only the Super Elite Warriors can kill Zack Lockwood. As per the intelligence, that kid Zack Lockwood had defeated the Giant Tower Warriors easily. And he knows that Sharp Daggers'' Elite Warriors aren''t that strong. They can''t defeat Zack Lockwood. ... (From MC''s perspective) After flying for a few hours in mid air. I finally reached the small town. Tud! I landed in front of the town''s entrance. This small town is called Brownwood town. More than a town it can be named as a small post. After pushing down my thoughts, I entered the town. Unlike the Viper City, there aren''t many buildings here. I saw people coming and going. From their aura, I can tell that they are not Elite level warriors. They seemed to be families. No wonder they are outside of Viper City. It''s not easy to get a residence certificate in Viper City. Many will find an opportunity to stay outside so that they can enter the Viper City whenever they want. Right now, I have to find some clues. I don''t have time to appreciate this small town. The next moment, I activated my perception ability and started to investigate. Chapter 499 Victor Philips ? From MC''s Perspective: I''m searching the whole of Brownwood town. But I haven''t found anyone suspicious so far. When I was lost in thoughts, my gaze fell on the butcher shop. The butcher shop appeared to be ransacked. This was just a thought. But to verify, I walked to the shop. The butcher appears to be a middle-aged man. But his current expression was sad. Like he had lost something. When I walked in front of him. He didn''t even feel my presence. "Cough" I coughed to attract his attention. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á- n?¦Íe|`c,0m The butcher came to his senses. Right after he agitated and asked, "Who are you?" I raised my eyebrows but I didn''t mind his rude words. Looking at him, I asked, "Have you seen anyone suspicious recently in this town?" The butcher broke out in cold sweat right after hearing my words. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. This guy knows something. I slightly glanced at the damaged shop. Don''t tell me this has something to do with the culprit. "If you know something, you can tell me without any fear. Because I came here to kill him," I said. When the words fell in the butcher''s ears. He felt a hole reignited in his heart. "Who are you?" "Are you gonna kill him?" The butcher asked in a trembling tone. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "I''m a warrior from the Saw Scale Viper Academy. My task is to kill the culprit as soon as possible." "Don''t worry, I will help you. But first, can you tell me the appearance of the culprit," I asked. The Butcher regained his hope and replied, "Yes my lord. A few days ago, a stranger entered my shop. I thought he was a customer. But he was eyeing my 15-year-old daughter." "Because of that, a huge confrontation broke out. He then damaged my shop in anger before going out. He gave me a few days to agree to his request. He wants me to send my daughter to him on the outskirts of the town," After saying that the butcher broke down on the ground. He was weeping. Sigh~ A single elite warrior causes such terror. This is nothing compared to his previous list of crimes. But fortunately, I got his whereabouts. This guy is lurking on the outskirts. Maybe I can catch him now. Before leaving, I assured the butcher that I will kill the culprit for sure. Swish~ I dashed towards the exit. I walked out of the town a few minutes later. I spread my perception around me. Then I picked up a direction and began to search. Shortly after, I spotted a burning smoke. The fire was not natural. Seeing that, I dashed toward the location. When I got closer, I saw a campfire. Someone is roasting meat there. Seeing that my eyes flickered with a twinkle. The aura coming from the person is that of a strong elite warrior. I spread my perception around the person and walked closer to him. Hearing footsteps. The person suddenly turned toward me. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. "Victor Philips," I said. Hearing the name the person attacked me straight away. He shot a green flame ball at me. Seeing the strange flame color. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. "Mutater Fire," I said in my heart. No doubt this person is the culprit. I evaded the attack and rushed towards him. Victor Phillips was flustered at first. But when he saw the enemy''s base. He regained his confidence. "Harumph, I''m stronger than you," Victor said with a snort. The next second, he covered his fist with green flames to attack. When I got closer to him. I raised my right fist to punch him. Right after my fist comes in contact with his green flame fist. Boom~ The next moment, a strong collision force swept away the surroundings including the campfire. Argh~ Victor''s fist bones were crushed and his right arm suffered damage from the collisions. The next moment, a muffled groan escaped from his throat. Pfff~ Coughing up blood. A hint of terror flashes in Victor''s eyes. "Body Strength comparable to Super Elite Warrior?" "Who are you?" Victor asked in confusion. He had made sure that his traces were erased. Then how come someone can come here in search of him? Ignoring his question, I decided to end his life in the next move. For that, I''m going to use my new blood technique. I mobilized the red blood energy from my bones. In a blink of an eye, it reached my arm and gathered around my fist. Feeling the power in my fist, I cracked up a wide grin. Swish! The next second, I raised my fist to punch him again. This time my fist is filled with blood power but it''s invisible to the eyes. Victor''s right arm was crippled. At this moment, he made a decisive decision to flee. Seeing that enemy is fleeing. I increased my speed. In a blink of an eye, I slammed his back using my punch. Crack~ My fist tore through the enemy''s back, smashing his inner organs. Tud! The next moment, the lifeless body of Victor dropped to the ground. My fist left a huge hole in his back. "It''s over," I uttered with a smile on my face. I thought it would take a few days to find him. But fortunately, I ended his life before he committed another crime. Now, I can go back to Viper City. But before doing that I should revisit the butcher. Maybe he will gain peace after seeing the decapitated head. I can''t take the whole corpse back to the academy. It would arouse suspicions. Because I purely used my body''s strength to kill the enemy. The next moment, I took out the black sword from the storage ring and sliced the corpse''s neck. The next second, a decapitated head rolled over the ground. Then I glanced at the corpse''s hand. I spotted the black storage ring. This guy? I don''t know how many places he had ransacked. I removed the storage ring and placed it in mine. This is not the time to explore the storage ring. It might contain restrictions. Then I stored the decapitated head before destroying the headless corpse. My first mission went smoothly. Several minutes later, I arrived in front of the butcher shop. "Lord?" Butcher said. His complexion was better than before. Looks like my words affected him. "The villain is dead," I said, looking at him. "What?" The butcher exclaimed in surprise. Then right before his eyes, I showed him the decapitated head. "He was the one who caused the havoc here," The butcher replied with relief. Then I left after showing him the evidence. On the way, I started to recollect my thoughts. On the mission request, the image of Victor Philip is different compared to the real face. So this guy had been staying low-key without attracting the attention of the authorities. But it''s a pity, he died under my hands in the end. I plan to stay here tonight. Anyway, the mission was over. I didn''t find it any rush to go back. So I quickly found a small inn. I paid the rent to the inn owner before going to the room. After entering inside, I looked at the room. The room was simple. There is one single-cushion bed and a small couch. And there is also one attached bathroom. A surprise glint flashes in my eyes. The arrangement was better than in many lower-tier cities. Maybe I was right. This small town was built for some reason. The following day, I woke up earlier. After completing the morning routine, I looked at the outside view through the window. Seeing that town people are active this morning. It reminds me of home. Sigh~ After sighing, I decided to cultivate. There is a lightning element in the environment. So I''m going to cultivate the blood element method. Before doing that, I thought about checking Victor''s storage ring. It might contain monster cores. The next moment, I took out Victor''s storage ring. I observed the black storage ring before seeping my consciousness into it. Seeing that there were no restrictions. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then I began to explore the storage ring. I saw fire affinity stones, herbs, pills, and a few broken books. And finally saw some monster cores. Seeing that, I wasn''t surprised. The monster cores can be sold for a few thousand alliance points. The next second, I took one Class-4 monster core for cultivation. I sat cross-legged and started to run the blood element method. Slowly, I began to absorb the monster''s core energies. When the energy entered my body. Blood red light appears above the blood. It immediately sucked the monster''s energy and converted them into white energy. Then white energies drilled into my bones and started to expand the red-marked area. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Several minutes later, The monster''s core crumbled into pieces. Seeing that, I picked up another monster core to continue the cultivation. Chapter 500 Encountering The Killers! ? From MC''s Perspective: Several minutes later, After stabilizing the base, I walked to the bath to take a shower. Then I change to fresh clothes a few minutes later. The mission was over. Now I have the opportunity to spend time in Viper City. After getting ready, I walked out of the room. A simple breakfast was served. Seeing that, I decided to take a bite before heading out. The brown wood town people seem to be aware of my existence. But none of them had caused any problems. After having breakfast, I left the small town. I used my flight ability to rush back. Time passed, I found something strange an hour later. Like someone is keeping an eye on me. But when I turned around to locate it. I found no one. Little did I know at this moment. That someone is secretly guarding me. Seeing that there was no around me. I resumed my journey. But shortly after, I met with new trouble. In front of me, three people wearing long sleeved clothes blocked my path. Seeing that I tried to avoid them. But one of them blocked my path in mid air. My eyes grew cold. Who are these people? Three of them are being intentional. Is this robbery? Or Someone calculated against me. Swish~ Before I could realize one of them charged at me. Seeing that I became ready to tackle. The stranger raised his fist to punch me. In response, I replied with a similar punch. But when our fist collided. Boom~ A simple brute force collision created a shock wave. Dust rose from the ground. Meanwhile, the other two people are looking down at the fight with mockery. These three warriors are none other than Super Elite Warriors sent by the Sharp Daggers. They have been told to visit brownwood town first. But who would have thought they would meet the target here. When the dust was settled. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. "Super Elite Warriors," I uttered in surprise. No doubt, three of them are Super Elite Warriors. The collision earlier forced me to retreat a few steps backward. But on the other hand, three of them are shocked. Especially the warrior who made the move first. "What?" He uttered in surprise. He couldn''t believe what just happened. His attack was blocked by the target. As far as he knows, his blow is enough to cripple average elite warriors. But the person in front of him is strong. "Hank, don''t waste time. He can fight across ranks." Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á- n?¦Íe|`c,0m The next moment, he shot several flame balls at the target. The flame balls are emitting terrible heat. Which is enough to cause death to low level warriors. Swish~ I took out the black sword from the storage ring and gripped it tightly. I had never fought against the Super Elite Warrior before. This is going to be challenging. Swish~ I evaded the attack by using the flight ability. Boom~ The flame balls land a hit to empty ground one by one. Scorching heat spread across the area. Seeing that I set my gaze on the other two. Before the full scale fight breaks out. I have to take at least one of them. A quick flint flashes in my eyes. "Hank?" "What are you doing?" "You rarely miss the target." A heavy built middle aged man said it in a heavy tone. Compared to the other two, he is one realm stronger than them. With Mid-Level- Super Elite Base. He can easily defeat and kill the target. But his companion wanted to fight himself. Seeing him ineffective, a frown appeared on his face. "Mark, you go down there," He said. The next moment, the person standing left to him in mid air rushed to attack. Meanwhile, Hank was pissed off completely. He realized the target is genius. You can''t defeat him using normal attacks. Before he could attack, his companion Mark joined him. Now that fight becomes 1 vs 2. Hank is displeased but he can''t show it on his face. The elder brother seems impatient. He wants to kill the target right away. The other hand, seeing the two teaming against me. I sneered inside. I was waiting for this exact opportunity. Swish~ The next moment, I dashed toward them. In one hand, I held my sword. Two might think, I would use sword technique. But when I got closer, those two charged toward me. Thunder~ A purple ball forms at the tip of my forefinger. Seeing the abrupt changes. Two of them were shocked. But it was too late to evade my attack. The next second, I released the attack targeting the 2nd person''s eye. In a blink of an eye, the purple beam reaches the opponent''s eye. "No?" Mark wants to escape. But the powerful beam was faster. Pfff~ It pierces through the target''s eye and lands a blow to the brain. Tud~ Mark''s body dropped dead on the ground. Until the last moment, he regrets his slow action. This all happened in a blink of an eye. Using the opportunity, I used the blood fist attack on the other one. This time, I mobilized the blood energy from my bones faster. An invisible energy covered my fist in a blink of an eye. Hank, who was looking at the corpse, caught off guard at this moment. "You are dead," Hank scold angrily before raising his fist to attack. His entire fist is covered with blazing flames. But when we first came in contact with each other. Crack~ His bones are crushed. The right arm of his suffered damage. But it was not that severe compared to Victor Phillips. Swish~ Right at this moment, I felt a terrific sound coming at me. Before I could turn back, I felt terrific pain in my abdomen. Pfff~ A black dagger pierced my abdomen out of nowhere. Blood splattered on the ground. My eyes gleamed with twinkle. The black dagger was not an ordinary weapon. But a medium grade artifact. "What the [email protected]?" I mumbled under my breath. When I turned around, I spotted the third warrior looking down at me sarcastically. "How cunning?" A purple arc covered my legs. The next second, I disappeared from the spot and retreated backwards. "I''m a fool. I should have activated my perception earlier," I said in my heart. The next second, I activated the perception ability. The area around me comes under my perception. Not a single detail can be missed. I looked down at my injury. The dagger went deep inside. If I remove them carelessly, it would cause unnecessary problems. Swish~ The two warriors dashed towards me one by one. I gripped the sword with both hands and was ready to use the lightning wheel technique. The 2nd one is stronger than the 1st one. My eyes flickered with cold glint. Maybe he is a Mid or Peak Super Elite Warrior. When both of them got closer to me. My mouth curved into an arc. "Lightning Wheel Technique" A purple wheel made up of lightning power formed around me. At the same time, both warriors'' bodies come in contact with lightning wheels. The movement was so fast that collisions couldn''t be avoided. Two of the warriors face discolored. Bang~ The lightning wheel explodes right after the contact. A loud terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. Argh~ Two muffled groans sounded right after the attack. They smashed to the ground as a result of the collision force. The lightning power further damages the injured right arm of Hank. Even the Mid- Super Elite Warrior failed to remain unscathed. His expression turned ugly. He thought the target was slowed down because of dagger thrust. But he underestimated the target''s special element. When he turned his head to see Hank. He is shocked. Hank''s right arm is hanging. Already crushed bones were broken into pieces. Seeing the state, his heart boils in anger. If they failed to accomplish the mission, then the consequences would be severe. Then without glancing at Hank. He tried to attack the target again. But when he got up to release the attack. A purple colored sword beam lands a heavy blow on him. The attack was so fast that he was caught off-guard. Boom~ This time the lightning attack was more powerful than before. The Super Elite Warrior remained helpless against it. He couldn''t have a chance to cover his body with earth elements. This time the lightning sword attack broke the defense of Super Elite Warrior. The lightning element caused injury to his body. Deepening the wounds of previous attacks. Pfff~ Coughing up blood, the Super Elite Warrior tries to take a healing pill from the storage ring. Meanwhile, I revealed a cold smile on my face. When I saw him looking at the storage ring. I released the lightning beam from my finger. The purple beam lands a blow to his hands again. Argh~ Ignoring his scream, I walked up to him. I gripped my sword and slit his throat. Pfff~ The cut was clean. Blood gushes out from his throat. The super elite warrior looked at me with his unbelievable eyes. Then I executed another injured warrior. Hereby, ending three of their lives. Chapter 501 Getting Treatment ? From MC''s perspective: I took a deep breath looking down at the corpse. "That was intense," I mumbled under my breath. I had never expected to fight three warriors at the same time. But fortunately, they underestimated me. If not I wouldn''t have escaped smoothly. Then I walked up to the dead bodies to remove the storage rings. After collecting the rings, I used the flight ability to go back. On the way back, I observed my injury from time to time. The bleeding stopped. But I feel something wrong with the dagger itself. ... Meanwhile, the bodyguard is hiding in the shadows. Noted everything he had witnessed. The dean had advised him not to interfere until it was necessary. Because the assassination is something they had expected earlier. That''s why he was sent to guard Zack Lockwood secretly. The enemies are Super Elite Warriors. If it was the realm above he would have intervened directly. He had decided to wait and watch. But still, Zack Lockwood surprised him greatly. Everyone had underestimated Zack''s ability to fight across ranks. Zack is not only invisible in the same realm. He can even fight across one big realm. The whole fighting process is deeply imprinted in his memory. He will report it back to the dean later. But before that, he has to do something. A quick glint flashes in his eyes, He noticed the dagger attack by the enemy was not simple. It''s poison. After realizing that, he contacted the authorities in Viper City. He told them to arrange a medical setup immediately. After doing that he collected the three dead bodies on the ground. .... A few hours later, I reached the City Wall of Viper City. After landing in front of the gate, I verified my identity. Right after, the 10 ft door opened. Then I entered inside and walked to the exit. A trace of struggle appeared in my eyes. Should I go back to the academy? Or See an emergency medical facility here. While walking, a slight drowsiness affected my mind. When this sensation hit me. A woke up like a lightning jolt. I immediately observed my injury. The area around the wound is becoming black. Looking at this, I got a bad feeling about the color. By the time, I walked out of the door. I feel like I''m losing consciousness very badly. I just took a few steps forward. Tud! Before I lost my consciousness, I fell to the ground. Swish~ Right after, a shadowy figure appeared. He picked up the unconscious body and went to the medical facility. Time passed, When I regain consciousness. I felt my entire body being freshened. I opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Where am I?" I muttered to myself. Then I recollected the memory before I fainted. A sudden realization dawned upon me. "Dagger?" I uttered in surprise before I removed the quilt to see the abdomen injury. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. The injury was healed without leaving any skin scar. Then I got out of bed and looked around. No doubt, I''m in a medical facility. Creak~ The door opened. A petite female nurse entered the room. Seeing that patient was woken up. She immediately went back to inform the healer. "Hmmm," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I didn''t mind her behavior. But how did I get here? Shortly after, an old man in his sixties wearing a white coat entered the room along with the nurse. "You might be Zack Lockwood right?" The old man asked. I raised my eyebrows. But I wasn''t surprised. My face is quite well known. In response, I nodded my head and asked, "Can I leave?" The old man revealed a bright smile on his face. "Ha..Ha..Ha... You can leave whenever you want." "But before that, I''ll have to check your body condition for the last time. Because if there is any lingering poison in your organs, it would affect your future growth," The old man answered with a smile. "What poison?" My heart set off storms. The image of a dagger thrust into the abdomen comes to mind. I immediately connected the dots. They are killers. No wonder I had felt something ominous. It must be because of the poison. The Super Elite Warrior intended to kill me with poison. "Sh!t," I said in my heart. Fortunately, I was near Viper City. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to find the cure. "How did I end up here?" I asked. The old man is already prepared for this answer. "The authorities found you unconscious at the entrance. So they brought you here. As far as your identity, we found it from the entrance log," The old man replied. I nodded in understanding. Right after, verifying my identity. I had lost consciousness. "Alright, you guys can proceed. I want to leave as soon as possible," I said to them. The old man smiled before inspecting the abdomen injury. He placed his palm on the injured area which was gone now. He injected a healing essence At the same time, I''m watching the whole process silently. I was not a stranger to the healing element. I have seen this before back at Hansen Campus. Several minutes later, The old man stopped the treatment. He looked at me with relief and said, "Great, you are completely fine. There was no trace of poison." ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á -n?¦Íe| , c?m "You can leave now." I sighed inwardly. The old man doesn''t know that I''m a healer too. The wood scripture might have worked automatically to remove the poison. A few minutes later, I walked out of the room and headed to the registration desk. A female staff member is working behind the desk. Seeing me coming, she revealed a smile on her face. Alas! Looks like my identity was not hidden anymore. "How much do I have to pay?" I asked. The staff hurriedly replied, "No sir, your treatment is free. It is one of the privileges of the Saw Scale Academy Warriors." A look of understanding dawned upon me. I almost forget the whole of Viper City is the property of the Saw Scaled Viper Academy. After thanking her, I walked out of the medical facility. I almost spent 6 hours here. Now it''s time to go back. Fortunately, they didn''t touch my storage ring and they also left the dagger on the table beside the bed. After pushing down these thoughts, I booked an air cab and waited for it. Shortly after, the air cab arrived. I asked the driver to head to the monster facility. A few minutes later, The air cab dropped me in front of the monster facility. After paying the amount, I stepped out of the car. The monster facility is operational for a full day. When I walked inside. I quickly found the registration desk. After booking the monster carriage, I decided to wait for the driver to arrive. Several minutes later, A giant falcon left the air space of Viper City carrying me and the driver. The Giant Falcon is a Peak level Class-5 Monster. The Monster''s speed was fast. If this speed continues, I will reach the academy soon. Time passed, A few hours later, The Giant Falcon reaches the air space of Saw Scaled Viper Academy. It crossed the D-grade, C-grade, and B-buildings in a blink of an eye and reached the A-grade institution. The Giant Falcon then slowly lands in front of the Academy''s Monster Facility. I stepped out and bid goodbye to the driver before going back to my dorm room. Meanwhile, Six hours ago, The shadow guardian appeared before the dean and began to report the incident. A few minutes later, Dean Rebecca''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. She had expected this before. She knew someone might target Zack Lockwood. But they had sent three Super Elite Warriors to kill Zack. Her eyes grew cold. It''s hard to believe killers are lurking near Viper City. She looked toward the guardian and said, "Dispatch a team to Viper City. I want to know whether any other killers hiding nearby," Hearing that the guardian disappeared from the spot. Rebecca fell into deep thought. She is wondering whether this is the work of the academy or some other force. She also inspected the corpses of three Super Elite Warriors. They are certainly not warriors related to the academy. Is it a Killer Organization? A frown appeared on her face. There was a lapse in the intelligence network. She hopes this would not repeat. Not only for Zack but for the sake of the academy itself. Zack Lcokwood is a warrior with an influential background. She doesn''t want anything bad to happen to him. After two years, Zack will enter the inner post. Until then, she has to protect him at all costs. If not, the person behind Zack will destroy their academy. Thinking about the person means a cold chill went down her spine. Even the Supreme Elder is clear about the situation. Next time, she made up her mind to send 2 guardians to protect Zack. It''s not guaranteed that Zack''s enemy would always be Super Elite Warrior. The hostile force might even send powerful warriors to kill Zack. Chapter 502 Gravity Training ? From MC''s perspective: The dorm room, The next day, I left the dorm room early to have breakfast. Usually, I go around 9 in the morning. But this time, I''m heading towards the dining hall half an hour earlier. When I walked inside the hall. My appearance immediately attracted attention. But unlike before there was no commotion this time. The warriors from different factions were pretty used to my existence. After taking a quick glance at everyone. I walked up to the food counter. After receiving the food plate, I sat on the nearby chair. I slowly cut the mana steak and ate the pieces one by one. 10 minutes later, I walked out of the dinning hall and headed to the mission hall. 1000 merit points and 10 mid grade affinity stones. Unlike others, I didn''t have affinity stones for practice. Otherwise, I didn''t have to set my eyes on a lightning special environment. By the time, I arrived at the mission hall. The warriors are lined up in a queue. I walked to the mission submission desk. I saw a female warrior of the Rain Faction sitting behind the desk. Approaching her, I slowly began to speak about my mission. As evidence, I took the decapitated head of Victor and showed it to her. A trace of disbelief appeared in her eyes. Then her expression quickly turned to normal. From her expression, I can tell that she recognised my identity. The female warrior then proceeds to complete the process. After everything was done, she handed me the rewards. The 1000 merit points automatically get updated in my student account. As for the 10 mid grade mana stones. I stored it inside my storage ring. Then I don''t have much to do here. So I quickly left the mission hall. The thrust of the dagger is still vivid in my mind. My training was not enough. I must polish my skills. Then only I can fight against the Super Elite Warrior effortlessly. A few minutes later, I arrived in front of the gravity training room. Seeing the familiar training room, my eyes gleamed with twinkle. This time I decided to train harder. Doesn''t matter even if my entire body bleeds. A firm determination appeared in my eyes. Then I walked inside the room and selected an empty chamber to enter. After entering inside the door behind me closed automatically. Then I walked up to the monitoring system and set the gravity setting to 4X. Rumble~ Right after, the gravity mechanism starts. I walked to the middle of the platform and sat cross-legged. 1X Slowly, the gravitational pressure began to exert on me. The 1X gravitational pressure is not that much. But the pressure will increase gradually after half an hour. In the meantime, I''m adjusting my physique to match the gravitational pressure. 30 minutes later, 2X The gravitational pressure increased suddenly. Compared to the pressure before, the strain was slightly higher. But the real test awaits after 4X. While I''m standing the pressure. At the same time, my attention turned towards my techniques. 1. Sword Divide: Big wheel (Beginner) 2. Lightning Wheel: Big wheel (Beginner) 3. Lightning Phantom: Big wheel (Beginner) 4. Blood Field Technique: Small wheel (Intermediate) 5. Soul Tower Method: Small wheel (Beginner) 6. Soul Needle Art: Small wheel ( Beginner) 7. Lightning finger technique (Beginner) 8. Blood Fist Technique (Beginner) When I recollected the techniques in my mind. I realized my total techniques count to 8. But what was the use? I still got overwhelmed by the Super Elite Warriors. Wait a second? I remember someone''s gaze on me at that time. But when I turned around, I didn''t find anyone. After pushing down these thoughts, I turned my attention back to the techniques. All of my techniques are at the Initial Stage. I should work hard to raise them on a big stage. So I made up my mind to allocate some time later. 3X After half an hour, the gravitational pressure has increased again. Feeling that, I removed the unnecessary thoughts and focused on my body. The pressure was greater this time. But it''s manageable. A small sweet bead appeared on my forehead. The pressure slowly causes strain on muscles. As the time passed, my skin turned red due to pressure. 4X The gravitational pressure increased again a half an hour later. This time not only the skin. But the pressure being applied on my bones. I felt muscle tearing pain. But I continued to endure it. I have to push my body further. I want to see where my limit lies? Time passed, By the time 4X gravitational pressure was over. My entire body soaked in sweat. 5X The next moment, 5X gravitational pressure appeared. Argh~ A small muffled groan escaped my mouth. My bones are starting to make noise. Even my inner organs are affected. Feeling the intense pain in my inner organs. I gritted my teeth to endure. As the time passes, the inner organs start to bleed under the intense pressure. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. This was something I had expected. But I made up my mind to endure earlier. So I continued to endure. Time passes, The small wounds start to appear on other organs as well. This kind of pressure was normally handled by the Super Elite Warrior. But I have trust in my physique. Body Cultivation & Essence Cultivation improve my physique by leaps and bounds. So it can''t be taken lightly. 6X After half an hour, the gravitational pressure has increased again. Argh~ The sudden increase in pressure caused inner organs to rupture. A painful groan escaped my mouth. Pfff~ I coughed up blood. The damage was severe. But I tried to endure it again. My bones are starting to shake heavily. Thanks to the blood element method. My bones are sturdier than I had expected. They are not going to break easily. But before that I have to take care of the inner organs. Sitting cross-legged, I started to run the wooden scripture. There is a small amount of wood essence inside the dantain. But it was not enough to heal all the wounds. As I started to run the wooden scripture. I became slowly immersed in it. And I began to forget the pain slowly. Slowly, the green essence entered my body. My inner organs quickly absorbed the green energy. As the time went on, the injuries started to heal. But under immense gravitational pressure the healing is taking so much time. But without minding it, I continued to run the wooden scripture. When the inner organs healed from the injury. The next moment, they suffer under the intense pressure. The process of injury and healing continues to happen. 30 minutes later, The gravitational pressure disappeared. As the training time comes to an end. "Phew," I took a deep breath in relief. I was soaked in sweat from top to bottom. Instead of getting up, I stayed still. Then I looked at my inner organs. At this point of time my entire inner organ is healed completely. The one good thing happened during the training was my healing cultivation is improved.The healing becomes faster. Then I got up from the ground and walked out of the training chamber. The next moment, a bad smell attacked my nostrils. My skin was covered with black impurities. Seeing that I quickly found the school bathroom to take a shower. 20 minutes later, I walked out of the room. I don''t know what changed in my body. But I feel refreshed. Then I decided to go to the training room. Now I have to hone my lightning skills. Shortly after, I entered the isolated training room. Then I selected dummies for practice. Swish~ A single moving dummy appeared. Seeing that I took out the black sword from my storage ring and ready to discharge the lightning power. I gripped the sword and started to pour the purple essence onto the black blade. Thundr~ A thick purple arc appears on the surface of the blade. "Sword Divide" The next moment, discharged the powerful lightning targeting the wooden dummy. A purple beam pierces through the air and lands a blow to the wooden dummy. Bang~ The wooden dummy exploded into pieces. Seeing that I looked at the black sword and evaluated my attack again. The release looked pretty ordinary. I haven''t made much progress in Sword Divide lately. Then I decided to practice the attack a few more times. Swish~ This time the movements of the dummy are a little faster. It''s hard to hit the moving target. But I have practiced it before. I charged the sword again with lightning power. "Sword Divide" I discharged the lightning power. In a blink of an eye, the purple beam reaches the moving target. Bang~ This time the hit was perfect. The wooden dummy explodes again. But I wasn''t satisfied. So I increased the speed again. This time the dummy is moving at a speed comparable to the average Elite Warrior. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with twinkle. This time I released the attack again. And the target again broke into pieces. Chapter 503 Two Weeks Later ? From MC''s perspective: Days passed, After two weeks, I entered the high mountain peak again. As my feet touched the ground. I raised my head to look at the sky. As usual the high mountain peak has a rainy environment. Looking at the dark clouds, my eyes flickered with a slight glint. For others the pouring rain might be annoying. But for me it''s a blessing. The dark clouds will cause thunder rainstorms. As a result the lightning element is abundant here. I gripped the black sword and started to cut the weeds along the way. It will take some time to reach the foot of the mountain. I wish the teleportation point was closer to the high peak mountain. Walking, I remember the old events. Especially the memories about my first trip here. The sudden appearance of the Red Moon Tower Warriors shocked me at that time. Sigh~ I released my perception around me. My consciousness quickly covered the area. The giant trees, overgrown bushes, dense vegetation and even small trails. Everything comes under my perception. Buzz~ All of a sudden, I heard a humming sound. I spotted something in my perception. "Pseudo Monster?" I uttered in surprise. How long has it been? Except for the Mountain Liz, I haven''t seen any other pseudo monsters so far. The mountain environment is an ideal place for their growth. Cut~ I swing my sword. The black blade easily cuts the black flying object like a tofu. Tud~ When the body dropped to the ground. I take a good look at the monster''s appearance. "Blood Mosquito,"I said, looking at the monster corpse. This pseudo monster is well known. It is spotted usually near the energy rich mountains in large quantities. I walked past the monster corpse and resumed walking. Time passed, After a few hours of walking, I reached the foot of the mountain. Seeing the familiar bedrock, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then using my perception, I checked my surroundings. Seeing that the area is safe and sound. I sat on the bed rock and started to cultivate the lightning celestial scripture. As I started to run the cultivation method, the rune in my mind started to flicker. Slowly, I began to feel the purple energy around me. I concentrated on absorbing purple energies. When they got closer to me. I quickly absorbed the purple energy. When the purple energy entered my body, I guided the energy according to the cultivation method. After circulation the refined essence gathered inside the dantian. Seeing that I continued the process. Time passed, After a few hours, I stopped and looked inside my dantian. As the purple essence reaches the limit, the majestic totem makes the move. The Totem purifies the refined essence and improves the quality. Shortly after, the process comes to an end. The majestic totem returns to its usual position. Then I opened my eyes and exhaled in relief. Today''s cultivation was fruitful. Now it''s time to return. I stood up and started going back to the teleportation point. Time passed, I reached the teleportation point a few hours later. On my way here, I didn''t come across any trouble. After entering inside, I selected the server. Swish~ The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and appeared back at the Academy''s Teleportation Tower. Then I walk back to my dorm room. For the past two weeks, I have been training hard without going for missions and monster zones. Not only that, all factions were peaceful lately. None of them had come to challenge me again. Which also gave me time to focus on my training. After walking inside my room. I hurried to the bath to take a shower. ... The Giant Tower: Inside the fortified building, a heavily built middle-aged man is inquiring about an old man. He is none other than the Head of the Giant Tower Academy. The old man is the elder and chief of the intelligence department. "So, what now?" The Head asked. The Sharp Daggers Organization is not answering their call. He even wondered whether they had accepted their request or not. He had even gone to offer a high grade artifact as a reward. Standing below, the old man''s expression turned ugly. The Sharp Dagger people were not answering him as well. But he had expected them to listen to the Head. But not even he got the answer. "Head?" "I think they didn''t accept our mission request," The old man replied with a solemn tone. But it was a blatant lie. He was not sure himself. If the Sharp Dagger had failed to accomplish the mission, then the head would get angry for sure. Then he would have to suffer the wrath. Gulping down the saliva in fear. The old man hoped that the head would believe his words. "Uh?" The Giant Tower Head raises his eyebrows in confusion. "Zack Lockwood''s mission location was close to Viper City. It''s difficult for their spies to operate there. So it''s normal that the killer organization was silent," He said to himself. "Alright then!" "What''s the target doing right now?" He asked. "The target means...," The old man muttered but he quickly realized that the target was Zack Lockwood. "Head?" "The target is staying inside the Academy till now. He never left the place again for a mission," The old man replied. The Giant Tower Head frowns. He knew earlier, this situation could occur. That''s why he wanted to kill that brat Zack Lockwood in the first place. But now everything was spoiled. Now they have to wait for the next opportunity. "Alright, you can leave. We will hit him next time," The Giant Tower Head said. Hearing that old man below sighed in relief. "The head believed my words," He said in his heart. He felt glad that he escaped from angering him. .... Meanwhile, The Sharp Daggers: The leader Vik has been silent for the past two weeks. And there is a good reason for it. In his room, he looked at the call request from the Giant Tower office. A gloomy glint flashes in his eyes. He had sent three Super Elite Warriors to assassinate Zack Lockwood. But then their soul cards were broken a few hours later. Looking back at the timing. He feels someone must-have intercepted them or they must have been killed by the target''s guardian. But he never suspected that they had been killed by Zack Lockwood. That thought never came across his mind. That''s why he has been cautious in his next move. The reason he didn''t want to reply to Giant Tower was because there was a possibility that they would cancel the mission. If they do that then his losses would be great. Not only had he lost three powerful subordinates, he could even lose the high grade artifact. A greedy glint flashes in his eyes thinking about the high grade artifact. The possibility of the target''s guardian gives him fear. "No, I must acquire the high grade artifact," Vik said to himself. A fierce glint flashes in his eyes. There might be a guardian protecting the target. He is not denying that. But a good plan comes to his mind. If he sends his men again, there is a possibility that they would get killed again. But what if he goes there in person? He doesn''t think that Zack''s guardian is stronger than him. As this thought rose in his heart, he firmly believed that he could accomplish the mission himself. Then the high grade artifact would be his property. Imagining, he cracked a wicked grin. ... Dean office: Dean Rebecca is looking at the files in her office. The files come from the intelligence department. Ever since Zack Lockwood came back from the mission. She dispatched several teams to Viper City in search of spies. As a result they caught some small fishes having connections to other academies. But they didn''t find any big evidence. Looking at the reports, she furrowed her beautiful eyebrows. She had expected to see some results. But the Viper City appears to be fine. Occasionally there were small fishes. But it can''t be avoided. Since Viper City is open for business. It''s normal for merchants and warriors from other 5 cities to come here for business. And it''s inevitable that these people might have close connections to the academy. That''s why she didn''t care about the small fishes. But big fishes are different. They can be spies or assassins from other 5 big academies or there is a slight possibility for killers from other organizations to hide in their Viper City as well. After closing the files, she sighed to herself. She has a vague feeling that her direction of investigation is wrong. She thought the enemies were hiding in Viper City. But in the end nothing concrete came up. Even the faces of the three dead Super Elite Warriors don''t match up with the Viper City''s database. So three of the dead Super Elite Warriors are outsiders. There is a way where she can find their identities. But to do that it would involve some price. A quick glint flashes in her eyes. Chapter 504 Madman Chad ? Days passed, A week later, The Saw Scale Viper Academy is slowly gearing up for the year end competition. The Flame Faction, The Gale Faction, The Rain Faction, The Metal Faction and The Rock Faction''s warriors are challenging each other every day in the duel arena. The only faction which avoided the limelight is the Special Faction. The Special Element Warriors are less in numbers to begin with. So their movements are rarely known by people. The Special Faction Common Room: Michael and his friends are passing time in the Common Room. Nowadays, their favorite pastime is to watch the duel between warriors. There are quite a few warriors who have ended their retreat. Now they are preparing for the year end conference as well. A holographic protection is displaying the current duel. Now a duel is taking place between warriors from the Rain Faction and the Rock Faction. The Rain Faction is mostly composed of female warriors. But some of their female warriors are gifted with powerful water elements. Seeing the competitive fight between the warriors. A hint of longing appeared in Laverne''s eyes. Chuckle~ Michael couldn''t help but smile. "Laverne?" "If you want to fight that badly, then you can challenge them," Michael said with a smile. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Ernest let out a laugh. "Man, I''m itching to fight. But those elders won''t let us play," Ernest said. He wasn''t exaggerating. But this was a fact. Their elements are special and they dominate over other elements. Unless a warrior blessed with one of the five elements appears. None of the average five elemental warriors can defeat them. "Harumph, when it''s time for Super Elite Warrior. I''ll request the dean for duel," Michael said. While three of them were laughing and chatting comfortably. Thud~ A person walked into the room without any warning. Seeing the person appear. Three of them were stunned. "Chad?" Michael said in a solemn tone. Ernest and Laverne''s faces turned serious as well. The person appears to be 25 years old. He has red hair and black eyes. He stands 6ft tall in height. His skin tone is fair. Like Michael, Laverne and Ernest. He is also a member of the Special Faction. Like other faction warriors, he too ended his retreat. Chad Bartlett- Half Step SS Elite Warrior- Evil Wind Element. Looking at the disbelief expression on their faces. Chad reveals a sly smile on his face. He is not a kind fellow. He always looks for a fight. Seeing Michael, his heart boils in anger. Last time he was defeated by Michael. In anger, he had secluded himself for a long retreat. But his patience paid him in the end. He broke through and became a half-step SS Elite Warrior. Meanwhile, three of the friends are in a state of alert. The mad man had come back so soon. While Laverne and Ernest know the rivalry between the two. So they didn''t think much. Michael defeated Chad last time. So this time won''t be any different. But only Michael feels something is wrong. His instinct tells him to be wary of the unknown. "Michael?" "Are you surprised?" "Well, I got some improvement during my retreat. So this time you won''t be able to win that easily/" "He didn''t disclose his breakthrough for a reason. He wants to surprise him during the duel." Chad spoke without minding the other two. "Sigh" "The duel arena is packed. The platforms are occupied by other factions. Why don''t we fight some other day," Michael replied. Laverne and Ernest are surprised by Michael''s words. His tone changed all of a sudden. He is not the same Michael they knew. "Has something changed?'' Laverne squinted her big eyes. Ernest is usually the quickest one. So he thought Chad was a bit unusual. He looks more enthusiastic about the duel. "Ha...Ha...Ha...," Chad let out a small laughter. "Don''t you think your excuse is bit lame" "Are you afraid of those loser factions?" "Come with me. I''ll clear out the duel platform. I don''t think the elders will stop me. Like everyone we will also train for the year end conference," Chad spoke like a smart one. Michael''s mouth twitched. "Mad man''s mind is fixed. He won''t leave us without having a duel," He said in his heart. He looked at Ernest and Laverne. He gave a slight nod before walking toward the exit door. Chad revealed a wide grin on his face. He knew Michael agreed with his request. Seeing Michael leaving, Laverne and Ernest hurriedly followed behind. Chad is slowly following them behind. He is already imagining the condition of Michael. The Duel Arena, The arena is jam packed with people. All the warriors from four institutions gathered in the arena to watch the duels between the warriors. Usually, there is one large fighting platform laid out in the middle of the ground. But this time the Academy arranged 10 fighting platforms. Two warriors from each faction occupied the platforms. Resulting in no place for Special Faction Warriors. Outside, Michael arrived with his friends. Behind them Chad was one step backward. When four of them entered the gate. The staff quickly recognised their badges. "What are you guys doing here?" A burly middle aged man stood up from his seat and asked. Michael''s expression turned ugly. It''s true that Special Faction Warriors are low-key. Partially due to the influence of the head. And then because they have less members. Before Michael could answer. Chad appeared before them. "Who are you?" "We are here to practice as well. Do these factions own these duel arenas?" "Don''t forget we are from Special Faction. We have the same rights as them." "Are these losers going to win without our help?" "Harumph," Chad finished his words with a cold snort. The middle aged staff oppressed by Chad''s aura. He broke out in a cold sweat. The other staff around him became speechless as well. None of them were able to refute Chad''s words. A black line appeared on Michael and the other two''s foreheads. Hereafter no one will stop them. As Chad rightfully spoke. The Special Faction have the right to use one of the dual platforms. Then four of them walked towards the entrance. Leaving behind the dumbfounded staff. Michael and Chad entered the ground. Followed by Ernest and Laverne. They can see that the arena is filled with people. Below the duel is going on in each platform. There are warriors standing near the platform to fight next. Chad gave a quick glance. His eyes scanned the surroundings and then finally set on the nearest platform. In that platform, the duel is going on between Flame Faction Warrior and the Rock Faction Warrior. Four of them walked to the platform. At this time none of them noticed the strange thing. But when four of them went closer. The Elder who is also referee for this duel raised his hand to stop Chad from interfering. Below, Michael, Laverne and Ernest''s expressions darkened. But it can''t be helped. No one can stop Chad now. Except their own head who is in retreat as well. Ignoring the elder, Chad stepped inside the fighting platform. He looked towards them and said,"You guys can leave. Now this fighting platform belongs to us." His words made them speechless. The flame faction warrior was displeased. He was in a dominating position. He was going to defeat the rock faction warrior. But this person appeared out of nowhere. "No, my duel is not over yet," The flame faction warrior said in a loud tone. The Rock faction warrior stayed still. He wanted this duel to end anyway. He didn''t mind someone stopping the duel. But the referee was not clueless as them. He immediately recognized four of them after identifying their badges. "Special Faction Warriors," His eyes gleamed with twinkle. As per dean''s order, all factions have the right to use the fighting platform. So he can''t stop them from interfering. Chad''s eyes grew cold. Swish~ His body flashes for a moment but it becomes clear the next second. Tud~ Two bodies crash on to the ground. Both of their noses are broken. Sudden movement caught everyone off guard. Even the referee himself was surprised by Chad''s strength. "Michael, you can come now. And Elder you will be referring to our duel as well,'' Chad said, looking at them. The Elder dumbfounded but he nodded his head in the end. Michael nodded at Ernest and Laverne before stepping in. At this moment, the changes attracted not only attention of other warriors in the fighting platform but also audiences in the arena. "What is going on?" The audience exclaimed in surprise. Everything was going on smoothly. But someone intervened in the duel. And the referee didn''t say anything. Soon their images were shown in the projection. Right after, everyone recognised their dresses and badges. "Special Faction Warriors," The crowd exclaimed in surprise. It''s not an everyday sight where you can watch the Special Faction Warrior''s fight. Cheer~ So the crowd erupted in a loud cheer. All the warriors from the four grade institution are starting to make a loud noise. Which in turn made all the elders set their sights on the 10th platform. Even the fight going on the other platform is stopped. Chapter 505 Chad Wins! ? Duel Arena, Everyone stopped their fighting and turned toward the 10th fighting platform. Chad Bartlett sneered. Everything is going according to his plan. Even Michael can''t back away from fighting right now. Michael Blevins stood opposite him. Facing each other, Chad Bartlett can''t wait to make a move. Michael''s expression is solemn. From the beginning he knows something is wrong. But he has confidence in himself. And his Golden Aura element is not easy to defend. The whole crowd set their eyes on the duel. The audiences are staring at the screen. Below, the elder feels it''s time to start. When the signal was given. Chad made his move. He dashed toward Michael at breakneck speed. Michael expected him to make a first move. So he wasn''t surprised. The next moment, he raised his hand to punch. His first bath in golden light all of a sudden. But anyone who is familiar with golden aura knows how tough it is? Ernest and Laveren looked solemn below the platform. Both understand Michael is serious about the duel. Laverne who was clueless earlier. She seems to understand something. Previously, Chad used to be cautious when facing the golden aura. Now he is confronting it head on. Ernest is looking to find some clues. He doesn''t know where Chad''s confidence comes from. On the platform, Chad grinned widely. He courageously raises his fist to meet Michael''s golden aura punch. When the two fist comes in contact with each other. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. Shock wave swept across the platform. "Hmm," Michael''s eyes lit up with surprise. Not only he retreated a few steps backward. The golden aura depleted from the collision. A sudden realization struck his mind. "You..," He looked at Chad who was smiling from ear to ear. "He broke through," Michael said in his heart. So this is the reason. He is feeling something odd earlier. This mad man is now stronger than himself. He was fooled by him earlier. "Harumph," He gave a cold snort in his heart. Swish~ The next moment, he disappeared from the spot and arrived in front of Chad. He twisted his fist to punch him in the abdomen. Chad who was unfazed by Michael''s move. He calmly blocked his punch again. Boom~ Shock wave again swept across the platform. The crowd who was watching the duel broke out in loud cheer. They are fascinated by the bright golden aura. It is completely different from the other five elements. ... From MC''s Perspective: An hour ago, I came to my room after completing the Gravity Training. Day by day, I''m pushing my body limit further. Even to the extent of getting injury. But thanks to the wooden scripture. I can heal myself. 30 minutes later, After taking a long shower. I changed to fresh clothes. I''m planning to head back to the building again to complete the lightning training. But before that I casually opened my sci-fi watch and logged into the academics social media site. Right after, my feed is filled with news posts. All of them are about duel arena. I know most of the warriors are watching duels right now. When I scrolled down the page. I spotted one of the live feeds. Seeing that, I decided to watch a few duels before going back to the train. A small holographic protection appears above the watch. There are 10 duels taking place on 10 different platforms. So I selected platform no.1 to watch the duel. The scene changed and duel taking place platform no.1 is shown. Seeing that I sat on the sofa and began to watch the duel. 20 minutes later, I''m watching the duel. But it''s a little bit boring. The warriors are not strong. Most of the duels ended within a few minutes. None of the warriors showed any dominance. In a few moves, either they admit defeat or get injured. They lost courage. No wonder the dean is unsure about them. If they show similar performance in the year end conference, then we would hit the bottom place for sure. When I was lost in thoughts. I saw something strange happen on the ground. Four people walked out of the entrance. Looking at their face, I immediately recognised. "Michael" "Laverne" "And Ernest" "What are they doing here?" I muttered to myself. "Wait a second?" "Who is the 4th person?" A warrior with red hair. I have never seen him before. Suddenly, a realization dawned upon me. He might be the warrior who ended his retreat. But what is he doing with those three? I squinted my eyes in confusion. Then I focused my attention toward the projection screen. Something unusual happened again. The red haired warrior beats the other two warriors on the platform. I don''t know what they are talking about. Otherwise, it''s easy to follow their conversation. But that red haired warrior surprised me greatly. After a few seconds, I saw Michael stepping inside. "Is he going to fight?" I uttered in disbelief. Michael is a Super Elite Warrior. So the red haired person might be Super Elite Warrior as well. "Really?" "What is going on out there?" This is not an Elite fight anymore. Has someone challenged Michael for a duel? A lot of thoughts come to mind. But I know it''s impossible. Because Michael is the person who likes to be low key. Even if someone challenges him, I don''t think he will accept right away. Because I haven''t seen a single post online regarding the challenge. So something must have happened today. The next moment, the referee announced the duel. When the red haired person''s identity was announced. "[email protected]," I cursed out loud. I couldn''t help but stand in shock. "Chad Bartlett," I uttered his name. So this guy is a fellow senior. No wonder, Michael is acting out like that. Since someone from the faction is challenging him. Michael has no choice other than to accept the challenge. After knowing that that person is a senior of mine. I became more interested in this duel. Then I sat back on the sofa and continued to watch the duel. 5 minutes later, A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. Michael is losing the fight. I can tell that his golden aura is not working against the opponent. And what''s with the Senior named Chad. He is not using his Special Element at all. .... Duel Arena, Swish~ A fierce evil wind strikes Michael all of a sudden. The evil wind quickly overwhelms the golden aura. In a blink of an eye, it broke through Michael''s defense. And lands a heavy blow to Michael''s body. Pfff! Blood splattered. Michael crashed on to the ground the next second. Cheer~ The next moment, the audience let out a roaring cheer. The duel was so lit. But the duel time was short. Chad Bartlett broke out a fierce move at the last moment. His special element was so domineering. Before it the golden aura fails to block it. Pfff! Coughing up blood. Michael tries to get up. Ernest and Laverne rushed to help him. Michael was defeated without much of a fight. He was slightly injured. "Ha...Ha...Ha....," Chad let out a joyful laughter. He feels satisfied by the win. Looking at Michael''s injured state is more pleasing to the eyes. Earlier, he wanted to pay Michael back. And he has done it now. He cracked a wide grin on his face. The loud cheer still rings in his ears. After taking a glance at the referee, he stepped down from the platform. Chad didn''t wait for Michale to get up. He already showed the strength above the Super Elite Warrior. Unless, Michael breakthroughs. It''s impossible to defeat him. He then quickly left the arena. Right after, Michael stood up with the help of Ernest and Laverne. There is an emergency clinic in this building. So three of them slowly exit the arena to go there. 10 minutes later, Michael swallowed the healing pill. Right after, a hot energy went down his throat and started to heal his inner injuries. A few minutes later, Michael''s complexion turned better. Ernest and Laverne solemnly watch him. They can''t wait to ask what had happened? Because Michael was defeated in a blink of an eye. That moment was unbelievable for both of them. It''s quite clear that Chad has become stronger than Michael now. "Hmmm," Michael slowly opened his eyes. He immediately checked his internal organs. Seeing that his injuries are gone. A hint of relief flashes in his eyes. When he raised his head. He saw two of his friends standing in front of him. "Michael, what happened?" Ernest asked. Laverne is looking at him with the same questioning eyes as well. "Chad has taken a half step lead," Michael said. "What?" Ernest uttered in disbelief. He knows what this means. A clear shock written on his face. Laverne shocked to the core as well. Both knew what half step means. It may seem like a half leap in power. As long as another half is completed, Chad can become SS Elite Warrior. Then they both looked at Michael with some concern. At this moment, Michael seems to have made a tough decision. He looked at both and said,"I''m going to retreat." Chapter 506 Encountering Chad ? From MC''s perspective: My gaze never left the projection. "Damn, what was that now?" I muttered to myself. Michael was defeated in a few moves. That Senior named Chad was truly strong. From the announcement, I came to know about his element. "Evil Wind element?" I uttered. It''s like an ice element. The Evil Wind must be a mutation of the wind element. After pushing down these thoughts, I decided to visit them later. 2 hours later, I walked out of the training room after completing the dummy practice. Then I returned to my dorm room to take a bath. 20 minutes later, I left my room and walked to the faction building. When I walked inside. I saw people gathering in the hallway. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. They are looking toward the Special Faction Common Room. Ignoring them, I walked upstairs. "Hey, look. He is here" "Zack Lockwood" "He is also Special Faction Warrior" "Guess, why didn''t he fight?" "May be he will fight tomorrow" Various noises reached my ears. Ignoring that, I walked in front of the door and began to verify my identity. Creak~ Right after, the door opened. I slowly walked inside. Then I walked to the living room to see them. When I stepped inside. I saw Ernest and Laverne. But there was no Michael. Sitting on the sofa, these two guys are seriously discussing something. After feeling my presence, they turned toward me. "Zack, what are you doing here?" Laverne asked in an icy tone. Ernest was also not pleased by my arrival. I can see hints of hatred in their emotions. Because, I rarely talked to these people. "Ahem, I saw the duel," I said with a cough. Hearing that both of their expressions turned ugly. "So you came to make fun of Michael," Ernest said, while looking at me. I shook my head in disapproval. I replied,"I heard from the announcement the opponent is also a Special Faction Member." "So what''s going on?" Laverne and Ernest looked at each other. They can understand why Zack is asking that. Because the members of Special Faction Members are less to begin with. They can be counted in numbers. Laverne said,"Yes, that mad man belongs to our faction. He was in retreat a couple of hours ago. But he broke through to become a half-step SS Elite Warrior." "Michael found out during the duel. So he was defeated easily in the end," She added further. "Half-Step SS Elite Warrior?" My heart skips a beat for a second. No wonder Michael lost like that. He is just a Super Elite Warrior. But someone against half-step SS Elite Warrior. It''s not easy to win. The difference in power is huge. For a moment, I don''t know how to console them. But I don''t know why they are feeling bad about this? Chad is our senior right. Feeling the gaze, Laverne asked, "What?" "isn''t he a senior of ours? Why are you guys sulking about the duel?" I asked. "Harumph" ''What do you know?" "Chad is not normal. He doesn''t care about peers. He is an arrogant [email protected]," Ernest said. But suddenly his gaze stopped on me and said,"Don''t meet him by the way. If he knows about you, then he will come and see you." "Maybe he will find an excuse to challenge you,"Ernest added further. My heart skips a beat again. What? Fighting against him. It''s not going to happen until I become a Super Elite Warrior. After speaking to them. I left the common room a few minutes later. On the way, I couldn''t help but think about Ernest''s words. I have a bad feeling about this. I think it''s best to avoid coming to faction building for a while. Then I returned to my dorm room a few minutes later. Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca receives an intelligence report. Suspicious warriors spotted near the gorge. Which is located 100 miles away from the Viper City. She knitted her eyebrows. But the next second, her eyes grew cold. For the past several days, she didn''t stop looking at the intelligence report. She knew it''s impossible for unknown warriors to hide and lurk in their area. There must be some kind of base located under their jurisdiction. Otherwise it''s impossible for them to evade the patrol guards. Looking at the report. She decides to send someone to investigate the place. Suddenly, the image of Zack Lockwood comes to her mind. Rebecca held up her chin in contemplation. "Why don''t I send Zack to that place?" She thought to herself. She knew Zack has been training vigorously ever since that incident. He even stopped going to high peak mountains and monster zones for some time. She thinks this short mission will provide some relief. Her eyes flickered with a slight glint. Then she contacted a shadow guard. A few minutes later, Two shadow guards appeared in front of her. One male warrior and the other one is female warrior. Both of them are fully dressed in black. Seeing them, she spoke to them about the mission. Their job is to protect Zack secretly from the assassination. The following day, After practicing the blood element method. I walked out of the training room. I ran out of the monster cores. If I have to cultivate tomorrow, then I will need some monster cores. So I decided to skip today''s training session and go to the monster zone. Several minutes later, I changed to academy clothes. After getting ready, I left the room and walked out of the building. When I entered the dining hall. I found the atmosphere a bit weird. The warriors are looking in one direction. When I turned my head to the right side. I saw red haired warriors swallow a big chunk of meat filled with energy. But my eyes immediately recognized the person. "Chad Bartlett," I said in my heart. He is eating here like everyone else. Then shaking my head, I walked to the food counter. But suddenly I feel a hot piercing gaze behind my back. My eyes flickered with cold glint. "He spotted me," I said in my heart. No need to turn back. I know who the piercing gaze belongs to. After receiving the food plate, I walked to an empty seat to sit down. Then I slowly began to eat. But my mind is on something else. Did he find out about me? A doubt appeared in my heart. Ernest warned me about this yesterday. But what can I do? I can''t avoid seeing him in the dining hall. Everyone has to come here to eat. 10 minutes later, After having breakfast, I turned to leave. Seeing that Chad was gone. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. But when I walked out of the building. I saw someone blocking the path. Looking at the red hair again, a frown appeared on my face. He is Chad Bartlett. What does he want? "You got some nice energy there?" Chad Bartlett said, pointing at my body. Did he feel blood energy or purple essence? I didn''t respond. I decide to walk past quietly. Chad became angry. He was talking nicely just now. But someone decides to ignore him. "How dare you?" Chad said, while releasing a small amount of pressure from his body. While I was walking. My senses are alarmed with danger. The next second, I felt the weight of 5X gravity weighing on me. "This?"I uttered and bent my knees slowly. I didn''t use my perception. Otherwise, I would have spotted his minor moves. But I didn''t expect him to attack me. No wonder they call him a mad man. But he is crossing the limit Meanwhile, Chad cracked an evil grin on his face. Looking at the person crouching down under pressure. He felt pleased. By this time, the crowd starts to form. Warriors from other factions easily recognised the identity of the two people. One is Zack Lockwood and the other one is Chad Bartlett. Seeing the tussle between Special Faction Members. Others began to enjoy the show. Some of them started to capture pictures to post online. Meanwhile, my inner organs start to rupture again. Seeing that, my heart set off storms. I don''t think this is the full extent of his strength. When I saw his evil grin. My heart turned cold. He is rotten to the core. Looks like he loves bullying. Various thoughts come to mind. I can handle the current pressure. But if I continue to endure it, then it would be suspicious. So I quickly operated my sci-fi watch and contacted the dean. When the projection appeared. Dean Rebecca asked,"What happened?" She saw something wrong with Zack. Hearing that I asked for help and ended the call. This process ended within two minutes. Chad Bartlett saw everything. He thought the person was asking for help. But he knows no one will come to save him. Chad Bartlett already found the identity of the new face last night. He was looking at an unread feed last night. At that time, he came across a post about Zack Lockwood. A new special element warrior was recruited. Zack Lockwood- A lightning element warrior. After seeing the post, he had made up his mind to fight him. Chapter 507 Punishment ? From MC''s perspective: "Come on," I uttered, while gritting my teeth. The inner organs are bleeding. Chad Bartlett was grinning from ear to ear. The crowd is watching the show without doing anything to stop Chad''s actions. Swish~ The next moment, an elder appeared before Chad out of nowhere. The pressure weighing Zack disappeared instantly. A look of disbelief appeared on Chad''s face. His face turned dark. He wasn''t surprised by the appearance of the elder. But he came too soon. He wanted to hear the pleading of Zack. "Phew!" Meanwhile, I took a deep breath before trying to stand. I caught the appearance of the elder. Goodness he appeared on time. "Chad Bartlett, come to the disciplinary Hall," Elder said. Gasp~ Hearing that warriors surrounding them exclaimed in surprise. Everyone knows Chad is going to face harsh punishment. But Chad didn''t retaliate. He had foreseen this situation. If they truly want to give him strict punishment, then they need permission from the Head. But he was in retreat. Chad sneered inside. No one can give harsh punishment unless the dean herself gave order. So he was quite confident in his judgment. The elder turned towards Zack. He quickly spotted Zack''s discomfort. Looking at Zack, he said,"You should go to the clinic. Check if there is any internal injury." I nodded in response. Then I walked to the clinic without turning back. But my heart turned cold. Chad is overstepping his boundary. But I can''t face him right now. There is plenty of time before reaching the Super Elite Warrior. The Elder led Chad to the disciplinary Hall. And the crowd disperses right after. But the real discussion starts now. People started to post the image online. Many were surprised why warriors belong to the same faction fighting each other. Only old students knew the abnormalities. They knew about the Special Element Faction. Their numbers are less to begin with. They find it boring to challenge other faction warriors. So some want to fight each other. Especially the warrior Chad is a person with similar traits. Meanwhile, I entered the clinic a few minutes later. To my surprise, the healer is already ready with equipment. News sure reaches fast! A wry smile appeared on my face. I lie down on the bed. Instead of a healing pill, he injected me with a syringe. It contained green color fluid. Right after, I felt a warm energy entering my blood stream. Feeling such warmth, I closed my eyes. The healing essence starts to work. Slowly, the injured parts are getting healed. Time passed, After one hour, I opened my eyes. I got up and checked my internal organs. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. The injuries are all gone. My inner organs were completely healed. I left the room after completing one more checking. On the way to the dorm. I received a message from the dean. Seeing that I turned my direction and headed to the dean''s office. A few minutes later, I entered the room and saw her working on screen. She gave me a quick glance to take a seat. Then I sat on the opposite chair. I don''t know why she called me here? Is it because of Chad? A frown appeared on my face. I think it''s unlikely. Rebecca stopped looking at the screen before turning toward Zack. "Zack, how are you?" "Did you suffer any injuries?" "I heard Chad had released overwhelming pressure," She said. I shook my head in response and replied,"He wanted to test me." I''m not lying but it''s the truth. I believe he didn''t even use his full strength. Otherwise, I would have been deeply injured. Rebecca said,"Don''t worry. He will be imprisoned for 2 months for his actions." My eyes lit up with surprise. I didn''t expect to take severe action. But that guy was a mad man. He won''t be silent after the release. After pushing down these thoughts, I looked at her. I asked,"Dean, why did you call me?" Rebecca came to her senses. She then smiled and said,"I called you here for important work." "Are you ready to take the mission?" She added further. "Mission uh?" I said in my heart. I haven''t thought about it since that incident. Last time it was the Super Elite Warriors who tried to kill me. But this time I don''t know what will happen? But I decided to listen to it. Rebecca saw through his thoughts. She said,"The mission is good for you. We found traces of suspicious activities near the gorge. Which is located a few miles from our Viper City." "I want you to investigate that place thoroughly and report it back to me from time to time," She said. "Hmm," I raised my eyebrow in surprise. If it''s an investigation mission, then it''s fine with me. I have a perception ability. So I can retreat whenever I want. I took some time to digest the facts. Then I answered,"I accept the mission. When should I leave?" Rebecca smiled and answered,"Tomorrow morning. Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on your whereabouts. If there is a problem, I''ll send the reinforcements there." I sighed inwardly. Obviously, this is good assurance. With that I can gladly do the mission without any worry. Then I left the room a few minutes later. Meanwhile, Clash between Chad and Zack has taken the academy''s social media site by storm. Ernest and Laverne are shocked after hearing the news. Ernest had warned Zack earlier. But he was glad that Chad was taken to the disciplinary hall. Otherwise, it''s impossible to stop him. Unless the faction head takes action himself. The following day, After completing the morning routine, I entered the training room. Yesterday I bought a few monster cores by using the alliance points. If not for the mission, I wouldn''t have spent the money at all. Then I sat cross legged on the ground. I took out one Class-4 Monster Core and held it in my palm. I closed my eyes and started to run the blood element method. The blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I started to absorb the monster''s core energy. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to the mental method. . Right after the red blood light appeared and began to absorb these energies to convert them. The next moment, the absorbed energies were converted into the white energies. These white then began to drill into my bones. Right after, I feel a heart wrenching pain. I''m enduring it. At this moment, I am quite used to it. Slowly, the red marked area of my bones starts to expand. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Time went on, I opened my eyes two hours later. The monster core in my palm crumbles into pieces. Seeing that I took another one. And continued to practice. After two hours, I walked out of the training room and went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, I changed to fresh clothes. After getting ready, I left the room and headed to the dining hall. Last night, I received the mission details. After reading it, I realized the importance of the mission. Several unknown warriors are wandering under the academy ''s jurisdiction area. If they are registered, then it''s easy to find their identities. If not then it would be troublesome. Majority of the warriors have identification. Those who are not registered are up to something. Especially with this mission. I have this feeling. If they are crooked warriors then I don''t have a problem in beating them down. After walking into the hall, I received a lot of gazes on me. I spotted many ridiculous smiles. It was the first time for them to see me like this yesterday. Shaking my head, I walked to the counter to receive food. Then I found an empty seat to sit down on. While eating, I found these people didn''t stop staring at me. But I know none of them had courage to confront me. Suddenly, the image of Chad comes to mind. My mouth curves into arcs. I don''t know where they are imprisoning him. Shaking my head, I continued to eat. After a couple of seconds, I felt the presence of two people in front of me. When I raised my head to see. "Ernest" "Laverne" I uttered in surprise. I can tell that both of them come to see me. "Zack, how are you doing?" Laverne asked, while taking a seat beside me. Ernest also sat next to me. Seeing the appearance of these two. The other faction warriors are shocked. They didn''t expect to see this scene as well. "I''m glad you have asked. I''m doing fine," I answered with a smile. Ernest said,"Thanks to the elder. He came on time. Otherwise, the mad man would have attacked you." Hearing that I kept silent. Laverne and Ernest looked at each other. Laverne suddenly asked,"What''s your next plan?" "Hmm," I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I don''t want to talk about the mission. It''s best that less people know about this. "I''m going to act as usual. Why did you ask?" I answered. Chapter 508 Part 1: Investigation ? From MC''s perspective: "We are going to enter Monster Zone. If you are free, you can join us," Laverne asked. Last time, Zack rejected their invitation. Since Michael is not here, she is hoping that Zack would agree. "No," I replied. "I have some other work to do for the time being. So I''ll contact you when it''s needed," I said Ernest frowned. But it can''t be helped. They can''t force Zack to agree. Then the duo left the dining hall. Seeing they''re disappearing back, I sighed inside. Actually, it would be fun to join forces with them. But I don''t want to reveal my cards this early. 10 minutes later, I walked out of the dining room. Then I took large strides towards the monster facility. Shortly after, I walked into the place. As usual I walked to the office to register. After registering the information, I waited for the tamer to arrive. After a few minutes, an old man came to the office. He then led me to the monster residing area. Many flying type monsters tamed here. He then stopped in front of the huge falcon. Seeing that, I wasn''t surprised. Most of the monsters residing here are falcons. A 10 minutes later, A giant falcon flew out of the academy''s air space. It flew towards Viper City. I''m sitting on the back. Whereas the tamer is sitting close to the neck region. The Falcon is a Class-4 Monster. So the speed is quite high. I believe in a few hours we will reach Viper City. Thinking about Viper City, I recalled the memories of my last trip. I have to be cautious this time. I activated my perception ability. Though we are flying in the air. But I still spread the consciousness around me. I don''t want to be startled by the surprise attack. After doing that, I opened my sci-fi watch to go through the mission again. Especially I want to look into the gorge area. The suspicious sightings were reported by the adventurers at that time. The adventurers in their statements said that the suspicious people were stronger than them. But the adventurers had returned safely. This shows that other parties are unlikely adventurers like them. Otherwise, there could have been clashes between them. But such a thing never happened. They are unknown people with strong strength. What are they doing near the gorge? Has something there in the gorge? My mind was occupied with many questions. I closed my eyes and pondered. Time went by, After a few hours, the gigantic falcon flew over the Viper City attracting the attention of the people. Slowly, the falcon lands at the monster facility area. Then I stepped down and walked out of the building. Last time, I spent time eating. But this time, I came prepared. So I directly head toward the City Wall. While walking, I didn''t forget to observe people around me. But none of them were showing any suspicion signs. Dean said that she had weeded out the rotten apples inside the city. So getting spotted by the spy is minimum. Shortly after, I arrived before the City wall. Then I walked to the logging system. I entered my name and started the verification process. When the verification was done. Creak~ An iron door opened between the City wall. It''s a path to the exit. Seeing that I entered and started walking towards the exit. When I walked out of the City wall. I feel my heart at ease. There are no rules and restrictions anymore. In front of me is a wide wilderness. It''s a vast open field. After taking a glance at my surroundings. I opened the map on my watch. Then I found the gorge area on the map. It''s the only gorge which is located close to Viper City. Swish~ After confirming the location, I used the flight ability to move. Right after, two shadows appeared. Looking at Zack''s direction, they choose to follow as well. Meanwhile, The Sharp Daggers: A couple of hours ago, The leader Vik wasn''t able to delay the time. Past couple of days have been a headache for him. The people from the Giant Tower are asking for his response. So he instructed his men to attend the call. After a few minutes, his subordinate came with the report. "Leader" Vik is sitting on the main chair. Seeing his subordinate, he squinted his eyes. He asked,"Tell me, what do they want?" "Leader, the Giant Tower asked you to get ready. If there is another chance, they will let you know," The subordinate answered. "Harumph," Vik gave a cold snort in satisfaction. He knows that they are using him as a gun. But because of the high grade artifact. He has to give in. "Alright, tell them. I''ll wait," He said. Hearing that the subordinate showed some hesitation. Vik caught the expression and asked,"Is there something else?" "Leader, we still have our goods left near the Viper City. Someone has to go there to retrieve the goods," The subordinate answered. Vik frowned. He remembered the old consignment. That mission was supposed to be over a week ago. But he almost forgot about it. Now it''s difficult to retrieve the remaining goods. Already the patrol guards are watching over the place. If he sends his men now, then they will get caught. He knitted his eyebrows further. He can''t leave the goods to rot there. Because the client was an important person. Thankfully, the client didn''t ask anything. After contemplating, he decided to send his subordinates there. Time passed, After a few hours of flying, I decided to descend down to take some rest. I spotted a huge tree in the distance. Seeing that I flew toward the tree and sat on one of the tree branches. "Phew," I exhaled in relief. Hardly any green patches on these barren land. Surprisingly, I spotted these giant trees. Then I opened the map in my sci-fi watch. A small holographic protection appeared. I quickly found the destination. It''s a few miles from here. Seeing that, I frowned. On the way here, I didn''t find any suspicious warriors. If not for the reports, I doubt even adventurers would come here. Shaking my head, I''m beginning to rest here. Time passed by, After half an hour, I decided to resume the journey. But shortly after, I caught something in my perception. It''s neither adventurers nor monsters. But an uneven land on the ground. Several weeds have grown above the uneven land. If not for my perception, I would have missed it. Then I landed on the ground and slowly walked up to it. But as I got closer my senses were alarmed with danger. Swish~ My legs were covered with a purple arc in an instant. I disappeared from the spot and retreated backwards. Boom~ A flame ball hits at the previous spot. Causing the dust to rise from the ground. The shockwave uprooted the grown out weeds. It completely swept away the nearby rocks. The next moment, a four silhouette appeared on the ground. They immediately released the sword from their sheath to attack. At the same time, my pupil constricted. Four of them are Super Elite Warriors. And there appears to be a mortar cell beneath the ground. What are they hiding there? I took out the black sword and held it in my both hands. Looking at these people and their behavior. I doubt they are the killers who were after me. My instincts tell me that something else is going on. They are dressed in long sleeved clothes. Before I could access further. One of them released his attack at me. His movement becomes clear under my perception. Seeing the sword arc coming at me. I used the lightning phantom technique to evade the attack. Boom~ The sword arc brushed past me and landed a hit on the empty ground. A terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. But I ignored the sound. By using this opportunity, I dashed toward the other two. I have to take down at least one of them quickly. At the same time, the other three charged at me. This all happened within seconds. Thundr~ When I got closer, I immediately released the lightning wheel technique. A giant wheel of lightning appeared. Followed by the thundering sound. The enemies were startled by the situation. But their bodies were so close. So it was too late to dodge now. The lightning wheel bursting with power. When it comes into contact with the body. Boom~ The next moment, the wheel explodes. The lightning power tore through the opponent''s defense. And caused massive injury to their body. From the collision force three of them smashed to the ground. But it was not enough to take their life. Clang~ At the same time, I turned around and blocked the attack from behind. We came close to each other. I was able to counter the brute force because of the body strength. Using this opportunity, I raised my fist and used the blood fist technique. A warm current came from my bones and reached my forearm in a blink of an eye. Chapter 509 Part 2: Investigation ? From MC''s perspective: "Blood Fist" My punch lands on the opponent''s chest. The punch tore through the opponent''s body leaving behind a massive hole in his chest. The blood splattered. Tud! The next moment, the Super Elite Warrior dropped dead on the ground. The other three warriors rose from the ground to fight. But the sudden changes caught them off guard. At the same time, I dashed toward the opponent. Unlike the previous attack, the warriors stopped engaging in close combat. The next second, I gripped my black and started to charge with the purple essence. In a blink of an eye, the black blade shone with the purple arc. By that time, I found another sword attack coming at me. A trace of apprehension appeared in their eyes. They seem to realize the danger of lightning. Seeing the purple arc one of them tried to retreat. "Sword Divide," I release charged power targeting the nearest one. A beam of purple lightning shot at the Super Elite Warrior. The attack was so fast that he wasn''t able to defend himself properly. Boom~ The lightning beam comes into contact with the body. The next second, an explosion happens. Dust rose from the ground. The shock wave again swept away the nearby pebbles. The other two are dumbstruck by the turn of events. They failed to kill the Elite Warrior. Two of them found something wrong. After glancing at each other, they decided to flee. At the same time, I caught their actions in my perception. Seeing that they are up to something. "Lightning finger technique," I used the lighting finger technique against one of them. The powerful lightning shot at the enemy. The Super Elite Warrior tries to block the attack by using the sword. Boom~ But the sword blade broke into pieces. And the remaining lightning power lands a heavy blow to his body. Seeing the state of his friend, the remaining Super Elite Warrior starts to flee. Seeing that my eyes grew cold. I don''t know what they are doing here. So I can''t let him escape. So before giving him a chase. I used a blood fist technique to attack the standing warrior. Creak~ The enemy''s dantian collapses making him crippled. Without turning back, I used the lightning phantom technique to catch the last one. The next moment, two shadows appeared. They looked at the condition of three Super Elite Warriors. One was dead. The other two fell unconscious due to heavy injuries on their body. If they left here like that, they would bleed to death. The two SS-Elite guardians looked at each other. A trace of shock was written on their faces. Seeing the number of enemies. Earlier, they wanted to intervene. But somehow Zack was able to defeat them within a few moves. "Have you noticed one thing?" The male warrior asked, pointing his finger at the corpse which had a massive hole in its chest. The female guardian blinked her eyes. Seeing the massive hole in the chest. She was shocked to the core. They have been watching duels from the beginning. Both saw Zack using his brute strength to kill the first one. And these two are in a miserable state because of the lightning attacks. The female guardian thought of something and replied, "Is it because of bloodline?" A quick glint flashes in the male guardian''s eyes. He said, "It''s possible." "No wonder, the dean is so protective of him." "Let''s go and see. What happened to the last," The female guardian said. These two people are elders. So they knew some of the secret information. Apart from the elemental warriors, there are warriors blessed with bloodline powers. The bloodline powers offer superhuman strength with other abilities. So they mistook Zack''s body cultivation for bloodline. Meanwhile, "Leave me alone," The remaining Super Elite Warrior said out loud. After seeing his companions'' miserable state, his mentality was broken. He just wants to escape from here. My eyes grew cold. Already, the blood fist attack made him half-crippled. He is barely able to move his body. "Tell me who you are?" "And what are you guys doing here?" I asked him. The Super Elite Warrior was left speechless. He knew the consequences of betraying the leader. So he is still hoping for a chance to escape. Seeing the warrior is not answering me. I raised my fist again. The warrior''s expression becomes pale with bright. He had just witnessed the power of an ordinary-looking punch. "Wait a second!" "We are from sharp daggers." "Our leader wants us to trans..." before he could finish his words his soul was broken due to the violation of restriction placed on his soul. Tud! His eyes went black and the body dropped dead on the ground. Seeing that my expression turned dark. I understood that some kind of ban was placed on them. So they can''t spill the truth. Fortunately, I got some useful information. "Sharp Daggers," I uttered solemnly. It''s not the name of the academy. But third-party organizations. Maybe a mercenary force. After figuring it out, I walked to the corpse to retrieve the storage ring. By the time I came back, I found one of them had already succumbed to the injuries. And the other one was unconscious. What to do now? I can''t interrogate him because of the ban. If I do that, the same trigger will happen. Meanwhile, the guardians hiding in the dark had reported to the dean about the news. Beep~ My communication watches lit up with a notification. When I saw the contact name. A realization struck my mind. It''s Dean. She had told me to update her from time to time. I attended the call. A small holographic projection appears above the watch. "Zack, where are you?" "What are you doing?" Dean''s face appeared in projection as well as her question reached my ears. For a moment, I''m stunned. Because the timing was perfect. Then I spoke to her about the confrontation that had happened now. Including the underground mortar cell. And I also revealed the name "Sharp Daggers." I couldn''t see her expression through this projection. I want to know whether she knows about the Sharp Daggers. "Zack, you can come back now after checking the cellar. You don''t have to go to the gorge," Dean Rebecca''s sharp voice sounded after a few minutes. I nodded my head in response. I too feel it''s good to return. We don''t know who we are dealing with. Four Super Elite Warriors are found here. Then what about the gorge? I don''t want to fight against several teams. That situation would be scary. Besides, my purple essence was almost depleted. So it''s not wise to stay here anymore. After ending the call, I removed the remaining storage ring from each corpse. After collecting that, I placed all of them in mine. Then my attention turned toward the underground cellar. I walked to the spot and found the entrance leading to the small hideout. I stepped downwards. And at the same time, I''m using my perception to check the surroundings. When I walked inside. I realized this is one single room. Some wooden boxes are kept in the corner of the walls. A strange glint flashes in my eyes. I recalled the last guy''s words. Four of them perhaps came here to move this thing. In curiosity, I walked to the box and opened it. The next second, a vicious smell attacked my nostril. I closed the box abruptly and moved backward. For a moment, I felt grave danger. I saw some deadly herbs inside the box. From the smell alone, I can tell that the items are poisonous. I broke out in a cold sweat. After calming down my heart, I decided to hand it over to Dean herself. My curiosity died down and I simply placed all the wooden boxes in my storage ring. Then I used my perception to check this place one more time. After confirming, the room was clean without hidden items. I walked back to the surface. Then I picked up the body of the unconscious one and rushed back to Viper City. At the same time, a hint of approval flashes in the guardians'' eyes. They watched the whole process. They are satisfied by seeing how Zack handled everything. Then they followed Zack from behind. Time passed, After several hours of non-stop flying, I got close to Viper City. To keep the criminal''s vitality alive, I fed him with healing pills. His veins and meridians were broken. He was not in a state of retaliation at all. By the time I entered Viper City, I was greeted by the Five Elders from the academy. Unlike the Faction Heads, they are a hidden force of the academy. Feeling the pressure similar to Faction Heads. I guessed they are SS-Elite or above as well. I simply handed over the unconscious criminal to them. After exchanging a few words, the elders went back. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. The overall situation feels overwhelming. Fortunately, I was able to subdue the culprits. Then I made my way toward the monster facility to return to the academy. Chapter 510 Restoring The Purple Essence ? From MC''s perspective: A few hours later, I returned to the academy safely. Before going to the dorm room. I decided to hand over the wooden boxes to the dean. I don''t know exactly what the item is. Maybe she can find something about it. After entering the building, I head straight toward the dean''s office. After a few minutes of walking, I came to the cabin. Creak~ The door opened automatically. Seeing that I realized she saw me coming. Then I walked in. Dean Rebecca stopped her work and asked me to take a seat. I sat opposite her. Before she could ask, I opened my mouth to say, "Dean, I found several wooden boxes in an underground cellar." Rebecca replied, "Take it out." She sounded more serious than ever. The guardians had already reported to her. Zack''s fight again shocked her. But the situation of unknown Super Elite Warriors troubled her mind more. After hearing her, I brought all the wooden boxes to the ground. Dean Rebecca stood up from her seat to the insect. Seeing that I backed away. My behavior didn''t go unnoticed. She asked, "What happened?" "Terrible smell," I uttered while retreating backward. Rebecca then opened the cover to see what was inside. The next second, a bad smell filled the office. She closed the cover the next moment. But her expression was not right. She seems to guess something. Then she opened another four wooden boxes to check the items. All five boxes have an unknown plant with a terrible smell. At the same time, I kept silent. When she finished her checking, I saw her waving her hand. The next second, the bad smell in the room disappeared. A look of disbelief appeared on my face. I wasn''t able to tell what it was. But it looks cool. Then I sat on the seat again and asked, "Dean, what is the item?" After sitting on her seat, she tapped her fingers on the table in a rhythmic manner. Seeing that I realized she is recalling something. "The item looks familiar. Before confirming it, I have to check some sources," She answered. Hearing that I nodded my head. "Dean, what about the sharp daggers? Are they the ones who had sent killers or some other forces," I asked something which was bothering my mind. How come there are so many unknown warriors roaming freely? Doubt appeared in my heart. Rebecca replied, "Zack, elders are interrogating the culprits. Why don''t you go back and take some rest?" "By the way, you did a good job. It''s not easy to fight across ranks. You even killed three warriors and caught one." "It''s a tremendous feat," She added. Hearing that I revealed a small smile on my face. "You can go now. I''ll contact you after getting the information," She said. Then I thanked her before walking out of the room. But my smile disappeared as I walked out of the building. I feel strange right now. She speaks as if she had witnessed the fight herself. I did report to her about the fight a couple of hours ago. But her way of talking? I couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was wrong. After pushing down these thoughts, I head back to my room. Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca recalls the report again. Where Zack had used his body strength to cause maximum damage. "Bloodline uh?" She uttered in surprise. She thought it was quite possible. Then thinking about Zack''s background. She knows it''s not good to dig more into this. She had warned the guardians to forget about the bloodline. Their job is to protect Zack''s life, not to pray into his secrets. The following day, 9 A.M After having breakfast, I take a stride toward the teleportation tower. My purple essence was depleted. I decided not to leave the high peak mountain unit. I recover my essence to the peak. When I came to the teleportation tower. I walked inside. After stepping up the platform, I activated the server. Swish~ I disappeared from the spot. The next second, I found myself standing in a dense forest. Thunder~ As usual, the dark clouds covered the sky. I''m seeing the heavy downpour of rain. I wasn''t annoyed. This is an ideal situation for me. Then I started walking toward the location. Meanwhile, Two peak elite warriors are taking cover under the shade of huge bedrock. They are warriors from Red Moon Tower. At this time, a huge rain pour is causing them trouble. They came here to collect herbs. But right now, they can only wait for the rain to stop. These two warriors go by the name of Rick and Monty. Both of them are average warriors of the Red Moon Tower. Only by completing the mission can they earn more points to buy resources. So they are frustrated by the situation. Monty notices something odd. Normally, the ground around the bedrock is supposed to be covered with dense vegetation and grown-out weeds. But right now, only small grasses can be seen on the ground. Rick notices his friend''s behavior and asks, "What are you staring at?" Monty then told him about his doubts. Rick is not stupid either. He quickly realized the truth. "Are people coming here daily?" He asked. Monty shook his head and replied, "Herbal collection mission is a monthly mission. For special herbs, I saw people coming here weekly once." "And the Special herbs are rare. After collection, it would take 2 months to grow back. So no daily missions aren''t allowed," Monty said. Rick nodded his head in understanding. Then he asked, "So what about this place? Who else comes here?" Monty shook his head. He replied, "I don''t know. Should we report it back to the academy?" Rick said, "No. There is no evidence. We can''t report it just because of speculation." Monty also agreed with his answer. Then both of them continued to wait. Time passes, After a few hours of walking, I got closer to the foot of the mountain. Last time, I was startled by the sudden appearance of the pseudo-monster. So I''m keeping an eye on the surroundings by using perception. A few minutes later, I caught something in my perception. But this time, it''s not monsters but warriors. A frown appeared on my face. This is the last thing I want to see. The warriors appear to be taking cover. They won''t go until the rain stops. And I don''t want to go back either. If I move any further, it will certainly attract their attention. So I decided to wait here. But as time passed, the rain stopped. My expression turned darker. If this continues, then it''s going to waste my day. When I was sulking. I don''t know what happened. I see them leaving the place. Maybe they too realized. This heavy downpour of rain is not going to stop at all. After they left, I waited for a few more minutes. Then I started walking toward the bedrock. I don''t think those two would come back. And their direction of leaving also points toward the exit. After reaching the familiar spot, I found a small cave space to sit down. I kept my perception activated. Then I sat cross-legged on the ground and started to run the celestial lightning scripture. Right after, the lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly the purple essence started to enter my body from the surroundings. Then I guided the energy according to the celestial lightning scripture. After circulation, the refined essence gathers inside the dantian. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Time passed, When the dantian was half filled. The majestic totem starts to make a move. Under its power, the pure purple essence becomes even more refined. Then I continued to cultivate. After two hours, I stopped cultivating as my purple essence recovered to its peak. I didn''t leave. Rather I decided to cultivate the wood essence as well. The healing energy plays an important role during a life-threatening fight. So I made up my mind to give equal importance to the wood scripture as well. Slowly, the deep green essence entered my body. I then guided the energy through my veins. After one circulation, the deep green essence gathers inside the dantian. As time passes, the deep green essence like a small cloud gathers in the middle of the purple essence. Time passed, I opened my eyes three hours later. Seeing that it was a post-noon, I decided to leave. Before that, I checked my dantian once again. The dantian is filled with purple essence and there is also a small amount of deep green essence in it. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. I got up from the ground and started to walk. I reached the teleportation point a few hours later. By the time, I got back to my room. It''s almost late evening. I walked to the bath to take a shower. A few minutes later, I changed into comfortable clothes and lay down on my bed. Today went well. But I don''t know what happened to those culprits. Sharp daggers ah? I hope she tells me later. Chapter 511 Monster Zone (Lake Area) ? Sharp Daggers: The following day, the leader Vik woke up with bad news. The supply of goods is gone. On top of it, three dead bodies were found near the underground cellar. Vik was maddened completely. Each Super Elite Warrior is extremely important to his organization. Earlier, he had lost his men because of a killing mission. Now three people died and one disappeared. It''s a grave loss to the organization. When he came to inspect the corpse. He quickly found traces of a special element. Only one person comes to his mind. "Zack Lockwood," He uttered in anger. The purple essence is the power of the lightning element. Apart from Zack Lockwood, there was no other lightning user in this region. After knowing the culprit''s name, revenge occupied his rational mind. He thought that Zack Lockwood came for revenge. And somehow his subordinate''s mission collided with him. Because he had simply ordered them to retrieve the wooden box. Now the wooden box is also gone. He fears that authorities would ramp up their security. If it happens, then it would become difficult for them to smuggle goods in the future. Vik was pissed off. His heart wants him to take revenge. At the same time, he was troubled by the stolen goods. Those wooden boxes contain banned items. These days only researchers are showing some interest in it. And his client is also one such person. He can''t expose the client''s identity. Then it would cause bigger turmoil. For a moment, he doesn''t know what to do. But after some time, he came up with an emergency solution. He instructed his men to stop all the operations. They are all going to hide for a while. When will he know the location of the stolen goods? Then he would make some decisions. For now, they have to hide from the authorities. ... From MC''s perspective: I''m standing near the teleportation point. This time the place is unusually crowded with people. "Zack?" When I was waiting in the line. I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see the person. Seeing Ernest and Laverne together, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Last time, they had asked me to join in their monster hunt. Don''t tell me they have tracked my whereabouts. Before I could ask, Laverne said, "Zack, we are going to the Class-5 Monster Zone now. Are you coming with us?" My mouth twitched. But looking at the longing eyes of both of them, I nodded my head in agreement. These two are not as courageous as Michael. On top of it, Michael''s golden light is hard to break. When they are a team, their team combination is impeccable. Ernest didn''t say anything but he kept silent. Seeing that I sighed inside. I remember the early days. Where I look up to them. Now both of them are clearly showing some respect for me being the Elite Warrior. After some time, it was our turn. Laverne asked, "Zack, do you have someplace in mind?" "Lake area," I replied in a calm tone. "What?" "Are you serious?" Ernest asked without holding back. Fortunately, Zack''s voice was low. Otherwise, it would have become a topic of discussion among others. I furrowed my eyebrows and asked, "Is there any problem?" Laverne bit her lips and answered, "Okay, let''s go to the lake area." Ernest said, "Laverne?" He was perplexed. He can understand why Zack was like that. He is not a Super Elite Warrior. But what about Laverne? Right now there is no time for discussion. Laverne activated the server. Swoosh~ Three of them disappeared from the spot. Lake Area (Special Monster Zone): When I opened my eyes. I found myself standing on the shore. In front of me is the massive blue lake. There is no end to it. It''s stretched along the horizon. Cough~ When I was appreciating the beauty. I heard the cough from behind. I turned around to see. Ernest and Laverne looking at me. Seeing their look, I understood. I said, "Now tell me, what''s the problem?" Before Laverne could speak. Ernest stepped forward. He said, "Do you know? Even Super Elite Warriors rarely choose to come here." "Because the Lake not only has Class-5 Fish Monsters. Someone had even spotted a Class-6 Monster in the core area." "Apart from Rain Faction who were proficient with water elements. The other elemental factions won''t come here. Because they can''t fight properly in the middle of the lake." "Some of the fish monsters here have innate water ability. So it''s difficult to fight them." When Ernest gave a full explanation. I understood his worry completely. But I came here to gain experience. And fighting against the fish monsters is going to be more challenging than the terrain monster. Looking at both of them, I replied," I came here to gain experience in fighting against the fish monsters specifically. In the future, who knows? It might be helpful to me." Hearing my answer, Laverne and Ernest looked at each other. Ernest sighed. "So that was the case. No wonder you insist on coming here," Laverne said with a smile. My mouth twitched. "When did I insist? You guys simply joined me to come here," I said in my heart. "So, what do we do next?" Laverne asked. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I said, "Let''s go and catch some fish first." Swoosh~ Three of us then used the flight ability to fly above the lake. I used my perception to scan around the lake''s surface. I spotted some fish monsters. But they all are lower order. So I''m not interested in killing them. 1 hour later, We didn''t even find a single Class-5 Fish Monster. "This is not going to work. We need to change tactics," Laverne said, she then looked toward Ernest. I saw the expressions of both of them. Looks like Ernest knows something. Feeling my gaze, he quickly answered, "We need bait." A sudden realization struck my mind. Why haven''t I thought of it before? We can use the monster core to lure the fish monster. I take out one Class-4 Monster core. Then I saw two of them taking out monster cores as well. "Set the bait in the outer area. The water is not deep here. The high-level monster will eventually come here," Ernest said. The three of us then split in different directions. Splash~ I landed on the water. When my feet touched the ground. The water level reached my chest. The shore is a few meters away from here. I held the monster core in my hand under the water. I followed Ernest''s words. This guy had experience here. Maybe it''s a good decision to let them join. 20 minutes later, I caught something in my perception. It''s moving at extremely fast speed. When I found its moving direction. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I have realized it''s coming towards me. "Zack, what happened?" Laverne asked. I saw both of them are waiting for the prey to appear. I smiled and said, "I''m going to catch one." When the fish monster came closer. I saw a shadow at least 20 ft in length. "What type of monster it is?" I mumbled under my breath. When the fish monster was a few meters away from me. A hint of disappointment flashes in my eyes. [Yellow Toothed Catfish: Class-4 Monster] I was disappointed by the Class-4 Monster''s appearance. Yet, I''m thinking about tasting fish meat. "Lightning Wheel," I muttered. When the catfish opened its wide jaw. I released the lightning wheel attack. A purple-colored lightning wheel appeared around me. At the same time, the fish monster''s jaw comes in contact with the lightning power. Boom~ The next second, the lightning wheel exploded. The lightning power passes through the fish monster''s body. In water, the power of lightning was even more fatal. When the smoke settled. I saw the catfish roasted beyond my imagination. It completely becomes black like charcoal. I underestimated the power of lightning in water. Forget about the monster core. I believe it has turned to ashes by now. At the same time, Laverne and Ernest looked at each other in shock. Right after, they too understood something. "No wonder, he decided to come here alone," Ernest uttered with a sigh. Lightning element is truly domineering in water. Meanwhile, Dean office: Rebecca got the test reports in her hands. Yesterday, she sent the unknown herb for a test. Now looking at the report in her hand. She started to go through it. After a few minutes, she closed the report. But her expression was grave. The Sharp Daggers are smuggling banned drugs into their territory. She had underestimated the Sharp Daggers. She thought this was some third-rate force. But she has realized now this is going to be a serious problem. The Sharp Daggers have Super Elite Warriors at their disposal. Then their leader must be someone stronger than them. For a moment, she kept silent. Now more than anything, she wants to find this force as soon as possible. Apart from smuggling banned drugs, don''t know what else they are doing? There is also an issue with spies. After considering all of these, she decided to report it to the Supreme Elder. Chapter 512 Class-5 Black Scaled Crocodile ? From MC''s perspective: Lake Area, As the time passed, we were able to collect a few fish monster cores. But the bait method didn''t last long. Some monsters possess intelligence. So right after, we didn''t spot a single fish monster in the outer area. Ernest and Laverne are pleased to collect so many monster cores. Especially in this lake monster zone. Where no one was able to do it apart from the Rain Water Faction. If their feats were to be posted online, it would create storms in the academy. Laverne''s big eyes shone with bright light. She wants to hunt more. So looking at Zack, she asked,"Why don''t we go a little deeper?" Hearing that I nodded my head in response. The Class-4 Monster Chores are a bit tasteless. Only if you go deeper, you can get Class-5 Monster Cores. She then looked at Ernest. He seems to agree as well. Then using our flight ability. We fly across the lake. After reaching the deeper area, the three of us stopped. In my perception, I saw something huge appearing. Seeing that I recalled the appearance of Catfish again. But when the monster got closer to me. I saw something wrong with the monster''s head. Under the water, the monster''s head appears to be large. Other two failed to notice the changes. But when I turned to warn them. The Monster raises its head above the water surface. [Class-5 Black Scaled Crocodile] A quick glint flashes in my eyes. This crocodile monster is the rarest of species. Compared it to the other swamp crocodiles. Seeing that it''s a Class-5 Monster as well. I decided to attack. But before I could do that I heard the fanatic call from Laverne. "Zack, retreat backward. It''s dangerous," Laverene shouted, at the same time she released several ice spikes at the monsters. This was all happened in a blink of an eye, Even Ernest stepped forward to defend. Boom~ The ice spikes hit the monster''s body. But when the dust was settled. I saw that the monster''s body was completely fine without any dent. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. In the Class-5 category, the crocodile monster got the toughest defense. It''s comparable to the skin of a Class-6 Monster. After gaining some clarity, fighting intent appeared in my heart. "Let me try," I said. Then I used the lightning finger technique to shoot purple beams at the monster. In a blink of an eye, the lightning beam touches the monster''s scales. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated throughout the lake area. The Black Crocodile rolled sideways in water ro alleviate the pain. When the smoke settled. I saw a few cracks in the monster scales. Apart from that there was no damage. A hint of surprise flashes my eyes. As I had guessed, this monster is special. And its monster core must be powerful. Other two were shocked as well. Laverne looked at her hands before turning towards Zack. Her ice spike attack is pale in comparison to Zack''s lightning finger technique. Even Ernest was astonished. The ice spike attack power is Super Elite level. And Zack''s lightning finger attack was only at Elite level. Then why such a difference? Is it because of the element? But three of them belong to the same faction. At the same time, the crocodile monster opened its wide mouth to launch an attack. This sudden change appeared in my perception. Roar~ The crocodile monster released powerful water beams at us. "Lightning phantom technique" A purple arc covered my legs. The next second, I retreated from the spot in a blink of an eye. The water beam pierces through the air. And lands again on the water. Ernest and Laverne are caught off guard by the sudden attack. Swoosh~ A small river of sand released from Ernest''s hand. He creates a wall in mid air to block the attack. At the same time, Laverne created an ice wall to block the attack as well. Boom~ The water beam manages to break the sand wall. But the force was not enough to cause injury to Ernest. Similarly, Laverne''s ice wall took the maximum brunt. Meanwhile, Seeing those two blocked the attack as well. I brought black sword outside. The next moment, I started to charge the black sword with purple essence. The black blade beaming with purple lightning within seconds. At the same time, the crocodile monster finally senses danger. "Sword Divide" I discharged the powerful lightning beam. The beam pierces through the air and reaches the monster body. The Crocodile monster tries to go back into the water. But the attack came too fast. The lightning beam tore through monster scales. The defense broke into pieces within seconds. The Crocodile Monster disappears into the lake without minding the injuries. Seeing that my mouth twitched. It''s impossible to chase and attack the monster again. When I looked ahead, My eyes gleamed with twinkle. If we go deeper, then we will find Class-6 Monster. So I stopped thinking about chasing. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. "I have told you before. The monster has an obvious advantage here," Ernest said with a sigh. "Should we chase it?" Laverne asked with a sly smile on her face. Hearing the conversation between the two. I shook my head. Then we decided to go back without wasting any time here. Several minutes later, We appeared back in the teleportation tower. "Zack, don''t forget to call us next time," Laverne said before parting ways. Ernest said,"Yes, it''s quite fun to hunt together." Hearing that I slightly gave a nod before heading back to the dorm room. After entering the room, I walked to the training room. I plan to cultivate the blood method with these monster cores. I entered the room and sat cross-legged on the platform. I took out the two Class-4 Monster cores and held it in my palm. When I started to run the blood element method. The blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. I slowly started to absorb the monster core energies into my body. Then I guided the energy according to the blood element method. The next moment, red blood light appears above the bloodstream. Then it quickly starts to absorb the monster energy and then convert them into white energies. These white energies then started to drill into my bones. As the more amount of white energies starts to drill in. The blood red color in my bones starts to cover other parts as well. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After two hours, the monster core in my hand crumbles into pieces. I opened my eyes and looked inside. I vaguely felt an increase in strength. But I know it''s just a feeling. Then I got up and walked outside the training room. A small black impurity covered my skin. Then I went to take a bath. Meanwhile, Rebecca got permission from the Supreme Elder. She decided to dispatch all the five faction heads to investigate. If everyone cooperates, then it would be a matter of time before they succeed. Then without wasting time. She gave orders to other faction heads. After two hours, several flying aircraft left the academy. The warriors were all shocked to the core. The next moment, panic began to spread among the institutes. The situation is like the academy is going for a war. Shortly after, notice was released by the dean office. After reading everyone sighed in relief. The notice says that it was a random inspection. There is no need to be afraid. The commotion died down slowly. Dorm room, I''m looking at the online post. But suddenly I came across the Dean''s notice. When I read the notice. My expression turned solemn. I don''t think it''s random dispatch. I believe the dean has found something. Then I got up from the bed and decided to meet the dean Rebecca right away. A few minutes later, I walked out of the dorm building. On the way, I saw a solemn expression of a warrior. Looks like the notice was not enough to erase their worries. Shaking my head, I stride towards the main building. After a few minutes, I reached the dean ''s office. Creak~ The door opened. Seeing that I walked in. But when I saw Dean Rebecca. I''m stunned. Her expression was grave. "What happened?" I said in my heart. Rebecca nodded at Zack before asking him to sit. I sat opposite her. Seeing her, I couldn''t help but ask. "Dean?" "Did you find the Sharp Daggers?" I asked. Rebecca furrowed her eyebrows. This operation is confidential. But knowing Zack''s strength, she decided to tell. She asked,"Do you remember the unknown herbs in wooden boxes?" Hearing that I nodded my head. "So it''s true?" I said in my heart. I guessed the dispatch was related to this issue. "The unknown herbs turned out to be banned drugs. It can affect the essence of Super Elite Warriors," She added further. Hearing that my heart set off storms. No wonder, the smell was so powerful. I had felt the hint of danger from it at that time Chapter 513 Exposed? ? From MC''s perspective: It took me some time to digest the facts. Looking at the dean, I asked, "Then, what should we do now?" Rebecca rolled her eyes before replying, "We are going to take care of this issue. You don''t have to worry." "I hope you just put your attention on training," She added further. Hearing that, a hint of disappointment flashes in my eyes. But I can understand the meaning behind her words. I''m still an Elite level Warrior. There is nothing much I can do to help. Then after discussing the other few topics, I left the room. The following day, The entire Viper City was in a state of alert. Four sides of the City Wall are under heavy protection. No one can enter or leave the city just like that. People have to go through a secondary security check before going or entering the city. Above the city, two people are standing in mid-air. A fiery old man with crimson red hair and a person with a white mask on his face are standing next to each other. These two are none other than Flame Faction Head and Metal Faction Head. Franklin Madden - SS Elite Flame Warrior and Marcus Lin - SS Elite Metal Warrior. Both of them are looking for rogue warriors. The other faction heads have gone outside of the city. Franklin is looking down at the people who are undergoing inspection. Marcus is also doing the same act. A few minutes later, Franklin asked, "What do you think?" Yesterday, the dean briefed everyone about the killer organization working under their jurisdiction. At first, no one believed me. But when she showed the evidence of unidentified warriors lurking in their city. Everyone''s expression changed at that time. On top of it, he also saw the banned herbs. To think such a force working under their nose is an insult to their Saw Scaled Viper Academy. Marcus Lin''s expression was hard to see under the white mask. But he replied, "I think Dean has her reasons to worry. Because we have been slacking in our patrolling." "Otherwise, so many unknown Super Elite Warriors can''t appear here," He added further. Then both of them remained silent. Meanwhile, Inside the Sharp Daggers hideout. Things were not okay. Saw Scale Viper Academy''s thundering response came out as a surprise for them. The leader Vik was anxious. When the news reached his ears. He ordered everyone to vacate the hideout. Their hideout is located near the gorge. It will be a matter of time before their hideout gets exposed. Under his order, everyone started to leave one by one and went in different directions. After a few hours, the leader Vik was sitting alone. He waited until everyone left. So that he can destroy the hideout himself before going out. Right now, he walked to his treasury. The most valuable place in this hideout is the treasury. Where all the stolen goods are kept. When he arrived, He saw a door made up of metal. He then opened the vault to retrieve the items. Inside there are many lower-grade artifacts, banned goods, pills, and expensive herbs are kept. Seeing that he began to collect the items. After a few minutes, the vault was emptied. Boom~ Vik destroyed the hideout before walking out. He immediately fled from the spot. Shortly after, a team of warriors came to investigate the gorge. Rising smoke and uneven areas quickly attracted their attention. When the team arrived at the spot. Everyone''s expression was filled with shock. The place seems to have been destroyed a while ago. After realizing that, they reported to their higher-ups. Saw Scale Viper Academy: Meanwhile, I came to the teleportation tower to go to the high mountain peak. I wanted to go to the monster zone earlier. But for that, I have to recover my purple essence. Last time, I went as a team with Ernest and Laverne. This time I didn''t let them know. After stepping up the platform, I activated the server. Swoosh~ I disappeared from the spot. The next second, I found myself in the dark forest. Seeing the dark clouds again in the sky. A bright smile appeared on my face. It will be a matter of time before it starts raining. I activated the perceptual ability. Then I started to walk towards the destination. Time passed, After several hours of walk-through, I reached the spot. But the next scene surprised me greatly. In my perception, I saw people standing at the foot of the mountain. Thanks to my perception, I stopped my movements abruptly. "What are they doing here?" I said in my heart. Four warriors are talking leisurely near the bedrock. Right now, the rain is pouring down heavily. But they seem to not care about the rain at all. If not for the mission, then what else could be? Their activities sound suspicious to me. Fortunately, they didn''t seem to be aware of my presence in this pouring rain. At the same time, I perked up my ears to listen to their conversation. "Hey, we are just wasting time here," A black-haired warrior said to his friend. Four of them are completely wet under rainfall. Hearing his words, the other three Red Moon Tower warriors were depressed as well. Four of them came here to complete their mission. The mission is to find the traces of intruders. Some time ago, one of their warriors reported suspicious activity near the high peak mountain. To verify the claim, a miscellaneous mission was issued. Four of them happened to be free. On top of it, they have to fulfill the mission completion count as well. So this miscellaneous mission came as a timely help for them. "I think we should leave. We haven''t found anyone coming here so far," Another warrior uttered in support. Then after some discussion four of them decided to leave. But at the same time, they are stopped by three people. Seeing that face of the four people darkened. "He...He...He..." "Hey, Max. Are you going to ditch the mission?" A stoic-looking warrior asked while blocking their way. "Mitch?" Among the four, a person stepped forward. He is the one who raised the question earlier. Max was pissed off. He never expected his rival to come here. "Are you spying on us?" Max asked. "Ha..Ha...Ha...," Mitch laughed out loud. "What spying? I''m going to inform the elders about your conversation," Mitch added further. "You dare!" Max and the other three stepped forward. Everyone knows about Mitch''s character. If he reports back, then he will add extra false news to the report. Meanwhile, My heart was not calm. If my assumption is right, then they must have found my tracks. I usually clear out the weeds near the bedrock before sitting down for cultivation. This must have attracted the attention of others. When I''m wondering, a fight broke out between the two groups. The team with three warriors surprisingly overwhelmed the team with four warriors. Seeing that I raised my eyebrows in displeasure. I came here to cultivate. But something else is going on here. I don''t want to return without recovering my purple essence. Then looking at their fight, I made a firm decision. I decided to find some other spot. Without making a noise, I slowly retreated backward. These guys are busy fighting each other. So they won''t notice my presence. I started to go around a high peak mountain. After one hour of walking through, I found a good spot. It''s a natural cave-like structure formed under the ground. Looking at the pitch-black darkness, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I spread my perception inside. Hiss~ The next moment, I heard a hissing sound. A brown-colored head appeared above the ground. "Class 1 Monster," I uttered in surprise. Then I brought the black sword outside to cut off the snake''s head. Pfff! Blood splattered on the ground. The snake monster stopped moving after a few seconds. Seeing that I spread my consciousness again. After a few seconds, I found no other heat signature. Then I entered the cave structure. I didn''t go deep inside. Rather I stood near the entrance. Seeing that rock ceiling is covering me from the pouring rain. I decided to cultivate here. Before doing that I spread my consciousness once again around the surroundings. I sat cross-legged on the ground and started to run the celestial scripture. The next moment, the lightning rune in my consciousness started flickering. Slowly, I started to absorb the purple energy from the surroundings. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to the cultivation method. After circulation, the energy settles inside my dantian. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. When a certain amount of purple essence was gathered. The majestic totem made a move. It started to purify the purple essence. Then I continued to cultivate. Time passed, I opened my eyes three hours later. When I looked inside. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. My dantian is filled with purple essence. Hereafter, I can go to the monster zone without any worry. Chapter 514 Unconscious! ? From MC''s perspective: After cultivating the lightning scripture, I started to work on wooden scripture. Like the lightning method, the wooden method is special as well. Right after, I started running the method. A deep green essence started to enter my body. These deep green essences are healing elements. I guided the energy according to the mental method. Then the energy starts to flow through veins and meridians. After circulation, the energy starts to gather inside my dantian. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Two hours later, I stopped cultivating and stood up from the ground. Now, I''m ready to leave. Crunch~ But suddenly, I caught the movements of people through my perception. My eyes lit up with surprise. Then how did they discover my location? These people are none other than the Red Moon Tower Warriors who were fighting each other earlier. Now it looks like they have joined the group. Sigh~ A soft sight left my mouth. This is an unexpected situation. I can''t magically disappear in front of them. They almost reached the place. Hearing the sound of footsteps, I thought of something. I took the piece of clothes from the storage ring and began to cover my face by wrapping my head and leaving only my eyes and nose visible. The piece of clothing was from my spare dress. After returning, I have to make a new one. Then I looked down at my costume. Anyone can see that I''m from the Saw Scale Viper Academy. What to do? I furrowed my eyebrows. The next second, I tore the badge off completely. I decided to make them unconscious before they could see me. I used my perception to find their exact location. Soon, I found them in two teams. After confirming their location, I walked out of the cave. Fortunately, the time is late evening. The environment looked completely pitch black and dark. I stepped forward and the purple arc covered my legs the next moment. "Lightning Phantom Technique," I uttered. I disappeared from the spot and started moving towards the shade tree. Meanwhile, Mitch and others started approaching the cave structure. "Are you sure this is the spot?" A warrior walking right next to Mitch asked. The other one perked up their ears as well. Mitch''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. He looked down at the necklace hanging around his neck. The necklace is a middle-grade artifact. Heirloom of Mitch''s family. The heirloom is neither an offensive nor a defensive artifact. It is a simple utility artifact. It does one job to detect the essence. The artifact glows when there are essence fluctuations within range. Normally, Mitch has seen it glow during cultivation or inside the herb garden. But out of nowhere, it is shining with light today. He immediately thought of Max''s mission. No one from the Red Moon Tower comes here to cultivate. So there is only one possibility remaining, which is an intruder. So he replied in a low tone, "Shut your mouth and follow me silently." At the same time, Max and the team are also approaching the camp structure. Max also uses some artifacts in his hands to find the place. But unlike Mitch, their speed was slow. Earlier, both teams stopped fighting after getting a signal from their artifact. The artifacts in his hands were given to him by the mission hall. Whereas Mitch is using the family heirloom. Now he feels trouble. Mitch''s appearance caught him off guard. After an unexpected fight broke out, he thought that guy would leave in the end. But he never expected to look for the intruder as well. Suddenly, the artifact in his hand starts to glow brightly. "Let''s go, the location is nearby." "We need to go there before Mitch''s team," Max said. But what these people don''t know is that they have been marked by someone. Meanwhile, Through my perception, I saw everything. I understood what was going on. These people came with preparation. Otherwise, it''s difficult to explain the appearance of the artifact. Not every warrior has the luxury to buy artifacts. So I''m sure that they are prepared for me. A gloomy glint flashes in my eyes. I underestimated the Red Moon Tower again. High peak mountain is a critical resource point. They don''t want any mishap to happen. Now that I''m exposed. I should leave immediately after making everyone unconscious. After gaining some clarity, I set my eyes on Mitch. In the pitch-black environment, the only source of light is the artifact. I can easily target them now. Then I moved from my spot and inched closer toward the trio. Three of them are clueless. But when I got closer. Mitch seems to turn around. But before he could do that I slammed his head by using my palm. Slap~ The hit sounded hard. Mitch collapses on the ground. At the same time, the warriors next to him jolted awake. Slap~ Slap~ I slapped their forehead in the blink of an eye. Thud~ I knocked them out and their bodies dropped on the ground as well. This all happened within seconds. It''s a pity that I''m exposed. But it can''t be helped. The artifact turned out to be variable. Who would have thought such artifacts exist? When I saw an artifact hanging around unconscious Mitch''s neck. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Should I take it for myself? A trace of thought appeared in my mind. But the next second, I shook my head. There is no need to stoop so low. Besides, this is just a utility artifact. When it comes to their storage ring. I decided not to touch them as well. Who knows what they are carrying? Then after taking a glance at them, I moved towards another group. Fortunately, they turned out to be Elite Level Warriors. If it were Super Elite Warrior, then they can''t make themselves unconscious by using a single hit. Slowly, I found another glowing signal near the cave. There are four of them. I have to act quickly. Swoosh~ The purple arc covered my legs. The next moment, I rushed toward them in a flash. The speed was so fast that I reached their back in a blink of an eye. Slap~ I slapped the forehead of the person who was carrying the artifact. The other warriors were startled by the situation. My eyes quickly scanned them. I can only block two, leaving behind the last one to attack me. "Blood Filed Technique," I mobilized the power of the invisible aura and released it outward. Three of their minds went blank after feeling the dreadful aura. Using this opportunity, I slapped each of their foreheads one by one to make them unconscious. Tud~ Three bodies collapsed on the ground. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then I decided to leave. But before doing that something struck my mind. I don''t want to leave the cave structure just like that. If someone found traces of purple essence, then I would be exposed completely. The purple essence is the power of the lightning element. Apart from me, there were no other lightning-element warriors here. I could easily have a target on my back. Then I decided to destroy the cave structure completely. So much that no one could guess why? A few minutes later, Boom~ A red flame rose above the cave structure. The glowing red ball is visible in this pitch-black darkness. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. I just used explosive artifacts or blew up the spot. I had saved the explosives for emergency use. I never expected to use it here. Then I started moving towards the teleportation point. On the way, I didn''t rely on the lightning movement technique. I came here to recover my purple essence and not to waste it. So I''m running using my body strength. One hour later, I arrived before the teleportation point. I immediately activated the server to go back to the academy. Swoosh~ The next moment, I disappeared from the place. A few hours later, The unconscious warriors started to wake up one by one. When they regained consciousness everyone felt a severe headache. Max and Mitch remembered what happened. "Sh!t" Both of them cursed out loud. Right after, everyone realized they were attacked by the intruder. Mitch touched his forehead in anger. Then suddenly he looked down at his neck. Seeing the family heirloom was safe and sound. He sighed in relief. Then he turned toward others. Seeing that the other two are safe and sound as well. A small smile appeared on his face. Thinking about the attack earlier. A cold shiver went down his spine. He thought the attacker was not an Elite level Warrior. Otherwise, it''s impossible to make them unconscious with a single hit. At the same time, Max and the others got up as well. It had taken some time to adjust to their emotions. "Fortunately, the intruder didn''t kill us," Max said in a solemn tone. The other three warriors'' expressions turned grave as well. None of them saw the face of the intruder. They can only report it back to the elders. Chapter 515 Huge Mistake? ? Dean Rebecca has been receiving reports from time to time. Suddenly, her eyes set on a recent one. The place Gorge is on her suspicious list. Quite a few activities are spotted at that place. But she never expected there was a massive secret hideout near the place. She has now turned her attention to the footage. When she saw the footage again. She can see the scale of destruction. Someone destroyed the place before going out. A gloomy glint flashes in her eyes. On one hand, she is happy that such a secretive place was destroyed. On the other hand, she is worried about the escapees. Especially their leader. The Faction Heads are separated and looking for escapees individually. But she doesn''t think they can find their leader. She began to think of the next course of action. ... From MC''s perspective: The following day, I woke up earlier. After completing the morning routines. I didn''t cultivate directly. Rather, I logged into the academy''s social media site to look for the news. Last night, it was a mess up. I guess those guys must have informed the Red Moon Tower by now. It would be difficult to enter the high-peak mountain anytime soon. Thinking about their utility artifact. My expression turned solemn. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. Because of yesterday''s mishap. I almost forgot to inform the dean. But thinking about her current situation. I doubt whether she has time to see me. Then I turned my attention to the site. I saw several trending topics. Most of them are about the faction heads. None of the faction heads are currently in our academy. All of them are gone for the mission. After scrolling down a few pages, I saw no other new topics. Most of the news posts are by academy students. So important information was controlled. Then I decided to meet the dean later. After gaining some clarity, I stood up and walked to the training room. After entering inside, I walked up to the platform and sat cross-legged. I brought the Class-4 Monster Core outside and held it in my palm. The next moment, I ran the blood method in my mind. Right after, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I began to absorb the monster''s core energies. When the monster core energies entered my body. I guided the energy according to the blood method. Right after circulation, the blood red light appears above the energy. The energy conversion process begins to take place. The red light converted the monster''s core energies into mysterious white energies. Right after, the mysterious white energies began to drill into my bones. The process comes with heart-wrenching pain. But I''m enduring it. The red color part of my skeleton began to expand. Seeing that I continue to repeat the process. Time passed, After a few hours, the monster core in my palm crumbled into pieces. Seeing that I began to feel the changes in my body. As my power grows, the requirement of the monster core also increases. I don''t know how many monster cores my blood method will consume. My opponents are Super Elite Warrior and above. I have to step into Super Elite Warrior sooner. There is also a year-end competition coming up. According to the dean, the real talented warriors will participate in it. Thinking about the real talented warriors. I don''t know when our academy warriors will end their retreat. There are a couple of warriors who I have yet to meet. I let out a sigh before pushing down the unnecessary thoughts. Then I walked out of the training room to take a shower. 20 minutes later, I changed to an academy uniform. After getting ready, I walked out of the dorm building. The campus atmosphere is serene as usual. When I reached the dining hall. I came across acquaintances surprisingly. "Zack, what a surprise?" "We are heading to the dining hall as well," Laverne said with a smile. Right next to her, Ernest also showed his white teeth. Seeing them, my mouth twitched. These two are purposely waiting here to see me. Maybe they are here for the monster zone again. "Alright, let''s go," I said. Then three of us walked inside the dining hall. Our appearance didn''t attract much attention. Nowadays, everyone used to see us together. After receiving our food plate, we sat at the corner table. Seeing the tender meat, I decided to slice it. But before I could do that Laverne opened her mouth. "Did you guys hear our faction head is out?" Laverne said. But her words feel like thunder to me. "What?" I uttered in surprise. Last thing I know the Academy dispatched all the faction heads. But I thought the Special Faction Head was special. Because he was in retreat. Laverne and Ernest looked at each other before turning toward me. "Of course, he is out," Ernest said. "The academy won''t do major operations without our faction head, "He added further. Looking at his surprised expression of Zack. Laverne was struck with sudden realization. "Oh, I see!" "Zack, you have yet to meet our faction head," Laverne said with a triumphant smile. Looking at her strange smile, I feel goosebumps all over my body. Ernest said, "I almost forgot about it." But his scheming eyes tell something else. I saw that both of their expressions are not right. The last piece of advice I heard from Michael is about Faction Head. The Faction Head likes to be low-key. He doesn''t like his faction members to stand out too much. And I can already imagine the atmosphere of our first meeting. Fortunately, all the faction heads are out for the mission. In the meantime, I can prepare myself. Seeing his expression. Both looked at each other and decided to change the topic. Time passed, After having breakfast, we walked out. "What''s your plan for today?" Laverne asked. Hearing that I gave a knowing smile to the duo. "Let''s meet in the afternoon. We will go to a better monster zone," I replied. Laverne''s eyes twinkled. Ernest smiled as well. Shaking my head, I parted ways with them before heading to the dean''s office. "I hope she won''t reprimand me," I said in my heart. A few minutes later, I arrived in front of the office. As usual, I heard a clicking sound. I glanced at the cameras before opening the door to enter inside. "Zack!" "You came to meet me this early," Rebecca uttered in surprise. Then she thought Zack must be interested in Sharp Daggers. I gave a slight nod before taking a seat opposite her. Then I decided to tell her about yesterday''s incident. But before I could open my mouth. I heard interesting news from her. "The Sharp Dagger''s hideout was destroyed," She said. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. I never thought the academy could be so efficient. This must be the power of the SS-Elite Warriors. Seeing Zack''s smile, Rebecca thought he misunderstood something. Then she began to share what had happened. After a few minutes, my smile disappeared. The leader of the killer organization managed to escape easily. I don''t know how to react for a moment. "Well, I had a similar reaction yesterday. But someone went after him. I hope to hear positive news by this evening," Rebecca said with a smile. Hearing that, I feel a lot more relaxed. "Dean, it''s good to hear. But I''m here for some other issue," I said. This time Rebecca was surprised. Without minding her expression. I started to talk. A few minutes later, There was deadly silence. I told her everything including their mission. Rebecca''s heart was not calm. Zack is saying the words easily. But she knows it''s not that simple to cover the traces. No one would go to a high-peak mountain to cultivate. If the Red Moon Tower can guess that then it would be a matter of time before they find out the truth. Now she worries about the teleportation point. If the teleportation point is exposed, then the Academy name could come out. "Zack you made a mistake this time," Rebecca said with distress. More than the killer organization. She feels Zack''s mishap would bring more damage this time. At the same time, I furrowed my eyebrows. Her reaction was stronger than I had thought. I had made sure that I was leaving behind no traces. But looking at her expression. I realized I''m missing something. What is it? "Dean, what''s worrying you?" I asked. Rebecca looked into Zack''s eyes before uttering, "Teleportation point." Hearing that, I feel like lightning struck my head. "Teleportation point," I said in my heart. I knew the teleportation point''s existence was a liability. But I don''t think they would go to such a length to search the entire forest. "Dean, I don''t think the Red Moon Tower will waste time," I replied. Dean Rebecca shook her head. "There is a possibility. You did well by not showing our element. But the teleportation point would give away our location," She added further. I remained silent. But my mind sprung up in action to find some solution. Then a good idea comes to mind. "What if the teleportation point is destroyed?" I said in my heart. Chapter 516 New Elder Teresa York ? From MC''s perspective: "Destroy?" Rebecca blurted out in surprise. She was shocked by Zack''s boldness. But the next second, a bitter smile appeared on her face. "Do you know how much it costs to establish a secret teleportation point?" She asked. Hearing that I shook my head "Installation of Teleportation point requires the power of SSS-Elite Warrior and assistance from the formation master as well," Before Zack could spew nonsense she added further. "SSS-Elite Warrior," I sucked a cold breath of air. Finally, I realized the seriousness of the incident. Forget about SSS-Elite Warrior. It''s hard to even find a single formation master. "Looks like I have messed up," I said in my heart. "I can''t disturb our supreme elder right now. We will wait and see. If the Red Moon Tower finds out something, then we will do something," She said. I sighed inwardly. Then after discussing a few other topics, I left the room. I''m starting to regret my decision. I shouldn''t have touched them. On the way back to the dorm room, I''m thinking about contacting Jonathan. Maybe he knows some solution to this problem. A few minutes later, I returned to my room. I sat down on my couch and looked at my sci-fi watch. It''s been some time since I had contacted him. But when I tried to contact him, I failed. I don''t know whether he is staying in the inner post or the outer post. Jonathan might not be here. The teacher gave me 2 years. I don''t think Jonathan will appear before that. Anyway, I typed a text message to him. After sending it, I closed my eyes for a moment. I hope the incident won''t blow up big. Shaking my head, I decided to take some rest before going to the monster zone. Red Moon Tower, Max, Mitch, and others quickly reported the incident back to the academy. Because of a lack of evidence, the issue didn''t garner much attention. But when they got back to the academy. They briefed everything that happened to them. Seeing the consistency in the statements. The Red Moon Tower''s dean decided to send their newly promoted SS-Rank Warrior to their location. Only the existence above Super Elite Warrior can notice any abnormal changes. Shortly after, A long red-haired elder left the academy to investigate a high-peak mountain. She is none other than Teresa York. Who was one of the representatives & judges of the competition back at Odyssey Monster Zone? She was out of the limelight for a time. Because she was in retreat to break through. And she got successfully promoted a few days back. The first thing she did was to check and update herself with recent events. Apart from the important events that happened in the Red Moon Tower. She also knows a bit of news from other academies as well. Including the news about Zack Lockwood. As a warrior of the lightning element, he became quite famous. Almost everyone knows his name when the topic of the lightning element comes up. She also heard about the defeat of the Giant Tower. If not for her breakthrough, she would have selected capable warriors to challenge Saw Scale Academy Warriors, especially Zack Lockwood. Right now, she is moving at a fast speed. She wouldn''t have thought that the current problem was because of Zack Lockwood. A few hours later, She reached the dense forest. Standing in mid-air, she can already see the high-peak mountain. The academy sent her to find some truth. No one completely believed Elite Warrior''s words. But their unanimous statement made them take the decision. Recalling the discussion that took place in the meeting room. Teresa feels a headache again. "What did Elite Warriors see?" She said to herself. Next, her eyes turned toward the foot of the mountain. She remembers the group of elite warriors who were tasked to find the intruder. In that report, it says that one side of the foot of the mountain was clean without any weeds. Like someone was using the same place regularly. She and other elders knew as well. No mission asked warriors to go to high-peak mountains daily. Swoosh~ She disappeared from the spot and moved towards the foot of the mountain. When she arrived she began to observe the place. She saw several footprints on the ground. She understood this footprint might be of their Elite Warriors. She spread her consciousness to observe changes in the surroundings. She wants to check the traces of leftover elements. According to the reports, it stated that the intruder is cultivating here. She feels absurd right now. Some of the statements mentioned in the reports are hard to believe. She spent a few minutes checking the environment. Seeing that there was no clue. A hint of disappointment flashes in her eyes. But she is not without any direction. She also saw the ground near the bedrock was clean. Which is in line with the reports. This information might lead to something. If the details mentioned in the reports are true. She doesn''t think the elite warriors dare to lie in the report. So she decides to go with it by believing the reports. She then turned her attention toward another major spot where the explosion happened. She reaches the spot in a blink of an eye. Standing in mid-air, she stared at the small crater which resulted from the explosion. A gloomy glint flashes in her eyes. Before the explosion it stated in a report that someone was cultivating here. And our Elite Warriors found out because of their artifact. But the intruder got alerted. Then he made them unconscious before destroying the spot. Her mouth twitched after recalling the information. This place was mostly visited by the Elite warriors to collect herbs. So no Super Elite Warrior comes here. So she can confirm that the existence of the intruder is real. But not one of their own but an outsider. After gaining some clarity, she descended on the crater ground. She made an assessment. After seeing the range of destruction herself. She can tell that it''s not the work of a fire elemental warrior. Because here it''s almost every day. And it''s hard to attract fire essence from the surroundings. So if the intruder came here to cultivate, then the person might not be a fire element warrior. And the destruction must have happened because of some artifact. When she connected the dots. Her eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Now she feels interested in this case. The only element available in high concentration here is water attributed elements like water, ice, and mutated water element. But as far as she knows, why would someone go to such lengths to come here for water essence cultivation? So she removed the water element from her thoughts. Because there are plenty of resource points for water elements available in this region. So she doesn''t think of an intruder as a water-element warrior either. Neither fire nor water. So which element user is it? The high peak mountain is known for its herbal land. Some rare and precious things grow here. So what is it to do with the cultivation? Was the intruder injured? He needed a large amount of herbs to heal his injury. That''s why he made the warriors unconscious. So as not to expose himself. Her brain comes up with unique answers. The more she thinks about it. The more she felt her answer was connected with the intruder''s motives. Because apart from water no other element is abundant here. When it comes to special element warriors. She doesn''t even think about it. The special element warriors are an asset to every academy. Such warriors rarely get out of their academy to avoid murder. So she doesn''t think the intruder is a special element warrior. Now she connected all the dots. She has to look for evidence now. If there is any injured person here, she must find him as soon as possible. Time passed, After a few hours of scanning the high-peak mountain area. She returns to her usual position. Standing in mid-air, her expression looks gloomy. There is no one present here at this moment. Where could have he escaped? It''s impossible to escape under their nose. Because outside of the high peak mountain. Guards are monitoring the place all day. Because high-peak mountains are one of their resource points. No one is allowed to enter inside without authorization. So she pondered deeply. Then a sudden realization struck her mind. What if the teleportation point is here? The existence of teleportation points is not new. Each academy has a secret teleportation point connecting to another academy. Red Moon Tower has one secret point connecting to White Palace Academy. So what if others have teleportation points here as well? But unfortunately, she doesn''t know whether she can find it. Because she is newly promoted. The teleportation point is usually covered with formation. It''s hard to find them unless you are experienced. But still, she decides to try it. Time passed, She searched the nook and corner of this place. But after so many hours of searching. She was tired out completely. She is mentally drained as well. So she finally made up her mind to return. Chapter 517 Dean (Red Moon Tower) ? Red Moon Tower, Teresa York submitted the report to the dean. But she was asked to do an in-person explanation. Because the elders didn''t consider the Elite Warrior''s report. So they sent Teresa York to confirm it. Now, Teresa York''s report was also in line with the Elite Warriors'' report. They don''t know whom to believe for a moment. Teresa York entered the meeting Hall. The Red Moon Tower Dean is an old woman who appeared to be in her sixties. But her vitality is strong. There is no wrinkle can be seen on her face. Her skin was looking flawless. If not for minute pressure releasing from her body. Everyone would have thought of her as a teenage girl. Her name was Lily Smith, SSS- Elite Wind Element Warrior. She is sitting in the main seat. While the rest of the elders are here as well. Unlike the Saw Scale Viper Academy, there were no factions here. But the students have different clubs. Students can join any of these clubs to perform activities. When Teresa walked in. Dean revealed a small smile on her face. Everyone was expecting Teresa''s prison report. "Dean," Teresa greeted before giving a small bow in respect. Lily waved her hand signaling her to take a seat. Teresa nodded before joining the others. When she was settled. Lily looked at the file placed on the desk. This was a report submitted by Teresa. She then asked, "Teresa, care to explain? What did you find?" Her voice sounded serious. Hearing her, the rest of the elders'' faces turned solemn. Dean is serious because she saw the mention of the teleportation point in the reports. That thing is no joke. Only SSS- Elite Warrior like her can achieve something like that. That''s why she summoned Teresa here. Teresa wasn''t surprised by seeing everyone''s reactions. She took a deep breath before starting to explain. When she began to tell her theories. Some of the elders'' faces turned serious. While others had mocking expressions on their faces. They had no respect for the newly promoted SS-Elite Warrior. Apart from the dean, the rest of the elders are SS-Elite Warriors. There was not even a single half-step SSS-Elite Warrior here. A few minutes later, Teresa finished her explanation. But the expressions of the elders are not right. None of them believed. Even somewhat neutral elders feel skeptical. But the dean was an exception. She was noticing every minute detail. So her expression remained neutral. Seeing the faces of the elders, she hummed. The next second, monstrous pressure breaks out from her. The elders'' faces turned stiff. They are not only mocking Teresa York. But their action is similar to disrespecting the dean. The atmosphere becomes pin-drop silence. Apart from the dean, nobody else is seriously thinking about this issue. Seeing that everyone behaved properly. Lily eases down her eyebrows. She turned her attention back to the topic. She understood there was no flaw in Teresa''s reasoning. But it''s not 100% certain that intruders came to the high peak mountain for cultivation. Unlike Teresa, the dean thinks that the intruder might be a trespasser. Perhaps he came here accidentally. It won''t repeat. When it comes to places for cultivation. There are plenty of resource points in Red Moon Tower. Where people can cultivate. But the high peak mountain is the least of it. They are using that place for collecting herbs. After pondering, she made a decision. Looking at Teresa, she said, "The evidence is not convincing enough. You can monitor the place for a week." "If things return to normal, we will forget about it," Lily added further. Right after, the rest of the elders echoed the same opinion as well. Teresa''s mouth twitched. She knows apart from the dean no one else thought about it seriously. But she can''t voice her dissatisfaction here. "Alright Dean, I will do as you say," Teresa said before walking out. Before coming here, she wanted to talk about Zack Lockwood. Like Giant Tower, she wished their Red Moon Tower would send a team as well. But the mood back in the meeting hall was unbearable to her. Sighing, she began to walk back to her quarters. ... A place far away from Viper City. A golden-haired middle-aged man was hovering in mid-air. He is standing in the middle of nowhere. Beneath him, four sand sculptures can be seen. But if any warrior looked into it casually. They will find the sand sculptures are life-like. Because it was true. They are none other than Super Elite Warriors. Those who escaped from the sharp daggers hideout. From the sand sculptures, it can be said that the golden-haired person''s power was the sand element. Which is also known as one of the special elements found in the world. "Harumph," "These rats turned out to be a waste," He said with a snort. The golden-haired warrior is none other but the head of the Special Faction. His name is Carlos Kent, Half-Step SSS- Elite, Soil Element Warrior. Carlos Kent came here right after ending his retreat. When he ended his retreat. The dean gave him a task to apprehend the leader of a new killing organization. After accepting the task, he immediately left the academy. On the way, he received information about the organization. But when he reached the gorge, He saw that land was fuming with flames. At the same time, he spotted someone fleeing at terrific speed. Such a speed was beyond any SS-Elite Warrior. At that time, he immediately understood. The fleeing person is the target. But unfortunately, he missed his trail after following him up here. "What a drag!" Carlos said to himself. After destroying the sand sculpture, he decides to return. He is not interested in hunting these little rats. They will eventually get caught by the authorities. The red headache seems to be the leader. He seems to be stronger than the average SS-Elite Warrior. Was he using the artifact? A doubt appeared in his heart. He feels a strong possibility of that happening. It''s normal for a third-rate force leader to have an artifact in his hands. But right now he doesn''t know how to answer the dean. She will make him search for other places. After shaking his head, he changed his decision back. He decided to investigate the nearby places. ... From MC''s perspective: A week later, 6 A.M, Dorm Room: Apart from keeping an eye on the Red Moon Tower news. I never stopped my daily routine and monster hunting. My activities have almost become monotonous these days. Looking at myself in the mirror. I saw some changes in my physique. I have grown a few inches tall. There are also some added muscles in my body. I don''t know why? I have this vague feeling that I will touch the barrier in a few days. Once I break the barrier, I will become a Super Elite Warrior in body strength. It''s a good thing that body cultivation is going smoothly. But when it comes to lightning cultivation. My expression becomes solemn. High peak mountain was a good place. I don''t want to miss such cultivation spots. But it''s a pity, because of my carelessness. My essence progression has slowed down again. But more than that I''m glad about one thing. My mistake was not exposed. I don''t know what happened to the Red Moon Tower. The matter seems to have died down. It''s like nobody bothered to investigate the incident. Fortunately, I didn''t go to high peak mountain after that incident. Looks like people have stopped paying attention to the incident. Maybe I will ask the dean for permission to enter that place again. After gaining some clarity in my thoughts. I walked to the training room. I entered the room and sat cross-legged to cultivate. I brought one of the Class-5 Monster cores from the storage ring and held it in my palm. Then I started to run the blood element method. The blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. The next second, I began to absorb the monster''s core energies. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to the blood method. After circulation, red blood light appears above the blood. Right after, the red blood light converted the energies into white energies. These mysterious white energies begin to drill into my bones. The next moment, I felt heart-wrenching pain. But within a few seconds, I was able to control it. The red color part of the bones began to expand and started to cover other areas. Time passed, The monster core in my hands crumbled into pieces two hours later. Seeing that I stopped cultivating and walked out of the training room to take a shower. 20 minutes later, I changed into a fresh set of clothes. After getting ready, I left the room and walked out of the dorm building. When I reached the dining hall. I saw two people waiting for me. Ernest and Laverne waving hands at me. Nowadays, I''m eating together with them. But I don''t know whether it will continue when Michael comes back. Chapter 518 Seeking Asylum ? From MC''s perspective: After having breakfast, we separated again. But we promised to meet at noon. Nowadays, we have a daily schedule of going to monster zones. So I got closer to them. Then I headed toward the dean''s office. A few minutes later, I arrived before the dean''s office. After entering inside, I saw her working behind the desk as well. But looking at her expression. A frown appeared on my face. Dean''s expression seems solemn. Rebecca noticed Zack''s reaction. After closing down the file. She looked at him. "Zack, do you need something?" She asked. Her question brought me back to reality. "Dean, what happened to the high peak mountain?" I asked. A quick glint flashes in Rebecca''s eyes. She understood. Then she revealed a small smile on her face. "Good for you." "The Red Moon Tower didn''t take any action," She said. Hearing that a look of disbelief appeared on my face. What is she saying? Before I could ask for an explanation. She added further,"According to our sources, their elders judged that it might be the action of some trespasser." Hearing that, I sighed inwardly. I did good by not leaving behind any traces. It worked out well for me. "So I can go back now?" I asked with some expectation. My purple essence is dried out now. If I want to kill some monsters in the afternoon, then I have to gain the minimum purple essence. Rebecca chuckled. She thinks Zack is still not aware of the severity. "I said they didn''t take it seriously. But that doesn''t mean the high peak mountain is without any protection." "As far as I know, a SS-Elite warrior is guarding the place now. If you go to that place now, then you will get caught easily," Rebecca said without blinking her eyes. "SS-Elite Warrior," I gulped my saliva in fear. Almost all the elder level figures have at least SS-Elite Warriors. So basically an elder is guarding that place now. I sighed inwardly. I actually had great expectations to visit that place again. But it''s a pity, I have to forget about it. "Dean, is there any other place?" I asked. Rebecca shook her head. She said,"Right now, you need to stay put. The unknown leader of the sharp daggers is still on the run." "The faction heads are still outside. So don''t make any request right now. When everything settles down, I''ll find a new place for you to cultivate lightning essence," Rebecca said. Hearing that I nodded my head in response. Because it can''t be helped. I have to agree with her words. Then I left her office. Meanwhile, The Sharp dagger leader finally found some place to hide. He is currently staying inside a cave structure. But his body condition is not right. He leaned his back on the wall and began to observe this body. Slowly, he recalled the recent events in his mind. After blowing out the hideout, Vik fled without turning back. But after a few seconds, he found someone catching up to him with breakneck speed. At that time he had thought about confronting him. But when the person got closer. He was scared sh!t. The person''s pressure was scarier than him. Without second thought, he had burnt his blood to increase his strength. As a result, he exploded with great speed. Because of it, he was able to escape successfully from the enemy. But such explosive strength was not without cost. His cultivation base fell down. He is a Super Elite Warrior right now. Feeling the lack of power in his body. He revealed a bitter smile on his face. On top of it, he had suffered a deep injury as well. He was reduced to such a state because of one person. "Zack Lockwood," He gritted his teeth in anger. Vik''s heart is boiling with rage. It had taken him several years to build the sharp dagger organization. Not only that he had to look for rogue warriors to join his force. After all those efforts, he had developed the organization to some extent. But now it''s all gone. He was forced to destroy his own organization. His eyes flickering with killing intent. "Zack Lockwood, I will kill you," He swore in his heart. His life effort was destroyed. His base fell back. He had no place to go. Now he has only a target behind his back. Vik made a firm decision at this moment. He decides to go back to his place. And hide near the gorge. When everything settles down, he will look for an opportunity to kill Zack Lockwood. Suddenly, a good idea comes to mind. If everything goes according to his plan, not only will he leave this place. He can get asylum in that place as well. He is thinking about the Giant Tower. The Giant Tower had offered him an artifact as a reward. But right now, he has lost this luxury. He is planning to seek asylum in the Giant Tower as a reward to kill Zack Lockwood. Then suddenly he began to check the names. Finally, his eyes set on the Giant Tower representative''s contact. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in his eyes. "Finally, with this my revenge is possible," Vik said with a laugh. He then tried to establish the connection. A few seconds later, The connection was established. The Giant Tower''s intelligence department''s member is attending the call. "Giant Tower," Vik said with some hesitation. He doesn''t know who is attending the call. If it''s a high level member, then it would be good for him. When he heard the confirmation from the other end. He sighed in relief. Then he revealed his name and requested to contact an elder level figure. On the other hand, the Giant Tower member wasted no time in contacting his superiors. Shortly after, The Giant Tower''s elder who is responsible for the intelligence department learnt about the news. He quickly took over and continued the conversation. For a moment, the elder was not sure of the other party. But when the conversation started. He immediately realized the other person is none other than but the leader of sharp daggers. Everyone in the Giant Tower thought. The Sharp Daggers organization was completely gone. Because the action of the Saw Scale Viper Academy was swift. Everyone had thought their killing request was exposed. But so far no such information has been acquired by them. They had thought that matter would disappear soon. But here right now, the elder''s eyes are shone with bright light. He received a request from the leader Vik. This time there was no loss for them. They got the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. When the conversation ended. The elder immediately shared the news to the headmaster. A few seconds later, The Giant Tower Headmaster accepted Vik''s request. He even allowed every source of the channel to help Vik. The Giant Tower has spies in Viper City. From time to time they are informing everyone. Including the recent action taken by the Saw Scale Viper Academy. If Zack Lockwood ever comes out, they will share the news to Vik. And with Vik''s strength, it''s easy for him to take down Zack Lockwood. The Giant Tower Headmaster was pleased by the news. Not only he doesn''t have to give high grade artifacts. But Vik can fulfill their request without any excessive demand. Considering the state of Vik, he will be even more sincere in his job. Now they all wait for Zack to appear. Then it would be a matter of time before they hear good news. "Ha...Ha....Ha....," The Giant Tower Headmaster let out a hysterical laughter. Meanwhile, The leader Vik grinned happily. He just ended his call with the Giant Tower Headmaster. He didn''t expect the Headmaster himself to attend the call. But he was glad anyway. He thinks it''s good to make things clear with him. Since he was hoping to get asylum. The Giant Tower Headmaster is the right person to talk to. The Giant Tower Head allowed the asylum. Now he can focus on the task. Apart from seeking asylum, he also requested for a healer. His current state of body is in worse condition. Only after getting some treatment, he can move around freely. Time passed, The spies inside the Viper City have arranged for a healer. Some healers will do anything for money. So the spies have offered a hefty sum of money to treat the patient. A day later, A healer left the Viper City along with the two Super Elite Warriors. These two Super Elite Warriors are spies of the Giant Tower. But they are doing work under a different name. A few hours later, Three of them managed to find out the location. The leader Vik''s condition became worse. Any delay in treatment will cause him to lose his base further. Already he was in the Super Elite stage. So he doesn''t want his base to fall back further. When he was lost in thoughts. He saw the presence of three people. When they got closer, he realized they were helpers. Chapter 519 Carlos Kent ? Saw Scale Viper Academy: The Academy once again returned to normal. As all the faction heads came back from their mission. The uneasiness present in the academy was swept away completely. Dean office, "Carlos, I saw your report. Are you sure about his disappearance?" Rebecca asked. The person is none other than Special Faction Head Carlos Kent. His expression was neutral without any disappointment. He replied,"I had searched the nook and corner of all the important places. But somehow that person was not in my radar." Rebecca frowned. It''s not easy to escape from their territory. Because there is a space barrier blocking the borders. Unless he finds his way back to Viper City. It''s impossible to stay in one place. Because she has increased the activity of patrolling. Now more guards are protecting the borders and keeping an eye on their surroundings. She sighed. She doesn''t want such a threat to lurk in their city. "What about the leader? In your report, you stated that he was injured. What level is he at?" Rebecca asked. She thought the leader was like her in strength. But the report says something else. Carlos revealed a small smile on his face. "You don''t have to worry about that pest. He had burnt his blood essence to escape from me. Otherwise, I would have caught him," Carlos said. At that time, he was caught off guard by such tactics. He never expected him to be cowardly. Rebecca''s eyes gleamed with twinkle. Now that is good news. Hearing in person detail from Carlos, she can rest her heart at ease. The blood burning is not a secret technique. Warriors use such a forbidden technique under desperate situations. The technique provides them with explosive strength for a short period of time. When the power expires, then the body will be injured severely. Rebecca nodded her head. She said,"If that''s the case then we can rest assured. Even if he surfaces again, we will capture him." Carlos nodded. Then suddenly he remembered something. He asked,"Franklin told me that. There is a new kid in my faction." Rebecca''s expression turned serious. It was something she wanted to talk to him about. But she got no opportunity since he was in retreat. Now she has time to explain something. Carlos was confused by her reaction. But he waited for her to speak. "He is a bright kid. His name is Zack Lockwood. A lightning element user. His strength is at Mid-level- Elite. He will be here for 1 and half years before leaving," Rebecca said. A quick glint flashes in Carlos''s eyes. "Lightning element?" He uttered in surprise. Even among the special elements the lightning element is rare. Even for the entire region, there was no 2nd warrior with the same element. But the surprise appeared in his eyes for a moment before it disappeared. He kept his usual bearing of a Faction Head. Rebecca seriously observed the expression of Carlos. Because she doesn''t want any clash between him and Zack Lockwood. "And one more thing. I don''t want you to disturb him," Rebecca added. "What do you mean?"Carlos asked back. He knitted his eyebrows in confusion. Sigh~ A small sigh left her mouth. She knew she had to explain the crux of the matter. "He is a special student unlike others. He is here for a short period. Then he will enter the inner post," She replied. Carlos pupil constrict. The matter of the inner post is not a joke. Only qualified warriors are eligible to enter the Inner Post. Come to think of it. It was not rare for talented warriors to enter the inner post. Many of the geniuses in the past have gone there. They are sent by the academy itself. So he doesn''t know what is the difference between the two. Rebecca can see that he still does not understand. But she can''t reveal the identity of the person behind Zack Lockwood. It was top secret. But she can warn him. "Carlos, Zack have already found some background. I strongly advise you not to offend him," Rebecca said. Carlos was stupefied. He looked at her again in surprise. She is telling it for real. "I''m the Special Faction Head. He is under my faction. So it''s normal for me to teach him." "Are you saying that? I''m not even allowed to do that,"he asked. "You can do that. As long as he is fine with it," Rebecca replied. She feels defeated right now. Carlos nodded his head before standing up. He can''t wait to see his new student. When he got close to the door. "Mind you, it''s not my words. But it''s the supreme elder''s orders." He heard a voice from behind. Hearing he paused his movements for a moment before walking out. "Trouble," Rebecca massaged her temple. She knows about Carlos''s temper. He won''t be the same every time. She hopes that Zack will get a good impression of him. After walking out of the building, Carlos walked to the Special Faction Common Room. It''s been some time since he has seen his member. A few minutes later, He walked into the hall. Seeing him, the other faction warriors are surprised. But some of the senior students recognised him at first glance. Their expression turned pale with fright. Unlike the newcomers who are inquiring about him. The old students immediately fled from the place. Carlos didn''t mind the gazes of warriors. He casually verified his identity before opening the door to enter. Seeing him entering the special faction common room. Others mistook him for a special element warrior. They quickly snapped some pictures and were ready to post them online. Carlos entered the living room but he found no one here. Usually, this place was occupied by one or two members. Then shaking his head he sat on the sofa. He wants to update himself with the latest happenings. He began to access his sci-fi watch which was filled with notification. Time passed, Carlos learnt what had happened after his retreat. When the news about Zack Lockwood comes up. He became interested. He starts to read the information. But shortly after, his face frowned. Because he is looking at the information on Zack Lockwood''s duel against the warriors from the Giant Tower. As he continues to read the information. His face became more ugly. Because he is currently viewing the duel video. The duel was not about the Special Factio vs Giant Tower. It looks like Zack Lockwood vs Giant Tower. Then he continues to read further articles. Again most of the articles talking about Zack Lockwood''s solo monster hunt. He is rarely seen with other special faction warriors. Then he saw one more duel. It was against the Flame Faction. Even there it was all about Zack Lockwood. There were no other Special Faction warriors behind him. "What is going on?" Carlos muttered to himself. He even doubts whether Zack had met with other members. When the video was over. Another video pops up, it was a duel against Metal Faction. Seeing that veins begin to pop up in his forehead. He controlled his dissatisfaction before viewing the video. Then he saw Zack Lockwood appearing with Michael, Ernest and Laverne. Seeing them his eyebrows ease down a little bit. Then he saw Zack defeating the metal faction warrior. When the duel was over. He fell into deep contemplation. He recalled Dean''s words again. No wonder, she told him he is a bit special. But since Zack is a Special Faction Warrior. He has a responsibility to teach him something. Creak~ When he was lost in thought. He heard footsteps. Ernest and Laverne entered the room together. Both stopped their footsteps, right after seeing the faction head. Their eyes were filled with shock. Both knew their head was back from the mission. But when they saw the online photo, they immediately left their dorm room to come here. Carlos finally felt their presence. He raised his head to see their appearance. "Oh, you guys are here," Carlos said with a smile. Ernest and Laverne greeted him with a smile. Carlos asked them to take a seat. Laverne and Ernest immediately sat down on the sofa. "So, who is Zack Lockwood?" He asked. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. They are surprised to hear Zack''s name from their mouth. Ernest immediately said,"Head, he is our new member. He is pretty strong." Laverne also echoed the same opinion as well. "Oh," Carlos raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Then where is he now?" He asked back. "This?" Ernest hesitated. He wasn''t able to guess Head''s mood. Does he want to meet him? Or something else. Ernest turned towards Laverne for help. But she was also in a dilemma. Carlos chuckled and asked,"Don''t worry. I''m just asking casually?" Ernest,"Head, he usually stays in his dorm room. Apart from going to the library, he spends most of the time alone." "Yes, head. He prefers to spend time alone. He rarely comes here," Laverne added. Carlos shook his head in disappointment. He can see that these two are friends with Zack Lockwood. Maybe he should summon him directly. Chapter 520 Initial Stage Super Elite (Body Strength) ? From MC''s perspective: Dorm Room, Beep! When I was lying down on my bed. I received a message from Ernest Kirk. Seeing that I raised my eyebrows. I knew they must be waiting for me. This time I should avoid taking the lead when fighting against the monster. I can''t expose my body strength. Then shaking my head, I opened the inbox to read it. But when I read the message, My expression changed drastically. "The faction head wants to see me," I mumbled under my breath. So he is back as well. I saw an online post that all faction heads are returning back from their mission. I stood up and began to get ready as fast as I could. I don''t know what kind of person he is. But it''s not good to make him angry. A few minutes later, After getting ready, I left the room. On the way, I saw people discussing something. And a familiar name reached my ears. "Carlos Kent," I uttered. They are talking about my faction head. I wonder, what happened? Then shaking my head, I stride towards the destination. 10 minutes later, I arrived in front of the Special Faction Common Room. The lobby floor is already filled with people. Everyone is staring in my direction. I guess they must have known about Faction Head''s presence. I raised my badge and let the security system scan my I.d. When the green color light was lit up. Creak~ The door opened automatically. Seeing that I walked in. When I entered the living room. I was greeted by Ernest and Kirk. But I saw someone sitting on the sofa. The next moment, my senses were alarmed with a hint of danger. "He is scary," I muttered in my heart. He feels way more stronger than the Flame Faction Head, Franklin Madden. "So, you are Zack Lockwood?" Carlos asked. His eyes are scanning me from up and down. "Hello, faction head. It''s nice to see you." "I''m Zack Lockwood. Lightning elemental warrior,"I said. Carlos smiled but he observed for a moment. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. A trace of worry can be seen in their eyes. Their faction head is unpredictable. They don''t know what he will do? "Alright, I know your circumstances are different. I heard from the dean herself. So you are free to do whatever you want most of the time." "But whenever there is a mission you can''t deny it," Carlos said with a serious expression on his face. Hearing that my eyes gleamed with twinkle. "Sure, faction head. I will accept the mission without any failure," I answered. I can see that he was dead serious when it came to the mission. Maybe the reputation of each faction lies on mission clearance. Ernest and Laverne sighed in relief. "Alright, I''ll take my leave right now," After saying that Carlos left the room leaving us alone. Sigh~ A huge sigh left Laverne''s mouth. She was scared for a moment. But fortunately, he didn''t make things difficult for Zack. Ernest also revealed a smile on his face. Their reaction didn''t go unnoticed in my eyes. I sighed inwardly. The faction head looks really tough. "Okay" "Can we leave for the monster zone right now?" Laverne asked. In response, I nodded my head. ... Days passed in a blink of an eye, Meanwhile, the Giant Tower''s people helped Vik with fake identity. It''s not easy to get into Viper City. Because of their help, Vik is now staying low in Viper City. You can''t use a fake identity for a long time. Otherwise, it''s easy to attract the attention of authorities. The Giant Tower people were keeping an eye on information regarding Zack Lockwood. According to their intel, Zack is continuing his daily routine of training in morning and monster hunt trip in afternoon. So it''s impossible to tell when he will leave the academy. However, the Giant Tower Headmaster decides to be patient with this task. He doesn''t want Vik to surface sooner. The turmoil of the sharp daggers'' destruction was not yet over. Academy people are looking for escapees. Unless the situation returns to normal. The Giant Tower Head has stopped Vik from making any individual decisions. He doesn''t want Vik to seek revenge without proper planning. ... A week later, 6 A.M, Dorm Room: Inside the training room, I sat cross-legged to cultivate. It''s been a couple of days since I reached the limit in my body strength. But unfortunately, my essence cultivation hadn''t seen any progress. Ever since Dean stopped me from going to the high peak mountain. She has been busy with some other issues. I couldn''t even meet her these days. Then shaking my head, I pushed down these unnecessary thoughts. Then I brought the Class-5 Monster Core which I got from Ernest. After keeping the core in my palm, I started to run the blood element method. Right after, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I began to absorb the monster''s core energy. When the energy entered my body. I circulated the energy according to the blood method. After circulation, the red blood light appears above the bloodstream. The next moment, red light started to convert the energy into mysterious white energies. The white energies then immediately drilled into my bones. Right now, the bones below my hip are red bones. The blood element method completely changes the bones making it more sturdier and powerful. I can even mobilize the energy from this bone whenever it''s needed. I named one such technique as a blood fist. But as the red color starts to spread around my hip section. I feel the illusionary limit is loosening a bit. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Click! After a few minutes, the shackles broke into pieces. At the same time, I felt a heavy burden being lifted off my shoulders. The next moment, an invisible energy is changing my physique. Starting from bones to inner organs. My entire body structure is being improved. "Initial Stage Super Elite," I said to myself. I feel my bones have become wider and a lot more thickened. And the red bones give off a more menacing feeling. A few minutes later, The monster core crumbles into pieces. But one Class-5 Monster core is not enough. To stabilize the realm, I brought another monster core and started to cultivate. Two hours later, I stopped cultivating after stabilizing the realm. When I opened my eyes, I found thick black impurities covering my skin. The bad smell attacked my nostrils. Seeing that I walked out of the training room. Then I went to take a shower. 10 minutes later, I changed into a set of fresh clothes. After getting ready, I walked out of the building. I don''t know how to react for a moment. I only got a taste of mixed feelings in my heart. On one hand, my body strength rose to Super Elite Strength. On the other hand, my essence cultivation is still at Mid-level-Elite. I sighed inwardly. Then shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. Slowly, I reached the dining hall. After entering inside, I walked to the food counter. After receiving the food plate, I sat down on the nearby seat. This time I got no company. Laverne and Ernest are both busy. Both of them are in retreat. Looks like Michael''s dedication has finally hit them. They missed him greatly. Both of them don''t want to be left behind by Michael. I put the thoughts back off my mind before eating food. I cut the pieces of mana steak neatly before tasting them one by one. 10 minutes later, I walked out the building and headed to the training place. I want to test my new profound strength. The Gravity Chamber is the best place to test it. On the way, I met the gazes of everyone. Nowadays, everyone''s gazes are normal. Earlier, people used to see me with envy, hatred and jealousy. Now it has gone completely. Shortly after, I arrived at the gravity chamber. The gravity training room was as usual busy with warriors. Fortunately, I saw one available empty chamber. Seeing that I walked in front of the chamber. The security system scanned my I.D Creak~ The next second, the room opened. Seeing that, I walked inside. Then I turned to the monitoring system to change the settings. I set it to gradual. So that the gravitational pressure can rise from low to high level gradually. Then I walked to the middle of the platform and sat cross-legged on the ground. I closed my eyes and waited for the gravitational force to work. Vibration~ Right after, the gravitational pressure descends down. The 1st level pressure was normal. It wasn''t able to cause any disturbance. 30 minutes later, The 2nd level pressure appeared. Apart from minute tickling, I didn''t feel anything. So I continued to meditate. 30 minutes later, The 3rd level gravitational force appeared. Apart from slight pressure, it wasn''t able to do anything. I continued to meditate under 3X pressure. Chapter 521 Gathering? ? From MC''s perspective: 30 minutes later, 4x times gravitational force appeared. Under the increased gravitational force, I truly felt pressure this time. The muscles and inner organs start to stretch. Because of it, I''m feeling muscle tearing pain. Such a pain was nothing compared to the blood element method. Then I continued to endure it. 30 minutes later, 5x times gravitational force appeared. This time I felt a huge hammer hit my body. The pressure was so sudden and forceful that I caught off guard. This time my whole body is being truly tested. Starting from the muscles, bones, inner organs and veins. Under immense pressure, the organs start to bleed. The pain was so severe. I find it hard to ensure it. 30 minutes later, 6x time gravitational pressure appeared. Tud~ I felt a huge mountain crush my body from above. My back bends slightly forward. My bones start to vibrate under pressure. Even the inner organs are being squeezed. But I know such intense grinding black sludge is being purged from my body. Such a process needs patience. Time passes in a blink of an eye, 30 minutes later, When 7x times the gravitational pressure appeared. I collapsed on the ground. The force was so huge that I couldn''t move my body. As the seconds passed, I felt my bones begin to crack slightly. Seeing that I hurriedly used the wood essence in place of injuries. But whenever the old injury was healed. A new one quickly formed. So I forget about the pain and immerse myself in the healing process. When the time was over. The gravitational force canceled out. The chamber returns to a neutral position. But I stayed in my position. I started to breathe in and breathe out slowly. This time I had taken a risk. If there was 8x gravitational pressure, my bones would have been crushed. I don''t think I would keep my sanity to heal my injuries at that time. Sigh~ A small sigh left my mouth. After 20 minutes, I got up from the ground and checked my condition. A thick black impurity covered my skin. The layer of impurities are higher compared to my previous training. The Gravity Training Room has an additional bathroom where warriors can wash themselves from the sweats. I clenched my fist and it caused a small force to appear. Now I''m confident in confronting the Class-6 Monsters. There is no need to rely on Ernest and Laverne. Those 2 are Super Elite Warriors as well. I wonder what level their actual strength has reached. After pushing down these thoughts, I set the settings mode to normal before walking out of the room. Then I quickly found the bathroom to clean myself. After changing to a fresh set of clothes, I started to leave. Beep! On the way, my sci-fi watch lit up with notification. Seeing that I accessed the inbox. When the message appeared. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. "He wants to see me all of a sudden," I mumbled under my breath. And I recalled my last interaction with the Faction Head. He clearly mentioned the mission. After gaining some clarity, I headed towards the dean''s building. Where Faction Head''s office is on the lower floor. I quickly arrived in front of the office. But this time, instead of the dean''s room. I''m standing in front of the Special Faction Head office. The staff walking by are surprised by my presence. But after seeing the name board on the door. Everyone understood. Creak~ Surprisingly, the door opened quickly. Seeing that I took a step inside. Then I saw the Faction Head sitting behind the desk, cross-armed. "What is he doing?" I said in my heart. "Sit," Carlos said. Hearing that I sat on the opposite chair. But my mind is racing to find some answers. Carlos kept looking at the projection screen. A few hours ago, he received a tip about sharp daggers from criminals. A few of them are spotted outside of the city. From their intel, it looks like the escaped warriors are trying to regroup together. Which is not a good sign. His eyes flickered for a moment before he turned towards Zack. "Do you remember?" "What I told you before?" Carlos asked with a smile on his face. "Mission," I answered without blinking my eyes. I guessed it before coming here. But I didn''t voice out my thoughts. Carlos nodded his head before explaining about the mission. "The remnants of the sharp daggers were spotted outside of the city. I want you to find out what this is all about." "Most of their members'' strength is at the Super Elite Stage. So don''t engage them directly. Just investigate them from a distance." "If they truly intend to form a group together, you can pass the information to authorities in Viper City. They will handle everything." "You can leave for the mission now," Carlos said. Hearing that a look of understanding dawned upon me. But one thing I don''t understand. How come the remnants dare to come back? Last time, the academy gave a thundering response. I thought that the response was enough to deter them. But it looks like something else is going on. Then I stood up and nodded at him before leaving the room. The faction head wants me to gather information. But he doesn''t know that I''m a Super Elite Warrior in body strength. Slowly, I walked out of the building. Come to think of it, it''s been some time since I walked out of the academy. Last time, it was because of the Sharp Daggers. And this time I''m going to leave the Academy because of them as well. Shaking my head, I walked to the transit area. Shortly after, I entered the monster facility. I quickly went to the administration office and booked the monster carriage. After registration, the cart driver appeared. He immediately greeted me with a smile. Seeing that I nodded at him before asking him to prepare. Nowadays, everyone is familiar with me. The Special Faction usually attracts a lot of attention. Now the faction head is back. It got a lot more popular. Shortly after, the cart driver led me to the monster carriage. The Falcon Monster raises its head after sensing my presence. But then the monster lowered its head. Looks like I got used to it. Seeing that I let out a small chuckle before entering inside the cabin. Shortly after, the monster carriage starts to move in mid air. It left the academy space and headed towards Viper City. Time passed in blink of an eye, After a 2 hour journey, we reached Viper City. The monster carriage entered the city. As the carriage has the logo of the academy. No one dares to stop the carriage. I saw several flying transits through the window. But the falcon monster easily sped through. After a few minutes, the driver guided the monster to land on the platform located in the monster facility. When the carriage came to halt. I walked out. After bidding bye to the cart driver, I hurried toward the city wall. Last time, I visited the restaurant to taste the food. But this time I have decided to complete the mission first. After reaching the city wall, I walked towards the security system. I used my I.d for verification. Creak~ A metallic door opened between the City Wall. Seeing that I started walking. Meanwhile, Several small groups of warriors started gathering outside of Viper City. They thought nobody noticed them. But their activities already alarmed the spies. The authorities have received the orders from the academy. Since the Academy is going to send someone to investigate. They have decided to wait. At the same time, the leader Vik is grinning ear to ear. After a long time, he is going to meet his members. Obviously, this was arranged by Giant Tower''s spies. It was impossible for him to act alone. The Giant Tower''s spies not only helped him treat his injuries. They also planned this gathering. The leader Vik is not stupid enough to reason behind this. After the Sharp dagger''s destruction, he has been planning for revenge. So does the Giant Tower Academy. After a long time, they came up with this idea. They want to attract the attention of the academy by arranging this gathering. Vik is glad that everything is going according to the plan. But somewhere in his heart he fears that authorities would take action. Especially he doesn''t want to face the Faction Head. Last time, he had burnt his blood to escape from the danger. His cultivation fell back because of that. He doesn''t want the similar situation to happen again. The Giant Tower had promised him of asylum earlier. He doesn''t want to lose that. But one thing he couldn''t explain. What is the purpose of the gathering? The Giant Tower people didn''t tell him what to do next? They have simply asked him to present in this gathering. Vik sighed inwardly. He can see the attitude of the Giant Tower is not what it used to be these days. Chapter 522 Part 1: Giant Towers Scheme ? From MC''s perspective: When I appeared outside. A warm breeze brushes against my face. The sky looked bright. After appreciating nature for a moment, I turned toward my left side and started to move. While flying, I recalled the information in my mind. The Faction Head told me about the gathering. But he didn''t tell me the exact location. He just gave me a direction to investigate. Shaking my head, I continued to fly. At the same time, I activated my perceptual ability. Time passed, After a few hours of flying over this barren land. I found someone lurking on the ground through my perception. At first, I thought it must be some kind of pseudo-monster that lives here. But when I got closer, something changed. It''s not a monster but a warrior. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. Someone is hiding in the trench. I paused my movements in mid-air for a moment. The current situation reminds me of an underground cellar. Through my perception, I spotted one more person. The next second, I started to move towards the trench. Meanwhile, two warriors are hiding in the trench. They are none other than spies working for Giant Tower. They both are Initial- Super Elite Warriors. They are collecting information about the people leaving Viper City. Seeing someone coming in their direction. Both of them were startled. But after a few seconds, they recovered their bearings. Since someone discovered their hiding. It''s impossible to escape without closing the loose ends. So both of them decided to confront the enemy head-on. A few seconds later, When they saw someone standing above them in mid-air. Their expressions change drastically. But soon their faces lit up with joy. Because they recognize the person. "Zack Lockwood," Both of their eyes flash with a hint of greed. They are working for the Giant Tower. And they know about the Giant Tower''s operation. Nowadays, the Giant Tower mobilizes its efforts just to kill one person. And that person right in front of them. Both of them are aware that Vik is located somewhere near them. And it''s well-known among their circles. That Vik is responsible for taking down Zack Lockwood. But the Giant Tower has never barred anyone from attempting the kill either. At the same time, I saw two middle-aged warriors looking at me with shining eyes. Instead of fear and doubt, their eyes filled with unknown happiness. Which creeps me out all of a sudden. "They know me," I mumbled under my breath. I also saw through their power level. But I wasn''t able to tell whether they were friends or enemies. Tud~ Then I slowly landed on the ground before walking up to them. "Hello, I''m Zack Lockwood." "Who are you guys?" I asked while raising my right hand to greet them. The Super Elite Warriors nodded at each other. Signaling, they are on the same page. Hearing the question, the smile on their faces disappeared. Their eyes flickered with killing intent. Meanwhile, Through perception, I immediately saw through their expression. "Enemy," I said in my heart. The next second, I mobilized the blood power from my redbones. This all happened in a blink of an eye, When the duo turned toward me and charged against me. The blood power already traveled through my forearm and gathered around my fist. Seeing the smug smile on their face. My eyes grew cold. Instead of using an elemental attack, the duo used a brute punch to attack. Seeing that I sneered inside. "Blood Fist" My fist collided with one of them. Argh~ The warrior let out a muffled groan. My punch tore through his right arm. Blowing off the fleshes and bones here and there. Seeing that the other one stopped his attack midway. The sudden turn around made him scared sh!t. He saw his friend''s body smashed on the ground. Seeing that, he turned around and tried to run away. "Harumph," I gave a cold snort before dashing toward him. I used the blood power again to attack him. As my blood fist touched his back. Crack~ His backbone got broken. That guy was thrown forward like a broken kite and heavily smashed on the ground. Pfff! Blood and flesh splattered on the ground. Seeing that I retracted my fist. "[email protected]," Recalling the earlier interaction, I cursed out loud. I almost got caught. Fortunately, my powerful perception saved my life once again. These two guys are Super Elite Warriors. Either they are sharp daggers, remnants, or spies. My eyes grew cold. Organizations behind them want my life. Certainly, I can''t leave them without any interrogation. Then I turned around and walked to the 1st warrior. But when I saw his condition. My expression darkened. White foam is spewing from his mouth. Seeing that a look of understanding dawned upon me. Then I hurried toward the 2nd warrior and saw him taking up some pill. I arrived in front of him in an instant and snatched away his pill. The pill looked dark brown. But it smelled an extremely foul stench. "What kind of poisonous pill is this?" I mumbled under my breath. Then I placed it in my storage ring before turning toward the warrior. The warrior''s face turned ugly. He thought about taking his life too. But he was a bit late. Seeing the warrior''s reaction. I revealed a cold smile on his face. I walked closer to him and stepped on his hand. "Now tell me. Who are you guys?" "If you fail to answer my question. Then I''ll skin you alive," I said in a cold tone. The warrior shuddered. On one hand, he is bleeding heavily. On the other hand, he is facing the threat of torture. The warrior closed his eyes for a moment before making the decision. "Alright, I''ll tell you everything," He said. Hearing that I nodded my head. "We have been ordered to monitor this place," The warrior uttered, coughing up blood. Pfff~ A frown appeared on my face. I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Who?" A hint of fear appeared in the warrior''s eyes. He thought about his current state before replying, "Giant Tower." "We are spies working for Giant Tower. They have asked us to form this gathering. And they wanted to create a small conflict by using this gathering." He added further. My eyes grew cold. What gathering is he talking about? For a moment, my mind went blank. Giant Tower? What''s their connection to the gathering? "Hey, are you talking about sharp daggers remnants gathering?" I asked. The warrior''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. He is almost on the verge of death. Before closing his eyes for a moment, he replied," Yes." The next moment, his eyes dimmed. He lost his life due to excessive bleeding. But I remained still in my position. The spy gave me a great deal of information. So the Giant Tower Academy is behind the gathering. But I don''t know whether the sharp daggers organization has anything to do with them. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. If Giant Tower is doing something behind the scenes, then the issue won''t end well. And above all, what is their purpose for creating conflict? What is their goal in achieving this? There are a lot of unanswered questions. Guess, I will know after reaching the gathering point. After gaining some clarity, I rose from the ground and started to move. Right after, two people appeared from the shadows. They are none other than Zack''s guardians. Dean Rebecca was aware of Zack''s departure. Especially after the Sharp Daggers incident. She had thought that she made the right decision by assigning guardians for Zack. Because of that not only she was able to protect Zack''s life. She can also get first-hand intelligence information. The two guardians had overheard Zack''s conversation with the spy. They were shocked to the core. The information is too hard to believe. Since the warrior confessed himself as a Giant Tower''s spy. They can''t help but share the information with the dean directly. After sending the information, they started following Zack. Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca is busy with her work as usual. When she is operating the projection screen. She was disturbed by the sudden message. At first, she thought about avoiding it. But when she saw the contact name, She paused her movements. She knows Zack left for a mission. "Don''t tell me there is another incident," She said in her heart. Her expression becomes serious for a moment. She opened her inbox and began to read the message. After a few seconds, her face becomes cold. For a moment, powerful pressure emitted from her body. But Rebecca quickly controlled her emotions. "Giant Tower," She said in a solemn tone. She knows that information is yet to be verified. So immediately gave further orders to strictly monitor the situation. If the sharp daggers are pawns of the Giant Tower, then they are going to face serious charges during the year-end conference. Any such attempt will cause a fallout with other academies. If the information is true, then the Giant Tower is digging its own grave. Chapter 523 Part 2: Giant Towers Scheme ? The Sharp Daggers Leader Vik met with his organization member. The number of warriors who returned are 20 in numbers. The number was not big but considering their current situation. He calmed down his heart. But he knows that he is not planning for rebuilding the Sharp Daggers again. And he is not sure about Giant Tower''s plan again. When he was lost in thoughts. He received a message all of a sudden. After reading the message, all the doubts in his heart were cleared. "Giant Tower wants me to attack one of the towns nearby," He mumbled under his breath. But his expression turned ugly. It''s simply an act of stepping on a tiger''s tail. Apart from the instruction, he didn''t receive further messages. But he can tell that Giant Tower wants him to attract the attention of the Viper City. If it''s a single operation, he is okay with it. But he doesn''t know whether he will receive follow up messages. Sigh~ A soft sigh left his mouth. He can''t act arrogantly anymore. Since his life is tied up with Giant Tower. He is now reduced to one of their lowly members. All of this because of one person. Recalling the past events, his eyes reddened in anger. He swore to himself when he saw Zack Lockwood. He would do anything to kill him. Then Vik turned his attention to his members. He then instructed them to follow him to the nearest village. The members below are not naive. They know that they are going to do some action. Instead of fear, everyone is looking forward to it. They are going to vent their anger. So killing intents radiated from their body. The movement was so big. The 20 or so super elite warriors are following the lead of their leader Vik. If such action was done near the city, then it would soon attract a lot of eyes. Meanwhile, The Giant Tower Academy: The Giant Tower headmaster is discussing with elders. Their topic of discussion is Viper City. The instructor to Vik was done by his order. But other elders in the meeting rooms were confused. After a long time, they got such a pawn in their enemy''s jurisdiction. They can do a lot with him. But the Headmaster has given such unreasonable instruction. Including the intelligence department, elders and other elders are well aware of the Saw Scale Viper Academy''s thundering response a few weeks ago. The Faction Head of theirs took action personally. Including the infamous Carlos Kent went after Sharp Dagger remnants. It was a miracle that the Sharp Daggers leader escaped from his clutches. He then sought asylum with them. So such a pawn must be used carefully. The headmaster clearly saw the dissatisfaction on their faces. But he shook his head in disappointment. Everyone forgot about the important reason. The reason he is using Vik was to attack Zack Lockwood. That person is like a turtle hiding in the academy all daylong. He doesn''t seem to take missions as well. From this alone he can tell how the Saw Scale Viper Academy is doting on him. At first, he thought about hiding Vik as well. But as the days went by, he saw no option of luring Zack Lockwood out. If that kid left just like that, he would definitely become a scourge. There is also a year end conference. Keeping in mind, he doesn''t want to give any opportunity to grow. At the same time, the constant murmurs of elders reached his ears. He came back to reality and uttered,"Silence." His words filled with authority swept away the room. Gasp~ The elders were surprised by the sudden interruption. Especially those who with dissatisfied voices became quiet all of a sudden. "I know some of you are confused by my decision,"The headmaster said. "But right now, I want the demise of their young genius, Zack Lockwood," He added further. Gasp~ Surprised gasps left some of their mouths. Among the elders, the one with red hair revealed killing intent in his eyes. He is none other than the elder red. He had led the Giant Tower warriors to participate in a student exchange meeting. But unfortunately they returned defeated back to the academy. Their students suffered defeat at hands of newcomer Zack Lockwood. He didn''t even forget the humiliation he had suffered from the trip. The Red Elder still remembers the smug smile of Flame Faction Head. Before anyone could speak, he asked,"Headmaster, do you want to use that person to kill Zack Lockwood?" Unlike other elders, he knew some inside information. So he is sure that head is targeting that lightning brat. Not only the head, he himself doesn''t want to leave such a threat. He had personally witnessed the duel. The lightning brat can fight across ranks. The headmaster revealed a small smile on his face. Among the elders, only the red elder was able to see his intention. Hearing the red elder''s question, the rest of them also perked up their ears to listen. "The red elder is right. I''m indeed using that mediocre to cause some disturbance. Sooner or later, that lightning kid will die under his hands." "Ha...Ha...Ha....," After saying that he let out a laugh. The elders looked at each other. Again the headmaster using puzzling words. He didn''t tell them how it was going to happen. The red elder frowned. He can see that their head is deliberately hiding the information. And he doesn''t want to sound rude by asking him back. The Giant Tower head saw through their doubts. But he is not going to tell them. Everyone knows that Giant Tower Academy and Saw Scale Viper Academy are enemies. But little did they know that he had personal connections with one of their faction heads. That too he had connections with the Special Faction Head, Carlos Kent. Earlier, he had trouble solving the lightning nearby. But after Carlos Kent''s return and the Sharp daggers leader Vik''s request. Everything fell into one piece. He just had to convince another party with a huge reward in compensation. Now he knows that lightning kid has left the academy. And he is on the way to the gathering. Hereafter the sharp daggers'' leader has to finish him later. The reason he didn''t break the news to him was because. He doesn''t want any mishap to happen. If the information is leaked, then it will become even more difficult to lure the kid out. He knows that Carlos will demand even more sum from him. So he is currently looking forward to the developments. ... From MC''s perspective: When I got closer to the suspected location. I spotted several dots in my perception moving forward. It''s not one or two people. The number seems to be more than 10. After confirming it, my eyes grew cold. If my assumption is right, they seem to be sharp daggers. Then all of them must be Super Elite Warriors. When the realization hit me. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. I''m not going to confront this mob group. All of them are Super Elite Warriors. So fighting all of them would be a stupid decision. But I couldn''t help but feel curious about their destination. They seemed to be going somewhere. Suddenly, I remembered the faction head''s words. He wanted me to collect intel. If there was a danger, I can return back to the academy. Meanwhile, The guardians hiding in the shadows also observed the situation. But they are undecided about whether to take action or not. At the same time, I started to move. Though I know the dangers that await me. But it''s impossible to go back without collecting intel. 10 minutes later, After following them for some time, I saw them stopping in front of a small town. Seeing that my expression grew darker. At the same time, a bad premonition hit me. "They are going to do something," I mumbled under my breath. Then I saw them jointly attacking the town. This sudden change caught me off guard. "How dare they launch an attack on the town?" I said to myself. Swoosh~ Unknowingly, I rushed forward. I know I''m making stupid mistakes. But at least I have to take down the leader. The leader''s death will cause panic among the group. Only in this way, I can deter them. Meanwhile, The guardians hiding in the shadows started to make a move. They quickly reached the town without alerting the group. Nobody knows such a power house near them. The Guardians immediately took care of weak, sickly, elderly, women and children. The people only felt going blank. The guardians made them unconscious. They left the grown up men for a reason. They want to see Zack''s action before making any decision. If they feel Zack is in danger, then they will wipe out the hostile group. Meanwhile, The leader Vik is watching the destruction of the shops with a cruel smile on his face. Seeing that sudden attack on town. Some stationed warriors came to retaliate. But Vik revealed an evil grin on his face. Nobody is going to save the town today. Chapter 524 Fighting Against Vik ? From MC''s perspective: "Stop it all of you," I screamed out loud as I got closer to the town''s gate. The 20 Super Elite Warriors immersed themselves in causing destruction. Apart from paying attention to their leader Vik''s intention. At the same time, I dashed toward the nearest warrior. The destruction is raising so much noise. The dust and rubble swept away the place. I mobilized the blood power from my bones. In a blink of an eye, it reached my forearm, and the power gathered around my fists. When my punch lands on the enemy''s back. The punch tore through the enemy''s back. The force sent the enemy forward and he collided with others. The sudden change attracted the attention of others. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Then using the fighting ability, I charged at the enemies. The other super elite warriors recognized Zack Lockwood in one glance. And they immediately started to attack. While others immediately informed their leader. Seeing the entire group coming at me. I wasn''t flattered. I relentlessly used the blood fist technique to attack again and again. But I wasn''t able to defend against the elemental attacks. Some of them brush past me. While a few of them broke my defense and caused some injury. The leader Vik was overseeing the destruction. Suddenly saw some of his men coming towards him. "What are you guys doing instead of attacking?" He asked in a thundering voice. Somewhere in his heart. He wanted to finish this destruction of the town before the authorities arrived. His subordinates quickly informed him about Zack Lockwood. "What?" "He is here. Where is he right now?" Vik asked back. Seeing that the subordinate pointed at the entrance. Swoosh~ He disappeared from the spot and rushed to the entrance. An extreme killing intent appeared in his eyes. "Finally, the wait was over. I''m going to complete my revenge." "At the same time, I''m going to fulfill my promise to Giant Tower. Nobody is going to save Zack Lockwood from his hands," He said in his heart. Whether Zack had a guardian or not, something didn''t occur in his mind. He just blindly rushed forward. When he saw Zack''s face. He laughed out loud, "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "Leave him to me. I will skin this [email protected] alive. You guys can enter the town and start killing people," He added further. Hearing that warrior who are ganging up on Zack stopped their attack and returned to attack the town. At the same time, I took a deep breath in relaxation. Some elemental attacks have tested my body''s strength. But fortunately, the attacks are at a super-elite level. None of them can cause any gruesome injury. "Zack Lockwood" The next moment, I heard someone calling me loudly. When I turned around, I saw a warrior with thick killing intent coming towards me. He stopped a few steps in front of me and looked at me with a threatening gaze. "This terrible killing intent," I muttered in my heart. It''s been some time since I saw someone with such killing intent toward me. "Who are you?" I asked, looking at him. The leader Vik''s heart is boiling in anger. But when he heard the brat''s words. It completely pissed him off. "You don''t know me," Vik asked. He had thought their academy was already familiar with his identity. But it looks like it''s not. Which made him even angrier. "I''m sharp daggers'' leader Vik." "Now that you know my name. You can die with peace," He added further before starting the attack. Several metallic spikes shot at me. Seeing that my pupils constrict. "Troublesome," I said to myself. Then I brought the black sword outside and held it in my hand. Clang~ I deflected the metallic spike. At the same time, I''m retreating backward. Clang~ Clang~ The metallic collision sound reverberated throughout the area. I deflected the next couple of spikes. But one of them managed to injure me. Seeing the blood bleeding from the right arm. My expression turned ugly. At the same time, I spotted an evil grin on Vik''s face. "Oh, boy" "What happened to your lightning element?" The leader Vik asked with an amusing smile on his face. ... Meanwhile, The guardians didn''t let the Super Elite Warriors lay hands on the townspeople. At the same time, they didn''t kill them either to not alert their leader Vik. The two guardians also observe the situation between Zack and the sharp daggers leader Vik. If the situation gets worse they will intervene. The 20 Super Elite Warriors are hard-pressed on the ground. Earlier, they were attacking the shops. But then all of a sudden a huge pressure pinned everyone onto the ground. The warriors are scared out of their wits. Some of them peed their pants. They have yet to forget the attack of the various faction heads. They had escaped one time successfully. But it''s difficult to repeat the process. Some of the warriors were already resigned to their fate. They are just patiently waiting for their death. The guardians didn''t even look at them. Rather they sent an update to the dean. ... Seeing the metallic spikes are increasing in number. My expression turned ugly. The number is something that can''t be deflected by using the sword. I have to close the gap right now. When the leader Vik is gloating. I dashed toward him. "Courting death," Vik who was observing suddenly uttered cold words. When he learned that Zack ran out of lightning essence. He can already imagine Zack''s death. Now seeing him rushing forward. Which shows nothing but a desperate attempt. Then he stopped releasing the metallic spikes and became ready to deal with fists as well. At the same time, when I saw Vik''s actions. A hope kindled in my heart. I mobilized the blood power again from my redbones. In a blink of an eye, the power reached my forearm and gathered around my fist. By that time, I was already one step away from Vik. Then I raised my fist to punch him. Seeing me raise my hand to punch. I saw him do the same as well. I sneered inside. The enemy fell into my trap. The sharp daggers'' leader doesn''t know about my body strength. But this will be his greatest mistake. Boom~ When our fists collided with each other. The blood power easily crushed his forearm. Argh~ The leader Vik let out a muffled groan in pain. His entire right arm was disabled. Seeing the freely hanging right arm. He couldn''t believe his eyes. "How could it be possible?" Vik uttered in shock. His eyes widened in disbelief. Not only he, but the guardians who are observing secretly are also surprised as well. They knew about Zack''s abnormal strength. This topic has been discussed with the dean. But the dean doesn''t want to pry into Zack''s secrets. Because of that both stopped their inner curiosity and continued to observe the fight. Now it''s certain that Zack will win the fight. They are not worried about the troubles anymore. At the same time, the leader Vik is having trouble digesting the facts. Before he could say anything he saw another fists raining down on him. "No," He shouted in fear. "Blood Fist," I said. Boom~ My fist collides with his left arm. Again, the blood power crushed his left arm entirely. Shattered bones can be seen clearly. Argh~ The leader Vik screamed out loud. Both arms are now rendered useless. He was shocked to the core. After seeing Zack''s body strength, his heart is filled with fear. In desperation, he called out to his subordinates to support. But he received no response in return. Which further made his mentality collapse. The leader Vik wasn''t able to fathom what was actually happening. In a final attempt, he turned around to flee. At the same time, I looked at fleeing Vik for a moment before starting to chase him. I''m surprised to find that the enemy has yet to run out of essence. Then gritting my teeth. I continued to chase the enemy. Time passed, After 10 minutes, I managed to catch him. If I had the purple essence, then the chasing would have been simple. "Zack Lockwood, leave me alone," The leader Vik pleaded. After knowing that he wasn''t able to flee for a long time. He resigned to his fate. At the same time, when I heard his words. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Then looking at him, I asked, "What''s your relation with the Giant Tower Academy?" Hearing the familiar words from Zack''s mouth. The leader Vik became stupid. This was his core secret. Apart from the spies, no one else knows about the deal between him and the Giant Tower. "Looks like you are eager to die," I said. "No!" "Wait, it''s them." "The Giant Tower instructed me to kill you," The leader Vik revealed the secret in fear of death. Hearing that, I wasn''t surprised. Because this much I know from the spy. "Tell me, when did it happen?" I asked. The leader Vik gulped his saliva before revealing the whole truth. Chapter 525 Failure! ? From MC''s Perspective: The leader Vik collapsed after revealing the truth. But my heart was not calm. So Giant Tower made him do it? I remember the dean''s warning. She told me the hostile force wouldn''t hesitate to put a bounty on my head. So the Giant Tower Academy wasn''t forgiving. Looks like the student exchange event memories didn''t leave their mind. My expression darkened. To think they have managed to stretch their hands to this level. How many spies are still left in our territory? The dean told me that spies are eliminated from our city. But looks like she was misinformed. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Seeing the unconscious body of Vik. I made a decision. It''s better to hand him over to the academy. They might get useful information from him. Then I contacted the dean and explained to her. Surprisingly, she accepted the information without much expression on her face. At the end of the call, she asked me to return. Sigh~ A soft sigh left my mouth. I just revealed some big news to her. Why didn''t she seem surprised? I raised my eyebrows in confusion. But one thing is for sure. Since the Giant Tower dared to pull up this trick. Then the academy is going to pay them back for sure. I can already see the turbulent future in my mind. Suddenly, a realization struck me like lightning. "The townspeople," I muttered to myself. The 20 Super Elite Warriors stormed inside the little town. The death and destruction might have occurred already. I don''t know how to react for a moment. Then after calming down my turbulent heart. I rushed to the town. There might be some survivors. If I reach them in time, I can save them. On the way, I sent a message to the authorities. A few minutes later, I arrived in front of the town''s main gate. Seeing the dense smoke rising from many places. My expression turned ugly. With a heavy expression, I took a step inside the city. Then I spread my consciousness to find vital signs. But the next moment, a look of disbelief appeared on my face. Because I spotted the many warriors in my perception. But I knew they were not townsmen. The warriors seem to be in the same place right next to each other. Apart from their presence, I didn''t find them moving. I became perplexed. Then I decided to check myself. As I approached the nearest warrior. I can confirm that there was no crying sound. The complete silence creeps me a lot. When I got closer to the spot. I found the target under the rubble. When I removed the broken wooden pieces one by one. I saw the condition of the warrior. He was unconscious. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. It''s not easy to make him faint. Unless he came across a strong warrior other than himself. Then my expression grew weird. I can tell apart from there was no one else in this vicinity. I didn''t disturb him, rather I moved to a different spot to check. After a few minutes, I found another warrior in the same state. This unexplainable situation put me in a tight spot. How to explain this phenomenon to authorities? Then I decided to check every other spot. Meanwhile, Both guardians are silently watching from the dark. They didn''t come forward to explain or planned to show themselves. Because they already explained the situation to the dean Rebecca and she had already thought of something to convince others. If Zack Lockwood goes back, he will be informed. Time passed, I stood outside the town in daze a half an hour later. The people from the city arrived a few minutes ago. And they started to apprehend the criminal right away. Looks like they have been informed forehand. Dean Rebecca must have made the arrangements. Looking back at the town, I couldn''t hide my shock. All the 20 Super Elite Warriors were found unconscious. How could this be possible? Unless someone made them unconscious. I''m convinced of that fact. Otherwise, it''s impossible to explain the current situation. Then I put these thoughts back off my mind before moving toward the spot where the leader Vik collapsed. A few minutes later, When I arrived at the spot and saw his body missing. But I didn''t get flustered. I knew someone must have taken him. Which explains the situation in the town as well. After gaining some clarity, I started to head back to the academy. Meanwhile, the guardians are the ones who captured Vik alive on the dean''s order. And they have done it without alerting Zack. .... The Giant Tower Academy: In the meeting room, everyone''s expression is grave. The intelligence department elder''s forehead is dripping with cold sweat. Just a couple of seconds ago, they heard an update from the spies hiding in Viper City. The news is that sharp daggers members were captured alive. And the state of the leader Vik is currently unknown. The news came as a bolt out of the blue to them. The elders showed a myriad of expressions. But none of them dared to voice out any opinion. Because they can see that the headmaster is controlling his anger. As they have rightly guessed, the Giant Tower Headmaster''s eyes reddened in anger. Everything was fine a moment ago. Then what happened? He was elated when he heard Zack Lock was sent to investigate the gathering. On the other end, the leader Vik must have met with more than 15 Super Elite Warriors. The power of this group is not small. If everything goes according to the plan, then Zack Lockwood would have confronted them. Then if such a thing happens, it''s almost inevitable that Zack Lockwood dies from their attack. But what is he hearing right now? It''s the opposite of his imagination. He can perceive elders'' gazes on him. Everyone''s gaze is filled with fear. Even the optimistic red elder was not good. His expression was filled with disappointment and anger. He looked at the intelligence department elder. Seeing him sweating profusely. The red elder is convinced that he was not lying. The atmosphere was pin-drop silence. After some time, the headmaster raised his head and ordered everyone to leave. Everyone breathed in relief. Some thought he would take his anger on themselves. Like someone given amnesty, the elders hurriedly vacated the meeting room. When everyone was gone, the headmaster couldn''t control his anger and immediately contacted Carlos Kent through a safe channel. When the connection was established. He started to berate. "Carlos Kent, what is going on?" "You told me that everything was fine. Look what happened now. Where is the Sharp Daggers'' leader Vik?" From the other end of the call, Carlos Kent uttered a long sigh. "Look, I''m confused here as well. From whatever I know. I guess someone tipped off the dean." "What?" "My plan was impeccable. Others can''t know," The Giant Tower Headmaster said. Even he had decided to proceed with the plan because of Zack Lockwood''s presence. If not for him, he would have aborted it midway. Carlos Kent was silent on the other side of the call. He didn''t know how to convince the other party. He is also in pain as well. The Giant Tower Head has promised to provide crucial resources for a breakthrough. Now that is gone as well. He didn''t know who tipped her off. And she was swift in her action as well. Almost all of the criminals were caught in the blink of an eye. On top of that, the brat was safe and sound. He doesn''t seem to be met with any danger. He could tell that the other party''s plan had some flaws from the beginning. Now he is finding fault with himself. Carlos is starting to regret making deals with unreasonable men. At the same time, the Giant Tower Head realized his mistake. He can use Carlos Kent to make some other plans. So there is a need to be angry with him. Now he has to know what happened to the Sharp Daggers'' leader. If he escaped somehow then it''s fine. But if he was caught by their academy people, then it would spell trouble. He knows well that a woman named Rebecca won''t let it go. If she finds the incident has something to do with the Giant Tower. Then she will do something at the year-end conference. He can''t allow such a thing to happen. He took a deep breath before replying, "Carlos, are you there?" "Yes," Carlos replied. "Our deal is still valid. You just have to find the Sharp Daggers'' leader and kill him. I can consider this mistake was nothing to do with you," The Giant Tower Head said. Carlos Kent''s eyes shone with bright light. He was worried that free resources were gone. But now he gladly decided to accept the request. "Don''t worry, I''ll find him. After eliminating him, I''ll contact you," Carlos replied. "Wait a second." "What about Zack Lockwood?" "How is he doing?" The Giant Tower Head wanted to know. After hearing about the mishap, he almost forgot about the lightning brat. Chapter 526 Meeting Carlos Kent Again ? Carlos said, "That kid is fine. Looks like he is not even involved in the conflict." The Giant Tower Head was disappointed by Carlos Kent''s answer. But he soon realized that the lightning brat is Elite Stage Warrior. It''s normal for that kid to stay away from the gathering. "Don''t worry, I''ll find some other way to send this kid out. You guys can wait until then," Carlos promised him. The Giant Tower Head''s expression eases a little bit with that promise. Then after sharing a few more words both ended their call. Carlos Kent''s expression was bright. He knows it''s not easy to gather resources for his breakthrough. Unless he gets help from powerful people. The Giant Tower Headmaster happened to be one who helped with the resources. When it comes to Zack Lockwood. He didn''t give any vague promise. He will find a way to send that kid out. Suddenly, images of Ernest and Laverne come to his mind. "That''s right, maybe those two know about his trouble," He said to himself. Then he decided to summon them later. .... From MC''s perspective: After entering Viper City, I immediately used the monster carriage to rush back to the academy. Right after leaving the city space, my mind once again returned to peace. Everything that happened was beyond my imagination. Especially about the sharp daggers'' leader''s confession. It had brought me a huge surprise. Who could have thought that he was receiving a killing commission? Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. A few hours later, The monster carriages enter the academy space. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. When the monster carriage lands at the platform. I stepped out and hurried toward the dean''s office. On the way, I can already feel the tense atmosphere covering the academy. The news sure reaches the fast. Shaking my head, I continued to walk on. Several minutes later, I arrived in front of the dean''s office. Before I could ask for permission. Creak~ The door opened automatically. Seeing that I walked in. Dean Rebecca stopped working this time. Instead, she sat cross-armed patiently waiting to see Zack. After seeing Zack, her expression eases a little bit. She asked him to take the opposite seat. At the same time, I didn''t fail to observe her reaction. She seems to be waiting for me to arrive. Then I sat down on the chair and waited for her to speak. Rebecca asked, "What do you want to ask?" Hearing that I didn''t hold back my doubts. I asked about the mysterious powerhouse who quelled the conflict and also who captured the sharp daggers'' leader Vik. Dean Rebecca rolled her eyes. Zack''s guardian is already informed about the situation. So she was ready with the answer. She replied, "After hearing from you, one of our elders was sent to the scene. He immediately saved those townspeople and also captured that criminal way back to the academy." "I was right," I said in my heart. As I had guessed before, it was all the dean''s work. She had acted swiftly. After hearing her confirmation, my mind becomes a lot clearer. Sigh~ I let out a small sigh before asking her about the high peak Mountain. Rebecca''s mouth twitched. "You still haven''t let go of that place. That place is off-limits for now. Be patient. I''ll think of something else once this matter is settled," She promised again. She knew Zack had used his body strength to tackle all those warriors. Earlier, she thought guardians'' information on Zack''s body strength was exaggerated. But today''s information shocked her to the core. Zack used body strength to kill Super Elite Warriors. It was not even a fluke. He killed more than 5 Super Elite Warriors. Even the Sharp Daggers'' leader was pushed to the corner. When he was found his 2 arms were crippled. But Rebecca knows her limit. She doesn''t want to pry into more details. She knows that Zack''s purple essence was at the Elite level stage. At the same time, I kept silent. I didn''t get offended by her words. I know the Red Moon Tower is still keeping an eye on that place. But I''m helpless. It took me a great deal of effort to fend off those Super Elite Warriors. If I had the purple essence, I would have eliminated them quickly. "Do you have anything to ask?" Rebecca asked. Sigh~ I let out a sigh before getting up. Then I bid goodbye before walking out Meanwhile, Dean Rebecca saw his disappearing back. When Zack was gone. She summoned the guardians to appear. The next moment, two strong warriors appeared from the shadows. "What happened to Vik?" She asked. "We gave him vitality pills to stabilize his injury. But we made him unconscious after that," the male guardian answered. A quick glint flashes in Rebecca''s eyes. "Good" "Good," She said twice. She already thought of how to get revenge. The year-end conference is going to be memorable. She can''t wait to tear off the face of the Giant Tower Head. He dared to interfere in their jurisdiction. On top of it, the number of spies hiding in the city also astonished her. She thought most of the spies were uprooted. But from the latest information. She can tell that she was wrong. The intelligence team failed to collect authentic information. So she decides to change the intelligence team itself. Then she looked at the guardians and said, "Lock him up inside the dark cell. No one should know about his whereabouts." The two guardians nodded their heads before disappearing from the spot. ... I know she might be under a lot of stress. The Giant Tower''s presence will make her work a lot. There is no need to get impatient. So after gaining some clarity, I decided to focus on something else. When I walked down the stairs, I happened to cross the office of the faction head. "Zack Lockwood." Suddenly, I found someone calling me. When I turned around, I saw a Special Faction Head looking at me. Seeing that my eyes flickered with a slight glint. I don''t know why? I have a vague feeling that this meeting is not coincidental. My intention has always been right. This Special Faction Head Carlos Kent is not right. Maybe he is up to something. But these things can be said only in my heart. "Zack Lockwood, why are you standing there?" "Don''t you know? How to greet your elders?" Carlos Kent asked with a dissatisfied voice. Earlier, he noticed Zack went to meet the dean. So he waited patiently here to call him over. But Zack''s impolite attitude pissed him off. At the same time, Carlos''s words brought my thoughts back to reality. "Faction Head." "My apology, I was thinking of something else," I replied without hesitation. Otherwise, I''m sure he would make things difficult for me. Carlos'' expression eases a lot. Then with a cold snort, he said, "Harumph, come to my room." Hearing that I nodded my head in response. But my heart was not calm. This guy won''t call me unless there is a mission. Don''t tell me he found another mission. I just came back from the trip. Then we reached his office room. He entered the room. Seeing that I followed him back to enter. Carlos sat back in his seat. But I stood in front of him and waited for his words. At the same time, Carlos asked,"I saw you entering the dean''s office. What happened?" Hearing that I furrowed my eyebrows. But I don''t intend to show any displeasure. So I replied,"She asked me about my investigation." "Don''t you know? You should inform me first," Carlos said with a dissatisfied tone. My intuition about him becoming correct. He is definitely not a friendly person. I should find out what he is up to? Seeing that Zack is keeping silent. He decided to skip it. No one can deny the dean''s order. If he shows any dissatisfaction, she will find out eventually. So he let go of this thought and shifted his attention to the main topic. "Alright, do you know what happened to the Sharp daggers'' leader Vik?" Carlos asked. His expression was dead serious right now. This was one of the things Giant Tower Head asked him to do. He must find the location of the leader Vik and kill him without alerting anyone. At the same time, my heart set off storms. The bad feeling in my heart is getting stronger. I knew it. This guy was really up to something. Why does he want to know about Vik? My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. The next second, I started to put up an act. "Sigh" "From the beginning to end, I didn''t come across their leader," I lied to him. Carlos Kent observed Zack''s facial expression. He can find if Zack was lying to him or not. But he saw no falsehood in Zack''s words. From whatever he knows the Sharp daggers'' leader disappeared during the conflict. He was not sure whether that guy escaped or got captured alive. Chapter 527 Carlos Mission ? From MC''s perspective: Carlos Kent looked at me. I met his gaze without any hesitation. I know what he is going to do next. But I''m not afraid of him. Then suddenly, Carlos said,"Alright, you can leave. Hearing that, I sighed in relief. Then after nodding at him, I left the room. But on the way to the dorm room, I couldn''t get rid of this feeling. There is something about Carlos Kent which seems wrong to me. Then shaking my head, I push back unnecessary thoughts back off my mind. A few minutes alter, I entered my dorm room. Then I started to do my work. Days passed in a blink of an eye, The Academy seems peaceful but there is a lot of undercurrent surging. Carlos Kent is busy investigating the whereabouts of the sharp daggers'' leader Vik. But unfortunately, his attempts ended in failure. On top of it, the Giant Tower headmaster is pressuring him from time to time. He wants two things. One is to kill the sharp daggers'' leader Vik. Second, he wants to lure Zack Lockwood out. Carlos is unable to find solutions to this mess. A few days later, He summoned two super elite warriors to office.They are none other than Ernest and Laverne. Carlos'' office, Carlos tapped his fingers on the table. He is patiently waiting for those two to appear. The reason he summoned them was because he lost patience. He finally decided to issue a team mission himself. Earlier, he thought he could find a way to resolve the two issues. But he wasn''t able to find the leader Vik. And he wasn''t able to lure Zack out either. Creak~ The door opened, Ernest and Laverne entered the room together. A trace of complexity can be seen in their eyes. The Special Faction Leader rarely contacts them unless there is an important mission. Seeing them entering the room, Carlos stopped tapping. His eyes flickered with a slight glint. He saw through their cultivation base. "Both of you are doing well," He said. This time it''s not a false word. It''s a genuine quote from his heart. If not for their relationship with Zack Lockwood, he could have helped them. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. Carlos saw through their thoughts. "Ahem" "I have a mission for you guys," He said with a cough. Ernest understood. Before coming here both of them thought of this possibility. So they weren''t surprised. "Faction Head" "We will do it," Both of them replied at the same time. Carlos revealed a faint smile on his face. But he quickly recovered. "Good" "But the team requires one more person." "Where is Zack right now?"Carlos asked. Laverne opened her mouth to say,"Faction Head, he has gone to the monster zone. He will be back by the evening." Carlos nodded his head. "Alright, ask him to join you as well." "Tomorrow morning, three of you will leave. The mission is to capture a rogue criminal hiding the bedrock city." "There was no time limit for the mission. You guys can return after capturing him. I''ll send you the full mission details later." Carlos explained without showing much expression on his face. But in his heart he doesn''t want any mishap to happen. If he doesn''t do it, then he won''t get the resources from the Giant Tower. Ernest nodded his head and left together with Laverne. After leaving the room both kept silent until they walked out of the building. When they left, Laverne uttered,"Strange." She turned toward Ernest and asked,"Did you notice something?'' Ernest raised his eyebrows before nodding his head in approval. "He usually doesn''t give us any private mission. But I can see that he is serious about the mission," Ernest replied. "How can you tell?" Laverne asked back. She knows Ernest is more intuitive. Ernest smiled before adding,"Did you notice?" "There is no time limit for the mission. Which means he wants us to complete the mission no matter what." A disbelief appeared on Laverne''s face. She understood the importance of the mission. "What would happen if he failed to complete the mission?" She asked back. Ernest revealed a bitter smile on his face. The mood of the faction head was that he couldn''t understand. "If such thing happens, then only dean can save us," He replied Laverne stopped talking. Of course, she realized the mission was not simple. They have to complete it no matter what. Meanwhile, After arranging everything, Carlos sat back. He grinning ear to ear. This time he has arranged a trap in bedrock city. The mission is bound to be unsuccessful. But it''s a pity that he doesn''t want to involve the other two. As they have nothing to do with the Giant Tower''s hatred. From the beginning he was looking for a way to lure Zack out. At first he thought about using Viper City for his plan. But after the gathering incident everything has changed. The city is under strict investigation. Many spies were found lurking in Viper City. Which made the dean to overhaul the entire intelligence department. Recently, he heard that the dean is directly overseeing the intelligence department. So he decided to stay away from the Viper City. Then he made the bedrock city as an alternative for his plans. Beep! When he was lost in thoughts. He was disturbed by the notification sound. "Who is it?" He uttered in a dissatisfied voice. But when he saw the contact name his mouth twitched. The person is none other than the Giant Tower HeadMaster. He then attended the call. "Carlos, you seem relaxing these days," A deep voice sounded from the other end of the call. Nowadays, Carlos used to hear these annoying voices. So he didn''t get offended. "Headmaster, there is good news for you," He replied. Hearing that there was a silence for a moment before he heard a loud reply. "What?" "Did you find that Vik?" "Where is he right now?" "Did you kill him?" Carlos left speechless. "Wait a second." "Zack Lockwood is going to visit bedrock city for a mission tomorrow. You should arrange some men to assassinate him," He said in a calm tone. "Well, I see." "You did a good job. I will make sure that brat won''t escape this time." The Giant Tower Headmaster said in a solemn tone. Carlos can feel the heaviness from the voice. Then suddenly he realized something. "Wait a minute, don''t send anyone above super elite warriors. Then our dean will notice something," Carlos advised. "Harumph," "That woman won''t be able to find anything. And you will get part of the promised resources." "Next, you should focus on finding that Vik." After saying that the Giant Tower Headmaster ended his call. Carlos Kent''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. At least he has managed to get the resources. Now he doesn''t have to worry about lack of resources for the time being. At the same time, The Giant Tower Headmaster was finally in a good mood. He was sitting back in his office. These days he isn''t able to concentrate on academy affairs. Ever since the sharp daggers'' leader disappeared. He felt their killing commission could be exposed. It would be best if they can find and eliminate him. But unfortunately he wasn''t able to get information on him. When it comes to Carlos Kent. He was dissatisfied earlier. Now that man has given him a good chance. He turned on the holographic gadget. The next second, a holographic projection appeared. He then searched for the bedrock city. The bedrock city is a good spot. Unlike other main cities, this city doesn''t come under any particular academy. The bedrock city is quite independent. He can do a lot of things. When the map appeared. He began to investigate. At the same time, he ordered the intelligence department elder to collect the news. Time passed, After a few hours, the intelligence department elder briefed him on everything. After knowing that the bedrock city is visited by many rogue warriors. He formed a good plan in his mind. As long as there are rogue warriors. There is no shortage of greedy people. He can make use of them to murder Zack Lockwood. When this thought appeared in his heart. He felt this plan is feasible and less risky. The Giant Tower Head immediately dispatched people to contact the greedy warriors. As long as they fulfill the task they will be rewarded with resources. If Zack Lockwood ever steps inside the bed rock, he will be targeted by many. ... From MC''s perspective: 5pm, Swoosh~ I appeared in the teleportation tower. But the next moment, I was greeted by two familiar people. "Laverne" "Ernest" "Are you guys waiting for me?" I asked. These two won''t appear unless something important happens. Laverne blinked her big eyes before asking,"I thought you were going to spend the night in the monster zone." Hearing that I shook my head in denial. Ernest stepped forward and said,"Alright, we need to talk." A quick glint flashes in my eyes. "Why is he looking serious?" I said in my heart. "Let''s go, we will discuss on the way," I replied, looking at them. Chapter 528 Bedrock City ? From MC''s perspective: We came to the flower garden. Which is located in front of the building. After taking a few steps, I turned to them and asked,"What is it?" "Can you tell me now?" Right now, apart from the three of us, no one is taking a walk in the garden. "Faction Head gave us a mission. Three of us have to complete it," Ernest replied. "What?" A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. "Carlos Kent," I said in my heart. The bad premonition came true after all. My eyes flickered with a cold glint for a second. As I guessed, that guy has arranged a mission for me. But what about these two? I looked at Ernst and Laverne. Seriously, something is wrong with the mission. But I can''t tell what it is? And I don''t want to alarm these two. "Zack, what are you thinking?" Laverne asked. Hearing that my thoughts returned to reality. "Ahem, I don''t have lightning reserve right now," I answered, shocking both of them. But I wasn''t surprised by their reaction. My situation is troublesome. Unless, I can find other resource points. It''s difficult to start the practice. Ernest''s expression turned ugly. It''s not like he isn''t aware of Zack''s difficulties. But this time he truly forgot about his situation. Laverne''s expression becomes dull. The faction head clearly wanted three of them to participate. "Cough" I coughed to break the dull atmosphere. "Alright, I''ll come. But can you tell me what''s the mission?" I asked. Ernest nodded before slowly speaking about the mission. A few minutes later, "BedRock City, uh?" A trace of confusion appeared in my eyes. Ernest saw through Zack''s thoughts. He is aware of Zack''s background. "The bedrock city is an independent city. No academy has jurisdiction over there. It''s jointly ruled by top forces over there," Ernest explained. "Yeah, I also heard that the city is a safe haven for rogue warriors. As long as they have money, they can stay in the city," Laverne added. Hearing that confusion in my heart got cleared. No wonder he wants us to capture criminals. Maybe the target is living in that city. But still I''m not feeling good about this. Then I removed the unnecessary thoughts before looking at them. "Alright, I''ll join you guys for the mission. But can you give me some credit points?" I asked. Laverne and Ernest looked at each other. "Okay, I''ll send you a few thousand," Ernest replied without asking too much. "Well, I''ll give you as well," Laverne said, she can tell that Zack wants to buy from the treasure house. After receiving the points from them, we talked for a few more minutes. Then we parted ways. Instead of going to the dorm room. I stride towards the treasure house. When I realized that something was off with a mission. I decided to cover my weakness. Though, I don''t have purple essence. But I can fight the enemy using my body strength. It''s not like a solo mission. I don''t want to expose too much in front of them. The only thing that can help me right now is the Soul technique. I can kill warriors using the soul attack. And this won''t cause too much suspicion. After figuring it out, I increased my pace. Several minutes later, I arrived before the treasure house. Thankfully, this treasure office is open all day. Feeling my presence an old man walks out. The next moment, I felt an unknown pressure radiating from the old man. Then I understood the old man might be the powerhouse, it''s just that he is reaching his end of the year slowly. "Who are you kid?" "What do you want?" The old man asked. His words pulled me back to reality. "Ahem, elder. I want to buy a secret weapon," I replied with a smile. Hearing that, the old man stretched out his hand and asked me to enter. I nodded my head and walked in. When I walked into the room. I saw the weapons placed in the rack. There are different types of weapons. My eyes immediately scanned the weapons one by one. But there is no secret weapon on this floor. Seeing that I asked the old man about the needle weapon. "Needle Weapon," The old man''s eyes lit up with surprise. Normally warriors use swords and sabers. But this young man asked for the needle weapon. Then he nodded his head and guided the young man to the 2nd floor. When we arrived at the 2nd floor. My eyes immediately set on the unique weapon. It''s a pair of needle weapons. After walking up to the rack, I started to observe this fine made weapon. "It''s made of special grade iron ore," The old man said. "Such treasures are used to make spiritual type weapons. But you''re lucky, the needle was made of treasure as well," The old man added further. Hearing that my eyes flickered with surprise glint. This needle weapon is suitable with my soul technique. "Elder, I want this one," I replied. Hearing that elder nodded his head before proceeding to the transaction. Then I spend the borrowed credit points to buy this weapon. After getting the pair of cold needles, I started to walk back to the dorm room. Unfortunately, I don''t have enough time to practice with it. I have to leave tomorrow morning for the mission. The following day, After getting up, I started to do my morning routine. Then I entered the training room to cultivate several minutes later. Sitting down cross-legged, I brought the monster core and held it in my palm. Then I started to run the blood element method. The next moment, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I started to absorb the monster core energies into my body. When the energies entered my body, I guided the energy according to the blood element method. After circulation, the red light appears above my blood. The red light immediately started to absorb the monster energies and converted them into white energies. After the process, the white energies began to drill into my bones. The next second, I felt the heart wrenching pain. But I soon recovered my bearing and started to continue the process. The red color started to cover other parts of my skeleton. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After 2 hours, I finished my cultivation and opened my eyes. The monster core in my hands crumbles into pieces. Then I got up and left the room. 20 minutes later, After getting ready, I walked out of the dorm building. Soon, I meet others at the gathering point. Which is our beautiful garden. "Zack, are you ready?" Laverne asked. Hearing that I nodded my head at both of them. Then we walked to the transit area. After arriving at the transit area, we booked an aircraft. The aircraft is fast and secure. Unlike the Viper City, the bedrock city is an independent one. It''s not wise to use monster carriages to fly over that city. Shortly after, we boarded the aircraft and left for the bedrock city. At the same time, the Special Faction Head got the news about the trio''s departure. Then he sent a confirmation to the Giant Tower Head. Meanwhile, The bedrock city is a unique city which is surrounded by mountains on four sides. Which provides natural security to the city. At this time, the number of rogue warriors entering the city is higher than usual. If it continues, it might set a new record. Unlike other major cities, where they have got the City Lord to govern. Here the city is governed by the seat of elders. The elders from the top forces residing in this city. To maintain the stability and economy of the city. They will group together to discuss from time to time. Unknownst to them, something major is going to happen today. At first the entry of the warriors didn''t attract that much attention. But as time went on, the natives started to notice something. Usually the rogue warriors come in single or in two. But this time many groups are spotted coming to this city. The natives know there is not even any auction happening today. Soon the eyeliners appointed by the seat of elders started to collect information. Whenever there is a major incident. The information provided by the eyeliners played an important role. The rogue teams which are entering the city start to book in immediately. They don''t seem to come for any other purpose. This pattern was repeated with other rogue teams as well. Among the eyeliners some of them are inn owners. When they found something unusual. They tried to collect information as much as possible. As such in one certain inn. An unruly rogue group starts to talk about their secret task. "Man, there is going to be a lot of competition today," A scar-faced warrior uttered. As the surrounding tables are occupied by similar rogue teams as well. His words caused a small commotion. As it was heard by other groups. Chapter 529 Targeted ? From MC''s perspective: After a few hours of traveling, the aircraft reaches its destination. Seeing the beautiful city surrounded by the mountains on four sides. My eyes lit up with surprise. Unlike other cities, this city is situated in the middle of a natural spot. "Wow, the city looks beautiful," Laverne said all of a sudden. Her beautiful big eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "No wonder, the city developed so quickly," Ernest said beside me. Even he didn''t expect such a scene. There is a reason why so many rogue warriors choose to come here. Three of us looked at the city through the aircraft window. Shortly after, The aircraft entered the academy space and it started to descend on the landing platform. When the aircraft touches the ground. We started to walk out. Then the aircraft takes off after leaving us. "Well, where do we start," I said to them. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. "We should find it first. After settling down, we will start the investigation," Ernest replied. Hearing that I nodded my head. Since there is no time limit for the mission. We can do it with ease. Then three of us went looking for the inn. The City is bustling. There are people everywhere. Looking at their costumes you can easily guess their identity. Soon we found an inn. When we entered inside. I found a different atmosphere altogether. The place appeared to be crowded with people. I don''t know whether all of them are customers or came for a drink. Ernest walked to the registration desk. After booking, we decided to log in. "Alright, let''s gather around lunchtime," Laverne said. To that both agreed. It won''t take much time to settle down. And three of our rooms are adjacent to each other. Then we entered our room. Meanwhile, A different situation is happening down below. The rogue warriors who were occupying the seats started to leave one by one. No need to doubt the different rogue teams immediately recognized Zack Lockwood and his team members. Now they are aware they are going to stay here. Next, they have to plan without alerting the seat of elders. But little did they know the elders were already aware of something wrong. The eyeliners around the city are passing the information back to their force. So the seat of elders knew the rogue warriors were up to something this time. But they don''t know what exactly it is. If they know a murder is going to happen in the city. The seat of elders won''t hesitate to drive all rogue warriors out. But the seat of elders wrongly speculates that it''s a conflict between different rogue groups. That''s why they didn''t intend to show themselves. As long as there are authorities on the ground they can handle something wrong. They don''t have to investigate themselves. ... The Giant Tower Academy: In the meeting hall, the Giant Tower Headmaster is sitting in the main seat. Along with him, the intelligence department elder is seated. Unlike the last time, the Giant Tower Headmaster doesn''t want anyone to know about this operation. Because apart from mocking none of the elders showed any proper solution. So he doesn''t want them to know about the time being. Once Zack Lockwood is killed. He will reveal to them with greater fanfare. He still remembered the mocking gazes of elders in the last meeting. After that incident, he knows that there are people in the Giant Tower who can''t wait for him to take the wrong step. "After eliminating the lightning brat, I will then weed out these snakes inside," He said in his heart. If the elder seared beside him heart it, he would have been scared sh!t. Like other academics, there are factions here too. "Well, what''s the status now?" He asked. The elder nodded his head before calling someone on the ground. They had spies in Viper City. So it''s normal for them to have spies here too. After hearing the information from the spy, the elder turned to face the headmaster. "Many rogue warriors are appearing in the city. Such an inflow attracted a lot of eyebrows," the elder said. "Harumph," "It''s just an independent city. Even if they know they don''t care to make any fuss," The headmaster answered without blinking his eyes. He knows that the rogue warriors are desperate for resources. Unless warriors are attached to an academy or force, it''s difficult to collect resources. Except for the Parazam Hunter League, where you can earn resources by completing their jobs. Shortly after, The elder receiver receives another message from the spy. After reading it, he said to the headmaster, "Headmaster, the target has arrived." Hearing that the Giant Tower Headmaster straightened his back. "Good" "Now the show begins," He said to himself. But his eyes flickered with killing intent. The elder beside him turned pale with fright. Noticing it, he returned to normal. "Order the spies to monitor the target. Also, send the message to the rogue warriors to act as soon as possible." "I don''t want any failure to happen this time," He instructed. The elder gulped his saliva in fear before sending a message to the rogue warriors and spies on the ground. A few minutes later, One of their spies arrived before the inn. Instead of entering inside, he seems to record. At the same time, A holographic projection appeared streaming the video of the inn where Zack is staying. A quick glint flashes in the Giant Tower Headmaster''s eyes. "So this is where he is staying?" He muttered to himself. If he was present there, he would have blown their places to pieces. The Giant Tower Headmaster''s heart is boiling in anger. In the live video, he also noticed the presence of many rogue warriors walking by. They seem to target the inn as well. Seeing that his mouth curved into an arc. The elder beside him breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn''t handle the mood swings of the Giant Tower Headmaster. ... Back in the room, I started to read the mission description. They have to apprehend the criminal named Paul. The name seemed to be a pseudonym as well. Then shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. Then I began to read further. The rogue criminal is involved in a lot of heinous crimes. But I couldn''t help but think of Carlos Kent. If my feeling is right, then there is something wrong with the criminal. He might be stronger than us. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After half an hour, I felt thirsty. So I decided to grab some drinks. When I opened the door to walk downstairs. I suddenly felt a cold shiver go down my spine. I stopped my movement for a moment before walking down. I don''t want to spread my perception around. Otherwise, it would be noticed by others. When I walked to the counter to buy some drinks. I felt a lot of piercing gazes on me. I immediately knew I''m being targeted. "Is it Paul or his henchmen?" "Why are there so many malicious gazes?" My heart filled with a lot of doubts. After grabbing the drink, I walked back to my room. Until I left their sight. The piercing gaze didn''t leave me. Right after, walking back to my room. I contacted two other people who came here as well. Shortly after, I heard a knock on the door. Ernest and Laverne entered the room. Seeing my troubled face, they immediately asked, "What happened?" "Sit down first," I said. Laverne sat down on the bed. Ernest sat on the chair. Looking at them, I started explaining. Ernest''s reaction was calm at first. But when he heard the rogue warriors were targeting Zack. His expression darkened. Laverne''s expression became serious as well. "How did they know?" "Did our mission leak out?" She asked. Hearing that I shook my head. This doesn''t seem to be simple. Because there is not one warrior down there. Many warriors are looking at me with malicious gazes. "Zack, what''s wrong?" Ernest asked. "I don''t feel right" "We just arrived an hour ago. But they seem to be waiting for us," I answered. "No way," Laverne uttered in shock. Ernest stood up and said, "I''ll go outside and take a walk around. We can''t simply speculate here." "Wait, I''ll come as well," Laverne said. Hearing that, I decided to accompany them as well. But Ernest stopped me. "Zack, you just wait for us here. Your strength is at the Elite stage and you can''t fight using the lightning element. So you should stay here," Ernest said. My mouth twitched. But I wasn''t offended by his words. I simply nodded my head in response. But when they disappeared from my sight. A thought arose in my heart. "Could these rogue warriors come for me?" Why do I feel this is quite possible? If it was mission related then it''s fine but if it was later then it''s going to be trouble. Should I inform the dean about this? Then I decided to wait for them to come back. After hearing their words, I will make the decision. Chapter 530 Clueless? ? Carlos Kent was sitting back in his seat leisurely. He was lost in his thoughts. He is imagining receiving resources from the Giant Tower Headmaster. Beep! But a sudden notification sound jolted him awake. "Damn it, who ruined my dream?" He cursed out, as he fixed his gaze on the communication watch. But after looking at the contact name. He revealed a good smile on his face. The person who was calling was none other than Ernest Kirk. When he attended the call, a panicking voice reached his ears. "Faction Head, something is wrong here," Ernest Kirk sounded from the other end. Carlos Kent wore a knowing smile on my face. To maintain the pretense, he asked, "Ernest, what happened?" His voice sounded with a hint of concern. "There are a lot of rogue warriors targeting us. I fear our mission details have been leaked," Ernest replied. "What is Zack Lockwood doing?" He asked. "Zack is staying back in the inn." "Faction Head, what should we do now?" Ernest asked back in a hurry. Carlos Kent''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. He doesn''t want them to return because of fear. "Don''t worry, they won''t attack students of our academy. Try to finish the mission as quickly as possible. Don''t let the criminal get away," Carlos Kent instructed. After saying that he ended the call. But he was surprised that Giant Tower''s men were targeting them right away. It''s not been several hours since they arrived there. But their men showed their fangs. If the dean finds out, it would cause trouble for him. Because it''s too much of a coincidence. Carlos starts to tap his fingers on the desk. As the anxiety slowly starts to build up, he feels restless. The earlier relaxed attitude was gone. After a few minutes, he decided to contact the Giant Tower Headmaster. Giant Tower Academy: In the meeting room, the Giant Tower Headmaster and the intelligence department elder silently watched the video on holographic projection. Beep! The Giant Tower Headmaster frowned. He saw Carlos''s name. He wonders why he is calling him in the middle of the operation. "Carlos Kent, what do you want?" "I have told you before. Your resources will reach your hands after the end of the operation," He said with a frown. The intelligence department elder''s expression becomes pale with fright. The name "Carlos Kent" is too popular. He was aware of the name of the Special Faction Elder. That person is a special element warrior. And he guides the group of students who are special element warriors in their academy. His change in expression didn''t go unnoticed under the headmaster''s eyes. "Harumph," The headmaster gave a cold snort. If not for the sudden call, he wouldn''t have slipped his tongue just now. The elder shuddered, feeling the headmaster''s gaze. He stood up from his seat and walked out immediately. It would be his death sentence if he hears the further conversation. Seeing the person disappear. The Headmaster turned his attention to the call. He asked, "Are you there?" "My faction member just informed me. Several rogue warriors are targeting them right after they land in the city." "Are you going to put a hat on me?" Carlos Kent said with a dissatisfied voice. The Headmaster squinted his eyes. He realized what happened. But it can''t be helped. The task was open to all the rogue warriors. Whoever completes the task, he will be rewarded with resources. Many rogue warriors are rushing forward to do it. So there is bound to be some competition. Shaking his head he asked, "What do you want to say?" "Just order your men to focus on the target, not on the other two. If three of them died, I can''t explain to the dean," Carlos Kent''s voice sounded from the other end of the call. The Giant Headmaster replied, "Alright, I''ll order them." After saying that he ended the call. But a sneer appeared on his face. He just lied to him. He won''t say anything to disturb the operation. If the two members of Zack''s left out, then it will expose their purpose. He doesn''t want the lightning brat to slip away from his sight again. ... BedRock City, Ernest and Laverne believed Zack''s words right now. "What did he say?" Laverne asked. Just now, Ernest ended his call with the Faction Head. But from Faction Head''s words, he didn''t get any assurance. "Ernest?" Laverne called out the name. Ernest''s thoughts returned to reality. He looked at Laverne and said, "Trouble." "What happened?" Laverne asked back. "His head is not right. He wants us to complete the mission no matter what," Ernest answered. The next moment, Laverne''s face becomes bloodless. "What''s wrong with him?"She said to herself. She even considered Carlos Kent as a role model. But right now, she doesn''t know how to react. They are in some kind of trouble. Then why does the faction head keep sticking to the mission? Ernest noticed her expression. He didn''t want to say something in front of her. The faction head didn''t show any concern to them. Which is troubling his mind? "Laveren, let''s go and inform Zack about this," Ernest said. After taking a small detour, they walk back to the inn. ... From MC''s perspective: Inside the room, I held my temple and pondered. I feel like I walked straight into a trap. Meanwhile, The two guardians hiding in the dark noticed the anomaly. Because there are still many rogue warriors who continue to walk by. Most of them never left their spot and continued to wait. Both guardians looked at each other. Before coming here, they thought it was just another normal day. But right now, they are wondering what kind of mission the trio has taken. They can''t make a judgment call on this matter. So they decided to inform the dean as usual. The dean has already ordered them to update the news from time to time. Both the guardians knew the dean would do something about it. Meanwhile, Creak~ The door opened. Ernest and Laverne both walked in. "What happened?" "Did you guys find something?" I asked. I noticed their expressions are worse than before. "Zack, you are right?" "There is indeed something wrong with the rogue warriors. When we were outside. I saw many of them in the team." "But all of their gazes are set on the inn. Some even tried to follow us. But we took a detour to avoid them," Ernest said. Hearing that I massaged my temple in confusion. "Can we go back?" I asked. I realized it''s a waste of time to speculate. It''s better if we go and come back some other day for the mission. But Ernest remained silent to my question. Laverne said, "Zack, you don''t know. Ernest spoke to our faction head. But he didn''t want us to return." "What did he say?" I asked. Sigh~ Ernest let out a small sigh before starting to explain to me. At first, my expression was calm. But when I heard the faction head wanted us to apprehend the criminal. "Carlos," I said in my heart. I was right. That guy was hiding something. I should talk to the dean about this mission. But before that, we need to leave this city asap. "Alright, we should leave right away. Once we get back to the academy, I''ll talk to the dean," I said to them. Ernest and Laverne were surprised to hear me saying that. Ernest asked, "Are you sure?" Laverne looked at me with hopeful eyes. I sighed inwardly. Looks like both of them are not confident as well. Then I nodded my head in response. Ernest and Laverne left their rooms to pack their things. At the same time, the guardians hiding in the shadows nodded their heads in approval. They already informed the dean about Zack''s current situation. But she has yet to make any decision. ... The dean''s office, Dean Rebecca frowned, looking at the reports displayed on the screen. She received the information from Zack''s guardian a few minutes ago. She doesn''t know whether Zack was in trouble or not. Even if he was in deep trouble, the guardians would take care of it. So she decided to take some time to verify something. When she went through the mission details. She didn''t find anything related to the bedrock city. Which means the mission assigned to Zack was not an Academy mission. Her eyes flickered with a slight glint. She understood what the mission was about. Carlos has assigned a private mission to them. As far as she knows this is not the style of Carlos Kent. "What does he want?" She said to herself. She knows Zack doesn''t have purple essence. It doesn''t make any sense to assign a mission to him. She decides to contact him. But suddenly she stopped midway. She thought it was better to observe the situation further. Because the guardians only speculated. So far nothing has happened. So she doesn''t want to make quick judgments. Then she sent a message to both guardians to observe further. If there is trouble, they are free to take action. The bedrock is an independent city. But that doesn''t mean they are weak. If there is something wrong, she won''t hesitate to turn the city upside down. Chapter 531 Fight Broke Out ? From MC''s perspective: When I walked downstairs, I felt the hair on my body stand. So many rogue warriors are standing in front of this small inn. And undoubtedly they are looking at me. A frown appeared on my face. Ernest and Laverne looked down as well. Though they are Super Elite Warriors. But confronting the entire mob is a different thing altogether. "Zack?" Laverne called out my name. "Don''t worry, just follow me," I replied without turning back. Then I took the lead and guided the other two to the exit. The next moment, I activated my perception ability. I know the conflict is unavoidable. Whether they are here for me or a mission. It is going to be clear in a few seconds. As I walked out, a scar-faced warrior blocked my path. The rogue warriors surrounded us. Seeing that the inn owner quickly locked himself. "Ready for the fight," I said. Ernest and Laveren looked at each other. Before bracing up for the fight. I brought the black sword and held it in my right hand. Through perception, I noticed something. Everyone''s gaze is set on me. The scar-faced warrior''s patience dropped. He was intuitive to attack. A red flame ball appeared in his hand. "Attack," After saying that, I dashed forward. Laverne released her ice spikes the next second. Ernest manipulated the soil element found in the ground to attack. Right after, the conflict truly broke out. The rogue warriors started to attack without showing any disregard for the public or shops. I used my body strength to narrow the gap. I quickly evaded the incoming fireballs. The scar-faced warrior was surprised by my sudden burst of speed. Swoosh~ When I got near him. I used brute force to stab. The black blade easily tore through his skin defense and left him with injury. Pfff! Coughing up blood, the scar-faced warriors were petrified on the spot. Ignoring the horror look on his face, I swung my sword. "No," The scar-faced warrior regretted. But it was too late to feel sorry. Pfff! The blade easily slits the throat. The next second, the decapitated head rolled over the ground. His teammates retreated in fear. Using this opportunity, I immediately sent a distress signal to the dean. She will find me soon. Until then, I have to hold on. "Waste," A new rogue warrior showed his appearance. He was watching from the sidelines. He never expected the scar-faced warrior to go out soon. After spitting at his corpse, he started to attack. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated through the area. Laverne easily killed the female rogue warrior using ice spikes. The special element is usually more domineering than other elements. So seeing her ice spikes other rogue teams retreated in fear. Now the place is left with one or two rogue warriors. Ernest also opened his account by killing two rogue warriors in succession. He suffocated them by covering their heads with sand. Such a strange attack made others shudder. The reason is that the strength of the rogue warriors is weak, to begin with. On top of it, they are warriors of five elements. Since they usually don''t have any background. So their practicing techniques are mediocre. Which gives them no chance against the talented warriors. Right after the fight, the two guardians hiding in the dark sent the information to the dean. They too noticed the anomaly. There is no reason for so many rogue warriors to attack. Unless someone hired them to attack. You don''t need a big brain to think this. Someone wanted to hurt the Saw Scale Viper Academy''s students. Clang~ I blocked the opponent''s sword attack. But after recognizing his Super Elite Strength, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. When I was lost in thought for a split second. Someone attacked me with a huge boulder. Boom~ I used the sword to block again. But the force sent me dozens of steps backward. "Damn it," I cursed under my breath. If it''s one-against-one, then I''m not afraid. But the mob attack is taking a toll on me. My eyes grew cold. I held the black sword in my left hand before taking out a single silver needle. Nobody noticed my action during the commotion. Everywhere smoke and dust is rising from the ground. The next second, I released the soul attack. I shot the silver needle at the opponent''s chest who was preparing for his next attack. Swoosh~ The distance was so close that the needle reached the target in a blink of an eye. The needle, which is covered with a thin layer of silver powder, passes through the opponent''s body like a piece of paper. When the needle left the body. I retrieved the needle back in my finger. The attack was over within seconds. Tud! The massive body dropped dead on the ground. Nobody noticed how he died. But other rogue warriors continued to attack. There is competition among the rogue warriors. Some plans to reap the benefits later. While others watched from the sidelines. But no matter what I can''t fight the entire mob for long. Swoosh~ I noticed Laverne is pushing hard. She is freezing everyone with her ice element. If this goes on, then she will consume the essence at a faster rate. Then I saw Ernest Kirk. Unlike Laverne, his fighting style is different. He is making the enemy consume essence faster. A hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. I can stick for long but I''m not sure about them. I hope the help arrives faster. "Zack Lockwood, die!" The next second, a huge shout brought my thoughts back to reality. I saw a huge burly figure bringing his ax down. Seeing that my eyes flickered with cold glint. I swung my sword against the giant ax. Clang~ When the two collide with each other. A metallic sound reverberated throughout the area. "[email protected]," I cursed out loud. The force sent me several steps backward. When I stabilize the movements. I looked at the burly figure. His giant ax doesn''t seem to be simple. There is not even a dent in it. At the same time, the strength of this person is not Initial Stage Super Elite Warrior. "Late Stage," I mumbled under my breath. "Step away, he is my target," The burly man threatened other warriors who were trying to gain an advantage. His threat worked. Some of them retreated backward in fear. While other groups are waiting for the opportunity. I looked at the Silver needle between my fingers. I don''t know whether the soul attack works against the late-stage warrior. Then I decided to try it out. The burly man again swung his giant ax against me. ... At the same time, eyeliners sent the information back to their respective forces. As the local forces rightfully feared. This time the rogue warriors entered the city with a different agenda. The first to discover the incident was one of the high-seat elders. The old woman tries to crouch back. Her family owned the blue leaf inn. It''s the most profitable inn in this city. Apart from the high-end inn, they also own several other inns. When the eyeliner''s news reached her ears. She feared that someone would target their family business. Because of the overwhelming wealth generated from the inn. She can maintain the status of one of the seat elders. She immediately summoned the current head of the family. She doesn''t care about the rogue warriors. Because everyone knows they don''t have any background. But who are they targeting? If someone influential got killed in their city. Then the peaceful days of the bedrock city will be over. Shortly after, a middle-aged man in his forties entered her room. "Mother, what happened?" He asked. But his face clearly showed his desperation. "Harumph," The old woman gave a cold snort. She can tell that her son probably knows the news. "Don''t hide it from me." "What is the identity of those people?" She asked, looking at her son. The old man recovered his bearings. But he was afraid to tell the news. He fears that his mother''s health could worsen further after hearing the news. But seeing the cold gaze of her mother. He started to speak. "Mother, I already found out their identities. They are from the Saw Scale Viper Academy." "If my guess is right, they are here for a mission. But don''t know why? These rogue warriors are targeting them." Hearing that old women understood something. Someone using their bedrock city for their plans. "Go with our warriors to support them," She ordered. The middle-aged man nodded his head before leaving. He was surprised by his mother''s calmness. He still underestimated her decision-making. Similar scenes are taking place in other places. The other seat of elders also sent their warriors in support. After knowing that the warriors of Saw Scale Viper Academy are under attack. They don''t dare to delay it anymore. If anything happens to them, then the whole city will be in danger. Chapter 532 Help Arrived ? Giant Tower: The Headmaster and the intelligence department elder are waiting for the good news. Both of them are watching the conflict in holographic projection with great interest. The headmaster''s mouth curved into an arc. They had paid enough price to make this happen. To kill Zack Lockwood. Many of their spies stationed in the Viper City are sacrificed. It was not easy to develop a spy network silently under the nose of the Saw Scale Viper Academy. It had taken them a decade-long work. But it was all over because they failed to execute the plan. Seeing that lightning brat being pushed backward. His eyes gleamed with a twinkle. It will be a matter of time before he ends up dead. At the same time, the old man next to him was confused. Everyone knows that Zack Lockwood is a lightning elemental warrior. But in the projection, he saw no lightning attacks. He turned to the headmaster and asked, "Head, what happened to that brat''s lightning element?" "Ha...Ha...Ha...," The headmaster let out a small laugh. He understood the old man''s question. Looking at the projection, he said, "You don''t know it. But these days this kid is searching for lightning-blessed land. So his progress is getting slower." The intelligence department elder nodded his head in understanding. It''s difficult to fight without using essence. This means that the lightning brat was pushed to a dead road from the beginning. He didn''t ask the headmaster where learned this news. Because a couple of minutes ago. He heard a shocking name in his mouth. The name is enough to send a cold shiver down everyone''s spine. So he shut his mouth and continued to watch the projection. The headmaster didn''t mind the old man''s change in expression. The old man is clever enough to not offend him. Already different voices are rising in the academy. Especially the sacrifice of spies caused a lot of dissatisfaction among elders. Even the old ancestors in retreat began to question him. But somehow he made them suppressed with his words. But he knows words'' effect won''t last long. Only action can make them silent. So the Giant Tower Headmaster watched the projection with hope. .... Special Faction Head Office: Carlos Kent is the same projection with a solemn expression on his face. He sent the faction members to their death. But he didn''t show any hint of pity in his eyes. He just wants the operation over. Whether their death will lead to an investigation or not. He didn''t even think about it. Carlos arranged some backup plans. If things go south, he will leave the academy. Right now, all he cares about is the breakthrough. Because it''s difficult to come across breakthrough treasure for Special Element Warriors. When it comes to him it''s even more difficult. There are not many 7th-grade treasures available in this region. Even if there is treasure they are locked in the treasury of the academy. That''s why when the Giant Tower Headmaster made a request. He agreed to help him. ... From MC''s Respective: Pfff! I coughed up blood. The sudden appearance of the fireball caught me off guard. The rogue warriors are making sneak attacks right now. Seeing me down, the burly man swung his ax again. "Brother, wait for me," Ernest shouted. But he was blocked by four other rogue warriors. The constant consumption of the essence made him slower. The continuous fighting is also wearing him down. The situation in Laverne is also not good either. She was on the verge of consuming the last bit of essence. Any longer in the fight will lead to her death. She began to pay the price of rapid consumption. Meanwhile, I mobilized the blood power in my bones. But instead of releasing. I transfer the power through the sword. A hint of red color glittering can be seen over a black blade. When the black sword collides with the ax. This time the change happens. Clang~ The giant ax starts to tremble. The burly figure felt the impact in his arms. Like hitting an iron plate. The collision force hurts his arms. Argh~ The burly figure let out a small grunt before retreating backward. He looked at me with an astonishing gaze. "What are you?" His words reached my ears. But I got black lines on my forehead. This guy meant what I''m practicing. I didn''t answer him. I''m glad that I found a new way to use the blood power. Using the blood power in the sword blade. I can easily cause more damage. "Help me!" Laverne''s loud shrill jolts me awake. Then I saw a sword blade piercing through my right arm. "You dare!" My eyes grew cold. The next second, I dashed toward her opponent. The person attacking her was a rogue warrior in his fifties. These types of people are fishing in muddy waters. I hate them to the core. My sudden shout alarmed him. He immediately let go of Laverne and turned towards me. Seeing that I brought my black sword to attack. Using the blood power again, I made a vertical slash. The rogue warrior brought his sword to attack me. Seeing that I heavily brought down the sword. When the black blade comes into contact with the opponent''s sword. It easily shattered into pieces. Crack~ Seeing the broken sword, the opponent''s face changes drastically. "No!" He shouted in fear. But I didn''t slow down my sword. The sword tore through the opponent''s defense and pierced his chest. Pfff~ Blood splattered on the ground. The enemy staggered because of a chest injury. I didn''t give him a chance. I targeted the opponent''s neck. I swung the sword again. The blade made a clean cut. The head rolled over the ground. Tud! And the enemy''s lifeless body dropped dead on the ground. This all happened in a blink of an eye. The rogue warriors were shocked by witnessing such a quick kill. Ignoring their gazes, I turned to Laverne. Seeing her on the ground, I hurriedly took healing pills from the storage ring and rushed to her. Fortunately, she has a trace of clarity. After getting the pills from me. She swallowed and sat cross-legged to refine the healing energy. Seeing that I held the black sword tightly. If anyone wants to attack her, they need to first get past me. At the same time, I saw Ernest''s situation. He is not good either. A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. Do I have to expose my body strength? A question appeared in my heart. Everything that is happening is beyond my imagination. I saw many other rogue warriors starting to come. When I thought it was over. A loud shout made me surprised. "Kill all the rogue warriors. Don''t let anyone escape." When I turned toward the source of the voice. I saw a middle-aged man leading a team of warriors toward me. At the same time, the expression of the rogue warriors changes drastically. Apart from the heavyweight, the small fishes start to flee. But they didn''t know that other elders also took action. They already gave orders to block the exit. The patrol guards are gathered in front of the exit gate to arrest the rogue warriors. "Young brother, don''t worry. We came to support you," The middle-aged man said to me. But my gaze was set on the family crest. Seeing the same family crest on the rest of the warriors. I understood that they are a local force. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. "Guard her," I replied. The middle-aged man saw Laverne being focused on healing. Seeing that he nodded his head at me. The next moment, I dashed toward Ernest''s side to help. The middle-aged man ordered the warriors to attack the rogue warriors hiding in the inn. Similar scenes are taking place on four sides of the city. It took some time for local forces to gather information. After knowing the identity of the victims, they immediately dispatched their warriors to help. This sudden turn of events caught the rogue warriors off guard. Especially the powerful rogue warriors who wanted to accomplish the task remained silent. But still, some desperate warriors are looking for a chance. As long as the elders personally won''t make a move. They have a chance. By that time, I arrived to help Ernest. I swung my sword against rogue warriors who were besieging Ernest. Pfff! My sword cut the arm of a rogue warrior. Blood splattered on the ground. Without giving him a chance to breathe, I slit his throat. Cut~ Blood sprayed on the ground. The warrior touches his neck in disbelief. Before he could speak he lost his life. Tud~ The lifeless body dropped dead on the ground. My arrival gave Ernest time to breathe. The others who were besieging him retreated backward. Seeing that I didn''t chase them. Rather I supported Ernest and we walked towards Laverne''s side. "Do you have healing pills?" Ernest asked. He saw Laverne''s condition. Her complexion is improving slowly. Then I gave him a few healing pills. Before coming here, I already made enough preparations. But I never expected to use healing pills sooner. Chapter 533 Interrogation ? From MC''s perspective: With the help of local forces, the rogue warriors were captured. Seeing that I couldn''t wait to interrogate them. But before that, Ernest and Laverne have to recover. They suffered a lot more than me. After some time, Laverne opened her eyes after recovering somewhat. To recover fully, she has to get back to the academy. Shortly after, Ernest showed a better complexion after consuming those pills. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. At the same time, more than 30 rogue warriors are gathered in the square. They were all captured and waiting for the punishment. Suddenly, the boss of one of the local forces approached. He was the same one who gave timely help. After recognizing him, I ease down my eyebrows. "Young warrior, what should we do next?" The middle-aged man asked. He was none other than the current owner of the blue leaf inn. Hearing his words, my eyes grew cold. "Interrogate everyone. I want to know everything," I answered. "Alright, we will find out the reason for their attack," After saying that the blue leaf boss left the place. But all the 30 rogue warriors shuddered in fear. Seeing that I shook my head before turning towards my team members. At this time, both Ernest and Laverne stood up from the ground. "What should we do next?" I asked. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. Ernest said, "We should go back right now. There is a lot of unrest right now. Nobody knows what will happen next?" "Yes, even the local forces are clueless. It''s better to leave before something big happens," Laverne added further. But my gaze was set on the square. Looking at the rogue warriors, they don''t seem to be the accomplice of the mission target. It''s impossible for so many rogue warriors because of one person. So their actions are completely different. Someone is behind them. After gaining some clarity, I decided to leave after getting the information. "Senior brother" "Senior sister" "You guys should go back. I will return later," I said to them. "What?" "Are you nuts?" "You don''t even have an essence. How are you going to fight?" Laverne scolded. Ernest frowned as well. He asked, "What are you going to do?" Hearing that I told them about the interrogation. Ernest said, ''It''s just interrogation. It won''t take much time. We can leave after 2 hours. In the meantime, I''ll try to recover my essence.'' Laverne agreed with his suggestion. And I don''t have any problem as well. One hour later, Inside the blue leaf inn''s private room. Three of us sitting together. Before us, the blue leaf inn owner brought us the information. "Young warriors, we didn''t fail you," After saying that the middle-aged sent us audio and video clippings of different rogue warriors'' confessions. I immediately listened to the audio. Ernest and Laverne perked up their ears as well. I didn''t mind the presence of the middle-aged man. He must have heard it during the interrogation. 10 minutes later, Ernest and Laverne turned their gazes toward me. Including the middle-aged man. "Brother, who is targeting you?" Ernest asked. A worry can be seen on his face. Because what they just heard is not small news. The rogue warriors accepted a killing task. And their target is Zack Lockwood. But the identity of the task issuer is unknown. It can''t be traced back. Because the reward for accomplishing the task was so generous. The rogue warriors couldn''t help but be tempted. Because the rewards included several high-grade pills and mid-grade artifacts. Which is something that can be bought with money. But the rogue warriors didn''t have such wealth. So they used the lifetime opportunity to try to complete the task. But because of the local forces'' thundering response. The rogue warriors'' plan was spoiled in time. Meanwhile, I remained silent to Ernest''s question. But my heart was not calm. This was the 3rd time outside of the academy that someone plotted against me. Ernest and Laverne both of them didn''t realize that the current situation has a lot to do with Carlos Kent''s mission. He had purposely sent us here. And right after, we faced a mob attack. A cold shiver went down my spine. We were lucky. Most of the rogue warriors are at the Super Elite Stage. So I was able to stop them by using my body strength. Ernest and Laverne did better as well. As they are also Super Elite Warriors. But I can''t imagine what will happen. If SS-Elite rogue warriors made an entrance. I dare not to imagine any resistance. "Zack?" "Are you lost in thoughts again?" Laverne''s words brought me back to reality. I looked at three of them before saying, "We should leave." Laverne let out a deep sigh. She felt the news must have given a huge shock to Zack. She also thinks it''s good to leave. Ernest didn''t say anything. He already formed some assumptions in his heart. It''s normal for genius warriors from the academy to get targeted. He felt someone didn''t like the existence of the lightning warrior. So they used their fortunes to put a target over Zack''s head. "Ahem, young warrior?" The blue lead boss said. He also heard the recorded voice. His back was already drenched in sweat. He now knows that someone wanted to use their bedrock city as their stage to complete their mission. Fortunately, nothing happened to the young warrior. At the same time, I stood up from the seat and looked at the blue lead boss. "Thank you for your help. If you need anything, you can contact me. I''ll also request the dean to reward you and other helpers," After saying that, I shared my contact information with him. The blue lead boss was ecstatic. A bright smile appeared on his face. He knows the identity of the young warrior. A rare special element user. A lightning elemental warrior. They have read it only in books before. But now helping and getting contact information from such a person. He felt glad. And his mother won''t scold him anymore. Not only that he can gain huge respect comparable to the seat of elders. At the same time, I watched the middle-aged man mutter to himself. "Cough" I coughed to bring back his attention. "Young warrior," The blue lead boss embarrassingly said. "We are leaving," After saying that, I walked to the exit. Laverne and Ernest followed behind. The blue leaf boss stood in the same place in a daze. He still has not recovered from the shock. A few minutes later, The aircraft from the academy lands on the platform. Three of us boarded the aircraft without much talk. The aircraft takes off a few seconds later. The journey will take time. So three of us entered our separate rooms to rest. Meanwhile, the guardians hiding in the shadows saw everything. Unlike Ernest and Laverne, they already guessed who was behind Zack''s bounty. The Giant Tower had made such a rich offer before. Because of that Sharp daggers force fell. Their greed led to their disaster. Now again the group of rogue warriors lost their lives because of greed. But the guardians are surprised by the Giant Tower''s action this time. After the Viper City''s spies and the sharp daggers incident. Both the guardians expected the Giant tower to stay low. Because their plot was exposed. A lot of evidence is available against them. It will be a matter of time before the dean takes action against them. They thought she would do something during the year-end conference. But the Giant Tower didn''t give up its target. A seriousness appears on both the guardians'' faces. The Giant Tower seems to not give up. They are serious about killing Zack Lockwood. And the current incident can tell their intent. Both are aware only the dean can do something about it. ... Saw Scale Viper Academy: Dean Rebecca saw everything in holographic projection. Because of the guardians'' presence, she was not worried about their safety. But she appreciated Zack, Ernest, and Laverne''s courage. Three of them faced the mob attack head-on. When she saw Zack getting injured. Her heart skipped a beat. But somehow Zack Lockwood managed to hold on. In the process, he was able to kill a few rogue warriors by relying on his physique. She knew Zack''s physique was abnormal. But this time Zack''s body strength opened her eyes. She knows that rogue warriors are at the Super Elite Stage. That''s why Zack''s strength brought her quite a shock. But she won''t ask him about his secrets. For Zack''s insane performance, she thought his teacher was the reason. Talking about the teacher, her expression grew cold. "Carlos Kent?" She muttered to herself. Swoosh~ The next second, she disappears from the spot and appears in Carlos Kent''s office. With her appearance, powerful physical coercion was released from her body. Carlos Kent was caught off guard. The powerful coercion made him bend his knees. "Dean?" "What are you doing?" He uttered in fear. The pressure destroyed the room by sweeping away the items, gadgets, and files. Such a sudden movement caused alarm in the building. Chapter 534 Humiliation ? Saw Scale Viper Academy: Dean Rebecca increases her physical coercion. Boom~ The room blasted into pieces. Carlos Kent flew backward like a broken kite before smashing into the rooms. She didn''t even use her attack. But the coercion was enough to blast him into pieces. Which shows the horror of the SSS-Elite Warrior. Swoosh~ Alarmed by the disturbance people started to appear. Especially the faction heads. Everyone has their cabin here so they knew instantly. But when they appeared on the scene, They were almost petrified on the spot. "Who is causing the disturbance?"Franklin Madden asked. He is head of the Flame Faction. Not only that he is also the Vice-dean of the academy. The Metal Faction Head Marcus Lin stood silently without making any comments. Because when he appeared, he felt a terrifying presence. A beautiful woman in a white dress was also looking at the scene with curiosity. She is head of the RainWater Faction. A burly figure watching the scene with interest. He is head of the Earth Faction. A slender-looking middle-aged man stood silently. He is the head of the Gale Faction. All the faction heads appeared at the scene. When the smoke disappears. Dean Rebecca''s presence became clear. Seeing her Franklin was dumbfounded. Right next to him, Marcus revealed a bitter smile on his face. He guessed it right. The terrifying power came from the dean herself. But he doesn''t know who is getting attacked. Not only he, but other faction heads were also surprised as well. "Dean, why are you attacking me?" A loud voice reached everyone''s ears from the next room. From the rubble, a person stood up. But when everyone saw his face. They were shocked to the core. "Special Faction Head?" Franklin uttered in shock. "Carlos?" A disbelief appeared on Marucs'' face. Why is he getting attacked? Everyone couldn''t help but turn towards the dean. Carlos Kent saw the appearance of another faction head. When he saw his tattered clothes. A wave of humiliation hit him. The other three Faction Heads looked surprised as well. No one knows what is going on. After hearing Carlos''s words, everyone is waiting for Dean''s response. Rebecca''s eyes grew cold. Looking at Carlos, she gave a cold snort, "Harumph" At this moment she doesn''t have any evidence connecting his crime. If she makes things difficult now, the supreme elder will be dissatisfied. Because Carlos Kent was part of the academy for so long. It won''t be nice to move against him without any evidence. After figuring it out, she said in a cold voice, "This is a slight punishment for your carelessness. If the same thing happens next time, I''ll ask the supreme elder to take action." Swoosh~ After saying that she disappeared from the spot. Carlos Kent''s face turned ugly. He knew what this was about. "She must have known about my orders," He said to himself. He sent Zack and his friends to BedRock City. If anything happens to them, the academy won''t let him off. But he sneered inside. He was prepared to face anything. Including her wrath. He had even prepared a backup plan long ago. But now everything becomes a waste. Zack Lockwood and his friends are safe now. He didn''t know Giant Tower''s reaction at this time. "Ho...Ho...Ho..." "What happened to you?" "We thought Special Faction was the favorite of the academy." "But looks it''s not anymore," Franklin Madden said with a smile. Franklin Madden always had an impression that Dean was biased. But now looking at the scene. He is feeling good. "You are having your day as well," The burly man said in a mocking tone. Not only him, but other faction heads are also gloating as well. The beautiful woman asked, "What did you do?" She recalled Dean''s words. She was pissed off by something. And it has something to do with him. Not every day you can see the dean lose her temper like this. Her words brought attention back to the topic. "That''s right, what caused her to explode like this?" Marcus Lin asked. Franklin Madden was curious as well. The Gale Faction head also showed some expression on his face. Facing everyone Carlos clenched his fists in anger. But he can''t tell them the truth. He didn''t expect the Giant Tower''s plan to fail. Zack survived the attack of several Super Elite Rogue Warriors. This record itself is abnormal. Alas! He doesn''t know when the next opportunity will come. Until he has to act low-key. Then ignoring everyone he disappeared from the place. "Arrogant," The burly figure uttered. "You can be arrogant as well. When you broke through," The beautiful woman said. Hearing that everyone remained quiet. They know Carlos is stronger than everyone. If he intends to fight then they will lose miserably. "Alright, don''t make things difficult for him. We will know soon," Franklin Madden persuaded. Hearing that everyone left the spot one by one. Meanwhile, Rebecca is sitting back in her seat. At the same time, she received updates from the guardians. Hearing that no one suffered any injury. She sighed in relief. She again felt that it was the right decision to assign a guardian for Zack. If not she would have remained clueless. Not only she can protect Zack''s life in this way. She can get intel information from the guardians directly. Their timely intel helped her to handle the spies hiding in Viper City. Now again she came to know that the Special Faction Head''s activities are not right. She doesn''t know why he sent them to bedrock city for a mission. But it turns out a massive trap was already laid out for them. So many rogue warriors appeared and attacked the trio. Three of them escaped death because they are not average warriors. She saw Laverne''s ice element and Ernest'' Soil element play a crucial role during their fight. Their opponent was overwhelmed by their element. Whereas Zack, his abnormal strength saved him again. She knows Zack''s body strength played a crucial role in the gathering incident as well. She couldn''t help but think Zack is physically talented as well. "What a monster?" She sighed to herself. No wonder he was taken as a student by the Inner Post''s Power House at this young age. Thinking about Inner Post, a look of longing appeared in her eyes. But it''s a pity she doesn''t have the qualifications to step into that place. One hour later, She received the updates from the guardians again. At first, she thought it was about their return. But when she heard it fully. A wave of physical coercion was released from her body. "Giant Tower?" She uttered in anger. No need to tell. Who can release a bounty for Zack''s head? It''s none other than the Giant Tower. She thought they would remain silent after the gathering incident. But no? They don''t seem to learn their lesson. She planned to wait until the year-end gathering to tarnish their reputation. But now she understands it''s necessary to make them bleed before they understand our stance. Zack Lockwood is different from other students. No one is ready to face the consequences if anything happens to him. The Giant Tower Academy is not only looking for death but they are also dragging her academy with him. "No, something is not right?" "They know Zack is a lightning warrior. Special Element Warriors are bound to enter the Inner Post one day or another.'' "Then why does the Giant Tower want to kill him?" Rebecca said to herself. Because it doesn''t look like a rivalry between the Academy. Where they kill young geniuses before they grow up to pose a threat. If it''s then it doesn''t require such a scheme to lure Zack out of the academy. She also saw a gathering incident. Giant Tower lost decades-long investment in spies. She thought they had learned the lesson. But no? From guardians'' intel, the rogue warriors are offered expensive rewards. They are even ready to give mid-grade artifacts. Rebecca feels it more looks like a personal grudge. But she knows Zack doesn''t know anyone before joining the academy. So where does this enmity come from? Then suddenly something struck her mind. "Army Federation?" She stood up in shock. She almost forgot about this. The Giant Tower also has a presence in the Inner Post. As far she knows they have been at odds with the Army Federation. If this is about the Inner Post Giant Tower, then the attack on Zack won''t stop. Even if she tries to meddle in. What to do? She decides to talk to the Supreme Elder about this. ... Giant Tower: "No," The Giant Tower Headmaster yelled in anger. A powerful pressure was released from his body. The intelligence department elder turned pale with bright. He took the direct brunt. Pfff~ Coughing up blood, the elder collapsed on the ground. Boom~ The conference table and chairs were turned to debris. The pressure immediately swept away the meeting room. The Giant Tower Headmaster lost his mind for a moment. His plan failed again. He couldn''t even believe his own eyes. So many rogue warriors attacked. But the lightning warrior remained unscathed in the end. Chapter 535 Taking Rest ? The Giant Tower Academy was alarmed. They don''t know what happened. But all the powerhouses appeared in the meeting room. Seeing the expression of the Giant Tower Headmaster. Expression of everyone turned pale with fright. What happened? The Headmaster looked hideous. After feeling the presence of everyone, he regained his trace of sanity. The BedRock City Plan''s failure caused a huge blow to him. But he decided to ponder this later. Now that everyone''s here. He needs to hide this matter. Then he saw the intelligence department elder collapse on the ground. His eyes grew cold. Because this elder heard the name, Carlos. If it spreads outside, it''s not good for him and his plans. "Come here, take this piece of sh!t out. He dares to attack me. Abolish his base and lock him up in the prison, " He shouted at nearby elders. Gasp~ Some of the elders exclaimed, especially those who have a good connection with the intelligence department elders. They feel something wrong. But the Headmaster''s appearance made them afraid. So none of them dare to step forward. They can only watch the elder being dragged away by someone. "Harumph, "The Headmaster gave a cold snort. He knows the thoughts of these people. Since the evidence is eliminated. He is not afraid anymore. After taking a glance at everyone, he turned to walk towards his room. This may look like a small episode. But the rest of the elders knew the headmaster was hiding something. One of them was more curious. He is none other than the red elder. "What is he doing?" He said to himself. He can see that the headmaster is not himself these days. There are a lot of dissatisfied voices increasing in the academy. The gathering incident mishap bled their foundation heavily. From that incident, the state of the headmaster is not right. Is it related to that lightning kid? The red elder couldn''t help but click his tongue. If it''s true then he certainly wants to hear about his death. ... Meanwhile, Carlos Kent was in his house. Surprisingly, his house is located in Viper City. He didn''t expect to come back to this place. Because he usually spends time in seclusion back in the Academy. But now he doesn''t dare. He doesn''t know what the wicked women do later. It''s best to operate from here until things settle down. He feels glad that he doesn''t leave behind any evidence. If she had evidence, things would have taken a different turn. He is even half-step SSS Elite Water. He is nothing but an ant in front of the supreme elder. Thinking about his existence he broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the Giant Tower didn''t ask him to do anything excessively. Sending the target for a mission outside was the big help he could do to them. But shortly after he was contacted by someone. He was a familiar person. Carlos Kent''s expression turned ugly. His heart was boiling in anger. Because the Giant Tower failed again to kill the target. And the bedrock city was the perfect opportunity. Now they have missed it again. Carlos feels dissatisfied because as long as they fail they won''t give him any resources. And he would be working for free. But after calming down his heart. He decided to attend. When the connection is established. "Carlos?" A dull voice reached his ears. "Headmaster, what happened?"Carlos Kent asked, despite knowing the result. Because he doesn''t know the mood of the headmaster. There was a long silence after his question. But don''t know why? Carlos feels bad. "Carlos, don''t you want to break through?" a sudden question awakened him awake. "What do you mean by this headmaster? You promised me earlier," Carlos asked back in a dissatisfied tone. His voice cracked. Which is enough to show his suppressed anger. The Giant Tower Academy used him. But he agreed to them because of their resources. Now he doesn''t know what''s wrong with the other party. He is backtracking all of a sudden. "Carlos, can you kill Zack Lockwood yourself?" The Giant Tower Headmaster asked. But his words fell like thunderclaps in his ears. "Are you mad?" ''Do you think I will sacrifice my life for resources?'' "Forget about insane women. There is still a supreme elder above her. All she needs to wave her hand to kill me," Carlos Kent fiercely retorted. He thinks something is wrong with the Headmaster. He just escaped from that woman. If he goes back and kills that brat, then she won''t need any evidence to judge me. Before coming here, she warned me. "I know what you are worried about?" "But if you kill Zack Lockwood, not only we will give breakthrough resources. We are also ready to give resources for small stages," The Giant Tower Headmaster. Silence~ Carlos Kent''s heart set off storms. His heart is beating faster. "He lost his mind?" He said in his heart. But his mouth curved into an arc a few seconds later. "I will kill that brat Zack. But you have to give me resources for a breakthrough forest," Carlos replied. He already worked for them for free. And it''s not his fault for their failure. And this time he won''t take big steps without resources in his hands. "No way!" The headmaster said. But a hint of anger can be seen in his tone. Carlos Kent smiled. He said, "Then I won''t move. And Let me tell you one thing, the dean of our academy has already become alerted." "She won''t send that brat outside without assigning any guardians. If she does then your academy can''t take action." "Unless you are ready to pay a bigger price," Carlos Kent added further. He is not bluffing. He knows that the academy will take steps to provide protection. He remembered. The dean was extra protective over Zack. So she will arrange guardians next time. There was no response from the other end of the call. But Carlos knows the headmaster might be considering his options. "Okay, the resources will reach you within a few days," After saying that the Giant Headmaster ended his call. "Ha...Ha....Ha...," He laughed out loud. He didn''t expect things to go in his favor. Next, he needs to plan clearly. How to kill that kid without alerting the supreme elder? Because he was not afraid of the dean. Once he breakthroughs, he will be at her level. She won''t be able to pose a threat to him. ... From MC''s perspective: The aircraft enters the academy silently. When the aircraft landed on the ground. Three of us stepped out one by one. None of our faces are looking good. The tiredness is still there. Then we parted ways from here. A few minutes later, I entered my dorm room. But the wave of tiredness hit me. Then I lay down on my bed to take a rest. The following day, I woke up earlier. After completing my morning routine, I simply sat down on the sofa. I''m not in the mood to practice. Yesterday''s events are still lingering in my mind. Last day itself, I wanted to meet her. Because of the tiredness, I spent the rest of the day resting. But I believe most of the exhaustion was related to mental. After calming down my heart, I decided to look into some news. A few hours later, I went to the dining hall to have breakfast. Ernest and Laverne are waiting for me at the entrance. "Are you guys alright?" I asked. The complexion of both looked good. They seemed to have recovered fully after yesterday''s event. "We both are fine. What about you?" Ernest asked. "I took a good rest last night," I replied to them. Then we walked back to the dining hall. When we walked to receive the food plate. We overheard the conversation. Everyone is talking about the bedrock city. Hearing that my eyes flickered slightly. I wonder whether the identity of us leaked or not. After receiving the food plate, we sat down in a nearby seat. While we were eating, Ernest opened the topic. "Zack, do you know something?" He asked. "What?" I asked back. Laverne seems to know something as well. "You won''t believe it. Our faction head was thrashed by our dean," Ernest said. Disbelief appeared on my face. "How?" I asked. Then Ernest slowly explained what he had heard from others. After a few minutes, my mouth curved into an arc. The dean is not partial at all. I thought it was difficult to convince her. But looks like she must have caught something. "Do you think it''s because of our mission yesterday?" Laverne asked. I nodded my head and added, "It''s probably true. Unless there is no reason for her to act in this way." "The Special Faction Head is hiding something," I uttered in a low voice. Laverne unconsciously released her ice element. Seeing that we immediately alerted her. "Oops, sorry." "But I don''t like our faction head. He doesn''t seem to care about us at all," Laverne said. I sighed inwardly. Even she can see through this. The dean must know something. Chapter 536 Part 1: Carlos Kent(Breakthrough) ? From MC''s perspective: The atmosphere became quiet after Laverne''s words. They are having trouble trusting the faction head. Shaking my head, I continued to eat the food. Ernest and Laverne seem to understand the change in mood as well. So they have decided to not talk about this matter. After having breakfast, we walked out of the dining hall. Ernest turned toward me. He asked, "Are you going to talk to the dean?" Laverne blinked her big eyes. It was not a surprise anymore. Everyone knows that I''m privileged in the academy. Because I''m not attending the classes at all. If I had one of the five elements. Then I have no problem attending the class. But no one can teach me here. I looked at them and replied, "I''m going to see her now. Let''s see whether she is going to take action or not." Hearing my words both of their worries eases down a little. "She won''t believe it," Laverne added. Ernest quickly said, "Okay, let''s not discuss this now. We should focus on improving our strength." Then we talked about a few more things before parting ways. I head straight toward the dean''s office. But after a few minutes, I got there. I was stopped by the staff. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Because this was new to me. "Stop? Don''t go further," The staff said. "Why? I came here to meet the dean," I replied. Hearing that the staff face changes drastically. Yesterday''s event was vivid in everyone''s mind. "Alright, you can enter," The staff answered after taking a look at me. He recognized who I was. Then I walked into the room. But the next moment I was greeted by something unexpected. The structures seem to be destroyed. Then a sudden realization dawned on me. Dean Rebecca seems to have fought with Carlos. These were just the aftermath of it. After knowing that I walked to her cabin. Creak~ But when I walked near her room. The door opened automatically. Seeing that I stepped inside. Dean Rebecca is sitting behind her desk. "Dean?" I said. "You are here. Sit down," Rebecca replied. Then I sat on the opposite seat to her. For a moment there was silence. I don''t know how to bring up this topic. Rebecca saw through Zack''s thoughts. When she went to the supreme elder to complain. The Supreme elder didn''t believe her words at all. The supreme elder thought it might have been a coincidence. Carlos Kent has a good track record in the academy. So it''s difficult to move against him without any concrete evidence. After a few minutes, she broke the ice. "I know what happened?" Rebecca said without blinking her eyes. Hearing the dean''s sudden words my heart set off storms. "Dean, what happened to him?" I asked. Because I couldn''t find any reason for Carlos Kent to hurt us. From Ernest and Laverne, I heard that he was fine before the seclusion. He is showing sudden changes after knowing me. I remembered the first meeting with Carlos Kent in the Special Faction Common Room. That was not good at all. Rebecca collected her thoughts. She doesn''t want to scare Zack. She also fears that Zack would inform his teacher. Then things would be troublesome. The Supreme Elder also warned her about this. No need to create unnecessary panic. So without having evidence in her hands. She doesn''t want to tell Zack everything. She decided to lie now. "Zack, don''t worry. It seems to be a coincidence. Carlos Kent doesn''t have any bad intentions," She lied. But in her heart she was uncomfortable. She hoped that her instincts were wrong. If Carlos Kent turned out to be the culprit, then it would be a big disaster in the future. "What? No bad intentions." A hint of disappointment flashes in my eyes. From day one, I felt no good from him. For a moment, I don''t know how to reply. Laverne''s words came to mind. She was right. Dean won''t believe my words without evidence. "Zack, are you alright?" She asked. "Uh?" Her words brought me back to reality. "It''s okay Dean. I''m leaving now," After saying that I exited the room. Rebecca showed complex emotions. She is considering the big picture. And she can''t act without the Supreme Elder''s order. Especially when Zack Lockwood is involved in this. She should be extra cautious. After walking out of the building, I looked down. I thought I could convince her. But a bitter smile appeared on my face. A few minutes later, I came back to my room. When I lay down on my bed. A sudden call brought me a huge relief. The person is none other than Jonathan. "What a pleasant surprise?" I asked myself. How long has it been? After my message, he made up his mind to call me in the end. Then sat up and attended the call. "Jonathan?" I asked. "Young master Zack, how have you been?" A deep voice sounded from the other end of the call. No doubt the voice belongs to Jonathan. "I''m in trouble right now, "I replied. "What happened?" He asked. Hearing that I started to speak. Starting from the Sharp Daggers incident to the gathering incident. And finally, I told you about the bedrock city incident. After a few minutes, I stopped. Why do I feel? Everything was connected after explaining it to him. "What is his name? Carlos Kent right?" "Don''t worry, I''ll find everything," Jonathan assured me. After hearing his words, I felt a huge weight being lifted off my shoulder. Then we talked about other things including my resources problem. I requested him to bring the lightning resources with him. Then I ended the call a few minutes later. ... Days passed, Carlos Kent is living in his home. He is waiting for the resources to appear. Once he receives the breakthrough resources, he will prepare for the next course of action. Apart from waiting, he is also keeping an eye on the Academy. He feared the Supreme Elder would ask him to appear. But fortunately, none of that happened. Which shows that nobody suspected him after that incident. When the image of Zack comes to mind. His mouth curved into an arc. If not for Zack, he would not have gotten the opportunity. Now he decides to wait. Several minutes later, Someone knocked on his door. Hearing that, Carlos went outside to see. In his front year, someone with a disguised look appeared. Seeing that his eyes gleamed with a twinkle. He immediately recognized the person. He must be the spy of the Giant Tower. His eyes lit up with surprise. He thought that the dean had uprooted everyone. Looks like there are still some pests hiding in the city. But he doesn''t care about that at all. Carlos then stretched his hand. And the person standing in front of him placed the storage ring on his palm. The next moment, he disappeared from the spot. Carlos ignored him and set his gaze on the ring. His eyes shone with bright light. The opportunity arrives. The next moment, he hurriedly went back to his training room. Unlike the one in the academy. His training room is quite spacious. Specifically built for his training. When he entered the room, He immediately began to set up the formations. The formation would prevent anyone from knowing his breakthrough. He began to pile up the resources in front of him. There are many types of resources including expensive herbs, pills, and natural treasures. If anyone saw these treasures, they would be shocked to the core. Carlos Kent grinned ear to ear. He had collected several resources in the past few years. But none of them are close to the treasures in front of him. Because these resources are rare and high-grade. Most importantly they were taken from the Giant Tower. He was even surprised by the determination of the Giant Tower. He doesn''t know whether the Giant Tower headmaster made the decision himself or not. But anyway it became cheaper for him. When all the resources are placed. He began to prepare himself for the breakthrough. He just has to take another half step to reach the SSS-Elite Stage. But that was not easy. Any small mistake would cause damage to his foundation. So he decided to attempt a breakthrough during his peak stage. So he turned off the sci-fi watch and other modes of communication. So that no one can disturb him during the breakthrough. After arranging everything, he decided to mentally prepare. Time passed, Carlos Kent sat cross-legged on the floor. Then he began to swallow the main resources one by one for the breakthrough. The rest of them can be consumed later to stabilize the base. When he swallowed the last resources. Massive energy is gathered inside the body. He then began to attack the barrier. The barrier remains unscathed during the first attempt. Then he began to gather energy again to attack the barrier. When the attack collided with the barrier. Several cracks began to appear. After a few seconds, the barrier was gone completely. Carlos successfully cleared the barrier to becoming SSS-Elite Soil Elemental Warrior. Chapter 537 Part 2: Carlos Kent(Breakthrough) ? Time passed, After stabilizing the base, he opened his eyes. Feeling the new profound strength running through his body. "Ha...Ha....Ha....," Carlos Kent burst into laughter. "My long cherished wish has come true," He grinned ear to ear. For a moment, he couldn''t believe his eyes. The soil essence in his dantian was in a semi- semi-liquid state. But the power was enough to explode many half-step SSS Elite warriors. "No wonder that bitch was so [email protected]," Carlos commented. He is referring to the dean. He was suppressed under her administration. And he can''t forget the humiliation that he had suffered from the other day. His heart wants to settle the account. But the supreme elder''s presence is enough to make his dream a pipe dream. Unless Rebecca herself walks out of the academy. Which is not going to happen. She is the dean. She is responsible for protecting the academy. But he set his eyes on the next target. He can''t target the dean for the time being. But he can kill the lightning brat. "Zack Lockwood," He mumbled under his breath. He had promised the Giant Tower. He can''t walk away from it. Otherwise, if the matter is exposed , not only will he become an enemy of the Saw Scale Viper Academy. But he will also become an enemy of the Giant Tower Academy. Then he stood up and removed the formation. Nobody would have thought someone like him was living in the city. When he exited the room. He immediately turned on his communication devices. Right after, he was greeted by many notifications. Unsurprisingly, all of them are from the Headmaster of the Giant Tower Academy. A quick glint flashes in his eyes. He then contacted the headmaster. When the call was connected. He shared the good news. "Good" "Good" He uttered twice. "Now you can kill that lightning brat," The Headmaster added further. Carlos Kent''s mouth curved into an arc. "Well, consider that brat is dead now onwards. But I''m curious about one thing. Can you tell me?" Carlos asked. "What?" The headmaster replied. "Why is the Giant Tower obsessed with killing that kid?" "No, I should change the question." "Why do you want that kid dead so badly?" Carlos asked. On the other end of the call. The Giant Tower Headmaster stopped talking. There was silence for a moment. "You are being overly smart. But that''s not good for you. We gave you the resources for the breakthrough. Now it''s time for you to uphold the deal," The Giant Tower Headmaster said. But his expression was unsightly. He didn''t expect Carlos to see through his intentions. At the same time, Carlos Kent smiled in response. He is now somewhat sure that the Headmaster is acting in personal interest. It''s nothing to do with the Giant Tower Academy at all. But he was curious about what made him do that? Then shaking his head, he decided to ask him later. "Okay, I will kill that kid for sure," Carlos assured him. After ending the call, he began to do other work. Meanwhile, The Giant Tower Headmaster walked back to his room. There is a secret compartment laid with formation. Which would prevent any prying eyes. After entering the compartment, he immediately contacted the middle man and updated him with the details. He is sending information on Zack Lockwood''s current status. After sending the information, he exited the room. As Carlos rightly guessed, there is indeed something wrong with the Headmaster''s behavior. The Giant Tower Headmaster''s eyes grew cold. He never expected Carlos to catch on to something. Unknowingly, Carlos has dug himself a grave. If Carlos had started silent, he wouldn''t have thought about silencing him. Now, the headmaster decided to contact the middleman once Zack is dead. He doesn''t want to leave any liabilities such as Carlos Kent. ... From MC''s perspective: Days passed, After that bad episode, I slowly started to visit the monster zones as usual. Because fighting is the only thing that can distract me from unnecessary things. Ever since I handed the job to Jonathan. I have been feeling relaxed. I know he will do something about it. Though the academy disappointed me. But I believe Jonathan will break any kind of conspiracy. Doesn''t matter whether it''s a conspiracy of Carlos Kent or the Giant Tower Academy. I''m sure I will get results soon. Surprisingly, the duo, Ernest and Laverne recovered from the bad phase as well. Three of us are hunting the monsters in the monster zones. That incident brought a huge change in them. They are actively fighting against the monsters. Though everything is going alright for us. There was no sign of Carlos Kent these days. Which is quite disturbing. We feared that guy would come back and ask for an explanation. Fortunately, the dean took care of it. She canceled such an individual task. A few days later, I thought everything was going fine until I received a message from the Special Faction Head account. Seeing that my pupil shrank. "He is back," I mumbled under my breath. Carlos Kent summoned me tomorrow. He must have known that I''m spending so much time in the monster zones lately. So he sent me a message prior. He wants to meet me. For what? I frowned. When it comes to Carlos Kent. I don''t believe the dean''s words at all. He may have a good career record and good reputation in the academy. But whenever I''m near him. I''m getting nothing except the bad vibes. It was much more than the danger of the Crimson Hall back then. What to do now? I''m in a place where I can''t share my worries with a third person. More Importantly, I''m the one feeling that Carlos Kent is not a good guy. Then I calmed down before sending a message to Jonathan. He has not called me back yet. I wonder whether he has collected intel. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts before going to do my other work. The following day, After waking up, I began to do my morning routine. Then I entered the training room to practice. Sitting cross-legged, I brought the monster core and held it in my palm. Then I started to run the blood element method. Right after, the monster core energies entered my body. Then I guided the energy according to the blood element method. The monster energies started to flow through the meridians. Right after, red blood light appears above the blood. The red blood light started to convert the monster energies into the white energies. These white energies then began drilling into my bones. The next moment, I felt severe pain. But as the time passed, I started to feel numb all over my body. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. After a few hours, I stopped practicing. The monster core in my hands crumbles into pieces. I stood up and was excited from the room. My skin surface was covered with black impurities. Then I went to take a bath. Several minutes later, I changed into a new set of clothes. After getting ready, I walked out of the building. Today is going to be a pain. Carlos Kent summoned me today. I wonder what he is going to do? When I reached the place. I saw Ernest and Laverne waiting for me as usual. Seeing that I responded with a smile. "Let''s go," Ernest said. Then we entered the hall. Seeing their calm look, I couldn''t help but think about Carlos Kent. If I said to them, he was back. Then the mood will be ruined. So I decided to hide. After receiving the food plate, we sat on the chair nearby. "So, what is today''s plan?" Laverne asked. "Shall we go back to the lake?" She added. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Looks like she got improvement in her ice technique. "Zack?" Ernest called out my name. "Hmm," I raised my head to look at them. "Ahem, today I''m going to skip. I decided to train in a gravity chamber," I said to them. Hearing that Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. "Well, no problem. We can go to the gravity chamber as well," Laverne said with a smile. Seeing that, I sighed inwardly. Unknowingly, the three of us got closer. Then we continued to eat. Several minutes later, We walked out of the building. "Okay, we will see you at the gravity training room," Laverne said. Ernest also nodded his head at me. Then we parted ways. I head straight towards the office building. But my heart was not calm at all. A few minutes later, I reached the place. This time the structure was newly built. Looks like after the destruction the place was renovated in a few days. Creak~ The door opened. Seeing that, I stepped inside. Then I saw Carlos Kent sitting behind the desk. But at the same time, my senses are alarmed with the danger. I broke out in a cold sweat. "What happened?" I said in my heart. The danger was coming from Carlos Kent. But he is looking at me with an amicable smile. Chapter 538 Part 1: Carloss Summon ? From MC''s perspective: I''m trying hard to control the turmoil in my heart. Carlos Kent''s smile is unkind. He is looking at me like prey. There is one way to get through this other than that to listen to him. "Faction Head?" I said with a half smile on my face. "Zack Lockwood, take your seat," Carlos said casually. But I''m getting no good vibes at all. Nodding my head, I sat opposite him. "Zack, you and your team have failed to complete the mission. What is your response?" Carlos asked. Hearing that I cursed in my heart. This guy is still thinking about the mission. "Faction Head, we were surrounded by rogue warriors. If not for the timely help of local forces we would have been dead." "I hope you remember that," I answered. "Presumptuous," Carlos scolded and immediately released a faint pressure. "[email protected], I slipped..," Before I could finish my words. I was crushed under heavy physical coercion. Crash~ My body smashed into the floor. The coercion was so sudden that I was caught off guard. Pfff~ Blood splattered. My bones are making cracking sounds. "I knew it," I said in my heart. Carlos Kent is not a good person. I hope someone comes to save me. Under heavy physical coercion. My inner organs are suffering damage. I knew Carlos had kept his hand. But still, this small amount of pressure was unfathomable. Carlos was displeased by Zack''s response. But he didn''t intend to do it in the first place. Seeing that he is slowly losing consciousness. He removed the pressure the next moment. "I was hasty," Carlos muttered. His eyes flickered with a cold glint. He is not the most powerful person in the academy yet. There is still the supreme elder above him. So he should wait properly for the appropriate time. Meanwhile, I noticed the pressure was gone. Right after, the immeasurable pain attacked my senses. The pain was many times higher than the blood element method practice. The splitting headache was so much. I''m fighting to gain a trace of clarity. Carlos Kent sent a message to someone. After a few minutes, someone came to the door. "Send him to his dormitory room," Carlos ordered. Right after, I felt someone dragging my body away. Before I knew it, I found myself in a familiar place. Even with the spitting headache, I tried to look around. After confirming that I was thrown in front of my dorm room. I tried to get up. After a few minutes, I managed to stand up on one leg. Then I hurriedly entered the code to enter my room. Creak~ The door opened. I walked in and headed to my bed to lie down. Front the beginning to end. I felt like a worst nightmare. Meanwhile, Carlos is impulsive. He knew he would get a full earring from the dean. She has already been suspecting him. If she finds out about my small punishment, she will think I''m deliberately targeting him. So he carefully thought of a plan. He immediately sent a report to the Supreme Elder. He stated about Zack''s bad conduct towards him. Carlos also mentioned about his little punishment in that message. Now if the dean wants to complain. The supreme elder won''t suspect him. After arranging everything, he went to his private secluded training room. He won''t come back for a few days. Because it will take a few days for Zack to heal. Then he will send him outside of Viper City again for a mission. Where he will be taking Zack Lockwood''s life. Meanwhile, Lying down on my bed. I concentrated on my body. But my body was not in a good condition. Fortunately, in this kind of situation. I have already prepared myself. There is a dark green essence in my dantian. I have decided to run the wood scripture to heal myself slowly. Right after, the dark green essence starts to reach all of my inner organs. Where there is heavy injury, the dark essence was more concentrated at that spot. Healing is a time-consuming process. So I forgot about the time and fully focused on healing myself. 2 days later, I was still lying down on my bed. But my complexion was better than before. I felt my inner organs were not in a serious condition anymore. But my dark green essence was consumed completely. Now I have to cultivate again. But before that, I made up my mind to consume healing pills. As an added security, this pill will help me recover from unknown dangers. I sat cross-legged on the bed. I brought the healing pill outside from my storage ring. Then I consumed it in one go. Then I started to run the wood scripture to maximize the benefits. The pill energy entered my body and started to flow through my meridians. After circulation, the remaining small cracks in my bones all disappeared completely. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. 1 hour later, Black impurities came out of my body. When I opened my eyes after refining the pill energy. The bad smell attacked my nostrils. Seeing the thick black sludge all over my skin. My eyes shone with bright light. This situation only happens after a large breakthrough. But looking at my condition now. I think it''s a blessing in disguise. Carlos harmed me. But I got an improvement in strength as a result. Then I got up from my bed to clean myself. After 20 minutes, I changed into a fresh set of clothes. When I accessed my communication watch. I saw many notifications. Most of them are from Ernest and Laverne. Even the dean had called me one time. My eyes flickered with a slight glint. I guess there was no chance for the dean to know about this. Her call might be casual. She might have wanted to know about my situation. When it comes to Ernest and Laverne. I won''t tell them. This piece of news would certainly horrify them. What about the dean? Should I call her back? Shaking my head, I decided to postpone for a while. Carlos Kent''s behavior had scared me. That guy didn''t show any mercy at all. Just a small slip of the tongue on my part. But he handled me heavily. What to do? It''s impossible to fight against him. He is a half-step SSS Elite Warrior. He is slightly weaker than the dean. It''s impossible to go against him until I get help from Jonathan. I hope he will do something about it. Then shaking my head, I decided to stay in my room until I got a call from Jonathan. Who knows if I go outside, there is a good chance for Carlos to summon me again. Which is not good for me. Meanwhile, Ernest and Lavenre, both of them are concerned about Zack. The duo have heard that Zack had shut himself in his room. Which was not a good sign at all. Especially Zack is not picking up his call. Which further made them worry. In the special faction common room, these two were discussing. Beep~ The next moment, both of their communication lights lit up with the notification. When the duo saw the contact name. Both of them are petrified on the spot. The message was from none other than Carlos Kent. "He is back," Laverne uttered in shock. She starts panicking. "He summoned me," Ernest said in a solemn tone. "He summoned me as well," Laverne said after reading the message. For a moment, both remained silent. No need to tell. Both of them felt bad. "Ernest, we should avoid this message,"Laverne said in a trembling tone. She fears that the faction head would again send them for a deadly mission. A small sweet bead appears on Ernest''s forehead. Which shows how worried he is right now? "It''s impossible to deny his order. If we do that, then he has the right to take disciplinary action against us," Ernest said after calculating everything. He didn''t find any good solution to escape from this summons Zack''s situation is already troubling their minds. On top of it, they got this summon. "Ernest, do something," Laverne asked. She is on the verge of mental breakdown. Seeing her condition, Ernest missed Michael right now. He was currently in retreat. Without Michael and Zack, both of them are helpless. "Retreat?" Ernest uttered. His eyes shone with the bright light. Laverne quickly understood from his words. "Yes, we can enter in seclusion. No one can force us to appear," Laverne added. A trace of hope appeared in her heart. Ernest weighed in. How to proceed with this? Two of them can''t retreat after getting this summon. Because Ernest thinks that Faction Head knows their whereabouts. That''s why he is asking both of them to appear in his office. If both of them go for retreat, then it will lead to more disciplinary action against them. Suddenly, Ernest turned toward her and said,"Laverne, you should leave immediately for retreat. Don''t come back until you get a message from me or Zack." A look of disbelief appeared on Laverne''s face. Chapter 539 Part 2: Carloss Summon ? Special Faction Common Room: Laverne was shocked by Ernest''s words. This wasn''t the answer she was expecting from him. She asked, "What''s wrong with you?" "Do you plan on going alone to meet him?" Ernest let out a sigh. He didn''t expect her to spot him. "Laverne, I''ll go and see him. He won''t eat me alive. So don''t worry. I guess he would probably arrange some other mission for us." "So don''t worry. I''ll contact you after meeting him," Ernest replied. His gaze was firm. His mind was fixed. Laverne bit her lips. A complicated emotion flashes in her eyes. She can see that Ernest made up his mind. She took a deep breath before answering, "Alright, I''m leaving. You should contact me after the meeting." Ernest nodded his head. Then Laverne left the room. Seeing that Ernest also stood up from the seat. He decides to meet the Special Faction Head as well. Meanwhile, Carlos Kent is sitting and patiently waiting in his chair. He wants to know whether Zack Lockwood was in good condition or not. He sent the message to three of them a few minutes ago. Don''t know whether they are going to come as fast as they can. But a sneer appeared on his face. From his last conversation with Zack. He can tell that kid was already suspicious of him. But so what? Without convincing evidence, no one can move him. The matter of his breakthrough was also learned by the Giant Tower Academy. He tried to hide it. But it was not possible because of the Giant Tower Headmaster''s constant calls. He wanted Zack Lockwood dead as soon as possible. A quick gleam appears in Carlos Kent''s eyes. He wants to finish the work as soon as possible. Because nobody knows when the madwoman pops up in front of him. If she finds out about my breakthrough, then it would put him in a difficult situation. Just as he was wondering, what to do? Creak~ The door opened. Ernest walked inside the room. Seeing him all alone, Carlos paused for a moment. He was hoping to see Zack face-to-face. But looks like he was not healed at all. He looked at Ernest and asked, "What about the other two?" "Faction head, both of them are in retreat," Ernest replied in a calm tone. "Retreat?" Carlos Kent was surprised. He knew how badly Zack was injured. It''s not retreating but that kid is healing in secret without telling one. Carlos expected Zack to inform his friends. But it looks like it''s not. Which was also good for him to make his next plans. "The bedrock mission was a failure. So I''m planning to send you guys to a different place," Carlos said. But Ernest Kirk''s heart skips a beat. He had expected to hear this before coming here. Like he had said to Laverne. The summon was about the next mission. Ernest controlled his emotions. He didn''t show any change in facial expression. "I received a report about the rogue warriors hiding in the Uneven Mountain Canyon. Your job is to find out their identity. If possible, eliminate them," Carlos added further. When he said that a quick gleam flashed in his eyes but Ernest didn''t notice it. Ernest''s heart was not calm. He is worried that they are going to be mobbed by the rogue warriors again. But he can''t even refute it now. So he asked, "When should we leave?" Carlos Kent revealed a smile on his face before answering, "You guys can go whenever you want. But I want the mission report submitted within 7 days." Hearing that Ernest Kirk nodded his head in understanding before leaving. When Ernest completely disappeared. Carlos Kent let out a small chuckle before muttering to himself, "I''ll bury that kid at the foot of the mountain." He already fixed the end date for Zack Lockwood. And this time there were no schemes. He is going himself there to kill Zack. Even if the Academy elders come, they won''t be able to fight against him. There is a reason why he had selected a spot. The canyon falls under the academy border. This place was also the farthest place from the academy. Unlike the bedrock city where they can travel in a few hours. The uneven mountain requires at least one day for travel, even by flight. It''s difficult for others to help Zack in time. Even if someone wants to help, they have to cross a long distance in a short period. Which he thinks isn''t going to happen. "the uneven mountain canyon uh?" "I can wait for a few days," Carlos said to himself. Meanwhile, Ernest came to the Special Faction Room a few minutes later. After sitting down on the couch, he contacted Laverne. Who surprisedly picked up the call the very next second? "You didn''t go?" Ernest asked back in surprise. "No!'' "I was waiting for your call. Where are you right now?" Laverne asked. "Come to the common room," After saying that he ended the call. "Laverne is fine. Then what about Zack?" Ernest uttered. Zack is not picking up his call at all. He lied to the faction head saying that Zack was in retreat. But he didn''t know. In the end, Ernest decided to send the message to Zack. After sending the message, he began to browse the details online about the uneven mountain canyon. Ernest heard of it before. Because it''s a border area. But he doesn''t know other things. He wants to know whether any mode of transit is possible there. If it''s a desolate spot, then they have to make a long trip. A few minutes later, Laverne enters the room. Upon seeing Ernest, she inquired about the meeting. After learning that they are going on a mission again. Laverne feels down all of a sudden. Ernest saw her expression and was comforted. "Laverne, this time we will make enough preparations. Unlike the situation in bedrock city, the uneven mountain canyon will be different." "We don''t have to keep our hands. There won''t be any city residents over there. If there is trouble, the faction head permits us to kill them," Ernest said. Laverne''s eyebrows ease down a little bit. But she didn''t completely believe anything bad would happen to them. After talking for minutes, they went back to their room. ... From MC''s perspective: Beep! When I was lying down in my bed. A sudden message drew my attention. The message was from Ernest Kirk. Seeing that I sat up straight and began to read it. When I fully understood the message, my eyes grew cold. "Another mission?" I uttered in surprise. This is not a real mission. But another deadly trap. He failed to obliterate us in the bed rocky city. Now he picks up another place for our death. I couldn''t even believe Ernest met with him. So Carlos summoned everyone. Did she go as well? Laverne''s image appeared in my mind. Maybe they don''t know about my punishment. That''s why they went to see him. I moved my fingers to type back. Now that I''m fully healed. I decided to alert them. That guy wants to complete the mission in 7 days. But it''s impossible. I won''t move an inch without hearing from Jonathan. After sending the message, I frowned. In that message, I decided to meet them at the dining hall the next morning. "No matter what!" "I should convince them. There is no good in going for this mission," After muttering to myself. I returned to my original lying down position. The following day, 9 A.M After walking out of the dorm building, I started walking toward the dining hall. On the way, I saw a few familiar faces from other factions. Upon seeing me, they started gossiping. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. After a long time, people started reacting after seeing me. "Am I missing something?" I mumbled under my breath. Then shaking my head, I increased my pace towards the dining hall. After a few minutes, I reached the spot. I saw Ernest and Laverne waving their hands at me. Seeing that my eyes flickered with a slight glint. They seemed to be happy. Thinking about the mission, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. The new mission is weighing on their minds as well. "Zack, what happened to you?" "Why didn''t you attend our calls?" Ernest and Laveren asked. "Uh, this..,'' I uttered. Then I quickly thought of a lie. "I was practicing my sword moves," I replied. "Oh, no wonder," Ernest said. "I think we should polish our attack technique as well," Laverne said. Both of them had seen Zack''s sword moves against the rogue warriors. Even without using the essence, he was able to kill a few rogue warriors. Seeing that they are convinced, I sighed inwardly. Then we walked inside. When we are walking to the food counter. I immediately felt a lot of gazes on me. "This happened again!" I uttered in surprise. Something else is going on here. Ernest and Laverne also noticed the changes. Unlike Zack, Ernest and Laverne knew few people here. So they decided to ask them. Chapter 540 Jonathans Move ? From MC''s perspective: "Eurice Frye," I muttered to myself. I just overheard the conversation. So this time top genius from the Rain Water Faction has ended her retreat. If she is from the Rain Water Faction, then her element is either water or a mutation of it. But I''m no longer the same. I can kill the early-stage Super Elite Warriors. Thinking about it my mouth curved into an arc. Sooner or later, there will be a confrontation. But I''m not worried about this right now. Looking at Ernest and Laverne conversing with others. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I wonder what Carlos Kent is planning? Last time the rogue warriors surrounded us. This time the situation might be grim. When I was lost in thoughts, Ernest and Laverne came back. "Let''s go," Ernest said. Then we walked to the food counter to receive the food plate. We found nearby empty seats to sit down. "Zack, are you going to fight Eurice?" Laverne asked. Ernest also looked at me before saying, "Don''t underestimate her. As far as I know, her water element is different. She also practices matching techniques." "She can even suppress the average flame faction warriors," Ernest added further. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. As I guessed before, someone appreciated by so many warriors was not an ordinary warrior. But I responded then with a smile. These guys are not going to bring up the topic of the mission. "Ernest" "Laverne" "I think we should not go for this mission," I said. Ernest and Laverne widened their eyes in surprise. They didn''t expect to hear such words from me. Ernest was quick to realize. He asked, "Did you notice something?" Laverne''s face turned serious as well. "That person is acting differently. Even the dean seems helpless right now," I answered. "What?" Ernest blurted out in surprise. Then he noticed his voice was loud. So he controlled his emotions before asking, "What did the dean say?" Laverne remained quiet. But her eyes are looking for answers as well. "She can''t judge him without evidence. That guy was going fine all these years. But he suddenly acts out for some reason. So the dean can''t accuse him without any concrete evidence," I said. "It''s over. If the dean can''t protect us then who else will," Laverne asked in a dispirited tone. She seems to be deeply worried. Ernest remained quiet as well. Seeing their complex emotions, I sighed inwardly. I can tell that Carlos was targeting me. But he can''t move against me directly. That''s why he was involved with the people around me. Seeing that food is turning cold. "Let''s eat our meal before making the decision," I commented. My words brought their thoughts back to reality. Then we started eating the food. Several minutes later, We walked out of the dining hall. But the people''s curious gazes never left me. On the way, I turned toward them and said, "Alright, we have seven days to report. Let''s think of some solution tomorrow." Ernest and Laverne nodded their heads before parting ways. Seeing their disappearing back, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Looks like my words hit them hard. If not for my words they wouldn''t have understood the seriousness of this mission. After taking a glance at them, I started heading toward the gravity chamber. ... Meanwhile, Jonathan is investigating the Tier-6 City. People call it the Tower City which is named after the Giant Tower Academy. After getting information from Zack, he directly came to the area under the jurisdiction of the Giant Tower Academy. Since they are the ones who are trying to murder Zack. Jonathan had started his investigation from here. He had spent a few days in vain. But a few days back he had captured one of the inner elders of the Giant Tower Academy. The inner elder used to visit this Tower City in his leisure time. But this time during his visit he was caught by Jonathan. Right now, Jonathan entered his temporary mansion. The captured elder was imprisoned in the underground. The underground area was supposed to be used as a wine cellar. But he changed the place into the interrogation room. When I walked down to that place. He felt the fast breathing of the inner elder. Seeing that the guy was awake. Jonathan became spirited. He had promised Zack to eliminate his troubles. So he can''t afford to waste any time. He also came to this outer post for a limited amount of time. One was to make sure of Zack''s safety. And the other one was something to do with his mission. Which he had planned to do later. Right now he is fixated on one thing. He wants to know whether they are targeting Zack for his talent or something else. The inner elder was behind bars. Jonathan opened the gate and walked inside. Hearing footsteps, the inner house elder raised his head and asked, "Who are you?" The inner house elder is an important person. He is an SS-Elite Warrior. Jonathan knows that he didn''t catch him on a whim. "You still dare to ask me?" Jonathan uttered in a cold tone. Jonathan waved his hand. But the inner house elder''s pupils shrank. He went blank. Argh~ But the next second he screamed out loud. He is suffering from a severe headache. Like someone is stomping on his head. This inhuman torture broke his defense. A dignified SS-Elite Warrior didn''t expect to suffer a fate like this. The place was protected with barriers. His screaming won''t be heard by outsiders. Shortly after, Jonathan stopped his attack. Tud~ The inner house elder collapsed on the ground. But he managed to retain a trace of clarity. Jonathan smiled and asked, "Now you can understand my ability. This was one of my tricks. But if you fail to cooperate, then I''ll show you my other tricks." "You won''t be the same in the end," He added further. The inner house elder shuddered. He realized the strength of this person. Even the headmaster won''t be able to do this trick. The person is many times scarier than the headmaster Who is he? The inner house elder was shocked to the core. But later part of the words made him pale with fright. This person is someone he couldn''t afford to offend. "What do you want?" He asked. Hearing that Jonathan was satisfied by his questions. Jonathan answered, "For starters, why don''t you introduce yourself?" The inner house elder was stunned. "Don''t tell me he captured me without knowing my identity?" The inner house elder said in his heart. But he didn''t dare to make any wild guesses. "I''m Nick Tiles. Inner House elder of the Giant Tower Academy. I''m responsible for student affairs," He answered. "Nick, a good name," Jonathan commented. But the inner house elder was not in a mood to enjoy. He was not sure why he was captured there. "Alright then, I''m going to ask a few questions. Answer them without hiding anything." "If not, I will increase your pain manyfold," Jonathan said. But his words scared him sh!t. The inner house elder made up his mind to answer everything. He is not at all ready to face that kind of torture again. "Okay," Elder Nick answered. "Good" Jonathan uttered before asking, "I want to know why your academy is targeting Zack Lockwood?" "Zack Lockwood?" Elder Nick uttered. The name sounds familiar to him. When he recalled the name from his memory. It takes him back to the emergency meeting conveyed a few weeks ago. Where the Giant Tower Headmaster had used the decade-long foundation to kill one person. But he failed in the end. The name of the target was Zack Lockwood. The lighting element warrior from the Saw Scale Viper Academy. After recalling everything, he broke out in a cold sweat. "So you know something?" Jonathan asked. Hearing that Elder Nick was petrified on the spot. He can tell that the person in front of him is stronger than their headmaster. And Saw Scale Viper Academy can''t have such an existence. But he didn''t dare to delay so he nodded his head in response. "Zack Lockwood defeated our students during the student exchange meet. To seek revenge the headmaster is trying everything to kill Zack Lockwood," Elder Nick answered. Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows. "Headmaster?" He uttered in doubt. Elder Nick nodded his head before starting to explain. It''s not a surprise that the Giant Tower Headmaster was making unanimous decisions these days. His decision alone caused them so much damage. So Elder Nick told the current situation in the academy. Everyone is hoping to sack the headmaster from his position. But unfortunately, the headmaster doesn''t seem to care. He is going to make the same decision again. A few minutes later, Jonathan frowned deeper. He had thought the academy elders were behind the decision-making. But now it doesn''t look like that. A single person is targeting Zack Lockwood. And the rest of the elders are protesting against him. The next second, his eyes grew cold. If the information is true then something is wrong with the headmaster. Chapter 541 Duel Challenge? Tower City: After getting valuable information from the inner house elder. Jonathan knocked him down unconscious. He doesn''t want to kill him right now. It would alarm the Giant Tower Academy. Now that he knows that one person was behind the whole scheme. Jonathan decided to infiltrate the academy. But before doing that he thought about contacting Zack. Because of his covert operation. He closed off his communication networks. Now that he has a clue. He knows where to start. After coming to the living room, he sat on the sofa and activated his sci-fi watch. Right after he received a lot of notifications. He ignored everything except the message from Zack Lockwood. He wasn''t surprised by the message. Before coming here, he had assured Zack. Next, he opened the message to read it. After reading the message, he knitted his eyebrows further. "Carlos Kent," He muttered to himself. "Young master seems to be targeted by this person," He muttered. But from the interrogation. He didn''t hear anything about Carlos Kent. Jonathan was intrigued. The situation doesn''t seem to be simple. Why is the Special Faction Head behaving strangely? "No!" "If there is an inner spy, then the young master''s life would be in danger," Jonathan said to himself. He is starting to regret his hasty decision. He. Should have checked that academy first. But because of the master''s prestige. He thought there was nothing wrong with that academy. But now his heart is telling him to go to the young master''s side. After gaining some clarity, he decided to leave. He wants to check what''s wrong with the person named Carlos Kent. Then he sent a message to the young master about his departure. ... Giant Tower Academy: "Spineless [email protected]" "Wait for my plan to succeed. I will eliminate the dissent voices," The Giant Tower Headmaster cursed out in his cabin. The matter of the disappearance of resources in the treasurer vault was learned by other elder factions. Now they are demanding an explanation from him. But he had sent those resources to Carlos Kent for his breakthrough. Now he knows that Carlos Kent has succeeded. It will be a matter of time before Zack Lockwood dies under his own hands. He is just waiting for a positive answer from him. But these hostile elders are protecting us. He doesn''t want them to convince their supreme elder. The supreme elder is turning a blind eye lately. It doesn''t mean that he wasn''t aware. He knows some big man is giving me orders. If he succeeds not only will he cement his position. It will be many times beneficial for the Academy. Beep! A loud notification broke his imagination. When he saw the contact name. His mouth curved into arcs. The call is from Carlos Kent. After attending the call, he asked, "How long are you going to delay the task?" On the other side of the call, Carlos Kent was not angered. But he answered politely, "Have you heard about the uneven mountain canyon?" The Head Master''s eyes flickered with a slight glint. "Don''t tell me you are going to use that place?" He asked. "Ha...Ha...ha.., that''s right" "That place was located far away. There will be no variables. I can kill them and bury them silently in that gorge." Carlos Kent responded. "Bury them?" "Are you going to kill your other 2 students?" The headmaster asked out of curiosity. He didn''t think that person was ruthless. From the other side of the call. He heard an arrogant voice. "What students?" "Do you want me to leave behind the traces?" "I have made up my mind to slip away after killing them," Carlos Kent said in a dissatisfied tone. The Headmaster''s eyes lit up with joy. The more talented warriors die from the Saw Scale Viper Academy, the more the better. Anyway, it doesn''t hurt their interest. But it will bleed their enemy academy. "Good" "Good" "I''m waiting for your news, don''t disappoint me," The headmaster replied. Then after speaking for a few minutes. He ended the call. But the next moment, a ruthless glint flashes in his eyes. "Carlos Kent will become a liability. I hope the esteemed one will take him out sooner," He said in his heart. The esteemed one in his heart was none other than the middleman. Who was the actual mastermind behind the scenes? Now he knows the next course of action. His job is to update the information to his boss. ... From MC''s perspective: The following day, When I woke up. I wanted to go back to sleep. But Carlos Kent''s scheme did not make me do that. After getting out of bed. I started to do my morning routine. Several minutes later, I entered the training room to practice. There are still some monster cores left in my storage ring. Though my mood is down. I don''t want to stop my training because of this person. I walked to the middle and sat cross-legged down the platform. I brought the monster core and held it in my palm. Then I started to run the blood element method. Right after the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Then I slowly started to absorb the energy from the monster''s core. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to the blood element method. The energy began to flow through my meridians. But right after the circulation the red blood light appeared above the blood and started to absorb these energies. The absorbed energies are converted into white energies. Then the white energies began to drill into my skeleton. Right after, I started to feel the heart-wrenching pain. The senses become numb after a few seconds. I started to repeat the process. The red color in my skeleton starts to expand. Time passed in a blink of an eye, After a few hours, I opened my eyes. The monster''s core crumbles into pieces. Feeling the improvement in strength. A hint of satisfaction flashes in my eyes. Then I walked out of the training room and went to take a bath. Several minutes later, I changed into a fresh set of clothes. After getting ready, I exited the room. When I reached the dining hall. I saw them again. Ernest and Laverne talking to each other. But after seeing me I stopped talking. This scene was so familiar. But I''m glad that their complexion was better today. Walking up to them, I asked, "Have you guys made up your mind?" Ernest nodded his head and said, "We are not going." Laverne added further, "You are right Zack. It''s unnecessary to take risks. Since we know something is wrong with the mission. It''s better not to go there." Hearing that, a bright smile appeared on my face. I''m glad that they are not dumb. But when we entered the dining hall, Some people are already waiting for us. Surprisingly, they are not male warriors. But the female warriors from the RainWater Faction. "This?" Laverne was surprised to see them. Because she knows some of them. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked. One of the female warriors stepped forward and asked, "Sister Laverne, we are here for warrior Zack." "Warrior Zack?" Laverne uttered in surprise. Ernest seems to guess something. Yesterday, Eurice Frye''s appearance made a lot of noise in the academy. And it was not surprising to see them here. Maybe they are here for a challenge. Ernest then turned to Zack. At the same time, I don''t know whether to laugh or cry. I thought they would take a few days to learn about me. But it looks like the person behind them is quite confident in her strength. Then I saw the good-looking woman turn toward me. "Zack Lockwood, we came here on behalf of our senior sister. She wants to fight you," She said. "Fight me?" I uttered. An amusing smile appeared on my face. I looked at Ernest and Laverne. Initially, I didn''t take it seriously. But the timing is quite right. Since we made a decision not to go for the mission. We should come up with a good reason to convince Carlos Kent. I was wondering what to do about this. But fortunately, the solution came to my door. I revealed a bright smile on my face before saying, "Well, I agree with your request. But the duel will take place this weekend." Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. They weren''t surprised by Zack''s answer. But why this weekend? The female warrior and her faction members are happy with my response. Then after thanking me, they swiftly left the place. "Zack, why did you postpone the duel date?" Laverne asked. But I looked around. Our conversation with Rain Water Faction Members is not secret. So people are starting to gossip about it. It will be a matter of time before it floods the social media site. "Let''s discuss this in detail," I answered before walking to the food counter. We received the food plate one by one before finding the empty seats to sit down. After taking the seat, I looked at them and said, "This duel will give us reason to avoid going to the mission. Besides, I don''t have lightning essence. So I have to make some preparations. It will take some time." Ernest and Laverne nodded their heads in understanding. Chapter 542 Part 1: Meeting Jonathan Saw Scale Viper Academy: Soon the news about the Rain Water Faction''s Challenge began to spread like wildfire. The name Eurice Frye was popular. The name attracted the attention of other elemental factions as well. Already the Flame Faction & the Metal Faction genius are defeated at the hands of Zack Lockwood. So this time everyone is looking forward to it. Dean Office, Rebecca received the message from the Rain Water Faction Head. After knowing that another student is going to challenge Zack. She felt a headache coming. She knows Zack''s circumstances. He doesn''t have lightning essence in his body. Even if the duel happens, it would be like a handicap match. But if Zack decides to fight using his body strength then the outcome is uncertain. She also knows about Eurice Frye. She is a talented water elemental warrior and her techniques are exquisite like her Faction Head. So the duel will be worthwhile to watch. Thinking about Zack, her eyes flickered with complex glints. Normally, she used to directly contact him for any matter. But after Carlos Kent''s issue, there was a gap. Zack is starting to have trust issues. She can''t initiate a conversation like before. Sigh~ She let out a deep sigh. Then she accepted the duel request and allowed it to happen. The coming weekend the duel arena will be filled with students. Special Faction Head Cabin, When the news reached Carlos Kent. His expression turned ugly. For a moment, he doesn''t know whether it''s a coincidence or not. He knows that Zack and his friends are suspecting him. Maybe they even try to avoid the mission. But it was unlikely to happen. It''s like breaking the rules of the academy. Unless there is a strong reason, they can''t disobey his instructions. That''s why he thought it was their scheme for a second. Shaking his head, he muttered, "It may not be their scheme." Because he knows that RainWater Faction Warrior ended her retreat recently. So it may not be their plan. He also knows that the Rain Water Faction Member took the initiative to request the challenge. Thinking about the challenge date. His eyes flickered with killing intent. He gave them 7 days of reporting time. But the duel will be taking place on the 7th day. Which means Zack can''t go for the mission outside. And he has to wait for next week. A blue vein begins to pop up on his forehead. "How unfortunate?" He said to himself. His heart tells him to strangle him right now. But he knows the supreme elder might be watching everything. His odd behavior already made them wary. He doesn''t want to make any mistakes. It''s just that he arrogantly spoke to the Giant Tower Headmaster the other day. If he knows the current situation, then he would make fun of him. Then he loosened his fists. Now he has no other choice other than to wait for the weekend to finish. Or he can pull up some tricks for Zack''s duel. If Zack dies in the duel, it would be better. But the women behind the RainWater Faction are righteous. She won''t allow any trickery to happen. What about that girl? Carlos Kent tapped his fingers on the table. It''s not easy. There are still a few days left for the duel. He decided to collect the information first. If that girl Eurice is narrow-minded, then she will be helpful for his plan. RainWater Faction Head Cabin, A beautiful woman in a white dress is sitting behind her desk. She looked at the blue-haired girl in front of her. The blue-haired girl is none other than Eurice Frye. Eurice Frye has long silky blue hair and a pair of blue eyes. She was dressed in the academy uniform. Her skin tone was fair. She stood 5.8ft tall in height. She met the gaze of the Faction Head without worrying. Feeling the Peak Elite Stage Pressure in her body. The Rain Water Faction Head smiled like a chrysanthemum. "Eurice, you did well." "Looks like your isolation practice went well," She commented. "Elder Alice, thanks for your support," Eurice replied. The name of the RainWater Faction Head is Alice Brown. Her students call her Elder Alice. After hearing from her students, she waved her hand. But the next second, her expression turned serious. "The dean permitted the challenge duel," Alice said. Hearing that Eurice''s expression lit up with joy. She was worried that the dean wouldn''t give permission easily. But now the worry in her heart disappeared. Alice saw through her thoughts. She shook her head in response. "Eurice, are you confident?" Alice asked. It''s not like she underestimates her student faction. But a few days ago, she heard the shocking news. Which was known only to bigwigs. The bedrock city''s incident shocked her heart. She knew Zack Lockwood was the target of hostile forces. But his performance against the rogue warriors overturned her view. "That kid killed Super Elite Warriors without using any technique," She said in her heart. At first, she thought it was absurd. But the news was confirmed by another faction head as well. So there is no doubt that Zack can fight across ranks. She doesn''t know whether Alice can withstand his attacks. At the same time, Alice''s expression turned dark. She didn''t expect to hear this question from the elder. She was confident that''s why she issued a challenge. Then looking at the elder she said, "Elder, I made this decision after learning about him. I believe my technique can restrain him." Hearing her confident tone, Alice sighed inside. She doesn''t want to bring the topic of bedrock city to her. Because it would hit her confidence. Maybe this duel can become a learning experience for her. "Okay, I believe you. Go and prepare well for the duel. And don''t underestimate your opponent," Alice said with a smile. Eurice regained her confidence. Then she left the room. Alice Brown knitted her eyebrows. She is not feeling good about this. Both the Flame and Metal Faction have failed to defeat that kid. Now they are going to join this line. A bitter smile appeared on her face. She hopes that Eurice will learn something. ... From MC''s Perspective: The following day, Noon: After coming from the gravity chamber, I entered the bath to clean myself. I changed into a fresh set of clothes a few minutes later. Then I sat on the sofa and started to access the social media site. Right after, several messages popped up. Not surprisingly, many of the online posts are about the duel. Seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. People have already started discussing it. Then after scrolling down a few pages. I decided to focus on something else. Beep~ But before I could do that my sci-fi watch lit up with notification. When I saw the contact name. I stood up from the sofa. "Jonathan!" I uttered in joy. Then I opened the message to read it. As expected it was an encrypted message. I started to decipher it. When I read the message. My eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Jonathan is in Viper City?" "What is he doing here?" I mumbled under my breath. Then after calming down my heart, I began to get ready. After changing back to the academy uniform, I hurriedly left the dorm building. On the way to the monster facility, I came across other faction warriors. Apart from scrutinizing, none of them hinder me. Ignoring everyone, I hurried to the monster transit facility. When I entered the facility, I registered for a monster carriage. Shortly after, I sat down on the back of a giant falcon. The Giant Falcon is a Class-3 Monster. But its speed is exceptional. It quickly crossed several miles in a few minutes. One hour later, The Giant Falcon enters the air space of Viper City. Then the monster immediately slowed down its speed. When the falcon lands on the platform. I stepped out and exited the facility. Jonathan seems to be staying in the inn. But a trace of doubt flashes in my eyes. As far as I know, he doesn''t like to expose himself. Then shaking my head, I head straight towards the inn. Shortly after, I arrived in front of the Black Pine Inn. The inn looks normal with fewer customers. Then I walked to the counter and booked the room. After getting the code, I walked upstairs. When I found the room. I entered the access code. Creak~ The door opened. After entering inside, I sent a message to Jonathan. I thought he was waiting for me in this inn. Swoosh~ Before I could think further. A figure appeared in front of me. The person is none other than Jonathan. Seeing him in my presence, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. "You are back?" I uttered. Jonathan nodded before saying, "Young master, are you alright?" Sigh~ I let out a huge sigh before sitting down on the bed. "The Special Faction Head is targeting me," I replied. Hearing that Jonathan didn''t reply instead he sat on the chair. Chapter 543 Part 2: Meeting Jonathan ? From MC''s Perspective: Jonathan didn''t expect to hear the name again. He heard the name of Carlos before. Because the young master had mentioned it previously. "What did he do this time?" He asked. From Zack''s look, he can tell that something might have happened recently. At the same time, a complex glint flashes in my eyes. I don''t know whether Jonathan believes me or not. But I will feel better if he finds out the truth. Then looking at him, I started to recount the recent events. Starting from our first meeting to the bedrock incident. Then to our latest mission. A few minutes later, The atmosphere turned solemn. Jonathan didn''t doubt the words anymore. Initially, he had some doubts. But after hearing the mission about an uneven mountain canyon. He was sure in his heart that a person named Carlos Kent had ulterior motives. He didn''t expect someone suspicious to appear in this Academy. After figuring out the ins and outs, he turned toward Zack. "Young master, don''t worry. I will look into this matter," Jonathan promised. He can see that Zack was stressed about this matter. Hearing that I felt a huge weight being lifted off from my shoulder. With Jonathan''s assurance, I can sigh in relief. The next moment, I recalled my current situation. "Jonathan, is there any place here where I can cultivate lightning essence?" "I have a duel this weekend," I asked him. Since the issue of Carlos was settled. Now I''m concerned with my cultivation. Jonathan was surprised for a moment. Then he asked, "Don''t you have purple essence left in your dantian?" I shook my head and revealed a helpless smile in response. Jonathan was startled. He knows his master has pinned heavy hopes on Zack. It has a lot to do with the lightning element. Then he probed Zack''s base. Then he saw the Mid-Elite Stage Cultivation. It''s not slower but for Zack''s talent. The improvement should be higher. Jonathan failed to recognize Zack''s difficulty. If Zack won''t have any progression, then his life would be difficult in the Inner Post. "I think there are places here where lightning gathers. But I don''t know whether it''s suitable for lightning practice," Jonathan said. "What?" A hope rekindled in my heart. Finally, there is some good news. I heard many times from Dean Rebecca. In the end, even she can''t find the correct place for me. "Where is it?" "Can you take me to that place for cultivation?" I asked. Jonathan nodded his head before saying, "It''s good. Since the duel was scheduled for the weekend. You can take this time to cultivate well." After getting the affirmation, I asked, "Where is the place?" "The nearest one is the uneven mountain canyon. I heard that the highest peak on that mountain is bombarded with lightning all year around," Jonathan said casually. "Uneven mountain canyon," I said in my heart. I had spent time looking into the information. But I haven''t found anything related to lightning. Jonathan saw through his thoughts. It was not surprising that information is controlled here. Secrets were only available to strong and influential people. "You can''t find some information on the internet," Jonathan commented. Hearing that a look of understanding dawned on me. I don''t know whether I can get a breakthrough opportunity in the coming days. It''s been some time since I have reached the Mid-Elite in lightning essence. It''s time to see some improvement in essence cultivation. "Young master, what''s your cultivation level?"Jonathan asked all of a sudden. He saw through the young master''s base as usual. But he asked out casually. He was aware that Zack has a treasure artifact to cover his strength. "Uh?" My thoughts returned to reality. Jonathan''s question made me realize that there is a pendant hanging around my neck. But it was more of a keepsake from Granny Park. "Is it hiding his senses?" "No way?" I muttered in my heart. As far as I know, it can block the prying eyes of Elite Warriors and below. I don''t think the pendant can block the powerful eyes of SS-Elite Warriors and above. The more Jonathan acts weak in front of me. I always felt that he was hiding his true strength. Otherwise, my teacher won''t have him by his side. Also, he is someone from the inner post. His true strength should be higher than the dean. I don''t know why he is hiding his strength in front of me. But I don''t plan on exposing him. Now I''m thinking about the cultivation spot. "Can we leave now?" "I want to practice as soon as possible," I asked. Jonathan was stunned for a moment. He suspected the young master saw through him instead. Shaking his head, he decided to leave as well. Any longer he would embarrass himself with these questions. "Alight, young master. I''ll take you to that place," Jonathan said. Hearing that I stood up and said, "As far as I know that place is located at the border. It would take a day or two to reach there." To that, Jonathan smiled mysteriously instead of answering. Then he replied, "Exit the Viper City. I''ll be waiting outside." After saying that he disappeared from the spot. "Harumph," I snorted in dissatisfaction. Jonathan appears and disappears whenever he wants. Which shows that he is truly powerful. Even the Special Faction Head who was said to be the strongest second to the dean. His name couldn''t even scare Jonathan. From beginning to end, Jonathan was calm. Well, I can''t order him around. He is my senior. He only listens to my teacher. So I should be grateful that he is helping me out. After gaining some clarity, I walked out of the room and exited the inn. Then I head straight towards the city wall. Compared to before, my mind was a lot more relaxed. Maybe this is the effect of having powerful backing. A bright smile appeared on my face. Then I increased my pace a little. Meanwhile, Some shopkeepers recognized the face of Zack Lockwood. Because some children of local families are admitted to the B, C & D-grade institutions of the academy. From their children''s mouths these people long since heard of the lightning warrior. Especially circulating online post images made the image of lightning even more popular. But none of them dare to step forward to meet. It''s normal for students to go outside of the city for a mission. So they didn''t want to disturb Zack even if they recognized the person. A few minutes later, I entered my data into the City wall''s monitoring system. When the information was verified. A metallic door opened between the walls. It''s the gateway to the outside. Seeing that I didn''t stop and walked through the opening. When I walked out of the gate. I pick a direction filled with trees. I know Jonathan must be watching from the shadows. So I moved in that direction. Right after I got far away from the City. Swoosh~ I felt someone touching my shoulder. The next second, I disappeared from the spot. Before I could think I found myself traveling mid-air. A strong wind brushes against my face. "This?" The sudden change in the situation startled me all of a sudden. "Steady!" The next second, I heard Jonathan''s voice. After hearing that, I calmed down. Then I saw someone turn right next to me. Jonathan is still touching my shoulder. But he is moving at breakneck speed. The speed was so fast that I couldn''t even catch the passing views. "For your sake. I''m moving at a slow speed. So stabilize yourself. We will soon reach the destination," Jonathan said without turning back. Hearing that I almost choked up. This is called slow speed. Apart from getting hit by the heavy wind, I couldn''t even look outside properly. Now I understand Jonathan is making fun of me. That''s why he is acting weak in front of me. Time passed, Before I knew it, we arrived at the desolate environment. Jonathan has slowed down his speed. So the environment here becomes visible. The world''s energy seems to have dropped as well. Soon I saw the long stretching mountain. There are many towering peaks in it. "Is it here?" I asked. But I didn''t see any climate change. There were no dark clouds and purple lightning as well. "It''s not here," Jonathan replied. Then we continued to fly across the long stretching mountain. After crossing the mountain, we came across another mountain. But this time my eyes shone with bright light. A mountain seems to be cleaved by a vertical sword leaving behind a narrow canyon. I don''t know how deep the canyon is. But my eyes are attracted by the towering peak. The dark clouds are gathered above this particular peak. When we got closer to the mountain. I saw it was raining heavily down here. "What a strange place?" I mumbled under my breath. Then Jonathan dragged me toward the top of the mountain. Thunder~ A thundering sound reverberated through the place. A purple color of lightning flashed before my eyes. As I got closer to the place. I felt the purple essence after a long time. Chapter 544 Part 1: Eurice Fryes Decision ? From MC''s Perspective: Jonathan dropped me on the ground. Then he erected a barrier around me. So that the powerful lightning can''t damage my body. At first, I thought that lightning strike was not a problem. But only after getting down here. I feel sudden heart palpitations. Thankfully the barrier was erected in time. A violet color thunderstruck the barrier. But the barrier didn''t even make a noise. It successfully withstands the direct brunt of the lightning attack. "Practice peacefully. I''ll stand here to guard" Jonathan''s voice reached my ears. Hearing that I let go of the unnecessary worries. Then I sat cross-legged on the ground and started to run the celestial lightning scripture. Right after, the lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Slowly, I felt the abundance of purple essence around me. All of this coming from the lightning strike. Then I concentrated on absorbing the energy. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to the scripture. The purple essence began to circulate in my body. After circulation, the energy settles down in the dantian as the final destination. Seeing that dried up dantian finally welcomed the pure purple essence. I felt relaxed after a long time. Then I continued to repeat the process. I want to make use of this opportunity well. Saw Scale Viper Academy: Ernest and Laverne wanted to meet Zack. But none of them were able to contact him. Well, this was not the first time it happened. Both thought he was busy preparing himself for the upcoming duel. On the first day, everything went normal. Even the dean Rebecca didn''t take the initiative to contact Zack. But things changed two days later. As Zack didn''t appear for breakfast in the dining hall. Ernest and Laverne couldn''t sit still. They contacted me again. But to their disappointment, the call was connected. Finally, both let it go. But it was not the same case with others. Especially the Special Faction Head Carlos was pissed off by the sudden change in events. He was staring at Zack Lockwood''s information. Even he was surprised by Zack''s closed practice. Past two days, he has been looking for ways to convince Eurice Frye. As long as Eurice Frye agrees to his terms. Then he can use her to kill Zack Lockwood during the duel. But the problem he was facing was Alice Brown. If he tries to contact Eurice Frye, she will know. The reason he is going this far is because of the intel he had collected. As per Intel, the girl, Eurice Frye is not a good woman. Though she is talented in cultivation. But her character is troublesome. The girl seems to be opportunistic. But because of her strength, there are opposite voices in the Rain Water Faction. Because of this Carlos Kent was waiting for the perfect opportunity. At this point, he didn''t even suspect Zack. He still thinks Zack is training in private. But things changed during the afternoon. Eurice Frye and her followers went to Viper City to participate in the auction. As this news reached Carlos. He didn''t wait for a second. What is the best place to contact Euricr Frye other than Viper City? So Carlos doesn''t want to miss out on this opportunity. Meanwhile, the rainwater faction head Alice Brown doesn''t have any clue regarding what''s going to happen. Viper City, Many influential people came for the auction. Most of them have relations with the academy. As more people are studying in B, C, and D-grade institutions. Their chances of getting resourced are low. The auction is one of the ways where they can get good resources. So many of them bought tickets to participate. The auction was run by the Viper city management. People behind the scenes are related to the Academy. An auction is one of the ways to distribute resources and maintain relationships with influential families. The academy doesn''t mind sparing some resources for distribution. 12 p.m At this time many warriors in academy uniform are entering the circular building. But the badges on their chest shows which institution they came from. B-grade institution warriors attracted a lot of attention. Followed by C-grade institution warriors. No one glanced at D-grade institution warriors. As they have joined the Academy by using money. But these low-level warriors came here for entertainment. Suddenly, people gathered in front of the circular auction building alarmed by the commotion. The crowd suddenly gave way to the coming warriors. The coming warriors are female warriors. But their luxurious academy uniform and glistering badge instantly struck fear in everyone''s mind. "A- grade institution!" "What top institution warriors are doing here?" the crowd started to murmur. People are amazed by the momentum. None of them dare to disturb the scene. The raindrop symbol inscribed on their badges instantly gave away their identity. The leading blue-haired girl especially attracted the attention of the people. The normal shopkeepers and workers failed to recognize their identity. But among the crowd, some people have connections with influential families. They know the famous names of the warriors studying in the A-grade institution. Among the names, Eurice Frye is popular. Someone immediately recognized her face and started to shout her name. "Eurice Frye!" "She is Eurice Frye from the Rain Water Faction." When someone shouted the name. The crowd began to boil. Some of the eyeliners appointed by the families are alarmed greatly. They began to send back the message to their families. Usually, there will be competition after the end of every faction. Though no one will act directly. But the families will act secretly to support their descendants. But this time their plan fell apart. Appearance of the Eurice Frye broke their calculations. Eurice Frye and her followers ignored everyone''s exclamations and entered the auction building. "I never thought the secret water pill would appear here, "Eurice Frye muttered in her heart. Initially, she didn''t want to compete. But the secret water pill can give her slight improvement. Which will be helpful during the duel. She was not naive. She has also collected information about Zack Lockwood. It''s indeed a fact that Zack can fight across ranks. So she decided not to take any chances and was fully prepared for the duel. She and her followers were guided to the V.I.P. room. She doesn''t know that there is one more person who appeared silently in front of the building. The person is none other than Carlos Kent. After sensing the presence of Eurice Frye. He sighed in relief. He decided to wait for the auction to finish. Time passed, After 15 minutes, the auction started. The warriors from other institutions were seated as well. But they are disturbed by the presence of Eurice Frye. They feared that Eurice Frye and her followers would want every resource. But when the auction started nothing short of that happened. She and her followers didn''t bid for the starting auction items. Others sighed in relief. Time passed, When it''s time for the last auction item. The secret water pill was introduced. The secret water pill can help Elite warriors to purify their essence further. Which will be helpful to execute strong water techniques. As the pill appeared. Everyone turned their gazes to the V.I.P section. No doubt people are aware that Eurice Frye came for the final auction item. Though the secret water pill was attractive. None of them dared to bid right now. They want Eurice Frye to leave this place. So they can continue with their lives. Eurice Frye immediately bid for the item. Not surprisingly, no one bid for the pill. So the secret water pill was sold for the base price. Eurice Fry bought the item and left it with her followers. But when she and her followers entered the monster transit facility. Eurice Frye was abducted in a split second. Even her followers are clueless. The action was taken by Carlos Kent. He brought Eurice to the outside of the Viper City. Tud~ He dropped Eurice Frye on the ground. And hid himself from her sight. Meanwhile, Eurice was petrified. She was standing in the monster facility a few minutes ago. Now she is standing in the middle of the open land. No doubt someone was behind this. "Eurice Frye" Before she could think further. She heard someone uttering her name. The next moment, she shuddered in fear. "Who are you?" She said in a low tone. She knew some terrifying existence was watching her. Her heart tells her to contact the elder Alice. But she doesn''t know whether the person is the enemy or not. If it''s the enemy then she won''t survive for a second. "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hurt you." The voice again reached her ears. After hearing that her complexion turned better. "That''s right, the person captured me for a reason. I will survive," She consoled herself. But the next words stumped her. "I heard about your duel against Zack Lockwood. I want him dead." Eurice widened her eyes in disbelief. Now she is sure that person is from the hostile faction. Chapter 545 Part 2: Eurice Fryes Decision ? Outside of the Viper City: Carlos Kent''s mouth curved into an arc. He knew the girl was in a state of shock. So he gave her some seconds to digest the words. After seeing her, she calmed down. He again said, "I want you to cooperate with me to kill Zack Lockwood. If you do that, I''ll give you free resources." "With that, you will have no problem reaching the SS-Elite Stage," He added further. Eurice Frye is again dumbfounded. "SS-Elite!" She was shocked to the core. It''s not easy to become an SS-Elite. You have to cross countless resources to reach that rank. One of them being the rare resources. After a few seconds, she calmed down. She then recalled the unknown powerhouse''s demand. "Killing Zack Lockwood?" Her eyes flickered. For a moment there was silence. She doesn''t know whether the powerhouse will allow her to leave if she says "No" Her heart was in a state of conflict. The next second, she shook his head in denial and answered, "If I kill Zack Lockwood in the area, then I would be met with the same end." "The Special Faction Members won''t let me go. Especially their faction head will hunt me down. People say that the Special Faction Head is stronger than other Heads." "I don''t want to take a risk," After saying that, Eurice closed her eyes. She is ready to face her end. Carlos Kent''s mouth twitched. He never expected himself to be hindered by his plan. But he was pleased by her words. His deterrence is still affecting the minds of the warriors. With a proud smile on his face, he answered, "You don''t have to worry. Their faction head won''t act during the duel. He will turn a blind eye to your actions." "What?" Eurice felt she heard something wrong. Carlos saw through her thoughts. "Don''t worry, no one will take the risk for a dead genius.," he said again. Eurice hesitated for a moment. She was right, the words are not imaginary. The powerhouse is talking to her. After knowing that the Special Faction Head won''t act, her fear was reduced to some extent. Then she finally began to consider the proposal. To reach SS-Elite rank and above is her dream. Now someone is offering free resources just to kill one person. Her heart wants to accept the proposal. But her mind was in a state of conflict. She also knew Zack was a special student in the academy. He hadn''t attended the classes so far. Even the teachers and other elders turned a blind eye to this. Which shows that person has the backing of either the Special Faction Head or the dean. A quick glint flashes in her eyes. "I''m happy to cooperate but what about the dean?" "If she finds something wrong then it would spell trouble," Eurice cautiously asked the powerhouse. Carlos Kent sneered. He didn''t care about the aftermath. After witnessing Zack''s death, he plans to leave the academy. He doesn''t want to confront the dean yet. But he can''t say that to this girl. So he replied," She will not act without evidence. I will give you a poison pill and antidote. Just crush it during the duel. " "The poison pill doesn''t have any smell or taste. It''s colorless. Once Zack inhales it, he will be slowly poisoned to death. " Eurice Frye shuddered in fear. Poison pill? She heard about it before. But not this specific colorless one. After hearing about it, she felt a lot more relaxed. "If it works then I can escape without causing any suspicion," She muttered in her heart. Finally, the greed for free resources overwhelmed her heart. Even if she works hard to compete for resources. There is no way she could complete resources. As long as she kills Zack, she will get resources. She can enter seclusion to cultivate and consume their resources. When her heart and mind come to the decision. Her demeanor completely changed. A cunning glint flashes in her eyes. She didn''t consider Elder Alice who taught her. "Ha....Ha...ha...," Carlos Kent laughed out loud. "Good" "Good". "If you don''t take risks, you won''t achieve big things in your life.," Carlos applauded her. Earlier he wanted to convince the girl to kill Zack on the fighting stage itself. But after looking at her cautious mind, he changed his plan. Consuming poison pills is the safest method. Which also gives him time to escape as well. Then he brought a pill bottle before him. Inside there are 2 poison pills. One is enough to take Zack''s life. But he doesn''t want to take any chances. Using 2 poison pills will be overkill. But he doesn''t mind. He waved his hand as the pill bottle appeared before Eurice. "There are 2 pills in it. I want you to use both during the duel. And here is the antidote for it.," Carlos said. Then another liquid bottle appeared before her. Eurice placed both bottles in her storage ring. The liquid bottle is a medicine bottle containing an antidote. Eurice hesitated to ask for resources. Carlos saw through her thoughts. Then he thought for a moment before taking out one storage ring. The storage ring contains resources for the breakthrough Super Elite Stage. The storage ring appears before Eurice. She immediately caught it and put it inside her storage ring. "The Storage ring contains resources for Super Elite rank breakthroughs. The remaining resource will be sent to you after completion of the task." Eurice heard Powerhouse''s words. She paused for a moment before saying, "I will make no mistake." "Good," Carlos commented before grabbing her. In a blink of an eye, he dropped her at the monster facility. Where her friends are searching for her. Eurice Frye stood in the spot in a daze. She felt the conversation was unreal. Then she used her consciousness to check the items. Seeing the poison pill and antidote liquid. Together with another storage ring. Her heart skips a beat. "Eurice, are you alright?" "Where did you go?" Suddenly, she heard her friends'' voices. She quickly recovered her emotions before acting as usual. Meanwhile, Carlos Kent arrived at his home. His face was full of smiles. He didn''t think that girl would backtrack. Because he saw the same greed in her. The same longing and hunger for resources. For some people, talent is there but they lack resources. Even in this blessed academy not everyone can have full resources. Forget A-grade institutions, other institutions are scrambling for resources. The higher the rank, the higher will be demand for the resources. Now he is not worried about Zack''s status. He will come for the duel. And that day would be his last day. .... Dean Office, Rebecca is busy with her work. But don''t know why? Zack''s current status affects her concentration. She doesn''t know what he is doing? Usually, she will get the news about Zack. Including the day-to-day updates. If Zack goes to the cafeteria or monster zone, she would eventually know. But now it is completely void. There was no day-to-day update. "Don''t tell me he is cooked up in his room.," She said in her heart. She also knows about Zack''s lack of essence. She thought he would come to her and ask for help. "Is he going to win it by using his abnormal physique?" Doubt appeared in her heart. Zack''s performance in the bedrock city was vivid in her mind. "If he thinks his body strength would help him, then he is underestimating the opponent," She said to herself. She knows Alice taught strange water techniques to Eurice. Her water essence might affect Zack''s body. Thinking about it, she decided to remind Zack. Initially, she wanted to stay neutral. But Zack''s position is disadvantageous. His lack of essential practice is something to do with her. She had promised him to find a suitable place for lightning cultivation. But this challenge duel came in between. Then she contacted Zack. But the call was not connected. She frowned. Why is he not attending the direct call? Then she tried again but the result was the same. "Let''s summon her friends.," She mumbled. She thought they might know something. Then she instructed Ernest and Laverne to appear in her office. A few minutes later, Ernest and Laverne entered her office. "Dean" Both of them greeted her. "Sit," Rebecca said. Seeing that both of them sat down comfortably. She went straight into the topic. "What is he doing these days?" She asked. Ernest and Laveren looked at each other. "Dean, are you asking about Zack?" Laverne asked back. Rebecca nodded her head before saying, "He is not answering my call. I don''t know what he is doing right now. Did he tell you, guys, anything.?" Ernest and Laverne are surprised by Dean''s words. The same thing happened to them as well. .... (From MC''s Perspective) Days passed, On the uneven mountain peak, I have been cultivating hard without minding day and night. Constantly, my essential strength is getting improved these days. And I have a feeling that I will touch the limit in a few hours. Once it happens, I will use the remaining days for the breakthrough. Chapter 546 Peak-Level-Elite(Lightning Essence) ? Dean office, "Dean, he didn''t even attend our call as well," Ernest answered. He can see that the dean wants to talk about the challenge duel. But Zacl closed off all modes of communication. Rebecca frowned. This has never happened before. When another faction member had a duel with Zack. He didn''t react seriously to them before the duel. Did he know about Eurice Frye? Rebecca thought to herself. Then she decided not to disturb him in the end. Eventually, Zack will appear in the match duel. Then everything will be cleared. Ernest and Laverne left the room. ... Uneven mountain canyon: A day before the duel, Thunder~ The thunderclap sound reverberated throughout the mountain. Sitting cross-legged on the ground. I continued to circulate the purple essence inside my body. As I had guessed earlier. I''m starting to feel the limit. A few minutes later, The invisible barrier became clear. I can''t circulate anymore without breaking the barrier. With just a little more effort, I can cross the bridge. So I didn''t take a break and focused on breaking the barrier. I guided the essence of energy and started to attack the invisible barrier. When the energy collided with the barrier. Like always it remained unscathed. It will take a few more attempts to crack. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Time passed, After 2 hours, I''m starting to get results. Cracks~ Cracks appeared on the invisible barrier one by one. After a few minutes, the barrier broke into pieces. The next second, as the floodgates opened. Changes start to take place in my body. The space inside the dantian began to expand. The inner organs, veins, and meridians are getting strengthened under the breakthrough. I carefully circulated the purple essence to maximize the benefits. The feeling of getting stronger is more apparent this time. The space expansion inside Dantian comes to an end. Leaving the space for more purple essence storage. Peak level elite (Lightning essence) Several minutes later, The changes stopped and I looked inside my dantian. The purple essence is more refined and powerful than before. Seeing that, I really can''t wait to use the attack power but before that, I need to stabilize the base. Then I closed my eyes and started to cultivate again. After a breakthrough, I can perceive the changes. The essence was powerful compared to before. A few hours later, After stabilizing the base, I opened my eyes. Then I started to draw out the purple essence from my body. A single strand of purple essence appeared on top of my finger. Seeing that I continued to draw out. Until a small purple ball appeared on the tip of my finger. The next second, I shot the lightning ball at the nearby rock. Boom~ The rock was destroyed into pieces. It''s not even a technique. But the domineering power of the lightning element. Suddenly a bad smell attacked my nostril. Then I saw the surface of my body was covered with black impurities "Small cleansing," I uttered in delight. This usually happens when I break through. Now that my essence is one step behind my body strength. I believe when I broke through Super Elite in essence. There will be major changes in my body. Outside, Jonathan noticed Zack''s powerful essence. This shows that Zack succeeded in reaching the Peak Elite Stage. He was glad that he brought Zack here. "For the Super Elite breakthrough, it will require more purple essence," Jonathan said to himself. A careful look appeared on his face. Zack broke through not only because of his hard work. But also because of the unique environment here. The thunder and lightning here brought great benefits to Zack. But it''s a pity the place is far away from the academy. Jonathan made up his mind to eliminate the threats first. Then only Zack can safely travel here in the future. "Are you ready to go back?" Jonathan asked. "uh?" Jonathan''s words reached my ears. "Yes, but I want to clean myself first," I answered. Jonathan then took the back barrier before dragging me towards the small running stream at the foot of the mountain. Seeing that I didn''t hesitate to go down to clean myself. Several minutes later, I changed into a fresh set of clothes. Then Jonathan took me back to Viper City. When we appeared in Viper City. It was already sunset. After turning on the communication, I realized that the duel day is tomorrow. "Jonathan, what are you going to do next?" I asked. We are standing in the private courtyard of someone else. Hardly anyone is walking by here. Which gives us small privacy. Jonathan thought about the Giant Tower Academy. He doesn''t mind sharing the news with Zack. "I already got some clues. The Giant Tower Academy is internally divided. The headmaster of that academy is targeting you for some reason. But he didn''t have the support of other elders," Jonathan answered. "What?" My heart was shocked to the core. I thought out of academy rivalry they are targeting me. Then why? Jonathan saw through Zack''s thoughts. "Don''t worry, I''m close to the truth. I''ll find out what he is planning?" Jonathan said. Hearing that I shook my head. More than the Giant Tower Headmaster. I''m worried about the Special Faction Head. "What about Carlos Kent?" "I''m getting uneasy these days," I said. A quick glint flashes in Jonathan''s eyes. "Okay, I will be there tomorrow," He replied. I sighed in relief. Then after speaking for a few more minutes, I parted ways with him. Jonathan is going to stay here tonight. And he will come tomorrow to watch my duel. Soon, I found the bird monster in the monster facility for the return journey. 2 hours later, The falcon birds drop me at the academy transit area. After handing the bird monster to the staff, I walked out. Instead of going to the dorm room. I went to the training room. It''s necessary to control the new strength. I plan to use a little amount of lightning essence for training. Since it was evening time, no one paid attention to me. A few students are walking by. Soon I entered the training room. There were metal puppets. After changing the settings for puppets to stationary. I brought the black sword outside and held it tightly. Then I decided to use the Sword Divide technique. I put the sword forward and started to charge the sword with a small amount of purple essence. As I started to use the technique. A small amount of purple essence moved from dantian and it followed the route to gather at the palms. When the purple essence appeared in my palms. I drove energy towards the sword. The sword absorbed the essence and right after the black blade flickered with a purple glint. "Sword Divide," I shouted. The next second, I discharged the lightning attack from the sword. The purple sword beam shot at the target in a blink of an eye. Boom~ The metal puppet broke into pieces from the impact. Seeing that a hint of joy appeared in my eyes. The sword divide move is better than before. A small amount of purple essence is enough to charge the sword. Peak Elite purple essence was stronger and I don''t have to consume more purple essence for any of my lightning techniques. Not only for tomorrow''s duel. For future challenges as well. The Sword Divide testing alone gave me enough confidence. And I don''t want to test the Lightning wheel technique. Which will be more destructive. Before going back, I want to test the Lightning finger technique. I feel I will be using this technique tomorrow more in the duel. The finger technique usually consumes less amount of essence. So I''m looking forward to it. Then I changed the setting and a new metal puppet appeared in place of the previous one. I raised my hand and pointed the finger at the metal puppet. I started to run the 1st stage of the lightning finger technique. A small purple ball gathered on top of my finger. I took a moment to observe the purple ball. The purple ball looks a lot denser and thicker. I already tested the single strand of purple essence at an uneven mountain peak. Then I shot the purple ball at the metal puppet. Swoosh~ In a blink of an eye, the purple beam reached the puppet. When the power comes in contact with the puppet. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated inside the room. A massive chest size hole appeared on the metal puppet. Seeing that my eyes shone with bright light. The impact was greater than before. And it was only the 1st stage in the lightning finger technique. What about the 2nd stage? The worry about duels is not anymore. Earlier, I planned to rely on body strength. Now there is no need to worry about exposing the body''s strength. I believe the lightning attacks will be enough to defeat her. "Eurice Frye," I mumbled under my breath. My eyes flickered. I heard she was not an ordinary genius. I believe people have already started comparing us. If I access social media, then I can find relevant topics. Chapter 547 Duel Day ? From MC''s perspective: After going through several posts. I realized that the opponent is not an easy target. But I have confidence in my lightning element. It will be enough to deter her. Then I exited the training room and started walking back to my dorm room. A few minutes later, When I returned to the dorm building. The neighbors immediately recognized my face. Though we didn''t have contact before. After simply nodding at them, I entered my room. When the door was closed. Others started to gossip. Tomorrow is a duel day. So they are discussing it. Unauthorized betting will happen. These friendly neighbors are already weighing the pros and cons. In the room, Seeing the dust all over the room. I thought work was cut out for me. Because of the breakthrough, I didn''t feel tired at all. So I started cleaning the room. An hour later, After cleaning the room, I lay down on my bed. ... In the female dorm room, Eurice Frye is looking at the antidote and the poison pills. She is going to make a huge bet tomorrow. If it succeeds, then she will get the rest of the resources. Then there will be no problem with becoming the next RainWater Faction Head in the future. She is confident in her ability. Since she had made up her mind to accept the task. She was no longer concerned with the actual duel tomorrow. She is focusing on how to implement the task. It is not easy to take out a random pill in the middle of a duel. For that, she has to carefully come up with a plan. So that no one can know. She feels fortunate that the duel is going to take place in the duel arena. Where the faction head and other elders will be seated in the spectator area. It would be impossible for them to spread consciousness and notice the changes. After gaining some clarity, her eyes flickered. ... The following day, I woke up earlier because of the duel day. After completing the morning routine. I entered the training room to cultivate body strength. There are a few monster cores left in my storage ring. Past few days, I didn''t have the opportunity to practice the blood element method. So after taking out the monster core. I held it in my palm. And started to run the blood element method in my mind. The blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Right after, I started to absorb the monster''s core energy. When the monster''s core energies entered my body. I started to guide the energy according to the blood element method. After circulation, the red light power appears in the bloodstream. It started to absorb these energies and convert them into mysterious white energies. After the appearance of the white energies. They immediately started drilling into my bones. Right after, I felt the heart-wrenching pain. Enduring it, I continued the process. Slowly, the tip of my right-hand bone fingers is turning red. A few hours later, I opened my eyes when the monster''s core was crumbled into pieces. Then I closed my eyes and started to inspect the inside of the changes. Then I saw the right-hand bone fingers are red. Seeing that I realized. The lower body transformation is over. Now it''s starting to happen for the upper body. I don''t know what''s waiting for me in the end. After pushing down these thoughts, I opened my eyes and stood up. Seeing the sweat and small traces of impurities all over my skin. I exited the training room and went to take a shower. Several minutes later, I changed into a fresh set of clothes. After getting ready, I walked out of the building. And started heading toward the dining hall. On the way, I heard surprised gasps from others. I wasn''t surprised. Nobody knows that I was out of the academy for the past few days. When I reached the dining hall. I saw Ernest and Laverne standing in the same place. A complicated emotion flashes in my eyes. These 2 of my seniors are caring. When I started to walk up to them. They saw me coming. "We knew it," Laverne muttered. Hearing that I asked, "What?" Ernest took the opportunity to intercede. He said, "We tried to contact you several times before. But after seeing you are busy, we gave up eventually. But we knew you would appear today." Hearing that I chuckled. If I tell them about my adventurous short trip, they will be shocked to the core. Then shaking my head, I said, "Let''s go inside. I''m hungry." Ernest and Laverne laughed. ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Ás `n?¦Í?| §ãom Our appearance attracted the attention of others. Especially me! I feel a lot of gazes on me. Like they can''t wait to see through my strength. But the dragon pendant hanging around my neck is covering my breath. These people won''t be able to see me. Then after receiving our food plate from the counter. We found an empty place to sit down and eat. When I sliced the piece of monster meat. I found Ernest and Laverne looking at me fiercely. "What?" I asked. "How confident are you for today''s duel?" Laverne asked. I revealed a small smile on my face before asking, "Why?" "We are going to place a bet on you," Ernest answered. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. I almost forgot about this small business. "Then place a bet on my behalf as well," I answered. ?¦Á?d¦Ás ¦Ç¦È¦Í¦Å|¡¤?¦Èm Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. My answer is enough to convince them. Both of them saw my body''s strength during the bedrock city incident. So they are quickly convinced. "Alright, I hope you don''t disappoint us," Ernest said before starting to eat. Soon we finished our food. After walking out of the dining hall, we started walking toward the arena. The duel is going to happen in 2 hours. But we decided to enter the arena and wait there. At the same time, I''m thinking about Jonathan. Hope he comes to watch the duel. ... Carlos Kent is currently getting ready in his house in Viper City. But the constant call from the Giant Tower Headmaster is disturbing his peace. He didn''t tell him about the recent change of plans. He doesn''t know why? But the plan kept changing. If he tells the truth, the Giant Tower Headmaster might jinx it. So he was avoiding the call all this time. But Carlos doesn''t know that someone is already in his room, observing him in secret. The person is none other than Jonathan. After separating from Zack, he quickly found the trails of Carlos Kent. Jonathan coincidently spotted Carlos in Viper City. But after that, he followed Carlos to his house. After a full night''s observation, Jonathan found suspicious activity. Because he saw Carlos searching for poison. It might have been random. But Jonathan felt bad about it. He also saw the SSS-Elite Stage Power level. But apart from that he didn''t find any other evidence directly connecting to Zack. There was not even a call or meet-up with the person. Jonathan thought one-night observation won''t give any results. Just as he decided to give up. Something new happens. Beep~ Carlos, who was combing his hair, notices the call. Seeing that the person was the Giant Tower Headmaster. He gave a cold snort in his heart. But right after he saw there was an unread message. In curiosity, he opened the message to read it. "He dares," The next second, he started scolding. The message was from the Giant Tower Headmaster himself. In that message, he advised Carlos to attend the call. If not, he will send someone to Viper City in search of him. Carlos showed killing intent in his eyes. Jonathan, who was hiding in the shadows, muttered, "Interesting." Carlos then immediately started contacting the Giant Tower Headmaster. He didn''t know this very attempt would spell doom for him. When the call is connected. Carlos impatiently uttered, "I''ll contact you when the work is finished." But from the other end of the call. The Giant Tower headmaster started threatening him. A few minutes later, Once again, Carlos promised him. Only after that, he ended the call in relief. "Harumph, he dares to order me around," Carlos said to himself. This conversation got the attention of Jonathan. Jonathan feels if he observes further, he will find something. ... Dean Rebecca received the reports from the eyeliners. "Zack was seen in the dining hall," She said with a smile. As she had guessed, Zack had indeed spent time in isolated practice. For a second, she thought about summoning him. The next second, she shook her head. She saw the duel time was getting near. So she changed her mind. Anyway, Zack Lcokwood has strong body strength. She doesn''t think he will get hurt that badly. Meanwhile, The students start coming to the duel arena. Not only from the ''A'' grade institution. But the students from B, C, and D grade institutions also. The duel between Zack Lockwood and Eurice Frye got so much attention compared to the previous few official duels. Chapter 548 Part 1: Fighting Against Eurice Frye ? From MC''s perspective: 10:45 A.M A few minutes before the duel, I entered the registration office along with Ernest and Laverne. Before the duel, the participants have to sign the agreement. When we reached the room. There is a staff member already waiting for us with documents. After signing the papers, I turned to Ernest and Laverne. I said, "Alright, I''m going." Ernest nodded his head and said, "We will be cheering for you from the spectator spot." "Be careful of her," Laverne said. Hearing that I nodded at them before walking to the entrance. When I walked out, I spotted a massive crowd at the gallery. All of them are warriors and elders from all the institutions. Gasp~ A commotion broke out right after my appearance. Ignoring everyone, I started walking toward the duel stage. There are still 15 minutes left before the start of the duel. After arriving at the duel stage. I stopped and looked at the referee. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. The elder is from the Flame Faction. I hope there won''t be any tricks. Meanwhile, Carlos Kent enters the academy. He then started moving toward the arena in mid-air. He wasn''t aware that someone was already following him. That person is none other than Jonathan. Suspicion about Carlos has already deepened in his heart. He is a little away from catching him red-handed. Jonathan also keeps Zack''s duel in mind. Since he is already following Carlos. Using this opportunity he decided to watch the duel. At the same time, the other faction elders are already waiting in the spectator area. Franklin Madden, the Vice Dean, was standing together with the Flame Faction Members. From time to time, he is looking toward the Rain Water Faction direction. "Where is her student?" He muttered to himself, looking at Elder Alice. When he first heard about the duel. He didn''t believe that a water elemental warrior would be any different from the flame elemental warrior. But the girl Eurice was different compared to her peers. She had learned a lot from Elder Alice. So he is thinking it might do the trick. On the side of the Metal Faction, Marcus Lin is observing the person on the duel stage. He doesn''t know how far Zack has improved from the previous duel. Because he wants to encourage the Metal Faction Warriors to come forward. The remaining genius warriors are still in retreat. He fears that Zack will break out before they end the retreat. When it comes to the current duel. Like Franklin, he is too looking forward to watching Elder Alice''s disciple''s duel. Similarly, the Rock Earth Faction Head and the Gale Wind Faction Head are seated in their seats. Unlike other factions, their warriors are yet to fight against Zack. It''s not like they didn''t have genius warriors among them. But they are smart compared to their hot-headed peers. So from the current duel, they will be learning from them. On the other hand, "Has everyone come?" Rebecca muttered to herself. She then looked at the time. Seeing that 10 minutes left for the duel. She decided to go five minutes later. The academy''s social media site is live-streaming the event. So those who can''t go to the arena can also watch duels. Some students are currently staying with their families in Viper City. Through their accounts, their family also has a chance to watch the duel live. Similar scenes are taking place everywhere. But compared it to the "A" grade institution factions. The people from other institutions are polite and silently looking forward to the duel. They also want to witness the gap between them and "A" grade institution warriors. So somewhere it''s also become a prestigious event for the "A" grade institution. By conducting the duel in the area before everyone. They can showcase their talent before everyone. Which in turn justifies their recruitment policy. 5 minutes later, Dean Rebecca silently appeared above the stadium. Next, she saw Zack standing on the dual stage waiting for the opponent to appear. "Where is he?" She muttered, noticing that there was no one to support Zack in the Special Faction Area. Including, the Special Factio Head Carlos Kent. "That guy seems to be low-key after getting beaten up by me," She said with a smile. She then thought no one could feel her presence. But down below Carlos Kent''s pupil shrank. He purposely avoided looking above. He knew Dean Rebecca had come to watch the duel. If he shows any movements she can see through the duel. So he is trying to remain unnoticed among the crowd. For that, he didn''t even go to their Special Faction Area. Hiding in the shadows, Jonathan observes everything with an amusing smile on his face. He also saw Carlos Kent''s acting and Rebecca''s sudden appearance. Looking at Rebecca, Jonathan frowned. "I thought this woman was smart," He said in his heart. He can tell that Carlos is trying hard to hide his flaws. Carlos wants to be less seen. This tells Jonathan that Rebecca wasn''t aware of everything happening in the academy. Now seeing everything with his own eyes. He believes in Zack''s words right now. On the other side, Ernest and Laverne found a good spot to watch the duel. As they are 2 members from the Special Faction, they didn''t go to their faction area. Because there was no one there. In the fighting stage, Cheer~ Eurice Frye made an appearance. Seeing her the crowd broke out in cheer. Almost all water elemental warriors are cheering for her. It doesn''t matter whether it''s an A grade or not. Eurice is represented on behalf of water elemental warriors. After appearing on the duel stage, Eurice saw her opponent for the first time. "So he is Zack Lockwood. Nothing seems great to me," Eurice said in her heart. Her eyes are looking for a weakness. But she couldn''t see through Zack''s strength. "What?" Her eyes lit up with surprise. Then she understood he was using some kind of artifact. Then she shook her head. She had made up her mind to use that poison pill. So it doesn''t matter whether he has safety artifacts or not. As long as he inhales the poison powder, he will be poisoned. Before coming to the arena, she took time to consume the antidote. That''s why she was late. But the antidote didn''t show any reactions so far. After confirming it, she felt relieved. Meanwhile, I stood cross-armed and looked at her. Don''t know why? I''m getting a little uneasy. Then I removed the messy thoughts and got ready to duel. The referee set his gaze on the timing. When the clock hit 11 a.m. He gave the signal. Swoosh~ Eurice released her scythe attack. When she cut. A strong water-blue arc shot at me. My eyes flickered. I sidestepped to evade the attack on time. But when the water blue attack hits the empty stage near me. Ssshhh~ I heard the scorching sound. "Steam," I uttered in surprise. It''s not a single attribute of water elemental power. She is using hot water attacks. It was in contrast to the ice attacks I have heard of. A hint of amazement flashes in my eyes. Now that I know where the uneasy feeling comes from. She perhaps has mutated the water element. Which gives her steaming ability. I don''t know how it works with techniques. Gasp~ The crowd let out a huge gasp. Most of them are watching on the screen. The hot water attack left them speechless. Eurice Frye is not your average water elemental warrior. Where they are considered weak against other elements. She has a record of beating Fire Elemental Warrior in a duel last year. Some of them started to recall that particular match. Ernest and Laverne''s expressions turned solemn. "Here we go, her elemental power is going to trouble him," Laverne commented. Ernest is quietly observing the duel. Both of them are aware of her elemental power. After witnessing Zack''s confidence, they didn''t mention it before. On the Rain Water Faction side, Alice Brown revealed a small smile on her face. Behind her, the female warriors are cheering hard for their friend. If Eurice manages to defeat Zack, then it would be a great achievement. Not only they can stand together with Special Faction Warriors shoulder to shoulder. They can also set records of defeating Zack before the Flame Faction and the Metal Faction. On the Flame Faction side, Franklin''s mouth twitches. Seeing the hot water attack, he believes the result won''t be one-sided. There is a good chance for her to win. If she overcomes the domineering lightning power, then it would be an easy win for her. He didn''t know about Zack''s circumstances. In mid-air, a trace of worry flashes in Rebecca''s eyes. This was the exact thing she wanted to remind Zack the other day. She doesn''t know whether Zack can engage in close combat before her attack reaches him. At the same time, Carlos is grinning ear to ear. "It''s time to end him," Carlos muttered to himself slowly. But he doesn''t know that his words are heard by Jonathan. Jonathan raises his eyebrows. Chapter 549 Part 2: Fighting Against Eurice Frye ? From MC''s perspective: In the duel stage, I pointed my finger at her before releasing the 1st stage of lightning finger technique. A purple ball shot at Eurice Frye. In a blink of an eye, it reaches the target. Eurice Frye showed surprise before counter attacking by using her scythe. Just before the purple beam got closer to her. Her scythe released a blue color counter attack. When the two energies come in contact with each other. Boom~ Explosion occurs. The stage was filled with smoke. Eurice Frye''s eyes flickered. She immediately took out the poison pills and crushed them. She crushed both the poison pills on the spot. After doing that, she pretended to be in a defensive position. She never expected the opponent to give her an opportunity. "Now he is going to be poisoned," Eurice said in her heart. She is not worried about the outcome of the duel. All she cared about was the task. Now that she is fulfilled. She felt a huge weight lifted off from her shoulder. Right now, she wants to let out successful laughter. But this will expose her. So quickly calmed down her nerves. At the same time, I twitched. Her mutated water element is strong. It even counteracted the lightning element. There is no need to delay. After figuring it out, I brought the black sword outside. I brought it forward and started to charge the sword with lightning essence. When the smoke cleared. My Sword blade is flickering with purple light. "Sword Divide," I discharged the lightning beam the next second. Thunder~ With a thunderclap sound the lightning attack shot at the target. Eurice Frye''s pupil shrank. She hurriedly brought her scythe forward to defend. In order to counteract, she poured the mustard water essence to her scythe. But this time the sword beam travels faster than the lightning finger technique. Even before she completes circulation. The lightning beam hits her. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated throughout the place. No one was expecting such a move from Zack. This all happened within seconds. Tud~ Eurice Frye flew backward like a broken kite from the impact. Because of it, she lost the grip of Scythe. Which dropped on the ground. Gasp~ The crowd gasped out loud. From the start Eurice was holding well. She was gaining momentum. But what happened now? Above, Dean Rebecca widened her eyes in disbelief. At first she thought it was her imagination. Now she clearly sees it. "When and where did he recover the purple essence?" She said to herself. She knew Zack had been cooked up in his dorm all this week. There was no news of him going out. On top of it, she didn''t tell him any places. So how? Her eyes flickered. But when her eyes scanned Zack''s body. "Peak Elite!" She uttered in surprise. Which means Zack had a breakthrough recently. Her mood worsens a little bit. It''s one thing to cultivate daily. But for breakthrough a warrior needs a large amount of resources. When it comes to Zack. He has to use the lightning element presence in the atmosphere. So a breakthrough wouldn''t have happened, if he stayed in the dorm room. "Where did he go?" Rebecca muttered. Now she wants to interrogate Zack. The Mountain Peak of Red Moon Tower was prohibited. No one can go there without her permission. So Zack must have visited some other place. Gloominess covering her face. On the other hand, Carlos Kent was stunned as well. For a second, he didn''t even look at Eurice. He is observing Zack. "How did it happened?" He questioned himself. Like Dean, he knows about Zack as well. Zack was helpless during the bedrock city incident. So what happened in the past few days? Carlos was confused. But he was secretly glad that he gave 2 poison pills to Eurice. If she uses 2 poison pills on the stage, it''s not possible for Zack to remain unscathed from the poison. Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows. His eyesight is far more powerful than these people. He ignored Carlos'' mumbling and saw Eurice''s actions clearly. "She took out something from her storage bracelet. But didn''t consume it in the end," Jonathan said in his heart. But he wasn''t able to see what it was? On the side of RainWater Faction, Elder Alice''s face turned frosty. She was not pissed off because of Zack. She found Eurice was behaving strangely. Like she had given up. She reminded her before. The lightning element was domineering. Eurice has to give her full strength to counter attack the lightning element. But now Eurice has crashed to the ground. Elder Alice''s eyes flickered with little disappointment. But she believes that Eurice will fiercely counter attack after this. Apart from the scythe technique, Eurice has other attack techniques as well. Franklin, Marucs Lin and other faction heads are surprised by Zack''s outburst. They are lecturing their faction members to observe the duel in detail. Especially these faction heads who were seriously noting down everything. They decided to share this detail to other genius warriors who are currently in seclusion. The duel stage, Seeing that she was smashed on the ground. I raised my sword to release another Sword Divide attack. But when I charged the black sword. Eurice Frye suddenly got up from the ground. She shot several water balls in quick succession. When the purple beam hits her figure. The figure collapses on the ground like a massive water drop. Then she appeared a few meters away from it. "Water clone technique," I uttered in surprise. Such an amazing technique. This was the first time I have witnessed it. But I don''t have time to appreciate it. I raised the sword again to release the attack. But my heart palpitates all of a sudden. What is this sense of crisis? I stopped the attack in mid way. I saw Eurice was still looking at me. But the sense of crisis is increasing heavily. Then I shook my head and pushed down these thoughts. "I''m going to end it now," I muttered to myself. I have this vague feeling in my heart. If I delay any longer the crisis will be increased. "Lightning phantom technique," I uttered. The lightning power covered both of my legs. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot. And I dashed toward Eurice Frye at a breakneck speed. ¡¤?¦Èm This all happened within seconds. But when I was halfway there, My heart tightened all of a sudden. I felt dizzy for a moment. "What''s going on?" I shouted in my heart. Unknowingly, the poison was inhaled by Zack. I don''t know what is going on? But if I stopped my movements now, then it would lead to my defeat. At the same time, Eurice Frye''s eyes widened in disbelief. "How could he move?"She said in her heart. She knows the poison is mixed with air. Right now, the poisonous air must have covered the whole duel stage. But she didn''t have time to think about this. She hurriedly moved her scythe forward. Seeing that opponent is coming for her. She raised her Scythe to make a cut. But she was a step late. Before she could fully mobilize her essence. I reached her. "Lightning Wheel," I said. The next second, a massive purple wheel appears around me. The wheel is filled with lightning power. Seeing that Eurice Frye''s face filled with horror. "What is this attack?" She uttered in desperation. She expected some kind of sword attack. But this lightning attack blew her mind. When her Scythe comes into contact with the lightning wheel. Boom~ The lightning wheel explodes coming in contact with the Scythe. The massive lightning power blasted away Eurice. She was thrown off the stage from the impact. Seeing that I didn''t react for a while. Because I''m not in the mood to be happy. Something is affecting my body. And I don''t know what is happening? "Zack Lockwood wins!" The referee made the announcement. Cheer~ The crowd broke out in huge cheer. They didn''t expect this duel to be this interesting. Finally, Zack has won the duel with the finishing move. The noise was over the roof. The Rain Water Faction Head Alice Brown stood up from her seat in disappointment. But the disappointment remained in her face for a moment. She was surprised by Zack''s finishing move. That lightning technique was different. It''s an attack and defense technique at the same moment. In the end, she can only say that her student''s technique was not comparable to Zack''s technique. Franklin Madden, Marcus Lin and other faction heads are not much surprised by the results. Eurice had momentum in the beginning. But she was pushed back by Zack. Then eventually she lost it. Above, Dean Rebecca''s eyes shone with bright light. Her eyes never left Zack. Though she was surprised by Eurice''s quick defeat. It was soon replaced by confusion. She saw Zack was hesitating for some reason. "What happened to him?" She said to herself. Zack is sweating profusely instead of showing joy on his face. After taking a final glance at both of them, she disappeared from the spot. Chapter 550 Black Dots ? From MC''s perspective: The duel stage, I''m feeling a tightening sensation in my chest. When the referee announced the result. I looked toward Eurice Frye. She gave me an evil grin before leaving the stage. Seeing that I suddenly feel bad. She didn''t have any regrets or disappointments. She looks happy and carefree. This was not supposed to be her reaction. Looking at her disappearing back. My eyes flickered. Then I left the duel stage. When I returned to the entrance. I saw Ernest and Laverne waiting for me. Upon seeing them both walked toward me. "Zack, you surprised us," Laverne said with a smile on her face. ?andasnovel.com Ernest said, "We didn''t know that you recovered your lightning essence." Both of them said one after another. But when they took a closer look at my appearance, They were shocked. "What happened to your complexion?" "You look sick," Ernest said. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. "I was fine before the duel. But something happened to me during the duel. I don''t know what?" I replied. Both of them looked at each other. Seeing their worries in my eyes, I said, "Maybe her strange element is affecting me." "There is a possibility for it. Her water element is different," Laveren commented. Ernest also showed a thoughtful look. Seeing that I sighed inwardly. It''s better to not bother them. And the problem is something I''m not sure of. Then I changed the topic and started discussing something else. Meanwhile, People are leaving one by one. But one person is staying in the same spot with a happy expression on his face. Carlos Kent is grinning ear to ear. His plan was a success. He noticed Zack''s worsening complexion during the duel. Like someone was drained completely. If not for Zack''s quick decision, it would not have been easy to win the duel. Especially when the poison inside the body is working fully. Jonathan''s eyes grew cold. He knew something happened to Zack during the duel. His eyes are far better than anyone else. And the behavior of the opposing girl also made him suspicious. Like she had not participated in the duel to win in the 1st place. At this moment, Jonathan made the firm decision in his great. His suspicion about Carlos Kent has also grown big. So when everyone left. He instantly appeared behind Carlos and knocked him unconscious. From beginning to end, Carlos wasn''t aware that someone had already caught his tail. Like the Giant Tower Elder, Jonathan is going to lock him up in the basement. He knew the strength of Carlos. So he has some measures in his hands. Before dragging away Carlos. Jonathan looked at Zack''s direction. He strongly feels Zack is in some kind of trouble. He decided to return after locking him up. The result of the duel started to spread like wildfire. Though people have watched it live. Everyone is still discussing the duel. Several minutes later, I returned to my room after separating from Ernest and Laverne. We discussed the monster zone. Seeing that my essence was recovered. They wanted to visit a difficult monster zone tomorrow. But I know my condition was not better. So hurriedly came back to my room. After closing the door, I entered the training room. First, I want to see what''s wrong with my body. I walked up to the middle and sat cross-legged on the ground. After closing my eyes, I started observing my inner organs. The next second, my heart set off storms. I saw black color dots all over my inner organs. "What is this?" I muttered in my heart. The inner organs seem to have weakened because of these black dots. No wonder, I felt so drained. On top of that, I''m also a body cultivator. If not for the dual strength, I don''t know what would have happened right now. Then a sudden realization struck my mind. I should cultivate the wooden scripture. Maybe the healing elements might cure this unknown power. When I started to run the wooden scripture. I began to absorb the green color essence in my body. The Green color essence then started to show changes. They immediately began to attack the black color dots. Seeing that I confirmed something in my heart. These black dots are poisons. Now the healing element is actively counter-attacking it. But when did I get poisoned? I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I guess the person who poisoned me doesn''t know that I''m a healer. After removing the distracting thoughts, I started to focus on healing. Meanwhile, Jonathan brought Carlos Kent to Viper City several minutes later. He didn''t go anywhere but straight to Carlos'' mansion. That place is best for the interrogation. There is no underground cellar in that house. But there is a large training room. I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com Jonathan used Carlos'' I.D. to enter inside. After dropping the body on the ground. He looked around. The training room was built with rare metals. It can withstand the attack from the SS-Elite Warrior. After taking a glance at the room. Jonathan turned to Carlos Kent. Right now he wants to go back and check Zack Lockwood. But there is a chance that Carlos will wake up after a few minutes. A quick glint flashes in his eyes. He takes out a liquid potion from his storage ring. He normally used to drug the person before interrogation. This potion will extend Carlos'' sleep. He won''t be able to get up for at least the next three hours. Next, he opened Carlos'' mouth and poured a liquid potion. After doing that he began to observe the changes. A few minutes later, He touched Carlos'' heart to observe the changes. The heart was beating at a slow rate. With that, he confirmed that the potion is working. Then without any hesitation, he took the I.D. back and left the training room. After leaving the house, he appeared in mid-air the next second. And then started to fly toward the academy. Meanwhile, Eurice Frye went back to her dorm room directly. She didn''t even bother to check her teacher. Now she has to wait for the next part of the resources to appear. She accomplished the task. She also saw Zack being affected by the poison. Which indicates that Zack will face death soon. So she isn''t worried about anything right now. It only matters when? The poison will do its job. It''s difficult to tell when it will work fully. On the other hand, Rebecca is sitting down in the chair. But her expression was not right. Her mind was in a state of conflict. She thinks that Zack has gone outside without her permission. Other than that there was no other explanation for Zack''s recovered lightning essence. She thought for a moment before summoning the guardians. Two shadow guardians appeared within minutes. They are none other than Zack''s protector. Looking at them, Rebecca asked them in a cold tone, "Have you watched the duel?" Hearing that both nodded with solemn expressions on their faces. Both realized the reason for their summons. Both of them are surprised equally after seeing Zack using his lightning attacks. Sitting cross-armed, Rebecca asked again, "When did it happen?" The male guardian stepped forward to reply, "Dean, you misunderstood us." "We never left the academy," He added further. A disbelief appeared on Rebecca''s face. "What do you mean by that?" "It''s impossible for Zack to leave without his protectors following him from behind." "You two must have known about his recovered lightning essence," Rebecca asked. The male guardian''s face turned dark. He then turned toward the female colleague. The female guardian shook her head before saying, "Dean, trust us. We kept our eyes on Zack. We thought he was staying in his dorm room." "But right now both of us are confused as well," She added. Rebecca frowned. She had thought both the guardians failed to report her. But it looks like it''s not. Both of them were kept in the dark as well. "How did he manage to do that?" Rebecca asked herself. Both the guardians heard her mumbling. They too want to know the answer as well. At this time, the male guardian asked, "Dean, you should summon Zack here. Only he can explain the situation." Rebecca let out a small sigh. "He must be tired right now. I''ll ask him later, you guys can go back," Rebecca said. Both the guardians nodded their heads before disappearing from the spot. Rebecca then texted Zack to come to her office tomorrow morning. As the guardians said, only Zack can solve her confusion. If not for Carlos'' incident, she might have called Zack right now. But after that incident, she can tell that Zack is avoiding her. A bitter smile appeared on her face. What can she do? The Supreme Elder is taking the side of Carlos Kent. She can''t do much about it. Rain Water Faction Head''s cabin, Alice Brown came back to her cabin. But her expression was not right. She was utterly disappointed by Eurice''s performance. She thought Eurice didn''t give it her all. The opponent Zack seemed tired out during the late stages of the duel. If Eruice had planned better, the results might have turned in her favor. Chapter 551 Supressing The Black Dots ? From MC''s Perspective: 10 minutes later, Small sweat beads dripped from my forehead. I thought that the healing element would eliminate the black dots. But the healing is slower compared to the spreading of the black dots all over my body. When I found myself helpless. I decided to contact Jonathan. I opened my eyes and made a call to him. The connection was established the next second. But he gave me a surprise. Jonathan will be here in 5 seconds. "What is he doing here?" I muttered to myself before leaving the practice room. Then I walked toward the door. Creak~ I opened the door and the next second I saw Jonathan''s face. "Thank goodness, you are here," I said. Jonathan''s expression turned serious looking at Zack. He asked, "What happened to you?" After saying that, he walked into the room. I closed the door before starting to explain what happened to my body. Especially the appearance of black dots all over the inner organs. At first, Jonathan''s expression was calm. But after hearing he instantly appeared in front of Zack and started checking his body. Seeing Jonathan''s actions. I didn''t stop him and let him observe the poison. 10 seconds later, I asked, "Do you recognize the thing?" Jonathan nodded before taking his hand off. His heart was boiling in anger. The black dots are colorless poison. It''s a rare poison. It was normally used to kill Advanced rank warriors. But someone dared to poison Zack with these cruel methods. "Did you know who did it?" Jonathan asked. At the same time, he is thinking about the cure. "I believe it happened during the duel," I answered. Like the sudden realization. Jonathan''s eyes lit up with surprise. He remembered Carlos'' mumbling. That person was sure that something bad was going to happen to Zack. Everything will come to light once he starts the interrogation. But before that, he needs to suppress the poison. He didn''t have the antidote right now. But he knows who has it. This colorless poison and its antidote is quietly popular among the influential circle. So he is going to make a trip. He then takes out a high-grade healing pill from the storage ring. This healing pill was kept for emergency use. This pill works against the majority of poison. Except in some rare cases such as colorless pills. He didn''t expect someone to know this rare poison. Jonathan decided to up his guard. Then he handed over the healing pill to Zack. "This pill will help you suppress the black dots. They won''t spread for at least a few hours. In the meantime, I will find the real antidote for this poison," Jonathan said. I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. If Jonathan recognizes the black dots. Then he must know the solution as well. "Alright, I''m leaving now. We will discuss it later after finding the antidote for you," saying that, Jonathan walked to the door. After sending him away, I closed the door and walked back to the practice room. Sitting cross-legged, I swallowed the brown color healing pill. The next second, I felt a warm enemy running down my throat. Then I started to run the wooden scripture. Then surprisingly the combination of the healing pill''s energy and healing element is having a significant effect. The black dots stopped spreading at a faster rate. Seeing that I felt the suppressed time might be longer because of my healing element''s effectiveness. A few minutes later, I checked the body again after fully refining the energy. Seeing that the black dots stopped moving. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then I stood up and left the practice room. I went to take a shower. 2o minutes later, After changing into fresh clothes, I simply lay down on the bed. Meanwhile, Jonathan arrived back at Carlos'' mansion in the meantime. After using Carlos'' I.D. card, he entered the practice room. Seeing that Carlos is unconscious, he grew cold. He strongly believes that Zack''s poisoning was something to do with him. So he hurriedly came back to check Carlos'' storage ring. He then walked forward to do the checking. He easily destroyed the mind imprints and started to check the resources. There are many rare and high-grade resources stored in the storage ring. But Jonathan''s mind was set on finding the cure. After doing careful checking, he retracts back his consciousness. His face showed disappointment. As there was no poison pill or antidote in it. "I have to use my connections," Jonathan mumbled under his breath. Carlos was drugged. It will take some time for him to regain consciousness. So in the meantime, Jonathan decided to leave.I think you should take a look at Right now, finding a cure for Zack is more important than interrogating this person. He then left the room. A few seconds later, He appeared outside of Viper City in mid-air. He turned back and took a good look at the city before moving toward the destination. Right after, he left. Carlos Kent''s watch was lit up with a notification sound. Someone is calling him. But he is not in the condition to attend the call. The person who made the call was none other than the Giant Tower Headmaster. He wants to know the status of Zack Lockwood right now. But unfortunately, no one could answer him right now. Time passed, The news about Zack''s win started to make rounds. The duel videos are trending online. Some new students are equally surprised by watching Eurice Frye''s mutated water elemental''s power. Because of it, the crowd started to gather in front of the male dorm building. All the male faction members want to meet Zack. It''s still daytime. So some are expecting Zack to appear outside. But to their disappointment, this is not going to happen. As time passed, some people realized that they were waiting in vain. So they started to walk away. While others are waiting. Some warriors started to post this on the online social media site as well. They are hoping that Zack will appear outside after reading the post. Right now, not only the warriors are keeping an eye on the dorm building but the teachers and elders are as well. Even the dean herself had warned the protectors. So both guardians continued to monitor the dorm building. Meanwhile, Eurice Frye is also watching the development. She is watching for a different reason. She wanted to know when the academy would find out that Zack is dead. "These people are unnecessarily waiting for him. He might be reading right now," She said to herself. Then she saw the post about her and the teacher. A complex glint flashes in her eyes. She had chosen to hide this news from her. She doesn''t want to meet her right now. She can find something. Elder Alice has been guiding her for a long time. So she was aware of her reactions. Eurice thinks that Elder Alice would raise questions about the duel. Because she admitted defeat in front of the whole crowd. And she still had essence left to use at that time. After carefully thinking about it, Eurice decided to avoid her for the time being. An hour later, Jonathan reaches the magnanimous city. It is many times more luxurious and larger than Tier-6 cities of the academies. This was built on a different scale. But Jonathan directly flew over the city. He is speeding in mid-air toward the specific direction. After a few seconds, he appeared in front of the high-rise circular building. This building is a chamber of commerce. Jonathan showed the privileged cards to the guards before entering inside. The guards were stunned in disbelief. Because the star markings on the card were high in numbers. This was something only founders can have. The guards knew how to shut their mouths. So after the initial surprise, they recovered their expression back. Jonathan appeared on the top floor. There was someone already waiting for him in the guest room. After entering inside, a fat middle-aged man is reading the magazine. But after sensing the presence of Jonathan. He placed the book on the table before starting the greeting. "Jonathan, what a pleasant surprise?" "I never expected to see you here soon," The middle-aged man greeted with a smile. "It''s good to see you again Peter. But I''m here for an urgent matter." "Did you bring the antidote with you?" Jonathan impatiently asked back. The middle-aged man''s smile disappeared. Then he nodded his head in understanding. He brought the cure potion with him. He then handed it over to Jonathan. Jonathan''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. He asked, "What''s the cost?" The middle-aged man smiled before saying, "I can tell that the cure is for an important person. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have rushed here." "So take it as a gift from me," He added further. Jonathan squinted his eyes. He placed the cure in the storage ring before turning to the middle-aged man. "I know about you. Tell me what do you want?" Jonathan asked straightforwardly to him. Chapter 552 Part 1: Interrogation ? From MC''s perspective: ?andasnovel.com Peter wasn''t surprised by Jonathan''s words. But he was interested in the poisoned person. Who can make Jonathan come this far? If he says it out loud, it will offend him. Then he shook his head in denial and said,"I''m serious. You can take this cure with you. If I need something in future, I''ll tell you." Jonathan''s eyebrows eases down a little bit. There was nothing free in this world. He thinks there is a calculation behind Peter''s words. But right now there was no time to think about it. He said,"Alright, I''m leaving." After saying that Jonathan left the room. The middle aged man Peter sat back in his seat. He believes sooner or later he will meet Jonathan. Maybe during that time. He can collect more information. A few hours later, Jonathan comes back to Viper City. He didn''t go to Carlos'' mansion. Rather he is going straight to the academy. Saw Scaled Viper Academy: Dorm room, When I was laying down in the bed. I woke up because of the message. After reading the message. I stepped out and walked to the door. I opened it but I saw no one standing outside. "Where is he?" I mumbled under my breath. I thought Jonathan was back. Looks like he is still on his way. Shaking my head, I went back to sit down on the couch. Several minutes later, Jonathan entered the room. Seeing him, I stood up from the couch. Before I could ask, he handed over something to me. When I looked at the potion bottle. A hint of understanding flashes in my eyes. "It''s a cure. Don''t worry, the colorless poison will be eliminated," Jonathan said. Hearing his words, I sighed in relief. "You can consume the potion right now. " "I have some important work to do. I''ll call you later," After saying that Jonathan left the room. From the beginning to the end, he didn''t think about the efficiency of the cure. After closing the door, I entered the practice room. I don''t know where he acquired it. Because the potion bottle itself looks expensive. Sitting cross-legged, I opened the cork and drank the liquid in one go. The warm energy entered my organs. Then I started to run the wooden scripture. The next second, I started to feel hot all over my body. Gritting my teeth, I began to observe the situation of the inner organs. The black dots are reacting violently. The cure seems to be a natural enemy. Together with the healing element of mine. They are starting to attack the black dots. Seeing the reactions, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. The cure is working fine. It was a lot more effective than the pill I had consumed a few hours ago. The healing energy is slowly erasing the black dots all over my body. Seeing that, I continued to refine the energy. 30 minutes later, A rosy complexion appeared back on my face. The feeling of draining was not anymore. Right now, there were no black dots inside the body. The cure has done its work. But I didn''t get up from the ground. There are some lingering energies left. I''m going to utilize them fully. Meanwhile, By the time, Jonathan was already in the Carson Mansion. Right now, he is standing in front of Carlos Kent in the practice room. The effect of the drug is slowly getting over. It will be a matter of minutes before he fully regains his consciousness. 10 minutes later, "Hmm," Carlos Kent started to wake up. When he regained his clarity. He felt the splitting headache the next moment. For a second he felt blank. He took some seconds to adjust his thoughts. But when did it happen? His expression changes drastically. He recalled what happened to him? Before losing consciousness, he was standing in the spectator area. "Who are you?" Jonathan asked. He realized someone was standing in front of him. But when he saw the unfamiliar face. He was shocked to the core. He doesn''t know the identity of the person. He is an SSS-Elite Warrior. No one can knock him out. Unless the dean or the Supreme Elder does it. But who was he? Carlos confirms that the person standing in front of him was the reason for losing his consciousness. But right now, he can''t even ask it in a threatening tone. He understands that the person might be stronger than him. What is the concept? Apart from the Supreme Elder, he didn''t feel danger from other warriors. This person was the 2nd time. Jonathan watched his behavior and heard his words. He can tell that Carlos is behaving normally. Now he can start the interrogation. "I''m going to ask you several questions. But you have to tell me everything without hiding the truth."I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "If not, worse may happen. You will end up dead. You might not even know about it," Jonathan said. Carlos Kent''s eyes widened in disbelief. Not only because of these words. But he also found he wasn''t able to mobilize the essential energy in his body. Like someone had put a restraint on his body. "What did you do to me?" Carlos Kent asked. The next second, a monstrous coercion released from the body. Carlos Kent felt suffocating under the pressure. His expression turned pale with fright. The coercion alone tells you that person belongs to a different league. SSS- elite warriors like him are trembling under the coercion. The next moment, the pressure disappeared. Carlos Kent collapsed on the ground. His body is twitching. Huge storm set off in his heart. The pressure was many times stronger than the Supreme Elder. He knew the person didn''t intend to attack him. Otherwise, he would have blasted into pieces from the coercion alone. Carlos Kent''s entire back was drenched in sweat. He looks like a weak shrimp. Earlier, haughtiness faded away from his eyes. An extreme fear flashes in his eyes. He didn''t remember offending a person like him. What is going on? "Are you going to cooperate?" Jonathan asked. Jonathan heavily nodded his head before saying,"Sir, let me live in the end. I will tell you everything." Carlos Demaneor totally changed. He recognized the strength of this person. Right now, he wants to save his life. "Okay," Jonathan said with a smile. He appreciates the person who recognises the reality. "Now, tell me. Why are you targeting Zack Lockwood?" Jonathan asked. At the same time, he locked Carlos Kent by using coercion. Carlos Kent felt soul leave his body for a second. "Zack Lockwood" He trembled in fear the next second. He was wondering? When did he offend a person like him? But now he realizes apart from Zack Lockwood. He was not targeting anyone. Seeing that person is looking at him. Words failed to come out from his mouth. How can he tell him? If this person has something to do with Zack Lockwood. There is no way he will survive after the questioning. Seeing that coercion is increasing. An extreme fear took over his heart. "Sir?" Carlos uttered. "You live or die. It depends on my mood." "So don''t waste my time," Jonathan said in a cold tone. Carlos shuddered in fear. He felt it was over. There was no running away from it. He can''t even stand against the coercion. How can he fight against him? His eyes dimmed. Carlos accepted reality. Like the person said. He doesn''t want to anger him. "Sir, the Giant Tower Headmaster asked me to kill Zack Lockwood," Carlos said. A quick glint flashes in Jonathan''s eyes. His suspicion was now confirmed. There was something wrong with the Giant Tower Management. The Headmaster was acting on his own. The inner elders are kept in the dark. "Why does he want to see Zack Lockwood dead?" Jonathan asked. Hearing that Jonathan was stunned. This was something that even confused him. "It''s something that I found strange. Their Academy doesn''t seem to take Zack Lockwood seriously. But their Headmaster is after Zack Lockwood''s life," He replied. "Interesting," Jonathan muttered, nodding his head. "Tell me how?" Jonathan asked back. Carlos Kent then started to explain his doubts. Starting from the gathering incident to the bedrock incident. A few minutes later, He revealed his colorless poison scheme. Jonathan''s eyes grew cold. Now after hearing that the colorless poison pill was the idea of this person. He released a monstrous coercion. The pressure instantly crushed Carlos to the ground. Boom~ The power was so huge that the practice room started to shake. The coercion was targeted on Carlos'' body. If not the entire practise room would have blown up into pieces. Pfff~ Blood splattered on the ground. Several bones were broken in his body. His meridians are slightly damaged. He was a step away from becoming crippled. That too because Jonathan kept his hands. Carlos''s heart was in turmoil. From this power he can tell that the Supreme Elder was no way near the person. "It''s just a coercion but it can make him crippled" A bitter smile appeared on Carlos''s face. Chapter 553 Part 2: Interrogation ? The Viper City: Jonathan''s heart is boiling in anger. He never expected the person in front of him was behind the colorless poison. And that girl who admitted defeat was the culprit as well. He didn''t expect the academy to have rotten apples like them. Right now, he decided to set focus on the Giant Tower Headmaster. That person seems way more dangerous than Carlos Kent. After gaining some clarity in thoughts, he turned to Carlos Kent. "Do you want to live?" Jonathan asked. Hearing that, Carlos nodded his head in disbelief. He thought his life was over. But he was surprised by this silver of hope. "Yes!" "Sir, I want you to live. Give me a chance to correct my mistakes," Carlos asked. Jonathan sneered inside. Instead of killing that person, he decided to make use of this person. He wants to know who is behind the Giant Tower Headmaster. His action doesn''t seem like he was acting individually. There must be someone behind him. "Hereafter, you should act like everything is normal. I want you to find out about the Giant Tower Headmaster," Jonathan said. Carlos Kent was quick witted. He instantly understands the meaning behind the words. Like he had suspected the Giant Tower Headmaster. The person in front of him also thinks the same. "Sir, I will complete the task," Carlos replied. "Wait, not only that. I want you to be responsible for Zack Lockwood''s protection as well," Jonathan said. Carlos Kent''s mouth twitches. He admitted his mistake. Zack Lockwood is someone he didn''t dare to offend. This person already taught him a lesson. Jonathan saw through his thoughts. Then he added further,"Well, don''t tell anyone about this including the dean and the supreme elder." Carlos Kent was surprised. He then remembered Eurice Frye. "Sir, that girl Eurice knows me. I''m afraid she will spill the beans later," Carlos voiced out of his concern. "I will leave it to Zack Lockwood. He will decide what to do?" "Here, take my number. Update me frequently. If he asks to do something again, instead try to find out more details about him." "I''m leaving right now. And don''t forget about my words. Your life depends on your performance," After saying that Jonathan left the mansion. Carlos Kent stood alone. His complexion was not better. He was deeply injured earlier. He was still holding on because of the life line that person gave. He then sat cross-legged on the ground and took out the high grade healing pills to heal himself. ... (From MC''s perspective) 20 minutes later, I walked out of the practice room completely healed. Then I went to take a shower. Several minutes later, I changed to a fresh set of clothes. By that time, I decided to lay down. I heard someone knocking on the door. "Jonathan?" I muttered. It must be him. Then I walked to the door. When I opened the door. Unsurprisingly, the person was Jonathan. Then I greeted him inside. After closing the door, I turned toward him and asked,"What happened?" "Did you find out the culprit?" I asked. The unknown poison gave me great fear earlier. Fortunately, Jonathan was here. He was able to find the cure. If not, it''s difficult to imagine the consequences. Jonathan squinted his eyes. He observed Zack''s condition. He knew the cure would be effective. But looking at Zack''s healthy condition. He thinks that the cure was a grade higher. Peter''s heart would bleed. If he knows the true worth of the cure. Then removing the thoughts, he began to speak. It took Jonathan a few minutes to explain compared to the time taken by Carlos. "He was too greedy," I said in a cold tone. Carlos Kent was a really greedy fox. He didn''t mind offending the academy to seek his interest. At the same time, thinking about the Giant Tower Headmaster. I''m feeling bad. As expected they are not targeting me for being a genius lightning student. There must be a bigger reason behind this. "Jonathan?" "What should I do now?" I asked. I agree with Jonathan''s method of handling. He didn''t kill Carlos Kent, rather he decided to use him to find out the people behind the scenes. In this way, we will soon find out the enemy. "Young master, you should focus on raising your strength from now on" "You only have 1 and a half years left. The current struggles are nothing compared to what you are going to face in future," Jonathan said. For him the current situation was nothing. If he wants he can easily go to the Giant Tower Academy and infiltrate their place to investigate. But he doesn''t want to attract too much attention. He came here on his own. If his existence were known, it would create an unwanted situation. So he had made the decision to use Carlos Kent. On the other hand, I sighed inwardly. I don''t know whether Jonathan is exaggerating or not. Because what could be worse than this place. I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com All the faction members here want to pull me down. It''s even harder to cultivate lightning essence here. Shaking my head, I pushed down these thoughts. At least, I don''t have to worry about Carlos Kent anymore. "Alright, I''m leaving. If you encounter any problem in future, you can contact Carlos Kent. He is working for me" "And it''s up to you to make a decision on Eurice Frye''s actions," Jonathan said. "Eurice Frye," I gritted my teeth in anger. She is another woman greedy for resources. I don''t know whether the dean told her about me or not. Before I could think further, Jonathan''s words reached my ears. "If you want to hear my advice, I can tell you," Jonathan said. Hearing that my expression turned solemn and nodded my head at him. Jonathan replied,"Don''t kill her. Until your stay in this academy." A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. This was not suited with the character of Jonathan. I had seen him taking care of enemies before. But forgiveness was not his choice back then. Jonathan saw through his thoughts. He chuckled and said,"Young master, don''t trust this academy." "What?" I blurted out in surprise. Jonathan''s expression turned to surprise. He said,"The supreme elder''s inaction until now raises many doubts." My heart set off storms. I thought Carlos Kent was a big hurdle. But if the Supreme Elder becomes an enemy, then there will be no place safe in the academy. "Don''t worry, I''m assuming that something is wrong. When I go back. I will inform the master." "He can easily find out the information by using his powers. Until then, don''t travel too much. And don''t tell anyone about the uneven mountain peak for the time being." "I don''t know how many people are hiding in the dark. Until I get information on the Giant Tower Headmaster, it''s better for you to stay low key in the academy," Jonathan said. A look of understanding appeared on my face, but I asked,"What about the dean?" "She saw me using the lightning element today. She will definitely question me later." Jonathan doesn''t have a good opinion of the dean. She feels incompetent at him. "Just lie to her. Tell her that you received resources from the Master. She won''t question you anymore," Jonathan said. I nodded my head at him. Then we spoke for a few minutes before he left the room. After closing the door, I walked to the bed and simply laid down on it. I''m having a small headache right now. If not for Jonathan''s revelation, I wouldn''t have known so many things happening behind my back. Why is the Giant Tower Headmaster targeting me?" ... The Tower City: The Giant Tower Headmaster came to this bustling city in disguise. He disguised himself as an old shopkeeper. pandasnovel.com But the disguise was perfect for a place like this. In this way, no one will pay attention to him. After walking into the inn, he booked a private room. When he entered the room. He didn''t remove his disguise. Rather he sat down on the chair and waited for someone to appear. Shortly after, Someone knocked on the door. Right after, the headmaster quickly went up to open the door. Creak~ The door opened, A person in disguise walked inside the room. The headmaster placed a barrier around this room. So that no one can listen to their conversation. The person in disguise is none other than the middle man who gave orders to the headmaster from time to time. "Now, tell me. Is he dead?" The person in disguise asked. The Headmaster broke out in cold sweat. "As far now, that kid was indeed poisoned. But his current status is unknown," The headmaster said. Hearing that the person remained silent. "Can you verify his death right now?" He asked. The headmaster nodded his head before calling Carlos Kent once again. On the other hand, Carlos Kent was focused on healing himself. The sudden notification broke his concentration again. Looking at the caller''s name, his heart boils in anger. Right after Jonathan left he checked the communication watch. After seeing the numerous missed calls, he then texted the Giant Tower Headmaster saying that Zack Lockwood poisoned. Carlos expected this person not to disturb him until tomorrow. So he was pissed off by the sudden call right now. Chapter 554 Lavernes trouble Chapter 554 Laverne''s trouble Tower City: The person disguised in black looked at the Giant Tower Headmaster. The Giant Tower Headmaster''s back turned cold. He knew the mood of this middle man. If he offends him, then there will be no place to hide. He was playing the role of a pawn. Which can be removed any time. So he is hoping that Carlos will attend his call. Suddenly, the connection was established. Seeing that a hint of relief flashes in his eyes. He asked,"Carlos, are you there?" From the other end of the call, an impatient voice sounded. "Headmaster, I have told you before that kid was poisoned. Now everyone is staring at his dorm room." "It''s not the best time to confirm his death. Instead it will only raise suspicion, if I go there," Carlos said. At this time, the eyes of a person in disguise flickered. He came here to confirm the death of Zack Lockwood. But it looks Like it''s not gonna happen at this time. The Giant Tower Headmaster frowned. From the side eyes, he is observing the expression of a man in disguise. But he failed to spot anything. Then the person in disguise signaled him to end the call. The Giant Tower Headmaster nodded his head before saying,"Carlos, call me soon. When you confirm that kid''s death." After saying that he ended the call. Then he turned toward the person in disguise. "Sir, what should I do now?" He asked. "What is the character of this person?" The person in disguise asked. At this moment, he is thinking of using the person named Carlos Kent. The Giant Tower Headmaster was stunned. Then he replied,"Sir, this person is extremely greedy. I exhausted nearly half of the treasure vault for his breakthrough." The person in disguise remained silent for a moment. "Try to lure him to our side," The person in disguise said. Hearing that the Giant Tower Headmaster hesitated. It''s not that he doesn''t want to offend him. In order to lure, it''s inevitable to share some of the secrets. Otherwise, why would another person join him? When it comes to Carlos Kent. That person was extremely cautious. It won''t be easy to lure him without offering anything in return. The person in disguise saw through his struggle and asked,"What''s bothering you?" The Giant Tower Headmaster nodded his head before starting speaking. "You can tell him a few things indirectly," The person in disguise said. Then they spoke a few minutes before leaving the room. ... From MC''s perspective: The following day, After getting ready, I left the room. When I stepped out of the dorm building. I saw a group of warriors waiting for me. "This?" I stopped my footsteps for a moment. Looks like the effect of yesterday''s duel is still working. This is going to trouble me for a few days. The duel win has gathered good popularity. Now there are people gathered from different factions who simply want to get to know Zack Lockwood. Ignoring their gazes, I started walking to the dining hall. Soon, I reached the place. As usual two people are waiting for me. They are none other than Ernest and Laverne. Looking at Zack''s good complexion. Both sighed in relief. Ernest and Laverne quickly came forward. "Zack, you look better now," Laverne commented. I smiled in response. "Let''s go inside, we have something to tell you," Ernest said. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. Both of them looked at each other before turning toward me. "Alright," I agreed, then we walked inside the dining hall. I don''t know what they are going to say? But their faces looked solemn. Soon we received our food plate from the counter and found a gathering. Even though it''s late to have breakfast at this time. But people are good place to sit down. At the same time, a crowd is slowly gathering. Even though it''s late to have breakfast at this time. But people are simply entering the dining hall. "Your fame has simply risen to a new level." "They are here for you," Laverne said. I shook my head in response. Then I started to cut the monster meat into pieces and took a bite. I almost forgot about their earlier words and started to enjoy the food. When I realized the faces of Ernest and Laverne are extremely grave. I placed the forks on the plate and asked,"What happened?" "If you are worrying about Carlos Kent, don''t worry he won''t be bothering us anymore," I added further. Apart from this, I couldn''t think of anything else troubling them. But Ernest and Laverne''s expressions remained with them. "What?" I asked. Ernest sighed before saying,"Michael is going to end his retreat. He texted me last night." "Michael?" I uttered in surprise. I remember he was the group leader of these two. It''s that after his retreat these guys began to team up with me. But what''s with him? As far as I know, that person was not troublesome. Is there anything else? I don''t know about him. I squinted my eyes. "You guys can tell me anything. I''ll try my best to help you guys out," I replied. When I uttered those words. Laverne''s eyes become misty. She is on the verge of breaking down. "What happened?" I asked. I never saw her shedding tears before. Even during a fight against a group of rogue warriors. She fought bravely. So what happened now? I couldn''t understand what is happening right now? I turned towards Ernest. I asked,"Ernest, tell me. What is going on?" Laverne controlled her emotions. Ernest shook his head before asking,"What do you think of Michael?" Hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Don''t tell me. He is another arrogant [email protected]," I replied in a calm tone. But seeing Ernest nodding his head. My eyes widened in disbelief.. "Michael was not an innocent person as you think. Both Michael''s family and Laverne''s family are living in the same city." "Michael''s father wants to suppress Laverne''s family. If Michael breakthroughs then their power will be increased," Ernest said. Hearing that I somewhat understand their situation. It''s normal to have competition between these families. But it was not that life threatening matter. Ernest saw the doubts of Zack. So he explained again. "Michael''s father has some connections with other academies. If their family power increases again, then the Laverne family would suffer heavy loss." "Laverne fears that her father''s life would be in danger," Ernest added. Hearing that a look of understanding dawned on me. "What about Michael?" I asked. Ernest didn''t hide it anymore and said,"He will definitely pressure Laverne to surrender her. In this way, their family can get more resources." "In the end it''s all about resources," I muttered. Carlos Kent has changed sides because he lacked resources in the academy. Dean wants me to participate in the year end conference. So that the academy can gain more quota for resources. And here, Michael''s family is eyeing Laverne''s family for resources. Is there any place where warriors can cultivate with peace of mind? I shook my head and asked,"So what should I do?" At this moment, Laverne opened her mouth to speak. "I want you to request the dean for help. If she moves her hand, it will be easily resolved," Laverne said. After spending time with me, these two are aware that I have a connection with the dean. But it''s lending a hand. I nodded my head and said,"Don''t worry, I''ll ask her." Only after, I see their expressions become better. 10 minutes later, After having breakfast, I separated from them. Before leaving I once again promised them. Shaking my head, I started heading toward the dean''s office. On the way, I couldn''t help but think of Michael. I thought he was a nice senior. But their family got wolf ambition. They really want to swallow Laverne''s family. But if her information is true then, then the Michael family is not simple. If they had connections with other academies, then they wouldn''t be stopped by my threats or other genius warriors studying in the academy. Only the dean''s words can deter them. After pushing down these thoughts, I increased my pace. A few minutes later, I arrived before her cabin. Before I could also ask for permission. The door opened automatically. Seeing that I walked inside the room. Dean Rebecca is working behind the desk as usual. I was disappointed with her actions earlier. But now Carlos Kent has changed sides. So earlier anger disappeared from my heart. But suddenly, I recalled Jonathan''s words. The supreme elder is a troublesome person. I still have to up my guard. Rebecca noticed Zack then she asked him to sit down. After stopped doing her work, she turned toward Zack. Her eyes observed Zack''s body. "True,"She found the purple essence. And Zack''s complexion seems a lot better as well. "Zack?" "Can you tell me?" "Where did you find the purple essence?"She asked. Hearing that I sighed inwardly. But I didn''t show any emotions on my face. I knew she would ask me this question. But I remembered Jonathan''s words. "I used the emergency resources," I replied. "Emergency resources?" Rebecca frowned. Then I started to tell a plain lie. After a few minutes, Rebecca relaxed her eyebrows. She didn''t expect the person behind Zack would help him in this way. Chapter 555 Michael was back Chapter 555 Michael was back From MC''s perspective: Rebecca didn''t doubt Zack''s words. Because the guardians reported that Zack didn''t go outside. Considering both of their words, she let go of her doubts. Looking at Zack, she said, "I know your difficulties. That''s why I have been keeping an eye on reports. There is a place close to our border." "Someone from our border patrol team saw thunder and lightning flashing at the top of the mountain." Hearing that, my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "Why does it feel like an uneven mountain canyon?" I said in my heart. But I put a surprised expression on my face. I asked, "Dean, where is it located?" "Can I visit that place?" Rebecca wasn''t surprised by Zack''s reaction. She nodded her head before saying, "That place is called Uneven Mountains. But the place is located far away from the academy." When I heard those words. My mouth twitches. But I recovered my expression soon. "But don''t worry, I have arranged 2 elders for you. They will guide you to that place," Rebecca added further. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. I was worried earlier about the journey. But the dean has arranged at the right time. Suddenly, I thought of something. I looked at her and said, "Dean, one more thing." "Lara is facing some problems," After saying that I started to explain. I told her about Michael and his family. At first, Rebecca showed a calm expression. But when she heard the interference of another academy, Her eyes flickered with a cold glint. "Your accusations are serious. Are you sure?" Rebecca asked. I nodded my head. "Ernest and Laverne are serious about this. They don''t seem to be lying to me," I answered. "Alright, I will look into this matter. You can go now," Rebecca said. Hearing that I sighed inwardly before leaving the room. After walking out of the building, I couldn''t help but frown. I don''t know whether she will investigate. Shaking my head, I walked straight to the Gravity Practice Room. It''s been a long time since I entered the room. Meanwhile, A person walked out of the practice room. He is none other than Michael Blevins. After walking out of the room, the first thing he did was contact the family. Right after, the call was connected. An excited voice from the other end of the call. "Son, you are back. Did you break through or not?" Hearing the excited voice, his eyes flickered. Michael''s face showed a myriad of expressions. Before entering the seclusion, he made up his mind not to leave until he gets a breakthrough. But unfortunately, he remained in the same base. He is still at Super Elite Peak Stage. His essence was at the limit. Yet he wasn''t able to sense the barrier. Unless he stumbles upon an opportunity. "Michael, are you there?" The next words broke his thoughts. "Father, not yet. But you can proceed with your plan. I will convince Laverne," He answered in a cold tone. But the voice on the other end abruptly stopped. After a few seconds, the voice sounded again. "Alright, I''ll call you later." Michael stood in the same position for a moment. Then looking outside, he muttered in a slow tone, "Laverne, I can''t let your family be a stumbling block to our family''s dreams." After saying that he left the place. On the other hand, Ernest and Laverne weren''t aware that Michael had ended his retreat. They are still planning to enter the monster zones later. Time passed, After coming back to my room. I was immediately contacted by Laverne and Ernest. We have a schedule for noon today. After promising them, I went to take a shower. 30 minutes later, I stepped out of the dorm building and walked to the Teleportation Tower. On the way, I came across many warriors. Some stopped their movements and turned toward me. While others want me to talk to them. Ignoring everyone, I walked to the place. When I reached the place. I saw Ernest and Laverne waiting for me. Seeing that I walked toward them. "I spoke to the dean. She assured me that she will look into Michael''s family," I said. Hearing that Laverne''s expression turned better. "If the dean intervenes, then Michael''s father will stay low-key. He won''t dare to show his ambition anymore. "Finally, there is some good news," Ernest said with a smile. But before we could express our happiness. "What good news?" "I want to hear as well." A voice reached our ears. Ernest and Laverne''s faces change drastically. Both of their feet turned cold. When I turned around, I saw a familiar person again. He is none other than Michael Blevins. My expression turned grave. But then I found something. He didn''t break through. "Zack, you are here as well. How have you been?" Michael asked. He didn''t know that his family''s intentions were known to them. He is behaving as usual. At the same time, I saw through his thoughts. This guy didn''t know anything. "Ernest?" "Laverne?" "What happened to both of you?" Michael asked. He spotted their change in expression. But he doesn''t know the reasons. Ernest recovered his expression and commented, "Michael, we are just discussing which monster zone to enter. Fortunately, you came back in time." Hearing that Laverne also controlled her emotions. "That''s right. Senior brother, you should have contacted us before. We might have waited for your return," I said. A trace of disappointment flashes in Michael''s eyes. He didn''t expect Zack to glue with his group during his absence. Then ignoring him, he turned his attention to Laverne. "Zack, can you leave?" "I have something to talk to both of them about," Michael said. Ernest and Laverne looked at each other. Ernest was quick-witted. He already guessed what he was going to talk about. Unconsciously he turned to Zack. Seeing that Laverne also turned to Zack. "This?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I found some hatred in Michael''s tone. Which is understandable. But regarding his question. I saw Ernest and Laverne looking at me with pleading eyes. Then I made a firm decision. "Senior brother, you can freely talk now. I''m not going to leave them," Saying that, I pointed my fingers toward both of them. Michael''s eyes turned cold. But at the same time, he was surprised by Zack''s boldness. As far as he knows, Zack didn''t join any of the monster zone trips with them except one. Because of his lack of strength, he stayed away from the Special Faction''s common house as well. "What happened during my absence?" Michael muttered to himself. Then he asked, "Ernest and Laverne, are you guys sure?" His voice sounded a little bit cold. "Brother, you didn''t know that. Zack and I became friends during your absence. He is one of us right now," Ernest said with a smile. But his heart is beating at a fast rate. He was aware of Michael''s temper. He is not an easygoing person. "Oh, things have come this far," Michael said with a smile. But his smile was not at all good. He coldly looked at Zack before coming back to the topic. "Alright, I will be straightforward. Laverne, I want your father to support mine. My father wants to unify the city." "He doesn''t like that major resources going to unqualified families. I hope your father understands our concerns," Michael said. Laverne''s face turned cold. This is not about supporting but Michael wants her father to submit. This is not going to happen. "Zack?"She uttered, looking at Zack. Hearing the conversation, I sighed inwardly. When I joined the academy. I thought that the three of them are good friends. But now I have realized they formed a group together. Because two of them are from the same city. But I don''t know about Ernest''s background though. Shaking my head, I stepped forward. Looking at Michael, I asked," Senior brother, you are making things difficult for Sister Laverne." "Are you not afraid of the academy?" Michael was calm before he let out a small chuckle. "Academy?" "Do you know how city administration works?" Michael asked. Hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. Seeing the silent expressions of the three of them. Michael said, "Things were different before. Where each family head''s strength was equal." "As per academy rules, if my father gets a breakthrough, he can request the academy for assistance." "The academy wants a strong person to be in charge of the city. My father''s ambitions are within the rules." At the same time, the faces of Ernest and Laverne showed some changes. My eyes quickly spotted their reactions. "No wonder, the dean was a little responsive. She must have thought about it. But foreign academy''s intervention can''t be ruled out," I said in my heart. "Did your father get a breakthrough?" Laverne asked. She heard from her father that Michael''s father broke through not long ago. So what''s happening right now? Michale revealed a mysterious smile on his face. "Laverne, choose carefully. Don''t use the academy''s name to press us. We are acting within the academy''s rules.'' "If you don''t like it, ask your father to raise his strength as well. Maybe our city can return to the old days," Michael replied before walking away from the place. Laverne stood petrified on the spot. Chapter 556 Deans Solution ? From MC''s perspective: "I think you should stop talking like that Senior," I said to Michael. My words stunned Michael and others. Ernest looked at me with a pleading gaze. Laverne''s mind was blank. If Michael continues this attitude, this might affect her. Michael Blevins furrowed his eyebrows. The Younger brother of the faction was acting out of his place. Have they become closer during my absence? Michael''s face turned dark. He was stronger than Zack. So he doesn''t mind teaching one or two things. "Zack, I know you have some kind of backing. But don''t interfere in this matter. I''m not doing anything illegal or going against the academy rules." "If you choose to intervene, then you will face consequences," Michael replied. Then after taking a look at Laverne and Ernest. He left the place. Looking at his back, I frowned. From his words, I''m certain that the academy won''t say anything on this issue. "Zack, thank you for your help. But this issue was not as light as you think," Ernest opened his mouth to comment. If he had intervened earlier, then Michael would have gotten angrier. I nodded at him before turning towards Laverne. "Senior Sister, I''ll talk to the dean. I believe there will be some way to end this issue smoothly," I said to her. Laverne raised her head to look at Zack. Hereafter, only Zack can save their family from getting oppressed. "Thank you," Laverne answered. But she was not alright. Seeing that I sighed inwardly. Then we spoke for a few more minutes before parting ways. Michael''s appearance spoiled our mood and plans. So we decided to go to the monster zone some other day. On the way, I couldn''t help but think of Michael. That guy''s changeover was bigger than I had thought. It''s hard to accept his real face. Sigh~ A sigh escaped from my mouth. Soon I reached my room. After changing clothes, I lay down on the bed. The following day, 9 AM, After leaving the dorm building, I started to head toward the dining hall. Yesterday, I promised Laverne and Ernest to solve their troubles. Maybe I should talk to the dean in the morning hours. After gaining some clarity, I increased my pace. Soon I reached the dining hall. But to my surprise, One person was missing. Ernest was standing alone and waiting for me. I walked up to him and asked, "What happened to her?" Ernest looked depressed. From his face, one can tell that things are not right. "Laverne left for home yesterday. She wanted to meet her family, "He replied. Hearing that I remained silent. After calming down my heart, I uttered, "Let''s go." Then we walked into the hall and received the food plate from the counter. There is not much to talk about. We found empty seats to sit down. Then both of us started to eat slowly. From time to time, I couldn''t help but look at Ernest. "Is he hiding something from me?" I said in my heart. Then pushing down these thoughts, I continued to eat. Due to Laverne''s problem, I almost forgot the surrounding gazes on me. After having breakfast, we walked out of the place. "Let''s go to the dean right now," I said. Hearing that Ernest''s complexion turned better. He didn''t expect Zack to act soon. But as long as they can get the dean''s help. Everything would be fine. Then both of us started heading toward the office. A few minutes late, We arrived before her cabin. Ernest showed some hesitation. Because we came here without informing her. But her cabin door opened automatically the next. Seeing that I smiled and walked inside. Ernest followed my steps after some shock. Creak~ The door then closed automatically. "Zack" "Ernest Kirk" "What are you guys doing here?" Rebecca asked with a doubtful gaze. She was surprised to see them today. Then we sat opposite her. Ernest was not in the mood to initiate the conversation. "Dean, we need your help," After saying that I started to explain Laverne''s situation. At first, Rebecca didn''t show any emotions. But as time passed, she knitted her beautiful eyebrows. The trouble faced by Laverne''s family was not small. When the city was first developed. The academy set this condition for them. If Michael Blevins''s father wants to be in charge of the city, then as per academy rules. No one can interfere. A hint of complexity flashes in her eyes. She has the authority to reverse this decision. But she also knows that it would cause a severe backlash. The academy''s reputation would be tainted. From Zack''s words, she can tell that Michael''s family is domineering. I think you should take a look at And their family head won''t stay silent. After some careful thinking, she said, "It''s not easy to revoke the decision. But we can settle Laverne''s family somewhere." Hearing that Ernest and I looked at each other. I think this was the best option. Academy won''t take their steps back that easily. "Thank you, Dean. We will inform her," Ernest replied. Rebecca suddenly thought of something. She said, "Ernest you can go now. I have something to talk to Zack about." Hearing that Ernest left the place with a bright mood. "Zack, are you ready to visit the uneven mountain?" Rebecca asked. She thought it was the best time to visit the uneven mountain. As long as Zack can increase his strength before the year ends, then it would be good for the academy. "Right now?" I asked back. I almost forgot about the uneven mountain. Laverne''s problem-filled my mind. I didn''t even think about the trip. Then looking at the dean, I nodded at her. "Good," "I have arranged a special aircraft for you" Dean Rebecca said. Hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. I don''t know how fast the aircraft is. Jonathan''s speed was something else. Then pushing down these thoughts. I spoke for a few more minutes before leaving the room. Laverne''s problem was solved. Now I can head to the uneven mountain with a clear mind. But just as I was walking downstairs. I encountered Carlos Kent. "This guy!" I muttered in my heart. My expression was not good-looking. But to my surprise, Carlos Kent approached me with a smile on his face. "Zack, what are you doing here?" He asked. "I came here to see the dean," I replied. But my expression was weird. He is not the Carlos Kent I knew of. What happened to the arrogant man? The powerful special faction head. Carlos Kent was helpless inside. He knows the instructions of Jonathan. Jonathan ordered him to help Zack whenever it''s possible. But seeing that Zack is coming from the dean''s room. He thought Zack might not need his help. Then he walked past him with a smile on his face. On the other hand, I don''t know how to react for a moment. When Carlos completely disappeared. I turned around and continued to walk downstairs. After a few minutes, I reached the transit area. Then I entered the facility. A huge black aircraft was standing in front of me. Looking at the aircraft, I knew this was arranged for me. When I was observing the aircraft, two people appeared before me. One was a male warrior and the other one was a female warrior. A hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. They don''t seem to be ordinary warriors. What is going on? "You are Zack Lockwood." "We are here to guide you to the uneven mountain," The male warrior said. Hearing that a look of understanding dawned on me. "Maybe they are guards," I said in my heart. "Alright, let''s leave," Then I said to them. The Male warrior opened the aircraft door. Seeing that I stepped inside the cabin. After closing the door, the male warrior and female warrior looked at each other. They are none other than the guardians of Zack Lockwood. But the dean asked them not to reveal their identity. Soon both entered the aircraft. After a few seconds, the black aircraft rose from the ground. Then the aircraft started moving towards the destination. Meanwhile, The Giant Tower Headmaster was trying to contact Carlos Kent. After getting permission from the mysterious person. He wants to rope in Carlos Kent. Once Carlos Kent joins their team, then the future operations would be much better. The Headmaster was not the person to give in. Especially after investing so many resources in Carlos Kent. He can''t back away. So he tried to contact him again. Cabin: Carlos Kent was sitting behind the desk. He is casually looking into the report files. But all of a sudden, he was interrupted by the call. When Carlos saw the contact name. His face was darkened. "Why is he calling me right now?" He said to himself. Then he sat up straight. Jonathan had asked him to collect details about the person behind the Giant Tower Headmaster. So he can''t refuse the call right now. After calming down his nerves, he attended the call. "Carlos Kent" "What happened to you?" "Why are you not attending my call at all?" A loud voice starts to ring in his ears. The voice was so loud that Carlos wanted to smack the person''s face. Chapter 557 Back To The Uneven Mountain ? Carlos Kent furrowed his eyebrows. Then he quickly comes up with a lie to convince him. "Headmaster, I''m slightly busy with the academy work. And the dean is already watching over me." "I thought it''s not good to contact you during that time," He added further. The Giant Tower Headmaster believed Carlos'' words. He knows about Carlos'' character. One mountain can''t contain 2 tigers. Otherwise, Carlos wouldn''t have accepted his resources. Then the Giant Headmaster decided to talk about the main topic. "Carlos, are you satisfied with the current resources?" He asked. On the other hand, Carlos was surprised. Why is the Giant Tower Headmaster suddenly talking about the resources? Is he going to give more? Carlos imagined something else. So he answered,"After the breakthrough, the resources of mine are depleted. Now I''m left with a few high grade pills. That''s all." The Giant Tower Headmaster smiled. He felt Carlos had taken the bait. Then he said,"Carlos, what if there is an opportunity to get more resources?" Carlos Kent stood up in front of the seat. His eyes flickered. The Headmaster''s words are tempting. But he knows about his job as well. There was someone behind the scenes. Otherwise, the Headmaster won''t speak like this. He himself consumed half of the resources of the Giant Tower Academy. Where is he going to get other resources? For a moment, Carlos doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry. The Headmaster''s offer came too late. If it was earlier, he would have agreed immediately. But now he can only cry in his heart. "Carlos?" Hearing his name, Carlos quickly recovered his thoughts. Then he replied," Headmaster, are you serious?" "I thought that Giant Tower Academy didn''t have any resources left." Hearing that the headmaster realizes his mistake. But he recovered his expression quickly. "Carlos, the resources are not from the academy. But it''s from a different channel." "If you join me, I can get you those resources," He said. Carlos was silent. If he wants to collect information, then it can be only done by joining his team. "Alright, I agree," He answered. ... From MC''s Perspective: The black aircraft reaches the destination a few hours later. Throughout the entire journey. I remained silent. I didn''t even talk to the guards. The black aircraft slowly descends on the ground. Through the window I can see the long stretched mountains. The mountain peak, especially the uneven mountain, is quite eye-catching. My gaze set on the purple lightning. The top of the mountain is continuously bombarded by lightning strikes. Tud~ The black aircraft lands at the foot of the mountain. Creak~ The door opened. Seeing that I stood up from the seat. Before I could walk out the 2 guards appeared in front of me. "Let''s go, I''ll take you to the top," The male warrior said. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. Before coming here, I thought that the strength of these two warriors were not ordinary. Right now, my assumption is right. Then three of us stepped out of the black aircraft. Right after, the male warrior grabbed my shoulder and took me to the top of the mountain. Thunder~ Thundering sound reverberated through the area. The ground was scorched black by the continuous strike of the purple lightning. If any average elite warrior comes to this place, he would be gravely injured. The power of lightning can endanger the Super Elite Warrior. But I''m not afraid at all. I can feel the presence of lightning energy here. This is the perfect place for lightning cultivation. Then we landed on the ground. "A lightning strike can injure you." "Do you really want to cultivate here?" The male warrior asked. He can feel the power of the lightning. Which is above the Elite level. His face was solemn. Hearing that I replied,"No, this place was perfect. I have a barrier with me. Which can withstand the lightning strikes." The male warrior nodded before leaving the place. Right after his disappearance my eyes flickered. "He is strong," I muttered in my heart. But I wasn''t able to gauge the exact strength of the person. Then pushing down these thoughts. I turned to the right side. I found a good spot for the barrier. The next second, I took out the artifact from the storage ring. After placing it on the ground, I activated it. Soon an invisible dome covered the ground.I think you should take a look at Boom~ The lightning strikes hit the barrier one after another. But the strikes weren''t able to break the barrier. Seeing that I found the empty spot to sit down. Sitting cross-legged, I started to run the celestial scripture. Right after, the rune in my mind starts to flicker. Then I started to sense the purple energy from the surroundings. Slowly, I started to absorb the energy from the surroundings. When the purple energy entered my body. I started to guide the energy according to the celestial scripture. The purple energy began to flow through my veins. After circulation, the purple energy entered my dantian. The refined purple essence settles down. But the amount of purple essence was pitiful. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. Meanwhile, The two guardians are closely monitoring the situation. Seeing the working of the barrier. Both of them are surprised. "It''s not easy to find such an item in our region," The female warrior commented. "Maybe it''s the work of the dean," The Male warrior replied. They don''t believe that Zack has the capacity to buy such an item. As this place was found by the dean, they thought the dean had given the artifact to him. ... The Azure City, A prosperous city has covered a wide land mass. Unlike other cities, there are proper city walls built for the protection. The society is divided into classes. The upper class people are living in the main city surrounded by the inner city walls. Whereas the regular citizens, travelers, merchants and the rogue warriors are living in between the inner city wall and the outer city wall. The City was so huge that even the land between the inner city wall and the outer city wall was enough to build another city. The Inner City has many rich families living in it. Amongst them Blevins Family and Morrow Family are major ones. Right now, the whole azure city was in a state of alert. Because a strong rumor is spreading all over the city. The Head of the Blevins family successfully breakthroughs in his retreat. Now the whole city was in a state of alert. Before the azure city was under the jurisdiction of the Saw Scale Viper Academy. If someone meets the conditions set by the Academy, they can become the new city lord. The news was only known to the major families living in the inner city. But the normal citizens are clueless about this. Morrow Family, The courtyard of the Morrow family is deserted. The guards responsible for the protection resigned from their jobs. Everyone knows that the Morrow Family was equal in power with the Blevins Family earlier. Nobody knows that rumors are true or false. But all the private employees left the place. Only the family members are living in this building. In the House, the family elders are gathered for the meeting. Everyone''s face crept with worry. They know the rivalry between the 2 families. The Blevins family won''t let them off. "I heard the daughter of our head has returned from the academy. May be she can provide some help" One of the family elders raised the point. Hearing that face of the remaining elders turned bright. The family situation was dire. Only the people from the academy can help them. In the family head''s cabin, Laverne Morrow is standing in front of her father. Scott Morrow, the head of the Morrow Family was sitting behind the desk. He appears to be a middle aged man with the black hair and eyes. He is Peak Stage Super Elite Warrior. If it was in the academy, the Super Elite Warriors are graduate students of the academy. But here in this city, the Super Elite Warriors are a peak powerhouse. But the Blevins Family head has become half-step SS Elite Warrior. He knows that guy won''t give any chance. The Blevins family people are already overbearing. In future it would become even more worse. Scott realizes that her daughter was here. He turned toward her and asked,"Laverne, what happened?" Laverne raised her head and said,"Ernest called me a couple of minutes ago. He told me that the dean has agreed to help her." "But she wants to settle our family in some other place." Hearing that Scott eases his eyebrows. He thought there was no escape. Thankfully his daughter has brought some solutions. At least the family members got some chance. "Laverne, you did a good job" "Now our family can breathe a sigh of relief." Scott said with a smile. ... Back in the academy, Michael is looking for Laverne and Ernest. But he wasn''t able to find them. "Monster Zone," Michael muttered to himself. He remembered the trio gathered in the Transportation Tower yesterday. Perhaps they entered the monster zone already. After gaining some clarity, he returned to his room in disappointment. Chapter 558 Part 1: Purple Black Scorpion ? From MC''s perspective: Time passed, I ended my cultivation in the evening. Fortunately, I was able to fill up the dantian with the purple essence. Right after, the male warrior came and brought me down to the foot of the mountain. Then we entered the black aircraft. In the cabin, I began to take a rest. The male warrior went somewhere. Shortly after, the aircraft took off. Several hours later, The black aircraft enters the academy space. Slowly, the aircraft reaches the transit facility and descends. When the aircraft touched the ground. I stood up from the seat and walked out of the aircraft. I turned around to look for the guardians. But they are nowhere to see. "Gone," A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. After pushing down these thoughts, I started to head back to my dorm room. Meanwhile, the guardians are observing Zack from the shadows. Because of the dean''s order they can''t reveal their identity to Zack. When Zack disappeared from the spot. They immediately went to see the dean. A few minutes later, I came back to my dorm room. It''s going to be night time soon. So I don''t plan on doing other work. Suddenly, I thought about Laverne Morrow. I wonder what she is doing right now? I hope their family would accept the dean''s arrangement. Otherwise, it''s impossible to go against the Academy rules. At this moment, I couldn''t help but remember Jonathan''s words. He told me that the supreme elder of this academy is behaving suspiciously. He had warned me about the supreme elder. I hope Laverne''s problem will be solved soon. Then after pushing down these thoughts, I went to take a shower. The following day, After getting out of the bed, I started doing my morning routine. Then I entered the training room several minutes later. My dantian was full of purple essence. But still there is room for storing the healing essence. I sat down cross-legged on the platform. Then I started to run the wooden scripture. I plan to store a small amount of healing essence for emergency use. Since I have decided to go to the monster zone today. Slowly, I started to absorb the green essence around me. But they are small in quantity. It would take some time to absorb them all. Then I started to focus and began to absorb these deep green energies from the surroundings. When the energy entered my body. I guided the energy according to the cultivation method. The energies started to flow through my veins. After circulation, the healing energy enters the dantian and begins to settle inside. Slowly, the small amount of healing essence gathered in the middle. Seeing that I continued to repeat the process. After a few hours, I opened my eyes. Then I checked the dantian area. Seeing the two types of energies, my mouth curved into arcs. Then I stood up and walked out of the training room. One hour later, I appeared before the dining hall. As usual Ernest was waiting for me. There was one missing person. But she has gone back to her home. "Ernest, what is she doing?" "Is she alright?" I asked. Ernest noticed the appearance of Zack. So he immediately smiled in response. After hearing the question, he replied,"Well, her family was glad that the dean can help in this situation." A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. I asked back,"So, they are moving out?" "Well, I''m not sure about this. Laverne''s father has something else on his mind. He didn''t want to take the entire family to some other place," Ernest replied. Seeing that Zack is frowning, he added,"Don''t worry, if there is any trouble she will ask for help." I nodded at him before we walked into the dining hall. Suddenly, I thought of an annoying person. Looking at Ernest, I asked," What happened to Michael?" "Did he cause any problems for you?" Ernest shook his head before saying,"I was in my room most of the time. So he couldn''t have contacted me." By that time, we had already reached the food counter. After receiving the food plate, we found a place to sit down. "Any plans today?" Ernest asked. "Let''s go to the monster zone today. I''m eager to fight," I replied. "Alright, I want to sharpen my skills as well. Since Michael was back. We will fight sooner or later," Ernest added. I sighed inwardly. Because I agree with his words. Michael doesn''t seem to give up. There is bound to be some clashes ahead. Then we continued to eat. Several minutes later, After having breakfast, we walked out of the place. Then we headed straight towards the Transportation Tower. On the way, we saw many warriors going to the same place. "Have you heard about the year end competition?" Ernest asked.I think you should take a look at Hearing that my eyes flickered. I looked at him and replied,"I know, because the dean wants me to perform well." Ernest was surprised by my answer. He uttered,"No wonder. The dean was showing such attention." "If it''s you, then I can understand. In the Elite level, only you can win duels for us," He added further. "Are you going to participate?" I asked back. Ernest replied,"Not all of us can participate. I believe there will be a competition to select the representatives." "Apart from a few selective people, like you. Rest of us have to go through this process." I nodded my head in understanding. "So, when is it going to happen?" I asked back. We have already reached the Transportation Tower. "I think there will be a circular next week. One of the flame faction warriors shared the news with me." "The Flame Faction Head ordered them to improve their strength. I believe their goal is to become representative," Ernest said with a solemn tone. But I couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. The Flame Faction Head Franklin is the Vice-dean of the academy. But he seems to care more about the Flame Faction. Then shaking my head, I walked up to the circular platform. "Which one to choose?" Ernest asked. "Select the place of Class-5 Monsters," I replied. I can fight across ranks. But I don''t know about Ernest. So it would be risky if we choose the Class-6 Monsters area. Ernest selected the server for the transfer. The lights on the platform lit up. Right after the activation, we disappeared from the spot. When I opened my eyes. I found myself standing in an open field. There is dense green vegetation and shade trees here and there. But most of the landmass is vast open fields. "At least we are not in the dense forest. This place is good for fighting," Ernest commented. "Well, it depends on the monster," I replied back. Then we began to look around for the monsters. Soon, we found the deadly monster ahead of us. "Purple Black Scorpion," Ernest let out a cry. "What?" A trace of apprehension appeared in my eyes. This is supposed to be the name of Class-6 Monster. Looks like we found a monster close to breakthrough. The Purple Black Scorpion is a Peak Stage Class-6 Monster. It already picked up the signal of prey. The giant body made a sudden turn. Seeing that I took out the black sword from the storage ring and held it in my hand. Ernest was ready to face the monster as well. Suddenly, the monster made an attack by using its dead tail. "It''s coming to you," Ernest warned me as he prepared to make an attack. My eyes fixed on the stinger. One attack from the stinger can injure me deeply. Seeing that stinger was a few distance away from me. I raised my black sword to block it. Clang~ The black blade collides with the stinger. The impact pushed me a few steps backward. At the same time, its body was attacked by the soil element. Ernest created a small boulder by using the soil element. Then he bombarded the monster''s body. The purple black scorpion wailed in pain. It raises both of its claws to attack Ernest. Seeing that Ernest manages to attract the attention of the monster. I raised my sword and began to charge the sword with the purple essence. In a blink of an eye, the black blade flickered with purple glint. "Sword Divide" I swung my sword against the monster. The next moment, a purple beam discharged from the sword. The lightning beam reaches the target in a blink of an eye. It directly hits the monster''s body. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. The monster''s hard skin began to crumble. The lightning beam attack managed to leave behind a scar. Cry~ The Purple Black Scorpion lets out a ugly cry. The monster forgot about Ernest Kirk for a moment. It suddenly dashes toward me. Seeing that I raised my sword again. When the monster came closer towards me. The purple arcs covered my legs and I escaped from the spot by using the lightning phantom technique. Swish~ The monster stinger hits the empty place. On the other hand, Ernest was surprised by seeing Zack''s lightning element. Chapter 559 Part 2: Purple Black Scorpion ? From MC''s perspective: The purple-black scorpion again dashes toward me. Seeing that I pointed my finger at the monster. A purple ball forms at the tip of my finger in a blink of an eye. "Lightning finger technique" Then I released the lightning finger technique. The power beam was released from the finger and shot at the target at breakneck speed. The monster senses the danger. But it was too late to avoid the attack. Boom~ A terrible sound is heard as the attack collides with the monster. The lightning beam pierces through the side of the body. At the same time, the monster stopped its movements abruptly. The attack from the two of us has already injured the monster deeply. Using this opportunity, Ernest Kirk made the finishing move. The head of the monster was crushed under the bombardment of heavy boulders. Seeing that my eyes flickered. I thought that the boulder attack was the signature move of earth-element warriors. But Ernest can recreate the same effortlessly. "Let''s go, the commotion will attract other monsters," Ernest Kirk said with a smile. His earlier gloominess completely disappeared. Meanwhile, I used my perceptual ability. My senses already picked up the few red dots near us. If they come closer, I can get a clear image of the monster. "Collect the monster core," I said to Ernest. Ernest nodded at me before starting to work on it. After a couple of seconds, I saw the appearance of the monster in my mind. "Worm monster?" I uttered in surprise. No, this appears to be different. Is it a mutation? The worm monster brings back old memories. These monsters are hard to deal with. Ernest heard Zack''s murmuring. Then he speedily began to dissect the parts. A few distance away from them, a razor-sharp red worm monster appears above the surface. The monster already spotted its prey. In the next second, it began to move its gigantic body toward the prey. The whole body is moving in a zigzag manner. On the other hand, a few other monsters are moving toward the location. But after seeing the worm monster they backed away immediately. Meanwhile, "Here it is," Ernest Kirk said, collecting the monster core from the scorpion monster. Hearing that I replied, "It''s too late to move now. We need to tackle this one." When I finished uttering those words. The razor-sharp tooth red worm appeared before us. Unlike the other worm monsters, this one is strangely neat. No ugly fluids were secreting in its body. Instead, the body was protected with hard scales. "Looks like we entered the experimental monster zone," Ernest said in a solemn tone. Hearing that my eyes flickered. "Do you mean this one is a product of the lab?" I asked back. "Yes, it''s born from the lab" "Also it''s a waste to kill this monster. Because its monster core is not useful to us," Ernest replied. By that time the worm monster had already gotten closer to us. "Alright, let''s injure it before walking away," After saying that, I raised my sword to attack. I charged the black sword with purple essence. After a few seconds, I discharged the powerful beam from the sword. Thunder~ A thundering sound was heard as the purple beam released from the sword. Behind me, several boulders shot at the worm monster targeting the wide mouth. Boom~ The lightning beam attack hits the target. Right after a small explosion occurs in its mouth. The worm monster is wailing in pain. But the next moment, many boulders enter the worm monster''s mouth one by one. Instead of getting attacked, the heavy boulders were swallowed up by the monster. Seeing that my eyes flickered. Ernest''s attack was ineffective against the worm monster. "I have told you that lab-bred monsters are difficult to kill. Let''s head into the woods," Ernest Kirk said. Hearing that both of us started rushing toward the green vegetation. The worm monster was not in a condition to chase us. So we started to flee. After a few minutes of running, we came to the shade tree. "Why can''t we fly?" I asked. If we used our flight ability, then we would have gotten here sooner. But Ernest made strong objections to that. "Since we know it''s an experimental monster zone. Do you think there are only worms here?" "It won''t be surprising to come across lab-bred falcons," Ernest said. Hearing that I nodded my head in understanding. "Then we have no choice other than to look for natural monsters," I commented. The Giant shade tree provides good protection. It''s hard for any flying monsters to approach us. "Zack, when did you replenish your lightning essence?" Ernest asked. A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I remember they didn''t know about the uneven mountain. "I have told you before. The dean has found a place for me. Where climatic conditions favor natural thunder and lightning," I answered.I think you should take a look at "I remember now." "But Zack, sorry for asking this" "Will you fight Michael?" Ernest Kirk asked. A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. I turned toward Ernest and observed his expression. Michael, that guy is a Super Elite Warrior. Probably a Peak stage one. My body strength is at Initial Super Elite. And my essence is at Peak Elite. Even if I can''t kill him, I can injure him gravely. But Ernest doesn''t know that. Does he think I can win against him? I furrowed my eyebrows. Then I replied, "He is a Super Elite Warrior. That too a Special Element user. I never thought of this before." "But if there is any situation in the future, I will fight him," I said. Ernest was relieved hearing that. He doesn''t know what Zack will do in the future. Since he had helped Laverne, there was no distrust anymore. At the same time, I sighed inwardly. For so long, Ernest and Laverne are overshadowed by Michael''s presence. Now they are finding it difficult to accept the reality. Then we rested for a few minutes before starting to search for the next monster. Soon we came across the wild boar monster. Which was predominantly seen in the monster zones. Though the boar monsters are at the Class-4 stage. But still, their monster cores are useful for cultivation. So we started to chase monsters. Two of us got separated and started to chase boar monsters. They started to flee after sensing the danger from us. "Phantom lightning technique," I uttered. The purple arcs quickly covered my legs. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and started moving toward the target at lightning speed. In a blink of an eye, I arrived before the monster. Seeing the monster, I didn''t stop. Rather, I raised my fist to punch the boar monster in the head. "Blood Fist" The blood energy quickly gathers around my fist within seconds. When the punch lands, it hits the monster''s head. Pfff~ The head burst into pieces like a watermelon. The body dropped dead on the ground. Seeing that I started using the black swords to dissect the parts. Fortunately, Ernest was not here. Otherwise, he would have been shocked to the core. When I was slowly dissecting the monster''s body. Green vine roots began to wrap around my legs. The speed was so fast that it took me a moment to realize. Cut~ I swung the sword and made a direct cut. The vine roots are divided into pieces. Seeing that I moved from the spot and located the monster. "Plant Monster," I mumbled under my breath. There was a parasitic plant monster a few steps away from me. Seeing that my eyes flickered. I should have used my perception before. This was a careless move. Removing these thoughts, then I started to remove the monster core. The plant monster didn''t plan on disturbing me again. It will soon find another prey. Then after collecting the monster core. I placed the dissected parts in the container. When I started to walk out of this place. I encountered the razor-sharp red worm monster again. The damaged mouth part is still visible. The worm monster spewed venomous liquid toward me. "Fast," I muttered before using the lightning technique to retreat backward. The venomous liquid like a flood gate has opened and it quickly covered the ground including the parasitic plant monster. Which immediately died upon contacting the venomous liquid. Scorch~ The small green patches decayed quickly under the attack. "Sword Divide" I made another lightning sword attack. The purple sword beam again shot at the monster. The lightning attack again hits the mouth part. This time the injury was severe. I can see the torn and damaged flashes in its mouth. The next moment, several sharp earth spikes appeared. "Ernest," I muttered. This guy has made a timely return. Last time, the monster completely swallowed the boulders. But this time it''s difficult to remain unscathed from the sharp spikes. The mouth of the worm monster is especially a huge weakness. Pfff~ The spikes pierce through the flesh. And causing the monster to wail in pain again. "It worked out," I gave an appreciative look. Then we left the spot but the monster didn''t follow us back. Chapter 560 Shocking News ? From MC''s perspective: Time passed, After hunting a few more monsters we walked out of the place a few hours later. When it appeared in the Transportation Tower. It''s already past noon. "Wow, that was fun" "Laverne must be missing this fight" Ernest said beside me. Hearing that I nodded my head at him. Then we parted ways after splitting the monster cores. Soon, I reached the dorm room. After entering the room, I laid down on my bed first. The following day, After completing the morning routine. I entered the training room to cultivate. Now I can resume the blood element method. Sitting down cross-legged, I held the Class-4 Monster core in my hand. Then I started to run the blood element method. Right after, the bloody rune in my consciousness started to flicker. Then the next moment, I felt suction in both of my palms and then I began to absorb the monster core energies. As the energies entered my body. I began to guide the energies according to the blood element method. As the energies run through my veins. The red light appears above the blood. Right after, the red blood began to convert these white energies in a blink of an eye. After conversion, the mysterious white energies began to drill into my bones. The skeleton below the hip region is already dyed red. Now the red color is beginning to expand in the upper part of my skeleton. But the process comes with immense pain. Time passed, After a few hours, I ended the practice. Then I walked out of the training room. Right after, the bad smell attacked my nostril. Seeing the sweat all over my skin. I rushed to take a shower. Several minutes later, I changed to an academy uniform. After getting ready, I left the room. But when I stepped outside, Something else was waiting for me. In front of the dorm boiling, the crowd gathered in small numbers. Seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "What is going on?" I mumbled under my breath. I approached the crowd. Then I saw someone laying on the ground with bruises all over his body. "Why does it look familiar?" I said to myself. The students are gossiping among themselves. "Who has the guts to thrash the Special Element Warrior?" Someone from the crowd said. Hearing that a look of disbelief appeared on my face. "Special Element Warrior?" I uttered. Then I rushed forward to see. The person who was laying down is none other than Ernest Kirk. "Ernest?" I called out his name. He seems to have fainted. Then someone brought the water and splashed it over his face. "Uh?" Ernest opened his eyes. Seeing Zack''s face, he uttered, "Michael." A quick glint flashes in my eyes. I understood what happened. Michael must have attacked him. I saw many people gathering around. Then I supported Ernest to stand up and took him to my room. Meanwhile, The news began to spread like wildfire. Someone took pictures of Ernest and posted them online. Nobody would have imagined such a scene. Someone brutally attacked the Special Faction Member. The topic began to trend. People are wanting to know the attacker''s name. The students who are online started to point fingers at the Flame Faction Members. As time passed, the warriors in the academy became suspicious. Most of the eyes were on the Flame Faction Members. But the Flame Faction members are pointing at the Metal Faction. And the least suspected faction is the RainWater Faction. Because the warriors from these factions were defeated at the hands of Zack Lockwood. Someone might have held this grudge. Only the Gale Faction and Earth Faction are not on the list. Meanwhile, The person who is responsible for this act was chilling in the Special Faction Common Room. Michael Blevins didn''t worry about the consequences. But he was pissed off by Ernest Kirk''s words. Half an hour ago, He met the guy and asked him to follow him. But Ernest Kirk talked back to him. Not only that, he told him that nothing would happen to Laverne''s family. Because of that fight broke out. He couldn''t help but make some sense to him. All because of one person. A ruthless glint flashes in Michael''s eyes. A few months ago, the situation was different. Even though there is rivalry between the families. The relationship between Michael, Laverne, and Ernest was not bad. But one person changed everything. "Zack Lockwood," He mumbled under his breath. At first, he thought some nameless junior was making some waves. But he underestimated Zack.I think you should take a look at Even the dean seems to take care of him. Michael''s eyes flickered. If not for that reason, he would have attacked Zack. Right now, he couldn''t help but let out a sigh. It''s already too late. It''s impossible to convince Laverne and Ernest anymore. They are completely on Zack''s side. Michael himself can''t go against his father''s wishes. Since his father wanted to head the azure city. It''s bound to cause some anger. It would be inevitable to avoid some clashes. And Laverne''s family and Blevins''s family have a long-standing rivalry. There is going to be a fight in the coming days. So he doesn''t feel like going against Ernest now. Dorm room, "Are you alright now?" I asked. Ernest nodded his head, sitting on the sofa. "It''s good that he left with you some bruises, not any serious injury," I added further. Michael is a strong warrior. Though both Ernest and him are Super Elite Warriors. Michael can overpower him easily. On top of it, he didn''t even use his element to fight. "Now, tell me. What happened?" I asked. Ernest gained some clarity in his thoughts. He then began to speak slowly. After a few minutes, I began to massage my temple. "What''s with Michael''s father?" "Is it necessary to target Laverne''s family?" I asked back. Ernest''s expression turned solemn. "Michael is behaving in this way because of his father. His father is quite ambitious. He won''t deny his father''s orders," Ernest replied. I don''t know how to solve this issue. I hope that Laverne''s family will vacate the city soon. ... Carlos Kent is staying in his home in Viper City. After his talk with the Giant Tower Headmaster, he is hesitating to go back to the Academy. The Giant Tower Headmaster might give him some other task in the future. But he doesn''t know what it is. Then he began to access online news out of boredom. When the page comes up. His eyes flickered for a moment. He saw the name of the Special Faction is trending online. Seeing that, I began to read the post. "Michael Blevins" His expression turned weird. He was aware of what was going on. Because he is the head of the Special Faction Warriors. He knows there is friction because of the azure city''s situation. He hoped that kid wouldn''t touch Zack Lockwood. Otherwise, that person would come back again to beat him. Beep~ All of a sudden he receives a call from the Giant Tower Headmaster. Seeing that his mouth twitches again. "Why is he calling right now?" Carlos muttered to himself. He thought it would take a few days to call him back. Since he is calling right now. There must be some task waiting for him. Then he attended the call. "Carlos, I have an important task for you." "If you accomplish it right, then you will get to meet someone important." "If that person agrees, he will give you the resources that you want." The Giant Tower Headmaster''s voice reached his ears. Hearing that his earlier gloominess completely swept away. For a moment, Carlos remained silent. His mind began to race. He realized that the person might be the mastermind behind the scenes. It''s a good opportunity to collect the intel. "Are you serious?" He asked back. The Giant Tower Headmaster let out a small laugh. He felt that Carlos had taken the bait completely. "I know you must have some doubts." "Let me tell you. I''m serious. As long as you finish the task. I''ll recommend your name. You will receive expensive resources." The Giant Tower Headmaster started convincing again. He believes that Carols would accept the task. Carlos Kent relaxed his eyebrows and finally decided to listen. "Alright, tell me. What is the task?" He asked. The Giant Tower Headmaster replied, "You know that Azure City right? One of our men is going to head the city in the future." "In the future, several of our men will join the city. But the main city was occupied by many families." "So your task is to assist that person." Carlos Kent''s expression was ugly. He never expected this person''s hand to be stretched to this extent. They are targeting one of their affiliated cities. Suddenly, he thought of something. "Who is the person?" He asked back. Apart from the head of the Blevins family. There was no other strong person. So he is slightly confused. "You might have guessed it. He is the Blevins Family Head. He has joined our side," The Giant Tower Headmaster replied. Carlos Kent''s pupil shrank. Chapter 561 Eurice Fryes Situation ? Viper City, Carlos Kent ended the call. But he wasn''t able to remain calm. "That man asked me to collect intel. I thought it was going to be a long-term mission." "But never expected for the opportunity to come soon." "What to do now?" He said to himself. On top of that, Azure City also involves the interest of Zack Lockwood and his friends. He thinks it''s not best to tip off the news to the academy. He got a good opportunity to infiltrate their group. If he is successful, his mission will end soon. He can escape the fate of being the double spy. Sigh~ A sigh escaped from his mouth. The Giant Tower Headmaster asked him to head to the Azure City tomorrow. Then further plans will be given by the Blevins Family Head. "What are they planning?" Carlos muttered to himself. Then he shook his head. Anyway, he decided to go there. He will look into his matter tomorrow. ... The following day, 10 A.M-Dean office, Dean Rebecca saw the reports. He didn''t expect Michael Blevins to act out. This is the academy. It''s not good to fight against each other and injure fellow students. "What is he doing right now?" She asked, looking at the 2 guardians standing in front of her. They are none other than the guardians of Zack Lockwood. The Male guardian replied, "Michael is staying in the Special Faction Commotion Room." Rebecca squinted her eyes before saying, "It''s Carlos Kent''s responsibility. But he seems to be taking too many days off." "Alright, you guys can go now," Rebecca said. The 2 guardians turned into shadows and disappeared from the spot. Like Zack Lockwood, she also doesn''t understand the behavior of the Blevins family. If things aren''t handled properly, there are going to be clashes. She has already foreseen the situation. So she made up her mind to talk to the Supreme Elder. ... Rainwater Faction: The Head Alice Brown''s complexion is not looking better. Because it''s been several days since the duel between Zack Lockwood and her student ended. But Eurice Frye seems to have shut herself in her room. Alice didn''t expect the result of the duel to hit Eurice hard. She finally decides to take this issue to the Dean. Dean Rebecca can confirm the status of Eurice Frye. Meanwhile, Eurice Frye is living and practicing well in her room. It''s just Zack''s survival that made her dare not to step outside. She didn''t know how Zack had survived the poison. More than that, Zack didn''t expose this matter. So she didn''t know how to react to this. And she thinks it''s impossible to kill Zack again. She made up her mind to leave the academy at an appropriate time. Because of Elder Alice''s presence. She didn''t find a suitable opportunity to leave. ... From MC''s perspective: This time Ernest didn''t plan on accompanying me to the monster zone. He wants to practice in the training facility. So I left the dorm building and started walking toward the Transportation Tower. Soon I reached the spot. But something strange is happening in front of me. I saw warriors gathered in numbers. Are they going to the monster zone in large groups? Doubt appeared in my heart. There was no limit to team formation. But to my surprise, Something different happened. My appearance caused a commotion. This situation won''t happen unless something is going on. Then I saw among the group a few warriors stepped forward and started coming towards me. Seeing that my eyes flickered. "Has anyone ended their retreat recently?" I muttered in my heart. I guess this is probably the case. A slender-looking male warrior walked up to me and said, "Zack Lockwood. You are hard to find." Hearing that I raised my eyebrows. I asked," What are you guys doing here?" Besides the slender-looking male warriors. There are others as well. A female warrior suddenly turned toward me. She replied, "Well, we are gathered here because of you." "Do you know Vina Potkins?" She asked back. I shook my head in response. The female warrior expected this reaction. So she didn''t mind. She said,'''' She is our top warrior. Previously you fought against the RainWater Faction Warrior. This time you should accept a challenge from our Sister Vina"I think you should take a look at Hearing that I felt like deja-vu. As I guessed it was related to one of the top warriors. Perhaps she wants to test me as well. So I replied, "I''m busy. So I can''t fight her now." After saying that I walked past them. The Gale Faction Warriors stood in disbelief. "What to do now?" "He doesn''t want to fight at all," The female warrior said. The slender-looking male warrior furrowed his eyebrows. He added further, "He seems to be not interested in the duel anymore. Because no one in the elite stage could defeat him." "Let Vina talk to him later. Maybe he can change his mind then," he said. Hearing that everyone realized this is the only option. Soon the Gale Faction Member vacated the spot. On the other hand, I didn''t immediately leave. But saw the disappearance of these people. "Is it another conspiracy?" I muttered in my heart. Last time, Eurice Frye poisoned me during the duel. Since that day, I have not seen her in the academy. Like she had completely disappeared. Maybe she had left the academy. Jonathan had subdued Carlos Kent. So he won''t act against me anymore. But the doubts still can''t be removed. There might be other people similar to Carlos Kent. After figuring it out, I walked up to the circular platform and selected the server to enter. This time I chose the Class-5 Monster Zone. After the selection, the circular platform lit up with light. Swoosh~ The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and appeared inside the monster zone. I looked around me. It seems to be an outer area of forest. This forest was not as dense as the previous monster area. I can see far ahead in the woods. The place was not covered with dense vegetation. Then I activated the perceptual ability. In my mind, I spotted no red dots. After confirming that, I started walking into the woods. Only by going deep into the woods, I can encounter the monster. After walking through the forest for a few minutes. I heard the barking sounds. It reminds me of the wild dog monsters. These monsters are rare. It''s even hard to come across them in the monster zone. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. Rustle~ Before I could take a few steps forward. I saw a red-striped monster appear before me. "Red Striped Wild Dog," I muttered in my heart. That''s right. The monster is almost 6ft tall in height. The monster''s razor-sharp teeth and pointy claws pose a deadly threat. It can easily tear off my flesh. But it''s a pity, it''s going to die in my hands. The Monster is Class-5 Middle Stage one. The Monster raised its paw to attack me. "Lightning Phantom Technique," I said. The purple arc covered my legs in a blink of an eye. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot. The monster''s paw hits the space. Right at that moment, I appeared next to the monster''s body. "Blood Fist" I raised my fist and punched the monster. The blood energy from the bones reaches my forearm in a blink of an eye. When the first comes contact with the body. The punch blasts the monster away. Pfff~ Blood splattered on the ground. The monster''s body dropped dead on the ground. The punch has left a massive hole in it. Seeing that I walked forward to collect the monster core. After collecting the monster''s core, I began to dissect the body parts. Then I stored them inside a container a few minutes later. Then I started searching for other monsters. Soon I came across the boar monster again. Throughout the Class the monster was low. But the monster meat can be sold at an expensive price. One hour later, I have walked deep into the inner area. This time the difficulty was high. I might encounter one or more monsters at the same time. Roar~ A loud roaring sound came all of a sudden. My expression turned a little bit serious. This time I have met a match. "Red-eyed Ape- Class-5 Monster Peak Stage" An 8ft huge ape monster appeared. Its fur was black and white. But its distinctive red eyes make it look more menacing. Roar~ The ape monster roared again before raising a fist to punch. Seeing that I decided to use the blood fist to test the monster''s strength as well. The blood energy reached the fist within seconds. When the punch collides with the monster''s fist. Boom~ A terrible noise sounded. The impact force has sent me a few steps backward. The dust rose from the ground. But I can tell that monster was completely fine. The Monster may be at Class-5 Stage. But the strength of the monster seems to be higher than that. Chapter 562 Going To The Gravity Chamber ? From MC''s perspective: Monster Zone, When the dust settled. I saw a monster squatting down, beating its chest. The monster was completely fine. Apart from superficial skin injuries. Roar~ The Red-eyed Ape saw the enemy was fine. It rushes to attack the enemy again. Seeing the monster coming towards me. I didn''t get flustered. I pointed my fingers at the monster. The next moment, a purple ball appeared at the tip of my fingers. "Lightning finger technique," The next second, I released the attack, targeting the coming monster. A purple beam shot at the monster. In a blink of an eye, the attack comes in contact with the target. The purple beam hits the monster''s chest. Boom~ A terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. The dust rose from the ground again. For a second, I thought there was no response. Roar~ The next second, I heard a roar. This time the roaring sound was so fierce. Looks like the ape monster was completely pissed off. When the dust was gone. I saw a massive scar on the monster''s chest. Seeing that my eyes flickered. The monster''s physical strength is similar to mine. But I found a way to injure the monster. Then I brought my black sword forward. I charged the black sword with the lightning essence. In a blink of an eye, the black blade flickered with a purple glint. The ape monster on the other hand felt dizzy. The lightning attack has caught it off guard. Because of it, the ape monster was completely enraged. The monster''s eyes reddened with anger. It charges toward the enemy again. Its anger was so high that the monster wanted to plummet the enemy. "Sword Divide" A powerful lightning beam discharged from the sword. The attack shot at the monster, targeting the injured chest area. This all happened within seconds. The ape monster saw bright light blinding its eyes. At the same time, a sense of crisis hits the monster all of a sudden. But unfortunately, the ape monster was close to the attack. The lightning beam hits the scar of the ape monster. The lightning power tore through the skin causing deep injury to the monster. The lightning power was one step away from exposing the inner bones. Roar~ The ape monster is roaring in pain. It starts to hit the ground in anger. It almost forgot about the enemy. Seeing the monster''s behavior, I decided to quickly charge the sword again. One more attack hitting the same spot the monster will die for sure. But something strange happens the next moment. The ape monster regains some clarity. Feeling the deep injury in the chest region. The ape monster began to flee. "Lightning Phantom Technique," The purple arcs covered my legs. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot. Then I started chasing the fleeing monster. The ape monster is running at a faster speed. But I quickly reached the monster. I held the sword in my left hand. I decided to use the blood fist by using the right hand. "Blood Fist" The blood energy reaches my forearm. When the energy gathered around the fist. I punched the back of the monster. The blood energy is something. When I raised my fist to attack, the ape monster abruptly stopped moving and turned toward me. The monster raised its fist to counterattack. Boom~ When both of us first collided. The impact force has sent me a few steps backward. But the ape monster crashes to the ground surprisingly. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. The chest injury affects the monster. "Lightning finger technique," Without giving any chance to the monster. I instantly released the lightning-finger attack. The purple beam hits the monster again. Pfff~ Blood splattered on the ground. This time the chest bones are visible. The ape monster seems to have lost half of its strength. Seeing that monster is not running away. I released the lightning attacking again. After getting hit by the same attack. The red-eyed ape monster has lost its breath. "Phew" "It was tough," I muttered to myself. Then I activated my perceptual ability. Seeing that there was no monster in the vicinity. I sighed in relief. Then my attention turned toward the monster. I started to dissect the monster''s body. After removing the monster core, I placed the dissected parts in the storage container. 30 minutes later, After finding no monster, I decided to leave. I spotted the teleportation point. After entering inside, I selected the server. Swoosh~ I disappeared from the spot. Then I appeared back in the Teleportation Tower. Today''s hunt went well. I got monster cores of powerful monsters. I start heading toward my dorm room. Suddenly, I couldn''t help but think of the Gale Faction Members. Someone wanted to challenge me. I believe people will start to pester me from tomorrow. I think you should take a look at After pushing down these thoughts, I continued to head toward my dorm. The following day, After getting out of bed, I started to do my morning routine. Half an hour later, I entered the training room to cultivate. Sitting down cross-legged, I took the monster core and held it in my hand. Then I started to run the blood element method. Time passed in a blink of an eye, The monster core in my hands crumbles into pieces a few hours later. I already got enough healing essence in my dantian. So I stopped cultivation and walked out of the training room. My skin was covered with sweat. Then I head to the bath to take a shower. Several minutes later, I changed into the Academy uniform. After getting ready, I walked out of the building. Surprisingly, there was no one here. I thought people from the Gale Faction would come here. Then I started to head to the dining hall. When I reached the dining hall. I saw Ernest was waiting for me. He seems to be completely fine. A hint of relied flashes in my eyes. "Ernest, are you okay?" I asked. Ernest responded with a smile before replying, "Well, I''m alright. I spent many hours in gravity training yesterday." Hearing that my eyes flickered. Looks like he is really into training. Then we walked into the hall. "Uh?" I raised my eyebrows, spotting the people from the Gale Faction. Especially the female warrior and a slender-looking male warrior. Those two spoke to me yesterday. Don''t tell me they are here on purpose. I ignored them and walked up to the food counter. After receiving the food, we found a nearby seat to sit down. Ernest noticed the presence of many Gale Faction warriors. They are looking in their direction. "Zack, did something happen?" He asked. Sigh~ Hearing that I let out a small sigh. "Do you know Vina Potkins?" I asked back. Ernest was dumbfounded hearing that. Of course, he knew the name. She is one of the talented warriors in the Gale Faction. But her strength was at the Elite stage. Suddenly, he thought of something. He looked at Zack in confusion. At the same time, I saw through his thoughts. "Yes!" "People from the Gale Faction came to see me yesterday. Looks like the person I mentioned just now wants to challenge me," I replied. "Another duel challenge?" Ernest asked back. Seeing that I revealed a bitter smile on my face. At this point, no one in the Elite Stage could challenge me. But people still want me to test me out. Meanwhile, The Gale Faction warriors have already spotted the duo. The female warrior gave a cold snort. "Harumph" "He is here. And I don''t think he will agree to the challenge," She said. The slender-looking male warrior frowned. He looked at the duo before turning toward the entrance. "Where is Vina?" He asked. "If Zack leaves right now, then it will be difficult to confront him again," He added further. Hearing that the face of the remaining warriors turned serious. 10 minutes later, We walked out of the dining hall. Surprisingly, the Gale faction group didn''t follow us back. "What are your plans for today?" Ernest asked. Hearing that, I thought it was better to train in the gravity room today. "Let''s go to the training room," I said to Ernest. Then we started heading toward the gravity room. Soon we reached the 2nd academy building. When we entered the building, Our appearance attracted a lot of attention. I saw many of them looking at Ernest in a weird gaze. But none of them dared to say anything. Ignoring them, we walked towards the gravity training area. Soon we reached the room. Inside there are many gravity training chambers. We spotted two empty rooms. "Alright, let''s go," Ernest said. I nodded at him before walking toward the gravity chamber. I scanned my ID before entering the room. Outside, One more person walked into the room. He is none other than Michael Blevins. Michael Blevins looked around. Before coming here, he heard everyone talking about Zack and Ernest. "Looks like they have entered the room," He said to himself. Chapter 563 Vina Potkins ? Dean office: Dean Rebecca is checking her morning reports. Right after, Alice Brown walked into the dean''s office. A hint of surprise flashes in her eyes. Elder Alice won''t come without reporting. Then she asked her to take a seat. "Has something happened?" She said in her heart. "Alice, is everything alright?" She asked Alice Brown sat opposite her. Hearing the dean''s question. She knitted her beautiful eyebrows. She is extremely worried about Eurice. So much that it''s impossible to neglect her situation. "Dean, Eurice is not responding to my call. I feel something else is going on?" Alice replied. Hearing the name "Eurice" Rebecca quickly recalled the duel between her and Zack. She found that the duel was odd. But later she didn''t have time to look into the reports. Right now, hearing Alice''s concerns. She realizes that the girl hadn''t left her room since then. "Perhaps, she is retreating," Rebecca said. Alice shook her head. She hasn''t checked her rooms. But that doesn''t mean that her intuition was wrong. "I don''t think so," She answered. "She talks to me usually before preparing to retreat. This time neither such thing has happened," Alice added further. Rebecca frowned. She feels Alice is worrying unnecessarily. Then she made a decision. She then texted Eurice Frye. She has asked her to come to the dean''s office. After doing that, she said, "Alright, I''m sending someone to check on her status." "You should focus on developing other students as well. The year-end competition is coming. This time our academy ranking is important for us." "I''m planning to conduct an internal competition in a few days. I would like to see the current strength of our students." "So you should make preparations for that," Rebecca said. Alice recovered her expression. When she heard about the year-end competition. She finally starts to behave like an Elder. The competition ranking determines the fate of the RainWater Faction. She wants to raise her faction from the bottom. "Thank you, Dean. Then I''m leaving," After saying that she left the room. Rebecca watches her disappear back. When she left the cabin. She summoned the guardians. A couple of seconds later, A guardian emerged from the shadow. Looking at him, she said, "Go and check the status of Eurice Frye in RainWater Faction." After getting the orders, the black shadow disappeared from the spot. ... From MC''s perspective: In the gravity chamber, I started to train my body. I''m starting to realize the limit of the Super Elite Stage body strength. The ape monster had caught me off guard. The monster was similar to mine. It can fight across ranks because of body strength. If I come across a similar monster in the future, I have to be cautious. Time passed, I left the chamber a few hours later. Surprisingly, Ernest has gone back before me. Then I walked out of the training room. To my surprise, someone else is waiting for me. "Michael, what are you doing here?" I asked. He is standing before me, blocking my path. From his appearance, it looks like he has been waiting for me for some time. Then I saw someone laying down on the ground. Right next to him. The next second, I recognized the face. "Ernest?" I called out loud. My heart is swelling up in anger. This time he has crossed the limit. According to the rules, private fights are not allowed in the academy. If you want you can challenge the person. And have the duel in the arena. But Michael is deliberately humiliating Ernest. Ignoring him, I hurried to check Ernest. After reaching him, I saw punch marks all over his body. But as usual, Michael didn''t beat him to death. There are some internal injuries. But that''s all. I clenched my fist in anger. This guy thinks that I can''t beat him. A cold glint flashes in my eyes. "What?" "Are you angry?" "It can''t be helped. He asked for it," Michael said in a mocking tone. Hearing that a hint of disbelief flashes in my eyes. Is he the same person that I met a few months back? How can a person change completely? Is it because of the family? A lot of questions popped up in my mind. "Why are you doing this?" "Ernest was your friend. You shouldn''t act in this way," I said, looking into Michael''s eyes. "Friend uh?" "That was a long time ago." "But you occupied my place instead," Michael said in a cold tone. "If you are pissed off, you can challenge me," After saying that, Michael left the place. Seeing his disappearing back, I couldn''t help but grit my teeth in anger. If my base was one stage higher, I wouldn''t mind fighting against him.I think you should take a look at But right now this is unnecessary. Then I supported Ernest to get up. He seems to have fainted. After splashing some water over his face. Ernest regained consciousness. "uh?" "It hurts," Ernest muttered. "Are you stupid or what?" I asked. Hearing Ernest turn toward me. "What happened?" "Is he gone?" He asked back. Sigh~ A sigh escaped from my mouth. Seeing that Zack is not answering. Ernest understood the answer. He was truly caught off guard by Michael''s attack. He didn''t expect to see him here. Michael is taking his anger out on him. When we walked out of the building. I saw many students gathered in front of the entrance. "Don''t tell me the news was spread that quickly?" Ernest uttered in surprise. "No, they are warriors from the Gale faction," I replied. I saw the same duo in the group again. But this time, I spotted an extra blonde hair girl. At the same time, the Gale faction warriors also spotted Zack and Ernest. "Sister, he is here," The female warrior said to the blonde hair girl. The girl is none other than Vina Potkins. She is one of the talented warriors in the elite stage. In the Gale Faction, such people can be counted in fingers. Vina Potkins dressed in the academy uniform. But her blonde hair is eye-catching. It''s easily recognizable by the people. Vina turned towards the entrance. Unlike the other female warriors, she was outspoken. She recognized the face of Zack Lockwood because of social media posts and duel videos. On the other hand, I felt a headache coming. Suddenly, I spotted a blonde hair girl coming towards me. "You are Zack Lockwood, right?" She asked. To that, I nodded at her. Vina frowned but she added further, "I would like to fight against you. Would you accept my formal challenge?" Gasp~ People who were walking by gasped after hearing her words. The Gale Faction Warriors are fine. They wanted to know how Zack is going to reject the duel request this time. Ernest was surprised as well. She has learned from Zack. But she didn''t expect Vina to approach Zack at this time. Feeling the gazes on me, I stood cross-armed and looked at her. "Why should I fight against you?" "I have many important things to do?" "I don''t have any time left for that duel," I said. Vina''s expression changes drastically. She didn''t receive such straightforward answers before. Usually, warriors fight against each other in the academy to improve themselves. So that''s why the Flame faction warriors are constantly looking for a fight. But Zack is different. Vina bit her lips. She wasn''t able to come up with reasonable answers. Behind her, the Gale faction warriors are dumbfounded again. The slender-looking warrior said, "You are arrogant. It''s like she is asking for a life-or-death duel." "Yeah, he is right. Our senior sister is stronger than you. But other faction members won''t believe it. That''s why she is requesting a duel," The female warriors said. At this time, Ernest found nothing wrong with the request. "Zack, I think it''s good for you. Why don''t you think of it as a practice match," Ernest asked. Hearing that my mouth twitches. If it was earlier, I would have accepted her request. But last time, Eurice came with the same request. Then she poisoned me during the duel. And I don''t know about Vina Potkins. It''s too early to accept her request. Last, Jonathan was here. He saved my life. So I don''t know if I will be luckier again. Seeing that everyone is looking towards me. Suddenly, a good idea comes to mind. "Why don''t I try this?" I said in my heart. "Vina Potkins," I said. Hearing that everyone''s gaze shifted back to her. "What''s your decision?" "Are you ready to accept my challenge?" Vina asked with hopeful eyes. I shook my head in response. "Do you know Eurice Frye right?" "She gave me a tough fight during our last duel. And she seems to be a lot stronger than you." "Why don''t you try to win against her first? Then you can come to challenge me," After saying that, I started walking toward the dorm. Vina''s eyes widened in disbelief. Not only that, the people around her are dumbfounded as well. "This was a nice try," Ernest muttered to himself. Then he hurries toward Zack. Chapter 564 Eurices Lies ? After Zack and Ernest left the scene. The Gale faction warriors stayed on the spot. Everyone is looking at Vina with a solemn expression. No one has disrespected her before. Zack''s words not only insulted Vina. But it''s insulting their entire Gale Faction. Unlike everyone else, Vina fell into contemplation. She takes Zack''s words into account. There is no reason for Zack to accept her duel request. She realized it was an unreasonable one. She then turned towards her friends and asked, "Where is she?" The slender-looking young man asked, "Who?" "Eurice Frye" "I would like to win against her first," Vina said. Hearing that, everyone was surprised. They didn''t expect Vina to consider Zack''s words. "Vina, are you serious?" The female warrior asked. Vina sighed inwardly before saying, "Zack doesn''t believe in my strength. Unless I defeat her. He won''t listen to my words." Everyone remained silent for a moment. The female warrior replied, "Let''s ask our faction head." Hearing that Vina nodded her head. Then the group immediately left the place. But the warrior walking by heard their conversation. It''s too interesting not to listen. On top of that, Vina is a famous warrior in the academy. Her actions would attract attention from people. Soon the information will be posted online. The online site is being flooded with posts about Vina. The Gale Faction members are especially trending online. The post also includes the words uttered by Zack Lockwood. Which soon caught the eyes of other faction members. Quickly the news spread like wildfire. The Flame Faction and The Metal Faction Warrior are surprised by the news. They have never faced a situation. But this time Zack''s words caused many people to take interest in the duel. They don''t know whether Eurice Frye would accept the challenge. She was last seen during a duel between her and Zack Lockwood. So people are certainly curious. ... Rainwater Faction: Meanwhile, Eurice Frye was practicing in her room. But suddenly someone infiltrated her room. The guardian didn''t hide his presence. Looking at the shadow, she was scared for a moment. "Who are you?" She asked. "Eurice Frye, the dean, has issued a summon. You should go and meet the dean right now," The guardian left the room after conveying the message. When the shadow disappeared just like that. Eurice Frye petrified on the spot. For a second, she thought her crimes were exposed. "No" "I''m safe," She mumbled under her breath. If her crimes were exposed, then the treatment would have been different. Then the dean must be calling her for some other issue. She remembered not picking up the calls of Elder Alice. There is a possibility that this might work for her. Finally, she can''t pretend for too long. After sighing, she decides to meet her. Who knows the shadow might come back again. On the other hand, Alice Brown was anxious. She heard the words of the dean. But she can''t maintain her calmness. Even after coming back here, she couldn''t help but think about Eurice Frye. "Elder" "Elder" When she was lost in her thoughts. She heard someone calling her. The next moment, she returned to reality and walked out of her room. Then she saw one of her students was waiting for her outside. "What happened?" She asked, looking at the female warrior. "Elder, Eurice is out. I saw her entering the office building," The female warrior replied. Hearing that Alice''s complexion turned better. She finally let out a sigh of relief. She suddenly felt a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulder. "Good, you can go now" She waved her hand. But the female warrior showed some hesitation. Alice saw through her thoughts. She asked, "What happened?" "Is there something else to report?" The female warrior nodded her head before replying, "Elder, someone from the Gale Faction wants to challenge Eurice Frye." "What?" A hint of surprise flashes in her eyes. Eurice was out just now. The information is sure to travel fast. She felt incredible. She asked, "Who wants to challenge her?" "Vina Potkins," The female warrior replied. Alice Brown''s eyes flickered. "That girl. She is out as well," She said to herself. She shook her head and said, "Everything depends on Eurice''s choice. I won''t force her." She thinks Zack''s win had hit her head. Otherwise, there is no reason for Eurice to lock herself in the room. Then she let the female warrior go. ...I think you should take a look at Dean office: Several minutes later, Eurice walked into the room. Dean Rebecca noticed her presence and ordered her to sit. Rebecca began to observe her from head to toe. A quick gleam flashes in her eyes. She finds the pressure on her body stronger than before. Likely, she was practicing in her room the whole time. But that doesn''t explain her strange behavior. She asked, "Eurice, you are acting weird lately." "Why didn''t you answer the call of Elder Alice?" Eurice Frye''s heart was in turmoil. She was right. Elder Alice reported her to the dean. But fortunately, it was not about the crime. "Dean, I planned to improve my strength before meeting her. She must have been disappointed by my defeat," Eurice replied. She told a lie. But Rebecca didn''t make any judgment. She wanted to check on her earlier. Now that she looks alright. Rebecca doesn''t want to extend the conversation anymore. "Did you meet Elder Alice?" She asked. Eurice Frye was stunned for a second before answering, "No, dean. I came here directly after receiving the message." A quick gleam flashes in Rebecca''s eyes. Her intuition tells her something is not right. But she couldn''t guess what it was. She replied, "Alright, you can leave. But visit Alice before going to your dorm." Hearing that Eurice left the room. After walking out of the room, she felt a sigh of relief. It''s not easy to fool the dean. But fortunately, the meeting went well. Then she thought about Alice Brown. She thinks it''s better to see her before people find it suspicious. Earlier, she wanted to run away from the academy. Now there is a good chance. She can pick up a mission and disappear for a long time. Before that, she has to convince Elder Alice as well. Shortly after, she came to Elder Alice''s place. Where the RainWater Faction Head resides. To her surprise, Alice was waiting outside her house. When she saw someone entering her area. She looked ahead and saw Eurice coming towards her. Alice absorbed the change in facial expression of Eurice. There is no sort of remorse or sadness. She remembered Eurice was not like this before. Can a single defeat make her like this? Alice frowned. Something is not right. When Eurice came closer to her. "Teacher," She greeted. Alice turned to normal and quickly recovered her expression. "What happened to you?" "Usually, I get a message from you before your retreat. This time nothing like that had happened" Alice''s words reached Eurice''s ears. How to tell? Eurice was scared at that time. She didn''t know how Zack had survived the poison. She had stayed in the room in fear of Zack Lockwood. Even now she doesn''t want to confront him. "Eurice?" Hearing her name, Eurice reagins her clarity in thoughts. She replied," Teacher, I had planned to improve my strength before seeing you. Zack''s strength opened my eyes." "So I made myself not to meet others before getting stronger." Alice''s eyes flickered. Eurice''s words are in line with her thoughts. She suspected Eurice''s behavior was related to Zack Lockwood. She has a vague feeling in her heart. But she wasn''t able to pinpoint what it was. "What are you going to do now?" She asked back. "I''m going to raise my strength. Then I''ll request Zack Lockwood for another duel," Eurice said with a smile. But she didn''t know that she had made a grave mistake this time. "Oh, it is. Then you should defeat someone else first," Alice replied. She felt the Gale faction warrior''s challenge came at the right time. Eurice widened her eyes in surprise. Before she could speak. Alice said, "Vina Potkins expressed her interest to fight against you. You should go and meet her and set the date for the challenge." "There will be an internal competition in a few days. You should make preparations for that as well." "Internal competition?" Eruice doesn''t know how to react for a moment. Alice''s words made her speechless. She knows Vina Potkins. Vina Potkins has similar strengths to her. Not only that she was one of the talented warriors in her faction. But what''s with the Academy''s internal competition? Alice saw through her thoughts. But she doesn''t want to explain right now. "You can leave now," She said to Eurice. Eurice left the place with a blank expression on her face. She thinks a lot of things happened during her absence. She decides to find someone to update her. Meanwhile, Alice frowned. She found no truth behind Eurice''s words. The more Eurice opens her mouth. She feels more wrong. Like she had come with preparation. This duel challenge might reveal some information. Last duel, she noticed some weirdness. She decides to watch the duel closer this time. Chapter 565 Part 1: Changes In The Azure City ? From MC''s perspective: The following day, Sitting cross-legged in the training room. I took out the Class-5 Monster core and held it in my palm. This one monster core was enough for me to sustain a few hours of cultivation. Then I closed my eyes and started to run the blood element method. As I recite the words, the blood rune in my mind starts to flicker. The next moment, I felt suction in both of my palms and began to absorb the monster''s core energies. The energies of the Class-5 Monster were more violent than the Class-4 Monster. So I began to guide the energy slowly. As the energy flows through my veins. I felt the violent nature. But that was for a moment. As I circulated the blood, a red light appeared above the bloodstream. Then they start to absorb the monster''s core energies and then convert them into the mysterious white energies. The white energies appeared and they drilled into my bones. The process was painful. But I''m already used to it. Slowly, the red color starts to expand. My right arm bones are turning red. The process was faster because of Class-5 Monster Core. I wonder what would happen if there were Class-6 Monster Cores. A hint of desire appeared in my heart. But still, my strength was low. To fight against the Class-6 Monster. I have to raise my body strength to Super Elite Mid Stage at least. Because the ape monster''s strength widened my knowledge. You can''t judge the monster every time based on their class. Some monsters are different. After pushing down these thoughts, I continued to cultivate them. Time passed in a blink of an eye, Inside the body, an unknown energy awakens. It starts to refine the body and make it even stronger. A few hours later, The monster''s core crumbles into pieces. Feeling that I opened my eyes and looked at my body casually. The next second a bad smell attacked my nostril. What is it? I saw thick black impurities all over my skin. This change won''t happen unless there is a breakthrough in body strength. Suddenly, something struck my mind. "Domain Strength," I muttered to myself. After a long time, I recalled my secret in my mind. Which was not known to anyone. Including my family members, Teacher, and Jonathan. The words of an unknown voice at that time vividly came to my mind. I have to raise my qualification to accept the inheritance. To this day, I don''t know what it is. Even in this Tier-6 City Academy. I haven''t heard anything about inheritance or domain. Both words appeared to be unique. So much that I almost forgot about my own story. The thing hiding in my body is not ordinary. If I fail to get an inheritance, there is a possibility of certain death. But fortunately, I got this blood element method. Because of this, I can cultivate my physique as well. The domain qualification is something achievable in the end. I don''t know what the exact level of my domain physique is. I had vaguely rated the domain in mind. Right now, my body strength should be higher than the rank 5 domain. After figuring it out, I wasn''t able to bear the bad smell. So I hurriedly exited the room and went to take a shower. Several minutes later, After wearing academy clothes, I began to get ready. While doing that, I couldn''t help but think about Vina Potkins. I advised her yesterday. Since then social media has been flooded with messages and posts. But I don''t know the Rain Water Faction''s reactions. If Eurice Frye appears, It would be interesting to see. My eyes flickered with a cold glint. That woman, I haven''t made up my mind yet. She dared to poison me. It would be better if she gets her lesson. But the existence of the supreme elder is troubling my mind. Even Jonathan was suspicious of that person. If I start to act out, there is a possibility that that person will target me. So far I''m using the Dean as my protection. Even she seems helpless when it comes to the Supreme Elder''s words. I should lay low until I hear something concrete from Jonathan. After getting ready, I left my room and walked out of the dorm building a few minutes later. Seeing that there was no scene in front of the dorm building. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. I hope Ernest didn''t bump into Michael again. He has been getting beaten up by him. Even I have to think twice before offending the Super Elite Peak Stage Warrior. Soon I reached the dining hall. I saw Ernest talking to warriors. "This is something new," A faint smile appeared on my face. When I got closer. He spotted me quickly. "Zack, you are here on time. Let''s go inside. I got some interesting news to share with you," Ernest said with an enthusiastic expression. "This guy?" It has been some time since I saw a genuine smile on his face. Then we walked into the hall. This time the crowd was less than before. After receiving the food, we found an empty seat to sit down on.I think you should take a look at "What did you do last night?" "Have you seen the online post this morning?" Ernest asked. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. "Well, I skipped the practice and stayed in my room the whole day. And I have yet to see the morning post." "Why, Something happened," I asked. "Eurice Frye is back. Someone posted the news this morning. Someone spotted her in the office building," He replied. "Eurice?" My mouth curved into an arc. She has finally decided to come out of her den. "What about Vina Potkins?" I asked. If she is back, then Vina can use this opportunity to challenge her. "You are quick to catch on." "Word is that Vina is going to confront her this morning. She might visit the Rain Water Faction''s territory," Ernest replied with a smile. Hearing that I nodded at him. Seems like my plan is working. We might get to watch a show. But this time I''m going to be a spectator in the duel arena. Looking at Ernest''s relaxed expression. My eyes flickered. This was not the reason for his bright mood. There is something else. "What about Michael?" I asked. Hearing that Ernest''s expression changes drastically. "That b@stard left the academy last night. Something is going to happen in the Azure City," Ernest said with a solemn expression. "This is bad!" An ominous premonition appeared in my heart. "What about Laverne''s family?" "Have they left?" I asked. "Well, apart from core members. The branch family members have vacated the place. Laverne seems to be taking too much time," Ernest said. "What''s with these people?" I furrowed my eyebrows. That was a golden opportunity to leave that dangerous place. Why are the main members staying behind? The big families are hard to understand. A certain someone comes to mind. Maria Frazier? I wonder what she is doing these days. After pushing down these thoughts, I continued to eat. ... The Azure City, The climate of Azure City was not right. Lately, a lot of deaths have been reported outside of the city. People died under unknown circumstances. What''s more shocking is that the deceased are citizens of the inner city. Such people are members of the major families residing in the inner city. Some of the corpses'' identities are recovered. The result was shocking. It has sent danger signals to the people residing in the inner city. Because the people who died seemed to be from the Morrow Family. When the information was leaked. The entire city was in a panic. Who dares to attack the members of the Morrow family? Certainly, people are not stupid. Even in the inner city, not that many families dared to do this. But because of recent events. People are already suspecting the Blevins family. This might be their work. For a long time, rivalry has existed between these 2 families. Now that rumors are spreading about Blevins Family Head''s breakthrough. These deaths only add to the confirmation. Because of this, the entire city was in a state of alert. The outer city seems to be deserted. When the information was leaked. The people in the outer city were the first to vacate this place. Everyone can see that there is going to be a fight between the 2 families. Before the fight breaks out, the merchants and ordinary people have vacated the city. Even some mid-level families in the inner city are planning to leave. But they fear that the Blevins family would target them. So the inner city was shrouded in a strange atmosphere. Morrow Family: The Gates of the Morrow Family is deserted. Earlier, there used to be people walking around. But after the branch family left, the place became quiet. Laverne Morrow shut herself in the room. She wants to go outside. But she knows the enemy might target her. The death of the family members caused a major blow to the family. Nobody expected the Blevins family to go to such a length to suppress them. Chapter 566 Meeting Elder Alice ? From MC''s perspective: After having breakfast, we stepped out of the dining hall. "I''m going to the monster zone. What about you?" I asked Ernest. Ernest shook his head before replying, "My techniques are a bit lacking. I''m going to focus on improving my skills." Hearing that, I nodded my head at him. Then we parted ways. I started walking toward the teleportation tower. Yesterday''s improvement in domain physique''s improvement brought me a sense of realization. But it also gave me a sense of urgency. When I reached the teleportation tower. Many gazes fell on me. Vina and Eurice''s news has become a hot topic. I''m the root cause of all of this. But I didn''t see people complaining about that. As long as they don''t disturb me. I''m fine. Then I started approaching the circular platform. Beep~ Suddenly, my communication watch lit up with a notification. Seeing that I stopped my movements and looked at the contact name. "Laverne" A hint of seriousness appeared in my eyes. Then I saw other warriors around me. Coming and going out from the circular platform. This is not the appropriate place to take. So after walking farther away from the teleportation tower. I attended the call. The next moment, an anxious voice reaches my ears. "Zack, what are you doing?" Hearing that I furrowed my eyebrows. Her voice seems to be not good. I asked, "I''m in the academy. Laverne, what happened?" There was silence for a moment. Laverne began to share about Azure City''s situation. At first, my expression was calm. But when she told me about her family members'' massacre. My heart was in turmoil. The situation on the ground was beyond my expectations. A few minutes later, My expression turned grave. Laverne''s family strongly suspects the Blevins Family. Because they are the ones who are holding a grudge against her family. "Zack, you must help me." "I don''t know what to do right now?" Laverne''s pleading voice reached my ears. I knitted my eyebrows further. This was the dean''s idea. She came up with a decision to make them relocate to some other city. Does the Blevins family want to go against the dean''s words? "Laverne, don''t worry. I''ll talk to the dean," I replied. "Alright, make it soon. The situation looks worse here," After saying that Laverne ended the call. My eyes turned cold. More than Michael I''m pissed off by his father. If it was, the Blevins family was responsible for the act. Then they are going to pay heavily. Then I turned around and headed to the office building. Don''t know whether she is in her cabin or not. But I can''t delay the issue any longer. A few minutes later, I entered the building and then started walking upstairs. Soon I reached the dean''s place. But as I got closer there was no response from the door. Usually, the door opened automatically upon sensing my presence. But this time it''s not working. Which means the dean is yet to come. "Zack Lockwood" A beautiful soothing voice reached my ears. Hearing that I was startled. "Who is it?" A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. When I turned around, I saw a beautiful woman standing in front of me. But I couldn''t feel any presence from her. "She is powerful," A thought appeared in my mind. "Who are you?" I asked. The beautiful woman is none other than Elder Alice. She didn''t expect to meet someone interesting here. Then she looked at the dean''s office before turning towards Zack. "You don''t know me?" "I''m the RainWater Faction Head, Alice Brown. It''s nice to see you." "The dean might be late today. Why don''t you come to my cabin and wait for her?" Alice asked. "Uh?" A hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. Now I remembered the beautiful face. I seemed to have seen her during the duel live streaming. "Elder Alice, you don''t have to do that. I''ll come back later," I replied with a smile. She seems to be different from other faction heads. Her presence alone gives me a calmer feeling. "Well, I want to hear something from you," She said.I think you should take a look at I raised my eyebrows. She seems to have something on her mind. But she is not revealing it. What''s bothering her? Then I agreed to her request. The faction heads cabins are located near the dean''s office. After last time''s destruction, this time the office walls are built sturdier. After entering her room, I sat opposite her. I''m keeping an eye on her expression. It''s my first time meeting her. So I won''t believe her words. Alice knitted her eyebrows. Eurice''s change has bothered her. She didn''t expect the situation to turn out like this. But to uncover the secrets. She can only investigate slowly. Looking at Zack, she asked, "What do you think about my student?" Her expression was a bit serious. "Student?" I uttered in confusion. Then suddenly a name struck my mind. "Are you talking about Eurice Frye?" I asked back. Seeing that Elder Alice nodded her head. My heart skips a beat. What is going on? Why is she asking about her? Was she her accomplice or mastermind? My brain starts to race. This was out of my calculation. What is the purpose of this question? Isn''t she the teacher? She must be aware of Eurice''s ugly heart. I remained silent. I don''t know whether anything good will happen. The dean is not here. Otherwise, I would have answered her body. What to do? Alice Brown frowned. She is trying to have a fruitful conversation. But what''s with the kid? His expression is a bit serious. Did he notice something? She said, "Don''t get me wrong. I''m worried about my student. She is acting a bit weird even since her duel with you." "She is not responding properly. She is not also engaging in other activities. She seems to be living in her world." "I don''t know what happened?" "I started to notice her changes after her duel with you," She added further. "This?" A doubtful glint flashes in my eyes. She doesn''t know? How come? I had heard the truth from Jonathan. Eurice Frye was greedy for resources. She aimed to become stronger and replace her teacher. That''s why she had accepted the resources to kill me. But unfortunately, her plan failed. So it''s normal to see the changes in her character. "Zack Lockwood" Elder''s voice brought my thoughts back to reality. "Elder, I''m not familiar with her. So I can''t help you with this," I answered. Alice Brown squinted her eyes. She didn''t doubt Zack''s words. Because there was no encounter between them except the duel. So Zack''s words made some sense. At the same time, it brought some relief to her heart. If Zack had said something suspicious, then she would have gone deeper to investigate. "Alright, you can leave if you want, "Alice Brown said. But something else comes to my mind. Why don''t I take this opportunity to ask her about Azure City? I asked, "Elder, I have something else to ask you?" Alice showed a thoughtful expression and she said, "Go on" "Elder, do you know about the Azure City?" I asked. "The name sounds familiar," She muttered to herself. Then she remembered reading the reports on the leaderless cities under the Academy''s jurisdiction. One of them was Azure City. After recalling that, she replied, "Yes, I know the Azure City. It is one of our leaderless cities. Currently, someone has reached the leader''s standard in that city." Hearing that I nodded at her and asked, "Can the leader candidate break the rules of the academy?" Normally, I should be asking the dean. But I''m not clear about the faction head''s thoughts. Where do they stand? The dean is following the words of the Supreme Elder. I don''t know whether she can take action or not. Alice''s expression turned solemn. The question caught her off guard. No one dares to disobey the rules of the academy. Especially the cities under their jurisdiction. But looking at Zack''s expression, the information seems to be true. Now she understands why Zack has come to see the dean. After carefully choosing her words, she replied, "If there is such a thing, then only the dean can make some decision." A hint of disappointment flashes in my eyes. Because her answers are within my expectation. The Faction Heads hold no real power in the academy. Except for taking care of their factions. "Elder, I''m leaving," After saying that, I stood from the seat Elder Alice waved her hand. The next moment, the door opened automatically. Then I walked out of the room. "Looks like the faction heads can''t visit the Azure City without the dean''s permission," I said in my heart. The situation seems tricky. What if the dean refuses to help? I can''t help but think about the worst-case scenario. Then I started walking towards the dean''s cabin. Elder Alice doesn''t seem to be malicious. But her student was not good. She shouldn''t know the truth. Chapter 567 Part 1: Lizard Monster ? From MC''s perspective: I waited for half an hour but still, there was no sign of the dean. I should be doing training right now. But Laverne''s situation is urgent. Don''t know what will happen? If I postpone this matter. When I was lost in thoughts. Creak~ The door opened automatically. "She is here," A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. I was worried that she might not come. But fortunately, the trouble is solved. Then I walked into the room. Dean heaved a sigh of relief before turning towards me. "What made you wait so long?" Rebecca asked. Then she asked Zack to take a seat. Before answering, I sat opposite her. Then I started to explain what Laverne conveyed to me. A few minutes later, "Such a thing has happened?" Rebecca frowned. She knows about Azure City. According to the rules, the Blevins family should not target others. The matter of success is a natural process. There is no need to go to such a length to kill someone. Because no one is standing against the Blevins Family succession. The academy was already on the Blevins Family side. After pondering, she turned to Zack. She said, "Well, I''ll talk to Laverne. Then I''ll send the faction head to investigate the matter" "Faction Head?" I raised my eyebrows. She was right. Normally the Faction Head was responsible for their well-being. So it''s Carlos Kent''s responsibility to solve this issue. But that guy is unreliable. Though Jonathan told me that he won''t make any move against me. But it''s not guaranteed that he would help Laverne. Rebecca saw the troubled expression of Zack. Then she realized the mistake in her words. The Special Faction Head had a bad relationship with the trio. He had once sent them on a death mission. Rebecca got black lines on her forehead. About Carlos'' action, she discussed it with the Supreme Elder. But the result was not satisfactory. The supreme elder didn''t feel any need to punish or monitor Carlos Kent. "Alright, I''ll ask other faction heads for help," Rebecca said. A hint of relief flashes in my eyes. Then I decided to leave. I have wasted too much time waiting. It''s time to leave. But before doing that, I heard the next question from the dean. "Prepare yourself. There will be internal competition starting next week," Rebecca said. Hearing that I nodded at her before leaving the room. A few minutes later, I stepped out of the building. I finally felt relaxed. Laverne''s trouble was solved. I''m sure the dean will handle it smoothly. After pushing down these thoughts, I head to the teleportation tower. Looks like today''s hunting time will be shortened. Soon I reached the teleportation tower and walked up to the circular platform. After selecting the server, I disappeared from the spot. Swoosh~ When I opened my eyes. I found myself standing in the semi-arid area. The location was quite new to me. Because in this environment monsters are scarcely found. Looking at the semi-dry land, I couldn''t help but think about the experimental monster zone. Some of the man-made monster zones are similar to this. After pushing down these thoughts, I activated my perceptual ability. My goal was to collect higher-order monster cores. If my information was right, then this place has Class-6 Monsters. Which is equal to the SS-Elite Warrior. Similar to the strength of the faction heads. If I encounter someone, then I would have to flee for my life. Shaking my head, I started walking in the opposite direction. There are dangers present when walking in this open vast land. I can easily spot the monsters. But the monsters can find me first. While walking, I keep an eye on the surroundings. My consciousness is scanning the surroundings. I''m especially keeping an eye on the ground. Last time, a mutated worm monster caught us off guard. Thanks to Ernest''s strength, we easily fend off the monster. This time, I came here alone. But there is an advantage to this solo trip. I can freely use my body strength and blood element techniques. I think fighting is one way to improve your physique. Constant fighting puts the body under immense pressure. It''s a good way to tap the potential. I believe sooner or later. The domain would improve further. After a few minutes of walking, I picked up the red dots signal in my mind. Which means something dangerous is ahead of me. I slowly started to approach the target. When I got closer, I saw a monster laying down on the ground. [Class 5 Monster- Sharp Tooth Lizard] This was a common monster normally spotted in this type of environment. But the strength of the monster surprised me. I thought it was a Class-4 monster. But now looking closely, I realized the monster is a Class-5 one. When I''m looking at the monster. The lizard monster opened its eyes. After seeing me, the monster wide opened its mouth. Seeing that I felt a bad premonition. Then I saw a sand vortex forming in its mouth. I realized it was forming an attack. Boom~I think you should take a look at The monster released the sand vortex attack. A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. A powerful sand attack shot at me. "Lightning Phantom Technique," The purple arcs covered my legs. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and evaded the attack on time. Swoosh~ I appeared a few meters away from the previous spot. Boom~ The attack hits the empty spot. The force swept away the nearby surroundings. Dust rose from the ground. Using this opportunity, I dashed toward the monster. When I got closer to the monster. I raised my fist to punch the monster. The blood energy released from the bones reached my fist in a blink of an eye. Blood Fist~ My punch hits the hard scales of the monster. Crack~ A crack formed on the scales. But the punch was not enough to cause the damage. Argh~ The monster let out a creepy sound. It swung its tail at me. I again used the phantom technique to evade the attack. Swoosh~ The tail hits the empty air. The lizard monster is looking at me with reddened eyes. It''s completely enraged. "Lightning Phantom Technique," the purple arcs covered my legs. The next moment, I disappeared from the spot and appeared closer to the monster again. Blood Fist~ I mobilized the blood energy to punch again. The punch hits the cracked scales. The next moment, the attack tore through the scales. Pfff~ Blood spilled on the ground. This time a huge hole appeared on the monster''s body. Argh~ The Lizard monster let out an angry roar. The monster is bleeding heavily. It finds the enemy stronger than itself. So it decides to flee. At the same time, I decided to use the lightning phantom technique. But the problem is my lightning essence is hitting rock bottom. If I use more lightning techniques, the essence would soon hit rock bottom. Seeing the monster running away, I decided to take the risk. "Lightning Phantom Technique," A purple arc covered my legs again. I disappeared from the spot and started chasing the monster. In a blink of an eye, I reached the monster. I appeared closer to the injury spot. Any more attacks on the injured area. The monster would collapse on the ground. Blood Fist~ I raised my fist to attack the monster again. The blood energy is released from the bones. In a blink of an eye, the power covered my fist. The lizard monster was alarmed. It tries to swing its tail. But before it could do that. The punch hits the injured area again. Boom~ The Lizard monster collapsed on the ground. This time my fist completely tore through the inner organs. Even the inside bones are completely visible. Phew~ Looking at the monster, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. It took me a few punches to cause grave injury to the monster. Then I saw the monster had some vitality left. I brought the black sword outside. Puch~ I inserted the black blade into the injured spot. Blood gushes out more from the injured area. After a couple of seconds, the monster''s eyes completely dimmed. Then I started dissecting the monster''s body. After a few minutes, I collected the monster core and placed the body parts in the container. After finishing it, I didn''t move away from the spot. The commotion must have attracted attention. If I wait here, other monsters will come here. 10 minutes later, Tremor~ I felt a tremor beneath the ground. I can feel that something is coming in my direction. I spread my consciousness around me. A few minutes later, I finally saw the appearance of the monster. Seeing that my mouth twitches. This is another Lizard monster. It''s the Class-5 Monster as well. But understand, the lightning essence has already dried up. Hereafter, I can only rely on the blood element method. The Lizard monster opened its mouth to attack. I saw another sand vortex forming slowly. A hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. Chapter 568 Carlos Kents dilemma Chapter 568 Carlos Kent''s dilemma Noon: A statement released from the Rain Water Faction has shocked everyone. The talented female warrior, Eurice Frye has agreed to have a duel against Vina Potkins. So the duel is going to happen between the members of the RainWater Faction and Gale Faction. Soon the news spread like wildfire. The news shocked everyone. Especially Vina Potkins and her friends. She had made that request influenced by Zack''s words. But she didn''t expect Eurice to accept the challenge. So what does this mean? If she wins against Euricr Frye, then she can challenge Zack formally. She believes that Zack won''t go back against his words. After figuring it out, Vina Potkins decided to discuss it with the Faction Head. Once the faction head finalizes the date then duel can be held. Then she quickly went to meet the faction head. ... Meanwhile, Carlos Kent is currently on his way to Azure City. He had tried to postpone the assignment. But the Giant Tower Headmaster keeps on forcing him to go. Carlos also has something in his mind. Jonathan has made him investigate the man behind the scenes. For him, it''s difficult to investigate the Giant Tower Headmaster. So he thinks that Blevins Family Head would be a good target to investigate. A few hours later, He reached Azure City. But he didn''t immediately enter the city. Because he can already sense the gloomy atmosphere of Azure City. A quick gleam flashes in his eyes. "What happened here?" He muttered to himself. There are no people in the outer city. The streets are clean. It''s almost empty. Then he quickly flew over the city and crossed the inner city. This is where the major family resides. Carlos quickly scanned the city. Soon he spotted several life sensations. Which means people are still living here. They haven''t left the city. Before coming here, he had read the reports of the Azure City. The Blevins Family is going to lead Azure City. But there is no need to drive away the people in the outer city. Which is against the Academy rules. The action of the Blevins Family Head would catch the eyes of academy elders sooner or later. It would be troublesome if he gets caught as well. Carlos suddenly feels a headache. He started to regret his decision. If the supreme elder pays attention to this matter, then it would be trouble. After gaining some clarity, Carlos quickly moves toward the Blevins Family''s location. The Blevins Family is occupying the core area. It''s easy to find their residence. Because apart from their area, none of the places are crowded with people. The Giant Tower Headmaster gave him the contact address. But he showed a hint of hesitation. He doesn''t want to expose his identity right now. His meeting with the Blevins Family Head should be secret. Then he quickly descends to the ground. And without giving any opportunity to others to look at he quickly enters the manor. Swoosh~ The guards sensed someone rushing past them. "Quickly!" "Notify, family elder" "Someone infiltrated the manor" Sounds of alarm rang. The miscellaneous people who are crowded in front of the manor are quickly driven away by the guards. The state of panic quickly spread. The people gathered in front of the manor started to flee. They realized someone came to attack the Blevins Family. The commotion quickly attracts family members, elders, and most importantly the young master of the Blevins Family. Michael Blevins walked out of the manor and confronted the guard. He asked, "What happened?" The guards quickly explained the ins and outs. "Someone went inside the house," Michael widened his eyes in disbelief. Who could be? He was living in the adjacent room. It''s impossible to escape. He is the Super Elite Warrior. Apart from his father, he can sense the presence of everyone. For a moment, he thought it was the Morrow Family''s work. But the next second, he shook his head. There was no powerful existence in the Morrow Family. Then who could act against their family? Suddenly the image of a person comes to his mind "Zack Lockwood," He said in his heart. Did he use his background? The next second, Michael rushes back to the manor. Meanwhile, Carlos has already entered the study room. "Elder Carlos, welcome to my house" A sturdy middle-aged man walked forward to greet them. He appears to be over 40 years old. He has thick black hair and eyes. But his expression is rather sly and cunning. Looking at him, Carlos sneered inside. He is getting a familiar sense of greed from him. No wonder the Giant Tower Headmaster has managed to lure him over his side. "You are Robert, right?" Carlos asked. "Yes, I''m Robert Blevins," Robert replied. Then he asked the elder to take the main seat. He vacated the spot and walked to close the door. "Father?" Before Carlos could speak. An anxious voice came behind. He disappeared from the spot. Seeing that Robert''s pupils shrank. It''s not an ordinary method to disappear all of a sudden. Knock~ A knocking sound came from behind. Robert Blevins suppressed the shock in his heart. Then he turned around to open the door. Creak~ Michael was standing in front of him with an anxious expression on his face. "Father, are you alright?" He asked. Robert Blevins heard the commotion happening outside. He quickly understood the ins and outs of this matter. "I''m fine. Michael. A certain guest came to meet me. You can go outside to calm the crowd," Robert said to Michael. Hearing that Michael sighed in relief. Then he quickly walked away from the place. At the same time, Carlos appeared back in his seat. He asked," What are you doing with this city?" "I heard the recent reports. You have attacked Morrow Family members. Don''t you think it''s crossing the line?" "Your action will attract the attention of the Supreme Elder. And don''t forget I''m the head of the Special Faction Members." "So if something happens to the Morrow family girl, then the consequences will fall on my head," Carlos added further. But he didn''t hide his displeased tone. Robert Blevins is smiling ear to ear. He sat opposite him. He replied, "I know what you are worried about. But trust me, I''m doing everything according to the plan. Even the Giant Tower Headmaster agrees with my method." A cold glint flashes in Carlos'' eyes. The Giant Tower Headmaster is directing everything. Including the slaughter of the Morrow Family members. What is that guy thinking? Carlos raised his eyebrows. Doesn''t matter which side but his presence would make people suspicious. Robert Blevins reveals a sly smile on his face. He asked, "Elder, what are you thinking?" Carlos met his gaze with Robert. "I''m wondering, how are you going to escape the inquiry of the Supreme Elder?" He said in a cold tone. He doesn''t like Robert''s attitude. Even the Giant Tower Headmaster was not like him. "Ha...Ha...Ha..." "So you don''t know the secret?" Robert said with a laugh. Carlos''s heart skips a beat. He thinks he is getting closer to the truth. What is the man behind the scenes planning? "What secret?" He asked back. "Elder, forgive me. I can''t tell you. I thought the Giant Tower Headmaster should have informed you," Robert said in a sad tone. But Carlos is getting impatient. He took a great risk to come here. There are people he doesn''t want to offend. Which includes the Supreme Elder and Jonathan. He had managed to keep his life from Jonathan. But if he upset the Supreme Elder, then he would face imprisonment. He still doesn''t know the assignment here. The Giant Tower Headmaster simply asked him to come here. Which means Robot needs his help. After pushing down these thoughts, he looked at him and said, "Let''s get to the main topic." "I don''t have much time. What''s the task?" Carlos asked. Robert''s expression immediately turned bright. He said, "Elder, now you are talking." "The assignment is nothing. I just need you to kill someone." After saying that he looked into Carlos''s eyes. Perceiving a gaze, Carlos asked, "Go on." His face showed no expression. But the next words almost stumped him. "I want you to kill Scott Morrow," Robert Blevins said. The next second, a monstrous coercion was released from Carlos'' body. Boom~ The next second, the pressure almost destroyed the study room. Robert collapsed on the ground. Feeling the mountain''s pressure on him. "Elder, calm down yourself," He pleaded. Robert has underestimated Carlos. He thought Carlos was another licking dog working for the Giant Tower Headmaster. But looking at the temperament he feels something is not right. At the same time, Carlos'' heart set off storms. He didn''t expect himself to fall into this kind of trap. Maybe these guys don''t know. But the Morrow Family''s young mistress is close friends with Zack Lockwood. And behind Zack Lockwood is standing another terrifying powerhouse. That person is Jonathan. He wasn''t able to understand that person''s strength. But at least that person''s strength is not less than that of the Supreme Elder. Chapter 569 Another shocking truth Chapter 569 Another shocking truth Azure City, Carlos looked straight into Robert''s eyes. He said, "I''m not going to agree to your request. If anything bad happens, then people will suspect me." He rejected it straightforwardly. Feeling the pressure was gone, Robert sighed in relief. At the same time, his expression was ugly. Why is this person so hard to convince? Is he not on our side? Robert''s eyes flickered. He can''t talk back rudely to him. Otherwise, he would face powerful coercion. To achieve his and his faction''s plan, the removal of the Morrow Family is a must. "What are you thinking?" "You should give up on attacking the Morrow Family," Carlos said. He wants to know what''s the plan behind this. Robert gritted his teeth. He came to realize that Carlos didn''t know everything.Otherwise, he wouldn''t be afraid of the Supreme Elder. "Elder, let me tell you a secret." "I hope after hearing this you will change your mind and agree to my request," Robert said without having any other choice. Carlos raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Finally, he is going to spill the beans," He said in his heart. He thinks he is close to learning the scheme of the man behind the scenes. Because all of these are not secret plans for the Giant Tower. A large part of the academy was unaware of this. It''s just the Giant Tower Headmaster operating alone. Robert Blevins knows this is going to piss off the Giant Tower Headmaster. Because they didn''t reveal the secret to this Elder. So he is taking huge risks by exposing the matter. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Elder, there is no need to be afraid. The supreme elder is on our side." When he said those words. Carlos felt a thunderclap ring in his ears. "What?" He was shocked to the core. Looking at Robert, he said, "Don''t spout nonsense." "Do you realize what you are spouting about?" Robert''s expression turned stiff. Looking at the shocked expression of the elder. He knew the news was hard to digest. Carlos Kent''s heart was in turmoil. How come? The Supreme Elder is the backbone of the academy. Then how can he join the hostile academy? For a second, he thought his world turned upside down. Though he doesn''t have any inkling about the academy. But still, for the sake of Jonathan''s order, he wants to support the Academy. But right now his hope is extinguished. If the Supreme elder is on their side, then the dean herself won''t be able to do anything. More than that no one could stop the end of the Morrow Family. Do I have to kill the head of the Morrow Family? For a second, Carlos felt numb. He stood up from the seat. "The news is too much to digest. I need some time to think about it. Until then stop your schemes against the Morrow Family," Carlos sent to Robert. Right now, he wants to leave this place and inform Jonathan as soon as possible. After walking out the door, he exited the manor in a blink of an eye. Did I make the mistake of telling him the news? Robert Blevins muttered to himself. ... From MC''s perspective: After leaving the monster zone. I appeared back in the Teleportation Tower. This time I have collected a few monster cores.It''s enough for 2 days of practice. Soon I reached back to my room. After entering inside, I went to take a shower. Several minutes later, I changed into comfortable clothes. Then I sat on the couch leisurely and started to access an online site. I don''t know what happened to Vine Potkin''s duel. I''m more interested in the news. Soon the news feed appears. I started to scroll down the articles. Many interesting headlines caught my attention. But I skipped them all and started to look for the dual topics. [VINA POTKINS vs EURICE FRYE] [Hot news! Eurice Frye accepted the duel challenge] Soon, the headlines caught my attention. Seeing that I immediately began to read the article. A few minutes later, A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. My assumption turned out to be right. The Rain Water Faction has succumbed to the pressure. More surprisingly, I didn''t expect Eurice Frye to walk out of her shell. Which means she is ready to face the outside world. My expression turned solemn. She might have evil intentions. There is no guarantee that she won''t act against me in the future. After gaining some clarity, I decided to wait and see. Then my attention shifted back to the duel. The date of the duel was not announced. There is going to be an internal competition next week as well. I guess they will fix the date within this week. The following day, After getting out of bed, I started to do my morning routine. Several minutes later, I entered the training room to practice. I sat down cross-legged on the ground. Then I took out the monster core and held it in my palm. The next moment, I started to run the blood element method. A few hours later, I walked out of the room after ending the cultivation. Then I went to take a shower. 30 minutes later, I changed into an academy uniform and was ready to go outside. After leaving the room, I walked out of the dorm building. "Today is going to be an interesting day," A quick gleam flashes in my eyes. I don''t know why? But my heart wants to fight against someone. Lately, I have been fighting against dangerous monsters. The battle experience helps me greatly. But still, it''s been some time since I have fought against the warriors. I hope next week''s internal competition will be great. I might get to duel against many warriors. Soon I reached the dining hall. As usual, someone is waiting for me. But Seeing Ernest''s expression, I frowned. After walking up to him, I raised the question, "What happened?" Ernest couldn''t hide the matter. The news is related to Laverne. "It''s about Azure City," Ernest replied. My eyes flickered. I thought this matter was dealt with yesterday. Looking around, I saw no one around us. "What''s going on?" "Dean promised me to send someone there. That person might be on his way towards the city," I added further. "Well, something happened at the Blevins Family. They seemed to be on high alert," Ernest replied. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Let''s go inside and talk," We then walked into the dining hall. After receiving the food plate from the counter. We found a nearby seat to sit down on. While eating, I found the crowd was a bit unusual. I asked, "What happened to them?" Ernest was quick to notice. Then he remembers the rumors spreading online. "I think the duel between Eurice Frye vs Vina Potkins would likely happen tomorrow," Ernest said. Hearing that my mouth curves into an arc. Looks like I''m going to meet her tomorrow. I still have not decided how to treat her. Then I continued to eat. Several minutes later, After having breakfast, we walked out of the hall. "Why don''t you ask her to come back?" "If the Azure City is dangerous, then she should come back to the academy," I said to Ernest. Ernest revealed a bitter smile on his face. "She is stubborn. She won''t listen to me," Ernest replied. certain person''s image comes to mind. "Michael?" Last time, he beat the sh!t out of Ernest. Fortunately, he Sigh~ A sigh escaped from my mouth. "Let''s go to the gravity training room," I answered. Then we walked towards the gravity training room. Suddenly,a certain person''s image comes to mind. "Michael?" Last time, he beat the sh!t out of Ernest. Fortunately, he was not here this time. Ernest can practice inside the gravity chamber peacefully now. Soon we reached the 2nd castle building and entered inside. In the hall, the other faction warriors are taking a rest and talking with each other. Our arrival made them turn toward us. Ignoring them, I started walking toward the gravity training room. But someone else is blocking my way. She is none other than Vina Potkins. "What is she doing here?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. There is nothing to talk about. So I decided to ignore her. When I got closer to her. Vina stretched her hands in front of me. "Wait!" "I have something to talk to you about," Vina Potkins said. I stopped my movements before turning towards her. "What do you want?" I asked. Ernest perked up his ears to listen. The sudden situation attracted the eyes of others. Quickly people gathered to see what was happening. "I''m going to fight against Eurice tomorrow." "So if I win, I want our duel to be scheduled the day after that," Vina Potkins said. Gasp~ The crowd gasped in surprise. No one expected such a bold move from Vina Potkins. Hearing that, I too felt that idea was great. I''m itching for a duel. Why don''t I start with her? But before that, she has to win against Eurice Frye. "Alright, I accept your request," I said to Vina before walking past her. Ernest quickly followed me. A bright smile appeared on Vina Potkins'' face. This is going to be breaking news today. Chapter 570 Part 1: Eurice Frye Vs Vina Potkins ? from mc''s perspective: the duel day, after having breakfast, i started walking toward the arena together with ernest. not only us, but the other warriors also rushed to the arena. "who do you think is going to win?" ernest asked. "i don''t have any idea," i replied quickly. i have not seen any footage of vina potkins'' duel. but i think she won''t be any less than eurice frye. eurice has the power of a mutated water element. this was a known fact to everyone. since vina knows that as well. maybe she has some powerful cards under her sleeves. then we both quickly reached the place. this is the 1st time i''m going to be a spectator. as we approached the entrance. many gazes fell on me. both the male and female warriors from the other faction were staring at me. "hey, look who''s here!" "zack lockwood is going to the duel as well." "hey, maybe he is coming to watch vina potkins." the conversations reached my ears. ignoring that we started walking towards the seating area. on the other hand, the warriors started to follow as well. a few minutes later, we arrived at our special faction stand. this seating area is allocated for our special faction members similar to other factions. so no one will come to bother us. sitting down, i started to observe other areas. as the participants are yet to arrive. the warriors are finding their respective seats. as usual, i saw the warriors from the flame factions were large in numbers. no matter where you go. their presence is very eye-catching. a few minutes later, "look, vice-dean is here," eurice said, pointing fingers at the flame faction. seeing that i followed his gaze and saw the appearance of the vice-dean. i haven''t had that much interaction with other faction heads. so i can''t judge their character. suddenly, i spotted someone with blond hair standing behind him. "who is the blond-haired warrior?" i asked. ernest was surprised at first. then he recognized the person. "kane!" he uttered in surprise. "who is he?''i asked back again. it took a few seconds for ernest to realize. "you have a competition now. that person is kane patrick. he is one among the top 3 in the flame faction." "no wonder the vice-dean was here. he is planning to show off," ernest said with a bitter smile. on the other hand, a quick glint flashes in my eyes. to be honest, i was itching for a fight for a while. but never expected apart from vina someone else to come back from their retreat. ernest is quietly watching zack''s expression. then he remembered something. "don''t take him too lightly. like eurice frye, his elemental magic is also unusual. his flame can withstand the attack from other elements," ernest said with a serious expression. hearing that, a faint smile appeared on my face. i already achieved super elite strength with my body. so i''m not worried about failure. "don''t worry. i know what to do?" i replied in a calm tone. ernest nodded before looking at the arena. as the time passed, the seats of other factions started to fill. and the respective heads of their factions also arrived. 10 minutes later, eurice frye walked to the dueling stage. shortly after, vina potkins arrived as well. looking at the unbothered eurice frye. my eyes turned cold. last time she poisoned me during the duel. now she is appearing like nothing has happened. how to get back my revenge? i raised my eyebrows. if her character is rotten, then it''s neither good for the rain water faction and not the academy. should i tell the dean about this? lots of questions appeared in my mind. then i decided to think about it later. "only our faction head is not here," ernest said with a sigh. "don''t think about him," i said. "is he going to do something again?" ernest asked with a worried face. "ah?" i realized. these guys don''t know about his changeover. so they are still afraid of him. "i forgot to tell you." "our faction head has changed. he is not going to bother us anymore," i said. "really?" ernest uttered in surprise. meanwhile,n0velusb.c0m some people in the spectator''s area also looked at the 2 lone people in the special faction area. as both of them are eye-catching for the rest of the warriors. vice-dean franklin squinted his eyes. he slightly turned toward the blonde-haired warrior beside him. he said," he is the one who is taking our factions'' limelight." kane patrick appears to be a normal warrior. his facial features are not that outstanding. except his blonde hair and fair skin. nothing is working. but his eyes are cunning. he is already marked as the person in his heart. and he is looking forward to meeting him. when he came back. his underlings had already filled him with information. the shameful defeat of the flame faction, metal faction, and rainwater faction. the person has yet to face the gale faction and rock earth faction. franklin notices the reaction. he gave an appreciative look. but he couldn''t help but remind me. "don''t underestimate the lightning element. it''s domineering. we don''t know. how it would react against your flame." franklin was worried that kane might be careless. kane on the other hand simply replied, "head, you are worrying too much. i take every opponent seriously." hearing that franklin nodded his head. similar things are happening in each faction. there are not many warriors that are outstanding and powerful. so people are watching every move of talented warriors in each faction. this time there are only warriors of the "a" grade institution are allowed in the arena. where the people from the rest of the institution watch it from live streaming. even some of the influential people in viper city also tuned in. duel arena: eurice frye slightly glances towards the special faction area. she is aware that zack lockwood is here. she couldn''t help but feel uneasy in her heart. opposite her, vina potkins walked up to the stage. she stood opposite eurice. she doesn''t know why. eurice seems absent-minded. while she was observing, the referee also arrived. he is from the management building. the arrival of the referee caused eurice to return to reality. then both of them became ready for the clash. meanwhile, dean rebecca is watching from her office. the current duel is not as important as zack lockwood''s duel. she saw alice brown was there. similarly, the gale faction head is present there. in case of emergency, both of them can take care. she suddenly notices zack lockwood and eurice frye. looking at one missing person on the ground. she couldn''t help but recall the morning reports. someone powerful has visited the blevins family. "who could be?" she frowned. the issue with azure city is deteriorating day by day. even the supreme elder asked her not to intervene in this matter. she feels helpless. she is responsible for the affairs of the academy. but the supreme elder is making the decision nowadays. shaking her head, she pushed down these thoughts. the supreme elder is the oldest person in the academy. rebecca thinks that the supreme elder is doing good for the academy. .... the azure city, carlos kent is staying at the blevins family''s place. the blevins family head''s revelation blew away his mind. the information was so huge that it had a catastrophic effect if the news was leaked. the academy might face danger from all sides. carlos himself didn''t expect that he would care for the academy. more than that it''s fear of jonathan in his mind. recalling the power of the person. carlos once again calmed down his heart. "that person can easily take down everyone," jonathan muttered in his heart. that''s why he is not afraid of the giant tower head and the person behind the scenes. after having so much conversation with the giant tower headmaster. he is starting to connect the dots himself. who could order around the giant tower headmaster? because the giant tower headmaster himself is one of the big beings in the tier-6 cities. similar to the other heads of other academies. a crazy thought appeared in his mind. "inner post," he said in his heart. if his assumption is true then something big is going to happen in their region. for so many decades no one had bothered their outer post. because it''s a barren land. only exceptional warriors had managed to get into the inner post. so for them to interfere in their region. carlos couldn''t help but suck a cold breath of air. even the assumption itself scares him. when it comes to jonathan. he had already realized that a powerhouse is someone from the inner post. he had realized when he got the scolding from the dean. no one can make that woman flustered. only the existence of the inner post can make her afraid. knowing that such existence has a connection with zack lockwood. he became even more humble. he hoped that he would be spared in the end. Chapter 571 Part 2: Eurice Frye Vs Vina Potkins ? somewhere in the outer post, jonathan is carrying out the secret mission instructed by his master. someone is interfering in the outer post. his task is to find out the information. it can be said that the people interfering are not from this region. it can be said that they are from the outside. it''s either from the inner post or another outer post located beyond the barrier. however, the power levels of the warriors residing in the outer post are similar. they can''t compare to people in the inner post. jonathan thinks it is likely people causing trouble here are from the inner post. when he got free time. he didn''t forget to check the messages. among the messages he received, carlos kent''s recent message caught his attention. "the supreme elder is working for someone outside," a cold glint flashes in his eyes. the secret is so huge. if the news is leaked, it can cause turmoil in the whole region. earlier, he had his suspicions about the giant tower academy. the people operating behind the scenes are not as simple as he had guessed. when he met carlos, he thought the outsiders were from another academy or maybe some rogue warriors. but looking at this message. he feels something fishy. who could move the supreme elder of the academy? unlike the existence of his master. it''s impossible. for quite some time, the supreme elder of the saw scale viper academy has been responding to the master properly. so he had advised zack to stay alert. if the information is true then zack is in danger. you will know when the person will attack. a hint of apprehension appeared in his eyes. jonathan decided to visit viper city right away. who knows the information that he is looking for might come from there. ... from mc''s perspective: the duel started. vina potkins released her winning attack against eurice frye. they started confronting each other by using simple attacks. boom~ one after another explosion occurs on the dueling stage. both of them are fighting fiercely. vina''s wind attack pierces through the air. the attack reaches the target faster than eurice''s water element. "this?" a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. one has to stay focused. to see the number of attacks. vina is releasing continuous attacks more than the opponent. "eurice is now being pushed to the corner," ernest said. i raised my eyebrows. i know her mutated water element is troublesome. her technique can turn her water essence into a boiling hot one. if vina is not careful, that attack might hit her hard. on the other hand, the spectators are causing the noise. everyone became excited. both the warriors are ranked top among their respective factions. this duel is an important one for the factions. a few minutes later, after a few initial skirmishes, vina brought her weapon outside. "wind scythe," i uttered in surprise. "yeah, it''s a customized one. i heard that she made a design herself," ernest added. a faint smile appeared on my face. there must be benefits to doing that customization. then i saw releasing her attack. then i saw the wind arc releasing from the scythe. getting hit from that would tear up a person''s body. how is she going to block that? i looked towards ernest. then i saw her releasing a similar arc attack in response. this time she is not going to end up using tricks. last time, carlos must have provided her with the poison. let''s see whether she had the skill or not. meanwhile, elder alice furrowed her eyebrows. she can see that eurice is having a hard time. this means vina potkins is not simple either. she suddenly looks in the direction of the gale faction head who seems to be smiling ear to ear. then she retracted her gaze and looked at the dueling stage. she thinks defeat can change her mind to practice hard. after getting defeated by zack lockwood. eurice completely locked herself up in her room. alice is hoping that things will be different this time. she made up her mind to give some pointers. so that eurice can improve further in her techniques. on the other hand, the flame faction head franklin sneered. for him, the duel is going as predicted. nothing was surprising. kane patrick is observing the reaction of the faction head. suddenly he asked, "why don''t i ask zack lockwood for a duel?" "are you sure?" franklin was surprised by kane''s courage. so far zack lockwood kept an undefeated record. for others, it''s a scary record. it''s normal for even top-ranked warriors to think twice. so kane''s words impressed him. "i''m confident," kane responded. but a hint of jealousy rose in his heart. he wondered why the head was doubting himself. franklin took a moment to remember. "our flame faction already lost to him once. so do the others. but if we lose face a second time, we would be ridiculed." "don''t forget it would not only affect our prestige here. but in other institutions as well." hearing that kane shuddered. for a second he forgot the character of the flame faction head. for a long time, he has been eyeing for the dean post. he has maintained the prestige of the flame faction all these years. so that it can provide him with good momentum. the only thing that stopped him was strength. he is weaker than the dean. if he raises his strength then he may have a chance of becoming dean of the academy. franklin saw kane thinking deeply. so he shifted his gaze back to the duel. it''s not that he is underestimating kane''s strength. but he still thinks kane is not serious about this matter. he just came back. franklin thinks kane needs a few days to know about the recent events. maybe then he would have a better understanding. ... azure city, the blevins family head robert was staying in his study room. he had exposed a great secret to carlos kent. hoping that he would help him eradicate the morrow family. but carlos is avoiding him instead. robert couldn''t help but start to regret it. he also feels a little scared. the giant tower headmaster would be pissed off if he knows. beep~ a sudden call broke his attention. but when he saw the contact name, he broke out in a cold sweat. "what timing?" robert cursed. after calming down his heart. he attended the call. "robert, what''s going on?" "why is there nothing happening in azure city?" "there should have been some turmoil at this point." the giant tower headmaster''s voice reached his ears. robert''s expression turned ugly. he knows that person is following the developments. it''s difficult to escape his eyes. "cough" "sir, elder carlos is taking his time. he will act soon," robert replied. "what?" "he has not acted yet. what is he doing there?" the giant tower headmaster sounded infuriated. lately, carlos has been testing his patience after consuming his resources.n0v¦Ålusb.c0m "uh, sir" "i heard there is a duel scheduled for his student. the dean might be asking for him," robert thought of a reason. he is keeping tabs on the academy information. so the news left his sight. there was silence for a moment. "harumph" "looks like that kid is enjoying his life." "no wonder, carlos is not acting. that b! tch might be staring at him." "alright, ask him to do it after the duels," the giant tower headmaster ended the call after saying that. it''s not robert. the giant tower academy also keeps an eye on zack''s information. so it''s easy for them to confirm the news. phew~ robert heaved a sigh of relief. he didn''t know what was going on with carlos kent. so he thought his student duel might be bothering him. the more he thinks the more he feels right. since the giant tower headmaster said it himself. he can''t wait for a few days. meanwhile, carlos is resting in the guest room. he spends most of the time staring at his watch. he hopes to receive a response from jonathan. otherwise, he doesn''t know what to do. he is completely stuck now. if his actions were exposed, then the supreme elder would silence him. he broke out in cold sweat imagining that. beep~ his watch notified him of a message. hearing that he immediately saw the contact name. seeing the name "jonathan" he finally sat on the chair. then he began to read the message. after reading it, his eyebrows ease down. jonathan asked him to return to viper city. that person will be there soon. carlos finally caught his life''s straw. he stood up from the chair and decided to leave right away. he doesn''t want to spend time here. creak~ when he opened the door to leave. robert appeared before him. "are you leaving?" robert asked. "i''m going back. it''s urgent," carlos replied without turning back. he left the mansion and took the flight ability to appear in the sky. from the beginning to end. robert didn''t try to stop him. carlos felt strange for a second before starting to rush back to the academy. Chapter 572 Vina Potkins Wins ? from mc''s perspective: vina potkins and eurice frye started to fight fiercely. none of them hold back their cards. eurice''s boiling water attack is already causing damage. meanwhile, vina was slowly pushed to the corner. injuries on her body made her attack slower. right now, the duel is heading towards the draw. eurice has exhausted the essence from earlier confrontation. though her mutated water attack was powerful. she can''t support it without essence. 20 minutes later, eurice frye completely exhausted her essence. vina was on the verge of collapsing. but she was able to hold on with the remaining wind essence in her body. finally, eurice frye admitted defeat in front of everyone. and vina potkins was declared as the winner. "zack, i''m looking forward to your duel tomorrow," ernest said with a smile. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. the outcome was surprising. looks like vina has figured it out. only endurance can win her duel. both of them have equal combat prowess. but each of their essences made the difference. cheer~ the spectator let out a loud cheer. the gale faction members'' voices are even more thunderous. they are excited by the victory. now they can hold their heads high in front of the rainwater faction warriors. meanwhile, the crowd on the side of the rainwater faction''s members showed gloom. nobody thought eurice would lose again. elder alice sighed in her heart. she saw through eurice frye. she didn''t have any improvement at all. ever since she got defeated at the hands of zack lockwood. she had thought eurice was practicing alone. but the results showed that she did nothing. "what happened to her?" she knitted her eyebrows. when she tried to talk to her. eurice had a strange reaction. then she shook her head before deciding to try again. on the other hand, the flame faction head showed no expression. he turned towards kane and said, "you can decide whether to challenge him or not after tomorrow''s duel." hearing that kane nodded his head. his eyes showed an exciting glint. he is looking forward to challenging zack lockwood. right after the crowd starts to slowly disperse. everyone was satisfied with the result. because they can watch one more duel tomorrow. 15 minutes later, i reached my room. after entering inside, i looked at the door. for tomorrow''s duel, i don''t have to do anything. i can easily suppress her. but a certain person''s image comes to mind. "kane patrick uh?" n0velusb.c0m i don''t know whether he is going to trouble me or not. but looking at the flame faction head''s behavior. i think it''s highly possible. they might want to redeem their prestige. then shaking my head, i decided to go to the dean''s office later. my lightning essence was not enough for the duel. to counter vina''s sharp wind. i must rely on the lightning technique. after gaining some clarity, i decided to leave after taking a nap. half an hour later, i entered the office building and came to the dean''s cabin. when i reached the door. the door opened automatically. then i walked into the room. "i heard you have agreed to the duel tomorrow," dean rebecca said with a smile hearing that i nodded my head in response while sitting opposite her. "dean, that''s right. i didn''t expect her to win. so i want to go back to the mountain peak again to recover my essence," i replied. a look of understanding appeared in her eyes. "alright," after saying that she summoned the shadow guardians. a few seconds later, both the male and female guardians appeared. after seeing zack, they understood the assignment. "you guys take zack to the mountain peak. he has a duel tomorrow," rebecca said. both the guardians nodded their heads. "for convenience, i''ll schedule the duel time in the afternoon. you can take your time to return the next morning," she added further. hearing that, a faint smile appeared on my face. then suddenly i remembered something. "dean, what about laverne''s family?" i asked. ernest''s words bothered my mind. maybe there is a situation there. "you can be at ease. there is nothing wrong in azure city," rebecca said. but her heart was not calm. the supreme elder has instructed her not to do anything. she is hoping that everything will be fine. but she can''t tell everything to zack. after speaking for a few more minutes. we left the room. i don''t have anything to pack. all the necessities are placed in my storage ring. when we walked out of the building. swoosh~ the guardian started carrying me towards the destination. their speed was so fast that in a few hours, we would reach the mountain peak. meanwhile, vina potkins is looking for zack lockwood. though zack verbally agreed. she fears that he might go back on his words. her friends are with her. looking at her expression, they commented one after another. "don''t worry, he won''t run away." "otherwise, his reputation will be ruined." "yeah, that''s right." "see, already people are posting about your duel tomorrow." listening to her friend''s words. she eases down her eyebrows. vina hadn''t had that much interaction with zack. but she thinks that her friends are right. not long after, everyone received notification from the academy. when vina opened the message to read it. she was surprised. her duel with zack lockwood was scheduled for tomorrow at noon. now that duel is official. she let go of the hanging stone in her heart. on the other hand, eurice frye shut herself again in her room. "damn it," she gritted her teeth in anger. she tried her best. but still, vina had managed to save some essence. to be honest, she was not fully into the duel. she was worried that zack lockwood might expose her. she can''t fully concentrate on fighting, having guilt concisely. she was herself surprised. why zack lockwood didn''t expose her? without knowing the answer, she can''t sleep anymore. in other words, her normal life in the academy will be ruined. beep~ suddenly, she receives a message from the faction head. she wants to meet her. a gloomy glint flashes in her eyes. a few hours later, both the guardians successfully arrived at the mountaintop with zack. tud~ touching the solid ground. i finally felt comfortable. "zack, you can start cultivating now," the male guardian said. hearing that i started finding a suitable spot. we are standing on top of the peak. the peak was continuously being bombarded with lightning. the back clouds have covered the sky. there was no heavy rain. but still, continuous rain is causing the place to get wet with mud. suddenly, i found a rock. it''s a small bedrock. but it''s enough for me to sit down. then i walked to the small bedrock on the ground. then i took the artifact and activated the formation. soon, an invisible barrier covered the place. it can withstand the normal lightning. after arranging everything, i sat down on the rock. both the guardians looked at each other. "who do you think will win tomorrow?" the female guardian asked. "undoubtedly, it''s going to be zack," the male guardian replied. both of them have been protecting zack for some time. so they have seen his strength before. zack can fight across ranks. he can easily win tomorrow''s duel. all he needs to do is to recover the essence. on the other hand, i started to run the lightning script. right after, the rune in my mind starts to flicker. slowly, i started to attract the purple essence. boom~ at the same time, the barrier was hit by powerful lightning. but not a single crack appeared on the barrier. when the purple energy entered my body. i started to guide the energy according to the cultivation method. after circulation, the refined essence entered the dan tian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. the progress was faster in this environment. the place was filled with abundant purple essence. time went by, as the essence appeared in the dantian. the majestic totem starts to act. it started to refine the essence even more. a few hours later, my dantian was filled with purple essence. seeing that i decided to practice wood scripture now. the healing essence always comes in handy. it''s best to store some amount in my dantian. then i switched my practice and started to run the wooden scripture. time went by, a small amount of green essence gathered at the center of the dantian. among the sea of purple essence, the green essence was in a small quantity. a few minutes later, i opened my eyes. then i saw the time. there are still 3 hours left before sunrise. seeing that i stood up and deactivated the artifact. then both the guardians started carrying me backward to the academy. a few hours later, they dropped me before the dorm. we came right before the sunrise. i can take a rest before getting ready for the duel in the afternoon. then i reached my room. after entering inside, i locked the door. then i decided to take a shower before going to bed. Chapter 573 Part 1: Duel Against Vina Potkins ? from mc''s perspective: 10 a.m, i woke up sometime later. after seeing the timing, i decided to get a shower. 20 minutes later, after changing into academy clothes. i began to access the news on the communication watch. then i saw several articles. many of them are looking forward to today''s duel. a faint smile appeared on my face. if i use my body strength, i can easily defeat her. exposing too much strength is not a good thing. there is still an existence that i need to be wary of. the supreme elder comes to mind. i don''t know why. but my instincts tell me to lay low. after pushing down these thoughts. i began to read further articles. ... meanwhile, somewhere deep in the academy. in an isolated place, the supreme elder of the academy is located. the supreme leader of the saw scale viper academy is a dying old man. but the energy released from his body tells otherwise. there is a reason for it. the old man took some black liquid and consumed it in one go. from his looks, it can be said that the black liquid was a precious substance. but he didn''t have any more stock. "that was last," he muttered to himself. the black liquid is delaying his death. but it was not a natural treasure. but it''s the product of something evil. the old man''s eyes flickered. he took his communication watch and contacted a person. when the call was connected. the old man hurriedly asked," i need that forbidden liquid. can you give me more?" when he said that his eyes looked desperate. no one would have expected that the supreme elder of the academy would be so desperate to continue his life. "ha...ha...ha..." "looks like you can''t control anymore," the person''s voice sounded strange with a mix of male and female voices. the old man''s eyes dimmed. he asked, "what do you want?" "old man, there are some hindrances to my plan. i hope you give me a green signal," the person said. he was the same person who was behind the giant tower headmaster. the old man frowned. he knows that a person''s strength is beyond his imagination. he may be planning something sinister in this region. but he can''t help but think of himself. if he dies, then the academy will face destruction sooner or later. the academy''s sake is just an excuse he found for himself. more importantly, the old man doesn''t want to die. "alright, i told the dean not to take action. she won''t go against my words," the old man said with confidence. "ha...ha...ha..." "i know all of that. but my problem is something else. there is a kid who has a special element in your academy." the old man''s eyes flickered. zack lockwood is someone who has a background. he had promised that person to take care of that kid. "this guy?" what is he planning? the old man became nervous. "what?" "you have become silent." "i want that kid to be dead. i hope you can arrange it," the person with a strange voice said. "no," the old man said. "that kid is not someone to offend. he has a background behind him. those people are more dangerous than you," the old man added. there was silence for a moment. "i don''t care. even if they are from the inner post, i''m not scared. i hope you will arrange someone to kill that kid or you should forget about the forbidden liquid." "but if you insist on protecting that kid, then your academy may fall," the person with a strange voice said. the old man''s body shuddered for a moment. before he could speak, the call ended. he knows the background of the person behind zack. that person''s force is a giant. to think this person is not afraid of him. then he realized the person with a strange voice was planning something big here. then it''s normal for his force to be strong as well. as a supreme elder, he is caught in a dilemma. if he doesn''t reply to that person. then he may not get the black liquid.n0velusb.c0m on the other hand, the mysterious person had decided to speed up the plan. .... viper city, on the other hand, someone arrived in the city secretly. he is none other than jonathan. after entering the city, he immediately went to carlos kent''s place. shortly after, carlos kent arrived to greet him. seeing that jonathan nodded at him before entering inside the home. jonathan sat on the sofa. carlos sat opposite to him on the chair. "now, tell me from the beginning," jonathan asked. carlos gulped his saliva. he remembered the fierce attack of jonathan. so he started to speak without hiding anything. jonathan showed no expression. but many thoughts ran in his mind. the matter of the supreme elder made him come here. he had no other choice but to confirm it. if it''s true then he should take zack back to the inner post. while listening to carlos. jonathan couldn''t help but think about the man behind the scenes. earlier, he thought the man behind the scene was an outlaw from the inner post. there is a chance for the powerful criminals to infiltrate the outer post, if the barrier is weak. but looking at the situation. he thinks that the situation is not ordinary. he has to verify the information. a few minutes later, carlos kent finished explaining everything. he couldn''t help but nervously take a look at jonathan. his life depends on jonathan. he hopes that jonathan will save him. it''s impossible to fight against the supreme elder. on the other hand, jonathan frowned. he didn''t expect that old fox to change sides. what could make him do that? a quick glint flashes in his eyes. jonathan decides to see for himself. he plans to visit the supreme elder first. "alright, you should go back to the academy and protect zack. i''m going to confirm the news,'' after saying that jonathan left. carlos kent sighed in relief. he thought that the news would shock him. but on the other hand, jonathan was calm and composed. carlos knows there is a duel today. so he decides to go back to the academy. ... from mc''s perspective: time passes in a blink of an eye, 12:30 pm soon it''s time for the duel. then i left the room and walked out of the dorm building. to my surprise, ernest was waiting outside. "what are you doing here?" i asked. "i just came now," ernest replied. hearing that, a faint smile appeared on my face. then we both started walking to the arena. walking, i saw there were a large number of people going to the arena as well. many of them clicked photos upon seeing us. but we ignored it and started walking towards the destination. when we reached the area. we met with the gale faction members. vina potkins was there as well. after taking a glance at them, i turned towards ernest. "you are going to watch alone," i said. there aren''t many warriors in the special faction. "ha...ha...ha..." "this is going to be some experience," ernest said with a laugh. "i don''t have to say." "you are going to win anyway," ernest gave a thumbs up. after speaking to him. we separated. i started walking to the registration area. while he is going to the spectator spot. soon, i reached the desk. then i saw the staff taking up contract papers. it''s standard procedure before any fight. after signing the paper, i entered the arena. the dueling stage was built at the center of the arena. this time i came here a little early. there is still half an hour left before the duel. the crowd is starting to appear. then i turned towards the special faction area. i saw a lone figure sitting down. he is none other than ernest. meanwhile, the faction heads are starting to appear with their faction members. vice-dean franklin madden appeared together with kane patrick. the rain water faction head alice brown appeared together with eurice frye. both the faction members stood opposite to each other. "elder alice, you guys lost again," franklin said with a smile. a quick glint flashes in alice brown''s eyes. she didn''t respond before she started walking towards the rain water faction area. franklin madden sneered before taking his members as well. kane patrick grinned ear to ear. he spotted zack lockwood in the arena. time passed, on the other hand, the dean also appeared to watch the duel. a complex glint flashes in rebecca''s eyes. the situation at the azure city doesn''t seem to be simple. she had collected the information. the powerhouse has left the blevins family. but i don''t know when the powerhouse will come back. the supreme elder also denied the permission. she was caught in a dilemma. meanwhile, the supreme elder of the academy is watching the situation. he couldn''t help but feel the urgency. he can''t live without the black liquid. that''s the one thing that keeps him going. Chapter 574 Part 2: Duel Against Vina Potkins ? from mc''s perspective: a few minutes later, vina potkins appeared on the dueling stage. her face was full of smiles. she was excited for the duel. "i heard you hadn''t lost to anyone before," vina potkins said with a smile. hearing that, a faint smile appeared on my face. "well, it''s going to be the same today," i replied. vina potkins'' smile disappeared. her expression turned frosty. yesterday''s win has boosted her confidence. not long after the referee appeared. he didn''t waste any time and started the duel right away. swoosh~ vina potkins disappeared from the spot. she is coming towards me at breakneck speed. she has a wind scythe in her hand. sharp glints can be seen on its edge. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. i brought the black sword forward. when she got closer and swung the scythe against me. i raised my sword to block. clang~ a metallic collision sound reverberated throughout the area. the brute force behind my attack pushed her a few steps backward. neither of us used the elemental power. but a great shock can be seen on her face. the next second, i held the sword and started charging with the purple essence. in the blink of an eye, the black blade flickered with the purple light. vina potkins got alerted. she raised her scythe to release the wind attack. when she swung the scythe again, a powerful arc was released from her weapon. the wind attack made a crying sound in the air. swoosh~ the attack tore through the air. on the other hand, just in time. my sword was completely charged. "sword divide," i uttered. a powerful beam was released from the sword and shot at the target at breakneck speed. uproar~ the crowd broke out in a cheer. both of their attacks can be seen on the screen. but the purple lightning stole the limelight. boom~ the lightning beam shatters the wind arc when coming into contact with it. not only that, the purple didn''t stop. it continues to move towards the target. vina potkins opened her mouth in disbelief. out of desperation, she tried to release the wind arc again. but the purple beam already got closer to her. finally, she tried to block it with her weapon. boom~ a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. smoke quickly covered the dueling stage. vina''s weapon took the brunt of the attack. but the remaining force sent her back flying. smash~ the huge shock was written all over her face. vina smashed to the ground close to the edge of the dueling stage. seeing that, i wasn''t surprised. purple essence has become pure because of the majestic totem. its power is naturally higher. but still, if i was not fast enough, her wind attack would have reached me. but i have no point in wasting time. "lightning finger technique" a purple beam appears at the top of my finger. then i shot at the target. a powerful lightning attack reaches the target. vina manages to stand up in time. and released a similar wind attack by using her scythe. boom~ but this time, an explosion occurs when both attacks come in contact with each other. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. this time her attack was powerful. then a look of understanding dawned on me. she didn''t use her full strength previously. there are other techniques. but i don''t want to expose that. vina disappeared from the spot by using her movement technique. together with the support of the wind element. her movements are faster than other elemental warriors. in a split second, vina appeared before me. cut~ i heavily brought the sword forward. without elemental attack. it''s a simple brute force. in response, she used her scythe. but her scythe was charged with a wind element. if anyone comes closer to the scythe, it will shred their body into pieces. clang~ a metallic collision was heard. vina potkins failed to overwhelm me. but her wind attacks started to cut my skin when i came in contact with her scythe. but she retracted backward a few steps because of brute force. "this again," she muttered to herself. after separating, both of us looked at each other. i had underestimated her. i never expected she could hold her elemental attack for some time. this might be her exclusive technique. this technique is deadly in close combat. it can easily deceive the opponent. i wouldn''t have noticed it if not for engaging in close combat. a hint of seriousness appeared in my eyes. "lightning finger technique," i uttered. this time i used the 2nd stage of finger technique. power is almost doubled. in the blink of an eye, another purple beam shot at the target. vina released another wind arc in time. but the lightning beam shattered the wind attack before landing a blow to her. boom~ the lightning beam hits her abdomen region. even though she is a peak elite stage warrior. she wasn''t able to block the attack. argh~ the impact force sent her backward and made her crash to the edge of the dueling stage. pfff~ blood spilled from her mouth. "lightning phantom technique," i uttered. a purple arc covered my legs. in the blink of an eye, i disappeared from the spot and appeared before her. if anyone is from outside to see, they can only see a purple arc moving on the stage. swish~n0velusb.c0m before she could raise her head. i placed my sword blade on her neck. i don''t want to waste any more time. it''s better to finish it when there is a chance. "admit defeat," i said. vina potkins wiped the blood from the side of her mouth before admitting defeat. a strong unwillingness, shock, and regret can be seen on her face. she hadn''t even tried her best yet. "zack lockewood is the winner," the referee declared the winner. cheer~ the crowd broke out in a loud cheer. "can you take your sword back?" vina said. hearing that i retracted my sword and placed it back in my storage ring. vina stood up after struggling. "you are strong. but i don''t know what you will do when other top warriors come back," vina said. hearing that i sneered inside. "do you think i used my full strength against you?" i responded with a smile. "what?" vina potkins is dumbfounded. then her eyes showed complex emotions. even though she didn''t use some of the techniques. but zack''s reaction was fast. at the last moment, she realized even if she used all the techniques. her wind attack won''t reach him. meanwhile, "what do you think?" the flame faction head franklin asked without turning back. kane''s eyes flickered. "vina potkins seemed worse today. she failed to attack zack lockwood," he said in a disdainful tone. "ha..ha...ha..." "she is not weak. on the other hand, zack lockwood is strong. he was able to react faster and execute the attack in time." "that''s why the duel looked simple." franklin madden said. he also saw the power of lightning was domineering as well. even a single hit from it can cause serious injuries to the warriors. "so, are you going to challenge him?" franklin asked again. he is hoping someone could defeat zack lockwood. kane remained silent for a moment before saying, "i''m practicing a new technique. i will become proficient in a few days. then i''ll challenge him." a hint of fighting intent appeared in his eyes. he saw the drawback. if zack lockwood was faster, then he should be faster than him. and he also observed that zack lockwood''s attacks were all linear. like a beam attack. but his fire element is different. it can cover the entire dueling stage like a sea of flame. "good" "good," franklin uttered twice. he didn''t ask the name of the technique. as long as the warriors dare to fight. then it''s a good thing for the faction. and it''s not like that kane is the only one in the flame faction. there are others. franklin suddenly shifted his attention back to the stage. seeing that he is interacting with vina potkins. he frowned. "let him enjoy the limelight for now. but later i will make him a stepping stone for the top 2 students of mine," franklin said in his heart. on the other hand, the rain water faction members are having a similar discussion. "his strength has grown again," eurice frye commented. she can tell that zack''s techniques have improved. zack was faster in attacking compared to her last duel against him. alice brown heard it. she turned towards eurice and said, "if you had a similar practice session last month, then you would have improved as well." she took this time to remind her. but she didn''t know that eurice''s state of mind was not right. shortly after, everyone started to vacate the stadium. on the other hand, the dean went back to her office. the duel was over in a few minutes. she wasn''t surprised by the result. meanwhile, vina potkins walked back to her friends. on the other hand, i started walking back to the entrance. there are several small cuts in my skin. but they are not so deep. i have used the power of body strength a little bit. i don''t know if anyone took note of it. if i hadn''t done that, her attack would have reached me. after pushing down these thoughts, i made my way towards the exit. Chapter 575 A Rotten Apple ? academy: the supreme elder was in deep thinking when the duel was over. he has not made up his mind yet. if he chooses to kill zack, then he will end up dead sooner or later. if not, the mysterious person will ruin his academy. on top of it, his life is running out of time. without the forbidden liquid, he can''t prolong his life span. what he didn''t know was that someone else was observing him from the shadows. he is none other than jonathan. he did come earlier. when zack''s duel was going on. he started observing the supreme elder. right now, he confirmed the suspicion in his heart. the supreme elder was not right in his mind. if he wants he can directly kill this person. but the problem is that saw scale viper academy would face danger if the news leaked. an academy can''t survive without someone like him. while he was observing, he saw the supreme elder speaking to someone on the call. "have you made up your mind?" the mysterious person asked again with a strange voice. the supreme elder''s expression darkened. he thought that the person would give him some time. then he took some breath before replying. "yes, i agree to your request." "there is going to be a conference at the end of the year. where all the academies will participate. that might be a good chance to kill that kid." "but i won''t directly do it. it will endanger my life," the old man added further. this is the middle ground he can find. he can''t kill that kid. otherwise, his teacher would make sure he would die. there was silence for a moment. "alright, i can wait for the year-end," the mysterious person said after ending the call. the old man sighed in relief. now he can get that forbidden liquid non-stop. on the other hand, jonathan frowned. he heard the conversation. which made him ponder more. earlier, he thought about warning the supreme elder. he also had plans to take zack from this place if the situation worsens. but this conversation gave him some hope. if they are planning to harm zack at the year-end conference. then he can find out the identity of the person behind the scenes in the meantime. when it happens he can solve the problem at once. ... from mc''s perspective: the online posts are filled with disappointment. nobody thought my duel could end quickly. many of them had great expectations. but it can''t be helped. i didn''t want to expose my body strength. after closing the online posts, i lay down on my bed. not long after, i was disturbed by the notification sound. beep~ hearing that i looked at the communication watch. "jonathan is calling me," i uttered in surprise. after attending the call, i heard he was waiting outside. "only jonathan can come and go like this," a faint smile appeared on my face. then i got up from the bed and walked to the door to open it. creak~ the door opened. and a middle-aged person walked inside. after closing the door, i turned toward jonathan and asked," what happened?" i didn''t notice it earlier. but jonathan has a heavy expression on his face. then jonathan asked me to sit down first. sitting on the sofa, i couldn''t help but look at him. "the supreme elder turned out to be a rotten apple," jonathan said. my heart set off storms. the one thing that i had hoped for earlier was a false alarm. but right now, i couldn''t help but feel nervous. the supreme elder indeed has some problems. thinking about dean rebecca''s response lately. i couldn''t guess more. "young master" "what are you thinking?" jonathan asked. hearing that i started to tell him the events which have happened recently. a few minutes later, a look of understanding dawned on jonathan''s face. he didn''t expect that old man to interfere in the academy''s affairs already. when it comes to azure city. he looked into zack''s eyes. he decided to tell him the news. "young master zack" "the azure city was not safe anymore. you should ask your friend''s family to leave that place immediately," jonathan said. my expression changes drastically. michael and laverne both are there with their family. i''m not worried about michael. but laverne should leave that place. but what is going on? i thought it was a normal internal struggle in this city. but who could make things worse? that city was basically under the academy''s jurisdiction. then i raised my head and looked at jonathan. he seems to be hiding something. things are not that sample. how come the supreme elder of the academy became so evil? "jonathan, can you tell me" "what''s happening?" i asked. jonathan sighed inwardly. he saw that the situation was causing pressure on the young master. then he thought again. it''s good to remind zack about the danger. who knows the supreme elder might change his mind. he may start scheming against zack before the year-end conference. then he started explaining the events starting from jonathan''s submission to the giant tower headmaster''s schemes. more importantly the unknown powerhouse behind the scenes. a few minutes later, i kept my face straight but my heart was not calm. "someone from the inner post is causing problems here," i muttered in my heart. this is something beyond the hands of the academy. no one can fight against the warriors from the inner post. "young master zack" "if you want you can come with me now. master won''t blame you," jonathan said. hearing that i shook my head. "i had promised the dean to perform well in the year-end conference. she had already told me that the year-end conference ranking was important to the academy." "otherwise, they can''t get needed resources," i replied. jonathan didn''t force it. he understands the situation. "alright, but i don''t know what master will decide. if he wants you to come back, then you will have no choice," jonathan said. a bitter smile appeared on my face. to be honest, i want to go to the inner post with him. but right now, there are a lot of things that need to be resolved. laverne''s problem must be solved as soon as possible. then i have to make my essence to reach the super elite. on the other hand, jonathan thought about something before taking out the old wooden box from his storage ring. seeing the wooden box, i returned to reality. "what is this?" i asked. "well, this is something. i got it recently. the box is not important. but inside there is an item. which can save your life from the supreme elder," jonathan said. gasp~ i sucked a cold breath of air. "the item has the attack power of a general. if anyone opens the box, then they will be hit by the full-blown power of a commander," jonathan added further. but my heart was full of raging storms. i guess the supreme elder has a similar power. "jonathan, what is the strength of the supreme elder?" i asked. "he is an early stage commander. but he has long since exhausted his potential. on top of that, he is aging rapidly." "if not for consuming banned items, he would have died by now," jonathan answered. hearing that hanging stone disappeared from my heart. "young master, don''t worry." "the attack power stored in the item is not ordinary. it can easily kill the supreme elder. but i hope you won''t use it," jonathan advised. hearing that i nodded at him. if the supreme elder was gone, then the academy would follow in his footsteps sooner or later. "alright, i''m leaving then. if you want anything, you can ask carlos kent," saying that, jonathan stood up. he wants to resume his mission as soon as possible. he was glad that he came to verify the truth. n0velusb.c0m once he leaves the academy space, he will inform the master. on the other hand, i placed the wooden box carefully inside my storage ring. jonathan left the place. then i fell into deep thinking again. suddenly, i realized something and started to change my clothes. i should ask the dean to shift laverne''s family. they can''t stay in this place anymore. the azure city had become part of someone''s plan. warriors can''t fight against that person. so laverne''s family should leave that place. and i didn''t expect michael''s father to collude with the warrior from the inner post. this is getting dangerous. after getting ready and changing back to the academy uniform. i left the dorm building and started walking towards the office building. on the way, i came across other faction warriors. ignoring them, i continued walking. soon, i reached the office building. then i walked upstairs. shortly after, i arrived at the dean''s cabin. creak~ the door opened as usual. seeing that, i walked into the room. dean rebecca is sitting behind her desk. before she could speak, i took the seat opposite to her. on the other hand, rebecca frowned upon seeing the heavy expression on zack''s face. Chapter 576 Going To The Auction ? from mc''s perspective: dean office, "do you need something?" rebecca asked. "dean, can you ask the laverne family to shift?" i asked. rebecca furrowed eyebrows further. right now, she is starting to get annoyed. "zack, i have told you. someone will investigate that place. so there is no problem for the time being," rebecca said with a flat voice. i sighed inwardly. i''m afraid she won''t believe me if i speak ill of the supreme elder. "dean!" "i''m not speaking without evidence. the azure city was not safe anymore. you may hear some changes in the coming days. so, i''m hoping that you will save laverne''s family," i said in a calm tone. rebecca''s eyes flickered. she couldn''t help but recall the supreme elder''s words. he had warned her not to probe the azure city anymore. right now, hearing from zack. she is sure that the supreme elder is hiding something. "is it because of your background?" she asked. she knows that it''s impossible for zack to have this information. because he rarely left the academy. it must be someone behind him who shared the information. with her cleverness, she quickly connected the dots. the other hand, i nodded at her. i must say she quickly understood. "alright, i''ll instruct them to leave," she said in a solemn tone. she can''t do anything to the azure city because of the supreme elder. but she can help some families to leave. if zack''s words were true, then she doesn''t know what is really happening? after speaking for a few more minutes, i left the room. now the problem has been solved. next, i can practice in monster zones for a couple of days. the following day, i left the dormitory and started walking towards the teleportation tower. this time i''m not going together with ernest. i don''t want my body strength to be exposed. soon, i reached the teleportation tower. after arriving at the circular platform. i selected the server for transfer. right after, the circular platform lit up with blue lights and i disappeared from the spot. the next second, i found myself standing on the semi-arid place. there aren''t many green patches on the ground. this particular monster zone has different monsters. maybe i can find new monsters to fight. not long after, a ten feet long monster appeared before me. [wild sharp toothed cat - class 5 monster] a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. as expected this monster zone has rare monsters living in it. the other hand, the monster spotted the enemy. but it didn''t leave the place. rather, it became interested in attack. the next moment, the monster started charging against the enemy. the speed was so fast that the cat monster reached the target in a few steps. at the same time, i raised my fist to punch the monster. when the monster got closer to me. i mobilized the blood energy from the bones. in a blink of an eye, the blood energy covered my fist. then i successfully landed a blow to the monster''s head. pfff~ the blood spattered on the ground. the monster''s head was disfigured. seeing that i quickly rushed to the monster to end its life. after landing a few more punches, the monster lost its final breath. then i carefully removed the monster core and placed it in my storage ring. i don''t know why? but i feel a sense of urgency. maybe it''s because of the year end conference. since i knew the hostile forces were going to target me. it''s better to raise my strength further. i aimed to reach the peak of the super elite in body strength before the start of the year end conference. that will give me an addiction performance. when it comes to lightning elements. it can''t be helped. i can only rely on the mountain peak to advance. then i started cutting the monster''s body. the class-5 monster parts are valuable. it can fetch me a good amount of money. after placing the parts in the container. i started my search again. time went by, i have killed a few more class-5 monsters within a few hours. but not all of them are in the same category. there are still rules to follow. i can''t indefinitely kill the population. so as the time reached the sunset. i decided to leave this place. after leaving the teleportation tower. i arrived at my room shortly after. i don''t know what is going on outside? but i don''t care. ever since i heard the news. it''s hard to remain calm. the next day, i met ernest in the dining hall. "you have started going to the monster zone again," ernest jokingly said. hearing that i responded with a smile. when we walked into the hall. the environment has changed. there are a lot more people dining at this time. it''s almost going to be 10 a.m "i heard from laverne. that they are moving to a different city. and she asked me to thank you," ernesr said. but this time his expression was solemn. he didn''t know what happened. but it''s not easy for a large family to leave azure city without the dean''s permission. "don''t worry, as long as she is safe that''s fine," i replied. but a huge hanging stone disappeared from my heart. that was one thing that bothered me. now it''s no more. but i hope that blevins'' family won''t be stupid enough to chase and kill them. after receiving the food, we found a place to sit down. ernest saw zack is not cheerful. so he thought of something that might interest zack. "zack, have you heard of yellow cleansing flowers?" ernest asked. "hmmm," i raised my eyebrows in surprise. seeing that zack has no clue. ernest started to speak. "you know a lot of us warriors consume various resources to raise our strength. so its normal for our essence to have impurities" "i heard that this flower can cleanse our impurities. making our essence more stronger and pure," ernest said with a smile. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. but that was all. because the yellow flower was not useful to me. i have a majestic totem inside my dantian. it can do better work than the yellow cleansing flower. "does it have other effects?" i asked. ernest frowned. then he seemed to think of something. "it doesn''t have any other effects other than cleansing. but i heard that together with yellow cleansing flowers there are other products going to be auctioned in viper city," ernest said. hearing that i paused my movement for a moment. "other products?" i muttered to myself. "do you have the list of auction items?" i asked. maybe i can find something useful. "what?" "if you are interested then we can directly go to the auction house, it''s going to be held at 12 p.m." "we still have time," ernest added. hearing that i felt its worth to try out. viper city comes under the academy. there aren''t many dangers there. even if it''s, a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. i heard carlos'' house is there. if there is any emergency, i can call him. "i want to see the auction," after saying that, i continued to eat the food. 20 minutes later, we walked out of the dining hall. there are 2 more hours left for the auction. "let''s leave right now. we can spend some time in viper city before the auction," i said. then we found a bird monster in the facility. after registering the information. we sat down on the monster bird. a few minutes later, a huge falcon left the academy space. an old man is guiding the monster. on the back of the monster, we sat down silently. 2 hours later, the falcon enters viper city. i saw other bird monsters entering the place from different directions. maybe people are coming for the auction. shortly after, the bird landed at the monster facility. after leaving the facility, we headed to the auction house to buy the tickets. i don''t know if there are any facilities available for the students of the saw scaled viper academy. while walking, i saw the streets were more crowded than usual. many cabs are standing in queues waiting for traffic to clear.n0velusb.c0m our academy attire attracted a lot of attention. suddenly, i felt someone peeping on me. the feeling was vague for a moment before it disappeared. the other hand, the spies of other organizations have recognized zack''s face. it''s huge news. so they quickly started to share the news to their higher ups. meanwhile, kane patrick also left the academy with the flame faction members. he is also going for the auction. "yellow cleansing flower," he uttered in surprise. he has been practicing the new technique hard. he wants to challenge zack lockwood for a duel. but before that he didn''t expect to hear such good news. after using the treasure, his essence quality will be increased. it will be more powerful. kane feels that the auction comes at the right time. once his essence rises further, he can challenge zack with confidence. Chapter 577 Part 1: Viper Citys Auction ? from mc''s perspective: when we reached the auction house. the place was heavily guarded. there are a lot of guards monitoring the place. "many influential people are going to come," ernest said with emotion. "don''t worry, we will get our spot," i said. then we started walking towards the entrance. the guards who were inspecting everyone paused after seeing our attire. then they let us enter inside without much checking. after walking into the building, we were greeted by a fat middle-aged man. "welcome to our auction!" "zack lockwood" the middle-aged man said with a smile. hearing that both of us were stunned. i asked, "who are you?" i have never seen him before. the fat middle-aged man let out an embarrassed smile before replying, "i''m audrey, manager of this auction house." "if i knew you were coming, then i would have formally sent the invitation to you," the manager added. hearing that i nodded my head in understanding. he is the manager of the auction house. no wonder, he knows about me. not only him but maybe all the influential forces around here heard of me. "we want to participate in the auction," i said. ernest remained silent. but he was relieved that people knew of zack lockwood. which solves many of their troubles. the manager grinned ear to ear. what could be more attractive than a famous warrior participating in the auction? if he let out news, even more people would come up. which will boost the auction''s reputation in the end. the manager wasn''t able to contain his inner happiness. then he immediately guided two of them to the v.i.p seat. fortunately, the v.i.p. seats are filled up completely. the auction house always had extra seating arrangements for emergency use. after walking upstairs, the manager then guided me to the 3rd floor. the rooms on the 3rd floor are isolated and there are barriers to keep privacy. then we entered the 1st room. chairs, tables and a luxurious sofa were placed there. "here, this is your area. you guys can enjoy the auction from here," the manager said. "thank you," ernest said with a smile. this was the 1st time for him to have a seat in the v.i.p room. so he was thrilled. on the other hand, i recalled something. n0velusb.c0m "thank you for the arrangements. can you give us the auction list?" i asked. i hope something interesting catches my eye. the manager nodded his head before sending the digital auction list to us. "what else do you need?" "can i ask our servants to come here?" the manager asked. "no need," i immediately denied. it''s impossible to trust people here. there may be spies watching our movements. the manager was disappointed, so he politely left the room. there is still 15 minutes left before the auction. we sat down on our chairs and started to go through the auction list. i accessed the list on my communication watch. there is a list of items mentioned in the description. as i began to go through the details. a frown appeared on my face. the items are more or less common. it may be a treasure for warriors who are staying on the bottom. but not for me. when i thought the auction items were not that great. a last item caught my attention. [bitter pill - high grade] [a powerful pill which can help under the super elite stage to improve their physique. the pill is made up of the blood essence of rare monsters.] after reading the description. i couldn''t hide my excitement. the trip was worth it. ernest noticed the smile on zack''s face. then he also stared at the last auction item. his expression turned weird. "zack, you want to buy this item?" ernest asked. hearing that i nodded my head at him. a shock appeared on ernest''s face. "zack, you know that pill was not an ordinary pill. i heard it gives heart-wrenching pain to consumers." "after going through such pain, only you can gain some strength," ernest said in a solemn tone. "the other items looked simple. it''s better to buy something than nothing," i replied. "what about you?" "do you need anything?" i asked. ernest has been following me. it''s better to give him something useful. "me?" ernest was shocked before shaking his head in denial. "i don''t want anything," ernest waved his hand to deny. he didn''t have that money to bid. here the auction items will be bid higher. there is no chance for him to buy it. on the other hand, i saw through his struggle. how can one miss such a treasure? but there are only a few items that are suitable for the super elite warrior. after pushing down the thoughts, we started to wait. meanwhile, the seats have started to fill in. except for the v.i.p the other guests quickly arrived at the venue. on the other hand, one more team arrived in viper city. kane patric came together with a few of his friends. instead of monster birds, they have used aircraft to come here. shortly after, kane and his group reached the auction venue. seeing the group and their attire. the guards quickly let them enter. they don''t want to offend any arrogant young master. a hint of disdain flashes in kane''s eyes. then he quickly walked into the building. the manager audrey waited for their arrival. he had sent invitations to many flame faction warriors. but he didn''t expect one of them to come. "mr. kane, nice to meet you," the manager went forward to greet. kane didn''t respond. then the manager led him and his friends to the v.i.p room. inside the 1st room, both of us stopped talking. "another big shot is coming," ernest said. i nodded my head. but the next second, both of us widened our eyes in surprise. "what is he doing here?" ernest asked. my eyes flickered. i didn''t expect the flame faction members to arrive. then i saw ernest seemed to recognize him. i asked, "do you know him?" "uh, you don''t know?" "i remember, both of you haven''t met yet," ernest realized. "his name is kane patrick. he is 3rd in rank among the flame faction. don''t underestimate him, his fire element is mutated." "they say his fire is hard to extinguish," ernest said. "interesting!" a faint smile appeared on my face. why do i have this feeling that we will fight sooner? on the other hand, kane and his friends were seated in the 2nd room. the manager left to greet other guests. "what about the 1st room?" "someone else is staying there" kane heard his friends'' conversation. he frowned. but he soon realized. maybe some elders are seated in the 1st room. shortly after, the other v.i.p''s came one after another. the guests are business owners. they have one or more running businesses in the city. the manager audrey was full of smiles. all the big shots have arrived. he is hoping that these people will buy the auction item. a few minutes later, when all three floors are full. the auction was formally started. two beautiful ladies brought the 1st auction item and placed it on the table before leaving. a middle-aged man dressed in tuxedo came forward. all the spotlight fell on him. "ladies and gentlemen welcome to viper city''s 175th auction." "i''m your presenter, billy," the middle-aged man said with a smile. then he introduced the 1st auction item. he stepped forward to remove the cover and revealed the item. "the 1st auction item is a core of the peak stage class-6 monster," billy said. "the core was obtained from the class-6 wind wolf known for its speed. anyone interested in the bidding can start from 100,000 credit points," he added. gasp~ the audience gasped in surprise. the class-6 monster core is comparable to ss-rank warriors. the ss-rank warriors are elders in all major academies. so everyone became excited. right after, "i bid, 120,000" "125,000" . . "130.000" the people started to bid one after another. the price is steadily increasing. seeing that the presenter showed a smile. 1st room: "why are they excited for monster cores?" i muttered to myself. i thought that the auction list was boring. but these people are excited about the monster core. ernest heard the murmuring. so he answered, "zack, it seems you weren''t aware of something." hearing that i turned toward him. "as academy students, it''s easy for us to access class-5 monster zones and above." "but for outsiders, they have to go through a lot of tedious processes. and they have to pay money for the visit." "then only they can enter the monster zone. whether they are going to succeed in hunting or not. it doesn''t matter," ernest shed some light. a look of understanding dawned on me. it reminds me of the early days. where i had spent many days in the monster zone. if this is the case, then i can sell my monster cores here. a faint smile appeared on my face. meanwhile, kane patrick was annoyed. but he knows that the yellow cleansing flower might come last. so he has to show some patience. Chapter 578 Part 2: Viper Citys Auction ? from mc''s perspective: auction: "200,000, one time" "200,000, second time" "and" "third time" "the auction goes to miles'' company," the presenter billy said. hearing that audience clapped their hands. finally, they can see the next auction item. no one wants to see the auction go for long. right after, the two beautiful ladies took the item and handed it over to the next team. a few seconds later, they brought other items to the table. the presenter billy took a moment before saying, "the next auction item is a favorite for warriors. it''s a grade- 4 weapon. the double ax weapon. it''s done by famous blacksmith rick." "the basic price is 200,000 credit points," when billy uttered these words. "220,000" "230,000" . . . "240,000" the bidding began to heart once again. the bidders are starting to raise the price. 1st room: "this is going nowhere," i muttered to myself. the grade 4 weapon can be used by the elite warrior. but back in the academy everyone has it. slowly, i''m starting to realize the reality of the civilians. ernest didn''t make any comment but he kept looking at the auction item. time went by, all the important items were sold as the time passed. finally, the presenter billy removes the cover. and there was a dark pill placed on the wooden box. seeing that the audience was surprised for a moment. "the next item is the famous bitter pill. specially made for the warriors who are interested in improving their physique." "the pill has an effect below the elite stage. anyone above using it will have slight improvement," billy said.n-/ov)el/usb.c.o-m "the basic bid is 50,000 credit points. interested people can start the price," billy added. "60,000" a burly man seated below raised the price. looking at his physique, anyone can tell that he is someone with brute strength. "70,000" "80,000" . . . "90,000" "10,000" the price starts to soar up again. in the 1st room, "ernest, you can finish the bid," i turned towards ernest and said. ernest was surprised. then he asked,"zack, are you buying it?" hearing that i nodded my head at him. he doesn''t know that i''m a super elite warrior in body strength alone. i want to try the effect of the bitter pill. ernest seems fine. he didn''t raise any more questions. "15,000" presenter billy said. "if anyone wants to add on, they can do it," he added. seeing that no one is willing to bid more. "15,000, one time" "15,000, second time" "20,000," ernest said. gasp~ hearing that everyone was gasping. faces of the warriors who bid earlier turned ugly. then everyone saw the voice coming from the v.i.p room. then everyone quieted down. "hmmm, why does it sound familiar?" in the 2nd room, kane''s friend muttered. but kane closed his eyes and took a small nap. he instructed his friend to wake him up when a cleansing flower came up for the bidding. so he didn''t know what''s going on outside. the presenter billy saw the response coming from the v.i.p area. he showed a big smile on his face. one of the rules is that he can''t reveal his identity. "20,000 asked by our v.i.p on the 1st room" "is there anyone willing to ask further?" billy asked. ernest has purposely increased the price. so that no one can think of raising by small amounts. this has sent a message to everyone. even if someone bids, then they will increase the price. seeing that no one is asking. billy started to count. "20,000, one time" "20,000, second time" "and" "20,000, third time" "now, the auction item goes to our v.i.p in the 1st room," billy said. hearing that two ladies came forward to receive the item. then they will send it back to the customer. a few minutes later, the staff brought the item to us. i received the wooden box and opened it. a dark pill was placed in it. i can already smell the scent of herbs.. after closing it, i asked,"shall we go back?" "are you not interested in seeing what those guys have come for?" ernest asked. he thought zack would definitely be interested in seeing kane patrick. a faint smile appeared on my face. "there is no need to make unnecessary trouble. we can leave now," i said. hearing that ernest agreed. then we left the room and walked to the office through the back door. manager audrey was full of smiles. "mr. zack, are you satisfied?" in his office, the manager asked. "well, i''m satisfied. but at the same time, i want to sell some monster cores," i said. there are plenty of class-4 monster cores in my hands. they barely raise my strength. ever since, my body strength has become super elite. it''s demanding higher level monster cores. so low level monster cores barely produce blood energy. the other hand, ernest frowned. actually, the academy has a treasure hall where they can sell their collections. he doesn''t understand why zack is going. manager audrey''s face has become even more bright. zack lockwood was a famous warrior. everyone with little influence is aware that he is a lightning warrior. "mr.zack, i''m glad that you can do business with us." "you can tell us your needs," the manager said. hearing that, i responded with a smile before saying,"well, if your company gets any strange items, you can get it from me before placing it for auction, " i replied. "mr. zack, don''t worry. we will watch out for such items," the manager said. then i brought the class-4 monster cores outside. there are 10 cores. "mr. zack, you know class-4 monster cores goes for less than 50,000" "but our auction house is ready to buy it for 50,000 each." "all for 500,000" the manager said. hearing that, i nodded my head in satisfaction. the deal was better than i thought. i also know that the auction house is making connections with me. so they are ready to pay such a price. after getting paid, we bid goodbye to the auction house. walking out of the auction house, ernest couldn''t help but ask,"zack, why didn''t you go for our treasure hall?" "treasure hall?" "well, i''m not here for money. but i''m hoping that they will find something," i replied. ernest seemed to understand. then he didn''t raise any questions. a few minutes later, the falcon bird monster leaves the viper city and flies towards the academy. on the back of the monster. ernest and i start discussing. "2 days later, there will be a start of internal competition between the factions," ernest said. "do we need to participate as well?" i asked. ernest looked at me strangely before saying,"as we are smaller in numbers. we don''t have to participate. but what if someone challenges you, are you going to agree?" hearing that i shook my head. before coming to the academy, the teacher said that i will study here for 2 years. but now looking at the changes. especially after hearing jonathan''s words. i think i will leave the academy after the year -end competition. if not for the year end competition, he would have taken me right away. at the same time, i think jonathan has a separate mission as well. the other hand, ernest is reading an online post. 2 hours later, the falcon bird monster entered back the academy space and softly landed on the platform in the transit area. when we walked out of the place. i saw that ernest''s expression is weird. "what happened?" i asked. he is constantly looking at online posts. ernest''s expression was solemn. "zack, important news. the internal competition is going to be huge. i never expected everyone to end their retreat." "not only the genius elite warriors are coming back. even those who are super elite are also going to be present," ernest said. my eyes flickered. for a long time, i have heard there are strong warriors practicing secrets. are they coming back? a faint smile appeared on my face. looks like the event won''t be boring. "zack, why are you smiling?" "do you know what it means?" "everyone will target you, especially those guys from the flame and metal faction," ernest said in a solemn tone. "i''m looking forward to it," i replied without showing much expression on his face. ernest was shocked. then he realized zack has no rival in the same stage. maybe that''s why he is confident. "zack, i know you are invisible in the same stage. but those super elite warriors might target you. you have to be careful of them also," ernest said. hearing that i nodded at him. then we parted ways after reaching the dormitory. soon, i reached my room. after entering inside, i closed the door and walked to the training room. i can''t wait to consume the bitter pill. then i sat down cross-legged on the ground. i took the wooden box from the storage bracelet. after removing the cover, i took the dark pill and swallowed it. meanwhile, kane patrick successfully bought the yellow cleansing flower. which was the special auction item placed at last. after buying the item, kane patric is ready to leave the auction house. Chapter 579 Fighting Against Monster ? from mc''s perspective: on the competition day, the whole academy is busy with internal competition. the 1st duel is going to happen at noon. but i don''t plan on watching the competition. my participation in the year-end competition is confirmed. i don''t have to go through the selection process. so in the meantime, i decided to practice separately.n--ov)el-usb(c(o.m 10 a.m, i left the dormitory and started walking towards the teleportation point. the monster zone is the best place to practice and gain experience. this time, i''m selecting the class-6 monster zone. which is quite risky. but only under pressure can i improve myself. after arriving at the spot. i walked to the circular platform. right after selecting the server, i disappeared from the spot. swoosh~ when i opened my eyes. i found myself standing in the dark green rainforest. the sky was covered in black with a heavy rain pouring down. rumble~ a thundering sound reverberated throughout the area. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. this is the perfect place for me to fight against the monster. with the thunder and lightning, i can already feel the purple essence in the surroundings. then i picked up a direction and started to walk through the forest. the heavy rain made my body wet. ignoring that, i continued walking. rustle~ not long after, i heard a rustling sound coming from nearby. i paused my movements and started to investigate my surroundings. on the other hand, a black colored python was moving slowly on the ground. its wide red eyes have already spotted the intruder. the black-dotted python is peak stage class-5 monster. it has already started considering the intruder as a prey. it''s now waiting for the right opportunity to attack the enemy. on the other hand, i activated my perceptual ability. soon i saw something lurking in the dark. looking at its size, i realized it was a large snake monster. just as i was observing, the monster made a move. the giant body leaped towards me. the monster was so close to that. "lightning wheel," i released the lightning defense technique. a large purple-colored lightning wheel appeared around my body. the black python opened its mouth to attack. when its body comes into contact with the giant lightning wheel. boom~ the wheel explodes the next moment. the lightning power tore through the scale and caused slight injuries to the body. swoosh~ python disappeared back into the woods. on the other hand, i retreated a few steps backward because of the impact. i brought the black sword and held it in my hand. the monster is at the peak stage. that''s why it''s movements are harder to predict. but i''m keeping an eye on the surroundings through perception. on the other hand, the python is hiding in the dark. it didn''t escape after getting hit. rather it got enraged. the bloodthirsty nature of the monster started to appear. it immediately wanted to tear down its prey. the next moment, the monster again moved towards the prey. when it got closer, it used its long tail to attack. the slight injuries caused by the previous attack didn''t stop the monster''s movements. swoosh~ in my perception, i saw a black shadow coming toward me at a fast speed. this time i held the sword in my left hand and raised my right fist to punch the monster. the blood energy gathered in my right fist within seconds. when my fist touched the scales. crack~ a crackling sound can be heard. the scales of the python burst open causing gruesome injury in the middle. pffd~ blood splattered on the ground. hiss~ the python let out a loud hissing sound before disappearing into the woods. seeing that i placed the sword back in my storage ring. it''s difficult to kill the monster by using elite strength. right now, i can only use my body strength to kill the monster. then i took the initiative to find the monster. through perception, i saw the monster stopped at one point and kept staring at me. this gives me a dangerous vibe. swoosh~ when i got closer to the monster. the python finally starts to show some hesitation. this time the monster is looking at me cautiously. "lightning phantom technique," a purple arc covered my legs. the next second, i disappeared from the spot. and got closer to the monster. the python monster hissed out loud. it wide opened its mouth to attack. "blood fist," i raised my fist to attack again. this time the punch lands a blow to the monster''s head. puch~ blood spilled from the monster''s head. my hand got missed from the sharp razor teeth of the monster. hisss~ the python starts hissing loudly. it finally starts feeling the pain. swoosh~ the next second, the monster wants to disappear into the woods. seeing that i chased the monster from behind. "blood fist" i punched again. fortunately, the monster didn''t have the poison ability. the python''s movement got slower because of the injury. so it got attacked by the fist attack again. time passed, not long after, the python''s long body got several broken scales with gruesome injuries all over its body. even the head of the monster failed to remain unscathed. one of its eyes was damaged. seeing that the monster is slowly dying. i brought the black sword outside to attack again. chop~ i raised my sword to cut the monster''s head. the black blade easily penetrated the body. seeing that i used brute force to thrust further. pfff~ blood starts gushing out from its neck. the python monster finally ended its life. then i started to collect the monster core. after collecting the monster core. i quickly left the spot. because i saw strong auras coming towards me. i didn''t have time to cut the monster''s body. a 10 minutes later, many other monsters arrived at the spot. seeing the python''s dead body. the monsters started to fight among themselves. the body of the peak stage class-5 monster is important to other monsters to evolve. so they don''t want to miss this opportunity. on the other hand, i finally found a cave-like structure to hide. after entering inside, i set up a barrier. then i sat down cross-legged on the ground. this is the right place to cultivate the lighting essence. when i looked into my dan tian. i saw that the lightning essence was low. seeing that i decided to cultivate. i started to run the lightning scripture in my mind. slowly, i started to feel the purple essence from the surroundings. when the purple essence entered my body. i started to guide the energy according to the cultivation method. after circulation, the energy enters the dantian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. time passed in the blink of an eye, after a few hours, i opened my eyes. the lightning essence has recovered somewhat. then i didn''t leave right away. instead, i decided to cultivate a body method. i held the python core in my hand and started to run the blood element method. right after, the blood-red rune in my consciousness started to flicker. right after, i started to absorb the monster''s core energy. when the monster''s core energies entered my body. i started to guide the energy according to the blood element method. a blood-red light appeared above the blood. it started to absorb the monster''s energy and converted it into white mysterious energy. the white mysterious energy then drilled into my bones. the next moment, i felt heart-wrenching pain. the upper part of my skeleton starts to turn red. slowly, the chest area becomes red. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. time went by, i don''t know how long it has been but the rain outside has stopped. i opened my eyes a few hours later. feeling the surging energy inside my body. i know my physique has improved further. then i stood up from the ground and removed the barrier. the outside environment sounded calm without noise. but it gives me more alarming danger. not long after, i left the cave. i came across another monster. but this time, it was a scorpion. it''s hiding under the huge bedrock. the scorpion was purple. sensing my presence, the scorpion''s status charged towards me. "lightning wheel" the purple lightning wheel appeared again. when the scorpion monster touched the wheel. the wheel exploded into pieces. the back of the scorpion monster cracked under the attack. looking at the monster, it appears to be an early stage class-5 monster. so the lightning attack has caused significant damage. the scorpion monster tries to run away. "lightning finger technique," i made another attack. a purple beam formed at the tip of my fingers. the next second, the beam shot at the target. in a blink of an eye, the attack reaches the target. boom~ the shot lands a blow to the monster''s back. the next second, a purple liquid splattered on the ground. leaving a small hole in the monster''s back. Chapter 580 Carlos Kents Situation ? academy: dean rebecca is looking at the competition schedule in her cabin. the internal competition is necessary to select the qualified warriors who are going to represent the academy in the year-end competition. she has already selected the name of zack lockwood. apart from zack, there are still warriors needed to represent the academy in the elite levels. when it comes to the super elite. she wants to start the competition when everyone is back. there are still one or two super-elite warriors yet to appear in the earth faction and the wind faction. suddenly, she thought of something. she hasn''t heard anything from zack lockwood after his duel. then she summoned the guardians. a few seconds later, two guardians appeared. they are the secret protector of zack lockwood. "two of you!" "where is zack lockwood?" rebecca asked. the male guardian replied, "zack has been staying in his room after his return from the auction trip." hearing that rebecca was surprised. she didn''t expect zack to go outside. "alright, you guys can go," she instructed them to leave. she didn''t want to disturb zack right now. then she began to focus on her work. ... viper city, carlos kent was staying in his home even after the departure of jonathan. he didn''t go back to azure city either. the situation in azure city puts him in a desperate situation. he didn''t want to face such a dilemma. while he was resting in the room. beep~ a sudden call broke his leisure time. the caller was none other than the giant tower headmaster. but this time he was not in the mood for leisure talk. when the call was connected. a voice filled with anger sounded. "carlos, do you know what you are doing?" hearing that carlos touched his forehead in the headache. he thought he had some leisure time. but it looks like it''s over now. "carlos, why are you staying silent?" "are you thinking of backstabbing us?" the giant tower headmaster said. carlos kent finally lost his cool. a hint of apprehension appeared in his eyes. he started to think that the giant tower headmaster was doubting him. "i''m busy with academy work. it''s time for our academy''s internal competition. so i don''t have time to go back," carlos kent sent in a calm tone. his expression turned solemn. on the other hand, the giant tower headmaster is aware of the recent happenings. the news about the morrow''s family leaving reached his ears. this must be the work of the dean rebecca. because of that their plan has slowed down. and this b@stard is hiding in the viper city. there was some silence. there is one more reason for the giant tower headmaster''s call. the mysterious person has already warned him. the character of carlos kent is unreliable. this came as a warning call for him. the giant tower headmaster had heavily invested in carlos kent. even to such a length of emptying half the resources of the giant tower academy. after a few seconds, his voice sounded again. "carlos kent, i want to meet you in person." hearing that he stood up from his seat. at this moment, carlos kent has realized something is wrong. "alright, you can fix the place and time. i''ll come," he replied. "the place is viper city. i''ll see you in 2 days," after saying that the giant tower headmaster ended the call. after the call, the face of carlos kent was not good-looking. a small sweet bead appeared on his forehead. he was aware of the existence of the mysterious person who was behind the giant tower headmaster. carlos fears that the mysterious person might appear. if it happens, then no one can guarantee his life. one more thing caught his attention. which is the location. he doesn''t know why those people are eyeing azure city. he started to think something big was going on in azure city. suddenly, he remembers the existence of the supreme elder. recalling that the supreme elder was part of that group. a hint of fear appeared in his eyes. he decided to inform jonathan. ... from mc''s perspective: not long after, the scorpion monster was reduced to scum. fortunately, the monster core was not damaged by the attack. so i retrieved it successfully. looking at the remains of the monster. my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. there is a slight improvement in the physique because of the bitter pill. during the time of refining, the changes were small. but right now, i''m seeing the difference. without the impurities, i feel my body is so light. after taking one glance at the monster, i walked away. when i went a little deep. i have realized there aren''t many monsters in this area. i have come a long way from the previous spot. but i have yet to encounter any monsters. i furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. this situation is unnatural. before i could think further. a sense of crisis hit my body. but i found nothing in my perception. this sends me a signal of danger. rustle~ on the other hand, a 30-foot-long centipede monster spotted the prey. it''s an early-stage class-6 monster. even the ss-rank warriors found it difficult to fight against the monster. it can shred any low-class monster into pieces. after finding the prey, the monster didn''t act. rather a cunning glint flashes in its eyes. the monster wants to sneak attack. but its long body movement can alert the prey. so the monster is looking for opportunities. on the other hand, i didn''t move an inch from the spot. i have to find where the source of danger is coming from. as time passes, apart from small raindrops and wind movement. i didn''t hear anything, including the presence of the monsters. whereas the monsters were highly sensitive to the dangers. so the presence of class-6 monsters made them escape. 10 minutes later, i confirmed something in my mind. i feel the more likely of this happening is a higher-level monster is here. it might be looking at me from a distance. but there was nothing in my perception range. this shows that the monster is not close to me at least. "lightning phantom," i released the movement technique. the purple arcs covered my legs. the next second, i started to run in the opposite direction in a zig-zag manner. rustle~ the centipede monster finally moved. the speed was so fast that it quickly reached the prey in a blink of an eye. the giant body leaped towards the prey. the centipede wants to strangle the prey before killing it.n/.ov.el-usb/c(o.m so its huge body appeared at the front. "lightning wheel," i uttered. the next second, a lightning wheel appeared around my body. a thundering sound resonated in the area. for a second, the centipede monster hesitated. then it sensed the power of lightning was not that much threatening. then its body collided with the lightning wheel in the blink of an eye. boom~ a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. argh~ a muffled grunt left my mouth. my huge body collapsed onto the ground. the impact was so huge that blood spilled from my mouth. but enduring all of that, i executed the lightning phantom technique again. the purple arcs covered my legs. then i started to run at breakneck speed. on the other hand, the centipede monster didn''t even flinch. it started to chase down. rumble~ the entire forest starts to tremble. the movement has alerted the other monsters in the vicinity. no one wants to come in the way of a class-6 monster. otherwise, they will be reduced to mincemeat. "come on," i muttered to myself. while urging the lightning movement. i tried to get away as fast as possible. but i felt the monster get closer to me. i don''t want to get bitten by razor-sharp teeth. the monster can poison me to death. "lightning wheel," while running, i tried to use another attack. however, it was difficult to execute two techniques at the same time. so i canceled the movement technique and brought the sword outside. when i turned around, i saw the monster was a few steps away from me "lightning wheel" i executed the lightning defense technique again. the lightning wheel formed in time. the centipede''s mouth comes into contact with the wheel. boom~ a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the impact force sent me flying again. the centipede monster was annoyed. the lightning didn''t do that much damage. crash~ my body crashed onto the ground again. a hint of emergency rose in my heart. i have to escape as soon as possible. if the purple essence hits the rock bottom, then i have nowhere to escape. then i started to run by using the lightning movement technique. the centipede starts to chase again. as the time passes, the purple essence starts to run out. most of the essence is consumed in the lightning technique. the centipede monster is getting annoyed by the continuous lightning technique. though it doesn''t suffer any injury. but the lightning bombardment pissed off the monster. it can''t wait to shred the prey into pieces. Chapter 581 Returning with injury chapter 581 returning with injury from mc''s perspective: as time passes, the purple essence in my dantian finally comes to an end. behind me, the class-6 monster continues to chase me down. boom~ the centipede monster finally manages to hit the body of mine. the impact was so huge that it sent me flying. argh~ a muffled grunt left my mouth. the body of mine crashes into the woods before coming to a halt. i felt immense pain all over my body. bones cracking sound can be heard clearly. but i don''t have any time to think about this. result~ before the class 6 monster could make a move. the centipede monster shuddered for a moment. it felt an even more threatening aura coming from a distance. the aura might be stronger than a class-6 monster. the centipede monster is just an early-stage monster. there are still more powerful monsters hiding in the deep. after feeling the dangerous aura, the centipede monster stopped its movements and started to flee in another direction. on the other hand, i was on the ground. but after a few seconds, i didn''t see the monster in my perception. seeing that, i felt the hanging stone in my heart disappear. "the monster is gone," i breathed in relief. i didn''t know what was going on. but at this time, my injury is getting worse. first, i have to stop the bleeding. gritting my teeth, i continued to lie down on the ground. i started to run the wooden scripture in my mind. the rainforest is a good place to collect the healing essence. as the time passed, the brown essence started to spread around my body. especially the injured areas are getting the healing essence. time went by, i closed my eyes and continued to run the wooden scripture. so much so that i stopped using the perception after some time. the situation was so dangerous. there could be monsters lurking around here. but i forgot the time. i have to get healed so that i can move my body. 4 hours later, the healing essence worked efficiently. the bleeding has stopped at this point. some of the cracks in the bones also recovered. but overall recovery needs time. so i tried to stand up. standing on the ground. i activated my perceptual ability. the place is not far away from the teleportation point. fortunately, i ran in the direction of the outskirts. after calming down my heart, i started walking towards the teleportation point. walking, i continued to keep an eye on my surroundings. there are no other monsters in the vicinity. one hour later, finally, i reached the teleportation point. then without wasting further time. i activated the server. the platform lit up with the light. swoosh~ i disappeared from the spot and appeared back in the teleportation tower. gasp~ the warriors exclaimed in surprise. seeing someone appearing with the tattered clothes. especially having gruesome injuries and blood stains. they don''t know who it is. but the next moment, another shock appeared on their face. "zack lockwood" the warriors gathered outside recognized the face. then they started to take pictures to post online. right now, there aren''t many warriors gathered here. most of them are in the duel arena. the matches for the elite warriors are going on. so the duel arena is currently very lively. on the other hand, ignoring the gazes of the warriors. i started leaving the place. "if i stay here longer, these people will make headlines," i said in my heart. i''m very well aware of my state. by using the healing essence it would take a long time to heal. not long after, a new post started to trend online. a warrior appeared in tattered clothes with gruesome injuries all over his body. in the post, the face was unrecognizable. but under the caption, the name zack lockwood is mentioned in the block letters. seeing that online users started to question. but after a few minutes, a few more posts started to appear. in that post the face of zack lockwood is clear. seeing that more warriors started to believe and began to share it. if this goes on apart from the news of the internal competition. the news of zack lockwood will also begin to trend. on the other hand, i reached the infirmary. i''m coming to this place for the 1st time. usually, the warriors injured in the duel get treated here. when i walked into the room. my appearance has attracted everyone''s attention. "zack lockwood" a healing assistant approached me. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. the news sure has reached everyone''s ear fast. "yes, it''s me. can i get treatment?" i asked. i felt a lot of gazes on me. apart from me, other warriors got injured during the competition. "what happened to him?" "did anyone thrash him?" "no, someone saw him coming out of the teleportation tower." the people who were here started to gossip. this is the 1st time for everyone to see the state of zack lockwood. that''s why everyone is shocked and confused. on the other hand,?the healing assistant started to guide me towards the healing room. the academy has healers working here. it''s a rare element. not many of the warriors got the element. most of them are hired by the academy. i don''t know whether any academy student got the healing element. if it''s then it would be surprising. "what are you thinking?" the healing assistant asked. "are you a student of the academy?" i asked back. "no, i''m working here," the female assistant replied. my eyes flickered. soon we reached the healing room. when i entered the room, i saw a tank with special fluids. seeing that, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. this one i completely recognized. but the tank was much smaller. after lying down on the bed, the healing assistant went outside. a few minutes later, an old man with a white coat entered the room. "what famous warrior is doing here?" the old man asked while starting to inspect my body. hearing that my mouth twitched. the old man''s eyes flickered. he saw there were several cracks on the bone. inspecting the back, he soon realized.?zack got attacked by a monster. a quick glint flashes in his eyes. "are you coming from the monster zone?" the old man asked. hearing that i nodded my head. "you are lucky. it''s not easy to survive from the high-class monster," the old man added. a hint of appreciation flashes in my eyes. he was through the wounds. then he began to inject the special fluid in my body. when the warm liquid entered my body. i saw the energy begin to spread around the body. the cracks in the bones started to heal. my eyes flickered. "it must be expensive," i said in my heart. because the healing energy released from the special liquid is effective. i don''t know how many expensive herbs are used to make this one. seeing that i continued to rest. meanwhile, dean rebecca received the reports. when zack lockwood walked out of the teleportation tower. because she knows the server details. zack went to the dangerous monster zone. normally, no elite warriors would dare to go to such monster zones. even for the super elite the class-6 monster zones are extremely dangerous. "what is he thinking?" "is he suicidal?" she said to herself. she had given unlimited access to monster zone passes to zack. where he can use the teleportation tower to go to any monster zone. but she regrets it slightly right now. if anything happens to zack. it will be bad for the academy. and it won''t do any good to her as well. swoosh~ both the guardians made the appearance all of a sudden. "zack is undergoing treatment. old man vice said that apart from a few broken bones. he is completely safe." the male guardian reported. sigh~ a long sigh escaped from rebecca''s mouth. "he has been giving me a lot of headaches these days," she said to herself. "what about the morrow family''s migration?"?she asked. the female guardian replied, "the morrow family has vacated the azure city except for the family head and her daughter laverne." rebecca frowned. she had decided because of zack. and zack had decided because of laverne. if anything happens to her, then zack would ask. "what about alice?" she asked. earlier, she asked the rain water faction head to investigate the azure city. the faction head alice brown gladly accepted the task. but so far there is no news. the female guardian said, "elder alice is taking her time to investigate. don''t know why but the blevins family is not making any move these days." "blevins family," she muttered to herself. this is the family supported by the supreme elder. her mind has been filled with a lot of questions these days. most of them are about the supreme elder. lately, he has been asking about azure city''s information. "you guys can leave. report if anything is new," she said. swoosh~ both the guardians disappeared from the spot. Chapter 582 Ernest’s condition chapter 582 ernest''s condition from mc''s perspective: i don''t know how long it has been. when i opened my eyes. i found that the sky was dark. then i looked around. seeing that there was no one there. i decided to get up. the injuries all over my body were healed including the broken bones. creak~ the old man wearing a white coat entered the room. seeing that zack was up. he stepped forward to inspect. "hold on, let''s see your injury right now," the old man said. hearing that i nodded my head at him. after seeing that everything was fine. i decided to leave. right at this moment, the old man seemed to think of something and said, "be careful. the class-6 monsters and above are not ordinary." "they can remember you. without having enough strength, it''s a death wish to fight against them." hearing that i paused my movement for a second. this old man saw through me earlier. how did he find out? is it possible to guess based on injury? "thank you, i''ll keep that in my mind" after thanking him, i left the room. walking, i looked at my dress. the tattered cloth is embarrassing me. i should have changed my clothes before coming here. as i stepped out, i found a large group of people standing before the infirmary. "zack lockwood is here" "it''s him" "look at him, how bad is he?" "he has recovered" one after another warriors started to speak. "this?" i raised my eyebrows in confusion. these guys won''t give me space to breathe. i had expected a reaction. but i didn''t expect them to wait for me here. ignoring it, i tried to walk by. but someone blocked my path. when i looked at him. i squinted my eyes. the person is none other than kane patric "flame faction?" i said in my heart. "zack lockwood, why are you in such a sorry state?" kane said. hearing that the flame faction members behind him burst into laughter. an amusing smile appeared on kane''s face. "my senior brothers and sisters are interested in seeing you. will you come with us?" he asked. "senior brothers?" i furrowed my eyebrows. it must be the super elite warriors. i recalled the advice of ernest. he had warned me before. these people will find me to cause trouble. talking about ernest? where is he? everyone should have known that i was admitted here. kane saw through zack. "are you looking for your friend?" kane asked. hearing that a hint of cold glint flashes in my eyes. "you don''t know this but your friend was admitted next to your room. and don''t ask me what happened?" kane said with a smile. hearing that my heart swelled up in anger. these guys have done something. ernest was not foolish enough to get into trouble. the next second, i turned around and walked back to the infirmary. seeing that kane''s mouth turned into an arc. "are you sure?" "he will seek revenge for his friends." "you know our senior brothers are waiting for him," one of the flame warriors reminded. kane was sure that zack would get angry. so he was waiting for him to return. on the other hand, i reached the room next to my previous room. when i walked inside. i found the same old man treating ernest. ernest was asleep. the special liquid was injected into him as well. when the old man saw zack''s appearance. he asked, "what are you doing here?" "ahem!" "he is my senior brother," i replied. the old man showed a surprised expression. "your senior brother?" "someone thrashed him badly. so much so that his chest bones were broken. now he is getting the same treatment as you," the old man added. hearing that my heart turned cold. my suspicion was right. kane and his group won''t appear without any reason. they must have done something. "what are you thinking?" "it''s fortunate that the attacker didn''t target his vital parts. he will be discharged tomorrow.?so you can leave right now," the old man said in a stern tone. hearing that i opened my mouth to say something. but i stopped at the final moment. the old man seems to be a respectful person. it''s not good to antagonize him. on the other hand, the old man''s lips bent slightly. "lightning and healing essence. a dual element warrior," the old man muttered in his heart. when he had inspected zack earlier. he had found the traces of healing essence inside zack''s body. at that moment, he understood that zack had 2 different elements in his body. on the other hand, i stepped out of the infirmary. the group didn''t go anywhere but stayed on the spot. kane saw zack was coming. but the smile on his face disappeared. because zack had no anger on his face. instead, there was calmness. seeing that the group didn''t leave. i ignored them and started leaving. kane was surprised again. he was expecting something different. senior brothers are waiting for him. if he goes empty-handed without zack. then he will get thrashed by them. "zack, wait for me!" "where are you going?" kane started to chase zack. behind the flame faction warriors are surprised. "wait!" kane''s anxious voice reached my ears. i stopped my movements and looked at him. "what do you want?" i asked. "me?" "i''m the one who should be asking you," kane replied. "don''t you want to know? who did it?" kane said. i shook my head in denial. before i resumed walking. kane was desperate. "it was my senior brother. they are responsible for your senior brother''s injury," kane revealed the news. but even after hearing that i showed no emotions. "so it''s your senior brothers. then i''ll report it to the dean. she will take care of it," after saying that i started leaving. kane and his friend stood dumbfounded. a few minutes later, i reached my room. after entering inside, i went to take a bath. several minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes. then i sat on the sofa to ponder. to be honest, i wanted to hit back at kane patrick but it won''t be a wise thing to do. these people are acting strange. such bullying had not happened before. and i think vice-dean franklin was aware of this matter. a deep frown appeared on my face. "first, i should wait for ernest to be discharged. then i''ll ask him what happened?" i muttered to myself. after pushing down these thoughts, i decided to take some rest. meanwhile, kane and his group went back to their place. the internal competition is still going on. but the main warriors are still resting in their opening room. inside the flame faction common room, more than 5 super elite warriors are gathered around to chat. "what is he doing?" a leading super elite warrior muttered. he has black hair and eyes. his skin tone is fair. if any third person sees him, they will consider him as a normal warrior. but the raging aura emitting from his body tells otherwise. the people in this room are aware that he is the strongest among them. his name is seamus. "are you talking about kane?" "don''t worry he will be back?" the warrior sitting beside him replied. creak~ the door opened and kane patric walked in. there is a hint of fear in his eyes. seniors had asked him to do something. but he failed to accomplish the task in the end. seamus frowned. he saw kane trembling in fear. "what happened?" "where is zack lockwood?" seamus asked. kane broke out in a cold sweat. "senior brother, i couldn''t find zack. looks like he went to his room before we started looking for him in the infirmary. seamus'' brow relaxed. he looked at him and said, "alright, you can leave." kane felt relieved before leaving the room. seamus seemed to think of something. but he didn''t stop kane from leaving. he already saw through kane. otherwise, there was no need for kane to be afraid. he decided to ask kane''s friend later. when he thought about vice-dean franklin. a hint of anger appeared on his face. it was franklin''s idea to trouble ernest kirk. since ernest is a super elite warrior. seamus didn''t have to think further. any conflict between the super elite warriors can be considered a small conflict between the warriors. but if he troubles an elite warrior, then the dean will take notice. the faction head had warned him to not take the initiative. that''s why he thought thrashing ernest would anger zack lockwood. but nothing sort of happened. meanwhile, dean rebecca has read the reports. she didn''t let go of any news related to zack lockwood. especially, since she read the reports about zack leaving the infirmary. at the same time, she also read the news about ernest kirk. "i didn''t expect franklin to plan like this," she muttered to herself. she knows about franklin''s ambition. he has been eyeing her dean''s seat. because of her strength, she managed to get this position. but if franklin breaks through, then things will change. Chapter 583 Seamus’ plan chapter 583 seamus'' plan from mc''s perspective: the following day, i woke up earlier. ernest is going to be discharged today. after getting out of bed, i started to do my morning routine. several minutes later, i entered the training room to cultivate. sitting down cross-legged on the ground, i took the monster core from the storage ring and held it in my hand. then i started to run the blood method. the next moment, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the monster''s core energy. when the energy entered my body. i started to guide the energy according to the cultivation method. a few seconds later, the red light appears above the blood. the blood red light began to convert the energies into mysterious white energies. as seconds passed, the white energies then drilled into my bones. the next moment, i felt heart-wrenching pain. the pain was so immense. my mind went blank for a moment. gritting my teeth, i continued to endure the process. the bones around the shoulder continued to turn red. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. time passed in the blink of an eye, after 3 hours, the monster core in my hands was reduced to pieces. i opened my eyes and looked at my body. i felt a slight improvement in strength. i think it won''t be long before i touch the barrier. then i stood up and left the training room. several minutes later, i changed into an academy uniform. after getting ready, i left the room. usually, me and ernest would meet at the dining hall. but right now, i''m heading towards the infirmary. soon, i reached the place. no one is gathering around the infirmary like yesterday. then i walked inside and headed towards the treatment room. when i reached his room. i saw him awake and doing something on his sci-fi watch. "looks like you are fine," i said. hearing that ernest looked at the door. seeing that zack is coming. his expression changes drastically. the previous memory is still vivid in his mind. "zack?" "did you do something?" "did you fight against those guys?" ernest asked in a solemn tone. i shook my head in denial. "i don''t know what you are talking about?" i replied. ernest didn''t believe it at first. then he saw zack was unscathed. which shows that there was no fight. sigh~ a long sigh escaped from his mouth. "thank goodness, i don''t want you to fall for a trap like me," ernest said. a hint of anger can be seen in his eyes. i shook my head before sitting on the chair. "tell me, what happened?" i asked. hearing that ernest began to tell the incident. a few minutes later, a look of understanding dawned on me. a flame faction''s super elite warrior had assaulted ernest. there must be a reason for it. an image of a certain person comes to mind. "franklin!" i said in my heart. creak~ at this time, an old man wearing a white coat walked in. "you are here early," he said in a calm tone. when i turned around, i saw the same old man walk in. the old man stepped forward to inspect ernest. after inspection, he found ernest was alright. "good, your injuries are all healed. you can leave with your friend right now," the old man said. "thank you, elder," ernest said with a smile. then both of us left the room. on the way, i couldn''t help but frown. the old man seemed to have paid extra attention to me. it must be my imagination. after shaking my head, i continued walking. then we stepped out of the infirmary and started heading towards the dining hall. when we got near the dining hall. the other warriors recognized our faces. ernest saw instead of pointing at him. everyone is looking at zack. he was the one who got attacked and admitted to the infirmary. on the other hand, i recalled the tattered clothes of mine. the news is still trending. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. after receiving the food plate. we found a place to sit down. "zack, what happened?" "why is everyone looking at you like that?" ernest asked. hearing that, i told him what happened in the class-6 monster zone. "class-6 monster zone?" "are you gone mad?" ernest almost spilled the soup. even the super elite warriors are afraid to enter the class-6 monster zone. but what about zack? he is a mere elite warrior. "i didn''t expect to come across the monster in the outer area. it caught me off guard," i replied. "you are out of your mind," ernest said. "now, i understand. why are these people looking at you in this way?" he added. ignoring him, i continued to eat the food. at the same time, seamus entered the dining hall. behind him, kane patric is following him obediently. but his heart is raging in storms. yesterday, he had lied to his senior brother. but somehow he was able to learn the truth. seamus looked around before his gaze fell on 2 people. seeing them, his mouth curved into an arc. they are none other than zack and ernest. kane followed the gaze and saw zack lockwood. seamus walked towards them. "you must be zack lockwood," he said. on the other hand, i furrowed my eyebrows. some stranger walked up to me to greet me. "who is he?" i muttered to myself. ernest''s expression changes drastically. seamus was the person who had thrashed him very badly. when i saw ernest. my eyes flickered. i didn''t see him flustered before. seamus saw through everything. "ha...ha..ha..." "you must be surprised. i''m seamus dave from the flame faction. i was the one who taught sense to your senior brother," seamus said with a laugh. behind, kane''s expression darkened. he recalled the head''s words. he had warned them not to trouble zack lockwood. but he didn''t know what happened to the senior brother. after last night, he changed his attitude. on the other hand, my heart turned cold. i was purposely avoiding the attacker. but it looked like he had come to me to cause trouble. at this point, the warriors who were dining also saw what was happening. so they immediately start taking pictures. "i thought you were brave. why are you staying silent?" seamus asked. he is getting annoyed as the time passes. because he is not getting any expected reaction from zack lockwood. "ernest, eat your food. otherwise, it will turn cold," after saying that, i continued to eat. ernest''s thoughts returned to reality. seeing calm and composed zack. his nerves ease down. then he continued to dig in as well. seamus was frustrated. his heart starts to swell up in anger. he was the one who took the initiative to speak. but instead, he got his face slapped. the other warriors in the dining hall looked at him and his group. he is making a clown of himself. a cold glint flashes in his eyes. after taking one look at zack and ernest. seamus left with kane and others. on the other hand,?kane sighed in relief. more than semaus he was afraid of the faction head. when they stepped out of the dining hall. seamus turned towards kane and asked, "how is your technique coming up?" hearing that kane''s heart skips a beat. "senior brother?" "i''m just getting started with that technique," kane replied. seamus thought of something. "you know, the head is expecting you to fight against him. when are you going to do that?" seamus asked. he is not stupid. he knows he can''t bully the warriors below him. but if it was kane then it''s different. kane wasn''t surprised. he is looking forward to fighting against zack. but not without proper preparation. "senior brother, i''ll fight him. but not now," kane replied. seamus'' mouth curved into an arc. he can see that kane is acting smart in front of him. "i don''t know. what will you do?" "but i want zack lockwood to be admitted to the infirmary as well," after saying that seamus left the spot. kane clenched his fist in anger. but he didn''t say anything. on the other hand, both of us continued to eat our food. ernest couldn''t help but ask, "are you okay?" "don''t worry, i won''t fall for their trick," i replied. but in my heart, i couldn''t help but feel something wrong. a few minutes later, we walked out of the dining hall. "are you going back to the monster zone?" ernest asked. hearing that i nodded at him before saying, "these guys will continue to bother me. it''s safe to enter the monster zone." ernest wasn''t surprised. but he asked me to enter a relatively safer monster zone. after speaking to him, we parted ways. instead of going to the training room, i''m walking towards the teleportation tower. soon, i reached the place. after arriving at the circular platform. i selected the server for transfer. right after selection, the circular platform lit up with light. swoosh~ the next second, i disappeared from the spot. Chapter 584 Part 1: The Giant Tower Headmasters Plan ? azure city: the rain water faction head alice brown is currency at the azure city. after investigating the outer area. she has decided to enter the inner area. "strange," she muttered to herself. the azure city was not prosperous like she had imagined. there aren''t many people in this city at all. before coming to this city. she has learned some information from the dean. but after arriving here, she realized the situation was dire. the whole city is under stress. like some war-like situation is going on. looking at the half emptied city. she frowned. such news should have reached the academy. most importantly the news should have reached the ears of other cities. the whole situation appeared to be blocked by someone. is it dean? several thoughts appeared in her mind. walking through narrow roads. alice is keeping an eye on the surroundings. all the small and medium sized shops are closed. when she got closer to the inner area. she saw a huge gate ahead. where the guards are monitoring the place. she quickly disappeared from the spot and appeared behind the door. no one saw her. the roads in the inner area are well built. each house seems to be luxurious. high contrast in comparison to the outer area. this place is prosperous. but she can see fewer people here. obviously this place is for the wealthy families. then she started heading towards the blevins family. the problems started after the blevins family head''s breakthrough. she wanted to know what''s happening in real life. meanwhile, robert blevins is distressed. the giant tower headmaster showed caution. which led to delay in his plans. "what is he thinking?" "if he suspects carlos then he should have dealt with him," robert said to himself. sitting in his study room. robert is thinking about the next course of action. earlier, he had planned to destroy the morrow family. but for some reason the plan had failed. now the morrow family has left the city. he couldn''t help but feel disappointed. argh~ a muffled grunt escaped from his mouth. the next moment, his whole face became red. the nerves can be seen clearly in his face. realizing the situation, he took out a dark potion from his storage ring and drank it in one go. when the liquid entered his body. his complexion slowly returns to normal. not only that, the heart wrenching pain also disappears from his body. if anyone looks inside his body, they can see a strange insect located in his heart. if not for the timely intake of the potion, the insect monster would have eaten away his heart. an expression of dred appeared on robert''s face. "i have not seen such an insect monster in our region," he said in his heart. the insect monster was fed to him sometime ago by the giant tower headmaster. if he disobeys or fails the order given by the giant tower headmaster. then he won''t get the strange black potion. if it happens, he can imagine his end. thinking about it, his entire body trembled for a second. what he didn''t know was that the strange insect was not given by the giant tower headmaster. rather the mysterious man gave it to the headmaster to implement his plan. robert seems to realize something. the whole plan was delayed because of one person. robert thinks that carlos might get the same insect monster. ... viper city: the giant tower headmaster has come to viper city. but he was in total disguise. with the help of spies. he easily entered the city. though dean rebecca previously rooted out the spies. but still there are spies capable enough to infiltrate this city. giant tower headmaster didn''t contact carlos kent right away. instead he wants to read the report. he wants to know what is happening in the saw scale viper academy these days. after his men guided him to an inn. he booked a large room before entering inside. the giant tower headmaster began to inquire. there are more than three spies standing beside him. each of them were in different costumes. one of them is a middle aged man with a fat body. he is working as a chef in this inn. the other person is a young warrior with an elite level base. he is working in an opposite bookstore. the third person is an old man who is a butler in the wealthy local family. three of them are so unrelated that no one would have guessed that they are spies working for the giant tower academy. they seem innocent on the surface. but their information collection ability is excellent. slowly they began to speak one after another. they shared the recent information. 20 minutes later, the giant tower headmaster instructs them to leave. he was satisfied by their performance. he knows that the saw scale academy is preparing for the year end conference. but he didn''t expect their internal competition to happen in a full swing. even he himself didn''t care about his academy''s performance. he is just following the orders of the mysterious person. it won''t be long before he controls all the big 6 academies. when it happens, almost the entire outer post would come under his control. a cold sweat appeared on his forehead. even imagining it makes him afraid. he was aware that person comes from the inner post. the strength of that individual must be higher compared to the warriors living here. which is why he immediately submitted to him. otherwise, he would have died a long time ago. then he calmed his mind. for him the big picture is important. right now, the result of the year end conference won''t affect anything. even the supreme elder of the saw scale viper academy has joined the mystery man''s group. so the academy here is wasting their time. it''s a pity that the giant tower academy''s supreme elder is alive and kicking. most importantly he is not dying of old age. so the mysterious person''s forbidden potion is not useful to the supreme elder. but if he used his power to coerce, the result would have been different. but the mysterious person is afraid of something. he doesn''t want his existence to be known to the outside world. that''s why he didn''t touch the supreme elder of his academy initially. but he thinks it won''t be long before it happens as well. suddenly, he seems to realize one more important thing. "zack lockwood,"he uttered in a cold tone. he recalled the recent instruction. the mysterious person wants this kid dead as well. but he didn''t know why? then he thought about something. the warriors with special element power have a chance to enter the inner post. if it happens then the brat might be recruited by a big force. not only that, their giant tower academy affiliated to another big force in the inner post. now he understands the reason. but it''s a pity that brat is staying in the academy. he is not stepping out of the academy at all. then he made up his mind to visit carlos kent later. ... from mc''s perspective: after appearing in the class-5 monster zone. i started to hunt down the monsters. compared it to the previous monster zone. this one was easy. rustle~ a small boar monster went past me. seeing that i started to chase the monster. when i got closer. chop~ i raised my sword to cut the monster. pfff~ blood splattered on the ground. the black blade easily penetrated inside the body. leaving a giant hole inside the monster''s body. the boar monster lost its breath and collapsed onto the ground. seeing that i walked towards the monster. after dissecting the body, i retrieved the core. the boar monster has excellent meat. i can roast it to eat. time went by, after eating the food, i cleaned the spot before leaving. not long after, i came across another monster. it''s a red salamander, another class-5 monster. the monster immediately started charging towards me. "blood fist," i raised my fist to punch against the monster. crack~ the punch tore through the monster''s abdomen. leaving behind a large hole. pfff~ blood starts gushing out from the monster''s abdomen. seeing that, i wasn''t surprised. the salamander is an early stage class- 5 monster. the body strength was enough to kill the monster. then i raised the black sword to attack. cut~ the black blade once again penetrated deep inside the monster''s body. the ground dyed with the blood again. the salamander lost its strength and collapsed onto the ground. seeing that i once again started to direct the body. after cleaning the place, i left the spot. not long after, the place was swarmed by other monsters. time went by, after finishing the practice, i arrived back at the teleportation tower. this time i remained unscathed. then i started walking towards the dormitory. when i got closer. i saw a small group of people waiting outside. but i recognized their faces. they are a group of people from the flame faction. where is kane? i started looking around. Chapter 585 Part 2: The Giant Tower Headmaster’s plan chapter 585 part 2: the giant tower headmaster''s plan from mc''s perspective: people from the flame faction were standing in front of the dormitory. right after seeing me, one of them ran away to inform someone. that someone might be kane patrick. i don''t have time to entertain these clowns. when i got closer. none of them dared to stop me. meanwhile, kane came to know a few minutes later. after calming down his heart. he decided to take a risk. seamus won''t let him off. instead of breaking the rules, he decided to challenge zack formally. in that way, he won''t get into trouble. the following day, me and ernest had breakfast together. as usual when we stepped out of the place. the trouble comes to find me. after seeing kane, i couldn''t help but think of seamus. what is he planning? i''m sure the dean will punish them for sure if something happens. "zack, don''t worry. we don''t come here to cause you trouble. instead, i have long since wanted to fight against you," kane said with a smile. "another loser has come," ernest muttered. he can see that that''s the only way they can trouble zack. otherwise, they will be facing strict punishment. as always, a crowd of onlookers formed quickly. on the other hand, a faint smile appeared on my face. "do you think i have free time to fight against you?" i replied. hearing that kane''s expression changes drastically. he thought zack would accept his challenge to protect his reputation. but zack is smiling wickedly. seeing that kane''s eyes turned cold. if he turns down the challenge then it would be bad for him. seamus will find him. his face turned ugly thinking about it. "what do you want?" kane asked. he can see that zack is expecting something. "would you like to add something?" i asked. a look of understanding dawned on kane''s face. "i''ll offer money. how many credit points do you need?" kane asked. he doesn''t care about spending. as long as zack agrees to the duel. everything will be fine. ernest was surprised as well. this was not the style of zack. zack usually accepts whatever challenges are thrown at him. but this time something has changed. "kane, i don''t lack money. if you find any useful items for me, then you can come to challenge me. otherwise, don''t waste my time, "after saying that i started leaving. ernest quickly followed behind. we both decided to train today to improve our skills. on the other hand, kane''s expression darkened. he didn''t expect zack to demand something. then this is going to be troublesome. looking at zack''s direction, his heart swells up with anger. he can''t do anything at this moment. "let''s go if a brother asks me. i''ll let him know what happened?" kane said to his followers. 10 minutes later, both of us entered the gravity training chamber. i want to push my limit. so that my body can achieve another physical breakthrough soon. in the gravity chamber, i started training from 4x settings. i can handle the pressure of the elite stage easily. meanwhile, the news about zack''s condition has reached seamus'' ears even before kane is willing to tell him. "condition uh?" he raised his eyebrows in surprise. he felt good that kane followed his words to challenge zack. now the duel will happen if kane finds something valuable. zack has cleverly avoided the duel by stating something like this. seamus starts to ponder. he knows zack is a special element warrior. the things related to the lightning element are hard to find in this region. so zack''s condition is almost unachievable. meanwhile, the supreme elder is in a meeting with someone. but that person is not rebecca. "franklin, are you sure your students can do it?" the old man asked. franklin wore a bright smile on his face. "don''t worry elder. i have instructed both the elite and super elite warriors to trouble that kid." "at any time their fight would break out," franklin said. right now, he can''t express his joy. the past few days have been a dream for him. apart from the dean, no one could meet the supreme elder. but this time the supreme elder has summoned him directly. he didn''t know why he wanted to cause trouble to that lightning kid. isn''t that the kid with a big background? then why the supreme elder is targeting the kid? a lot of questions appeared in his mind. but one thing is clear. even if the dean wants to save the kid. it''s hard to do so in the future. as long as the supreme elder stands on his side, he is not afraid of anyone. "what are you thinking?" the old man asked. "uh, it''s nothing older. then i''m leaving," after saying that, franklin decided to leave. the old man squinted his eyes but didn''t stop him. when franklin disappeared from his place. the old man wore a heavy expression. earlier, he hadn''t thought about targeting zack lockwood. because this would backfire on him. but the past few days have been bad for him. the mysterious person wants to kill that kid so badly. what happened? he didn''t know? he thought about lowell and jonathan. these 2 have a terrifying background. but the mysterious man is not afraid of them. even after he told him about their identity. and yet he still wants to kill that kid zack lockwood. because of pressure, he had no choice other than to agree with him. he decided to use franklin madden for now. he won''t let zack die in his academy. otherwise, no one could save him and the academy from lowell. as long as zack goes outside, he can arrange things. he feels bad for doing this. but it can''t be helped. he needs those forbidden potions to extend his lifespan. not long after, franklin inquired for updates from the flame faction members. after knowing that zack was fine. he furrowed his eyebrows. then he instructed the students to leave before going back to his cabin. in his cabin, franklin summoned both kane and seamus. shortly after both of them arrived. franklin then asked them in person. a few minutes later, franklin fell into deep thinking. that kid is quite clever. he has set conditions for the duel. "alright, you guys can leave," franklin said. time went by, after practicing, i returned to the room in the evening. i don''t know what happened. but this time no flies from the flame faction came to bother me. after reaching the room, i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes. laying down on my bed. i started to go through the online post. today the practice area was not that crowded. most of the training rooms are empty. because of this, i was able to spend more time in the practice room training with a dummy. when i accessed the online page, i saw a post about internal competition. the earth faction and the metal faction had a duel today. i don''t know how many days it will take them to complete the competition. ... viper city: the following day, carlos kent received an uninvited guest. meeting the giant tower headmaster. his expression turned pale with fear. "how did you come?" carlos kent asked. when the giant tower headmaster talked about meeting him in viper city. he took it as a joke. but never thought he would dare to come. the giant tower headmaster showed a knowing smile on his face. he knows something is wrong with carlos kent. "won''t you invite me inside?" he asked. carlos kent nodded at him before inviting him. the giant tower headmaster walked into the room. he looked around and saw the room was fine with the elegant style. "well, you are living a good life here. no wonder, you don''t want to go to the azure city," he said. carlos kent''s pupil shrank. the name of the azure city rings an alarm bell in his mind. "what?" "you don''t want to go!" "our plans are delayed because of you. now the morrow family has left the city. which will be detrimental to our plan," the giant tower headmaster said. he is not planning to let him go. sigh~ a sigh escaped from carlos kent''s mouth. "i have told you. there is an internal competition going on. i can''t go anywhere at this time," carlos answered. he is trying to convince the giant tower headmaster. but the giant tower headmaster is not buying at all. he simply brought a black liquid potion from his storage ring. if anyone looks closely, they can see a black insect squirming inside. a sense of crisis hits carlos kent. then he saw what was happening. the giant tower headmaster is planning to do something. he immediately sent a message to jonathan. if anything happens only jonathan can save him. the giant tower headmaster looked at carlos before saying, "you know. your actions are creating a lot of doubts. i have been instructed by someone to feed this thing to you." while saying that he pointed at the black potion bottle. Chapter 586 Call for help! chapter 586 call for help! viper city: carlos finds it difficult to continue to pretend. especially after hearing the giant tower headmaster''s words. he broke his mask finally. "if you don''t leave the viper city now, then i''ll be forced to imprison you here," carlos said in a threatening tone. the giant tower headmaster''s expression turned ugly. "so you are showing your real face now," the giant tower headmaster said. he was extremely unwilling. the mysterious person has instructed him to subdue carlos kent in any way. now he fails to accomplish the task. then he didn''t know what the mysterious person would do to him. "carlos, think twice before you speak. you don''t know the strength of the person behind me. he can easily snap the neck of your supreme elder." "do you think the supreme elder will let you inside the academy?" "you know many secrets. other than us no one can provide you safety," the giant tower headmaster said with a prideful smile on his face. he is confident that as long as carlos knows the reality. he would submit to him. on the other hand, carlos kent sneered inside. he had seen the power of jonathan. after knowing that jonathan was from inner post forces. he was even more respectful. but the person standing opposite to him doesn''t know of this. pretending to be thinking, carlos kent sent a message to zack asking for help. he doesn''t know whether jonathan listens to his words. but he believes that he would listen to zack. "what are you doing?" the giant tower headmaster asked. "it''s nothing. i was wondering whether to beat you down here or outside of the city," after saying that carlos walked out in a blink of an eye. carlos kent appeared in mid-air and started heading to the outside of the city. "you dare!" the headmaster lost his cool. the forbidden potion in his hands cracked. seeing that he hurriedly placed it in a different box before starting to chase down carlos kent. a few seconds later, a 2 silhouette can be seen moving at a fast speed. the speed was so fast that both of them were creating after images. soon, carlos successfully left the city before crossing a mile and appeared in the middle of barren land. shortly after, the giant tower headmaster arrived. "you have chosen your burial place," he fumed with anger. carlos had eaten away the resources of his academy. he thought it was a good investment. but right now the dog is biting the feeding hands. he appears to be in complete range. boom~ carlos kant started to attack. the clear sky instantly turned full of dust. like some kind of sandstorms have occurred. the sand quickly covered the body of the headmaster making him hard to see. by attacking him. carlos has touched his bottom line. the whole area started to undergo earth-shaking change because of the sandstorm. "man, i have long since wanted to fight you. i know your academy is known for body methods. let me test your strength," after saying that carlos increased the density of sand particles. carlos kent surrounded himself with dense sand within seconds. if any super elite warrior gets near him, he would be suffocated to death. crack~ on the other hand, the headmaster released the brute force. the clothes were torn into pieces revealing his upper body. "carlos you are dead now," after saying that he punched the fists in the air. boom~ the next second, the shock wave released from the fists. it easily swept away the sand particles polluting the air around him. but the shock force didn''t touch the layers of sand around carlos kent. carlos'' eyes flickered. both of them are sss-rank warriors. he is not afraid of the headmaster. he just doesn''t know what the cards are under his sleeves. the giant tower headmaster must have some backup cards. otherwise, he won''t dare to enter the viper city. swoosh~ the giant tower headmaster moved. his whole body shot towards carlos. boom~ both of them started to fight by using their fists. the aftermath is overturning the landscape underneath them. it won''t be long before their aftermath affects the massive area. their collision alarmed the viper city. though both of them are fighting miles away from the viper city. but authorities can sense something bad is happening outside of the city ... from mc''s perspective: a few hours ago, after completing the morning routine. i entered the training to practice. the encounter with seamus and kane tells me the upcoming days won''t be peaceful. the flame faction head must be aware of their actions. fortunately, i placed conditions so that they could give me time. if there is a duel, then i''ll be going to the twin mountain peak to recover my purple essence. after gaining some clarity, i sat down cross-legged and started to run the wood scripture. the healing essence has saved my life many times. i''m starting to pay attention to the healing method like the other 2 methods. when i started to run the scripture. the effect was no way near the green forest. the healing essence would take some time to gather. but i intend to gather as much healing essence in my dantian. it will help me with the crucial movements. time went by, after a few hours, a small amount of mana was stored in my dantian. then i switched my practice to the blood method after storing considerable healing essence. i have this feeling that i will soon touch the barrier if i practice daily. then i took the class-5 monster core and held it in my hand. i started to run the blood element method. the next moment, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. then i slowly started to absorb the monster''s core energy. when the energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to a mental method. after circulation, the blood red light appears in the bloodstream. the red light starts to convert the monster''s energy into white energy. then the white energies drilled into my bones causing heart-wrenching pain. argh~ a small muffled grunt escaped my mouth. enduring it i continued to repeat the process. the remaining white bones slowly turn red. the spine is especially starting to change in color. if anyone saw my skeleton, they would be shocked. apart from the head, the rest of the skeleton is red. time went by, after a few hours, i opened my eyes. the monster''s core crumbled into pieces. when i looked inside my body. a clear shock appeared on my face. the red bones give me an ominous feeling. but at the same time, i can feel the hidden strength in the bones. the power of the body strength is enough to crush the opponents in the same realm. after pushing down these thoughts, i stood up and decided to leave. beep~ at that moment, i received a message from someone. i clicked the screen and started to read the message. the next second, my expression changes drastically. the message was from carlos kent. my eyes flickered. carlos needs urgent help. what happened? is he asking for my help? then i shook my head in denial. then i decided to contact jonathan. but when i tried to contact you. the call couldn''t be reached. i don''t know whether jonathan is still in the outer post or not. if he is in our region, then he can view my message. then i decided to send him a message. after typing quickly, i sent the message to him. but still, i''m feeling bad. what kind of danger was he facing? carlos kent is an sss rank warrior. his strength is similar to the dean. i furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. then i left the training room and hurriedly went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed into academy clothes. then i left the dormitory room and started walking toward the dean''s office. soon, i reached the office building. after entering inside, i walked upstairs. i don''t know whether the dean is present or not. after arriving at her cabin, i waited for the door to open. but there was no reason from inside. which means the dean hasn''t arrived yet. beep! "ernest is calling me?" i looked at the sci-fi watch. after accepting the call, i started to speak. "what happened?" i asked. "zack, where are you?" "i''m waiting for you in the dining hall. kane and his group also came to the hall. presumably, they are looking for you," ernest said. hearing that, a cold glint flashes in my eyes. "i''m at the dean''s office. the dean has not arrived yet." "i decided to wait here," i replied. "alright, i''ll come there after having breakfast," ernest replied. then i ended the call. the faction head''s office is on the 2nd floor. i decided to check his cabin as well. but when i reached the 2nd floor, i saw his cabin was locked. which means carlos didn''t leave viper city. Chapter 587 Carlos Kent escaped chapter 587 carlos kent escaped boom~ one after another earth-shattering sound reverberated throughout the area. carlos is fiercely fighting against the giant tower headmaster. at the same time, he hoped that reinforcements would come in time. he knows that the supreme elder is on their side. as long as he gets a message from jonathan it''s enough. on the other hand, the giant tower headmaster bombarded him with boulders. both of them are fighting by using the related elements. so no one could dominate one another. "carlos, no one could save you today," the giant tower headmaster sneered inside. he is not afraid of the saw scaled viper academy. their supreme elder has long since joined their side. even if anyone comes, the only one who will suffer is carlos kent. boom~ the land underneath them has changed. the open land space was not flat anymore. there are several deep pits in it. if their battle continues then it would soon attract the warriors from the viper city. time went by, carlos is getting desperate as he gets no response from zack. if this goes on, he will be defeated. a quick gleam flashes in his eyes. the giant tower headmaster is using body techniques most of the time. hereby saving his essence for a crucial moment. beep~ when he is getting low. a sudden message woke him awake. seeing that he attacked by using a wave of sand. a huge density of sand once again blocked the path of the headmaster. "damn it," the headmaster cursed out loud. on the other hand, carlos began to read the message. his expression turned grave. then he understands his situation. jonathan asked him to escape. the viper city and academy are not safe anymore. boom~ he donated one of his artifacts before creating a chance for himself to escape. the explosion caused the giant tower headmaster to frown. he retreated backward in the air. the next moment, he noticed someone was fleeing at breakneck speed. the person is none other than carlos kent. "you b@stard," he said in an out loud voice. he thought carlos kent would fight him till the end. but he chose to flee. a strange glint flashes in his eyes. he remembers carlos checking his watch before escaping. "is it the supreme elder?" he muttered to himself. "it must be," he said in his heart. because there is no reason for carlos to be afraid. he is an sss-rank warrior. only the words of the supreme elder can make him flee. a gleeful smile appeared on his face. then he recalled one more hurdle. "that lightning brat is still alive. i should do something to lure him out," he said in his heart. it''s a pity that he wasn''t able to subdue carlos. he knows it will disappoint the person behind his back. but it can''t be helped. then he looked in the direction of carlos before leaving. meanwhile, somewhere close to the barrier of the outer post. jonathan is doing an inspection. he came to investigate the power of the barrier. which separates the outer post from other regions. after his talk with carlos kent, he submitted the report to his master. according to him, someone is planning to weaken the barrier. it''s impossible to do it from outside. as many eyes are watching the barrier. but if someone enters inside the outer post. the matter is something different. his master then ordered him to capture that person. after arriving here, jonathan didn''t go to the giant tower academy. since he knows those who are connected to this event. jonathan decided to capture them after checking the barrier. as far as possible, there is no anomaly found in the barrier. which made him more puzzled. the barrier appeared to be intact without any traps or loopholes. then what is the mysterious up to? he remembers the scene of the forbidden potion. where the supreme elder of the saw scaled viper academy was eager to get it. "is it related to the forbidden potion?" jonathan asked himself. his instinct tells him right. but his master said there is a lack of evidence to prove it. after gaining some clarity, jonathan decided to leave. since the matter has come to do this. there will be no safety for zack in that academy. carlos kent has defected as per his words. even if he stays in that academy, the supreme elder would do something against him. that place is not safe for him. before the supreme elder makes a move against zack. he wants to save zack. ... from mc''s perspective: 10:30 a.m the time was over 10 in the morning. but still, there is no sign of dean rebecca. "i think she took a day off," ernest said. he came to zack right after having breakfast. but he didn''t know what made zack worry so much. "are you thinking about laverne?" "she is fine with her family. they have settled in a town right now. there is no more danger," ernest said. hearing that i shook my head before saying, "it''s a different issue." "ernest, if you want to practice. you can go right now," i added. hearing that ernest frowned. he can see that zack is not in a great mood right now. "alright, i''ll come by evening," after saying that ernest left. on the other hand, the bad feelings in my heart have gotten worse. i started to feel the academy was not safe anymore. even the dean herself is not safe against the supreme elder. how can she protect me? a few minutes later, beep~ my communication watch lit up with a notification. "carlos has sent me a message," i muttered to myself. when i read the message. i felt a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulder. my whole body got relaxed. phew~ the next moment, i heaved a sigh of relief. carlos kent is safe. i don''t know what happened. he seems to be fine right now. who could pose a threat to him? after gaining some clarity, i decided to leave. since there was no problem with carlos. there is no point in staying here. i have decided to enter the monster zone. in that way, i can forget what''s happening in the outside world. meanwhile, the supreme elder who is sleeping in his mansion got awakened by a call. the call was from the giant tower headmaster. the old man frowned. he doesn''t know why this person is calling at his time. he then attended the call and started to speak. at first, his expression was normal. his old eyes were calm without any waves. but as the second passes, he receives thundering news from the giant tower headmaster. "carlos escaped," the old man''s face was ugly. the old man knew that carlos had a breakthrough because of the giant tower academy''s help. earlier, he had thought about making him dean after rebecca. but he didn''t expect the events to turn out like this. "why did he do this?" the old man''s eyes turned cold. carlos knows many secrets. if carlos spills beans to another academy. then it will be over for him as well as the academy. the giant tower headmaster was still on the call. "what to do now?" the old man asked. "don''t expose him. otherwise, he would be forced to reveal our secrets as well. i''ll ask that person to handle him. if that person moves, then carlos'' life will be over," the giant tower headmaster said. "okay," the old man was helpless. both of them have chips on each other''s shoulders. more than carlos, the secret will hurt the 2 sides more. "and one more thing. i want that lightning kid dead as well. if he enters the inner post, then we would be able to do nothing," the giant tower headmaster said. "this?" the old man showed hesitation. he doesn''t want to offend lowell and the mysterious person behind the giant tower headmaster. both of them are dangerous people. to avoid further conversation. he decided to agree. after speaking for a few more minutes,?the old man ended the call. his expression was ugly. because of his self-interest, he made a huge error in judgment. but it can''t be helped. he won''t directly move against that kid. he can only ask franklin and others to do something. then he thought of something before quickly summoning franklin. 10 minutes later, franklin arrived at his place. franklin''s expression was bright as usual. every time the supreme elder asked him to come. it''s related to important work. the supreme elder opened his eyes. he then started to inquire about details. especially about zack lockwood. franklin smiled before saying, "elder, that kid was clever. he made a condition for the duel." the old man then asked about the condition. a deep frown appeared on his face. it''s not easy to find treasures related to lightning. the whole region might not have one. then he decided to ask the giant tower headmaster. that person might know something. then he spoke with franklin for a few more minutes. Chapter 588 New Trouble ? from mc''s perspective: the following day, after getting out of the bed. i started doing the morning routine. later, i entered the training room to cultivate. i have collected a few class-5 monster cores from yesterday''s trip. so i don''t have to spend the next few days in the monster zone. don''t know why? there is a sense of urgency in my heart. after receiving carlos''s message yesterday. i didn''t get any further reply from him. i''m still not clear what type of danger he had met with. even jonathan was not responding to my call. there is only way i can protect myself by staying low key. after pushing down these thoughts, i held the monster core in my hand. then i started to run the blood element method. the next moment, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. as the second passed, i started to absorb the energy from the monster core. time went by, after a few hours, i opened my eyes. right now, apart from the head, the entire skeleton was dyed red. but surprisingly, i didn''t feel the barrier. i don''t know how much energy is required before the barrier appears. then i stood up and left the training room. 20 minutes later, after getting ready, i left the room and stepped out of the dormitory. walking, the image of the dean comes to mind. i wonder whether she will appear today. then i started heading towards the dining hall. soon, i reached the place. as usual, someone is waiting for me. "i know you come today," ernest said. hearing that i nodded at him before we walked into the hall together. then i thought of something and looked at ernest. "what about laverne?" "what is she doing right now?" i asked. by that time, we arrived before the food counter. "she is helping her family. i guess she will be back soon," ernest replied. i nodded at him before receiving the food. then we found an empty spot to sit down. we started eating. but not long after, a group of people entered. kane walked into the hall with a flame faction warrior. he swept his eyes across at everyone. finally, his gaze landed on zack lockwood who was having breakfast. on the other hand, i felt someone was walking towards us. when i turned around to see the person. my mouth twitched. "what is he doing again?" i raised my eyebrows in confusion. i made a condition so that these people won''t bother me. "zack?" "are you surprised by my presence?" kane asked. ernest expression darkened. whenever these guys appear it''s not good news. i looked into kane''s eyes and asked,"what do you want?" kane revealed a triumphant smile on his face before saying,"zack, you made a condition for the duel. do you remember?" a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. i nodded at him. kane clapped his hands before saying,"well, we found an item. which might be related to your lightning element." clang~ i put the fork down before looking at him with a serious gaze. even jonathan has failed to collect the treasure related lightning element. "is it a bluff?" i said in my heart. ernest almost choked himself. he was aware of zack''s condition. the lightning element is scarce in this region. it''s not a suitable place for special herbs to grow. kane saw the doubtful look of the duo. then he recalled what seamus asked him to do. "ahem?" "if you don''t believe it, you can go to the glass city to inquire," after saying that kane left with his group without turning back. "glass city?" ernest uttered in a surprised tone. hearing that i shifted my gaze towards ernest. "what?" "do you know about the glass city?" i asked. ernest nodded before saying," it''s the city under red moon tower academy." "red moon tower!" my eyes flickered. i almost forgot that two of my acquaintances are studying in that academy. and there is also maria frazier. i don''t know what''s her status in the white palace. "zack, what are you thinking?" "are you going to the glass city?" ernest asked. "no," i replied subconsciously. the academy is the safest place for me. if i step out of the academy, it won''t do any good to me. especially carlos kent''s status is not clear yet. then we resumed eating. meanwhile, kane is happy that zakc is tempted. he believes zack will soon leave for the glass city. time went by, after having breakfast, we both head to the training room. i''m thinking about using lightning technique against puppets. if i improve, it will be good for me. 2 days later, while stepping out of the dormitory for breakfast. i couldn''t help but kane patric. last 2 days went smoothly without any disturbance. no one came to bother me. i''m hoping that it will continue the same in the coming days. after reaching the dining hall, i walked into the hall alone. ernest is not coming today. yesterday''s training had made him exhausted. he might sleep a little bit longer today. after receiving the food, i found a place to sit down. while eating, i noticed hostile gazes on me. but i ignored that and resumed eating. the internal competition for the elite warrior was over. the flame faction warriors wouldn''t have expected such a result. especially kane and seamus. if i''m not wrong, that guy''s plan was to lure me to attend the internal competition. but they don''t know that my place has been fixed some time ago. 10 minutes later, i walked out of the place. but someone impeded my path all of a sudden. when i raised my head. i saw kane''s face. not far behind him seamus is standing there. then i ignored him and tried to leave. "wait?" kane shouted. a gloomy glint flashes in my eyes. they must have come up with another plan to trap me. i turned around and faced the group. "what now?" i asked. "the supreme elder wants to meet you," kane said. hearing that my pupil shrank. my heart set off storms. the person who i wanted to avoid at all cost is wanting to meet me. then i quickly controlled my emotions and said,"i didn''t get any summons." "are you lying to me?" i looked at him with a stern gaze. the flame faction warrior is talking about the supreme elder. both of them are not good. don''t tell me the past few days'' actions connected to the supreme elder. at the same time, seamus started walking forward. "he is speaking the truth. presumably, you broke the agreement. despite providing you with information, you didn''t participate in the duel," seamus said while spreading his hands. a hint of sarcasm can be seen in his tone. "what cheap tactics?" my eyes turned cold. then without speaking to them i head towards the dean office. while walking, my expression turned serious. a cold sweat appeared on my forehead. "is he planning to make a move?" i said in my heart. on the other hand, seamus and kane saw zack was going to the dean''s office. so they didn''t have any more trouble. they just came here to inform. meanwhile, the supreme elder and franklin madden are in discussion. the old man looked at franklin before saying," don''t worry, i''ll force him to accept the duel. but if your student fails to defeat him, then you will lose the chance to climb up the ladder." franklin madden shuddered. two days ago, they found an item related to the lightning element at the auction house in glass city. but the problem is they can''t enter the city without permission. the city comes under the jurisdiction of the red moon tower. the relationship between the 2 academies is not good either. they thought zack would be interested in going there. but contrary to their expectations. zack didn''t leave the academy at all. the old man''s eyes flickered. he was dissatisfied with franklin''s work. then both of them waited for zack to appear. on the other hand, i arrived before the dean''s cabin. when i got closer. creak~ the door opened automatically seeing that i walked inside. to my surprise, dean rebecca was back. "zack, what happened?" rebecca asked. i sat opposite her and asked,"dean, the flame faction warriors said that the supreme elder has summoned me." "i don''t know why?" rebecca frowned. the supreme elder didn''t contact her. but how could the flame faction warriors know? suddenly, she seems to recall the strange activities of the supreme elder. he has been getting closer to the vice-dean franklin madden. now someone else contacted zack. her expression turned frosty. she doesn''t understand the supreme elder at all. "zack, wait for a moment. i''ll ask him," the dean said before disappearing from the spot. seeing a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. 10 minutes later, rebecca came back. but her expression was not right. "zack, come with me," dean rebecca said. hearing my eyes flickered. before i knew it i disappeared from the spot. Chapter 589 Jonathan’s return chapter 589 jonathan''s return ? from mc''s perspective: dean rebecca brought me to the place of the supreme elder. countless thoughts running through my mind. even if i want to escape it''s impossible to escape now. when we entered the place, the fog disappeared. in front of me, a huge mansion appeared. there is a wide herbal garden before it. there are 2 people in the garden discussing something. when the dean brought me to the garden. i suddenly felt an incredible amount of healing essence around the surroundings. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. then i saw franklin madden. there is a pale looking old man sitting opposite him. if i''m right he is the supreme elder of the academy. after my teacher and jonathan, this is the 1st time i''m going to meet someone so strong. tud~ then we landed on the ground. "elder?" rebecca called out. the old man turned his head and looked at us. when i felt his gaze. for a second,my heart froze. the old man''s gaze was piercing. i couldn''t help but think about the inheritance and my red skeleton. on the other hand, the old man frowned. for a second, he wanted to see through the young man. then he recalled lowell''s warning. even if the young man has some secrets. it must be rated mcclain''s household. prying on their secrets would lead to death. thinking about it, he took away his gaze. while rebecca is looking at franklin who is carrying a flattering smile on his face. she couldn''t help but feel disgusted. now she confirms something in her heart. the supreme elder is favoring franklin for some reason.. old man looked at the dean and said,"rebecca, you can leave. i''m going to talk to this young man in private." rebecca was disappointed. she looked at franklin. the world is only directed at her, not franklin. after nodding at zack, she disappeared from the spot. on the other hand, my heart was in turmoil. my only protection has gone. what are these 2 crooked people up to? then i saw the flame faction head looking at me with an unkind gaze. "ahem!" "your name is zack right?" the old man asked. hearing that i responded with a smile. "yes, elder. i''m zack lockwood." the old man revealed a bright smile. but i know it''s a fake smile. but i can''t expose him right now. "well, i''m good friends with your teacher. one of the reasons i have asked you to come is to meet you first. the second is about your duel against the flame faction warrior," the old man said. franklin is also grinning ear to ear. looking at both of them, i don''t know whether to laugh or cry. then i answered genuinely,"if i start to accept challenges, then everyone will challenge me later. i fear that if i do that i won''t get any time for practice." a surprise glint flashes in the old man''s eyes. even franklin madden''s expression condensed. they can''t find any fault with these words. warriors from other factors have challenged zack as well. and for the flame faction it''s not the 1st time. franklin couldn''t help but look at the supreme elder. only he can help him at this moment. besides, the old man was one who wanted the duel to happen badly. they are just following his orders. while thoughts running through his mind. the old man thought of something. "young man, i know you are right." "but i want you to help me with this. some of the students are arrogant. that they can, it''s not necessary to practice hard for the year end conference." "but if you defeat them in front of everyone. then it would reignite their ambition and they won''t be wasting time here after," the old man said in a righteous tone. like he genuinely cared for the academy. even franklin was dumbfounded. he had never heard such caring words before. on the other hand, i sneered inside. if not for jonathan''s early exposure, i would have believed in his words. seeing that kid is contemplating. the old man showed triumphant smile. then he recalled the items located at the glass city. "well, it''s not like i''m forcing you. but if you accept to help the academy, then i''ll fetch the items for you from the glass city," the old man added. hearing that a bit of surprise appeared on my face. earlier, i thought they were making things up. but looks like the item located at the glass is related to the lightning element. "yes, if you promised to help us, then we will get those items for you," franklin added as well. looking at two of them i cursed inwardly. i have come this far. i don''t want to tear off my face. "alright, elder. i''ll fight. but i need that thing before the duel to improve my strength," i answered. "you!" franklin''s face darkened. it''s because they can''t enter the glass city. they have decided to come up with the solution. they wanted to coerce zack. but because of the supreme elder''s words. franklin can''t say anything. the old man wasn''t offended. he thought that kid was clever and reasonable. anyone can see that the flame faction is not having any good intentions. "alright, we will get that thing for before the duel. franklin you can take him with you now," the old man said. hearing that franklin grabbed my shoulder before disappearing from the spot. the next moment, the old man''s face changes drastically. it has become ugly and distorted. "what a cunning brat?" the old man snorted. he was still dissatisfied that the little kid dared talk back to him. the background of lowell mcclain stopped him from doing anything to do that kid. "i hope franklin won''t disappoint me," he looked in the direction of both of their disappearance. meanwhile, franklin madden dropped me before the dormitory.?he then left without turning back. seeing that i chuckled. "i guess the glass city is not easy," i said in my heart. then turning around, i sent a message to the dean. she must be worrying. when i was there i could see the tense situation between her and franklin madden. then i returned to my room. ... meanwhile, somewhere at the border. carlos kent was hiding in a temporary basement which he had built for himself. he thought that the giant tower headmaster would chase him for a life. but nothing like that happened. he had turned off his sci-fi watch after speaking to jonathan. this location was given by jonathan. carlos is waiting for him to appear. "i hope i have picked up the right side," carlos muttered to himself. thinking about the black squirming liquid. he shuddered. after the clash with the giant tower headmaster. some truth was revealed to him. the giant tower headmaster is not himself. he must be under the control of someone. no wonder he wants to carry out every plan successfully. how could someone control the headmaster of one of the top 6 academies? gasp~ he sucked a cold breath of air. everytime he thinks about it. it only gives him goosebumps. "why are you so scared?" a stern voice reached his ears all of a sudden. carlos kent was stunned before recognising the voice. "sir. jonathan," then he flew out of the mansion. then he saw a man wearing black trench coat and hat standing before him. seeing that carlos'' mouth twitched. "sir, you are late. i got exposed. now i''m afraid, i can''t go back to the academy," carlos said in a sad tone. jonathan showed no emotion. but he was glad that the pawn was not destroyed. at least he can be helpful for young master zack at early stages. "what?" "are you going to let me wait outside?" jonathan said. "this?" carlos caught off guard. then both of them walked into the basement. after sitting down, jonathan started his professional work. he inquired about the details. carlos has been waiting for this whole time. so he began to speak without anything. jonathan was as usual calm at first without any big waves in his eyes. but when carlos talked about insect class monsters to control people. his expression becomes serious. a few minutes later, jonathan heard everything from carlos. he was satisfied by carlos'' work. especially about the information on insect class monsters. a quick gleam flashes in jonathan''s eyes. "the giant tower headmaster is controlled by someone. and the medium is insect monster," he said in his heart. to control the ranks of sss-elite warriors. the control insect must be in the same class as well. such monsters are only found in the inner post. if any single one of the monsters appears here, it''s nothing less than that of a natural disaster. jonathan decides to save zack lockwood. he can''t take chances anymore. then he looked at carlos and said,"alright, you have done a good job. i''m going to rescue zack first. you should wait for me here." carlos nodded at him. he finally felt escaped from death threats. after saying that jonathan left the basement. Chapter 590 Part 1: Ernest’s duel chapter 590 part 1: ernest''s duel from mc''s perspective: the following day, after completing the morning routine. i didn''t want to cultivate. rather, i decided to go to the mountain peak today. since i have accepted their request. then i''ll have to get ready. i think it would take a day or two to retrieve the item from glass city. after figuring it out, i decided to let ernest know later. an hour later, after getting ready, i decided to go out. so i walked to the front door. but suddenly, i paused my footsteps. there seems to be someone standing behind the door. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. the next second, i activated my perceptual ability. then i recognised the familiar figure behind the door. "jonathan," i said in my heart. a faint smile appeared on my face. creak~ then i opened the door to greet him. "you are alert!" jonathan said while walking into the room. then i closed the door before sitting down opposite him. "how are you, young master?" jonathan asked. while saying that he sat on the chair. "sigh" a long sigh escaped from my mouth. then i started to tell him about the recent events. 10 minutes later, a dangerous glint flashes in jonathan''s eyes. he didn''t expect that old man to approach zack. which is not a good thing. comparing it to the information from carlos. he can tell that the old man was seriously dying. and the forbidden potion is not a good thing. it can only make consumers addicted. perhaps, the old man might have fallen deep. it''s impossible to rescue him. "pity," jonathan muttered. then he looked at zack and asked,"young master, are you willing to come with me?" "the academy is not safe anymore. the old man might change his mind to attack you again," he added. hearing that my heart was in turmoil. this was the worst situation. he can understand that it''s stupid decision to bet his life on an old man''s words. you never know when that guy will attack me. seeing that zack has trouble making decisions. then he decided to reveal some truth. if the enemy''s plan succeeded. forget about the academy. this entire region might be in trouble. then he started to shed light on this matter. a few minutes later, "young master, what now?" jonathan asked. "i understand," i replied in a solemn tone. but deep inside i felt powerlessness. the slow progress of lightning cultivation frustrates me. jonathan was relieved in his heart. this time he really wants to take back zack from this academy. it''s not safe for zack to continue to stay here. unless the problem was solved. "alright, young master. then we will wait for them to bring items from the glass city. when your duel was over. i''ll take you back to your home town," jonathan said before standing up from the seat. "what about the year end competition?" i asked. jonathan stopped and asked,"you are still worried about that. we don''t know what will happen in the coming days. if the enemy succeeded in his plan, then there will be no year end competition." i sighed inwardly. then jonathan left the room. i don''t know where he is going? but he will be coming back at the right time. after seeing him off, i returned to my room. i sat back on the chair before pondering deeply. from jonathan''s words, i can understand the seriousness of this issue. he doesn''t want me to stay here for a second. the supreme elder is above the sss-rank. he can easily suppress me. after weighing the pros and cons, i decided to give in. i hope jonathan defeats the person who is responsible for this mess. but one good thing though i can go back to see uncle james and granny park. it''s been several months since coming to the academy. but i feel like a decade has passed. after sorting out my thoughts, i left the dorm. soon, i reached the dining hall where ernest was waiting for me. this time there were no minions in front of the place. i guess the vice-dean must have shared the news to others. my eyes flickered. i don''t know why he is so confident about kane patrick? is he that strong? then i shook my head before walking further. ernest, who was speaking to other warriors right now, noticed zack''s presence. "what a surprise?" "i didn''t see those guys today," ernest said. hearing that my mouth curved into an arc. looking at the people around us. i thought it''s not a good place to talk. then we walked into the dining hall. meanwhile, jonathan has arrived secretly to the supreme elder''s place. when he saw the old man last time. he was old and sick. aura of death can be seen on his body. but this time there were some changes. jonathan saw the breath of the decay was reduced. which means the old man managed to increase his vitality. his eyes were full of disgust. jonathan was aware where the product came from. looking at the old man who is sitting leisurely in the front garden. jonathan frowned. he can capture old men the right way. but it will alert the enemy. he still doesn''t know. how has the powerhouse from the inner post managed to come here? and he is still staying for a long time. from the changes in the barrier. he can tell that person is spending a lot of time here. even for his master lowell it''s a difficult task. when jonathan is having troubling thoughts. beep~ the old man was woken up by a call. "who is disrupting my morning nap?" the old man opened his eyes in displeasure. when he saw that the call was from the giant tower headmaster. his mood becomes bad. ever since he got the potion from him. that person has been ordering him like a dog. "what do you want, brat?" after attending the call, the old man asked with an impatient voice. which can clearly tell that he was not happy with that call. on the other hand, jonathan''s thoughts returned to reality. he is keeping his eyes open to get some information. the next second, he takes out a gadget to record everything. "supreme elder, what about the thing i have asked you?" the giant tower headmaster''s voice sounded from the other end of the call. the old man''s expression turned gloomy. "i have told you before. i can''t touch that kid. but i have made some arrangements. as long as you can get that treasure item from the glass city." "i can make sure that brat zack gets seriously injured in the duel," the old man replied. "harumph!" "glass city uh, do you want my academy to offend the red moon tower for no reason," the giant tower headmaster snorted from the other end of the call. the old man doesn''t care. "is it not me who wants that kid dead?" the old man replied in a calm tone. there was some silence for a moment. "harumph, old man you won this time. next time, i want you to speed up our plan," after saying that the giant tower headmaster ended the call. the old man touched his forehead. every time this person calls him, he feels sick. then he closed his eyes to relax. on the other hand, jonathan has recorded everything. he was right that the old man is having ill intent against the young master. but what surprises him is that he plans to do something during the duel. now he understood why they are willing to go to the glass city. he didn''t get to know the full conversation. but the old man''s words conveyed a lot of information. jonathan then left the place. he decides to meet carlos before coming back here. meanwhile, dining hall: both of us are having fruitful conversations about internal competition. the competition for the elite warriors was over. the internal competition for the super elite warriors is taking place. i didn''t watch the elite matches. but the super elite competition is different. because ernest is going to participate. "are you serious?" i asked. ernest nodded his head before saying,"don''t worry zack, i won''t take a risk." "if the opponent is strong, then i''ll admit defeat," he added. hearing that i sighed inwardly. i fear those guys from the flame faction will definitely do something. "when is your match?" i asked. "the duel is set at 11am this morning." "what are you going to do?" "are you coming?" he asked. i furrowed my eyebrows. i''m having a bad feeling about this duel. "ernest, why don''t you skip your participation?''''i asked. ernest paused his movements before looking at zack. he saw through zack''s thoughts. "do you think others will trouble me?" ernest asked. "sigh" a sigh escaped from my mouth. "i think that seamus will do something," i replied honestly. ernest frowned. then he let out a small chuckle. "zack, you are thinking too much. i''ll be fine. my techniques have improved recently. i recently wanted to participate in a test to test my skills," ernest said. "so, don''t worry," after saying that he continued eating. seeing that i decided to trust him. Chapter 591 Part 2: Ernest’s duel chapter 591 part 2: ernest''s duel from mc''s perspective: after having breakfast, we started walking towards the duel arena. though ernest seemed confident. but i''m having doubts in my heart. clearly, he doesn''t listen to me. if anything happens, i can only carry him to the infirmary. soon, we reached the arena building. apart from us, there are quite a number of super elite warriors entering the building. while ernest entered the office to register his name. i started walking towards the seating area. the seating areas were separated for each faction. the special faction area has less number of seats because of less number of students. after arriving at the spot, i picked an empty seat to sit down. looking at the empty seats around me. i frowned. there are still warriors left in our faction apart from us. but none of them has come so far. which shows that carlos was incompetent in his job. after pushing down my thoughts. i looked down. there are 5 dual platforms. the participants are yet to appear. as long as the name is announced, they will start to appear one after another. "hmm," i raised my eyebrows. i feel like someone is looking at me. then i slightly turned around my head and saw the people from the gale faction are looking at me. among them i spotted familiar faces. one of them is vina potkins. fortunately, nobody knows about my real strength. otherwise the super elite warriors would start bothering me. then i shifted my gaze from them. then i noticed there was one more group looking at me. "rainwater faction?" i said in my heart. i saw eurice''s friends are pointing fingers at me. they seemed to talking about me. but what about their faction head? elder alice is not here. then i shook my head before looking at the duel arena. there is an hour left for the duel. feeling bored, i started reading online articles. time went by, after one hour, the duel officially starts. 5 duels taking place at the same time. ernest is standing on the 2nd platform. he is facing a warrior from the gale faction. looking at ernest''s smile. i think that opponent is not that strong. when i was observing the duel. i felt a malicious gaze on me. i sneered inside. without turning sideways, i can tell that it''s coming from the flame faction area. then i slightly looked at them from the corner of my eyes. i saw kane patrick is looking at me. beside him, the flame faction head franklin is also watching me. "what''s with these people?" i said in my heart. not long after the winner was announced. ernest easily defeated the opponent by using the soil attack. the soil attack is strange. you need expertise to tackle them. seeing that ernest''s first hurdle was over. a faint smile appeared on my face. but the next fixture made me frown. this time ernest''s opponent was from the metal faction. the flame faction and metal faction are allies. both the faction members have the same thoughts. it''s just that i''m not targeted by the metal faction recently. after taking a glance at them, i turned my attention back to the ground. ernest needs 9 more duels to win. then he can continue tomorrow. time went by, ernest has defeated successive opponents in a few hours. when the flame faction warrior appeared. he didn''t play any tricks. he was defeated straightforwardly by ernest. i feel something is wrong. this shouldn''t be right. this should be a nice opportunity for them to target ernest to antagonize me. why are they giving up right now? soon the last match for today was over. ernest and other participants left the stadium. seeing that i started to leave. whatever? i know jonathan will come back soon. when he is around. there is nothing to be afraid of these people''s conspiracy. ... the azure city: a few hours ago, elder alice is currently staying in one of the inn in the inner area. she is in a bad mood right now.?when she first came the outer area was empty. people had already vacated the outer area. but when she entered the inner area to investigate. she found that the place is deteriorating as well. whether it''s blevins'' family move or not. but the morrow family''s migration has caused panic among the people. later she found that the daughter of the morrow family head is a student of their academy. she is one of the special faction warriors. but when the dean briefed her she didn''t hear all the details. now she knows the migration process was approved by her. in between she went back to the academy once. then she came back to azure city right after finishing the work. now the morrow family moved out. an unknown panic appeared among the residents here. the blevins family was staying low key for some reason. from time to time she also saw the appearance of michael blevins outside of the mansion. he didn''t seem to go back to the academy any time soon. recently she has been looking for an opportunity to enter blevins'' mansion. but the blevins'' family head is not an easy person. she found that he is not stepping out of the mansion. if the person goes outside, then she will get her chance to enter inside. but right now she is staying in the inn wasting time. unless the dean calls back her it''s impossible to return. while she is getting frustrated.. beep~ a sudden call broke her thoughts. the call is from none other than the dean. seeing that she hurriedly attended the call. "elder alice, i know you are not getting anything there in azure city. so you can return to the academy right now." "the internal competition is going on. you can postpone the mission," dean said. hearing the dean''s words on the call. elder alice sighed in relief. "okay, dean. i''m leaving right away," she replied with a smile. then they spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call. the academy is the best place to practice. the world energy is thin here. then she decided to leave after getting ready. ... the following day, after getting ready, i went to the office building. then i reached the dean''s cabin to get permission. when i saw her i realized that the dean wasn''t aware of my full conversation with the supreme elder. when she asked me, i revealed our conversation without hiding anything. "what is he thinking?" rebecca blurted out in a surprise. last time, i told her about the duel. but nothing about the condition. "why didn''t you tell me that day?" rebecca asked. "this?" i raised my eyebrows. "dean, i thought the supreme elder might have told you," i replied in a calm tone. to be honest, i don''t want to involve her. it''s clear that the old man''s life is going to end sooner or later. and jonathan won''t leave him lightly. the old man was greedy for life. he has been cooperating with outside enemies to extend his own life. his selfish actions have jeopardized the safety of the people. if the news is exposed, the dean will face a severe backlash. people might think she is part of the enemy''s group as well. dean rebecca lost in her thoughts. clearly, she has lost the favor of the supreme elder. but she doesn''t know why? "you are right!" "i couldn''t able to understand the supreme elder''s thoughts nowadays. he is not showing concern at all." "even he hadn''t asked about the internal competition," rebecca said with a bitter smile on her face. hearing that i thought it''s best to warn her. if she was caught in the vortex. she couldn''t be able to save herself let alone the academy. "dean, i think you should resign your position and focus on increasing your strength," i said. when i uttered those words. i saw clear shock on her face. "i was hasty," i said in my heart. "zack lockwood, do you know what you are saying?" rebecca asked. she thought zack was overstepping his boundaries. no academy student has spoken to her like this. then she suddenly realizes she has been giving too much importance to zack. which led him to speak like this. "zack, you can leave right now," rebecca said. "dean? i''m sorry!" "but i want to remind you that don''t trust the supreme elder," after saying that i stood up from the seat. "i know you can leave right now," dean rebecca said. a hint of anger can be seen in her eyes. creak~ i left the room. meanwhile, the giant tower headmaster swiftly acted. he sent his men to collect the treasure item from the glass city. the glass city like the name says the architecture buildings are made up of glass. people inside the building can see the outside view clearly. among one of the towering buildings, a circular shaped building located at the center of the city. the glass building is the building structure of the auction house. Chapter 592 Seamus Plan ? glass city: the treasure item was placed in the auction building. since the lightning element was practiced by lightning element warriors. the auction house didn''t plan on auctioning the items. unless there is a special request from the buyer. they won''t show it to the outside world. but the giant tower academy''s people are ready to buy these items. at the same time, two beautiful ladies wearing red moon tower wearing academy were looking around the glass city. they are none other than ella downs and sallie mills. both are friends of zack lockwood. right now, the duo are casually visiting the city. as the glass city is similar to the viper city. most of the red moon tower warriors hail from this city. a few minutes later, the duo walked past the towering building. ella quickly recognised the building. it''s one of the main attractions of the city, the auction house. "sallie, shall we go inside?" ella asked. besides her, ella took a good look at the building. suddenly, she seems to remember something. "do you recall the rumors?" sallie asked in a low tone. ella stopped her movements before recalling something. the treasure item of the lightning element is not a secret anymore. before the outside world knew it. the red moon tower had the intel. when it comes to the lightning element. the name of zack lockwood comes to their mind. after the destruction of the crimson hall. their relationship with zack lockwood had changed. both of them had avoided contacting him so far. ''let''s go, we should not get involved with him," sallie said. hearing that ella nodded her head. through their former organization the crimson wall was notorious and partial. but still they had some friends and colleagues in that organization. after the destruction, everyone was displaced. still there is no point of communication. these things heavily weighed on their mind. the destruction of their former organization was especially connected to zack lockwood. so both of them ignored the white towering building and quickly walked passed. .. from mc''s perspective: after stepping out of the office building. i decided to go to the duel arena. ernest has a duel today. if i''m right, he will be selected if he wins all of his duels today. then he is going to represent the academy in the year end competition. before i could walk further. swish~ two people appeared before me. seeing them, i paused my movements. they are guardians arranged by the dean. "i heard from the dean that you are going to participate in the duel. are you ready to go to the mountain peak for cultivation?" the male guardian asked. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. i thought i was going to waste time today. "wait a second, i''m going to send some quick messages," after saying that i started typing messages. then i sent the message to jonathan and ernest. after doing that i turned towards the guardian. the guardian grabbed my shoulder. the next second, we appeared in the mid-air. then we started moving towards the destination. meanwhile, dean rebecca is still not over from the shocker. though she reprimanded him before sending him out. but zack''s expression had caught her eyes. "he looked serious," she said in her heart. she also knows the supreme elder was the one who told him about zack''s background. so if zack is saying this then it''s worth looking into it. she didn''t admit before zack. because she had her own reason. the supreme elder''s recent conversation with franklin and his lackluster attitude over the azure city made her cautious. on top of it, there was no reply from carlos kent. one of the faction heads of the academy is missing from his job. the supreme elder seems to know it. but he doesn''t care. considering all of this, she believes that zack''s warning might be true. but she hopes that nothing bad will happen until the end of the year. she is pinning a lot of her hopes on the year end conference. only by getting a good rank, the academy can receive resources for the next couple of years. that''s why she is not willing to resign right now. time went by, 11 a.m in the morning, ernest kirk has entered the duel arena alone. this time there was no one to cheer him on. earlier, he received it from zack. knowing that zack is going to a special place to cultivate. he didn''t stop him. more than him zack''s duel was important. so today ernest decided to try his best luck. at the same time the spectator area was almost filled with the crowd. after walking inside, ernest waited for the opposite warrior and referee to appear. shortly after, all the 5 dueling platforms were filled. ernest''s opponent was a fire elemental warrior. when the duel started. both of them started to attack each other. unlike yesterday, this time the warriors are fighting for climbing up in ranks. so the opposite flame faction warrior was talented. as the time passed, both of them pushed against each other equally. ernest tried to block the opponent''s move with the soil attacks as much as possible. but ernest doesn''t know someone is forming a sinister plan against him. on the 1st platform, the winner was already decided. the opposite wind element warrior wasn''t able to withstand more than 3 blows from the flame faction warrior. the flame faction warrior is none other than seamus. seamus has already spotted ernest. he also knows zack was not here. a cruel smile appeared on his face. there is a possibility that a duel between him and ernest is going to happen. if it happens, seamus made up his mind to beat the sh!t out of him. ernest wasn''t aware of this situation. he is seriously fighting against the opponent. meanwhile, time passed in a blink of an eye, after a few hours of traveling, the guardians brought me to the mountain peak. as usual the place was covered with the dark sky. as we got closer to the mountain, the rain started to pour down heavily. "i hate the heavy rain at this place," the female guardian said with a dejected face. soon we reached the top of the mountain. tud~ we landed on the ground. "okay, we are going to guard you as usual. you can cultivate peacefully," the male guardian said. hearing that i nodded at him before walking to the suitable place to sit down. reaching the good spot, i set up the barrier around me. after doing that i sat down cross legged. unfortunately, there was no thunder and lightning in the sky today. closing my eyes, i started to run the celestial scripture in mind. right after, the lightning rune in mind started to flicker. after a few seconds, i started to feel the purple energy from the surroundings. even though there was no lightning thunder today. but there is still enough purple energy in the surroundings. slowly, i started to absorb the purple energy from the surroundings. when the purple energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to the scripture. the energy started to flow through my meridians and after circulation. the refined energy settles down in my dantian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. time went by, both the guardians closed their eyes and stood close to the barrier. before coming here, the dean has warned them. the threat for zack was not reduced at all. if their location is exposed then it might attract the attention of the hostile forces. so they seemed to close their eyes. but they are monitoring silently. a few hours later, the purple essence in my dantian reached more than half. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. after a few minutes, the majestic totem in dantian started to make a move. the totem started to convert the refined purple essence to much more pure. the amount of refined purple essence starts to recede slowly. but the quality of the purple essence is high. and it''s more powerful. time went by, the dantian was filled with purple essence a few hours later. the time went past noon. seeing that i decided to switch the practice. i took the monster core from the storage ring and held it in my hand. then i started to run the blood element method. i have this feeling that body strength would reach the barrier soon. but the barrier for super elite warrior requires more energy. the next moment, the blood rune in mind started to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the monster''s core energies. when the energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to the blood method. when the started to circulate. the red blood light appears above the bloodstream. the blood light starts to convert the monster''s energies into the mysterious white energies. the white emerged then started drilling into my skeletons. slowly, the dark red spot starts to appear on my neck bone. enduring the heart wrenching pain. i continued to repeat the process. Chapter 593 Ernests Defeat ? academy: a few hours ago, the internal competition for the super elite warrior is reaching its end. the flame faction warriors are leading the ranking. most of the spots were occupied by them at this moment. but it can''t be helped. the number of super elite warriors in the flame faction warriors is high. so the other faction wasn''t surprised by the ranking. on the other hand, seamus finally got his wish. he and ernest are going to face off against each other. ernest was completely surprised by the match-up. but at the same time, he was wary of seamus. like it or not, he can guess that his opponent won''t show him any mercy. ernest''s thoughts about quitting. but thinking about zack and special faction''s reputation. he had decided to try it. soon both of them stood opposite each other. seamus is carrying an evil smile on his face. when ernest stood opposite to him. he can''t wait for the referee to give the signal. ernest has somewhat recovered his essence after the previous duel. but he won''t underestimate seamus. "start" when the referee''s voice sounded. ernest shot several sharp spikes at seamus. swish~ seamus greeted the attack with a smile. the next moment, he surrounded himself with a wall of flames. boom~ when the spikes come in contact with the flame wall. a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. smoke quickly covered the duel arena. ernest''s pupil shrank. but he quickly recovered his expression. he wasn''t surprised. seamus'' fire cultivation technique is unusual as he heard before. he just hoped that his essence would be enough for the rest of the duel. but something unexpected had happened. when the smoke cleared. seamus turned the burning flame towards ernest. the next second, the sea of flames rushed out at a fast speed. seeing that ernest formed a wall by using the soil element. uproar~ the flame faction warriors in the spectator area erupted in a cheer. everyone has realized that seamus is going all out. ssshh~ when the flames come into contact with the sand wall. a loud screeching sound can be heard. which again caused smoke to arise. on top of that, ernest started to feel the terrible heat. to prevent the increase in temperature, he continued to pour the essence. in the blink of an eye, the same wall added another layer. if anyone looks at it from outside they can see that the sand was so thick. seamus gave an interesting look. in his opinion, at least ernest is not boring. the next second, seanus released a different attack. he shot several burning flame balls in succession. unlike the earlier attack, this will test the strength of the sand wall. boom~ the flame attack lands a blow to the thick sand wall. the next second, an explosion occurs. ernest retreated backward from the impact. if he remained any longer, the remaining attack would touch him. the smoke once again coveted the duel arena. but ernest''s expression was ugly. he used a large amount of essence in that sand wall. swish~ before he could think further. a flame fist greeted him. by using the smoke screen, seamus rushed out to punch. the distance was so close that ernest hastily relapsed the sand wall again. boom~ but seamus'' flame fist easily blasted away the sand wall. in a blink of an eye, the sand wall crumbled down. ernest''s expression becomes heavy. he finally realizes it''s time to admit defeat. but seamus saw through his thoughts. that''s why he has engaged in close combat at the last moment. his fist coveted with flames reaches ernest''s chest. smash~ the punch heavily hits ernest''s chest. not only that, flames also touched his body and quickly spread around his clothes. pfff~ blood spilled from my mouth. ernest rolled over to the ground because of a fierce attack. a cruel glint flashes in seamus''s eyes. he is not satisfied with the single hit. before he could trample him. ernest cleverly admitted defeat with his remaining strength. seeing that the referee declared seamus as a winner. "you cowardly b@stard," seamus'' expression darkened. he didn''t enjoy the full taste of the duel. seeing that ernest stepped out of the ground. he can only give up at this moment. uproar~ the crowd let out a roaring cheer. not many were aware of the conflict between seamus and zackc''s friends. in the spectator area, kane and his friends'' expressions turned bad as well. they saw that zack''s senior ernest admitted defeat at the last moment. he was clever enough to escape from a little injury. "harumph" the flame faction head didn''t know when he appeared and gave a color snort. almost everyone in the flame faction is expecting seamus to thrash ernest as long as the other party in the duel platform. now they can only swallow because of this unexpected result. seamus continues to participate in the next duel. on the other hand, ernest finally forfeits. he decided to check his condition first. though he looks to remain unscathed from the outside. but he feels a burning sensation from inside. like someone is boiling his inner organs. the results didn''t go unnoticed under the dean''s eyes. she is also monitoring the movements of the flame faction head. and she happened to watch the duel from beginning to end. as she had expected, the famous faction warriors were flexing their muscles. but it''s a pity, that zack is an elite warrior. he can''t challenge the super elite warrior. so the special faction can only accept the defeat. what others don''t know. someone else also watched the duel with interest. he is none other than jonathan. looking at the disappearing back of ernest. "this kid with the soil element has a good temperament," jonathan muttered to himself. he was on his way back when he recovered zack''s message. and he reached an hour before ernest''s duel. because of this, he was able to monitor the vice dean''s actions as well. from zack''s words, he knows that the current vice-dean is listening to every day of the supreme elder. so he quickly became interested in franklin madden. franklin madden shuddered all of a sudden in the spectator area. when he turns around to check. apart from the earth and gale faction head, there was no sign of the dean. he thought only the dean could suppress the academy. meanwhile, glass city: several powerful auras entered the auction building to purchase the special item. the management was alarmed by the presence of warriors above the super elite. so they quickly agreed to sell the special item. even the management themselves were surprised by the presence of several people. all of them are one team and they purposely come here to buy this item. after negotiating successfully, the auction house sold the items to them. like other major organizations, the auction house knows that the only warrior who can use the item is zack lockwood, a student of saw scale viper academy. if it weren''t for the bad relationship between the red moon tower and zack''s academy. the auction house would have contacted zack directly. but if they do it now, they can only face the wrath of the red moon tower. beside the entire city is their property. so for a safe future, the auction didn''t contact zack. the appearance of these people solved their problem. not only that, they have also earned over 100,000 credit points over this lighting treasure item. if the giant tower headmaster learns about the price, then his heart will bleed. .... from mc''s perspective: mountain peak, after cultivating for a few hours, i stopped practicing the blood method and stood up from the ground. i believe in the coming few days. i will touch the barrier. after gaining some clarity, i started to remove the barrier. the guardians also noticed zack''s change. it had taken him more than 10 hours to fill the dantian. "do you want to spend more days?" the male guardian asked. "no!" i shook my head. jonathan would come back to the academy right now. after removing the barrier, the guardians started to guide me back to the academy. time flies, when we reached the academy. it was dark. the guardian dropped me off at the dormitory before leaving. after arriving at the room, i opened the door to enter. when i turned on the lights. i saw someone else sitting on the sofa. "jonathan, you are back," i uttered in surprise. he didn''t send me any message about his return. jonathan stopped looking at the communication watch before looking at zack. "young master, how was your trip?" "i just came back a few hours ago," jonathan replied. hearing that i nodded my head before saying, "i recovered my essence. now, i have to wait for their reply." then jonathan spoke about carlos kent''s situation. carlos kent has found a temporary place to stay. "and young master, you should visit your friend next morning," jonathan added. "who?" "ernest," i asked back. "he was hit hard by someone named seamus. but don''t worry. he admitted defeat at the last moment." "in the end, he managed to escape from the minor injuries," jonathan replied. "at last it happened," a heavy expression appeared on my face. Chapter 594 Ernests return chapter 594 ernest''s return from mc''s perspective: after speaking with me for a few more minutes. jonathan left the room. i don''t know where i''m going to stay. but i have a good guess in my mind. i think he will use carlos kent''s home as a temporary stay. then i looked inside. seeing the purple essence in my dantian. a faint smile appeared on my face. then i thought about the internal competition. everyone is working hard for the year-end conference. but from jonathan''s words, i have realized that the event is less likely going to happen. there are enemies outside. but my strength is not enough to face them. i hope everything will be resolved soon. the next day, after getting ready, i left the dormitory. then i started heading towards the infirmary. from jonathan''s words, i can tell that. he was not that much affected. soon i reached the infirmary. when i walked into the place. i came across the old man wearing a white coat again. upon seeing me, the old man stopped his movement. "oh, you are here again." "looks like you and your friend. both of you love our infirmary that much," the old man said with a smile. hearing that i don''t know whether to laugh or cry. as far as i know, the old man is not an ordinary person. whenever i see him, i get this uneasy feeling in my heart. "alright, don''t be afraid. you can go to see your friend," the old man saw through his thoughts. after saying that he walked into another patient''s room. "phew!" "what a weird old man?" i muttered in my heart. then i started heading towards room no. 23. after arriving at the room, i opened the door to enter inside. "ernest?" i saw him awake and talking to the healing assistant. "zack!" "when did you come back?" ernest asked back. the female assistant quickly left the room giving them space. ernest saw that the female assistant was gone. then he looked at zack with a serious expression. "zack, you are right. seamus had malicious intent against me. but somehow i had managed to see his intention before admitting defeat," ernest said. when he said those words. his expression looked ugly. he had wanted to climb up in the ranks. but because of seamus, he had to give up. on the other hand, i silently listened to his words. but i''m glad that he was clever enough to see through the opponent''s tricks. "zack, are you going to fight against kane?" ernest asked. i raised my head to look at him. ernest was taken aback. but soon he realized that zack had no rivals in the same category. then he said, "i know you can defeat the elite warrior easily. but kane is not easy. like seamus, his cultivation method is different." "i doubt whether they use a small amount of elemental essence in their attack. because i found seamus didn''t care about running out of element essence during our fight," ernest added. hearing that my eyes flickered. now, i can understand his worry. but he doesn''t know that i''m not relying on the lightning essence. ultimately, my body strength is enough to crush him. it''s just i don''t want to expose that trump card. "alright, i know my limit," i replied to ernest. then we talked about a few other things before i left the room. ernest says he will be discharged in the evening. and his injuries weren''t that serious. as long as takes enough rest he will be fine. then i walked out of the infirmary room. i don''t know if my duel against kane would be scheduled. but i mean time, i can''t waste time. i looked in the direction of the teleportation tower. if i use body strength to fight against the monster. i can push my limit further. it might reduce the time of sensing the barrier. after gaining some clarity in my thoughts, i started rushing towards the teleportation tower. soon, i reached the place. after arriving at the circular platform. i didn''t immediately select the server. rather, i texted jonathan about my plan. then i began to carefully select the server. this time i''m not going to take a risk in the dangerousclass-6 monster zone. i selected the monster zone relatively with medium difficulty. as long as i don''t approach the core area. i can save my life. when i selected the server. the circular platform lit up with light. swish~ the next second, i disappeared from the spot. when i opened my eyes. i saw a vast land in front of me. there was no dense vegetation. i can be safe that no monster would sneak attack on me. i''m not going to use the black sword. this time, i''ll be engaging in close combat. not long after, the ground beneath me started to shake. seeing that i retreated backward to find a solid spot. on the other hand, several cracks appeared on the ground and it started to stretch more than 100 meters. boom~ the next moment, a something blast opened the land to appear on the surface. when i saw that monster. i revealed a bitter smile on my fever. whenever something cracks under the ground. i can only think of this monster. [class -5 early stage steel worm monster] a brown-colored monster with sticky liquid all over its body appeared on the surface. the name comes from the razor-sharpened row of teeth. this worm monster is another kid. which is different from the brown and red worm monsters. the sticky liquid is not a good sign. it''s not good to engage in close combat against these weird types of monsters. but i''m going to try anyway. since i have made up my mind not to use the lightning element. it''s better to follow the body''s strength. swoosh~ the next second, i rushed out to punch against the monster. at the same time, i activated my perceptual ability. the worm monster lowered his head to swallow the prey as a whole. the razor-sharp tooth makes a metallic sound. but my speed was enough to reach the monster''s body. while moving, i mobilized the red blood energy from my bones. in the blink of an eye, i got closer to the monster. boom~ at the same time, the monster plunges its huge head into the ground. dust rose from the ground. by using the opportunity, i raised my fist to punch the monster. "blood fist" in the blink of an eye, red blood energy gathered around my fist. when the punch hits the body of the monster. it easily tore through the monster''s defense. "pfff" the red blood energy burns out the sticky liquid. and the red color fist leaves a giant hole in the body. the next second, yellow-colored liquid starts to gush out from the monster''s body. screech~ the worm monster made a weird sound in pain. but i didn''t care and continued to rain down the blood fist on the monster. a few minutes later, the worm monster turned into pulp. except for the monster core. those sticky liquids didn''t cause me any trouble. after collecting the monster core, i started to look for other monsters. the it''s hard to see the end. after spending a few more hours, i didn''t come across any other monsters. early-stage monsters pose no threat to me. i have to find the peak-stage monsters. on the way, i came across a few class-4 monsters. but i let them go. at this stage, the core of the class-4 monster is not that useful to me. the vast land is huge. it''s hard to see the end. after spending a few more hours, i didn''t come across any other monsters. but i wasn''t that surprised. looks like i have to go deeper. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. then i started to move towards the deep. after a few minutes, i came across lush green vegetation. such a place is a sign of a monster''s residence. when i walked into the place. rustle~ i heard the rustling sound. then i spotted something moving in the huge tree. "a plant-type monster" i uttered in surprise. but after looking at the strength, i realized the monster was a class-3 one. then i started to walk through the place. i don''t know what type of monster is hiding here. soon, i reached deep into this place. through my perception, i spotted ape-type monsters. but i''m sure it''s a different kind. the strength of these monsters wasn''t that great. a hint of disappointment flashes in my eyes. i don''t know whether i picked the wrong monster zone or not. there seem to be less number of class- 5 monsters here. time flies, a few hours later, i returned to the academy. today wasn''t that great. after killing the worm monster, i encountered deadly tree-type monsters. but fortunately, those tree-type monsters can''t move. after killing those monsters, i collected the monster core from it. and it took me the whole day to do it. after gaining some clarity, i returned to the dormitory room. on the way, i checked the incoming messages. ernest has successfully been discharged from the infirmary. seeing that i sighed in relief. Chapter 595 White Scroll chapter 595 white scroll giant tower academy: the giant tower headmaster is sitting down in his room. but his eyes were staring at the ancient yellow scroll. the scroll looked empty. he has tried many methods to inspect the scroll. but he wasn''t able to find anything interesting in it. he had almost thought it was fake. if not for glass city auction house''s assurance, he wouldn''t have bought this item. the auction manager said that only warriors with lightning elements can use this scroll. at first, he didn''t believe it. but right now, he is tired out after testing. when he was observing, he suddenly felt a tightening in his heart. "argh" a muffled grunt left his mouth. in a second, his face looked distorted. how could it be? he consumed the forbidden potion an hour ago. so the headmaster was confused and terrified. the pain was so overwhelming that his eyes were bulging out. the next second, his room was engulfed in darkness. in the blink of an eye, the darkness disappeared. but there was one more person in the room. his face was covered with mash. he is wearing a black tuxedo. when he appeared. the headmaster''s pain disappeared all of a sudden. the headmaster''s pupil shrank. he stood up from the seat in fear. no doubt the person in front of him is mysterious. "sir?" he said in a trembling tone. hearing that the person looked at the headmaster and said, "well, you seem to be enjoying your life these days." his voice was neither male nor female. it''s a strange mixed tone. the headmaster shuddered in fear. if you antagonize this person, then he will end up dead. "sir, forgive me. if i did something wrong," he answered in a low tone. he is afraid to meet his eye gaze. a few minutes later, the mysterious person ignored his words but he set his eye on the scroll. then he thought of something. "are you guys using this to attract that kid?" he asked. the headmaster sighed in relief. then he explained the whole thing again. a few minutes later, the mysterious person remained silent for a moment before saying, "if you fail this time, i''ll choose some other pawn. i want this kid dead." the giant tower headmaster broke out in a cold sweat. then he fiercely nodded his head. "sir, what about carlos kent?" "he backstabbed us," he said. "backstabbed us?" "harumph, i say he backstabbed you. apart from killing that kid, you have to deal with him as well." "i can''t make any public experience, i can only operate from shadows," after saying that the mysterious person disappeared. the room went dark before returning to normal. the headmaster saw that the person was gone. but he remained standing still. his entire back was drenched in a cold sweat. "zack lockwood" "carlos kent" he uttered those two names in extreme anger. this time he got a difficult assignment. he is not worried about the lightning kid. but it''s difficult to find carlos kent. but right now, he decided to hand over the scroll to that dying old man. ... from mc''s perspective: the following day, when i left the dormitory. a group of people blocked the path. looking at them, i immediately recognized them. they are none other than the flame faction thugs. among them, i saw a familiar face. "kane patrick," i uttered. my appearance immediately caused a commotion. "you are here. we are just waiting for you," kane patrick stepped forward. "we got the item from glass city. i think vice-dean will be talking to you soon. so be ready for the duel," kane said with a small chuckle before he left with his group. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. i didn''t expect them to get the item so soon. then i head towards the dining hall. where i saw ernest was waiting for me outside. "he seems to be alright," a faint smile appeared on my face. when i got closer. ernest greeted me with a smile. "are you shocked?" "see, i told you my injuries weren''t that serious?" ernest said with a smile. but i am still observing his body from top to bottom. i couldn''t help but think of a weird old man. his healing skills are great. then we walked into the dining hall. after receiving the food, we sat down on the empty seat to sit down. while eating, ernest starts to speak about the internal competition. "everyone got selected. but it''s a pity there was not no one from our faction except you." "the rest of the students in our faction didn''t seem to be interested in the academy affairs," ernest said. hearing that i raised my eyebrows. "why?" i asked back. ernest was stunned. then he saw zack was interested in the topic. so he continued. "most of the students in our institutions have a family background. so they usually spend most of their time with their family." "few of them use academy resources to retreat." "only people like us are still showing our heads to the public," ernest said. then he thought of something. "i almost forgot about our faction head. he seems to have disappeared. i don''t know what he is doing right now?" ernest added. hearing that my eyes flickered. then we continued to eat. after having dinner, we walked out of the hall. soon, i was called by the dean. i thought it must be related to the auction item. after separating from ernest, i head to the office building. when i arrived at the spot. i saw 2 people. dean rebecca and vice-dean franklin standing a little distance away from each other. looking at their expressions, they seemed to be waiting for someone. "don''t tell me. they are waiting for me," i said in my heart. when i got closer. both of them turned their attention towards me. "it took you so long," franklin said with a dissatisfied voice. then he disappeared from the spot. seeing that i turned toward the dean. she appears to be in a bad mood. looks like she didn''t forgive me. "dean?" i said. "let''s go, we don''t have time for useless talks," rebecca said. the next moment, i felt my mind go blank. before i know it we are heading towards the supreme elder''s place. soon we reached the supreme elder''s mansion. the old guy is still resting in the front garden. but i can feel that he is far away from death. tud~ then we landed on the ground. beside the old man, franklin stood quietly. after dropping me off, dean rebecca didn''t leave. suddenly, the old man opened his eyes and took a white color scroll from his sleeves. seeing that my eyes flickered. at the same time, i felt a throbbing sensation from the star rune. "it''s real," i was shocked to the core. if the rune is flickering, then the item is undoubtedly a lightning item. i thought it would be a consumable treasure. but it looks like that scroll might contain some text. a hint of longing appeared in my eyes. to that as well, i can give this item to you right now." apart from the lightning-finger technique. i didn''t get any technique after that. so i''m interested in seeing the item. the old man noticed zack''s gaze. "zack lockwood, this is your promised item. but there is one condition. if you agree to that as well, i can give this item to you right now." "what do you say?" the old man asked. my heart was in turmoil. the old man seems to be smiling. but my senses are warning me of a danger. dean rebecca frowned as well. she found that the old man was ignoring her existence. she is also feeling bad in her heart. on the other hand, franklin madden is smiling ear to ear. feeling the gazes of everyone, i looked at the elder and said, "elder, what''s your condition?" the supreme elder laughed out loud before saying, "zack, you are courageous. but first, listen to my condition." "the duel between you and kane patrick is not going to be ordinary. but a life and death duel." "the winner will leave alive and the loser will be dead," the old man said. hearing that my expression changes drastically. "the old man has finally lost it," i said in my heart. thank goodness, jonathan was here. if not, i''m afraid it''s difficult to save my life. "elder, are you serious?" rebecca asked out loud. she finally wasn''t able to hold her thoughts. the supreme elder is acting weird. franklin''s expression turned solemn. "dean, this is not a place for you to intervene," franklin madden said. the old man''s eyes turned cold as well. instead of answering, he looked at zack. then he stretched his hands to hand over the scroll. "kid, if you are okay with that condition. you can accept this scroll," the old man said. dean rebecca starts to feel bad for zack. she has realized that zack''s warnings are true. the supreme elder has changed. she didn''t know what to do now. on the other hand, i looked at the scroll. the lightning rune in my mind is constantly flickering. i don''t know why. but i feel this scroll is important. Chapter 596 Lightning Ability! chapter 596 lightning ability! from mc''s perspective: after confirming that the rune was flickering for real. i accepted the scroll from his hand. gasp~ rebecca gasped internally. she looks at zack with complicated emotions. she doesn''t understand why zack took this condition. franklin madden grinned ear to ear. finally, the annoying brat is going to die under his faction member''s hands. in that way, they can redeem the lost reputation of the flame faction. when the duel was over. the flame faction can go back to their old days. so franklin already starts imagining the bright days ahead. the supreme elder sighs inwardly. somehow he has managed to convince this kid. hereafter the giant tower headmaster won''t trouble him. then dean rebecca took zack back to her cabin. shortly after, when they returned to the dean''s office. rebecca started asking her a barrage of questions. sitting down opposite to her. i thought i couldn''t reveal the scroll. but i can tell her something else. "dean, i can defeat kane patric. because i have this feeling that i would soon touch the batter," i said to her. rebecca eases her brows. the answer seems genuine to her. as far now, zack has no rival in the elite level. but kane patric is different. his cultivation method is quite weird. as a result, the flame essence of that cultivation technique is more powerful than other normal methods. but right now, zack''s answer has assured her. "sigh" "alright, you can go and prepare for the duel. i''ll tell you the dates later. it might be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." "but you have to be ready at any time," rebecca said with a sigh. she was not as anxious as before. but the expressions of the supreme elder and franklin bothered her mind. "zack?" she said, "huh?" "dean, anything else?" i asked. it''s already great that she has calmed down her anger. "now, what''s more?" i mutter in my heart. but the next second, her words surprised me. "are you sure about them?" "should i resign my position?" rebecca asked. my expression turned serious. seems like my words are affecting her. which is good. "dean, i''ll say it again." "you should resign from this position and retreat to improve your strength." "otherwise, these people will make you a scapegoat," i said in a solemn tone. "can you tell me what''s wrong with the supreme elder?" rebecca asked. i shook my head in response. "i can''t spill the secrets right now. but it''s good for you and the academy," i replied. rebecca closes her eyes for a moment before making the decision. then she opened her eyes and met the gaze of zack. "okay, i trust you on this one. i''ll resign my position formally after you duel," rebecca said. a faint smile appeared on my face. then i left the room. when i walked out of the office building. i hurriedly rushed out towards my dormitory. i can''t wait to check out the scroll. there is something in it. shortly after, i reached my dormitory. after entering inside, i walked into the training room. sitting cross-legged on the platform. i took the scroll from the storage ring and held it in my hand. then i opened the scroll and stretched it. when i saw the scroll it looked completely blank. but i know the lightning rune''s reaction was real. so i tried to use my mental power. when my consciousness touched it. the lightning rune starts glowing. the next second, i saw some ancient writing appearing on the scroll. it was only visible only to my eyes. but somehow the writing was understandable. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. then i started to read it further. 10 minutes later, "ha...ha...ha..." "that''s how it is!" i said with joyful laughter. this ancient writing is not that of a cultivation method or lightning-type technique. but it''s an ability. similar to perceptual ability. the ancient writing teaches me how to use the lightning power as part of me without having to use the technique itself. if i want i can use lightning power to create a lightning fist similar to the blood fist. before i could only utilize a small part of lightning power outside of my body without using the technique. but this knowledge can allow me to use it however i want. my eyes flickered. this lightning ability seems practical. i can catch the enemy off guard. after pushing down these thoughts. i began to digest the knowledge. time flies, meanwhile, the news about a life-or-death duel starts to spread slowly. at first, no one took the news seriously. as the news comes from the flame faction. everyone thought they were spreading rumors for fun. but past noon, an official statement was provided by the dean. that the duel was real and official. zack lockwood and kane patrick are going to participate in the life-or-death duel. and the duel was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. when the news was released. it sent shock waves across the academy. the flame faction warriors are happy. but other factions are shocked by the news. they couldn''t believe how zack lockwood agreed to this condition. the life-or-death duel condition created a huge anticipation for the duel. not only in a-grade institutions but the other institutions were surprised as well. on the other hand, jonathan who was in viper city heard the news. at first, his reaction was normal. but when he heard the condition. his expression changes for a moment. he decided to go back to the academy. in the training room, i firmly grasped the knowledge. then i tried to mobilize lightning essence. i want to guide the lightning energy towards my arm. just like i did before in the blood fist move. but when i tried to do it, it felt difficult. looks like it would take me some days before doing it. i frowned. i''m hoping to use the move in the duel. but it looks like it would be difficult. then i shook my head. the blood fist is completely different. the blood energy comes from the bones. but for the lightning move. the lightning energy comes from the dantian. i touched my chin in contemplation.?then i decided to practice in the meantime. if it works out, it will be good. if not i can still win the duel against kane patrick. then i started to practice. time files, when it was dark. i walked out of the training room. the next moment, i saw someone sitting down on the couch. "jonathan," i mumbled under my breath. but the smell of sweat is attacking my nostrils. "you can take a bath first" jonathan''s voice reached my ears. then i hurried towards the bath. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes and returned to the living room. then i sat opposite jonathan. when i saw jonathan looking at me. i understood his meaning. i took the scroll and handed it to him. a hint of surprise flashes in jonathan''s eyes. then received the scroll but when he saw there was nothing in it. it was empty. "what is it?" "there is nothing here," jonathan said. hearing that i started explaining to him. jonathan was calm in his heart. but when he realizes it was not a technique but a flexible ability. he was surprised. even in the inner post, such abilities are hard to come across. elemental techniques can be practiced by the warriors. however, these abilities may not be acquired by everyone. jonathan''s eyes flickered. he didn''t expect young master zack to come across such a fortune. then he also understood that not everyone can see ancient writing. only the lightning elemental warriors can do that. "young master, this ability will be your trump card when you enter the inner post," jonathan said. hearing that i sighed inwardly before receiving the scroll from him. "young master, can you still see the writings," jonathan asked. i shook my head. "it''s a pity," jonathan sighed. then he thought of something. "young master, how confident are you about the life or death duel," jonathan asked. "i''m 100% sure. but i hope that the supreme elder won''t do shady things during the duel," i replied. jonathan''s eyes flickered. now he slightly regrets his previous decisions. he had stopped himself 2 times from warning the supreme elder. if he had done that, then the old man wouldn''t dare to set conditions for zack''s duel. then both of them spoke for a few minutes before he left the dorm. on the other hand, i started reading the unread messages. most of them are from ernest kirk. when i opened it, i read the message. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. ernest seems to be worried for me. he must be shocked by the news. a faint smile appeared on my face. then i began to read the statement given by the dean. the duel is going to be held the day after tomorrow. so i got one more day for practice. i continued to read the articles. the flame faction members are actively promoting it. seeing their post, i sneered inside. Chapter 597 Part 1: Fighting against Kane Patrick chapter 597 part 1: fighting against kane patrick from mc''s perspective: duel day, i''m getting ready in my room. meanwhile, franklin madden and kane patrick having a serious discussion. "how confident are you?" franklin asked, sitting down leisurely inside his cabin. "i''m 100% sure," kane replied in a calming tone. franklin showed a hint of approval in his eyes. his long cherished dream is going to be a full day. once zack lockwood is dead. he can use that momentum to raise the fame of the flame faction. then he would somehow convince the old man to make that b! tch resign. if it happens, it won''t be long before he gets the dean''s seat. kane patrick frowned. he doesn''t know how many times he has heard the same question in the last 2 days. but one thing is certain, he can''t give up. since it''s a life-or-death duel, he has to give it all to survive. he doesn''t know who came up with the idea of the life-or-death duel. but someone doesn''t want zack lockwood to survive. which made the job easier for him. zack lockwood has recovered his undefeated streak. many say zack has no rival in the elite category. but he is going to prove all of them wrong today. then next time, everyone will remember his name. both the faction head and his students have a strong imagination. meanwhile, dean rebecca is reviewing reports. she doesn''t want any mishap to happen during the duel. through it a life or death duel. she can tell that the supreme elder doesn''t want zack to survive. if any situation arises for him to win. then franklin madden would do some trickery. to avoid such things to happen. she has placed the guardians to monitor suspicious people. sigh~ a soft sigh left her mouth. this could be her last day as a dean. she has made up her mind. things are going beyond her powers. she can''t confront the supreme elder at all. if zack''s words are true, then she can tell that the academy is going to face serious trouble. this might be coming from zack''s background. at first, the supreme elder was the one who wanted her to protect zack. because he had promised the person behind zack. now he backtracks and convinces zack to participate in the life-or-death duel. this is no different from assassinate or murder. time flies, around 10 am. everyone is entering the duel arena. the spectator area is getting filled quickly. meanwhile, in the dormitory,?i stopped looking at the articles. it''s time to leave. jonathan is going to watch the duel in secret. he won''t expose himself in front of others. but i believe if the supreme elder plays a trick, he would block it. besides, my body is getting used to the new lightning ability. i have not mastered it yet. but i believe i can kill kane patrick without using it. then i left the room and walked out of the dormitory room. on the way, i came across other warriors. many saw me and gave me a curious look. ignoring their gazes, i started walking towards the duel arena. not long after, i came across ernest. he joined me as well. "i still can''t believe it''s going to be a life-or-death duel," ernest said. but his expression is not good-looking. hearing that i responded with a smile. "don''t worry, i''m going to live. but it''s a pity that kane patrick has chosen a dead end," i replied to him. "oh, i forgot to tell you. laverne has come to watch your duel," ernest said. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. "laverne is here," i muttered to myself. then we started heading towards the duel area. when we reached the entrance. i saw laverne was wearing a blue dress. upon seeing us, she quickly came to us. "ernest!" "zack!" "how are you guys doing?" laverne asked with a bright smile on her face. "we are fine," ernest said. laverne nodded her head before turning towards me. "what about you zack?" "i heard it was a life or death duel. are you going to be fine?" laverne asked in a solemn tone. though ernest and her super elite warrior. but during their elite stage. they also had tough opponents. but they didn''t have an undefeated record. on the other hand, i understand the meaning behind her words. "both of you are worrying unnecessarily," i said to them. laverne''s eyebrows ease down a little bit. then we parted ways, and i entered the office. while they walked towards the spectator area. a few minutes later, after signing the contract, i left the office. then i walked into the duel arena. roar~ the spectator area was full of crowds. their loud voices are ringing in my ears. then i walked up to the dueling stage and waited for the opponent to appear. in the spectral area, ernest and laverne found their seats in the special faction area. both of their appearances are eye-catching. as there are many empty seats in their area. while for other factions hardly any seats left. on the other hand,?franklin madden didn''t fail to notice two of them. "harumph," he gave a cold snort. after today, the special faction will be done and dusted. there is no one to support them. similarly, the rainwater faction head is here today. alice brown frowned. she has the same opinion as the dean. life or death duels are not necessary at all. even when zack fought against the giant tower academy student. it was a normal duel. n.-ovelbin she is wondering who came up with this plan. looking at franklin madden in high spirits. her mood worsens. she feels the duel is more like a trap to eliminate zack lockwood. what is more shocking is that the dean has approved the duel. alice brown showed complicated emotions. the metal faction head and earth faction head are also looking at the duel. but then remain indifferent to the drama. they don''t care what happened to either of them. the result was not going to their factions. 10 minutes later, kane patrick appeared together with the referee. upon seeing zack lockwood, kane patrick sneered inside. others don''t know but the supreme elder has given special instructions to the referee. he will stand on his side. so for this duel, kane patrick has no doubt. with an evil grin on his face. he walked up to the stage and stood opposed to me. my gaze fell on him before i turned toward the spectator area. jonathan must be somewhere here. the referee nodded at kane patrick before starting the duel. boom~ when the duel started. kane patrick burst out with a great spell. scorching flames covered both of his legs. on the other hand, i am ready to use the lightning defense technique. when he got closer to me. i released the lightning technique. "lightning wheel" the next second, a purple lighting wheel appeared around me. it appeared in an instant that even kane patrick was startled. but he continued to raise his fist to slam. boom~ when both of us collided. a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. smoke covered the ground quickly. smash~ on the other hand, kane patrick crashed onto the ground. the lightning power left a superficial injury on his skin. but soon, kane got up from the ground. when the smoke settled down.?kane looked at zack with a solemn gaze. on the other hand, i recalled the last moment of the clash. just before the clash, kane covered his body with red flame. it happened for a moment. but the next second, the lightning wheel had exploded. the red flame was not simple. a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "lightning finger technique," without giving him any opportunity to think. i released the finger attack. a powerful beam was released from the tip of the finger and shot at the target. kane patrick again covered his legs with red flames. when the attack got near. he burst out at full speed to escape from the attack. swish~ the lightning attack hits the empty floors. boom~ once again a terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. seeing that my eyes flickered. "that was fast," i said in my heart. he was able to dodge that attack. which means the red flame gives him accelerated speed. but i''m going to test him more. swish~ one after another, i released the lightning attack. kane patrick used the red flame to dodge the lightning attack one by one. boom~ for a few seconds, the duel stage is continuously bombarded with lightning attacks. in the spectator area, franklin madden sneered. he can see that zack lockwood was not that domineering against kane patrick. meanwhile, kane''s red flame is withstanding the dominating nature of the lightning attack. so both of them are having tough fights with each other. not only him, but jonathan was also watching the duel. those red flames remind me of the inner post warriors. he couldn''t help but think that kane''s cultivation technique comes from the inner post. Chapter 598 Part 2: Fighting against Kane Patrick chapter 598 part 2: fighting against kane patrick from mc''s perspective: academy: the supreme elder of the academy is watching the duel with interest. the old man didn''t leave his mansion; rather he is sitting down in the wooden chair and leisurely observing the duel. looking at the fierce red flame is canceling out the purple lightning. his mouth curved into an arc. one of the reasons he was confident about kane''s win was this red flame. kane patrick practices a fiery cultivation method. which is an incomplete fire cultivation method that he had got during his early days. only warriors with top aptitude can cultivate by using this method. but he didn''t expect this technique to come to his use. though both the warriors are equally dominating. he believes kane will take the upper hand soon. if it happens, then that annoying kid will die. he is also aware of zack''s background. as long as he gets the forbidden potion, he can go into hiding. he doesn''t worry about the enemies. though the people from the inner post are formidable. he doesn''t think that zack''s teacher would attack the academy. n.-ovelbin if such a thing occurs, it only does more damage than good to them. so the old man was not worried about those things. right now, his mind is set on obtaining the forbidden potion. meanwhile, dean rebecca is in her cabin. she is also watching the live duel on the screen. since it''s a life or death duel, even if she wants it''s impossible to interfere in it. besides, she believes in zack''s strength. though kane seems to be pressing as well. but as long as there is a chance, she thinks zack will take it. "i hope he doesn''t disappoint me," she muttered to herself. in the duel arena, many eyes are watching the duel. one of them is jonathan. the fiery red flames rekindled his old memories. now he understands why the supreme elder is confident about this duel. the red flame is trickery. but he believes in the young master''s strength. even if there is a dire situation, he won''t hesitate to save zack at the last moment. dueling stage, "zack, how long are you going to block my red flames?" kane patrick asked in a mocking tone. earlier, there were some doubts. but after a few clashes, he regained his confidence. his red flame can withstand the lighting element. standing opposite to him, my eyes flickered. my instinct tells me to use the blood fist. but i''m being cautious. i''m sure that the supreme elder is watching the duel. so it''s not the right time to use it. the next moment, i took my black sword from the storage ring and held it in my hand. kane patrick sneers. he takes out the double-edged sword in response. then he rushed out to attack zack. clang~ a metallic sound reverberated throughout the area. as our blades collided with each other. after a few clashes, we retreated backward. "kane''s speed is bothering me," i said in my heart. then i held the sword in both of my hands and started to charge the blade. i continued to pour the purple essence into the sword. seeing that kane covers his blade with red flame as well. swish~ then he rushed out to attack again. "sword divide" when i saw kane carelessly charging against me. i thought this was the chance and discharged the sword beam at him. the purple beam shot at the opponent in a straight line. kane patrick was startled. the purple light almost blinded his eyes. seeing that the attack was aimed at him. kane decisively brought the flame sword to block. in the blink of an eye, the purple beam lands a blow. bang! a deafening sound reverberated through the area. smoke quickly covers the platform once again. "lightning phantom technique" in the blink of an eye, the purple arcs covered my legs and i rushed out to continue the attack. i don''t want to give him any time. i disappeared into the smoke. i saw kane''s forearm was charred. he managed to block the front attack. but leftover lightning still caused injury to his forearms. when i got closer. kane''s pupil enlarged in anger. he even forgot about the painful forearm injury. he covers the sword blade in red flame to attack again. "lightning wheel" a purple wheel once again appeared around me with a thunderous sound. kane''s blade comes into contact with the wheel once again. bang! explosion occurs. the lightning wheel explodes right under the face of kane patrick. pfff~ the lightning power tore through the body. kane''s forearm dyed red. as the lightning power manages to pass through making the injury even more worse. argh~ kane let out a muffled grunt in anger before wiping the blood from his mouth. he realized that zack was targeting the injury. ang serious injury may cause him to lose in close combat. cheer~ when the dust settles down. everything was clear on the screen. the audience let out a roaring cheer once again. everyone can see that kane patrick is bleeding. in the spectator area, franklin madden''s expression darkened. he saw how kane had blindly rushed forward to attack. now he got the taste of his own foolish mistake. everything was going fine. but now kane is showing his lack of judgment. franklin was worried inside. he wants to impress the supreme elder. but everything depends on this duel. "hey, kane is suffering finally," laverne said with a smile. "ha...ha...ha..." "i told you. hardly anyone can beat him in the elite stage," ernest added his words in support as well. when the duel started. both of them had some concern. because the red flame also surprised them. they don''t have much knowledge about the red flame. but they can see zack''s lightning element is weakening in front of the flame. yet now, they see some hope. in the dueling stage, kane''s eyes reddened in anger. he took back his double-edged sword. then he started to spread the red flame around the platform. swish~ in a blink of an eye, the red flames covered the platform. "this!" i raised my eyebrows in surprise. the red flames are extremely hot. the burning sensation is high as well. i saw kane patrick grinning ear to ear. but he doesn''t know i''m a body cultivator as well. the flames won''t injure me. "lightning finger technique" i released the 2nd stage of the lightning technique from the finger. the lightning beam shot at kane at breakneck speed. in the blink of an eye, the purple beam tears through the frame and hits the target. boom~ kane retreats to the edge of the platform because of the collision. his face looked completely distorted. he thought that flames would pose a threat to zack. but zack is standing in the middle of the flames like nothing has happened. on the other hand, he is running out of the fire essence. if this goes on, he will soon run out of the oil. swish~ the next second, he cancels the flame attack. the red flames that covered the platform disappeared in a blink of an eye. gasp~ the spectators exclaimed in surprise again. they don''t know why kane removed the flame. everyone can see that the red flame''s temperature is not something an ordinary warrior could withstand. "strange!" "how did he do it?" franklin asked himself. he is clear about the hot temperature of the red flames. but he saw how zack showed no pain on his face. "is it another trick or what?" kane muttered. he can tell that zack came with the preparation. meanwhile, dean rebecca revealed a relaxed smile on her face. she saw kane patrick was pushed to the passive mode. now he is showing signs of weakness. zack may use this opportunity to kill him. on the other hand, the supreme elder squinted his eyes. the smile on his face disappeared. "what is he doing?" the old man asked himself. kane is showing a disappointing performance now. he thought that the earlier mistake was a fluke. but now he thinks kane is being overconfident. "if that kid disappoints me, then i don''t have any other choice but to step forward," a ruthless glint flashes in the old man''s eyes. in the dueling stage, kane is charging again to punch zack. at this moment, he forgot about the tactics and all. now he wants to plummet zack. on the other hand, my eyes flickered. doesn''t matter how many times kane wants to use his fist. i will use the same lightning technique again. "lightning wheel" the purple lightning wheel appears once again. but kane seems to have lost his mind. he fiercely slammed his fist into the lightning wheel. bang~ the lightning wheel explodes. the lightning energy once again starts to tear through kane''s body. argh~ kane let out a scream in pain. as the bones are visible in the forearms. the aftermath sent his body flying and crashed onto the edge of the platform. gasp~ the spectators gasped in surprise. kane''s miserable condition became clear to everyone. on the other hand, i looked inside dantian. more than half of the purple essence was gone. i can''t waste the essence of the technique anymore. Chapter 599 Part 1: Supreme Elder’s anger chapter 599 part 1: supreme elder''s anger from mc''s perspective: duel stage, the clashes continued. but every time at the end of the clash his injuries got worse. which is also affecting his strength. if this goes on then he might lose his arms. argh~ but at this moment, kane''s expression was ferocious. he seems to forget about the pain. all he wants to do now is to win the duel. only either can survive the duel. and the winner is the survivor. on the other hand, i placed the black sword back in the storage ring. the purple essence is depleting rapidly. but kane is showing no sign of fatigue. he seems to have an endless amount of fire essence. seeing that he rushed out to attack me. i raised my fist a small amount of purple arc covered my fist. this is a strategy i have come up with. i''m going to use body strength to press him. if anyone from outside sees it, they will see it as a lightning technique. boom~ when the 2 of our fists collided. the purple arc once again enters the forearm of kane. the lightning power once again passes through the forearm injury. pfff~ blood spilled from kane''s mouth. he has been covering it hard. but still, the severe injury is slowing down his speed. swish~ by using this opportunity, i rushed forward to attack again. my fist contains the power of super elite strength. a few more direct hits from me. he will lose the duel. bang~ one after another, our first collided. earlier, used to cover his fist with red flame. but this time, he is not using it. getting hit by the super elite warrior, kane started to feel pain and tiredness. more bones become visible. at the same time, i''m careful not to use blood energy. it might be sensed by others. as the second passes, kane starts losing it. he appears to be dizzy and his footsteps are hindered. at this moment his appearance is scary. gasp~ even warriors in the spectator area gasped in surprise. kane''s forearm now looked bloodied red. if there is no immediate treatment. he might lose both his arms for the rest of his life. in the spectator area, the rain water faction head alice brown couldn''t help but send a message to the dean. she wants to know. if there is any possibility of stopping the duel. alice is aware of the life-or-death condition. but she thinks that both the warriors are important to the academy. they are both talented. if it''s right then they can both participate in the year-end completion to gain some victories. but after sending the message. there was no reply. the flame faction head franklin was in a gloomy mood. kane is going to spoil his plan. he thought that the kid was talented and capable. but now kane is at the mercy of zack. if this goes on, kane might die. and the flame faction would be laughed at again. "no," his eyes turned cold. the only person who could save them at this moment is the supreme elder. franklin decided before leaving secretly. he is going to meet the supreme elder. but he didn''t know someone was already watching his movements. jonathan''s mouth curves into an arc. he is looking at the vice-dean''s departure. and he has a proper guess of where he is going. if that supreme elder decides to act, then jonathan thought of teaching them some lesson. n)-0velbin a few minutes later, franklin arrives in the front garden. looking at the supreme elder, he lowered his posture. "elder, the duel is not looking promising," he said with some hesitation. the old man squinted his eyes. before frank''s arrival, the old man thought about going there. "trash!" "what kind of student do you have?" "he simply lost his mind," the old man said to franklin. franklin''s expression darkened. he doesn''t know where to hide his face. fortunately, the other faction heads are not here. otherwise, it''s difficult to walk proudly in front of everyone. on the other hand, the old man''s eyes are on the duel. he saw how zack was using lightning power to beat kane effortlessly. 10 minutes later, the situation worsens. kane patrick is staggering on the platform.?his forearms have been bleeding for some time. if this goes on he might faint. the old man''s heart is boiling in anger. it''s now a foregone conclusion that kane patrick is going to lose. franklin madden is keeping quiet. at the same time, he is sweating. if kane loses this duel, then the supreme elder might take his anger on him. dueling stage, kane patrick is finding it difficult to continue the duel. he can''t even stand properly. on the other hand, i sighed inwardly. the purple essence was close to rock bottom. fortunately, kane seems to be exhausted as well. but his condition is worse than mine. he might die due to excessive loss of blood. it''s a pity they were the ones who set the life-or-death duel condition. seeing that kane is staring blankly. i rushed out to punch. gasp~ the audience exclaimed in surprise. everyone can see that the duel is coming to an end. when my fist got closer to his face. i felt a tingle on my scalp. "the old man can''t sit anymore," i said in my heart. then i proceeded to punch him in his face. pfff~ blood splattered on the ground. kane patrick finally collapsed onto the floor. the last blow broke his defense. the referee saw that kane was not in the condition to continue the fight anymore. but he is on kane''s side. he can''t announce the result unless one of them dies. cheer~ the audience let out a roaring cheer. they thought that the result was announced. on the other hand, the old man finally appears above the cloud. looking down at the dueling stage, his expression was distorted. "that brat is going to win the duel," the old man muttered. seeing that kane patrick was not completely dead. there is still some chance to turn around. the old man decides to attack zack by using his mental power. a powerful consciousness can easily damage the minds of weak warriors. franklin madden was scared sh!t. he is standing beside the supreme elder. but his entire body is trembling. he didn''t expect the supreme elder to take action himself. seeing that he is slightly glad. but at the same time, he feels guilty. when the old man decides to attack. a silhouette appeared before him. the person is none other than dean rebecca. seeing that the old man''s face became even more distorted. "elder, what are you doing?" "are you going to kill our student?" she asked in a cold tone. she doesn''t know where this courage comes from. but when she felt a disturbance in space. she then appeared here. "what are you doing here?" "don''t block me," the old man said before waving his hand. swish~ the force quickly sent rebecca flying. "it''s over," franklin madden couldn''t help but feel bad. boom~ everyone in the spectator area heard a loud sonic boom. the warriors turned their heads toward the sky. swish~ the faction heads appeared above in the air one after another. their eyesight is far better than the super elite warriors. seeing that franklin madden is standing behind the old man. everyone is confused. a second later, dean rebecca interrupts again. "supreme elder, you have lost your mind. zack has won the duel. if you are going to kill him, then i don''t have a choice other than to call his guardian," rebecca threatened by mixing some lies in her words. she doesn''t know the guardian. but considering zack''s background. she hoped that the supreme elder would take a step back. dueling stage, i walked up to kane patrick. seeing his cold face, i sighed inwardly. seriously, there is not much enmity between us. it''s just that he happens to be a pawn of the flame faction. the real culprits are hiding behind the scenes. "if you want you can spare his life" jonathan''s voice reached my ears. hearing that confusion my eyes cleared. since jonathan is here, he will handle the supreme elder. i remember the terrifying gaze a few moments ago. then i turned toward the referee and asked him to declare the result. the referee showed hesitation. he is afraid of the flame faction head. they had planned to support kane in this duel. now the result has turned out like this. the referee doesn''t know what to do. at the same time, the warriors are watching it on the screen. they can see something wrong with the referee. kane patrick was down. then what''s the referee doing? above the clouds, the supreme elder was surrounded by the faction heads. hearing the accusation of the dean the other faction heads showed disbelief and fear. "rebecca, you are crossing the limit. do you think i can''t hurt you," the old man said. at the same time, he is keeping an eye on the ground. Chapter 600 Part 2: Supreme Elder’s anger chapter 600 part 2: supreme elder''s anger from mc''s perspective: above the sky, rebecca doesn''t know how to stop the supreme elder. the time is running out. if zack proceeds to kill kane. then the supreme elder might attack him. rainwater faction, gale faction, earth rock faction, and metal faction heads showed expressions of fear. the dean is arguing with the supreme elder of the academy. this is a sign of internal struggle. franklin made his position clear by standing behind the supreme elder. at the same time, the old man''s eyes were on the duel stage. he saw the lightning brat arguing with the referee. and the opponent kane had long since collapsed onto the ground. "i want to see what you ''re going to do?," old man sneered inside. he seems to be waiting for something. as long as there is an opportunity, he will strike zack with a mental attack. at this point, no one can stop him. as if he tore off the mask. a few seconds later, the old man mobilized his mental power to attack zack. rebecca and others weren''t able to block. "it''s over," rebecca thought. she felt a wave of attack go past her. "ha...ha...ha..." "there will be no more nuisance," franklin said with a laugh. in the dueling stage, i felt frustrated by the referee''s inaction. this guy is not opening his mouth at all. then i looked at kane''s collapsed body. if he left like that, then he would be left to death. suddenly, i felt heart palpitations. a sense of coercion enveloped my body. "this?" a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "don''t worry" a reassuring voice reached my ears. hearing that i relaxed. "sure, jonathan is going to act," i said in my heart. above the sky, the old man''s eyes flickered. he saw something blocking his mental power. "impossible," he uttered in a low tone. rebecca and others were surprised as well. franklin madden was not sure what was happening. how come the supreme elder missed the target? the old man''s heart boils in anger. he starts to attack again. but a cold shiver went down his spine the next second. "who?" the old man asked out loud. but a panicking tone can be heard from his voice. rebecca and the others are shocked and turn around to look for the enemy. "dare to attack the young master. do you think you will be fine after this move?" a stern mental note reached the old man''s mind. he felt goosebumps all over his body. "escape," the next second, he starts to flee. he regretted his immature action. who would have thought that lightning brat has support? franklin madden felt his soul leave his body. he thought that the supreme elder would be his support. but the old man is fleeing all of a second. a shock and disbelief appeared on rebecca''s face. a few seconds ago, the old man was acting superior. but now he is fleeing for a life. rebecca and others are looking around them. at the same time, jonathan is following the tail of the supreme elder. when the old man left the academy space. jonathan decides to attack. boom~ the old man is fleeing at extreme speed. felt something hitting his body. argh~ the next second, a muffled grunt escaped his mouth. the old man''s body shot at the ground at breakneck speed. pfff~ when the old man''s body hit the land. a massive crack appeared on the ground. the crack starts to spread further. blood splattered on the ground. looking at the cracks in his body. the old man thought of the invisible enemy. he couldn''t help but feel a chill on his back. "who?" "who are you?" the old man tries to get up. but the blood is leaking from his mouth. his old dying body was already weak. but now because of the injury. he felt his vitality slipping away fast. the old man felt dizzy. if this goes on, he will lose his consciousness. when he tries to look around. there was no one around. then all of a second, a heavy coercion fell on him. argh~ the old man bent his knees. the coercion alone is crushing his injury. thinking about the enemy''s real strength. the old man sucked a cold breath of air. no one would have thought such a dignified supreme elder would be reduced to such a state. if such a scene is exposed, then other academies would be petrified. "ha...ha...ha..." "i never expected to see such a state of yours," jonathan''s calm voice sounded. hearing that the old man woke up from a stupor. he recognized the voice. the voice belongs to a person who is working for zack''s teacher. slowly, in front of him, jonathan appeared. "you!" "when did you come?" the old man asked with hesitation. jonathan''s appearance was unexpected. if he had known, he wouldn''t have the courage to target zack lockwood. jonathan smiled coldly. "supreme elder" "your actions disappointed me and my master. do you think we don''t know about the forbidden potion?" jonathan said. hearing his secret from jonathan. the old man felt the soul leave his body. "how?" he asked in a trembling tone. no one in this academy knows about this. including dean rebecca. he has been keeping the secrecy to himself. "ha...ha...ha..." jonathan laughed out loud. "not only about the forbidden potion. i''m also aware of your dealing with the giant tower headmaster." "but you guys underestimated one thing. we also have our intelligence," jonathan added. the old man''s heart was shattered. there was no secret in front of jonathan. everything got exposed. then he realized he was nothing but a pawn. he happens to enter the terrible vortex. a miserable smile appeared on his face. n.(ovelbin "now you can rest in peace," after saying that jonathan decides to end his life. for that old man has no opinion. he is completely resigned to his fate. meanwhile, the dueling stage, dean rebecca appeared and declared zack as the winner. then the medic team appeared and took kane''s body to the infirmary. at the same time, the referee''s body can be seen crashing somewhere. cheer~ a roaring cheer can be heard. the audience was surprised by the result. everyone expected one of them to be dead. on the contrary, zack lockwood has decided to spare the opponent''s life. which immediately raised the goodwill among many. rebecca didn''t leave immediately; rather, she asked zack to come to her cabin. then i left the duel arena. when i walked outside. ernest and laverne are already there. "zack, you have done well," ernest said with emotion. he didn''t expect zack to spare kane''s life. which surprised everyone. even laverne looked at zack with admiration. "well, we didn''t have any enmity to begin with. so a life of death is unnecessary. then i''ll see you guys later. i''m going to meet the dean," i replied. hearing that ernest and laverne bid goodbye before parting ways. other warriors wanted to talk to me. but i ignored them and started heading towards the office building. walking, i couldn''t help but think of jonathan. the earlier attack must have been done by franklin or the old man. fortunately, jonathan was here to save life. thinking about the situation, a cold sweat formed on my forehead. hereafter, things will change. i might be heading to the inner post in a few days. it''s a pity, i always wanted to participate in the year-end competition. but the supreme elder''s involvement in the evil things has spoiled everything. i hope the academy will be safe in the coming months. soon, i reached the office building. but when i walked upstairs, i saw the faction heads standing outside of the dean''s cabin except franklin. seeing me coming, the faction heads turned towards me. i saw their expressions were not alright. elder alice showed complicated emotions. "kid, you did nice by sparing his life," marucs lin said. this time his opinion was genuine. he understands the enmity between zack and flame faction warriors. but still, zack has the heart to forgive the opponent. marcus lin showed approval. the other faction head also nodded their head in understanding. i responded with a smile. creak~ the door opened. seeing that i walked past them and walked into the room. right after the faction heads followed me and entered the room. seeing that my eyes flickered. looks like the dean is going to reveal everything. "everyone take your seat," dean rebecca said. hearing that everyone sat in our respective seats. dean rebecca looked at me with a questioning gaze. "zack, care to tell me what''s going on?" rebecca asked. the next second, i felt everyone''s gaze on me. "dean, what do you mean by that?" i asked. rebecca rolled her eyes at him. zack is hiding the information from her. "zack, we saw the supreme elder fleeing for a life. someone is chasing from behind. tell me who it is?" rebecca asked. a look of realization dawned on me. no wonder all of them seem to be anxious. but i can tell that the old man was done for sure. Chapter 601 The death of the Supreme Elder and Franklin chapter 601 the death of the supreme elder and franklin from mc''s perspective: i looked at dean rebecca. she wants me to spill the truth. "sigh" a sigh escaped from my mouth. then i started to tell them about the giant tower headmaster and the supreme elder. i''m going to omit some important things. then i included the supreme elder''s obsession with the forbidden potion. what forced him to attack me? a few minutes later, gasp~ a small exclamation can be heard in the room. dean rebecca was fine. as she knew the news forehand. but the other faction heads are shocked. the news is hard for them to digest. the rain water faction head alice brown quickly connected the dots. lots of her doubts regarding azure city were cleared. "so what happened to carlos kent?" "is his disappearance related to the supreme elder?" marcus lin asked. the absence of carlos kent has been bothering everyone''s mind. no one knows the exact reason for his disappearance. to his question, dean rebecca looked at me again. "faction head carlos was the first one to discover the problem. later, he avoided meeting the supreme elder to save his own life," i answered. hearing that a look of understanding dawned on everyone. rebecca showed complicated emotions. earlier, she made up her mind to resign from the post. now she doesn''t know the condition of the supreme elder. after knowing that zack''s support has arrived. she can guess that the supreme elder is unlikely to survive. "so what happens now?" rebecca muttered. alice brown thought of something. she asked, "what about franklin madden?" everyone realized that franklin was on the side of the supreme elder. now his fate is unknown. "alright," rebecca said. "first, we need to control the news. i don''t want the supreme elder''s news to be exposed. otherwise, our academy will face unknown threats from all directions," rebecca added. hearing that everyone nodded their head. they can understand without the protection of the supreme elder. the other big academies might target them. shortly after, everyone left. leaving me and dean alone in the cabin. "should i continue or not?" rebecca asked. i sighed inwardly. i never expected the old man to seek his death. now the academy has no protection. if dean rebecca quits, then it will do more harm than good. "dean, i think you can continue. but before we have to capture franklin." "if he leaks out the information, then it would cause a serious catastrophe," i said. rebecca has the same idea as zack. she can''t leave the academy just like that. now the academy needs her more. then i left the room a few minutes later. rebecca sent out the guardians to look for franklin madden. right now, he is nowhere to be found. she fears that he might escape the jurisdiction of the academy. meanwhile, jonathan had made sure that the old man could rest in peace. after killing and destroying the traces, he left the place immediately. but on his way to viper city. he came across someone else. the person is none other than franklin madden. both of them are flying in the air. seeing that franklin is coming towards him. jonathan quickly remembers the scene where this guy stood behind the supreme elder and openly mocked the young master zack. after the supreme elder, he wanted young master zack dead. a cold glint flashes in jonathan''s eyes. at the same time, franklin is fleeing in a hurry. he doesn''t know what happened to the supreme elder. but he can tell that someone blocked his attack. and it has something to do with the lightning brat. if he stays there any longer, he could die. then suddenly he paused his movements. he noticed someone coming in the opposite direction. before he knew it the stranger''s gaze was locked on him. franklin startled all of a sudden. the next second, a hint of anger appeared on his face. he was already running for his life. but all of a sudden, nobody is blocking his path. "who are you?" before he could complete his words. the stranger''s fist hit his face. boom~ the force sent him flying. then finally, his body crashed onto the ground. argh~ a muffled grunt escaped from his mouth. it was just a casual punch from jonathan. but franklin was unable to block it. jonathan landed on the ground just before franklin madden. franklin madden felt pain all over his body. his head is aching as well. when he regained his clarity. he saw someone standing before him. then the memories come to his mind. instead of anger, a cold shiver went down his spine. "sir, who are you?" he asked in a trembling tone. jonathan snorted coldly. he didn''t answer franklin. he observed him from top to bottom. "where are you going?" he asked. hearing that franklin was stunned for a moment. he doesn''t know the person before him? then why is he asking? suddenly, he seemed to think of something. before him, the supreme elder fled from the academy. then the person before him is? as this thought comes to his mind. he sucked a cold breath of air. the next second, he tries to flee with his injured body. but he found his body turned stiff. jonathan completely locked him. he knows what will happen if this person leaks the truth. then the whole academy might face danger. pfff~ jonathan tightens the coercion. blood spilled from franklin''s mouth. a bone-cracking sound can be heard clearly. franklin feels heart-wrenching pain. but he wasn''t able to let out a scream. the whole body is shrinking under the pressure. jonathan is squeezing franklin''s body. a few minutes later, another cold corpse dropped on the ground. jonathan picked up his body and started moving towards viper city. time files, in the dormitory room, i started taking a rest. at the same time, i''m waiting for jonathan''s arrival. the result of the life-or-death duel has already started spreading like wildfire. i didn''t expect my momentary decision would shoot up my fame just like that. even the flame faction members are posting good things about me. but if they know about their faction head''s condition. i wonder what they would think? not long after, i heard a call from jonathan. when i opened the door. i found jonathan standing outside. "young master, i brought good news for you," saying that jonathan walked into the room. hearing that i closed the door and looked at him. "young master, i dealt with the old man." "and at the same time, i also solved another nuisance," after saying that he dropped the corpse on the floor. when i saw the face of the corpse. a hint of disbelief flashes in my eyes. "franklin madden," i uttered in disbelief. so jonathan killed him in the end. the next second, i felt a huge relief. another danger was solved. i asked, "so what next?" jonathan''s expression turned serious for a moment. things have gone beyond the plans. now the supreme elder is dead. the academy is now without protection. earlier, he thought about sending zack back to his hometown. but now it appears unnecessary. "young master, i think you can stay here. i will also ask carlos kent to come." "the giant tower academy might know the old man''s seat," jonathan added. hearing that my expression changes drastically. "how?" i blurted out in surprise. apart from the faction heads and the dean, no other person should know about the news. on the other hand, jonathan recalled the last moment of the supreme elder. the old man''s body turned into black liquid. at the time, he had a vague guess about the black liquid. it must be the work of a forbidden potion. then jonathan explained the details to zack. a few minutes later, a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "the forbidden potion is scary," i muttered to myself. jonathan seems to have made some decisions. he already cut off the tentacles. now the remaining people are the giant tower headmaster and the mysterious person behind him. "young master, don''t worry. i will take care of those people," after saying that he decided to leave. "by the way, this body," i asked. jonathan took the body before leaving. n)-o/-v)-e-)l.(b/-i)/n after closing the door, i clutched my head. i don''t know what''s going to happen in the coming days. the next day, when i walked out of the dormitory. i saw ernest and laverne waiting for me. "you guys are early again," i said jokingly. "zack, your fame has risen again." "didn''t expect the flame faction guys to share the good news about you," ernest said. hearing that i thought about kane patrick. "how is he?" i asked. "are you asking about kane?" laverne asked. i nodded my head in response. "he is still in the infirmary. i heard it will take a few days for him to recover," laverne said. "it''s good," i replied. then we started walking towards the dining hall. when we reached the spot. the place was crowded with people. they are not here for the foot. but for me. three of us stood still in front of the entrance. Chapter 602 Michael’s return chapter 602 michael''s return giant tower academy: the giant tower headmaster was disappointed with zack''s duel result. he has been waiting to hear the good news earlier. but he doesn''t know what happened. the supreme elder of the saw scale viper academy failed him again. sitting in his room, he wasn''t able to control his anger. he wants to destroy all the things here. "i should have known. that old man was not willing to kill that kid," he gritted his teeth in anger. the mysterious person had warned him earlier. he wanted that kid somehow. but now how is he going to do it? his trump card failed. in a fury, he tried to contact the supreme elder. as the seconds pass, his frustration only increases. because the call was not connected at all. "what''s happening out here?" he starts yelling out in frustration. the situation here is not good nowadays. there are factions in the giant tower academy who want him out. some of them already suspected him of hollowing out the academy treasure. when it comes to the treasury. he couldn''t help but think of carlos kent. he had lost wealth because of that culprit. his heart wants to be shredded into pieces. but it''s a pity that his hideout is difficult to find. after pushing down these thoughts, he began to ponder the pressing issue. if he delays any longer to kill that kid. the mysterious person won''t give him any chances. thinking about it, a deep chill went down his spine. "no!" "i have to hurry," he muttered to himself. last time, he went to viper city. but for some important reason. he had to return quickly. this time he plans to go there again. only there he can get the opportunity to kill that kid. there is also a second way where he can ask the supreme elder to arrange something. but right now, he doesn''t believe him at all. this plan he wants to carry out alone. a cold glint flashes in his eyes. ... from mc''s perspective: the dining hall, seeing the crowd, i couldn''t help but think about returning. it''s impossible to have a peaceful breakfast here. but before i could speak. ernest dragged me inside. somehow, the crowd gave us a way forward. then we reached the food counter to receive the food. the staff is looking at me with an excited face. i ignored her before returning with ernest and laverne. we found an empty seat at the corner. but from beginning to end. the warriors kept staring at us. "it''s uncomfortable," laverne muttered. we sat on the seat and started consuming the food. seeing that the warriors around us started having their breakfast as well. "now no one will challenge you in the elite stage. but things will change once you step into the super elite," ernest commented. hearing that i paused my movements. "what?" "am i right?" ernest asked. i looked at him before nodding my head. they don''t know that the supreme elder is gone. and it''s time for the academy to stay low-key. "so zack, what''s your next plan?" laverne asked. "me?" "i''ll try to touch the barrier first. then i''ll attempt to break through," i answered. hearing that both of them weren''t surprised. it''s been some time since i have been in the elite stage. partially, because of the lack of lightning resources here. then we continued eating. but not long after, an unwelcome guest visited us. "oh, you guys are here!" "what a coincidence?" "then i''ll join you guys for breakfast" nove.lb-in a sarcastic voice reached our ears. when i turned around, we saw a familiar person coming towards us. "michael," laverne said in a trembling tone. ernest''s face was discolored as well. no one expected this troublemaker to come. michael blevins smiled coldly at everyone''s reactions. then he turned toward zack. "zack, congratulations on your win" "you protected the name of our special faction." "but i hope you won''t break in a hurry," he said as he sat beside ernest. hearing that everyone turned towards him. but i controlled the laughter in my heart. his family didn''t know that one of their backs was gone. there will be no more support from him. now the dean can act freely. she won''t hesitate to punish those criminals in the azure city. on the other hand, michael continued to say. "i guess, you guys must have understood something." "well, if zack becomes super elite warrior. then i''ll challenge him for a life-or-death duel," michael said. "michael?" "are you out of your mind?" "we belong to the same faction," ernest said in a solemn tone. laverne''s expression turned ugly as well. my eyes turned cold. this guy''s courage is commendable. but i don''t know whose idea it is. "what zack?" "are you afraid?" michael asked with a chuckle. but i kept myself calm and composed. then i replied, "i don''t have time to waste." i simply ignored him before continuing to eat the food. laverne almost laughed out loud. but she controlled her emotions in time. ernest revealed a small smile on his face. seeing that everyone is ignoring him. michael''s face turned dark. the reason for his return was zack. before coming here, he heard interesting information from his father. his father''s acquaintance wants zack dead. he doesn''t know the backstory. but zack''s existence is making trouble for someone. then michael accepted the task from his father. he will try to end zack''s life here. if he can accomplish this, then his father''s strength will increase further. but when he heard that zack was participating in the life-or-death duel yesterday. he thought it was a good chance. it''s a pity that zack won the duel in the end. he found another way to kill zack. which is to have a similar duel when zack reaches the super elite. that''s why he came here to set a trap. but zack lockwood is not agreeing at all. "i want to see. how long are you going to hide?" michael said in his heart. seeing that three of them are still focusing on having food. he left the place. "sigh" "he is gone," laverne said with a sigh. "why is he asking for a life-or-death duel?" ernest raised the question. then he thought of something. ernest asked, "did he find out your help to laverne''s family?" "it''s possible," laverne added. "i don''t think so," i answered. not that many know about my help to laverne''s family. except for both, the dean and jonathan know. and michale can''t have interaction with both of them. 20 minutes later, we walked out of the dining hall. "shall we go to the monster zone?" "it''s been some time since the three of us joined together," laverne said. hearing that i agreed immediately. then three of us started heading towards the teleportation tower. time flies, at noon time, another person came back to the academy unexpectedly. he is none other than carlos kent. after entering into the academy space. he couldn''t help but stop and take a look at the academy. "i''m back," he said in an excited tone. when was the last time he had this feeling? it''s because of the supreme elder he had to leave the academy. now that person is no more. he couldn''t believe it at first when jonathan told him. he thought it was an imagination. but when he saw the corpse of franklin madden. a cold shiver went down his spine. because the corpse belongs to the warrior sss-elite rank. similar strength to him. he doesn''t know when franklin broke through. but looking at his cold corpse at that time. he realized that the news was true. also at that, he realized his strength as jonathan. to think he is someone who can kill the supreme elder. then he has no rival in this region. only after knowing that he dared to come back. after pushing down these thoughts, he moved to the office building. in the monster zone, the cat-type class-6 monster is giving us a tough fight. but thanks to ernest and laverne''s relentless attack. the monster has weakened a lot. ernest once again released the soil attack to trap the monster. but the cat monster was agile. it continues to evade the attack. "zack, do you have any purple essence left?" laverne asked. hearing that i nodded my head. i have enough to release one lightning attack. but the cat monster is extremely fast. all of a sudden the cat monster ignored them and started charging against me. maybe the monster thought i was weak. as i''m the one who is standing behind them. ernest and laverne stopped attacking and turned towards me. when the monster got closer to me. it raised its massive claw to attack me. "lightning wheel" i released the lightning attack. the next second, a purple lightning wheel appeared around me. the monster was startled. but it was too late to avoid the clash. bang! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. as the lightning wheel explodes. the monster took the direct brunt of it and crashed into the ground. Chapter 603 Practicing the lightning ability chapter 603 practicing the lightning ability from mc''s perspective: time flies, after hunting in the monster zone. we returned to the academy when it was dark. all of us have collected a significant amount of monster cores. with this, i''m hoping to touch the barrier in my body strength soon. the next day, after getting out of bed. i went to the training room to cultivate. i have a good feeling that today might be the day when i touch the barrier. walking into the room, i sat down cross-legged on the floor. then i took the class-5 monster core from the storage ring and held it in my hand. i started to run the blood element method. the next second, the bloody rune in my consciousness started to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the monster''s core energies. when the monster''s energies entered my body. i guided the energy according to the blood element method. slowly, a red blood light appears above the bloodstream. the red light starts to convert the monster''s energies into mysterious white energies. the white energies then started drilling into bones. which causes the heart-wrenching pain the next moment. enduring it, i continued the process. at the same time, the back of my neck bones are turning red. once it is completed then my entire upper half of the skeleton expects the head to be red. an hour later, n/-o//v--e-/l()b/.i-/n i suddenly felt the body limit. something restricting my improvement of strength. undoubtedly, this is a barrier for the mid-mid-super elite stage. feeling the barrier, the hanging stone in my heart disappeared. this time it took me many days to touch the barrier for the mid-super elite stage. a faint smile appeared on my face. then in one or two days, i will get a breakthrough. then i closed my eyes and continued to repeat the process. so that i can hit the barrier. as the seconds passed, i felt no change in the barrier. as it was rock solid. it might need a lot of refined monster energies to break the barrier. i''m not disappointed. rather, i''m pleased by the appearance of the barrier. i can certainly wait for a few more days. then i stood up from the ground and left the room in a hurry. as there are black impurities all over my skin. 20 minutes later, after having a bath, i changed into the academy uniform. then i began to get ready. meanwhile, the giant tower headmaster was on his way to viper city. this is the 2nd time he is going to enter viper city. he had made up his mind to accomplish the task somehow. otherwise, he will face a horrible death. the mysterious person behind had made it clear to him. he won''t give him another chance. while this was happening. jonathan is going around tower city in search of clues. he doesn''t know that the giant tower headmaster has already left the academy. on the other hand, the mysterious warrior from the inner post is spending his time weakening the barrier. he has attained some success in its scheme. but still, his strength is limited here. if he reveals his strength the space barrier of the outer post will be affected. if it happens, then it will be a matter of time before people are looking for him. that''s why he had planned to use several academies as bases for his plans. which is a long-term goal. but the problem is each of the big academies has the commander rank powerhouse. they are the supreme elders of the academy. which is also the limit of the outer post. if a warrior wants to break through further. then he has to enter the inner post. amongst the six academies. he had managed to subdue one dying b@stard. but still, the progress was enough. he has to subdue the other 5 academies as well. the supreme elder of the giant tower academy hasn''t shown any weakness. which is why he subdued the headmaster of that academy? but now things are going bad. he has found interference of another inner post force. when he learns the background information of the warrior named zack lockwood who is a lightning element warrior. he had a good idea of the force behind this kid. that force is an enemy organization. the mysterious person doesn''t want to be exposed. and at the same time, he wants to destroy the lightning seed of the enemy organization. in many places, lightning seeds are considered to be rare. so he doesn''t want the enemy organization to gain exceptional seed. what he doesn''t know is that a certain someone is already looking for his whereabouts. meanwhile, i left the dormitory and headed to the dining hall. today, i have decided to practice my lightning ability. which will become a trump card for me in the future. shortly after, i reached the dining hall. ernest and laverne are there. then i also spotted troublesome michael blevins. "zack?" "did you hear the news?" ernest asked. hearing that i looked at both of their serious expressions. "our faction head is back," laverne said. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. but i controlled my emotions. jonathan had already informed me of this. since the old man was gone. there is no threat to him. "really?" i asked back. ernest rolled his eyes at me. "i think you have heard it already," laverne added. i smiled in response before saying," don''t worry, the faction head won''t do anything against us." ernest and laverne looked at each other. they also heard some recent rumors. their faction head was gone for some time before coming back again. then we entered inside. not long after, michael blevins followed us. "he is still looking for the life or death duel," ernest said. hearing that i laughed in my heart. in a few days, i will reach the mid-super elite stage. when it happens, i can easily fight across the ranks. the peak- super elite stage will be no threat to me. michael also found an empty seat to sit down and eat. we also brought our food to an empty place. several minutes later, three of us started walking towards the training area. after reaching the training area, we entered a different training room. laverne and ernest walked into the gravity chamber. when i entered the puppet training room. in the puppet training room, i selected the wooden puppet for practice. the wooden puppet here can withstand the attack of the elite stage. when the wooden puppet appeared above the platform. i tried to engage in close combat. the wooden puppet has the basic settings. it can move sideways, forward, and backward. most warriors use the wooden puppet for target practice. but here i''m going to use it for first practice. i started to use the lightning ability. a small purple arc appeared in my palm. seeing that i clenched my fist and punched the wooden puppet. boom! a loud sound reverberated in the room. when the dust settles down. the scene became clear to me. the wooden puppet cracked in the middle. but it was the result of my body strength. there is a small amount of darkness in the middle. this must be the result of the purple arc. seeing that i tried to increase the purple arc in my palms. time flies, i don''t know how many wooden puppets were broken. but in these few hours, i have managed to increase the purple arcs. now the purple arcs can cover my fist. but it needs greater concentration. otherwise, the purple arc disappears the next second. then i left the training room a few minutes later. the lightning essence in dantian has emptied. next, i have to cultivate again to recover the lightning essence. soon, i reached the room. the next day, i woke up earlier. after walking into the training room, i sat down cross-legged on the ground. then i took another class-6 monster core in my hand. i started to run the blood element method as usual. the bloody rune in my consciousness started to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the monster''s core energy. when the energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to the mental method. the red light appears in the bloodstream again. the blood light began to convert the monster''s core energy into white energy. the white energy then started drilling into my bones. seeing that i continued to endure it. the skull starts to become red again. not long after, i tried to attack the barrier. time flies, after a few hours, i opened my eyes. but a trace of disappointment flashes in my eyes. the barrier remained unscathed. but the monster core in my hands crumbles into pieces. then i got up and left the room. after several minutes, i changed to academy clothes again. then i sat on the sofa to take a look at the online post. i wonder what carlos kent is doing? he seems to be avoiding us. then i saw many online posts. but they are just normal posts. nothing is important. then i started to scroll down the page. suddenly, i paused on a particular post which was about michael blevins. Chapter 604 Mid-Super Elite Stage (Body Strength) chapter 604 mid-super elite stage (body strength) from mc''s perspective: michael blevins'' appearance has caused a lot more noise than expected. before me, he was the face of the special faction. looks like he wants to regain his prestige back. i stopped looking at the online post before deciding to go about my business. time flies, after having breakfast with friends, i got myself immersed in training again. meanwhile, the giant tower headmaster appeared in viper city. his presence was low-key. no one knows his identity other than some spies. but this time, he didn''t even let the spies know. he randomly found a hotel to stay in. on the other hand, jonathan also secretly investigates the tower city. instead of targeting the unknown people. he decides to target people who are close to the giant tower headmaster. this will take some time. but he knows that there is no real threat left back in the academy. so zack lockwood can stay there safely. he had eliminated the 2 threats quickly. but here in tower city. he has to show some patience. the next day, in the training room, i sat down cross-legged to cultivate. i hope this time there will be a breakthrough. after taking another class-6 monster core out. i started to run the blood element method as usual. as the monster''s core energies entered the body. i started to circulate the energies. sway, the red blood light appears above the bloodstream. they started to convert the monster energies into white energies as usual. the mysterious white energy then starts drilling into my bones. enduring the heart-wrenching pain. i continued the process. the remaining part of the skull slowly turns red. the process was slow. little by little. but the pain makes me feel older. i closed my eyes and immersed myself in the process. a few hours later, click~ i felt something shattered. the next moment, i felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. then a new wave of energy starts to improve my body strength. "i broke through," i opened my eyes in joy. i broke through before the expected days. "now i''m a mid-super elite stage warrior," i mumbled under my breath. my body strength has reached the mid-stage in super elite. next, i should focus on getting my essence breakthrough to reach the early stage of the super elite. nove)lb/1n then i closed my eyes and started to feel the improvement. not only did i get a breakthrough. but my domain physique has increased further. i don''t know what stage of domain physique is exactly at. only after accepting the inheritance. i can say for sure. the increase in body strength also expelled the impurities in the body. a thick layer of impurities covered my skill. i raised my eyebrows in confusion. these impurities must be coming from bones. the monster energy has become part of my bones. it would be no surprise. if the impurities are coming from it. then i didn''t get up, instead, i took another monster core to consolidate my new strength. an hour later, i opened my eyes. but i have only used half of the monster core energy. so i placed it back in the storage ring for tomorrow''s cultivation. then i got up from the ground and left the room. 20 minutes later, after completing the bath, i changed into academy clothes. then i left the dormitory room after getting ready. since my purple essence has hit rock bottom. now it''s time to go back to the twin mountain peak. i hope the dean arranges it. on the way to the dining hall. i couldn''t help but think of jonathan. he had warned me not to go outside. the academy was the safest place for me right now. but my lightning cultivation is getting delayed. it''s not as fast as body cultivation. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. without the purple essence, i can''t do anything. whether it''s to hunt the monsters in the monster zone or practicing the lightning attack. i need the purple essence. otherwise, i have to rely on body strength. then i suddenly thought of something. there are guardians with me. even if someone dares to trouble. they can easily take care of it. after figuring it out, i decided to go out today. by that time, i had already walked in front of the dining hall. seeing ernest and laverne at the entrance. i smiled at them. "did you read the news?" laverne asked. "what''s going on this time?" i jokingly asked back. then all of us started walking into the hall. ernest took the moment to explain. he said, "basically, the flame faction head was nowhere to be found. the flame faction warriors are panicking." my eyes flickered. i know what happened to him. he has become the property of jonathan. but i kept my expression calm. "what could happen to him?" "i heard the boasting of flame faction warriors the other day. the flame faction head wants to become the next dean," laverne sneered. hearing that, i wasn''t surprised. but they don''t know that before death franklin had the strength of an sss-elite stage warrior. even today, i''m wondering what the exact strength of jonathan is. whenever i ask him, he never gives me the correct answer. after receiving the food, we sat on the corner seats. "michael is showing off again. he is telling others that he has no rivals in the elite stage," ernest said. laverne also started to respond. while hearing both of them. i silently started to eat food. suddenly, i thought of something. "what about kane patrick?" i asked. both of them looked at me in surprise. "i thought you were not interested in our conversation," laverne said. "i''m hungry," i replied. laverne rolled her eyes at me. "for warriors of our stage. we can skip the food for a couple of days. but it''s a pity, it has become our daily habit to eat," ernest said. hearing that i couldn''t help but think of granny park and uncle james. i wonder what''s going on there? Chapter 605 Danger is coming chapter 605 danger is coming from mc''s perspective: "zack?" laverne called out my name. hearing that my thoughts returned to reality. "ah, it''s nothing," i continued to eat. ernest and laverne looked at each other. they understood something bothering zack''s mind. so they continued to eat without disturbing him. 20 minutes later, we walked out of the dining hall. "zack, are you coming with us to the monster zone?" laverne asked. "no, i have a different plan. you guys can go without me," i replied. hearing that ernest and laverne got separated here. they started heading towards the teleportation tower. as for me, i decided to go to the office building. soon, i reached the place. as i walked upstairs, i came across the faction heads'' cabin. last time, dean''s destruction has caused them to locate further from her place. when i walked past the cabin. i came across carlos kent. upon seeing me, he registered a bright smile on his face. seeing that i felt goosebumps all over my body. "mr. carlos," i gritted him with a smile. getting a good response from zack. carlos has become more enthusiastic. he always feared that zack would get vengeance. he just needs to tell jonathan, if there is any dissatisfaction. then his life will be over. now he feels more relaxed. on the other hand, i ignored his self-imagination and started walking towards the dean cabin. when i reached her place. "creak" the door opened automatically. seeing that i walked inside. dean rebecca as usual working something on her screen. i sat opposite her. "zack?" "what''s the matter?" rebecca asked. hearing that i looked at her. she looked extremely tired. her eyes were swollen. "dean, what happened to you?" i asked. "sigh" rebecca let out a sigh before saying," me and other faction heads are looking for franklin day and night. but we found no clue." my mouth twitched. no wonder the post about his disappearance started to trend. suddenly, i felt a sense of guilt. "haven''t i told anything to jonathan?" i said in my heart. then i looked at her and decided to let her know. "dean, you should call back others," i said. rebecca stunned before looking at zack suspiciously. she asked,"do you know something?" "he is dead. you guys can stop your search now," i replied casually. but a hint of disbelief appeared on rebecca''s face. looking at zack''s serious face. she doesn''t think it''s a joke. "who are you guys?" she asked. she clearly remembers the strength of franklin. he had broken through recently. but it''s not easy to take him down without making any noise. i don''t know whether to laugh or cry. i''m asking the same question to jonathan. but he didn''t respond to me. "dean, it''s real. you can take it easy," i said. rebecca took some seconds to calm down. then she quickly called others to inform. at the same time, i thought of one more culprit. carlos kent should know about this. otherwise he won''t dare to step inside. a few minutes later, dean rebecca recovered to her usual self. then she looked at her zack. nov¦Å(lb/in "so why are you here for now?" she asked. "dean, i''m planning to go to the twin mountain peak," i replied. dean rebecca understood something. then she informed the guardians to come here. 10 minutes later, the guardians appeared. then i left the place with them. when we appeared outside. the male guardian grabbed my shoulder and appeared in the mid air. then he started heading towards the destination. the female guardian followed me from behind. time flies, soon we reached viper city. the guardians crossed the place in a blink of an eye. on the other hand, the giant tower headmaster who was looking at the sky from his hotel room window, suddenly spotted something in the sky. he found three silhouettes in the sky. but among the three. only 2 of them seem to be flying. one of them seems to be carried by someone. this strange thing caught his attention. his heart tells him to follow them. why doesn''t he? he feels it''s important. a quick glint flashes in his eyes. the next second, he starts to get ready. in meantime, the guardians have crossed some distance. by that time, the giant tower headmaster appeared in mid air. it''s already been 5 minutes. but the giant tower headmaster knows the direction. he explodes at a breakneck speed before moving in the direction. time flies, after a few hours, the guardians arrived at the twin peak successfully. the other hand, the giant tower headmaster lost direction before finding the actual path. shortly after, we landed on the main peak. a heavy rain is as usual pouring down in this place. soon, i activated the barrier. and sat down cross-legged on the ground. both the guardians stood not far away from me. i closed my eyes and started to run the lightning scripture. the next second, the lightning rune in my consciousness starts to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the purple essence from the surroundings. when the purple energy entered the body. i started to run the purple energy according to the lightning scripture. after circulation, the purple energy enters my dantian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. time flies, i immersed myself in lightning cultivation. on the other hand, the guardians don''t know what danger awaits them. meanwhile, the giant tower headmaster finally reaches the mountain area. he is slowly flying across the mountain landscape and also looking for warrior traces. suddenly, his gaze set on the significant mountain peak. this twin mountain peak naturally attracts attention. when he got closer. he saw something which he would never forget in his life. he saw 2 half step sss elite stage warriors. what''s more strange is that? they are guarding someone. which further increased his curiosity. when he looked at the person sitting down cross-legged. his face lit up with a surprise. "zack lockwood," he said in his heart. he didn''t expect to see him here. Chapter 606 Giant Tower Headmaster vs the guardians chapter 606 giant tower headmaster vs the guardians from mc''s perspective: when i was cultivating, i suddenly felt heart palpitations. the sensation was so strong that i opened my eyes the next second. "ha..ha...ha..." "so you are hiding here!" an arrogant voice filled with laughter reached my ears. swish~ the male and female guardian, both appeared in the mid-air. they stood opposite the giant tower headmaster. at first, both of them thought some rogue had come. but now the guardians have easily recognized the faces of the headmaster of the giant tower academy. "giant tower headmaster!'' "what are you doing here?" the male guardian asked. "harumph" "you two must be this brat''s protector. you can''t save him today," the giant tower headmaster said with a snort. nove(lb)1n hearing that the faces of the guardians change drastically. "zack, find some same spot to hide and then inform our dean," after saying that the male guardian rushed out to attack. the female guardian also supports him from behind. "you guys can''t block me forever," the giant tower headmaster sneered. then he started to respond as well. on the other hand, i hurriedly left the mountain peak and tried to find a hideout. the mountain has several crevices where one can hide. i''m hoping to find a suitable one. boom~ a deafening sound starts to reverberate as a result of the class. hearing that my heart is pounding hard. i''m not a match for ss-rank warriors, forget about the giant tower headmaster. he must be an sss-rank. while searching, i texted messages to 3 people. jonathan, dean rebecca, and carlos kent. all of them are capable of stopping the giant tower headmaster. my problem is that jonathan is out of town. only the rest of the 2 can help me. while flying down, i came across a narrow opening. this small crevice is enough for my body to enter inside. and the gap is going deep inside the mountain. i don''t think the giant tower headmaster''s body can enter inside. after gaining some clarity, i entered the crevice opening. my body easily went inside. there was no light inside. water drops can be seen dripping down from above. seeing that i started to go deep inside. the gap is going around the circle. finally, it came to an end, where the mountain rock was blocking the other end. for now, this place is safe. to come here, i had to crouch down and make myself flexible to reach here. i don''t think the giant tower headmaster is capable of that. unless he wants to blow off the whole mountain. outside, boom! a fierce fight is going on. both the guardians give a tough fight to the giant tower headmaster. but still, they are one step lower than him. the complete sss-rank power level is on a different scale. already their fight is affecting the surroundings. the giant tower headmaster smirked. "it''s been a long time since i killed warriors of the saw scale viper academy. i''m not going to let you off easily," he said. the guardians are unaffected by his words. both started to respond with elemental attacks. the giant tower headmaster is not in a hurry. he can end this duel in 5 minutes. but he wants to torture them madly. when it comes to zack lockwood. he knows that kid is hiding here somewhere. even if he calls for support. the help would take at least 2 hours for them to arrive. in the meantime, he can do whatever he wants. since he has plenty of time, he is going to act slowly. especially after getting a threat from a mysterious person. he needs someone to vent his anger out. both the guardians have become his targets. meanwhile, jonathan, who is investigating tower city, gets a message. when he saw the message was from zack. he was surprised. he knows zack won''t text him unless it''s important. but after reading the message his demeanor changes. so much so that the coercion released from this body exploded the building instantly. in the blink of an eye, he appeared in mid-air and started moving towards the mountain peak. jonathan''s heart boiling in anger. he didn''t expect the giant tower headmaster to appear there. no wonder he wasn''t able to find his information these days. he made a slight miscalculation. he didn''t expect the giant tower headmaster to act directly. he was sure that the death news of the supreme elder was blocked. so who told him to attack the young master zack? he is enraged. if something happens to zack, then the master won''t forgive him. he is speeding in the air at full speed. so much so that the energy leaking out of his body is causing a burden on the space barrier. it can''t be helped. if he maintains this speed. then he will reach the mountain peak in a few hours. meanwhile, dean rebecca lost her composure when she read the message. "what does he mean when the giant tower headmaster is attacking them?" rebecca said to herself. for a second she was confused. she doesn''t know whether there is anything wrong with the message. how come the giant tower headmaster could come to their jurisdiction? she doesn''t know whether zack is playing a prank or what. she then tries to contact the guardians. but both of them are not picking up their call. creak~ suddenly, carlos enters the room with a panicked expression. "dean, i''m leaving," after saying that carlos tried to leave. rebecca was stunned for a moment. she asked, "where are you going?" carlos paused his footsteps before saying, "i''m going to save zack." hearing that dean rebecca looked at him in disbelief. "did you receive the same message as well?" "is it really that giant tower headmaster attacking them?" she asked in a surprising tone. she feels absurd. because no headmaster would leave their territory. carlos headaches. he knows that the dean wasn''t aware of many things. so he replied short and sweet, "it''s true. there is no need for zack to lie. and it isn''t the first time for the giant tower headmaster to come here." after saying that carlos left. in the blink of an eye, he appeared in mid-air and started moving towards the twin peak. he heard the details of twin peaks from jonathan. now those details helped him. Chapter 607 Carlos Kent’s timely arrival chapter 607 carlos kent''s timely arrival from mc''s perspective: dean rebecca was left speechless. she thinks carlos knows more than her. if the news is true, then it''s a great violation of a pact between six academies. for a second, rebecca doesn''t know what to do. after a few minutes of walking here and there. she finally calmed down her heart. time flies, in the mountain peak, the giant tower headmaster finally decides to end the life of the guardians. swish~ he disappeared from the spot and appeared in front of them. boom~ a massive fist broke the defense of the male guardian and hit his chest. pfff~ the next second, his body was sent flying and crashed onto the ground. the female guardian was petrified. the giant tower headmaster grinned. he looked at the female guardian from top to bottom. "you look beautiful. but i don''t have time to enjoy it," the giant tower headmaster said. then he punched her in the abdomen. the next second, her body was sent flying as well. she smashed into the deep pit the next moment. pfff~ blood spilled from her mouth. her internal organs have suffered great damage. unless given immediate treatment, it would leave a great hidden danger in her body. the male guardian was not good either. his entire face looked bloodied. like the female guardian, his internal organs are smashed. the giant tower headmaster looked at both of their conditions. they are not in a condition to move. "harumph," he gave a cold snort in his heart. he wants to torture them more. but he suddenly feels a sense of urgency. "you guys are lucky. i won''t beat you anymore. just wait for your death slowly," after saying that the giant tower headmaster appeared in mid-air. he tries to sense the presence of zack. but he found him nowhere. swish~ he landed on the mountain peak. then he starts to look at the crevices. there are many crevices in this particular mountain. he thinks zack must have entered one of those. then he started to search one by one. on the other hand, the guardians tried to move as much as possible. but the pain is making them more miserable. "no, i should inform the dean," the male guardian said in his heart. from the side eyes, he saw the deep pit not far away from him. meanwhile, in the crevice, i stopped causing any movements. because there was no more deafening sound. this means the giant tower headmaster has succeeded in defeating the guardians. realizing that my expression changes drastically. i didn''t have much or much interaction with them. but both of them are good people. they didn''t show any negative attitude towards me. they have always followed the orders of the dean strictly. if something happens to them, then it will be a great loss to the academy. for a second, i don''t know what to do. i can''t appear outside just like that. my palms turned cold. boom! the next second, i heard loud explosions. the explosion causes a strong tremor. hearing that i couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows. if i''m not wrong, the giant tower headmaster is blasting off the crevice opening to enter inside. but fortunately, he is attacking other crevices. i''m hoping in the meantime, the help arrives. time flies~ boom! one after another, the giant tower headmaster is blasting off the mountain crevices. on the other hand, the female guardian''s condition is deteriorating. if the help does not arrive, he might die. the male guardian has lost consciousness already. "zack lockwood, where are you?" "if you can show yourself, then i''ll give you a decent death." "if not i''ll beat you horribly," the giant tower headmaster started saying threatening words. but he is getting no response at all. boom! he blasted off another crevice opening in frustration. the crevice has a small space. there was no one inside. there are still 50 more crevices to check. a hint of anger appeared in his eyes. he thought it was easy to find that brat. but now he doesn''t know where he is hiding? he then checks the time. seeing that it has been more than one hour. he relaxed his eyebrows. "the brat must have informed others. i need to act quickly," the giant tower headmaster said to himself. then he continued to look for the crevices. a few minutes later, in the crevices where i''m hiding. i heard the movements from outside. "he is here," i said in my heart. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area again. the giant tower headmaster saw the space was big. someone can hide inside. "could the brat be here?" a thought rose in his heart. then he decides to check here. when he cleared the rubble. his eyes caught something. "footprints," he uttered in surprise. then he realized that the brat was hiding inside. "ha...ha...ha..." "i have caught you finally," the giant tower headmaster said with a laugh. he then starts to pound the crevices heavily trying to make the gap larger. on the other hand, my expression turned grave. "i forgot about the footprint," i massaged my temple as my head ached. there is nowhere to hide anymore. behind the mountain, rock has blocked my path. even if i want to escape, it''s impossible to outrun him. "is my life going to end here?" i said in my heart. the giant tower headmaster''s hysterical laughter reached my ears. boom! one after another, i hear the loud explosion. he is destroying the whole mountain to find me. the space inside is thin, that''s why he is doing it. meanwhile, carlos kent arrived on time. the first thing that caught his attention was the injured bodies of the guardians. nove-lb/in swish! the next moment, he appeared in front of the female guardian and checked her condition. seeing that her inner organs were damaged. he took the precious healing pill from his storage ring. he puts it inside her mouth. the healing pill is the product of the sss-elite stage. it can protect her vital organs for the time being. Chapter 608 Carlos Kent vs Giant Tower Headmaster chapter 608 carlos kent vs giant tower headmaster from mc''s perspective: carlos kent then went to check the condition of the male guardian. the male guardian was unconscious. carlos furrowed his eyebrows. the inner organs of the male guardians are damaged as well. then he puts another healing pill in his mouth. after doing that he turned towards the mountain. where the explosion sound is occurring. swish~ he disappeared from the spot and started moving towards the mountain. then he saw what was happening. the giant tower headmaster is destroying the mountain. he starts to look around but there is no sign of zack. "brat, you are going to die here. no one will save you," the giant tower headmaster started saying threatening words. hearing that carlos realized zack was hiding in the crevices. before the giant tower headmaster explodes with the next attack. swish~ he disappears from the spot. the next second, he rushed out to pinch the opponent. the giant tower headmaster finally realizes that there is someone else here. when he turns around. he saw the face of carlos kent. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. the next second, his eyes reddened in anger. "carlos, what are you doing here?" "well, are you here to support me or protect that brat?" but carlos was not in any mood to answer. his punch is raining down on the giant tower headmaster''s face. "you!" the giant tower headmaster responded with a similar punch. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the giant tower headmaster was sent back flying. on the other hand, carlos kent retreated a few steps backward in mid-air. then he again shot himself towards the giant tower headmaster. he has been wanting to beat the sh!t face of the annoying b@stard. the giant tower headmaster adjusted himself before stopping himself in mid-air. n-)o.-v/(e--l-.b.(1/.n his heart is raging. carlos kent had a breakthrough thanks to his academy resources. this moron had consumed his resources. now he is beating himself. "you dare to beat me!" boom! both of them started to collide with each other again. the aftermath of their collision is causing tremors. a few minutes ago, inside the crevice space, a hint of hope appeared in my eyes. "what''s going to happen next?" i uttered in a solemn tone. the next second, the giant tower headmaster''s threatening words reached my ears. before i could think, i heard another collision. but the collision sound is not coming from the mountain. but someone is fighting hard. suddenly, i felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. beep! suddenly, i received a call from jonathan. seeing that i immediately attended the call. "young master zack!" "are you alright?" "what''s happening there?" a serious question reached my ears. "jonathan, you are not here then who else is fighting outside," i blurted out of surprise. then a look of understanding dawned on me. "what do you mean?" jonathan asked. then i explained sending messages to three people. "it must be carlos kent. the dean of the academy can''t leave the academy that easily," jonathan said with some understanding. "good, i''ll be there for a few minutes." "until then stay safe for me." after saying that jonathan ended the call. at the same time, a fear of death disappeared from my heart. now i want to see the miserable fate of the giant tower headmaster. boom! one after another collision sound reached my ears. just as i thought about the condition of the guardians. beep! i received another call. seeing that the call was from the dean. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. she took her time to call me. when i attended the call. i hear a panicking tone. "zack lockwood, what''s going on down there?" hearing that i calmed down before i started explaining to her. a few minutes later, i confirmed from her words that the person outside was none other than carlos kent. he came to protect me. i couldn''t help but appreciate the far sight of jonathan. if not for jonathan forgiving and taking him under his command. maybe my life would have been in danger right now. "zack, do you want me to come there?" rebecca asked. "no, dean. since the special faction head is here. i''m safe. you don''t have to leave the academy," i answered. "i still can''t believe it. the giant tower headmaster left his academy far away from there to come and kill you." "what''s happening to our region?" she said, hearing that i sighed inwardly. "dean, don''t think too much. just make sure that no one knows about the supreme elder''s demise," i said. hearing that she agreed. then we spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call. outside, in these several minutes, both the giant tower headmaster and carlos kent tired out each other. the aftermath had wiped out the green vegetation on the ground. smoke is rising from here and there. right now, both of them are standing in mid-air opposite each other. the giant tower headmaster''s face was ugly. he was surprised to see that carlos was fighting on equal footing with him. he wasn''t able to digest. it''s like a newcomer is holding against the veteran warrior. he then thought if this goes further reinforcement from the saw scale viper academy might arrive. "there is a possibility that b!tch will come here as well," he said in his heart. if this happens, forget about killing that lightning brat. it would become difficult to save his own life. then he suddenly thought of the mysterious person. that person''s strength is unfathomable. no sss-elite warrior can stand against him. even he feels the supreme elder of their academy might be weaker than the mysterious person. looking at carlos, he decided to convince again. "carlos, look here!" "let''s forget all of this. i will give you another chance. join my team and kill that brat." "we might get an opportunity to enter the inner post," he said with a smile. he thinks that carlos might consider his words. Chapter 609 Jonathan’s plan chapter 609 jonathan''s plan from mc''s perspective; twin mountain peak, carlos kent sneered. he still remembers how this guy had wanted him to consume an unknown black liquid to show loyalty. thinking about the black squirming liquid. he still feels goosebumps all over his body. "i think your time is over now. you made a mistake by coming to our academy territory," carlos said. "your academy!" "don''t make me laugh, carlos" "when did you become loyal to your academy," the giant tower headmaster said with a sneer. he wants to make him know how ignorant he is. "carlos!" "trust me." "the person behind me has unfathomable strength. if he wants he can destroy our inner post." "the six big academies are nothing to him," he said in a solemn tone. carlos kent somewhat believes. but the giant tower headmaster doesn''t know that he has already come across such a person. he took the life of the supreme elder and franklin. which means he is no match for him. and certainly not the supreme elder of the other academy. when it comes to the mysterious person who is operating behind the scenes. he doesn''t have to worry about it. even since he had the attitude of jonathan. he is almost convinced that what''s happening here is not a big thing to him. that he can handle whatever situation that arises. "carlos, what do you think?" "i made you a final offer." "if you want i can arrange more resources for you." "what do you say?" the giant tower headmaster tried to convince him again. but carlos kent showed no emotion. at the same time, some other person made the entrance. that person is none other than jonathan. after arriving here, he quickly spread his consciousness to cover the area. the whole terrain was mapped in his mind. even the inner layer of the mountain has become transparent. suddenly, he saw in one of the crevice spaces someone was hiding. he immediately recognized that the person was zack. "clever," a hint of appreciation flashes in his eyes. if zack had decided on some other method. he would have been dead right now. if that happens jonathan doesn''t know what to do. thankfully, the worst situation has passed. in his consciousness, he saw 2 people standing in the mid-air. they seemed to be in the middle of some conversation. seeing that a good idea comes to his mind. since he is here. zack''s safety is guaranteed. on the other hand, he can collect necessary information from the giant tower headmaster. the next second, his body becomes invisible. like he has become one with an atmosphere. silently, he goes near the two of them to hear their conversion. he then sends a mental note to zack. on the other hand, the giant tower headmaster is getting pissed off. he doesn''t know why carlos is not saying anything. "carlos, you don''t understand the power of that person." "if you don''t agree to join his team, then you are all going to die by his hands," the giant tower headmaster said. a quick glint flashes in carlos''s eyes. but before he could think further. he received a mental note all of a sudden. "ask him about the mysterious person and what is he doing?" carlos kent startled all of a second. hearing that familiar voice, he gulped saliva in fear. "don''t tell me he was here, all along," he broke out in a cold sweat. on the other hand, looking at the flustered face of carlos. the giant tower headmaster was surprised. he thinks carlos is giving some thought to his words. carlos quickly calmed down his heart. he didn''t show any nervousness. he then looked at the giant tower headmaster and asked, "what do you know about the mysterious person?" hearing that the giant tower headmaster finally got relaxed. finally, this b@stard is showing his true face. he knows how he can neglect the offer. this b@stard was greedy for resources. it''s impossible to deny his words. finally, the giant tower headmaster relaxed. "mysterious person uh?" "i think he appeared a couple of months ago" "and he had wanted someone to work under him." "at first that person''s target was the supreme elder of the academy. but the supreme elder of our academy is not weak and he is a good person." "he is not that very old either. so that mysterious changed his target and subdued me," the giant tower headmaster said. jonathan, who was hiding secretly near them, showed no surprise in his face. he had already collected some crucial information. one of them was that the space barrier in this region was getting weak. even when coming down here, he found that the space barrier was fragile. but that person who was causing all of this was slippery. carlos kent doesn''t know how to react. he is sure that jonathan was listening to all of this. the giant tower headmaster continued to say, "don''t know why lately he was agitated for some reason. he instructed me to kill the lightning brat at all costs." n(-ovelb1n "what?" carlos blurted out in surprise. he connected all the dots. "so you wanted to kill him during the student exchange meet for this reason," carlos asked. "no," the giant tower headmaster shook his head. "at that time, i had wanted that kid to die. so that the enemy academy suffers. even the mysterious person wasn''t interested in him." "but everything changed. when the plan for the azure city was started," he said. "ask him about the azure city" another mental note reached carlos'' mind. carlos asked, ''what''s with the azure city?'' "i didn''t find anything valuable there." the giant tower headmaster sneered. he recalls the task in his mind. at that time he had sent carlos to azure city to complete a mission. but he had left after a short stay. then he remembers the mysterious person''s mumbling. at that time, he was surprised as well. because azure city was a normal place. "ah right, he said something about the space barrier. i''m not sure why he cares about that," he said. jonathan''s eyes flickered. now he understands that azure city must have weakness in the space barrier. Chapter 610 Guardians admitted to the infirmary chapter 610 guardians admitted to the infirmary from mc''s perspective: twin mountain peak: "that''s all i know. are you ready to join us now?" giant tower headmaster asked. he thought carlos kent must be scared right now. "ask about his whereabouts?" n//0velb1n on the other hand, carlos continued to hear the mental note. "where is your leader?" "can i meet him?" carlos asked. when he said that unknown fear covered his heart. he knew jonathan was strong. but still, he doesn''t want to participate in the plan. the giant tower headmaster furrowed his eyebrows. he conveyed his opinion. but still, this guy is extra greedy. does he want to strike a deal with the mysterious person? the giant tower headmaster thought. thinking about the forbidden liquid. a cruel grin appeared on his face. he knows once carlos meets him. he can''t return without being controlled. "alright, i''ll take you to meet him. but before that you have to kill that kid," he said with a smile. the next second, he found his body turned stiff. what''s going on? the giant tower headmaster was terrified. swish~ jonathan appeared in front of him. "who are you?" the giant tower headmaster asked. his eyes were full of surprise. he didn''t find anyone coming near them. then how come he? he couldn''t believe his own eyes. at the same time, he tries to move. but his body was completely locked. carlos kent felt relaxed. hereafter he doesn''t have to pretend anymore. "you go and ask zack to come outside," jonathan said without turning back. carlos kent nodded before swiftly moving towards the crevices. as he left jonathan looked at the giant tower headmaster and said, "i have been patient for so long. but your actions finally pissed me off." the giant tower headmaster was afraid. looking at jonathan, he immediately realized that person was strong. similar to the mysterious person. as this thought occurs to him. his whole body trembled in fear. a deep chill went down his spine. looking at the flustered face. jonathan said, "you are quick to realize your situation." "now take me to see the person behind you," he added. the giant tower headmaster broke out in a cold sweat. he doesn''t know where this unknown pressure is coming from. he wasn''t able to move an inch. from earlier words, he realized that lightning brat had something to do with him. "f@ck!" he cursed inwardly. he knows that the kid''s background is suspicious. but he never expected to hit an iron plate soon. meanwhile, "zack!" "are you inside?" carlos kent''s voice reached my ears. hearing that i sighed in relief. finally, i can go outside. my whole body was drenched in sweat. "i''m coming," after saying that i started to leave. carlos kent heard the voice. he stood outside silently. a few minutes later, i walked out of the crevices. then i stood in mid-air before moving closer towards carlos kent. "are you injured?" carlos kent asked. hearing that i shook my head before asking about the guardians. "guardians?" "they are alright. i have fed them high-grade healing pills," carlos kent answered. a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. the next second, i saw two people not far away from here. one of them, i recognized. he is jonathan. and another one is the giant tower headmaster. then i started moving towards him in mid-air. carlos kent is slowly following me from behind. in the blink of an eye, i reached him. the giant tower headmaster is trembling in fear. when he saw zack. he understood everything. the person in front of him related to the lightning brat. "young master, are you alright?" jonathan asked. "i''m fine. thanks for coming in time," i replied. carlos kent who was just behind jumped in fright. "young master?" he was shocked in his heart. he looked at zack and jonathan from side to side. not only he, but also the giant tower headmaster is shocked to the core. "young master?" he was terrified in his heart. what''s the real identity of that brat? both he and carlos kent are in a state of shock. on the other hand, i ignored the reactions of the giant tower headmaster. i said, "i want to take the injured guardians back to the academy." "alright, carlos can go with you. i''m taking this b@stard with me to find someone," jonathan said. the giant tower headmaster was in no position to talk. he resigned to his fate. on the other hand, i turned around and flew towards the guardians. both guardians are on the ground. i can see pools of blood around their bodies. tud! after landing on the ground. i tried to lift the male guardian''s body. "you can''t carry him. let me handle it," jonathan said. then he carried people using both of his arms. "let''s go," he said. swish! we both appeared in mid-air and started moving towards the academy. on the other hand, jonathan left with the giant tower headmaster. time flies, after a few hours of flying, we reached the academy. carlos kent took both of them towards the infirmary. i started following from behind. in the infirmary, the old man wearing a white coat is going the usual rounds to check on the patient. suddenly, he was carlso kent carrying 2 people. "what happened?" he asked. instead of answering, he is looking for an empty treatment room. after finding the room next to him was empty, he walked inside and gently placed the male guardian on one bed. and he took the female guardian to find the next room. at this point, both the guardians are unconscious. the old man wearing a white coat was flustered. before he could ask he saw someone else was coming. when he saw the familiar face. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. "you are zack lockwood right?" "tell me what happened?" the old man asked. hearing that i paused my footsteps for a moment. i looked at the old man before saying," they got injured in a fight." "fight?" "who can injure a half-step sss elite rank warrior?" the old man said. hearing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. as i guessed, this old man was not simple. he can see through their real strength. then i saw the old man enter the room to treat the guardian. a few seconds later, swish! dean rebecca appeared. seeing me standing in the way, she asked," what happened to them?" "are they alright?" rebecca asked in a concerned tone. they are admitted in this room. after saying that i entered the room. rebecca nodded her head before walking inside. the old man wearing a white coat is treating the male guardian. noticing the dean''s presence. he didn''t get flustered. he slowly started to brief. "his internal organs are ruptured. as if someone beat the sh!t out of him. fortunately, his life was safe." "looks like carlos has fed them a high-grade healing pill each. i wonder when he had such resources." "you can''t even find them in the pill shop anymore," the old man said. on the other hand, rebecca was surprised in her heart. though she was not healed. she can see the state of the injuries. she knows the strength of the guardians. both of them are half-step sss-elite warriors. even the opponent is sss-elite warrior. both of them can give a tough fight. but right now, looking at such a state. she has to reevaluate the strength of the giant tower headmaster. thinking about the giant tower headmaster. she couldn''t help but take a look at zack. feeling the gaze of the dean. i sighed inwardly. she is under immense pressure. "let''s go and see another one, "the old man said. hearing that we followed him to enter the next room. carlos kent was standing there. the condition of the female guardian was worse. the old man went forward to treat her. he started to release hearing energy. in the blink of an eye, her body was covered with a small layer of green film. dean rebecca walked forward. he saw carlos standing there as well. she knows this is not a place to talk. so she remained silent. a few minutes later, the old man said, "her injuries are even worse. the chest bone was completely broken. she might require a longer time to recover." dean rebecca asked several questions. then she decided to leave. carlos kent on the other hand doesn''t know what to do. but before she walks out. she asked carlos and me to visit her cabin. when we walked out of the infirmary. carlos raised the question, "are you going to tell her everything?" i let out a sigh before saying, "she needs to know. otherwise, she would find it difficult to handle a similar situation in the future." carlos kent nodded his head. then we both started walking towards the office building. people on the way looked at us in surprise. because me and carlos are walking side by side. carlos kent is the special faction head. i''m just a faction warrior. so they are surprised to see us together. Chapter 611 Jonathan’s decision chapter 611 jonathan''s decision from mc''s perspective: dean cabin, after a few minutes of walking, we reached her cabin. creak~ the door opened. we walked inside the room. dean rebecca is sitting behind the desk. when she saw us. she changed her demeanor. "zack, you are hiding many things from me?" she asked. "dean?" carlos tried to interject. but rebecca stopped his words. "i''m asking him. he is at the center of many things," rebecca added. "sigh" i let out a sigh before saying, "dean, this is not something new. i have told you before. but this time the giant tower headmaster surprised everyone." then i started explaining what happened from the beginning. a few minutes later, "so you''re saying that someone ordered the giant tower headmaster to kill you," rebecca said in a solemn tone. she felt unreal. she knows the headmaster of the academy won''t leave their academy in normal circumstances. but this time to assassinate zack. he had left the post. she began to think about the seriousness of this issue. "so what about that person close to you?" dean rebecca asked. "his name is jonathan. he is currently after the mastermind," i replied. "ah, there is one more thing!" "we found out the root cause of azure city''s problem," carlos kent said. the giant tower headmaster was confessing to him at that time. "what is it?" rebecca asked. she became quickly interested. to be honest, for a long time, the problem with the azure city troubled her mind. then carlos started to speak. he talked about the weakness of the space barrier above the azure city. a few minutes later, rebecca showed a heavy expression. "why is he targeting the space barrier?" "does he want to destroy the whole region?" rebecca asked. carlos kent looked towards me. "i don''t know for sure. only the culprit can tell. but right now, the culprit''s plans are related to the space barrier" "i''m sure jonathan will find out more information," i said in a solemn tone. on the other hand, carlos kent remained calm. but whenever he heard jonathan''s name. a hint of fear appeared in his heart. he still remembers how that person addressed zack lockwood as the young master. his back went chill for a moment. rebecca took some moments to digest the information. she didn''t expect a big play to be happening behind everyone. and what''s more terrifying is that no one is aware of it. especially the other big academies. "alright, if anything new comes up, you should tell me," rebecca said. hearing that i nodded my head at her. after a few minutes, we left the room. walking out of the room, i thanked carlos for his timely help. "ha...ha...ha....." "don''t mention it," carlos replied with a smile. but a small fear in his heart disappeared. he thought zack wouldn''t retaliate for old matters. then carlos went to his cabin. i started walking back to the dormitory. after leaving the office building, i couldn''t help but to recall today''s events. it was a terrible mistake on our part. we didn''t anticipate the enemy''s move. we underestimated the giant tower headmaster''s guts. he dares to enter the enemy''s territory. if it was normal time, dean rebecca would have caused huge damage to the giant tower academy. a relaxed smile appeared on my face. fortunately, everything was fine in the end. and the situation of the guardian is better as well. they have passed the worst time because of timely help from carlos. so carlos not only saved my life but also theirs. by that time, i had already arrived in front of the dormitory. so many things have happened. from fear of death to hope. so my mind needs to calm down. after reaching the room, i opened the door and walked in. then i closed the door and went to take a bath. meanwhile, jonathan has reached the giant tower city. the giant tower headmaster was together with him. to make him more submissive. he also told about the insect monster used to control him. when he said that the giant tower headmaster became more obedient. right, both of them are at the giant tower headmaster''s place. because of the giant tower headmaster, jonathan skipped all those checks. this time he entered the city directly. "sir, what are you going to do?" the giant tower headmaster asked. he doesn''t dare to underestimate this person anymore. especially this guy effortlessly making him shudder. the sheer power difference makes him think about the inner post. one of those inner giants sneaked in here. why go through all this trouble? if they share the information above. they can deal with the rest of them. jonathan thought of something. instead of directly approaching the person. it''s better to let him meet the giant tower headmaster. since the giant tower headmaster has failed in his task. the person behind the scenes will come forward to punish him. at that time, he was free. a big smile appeared on his face. he turned towards the giant tower headmaster and said, "i''m going to live under the same roof with you now." "what?" the giant tower headmaster felt the soul leave his body. what is he saying? is he going to stay with this monster? his whole body shook uncontrollably. "woah!" "you are overreacting," jonathan said. "i''m guessing he will contact you for your mission failure. i can use that opportunity to meet him," he added further. nov¦Å(lb(in hearing that the giant tower headmaster''s thoughts became more clear. he is more relaxed now. but the next second, he thinks if these 2 come into contact with each other. what would happen? he is an sss- elite warrior. his fight shook the twin mountain peaks. that place was devastated. if these 2 people start fighting, then the whole region will know. he gulped his saliva in fear. "what are you thinking?" jonathan asked. "ahem, it''s nothing," the giant tower headmaster answered. "then show my room. i''m tired right now," jonathan said. the next moment, the giant tower headmaster starts to show his room. Chapter 612 Cave Spiders chapter 612 cave spiders from mc''s perspective: the following day, i left the dormitory room at 9 a.m. when i went to the dining hall. i met with ernest and laverne. "kane patrick has recovered fully. but for some reason. the whole flame faction seems to be silent these days," ernest said as we walked into the dining hall. but i showed no reactions whatsoever. "some say, the flame faction had resigned from his job," laverne added. but still, i showed no reaction. "what happened to you?" "are you not interested in their news?" laverne asked. by the time, we reached the food counter. "not right now," i replied. ernest and laverne looked at each other. they realized something was going on with zack. so he changed the topic. "so what''s your plan for today?" ernest asked. hearing that i didn''t answer. but received the food from the counter first. then i turned towards ernest and also looked towards laverne. "i''m going to enter monster zone solo," i replied. "why?" laverne asked. for a second, she thought ernest and her somehow offended zack. on the other hand, i saw her thoughts. i let out a small chuckle before saying, "i need some pressure to get a breakthrough. only in a solo fight, i can push my limits hard." a look of understanding dawned on both of them. "no wonder, so you are planning to break through to super elite as soon as possible," ernest said. "yes, we have discussed this before. so i''m going alone today," i said. then we reached the empty seats to sit down. both of their complexions turned better. for a second, they thought i was neglecting them. we started eating. there is no nuisance about michael blevins today. thinking about the blevins family''s fate. i sighed inwardly. 20 minutes later, we left the dining hall. i head to the teleportation tower after being separated from them. my strength has risen to mid-stage super elite in body strength. so i think i can contend against the class-6 monsters. even if it''s a peak stage monster. i think i can save my life. but the class-7 monsters are a no-go. they are all different. i remember being chased by the class-6 giant centipede monster. at that time, the monster fled after feeling the threatening aura. i guess that aura came from the class-7 monster. so i decided to choose the monster zone where there were no class-7 monsters in it. i think even for the faction heads, the class -7 monsters pose a threat to them. but i don''t know why. such dangerous monsters are left in the monster zone. by that time, i had already reached the teleportation tower. after walking up to the platform, i selected the server. the next second, the platform lit up with lights. swish~ a few seconds later, i disappeared from the spot. when i opened my eyes. i found myself standing on the rock. the place around me looks like a cave structure covered with dense vegetation. looking around, i tried to find an exit. how was the teleportation point arranged here? this time the landscape was different than i imagined. there is a light coming from outside. if i''m right, that''s the exit. then i turned around and looked at the other side. where the passage is going deep inside the cave. "i''m having a good guess about what type of monsters are living here?" i said to myself. not long after going deep inside. screech! i heard the screaming sound one after another. hearing that i paused my footsteps for a moment. the sounds are coming towards him. shortly after, i saw a wave of spider monsters coming towards him. the monsters are class-3 spider monsters. seeing that i wasn''t flustered. these monsters are weak. i can simply kill them with coercion alone. the next second, i released the huge coercion on the monsters. pfff~ one after another, the monster turned into a blood mist. in the blink of an eye, all the monsters in the vicinity were cleared. seeing that i continued to walk deep inside. a few minutes later, screech~ n((o).v(.e-.l-)b(-1-(n even more sound came. as the blood of the monsters starts to spread. as the second passed, a big-sized monster appeared before me. the aura coming from the monster is class 4. as the monster starts rushing towards me. i brought the black sword outside and slashed against the monster. pfff~ blood splattered on the ground. as the blade penetrated inside the body of the monster. the blade almost divided the monster into two. tud! as i retracted the blade. the body of the monster dropped to the ground. why do i have this feeling that there will be higher-level monsters ahead? a few seconds later, one more class-4 monster charged against me. i simply used the sword to cut down the monster. unknowingly, i went deeper. there is no more light. then i activated my perceptual ability. the next second, i found everything around me. i saw a few more class-4 monsters nearing me. pfff! one after another, i began to slash down the monster. the class-4 monsters are dropping dead on the ground. "don''t tell me. next is the class-5 monsters," i muttered to myself. 10 minutes later, my dress was almost drenched in the blood of the monsters. unfortunately, the monster cores are not useful to me. as i went further, i saw the next wave of the monsters. the aura coming from the monster is class 5. there is not one but there are quite a few. seeing that i placed the sword back in my storage ring. i don''t have that much purple essence because of yesterday''s episode. as the monsters got closer to me. i raised my fist to attack the monsters one by one. "blood fist" the fist tore through the abdomen of the monster. the monster let out a screen before dropping dead on the ground. the next second, another monster leaped towards me. i punched the monster again. as the time passed, i cleared half of the class-5 monsters. at this point, i do not doubt that this is the lair of the spider-type monsters. Chapter 613 Decisive Retreat chapter 613 decisive retreat from mc''s perspective: cave, the thick and strong smell covers the entire place. the flow of the class-5 spiders has stopped after some time. but i didn''t continue to walk further. rather, i decided to wait for the appearance of the new monsters. i don''t know how many class-6 monsters ahead. this time, i can contend against the peak stage class-6 monster. on the other hand, two dark red glows appear in the shadow. the red lights are nothing but the eye of the monster. the class-6 monster made its appearance. unlike the other monsters, it didn''t madly charge towards me. the height of the monster is twice my height. i have to cut down its limbs before reaching the body. i brought the black sword outside and looked at the monster. swish~ the monster suddenly turns around and shoots at the spider webs at the enemy. in the blink of an eye, the silver color webs reached me. slash~ i raised my sword to slash down the webs one by one. the webs are strong and it took me a heavy slash to break it apart. in the blink of an eye, i retreated backward. while the monster is continuously releasing the web from its spinnerets. screech~ not long after one more monster appeared from the shadows. seeing that my expression turned heavy. the new monster starts to attack by using the web as well. the monsters'' relentless web attacks push me backward. i wonder when this will come to an end. as the time passed, i found it hard to continue the defensive move. swish~ the next moment, i disappeared from the spot. i decided to target monsters closer to me. as i moved in a zigzag manner. the monsters find it hard to target me as well. when i got closer. i appeared in mid-air and targeted the back of the monster''s chest. this all happened within seconds. "blood fist" i raised my fist to punch the monster. the class-6 monster was startled. seeing that the enemy appeared in the air. the monster tried to move. but it''s a pity, that a heavy fist with blood power lands a hit to the monster''s chest. pfff~ blood splattered on the ground. the monster''s giant legs were almost crippled. the early stage class-6 monster is posing not much threat. on the other hand, the other monster tried to run back to the dark. seeing that my eyes flickered. i left the dying monster and started charging against the fleeing one. i rushed out at great speed. in the blink of an eye, i reached the monster. after appearing above, i targeted the monster''s chest again. when i''m standing above the monster''s chest. it''s finding it difficult to see me. "blood fist" another fist rained down on the monster''s chest. the punch broke through the defense easily. pfff~ the next moment, the blood starts gushing out from the injured spot. heavy injury caused the monster to collapse on the ground. when i turned around, i saw the breath of the 1st monster was gone. seeing that i tried to retrieve the core. a few minutes later, the 2nd class-6 monster dies as well. after retrieving the core, i decided to return. because my whole body reeks of blood and unknown liquid. and i don''t know how many monsters are inside. if i warmed up by the group of class-6 monsters. it would be troublesome. 36 minutes later, i walked out of the cave. then i found the teleportation point. after selecting the server, i waited to return. before disappearing from the place, i saw groups of class-6 monsters at the exit. a strong chill rose in my heart. when i opened my eyes. i found myself standing on the circular platform. other warriors are wanting to come up. after seeing me, everyone retreats in fear. "this smell," i mumbled under my breath. it''s extremely disgusting. swish! i started rushing out towards the exit. soon, i reached the dorm room. after walking inside, i came across other dorm mates. after seeing me they too returned to their room and closed the door. seeing that my eyes flickered. on normal days, nobody appears in the corridor. but now everyone is walking here and there. n--ovelbin soon, i reached the room. after entering inside, i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i got cleaned and walked out of the bath. after changing into comfortable clothes. i sat on the sofa in relief. "damn!" "finally, this disgusting smell has disappeared," i muttered to myself. thinking about the last scene at the cave. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. how many spider lairs are inside that cave? if i had enough purple essence, there would be no problem in taking the risk. but if there are so many class-6 monsters there, then it might pose a great danger to me. if the guardians'' can recover, then i go back to the twin mountains to cultivate. then a sudden realization struck my mind. i can take carlos with me. his strength is stronger than the guardians. we can reach that place in a short time. after gaining some clarity, i made up my mind to talk to carlos tomorrow. the following day, i got up early. after completing the morning routine, i went to cultivate the body method. time flies, after getting ready, i left the room and walked out of the dormitory room. soon, i reached the dining hall. there i joined ernest and laverne. while walking inside, they spoke about yesterday''s events. then i recounted the events of the spider cave. "you again went to the class-7 monster zone," ernest asked. i shook my head before saying, "it''s a class-6 monster zone. but there are a large number of monsters in one single cave." by that time we had already walked in front of the food counter. after receiving the food, we found an empty place to sit down. "what are you going to do?" laverne asked. "today, i''m going to enter the gravity chamber," i replied. then we started eating. Chapter 614 Old healer’s inheritance chapter 614 old healer''s inheritance from mc''s perspective: 20 minutes later, we got separated again after leaving the dining hall. before heading to the gravity chamber. i decided to check the guardians. they must have regained consciousness by now. so i started walking towards the infirmary. soon, i reached the infirmary. there are not many people outside. as i walked inside, i came across healing assistants. looks like the old man was not here yet. seeing that i found their room number. creak~ i opened the door to walk in. to my surprise, the male guardian was awake. upon seeing me, he asked, "zack, how are you doing?" "i should be the one asking my guardian," i replied. "thanks for saving my life. both of you guys stood against the giant tower headmaster as much as you could. so that the reinforcement arrived on time" i added. "yeah, i didn''t expect carlos to save us," the male guardian said. hearing that my eyes flickered. "did you guys meet the dean?" i asked. "yeah, she was here an hour ago. she told me what happened during our unconscious time," he replied. a look of understanding dawned on me. she hid the information about jonathan. less people knew about it. it''s better. but what did she say about the giant tower headmaster? before i could ask, he started to speak. "it''s a pity that b@stard left with a half injury," he sighed to himself. hearing that the final puzzle was solved. "i''m doing fine, you can go and see her," the male guardian said. i nodded at him before leaving the room. a few minutes later, i walked out of the female guardian''s treatment room. she didn''t speak too much. i just thanked her. but she seems to be experiencing pain. so i decided not to disturb her anymore. i''m glad that they are okay. it would take a few days for them to discharge. when i was walking towards the exit. i came across an old man wearing a white coat. ignoring him, i tried to walk past him. but the old man''s next words exposed me. "if you want to be a healer, then i can pass on my healing techniques to you." hearing that i felt the soul leave my body. "how does he know?" i asked myself. i turned around and met his gaze. the old man crackled up a wide grin. "don''t be afraid, kid. remember to take treatment from me. i found out the healing essence in your body at that time," the old man said with a smile. a realization struck my mind. no wonder, he knows. to think i was exposed just like that. "what?" "are you interested in learning techniques from me?" the old man asked. "for free?" i asked back. "ha...ha...ha...," the old man burst into laughter. "kid, you are greedy. of course, you have to work here part-time. you can treat patients with mild injury," the old man said. i found that the condition was not bad. i can practice the healing technique while treating patients. "alright, i''m ready," i replied. "follow me," after saying that, the old man started walking towards the cabin. his cabin was located at the end of the infirmary. soon we reached his cabin. after opening the door, we walked inside. "sit," after saying that, the old man sat behind his desk. "kid, are you not worried about getting exposed?" the old man asked. "yes, i don''t want others to know. so i''m going to wear a face mask to hide my identity," i answered. a surprise glint flashes in the old man''s eyes. swish! the next moment, he took the brown color book from his storage ring and placed it on the table. "i have many students. some of them are having their clinics right now. i thought that book was left to dust." "who would have thought i would find the healer here? which is very rare." "on top of it, you are a lightning element warrior. with the healing element. you are dual element warriors," the old man said. but i smiled in my heart. he doesn''t know about my blood element. which makes me a triple-element warrior. the old man somehow found out. i still feel uneasy in my heart. "alright, take this book and read it. there is one healing method and technique in it. it''s not hard to remember. take 2 days, then come to meet me," the old man said. nove-lb)in "what should i call you?" i asked. "ha...ha...ha..." "you can call me old man if you want. even an old healer would be fine," the old man said with a smile. hearing that i nodded my head before receiving the book from him. then i thanked the old man before placing the book in my storage ring. then after some talk, i left the place. leaving the infirmary, i head straight towards the room. i was planning to enter the gravity chamber. but this came as a pleasant surprise. i didn''t expect the old man to take out his healing inheritance. a faint smile appeared on my face. soon i reached my room. after getting inside, i entered the training room. sitting cross-legged down on the platform. i took out the brown book and held it in my hands. after opening the book, i saw some ancient writing and the translations below. the old man doesn''t know that i don''t need the healing method at all. because i have the wood scripture with me. then i turned the pages further. when i saw the healing technique mentioned in it. i began to read it. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. "green hand" or "healing hand," i said to myself. the technique transfers all the healing essence into one of the hands. then you can treat the patients by touching them. the healing essence released from your hand can cure the injury. this technique has no grade or stage in it. i guess it depends on the strength of the healer. if he is strong then the healing essence would be stronger as well. i don''t know whether my assumptions are right. i should ask the old man later. Chapter 615 Getting started chapter 615 getting started from mc''s perspective: for the entire day. i tried to get familiar with the healing hand. fortunately, the process mentioned in the technique was not complex. time flies, when it was nighttime. i finally got hold of it. the old man gave me 2 days'' notice. however, i initiated the technique within a day. my right hand was light green. it''s because there is a small amount of healing essence in my dantian. seeing that it worked out well. i stopped practicing. then i stood up and left the room. after having a shower, i changed into comfortable clothes and lay down on my bed. today went well. i thought about going to twin mountain peaks. but i managed to get the healing inheritance. and the old man gave it to me for free. he could have charged it for money. instead, he asked me to work in the infirmary. i hope that he doesn''t harbor ill intentions. nove-lb)in this healing technique would be useful to me. i can use it in the time of emergency. i remember getting thrashed by the class-6 centipede monster before. at that time i was admitted to the infirmary for the 1st time. time flies, the following day, i continued to spend time in the healing practices. the day was much better because i cultivated some of the healing essence. when the day was over. i decided to hand over the books back to the old man the next day. the next day, after having breakfast, i headed straight towards the infirmary. when i reached the spot. i saw the male guardian walking out. "are you getting discharged?" i asked. hearing that the male guardian looked at zack in surprise. he didn''t expect zack to come here soon. "yes, i''ve recovered completely. but for her, she needs a couple of days to recover fully," the male guardian said. then we spoke for a few minutes before the male guardian left the spot. i walked into the infirmary. then i entered the female guardian''s room to see her. but when i saw her she was asleep. so i retreated and decided to meet her later. then i started walking towards the old healer''s cabin. soon, i reached the room. creak! the door opened automatically. the old man healer was working behind the screen. "hey, kid!" "did you get started?" the old healer asked. hearing that i nodded my head before showing the "healing hand." my right hand turned green within a few seconds. the old healer''s eyes flickered. he was surprised. "zack lockwood!" "your healing aptitude is good as well. it will immensely help you in the future," he said with deep meaning. hearing that i thanked him before giving him back the brown book. "looks like you have memorized the technique," the old man said. seeing me nodding my head, he added further, "but your healing essence seems lower. you have to store a lot of healing essence in dantian. treatment requires more healing essence than you can imagine." "i will do that," i said in a serious tone. "now, let''s come to our work. right now, there aren''t many patients admitted here. i can handle it for now." "when there is a flow. i''ll ask you to come," the old healer said. i agreed to his request. then we spoke for a few minutes before i left the infirmary. next, i want to ask the help of carlos. soon, i reached the office building. instead of meeting the dean, i went to carlos'' cabin. i guess this is the 2nd time i''m going to his cabin. creak! when i walked in front of the cabin. the door opened automatically. then i walked inside. "zack, what a pleasant surprise. do you need anything?" carlos kent asked. he was sitting down on the seat and looked at me with interest. hearing that i didn''t hide the fact and asked for help. "i want to go to the twin mountain peak," i said. carlos quickly connected the dots. "do you want to continue the practice?" carlos asked. he knows that the mountain place has a high concentration of the purple essence. "well, i have no problem. i can take you there. but before that you have to inform 2 more people," carlos said. i nodded my head at him. i know what he''s talking about. dean and jonathan won''t deny my request. "alright, i''ll ask the dean first," i said. carlos then told me dean was in her cabin right now. so i decided to use this opportunity to get permission. when i walked in front of her cabin. creak! the door opened automatically as well. when i walked in to see. i saw her in a bad mood. "dean, what happened? i asked. rebecca eases down her eyebrows before saying, "the flame faction warriors are asking for their faction head''s information." hearing that a look of understanding dawned on me. their faction heads have long been turned to cold corpses. rebecca saw through his thoughts. "don''t worry about it. it''s my job to handle it. tell me about your request first," rebecca said. hearing that i told her. i''m going to the twin mountain peak with carlos. rebecca was surprised. then she quickly realized. there was no threat right now. the possible threats were already neutralized by the person behind zack. "alright, you can go." "i know there is no known danger yet. but if there is any, you should let me know," rebecca asked. "okay," i replied. then i left her cabin. walking, i texted a message to jonathan about my plan. after a few seconds, i got a reply from him. jonathan is staying in the giant tower headmaster''s house. he says it would take some time for him to capture the mastermind. by that time, i had already walked in front of carlos'' cabin. creak~ "she agreed," i said while entering the cabin. carlos nodded his head before arranging the desk. "give me a minute," carlos said. he then put the files in the drawer. a few minutes later, we appeared outside. there is no need for any vehicle. carlos grabbed my shoulder and appeared in mid-air. then we started moving towards the destination. Chapter 616 Coming back to the mountain peak chapter 616 coming back to the mountain peak from mc''s perspective: a few hours later, we reached the mountain peak. which looked unrecognized today. "it''s a pity, he had destroyed the place," carlos commented. he came a bit late at that time. otherwise, a few small peaks could have been saved. there are not only 2 mountains here. this place has a mountain range with a small canyon. the twin mountain peaks are an attraction where lightning and thunder hit all day long. on the other hand, i looked at my previous spot. the crevices of the mountains are damaged. but the top of the mountain has some space to sit down. "drop me there," i said to carlos, pointing fingers at the mountain peak. hearing that carlos looked towards the direction. then he flew towards the mountaintop before dropping me there on the ground. tud! i looked around. the ground was wet because of the continuous pouring down of rain. then i found my previous spot. where i used to sit on the mountain rock. before sitting down, i activated the artifact, and then the dome like a barrier was formed. on the other hand, carlos found a spot to cover himself from the rain. seeing that i sat down on the mountain rock. rumble~ a thundering sound reverberated throughout the area. a thick black cloud covers the sky. only the purple lightning is flashing from time to time. the next second, i closed my eyes and started to cultivate the lightning scripture. right after, the lightning rune in my mind starts to flicker. slowly, i started to feel the purple energy from the surroundings. when the energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to the scripture. the energy runs through my veins. after circulation, the purple energy settled down in my dantian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. a few hours later, my dantian is filled with purple sea. at that time, the majestic totem starts to vibrate. it starts to convert the purple essence to even more pure. several minutes later, the movement of the totem came to a stop. the purple sea has reduced in quantity but the quality of the essence has become strong. then i decided to switch the practice. i started to cultivate healing wood scripture. as i started to run the scripture. i started to feel the green essence from the surroundings slowly. seeing that i focused on absorbing the healing energies into my body. when the healing energies entered my body. i tried to store it in the dantian as well. time flies, when it was nighttime, i opened my eyes. today''s cultivation was fruitful. if there is a place here to stay, it would be better. then i stood up and deactivated the artifact. it''s time to go back. swish! carlos appeared in front of me. "are you planning to come here tomorrow?" carlos asked. hearing that i shook my head. the reason i want to cultivate hard is to improve my strength. also, i want to improve my technique as well. then we started leaving. a few hours later, we returned to the academy. carlos dropped me before the dorm. then he left the spot. after arriving back to my room. i went to the bath to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes before lying down on the bed. the following day, i continued my usual routine. after getting ready, i went to the dining hall. after reaching there, i joined ernest and laverne. "michael has gone back to home," ernest said. nove-lb/in while we are walking into the hall. hearing that, i wasn''t surprised. "are you coming with us to the monster zone?" laverne asked from the side. "no, i''m going to practice my lightning techniques. you guys can go," i said to them. suddenly, a few people blocked our path. then we paused our movements and looked at them. "seamus dave," laverne muttered. ernest clenched his fist in anger. my eyes turned cold. i almost forgot about this character. i thought after defeating kane everything would be fine. but he came to trouble me right now. "hey, guys!" "what happened to you?" seamus asked. "i just want to meet zack lockwood. but he was busy these days. it''s hard to locate him," he added. i furrowed my eyebrows in displeasure. i asked, "what do you want?" seamus smirked before saying, "how long do you plan to remain in the elite stage?" "i''m looking forward to fighting against you," he added. hearing that i turned towards laverne for a moment. she was right. looks like some people can''t wait for me to become super elite. then i revealed a bright smile before saying, "your wish will come true soon." after saying that i walked past him. ernest and laverne followed me. seamus smirked again before leaving with his group. after receiving the food from the counter, we found our usual spot to sit down. "i didn''t expect to come here," laverne said. "yeah, i thought he was going to ask something about the faction head?" ernest said. "hmmm, he seems to not be worried at all," laverne said. eating, i quietly listened to their conversation. "zack, when will you get a breakthrough?" ernest asked. laverne also turned toward me. "in a few weeks, at least," i said while eating. 25 minutes later, we walked out after having breakfast. as usual, we parted ways. both of them are heading towards the teleportation tower. where i''m walking towards the 2nd building. soon, i reached the building and walked inside. some warriors are going about their business. i decided to use a puppet training room to improve my skills. on the way, i came across other warriors who recognized me immediately. but none of them came to trouble me. soon, i reached the puppet training room. seeing that no one was using the room. creak! i entered inside. then i walked up to the screen to set the setting. i selected the wooden puppet to practice. swish~ after a few seconds, a wooden puppet appeared above the platform. the wooden puppet was twice the size of mine. Chapter 617 Improving the skills chapter 617 improving the skills from mc''s perspective: a period of time has passed. day by day, i focus on improving all of my techniques. whenever i exhausted the purple essence. i went to the twin mountain peak to cultivate and recover the essence. then i also spent my free time in the infirmary, treating mildly injured patients. fortunately, the old healer didn''t push me hard to treat. but he wants me to improve my healing hand. and jonathan had been staying in tower city. he won''t leave until he finds a clue. so the days have passed just like that. a month later, evening time, when everyone is leaving. i''m still hitting the wooden puppet with the lightning technique. but this time the lightning beam released from the sword divide attack was thinner and quicker. swish! the lightning beam was fast. the next moment, the wooden puppet exploded into peace. it''s hard to guess the speed of the attack. seeing that, a hint of satisfaction flashes in my eyes. this month i did nothing but focus on improving my skills. fortunately, all of my skills have gone one step further. next, i decided to try out the technique one by one. "lightning wheel" a densely formed purple lightning energy formed around me. the wheel was formed faster. and the purple energy is much more powerful and pure. thunder! a thick purple arc can be seen appearing above the wheel from time to time. after taking one good look at it. i canceled the technique. next, i shifted my attention to movement technique. "lightning phantom" when i released the technique. dense purple energy coveted my legs quickly. i thought about moving to the right side. the next second, i appeared in that instant. swish! in the blink of an eye, i started circling the entire room. if anyone from outside takes a look at it. they will find a purple arc moving in a zigzag manner. they won''t find the silhouette of a warrior. a couple of seconds later, i returned to the previous spot. then i canceled the technique. the movement technique of mine has drastically improved. if i come across an agility-type monster, i won''t have a problem facing it. a faint smile appeared on my face. not only the lightning techniques. i raised my right hand. the next second, my right fist was covered with lightning. the advancement in lightning techniques. unknowingly improved my acquired lightning ability. even without using the technique. i can fight against anyone in close quarters. with a thought, the lightning power disappeared from my arm. then my attention turned towards one more technique. now i have some advancement in the 3rd stage of the lightning finger technique. but it''s a pity that it''s an incomplete technique. to test it again, i selected the wooden puppet on the screen. the next second, a wooden puppet appeared above the platform. "lightning finger technique" i pointed my finger at the puppet. the next second, a thick lightning shot at the target. it''s the 1st stage of the move. in the blink of an eye, the lightning beam hits the target. bang! the wooden puppet was destroyed by the act. the debris quickly covered the platform. seeing that i thought of something before changing the puppet into a silver puppet. the silver puppet has the strength of an elite warrior. when the silver puppet. i tried the attack again. nove-lb-in bang! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. when the smoke was gone. the damage became clear to the eyes. a huge dent appeared in the abdomen of the silver puppet. apart from that, the puppet managed to survive. it didn''t fall to the ground. then i selected a new silver puppet to appear. when the 2nd puppet appeared. swish! i released the 2nd stage of the lightning finger technique. the thick beam flashes for a second before it lands a blow to the silver puppet. bang! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. this time the damage was even more severe. when the smoke was gone. i could see that there was a hole in the abdomen. the beam has pierced through the stomach of the puppet. if it was an elite warrior, he would have died from the 2nd stage of the lightning attack. after getting the satisfying result, i turned towards the screen to select the 3rd new puppet. swish! when the 3rd new puppet appeared. i shot the lightning beam at the target. in a flash, the lightning beam reached its target. when it comes in contact with the silver puppet. the whole silver puppet exploded into pieces. bang! a terrible sound reverberated inside the room. seeing the result, i was satisfied. when it comes to other elements. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. 1. sword divide: big wheel (intermediate) 2. lightning wheel: big wheel (intermediate) 3. lightning phantom: big wheel (intermediate) 4. blood field technique: small wheel (peak) 5. soul tower method: small wheel (intermediate) 6. soul needle art: small wheel (intermediate) 7. lightning finger technique: small wheel (intermediate) 8. blood fist technique: small wheel (intermediate) 9. healing hand: small wheel: small wheel (beginner) after recalling the 9 techniques in my mind. i feel more confident. there is no way to try soul techniques here. blood element belongs to the body method. and finally, the new healing technique, i had got from the old man. now, i can easily crush seamus dave. after a few minutes of practice, i decided to leave. walking out, i saw no one else was practicing. i''m the one who is leaving late. soon, i walked out of the building and started moving toward the dorm room. on the way, i couldn''t help but think. everything was going smoothly except for the breakthrough. earlier, i thought it would take a few weeks. but a month was over. i have yet to feel the barrier. then i shook my head and removed the negative thoughts. anyway, i''m going to the mountain peak tomorrow. i will soon get the result. soon, i reached the dormitory and walked to my room. Chapter 618 Treating the patients chapter 618 treating the patients from mc''s perspective: the next day, i woke up late. after getting out of bed, i started doing my morning routine. later, i went to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed to the academy uniform. after getting ready, i saw the time. there is still half an hour left before the dining hall opens. i sat on the sofa to read some articles. beep! but all of a sudden, my communication watch lit up with notification. seeing the continuous notification. i felt something was wrong. then i read the message. it was from the healing assistant. they won''t disturb me unless something is important. after reading the message. i understood everything. a large number of patients have been admitted to the infirmary this morning. the group of warriors seems to have escaped from the monster zone. if my guess is right, they must have encountered a high-class monster. this happens every once in a while. that''s why warriors have to be careful before selecting a suitable monster zone. then i stood up from the sofa and decided to leave. before going out, i wore a mask to cover my face. waking out of the dormitory room, i texted ernest and laverne. i''m going to skip breakfast today. they can go without me. on the other hand, ernest and laverne received the message. they weren''t surprised. they know zack has been training like crazy. soon, i reached the infirmary. i never thought i would be quite used to this place. the female guardian was discharged a week ago. now both the male and female guardians are back to their work. when i walked to the entrance. i saw the crowding of people inside. the healing assistants find it hard to calm the people. seeing that i walked into the building. the healing assistant quickly realized me. "zack, thank goodness you are here," the healing assistant said in a low tone. "let''s go!" "i''ll guide you to the patients," after saying that he guided me towards the patient room. after entering inside, i saw a flame faction warrior with a deep wound on his back. it was caused by my monster''s claws. my eyes flickered. don''t tell me the groups are flame faction warriors. these guys are dating these days. without the presence of the faction head. they are acting on their own. even dean rebecca is trying hard to find a suitable replacement. "you can go and see others," i said to the healing assistant. hearing that he immediately left. "and you!" "show me your back. i''m going to heal the injury," i said to the flame faction warrior. the warrior nodded before turning around and showing me his back. when i looked at him closer. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. "super elite warrior," i said in my heart. what have they encountered in the monster? before asking any questions, i decided to treat him. "healing hand" when i started to use the healing technique. my right hand turned green. then i placed the hand on his claw injury. "argh" a muffled grunt escaped from his mouth. "endure it," i coldly said. the healing essence starts to spread around its injury. in the blink of an eye, a green film appeared over the injury. the green essence will soon heal the injury. a few minutes later, i saw the injuries getting healed. it would take at least half an hour for full recovery. time flies, when the injury was healed. i went to the next room to get treatment. the warrior in this room has a burnt injury. his right arm was burnt. seeing that, my eyes flickered. the flame faction warrior realized that the healer had come to heal his injury. so he started to show his right arm fully. 2 hours later, i walked out of the infirmary. there are still patients inside. but i have exhausted my healing essence. i have to go to the mountain peak right now. then i started walking towards the office building. i don''t know whether carlos is available. dean rebecca seems to have given him some work. soon, i reached the building. after walking upstairs, i arrived in front of carlos'' cabin. but i saw no response from him. seeing that i realized there was no one inside. then i walked towards the dean''s cabin. creak! as i reached the room, the door opened. i walked into the room. dean rebecca is working behind the screen as usual. upon seeing me, she asked, "are you going to the mountain peak?" hearing that i nodded my head at her. "carlos is not here. i''ll ask the guardians," saying that she summoned the guardians to come. shortly after, both the guardians arrived. after seeing me, they understood the task. "we are ready to go," the male guardian said. the female guardian also echoed the same opinion. hearing that my eyes flickered. soon, we left the building. the guardians started carrying me towards the destination. a few hours later, we reached the mountain area. the guardians paused for a moment. especially the female guardian. last time, both of them got completely crushed here. then i looked at the surroundings. though there are signs of destruction. but the vegetation has completely covered the place. nov¦Å-lb.in swish! then the male guardian moved and dropped me on the mountain peak. i looked at the female guardian. she is still thinking about the past. without disturbing them, i took the artifact out and activated the barrier. a dome-like field quickly covered the place. then i sat down on the mountain rock to cultivate. i closed my eyes and started to run the lightning celestial scripture. right after, the lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. slowly, i started to feel the purple essence from the surroundings. then i started to absorb the purple energy into my body. as the purple energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to the scripture. after circulation, the purple energy enters the dantian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. on the other hand, the guardian continued to monitor the place. Chapter 619 Early-Super Elite (Lightning Essence) chapter 619 early-super elite (lightning essence) from mc''s perspective: soon, i felt the barrier. at first, i was not sure. but when i continued to cultivate, i felt the existence of the barrier. the barrier was firm. it was not easy to break the barrier. but if i go back, it would be a waste of time. it''s better to stay and cultivate here. then i informed the guardians about my decision. soon, i received permission from team rebecca. then i continued to cultivate here. days passed in the blink of an eye, after four days of practicing, i felt the barrier was loosening. seeing that i continued the process. not long after, the barrier was breaking apart. when the barrier was completely gone. i felt the stream of new energy running through my body. my whole body is transforming, including the purple essence. the process went on for a few minutes. when the transformation was over. i felt the power of new profound strength. "super elite," i said to myself. then i looked inside my dantian. the space inside the dantian has been increased. the quality of the purple essence seems to be higher. the purple color seems more dark. not only that, my height has increased by 1 inch. the bones seem to be strengthened as well. then i looked outside. dark impurities were all over my skin. i urgently need some cleaning. then i stood up from the ground. on the other hand, the guardians noticed some changes in zack. "zack!" "you have become a super elite warrior," the male guardian said with a smile. the female guardian also looked over in surprise. "that''s right, i have reached the super elite early stage," after saying that, i activated my perceptual ability. the next moment, the range of perception increased for a few more meters. this time, i was able to catch the minute details of my surroundings. not only that, my vision seems to have improved as well. after informing them, i started to look for a small running stream. soon, i found the stream back on the side of the mountain. then i started to clean myself after landing on the ground. several minutes later, the guardian asked whether to go back or not. after pondering, i decided to leave tomorrow. i need one more day to stabilize my new strength. ... tower city, after waiting for more than one month. jonathan was going to meet the mastermind. the giant tower headmaster was instructed by the mastermind to come to his place. right after, he shared the news with jonathan. but the problem is that location. the meeting place is none other than tower city. the giant tower headmaster was scared for life. if a fight breaks out, then the whole city is going to suffer the damage. but jonathan doesn''t care. if the mastermind escaped then catastrophe would be more severe. in these past few weeks, he had reported the information back to the master in secret. presumably, the mastermind was ordered by someone. the concept of weakening the barrier is not an ordinary thing. time flies, when it was nighttime. jonathan and the giant tower headmaster left the mansion. they are moving towards the run-down area of the city. where the movements of the people are low. tud! when both of them landed on the ground in the empty street. the giant tower headmaster found the place they were looking for. it''s a brick house. but no one seems to be living in it. the giant tower headmaster suddenly felt throbbing in his heart. argh! the next second, he let out our painful roar. the parasitic insects start attacking his heart. jonathan''s eyes flickered. he had already sensed someone''s presence inside the building. swish~ the next second, he disappeared from the spot and rushed out to enter inside. in the blink of an eye, he broke into the room. scatter~ the glass windows shattered at the same time. in the opening room, a mysterious person wearing a black dress is seated on the sofa. his face was covered with a black mask. clap~ when jonathan appeared before him. the person started clapping. "i should have known earlier." "i didn''t expect someone infamous behind my tails." "am i right jonathan?" the mysterious person said with a smile. he had long since known something wrong with the giant tower headmaster. when he saw the azure city plan was halted. he knew the giant tower headmaster had failed to accomplish the task. on the other hand, jonathan was in disbelief. he recognized the strange male and female voice of this person. "what are you doing here?" jonathan asked. his mood was not as playful as before. n-)ovelb1n "ha...ha...ha..." "jonathan, you guys are late. do you think you can save this outpost anymore?" he said with a laugh. jonathan''s eyes turned cold. but he wasn''t flustered. he confidently said," i have already informed the master. even if there is a sinister plan he would take care of it." "master?" the mysterious person''s smile disappeared. the next second, he said, "it''s a pity, i don''t want my hard work turned to vain. but how many outposts can you guys save?" "after escaping from the bone prison, my friends and i have infiltrated many important outposts. i guess they have finished their plan right now." "now that i''m free. i can fight against you to my heart''s content," after saying that, he released his shackle. bang! the next second, the whole building exploded into pieces. not only that, the shock wave swept across the nearby building and destroyed them. "pfff" the giant tower headmaster rolled over the ground coughing up the black blood. the insect monster in his heart has already eaten half of his heart. he is just now slowly waiting for death. swish! jonathan appeared in mid-air. seeing that the escaped prisoner is not fleeing at all. his eyes turned cold. the next second, he disappeared from the spot and shot towards him. the mysterious person chuckled. he didn''t plan on fleeing at all. he knows that jonathan''s master must have arranged some means outside. if he goes outside, he will get caught. Chapter 620 Jonathan vs Mastermind chapter 620 jonathan vs mastermind tower city, bang! a fight broke out. jonathan is clashing with the escaped prisoner. one after another, flame attacks were used against him. but jonathan is blocking all of it. the energy levels released from their bodies cause a heavy burden on the space barrier. at the same time, the commotion has already alarmed the city. "tell me, who sent you?" jonathan asked. it''s not a coincidence for all the prisoners to come up with the same plan. to weaken the barrier, one requires secret information and certain knowledge. the prisoners can''t have it without someone''s help. the mysterious person cracked up a wide grin. though he is being pushed back. he is not worried at all. he has already thought of a plan to accomplish the task. on the other hand, jonathan has been controlling the energy to a minimum. he can''t fight here at full strength. boom! one after another punches landed on the enemy. the mysterious person''s body was sent back flying. pfff~ blood escaped from his mouth. the mysterious person felt numb all over his body. after stabilizing his movements, he looked at jonathan with a mad craze. "sneer!" "jonathan, you can''t kill me without lifting your seal." "you can kill those ordinary ants. but for a general like me, it''s not enough," the mysterious person said. he is purposely provoking jonathan. if jonathan lifts his seal, then the real power would affect the space barrier around the city. during that time, he plans to destroy the space barrier of the outer post. in other words, jonathan is a tool to assist his task. nov¦Å)lb(1n on the other hand, jonathan kept his nerves. he knows the consequences of his actions. the space barrier was already tampered with by the enemy. his powerful strength would trigger the barrier. so he is not going to use excessive power. at the same time, jonathan decides to stop the prisoner from making some rash decisions. a few minutes later, the whole giant tower academy was alarmed. so much that their supreme elder was disturbed. when he appeared in the air to look at. he was completely frozen. he could sense the space barrier was trembling from the impact. it''s not even the direct attack power of those who are fighting. when the realization struck him. his whole body trembles in fear. swish! the next second, he returned to the academy and ordered others to activate the protection barrier. even the protection barrier would be wasted, if someone decides to attack them. having no other choice, the supreme elder quickly shares the news with the other 5 academies. meanwhile, the residents of tower city are leaving in a hurry. the shockwave has caused the collapse of numerous buildings. fortunately, jonathan purposely led the fight outside of the fortified city. ... dean rebecca, who is working in her cabin, receives the news. the message comes from the vice-headmaster of the giant tower academy. "their city got attacked," rebecca lost her voice. she looked at the message and confirmed it once again. "two mysterious people are fighting above the sky," she muttered to herself. suddenly, she thought of zack''s helper. "did he find out the culprit?"she asked herself. it won''t be a lie if she says she is under a lot of stress. both the supreme elder and franklin are killed. the unknown master is operating behind the scenes. she was worried about who was going to be targeted next time. but if her guess is right then the whole outpost can be saved. the next second, she contacted zack and asked him to return. meanwhile, the red moon tower, the white palace, the eclipse academy, and the silver cloud academy also received the news one by one. everyone was surprised and at the same time, they also asked their elders to activate their protective formation. the supreme elders of these respective academies also heard that the power levels of those warriors were off the charts. knowing that such existence is only possible from the inner post. the supreme elder of these academies instructed everyone not to leave the academy. ... from mc''s perspective: when i''m stabilizing the new profound strength. beep! my communication watch lit up with a notification. the constant ringing broke my concentration. when i saw the contact name. i immediately attended the call. "dean, what happened?" i asked. rebecca started speaking from the other end. a look of surprise appeared on my face. "it must be jonathan!" "he is staying in tower city," i replied. with that rebecca also confirmed her thoughts. then she asked zack to return to the academy. "alright, i''m coming," after saying that, i ended the call. ... tower city, meanwhile, the mysterious person is having brushes all over his body. jonathan''s controlled punch is slowly causing the inner injury. "damn it, he is not falling for my trick," he cursed out in his heart. if jonathan fights in full power, then the whole outpost would face severe danger. he released several flame balls towards the tower city in desperation. swish! seeing that jonathan tried to block the attacks one after another. he then made up his mind not to give any more chances. bang! after blocking all the attacks in time. jonathan rushed out to attack again. bang! again, a powerful punch hits his abdomen. he was again sent back flying. the next moment, jonathan appeared before him and started smacking his face hit~ getting one hit after another, the face of the mysterious person was swollen. jonathan seems to have seen through his thoughts. so his earlier plan won''t be working. the mysterious person''s eyes turned bloodshot. he seems to have made some crazy decisions. "since you are not going to cooperate. i''m going to sacrifice myself," he said in a low tone. jonathan''s eyes flickered. in a, he appeared before him. pfff! the next second, a heavy punch shatters his dantian. this all happened within seconds. "i knew you would think something like this crazy," jonathan said in a cold tone. "no," the mysterious person yellowed out in anger. but he can''t use his strength anymore. Chapter 621 Jonathans Win ? from mc''s perspective: tower city, jonathan decided to imprison him and later hand him over to the master for interrogation. the next second, he grabbed the mysterious person''s body and disappeared from the spot. after a long time, people saw that there was no fighting sound. the tower city residents erupted in cheer all of a sudden. they don''t know what the fight was all about. since there was no fighting sound. which means the winner has been decided. and their city doesn''t have to suffer the aftermath. so the residents showed up and started cheering. the news also reached the giant tower academy. to confirm the news, they sent a few elders to the location. ... from mc''s perspective: a few hours later, i returned to the academy. instead of going to the dorm room. i went straight to the dean''s cabin with the guardians. when we reached her office. i saw carlos was there as well. "zack," he called out my name. i nodded at him while entering inside. dean rebecca is sitting behind her desk. upon seeing me, she sighed in relief. apart from receiving the order from the dean, the guardians left. i sat on the seat opposite to the dean. "zack, did you get any news?" rebecca asked. "no," i replied in a calm tone. the news was still surprising to me. didn''t expect the mastermind to jump out of trouble right now.n-.o--v-/e-(l/(b/(i.(n "i heard the aftermath has destroyed part of tower city," carlos said. dean rebecca affirmed by saying, "it''s true, the cowardly b@stars from the giant tower academy didn''t even leave their academy to help." "they are afraid of death," she added. beep! suddenly, she receives a message from the giant tower academy. after reading it, she widened her eyes in disbelief. "the giant tower headmaster is dead," she said. "what?" carlos almost stood up from his seat. he was aware of recent news. jonathan had subdued the giant tower headmaster. but he didn''t expect that his fate would be short-lived. but he was glad in his heart. there is no one to question him about the giant tower academy''s resources. at the same time, my eyes flickered. i can guess some things. jonathan must have finished his objective. there was no use in keeping the giant tower headmaster''s life. he had tried to kill me many times. jonathan can''t forgive him. beep! all of a sudden my communication watch lit up with the notification. it was an encrypted message. seeing that i found 2 of their gazes on me. but i decided to read it anyway. [target was captured. returning to base right now.] after reading the message, a look of understanding dawned on me. maybe my teacher was involved. otherwise, he won''t leave right away. "what is it?" dean rebecca asked. carlos is also looking at me. i raised my head and said," problem was solved." "solved?" rebecca uttered in surprise. hearing that i nodded my head. "then we don''t have to worry about outside interference anymore," carlos said with a smile. rebecca found a huge weight being lifted off from my shoulder. the death of the supreme elder troubled her most. later, she found out about an even more dangerous person from zack''s mouth. fortunately, that person was gone now. carlos is happy as well. no one can threaten him now except jonathan. since jonathan was from the inner post. it''s impossible to offend him. "we should do something about the supreme elder''s post," rebecca said. "dean, can you not break through?" i asked. rebecca shook her head before saying, "it requires a lot more accumulation. it can only be done patiently." "i think we should cancel the year-end conference," carlos said. hearing that rebecca frowned. before she could think, carlos added, "at the year''s end, everyone would appear. there is a chance for supreme elders to come as well." "they would certainly look for our supreme elder," after saying that he stopped. at this point, everyone understood what he meant. dean rebecca turned towards me. "zack, can you ask that person to present here for the year-end conference?" she asked. carlos kent squinted his eyes. he knows that person can make everyone silent. at the same time, i thought it was not a bad idea. so i agreed to let him know. after speaking for a few more minutes. we left the cabin. shortly after, i returned to my room. the first thing i did was to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes and sat on my bed. i didn''t have time to check the online post before. now, i''m free. i started accessing the online articles. when the page was opened. i saw many feeds about the giant tower academy. news travels fast. almost everyone is posting about this incident. i started to scroll down the page. but there was no picture of the actual fight. no one saw the faces of jonathan and the mysterious person. then i realized something. no one dared to get near them when that incident happened. it''s also good in one way. at least, i can stay low-key. a few minutes later, i closed the page. and decided to sleep. the next day, after getting out of bed, i started to do my morning routine. an hour later, i entered the training room to cultivate body strength. i sat down cross-legged on the platform. then i took the class-5 monster core and started to run the blood element method. right after, a bloody rune in my mind starts to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the monster''s core energies. when the monster''s core energy entered my body. i started to guide my energy according to a mental method. after circulation, a red blood light appears above the blood. the blood light starts to convert the monster''s energies into white energies. right after, the white energy starts drilling into my bones. the pain was somewhat less because of a recent breakthrough. then i continued to endure it. the neck bones turned red and they started further expanding to my scalp. seeing that i continued the process. Chapter 622 Next Duel Date ? from mc''s perspective: 2 hours later, i ended the cultivation and walked out of the training room. then i went to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed into academy clothes. after getting ready, i left the dorm room. there was no appointment in the infirmary. so i headed straight towards the dining hall. when i got there. i saw ernest and laverne. "you have returned," laverne asked. i nodded my head at her. then we walked into the dining hall. "can we go to the monster zone today?" laverne asked. she was purposely looking at me. now, i''m a super elite warrior. i can go with them. nove.1b-in "alright, let''s go together," i replied. hearing that both of them were shocked and looked at each other. "are you coming for real?" "don''t tell me you had a breakthrough," ernest asked out of surprise. laverne also looked at me with a questioning gaze. seeing that i decided to reveal. "yes," i replied. a hint of joy appeared in their eyes. "congratulations!" "now we can go to the monster zone whenever we want," ernest said. laverne also congratulated me. by that time, we arrived at the counter. after receiving the food, we turned around. "zack, congratulations on your breakthrough," seamus dave said. "when did he appear?" ernest said. laverne was surprised as well. at the same time, my eyes flickered. this guy has been eavesdropping on us. a hint of coldness flashes in my eyes. "what zack?" "are you going to lie now?" seamus asked. at this point, the warriors'' attention turned towards us. everyone is hearing our conversation. but i don''t care anymore. "yes, i''m a super elite warrior now," i replied in a calm tone. "ha...ha...ha...." "there you go..." "then don''t forget about our duel. when are you going to fight against me?" seamus asked. "zack!" "don''t agree. you need a few more days to stabilize the new strength," laverne said. "yes, zack. take your time. you can duel him later," ernest also persuaded me. hearing that i looked towards seamus and made some decision. "alright, we can fight next week," i said to seamus. hearing that seamus was satisfied. gasp! the people in the dining hall who heard this let out a small gasp. the news will surely spread like wildfire in a few minutes. "good, zack!" "i''ll meet you next week," after saying that seamus left with his group. "he is cunning," laverne said with a snort. "i guess he has been waiting for you for a long time," ernest added. "let''s go, food is getting cold," i said. then we found an empty place to sit down and eat. time flies, after having breakfast we walked out of the dining hall. then we headed straight towards the teleportation tower. i have yet to get familiar with techniques by using my new strength. i guess fighting against monsters will be helpful. shortly after, we arrived at the teleportation tower. after walking up to the circular platform. we selected the server where there are many class-6 monsters. swish! when the circular platform lit up with light. we disappeared from the spot and appeared in the monster zone. looking around the lush green atmosphere. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. "this is an entirely new monster zone. we may find a large number of class-6 monsters," ernest said. "hmmm, i heard there are many snake lairs here," laverne added. "looks like we can get many class-6 monster cores," i mumbled under my breath. then i took out the black sword and started to cut down the grown-out weeds. laverne and ernest also started to clear the way forward. not long after we heard some sound ahead. hearing that i activated my perceptual ability. in my mind, i saw a black body hiding underneath the bushes. the size of the body is almost 40 meters long. hiss! the next second, the three of us heard a strong hissing sound. "there is a snake monster ahead," laverne said. hearing that ernest exploded with a great speed. in the blink of an eye, he arrived before the monster to attack. hiss! the snake monster let out a strong hissing sound before leaping forward to attack. "mud wall" ernest released the attack. the next second, a huge mud wall rose above the ground. bang! the class-6 black dotted snake monster collided with a wall. the huge mud wall exploded into pieces. "ice freeze," laverne released her ice attack. the next second, an extreme ice released from her palms. it quickly reaches the target in a blink of an eye. when the ice hits the snake monster. it quickly spreads around the monster''s body. seeing that i decided to attack using the lightning technique. i started to charge the black sword with purple essence. in the blink of an eye, the black sword started glowing with the purple light. "sword divide" the next second, i discharged the attack. a purple beam is released from the sword and reaches the snake''s body in the blink of an eye. boom! the attack hits the snake''s body. a terrible sound reverberated throughout the area. hiss! the snake let out a loud hissing sound. the monster then swept its long tail against us. seeing that laverne and ernest started to attack. bang! the monster''s tail broke through their attacks. the next moment, we retreated a few steps backward in mid-air. when the dust settles. i saw a huge scar on the monster''s body. the monster was injured from the attack. "zack!" "your lightning is effective against the monster," laverne said. "yes, you lead the attack. we will control the monster''s movement," ernest added. hearing that i nodded my head before charging the black sword. in the blink of an eye, the black sword was charged with the purple essence. "sword divide," i discharged the lightning attack toward the monster. the purple beam shot towards the monster. thunder! with the thundering sound. the attack reached the monster in a blink of an eye. boom! a terrible sound reverberated throughout the area again. the lightning beam pierces through the old injury causing the monster to crash on the ground. Chapter 623 Collecting Class-6 Monster Cores ? from mc''s perspective: the class 6 snake monster has suffered a serious injury. next, ernest and laverne give a few blows to end the monster''s life. when the monster was dead. we began to dissect the corpse. after collecting the body parts, we collected the monster core before starting to move. a quick gleam flashes in ernest''s eyes. "zack, your lightning powers are destructive. you injured the monster by using 2 attacks," ernest said. hearing that i revealed a small smile on my face before saying, "it''s true that the lightning element is destructive. but i can''t afford to waste the purple essence. because it''s difficult to recover the lost essence here." hearing that ernest and laverne looked at each other before nodding their understanding. they remember hunting together with zack before. it would take him multiple attacks to deal with the class-5 monster. now he is easily fighting against the class-6 monster. now zack''s show of strength gave them more confidence. they can now go to the deeper parts to hunt the monster. though the day is bright. because of the dense vegetation, the light is not reaching the ground. so most of the area was dark. which gives a rather strange feeling. while walking, i''m also keeping an eye on the surroundings through perception. so far there has been no monster activity nearby. 38 minutes later, i found something moving ahead in my perception. there is another snake monster. but the size and length of the monster are twice as much as the previous monster. "wait a second!" "a snake monster is ahead," i said to them. "another snake monster," ernest muttered.n-/ovelb1n "sure, this monster zone is infested with snake lairs," laverne said in a solemn tone. though all of them can fight class-6 monsters. but when it comes to facing a group of monsters it''s hard to eliminate them. i took the lead and walked in front of them. hiss! the class-6 monster also sensed their presence. it lets out a hissing sound. which is nothing but a warning. when i got closer. the monster''s appearance becomes more clear. the body of the monster is similar to the size of 2 adult warriors. the next second, i saw the snake monster raising its head to take a look at us. when both our eyes met. the monster lets out another hissing sound. there was a razor-sharp tooth inside the monster''s mouth. a single bite from it can make us deeply injured. but i''m more interested in testing the monster''s defense. "are you going to attack?" ernest asked. at this point, ernest and laverne saw the appearance of the monster. "yes, you guys can support me from behind," after saying that i released the movement technique. "lightning phantom" a purple lightning bolt covered my legs. swish! the next moment, i disappeared from the spot. i got closer to the monster in a flash. the giant snake monster was startled. before it could turn its head to take a bite at me. i appeared in front of the monster''s abdomen. then i released the lightning defense technique. "lightning wheel" a dense purple wheel formed around me in a blink of an eye. a small thundering sound can be heart. the snake monster felt danger in front of the lightning aura. it wants to move away from the lighting power. but it''s too late. when the lightning wheel was formed. i rushed out to collide with the snake monster. bang! when the purple wheel is filled with lightning power it comes in contact with the monster''s body. an explosion occurs. the deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the shock wave swept away the nearby vegetation. ernest and laverne both appeared to be in shock. even they felt heart palpitations from that lightning attack. this means that the attack alone is capable of taking down both of their lives. when the dust was settled. i saw the snake monster rolling over the ground. blood is gushing out from the injured area. the flesh was torn off revealing the inner bones. "nice, we will take care of rest," laveren said from the side. then i saw her throwing ice spikes at the monster. on the other end, ernest also controls the soil to restrict the movement of the monster. 10 minutes later, after continuous bombardment of the attack. the monster bled to death. then ernest and laveren start to dissect the monster. after placing the monster''s parts in the storage. we collected the monster core. so far we collected 2 class-6 monster cores. we need one more. then we resumed our journey and started to look for other monsters. time flies, within a few hours, we were able to kill 2 more monsters. when it was evening time. we returned to the academy. swish! after appearing in the teleportation tower. we started waking out. after leaving the teleportation tower, i got a class-6 monster core from them. then we parted ways before going to our dorm. after arriving at the dorm room, i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes. and then went to bed to lie down. today the monster zone''s trip went well. we didn''t return empty-handed. then i suddenly thought of something. this morning, dave seamus challenged me. i guess the news has reached everyone''s ears by now. then i began to access the communication watch. when the page was loaded. i saw many new articles. when i started to scroll down the page. several articles appeared and i saw the articles about me. [dave seamus is going to fight?] [zack lockwood- a new super elite warrior''s arrogance!] [dave seamus vs zack lockwood] [dave seamus'' lesson to a rookie] seeing the headlines of the article. my mouth twitched. most of the articles were posted by the flame faction warriors. most of the comments ridiculed me for my recklessness. all of them are optimistic about seamus dave. i can''t wait to see their reaction next week. then i shook my head before scrolling down the page further. a few minutes later, i stopped reading the articles and went to sleep. Chapter 624 Part 1: Fighting Against Seamus ? from mc''s perspective: days passed, i went to the puppet training room to get familiar with my new strength. the following day, i went to the mountain peak twice to recover the purple essence. in a blink of an eye, the next week comes. day of a duel, 9 a.m the duel was scheduled at noon. everyone is eager to go to the duel arena. on the other hand, i arrived at the dining hall. but ernest and laverne are nowhere to be seen. this time i came a bit earlier. shortly after, both of them arrived. ernest and laverne both have smiles on their faces. they are not worried about today''s duel at all. others don''t know but they have witnessed zack''s prowess in the monster zone. a single lightning attack can injure super elite warriors severely. after greeting them we walked into the dining hall. at this point, the dining hall is crowded with people. it''s rather unusual but considering today is a duel today. warriors might want to visit the arena earlier. after receiving the food plate, we found an empty place to sit down. at the same time, i found many piercing gazes on me. most of them are filled with ridicule and contempt. i guess most of the warriors didn''t believe i could win. ignoring their gazes, i started to eat. meanwhile, dean rebecca is looking at the screen. seeing that zack''s duel was scheduled for noon today. she doesn''t know how to react. because everyone knows zack broke through recently. and opposite person seamus dave is one of the strongest in the super elite ranks. she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. she sometimes doesn''t know where zack''s confidence comes from. the next second, she summoned zack''s guardians. shortly after, the 2 guardians appeared. "dean," both of them greeted upon seeing the dean. "what do you guys think about zack''s strength?" rebecca asked. the male guardian and female guardian looked at each other. they are also aware of the duel today. like the dean, both of them were surprised as well. because none of them had seen zack fighting anyone before. "ahem!" "dean, we don''t know. but since he dares to accept the challenge. he must have a trump card with him," the male guardian said. "i think the same as well," the female guardian added. in her opinion, zack is not stupid. dean rebecca eases down her eyebrows. recalling zack''s past duel. she decides to put her trust in him once again. on the other hand, carlos kent is also looking forward to the duel. "harumph" "the flame faction warriors are acting arrogant without the presence of the faction head," carlos muttered to himself. when it comes to zack''s strength. he still has some confidence. time files, at noon, many warriors gathered in the duel arena. except for the flame and special faction head, every other faction head came together with their warriors. in the special faction spectator area, ernest and laverne are seated to watch the duel. as usual, both of their presence was eye-catching. there aren''t many warriors in their area. on the other hand, every other faction''s spectator area is filled with the crowd. shortly after, carlos kent enters the duel arena and he slowly walks to the special faction spectator area. gasp! carlos''s appearance caused an exclamation. because he was not present before. ernest and laverne were dumbfounded as well. carlos simply greeted them by nodding at them before finding a good place to sit down. meanwhile, i''m signing the duel agreement in the office room. the duel is not a life-or-death duel. so any violation would lead to the academy''s punishment. it''s just a formality. after signing the agreement, i walked towards the gate. the gate was slightly opened. but i can hear the cheering crowd from ahead. as i entered the arena, i saw a spectacular view. the spectator area was filled with crowds. then i walked up to the dueling platform. on the other hand, there was no sign of seamus dave. maybe he plans to arrive after me. "harumph," i gave a cold snort in my heart. boo! when i walked up to the platform. the cheering sound changed. instead, a booming sound was heard all of a sudden. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. "this was new," i said in my heart. this shows no one believes me right now. after a few minutes, seamus dave appeared. his appearance brought huge cheering from the crowd. he was the favorite to win the duel. a referee appeared as well. both of them reached the dueling stage. seamus dave walked up to the platform and stood opposite me. right after, the referee gave the signal. seamus shot the black flame towards me. swish! a black color flame quickly covered the arena in a blink of an eye. the black hot flame increases the temperature all of a sudden. even the referee retreated a few steps backward. my eyes flickered. the next second, i brought the black sword outside. and i started to charge the sword with the purple essence. when the scorching hot flame got closer. "sword divide" i discharged the purple beam towards seamus. thunder! the lightning beam cuts through the black flame and reaches the target in a blink of an eye. seamus, who is continuing the attack, was startled by the purple beam. the next second, he stopped his attack and brought the sword to block the lightning attack. bang! n.-o.)v)-e.(l)-b-)1()n a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. smoke covers the platform again. "he uses a sword," i raised my eyebrows in surprise. "this is going to be interesting," my mouth curved into an arc. swish! seamus explodes with great speed to attack with a sword. seeing that i brought the sword forward to clash as well. clang! in the blink of an eye, we were clashing using swords. and the metallic sound is reverberated throughout the area. cheer! on the other hand, the audience is letting out a roaring cheer. earlier, most of them were on the side of seamus. but right now, the audience''s opinions are changing. Chapter 625 Part 2: Fighting Against Seamus ? from mc''s perspective: dueling arena, rebecca appeared above the sky. she is looking down at the dueling stage. the duel is going as she expected. seamus dave is a strong warrior. his black flame is extremely dangerous, unlike other normal flames. at the same time, she also noticed one thing. the lighting element of zack was not easy. a look of interest flashes in her eyes. earlier, she doubted whether zack could win or not. but now she feels zack has a chance. spectator area, "the black flame is threatening," laverne said in a solemn tone. "how long has it been since someone saw his black flame," ernest added. both of them have been studying in the academy since their early days. so they knew about the black flame. it''s seamus'' mutated flame. even in the elite days, he used to win every duel. but when he became super elite. he reduced his activity. most of the time he was in a retreat. now seeing the black flame again. they couldn''t help but rekindle the old memories in their mind. not only them, but the majority of the warriors in the spectator area had similar feelings as well. they don''t realize their conversation was heard by someone. that person is none other than carlos kent who is sitting a few rows behind them. "black flame uh?" his mouth curves into arcs. carlos is here for zack. ever since he heard "young master" from jonathan''s mouth. his worldview has changed. he doesn''t know the power level of jonathan. but he thinks that jonathan belongs to a certain force. and zack seems to be an important seed for them. he does not doubt zack''s background. zach was born in the outer post. his family has a normal background. so there is no relation between them and the inner post. but everything changed when zack showed his lightning ability. carlos believes that jonathan must have contacted zack then. he underestimated the forces in the inner post. normally, any warrior with a special element is recommended by the academy to inner post forces. this was the usual case. in that way, every academy gains favor and resources from the inner post forces. carlos kent''s eyes flickered. he had made a mistake before. now he realizes something. he has ambitions of going to an inner post. it would only happen if he could convince jonathan. while he is having his thoughts. the other faction heads also make their judgments. dueling stage, clang! metallic sound continues to reverberate throughout the area. both of our blades are colliding with each other. after a few seconds, we retreated backward. looking at him, i couldn''t help but frown. he doesn''t seem to be exhausted. all of a sudden, a good idea strikes my mind. the next second, i brought the sword forward to attack. swish! i disappeared from the spot and started charging against him. seamus dave gave a cold snort before dashing forward as well. when he got closer. i released the lightning technique. "lightning wheel" a powerful lightning wheel formed in an instant around me. seamus who brought the sword forward to attack was startled all of a sudden. but he was too late to evade. bang! when he collided with the lightning wheel. the lightning wheel explodes all of a sudden. a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. seamus dave''s body was sent back flying. and he crashed onto the dueling stage. when the smoke settles down. cheer! the crowd erupts with a roaring cheer. seeing that seamus was hit hard. he decided not to let go of this opportunity. "lightning finger technique" a powerful beam released from the finger and shot at seamus who was trying to get up. in a flash, the beam reaches seamus and hits his chest. boom! the lightning beam broke through his defense and caused severe injury. at the same time, his body was pushed toward the edge of the dueling stage. this all happened within seconds. quiet! the audience has become pin-drop silent. there was no more loud noise. pfff! seamus dave coughed up blood. his chest was hit hard. he can feel the cracking sound of the chest bones. boom! before he could act. lightning beam after lightning beam hits his body. the lightning power tore through the flesh, exposing the chest bones. pfff! a few seconds later, seamus dave looked bloodied. any more attacks might be life-threatening to seamus. quiet! the audience was silent. they realized that the duel had reached its end. seamus found it hard to regain the clarity. his mind became fuzzy because of the injury. on the other hand, i saw that seamus was not in a condition to duel anymore. so i turned towards the referee. feeling my gaze, the referee went to seamus to ask. seamus can hear somewhat. but he was extremely unwilling in his heart. looking at the heavy bleeding, he realized it was not good to continue the duel. when he accepted defeat. the referee declared zack as a winner. cheer! the crowd erupted in a roaring cheer. the duel has a surprising result. no one would have expected zack as a winner before the duel. now the winner was right before them. soon, seamus dave was taken to the infirmary. on the other hand, i walked towards the exit. the crowd starts to leave one after another. ernest and laverne looked at each other in disbelief. "that was fast. don''t tell me he was playing earlier," laverne said with a smile. "ha....ha....ha...." "no wonder he was that confident. he got more skilled in lightning techniques," ernest said with a laugh. carlos kent has the same opinion as well. zack''s lightning techniques are faster and more fierce. zack didn''t give any chance to seamus for a counterattack. swish! then he disappeared from the spot. he directly used the flight ability to return. ernest and seamus started to leave. meanwhile, seamus was admitted to the infirmary. the old healer''s expression turned dark when he found the traces of the lightning element. days passed in the blink of an eye, other big academies are preparing for the year-end conference as well. their internal competition is also taking place. meanwhile, jonathan returned to the outer post with few helpers. they are here to reinforce the space barrier. if not solved the weakness in time, the entire outer post may face danger. when the helpers went in different directions to check the barrier. jonathan decides to visit zack lockwood. time flies, in the academy, i returned to my dorm room after late training. after entering the room, i quickly went to take a shower. several minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes and sat on the sofa. then i began to contemplate. these days the academy has been quiet. no one is challenging anymore. especially after seamus''s defeat. the flame faction has become quiet. they retreat whenever they spot me. which also gave me a chance to concentrate on other things. the year-end conference is nearing. i''m going to face warriors from other academies. n-/ovelb1n when i''m pondering. beep! my communication watch lit up with the notification. when i saw the message. i stood up from the sofa and walked toward the door to open. creak! the door opened. the next second, i saw jonathan standing in front of me. it''s been several weeks since he left the place. looking at him, i greeted him inside. jonathan walked into the room before sitting down on the sofa. then he started to ask about the recent events. hearing that i started to tell what happened so far. 15 minutes later, jonathan sighed in relief. he thought some might come in place of that prisoner. fortunately, nothing short of that had happened. then he thought of something. he looked at zack and said, "master asked me to tell you something?" hearing that my expression turned serious. "what is it?" i asked. "since you have become a super elite warrior. you are now qualified to enter the inner post as a seed." "so are you ready to come with me or not?" jonathan asked. hearing that my eyes flickered. that was fast. everyone is preparing for the year-end conference. it''s too early to leave. if dean hears this she would be disappointed for sure. "i want to participate in the year-end conference. can i leave after that?" i asked. jonathan furrowed his eyebrows. he thought for a moment before nodding his head. he knows that the academy needs resources. only after the year-end conference. all 6 big academies can conclude to distribute the resources. after speaking for a few minutes, he left the dorm room. the following day, after getting out of bed, i started to do my morning routine. jonathan''s return has been a wake-up call for me. i might have to leave the academy sooner. time flies, after getting ready, i walked out of the dorm room and started heading towards the infirmary room. a few patients have been admitted with mild injuries. the old healer has been enjoying his leisure time lately. Chapter 626 Part 1: Eclipse Academy’s Supreme Elder chapter 626 part 1: eclipse academy''s supreme elder eclipse academy: the supreme elder of the eclipse academy is reading the report on the recent development in the academy. his name was cameron. he appears to be an old man in his sixties with little white hair over his head. when he heard the news from the giant tower academy. that was a wake-up call. nobody pays attention to the outer post. the word of the 6 big academies is final in this region. all of a sudden, 2 unknown powerhouses were found confronting each other in their region. which certainly sends alarm bells. then he walks out of the mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden. he walks to the front lawn where chairs and tables are set up. after arriving at the place, he leisurely sat on the chair and summoned the eclipse academy dean to come. shortly after, a middle-aged man wearing a white and blue mixed uniform appears. he appears to be 6ft tall in height. he has short black hair and eyes. his skin tone was pale. his name was edgar. he is the dean of the eclipse academy. when standing in front of the supreme elder. he was humble. "supreme elder," he then greeted the elder with a bow. cameron didn''t look at him. rather he set up a tea pot and focused on making tea. dean egar was used to it. so he didn''t show any impatience. he politely stood there. a few minutes later, when the tea was made. cameron poured the tea into the cup and then began to take a sip of it. while enjoying the taste. he asked, "edgar, is the news true?" "or the giant tower''s supreme elder lost his mind." dean edgar was stunned. it''s been several days since the incident happened. "didn''t expect the supreme elder to pay attention to this, "he said in his heart. "supreme elder, the news was indeed true. because the damage done to tower city was real. now they are reconstructing it," edgar answered. at the same time, he is slightly tense. he suspects that their supreme elder has found something. "alas!" "our region was peaceful. why are unknown people bothering?" cameron said in a low tone. then he thought about something. "what about the viper academy?" he asked. at the same time, a deep chill flashes in his eyes. the giant tower and the eclipse academy shared the same interest. both have hatred against the saw scale viper academy. dean edgar frowned. there is not much happening in that viper academy according to spies. then he thought of something. "elder, the viper academy has a lightning element warrior named zack lockwood." "he is showing promising performance. he had defeated a senior super elite warrior in his academy." "if i''m right, he is likely to pose a threat to our students during the year-end conference," edgar added further. cameron, who was sipping tea, paused for a moment. "lightning element," a quick gleam flashes in his eyes. then he recalled a couple of months ago he heard the news about lightning element warriors. he might be the same kid. shaking his head, he said, "that kid might have a background. special element warriors are quickly recruited by big organizations." "there is no need to offend him." hearing that edgar nodded his head. because the special element warriors in their academy also have been recruited by the inner post organization. after speaking for a few minutes, he left the place. cameron put the tea cup before sighing. he was expecting some good news. but there was no movement in the viper academy. n(/ovelbin when he saw viper academy''s supreme elder last time. that old man was not in a good shape. cameron thought about verifying the news. if something bad happened to him. then it''s good for their academy. they can now grab the resources of the viper academy. a quick gleam flashes in his eyes. he can understand the difficulty of the spies. is it impossible for them to know about what the supreme elder of another academy is doing? finally, cameron thought about visiting the viper academy himself. he can meet the old enemy and at the same time, he wants to know about the 2 unknown powerhouses. swish! he disappeared from the spot and appeared above the sky. looking at all those blue towering buildings. cameron observed the changes. many warriors are roaming around and going about their business. then he thought of something and started moving toward the viper academy. time flies, after a few hours of rushing, cameron reaches the borders of the viper academy. he pauses for a moment. there is a possibility for artifacts to be placed at the border. if there is any intrusion of a warrior above sss-rank, it might alert the academy. he thought for a moment before entering. anyway, he is going to meet the old enemy. even if he knows it doesn''t matter. shortly after, saw scale viper academy: dean rebecca received an alert message when she was working in her office. at first, she thought it might be an ordinary message. but after reading the message. her expression changes drastically. "someone infiltrated into our territory" she uttered in a solemn tone. "who could be?" she furrowed her eyebrows. the direction is coming from the north. then she immediately thought about the eclipse academy. "is it possible for them to come here?" she doubted. then she remembers the artifact picks up a power level above sss-rank. the next second, she stood up from her seat and left the room. if the person who is coming is an eclipse academy''s supreme elder, then he likely wants to meet their elder. rebecca appeared outside in mid-air. she moved hurriedly towards the late supreme elder''s mansion. swish! in a few seconds, she reaches the place. though the supreme elder is the dean. but the mansion and surrounding area have a formation left. as long as she activates the formation. she can stop the prying eyes of the eclipse academy''s supreme elder. in the blink of an eye. an invisible barrier envelops the whole place. apart from her, no one can enter inside. Chapter 627 Part 2: Eclipse Academy’s Supreme Elder chapter 627 part 2: eclipse academy''s supreme elder from mc''s perspective: cameron reaches viper city. seeing the magnificent fortified city, he snorted in his heart. "these people don''t have artistic taste," he said to himself. the construction style of the buildings is simple and plain. cameron then starts flying across the city. in a blink of an eye, he crossed the city. he then starts moving towards the academy. 30 minutes later, he entered the space of the viper academy. he saw all the four institution buildings. he paused before moving towards the supreme elder''s mansion. when he arrived there, he saw no one there. he furrowed his eyebrows as he sensed the presence of the formation. "the old dog is alive," he said with a bitter smile. but he never thought the formation was arranged by someone. for a moment, he stood there in mid-air. he doesn''t know whether to inspect or not. if the old dog is alive, then the conflict might break out here. "hateful," after saying that he made some decision. he doesn''t want to waste his trip. so he decided to meet the giant tower academy''s supreme elder. he then also asks him about the 2 unknown powerhouses. swish! he disappeared from the spot. in the blink of an eye, he moved away from the academy space. when he was completely gone. dean rebecca who was in her office cabin sighed in relief. after activating the formation, she came back to her cabin. if she is present there, the eclipse academy''s supreme elder can spot her. fortunately, she was clever. calming down her racing heart. she thought about that person''s visit. "why did he come?" she asked herself. she knows that they didn''t have good relations with the eclipse academy. it''s the same case with the giant tower academy. when she thought the problem with the giant tower academy was over. now the eclipse academy is making her worry. what to do? she tapped the desk. the next second, the image of a certain person comes to her mind. "zack," she mumbled under her breath. then she summoned zack. meanwhile, puppet training room; a few minutes ago, bang! the silver puppet explodes when the blood fist comes in contact with the body. when the dust settles down. i select the next puppet to appear. a silver puppet appears above the platform. when i decided to use the blood fist again. beep! a sudden message broke my concentration. seeing that i stopped my movement and started to read the message. "dean summoned me!" i raised my eyebrows in surprise. then i decided to meet her after getting freshened up. several minutes later, i left the building and started approaching the office building. soon, i reached the place and walked up to her cabin. creak! when i arrived at the cabin, the door opened automatically. i walked inside the room. i saw dean rebecca with a serious expression. "we have a new headache," after saying that rebecca starts to say what happened. a few minutes later, my expression was darkened. i couldn''t help but recall the recruitment day. i felt hatred from the representative of the eclipse academy as well. i didn''t expect they would come into the picture. but what''s more surprising is that their supreme elder dared to enter our academy. but the good thing is that jonathan was here. i looked at the dean and assured her by saying, "don''t worry dean. i''ll see what i can do about this?" after speaking for a few minutes, i left the room and started walking out. after appearing outside, i called jonathan to inform him. the call was quickly connected. when i told him about his incident. coincidentally, jonathan was there in tower city to strengthen the barrier. after speaking to him, i walked towards my dorm room. meanwhile, tower city: jonathan, who was here with the helper to strengthen the barrier, didn''t expect to hear such news. he thought the outer post would be calm without turmoil. but the eclipse academy is making the waves. "interesting," he muttered to himself. then he shifted his focus back to the space barrier. he made up his mind to deal with the eclipse academy''s supreme elder later. an hour later, jonathan felt the turbulence in the space barrier. it''s caused by someone''s interference. swish! jonathan disappears from the spot and starts moving towards the academy. not long after, he spotted someone going towards the giant tower academy. seeing that jonathan frowned. "commander rank," he muttered to himself. then he recalls zack''s message. "could he be?" he stopped mid-way. then he decides to follow him secretly. cameron is going straight towards the academy. he didn''t even realize that someone was following him from behind. swish! in the blink of an eye, he reached the academy. there are many towering buildings inside the academy. cameron is slowly moving towards the deep. jonathan is also following in a flash. when cameron got closer. the supreme elder of the giant tower academy felt the presence of the intruder. swish! nove-lb-1n in the blink of an eye, he appears outside. when he saw cameron. a hint of surprise flashes in his eyes. "what are you going to do here?" he asked. cameron observed his long-time friend before saying," i heard your city got attacked by unknown people." "so i came here to talk to you," he added. "alright, let''s go inside," the supreme elder of the giant tower academy said. when both entered inside. jonathan appeared. looking at both of them, he feels something fishy. he decides to hear what they are going to talk about. cameron and the supreme elder both appeared outside of the hidden mansion. instead of going inside, cameron stood there and asked, "did you see those guys?" "or is it a rumor that you spread?" the supreme elder wasn''t surprised. he looked at him and answered," i haven''t seen them during their fight because the aftermath was damaging the city." "harumph," cameron gave a cold snort. he was dissatisfied with the answer. both don''t know that someone else is listening to their conversations. Chapter 628 Taught a lesson chapter 628 taught a lesson from mc''s perspective: giant tower academy: "are you sure they will not appear again?" cameron asked. the supreme elder revealed a bitter smile on his face. he was scared that day. that''s why he had activated the formation to cover the whole academy. then he thought of something. "the headmaster of our academy was found dead when that incident happened," he said. "oh, that useless guy," cameron said. he recalled the annoying face of the giant tower headmaster. "now, let''s come back to the main topic," cameron said. "what are you going to do about the viper academy?" "i didn''t find that old guy back there," he added further. the supreme elder frowned. he knows more or less about the viper academy''s recent activities. they are also preparing for the year-end conference. their selection competition was over a few weeks ago. then i looked at cameron and said, "i just ended my retreat recently. i don''t know much about the recent events." cameron furrowed his eyebrows. he came here to join forces together to handle the viper academy. "last time, i saw that old guy was severely injured. unless there is help from the inner post. he can''t survive." "so i suspect something fishy is happening in that academy," cameron said in a solemn tone. if not for the formation, he would have entered the mansion to verify. "oh, you are right!" "when you mentioned the inner post. i remembered something." "the viper academy has a lightning seed. maybe the old guy sought help from the lightning kid''s background," the supreme elder said. "lightning kid again," cameron''s face frowned. looked at the supreme elder and asked, "when did the giant tower academy become so righteous?" "if i''m right, both of you are do-or-die enemies. now you forgot to target the lightning seed of the enemy camp," he added in a sarcastic tone. the supreme elder''s expression was serious. he said, "if that kid goes to the inner post, he would die for sure." "but here it''s difficult to target that kid. we tried for 2 times. but ultimately the mission failed." cameron sneered inside. he knows the supreme elder loves his life more than the academy. maybe he doesn''t want to offend the powerful enemy. "alright, i don''t want the viper academy to get a good place in the year-end conference." "so we should work together. on top of that, you should come with me to check the viper academy again." "my intuition tells me he is not in good shape. if he is gone, then we can make our plan bigger," cameron said. the supreme elder''s eyes shine with bright light. "okay, if the old man was gone for real, then we can divide the viper academy into two," the supreme elder said with a smile. but they don''t know someone is already staring at them from the dark. "these 2 dogs are too cunning. they want to divide the viper academy," jonathan''s eyes turned cold. he thought it was the right time to make the entrance. swish! he instantly appeared in front of them. before they could feel his presence. rumble! a massive corrosion was applied on them. cameron and the supreme elder who were talking to each other stunned all of a second. smash! the next moment, both looked at each other with horror-filled eyes. the massive coercion has planted them directly onto the ground. pfff! both of them felt all the bones in their cracking for a second. coughing up blood, both tried to raise their heads. but the coercion was so powerful. that they couldn''t move their body an inch. cameron was terrified in his heart. there was someone beside them who had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "who could be?" he said in his heart. he wasn''t able to withstand the coercion. then what about the person''s real strength? the supreme elder was even more horrified. he felt the same way when that incident happened. "don''t tell me that person was here," he prayed in his heart. but the next second, both of them heard a stern voice. "you guys had an interesting conversation. but it''s a pity, i like the viper academy," jonathan said. cameron and the supreme elder are terrified. now they are really afraid of dying. a few minutes ago, they discussed splitting the viper academy''s resources. now someone is saying that he likes the viper academy. cameron regretted coming here. jonathan''s eyes flickered. he doesn''t want to kill them. because both the academies are branches. the main one is located in the inner post. seeing that both of them are deeply injured. he canceled the coercion. "don''t target the viper academy. if i found out, then both of your heads will be rolling," after saying that jonathan disappeared from the spot. cameron and the supreme elder found their bodies returned to normal. they can move their body now. cameron immediately took the healing pill and swallowed it in one go. the supreme elder did the same. 15 minutes later, the injuries in their bodies have reduced somewhat. cameron tried to stand up. when he stood up, he checked the condition of his body. there are a lot of hidden injuries. it would take a few months to recover. cameron''s expression turned ugly. he didn''t expect to meet this accident here. whoever appeared in front of them was very strong. he is certainly not someone who belongs to the outer post. he then glanced at the supreme elder who was trying to get up. "harumph," he gave a cold snort. he recalled the words of the supreme elder at the end. he had talked about dividing the viper academy. if not for his finishing words, the person wouldn''t have got angrier. swish! without waiting for the supreme elder to respond. he disappeared from the spot and rushed out towards the exit. a few minutes later, the supreme elder got up and checked his injuries as well. his injuries have worsened. he thought for a moment before shuddering. the stranger could be hiding here. the next second, he disappeared into the mansion to activate the formation. but he doesn''t know that the stranger has already arrived in viper city. jonathan then shared the news with zack lockwood. he thinks that zack lockwood would be flat out to hear this news. when the connection was established. "zack, i fought with their supreme elder," he said. "is it eclipse academy''s supreme elder?" i asked back. "i think he is the one," after saying that jonathan started to speak about their conversation. a few minutes later, i sighed inwardly. fortunately, jonathan was present there to handle the situation. otherwise, the 2 supreme elders would have found out the truth. jonathan ended the call. then i texted a message to dean rebecca. the following day, 10 a.m, after having breakfast, i separated from ernest and laverne and started heading towards the teleportation tower. shortly after, i walked up to the circular platform and selected the server. swish! i disappeared from the spot and appeared inside the monster zone. the dense green vegetation and a bright light greeted my face. rustle! the next second, i found that the bushes in front of me were moving. when i activated my perception. i saw the monster''s appearance. a huge boar monster is rushing out towards me. when the monster appeared before me. "lightning finger technique" a purple beam released from my finger and shot at the boar monster. pfff! the beam pierced through the monster''s head hereby ending the monster''s life. tud! the boar monster dropped dead on the ground. the boar monster is a class-4 monster. i didn''t plan on dissecting the monster''s body. after collecting the monster core, i left the spot. not long after, i came across another monster. this time it was different. the monster has spikes all over its body. seeing that my eyes flickered. the monster has a similar height as me. but the strength of the monster is class 5. swish! when the monster saw me. it shot many spikes towards me. the speed was so fast it reached me in a blink of an eye. "lightning phantom technique" the purple lightning covered my legs. in an instant, i retreated several steps backward. tud! the spikes hit the empty ground one after another. on the other hand, the monster showed no movements. it remained in the same spot. seeing that i furrowed my eyebrows. this monster was different. it''s not showing any murderous intention at all. swish! the next moment, the monster senses something and it disappears into the bushes. seeing that i observed something in my perception. an even more dangerous monster is approaching. looking at the monster it appears to be a cat-type monster. seeing that i didn''t move from my spot and waited for the monster to appear. nove-1b)in shortly after, a black-striped tiger walked out of the bushes. the monster is almost twice the size of mine. when i observed the strength. i felt a slight threatening aura from it. Chapter 629 Part 1: Monster Riot! chapter 629 part 1: monster riot! from mc''s perspective: monster zone, the black striped tiger is moved fast. in the blink of an eye, i saw a massive claw before my face. "blood fist" i raised my fist to counter the attack. in the blink of an eye, the blood power reaches the fist from bones. when the punch collides with the claw. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the class-6 monster tiger retreated a few steps backward. but it remained unscathed. fortunately, the monster is at an early stage. there is still some chance to defeat the monster. roar! the monster let out a huge roar before leaping towards me. "a great chance," my eyes flickered. when the monster got closer to me. i released the lightning defensive technique. "lightning wheel" a purple-colored lightning wheel formed around me. the lightning wheel beaming with dangerous power. the tiger monster was startled. but it''s too late to evade the attack. when the monster collided with a lightning wheel. the next second, the lightning wheel explodes. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. because of the impact. i retreated a few steps backward. that was the same case with the monster. but when the smoke was gone. i observed the monster. the lightning-caused deep wounds in the monster''s limbs. the next second, something surprising happened again. the tiger monster stood up with great difficulty and ran back into the wilderness again. seeing that i stood in the same spot in a daze. "what''s happening to these monsters?" i muttered to myself. shake! then i felt the tremor on the ground. i activated my perception ability to see. the next second, i saw some coming in my direction. as the seconds pass, i get heart palpitations. a more dangerous aura is approaching this place. "could it be a class-7 monster?" i said in my heart. "lightning phantom technique" a powerful lightning bolt covered my legs. the next moment, i burst out with great speed to move towards the nearest teleportation point. the class-7 monster is dangerous. it can reach me in an instant. i don''t want to face such a monster now which is equal to the sss-rank elite warrior. not long after, a tree root appears above the ground by cracking the ground surface. each tree root is looking for prey to catch. after seeing that there was nothing on the surface. the tree roots went back to the ground and disappeared in the blink of an eye. a few minutes later, i reached the teleportation point and selected the server to return. swish! when i appeared outside. i saw a lot more people with injuries. like me, they are also coming from the monster zones. "what happened?" i asked myself. a warrior who was far away from me heard my mumbling. he turned towards me and started to tell me what happened. a few minutes later, a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes as i left the teleportation tower. "a riot is happening in the monster zone," i muttered to myself. what caused such a large-scale riot? i see many of them are going towards the infirmary. beep! just as i thought my communication watch lit up with notification. when i saw the contact name. it was from the old healer. he must be asking me to come to the infirmary. when i attended the call. i heard a deep voice. "hey, kid. come to the infirmary as soon as possible. it''s an emergency time." hearing that i agreed to go there. after ending the call, i wore a mask to cover my face. then i started heading towards the infirmary. when i reached the place. i saw the place was crowded with the warriors. the warriors with mild injuries are still waiting outside. seeing that my eyes flickered. my healing essence won''t be enough to support the treatment today. after calming down my heart, i walked into the infirmary. after walking through the corridor, i reached the old healer''s room. just when i got closer. he opened the room to walk out. "you are here!" the old healer said. hearing that i nodded my head at him. right after he led me towards the treatment room. after arriving at the room, i saw many patients admitted in a single room. seeing that old healer checked the patients one by one before asking me to treat some patients. i walked to the first patient who was a wind elemental warrior. he has a lot of skin injuries. most of the flesh was torn apart. seeing that i looked at him. the patient was unconscious. there is no need to talk to him. then i placed my hands on his injuries and started to pour the healing energy. a small green film appeared above the injury. a few minutes later, the skin injuries recovered to some extent. seeing that i continued to treat the remaining injuries. an hour later, i walked out of the treatment room and headed to the staff room to recover my healing essence. the old healer is still treating patients with severe injuries. suddenly, i thought of something. i still don''t know about the cause of the monster riot. after arriving at the staff room, i opened the door to enter inside. walking into the room, i found an empty sofa to sit down on. then i began to access the communication watch. after opening the online page, i saw many new articles trending. all of them are posted by warriors returned from the monster zone. [monsters riot!] then i began to read the first article. a few minutes later, my expression turned serious. then i hurriedly called dean rebecca but the call was not connected. according to the article, something is happening at the core of the monster zone. suddenly, something struck my mind. "don''t tell me it has something to do with the space barriers," i muttered to myself. there is a high possibility for it. but before doing anything about it. first, i have to recover the healing essence. eclipse academy: after a few hours of flying, cameron returns to the academy. he didn''t inform anyone about his injury, rather he went straight to his mansion. after arriving at his room, he took a few more expensive liquids and injected them into his body. the healing liquids are more expensive than the potion. they can be normally found in the healing center. but here cameron has a large quantity of healing liquids. after injecting the liquid, he lay down on his bed. then he closed his eyes. but he wasn''t able to calm down his heart. the experience has left him with a deep horror in his mind. how long has it been since he got injured by someone? he can''t remember the exact days. it had happened many decades ago when he was like other struggling warriors. the healing energy is slowly healing the internal injuries. because of the constant pain, he opened his eyes. "viper academy," he mumbled under his breath. all the 6 big academies here have some or less connection to the inner post organization. the ranks and strength of the inner post organizations vary. he is friends with the giant tower academy. it''s not only because of their supreme elder. but it has to do with their organization. both the giant tower and eclipse academy have main branches in the inner post. as far as he knows, the relations of the main branch are good. that''s why he is having good relations with the giant tower academy. so whenever there is an opportunity, both the academies join hands together to reap benefits. but this time his plans have backfired. out of nowhere, the viper academy has the person from the inner post. at first, he was not sure. however, the difference in strength made him realize that a person does not belong to this region. that person''s warning was ringing in his ears. thinking about it, his heart boils in anger. but it can''t be helped. if he does something, it might anger that person. when it comes to the supreme elder of the giant tower academy. he was even more annoyed. that person was there all along near the giant tower academy. but that useless supreme elder had failed to realize this. now he thinks he might not even want to leave the mansion. nove.lb/in inside his body, the damaged organs are slowly recovering. because of that, his pain was alleviated a little. "it would be better if someone from the main institution visited us," he mumbled under his breath. if it happens, he doesn''t have to be afraid of that person. his eyes shone with the bright light. there is a way to contact someone in the main institution. but unless it''s necessary it''s strictly forbidden to disturb the people in the main branch. but now he has a reason to do that. someone from the inner post is staying here. and he has connections to the viper academy. he thinks the reason was enough to convince the people in the main institution. when he thought of this plan. his eyebrows got relaxed. next, he has to wait for the injuries to heal. Chapter 630 Part 2: Monster Riot! chapter 630 part 2: monster riot! jonathan and others are strengthening the barrier. but they also found out at the last moment that the space barriers of many monster zones are weakening. which disturbed the stability of the monster zone. hereby causing a massive riot there. then jonathan and others quickly went to each monster zone to strengthen the barrier. starting from the more unstable monster zone on the other hand, the higher-ups of the 6 big academies are terrified. they don''t know what''s happening. apart from the supreme elder, no one is daring to enter the dangerous monster zone. some monster zones have peak stage class-7 monster. they are capable of fighting against sss-rank warriors. if they get any injury, it would affect the strength of the academy. so they stayed back in their respective academy. meanwhile, the supreme elder of the giant tower academy and eclipse academy seem to guess something. they believe that it has something to do with the stranger. but they didn''t share it with the other academy. viper academy; unlike other academies, the supreme elder of this academy was no more. rebecca finds it difficult to keep this matter hidden. especially after supreme elder cameron''s visit. she became even more worried. right now, she has entered one of the unstable monster zones. tremor! the whole place is shaking with tremor. the plants and vegetation were destroyed. the monsters on the ground are letting out one roar after another. each monster is running for a life trying to find our more stable land. rebecca who is standing in the mid air saw the scene. she couldn''t help but worry. not only on the ground, even standing in the mid air she felt the changes. the space itself is trembling. a hint of apprehension appeared in her eyes. if this situation continues then all the life in this monster zone will die. she suddenly thought of something. zack texted her yesterday regarding the supreme elder''s situation. he had mentioned that the supreme elder''s situation was sorted out. they won''t appear back again. she thinks that person behind zack is still here. if he can help them it would be better. swish! in a blink of an eye, she disappears from the spot. ... from mc''s perspective: after recovering the healing energy, i resumed the treatment. but there are many warriors with serious injuries. i''m not capable of handling such injuries. but seeing the dire situation. i''m thinking about improving the healing hand further. beep! when i''m treating the patient. my communication watch lit up with the notification. seeing that i stopped healing and attended the call. "zack, where are you?" "come to my cabin asap!" dean rebecca''s voice reached my ears. there was no one else inside the room except the patient and me. and the patient was unconscious. so i boldly talked to her. "dean, what happened?" i asked. "come to my cabin. i need your help with something," after saying that rebecca ended the call. my expression turned serious. now i''m starting to think the problem has something to do with the space barrier. after looking at the patient, i decided to leave. the green film has covered most of the injuries. this would take some time to take effect. creak! after opening the door, i walked outside. i see many warriors crowding outside the treatment room. when i walked past one of the rooms. i caught a glimpse of how an old healer is treating broken hands. then i reached the exit and walked out without turning back. after that i started heading towards the office building. soon i reached the room and walked upstairs. after reaching the dean''s cabin. creak! the door opened automatically. then i walked into her room. when i saw her expression. she was deeply worried. it was worse than earlier. "dean, what happened?" while asking that i sat opposite to her. rebecca calmed down her heart before starting telling what was happening inside the monster zone. a few minutes later,n)-ovelb1n my expression turned solemn. i was fortunate that i didn''t spend more time in the monster zone. i had to leave at that time. thinking about it now, i made a wise decision. "dean, what do you want me to do now?" i asked back. "i know that person is still here. could you contact him to help us?" dean asked. hearing that i nodded at her. i know that jonathan has been working on this. but the monster zone trouble came out of the blue. i called jonathan in front of her. when the call was connected. i heard jonathan''s voice. "what happened?" he asked. a faint smile appeared on my face. he didn''t address me as a young master, which is good. otherwise, the dean would be freaked out. "jonathan, the monster zones are unstable here. if this goes on many monster zones will be destroyed," i replied. "we are working on this one by one. don''t worry everything will turn normal within today," jonathan said. hearing that i sighed in relief and ended the call. not only me, dean rebecca''s complexion also return to normal. after speaking for a few minutes with her. i felt the room and started going back to the infirmary. though jonathan has assured us. but many lives are inevitably going to die. this would have a huge impact on the academy. already, the academy is going to fight for the resources in the upcoming year-end conference. this damage would further make the competition even more severe. shaking my head, i continued heading towards the infirmary. time flies, because of the continuous quake in the monster zone. many of the monsters are killed in this incident. this unknown incident has caused damage to all the 6 academies. as the time got closer, the tremor stopped, giving relief to thousands of monsters. but they don''t know that someone is working behind the scenes very hard to stabilize the space barriers. the following day, eclipse academy: the supreme elder cameron walks out of the mansion and arrives at the front lawn. as usual, he sat on the chair and started making tea. shortly after, the dean edgar appears in front of him with a report. without needing to raise his head, cameron knew what this was all about. edgar started to speak. "elder, we have lost a total of 14 monster zones with zero life. everything in there was completely destroyed." "it''s a miracle that the space barrier was stabilized before the monster zone itself was destroyed altogether." cameron paused his movement for a second. 14 monster zones? it''s a huge blow to the academy. edgar was worried as well. he doesn''t know what the supreme elder is going to do? cameron doesn''t know what the losses are at the giant tower academy. "alright, you can leave. we will do something about it later," cameron said. after receiving the order, edgar left the spot. cameron frowned. the monster zones returned to normal after some time. he couldn''t help but feel it had something to do with that person from the inner post. he can''t even go to the giant tower academy to meet. he may seem alright. but still there are some hidden injuries in the body. he doesn''t want to leave without getting fully healed. after drinking the tea, he stood up from the seat. then he went back to the mansion to get some rest. the giant tower academy: the supreme elder of the giant tower academy is also getting the reports. the scale of the damage was similar to the eclipse academy. but the supreme elder was not in the mood to investigate everything. like cameron, he still has some hidden injuries. he doesn''t want to do anything unless he hears something from cameron. meanwhile, viper academy: the crowd gathered at the infirmary finally starts to recede. in one of the treatment rooms, i''m healing a female warrior from the glad faction. something was stabbed in her abdomen which left a deep injury in it. when i used the healing hand. a thick green essence poured into her injured area. i don''t know how the healing hand will heal the hidden injuries. as the time passes, the wound begins to heal. after some time, a green field appeared over the wound. seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. slowly, the wound began to heal. then i saw that it was already time. i don''t think that old healer would let me go back to the room. when i walked out of the room. i saw the old healer going back to his room. seeing that i turned around to leave. but the next second, i heard a voice. "do you have to go?" hearing that i immediately turned around and saw the old healer is looking at me with a smile on his face. "i''ll come back in the morning," i said. the old healer thought about it for a moment before agreeing to it. "alright, you can go," he said. hearing that i sighed in relief. then i turned around and walked towards the exit. Chapter 631 Going to B-Grade Institute chapter 631 going to b-grade institute from mc''s perspective: a few days passed, after getting out of bed, i started to recall today''s schedule. the turmoil of monster zones comes to an end. after jonathan and his team''s efforts, the environment returned to normal. even the patients who were severely injured are showing good recovery. but the scare was real. if jonathan hadn''t dealt with the mysterious person. the consequences would have been severe. after the incident, jonathan went back to the inner post. he told me that he would come back during the year-end conference. and i think after the year-end conference, i will leave the academy. sigh~ a small sigh escaped from my mouth. days are passing fast. then i started to do my morning routine. 9 a.m, i left the dorm room and walked towards the dining hall. when i reached the place. i saw ernest and laverne waiting for me as usual. we then walked into the dining hall. "how are you preparing for the year-end conference?" ernest asked. "it''s going well," i replied. but laverne showed a confused expression. before i could ask, she opened her mouth to say," i think the event should be postponed to next year." "what?" ernest uttered in surprise. by the time we arrived in front of the counter. after getting the food, we found our usual spot to sit down and eat. ernest asked, "now tell me?" laverne nodded at her before saying, "i heard that the other 5 academies have suffered huge damage. they are in urgent need of resources. if the year-end conference was held, then the competition is going to be more severe." "i almost forgot about it. but without the conference, it''s difficult to distribute the resources for next year," ernest added. listening to both of their opinions. i couldn''t help but feel sorry for the dean. she is already afraid of certain things. this new information will add to their headache. then we continued eating. from time to time, we discussed something. after having breakfast, we walked out of the dining hall. then the three of us parted ways. ernest and laverne also trained hard individually. considering the recent incident, i doubt anyone dares to go to the monster zone anytime soon. there is no news from the administration yet. should i go and ask her? i raised my eyebrows. after that incident, i had either spent time alone in training or the infirmary treating patients. after gaining some clarity, i started walking towards the office building. soon, i reached the place and started walking towards her cabin. when i got there. creak! the door opened automatically. seeing that i walked into the room. when i saw her. she was usually doing some work on the digital screen. rebecca saw zack before closing the page on the screen. she said, "we escaped narrowly from getting bankrupt." i sat opposite her and asked, "dean, how are the monster zones right now?" "can i go to the place?" i added. rebecca''s eyes flickered. right now, the students are in a state of panic. even the administration stopped giving missions temporarily. all the students are in the academy and no one wants to go to the monster zone. unless they get assurance from her. but as a dean, she was not sure for herself. so looking at zack right now. she was in a dilemma. "zack, i admire your courage. but still, i recommend you to wait for a few weeks," she said. "what? weeks!" i uttered in surprise. rebecca didn''t change her expression. she nodded her head before saying, "i know the person behind you has solved everything. but still, other academies are showing some patience." "if we allow the entrance, then it would attract attention from the unwanted eyes. and i won''t be surprised if the supreme elder of the eclipse academy comes back to investigate," she said in a solemn tone. but i wasn''t convinced. she is afraid of other academies. but after jonathan''s treatment, i doubt any of them would have ill intention. "dean, it''s boring to spend an entire week in training. i want to go to the monster zones. not only for improving my skills. but also for collecting monster cores," i said in a serious tone. rebecca showed some pandering expression before thinking of an idea. "why don''t you go to other institutions of our academy?" "you are inching for a fight. and i doubt any of them from an a-grade institution would be ready to fight against you." "but if you go to b, c, and d grade institutions, i guess there will be students ready to challenge you," rebecca said. "but i''m a super elite warrior now," i replied. in my opinion, the warriors here are not that challenging. so the warriors in the b-grade institution might be worse than here. "ha...ha...ha..." "you are underestimating them," rebecca said with a laugh. "i heard you initially had a d grade quota for admission. but you changed your life during the competition. so there are tough warriors out there." "it''s just that they didn''t have a chance to enter an a-grade institution like you," she added. her words brought me some understanding. i started recalling my early days. d grade quota was a hard-earned reward for uncle james. because of turn events, i managed to get into this a-grade institution. instead of spending time alone, it''s better to take a look. what''s happening out there? "alright, i''m ready to visit the b-grade institution," i said. hearing that rebecca smiled. this was supposed to happen months ago. but zack has the time now. then she taps the digital screen in front of her and gives some special permission to zack. so that he can enter and exit the premises of the b-grade institution. "i gave you access to enter. if you go there, there will be someone to guide you. if you want to fight, then you challenge someone freely," rebecca said. hearing that, i feel good. not that many had gone to lower institutions. this is going to be some experience. after leaving her cabin, i walked out of the office building. now, i''m going to visit the b-grade institution. i took the face mask from my storage ring and wore it to hide my face. almost everyone knows me in the academy. and it won''t be different in the b-grade institution. the place is a walkable distance from here. then i started leaving the premises of the a-grade institution. soon, i reached another wide road that led to the b-grade institution. there was no one around me. the road was empty. no one goes from an a-grade institution to a b-grade institution. i''m the first one. soon, i reached the gate. dean rebecca gave me an access code. after entering the access code, i walked inside. i can see a similar building from a distance. when i got closer, i saw the movement of the students. their uniform is different from mine. and there is a badge on the chest mentioning that they are from the b grade institution. at first, no one noticed me, but as i walked past several students. a few of them recognized my uniform. gasp! the next moment, a small commotion occurred. "hey, he is from the main institute," someone pointed his finger at me. right after, everyone understood and multiple gazes fell on me. at the same time, the murmur starts. when i was looking for a way out. someone appeared before me. nove-lb-in it was an old woman. but her energy levels make me feel that she is one step away from the dean. "you are here!" "come with me," the old woman said. she is wearing a faction head''s uniform. she is over fifty years old and she has some white hair. then without minding everyone. i followed her. when we got away from the crowd. the old woman turned toward me. "zack lockwood!" "nice meeting you." "i''m amelia charles. the flame faction head for this institution," she said. hearing that i raised my eyebrows in surprise. i thought she was a water element user. then i replied, "good to see you, elder. but i came here for a fight." amelia wasn''t surprised. the dean has conveyed everything. "don''t worry zack. you will be surprised. if i tell you there are a lot of warriors here who don''t believe in your strength." "everyone has witnessed your duels before. but still, some warriors don''t believe in your strength," she said. a faint smile appeared on my face. i looked at her and asked, "could you introduce me to some?" amelia nodded her head before we started flying towards the flame faction. soon we reached the towering building. when we walked inside. i saw the setup was everything the same. even the inside architecture of the building is similar. there are stairs leading to different faction''s common rooms. but for the flame faction, the common room was near the opening room. when i was paying attention outside. amelia started summoning strong super elite warriors from her faction. shortly after, a few warriors appeared in front of us. all of them are looking bulk with the heavily built muscles. for a second, i thought they were from an earth element faction. amelia looked at them before turning towards me. i nodded at her. Chapter 632 Defeating an average warrior chapter 632 defeating an average warrior from mc''s perspective: "faction head?'' "what is this all about?" one of the heavily built warriors asked. then his gaze turned towards me. he is focusing on my uniform. faction head amelia then started telling her students. at this point, other warriors also arrived. a few minutes later, the flame faction warriors of this institution turned towards me. their expressions turned serious. i think they couldn''t believe what they were hearing! "she is right!" "i came here for a challenge," i said to them. gasp! the next second, a small exclamation rang out in the place. they couldn''t believe that i would come here. "call, thomas." "he always wanted to fight against zack lockwood," a voice came from the crowd. "yes, thomas can fight equally against zack lockwood," another voice came from the crowd. right after, everyone started saying thomas. the flame faction head amelia nodded at her before saying, "alright, ask thomas to come to the training ground." after saying that she started to guide me toward her cabin. in a few minutes, the news about my coming here quickly spread to the whole b-grade institution. my name started to appear in online posts. meanwhile, the news came as a thunder for the warriors in the a-grade institution. they couldn''t believe someone from the a-grade institution would go there. when they learned the warrior was none other than zack lockwood. the warriors felt their face was slapped. especially when they learned zack had gone for a challenge. they don''t know where to hide their faces. almost every faction had warriors defeated by zack lockwood. zack had gone there. which means there was no capable warrior in the a-grade institution. shortly after, a strong criticism started to spread against zack lockwood. on the other hand, thomas who had gone outside for a while returned to the academy. when he learned that such an interesting thing was happening. he let out a wide laugh before starting to go towards the b-grade institution. meanwhile,nove-lb-1n faction head amelia started explaining about the strong warriors in this institution. according to her, many warriors are qualified to enter an a-grade institution. but because of the lack of admission seats. they weren''t able to get the chance. hearing that i nodded my head at her. who knows there might be strong warriors studying here. shortly after, amelia received the news about thomas'' arrival. "let''s go, thomas has arrived. he is one of the strongest super elite warriors," she said. hearing that i ease down my eyebrows. finally, i don''t have to wait for a long time. soon, we reached the training ground. when we got here. i saw it''s a medium-sized duel platform. many warriors have gathered in the place. each faction had its fighting platform. this was the fighting platform of the flame faction. when i was observing the platform. amelia asked everyone to be quiet. then a red-haired person stepped forward. he looked at me before turning toward the flame faction head. "zack, he is thomas," amelia said. i nodded at her before turning towards him and asked, "are you ready for a fight?" "zack lockwood, i didn''t expect to see you here. but don''t worry, i won''t let you win easily," thomas said with a smile. hearing that i responded with a smile as well. i didn''t expect the guy to be this enthusiastic. then amelia asked whether to start the fight or not. hearing that i walked to the platform. and thomas stood opposite to me. this place was different from the duel arena. only people from the flame faction are here. i bet others are itching to watch the duel as well. meanwhile, dean rebecca heard the reports as well. she couldn''t help but reveal a small smile. she thinks that this news will distract others from the recent incident. she is also getting requests from other faction heads. they all want to watch the duel as well. but she thinks it''s inappropriate to do it. otherwise, conflict may break out between the institutions. but if someone manages to duel better than the warriors training here. then it might give her a headache again. the warriors in the b-grade institution might ask for admission. it can''t be helped. she had no choice other than to let it happen. on the other hand, ernest and laverne were also surprised by the news. they didn''t expect zack to come up with such a plan. meanwhile, in the duel arena, we stood opposite each other. thomas was eager to duel against me. amelia stood as a referee. when she gave the signal. thomas took out a scythe to attack. the next second, a blazing flame released from her weapon. one after another the flame ball shot towards me. but in my eyes, the speed was rather slower compared to a-grade institution warriors. swish! i started to evade the attack one by one. the flame ball hits the empty air and lands on the ground. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. when the smoke was settled. everyone saw that we were starting at the same place. gasp! a small exclamation sounded inside the room. thomas was startled as well. his flame attack was fast enough. but now looking at zack. he couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. swish! when he is not paying attention. i started charging towards him. thomas raised his scythe to attack. when the blade got closer to me. i sidestepped enough to evade the attack. the next second, a blade pierces through the empty air. thomas'' pupil shrinks. he wanted to step back a little. but my fist comes raining down on his face. smack! i punched him. the next second, thomas retreats a few steps backward. seeing that i rushed out to attack. one after another, my punch landed on his body. in the blink of an eye, thomas was pushed back to a defensive position. "what''s with his speed?" thomas said in his heart. he realized that zack was not using the lightning technique at all. a hint of fear appeared in his eyes. before he could think further another fist broke through his defense and a massive fist hit his chest. pfff! coughing up blood. he left the circle of the landing platform. right at that moment, amelia declared me a winner. quiet! there was pin-drop silence in the whole room. no one expected the duel to come to an end this quickly. thomas wiped blood from his mouth before standing up. he looked at zack with a solemn gaze. not only he, but the other flame faction warriors are silent as well. especially the faction head amelia was shocked. from beginning to end, zack didn''t use his special element at all. he won the duel by simply using brute strength. then something strikes her mind. the flame technique practiced by the warriors here is not that high grade. maybe the quality of technique might be the reason for thomas'' defeat. at the time, thomas stepped out and his friends started taking him to the infirmary. i didn''t use blood energy at all. otherwise, he would have deep injuries. this is a small duel to test out their strength. shaking my head, i turned towards amelia. earlier, she bragged about her students. now, one of them wasn''t able to withstand the brute strength. faction head amelia saw through zack''s thoughts. the duel was eye-opening for her. not only to her but to others as well. she then let out a small cough before turning towards others. "is there anyone who wants to fight against zack lockwood?" she asked. hearing that many lowered their heads. not many are as daring as thomas. on the other hand, i waited patiently. as the time passed, no one stepped forward. i felt bored. so i decided to go back to my room. "alright, if anyone is interested. they can inform the elderly. if there is a challenge, i''ll come tomorrow,'' i said to everyone. hearing that amelia thought the decision was good as well. if she had time she could collect the names of the interested people. few of them are outside of the academy. a few minutes later, i left the b-grade institution''s premises and went back to my building. faction head amelia was kind enough to send me off. when i started walking back. i came across warriors who were going about their business. as i walked past them, many of them recognized my faces. the next moment, they started to gossip and took pictures of me. soon, i reached my room. after entering inside, i closed the door and walked back to bed to lie down. then i closed my eyes and recalled the duel in my mind. thomas'' flame technique was the average grade. and he wasn''t proficient as well. if this is the standard then other warriors are average as well. then i decided to wait until tomorrow. faction head amelia might find names. i guess not only the flame faction. other faction warriors might show interest tomorrow. Chapter 633 20 warriors? chapter 633 20 warriors? from mc''s perspective: the result of the duel slowly reaches everyone''s ears. when the warriors in the a grade heard about it. they weren''t surprised. they thought, if such a strong warrior existed in the b-grade institution then the person would have entered here long ago. after this incident, many thought that the episode would come to an end. but people in the b grade area are thinking about something else. amelia is actively discussing with other faction heads to write the names of listed students. though thomas''s defeat was a setback. no one thought zack could win easily without using the element. which made most of the warriors give up. even for fun, they have decided not to bring up the topic of challenging zack. as the faction heads are discussing in their meeting room. dean rebecca called them. after knowing what''s happening. she decided not to stop it. one of the main reasons is that she doesn''t think the warriors training there could defeat zack. as long as they managed to fight equally, the fear itself would attract a lot of attention. after that she let them continue their work. she is also looking forward to seeing capable warriors. if anyone stands out, she won''t mind using them in the year-end competition. then amelia and others shared the news to other warriors officially. earlier there were words uttered by zack floating around. since it was not official. it won''t create much of an impact. but when the official message was sent to warriors. the news starts to spread like wildfire again. the news also reached the c and d-grade institutions. after learning that such a thing was happening. the warriors in those institutions couldn''t hide their jealousy. they have started to ask their respective faction heads. but one thing is clear: their strength was nowhere near the warriors training in the b-grade institution. forget about zack lockwood who is undefeated in a grade institution. but as the news starts to make rounds. people''s curiosity starts to increase. they want to see who is going to fight against zack lockwood. flame faction common room: "is this news true?" seamus dave asked his friend. everyone in the room is looking at the same news. "what is he thinking?" "he is humiliating everyone here," one of them said. "that''s right!" "someone has to teach him some lesson," another warrior voiced out his opinion. seamus'' mouth twitched. he recalled this was the exact talk when he first heard about zack lockwood. "what are the number 1 and number 2 warriors in each faction doing?" seamus asked himself. in the super elite stage, the top warriors are at peak stage for more than one year. their combat experience is many times higher than zack lockwood''s. he thinks only they can teach some lesson to zack lockwood. he ignored his friends'' conversations. he shifted his attention to the year-end conference. he believes that those warriors who are away on a mission will return soon. then he wants to see the reaction of zack lockwood. but it''s a pity, no one can stop zack''s momentum right now. time flies, by that time the whole academy including all 4 institutions heard of this news. amelia received the names of the interested people. even the female warriors from the rainwater faction have given their names. by that time it was night time. 20 super elite warriors have given their names. amelia was surprised by the numbers. when she told the numbers to dean rebecca. the dean was surprised as well. but it''s difficult for zack lockwood to fight against all these warriors in one day. so rebecca decides to talk to zack tomorrow. n.-o/-v/-e-/l((b-.i(/n the next day, dorm room, after getting out of bed, i started doing my morning routine. later, i entered the training room to cultivate. i sat down cross-legged on the platform and took the last class-5 monster core from the storage ring. i held it in my palm and started running the blood element method. the next moment, the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. then i slowly started to absorb the monster''s core energies. when the monster''s core energies entered my body. i guided the energy according to the method. as the energy flows through my body. a blood light appears above the bloodstream. the blood light starts to convert the red energies into mysterious white energies. the white energies then drilled into my bones. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. slowly, the scalp is turning red. when the skull becomes red. my whole skeleton looks red. time passed, after one hour, the monster core crumbles into pieces. feeling that i opened my eyes. that was the last core. if i want another core, i have to enter the monster zone. shaking my head, i pushed the unnecessary thoughts back off my mind. after leaving the training room, i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed to an academy uniform. when it was breakfast time. i left the dorm room. soon, i reached the dining hall and met with ernest and laverne. after seeing me, they weren''t able to hide their questions. "zack, what happened to you?" laverne asked. ernest wasn''t able to hide his curiosity as well. he said, "i was surprised by your move. who would have thought you would go to other institution?" hearing that i responded with a smile. then we slowly walked into the hall. the next moment, we bumped into the crowd. the dining hall was more crowded than usual. but then i found everyone''s gaze was on me. most of their gazes are filled with curiosity. "the news was already spread to the whole academy. now everyone knows about your challenge," ernest said from the side. "are you going to fight anyone today?"laverne asked. i shook my head and said, "i haven''t asked dean about this today." after saying that i started walking through the crowd. we reached the food counter and received the food. under the gaze of everyone, we started looking for an empty seat. soon, we found one and sat on it. "damn, many of them came here to see you, not for breakfast," ernest said. "can we go with you?" laverne asked. hearing that i replied, "i don''t think the dean will allow others." "on top of that, i don''t know if anyone is interested in fighting me today," i added. laverne becomes disappointed. ernest knows something, so he says, "if we tag along, then other faction warriors could complain." hearing that laverne''s mood eases down. then we started eating the food. the warriors who were near us started to leave one by one. they came here to see me. after seeing that we are having lunch. they didn''t disturb us. 20 minutes later, we left the dining hall. "did dean say anything about the monster zone?" ernest asked. "i think it will take time. until then we should focus on increasing our strength," i replied. then we parted ways. i started walking to the flower garden to call amelia. beep! all of a sudden my communication watch lit up with the notification. seeing that call was from the dean. i attended the call. "zack, come to my cabin" dean''s voice reached my ears. after ending the call, i started heading toward the office building. when i reached the building. i started walking upstairs. then i arrived in front of her room. "zack, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice reached my ears. when i turned around, i saw carlos kent standing in front of me. "i heard the latest news. didn''t expect you would be interested in other low-grade institutions," carlos said. "i thought about checking out that place as well," i replied. creak! the door in front of me opened. "alright, we will talk later. if you want to go to the mountain peak again. you can call me," after saying that carlos went back to his room. seeing that i nodded at him before walking inside. dean rebecca looked at me. "you are going to be busy today," rebecca said. hearing that my eyes flickered. then i sat opposite him. "there are 20 warriors who gave their names to amelia. every one of them wants to fight against you," rebecca said. "20 warriors," i uttered in surprise. i thought no one would fight me. a faint smile appeared on my face. "what are you going to do?" rebecca asked. "i don''t know. are there any strong warriors among them," i said. "i don''t want the results to turn out like yesterday," i added. dean rebecca thought for a moment. then she shared the details with me. beep! when i got the result. i tapped my communication watch to go through the details. the page opened and an image of the warriors with their information appeared on the screen. one by one, i started to scroll down the page. almost all warriors from all the factions have given their names. their information seems to be true as well. Chapter 634 A dual element warrior! chapter 634 a dual element warrior! from mc''s perspective: dean office, "well, i can fight 2 duels a day. then in 10 days, i can defeat all these 20 people," i said. hearing that rebecca wasn''t surprised. "then i''ll schedule the duel as per your wish. but the duel will be held at noon. in the meantime, you can go to the mountain peaks to recover your lightning essence," she said. i nodded my head at her. after speaking for a few more minutes, i left the room. since the duel is going to be held at noon. i can take a rest in the meantime. soon, i reached my room and walked inside. then i went to bed to simply lie down. on the other hand, dean rebecca shared the schedule details with amelia. the opponents will be matched at random. amelia took care of that responsibility. soon, the opponents are decided. one from the earth faction and another one from the gale wind faction. the message was sent to those two in the b-grade institution. not long after, the news again spread like wildfire. but unfortunately, no one can watch the duel alive. the duel is going to be held on the training grounds of the b-grade institution. there is no chance for warriors here to watch the duel. laverne and ernest learned about it. but they thought zack was having fun. when the monster zone is allowed to enter. zack will return to his usual days. time flies, when it was noon time, i left the room. then i walked out of the dormitory. but when i raised my head to look around. i saw many warriors gathered in front of the building. "hey, zack is out." "zack won''t you allow us to watch the duel" "why can''t you use the duel arena?" "are you not going to challenge warriors here anymore?" one after another several questions shot at me. ignoring them, i started walking towards the b institution area. the warriors tried to follow me. but soon they realized without access no one could follow anymore. when i got there. i used the access code to enter their premise. when i appeared on the other end. i saw that amelia was waiting for me. "this time you won''t be disappointed," amelia said in a confident tone. hearing that a faint smile appeared on my face. then she guided me towards the training ground of the earth element faction. yesterday, it was the flame faction. now it''s the earth element faction. when we reached there, i saw many of the super elite warriors waiting for me. "can we start directly?" i asked. amelia nodded before calling out the opponent''s name. "mill, where are you?" she asked. the next moment, a muscular warrior stepped forward. i raised my eyebrows. i felt no danger from him. then i walked to the platform and stood opposite mill. amelia again took the job of referee. when both of us are ready. she gave the signal. rumble! the next second, the warrior named mill created boulders in mid-air and shot toward me. again the opponent''s attack speed was low. i can easily see the boulders. when they got closer to me. i sidestepped enough to evade the attack. the boulder went past the empty air and hit the ground. boom! one after another, i evaded the boulder. at the same time, i started nearing the opponent. the earth element user mill was startled. he is aiming for the target as accurately as possible. but the opponent easily guessed the move at the last minute. before he could think further. he saw the enemy was inching closer to him. "mud flood" he changed the attack. the next moment, a flash of mud flood shot towards the enemy. on the other hand, my eyes flickered. mud flooding is not an ordinary move. only warriors with an earth and water element are capable of releasing it. but i had no time to think. "lightning phantom technique" the purple lightning covered my legs like a boot. in the blink of an eye, i evaded the mud flood attack. the attack passes through the empty air and drowns the platform with mud. at the same time, using the lightning movement technique. i rushed out to attack. in the blink of an eye, i appeared before mill. instead of using the lightning attack technique. i started using the lightning ability. i covered my fist with purple lightning. the next second, i raised my fist to punch him. smash! mill was startled. it was too late to escape. as the lightning fist hits his abdomen. his whole body was sent a few steps backward. pfff! blood escaped from his mouth. finally, after reaching the edge. he was able to stabilize himself. but the attack was just starting. n).o-)v-)e-(l./b)/i.(n he saw the fist was again raining down on his face. smash! i used the purple lightning to hurt his body. the power of the lightning turned his skin charred. but as a peak-stage super elite warrior. he is enduring the domineering power of lightning. but he can''t maintain it for long. on the other hand, i saw through his thoughts. then a good idea comes to mind. i decided to use the blood fist in disguise as a lightning fist attack. when i retraced my fist to punch again. i used the blood energy from the bones. mill looked brushed and tattered with a swollen face. in the blink of an eye, the blood energy reached my forearm and gathered around my fist. "blood fist" i fiercely punched him in his abdomen. argh! a muffled grunt escaped from mill''s mouth. this time his muscular body flew backwards like a broken kite before his body was thrown off the platform. "zack lockwood wins!" amelia declared me as a winner. instead of smiling, i looked at mill. he was better than the opponent yesterday. i didn''t expect to meet a dual-element warrior here. then i suddenly recalled the conversation with the dean. so this guy was trying to enter the a-grade institution. if he had done well, he might get a chance. amelia was satisfied with the result. earlier, she was worried that the duel might be one-sided. but the result was better than yesterday. zack has won the duel. but mill made him use the lightning element. she is aware that it was possible because of mill''s dual element. on the other hand, mill''s friend took him to the infirmary. "shall we go to the next faction?" i asked. amelia nodded her head before we walked towards the gale faction. meanwhile, the warriors who had gathered to watch the duel were left speechless. they took their sci-fi watch to post it to the media. there is not much fun these days. so zack''s duel has attracted the attention of the warriors in the academy. meanwhile, we reached the gale faction area a few minutes later. amelia met with the faction head of the wind faction. the wind faction head was an old man. after talking to amelia. he turned towards me. "zack lockwood, nice meeting you," the gale faction head said. hearing that i greeted him in a response. then he led us towards their training ground. when we got there. there are super elite warriors gathered around the fighting platform. "phill, come here," the old man said. hearing that a slender-looking warrior walked up to the platform. seeing that i didn''t waste time. i walked to the platform and stood opposite him. looking at the warrior, i raised my eyebrows. i don''t know whether he is a dual element as well. amelia gave the signal again. "wind blade" phill launched a piercing wind attack. one after another, wind blades shot towards the enemy. sshh! an air-tearing sound can be heard. "lightning phantom technique" the purple boots formed in my legs. in a blink of an eye, i disappeared from the spot. the wind blade hits the empty air. an air-breaking sound can be heard. swish! in a flash, i evaded one attack after another. but the opponent is continuously releasing the attack at me. he is not giving any break at all. "lightning wheel" then i released the lightning defense technique. a purple lightning wheel formed around me in an instant. as the wind blades collide with the lightning wheel. boom! an explosion occurs. a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. phill was caught off guard. he retreated a few steps backward. swish! by using this opportunity. i charged towards him. in a flash, i appeared before him. i used a similar strategy. i raised my fist to punch the opponent. the first was covered with purple lightning. at the same time, use the blood energy. phill managed to get back on his feet. then he saw the opponent coming towards him. the next second, he released the wind attack. a powerful wind swept away the surroundings. and at the same time, my fist tore through the wind blade. the blood energy easily broke the attack and hit his body. Chapter 635 Winning against Phill chapter 635 winning against phill duel, pfff! coughing up blood. phill got smashed to the ground. by using the opportunity, i rushed out towards him and kicked his abdomen. smack! phill rolled over the ground before falling off the stage. the duel came to an end quickly. quiet! everyone quieted down all of a sudden. they didn''t expect zack lockwood to be this strong. even amelia and the wind faction head were surprised. they saw the purple lightning. but they didn''t notice the presence of blood energy. combination of brute strength and lightning power has defeated phill. "zack lockwood is the winner,'' amelia said. but there was no cheer except several sighs echoed in the room. "what are you guys sighing about?'' "at least, we are better than the flame faction," the old man said. he wants others to cheer up a bit. at least, phill gave something to watch. few people came to pick up phill. the other hand, i turned around to look at amelia. i thought 2 duels were enough for a day. but i didn''t expect the duel to end in a few minutes. i still have some time left. "elder, are there any warriors interested in fighting today?" i asked. amelia saw through zack''s thoughts. she was slightly embarrassed. she too didn''t expect the duel to end this quickly. then she contacted metal faction head and found out that there is one warrior ready to fight now. "let''s go to the metal faction," amelia said. hearing that i followed her. the old man then instructed the warriors to leave. he is interested in seeing the duel as well. walking, the old man couldn''t help but ask,"who is going to fight from the metal faction?" "raymond," she answered. old man''s eyes flickered. because he knows the name. raymond is way better than phill when it comes to the controlling element. he thinks as long as warriors found a way to protect their body from the lightning element. the duel won''t have one sided end. soon, we reached the metal faction. interestingly, the metal faction head is women. she is a lot younger than elder ameila. "martha, where is raymond?'' amelia asked. "raymond is waiting in the training ground," after saying that martha turned towards zack. "you are zack lockwood!" "you are doing something which no other warriors from your side would normally do," martha said. a faint smile appeared on my face. how should i tell her? i''m doing this out of boredom. then we reached the training ground. whereas usual the metal faction gathered around to watch the duel. their gazes are filled with surprise and curiosity. "are you surprised?" "everyone has watched your duel held at the duel arena," martha said from the side. "right now, the duel will be eye opening for them," amelia . "ha..ha...ha..., now these brats can know the real difference in strength between the average warriors and talented warriors." "this would help them to stop daydreaming about getting into the a grade institutions," the old man said in a serious tone. "alright, we can start the duel," amelia said. hearing that i started walking to the platform. after walking inside, i stood opposite the warrior named raymond. "metal element uh?" i said in my heart. raymond looked confident. he heard of the results a few minutes ago. but he thinks he is better than useless phill. amelia gave the green signal. right after, raymond takes out a long sword. which looked extremely strong with sharp edges on both sides. swish! the next moment, he strengthened the blade with the metal element. the silver color quickly covers the blade to make it more sharper and beautiful. on the other hand, i took out my black sword and held it in my hand. seeing that raymond is using a sword. my curiosity peaked. i''m more interested in fighting him right now. swish! the next second, raymond burst out with a great speed. he didn''t use the movement technique at all. but his natural speed was that fast. cheer! seeing that surrounding warrior erupted in a cheer. "i don''t know who is better with a sword," martha said. amelia added,"zack still has lightning techniques that he didn''t use." hearing that martha and the old man squint their eyes. they knew zack hadn''t used much technique in defeating past 3 opponents. meanwhile,n-.o.)v-/e)-l(-b-(i(-n raymond got closer to me. but i can easily go through my movements without activating the perceptual ability. i raised my sword to block the attack. when both blades collided. clang! a metallic noise sounded in the place. raymond is using his brute force to push me backward. but he wasn''t able to push me backward. when he was surprised. i held the sword in both hands and pushed him back. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm tap! raymond retreated a few steps backward from the impact. but his eyes filled with surprise. before coming here, he had done thorough checking on zack lockwood''s information. he is someone who recently broke through. zack lockwood is an early stage super elite. but he is fighting equally against peak stage super elite warrior. his expression turned serious. he also noticed zack didn''t use the lightning technique at all. on the other hand, i retracted my sword before raising to attack again. i started charging forward and brought down the sword to cut. clang! a loud metallic noise sounded. one after another collision sound reverberated throughout the whole place. expression of amelia, martha and the old man changes. because they are seeing something interesting. zack is fighting without using the lightning element. at the same time, he pushed raymond to the defensive position. as the time passed, raymond thought of changing the plan. a few minutes later, swish! he suddenly retreated backwards creating a gap between two of them. then he takes back the sword and decides to fight using the element. seeing his action, a trace of disappointment flashes in my eyes. he was better than a metal dummy in the practice room. it''s a pity, i could have enjoyed it more. now, he is forcing me to end the duel. Chapter 636 Winning against Raymond chapter 636 winning against raymond from mc''s perspective: swish! raymond raised his hand. the next second, several long spikes shot towards the opponent. each of the spikes are long and sharp. in a blink of an eye, the spikes reached me. clang! i swung the black sword continuously to deflect the spikes. but reflecting the attack each time. i felt a strong vibration. which shows the spikes are strong and sharp. if you let it go, it can easily pierce through the human body. as the time passed, raymond continued to use the same attack. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. the warriors here lack battle experience. otherwise all four of them won''t use the same tactic. then i decided to engage in a close battle. the faction head who was watching the duel realized the mistake. the brats are not using their brain at all. meanwhile, dean rebecca who is staring at the screen furrowed eyebrows. all the duels looked the same. except the warrior and their elements. everyone is using the same tactic to fight. she is extremely disappointed. if she picks any of these warriors for the year end conference. then they would lose for sure. but she decided to watch. later she can advise the faction heads to improve their students'' strength. duel, seeing that spikes are showering continuously. i used the lightning technique. "lightning phantom technique." the next moment, purple lightning boots covered my legs. in a blink of an eye, i started rushing out in a zigzag manner. raymond was startled. he is focusing his eyes to find zack. he has watched the previous duel. he thinks that zakc will use the lightning punch to end the duel. not only he, the faction heads are thinking the same as well. "is it going to end soon?" the old man asked. "why is everyone repeating the same mistake?" martha asked. she did watch the previous duel. but she had thought raymond was smart. but in the duel he happened to repeat the same mistake again.. on the other hand, i got closer to him. i raised my fist to punch. the purple lightning covered my fist. seeing that raymond smirked. "i knew it," he said in his heart. right when zack appeared before him. he realized a metallic wall before him. when the metallic ball appeared. the fist directly hits the wall. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. cheer! seeing that warrior erupted in a cheer. they were something different. raymond successfully blocked the attack. on the other hand, my mouth curved into an arc. the attack was not a lightning technique. but a simple brute punch covered with the purple lightning. swish! i retreated a few steps backward. "lightning wheel" i released the lightning defensive technique. the next second, a purple wheel formed around me. a purple wheel is filled with the powerful lightning power. raymond was stunned again. the next moment, he tried to reinforce the wall with the silver element. the atmosphere has become silent again. under the surprised filled gaze of everyone. i rushed out toward the metallic wall. bang! as the collision occurred. a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the explosion caused the metallic wall to break into pieces. argh! a muffled grunt left raymond''s mouth. as he took the brunt of the lightning attack, his body flew backwards like a broken kite. before falling down off the stage. quiet! everyone quieted down again. the ending was the same but the finishing move was different. "zack lockwood is the winner," amelia declared again. hearing that i sighed inwardly before walking down the stage. then i saw raymond trying to get up from the ground. he was safe because of the metallic wall. if he hadn''t reinforced it, the injuries would have been severe. "they need training," martha said with a sigh. amelia added,"you are right!" "i''ll go back and instruct my students," the old man said. he too saw the flaws. if the warriors are not trained properly, they should stop dreaming about going to an a grade institution. on the other hand, i walked to amelia and decided to leave. "are you not going to fight for more time?'' amelia asked. hearing that i shook my head before saying,"i don''t have enough purple essence." amelia nodded her head in understanding. then we bid goodbye to the faction heads before walking away from the place. soon, we reached the exit. "i''m looking forward to tomorrow''s duel,''amelia said after disappearing from the spot. then i walked toward the exit and used the access code to leave. after leaving the place, i rushed out towards the dorm room. soon, i reached the dorm room. after walking inside, i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed to comfort clothes and then i sat down on the sofa. today''s duel went well. but i didn''t expect the warriors to be this average. i started to recall the duels in my mind. all of them are using the same tactic. i don''t know how the other warriors are going to fight tomorrow? then i looked into my dantian. the purple essence has dropped to the bottom. i made up my mind to go to the mountain peak tomorrow. nove(lb-in a few minutes later, i lay down in my bed and started to access the online articles. as i expected, the duel results were published online. many warriors started to comment on it. under the comments, i saw many were banishing the opponents. [why are they fighting like chickens?] [they didn''t undergo proper training] [what an amateur duel?] [zack lockwood should stop wasting his time] seeing that i furrowed my eyebrows. these comments will continue, if there is no change tomorrow. beep! lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm suddenly, i received a call from ernest. seeing the contact name. i attended the call. "zack, are you free right now?" ernest''s voice sounded from the other end. i asked,"what happened?" "michael is back. he is creating ruckus in the common room," ernest said. "what?" "he is back," i uttered in a surprise. i thought he was staying with his family. Chapter 637 Returning to the mountain peak again chapter 637 returning to the mountain peak again from mc''s perspective: after hearing about michael''s return. i told ernest that i was coming to the common room. then i have to change clothes again. 10 minutes later, after getting ready, i walked out of the dorm room. soon, i reached the building and walked inside. warriors are going about their business in the lobby. but i could hear most of them talking about me. ignoring them, i started walking upstairs. when i arrived in front of the room. i showed my i.d. creak! the next second, the door opened. after walking inside, i quickly walked to the common room. as i got closer, i could hear a loud conversation. when i reached the room. i saw an interesting scene. michael is arguing with ernest and laverne. "zack, you are here," laverne said in a serious tone. hearing that michael and ernest turned towards me. "hey!" "our strongest warrior is here." "i thought you were busy challenging those weaklings," michael said in a sarcastic tone. "zack!" ernest called out my name. then i walked inside the room. "michael, what do you want?" i asked straightforwardly. michael''s mouth curved into an arc. "you are as smart as i thought. unlike these two here," after saying that michael thought for a moment. then he said, "you are challenging everyone else except me. so i would like to fight against you." a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. ernest and laverne were also shocked. they used to be close friends. so they both know how strong michael is actually? a hint of concern appeared in their eyes. "what?" "are you scared?" michael said in a provocative tone. i showed no change in expression. instead, i answered, "wait until my duels with them to get over. then i''ll fight against you." "zack?" ernest and laverne both called out my name at the same time. ignoring them, i looked at michael. i feel a little pressure from him. ''did he take the next step?'' i said in my heart. if it''s true then he is half step-ss rank warrior. "ha...ha...ha..., good. then i''m going to wait for our duel," michael said with a laugh. then he left the room without turning back. "why did you agree?" "i felt some changes in him," ernest said in a solemn tone. hearing that i nodded my head at them. a duel against half-step ss rank warrior. this is going to be a real deal. "don''t worry, i won''t get hurt," i said to them. laverne let out a long sigh before saying, "he is finally gone." then we sat on the sofa. i couldn''t help but think of azure city''s blevins family. i thought it was a done deal. looks like jonathan had ignored them. ernest and laverne then started to ask about today''s duel. then i began to tell what happened. a few minutes later, "so there are dual element warriors in the b-grade institution," ernest said. "i think they have limited access to the monster zones," laverne said something important. a look of understanding dawned on me. maybe this could be possible. after speaking to them for a few more minutes. i returned to my room. ... eclipse academy: the supreme elder cameron is slowly recovering. at the same time, he is getting updates from dean edgar. he is especially interested in the news of zack lockwood. it''s not that difficult for edgar to collect information. they have spies in the viper city as well. likewise, other academy''s spies are in their city. this time he was resting alone in the front garden. dean edgar came with the information. "supreme elder!" edgar greeted politely. he didn''t ask but he figured it out somehow that the supreme elder was deeply hurt. an unknown fear appeared in his heart. apart from other supreme elders, no one could hurt him. he doesn''t know what is going on. noticing the presence of edgar, cameron slowly opened his eyes. "what is it?" he asked. edgar returned to reality. he answered, "elder, we got the latest news of zack lockwood." "oh!" cameron raised his eyebrows. "tell me what happened?" he asked. edgar nodded his head before saying, "zack lockwood is challenging the warriors in a lower-grade institution." cameron furrowed his eyebrows before asking him to explain from the start. a few minutes later, cameron was surprised. ''isn''t it a waste of time?'' he said in his heart. "or is it a tactic given by someone?" he muttered to himself. the next second, he recalled getting attacked by strong coercion. he felt a deep pain in his body by recalling it. he thinks that tactic was approved by that person. there must be something in it. "edgar, do the same as well. find capable warriors in our lower-grade institution. if there is someone capable, they can participate in the year-end conference," cameron said. edgar was not surprised. he obeyed his orders. when he left the spot. cameron''s eyes flickered. he is hesitating whether to ask for help from the main branch. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm because he has some lingering fear. he doesn''t know whether that person has left or not. then he thought of giant tower academy. "that b@stard probably won''t ask for help. the latest incident has something to do with their academy," he said in his heart. if he wants he can request help whenever he wants. but the problem is he fears that he will lose his life if he does that. such conflicting thoughts affect his mind. .... white palace: maria frazier is reading the latest news. while reading she couldn''t help but think about zack lockwood. "it''s been several months since i last saw him." "what is he doing right now?" she said in her heart. after coming to the academy, she closed herself from the outside world news. then she kept focusing on improving her strength. she has a great responsibility for developing her clan. for that, she even forgot about her friends. zack lockwood was from the same hometown and training center. but she thinks it won''t be long before she gets to meet zack. because white palace is also preparing for the year-end conference. as long as she gets a place in it, she might be able to meet zack at the end of the year.nove(lb-in ... the following day, i woke up in the early morning. after getting out of bed, i started doing my morning routine. a few minutes later, i went to take a bath. after getting out of the shower a few minutes later. i changed into an academy uniform. after getting ready, i texted to carlos kent. with his help, i can reach the mountain peak quickly. 10 minutes later, when i walked out of the dorm. i saw carlos kent waiting for me. "let''s go. we have to return before your afternoon duel," carlos kent said with a smile. the next second, he grabbed my shoulder before appearing in mid-air. then he started flying towards the mountain peak. time flies, in the dean''s office, dean rebecca is going through yesterday''s reports. when she heard carlos kent and zack lockwood had gone to the twin mountain peak. her eyes flickered. she reviewed yesterday''s result. the warriors in the b-grade institution lack training. she doesn''t know why zack is interested in fighting more duels. at first, she thought he was doing this out of boredom. but after yesterday, she thinks zack is interested in having more duels. now only the rain water faction is left. she then thought about the monster zone. she is still hesitating whether to allow the warriors to enter the monster zone or not. an hour later, we reached the twin mountain peak. now the place looks different. the destroyed area is replaced with the newly grown vegetation. carlos kent then dropped to the top of the mountain. after that, he disappeared from the spot. seeing that i turned around to set up the barrier. i took the artifact and placed it on the ground. in the next second, an invisible barrier began to cover like a dome shape. when i raised my head to look above. i see the dark clouds in the sky. but there was no lightning and thunder. i think it will rain in a few minutes. i found a place to sit down. then i started to run the lightning scripture. slowly, i started to absorb the purple essence from the surroundings. when the energy entered my body. i guided the energy according to the lightning scripture. after circulation, the purple essence enters my dantian space. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. on the other hand, carlos is investigating the surroundings. as time passes, the purple essence in my dantian begins to increase. when the purple essence reached a certain amount. the majestic totem starts to shake. it begins to convert the purple essence into more pure. a few hours later, the dantian was filled with purple essence. but there was still some small space left. seeing that i decided to cultivate the wood scripture. time flies, when a small amount of healing green essence is formed in dantian. Chapter 638 Strong opponent! chapter 638 strong opponent! from mc''s perspective: a few hours later, the purple essence and healing essence have recovered. after that, i stood up from the spot and removed the barrier. swish! "are you ready?" carlos kent appeared next second. hearing that i nodded my head. then he grabbed my shoulder and the next second we appeared in the air. in a blink of an eye, we left the place and started returning to the academy. in the academy, amelia is sitting in her cabin. now she is in a dilemma. there are 17 more warriors ready to fight. but she doesn''t know whom to select. everyone is ready to fight. but zack lockwood has a limit. after thinking about it, she decided to fix 3 duels today. a female warrior from the rainwater faction. there is a male warrior from the metal element faction. and third warrior from the flame faction. after selecting the name, she sends the list to the dean, rebecca. once the dean approves it then she can ask the warriors to present. a few minutes later, she received the approval. then she sent a message to the warriors. a few hours later, i returned to the academy. by that time it was already noon. carlos kent directly dropped me at the entrance of the b-grade institution before leaving. a small smile appeared on my face. carlos kent has become my helper. i almost forgot that he is the special faction head. shaking my head, i walked to the entrance. then i used the access code to walk inside just as i''m walking forward. amelia appeared before me. "zack, you are going to fight 3 duels today," amelia said to me. "the first duel is against the rainwater faction," she added again. hearing that i replied, "i''m ready to go." then she started leading me towards the new area. soon, we reached the rainwater faction. many female warriors were waiting outside of the building. just as she was getting closer. i saw a middle-aged woman in a blue tuxedo walking outside of the building. she is similar in age to martha. the women in blue tuxedos walked towards me. "elder amelia, my student is ready. what about him?'' she asked. "lily, he is ready. can we go to the training ground?" amelia replied. hearing that she started leading towards the training ground. i furrowed my eyebrows. from the beginning to the end, she didn''t even look at me. on the other hand, amelia saw through his thoughts. "lily has a complex background. her family has ties with the white palace. she is a loner in the academy," she said in a low tone. "i can hear that," lily said without turning back. on the other hand, i couldn''t help but think of an old friend. "maria frazier," i said in my heart. i wonder what she is doing. soon we reached their training ground. then i saw someone was already standing on the dual platform. "linda, you can do it," lily said in a serious tone. lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm without wasting any more time, i walked to the platform. after arriving, i stood opposite her. then i began to observe her. then i felt a faint coercion from her. "this?" i raised my eyebrows in surprise. "is it a half-step ss elite warrior?'' "no!'' "she is close to a breakthrough," i said in my heart. "maybe after this duel. she might break her limit,'' i muttered to myself. then i turned around to take a look at lily. "it''s interesting. she is planning to use me as a stepping stone," i said in my heart. on the other hand, lily was surprised. "he is sharp," she said. amelia easily saw through what was happening to linda. "are you planning to turn your student into a teaching staff?" amelia asked. lily''s eyes flickered. "she is not supposed to rot here," lily said in a cold tone. which had strong dissatisfaction with the academy''s policies. "sigh!" amelia let out a sigh. on the other hand, linda squinted her eyes. she is confident in defeating zack lockwood in front of everyone. when amelia gave the signal. she released her water technique. in the next second, several water drops formed in mid-air. swish! the next second, several water drops shop at the enemy. on the other hand, i saw the water technique was extremely fast. i brought the sword outside to block. the water drops forcibly collided with the blade. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. tap! tap! i retreated a few steps backward. "it''s heavy," i muttered to myself. seeing that i started swinging the sword again. boom! boom! one after another a heavy water droplet slammed into the sword blade. i thought linda won''t be able to continue it forever. but as time passed, linda''s attacks became only faster. boom! i deflected the 1st attack. but the second water droplet hit my forearm. boom! "hmmm," i felt a pain. but thanks to my body strength. the skin remained unscathed and the targeted spot became extremely red. "lightning phantom technique," the next second, i released the lightning movement technique. the purple lightning covered legs in a blink of an eye. swish the next second, i disappeared from the spot. in a zigzag manner, i started moving closer to her amelia and lily are both surprised by zack''s move. both knew linda was stronger than previous participants. she is especially close to breaking the limit. but her attack had only managed to leave the red spot on the zack. which shows that zack''s physique is stronger than they had expected. amelia suddenly realized the power behind zack''s punch in the previous duel. they had assumed it was because of lightning power. but now she knows it was a combination of both body strength and lightning power. lily''s eyes flickered. she too saw through this as well. earlier, she was confident about linda''s strength. now seeing zack''s body strength her expression turned serious. now the duel results can go either way. on top of it, zack didn''t even start to attack. on the other hand, i reached closer to linda to strike. when i tried to swing the sword. a water bubble appeared all of a second. swish! my blade stuck inside the water bubble. when i tried to retract the sword. i felt the sword''s size had doubled. i raised my eyebrows in surprise.n.-0velb1n "lightning wheel," i released the next attack. a powerful purple lightning wheel around me. boom! the next second, an explosion occurs. both the lightning wheel and the water bubble exploded into pieces. then i retreated a few steps backward. tap! linda also stepped backward. but her expression was filled with surprise and shock. the water bubble was her important defensive technique. once a body or object gets stuck in it. it''s not that easy to escape. but zack used his lightning technique to cancel it. at the same time, lily widened her eyes in surprise. this time she has witnessed the power of the lightning element. it was completely destructive. amelia was shocked as well. both she and lily knew about linda''s strength. if zack was able to defeat her, then he could have fewer rivals in the super elite rank. on the other hand, i rushed out to attack again. this time i raised my hand to attack. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. her water element is different. it''s heavy. the next second, i used the blood energy from the bones. the blood energy quickly reaches my fist. the next second, a purple arc appeared around my fist. linda didn''t give up. she used the water bubble again. this time the water bubble was small in size. it''s enough to block the first attack. ''blood fist'' the first reaches her abdomen. but the water bubble appeared out of nowhere and blocked the attack. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. tap! we both retreated a few steps backward from the impact. using this, i quickly stabilized my moves and decided to use the lightning-finger technique. swish! the next second, a purple beam released from the finger. it was so quick. it reaches her in the blink of an eye. linda was startled. she tried to use the water bubble again. but the speed of the lightning beam was faster. she is too late to evade it. boom! the next second, the lightning attack hits her heavily in the abdomen. the lightning power tore through the flesh and left a deep scar. when she thought it was over. one after another lightning beams shot towards her. boom! the lightning attack hits the previous spot again causing severe bleeding. "linda, it''s okay. forfeit the duel," lily''s voice reached my ears. but linda on the other hand tried to stand up. seeing that i raised the black sword. "he is going to use that move," amelia said in a solemn tone. she knows that sword lightning move is going to be powerful. lily showed a concerned expression. linda has shown her strength. it''s time for her to accept the defeat. Chapter 639 Winning the remaining duels chapter 639 winning the remaining duels from mc''s perspective: when linda tries to get up. i hit her again by using the blood fist. pfff! her body was thrown off the stage and she smashed onto the ground. "linda?" the next second, lily appeared behind her and began to check her injury. "zack lockwood is the winner," amelia said. hearing that, i didn''t feel any joy. instead, my expression was solemn. she forced me to use both body strength and the lightning element. but right now, i can judge my strength against the half-step ss rank warrior. if she had a breakthrough, then i wouldn''t have any choice other than to use the soul technique. fortunately, things weren''t pushed to that state. lily takes her back to the infirmary without turning back. seeing that i didn''t get offended. then elder amelia takes me to the next opponent. time flies, in a few hours, i have defeated the next 2 opponents. the results of the duels were also published. then i returned to my room. a week went by, i have won the remaining duels as well. the monster zone activities are resumed by this time. therefore, i don''t have to fight against the b-grade institution warriors anymore. the next day, after having breakfast, i went to the teleportation tower to enter the monsters. it''s been more than a week since i visited the monster zone. but i''m sure that space barriers are not posing any threats anymore. when i got there. i see more warriors coming and going out of the circular platform. they are going about their business without fearing anything. then i walked up to the platform. i haven''t informed ernest and laverne. otherwise, they would have tagged along with me. after reaching the platform. i selected the server where there is no class-7 monster above. i can fight across ranks. but i''m not that confident to face a class-7 monster. for me, a class-6 monster is enough. then i selected the server. swish! i disappeared from the spot. eclipse academy: "ha...ha..ha..., i have completely recovered from the injuries," the supreme elder said with a laugh. his laughter echoed inside the whole mansion. when he stepped outside of the mansion. he is fine without any injuries. he was all good. he can stand all day long. in the blink of an eye, he appeared in the front garden and sat on his armchair. "i thought i would have needed a month or so to recover," he muttered to himself. but the result was not without a cost. he had to hollow out his fortune to make healing potions. "fortunately, the injuries have healed. otherwise, i would have become the half-dead supreme elder of the viper academy," he said with a smile. he then summons the dean of the academy to visit. shortly after, edgar arrives at the spot. seeing that the supreme elder was in a good condition. he understood something. "elder?" he said. "edgar, what happened with the internal duels?" cameron asked. edgar nodded his head before starting the briefing. a few minutes later, "good" "good," cameron uttered twice. he was pleased with the result. lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm "i didn''t expect a hidden gem in the lower-grade institution. i think the viper academy''s people do have good brains sometimes," he said with a smile. hearing that edgar revealed a smile as well. cameron then thought of something. the image of zack lockwood comes to his mind. the next second, his expression becomes cold. "what about that kid?" "did you hear any latest news?" cameron asked. this time edgar doesn''t need to be reminded. he knows who the supreme elder is talking about. "zack lockwood finished his duels yesterday. from today onwards, he seems to return to his daily routine," edgar replied. cameron furrowed his eyebrows. no matter what he does. the humiliation of getting beaten up still haunts him. edgar noticed that the supreme elder''s complexion changed. he doesn''t know why an unknown kid is troubling the supreme elder. "elder, should i arrange for someone to take care of that kid? edgar asked. cameron raised his head and looked at him. "if you want the eclipse academy to be destroyed, you are free to do so" cameron answered. "elder?" edgar was terrified for a moment.n)(o(-v)(¦Å--l.(b.(1--n cameron shook his head before saying, "if that kid was easy to kill, why am i wasting time here?" a look of understanding dawned on edgar''s face. then zack lockwood''s background is making the supreme elder afraid. when this thought arises. edgar was truly scared. "you can go back. and don''t do anything stupid," cameron said. then edgar left the spot. but cameron is thinking of something sinister. he stood up from the seat and walked to the mansion. after entering inside, he comes to his study room. he walks up to the disk and opens up the drawer. creak! a blue metallic disk is there. he gently picked it up and held it in his hand. the disk is not a normal gadget but an ultra-communication device. it can pass messages across the space barrier. but there is a condition to it. you can send a message once a year. each year he reports back the results of the year-end conference and the status of the academy. but right now, he is hesitating a bit. he wants to use it for personal revenge. suddenly, he remembers the warning words uttered by that person. if someone brings trouble to a kid, he will surely die. if he requests help, there is a possibility that he will die. for a nobody, the eclipse main branch won''t find fault with a powerful organization similar to them. he understands that. but he can''t digest the humiliation. it haunts him every day. "i think for this one they will forgive me," he convinced himself by saying this. the next second, he activates the disk. the disk starts to glow with blue light. a white hooded figure appears as a small projection. but the whole body and face of the figure was covered. seeing that white dress, he immediately recognized it. this is also one of the academy uniforms given to certain authorities. Chapter 640 Camerons revenge plot chapter 640 cameron''s revenge plot eclipse academy: "what''s the report?" a mixed voice came from the figure. hearing that cameron broke out in a cold sweat. it happens every time whenever he does that. cameron calmed down his heart before saying, "i''m not here to report but to relay important messages. a suspicious powerhouse attacked me" after saying that he started to brief what happened. a few minutes later, cameron finished explaining everything. but still, he is extremely nervous. "you have violated the main branch rules. the necessary punishment will be given." "your intel will be passed as well," after uttering that the white figure disappeared. the blue light dimmed and the disk returned to its normal state. cameron sighed in relief. but the punishment still bothers him. shaking his head, he pushed down his thoughts. lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm right now, what matters to him is revenge. he thinks someone is going to come sooner to investigate. "viper academy old man!" "i don''t think you would continue to hide this time," he said with a wicked smile on his face. but he hopes whoever is the powerhouse should appear before the year-end conference. after feeling light in his heart, he returned to his bed. ... from mc''s perspective: monster zone, clang! a metallic sound reverberated through the area. as my blade collides with the claw of the 3 armed monkeys. the monster leaped backward after just one clash. class-6 early stage 3 armed monkey. the monster is black and white. it stands similar to a human 6ft tall in height. though it''s different and less powerful than the ape monster. but the agility of the monster is something else. and the monster is extremely cautious as well. it doesn''t blindly charge against the enemy like other monsters usually do. roar! the monster let out a roar before starting circling its place. seeing that, i got confused. i''m standing a little deep inside the forest. if the monster wants, it can always use the tree branches to escape from here. but instead of doing this, the monster keeps circling and looking at me. seeing that i placed the sword back in my storage ring and decided to leave. just as i stepped forward to walk away. roar! one after another roaring sound comes from the forest. like lightning, something strikes my mind. "it''s a tribe,'' i said in my heart. when i saw the 3 armed monsters looking down at me. i realized it was calling for help. "lightning phantom technique," i released the movement technique. a purple lightning power covered my legs in the blink of an eye. the next second, i exploded with great speed to escape from the place. roar! the 3 armed monkeys let out an unwilling roar. after a few seconds, the whole tribe arrives at the place. then the monkey group starts to chase down the enemy. there are more than 5 class-6 monsters in the tribe. on the other hand, i didn''t stop for a second. i continued to rush out of this place. 20 minutes later, i found no monsters in my perception. seeing that i sighed in relief. that was close. it''s really dangerous to face the tribe of class 6 monsters. the danger is no less than fighting against the class-7 monster. after a few minutes, i started walking on a different route. not long after, i came across a pond. there are huge trees surrounding the pond. seeing that i couldn''t help but walk forward. rustle~ out of nowhere, a brown tree root appears above the ground. seeing that i retreated a few steps backward. the tree''s roots then changed direction and shot towards me. when the roots got closer to me. i released the lightning defense technique. "lightning wheel" a purple lightning wheel formed around me. the tree roots collided with the lightning wheel with full force. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the aftermath swept away the surroundings. but the commotion caused the tree monsters to wake up. i see many more tree roots coming towards me. to solve it, i have to destroy the core of the tree monster. before that, i have to find where the tree root is coming from. swish! when the tree roots try to attack me again. i escaped from the spot and started to rush towards the nearest tree monster. the giant shade tree is huge and tall as well. swish! the next second, i appeared in mid-air and brought the sword outside to attack. the tree roots changed direction again and started approaching me. seeing that i brought the sword forward. then i started to charge the sword with the purple essence. in the blink of an eye, the sword blade shone with the purple light. "sword divide" i released the sword attack. a purple beam shot toward the trunk at full speed. in the blink of an eye, the attack reaches the target and lands a heavy blow to the monster.nove(lb.in boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the tree roots stopped for a movement. seeing that i realized there is only one monster here. there are no tree roots from other tree monsters. when the smoke was settled. i saw the trunk of the tree was charred black. seeing my eyes flickered. "is it a peak stage class-6 monster?" i said to myself. the monster remained unscathed. after a few seconds, the tree roots start to move again. swish! this time the speed was faster. the tree roots reached me in the blink of an eye. "lightning wheel," seeing that i again released the lightning defensive technique. when the purple wheel appeared. the roots collided with the lightning wheel. boom! the next second, an explosion occurs. i retreated a few steps backward from the impact. the tree roots got destroyed again. but i know there are roots under the ground. that''s why i''m standing in mid-air. rumble~ the tree monster starts to shake. the next second, the branches of the tree monster start moving. they began to expand in size. Chapter 641 Invitation from the Red Moon Tower chapter 641 invitation from the red moon tower from mc''s perspective: the tree monster showed its final appearance. the long branch has become like extended arms. the tree monster tried to move by using the roots. seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. this tree monster can move. for a second, i''m startled. swish! all of a sudden, the monster branches shot towards me. its pointy end can pierce through the monster''s body. when the attack got closer to me. i used the lightning movement technique to evade the attacks one after another. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. swish! the monster does not stop at all. seeing that i rushed out towards the monster in a zig-zag manner. anyone from the outside can see that i''m moving like a lightning arc. in the blink of an eye, i reached closer to the monster. the tree monster retracted the branches and started to find the enemy. when the monster sees the enemy is closer to its body.n.-0velb1n it started attacking by using roots. several roots shot upwards targeting the enemy. seeing that i raised my fist to punch. in the blink of an eye. a lightning power covered my fist. when the roots come in contact with the fist. the lightning power tore through the woods. in the blink of an eye, the roots shredded into pieces. by using the opportunity, i got closer to the monster. roar! the tree monster let out a roar. the roaring sound was so powerful that it started to ring in my ears. the next second, i started to run the blood element method. the blood energy canceled out the energy which is affecting me. seeing that i reached the monster''s trunk and started to attack it by using the blood fist. the blood fist lands a blow to the trunk. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the blood power easily destroyed the core of the trunk. the huge monster let out an unwilling role before falling to the ground. unfortunately, the monster''s core was destroyed along with it. tud! when the monster''s body dropped to the ground. "phew," i sighed in relief. this monster caught me off guard. i didn''t expect the monster to use the roots to move forward and backward. after controlling my emotions, i looked around. i have yet to collect enough monster cores. so i decided to spend more time here. 20 minutes later, i came across a boar monster. i immediately killed the monster to cook food. after having food, i started to move again. not long after, i came across the cat monster. finally, i got the chance to collect the monster core. roar! the class-6 monster started to roar. upon seeing me, the monster leaped towards me. a huge giant claw starts raining down on me. "lightning wheel" the next second, i released the lightning attack. a purple thunderous wheel formed around me. seeing that the monster wanted to evade. but it was too late. the lightning attack tore through the monster''s claws causing severe injury. "blood fist" by using this opportunity, i leaped forward to attack. the blood energy reached my forearm and gathered around my fist. the cat monster tries to evade. but my fist lands on his skull. pfff! the force immediately crushed the head of the monster causing instant death. "phew!" i sighed in relief. then i walked up to the monster to collect the monster core. after collecting the monster''s core, i started to dissect the monster''s body. a few minutes later, i stored the monster''s body parts in the container before leaving the place. time flies, after collecting enough monster cores. i left the monster zone. swish! after appearing in the teleportation tower. i noticed the crowd flow as usual. consider the number of warriors coming and going. then i started walking back to my room. after entering my room. i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes before lying down on my bed. the day went as usual. but i couldn''t help but think about uncle james and granny park. i think jonathan would allow me to go back only after the year-end conference. the following day, 9 a.m i had breakfast with ernest and laverne as usual. before thinking about what to do next. i got a message from the dean. seeing that, i was surprised. because nothing is going on. i''m just following the daily routine. but still, i decided to see what this is all about. soon, i reached the office building. when i got there. i see other faction heads in the buildings. after nodding at them, i arrived before the dean''s office. creak! the door opened automatically. seeing that i walked inside the room. dean rebecca is looking at the screen. i realized something was up. then i sat opposite her. "you are here!" "zack, we received an invitation from the red moon tower," she said in a solemn tone. hearing that i paused for a second. when i realized the invitation from the red moon tower. i looked at her again. rebecca saw through his thoughts. "yeah, it''s unbelievable. i was surprised too." "we don''t have a good relationship with them. but it looks like some changes are happening in all the academies. the red moon tower seems to mend the ties as well," rebecca said. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm hearing that i don''t know what to say for a moment. "do you believe them?" i asked back. it''s not long ago the supreme elder of the eclipse academy tried to infiltrate the supreme elder''s mansion here. if something similar happens, then the consequences would be severe. no one knows that the supreme elder of our academy is dead. if the news leaks out, i can''t imagine the next course of things. rebecca saw through her thoughts again. she has the same fear. currently, the academy is functioning without the supreme elder. every day is a struggle for her. "if we don''t go, then they will think something is wrong with us," rebecca said. "what about their supreme elder?" i asked back. "i heard the supreme elder of the red moon tower is an old woman. i don''t think she is as bad as the supreme elder cameron," she answered. Chapter 642 Dean Lilys intention chapter 642 dean lily''s intention from mc''s perspective: lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm dean office, "dean, what''s this invitation about?" "is it going to be a student exchange meet?" i asked. "yes, it''s a student exchange meeting. they have asked us to send 2 teams. both elite and super elite warriors." "there is still time left before the year-end conference. they want to conduct an exchange meeting before that," rebecca said in a solemn tone. "you will be the representative of the super elite team. apart from you, there will be 9 super elite warriors in your team." "there is also an elite team made up of 10 warriors who will be accompanying you," rebecca added further. since it''s decided. i don''t know what to say. besides, i''m also a little bored here because of the repetitive training schedule. so i agreed with her plan. then i asked, "when are we leaving?" "2 days later. you can take this time to replenish your lightning essence," rebecca said. hearing that i nodded at her. after speaking for a few more minutes. i left the room.nove-lb.in red moon tower: dean lily smith receives a confirmation message from dean rebecca. seeing that her mouth curves into an arc. "they have agreed. it''s surprising," she muttered to herself. but she knows this news will motivate students here. during the exchange meeting, she can see the difference in strength between the viper academy and red moon tower. she decided to take this opportunity to select students for the year-end conference. after thinking about it, she summons one of the elders. soon, a woman wearing a black and red academy uniform walked into the room. she was none other than teresa york. she was the one who represented the red moon tower at crimson hall''s event. during that event, she had witnessed zack and recruited zack''s friends to the academy. teresa york''s expression was calm and serene. when the dean summoned her. she thinks it''s going to be about a daily patrol mission. dean lily looked at her before saying, "i have invited the viper academy for the student exchange meet. they will be here in 2 days." "inform others. let them be prepared. also, select the students who are going to fight them," she added. "viper academy?" "saw scaled viper academy!" "dean, they are our rivals. how come we have a student exchange meeting with them?" teresa asked out of surprise. the news came as a bolt out of the blue for her. dean lily saw through her thoughts. her expression becomes solemn the next second. "don''t forget the recent incidents. our outermost is not as safe as before. the space barrier''s problem is unheard of before." "only if 6 academies join hands together can we solve future threats. for that we have to forget our old grudge," she said in a solemn tone. teresa became speechless. she recalls the recent monster zone incident. a few monster zones in the academy were destroyed. some other monster zones have become piles of corpses. the monsters habiting there faced a grave extinction. a look of understanding dawned on her face. she then looked at the dean and replied, "alright, dean. i''ll make the necessary arrangements." after saying that she left the office. then she started walking towards her office. on the way, she couldn''t help but think of the viper academy. when it comes to the viper academy. an image of a person comes to her mind. the person is none other than zack lockwood. from time to time, she gets information about the potential warriors in other academies. and zack lockwood''s name comes to the top. "will he come?" she asked herself. she remembers 2 of zack''s friends in the academy. ella downs and sallie mills. both of them have become super elite warriors recently. she also knows that zack has become a super elite warrior as well. a quick gleam flashes in her eyes. if both are included in the team, then there is an opportunity for them to fight against zack lockwood. soon, she arrived at the office. then she sat on her seat. she then taps the digital screen. when the main page opened up, she began to type the message. she wrote a message about what the dean had said to her. after typing the message, she sent the message to everyone in the academy. in a few minutes, everyone in the academy was surprised by the news. especially the warriors who are preparing for the year-end conference. on the other hand, sallie mills and ella downs are in different places at this time. sallie mills is currently in the training room. where ella downs is fighting monsters in the monster zone. both of them are so focused on their current task. so they weren''t aware of the current news. a few hours later, sallie and ella returned to their dorm. but they have noticed something is happening in the academy. as everyone is discussing something. both of them have entered their dorm room. ella downs went to take a bath. after getting changed, she sat on the sofa to relax. when she opens the social media site to check. she was shocked by several posts. most of them were uploaded a few hours ago. "what''s happening?" ella asked herself. then she began to read the online posts one by one. at first, she didn''t believe it. then she uses her student id to look for the information from the administration. then she saw the official notice from the academy. after opening it, she began to read it. when she finished reading the message. she receives a call from sallie. when she attended the call. a surprise-filled voice reached her ears. "have you read the notice?" "warriors from the viper academy will come here for a student exchange meet" "do you think zack will come?" sallie asked. ella remained silent. they are not eager to meet him. instead, they don''t want to see his face at all. after the crimson hall''s destruction, everything has changed. "i don''t think he will come," she replied. meanwhile, when the message starts spreading around. the news also quickly reaches the other 4 academies. they were all surprised by the news as well. Chapter 643 Making the name list chapter 643 making the name list red moon tower: sallie mills and ella downs have complex emotions in their heart. they don''t want to meet zack lockwood in this exchange meeting. just as they decided not to participate in the meeting. another notice came out of the blue. when they both heard the news. they read the information. the shocking news was those who perform well in the coming student exchange meet will be selected for the year-end conference. this news finally broke their defense. they can''t give up the year-end conference. due to recent fortune encounters, both of them have reached the super elite stage quickly. to carry on the momentum, both of them have to participate in the year-end conference. it can''t be avoided. on the other hand, teresa york is busy making the name list. when the notice was released. many of them are eager to fight against the viper academy. the elders are getting headaches. some of the students are currently outside of the academy. they won''t be able to return in time. she has to make a list of the available students. suddenly, she thought of zack lockwood. "i guess they are making the list as well," she said in her heart. everything will be clear tomorrow whether zack is going to appear or not. the next day, sallie and ella met each other to talk in the training room. "what are you going to do? ella asked right after the meeting. sallie replied, "i wasn''t able to sleep the whole night. right now, i think we should participate in the exchange meeting. only in this way, we can get resources. ella let go of her stubbornness for a moment and thought it through. "i heard he is in the early stages of super elite as well. then we should take this chance to defeat him and get revenge for the destruction of the crimson hall," ella said to her. ... from mc''s perspective: when i reached the dining hall. i see a group of warriors from different factions. including ernest and laverne. they are blocking the path. rather, i should say they are waiting for me. "zack, is it true?" ernest asked. hearing that i looked toward him. i saw seamus and vina potkins as well. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. they are here to confirm the news as well. "didn''t you guys confirm the news?" i asked back. because the notice was published last night itself. everyone should have seen the notice by now. "we read the notice. but we want to hear from you. you are appointed as the representative," laverne said from the side. hearing that my mouth twitched. last night, the notice came as a surprise. i didn''t expect the dean to reveal my name as well. "yeah, it''s true. but i don''t know how they will select the rest of the members," i answered. "how can we know? we don''t have a faction head," seamus asked. hearing that i furrowed my eyebrows. the condition of the flame faction is worse. i thought the situation of the faction head appointment was sorted out. "don''t worry, the dean will think of something," i answered. hearing that seamus snorted before leaving with his followers. only vina potkins remained. she then walked up to me and said, "are you ready for another duel?" "we can practice before the student exchange meets," she added. i shook my head before saying, "i don''t have time for that. we can duel some other day." vina potkins was disappointed. but she did expect this answer. after looking at anger, she left with her friends as well. "everyone is worried. because they want to go to the red moon tower as well," laverne said from the side. "what about you guys?" i asked while we were walking into the hall. ernest and laverne looked at each other. both of them have already made up their mind. "we were not coming," ernest said. "what?" i paused my movement before looking at them. they both wanted to participate in the year-end conference. so what now? i asked, "so, do you guys still have plans for the year-end conference?" ernest answered, "it''s not like what you are thinking. we are going to participate in the year-end conference. it''s just that a student exchange meeting is going to be difficult." "we might not be able to defeat their strong warriors." hearing that my eyes flickered. of course, i didn''t think about it. each academy is different. maybe they were right. i know too little about the red moon tower. maybe the dean will give the information later. "alright, i respect your decision," i said. then we received the food before sitting down to eat. "everyone is quite enthusiastic about the student exchange meets," laverne said. "earlier, our enemy giant tower academy knocked on our door. but this time we are going to knock on the door of another rival academy," ernest said. "there will be a higher number of female warriors in the red moon tower. so you have to be careful. the female warriors in that academy are violent. they undergo a lot of trials to get a bloody experience," laverne added. hearing that an image of 2 people comes to mind. sallie mills and ella downs. i guess after the destruction of the crimson hall, their attitude has changed. but as far as i know, nothing wrong happened to them or their family. if i''m right, they are still thinking about crimson hall. once i meet them, i should clarify about the crimson hall. it all started with them. if they hadn''t put my name on the kill list, they wouldn''t have met with the destruction. "what are you thinking?" ernest asked. "it''s nothing," i shook my head before continuing to eat the food. 20 minutes later, i walked out of the dining hall with them. then we parted ways. i started walking to the office building. when i arrived at the dean''s office. creak! the door opened automatically. then i walked inside. seeing that the dean is here. i signed inwardly. "dean, what about the list of warriors?" i asked. rebecca responded with a smile. "i know what happened. i have instructed the faction heads to select the warriors. when it comes to the flame faction. i''m going to select suitable warriors," she said. a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. "what''s your plan for today?" rebecca asked. "i have planned to head to the mountain peak," i answered. with a knowing smile, rebecca summoned the guardians with a knowing smile on their face. swish! when the male and female guardians appeared after a long time. they looked at zack with a kind smile. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm "zack, look, you want to visit that place again," the male guardian asked. "yes, i''m glad that you guys have come," i answered. then after some talk, i left with the male and female guardians. they then started carrying me towards the destination. a few hours later, we reached the mountain peak. this time heavy rain is pouring down this place. the sky is covered with black clouds. a faint smile appeared on my face. today the cultivation speed will be faster. after appearing on top of the mountain. they dropped me on the land. then i started to set up the barrier while drenching in the air. from time to time, a thunderous sound reverberated throughout the area. after activating the barrier, i sat on the bedrock. an invisible barrier surrounds the place like a dome. n-.ovelbin then i closed my eyes and started to run the lightning scripture. right after the lightning rune in my consciousness started to flicker. slowly, the purple essence from the surroundings entered my body. then i started to guide the energy according to the lightning scripture. after circulation, the refined essence enters my dan tian. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. as time passed, the purple essence began to collect in the dantain. when the dantian was half filled. the majestic totem starts to move. it''s started to convert the purple essence into pure essence. an hour later, my dantian is filled with the lightning essence. seeing that i stopped cultivating and decided to cultivate the wood technique right now. then i started to run the wooden scripture. slowly, i started to absorb the healing essence from the surroundings. when the healing essence entered my body. i feel refreshed. then i started to guide the energy according to the wooden scripture. after circulation, the healing essence entered my dan tian. but the amount was small. seeing that i continued to repeat the process. an hour later, a small quantity of healing essence gathered below the purple essence. seeing that i have decided to end the cultivation. meanwhile, the faction heads are wrapping up their heads to make the name list. because many warriors have given their names for the student exchange meet. so they have to finalize the name among the qualified warriors. dean rebecca also looked at the names of the flame faction. there was no more franklin. so she had to make the list. Chapter 644 Starting our journey to the Red Moon Tower chapter 644 starting our journey to the red moon tower lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm ? from mc''s perspective: the next day, i woke up early and started doing my morning routine. i have decided to skip body cultivation today. because the dean wanted us to present in her cabin before 8 in the morning. last night, she published the list of students who are going to participate in the student exchange meeting with me. surprisingly, a few familiar people have decided to give up this opportunity. only seamus and vina potkin''s names were confirmed. the rest of the warriors are unknown to me. after a few minutes, i went to take a shower. 20 minutes later,n-.ovelbin i changed to an academy uniform and started to get ready. after combing my hair and making sure that nothing important was left behind, i left the room. walking out of the dorm room. i see many warriors roaming in front of the dormitory. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. they have come here to see the team. shaking my head, i started walking to the office building. when i got there. i see seamus dave and vina potkins have arrived before me. they are standing in front of the dean''s office. "so, she is not here yet," i said in my heart. if it was then the door would have opened automatically. "zack, you are late," vina said with a smile. "i came on time. but you guys came early," i answered in a calm tone. "i thought we would have another duel. but this student exchange meeting came all of a sudden," vina said with a sigh. "it''s a pity, eurice frye refused the opportunity. otherwise, all of your former opponents would be here," she said. "harumph," seamus gave a cold snort. "oh, yes. i forgot about him," vina said jokingly. not long after, other 7 new warriors arrived at the spot. earth element faction has sent 3 super elite warriors. all of them are new faces. and their strength seems to be at the peak of the super elite stage. then my gaze shifted to the rain water and silver metal faction. each of them has sent 2 warriors. making up to the number 4. only the special faction, flame faction, and gale faction have one member. "looks like the team''s combination is made by the dean. she has the opportunity to earth element faction for their defense." "i hope they will prove their worth," vina said straightforwardly. hearing that earth element faction members were pissed off. they began to talk back to vina. seeing the quarrel, i touched my forehead. i can understand why she is pissed off. she perhaps wanted more gale faction warriors. but the team was made by the dean. "alright, back off. dean will be here shortly. if you continue to act like this, i''ll ask the dean to remove your name from the list," i said in a calm tone. quiet! the atmosphere has become quiet all of a sudden. seamus'' mouth twitched. now everyone realizes that i''m the one who is going to represent the team. and i''m also the strongest in this team. the earth element warriors backed off. but still, they looked at her in a cold gaze. i shook my head. i don''t know how this trip is going to be. i hope i don''t have to babysit everyone. shortly after, the 10 elite warriors in the name list have come. including their leader. it''s another unfamiliar face. but i have to get familiar with everyone. then i started to introduce myself to everyone. when everything was done. creak! the door opened automatically. "she''s here!" i sighed in relief. then we walked into the dean''s room. dean rebecca sitting behind her desk. when everyone is present inside. she once again checked the name list making sure everyone was there. after doing that she looked at everyone before saying, "you guys are good to go" hearing that i thought the guardians would be leading us. but the next second, her words shocked me. "the special faction head carlos kent is going to protect you," she said. the next second, i felt a lot of gazes on me. "dean, if he is coming with us. then what about the academy," i asked. everyone looked confused by the question. but i know the dean knows the meaning behind my words. "don''t worry about the academy. just focus on beating those red moon tower girls," she said in a calm tone. but her answer didn''t satisfy me. if in case the supreme elder decided to meet the supreme elder of our academy. things will become serious. not everyone has time, i can ask jonathan to come and save us. the academy has to find a solution for itself. after a few minutes of discussion, we left the room. when we got down to the ground. i saw carlos kent waiting for us. "carlos...." i stopped calling by his name midway. i realized there were people around me. "ahem!" "elder, where is the aircraft?" i asked. carlos kent saw through everything. but he didn''t mind it. "the aircraft is parked inside the facility. let''s go," he said. then everyone started following him. when we entered the facility, we saw a very big aircraft parked in the middle. there are also dedicated pilots and staff who were arranged to assist in this trip. then one by one we entered the aircraft and sat in our seats. in the blink of an eye, all the 20 members are boarded including the faction head. then the staff entered lastly to make sure none was left behind. the pilot then enters the cockpit after getting confirmation from the staff. me, vina, and seamus are seated in a row. i sat near the window seat. vina sat next to me in the middle and seamus seated next to her. "wow, this is going to be a memorable trip," vina said. right after, seamus took some gadgets to cover his ears. he seems uninterested in having any sort of conversation. seeing that vina snorted before closing her eyes to take a nap. the aircraft starts to fly above the ground. in the blink of an eye, we left the academy''s air space. Chapter 645 Dean Lilys last minute decision chapter 645 dean lily''s last minute decision red moon tower: the dean lily receives confirmation from the dean of the viper academy. the students are on their way to red moon tower. she then summons teresa york. when teresa york appeared. she looked at her and asked, "what is going on?" "still, those girls are protesting," she added. teresa revealed a bitter smile on her face. like the viper academy, they had released the name list last night. but there was a small twist. there was no selection duel held. because many strong warriors just returned last night. so they have made the list based on previous records. unlike the viper academy, where there are more competitors. everyone''s improving day by day. so when the list was released. some of the girls strongly protested. everyone wants their name on this list. they are not satisfied by the list made by the academy. they wanted to duel to sort out everything. but it is difficult to conduct a duel in a short time. last night, she thought the fuss would be over by this morning. but the girls are still protesting. "teresa?" dean called out her name. "dean, they are not giving up. i have tried to change their mind. but they have all got strong determination to fight against the viper academy students." "such a phenomenon has never happened before," teresa answered. dean lily frowned. she is disappointed by the unruly behavior. especially at the time, when the viper academy students are on their way here. she took a minute to make the decision. "alright, let''s conduct the selection duel today." "10 super elite and 10 elite warriors will be selected based on the duels today, " dean lily said. hearing that teresa was shocked to the core. "dean, how is it possible to conduct the duel today? "what about the student exchange meet?" teresa asked. she couldn''t wrap her head around this. "it would take a couple of hours for them to get here. in the meantime, we can complete half the matches." "even if they come, we can postpone the student exchange duel to tomorrow," dean lily replied. it can''t be helped. the students are not satisfied with the name list. instead of getting their name tarnished because of their unruly behavior and protest. she thought it was better to conduct the selection duel today itself. "alright, dean. i''ll ask the other elders to get ready as well," teresa said. after a few minutes of discussion, she left the room. ... from mc''s perspective: meanwhile, ella downs and sallie mills receive the next notice half an hour later. when they read the content. their eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "we were saved," ella screamed with joy. because their name was not on last night''s list. which both shocked and disappointed them. but when they tried to read the names. then they realized the list was made based on the record of the students. which gave them a sign of relief. because they broke through recently. if they were compared to the warriors on the list, they were just elite warriors back then. "we got this nice opportunity now," sallie said. both of them are in the training room practicing together. ella frowned before saying, "everyone is going to participate. i heard a lot of peak stage super elite warriors will be coming as well." sallie thought for a moment and said, "if we try hard, we can secure at least 2 places." after some self-vincing, both of them have left the place. now they have to register the name for the selection duel. an hour later, the elders are gathered inside the duel arena. the academy has decided to conduct multiple duels simultaneously. so 100 elite and 100 super elite warriors are going to register their name. dean lily has instructed all the elders to take care of this event. among the super elite warriors, sallie mills and ella downs are there as well. after registering their name, they were given numbers. the fixtures were made randomly. 20 platforms were prepared for this event. if the number was called out, they had to appear in the duel platform. teresa york is discussing with other elders. the registration was over an hour later. then the numbers were called out randomly. soon, all the 20 stages were filled. most of the warriors are females. when everyone was ready, the duel was officially started. dean office: dean lily is looking at the big screen in front of her. the duels were going on. then she looked at the time. "they will be here in a few hours," she said to herself. meanwhile, the aircraft is speeding through the air. there was no air traffic on the way. because of that aircraft are moving at a fast speed. seamus and vina fell asleep. on the other hand, i''m texting ernest. both he and laverne have decided to enter the monster zone. ernest is just waiting for laverne to arrive in the teleportation tower. in the meantime, he is texting me. a few minutes later, ernest ended the conversation. i have decided to sleep as well. the aircraft is flying above different terrain. it crossed several cities before getting closer to the red moon tower.n.(ovelbin a few hours later, lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm the aircraft enters the area of the red moon tower. the terrain is different. many rocky hills can be seen from the aircraft. if the aircraft crashes on any of these peaks, it will be destroyed completely. at this point, everyone is waking up from their nap. soon, the aircraft flew over the glass city. the tier-6 city under the red moon tower. everyone is looking at the city through the window. these glass-type towering structures can be seen all over the city. it''s difficult to recognize which building is for what from the above. on the other hand, my eyes are looking for one particular building. then i saw one of the unique towering buildings. which is the infamous auction house. my mouth curves into an arc. if i had the opportunity, i made up my mind to visit this place. Chapter 646 Arriving to the Red Moon Tower chapter 646 arriving to the red moon tower from mc''s perspective: soon, the glass city disappeared from view. the aircraft is moving closer to the destination. an hour later, several mountain hills came into view. what''s more unique is that above the mountain hills. many towering buildings can be seen. those towering buildings are part of the red moon tower. as the name suggests the buildings are red and gray in color. which adds beauty to the buildings. in the blink of an eye, the aircraft reaches the main area. which means we have officially entered the academy space of the red moon tower. at this moment, everyone stood up from their seats. "wow, this place looks beautiful as per rumor," vina said with a smile. even the less talkative seamus is also looking at the building through the window. on the other hand, teresa york is waiting for them near the landing area. in her mind, she couldn''t help but recall the images of zack lockwood. that lightning kid who had surprised everyone during the recruitment. recently, she has been hearing good news about his improvement. however, the bad relationship between the academies has widened the gaps. now she has a chance to see the strength of the viper academy. more importantly, she wants to see the strength of zack lockwood. how far has that lightning kid grown? because the selection competition is taking place. not many warriors roam in the academy. so the environment here is serene and calm. then she noticed a black dot in the sky. and it''s getting closer to the academy. she realized that the black dot was the aircraft of the viper academy. the aircraft reached the landing platform in the blink of an eye and started to descend slowly. inside, everyone is eager to go out and look around the academy. "it would be better. if the duel is tomorrow, i want to take a look around this academy," vina said to herself. hearing that i shook my head before saying, "i doubt that''s going to happen." when the aircraft came to a halt. the staff went forward to open it. "alright, students. don''t forget to behave. this academy is still our rival academy," carlos kent said all of a sudden. hearing that everyone came to a sudden realization. if they are expecting friendly smiles from warriors of this academy, then it would be dumb. creak! the door was opened. then one by one warriors start to walk out. when it was my turn. i held my head high before waking out. once i touched my feet on the ground. i felt a heavy gaze on my back.nove/lb/in turning around, i saw a familiar face. after a long time, i''m meeting her in person. the person is none other than teresa york. while i''m looking at her. she is also observing me. then i noticed her strength had gone one step higher. "ss- elite warrior," i said in my heart. "you know her," i heard carlos'' voice from behind. "yes, she was present at the time of my recruitment to the viper academy," i replied without turning back. "no wonder," carlos uttered. at this time, everyone is settled down. teresa york starts approaching them. she arrives before zack lockwood and then turns towards carlos kent. "welcome to the red moon tower!" lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm "i''m teresa york. i''m going to assist you in this student exchange meeting," she said. she knows carlos kent. because he is the famous special faction head. even rumor says that his strength is closer to the dean rebecca. so she wasn''t surprised by his presence. carlos kent''s eyes flickered. because he noticed a powerful gaze fell on him before disappearing. "is it a warning?" he asked in his heart. undoubtedly the powerful gaze was from the supreme elder of the red moon tower. he has the strength of the sss-elite. only the supreme elder''s power can suppress him. "can you take us to meet your dean?" carlos kent asked. hearing that teresa frowned before saying, "well, we have a selection duel going on. so the actual exchange duel will be held tomorrow." "what?" a small commotion occurred. everyone thought the duel would be held right away. on the other hand, they are hearing different news. the only person who was happy by the news was vina potkins. carlos kent''s mouth twitched before saying, "silence." a small invisible coercion pressures everyone. after that everyone quieted down. a surprise glint flashes in teresa''s eyes. even she felt slight oppression. on the other hand, i couldn''t help but look around. if there is a chance, i should visit glass city''s auction house. so i''m glad that event was not today. maybe i should request carlos later. he could take me to that city in no time. his speed is faster than the aircraft. "what''s going on?" "we didn''t receive any news regarding this matter," carlos kent asked. teresa york shook her head before saying, "it''s a long story. first, come with me. i''ll take you guys to the guest room before explaining everything." carlos agreed to her words. then we started following her. walking, i could only spot a few people here and there. i thought as we got closer. we might see more people. but nothing of that sort had happened. the place looks almost empty. not only me, but everyone else had the same reaction. carlos kent wants to use his perception. because of the supreme elder''s warming before. he didn''t want to be rude. teresa york saw through everyone''s thoughts. she said, "everyone has gone to the duel area to watch the selection duel. so you won''t find anyone here." the next moment, a look of understanding dawned on everyone. soon, we reached a towering red building. "this is our guest tower. there are multiple rooms on each floor with all facilities," after saying that she led everyone inside. the first floor was similar to a hotel. it has a wide spacious area like a lobby. the space is filled with a comfortable sofa table and chairs. there is also one working staff behind the desk. "you can tell us here," after saying that carlos sat on the cushioned chair. seeing that i followed him to sit down. teresa didn''t get offended. she found an empty chair to sit down on as well. then she began her explanation. Chapter 647 Getting settled down chapter 647 getting settled down from mc''s perspective: red moon tower, after a few minutes, teresa york finished explaining everything. on the other hand, many of us are left speechless. she is saying that their academy has many strong warriors which is why they had trouble selecting the warriors. well, there is some truth. this academy has many female warriors. maybe that could be the reason. i doubt there is a faction here. i heard before that this academy has its inheritance left by its predecessors. any suitable warriors can accept the part of inheritance. if they want more, then they have to break through continuously and improve their strength. also, the word red moon comes from the infamous inheritance. like other academies, the red moon tower is a branch academy. the main branch is located somewhere in the inner post. after some talk, teresa york left. she glanced at me before going out. then we got the keys from the staff before going to our room to rest. "hey, i''m going to look around outside. anyone wants to come with me," vina asked. except few, none showed any interest. "ask the help of the staff. don''t wander around alone," carlos cautioned. seamus walked upstairs to the 3rd floor. my room is on the 4th floor. after arriving there, i inserted the key to enter inside. creak! i walked into the room before closing the door. then i activated my perceptual ability to check the room. i don''t want to miss any details. after seeing that the room was safe and sound. a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. i bought a pair of uniforms and some casual and comfortable clothes. never thought it would come in handy here. then i went to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes before lying down on the bed. then i opened the text icon and started sending messages to jonathan. i''m updating the latest events. even if there is any danger, jonathan can find me easily. pop! then i noticed i got access to a free network here. a hint of curiosity appeared in my eyes. seeing that i began to access the network. when it was connected. i got invited to the live streaming of the selection duel. "this?" i raised my eyebrows in surprise. then the image of ella downs and sallie mills comes to mind. i don''t know how far their strength has reached. how long has it been since i last saw them? then i began to listen to the live streaming. a big projection screen appears above the sci-fi watch. the next moment, the live streaming opened. a huge duel arena appeared on the screen. then i saw duels happening on 20 different platforms. "so many people?" i muttered to myself. people are lining up in the queue to fight in the selection duel. "so she was not exaggerating anything," i muttered to myself. the scene is different from the viper academy. back in the academy, apart from the participants, no one enters the ground. here the participants are large in numbers. i wonder whether the selection duel would come to an end today itself. meanwhile, vina potkins gathered a few fellow female warriors and went to the staff. when she requested the staff. the staff took a minute time before consulting with teresa york. a few minutes later, a super elite warrior comes to the help. she is one of the students here. but she didn''t go to see the duel arena. because of that, she got a rare opportunity to guide the students from the viper academy. vina and others went with her to look around the academy. lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm on the other hand, seamus and others began to take a nap. meanwhile, the students in the arena are waiting for their opportunity. while those who won were waiting for the next round. ella downs and sallie mills won their respective duels. as their opponents are early-stage super elite. so they didn''t have any trouble dealing with them. but things will become tense as they reach the next rounds one after another. the peak stage super elite warriors would reach the next few rounds easily. so for sallie and ella, a real challenge awaits them. meanwhile, dean lily is getting updates from teresa york in front of her. "so he came with them," she said in a solemn tone. "yes, dean. and his strength seems to be higher than mine," teresa york replied. hearing that a bitter smile appeared on the dean''s face. "carlos kent is stronger than you. the supreme elder told me that he is sss- elite warrior," she said in a helpless tone. but her words fell like a thunderclap in teresa''s ears. "what?" she uttered in disbelief. "sss-elite?" she asked herself. she thought he was just older than her. but never expected his strength to be comparable to the dean of the academy. dean lily saw through her thoughts. "what?" "is it hard to believe?" n/-o--v./e(-l(/b-.i.-n "if not for the supreme elder''s words. i wouldn''t have believed it either," she said in a solemn tone. teresa york manages to calm down the turmoil in her heart. but the news was too shocking. "dean, then viper academy has an additional sss-rank powerhouse. will it play during the year-end conference?" she asked. she fears that the viper academy might target others. dean lily shook her head before saying, ''i know rebecca''s character. she won''t target others. unless someone targets their academy." hearing that teresa sighed in relief. "sigh" dean lily let out a deep sigh. she intended to find the strength of the young warrior of the viper academy. but carlos kent''s strength hit her hard. which is enough to deter their plans. she didn''t forget about the viper academy''s supreme elder. among the supreme elders, he was the oldest. so their supreme elder advised them to maintain good relations with the viper academy. after some discussion, teresa york left the room. then the dean began to see the live streaming. seeing the selection duel is progressing fast. she sighed in relief. at least the event was happening according to her plan. Chapter 648 Jonathan learns the truth chapter 648 jonathan learns the truth from mc''s perspective: eclipse academy: a few hours ago, the dean edgar receives the report from the intelligence unit. seeing the report was about the viper academy. he began to read the information. after a few minutes, he sighed to himself. he didn''t expect the red moon tower to improve relations with the viper academy. after seeing that the selection duel is taking place in the red moon tower. a quick gleam flashes in his eyes. for a student exchange meet, they are conducting the duel like an internal competition. he then decides to inform the supreme elder. the supreme elder had asked him to inform him whenever the news about zack came. after closing the files, he disappeared from the spot. in the blink of an eye, he reached the mansion of the supreme elder. then he saw the supreme elder was waiting in the front garden. lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm on the other hand, cameron noticed edgar''s presence. "what is it?" he asked. right now, he is in a bad mood. he has been waiting for news from the inner post. but there was no information whatsoever. edgar was stunned. then he realized the supreme elder was in a bad mood. "elder, there was news about zack lockwood," he replied. hearing that cameron paused his movements before asking him to tell. a few minutes later, "what happened to the red moon tower?" cameron uttered in a low tone. the giant tower and red moon tower have bad relations with the viper academy. but the red moon tower''s action suggests otherwise. "are they blind?" he asked himself. then he thought of something. he recalls the power of the mysterious person behind the viper academy. don''t tell me he was the reason. then he shook his head in denial. the viper academy didn''t have problems with the red moon tower. this means the red moon tower is looking forward to improving their relationship. "alright, you can leave," he said to edgar. hearing that edgar nodded his head before disappearing from the spot. cameron''s eyes flickered. he thought about joining hands together with the giant tower academy. then pressure the viper academy. but the red moon tower''s action is making him gloomier. just as he was to get up. his sci-fi watch lit up with the notification. seeing that he paused his movements before reading the message. "what?" a hint of surprise flashes in his eyes. the content of the message shocked him to the core. "someone from the inner post is going to come," he uttered in a surprise. he thought he was dreaming. but when he read the message, n-.o--v-/e)-1-/b-(1.-n he realized the message was real. someone is going to visit this place soon. he felt the hanging sword above his head disappear. a relaxed smile appeared on his face. "finally, the viper academy is going to face the wrath. even the dying old man won''t be able to stop the destruction of the viper academy," he said to himself. the only person who could stop them was that mysterious powerhouse. he hopes that person is not here. otherwise, he would face certain death. a hint of fear appeared in his eyes before it disappeared. it''s a pity the time of arrival was not mentioned. ... meanwhile, somewhere in the inner post. inside the huge castle, jonathan is standing in front of the master in the study room. outside the place was dark. heavy rain storms can be seen. from time to time, thunder and lightning are occurring. there was an extreme climate outside. but inside the study room, the place was calm. "people from the prison have caused so much damage to the numerous outposts. the outpost 1012 was fortunate to have your presence. if not they would have met with the same fate," lowell said in a solemn tone. "master, i did my duty to protect the young master and his home. but why did you want the young master to enter the inner post this fast?" jonathan asked. at first, he thought it was about the prisoner''s actions. but from his master''s attitude. he can tell that he didn''t put those prisoners in his eyes. so something else is bothering him. lowell raised his head to look at him. a hint of appreciation flashes in his eyes. then he thought of something before saying," war is going on. each force wants to make merit." "many of the battles are for the young generation. my family is asking me to appoint someone," he said. but jonathan felt lightning strike his mind. "master, young master zack is your student. if you appoint someone, it would be unfair," jonathan answered in a panic. lowell raised his hand to stop him. then he said, "that''s why i had asked to bring him along with you." a look of understanding dawned on jonathan''s eyes. he didn''t expect such a thing to happen. but one more thing puzzled him. "master, young master is just a super elite warrior. there is a long way before he reaches the pinnacle. then only he can become eligible for accepting the inheritance." "without inheritance, it''s suicidal to join the battle," jonathan said in a solemn tone. a quick gleam flashes in lowell''s eyes. he said, "it can''t be helped. we don''t have much time. bring him when the year-end conference comes to an end." "if you want you can use the force," he added. suddenly, a black crow appeared near the window. it''s carrying a letter. seeing that jonathan went to retrieve the letter. then he puts some food on the plate. the black crow starts to eat it. "master," jonathan brought the letter to lowell. lowell receives it before tearing off the cover. then he brought the letter outside to read it. the content was written in a secret language. lowell knows it well. when he finished reading the message. he looked at jonathan and said, "you got another job in the outer post 1012." hearing that jonathan was surprised. he just came back from there. "eclipse main branch has dispatched someone," lowell said with a smile. jonathan quickly connected the dots. before he could ask. lowell said, "if you want, you can kill that person." jonathan nodded his head in understanding before leaving the place. Chapter 649 Carloss worry chapter 649 carlos''s worry from mc''s perspective: red moon tower: the following day, 9 a.m, after getting ready, i sat on the sofa to read the online news. not long after, i heard the knocking on the door. hearing that i furrowed my eyebrows. who is visiting this early? i shook my head before standing up. then i walked up to the door to open it. creak! when i opened the door. i saw vina potkins standing outside. i asked, "what is it?" vina smiled before saying," everyone is planning to have breakfast together. if you want, you can join us." hearing that i nodded my head in understanding. then i replied," alright, i''ll come." after closing the door, we started walking downstairs. then u thought of something before asking, "what happened to their selection duel?" "sigh" "don''t ask me. this academy seems to be crazy. the selection duel went on after midnight. finally, they were able to select 10 super elite and elite warriors," vina said with a sigh. a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. i don''t want to spend time boring here. after arriving at the lobby, we met with others. even carlos kent was there. just as we were discussing. teresa york made an appearance. her appearance immediately attracted everyone''s attention. my eyes flickered. "what''s her element?" i said in my heart. earlier, i thought she was a special element user like me. but nobody here talks about her special element. on the other hand, teresa looked at everyone before her gaze fell on zack. then she walks up to carlos kent. her expression was different than before. she is calm and dignified. ever since she learned that carlos is an sss-rank warrior. she has changed her attitude. "elder, i have come to take you guys to our dining hall," she said. hearing that carlos kent who was busy reading online articles turned towards her. then he looked at the warriors around him and asked, "has everyone arrived here?" his eyes quickly scanned the 20 warriors present here. seeing that everyone was here. he said, "let''s go." right after, everyone started following carlos and teresa york to the dining hall. on the way, we continued our conversation. "what do you think about their strength?" vina asked. "i don''t know. we will see it today for sure," i replied. a complex glint flashes in vina''s eyes. "i think we are underestimating their strength. last night, i went to their duel arena and saw a few of their duels," vina said. hearing that my eyes flickered. "don''t think too much about it. just focus on your strength," i said to her. at the same time, i recalled something in my mind. the red moon tower has its inheritance. it doesn''t matter which element it is. their inheritance can be used by any elemental warrior. maybe the truth will be revealed in a few hours. soon, we reached the dining hall. the dining hall is similar to the viper academy. where everyone can have food in one common place. when we walked into the hall. the red moon tower warriors'' eyes fell on us. after seeing us, they started gossiping. after receiving the food, everyone found an empty seat to sit down. when i sat on the empty seat. vina potkins came to sit beside me. on the other hand, i saw seamus dave join others. he seems to have formed a group with other super elite warriors. then we began eating the food. a few seconds later, two more people have joined us. when i raised my head. i saw carlos kent and teresa york. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm they sat opposite us. "zack lockwood, long time no see. yesterday, i was busy. i didn''t have time to talk to you," teresa york said. hearing that i revealed a smile on my face. why is she striking up a conversation with me? teresa thought of something before saying, "oh, i forgot. your 2 friends have managed to get a place in the team." "i think ella and sallie are looking forward to meeting you," she added. carlos kent was silently listening to their conversation. he furrowed his eyebrows before asking, "what happened to your supreme elder?" hearing that i looked at him in surprise. even vina potkins perked up her ears to listen. teresa frowned. she doesn''t why is he asking? thinking about carlos'' strength. she replied, "the supreme elder is in her mansion." "she won''t appear unless it''s important," she added. carlos kent sneered inside. when did he go to walk outside last night? he felt that terrifying gaze. the supreme elder is watching his movements. he doesn''t know whether the red moon tower is scheming like giant tower academy. perceiving everyone''s gaze before saying, "i thought the supreme elder would watch our duels." hearing that teresa eases her eyebrows. for a moment, she thought something serious. when it comes to the student exchange meeting. she doesn''t think the supreme elder would be free to watch the duel. 20 minutes later, we walked out of the dining hall. "the duel will officially start in 2 hours. you guys should arrive at our duel arena before that," after saying that she walked away from the place. then we started walking back to the guest tower. on the way, we came across many female warriors. most of them were missing yesterday. soon, we reached the guest tower. after entering inside, i heard from carlos kent. "zack, come here for a moment." hearing that i turned around and walked towards him. most of them went to their room. while others have decided to wait in the lobby. seeing that no one was around. carlos kent said, "i think we should leave right after the duel." hearing that i was stunned for a moment. i heard a nervousness in his tone. "what happened?" i asked back. "the supreme elder of their academy is watching everyone. he is especially keeping an eye on me," carlos kent replied. i suddenly realized the reason for his question to teresa york. then i furrowed my eyebrows. don''t tell me the red moon tower is as troublesome as the giant tower academy. "you should inform that person just in case he can help us when it''s an emergency," carlos said. "alright, i''ll text him," i replied. 2 hours later, we walked into the arena. all of us, including carlos kent, are standing on the ground. the red moon tower warriors are yet to come. at the same time, i saw the spectator area getting filled up with the warriors. the student count of the academy is similar to ours. not long after, teresa york appeared with her warriors. cheer! the cries erupted in a cheer. the big screen starts to show their images. when i raised my head to look at them. a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "they are strong," i said in my heart. especially the aura released by the super elite warrior is showing some threat. "vina is right. i have underestimated them," i said in my heart. their strength is showing a hint of threat to me. then what about others? when i turned around, i looked at others. i saw everyone''s expression was ugly. even seamus'' expression was solemn. i saw vina clenching her fist in anger. on the other hand, carlos kent has better knowledge. he instantly saw through everyone. he turned to zack who was next to him and said, "each one of them has an aura of inheritance on them." "red moon tower''s inheritance is special. as far as i know, it can increase the combat power of the warriors. you guys have to be careful," he added. "inheritance uh?" i muttered to myself. earlier, i didn''t pay any attention to it. but looks like it''s going to play an important role in today''s duel. then i began to observe the team. both super elite and elite teams have 5 male and female warriors in their team. "hmmm," suddenly, my gaze fell on the 2 female warriors in the team. their strength seems to be in the early stages of the super elite. why do those 2 female warriors look familiar? n-.o--v-/e)-1-/b-(1.-n when i was observing them. they were also looking at me. suddenly, lightning struck my mind. i came to realize. "these 2 are ella downs and sallie mills," i muttered to myself. they have grown tall in recent months. they seem to have changed their hair color as well. ella downs and sallie mills looked at each other. a hint of ruthlessness flashes in their eyes. last time, they were weaker than zack lockwood. now both of their strengths are equal. they want to see who is better in this duel. on the other hand, teresa york receives the signal from the dean to start the duel. "alright, let''s start the duel. first, the duel for elite warriors will be held," teresa said. then the lots are drawn at random. when everyone got their number. the duel officially starts. for the first duel, the lots were drawn again. 9 vs 2 when the numbers were shown. the 2nd elite warrior from the team walked onto the platform. at the same time, their 9th warrior walked in. Chapter 650 Part 1: Win count 5:5 chapter 650 part 1: win count 5:5 from mc''s perspective: red moon tower: duel arena, the referee was one of their elders. when he gave the signal. both of them started attacking each other. the elite warrior from our academy is a fire, elemental warrior. he shot a few flame balls towards the opponent. when i turned towards his opponent. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. his opponent simply took out a sword to deflect the attack. lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm boom! one after another, a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the red moon tower warrior easily blocked those attacks. "this?" i furrowed my eyebrows. because it doesn''t look ordinary. then i continued to watch his blade. the elite warrior wasn''t satisfied. he again shot many flame balls at the opponent. seeing that i squinted my eyes. when the blade comes in contact with the flame ball. i noticed the subtle change. right before the contact, the blade edges flickered with the red light. the red light instantly diffused the flame ball. hereby causing it to scatter. "what is this?" i said in my heart. "did you find out?" carlos kent asked beside me. "is that red glow?" i asked back. "yes, it''s the power of the red moon inheritance. looks like everyone here has that inheritance," carlos kent replied. a look of understanding dawned on me. then the duel won''t end easily. as time passes, the flame warriors find out something is wrong. because the opponent was not using his element at all. instead, he was the one who constantly attacked him. but it''s a pity, he didn''t figure out the secret. short after, the elite warrior took the action. he rushed out to attack the flame warrior. seeing the change, the flame warrior was satisfied. he released the flame wall in defense. no one can pass through easily. the powerful flame would burn the opponent. when they come into contact. swish! but the next second, something happens that changes everyone''s expression on the ground. the sword blade easily passes through the flame. a figure emerges out of the flame wall. like nothing had happened. people with good eyesight can see that there is thin red clothing all over their skin. which protected him from the burning. the next second, the flame faction warrior wants to retreat but it is too late. the blade easily injured him. one more step might cause even more injury. the referee declared the red moon tower warrior as the winner. hearing that the flame faction warrior walks out dejectedly. cheer! as the result was shown on the big screen, the crowd erupted in loud cheer. just like in viper academy, everyone is watching the duel live.n.-o.)v-.e(.l-)b-/1/(n teresa york carries an amusing smile on her face. this is the power of their inheritance. it''s impossible for an average elemental power to overcome it. on the other hand, carlos kent started to share the details with others. not everyone had spotted the red glow. "so this was the main reason," vina potkins said with emotions. last night, she felt threatened. now she realizes where the threat comes from. a few minutes later, the next lot was drawn. this time it was different members. both of them have equal strength. as time passes, the female warrior effectively uses her water element to put pressure on the opponent. the rain water faction warrior was not proficient in using the red glow. she was then forced to use her elemental power. her elemental power was the wind. but the warrior on our side seems to have a lot of experience. she quickly used the opportunity to catch her off guard. then she blasted her off using the water balls. this duel quickly came to an end as well. "this time their opponent was weak," vina potkins said from the side. "looks like not everyone is proficient in their inheritance. so there is a chance for her," i replied. a few seconds later, the next lot was drawn. it''s time for 2 earth-element warriors to fight. i thought the opponent could use red glow. but he was just like the previous warrior. he wasn''t able to use the red glow for a long time. seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. i thought it was going to be a total washout. fortunately, not everyone is scared. when the duel is ongoing. i suddenly felt the gaze of 2 people. there are none other than ella downs and sallie mills. i furrowed my eyebrows. from time to time, they are looking at me. i don''t know why but their gazes seem unkind. the only thing that could cause hatred was the end of the crimson hall. i had explained it clearly back then. i thought the deeds of crimson hall would have helped to change their mind. but it looks like it''s not. on the other hand, teresa york was not satisfied. she was expecting a total washout. but now she realizes the team brought by carlos kent was strong. it''s not wrong to say that they must be the cream on top. at the same time, dean lily smith is watching the duels in her cabin. she didn''t get much expectation from the elite stage duels. only the duel between super elite warriors would show the difference between the 2 academies. because the super elite warriors have a better understanding of their red moon inheritance. whereas most of the elite warriors are getting started in their inheritance. anyways, the current duels show that elite warriors from both the academy are strong. meanwhile, dean rebecca is also watching the duel as well. she got special access from dean lily. through the link, she can watch the live duel. when the elite warriors used the red glow. a bitter smile appeared on her face. the red moon inheritance is fearsome. that''s why the red moon tower manages to stay strong despite being the place filled with most female warriors. this is also the same with the white palace academy. but the only difference is that the white palace academy''s inheritance is suitable for the water elemental warriors. Chapter 651 Part 2: Win count 5:5 chapter 651 part 2: win count 5:5 from mc''s perspective: red moon tower: back in the duel arena, as time passed, both the earth element warriors tired out each other. their earth element skills are not inferior to each other. now the duel almost decided on the last man standing. as the time went on, both of them seemed to be exhausted. just as we thought our warrior was going to win. the opponent attacked him using the red glow. the red glow doubled the opponent''s power. then the boulder hit him hard. the power sent our earth elemental warrior flying before crashing onto the ground. "is this a sneak attack?" vina potkins asked. "he was careless," i replied.n).ovelb1n then the win count was 2:1 there is something to learn from the duel. time flies, the elite duel came to an end in the evening. the last few duels have stretched for a few hours. otherwise, the duel would have come to an end at noon. the win count was 5:5 both the academies won the 5 duels each. the result was better than the whitewash. then i saw teresa york coming to us. "tomorrow, the duels for super elite will be held at the same time. so see you tomorrow," after saying that she walked away from the place. i saw sallie mills and ella downs look at me before walking away. "if i meet them tomorrow, it won''t be easy," i said in my heart. i don''t want to hurt them. but if they harbor ill intentions nothing can be done. a few minutes later, we started walking back to the guest tower. the elite warriors'' faces are full of smiles. as they have managed to equal the win count. "tomorrow won''t be that easy," carlos kent said. hearing that the faces of super elite warriors changed. even the elite warriors stopped smiling. they know that tomorrow''s duel is more important. vina potkins, seamus dave, and others perked up other ears to listen. carlos kent saw through their thoughts. he said, "i guess you have seen that red glow coming from their body. it''s the power of their inheritance." "except few, most of their elite warriors are just getting started on their inheritance. that''s why it was easy for our elite warriors to win." "but tomorrow that won''t be the case. each of their super elite warriors has some experience. if you guys want to win, then you should use your full strength against them." "the red glow doubles their strength. don''t give them any chance to use that tomorrow," carlos kent added. hearing that everyone nodded their head in understanding. soon, we reached the guest tower. after entering inside, everyone went to their room. tomorrow''s duel has already started to weigh in on everyone''s mind. creak! after entering the room, i quickly went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes and then sat on the sofa to read the online news. surprisingly, i saw unread messages from the dean. she must have seen the duel. when i opened it to read it. a quick glint flashes in my eyes. [don''y gives the opponent any chance to use the red glow.] carlos kent told the same thing to everyone as well. a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "is the red glow that powerful?" i said in my heart. don''t tell me it can overwhelm my blood energy. a hint of doubt appeared in my heart. the next second, i shook my head in denial. the blood energy can easily suppress other energies. i believe it can suppress the red glow as well. then i pushed down these thoughts before i started reading online articles. a few hours later, i received a call from vina. as everyone is getting ready for dinner. then i stopped reading the online articles and started to change the dress again. after getting ready, i walked up to the door to leave. beep! suddenly, my communication watch lit up with the notification. seeing that i paused my movements. "who is sending me a message at this time?" i said in my heart. because the dean has already contacted me. then i looked at my communication watch. seeing that the message was from jonathan. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. earlier, i thought about contacting him. but he texted me at the right time. then i opened the message to read it. [get back to the academy as soon as possible] my expression changes drastically. "what happened?" i asked myself. i thought about asking for help from him. instead, he wants me to go back. then i tried to contact him. however, the connection was not established. "he must be coming back," i said in my heart. but my instinct tells me something bad is going to happen. because i haven''t seen jonathan reacting in this way. he is the person who taught lessons to both the supreme elders of the giant tower academy and the eclipse academy. no one is here to pose a threat to him. suddenly, a bad premonition rose in my heart. if the threat is not from the inside, then what if from the outside? lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm "what to do?" "should i go back?" i clenched my fist. if i return to the academy, it would cause unnecessary controversy. on top of it, it would damage the academy''s name. after pushing down these thoughts, i opened the door to walk out. creak! then i started walking downstairs. when i reached the lobby. i saw everyone was waiting for me. seeing that i walked up to them. "what took you so long?" carlos kent asked. hearing that i saw people around me. it''s not an appropriate place to talk. carlos saw through his thoughts. he asked, "what happened?" "i want to talk to you alone. it''s important," i replied. hearing that carlos nodded his head before he grabbed my shoulder. swish! the next second, we disappeared from the spot. then we appeared outside. we landed on the ground. carlos kent asked, "what happened?" then i started explaining jonathan''s message to him. hearing that carlos''s expression changes drastically. he didn''t expect to receive such grave news. Chapter 652 Dominating Red Glow chapter 652 dominating red glow from mc''s perspective: red moon tower, carlos kent felt troubled. it''s not good for zack to return to the academy at this moment. for a moment, there was silence. seeing that i don''t know what to do? if carlos didn''t give me a reason, it''s difficult to go back. "what are your thoughts?" carlos asked back. "sigh" i let out a sigh before saying, "i don''t know what to do?" carlos replied, "i think the duel will end tomorrow. then we can return together by tomorrow evening." hearing that i sighed inwardly. i guess i can wait until tomorrow evening. i hope nothing bad will happen tomorrow. just as i turned around to leave. carlos kent brought a wooden box outside. "here, take this wooden box. it has a healing pill. i hope you won''t have to use it tomorrow," carlos said. after receiving the wooden box, i returned to the guest tower. the next morning, i woke up earlier. after completing the morning, i decided to cultivate the blood element method. my dantian was filled with the purple essence and healing essence. i can freely concentrate on the blood element method now. i sat down cross-legged on the ground. then i took the class-6 monster core from the storage ring. i held it in my hand and started to run the blood element method. when i started to run the blood element method. the blood rune in my consciousness started to flicker. right after, i slowly started to absorb the monster''s energy into my body. i guided the energy according to the blood element method. during circulation, the blood light starts to appear above the bloodstream. the red light starts to convert the monster''s energies into mysterious white energies. then the white energies began to drill into my bones. right after, i felt heart-wrenching pain. inside my body, the red color starts to spread to the remaining part of my skull. seeing that i continued to endure the pain. time flies, i opened my eyes three hours later. the monster core in my hands crumbles into pieces. then i mobilized the blood energy in my bones. right after, i felt a surge in strength. seeing that, my mouth curves into an arc. looks like i can defeat anyone with body strength. i stood up from the spot. then i saw the black filth covering my skin. then i went to the bath to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed into an academy uniform. after getting ready, i stepped out of the room. when i walked to the lobby. i saw everyone gathered around. this time the faces of super elite warriors are solemn. whereas the elite warriors are relaxed. then i saw carlos kent looking at me. the next moment, i couldn''t help but recall jonathan''s message. after nodding at him, i walked up to the others. a few minutes later, carlos kent said, "let''s go, there is no tomorrow." he is hinting that teresa york won''t come today. then everyone stood up from their seats. we then walked out of the guest tower to go to the dining hall. on the way, we came across many warriors who were going about their business. i found many of their gazes are pitiful. especially when they are looking at super elite warriors. lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "why are they looking at us like that?" vina potkins said. a small smile appeared on my face. "they are quite confident about their warriors," i said to her. then only vina potkins realized what this was all about. the next moment, a hint of anger appeared on her face. "i''ll try my best to defeat the opponent," she uttered, gritting her teeth. i shook my head before continuing to follow everyone. while walking, i also noticed the expressions of others. seamus dave and a few others seem to be right. but the earth elemental warriors are quite nervous. i sighed inwardly. i hope they won''t show their weakness. soon, we reached the dining hall. inside the dining hall, the situation was even worse. we found many mocking gazes on us. "they think that their warriors can win," i said in my head. if it was 1 vs 10, i could easily win the duel for us. since it''s a team, i don''t know about others. ignoring their gazes, we received the food one by one before everyone sat down to eat the food. as usual, vina and i sat opposite each other. carlos kent sat beside me. without minding others'' gazes, we began to eat. meanwhile, in the dean''s office, dean lily is speaking to teresa york. "so what can we expect today?" lily asked. teresa who is standing in front of her recalled the recent intel information. "apart from zack lockwood, i don''t think others would cause trouble to our warriors," teresa replied. "he has a lightning element. it will be a new experience for our warriors as well," dean lily added. she didn''t have great expectations from the elite duels. but today is different. the super elite duel will show the real strength of the academy. if everything goes right, then the same student will participate in the year-end conference. so she is quite looking forward to it. time flies, once again everyone starts to assemble right before the duel. when everyone gathered. we walked out of the guest tower. then i saw carlos kent advising others. suddenly, vina asked, "what do you think about today''s duel?" hearing that i decided to tell the truth. "i think we will be able to see more of their inheritance," after saying that i looked at her expression. vina seems to react better. there was no fear on her face. soon we reached the arena. as we walked into the ground, we saw people coming into the spectator area.n).ovelb1n the elite warrior stood behind us. we super elite warriors stepped forward and waited for the opposite team to arrive. not long after, teresa york appeared together with the team. my eyes flickered. as i saw sallie mills and ella downs. "i guess today i''ll get an answer from them," i said in my heart. shortly after, a referee arrived. when it was time for the duel, the lot was drawn again. 8 vs 9 when the number was shown. an earth elemental warrior from outside walked onto the stage. coincidentally, a brute warrior from their side walked forward. he seems to be an earth elemental warrior as well. there is going to be no elemental advantage. when the referee gave the signal. both of them shot each other using boulders. swish! the boulders shot at fast speed. boom! some of them collided with each other and caused deafening noise. dust rose instantly covered the ground. boom! but we can hear the attack is happening again. a few minutes later, the dust settled down. both of their figures came into view. the next second, a gloomy glint flashes in my eyes. because the warrior on our side is sweating. but the opponent is beaming with energy. "what did i miss?" i muttered to myself. vina heard the mumbling and she immediately asked, "what happened?" i shook my head before saying, "it''s too early to say. let''s continue to observe the duel more." hearing that vina turned her attention towards the duel. i have vaguely guessed something in my mind. but i want to see it more. the earth element warrior on our side rushed out to attack physically. he raised his fist to punch. the opponent let out a laugh. like he was expecting this. not only him, his team member''s faces are full of smiles. when both of them collided against each other. i saw a familiar scene. the red glow from the opponent''s first sent our warrior back flying like a broken kite. smash! then he smashed to the edge of the fighting platform. seeing that expression of everyone changes drastically. "red glow again," vina uttered in a surprise. i sighed inwardly. this will blow everyone''s confidence. the next second, we saw something which ignited everyone''s anger. the opponent released the multiple boulders. but the boulders are covered with a red glow. seeing that everyone has guessed what the result is going to be. the earth elemental warrior from our side tried to get up. but he was bombarded by the red glow boulders one after another. argh! a heart-wrenching scream sounded before his body was thrown out of the fighting stage. the warrior was completely bloodied. the referee declared the red moon tower warrior as the winner. cheer! a roaring cheer sounded from the spectator area. the red moon tower warrior grinned before walking out of the stage. seeing that carlos instantly appeared beside him and fed him healing potions. "is this necessary?" i asked teresa york. hearing that teresa york turned towards me. "it can''t be helped. our inheritance''s power is powerful. you guys have to defend it properly," she said with a smile. hearing that my mouth twitches. everyone glaring at her in anger. Chapter 653 Duel against Sallie Mills chapter 653 duel against sallie mills from mc''s perspective: red moon tower, everyone''s expression on our side turned ugly. i wasn''t surprised by the result. but the duel came to an end too quickly. the referee began to draw the next slot. 9 vs 7 the next everyone''s gaze turned towards me. seeing that i sighed inwardly before walking up to the stage. "i know it''s an easy win," vina said. seamus dave and others also looked at me. carlos kent is carrying a bright smile on his face. seeing that i shook my head. he knows my combat prowess better than anyone. the opponent was surprisingly, sallie mills. i didn''t expect to meet her this soon. but anyway, i''m not going to lose this fight. after arriving at the fighting stage, i looked at her. ella downs cheered her up before she turned towards me. a hint of hatred flashes in her eyes. seeing that i couldn''t help but frown. "don''t underestimate her. she might be an early-stage super elite warrior. but her inheritance can help to fight across ranks" teresa york''s voice reached my ears. but i sneered inside. i want to test the power of the infamous inheritance. when the referee gave the signal. sallie released a water ball straight at me. it might appear to be a simple attack. but i can feel that it''s not an ordinary water ball. swish! the next second, i brought the black sword outside to block. boom! the water ball explodes right after coming into contact with the blade. the water splashes all over me. the next second, i felt the burning all over my skin. "this?" everyone exclaimed in surprise. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. the next second, i ran the blood element method to alleviate the pain. "ha..ha...ha..," sallie mills let out a small laugh after gaining a small victory. the next second, she released multiple water balls. but this time there is a change. the water ball is shining with a red glow. gasp! a small exclamation sounded again. in that instant, i activated my perceptual ability. the next moment, everything becomes clear. i can see the red energy covering the water ball. this red energy is the power of their inheritance. it''s going to double the water ball attack. when the water ball got closer towards me. "lightning phantom" i released the lightning movement technique to evade. in a blink of an eye, the purple lightning covered both of my legs. swish! i began to evade the water ball one after another. the water ball then hits the empty ground. right after, a scorching sound can be heard. if it fell on the human skin, it would create a hole. in a blink of an eye, i evaded all those attacks. when she was ready to release the next attack.n.(0velbin swish! i rushed out in a zigzag manner. anyone from outside can see a purple line moving in a zigzag manner. sallie was startled for a second. zack''s speed was faster than she had expected. the next second, she released the defensive technique. a water wall formed in front of her. the water wall was covered with red energy as well. seeing that red moon tower warrior''s thought it''s unbreakable. a hint of appreciation flashes in teresa''s eyes. she didn''t expect sallie to use red energy continuously. which shows she went further in the inheritance. while the red moon tower warriors are enthusiastic. the faces of viper academy showed concern. at the fighting stage, i raised my fist to punch. at the same time, i covered my fist with purple lightning power. for viper academy, this scene was too familiar. after seeing the red glow, i didn''t use the blood energy. because i want to test it out. when the punch hits the water mirror. boom! a loud sound reverberated throughout the area. crack! in a blink of an eye, several cracks appeared on the mirror. seeing that a hint of disbelief appeared on sallie''s face. gasp! not only her, a loud exclamation sounded outside. especially from the spectator''s area.. seeing the crack, i smirked. this is the destructive power of lightning. it can withstand the power of the red glow. which gives me satisfaction. boom! the next second, i started to attack the water ball using my both fist covered with purple lightning. one after another, a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. meanwhile, teresa york''s face changed. she has underestimated the power of lightning. the purple lightning is clearly dominating the red energy. if not for the red glow, she would have already been eliminated. she doesn''t know whether sallie can use the energy continuously. if the energy comes to an end, then it will be her defeat. not only her, even ella downs starts to reevaluate the power of lightning. a hint of regret flashes in her eyes. she should have done her homework on zack''s strength. dean office, dean lily smith is smiling. zack lockwood didn''t disappoint her. "this kid is interesting," she muttered to herself. she can see that red energy is doing nothing to the lightning power. so everyone can see the result of the duel. a few minutes later, sallie mills is starting to give up. the essence in her body is depleting at a faster rate. looking at zack, she is shocked to the core. because zack is showing no sign of exhaustion. he is attacking non-stop. but she doesn''t know that zack is using his ability, not the lightning technique. when her water essence dried out completely. the water wall collapses. the next second, a purple lightning fist hits her chest. boom! the next second, her body flew backwards like a broken kite before smashing into the ground. seeing that the red moon tower warriors'' expression became serious. they had expected a white wash. but now zack has shown his strength. which made them dignified. the referee then declared zack lockwood as the winner. right after, ella downs went to check on her. sallie seems to have fainted. the referee then started to draw the next lot. seeing that i walked to carlos kent. "can i leave?" i asked. hearing that carlos kent''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. the next second, he shook his head. "is it urgent?" "why can''t you call him?" carlos asked back. this was the first time he had heard something like this from jonathan. lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm that person was calm when dealing with the supreme elder. but all of a sudden he is asking for zack''s return. carlos is having a bad feeling about this. "okay, you can go back. i''ll ask the pilot to take you back to the academy," carlos kent said. he has decided to let zack return to the academy. hearing this i sighed inwardly. yesterday, he told me to stay until the evening. but he changed his mind now. shaking my head, i started to walk away from the academy. on the other hand, a small commotion happened seeing me walking away. even the duel was paused for a moment.. seeing that carlos gave a signal to continue. the duel continued again. teresa york was confused. technically, zack didn''t have to participate in the next duel. because one participant can fight one duel. so zack can do whatever he wants. but right now, seeing him leaving like that. she wants to know what happened. not only her, vina potkins, seamus dave everyone was confused. seeing that duel was going on. no one dared to ask anything. ella downs gritted her teeth in anger. she had long since wanted to fight against zack lockwood. but now the opportunity is gone. sallie lost her duel as well. her heart filled with regret. but it can''t be helped right now. dean office, dean lily furrowed her eyebrows. zack''s duel was officially over. he can return to his room. but his actions seem disrespectful right now. it''s not good to walk away during the event. a hint of displeasure flashes in her eyes. she decides to talk to rebecca later. but she didn''t know that rebecca was shocked as well. viper academy: dean office, rebecca is looking at the screen with confusion. "what is he doing right now?" rebecca asked herself. she knows that zack is responsible. he won''t leave the event half away. especially since the super elite duel is just beginning. she then decides to contact zack. when the call was connected. she asked,"zack, what are you doing?" on the other hand, i wasn''t surprised by her call. "dean, i''m coming back to the academy," i replied. "what?" i heard her surprise fill her voice the next second. "dean, i''ll tell you after coming back to the academy," i replied. i don''t have time to reply to the call. hearing that rebecca felt something wrong. then she said,"alright." on the other hand, after ending the call. i rushed out towards the transport area. soon, i reached the place and saw the pilot was already waiting for me. looks like carlos has already told him. after walking up to him, i said,"i want to return to the academy. i have got permission from the dean." Chapter 654 Bryson Koch chapter 654 bryson koch eclipse academy: the supreme elder is getting updates from the dean. including the events happening in the red moon tower. sipping tea in his garden, he is thinking about zack lockwood. "it''s not easy to touch that kid," he said in his heart. unlike the giant tower academy, he didn''t have any grudge against zack lockwood. instead, he hated the viper academy. especially since he had a long-standing rivalry between the old supreme elder and himself. but now things have escalated because of that powerhouse. and that person was connected to zack lockwood. a quick gleam flashes in his eyes. before he could think further, his sci-fi watch lit up with the notification. seeing that he casually looked at it. when he saw the contact name. he lost his composure. the tea spilled from his cup because of the sudden movement. ignoring the pain, he attended the call. "my lord!" he said. "i''ll be there in a few minutes to get ready." a deep majestic voice sounded from the other end. the next second, the call ended. but he broke out in a cold sweat. cameron''s face is full of disbelief. it took him a few seconds to realize the reality. "ha...ha...ha...,'' the next second, he burst out with a happy laugh. "unbelievable!" *it''s unbelievable," he said to himself. the person was none other than a powerhouse from the main branch. he has already entered the inner post. now he is coming to their academy. the gloominess faded from his face. now he looks bright and happy. he knows what''s going to happen next. he had invited the lord to investigate the viper academy. he thinks his intel must have rattled them. the force behind the viper academy and the main branch doesn''t get along with each other. which is happening here in the outer post as well. so the lord might use this opportunity to attack the viper academy. a cunning glint flashes in his eyes. suddenly, the image of jonathan''s warning flashes before his eyes. his expression immediately condensed. "i don''t think he is here. even if he is in the viper academy, the lord can take care of him." "he doesn''t think that the powerhouse sent by the main academy is going to be weak," he muttered to himself. the next second, he summons the dean edgar. he has to greet the great lord properly with others. if he gets on lord''s bad side, that won''t end well for him. meanwhile, a few minutes ago, a middle-aged man passes through the barrier to enter the outer post 1012. there is a golden card in his hand which gives him access. in the blink of an eye, he successfully appears inside the outer post 1012. breathing low-quality air, he gave a cold snort in his heart. he really can''t stand the atmosphere here. especially for his level, which he intentionally suppressed before coming here. his name is bryson koch. one of the elders from the main branch. he appears to be middle-aged in his forties. he has black hair and eyes. his skin tone is fair. he is standing in mid-air at 6 feet tall. he is wearing a uniform of the main branch of the eclipse academy. which is white and has golden designs on all over the edges. there is also an academy golden badge on the left side of the chest. bryson furrowed his eyebrows. this was his 1st time visiting this outer post. like any other outer post, this place is barren as well. "let''s not waste time here. after investigation, i should be going," he said in his heart. then he contacted the elders of the local branch and informed them about his arrival. then he raised his left hand and tapped a few screens on the left bracelet. the location of the local eclipse academy was displayed. after confirming that, he started to move in that direction. he is taking a few steps in the air but in reality, he is crossing multiple miles just like that. on the way, he is thinking about the investigation that he is going to do. some time ago, the local elder requested help citing that someone from the inner post attacked him and that his existence might pose a threat to their local eclipse academy. initially, no one paid any attention to it. but later, someone ran the background check and realized that person might be related to the viper academy. the viper academy is also a major academy. but in the inner post, it''s running under a different name. unlike their eclipse academy. the viper academy has a single main backer. which is the army federation. so the elders back in the main branch thought someone from the federation was testing their limits here. that''s why they have sent him here to investigate. since it''s a powerhouse from the inner post. he has to tread carefully. because those who can move in the outer post freely are not without a powerful background. not any force can get access to enter the outer post. so he thought about inquiring about the local elder first before dwelling on this matter. a couple of minutes later, bryson reached the local eclipse academy. looking at the similar white towering building. his mouth curves into an arc. but he also saw the lack of infrastructure here. except for some similarities, it''s not comparable to the main academy. instead of landing on the ground, he is still standing in the air well above the clouds. not anyone from the ground can see him unless he wants to. then he notices 2 people are coming towards him. one is old and the other one is a middle-aged man. no need to guess. he has figured out that the old man is the local elder.n-)o--v-(e/-l()b.-1)(n cameron''s back is drenching in sweat. he has never seen the powerhouse from the inner post before except as the protector of the viper academy. and this person is his superior as well. so he has to act more respectfully. "my lord, i''m cameron." "thanks for coming, my lord," cameron said. no need to ask for identity. because he recognized the white and golden uniform. bryson coldly looked at them from top to bottom. he instantly realized that he could kill these ants with a snap of his fingers. "take me to your place," he said in a cold tone. dean edgar shuddered. he is feeling the great unknown pressure from this person. it''s many times greater than the supreme elder. if it continues, he might collapse on the spot. then both of them started guiding the main branch elder towards the mansion. in a blink of an eye, they arrived at the mansion. bryson looked around before fixing his gaze on the old man before asking, "this is your place." "yes, my lord. this is my home," cameron replied in a humble tone. hearing that bryson decided to inquire. before that, he looked at a middle-aged man. dean edgar understood the meaning and without waiting for them to speak he left the place. when his presence completely disappeared. bryson appeared in front of a chair and sat on it. seeing that cameron thought something flashed before his eyes. lights¦Í¦Ïvel he then turned around and saw the elder was already sitting on his chair and making tea. this all happened within a second. when the realization hit him. an unknown fear gripped his heart. so the main branch people are this powerful. he didn''t know what he had invited to this place. suppressing the fear in his heart, he slowly walked towards him. seeing that the elder is focusing on making tea, he doesn''t speak. bryson ignored him and prepared the cup of tea. when it was ready, he started sipping tea. from beginning to end, he didn''t even look at cameron. when the tea enters his mouth. he felt the taste was disgusting. splash! the next second, he spat it out. "what the f@ck is it?" he cursed out. cameron felt a thunderclap ring in his ears. he didn''t expect to see this scene. he broke out in a cold sweat. "my lord," cameron asked. "what kind of disgusting drink is this?" bryson asked. "that tea leaves were the most expensive in this region," he said in his heart. but he didn''t dare to say it outside. if he says anything wrongly, it might offend the main branch leader. "forget it," bryson uttered. then he thought about the investigation before turning towards him. "i want to know what happened exactly. so tell me without hiding anything," bryson asked. hearing that cameron''s heart shuddered. then he started explaining it. a few minutes later, bryson frowned. according to cameron, he didn''t even catch the appearance of the attacker. so it''s too early to say that the attacker was from the inner post. more importantly, the viper academy is keeping silent on this matter. after gaining some clarity, he stood up from his chair. he then looked at the local elder before saying, "alright, let''s go to the viper academy." "i want to see whether anyone is behind that academy," he added. Chapter 655 Jonathans poison trick chapter 655 jonathan''s poison trick from mc''s perspective: a few hours before bryson koch''s arrival. jonathan has entered the outer post-1012. his eyes are calm without any waves. ever since his master revealed the news to him. he has been keeping an eye on eclipse academy''s movements. there are spies on both sides as well. so it''s not difficult for him to gather the news ahead of their main branch elder. "bryson koch," his eyes flickered with a cold glint. this time the eclipse academy''s main branch has sent an important person to investigate. presumably, the supreme elder of the eclipse academy in this region was behind this matter. he had warned this person before. but it''s a pity, cameron is not smart. he doesn''t know the forces standing inside the inner post. they won''t go to such lengths to save a mere commander-ranking warrior. this time he had decided to kill cameron. but when it comes to bryson. he has other plans. master is permitted to act freely. but he won''t do it as a last resort. he doesn''t want to cause unnecessary headaches to the master. if bryson was smart, he would value his life more than the investigation. jonathan is going to execute his move. he then turned towards the viper academy''s direction. he knew young master zack lockwood''s condition now. either he is in the academy or he must be on his way towards the academy. everything depends on the timing. he doesn''t want any variables to appear in the red moon tower. after gaining some clarity, he started moving in the direction of the viper academy. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål a few hours later, he reached the viper academy silently. he didn''t inform the dean of anyone else before moving towards the late supreme elder''s mansion. he flew over the academy. in the blink of an eye, he reached the mission. looking at the clean mansion, a strange glint flashes in his eyes. someone has been taking care of the mansion. suddenly, the image of dean rebecca comes to his mind. "this woman is smart. even if someone comes secretly, they won''t enter this place casually," he said in his heart. there is a formation placed here. and the mansion looks clean. it gives the feeling that someone is living here. but it''s a pity that the former supreme elder was greedy for life. fortunately, the successor is not bad. maybe she can the academy in the future. after pushing down these thoughts, he slowly landed in front of the mansion. he takes out a green pill from the storage ring and swallows it directly. then he takes out a few bottles from his storage ring. this time the pills are black. he crushed those pills one by one. an invisible gas mixed with the world''s energy here. the invisible gas is dense and it won''t disappear for a day. bryson koch would be poisoned if he hails. whereas the supreme elder cameron would be dead. if i come into contact with the poison. this was the punishment he had prepared for bryson koch for his interference here. hereafter, the main branch of their would-be alert and won''t make stupid decisions anymore. as long as the master reveals his name, they won''t even dare to do it in their dreams. but the master has other plans. he wants to develop zack slowly and make him appear before his family as he chooses. anyway, he will stay until the end of the year. and then he is going to bring young master zack to master''s side. after pushing down these thoughts. he disappeared from the spot and stood above the rooftop of the office building. meanwhile, the black aircraft is speeding through the clouds. in the aircraft, apart from me. there is a staff and a pilot. they didn''t ask me any questions and started moving towards the academy. but it would take some time to reach the academy. beep! suddenly, my communication watch lit up with the notification. seeing the contact name, a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. the person is none other than jonathan. then i opened the message to read the encrypted message. after reading the message, my expression changed drastically. for a moment, i remained still. small sweat beads appeared on my forehead. i didn''t expect the supreme elder of the eclipse academy to be vicious. he had asked for help from the main branch. and the person who is coming might not be weaker than jonathan. i don''t know what''s going to happen. but he told me that he would explain further things later. meanwhile, the student exchange duel is going great. they didn''t feel the absence of zack lockwood. it''s just ella downs was greatly disappointed. she had expected to fight against zack. but the duel pattern had affected her plan. she also noticed that zack was strong. even if she wants to fight, it''s difficult to overcome the lightning element. time flies, bryson koch and cameron reached the viper academy. looking at the magnificent buildings, bryson sneered in his heart. he then turned towards cameron and asked, "is that supreme elder of this academy alive?" cameron thought of the dying old man. when he came here last time. he was deterred by the powerful formation. he was sure that the dying old man was recuperating inside the mansion. "the old man must be recovering from his injuries," cameron said from the side. hearing that bryson furrowed his eyebrows. if someone from the inner post is connected to the academy, then this person must be aware of it. bryson decided to interrogate the supreme elder of this academy. then both of them flew towards the mansion. when they slowly approached. cameron suddenly said, "there is a powerful formation here." hearing that bryson''s gaze fell on the low-level formation. it can only block the commander-level powerhouse. he immediately destroyed the formation points within seconds.n/-ovelb1n then both of them landed in front of the mansion. beside him, cameron''s face was full of smiles. he is grinning ear to ear. he is finally going to say goodbye to the old man. Chapter 656 Camerons death chapter 656 cameron''s death from mc''s perspective: viper academy: jonathan was observing everything from the shadows. he is watching everything with a smile on his face. bryson koch and cameron landed on the ground. the formation posed no threat to them. "harumph, call him out," bryson said with a snort. he doesn''t want to waste time here. he is already sick of little world energy here. "yes, my lord," cameron uttered with joy. the next second, he stormed into the mansion. but what both don''t know is that an invisible poison seeped into their body within a few seconds. boom! the mansion''s door broke into pieces. when he appeared inside. he found no breath of a dying old man. cameron furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. then he realized there must be another formation here. so he started checking the mansion. as time passed, bryson began to feel uneasy. he doesn''t know what''s causing the sudden discomfort. but he feels something is not right. "what''s happening?" bryson muttered to himself. he thought it was a mood swing. but as the second passes, the irritation becomes real. "trash!" "why are you taking so long?'' bryson shouted in anger all of a sudden. but still the sense of uneasiness is getting stronger. in the mansion, cameron felt thunderclap ring in his ears. the next second, he broke out in a cold sweat. and his whole body started trembling in fear. he knows he is taking too much time. because he found no presence of a dying old man here. the mansion is empty without anyone''s presence. he started to think the supreme elder of this academy went out to treat his injury. otherwise, it doesn''t explain the sudden absence. if other academies learnt of this they might take evil actions against the viper academy. "what bad taming?" he cursed under his breath. the next second, his body starts trembling again. this is not out of fear. but it''s happening because of poisoning. "what''s happening with me?" cameron asked himself. then he looked at his body. he found his hands and feet turning purple. "what?" he cried out in surprise. he wants to escape from this place right away. but before he could think further. he found his consciousness slipping away. tud! the next second, his body collapsed onto the ground. on the other hand, bryson koch finally realizes something is wrong with the body. the uneasiness felt not because of his mood swing. but outside influence. when he internally checks his body. he saw a black color thread pass through his internal organs. at first he didn''t think much about it. but as he checked further, the black threads covered all of the organs and bones. seeing that his expression changes drastically. "no!" "this is poison," he uttered in horror. he never expected there was something in this region that could affect his body. the next second, he hurriedly takes out medicines to swallow. as the medicine enters his body, he sees the healing energy is not affecting the black thread at all. seeing that his expression turned pale with fright. "no, this is not ordinary poison," he uttered in a panic stricken voice. the medicine product is from the inner post. such a medicine product can cure all types of the sickness in the inner post including all types of poison. "i have to go back" "otherwise, the poison will endanger my life," bryson said to himself. swish! the next second, he disappeared from the spot and started moving towards the inner post without turning back. "ha...ha...ha....," jonathan let out a small laughter. everything went smoothly. he had thought about killing him. but later he changed his mind. this treatment was enough to handle bryson koch. there is no need for killing. the next second, he set his gaze on cameron who was unconscious inside the mansion. cameron''s vitality is slipping away because of the poison. he will die in a few seconds. seeing that jonathan stepped forward. in a blink of an eye, he arrived before the mansion. then he entered inside. he then saw the work of the poison. the poison inside cameron''s body is melting cameron''s body. before he knew it the corpse turned into a small puddle. seeing that jonathan acted. the puddle disappeared in a blink of an eye. there was no trace of cameron whatsoever. on the other hand, dean rebecca doesn''t know what happened here. a few hours later, the black aircraft enters the academy space. in a blink of an eye, the aircraft lands on the ground. creak! i walked out after opening the door. after thanking the pilot and staff, i walked towards the office building. when i got closer to the building. i found some that grabbed my shoulder. before i knew it, i appeared above the clouds. when i turned around, i saw jonathan''s face. a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. i was worried all this time. "what happened to them?" i asked. jonathan revealed a smile on his face before replying,"the inner post powerhouse ran behind his tails. "he went back?" i asked out of surprise. then jonathan began to explain the whole thing. a few minutes later, my whole body got relaxed. "if i knew it, it was this simple. i would have stayed back," i said in a calm tone. jonathan shook his head before saying,"young master, you are underestimating the inner post powerhouse." "i came earlier. which is why i was able to poison him. if not he could have destroyed this place with his power," he added. hearing that a look of understanding dawned on me. "alright, what''s your next plan?" i asked. hearing that jonathan recalled master''s instruction. he wanted zack to return with him after the end of year end conference. "just enjoy your stay here for the time being," jonathan said with some meaning. "what do you mean?" i asked. jonathan thought it''s better to inform zack. "after the year end conference, i''m taking you with me to the inner post. your true journey as a warrior starts from there," jonathan replied. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. this is not the first time i''m hearing this. jonathan hinted to me before. but i never expected the information to be true.n.(o-(v(/e/.l/-b//i(.n sigh! a long sigh escaped from my mouth. but the next second, a hint of expectation rose in my heart. i''m tired of not having lightning resources here. if there were abundant resources there, i would have broken through multiple levels. so i''m looking forward to it. a hint of appreciation flashes in jonathan''s eyes. he thought zack would be reluctant. "i''m going to stay until the end of the year. so don''t worry about the threats. you can practice peacefully." "in meantime, i''m going to check the stability of the barriers," jonathan said. hearing that i became more assured. there won''t be any attack on the academy during the year end conference. then i thought about the dean, rebecca. should i tell or not? "what about the dean?" i asked. jonathan thought for a moment before nodding his head. "you can tell her. it won''t affect anything," jonathan replied. then we landed on the ground. jonathan disappeared from the spot. seeing that i started walking towards the office building. soon, i reached the office building. when i arrived in front of the dean cabin. creak! the door opened automatically. seeing that i walked into the room. dean rebecca is looking at me with solemn expression. seeing that my eyes flickered. she doesn''t even know what happened to the supreme elder''s mansion. "zack, you are here." "now, you can tell me. what happened?" rebecca asked. hearing that i took a deep breath before starting to explain. at first, rebecca''s expression was calm. but when she started to listen. her expression changes drastically. a few minutes later, she broke out with a cold sweat. swish! the next second, she disappears from the spot and starts moving towards the mansion. when she got closer to the mansion. she saw the formation was gone. a hint of fear appeared in her eyes. someone has silently appeared in the academy and she doesn''t even know about this. she thought about landing on the ground. then she sucked a cold breath of air. she recalled zack''s words. there was a poison lingering in the air. if she goes down below, the poison might kill her. when she thought about cameron''s death. she sighed inwardly. at least, one of the supreme elders threatening the academy was gone. hereafter, no one will pose a threat to the viper academy. sigh! she let out a sigh before returning to the cabin. a couple of seconds later, she appears back in the office. seeing that zack was here. a hint of complicated emotions flashes in her eyes. earlier, she wondered why the supreme elder agreed to enroll zack in the academy. now when she thinks back. that decision was the best. if not, the academy would have faced much more danger. thankfully, everything was fine now. "what''s your plan next?" she asked. "hmm, i''m going to try for a breakthrough. i hope the dean will help me to get some treasure pills," i answered. Chapter 657 Witnessing rare scene chapter 657 witnessing rare scene from mc''s perspective: the next day, the viper academy team returns from the red moon tower. they were given a warm welcome. but most of the warriors here didn''t know that a representative had come a day earlier. in the room, i woke up late. it''s almost 10 am. then i got up from the bed to complete the morning routine. after doing everything, i sat on the sofa to decide on today''s plan. there was something on my mind since last night. my master wants me to enter the inner city for some reason. jonathan also hinted to me from time to time, that i have huge work ahead. but i believe for everything you need strength to do that. my master wouldn''t have accepted me, if not for my talent and lightning element. so i should improve my strength not only in base but also in techniques and combat experiences. if my guess is right, the students in the inner post must be stronger than me. they must be brought up with a lot of rich resources and advanced techniques. i should be no less than them. after gaining some clarity, i decided to enter the monster zone. after changing clothes to the academy uniform, i left the room and walked out of the dormitory. students are coming and going. after seeing me, they started their work of gossip. ignoring them, i started walking towards the teleportation tower. on the way, i checked the unread messages. it was from ernest and laverne. i understood what this was about. they don''t know about my return. so i texted them back. when i arrived at the teleportation tower, i avoided interacting with others and went straight towards the circular platform. swish! after selecting the server, i disappeared from the spot. when i opened my eyes. i found myself standing inside the forest. the ground was wet and slippery. this time i have selected a moderately risky monster zone. in this monster zone, there are class 6 and class 7 monsters. class 7 is the ceiling here. what''s more notable is that there is only one type of monster in the majority here. which are worm monsters. i have more experience against worm-type monsters. the only risk here is class-7 ones. but it can''t be avoided. to improve, i must take risks. fortunately, i didn''t lose much of the lightning essence in the duel against sallie mills. after removing the unnecessary thoughts. i started going through the dense green vegetation. usually, in a worm monster''s inhabitant''s place. it''s hard to find a green cover. most of their monster zones are barren land. but here there is enough green vegetation to take cover. tremor! suddenly, the ground beneath me starts to shake. the next moment, i activated my perception to look around. there is only one reason for the tremor. the worm monster is on the move. as the tremor got stronger, i realized a monster was not coming towards me. a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. it doesn''t happen usually. so i became curious. then i started to follow the tremor movements. not long after, the tremor came to an end after crossing some distance. i thought that monster had found me. so i looked for the green cover around me. instead, i spotted a bedrock large enough to cover me. seeing that i moved towards the place to hide behind it. on the other hand, the ground began to crack after a few seconds. a yellow-colored worm monster appears above the surface. the monster is 30ft large in size. when its full body appeared above the surface. the small movement of the monster is causing large tremors. my eyes flickered when i saw what was happening. the monsters act on instinct. only high-level monsters have some intelligence to think. seems like this class-6 monster has better intelligence compared to usual class-6 monsters. the monster starts moving forward with its huge body. seeing that i became more intrigued. since the monster has intelligence. there is some purpose for its actions. when the monster''s back disappeared. i started following the trail caused by its movements. as time passes, i''m going deep into the monster zone. where the class-7 monsters are usually spotted. a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "what''s this class-6 monster doing?" i asked myself. class-7 monsters won''t allow weak monsters to stay near them. even though they are from the same family. meanwhile, not far away from here, the corpse of a class-7 worm monster can be seen on the ground. a large quantity of yellow liquid is gushing out from his body. from its appearance, it can be said that the monster died a couple of hours ago. when the class-6 monster appears near the corpse. it started to eat the monster with its razor-sharp teeth. the monster''s eyes flickered with intelligence. it quickly wants to before other monsters get here. on the other hand, i followed the tracks. soon the tracks come to an end. when i raise my head to look ahead. i saw the back of a class-6 monster. "it''s doing something," i said to myself. when i tried to look through my perception. i stood in disbelief. i saw the class-6 monster was busy eating the corpse of the class-7 monster. i heard from jonathan before that a similar thing happened back in that hybrid monster zone. at that time, i was a beginner in warrior training. i didn''t understand it completely back then. now, i began to realize that monsters want to evolve. some monsters break naturally based on their bloodline power. but other monsters grow by devouring others. this worm monster is doing the second one. i just don''t know whether it''s a natural process or a man-made one. i came here to hunt the monster. but this scene surprised me. should i disturb it or not? for a second, i decided to watch the whole process.nove(lb(1n it''s rare to witness such a scene. as the time passes, the class-6 monster continues to devour. it won''t be long before it completes the devouring. 2 hours later, the class-6 monster successfully devoured the monster. the monster looks bloated now. it''s going to be difficult to return to the underground. seeing that i have decided to return to find other monsters. tremor! suddenly, a tremor jolted me awake. this time the power of the tremor is stronger than the previous one. "class-7 monster," my expression changes drastically. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. a huge worm monster, 50ft long appeared above the surface. seeing that i immediately recognised its class-7 monster. then i saw the monster moving in the direction of the class-6 monster. "it''s going to attack the class-6 monster," i said to myself. should i help it? anyway, it doesn''t make any difference. then i brought the black sword forward. then i started to charge the sword with the purple essence. in the blink of an eye, the black sword flickered with the purple light. "sword divide" i discharged the lightning beam toward the monster. in the blink of an eye, the lightning beam shot at the monster. when the purple lightning beam hits the moving class-7 monster. boom! a terrible noise sounded again. the aftermath swept away the surroundings causing the smoke to rise from the ground. the monster let out a weird scream. which shows that the monster was hurt badly. when the smoke disappeared. i saw the targeted spot was completely scorched. the next second, i saw the monster looking towards me. instead of going to the class-6 monster. the monster starts coming towards me. seeing that my mouth curved into an arc. it was an expected reaction. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. the monster was hurt badly. but still, it''s moving like nothing happened. then i raised my sword forward and started to charge with lightning essence. this time i plan to target the monster''s eyes. the sword blade flickered with purple light again. when the monster was a few meters away from me. it released the lightning attack the next second. the purple beam went straight towards the monster''s left eye. the class-7 monster reacted fast. but it couldn''t able to move the body in time. the purple beam hits the eye directly. boom! a deafening noise sounded again. the lightning power instantly destroys the left eye. the next second, the worm monster let out a weird scream. seeing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. the class-7 monster was enraged. it forgot the class-6 monster lying on the ground nearby. instead, it''s started charging towards the puny prey. seeing that distance was getting narrower. i decided to lead the monster away from the resting class-6 monster. "lightning phantom technique" i released the movement technique. the next second, purple lightning covered my legs. i exploded with great speed. in the blink of an eye, i started moving away from the monster in a zigzag manner. behind, the class-7 monster is following at full speed. Chapter 658 Bryson Kochs condition chapter 658 bryson koch''s condition from mc''s perspective: monster zone, fighting against class-7 monster is similar to fighting against ss-elite warrior. victory can''t be guaranteed. but i can escape with my life. but here the class-7 monster is a bit more tyrannical than ss-elite warriors. after running for a while, i found the purple essence was decreasing rapidly. if i waste any more time, the trip here would be wasted. suddenly, i stopped using the lightning phantom technique and turned toward the class-7 monster. on the other hand, the monster is few towards me. looking at its reaction, i knew it couldn''t wait to crush me to death. swish! the next second, i started charging towards the monster. at the same time, i ran the blood element method. blood energies from the bones started to appear. feeling that i concentrated all that energy on my fist. powerful energy reached my forearm and gathered around my right fist. by that time, i was one step away from the monster''s body. any wrong move can cause this monster to crush my body. so i observed the monster''s movements using perception. seeing that there was no big movement. i raised my fist to punch. when the fist comes in contact with the yellow wet skin. the invisible blood energy scorches the yellow color. boom! the next second, an explosion occurs. a small crack appeared in the monster''s skin. except that the monster remains unscathed. seeing that a hint of apprehension appeared in my eyes. "is it a peak stage one?" i asked myself. then i saw a massive shadow before me. "lightning phantom technique," i released the movement technique. the purple lightning covered my legs. i exploded with great speed to escape from the spot. boom! the next second, a huge tremor occurs as the monster''s body collides with the ground. using this opportunity, i used the lightning movement to walk away from the place. on the way, my expression worsens. i thought i could fight against it. but against a peak, one is still a no-go. i shook my head in disappointment before rushing towards the same old spot. half an hour later, i successfully got rid of the monster''s tail. i didn''t feel the tremor signs anymore. after finding someplace to sit down, i checked my dantian. the purple essence has become lower. maybe i can fight against one or two class-6 monsters, that''s all. ... eclipse academy: dean edgar was sitting in his office with a dejected expression. it''s been more than a day. but still, there is no sign of the supreme elder and the lord from the inner post. both of them have disappeared into thin air. yesterday, he thought there must be some important mission. so he had kept quiet. based on his recent talks with the supreme elder cameron. both of them have gone to deal with some stuff related to the viper academy. he knew the supreme elder was extremely dissatisfied with the viper academy. if something happened in that viper academy, he should have received some news by now. but nothing that sort of has happened. according to the spies, the viper academy seems to be operating smoothly. there is no problem whatsoever. more than that the viper academy is in a better mood because of their result against the red moon tower in the student exchange meet. he furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure thinking about it. "i should ask the viper academy dean directly," he muttered to himself. the next second, he made a call to the dean rebecca. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål on the other hand, dean rebecca was perplexed. then she recalled her conversation with zack. a quick gleam flashes in her eyes before she attends the call. dean edgar casually inquired about the supreme elder cameron. but dean rebecca replied by saying viper academy didn''t receive any guests yesterday. dean edgar''s complexion changes. so he quickly ended the call right after that. "no, i feel something wrong," edgar said in his heart. he heard the relaxed voice of dean rebecca. which tells there was no problem in the viper academy. but he feels uneasy. there is no other way to check whether the supreme elder is alive or not. then he convinced himself by recalling the presence of the lord from the inner post. there is no opponent for that lord in this region. in the end, he calmed down his heart by saying that. but he didn''t know the lord himself was suffering. ... eclipse academy (inner post) bryson koch is admitted inside the white color building. the people who are roaming inside the building are wearing the white color dress. but each of their fluctuations is no less than that of bryson koch. bryson, who is lying in his bed, is in critical condition right now. if anyone looks at his inner organs right now, they can see his inner organs are wrapped up with black color threads. the black color thread keeps getting multiplied as time passes. the thread won''t disappear until the inner organs lose their vitality completely. his outer appearance was ugly. as if though someone is mummified. he was able to keep his vitality because of his strength. after coming back to the inner post, he was able to be admitted to this healing palace in time. cough! a black blood drop spilled from his mouth. at this time, bryson who is experiencing excruciating pain is hearing footsteps in the room. creak! the door opened. several healers wearing white dresses walked into the room. amongst them, there are 3 old men with decades of experience. looking at the mummified state of bryson. one of the old men asked, "have you identified the source behind those black threads?" the old man right next to him nodded his head by saying, "i have searched the latest journals regarding forbidden poison." hearing that the other 2 expressions turned solemn. the old man added further by saying, "it''s likely the result of forbidden poison named colorless threads." "but the name might be deceiving. because the poison has no color. only after getting into the human system. the black threads start to appear." gasp! hearing that everyone in the room sucked a cold breath of air. "so evil," the old man uttered in a cold tone. "but i can tell whoever it is that person didn''t want bryson to die. although it''s a forbidden poison, it is an extremely tortuous method. and it takes time to kill the target," the old man on the left side commented. hearing that the other 2 nodded their heads. but bryson koch was even more aggrieved in his heart. he heard the whole conversation. now he realized that person from the viper academy wanted to teach him a lesson. sigh! the old man in the middle let out a sigh before saying, "it''s not easy to treat this poison. we have to burn a lot of resources to make a cure." "what''s that person saying?" he asked. the old man on the left shook his head before saying, "he was pissed off. he is threatening me to save his young elder." "we can''t offend the eclipse academy. otherwise, we have to forget about a few resource channels," elder on the right side added. "alright, we should save him now," the old man in the middle said. then he walked up to bryson and placed his old hands on his chest. the next second, milky energies started to enter bryson''s body. bryson felt warmth all of a sudden. the white milky energy then comes in contact with those black threads. the next second, something happens. the black thread began to weaken to some extent. the dark color got dimmed. even the threads surrounding it get loosened. it was just one part of the organs. but numerous threads are wrapping around single organs. as the time passed, the threads loosened one by one. the old man was extremely focused. small swear beads already started appearing on his forehead. the other 2 old men remained silent. but they can see the data on the big monitor screen. everyone in the room can see that bryson koch is slowly getting back his vitality. half an hour later, the old man finished his part. the old man on the right side takes his turn to heal. it will take 3 of them to fully weaken those black threads. "the current treatment will stabilize him for the next 2 days. we should come up with a cure in the meantime." "otherwise, irreversible damage would occur to his foundation," the old man in the middle added. "don''t worry, brother. my students are working on a list of healing herbs. they will come up with the list soon," the old healer on the left side said. on the other hand, bryson koch let go of his worry. it was not a dead end as he imagined. right now, he can see some light ahead. after getting cured, he will take a few month''s leave. n--0velb1n he doesn''t want to take on a similar task again. who knows the next time? he won''t be this lucky. a half an hour later, the old man on the left side stepped forward to take his turn. Chapter 659 Going back to hometown chapter 659 going back to hometown from mc''s perspective: a few hours later, i returned to the academy completely exhausted. after entering my room, i lay down on my bed. earlier, i thought about increasing the battle experience by fighting against class-7 monster. but i didn''t expect to witness such a weird scene. the class-6 worm monster intends to evolve by consuming the body of the class-7 worm monster. i don''t know what happened to that weird monster. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. fortunately, i was able to kill 2 class-6 monsters in the end. the trip wasn''t wasted. the following day, i met with ernest and laverne. they seemed to be busy with preparation for the year-end conference. both of them are talented super elite warriors. if they want they can defeat the warriors from other factions to raise their popularity. but they are unwilling to do it. not long after having breakfast with them. i came across jonathan who appeared and i don''t know when. "are you interested in going back to red city?" jonathan asked. hearing that a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. "my hometown?" i asked back. jonathan nodded his head before saying, "i''m going there to check the space barrier. if you come with me, you can meet your family and friends." i nodded my head in understanding. then i sent a message to dean rebecca about my departure. i didn''t tell her the truth. rather, i simply told jonathan to take me out for practice. a few minutes later, we flew across viper city and moved towards the boundary. the speed of jonathan is fast. his right hand is on my shoulder. if i used my flight ability, it would take a few days to reach the boundary. the boundary is the place that separates the region of tier-6 cities and tier-7 and other cities. soon, we reached the place. the place where the boundary is is under the control of authorities. no civilians are allowed here. there is a thick space barrier separating the place. seeing that jonathan brought some a token outside and activated it. a mysterious energy covered both of us. the next second, we passed through the barrier like nothing. when we appeared in the region of tier-7 and tier-8 cities. i instantly felt the lack of world energy. "the world''s energy is poor here," i unconsciously muttered. "ha...ha...ha...," jonathan let out a small laugh before saying, "if you enter the inner post, you will find the world energy in those academies is even poorer." my eyes flickered. i thought the world energy in the academy was rich. but the inner post is a big place. naturally, that is blessed with superior world energy. "let''s go," jonathan said before moving toward my hometown. a hint of expectation flashes in my eyes. i want to meet uncle james and granny park. not to forget elder thornton and all those people in the hansen academy. 2 years ago, i was a mere trainee warrior. but i have quickly reached the level of super elite. even the elite warrior is a powerhouse in this region. i remember my trip to one of those tier-7 cities. elite warriors are everywhere there. time flies, in the afternoon, i already saw the familiar terrain. where the long railroad connects to other cities. those times, i had to use the local train to visit the monster zones. now the times have changed. in that academy, i can enter the dangerous monster zones. whenever i want. time flies, soon, we reached the red city. looking at the city down below. i feel nostalgic. now that i''m looking at the city after a long time. i realized the city was smaller. not even 1/3rd of the viper city. maybe my base was low at that time. so i felt the city itself was large. swish! then we flew towards the hansen building. in a blink of an eye, we reached the place. the next second, my expression changes. "this?" i raised my eyebrows in confusion. there is no sign of the hansen building. instead, there is some other structure. and the building doesn''t seem to be an academy building. it seemed to be some kind of a shop. i remember the old building was new and built in a u-shaped structure.n/)o)-v(/e-)l--b(-1.-n "let''s go down below to check," jonathan said. his expression is not good-looking as well. from his experience, he can tell that something has happened. we landed on the ground. at this time, people are going about their business here. but no one has noticed our presence. then we walked to the building and saw the huge board. [city lord luton''s pill shop] seeing that my eyes turned cold. i''m already feeling bad about this. jonathan went forward to strike the conversation. there is an old man inside working as a shopkeeper. seeing that i remained here. the old man noticed a customer was coming. so he quickly went to great lengths. "old man, are you the shopkeeper here?" jonathan asked. the old man was startled. he felt an invisible pressure from the customer. his expression was dignified. there are not many powerful people here. except the city lord of this city. he can''t recall anyone else. so he dare not disrespect. "guest, i''m new here. because the shop was built just 3 months ago," the old man replied in a calm tone. "what happened to the former building?" jonathan asked before turning towards jonathan. "former building?" the old man followed his gaze and saw a young man standing not far away from her. looking at the young man, he felt the face was familiar. but he didn''t dare to waste the guest''s time. "guest, the former building was an academy. but the chairman of that academy offended our new city lord." "so the city''s new lord at that time destroyed the academy. even the students and elders were killed during the battle." "the late chairman thornton fought against city guards until last breath. but he succumbed to the injuries inflicted by our city lord," the old man said with a sigh. as an old citizen of the red city, he has fond memories of the hansen academy. it''s a pity that i encountered bad luck. at the same time, i heard everything because of my level. a murderous hint flashes in my eyes. for a second, i released the coercion of the super elite. the first wave hit the pill shop. boom! the pill shop building hit hard. the structure collapsed right away. jonathan was quick enough to save the old man. but fortunately, there was no one else in the room. the old man fainted because of shock. "young master, don''t lose your mind. the coercion will kill the residents here," jonathan said while pressing his hands on zack''s shoulder. the coercion was powerful enough to cause the tremor. in a few seconds, everyone in the city felt the coercion. even the city lord luton was alarmed. "who is it?" luton broke out in a cold sweat. he was a middle-aged man in his forties. he is a mere special trainee. for a second, he felt impending danger. not only him, the most of the red city was alarmed. when the power disappeared. everyone thought it was an earthquake. "who is bold enough to attack the academy?" i asked myself. i''m sure everyone was aware of my records. everyone in the city knew i had entered the tier-6 city academy. so a city lord can''t take action. unless he has a strong backer behind him. jonathan saw through zack''s thoughts. he too felt incredible. by this time, the destruction of the pill shop had attracted the neighbors'' attention. everyone gathered to see the site. "let''s go to the city lord''s mansion," i said to jonathan. i want to confront the city lord and extract information from him. jonathan handed the old man to others. before we started moving towards the city lord mansion. the mansion was located in the middle of the city. we got there in the blink of an eye and landed on the ground. the city guards who are guarding the mansion are terrified. they have never seen someone fly over the city. we ignored the city guard and started walking towards the mansion. when we walked into the hall. i saw a middle-aged man sitting down in his seat. he is interacting with a few people. upon sensing our arrival, everyone''s attention turned towards us. "who is luton here?" i asked. the middle-aged man was startled. suddenly, a bad premonition hit his heart. the manager down below was stunned. "how dare you name our lord?" he said it out angrily. boom! the next second, i released the coercion towards him. pfff! before he could think further. the manager turned into a bloodmist. seeing that jonathan sighed inwardly. he knows zack is going to kill everyone behind the hansen''s academy destruction. suddenly, he thought of something and his expression changed drastically. he hopes nothing bad happens to zack''s family. Chapter 660 Sad news chapter 660 sad news from mc''s perspective: red city- city lord mansion, the city lord luton was terrified. the manager was blasted into pieces. there is nothing left of the manager''s body parts. the others who were near the manager collapsed onto the ground. the aftermath has hit them very hard. few of them have already coughing up blood. at this moment, none of them dare to raise their head. only the city lord can save their life. what''s more dangerous is that the visitor in front of him only used coercion. when he felt the piercing gaze. his entire back was drenched in a cold sweat. "lord?" he said. his voice was shaky. he stood up from the seat and walked down below. as a city lord, he has more knowledge than local people. the visitors are at least elite-rank warriors. on the other hand, i controlled my emotions. i don''t want to shoot him down before collecting the information. "why did you destroy the hansen academy?" "not only that, you have killed chairman thornton, teachers, staff, and students." "what''s the reason behind this?" i asked. jonathan felt a hint of icy chill in zack''s voice. he doesn''t want to interfere. it will only affect the state of the mind. "hanson academy?" luton uttered in surprise. then he recalled the events that happened 3 months ago. a lot of destruction and slaughter of those people part of hansen comes to his mind. the people who collapsed on the ground are terrified as well. one of them was able to recognize zack''s face. looking at the familiar silhouette who was celebrated as a local hero is standing in front of him. he knew the headmaster was going to die. back then many people wondered where the courage of the city lord came from. everyone knew the student named zack lockwood had entered one of the academies in tier-6 cities. not only him, but others were able to slowly recall. the city lord luton was unable to connect the dots. his mind was broken because of fear. "lord, it was not me. i was forced by someone," city lord luton said in a trembling tone. fear of death has occupied his heart. hearing that i asked, "who?" i knew a mere city lord wouldn''t have such guts. jonathan''s eyes gleamed with a twinkle. he wants to be known as a wall. because the old monsters of the giant tower and eclipse academy were taken down as well. "so who is causing this trouble?" jonathan said in his heart. the city lord luton resigned to his fate. he simply revealed the truth by saying, "parazam hunter league." hearing that my expression changes drastically. jonathan''s face becomes dignified. both of us looked at each other in solemn gaze. before i could ask further, jonathan flashes and appears before the city lord. he began to do a soul search. scream! a terrifying scream resounded in the hall. those who have collapsed on the ground are shivering in fear. who doesn''t know about the parazam hunter league? it is paradise for the civilian and rogue warriors. especially for those warriors without any background.nove-lb-1n on the other hand, i saw jonathan''s operation and didn''t disturb him. i know after hearing that name jonathan has become serious as well. a few minutes later, pfff! the city lord and the rest of them are turned to blood mist. jonathan didn''t feel anything from beginning to end. things have come this far. no secrets can be allowed to leak. swish! in the blink of an eye, we appeared in mid-air. then we started moving towards the white snow city. on the way, jonathan couldn''t help but say, "the destruction of the hansen academy was not simple. it might be a calculated one." hearing that a deep chill flashes in my eyes. "parazam hunter league is different from the academy system. they have their power. like the academy, there is a hunter league in the inner post as well." "which also controls important resources in all outer posts. from time to time, rare and important resources appear in some outer posts. those were quickly plundered by the parazam hunter league" "they were then sent to the main branch. so we need to investigate who is behind this act," jonathan said. but my mind is something else. "jonathan, what about my family?" i asked. jonathan''s eyes flickered before saying, "they are safe. because your uncle is a member of the army federation. the inner post also has a federation." "so the local league won''t dare to touch your family. it''s just a pity, the hansen academy had you as a baker." "but your backing is not enough to shake a branch which is the parazam hunter league." "and forget about the big tree that operates in the inner post," jonathan added. at the same time, he noticed the expression of zack. he also lied about the family. he didn''t want to cause any psychological burden. but the issue has come to this. so he thought it was time for zack to know the difference in strength. on the other hand, various thoughts flash in my mind. i was careless. i should have maintained contact with the hansen academy. they must have felt helpless during their struggle. "sigh" jonathan signed. he decided to reveal a few truths as well. "the city lord and his troops were not alone in destroying the hansen academy," jonathan said. hearing that i turned towards him. jonathan looked into my eyes and said, "from the city lord''s memory, i saw the remnants of crimson hall. they took part as well." "crimson hall?" i gritted my teeth in anger. i should have eliminated the roots. i didn''t expect them to have the guts to do this act. in the end, they took the advantage. "don''t worry, we will find their whereabouts. in that way, you can vent your anger," jonathan said. hearing that i nodded my head. as jonathan said, i don''t have the power to shake the branch or tree. but i can weed out the grasses on the ground. "crimson hall!" "are ella downs and sallie mills''s family part of the remnants?" i asked in my heart. if they have a part in this act, then i don''t mind killing them as well. soon, we reached the white snow city. the city was not even half the size of red city. in a blink of an eye, i appeared above my home. i felt the pressure of living. "you go and meet them," jonathan said. "what about you?" i asked. "i''m going to investigate some places. i''ll come back later. you can spend time with your uncle" jonathan said before disappearing from the spot. what he didn''t tell was he had already got the whereabouts of a few remnants from city lord''s memory. because he had shady dealings with them. if he had told zack, he would have followed him. on the other hand, i landed on the ground and started walking towards the door. knock! after arriving, i knocked on the door. i heard footsteps nearing the door. creak! when the door was opened. i saw a person standing in front of me. "uncle james," i said. james was stunned in disbelief before his old eyes recognized zack''s face. "zack you are back," james said in a trembling tone. "it''s been a whole year," james added. sigh! i let out a sigh before saying, "uncle, there is a big boundary separating the place. normal communications are hard to establish. and it''s difficult to leave the academy as well." james nodded his head in understanding before greeting him inside. walking into the living room, i felt nostalgic. then suddenly, i started walking towards granny park''s room. james'' expression is dignified. a hint of worry appeared in his eyes. when i walked into the room. i saw the room was empty. there is no sign of granny park. a bad premonition hits my heart. "where is granny park?" i asked uncle james. looking at his sad expression, i feel something bad. "zack, you have to control your emotions." "ms. park died a few months ago," james said in a sad tone. hearing that my heart was in turmoil. "how?" i asked. i knew she was old and weak. but i always thought she had at least a decade to live. "she died because of sickness. the healer said her heart was weak. a few days after getting treatment, she died in her bed," james said. hearing that i don''t know how to react. i still remember her fond memories. the memories of the orphanage flooded my mind. unknowingly, tears began to stream down. in my face. james felt sad as well. his eyes become wet. meanwhile, jonathan is moving towards the nearest big city. where one of the remnant''s family is staying. after destroying the hansen academy, people looted the resources there. the family living there is one of them. one hour later, he reached the city. the city is similar to the red city in size. he looked down on the city from above. in the blink of an eye, he reached the ground and disguised himself as a local. Chapter 661 Willow City chapter 661 willow city willow city: in the rich area of this city, a newly built mansion was located. the remnants of the crimson hall are living here. after the incident at hanson academy, they got resources to build their places. inside the mansion, the patriarch of the family is discussing with others about future development. "patriarch, i think we should slow down our development," one of the elders raised the point. hearing that old man patriarch furrowed his eyebrows. he is an old man in his sixties. when crimson hall was in its heyday. their family is considered to be one of the largest families in the tier 7 city. they used to be stronger than other medium-sized families. now they have been reduced to small families in the tier-8 city. the old man was unwilling to live like this. not only him but there are other remnant families as well. he had already discussed joining hands with others. "patriarch?" the elder called out. the patriarch snorted coldly. "elder, you are too old to handle the family matters. you should retire from your position," at this moment, a middle-aged man walked into the room and said with a smile on his face. the middle-aged man is the son of the old patriarch. he plays a key part in the family development of the city. "my son is the right elder. you can leave this place," the old man said in a kind tone. hearing that elder who raised the point earlier left the place with a bitter smile. "coward," the middle-aged man sneered. "father, these people have lost their spine. now they don''t face any hardships," the middle-aged man said. "sigh" "ronald, my son. you did good by bribing the local city lord. otherwise, we wouldn''t have this place to build a mansion," the old man said with a smile. hearing that the middle-aged man named ronald got excited. "father, i just got permission from the city lord to hire a few warriors for our family," he said with a smile. hearing the faces of other elders changes drastically. they had a similar mentality to the elder who left a few moments ago. but this reaction didn''t go unnoticed under the patriarch''s eyes. even ronald saw the displeasure in many of their faces. his heart boils in anger. he is going to be the next family head. in his opinion, these people should flatter him. instead, they are showing disappointment on their faces. suddenly, one of the elders said, "patriarch, it''s not been a year over. since the hansen academy was destroyed." "what if...?" the elder stopped the sentence midway. "what do you mean?" the old man asked with a hint of anger in his eyes. he wanted to forget about the incident. but these people keep reminding him. ronald''s face is distorted as well. the elder sighed before saying, "the hansen academy''s famous student is still alive." "what if he comes back? if he knows our location, then it would be troublesome," he added. "ha...ha...ha...," the old man laughed until a teardrop fell from his eyes. "you are talking about that kid who got into the tier-6 academy," the old man said. then he thought of something before saying, "we don''t have to worry about him. because there is someone who is going to cover the sky for us." "besides, the attack on the hansen academy was not planned or started by us. it''s the parazam hunger league member''s plan." "you don''t know the strength of this hunter league. as far as i know, they are not just a local adventure league, they are big forces." "even those academies in the tier-6 cities have to take a step back. the hanson academy student was nowhere near those big forces," the old man patriarch said in a solemn tone.n(/0velb1n hearing that everyone''s faces turned bright. no one thought about this before. finally, the elder realized the patriarch had backing. "harumph," ronald gave a cold snort. "do you think my father had no plans?" "the esteemed guest has assured us. no one from the tier-6 academy will bother us," ronald said with assurance. hearing that elders became assured. now they have let go of their worry. after the end of the discussion, ronald walked out of the mansion. there was a big smile on his face. he was happy that the patriarch had agreed to his proposal. then he decided to celebrate this success. he decided to eat at the famous inn. but he doesn''t know that someone else has spotted him. when he was ready to go with others. jonathan appeared out of nowhere, grabbed his shoulders, and disappeared from the spot. ronald was terrified. his face has lost blood. before he knew it, jonathan had dragged him out of the city. tud! jonathan put his body on the ground. ronald stood up in disbelief. when he looked around. he saw this place was not in the city. "where is this?" he said in a horrified voice. suddenly, someone appeared before him. the person is none other than jonathan. seeing that ronald almost peed himself. except for the esteemed guest, he saw no one who could fly in the air. jonathan looked at his terrified face before asking, "are you ronald?" ronald was stunned for a second before nodding his head. he doesn''t know the identity of the warrior in front of him. "good" "i''m from the parazam hunter league," jonathan said. hearing that terrified ronald was shocked before joy returned to his face. for a second he thought he was a goner. "sh!t" "he was from the same place as the esteemed guest," ronald said in his heart. the next second, he thought of something. "maybe the esteemed guest has sent this person," he said in his heart. "lord, who are you?" ronald asked. jonathan saw through his thoughts. he said, "i''m from the audit department of the parazam hunter league. i heard your family is using the name of our organization to develop." jonathan was dumbfounded. "imposter? he uttered in surprise. then he realized something was wrong. the next second, his expression changes drastically. "lord, we don''t know anything about the imposter. but the identity of the imposter is real. he is a member of the parazam hunter league," ronald said in a serious tone. at this time, his entire back was drenched in sweat. the powerhouse in front of him was real. he is facing invisible pressure from him. jonathan snorted before releasing a small part of the pressure. ronald collapsed onto the ground. the pressure is breaking his body. blood escaped from his mouth. ronald felt the breath of death. any wrong word from now on will cost his life. jonathan removed the pressure before asking, "tell me the identity of the impostor. do you have any pictures of him?" hearing that a trace of clarity returned to his eyes. then he slowly raised his sci-fi watch to show the image. "his name was henrick," ronald said. jonathan set his gaze on the image. in that image, a blonde-haired person is shaking hands with someone. jonathan noticed the dress. the person in the image is wearing a dress which is worn by the elite members. elite members are part of the inner circle. those people usually have business in the tier-6 cities. what do the inner circle members have anything to do with crimson hall? he is missing the connections. ronald was on the verge of a mental health breakdown. jonathan thought for a moment before releasing the full coercion. pfff! the next second, ronald turned into a blood mist. jonathan looked at him before disappearing from the spot. he brought zack here to meet his family. but he never expected to uncover such a plot. he didn''t expect the parazam hunter league to poke its nose into the master''s business. as far as he knows, the person must be from an influential family. it''s not easy for a family to become part of an inner circle. "is this act of a certain young master of a family or part of a bigger scheme?" jonathan said in his heart. he is moving back to the white snow city. first, he is going to bring zack to the willow city. then let him annihilate the remnant''s family. then he is going to uncover the truth behind parazam hunter league''s involvement. he hopes it''s not connected to the main branch, the inner post. meanwhile, the death of ronald alarmed the family. the old patriarch couldn''t believe his eyes. the soul card of his son was broken. it happens in case of death. so the old man was in disbelief. "who killed my son?" he asked in a trembling tone. a few minutes ago, he agreed to his proposal. so what happened now? he knew his son was going to celebrate his success. is there someone who wants to block the rise of their family? the old man thought it must be the case. the city lord is not only favorable to their family. but also to some other families in the city. so the old man decided to meet the city lord. Chapter 662 Truth about parents chapter 662 truth about parents from mc''s perspective: after grieving the demise of granny park, i entered my former room to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed to my old comfort clothes. but they didn''t fit my size. then i decided to wear it for some time. lying down on the bed, i couldn''t help but recall my mistakes. after destroying the crimson hall, i was so eager to join the academy that i almost forgot about the remnants. to be honest, i put most of my trust in jonathan. i believed in him. but in the end, even he didn''t expect the counterattack from the remnants. "who is behind all of this?" i said in my heart. hanson academy was gone. it''s impossible to turn back the clock. at least, i can kill the people who are responsible for this incident. the next morning, after completing the morning routine, i went to take a bath. later, i changed to new comfort clothes. i don''t want to practice here because of the lack of world energy. after getting ready, i went downstairs and arrived in the living room. uncle james was here making tea. "you are here," james said in a normal tone. then he asked him to sit down. james was aware of zack''s mental state. zack''s mind was in turmoil not only because of ms. park''s sudden death. it is also because of hansen''s destruction. he didn''t have a brief chat about this yesterday. now he wants to have a conversation with zack about everything including a decade-old buried secret in his heart. "zack, i was not in the city when hansen''s destruction happened," james said. hearing that i clenched my fist. this scene didn''t go unnoticed under james'' eyes. he sighed inwardly. he knows the news must have hit hard. "you must understand you can''t control everything around you. someone dared to touch hansen. which means they are not afraid of you or your academy." "so you have to be careful in the future," james said. "don''t worry, uncle james. i know my limit. it''s just that i was careless. i thought no one was there to pose a threat to hanson academy," i replied to him. after saying that i let out a sigh. to be honest, today i feel a lot better than yesterday. now, i have some clarity in mind. james saw zack''s reaction. seeing that he was doing fine, he decided to reveal an important truth. "zack, i want to tell you something more important," james asked. hearing that i nodded my head at him. "it''s about your parents. you have always wanted to hear about your parents right? now i''m going to tell you some truth," james said. but his words fell like a thunderclap in my ears. i grew up in an orphanage. so this topic was nothing new to me. but uncle james said before that my parents are normal adventurers. they have died in a monster horde attack. "so what is he going to reveal?" i said in my heart. "when i was working in that old border town. i have cross-checked your parent''s identity. i found out it was fake background information," james said. "it''s impossible to forge such information. it can be only done by big influences," he added. hearing that i don''t know how to react for a moment. then i asked, "what else?" james then started to speak about the meteor fall incident that happened at maple city. at that spot, he found zack as an infant baby. a few minutes later, "i also know some classified information. but i can''t leak that information to you." "i believe your teacher will brief you at the right time," james said. he was no stranger to classified information such as outer posts and inner posts. after spending so many years in the army federation. he came to know about a few things. he knows that a huge war is going on. the region is divided into outer post and inner post because of that war. which is why he had accepted when that mysterious person came to accept zack as his student. on the other hand, i felt my mind loaded with information. i stood up and started walking to the exit. at this moment, i need a fresh breath of air. after walking out of the home, i looked around before appearing in mid-air. then i started moving towards the small hilltop. soon, i reached the hilltop and landed on the ground. from this place, i raised my head to look down at the small city below. i feel relaxed while appreciating the view. then i sat on the bedrock before recalling the conversation. uncle james seemed different. earlier, i thought he was ignorant and didn''t know much about the inner post. but now that i look back. i realized he was not ignorant but he was not allowed to spill the information. when it comes to my parents. i don''t know how to react. according to uncle james, my parents are not ordinary people. then how come they die from the monster horde? if they are from certain forces, then the monster horde should have been nothing to them. i guess he was wrong about this one. shaking my head, i pushed down these thoughts. swish! when i was pondering, i felt someone appear behind my back. the person is none other than jonathan. "you have found a nice place to enjoy the city view," jonathan said. hearing that i revealed a small smile on my face. jonathan saw zack in a better mood. he said, "i found the culprit behind the hansen attack." i looked at him and asked, "which academy is it?" jonathan shook his head before saying, "it''s a big fish. the power of the fish is enough to cause a headache to master. hearing that my expression changes drastically. before i could ask further. jonathan said, "an elite warrior named henrick gave the order to the city lord. not only that, he also supported the remnants to attack hansen." "henrick," i etched the name in my heart. "he is from the adventure union. on top of it, his family is part of the inner circle. i have yet to find their connection to the crimson hall," jonathan said. seeing zack''s worrying expression, he further added, "don''t worry, i think the person named henrick had acted independently. i guess it has nothing to do with the adventure union." hearing that a hint of relief flashes in my eyes. "now, let''s go to the willow city. you can take care of the remaining family," jonathan said. then we both started moving towards willow city. soon, we reached the willow city. when we arrived above the newly built mansion. i saw the place was crowded with people. "i killed the young master of this family to extract information," jonathan said. hearing that i nodded my head. "you can kill the old patriarch. that guy was the main reason behind the attack. he brainwashed other family elders to support his goals," jonathan said. swish! in the blink of an eye, i landed on the ground. the people who were on the ground were surprised by my appearance. the next second, i released a small coercion on them. pfff! the pressure brought everyone to their knees. one by one the warriors collapsed onto the ground. some strong warriors spilled blood as their internal organs were injured. others fainted on the spot.nove)lb/1n the next second, i walked into the building. upon seeing my arrival, the family members tried to block me. pfff! but everyone turned to blood mist. then i inquired about the place of the patriarch from one of the servants. the next second, i rushed towards the place. the room was located deep inside the building. when i got here. i heard people''s conversations. boom! the next second, my coercion blasted away the room walls. the aftermath has hit the elders inside. argh! one after another they let out agonizing screams. "who is it?" the next second, i heard a deep voice. hearing that my eyes flickered. this must be the voice of an old patriarch. i slowly walked into the room. then i saw elders lying on the ground except one. that person is the old patriarch seated in the main chair. "who are you excellency?" the old man asked. he saw that coercion alone disabled everyone. but when he saw the face. he felt it was a familiar voice. then the image of zack lockwood comes to his mind. it was at that time when the late headmaster shared the image and information with everyone. but now looking at the person in front of him. a look of understanding dawned on him. "so you are back," he said in a trembling tone. his whole body started to shake. yesterday, his son died. now the whole family is going to accompany him. on the other hand, i looked at the old man''s terrified expression. there is no need to extract information. i decided to kill everyone. pfff! the next second, the old man''s body exploded into pieces. in the blink of an eye, all the elders were dead as well from my coercion. Chapter 663 Coming back to the academy chapter 663 coming back to the academy from mc''s perspective: after killing everyone, i felt more relieved. i should have done this before. then shaking my head, i walked out of the mansion. outside, the condition was even worse. there are mutilated bodies everywhere. then i saw jonathan standing leisurely under the tree. "let''s go and meet the city lord. except the women, children, and elderly. everyone is dead," jonathan said. hearing that my eyes flickered with complex emotions. jonathan saw through his thoughts. "we will ask the city lord to provide them with the shelter," jonathan added. hearing that i nodded my head at him. swish! then we rose from the ground and in a blink of an eye, we came to the huge mansion. when we got there. the patrol guards are not allowed to enter inside. but we ignored everyone and went directly inside. after witnessing our flight ability, the guards are petrified. when we walked into the hall. we saw the city lord was already waiting for us. "two, esteemed lords. thank you for coming to our city," the city lord said. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål there is no one else besides him. "you know us?" jonathan asked. the city lord broke out in a cold sweat before replying, "i received the death news of red stone city''s city lord some time ago." "now the next heir of the former crimson hall''s family is dead. so i guessed 2 lords might be coming here." an appreciative look flashes in jonathan''s eyes. he didn''t expect this city lord to be this attentive. "well, don''t worry. we won''t do anything to you. but you have to take care of crimson hall''s elders, women, and children," jonathan said. hearing that, the city lord shuddered. his bad premonition came true. when he first heard about ronald''s death. he knew former crimson hall members'' family would meet their death soon. but he didn''t expect the situation to come true. then he fiercely nodded his head. "alright, we can leave. i don''t want to waste time here," i said to jonathan. then we both left the place. flying in the mid-air. jonathan asked, "it would take some time to investigate henrick. what do you want to do now?" my eyes flickered. i replied, "i want to go back to the academy." jonathan was surprised. he thought zack would spend more time with his family. then thinking about hansen''s destruction. he understood the reason.n./0velb1n soon, we reached the white snow city. jonathan stayed back. i entered the house to bid goodbye to uncle james. "are you leaving?" james asked. he thought zack would stay here for some time. "yes, uncle. i decided to go back," i replied. i knew it must be hard for him. but i have to wipe out the remaining remnants. "okay, but don''t forget about your parents'' identity. if you have time, you should look for their background," james stressed. he remembered it was reported in the army federation that many descendants from influential forces had entered many outposts to train. at that time he thought the information was fake. but only after coming across zack''s parents'' background check. he understood the truth. on the other hand, i shook my head in denial. i still don''t believe his words. but for his sake, i nodded my head at him. then i went back to my room to pay for things. a few minutes later, i appeared outside after bidding goodbye to uncle james. meanwhile, beyond the boundary, there is one of the luxurious tier-6 cities. this city is different from other academy''s tier-6 cities. here the main force is the parazam hunter league. there are other small and big merchant organizations operating in this city. apart from this, there are families connected to these organizations established in this city. among them, the palmer family is one of the major families connected to the parazam hunter league. people from this family are working for the parazam hunter league. the head of the family is part of the inner circle. at this time, the head of the family is visiting the parazam hunter league''s office. but before he could enter the office. he saw his son rushing towards him. looking at his son''s worried expression. he paused his movement. "henrick, what are you doing here?" he asked. "father, i heard someone wiped out former crimson hall members," henrick said in a solemn tone. he is aware of hansen''s destruction. he was the one who ordered it. but before doing that he had to make sure that no trouble would follow. palmer furrowed his eyebrows. he recalled the events that happened 3 months ago. at that time, his son had collected various treasures from some source. but the source demanded the removal of his enemies instead of money. to prove himself, his son readily agreed to it. now, seeing that his son is having trouble. palmer has guessed his son has missed something in that plan. "you told me there is no backer for that small organization. so what happened now?" he asked. "this?" henrick hesitated. looking around, he saw people roaming around here. any strong warrior can easily listen to their conversation. palmer saw through his son''s thoughts. he then decided to return home with his son. 10 minutes later, in his study room, he asked his son again. henrick answered, "the hansen academy was small. but one of their students has managed to get into viper academy." the next second, palmer''s expression becomes dignified. he is not thinking about the student. but about the viper academy. the viper academy is known for protecting its students. on top of it, the viper academy has a strong backer behind them. "army federation," he said in his heart. his expression turned ugly. the atmosphere becomes solemn for a moment. a small sweet bead appeared on his forehead. "father, what happened?" henrick asked. palmer''s thoughts returned to reality. he looked at his son and said, "don''t worry, that student may not know you. he must have heard about the destruction of the academy." "he won''t be able to find you," palmer said with a smile. hearing that henrick felt relaxed. but they don''t know both have heavily miscalculated. when henrick left the room. palmer frowned. even though he assured his son. he doesn''t want to make the slightest mistake. he then ordered his subordinate to come. a few minutes later, a super elite rank warrior walked into the room. "family head," he greeted palmer. palmer looked at him before saying, "i want you to collect details about a student named zack lockwood studying in the viper academy." hearing that super elite warrior nodded his head before leaving the room. time flies, jonathan and i returned to the tier-6 region a few hours later. soon, we reached the viper academy. after landing in front of the dormitory, i started walking towards my room. on the other hand, jonathan left to continue the investigation. the next day, i woke up earlier. after doing the morning routine, i entered the training room to cultivate. after arriving in the middle of the platform, i sat down cross-legged. then i took the class-6 monster core from my storage ring and held it in my hand. then i started to run the blood element method. the next moment, the bloody rune in my mind starts to flicker. slowly, i started to absorb the monster''s energies from the monster''s core. when the energy entered my body. a red light appears above the bloodstream. then the red light starts to convert the monster''s core energies into mysterious white energies. the next moment, the white energy starts drilling into my bones. a heart-wrenching pain quickly followed. right now, all of my bones are dyed red. i don''t know what the next operation of the blood element method is. slowly, i saw the process. when the skull was completely dyed red. i saw the process was continued again. like a 2nd layer. i feel more blood energy from the 2nd layer. seeing that a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. if my guess is right, then i can draw more formidable energy from bones. then i continued to repeat the process, 3 hours later, the monster core in my hands crumbled into pieces. then i opened my eyes to check myself. i saw black filth covering my skin. then i stood up from the platform and walked out of the training room. then i went to take a bath. 20 minutes later, i changed to an academy uniform. after getting ready, i walked out of the dormitory room. then i started walking towards the dining hall. on the way, i couldn''t help but think of yesterday''s event. i thought the trip to my hometown would be fruitful. but instead, it wounded my heart. "elder thornton, students, teachers, and staff," i said in my heart. i paused my movement before removing the distracting thoughts from my mind. i have to wait for jonathan to complete his investigation. then i resumed walking towards the dining hall. when i arrived at the dining hall, i saw laverne and ernest. seeing them made me feel better. Chapter 664 Palmer Family’s end chapter 664 palmer family''s end from mc''s perspective: dining hall, "what''s your goal?" ernest asked. we were eating in the corner of the dining hall. there are not many people around us. so i looked at ernest and asked back, "what do you mean by that?" suddenly, laverne thought of something before saying, "he is thinking about plans. he wants to become an elder in the academy." hearing that a look of understanding dawned on me. at the same time, my eyes flash with complex emotions. i looked at two of them before saying, "i''m going to enter the inner post." hearing that both of them were not surprised. at this point, both were clear that zack had a special background. "inner post uh?" laverne said with a sigh. "i don''t know much about it. but as far as i know, the inner post is different from our region. that place is many times dangerous." "since you have a backing. you can develop smoothly," ernest said. hearing that i don''t know whether to laugh or cry. i recalled the words of jonathan. from those words, i''m certain that there is extensive training awaiting me. we then continued to talk about a few other things before finishing the plate. after having breakfast, we got separated. i decided to visit the monster zone as usual. a few days later, the subordinate sent by the palmer family arrives in viper city. he then found a famous inn to settle in. then he starts to gather information about zack lockwood. what he didn''t expect was the popularity of zack lockwood. which is no less than that of elite members of the parazam hunter league. after going a few more rounds to gather intel. he came to his room at night. but his expression was dreadful. sitting down, he couldn''t help but fear the date of the palmer family. especially the future of young master henrick. from the gathered intel. he came to a good understanding about the student named zack lockwood. "he is not only popular. but has the backing of the dean and the faction head," he said in his heart. not long ago, the viper academy did well in the student exchange meet. zack lockwood was representative of the academy. what a big honor! he became thoughtful. he doesn''t know whether the palmer family can afford to offend this person. from the palmer family head''s task. he can see that the family head wants to decide after knowing about zack lockwood. he hoped that the family head would give in. the person and the people behind him are too strong for the palmer family. the next day, he left viper city and rushed his way back towards the home. steel city: after a few days of rushing back, the subordinate entered the palmer family''s household. but before he could meet the family head. he came across henrick palmer. on the other hand, henrick palmer quickly recognized the person. but he didn''t know about the task. so he ignored him. the sub-ordinate heaved a sigh of relief before rushing towards the study room. coincidently, palmer was in the study room when he noticed the arrival of his subordinate. then he allowed him to enter inside. palmer saw the facial expression of the sub-ordinate. seeing that he frowned. "what happened?" he asked. the sub-ordinate showed hesitation before starting to tell him about the intel he had gathered. a few minutes later, palmer''s expression turned ugly as well. he didn''t expect anybody to have such a background. if he had known this earlier, he would have stopped his son from associating with crimson hall''s remnants. but his son''s greed surpassed the rational thoughts. "not good," palmer said to himself. if that warrior named zack lockwood wants to take revenge, then their palmer family would be over. the only force that could deter the viper academy is the parazam hunter league. he intends to seek help from them. he stood up from the seat to leave. boom! the next second, someone broke into the study room. "who are you?" the subordinate asked. before he could attack. pfff! his head burst into pieces like a watermelon. blood splattered in different directions. some of them splashed over palmer''s face. seeing palmer''s face filled with horror. the attacker was none other than jonathan. after killing the subordinate, he turned towards palmer. "your son should have stayed away from unwanted troubles," jonathan said. hearing that palmer felt a thunderclap ring in his head. "you are," he pointed his trembling hands at him. no need to guess. he realized the person had something to do with zack lockwood. nove-lb-in his son was staying at home. thinking about his son''s condition right now. his face lost all blood. "you are right," jonathan saw through his thoughts. "your son is dead," he added. hearing that palmer lost his control. he burst out in anger. before he could attack. he met with the same fate as his subordinate. jonathan left the room and walked out of the mansion swiftly. there is also one dead body lying in a corner of the mansion. it''s the corpse of henrick. unlike others, he didn''t know how he died until the end. a few minutes later, jonathan left the city. but he didn''t leave right away. instead, he found a random place to stay. he wants to know the aftermath of the incident. after leaving zack, he came to this city right away. then he learned about the palmer family. as he had expected, the descendant of the palmer family had a casual relationship with the crimson hall''s remnants. it''s not connected to the upper echelon of the parazam hunter league. but still, he wants to see whether anyone is going to jump out. a few hours later, the death of the palmer family head and his son detonated the city. everyone knows that the palmer family is part of the inner circle of the parazam hunter league. however, the killer didn''t destroy the palmer family completely. but this act is tantamount to scratching the back of a tiger. the other small and medium-sized forces are waiting to see the response of the parazam hunter league. meanwhile, in the middle of the steel city, there is a huge towering building. the outer post-1012 manager of the parazam hunter league was disturbed by this sudden news. his post is equal to any dean of the academy. he has the authority to dispatch people and resources. when he walked out of his room. he was greeted by the elders. seeing them, he wasn''t surprised. instead, he asked, "who did it?" the parazam hunter league has its intelligence department. so he was expecting them to answer. but all the elders looked at each other before shaking their heads. seeing that manager frowned. it''s not a secret that the palmer family is under their organization. so the killer must have been aware of the relationship. despite that, such a thing took place. the manager thought of something before saying, "see, whether the palmer family has offended anyone. especially the palmer family head and his son." hearing that the elders left the place. since there was no intel, there was nothing to discuss. shortly after, many people sprung into action. the palmer family members, servants, and guards are interrogated by hunter league people. a few hours later, a comprehensive intel was placed in front of the manager. after reading it, he raised his eyebrows in confusion. there was no connection found when tracing palmer family head and his son. but when the intel team followed the traces of subordinate. it was found that he was last checked in the viper city. viper city is under the viper academy. the hunter league has spies in all cities. the purpose of the subordinate there was not confirmed yet. the manager realized there was a missing link. if they find out what the palmer family''s subordinate was doing there. maybe they can find the missing link. he doesn''t want to ask viper academy before having all the information. then he instructed the intel team to collect missing information. a few hours later, jonathan again secretly entered the city to observe. he quickly found out that the parazam hunter league was looking for a killer. but they have no information whatsoever. after seeing that there were no loose ends, he left the city. at the same time, there are many spies active in viper city. they are investigating the palmer family''s subordinates. that person had visited the city with purpose. they are looking at whether he had met with anyone before leaving the city. the next day, jonathan met with zack when he walked out of the dining hall. "is there any news?" i asked with a hint of expectation in my eyes. jonathan nodded before starting to explain. a few minutes later, i relaxed my eyebrows. but i revealed a bitter smile on my face. "for getting treasure that guy had colluded with those remnants," i said in a cold tone. the reason was unacceptable. but if jonathan says so, then there must be truth to it. "the hunter league members are investigating in full swing. you should stay in the academy," jonathan said. hearing that i nodded my head at him. Chapter 665 Manager Shaw’s visit chapter 665 manager shaw''s visit from mc''s perspective: after getting information from jonathan, i returned to my room. on the other hand, jonathan has other thoughts. for the time being, there is no chance for the parazam hunter league to find the reason. but if they want to dig deeper, they might find the involvement of the crimson hall''s remnants with the late henrick palmer. jonathan frowned. there is always a method to stop them. but he doesn''t want to spoil the current atmosphere of this academy. zack is not going to stay here forever. until the year-end conference, he wants this academy to be peaceful. then he left the academy and decided to stay in viper city. ... steel city: a few days passed, everything is going normal outside. but not inside the steel city. the palmer family and his son have brought sleepless nights to other families operating under the hunter league. manager shaw tried to calm everyone. but those families wanted an answer. if this incident is left unsolved. their enemies might take advantage of this weakness. inside the hunter league building, manager shaw avoided meeting everyone. especially the elders associated with the families. if someone comes up with a solution, he would be glad to hear it. on the other hand, everyone urges him to find the culprit. n/-o-(v./e.-l--b(-i-/n a hint of gloominess flashes in his eyes. it''s not that he is neglecting the issue. but no concrete intel has been found so far. beep! suddenly, a notification sound broke his thoughts. he then saw someone asking to see him. seeing that he allowed the person to enter inside. then he saw one of the inner circle elders walk in. seeing that he frowned. "what happened?" "i have told you guys to wait?" shaw said, looking at them. the elder revealed a bitter smile before saying, "manager, this is something important. we saw a suspicious person in front of the palmer family." hearing that shaw eases his eyebrows before letting the elder speak. the elder sighed in relief. he thought the manager wouldn''t be willing to listen. then he said, "manager, the suspicious person had contacted henrick palmer a few months back." "we thought it wasn''t an issue. but this person came here to ask for help. someone powerful has eliminated their organization''s family not long ago." a quick gleam flashes in shaw''s eyes. at least this information is better than nothing. seeing that the manager is interested. the elder continued to speak. 10 minutes later, "that''s it," shaw muttered to himself. if the information shared by the elder seems to be true. then the death of the palmer family''s head and son is connected to the viper academy. the palmer family''s sub-ordinate had also last visited viper city before his death. "okay, you have done a good job," shaw said. the elder nodded before leaving the spot. "viper academy uh?" shaw muttered to himself. he knows that everything might be connected to the student named zack lockwood. those families were perhaps eliminated by him. but he doesn''t think that same person has carried out the assassination. the palmer family head was found dead in the study room. no one has seen any outsiders entering the room. so he doesn''t think zack lockwood has done it. but he thinks viper academy or viper city is connected to the death. if he can find out the purpose of that subordinate''s visit to viper city. then the truth will be revealed. not long after, the spies working in the viper city can collect small intel. knowing that manager shaw''s mood became bright. when he learned about intel. "ha...ha...ha...," he let out a laugh. "a small-town kid has inflicted damage to their hunter league. though it''s an act of revenge. but where is the face given to their hunter league," he gritted his teeth in anger. he doesn''t like this feeling at all. finally, he decided to visit the viper academy tomorrow and ask for an explanation. normally, there is no relation between the academies and the hunter league. both are working on different paths. but this time it''s unprecedented. the viper academy is not an ordinary academy. he knows it''s a part of a big force like them. so he has to visit in person to show respect. otherwise, if people found out the hunter league was interfering in the academy. it might bring further damage to their reputation. this news was only known to a few elders. because there is still a missing dot. as he guessed before, the warrior named zack lockwood was not involved in the assassination. according to intel, that kid was in the academy during the time of the assassination. so someone must have done it on his behalf. apart from the academies, no other forces have the guts to hit their hunter league. so he thinks someone from the viper academy has moved. it must be either the special faction head or people trained by the academy. ... viper academy: the following day, everything is happening as usual. rebecca appears in her office and starts to look at the morning reports. "hmm," she raised her eyebrows as she noticed something strange. "the giant tower, eclipse academy, and red moon tower have completed their preparation for the year-end conference." "the internal competition is now taking place in the white palace. but there was no movement in the silver clouds academy," she said to herself. the information was collected by the spies. they reported that no major event is taking place in the silver clouds academy. she furrowed her eyebrows. each academy has some kind of backing. they have an army federation. similarly, the silver clouds have made some connections with the major families in the inner post. so she didn''t take them lightly. "there must be some reason," she said in her heart. suddenly, she received a footage clip where she saw the aircraft of the hunter league nearing the academy space. "what is going on?" she uttered in surprise. she then allowed them to enter inside. the academy and the hunter league won''t mix. so looking at the aircraft, she is having a bad feeling about this situation. then she continued to look at the video. the aircraft then slowly landed on the ground. but the next second, her expression changes drastically. "what is he doing here?" she asked herself. swish! she disappeared from the spot. outside, manager shaw is looking at the surroundings after landing. swish! in the next second, multiple figures appeared. they are the faction heads of the different halls. shaw''s eyes flickered. his gaze swept across everyone including carlos kent. when his gaze fell on carlos his eyes paused for a moment. before coming here he had done his work. so he knows who carlos kent is. zack lockwood is a member of the special faction. carlos kent is the special faction head. swish! then rebecca appeared. looking at shaw. she felt some kind of conspiracy brewing. "manager shaw, what made you come here?" she asked. not only she, but others are looking at this with confused expressions as well. a cold glint flashes in shaw''s eyes before it disappears. "dean rebecca, it''s nice to meet you. but i''m here to discuss something serious. i hope we can discuss it inside," he said in a solemn tone. rebecca knitted her eyebrows further. she then nodded her head. "good, i want this person to join as well," he pointed his fingers at carlos kent. rebecca was surprised. she looked at carlos with a confused expression. "me?" carlos kent asked back. "yes, you are," shaw insisted. others left the space. dean rebecca and carlos went to the office building together with shaw. when they entered dean rebecca''s cabin. the atmosphere is a bit cold. she can see that the manager is here with no good intentions. carlos also smelled some kind of trouble. no one deals with the hunter league. especially him. so he was surprised by this manager''s words earlier. after sitting down, the manager shaw went straight to the point. "someone killed one of our inner circle members and his son," he said. hearing that expression of rebecca and carlos becomes dignified. they know about the inner circle members. they are like core members of any organization. so what is it to do with their academy? manager shaw saw through their thoughts. he frowned as well. because he was suspicious about these 2 people. but their reaction made him confused. because they are not faking it. before rebecca could ask. he added further, "when we started to trace back the details. we found it connected to a student named zack lockwood studying in this academy." "f@ck," carlos cursed out loud. then he quickly controlled his expression. he thought where was this going? but he didn''t expect his visit to be related to zack lockwood. should he feel pity for this manager? carlos looked at the manager with a strange gaze. even rebecca was stunned as well. then a hint of anger appeared in her eyes. this time zack had done something again without her knowledge. she hates his method. but it can''t be helped. the person behind him can take care of the supreme elder. forget about herself. then she looks at the manager with complex emotions in her eyes. Chapter 666 Manager Shaw’s attack chapter 666 manager shaw''s attack from mc''s perspective: dorm, when i was resting in the dorm room. i got an urgent call from the dean. seeing that i didn''t ignore it. i got up from my seat and started walking towards the office building. soon, i arrived in front of her cabin. creak! the door opened automatically. seeing that i walked into the room. when i turned around, i saw dean rebecca, carlos kent, and one unfamiliar face. "dean, why did you call me?" i asked. manager shaw''s eyes flickered. he has also done background information on this young man. this young man''s name is zack lockwood. he is a special element warrior. there seems to be some backing from the army federation. he wasn''t surprised by knowing that. all the forces tried to recruit genius warriors into their camp. especially the special element warriors are given much more importance. after pushing down these thoughts, he asked, "are you zack lockwood?" hearing that i turned towards the unfamiliar person and nodded at him. i doubt the visit is related to him. "then you must be familiar with the crimson hall," he asked. his eyes stared at zack looking for any fluctuations. "who is he?" my heart is in turmoil. my tiff with crimson hall is an open secret. there is no point in hiding it. "i know they are my former rivals," i replied. manager shaw grinned. dean rebecca became tense. she thought it was going to be normal in conversation. but she feels this is going somewhere else. even carlos started to feel uncomfortable. "recently, some remnants of crimson hall were found dead. including some local city lords. starting from the red stone city," manager shaw said in a cold tone. hearing his words after one another. i was shocked to the core. this guy has researched me. but who is he? dean rebecca''s expression changed. she knows that red stone city is zack''s hometown. carlos'' face is dignified. "he is looking for trouble," he said in his heart. "manager shaw, this is not your parazam hunter league''s place," dean rebecca said out loud. she found that zack had no clue. so she specifically stressed this point. "parazam hunter league. so that''s how it is?" i said in my heart. "jonathan was looking for remaining remnants. i don''t know where he is right now?" i said in my heart. manager shaw''s face turned ugly. he stood up from his seat and said, "one of our inner circle members was assassinated. we found that the incident is connected to you." he is glaring at zack lockwood. a hint of coercion was released from his body. it was so fast that even for dean and carlos it took some seconds to react. on the other hand, my pupils shrink. this coercion was so powerful. the next second, it sent my body backward like a broken. kite. boom! i smashed into the wall and landed on the ground. pfff! blood spilled from my mouth. at the same time, my senses are screaming at me in pain. the internal organs are hurting as well. "you dare!" rebecca exploded at full speed and attacked manager shaw. carlos kent is filled with anger. he used his full strength to strike. both of them know the person behind zack. that person has the strength to eliminate the supreme elder. they don''t want to offend such a person. manager shaw''s face is ugly. he tried to escape. but found that the attack from both sides got closer. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. a massive hole appeared in the office building. manager shaw flew outside. his clothes are torn apart. a trace of blood leaked from his mouth. he managed to get away. but still, the 2 attacks slightly injured him. swish! in a blink of an eye, he appeared at the transport area. where the aircraft is parked. dean rebecca and carlos kent followed suit. hearing the commotion. other special faction heads appeared outside as well. manager shaw''s face was distorted. he doesn''t want to confront them because of the supreme elder. the viper academy''s supreme elder could kill him. so he immediately turned towards the dean and said, "i apologize. i made a mistake. but it''s a fact that the death of our member is connected to him." "i have evidence. if your supreme elder wants, i can show it to him." "if not wait for a few days, i''ll show even more concrete evidence," he added. dean rebecca and carlos kent stopped. it''s not that they believed his words. rather there was no supreme elder in this academy. if this guy insists on meeting the supreme elder, it would be troublesome. dean rebecca and carlos kent looked at each other. they know the problem can''t be solved by them. hunter league is not their cup of tea. the academy can''t handle it. only the person behind zack can do something about it. suddenly, zack''s condition flashes in her mind. "leave this place," rebecca said before disappearing from the spot. manager shaw sighed inwardly. he thought the supreme elder had instructed them to let it go. his mouth curved into an arc. "harumph, this is the power of hunter league," he said in his heart. nove(lb(in then without turning back, he entered inside the aircraft. shortly after, the aircraft rose from the ground and left the academy space. carlos kent doesn''t know how to react. it was his job to protect zack. the person behind zack ordered him to protect zack''s life. now he doesn''t know what to do. then he left the place to see zack. other special faction heads are confused as well. only the dean can answer their questions. swish! in the blink of an eye, everyone disappeared from the spot and went to the dean''s room. dean room: on the other hand, i felt my conscious drowning. but the pain is unbearable. swish! the next second, i found someone standing before me. i vaguely spotted the silhouette. the person is none other than dean rebecca. she picked up my body and took it somewhere. if i''m right, the place is going to be an infirmary. Chapter 667 Great escape chapter 667 great escape from mc''s perspective: infirmary room, the old healer was sitting behind his desk. apart from a few patients, there are not many people today. so he is getting a rare time of relaxation. swish! suddenly, he saw the dean of the academy in front of him. his pupil shrinks when he recognizes the bloodied person. "what happened?" he asked. he recognized zack. as far as he knows he has never seen zack in this state except one time when a monster riot took place. "treat him," dean rebecca said before entering the adjacent treatment room. she placed zack''s body on top of the bed. as far as she knows there is no serious injury-threatening foundation. but the old healer can tell better. the old healer appeared quickly. he immediately began to treat zack lockwood. he saw the internal organs ruptured. it can be treated. then he checks the dantian. which is the foundation for any warrior. the old man carefully began to observe the dantian. even a small crack can lead to foundation damage. rebecca is watching silently. she couldn''t believe so many things had happened in the blink of an eye. if she had known the manager shaw had come with intent to attack. she wouldn''t have permitted them to enter. swish! n-(ovelbin the next moment, another person walked in. he is the special faction head carlos kent. when he saw the old healer treating zack. he eases down his eyebrows. if not treatable, the old healer would have recommended them to some other places. "do you have the means to contact that person?" rebecca asked. carlos understands the meaning behind the person. "i can text him. but we don''t know his location," he replied. rebecca knitted her eyebrows. if that person is not in their region, which means he is currently in the inner post. "how to notify him?"she said in her heart. then she thought of something. she then turned towards zack. she thinks zack has a way to contact him. as soon as he woke up from his sleep, he asked for help. "let''s wait for him to wake up," rebecca said. carlos nodded his head. in the meantime, the old healer has checked the dantian. there is nothing wrong with the dantian. it''s completely fine. but he couldn''t stop the trembling of his hands. because he found something strong. he saw zack''s skeleton structure is red. at first, he thought of some infection. but when he began to observe the bones. he found out the whole bones were red. "weird body method," he said in his heart. last time, when he treated zack. he found that zack was a healer apart from the warrior. now this weird energy from the bones confirms that zack is practicing body methods. "this kid is hiding a lot of secrets," the old healer said in his heart. but he isn''t interested in uncovering the secrets. from the dean''s conversation just now. he confirms that zack has an unusual background. on top of it, he has promised to do it last time as well. he won''t reveal the secret to others. "how is he?" rebecca''s voice reached his ears. "he is fine. apart from internal organ damage nothing serious. but he has to spend a few days here," the old healer said. "alright," rebecca said. her eyes flash with complex emotions. she was not careful. just one mistake made zack bedridden. she decided not to let anyone meet zack from next time onwards. "dean, it''s not your fault," carlos said. "i know. but you have to convince others," she replied. she doesn''t want to meet other faction heads right? she decides to retreat for a few days. she will retain it when zack regains consciousness. she then disappeared from the spot. carlos kent was left speechless. he knows the dean doesn''t want to deal with them. after taking one glance at zack, he left the spot. on the other hand, i have been hearing everything. it''s just i couldn''t open my eyes. my body is in extremely weak condition right now. but i''m glad that they brought me here. the old healer has injected a powerful healing essence into my body. especially to the injured organs. i''m feeling warm energy in my internal organs. thinking about it will take a few days to recover. i sighed inwardly. it''s just i didn''t expect the manager of the hunter league would attack me. which shows the hunter league didn''t put the viper academy in their eyes. i was protected by dean and carlos kent. still, i was put into this state. fortunately, the hunter league manager didn''t intend to attack me in real life. he just wants to teach me a lesson. so he released a small coercion towards me. if he wanted to kill me, i would have ended up dead right now. suddenly, a cold chill went down my back. then i removed the negative thoughts before starting to think about my recovery. if i regain some strength, i''ll try to use the healing energy to speed up the recovery. meanwhile, the manager shaw is in a bad mood. the aircraft is returning to the steel city at high speed. but thinking about his actions. he cursed at himself. he hated half-hearted actions. he should have used full coercion to destroy zack lockwood. now he left him with a small injury. he didn''t feel satisfied. on top of that, he failed to get a confession from him. "wait for me. i will prepare the evidence," he said in his heart. he made up his mind to confront the supreme elder of the academy. then he will ask the supreme elder to hand over zack to their hunter league. where he can be judged for killing inner circle members. evidence is there. so he is not afraid of the viper academy and the supreme elder. even if they tried to use the backing of the army federation. it won''t work. in front of their evidence, they would remain quiet. time flies, after returning to the steel city, he instructed his men to look for crimson hall remnants. he knows zack is from small academy. that academy was destroyed by the remnants. Chapter 668 Old healer’s words chapter 668 old healer''s words from mc''s perspective: a few days later, my complexion returned to normal. i regained my strength as well. fortunately, there was no damage to the foundation. the small coercion gave me a scare at that time. but the next second, i thought about manager shaw''s fate. his death has already been decided. a few minutes later, when i was observing my condition. the old healer walked in. "looks like you are good to go now," he said with a smile. "yes, elder. and thanks for the treatment," i replied to him. if not for him, things could have gone worse. the old healer shook his head before saying, "it''s not only because of me. but your healing essence also played a role in your fast recovery." hearing that, i wasn''t surprised. because when i first regained control, i started practicing wood scripture. because of that, recovery time has shortened. "and one more thing. i observed you are practicing a wild method. which makes your skeleton red." "i can tell it''s a bone method. but i don''t know if it''s good or bad," he said looking at zack''s eyes. "bone method," my heart was in turmoil. i didn''t expect my injury would lead to the exposure of the secret. he must have seen it during the treatment. this old man knows my 2 secrets. one is a healing element and the other one is a blood method. my eyes flickered. "why is he calling the bone method?" i said in my heart. the old healer saw through his thoughts. he said, "i know what you are thinking. but don''t worry i won''t tell anyone." hearing that i sighed inwardly. since it''s exposed. nothing can be done right now. then i asked, "elder, what do you mean by bone method?" "it''s a kind of body method. but it''s more focused on bone. when i think of red energy. i can tell it''s also focused on blood." "it''s a weird method. i haven''t seen it before. but if not for the bone method. your bones would have been crushed from the coercion," he said. hearing that i understood his thoughts. the blood method has an unknown origin. but it has saved my life many times even now. after the old healer left the room, i decided to leave. but before that one more person walked into the room. "looks like i have come at the right time," a voice reached my ears. the person is none other than carlos kent. "you have a lot of explaining to do," he said. hearing that i revealed a bitter smile on my face. then i nodded at him. we then went to the office building. when we arrived at the dean''s office. the door opened automatically. seeing that both walked in. when i turned toward the dean''s side. i saw her looking at me with a scrutinizing gaze. i know she won''t let me go without knowing everything. when i turned toward carlos kent. he saw me with the same gaze as well. shaking my head, i sat opposite her. before they could speak. i started explaining to them. 10 minutes later, rebecca''s expression eases down a little. "so they have not only destroyed your former academy but also killed everyone," rebecca asked. hearing that i nodded my head at her. "it''s a good kill," carlos kent said. he was surprised by such a backstory. he added further, "but manager shaw was pretending. he didn''t tell us about their fault." hearing that rebecca''s mood turned bad as well. on the other hand, i was confused by their reaction. rebecca saw through zack''s thoughts. she said, "the hunter league manager is bad. after getting away from here. he released a statement accusing us." "statement?" i said. then she explained further. then i realized that guy was asking for a beating. he mentioned my name as a killer. "he is also creating momentum. so that we can hand you over to him," rebecca said. "not only that. he is asking for help from other academies. we don''t know about their reactions yet." "only the person behind you can solve this problem," carlos kent said in a solemn tone. "yes, zack. ask him to come as soon as possible," rebecca added. hearing that i furrowed my eyebrows. i know that jonathan is here not in the inner post. he must be looking for other remnants. if my guess is right, he will return after hearing the news. manager shaw is going to face death soon. meanwhile, n.-o(-v-(e-(l/)b.-i(-n jonathan is indeed investigating beyond the boundary. during the investigation, he didn''t look at the messages. the means of communication beyond the boundary is weak. if he wants to know, he has to do some work on it. jonathan didn''t worry about zack at all. but soon he got to learn from the local hunter league branch. he was following the remnants. but he didn''t expect to hear the shocking news. a murderous intent flashes in his eyes. he gave up the investigation and left the spot right away. on the other hand, manager shaw has collected enough evidence. he is also leaving the steel city to confront the viper academy. he had tried to convince other academies to help. but strangely those academies rejected his request. the giant tower academy especially refused to listen to him. at first, the giant tower academy was excited by his visit. but then they learned about the viper academy and zack lockwood. their attitude changed drastically. their supreme elder doesn''t want to offend the viper academy anymore. the same thing happened with the eclipse academy. they have just lost their supreme elder. they don''t want to cause further problems. at that time manager shaw thought they had been coerced by the army federation. only the federation has the power to shut them up. when it comes to other academies. they have naturally rejected the proposal as well. they don''t have bad relations with viper academy. especially after knowing that hunter league has lost one member. it''s not like heavy damage that has been inflicted on their foundation. so they don''t want to offend viper academy for this reason. Chapter 669 Hunter League’s small force chapter 669 hunter league''s small force from mc''s perspective: i left the dean''s room after the meeting. i promised her that i would ask jonathan to solve the problem. currently, the academy is acting without the supreme elder. so her worries are genuine. i didn''t even expect the hunter league to fight this. maybe manager shaw wants to keep his position. which needs the support of inner circle members. my mouth curves into an arc. his efforts are bound to be wasted. then i walked out of the office building and decided to enter the gravity chamber to train. meanwhile, manager shaw is using a big airship this time. apart from him, there are a few ss-rank warriors. this time they are going to press the viper academy. if viper academy doesn''t hand over the little brat zack, he is going to confront their supreme elder. manager shaw''s eyes flickered. unlike others, he thinks that their supreme elder knows about their prestige. their hunter league is just a branch here. as long as there is support from the main force, the viper academy can be flattened. but things won''t go to such length. he knows that they have just one inner circle member. this main branch won''t make it difficult for the viper academy. as they are also supported by the federation. it''s just that families staying in the steel city are restless. they want accountability. so he had to capture zack lockwood by any means possible. lots of thoughts flash in his mind as his airship is moving towards the viper academy. red moon tower: "viper academy hits the iron plate this time," dean lily smith uttered in a solemn tone. teresa york is standing before her. she was the one who brought intel to her. dean lily saw through teresa''s reaction and asked, "what''s bothering you?" teresa''s thoughts returned to reality. she looked at dean before asking, "dean, you mean the viper academy can''t escape the disaster?" dean lily smith sighed before replying, "i''m guessing they are relying on the federation''s support. and that kid zack is going to enter the inner post in the future." "so it''s too much that local hunter league is troubling the viper academy for this reason," she added. teresa doesn''t know what to say. but she knows that viper academy still has a supreme elder. he will take care of it. similar things are happening in other academies. though they declined the offer of the hunter league. they are still paying attention to the developments. time flies, a few hours later, a massive airship crosses the viper city and they start moving towards the academy nonstop. the information quickly reaches the ears of dean rebecca. "they are here," she uttered in a cold tone in her office. she didn''t expect manager shaw to bring a small force. this is a sign of hitting their face. she is racking her brain to come up with the solution. she and carlos kent can stop this force. but the hunter league has a similar existence to the supreme elder. if manager shaw manages to invite him, then it would be trouble. she hopes the person behind zack will return soon. in the meantime, they can only do their best. the next second, she quickly gave a few administrative orders and disappeared from the spot. short after, nove.lb-1n carlos kent appeared outside. he is standing in mid-air at the entrance of the academy. there is an invisible formation covering the academy. it''s not like anyone can enter the academy. last time, rebecca gave permission. but this time the airship won''t be getting in. carlos kent''s expression was dignified. like rebecca, he too didn''t expect the abacus of manager shaw. last time, he had attacked zack lockwood. and this time, he even came with the force. a bitter smile appeared on his face. he knows they are on the back foot because there is no supreme elder in the academy. swish! rebecca appeared next to him. "i hope he doesn''t bring the supreme existence behind him," rebecca said. carlos kent furrowed his eyebrows before saying, "dean, i don''t think he can influence hunter league''s supreme elder." "he is making all of this fuss because of one inner circle member. in return, he wants to capture a special element warrior." "forget about zack, even in normal circumstances it''s impossible for us to act according to his bidding." "where is the academy''s face and the federation''s face in this," he added. rebecca found his words reasonable. so she became relaxed. she not only instructed carlos but also others. they will appear soon. "where is zack?" she asked. she forgot to remind zack about this situation. "he is practicing in the gravity chamber," carlos said. "it''s best for him not to come out. otherwise, they will do some trick to attack him again," she said in a solemn tone. a few minutes later, a big airship came into view. seeing that expression of jonathan and rebecca changes drastically. "i feel many ss-rank warrior auras in the airship," carlos said. rebecca''s eyes stared at the airship. she is looking for any aura above sss-rank warrior. in the blink of an eye, her eyes and eyebrows ease down a little bit. "ha....ha...ha...." the next second, a huge laughter sounded. a few figures flew out of the airship. manager shaw is standing in mid-air. behind him, there are a few inner circle elders. there are 8 of them. all of them are releasing ss-rank aura. this is not their full force. there are still few staying back in the city. not even in the big academy there aren''t many ss-rank warriors that can be found. before they could enter the academy. they saw that the formation was blocking their path. manager shaw spotted the formation. his face turned ugly. he then saw dean rebecca and carlos kent standing ahead. he said, "dean rebecca, what is this?" "this is how you welcome your guest," manager shaw said with a sneer. rebecca''s eyes turned cold. swish! another special faction head appeared behind her. their expression also becomes dignified. "manager shaw, are you here to attack our academy," rebecca asked. manager shaw''s eyes flash a little before it becomes normal. he knows the supreme elder might be watching. Chapter 670 Manager Shaw’s demand chapter 670 manager shaw''s demand from mc''s perspective: viper academy: manager shaw thought about something before asking, "we are here to seek justice. hand over zack lockwood to us. if not we will go back and ask our head manager to come." his voice reaches everyone''s ears. the head manager in his mouth is none other than the supreme elder. like rebecca had guessed earlier. manager shaw has a backup plan to call their supreme elder. a hint of apprehension appeared in her eyes. she can''t allow them to enter inside. otherwise, the fight will break out. on the other hand, if she insists on her stand. then the manager shaw might visit again with their supreme elder. carlos'' expression turned ugly as well. apart from jonathan, no one can save the academy. even jonathan himself wasn''t aware that things had developed to this extent. n-)o-(v.(e--l.(b(/i-.n other special faction heads are in confusion and fear. they don''t know what happened. but from another party, they can see that zack lockwood has offended someone big. and dean rebecca is standing up for him. suddenly, they have mixed emotions in their heart. the hunter league has come up with a small force. if things get worse, then the academy might face danger. manager shaw that dean rebecca was not answering at all. he then shifted his gaze towards the barrier. he thinks as long as their supreme elder looks at their evidence. he would agree to dispel zack from the academy. then he can bring him back to the street city for punishment. but for this to happen. he had to enter inside first. "dean rebecca, i''m asking you again. open the formation. we can discuss this with your supreme elder. he will change his mind then," he said straightforwardly. behind him, the ss-rank members are ready to enter anytime. dean rebecca and carlos kent know it''s impossible to do so. they remained silent. by that time a small crowd had formed. the students roaming around saw something happening at the entrance. both parties looked at each other. but rebecca was firm in her stand. carlos kent''s palms are sweating. he is not afraid to clean up this small force. but there is a real strong man behind them. no one has seen the head manager. but his name was as popular as the supreme elders of the 6 academies. so both of them are afraid. the faces of other special faction heads are bad. "good" "good" "since you guys are unwilling. i''ll go back and ask our head manager to come," manager shaw said in a cold tone. then he gave a provocative look at dean rebecca before walking back to the airship. the other members followed him back. in the blink of an eye, the airship turned around and disappeared. "let''s go back and continue your work," she said before disappearing from the spot. "phew" carlos kent breathed a sigh of relief. then he left the place as well. he knows other faction heads will confront him. soon, the rumors started to spread all over the academy. especially those students who have witnessed the scene started to spread the news. shortly after, the social media site was flooded with posts. everyone was worried about their safety. unknowingly, the name of zack lockwood was mentioned and he became a target. after that people started to dig in. and eventually, they came to know that hunter league wants zack lockwood. everything was happening because of him. 2 hours later, gravity chamber: after practicing, i walked out of the chamber. then i went to the washroom to clean my face. after doing that, i started walking towards the dorm. on the way, i came across the warriors. but they are looking at me strangely. i found a hint of hate in their eyes. it was a different gaze from before. but i shook my head before walking away. not long after, i came across other warriors. they are showing the same hate as well. suddenly, a realization struck my mind. "something must have happened," i said in my heart. after figuring it out, i decided to ask someone later. meanwhile, ernest and laverne also got the news. so do others who are familiar with zack lockwood. they didn''t expect zack lockwood to face such a danger. after hearing the news laverne and ernest wanted to meet zack. so they went to check the gravity chamber. a few minutes later, i returned to my dorm room and walked into the bath to take a shower. 20 minutes later, i changed into comfortable clothes. the gravity power has tempered my body again. i didn''t expect to return to peak after that scary injury. now i understand the role of the healing element. it''s a blessing. i have a feeling that it will play a major role in the future. then i sat on the sofa before thinking about those warriors. beep! suddenly, my sci-fi watch lit up to sign the notification. seeing that it was a call from ernest. my eyes flickered. "zack lockwood, what happened? did you offend the hunter league people?" ernest''s voice reached my ears. "hunter league?" i said in my heart. what happened? did he visit the academy again? lots of thoughts appeared in my mind. then i controlled my heart before i asked, "ernest, did something happen?" hearing that ernest briefed me on everything. after ending the call, my eyes turned cold. "alright, he ruined my name. no wonder everyone is looking at me with hate," i said to myself. "head manager uh? if that person decides to visit, then things will become truly dangerous," i muttered to myself. if things need to go back to normal, then jonathan has to come. otherwise, not only me, but even the academy will face an open threat. if that head manager finds out there was no supreme elder in the academy, then no one can save me. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. i won''t wait for my death. if jonathan fails to come back, then i will have no choice other than to hide somewhere. i''m already pissed off by those crimson hall remnants. now the hunter league is giving me a headache. Chapter 671 Head Manager chapter 671 head manager from mc''s perspective: after calming down my heart, i didn''t go out to meet dean and others. the current situation can''t be solved without the help of jonathan. before i could think further. beep! i received a call from jonathan. seeing that a hint of surprise flashes in my eyes. then my whole body got relaxed all of a sudden. i attended the call the next second, a deep voice reached my ears. "young master zack, what happened?" "are you alright?" nove-lb(in hearing that familiar voice, my eyebrows ease down a little bit. "jonathan, where are you?" "the viper academy and myself are under threat. the hunter league has found out the truth. they are asking the academy to dispel me. so that they can capture me," after saying that i explained further. a few minutes later, "i''m getting closer to viper city" "i''ll be there within an hour," jonathan said. he has been rushing out at full speed. after knowing that there was no danger for the time being. he didn''t stop. one hour later, knock! i heard knocking on the door. knowing who the visitor might be. i went to open the door. creak! jonathan walked in. his whole body was tense. seeing that, i wasn''t surprised. he must have heard the news. since he was here there was no need to be afraid. "first, i''ll send a message to dean and carlos. then only they can sleep peacefully," i said to jonathan before starting typing. jonathan is thinking about something else. when he was flying over viper city. he saw that the whole city was in panic. the hunter league''s action has caused so much disturbance. a chill flashes in his eyes. after sending the message, i sat opposite him on the sofa. "thankfully, you returned in time. manager shaw might receive help from their supreme elder," i said to him. now i''m looking forward to manager shaw''s end. i didn''t tell him everything including the attack on me. i can''t predict jonathan. if he learns the truth, he might uproot the whole steel city. this might give the teacher a headache. "young master, this is my fault. i didn''t expect the hunter league to go to such a length. because of the death of one of their inner circle members," jonathan said. "it''s not your fault," i replied with a sigh. a quick gleam flashes in jonathan''s eyes. no one would offend other forces just like that. but he finds the manager of the local branch out of the ordinary. suddenly, he wonders whether there are any backhands behind this situation. because the actions of this manager are a bit odd. on the other hand, i received a reply from dean and carlos. both of them are thankful. a hint of guilt appeared in my eyes. the current situation was because of me. i was impatient. i could have dealt with the crimson hall''s remnants after getting into the inner post. now, i will have odd relations with hunter league in the future. "alright, i''ll be staying in viper city. i''ll come next morning," jonathan said before leaving the place. looking at his back, i sighed inwardly. fortunately, he didn''t ask to meet the dean. otherwise, she could have recounted everything. then i stretched my arms before going to sleep. meanwhile, manager shaw has already arrived at the steel city. it''s just he is waiting for the head manager to appear who was in retreat. but his palms are sweating. the head manager can be only disturbed in dire situations. right now, the steel city and their hunter league are not facing any threat. instead, he wants to use the head manager''s hand to inflict damage on the viper academy. when he returned to the steel city. he saw the mood of the city had changed. the turmoil has calmed down. no one is raising a finger at him. he knows the reason behind this change. because the news must have reached everyone''s ears. he didn''t deliberately hide his actions. now all the big tier-6 cities including the remaining big academies must have heard the news as well. not only did his actions scare others but it was also work as a deterrent. hereafter no one would think of them as a soft permission. the steel city''s change made his decision more firm. now the inner circle members know the identity of the killer. they are not raising any more questions. they became even more respectful after seeing his actions. now everyone is waiting for the head manager to come out. time passes, he keeps staring at the metallic room. this place is located deep in the underground of their hunter league tower. no one can reach the place except him. creak! the door in front of him made a creaking sound. hearing that his heart skips a beat for a second. he realized that the head manager was coming out. the next second, the door opened fully. an old man appears to be in his sixties and walks out. he has a full-grown beard and white hair stretching up to his shoulders. he was dressed in white and green clothes. his eyes are black. he is 6ft tall in height. his skin tone was pale. the old man looks like a rich man. but manager shaw is under pressure looking at him. "he has reached peak stage," he was shocked to the core. he knows the head manager spends most of his time in retreat. but he didn''t know it was a breakthrough retreat. the people who got posted here were mostly warriors with exhausted potential. but the old man doesn''t seem to be like that. unlike other forces, the head manager comes from the inner post. he was not native at all. that''s why he was surprised by the pressure in front of him. a disdain flashes in the old man''s eyes. "what happened?" "you seem alright. what''s the need for an emergency message," he asked. his eyes stared at the manager like a venomous snake. manager shaw was trembling. he had imagined this scene before. but still, he couldn''t stop the inner fear. Chapter 672 Head Manager’s plan chapter 672 head manager''s plan from mc''s perspective: steel city, manager shaw didn''t want to waste any more time. so he started to tell what happened while the head manager was in retreat. the head manager began to listen. at first, his expression was calm. but when he heard about the death of the inner circle member. he felt someone slapped on his face. he is responsible for hunter league operations in this 1012 outpost. whether good or bad, anything happens to the hunter league. he is going to be responsible for it. when manager shaw finished everything a few minutes later. the head manager''s eyes turned cold. he looked calm without any emotion. but there is a storm brewing behind his calmness. manager shaw was even more terrified. he was unfamiliar with this feeling. n..0velbin because whenever bad things happen. the head manager first ventured his anger on him. but this time he was silent. he doesn''t know whether he is going to face punishment or not. the head manager is pondering whether to take action or not. from outside the issue looks simple. but he knows that the death of one inner circle member can make a difference. if he fails to handle this, things might get bad for him during the evaluation. no one wants a bad remark in their profile. he was already looking for ways to return to the inner post. this incident might hinder this process. so he is thinking more about taking action. however, the problem of identifying the culprit is not simple. "a lightning element warrior in?" he said in his heart. even in the inner post. those people are rare. there are not any special warriors without any backing. the viper academy is not without any backing. that kid can get recruited by the federation. he furrowed his eyebrows. suddenly, he thought of something. they have the evidence. there is a disadvantage for him. if they fail to cooperate, he can inform the head quarters. if the federation has any problems, they can discuss them with the headquarters. after figuring it out, he relaxed his eyebrows. when his gaze fell on shaw. a hint of disdain flashes in his eyes. "waste, don''t you know how to control inner circle members," he scolded shaw. unlike the academies and families, the hunter league is different. it''s a business organization. for that organization needs to have a good relationship with all the forces including the federation. so he hopes the federation won''t intervene for an unknown outer post warrior. although the warrior is a special element warrior. but still, the identity is clear. there is a difference between the outer post and the inner post. even if that kid managed to attract the federation. it''s going to be a small recruitment. in his opinion, he won''t be able to achieve anything. manager shaw doesn''t want to show any emotion. so he lowered his head. next morning, "let''s go to the viper academy and meet them. if they don''t cooperate, i''ll inform the head quarters,'' he said to him. hearing that manager shaw sighed in relief. now that head manager is back. he can now sit back and watch the show. the image of dean rebecca comes to his mind. he also knows their supreme elder is dying. if there is any confrontation, they are going to win. so they can''t protect zack lockwood. shortly after, 3 airships left the star city. the airship in the middle is bigger. it''s moving forward while the other 2 small airships are silently following from behind. the head manager is standing on the deck of the middle one. behind the manager, shaw is silently standing. there are super elite and ss-rank warriors in those 2 ships. there is no actual war going to happen. but the head manager wants to go with the imposing manner. when they left the information quickly spread to other big forces. the upper echelons in these forces are when they learned about the head manager. the head manager is a low-key one. but his strength is not something to be underestimated. the forces felt something unusual. including the six big academies. the hunter league''s action this time is overbearing. other academies didn''t feel good about it. it''s just the death of one inner circle member. there is no need for the head manager to come out. so the forces are feeling uncomfortable. viper academy, dean rebecca immediately received the intel. but she was not worried this time. instead, she is looking forward to the miserable condition of those hunter league people. last time, the supreme elder of the eclipse academy came with the same intent. now he was nowhere to be seen. even the activities of the eclipse academy became low. after figuring it out, she sent the message to zack so that he could inform the person behind them. then she started to do her work. in the dorm room, a sudden notification sound broke my concentration. i opened my eyes and stopped cultivation. then i began to read the message. after reading the content, my mouth curves into an arc. i don''t know about the strength of the hunter league. but i guess jonathan has a good understanding of it. then i forward the message to jonathan. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. in my opinion, jonathan won''t kill the head manager. the head manager is representing the face of the hunter league. which is a force from the inner post. so jonathan will keep his hand. but in my heart, i''m hoping that he would teach some lessons to them. so that they cannot target me in the future. meanwhile, jonathan, who was getting ready to go to the viper academy, got the news from zack. after reading it, he changed his mind. he doesn''t want any big scene to happen. so he is going to intercept them. he is also aware that he can''t kill the head manager. but he can make his return. when zack enters the inner post. his status will change. then their headquarters have to think twice before targeting zack. Chapter 673 The Head Manager’s miserable condition nove)lb.in chapter 673 the head manager''s miserable condition viper city: jonathan is standing a few miles ahead of viper city in mid-air. his silhouette is hidden. no one can see unless he shows himself. soon, 3 airships came into his view. his eyes stared at the middle one. where the old man in the white clothes can be seen. jonathan saw through his strength. "peak commander rank," he said in his strength. he had met other supreme elders from the academies. but they are old and dying. have long since exhausted their potential. jonathan saw that the head manager is energetic and his powers are stable. he knows something about the hunter league. so he strongly thinks that this person is not from this region. the next second, he flashes and moves towards the airship. the head manager is looking at the nearing city. "the viper academy should know by this time," he said in his heart. he saw a few auras looking at their airship. news must have reached the city. but he doesn''t know someone else watching their actions right now. "head manager, i heard this city was in turmoil. after hearing our name many of them chose to vacate this city," manager shaw said with a smile. he was truly happy. at least people are not stupid. they know the fate of offending their hunter league. the head manager smiled in response. but he didn''t say anything. when the airship got closer to the city. a wave of terror envelops the head manager''s heart. his expression changes drastically. "stop," he shouted out loud. his voice fell like thunder in everyone''s ears. hearing that the staff stopped the airship from moving. it came to an abrupt halt. the head manager feels the disappearing terror slowly. everyone was confused by the head manager''s decision. the only person closer to him saw that his face was not right. manager shaw was shocked to the core. what happened? he saw a fear in the eyes of the head manager. was someone powerful hiding in this city? manager shaw broke out in a cold sweat. he felt the galloping of a thousand horses in his heart. it took some seconds to calm his heart. the head manager kept his cool. before he could think further. "come to the east side of the city" a mental voice reached his mind. hearing that the head manager''s back went cold. he immediately thought of the viper academy''s supreme elder. "wasn''t he dying?" he said in his heart. that''s why he was confident in his plan. if things become worse, then he could only request headquarters for help. "maybe their supreme elder doesn''t want to see their academy become a laughing stock," he said in his heart. then he looked towards manager shaw and instructed him to wait. swish! the next second, he disappears from the spot. seeing that manager shaw''s eyes flickered. he thought viper academy''s supreme elder had come out to greet the head manager. on the other hand, the head manager flew towards the east side of the city. there is nothing but a barren land. after arriving at the place, he spread his mental power. he saw no one hiding here. then he receives another mental note. he lives further away from the city. slowly, the city disappears. now he looked around and spotted no living person other than the vast barren land. "what''s your purpose for the visit?" another mental note reached his mind. hearing that the head manager is convinced. the other person is none other than the supreme elder of the viper academy. he won''t dare to kill him. so he thought his fear was unnecessary. the next second, his eyes turned cold. "senior, don''t you know?" "the dean of your academy should know everything. your academy student was involved in the assassination of our inner circle member," the head manager said. "no one offends our hunter league. this time your academy student dared to do this thing. his crime is punishable by torture and death." "supreme elder, you should not endanger your whole academy for one student. i hope you understand the situation," he added. "if you hand him over to us, then we will return to our city right away," he said in a provocative tone. the head manager looks around. he knows the supreme elder is hiding somewhere. he is proudly standing in mid-air with his hands behind his back. he was greeted by an invisible punch. when the punch tore through his abdomen. his eyes widened in horror. boom! he wasn''t able to scream before his whole body shot towards the ground. bang! when the body hits the ground. a deafening noise reverberated throughout the area. the impact created the deep pit. the aftermath sweeps away the surrounding area causing the smoke and dust to spread around. the person responsible for this was none other than jonathan. he kept his hand. but this punch was enough to bedridden the head manager for a couple of months. when the smoke was gone. the head manager''s appearance became visible. his bloodied body was lying in a deep pit on the ground. his white clothes are torn apart. his face was bruised and his eyes were swollen from the bad crash. hairs are disheveled. pfff! the next second, blood starts gushing up from his mouth. his head was fuzzy but still, there was some trace of clarity. when he recalled what happened now. he felt death covering his heart. his realm fell back because of the injury. now he is a stage commander. normally, this shouldn''t have happened. but he left right away after the breakthrough. he thought his base was stabilized. now the reality proves him wrong. if not treated immediately, his realm will further fall back. "do you want to taste my other punch?" another mental voice reached him. hearing this, he was shocked so much that he fainted on the spot. the last remaining clarity was not enough to handle the shock. seeing that jonathan was satisfied. in his opinion, he won''t be able to cause any more waves. Chapter 674 The Head Manager’s change of mind chapter 674 the head manager''s change of mind from mc''s perspective: viper city: after injuring the head manager, jonathan didn''t wait further. he disappeared from the spot and started moving towards the viper academy. 20 minutes later, manager shaw and others who were waiting for the head manager to return became anxious. "what happened?" shaw said in his heart. he is getting an uneasy feeling all of a sudden. it shouldn''t be so long for the head manager to kill the dying old man. n./o--v-(e)/l.)b.-i(/n was the viper academy''s supreme elder creating difficulty? he shook his head in denial. from the intel, he had collected. he knows that kid zack has an unusual relationship with the academy. even the dean and the faction head are closer to him. which can''t be said the same for other warriors. at first, he thought the attention was paid due to zack lockwood being a special element warrior. now he thinks something is missing. then he immediately tried to contact the head manager. there is an active signal. but the head manager is not picking up the call. which further increases the bad premonition. the staff and other guards are perplexed by the situation. they are waiting at the entrance of the viper city. which was a bit awkward. even the residents of the local city became aware that big airships were waiting outside. others don''t know but they are just waiting for their head manager to return. as time passed, the staff asked manager shaw whether to land their airship inside the city. but shaw rejected the idea. he knows about the head manager''s temper. he doesn''t want to disobey orders. a few hours later, the head manager retained some clarity. he was seriously injured. after seeing that there is excessive blood loss. he put great effort into opening his storage ring. then he took a few rich healing pills and swallowed them. only after the warm energy entered his body. he felt somewhat comfortable. the blood stopped leaking. he then slowly checked inside. there are damaged veins and organs. it would take a long time to recover. at this time his heart was empty. there is no anger or joy. he didn''t even catch the attack. after experiencing the terror behind the attack. he understood something. "that person is not the supreme elder. no supreme elder can make me feel helpless," he said with a sigh. he began to recall the meeting in his mind. he started to realize that person was not here to kill him. even the attack was simple. there was no intent behind it. it''s just he was weak that the simple attack injured him. "unknown strength and identity. he is not from this region. it must be the federation''s person stationed in the academy," he said to himself. apart from that he didn''t find any clue. he then let out a sign before trying to get up. he escaped death. since the person from federation here. then he must have known about the conflict. no wonder the viper academy was silent. they have such people stationed here. now he can only blame the intel team. and he didn''t think about taking revenge or complaining to the headquarters. even after getting a warning, if he complains, then he would suffer for sure. after standing up, he started moving back to the airship. his realm has fallen back, but that doesn''t mean he has no energy. he still has some energy to return safely. after arriving at the airship, he directly entered his room. manager shaw and others only saw a bright light covering the head manager''s body. they didn''t see his ugly state. pfff! after entering inside, the head manager coughed up blood. he quickly swallowed a few more pills to control the injury. manager shaw is anxiously waiting outside. he feels something bad. but he doesn''t know what happened. a few minutes later, the head manager''s voice reached him. he wants everyone to return to the steel city right away. hearing that manager shaw wanted to question him. but he stopped. because he felt anger in the head manager''s words earlier. shortly after, the three airships turned around and started moving back to their city. seeing that some of the residents in the city let out a cheer. they don''t know what happened. but they are happy to see hunter league''s airships returning. the guards quickly informed the dean. she was not surprised. since the person was here. she feels a lot more relaxed. at the same time, she knows that person has nothing to do with the academy. he won''t be staying here for too long. she feels additional pressure for a breakthrough. someone has to break through next. only she and carlos are at the sss-elite level. there is no one else that has the potential to reach commander level. dorm room: jonathan arrived at my dorm room a few hours earlier. after knowing that he has settled the matter. i sigh in relief. he advised me to wait when it comes to eliminating the remaining remnants. before going back, he assured me that he was going to stay in viper city. i wasn''t surprised by his words. if we take any action, it would be eye-catching. already the hunter league has found out my connection to the crimson hall remnants. they can make it a bigger issue. red moon tower: ella downs and sallie mills have learned about the recent situation. they didn''t expect zack to offend the hunter league organization. after that student exchange meeting, both of them have been training hard. it''s just when it comes to zack. they have complicated thoughts. they don''t know the reason behind the hunter league situation. but there is someone in the academy who knows about it. "can we ask elder teresa?" ella asked. sallie nodded her head. both of their animosity towards zack has reduced nowadays. when they managed to meet teresa on the way. they got shocking news in return. "he was chased down by them. because he was behind the death of a hunter league member," teresa york said to them. the other academies have more or less the same intel. but they don''t know why it happened. Chapter 675 Goodwill City chapter 675 goodwill city from mc''s perspective: days passed in the blink of an eye, the hunter league''s incident has calmed down. no one is talking about it anymore. slowly, the academies are preparing for the year-end conference. the giant tower academy and the eclipse academy are not interested in this year''s end conference. both of their academies have gone through important events. they don''t have the energy to pay attention to it. the eclipse academy was even more dejected as they didn''t have the supreme elder. others don''t know but the dean of the eclipse academy has confirmed that their supreme elder cameron has died. he was afraid to reveal the news to anyone for the time being. weeks went by, the location for the year-end conference was decided. the event is going to be held at a neutral tier-6 city. the goodwill tier-6 city is not attached to any force. which is the perfect place for conducting the event. the city has become a tier-6 city because of growing business. there are a lot of merchant shops, pill shops, and weapon shops here. even the hunter league has a small office here. when the news was published. the residents of the city became happy. such a major event would attract a lot of visitors. restaurants, rental houses, and other businesses will receive good growth. so people are excited about this event. slowly, the old arena was being renewed. new seats were added. it won''t be long before the arena will be ready. in the meantime, the 6 big academies have finalized their list and published as well. for the year-end competition, 2 ranks will participate. elite and super elite talented warriors from 6 big academies will compete. each academy will send 10 elite and super elite warriors to the competition. when the name list began to spread. some of the names caught people''s attention. each academy has talented warriors to whom people pay attention. among them, the special elemental warriors are getting more attention and fame. viper academy''s zack lockwood name was even more popular because of the hunter league incident. later, the hunter league gave up their hunt for mysterious reasons. so the name became more eye-catching. i received a call from the old man healer. there are many injured students admitted there. after hearing that i sighed inwardly. the name list was already put up. but some people are not giving up. when the dean announced the name list for the competition. some are convinced and others are not. but none of them questioned the dean. instead, they want to break through before the start of the competition. i shook my head before leaving the room. my healing hand has improved compared to earlier days. i can treat more patients now. a few minutes later, i reached the infirmary. after entering inside, i came across the old healer who was treating a serious patient. "what happened?" i asked. old header turned around and spotted zack. "sigh, these people have returned from the class-6 monster zone," he said. hearing that my eyes flickered. "class -6 monster zone?" i uttered in surprise. i have to stay alert when it comes to dealing with the class 6 monsters. these people are nothing but seeking death. "alright, you go to the next room," old healer said. hearing that i left before taking a look at them. in the next room, there are 2 people with gruesome abdomen injuries. when i looked at them. i realized both of them were unconscious. i walked up to the warrior with brown hair whose condition was worse. then i released the healing technique. my right hand palm turned green. then i place my palm on his abdomen. slowly, green energy entered the patient''s abdomen. the recovery starts from damaged organs. the healing energy creates a green thin film over the injury. seeing that i continued to pour more healing essence. when the green films covered other organs. i retracted my hand and decided to treat the next patient.nove(lb)1n Chapter 676 Gathering at the Goodwill City chapter 676 gathering at the goodwill city from mc''s perspective:n--ovelbin viper academy, the next day, the dean asked the selected warriors to gather at the academy entrance. after hearing that i realized we are leaving for the internal competition ahead of the duel day. after leaving the room, i met with ernest and laverne at the entrance of the dorm. fortunately, they got their place in the final list. then 3 of us started walking towards the academy entrance. "i didn''t expect my name to be on the list," ernest said. a couple of weeks ago, his thoughts were different. he didn''t want to participate then. but later things changed not only in their academy but in other academies as well. he doesn''t think that giant tower and eclipse academy are going to be as domineering as they used to be. on their side, things have changed for the better because of carlos kent. the special faction head doesn''t seem to be scary anymore. "well, we got one person missing," laverne said with a sigh. hearing that i thought about michael. then i shook my head. i will be leaving after the competition. i should find a suitable time to tell them. then no one talked about michael. it will only spoil the mood. soon, we reached the entrance where we saw other warriors. "10 elite and super elite warriors," i said in my heart. i don''t know how it is going to be compared with others. the red moon tower experience gave me a good understanding of the students in other academies. i have fought with the giant tower students before. this time they are going to send the strongest team. then there is eclipse academy, silver clouds academy, and the white palace. whenever i hear the name "white palace". the image of maria frazier comes to mind. even during my last hometown visit. i didn''t inquire about the frazier clan. i was so focused on the remnants that i almost forgot about her clan. the reason itself makes me unbelievable. so for now, i''m going to focus on training under a teacher. on the other hand, dean rebecca was aware that the mysterious person behind zack would follow. that''s why she convinced carlos to stay behind. she is sitting inside the private cabin. she has been worried about this since yesterday. compared to earlier days, she feels good right now. it''s all because of security brought by zack and the person behind him. she knows even if the supreme elder was alive. he won''t leave the academy to participate in the year-end conference. at that time he was already dying because of old age and hidden injury. now she feels good about the year-end conference. there is one more reason behind this feeling. she knows that giant tower and the eclipse academy won''t be able to execute their small calculations. both the academies have weakened a lot. they won''t be able to show their usual arrogance anymore. after leaving the academy space, the airship started moving towards goodwill city. similarly, the red moon tower also decides to leave earlier. there is also white palace who have decided to come early as well. time passed, the goodwill city was bustling with new visitors every day. some of them have picked temporary land outside of the city. only people with a strong background can do that. they have managed to build up several tents outside the city. various rich families have taken this way so as not to miss the year-end competition. since many rental houses are booked. they can''t use their influence or force inside the city. if it happens it doesn''t matter whether it''s an elite level or super elite level family. they are going to suffer. apart from the hunter league, people from the army federation have entered the city as well. usually, members of the federation stay outside of the city. most of them are stationed in dangerous areas. including the forest and barren lands. so their visit has caused a lot of people to raise their eyebrows. including the people in the hunter league. surprisingly, zack''s name was famous and his background was heard by many people. so the federation people from the nearest place have come here. Chapter 677 Meeting Maria Frazier chapter 677 meeting maria frazier from mc''s perspective: goodwill city, the day before the year-end conference. everyone has arrived before the start of the year-end conference. strangely, all the 6 big academies are present. but none of their supreme elders chose to accompany them. both the eclipse academy and viper academy didn''t have the existence of the supreme elder. but nobody knows the truth. apart from the academy people, people from other small and big organizations are present in this city. including the people from the federation and hunter league. manager shaw is keeping an eye on the information. he is getting updates from the local branch of the goodwill city. even though the head manager never showed his presence after that incident. he still keeps an eye on zack and the people around him. he fears that a similar situation might happen again. don''t know who revealed the news. the remnants of the crimson hall are taking refuge under the steel city. and these people are not entering illegally. because some of them got serious money. and they are investing in the steel city. even if he wants to drive them away, it''s difficult to do it under the current situation. the goodwill city has attracted a lot of unknown eyes. rich merchants and some healing organizations have also entered the city. each of the academies has its own newly built mansion. which is enough for 20 to 30 people to stay. the mansions are not adjacent to each other. but they are located in different directions from the event place. at the east of the event arena, a white mansion was located. which is a walkable distance from the event place. dean rebecca and the students have settled down in their room. meanwhile, inside one of the rooms, 2 people are seriously discussing something. one of them was jonathan and the other one was myself. "it''s hard to believe that the hunter league didn''t retaliate," i said to jonathan. when jonathan handled the matter then. i had thought the hunter league might come again to cause trouble. but surprisingly the journey was peaceful from beginning to end. even after coming here, there was no one to bother us. now everyone is busy preparing for the event tomorrow. then i saw jonathan still looking at the outside view through the window. "jonathan, what happened?" i asked.n-)o(-v(-e)-l((b/.1-(n hearing that jonathan''s thoughts returned to reality. "i''m just checking whether anyone is near," jonathan replied. hearing that i thought of something serious. "are you wondering whether the supreme elder of those academies might come here?"i asked. it was a strange thing. there was no reason for other supreme elders not to come here. jonathan shook his head before saying, "even if they come, you don''t have to worry about anything." but he was thinking about something else in his mind. master has asked him to return with zack as soon as possible. this message he got yesterday. the encrypted message he received was short. there was no extra information in it. "ernest and laverne, if you guys want you can leave. i would like to talk with her for some time" i said to them. hearing that ernest and laverne weren''t surprised. they politely left the place. seeing that maria did the same. when the friends are gone. i looked at her and said,"let''s find a restaurant." soon, we found a luxurious restaurant with private space. after walking inside, we entered the private room. we sat opposite each other and ordered some food. soon, the food was placed. and the person who was serving food left the room. "i heard you have killed a few of those crimson hall people," maria said. hearing that i confirmed my doubts. she was aware of the incident. "sigh" "i didn''t expect this could happen at that time," i replied with a sigh. "from where do you learn it?" i asked. because the communication was blocked due to a boundary. it''s difficult to know the hometown news. maria nodded her head in understanding. "it was my father. when the incident was taking place. he and the old butler have managed to save a few people." "but arthur and ms. key have died while protecting others. even elder thornton was fighting someone powerful at that time." "my father didn''t try to save them. because the city lord was leading the destruction," she added. hearing that a murderous intent flashes in my eyes. it''s like someone opened the old wound forcibly. maria''s face changes drastically. even though she is peak stage super elite warrior. at this moment, she feels the danger. "calm down" jonathan''s voice reached my ears. it quickly dispelled the murderous intent. the next second, my forehead is filled with cold sweat. even though jonathan is roaming outside. he is still keeping an eye on zack. when he saw maria frazier. he knew this would happen. a little away from this luxurious restaurant. jonathan is standing at the top of a certain building. he is enjoying the view. realizing the last name of the girl. a quick gleam flashes in his eyes. "frazier clan?" he muttered to himself. then he looked at her again to confirm something. "super elite peak stage at this age. this girl is not simple. could it be?" jonathan said in his heart. inside the restaurant, "zack, i thought about taking revenge as well. but our academy elder also found that someone from the hunter league was behind the scenes at that time." "when my father learned about the hunter league. he had warned me not to offend them," maria revealed the truth with teary eyes. hearing that i remained silent. i knew about his father and old butler. those guys were cautious even back then. they are cautious even now. nothing can''t be done now. the hansen academy has gone completely. the person responsible for this incident was killed by jonathan. "it''s time to move on," i said in my heart. Chapter 678 2 Supreme Elders chapter 678 2 supreme elders lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål ? from mc''s perspective:n/(0velbin goodwill city, after having some discussion, we left the restaurant. she started walking towards her place. while i''m striving towards the white mansion. earlier, i thought about breaking the news to her. i wanted to tell her about my plans. i''ll be entering the inner post after the year-end conference. but i don''t know why i stopped at the last moment. maria''s dad was not simple. i don''t know whether he had told the truth to her. so i don''t want to tell her for the time being. when i go to the inner post. the viper academy would formally inform everyone. besides, uncle james, i don''t have anyone here. soon, i reached the place and went directly to my room. jonathan who was staying outside found the auras of the supreme elders. at first, he didn''t notice it. but when he decided to check all the white mansions. he spotted the unusual auras in the camps of silver clouds academy and white palace. the aura was well hidden inside the mansion. but jonathan was clear that they were supreme elders. a quick gleam flashes in jonathan''s eyes. he can more or less guess the attitude of other academies. but he didn''t have interaction with the silver clouds and white palace. "they are up to something?" jonathan muttered to himself. otherwise, there was no need for them to act separately. he is not afraid. whatever they are planning? he decided to see for himself tomorrow. then he left the place. meanwhile, maria frazier returned to the white palace''s mansion. when she entered her room. she doesn''t know if someone has noticed her. the person is none other than the dean of the white palace, linda. the dean appeared at the top of the roof. she appears to be a middle-aged woman in her forties. she was dressed in white and blue attire. she has black hair and eyes. her skin tone was fair. linda knew about maria''s meeting with zack lockwood. "i hope this girl won''t attract the attention of the hunter league," she muttered to herself. because the elder who had investigated the hansen academy''s destruction had notified the dean. so she knows about the incident. it''s just their academy didn''t have the power to offend the giants like the hunter league. now that maria has met with zack lockwood. she furrowed her eyebrows. many people knew about viper academy''s conflict with the hunter league. the main reason was zack lockwood. she knows that a lot of eyes are staring at him. and his meeting with maria might attract some trouble. when she is pondering? swish! an old woman with white hair appeared beside her. her aura was well hidden. only people above her can see through her. "the giant tower, the eclipse, and the red moon tower have strong backgrounds. we can''t afford to offend them," he added. hearing that he was not surprised. as a dean, he knows about some secret information. some academies are just branches of the main academy in the inner post. offending them would be similar to offending the main branch. it''s not like their silver clouds academy doesn''t have any connections in the inner post. it''s just their connections are weak compared to well-established academies. on the other hand, mccarthy is thinking about targeting either viper academy or the white palace. both these academies are similar to their academy in strength and background. he knows that the federation is behind the viper academy. but he believes that the federation won''t pay attention to small matters. as long as he doesn''t cross their bottom line, he can somewhat target the viper academy. it''s the same case with the white palace. the following day, the whole city is getting ready to watch the event. those who bought tickets have started to go to the stadium. as the time passed, the spectators'' spots slowly filled. the people from the six academies have also left their mansion. meanwhile, at the viper academy side, the dean rebecca called me again to make sure that jonathan was there or not. after assuring her, i joined with others. along with the dean, we started walking to the stadium. soon, we reached the place. there are separate blocks built for the academies. which is the south block. except for the south block, all the blocks are covered with the spectator''s seating. inside the south block, there were seats arranged separately for each academy. when we entered inside. we saw the name of our academy. near the viper academy stand, there are 25 empty seats. seeing that dean rebecca led everyone to that place. 10 elite warriors and 10 super elite warriors began to sit down one by one. dean rebecca sat down. there are 2 teaching staff who came here to accompany me as well. "this block got a nice view. we can see the duel ground clearly," laverne commented. "it has a nice view but this place will be filled with hostile people soon," ernest said. laverne immediately thought of giant tower academy. her expression turned solemn. not only her but others are worried as well. at this point, everyone has realized that someone is missing in their team. the person is none other than their supreme elder. which has caused some panic in their team. but dean rebecca assured them by saying the supreme elder is protecting their academy. hearing that everyone''s eyes couldn''t help but turn towards me. feeling the gazes of everyone. i sighed inwardly. everyone is thinking that the supreme elder has stayed back because of the hunter league threat. but they don''t know that. the supreme elder was already dead. ernest and laverne also saw the scene. suddenly, the dean snorted coldly. hearing that everyone quieted down. none of them dared to voice out now. Chapter 679 Everyone gathered inside the block chapter 679 everyone gathered inside the block from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, dean rebecca saw that everyone''s expression returned to normal. then she eases down her eyebrows. she knows that everyone is suspecting zack. but none of them knows the real reason. their supreme elder was no more. she has been keeping the secrets tightly. if not for jonathan''s elimination of another supreme elder from the eclipse academy. she wouldn''t have dared to come here. on the other hand, ernest and laverne were talking to me. but my mind is on something else. just now, jonathan told me that there are 2 supreme elders in this city. after hearing that i sensed trouble. i don''t know whether it''s good to let the dean know. then i shook my head in denial. since jonathan is here, he will take care of everything. a few minutes later, the giant tower academy team enters the place. this time a red-haired person led the students to their seating area. the red-haired person is the current headmaster of the giant tower academy. there is no supreme elder in their team. after seeing his appearance, everyone here was shocked. "don''t you remember? he is the famous red-haired elder. he came to our academy for a student exchange meeting at that time," ernest said from the side. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. of course, i remember clearly. at that time, i was just an elite stage warrior. not only me but the dean was surprised as well. looking at her expression, i smiled inwardly. i didn''t expect the giant tower academy to fall so badly. was the supreme elder of their academy hurt so badly? doubt appeared in my heart. the red-haired elder also saw the students of the viper academy. he saw the dean. after nodding at her, he sat on the seat. the giant tower academy students also behaved normally. no one caused any problems. as time passes, the team from the eclipse academy has walked in as well. they were even more polite. the dean edgar smiled at the red elder and dean rebecca before going to their place. after the coming of the eclipse team, the atmosphere became so strange. the eclipse academy people are said to be more arrogant. but this time their behavior caused a change in the expression of everyone. everyone''s expressions became weird. even the students of the giant tower academy are stunned. red elder understood the reason. he laughed in his heart. dean edgar remained calm. the eclipse academy doesn''t have the supreme elder. it''s an unfavorable situation for them. but he is not afraid. the eclipse academy is not without help. yet the last person who came to help them was left without any word. he is still not clear about the situation out there. so he has no choice other than to remain silent. they didn''t expect that former friends would meet in this way. the old woman marlene nodded at everyone before the white palace team went to their area. when they are all seated. they saw all the teams were present except one team. just as everyone is wondering. the silver clouds team appeared with their dean cooper and the supreme elder mccarthy. their appearance shocked everyone. this team came with their supreme elder as well. the expression of the dean rebecca changed slightly. first, the white palace and now the silver clouds academy. she knows that white palace doesn''t want to get the bottom place this time. but this silver clouds academy''s supreme elder''s presence makes everyone suspicious. compared to the white palace, the silver clouds might bring trouble to everyone. "he...he....he...," mccarthy laughed in his heart. his eyes swept across everyone. when he saw an old woman named marlene. his pupil shrinks. then he retracted his gaze. "the old hag is here," mccarthy said in his heart. yesterday, he didn''t see her. after glancing at everyone, he revealed a smile before the silver clouds walked into the area. dean cooper''s face was full of smiles. he saw there was no supreme elder here except the white palace''s old hag. but he knows their supreme elder can handle her. after everyone settled down, four middle-aged people walked in. each of their auras are sss-elite stage. they are the organizers of the year-end conference. the person standing in the middle has a bald head. he stepped forward and said, "elders, i guess we can directly start the duels for the elite stage and super elite stage." "the rankings will be decided by the top 6 places." hearing that all the deans have agreed. the two supreme elders agreed as well. supreme elder mccarthy decides to wait before targeting anyone. the appearance of the supreme elder marlene spoiled his plan. he didn''t know someone was already staring at him. the person is none other than jonathan. jonathan is in the stadium as well. but he is seated among the spectators. from there he can see the block where the academy people are staying. he is watching the movements of mccarthy. in his opinion, the white palace won''t cause any trouble. he is aware of a similar academy at the inner post as well. if that person decides to do something, he can always move. block, when the organizer left the place to announce the match. dean cooper set his gaze on the viper academy. viper academy was one of their targets. seeing the viper team without the supreme elder. his mouth curves into an arc. then he saw someone popular. the person is none other than zack lockwood. a good idea comes to his mind. he then informs the supreme elder mccarthy. mccarthy''s eyes flickered. he looks at the viper team before asking, "dean rebecca, what happened to the old supreme." "i miss him greatly," he added. Chapter 680 Elite Rank Duels chapter 680 elite rank duels from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, "should i call jonathan?" i said in my heart. i don''t like the gaze of people from the silver clouds academy. they are even worse. when it compared it to the attitudes of the giant tower academy. "what to do?" ernest muttered beside me. but i know he won''t dare to do something here. it''s going to be a similar verbal confrontation here. besides, jonathan was here. if there is an attack, he won''t stay silent. the supreme elder mccarthy''s words stunned everyone. they didn''t expect him to start his attack. dean cooper revealed a wild. he is expecting some show. quiet! the atmosphere quieted down. there is a pin-drop silence. before the supreme elder, the students dare not to say anything. the faces of red elder from the giant tower academy and dean edgar from the eclipse academy change drastically. the last thing they wanted to do was to offend the viper academy people. "if that person exists, then the old man won''t return in one piece," red elder said in his heart. he is hoping that the people of silver clouds won''t drag them in. the dean edgar was scared as well. the worst thing has happened to him. he doesn''t know who killed their supreme elder cameron. but he knows he disappeared after visiting the viper academy. "i shouldn''t have come here," edgar said. both of these people have cold sweats on their foreheads. on the other hand, the rest of the academy people turned towards dean rebecca who showed no change in expression on her face. when she saw the supreme elder mccarthy earlier. she knew this would happen. so he became ready for this question. under the gaze of everyone, she revealed a bright smile before saying, "supreme elder, it''s an honor to meet you. but our supreme elder is the oldest among all. so he can''t leave our academy at this time." hearing that others weren''t surprised. especially the supreme elder marlene of white palace. she has speculated something like this. she thinks that viper academy''s dying supreme won''t have the energy to handle all this. but the real problem for the viper academy starts when their supreme elder falls for real. then the viper academy would face danger. their status might be affected. the red moon tower remained silent as well. for them, it''s a normal conversation between the rival academies. but the supreme elder mccarthy sneered. he expected this answer. but it left the viper academy without protection. if he wants he can always attack them. "harumph," after giving a small snort. he didn''t start another topic. the expression of dean cooper became ugly. he thought that the supreme elder would continue to do something. then he felt the gaze of the supreme elder. after looking at him, he understood. there is still time available for them. they can start whenever they want. outside, the red moon tower warrior stood opposite the burly student. the platform was laid down with hard stones. it''s not easy to break down. one of the organizers became the referee. he has the strength of sss-elite rank similar to any of the deans here. which itself gives a big face to the top 6 academies. both the participants became solemn as well. they won''t be able to do any trick under the eyes of the sss-rank warrior. the referee did something. in the next second, an invisible barrier began to cover the duell platform. quiet! inside the barrier the place became silent. the barrier not only can block attack but also noise. it can stop the warriors from distraction. when the referee gave the signal. the giant tower warrior let out a shout before his body began to be covered with golden color film. it''s one of the inheritance powers of the giant tower academy. only selected core people are eligible to learn the inheritance methods of the giant tower academy. which shows the position of the burly student in giant tower academy. the golden-haired warrior acted as well. red flames came from his palms. which shows that he is a fire elemental warrior. but his fire is not an ordinary one which is more dangerous than mutated fire. inside the block, "this!" the visuals shocked the deans and knowledgeable students. even the 2 supreme elders'' eyes flickered. only the dean lily smith revealed a small smile on her face. she knows better than anyone else. the red flames not only result from the warrior''s element. but also because of their red moon inheritance. not many male warriors can practice their method. that''s why they have more female students. but this golden-haired male elite warrior is rare. because he showed good compatibility with their inheritance method. the red flame of his was the best proof of this. the red elder''s face turned solemn. he knows the horror of those who practice inheritance methods. most of the students from different academies here have practiced the inheritance method. which sets them apart from other students. the burly student of the giant tower is not simple either. the golden cover shows that he has inheritance power. on the duel platform, the burly student started charging against the warrior. when both came into contact with each other. the red moon tower warrior attacked him with the red flame. his right-hand palms are covered with a burning red flame. as his palm touches the opponent''s chest. boom! a deafening noise sounded on the platform. the opponent''s chest was protected by the golden film. but the red palm has left a dark spot in it. after the first attempt, both of them retreated backward. cheer! looking at this scene on the big screen. the crowd let out a roaring cheer. the first confrontation between them showed that both of them were strong. Chapter 681 Red Moon Tower’s win chapter 681 red moon tower''s win from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, both of the elite warrior tried to test each other. but both of them seems to be strong. not less than each other. seeing the red hot flame of the red moon tower warrior. my eyes flickered. the red energy alone is domineering. but this guy''s fire element is different than normal fire. it''s not going to be easy to suppress with the normal element. i don''t know how my purple lighting would act against the red moon tower warrior. the other hand, the giant tower warrior is not simple either. he didn''t reveal his element. if it was metal element, then his power is going to be destructive as well. not only me, others are glued in as well. the red elder of the giant tower academy was silent. but he spotted the black spot on the golden cover. which shows the power of red moon method. "he have to fight smartly," he said in his heart. none of the warriors here are simple. the usual fighting style won''t help anyone to win the duel. the same thing was seen by the dean of the red moon tower. dean lily smith was not overconfident about her student. but anyone can see that the elemental advantage is there. as long as her student fight normally he will easily with his elemental advantage. seeing the prowess of the 2 students. the expressions of rest of the elite warrior changes. they are judging themselves. because the 2 warriors have revealed that they have practise inheritance method. so no average warrior can defeat them. on the silver clouds side, the dean cooper''s expression was ugly. there is no change in the red moon tower and giant tower student''s strength. their team was not different from the last time. the dean cooper thought they can only target the bottom academies. on the platform, the red moon tower warrior smiled wickedly before proceeding to attack. he has been cleverly saving the essence for this moment. if the essence runs out, it will be over. compared it to him, the giant tower warrior is losing essence rapidly. now the golden protection was gone. he is going to use the essence more. in a blink of an eye, the red moon tower warrior got closer to him and then raised his fist to punch. as his flame covered fist hits the opponent''s body. the metallic skin failed to block the attack. the targeted spot turned pitch black like an hidden injury. argh! the giant tower warrior let out a muffled grunt before retreating backward. now the red moon tower warrior is showing horror of his flame. the giant tower warrior stabilized his movement quickly. next, the confrontation happens again. the giant tower is getting more and more black spots on his body. and each time he is letting out a grunt. at one point, the giant tower warrior gives in. anymore injuries in his body would damage the foundation. fortunately, the red moon tower warrior didn''t target one particular part. otherwise, his injuries would have been serious. the referee declared the warrior. the next second, the barrier brought down. an healing team arrived quickly to take away the giant tower warrior. people with discerning eyes can see that those injuries are not normal. if not treated quickly, it might cause problem to the foundation. cheer! on the other hand, the crowds are letting out a roaring cheer. for them the duel was amazing. if not for the announcement on the screen, they wouldn''t have believed that it was the duel between the elite warrios. the methods and fighting style shown by them can''t be seen anywhere. those rogue warriors who are traveling alone in their path can''t hold a candle against the warrior properly trained by the academy. any of their attacks can easily kill average elite warriors. among them, jonathan was present. but he yawned. in his opinion, the duel was boring. both the warriors have used same attack again and again. in the end, one of them ran out of oil. and then the winner was decided. for him, it''s a waste of time. Chapter 682 Plan to humiliate chapter 682 plan to humiliate from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, jonathan then looks at the block. in his opinion, not that many warriors can caught his attention. even zack was selected by master because of the lightning element. zack has become super elite warrior by living in this outer post is not an easy thing. if he had born in the inner post, he could have reached the sss-elite by now. compared it to those average warriors in the inner post. even the genius warrior born here are pale in comparison. block: dean lily smith reveals smile on her face. the win was expected. but the resilience of the giant tower warrior. even after getting so much hits, he had tried his utmost to remain on the platform. like she has predicted the better element won the duel. the red elder sighed. looking at the giant tower warrior, he showed appreciative look. at least, the giant tower warrior put forth a brave fight. the defeat was not that embarrassing. 5 minutes later, next match up was announced on the screen. the 2nd duel was between the silver clouds academy and the viper academy. when the name was shown on the screen. a small commotion happens. everyone is looking towards the viper academy. "it''s our tune," ernest said from the side. dean rebecca looks towards the elite warrior on our side and said some encouraging words. but the elite warrior was slightly nervous. he is from the gale faction. he fought well back in our academy. so everyone is quite optimistic about him. on the other hand, the silver clouds academy are quite confident. dean cooper is giving advise as well. but his advise is more like how to defeat the opponent shamefully. the supreme elder mccarthy said some encouraging words as well. hearing that silver clouds'' elite warrior became more enthusiastic. looking towards the viper academy''s side. his eyes become even more cold. seeing that dean cooper and the supreme elder showed appreciation. who knows the supreme elder might reward him as well. as thoughts flashes through his mind. his eyes turned cold. the viper academy warrior kept his nerves. he knows this duel is different. the warrior that he is going to face is many times stronger than the academy warrior. when the barrier enveloped the platform. the referee gave the signal. the next second, the viper academy warrior disappeared from the spot by using his movement technique. the silver clouds warrior carried indifferent smile on his face. he saw the opponent is rushing towards him. he let it happen. cheer! the crowd let out a roaring cheer. they are eager to see what''s going to happen next. when the viper academy warrior got near the opponent. he raised his hand to attack. the next second, several wind blades released from his hands. swish! the wind blades reaches the opponent in a blink of an eye. the silver clouds academy warrior remained in the same position. he let the wind blade to hit him directly. boom! a deafening sound reverberated through out the area. the barrier immediately blocked the aftermath. but the silver clouds warrior didn''t suffer anything. those wind blades didn''t hurt him at all. when they hit his body. he used his own wind element to counter attack them. but it was fast no one noticed it clearly. except the academy people and other strong warrior. for rest of them, he had done nothing. when the dust settled down. everything became more visible. seeing that silver clouds warrior was fine. gasp! the crowd exclaimed in a disbelief. they don''t know what happened. the viper academy warrior''s expression turned solemn. he finally realizes something. the opponent''s element was wind element as well. it''s not going to be easy to win. the silver clouds warrior grinned from ear to ear. next, instead of attacking. he wants the opponent to attack him again. Chapter 683 Crossing the line chapter 683 crossing the line from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, on the duel platform, the viper academy bombarded the opponent with more wind blades. the wind blades are sharper and stronger than before. it seemed like the viper academy warrior didn''t keep his hand. when the attack hits the opponent. boom! one deafening noise after another sounded. until the last wind blade hits the opponent. aftermath hits the barrier as well. but nothing happened. when the smoke settled down. the silver clouds warrior''s image became visible. he remained unscathed like the previous time. gasp! the crowd exclaimed in a surprise. this time the silver clouds warrior didn''t suffer as well. everyone realized that there was no suspense in this duel. the silver clouds warrior is stronger than the viper academy. but people with discerning eyes can see that the silver clouds warrior is taking time. if he wanted to, he could have won the duel in the first move. but he has been on the defensive mode from the beginning. inside the block, the faces of the silver clouds academy people are full of smiles. dean cooper is looking towards the side of the viper academy from time to time. "he is not going to leave like that,"ernest muttered from the side. everyone can see that the viper academy''s elite warrior won''t end well. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. should i tell jonathan? a question appeared in my heart. then i decided to see the duel further. dean rebecca is angry in her heart. it''s now clear to everyone that silver clouds academy people are targeting them. on the duel platform, the viper academy warrior retreated backward. he confirmed something in his heart. the opponent can take his second attack directly. which shows that the opponent is stronger. a thought of retreating flashes in his mind. the silver clouds warrior''s face became serious. he saw through the opponent''s thoughts. th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\ swish! he disappeared from the spot. in a blink of an eye, he got closer to the opponent. from outside everyone saw that a breezing wind went forward. the atmosphere inside the block became tense. all it needs to spark is to cause conflict. but the viper academy doesn''t have a supreme elder with them. so the silver clouds academy is clearly winning the situation. dean rebecca is clenching her fist. on the other hand, the faces of viper academy warrior are not good looking as well. this might hit their confidence. "shameless people," laverne uttered. she has been silent the whole time. even she opened her mouth. suddenly, i found a piercing gaze on me. when i followed the gaze. i saw the dean rebecca is looking at me. after meeting my gaze, she types something in her watch. on the platform, the beating of the viper academy warrior continues to take place. beep! when i received the message. i opened it to read it immediately. after reading the message, a look of understanding dawned on me. she wants jonathan to take action. because the duel was being watched by many people. including the people back in the academy. then i showed no hesitation before sending a message to jonathan. outside, everyone is quiet. people are witnessing the horrible scene. the viper academy warrior''s face was full of blood. but at the last moment, he gathered energy to shout out loud and admitted defeat. cheer! hearing the audiences who were silent a few minutes ago let out a roaring cheer. the referee brought down the barrier quickly before giving the injured a healing potion. at the same time, jonathan also receives the message. but he doesn''t need to take action. the duel was over already. the medical team quickly arrived to take him away. the silver clouds warrior was disappointed. but anyway, he has completed the task. he will be rewarded by the dean. then he left the platform and walked towards the block. the referee wiped out his forehead. he thought something bad was going to happen. fortunately, the duel was over and no conflict occurred. the audiences recovered again. Chapter 684 McCarthy’s turn to get humiliated chapter 684 mccarthy''s turn to get humiliated from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, the tense atmosphere inside the block didn''t reduce. but a hint of relief flashes in rebecca''s eyes. she was thinking that a fight may break out. thankfully, the duel was over. she knows that this is not the end. the silver clouds academy might target them again. that''s why she had sent a message to zack. so that person behind him can help in time. on the other hand, the red elder''s back was drenched in cold sweat. he was worried about the silver clouds academy''s scheme against the viper academy. imagine, if that powerhouse appears, he might target everyone. he is cursing at the dean and supreme elder of the silver clouds academy in his mind. he hopes that these b@stard won''t drag everyone to pit. similar thoughts are appearing in the mind of dean edgar. he thinks that silver clouds academy didn''t have an intelligence unit. if any academy has a proper intelligence unit, they can see that the viper academy is not normal. they have a mysterious backing. now he thinks that the fate of silver clouds academy has already been sealed. other academy''s are silently watching the fun. this situation is normal in the year end conference. usually, this small fight happens between the supreme elders of all the academies. but this time the situation is different. at this time, the silver clouds warrior made an entrance. "ha...ha...ha..., you did well." "i''ll give you the best reward after returning to the academy," dean cooper said with a laugh. the supreme elder mccarthy didn''t speak. but he nodded his head at the student. which is already great for him. th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\ seeing the faces of the rest of the academy became weird. this time everyone thought that silver clouds academy was crossing the bottom line. before everyone could discuss. the next matchup was announced. it''s the duel between the white palace warrior and the eclipse academy. apart from marlene, he didn''t see any other supreme elder. then his gaze fell on the viper academy side. "did the dying old man come?" he said in his heart. he thinks it might be the case. everyone must have seen the previous thrashing of the viper academy student. it might be the reason for the viper academy supreme elder''s turn. "even if you are here, i''m not afraid," mccarthy muttered in his heart. then he stood up from his seat and started walking towards the exit. on the viper academy side, i raised my eyebrows in surprise. "he is leaving," i said in my heart. it must be the work of jonathan. even the dean rebecca was surprised. rest of the people are confused. the supreme elder marlene frowned. she thinks there is no reason for mccarthy to leave. especially she noticed his facial expression. which seems to be serious as well. she was always on the guard. she thinks that mccarthy was up to something. he has already targeted the viper academy. who is going to be his next target? after some thought, she gave up. she thinks that because of her presence. there is less likelihood of getting targeted by him. at the same time, mccarthy walked out of the building. swish! he took a step forward. the next second, he appeared on top of the building. when i arrived at the top. he saw no one there. "where is that dying old man?" he said to himself. the next second, a sense of crisis hit his body. before he could think of the future. plop! someone slapped his face. the slapping sound was so loud. that he got stunned for a moment. mccarthy''s eyes reddened in anger. one side of his face was swollen. not only that he felt a sense of dizziness. when he got clarity, he realized someone attacked him. "who?" he shouted out loud and started looking around. but no one was here. Chapter 685 Part 1: White Smoke vs Brown layer chapter 685 part 1: white smoke vs brown layer from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, mccarthy wasn''t able to find who attacked him. all of a sudden the other side of the face was slapped by someone again. plop! after getting the hit, he retreated a few steps backward. now both sides of his cheeks are swollen. this time there was no anger on his face. instead, both of his eyes showed fear. he felt something in his mouth before taking out the broken teeth. seeing that he shuddered in fear. "who are you excellency?" mccarthy asked. this time he realized someone was there. but the person is not willing to show his presence. jonathan was deeply hidden in the surroundings. he thought that the lesson was enough. if something happens to mccarthy, people will cancel the event. he doesn''t want that to happen. [don''t target the viper academy anymore. i''ll monitor your actions.] a mental note reached mccarthy''s mind. hearing that he felt goosebumps all over his body. "viper acade...," he started stuttering. his guess was right. the person was related to the viper academy. but he is not the dying old man. he knows about the dying old man''s strength. at this stage, the dying old man was not his opponent. that''s why he confidently targeted the viper academy. but it seems like his plan was wrong. there is some other powerhouse behind the viper academy. adding the existence of the dying old man then the viper academy has 2 supreme elders. his back was drenched in cold sweat. looking around, he started asking for forgiveness. unintentionally, he has brought damage to the silver clouds academy. fortunately, it was not too late. the person''s mental note was a sign of warning. he can''t target the viper academy anymore. then he said, "your excellency, me and my academy won''t interfere in viper academy''s affairs anymore," seeing that everyone thought he was an earth element warrior. they are right but that''s not the whole situation. the next moment, the eclipse academy warrior releases small-sized boulders and shoots towards the opponent. seeing the female warrior''s face turned solemn. she started to evade the boulders one by one. boom! those boulders went past her and hit the empty platform. one after another the noise reverberated throughout the area. at the same time, some other changes are happening inside the platform. no one notices the white smoke covering the platform. while evading the attacks the white palace warrior slowly releases her inheritance power. as the time passed, the white smoke quickly covered the platform. no normal eyes can see through the white smoke. the eclipse academy warrior''s face turned grave. he realizes that it''s not ordinary smoke. it''s some kind of attack. he noticed it earlier. but he didn''t pay enough attention to it. now he realizes that white smoke can affect his body. then he ran the special technique again. the brown skin becomes even more dark. if someone looks closely they can see that the white smoke was unable to penetrate the skin. it was firmly blocked by the brown skin like a protective layer. block: the deans of the academy are surprised. they can see clearly what''s happening inside the platform. the white palace''s white smoke inheritance is not affecting the opponent. dean linda frowned before squirting her eyes. she then saw the work of brown skin. "special technique," she uttered. her words fell in the ears of everyone. the dean of another academy nodded their heads. dean edgar is carrying a small smile on his face. unlike other academies, they have various special techniques. some of the techniques can play counter against their inheritance. like in this particular duel, the white palace''s inheritance smoke won''t be able to defeat the opponent. on the viper academy side, i''m paying close attention to the duel. it has become the best learning experience. apart from the red moon tower and giant tower inheritance. i''m seeing the white palace''s inheritance for the first time. also, the eclipse academy warrior is showing some interesting techniques. ernest beside me is quite knowledgeable. he is explaining a few things to me. Chapter 686 Part 2: White Smoke vs Brown layer chapter 686 part 2: white smoke vs brown layer from mc''s perspective: block: while everyone is interestingly watching the duel. mccarthy made the appearance. but he is wearing a full face mask to hide his swollen cheeks. after seeing him everyone was surprised. especially the supreme elder marlene, who was worried about his disappearance earlier. now seeing him coming back. she feels something is wrong for sure. but she can''t pinpoint what''s exactly gone wrong. supreme elder mccarthy slowly walked to the silver cloud side and sat on his seat quietly. dean cooper was surprised. he doesn''t know why the supreme elder is wearing a mask. he thinks it might be related to his scheme. so he didn''t ask. then he set his gaze on the viper academy. they have just started targeting viper academy. he thinks their name might come in the next match-up. on the duel platform, both the warriors are confronting each other. but they are not engaging in close combat. the eclipse academy warrior is wary of the short blue dagger. on the other hand, the white palace warrior is trying hard to influence the opponent through white smoke. but the opponent''s special technique is working fine. one of them has to come up with a solution to break the ice. finally, the female warrior doesn''t want to waste the essence anymore. she quickly rushed out to attack with her dagger. seeing that the eclipse academy warrior released several rocks to block her. however, the opponent was fast because of the environment inside the platform. the platform has become like an ice floor. which made it easier for her to evade all those techniques in time. the eclipse academy warrior notices this situation. swish! the next second, he releases a different technique. the platform surrounding him is covered with small boulders on all sides. which will hinder her fast movement now. the white palace warrior pauses her movement before leaping. she has already gotten closer. because of the leap, she was one step away from the opponent. the referee declared the white palace warrior as a winner. the next moment, she absorbs the white smoke back into her body. slowly, the white smoke disappears. on the other hand, the barrier is beginning to come down. by the time the barrier comes down. the white smoke was completely absorbed by her. for the eclipse academy warrior, it would take some time to regain consciousness. cheer! the audience gave thunderous applause after hearing the winner''s name. earlier, everyone was confused because of the white smoke. but now that they have seen with their own eyes how the white smoke disappeared into her body. block: dean linda showed a bright smile on her face. she was worried earlier. but the elite warrior of their academy was smart enough to understand the situation. supreme elder marlene was pleased as well. dean edgar sighed in his heart. the elite warrior on their side is still a newbie when it comes to dealing with the inheritance power. he knows that the short dagger was part of the inheritance power. ordinary weapons won''t be able to cut through the brown skin. he believes that in further matchups students will learn and won''t repeat the mistake. on the viper academy side, ernest has won the bet. he said that the white palace girl would win earlier. and the result indeed came out as he had predicted earlier. "all other academies have some means. only we are different," ernest said. "how?" i asked back. laverne perked up her ears as well. "others got inheritance or special techniques which can be practiced by anyone talented in their academy." "but some of our important techniques can be only used by particular element users," ernest answered in a calm voice. Chapter 687 Change of plans chapter 687 change of plans from mc''s perspective: the duel opened the eyes of many warriors in the audience. most of them are not related to the big 6 academies. either they are under small organizations, institutions, and clans, or else some of them are rogues. but for both types of warriors. the duel was unforgettable. inside the block, the white palace academy gained more face. from now on the warriors from other academies won''t dare to look down upon them. earlier they were afraid of the supreme elder marlene. now they have realized that the white palace warriors are not soft powers either. on the site of the silver clouds academy, dean cooper doesn''t like where things are going. they have planned to attract everyone''s attention by targeting weaker sides. but the supreme elder mccarthy hasn''t spoken yet. so he can''t make comments against others without his nod. time passed in the blink of an eye, the 10th duel came to an end close to dawn. then the audience began to leave the stadium. there are 50 more duels to go. after 5 days, the top 30 will be known. from then duels for the top 15 will be conducted. later, the duels for the top 6 will be held. the organizers expected to conduct more duels today. initially, they thought about conducting 20 duels per day. but something else happened in the end. they were able to conduct 10 duels. the people from the 6 academies are not surprised. they have brought together talented warriors with them. so each duel has become more interesting. there is something to learn for others. the academy people didn''t complain. they left with their students. 20 minutes later, the viper academy team came back to their white mansion. but everyone''s faces were dull. this was just the 1st day of the tournament. they got one loss. fortunately, after the first defeat. the viper academy''s name didn''t come in the next matchups. it was a pure coincidence. but tomorrow won''t be the same. after pushing down these thoughts, i began to do other work. meanwhile, the silver clouds academy arrived at their place as well. dean cooper is waiting to speak to the supreme elder. when everyone was gone. he opened the topic. he is looking at the supreme elder mccarthy who was sitting on the sofa. what is weird is that he is still wearing the full mask on his face. "supreme elder, what happened?" *we had planned to target the viper academy earlier. but you remained silent after that," he asked. supreme elder mccarthy''s eyes flickered. before replying to him, he spread his mental power to see anyone around. especially he doesn''t want the old woman marlene to know about his embarrassing incident. he doesn''t intend to reveal it to others. the next second, he turned towards cooper and replied, "we are not going to target the viper academy anymore. " his words fell like a thunderclap in cooper''s ears. he remained stunned on the spot. it took him a few seconds to accept the reality. he is looking at the supreme elder with a strange gaze. "what about all those bullshit discussions?" he said in his heart. before coming here they have spent more time in discussion. at that time the supreme elder was motivated and confident enough to face other supreme elders. but he changed his stance all of a sudden. then he thought of a scene earlier where the supreme elder walked out of the block for some time. his behavior changed after his return. "did he face any trouble?" cooper said in his heart. "sigh" mccarthy let out a sigh. he doesn''t want the dean of the academy to misunderstand him. "i met someone from the federation. the official came on behalf of the viper academy," he said. though he doesn''t know the identity of the person who slapped him. but he believes only the federation behind the viper academy has such a powerhouse. "federation officials," cooper said, shocked to the core. then a realization occurred to him. the federation is a strong backer of the viper academy. they can''t offend them. Chapter 688 The 2nd day chapter 688 the 2nd day from mc''s perspective: goodwill city, dean cooper calmed down his heart after knowing the shocking truth. he looked at the supreme elder with a complicated expression. now they can''t do anything for them. they have to rely on their warriors. mccarthy stood up before going to his room. he didn''t tell him about the embarrassing incident. meanwhile, the white palace supreme elder was pondering the same thing. she had expected something to happen. because the silver clouds academy came intending to target others. but all of a sudden the supreme elder mccarthy became silent. "what happened to him?" "it''s strange," marlene said in her heart. she thinks mccarthy is planning something big. meanwhile, the result of the 1st day of the duel began to spread rapidly. the local residents who didn''t get tickets watched from their homes. everyone saw how the elite warriors of the 6 big academies are different compared to their local warriors. any one of them can defeat their local super elite warriors. because of that everyone is looking forward to the super elite duels. which would be more powerful? meanwhile, in the steel city, someone is not happy. the person is none other than manager shaw. he had heard before that there were contradictions between the academies. but he was disappointed when he received the news. "the 1s day of the duel went smoothly," his face became distorted. "looks like the information is false," he said in his heart. there are no tensions between the academies. then he instructed his men to share other news without any delay. manager shaw wanted to visit goodwill city. but the situation of the head manager was not clear yet. which made him stay in the steel city. the viper academy warrior is from the flame faction. he has domineering flame techniques. seeing that the opponent is coming towards him. he released the flame technique. the next second, an orange flame covered the whole of his body. when the red moon tower warrior came to attack. he raised his fist to punch her. his fist was covered with an orange flame. the red moon tower warrior saw that she used her strength to attack as well. when both of them first collided with each other. boom! a deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the red moon tower warrior felt a powerful force pushing her backward. she retreated a few steps backwards because of the impact. the viper academy warrior took one or two steps backward. he was in better shape compared to the red moon tower warrior. in the block, everyone saw the difference. the viper academy uses a special flame technique. it''s different from those of the eclipse academy. not anyone can practice.. even in the flame faction, only suitable warriors are eligible to practice. "he did well in the selection duels," ernest said. others also appreciate the viper academy warrior. but things are not over yet. the opponent is yet to show her red moon tower inheritance. on the platform, the female warrior realizes that the opponent is strong. so he releases her inheritance power. swish! a green wind blade with a red hue covering the sharp point shot towards the opponent. the viper academy warrior releases flame balls in response. but when they come into contact with each other. the green blade easily cuts through the flame balls to reach the target. seeing that the face of viper academy warrior changes drastically. he was close to the wind blades. he tries to evade them one by one. but the wind blades are fast. some of them manage to land a blow to his body. boom! a terrible noise sounded again. smoke covers the platform. the viper academy warrior was forced to retreat backward because of the direct hit. Chapter 689 Viper Academy’s tough situation chapter 689 viper academy''s tough situation from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-duel platform, the viper academy warrior''s body is still covered with the flames. but compared it to before the flames got dimmer. not everyone can see that he has suffered from injuries. the blade has left several cuts in his body. but fortunately, he was able to offset intense power. otherwise, that attack was enough to make him defeated. when the smoke was settled. everyone saw the scene. the female retreated backward. she saw that her attack had worked. the red energy of the red moon inheritance is formidable. it made the ordinary attack more powerful. block: "i guess, we will lose this one as well," i said in my heart. the elite warrior of our academy did practice the special technique. but looks like it was not enough to suppress the red moon energy. you need the same or more dominant energy. like the purple lightning. not only me, looking around. others are having the same thoughts as well. no one is optimistic about the viper academy. i guess if we are matched against the white palace. the result won''t be different. but the white palace academy is also considered to be weak. as the time passes, both the warriors exchange a few more blows. but the viper academy warrior was on the back foot. he is barely able to defend himself. after a few minutes, he accepted the reality and admitted defeat. with this, the red moon tower was able to win again. as time passes, other duels are conducted one after another. when the matchup between the viper academy and the silver clouds was announced. everyone is hoping to see some drama. but on the contrary, the supreme elder mccarthy didn''t even react like others had wanted. even the elite student of them received a warning not to overdo it against the viper academy warrior. seeing that everyone was surprised in their heart. inner post: at the rock castle of lowell mcclain, several people made the sudden visit. they are people from the mcclain house. there were 6 people in dark blue clothes entering the castle. ranging from old to middle-aged. the 6 of them are waiting for the owner of the castle to appear. among the 6 members, there are 3 male people. the remaining are females. they appear to be normal people. but they are not. before they could do something, the footsteps sounded near them. "elders, what are you doing here?" "this is my private place. no one is allowed here," lowell said with anger. he was cleared by the appearance of these people. "lowell!" "how long are you going to spend time here?" a midmiddle-agedrson asked. hearing that mcclain frowned. he more or less guessed the reason behind these people''s appearance. seeing that mcclain was silent. an old woman stepped forward and said,"alright, we are not here to make your life difficult." "have you decided on your selection?" she asked. "if not there are few talented young ones in our family. you can select one of them," she made the suggestion. lowell mcclain''s expression turned solemn. he was not surprised by the suggestion. but their appearance made him think more. they don''t have to come here. but they did anyway. "i''m going to wait. no talented young ones have attracted my attention so far," he said without any displeasure. but the expression of the old women turned unsightly. the middle-aged expresses anger by saying,"you are doing this purposely. if you can select someone from our family. it would help to raise our status in the mcclain house." Chapter 690 Buying Class-4 Monster Cores chapter 690 buying class-4 monster cores inner post: lowell mcclain again denied their suggestion. the 6 of them felt humiliated. they didn''t want to stay thereafter. seeing that mcclain relaxed his eyebrows. but he felt a certain pressure. he hopes that jonathan will return with zack soon. ... outer post: mansion, after returning to my room, i changed to comfort clothes. i couldn''t help but remove the scenes of today''s duel in my mind. today went disappointing for the viper academy. no one was able to get the 1st win in the elite category for our academy. and the remaining elite warriors whose match up didn''t come so far. i''m not optimistic about them either. after removing the unnecessary thoughts in my mind.. i left the room and started walking towards the lobby. i need to breathe some fresh air to cool down my head. after arriving at the lobby, i met with ernest and laverne. there are other groups who are ready to go out for a walk. then 3 of us left the mansion and started walking towards the shopping street. "the elite duels are disappointing. i wonder if the super elite duels will remain the same," laverne said with concern. her words are true. "sigh" ernest let out a sigh before saying,"before coming here, i thought our elite warriors are good. they have done well in the selection competition." "but looking at duels so far. i think our elite warriors'' strength is not enough,"he added. seeing that everyone turned towards me. i revealed a smile on my face before saying,"obviously, the monster cores are needed for making pills. i''m collecting this for a reason. so that our elite warriors don''t have to look for monster cores in times of emergency." hearing that a look of understanding dawned on the shopkeeper. he knows that viper academy is not doing well in the elite category. it''s not surprising to know that they are in need of pills. "maybe they want to increase their elite warriors'' strength," the shopkeeper said in his heart.. then he quickly went to check the stock. on the other hand, i don''t know whether to laugh or cry. i guess i''m the only one who can use monster cores to raise the cultivation. others can do it. but they need a monster core with the same elemental power. they also need corresponding techniques to use monster core energy. shortly after, the shopkeeper arrived carrying a silver plate. there is a low grade storage ring in it. "guests, we have only 20 class-4 monster cores," the shopkeeper said. i frowned before asking,"can i check the quality of monster cores?" the shopkeeper nodded his head. then i picked the storage ring before checking the items by using the mental power. there are 20 monster cores inside. but the quality of the monster cores are not that great. i can access better than the shopkeeper. some of them are old. most of the monster core energies have dissipated. only a few of them are good with rich monster core energies. i selected 10 monster cores like that before taking them out. the shopkeeper was surprised. because all 10 of the monster cores are new ones. then i paid the amount before taking them in my storage ring. ernest and laverne didn''t buy it. there was nothing in this place. after walking out, we went to other street shops to explore. we came across people from other academies as well. after nodding at each other, we went our separate ways. there was no conflict whatsoever. an hour later, we returned to the mansion. here, everyone is ready for dinner. seeing that we joined them as well. Chapter 691 Bottom chapter 691 bottom from mc''s perspective: after having dinner, i came back to my room. then i changed to comfort clothes before deciding to cultivate. all of a sudden, something struck my mind. back in the academy, i have personal training room. where i could cultivate in a private space. but there there is no such facility. if someone probes here, they could easily find me. if it was lightning cultivation, i wouldn''t mind. but no one knows about the blood element method. i don''t want anyone else to know including jonathan. as this thought appears in my mind. i gave up practise here. when it comes to the monster cores. i will use it in future. a few days later, the duels for the elite stage came to an end. the top 6 warriors are selected as well. the red moon tower elite warrior got the 1st place. followed by the white palace warrior who got the 2nd place. then the eclipse academy warrior who got the 3rd place. the silver couds academy got the 4th place and the viper academy got the 5th place. and 6th place is giant tower academy. when the results came. no one protested against it. because the performance of each warriors are clear. the red moon tower came prepared. their eite warriors are strong. each one of them not less than others. coupled with their red moon inheritance. they showed exceptional performance. where as the white palace did well compared it to the last time. last time, they got bottom position in both elite and super elite category this time their elite warriors have practised their inheritance method well.. because of it they were able to secure the 2nd position. when it comes to the 3rd place. the eclipse academy have shown the ordinary performance. which considered to be not that great or bad. last time, they have won the 1st place. this time their elite warriors had faced tough opponents from other academy. the silver clouds academy got the 4th place. which came as disappointing for them. if the supreme elder mccarthy have wanted he could have targeted the other academy. but for some reason, he has been maintaining silence since the 2nd day of the competition. even supreme elder marlene was surprised. she had always thought mccarthy could create some problems. but elite stage competition have ended formally. but still there was no reaction from him. which made her to believe that something must have happened. but she didn''t know what is it. on the other hand, the viper academy showed average performance. the results are not so different than the past year. the internal struggle had made it more difficult for them to get ready for the internal competition. for others, viper academy''s result was not that surprising. because viper academy don''t have exclusive inheritance or special techniques that can be practised by anyone. everyone was gathered in the lobby. no one was ready to go back to their room. dean rebecca is sitting on the chair. but her expression was calm and composed. like she had expected the duel from the beginning. the 5th place among the top 6 is not something to celebrate. if not for the last duels won by the elie warrior of our academy. we could have ended up getting the last place. because of the bad performance of the elite warriors. the faces of other super elite warriors are not good looking as well. they have lost the confidence as well. "what are we gonna do?" ernest said from the side. the current mood is depressing. no one is opening their mouth to say something. like everyone was convinced that they are not going to win anything. "the elite warriors of other academy have practiced inheritance method or special technique. then the super elite warriors must be strong," laverne said from the side. hearing that faces of other super elite warriors have changes drastically. everyone was thinking about the same thing. but they didn''t expect laverne to spill the beans. hearing that i sighed inwardly. i don''t want to give false hope to anyone. even i don''t have a clue. i rest my entire hopes on the lightning power. dean rebecca sighed before looking at everyone. she said,"alright, don''t think too much about it. just do your best in the super elite category. even if we don''t get good rank, it''s fine." "we will come back next year stronger," she added. hearing that the super elite warriors'' mood becomes lighter. they were all under pressure. no one wants to disappoint the academy or dean. before coming here, everyone thought about their faction. they had thought about getting fame to their faction not to their academy. but after coming here and competing against other academy warriors. they have come to realize that they are short sighted. they have become weak by competing against the factions. dean rebecca then instructed everyone to go back to their room. she then asked them to gather for the dinner. hearing that everyone left the place one by one. rebecca sighed in her heart. for her more than competition safety of the academy is important. when the supreme elder was alive. she had thought about getting good ranks in the year end competition. but past couple of months has been a roller coaster ride. several things of happened. certain events have threatened the safety of the academy. and the last hunter league incident made her worried. after that she accepted the reality and wanted to get through the situation as soon as possible. the academy currently needs the presence of the supreme elder. other things comes next. she is glad that carlos kent was on their side. if not things could have been bad. Chapter 692 Part 1: Low confidence chapter 692 part 1: low confidence from mc''s perspective: goodwill city, when i entered the room, someone is already waiting for me. the person is none other than jonathan. seeing i let out a sigh before sitting opposite him. he must have seen the mood back then. jonathan remained calm. he has been here from the beginning and watching everything. he can say that the situation of the viper academy was dire. the warriors are really lagging behind compared to other academy. when it comes to the super elite duels tomorrow. he doesn''t think that the results would be any different. the atmosphere was solemn. none of them are talking. jonathan''s concern was something else. he had received an encrypted short message from master lowell. his master didn''t say much except he wants zack to come to him as soon as possible. so jonathan is expecting the super elite duels to end as soon as possible. so that he can take zack to the inner post. the next second, he broke the silence by saying,"young master zack. don''t think too much about it." "this year is going to be a learning curve for them. hereafter they would pay attention to the special techniques," he added. hearing that i nodded at him. i know jonathan is here because of me. he is already helping us by teaching lessons to the supreme elder mccarthy. the eclipse academy and the giant tower academy are silent because of him as well. if not for jonathan''s presence, their situation could have been worse than the current stage right now. then after speaking for a few minutes. jonathan left the place. from the beginning to the end, he didn''t ask me about the super elite duels. "even he was not sure about me," my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. not only him, i guess others are thinking the same as well. even ernest and laverne were silent all along. maybe they thought once i ran out of lightning essence it would be over. dean rebecca hasn''t raised any questions. i looked around and made a firm decision. i don''t think anyone would spy on me today. the following day-9 a.m in the morning, i walked out of the room and went to the lobby. when i got there. i saw everyone had gathered. when the last few warriors arrived. then we left the mansion with dean rebecca. this time elite warriors can relax their nerves and watch our duel. when we came to the block. people from other academies came as well. then we walked to our place. the people from the eclipse academy and the red moon tower went to their seats. not long after we sat on our seats. i felt many gazes on me. seeing that my eyes flickered. when i raised my head. i saw the super elite warriors from the eclipse academy are looking at me with a cold gaze. i met their gaze one by one. then my gaze swept across everyone before falling on the red moon tower side. i saw ella downs and sallie mills looking at my side. seeing that my eyes flash with complicated emotions. the families of these 2 girls are part of the remnants as well. when this thought occurred to me. my eyes returned to normal and became indifferent. if their families have taken part in the hansen academy destruction. after becoming strong, i won''t mind sending their family to the death as well. on the other hand, ella downs and sallie mills took back their gaze and turned to their side. they showed complicated emotions as well. lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål they are not as naive as before. even teresa york hid the truth from them. they have got the intel from the contacts as well. the hunter league''s conflict with viper academy was not secret anymore. both of them have learnt the back story behind it. someone from the crimson hall got their revenge by killing and destroying the hansen academy and its people. the news came as a shock to them when they learned about it. even though they had hatred against the hansen academy. they never thought about killing everyone. right now, they don''t have guts to meet the gaze of zack lockwood. on the other hand, teresa york is watching everything. their action didn''t go unnoticed under her eyes. Chapter 693 Part 2: Low confidence chapter 693 part 2: low confidence from mc''s perspective: goodwill city, a few minutes later, other academy people entered the block as well. everyone quicky sat on their place. when everything was settled. the atmosphere became strange. the super elite warriors from each academy are checking out each other. but most of them ignored the viper academy warriors. outside, the crowd came in large numbers to fill the stand. the enthusiasm among the crowd was higher than before. as most of the audiences are warriors themselves. but the percentage of elite stage warriors are few. for many of them the elite stage was the highest ceiling. they have never seen the super elite warriors in their life. except the influences living in the tier-6 city. not all of them have heard about the super elite warrior. so many of them going to see the duel of the super elite warriors for first time. soon, the organizers came. they entered inside the block. after speaking about the duel, they went to announce the match up. the first match up was between the giant tower academy and the red moon tower. a female super elite warrior on the red moon tower side stood up. dean lily smith said some kind words to her. when it comes to the duels. the red moon tower side were calm and composed. the elite warriors did their part. now it''s time for the super elite warriors to shine as well. teresa york then gave her confidence as well. under the gazes of everyone, that female warrior walked towards the exit. the giant tower super elite warrior was rather calm. but his eyes flickered with a fighting intent. the giant tower academy got bottom place in the elite ranks. the super elite warrior doesn''t want to repeat the same ranks again. he walked out as well. cheer! when the 2 super elite warriors walked into the ground. the audiences let out a roaring cheer. the first match up itself was a great. jonathan who was among the crowd looked toward their side as well. after seeing the 2 warriors, he shook his head in disappointment. the expression of the giant tower warrior changes drastically. he used his elemental technique the next moment. a silver spike appeared in his hand. he held the silver long spike like a spear before started charging towards her. the silver spike''s point was so sharp. this can make one''s hair stand up. the female warrior surprisingly released the same silver spike. but her silver spike quickly becomes red in color because of the red moon energy.. everyone surprised to see two metal element warriors against each other. the giant tower warrior''s eyes flickered. but he didn''t stop his movement. he got close to again. then he brought forward the spike to hit her. the female warrior raises her spike to block it. clang! when both the spikes comes in contact with each other. a metallic sound reverberated through out the area. crack! followed by a small cracking sound. the giant tower warrior''s silver spike has cracks all over it. in a blink of an eye, the cracks becomes enlarged before breaking into pieces. boom! a terrible noise sounded again. the red moon energy from the spike it didn''t stop there. it hits the body of the giant tower warrior. which made him to forcefully go few steps backwards. inside the block, everyone can see the difference clearly. the giant tower warrior is not that strong as the red moon tower warrior. it''s a matter of time before he gets defeated. on the viper academg side. everyone''s face was rather solemn. the strength shown by 2 super elite warriors are greater compared it to the viper academy''s super elite warrios. because those warriors have not only practiced the inheritance but their level of understanding is deeper. which can be seen by the strength they are displaying right now. which has directly hit the confidence of these super elite warriors. dean rebecca is sighing from time to time in her heart. "even the super elite warrios of other academies have improved compared it to last year," she said in her heart. Chapter 694 Super Elite Warriors display of strength chapter 694 super elite warriors'' display of strength from mc''s perspective: duel platform, boom! one after another, the aftermath hits the barrier. both the warriors exchanged a few blows in succession. but the red moon tower female warrior still holds the upper hand. the red moon energy covering her body didn''t recede even a little bit. the giant tower warrior is showing exhaustion on the other hand. he has tried different metal techniques. but unfortunately, the opponent is a metal element warrior as well. this time the female warrior took the initiative to strike. she saw that the opponent was at the losing end. she just wants to make it quicker. swish! the next second, she releases a metal technique. she used metallic essence to form a metal ball. the metal ball quickly turned red. she then shot towards the opponent. the metal ball pierces through the air and reaches the target in a blink of an eye. the giant tower warrior was surprised by the speed. the attack was faster than he had thought. but he was able to evade the attack in time. when he sidestepped to move away from the spot. boom! the metal ball hits the empty platform causing the deafening noise. a deep pit was formed in that place. the next second, the metal ball disappears from the place. just as the giant tower warrior was distracted. swish! a few more metallic balls shot towards him. the speed of the attack was twice as high as before. it was so fast that giant tower warrior was caught off guard. he evaded the 1st attack. but the 2nd attack lands a blow to his chest. boom! the successive hit made him falter. which made other metallic balls land hits on his body. after getting hit by multiple balls within a few seconds, the giant tower warrior crashes to the ground in the end. pfff! blood spilled from his mouth. his chest and forearms are swollen. any more attack would severely injure his organs. quiet! seeing that he was getting bruised. the audience outside has become silent. there was no more surprise. from the beginning, it was clear that the red moon tower warrior was strong. just as everyone expected, the red moon tower female warrior struck a few more metallic balls in the next few minutes. the giant tower warrior''s condition has become even more worse. his arms have become numb. there was no more golden energy to protect his vital organs. he has already felt pain in his bones and internal organs. he doesn''t want to take risks. any more attack would rupture his organs. so he admitted defeat under the gaze of everyone. quiet! the crowd became silent. everyone thought he accepted reality. the eclipse academy warrior tried engaging in close combat. but the white smoke energy is affecting the bronze skin. so he is waiting for the opponent to exhaust. similarly, the white palace female warrior was thinking the same. she was annoyed by the opponent''s wind element. he was able to evade her attack easily. so both of the opponents are taking time. as time passes, the white palace warrior decides not to consume essence. which forced the eclipse academy warrior to rethink. finally, he moved against her. he used the wind technique to attack her. he no longer hides his move. then 2 of them started to exchange blows. boom! one after another deafening sound reverberated throughout the area. the white palace warrior manages to block the wind attack by using the huge boulders. both of them are equally against each other. at one point, it became clear that the duel was not going to end anytime soon. even the expressions of people inside the block became ugly. no one on the ground is willing to admit the defeat. but the expression of the white palace and the eclipse academy people says otherwise. dean linda gave an appreciative look. she advised her students to do their best. there was added pressure on her. so she is happy that their super elite warrior is giving it all. they also saw that the opponent was not easy. he was a wind-element warrior. which makes it easier for him to do well against her. the bronze skin of his also provides necessary protection for him. on the eclipse academy side, they are happy as well. the faces of their elite and super elite warriors are bright. dean edgar didn''t expect their warrior to keep going. he knows the white smoke energy is troublesome. especially when it''s released by the super elite warrior. "his wind element is helping him a lot," he said in his heart. but on the viper academy side, the mood was not that bright. "what are we gonna do?" laverne said. even this match has given them a good understanding. the eclipse academy super elite warrior was not less than that of other warriors. "you guys are thinking too much. just let it go," i said. they are being pessimistic. not only that, their words are affecting others'' moods as well. dean rebecca turned towards laverne suddenly. "laverne, if you are that worried, you can return to the mansion," she said in a disappointing tone. hearing that laverne quickly apologized to her. ernest remained silent. time passed, the duel came to an end at the time of dawn. the eclipse academy warrior gave up as his bronze skin began disappearing. he knows when it disappears. the white smoke will affect him for sure. when it happens it would be a matter of time before he loses the duel. so he admitted defeat in front of everyone. Chapter 695 Growing suspicion chapter 695 growing suspicion from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, inside the block, the people aren''t surprised by the result. everyone is glad that the duel came to an end. then the next duel will continue from tomorrow morning. then the academy people start to leave one by one. the red moon tower warriors are happy and they are walking out with proud expressions on their faces. things are going well for them. similarly, the white palace academy warriors are stepping out with their heads held high. this year has been fruitful for them. now they can no longer have the tag of bottom-level academy. when everyone walked out. finally, the viper academy turns. dean rebecca didn''t say much. she led the students back to the white mansion. the people from the silver clouds academy saw their expression. everyone is carrying a gloating look. it''s just their dean warned them not to say anything. otherwise, they would have taken the chance to say something and laugh at them. these 2 academies are walking along the same street. dean cooper''s expression was solemn. he likes to make fun of them as well. but he saw that the face of supreme elder mccarthy was not good-looking. he seems to be in deep thinking. feeling the gaze of the dean. the supreme elder mccarthy turned towards him. he said, "ask them to behave properly." his voice sounded cold and impatient. dean cooper was surprised. then he turned around to call out the students. the students who were looking in viper academy''s direction quickly came towards him. after getting reprimanded by him, those students'' expressions turned grave. they obediently followed the dean''s back. this scene didn''t go unnoticed under supreme elder mccarthy''s eyes. he nodded at the supreme elder before resuming walking. what others didn''t know was that his back went cold for a moment. mccarthy knew someone was watching him. he doesn''t want to remember the person. but still, it reminds him of the humiliation and fear. which shows that this place is not safe for him yet. jonathan, on the other hand, took back his gaze. he knows that the viper academy situation is bad. he wanted to see what they were up to. but he didn''t expect the silver clouds academy students to have second thoughts. now the situation is resolved. he turned towards the viper academy side. seeing that zack was alright compared to others. a hint of appreciation flashes in his eyes. "maybe he was exposed to information from the inner post earlier. these duels might be significant to him. but for others it''s their highest summit," he said to himself. then he disappears from the place. meanwhile, "zack, what about you?" "do you have enough lightning essence?" ernest asked. right now, only 3 of us are left alone. as everyone else has walked further away. "i have purple essence. but i have to use it wisely in the duels," i said to them. "i was optimistic about you. but after coming here, i realized that there was no resource for lightning here." "even the normal world energy is scarce here," laverne said. hearing that i sighed inwardly. these people simply gave up. "dean rebecca has told you before. but you are still being pessimistic," i said to her. "anyway, don''t offend the viper academy. this year may be bad for them. but it can''t be said the same for next year," marlene said. she feels that viper academy is going to change. meanwhile, the red moon tower was discussing the same topic as well. it''s just that they know more about viper academy. especially more on zack lockwood. "dean, did they get help from the federation?" teresa york asked. she realized today went well without any drama. dean lily smith revealed a bright smile on her face. she said, "looks like silver cloud guys are scared by something." "did you notice their warriors are afraid to look at the side of viper academy," she added. hearing that teresa was shocked to the core. she thought she was the only one paying attention to other academies. but she didn''t even notice this incident. "dean, so my guess was right?" teresa asked back. hearing that lily smith shook her head. "if there is someone from the federation here, i would have noticed it. besides, did you see that white palace people are clueless as well?" "which means federation guys are not here. if there was someone here, then our supreme elder would have notified us," she added. a look of understanding dawned on teresa''s face. "dean was right. we do have our hq in the inner post. we would have known if the federation people were here," she said in her heart. "then what could explain the current situation?" she asked herself. "i think only viper academy can tell us clearly," dean lily smith commented. "what about the hunter league?" teresa york asked. hearing that lily smith''s eyes flickered. "don''t need to ask them. they are different organizations. we academy institutions come under one umbrella." "there is no need to go to such a length. if something happens we have our backing," she said. teresa york became silent after that. she has little knowledge about the hunter league. but she knows that it''s a rival organization to all kinds of academic institutions. ... back in the viper academy: the atmosphere was solemn. there was no more excited mood. earlier, everyone watched the elite level duels with many big screens installed all over the academy. but enthusiasm died down because of viper academy''s poor performance. which made the students not watch the super elite duels. but still, there are exceptions. some students from the flame faction are still hoping for good duels from their members. there are also a few voices optimistic about zack lockwood. but no one mentions his name outside. as it could be heard by others. but it''s a different scene in b, c, and d-grade institutions. everyone is watching the duels. even the duels between other academies are watched by the students. most of them are looking forward to seeing zack lockwood''s duels. but today no match-up was announced for the viper academy. unlike a-grade institutions, no one mentions the name of zack lockwood in their conversation. Chapter 696 My turn! chapter 696 my turn! from mc''s perspective: goodwill city, the following day, everyone returned to the block again. there are half an hour left before the start of the duel. other academy people are coming in one by one. when viper academy came to their place. they sat quietly without making any noise. there is not much conversation happening among the friends themselves. ernest and laverne behaved properly. especially laverne decided not to open her mouth after dean rebecca''s reprimand. i''m observing everyone''s expression. especially i saw how seamus dave and vina potkins became quiet as well. after coming here, we didn''t have much interaction. but i can tell that they are being low-key as well. seeing that i sighed inwardly. shortly after, people from the white palace academy walked in. knowingly or unknowingly, dean linda looked towards the viper academy. last night, she had a long conversation with the supreme elder marlene regarding the viper academy. but still, they were not able to conclude anything. supreme elder marlene''s eyes flashed before returning to normal. among them, maria frazier looked towards zack lockwood. she has been expecting to fight against zack. the last time they fought each other was during the academy days. she wants to know the difference between their strength right now. then the red moon tower academy people came. like the white palace, they were also checking out the viper academy people to see through them. dean lily smith and teresa york guided their students back to their place. among them, ella downs and sallie mills are present as well. a few minutes later, the remaining academies came in one after another. 20 minutes later, all the 6 academies were present inside the block. the audience on the stand were seated in their place as well. last-day duels have left a deep impression in people''s minds. so everyone is looking forward to today''s duel. we left the place and started walking to the entrance together. rebecca''s eyes flash with a glint. to be honest, she doesn''t know the combat prowess of zack lockwood. she heard accounts from zack''s guardians back in the academy. but some of that information seemed to be exaggerated. even during any challenge against other faction members. zack has never shown his true strength. a hint of intrigue appeared in her eyes. she knows that the person behind zack is still here and watching everything. if not for that person, the silver clouds would have attacked them already. she wants to know what made the person recruit zack lockwood. not only her, but others are paying attention to zack for different reasons. on the red moon tower side. teresa york''s eyes flickered. she has failed to see through zack during the student exchange meeting. this allows her to find out the information as well. ella downs and sallie mills looked into each other. "what do you think?" ella downs asked. sallie mills replied, "he must be strong." both of them are speaking in a low voice. but still, their voice reached their teammates. they snorted after hearing that. the student exchange meeting between the 2 academies was disappointing. some of them wanted to get back their lost face. it''s just that dean lily didn''t say a word so far. only teresa knows the reason behind this. zack''s element is a lightning element. it''s a special element. it was not easy for someone with a lightning element to become a super elite warrior in their region. this means zack is naturally talented and stronger than others. it''s just people are waiting to see what would happen if his essence hits the rock bottom. unlike others, he can''t recover lightning essence here. when it happens he will be defeated. back in the viper academy, the place has become noisy because of the first match-up. yesterday not many had set up the screen to watch the duel. that craze was only seen in other grade institutions. this time some people have set up a big screen. looking at 2 people walking to the platform. everyone cheered loudly. carlos kent has set up his cabin. it''s just he is having the same concern as well. he knows apart from the twin mountains there was no other place where lightning energy could be found. Chapter 697 Part 1: Zack vs Collins chapter 697 part 1: zack vs collins from mc''s perspective: goodwill city-stadium, both of us walked inside the platform and stood opposite each other. right after, the invisible barrier starts to cover the platform. meantime, i started considering my options. apart from the lightning attack, i got blood fists and soul attacks. the supreme elders are here. it''s not wise to use the blood method. don''t forget, jonathan, he will notice it for sure. he is going to access my duel for sure. a quick gleam flashes in my eyes. i can''t use the blood element method. but it''s different for the soul attack technique. it was given to me by the teacher. even jonathan won''t raise any questions regarding it. by that time, the barrier had covered the platform. the referee gave the signal right away. collins jl brought his weapon forward. the weapon blade releases an intense orange flame. seeing that my eyes gleamed with a twinkle. "a weapon user?" i said in my heart. so far i haven''t seen anyone use the weapon to fight. but his element is rather ordinary. it''s not a special flame or mutated one. he might be using a weapon to increase his combat ability. the weapon of his choice made me intrigued. it''s a sword as well. swish! collins exploded with great speed. seeing that he took the initiative to attack. i became ready as well. but instead of using the black sword. i raised my right hand and started pointing my forefinger at him. "lightning finger technique," i released the 1st stage of finger attack. the next second, a purple beam released from the finger and shot at the opponent. boom! a clear air-tearing sound can be heard. everyone saw a purple straight line flash before their eyes. collins''s expression turned solemn. he brought his sword forward to block the attack. when the purple beam hits the blade. boom! the majority of them don''t know what''s happening. but some elite and super elite warriors can see that the confrontation is happening. jonathan was among the spectators. his face is full of surprise. as expected zack has improved so much in his opinion. "he has seen some development in that incomplete finger technique," he said in his heart. he can see that the power output coming from the lightning-finger technique was not ordinary. he thinks that the incomplete technique comes from the inner post as well. inside the block, everyone is carrying different expressions. the people of the viper academy are happy. they can see that collins has no way to defend lightning power. "this duel has no suspense," rebecca said in her heart. she is hoping that zack will not waste the essence unnecessarily. "he is going to win," laverne said with a smile. ernest raised his eyebrows. looking at the duel, he said in a low tone, "everyone knows that he can win as long as he has essence left." "but the real problem will appear when he runs out of essence completely," he added. hearing that laverne nodded her head. seamus dave, vina potkins, and others can see the same problem. on the silver clouds academy side, dean cooper''s eyes flash with a hint of jealousy. their academy is known for having the largest number of special element students. they have recruited some rare elements such as light element warriors. it''s just the lightning element warriors are hard to find. their academy has failed to recruit zack during the selection. but it can''t be helped. they can''t snatch federation warrior. supreme elder mccarthy was struck with sudden realization. "don''t tell me the powerhouse has something to do with the kid," he said in his heart. he also connected the dots with the hunter league incident. his expression turned grave. then he turned towards viper academy''s side for a moment before returning to normal. "the viper academy is going to rise," he said in his heart. he doesn''t have evidence to prove his assumption. but his instinct has always been right. the lightning kid was not an ordinary warrior. now he has become more glad with his decision earlier.